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Sheetmusic Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart KV1 492
Le Nozze de Figaro
Opera 1786. Time: 172'00.
Translated: The Marriage of Figaro
Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots (1767)
Apollo et Hyacinthus (1767)
Bastien und Bastienne (1768)
La finta semplice (1769)
Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770)
Ascanio in Alba (1771)
Il sogno di Scipione (1772)
Lucio Silla (1772)
La finta giardiniera (1775)
Il re pastore (1775)
Thamos, King of Egypt (1779)
Zaide (1780)
Idomeneo (1781)
Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782)
L'oca del Cairo (1783)
Lo sposo deluso (1784)
Der Schauspieldirektor (1786)
The Marriage of Figaro (1786)
Don Giovanni (1787)
Così fan tutte (1790)
La clemenza di Tito (1791)
The Magic Flute (1791)
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata (The Marriage of Figaro, or the Day of Madness), K. 492, is an opera buffa (comic opera) composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro (1784).
Although the play by Beaumarchais was at first banned in Vienna because of its satire of the aristocracy, considered dangerous in the decade before the French Revolution, the opera became one of Mozart's most successful works. The overture is especially famous and is often played as a concert piece. The musical material of the overture is not used later in the work, aside from two brief phrases during the Count's part in the terzetto Cosa sento! in act 1.[1]
1 Composition
2 Performance history
2.1 Other early performances
2.2 Contemporary reputation
4.1 Act 1
6 Frequently omitted numbers
7 Musical style
8 Critical discussion
9 Other uses of the melodies
The opera was the first of three collaborations between Mozart and Da Ponte; their later collaborations were Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte. It was Mozart who originally selected Beaumarchais' play and brought it to Da Ponte, who turned it into a libretto in six weeks, rewriting it in poetic Italian and removing all of the original's political references. In particular, Da Ponte replaced Figaro's climactic speech against inherited nobility with an equally angry aria against unfaithful wives. Contrary to the popular myth, the libretto was approved by the Emperor, Joseph II, before any music was written by Mozart.[2]
The Imperial Italian opera company paid Mozart 450 florins for the work;[3] this was three times his (low) salary for a year, when he had worked as a court musician in Salzburg (Solomon 1995). Da Ponte was paid 200 florins.[3]
Figaro premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 1 May 1786, the cast for which is included in the "Roles" section below. Mozart himself directed the first two performances, conducting seated at the keyboard, the custom of the day. Later performances were by Joseph Weigl.[4] The first production was given eight further performances, all in 1786.[5]
Although the total of nine performances was nothing like the frequency of performance of Mozart's later success The Magic Flute, which for months was performed roughly every other day (Solomon 1995), the premiere is generally judged to have been a success. The applause of the audience on the first night resulted in five numbers being encored, seven on 8 May (Deutsch 1965, p. 272). Joseph II, who, in addition to his empire, was in charge of the Burgtheater, was concerned by the length of the performance and directed his aide Count Rosenberg as follows:
"To prevent the excessive duration of operas, without however prejudicing the fame often sought by opera singers from the repetition of vocal pieces, I deem the enclosed notice to the public (that no piece for more than a single voice is to be repeated) to be the most reasonable expedient. You will therefore cause some posters to this effect to be printed."[6]
The requested posters were printed up and posted in the Burgtheater in time for the third performance on 24 May (Deutsch 1965, p. 275).
The newspaper Wiener Realzeitung carried a review of the opera in its issue of 11 July 1786. It alludes to interference probably produced by paid hecklers, but praises the work warmly:
"Mozart's music was generally admired by connoisseurs already at the first performance, if I except only those whose self-love and conceit will not allow them to find merit in anything not written by themselves.
The public, however … did not really know on the first day where it stood. It heard many a bravo from unbiassed connoisseurs, but obstreperous louts in the uppermost storey exerted their hired lungs with all their might to deafen singers and audience alike with their St! and Pst; and consequently opinions were divided at the end of the piece.
Apart from that, it is true that the first performance was none of the best, owing to the difficulties of the composition.
But now, after several performances, one would be subscribing either to the cabal or to tastelessness if one were to maintain that Herr Mozart's music is anything but a masterpiece of art.
It contains so many beauties, and such a wealth of ideas, as can be drawn only from the source of innate genius."[7]
The Hungarian poet Ferenc Kazinczy was in the audience for a May performance, and later remembered the powerful impression the work made on him:
"[Nancy] Storace [see below], the beautiful singer, enchanted eye, ear, and soul. – Mozart directed the orchestra, playing his fortepiano; the joy which this music causes is so far removed from all sensuality that one cannot speak of it. Where could words be found that are worthy to describe such joy?"[8]
Joseph Haydn appreciated the opera greatly, writing to a friend that he heard it in his dreams.[9] In summer 1790 Haydn attempted to produce the work with his own company at Eszterháza, but was prevented from doing so by the death of his patron, Nikolaus Esterházy (Landon & Jones 1988, p. 174).
Other early performances
The Emperor requested a special performance at his palace theater in Laxenburg, which took place in June (Deutsch 1965).
The work was not performed in Vienna during 1787 or 1788, but starting in 1789 there was a revival production.[10] For this occasion Mozart replaced both arias of Susanna with new compositions, better suited to the voice of Adriana Ferrarese del Bene who took the role. For Deh, vieni he wrote Al desio di chi t'adora – "[come and fly] To the desire of who adores you" (K. 577) in July 1789, and for Venite, inginocchiatevi! he wrote Un moto di gioia – "A joyous emotion", (K. 579), probably in mid-1790.[11]
The opera was produced in Prague starting in December 1786 by the Pasquale Bondini company. This production was a tremendous success; the newspaper Prager Oberpostamtszeitung called the work "a masterpiece" (Deutsch 1965, p. 281), and said "no piece (for everyone here asserts) has ever caused such a sensation." (Deutsch 1965, p. 280) Local music lovers paid for Mozart to visit Prague and hear the production; he listened on 17 January 1787, and conducted it himself on the 22nd (Deutsch 1965, p. 285). The success of the Prague production led to the commissioning of the next Mozart/Da Ponte opera, Don Giovanni, premiered in Prague in 1787; see Mozart and Prague.
Contemporary reputation
The Marriage of Figaro is now regarded as a cornerstone of the standard operatic repertoire, and it appears as number six on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.[12]
Premiere cast, 1 May 1786
(Conductor: W.A. Mozart)
Count Almaviva baritone Stefano Mandini
Countess Rosina Almaviva soprano Luisa Laschi
Susanna, the countess's maid soprano Ann Storace
Figaro, personal valet to the count bass-baritone Francesco Benucci
Cherubino, the Count's page mezzo-soprano Dorotea Bussani
Marcellina mezzo-soprano Maria Mandini
Bartolo, doctor from Seville, also a practising lawyer bass Francesco Bussani
Basilio, music master tenor Michael Kelly
Don Curzio, judge tenor Michael Kelly
Barbarina, Antonio's daughter soprano Anna Gottlieb
Antonio, the Count's gardener, Susanna's uncle baritone or bass Francesco Bussani
Chorus of peasants, villagers, and servants
The action of The Marriage of Figaro is a continuation of the plot of The Barber of Seville several years later, and recounts a single "day of madness" (la folle giornata) in the palace of the Count Almaviva near Seville, Spain. Rosina is now the Countess; Dr. Bartolo is seeking revenge against Figaro for thwarting his plans to marry Rosina himself; and Count Almaviva has degenerated from the romantic youth of Barber into a scheming, bullying, skirt-chasing baritone. Having gratefully given Figaro a job as head of his servant-staff, he is now persistently trying to obtain the favors of Figaro's bride-to-be, Susanna. He keeps finding excuses to delay the civil part of the wedding of his two servants, which is arranged for this very day. Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess conspire to embarrass the Count and expose his scheming. He responds by trying to legally compel Figaro to marry a woman old enough to be his mother, but it turns out at the last minute that she really is his mother. Through Figaro's and Susanna's clever manipulations, the Count's love for his Countess is finally restored.
Place: Count Almaviva's palace (French: château) of Aguas-Frescas, three leagues outside Seville, Spain.[13]
Act 1: Cherubino hides behind Susanna's chair as the Count arrives.
A partly furnished room, with a chair in the centre.
Figaro is happily measuring the space where the bridal bed will fit while Susanna is trying on her wedding bonnet in front of the mirror (in the present day, a more traditional French floral wreath or a modern veil are often substituted, often in combination with a bonnet, so as to accommodate what Susanna happily describes as her wedding "capellino"). (Duet: Cinque, dieci, venti, trenta – "Five, ten, twenty, thirty"). Figaro is quite pleased with their new room; Susanna far less so. She is bothered by its proximity to the Count's chambers: it seems he has been making advances toward her and plans on exercising his "droit de seigneur", the purported feudal right of a lord to bed a servant girl on her wedding night before her husband can sleep with her. The Count had the right abolished when he married Rosina, but he now wants to reinstate it. Figaro is livid and plans to outwit the Count (Cavatina: Se vuol ballare, signor contino – "If you want to dance, sir Count").
Figaro departs, and Dr. Bartolo arrives with Marcellina, his old housekeeper. Marcellina has hired Bartolo as her counsel, since Figaro had once promised to marry her if he should default on a loan she had made to him, and she intends to enforce that promise. Bartolo, still irked at Figaro for having facilitated the union of the Count and Rosina (in The Barber of Seville), promises, in comical lawyer-speak, to help Marcellina (aria: La vendetta – "Vengeance").
Bartolo departs, Susanna returns, and Marcellina and Susanna share an exchange of very politely delivered sarcastic insults (duet: Via, resti servita, madama brillante – "After you, brilliant madam"), and Susanna triumphs in the exchange by congratulating her rival on her impressive age. The older woman departs in a fury.
Cherubino then arrives and, after describing his emerging infatuation with all women and particularly with his "beautiful godmother" the Countess (aria: Non so più cosa son – "I don't know anymore what I am"), asks for Susanna's aid with the Count. It seems the Count is angry with Cherubino's amorous ways, having discovered him with the gardener's daughter, Barbarina, and plans to punish him. Cherubino wants Susanna to ask the Countess to intercede on his behalf. When the Count appears, Cherubino hides behind a chair, not wanting to be seen alone with Susanna. The Count uses the opportunity of finding Susanna alone to personally step up his demands for favours from her, including financial inducements to sell herself to him. As Basilio, the slimy music teacher, arrives, the Count, not wanting to be caught alone with Susanna, hides behind the chair. Cherubino leaves that hiding place just in time, and jumps onto the chair while Susanna scrambles to cover him with a dress. Now the Count is behind the chair and Cherubino is on the chair covered by a dress.
When Basilio starts to gossip about Cherubino's obvious attraction to the Countess, the Count angrily leaps from his hiding place and he lifts the dress from the chair to illustrate how he found Cherubino under a table in Barbarina's room—again to find Cherubino! The young man is only saved from punishment by the entrance of the peasants of the Count's estate, this entrance being a preemptive attempt by Figaro to commit the Count to a formal gesture symbolizing the promise of Susanna's entering into the marriage unsullied. The Count evades Figaro's plan by postponing the gesture. Still keen on punishing Cherubino, the Count is alerted that the youth had overheard his inappropriate advances towards Susanna. This covert blackmail forces the Count to pardon him grudgingly, but he is summarily to be dispatched to Seville for army duty. Figaro gives him advice about his new, harsh, military life from which women will be totally excluded (aria: Non più andrai – "No more gallivanting").[14]
A handsome room with an alcove, a dressing room on the left, a door in the background (leading to the servants' quarters) and a window at the side.
The Countess laments her husband's infidelity. (aria: Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro – "Grant, love, some comfort"). Susanna comes in to prepare the Countess for the day; she has evidently updated the Countess on the latest news regarding the Count's overtures to her, since she responds to the Countess's questions by telling her that she is now fully informed and adds that the Count is not trying to "seduce" her, he is merely offering her a monetary contract in return for her affection. Figaro then arrives and plans to distract the Count with anonymous letters warning him of adulterers. He has already sent one to the Count (via Basilio) that indicates the Countess has a rendezvous that evening of her own. They hope that the Count will be too busy looking for imaginary adulterers to interfere with Figaro and Susanna's wedding. Figaro additionally advises the Countess to keep Cherubino around by dressing him as a girl. Figaro leaves.
Cherubino arrives, eager to be dressed up by the Countess and Susanna. Susanna urges him to sing the song he wrote for the Countess (aria: Voi che sapete che cosa è amor – "You ladies who know what love is, is it what I'm suffering from?"). After the song, they proceed to attire him in women's clothes (aria of Susanna: Venite, inginocchiatevi! – "Come, kneel down before me"). At this time, the Countess sees Cherubino's military commission, and notes that the Count was in such a hurry that he forgot to seal it with his signet ring (which was necessary to make it an official document). Susanna returns to her room for some clothing in which to dress Cherubino. While the Countess and Cherubino are waiting for Susanna to come back, they suddenly hear the Count arriving. Cherubino hides in the closet. The Count demands to be allowed into the room and the Countess reluctantly unlocks. The Count enters and hears a noise from the closet. He tries to open it, but it is locked. The Countess tells him it is only Susanna, trying on her wedding dress. The Count shouts for her to identify herself by her voice, but the Countess orders her to be silent. At this moment, Susanna re-enters unobserved, quickly realises what's going on, and hides behind a couch (Trio: Susanna, or via sortite! – "Susanna, come out!"). Furious and suspicious, the Count leaves, with the Countess, in search of tools to force the closet door open. As they leave, he locks all the bedroom doors to prevent the intruder from escaping. Cherubino and Susanna emerge from their hiding places, and Cherubino escapes by jumping through the window into the garden. Susanna then takes his place in the closet, vowing to make the Count look foolish. (duet: Aprite, presto, aprite – "Open the door, quickly!").
The Count and Countess return. The Countess desperately admits that Cherubino is hidden in the closet. The raging Count draws his sword, promising to kill Cherubino on the spot, but when the door is opened, they both find to their astonishment only Susanna. The Count demands an explanation; the Countess tells him it is a practical joke, to test his trust in her. Shamed by his jealousy, the Count begs for forgiveness. When the Count presses about the anonymous letter, Susanna and the Countess reveal that the letter was written by Figaro, and then delivered through Basilio. Figaro then arrives and tries to start the wedding festivities, but the Count berates him with questions about the anonymous note. Just as the Count is starting to run out of questions, Antonio the gardener arrives, complaining that a man has jumped out of the window and broken his flowerpots. The Count immediately realizes that the jumping fugitive was Cherubino, but Figaro claims it was he himself who jumped out the window, and fakes a foot-injury. Antonio brings forward a paper which, he says, was dropped by the escaping man. The Count orders Figaro to prove he was the jumper by identifying the paper (which is, in fact, Cherubino's appointment to the army). Figaro is able to do this because of the cunning teamwork of the two women. His victory is, however, short-lived; Marcellina, Bartolo, and Basilio enter, bringing charges against Figaro and demanding that he honor his contract to marry Marcellina. The Count happily postpones the wedding in order to investigate the charge.
A rich hall, with two thrones, prepared for the wedding ceremony.
The Count mulls over the situation, confused by the preceding events. At the urging of the Countess, Susanna enters and gives a false promise to meet the Count later that night in the garden (duet: Crudel, perché finora – "Cruel girl, why did you make me wait so long"). As Susanna leaves, the Count overhears her telling Figaro that he has already won the case. Realizing that he is being tricked (aria: Hai già vinta la causa ... Vedrò mentr'io sospiro – "You've already won the case?" ... "Shall I, while sighing, see"), he resolves to make Figaro pay by forcing him to marry Marcellina.
Figaro's trial follows, and the judgment is that Figaro must marry Marcellina. Figaro argues that he cannot get married without his parents' permission, and that he does not know who his parents are, because he was stolen from them when he was a baby. The ensuing discussion reveals that Figaro is the long-lost illegitimate son Rafaello of Bartolo and Marcellina. A touching scene of reconciliation occurs. During the celebrations, Susanna enters with a payment to release Figaro from his debt to Marcellina. Seeing Figaro and Marcellina in celebration, Susanna mistakenly believes that Figaro now prefers Marcellina over her. She has a tantrum and slaps Figaro's face. Figaro explains, and Susanna, realizing her mistake, joins the celebration. Bartolo, overcome with emotion, agrees to marry Marcellina that evening in a double wedding (sextet: Riconosci in questo amplesso una madre – "Recognize a mother in this hug").
All leave, and the Countess, alone, ponders the loss of her happiness (aria: Dove sono i bei momenti – "Where are they, the beautiful moments"). Susanna enters and updates her regarding the plan to trap the Count. The Countess dictates a love letter for Susanna to give to the Count, which suggests that he meet her that night, "under the pines". The letter instructs the Count to return the pin which fastens the letter. (duet: Sull'aria… Che soave zeffiretto – "On the breeze… What a gentle little Zephyr").
A chorus of young peasants, among them Cherubino disguised as a girl, arrives to serenade the Countess. The Count arrives with Antonio, and, discovering the page, is enraged. His anger is quickly dispelled by Barbarina (a peasant girl, Antonio's daughter), who publicly recalls that he had once offered to give her anything she wants, and asks for Cherubino's hand in marriage. Thoroughly embarrassed, the Count allows Cherubino to stay.
The act closes with the double wedding, during the course of which Susanna delivers her letter to the Count. Figaro watches the Count prick his finger on the pin, and laughs, unaware that the love-note is from Susanna herself. As the curtain drops, the two newlywed couples rejoice.
The garden, with two pavilions. Night.
Following the directions in the letter, the Count has sent the pin back to Susanna, giving it to Barbarina. Unfortunately, Barbarina has lost it (aria: L'ho perduta, me meschina – "I lost it, poor me"). Figaro and Marcellina see Barbarina, and Figaro asks her what she is doing. When he hears the pin is Susanna's, he is overcome with jealousy, especially as he recognises the pin to be the one that fastened the letter to the Count. Thinking that Susanna is meeting the Count behind his back, Figaro complains to his mother, and swears to be avenged on the Count and Susanna, and on all unfaithful wives. Marcellina urges caution, but Figaro will not listen. Figaro rushes off, and Marcellina resolves to inform Susanna of Figaro's intentions. Marcellina sings of how the wild beasts get along with each other, but rational humans can't. (aria: Il capro e la capretta – "The billy-goat and the she-goat"). (This aria and Basilio's ensuing aria are usually omitted from performances due to their relative unimportance, both musically and dramatically; however some recordings include them.)
Actuated by jealousy, Figaro tells Bartolo and Basilio to come to his aid when he gives the signal. Basilio comments on Figaro's foolishness and claims he was once as frivoulous as Figaro was. He tells a tale of how he was given common sense by "Donna Flemma" and ever since he has been aware of the wiles of women (aria: In quegli anni – "In youthful years"). They exit, leaving Figaro alone. Figaro muses on the inconstancy of women (aria: Aprite un po' quegli occhi – "Open your eyes"). Susanna and the Countess arrive, dressed in each other's clothes. Marcellina is with them, having informed Susanna of Figaro's suspicions and plans. After they discuss the plan, Marcellina and the Countess leave, and Susanna teases Figaro by singing a love song to her beloved within Figaro's hearing (aria: Deh, vieni, non tardar – "Oh come, don't delay"). Figaro is hiding behind a bush and, thinking the song is for the Count, becomes increasingly jealous.
The Countess arrives in Susanna's dress. Cherubino shows up and starts teasing "Susanna" (really the Countess), endangering the plan. Fortunately, the Count gets rid of him by striking out in the dark. His punch actually ends up hitting Figaro, but the point is made and Cherubino runs off.
The Count now begins making earnest love to "Susanna" (really the Countess), and gives her a jewelled ring. They go offstage together, where the Countess dodges him, hiding in the dark. Onstage, meanwhile, the real Susanna enters, wearing the Countess' clothes. Figaro mistakes her for the Countess, and starts to tell her of the Count's intentions, but he suddenly recognizes his bride in disguise. He plays along with the joke by pretending to be in love with "my lady", and inviting her to make love right then and there. Susanna, fooled, loses her temper and slaps him many times. Figaro finally lets on that he has recognized Susanna's voice, and they make peace, resolving to conclude the comedy together.
The Count, unable to find "Susanna", enters frustrated. Figaro gets his attention by loudly declaring his love for "the Countess" (really Susanna). The enraged Count calls for his people and for weapons: his servant is seducing his wife. Bartolo, Basilio and Antonio enter with torches as, one by one, the Count drags out Cherubino, Barbarina, Marcellina and the "Countess" from behind the pavilion.
All beg him to forgive Figaro and the "Countess", but he loudly refuses, repeating "no" at the top of his voice, until finally the real Countess re-enters and reveals her true identity. The Count, seeing the ring he had given her, realizes that the supposed Susanna he was trying to seduce, was actually his wife. Ashamed and remorseful, he kneels and pleads for forgiveness himself (Contessa, perdono – "Countess, forgive me"). The Countess, more kind than he (Piú docile io sono – "I am more kind"), forgives her husband and all are contented. They celebrate as the opera ends, vowing to party all night.
Libretto 1786
The Marriage of Figaro is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings; the recitativi are accompanied by a keyboard instrument, usually a fortepiano or a harpsichord, often joined by a cello. The instrumentation of the recitativi is not given in the score, so it is up to the conductor and the performers. A typical performance usually lasts around 3 hours.
Frequently omitted numbers
Two arias from act 4 are usually omitted: one in which Marcellina regrets that people (unlike animals) abuse their mates (Il capro e la capretta), and one in which Don Basilio tells how he saved himself from several dangers in his youth, by using the skin of an ass for shelter and camouflage (In quegli anni).
Musical style
In spite of all the sorrow, anxiety, and anger the characters experience, only one number is in a minor key: Barbarina's brief aria L'ho perduta at the beginning of act 4, where she mourns the loss of the pin and worries about what her master will say when she fails to deliver it, is written in F minor. Other than this the entire opera is set in major keys.
Mozart uses the sound of two horns playing together to represent cuckoldry, in the Act 4 aria Aprite un po quelli'ochi. Verdi later used the same device in Ford's aria in Falstaff.
Critical discussion
Lorenzo Da Ponte wrote a preface to the first published version of the libretto, in which he boldly claimed that he and Mozart had created a new form of music drama:
"In spite … of every effort … to be brief, the opera will not be one of the shortest to have appeared on our stage, for which we hope sufficient excuse will be found in the variety of threads from which the action of this play [i.e. Beaumarchais's] is woven, the vastness and grandeur of the same, the multiplicity of the musical numbers that had to be made in order not to leave the actors too long unemployed, to diminish the vexation and monotony of long recitatives, and to express with varied colours the various emotions that occur, but above all in our desire to offer as it were a new kind of spectacle to a public of so refined a taste and understanding."[15]
Charles Rosen (in The Classical Style) proposes to take Da Ponte's words quite seriously, noting the "richness of the ensemble writing",[16] which carries forward the action in a far more dramatic way than recitatives would. Rosen also suggests that the musical language of the classical style was adapted by Mozart to convey the drama: many sections of the opera musically resemble sonata form; by movement through a sequence of keys, they build up and resolve musical tension, providing a natural musical reflection of the drama. As Rosen says:
"The synthesis of accelerating complexity and symmetrical resolution which was at the heart of Mozart's style enabled him to find a musical equivalent for the great stage works which were his dramatic models. The Marriage of Figaro in Mozart's version is the dramatic equal, and in many respects the superior, of Beaumarchais's work."[17]
Other uses of the melodies
A phrase from The Marriage of Figaro, with the words Così fan tutte le belle, was later reused in the overture to Così fan tutte. Figaro's aria Non più andrai is used as the regimental slow march of the Coldstream Guards of the British Army and is quoted in the second act of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. Mozart "recycled" the music of the Agnus Dei of his Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass) for the Countess' Dove sono, in C major instead of the original F major. The same motif was used in his early bassoon concerto. Franz Liszt quoted the opera in his Fantasy on Themes from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
In 1819, Henry R. Bishop wrote an adaptation of the opera in English, translating from Beaumarchais's play and re-using some of Mozart's music, while adding some of his own.[18]
The duet "Sul l'aria" is used in the movie The Shawshank Redemption.
Main article: The Marriage of Figaro discography
List of operas by Mozart
^ Andrew Steptoe: The Mozart–Da Ponte operas: the cultural and musical background to Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte, p. 170. Oxford University Press 1990. ISBN 9780198162216 (A motif from the overture appears to the Count's words Parta, parta il damerino! in bars 101–103 and 105–107 of the terzetto Cosa sento! in act 1.)
^ Nathan Broder. Essay on the Opera in the Schirmer edition
^ a b Deutsch 1965, p. 274
^ Deutsch 1965, p. 272 Deutsch says Mozart played a harpsichord; for conflicting testimony, see below.
^ These were: 3, 8, 24 May; 4 July, 28 August, 22 (perhaps 23) of September, 15 November, 18 December (Deutsch 1965, p. 272)
^ 9 May 1786, quoted from Deutsch 1965, p. 272
^ Quoted in Deutsch 1965, p. 278
^ From Kazinczy's 1828 autobiography; quoted in Deutsch 1965
^ The letter, to Marianne von Genzinger, is printed in Geiringer 1982, pp. 90–92
^ Performance dates: 29 and 31 August; 2, 11, 19 September; 3, 9, 24 October; 5, 13, 27 November; 8 January 1790; 1 February; 1, 7, 9, 19, 30 May; 22 June; 24, 26 July; 22 August; 3, 25 September; 11 October; 4, 20 January 1791; 9 February; from Deutsch 1965, p. 272
^ Dexter Edge, "Mozart's Viennese Copyists" (PhD diss., University of Southern California, 2001), 1718–34.
^ Opera America's "The Top 20" list of most-performed operas
^ Thomas, Hugh (2006). "Ten – Leaving Madrid." (Google Books). Beaumarchais in Seville: an intermezzo.. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 143. ISBN 9780300121032. OCLC 67405646. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=r5o4oTlIoHsC&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&source=web&ots=9uMnfYVXo5&sig=qHxumt3AVqzVz7YXutt9dZc2vhk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA143,M1. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
^ This piece became so popular that Mozart himself, in the final act of his next opera Don Giovanni, transformed the aria into table music played by a woodwind ensemble, and alluded to by Leporello as "rather well-known sounds".
^ English translation taken from Deutsch 1965, 273–274
^ Rosen 1997, 182
^ Henry R. Bishop (1819). The Marriage of Figaro: a comic opera in three acts. http://books.google.com/books?id=LR0CAAAAYAAJ. Full text online.
Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.
Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography. Stanford University Press.
Geiringer, Karl; Irene Geiringer (1982). Haydn: A Creative Life in Music (3rd ed. ed.). University of California Press. xii, 403. ISBN 0520043162.
Landon, H. C. Robbins; David Wyn Jones (1988). Haydn: His Life and Music. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253372659.
Rosen, Charles (1997). The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (2nd ed. ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-31712-9.
Le nozze di Figaro: Score and critical report (German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
Complete libretto
Full orchestral score (German/Italian)
Italian/English side by side translation
The Marriage of Figaro: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
Complete recording at Mozart Archiv
Teaching material & analysis from the Metropolitan Opera
Mozart in Vienna Where Mozart composed his Figaro (+ video)
Synopsis of The Marriage of Figaro from the English Touring Opera
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The_Marriage_of_Figaro". Allthough most Wikipedia articles provide accurate information accuracy can not be guaranteed.
Symphony No. 40 in G minor
NBC Symphony Orchestra
12 piano variations "Je suis Lindor"
Artur Balsam
Quintet for Clarinet & Strings
Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet
Concerto for Flute & Harp
Mary Angelina Mei
Symphony No. 41 in C major "Jupiter"
Fantasia in C minor KV475
Wilhelm Backhaus
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Clean Energy Finance Forum
Clean Energy Bonds
Commercial and Industrial Markets
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Community-Shared Solar
Crowdfunded Projects
Data and Secondary Markets
Energy Services Agreements
Green Banks
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Performance Contracts
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States of Clean Energy
Series: Building Blocks of Community Microgrids
Series: Electricity Evolution
Series: Financing and Deploying Clean Energy Policy Memos
Series: Searching for a New Deal on Climate?
What Will It Take to Catalyze the Energy Transition?
Kat Friedrich
Vastly higher clean energy targets are essential to empower the international community to make the leap to a sustainable future, according to Richard Heinberg, coauthor of “Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy.” In this interview, he delves into the practical challenges involved in the global transition to renewable power sources.
Unions Partner with Entrepreneurs for a Just Energy Transition
Jordan Cozby
“There are no jobs on a dead planet,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. Burrow is vice-chair of The B Team, a coalition of business and civil society leaders that was founded by Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz. In an attempt to address the dual dangers of economic injustice and environmental disaster that Burrow’s remark references, The B Team launched the Pledge for a Just Transition to Decent Jobs in August 2018.
Shining a Light on the Underground Energy-Water Nexus
Why hasn’t saving water as a way of saving energy had its day in the sun yet in the United States? At Horizon18 in Boston on Oct. 11, speakers at the session “Smart Water Solutions and the Energy-Water Nexus” reflected on the sparkle of hope that they believed these solutions provide.
The Role of Community Microgrid Champions
Sara Harari, Nate Grady
Community microgrids can be initiated by a wide range of individuals or organizations. They include mayors and utilities. They also may include “anchor” off-takers like hospital management, development companies, or community organizations. But to succeed, they require that at least one person really take the lead and energize the project.
Data Visualization Tools that Can Guide Energy and EV Development
Maggie Yuan Yao
The versatile online State Energy Analysis Tool produces visuals and data analyses on energy and climate at the state level as well as the national level in the United States. This information allows states to explore their potential for renewable energy and carbon markets. It provides powerful data visualization for users to access information on clean energy, carbon emissions, and industry regulations.
Energy Storage Catalysts and Barriers
Alex McRae
Because energy storage can help the power industry with many problems ranging from intermittency issues hamstringing renewables to energy crises threatening entire population centers, it is being acclaimed by many as the linchpin of tomorrow’s clean energy future.
Can Electrification Short-Circuit the Utility Death Spiral?
The road to electrifying heating and transportation in the United States is being mapped out by Electric Power Research Institute and The Brattle Group. Their forecasts show that different paths may yield a range of environmental, business and health benefits. Electrification could also stoke the fire of utility profits, which has dimmed in recent years.
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Volvo plans new line to replace the V40
As already known, the Volvo V40 will be replaced by a new family of premium small cars, which are being developed in conjunction with the Chinese owner of the Swedish company, Geely. The new line includes a five-door crossover, a hatchback and a sedan.
Skoda should become more refined
The Volkswagen Group is working to raise the standard of the Skoda brand. The information was revealed by Winfried Vahland, CEO of the brand originates from the Czech Republic, the website Automotive News Europe.
Peugeot 308 is elected "Car of the Year" in 2014 in Europe
The organization of the award "European Car of the Year" revealed on Monday (3) that the winner of the 2014 edition is the Peugeot 308. The hatch of the French automaker earned 307 points in the poll, ahead of the electric BMW i3 (223) and Tesla Model S (216).
New Audi TT back to be caught
Audi continues performing tests with renewed TT. After busted occurred in October 2013 , at the Nurburgring, the sport was clicked during an experimental session in strict European winter, complete with snow on the asphalt.
Mitsubishi Galant:
The Engine History
Buick Enclave:
From Concept To Reality
Nissan GTR:
Volkswagen Caddy:
Your Family Needs It
Opel Insignia:
Are You On For A New Car?
Yamaha R1:
The Engine Optioons
Maybach 57:
Explore the rear and interior of the new Hyundai i20
Abu Dhabi launches BMW M135i Performance Special Edition
Land Rover Freelander forehead successor
Nissan Frontier wins Platinum Series
Volvo reveals S60 V8 Supercar
SUV from Aston Martin must have the Mercedes-Benz GL platform
Mercedes-Benz Class X can launch
Vauxhall shows Adam Black & White Editions
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Home» FL » Jacksonville Gay Bars and Clubs » hip-hop
Jacksonville Gay hip-hop bars and clubs by distance
Metro (1.4m) 7 bars under 1 roof, plays host to karaoke every Sunday, Monday & Thursday, Michael Murphy on the piano in the rainbow room Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, and a happy hour daily 2 pm - 8 pm. Tiki Bar opens at 10pm under the stars, and throws a T Dance every Sunday...more
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Considering Outloud
HiEd, Music, Pop Culture, Sports and whatever I want
My Music Memoir: May 31, 1990
mprest13
1990, concerts, Depeche Mode, Miami, Music
By time I filed into my seat at the Miami Arena on May 31, 1990 I was already hooked. I was already a lifelong fan. I had watched the tour film Depeche Mode 101 perhaps 25 times, I had every album (okay cassette but you know), and I skipped first period at Homestead Senior High School on March 19th to be the first to buy the Violator album and listen to it in my car. Depeche Mode was already my favorite band. But there was one more ritual I needed to experience to make my undying loyalty complete – a live concert. Continue reading →
Top 5 Tuesday – The Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin, Music, R&B, Top 5 Tuesday
Just a few thoughts this morning about what seems like the inevitable end of a legends career and life. As of this blog post Aretha Franklin is in Hospice care and things don’t look good. So instead of waiting for her to pass I wanted to get my thoughts out there. Aretha Franklin is treasured in the Preston house because she was my father’s favorite singer. her voice rang out in our house on Sunday mornings as we listened to her records as our church. It was her voice that was the last voice he heard as he passed away 13 years ago. Continue reading →
What I was Listening to This Week
All Songs Considered, Augustana, Gary Jules, Jackson 5, janet jackson, Leonard Cohen, Martika, Mickey and Silvia, Ministry, Mission of Burma, Music, N.W.A., The Fray, Tracy Chapman
So every Sunday (for the most part) I am planning on writing a post focused on what music I am listening to and thinking about in terms of music. I hope that I can reach other music nerds and also highlight what I am into. If you are interested or like something let me know and let’s talk about it. I love listening to music and podcasts and I hope you do to.
This week I slowly started listening to albums on my #Preston1600 list. This album list is made up of albums I compiled for a massive data review of dozens of “best of” lists from Rolling Stone magazine to KEXP Radio to The Source magazine. From that I curated the top 1600 albums. Here are short reviews of these first few listed albums – Continue reading →
From Tomboys to Boy George – Generation X and Gender
boy george, Celebrities, Depeche Mode, different strokes, erasure, gender, GenerationX, grace jones, movies, Music, politics, television, transgender
As the late 1970s turned to the 1980s there were lots of changes on the culture front. The sexual revolution was in full swing, personal experimentation with everything from sex to drugs became more and more mainstream. But on thing remained taboo. Gender was still a static thing. For the most part people who expressed themselves and their genders as anything but their biological self were often seen as strange and on the fringe. Sure there was all sorts of what I would call “gender cosplay”. Movies like Some Like it Hot and the Carol Burnett show exploited cross dressing for its comedic response. However, there were few in pop culture who were exploring this subject. The first inkling of gender non-conformity appeared in songs like Lou Reed’s Take a Walk on the Wildside and of course the forbearer of exploring gender fluidity, David Bowie. Continue reading →
Oct. 11, 1975 – Oct. 24, 2006 – Generation X
Celebrities, GenerationX, movies, Music, politics, pop culture, Saturday Night Live, Sports, taylorswift, television
I am a member of Generation X. I am the core demographic os Generation X. I was born in January of 1973 which, by generational standards places me at exactly the half-way point of Gen X. And while there are overlaps in all generations there is no doubt where I am. My favorite bands are R.E.M. and Depeche Mode, my favorite movies likely featured Molly Ringwald or Christian Slater, my favorite TV shows were Beverly Hills 90210 and Miami Vice, and my favorite athlete is Dan Marino. I am a child of the Reagan and Clinton years, the first major news event of my lifetime was the Challenger Disaster in 1986. I graduated high school in 1991 and by September Nirvana had released Nevermind, just in time for me to start college. Continue reading →
Flag Frustrations Show Nothing Changes
2LiveCrew, freeSpeech, JanesAddiction, kneeling, Music, NFL, protest, Sports
This is not a post about football players kneeling. This is not about the politics of athletes, or the President, or whether people should or should not watch football. This post is about the frustration of censorship and the way that we always tend to elevate our own personal feelings above others. I am a 44 year-old Generation X-er and I am also a fierce advocate for free speech and expression. I have always felt like even when the message is crude, misguided, or disagreeable to me that is when I need to be even more outspoken for their protection from censorship. Continue reading →
Day Four – #SeptVinylChallenge – Four Album Titles that Describe Me
#SeptVinylChallenge, #vinyl, best albums, Madonna, Music, pop culture, R.E.M., rock and roll, The Lost Boys, The Smiths, top albums
This was a tough assignment. While finding four albums that describe you can be an easy task (fine four albums your love and Viola! You have the post) but in this case it was four album titles that best describe you. That is a bit harder. So I dug deep, did some real thinking, and went back into the recesses of my mind to remember which albums were actually in my collection to find four albums that describe me.
1. Strange Ways Here We Come – The Smiths
This album is one of my favorite albums of all time but also describes my life. I have lived in 8 states, lost my father to drug addiction, earned my doctorate, traveled to 49 states, been a pizza guy, fell in love, become a father, seen Depeche Mode 12 times, – I have lived a strange life. It has been wonderful and I look forward to the decades to come. This album typifies what my life has been like. Songs like Girlfriend in a Coma and Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before create a story of how strange life is and the melancholy changes they bring.
2. The Lost Boys Movie Soundtrack
I consider myself a Lost Boy. I grew up moving all over the country, I often feel alone and disoriented. I have to be a bit of a chameleon to fit in and I don’t feel comfortable with the mainstream. This album and movie by the same name is about isolation and the vulnerability of not fitting in. While kind of about vampires it is metaphor for the kind of people who interrupt a person’s life when they are alone and vulnerable. So many times I was tempted by fitting in and I resisted. The music is also part of that equation — even if they were not sure at the time it meant anything. Echo and the Bunnymen doing a version of People are Strange, Though Shall Not Fall (Cry Little Sister) by Gerald McMann, and Good Times by INXS are all in reference to band leaders or singers who were painfully introverted but acted extroverted for their art. This lead to two of their deaths. This album shows my painfully shy and lost side.
3. Document – R.E.M.
I love R.E.M. For far more reasons than I have time for in this post. But I can tell you that this album does 100% reflect my personality. This album and it’s title is a celebration of historical context in political, social, and emotional context. Finest Worksong, The One I Love, Exhuming McCarthy, and King of Birds are all blue collar songs of memory and lesson that is mean to serve witness to those who cannot represent themselves. I believe that history is more important than the future and this album is an antebellum relic of that. R.E.M. Are southerners who have a real sense of who they are what their heritage represents. I hope I do too.
4. The Immaculate Collection – Madonna
In 1990 Madonna released a “Greatest Hits” album that was more than that. It had new songs like Justify My Love and also featured remastered versions of songs that spanned her early career. The reason I selected this album was because like her songs I am a collector of things that spark memory. Sports cards, record collections, playlists, AFI Movie lists, you name it I love to collect things. I am not a hoarder, quite the contrary. I am actually a person who lives a minimalist lifestyle. But what I do collect I do with completion and purpose. I think Madonna did that with this album. It was intentional on how it was ordered, the music selected, I have listened to this album perhaps 100 times. It’s amazing.
So these are the four albums that describe me.
Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day – A Personal Perspective
Pop Culture Blind Spots – Marvel Universe and Game of Thrones Edition
Gen X Chronicles – Every generation has their Saturday Night Live cast
Are internships really that great? It depends #500daysofwriting
Its Not About The Salmon, but it Kinda is
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6 Platforms that Must be a part of Every Politician’s PR Strategy
If you have some knowledge about the Politics sector then you know how important promotion is to have a successful career. All the successful leaders in Politics have a huge base of supporters and to earn these supporters they have a strong PR Team and Strategy. In this blog, we are looking at those 6 platforms which must be a part of every politician’s PR Strategy. Let’s start with the basic.
What is PR Strategy?
PR stands for Public Relation. Yes we know that was really basic but we don’t want anyone to start on Blank State. Now, PR Strategy means building a strategy which keeps your relation clean and strong with your audience. If you are having a strong PR Strategy means you have a loving and admirable public image. It could benefit your political career in unimaginable ways.
The definition of PR Strategy has been the same from years but the way of creating and implementing it has changed drastically in the last few years. From newspaper to social media news feed PR industry has witnessed the changes in their work pattern. If you want to know the impact of Social Media on Politics then you should read our previous blog.
How it used to be?
Before 10-15 years, managing politician’s PR was totally different from what it is now. The most noticeable change you could find is in the medium. The main reason was obviously ‘There was no Internet and Social Media in 90’s and early 00’s. T.V., Radio, Newspaper were the three main pillar of any politician’s PR Strategy. All these mediums are still important in this decade but now the no. of mediums has increased.
Why Politicians Needs PR Strategy?
That question doesn’t have any basis. Let’s look at it in this way, Imaging if being a politician is a job then the first and most important requirement that job requires is to have Loving and Respectable Public Image. If you are not loved by your people then how could you make them vote for you?
PR Strategy helps you to create a strong and healthy bond with your audience. In Politics, doing excellent work is important but the presentation of that work is also equally important and PR plays the most important role in taking your work in front of your audience.
Now we know the Basics and Importance of PR Strategy. But you are here to know those 7 things to have an election-winning PR Strategy right? No worries, that was not a click bait lets take look at those things.
Why Youtube?
With more than 225 million active users in India is one of the biggest content streaming platforms. This Google’s giant is ready to acquire the attention of more than 80% of India’s Internet Users. So we don’t think you want to miss a chance to connect with the most important audience, do you?
YouTube is a content driven platform where you could connect with your audience virtually.
Upload Your Speech Videos
Being someone who wants to go big in politics, you definitely be having excellent public speaking skills. Delivering mind-boggling speeches and take your audience mind is every successful politician’s virtue. Now you might give extraordinary speeches in every event you are supposed to speak but don’t let those words be limited for that particular audience. Make all your speeches accessible for all your audience by uploading it on YouTube.
Upload Your Promotional Videos
Creating promotional content whether in the form of Video or Advertisement is becoming a necessity in today’s era. You need to create a vibe of your name and there is no way to do it better than putting out visual content. Politicians come in the category of the most popular people of our country and all the big politicians have their huge fanbases. If you want to build yours then YouTube could play a very vital role in it.
2. SMS Marketing
Why SMS?
You might think the era of SMS has been over but the reality is far away from it. The opening ratio of SMS is still ahead of any other communication medium. A well-designed SMS marketing strategy is needed to attract the public towards your events.
SMS is the way to take your message to your audience. To take the best advantage of SMS service you need to draw a great strategy. You also need strong data. Once you have all these basic things then SMS could be your constant and most reliable medium to connect with your audience.
Invite for All Your Event
The audience is an important factor in all political events. The huge number to audience enhances the aura of any political event. A small invitation SMS could make a big difference in the number of audiences. So make SMS Marketing a necessary part of your marketing strategy.
Whatever work you are doing in your constituency needs to be known by your audience. SMS could be the best way to promote your work in your audience.
Why Facebook?
This Platform needs no introduction you already know how big it is. Founded in 2004, this platform has taken the world by storm. This Social Media Giant has shown us the power of online platforms. With more than 240 Million users in India and over 2.3 Billion users globally.
Many Leading Politicians in India are using Facebook to its full extent. They are using it to build their huge fanbase by promoting their work. The reason behind the major importance of Facebook is its userbase. Now Facebook is mostly by Young and Educated audience and Facebook is the best way to target this audience.
Promoting your Developmental Work
Facebook is a content driven platform where you could promote all your developmental work visually. Facebook is the best way to promote your developmental work within your most accurate audience. It is a platform where you could engage with your audience and your audience also has an option to interact with you on a personal level.
Inviting For Your Event
When we meant events it includes all the events where you appear or give speeches. It will be really beneficial if you invite your followers to attend a particular event. Nowadays, everyone spends a good amount of their time on Facebook, so a single Facebook post would increase your audience number.
Doing Live Session
This is the best and most useful feature for Politicians. You might have seen lots of live sessions from politicians whether it is their speech or any event they attend. Live Session enables your audience to engage with your activities.
Why Instagram?
Instagram has created its place in everyone’s phone today, it might be the most used social media platform. Young Audience of India prefers Instagram as their favorite social media platform. While it is the sub-brand of Facebook but Instagram is able to beat Facebook in terms of engagement.
Same As Facebook
All the things which you do on Facebook can be replicated on Instagram because of the almost same working. But there are some features which are available on both platforms but more effective on Instagram.
Put Stories
The features of Stories could be useful for politicians. It is the easiest form of posting to keep your audience updated with your daily activities. It keeps your engagement level high with your audience.
This is Instagram’s newest feature which let users put high quality and long videos. It is like having your tv own channel and it is useful to put promotional videos of yours. This videos will stay there for as long as you wish so any new visitor will watch that video.
Twitter is a tailor-made platform for Politicians. It is the best medium on which Politicians can put their thoughts in public. You could use it to state your opinion on any situation.
State your Opinion
Twitter is commonly used by general people to state their view on anything. While Politicians are public figure their supporters always want to hear their view and Twitter is the best platform to do it.
Just like Facebook and Instagram, Twitter also provides the feature of doing a live session. So you could arrange the live session to interact with your audience.
Other Important Platforms
6. Website
Why Website?
In today’s digital era having a website is necessary. It has become a symbol of trust. On the website, you could give all your information and life story. All the people who visit your website will get all the information and your background.
Above platforms should be and must be a part of every Politician’s PR Strategy. But a mere presence on it will not help you to build a loyal supporter base. You need a strong team of expert who has in and out knowledge about all these platforms. At Trivoli Consultancy we have that expert which makes us the Best Political Consulting Firm in India. We got a strong hold on all the factor in the above strategy.
The Evolution of Election Campaigns
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Crime Fiction LoveriBook Kindle Print ReviewsBad Blood
Written by Mal McEwan
Published in iBook, Kindle, Print, Reviews
Written by Brian McGilloway — There is an impressive sweep to this novel that raises the deeply divisive social issues of racism and homophobia while throwing in a dash of Brexit to spice the mix. If that wasn’t enough it does all this against the backdrop of a Northern Ireland where the recent anguish of the Troubles is never far beneath the surface. McGilloway doesn’t do cosies.
Bad Blood is the fourth book in the DS Lucy Black series and begins with a man found dead, his head caved in, in a Derry park. On closer inspection the team find a stamp on his hand from a local nightclub. The club, Paradise, had a gay disco on the night the man was killed and fears of a hate crime are quickly aroused. DS Lucy Black is assisting on the case with her boss DI Tom Fleming from the Public Protection Unit. They soon start delving into the troubled neighbourhood of Greenway in a tense week in the run-up to the Brexit referendum in the summer of 2016.
The Lupei family have been threatened with anti-Roma slogans daubed on their house. Tensions are running high. Amongst this toxic mix the local pastor, James Nixon, is preaching a homophobic message to his congregation. His approach is, as his son Jimmy puts it, rather Old Testament. Nixon would have no problem with a death by stoning for a gay man.
Adding to the confusion for Lucy is the interference of a paramilitary, Charles Dougan, as a power struggle for control of the drugs trade bubbles under the surface. The shadow of the Troubles and old style paramilitary justice including ‘six-packs’ – a bullet in each knee, elbow and ankle of a transgressor – still looms over the city.
Lucy has her own domestic concerns. She has a lodger, Grace, who was homeless and used to work as a prostitute. In addition, Lucy’s mother, Jane Wilson, is her assistant chief constable. Her mother left her father when Lucy was eight and he is now confined to a home with advanced dementia. Lucy’s cool relationship with her mother plays out in the course of the story. She also clashes with some of her own team as their own homophobic prejudices are inflicted on colleagues.
Given the storm clouds that Brian McGilloway amasses on the horizon the social issues are not laid on as thickly as I was expecting. They are certainly not rammed down your throat in this novel. They are there as mood music, constantly playing in the background. There are a number of members in the police team and the characters on the Greenway state come thick and fast. As a result they are not always drawn in great depth and you may find yourself slightly adrift with the characters at points.
The writing is spare but effective. The book comes in at around just over 300 pages and so it is slightly shorter that many crime novels these days, but it suits the story well. There’s no sub-plot filler here to thicken he spine. Any larger and it would have dragged. The chapters are short, rarely amounting to more than five or six pages, and it keeps the pace of the story fast.
McGilloway delivers a solid police procedural and it is steeped in social conscience. It is densely plotted with the author pulling all the strings with confidence. There is no doubting the moral values of Lucy Black, but McGilloway stops well short of this becoming a preachy polemic. He knows how to raise the issues but he leaves them there for our digestion. There is no force-feeding of his political views. This being the fourth book in the series, Lucy Black is well-established as a strong female lead. McGilloway is equally established as a highly effective storyteller.
If you are looking for more crime fiction set in Northern Ireland try Stuart Neville or Adrian McKinty. A book raising equally contentious current issues is Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham.
Kindle/iBook
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
Bad Blood Brian McGilloway Derry DS Lucy Black Northern Ireland police procedural
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Ken Mahieu June 12, 2017 at 12:31 pm Reply
“Bad Blood” $1.99 at Amazon US Kindle version as of 12 June, 2017
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– Table of Contents –
Rule 15 – Amended and supplemental pleadings
(a) Amendments Before Trial. (1) Amending as a Matter of Course. A party may amend its pleading once as a matter of course within: (A) 21 days after serving it, or (B) if the pleading is one to which a responsive pleading is required, 21 days after service of a responsive pleading or 21 days after service of a motion under Rule 12(b), (e), or (f), whichever is earlier. (2) Other Amendments. In all other cases, a party may amend its pleading only with the opposing party’s written consent or the court’s leave. The court should freely give leave when justice so requires. (3) Time to Respond. Unless the court orders otherwise, any required response to an amended pleading must be made within the time remaining to respond to the original pleading or within 14 days after service of the amended pleading, whichever is later.
(b) Amendments During and After Trial. (1) Based on an Objection at Trial. If, at trial, a party objects that evidence is not within the issues raised in the pleadings, the court may permit the pleadings to be amended. The court should freely permit an amendment when doing so will aid in presenting the merits and the objecting party fails to satisfy the court that the evidence would prejudice that party’s action or defense on the merits. The court may grant a continuance to enable the objecting party to meet the evidence. (2) For Issues Tried by Consent. When an issue not raised by the pleadings is tried by the parties’ express or implied consent, it must be treated in all respects as if raised in the pleadings. A party may move—at any time, even after judgment—to amend the pleadings to conform them to the evidence and to raise an unpleaded issue. But failure to amend does not affect the result of the trial of that issue.
(c) Relation Back of Amendments. (1) When an Amendment Relates Back. An amendment to a pleading relates back to the date of the original pleading when: (A) the law that provides the applicable statute of limitations allows relation back; (B) the amendment asserts a claim or defense that arose out of the conduct, transaction, or occurrence set out—or attempted to be set out—in the original pleading; or (C) the amendment changes the party or the naming of the party against whom a claim is asserted, if Rule 15(c)(1)(B) is satisfied and if, within the period provided by Rule 4(m) for serving the summons and complaint, the party to be brought in by amendment:
(i) received such notice of the action that it will not be prejudiced in defending on the merits; and
(ii) knew or should have known that the action would have been brought against it, but for a mistake concerning the proper party’s identity. (2) Notice to the United States. When the United States or a United States officer or agency is added as a defendant by amendment, the notice requirements of Rule 15(c)(1)(C)(i) and (ii) are satisfied if, during the stated period, process was delivered or mailed to the United States attorney or the United States attorney’s designee, to the Attorney General of the United States, or to the officer or agency.
(d) Supplemental Pleadings. On motion and reasonable notice, the court may, on just terms, permit a party to serve a supplemental pleading setting out any transaction, occurrence, or event that happened after the date of the pleading to be supplemented. The court may permit supplementation even though the original pleading is defective in stating a claim or defense. The court may order that the opposing party plead to the supplemental pleading within a specified time.
Selected Committee Notes
Rule 15(a)(1) is amended to make three changes in the time allowed to make one amendment as a matter of course.
Former Rule 15(a) addressed amendment of a pleading to which a responsive pleading is required by distinguishing between the means used to challenge the pleading. Serving a responsive pleading terminated the right to amend. Serving a motion attacking the pleading did not terminate the right to amend, because a motion is not a “pleading” as defined in Rule 7. The right to amend survived beyond decision of the motion unless the decision expressly cut off the right to amend.
The distinction drawn in former Rule 15(a) is changed in two ways. First, the right to amend once as a matter of course terminates 21 days after service of a motion under Rule 12(b), (e), or (f). This provision will force the pleader to consider carefully and promptly the wisdom of amending to meet the arguments in the motion. A responsive amendment may avoid the need to decide the motion or reduce the number of issues to be decided, and will expedite determination of issues that otherwise might be raised seriatim. It also should advance other pretrial proceedings.
Second, the right to amend once as a matter of course is no longer terminated by service of a responsive pleading. The responsive pleading may point out issues that the original pleader had not considered and persuade the pleader that amendment is wise. Just as amendment was permitted by former Rule 15(a) in response to a motion, so the amended rule permits one amendment as a matter of course in response to a responsive pleading. The right is subject to the same 21-day limit as the right to amend in response to a motion.
The 21-day periods to amend once as a matter of course after service of a responsive pleading or after service of a designated motion are not cumulative. If a responsive pleading is served after one of the designated motions is served, for example, there is no new 21-day period.
Finally, amended Rule 15(a)(1) extends from 20 to 21 days the period to amend a pleading to which no responsive pleading is allowed and omits the provision that cuts off the right if the action is on the trial calendar. Rule 40 no longer refers to a trial calendar, and many courts have abandoned formal trial calendars. It is more effective to rely on scheduling orders or other pretrial directions to establish time limits for amendment in the few situations that otherwise might allow one amendment as a matter of course at a time that would disrupt trial preparations. Leave to amend still can be sought under Rule 15(a)(2), or at and after trial under Rule 15(b).
Abrogation of Rule 13(f) establishes Rule 15 as the sole rule governing amendment of a pleading to add a counterclaim.
Amended Rule 15(a)(3) extends from 10 to 14 days the period to respond to an amended pleading.
Key Civ Pro Laws (MBE/MEE)
Article III, section 2
Seventh Amendment
Section 1291 – Final decisions of district courts
Section 1292 – Interlocutory decisions
Section 1331 – Federal question
Section 1332 – Diversity
Section 1335 – Interpleader
Section 1359 – Parties collusively joined or made
Section 1367 – Supplemental jurisdiction
Section 1391 – Venue generally
Section 1404 – Change of venue
Section 1406 – Cure or waiver of defects
Section 1407 – Multidistrict litigation
Section 1441 – Removal generally
Section 1446 – Removal procedure
Section 1447 – Post-removal procedure
Section 1870 – Challenges
Section 2072 – Rules of procedure and evidence; power to subscribe
Section 2361 – Process and procedure
FRCP
Rule 3 – Commencing an action
Rule 4 – Summons
Rule 6 – Computing and extending time
Rule 7 – Pleadings allowed
Rule 8 – General pleading rules
Rule 9 – Pleading special matters
Rule 11 – Signing pleadings, motions, and other papers
Rule 12 – Defenses and objections
Rule 13 – Counterclaim and crossclaim
Rule 14 – Third-party practice
Rule 16 – Pretrial conferences, scheduling, management
Rule 19 – Required joinder of parties
Rule 20 – Permissive joinder of parties
Rule 22 – Interpleader
Rule 23 – Class actions
Rule 24 – Intervention
Rule 26 – Duty to disclose
Rule 30 – Depositions by oral examination
Rule 31 – Depositions by written questions
Rule 33 – Interrogatories
Rule 34 – Producing documents, electronically stored information, and tangible things
Rule 35 – Physical and mental examinations
Rule 36 – Requests for admission
Rule 37 – Failure to make disclosures or to cooperate in discovery
Rule 38 – Right to a jury trial
Rule 41 – Dismissal of actions
Rule 42 – Consolidation; separate trials
Rule 45 – Subpoena
Rule 47 – Selecting jurors
Rule 48 – Number of jurors; verdict; polling
Rule 49 – Special verdict; general verdict and questions
Rule 50 – Judgment as a matter of law in a jury trial
Rule 51 – Instructions to the jury; objections; preserving a claim of error
Rule 52 – Findings and conclusions by the court; judgment on partial findings
Rule 55 – Default; default judgment
Rule 56 – Summary judgment
Rule 59 – New trial; altering or amending a judgment
Rule 60 – Relief from a judgment or order
Rule 65 – Injunctions and restraining orders
Rule 4 – Appeal as of right
NCBE®, UBE®, MBE®, MEE®, MPT®, and MPRE® are trademarks of the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
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Reports say that Apple is preparing to buy the autonomous vehicle startup to bolster "Project Titan's" employee base
AutomationBig DataChief Data Officer
Caitlin Stanway-Williams
Apple is preparing to acquire Drive.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup, providing it with access to more engineers with experience of the world of self-driving technology, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Drive.ai was founded in 2015 and has raised $77m during its four-year lifespan. It was valued at $200m in 2017.
Apple is reportedly not going to be using any intellectual property from the startup and is instead planning to pick which Drive.ai staff it wants to keep on to work on its own projects. This may only be a handful of engineers, the report noted, because Apple's driverless vehicle technology is actually more advanced than Drive.ai's, according to Bloomberg's sources.
It has not been revealed how much Apple is intending to pay for the firm, but Loop Ventures Apple analyst Gene Munster wrote in a research note that he believes "the potential acquisition price would be below their last $200m valuation".
Both companies have declined to comment on the potential deal.
Apple has been working on driverless vehicles for several years now in a secretive programme dubbed "Project Titan". In August last year Ming-Chi Kuo, a veteran Apple analyst for TF International Securities, predicted that the tech giant wouldbe launching an Apple car between 2023–25. It was reported in October 2018 that Apple was working on an efficient, self-driving vehicle convoy system named "Peloton".
However, early this year, the company announced it was laying off 190 employees from its self-driving car division . The news of Drive.ai's acquisition suggests that Apple is refocusing its efforts on delivering the Apple Car over the coming years.
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Development Starts Here — A Pledge to Action for Diversity and Inclusion
Agriculture and Food Security | Peace, Stability, and Transition | Supply Chain Solutions | Food Security | Innovation and Technology
Using Evidence-Based Analysis for a Food-Secure World.
Africa | Middle East and North Africa | Latin America and the Caribbean | Europe and Eurasia | Asia | Global
Using Evidence-Based Analysis for a Food-Secure World
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)
Project Dates: June 2000 - January 2020
An early warning system that provides timely data and evidence-based analysis helps the international community identify and respond to populations that lack access to safe and nutritious food.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and with more than two dozen regional and national offices around the world, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) rigorously analyzes data and information that indicate an area is or will soon be facing food insecurity or famine. The network also provides early warnings to donors and governments, equipping them with the evidence-based analysis they need to take action to prevent disasters or to assist people already suffering already from problems such as malnutrition and starvation. Through FEWS NET, international and local organizations and institutions work together to provide up-to-date information on weather patterns, food prices, livelihoods, and agricultural trends to predict when and where people are at risk.
Improve the quality and quantity of information used to monitor food security problems and potential solutions
Partner with local governments, regional institutions, donor agencies, and U.S. agencies to share and analyze relevant information
Identify and monitor factors that affect food security, such as markets and trade, agricultural production, nutrition, livelihoods, and climate, to provide early warning for vulnerable populations around the world
Our Impact A New View of Nutrition
With an expanded focus on nutrition, FEWS NET provides food security analysis that is valuable for short-term relief and long-term development solutions.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and with more than two dozen regional and national offices around the world, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) rigorously analyzes data and information that indicate an area is or will soon be facing food insecurity or famine. The network also provides early warnings to donors and governments, equipping…
Read Impact Story
PowerPoint: Roundtable on Resilience and Market Systems
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Aflasafe is a solution that reduces poisonous Aflatoxin levels in staple crops. Its commercialization improves food security and promotes resilience.
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Creating Economic Growth in Haiti
Investing in Haiti's agriculture sector helped to modernize agriculture, reduce flooding threats, and create strong linkages between farmer organizations and private enterprises.
Transforming the Nigerian Agriculture Sector
Nigerians who farm for a living often face low harvests and sales, which threatens the population’s livelihoods, access to food, and health.
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Afghanistan is working to strengthen the agriculture sector in western provinces, where a significant portion of the population relies on farming and agribusinesses.
Building the Economy and Promoting Peace in Colombia
More than five decades of conflict and negligible government influence in rural Colombia have forced its people to grapple with poverty, violence, and a weak economy.
Connecting Space to Village
Science, satellites, and information technology are transforming how countries manage critical development challenges such as climate resilience and environmental management.
Laying a Digital Foundation
Improving ICT infrastructure is a critical step in strengthening the Liberian government’s decision-making around how to manage health, education, and other services for its citizens.
Reforming the Justice System in Indonesia
Reforms to the Indonesian justice system are bringing positive changes to the Supreme Court and Attorney General’s Office.
Improving Literacy in Zambia
Improving literacy among Zambia’s children is necessary to improve their financial futures and the country’s achievements.
Increasing Access to Justice and Enhancing the Rule of Law in Rwanda
Access to justice is a crucial factor for Rwanda in combating poverty, promoting peaceful resolution of disputes, and enhancing the rule of law.
Promoting Supply Chain Integration in Côte d’Ivoire
By integrating the health product supply chain, more patients in Côte d’Ivoire will benefit from critical health services.
Enhancing Logistics Management for Ghana’s Health Supply Chain
Ghana’s Supply Chain Master Plan establishes a vision for an efficient health supply chain, which will only be realized through enhanced logistics management, data visibility, and last-mile distribution.
Strengthening Education for Youth in Syria
The Syrian conflict has raised an unparalleled need for access to education so that young Syrians have a chance to learn and thrive.
Laying the Fiscal Foundation for Tunisia’s Growth
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Mitigating Climate Change in Colombia
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Restoring Forests in Northern Haiti
In Northern Haiti, deforestation and mangrove loss are putting communities, conservation efforts, and environmental governance at risk.
Through a broad-based economy and the ability to compete in international markets, Ukraine is on a path to increased economic power and political independence.
Promoting Unity in Ukraine
Divisive pressures undermine political unity in Ukraine, particularly in eastern regions. Connecting citizens with their government can help.
Increasing Confidence in Ukraine’s Democratic Transition
With Ukraine’s historic democratic transition underway, vulnerable communities in eastern Ukraine need greater confidence in the government, its people, and the country’s European future.
Introducing the Rule of Law in Myanmar
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Promoting Tourism in Timor-Leste
As Timor-Leste invests in an inclusive and sustainable national tourism strategy, the country is emerging as an “off-the-beaten-path” destination for adventure travelers and eco-tourists.
Ensuring Quality Education in Afghanistan
To fulfill the goals in Afghanistan’s National Education Strategic Plan, the Ministry of Education is improving its services, procedures, and systems.
Improving Health and Human Capital in Bangladesh
A sustainable, gender-sensitive, pro-poor social enterprise is helping Bangladesh get closer to achieving universal health coverage.
Modernizing the Sri Lankan Judicial System
As Sri Lanka transitions to a more inclusive and democratic society, its government is reinforcing principles of judicial independence, accountability, and efficiency.
Improving Climate Change Development Programs
Development programs worldwide are designed to protect vulnerable people, places, and livelihoods from climate change, but with smarter methods, these programs could be even more effective.
Strengthening Human Resources for Health Worldwide
In many low- and middle-income countries, health systems face shortages of qualified health workers, and decision-makers lack the data and tools needed to optimize existing resources.
Sharing Financial Sector Knowledge
In the face of globalization, countries worldwide must strengthen and deepen their financial systems to achieve growth and alleviate poverty.
Securing Her Land Rights in Tajikistan
With one project’s support, 25-year-old farm owner Salomat Chorieva overcame social and administrative barriers to land registration in Tajikistan, taking ownership of her rights.
Empowering Nigeria’s Farmers
In Nigeria, a training approach that integrates agronomic and business management best practices is boosting yields, increasing incomes, and empowering farmers.
Healthier Futures in Nigeria
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Rice Farming in Nigeria — Come Rain or Shine
Farmers in Nigeria improve their incomes and national food security by learning how to cultivate rice during the dry season.
Empowering Mothers
Nigerian mothers increase their income, grow their businesses, and improve their family’s health through livelihood and nutrition training.
Strengthening Health Systems and Access in Senegal
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Building a Skilled Health Supply Chain Workforce for Haiti
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Dealing with Counterfeits
A series of training events has helped Benin’s health supply chain workers learn how to safely dispose of counterfeit medicines that would otherwise find their ways into consumers’ hands.
Chemonics is helping to ensure that health commodities are delivered where they are needed most by using a low-cost, easy-to-use, cloud-based transport management system that increases visibility across the in-country supply chain.
Access to Medicines Transforms Lives for HIV/AIDS Patients
Bolstering the health supply chain in Zambia equips health facilities with the medicines and other supplies needed to care for patients like Catherine Nalungwe who live with HIV/AIDS.
Making Supply Chain Data Visibility a Reality
With a new tool at their disposal, health facilities in Malawi are collecting reliable data that ensures lifesaving medicines and supplies reach their final destination.
Making Vaccines More Visible
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Growing Together in Colombia
Rural communities in Colombia have developed savings and loans plans that are funding and fueling small business growth.
Indonesian Supreme Court Improves Public Information Services
From May 2010 through May 2014, a USAID project is cooperating with the Indonesian Supreme Court and Attorney General’s Office to increase transparency and accountability in the Indonesian justice system.
Harmonizing Aid in Zambia
Donor collaboration is increasingly important. In the education sector in Zambia, beneficiaries are learning to strategically engage donors, companies, and NGOs, helping to harmonize aid.
A New Approach to Improving Learner Performance in Zambia
Evidence-based systems and rigorous teacher training have shown measurable success in increasing reading performance for Zambia’s children.
The Cost of Not Adapting
A recent assessment of the economic impact of climate change in Indonesia highlighted the major environmental, economic, and health challenges that the country will face from now to 2050.
Closing the Gap in HIV
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News: Chemonics Invests in Young Innovators’ Promising Development Solutions
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She Is an Agripreneur: Enabling Female Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness
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News: Building Resilience Through Market Systems: Chemonics Presents at SEEP 2019
From October 21 to 23, Chemonics experts are participating in the SEEP Network Annual Conference, leading peer learning sessions on financial inclusion and resilience.
Maximizing the Power of Climate Data by Building Trust
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3 Questions with Najib Seguya on Pay-for-Results Financing
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Development Works Here with Robert Anyang
Development works here because great people work here. We’re excited to introduce you to our team.
This was a big year for private sector engagement, with nearly half of our most popular posts exploring its importance to the future of development. Check out those posts and other key insights, profiles, and technical approaches from Chemonics in 2019.
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Building Bridges Between Financial Institutions and Rural Communities in Post-Conflict Regions
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An Argument for Inclusive Stabilization
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‘All Our Tragic’ at The Hypocrites: In a fresh spin on Greek tragedy, laughter and pause for dessert
Submitted by Lawrence B. Johnson on Jul 12, 2015 – 12:16 am
Review: “All Our Tragic,” adapted and directed by Sean Graney from the complete extant plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides as a 12-hour cycle by The Hypocrites at The Den, extended through Aug. 16. ★★★★
Surely the apt term to invoke for The Hypocrites’ wry and campy 12-hour reconstitution of classical Greek drama, collectively titled with a dangling adjective as “All Our Tragic,” is Alpha to Omega. But any number of other fitting descriptors also rush to mind for this sweeping immersion: prodigious, clever, insightful, riveting.
A hit with audiences last season, “All Our Tragic,” adapted by Hypocrites artistic director Sean Graney as a retelling of the whole body of surviving Greek plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, has been reworked and remounted at the company’s spacious new digs in The Den Theatre, with one notable adjustment in presentation: You can no longer experience it in parts, a former option that apparently held little charm anyway. Now this show of shows runs only full-length, on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to just past 10:30 p.m. – in eight acts with seven intermissions, including two extended intervals for meals (provided in the ticket price) and one in mid-evening for dessert!
Honestly, I’m not sure which impressed me most, Graney’s bravura theatrical coup, the all-in commitment of a large cast of characters or the indefatigable enthusiasm of the remarkably youthful audience that came, stayed, watched in rapt silence and whooped their renewed engagement at onset of each act as if to proclaim, “We’re still here, let’s do it!”
This for a serious-minded narrative pastiche of of ancient Greek tragedy. Compositor Graney’s magical device is to turn the tragedies into a living comic book aimed at a modern sense of humor. Or rather, he sets up his narrative through broad comedy, catches the imagination, then flips the switch to something more like graphic novel and holds the viewer breathless in the face of human folly and its awful consequences.
The conflated plays are organized into four sections designated Prehistorics, Politics, Patriotics and Poetics.
From the exploits of over-determined hero Herakles (the strapping, exuberant, buffoonish Walter Briggs) to the piteous calamity of Oedipus (played with grand horror by John Taflan) to the suffering of Elektra (Lindsey Gavel as a muddied image of despair), this remarkable enterprise manages to convey the magnificence and cautionary irony of Greek tragedy in its totality without ever losing its edge or becoming superficial; nor does it lapse into the arcane or antiquarian. The greatness of ancient Greek tragedy lies in its perpetual modernism, and that enduring commentary on human imperfection bristles throughout “All Our Tragic.”
All the actors play multiple roles. Besides Herakles, Briggs portrays Agamemnon, commander in chief of the Greek forces that besiege Troy to retrieve Helen, wife of Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus. Helen was apparently stolen by the Trojan Paris (though he’s younger and more handsome than the middle-aged king, so there’s at least a shadow of doubt here).
Agamemnon is central to the whole cycle of Greek tragedy, and Briggs shows us a man in three guises, three humors, three radically differing situations. He is the accountable commander who must obey a divine fiat that he kill his own daughter Iphigenia (Gavel again) as a condition for moving his stalled ships onward from Aulis to Troy. He is the imperious and arrogant leader who humiliates his greatest warrior, Achilles (Breon Arzell Jackson), to assuage his own ego. He is the war-weary husband who returns home after long years seeking solace in a reunion with his wife Clytemnestra (Tien Doman) – though he undoes himself by blithely showing up with a war trophy, his “spear bride” Cassandra (Christine Stulik). To each of these personas, Briggs brings palpable singularity.
“All Our Tragic” abounds in imaginative, vibrant characterizations. Stulik doubles as Jocasta, mother and unwitting wife to Oedipus. Erin Barlow offers a devout, single-minded Antigone, whose conviction that moral law trumps the state leads to her death as she insists that both of her brothers, killed while fighting on opposite sides in an insurrection, receive proper burials.
Zeke Sulkes poses a fatally headstrong Creon, who will not accede to Antigone’s pleas. Gavel, arguably the MVP of this multitasking endeavor, cuts a brash figure as the blind seer Tiresias, droll and even cavalier in her certain knowledge of bad endings. Dana Omar’s dread Medea, bitter and fiercely willful, drives all comedy from the scene.
Indeed, comedy ultimately turns awkward. Having adroitly pulled the viewer in with antic farce, Graney steadily moves to a more serious place – only to revert back to the most untimely silliness in two late episodes: a digression into a bloody, ludicrous story about Helen (from Euripides) inserted into Aeschylus’ tragic Orestes triology, and then, even more unfortunately, in a farcical treatment of the cycle’s final play, “The Furies.” It is the story of Orestes’ flight from the avenging gods after he slaughters his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus for their murder of Agamemnon, and it is the furthest thing from funny.
Yet Graney makes no bones about “All Our Tragic” being a work in progress, and the next staging – here’s one vote for an early revival – surely will work toward better integrating “The Furies” into the dramatic arc of the whole.
One lovely touch that surely will remain is a trio of female singer-instrumentalists who introduce each act and serve to bridge the narrow gap between the audience and set designer Tom Burch’s multilevel stage.
If the set is spare, Alison Siple’s costumes are not. These are weeds of antique splendor – gowns, crowns, armor and all. It’s really quite an amazing accomplishment, this marathon run from Thebes to Mycenae to the topless towers of Ilium, and back.
‘Christmas Carol’ rings out again at Goodman: Scrooge & Co. affirm spirit at heart of the deal
Faith and human frailty prove volatile mixture in ATC pairing of ‘Doubt’ and ‘Agnes of God’
Theater 2013-14: Victory Gardens, predictably unpredictable, gets rolling with two premieres
Tennessee Williams’ rare gem ‘Creve Coeur’ gets a lyrical polishing at American Players
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Interlinkages Between Communalism And The Political Underworld
in Book Review / Communal Harmony — by Ish N Mishra — November 6, 2016
In the aftermath of Allahabad High Court judgement that nullified her election as a MP from Raebareli and in the midst of on growing students’ unrest, also known as Bihar or JP movement, Mrs Indira Gandhi imposed emergency on 25th June 1975 under . Fundamental rights were suspended; political opponents and dissenting intellectuals were jailed, press censored. The pervasive sense of fear, apprehension and the threat to fundamental rights including right to life in the undeclared emergency under Narendra Modi’s regime, is far higher than that. Modi is trying to implement Gujrat model the whole country declared emergency presently Modi regime under constitutional provisions in 1975. The undeclared emergency Gujarat manifesting from Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up by Rana Ayyub was more intense, particularly for the dissenting voices. The undeclared emergency under the Modi regime in Gujrat and now in India has been more frightening and scarier. What Indira Gandhi could through constitutional amendments with absolute majority in both the houses, Modi government is doing much more than that without it in complicity with front organizations. The undeclared emergency in Gujrat and now in the whole country has obedient and complying bureaucracy and police on the same pattern with increased gravity of loyalty. She resorted to superstition of Supreme Court judges for a “committed” judiciary, this dispensation seeks to subvert judiciary by extra-constitutional means, for which the government was recently, badly reprimanded. The comparative study Indian fascisms — constitutional and extra constitutional — is beyond the scope of this review article, it is just sought to point out relative gravity the two varieties. While Indira Gandhi used the constitutional provision of emergency to supress the fundamental rights, particularly rights freedom to expression and dissent, the Modi government and RSS are using the extra-constitutional RSS brigades like ABVP and sold out or scared media and misusing draconian colonial sedition laws to silence the dissent. For the suppression of dissent, Indira Gandhi had only state’s coercive apparatuses on her disposal, in addition to that Modi in Gujrat during his chief ministership now in the India, has the additional forces like VHP, Bajrang Dal and the ABVP. After coming to power at the Centre, the series of attacks on the democratic institutions and right of expression are nothing but expanding the fascist terrorism of Gujarat variety to the entire country.
Emboldened by the arrest of Amit Shah, following her expose in Tehelka, the daring young journalist Rana Ayyub decided to achieve the impossible, to explore the truth of Gujrat genocide and the subsequent communal build-up by the RSS fronts and proved that the impossibility is just a theoretical concept. The complicity of the government in post-Godhra Gujarat holocaust in 2002 and subsequent fake encounters for electoral polarisation is a common knowledge. But as the author admits at the very outset, it could not be proved because of lack of solid evidence. “There was an indication that over the last decade there had been subversion of the judicial process. Those who were supposed to safeguard the lives of people had been bought over. From the riots to encounters to political assassinations, many an inconvenient truth was waiting to come out” (Page 9).
With the encouragement from the editors of Tehelka, she ventured out to reveal the ‘covered up’ truth of the Gujrat’s political underworld as an undercover journalist. She disguised as Maithili Tyagi from Kanpur, a student of a US based Film institute. She luckily met a 19 year old French boy, a foreign exchange program student, who agreed to act as her assistant. With full preparation and precautions she began her sting operation. Notwithstanding the great risk involved, she went ahead collecting evidences for eight months with substantial success. At the almost last leg, while waiting a call from Narendra Modi’s office for her second meeting with him, she was asked to halt the investigation and called back by the editors. Echoes of fascist ambience pervading Gujrat had reached Delhi. They ‘politely’ turned down her request to carry the ‘story’ citing Modi’s increasing aura and ability to harm the publication. As Rana recalls her arguments with the editor in her first job over ethics and morality in journalism during her initial days of job in “He gave me a patient ear and then said something which stayed with me: ‘A good journalist should learn the art of detaching herself from a story and be pragmatic. Till this day I regret being unable to master this art, particularly because, very often, it is used as an excuse to kill a story at the behest of corporate and political powers”. (p.X) She removed the undercover and decided to make her findings public, notwithstanding several adversities. The result is, Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover up, an incisive documentation of the rare narratives about premeditated and protracted 2002 program, subsequent continuity at places and unceasing hate campaigns.
While going through the book, a reader, not well acquainted with the recent political history of India and Gujarat, might take it as an interesting detective novel with unfolding of mysteries one after the other. The underworld in it is political and the characters are real and live. The extent and intensity of diffidence, insecurity and pervasive fear under a ruthless and corrupt government can be gauged by the fact that not only the spineless officials, complicit in political crimes of the political bosses but even those known to be honest also remained tight-lipped against injustice, citing helplessness. Rana Ayyub makes these tight-lips to talk. In the disguise of a non-resident Indian filmmaker, she captures their conversations through spy cameras hidden inside her kurta, diary and watch.
Gujarat Files is an account of an undercover investigative journalist’s daring sting operation for eight months into 2002 pogrom and subsequent fake encounters. Posing as a documentary film producer from an American film institute, ‘Maithili’, stings those administrative and police officials who were on important positions in Gujarat during the years 2001 and 2010. The narratives captured by spy cameras contain clear evidences of the complicity of the government and the RSS affiliates in one of the most heinous crimes against humanity. But the Gujarat High Court, which could not see any conspiracy in Gulbarga Society killings in which 69 people including former Congress MP, Ehsan Jafri, is unlikely to take sue-moto cognizance of these evidences. The book also records the confessions of some of the Modi’s staunch supporters that chauvinistic political mobilization by communal polarization created by communal violence paved the way to the political ascendance of Narendra Modi. It is also a vindictive comment on the level of social consciousness in the country, which instead of being furious over the massacre, rapes, arson, plunder and the forced displacement on such an unprecedented scale in the name of action-reaction, a large number of ‘educated’ ones hold its authors in great esteem. This book reveals universally known ‘covered-up’ truths by the narratives of some of the highly placed bureaucrats and the Police officials who knew the truth but had chosen to keep mum before the probe commissions.
Exposure of Machiavellianism
The acquisition, consolidation and expansion of power by chauvinistic political mobilization through the communal violence, hate campaign and misinformation by various RSS groups and fake encounters by Police in Narendra Modi’s regime, as documented in this book, reminds the Renaissance political philosopher, Machiavelli. It gives the feeling of reading a neo-liberal, Indian edition of a political novel renaissance period. For Machiavelli, success in politics, i.e. in acquisition; retention and expansion of power, holds the same place in politics as virtue in ethics. A prudent Prince follows political code of conduct, which he calls ‘the reason of the state’ and not the ethical or religious, while leaving no stone unturned in pretending to be the highest priest of morality and religiosity. Religion for Machiavelli is an effective political instrument. He advises the king that he should not only not disturb the religious practices and traditions but ensure their observance as it keeps people faithful. Moreover fear of God may transcend into the fear of the Prince. RSS and BJP have been thriving on the chauvinistic political mobilization around religious appeals. All the writings are reflection on contemporary conditions but the great writings become classics with universal contemporariness. His book, Prince written in the forced solitude in 1513, is a classic whose depiction of the political authority has remained relevant in subsequent times in changed forms in the changed circumstances of time-space. In action of rulers, “the end justifies the means. Let the Prince therefore aim at conquering and maintaining the state, the means will always be judged honourable and praised by everyone.” The end in politics is power. All the means including treachery, hollow promises, deceit and demagoguery to attain, maintain and extend power are justified. Intellectuals do not create justices-injustices; virtues-vices. They only react to and reflect upon conditions prevalent in the society. The idealist camouflage the unpleasant realities into abstract philosophical jargons and a realist presents is naked, as it is. Machiavelli did not invent political murders, palace coups, treacheries. They were ubiquitous in renaissance monarchies. He just advised the prudent princes to do it magnificently. The political graph of India’s present PM, Narendra Modi is a living testimony of the contemporary relevance of Machiavellian maxims.
Prince is a political code of conduct written in the form of advices to prudent Princes to attain, maintain and expend power, without any consideration to the sanctity of means. Rana Ayyub’s sting operation resulting into Gujrat Files is a vivid exposure of Machiavellian “means” to attain and retain power in Gujrat and extend it to the centre, through communal polarization of society without consideration to moral-immoral and social harmony. Discussion on Machiavellian attributes of Modi or RSS is beyond the scope here and is matter of a separate discussion, the reference is just allude to the neoliberal relevance of Machiavelli’s theory of state craft.
Machiavellian Prince is neither a medieval king ruling with divine mandate nor a dynastic crown Prince. He is a condottieri (a mercenary leader) risen from a humble background like Hitler or Modi, who founds a new state (principality) through conquest, consolidate it and extend. Machiavelli advises the prudent Prince to choose and follow suitable model out of the examples of existing or historical successful princes. He presents one contemporary imitable example with one from the classical times.
He fools everybody and people get fooled
Agathocles was a potter’s son from Sicily, who had migrated to Syracuse in the 4th century BC. Not finding interest in the family occupation, he joined army and subsequently after marrying the widow of his patron, raised his own army. Once he invited all the dignitaries and noted parsons including the senators for a debate on Solon, the lawgiver. His armed soldiers were hiding behind the curtains of the hall and as soon as people entered, they were slain. Agathocles rode in the city as a king and no one was there to oppose.
Machiavelli’s contemporary model Rodrigues Borgias was a cardinal in the Roman Church. He had his own proson, hangman and poisoner. Latter, in particular, was constantly busy. His victims included several cardinals. He manipulated his way to become Pope as Alexander VI. About whom Machiavelli writes, “Alexander VI did nothing else but deceived men; he thought of nothing else and found occasion for it; no man was ever more able to give assurances or affirmed the things with stronger oaths and no man observed them less; however he always succeeded in his deception, as he well knew this aspect of things.”
Machiavelli’s admiration for Alexander VI finds echo in the lamentation of Rajan Priyadarshi, the DG of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in 2007, “he fools everybody and people get fooled”, (p.57) in response to the question regarding Modi’s popularity in Gujrat. Though Machiavelli’s political axioms and maxims hold true for most of the ‘prudent’ rulers, reading about communal violence and hate campaign by RSS affiliates permanently denting country’s composite culture for power, one wonders, if Machiavelli was to write “Prince” for a neoliberal Third World country, he would find many close contenders for his neoliberal models but Modi would leave all of them behind. Machiavelli advises the prudent Prince to make haughty promises but never to keep them as it might be detrimental to self-interest. In nutshell he should promise the sky and plunder the earth. Had Modi kept his election promise on black money, every Indian would be richer by Rs.150, 0000. Machiavelli’s another maxim is dissemble affability, mask yourself while unmasking others. Gujarat Home Secretary at the time of 2002 riots Ashok Narayan tells about Modi, “He would never write anything on paper. He had his people and through them the VHP and then through them (it would) trickle down through informal channels to the lower rung police inspectors.” (p.86)….. “And they are so smart they will make conversations so smartly on the phone –they will call up the officers and say, ’take care of that area.’ Now a common meaning for a layman would be ‘take care riots don’t take place in that area’ but the real meaning would be take care that riots take place in that area.’ They don’t do things themselves. There are agents and agents and agents.”(p. 88). When a high level official like Home Secretary is so helpless, the helplessness of a common man in daring to dissent can be imagined.
Ashok Narayan tells ‘Maithili’: “When I was the Home Secretary I had given orders that nothing will happen unless written orders are given. So when the bandh was call was given,(27 February 2002) the Chief Secretary called me and said one leader from VHP, Pravin Togadia wants so what do you think. I said sir no such permission should be given because then things will go out of hand. The CM came to know of this. He said how you can say this. We have to give them permission. I said OK, then give me the written orders, he (Modi) just stared at me.”
The story of Encounters
An apparently honest police officer, who remained tight-lipped before the inquiry commissions, was quite vocal in front of the ‘NRI film maker’. Rajan Priyadarshi was ATS Chief when CID was probing fake encounters in 2007. He was IG of Rajkot during 2002 riots. “The Entire country is talking of that encounter. They bumped off that Sohrabuddin and Tulsi Prajapati at the behest of the minister. This minister Amit Shah, he never used to believe in human rights. He used to tell us that he does not believe in these human rights commissions. And now look at this, the courts have given him bail too.”
On the question of his experiences of working under Amit Shah, he said “I did (work under him), when I was ATS chief… I am a person who believes in human rights. So this Shah calls me to his bungalow. … So when I reached, he says, ‘You have arrested a man recently, kill him’. I did not react. And the he said, ‘Kill him such people have no right to live’. On the issue of Police-politician nexus, he recounts his experience as the IGP Rajkot around July 2002, “There were communal riots near Junagadh. I wrote FIRs against some people. The Home Minister called me up and said, ‘Rajanji where are you?’ I said, ‘Sir I am at Junagarh.’ So he said, ‘write down three names, and arrest all these three.’ I said, ‘Sir these three are sitting with me and let me tell you that they are all Muslims and because of them normalcy has been restored. These people have unified Hindus and Muslim with their efforts and put an end to riots.’He said, ‘Look CM Sir has said.’ At that time this Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister. He said these are orders of the CM. I replied, ‘Sir, despite orders of the Chief Minister, I will not do because these three are innocent.” Gordhan Zadaphia was the Home Minister.”
To the question, “The person who Amit Shah asked you to bump off, was he a Muslim?”, he replied, “No, he wanted him to go because there was some pressure from the business lobby.”
On Ishrat Jahan encounter, he shares another in formation, “…, at one time these people Vanjara and gang had arrested five Sardars, and one of them was a constable. These people… means Vanjara and gang arrested 5 Sardars, and one of them was a constable. So Vanjara said that their encounter should be done because they were terrorists. Luckily Pandian was the SP then and he refused so those five (innocents) were saved.” When asked about the unrighteous officers in the state, his answer is, “There are very few of them. This man Narendra Modi has been responsible for killing the Muslims across [the state]. According to him, though the officers may not be anti-Muslim themselves but “politicians make him do this. If you are upright, they would never let you be in a posting.”
About the government, he opines, “This government is corrupt and communal. Like this Amit Shah would come and boast to me about what he did to instigate riots in 1985”.
Talking about Amit Shah’s boasting and fondness of calling the officers at his place, He revealed that “He would confide in me. In fact he was the one, who told me the Israt case. He said, he had kept Ishrat in custody before they were killed and all five were killed and there was no encounter.” (pp.57-63)
The factor of fear
Machiavelli thinks that it is better to extract loyalty of the ruled by love but considers love not always reliable factor but fear is always reliable that never fails. “Catch them by balls, their mind and heart will follow.” He quotes the monster emperor, Caligula, “Let them hate me as long as they fear me”. To instil fear, some killing is necessary but killing must stop at some point. His maxim is “kill quickly and reward gradually” and “kill the killer”. Justice has been done by hanging the hangman. As has been very well documented in the book, the lamenting confessions of implicated officers in fake encounters, most of them Dalits and Maya Kodnani convicted in Naroda Patia massacre that Modi follows the policy of ‘use and throw’.
The sense of created by Modi in Gujrat was so intense and pervasive that leave aside the bureaucrats and policemen in Gujarat, even editors of the magazine, known for daring investigative journalism too got badly scared. When Rana Ayyub phoned the editor of Tehelka for next step of sting, she was called back to the Delhi office. In her words: “The next morning I reached Delhi and went straight to Tehelka office. I had transferred the footage of the Modi recording to my laptop. Tarun (Tejpal) was in his cabin. Shoma joined him. I showed them the footage….. ‘So why was I called back’ I asked, ‘His office will call me in a few days and I am supposed to meet him again.’` Tarun said, ‘Look Rana, after the Tehelka sting on Bangaru Laxman, they shut our office. Modi is all set to be the most powerful man, the PM. If we touch him we will be finished.’”
“I was not convinced. Was the entire sting operation not a big risk in itself? But I was given a sharp No to every argument.” (Page 203)
When the torch bearers of the investigative journalism turned out to be so scared, the state of the captive media can be well imagined.
“Two days later I removed Uninor Sim card from my phone, crushed it and threw it in the dustbin. I did the same with the phone. Maithili made an exit forever that day. The editors took a call that investigation would not be published.” And when she decided to print it as a book, she failed to get a single publisher. When she got it published on her own, she did not get a single distributor. What else will be the terror of fascism?”
When the economy of the country is in doldrums and subservient to imperialist global capital to deviate the attention from the economic issues, the Brahmanical forces under the tutelage of RSS and Government are trying to polarise the society by orchestrating chauvinistic Hndutva nationalism for polarization by rumours of hate campaigns against Muslims with the Uttar Pradesh election in 2017 in mind, this book is an important document. This is full of vidences that the Supreme Court must prima facie take cognizance of and initiate proceedings against culprits. This document is also evidence that no riot is apolitical and not unsponsored. This is also evidence that any riot can only stretch with the backing of the Government. In the words of Ashok Narain, “Encounters are less on religious lines than political. Look at the Sohrabuddin encounter. He was killed at the behest of the politicians. Amit Shah is behind bars because of that.”
The question is why people increasingly fall victim to the electoral trap of the religious fanaticism? Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi once wrote in his editorial titled “In the Guise of Religion” in his newspaper Pratap 21 Octiber 1924, “ In the guise of religion, few men misuse the power of crores of people to meet their petty ends.… As long as people do not get rid of bigotry, religious superstitions and prejudices, some clever people will keep on making fool of them to rise to high places.
Ish Mishra, Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Tags: Gujarat Files, Rana Ayub
The legacy of Machiavelli is still relevant and remains crucial till fascism and religious bigotry pervades in most parts of the nation and functions through the persons like Modi. The painstaking work if Rana ayyub points to this grim Nexus between politics, religious fanaticism, Hindu forces controlling administration, brutal suppression of Muslims and dalits and consistent propaganda. This intricate should be shattered for the democratic society to survive alongwith secular ideals as envisaged by Ambedkar …
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Kashmir’s Political Chameleons!
in Kashmir — by Mohammad Ashraf — November 29, 2018
(Many of Kashmir’s politicians have been acting like chameleons, changing their ideologies and convictions like the colours of these lizards)
During the last seventy years Kashmir has given birth to a class of politicians who can be called the political “Chameleons”. They have been changing their colours with every political upheaval and now these have turned into virtual “Dinosaurs” destroying everything in their path for their egos!According to Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, Chameleons are a distinctive clade of old world lizards of which 202 species have been discovered till March, 2015. These species come in a range of colours. In fact, their main distinctive attribute is to quickly change colour which allows these to merge in any vegetation in a jungle. Chameleons are distinguished by their zygodactylous feet; their very extensive, highly modified, rapidly extrudable tongues; their swaying gait and crests or horns on their brow and snout.Chameleons are adapted for climbing and visual hunting. They live in warm habitats that range from rain forest to desertconditions, with various species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, and across southern Asia as far as Sri Lanka. Sometimes these are also kept as household pets!
Many politicians in Kashmir right from 1947 have been acting like chameleons. They have been going from one ideology to other like the changing of colours by the chameleons. This is more so in the case of the so called “mainstream” politicians. Sometimes one has seen these people making virtual summersaults as regards convictions and ideology just for power and material gains. Some of these could even sell their mothers for a price! The most tragic thing is that these political chameleons have been carrying people with them under one pretext or other. They fattened themselves like leeches by sucking the blood of the innocent poor. One wonders at the total absence of conscience in them! They have been virtually leading people from the pillar to the post. The worst tragedy is that the people have been following them in spite of their somersaults as regards peoples’ basic rights. This has been possible as the people had no alternative. Now a new generation of Kashmiris has been born which has scared these chameleons as this generation prefers death to compromise. For past sometime hundreds of these young men are sacrificing their lives to redeem a Kashmiri’s lost honour. While facing the security forces they prefer death rather than surrender.
An interesting episode of these chameleons has been their recent joining together to ostensibly save Kashmir’s special status by keeping BJP out of Kashmir. Had they been sincere and really concerned about Kashmir’s special status, they would have come together in 2014 itself. They had a brilliant opportunity to keep BJP totally out of the state. In fact, most of them won election on the declared slogan of keeping BJP out of the valley. People voted them in on this very promise as they were really scared of BJP taking over the state and totally changing its demography. They had projected the BJP and RSS as monsters ready to gobble Kashmir and Kashmiris. However, as an anti-climax they embraced the devil which ultimately proved for them a proverbial bear hug out of which they were thrown out after facing the worst mauling ever!
The bear hug had created a heard of dinosaurs which went crazy throughout the valley consuming the youth of all ages like the ones shown in the movie Jurassic Park. The dinosaurs moved everywhere consuming anything that moved anywhere. These chameleons instead of seriously coming together to stop the butchering of Kashmiri youth are instead working out ways and means to somehow capture power again. In fact, they dare not visit their constituencies! The most sensible and the honest thing they could have done was to come together to demand cessation of violence from all sides and initiate a peaceful dialogue involving all the stakeholders. They could even contact the leaders heading the movement for the restoration of the basic human rights even though they have refused to have anything to do with them because of their past roles in depriving people of their basic rights.
All these years since 1947 have shown that the basic problem in Kashmir cannot be solved by violence. Hundreds of thousands of people have been consumed by violence from all sides. Three wars have been fought. However, the basic problem has refused to go away. The only solution possible is through a peaceful dialogue involving all stakeholders. Kashmir seems to be destined to bleed to death unless sincere efforts are made to end the mayhem and start a peaceful dialogue. Taking such an initiative is not impossible. When PM Modi can throw open Kartarpur border for the Sikhs of Punjab why cannot the Line of Control be thrown open totally in Uri as well as in Kargil? The Kartarpur initiative is like demolishing the Sub-Continent’s Berlin Wall. This is the most historic and welcome initiative which may have the same result for these two perennially antagonistic countries as the demolishing of the Berlin Wall had for the divided Europe. The breaking of psychological and physical barriers may give more dividends then the building of statues and temples. The million dollar question is will he take such a decision even though he is given to taking bold and totally unconventional decisions! Let us hope he does so not only for the present generation but for the future generations to usher in an era of peace and prosperity!
Mohammad Ashraf, I.A.S. (Retired), Former Director General Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir
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View source for Scenario 12: Cyber operations against computer data
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__NUMBEREDHEADINGS__ [[File:Data2.jpg|thumb|© pinkeyes. Lincensed from Shutterstock.]] In the context of an armed conflict, one belligerent conducts a series of cyber operations against the datasets associated with the other belligerent. These include data used for military purposes, essential civilian datasets, and data serving the enemy’s propaganda. The analysis in this scenario considers the lawfulness of cyber operations designed to corrupt or delete various types of datasets under the law of armed conflict. It particularly focusses on the question whether data qualifies as an “object” for the purposes of the law of armed conflict and whether, as such, it comes within the definition of a military objective. == Scenario == === Keywords === Computer data, distinction, international humanitarian law, military objectives, object, targeting === Facts === '''[F1]''' State A is involved in a non-international armed conflict against organized armed group G based in its territory. In addition to kinetic hostilities between the two belligerent parties, armed group G conducts a series of cyber operations as part of its military efforts (these are referred to below as incidents 1, 2, and 3): # Armed group G conducts a cyber operation against data stored in the computer network at State A’s central military command. The operation results in the deletion or corruption of all data stored in the network, which contained the identity, location, physical condition, staffing, and battle readiness of State A’s warships and military aircraft. # Armed group G conducts a cyber operation against data held by State A’s central registry office, a governmental authority maintaining digital records on all State A’s citizens concerning non-military purposes, including census taking, the provision of social benefits, voting, and taxation. The operation results in the deletion of all data held by the office. # Armed group G conducts a cyber operation against data stored on the servers of State A’s main press agency. As a result of the operation, all data on the servers of the press agency are deleted and its websites are populated instead with videos and texts calling on the supporters of the regime to resign and defect to the insurgents’ side. === Examples === * [[NotPetya (2017)]] == Legal analysis == ''For a general overview of the structure of analysis in this section, see [[Note on the structure of articles]].'' '''[L1]''' The legal analysis first considers whether the definition of military objectives under IHL applies to the situation described in the scenario. It then examines whether computer data qualifies as an “object” under IHL and whether operations against data must therefore be assessed with reference to the elements of that definition. The analysis outlines the two main approaches to that question and notes the extent to which the law is unsettled. === Cyber operations during armed conflicts and the legal definition of military objectives === {{#lst:Military objectives|Definition}} '''[L2]''' The central legal issue in the present scenario is whether the deletion or corruption of the specific types of data identified in incidents 1–3 would be lawful under IHL. The present scenario occurs in the context of a NIAC between State A’s government forces and organized armed group G. In accordance with the principle of distinction, only military objectives may be targeted during armed conflict. The definition of military objectives applies in the same manner in an IAC as in a NIAC, for the reasons detailed above. It would thus equally apply to cyber operations executed in the context of the armed conflict between State A and armed group G. Determining the lawfulness of these operations in the present scenario turns predominantly on the question whether data can be considered a military objective. === Qualification of data as a military objective under IHL === {{#lst:Military objectives|Data}} '''[L3]''' The incidents in this scenario serve to highlight the differences between the two main approaches described above. '''[L4]''' Firstly, for those who hold the view that data are not an “object” for the purposes of IHL, there is little difference between all three incidents. According to that view, because data is not an object, cyber operations directed against the data are not governed by the IHL rules regulating targeting, which include the definition of military objectives. Consequently, for those who hold this view, the deleting or corrupting any of the three datasets would be lawful—at least as regards the IHL rule of distinction. In other words, none of the operations conducted by armed group G in incidents 1–3 would amount to a violation of the rule of distinction. Instead, the legality of the manipulation of the data would be considered in light of other rules applying to military operations in general, such as the duty to take “constant care” to “spare the civilian population, civilians and civilian objects”.<ref>Art 57(1) [https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/470 AP I].</ref> '''[L5]''' On the second view, according to which data may be an “object” under IHL, the lawfulness of the relevant operations would have to be assessed with reference to the elements of the definition of military objectives. In this regard, the data targeted in incident 1 would likely qualify as a legitimate target of attack under IHL. This is because datasets stored in a military network and consisting of information on military assets belonging to the adversary are inherently military in nature. In addition, these datasets “contribute to the execution of the enemy’s operations or otherwise directly support the military activities of the enemy”.<ref>[https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316822524 Tallinn Manual 2.0], commentary to rule 100, para 15.</ref> As such, they make an effective contribution to the adversary’s military action by their nature, fulfilling the first prong of the definition under Article 52(2) AP I.<ref>Yoram Dinstein (ed), ''[https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316389591 The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict]'' (3rd edn, CUP 2016) 110-11 [295-96].</ref> '''[L6]''' By denying the government armed forces immediate access to the information about their own military assets, the insurgents impede the government’s military action, likely forcing State A’s armed forces to allocate resources towards the restoration of the lost information and away from the military operations. The destruction of the data would thus offer a definite military advantage “in the circumstances ruling at the time”, satisfying the second prong of the definition under Article 52(2) AP I.<ref>Yoram Dinstein (ed), ''[https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316389591 The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict]'' (3rd edn, CUP 2016) 106-09 [284-91].</ref> '''[L7]''' In contrast, the data targeted by the cyber operation in incident 2 would likely be a civilian object and therefore not liable to attack in accordance with IHL. Datasets used and kept for strictly non-military purposes only do not meet the definition of military objective: they do not make an effective contribution to military action by nature, location, purpose or use. As civilian objects, they are therefore are protected from attack during armed conflict. As noted, this analysis fosters the protection of essential civilian datasets and, consequently, it aligns with the object and purpose of the relevant legal norms.<ref>Kubo Mačák, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/israel48&i=57 Military Objectives 2.0: The Case for Interpreting Computer Data as Objects under International Humanitarian Law]’ (2015) 48 IsrLR 55, 77–80.</ref> '''[L8]''' Incident 3 is the most complex of the analysed operations. Ordinarily, the activities of a civilian press agency, even if operated by the government in the context of an ongoing NIAC, do not contribute towards any belligerent’s military action. Exceptionally, specific media reports might effectively contribute to the enemy’s operational picture, and as such, depriving the enemy of them might offer a definite military advantage.<ref>[https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316822524 Tallinn Manual 2.0], commentary to rule 100, para 29.</ref> Accordingly, in these exceptional situations, the data containing such reports would qualify as a legitimate military objective. However, the deletion of <i>all</i> data belonging to a press agency and its replacement with the insurgents’ propaganda would most likely go beyond such a narrow goal and therefore, the cyber operation would appear to be a case of unlawful targeting of a protected civilian object. '''[L9]''' However, it has been suggested that this prima facie conclusion is difficult to square with the fact that States frequently engage in psychological operations, which may include cyber operations of this kind.<ref>Michael N. Schmitt, ‘[https://puc.overheid.nl/mrt/doc/PUC_248137_11/ International Cyber Norms: Reflections on the Path Ahead]’ (2018) 111 Netherlands’ Military Law Review 12, 16–17.</ref> On that basis, the view interpreting data as an “object” under IHL has been described as “over inclusive”.<ref>Michael Schmitt, ‘[https://puc.overheid.nl/mrt/doc/PUC_248137_11/ International Cyber Norms: Reflections on the Path Ahead]’ (2018) 111 Netherlands’ Military Law Review 12, 17.</ref> Nevertheless, a possible response to such criticism is that through the longstanding, general, and unopposed practice of States, a permissive norm of customary law has emerged, which specifically permits psychological operations and dissemination of propaganda directed at the civilian population, as long as such operations do not violate any other applicable rule of IHL.<ref>For instance, it is impermissible to direct an attack against a media outlet such as a TV station merely on the basis that the outlet was used to spread propaganda. The destruction of the TV station in such circumstances would not offer the “concrete and direct” military advantage required by IHL for it to qualify as a military objective. Accordingly, attacking media outlets by reference to their propaganda purpose alone is contrary to IHL. See ICTY, [https://www.icty.org/x/file/Press/nato061300.pdf Final Report to the Prosecutor by the Committee Established to Review the NATO Bombing Campaign Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] (2000) ILM 1257, para. 76.</ref> On the basis of this interpretation, the cyber operation against the data held by State A’s press agency in incident 3 qualifies as permitted under IHL, even if the starting point of the analysis is that data constitute an “object” for the purposes of IHL. '''[L10]''' It must be stressed that the analysis above assumed that, in all three incidents, the data was deliberately targeted—i.e., its manipulation was the objective of the operation in question. However, there are at least two types of scenarios where the manipulation of data would be analysed differently, even if such manipulation was regarded as an “attack”. First, it may be that the target of the attack is not the data yet the operation foreseeably results in its incidental manipulation. Second, it may be that the operation in question is not a targeting operation because its objective is not the destruction or neutralization of a certain object but rather something else (for example, gaining access to a system or collecting intelligence about its weaknesses), yet the operation nevertheless foreseeably results in the incidental deletion or corruption of data. In both of these cases, whether the data qualifies as an “object” has no bearing on the permissibility of the attack under the rule of distinction. At the same time, if one takes the position that the data constitutes an “object”, the manipulation must be considered as collateral damage and will therefore have to be assessed and acted upon as the rules on precautions and proportionality require. '''[L11]''' In sum, the law is unsettled as to the qualification of computer data under the targeting rules of IHL. Accordingly, States’ views aligning with one or the other of the approaches detailed above are needed in order to facilitate legal certainty in this area.<ref>Cf. Michael N. Schmitt and Sean Watts, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/tilj50&i=217 The Decline of International Humanitarian Law <i>Opinio Juris</i> and the Law of Cyber Warfare]’ (2015) 50 TexIntlLJ 189, 230–31 (arguing that States should commit to clear views on IHL regulation of cyber operations); Kubo Mačák, ‘[https://doi.org/10.1017/S0922156517000358 From Cyber Norms to Cyber Rules: Re-engaging States as Law-makers]’ (2017) 30 LJIL 877, 896 (arguing that States should be more forthcoming in expressing opinions on the interpretation of existing international law to cyber issues). </ref> In the meantime, the following table serves to highlight the points of difference between the two dominant interpretive approaches: {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" ! !Data ≠ object !Data = object |- |'''Incident 1 (cyber operations against military datasets)''' | rowspan="3" |Because data is not an “object” for the purposes of IHL, it does not need to fulfil the criteria of a military objective for an operation against it to be lawful under IHL. Accordingly, provided that other applicable rules of IHL are complied with, all of these cyber operations would be permissible under IHL. |Permissible insofar as the dataset fulfils both prongs of the definition of military objectives |- |'''Incident 2 (cyber operations against essential civilian datasets)''' |Prohibited due to the non-military character and use of the datasets in question |- |'''Incident 3 (cyber operations against non-essential civilian datasets)''' |Prohibited due to the non-military character and use of the datasets in question <u>unless</u> justified under the customary exception for psychological operations and propaganda |} == Checklist == * Does the situation qualify as either an [[international armed conflict]] or a [[non-international armed conflict]]? * Are the rules of targeting applicable to cyber operations? * Is data considered to qualify as an “[[Military objectives#Qualification of data as a military objective under IHL|object]]” for the purposes of IHL? * Does the cyber operation target datasets constituting [[military objectives]] only? * Does the cyber operation target essential civilian datasets? * Does the cyber operation target non-essential civilian datasets? * If the cyber operation is not targeted at the data, yet it foreseeably results in its manipulation, does the manipulation accord with the rules on precautions and proportionality? == Appendixes == === See also === * [[Legal review of cyber weapons]] * [[Military objectives]] * [[Scenario 10: Cyber weapons review]] * [[Scenario 13: Cyber operations as a trigger of the law of armed conflict]] === Notes and references === <references /> === Bibliography and further reading === * William H Boothby, ''[http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780199696611.001.0001/law-9780199696611 The Law of Targeting]'' (OUP 2012). *Yoram Dinstein (ed), ''[https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316389591 The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict]'' (CUP 2016). *Heather A Harrison Dinniss, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/israel48&i=41 The Nature of Objects: Targeting Networks and the Challenge of Defining Cyber Military Objectives]’ (2015) 48 IsrLR 39. *Noam Lubell, ‘Lawful Targets in Cyber Operations: Does the Principle of Distinction Apply?’ (2013) 89 Int’l L Studies 252. *Kubo Mačák, ‘[https://doi.org/10.1017/S0922156517000358 From Cyber Norms to Cyber Rules: Re-engaging States as Law-makers]’ (2017) 30 LJIL 877. *Kubo Mačák, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/israel48&i=57 Military Objectives 2.0: The Case for Interpreting Computer Data as Objects under International Humanitarian Law]’ (2015) 48 IsrLR 55. *Noam Neuman, ‘Challenges in the Interpretation and Application of the Principle of Distinction During Ground Operations in Urban Areas’ (2018) 51 VJTL 807. *Marco Roscini, ''Cyber Operations and the Use of Force in International Law'' (OUP 2014). *Yves Sandoz, Christophe Swinarski and Bruno Zimmermann (eds), ''[http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/Commentary_GC_Protocols.pdf Commentary on the Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949]'' (ICRC 1987). *Michael N. Schmitt, ‘[https://puc.overheid.nl/mrt/doc/PUC_248137_11/ International Cyber Norms: Reflections on the Path Ahead]’ (2018) 111 Netherlands’ Military Law Review 12. *Michael N Schmitt, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/israel48&i=83 The Notion of ‘Objects’ during Cyber Operations: A Riposte in Defence of Interpretive and Applicative Precision]’ (2015) 48 IsrLR 81. *Michael N Schmitt (ed), ''[https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316822524 Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations]'' (CUP 2017). *Michael N. Schmitt and Sean Watts, ‘[https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/tilj50&i=217 The Decline of International Humanitarian Law ''Opinio Juris'' and the Law of Cyber Warfare]’ (2015) 50 TexIntlLJ 189. *Silja Vöneky, ‘Analogy in International Law’, in R Wolfrum (ed), ''Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law'' (OUP 2008). <!-- * MN Schmitt (ed), ''Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations'' (CUP 2017) * Etc. --> === Contributions === * Scenario by: [[People#Editorial_board|Taťána Jančárková]] & [[People#Editorial_board|Kubo Mačák]] * Analysis by: [[People#Editorial_board|Kubo Mačák]] * Reviewed by: [[People#Peer_reviewers|Laurie Blank]]; [[People#Peer_reviewers|Gary Corn]]; [[People#Peer_reviewers|Ori Pomson]]; [[People#Peer_reviewers|Michael Schmitt]] {| class="wikitable" |+ |Previous: [[Scenario 11: Sale of surveillance tools in defiance of international sanctions|Scenario 11: Surveillance tools]] |Next: [[Scenario 13: Cyber operations as a trigger of the law of armed conflict|Scenario 13: Armed conflict]] |} [[Category:Computer data]] [[Category:Distinction]] [[Category:International humanitarian law]] [[Category:Military objectives]] [[Category:Object]] [[Category:Targeting]] [[Category:Scenario]]
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Home Newsroom Stories Hurmi: championing for change to achieve gender justice
Hurmi: championing for change to achieve gender justice
“Daughters have always been preferred in our family, unlike other families in the village. My husband and I have never given priority to our two sons over our two daughters. We love all of them equally,”
said Hurmi, a resident of Haji Chanesar village in Umerkot. Hurmi is the Vice President of the Steering Committee of the village and a gender activist in the area.
“My first child was a daughter. Normally in our community, daughters are considered as burdens and families are not so happy when a girl is born. But the case was different at our home. I am lucky to have a husband who loves daughters more.”
When the skills development center was set up at Haji Chanesar Village, Hurmi helped identify artisans who were most in need of a sustainable livelihood. Later in the project stage, a steering committee was formed for which Hurmi was nominated as Vice President by the unanimous vote of the artisans themselves.
“After the Community Management Skill Training, the Steering Committee was well equipped with knowledge on how to manage communities and resolve their issues and conflicts. As the Vice President, my role was more influential as many expected me to bring change in the rigid traditions we have been following for years.”
“The center brought countless benefits to women and girls in residual and nearby villages. They used to work in the fields in the season of cotton picking. Parents of young girls felt insecure sending their daughters to the fields, as they worked under the scorching sun and the bushes and thorns would tear their clothes or injure them. The center serves as a shadow in their lives. We encouraged the men of our families to send their wives, sisters and daughters to the center without a worry as the environment is safe and secure. Women in our area now work without worrying about traveling long distances while carrying heavy crops on their heads.”
As a dedicated member of the Steering Committee, Hurmi worked actively for the well-being of her fellow villagers. Recognizing her consistent efforts and dedication, Hurmi was selected as a participant of a ToT for Gender Activists.
“When I joined the Gender Group as an activist, my in-laws and neighbors discouraged me saying such activities for women were not part of our culture and it was not right to let women and girls talk so boldly on sensitive issues. My husband on the other hand, supported me strongly. He motivated me to work as a gender activist and change the mind-sets of the people who did not allow their daughters to grow socially and economically,”
reiterated Hurmi with a confident smile.
“When I started working as a gender activist, I realized that the people in these rural communities are still living in a backward world, where caste difference was a firm way of life. One of the reasons for some families to not send their daughters to the skills center was the issue of caste difference. They could not allow their daughters to sit with women belonging to a lower caste than them. They also believed that sending their daughters to the skill building center will bring dishonor to their traditions and cultural values,”
narrated Hurmi disappointedly,
“We conducted gender awareness sessions. We also led sessions to individual households to have a direct impact. Girls in our village started to go to school and early childhood marriages started to decrease.”
“Recently, a 16-year-old girl was getting married in our village. Our gender activist group visited the household and briefed the family about the problems young girls face in early marriages. When the girl’s in-laws (to be) came to schedule the wedding for February 23rd, the father of the 16-year-old refused instantly. The in-laws were furious to see his reaction. The daughter’s family called us to talk to the in-laws and explain the disadvantages of early childhood marriages to them as well. When the in-laws were also enlightened on the subject, they too understood and postponed the marriage to three years later. It is not just about one change in one house. People have started to think over many rigid traditions followed by us for ages as a result of these awareness sessions.”
“There was another instance of a man named Mohan. His wife, Dhai, was very disturbed as Mohan use to drink a lot. He used to waste his earnings on buying alcohol. He did not even spare Dhai’s minimum wage which she earned through stitching and agricultural work. He even hit Dhai when he was drunk. He once hit her with a small axe while he was drunk. He also used to beat his children. We tried to talk to him but he did not listen. So, we went to a doctor to talk about Mohan’s condition. We requested the doctor to scare Mohan by lying to him, stating that his health is weakening. When Mohan fell ill, the doctor came to Mohan and stated that he has cancer. Mohan got so scarred that he stopped consuming alcohol himself. Mohan has not been drinking since three months now. His wife is very relieved as he does not hit her or her children as his mental state has now improved. He does not waste money on drinking now and is more calm and caring towards his family. Yesterday, our steering committee held a meeting with the villagers. At the meeting, Mohan informed us that he has quit smoking as well. His wife is very happy now. Everybody in the village is curious to know how Mohan has changed so much.”
It is important for women to participate proactively for work on gender equality as only women can understand the problems of other women well enough. They will work towards resolving issues in a more realistic and practical manner.
“Women easily communicate their issues to us. I am happy when I help others to live a better life, especially when daughters are treated well. Now that we have been given a chance to live a better life, we must walk forward together to build a progressive society instead of letting each other down. I wish to see an all girls’ educated and equality based society”
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David Henry Sterry
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Tag: cari noga
Self-Publishing Literary Fiction: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Cari Noga Reveals All to The Book Doctors
By David Sterry
In About Writing, Blog
The Book Doctors met Cari Noga in 2011, when she won our National Novel Writing Month Pitchapalooza (think American Idol for books). Her pitch was spectacular, haunting and superbly crafted. Her story is about a 12-year-old boy with autism who witnesses the Miracle on the Hudson plane crash, and how he and other crash witnesses and survivors find their lives intersecting and transformed by the extraordinary event—and by each other. We worked with her on her novel Sparrow Migrations and discovered it was a richly wrought tapestry of human emotion, both beautifully plotted and a delightful read. The novel was a semifinalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and the spring 2013 winner of the ForeWord Firsts contest sponsored by ForeWord Reviews. Cari herself was already a published author (Road Biking Michigan with Globe-Pequot Press in 2005). When we sent her book out to our agent and publishing contacts, we were shocked that no one snapped it up. The problem is she’s not famous. There are no zombies or werewolves in her book. No S&M involving rich people. Just a great story with great characters about a world-famous event. So Cari decided to self-publish in April, 2013. Sparrow Migrations was just named a literary fiction category semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review’s 2014 Kindle Book Awards. So we thought we’d pick her brain and the beauties and terrors of self-publishing literary fiction.
The Book Doctors: The general wisdom is that self-publishing literary fiction is especially difficult. Do you agree with this wisdom? If so, how have you gotten around these difficulties? If not, why not?
Cari Noga: I think publishing anything that isn’t directly aimed at a genre-specific audience is more difficult, whether you go the self-pub route or traditional. The upside is that if you do reach a literary audience, the potential is much wider. I seem to have found a niche with book clubs, starting right in my own community, and rippling outward—I just did a Skype chat with a club in Phoenix. My town has a strong sense of locavorism –people like to buy local, eat local, etc. I think that extends to reading, too. One suggestion to make locavorism work for you: Check whether your library offers book club kits – multiple copies of the same book, available for simultaneous checkout. Mine does, and when I did an appearance, I asked that they create a kit
TBD: What has been the single most difficult thing about self-publishing?
CN: Retail distribution. I was aware that I would have to offer discounts, but I did not appreciate enough the importance of offering returns. My book is available through Ingram & Baker and Taylor, but as a POD book there is no way to return it.
TBD: What has been the single best thing?
CN: Hearing from readers, especially in the book club settings. Free time is my own most prized resource, so to know that people are spending theirs reading my book is incredibly gratifying. Hearing that they like it, that the characters resonate authentically, and that they’ve learned something – whether about autism, birds, or something else – is like having my cake, icing and ice cream, too.
TBD: What marketing strategy has been most successful? What has been least successful?
CN: Most successful by a longshot: Kindle giveaways. I’ve done two (June 2013, 5,400 copies downloaded; Jan. 2014, 33,600 copies downloaded.) Paid sales increased after each and reviews soared. The January one was advertised on Bookbub, which I also recommend.
Least successful: Advertising in trade journals like PW Select. Not because the ads were bad or poorly designed, but the brick-and-mortar bookseller audience that reads them are predisposed against self-published books, especially POD like mine, due to the inability to return unsold copies and the inconvenience of dealing with an individual publisher.
Book clubs are still proving a good audience – I’m a guest at three different live discussions here in town next month and my first by Skype, with a club in Phoenix that somehow latched onto it.
TBD: How have you convinced independent bookstores to carry your book?
CN: Goes back to locavorism. I have two indie stores in my town that are both eager to work with local authors. I had a relationship with one (Horizon Books) going back to a nonfiction book (Road Biking Michigan) I published traditionally ten years ago and was fortunate to have one staff member be a beta reader. They have two other stores in northern Michigan as well. The other newer store is Brilliant Books, a cozy, customer-centric place that hosted my launch. I showed them both copies while in proof stage, asked them to carry it and offered industry standard discounts. Another store contacted me after reading local media coverage. A few other stores have been receptive to cold calls.
TBD: Would you still like to see your book published by a major publisher? If so, why?
CN: I would like to see my book in more bookstores. At the book clubs I visit, more people bring paper copies than Kindle, so I’m concluding there’s more potential for the paper copy than I’m getting in my half-dozen stores and on Amazon. However, I’d be much more cautious about the deal I’d sign than I would have two years ago. More than a publisher, right now I would like an agent who could advise me about the best moves to make not only for this book, but career-wise.
TBD: Are you working on a next book? If so, what is it about? Tentatively titled Tres Vidas, my next novel is, like Sparrow Migrations, a story about relationships. The three lives that intersect are Lucy, a suddenly-orphaned 9-year-old who must leave her NYC home to live on a northern Michigan farm with her prickly aunt Jane, and Miguel, a migrant worker who becomes a bridge between the two.
CN: How did you get 180 reviews of your book on Amazon?
TBD: Reviews spiked after the giveaways. After the initial release in April 2013, when I ran into people who told me they liked the book – in person, by email, on social media –my standard reply was to ask them to write a review on Amazon or Goodreads. A surprising number actually did, and I got up to about 20 reviews that way. That doubled after the first giveaway. After the second giveaway, timed to the fifth anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson plane crash, which is the starting incident in the book, they just came pouring in. I’ve not solicited any reviews in months.
TBD: You enrolled in Amazon’s KDP select program. Was the exclusivity they requested worth it?
CN: Yes – see the giveaway results above. I do plan to expand to other platforms (Nook, Kobo) this year.
TBD: We can’t help but ask how you view the Amazon/Hachette tug of war since you used Amazon’s publishing program. Thoughts?
CN: I think there are far more shades of gray to the situation than have emerged in the mainstream narrative (Amazon: evil corporate behemoth; Hachette, guardians and saviors of literature.)
J.A. Konrath http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/ says that in this mad, crazy publishing world of the moment, the only two people who matter are the writer and the reader. Everyone else in a middleman who has to prove their value. Right now, Amazon is connecting those two best. They also treat authors better financially (Both my books are priced at $14.95. I get about $4 per novel sold vs. 75 cents for my Road Biking book, which was taken out of print.*) More people are reading, thanks to the Kindle, which has added another revenue stream for authors.
Meanwhile, the ranks of indie bookstores are actually growing as they embrace what they do best: curation and customer service. In my town, Brilliant Books, for example, offers free shipping. At Horizon, membership program fees drop by a dollar every year, encouraging renewals. Healthy marketplaces do generally have more players vs. fewer, so I hope Hachette and the Big Five can survive. But in terms of blame for the situation they’re in, as others have said (See exhibits A was, B and C ) I’d point to the mirror as much as Amazon.
Cari Noga self-published her debut novel, Sparrow Migrations, in April 2013. The novel was a semifinalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, the spring 2013 winner of the ForeWord Firsts contest sponsored by ForeWord Reviews, and was just named a literary fiction category semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review’s 2014 Kindle Book Awards. A former journalist, she also traditionally published Road Biking Michigan with Globe-Pequot Press in 2005. Read her blog or sign up for her author newsletter at www.carinoga.com.
Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company that has helped countless authors get their books published. They are also co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully (Workman, 2010).
Book Doctors Holiday Book Package
The Book Doctors Interview Mark “Cod” Kulansky at Kauai Writers Conference
The Book Doctors: How to Find a Writing Community
CHICKEN COVERS
About Writing (128)
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Huffington Post Articles (64)
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Mini-memoir (30)
Sex Video (10)
Sex Writing (6)
The Memoir Project (11)
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Liam Fox: His Best Man, the hotel meetings and those emails
Oct9 by dswooding
LIAM Fox is fighting for his political life after being accused of lying about his “murky” relationship with a man who falsely claimed to be his adviser.
The embattled Defence Secretary was under mounting pressure as the Prime Minister ordered a probe into the role of Adam Werritty – the minister’s former flatmate and Best man at his wedding.
Liam Fox (left) and Adam Werritty
He has also ordered Whitehall's top civil servant Sir Gus O'Donnell to probe whether he presented a risk to national security and wants a full file on his desk by tomorrow morning.
Mr Werritty, 34, has accompanied Dr Fox on at least one foreign trip - which the Cabinet minister had at first denied - despite having no role in government.
He has visited the MoD 14 times in the past 18 months and handed out business cards bearing the House of Commons logo and describing himself as the minister's "adviser". He also ran a Right-wing charity from his Commons office.
But the row has deepened as fresh evidence emerges which flies in the face of the minister’s explanation. Dr Fox, 50, claimed his pal had never met any foreign dignitaries. But TV and film evidence clearly show them both shaking hands with the president of Sri Lanka in a London hotel last year.
Dr Fox also ran into trouble after he dismissed talks with a defence equipment dealer in a Dubai hotel last June as a “chance” meeting.
Emails between Mr Werritty and the businessman surfaced which show the minister’s friend had been trying to fix up a get-together since April.
Now a senior Labour MP has told how Dr Fox had given him a personal assurance that the Dubai meeting was all above board and a senior civil servant was present.
Cameron’s dilemma
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy was stunned to learn it was brokered and attended by Mr Werritty and no MoD officials were present. He said: “Alarm bells should be ringing in Downing Street.”
Mr Murphy told Sky News: “That’s very worrying indeed and this is becoming an increasingly murky situation and we can’t go on like this, with a daily drip-feed of fresh allegations just piling upon the Secretary of State’s head. And we can’t have Downing Street dithering on this – we need a full forensic inquiry.”
The row presents a tough dilemma for the Prime Minister who is desperate to snuff out the row quickly.
Mr Cameron knows that to keep him in his job risks making him look weak – and could lead to a damaging drip-drip of further negative stories.
But to sack him is fraught with political danger because Dr Fox on the back benches could become a rallying point for the disaffected Right-wing of the Tory party, fed up with concessions given to the Lib Dem coalition partners.
Downing Street insists the PM is “fully supportive” of Dr Fox and “genuinely doesn’t want to lose him”.
Former PM John Major, who dealt with sleaze on an almost daily basis in the 1990s, said Mr Cameron risks looking indecisive if he doesn’t act quickly. He told the BBC: “He has to balance natural justice and the truth, rather than gossip and rumour.”
Dr Fox will be called before the Commons to answer questions about his relationship tomorrow. But he has told the Sunday Telegraph: “I have absolutely no fear of complete transparency in these matters. I think there are underlying issues behind these claims and the motivation is deeply suspect.”
Follow me on Twitter: @davidwooding
This entry was posted in Conservative people, Defence and tagged Adam Werrity, best man, David Cameron, David Wooding, davidwooding.co.uk, Defence Secretary, Downing Street, Dubai, emails, flat mate, hotel, Jim Murphy, John Major, Liam Fox, politics, Prime Minister, Sir Gus O'Donnell, Sri Lanka.
← Labour chief Ed Miliband puts new blood in shadow cabinet
Liam Fox survives Best Man storm…for now →
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Password Strength Calculator Passwords thebriculator (Scratch) Academia English 2012 Security Content Production, Information Quality, Privacy and Reputation https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/2652178/ Tool
Why Protest? Being an Advocate YouthInFront Academia English 2018 Civic and Political Engagement Content Production, Context, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Positive / Respectful Behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=AE-8Q7eRf74 Video
How Do I Get Started? Being an Advocate YouthInFront Academia English 2018 Civic and Political Engagement Content Production, Context, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Positive / Respectful Behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=iYeAMUnJoII Video
What Happens After the March? Being an Advocate YouthInFront Academia English 2018 Civic and Political Engagement Content Production, Context, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Positive / Respectful Behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBJLG8RAuso Video
How Do I Get Adults on My Side? Building Your Activist Network YouthInFront Academia English 2018 Civic and Political Engagement Content Production, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Positive / Respectful Behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96raDY1vyuM Video
Tips for Strong, Secure Passwords & Other Authentication Tools Passwords ConnectSafely Non-profit English 2018 Security Content Production, Information Quality, Privacy and Reputation https://www.connectsafely.org/tips-to-create-and-manage-strong-passwords/ Text
Why Most Facebook Users Get More Than They Give Social Media and Sharing English, Malagasy, Portuguese, Bengali, French, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese Non-profit English 2012 Privacy and Reputation Content Production, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Safety and Well-being http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/03/why-most-facebook-users-get-more-than-they-give/ Text
Why You Should Be Using a VPN (And How to Choose One) Public Wi-Fi Alan Henry (Lifehacker) Private English 2012 Security Digital Access, Information Quality, Privacy and Reputation https://lifehacker.com/5940565/why-you-should-start-using-a-vpn-and-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-your-needs Text
Occupy Wall Street: The Story Behind Seven Months of Protest Time for Action! The Guardian Private English 2012 Civic and Political Engagement Content Production, Identity Exploration and Formation, Information Quality, Positive / Respectful Behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFOWci6yrSs&feature=youtu.be Video
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Breaking Glass Nabs ‘Good Favour’; Gravitas Picks Up ‘Messi And Maud’
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Good Favour, a drama directed by Rebecca Daly that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The company is eyeing a theatrical release in the first quarter of 2018. Written by Daly and Glenn Montgomery, the film follows a remote Christian community experiencing a crisis of faith that finds new hope in the arrival of a mysterious young man. It stars Vincent Romeo, Lars Brygmann, Clara Rugaard, Alexandre Willaume, Victoria Mayer, and Helena Coppejans. Producers are John Keville, Conor Barry, Benoit Roland, Monica Hellstrom, Signe Byrge Sorensen and Marleen Slot.
Gravitas Ventures has secured the U.S. rights to Marleen Jonkman’s TIFF title Messi and Maud. It centers on Maud (Rifka Lodeizen), who abandons her husband (Guido Pollemans) while on vacation in Chile to travel alone. She befriends Messi (Cristóbal Farias), a local boy who fills a void in her heart, and the pair embark on a road trip to reinvent themselves. Gravitas is also planning a 2018 releasefor the film written by Daan Gielis and produced by Danielle Guirguis.
The deals Good Favour and Messi and Maud were negotiated by Ryan Kampe and Lydia Rodman of Visit Films with Rich Wolff on behalf of Breaking Glass and Josh Spector on behalf of Gravitas, respectively.
Messi And Maud
'Bad Boys For Life' So Great With $100M+ Worldwide; 'Dolittle' Still A Dud With $57M+ Global - Box Office Update
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Mitch Lyons: The Hand Translated
Through Sunday, February 2
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington
schedule & tickets venue official site
Mitch Lyons is a well-known and important part of the local art community, who over the past five decades developed a truly innovative form of print-making. Lyons received his undergraduate degree in graphic design from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) and continued his studies at Tyler School of Art where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics in 1971. Lyons worked as a traditional potter until 1980, the pivotal point in his career when he refined his method of printing directly from clay. Like most traditional potters, Lyons is motivated by a love for the material and describes himself as a “clay person making prints.” However instead of firing the clay to a permanent state, Lyons captures a lasting two-dimensional image of the clay’s surface. This exhibition surveys the developments and experimentations in Lyons’ 50-year-long journey to inventing the clay monoprint.
Image:Untitled, 1980s. Mitch Lyons (1938–2018). Clay monoprint, sheet: 33 3/4 × 34 3/4 inches. Delaware Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2012. © Estate of Mitch Lyons.
Visual Arts: Museums Visual Arts: Exhibitions Visual Arts Northern Delaware
Through Sunday, February 2 · Free with admission · add to calendar today 2019-09-07 09:00:00 2020-02-02 17:00:00 America/New_York Mitch Lyons: The Hand Translated https://www.delawarescene.com/event/25639/mitch-lyons-the-hand-translated Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE, 19806
2301 Kentmere Parkway
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The big risk is malware. In our Android app security basics article, we recommended sticking to Google Play and avoiding third-party app stores. The security policy on different Android app stores will vary; some will perform similar safety checks to Google, while others won’t. If you are going to take the risk, then consider installing one of the top Android security apps first. New Droid Apps
Mobogenie has some interesting features, such as a PC client, meaning you can easily transfer files back and forth between your phone, tablet, and computer. The toolkit offers all sorts of phone or tablet management options from your computer, most usefully the option to backup your device content including contacts, messages, apps, music, images, and videos. You can also batch install apps, copy/paste files, and more.
Tracking your period isn't just about knowing the cycle, but also the other factors surrounding it. Eve by Glow lets you track physical and emotional states, which can lead to some important insights when you take the time to interpret your own data. Eve also boasts a vibrant community and a wealth of information about sexual health built right in. New Droid Apps
It seems like just yesterday that Instagram was adding video. Then direct messaging. Then advanced photo editing put it on par with Photoshop Express for image correction and manipulation. Instagram Stories is now far more popular than Snapchat's similar feature. And anti-bullying features should make it more palatable for some. With a clean, minimalist interface, Instagram is the current king of social photo apps.
Cheat Droid is an amazing Android app to be used on rooted Android devices to break in the details of apps and games. Cheat Droid APK is meant mainly for developers to identify bugs and gain admin privileges to a device. Though it seems a bit technical, using Cheat Droid app offers quite simple and easy usage. Cheat Droid forms a good option for rooted Android users with lesser bugs in the new version. It surely deserves a try!
Menstruators the world over will rejoice over Clue, a simple app with a beautiful design for tracking your period and predicting when the next will occur. Using the data you enter about your cycle—and other factors—you can use Clue to plan ahead, whether it's for pregnancy or just to keep ahead of your cycle. Reminders and a handy calendar tool can help take the guesswork out of life. Best of all, it's totally gender neutral, and not the expected pink.
Though its interface is a bit tricky, Stitcher connects you with just about every podcast out there. Podcasts are organized by subject, or you can just search for a familiar title. Shows can, in turn, be organized into playlists for a continuous stream. Once you've exhausted all your favorites, let Stitcher recommend something new. With a special emphasis on sources like NPR, CNN, and ESPN, Stitcher has a little bit of everything.
Cheat Droid APK is primarily a tool developed for Android app developers to check vulnerability in the apps or games. Here it has to be noted that Cheat Droid APK can be installed only on rooted Android devices. Whether it’s about knowing what permissions granted to any app or any forgotten password, Cheat Droid is a workaround. Besides that, Cheat Droid app is also capable of modifying game values of any Android gaming app be its Clash of Clans, 8 Ball pool, Clash Royale, Boom Beach, Hill climb racing, Angry birds or Mini Militia.
The Amazon-owned ComiXology —the iTunes of digital comics—offers a near-perfect combination of store and comic book reader in its wonderful Comics app. The free app transforms your Android smartphone or tablet into a digital long box that houses and syncs your purchases across multiple devices. Even better, the new Comixology Unlimited service lets you devour an ever-expanding catalog of titles for just $5.99 per month. Once you have the app downloaded, you should make sure to read our feature on digital comic books you should read right now. New Droid Apps
Using Unified Remote, you can remotely wake up your computer from sleep using its “Wake on LAN” feature. All the necessary features of this top app of 2019 like screen mirroring, keyboard and mouse, media player controls, etc. are available within this app. You can even use it to control a Raspberry Pi or Arduino Yun. Its paid versions unlock a multitude of useful features including custom remotes and functions for Android wear. New Droid Apps
Everyone needs to file their taxes every year. Most people will probably have an easier time using dedicated tax software (and some might still enjoy preparing them by hand), but more ambitions filers or those with simple tax returns can get away with using a mobile app. Intuit's TurboTax Tax Return App is the best one we reviewed this year. Among its top features are an excellent user interface, support for all major tax forms, and innovative help options. If you get stuck at any point, you can just open up the Virtual Assistant, which keeps a running dialogue of the help topics you searched for, or use SmartLook to connect to a tax expert via video chat.
Developers may find Mobogenie to be a great option for selling their apps. There’s an app review process with a snappy 24 hour turnaround, and the revenue split is an attractive 80/20. Mobogenie was originally developed in India and has a large user base there, but also supports multiple languages and could provide inroads into some markets where the Play Store isn’t so popular. Droid App
Otter is an innovative automatic recording and transcription service that works in real time. Simply hit the record button during a conversation or meeting and Otter will produce a usable transcript a few minutes later. Otter's app is fluid, well-designed, and quick in operation, which makes it ideal for students and professionals who rely on their mobile devices for their work. The app also integrates other top-notch features such as cross-conversation speaker identification, excellent search tools, and in-app editing of transcripts.
Over the years, the experience of Star Wars™ has always lived on screen and in our imaginations. The characters, worlds, and adventures have become an unforgettable part of our lives, and toys have kept that magic in our hearts long after we’ve left the theater. Thanks to advancements in technology, it is now possible to bring a new part of Star Wars: The Force Awakens™ into your home in an incredibly authentic way. For the first time, a real Droid™ is finally making its way into your world. Droid App
At its core, Any.do is a list manager. You can quickly create a shopping list and have it synced among your devices and even share the list with others. The app also doubles as a task manager, keeping you on top of what needs to be done. This very capable app sports many features, but we particularly like one called the Any.do Moment, which encourages you to take a second and review your plans for the day. Lists are one thing, but building good productivity habits is quite another. Android App
There are lots of ways to pay for things with your phone. But Venmo has a smart mixture of clean design, ease of use, and social functions that give it an edge. It doesn't do much, but it does let you easily send and receive payments from friends. And unlike other payment systems, it has momentum. It's usually the app people ask about when the group is splitting up the check. Droid Apps
Most people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation; after being laid off or after a day in the office so bad that you're just not going to take it anymore. While that might still be true, the LinkedIn app aims to be a companion to LinkedIn web service that you check every day. Sure there's the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It's also sometimes the only way to chat with a businessperson you're looking to connect with. It's like Facebook for grown-ups. Android App
Everyone needs to file their taxes every year. Most people will probably have an easier time using dedicated tax software (and some might still enjoy preparing them by hand), but more ambitions filers or those with simple tax returns can get away with using a mobile app. Intuit's TurboTax Tax Return App is the best one we reviewed this year. Among its top features are an excellent user interface, support for all major tax forms, and innovative help options. If you get stuck at any point, you can just open up the Virtual Assistant, which keeps a running dialogue of the help topics you searched for, or use SmartLook to connect to a tax expert via video chat. New Droid Apps
While Pandora may have introduced the world to streaming radio, LiveXLive Powered by Slacker has refined it. You can listen to what Slacker thinks you'll like, or try out one of its human-curated channels and playlists. It also has hyper-specific playlists that appeal to particular tastes and moods, such as Yacht Rock. If you aren't ready to subscribe to Slacker Radio quite yet, you can try out its free version.
If you're traveling within a major metropolitan area via either public transportation or personal vehicle, Citymapper can plan all your trip details. It has transit information for dozens of major U.S. cities and international hotspots in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Further, it offers multiple transportation options for each city, so if you feel like taking the ferry to work one morning, there's nothing stopping you. Its top features include Commute, which lets you set up your daily travel to and from work, and an alert system that uses natural language to describe service delays or cancellations. Droid App
Droid App Design and Devices Contact us at [email protected] | Sitemap xml | Sitemap txt | Sitemap
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iraq museum (baghdad, iraq) (4)
galleria degli uffizi (florence, italy) (3)
kunsthistorisches museum (vienna, austria) (3)
museo dell'opera del duomo [museo dell'opera della metropolitana] (siena, italy) (2)
saint bavo cathedral [st baafskathedral] (ghent, belgium) (2)
university of rochester, memorial art gallery (rochester, new york) (2)
british museum (london, england, united kingdom) (1)
detroit institute of arts (detroit, michigan) (1)
koch, john (american painter, collector, 1909-1978) (5)
caravaggio, michelangelo merisi da (italian painter, 1571-1610) (3)
david, jacques-louis (french painter and draftsman, 1748-1825) (3)
giotto (italian painter and architect, born 1266 or 1267, died 1337) (3)
duccio (italian painter, ca. 1255-before 1319) (2)
eyck, jan van (netherlandish painter, ca.1390-1441) (2)
hodler, ferdinand (swiss painter, 1853-1918) (2)
kei school (workshop) (2)
sherman, cindy (american photographer, born 1954) (2)
chartres (france) (5)
ravenna (italy) (5)
rome (italy) (3)
moissac (tarn-et-garonne, france) (2)
oldham county (ky.) (2)
biblical events (16)
oil paintings (25)
reliefs (sculptures) (13)
architectural sculpture (10)
Subject: Robes
Kaufman-Straus Co. Photo men's lounging robes.
Clothing & dress; Robes; Bathrooms
Six men's robes laid out on white paper on the floor.
Ben-Hur - Robert McWade Jr. as Simonides.
Portraits; Portrait photographs; Actors; Men; Costumes; Posing; Robes
Full-length character portrait of actor Robert McWade in costume for the role of Simonides in "Ben Hur," which was produced at Macauley's Theater in March 1905. He is seated on a wooden throne, wearing patterned robes with fringed ends. He points...
Votive statues, from the Square Temple at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar), Iraq, two worshipers, front views.
Sumerian; Near Eastern; Mesopotamian
"Further insight into Sumerian religious beliefs and rituals comes from a cache of sculptures reverently buried beneath the floor of a temple at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar) when the structure was remodeled. Carved of soft gypsum and inlaid with...
Annunciation.
Gothic (Medieval); Late Gothic; Medieval
Altarpiece from Siena Cathedral.
Man in robe, 1928.
Men; Portraits; Robes; Clothing & dress
A man stands wearing a satiny robe with the letters I H S embroidered on the front. A photograph of a girl peeks out from behind him.
Mlle. Berthe Giradin as "Princess Katharine," in "King Henry V".
Portraits; Portrait photographs; Actresses; Women; Costumes; Posing; Robes
Full-length character portrait of Shakespearean actress Berthe Girardin in costume for the role of Princess Katharine in "King Henry V." She is seated, leaning on a carved wooden piece of furniture, wearing her hair piled atop her head and an...
Ben-Hur - James J. Ryan as Messala.
Full-length character portrait of actor James J. Ryan in costume for the role of Messala in "Ben Hur," which was performed at Macauley's Theatre five times between 1891 and 1917. He was probably part of the March 1905 cast, which starred Alphonse...
Ben-Hur - Mabel Bert as Mother of Hur.
Portraits; Portrait photographs; Actresses; Women; Costumes; Posing; Robes; Headdresses
Full-length character portrait of actress Mabel Burt in costume for the role of Mother of Hur in "Ben Hur," which was performed at Macauley's Theatre five times between 1891 and 1917. She was probably part of the March 1905 cast, which starred...
Mary Johnston in church.
Churches; Robes; Women; Pews; Windows
Profile of Mary Johnston, partially back-lit by sunlight coming through a gothic arched window in Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church. Mary Johnston was the stepdaughter of Annie Fellows Johnston, author of the Little Colonel series of books. Title...
Mary Johnston in choir robe, Pewee Valley, Kentucky.
Churches; Robes; Women; Pews; Windows; Religious books
Mary Johnston, dressed in a choir robe, stands next to a window in Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church in Pewee Valley, Kentucky. Title supplied by cataloger.
Dear Pen Pal series, We Americans are a very religious people.
Palace of Charlemagne, Palatine Chapel, Aachen, Germany, interior view, dome.
Carolingian (style and period); Byzantine; Medieval; Early Medieval
Santa Maria in Valle, Cividale, Italy, interior view, stuccos, rear of facade.
Medieval; Lombard; Byzantine
Germigny-des-Pres Oratory (Oratory of Theodulf), Germigny-des-Pres, France, eastern apse mosaic, Ark of the Covenant.
Carolingian (style and period); Byzantine; Medieval; Early Medieval; Romanesque
Three Musicians.
Cubist; Synthetic Cubist; Modern (styles and periods); Abstract (fine arts style)
"Synthetic Cubism marked a return to bright color. Whereas Analytic Cubism fragmented objects into abstract geometric forms, Synthetic Cubism arranged flat shapes of color to form objects. Picasso's Three Musicians - a clarinetist on the left, a...
Catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus, Rome, Italy, wall painting, Christ as Good Shepherd, story of Jonah, and orants.
Roman (ancient Italian style); Late Antique; Early Christian
Painted ceiling of a cubiculum.
The Coronation of Napoleon in Notre-Dame.
History Portraits, Untitled #223.
Contemporary; Postmodern
"The photographs in History Portraits are all Kodak C-prints, framed under Plexiglass, in a limited edition of six each" (p.62); wood frame (p.62).
The Arrest of Christ.
Pen and bistre, wash.
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The Institute Industry Advisory Council Certification Framework Careers Press Media Coverage
University of Westminster and GSM London Partner with the Digital Marketing Institute
University of Westminster & GSM London
Address UK digital skills gap with Digital Marketing Institute partnership
Educating and certifying 800+ digital marketing students
¾ million digitally skilled workers needed by 2017 in the UK
Partnerships collectively worth over €1.5 million
The University of Westminster and GSM London (Greenwich School of Management) have both partnered with the Digital Marketing Institute to offer undergraduate students an accredited Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. Over the next three years some 800 students will benefit from this professional certification to present to prospective employers alongside their academic degree.
Research from O2 revealed the UK will need, at a minimum, an additional 745,000 workers with digital skills by 2017, with over 169,000 being young people.
The aim of the partnerships is to better help graduates fill the widening skills gap in the digital industry by combining the academic endorsement of an undergraduate degree with an industry-recognised professional qualification.
Ian Dodson, Co-founder and Director, Digital Marketing Institute, said: “There is a growing European digital skills gap, estimated to stand at 900,000 by 2015 according to the European Commission. In such a fast paced industry, where skill requirements are constantly changing, it’s incredibly difficult for undergraduates to interview for jobs with a valuable toolkit of industry focused skills straight from university.
“We’re working directly with education institutions to bolt on practical digital learning items to their existing academic programmes. The result is that the digital sector gets better skilled candidates, and graduates get an industry validated certification which proves to employers they are industry-ready applicants.”
Jon Pike, Director of Internationalisation at Westminster Business School, University of Westminster said: “We are a professionally focused business school and are well aware of the demands of the current job market on marketing graduates throughout the world, especially when it comes to the digital skills. Therefore, we are delighted that we can extend and enhance our portfolio with this digital marketing qualification.”
Christy Traore, Associate Dean for Education at GSM London said: “We believe these professional qualifications significantly enhance the employability of graduates and also enables marketing practitioners to accredit or update their skill set. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with The Digital Marketing Institute, a world leader in digital marketing training and education to offer the Professional Diploma – a practical course taught by digital marketing practitioners.”
The Digital Marketing Institute’s industry validated syllabus is currently taught in 32 countries making it the largest single certification standard in digital marketing. Other partners in the UK include the London School of Marketing, one of the world’s largest providers of marketing courses and the North East Sales and Marketing Academy (nesma).
The partnerships are valued at a combined €1.5million. Last month the Digital Marketing Institute announced that it almost doubled its 2013 headcount by the end of Q1 2014 to now employ 46 people across Ireland and the UK, in support of the company’s rapid expansion.
Rachel Byrne, Digital Marketing Institute, +353 1 531 1200 / +353 87 1927236 rachelbyrne@digitalmarketinginstitute.com
Bernice Burnside, Bvisible Communications, +353 1 845 2401/ +353 87 2337366
bernice@bvisible.ie
About the Digital Marketing Institute
The Digital Marketing Institute is the global certification standard in digital marketing education, producing more graduates trained to a single digital marketing standard than any other certification body.
The Digital Marketing Institute works with global digital experts and leaders to define the skills and qualifications required by today’s digital marketing professionals, certifying candidates to Diploma, Postgraduate and Masters levels all over the globe.
The Digital Marketing Institute now certifies digital professionals through the following channels:
Online: Where students can study for certification directly with the Digital Marketing Institute through online learning
Licence: Where the Digital Marketing Institute licences its syllabus to an approved third party organisation to teach the content on its behalf
Corporate: Where the Digital Marketing Institute offers access to its learning library to enterprise level corporates and delivers tailored certification programmes
About Westminster Business School, University of Westminster
Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, is one of London’s leading centres for professional business education. The School offers undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes, including the AMBA accredited MBA. All degrees are professionally focused and prepare students for working in their chosen careers. Students have opportunities to enhance their practical experience through internships, professional placements and study abroad. The School’s central London location provides strong links with the business and government communities, bringing practitioners and experts into the classroom on a regular basis.
About GSM London
GSM London is an independent provider of Higher Education with two campuses in London at Greenwich and Greenford, and a study centre at London Bridge. Its degree programmes are validated by the University of Plymouth and GSM London specialises in programmes leading to qualifications in business management, finance & accounting, law, travel and tourism, IT, HR, and health services management, from undergraduate to PhD level
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US Embassy Kabul: 9 Afghan Guards Killed, 11 American Contractors Wounded
June 1, 2017 By domani spero in Americans Abroad, Contractors, Realities of the FS, Security, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: Afghanistan, Casualties, contractors-wounded, local guards-killed, suicide truck bomb, US Embassy Kabul
Posted: 2:06 am ET
A sewage truck reportedly loaded with 1,500 kgs of explosives was used in the deadly attack in Kabul that killed 90 people and wounded over 400 individuals. The State Department told CBS news that nine Afghan guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul were killed and 11 American contractors wounded in the massive suicide truck bomb attack that rocked the diplomatic quarter. This might be the largest casualty of local guards in recent memory. In 2008, seven local guards and local law enforcement personnel were killed during an assault of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul announced the closure of routine services:
The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will be closed for routine visa and American Citizen Services on Thursday, June 1 and will resume normal operations on Sunday, June 4, 2017. U.S. citizens needing emergency assistance can call the American Citizen Services section at 070-011-4000 or send an email to KabulACS@state.gov.
In accordance with the Travel Warning for Afghanistan, the Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul urges all U.S. citizens in Afghanistan to review your personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local news for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance.
🇦🇫 Updated Security Message from US Embassy Afghanistan: #Kabul Consular Section closed Thursday, to reopen Sunday. https://t.co/5ndj18b7VY pic.twitter.com/pW5JZP3nR6
— OSAC (@OSACState) May 31, 2017
Secretary Tillerson: The United States strongly condemns today’s deadly attack in #Kabul.
Full statement: https://t.co/tmZuRyJ1fs pic.twitter.com/7KlYQGWEBk
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 31, 2017
Statement by U.S. Embassy Kabul Special Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Hugo Llorens on the Attack Near the German Embassy in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/pRvCiPWtFC
— U.S. Embassy Kabul (@USEmbassyKabul) May 31, 2017
A truck bombing in Kabul appears to be one of the deadliest attacks of the war in Afghanistan https://t.co/VeFf72guPt pic.twitter.com/tnu31LBvDV
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) May 31, 2017
Truck bomb in Kabul kills 90 people and injures hundreds in worst attack since drawdown of foreign forces. https://t.co/weDoYePpWj
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 31, 2017
9 local guards at U.S. Embassy in Kabul killed, according to State Dept.; 11 Americans injured in bombing https://t.co/KVLl3gwSVV pic.twitter.com/zMvAI1HYeA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 31, 2017
@StateDept’s Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC): Status Update
June 1, 2017 By domani spero in Budget, Contractors, Diplomatic Security, Foreign Service, Functional Bureaus, Realities of the FS, Security, State Department Tags: Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Construction, FASTC, Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, hard-skills security training 1 Comment
The State Department recently posted a video update of its Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort Pickett in Virginia.
FASTC will provide hard-skills security training to State Department personnel and the foreign affairs community. In 2015, GSA purchased property and secured land use agreements for approximately 1,400 acres of publicly held land. On February 25, 2016, construction began for the FASTC project. According to the State Department, the Master Construction Schedule for the FASTC construction is being completed through three construction contracts. Contractors began construction activities on February 25, 2016 and overall project substantial completion is anticipated for July 2019.
Spending Agreement FY2017 — Notable Elements For @StateDept and Foreign Ops Funding May 2017
Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) Gets Some Love From Congress Jan 2016
FASTC Fort Pickett v. FLETC Glynco: GA Senator to Hold Hearing on Diplomatic Security Training Center Oct 2015
GAO: FASTC Fort Pickett Fully Meets Requirements, FLETC Glynco, Not Really Sept 2015
FASTC Hard Skills Training Center: “Who owes who favors?” Sept 2015
A Look at the DOS Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) in Fort Pickett and Nottoway County April 2015
click here for video update
The FASTC Site Plan below shows the general areas where the hard-skills training venues are currently being built for Contract 01 and Contract 02. According to state.gov, AECOM of Virginia Beach, VA has provided Construction Management as Agent and Commissioning Services since the Design Phase for the FASTC Ft. Pickett, VA site and is responsible for the numerous comprehensive facets of the construction process, including ongoing site communication, safety, security, and circulation of deliveries and construction vehicles on site.
CONTRACT 1: 2015 – April 2017
Jan. 2017 – Build out of Live Fire Shoot House interior
Feb. 2017 – Rappel Tower wood and rock wall installation
Mar. 2017 – Permanent power to all venues
Mock-Urban Tactical Training Area
Rappel Tower
Static Training Device Pad
Tactical Maze as well as Interior of the High Bay, Classroom and Breakroom
Explosives Demonstration Range
Viewing Shelter and Storage Building
Live Fire Shoot House as well as Interiors
CONTRACT 2: 2016 – September 2018
Jan. 2017 – Tree clearing and grading continues
Feb. 2017 – Ductbank complete and A01 Foundations begun
Mar. 2017 – Slab on Grade placement at A01, tree clearing finishes
A01 (Administrative Office Building 01) and T01 (Training Classroom Building 01)
Vehicle Maintenance Shop
Ring Road Bridge C-300 and C-307
Central Ammo and Explosives Storage
High-Speed Driving Track
High-Speed Track
High-Speed Driving Track Bridge
Tank Trail
Post-Blast Training Range
CONTRACT 3: 2017 – July 2019
August 2017 – Award
July 2019 – Estimated substantial completion
SFRC Hearing: William Francis Hagerty IV to be U.S. Ambassador to Japan
June 1, 2017 By domani spero in Hearings, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: certificate of demonstrated competence, Confirmation Hearings, US Mission Japan, William F. Hagerty IV
On May 18, the SFRC held a confirmation hearing for William Francis Hagerty IV’s nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Click here for the confirmation page with the video and his prepared testimony.
Glad to welcome the Hagerty family to Capitol Hill ahead of this morning’s #SFRC hearing. Bill will serve our country well in Japan. pic.twitter.com/mu2YtXDjCs
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) May 18, 2017
Trump Nominates William Francis Hagerty IV of Tennessee to be US Ambassador to Japan https://t.co/AwLJ3A4vrs pic.twitter.com/S9Qshze9r4
— Diplopundit (@Diplopundit) March 28, 2017
Below is the Certificate of Demonstrated Competence prepared for the SFRC and made available online by the State Department:
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Japan
CANDIDATE: William F. Hagerty IV
William F. Hagerty IV currently serves as an active board member of three public company and two private company boards. During his career, he has been a government servant, private equity investor and management consultant. In both the private sector and state government he has been a leader on job creation, trade and economic growth. A member of President George H.W. Bush’s staff, he served on the President’s Council on Competitiveness with a portfolio that included International Trade. Mr. Hagerty’s in-depth experience with international economics and trade, his long-standing engagement and understanding of Japan, and his broad range of international connections make him well-qualified to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Early in his career, he was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and senior expatriate in that firm’s Japan office (1988-1991). At that time, he was also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Presently, Mr. Hagerty serves on the boards of Ryman Hospitality (2016 – present), Pinnacle Bank (2015 – present), and RJ O’Brien (2010 – present) among others. He was a member of the Governor’s Cabinet and Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development for the State of Tennessee (2011-2015) during that time, Tennessee was rated as the top state in the nation for economic development and Number 1 for job creation through foreign direct investment.
Mr. Hagerty graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1981. In 1984 he received a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where was an Associate Editor of the Law Review and a Wilson Scholar. He has worked extensively on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America, including as Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Capital Council and Board member of the Far East Council while he lived in Japan.
Russia Seeks Return of Diplomatic Property ASAP, Get Ready For Season Finale!
June 1, 2017 By domani spero in Obama, Persona Non Grata, Social Media, State Department, Trends, Trump, US Presidents Tags: diplomatic property, Maryland, new york, Russian Federation, WaPo 1 Comment
Last December, in response to Russia’s interference in the U.S. election and to a pattern of harassment of our diplomats overseas, the State Department declared persona non grata 35 Russian officials operating in the United States “who were acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic or consular status.” The Department also informed the Russian Government that it would “deny Russian personnel access to two recreational compounds in the United States owned by the Russian Government.” (see USG Declares 35 Russian Officials Persona Non Grata, Imposes New Sanctions).
Last week, the Russian Embassy in D.C. tweeted that it is seeking the return of its diplomatic property ASAP.
Russia is seeking to return its diplomatic property in #US🇺🇸 asap.
Otherwise, we will have to take counter measures https://t.co/2MJ4PauEYt pic.twitter.com/kjC1iSQRrc
— Russia in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) May 23, 2017
WaPo reported on Wednesday that the Trump Administration was moving to return the Russian compounds in Maryland and New York.
Early last month, the Trump administration told the Russians that it would consider turning the properties back over to them if Moscow would lift its freeze, imposed in 2014 in retaliation for U.S. sanctions related to Ukraine, on construction of a new U.S. consulate on a certain parcel of land in St. Petersburg.
Two days later, the U.S. position changed. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at a meeting in Washington that the United States had dropped any linkage between the compounds and the consulate, according to several people with knowledge of the exchanges.
Trump administration moves to return Russian compounds in Maryland and New York https://t.co/w3I9jsz5CU
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 31, 2017
Trump is preparing to give back to Russia 2 compounds in Maryland and NY that Obama had ordered them to vacate. https://t.co/NPLYl8P9XG pic.twitter.com/5BM9papppD
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) June 1, 2017
It is unclear what, if anything, the US would get in a deal to return MD & NY compounds to Russians https://t.co/V18tVDNkS7
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 1, 2017
Russia could regain access to U.S. compounds that were seized by the Obama administration.https://t.co/9l4JvKzLOQ
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) June 1, 2017
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You must remember this; there is always a wolf.
In the seventeenth century, Emma de Longchamps, a girl of seventeen and just married, was seen walking down a lane on her husband’s country estate. She must have been embroidering, for there were sewing needles woven in her sleeves, with bright thread fluttering behind her like an airy cloak.
She did not return that night, or the next, and they said she must have fallen prey to the same pack of wolves that had taken some of the sheep a week earlier. Blood was found beside a stream, a few dark hairs, a steel needle still threaded with red silk.
The Marquis was most wroth; his bride had still been an amusing toy. But the wolf pack, wisely, moved on and did not bother the estate again. The Marquis eventually forgot his rage. The girl Emma had been the least memorable of his wives, having had the shortest tenure.
Fifty years later, it became a game among young women to put needles in their sleeves and go walking together at night, tumbling out of windows with their pretty chemise dresses, moving together under a fat spring moon. What breathless secrets they told, what kisses they exchanged, out there in the silver-limned darkness, when the owls cried, closer, closer! What pretty things they told each other as they walked the path of needles and played its tender games!
Did the wolf come to them, in the darkness? Did they see her eyes flash brilliant in the shadows, reflecting moonlight?
There are only a few reasons for a girl to be walking by herself in the woods. Grandmother does not live out here, no; she lives in the village. You did not flinch when I appeared beside you, instead raising your eyes to mine as bold as anything. I like that in a young girl, that boldness. They shush it out of most young things these days.
You are going to a stream you know of that has a wide flat rock in the sunshine, where you will lie on your belly and watch the little fishes dart in and out of the shadows. It is a prosperous autumn and you will not be missed on this long early evening; your mother is worried about your infant brother, who is not thriving, and your father, who she suspects has his eye on the miller’s plump daughter.
You have your dog with you for protection. Strange, that he did not bark, does not growl. Strange that he flattens his ears in kinship towards me. Your dog knows me, even if you do not.
Will you take the path of needles, my child? Or the path of pins?
At first it was a hat, you know. The story was told about a girl whose favorite possession was a pretty red hat, an improper color for a young girl. Eventually, the hat became a cloak, as these things sometimes do in tales. Red, they said. A deep hood, encompassing darkness beneath. The cape made of heavy wool, practical in this climate save for the color.
The cloak is always red as blood, as red as birth waters, as maidenhead lost.
When Emma de Longchamps died, there were whispers that she had run away, since no body was ever found. She was the Marquis’ third bride in fifteen years. She had lasted only six weeks counted by Sundays.
There were certain maidservants who slept beneath the stairs who liked to think of her wide brown eyes not warming some beast’s forgetful belly, but instead still open, looking at the sea. Perhaps she was walking on a shore somewhere warm with a basket on her arm.
They knew the truth of the Marquis and of his young bride. And they knew that sometimes it is better to put needles in one’s sleeve and go walking into an uncertain future than it is to stay and be pinned into gown after gown, bed after bed.
Emma de Longchamps was sold to the Marquis to pay her father’s debts. In those days, as today, none asked her whether she wanted to be married at all.
You listen, my child, with your direct gaze and your hand light on your dog’s head. Which is the path of needles, and which of pins, you ask me.
I could tell you, little girl. Your mother has told you more, though. Keep your skirt down and your eyes as well. When you speak to men, speak softly. Be only as vulgar as you must, and no more. Braid your hair, your pretty hair, so tightly that it looks like it has been scraped clean off your skull. When you sew and are done with the needle, put it in the pincushion or the needle-box instead of in your sleeve.
That is the path of pins. The path of the good child.
I am far more qualified to speak of the path of needles.
In later days, the country estate was sold and sold again, and the Marquis died heirless. The people who live there tell stories of a girl in a red hood, and they tell stories of her black, black boots and the needles in her sleeves. They tell stories of her hands, so white! so fair! scarred only with the tiny pits of pox!
Her name has been lost to time, of course, and perhaps it is not Emma de Longchamps. Emma who had a mother who cried bitterly when the news came, and six younger sisters who all thought they knew what had happened to the oldest, the prettiest. What always happened to the oldest and the prettiest.
They tell stories of the girls who go walking at night with needles in their sleeves, wanting to catch a glimpse of the red cloak, craving the moonlight illuminating what is beneath that hood, the beautiful curve of bone and the empty blackness where once wide brown eyes resided.
They call to the wolf, and desire her bones, her smooth white bones.
Did I not tell you that there is always a wolf?
Some of the old aunties say that the path of needles and the path of pins end in the same place. I can see that you are thinking the same thing, that a bold girl like you would end up on the same flat rock, no matter which path you took. It is only one path, after all, this twisted deer-track in the woods that are beginning to flame with fall like an orange blush on a green face.
Your hand tightens on your dog’s fur, and I see you begin to understand. He whines softly, and looks at you for reassurance.
Girls not much older than you walk the streets of Paris, in gowns that look fine in dim light but are filthy with the dust and shit of the city, much-mended, dripping beads and feathers when they move. Gentlemen walk as well, and look for the shine of metal on a woman’s upper arm. It is a language they believe they have in common.
The aunties would call these men wolves. But they are to the wolf as your dog is to his wild cousins: tame. Obedient. Dull. They are the end of the path, not the beginning, and only one end at that.
I will walk with you as far as the lightning-struck tree. I have not yet finished my story, after all, and I can see in your eyes that you have a hunger to know how it ends. It is always thus, with girls I find walking in the woods, alone but for their dogs.
Most of the girls in the pretty chemise dresses will take the path of pins, after flirting with the path of needles. They will return to their homes, take the needles out of their sleeves, and hope their mothers never find out what they have been doing under the moon sweet and full as a bag of candy. They will learn their Latin, learn how to make candles, and how to keep account-books. They will be careful and clever even if they cannot be pretty. They will marry well, or poorly, and they will have children, most of them. By the time their daughters are old enough to try sneaking out, they will have forgotten telling them the story of the needle and the wolf.
Some of those girls, though! Some–
Some girls keep a needle or two in their sleeve. Some of them do not marry. Those who marry may have unusual husbands, husbands who perhaps have learned the secret of the needle as well, and who know how to keep that secret.
We have always found each other, the women of the needle.
But you are a bit young still for those stories. There are sins you shall learn of when you are a little older, sins that the priest who you whisper your small confessions to would first assign you a hundred Hail Marys as penance for, and then call on your father for a hushed conference.
I have watched your village priest; he is a man of God, but he is also only a man. I could tell you stories of what fevers his body when he tosses and turns in his narrow, hard bed. I have sat by his window and tasted his dreams, the deeds that the animal in him wishes he could commit. Remember this when you are kneeling before him of a Sunday. Remember that his authority is borrowed and awkwardly worn on his flesh, his bones.
Shall I tell you the truth of what happened to Emma de Longchamps?
Emma walked down a country lane with thread fluttering behind her. She was fleeing the country house in her slippers and her thin dress, her breath sobbing and a stabbing, hot pain in her side. She stopped by a stream, washed her face, drank a little.
When she looked up, a silent form was watching her, wearing a bright red cloak. The figure’s face was shadowed, but the jaw was beardless and the mouth was curved like a woman’s. Emma had not heard the figure approach.
“I won’t go back,” she said quietly, standing straight but shifting from foot to foot. “I won’t.” Six weeks of indignities! Six weeks of this hideous duty! Her back was a mess of bruises, black and red, the skin torn. Blue ringed her delicate neck like a choker.
The nunnery had been so much easier, even though the nuns were strict. There had been sweet times, soft mouths to kiss, and Emma de Longchamps had been an eager student of things the other girls had to teach. She had even taught some of those things to others. She knew much of the ways of pleasure, did Emma de Longchamps, and believed that none of it was a sin.
Then her father had come to fetch her, and she had been made to wear a gown and stand in front of a mumbling priest. She had been pinned to the bed, over and over again, and she had decided at last that she would rather try her luck in the world than spend one more night in the Marquis’ large bed. She had glimpsed little bits of pleasure in her encounters with him, but the Marquis was a man who believed that dogs, horses, and women needed a firm hand.
The voice of the figure was rough, as if he or she had once been hit in the throat. “You do not have to return. But there is a price.”
Emma gestured at the needles in her sleeves. “I will pay. It cannot be worse.”
The finely carved mouth curved up, just a little. “You have no idea how bad it can be, little girl. But I will take pity on you.” Did the illusion waver then? Did Emma see beneath the mouth a row of crooked, broken teeth set in the pitted bone of a jaw?
She must have, she must have, for she swayed back. “Pity? You have pity?”
“Call it mercy. I was once like you.” The hand of the figure in the red cloak went to its waist, and drew a knife. Silver it was, through you would only know it where the touch of a hand had worn through the tarnish, and the edge which was often used and therefore bright. The pommel of the knife was a crude wolf snarling, a ball clamped in its wicked jaws.
Emma de Longchamps looked at her savior, and swallowed. A wind stirred the leaves above her head and she flinched. Rustles heralded evil to her now, like bedcurtains parted by a large hand. “Yes,” she whispered, and, “yes.”
The wolf ate her, you see. The wolf ate her all up, stripping her to her bones, freeing her to the wind and the night and the forest. And when the wolf was done, Emma de Longchamps rose in her bones, and took up the silver knife. With a motion–a snick-snack of the blade! A grate of tendon and bone!–she ended the wolf who had gifted her with a new life.
She took up the heart’s-blood cloak and the tarnished blade, and walked on, and on, and on.
There is always a wolf.
There was blood enough for convincing, and some hair as well, and scraps of dress. Any tracks were covered by the tracks of the dogs that came after, sniffing and sniffing.
The Marquis never questioned the story of the wolf. He was no huntsman, despite his country estate and his wealth. He had never had been one rabbit from starvation and never would be.
The people of the village tell their daughters to stay on the path. Go straight there and straight back. The path will protect you. It is the shortest way.
But girls will stray out under the moonlight. And even the path is little enough protection, as you have just discovered. See how my teeth shine in the evening light, the smooth white curve of my skull?
Am I not lovely, in my cloak and my bones, the most splendid wolf there ever was?
Run home, little girl. Run home and tell them that there is a wolf in the wood. And tell them that her name was Emma de Longchamps, and she chose the path of needles, chose the red cloak and the silver dagger and the pretty girls under the fat full moon. Tell them that in all her life a girl is never feared until she has spilled her first crimson blood, and then, only then, she has power–unnamed, for fear that she might use it.
Tell them that I am watching.
Tell them that I wait for them, on the path.
Kris Millering is a linguist by training, a tech tinkerer by trade, and a writer and photographer by avocation. She lives between two mountains in the foothills of the Cascades in Washington State. Her fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies and The Colored Lens. You can find out more online at http://www.krismillering.com/ .
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Experiences in Sicily
Messina City and Coast – Discover the beauty of Messina – the third largest city of Sicily – in a day-trip that will guide on the footsteps of various civilizations who left their signs in the art, culture and traditions.
Messina Winery and Beach – Visit Messina, from the centre to the coast, where we will enjoy a relaxed moment on the beach. Further visit a local winery, learn about the wine production and taste some typical specialties.
Messina Shore Excursion: Messina City Tour with Regional Museum Visit – Learn about important artists as Antonello da Messina and Caravaggio during the visit into the most important museum of Messina. We will then discover other small treasures of our city where the art is the leading actor.
Messina Walking Tour – Walking on the roads of Messina, among old monuments and buildings, will be like a promenade in the past. We will discover unknown paths and hidden stories that made Messina a magical destination.
MESSINA AND ITS STRAIT – BOAT TOUR – Meet the guardians of the Strait of Messina (Scylla and Charybdis)
Taormina & Castelmola – A destination for thousands of visitors – Taormina – is famous all over the world for its atmosphere, monuments and views.
Taormina & Greek Theatre – Admire Castelmola and Taormina with its Greek-roman theatre – who was the scene of gladiators battles centuries ago.
Taormina & Castelmola with lunch – Visit Castelmola and taste the famous almond wine in a typical bar of the village then move towards Taormina where after a short promenade on Corso Umberto we will have delicious lunch in a local restaurant.
Taormina and Pizza making class – Choose the perfect mix between culture, art and food with this day-trip. Discover the history of Taormina during a short walking tour and then learn the secrets of a tasty Italian pizza that you will be able to make for lunch.
Taormina & Isola Bella – Admire the beauty of Isola Bella – a nature reserve – during a 2 hours boat tour including time for swimming and a fruit tasting.
Savoca & Taormina – Destination for the lovers of “The Godfather” saga – Savoca – will be able to seduce us with its ancient monuments and breathless views.
Etna & Taormina – Visit the highest active volcano of Europe stopping at 2000 meters between “Crateri Silvestri” and admire the wonderful natural landscape. Taormina, our second destination, will astonish us with its monuments and views.
Alcantara Gorges and Taormina Full-Day Tour – The spectacular Alcantara canyon, created by the river with the same name, will give us the opportunity to observe the strength and the force of the nature. The visit of Taormina instead will be a great moment to enjoy history and authenticity.
The Godfather: Savoca & Forza D’Agrò with lunch – Locations chosen for some episodes of the “The Godfather” – Savoca and Forza D’Agrò will surprise us also with their cultural richness. We will end our tour with a typical lunch in a suggestive restaurant.
Etna Wine & Taormina – Combine culture and art with food and wine in a tour that will satisfy all our senses. The beauty of Taormina will be presented to us with love and passion during a guided promenade and then we will move towards a local winery on Mt Etna.
Etna Bike Ride with Tasting – Discover the beauty of the nature and learn about the force of Mt Etna while we will ride on a mountain bike in the middle of old lava flows. At the end we will be rewarded for our effort with a wonderful tasting of typical products.
Etna Trekking with Tasting – Contemplate the magical atmosphere of the highest active volcano in Europe with a walk on unique paths between nature, lava flows and fresh air. Enjoy tasting local products at the end of the trekking.
Etna Tour in Helicopter – On the head of the biggest “Talking Giant” of Europe.
Alcantara Gorges
Vulcano & Lipari Aeolian Islands Daily Cruise – Visit the two largest of the seven Aeolian islands – Lipari and Vulcano who are known for their location, bays, history and views. We will discover the highlights and the attraction of these two wonderful locations.
Panarea & Stromboli Aeolian Islands Daily Cruise – The coastline and the bays of Panarea are famous all over the world for their beauty and charm. We will admire also the eruption of Stromboli, an active volcano while we will enjoy the sunshine from our boat.
Tindari & Milazzo – Live a 7 hour tour full of art, culture, architecture and landscapes. Tindari with its Greek amphitheatre and roman ruins and Milazzo with its castle will lead us back on the footsteps of our ancestors.
Montalbano Elicona full day – Discover Montalbano Elicona – one of the most beautiful Italian villages – travelling with our imagination back to the past, among history, culture, traditions and legends.
Argimusco Trekking at Montalbano – The “Sicilian Stonehenge” as Argimusco is called, is the perfect place for trekking and contemplation. Located in a strategic area, overlooking Mt Etna – this place will offer us a magical experience.
Tour of Sicily
2 Nights 3 Days package: the most beautiful villages
2 Nights 3 Days package: the myths of Sicily
Tour sicily
Agrigento – Noto – Siracusa
Taormina – Savoca – Messina – Castelmola – Forza D’agro’ – Montalbano Elicona – Novara Di Sicilia – Castroreale
Palermo – Trapani – Cefalu’
Home Blog Discover Acicastello and Cyclops Greek mythology
Discover Acicastello and Cyclops Greek mythology
Mariarita Faudale 3 January 2020 Art and Museums, Arte e Musei, Borghi di Sicilia, Catania, Catania, Eastern Sicily, Etna, Etna, History and Culture, Mare e Natura, Sea and Nature, Sicilia orientale, Storia e Cultura Leave a Comment
For the lovers of Cyclops Greek mythology, it is impossible to miss in Sicily the city of Acicastello, famous in particular for the myth of Odysseus and Polyphemus. According to the legend Polyphemus hurled against Ulysses rocks from Etna volcano. They are named "Faraglioni", which are big lava rocks due, during the centuries, to the several mt etna eruptions, known today as a tourist attraction near the coastline of Aci
The city of Acicastello is full of history in particular because of the presence of its castle, which is one of the most known castles in Sicily. It was built during the Norman conquest in Sicily, in the year 1076, and it was built at the top of black lava stones. It is also considered one of the most fortified normans castles because of its strategical position. today the castle hosts one of the most famous natural history museums, where you can find archeological exhibits. Today we can find just a few original structures of the first castle: in the central area of the castle, there is the original tower; at the entrance, it is possible to see the ruins of the mechanism of the bridge; there is also a chapel that someone thinks it is byzantine and a terrace overlooking the coastline. A room of the castle is dedicated to Jean Calogero, an international painter who loved Sicily and its natural beauties. The courtyard hosts a small botanical garden with typical plants of the Mediterranean vegetation.
In the second half of the XII century, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed the city and the inhabitants were forced to find refuge in the surroundings, founding other cities that today have the same prefix "Aci" in their names as Aci Trezza, Acireale, etc. Another earthquake, in 1693, provided new destruction, spreading out the flourishing of Sicilian baroque style buildings, especially churches.
People who visit Acicastello today fall in love not only with the castle but also because of the presence of black beaches due to the several mt etna eruptions. furthermore, Acicastello is very closer to one of the airports in Sicily: Catania.
Come with us to visit the city and the castle of Acicastello, where history and Cyclops Greek mythology fit perfectly.
Taormina & Castelmola
Taormina & Isola Bella
Taormina & Greek Theatre
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What to do in Sicily: Visit the Donnafugata Castle
The Sicilian Baroque in Noto and Modica
Sicilian food over Christmas time
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Stopping clinical trials early for futility: retrospective analysis of several randomised clinical studies
Jitlal, M; Khan, I; Lee, SM; Hackshaw, A; (2012) Stopping clinical trials early for futility: retrospective analysis of several randomised clinical studies. British Journal of Cancer , 107 (6) 910 - 917. 10.1038/bjc.2012.344.
bjc2012344a.pdf
Background: Many clinical trials show no overall benefit. We examined futility analyses applied to trials with different effect sizes. Methods: Ten randomised cancer trials were retrospectively analysed; target sample size reached in all. The hazard ratio indicated no overall benefit (n=5), or moderate (n=4) or large (n=1) treatment effects. Futility analyses were applied after 25, 50 and 75% of events were observed, or patients were recruited. Outcomes were conditional power (CP), and time and cost savings. Results: Futility analyses could stop some trials with no benefit, but not all. After observing 50% of the target number of events, 3 out of 5 trials with no benefit could be stopped early (low CPless than or equal to15%). Trial duration for two studies could be reduced by 4–24 months, saving £44 000–231 000, but the third had already stopped recruiting, hence no savings were made. However, of concern was that 2 of the 4 trials with moderate treatment effects could be stopped early at some point, although they eventually showed worthwhile benefits. Conclusions: Careful application of futility can lead to future patients in a trial not being given an ineffective treatment, and should therefore be used more often. A secondary consideration is that it could shorten trial duration and reduce costs. However, studies with modest treatment effects could be inappropriately stopped early. Unless there is very good evidence for futility, it is often best to continue to the planned end.
10.1038/bjc.2012.344
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2012.344
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ PMCID: PMC3464764
Clinical trials, Phase II as topic, Early termination of clinical trials, Humans, Medical futility, Neoplasms, Odds ratio, Patient selection, Randomized controlled trials as topic, Research design, Retrospective studies, Treatment outcome
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Cancer Institute
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Cancer Institute > CRUK Cancer Trials Centre
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1400051
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Characters, Phineas and Ferb characters, Disney characters,
Martial Artists
Monty Monogram
This article is about the character Monty from Phineas and Ferb. For other characters, see Monty (disambiguation).
Seth Green[1][2]
Montgomery Monogram
Friendly, agile, brave, ambitious, heroic, charming, serious
Male with short brown hair and a dark gray sweatshirt
O.W.C.A. agent
To follow in his father's footsteps
To fight evil
To be an acrobat
To keep his relationship with Vanessa a secret from their fathers
Francis Monogram (father)
Ms. Monogram (mother)
Vanessa Doofenshmirtz (ex-girlfriend), Perry the Platypus
Aloyse von Roddenstein, Rodrigo
Helping his dad, acrobatics
"Yes, and I hope to follow my father's footsteps and join you on the battle against evil."
Monty Monogram[3] is Major Francis Monogram's son and has been working in O.W.C.A. in Minor Monogram after his graduation from the H.S.W.C.A. (High School Without a Cool Acronym).
Monty is the son of Major Francis Monogram. He received acrobatic classes since birth due to his father's desire to be an acrobat. He did learn about the O.W.C.A. and met some of the agents including Agent P (when they met off-screen). They met before Monty's first appearance (Minor Monogram) as mentioned in the episode.
Monty recently graduated from H.S.W.C.A. He decided that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and fight evil. His father was slightly irritated that he didn't want to be an acrobat. However, Perry gets footage of Monty fighting evil and incorporating acrobatics into his fighting, gaining his father's approval. Before he returns, he sees Vanessa Doofenshmirtz and hints at a possible attraction.
Monty later meets Vanessa again and they share a coffee together. They enjoy a date, although they hit a rough point over their fathers. They make up, and he gives her a card if they want to meet again. They later go together to the Doo Wop Hop and are nearly caught by their fathers, but Carl caught them.
Francis Monogram
Monty's father, who tends to brag about Monty to make other people feel bad (mostly Carl). Major Monogram wanted him to be an acrobat but Monty wanted to fight evil like his father. He was able to gain his father's approval by incorporating acrobatics into his fighting style. Monty is keeping his budding relationship with Vanessa hidden from his father.
Perry the Platypus
Monty has met Perry at least twice. They don't interact much, but they seem to be on good terms. Perry has helped Monty and Vanessa hide their relationship from their fathers. ("Sipping with the Enemy")
Carl Karl
Carl seems to be somewhat jealous of Monty's relationship with Major Monogram. He does keep Monty's relationship with Vanessa secret from his superior but states that Monty owes him big-time. Monty helped Carl to get Major Monogram's attention while keeping his relationship with Vanessa a secret. ("Thanks But No Thanks")
Vanessa Doofenshmirtz
Monty and Vanessa in a scene from "Sipping with the Enemy".
Monty saved Vanessa, as well as Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry, from Rodriugo, and foiled his evil plot. Monty seems to like Vanessa. He and Vanessa meet again unsuspectingly at Steam Noir, where they shared a table and chatted about their personal lives. They end up arguing over their father's methods but later outside of the coffee house, they decide that it is best if they did see each other again. Shortly afterward, they stop fighting and Vanessa gives Monty her phone number. They go together to the Doo Wop Hop, although they have trouble keeping it secret from their fathers.
Skills and Abilities
Monty has had acrobatic training since his birth. He incorporates this into his fighting style, using a combination of acrobatics and brute force.
"Minor Monogram" (First appearance)
"Sipping with the Enemy"
"My Sweet Ride"
Monty looking serious
Monty acting normal
↑ http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Phineas-and-Ferb/Monty-Monogram/
↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001293/
↑ http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0345191/?ref_=fn_al_ch_1
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the The Phineas and Ferb Wiki. The list of authors can be seen in the page revision history (view authors). As with Disney Wiki, the text of The Phineas and Ferb Wiki is available under the CC-by-SA Free Documentation License.
Animated Productions: Phineas and Ferb • Videography • Take Two with Phineas and Ferb • Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension • Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe
Video Games: Phineas and Ferb • Phineas and Ferb Ride Again • Disney Channel All Star Party • Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension • Agent P Strikes Back • Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff • Where's My Perry? • Disney INFINITY (2.0) (3.0) • Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenshmirtz
Albums: Phineas and Ferb • Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites • Phineas and Ferb: Across the 1st and 2nd Dimensions • Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars soundtrack
Agent P's World Showcase Adventure
Entertainment: Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party
Firework: Celebrate the Magic Parade: Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! Street Party
Major Characters: Phineas Flynn • Ferb Fletcher • Candace Flynn • Perry • Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Secondary Characters: Linda Flynn-Fletcher • Lawrence Fletcher • Isabella Garcia-Shapiro • Baljeet Tjinder • Buford Van Stomm • Major Francis Monogram • Jeremy Johnson • Carl Karl • Stacy Hirano • Ginger Hirano • Milly • Katie • Holly • Adyson Sweetwater • Gretchen • Vanessa Doofenshmirtz
Recurring characters: Giant Floating Baby Head • Django Brown • Coltrane • Charlene Doofenshmirtz • Roger Doofenshmirtz • Vivian Garcia-Shapiro • Irving • Jenny Brown • Suzy Johnson • Danny • Bobbi Fabulous • Sherman • Meap • Mitch • Norm • Clyde Flynn • Betty Jo Flynn • Pinky • Albert • Peter • Klimpaloon • Talking Zebra • Monty Monogram • Hildegard Johnson • Reginald Fletcher • Winifred Fletcher • Aloyse von Roddenstein
Minor Characters: Jerry • Bigfoot • Yeti • Khaka Peu Peu • The Regurgitator • Bob Webber • Princess Baldegunde • Melissa • Unnamed Fireside Girls • Agent E • Brobots • Drill Sergeant • Buck Buckerson • Tiana Webber • Jack Johnson • Mrs. Johnson • Wendy • Eliza Fletcher • Nicolette • Mandy • Thaddeus and Thor • Mindy • Amanda • Lucy Fletcher • Adrian Fletcher • Beppo Brown • Dr. Hirano • Annabelle Johnson • Sara • Brigitte, Josette, and Collette • Mishti Patel • Liam McCracken • Rodrigo • Morg • Glenda Wilkins • Dr. Gevaarlijk • Heinz Doofenshmirtz's mother • Blanca Dishon • Professor Poofenplotz • Lyla Lolliberry • Balloony • Corn Colossus
Guest Characters: Santa Claus • Kim Possible • Pinocchio • Baby Baboon • Thor Odinson • Spider-Man • Hulk • Iron Man • Red Skull • Nick Fury • Venom • Whiplash • MODOK
Season One: "Rollercoaster" • "Candace Loses Her Head" • "The Fast and the Phineas" • "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror" • "The Magnificent Few" • "S'Winter" • "Are You My Mummy?" • "Flop Starz" • "Raging Bully" • "Lights, Candace, Action!" • "Get That Bigfoot Outta My Face!" • "Tree to Get Ready" • "It's About Time!" • "Jerk De Soleil" • "Toy to the World" • "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" • "A Hard Day's Knight" • "I, Brobot" • "Mom's Birthday" • "Journey to the Center of Candace" • "Run Away Runway" • "I Scream, You Scream" • "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World" • "The Ballad of Badbeard" • "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together" • "Ready for the Bettys" • "The Flying Fishmonger" • "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!" • "Greece Lightning" • "Leave the Busting to Us!" • "Crack That Whip" • "The Best Lazy Day Ever" • "Boyfriend From 27,000 B.C." • "Voyage to the Bottom of Buford" • "Put That Putter Away" • "Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?" • "Traffic Cam Caper" • "Bowl-R-Ama Drama" • "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein" • "Oil on Candace" • "Unfair Science Fair" • "Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story)" • "Out to Launch" • "Got Game?" • "Comet Kermillian" • "Out of Toon" • "Hail Doofania!"
Season Two: "The Lake Nose Monster" • "Interview With a Platypus" • "Tip of the Day" • "Attack of the 50 Foot Sister" • "Backyard Aquarium" • "Day of the Living Gelatin" • "Elementary My Dear Stacy" • "Don't Even Blink" • "Chez Platypus" • "Perry Lays an Egg" • "Gaming the System" • "The Chronicles of Meap" • "Thaddeus and Thor" • "De Plane! De Plane!" • "Let's Take a Quiz" • "At the Car Wash" • "Oh, There You Are, Perry" • "Swiss Family Phineas" • "Hide and Seek" • "That Sinking Feeling" • "The Baljeatles" • "Vanessassary Roughness" • "No More Bunny Business" • "Spa Day" • "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" • "Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown" • "Bubble Boys" • "Isabella and the Temple of Sap" • "Cheer Up Candace" • "Fireside Girl Jamboree" • "The Bully Code" • "Finding Mary McGuffin" • "Picture This" • "Nerdy Dancin'" • "What Do It Do?" • "Atlantis" • "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!" • "Just Passing Through" • "Candace's Big Day" • "I Was a Middle Aged Robot" • "Suddenly Suzy" • "Undercover Carl" • "Hip Hip Parade" • "Invasion of the Ferb Snatchers" • "Ain't No Kiddie Ride" • "Not Phineas and Ferb" • "Phineas and Ferb-Busters!" • "The Lizard Whisperer" • "Robot Rodeo" • "The Beak" • "She's the Mayor" • "The Lemonade Stand" • "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation" • "Summer Belongs to You!" • "Nerds of a Feather" • "Wizard of Odd" • "We Call it Maze" • "Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem!" • "The Secret of Success" • "The Doof Side of the Moon" • "Split Personality" • "Brain Drain" • "Rollercoaster: The Musical!" • "Make Play" • "Candace Gets Busted"
Season Three: "The Great Indoors" • "Canderemy" • "Run, Candace, Run" • "Last Train to Bustville" • "Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!" • "The Belly of the Beast" • "Moon Farm" • "Ask a Foolish Question" • "Misperceived Monotreme" • "Candace Disconnected" • "Magic Carpet Ride" • "Bad Hair Day" • "Meatloaf Surprise" • "Phineas and Ferb Interrupted" • "A Real Boy" • "Mommy Can You Hear Me?" • "Road Trip" • "Tour de Ferb" • "Skiddley Whiffers" • "My Fair Goalie" • "Bullseye!" • "That's the Spirit" • "The Curse of Candace" • "Escape from Phineas Tower" • "Lotsa Latkes" • "Ferb Latin" • "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" • "Tri-Stone Area" • "Doof Dynasty" • "Excaliferb" • "Phineas and Ferb and the Temple of Juatchadoon" • "Monster from the Id" • "Gi-Ants" • "The Remains of the Platypus" • "Mom's in the House" • "Perry the Actorpus" • "Let's Bounce" • "Bully Bromance Break Up" • "Quietest Day Ever" • "Doonkleberry Imperative" • "Meapless in Seattle" • "Delivery of Destiny" • "Buford Confidential" • "The Mom Attractor" • "Cranius Maximus" • "Agent Doof" • "Minor Monogram" • "What a Croc!" • "Sleepwalk Surprise" • "Sci-Fi Pie Fly" • "Sipping with the Enemy" • "Tri-State Treasure: Boot of Secrets" • "Doofapus" • "Norm Unleashed" • "Where's Perry?" • "Ferb TV" • "When Worlds Collide" • "What'd I Miss?" • "Road to Danville" • "This is Your Backstory" • "Blackout!"
Season Four: "For Your Ice Only " • "Happy New Year!" • "Fly On the Wall" • "Bully Bust" • "My Sweet Ride" • "Der Kinderlumper" • "Sidetracked" • "Primal Perry" • "Mind Share" • "Backyard Hodge Podge" • "Bee Day" • "Bee Story" • "Great Balls of Water" • "Where's Pinky?" • "Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown Hosted by Kelly Osbourne" • "Knot My Problem" • "Just Desserts" • "La Candace-Cabra" • "Happy Birthday, Isabella" • "Love at First Byte" • "One Good Turn" • "Mission Marvel" • "Thanks But No Thanks" • "Troy Story" • "Druselsteinoween" • "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror" • "Face Your Fear" • "Cheers for Fears" • "Steampunx" • "Just Our Luck" • "Return Policy" • "Live and Let Drive" • "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer" • "Father's Day" • "Imperfect Storm" • "The Return of the Rogue Rabbit" • "It's No Picnic" • "The Klimpaloon Ultimatum" • "Operation Crumb Cake" • "Mandace" • "Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars" • "Lost in Danville" • "The Inator Method" • "Night of the Living Pharmacists" • "Tales from the Resistance: Back to the 2nd Dimension" • "Doof 101" • "Act Your Age" • "Last Day of Summer" • "O.W.C.A. Files"
Locations at or near Danville: Danville • Seattle • Mr. Slushy Franchise • Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated • Flynn-Fletcher House • Atlantis • Googolplex Mall • Old Abandoned Amusement Park
Other: Africa • England • New York City • Big Ben • Mars • Tokyo • London • China • India • Canada • Chile • Hawaii
Today is Gonna Be a Great Day • Summer Belongs to You • City of Love • Jump Right In • Perry the Platypus Theme • Perry Saves Christmas • Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow • Gitchee Gitchee Goo • Where Did We Go Wrong? • Busted • Little Brothers • What'cha Doin? • Carpe Diem • S.I.M.P. (Squirrels In My Pants) • I'm Me • Rollercoaster • Couldn't Kick My Way Into Her Heart • The Ballad of Klimpaloon • Evil for Extra Credit • Backyard Beach • Happy New Year • Great to Be a Baby • What Might Have Been • Serious Fun • Curtain Call/Time Spent Together
Retrieved from "https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Monty_Monogram?oldid=3652839"
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Locations, The Lion King locations, Villain's lair, The Lion Guard locations
The Outlands
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Pride Lands
Scar (formerly)
Jasiri
The Outsiders (formerly), Zira (until her death), Kovu (formerly), Nuka (until his death), Vitani (formerly), Janja, Cheezi, Chungu, Nne, Tano, Janja's Clan, Mzingo, Mzingo's Parliament, Jasiri, Madoa, Tunu and Wema, Jasiri's Clan, Reirei, Goigoi, Dogo, Kijana, Reirei's Pack, Kiburi, Kiburi's Float, Kenge, Scar, Ushari, Shupavu, Sumu
Kiara, Kion, Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte, Thurston, Uroho, Mwizi, Mjomba, Ogopa, Haya, Tamaa, Zazu, Makini, Kinyonga, Azaad. Ma Tembo, Zito, Mbeya, Makuu, Shujaa, Hadithi, Anga , Bupu, Kifaru
The Outlands (also known as the Shadowland) are a barren wasteland where the exiled lions of the Pride Lands live. Most of its inhabitants are animals banished from the Pride Lands for not following the Circle of Life. The most notable residents are lions who were banished by Simba for remaining loyal to Scar, as well as hyenas. It appears in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion Guard.
The design of the Outlands was meant to mirror that of an actual Badlands, and it shows. The Outlands are heavily eroded with few trees and plants, little water, and few creatures living there. There are peculiar, stunted trees that dot the landscape, as shown when Vitani is attempting to bite off a branch, as well as scattered boulders. The threshold of the Outlands seems vaguely better, with an actual water source (albeit infested with crocodiles), a noticeably purple sky, and some trees and plants. The place is also covered of canyon, volcano, gorges and many caves.
The most noticeable features of the Outlands are the sky and the massive termite mound the Outsiders sleep in. The sky is limitless and by day it's a bold amber color. As the sun sets, noticeable shades of red tint the sky. The termite mound itself is distorted and internally vast (despite seeming superficially like mountains), with many pathways, knolls, and places for somewhat uncomfortable sleeping. As shown in "My Lullaby", it seems that, through various holes that the termites have burrowed into, all kinds of color from the sky and sun will pop through, and a lioness can actually burrow her way to the top, as shown when Zira knocks over a few rocks to stand at the top of her termite mound.
Nothing more is told about the Outlands after Zira reviews Kovu's progress, almost directly after "My Lullaby". It is implied that, over the course of the film, Zira and her family and pride still live there, but by the end of the film, the Outlands are completely abandoned by the Outsiders, and it is assumed that they never become healthy or green again.
The Outlands lie beyond the Pride Lands and beyond the Elephant Graveyard. Kiara visits the Outlands as a cub while she is exploring outside of Simba's established path, but she is eventually caught by her father. At the end of the film, the Outsiders return to the Pride Lands, realizing how pointless it is to continue fighting, and possibly leave the Outlands vacant.
Janja's Den
The Outlands are first mentioned by Simba, who warns his daughter that the Outsiders and their land are dangerous. Ignoring her father's orders to stay away from the Outlands, Kiara ventures into the Outlands herself and encounters Kovu, an Outsider cub. The two end up playing together, barely escaping a horde of crocodiles, though Kiara is later apprehended by her father, who roars her away from Kovu and his mother Zira.
Trying to appeal to Simba's soft side, Zira complains about the Outlands, mentioning its lack of food and water, but resolved to keep the Outsiders away from Pride Rock, Simba orders her away, and she carries Kovu with her back to their homeland.
Once there, Zira yells at Kovu for trying to befriend a Pridelander cub, exposing the fierce tension between the malnourished Outsiders and their much healthier enemies. While chiding Kovu, Zira comes up with a plan to kill Simba, and she and her pride sing "My Lullaby," promising the rise of Kovu as their king instead of Simba.
Years later, Kovu has grown into a young adult, and Zira prepares him for his mission to kill Simba in one of the caves in the Outlands. When Kovu proves that he is ready to avenge Scar's death, the Outsiders roar their approval, and Kovu and Zira move out to fulfill the plan.
At the end of the film, the Outsiders (aside from Zira) join Simba's side, leaving the dark days of the Outlands behind them.
Since Scar's death, the hyenas have been living in the Outlands, called the "Shadowland" by the exiled hyenas. One particular hyena named Asante befriends Kopa, the son of Simba, and invites him to explore the Shadowland with her. While there, the two run into a fierce storm, which traps Kopa in a raging river. With the help of her friend Kroko, Asante frees Kopa, and the two return to the Pride Lands, where Kopa insists on introducing Asante to his parents. Thus, for the first time, an exiled hyena from the Shadowland is allowed to venture into the Pride Lands.
Fight for the Throne
Despite Asante's friendship with Kopa, the hyenas still live in the Shadowland, and a particularly bitter hyena named Fisi schemes to place Kesho, a weak-willed cheetah, on the throne of the Pride Lands in Simba's place.
The Outlands is a location that features in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (which takes place during the first act of Simba's Pride). It has been revealed that a pack of hyenas live there.
When Bunga and Kion lose their baobab fruit, Bunga insists on straying into the Outlands to retrieve it, despite Kion's warnings that his father has forbidden him to go there. When Bunga at last retrieves the fruit, he is captured by two hyenas named Cheezi and Chungu (who plan to feed him to their leader Janja) until Kion's roar gives him the opportunity to escape.
The Outlands later appear when Mzingo, the vulture, goes there to tell Janja about Kion putting together a Lion Guard to protect The Pride Lands. Upon hearing this news, Janja tells his clan that they will attack The Pride Lands that night.
In the episode "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots", Kion gets stuck in the Outlands and meets and befriends a female hyena named Jasiri, who, unlike Janja's clan, is good natured.
In "Can't Wait to be Queen", Kiara (when temporary serving as Queen of the Pride Lands), came to the Outlands to supposedly form a peace treaty with Janja. However, this was a trick and Janja and his clan ambush her, planning to hold her hostage until Simba handed over the Pride Lands to him. Luckily, Kion arrived with the Lion Guard just in time to save his sister.
In "The Kupatana Celebration", it is shown that besides hyenas and vultures living in the Outlands, a family of jackals led by Reirei briefly left the Outlands and entered the Pride Lands during Kupatana and tried to attack the animals there, before being forced to return there by Kion, the Lion Guard and Simba.
In "Too Many Termites", Kion mistakes a pack of aardwolves for hyenas and uses the Roar of the Elders on them to send them into the Outlands. When there, they met Reirei and Goigoi who trick them into thinking that they're friendly only to later try and eat them, but are stopped in time by the Lion Guard who bring the aardwolves back to the Pride Lands.
In "Lions of the Outlands", the Outsiders took possession of the territory of the Jasiri's Clan. After the Outsiders were chased by the Lion Guard They arrive in another part of Outlands which has an arid soil and other termite mounds.
In "The Rise of Scar", Kion angrily uses the Roar of the Elder after the provocation of Janja and this has the consequence of making Scar appear in the Volcano.
In "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", Kiburi, a crocodile and a former member of Makuu's Float was banned with other crocodiles renegade by Simba after their attempted assassination against him. They then joined Scar and the hyenas.
In "Battle for the Pride Lands", an all-out battle between Pridelanders and Outlanders takes place in the Outlands. While the Pridelanders battles the Outlanders, The Lion Guard confronts Scar at the top of the volcano. After Scar is defeated and annihilated once and for all, all the Outlanders (except for Ushari who fell to his demise while trying to avenge his master) ceased fighting against Pridelanders and Janja appoints Jasiri as the new leader of the Outlands. The rest of the Outlanders accept this decision and it is presumed they still remain there.
In "Journey to the Pride Lands" and "Return to the Pride Lands" (which is set after the events of Simba's Pride), the Lion Guard, along with Jasiri, Azaad, and a now-reformed Janja arrive at the Outlands to stop Zira from winning over Simba's reign. The group arrives alongside a now-reformed Mzingo and his flock of vultures to accompany Kion and his friends and Kion fears that Zira may have won the battle against Simba. As Anga sees a grown-up Kovu in Pride Rock, Vitani arrives with her own Lion Guard to confront Kion for bringing in a hyena (thinking the lion is a descendant of Scar) as she and her lionesses prepare to attack. Kiara (now an adult) arrives and stops Kion from fighting Vitani alongside Kovu to which the Lion Guard and the other Outlanders found out that Zira has completed her Circle of Life as Kiara takes Kion to talk about the situation she faced with her father since the Lion Guard arrived at the Tree of Life as Kion bids a farewell to Jasiri in the Outlands.
Concept art of Outlands
An Outsider scrounges for food in the Outlands
A other termite mound
The volcano serving as a den for Janja
Zira, her children and Jasiri
The Outlands as viewed from the Pride Lands
Outlands's Canyon
The Outlands in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
The bats of the Outlands
The Crocodiles of the Outlands
The Jackals of the Outlands
The Hyenas of the Outlands
Zira the leader of the Outsiders
Janja the leader of the Hyenas of the Outlands
Scar now a ghost living in the Outlands after his death
Kiburi the leader of the Crocodiles of the Outlands
Retrieved from "https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Outlands?oldid=3870600"
The Lion King locations
Villain's lair
The Lion Guard locations
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Tag: transformation
John Pavlovitz is the author of the new book, Hope and Other Superpowers: A life affirming, love-defending, butt-kicking, world-saving manifesto. John is a pastor and blogger from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past two years his blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has reached a diverse audience of millions of people throughout the world, with an average monthly readership of over a million people. His home church, North Raleigh Community Church, is a growing, nontraditional Christian community dedicated to radical hospitality, mutual respect, and diversity of doctrine.
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From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation
Daniel Pinchbeck is the author of the new book How Soon is Now: From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation. Daniel is the New York Times bestselling author of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl and Breaking Open the Head. He is the star of the 2010 documentary, 2012: A Time for Change and is co-founder of the popular ‘zine Evolver.net and founder of the think tank, Center for Planetary Culture, which produced the Regenerative Society Wiki.
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Hunger, Hope and Healing
Sarahjoy Marsh is the author of the new book Hunger Hope and Healing: A Yoga Approach to Reclaiming Your Relationship to Your Body and Food. Sarahjoy is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist, and she has an MA in transpersonal counseling and art therapy. Committed to bridging yoga, psychotherapy, and social justice, Marsh founded the DAYA Foundation, a nonprofit yoga therapy center known for its integrated approach to yoga, mindfulness, and recovery.
The Transformation Network
Dr. Pat Baccili is host of the Dr. Pat Show. Pat is a leader in the field of human potential and the creator of the “Transformation Network.” Dr. Pat believes that each of us can make a difference and together create A Better World.
Conscious Musings
Alexis Brooks is the author of Conscious Musings: Contemplations to Transform Life & Realize Potential. Alexis is a journalist, essayist and researcher within the metaphysical, spiritual and new thought genre. Her show is called “Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks,” in which she interviews renowned experts in the fields of metaphysics, spirituality, new science and related subjects.
How Compassion Can Change Lives
Thupten Jinpa, PhD, is the author of the new book A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives. The Buddhist practice of mindfulness caught on in the West when we began to understand the everyday, personal benefits it brought us. Now the highly acclaimed thought leader and longtime English translator of His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about how compassion can bring us even more.
Journey from Abandonment to Healing
Our guest this week on Pathways is Susan Anderson, author of the book, Journey from Abandonment to Healing. She is an expert on how to overcome abandonment and its aftermath of self sabotaging patterns. She shares her methods of abandonment recovery with victims of trauma of abandonment, heartbreak, and loss around the world. Her groundbreaking program is the product of over thirty years of research and clinical practice.
Constructive Wallowing
Our guest today on Pathways is Tina Gilbertson, author of the new book Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them. Tina is a licensed psychotherapist whose practice here in Portland includes individual therapy and non-traditional career counseling. A popular blogger and workshop leader, her first book cuts to the chase and teaches people how to accept and feel their feelings instead of stuffing them and teaches the value of having a little self-compassion for our own lives.
Turning the Corner on Grief Street
Terri Daniel is the author of the new book Turning the Corner on Grief Street. Terri is an ordained interfaith minister, clinical chaplain and intuitive counselor who assists dying and grieving individuals to discover a more spiritually spacious understanding of death and beyond. Her unique perspective on birth, death and the journey of the soul helps the dying and the living find meaning and healing through meditative and ritual practices that open a conduit to other dimensions.
The Attraction Distraction
Sonia Miller is the author of The Attraction Distraction: Why the Law of Attraction Isn’t Working for You and How to Get Results- Finally!. Sonia has helped seekers around the world to realize their greatest aspirations since 1983. By sharing her expertise as an international life coach, teacher, speaker and energy healer, seekers discover how to reclaim their true nature as the Ultimate Manifestors of their lives.
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Swedish House Mafia’s Ultra Miami reunion was just “the beginning”
The trio have big plans apparently…
Swedish House Mafia might going on tour again
Andrew Rafter
Steve Angello's manager Scooter Braun has declared the trio's comeback show at last weekend's Ultra Miami just "the beginning”.
Braun has shared an image via his Instagram which was labelled with the caption “the beginning” — which has lead everyone to conclude that the trio's special appearance at Ultra Miami this past weekend wasn’t just a one-off.
Reuniting together on stage for the first time since 2013, the trio have seemingly buried any grievances highlighted in their 2014 documentary, ‘Leave the World Behind’, and appear now be best of friends again.
Rumours circulating online suggest that a world tour could be on the cards and there’s already rumours that the trio will be appearing at this summer’s Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland has been teasing an announcement with the tagline “expect the unexpected”, the very same phrase Ultra used when teasing last weekend’s performance.
Adding further fuel to the fire, Swedish House Mafia reportedly played two unreleased tracks during the performance which indicates that the trio have been in the studio together.
Finally, during their performance, Axwell took to the microphone and declared “we are Swedish House Mafia for life this time.”
Swedish House Mafia World TOUR 2018
Carl Cox announces Invites tour
Paul van Dyk announces 28-date world Guiding Light tour
Honey Dijon announces four-night, four-club residency for London 2020
Stormzy announces 55-date world tour, H.I.T.H
Swedish House Mafia are working in the studio with Mike Dean
Boys Noize announces winter tour
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Home » Phlan during the Tyranny of Dragons
State of Phlan
To learn the state of Phlan is to understand her many trials and tragedies.” – Lord Sage of Phlan, 1489 DR
Founded in 367 DR, ten years after Northkeep, the town of Phlan has been leveled or razed repeatedly; new buildings sprouting from the ruins of previous incarnations. This has led to extensive tunnels, vaults, sewers and other hidden places under and throughout the city as the sounds of construction echo throughout. Though still the lawless, brutal town of the northern Moonsea, the town expands, trade continues slowly, and Phlan is more populated than it has been in many years; though stability is far from certain.
In 1306 DR, a dragon invasion known as the Dragon Run swept out of the North and fell upon Phlan. Due in part to the Moonsea War with Mulmaster, none of the other cities in the Moonsea region came to Phlan’s aid and so Phlan was once again laid to waste. As Phlan was rebuilt, the entity known as Tyranthraxus corrupted and possessed a bronze dragon named Srossar in 1340 DR, after convincing the dragon to bathe in a Pool of Radiance that was buried beneath the ruins of Castle Valjevo. Tyranthraxus would later be discovered and subsequently defeated by a group of adventurers, but in his flight, he would turned the Pool of Radiance into a pool of non-magical water and would later be sealed off during the rebuilding of the castle and its location lost.
Phlan would know over ten years of peace before the Flight of Dragons in 1356 DR when it was again decimated and its ruins occupied by a great wyrm which itself was later slain and the city reclaimed by Zhentil Keep in 1375 DR. Within half a decade, the city’s previous Council of Ten system of rule was replaced by the tyranny of Zhentarim Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran. Daoran’s ascension as the Lord Protector of Phlan saved the city during the Shadowbane War of 1383 DR. Forging an alliance with the fey of the nearby Quivering Forest, Phlan was spared from the destruction that came to Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven at the hands of the Netherese. After Cvaal slays one of the shade princes, he declares the position of Lord Protector as hereditary. This marked the beginning of the eventual separation of Phlan from direct control by the Zhentarim.
Almost a century later, in 1480 DR, barbarian attacks in the north led to an influx of refugees into Phlan, drastically swelling its population. By then, Lord Protector Daoran’s grandson, Anivar Daoran, had inherited the Cinnabar Throne. Lord Protector Anivar Daoran was a cowardly and pampered noble, and a paranoid and ineffective ruler; his concern for the responsibilities of his rule was only slightly less than that for his subjects.
Phlan Today
In 1488 DR, Lord Protector Anivar Daoran died unexpectedly in what, for all intents and purposes seemed nothing more than a construction accident during renovations on Castle Valjevo. The Lord Protector left no heir, so the Knight Commander of the Black Fist, Ector Brahms, was declared the Lord Regent of the Cinnabar Throne. The Lord Regent’s grasp on the throne is tenuous. To maintain order, the Lord Regent has used his control of the Black Fist and the Cinnabar Throne to declared martial law; keeping the populace in line by fear. To run the city, the Lord Regent requires the aid of the noble families and the four trade guilds, both of which are hesitant to lend their full support until they know how it will benefit them.
The chaos has not been contained by martial law. Shortly after Daoran’s death, the Lyceum of the Black Lord was looted and burned. A blackened husk remains where once stood the great temple to Bane, and the ruins have since been repurposed by followers of the returned god of the dawn, Lathander. The Morninglord’s followers attempt to provide a place of solace and refuge from the tumultuous town and their small shrine joins active shrines to Umberlee and Auril. Despite the lack of a temple, the faith of Bane remains strong among the Black Fist.
One small point of light in Phlan is the Order of the Silent Shroud. In 1380 DR as a display of his new power, Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran bequeathed the overgrown and undead infested Vilhingen Graveyard to a small contingent of Kelemvor’s faithful. The Kelemvorites worked steadily and dutifully to end the undead threat and meticulously groom the wild graveyard with aid from druids of the Emerald Enclave until it is now a beautiful, somber resting place free of danger around the temple erected at its center. The Order, under Doomguide Yovir Glandon, struggles to remain independent of the Cinnabar Throne and aloof from city politics.
Following the declaration of martial law, trade barely trickles through Phlan. The Lord Regent has canceled many of the city construction projects as he tries to cope with a depleted treasury. The guilds vie with the noble families for control over the city’s remaining wealth and business; hoping to compensate for their lost incomes. Wages have plummeted and prices have skyrocketed. Work is scarce as building projects in the ruined parts of the city stand incomplete.
The Welcomers have shifted their goals from thieves’ guild to vigilante heroes of the people and now lash out at the guilds who the Welcomers claim, in their greed, have abandoned the citizenry. In turn, they are hunted by the Black Fist, and any person with a missing ear, a symbol of guild membership, is imprisoned, tried and hung. Each day, more bodies swing from the Stojanow Gate.
The Black Fist mains order to a point, though that point is at the end of sword. Justice is selectively meted out based on one’s ability to pay bribes to corrupt watchmen or navigate the massive bureaucracy of the few true-believers who strain to hold the government together. Given that members of the Black Fist have the ability to judge those they deem criminals and dispense harsh justice on the spot, the citizenry gives them fearful, wide berth.
Phlan is a lawless, shabby remnant of what it once was and what it was struggling to become again. For over a millennia it has endured decimation at the hands of its enemies and it is decidedly ironic that it now stands on the brink of ruin by its own hand. If Phlan is to be saved, heroes must rise.
Greg Marks
Greg Marks is an evil mastermind directing his criminal army of precocious felines from the birthplace of gaming: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He and his cat minions have worked on products for multiple editions of Dungeons and Dragons including Complete Scoundrel, City of Stormreach and Dragon Magic.
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More Adventurers League Legal Content from the DMs Guild - June 20, 2018
Adventurer’s League CCC Program Expands Across the Realms - April 23, 2018
Play Your Way to 20 - December 6, 2016
crueber
This is very helpful!
I took this content and turned it in to a two page layout, so I could give it out to my DMs in store. Check it out if you like!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1813240/rpg/5e%20-%20DM%20Material/City%20of%20Phlan.pdf
Call for D&D Adventurers League website authors | D&D Adventurers League Organizers - […] Phlan during the Tyranny of Dragons […]
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Progress Report: SEC
February 22, 2015 Brett Gilbert Leave a comment
This year, when it comes to the SEC, it seems like it’s Kentucky … and then everyone else. After a lights-out performance on Saturday night against Auburn, the Wildcats are looking to roll into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. Arkansas and Texas A&M, however, are hoping to have something to say about that come conference tournament time in a couple of weeks.
#1 Kentucky
Every year when college basketball season rolls around, Kentucky fans pull out their big blue hoodies that have been collecting dust in the back of some closet throughout the majority of yet another 5-7 football season, and get ready for another record breaking, John Calipari-coached team of five underclassmen that’ll enter the NBA draft at the end of the season, to take the floor. This year is no different. The Wildcats have managed to steamroll to a 27-0 record, and show no signs of slowing down heading into the final games of the regular season.
The only thing different about this year’s Kentucky team is the way they’ve won their games — suffocating defense. Opponents are shooting a mere 37.4 percent inside the arc against Kentucky, a percentage on pace to break Kansas’s record of 38.4 percent in 2006. They are second in the nation in opponent’s PPG at 52.6 and are blocking just under 13 percent of opponent’s shots this season. Defense wins championships is the mentality in Lexington, and unless tragedy strikes, Kentucky will be sitting happy at a No. 1 seed come March.
Key Wins: Kansas, Texas, Louisville, North Carolina
Key Losses: None
Player to Watch: Willie Cauley-Stein, 9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .605 FG percentage.
Remaining Schedule: at Mississippi St. (Feb. 25), Arkansas (Feb. 28), at Georgia (Mar. 3), Florida (Mar. 7)
#18 Arkansas
The Razorbacks haven’t made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2008, but if they play their cards right in the upcoming final weeks then that should change. Arkansas’ conference leading, high-powered offense led by sophomore forward Bobby Portis has racked up 80 ppg. They play fast and they score often which has brought them to a 22-5 record at this point in the season. Much like the other five SEC teams sitting behind Kentucky fighting for those one or two tournament bids, Arkansas controls its own destiny. They have several key games remaining that could make or break their season against Texas A&M, Kentucky, and LSU. If they can manage to go 2-1 in these along with taking care of South Carolina, then they’ll be sitting pretty with a 25-6 record heading into tournament time.
Key Wins: SMU, Georgia, Tennessee
Key Losses: Iowa State, Clemson (OT), Ole Miss
Player to Watch: Bobby Portis, 17.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, .559 FG percentage
Remaining Schedule: Texas A&M (Feb. 24), at Kentucky (Feb. 28), at South Carolina (Mar. 5), LSU (Mar. 7)
Bill Kennedy’s Aggies didn’t enter this season on many experts’ radars, but they’ve worked their way onto a lot of people’s especially since the new year. A&M are 11-4 in their last 15 games with one of those losses coming to #1 Kentucky in double overtime. When you watch the Aggies play, you quickly realize that a lot of their success comes from unselfish play and a dedication to the fundamentals, much like the nearby San Antonio Spurs. That unselfish style is epitomized in junior guard, Alex Caruso who leads the SEC in assists per game at 5.8. The Aggies, sitting at 19-7, control their own destiny and could find their way into the Top 25 by tournament time considering three of their remaining four games are against teams in the bottom half of the SEC and the other one isn’t Kentucky.
Key Wins: LSU, Tennessee
Key Losses: #1 Kentucky (2OT), Alabama, Baylor
Player to Watch: Alex Caruso, 9.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, .475 FG percentage
Remaining Schedule: at Arkansas (Feb. 24), Auburn (Feb. 28), at Florida (Mar. 3), Alabama (Mar. 7)
Teams on the Bubble:
Ole Miss (19-8, 10-4 SEC): Key win vs. then-No. 19 Arkansas, lost to No. 1 Kentucky in overtime
LSU (19-8, 8-6 SEC): Gave No. 1 Kentucky a scare, but lost four of its last eight games
ArkansasKentuckyLSUOle MissTexas A&M
Previous PostBGOC: No. 3 Gonzaga at St. Mary’sNext PostProgress Report: Big 12
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Call now to speak with a remote monitoring expert! 1-800-693-0351
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Twin Valley Telephone Reduces Outages and Truck Rolls at Dozens of Sites
Aaron Oehmke
Twin Valley Telephone
Twin Valley Telephone is a triple-play provider serving several counties in the Kansas area. The company has brought fiber directly to the homes of their customers.
Monitoring Prevents Outages and Wasted Truck Rolls
As a telephone company, outages pose a huge threat to Twin Valley. Their customers rely on consistent uptime, and so does their bottom line. Twin Valley's technicians have to pick up the slack if systems go down. "If we have a major outage, we stay until it's fixed," said Aaron Oehmke, a Network Technician for Twin Valley.
"If you have something already set to let you know of an outage, it's cost savings for time spent troubleshooting, truck rolls - somebody going to look at a specific site."
Remote monitoring of network infrastructure keeps both customers and employees happy. "To me, detecting and fixing an outage situation is the biggest benefit," said Oehmke. "Without the monitoring, you don't know about it until a customer calls in and says their services are out. It becomes a trend when you have more than one customer call in, and then you can start look to where that problem is. With good monitoring, that doesn't happen."
Twin Valley Telephone deploys multiple NetGaurdian RTUs at sites around their territory. The NetGuardians are polled by the T/Mon located at their central office via LAN.
Truck rolls are also a concern for Twin Valley, because their territory covers a large area. "From corner to corner, it's probably an hour-and-forty-five minute drive," said Oehmke. "There's definitely a long stretch in between." The longer it takes to get out to a site, the longer it takes to fix a problem.
According to Oehmke, having a monitoring system in place is just smart business sense. "If you have something already set to let you know of an outage, it's a cost savings for time spent troubleshooting and on truck rolls - somebody going to look at a specific site."
"I love that. I've got what I'm going to be mounting, I've got my power feed, I've got my wires, I've got my network connectivity and I've got all my alarm points."
T/Mon offers Opportunities to Monitor New Things as the Network Changes
Recently, Twin Valley swapped out some of their equipment. "We upgraded to different access gear," said Oehmke. "We went from one vender to another, giving us more options."
That new gear present the opportunity to improve their monitoring system.
Twin Valley is constantly trying to improve their monitoring efforts, finding new uses for their T/Mon regularly. "This week we actually removed a rack in the office, pinched a fiber jumper, didn't see that it was broken, and the internet went down," said Oehmke. "It was not monitored through the T/Mon, so that was brought up already. We're going to add that in."
"As far as I'm concerned, you can train everyone else with the web interface, way easier."
Hands-On Training sheds New Light on Capabilities of DPS Equipment
New to his position, Oehmke attended DPS factory training to get the training necessary to make the most of their DPS monitoring equipment. "I have to dig through what someone else has completely done to figure out what I'm even thinking I want to do," said Oehmke. "I highly doubt we are utilizing what this is capable of."
DPS factory training gave Oehmke the chance to experiment with equipment in a controlled environment. "I love that. I've got what I'm going to be mounting, I've got my power feed, I've got my wires, I've got my network connectivity and I've got all my alarm points," said Oehmke. "I like that."
Oehmke was able to experience all that their equipment was capable of, including the easy web interface. "As far as I'm concerned, you can train everyone with the web interface, way easier," said Oehmke. "It's all new to me, but there's definitely some stuff I like."
Oehmke had some understandable reservations about inheriting a network that was built by someone else. "The thing I'm nervous about in my case is applying what I've learned now to what was built 7 years ago." said Oehmke.
Luckily for Oehmke, support resources are readily available. DPS technology is constantly evolving, but 24/7 tech support, factory training, and web resources are all available to help him apply what he learned in Twin Valley's network.
Be Proactive: Get a Quote
At DPS, we receive many urgent quote requests after an earlier "Do Nothing" decision comes back to bite you. You have no reason not to be proactive (and maybe you'll manage to impress your boss).
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"Buying more than you need" and "buying less than you need" are real risks. You also have to think about training, tech support, and upgrade availability.
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Automakers in Europe must meet the EU requirements to lower the average emissions from their fleets. This means that thanks to the European CO2 standards, we are about to see a wave of new EVs with longer range and more affordable.
According to data from EV industry experts, carmakers will offer 214 electric cars by 2021. Therefore, 154 models up from the 60 available today.
In 2021, 92 fully-electric vehicles will be brought to market, in addition with 118 plug-in hybrids. Therefore, i t is estimated that by 2025, 22% of electric cars in the European Union will have a plug. Most importantly, this is a number high enough for European carmakers to meet the CO2 emissions limit that year.
Western Europe, will lead the biggest EV production with Germany, France, Spain and Italy on the top charts. By 2025 in East Europe, Slovakia is forecast to be the first on the electric car production, followed by Czechia and Hungary.
That said, a cleaner future with more electric cars on the street is not far away.
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About CAE
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HomeOur Galleries
Center for the Arts EvergreenBringing the Arts and the Community Together
Our main gallery is available for community events and art exhibits. It provides 124 running feet of exterior wall space and 1,230 ft2 of floor space. The 6 moveable walls of the gallery are 8 ft. long and 2 ft wide. At 7’ 2.5’’ high, they each provide 144 ft2 of exhibit space, or 864 ft2 total.
Download the Main Gallery floor plan
Colorado Mountain Art Gallery
Mountain Co-Op Gallery
The Colorado Mountain Art Gallery is a member’s co-op of the Center for the Arts Evergreen. The gallery opened its doors on June 5, 2010 and exhibits the work of over 60 Colorado fine and craft artists. The work displayed covers almost every artistic and craft medium in as many varying styles and aesthetics. From the very best of regional plein air scenes of the breathtaking Colorado landscape, to the working men of the oil fields, to the animals of the mountains and the plains, as well as florals, Flemish styled still life paintings, abstracts and fantasies, everyone’s taste in art can be satisfied.
Artwork can be found in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, mixed media, and more. Photography covers a wide spectrum of subject matter and techniques. Crafts are represented by a wide selection of jewelry featuring precious stones and metals, beaded, glass, and feathered jewelry, fine traditional and contemporary western motif jewelry and imaginative uses of many modern jewelry techniques. Gift items such as prints, cards, reproductions and reasonably priced items are also available.
A visit to the Colorado Mountain Art Gallery in downtown historic Georgetown, Colorado is a memorable experience. Come and enjoy both art and history in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Contact us if you are interested in becoming a co-op member artist.
Location: 406 6th Street, Georgetown, CO 80444
303-569-2787 • Gallery Hours: 10am to 5pm Daily
www.ColoradoMountainArtGallery.com
The Rotary Gallery At Center Stage
Rotary Gallery at Center Stage
The Center for the Arts-Evergreen and the Evergreen Chorale have collaborated to create a beautiful and active “Gallery at Center Stage.” Every month or so our gallery exhibits change to promote the works of a local artists. If you are a local artist and would like to introduce your work to the Evergreen Community be sure to stop in to see the gallery and get further information.
The Gallery at Center Stage is open and available to the public during any show or event at Center Stage. It is also open during our office hours. Call us to check on the weekly office hours at (303) 674-4002.
For more information please contact our Theater Manager via email or by calling Center Stage at (303) 674-4002 or the Center for the Arts Evergreen at (303) 674-0056.
Buchanan Gallery
Buchanan Rec Center on their main level. The satellite galleries are typically reserved for individual artists to show their artwork.
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Home Auckland Business School Corporate Valuation - Measuring Business Worth
Corporate Valuation - Measuring Business Worth
SchoolThe University of Auckland, Auckland Business School
LocationThe University of Auckland Business School, Auckland, NZ
CategoryBusiness Analytics, Corporate Development, Finance
Whether public or private, the primary goal of a company is to increase the wealth of its owners. Consistently achieving this outcome can be complex and difficult. An objective framework can be used to analyse and evaluate the opportunities and risks that lie within a business.
For a business leader, this framework may give access to new and potential sources of value
For the valuation professional, this framework delivers a robust structure for building an understanding of a company’s valuation and its story.
Corporate Valuation in New Zealand provides such a framework.
Business owners and investors
Corporate development specialists
Financial analysts
Asset and wealth management
Equity research specialists
Corporate finance professionals
Know the objective of corporate valuation, and will develop an appreciation of how to achieve this objective
Have a broad understanding of valuation, its concepts, methodologies and associated complexities
Apply various methodologies to deliver a suggested valuation of a company in different scenarios
Recognise the limitations of the different valuation methodologies
Identify the highest value creating strategic opportunities of a corporate, core to long term decision making and performance analysis
Your organisation will:
Using the skills learnt, the course participants will increase their ability to take the long-term decisions that will ultimately produce superior financial performance and generate market-leading results for their organisations.
Course information from The University of Auckland, Auckland Business School
Rob Farmer
Rob Farmer joined Barclays in 1999, training as an accountant. After qualifying in 2001, Rob moved to Barclays Wealth, undertaking performance and risk analysis, providing input into asset allocation and portfolio construction.
Later in his career, Rob joined Barclays Corporate Development, focusing on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions in the UK. He participated in several deals and origination projects covering asset and sales finance, insurance, retail and commercial banking, private equity funds and private banking. Rob has trained since early 2007, specializing in accounting and financial analysis, company valuation, financial institutions, and modelling.
Expertise and Research Interests:
Qualifications and Achievements:
MPhys (Oxon), 1997
Qualified accountant 2001 (CIMA)
CFQ Diploma
The University of Auckland Business School
Disclaimer: When you click submit, we will send an email on your behalf to Auckland Business School from which you are requesting information. The email will contain your contact information so a school representative will be able to get in touch with you.
Driving Economic Growth Through Scale Up® Ecosystems
March 30 - April 1, 2020 3 days
Executive Finance & Strategy
October 12 - December 11, 2020 8 days
Mergers and Acquisitions - Dubai
November 22-26, 2020 5 days
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®)
April 25 - July 11, 2020 10 days
Financial Analysis for Nonfinancial Managers
December 7-11, 2020 5 days
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Randy Ingram: Sky|Lift / Randy Ingram, piano; Mike Moreno, guitar; Jochen Rueckert, drums.
Sky | Lift, the Sunnyside label debut of pianist Randy Ingram and most welcome and overdue successor to 2009s The Road Ahead (Brooklyn Jazz Underground), announces itself immediately as an album of warmth, openness, buoyancy, thoughtfulness and optimism, and maintains a course reflective of these qualities in both clear-eyed and true fashion right through to its finish. The musicians – Mike Moreno (g); Matt Clohesy (b); Jochen Rueckert (d) and Mr. Ingram – reveal themselves to be both individualistically richly talented and a swinging, cohesive and communicative unit.
All compositions except pianist Bill Evans’ Time Remembered are the work of the Alaskan-born, SoCal raised and current Brooklyn, NY resident pianist and session leader, with the first four tracks alternating quartet and trio performances respectively. The disc’s first and title track takes off in suspended fashion, as if floating on air or contemplating the sky above, inexorably building, during and following solo turns from Mr. Ingram and Mr. Moreno, towards its exciting and uplifting conclusion. At 12:00 minutes in length, the longest cut on the album, 99 hews close to its underlying rhythmic essence throughout. Proceeding with more linearity than its musical companions do, it’s a work that’s both grippingly propelling and solidly anchored, often offering a near-mesmeric listening experience. The spotlight rests almost entirely squarely on Mr. Ingram for the album’s two trio tracks, Silent Cinema, a work of melodious, low-lit melodrama and the airier and brighter Time Remembered. Whether a name-checked salute to the Missourian city, a tribute to Mr. Armstrong, or something else entirely, ‘St. Louis’ is a winningly effervescent number, with Mr. Moreno and Mr. Ingram, in that order, contributing solos.
If interest has thus far been peaked, then rest assured the remaining three quartet tracks, The Sea, Late Romantic and the nakedly upbeat and concluding Nicky fulsomely maintain and extend the many and varied qualities described heretofore. Both Bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Jochen Rueckert contribute in sturdy and often suitably subtle fashion throughout.
It’s sometimes possible to listen to a jazz quartet and imagine it, whether through want or necessity, as a quintet or a sextet. In the case of this quartet, their sonic signature is so pleasing, exacting and precisely balanced as to render that imagined need or idea moot. In doubling the size of his leader discography, pianist Randy Ingram exponentially increases the listener’s need for more recordings, and the sooner the better.
An essential process in the creation of art is taking influences and refracting them prismatically into something new. Pianist Randy Ingram begins with the historical figures of jazz music and connects them with contemporary styles and practices. On his new recording Sky/Lift, Ingram has looked to his hero pianist Bill Evans’s collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall and their sublime textures, adapting them to his quartet featuring guitarist Mike Moreno. Along with bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Jochen Rueckert, the ensemble plunges into a collection of Ingram’s fantastic original compositions.
Randy Ingram, piano
“A young pianist drawn to contemporary harmony and a sleek rhythmic sensibility” (The New York Times), Randy Ingram received his Bachelors degree for Jazz Performance at the University of Southern California, and his Masters of Music at The New England Conservatory. He was selected to attend the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program and is a winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Award. He has toured with recording artists Samantha Ronson (Roc-a-Fella), Kristina Train (Blue Note) and Nikki Yanofksy (Decca/Universal), and performed and recorded with many more leading musicians.
http://randyingram.com/
Mike Moreno, guitar
Mike Moreno graduated from the New School University in New York City, later to tour with some of the most venerable names in the Jazz world, including The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright Band, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Jason Moran, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, and more. Recognized as one of the leading voices in the new generation of the Jazz guitarists today, Mike has toured extensively and recorded as a leader of his own band, playing his original music to high critical acclaim.
http://www.mikemoreno.com/biography.html#nav
Jochen Rueckert, drums
Jochen Rueckert started a quartet in 2009 and continues to play consistently with the group. He has since released an album called “somewhere, meeting nobody” in 2011 on Pirouet records in Germany, containing original songs by Mr. Rueckert. He also composes electronic music (three full albums, an EP and remixes, to date) under the alias Wolff Parkinson White.
http://www.jochenrueckert.net/
Matt Clohesy, bass
Matt Clohesy, Australian bassist left his hometown of Melbourne for the USA in 2001. Based in New York City, he has since gained much recognition as an acoustic and electric bassist worldwide. Clohesy is regularly involved with Grammy nominated and Downbeat award winning composer Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and has been called upon to tour and/or record with such notable band leaders as Seamus Blake, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Geoffrey Keezer, Eric Reed, Kevin Hays and Ingrid Jensen among many others.
http://www.mattclohesy.com/bio.htm
Previous articleSamuel Zyman: 3 Conciertos / Marisa Canales, flute, Mercedes Gomez, harp / Echenique
Next articleDave Stryker: Eight Track / Dave Stryker, guitar; Stefon Harris, vibraphone; Jared Gold, organ; McClenty Hunter, drums
The Birth of the Violin, contrasting works for the early violin / Le Miroir de Musique
The Birth of the Violin explores the earliest repertoire for the emerging 'vyolon' during the first half of the sixteenth century. On this Ricecar album,...
Morten Haxholm Quartet: Equilibrium
Equilibrium is an impressive debut album you won’t want to miss. Danish bass player Morten Christian Haxholm is a Copenhagen-based artist who studies in...
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James S Mallery
Associate Professor, Medicine - Gastro, Hepatology, Nutrition Division
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Medicine & Life Sciences
Endosonography Medicine & Life Sciences
Endoscopy Medicine & Life Sciences
Fine Needle Biopsy Medicine & Life Sciences
Cell Biology Medicine & Life Sciences
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Medicine & Life Sciences
Pancreas Medicine & Life Sciences
A pilot study of a 20-mm lumen-apposing metal stent to treat pancreatic fluid collections: First reported multicenter use of a new device
Adler, D., Mallery, J. S., Amateau, S. K., Nieto, J., Taylor, L. & Siddiqui, A., Mar 1 2019, In : Endoscopic Ultrasound. 8, 2, p. 136-138 3 p.
Current Concepts in Severe Acute and Necrotizing Pancreatitis: An Evidence-Based Approach
Trikudanathan, G. V., Wolbrink, D. R. J., van Santvoort, H. C., Mallery, J. S., Freeman, M. L. & Besselink, M. G., May 1 2019, In : Gastroenterology. 156, 7, p. 1994-2007.e3
Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis
Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
Cytomorphologic features of malignant solitary fibrous tumor with mediastinal involvement sampled by endoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration: A comparison of two cases
Hupp, M., Najmuddin, M., Dincer, H. E., Mallery, J. S., Amin, K. & Stewart, J., Aug 2019, In : Diagnostic Cytopathology. 47, 8, p. 821-827 7 p.
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration
Epithelioid Cells
Microforceps-assisted diagnosis of cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Trikudanathan, G., Snover, D. & Mallery, S. J., May 2019, In : Clinical Endoscopy. 52, 3, p. 293-294 2 p.
Response to Singh et al. and Rana et al.
Trikudanathan, G. V., Freeman, M. L. & Mallery, J. S., Apr 1 2019, In : American Journal of Gastroenterology. 114, 4, p. 689-690 2 p.
View all 105 research output
Contact James S Mallery
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AI Reads ECG Data to Measure Patient's Overall Health Status
Researchers trained an AI system to read ECG data, allowing it to predict the health status and physiological age of patients accurately.
Sumbo Bello Aug 28, 2019 at 1:25 pm GMT
Image courtesy of Shutterstuck
Soon, health professionals may be able to deduce patients’ overall health status by using artificial intelligence to read ECG data.
An electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. However, a paper published in the American Heart Association suggests that ECG or electrocardiogram data could provide more information when paired with AI.
According to the researchers, not only can ECG or EKG data and artificial intelligence determine a patient’s gender, but their physiological age too. Unlike the chronological age, the physiological age is a measure of the overall standard of the body function, including health status.
So, the researchers decided to test their hypothesis.
Training a Convolutional Neural Network With ECG Data
The team trained a type of artificial intelligence called convolutional neural network using the ECG data of about 500,000 patients. They tasked the machine to find the similarities among the input and output data.
After undergoing the training, the researchers then tested the neural network for accuracy using the data of an additional 275,000 patients. It had to predict the output when only given the input data.
The AI passed with flying colors. Not only did it determined the patient’s gender accurately 90 percent of the time, but the AI could also predict a patient’s physiological age group with 72 percent accuracy.
It estimated a patients’ physiological age as higher if they had experienced adverse health conditions such as coronary heart disease, low injection fraction, and heart attack in the past. Meanwhile, patients that have experienced few or no adverse health event had a lower physiological age.
In a statement, study author and director for Augmented and Virtual Reality Innovation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Suraj Kapa said:
“While physicians already consider whether a patient ‘appears [their] stated age’ as part of their baseline physical examination, the ability to more objectively and consistently assess this may impact healthcare on multiple levels.”
How an AI-Enhanced Cardiogram Could Change Healthcare
With the ability to accurately assess overall health status, doctors can conveniently diagnose asymptomatic or silent diseases, ultimately leading to early intervention. According to Kapa, an AI-enhanced electrocardiogram can help health professionals keep up with new issues or comorbid conditions that they would otherwise be unaware of.
Kapa noted:
“This evidence – that we might be gleaning some sort of ‘physiologic age’ — was certainly both surprising and exciting for its potential role in future outcomes research, and may foster a new area of science where we seek to understand the biologic underpinnings of such a finding better.”
Although the study involved a large sample size, all the subjects in the study were patients. As such, the EKGs were administered for another clinical indication.
That means further studies with healthy sample size is required to revalidate the neural network’s results.
Read More: AI Hardware Startup Unveils the World’s Largest AI Accelerator
Let Sumbo Bello know how much you appreciate this article by clicking the heart icon and by sharing this article on social media.
Sumbo Bello
Sumbo Bello is a creative writer who enjoys creating data-driven content for news sites. In his spare time, he plays basketball and listens to Coldplay.
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familychannelMoney & HousingRemove
Accessible housing & adaptions (3)
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Money and Housing
The Whitechapel Centre - Private Rented Bond Scheme
The Private Rented Bond Scheme aims to support people who are homeless to access appropriate, good quality accommodation within the private rented sector.We help find a suitable property and provide a guarantee bond to the landlord which means there is no need for a deposit. …
Whitechapel Centre: Move On Move In Resettlement Service
Our Resettlement service works with people who are homeless or inadequately housed to help them find and keep accommodation. Each service user has a Support Worker who helps them find and move into suitable accommodation and then manage that accommodation. Support is provided for a…
Whitechapel Centre: Floating Support Service
Our Housing Advice and Support service can help with any housing related matter. This may include:- Advice in dealing with your landlord Help with budgeting or benefits Guidance in managing a tenancy Help to make a Propertypool Plus Application or find a private rented property Guidance…
Steve Biko Housing Association Ltd
Social Housing Landlord - Steve Biko Housing Association is one of only two Black & Racial Minority Housing Associations based on Merseyside. We provide quality, affordable homes and services primarily, though not exclusively, for Black & Racial Minority (BRM) people in housing need. We own…
Barnardo's Start Smart Liverpool
Supports those care leavers who struggle the most; to live independently in the community, by developing their; life skills, social skills, self-confidence and esteem, increasing their awareness of the universal support services available to them which they can access at the point of need, thereby…
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ACCESS Liverpool - Accessible Homes
What is it? ACCESS Liverpool, a partnership between the council and registered social landlords in Liverpool, provide properties that have been specifically designed or built for disabled people. Properties may have been adapted around the needs of a previous tenant who was disabled and may…
CAB Appointments
Wednesday 9:30am-11:30am: CAB Appointments. Wednesday 9:30-11:30am -Support and advice available on a wide range of issues including benefits, budgeting, housing, debt and much more. Contact the centre for more information. (Please book)
Households Into Work
Tuesday 1.00pm- 4:30pm Appointments available with Heather from the Households Into Work team. Are you struggling to get back to work, too many barriers, don't know where to start? Maybe you've got debt, family problems, health issues or other barriers to work. Come along and…
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We offer free, confidential, independent and non judgmental advice and information on benefits, debt, employment, housing and a wide range of issues to people living or working in North Liverpool. The service is delivered to clients through face-to-face drop in sessions; through telephone advice and…
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Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay -- Rober
Compare the two poems Porphyrias yellowish brown and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. What do they reveal most attitudes to women and relationships in the nineteenth century?Robert Browning was one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century. In 1842, he published Dramatic Lyrics which included the two poems Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess. In Porphyrias Lover Browning dos the proofreader a dramatic insight into the twisted mind of an abnormally possessive passionatenessr, who wishes the moment of love to last forever. In this essay, Porphyrias Lover will be equald to Robert Brownings other dramatic monologue, My Last Duchess, where an Italian aristocrat reveals his cruelty to his new-fangled wife whilst showing off a portrait of her to one of his guests.Robert Brownings poems Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess were both written in the lay down of a dramatic monologue. Both poems show a similarity because they are both narrated from the male lovers point of view . As a result, the reader becomes more closely involved in the poems and can feel very strong emotions for the individuals portrayed than if the poem was written from the eye of an outsider. This form of write enables Browning to use irony, in which the real core is concealed or contradicted by the literal meanings of the words. For example, in My Last Duchess the Duke orders the death of his wife, though hides the true meaning in his words Much the same smile? This grew I gave commandsThen all smiles stopped together. My Last Duchess is also written in the form of a single stanza poem, which is the unit of a poem that consists of two or more lines of verse organised according to the content and form and usually repeated as a recurring pattern in the poem. By contrast, Porphyrias Lover does not follow this pattern, but has a different rhyming scheme. On the surface, the vote counters in each poem show completely different characteristics. In Porphyrias Lover, the narrator shows powerful emotions towards Porphyria, which demonstrate his strong romantic feelings. The reader acknowledges that the narrator is passionately in love, as the following extract demonstrates.Too weak, for all her hearts endeavour,To set its struggling passion freeFrom pride, and vainer ties disseverAnd give herself to me forever.By contrast, the Duke in My La... ...all night long we have not stirredAnd yet God has not said a wordYou can compare this to My Last Duchess where again, the Duke shows no remorse for ordering the death of his wife.The modern reader is given an insight into the way relationships between men and women were viewed in the last century, and earlier, during the measure of the Renaissance. Without doubt, men had the dominant role, and women had little personal freedom. Women were duty-bound to show unquestioning respect for the men in their lives, regardless of how they were treated. In Porphyrias lover, Browning shows us the vision of a woman who is not followi ng this role model. In fact, she is completely the opposite, and as such, she is fulfilling the role of a male fantasy by winning a dominant role, with obvious sexual intentions. In the nineteenth century this would have had the dual effect of being both sensational and revolutionary.In the eyes of a modern reader, neither poem is particularly shocking, as people are more accustomed to material of a revealing nature. This shows that when reading and sympathy texts, the reader has to bear in mind the times and context in which they were written.
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Attacking Our Mother? The Battle Against Liberalism
By Craig Michael White
“The dilemma of the Enlightenment, into which we have undeniably fallen, constrains us to re-pose these…questions…we must, therefore, reconsider the starting point of the career of freedom in modernity; the course correction which is plainly needed before paths can reemerge from the darkening landscape before us must go back to the starting points themselves and begin its work there.” —Joseph Ratzinger
Attacking liberalism, for Americans, feels a bit like attacking your mother: it is the set of political ideas of the Founders. Those ideas are tied to the existence of individual freedom and rights, of the democracy that flows from them, and of markets where that freedom is exercised. To question liberalism, which includes those ideas, is to question our birthright—perhaps to advocate cultural suicide. But a group of religious thinkers has been attacking for some time.
The defenders, usually of a liberalism conjoined to Christianity, are fighting back, and have a number of points to make, typically emphasizing the just-mentioned concomitants of liberalism. I begin with three of the defenders. The first, Francesca Aran Murphy, asked not long ago, "Is Liberalism A Heresy?"
Murphy tells a long and complex story of the interaction among markets, philosophy, and modernity, and then of a generations-long battle between two groups of Catholic thinkers in response. The hero of her tale is Maurice Blondel, whose work restated secular liberalism’s orientation toward desire and freedom in theological terms, along with two theologians he influenced, Henri de Lubac and Hans Urs von Balthasar. Before and after this trio, and arrayed against them, is a group of rather crabbed Thomists and their heirs who, with their overemphasis on human nature and the good, miss the fact that we only discover what those mysteries are in the drama of free action, which is best nurtured by liberal societies.
Murphy ends up praising a liberalism “leavened by a Christian understanding of our final end in God.” While she admits that many liberals have forgotten the truth about God and human nature, she urges us “to waken the negligent liberal to the existential truths that undergird our society” and to “encourage liberalism to remember its birth in a market economy that drew ordinary people into habits of free action for the sake of satisfying desires.” “Liberalism is no heresy,” she concludes, “and the market exchange from which it emerges does not sin against the light. It is a healthy byproduct of Christianity…”
Vincent Muñoz, responding in particular to the attacks of Patrick Deneen, but also those of Adrian Vermeule, Rod Dreher, David L. Schindler, Alasdair MacIntyre, and to some extent Archbishop Charles Chaput, defends liberalism from another standpoint, that of the American Founding. American liberalism has its roots in a belief in the natural law and “Nature’s God,” the source of our rights in the Declaration. As such, it accepts duties correlative to rights, with the two “constitutive of the natural law.” Muñoz accepts that the Declaration is not “a Thomistic document,” but reduces that differences between Thomists and the Founders about the nature of liberty are part of “a debate among natural-law thinkers.” The Founders rejected Hobbes, he says, citing Hamilton, because Hobbes rejected a God-given law.
Muñoz warns that “to reject the necessity of consent, which some “radical” Catholics seem to do, is to reject natural equality.” (Muñoz is using Deneen’s terminology and linking to his article here). In addition, “in disparaging liberalism, the “radical” Catholics, perhaps unwittingly, raise doubts about the propriety of the separation of church and state and about the legitimacy of religious freedom.” A final warning is that, ironically and tragically, “‘radical’ Catholicism…undermines the pro-life cause,” because according to the critics, “Roe and Casey follow from a proper understanding of American liberalism.”
He acknowledges that “there is something” to the criticism that “even if the Founders accepted natural law, moral duties, and limits on rights, their account of freedom has proved to be too thin.” Yet, the Founders understood that safeguarding rights is not enough: “if we Americans are no longer sufficiently virtuous, the fault lies primarily with us, not our founding principles.” Critics of liberalism miss the point here: they fail “to recognize the reality and implications of human freedom.” The American experiment depended on virtue in the people, and if that virtue has flagged, it needs to be revived. Near the conclusion, he writes:
We must regain…political wisdom…Reacquaintance with our actual liberal principles and a return to belief in the existence of an obligatory moral law are essential. The latter may require a reemergence of religious belief, especially among the cultural elite…The necessity of morality for liberal democracy, and of religion for morality, cannot be understated.
Jonah Goldberg, in a recent piece, makes many of Muñoz’s points from an evolutionary point of view. He warnsthat if we abandon “the Miracle” of “liberal-democratic capitalism” (to quote the magazine cover), we (“the West”) will commit suicide.
What can be said in response to these three reasonably representative defenses of Western or Christian liberalism? After that defensive barrage, the critique may have disappeared under a cloud of cannon-smoke. I will try to bring its outline back into view in the next article.
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Car emissions testing: 'whole system is corrupt'
London smog: 'We spend billions per year on tests in a lab. Useless … We want to clean up the environment, not the labs' (Photo: stu mayhew)
By Peter Teffer
Brussels, 21. Oct 2015, 15:46
Volkswagen is not the only car company that used illegal devices to cheat emissions tests, said Axel Friedrich, a German emissions testing expert who is a co-founder of the NGO that notified US authorities something was wrong with VW's test results.
"You will see tomorrow night on German television the next case", Friedrich said on Wednesday (21 October) in the European Parliament.
"It's not only diesel, it's also gasoline. The whole system is corrupt", he added.
Although he refused to single out companies, he noted that he "heard a number of statements [from other car companies] which I know are lies. We'll realise this in the next couple of weeks."
According to Friedrich, it was already well-known to those involved that car companies must have been cheating during the laboratory tests.
But Volkswagen "tried to keep it secret. This is when journalists get more interested. If it's open, nobody cares. If it's secret, you jump on it", he told a group of around twenty journalists during a round-table discussion organised by the parliament's left-wing Green group.
But the signs were there. While the cars did well on the laboratory tests, air quality in Europe's cities did not improve in tandem.
More than half of the EU's member states are currently facing infringement procedures from the European Commission for failing to comply with EU targets on air quality.
"If the car [industry] would not [have been] cheating, we would have met all these goals of the air quality directive", said Friedrich.
The German retiree is former director of the Environment, Transport and Noise Division of the German federal environmental agency, but recently became a regular voice in German media after the Volkswagen scandal involving illegal software which allowed VW’s cars to appear much cleaner than they actually were.
The scandal was exposed after US authorities investigated claims from the International Council on Clean Transportation, an NGO of which Friedrich was one of the founders.
Friedrich praised the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which carries out random checks even after cars are certified.
Industry lobby
"We have 28 European agencies for certification. They compete. We have more than 50 certification test labs. They compete. And nobody controls them. … We make laws, but no enforcement. We have big industries which lobby heavily to avoid these controls."
Under EU rules that came into force in 2007, member states should have had by 2009 "effective, proportionate and dissuasive" penalties in place for the use of defeat devices.
"It's 2015, can somebody name me one member state that has done this? I don't know one”, said Friedrich.
A Commission spokesperson told this website that all 28 EU countries have told the Commission that they transposed the relevant directive.
"This information suggests that they have implemented a system of penalties, although many Member States have not communicated their national rules to the Commission separately", the spokesperson said.
She did not want to comment on whether the Commission has started infringement procedures against those countries, but did stress the Commission is "following national authorities' policing and enforcement of EU rules in the automobile sector very closely".
Real driving
Friedrich proposes scrapping laboratory tests altogether, and only having random surprise checks under real driving conditions.
"We spend billions per year on tests in a lab. Useless. … We want to clean up the environment, not the labs", he noted.
The Commission has introduced a new test called the Real Driving Emission (RDE) test, the final elements of which are currently being negotiated.
In a written response to questions from MEPs during a heated plenary debate earlier in October, industry commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska wrote that the RDE test procedures "will be an appropriate answer to the shortcomings of laboratory testing and will considerably reduce the risk of defeat devices being used".
However, Friedrich does not share this assessment, saying that industry is doing its utmost to ensure that this 'real drive' test does not replicate real driving conditions.
He noted that the conditions during which RDE tests will be taken, are not average driving conditions and exclude, for example, a car motor standing idle for a while (as would be the case in a traffic jam).
Coming up in plenary
The European Parliament, meanwhile, is working on a text to adopt next week during its plenary session in Strasbourg. The MEPs will vote to decide whether they want the Commission to launch an investigation, or failing that, a parliamentary investigation. A call for an independent EU agency that oversees emissions compliance is also proposed.
The Commission has repeatedly stated that it does not have the power to investigate the scandal.
Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout says that while strictly legally speaking that may be true, there are "plenty angles" which the Commission could use, such as a state aid probe.
"The EU also does not have power over taxation, yet it still investigated tax rulings via a state aid case."
Commission ducks questions on VW scandal
Other carmakers and EU in the hot seat on VW scandal
Volkswagen scandal triggers hunt for political responsibility
Farmers must help clean up air, MEPs say
EU states let cars exceed pollution limits
Brussels wants oversight on national car approvals
7. Oct 2015, 08:03
MEPs unhappy after EU industry commissioner stonewalls on VW questions, says Commission has no power to probe emissions cheats.
Volkswagen to recall 11 million cars, as questions multiply on other carmakers' integrity and on EU prior knowledge of the problems.
Volkswagen's top executive Martin Winterkorn has resigned amidst a growing disbelief that no one at the political level knew about the car manufacturer's practice of rigging emissions tests.
The European Parliament's environment committee has agreed that farmers should also contribute to cleaning up air pollution.
While the EU limit is 80 mg/km of nitrogen oxide, cars will be allowed to emit 168 mg/km. "A shockingly cynical move," said ClientEarth.
“The approval systems of the member states have failed," said industry commissioner Bienkowska.
Youth to play key role in Nordic COP25 climate action
Nordic cooperation will give young people a powerful platform on stages in Madrid and Stockholm during the UN Climate Conference COP25 next month.
Thunberg rejects climate prize in hometown Stockholm
The Nordic Council's prestigious annual awards ceremony this year turned into a youth revolt, with climate activist Greta Thunberg declining the environment prize and another winner criticising the Danish prime minister for racism.
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EU set to take France to court over Roma policy
What France is doing is a 'disgrace', Ms Reding says (Photo: European Commission)
By Valentina Pop
Brussels, 14. Sep 2010, 13:30
In a rare outburst of criticism against France, the EU commission said it will take Paris to court after leaked documents proved that French police were instructed to specifically target Roma in the accelerated expulsions which took place last month.
"I am personally convinced that the commission will have no choice but initiate infringement procedures against France," EU justice and fundamental rights commissioner Viviane Reding said Tuesday (14 September) during a press briefing.
The commission is likely to file two cases against France, one for "discriminatory application" of the EU law on freedom of movement and another one for having legal gaps in the transposition of this law into national legislation.
A decision is expected to be taken by the whole commission in the coming two weeks, she said, adding that she will ask for "fast-track" procedures. The sanctions are yet to be defined - they could entail a fine or simply the change of the national legislation.
But the political embarrassment for Mr Sarkozy's government is already clear, even though he has pocketed two percentage points for the zero-tolerance security measures which led to the levelling of dozens of Roma camps and 'voluntary deportations' of some 900 Romanian and Bulgarian citizens.
"My patience is wearing thin. Enough is enough," Ms Reding said, while pounding her fist on the pulpit.
"No member state can expect special treatment when fundamental values and European laws are at stake. This applies today to France. This applies equally to all other member states, big or small, which would be in a similar situation. You can count on me for that."
Ms Reding said she was initially "apalled" by the measures which started last month, as they "gave the impression that people are expelled just for being part of a minority."
But the outburst of the Luxembourg politician was triggered by the revelation that all assurances given to her by French ministers were "openly contradicted" by three leaked documents issued by the French ministry of interior in which it advises police officers and local authorities to target Roma camps "with priority."
"The role of the commission as guardian of the [EU] treaties is made extremely difficult if we can no longer have confidence in the assurances given by two ministers in a formal meeting with two Commissioners and with around 15 senior officials on the table from both sides."
"This is not a minor offence in a situation of this importance. After 11 years of experience in the commission, I would even go further: This is a disgrace."
Following the publication of the initial orders, the French government on Monday issued new instructions, leaving out any reference to Roma, but Ms Reding indicated that she remained sceptical.
"It is important that not only words change, but also the behaviour of French authorities. It is shocking that a part of the government comes here and says something and the other part does the contrary in Paris."
Ms Reding also "took note" of the statements made Monday by the French EU affairs secretary Pierre Lellouche, who said it was not the EU, but the "French people" who had to look after the EU treaties, since it was the national parliament who ratified the law.
"The commission's role as guardian of the treaties is one of the foundations of the European Union – a Union which is held together not by force, but by respect of the rule of law agree upon by all member states, including France," Ms Reding pointed out.
Cloud of mistrust over Malta's new government
Malta's new government does not look likely to turn it into a normal, law-abiding EU state any time soon, the son of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has said.
MEPs call on EU states to act on Hungary and Poland
In a draft resolution, MEPs say that EU countries inability to deal with rule of law breaches by Poland and Hungary undermine the EU's integrity and credibility.
Belgium, France, UK in EU court surveillance blow
Although non-binding, a critical opinion from the EU's top court could mean laws in Belgium, France and the UK allowing for the indiscriminate bulk collection of people's data may have to be eventually amended to respect EU privacy rules.
Malta picks new leader in EU rule-of-law crisis
Malta's new prime minister has pledged to "strengthen rule of law" amid EU mistrust in the government over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
MEPs slam UK for violating EU police database
EUobserver's revelations of how the UK violates and abuses an EU police database sparked heated debate in the European Parliament's civil liberties committee - as the European Commission refused to respond to questions given the confidentiality of the leaked document.
Poland risks leaving EU with new judges law, Tusk warns
Poland risks blundering out of the EU with a new gagging law on judges, former EU Council president Donald Tusk and others have warned.
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LiteratureReview
The New Babel by Leonard Schwartz
written by Joseph Houlihan June 29, 2017
The University of Arkansas Press, 2016
190 pages – University of Arkansas Press / Amazon
For many years Leonard Schwartz has produced incisive conversations across academic fields of creative inquiry. From Evergreen State College, he hosts the radio program Cross Cultural Poetics, inviting poets to collaborate and share their works, opening up an expansive space. The work is generous and productive.
The New Babel comes from over a decade’s worth of engagement. It’s comprised of poems, essays, and interviews. And it’s a crackling, electrified companion; a monkey wrench in a time of normalized violence.
I. The Possibility of Lament
In many ways, The New Babel reflects years of conversations. And it should be taken, in the very least, as an excellent jumping off point into Schwartz’s dedicated inquiry. The text includes interviews with Aharon Shabtai, Amiri Baraka, and Michael Hardt. As well as essays on Celan, Scholem, Buber and Benjamin. As a text, it emerges from a tradition of long form poetics imagining alternate possibilities for the future of the Middle East.
Like Ammiel Alcalay’s from the warring factions, or Mahmoud Darwish’s Memory for Forgetfulness, The New Babel begins by evoking a single moment of violence, the American bombing of an Afghan hamlet, Madoo, in somber elegy.
On December 1, 2001 the United States bombed Madoo, a hamlet of fifteen houses killing fifty-five civilians.
Schwartz returns to this event as a kind of reaction against the dehumanizing of technological warfare. He appropriates the official language of The New York Times:
“Perhaps someday there will be a reckoning for this tiny village of 15 houses, all of them obliterated into splintered wood and dust by American bombs. United States military officials might explain why 55 people died here…But more likely, Madoo will not learn whether the bombs fell by mistake or on purpose, and the matter will be forgotten amid the larger consequences of war. It is left an anonymous hamlet with anonymous people buried in anonymous graves.
And then he shifts registers,
“Madoo’s farmers are people in pieces. They’ve become their own fertilizer…
After Madoo, to write poetry is barbaric (Theodor Adorno)…
The word “Madoo” is a transcription of a Pashto name the reporter must have sounded out…
In English, then, “Madoo.”
In English the name “Madoo derives from an old Scottish word meaning “my dove.””
The New Babel continues in heterogeneous poetics. “In Six Ways Two Places at Once,” Schwartz returns to the necessarily protean aspect of individual or cultural identity against a program of violence: “Taught to fear/complexity,– to beware shifting, boundaries, the self insists on boundaries/ hard and fast./ Or so the moral community proposes/…Never assume there is one/ who can speak clearly into the contradictions/ of non-identity and loss/ or that such a person’s/ knowledge of suffering/ extends to his organization, or to us.” Again and again, it becomes clear, that the actors in state violence are emboldened by a sense of moral conviction, and a sense of technological certainty. This is the danger that arises from claiming understanding in the face of another’s alterity.
Schwartz takes an Oulipian turn in “Apple Anyone?” a bravura group of sonnets written with English words that have Arabic and Persian roots. “Here comes a tabby whose scratch will leave a lasting mark,/ or else a taffeta from a quarter of town recently hit by bombs,/ or all the cotton ever picked, the laborious wizard enslaved inside you./ Why is it my words always touch this one particular?/ As the sun is daily both bouncy and flat so we transact/ only what we can minaret, darting among damasked ruins.” The legacy of cosmopolitanism across the Mediterranean and Middle East has long been celebrated. One thing this collection cities, is not only the productiveness of environments with many cultures exchanging information and affects, but also the delicacy of these environments. Trends towards cultural chauvinism have proved irresistible across many parts of the world in our contemporary order, resulting in a loss of complexity and heritage. These spaces and practices must be strategically preserved and promoted.
Schwartz traces certain scientific and philosophical concepts across through the history of Middle Eastern cultures overlapping. He writes, “The idea of the transcendental, which implies a detachment from the immediacy of the social, and the idea of the lyric, which implies an ecstatic upswell, still speak to us, it is because they allow us not a greater social mobility… but a mobility in the preconditions which make what is to follow possible—some kind of society… Let us resolve to think of transcendental mobility as a mobile. The poem as a mobile of words and signs, dangled over the crib of the culture, as to stimulate the mind to imagine new combinations.”
II. Conversation
Schwartz continues in indictments and conversation. The collection breathes out, allowing new voices to enter at the breaks. In an earlier interview with Fanny Howe, Schwartz outlined a tradition of conversation, mirroring Buber’s thoughts on encounter. Paraphrasing an earlier guest, he introduces the Sufi’s relation to conversation: “There are three modes of spiritual practice hierarchically arranged, with prayer as the lowest rung in which one liturgically speaks to the unknown in a prayerful mode; the second rung being meditation where one tries to empty the mind and hence allow “it” in; and the third and highest mode of spiritual practice being conversation in which the free play of speech conjures up this something which we cannot name.”
I think it’s accurate to describe Leonard Schwartz as a poet of the conversation. This work is immediately in conversation with several poets.
Aharon Shabtai shared several poems for the collection. Including a clear-eyed denunciation of the 2002 military violence against Palestinians in Jenin, “My lips mutter: Palestine! Do not die on me! My heart’s with each syringe in your hand, Moustafa Barghouti!/ It’s with the Muqata’a, with the roadside corpse that help couldn’t reach—with the pencil on your table, Mahmoud Darwish./…Our country, a new birth is underway in Bethlehem—the bloody placenta will be tossed into a pail, and from the womb/ a creature is born of our people’s love will burst forth into the blue. Listen, his heart is beating through mine—I’m a Palestinian Jew.”
In a segment on the publisher of contemporary Palestinian poetics, Ibis Editions, Schwartz cites Emmanuel Levinas as establishing an ethics of encounter through language. By speaking and thinking, we’re necessarily in concert with other individuals, even as this exchange cannot be simplified. Levinas insists the fundamental unknowability of other individuals. Krysztof Ziarek describes this in Inflected Language: Towards a Hermeneutics of Nearness, “Since for Levinas the ability to relate, to form oppositions, is a necessary characteristic of totalization, the non-totalizable other ruptures totality, albeit “silently,” and baffles the security of bipolar thinking.” We’re part of an experience in constant flux, necessarily irrational.
The New Babel is in conversation with many texts, Darwish’s Memory For Forgetfulness, Baraka’s Somebody Blew Up America. Another kindred project is Benjamin Hollander’s Rituals of Truce. This text, like Hollander’s seeks out a way of establishing new boundaries, reframing the real and allowing a break, from what Hollander identified as rituals. He wrote. “I’m not really interested in being stuck in a conversation/ argument with any people who have formed or been mired into ‘some sort of collective opinion about history’ in relation to the Middle East. Even the so-called ‘moderates’ among them make things happen in hteir heads—I mean they already have ‘essays in their heads’… before I’ve said a world—and, like Rufus T. Firefly, they imagine self-fulfilling ‘what if’ rituals of conflict out of desires for truce. They’re prepossessed with history and the claims of history, which make me ask the question: Who will they trust to tell them a different story?” Hollander’s piece is an important companion, because like The New Babel, it breaks down so many of the boundaries that have been drawn over the last fifty years of conflict. It challenges the essentialism of any nation and culture. It cites Levinas, “Inertia is the grand language of being…but a human being can surge above that and destroy it.” Hollander writes about all of the communities across the North American continent that were called Zion at the ostensible promise of another “land without a people.” And through these investigations he manages to disrupt some of the automatized, and ideologically reinforced clichés.
Israeli artist Yael Bartana engages in a similar kind of reframing when she proposes an imaginary “right to return” movement for Israelis based around Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Middle Europe, and the communities that founded the vast cosmopolitan centers of modernity at the turn of the 20th century before the state sponsored murder of Jews changed our world forever. Bartana does this mock seriously, although the core critique is lasting against the parallel projects of mono-cultural states. The centers of Eastern Europe are greatly diminished, and projects of ethnic chauvinism over the last century have created culturally homogenous enclaves.
III. Walls
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the experience of apartheid in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict has long acted as a distillation of prevailing global violence. Trends today reveal this violence in broad strokes, from the dismantling of the vast camps of Calais, to the travel ban, to the unmanned strikes of Waziristan, to the Southern border of the U.S., and Schwartz writes: “To bring down the wall, bring down the walls, in favor of the greater city.” Schwartz evokes Celan, Levinas, Buber, describing an encounter between individual bodies that cannot know one another, but might somehow learn to live together. The collection itself breathes. He writes: “The smoke contains bodies; we breathe one another. Thus, Babel is Kabul. We breathe one another.”
Babel of course is the fall of a Tower, followed by a vast, manipulated confusion of words.
Babel returns as one of the most foundational metaphors in modernity. When Derrida wrote about Babel, he described the impossible and disastrous fantasy of a unified language. In the parable, it’s only by destroying the tower, casting the world into variance, that language, and thought prevails. Meaning comes through exchange. Rather than any system of essential signs, language emerges as a state of becoming. This is important, as the grammar of language applies to systems of cultural exchange, commerce, and, generally, information. As humans as individuals in concert, expressing compulsive drives across various registers, there can never really be a unified end. These systems trend towards excess. And the social prerogative lies in the promoting of more freedoms for bodies rather than fewer.
This is important to Schwartz as he applies the Babel metaphor to the modern nation state. He identifies the paradoxical triumph of the conservative opposition to a Palestinian state. As the forces that made a two-state solution impossible have laid the groundwork for a necessarily multi-ethnic Israel. Schwartz cites Buber as an early advocate for a single state solution in Israel, unpredicated on an eternal Jewish majority. In 1947, Buber wrote, “The foundations of this structure cannot be the traditional ones of majority and minority, but must be different. We do not mean just any bi-national state, but this particular one, with its particular conditions… a bi-national state which embodies in its basic principle…the indispensable postulate of the rescue of the Jewish people.”
Schwartz is thorough and compassionate as he follows these themes across texts. And he crucially frames the experience of Israel as a metaphor for the general crisis of Global North and South in the 21st Century. Rigidity in the face of national identity creates a dangerous myth. Aharon Shabtai denounces the politics of apartheid in his interview with Schwartz. He says of the Palestinians, “They are what is called in Greek the autochtones. They lived here before us, and they gave this land the beauty of the villages…Here we live in Israel-Palestine, these two peoples. It is something integral. If they are going to be expelled from here, I will also be expelled… The poem came out in the beginning. In the beginning it was only occupation. Then the occupation settled into apartheid.”
IV. Breathturn
In the face of state-sponspored violence, Schwartz repeatedly returns to the late poetics of Paul Celan. Celan survived the death camps, but did not forget them. In his later work, he rejects the aesthetics of traditional lyric, to try to find a lyric that catches more of the complexity and ambivalence of human experience. In many ways, wading into the murkiness, and the historicity of language, he demonstrates some of the pessimism that is championed by writers like Fred Moten. The artifacts and structures of our shared languages do not necessarily predicate more freedom. Pierre Joris, the translator of Breathturn into Timestead, identifies Celan’s project in a 2015 interview, “Celan realized that he needed a new language, one in which, as he put it, metaphors, images, tropes can be lead ad absurdum, while the language gets grayer, more object-related…more sober, more factual. It distrusts beauty. It tries to be truthful…The language wants to relocate, even it’s musicality is such…that it has nothing in common with the ‘euphony’ which more or less blithely continued to sound alongside the greatest horrors.”
Breath, and the social implications of a language defined through exchange, becomes fundamental to this work. Schwartz identifies Celan’s experience returning to Middle Europe and feeling himself breathing in the bodies of the murdered Jewish people. From this emphasis of communion, and consuming other bodies, to the materiality of information that is exchanged between bodies and accretes additional information, he develops a poetics. This is the poetics of the breathturn and the meridian.
For Celan, breathturn was the physiological experience of the breath creating breaks in conversation. But it also came to represent access points.
Through line breaks, he purposely breaks down the composite German words, even as he builds them up. In Schaltjahrhunderte,
LEAP-CENTURIES, leap-
seconds, leap-
births, novembering, leap-
(Unaslyumed, un-
archived, un-
welfare-attended? A-
live?)
These formal interventions create the traditional avant-gardist break against language of the status quo. Celan’s breaks play with the traditional reading and breathing of poetry, opening up an inquiry through formal experiment.
The notion of breaths beginning and ending has a certain choral effect. It also suggests multivocality, or at least problematizes the traditional subjects of address in poetry. The later Celan especially interrogated the ambiguity of pronouns, and the multiplicities that arise through ambivalent systems of representation. Joris calls this a dismantling and rewelding of language. Celan effectively breaks down the sense of subject:
SPRINKLE OCHRE into my eyes:
you live in them,
With their dream
graze the debased coinage,
the scale of
my temporal bone
“Sprinkle Ochre,” also illustrates the notion of meridian or breathwave. This is the thrust, or arc that an artifact takes when it enters into a system of social exchange. A meridian emerges at every new encounter. In this way, it reflects Heraclitus and the swerve or the Clinamen, demonstrating the contingency of every encounter between individuals. It also shows some of the idealism of the Romantics, Shelley’s “Defence of Poetry,” in the way that these poetic artifacts effect their environments, creating the preconditions for a more ideal mode of being together. Both the Romantics and the Moderns looked at this tension, the notion of individuals moving through discontinuous space, bringing meaning, and narrative and coherence as a kind of thread. For Celan, the interchange of breaths and ideas, and the breathwaves that emerge, are necessarily social and constitutive. Information has a material aspect, with a specific historicity. And Celan shows it’s possible to map some of this materiality, through the physical breathing in and out of language, as the language we breathe out is necessarily received, and immediately constituting a new vector.
Memorial in the face of violence, absurdism and fancy against technocracy; modernist poetics has always offered a space of intervention. Through his poetry, Cross Cultural Poetics, as well as his work as an editor of poetry in translation, Leonard Schwartz engages in an explicit project to deepen bonds across cultural difference, in the service of creating a society that allows these differences. The New Babel offers a brief and worthwhile glimpse into this expansive and generous project.
The New Babel by Leonard Schwartz was last modified: June 30th, 2017 by Joseph Houlihan
Joseph Houlihan
Joseph Houlihan lives and writes in Minneapolis, MN.
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san2016
Kolter Homes Plans Fall Opening of New 55+ Cresswind Community in Lakewood Ranch
Mar 28, 2019 Mark 0
Press Release (ePRNews.com) - SARASOTA, Fla. - Mar 28, 2019 - KOLTER HOMES – a leader in developing next-generation, highly-amenitized, master-planned active adult communities in the Southeastern U.S. – has announced Fall 2019 as the target opening of its latest Cresswind active adult community in Florida. Land development for Cresswind Lakewood Ranch began late last year. The property is located within award-winning Lakewood Ranch, just north of SR 70 along the new Uihlein Road extension, 5 miles from Lakewood Ranch Centre, 15 miles from downtown Bradenton, and 18 miles from downtown Sarasota.
“We are excited to bring our Cresswind concept to Lakewood Ranch,” said Kolter Homes Vice President David Langhout. “The experience Kolter has gained over the last ten years with our Cresswind communities in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, gives us a deep appreciation for what today’s active adult homebuyer is looking for. Add that to all that Lakewood Ranch offers as the #1 multi-generational community in the United States, and it’s a big win for 55+ homebuyers.”
Ranch officials see Cresswind’s presence as a valuable complement to the existing villages and neighborhoods. “Lakewood Ranch is excited to welcome Kolter’s Cresswind village into our community,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities, LLC. “We anticipate they will be very successful here given their track record of delivering distinctive active adult communities within the context of master-planned communities like ours.”
Plans for this new age-restricted Cresswind community include a resident-exclusive clubhouse overseen by a full-time lifestyle director with a demonstration kitchen, ballroom, fitness center, yoga studio, art studio with ceramics, billiards, and various social clubs. Planned outdoor amenities across Cresswind’s 250+ acres include pickleball & tennis courts, walking trails, resort-style pool and spa, event lawn, bocce courts, outdoor social areas and more. This will be Kolter Homes’ eighth Cresswind community, and its second new home community in the Sarasota market. The company is also developing and building Artistry Sarasota.
A total of 648 homes are planned to be built within the gates of Cresswind Lakewood Ranch. Kolter’s one-story homes are designed specifically for active adults, and will range from 2- to 4-bedrooms. Plan concepts offer a wide range of personalization and structural options, including second-floor bonus rooms and expanded outdoor living areas.
To register for updates and preview information, visit CresswindLakewoodRanch.com.
About Cresswind by Kolter Homes
Spanning four states (Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina) Kolter Homes’ Cresswind portfolio currently features seven active properties – Lake Lanier, Victoria Gardens, Charleston, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, PGA Village Verano and Peachtree City – with more in development. Cresswind communities are designed to help residents live better, longer lives based on the pillars of fitness, nutrition and relationships.
Cresswind communities feature activity-rich clubhouses with pools, walking and hiking trails, pickleball and tennis courts and numerous other resort-style amenities based on the region. The Cresswind lifestyle program and Cresswind clubhouses have garnered numerous regional and national awards. These include silver honors as the 2017 “Lifestyle Program of the Year” by the National Association of Home Builders, and four Cresswind communities were named among “2018’s 18 Most Popular 55+ & Active Communities in the Southeast” by TopRetirements.com including Cresswind at Victoria Gardens in DeLand, Florida as #1 and Cresswind at Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia as #3.
Cresswind residences are highlighted by open spaces for entertaining, private owners’ suites, separate wings for guests, flexible rooms for dens and offices, and inviting outdoor living areas. The concept is referred to as “Comfort Home Design” which relies on symmetry and consistency to create home environments that are balanced, comfortable and calming. Cresswind homes also offer homebuyers a wide range of personalization options, both in structure and finish.
Boomers represent more than 30 percent of the housing market with many seeking low-maintenance, single-family homes in traditional resort settings, mid-size cities and major metro areas. Cresswind is ideally positioned in these locations with product from the $200s to $600s in a variety of floorplans and finishes. www.cresswind.com.
About Kolter Homes
Kolter Homes brings over two decades of experience in homebuilding to its master-planned communities in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. In addition to its Cresswind active adult portfolio, Kolter Homes develops and builds single-family & townhome communities in Florida and South Carolina. www.kolterhomes.com
Kolter Homes is an affiliate of The Kolter Group LLC, a diversified real estate development and investment firm that has invested in projects with expected value in excess of $15 billion. Headquartered in Palm Beach County, The Kolter Group LLC is currently developing in over 40 locations throughout the southeastern United States. www.thekoltergroup.com
About Lakewood Ranch
Lakewood Ranch is the 31,000-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 36,000 residents and features A-rated schools, a hospital, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, its own Main Street with theaters, shopping and dining, and more than five million square feet of commercial property. For more information visit www.lakewoodranch.com.
John Manrique
jmanrique@kolter.com
Source : Kolter Homes
CATEGORIES : Housing and Community Planning and Development
Tags : cresswind kolter homes Lakewood Ranch
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Project acronym CELLTYPESANDCIRCUITS
Project Neural circuit function in the retina of mice and humans
Researcher (PI) Botond Roska
Host Institution (HI) FRIEDRICH MIESCHER INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FONDATION
Summary The mammalian brain is assembled from thousands of neuronal cell types that are organized into distinct circuits to perform behaviourally relevant computations. To gain mechanistic insights about brain function and to treat specific diseases of the nervous system it is crucial to understand what these local circuits are computing and how they achieve these computations. By examining the structure and function of a few genetically identified and experimentally accessible neural circuits we plan to address fundamental questions about the functional architecture of neural circuits. First, are cell types assigned to a unique functional circuit with a well-defined function or do they participate in multiple circuits (multitasking cell types), adjusting their role depending on the state of these circuits? Second, does a neural circuit perform a single computation or depending on the information content of its inputs can it carry out radically different functions? Third, how, among the large number of other cell types, do the cells belonging to the same functional circuit connect together during development? We use the mouse retina as a model system to address these questions. Finally, we will study the structure and function of a specialised neural circuit in the human fovea that enables humans to read. We predict that our insights into the mechanism of multitasking, network switches and the development of selective connectivity will be instructive to study similar phenomena in other brain circuits. Knowledge of the structure and function of the human fovea will open up new opportunities to correlate human retinal function with human visual behaviour and our genetic technologies to study human foveal function will allow us and others to design better strategies for restoring vision for the blind.
The mammalian brain is assembled from thousands of neuronal cell types that are organized into distinct circuits to perform behaviourally relevant computations. To gain mechanistic insights about brain function and to treat specific diseases of the nervous system it is crucial to understand what these local circuits are computing and how they achieve these computations. By examining the structure and function of a few genetically identified and experimentally accessible neural circuits we plan to address fundamental questions about the functional architecture of neural circuits. First, are cell types assigned to a unique functional circuit with a well-defined function or do they participate in multiple circuits (multitasking cell types), adjusting their role depending on the state of these circuits? Second, does a neural circuit perform a single computation or depending on the information content of its inputs can it carry out radically different functions? Third, how, among the large number of other cell types, do the cells belonging to the same functional circuit connect together during development? We use the mouse retina as a model system to address these questions. Finally, we will study the structure and function of a specialised neural circuit in the human fovea that enables humans to read. We predict that our insights into the mechanism of multitasking, network switches and the development of selective connectivity will be instructive to study similar phenomena in other brain circuits. Knowledge of the structure and function of the human fovea will open up new opportunities to correlate human retinal function with human visual behaviour and our genetic technologies to study human foveal function will allow us and others to design better strategies for restoring vision for the blind.
Project acronym COMPUSLANG
Project Neural and computational determinants of left cerebral dominance in speech and language
Researcher (PI) Anne-Lise Mamessier
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE
Summary More than a century after Wernicke and Broca established that speech perception and production rely on temporal and prefrontal cortices of the left brain hemisphere, the biological determinants for this organization are still unknown. While functional neuroanatomy has been described in great detail, the neuroscience of language still lacks a physiologically plausible model of the neuro-computational mechanisms for coding and decoding of speech acoustic signal. We propose to fill this gap by testing the biological validity and exploring the computational implications of one promising proposal, the Asymmetric Sampling in Time theory. AST assumes that speech signals are analysed in parallel at multiple timescales and that these timescales differ between left and right cerebral hemispheres. This theory is original and provocative as it implies that a single computational difference, distinct integration windows in right and left auditory cortices could be sufficient to explain why speech is preferentially processed by the left brain, and possible even why the human brain has evolved toward such an asymmetric functional organization. Our proposal has four goals: 1/ to validate, invalidate or amend AST on the basis of physiological experiments in healthy human subjects including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), combined electroencephalography (EEG) and fMRI, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and subdural electrocorticography (EcoG), 2/ to use computational modeling to probe those aspects of the theory that currently remain inaccessible to empirical testing (evaluation, assessment), 3/ to apply AST to binaural artificial hearing with cochlear implants, 4/ to test for disorders of auditory sampling in autism and dyslexia, two language neurodevelopmental pathologies in which a genetic basis implicates the physiological underpinnings of AST, and 5/ to assess potential generalisation of AST to linguistic action in the context of speech production.
More than a century after Wernicke and Broca established that speech perception and production rely on temporal and prefrontal cortices of the left brain hemisphere, the biological determinants for this organization are still unknown. While functional neuroanatomy has been described in great detail, the neuroscience of language still lacks a physiologically plausible model of the neuro-computational mechanisms for coding and decoding of speech acoustic signal. We propose to fill this gap by testing the biological validity and exploring the computational implications of one promising proposal, the Asymmetric Sampling in Time theory. AST assumes that speech signals are analysed in parallel at multiple timescales and that these timescales differ between left and right cerebral hemispheres. This theory is original and provocative as it implies that a single computational difference, distinct integration windows in right and left auditory cortices could be sufficient to explain why speech is preferentially processed by the left brain, and possible even why the human brain has evolved toward such an asymmetric functional organization. Our proposal has four goals: 1/ to validate, invalidate or amend AST on the basis of physiological experiments in healthy human subjects including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), combined electroencephalography (EEG) and fMRI, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and subdural electrocorticography (EcoG), 2/ to use computational modeling to probe those aspects of the theory that currently remain inaccessible to empirical testing (evaluation, assessment), 3/ to apply AST to binaural artificial hearing with cochlear implants, 4/ to test for disorders of auditory sampling in autism and dyslexia, two language neurodevelopmental pathologies in which a genetic basis implicates the physiological underpinnings of AST, and 5/ to assess potential generalisation of AST to linguistic action in the context of speech production.
Project acronym CONQUEST
Project Controlled quantum effects and spin technology - from non-equilibrium physics to functional magnetics
Researcher (PI) Henrik Ronnow
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Summary The technology of the 20th century was dominated by a single material class: The semiconductors, whose properties can be tuned between those of metals and insulators all of which describable by single-electron effects. In contrast, quantum magnets and strongly correlated electron systems offer a full palette of quantum mechanical many-electron states. CONQUEST aim to discover, understand and demonstrate control over such quantum states. A new experimental approach, building on established powerful laboratory and neutron scattering techniques combined with dynamical control-perturbations, will be developed to study correlated quantum effects in magnetic materials. The immediate goal is to open a new field of non-equilibrium and time dependent studies in solid state physics. The long-term vision is that the approach might nurture the materials of the 21st century.
The technology of the 20th century was dominated by a single material class: The semiconductors, whose properties can be tuned between those of metals and insulators all of which describable by single-electron effects. In contrast, quantum magnets and strongly correlated electron systems offer a full palette of quantum mechanical many-electron states. CONQUEST aim to discover, understand and demonstrate control over such quantum states. A new experimental approach, building on established powerful laboratory and neutron scattering techniques combined with dynamical control-perturbations, will be developed to study correlated quantum effects in magnetic materials. The immediate goal is to open a new field of non-equilibrium and time dependent studies in solid state physics. The long-term vision is that the approach might nurture the materials of the 21st century.
Project acronym EURO-NEUROSTRESS
Project Dissecting the Central Stress Response: Bridging the Genotype-Phenotype Gap
Researcher (PI) Alon Chen
Summary The biological response to stress is concerned with the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. This process requires numerous adaptive responses involving changes in the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems. When a situation is perceived as stressful, the brain activates many neuronal circuits linking centers involved in sensory, motor, autonomic, neuroendocrine, cognitive, and emotional functions in order to adapt to the demand. However, the details of the pathways by which the brain translates stressful stimuli into the final, integrated biological response are presently incompletely understood. Nevertheless, it is clear that dysregulation of these physiological responses to stress can have severe psychological and physiological consequences, and there is much evidence to suggest that inappropriate regulation, disproportional intensity, or chronic and/or irreversible activation of the stress response is linked to the etiology and pathophysiology of anxiety disorders and depression. Understanding the neurobiology of stress by focusing on the brain circuits and genes, which are associated with, or altered by, the stress response will provide important insights into the brain mechanisms by which stress affects psychological and physiological disorders. This is an integrated multidisciplinary project from gene to behavior using state-of-the-art moue genetics and animal models. We will employ integrated molecular, biochemical, physiological and behavioral methods, focusing on the generation of mice genetic models as an in vivo tool, in order to study the central pathways and molecular mechanisms mediating the stress response. Defining the contributions of known and novel gene products to the maintenance of stress-linked homeostasis may improve our ability to design therapeutic interventions for, and thus manage, stress-related disorders.
The biological response to stress is concerned with the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. This process requires numerous adaptive responses involving changes in the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems. When a situation is perceived as stressful, the brain activates many neuronal circuits linking centers involved in sensory, motor, autonomic, neuroendocrine, cognitive, and emotional functions in order to adapt to the demand. However, the details of the pathways by which the brain translates stressful stimuli into the final, integrated biological response are presently incompletely understood. Nevertheless, it is clear that dysregulation of these physiological responses to stress can have severe psychological and physiological consequences, and there is much evidence to suggest that inappropriate regulation, disproportional intensity, or chronic and/or irreversible activation of the stress response is linked to the etiology and pathophysiology of anxiety disorders and depression. Understanding the neurobiology of stress by focusing on the brain circuits and genes, which are associated with, or altered by, the stress response will provide important insights into the brain mechanisms by which stress affects psychological and physiological disorders. This is an integrated multidisciplinary project from gene to behavior using state-of-the-art moue genetics and animal models. We will employ integrated molecular, biochemical, physiological and behavioral methods, focusing on the generation of mice genetic models as an in vivo tool, in order to study the central pathways and molecular mechanisms mediating the stress response. Defining the contributions of known and novel gene products to the maintenance of stress-linked homeostasis may improve our ability to design therapeutic interventions for, and thus manage, stress-related disorders.
Project acronym FIELDGRADIENTS
Project Phase Transitions and Chemical Reactions in Electric Field Gradients
Researcher (PI) Yoav Tsori
Host Institution (HI) BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV
Summary We will study phase transitions and chemical and biological reactions in liquid mixtures in electric field gradients. These new phase transitions are essential in statistical physics and thermodynamics. We will examine theoretically the complex and yet unexplored phase ordering dynamics in which droplets nucleate and move under the external nonuniform force. We will look in detail at the interfacial instabilities which develop when the field is increased. We will investigate how time-varying potentials produce electromagnetic waves and how their spatial decay in the bistable liquid leads to phase changes. These transitions open a new and general way to control the spatio-temporal behaviour of chemical reactions by directly manipulating the solvents' concentrations. When two or more reagents are preferentially soluble in one of the mixture's components, field-induced phase separation leads to acceleration of the reaction. When the reagents are soluble in different solvents, field-induced demixing will lead to the reaction taking place at a slow rate and at a two-dimensional surface. Additionally, the electric field allows us to turn the reaction on or off. The numerical study and simulations will be complemented by experiments. We will study theoretically and experimentally biochemical reactions. We will find how actin-related structures are affected by field gradients. Using an electric field as a tool we will control the rate of actin polymerisation. We will investigate if an external field can damage cancer cells by disrupting their actin-related activity. The above phenomena will be studied in a microfluidics environment. We will elucidate the separation hydrodynamics occurring when thermodynamically miscible liquids flow in a channel and how electric fields can reversibly create and destroy optical interfaces, as is relevant in optofluidics. Chemical and biological reactions will be examined in the context of lab-on-a-chip.
We will study phase transitions and chemical and biological reactions in liquid mixtures in electric field gradients. These new phase transitions are essential in statistical physics and thermodynamics. We will examine theoretically the complex and yet unexplored phase ordering dynamics in which droplets nucleate and move under the external nonuniform force. We will look in detail at the interfacial instabilities which develop when the field is increased. We will investigate how time-varying potentials produce electromagnetic waves and how their spatial decay in the bistable liquid leads to phase changes. These transitions open a new and general way to control the spatio-temporal behaviour of chemical reactions by directly manipulating the solvents' concentrations. When two or more reagents are preferentially soluble in one of the mixture's components, field-induced phase separation leads to acceleration of the reaction. When the reagents are soluble in different solvents, field-induced demixing will lead to the reaction taking place at a slow rate and at a two-dimensional surface. Additionally, the electric field allows us to turn the reaction on or off. The numerical study and simulations will be complemented by experiments. We will study theoretically and experimentally biochemical reactions. We will find how actin-related structures are affected by field gradients. Using an electric field as a tool we will control the rate of actin polymerisation. We will investigate if an external field can damage cancer cells by disrupting their actin-related activity. The above phenomena will be studied in a microfluidics environment. We will elucidate the separation hydrodynamics occurring when thermodynamically miscible liquids flow in a channel and how electric fields can reversibly create and destroy optical interfaces, as is relevant in optofluidics. Chemical and biological reactions will be examined in the context of lab-on-a-chip.
Project acronym MIRNACLOCKNETWORKS
Project Towards a systemic view of the circadian clock: Integration of miRNAs into the molecular, cellular and neural circadian networks
Researcher (PI) Sebastian Kadener
Summary Circadian (24hs) rhythms in locomotor activity are one of the best-characterized behaviors at the molecular, cellular and neural levels. Despite that, our understanding of how these rhythms are generated is still limited. A major shortcoming of the current approaches in the field is that they depict the circadian clock as a mere addition of steps (and/or combination of parts). By doing so, the circadian oscillator is portrayed as a static rather than a dynamic system. We have recently shown for the first time that miRNA-mediated regulation plays a role in circadian timekeeping in Drosophila. In the present project we will exploit complementary and cutting-edge approaches that will provide an integrative and comprehensive view of the circadian timekeeping system. As we believe that miRNAs are key mediators of this integration, we will dissect their role in the circadian clock at the molecular, cellular and neural levels in Drosophila. At the molecular level, we will determine the mechanisms, and proteins that mediate the circadian regulation of miRNAs function. Moreover, by the use of high-throughput methodology we will assess and characterize the impact of translational regulation on both the circadian transcriptome and proteome. At the cellular level, we plan to determine how this type of regulation integrates with other circadian pathways and which specific pathways and proteins mediate this process. As a final goal of the proposed project we plan to generate a complete genetic interaction map of the known circadian regulators, which will integrate the different molecular and cellular events involved in timekeeping. This will be a key step towards the understanding of the circadian clock as a dynamic adjustable process. Last, but not least, we will study the role of miRNAs in the circadian neural network. For doing so we will set up an ex vivo approach (fly brain's culture) that will assess circadian parameters through fluorescent continuous live imaging.
Circadian (24hs) rhythms in locomotor activity are one of the best-characterized behaviors at the molecular, cellular and neural levels. Despite that, our understanding of how these rhythms are generated is still limited. A major shortcoming of the current approaches in the field is that they depict the circadian clock as a mere addition of steps (and/or combination of parts). By doing so, the circadian oscillator is portrayed as a static rather than a dynamic system. We have recently shown for the first time that miRNA-mediated regulation plays a role in circadian timekeeping in Drosophila. In the present project we will exploit complementary and cutting-edge approaches that will provide an integrative and comprehensive view of the circadian timekeeping system. As we believe that miRNAs are key mediators of this integration, we will dissect their role in the circadian clock at the molecular, cellular and neural levels in Drosophila. At the molecular level, we will determine the mechanisms, and proteins that mediate the circadian regulation of miRNAs function. Moreover, by the use of high-throughput methodology we will assess and characterize the impact of translational regulation on both the circadian transcriptome and proteome. At the cellular level, we plan to determine how this type of regulation integrates with other circadian pathways and which specific pathways and proteins mediate this process. As a final goal of the proposed project we plan to generate a complete genetic interaction map of the known circadian regulators, which will integrate the different molecular and cellular events involved in timekeeping. This will be a key step towards the understanding of the circadian clock as a dynamic adjustable process. Last, but not least, we will study the role of miRNAs in the circadian neural network. For doing so we will set up an ex vivo approach (fly brain's culture) that will assess circadian parameters through fluorescent continuous live imaging.
Project acronym PORABEL
Project Nanopore integrated nanoelectrodes for biomolecular manipulation and sensing
Researcher (PI) Aleksandra Radenovic
Summary In this proposal we aim to address several complex biophysical problems at single molecule level that remained elusive due to the lack of appropriate experimental approach where one could manipulate independently both interacting biomolecules and in the same time measure the strength of their interaction and correlate it with their electronic signature. In particular we are interested in finding out how biopolymer finds, enters and translocates nanopore. Equally intriguing is still unresolved mechanism of phage DNA ejection. We will also investigate how exactly proteins recognize the target binding places on DNA and if the protein DNA recognition is based on the complementarity of their charge patterns. To allow addressing those biophysical problems we will develop novel experimental framework by integrating electrodes to the nanopore based force spectroscopy. The proposed strategy will enable two directions of the research: single molecule manipulation and single molecule detection /sensing equally suitable for investigating complex biophysical problems and molecular recognition assays. By exploiting superior sensing and detection capabilities of our devices, we will investigate following practical applications improved nucleotide detection, selective protein detection and protein charge profiling via nanopore unfolding. Unique combination of optical manipulation and nanofluidics could lead to new methods of bioanalysis, mechanical characterization and discrimination between specific and non-specific DNA protein interactions. This research proposal combines nanofabrication, optics, nano/microfluidics, electronics, computer programming, and biochemistry
In this proposal we aim to address several complex biophysical problems at single molecule level that remained elusive due to the lack of appropriate experimental approach where one could manipulate independently both interacting biomolecules and in the same time measure the strength of their interaction and correlate it with their electronic signature. In particular we are interested in finding out how biopolymer finds, enters and translocates nanopore. Equally intriguing is still unresolved mechanism of phage DNA ejection. We will also investigate how exactly proteins recognize the target binding places on DNA and if the protein DNA recognition is based on the complementarity of their charge patterns. To allow addressing those biophysical problems we will develop novel experimental framework by integrating electrodes to the nanopore based force spectroscopy. The proposed strategy will enable two directions of the research: single molecule manipulation and single molecule detection /sensing equally suitable for investigating complex biophysical problems and molecular recognition assays. By exploiting superior sensing and detection capabilities of our devices, we will investigate following practical applications improved nucleotide detection, selective protein detection and protein charge profiling via nanopore unfolding. Unique combination of optical manipulation and nanofluidics could lead to new methods of bioanalysis, mechanical characterization and discrimination between specific and non-specific DNA protein interactions. This research proposal combines nanofabrication, optics, nano/microfluidics, electronics, computer programming, and biochemistry
Project acronym QUANT-DES-CNT
Project Quantum Design in Carbon Nanotubes
Researcher (PI) Shahal Ilani
Summary Quantum design, the ability to control the microscopic properties of a quantum system, has proven to be an invaluable tool in experimental physics. Carbon nanotubes are an ideal system to implement quantum design in the solid-state; their strongly interacting electrons, unusual spin properties, and unique mechanical qualities make them an excellent platform for studying quantum phenomena in low dimensions. However, for many years this potential has been hindered by the dominance of strong electronic disorder in this system. Fortunately, a series of recent breakthroughs in making nanotubes free of disorder has dramatically changed this situation, opening up a wide range of opportunities for high-precision experiments in these systems. In this work I propose to develop a new technology that will enable quantum design experiments in carbon nanotubes. This technology, which builds on my recent development of ultra-clean electronic devices in nanotubes, will allow us to create nanotube device-architectures that go far beyond those currently available. Specifically, we will be able to control the properties of individual electrons with microscopic precision (~100nm), manipulate their quantum states, and image their individual wavefunctions. This new toolset will be used to study previously unexplored realms in condensed matter physics, ranging from the correlated states-of-matter formed by electrons in one-dimension, to quantum information experiments with multiple electronic spins, and finally to mechanical studies of nanotube resonators in the quantum limit. These studies will address some of the most fundamental aspects pertaining to the physics of electrons, spins and phonons in low dimensions.
Quantum design, the ability to control the microscopic properties of a quantum system, has proven to be an invaluable tool in experimental physics. Carbon nanotubes are an ideal system to implement quantum design in the solid-state; their strongly interacting electrons, unusual spin properties, and unique mechanical qualities make them an excellent platform for studying quantum phenomena in low dimensions. However, for many years this potential has been hindered by the dominance of strong electronic disorder in this system. Fortunately, a series of recent breakthroughs in making nanotubes free of disorder has dramatically changed this situation, opening up a wide range of opportunities for high-precision experiments in these systems. In this work I propose to develop a new technology that will enable quantum design experiments in carbon nanotubes. This technology, which builds on my recent development of ultra-clean electronic devices in nanotubes, will allow us to create nanotube device-architectures that go far beyond those currently available. Specifically, we will be able to control the properties of individual electrons with microscopic precision (~100nm), manipulate their quantum states, and image their individual wavefunctions. This new toolset will be used to study previously unexplored realms in condensed matter physics, ranging from the correlated states-of-matter formed by electrons in one-dimension, to quantum information experiments with multiple electronic spins, and finally to mechanical studies of nanotube resonators in the quantum limit. These studies will address some of the most fundamental aspects pertaining to the physics of electrons, spins and phonons in low dimensions.
Project acronym SIAMCP
Project Follow the PAIN: Novel Somatotopically-Based Integrative Approach to Study Mechanisms of Detection, Transmission and Perpetuation of Nociceptive, Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain
Researcher (PI) Alexander Binshtok
Summary The worst of evils - pain is one of the main reasons for seeking medical help. Chronic pain affects almost one fifth of the population of Europe and leads to exorbitant medical expenses as well as extreme suffering. Despite extensive efforts, effective pain treatment has remained elusive. Inadequate understanding of the mechanisms of pain prevents the development of effective therapies. In order to better understand pain mechanisms, a novel integrative approach is needed. This approach should: to investigate the fundamental site of signal detection; the nociceptive terminals and to establish an understanding of the progression from peripheral nociception to central pain perception. Our project aims to integrate analysis at different levels of pain perception in normal and pathological conditions in order to elucidate mechanisms underlying chronic pain. Our approach propose to study pain related mechanisms along somatotopically define neuroaxis of vibrissae-barrel system. Using this unique system where peripheral receptor directly corresponds to its central analyzer, we will first characterize noxious signal detection by single channels in individual nociceptive terminal. We will follow propagation of nociceptive signal and monitor activity-dependent changes in corresponding circuits at trigeminal nuclei, thalamus and cortex. We will study modulation in of synaptic connectivity in the spino-thalamo-cortical pathway in models of chronic pain. This multi-disciplinary project will incorporate ground-breaking imaging techniques and state-of-the-art electrophysiological, histological and behavioural experiments to study pain-related mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels as well as at the level of neuronal networks and behaviour.
The worst of evils - pain is one of the main reasons for seeking medical help. Chronic pain affects almost one fifth of the population of Europe and leads to exorbitant medical expenses as well as extreme suffering. Despite extensive efforts, effective pain treatment has remained elusive. Inadequate understanding of the mechanisms of pain prevents the development of effective therapies. In order to better understand pain mechanisms, a novel integrative approach is needed. This approach should: to investigate the fundamental site of signal detection; the nociceptive terminals and to establish an understanding of the progression from peripheral nociception to central pain perception. Our project aims to integrate analysis at different levels of pain perception in normal and pathological conditions in order to elucidate mechanisms underlying chronic pain. Our approach propose to study pain related mechanisms along somatotopically define neuroaxis of vibrissae-barrel system. Using this unique system where peripheral receptor directly corresponds to its central analyzer, we will first characterize noxious signal detection by single channels in individual nociceptive terminal. We will follow propagation of nociceptive signal and monitor activity-dependent changes in corresponding circuits at trigeminal nuclei, thalamus and cortex. We will study modulation in of synaptic connectivity in the spino-thalamo-cortical pathway in models of chronic pain. This multi-disciplinary project will incorporate ground-breaking imaging techniques and state-of-the-art electrophysiological, histological and behavioural experiments to study pain-related mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels as well as at the level of neuronal networks and behaviour.
Project acronym USED
Project Ultrafast Spectroscopic Electron Diffraction (USED) of quantum solids and thin films
Researcher (PI) Fabrizio Carbone
Summary Ultrafast Spectroscopic Electron Diffraction (USED) of quantum solids and thin films
Ultrafast Spectroscopic Electron Diffraction (USED) of quantum solids and thin films
Project acronym WALK AGAIN
Project Multi-pronged Strategies to Regain Voluntary Motor Functions after Spinal Cord Injury
Researcher (PI) Grégoire Richard Courtine
Summary Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) permanently abolishes motor functions caudal to the lesion. Various strategies have been pursued to promote functional recovery after such injuries. However, none of these attempts were able to return voluntary movements in paralyzed subjects. Here, we propose an innovative transdisciplinary research program including parallel approaches that will converge into an integrated multi-pronged therapy able to restore voluntary movements after paralyzing SCI. To achieve this goal, we will capitalize on our recent breakthroughs that demonstrate the impressive capacity of pharmacological and electrical spinal cord stimulations to promote full weight bearing walking in paralyzed rats when combined with rehabilitation. In Walk Again, we will improve high level control of spinal circuits with synergistic combinations of pharmacological agents, and with the design of multisite stimulation strategies using electrode arrays. Functional electrical stimulation of muscles will provide complementary low level tuning capacities to adjust limb motion. To allow voluntary control, we will establish a new line of research and pioneer brain-spinal interfaces by which cortical modulations will directly adjust stimulations of spinal circuits and muscles. In the final stages, we will enable neurorehabilitation with this cortico-spinal neuroprosthesis in the presence of anti-NogoA regenerative therapy. The underlying objective is to devise a fully-operative neuroprosthetic system that will enable self-driven rehabilitation in a permissive plastic environment. Walk Again will fertilize frontier research with pioneer ideas that will increase European competitiveness while paving the way toward viable clinical applications to restore function in paralyzed individuals.
Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) permanently abolishes motor functions caudal to the lesion. Various strategies have been pursued to promote functional recovery after such injuries. However, none of these attempts were able to return voluntary movements in paralyzed subjects. Here, we propose an innovative transdisciplinary research program including parallel approaches that will converge into an integrated multi-pronged therapy able to restore voluntary movements after paralyzing SCI. To achieve this goal, we will capitalize on our recent breakthroughs that demonstrate the impressive capacity of pharmacological and electrical spinal cord stimulations to promote full weight bearing walking in paralyzed rats when combined with rehabilitation. In Walk Again, we will improve high level control of spinal circuits with synergistic combinations of pharmacological agents, and with the design of multisite stimulation strategies using electrode arrays. Functional electrical stimulation of muscles will provide complementary low level tuning capacities to adjust limb motion. To allow voluntary control, we will establish a new line of research and pioneer brain-spinal interfaces by which cortical modulations will directly adjust stimulations of spinal circuits and muscles. In the final stages, we will enable neurorehabilitation with this cortico-spinal neuroprosthesis in the presence of anti-NogoA regenerative therapy. The underlying objective is to devise a fully-operative neuroprosthetic system that will enable self-driven rehabilitation in a permissive plastic environment. Walk Again will fertilize frontier research with pioneer ideas that will increase European competitiveness while paving the way toward viable clinical applications to restore function in paralyzed individuals.
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Project acronym B2C
Project Beasts to Craft: BioCodicology as a new approach to the study of parchment manuscripts
Researcher (PI) Matthew COLLINS
Summary The intention of Beasts to Craft (B2C) is to document the biological and craft records in parchment in order to reveal the entangled histories of animal improvement and parchment production in Europe from 500-1900 AD. B2C will lay the foundations for a new approach to the the study of parchment manuscripts —biocodicology— which draws evidence from the overlooked first stages in production, the raising of livestock and the preparation of the skins. 1. Parchment is an extraordinary but overlooked high resolution zooarchaeological record and a molecular archive. Livestock genetics is revealing breed diversity and markers of character traits such as fleece quality. B2C will exploit this new-found knowledge, using progressively older dated archival (sheep) parchments to study the history of improvement 1300 - 1900. Visual examination of the skins will search for direct evidence of disease and fleece quality. 2. Craft skills can be read from parchment and, when combined with chemical data and comparison with modern analogues, will produce the first European wide record of the craft from 500-1900. The size and scope of this the parchment archive means it is one of the largest and most highly resolved records of a specialist medieval craft. We will explore how these skills develop and when and where regional patterns appear and decline. These two remarkable records requires a large interdisciplinary team. However biocodicology draws from and informs upon a wide and diverse spectrum of existing scholarship in conservation, the arts and sciences. A third strand of the project will (i) furnish manuscript scholars with some of the information available to the scribe at time of production (ii) inform and shape attitudes to parchment conservation (iii) provide high resolution biological data on animal management, movement and health and (iv) explore methods to link datasets and promote data reuse.
The intention of Beasts to Craft (B2C) is to document the biological and craft records in parchment in order to reveal the entangled histories of animal improvement and parchment production in Europe from 500-1900 AD. B2C will lay the foundations for a new approach to the the study of parchment manuscripts —biocodicology— which draws evidence from the overlooked first stages in production, the raising of livestock and the preparation of the skins. 1. Parchment is an extraordinary but overlooked high resolution zooarchaeological record and a molecular archive. Livestock genetics is revealing breed diversity and markers of character traits such as fleece quality. B2C will exploit this new-found knowledge, using progressively older dated archival (sheep) parchments to study the history of improvement 1300 - 1900. Visual examination of the skins will search for direct evidence of disease and fleece quality. 2. Craft skills can be read from parchment and, when combined with chemical data and comparison with modern analogues, will produce the first European wide record of the craft from 500-1900. The size and scope of this the parchment archive means it is one of the largest and most highly resolved records of a specialist medieval craft. We will explore how these skills develop and when and where regional patterns appear and decline. These two remarkable records requires a large interdisciplinary team. However biocodicology draws from and informs upon a wide and diverse spectrum of existing scholarship in conservation, the arts and sciences. A third strand of the project will (i) furnish manuscript scholars with some of the information available to the scribe at time of production (ii) inform and shape attitudes to parchment conservation (iii) provide high resolution biological data on animal management, movement and health and (iv) explore methods to link datasets and promote data reuse.
Project acronym BABE
Project Bodies across borders: oral and visual memory in Europe and beyond
Researcher (PI) Luisella Passerini
Host Institution (HI) EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE
Summary This project intends to study intercultural connections in contemporary Europe, engaging both native and ‘new’ Europeans. These connections are woven through the faculties of embodied subjects – memory, visuality and mobility – and concern the movement of people, ideas and images across the borders of European nation-states. These faculties are connected with that of affect, an increasingly important concept in history and the social sciences. Memory will be understood not only as oral or direct memory, but also as cultural memory, embodied in various cultural products. Our study aims to understand new forms of European identity, as these develop in an increasingly diasporic world. Europe today is not only a key site of immigration, after having been for centuries an area of emigration, but also a crucial point of arrival in a global network designed by mobile human beings. Three parts will make up the project. The first will engage with bodies, their gendered dimension, performative capacities and connection to place. It will explore the ways certain bodies are ‘emplaced’ as ‘European’, while others are marked as alien, and contrast these discourses with the counter-narratives by visual artists. The second part will extend further the reflection on the role of the visual arts in challenging an emergent ‘Fortress Europe’ but also in re-imagining the memory of European colonialism. The work of some key artists will be shown to students in Italy and the Netherlands, both recent migrants and ‘natives’, creating an ‘induced reception’. The final part of the project will look at alternative imaginations of Europe, investigating the oral memories and ‘mental maps’ created by two migrant communities in Europe: from Peru and from the Horn of Africa. Examining the heterogeneous micro-productions of mobility – whether ‘real’ or imagined/envisioned – will thus yield important lessons for the historical understanding of inclusion and exclusion in today’s Europe.
This project intends to study intercultural connections in contemporary Europe, engaging both native and ‘new’ Europeans. These connections are woven through the faculties of embodied subjects – memory, visuality and mobility – and concern the movement of people, ideas and images across the borders of European nation-states. These faculties are connected with that of affect, an increasingly important concept in history and the social sciences. Memory will be understood not only as oral or direct memory, but also as cultural memory, embodied in various cultural products. Our study aims to understand new forms of European identity, as these develop in an increasingly diasporic world. Europe today is not only a key site of immigration, after having been for centuries an area of emigration, but also a crucial point of arrival in a global network designed by mobile human beings. Three parts will make up the project. The first will engage with bodies, their gendered dimension, performative capacities and connection to place. It will explore the ways certain bodies are ‘emplaced’ as ‘European’, while others are marked as alien, and contrast these discourses with the counter-narratives by visual artists. The second part will extend further the reflection on the role of the visual arts in challenging an emergent ‘Fortress Europe’ but also in re-imagining the memory of European colonialism. The work of some key artists will be shown to students in Italy and the Netherlands, both recent migrants and ‘natives’, creating an ‘induced reception’. The final part of the project will look at alternative imaginations of Europe, investigating the oral memories and ‘mental maps’ created by two migrant communities in Europe: from Peru and from the Horn of Africa. Examining the heterogeneous micro-productions of mobility – whether ‘real’ or imagined/envisioned – will thus yield important lessons for the historical understanding of inclusion and exclusion in today’s Europe.
Project acronym BIOMEMOS
Project Higher order structure and function of biomembranes
Researcher (PI) Poul Nissen
Host Institution (HI) AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Summary The biomembrane is a prerequisite of life. It enables the cell to maintain a controlled environment and to establish electrochemical gradients as rapidly accessible energy stores. Biomembranes also provide scaffold for organisation and spatial definition of signal transmission in the cell. Crystal structures of membrane proteins are determined with an increasing pace. Along with functional studies integral studies of individual membrane proteins are now widely implemented. The BIOMEMOS proposal goes a step further and approaches the function of the biomembrane at the higher level of membrane protein complexes. Through a combination of X-ray crystallography, electrophysiology, general biochemistry, biophysics and bioinformatics and including also the application of single-particle cryo-EM and small-angle X-ray scattering, the structure and function of membrane protein complexes of key importance in life will be investigated. The specific targets for investigation in this proposal include: 1) higher-order complexes of P-type ATPase pumps such as signalling complexes of Na+,K+-ATPase, and 2) development of methods for structural studies of membrane protein complexes Based on my unique track record in structural studies of large, difficult structures (ribosomes and membrane proteins) in the setting of a thriving research community in structural biology and biomembrane research in Aarhus provides a critical momentum for a long-term activity. The activity will take advantage of the new possibilities offered by synchrotron sources in Europe. Furthermore, a single-particle cryo-EM research group formed on my initiative in Aarhus, and a well-established small-angle X-ray scattering community provides for an optimal setting through multiple cues in structural biology and functional studies
The biomembrane is a prerequisite of life. It enables the cell to maintain a controlled environment and to establish electrochemical gradients as rapidly accessible energy stores. Biomembranes also provide scaffold for organisation and spatial definition of signal transmission in the cell. Crystal structures of membrane proteins are determined with an increasing pace. Along with functional studies integral studies of individual membrane proteins are now widely implemented. The BIOMEMOS proposal goes a step further and approaches the function of the biomembrane at the higher level of membrane protein complexes. Through a combination of X-ray crystallography, electrophysiology, general biochemistry, biophysics and bioinformatics and including also the application of single-particle cryo-EM and small-angle X-ray scattering, the structure and function of membrane protein complexes of key importance in life will be investigated. The specific targets for investigation in this proposal include: 1) higher-order complexes of P-type ATPase pumps such as signalling complexes of Na+,K+-ATPase, and 2) development of methods for structural studies of membrane protein complexes Based on my unique track record in structural studies of large, difficult structures (ribosomes and membrane proteins) in the setting of a thriving research community in structural biology and biomembrane research in Aarhus provides a critical momentum for a long-term activity. The activity will take advantage of the new possibilities offered by synchrotron sources in Europe. Furthermore, a single-particle cryo-EM research group formed on my initiative in Aarhus, and a well-established small-angle X-ray scattering community provides for an optimal setting through multiple cues in structural biology and functional studies
Project acronym BRSCDP-TEA
Project Bounded rationality and social concerns in decision processes: theory, experiments, and applications
Researcher (PI) Massimo Marinacci
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI
Summary In the field of economics, individual decision making is the basic building block for studying complex environments such as markets, political systems, and social dynamics. Individual decision making is embodied in the neoclassical economically rational agent, whose only concern is the maximization of utility from his own material consumption. Two qualities of this agent are especially important for the research we will undertake: He has perfect understanding of the problems he faces - today and in the future - and unbounded computational ability to solve them. He also has no regard for the consumption of other members of the society or for their feelings about his actions. Huge empirical and experimental evidence shows that departure from these qualities is robust and significant. The failure of the existing models to incorporate bounded rationality and social concerns has proven critical in socially relevant and complex situations such as lifetime consumption and saving, taxation and expenditure policy, labour search and wage determination. The objective of this project is to bring these phenomena into the framework of neoclassical economics, to test their implications, and to tackle important applications. A novel and central feature of our approach is the attempt to retain the parsimonious methodological approach of economic modelling, which has scored groundbreaking successes in matters such as the design of auctions, markets, contracts, and voting mechanisms. Our project envisions the development of theory on individual decision making, the use of experiments to illuminate and test the theory, and the concrete application of theory - mainly to financial markets. The project will push the frontiers of the understanding of the above mentioned socially relevant situations. The explanatory power of our approach will be guaranteed by the continuous feed-back between theory and evidence- experimental and neuroexperimental, and by a departure from ad hoc modelling.
In the field of economics, individual decision making is the basic building block for studying complex environments such as markets, political systems, and social dynamics. Individual decision making is embodied in the neoclassical economically rational agent, whose only concern is the maximization of utility from his own material consumption. Two qualities of this agent are especially important for the research we will undertake: He has perfect understanding of the problems he faces - today and in the future - and unbounded computational ability to solve them. He also has no regard for the consumption of other members of the society or for their feelings about his actions. Huge empirical and experimental evidence shows that departure from these qualities is robust and significant. The failure of the existing models to incorporate bounded rationality and social concerns has proven critical in socially relevant and complex situations such as lifetime consumption and saving, taxation and expenditure policy, labour search and wage determination. The objective of this project is to bring these phenomena into the framework of neoclassical economics, to test their implications, and to tackle important applications. A novel and central feature of our approach is the attempt to retain the parsimonious methodological approach of economic modelling, which has scored groundbreaking successes in matters such as the design of auctions, markets, contracts, and voting mechanisms. Our project envisions the development of theory on individual decision making, the use of experiments to illuminate and test the theory, and the concrete application of theory - mainly to financial markets. The project will push the frontiers of the understanding of the above mentioned socially relevant situations. The explanatory power of our approach will be guaranteed by the continuous feed-back between theory and evidence- experimental and neuroexperimental, and by a departure from ad hoc modelling.
Project acronym CARDIOEPIGEN
Project Epigenetics and microRNAs in Myocardial Function and Disease
Researcher (PI) Gianluigi Condorelli
Host Institution (HI) HUMANITAS MIRASOLE SPA
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS4, ERC-2011-ADG_20110310
Summary Heart failure (HF) is the ultimate outcome of many cardiovascular diseases. Re-expression of fetal genes in the adult heart contributes to development of HF. Two mechanisms involved in the control of gene expression are epigenetics and microRNAs (miRs). We propose a project on epigenetic and miR-mediated mechanisms leading to HF. Epigenetics refers to heritable modification of DNA and histones that does not modify the genetic code. Depending on the type of modification and on the site affected, these chemical changes up- or down-regulate transcription of specific genes. Despite it being a major player in gene regulation, epigenetics has been only partly investigated in HF. miRs are regulatory RNAs that target mRNAs for inhibition. Dysregulation of the cardiac miR signature occurs in HF. miR expression may itself be under epigenetic control, constituting a miR-epigenetic regulatory network. To our knowledge, this possibility has not been studied yet. Our specific hypothesis is that the profile of DNA/histone methylation and the cross-talk between epigenetic enzymes and miRs have fundamental roles in defining the characteristics of cells during cardiac development and that the dysregulation of these processes determines the deleterious nature of the stressed heart’s gene programme. We will test this first through a genome-wide study of DNA/histone methylation to generate maps of the main methylation modifications occurring in the genome of cardiac cells treated with a pro-hypertrophy regulator and of a HF model. We will then investigate the role of epigenetic enzymes deemed important in HF, through the generation and study of knockout mice models. Finally, we will test the possible therapeutic potential of modulating epigenetic genes. We hope to further understand the pathological mechanisms leading to HF and to generate data instrumental to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this disease.
Heart failure (HF) is the ultimate outcome of many cardiovascular diseases. Re-expression of fetal genes in the adult heart contributes to development of HF. Two mechanisms involved in the control of gene expression are epigenetics and microRNAs (miRs). We propose a project on epigenetic and miR-mediated mechanisms leading to HF. Epigenetics refers to heritable modification of DNA and histones that does not modify the genetic code. Depending on the type of modification and on the site affected, these chemical changes up- or down-regulate transcription of specific genes. Despite it being a major player in gene regulation, epigenetics has been only partly investigated in HF. miRs are regulatory RNAs that target mRNAs for inhibition. Dysregulation of the cardiac miR signature occurs in HF. miR expression may itself be under epigenetic control, constituting a miR-epigenetic regulatory network. To our knowledge, this possibility has not been studied yet. Our specific hypothesis is that the profile of DNA/histone methylation and the cross-talk between epigenetic enzymes and miRs have fundamental roles in defining the characteristics of cells during cardiac development and that the dysregulation of these processes determines the deleterious nature of the stressed heart’s gene programme. We will test this first through a genome-wide study of DNA/histone methylation to generate maps of the main methylation modifications occurring in the genome of cardiac cells treated with a pro-hypertrophy regulator and of a HF model. We will then investigate the role of epigenetic enzymes deemed important in HF, through the generation and study of knockout mice models. Finally, we will test the possible therapeutic potential of modulating epigenetic genes. We hope to further understand the pathological mechanisms leading to HF and to generate data instrumental to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this disease.
Project acronym CASINO
Project Carbohydrate signals controlling nodulation
Researcher (PI) Jens Stougaard Jensen
Summary Mechanisms governing interaction between multicellular organisms and microbes are central for understanding pathogenesis, symbiosis and the function of ecosystems. We propose to address these mechanisms by pioneering an interdisciplinary approach for understanding cellular signalling, response processes and organ development. The challenge is to determine factors synchronising three processes, organogenesis, infection thread formation and bacterial infection, running in parallel to build a root nodule hosting symbiotic bacteria. We aim to exploit the unique possibilities for analysing endocytosis of bacteria in model legumes and to develop genomic, genetic and biological chemistry tools to break new ground in our understanding of carbohydrates in plant development and plant-microbe interaction. Surface exposed rhizobial polysaccharides play a crucial but poorly understood role in infection thread formation and rhizobial invasion resulting in endocytosis. We will undertake an integrated functional characterisation of receptor-ligand mechanisms mediating recognition of secreted polysaccharides and subsequent signal amplification. So far progress in this field has been limited by the complex nature of carbohydrate polymers, lack of a suitable experimental model system where both partners in an interaction could be manipulated and lack of corresponding methods for carbohydrate synthesis, analysis and interaction studies. In this context our legume model system and the discovery that the legume Nod-factor receptors recognise bacterial lipochitin-oligosaccharide signals at their LysM domains provides a new opportunity. Combined with advanced bioorganic chemistry and nanobioscience approaches this proposal will engage the above mentioned limitations.
Mechanisms governing interaction between multicellular organisms and microbes are central for understanding pathogenesis, symbiosis and the function of ecosystems. We propose to address these mechanisms by pioneering an interdisciplinary approach for understanding cellular signalling, response processes and organ development. The challenge is to determine factors synchronising three processes, organogenesis, infection thread formation and bacterial infection, running in parallel to build a root nodule hosting symbiotic bacteria. We aim to exploit the unique possibilities for analysing endocytosis of bacteria in model legumes and to develop genomic, genetic and biological chemistry tools to break new ground in our understanding of carbohydrates in plant development and plant-microbe interaction. Surface exposed rhizobial polysaccharides play a crucial but poorly understood role in infection thread formation and rhizobial invasion resulting in endocytosis. We will undertake an integrated functional characterisation of receptor-ligand mechanisms mediating recognition of secreted polysaccharides and subsequent signal amplification. So far progress in this field has been limited by the complex nature of carbohydrate polymers, lack of a suitable experimental model system where both partners in an interaction could be manipulated and lack of corresponding methods for carbohydrate synthesis, analysis and interaction studies. In this context our legume model system and the discovery that the legume Nod-factor receptors recognise bacterial lipochitin-oligosaccharide signals at their LysM domains provides a new opportunity. Combined with advanced bioorganic chemistry and nanobioscience approaches this proposal will engage the above mentioned limitations.
Project acronym CLEAR
Project Modulating cellular clearance to cure human disease
Researcher (PI) Andrea Ballabio
Host Institution (HI) FONDAZIONE TELETHON
Summary Cellular clearance is a fundamental process required by all cells in all species. Important physiological processes, such as aging, and pathological mechanisms, such as neurodegeneration, are strictly dependent on cellular clearance. In eukaryotes, most of the cellular clearing processes occur in a specialized organelle, the lysosome. This project is based on a recent discovery, made in our laboratory, of a gene network, which we have named CLEAR, that controls lysosomal biogenesis and function and regulates cellular clearance. The specific goals of the project are: 1) the comprehensive characterization of the mechanisms underlying the CLEAR network, 2) the thorough understanding of CLEAR physiological function at the cellular and organism levels, 3) the development of strategies and tools to modulate cellular clearance, and 4) the implementation of proof-of-principle therapeutic studies based on the activation of the CLEAR network in murine models of human lysosomal storage disorders and of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers s and Huntington s diseases. A combination of genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, chemical genomics, cell biology, and mouse genetics approaches will be used to achieve these goals. Our goal is to develop tools to modulate cellular clearance and to use such tools to develop therapies to cure human disease. The potential medical relevance of this project is very high, particularly in the field of neurodegenerative disease. Therapies that prevent, ameliorate or delay neurodegeneration in these diseases would have a huge impact on human health.
Cellular clearance is a fundamental process required by all cells in all species. Important physiological processes, such as aging, and pathological mechanisms, such as neurodegeneration, are strictly dependent on cellular clearance. In eukaryotes, most of the cellular clearing processes occur in a specialized organelle, the lysosome. This project is based on a recent discovery, made in our laboratory, of a gene network, which we have named CLEAR, that controls lysosomal biogenesis and function and regulates cellular clearance. The specific goals of the project are: 1) the comprehensive characterization of the mechanisms underlying the CLEAR network, 2) the thorough understanding of CLEAR physiological function at the cellular and organism levels, 3) the development of strategies and tools to modulate cellular clearance, and 4) the implementation of proof-of-principle therapeutic studies based on the activation of the CLEAR network in murine models of human lysosomal storage disorders and of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers s and Huntington s diseases. A combination of genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, chemical genomics, cell biology, and mouse genetics approaches will be used to achieve these goals. Our goal is to develop tools to modulate cellular clearance and to use such tools to develop therapies to cure human disease. The potential medical relevance of this project is very high, particularly in the field of neurodegenerative disease. Therapies that prevent, ameliorate or delay neurodegeneration in these diseases would have a huge impact on human health.
Project acronym CLUNATRA
Project Discovering new Catalysts in the Cluster-Nanoparticle Transition Regime
Researcher (PI) Ib CHORKENDORFF
Host Institution (HI) DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
Summary The purpose of this proposal is to establish new fundamental insight of the reactivity and thereby the catalytic activity of oxides, nitrides, phosphides and sulfides (O-, N-, P-, S- ides) in the Cluster-Nanoparticle transition regime. We will use this insight to develop new catalysts through an interactive loop involving DFT simulations, synthesis, characterization and activity testing. The overarching objective is to make new catalysts that are efficient for production of solar fuels and chemicals to facilitate the implementation of sustainable energy, e.g. electrochemical hydrogen production and reduction of CO2 and N2 through both electrochemical and thermally activated processes. Recent research has identified why there is a lack of significant progress in developing new more active catalysts. Chemical scaling-relations exist among the intermediates, making it difficult to find a reaction pathway, which provides a flat potential energy landscape - a necessity for making the reaction proceed without large losses. My hypothesis is that going away from the conventional size regime, > 2 nm, one may break such chemical scaling-relations. Non-scalable behavior means that adding an atom results in a completely different reactivity. This drastic change could be even further enhanced if the added atom is a different element than the recipient particle, providing new freedom to control the reaction pathway. The methodology will be based on setting up a specifically optimized instrument for synthesizing such mass-selected clusters/nanoparticles. Thus far, researchers have barely explored this size regime. Only a limited amount of studies has been devoted to inorganic entities of oxides and sulfides; nitrides and phosphides are completely unexplored. We will employ atomic level simulations, synthesis, characterization, and subsequently test for specific reactions. This interdisciplinary loop will result in new breakthroughs in the area of catalyst material discovery.
The purpose of this proposal is to establish new fundamental insight of the reactivity and thereby the catalytic activity of oxides, nitrides, phosphides and sulfides (O-, N-, P-, S- ides) in the Cluster-Nanoparticle transition regime. We will use this insight to develop new catalysts through an interactive loop involving DFT simulations, synthesis, characterization and activity testing. The overarching objective is to make new catalysts that are efficient for production of solar fuels and chemicals to facilitate the implementation of sustainable energy, e.g. electrochemical hydrogen production and reduction of CO2 and N2 through both electrochemical and thermally activated processes. Recent research has identified why there is a lack of significant progress in developing new more active catalysts. Chemical scaling-relations exist among the intermediates, making it difficult to find a reaction pathway, which provides a flat potential energy landscape - a necessity for making the reaction proceed without large losses. My hypothesis is that going away from the conventional size regime, > 2 nm, one may break such chemical scaling-relations. Non-scalable behavior means that adding an atom results in a completely different reactivity. This drastic change could be even further enhanced if the added atom is a different element than the recipient particle, providing new freedom to control the reaction pathway. The methodology will be based on setting up a specifically optimized instrument for synthesizing such mass-selected clusters/nanoparticles. Thus far, researchers have barely explored this size regime. Only a limited amount of studies has been devoted to inorganic entities of oxides and sulfides; nitrides and phosphides are completely unexplored. We will employ atomic level simulations, synthesis, characterization, and subsequently test for specific reactions. This interdisciplinary loop will result in new breakthroughs in the area of catalyst material discovery.
Project acronym COGSYSTEMS
Project Understanding actions and intentions of others
Researcher (PI) Giacomo Rizzolatti
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA
Summary How do we understand the actions and intentions of others? Hereby we intend to address this issue by using a multidisciplinary approach. Our project is subdivided into four parts. In the first part we investigate the neural organization of monkey area F5, an area deeply involved in motor act understanding. By using a new set of electrodes we will describe the columnar organization of the area F5, establish the temporal relationships between the activity of F5 mirror and motor neurons, and correlate the activity of mirror neurons coding the observed motor acts in peripersonal and extrapersonal space with the activity of motor neurons in the same cortical column. In the second part we will assess the neural mechanism underlying the understanding of the intention of complex actions , i.e. actions formed by a sequence of two (or more) individual actions. The focus will be on the neurons located in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, an area involved in the organization of high-order motor behavior. The rational of the experiment is that, while the organization of single actions and the understanding of intention behind them is function of parietal neurons, that of complex actions relies on the activity of the prefrontal lobe. In the third and fourth parts of the project we will delimit the cortical areas involved in understanding the goal (the what) and the intention (the why) of the observed actions in individuals with typical development (TD) and in children with autism and will establish the time relation between these two processes. Our hypothesis is that the chained organization of intentional motor acts is impaired in children with autism and this impairment prevents them from organizing normally their actions and from understanding others intentions.
How do we understand the actions and intentions of others? Hereby we intend to address this issue by using a multidisciplinary approach. Our project is subdivided into four parts. In the first part we investigate the neural organization of monkey area F5, an area deeply involved in motor act understanding. By using a new set of electrodes we will describe the columnar organization of the area F5, establish the temporal relationships between the activity of F5 mirror and motor neurons, and correlate the activity of mirror neurons coding the observed motor acts in peripersonal and extrapersonal space with the activity of motor neurons in the same cortical column. In the second part we will assess the neural mechanism underlying the understanding of the intention of complex actions , i.e. actions formed by a sequence of two (or more) individual actions. The focus will be on the neurons located in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, an area involved in the organization of high-order motor behavior. The rational of the experiment is that, while the organization of single actions and the understanding of intention behind them is function of parietal neurons, that of complex actions relies on the activity of the prefrontal lobe. In the third and fourth parts of the project we will delimit the cortical areas involved in understanding the goal (the what) and the intention (the why) of the observed actions in individuals with typical development (TD) and in children with autism and will establish the time relation between these two processes. Our hypothesis is that the chained organization of intentional motor acts is impaired in children with autism and this impairment prevents them from organizing normally their actions and from understanding others intentions.
Project acronym CompuLaw
Project Computable Law
Researcher (PI) Giovanni Sartor
Host Institution (HI) ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
Summary The project addresses the regulation of computations (processes and systems) through an innovative legal & technological framework: it provides epistemic, technical and normative guidance for the de-velopment of computable laws and law compliant computations. The context is the ongoing transformation of the social world into a hybrid infosphere, populated by a huge and growing number of increasingly pervasive, autonomous and intelligent computational enti-ties. The scale, speed, ubiquity and autonomy of computations make it impossible for humans to di-rectly monitor them and anticipate all possible illegal computational behaviours. The law can hold the hybrid infosphere under its rule – providing protection, security and trust – only if it be-comes computation-oriented: legal and ethical requirements must be integrated with, mapped onto, and partially translated into, computable representations of legal knowledge and reasoning. Current legal culture still has not adequately addressed risks and potentials of computable law. My project will fill this gap, providing concepts, principles, methods and techniques and normative guide-lines to support law-abiding computations. It has the normative purpose to uphold the principle of rule of law, translating legal norms and legal values into requirements for computable laws and legally-responsive computational agents. My project will provide major methodological and substantive breakthroughs. On the one hand, it pro-poses a socio-technical methodology for regulatory design and evaluation, integrating three discipli-nary clusters: a social-legal one, a philosophical-logical one and a computing-AI one. On the other hand, it develops a framework including: (a) norms, legal values and principles for developers, de-ployers and users; (b) languages and methods to specify requirements of computations and norms directed to them; (c) cognitive architectures for legally-responsive computational agents.
The project addresses the regulation of computations (processes and systems) through an innovative legal & technological framework: it provides epistemic, technical and normative guidance for the de-velopment of computable laws and law compliant computations. The context is the ongoing transformation of the social world into a hybrid infosphere, populated by a huge and growing number of increasingly pervasive, autonomous and intelligent computational enti-ties. The scale, speed, ubiquity and autonomy of computations make it impossible for humans to di-rectly monitor them and anticipate all possible illegal computational behaviours. The law can hold the hybrid infosphere under its rule – providing protection, security and trust – only if it be-comes computation-oriented: legal and ethical requirements must be integrated with, mapped onto, and partially translated into, computable representations of legal knowledge and reasoning. Current legal culture still has not adequately addressed risks and potentials of computable law. My project will fill this gap, providing concepts, principles, methods and techniques and normative guide-lines to support law-abiding computations. It has the normative purpose to uphold the principle of rule of law, translating legal norms and legal values into requirements for computable laws and legally-responsive computational agents. My project will provide major methodological and substantive breakthroughs. On the one hand, it pro-poses a socio-technical methodology for regulatory design and evaluation, integrating three discipli-nary clusters: a social-legal one, a philosophical-logical one and a computing-AI one. On the other hand, it develops a framework including: (a) norms, legal values and principles for developers, de-ployers and users; (b) languages and methods to specify requirements of computations and norms directed to them; (c) cognitive architectures for legally-responsive computational agents.
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Faded Spring
Basic Bitches Not Wanted
I felt like my whole world had come crashing down, my baby that I had watched over for a year, snatched from me before my very eyes. I worked so god damn hard, only for it to disappear without warning or notice. You see the story began a year ago, I noticed that a group I had joined had so many members but the only posts that were visible in the feed were spam and porn. I had an idea to put up posts that members could join in and the response was phenomenal; a few days later I was contacted by the original founder and creator of the group, Bloggers United who asked me to assist her, by creating threads. I did more than that, as soon as I was made admin I cleared at least four months worth of spam and inappropriate content, removed inactive and inappropriate members and started the group from scratch. When the founder had seen that I had changed the settings to have only admin approved posts visible, she questioned my decision and took away the spam filter. All my hard work was getting undone but I needn’t have worried, despite her claims that she was the boss and I was her puppet, she left me to run the group with help from lovely members. The group flourished and hearing messages from members who praised what I was doing (and even in some instances stating that it had changed their lives), it meant the whole world to me. For eight whole months I did not hear a single whisper but then the bitchery began …
I woke up one morning to see that mine and the others admin’s messages were crammed with abusive, rude attacks on our leadership skills, claiming the group had gone ‘stale’ and essentially berating all the hard work we had put into running ‘her group’. She was ungrateful and inconsiderate and didn’t care that I was running a huge group, putting up threads and messaging members, while the other admin sorted through any nonreciprocating members and policed the group; in her very own words she made it look like she had never been away and we had done ‘jack all’. We sure didn’t need these negative vibes and tried to find a way to delete her from the group, especially as she was trying to get money from the members which I completely disagreed with. But sadly she remained part of the group, since she had created Bloggers United in the first place. Again she disappeared and once again the group resumed its normal activity. I work multiple jobs and run the group alongside a blog but if I ever couldn’t put up a thread because I was sick or exhausted there would always be a lovely member to help me out. We were a community, we were a family and we would never be broken. Except the nasty messages resumed, on the year anniversary that I had taken over Bloggers United, I again woke up to nasty messages but this time it was worse…
Last Tuesday, I woke up with a jolt and sensed that something was not right. I checked the group and saw that the original founder had put up a pinned post essentially promoting her own business and trying to get money from the members again, so of course I unpinned it. Blogging has never been just about the money for me and I am not keen on people using groups to try and force people to subscribe to ‘their services’. What followed next were a sequence of events that saw me publicly humiliated, abusive messages and even an attempt to blackmail me. I had just come home from work and didn’t need this kind of negative energy ruining mine or the other admins name. I felt crushed and I felt heart broken. I was called names and she even put up public posts stating how she was back in charge and that I was basically shit at running the group. It made me so angry, how dare she tell other members that I was not capable when excuse my French she had done fuck all in the time that I had been an admin? I asked her to delete her nasty posts about me and we resumed the argument over messenger.
She claimed she was not discrediting our hard work but when someone undermines your hard work and pretends that I was ‘only assisting them’, I am sorry but wake up and smell the bulls**t, because in my world basic bitches are not wanted. Because I dared to question her negative attitude, both me and the other admin were removed as admins. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling and rang my best friend who was able to calm me down as I was in the middle of a panic attack. I had the idea to start a new group where I would have full control and not be told what I could and couldn’t and the love and support I received from members were a salve for my wounded heart. When I say that bloggers are the best community you could ever find, I mean it. With the exception of a few basic bitches, the majority have been nothing but loving and kind to me and my other blogging friends.
But the drama was still unfolding and I was horrified by what happened next. Not only did she delete the threads I had put up where many members had participated but she also put up more sly posts about me and basically made out as though she had been the one working hard all year and not us. She claimed she removed as because she was back now and the fact that I was getting offended by all her nasty comments was ‘laughable’. In fact she stated that I had only assisted with running the group and never followed her rules. Well excuse me, if you have been away for a year and I don’t agree with your policies then like hell am I going to pander to your every singular need, especially when you dare to critique who I am as a person and as an admin. No I am sorry, it does not work like that. I always give people a Second Chance but you had a chance too many and while I can forgive and forget, I will never be your friend again, not now, not ever. Because what kind of person threatens someone half her age and threatens to do horrible things to her? As soon as she found out that I had created a separate group (International Bloggers United) she told me that not only did I need to take it down but if I didn’t she would be ‘sure to tell Bloggers United’ and all the other groups that she was part of ‘ the issues she had with me – what issues were these exactly?- and spread rumors about me in the blogging world. She blocked me from the group and called me a joke, more nasty messages had ensued and the only option was to block her basic bitch ass. She tried to blackmail me into being the puppet that she so obviously craved but it didn’t work and do you know why it didn’t work? Because the only thing she was after was money.
It was the morning after and once again I was sent messages from other members who wanted to know what had happened. But it seemed that my attempts to stay positive had worked and a digital media manager who had reached out to me previously about buying the group (to which I had said no) brought the group off the original founder and made me admin once more. Again its not my group but at least I now have a new group International Bloggers United which I have full control of. I am thankful to him because he rescued my baby and helped me because it would be mutually beneficial to the both of us. Despite how upset or angry I might come across in this post, I have had time to process everything that has happened and realized that it must have been fate. Although I was sent abusive messages, bullied and blackmailed I managed to get her removed from my group entirely, regain full control as admin and set up a new smaller group too. I don’t hate her but I do pity her. She sold the group in 45 minutes, because clearly she didn’t care enough about the group to put up a fight. When I was given a very good offer that could have solved all my money issues and not have me struggling to pay rent every month I refused. And do you know why? Because when you are passionate about something, money is not the biggest concern.
Have you ever had a situation were you have been blackmailed or cyber bullied?
Please note, I have now had the time to process the hurt, let go and move on with my life. It happened but I didn’t let it take over my life, after all I have my own issues to think about without extra people getting involved. Always remember ‘If you can’t love yourself then how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?’
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Rakhi says
It is a great group for posting threads and we must stay humble to others, rude behavior gives others a wrong impression.
You don’t need those sorts of people, they will bring you down
Amer says
I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that. You’re doing an excellent job. As always, you look stunning. Love, love that outfit.
Beth Owen says
Oh wow! I just want to give you a big hug. It makes me so sad that there are people like that around. I can’t stand bullies!
Nayna Kanabar says
What an awful thing to happen, I am glad that things improved and you can take the group forward to better things.
Samantha Lindley says
That’s terrible behaviour – how could she try to charge bloggers that were essentially in the group to help each other?
Style & Life by Susana says
I’m sorry but what a f**king rude, unappreciative, ungrateful, selfish little b*itch!! After all of the amazing work you had done. Well, take a few breathes in, let it go and move on because karma has plans for her one day!! You have now created an amazing group that I’m apart of and you will make this THE blog group to be in on Facebook. You got this girl, you are fabulous and a beautiful soul x
http://www.susanalopessnarey.com
Ana De- Jesus says
You are so lovely hun! She tried to make me out to be a bad person and undermined all the hard work me and the other admins had done but it didn’t work because people knew the truth! Some even thought that I was the original founder of the group so it just goes to show who was the one putting in all the hard work! Thanks for your sweet comment, hope you are ok xx
I didn’t realize blogging groups like this one even existed until less than six months ago. After joining a number of them .. I realized each really has it’s own vibe. Bloggers United quickly became my favorite for a number of reasons. The main ones being: 1. Everyone participating in the threads made a genuine effort to complete them. 2. I really enjoyed the variety (and quality) of member’s content. In most cases it was written with a more mature voice. 3. There wasn’t a lot of self-promoting or spam-type content to wade through. Instead the same predictable threads were posted each day.
Therefore when I logged in the day of the “take-over” I was dismayed! What’s happening?
Ana .. I’m so glad you’ve been able to step back and put some mental space between yourself and the other. Bravo to you! You stayed true to who you are. People can sense that in a person .. that they’re good and willing to stand up for what is right. I’m convinced that’s why all of the members love you so.
Emma @ Adventures of a London Kiwi says
I never understand the need for people to tear others down. How is that in any way good?
robin rue says
It’s really too bad that she pulled something like that. Like you said, you put in a ton on time to help get that group going and make it better – and it’s not like you were getting paid. You did it in your spare time. What the hell is wrong with some people?
Amber Myers says
Wow, I cannot believe how awful some adults behave. That is just horrible. I’m sorry you went through that nonsense.
I have been cyberbullied before. Some people don’t list my posts or how I parent, so I can receive some pretty negative messages. I’ve learned to brush them off, but I still always wonder why people have to be so nasty. Clearly they live unhappy lives.
Victoria Lola says
Such a horrible person she is! I’m glad you were able to win and move past that. #InternationalBloggersUnitedAllTheWay :*
Blair villanueva says
I agree that sometimes in FB grouos there are tons if unnecessary dramas, but i applaud what your did (slap that bitch!). I haven’t bullied online, and i know many who are, but sometimes being silent is not the best remedy. Sometimes you have to fight back and let them know you can’t be bullied.
Viktoria says
I don’t know what to say. People…..I’m in the group and I love how supportive everyone is. I hope that she won’t cause you any more trouble!
Janet Yarwood says
Sounds like a horrible situation. I’m glad you managed to turn it into a positive with your new group
Stephanie Merry says
What a horrible situation to be in, lucky I’ve not experienced anything like this before x
As others have said there’s just no point in having these sort of people in your life!
Dustin says
I just joined the group and you seem to be doing great! Keep it up
It’s so awful when people are like that, especially when you’ve worked so hard to get somewhere, and to help others too! I’m glad you’ve had time to process it all now and that hopefully you’re letting the negativity go!
Lauren | http://www.thelifeofastudentblogger.blog
So sad and bitter for her to react that way, you made the group to what it was and yet she claimed it all. Everyone knew the truth but must have still been difficult for you!
I only recently joined the group in question so I missed all of this but I am so sad that you were targeted in this way. It sounds like jealousy to me, and well done you for standing up for yourself. I hope now you can carry on doing a great job in the group and I hope to get involved more in the threads.
Natasha Kendall says
I really cannot stand it when admin of FB groups become power hungry. I’m in a few groups, some are okay, some are not – Their rules are sometimes crazy and don’t apply to them, just the people they try to make £££ off! Glad it’s all sorted now. P.S. Love the shoes!
Juliana Chow says
I love the deconstructed shirt dress! It looks amazing on you 😍 You have such a great style x
Well done for maintaining your sense of perspective on it and for not letting her drag you down. It sounds like it was a really awful time for you. I think that some people think that sitting on a keyboard gives them an excuse to be vile. I always think that if I wouldn’t say it to their face then I won’t say it on social media. No need for it. We shouldn’t be tearing each other down but instead supporting and encouraging. There is room for all of us and it is sad when some bloggers turn on each other. I hope that you can move on now.
Baby Isabella says
Thankfully my mummy hasn’t experienced the dark side of blogging or social media….yet. She never realised all this went on behind closed doors 🙁 Sounds like you are strong. Just try and put it behind you xx sorry you are going through this x
emma white says
So pleased to hear it got sorted out in the end as I know how much time and effort you put into that group x Head high and soldier on x People like that can not bring you down x
I am supporting you, and many other people are doing the same! Keep going! By the way, amazing look 😉
I’m so sorry that you had to go through such a horrible situation after putting such hard work and love into that group. I’m so glad someone stepped in and bought the group and this person is no longer a part of the group. Now you are back there and also have your own little group and everyone will be so much better off without this bully involved.
So happy to have you in charge. I’m so excited for what is to come in the new FB group 🙂 The outfit is gorgeous, hun!! Keep going!
She was only looking for ways to make money. She was never interested in the group, she probably sold it for nothing, not seeing the value in it. I guess she was unable to make money with her own skills, as shown by her astonishingly big Facebook page of 34 likes. People like her don’t deserve anything but their misery.
It’s so funny, I recently did a shoot with this top. I love how you styled it. BTW you are doing an amazing job. Don’t let anyone dim your light.
Janet T says
I don’t know this group but I do feel sad to read stories like this. I wish the blogger world was kinder. I hope things improve for you.
Sondra Barker says
That is really unfortunate that you had to deal with that, sad that people really only care about themselves and what benefits them. And that is horrible that she called you out and bullied you I am so sorry you had to go through that! I am supporting you and you look amazing love the outfit and that pop of blue.
http://prettyfitfoodie.com/2017/04/09/foodies-going-crazy-national-grilled-cheese-day/
Celeste B Purposed says
This is so unfortunate to hear. Yes, I have encountered numerous people who have been overly judgmental behind my back and smile when we are face-to-face. Like you said, I am not mad at the person, I pity them for they are lost and still trying to find themselves. But, kudos to you for not allowing the bs to keep you down. We cry then we take action. That is what true professionals do. I have been around BU for awhile now and am very used to your name as admin. I probably
Same here and I just do not get why people are so judgy and talk behind our backs. Grow up already.
I have created several groups and when things got bad with certain members I would just remove them from the group. I had co-admin’s who helped me out and when the group became too overwhelming from complaining people I Took a step back and let them take over .
Jayne @ Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs says
So sorry to hear this Ana, you don’t need that negativity around you! I’ve just requested to join your group 🙂 x
Dani says
It makes me so sad to hear about arguments and bullying in the blogging community! 🙁
We should be united not fighting!
Your shoes are gorgeous 🙂
Dani x
So glad to hear it got sorted out in the end. By the way, I love your dress; that is really cute. And I love the pops of blue in this look.
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Nay says
I’m so sorry you’ve been treated this way. What an awful way to treat someone.
kathryn Maher says
Hi Ana, can’t tell you how much Bloggers United means to me and the community of bloggers that I am getting to know through it. I am going through a very tough time of my life personally and my blog and Bloggers United has kept me sane. Besides that , it has focused me and my blog is growing steadily because of it. Thanks so much Ana for all you’ve done to keep this group going. Onwards and upwards…….XXX
Musings of a tired mummy...zzz... says
I’m lucky I have only had positive experiences and found other bloggers to be really friendly. I think you are right to feel sorry for her because she has to live with herself…
I really hate it when some people start on others bloggers I’ve seen nastiness around and feel its uncalled for.
I do try and stay out of this kind of negativity I hope u get on well with the group u have set up.
fashionmommy says
So glad that this story at least had a happy ending, it is horrifying that someone would treat a person who had worked so hard in this way.
I’m glad you won over her, what a horrible person. I have joined the group now
Hugs to you, girl! You need to release those blah people from your soul and move on.
thesocialbeing721 says
Sorry you went through this, no one should have to. The best thing you can do is not put up with it and remove yourself from the situation. Good job handling a tough circumstance.
Lyndsey O'Halloran says
Ru Paul has some wise words!! Glad you’ve managed to move on
Sauumye says
Threads are actually very useful!! They help you get traffic & exposure. I love them. I’m a part of both the groups & it’s amazing sharing my work there & seeing what everyone else had to offer.
Nellwyn says
Wow I’m always shocked by how nasty people can be online. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that!
danasia fantastic says
Bloggers can be so cruel to each other! I’m so sorry that happened. I think I might be a part of that group- if so I’m unfollowing it now.
Don’t worry I am back as admin of it now and she is no longer in the group, so feel free to stay. Thank you that means a lot xx
DR says
Haven’t been in the group for long but loving it. Anyway who can’t see the amazing job you are doing are. to me, fools. Outstanding its a group i’m so glad to be a part of.
Sandra crespo says
We definitely do not need to keep negative energy around us! I’m glad that you were able to move on from this situation and leave it behind you
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
That’s just horrible. This is why I keep my circle tiny, including my online presence when it comes to groups. People are just so, I don’t even have the word for it.
Kristina Paché Ferency says
Sending a virtual hug! I find it disgusting and sickening how grown adults feel the need to bully others. I hope if they have children they do better than their parent. I’ve never been cyber bullied personally but it shouldn’t be tolerated and the negativity isn’t needed.
David Elliott says
That’s great that you were able to make it through all of the bullying she was doing. I can only imagine how rough it must have been when you felt personally invested. Glad it’s over now.
OMG! I am so sorry to read this. I hate drama. I love being an admin for BGS, but sometimes the drama I see is crazy. I hate that you had to experience this. You’re always so sweet to me when I tag you as a reminder. xoxo
I’m sorry you had to experience this. Bullying is awful and not acceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated. You would think grown adults would know better.
Amanda Love says
I can only imagine what it was like. Pouring so much of your time and effort only to have it taken away from you in a blink of an eye. I am so glad that everything is back to normal.
Elizabeth O. says
I was heartbroken when I saw the group. You’ve dedicated so much of yourself into that group and it was painful to see it all taken away. There were so many changes and I considered leaving since it stung to see how the group has become. It’s so nice to have you back Ana! Keep it up!
Hi Ana. I feel so sorry for what happened to you. I can’t forget how you helped me when I was unable to add my client to the group. You went ahead and approved her request to join within minutes of my message to you. I am so grateful that you helped me that day. I had joined a comment thread the day before the “take-over” and I was horrified to find the thread missing and a new admin running the group! I am happy that you are back in the reins and that we can now say bye bye to that person who caused you all this hurt and trouble! Oh, BTW, I put in a request to join the other smaller group too. Looking forward to collaborating with all the wonderful bloggers out there. Well, I know this comment is getting to be lengthy, but I just want to say, “Welcome back!” and keep inspiring!
G&D Blog says
Bad experiences like those, make you stronger. Continue thinking that way, you’re on the right track girl. Still, more people are here to brighten up your day, and those people are just down, coz they know you’re on the top. Stay fab girl! *snap snap snap
WhatLauraLoves says
OMG I cant believe that happened to you, so awful. You dont deserve to be treated like that at all. You’re so hard working and so kind xxx
Bel says
Wow. This bullying thing is real. I’m sorry you had to got through that. Groups are hard work, coupled with your own blog and all. I hope you feel better now.
I love being part of your two of the groups. It’s so awful when people are like that so mean.
Cindy Ingalls says
Luckily, I haven’t dealt with this situation. But wow, what a nightmare. I don’t get the hostility you faced because there really wasn’t a reason for it. So glad she is gone and you are back to running a successful and positive group.
Dannii says
I am sorry that you had to go through this – people on the internet can be horrible.
Anmaria Djong says
When money is the only thing that people after, they ignore human and friendship. Don’t worry, you are in much better place. Don’t walk away from negative people..RUN as fast as you could. I am so sorry to hear you have to go through this. Know that you are much supported and love by many.
Love your outfit and the shoe is the killer though.
Tereza says
What a terrible terrible thing to do to another person! I can’t even believe people lower themselves to spend their precious time on humiliating others. What a waste! So happy for you to have set up your own group – I’ve joined it just! You work so hard and it’s hard for me to imagine someone putting you down so bad! Chin up buttercup, they are not worth it!! xx
I’ve seen how hard you worked on that bloggers group and it’s always been so awesome of you to manage it for fellow bloggers to flourish. I think it’s great that you were able to get it back. That owner is nothing but greedy and she only wants money.
Why anyone feels the need to dish this out or put up with it is beyond me, life is too short!
Britta says
Oh my gosh I didn’t even know that all that was going on. Well done you for staying true to your ideals and being so graceful and mature! I am glad you are back in control of the group, I for sure really appreciate the hard work you are doing there!
Rose Sahetapy says
I always wonder how can anyone be so mean? Thank God, everything has been sorted out, and you handle it full with grace. Thank you for your positivity that you keep sharing with us.
Anna nuttall says
Wow Ana she sound like a complete nutjob. What a nasty cow. I had a blogger recently being nasty to me – it was awful. So I know how you feel!!
Jesus, what a total butt munch! I am trully appalled but this idiotic womans behaviour! I am truly sorry that she had dealt with you like this, but look at this way, every cloud has a silver lining, and I am extremly proud of all the hard work you have put into the group.
Cath - BattleMum says
Wow Ana, what a horrible situation. There are always people out there happy to freeload and take credit where it isn’t due. It happens to my hubby in his line of work all the time. But you’ve done the right thing in getting rid of that toxic person from your life. I fully believe in karma and I doubt whoever she is will make as much money as she is hoping to. She doesn’t deserve it with her behaviour. You are a strong lady and have come away with your principles and dignity. That person has none clearly!
Harriet from Toby & Roo says
Yikes Ana, this sounds like a whole host of drama – I try to just stay well away from these things! H 🙂 x
shannon ritchie says
What an awful experience! I am so sorry you had to go through that! Her selling it just shows that she was only in it for her own personal gain and not to connect with other bloggers, she is obviously a selfish person!
Hannah Marie says
You went through a tough time because of that but I admire you for loving what you are doing and staying positive. Some people are mean.
Clair says
What a mean bean. It is not nice to bring people down, what do they achieve by doing that!?
Fashion and Style Police says
Yes I saw a bit of the drama online. What a shame. Good you have your own group now.
Reesa Lewandowski says
I am sorry this happened to you. It’s so easy to hide behind a computer.
Some people really do need to get a life, I mean honestly, all this bitching is not the reason that we are here on this earth I am sure! x
Nadine Cathleen says
Oh no, that’s horrible! I can’t stand it when people knowingly take credit for someone else’s work without even mentioning them.. Good thing that all is sorted now and you are back in charge 🙂 X
It sounds like you went through a hell of a lot! It can only get better!
omg, what a horrible story. I’m glad you had the great idea of creating a new group that I’m sure it will be very successful and will help lot of people xx
Dusica says
I hope you or anyone else will not go through something like this again. Wish you keep up good work.
aish das-padihari says
Sorry to hear that negative people made you feel bad. You look lovely and those blue sandals are awesome.
Hey Sharonoox says
Sorry to hear that happened to you. Social media can be a very scary. It’s hurtful but glad to hear that you’ve let go and move on.
Mal says
Now you’ve got your own, amazing group. You don’t need that other one, you can make it on your own – as you already were ! You’re in charge, love!
I’m sorry you went through all of this! I would recommend staying away from the drama and starting your own group.
Krystel | Disney on a Budget says
Blogging is the perfect outlet and really should never be about the money. Your outfit is perfect btw
CourtneyLynne says
Omg I’m so sorry that happened to you!!! Blogging definitely has a dark side that’s for sure. I see it more and more often these days and ughh…. I wish people would be more genuine and not all about money and numbers
Kit Stanwood says
Wow that stinks. I would have started another group like you did and just messaged every member of the other group to come over to the new one and say that one was shutting down haha.
I think it’s unprofessional and juvenile when group administrators behave like that, but I think you handled it pretty well! I’ve encountered plenty of people like that over the years.
It always stinks when you put your heart and self into something and it gets insulted and torn down. I’m really sorry this all happened.
Katriza Luna says
Aww that is awful what you went through! It’s crazy how mean people can be and for no good reason either! you’re doing an amazing job and I just love this beautiful outfit! I’m not sure if I could pull it off but it looks amazing on you!
Anosa says
I was totally surprised to learn people can actually sale blogger groups like how does that happen? Don’t we create them for supporting one another? Wow, anyway Hun love you’re back in charge as I was gonnna delete myself from that group
Annie B says
Goodness! I think I joined that group at some point but that is totally not the kind of thing I want to be involved with. How rude people can be is crazy xx
Ana, I’m so incredibly sorry you’ve had to deal with all this. Karma is inescapable, so she’ll get what she’s dealt. You are so very strong. Xx
Newcastle Family Life says
It always makes me sad that other bloggers can be so mean to one another, she really does not sound like a very nice person at all. I have never heard of anyone buying a group before x
I had no idea these sorts of things went on in the groups! How unappreciative and rude! It’s good you have another group now because you don’t need her negativity in your life!
Kat| Kitty & B says
Your passion comes across so strongly and I applaud you for getting through this with dignity and integrity. You’ve fought for what you believe and only good things can come to you from this. I’ll be joining your new group! 😘
Tanya Brannan says
What an absolutely horrible person she is! I can’t believe a grown adult would act in this manner, however it shows the lady that you are, one who won’t be browbeaten into submission.
Oh and by the way, how do I join your groups??
I’m so sorry to hear that Ana that’s an awful thing to go through. Some people can be so mean.
CATALINA NINI says
I never understood why people are bitching around just so they can prove they are important ?!? F*ck that ! Spreading negativity about somebody says a lot about the person who does it and sometimes easy manipulated people can`t see it. I am so angry and sad you had to go through all this situation Ana but I am so happy it all sorted out and you are in charge again. Yey !!
You are one heck of a fighter Ana. You don’t let people bring you down and when one door closes, you make sure the right one opens! Go you!! Plus in the end she got her Karma and you got the pay off of your hard work in the group. I’m sorry you had to deal with the drama and hurt, but people see through the mean hearted ones and with an attitude like that the woman isn’t going to make it very far. Xoxo
That sounds like way too much drama to have to deal with. I’m so sorry it happened to you. I refuse to admin any groups because I was admin for a large parenting forum (back before everyone moved to FB), and it was kind of a nightmare at times. Nothing like the nightmare you described, though. I’m glad you have your own group now that you have total control over, and I’ll be checking it out!
Wow what a horrible experience. So not what blogging should be about xx
The London Mum says
So sorry you’ve had to go through all this over someone else being greedy and wanting to believe it was their work.
Afshan Nasim says
How awful! There is no need for such behaviour. You were helping the group and it isn’t good to undermine you or anyone.
Lyndsey says
A lot of people are just ridiculous and you have to feel sorry for them because they obviously are very unhappy to act that way!
This is such a sad state of affairs, I can’t see why people behave in such immature ways, Inguess it stems from being insecure or feeling threatened. Just dont let a small bunch of evil minded people spoil what you have achieved.
Kerry norris says
So sorry to hear that. Sounds like a lot of drama that you don’t need in your life
I am so sorry to hear you ever had to go through this!! In the end, it looks like it all turned out in your favor!
Lilinha says
I am sorry to hear what you have been through. Sending you hugs! 🙂
Anvita says
Omg!seriously you have been through so much. You have done such abgreat job with that group and i was wondering what was going on as something did seem off. Glad tohear it all from you and guess what already loving International Bloggers United. If you could do it once, nothing will stop you from making it big again. All the best and thank you for everything you do. Hugs
Olivia Thristan says
That’s awful, honestly. I don’t know why people think it is okay to throw things people do for them in their faces. As well as being generally just vile.
You seem lovely, keep being amazing sweet! x
I can’t believe that all this horrible stuff happened! You are doing an absolutely fabulous job running that group so thank you very much!
Kimberly c. says
Wow I always thought you started and ran Bloggers United since you were the only admin I had dealt with. So glad I read this because i didnt know you started another group. Just submitted my join request. To me you are doing a great job and girl….let your haters be your motivators!
Bullying like this really upsets me! I can sympathize with it wholehearted after being horribly bullied most of my life. People want to spread lies and hate about you when you’ve achieved something they wanted to do. Rise above it (as you did) and things will work out right. Glad to be a part of this group with you at the helm.
Ellie | http://www.scotchandstilettos.com
Helen at Casa Costello says
I never fail to be surprised how us women don’t support each other enough. We are not all nasty though -I’m so glad to hear that you are not letting one person’s nastiness stop you. From reading the comments above its nice to see that you have support.
I hate how much drama some of the blogger groups have. I’m sorry you went through this. What a horrible experience.
Tania Potter - Soul Sense Coaching says
Honestly, Ana, it was like an alien invasion! It was the weirdest experience and must have been quite devastating for you. I was so impressed that you rose above it as majestically as you did. You go girl!
Vlad says
Thank you Ana for being so open and authentic with us. You don’t see many admins doing that. Regarding the issue that happened, it’s good that everything turned out well in the end. Thank you for being a great leader & admin 🙂
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
What an awful situation, well done to you for trying to stay positive and letting your hard work shine through.
Kira says
I completely agree with everything you’ve said! People should not be like that at all. It is just horrible to not acknowledge other peoples hard work and then to post about you like that is just horrible! I’m glad things are better now! Definitely don’t need basic bitches like that in our lives!
Ickle Pickle says
Oh how terrible! I join in some groups but haven’t with this one. I hope all is ok now. Kaz x
Megan at Lush to Blush says
Omgosh! I’m sorry you had such a horrible experience! I’ve never understood why grown women (or anyone for that matter) engage in bullying. There are so many more important things to focus on in life! I’m glad you’ve been able to move on from the hurt 🙂
Angela Ricardo Bethea says
As much as possible, I stay out of drama and negative vibes on blogging community and even in my personal life. It’s a small world after all. I’m so sorry to hear about what happen. Btw, your outfit looks really lovely!
I am so sorry to hear about that experience, totally sucks! at least now you have your own group! I love your outfit, too.
katrina gehman says
it sucks but it’s all around us no matter how much we want to be in control. there are times that we aren’t. hopfeully you can distance yourself from the majority of it.
Very cute outfit. Your style is so cute, bitches know this.
Katrina Jean Carter says
Ana, you look incredibly stunning in this outfit. You are so right about the blogging community being the most welcoming and supportive. I am in awe just finding out about this as I journey through it. As for the incident, I am glad to hear you handled the situation right and that everything still fell into place! I joined both groups 🙂
That totally sucks! I try to stay out of drama as much as possible (i just don’t like negative vibes) I’m sorry to hear that that happened. all best wishes and positivity xx btw i love your outfit!
Gracie Gill says
I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that. Good thing you acted matured and not let that person drag you down. I just wish all bloggers would really unite and help each other. Though there might really be immature people along the way. Bloggers United is one of my favorites too. It helps me with my traffic! Thank you!
Shoshana Sue says
I joined the group a day ago and I missed all this drama. Just wow! People can be so horrible and can drain you if you all not strong. I’m glad you stood your ground through all that.
Kacie says
I am sure deep down she knows that you were better than her at running the group and so that’s why she sold it – but it’s a shame she got to profit off your hard work.
Louisa says
It must have been so frustrating going through this but you came out the better person for sure. Some people are just very negative and like to perpetuate negativity. Glad you got yourself out and away from that person.
That is crazy! I cannot believe all this happened. I dip in and out of the group and thought you owned it because you do all the work on there. I never saw it kicking off but honestly it doesn’t surprise me. Facebook groups can either be brilliant or totally hostile and I have no idea why. It’s like people go on a power trip or something. Glad you got the group back in order but it’s a shame the original owner profited from it.
denajayne says
I’ve not heard of the drama that’s been going on! I also love the blue heels! xo
They sound like an awful human being! I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, but well done for you for being the bigger person. No one needs people like that in their lives!
Oh my goodness Ana, I had no idea that this kind of thing happens in Facebook groups. I’m so sorry that you were treated this way – it’s horrible :'(
Lena Hedges says
Oh my goodness!! I had no idea. I’m a member of that group and had seen all your input . How awful of her to react like that . I feel terribly for you !! Well done you for speaking out . Xx
Jennifer Pilgrim | Mom Skills says
I am in that group but I must have missed the drama. I don’t remember it having many like for like threads but if it did, it doesn’t any more. Sorry for the stress you have been having! Take it as a lesson not to work hard for someone else for free, only do it for yourself. I just asked to join your new group and look forward to participating. Best wishes!!
Via Bella says
You know we love you Ana! You do an amazing job! I am so glad you are back in the group and running it. You are doing fabulous. I am sorry you were treated that way! XO
~ http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/
Yaya says
You’ve handled the entire situation in such a graceful manner. I think you are magnificent and have managed the group in such a professional manner. So glad to see you at the helm again. X
You’ve done it with graceful manner, and shame on them. Stay away on those people and learn to be more firm.
Keely's Nails says
I’m so sorry Ana, she sounds dreadful! I’ve already put in a request to join your group 👍🏻
Kathy Myers says
I saw some of this and was so worried about losing such a great support group. I was thrilled when I found out you had taken over for good. Thanks for all your hard work!!
Charlotte Evans says
Oh Ana this sounds awful, I run a group too but tbh I’ve left it to my co-admin to run it whilst I’ve been unwell and I can’t imagine ever speaking to someone who had helped me out for that long so rudely. I’ll be joining your group and good luck with it all 🙂 xx
Emmanuel Dotse says
wow! that was an awful experience. im glad you’ve been able to get out of it. stay strong, you are doing a great job
Noblandmakeup says
Girl, I just want to thank you for the fight you put up to make the group what it is. I’m recently active again, as I’m finally back to blogging and doing YouTube, and this group has helped me so much. Seriously. I’ve found so many cool blogs that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and hopefully a few blogger friends. I just want you to know your hard work is extremely appreciated.
Rhian Westbury says
I was so shocked to hear all the stuff about the bloggers united group but I am so glad you’re back running it again x
Issu says
It’s been almost a year that I know this group, and you were one of the admins that worked hard to keep it right and to keep the rules going along with the others. I thank you for all your efforts! She just cares for money. As you can see, if she loved the group then she wouldn’t sell it no matter how much money she would get.
Oh wow! So sorry about that. You seem a lovely person. Bless and release, don’t let anyone bring you down
http://Www.chelsea-Elizabeth.co.uk
Jacqui Paterson (@JaxFortyNorth) says
This just goes to prove that if you take the high road and keep it classy, you’ll always end up on back on top. Ignore those sad little haters! x
Elisabete says
Hi, just wanna say you make an amazing work. Keep it up! And also you look stunning is this outfit, love that dress xx
Lubka Henry says
Oh, I can’t believe this has happened to you, but I can understand now.
I guess it was the same founder who blocked me out of the same group after I made a short remark on her behavior. After that it follow a rampage from her on my DM – about where I’m even from and what’s my culture. I simply told her that it’s obvious she’s banned from the group, so there is no need to be offensive any more. What is done is done, so let’s move on and carry with our lives.
It must have been really upsetting for you though – after you’ve put so much work, effort and your own time into that group. Shame!
Knowing now that you have a new group, I will join the party there :))
She was probably just intimidated by you for doing such a good job. Walk away head held high and start your own group 🙂
Erin F says
UGH I am SO sorry you had to deal with this. I know exactly the group you’re referring to and I had always thought you had done an amazing job. It’s hard work (and something I don’t think I could ever do!) and you seem to do awesome at keeping everything organized. Thank you for all you do in that group, it’s greatly appreciated!
Natalie Ann Redman says
Love that dress. It’s horrible that you had to go through all that abuse!
Whitney Abigail says
having your work undermined is the worse but at least you dont have that negativity in your life anymore x
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Fairytalez.com » Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales » The Maiden of Unai
The Maiden of Unai
Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales March 21, 2015
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The Maiden of Unai was fair as an earthly deity, but the eyes of man might not behold her. She dwelt in a hidden place in her father’s house, and of what cheer she made the live-long day not a soul could tell, but her father who kept watch, and her mother who kept ward, and her ancient nurse who tended her. The cause was this.
When the maid was about seven years old, with her black hair loose and hanging to her shoulder, an ancient man, a traveller, came, footsore and weary, to her father’s house. He was made welcome, served with rice and with tea, whilst the master of the house sat by, and the mistress, to do him honour. Meanwhile the little maid was here and there, catching at her mother’s sleeve, pattering with bare feet over the mats, or bouncing a great green and scarlet ball in a corner. And the stranger lifted his eyes and marked the child.
After he had eaten, he called for a bowl of clear water, and taking from his wallet a handful of fine silver sand he let it slip through his fingers and it sank to the bottom of the bowl. In a little he spoke.
“My lord,” he said to the master of the house, “I was hungry and weary, and you have fed me and refreshed me. I am a poor man and it is hard for me to show my gratitude. Now I am a soothsayer by profession, very far-famed for the skill of my divination. Therefore, in return for your kindness I have looked into the future of your child. Will you hear her destiny?”
The child knelt in a corner of the room bouncing her green and scarlet ball.
The master of the house bade the soothsayer speak on.
This one looked down into the bowl of water where the sand was, and said: “The Maiden of Unai shall grow up fairer than the children of men. Her beauty shall shine as the beauty of an earthly deity. Every man who looks upon her shall pine with love and longing, and when she is fifteen years old there shall die for her sake a mighty hero from near, and a valiant hero from afar. And there shall be sorrow and mourning because of her, loud and grievous, so that the sound of it shall reach High Heaven and offend the peace of the gods.”
The master of the house said, “Is this a true divination?”
“Indeed, my lord,” said the soothsayer, “it is too true.” And with that he bound on his sandals, and taking his staff and his great hat of rice-straw, he spoke no other word, but went his ways; neither was he any more seen nor heard tell of upon that country-side.
And the child knelt in a corner of the room, bouncing her green and scarlet ball.
The father and mother took counsel.
The mother wept, but she said, “Let be, for who can alter the pattern set up upon the looms of the weaving women of Heaven?” But the father cried, “I will fight. I will avert the portent; the thing shall not come to pass. Who am I that I should give credence to a dog of a soothsayer who lies in his teeth?” And though his wife shook her head and moaned, he gave her counsel no heed, for he was a man.
So they hid the child in a secret chamber, where an old wise woman tended her, fed her, bathed her, combed her hair, taught her to make songs and to sing, to dance so that her feet moved like rosy butterflies over the white mats, or to sit at a frame with a wonder of needlework stretched upon it, drawing the needle and the silken thread hour after hour.
For eight years the maid set eyes upon no human being save her father, her mother, and her nurse, these three only. All the day she spent in her distant chamber, far removed from the sights and the sounds of the world. Only in the night she came forth into her father’s garden, when the moon shone and the birds slept and the flowers had no colour. And with every season that passed the maid grew more beautiful. Her hair hung down to her knees and was black as a thundercloud. Her forehead was the plum blossom, her cheek the wild cherry, and her mouth the flower of the pomegranate. At fifteen years old she was the loveliest thing that ever saw the light, and the sun was sick with jealousy because only the moon might shine upon her.
In spite of all, the fame of her beauty became known, and because she was kept so guarded men thought of her the more, and because she might not be seen men longed to behold her. And because of the mystery and the maiden, gallants and warriors and men of note came from far and near and flocked to the house of Unai; and they made a hedge about it with themselves and their bright swords; and they swore that they would not leave the place till they had sight of the maid, and this they would have either by favour or by force.
Then the master of the house did even as he must, and he sent her mother to bring the maid down. So the mother went, taking with her a robe of grey silk and a great girdle of brocade, green and gold; and she found the maid, her daughter, sitting in her secret chamber singing.
The maid sang thus:
“Nothing has changed since the time of the gods, Neither the running of water nor the way of love.”
And the mother was astonished and said, “What manner of song is this, and where heard you of such a thing as love?”
And she answered, “I have read of it in a book.”
Then they took her, her mother and the wise woman, and they tied her hair and pinned it high upon her head with gold and coral pins, and held it with a great lacquer comb. She said, “How heavy it is!”
While they dressed her in the robe of grey silk, and tied the girdle of brocade, first she shuddered and said, “I am cold.” Then they would have thrown over her a mantle broidered with plum blossom and pine, but she would have none of it, saying, “No, no, I burn.”
They painted her lips with beni, and when she saw it she murmured, “Alack, there is blood upon my lips!” But they led her down and out on to a balcony, where the men who were assembled might see her. She was fairer than the children of men, and her beauty shone like the beauty of an earthly deity. And all the warriors who were there looked upon her and were silent, for already they were faint with love and longing. And the maid stood with eyes cast down, and slowly the hot blush rose to her cheek and she was lovelier than before.
Three or four score men of name sought her hand, being distraught for love of her, and amongst them were two braver and nobler than the rest. The one came from afar and was the champion of Chinu, and the other came from near, the champion of Unai. They were young, strong, and black-haired. They were equal in years, in strength, and in valour. Both were girded with great swords, and full-charged quivers were upon their backs, and six-foot bows of white wood were in their hands. Together they stood beneath the balcony of the maiden of Unai, like twin brothers in beauty and attainments. Together they cried aloud with passionate voices, telling of their eternal love, and bidding the maiden choose between them.
She lifted up her eyes and looked fixedly upon them, but spoke no word.
Then they drew their swords and made as if to fight the matter out there and then; but the maid’s father spoke: “Put up your swords, fair sirs; I have devised a better way for the decision of this thing. If it please you, enter my house.”
Now part of the house of Unai was built out upon a platform over the river that flowed past. It was the fifth month and the wistaria was in blossom upon the trellis, and hung downwards nearly into the water. The river was swift and deep. Here the master of the house brought the champions, and the maiden was there also. But the mother and the wise woman stood a little way apart, and hid their faces in their long sleeves. Presently a white water-bird dropped from the blue sky, and rocked to and fro upon the water of the river.
“Now, champions,” cried the father of the maiden, “draw me your bows and let fly each of you an arrow at yonder white bird that floats upon the river. He that shall strike the bird and prove himself to be the better marksman, he shall wed my daughter, the peerless Maiden of Unai.”
Then immediately the two champions drew their bows of white wood and let fly each of them an arrow. Each arrow sped swift; each arrow struck true. The champion of Chinu struck the water-bird in the head, but the champion of Unai struck her in the tail so that the white feathers were scattered. Then the champions cried, “Enough of this trifling. There is but one way.” And again their bright swords leapt from their scabbards.
But the maid stood trembling, holding the gnarled stem of the wistaria in her hands. She trembled and shook the branches so that the frail flowers fell about her. “My lords, my lords,” she cried, “oh, brave and beautiful heroes of fame, it is not meet that one of you should die for such as I am. I honour you; I love you both—therefore farewell.” With that, still holding to the wistaria, she swung herself clear of the balcony and dropped into the deep and swift-flowing river. “Weep not,” she cried, “for no woman dies to-day. It is but a child that is lost.” And so she sank.
Down sprang the champion of Chinu into the flood, and in the same instant down sprang the champion of Unai. Alack, they were heavy with the arms that they bore, and they sank and were entangled in the long water weeds. And so the three of them were drowned.
But at night when the moon shone, the pale dead rose, floating to the surface of the water. The champion of Unai held the maiden’s right hand in his own, but the champion of Chinu lay with his head against the maiden’s heart, bound close to her by a tress of her long hair; and as he lay he smiled.
The three corpses they lifted from the water, and laid them together upon a bier of fair white wood, and over them they strewed herbs and sweet flowers, and laid a veil over their faces of fine white silk. And they lighted fires and burned incense. Gallants and warriors and men of note who loved the maiden, alive or dead, stood about her bier and made a hedge with themselves and their bright swords. And there was sorrow and mourning, loud and grievous, so that the sound of it reached High Heaven and offended the peace of the gods.
A grave was dug wide and deep, and the three were buried therein. The maid they laid in the middle, and the two champions upon either side. Idzumo was the native place of the champion of Chinu, so they brought earth from thence in a junk, and with this earth they covered him.
So the maid slept there in the grave, the champions faithfully guarding her, for they had buried with them their bows of white wood and their good armour and their spears and their bright swords. Nothing was forgotten that is needful for adventure in the Land of Yomi.
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Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2019
Posted byElla Pace March 11, 2019 August 7, 2019 Posted inFestivals, MQFF
MQFF is in its twenty-ninth year, expanding upon the world’s oldest and largest exhibition of queer films. The festival’s growth is includes the diversification of exhibition spaces, including new partnerships with Village Cinema’s Jam Factory as well as ongoing collaborations with Cinema Nova and ACMI. Through this expansion, the festival coordinators aim to bring these films into mainstream spaces, with the representations of diverse identities and experiences presented with greater accessibility.
Running between March 14-25, the programme is positively mouth-watering in its selection of stories which frame queer experiences. Here are some of the more magnetic selections – but make sure you take a gander at the programme. Most of the selected films are by queer-identifying filmmakers and all tell stories sprung from the LGBTQIA+ community – bringing with it an indispensable treat of watching authentic experiences, not watered down for mainstream audiences. With over 120 feature films as well as 15 shorts sessions, MQFF is sure to be twelve celebratory days of unadulterated queer cinema.
Rafiki (Wanuri Kah, Kenya, 2018)
Friday, 15 March at 7.00pm – Village Jam Factory
Thursday, 21 March at 8.30pm – Cinema Nova
Rafiki is a dynamic portrayal of first love. Set on the streets of Nairobi, the Kenyan director Wanuri Kah. Kah was initially unable to release her film in her home country due to the nation’s extremely conservative political actions which criminalise LGBTQI+ peoples. The film was also featured at last year’s Melbourne International Film Festival and was a clear highlight amongst its queer film selection. Bathed in vibrant colours, the film organically blends an indelibly loveable, cute tone with the seriousness of Kenya’s political climate without feeling burdened. The performances by leads Samantha Magatsia and Sheila Munyvia are effervescent and irresistible – giving audiences the chance to seriously crush on them in a dreamy visual landscape.
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2018)
Saturday, 16 March at 5.00pm – ACMI
Saturday, 23 March at 3.00pm – Cinema Nova
This documentary feature is said to deepen the intrigue of definitively iconic queer doco The Celluloid Closet. The film aligns itself with ex-Hollywood socialite Scotty Bowers as his stories illuminate sexual exploits, seemingly uninhibited by hetero standards in Hollywood’s golden age. Scotty recounts stories about his ‘friends’ which included Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy – relationships formed during Hollywood’s most censored and repressed years. Comprised of interviews of Scotty and his family as well as archival footage, this doco looks like a queer Hollywood nerd’s fantasy – which is not as niche a demographic as one would think.
Knife+Heart (Yann Gonzales, France, 2018)
Friday, 22 March at 10.30pm – ACMI
Set in 1979 Paris, Knife+Heart centres itself on Anne, a producer of gay porn. The film was nominated last year for the Queer Palm at Cannes International Film Festeval and has been lauded for its visual language, soundscape (with soundtrack by M83) and performances. Described as unabashedly queer (a description which most films should have), the film is said to be as a comedy with brutalist undertones, exploring intersections of violence and passion, all captured through its female protagonist’s (quite literal) lens. It should be mentioned that the film features Vanessa Paradis who not only has the best teeth of any actor alive, but is an incredibly commanding and sensual screen presence.
Sorry Angel (Christophe Honouré, France, 2018)
Saturday, 23 March 5.00pm – Cinema Nova
Sorry Angel can be pitched as a sort of companion piece to 2017’s BPM which was featured at last year’s MQFF. Set in 1990s France, the film is a love story which resides in the shadow of the HIV/AIDs crisis. Despite this, Sorry Angel shines with its portrayals of relationships within the queer community, be they romantic or non-romantic. The film allows for many varied perspectives surrounding the formation of its central relationship between 20-something Arthur and 30-something Jacques who is evasive of the reality of his status. Additionally, this film is incredibly directive in terms of its visual communication, with each shot entirely bathed in blue – an absolute pleasure to look at. Sorry Angel is undoubtedly important within the historical makeup of the queer experience and will certainly have audience members grasping each other’s hands at its conclusion.
Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy (Justin Kelly, Canada, USA, UK, 2018)
Sunday, 24 March at 7.30pm – ACMI
Was this film manifested via Queer Twitter and Film Twitter collectively? Because it includes a litany of widely obsessed-over tropes including androgyny, Kristen Stewart, wigs, Laura Dern, literary fraud, Hollywood, Diane Kreuger, provocateurs…. need I go on?
Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy will feature at MQFF’s closing night, following the true account of a queer woman who for six years masqueraded as celebrated male author JT LeRoy. The film is said to be an intriguing exploration of gender, sexuality and celebrity, and is also said to feature Laura Dern in a variety of wigs. Our collective internet prayers have finally been answered.
Shorts sessions
Tuesday, 19 March at 8.00pm – ACMI
This selection of shorts aims to demonstrate the strength of transgender trailblazers. With a mix of local and international short films (both narrative and documentary), the selection reveals a breadth of themes, from identity to relationships to desire. Each are linked with the representation of unearthing the trans legacies which make way for even more stories. Highlights include Candy’s Crush, a New Zealand doco about a woman’s journey to becoming one of the world’s first trans pro-wrestlers; We Forgot to Break Up, a depiction of a reunion prior to a man’s transition; and Australian documentary Sistergirl, exploring Tiwi Island and its indigenous community which houses the world’s largest population of transgender women.
Clip from We Forgot to Break Up:
Queer First Nations Shorts
Monday, 18 March at 6.00pm
With a first for the MQFF programme, this shorts package is a showcase celebrating the queer experiences of Aboriginal brothers and sisters. Comprising of three shorts, both narrative and documentary, each explores the intersection of two very distinct identities – each directed by indigenous filmmakers. The highlight of the evening is Black Divaz, a documentary which dives into the glitz and glamour of drag at the inaugural First Nations Pageant, as well as the reality of queer identity within Aboriginal communities. The short also features the legendary queen Nova Gina, as well as the many indigenous queens who help to make way for queer indigenous people living in rural areas of Australia. This session is a clear highlight of the festival and is sure to be a sell-out – so hurry up and support our local artists and filmmakers.
Trailer for Black Divaz:
View the full MQFF programme and book your tickets here
Published by Ella Pace
Ella is a film critic currently working and studying in Melbourne, Australia. View more posts
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Stellenbosch Red Blends – Decades of historic greatness
Stellenbosch red blends, let's hang our hat on that
Looking back over time, Stellenbosch red blends have always excelled as quality examples of this style. This region, especially the diversity of sites stretching from Simonsberg, across the Stellenbosch Hills, Stellenbosch Mountain and the Helderberg precinct, clearly has the elements to produce world class red wines. But the blends most often attract favourable attention, not only Cabernet-Sauvignon-driven but alternative varietal combinations as well.
It is indeed Cabernet-Sauvignon which champions these blends, with both older vintages from wineries like Meerlust, Muratie and Vriesenhof as well as more recent vintages from the same wineries, along with newer names like De Toren and Tokara. De Toren is one of these more recent brands with their first vintage of the “V” released in 1999.
When Emil den Dulk decided to make a lifestyle change in the mid-90’s by moving from Johannesburg to Stellenbosch, his vision to live on a wine farm included wine. One wine: a blend of all 5 classic Bordeaux varieties. At that stage De Toren would be one of the first to use all five in one blend. After careful research, the 20-ha farm was replanted accordingly, including the planned proportions for the final blend with Cabernet as the backbone. De Toren has recently converted entirely to organic farming practices.
The decision to produce such a precise wine came through very careful consideration, looking back historically at which varieties performed well over time in Stellenbosch. “History is an exact science”, says Cellarmaster and CEO, Albie Koch.
Jan Boland Coetzee’s opening line echoes this as well: “Cabernet-Sauvignon is quite at home in Stellenbosch, along with its blending partners”. Jan is a Stellenbosch wine veteran and acquired Vriesenhof, on the West-facing foothills of Stellenbosch Mountain, almost 3 decades ago. “Cabernet tends to ripen early Autumn which creates a typically Mediterranean climate and translates to a longer ripening season”, he continues. The days are shorter, nights longer, with cooling dew settling on the canopies. The season is changing with scattered rain promoting proper colouring resulting in an ideal ratio between water and solids in the berries.
The lower lying sites on the slopes of the Simonsberg, Stellenbosch and Helderberg ranges are well suited for these varieties, where these sites offer clay-rich, granitic soils, retaining valuable moisture for the ripening season during the warm afternoons. Despite the fairly dry conditions, the 2018 vintage was the coolest since 1997 in terms of daily average temperatures. In general, the quality is looking very good, with an average drop in volumes of 15%.
Jan Boland Coetzee, Vriesenhof's owner
The early 80’s saw the advent of red blends. Interestingly, Cinsault played an important role in blending, by at least 10%. Jan Boland relates how Cinsault was planted in between the Cabernet rows and harvested as such. Cabernet could not be handled on its own in the cellar, the pulp / pomace was too dense for the machinery (mainly the pumps) to push through and the Cinsault component added juice and lubrication.
Initially only Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were used for blends, while Petit Verdot only arrived in the late 80’s when plant improvement started. No new plant material was released during Apartheid years. Availability post-Apartheid encouraged plantings and a wider range of varieties became available. For example, Petit Verdot was only planted at Meerlust in 2004, where a strong sense of place as an Estate concept is considered important to ensure individuality and quality. Estate wines in South Africa are grown and bottled on a designated parcel of land, in other words no grapes are bought in from other farms. Very similar to a Bordeaux Chateau and dissimilar to Burgundy.
But it was around the late 60’s when Nico Myburgh of Meerlust travelled to Bordeaux to explore red blends and returned with inspiration to recreate what he experienced. Not only did he recognize the soil and climate similarities between the two regions, but he also noticed the use of smaller format, new oak barrels. Wines were generally matured in 2,400 – 4,000L Foudres, so the idea of the new 225L barrique intervention intrigued him. However, there were reasons for not having barriques: trade embargos linked to Apartheid and the expense. He visited his bank manager, who responded: “Nico, if you believe in this, we can approve finances, but this is like crossing the Rubicon, there is no turning back and it better work”. They never looked back. Giorgio dalla Cia, then cellar master, crafted some of the most iconic South African red blends. More recently, then assistant and now current cellar master, Chris Williams is at the helm and mentions with pride the super-premium prices the 1978 experimental Rubicons reached at the 2017 Nederburg Auction, at R16000 per bottle. Some of the early wines matured in Foudres have aged incredibly well, to the extent that Chris re-introduced 12 Foudres (2400-4000L) for maturation to be used as a component in the Rubicon, together with the barrique component.
One of the reasons Meerlust introduced blends, and single varieties of Merlot and Cab, is the diversity of soil types and aspects on the Estate, offering a huge variety of characterful wines to assemble the final blend, which is 4 varieties, including Cabernet Franc, but 25 different vineyards and about 100 individual separate cuvees making up the final blend.
One of the most historic wine estates in Stellenbosch has also been planning a red blend over decades. The Muratie Ansela van de Caab was initiated as a blend referencing the first owner, Lourens Campher, who brought Ansela from Cape Town where she lived as a slave.
Current owners are the Melck family, with Rijk Melck on the operational side. His late father, Ronnie Melck was a raconteur, loving life, art and wine. Long lunches turned into art, currently on display in the tasting room. He was a leading figure in the South African wine industry over several decades from the 50’s to the 80’s, shaping wine styles and revolutionising brand positioning. For example, in the early 1960’s the largely made from Chenin blanc white blend, Lieberstein, was the biggest selling white wine in the world. His palate was legendary and he so impressed the Martell family who still owned the brand in those days, and their famous blender, Monsieur Chapeau, that South Africa was the country they gave permission for their name to be used on a brandy.
Almost on a parallel latitude and just East of Muratie on the Simonsberg, former banker GT Ferreira and his family had a similar goal with Tokara - to make a wine exquisite enough to rival the best in the world. After 20 years of dedication and most importantly developing the understanding of the incredible Tokara terroir, they launched their pinnacle wine, the 2015 Telos – only 1,000 bottles produced at a super premium price point. TELOS is Greek meaning the end result of a goal-driven process and is a blend of 92 % Cabernet-Sauvignon, 5% Malbec and 3% Merlot.
Waterford Estate - Davis VanSchalkwyk (viticulturist, right) and Mark Le Roux (winemaker, left)
Alternative varietal combinations
The “Cape Blends” moniker has different meanings. Cape blends have been manifesting themselves in red and white versions, the former when Shiraz was blended with Cabernet-Sauvignon, older vintages from Uitkyk being benchmarks as well as Rust en Vrede’s Estate Wine. Pinotage blends started a trend and the Cape Blend category set off to create a new and interesting style, with Kaapzicht arguably one of the leaders here, along with Warwick.
However, one of the most interesting blends out of Stellenbosch is The Jem, produced at Waterford Estate, situated on the foothills of the Helderberg range. Managing director and cellar master, Kevin Arnold, has ample experience with vintages at Delheim (11 vintages), where he introduced the famous Delheim Grande Reserve and then Rust en Vrede (10 vintages). Waterford is a relatively young estate, established in 1998 with a very strong focus on being leaders and not followers, not only in wine, but wine tourism as well. The Jem is innovation and patience personified, another result of trials over decades. It straddles wine regions across Europe, with a blend of 42% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet franc, 4% Mourvedre, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Barbera, 3% Sangiovese. Cabernet being the backbone again, the rest all add flavour and complexity.
Stellenbosch arguably forms part of the most beautiful wine regions in the world and given the history of particularly the red blends, tradition and innovation reside comfortably together in a dynamic symbiosis within a world class wine region.
André Morgenthal
How do the wineries of the Ribera de Duero D.O. view the future?
Primitivo, the king of Puglia
159th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction 2019: Another Magical “9” Vintage Pays Off - Over 13 million Euros
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Diagram of a laser cutter
Laser cutting process on a sheet of steel
CAD (top) and stainless steel laser-cut part (bottom)
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to slice materials. While typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, it is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser most commonly through optics. The laser optics and CNC (computer numerical control) are used to direct the material or the laser beam generated. A commercial laser for cutting materials involved a motion control system to follow a CNC or G-code of the pattern to be cut onto the material. The focused laser beam is directed at the material, which then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas,[1] leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.
4.1 Vaporization cutting
4.2 Melt and blow
4.3 Thermal stress cracking
4.4 Stealth dicing of silicon wafers
4.5 Reactive cutting
5 Tolerances and surface finish
6 Machine configurations
6.1 Pulsing
7 Power consumption
8 Production and cutting rates
In 1965, the first production laser cutting machine was used to drill holes in diamond dies. This machine was made by the Western Electric Engineering Research Center.[2] In 1967, the British pioneered laser-assisted oxygen jet cutting for metals.[3] In the early 1970s, this technology was put into production to cut titanium for aerospace applications. At the same time CO
2 lasers were adapted to cut non-metals, such as textiles, because, at the time, CO
2 lasers were not powerful enough to overcome the thermal conductivity of metals.[4]
Process[edit]
Industrial laser cutting of steel with cutting instructions programmed through the CNC interface
Generation of the laser beam involves stimulating a lasing material by electrical discharges or lamps within a closed container. As the lasing material is stimulated, the beam is reflected internally by means of a partial mirror, until it achieves sufficient energy to escape as a stream of monochromatic coherent light. Mirrors or fiber optics are typically used to direct the coherent light to a lens, which focuses the light at the work zone. The narrowest part of the focused beam is generally less than 0.0125 inches (0.32 mm). in diameter. Depending upon material thickness, kerf widths as small as 0.004 inches (0.10 mm) are possible.[5] In order to be able to start cutting from somewhere other than the edge, a pierce is done before every cut. Piercing usually involves a high-power pulsed laser beam which slowly makes a hole in the material, taking around 5–15 seconds for 0.5-inch-thick (13 mm) stainless steel, for example.
The parallel rays of coherent light from the laser source often fall in the range between 0.06–0.08 inches (1.5–2.0 mm) in diameter. This beam is normally focused and intensified by a lens or a mirror to a very small spot of about 0.001 inches (0.025 mm) to create a very intense laser beam. In order to achieve the smoothest possible finish during contour cutting, the direction of beam polarization must be rotated as it goes around the periphery of a contoured workpiece. For sheet metal cutting, the focal length is usually 1.5–3 inches (38–76 mm).[6]
Advantages of laser cutting over mechanical cutting include easier workholding and reduced contamination of workpiece (since there is no cutting edge which can become contaminated by the material or contaminate the material). Precision may be better, since the laser beam does not wear during the process. There is also a reduced chance of warping the material that is being cut, as laser systems have a small heat-affected zone. Some materials are also very difficult or impossible to cut by more traditional means.
Laser cutting for metals has the advantages over plasma cutting of being more precise and using less energy when cutting sheet metal; however, most industrial lasers cannot cut through the greater metal thickness that plasma can. Newer laser machines operating at higher power (6000 watts, as contrasted with early laser cutting machines' 1500 watt ratings) are approaching plasma machines in their ability to cut through thick materials, but the capital cost of such machines is much higher than that of plasma cutting machines capable of cutting thick materials like steel plate.
HACO fiber laser cutting machine with an integrated loading and unloading system.
4000 watt CO
2 laser cutter
There are three main types of lasers used in laser cutting. The CO
2 laser is suited for cutting, boring, and engraving. The neodymium (Nd) and neodymium yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers are identical in style and differ only in application. Nd is used for boring and where high energy but low repetition are required. The Nd:YAG laser is used where very high power is needed and for boring and engraving. Both CO
2 and Nd/Nd:YAG lasers can be used for welding.[7]
2 lasers are commonly "pumped" by passing a current through the gas mix (DC-excited) or using radio frequency energy (RF-excited). The RF method is newer and has become more popular. Since DC designs require electrodes inside the cavity, they can encounter electrode erosion and plating of electrode material on glassware and optics. Since RF resonators have external electrodes they are not prone to those problems. CO
2 lasers are used for industrial cutting of many materials including titanium, stainless steel, mild steel, aluminium, plastic, wood, engineered wood, wax, fabrics, and paper. YAG lasers are primarily used for cutting and scribing metals and ceramics.
In addition to the power source, the type of gas flow can affect performance as well. Common variants of CO
2 lasers include fast axial flow, slow axial flow, transverse flow, and slab. In a fast axial flow resonator, the mixture of carbon dioxide, helium and nitrogen is circulated at high velocity by a turbine or blower. Transverse flow lasers circulate the gas mix at a lower velocity, requiring a simpler blower. Slab or diffusion cooled resonators have a static gas field that requires no pressurization or glassware, leading to savings on replacement turbines and glassware.
The laser generator and external optics (including the focus lens) require cooling. Depending on system size and configuration, waste heat may be transferred by a coolant or directly to air. Water is a commonly used coolant, usually circulated through a chiller or heat transfer system.
A laser microjet is a water-jet guided laser in which a pulsed laser beam is coupled into a low-pressure water jet. This is used to perform laser cutting functions while using the water jet to guide the laser beam, much like an optical fiber, through total internal reflection. The advantages of this are that the water also removes debris and cools the material. Additional advantages over traditional "dry" laser cutting are high dicing speeds, parallel kerf, and omnidirectional cutting.[8]
Fiber lasers are a type of solid state laser that is rapidly growing within the metal cutting industry. Unlike CO
2, Fiber technology utilizes a solid gain medium, as opposed to a gas or liquid. The “seed laser” produces the laser beam and is then amplified within a glass fiber. With a wavelength of only 1.064 micrometers fiber lasers produce an extremely small spot size (up to 100 times smaller compared to the CO
2) making it ideal for cutting reflective metal material. This is one of the main advantages of Fiber compared to CO
2.[9]
There are many different methods in cutting using lasers, with different types used to cut different material. Some of the methods are vaporization, melt and blow, melt blow and burn, thermal stress cracking, scribing, cold cutting and burning stabilized laser cutting.
Vaporization cutting[edit]
In vaporization cutting the focused beam heats the surface of the material to boiling point and generates a keyhole. The keyhole leads to a sudden increase in absorptivity quickly deepening the hole. As the hole deepens and the material boils, vapor generated erodes the molten walls blowing ejecta out and further enlarging the hole. Non melting material such as wood, carbon and thermoset plastics are usually cut by this method.
Melt and blow[edit]
Melt and blow or fusion cutting uses high-pressure gas to blow molten material from the cutting area, greatly decreasing the power requirement. First the material is heated to melting point then a gas jet blows the molten material out of the kerf avoiding the need to raise the temperature of the material any further. Materials cut with this process are usually metals.
Thermal stress cracking[edit]
Brittle materials are particularly sensitive to thermal fracture, a feature exploited in thermal stress cracking. A beam is focused on the surface causing localized heating and thermal expansion. This results in a crack that can then be guided by moving the beam. The crack can be moved in order of m/s. It is usually used in cutting of glass.
Stealth dicing of silicon wafers[edit]
Further information: Wafer dicing
The separation of microelectronic chips as prepared in semiconductor device fabrication from silicon wafers may be performed by the so-called stealth dicing process, which operates with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser, the wavelength of which (1064 nm) is well adopted to the electronic band gap of silicon (1.11 eV or 1117 nm).
Reactive cutting[edit]
Also called "burning stabilized laser gas cutting", "flame cutting". Reactive cutting is like oxygen torch cutting but with a laser beam as the ignition source. Mostly used for cutting carbon steel in thicknesses over 1 mm. This process can be used to cut very thick steel plates with relatively little laser power.
Tolerances and surface finish[edit]
Laser cutters have positioning accuracy of 10 micrometers and repeatability of 5 micrometers.[citation needed]
Standard roughness Rz increases with the sheet thickness, but decreases with laser power and cutting speed. When cutting low carbon steel with laser power of 800 W, standard roughness Rz is 10 μm for sheet thickness of 1 mm, 20 μm for 3 mm, and 25 μm for 6 mm.
R z = 12.528 ⋅ S 0.542 P 0.528 ⋅ V 0.322 {\displaystyle Rz={\frac {12.528\cdot S^{0.542}}{P^{0.528}\cdot V^{0.322}}}}
Where: S = {\displaystyle S=} steel sheet thickness in mm; P = {\displaystyle P=} laser power in kW (some new laser cutters have laser power of 4 kW); V = {\displaystyle V=} cutting speed in meters per minute[10].
This process is capable of holding quite close tolerances, often to within 0.001 inch (0.025 mm). Part geometry and the mechanical soundness of the machine have much to do with tolerance capabilities. The typical surface finish resulting from laser beam cutting may range from 125 to 250 micro-inches (0.003 mm to 0.006 mm).[7]
Machine configurations[edit]
Dual-pallet flying optics laser
Flying optics laser head
There are generally three different configurations of industrial laser cutting machines: moving material, hybrid, and flying optics systems. These refer to the way that the laser beam is moved over the material to be cut or processed. For all of these, the axes of motion are typically designated X and Y axis. If the cutting head may be controlled, it is designated as the Z-axis.
Moving material lasers have a stationary cutting head and move the material under it. This method provides a constant distance from the laser generator to the workpiece and a single point from which to remove cutting effluent. It requires fewer optics, but requires moving the workpiece. This style machine tends to have the fewest beam delivery optics, but also tends to be the slowest.
Hybrid lasers provide a table which moves in one axis (usually the X-axis) and move the head along the shorter (Y) axis. This results in a more constant beam delivery path length than a flying optic machine and may permit a simpler beam delivery system. This can result in reduced power loss in the delivery system and more capacity per watt than flying optics machines.
Flying optics lasers feature a stationary table and a cutting head (with laser beam) that moves over the workpiece in both of the horizontal dimensions. Flying optics cutters keep the workpiece stationary during processing and often do not require material clamping. The moving mass is constant, so dynamics are not affected by varying size of the workpiece. Flying optics machines are the fastest type, which is advantageous when cutting thinner workpieces.[11]
Flying optic machines must use some method to take into account the changing beam length from near field (close to resonator) cutting to far field (far away from resonator) cutting. Common methods for controlling this include collimation, adaptive optics or the use of a constant beam length axis.
Five and six-axis machines also permit cutting formed workpieces. In addition, there are various methods of orienting the laser beam to a shaped workpiece, maintaining a proper focus distance and nozzle standoff, etc.
Pulsing[edit]
Pulsed lasers which provide a high-power burst of energy for a short period are very effective in some laser cutting processes, particularly for piercing, or when very small holes or very low cutting speeds are required, since if a constant laser beam were used, the heat could reach the point of melting the whole piece being cut.
Most industrial lasers have the ability to pulse or cut CW (continuous wave) under NC (numerical control) program control.
Double pulse lasers use a series of pulse pairs to improve material removal rate and hole quality. Essentially, the first pulse removes material from the surface and the second prevents the ejecta from adhering to the side of the hole or cut.[12]
Power consumption[edit]
The main disadvantage of laser cutting is the high power consumption. Industrial laser efficiency may range from 5% to 45%.[13] The power consumption and efficiency of any particular laser will vary depending on output power and operating parameters. This will depend on type of laser and how well the laser is matched to the work at hand. The amount of laser cutting power required, known as heat input, for a particular job depends on the material type, thickness, process (reactive/inert) used, and desired cutting rate.
Amount of heat input required for various material at various thicknesses using a CO
2 laser [watts][14]
0.51 mm 1.0 mm 2.0 mm 3.2 mm 6.4 mm
− 400 − 500 −
250 210 210 − -
− - − - 650
Boron/epoxy
− - − 3000 −
Production and cutting rates[edit]
The maximum cutting rate (production rate) is limited by a number of factors including laser power, material thickness, process type (reactive or inert), and material properties. Common industrial systems (≥1 kW) will cut carbon steel metal from 0.51 – 13 mm in thickness. For many purposes, a laser can be up to thirty times faster than standard sawing.[15]
Cutting rates using a CO
2 laser [cm/second]
Workpiece material
0.51 mm 1.0 mm 2.0 mm 3.2 mm 6.4 mm 13 mm
42.3 23.28 13.76 7.83 3.4 0.76
33.87 14.82 6.35 4.23 1.69 1.27
− 8.89 7.83 6.35 4.23 2.1
12.7 12.7 4.23 3.4 2.5 1.7
− - − - 7.62 1.9
Boron / epoxy
− - − 2.5 2.5 1.1
Laser converting
Laser drilling
Laser beam machining
List of laser articles
Mirror galvanometer
Water jet cutter
^ Oberg, p. 1447.
^ Bromberg 1991, p. 202
^ The early days of laser cutting, par P. A. Hilton, 11th Nordic Conference in Laser Processing of Materials, Lappeenranta, Finland, August 20–22, 2007, http://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/published-papers/the-early-days-of-laser-cutting-august-2007
^ CHEO, P. K. "Chapter 2: CO
2 Lasers." UC Berkeley. UC Berkeley, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
^ Todd, p. 185.
^ a b Todd, p. 186.
^ Perrottet, D et al.,"Heat damage-free Laser-Microjet cutting achieves highest die fracture strength", Photon Processing in Microelectronics and Photonics IV, edited by J. Fieret, et al., Proc. SPIE Vol. 5713 (SPIE, Bellingham, WA, 2005)
^ "How Fiber Laser Technology Compares to CO
2 - Boss Laser Blog". Boss Laser Blog. 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
^ "Research on surface roughness by laser cut by Miroslav Radovanovic and Predrag Dašić" (PDF).
^ Caristan, Charles L. (2004). Laser Cutting Guide for Manufacturing. Society of Manufacturing Engineers. ISBN 9780872636866.
^ Forsman, A; et al. (June 2007). "Superpulse A nanosecond pulse format to improve laser drilling" (PDF). Photonics Spectra. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
^ http://www.laserline.de/tl_files/Laserline/downloads/broschueren/en/Laserline_Image_high_power_diode_laser.pdf - Page 4:"High electrical/optical efficiency of up to 45%"
^ Todd, Allen & Alting 1994, p. 188.
^ "Laser Cutting". Laserage. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
Bromberg, Joan (1991). The Laser in America, 1950-1970. MIT Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-262-02318-4.
Oberg, Erik; Jones, Franklin D.; Horton, Holbrook L.; Ryffel, Henry H. (2004). Machinery’s Handbook (27th ed.). New York, NY: Industrial Press Inc. ISBN 978-0-8311-2700-8.
Todd, Robert H.; Allen, Dell K.; Alting, Leo (1994). Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide. Industrial Press Inc. ISBN 0-8311-3049-0.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laser cutting.
Counterbore
Hand scraper
Tipped tool
Tool bit
Machine press
Stamping press
Drift pin
Machinist square
Needlegun scaler
Piercing saw
Tap and die
Indexing head
Lathe center
Machine taper
Magnetic base
Center gauge
Dial indicator
Engineer's blue
Engineer's spirit level
Go/no go gauge
Marking blue
Marking gauge
Marking out
Optical comparator
Sine bar
Thread pitch gauge
Vernier scale
Smithing tools
Hardy tools
Pritchel
Steam hammer
Swage block
Trip hammer
Tools and terminology
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laser_cutting&oldid=934935416"
Cutting processes
Metalworking cutting tools
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By: Poppy Terry Published: July 2017
Briefing: Benefit Cap adjournment debate (PDF 177.4 KB)
The High Court recently ruled that the revised benefit cap was unlawful, in so far as it applied to lone parents with children under the age of two. Shelter intervened in the case, presenting evidence about how families would struggle to avoid the cap by moving, and how in some areas the benefit cap means that families do not even have enough money to cover the rent of even the cheapest private rented home, let alone enough for food and essentials.
Shelter welcomed the recent ruling and continues to recommend that the Government review the benefit cap policy and exempt families that will struggle to move or find work, such as homeless families and single parents with very young children.
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Responsible Traveling
A cheap camping near Faro in Portugal
by Annika & Mini / 0 Comment
Portugal has been the goal for us and we are going to explore and tourist like crazy. We wanted to be close to Faro and found a great camping in Olhao “Camping Olhao”. The Algarve has so much to offer and who knew that they had a huge camping here that is also cheap?! With almost 600 places for cars and caravans – this is a big place.
Camping Olhao in Portugal
It took us a while before we found our spot here in paradise. Well, it was Mini that wanted a sunny spot. And he wanted a place that was flat. And while we are on the subject he also wanted a place so that we could be close to our friends (that we met in Sevilla). With 600 spots to choose from and a lot of them occupied – it took some time. But finally, we got our perfect spot. A nice spot in the sun and on flat ground and with our friends as neighbors.
During our stay, there were a lot of campers there. Most of them were French and Swedes. England was also high up on the list. Camping Olhao is really close to the Ria Formosa nature reserve. In fact, it is within walking distance. And it takes about 15 minutes to walk into the city center where you can catch the train to Faro.
Great priced camping near Faro in Portugal
Most campings have different pricing depending on whether it is a high-season or low-season. December is low season in Portugal so the camping was at its lowest during our visit. We paid 2,80 euro for the car per night. If our motorhome would have been over 6 meters it would’ve cost 4,10 instead. For electricity, we paid 2,10 euro per day and for us, we paid 2,40 euro per person. So the sum is just above 9 euros. And in the price, we have all the facilities we need.
So 9 euros is a great price to feel safe and it felt ok to leave the motorhome when we went exploring the surroundings. But let’s play with the idea that we would have come here during high peak season. That is between July 1:st and 31:st of August. For the motorhome, we would have paid 5,30 euro, 2,10 for the electricity and 4,20 per person. That makes a total of about 16 euros per night. That is still a lot cheaper than some of the campings that we have been to during low-season.
Doing laundry costs 4,50 euro. The washer and dryer are not that big – compared to other campings. However, they get the job done and that’s what matters. And there is a library too. A place where you can leave the books you have finished reading and borrow something else. The books and magazines that are left here are in different languages.
Swimming pool, Tennis court, and Football field at a camping!
Ok, so there are several campings that have swimming pools. But not that many can provide a tennis court and a football field. And at Camping Olhao you also have a supermarket inside the campsite area. One store is selling magazines – and lots of international magazines. I didn’t find any in Swedish but there were loads in English and German.
Hot shower, cold shower is it a problem?
My pet peeve is the showers. I need them to be able to give me really hot water. At camping Olhao the showers were ok, but not more. The problem we had with them was that they had extremely hot water one second and then it was cold the next. It was almost impossible to get a consistent temperature on the water so no long showers during our stay here :). But there are way bigger problems in the world than a “not perfect” shower.
Our new friends from camping Olhao
From the top left: Taina & Fritte, Marita & Göran, Lisa & Janne.
So how about the people at the camping when we were there? The people we got to know were more then great! We had the best neighbors ever! Marita and Göran. And after our friends Fritte and Taina left for new adventures – we got new Swedes as neighbors. They were Lisa and Janne from Gotland. We love making new friends and meeting new people. Sometimes it feels like we are all one big happy family!
Getting to the city from Camping Olhao
Like I wrote before – it takes about 15 minutes to get to the city center of Olhao. We used our bikes and then it took us about five minutes. Usually, I prefer to walk but in this case, the bikes were better. The way you walk to get into the city center is not that nice and there is somewhat heavy traffic so bikes are to prefer.
Getting to Faro
The train station is located in Olhao. The timetable for the train is about every two hours and the ticket cost 2,90 euro per person (2017) but that also include the return ticket. The train is not a brand new modern one but it is still a great way to travel and it only takes about ten minutes to the city center of Faro.
Information about Camping Olhao
Address: Pinheiros de Marim/Ap 300 8700-914 Olhão, Portugal
Connected to the ASCI (a discount card you really need).
Categories: Algarve, Destinations, Europe, Portugal
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Home / Nation & World / Singapore’s developer to sell 30 office parks for $1.2 billion
CaptaLand is selling business parks in Singapore and in San Diego, Raleigh and Portland, Oregon. This Jan. 24 photo shows the front of CapitaLand’s CapitaGreen in the business district in Singapore. (Bloomberg file photo)
Singapore’s developer to sell 30 office parks for $1.2 billion
By: The Associated Press November 4, 2019 12:57 pm
CapitaLand Ltd. will divest 30 business parks in the U.S. and Singapore to Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust for S$1.66 billion ($1.2 billion).
The city-state’s largest developer said in an exchange filing Friday that it expects to realize an estimated gain of around S$95.4 million on the transaction. Ascendas REIT will fund the acquisition using net proceeds from a proposed rights issue, loan facilities and the issuance of acquisition fee units.
Including this sale, CapitaLand will have announced more than S$5.2 billion of divestments so far this year — exceeding its annual target of S$3 billion — as it seeks to free up cash and reduce leverage. The property developer struck a S$6 billion deal in January with Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings Pte, also its biggest shareholder, to combine Temasek units Ascendas Pte and Singbridge Pte.
“The enlarged CapitaLand portfolio following our combination with Ascendas-Singbridge has provided us with a robust pipeline of quality assets and additional REIT vehicles for recycling assets,” CapitaLand Group Chief Executive Officer Lee Chee Koon said in a statement Friday. “The proposed divestments to Ascendas REIT will allow CapitaLand to unlock capital value for reinvestment and redeployment.”
Lee said CapitaLand will continue to manage the properties, and receive recurring fee income. The divestments mean CapitaLand should meet its target net debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64 by the end of 2020, he said.
The properties in the U.S. comprise a portfolio of 28 freehold office properties worth $935 million and located across six business parks in three cities — San Diego, Raleigh and Portland, Oregon. Tenants include Nike Inc. and Oracle Corp.
In Singapore, the properties are Nucleos and FM Global Centre, valued at S$289 million and S$91 million respectively.
Ascendas will offer 498 million units at S$2.63 each in the proposed rights issue, raising proceeds of around S$1.31 billion. Shares in CapitaLand rose 1.1%. Units in Ascendas REIT were halted from trade.
Ascendas Chief Executive Officer William Tay described the U.S. property acquisitions as strategic, considering the three cities’ buoyant tech sectors and the industry’s contribution to U.S. economic growth.
“In the U.S., technology is a big player and contributor to GDP,” Tay said at a media briefing in Singapore. “There’s a thesis behind which is looking at the asset classes that are enabling the drivers of the economy.”
Investing in the U.S. also creates synergies with the group’s properties in other markets, Tay said. For example, some of the U.S. tenants are also tenants of Ascendas’s Australian properties.
With the proposed acquisitions, Ascendas will own some 200 properties across four countries.
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12:57 pm Mon, November 4, 2019
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New lawsuit pending over sale of former Miller Motorsports Park
Posted 10:01 pm, August 24, 2016, by Matt McDonald
TOOELE COUNTY, Utah -- A new lawsuit appears to be headed for Tooele County over the sale of the former Miller Motorsports Park.
Wednesday night, commissioners transferred ownership of the land to a Redevelopment agency (RDA). The RDA is headed by the county commissioners, who said the transfer makes it easier for them to sell the park.
Not so, says their most vocal critic.
"This is still a sale, it's just they are selling it to themselves so they can sell it to someone else," Andrew Cartwright said.
Management deal keeps Miller Motorsports Park operating for 2016 season after judge vacates sale
Cartwright sued after the commission passed on his first bid and accepted a proposal from a company based in China. The basis of the lawsuit was that Cartwright's company was offering more money and the county, as a public agency, should have accepted his bid. A judge threw out the sale and the process started over.
On Tuesday night, the Tooele County Commission seemed as determined as ever to make sure being the highest bid wasn't the only criteria for selling the park.
"The opportunity to make a difference in a community is one of the things we are looking for, and we hope that we can find the best opportunity, to make that best difference: That's what we're looking for," said Wade Bitener, Tooele County Commission Chair.
Acting as the RDA, the commissioners will review proposals on Wednesday. Cartwright says he has submitted a new bid to buy the park, but, regardless, will file a new lawsuit. Claiming, once again, that with the transfer to the RDA the county has sold the property and passed on his higher offer.
Judge in Tooele vacates sale of Miller Motorsports Park to Chinese company
Losing bidder sues Tooele County & Chinese company over planned sale of Miller Motorsports Park
Topics: Miller Motorsports Park, mitime, racing, tooele county
Backers of rejected referendum sue the state of Utah
Jury awards $20 million to police officer who said he was told to tone down his ‘gayness’
Utah County approves plan to revamp Bridal Veil Falls area
Missing father and son found safe
California is suing a Silicon Valley billionaire for blocking public access to a beach
Historic Utah Theater could be saved
Rumor of school shooter at Tooele High School circulates social media, prompting investigation
Utah Agriculture Commissioner Kerry Gibson resigns to run for congress
Election 2019: Results of the SLC mayor’s race and more
Salt Lake County swears in ‘PAWlitical’ mayor and council to advocate for pet adoption
Utah County Commission approves controversial property tax increase
Utah is officially out of bar licenses, and there may be only 3 new ones in 2020
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John Brunner polling well in Missouri gubernatorial primary
Posted 7:52 pm, July 14, 2016, by Betsey Bruce, Updated at 07:51PM, July 14, 2016
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) - A recent political poll commissioned by the political news service Missouri Scout shows outsider candidates John Brunner and Eric Greitens leading in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway and the state's current lieutenant governor, Peter Kinder, are running third and fourth, respectively.
Brunner, who is in second place in the poll conducted by the Remington organization, argues he is the best choice because of his experience as the CEO of a family business. A St. Louisan who is financing most of his own campaign expenses, Brunner says the prime problem in Missouri is a lack of jobs.
"You hire a businessperson to solve that. You don't hire a lawyer. You don't hire a politician or an author,” Brunner said.
He told a small crowd of supporters in Arnold on Thursday there is not a "single bullet" to solve the state's economic problems.
"We need tax reform; we need to change the legal atmosphere and labor policy," Brunner said.
Brunner indicated he would sign a right-to-work law, but warned that would not solve all the business problems in Missouri. He thinks significant reform of state business regulations would help encourage the development of new jobs.
Brunner, who lost a statewide GOP primary in 2012 for the US Senate nomination, has never served in public office. He said some of the same charges Democrats used in 2012 against him had appeared in an attack ad created by a political action committee known as LG-PAC. In one TV commercial, a narrator claims Brunner failed to pay a tax lien. In response, Brunner said his company did not own the property and the lien was withdrawn. He pointed out only the first half of the story was used in the commercial, but not the second half.
One of Brunner’s opponents, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, accused him of sponsoring a YouTube video that is highly critical of Greitens' Navy service. Brunner denies that claim.
“This is truly an internal Navy SEAL-sailor issue and I don't get involved with the Navy SEALs and veterans,” he said. “I have served honorably (in the Marine Corps) and my opponent has served honorably."
A former campaign employee who left the campaign in September 2015 has been linked to the YouTube video.
Topics: catherine hanaway, election 2016, Eric Greitens, gop, john brunner, missouri, Peter Kinder, politics, primary
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Greitens’ legal team cleared after accusations of threat against Gardner
FOX Files News
Missouri’s failure to pay bills could force law enforcement layoffs
White House: John Kelly ‘was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president’
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Mexico’s president cancels meeting with Trump over border wall spat
Posted 12:31 PM, January 26, 2017, by CNN Wire, Updated at 12:34PM, January 26, 2017
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said his country "will not pay for any wall," defying the claims US President Donald Trump has made.
WASHINGTON – Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday canceled a meeting with US President Donald Trump that had been set for Tuesday after renewed tensions over Trump’s plan to build a wall on the border.
“This morning we have informed the White House that I will not attend the meeting scheduled for next Tuesday with the POTUS,” Peña Nieto tweeted.
Earlier Thursday morning, Trump had tweeted that it would be better to skip the meeting if Peña Nieto continued to insist Mexico would not pay for the wall, which he had again said as recently as Wednesday evening.
Trump’s pushback came after Peña Nieto said — again — on Wednesday that his country “will not pay for any wall,” Trump tweeted that they should just skip their planned meeting at the White House.
“If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting,” Trump tweeted and in an earlier tweet he noted the US’s trade deficit with Mexico and what he said were the American job losses caused by NAFTA.
On Wednesday night, Pena Nieto had said he did not see a need to cancel his trip — but reiterated that he wouldn’t fund the wall.
“Mexico does not believe in walls. I’ve said time again; Mexico will not pay for any wall,” he said in a video statement posted to Twitter and translated by CNN from Spanish.
The back-and-forth between the two leaders — which began last year during the very first days of the Trump campaign when he called some Mexicans entering the US criminals and rapists and tensions lingered throughout the campaign. They escalated over the last 24 hours when Trump took executive action on Wednesday to begin the process of erecting a wall.
The President announced that move while a high-level Mexican delegation was visiting the White House — the first foreign representatives to visit since Trump took office — for meetings with top officials, including Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and adviser Jared Kushner.
Peña Nieto said he would wait for a final report from his top officials in Washington, and previous meetings with Mexican legislators, before deciding which steps he would take next.
Peña Nieto also said he had ordered government agencies to step up protection for immigrants.
“I’ve asked for the minister of Foreign Relations to re-enforce protection measures to our citizens,” he said. He added that the 50 Mexican Consulates in the US will be used to defend the rights of immigrants in the country. He also issued a call to action to legislators and civil organizations to help immigrants.
Peña Nieto closed his message by saying that Mexico offers and expects respect.
“Mexico offers its friendship to the people of the United States and expresses its wish to arrive at agreements with its government, deals that will be in favor of Mexico and the Mexicans,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Trump signed two executive orders directing the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, boosting border patrol forces and increasing the number of immigration enforcement officers who carry out deportations.
Meanwhile, the Mexican officials that arrived Wednesday were expected to lay the groundwork for Peña Nieto’s visit next week, which Mexican diplomats see as an important opportunity to get past the anti-Mexico rhetoric Trump used during the campaign and a chance to put the US-Mexico relationship back on track.
“There is … frustration with our government and ourselves that we have not been able to tell the story of this important relationship,” a Mexican diplomat told CNN ahead of the visit. “There are a lot of stereotypes of Mexicans in the US, but there are also stereotypes of Americans in Mexico. It is in the interest of both governments to explain what this relationship is and what we can do together.”
In a Monday speech, Peña Nieto said his government is prepared to negotiate with the US if Mexico’s national sovereignty is respected. He laid out economic integration and respect for the rights of migrants and the money they send home as his nation’s key negotiating points.
Trump has suggested some of the $25 billion in annual remittances that migrants return home would be retained to pay for the border wall — a project Mexico opposes and which Peña Nieto has said Mexico would never pay for.
“Neither confrontation nor submission. Dialogue is the solution,” Peña Nieto said Monday.
This won’t be the first meeting for the two men. Trump flew to Mexico City during his campaign to meet Peña Nieto and said they discussed a wall Trump has vowed to build on the US southern border, but not his demand that Mexico pay for it — an assertion the Mexican president later disputed.
“At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall,” Peña Nieto tweeted, after their meeting.
The visit was widely viewed as a public relations disaster for Peña Nieto.
McConnell blasts House impeachment, pledges Senate action
House moving to send impeachment articles to Senate next week
White House considers diverting billions more in Pentagon funds for border wall construction
Democrats hand Trump win with North American trade pact agreement
President Trump faces 2 articles of impeachment charging him with abuse of power, obstruction of Congress
Pelosi doesn’t commit to sending articles of impeachment to Senate
The private border wall group is building again, this time in Texas
More troops deployed to Mideast after US embassy attack
Pelosi invites Trump to testify as new witnesses prepare for public hearings
House Democrats to unveil 2 impeachment articles vs. President Trump
President Trump blasts Christian magazine that called for his removal
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Denise Nickerson, Violet in ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,’ has died
Posted 8:46 AM, July 11, 2019, by CNN Wire
Denise Nickerson who played Violet Beauregarde in the original film attends the 40th Anniversary of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory at Jacques Torres Chocolates on October 18, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Actress Denise Nickerson, best known for her role as chatty gum-chewer Violet Beauregard in 1971’s “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” has died, according to multiple reports citing a Facebook post from her family.
Her son and daughter-in-law have said Nickerson suffered a stroke last year from which she had been unable to fully recover, according to their public family Facebook page.
CNN has attempted to reach her family.
Nickerson’s last acting credit was in 1978. Prior to her exit from Hollywood, she appeared in “The Brady Bunch” and the cult television series “Dark Shadows.”
Her role in the iconic Roald Dahl adaptation remains her most celebrated work.
In 2011, some of the movie’s key cast members reunited for an episode of “Top Chef: Desserts,” which challenged the contestants to create an edible world of wonder.
The cast reunited again in 2015 on the Today show.
At the time, Nickerson joked that doing the role didn’t make her sick of chewing gum, but her dental health caused her to give it up for good.
“When did you give it up?” the interviewer asked.
“When I returned and had 13 cavities,” she said.
The cast, too, reflected on the so-called Wonka effect — the term they’ve assigned to the reaction they get from fans.
“Look, I mean, we are the fortunate ones. We’re here. We got to really see it and experience it,” Nickerson said. “The first thing people do when they find out who we are is they smile.”
Filed in: National & World, News
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After 2-hour wait, Wisconsin woman left ER for another hospital; she died hours later
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Advanced Engineering Mathematics with Maple - Math Software for Engineering Students
MAPLE POUR L’ENSEIGNEMENT & LA RECHERCHE :
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Advanced Engineering Mathematics with Maple
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Advanced Engineering Mathematics with Maple™ is an electronic book for engineering mathematics. The only fully electronic book of its kind, it is an essential resource for every engineering professional or student.
Includes 9 major subject areas,48 Chapters, 273 section topics. For the complete list, see the Table of Contents.
Content consists of a series of Maple documents, resulting in modifiable examples and interactive graphs throughout.
Concepts are stated and explained clearly and up front, rather than after the mechanical calculation techniques are introduced, resulting in quicker comprehension of the important ideas.
Many real-world applications of interest to engineers selected from a wide spectrum of physical and mathematical disciplines
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Advanced Engineering Mathematics with Maple provides a handy, easy-to-use reference text. Its logical topic breakdown allows you to focus on concepts of interest, and the examples can easily be modified to help you solve similar problems.
Advanced Engineering Mathematics with Maple is the essential companion for all your mathematics courses, including ODEs, PDEs, Vector Calculus, Matrix Algebra, Complex Variables, Numerical Methods and Calculus of Variations. With its explanations, modifiable examples, and exercises, this single book helps you learn and solve problems faster, and it can continue to serve as a reference once the courses are over. A Student Manual that contains full solutions to many exercises in the book is available.
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This book was created for and used in the author’s classes, so its materials have been class-tested at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; it is suitable for use in the classroom. An instructor manual with solutions to all exercises is available. For details on adopting this textbook, contact Maplesoft.
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The exercises labeled as "Part A " are clearly chosen to guide readers to the level of mathematical rigor or elegance they might desire, frequently highlighting opportunities to verify details of the development in the associated text section. The "Part B" exercises offer practice in applying the principles presented in the chapter as well suggestions for explorations beyond those techniques. I feel like a child entering a playground with all kinds of well-constructed fun-exercise equipment! I can't even imagine the impact that Maple must be having on mathematics instruction. The fundamentals remain the same, but the vista with tools like Maple must be breathtaking."
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Dr. Robert J. Lopez, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, is an award winning educator in engineering mathematics and is the author of several books including Advanced Engineering Mathematics (Addison-Wesley 2001). For over a decade, Dr. Lopez has also been a visionary figure in the introduction of Maplesoft technology into undergraduate education. Dr. Lopez earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Purdue University, his MS from the University of Missouri - Rolla, and his BA from Marist College. He has held academic appointments at Rose-Hulman (1985-2003), Memorial University of Newfoundland (1973-1985), and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (1970-1973). His publication and research history includes manuscripts and papers in a variety of pure and applied mathematics topics. He has received numerous awards for outstanding scholarship and teaching.
How to Proceed:
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Home » Hadith » Medicine
In: Hadith
Medicine A. Fatih Syuhud December 18, 2016
Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 71:
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 582:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment."
Narrated Rubai bint Mu'adh bin Afra:
We used to go for Military expeditions along with Allah's Apostle and provide the people with water, serve them and bring the dead and the wounded back to Medina.
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
(The Prophet said), "Healing is in three things: A gulp of honey, cupping, and branding with fire (cauterizing)." But I forbid my followers to use (cauterization) branding with fire."
The Prophet said, "Healing is in three things: cupping, a gulp of honey or cauterization, (branding with fire) but I forbid my followers to use cauterization (branding with fire)."
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet used to like sweet edible things and honey.
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:
I heard the Prophet saying, "If there is any healing in your medicines, then it is in cupping, a gulp of honey or branding with fire (cauterization) that suits the ailment, but I don't like to be (cauterized) branded with fire."
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
A man came to the Prophet and said, "My brother has some abdominal trouble." The Prophet said to him "Let him drink honey." The man came for the second time and the Prophet said to him, 'Let him drink honey." He came for the third time and the Prophet said, "Let him drink honey." He returned again and said, "I have done that ' The Prophet then said, "Allah has said the truth, but your brother's abdomen has told a lie. Let him drink honey." So he made him drink honey and he was cured.
Narrated Anas:
Some people were sick and they said, "O Allah's Apostle! Give us shelter and food. So when they became healthy they said, "The weather of Medina is not suitable for us." So he sent them to Al-Harra with some she-camels of his and said, "Drink of their milk." But when they became healthy, they killed the shepherd of the Prophet and drove away his camels. The Prophet sent some people in their pursuit. Then he got their hands and feet cut and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron. I saw one of them licking the earth with his tongue till he died.
The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When the news reached the Prophet he sent some people in their pursuit. When they were brought, he cut their hands and feet and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron.
Narrated Khalid bin Sad:
We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar was accompanying us. He fell ill on the way and when we arrived at Medina he was still sick. Ibn Abi 'Atiq came to visit him and said to us, "Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds and crush them (mix the powder with oil) and drop the resulting mixture into both nostrils, for 'Aisha has narrated to me that she heard the Prophet saying, 'This black cumin is healing for all diseases except As-Sam.' Aisha said, 'What is As-Sam?' He said, 'Death."
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "There is healing in black cumin for all diseases except death."
Narrated 'Ursa:
Aisha used to recommend At-Talbina for the sick and for such a person as grieved over a dead person. She used to say, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'At-Talbina gives rest to the heart of the patient and makes it active and relieves some of his sorrow and grief.' "
Narrated Hisham's father:
'Aisha used to recommend At-Talbina and used to say, "It is disliked (by the patient) although it is beneficial.''
The Prophet was cupped and he paid the wages to the one who had cupped him and then took Su'ut (Medicine sniffed by nose).
Narrated Um Qais bint Mihsan:
I heard the Prophet saying, "Treat with the Indian incense, for it has healing for seven diseases; it is to be sniffed by one having throat trouble, and to be put into one side of the mouth of one suffering from pleurisy." Once I went to Allah's Apostle with a son of mine who would not eat any food, and the boy passed urine on him whereupon he asked for some water and sprinkled it over the place of urine.
The Prophet was cupped while he was fasting.
The Prophet was cupped while he was in a state of Ihram.
that he was asked about the wages of the one who cups others. He said, 'Allah's Apostle was cupped by Abd Taiba, to whom he gave two Sa of food and interceded for him with his masters who consequently reduced what they used to charge him daily. Then the Prophet s said, "The best medicines you may treat yourselves with are cupping and sea incense.' He added, "You should not torture your children by treating tonsillitis by pressing the tonsils or the palate with the finger, but use incense."
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
that he paid Al-Muqanna a visit during his illness and said, "I will not leave till he gets cupped, for I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "There is healing in cupping."
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Buhaina:
Allah's Apostle was cupped on the middle of his head at Lahl Jamal on his way to Mecca while he was in a state of Ihram. Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle was cupped on his head.
The Prophet was cupped on his head for an ailment he was suffering from while he was in a state of Ihram. at a water place called Lahl Jamal. Ibn 'Abbas further said: Allah s Apostle was cupped on his head for unilateral headache while he was in a state of Ihram .
I heard the Prophet saying, "If there is any good in your medicines, then it is in a gulp of honey, a cupping operation, or branding (cauterization), but I do not like to be (cauterized) branded.
Narrated Ka'b bin Ujrah:
The Prophet came to me during the period of Al-Hudaibiya, while I was lighting fire underneath a cooking pot and lice were falling down my head. He said, "Do your lice hurt your?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Shave your head and fast for three days or feed six poor persons or slaughter a sheep as a sacrifice:"
Narrated Jabir:
The Prophet said, "If there is any healing in your medicines then it is a cupping operation, or branding (cauterization), but I do not like to be (cauterized) branded."
Allah's Apostle said, 'Nations were displayed before me; one or two prophets would pass by along with a few followers. A prophet would pass by accompanied by nobody. Then a big crowd of people passed in front of me and I asked, Who are they Are they my followers?" It was said, 'No. It is Moses and his followers It was said to me, 'Look at the horizon.'' Behold! There was a multitude of people filling the horizon. Then it was said to me, 'Look there and there about the stretching sky! Behold! There was a multitude filling the horizon,' It was said to me, 'This is your nation out of whom seventy thousand shall enter Paradise without reckoning.' "Then the Prophet entered his house without telling his companions who they (the 70,000) were. So the people started talking about the issue and said, "It is we who have believed in Allah and followed His Apostle; therefore those people are either ourselves or our children who are born m the Islamic era, for we were born in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance.'' When the Prophet heard of that, he came out and said. "Those people are those who do not treat themselves with Ruqya, nor do they believe in bad or good omen (from birds etc.) nor do they get themselves branded (Cauterized). but they put their trust (only) in their Lord " On that 'Ukasha bin Muhsin said. "Am I one of them, O Allah's Apostle?' The Prophet said, "Yes." Then another person got up and said, "Am I one of them?" The Prophet said, 'Ukasha has anticipated you."
Narrated Um Salama:
The husband of a lady died and her eyes became sore and the people mentioned her story to the Prophet They asked him whether it was permissible for her to use kohl as her eyes were exposed to danger. He said, "Previously, when one of you was bereaved by a husband she would stay in her dirty clothes in a bad unhealthy house (for one year), and when a dog passed by, she would throw a globe of dung. No, (she should observe the prescribed period Idda) for four months and ten days.'
Allah's Apostle said, '(There is) no 'Adwa (no contagious disease is conveyed without Allah's permission). nor is there any bad omen (from birds), nor is there any Hamah, nor is there any bad omen in the month of Safar, and one should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion ''
Narrated Said bin Zaid:
I heard the Prophet saying, "Truffles are like Manna (i.e. they grow naturally without man's care) and their water heals eye diseases."
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas and 'Aisha:
Abu Bakr kissed (the forehead of) the Prophet when he was dead. 'Aisha added: We put medicine in one side of his mouth but he started waving us not to insert the medicine into his mouth. We said, "He dislikes the medicine as a patient usually does." But when he came to his senses he said, "Did I not forbid you to put medicine (by force) in the side of my mouth?" We said, "We thought it was just because a patient usually dislikes medicine." He said, "None of those who are in the house but will be forced to take medicine in the side of his mouth while I am watching, except Al-'Abbas, for he had not witnessed your deed."
Narrated Um Qais:
I went to Allah's Apostle along with a a son of mine whose palate and tonsils I had pressed with my finger as a treatment for a (throat and tonsil) disease. The Prophet said, "Why do you pain your children by pressing their throats! Use Ud Al-Hindi (certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases, one of which is pleurisy. It is used as a snuff for treating throat and tonsil disease and it is inserted into one side of the mouth of one suffering from pleurisy."
(the wife of the Prophet)
When the health of Allah's Apostle deteriorated and his condition became serious, he asked the permission of all his wives to allow him to be treated In my house, and they allowed him. He came out, supported by two men and his legs were dragging on the ground between Abbas and another man. (The sub-narrator told Ibn 'Abbas who said: Do you know who was the other man whom 'Aisha did not mention? The sub-narrator said: No. Ibn Abbas said: It was 'Ali.) 'Aisha added: When the Prophet entered my house and his disease became aggravated, he said, "Pour on me seven water skins full of water (the tying ribbons of which had not been untied) so that I may give some advice to the people." So we made him sit in a tub belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet and started pouring water on him from those water skins till he waved us to stop. Then he went out to the people and led them in prayer and delivered a speech before them.
Narrated Um Qais :
that she took to Allah's Apostle one of her sons whose palate and tonsils she had pressed because he had throat trouble. The Prophet said, "Why do you pain your children by getting the palate pressed like that? Use the Ud Al-Hindi (certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases one of which is pleurisy."
Narrated Abu Said:
A man came to the prophet and said, 'My brother has got loose motions. The Prophet said, Let him drink honey." The man again (came) and said, 'I made him drink (honey) but that made him worse.' The Prophet said, 'Allah has said the Truth, and the abdomen of your brother has told a lie." (See Hadith No. 88)
Allah's Apostle said, 'There is no 'Adha (no disease is conveyed from the sick to the healthy without Allah's permission), nor Safar, nor Hama." A bedouin stood up and said, "Then what about my camels? They are like deer on the sand, but when a mangy camel comes and mixes with them, they all get infected with mangy." The Prophet said, "Then who conveyed the (mange) disease to the first one?"
Narrated Um Oais:
that she took to Allah's Apostle one of her sons whose palate and tonsils she had pressed to treat a throat trouble. The Prophet said, "Be afraid of Allah! Why do you pain your children by having their tonsils pressed like that? Use the Ud Al-Hindi (a certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases, one of which is pleurisy."
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle allowed one of the Ansar families to treat persons who have taken poison and also who are suffering from ear ailment with Ruqya. Anas added: I got myself branded cauterized) for pleurisy, when Allah's Apostle was still alive. Abu Talha, Anas bin An-Nadr and Zaid bin Thabit witnessed that, and it was Abu Talha who branded (cauterized) me.
Narrated Sahl bin Saud As-Sa'idi:
When the helmet broke on the head of the Prophet and his face became covered with blood and his incisor tooth broke (i.e. during the battle of Uhud), 'Ali used to bring water in his shield while Fatima was washing the blood off his face. When Fatima saw that the bleeding increased because of the water, she took a mat (of palm leaves), burnt it, and stuck it (the burnt ashes) on the wound of Allah's Apostle, whereupon the bleeding stopped.
Narrated Nazi':
Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "The Prophet said, 'Fever is from the heat of Hell, so put it out (cool it) with water.' " Nafi' added: 'Abdullah used to say, "O Allah! Relieve us from the punishment," (when he suffered from fever).
Narrated Fatima bint Al-Mundhir:
Whenever a lady suffering from fever was brought to Asma' bint Abu Bakr, she used to invoke Allah for her and then sprinkle some water on her body, at the chest and say, "Allah's Apostle used to order us to abate fever with water."
The Prophet said, "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so abate fever with water."
Narrated Rafi bin Khadij:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so abate fever with water."
Some people from the tribes of 'Ukl and 'Uraina came to Allah's Apostle and embraced Islam and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We are owners of livestock and have never been farmers," and they found the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So Allah's Apostle ordered that they be given some camels and a shepherd, and ordered them to go out with those camels and drink their milk and urine. So they set out, but when they reached a place called Al-Harra, they reverted to disbelief after their conversion to Islam, killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When this news reached the Prophet he sent in their pursuit (and they were caught and brought). The Prophet ordered that their eyes be branded with heated iron bars and their hands be cut off, and they were left at Al-Harra till they died in that state.
Narrated Saud:
The Prophet said, "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place."
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas:
'Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the (Muslim) army, Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions met him and told him that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. 'Umar said, "Call for me the early emigrants." So 'Umar called them, consulted them and informed them that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. Those people differed in their opinions. Some of them said, "We have come out for a purpose and we do not think that it is proper to give it up," while others said (to 'Umar), "You have along with you. other people and the companions of Allah's Apostle so do not advise that we take them to this epidemic." 'Umar said to them, "Leave me now." Then he said, "Call the Ansar for me." I called them and he consulted them and they followed the way of the emigrants and differed as they did. He then said to them, Leave me now," and added, "Call for me the old people of Quraish who emigrated in the year of the Conquest of Mecca." I called them and they gave a unanimous opinion saying, "We advise that you should return with the people and do not take them to that (place) of epidemic." So 'Umar made an announcement, "I will ride back to Medina in the morning, so you should do the same." Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to 'Umar), "Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?" 'Umar said, "Would that someone else had said such a thing, O Abu 'Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained. Don't you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?" At that time 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said, "I have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'If you hear about it (an outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.' " 'Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amir
'Umar went to Sham and when h ached Sargh, he got the news that an epidemic (of plague) had broken out in Sham. 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf told him that Allah's Apostle said, "If you hear that it (plague) has broken out in a land, do not go to it; but if it breaks out in a land where you are present, do not go out escaping from it."
Allah's Apostle said, "Neither Messiah (Ad-Dajjal) nor plague will enter Medina."
Allah's Apostle said, "(Death from) plague is martyrdom for every Muslim."
The Prophet said, "He (a Muslim) who dies of an abdominal disease is a a martyr, and he who dies of plague is a martyr."
(the wife of the Prophet) that she asked Allah's Apostle about plague, and Allah's Apostle informed her saying, "Plague was a punishment which Allah used to send on whom He wished, but Allah made it a blessing for the believers. None (among the believers) remains patient in a land in which plague has broken out and considers that nothing will befall him except what Allah has ordained for him, but that Allah will grant him a reward similar to that of a martyr."
During the Prophet's fatal illness, he used to recite the Mu'auwidhat (Surat An-Nas and Surat Al-Falaq) and then blow his breath over his body. When his illness was aggravated, I used to recite those two Suras and blow my breath over him and make him rub his body with his own hand for its blessings." (Ma'mar asked Az-Zuhri: How did the Prophet use to blow? Az-Zuhri said: He used to blow on his hands and then passed them over his face.)
Some of the companions of the Prophet came across a tribe amongst the tribes of the Arabs, and that tribe did not entertain them. While they were in that state, the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion). They said, (to the companions of the Prophet ), "Have you got any medicine with you or anybody who can treat with Ruqya?" The Prophet's companions said, "You refuse to entertain us, so we will not treat (your chief) unless you pay us for it." So they agreed to pay them a flock of sheep. One of them (the Prophet's companions) started reciting Surat-al-Fatiha and gathering his saliva and spitting it (at the snake-bite). The patient got cured and his people presented the sheep to them, but they said, "We will not take it unless we ask the Prophet (whether it is lawful)." When they asked him, he smiled and said, "How do you know that Surat-al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? Take it (flock of sheep) and assign a share for me."
Some of the companions of the Prophet passed by some people staying at a place where there was water, and one of those people had been stung by a scorpion. A man from those staying near the water, came and said to the companions of the Prophet, "Is there anyone among you who can do Ruqya as near the water there is a person who has been stung by a scorpion." So one of the Prophet's companions went to him and recited Surat-al-Fatiha for a sheep as his fees. The patient got cured and the man brought the sheep to his companions who disliked that and said, "You have taken wages for reciting Allah's Book." When they arrived at Medina, they said, ' O Allah's Apostle! (This person) has taken wages for reciting Allah's Book" On that Allah's Apostle said, "You are most entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah's Book."
The Prophet ordered me or somebody else to do Ruqya (if there was danger) from an evil eye.
that the Prophet saw in her house a girl whose face had a black spot. He said. "She is under the effect of an evil eye; so treat her with a Ruqya."
The Prophet said, "The effect of an evil eye is a fact." And he prohibited tattooing
Narrated Al-Aswad:
I asked 'Aisha about treating poisonous stings (a snake-bite or a scorpion sting) with a Ruqya. She said, "The Prophet allowed the treatment of poisonous sting with Ruqya."
Narrated 'Abdul 'Aziz:
Thabit and I went to Anas bin Malik. Thabit said, "O Abu Hamza! I am sick." On that Anas said, "Shall I treat you with the Ruqya of Allah's Apostle?" Thabit said, "Yes," Anas recited, "O Allah! The Lord of the people, the Remover of trouble! (Please) cure (Heal) (this patient), for You are the Healer. None brings about healing but You; a healing that will leave behind no ailment."
The Prophet used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say, "O Allah, the Lord of the people! Remove the trouble and heal the patient, for You are the Healer. No healing is of any avail but Yours; healing that will leave behind no ailment."
Allah's Apostle used to treat with a Ruqya saying, "O the Lord of the people! Remove the trouble The cure is in Your Hands, and there is none except You who can remove it (the disease) . "
The Prophet used to say to the patient, "In the Name of Allah The earth of our land and the saliva of some of us cure our patient."
Allah's Apostle used to read in his Ruqya, "In the Name of Allah" The earth of our land and the saliva of some of us cure our patient with the permission of our Lord." with a slight shower of saliva) while treating with a Ruqya.
Narrated Abu Qatada:
I heard the Prophet saying, "A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So if anyone of you sees (in a dream) something he dislikes, when he gets up he should blow thrice (on his left side) and seek refuge with Allah from its evil for then it will not harm him."
Whenever Allah's Apostle went to bed, he used to recite Surat-al-Ikhlas, Surat-al-Falaq and Surat-an-Nas and then blow on his palms and pass them over his face and those parts of his body that his hands could reach. And when he fell ill, he used to order me to do like that for him.
A group of the companions of Allah's Apostle proceeded on a journey till they dismounted near one of the Arab tribes and requested them to entertain them as their guests, but they (the tribe people) refused to entertain them. Then the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and he was given all sorts of treatment, but all in vain. Some of them said, "Will you go to the group (those travelers) who have dismounted near you and see if one of them has something useful?" They came to them and said, "O the group! Our leader has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and we have treated him with everything but nothing benefited him Has anyone of you anything useful?" One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah, I know how to treat with a Ruqya. But. by Allah, we wanted you to receive us as your guests but you refused. I will not treat your patient with a Ruqya till you fix for us something as wages." Consequently they agreed to give those travellers a flock of sheep. The man went with them (the people of the tribe) and started spitting (on the bite) and reciting Surat-al-Fatiha till the patient was healed and started walking as if he had not been sick. When the tribe people paid them their wages they had agreed upon, some of them (the Prophet's companions) said, "Distribute (the sheep)." But the one who treated with the Ruqya said, "Do not do that till we go to Allah's Apostle and mention to him what has happened, and see what he will order us." So they came to Allah's Apostle and mentioned the story to him and he said, "How do you know that Surat-al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? You have done the right thing. Divide (what you have got) and assign for me a share with you."
The Prophet used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say, "O Lord of the people! Remove the difficulty and bring about healing as You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your Healing, a healing that will leave no ailment."
The Prophet, during his fatal ailment used to blow (on his hands and pass them) over his body while reciting the Mu'auwidhat (Surat-an-Nas and Surat-al-Falaq). When his disease got aggravated, I used to recite them for him and blow (on his hands) and let him pass his hands over his body because of its blessing. (Ma'mar asked Ibn Shihab: How did he use to do Nafth? He said: He used to blow on his hands and then pass them over his face.)
The Prophet once came out to us and said, "Some nations were displayed before me. A prophet would pass in front of me with one man, and another with two men, and another with a group of people. and another with nobody with him. Then I saw a great crowd covering the horizon and I wished that they were my followers, but it was said to me, 'This is Moses and his followers.' Then it was said to me, 'Look'' I looked and saw a big gathering with a large number of people covering the horizon. It was said, "Look this way and that way.' So I saw a big crowd covering the horizon. Then it was said to me, "These are your followers, and among them there are 70,000 who will enter Paradise without (being asked about their) accounts. " Then the people dispersed and the Prophet did not tell who those 70,000 were. So the companions of the Prophet started talking about that and some of them said, "As regards us, we were born in the era of heathenism, but then we believed in Allah and His Apostle . We think however, that these (70,000) are our offspring." That talk reached the Prophet who said, "These (70,000) are the people who do not draw an evil omen from (birds) and do not get treated by branding themselves and do not treat with Ruqya, but put their trust (only) in their Lord." then 'Ukasha bin Muhsin got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Am I one of those (70,000)?" The Prophet said, "Yes." Then another person got up and said, "Am I one of them?" The Prophet said, " 'Ukasha has anticipated you."
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "There is neither 'Adha (no contagious disease is conveyed to others without Allah's permission) nor Tiyara, but an evil omen may be in three a woman, a house or an animal."
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "There is no Tiyara, and the best omen is the Fal." They asked, "What is the Fal?" He said, "A good word that one of you hears (and takes as a good omen)."
The Prophet said, "There is no Tiyara and the best omen is the Fal," Somebody said, "What is the Fal, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "A good word that one of you hears (and takes as a good omen)."
The Prophet said, "No 'Adha (no contagious disease is conveyed to others without Allah's permission), nor Tiyara, but I like the good Fal, i.e., the good word."
The Prophet said, "There is no 'Adha, nor Tiyara, nor Hama, nor Safar."
Narrated Abu Huraira :
Allah's Apostle gave his verdict about two ladies of the Hudhail tribe who had fought each other and one of them had hit the other with a stone. The stone hit her abdomen and as she was pregnant, the blow killed the child in her womb. They both filed their case with the Prophet and he judged that the blood money for what was in her womb. was a slave or a female slave. The guardian of the lady who was fined said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall I be fined for a creature that has neither drunk nor eaten, neither spoke nor cried? A case like that should be nullified." On that the Prophet said, "This is one of the brothers of soothsayers.
Two ladies (had a fight) and one of them hit the other with a stone on the abdomen and caused her to abort. The Prophet judged that the victim be given either a slave or a female slave (as blood-money). Narrated Ibn Shihab: Said bin Al-Musayyab said, "Allah's Apostle judged that in case of child killed in the womb of its mother, the offender should give the mother a slave or a female slave in recompense The offender said, How can I be fined for killing one who neither ate nor drank, neither spoke nor cried: a case like that should be denied ' On that Allah's Apostle said 'He is one of the brothers of the foretellers
Narrated Abu Mas'ud:
The Prophet forbade the utilization of the price of a dog, the earnings of prostitute and the earnings of a foreteller
Some people asked Allah's Apostle about the fore-tellers He said. ' They are nothing" They said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Sometimes they tell us of a thing which turns out to be true." Allah's Apostle said, "A Jinn snatches that true word and pours it Into the ear of his friend (the fore-teller) (as one puts something into a bottle) The foreteller then mixes with that word one hundred lies."
A man called Labid bin al-A'sam from the tribe of Bani Zaraiq worked magic on Allah's Apostle till Allah's Apostle started imagining that he had done a thing that he had not really done. One day or one night he was with us, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period, and then said, "O 'Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, "What is the disease of this man?" The other replied, "He is under the effect of magic.' The first one asked, 'Who has worked the magic on him?' The other replied, "Labid bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material did he use?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm.' The first one asked, 'Where is that?' The other replied, '(That is) in the well of Dharwan;' " So Allah's Apostle along with some of his companions went there and came back saying, "O 'Aisha, the color of its water is like the infusion of Henna leaves. The tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils." I asked. "O Allah's Apostle? Why did you not show it (to the people)?" He said, "Since Allah cured me, I disliked to let evil spread among the people." Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth.
Allah's Apostle said, "Avoid the Mubiqat, i.e., shirk and witchcraft."
Narrated Aisha:
Magic was worked on Allah's Apostle so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect). Then one day he said, "O 'Aisha do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I asked Him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. The one near my head asked the other. What is wrong with this man?' The latter replied the is under the effect of magic The first one asked, Who has worked magic on him?' The other replied Labid bin Al-A'sam, a man from Bani Zuraiq who was an ally of the Jews and was a hypocrite.' The first one asked, What material did he use)?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hair stuck to it.' The first one asked, 'Where (is that)?' The other replied. 'In a skin of pollen of a male date palm tree kept under a stone in the well of Dharwan' '' So the Prophet went to that well and took out those things and said "That was the well which was shown to me (in a dream) Its water looked like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palm trees looked like the heads of devils." The Prophet added, "Then that thing was taken out' I said (to the Prophet ) "Why do you not treat yourself with Nashra?" He said, "Allah has cured me; I dislike to let evil spread among my people."
Magic was worked on Allah's Apostle so that he began to imagine that he had done something although he had not. One day while he was with me, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period and then said, "O 'Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me regarding the matter I asked Him about?" I asked, "What is that, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Two men came to me; one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. One of them asked his companion, 'What is the disease of this man?' The other replied, 'He is under the effect of magic.' The first one asked, 'Who has worked magic on him?" The other replied, 'Labid bin A'sam, a Jew from the tribe of Bani Zuraiq.' The (first one asked), 'With what has it been done?' The other replied, 'With a a comb and the hair stuck to it and a skin of the pollen of a male datepalm tree.' The first one asked, 'Where is it?' The other replied, 'In the well of Dharwan.' Then the Prophet went along with some of his companions to that well and looked at that and there were date palms near to it. Then he returned to me and said, 'By Allah the water of that well was (red) like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palms were like the heads of devils" I said, O Allah's Apostle! Did you take those materials out of the pollen skin?" He said, 'No! As for me Allah has healed me and cured me and I was afraid that (by Showing that to the people) I would spread evil among them when he ordered that the well be filled up with earth, and it was filled up with earth "
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:
Two men came from the East and addressed the people who wondered at their eloquent speeches On that Allah's Apostle said. Some eloquent speech is as effective as magic.'
The Prophet said, "If somebody takes some 'Ajwa dates every morning, he will not be effected by poison or magic on that day till night." (Another narrator said seven dates).
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "If Somebody takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the morning, neither magic nor poison will hurt him that day."
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 665o:
The Prophet said, 'No 'Adha (i.e. no contagious disease is conveyed to others without Allah's permission); nor (any evil omen m the month of) Safar; nor Hama" A bedouin said, "O Allah's Apostle! What about the camels which, when on the sand (desert) look like deers, but when a mangy camel mixes with them they all get infected with mange?" On that Allah s Apostle said, "Then who conveyed the (mange) disease to the first (mangy)
camel?"
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 665e:
Allah's Apostle said: The cattle (sheep, cows, camels, etc.) suffering from a disease should not be mixed up with healthy cattle, (or said: "Do not put a patient with a healthy person ). " (as a precaution).
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "there is neither 'Adha nor Tiyara, and an evil omen is only in three: a horse, a woman and a house." (See the foot-note of Hadith No. 649)
Allah's Apostle said, "No 'Adha." Abu Huraira also said: The Prophet said, "The cattle suffering from a disease should not be mixed up with healthy cattle (or said "Do not put a patient with a healthy person as a precaution.") Abu Huraira also said: Allah's Apostle said, "No 'Adha." A bedouin got up and said, "Don't you see how camels on the sand look like deer but when a mangy camel mixes with them, they all get infected with mange?" On that the Prophet said, "Then who conveyed the (mange) disease to the first camel?"
The Prophet said, "No 'Adha nor Tiyara; but I like Fal." They said, "What is the Fal?" He said, "A good word."
When Khaibar was conquered, Allah's Apostle was presented with a poisoned (roasted) sheep. Allah's Apostle said, "Collect for me all the Jews present in this area." (When they were gathered) Allah's Apostle said to them, "I am going to ask you about something; will you tell me the truth?" They replied, "Yes, O Abal-Qasim!" Allah's Apostle said to them, "Who is your father?" They said, "Our father is so-and-so." Allah's Apostle said, "You have told a lie. for your father is so-and-so," They said, "No doubt, you have said the truth and done the correct thing." He again said to them, "If I ask you about something; will you tell me the truth?" They replied, "Yes, O Abal-Qasim! And if we should tell a lie you will know it as you have known it regarding our father," Allah's Apostle then asked, "Who are the people of the (Hell) Fire?" They replied, "We will remain in the (Hell) Fire for a while and then you (Muslims) will replace us in it" Allah's Apostle said to them. ''You will abide in it with ignominy. By Allah, we shall never replace you in it at all." Then he asked them again, "If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?" They replied, "Yes." He asked. "Have you put the poison in this roasted sheep?" They replied, "Yes," He asked, "What made you do that?" They replied, "We intended to learn if you were a liar in which case we would be relieved from you, and if you were a prophet then it would not harm you."
The Prophet said, "Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever."
Narrated Sad:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Whoever takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the morning will not be effected by magic or poison on that day."
Narrated Abu Tha'laba Al-Khushani:
The Prophet forbade the eating of wild animals having fangs. (Az-Zuhri said: I did not hear this narration except when I went to Sham.) Al-Laith said: Narrated Yunus: I asked Ibn Shihab, "May we perform the ablution with the milk of she-asses or drink it, or drink the bile of wild animals or urine of camels?" He replied, "The Muslims used to treat themselves with that and did not see any harm in it. As for the milk of she-asses, we have learnt that Allah's Apostle forbade the eating of their meat, but we have not received any information whether drinking of their milk is allowed or forbidden." As for the bile of wild animals, Ibn Shihab said, "Abu Idris Al-Khaulani told me that Allah's Apostle forbade the eating of the flesh of every wild beast having fangs . "
Allah's Apostle said, "If a fly falls in the vessel of any of you, let him dip all of it (into the vessel) and then throw it away, for in one of its wings there is a disease and in the other there is healing (antidote for it) i e. the treatment for that disease."
Tags: Hadith
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'A tale of two contracting methods'
(Image: Athos Boncompagni Illustratore / Shutterstock)
March 31 marks the end of the 30-day comment period for the final draft of the proposal for the first piece of GSA's $50 billion next-generation telecommunications contracting strategy, as well as the kickoff for the comment period for the draft of the agency's Alliant 2 Government Wide Acquisition Contract.
The comment deadline for the request for proposals for GSA's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions marks a turning point for the vehicle expected to be the foundation of the agency's NS 2020 telecom strategy. Even though EIS and Alliant 2 are distinct contracting efforts aimed at different needs, analysts said, they provide some interesting overlaps and contrasts.
Jennifer Sakole, principal analyst at Deltek Federal Information Solutions, said Alliant is a successful, known quantity for acquiring innovative IT services and includes some telecom solutions, while EIS is the agency's effort to keep up with advancing telecom solutions while supporting federal agencies' legacy telecom operations.
"It's a tale of two contracting methods," said Larry Allen, president of Allen Consulting. "NS 2020 is a new model, aimed at offering cutting edge solutions," he said, while Alliant 2 is based on a popular, proven entity for IT services and IT services-based solutions. And the lines between IT services and telecommunications services have been blurring since digital IP-based communications began. "There is an artificial barrier between telecommunications and IT contracting," said Allen.
As IT and telecom merge, said Allen, there are no easy answers for GSA's efforts to procure either.
Sakole said the EIS RFP is part of the NS 2020 portfolio that will provide a range of telecom services and infrastructure offerings, but it is a complicated platform that requires legacy support of aging systems as well as cutting edge capabilities such as cloud.
Potential respondents to the EIS RFP told FCW that the document was extremely complex and that the 30-day turnaround to provide comments was challenging to complete. They said GSA, to its credit, has been talking to the public about the contract for some time, much like the transparent back-and-forth on OASIS and Alliant.
They also wondered why the EIS effort had not garnered a section on GSA's Interact dashboard, which other contracts such as Alliant and One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) used to power their development with public interaction. "I'm curious about who will go EIS," Sakole said.
The government wants more systems integrators that can balance out the established telecom carriers, according to Sakole. Those integrators, however, would have to provide legacy voice and data services -- which could be a tall order for companies that do not have established telecom infrastructure, she said.
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Issue 1: The Politics of Resistance
Issue 2: Perversity, BDSM, and Desire
Issue 3: Feminine Feelers
Issue 4: Transnational Analysis of Settler Colonialism
Issue 5: Untimely Bodies
Issue 6: Feral Theory
Issue 7: Queer Feminine Affinities
Issue 8: Critical Interventions in Rape Culture
Issue 9: Queer and Women of Color Manifestas
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: HAUNTING AND AFFECT IN AA BRONSON AND PETER HOBBS’S “INVOCATION OF THE QUEER SPIRITS”
Daniella E. Sanader
PDF of this Piece // PDF of Issue 3
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ABSTRACT: This essay explores the productiveness of “haunting” as a metaphor for articulating how affects of trauma and history saturate space through Invocation of the Queer Spirits, a book and performance-based project by AA Bronson and Peter Hobbs. Queer Spirits saw the artists performing a variety of (private) queer séances throughout North America and documenting their experiences in a book format. Reading Queer Spirits through texts by Tim Edensor, Ann Cvetkovich, and José Esteban Muñoz, I consider how Bronson and Hobbs’s performative figures both create utopian pasts and futures for accessing queer spirits, and I also evaluate their effectiveness for doing justice to these lost figures.
“I have a white candle burning, my sage is at hand. I have a little vodka, and a cigar. The rain is relentless. I have set myself the task of writing this brief text over the next 24 hours. The writing of the text is itself a kind of invocation: a reminder to myself of the deep sense of queer being that inhabits me; and of the invisibility of queer narrative in the written history of the world about us” (Bronson, 6).
Almost immediately in the introduction to Queer Spirits, AA Bronson works to set the affective stage for his extended project with Peter Hobbs. Using romanticized ritual and sensorial language, he situates his own body (as artist/recluse/shaman) as the locus for a vast network of specifically “queer” affects that have otherwise gone unnoticed. Every subsequent act of the Queer Spirits project is subsumed into the larger supernatural ethos of Bronson and Hobbs’s performative practice. Having developed the concept during a residency in Banff, Alberta, the artists organized a series of queer séances, each with highly different parameters and manifestations. The séances occurred throughout various sites in the United States and Canada, including Banff, New Orleans, Winnipeg, Governors Island, and Fire Island. In each location, the artists attempted to call forth the spirits of the queer and otherwise marginalized through a complex series of ritualistic practices, invocatory chants, and the accumulation of various queer totems and tools, including Ouija boards, Tarot cards, herbs, candles, crystals, butt plugs, lube, chocolate, incense, and whiskey. None of the rituals were formally documented; instead, all the research, ephemera, and ancillary evidence were compiled in Queer Spirits, a book published by Plug In Editions and Creative Time. The book also includes material sourced from archives of paranormal phenomena, speculative photographs and drawings of what “might have happened” (96) at various séances, and “The Art of Drifting: 43 Lessons from a Naked Cocktail Party,” a text by Hobbs that acts as a potential manifesto for queer shamans and other seekers of the supernatural. The accumulation of these various rituals, including their traces, texts, totems, and residues, helps to imbue the multi-staged and complicated practice of Bronson and Hobbs with a sense of the romantic, the hyperbolic, and the seemingly endless potential of understanding affect through haunting.
As Bronson considered his introductory text an invocation, I hope to make use of the following essay as an exploration by examining how haunting operates as a productive (or counterproductive) mode of reading the affects of history as they saturate space. Reading site-specific affect works to bring the accumulative histories and memories of a place into the present, perhaps by imagining how the material traces of the site absorb these histories and become somehow “legible” to a new visitor or outsider. I am equating affect and ghosts, however provisionally in this essay, in order to speak to their similar shapes: both are invisible yet tangibly present both connected to the bodies of the living, yet (perhaps eerily) able to circulate beyond them. For instance, deliberately misreading the introductory line to Teresa Brennan’s The Transmission of Affect as a ghost story does not require a large stretch of the imagination: “is there anyone who has not, at least once, walked into a room and ‘felt the atmosphere’?” (Brennan, 1). If Brennan’s affect-soaked room is a haunted room, then the authors who engage with affect studies are perhaps enacting invocatory rituals, channeling spectral forces that circulate beyond their immediate bodies. Thinking about the affects of history as ghosts or hauntings, especially as counter-hegemonic histories of the marginalized, feminist, or queer, is particularly salient. Ghosts are often understood as outsiders: mournful, forgotten, even vengeful figures, left behind in spaces where they have been dealt injustice. If the traces of marginalized histories also enact a ghostly presence within space, do they ever grow tangible, or even malevolent, in turn threatening bodies in the present with their spectral influence, demanding recognition in the face of total erasure? Perhaps a deliberate conflation (or welcome confusion?) of ghosts and affect within historical space can help to affirm the feminist project of recuperating lost women, queers, and other marginalized figures from the forces of hegemonic history-making.
In order to push these ideas further, I will read various aspects of Bronson and Hobbs’s performative project [1] through three main texts, each of which negotiates with ghosts, haunting, and its ephemeral or archival traces in different ways: Tim Edensor’s cultural geographies of ruinous space in the article “The Ghosts of Industrial Ruins: Ordering and Disordering Memory in Excessive Space” and the chapter “The Spaces of Memory and the Ghosts of Dereliction” from Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics, and Materiality (2005); Ann Cvetkovich’s consideration of the affective weight of archives in “In the Archive of Lesbian Feelings” from An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (2003); and José Esteban Muñoz’s discussions of queer space and utopic nostalgia in the chapters “Ghosts of Public Sex: Utopian Longings, Queer Memories” and “Stages: Queers, Punks, and the Utopian Performative” in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity (2009). Additionally, I would like to consider how the rituals of accessing ghosts equate with the rituals of accessing affect. When are ghosts/affects invoked to commune with the bodies of the living and when do their spectral presences become threatening? Or, if Bronson’s artist-as-shaman persona acts as a conduit for queer spirits, how do the writers discussed also situate their own bodies as vulnerable or open to the circulation of affect and what kind of performative rituals become implicit in their research? Lastly, throughout this essay I will consider how the “haunting” metaphor incorporates trauma into its logic. As folklore and popular culture tell us, it is tragedy and the threat of “unfinished business” that leave ghosts to wander in the physical world. As such, I will consider whether the “haunting” metaphor remains productive for representing trauma and its specific resonances, while discussing how Bronson and Hobbs access and mobilize the accumulated traumas that imbue each séance site. I will question whether their rituals do justice for the ghostly queer victims they attempt to call forth. In accordance with (and deference to) Hobbs’s guidelines for future shamans, I will organize my thoughts around five of his key lessons.
“Lesson 1: Allow yourself to be tricked” (131) or Reading Ghosts Reparatively
I begin by establishing a methodological framework for reading affective hauntings around what Bronson and Hobbs have identified as the most common question they received regarding their performative project: did they really see any ghosts? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the artists find these persistent questions counterproductive for their shamanic practices:
To the shaman’s ears, the question of how many ghosts we have seen is bureaucratic and dull. It is in the wrong spirit. Concrete proof is more appropriate to the tasks of a bookkeeper or a lab technician (neither would make a good shaman) (169).
Despite the hyperbolic, and perhaps oversimplified, binary that divides the romanticized shaman from his so-called “dull” counterparts, Hobbs indicates how the epistemological emphasis placed on “concrete proof” in supernatural or artistic processes works to overdetermine their affective outcome. Instead of attempting to uncover what affect produces, Bronson and Hobbs are concerned with how it circulates, creating a suitable environment for accessing haunting in their ritualistic performances.
In accordance with these ideas, I assert a reparative mode of reading the Queer Spirits project, borrowing from Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s distinction between paranoid and reparative epistemologies in her essay “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay is About You.” As Sedgwick argues, paranoid epistemologies, or “hermeneutics of suspicion,” (138) rely heavily on critical debunking or forms of exposure in order to build knowledge (138-39). This automatically defensive position places the writer/critic at an immediate distance from the subjects discussed, presuming an inherent truth-value that, once unearthed, will solve all identifiable issues, “as though to make something visible as a problem were, if not a mere hop, skip, and jump away from getting it solved, at least self-evidently a step in that direction” (139). A paranoid epistemology takes knowledge as a given, as something that simply needs to be arranged anew in order to uncover some underlying critical truth. At the risk of sounding glib, a paranoid reading of the Queer Spirits project would make this essay considerably shorter. The “failures” in Bronson and Hobbs’s performative rituals are immediately obvious: there is no “proof” of the spirits they encounter and no formal documentation to confirm that their rituals even took place. Both the posturing of their shamanic personas and the expository style of the Queer Spirits project frequently veer toward hyperbole, idealization, and fantasy, almost soliciting a paranoid or skeptical reaction in return; however, remaining paranoid while considering Bronson and Hobbs’s queer séances diverts attention away from a consideration of how affective forms of knowledge circulate, create sensorial experience, and become emotionally resonant within their project. As Sedgwick writes, a reparative epistemology is “additive and accretive” over-destructive and skeptical (149). Reading ghosts reparatively allows me to consider how affect produces knowledge instead of fixating on what gets produced. As Sedgwick writes: “moving [away] from the rather fixated question[:] Is a particular piece of knowledge true, and how can we know? to the further questions: What does knowledge do – the pursuit of it, the having and exposing of it […]? How, in short, is knowledge performative, and how best does one move among its causes and effects?” (124).
Like Bronson and Hobbs’s project, my analysis here verges on the performative as well. It involves a speculative conflation of two separate terms (ghosts/affect) in order to consider what they can offer one another. My reading chooses to follow along, to be seduced by Bronson and Hobbs’s process, in order to understand how the affects they invoke offer knowledge of lost histories. I continually assert a well-worn adage familiar to all seekers of the supernatural and extraterrestrial: “I want to believe.” Reparative reading through the supernatural, in this sense, is perhaps a uniquely productive strategy for exploring the traces of memory and affect in historical space: dislodging us from the skeptic’s burden of proof, in order to create a space where the body of the author and/or reader is open to (and actively welcomes or seeks out) the affective residues of lost histories. Relying upon reparative modes of reading when considering Queer Spirits, then, opens the project up to a considerably wider scope of inquiry, without creating an overemphasis upon whether or not the séances truly “worked.”
Through a reparative mode of reading, the Queer Spirits project involves understanding intuition as a valuable epistemological tool. Tentatively defining intuition as a “faculty of immediate knowing without the process of reasoning,” (Fisher, 11) Jennifer Fisher has discussed the capacities of intuition to exceed representational logic and produce synesthetic and extra-sensory experience, indicating that “intuition, then, pertains simultaneously to both embodied perception and to awareness that extends further than the five senses” (12). Intuition provides an appropriate conduit for reading ghosts or affect in this context, emphasizing a mode of experience that is open to the non-representational and the indeterminate. Intuitive forms of knowledge, then, offer an expanded vocabulary for engaging reparatively with the traces of history, supplying this supernatural-inflected analysis with a scope of inquiry that extends beyond what is perceptually immediate and obvious. By deliberately turning towards the intuitive, relying on forms of knowing that many are quick to denounce as “new-agey” hoaxes, Bronson and Hobbs are able to build a form of artistic production that calls attention to the ways that affect circulates in space and impresses upon bodies, often through a performative relinquishing of individual control. Fisher indicates that intuitive practices often work to destabilize concrete notions of individuality (i.e., “the self becomes another as it is possessed,” 13) and throughout the Queer Spirits project Bronson and Hobbs advocate methods that render the self vulnerable to affect: “I soon realized that a ghost couldn’t be hunted down like a fugitive or an animal. If anyone is hunting, it is the ghost. They do the hunting/haunting” (149) In this sense, Hobbs’s first lesson takes on a dual meaning. He writes that novice shamans need to allow themselves to be tricked in order to invoke ghosts and experience spiritual transformation (130-131). Yet additionally, as a reader/spectator to the Queer Spirits project, a voluntary move away from the paranoid desire to expose the “truth” of each séance can create a space where I am able to enjoy the experience of being “tricked” by Bronson and Hobbs, while still remaining cognizant of the evident shortcomings in their work. Ultimately, I hope that this destabilized and reparative critical position will allow me to further consider how affect saturates space throughout the Queer Spirits project. In short, I too want to believe.
“Lesson 20: Some buildings are unintentional beacons and archives that hold the history of a city long after they have fallen out of use” (150) or Affect and Ruinous Space
Understanding how affect is experienced as a ghostly presence or trace is ultimately an exercise in understanding how affect saturates specific sites, becoming legible as visitors, whether familiar to the site or not, are exposed to its spatial resonances. Bronson and Hobbs’s project relies on the affective potentialities of certain spaces, as the artists chose specific séance locations based on their significance to the narratives of a distinctly queer history they wish to establish. For instance, three of the séances were located in national parks, spaces that, as Bronson indicates, were “all-male colonies for much of their recorded histories” (6), and each séance included research into the queer interests of the local community and history it attempted to invoke. Each localized invocation was written as a calling-forth of the historical traces of the queer and marginalized. For instance, the New Orleans invocation spoke to the “witches, prophets, seers, priests, and Vodou practitioners,” alongside “the thirty-two men and women killed in the 1972 fire at a gay nightclub in the French Quarter called the Upstairs Lounge[…]” (26). The invocation in Winnipeg called forth some figures from the margins of Canadian history as well, including Louis Riel, the Freemasons, and the queer members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (36) [2] (see appendix). Following this logic of site-specificity, the chosen Winnipeg séance site was an abandoned army surplus store that Bronson remembered from his youth (4). The building was about to be transformed into the new location of Winnipeg’s Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, and Bronson and Hobbs wished to acknowledge “the contribution of queers to the city’s rich history and [they] invited these spirits to occupy the future home of Plug In” (149). The artists, accompanied by three other men, scoured the abandoned site for useful materials to build the cubic structure that housed the ritual. They also took extensive photographs of the ruinous space, many of which are contained in the book. According to Bronson, the affective charge of the site was palpable: “spirit seeped in all directions,” (38) and Hobbs echoed his sentiment regarding the accumulated memories that permeated its leftover objects: “the gas masks, army boots, flight jackets and blankets lining the shelves, all tell ghost stories of their former owners and the changing technologies of war” (150). Evidently, the abandoned United Army Surplus Sales building was chosen with its ghostly and affective capacities in mind.
The cultural-geography-based research of Tim Edensor similarly hinges upon the phenomenological and affective experiences of ruinous space. Edensor frequently writes about his experiences exploring abandoned factories and other industrial spaces left in decay. His writing offers one method for exploring how affect becomes understood as a ghostly presence in spaces that are deemed ruinous or materially and sensorially excessive. Arguing for an understanding of how memory becomes spatialized, he explains that ghostly traces of routine behaviour can become embedded in the residues and debris that remain after years of repeated use and activity (Edensor, 148). As he writes in “The Spaces of Memory and the Ghosts of Dereliction,” visitors to industrial ruins engage with its sensuous, decaying spaces in new ways, accumulated forms of affect infiltrate their bodies and memories, evoking associations with a past that seems intuitively legible yet remains indecipherable by normative modes of history-making:
Refusing the false securities of a stable and linear past, such an approach celebrates heterogeneous sensations and surprising associations, random connections, the ongoing construction of meaning, and also admits into its orbit the mysterious agency of artifacts, spaces, and non-humans from the past (138).
Edensor frequently refers to the affective capacities of excessive space as ghostly traces, a helpful mode of inquiry for my consideration of Bronson and Hobbs’s performative project. Imagining the accumulation of memory in space creates a framework for understanding how the stuff of ghosts, or the absent-present material quality of affect, becomes accessible to the performative rituals of the Queer Spirits project. Through this logic, the specificity of Winnipeg’s abandoned army surplus store, with the strange assemblages of decaying and neglected items that generate “sensual affordances of matter” (139) perceptible to the shamanistic bodies of Bronson and Hobbs, becomes a rich location for accessing a queer spirit world.
While Edensor’s methodology provides a helpful vocabulary for reading ghosts/affect in ruinous spaces, his analysis falls short when faced with the ghostly model explored here. Edensor describes his own experiences as he walks through abandoned factories and industrial sites, encountering the ghosts of dereliction and being stricken with “involuntary memories” (143) that are not necessarily linked to his own experience or subjectivity. His writing tends to promote a romanticized vision of ruinous space that gestures towards these affective traces of the past, but only as they offer themselves up to his exploring body in the present. The sources of trauma, decay, destruction, and loss that imbue his industrial sites are given little mention in his writing: they are only useful as they provide him with the fodder for transformative or radically altered perceptual and affective experiences. Perhaps using the haunting model in an analysis of Edensor’s work exposes these shortcomings because it demands more from his exploratory approach. As a model, it recognizes the affective influence of history on the body of the researcher; in short, it solicits an otherworldly response. Edensor channels the affective intensities of the “ghosts of dereliction” in his abandoned sites, yet his ghosts are given little space to haunt back, to grow malevolent, to expose their traumas to the bodies of the living. Additionally, his writing also presupposes that all who enter these environments have equal capacities for (and inclinations to) basking in the radical new physical and sensorial affordances they offer. Only peripherally does he discuss how uneven relationships of power operate in ruinous factories, their ghostly traces left in “the banal signs which regulated bodies, in the hierarchies of offices and the divisions between skilled and unskilled work, in the apparatus of routine such as clocking off devices […]” (154). As a new visitor to these ruins, it is evident that Edensor would have no access to the specificities of power and trauma in their histories; yet it begs the question of how to make use of these affective hauntings once we are exposed to them. Once ghostly contact is made, what happens next?
Reading the ambiguous interplay between the specificity of trauma or power and its affective intensities in site-specific ways remains a large question in the Queer Spirits project as well. In some ways, Bronson and Hobbs remain inexact with these ideas, relying on a language of spirits and haunting that embraces the vague, speculative, and potentially homogenizing (e.g., “What is it about Winnipeg, what special spirit life inhabits its strange, harsh ecology?,” 40) yet their work also involves a vast array of dedicated archival research into the local community that attempts to name the spiritual context they seek. Therefore, a consideration of the archive could supply a helpful step in this conceptual bridge from affect to haunting, operating between some generalized notion of trauma and its lived specificities.
“Lesson 15: Collecting lists, inventories, maps, and anecdotes are effective ways of shadowing spirits” (145) or Archiving, Ephemera, and the Material Culture of Intuition
In “In the Archive of Lesbian Feelings,” Ann Cvetkovich writes that archives are extremely valuable for the preservation of queer histories, acting as spaces “which must preserve and produce not just knowledge but feeling” (Cvetkovich, 241). While Cvetkovich’s text does not deal specifically with ghosts or haunting, her discussions of how the affect of queer trauma circulates through archives is relevant to my examination of affective haunting. Archives are a valuable source of otherworldly power for Bronson and Hobbs; indeed, as Hobbs explains, “[m]agic has much in common with archival research” (138) and the Queer Spirits book itself acts as a literal archive of their practices, including of photographs, drawings, handwritten lists, and images of ritualistic items and other ephemera. Bronson and Hobbs also visited institutionalized archives for their research, including the Hamilton Family fonds at the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections in Winnipeg, where they sourced several photographs of early-20th-century paranormal phenomena and séances for their book. As my only access to their performative work is through reading the Queer Spirits book, which situates me as something of an outsider-archivist, piecing together the events of these séances through the ephemeral tools, traces, and research left behind: items that Fisher has referred to as the “technology” or “material culture of intuition” (14). Referring to Raymond Williams’ oft-cited understanding of the “structures of feeling” that circulate within the art and culture of a particular social era, José Esteban Muñoz writes that the ephemeral is “firmly anchored within the social. Ephemera includes traces of lived experience and performances of lived experience, maintaining experiential politics and urgencies long after these structures of feeling have been lived” (Muñoz 1996, 10). As evidence of the specificities of lived experience—the trace or residues of a performance or action—ephemeral objects carry associative capacities that extend beyond their brute materiality.
Cvetkovich’s argument in An Archive of Feelings centers on the notion that an archive could be used for emotional or affective needs, rather than simply intellectual purposes (249). For queer and marginalized communities, building grassroots archives becomes a way of asserting or legitimating a heritage that has otherwise been forgotten by hegemonic modes of history-making. Towards the end of her chapter on lesbian archives, she discusses how, in the absence of evidence, fantasy and imagination become powerful tools for building an affectively resonant archive, writing that “the importance of fantasy as a way of creating history from absences, so evident in queer documentary and other cultural genres, demands creative and alternative archives” (271). The communication of trauma in particular requires an archive that does “emotional justice” (269) to those who experienced it. These archives could create a space of accumulated affect, fantasy, and ephemera that recalls the specificities of a past traumatic moment: safeguarding against forgetting without threatening to overwhelm the archivist-researcher. The accumulation of different traces of history in an archive could also build a sense of accumulated haunting, bringing a community of ghostly affects together under one shared focus. Unconventional or fantastical archives also provide spaces to implement alternative structures of mourning for those lost or forgotten; for the performative practice of Bronson and Hobbs, archiving functions to “pin down” traces of those long-dead, ghostly queer presences that have disappeared from the cultural landscapes of Winnipeg, Banff, and the other invocation sites. As Cvetkovich writes, “The specter of literal death serves as a pointed reminder of the social death of losing one’s history” (270).
Nevertheless, archives require structure and categorization: be it rational and sequential, or intuitive and haphazard. Without proper categorization or attention, certain voices can get lost in the dusty corners of archives. While archiving the traces of marginalized or traumatic histories, this loss could be understood as a doubled displacement, the dual violence of being cast out of hegemonic history, then lost or neglected in the archive meant to recuperate that voice. Cvetkovich touches on this issue in relation to trauma archives, indicating that “it is not enough simply to accumulate archival materials; great care must be taken with how they are exhibited and displayed” (271)—yet Bronson and Hobbs’s project embodies this problem in a new way. In calling forth the “spirits of the queer and otherwise marginalized,” the artists run the risk of homogenizing those they wish to memorialize. The invocation written for each site acts as a form of textual archive of the specific bodies that have been wronged in that location (see appendix); however, these massive, undifferentiated lists threaten to oversaturate their readers, promoting a mode of encounter that favours a cursory skim over attentive engagement. For instance, I glanced at these lists a few times before realizing that they rarely mention women. Another reviewer pointed to the problems in equating both the spirits of lost First Nations communities and the very colonizers who exterminated them in the same invocation, arguing that “the indifference shown to this dangerous (a)historical misstep is striking” (Morgenstern). How do these omissions alter our understanding of which ghosts are accessible in certain spaces and which remain worthy of contact? In this way, while accumulative, intuitive, and lateral forms of archival organization are helpful for creating a space where non-normative affects can assert a powerful presence, it can become difficult if their counter-hegemonic tactics distract from the further displacement of those left neglected in their midst.
“Lesson 31: At night the park is haunted by witches and perverts”(161) or Ghosts and Queer Futurity
Examining modes of cultural production that he sees as conducive to creating “transformative queer political possibility,” (Muñoz 2009, 38) Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity also provides an alternative framework for doing justice to queer voices left neglected by hegemonic forms of history-making. In “Ghosts of Public Sex: Utopian Longings, Queer Memories,” Muñoz refers to the nostalgic affects that circulate in former sites of gay male sex, acting as ghostly traces which imply a connection with a utopic queerworld of sexual possibility (42). For Muñoz, queer politics require visions of utopic space, despite the exclusions and discriminations that these visions potentially support (34), [3] for utopias provide “a critique of the present, of what it is, by casting a picture of what can and perhaps will be” (35). Like Bronson and Hobbs, Muñoz sees productivity in embracing the romantic, the ideal, and the utopian and uses this space as a platform to enact social change to provide queers with a future unavailable to them through heteronormative discourse. Examining what he calls “public-sex-mimetic cultural production,” (35) Muñoz then examines the ghostly auras that circulate in Tony Just’s photographs of men’s public restrooms in New York City (40-46). As sites that seem imbued with the affective remainders of sustained public sex between gay men, Muñoz argues that these images offer up a ghostly materiality that is neither visible nor tactile yet remains wholly resonant (42).
Bronson and Hobbs’s performances rely on the work of Muñoz in a number of ways. For instance, they also remain nostalgically drawn to the sites of public sex, understanding these liminal spaces as rich sources for queer haunting. The Fire Island séance involved an extensive photographic intervention into the winding paths of the Magic Forest or Meat Rack, a wooded area between two gay beach communities near the performance site, which operates as a well-known site for clandestine sexual encounters (113). The photographs – which glimmer on each page with a silver sheen – attempt to offer up what Muñoz has referred to as the “visual frequencies that render specific distillations of lived experience and ground-level history accessible[…],” (42) documenting the ways in which queer affects (or haunting) remain resonant in these sites. The very name (Magic Forest) evokes a utopian or fantastical landscape, and Bronson and Hobbs work to further emphasize these romantic associations by rhapsodizing that “through this moist and misty universe float the spirits of the past, the many men who died here, and who came here to die” (113). Through their photographic and textual myth-making, Bronson and Hobbs create an alternative geography of queer utopias, asserting what Muñoz understands as the idealized, yet productive, transformative potential of public sex (34).
Additionally, Muñoz’s chapter on stages and the promise of queer futurity resonates with Bronson and Hobbs’s work at the Governors Island séance site. In “Stages: Queers, Punks, and the Utopian Performative,” Muñoz considers the utopian quality in the “moment of hope and potential transformation” (103) that resonates through an empty stage prior to a performance, as exemplified by the photographic series The Chameleon Club by Kevin McCarty (101-113). These photographs of empty stages in queer bars, many of which Muñoz himself had frequented, operate as potential utopias of queer futurity, implying the possibility of an alternative performative temporality, and promoting community-building through transgressive subcultures. Bronson and Hobbs situate their performative work through techniques of display that operate within a similar logic. At the Governors Island séance site (the officer’s house of a seventeenth-century military base) the ephemeral remains of this invocation were left intact and partially accessible to the public. A wall in the foyer provided peepholes (or glory holes, to borrow Bronson and Hobbs’s phrasing) (71) through which visitors could peer inwards to examine leftover fragments of the ritual. Like the potential futurity of Muñoz’s empty stages, do similar affective potentialities saturate a séance space after the invocation is complete? Muñoz argues for the affective charge of performative traces in “Ephemera as Evidence: Introductory Notes to Queer Acts,” considering how ephemeral material implies a non-normative temporality which implies the transpiring of a performance while remaining open to alternative pasts and futures:
Ephemera […] is linked to alternate modes of textuality and narrativity like memory and performance, a kind of evidence of what has transpired but certainly not the thing itself. It does not rest on epistemological foundations but is instead interested in following traces, glimmers, residues, and specks of things (10).
Through this model, the ephemeral materiality of queer ghosts mixes together with the other performative residues of the Governors Island séance site. Understanding the site as a stage for potentially alternative queer pasts and futures informs my consideration of how Bronson and Hobbs’s project acts as a form of queer history-making that encourages “participants to embrace the fiction of a queer family” (162). However, how are Bronson and Hobbs situating themselves as facilitators for the sedimentation of this deliberately utopian and fantastical queer family of the living and dead? Does their performative posturing as queer shaman-artists alter the structure and outcome of this ghostly community?
“Lesson 17: The shaman-artist doesn’t just make art, he is art” (147) or Locating Affect in Ritualized Art-making and Ritualized Research
A photographic portrait of Bronson in his séance regalia (leather cap and butt plug with rooster feathers) appears in the Winnipeg section of the Queer Spirits text, marked with the caption, “With my cap, sweetgrass, and rooster feathers, I am a hybrid of shaman, leather daddy, and Voodoo priestess. Gender has vanished. I am AA Bronson, gay priestess of Winnipeg, shaman daddy, trans medicine woman, man on the street” (47). Relying on hyperbole, fantasy, and the aggregation of various spiritual traditions and gendered/sexual identities, Bronson constructs a performative persona that, in its indeterminate and hybrid nature, allows him to act as a conduit for different types of queer affect. Elsewhere, Bronson has equally espoused the value of his “hybrid shaman” persona, emphasizing how it accumulates various spiritual traditions under one body:
It is the tradition of the shaman that interests me, not in isolation, but as a tradition that can be hybridized – with Freudian psychotherapy, for example. I have done quite a lot of research into specific traditions, mostly the pre-Buddhist Tibetan and Siberian, with a little dabbling in North American aboriginal practices (Bronson, 2003: 54).
However, like the textual archives of marginalized groups included in the invocations discussed above, does Bronson’s enthusiastic accumulation of spiritualities and identities threaten to efface the specificities of each? The ghostly presences of bodies of colour (from aboriginal peoples, to black slaves, to migrant workers) act as guiding forces throughout the Queer Spirits project: their spiritual and cultural practices are even mapped onto the bodies of Bronson and Hobbs as artist-shamans. Nevertheless, as once-living bodies with agency, they remain strangely absent from the project at large. This performative accumulation of spiritualities and identities is ultimately meant to assert a utopian view, an alternative archive of queer affects that embraces fantasy at its very core. Yet, it does so at the risk of a loss of precision and criticality, allowing the specificities of queerness, race, spirituality, and trauma to become indeterminate and vague, like ghostly presences of their own. For researchers attempting to channel these spectral figures and give them new tangibility in the present, this additional invisibility is perhaps too great a loss.
While it is clear that Bronson and Hobbs have developed their performative rituals around a romantic, hybridized, and seductive persona that acts as the appropriate conduit for the spirits they wish to attract, Edensor, Cvetkovich, and Muñoz’s work each requires its author to situate his or her body as vulnerable to affective forces in equally performative and ritualized ways. A consideration of how these authors ritualize their own research on affect could offer up some congruencies with and alternatives to the personas donned by Bronson and Hobbs. For instance, Edensor’s body is omnipresent in his writing yet it remains generalized: a nonspecific, abled body that has perfect access to the sensual affordances the ruins offer up to him. As mentioned earlier, Edensor does not allow himself to be haunted in turn. Much of “The Spaces of Materiality and the Ruins of Dereliction” sees Edensor describing his own corporeal experiences as he walks, jumps, climbs, crawls, and tiptoes through precarious ruins. He speaks at length about the “involuntary memories” (143) generated by ruinous space, yet rarely names how these affects impress upon his actual body, providing him with specific memories and associations. In a way, Edensor’s approach has congruencies with Bronson and Hobbs: both posit their own bodies as able to accumulate the affects and specificities of other spaces and spirits with ease and able to negotiate with complex affective and sensory experiences with little to no resistance or influence from their own bodies or subjectivities.
Cvetkovich’s approach to investigating the affective pull of archives does not involve neutrality, but is deeply invested in the love, attention, or care provided by the archivist or researcher. Interviewing the volunteers of Brooklyn’s Lesbian Herstory Archives (LHA), Cvetkovich asserts that archival security and stability is not simply supplied by financial or institutional forces; she quotes Maxine Wolfe, a longtime LHA volunteer: “let me tell you about security—it means that when there is a fire, someone wants to save your papers. At LHA, there are twenty-five women who would put lives on the line to save that stuff” (quoted on 248). Similarly, Cvetkovich writes that in archiving ephemera or pieces of pop culture, queer archivists often take on strategies inspired by fan culture: “I take the fan as a model for the archivist. The archivist of queer culture must proceed like the fan or collector whose attachment to objects is often fetishistic, idiosyncratic, or obsessional” (253). Implicit in these discussions is Cvetkovich’s own position as the archivist/researcher of her text, supplying the same love, devotion, and emotional investment to her objects of study as her interviewees in their archives. While Bronson and Hobbs also enact a ritualistic level of love, investment, and care for the spirits they seek to contact, Cvetkovich’s model complicates the performance of devotion they supply in Queer Spirits. Bronson and Hobbs seem ultimately more concerned with building the romantic and sumptuous ritualized landscape of their shamanistic characters than with investigating the specificities of their queer spirits in depth. On the other hand, Cvetkovich’s interview with the LHA volunteers leads me to wonder: is love a different form of haunting? Like a form of possession, the love the LHA volunteers felt for their archives imbues them with the history they wish to preserve, as they become mediums or conduits for those otherwise lost queer voices.
Lastly, Muñoz follows in Cvetkovich’s direction by exploring his own queer memories, intimacies, and friendships as they intertwine with the photographs he studies, supplying the pictured spaces with a personalized affective charge. Throughout the “Stages” chapter, Muñoz relies on his own experiences in the gay bars McCarty photographs, while remaining transparent about how his friendship with the artist has informed his own work: “Queer intimacies underwrite much of the critical work I do. Yet I reject the phrase advocacy criticism and instead embrace the idea of the performative collaboration between artist and writer” (101).
Muñoz situates himself as a member of a community; his investments in his written archive of ghostly affect are both intellectual and deeply personal. Yet do his experiences resonate beyond his own subjectivity and are these affects still valuable to those who do not have the same associations with these queer spaces? Muñoz imagines, in his deliberately utopian way, how the felt affects within these images can reverberate beyond his own personal accounts. As he explains how the various texts and images discussed relate to his own experiences, his vocabulary privileges a form of lateral or associative interconnectedness, emphasizing that McCarty’s images and statements resonate “alongside” and “beyond” his own biography (105). Refusing to close down these associations through a reliance on his personal experience, Muñoz affirms that it is the temporal and spatial indeterminacy of the images discussed that leave them open to alternate readings and resonances: “[McCarty] is narrating a stage of in-between-ness, a spatiality that is aligned with a temporality that is on the threshold between identifications, lifeworlds, and potentialities” (105). Like Bronson and Hobbs, Muñoz remains willing to assert the liminal or ambiguous nature of the affects he explores; however, like Cvetkovich, his effort to name his own investments, intimacies, and memories throughout his affective reading of queer ghosts and utopias adds emotional weight to his project.
Many aspects of the Queer Spirits project remain enticing, enthralling, and romantic; for instance, the sumptuous photographs, extensive archival research, and mysterious and playful rituals enacted by Bronson and Hobbs. As a result, my approach to their work has involved a desire to critique and a willingness to be seduced in equal measure. However, the content of the performances remains inaccessible: once readers start to seek out the artists’ own personal attachments or the specific voices of the ghosts they claim to contact, we are met with impressions equally as spectral and diffuse. Perhaps appropriately, while the performative séances of Bronson and Hobbs resonate as transgressive and powerful, they remain like vocal invocations in the air, ultimately fading like the ghosts they hope to access.
Considering affect as a form of ghostly presence or haunting is a deeply seductive and evocative idea; however, when we seek the specificities of trauma and loss through its logic, its insufficiencies as a model begin to emerge. Perhaps what both entices and disappoints readers who seek out hauntings in order to recuperate traumatic affects is that ghosts seem to promise a connection to the marginalized or queer dead without guaranteeing its emergence. AA Bronson and Peter Hobbs’s performative project Invocation of the Queer Spirits makes evident both the possibilities and problems inherent in the haunting model, providing readers with a framework for considering where ghosts are helpful for reading affect, and indicating where the metaphor falls short. Through this paper I have considered work by Tim Edensor, Ann Cvetkovich, and José Esteban Muñoz to build my own archive of ghostly writing alongside Bronson and Hobbs’s project, exploring where the Queer Spirits model for ghosts is met with congruencies and helpful alternatives in other texts. Ultimately, when engaging with the Queer Spirits project, it remains important to consider both its shortcomings and the ways in which it seduces, endears, and appeals to readers as a utopian vision of a queer history and queer future. Like the ghosts it claims to seek out, Queer Spirits remains mystifying and difficult to pin down.
1. It should be noted here that given the size and scope of Queer Spirits, I will not be able to engage with every facet of the project here. Instead, I hope to focus my analysis on a few key séances that best exemplify the conceptual connections between haunting and affect that I am attempting to describe.
2. It should be noted that the invocation for Banff is not included in the Queer Spirits book.
3. Here Muñoz discusses Leo Bersani’s critique of the idealizing of bathhouses in a pre-AIDS era as sites of total sexual liberation: he “rightly brings to light the fact that those pre-AIDS days of glory were also elitist, exclusionary, and savagely hierarchized libidinal economies.”
Invocation from Winnipeg séance. In Bronson and Hobbs, Queer Spirits (Winnipeg: Creative Time and Plug In Editions, 2011): 36.
We invite into this circle the queer spirits of Winnipeg, those who have been marginalized or excised from the official history of Winnipeg. We invite you to join us in constructing this collective memory of a queer community of the quick and the dead:
The First Nations shamans and medicine men who recognized the magical and magnetic pull of the Forks and their geographic location as the geographical center of North America; the French, English, Scottish, and Irish explorers, trappers, traders, coureurs de bois, and other adventurers of an all-male life; the Métis under Louis Riel, whose rebellion and persecution marked the early days of Canada as a harsh environment of military rule, intolerance, corruption and greed; the Chinese railroad workers who built the Grand Trunk, the Canadian Pacific, and the Canadian Northern Railways that converged in Winnipeg; the loggers, miners, and cattlemen whose camps constituted all-male communities; the missionaries, priests, reverends, and rabbis; the homesteaders, farmers, and ranchers who came from the Ukraine, Poland, Iceland and Scandinavia – those who settled here and those who pushed west; the Doukhobors, Hutterites, and Mennonites who espoused universal brotherhood and settled here so that they could freely practice their beliefs; the queers working in the hotels, taverns, gambling houses, and brothels of frontier Red River; the queers of Winnipeg’s First Nations and Métis; the musicians of Winnipeg’s Philharmonic Orchestra, established in 1880; the dancers of the Winnipeg Royal Ballet, North America’s oldest running ballet; the queer professors, teachers, and students of the city’s schools; the mistreated workers who took to the streets in the General Strike of 1919; the queer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the brotherhood of Freemasons who built many of Winnipeg’s landmarks, including Manitoba’s Parliament Building with its Golden Boy and sacred geometry; those who dedicated their lives to psychic research and pioneered psychic photography, turning Winnipeg into a spiritualist hotbed in the 1920’s and 1930’s; the artists of the Manitoba Theatre Centre; the men and women who frequented Happenings, Giovanni’s Room, the Office Bathhouse, and the Campus Gay Club at the University of Winnipeg, and in doing so homesteaded a queer community;
Those who were persecuted for their difference and murdered; those who suffered from abuse as children and adults; those who committed suicide; those who died of disease, including the influenza epidemic of 1918 and the encephalitis epidemic of 1922; those who died of HIV and AIDS.
To all those dispossessed and abandoned, to all those who have died but cannot leave this place, we invite each of you to join us in this queer community of the quick and the dead.
Brennan, Teresa. The Transmission of Affect. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2004.
Bronson, AA, and Peter Hobbs. Queer Spirits. Winnipeg, MB: Creative Time/Plug In Editions, 2011.
Bronson, AA. The Quick and the Dead. Toronto, ON: The Power Plant, the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, 2003.
Cvetkovich, Ann. An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality and Lesbian Public Cultures. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003.
Edensor, Tim. Industrial Ruins: Spaces, Aesthetics, and Materiality. New York: Berg Publishing, 2005.
Fisher, Jennifer. “Introduction.” In Technologies of Intuition. Edited by Jennifer Fisher. (Toronto: YYZ Books, 2006): 11-30.
Morgenstern, Tyler. “Invocation of the Queer Spirits.” Art Threat, July 12 2012. Accessed October 18 2012. http://artthreat.net/2012/07/queer-spirits-bronson-hobbs/
Muñoz, José Esteban. Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity. New York: New York University Press, 2009.
Muñoz, José Esteban. “Ephemera as Evidence: Introductory Notes to Queer Acts.” Women and Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory 8:2 (1996): 5-16.
Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid You Probably Think This Essay is About You.” In Touching Feeling: Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003): 123- 151.
Daniella E. Sanader is an arts writer and researcher based in Toronto. Originally from Hamilton, she completed her MA in Art History at McGill University in 2013. Her writing has elsewhere appeared in C Magazine, BlackFlash, and the Journal of Curatorial Studies.
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'We love him as a group' - Ole Gunnar receives squad backing after Tottenham win
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has received backing from the squad, following another sweet victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils beat Mourinho's Spurs 2-1 at Old Trafford to pick three important points and serve the Portuguese his first defeat at his new club.
Speaking on Thursday, Scott McTominay revealed that they support their manager, and moved to quash rumors surrounding the Norwegian.
"Obviously it's our duty as players to go out there and do our utmost best for him and hopefully we can [put on performances for him] because we love him. We love him as a group as well," he told MUTV.
"Some of the points we've missed out on this year have not represented the level of performance as well, so hopefully we can keep pushing forward now as well."
Pressure was mounting on Solskjaer following dwindling results in previous matches but seems to be getting a grip of the side and they are recording improved performances.
It's understood that the club is willing to accord him more time compared to his predecessors, but will be tasked to ensure the team qualifies for Champions League next season.
United moved to sixth on the standings following the win, and will now shift focus to the Manchester Derby on Saturday.
Read More: Michael Owen predicts all Premier League matches this weekend
Revealed: Manchester United's squad set to face Liverpool
BREAKING: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer names new Manchester United captain
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RESERVE MY SEAT
Speakers – 2020
Speaker Quotes
Exhibitor Quotes
Collaboration can unlock the shared ambition of Ireland becoming a European leader in clinical trials
Dr Itziar Canamasas, Managing Director, Bayer Ltd and Chair of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association’s (IPHA’s) Clinical Research Exchange Group
Clinical trials give patients access to sometimes life-saving trials; they help set the standard of care for patients and they are also vital for boosting innovation; just three of the many reasons why a country should constantly strive to improve their clinical trial infrastructure. Ireland is in a unique position to draw on our strong base of international pharmaceutical companies and highly regarded healthcare professionals who are experts in managing clinical trials together with a supportive public policy environment.
All of the key stakeholders including industry, must actively collaborate together to realise our shared ambition to make Ireland a leading location for clinical trials.
In light of this, where do we stand today in terms of our clinical trials infrastructure? IPHA recently conducted a survey among member companies to gain an understanding of recent performance in terms of start-up speed and ability to deliver recruitment targets. Not only did this survey give some insights into recent performance but it also quantifies a baseline to set and measure future targets against.
The results of the IPHA survey show that, on average, it takes about eight months to recruit the first patient into a clinical trial in Ireland. That figure is based on 90 trials set up between 2013 and 2018 across 11 therapy areas and all four phases of the clinical development process. The measure is the number of calendar days it takes to recruit a first patient into a trial from the date the company submits to a Recognised Ethics Committee – the international best practice structure for overseeing the conduct of ethical standards in healthcare research.
Looking to Denmark, a country of similar size, it had approximately three times the number of registered studies at the end of 2018 compared with Ireland. Notwithstanding these higher numbers, it currently takes six months to recruit a patient into clinical trials in Denmark, which is 25 per cent shorter than in Ireland.
The delay experienced in Ireland has potentially far-reaching consequences, most importantly for patients who are missing out on opportunities to access what could be life-saving medication and contribute toward the development of improved detection techniques and diagnosis.
There is no reason why Ireland can’t emulate Denmark’s success. Implementing some of the following changes would help make strides to reduce the time it takes to recruit the first patient into a clinical trial in Ireland:
• The standardisation of site contracts (the Clinical Trial Agreement) that is standard in a number of other EU countries. This will shorten delays and save on legal fees for both hospitals and companies;
• Be consistent in our approach to clinical research across all institutions;
• Provide realistic targets for clinical trials that are achievable and can be relied upon. This means meeting a lower target is better than partially meeting a higher target.
While the survey has helped identify where improvements can be made to benefit patients in Ireland, it is equally important to recognise some of the great work which is already ongoing to improve the clinical trial infrastructure in Ireland: for example, the impending implementation of the Clinical Trial Regulation; new ways of identifying and recruiting patients; and the investment in clinical research over the past decade. The HRB-CRCI feasibility service has processed 255 studies over the past four years. Most of these are pharmaceutical industry trials. Progress is being made in therapy areas including oncology, haematology, cardiology and respiratory and infectious diseases.
Ireland’s recent decision to join the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) has the potential to give us access to large populations of patients and collaborations across countries. It is also hoped that Ireland’s membership of ECRIN will help us to take on the country sponsor role for more pan-European clinical trials and ultimately benefit Irish patients.
As well as the positive human health impact, clinical trials enhance the value proposition for innovation on which Ireland needs to keep working to secure future global investment in manufacturing and discovery activity against significant competition. It is important for all key stakeholders to actively collaborate to realise a shared ambition of making Ireland a leading location for clinical trials.
By Itziar Canamasas|2019-08-28T07:59:59+01:00August 28th, 2019|Categories: FHS Blog|Comments Off on Collaboration can unlock the shared ambition of Ireland becoming a European leader in clinical trials
About the Author: Itziar Canamasas
Why the ‘Internet of Things’ enables sharing to become caring in the healthcare sector
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Endurance Ladies Radio
Endurance Ladies Radio focuses 100% on women in endurance sports. Join us as we talk to women who challenge their limits and inspire us to be epic. Interviews include women in triathlon and endurance sports.
http://enduranceladies.com
#11: Betting on Sarah Piampiano
There are 2,401 athletes hitting the course in Kona on Saturday, and one of the women vying for a top podium sport is Sarah Piampiano. It may be hard to believe that Sarah's first career was putting in 90-hour work weeks on Wall Street, smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and getting a few hours of sleep when she could at the office. Sarah got hooked on triathlons thanks to a bet she made in 2009, and since turning pro in 2012, she hasn't looked back. Sarah finished seventh at Kona last year and has been training hard to get that top spot. She's won two Ironman races in 2016: 70.3 New Orleans and Vineman. We had a chance to talk to her right after her Vineman win when she was in the thick of training for Kona, and she shared her thoughts on her early days training in New York City, her nutrition routine for races, and her goals for Ironman's capstone race. Sarah Piampiano:
Website: http://sarahpiampiano.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleRedRacing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahPiampiano
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SarahPiampiano
The Habit Project: http://thehabitproject.net/who-we-are/
Sarah's Gear:
Cervelo P5 (bike): https://www.cervelo.com/en/triathlon/p-series/p5
Saucony (running shoes): http://www.saucony.com/en/home
Roka (wetsuit): http://www.roka.co
Polar (watches): https://www.polar.com/us-en
Rudy Project (helmet and sunglasses): http://www.rudyproject.com
Clif Bar (nutrition): http://www.clifbar.com
Bear Mattress (mattress): https://www.bearmattress.com
About the Endurance Ladies podcast: Endurance Ladies Radio focuses 100% on women in endurance sports. If you have an idea for an upcoming show, email us at hello@enduranceladies.com. See more on our website EnduranceLadies.com. And follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @enduranceladies
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Pokemon Go Launched in Brazil Ahead of Rio 2016 Olympics
By Reuters | Updated: 4 August 2016 10:41 IST
Creators of Pokemon Go on Wednesday said the blockbuster mobile game has been released in Brazil just in time for the Rio Olympics which start on Friday.
A spokesman for the game's publisher Niantic confirmed in an email that "the app is currently rolling out across all of Central and South America."
Earlier in the day, the official Twitter account for Pokemon Go tweeted that it was working hard to launch the game in South America's largest nation and told fans to "stay tuned."
Before the game was widely available in the country, some athletes had already been playing it and racked up hefty phone charges. Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura landed a nearly $5,000 phone bill in Rio after he was persuaded by his teammates to download the game shortly after touching down in Brazil for a pre-Games training camp last week.
(Also see: Pokemon Go Update Resets Game Progress, Some Users Complain)
Some in Brazil have questioned how Pokemon Go players will stay safe. Robbers in other countries have targeted distracted mobile phone players, and Brazil's steepest economic recession since the 1930s has been stoking crime and straining public finances. There have been threats of police strikes on the eve of the games.
In the United States, some players have been drawn down dark alleys and into dangerous neighbourhoods in search of the imaginary creatures, only to be targeted by criminals. Players have also been involved in car accidents.
(Also see: Pokemon Go Advanced Tips and Tricks)
The game can work anywhere in the world using GPS but it was officially unavailable for download by local users in Brazil until Wednesday.
Earlier, athletes who arrived at the Olympic village expressed disappointment about the game not being widely available.
US diver Abby Johnston tweeted July 26 that the worst thing about the Olympic village was she could not play the game.
Players use their mobile devices to search various real-life locations in hopes of finding and capturing virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu.
The game marries a classic 20-year-old Nintendo franchise with augmented reality and has surged on Apple Inc's app charts since its release last month. It is on its way to becoming the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year barrier, beating Candy Crush Saga. Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd owns 32 percent of the Pokemon Company, which holds Pokemon's intellectual property.
There will be around 10,500 athletes competing in the Olympics from August 5 to August 21 in Rio, plus 5,000 coaches and team officials.
Further reading: Apps, Brazil, Gaming, Olympics, Pokemon, Pokemon Go, Rio Olympics
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GameConsoleNew Zealand
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Palaeoceanographic changes in Hornsund Fjord (Spitsbergen, Svalbard) over the last millennium: new insights from ancient DNA
J Pawłowska, M Zajączkowski, M Łącka, F Lejzerowicz, P Esling, J Pawlowski. Climate of the Past Discussions 11, 3665-3698; 10.5194/cpd-11-3665-2015
This paper presents a reconstruction of climatedriven environmental changes over the last millennium in Hornsund Fjord (Svalbard), based on sedimentological and micropalaeontological records. Our palaeo-investigation was supported by an analysis of foraminiferal ancient DNA (aDNA), focusing on the non-fossilized monothalamous species. The main climatic fluctuations during the last millennium were the Medieval Warm Period (MWP, AD 1000– 1600), the Little Ice Age (LIA, AD 1600–1900) and the modern warming (MW, AD 1900 to present). Our study indicates that the environmental conditions in Hornsund during the MWP and the early LIA (before ∼ AD 1800) were relatively stable. The beginning of the LIA (∼ AD 1600) was poorly evidenced by the micropalaeontological record but was well marked in the aDNA data by an increased proportion of monothalamous foraminifera, especially Bathysiphon sp. The early LIA (∼ 1600 to ∼ AD 1800) was marked by an increase in the abundance of sequences of Hippocrepinella hirudinea and Cedhagenia saltatus. In the late LIA (after ∼ AD 1800), the conditions in the fjord became glacierproximal and were characterized by increased meltwater out- flows, high sedimentation and a high calving rate. This coincided with an increase in the percentages of sequences of Micrometula sp. and Vellaria pellucidus. During the MW, the major glacier fronts retreated rapidly to the inner bays, which limited the iceberg discharge to the fjord’s centre and caused a shift in the foraminiferal community that was reflected in both the fossil and aDNA records.
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The rest »
The problem of Corporate Democrats and how to kick them out
Author Topic: The problem of Corporate Democrats and how to kick them out (Read 186340 times)
Re: The problem of Corporate Democrats and how to kick them out
Thanks for the link. Here is a link to the Democratic Establishment putting the shiv into Tulsi Gabbard. Or trying. She is very popular in Hawaii, and attempts to unseat her would cost a great deal ... in more than money.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/09/politics/democratic-leaders-gabbard-syria/index.html
Tanden and Dean are slime. Thats what i don't want to become, but i see no way to beat them for control of the Democratic party without becoming slime myself.
Need a new start.
If you want to get rid of someone then a good place to start is "know thine enemy as thyself".
I came across Ayn Rand years ago when Alan Greenspan was the acknowledged Master of the Universe. When considering Corporate America of any apparent political persuasion (from Tillerson to Musk) the writings of this weird lady are a must. Try the following link for starters:-
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/10/new-age-ayn-rand-conquered-trump-white-house-silicon-valley
And remember - multi-nationals and who run them are all just the same. We once upon a time thought Google might be different, we were wrong.
wili
Reminds me of a couple quotes:
“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers
“I have always found it quaint and rather touching that there is a movement [Libertarians] in the US that thinks Americans are not yet selfish enough.” Christopher Hitchens
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."
"We once upon a time thought Google might be different, we were wrong."
Who is we ? I haven't trusted google since about the time their engine became dominant. I havent used it except through cutouts in over a decade. I recommend those practices. Remember that their assets are your personal data. Don't give it to them, and better yet, pollute it. This discussion would perhaps be better on the "Securing the Internet" thread, were it not for the fact that Google is one of the Dmocratic Party's largest corporate backers, and has an army of lobbyists in DC.
Susan Anderson
My heart is with the throw the bums out faction, but my head is with the do what's necessary to get the monsters out now. It's awful to live in the US of A these days. Every day brings new horrors (today: MOAB and defunding Planned Parenthood; recently, Supreme Court now in charge of voter suppression, which will keep the kleptocrats and climate deniers in power).
I felt I had said my bit, which is that the infighting isn't helping; here's one more on that from today's New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/opinion/how-to-stand-up-to-trump-and-win.html:
First, advocates are often university-educated elites who can come across as patronizing. So skip the lofty rhetoric and emphasize issues of pocketbooks and corruption. Centrist voters may not care whether Trump is riding roughshod over institutions, but they’ll care if he rips them off or costs them jobs.
Second, movements must always choose between purity and breadth — and usually they overdo the purity. It’s often possible to achieve more with a broader coalition, cooperating with people one partially disagrees with. I think it was a mistake, for example, for the Women’s March to disdain “pro-life” feminists.
Third, nothing deflates an authoritarian more than ridicule. When Serbian youths challenged the dictator Slobodan Milosevic, they put his picture on a barrel and rolled it down the street, allowing passers-by to whack it with a bat.
In recruiting for the Trump resistance, Stephen Colbert may be more successful than a handful of angry Democratic senators. Trump can survive denunciations, but I’m less sure that in the long run he can withstand mockery.
That was the context to introduce this useful list of action ideas (more effective than rockstar crowds screaming approval of each simplistic assertion):
https://www.mapm.org/documents/198_nonviolent_methods_2007.pdf
I get the feeling I am now a "corporate Democrat" in your view. Not much I can do about that. My opinion: burning down the house leaves you homeless.
In that quote, I could have wished Kristof had found a less controversial example than "pro-life feminists" but I didn't get to choose. That was the bit I wanted to emphasize.
In Neven's blog, a variety of opinions are tolerated. But it appears there is a need to insult moderates in this thread, to gang up against natural allies and ignore the all too obvious real enemies, who are in power and exploiting these differences. While it is arguable that in this present, moderates are part of the problem (Arctic information makes it clear action is needed, not now, but yesterday), insulting them only enables the Ayn Randians. Meanwhile, Chomsky from Wikipedia.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Chomsky called Donald Trump an "ignorant, thin-skinned megalomaniac" and a "greater evil" than Hillary Clinton. Asked about claims that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election through hacking, Chomsky said: “It’s possible, but it’s a kind of strange complaint in the United States. The U.S. has been interfering with, and undermining, elections all over the world for decades and is proud of it.”
Tolerating the intolerable is no fun, but blaming allies and fellow victims, while it may comfort the outrage, accomplishes little or nothing.
0) Perhaps there should be a thread entitled "The problem of Corporate Democrats and how to kick them out, but not before we empower them some more to depose Trump" Or perhaps, in Augustine's words "O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet," or "Lord, give me chastity, but do not give it yet."
But since there isn't yet, let me address some of Anderson's statements here:
1) Anderson argues that in view of the great evil of the Trump Caesarship, one must ally with corporate Democrats in order to depose him. But it is the evils wrought by corporate Democrats that caused their own voters to stay home and droves of rural voters to come out and elect Trump. Supporting those corporate Democrats again will lead to worse than Trump, this I do see clearly.
2) Anderson sees a " ... need to insult moderates in this thread, to gang up against natural allies and ignore the all too obvious real enemies ... insulting them only enables the Ayn Randians. " I see nothing moderate in the rapacity of corporate Democrats at all, and I do not consider them allies, natural or otherwise. And if it is insulting to point out their habitual vices, why, then yes, I do see a need to insult them. My enemies I choose for myself, and they include the "Ayn Randians." The same for my allies, and those do not include the corporate Democrats. And my battles, I pick for myself also and right now I choose to oppose the evils of the corporate Democrats and those of corporate Republicans and those of Trump. Oddly enuf, I find that the same actions serve all three purposes.
3) Anderson feels that it is "awful to live in the US of A these days." Welcome to the club, some of us have been here for a very long time. We missed you all those long years when Peace Caesar Obama was killing people in several different countries. And I suspect that if and when the next Democratic Caesar ascends, we will miss you again.
4) Anderson fears that "burning down the house leaves you homeless." A fine figure of speech, but wake up,many many are already literally unhoused. The last Peace Caesar saw to that, rescuing and sheltering he banks and bankers while his minions like Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner refused aid or recompense to those defrauded and evicted. The Peace Caesar, like every Chicago machine politician before him, knuckled under to the big money. The phone call came down, the fix went in, the bankers made out and millions of families were out on the street. That is a very big reason for Trump being elected.
5) I would like to pose Anderson a question: What will it take for you to disavow people like Neera Tanden and Howard Dean ? Do you agree with their attack on Rep. Gabbard ? Does Dean, lobbyist for pharma, have to personally fellate the CEO of Eli Lilly in Times Square before you draw the line ? Does Chuck Schumer have to do likewise for Lloyd Blankfein before you demur ? Does Hillary Clinton have to dismember a few more countries like Libya before you call her warmonger ? Does Madeline Albright have to kill a few more children on stage in Carnegie Hall before you say "Stop!" ?
Without Corporate Democrats the world would not now have Trump to deal with.
Do you expect that the same people, doing the same things, will somehow yield different results?
You have close to four years to build new coalitions. Please don't waste them rebuilding the last disaster, that probably would have lost to anyone the Republicans offered up.
Corporations are expected to do well under Trump's low tax, low regulation policies. Is it totally outlandish to fear that Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and Time Warner, (all top ten Hillary donors), weren't devastated when Trump was sworn in?
Corporate Democrats are not part of a broad base, they are part of a broad problem.
I say two years, not four. Got 2018 elections, and primaries sooner. Throw the corporates out on both sides. Run your own candidates if you have to. And what the hell, send some bux to the right people yourself. Give em free geotargeted ads if you run a website. Microtarget if you got the data.
But, regardless of appearances, not everything happens online. Get away from the computer, talk to your neighbors. You get a lot of local history that way about local candidates Especially if you do realworld little things like plant trees or raincapture together with a bunch of locals. Even if you dont think you are changing minds, you can be surprised, sometimes many years down the road.
And definitely don't vote a straight ticket, check each one's funding and history first.
Sidd, I agree with a lot of what you stand for. I admired Noam Chomsky since I took a class from him in the early 1970s. My family supported Stevenson against Eisenhower. Reagan made me sick. Bush was horrible. I took part in Occupy.
Your (and other's) pointed attack is difficult to read (my name is Susan but it's easier to spit out "Anderson") and impossible to answer; in some cases your "facts" are incomplete. I have tried to provide a balance of information about what is going on here in the US for people who are not so ready to condemn moderate and pragmatic progressives; I am not the enemy. This is exactly what I am complaining about; people egging each other on drove me away from Bernie last year. I don't like in-crowd dynamics on any "side".
I'm lucky to live in Massachusetts; even our Republican governor is decent. Elizabeth Warren is, was, and will remain solid gold; she has never wavered, keeps her own counsel, and does what she thinks will work. Before she was on the scene Ed Markey was an unsung climate hero for over three decades. I was a Bernie fan for at least a decade, but recently concluded he is too simplistic (bombastic?), sure he and his supporters have all the answers, and inclined to attack people who should be his allies. I don't much care for Hillary Clinton but there is abundant evidence that she has been targeted, labeled, lied about, and misrepresented for decades. Fact checking reveals that much progressive blame is for actions forced by Republicans, such as the repeal of Glass-Steagall. Blaming Obama for his failure to overcome opposition ignores the problems he faced. In 2009, with that big climate jamboree at MIT and the ABC Earth2100 prime time special (Podesta's work), there was hope. These are not villains.
I know little about Tulsi Gabbard. I supported Tom Wakefield in his effort against Lamar Smith and James Thompson in Kansas. I will not support Heitkamp or Minchin, but Perez is not the enemy. Howard Dean is a good man, even if he erred. (I also supported and participated in the Occupy movement.)
Madeleine Albright has said some ugly things. As a former refugee and the first female Secretary of State, she appears to have accepted the exigencies of office. I don't think things can be simplified in this way. I ask you, reading this about Rwanda, what are we doing about Sudan and the 20 million at risk of famine in the Horn of Africa?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright
My deepest regret from my years in public service is the failure of the United States and the international community to act sooner to halt these crimes. …. it was a very, very difficult time, and the situation was unclear. You know, in retrospect, it all looks very clear. But when you were [there] at the time, it was unclear about what was happening in Rwanda.
Is it so difficult to see that there are no good answers in Syria? I tend to agree with those on both left and right that it is high time we stopped trying to interfere, since we usually make things worse. But is that possible given the Balkans in the 1990s, Rwanda, Sudan?
I'm sorry my efforts have become a target for such disgust. I have to stand up for life, and right now life's best hope is to defeat the Republicans. Hatred and victim blaming solves nothing, as we are learning very much to our cost now.
It was difficult to venture out into this forum, and the response was worse than I feared. Google caters to preferences, which means, for example, that WattsUp and denialists come up on the first page of any climate search. Though not so extreme, there are bias confirming mechanisms on the left as well. Both the Guardian and DailyKos are useful and fair.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2017, 09:50:51 AM by Susan Anderson »
I certainly have no intention of disparaging you, but can you please explain to me how having Goldman Sacks on board is likely to help?
You complain of Bernie's simplistic solutions, and you may be correct. Allowing Goldman Sacks nose under the tent flap soon obfuscates any message to such an extent that simplification becomes necessary just to clear the air.
I was a straight ticket democrat for over 40 years. Two incredibly bloody minded female Secretaries of State cured me of that. This wasn't anything that the Republicans can claim as a victory, they didn't put the words in Albright's or Clinton's mouths.
I don't argue here with the intention of hurting anyone's stature, rather I hope to influence some to at least consider a different perspective.
Whether it's 2 years or 4, the time is short. Harper, in Canada, was brought down in large part because of his heavy handed stance on climate change. This left his successor with little leeway.
I believe Trump can fall to the same forces. If so, and assuming a democratic candidate that hasn't already sold out, we may have some small chance of survival.
Encouraging Trump to "Get Tough with Putin", could get us all killed in a retaliatory strike.
Encouraging Democrats to again "Feed at the Trough", could cost another election.
Susan, I did not want to presume familiarity by using your first name, but I shall if you prefer. My post was not an attack on you, merely on some of your positions. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I have decided on my own actions, my own battles, my own allies and my own foes. You are not one of the last, and perhaps some day you will be an ally. Or, I might change my mind too, heaven knows it happens often enough.
Now to address some of your points:
1) Agree that Warren is a fine person and an effective advocate, she has my support also.
2) Agree that Clinton (Bill) was not solely reponsible for Gramm-Leach-Bliley. Glass-Steagall was dying ever since the excemption for the Citi-Travellers merger. The republicans forced Gramm-Leach-Bliley, but Clinton appointed people like Rubin and Summers, reappointed Greenspan who forced Brooksley Born out, and Clinton signed the bill. Clinton wasn't just along for the ride, he shares blame.
3) Obama faced opposition, true, but his picks like Summers and Geithner spoke volumes. By his actions did I know him, as soon as I saw his appointments I knew the fix was in. He didnt even try to bring the bankers or the torturers to justice, he was content to let it ride. He didnt even try to help the homeowners, he let Geithner screw them. For those actions and inactions I do blame him.
4) Albright, Powers, Rice, Clinton are all proponents of Responsibility to Protect interventionist policies which have led to untold misery. You ask about the Balkans,Rwanda,Syria,Sudan and the Horn of Africa and in each case my answer is the same. The USA should stay the fuck out.
Thes of course are my opinions. You have yours, and others have their own. But that is precisely why we participate in this forum, to share our opinions and to consider those of others. Your participation has helped me see your views more clearly, and I welcome it. No disgust toward you was intended, and if my post conveyed any to you, I am sorry, and will try to mend my ways.
Thanks Sidd (and TerryM), I like your positions, I just think, speaking in an overly simplistic fashion, in some cases, you are blaming the victim rather than the perp.
Bill Clinton rescued us from Reaganomics, a gross distortion of Hayek (more about that later). To do so, he had to assume a centrist position. He had Hillary work on universal health care (early 1990s), which earned her the undying hatred of Republicans and the epithet "liar" from Safire, which stuck. She lacked Bill's folksy affect, and was never good with crowds, but she was always a better man than he was.
Obama, not lacking humility, arrived in the midst of the mother or all financial crises, and he bought the mythology of bankster authority. It took him a while, having committed himself to working for all of us, to realize the nasty wholesale quality of kleptocrat opposition to progress. Jane Mayer describes this in Dark Money.
More than anything else, I believe our current problem is voter suppression (supposing we survive the confrontation between weak Trump and weaker Kim Jong Un and don't embark in a nuclear exchange in the next few weeks, thanks to US military restraint or Chinese long-term thinking, for which I hope). We need a vast majority to gain some strength in 2018. We need realism, not infighting. To get rid of money in politics, we need Democrats, not Republicans, and we need to reverse the recent disaster with our Supreme Court (Gorsuch is for voter suppression, and Attorney General Sessions is scum, a racist white supremacist liar). Climate acknowledgment is paramount, but again we are going backwards. Republicans are happy to use progressives to defeat conventional Democrats who are used to doing their best in a bad situation to get things done, since they've never known anything else.
Hayek is not a "Hayekian" per Republicans. Here are two interesting quotes:
In the 1973 Law, Legislation, and Liberty, Hayek wrote:
There is no reason why in a free society government should not assure to all, protection against severe deprivation in the form of an assured minimum income, or a floor below which nobody need descend. To enter into such an insurance against extreme misfortune may well be in the interest of all; or it may be felt to be a clear moral duty of all to assist, within the organised community, those who cannot help themselves. So long as such a uniform minimum income is provided outside the market to all those who, for any reason, are unable to earn in the market an adequate maintenance, this need not lead to a restriction of freedom, or conflict with the Rule of Law.
and in The Road to Serfdom:
Nor is there any reason why the state should not assist the individuals in providing for those common hazards of life against which, because of their uncertainty, few individuals can make adequate provision. Where, as in the case of sickness and accident, neither the desire to avoid such calamities nor the efforts to overcome their consequences are as a rule weakened by the provision of assistance – where, in short, we deal with genuinely insurable risks – the case for the state's helping to organize a comprehensive system of social insurance is very strong.... Wherever communal action can mitigate disasters against which the individual can neither attempt to guard himself nor make the provision for the consequences, such communal action should undoubtedly be taken.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek
1) blaming the victim : who are the victims ? From personal experience, it's the guy in PA who died last year from black lung after being denied both disability and VA treatment. The dozen or so families I know who lost their houses and their marriages, dozen or so more families that lost just their houses. It's all the drivers I know that live hand to mouth, lowballing haulage rates, making less than minimum when all is said and done, just to stay alive. It's the several dozen farmers that are hanging on by their fingernails in the face of worsening climate, rapacious seed and fertilizer companies, rentier agribusiness and predatory banks. And the several more that have already lost their family farms and survive as rental labor for agribusiness. It's my neighbor who collapsed on a landscaping job yesterday morning, no insurance, and rushed to emergency. He was one of those families i was talking about.
The Clintons and the Obamas ? not so much. (But I do credit Michelle Obama for turning her husband from Syria attack.)
2) Agreed on voter suppression. A big part of that is gerrymandering. I have sent some love towards efforts to reverse in PA, this fight is at state level.
3) Disagreed on the statement: "To get rid of money in politics, we need Democrats, not Republicans"
Get rid of the corporate whores on both sides. Believe it or not, there are Republicans who dislike big money in politics as much as I do.
4) Re: Gorsuch : I actually think Gorsuch is better than that dinosaur Scalia who was his predecessor.
Hayek may not be Hayekian, but should we next expect a vindication of Strauss, as opposed to Straussian?
Monsters have tender moments, but they're still to be avoided.
Bill Clinton was the first president elected in my lifetime that I was enthusiastically for. Hillary was my choice over Obama, but then, as Secretary of State, a very bitter, unstable personality emerged.
Later, with her off the cuff comment when confronted with Qaddafi's torture and death, she lost my support forever.
Again, monsters must be avoided.
Is Trump a Monster - Probably
Do we need to call on Rodan to kill Godzilla?
Why not pull back the green curtains and attack the puppet masters that control both?
Before I respond, here's a repeat of an effective link that activists can use: 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action https://www.mapm.org/documents/198_nonviolent_methods_2007.pdf. I came across it in a critique that pointed out that change requires more than showing up in crowds and stoking energy. That energy needs to be put to use.
Terry: I'm all for that. Exactly how do you expect to do it? Attacking what I say for bringing reality into this conversation may make you feel better, but it's a waste of energy since we agree on principle. The New York Times, which should know better and claims to embrace "the truth", has just hired a denier. All we can do is write the paper and complain, and comment in comment sections. It's a grotty old world.
Sidd et al.:
We are going to have to agree to disagree. I think we want the same thing, I just blame Republicans for creating a hostile environment where compromise is the only way to get things done. That's what I mean about blaming victims: blaming Democrats for the unrelenting actions and obstruction by Republicans and their billionaire funders, the Kochtopus and Mercers and such.
As I watched Obama adjust to reality, much of what we all loved about him seemed compromised, but I was less inclined to blame him than the job he inherited and the evil abroad in the world. Jane Mayer, as I said, did a good job of describing his shock at the adamantine power of absolute opposition to getting anything done that the continuing erosion by the billionaire network didn't want (anyone wanting a copy of her Dark Money can contact me with an address and I will send you one, via the handy little thingmajig this forum provides). Blaming our representatives for accepting things as they are when they have no choice and succeeding at working within the "system" is, in my opinion, exactly what Republicans want you to do. I'm close to Warren's age, and she looks tired to me; she's a realist who doesn't give up her ethics.
re Gorsuch, the information I digested showed him to the right of Scalia. He's personable, but looking past that to his actions he is the worst news possible, particularly for voting rights. This week's New Yorker has a bit about the capture of the Supreme Court by the Federalist Society that is worth a look. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/the-conservative-pipeline-to-the-supreme-court The Conservative Pipeline to the Supreme Court: "With the Federalist Society, Leonard Leo has reared a generation of originalist élites. The selection of Neil Gorsuch is just his latest achievement."
This is from an earlier article about Gorsuch:
From his boyhood days as a Republican Senate page to his decades of volunteer work for G.O.P. candidates, Gorsuch has been a strong party loyalist. (Like many Republican pols, he refers to the “Democrat,” rather than the Democratic, Party.)
His background also includes a dose of pro-corporate, deregulatory libertarianism, as reflected in his close relationship with the billionaire Philip Anschutz, a client turned mentor. A sampling of authoritarianism can be seen in Gorsuch’s service in George W. Bush’s Justice Department, where he helped craft a proposal for the treatment of detainees at Guantánamo. (The Supreme Court later ruled it unconstitutional.) There’s social conservatism, too, evident in his one book, a critique of death-with-dignity laws and physician-assisted suicide. “All human beings are intrinsically valuable,” he wrote, “and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.” It’s easy to read the book as a coded attack on abortion rights.
Those with different systems and, hopefully, more reasonable governments, express a natural disgust at our grotesque state of affairs, and the dangers that poses to our beloved earth and other countries. Michael Moore's Stupid White Men describes the phenomenon that has been exported, for example, to the UK where public property is being sold off to the highest bidder and common benefits are being dismantled.
Finally, one more suggestion for enlightened reporting. You all will have noticed that I use The New Yorker a lot. It's both readable and wise, and though paywalled one can look at a limited number of articles every month. A lot of Jane Mayer's research was published there first. I recommend it.
Ghandi kicked us Brits out of India through Civil Disobedience. Methinks this is where we are getting to.
1) Re: "We are going to have to agree to disagree ..."
2) Re Obama: He was already showing signs of wall street lizardlike behaviour in his senate vote flip on telecom immunity. I waited for his treasury and attorney general appointments, and then i knew. He could have put in Bill Black to Treasury, who actually sent bankers to jail after the savings and loan crisis. Or Michael Hudson who would have had no problem breaking up the banks. But no, he went with Summers and Geithner. He could have appointed an attorney general with backbone, but no, he showed up with a whiteshoe corporate lobbyist sellout like Holder.
I knew then, as certainly as I knew the sun would rise in the east that no banker was going to jail, no torturer brought to justice. I still hoped for some relief for homeowners, and those sons of bitches didn't even throw them a bone, in fact they watched the banks rip the poor bastards off some more through fraulent loan mods and robosigning. They watched the banks let entire neighborhoods of repossessions fall into ruin. They were celebrating hope and change with champagne parties on K street while families I knew and loved were thrown out on the street.
The guy didnt even try. And after eight years even the dumbest yokel in Nowhere, Ohio figured out what electing corporate whores gets you.
Quote from: gerontocrat on April 15, 2017, 07:12:26 PM
Ghandi, I believe, relied on a sympathetic British media that brought India's plight to a moral British populace.
I'm not sure that we're assured of having either.
MLK had CBS bringing Southern atrocities into Northern living rooms. MLK's methods didn't enlighten the South, they'd watched and cheered these same atrocities for generations. Northern troops assured their compliance, but their hearts and minds still belong to Bull Connors.
sidd posted a scathing expose of Mississippi welfare fraud. Not fraud by the recipients, but systemic fraud by the State of Mississippi against her own citizens.
Those presently in charge bask in the adulation of the untutored xenophobes that they have educated.
After reading sidd's very moving post I checked Nevada's record. This "swing state" allots the princely sum of $383/mo. for a family of 3. This does much to keep the cost of prostitution under control.
I think bringing Corporate Democrats to power is out of our hands. Bubba may not understand much, but he knows how to hate & has learned who to hate. When Republicans pulled out all stops to "Kill Bill", Bubba recognized it as the lynching of one of their own. As we flail away at Trump, they'll see him less as a hero, and more as a martyr.
Don't be deceived by the polls, again.
If union members won't follow union leaders, if Bubba won't vote for a Goldman Sachs Progressive, we have to provide him with a candidate he will elect.
Is this a call for Party Purity, or a call for an electable slate?
Here's a fine interview with Salman Rushdie, Tony Kushner, and Claudia Rankine:
Not sure why an obsession with hating the Clintons (Bill is done, Hillary lost) is more important than defeating Republicans, or why Neil Gorsuch is OK. Since I don't have the energy to keep on repeating and linking to material that might induce a mite less intolerance for moderates and pragmatists and less acceptance of Republicans and their opposition work, here are some bits I wrote yesterday on corruption.
Trump is a living breathing ethical conflict. He has an unerring ability to choose people who are the most likely to bring the world to smash. Scott Pruitt and other climate evidence deniers to poison the planet. Betsy DeVos, sister of Erik Prince, the former mercenary headman of Blackwater, to ruin public education. Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions, who lied under oath, to corrupt the law, enforce voter suppression and keep those uppity different people down; the god made in his image is offended by the pursuit of knowledge that will help us make progress in stewardship, and tolerance etc. Banksters, kleptocrats, people in the pocket of looters and profiteers in every department.
Trump's insecure enormous ego is a walking talking time bomb. His inability to think and act like a moral honest human being with concerns for other people that don't serve his particular makes him vulnerable to users from Putin's oligarchs, Kochtopus billionaires, and who knows who else. His inability to string together a normal thoughtful plan, not a TV scenario or the plans of a reckless charismatic shyster, is dangerous.
Conflicts of interest are all over him like fleas in a flea circus.
Republicans in Congress, enablers of this monstrous takeover by the kleptocracy, are also ethically challenged. They no longer work for their constituents, they work for their funders. They work to stay in office, block judgeships, enact voter suppression, and are complicit in the takeover of local authorities. It's a growing festering bed of corruption.
Just consider GW Bush, who was elected with the help of his brother the Governor, and his election co-chair Katherine Harris who just happened to also be Secretary of State in Florida. That too almost defined conflict of interest.
With voter suppression, the removal of voting rights, gerrymandering, intimidation, the criminalization of poverty, Citizens United, and now a Supreme Court in the pocket of big money and fake Christianity, the kind that ignores the teachings of Jesus as described in the Gospels, their takeover is nearly complete.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/us/politics/trump-appointees-potential-conflicts.html#permid=22168997
Quote from: Susan Anderson on April 16, 2017, 06:52:52 PM
Susan, I for one appreciate your efforts to keep this thread in-balance; and while I am not sure that I have any more energy than you, I draw attention back to the GOP roots of our current problems I provide a link to the first article entitled "Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems". Neoliberalism economic tradition is founded on cheap oil/gas from 1945 to the early 1970's, that allowed the GOP establishment to put on airs of their own productivity while they were busy fueling our BAU overshoot of the Earth resources. When cheap oil/gas began to become less available Ronald Reagan led the charge to allow economic exploitation in the global economy and to encourage funding of less conventional fossil fuels like shale gas/oil, tar sands and offshore oil/gas; that put pressure on the use population who would become Trump supports because of: (a) competition from cheap labor overseas and (b) reduced returns on non-conventional fossil fuel investments which left less profit for the establishment to support the less-employed working class. After the Reagan era, and in a desperate effort to maintain the illusion of their productivity, GOP neoliberalism evolved into neoconservatism epitomized by Dick Cheney and his Halliburton cohorts. This neoconservatism was characterized by the hundreds of billions of dollars siphoned off by a few kleptocratic companies (including Haliburton) during Bushes invasion of Iraq. Indeed, Halliburton siphoned off so much super profit that they moved their headquarters to the U.A.E. to avoid Congressional investigation of their financial records. Cheney's neoconservation thus sowed the seeds for the evolution of the GOP into Trumpism (see the second linked article), where neoliberalism and nationalism are fusing into an ugly form of kleptocacy, in a desperate effort to relive the illusion of the glory days of the conventional fossil fuel era (prior to Jimmy Carter). The current GOP establishment would have the public believe that their troubles are due to intellectual over-regulation/management, which can be addressed by firing both scientists and regulators. Thus this thread might consider changing its name to: "The problem with the Corporate Republican-Democrat Dynamic and how to put an end to this Hegelian dialectic of thesis-antithesis-synthesis that is polarizing US policy/politics".
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot
Extract: "Financial meltdown, environmental disaster and even the rise of Donald Trump – neoliberalism has played its part in them all. Why has the left failed to come up with an alternative?"
Also see the article entitled: "The Cabinet From Hell: Trumpism Meets Neoliberalism"
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/38456-the-cabinet-from-hell-trumpism-meets-neoliberalism
Extract: "Maher fears that we may be witnessing an ugly merger between two dangerous ideologies: Trump's racial nationalism and the GOP's brand of neoliberalism.
"The foundations of neoliberalism have included, for instance, right to individual self-expression, multiculturalism, free press, etc. -- all things Trump has expressed strong antagonism toward," Maher said. But as the Republican leadership warms to Trump, "the capitalist class may be moving closer to accepting a far-right 'solution' to the social crisis of neoliberalism, accommodating an ideology previously regarded as unacceptable.""
Edit1: I note that the U.A.E. (the home of both Halliburton and Blackwater) is deeply involved in the Trump-Russia connection.
Edit2: In the latest Star Wars trailer Luke Skywalker appears to say: “I only know one truth; it’s time for the Jedi to end.” Which likely means that in order to stop the Force from cycling endlessly between good and evil; we may soon see "The Last Jedi".
Returning the Force to Balance.PNG (716.61 kB, 461x760 - viewed 214 times.)
Jim Pettit
Not sure why an obsession with hating the Clintons (Bill is done, Hillary lost) is more important than defeating Republicans, or why Neil Gorsuch is OK.
I'm a reader of and contributor to a number of progressive/liberal outlets, and am to this day amazed by the number of self-confessed Democrats I run into there who almost seem relieved to have Trump and his legion of attendant problems in the White House instead of--horrors!--Hillary Clinton. Because, you know, they're both the same. Or something.
Some of it is, I think, leftover--and, frankly, misplaced--anger at Sanders not making it through the nominating process; these people seem secure in their belief that Sanders would have magically beaten Trump head-to-head, as though we wouldn't have been subjected to non-stop ranting about the "elderly, socialist New York Jew with the wild hair" had he been the candidate instead of Clinton. I like Bernie, still do, and supported him all through the primaries, but that's just wishful thinking.
Some of it, too, seems to be because the massive anti-Clinton messaging that has ricocheted around the MSM for years wormed its way into their brains and found firm lodging there. The Clintons are no angels, to be sure; their neoliberal hawkishness and long-term coziness with Wall Street made me deeply and extremely uncomfortable. And they often seemed to act in their own best interest, if not primarily then certainly equally. But much as some may wish to believe otherwise, HRC and Trump are definitely not different sides of the same coin. They're not even different sides of different coins. Hell, Trump is a different currency altogether. But we've been hearing since the 1990s what an evil-minded, murderous, lying, cheating, manipulative, money-grubbing couple they are--despite a near complete lack of evidence--and that, sadly, swayed some people.
But, as you've noted, that's all a moot point. Spilled milk. Water under the bridge. Both Bill and Hillary are--thankfully--out of politics. And now we face the most corrupt, incompetent, destructive, dangerous, unstable administration that's ever occupied the White House, and there's a ton of work to be done. So I wish we'd all work on that instead of endlessly relitigating HRC's net negatives or Bill's decades-old sexual dalliances. I'm not saying ignore her negatives as a candidate; I'm saying move on and look for much better.
FWIW, I'm all for a third party. But that has to be worked up to; a 3P can't just pop up out of nowhere every four years, run for President, get beaten, and disappear. It'll have to start by getting organized at the local level. By winning small races--school boards, city councils, county commission--and move up from there. Build a groundswell. Gather support and momentum like a snowball rolling downhill, and be prepared for the fact that it'll take more then one election cycle.
Unfortunately, money--and corporatism--isn't going to be cast from politics with the wave of a magic wand; it's going to take time. It's going to take commitment. And it's going to take guts.
Do we have that? I dunno...
" There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide". John Adams.
Methinks he was a fan of Plato's Republic.
Perhaps corporate control of politics is a modern equivalent of Plato's later stages of the progress of democracy to tyranny, and the best to hope for is to get over it quickly.
I'm not sure that we are terribly far apart at the moment.
I need to be convinced that Corporate Democrats are electable. I wholeheartedly accept that corporate democrats are preferable to corporate republicans, and would cast my vote for one, if this was the only option available.
I would much prefer a candidate without ties to wall street, and the fact that Trump beat not only Hillary, but a full string of very deep pocketed republicans, shows that a candidate can succeed even when spending far less per vote. If a buffoon like Trump can win, then a sane candidate that cares about climate change, demands a chance at world peace, and offers to bring the country the level of healthcare that the rest of the industrial world thrives on, then sucking wall street's teat may not be needed.
If we insist that Trump's victory was due to Putin's manipulations we're doomed. Embracing that lie leaves us believing that elections are only won by Big Money or through Foreign Intervention. Since our candidate can't expect Foreign Intervention we must attain Big Money, no matter the cost.
Once we again dip into those deep pockets, we have to pay them back by turning our backs on the very people whose vote we're dependent on.
We've seen how well that has worked.
Thanks Jim Pettit and AbrubtSLR for your contributions from another perspective. I agree that we want the same thing. What I don't like is the sloganeering and social isolation of voices on the left that are reinforcing memes that distort and misrepresent.
We are all passionate about unseating corrupt selfish actors. I have an inconveniently good memory of many stages on the road of our "long defeat". I utterly reject threats from the simplistic left. Just stop, it's not helping. If hating makes anyone feel better, find a more hateable object. Otherwise, they're just being used.
"Neoliberalism" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism - has come to be applied to corporate democrats (to accept the label for now) more than to its exploiters in the Koch and Reagan world. Banksters won, thanks to Republicans, and Democrats were blamed for not stopping them.
Democrats adopted Republican initiatives to put rational and compassionate provisions into the execution, and it looked bad. Consider Obama and the Arctic leases: he didn't have the power to reject a Bush obligation, so he made the best of it by taking control rather than earning "points" for rejecting it which would have resulted in Republicans setting its terms. Few people condemning him bothered to check this; one might think they didn't want to know.
It is arguable they went too far; from the outside Bernie's undistinguished legislative career looks more honest. It is arguable on the other side that his rigid adherence (except when it came to refusing gun control to please his constituents and a few other little things that don't get talked about much) is misleading, more about appearance than execution.
To be fair, I read through the Wikipedia which points out that the lines have been blurred and some Democrats have been too accommodating of these ideas.
We each have different ways of dealing with the desperate present.
Getting back to the topic of this thread, how do we get the corporates like Pelosi and Schumer out ?
Could you expand on the bolded. Who are "the simplistic left", what threats are you rejecting, who is hating whom, who is being used, who is using them?
This isn't snark - I simply don't understand your references.
ASLR wrote:
"Edit2: In the latest Star Wars trailer Luke Skywalker appears to say: “I only know one truth; it’s time for the Jedi to end.” Which likely means that in order to stop the Force from cycling endlessly between good and evil; we may soon see "The Last Jedi".
To which I must reply:
Last Jedi Title Refers Only to Luke Skywalker
http://movieweb.com/star-wars-last-jedi-title-meaning-luke-skywalker/
Quote from: sidd on April 18, 2017, 11:31:27 PM
The linked article is entitled: "Dems to unveil populist agenda showing Sanders' sway", and indicates that Pelosi and Schumer are working hard to promote a left-leaning 'populist' economic message to help the Democrats retake seats in 2018:
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/dems-populist-agenda-sanders-trump-237114
Extract: "Party leaders believe they can only rely on Trump messing up for so long.
Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have met twice, according to aides, in addition to multiple staff-level meetings, to flesh out a broader economic agenda that’s expected to emerge as soon as early summer.
The package will be “populist” and designed to “unite both wings of both caucuses,” one senior Democratic aide said. Infrastructure and trade are expected to be key components, another aide confirmed.
The task ahead for Democrats, then, may be to bait Trump into swinging and missing on bread-and-butter economic issues just as he did on health care, while simultaneously plugging their own plan."
Quote from: Sigmetnow on April 19, 2017, 12:44:29 AM
If Luke is the last Jedi (singular), then maybe Rey will become a Sith Lord
http://movieweb.com/star-wars-8-luke-skywalker-dark-side-rumors/
Extract: "On that poster, Rey is seen thrusting her lightsaber into the sky in an homage to the original A New Hope Poster released in 1977. The lightsaber begins as blue, but turns red. This has many speculating that Rey is the one who turns to the Sith. It has already been confirmed that Rey is quite disappointed in Luke as a Jedi teacher, and not at all the man she thought he'd be."
Re: " the simplistic left " : I think that would be me
Re: " what threats " : the threat of choking off the money pipeline to the Democratic party leadership.
Re: " who is using whom " : I am a fellow traveller and useful idiot manipulated personally by Czar Putin.
Re: " ... Pelosi and Schumer are working hard to promote a left-leaning 'populist' economic message ... ":
i'll believe it when i see it, they've lied too many times.
Now, apart from press releases from proven liars, the "simplistic left", "threats" and such, lets talk about 2018. I think part of the answer in supporting noncorp Democrats and unsupporting the corporates. I address some of the states i know well. US Senator Sherrod Brown is coming up for relection in 2018 in Ohio. I will send some love and money and net traffic and eyeballs his way. Bob Casey in PA is coming up for reelection too. Unfortunately wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade so no love for him, lets see if and who he has for primary opponent. Bob Menedez in NJ is exposed as a corrupt crook who probably wont run, so lets see who shows up as the Democratic candidate. Gillibrand in NY needs to crawl out of the pocket of Wall Street, so i will look for primary opponents there as well. Screw the DNC , I already replied to one of their begging letters telling them exactly why I was not supporting any but individual campaigns. (Don't get me wrong, i bribe the right kinds of Republicans too, but this is a thread about corporate Democrats.)
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 05:41:47 AM by sidd »
Good God
Do you really think that our admiration for "The World's Most Respected Politician" makes us "Fellow Travelers"?
Four years ago I probably wouldn't have recognized him on the street. Then Ukraine happened, I got drawn deep into the mess, and my admiration for the man grew on an almost daily basis. Certainly the greatest Statesman of my era.
While I agree that Reagan's presidency proved any minor celeb could be elected, and the Bushes pere et fils reinforced the fact that no great intellect was required, it was actually as Governor of the Once Great State of California that Reagan's image elicited the billing "Sincerity", and my undying enmity.
Watching Reagan's rise undoubtedly inspired Schwarzenegger, The Trumpster, and many yet to come. Once the myth that our leaders needed to be intelligent was rent it could never be restored.
As a Canadian I'm prohibited from sending American politicians anything but my best wishes, rather unfair when the winner inevitably refers to himself as The Leader of the Free World, but wont allow the rest us a vote, or even participation in his election.
The Orange Prankster has killed any goodwill he might have had in Canada with his dairy BS. Canadians don't like growth hormones in milk, and antibiotics are also a no no. If he pursues this, Americans may decide they'd rather serve healthy milk to their babies, then where would the dairy industry be.
"As a Canadian I'm prohibited from sending American politicians anything but my best wishes ... "
Oh, come now. Just set up a company in Panama and a cutout in Texas ($2200 a pop for each, according to the Panama Papers) and send as much as you want to the PAC of your choice.
Re: Do you really think that our admiration for "The World's Most Respected Politician" makes us "Fellow Travelers"?
What who which ? Are you including me in "our" admiration for somebody ? And could that somebody be Putin ?
Ifso i disagree. Putin is a hard man in hard times, but i do not admire him. I recognize his motivations and his actions.
[Sidd: Wrong on your claims about what I wrote (reminds me how deniers distort my purple prose). In a kind of a way, you prove my point. The sneer about Putin was particularly off base.]
Still ...
OK, Uncle. I see I could have taken the edge off a bit, it does read more aggressive than was intended. We all think we are the subject of each other's posts. Earlier, I thought you were spitting "Anderson". My bad. I'm not talking about you, but the oversimplified memes I see flying around. I'm working on thoughts about what I see all around me.
We are natural allies but you parse and select and skip over a lot. Am I a "corporate Democrat"? If people like me aren't welcome in your party, you have a problem.
Why must we "get rid of" Schumer and Pelosi, rather than Ryan and McConnell? Why is Gorsuch OK? Demanding that regular Democrats who have been fighting these fights for decades and put up with a lot of shit "earn" respect? Am I a proxy because the real enemy isn't available?
Just like the thing with Sanders and Ellison. Perez is not a bad guy. The free-floating condemnations ignore the life histories of all these people. Here's Schumer, for example: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/can-chuck-schumer-check-donald-trump. I'm not so ready to give up just yet and throwing out existing Democrats who don't meet demands (threats) looks like giving up to me.
The purity monster is all over the place, and getting worse. This is not the way to win.
OTOH, just to be fair, I do have trouble with the label "corporate Democrat" (the subject of this discussion) which oversimplifies the money problem and leaves out the public service. For example, Elizabeth Warren just had a fine fundraising result, and an interview on Jimmy Fallon, and I don't see her using all that for personal gain. She's as hot on villains as ever. We all live in the world, and we have to decide how we're going to use what talents and worldly assistance we are given. She's just written a book, and I'm sure she'll get plenty of royalties. Where do you draw the line?
TerryM, perhaps I am distorting; there is an edge to my writing that I sometimes don't see. I did say I'd send a copy of Jane Mayer's Dark Money if I was provided an address and that might answer some of your questions about how we got into this mess.
Please don't take sidd's representation as a proper exegesis of what I wrote. I'll give it some thought and try to explain (though I think that's mostly been done). The trolling of Bernieworld by Trumpians and Russian hackers is an actual thing (described elsewhere), and I'm well aware that real Bernie supporters wanted nothing to do with them. I don't do Facebook, so I've had to try to evaluate the insidious effects by the proliferation of terminology like "corporate Democrats" as a condemnation of way too many good public servants. I first entered this conversation because when Neven started a topic with this premise, I felt this oversimplification of a complex problem had gone too far. It's enabling the real criminals, who are out in plain sight. The more they see us divided, the happier they are.
Susan, we are allied on some issues and not on others. My point was exactly that not everybody is aligned with sinister foreign influences when we call out the corporate Democrats.
Are you a corporate Democrat ? I doubt it. Do you support some ? I think so. But lets move on.
You ask: Why must we "get rid of" Schumer and Pelosi, rather than Ryan and McConnell?
The first two and the last are corporate slaves, Ryan is actually not. But this thread is about Democrats. I would be glad to discuss how to rid the Republican party of the corporate whores on another thread. Or perhaps Neven could change the title of this one and broaden the thread.
Elizabeth Warren has my support. She's up for reelection, but i dont get up Massachusetts way much. I have been sending CFPB detail on credit and mortgage fraud by the banks and whenever Cordray returns to OH politics he has my support.
Lets talk about 2018.
Sorry for misunderstanding your stance on Putin.
Thanks for the offer of the book, but border customs charges are prohibitive. You express yourself well, and I'm not above asking for clarification.
I signed up for Facebook years ago, and promptly forgot my password. I've never tried to retrieve it.
I doubt that you remember, but I contacted you once years ago on some climate blog asking if you might be a long lost cousin from Hamilton. Your name is not unique.
Terry, yes, I remember that. It is exhausting answering every item, and I feel I have already said more than enough (and as Sidd remarks, my views take me off topic, since I'm more interested in defeating Republicans than condemning and punishing any Democrats except those who voted with Republicans). I use Amazon and the shipping is not prohibitive (though the moral hazard should be: guilty as charged). It covers the way that Democrats have been screwed into submission over the last four decades. Here's McKibben in a review of DM about REDMAP, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/koch-brothers-new-brand/:
Even more importantly, they gained 675 seats in state houses across the country, giving the GOP control of the redistricting process as the new census was released. This was the careful culmination of a dream called REDMAP, funded by, among others, the North Carolina variety store magnate Art Pope, a kind of junior Koch, and it all but guaranteed that conservatives would dominate American political life at least through the next census in 2020. Mayer describes the endless fundraising for REDMAP, “especially at honeypots like the Koch summit.”
More: "State for Sale" http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/10/state-for-sale
One issue I have with this topic is that from abroad it is all too easy to miss everything else that has gone on and adopt the views of vocal supporters of one section of the population and ignore or condemn others.
Today, my Medium had a couple of unrelated items, one about Bernie and another about the closing of the Chicago EPA office (Great Lakes, good-bye).
Sidd, the idea that Ryan is anything but pure evil is gobsmacking! It's true that he is a nearly "pure" Ayn Randian, and believes himself to be acting on principle. He's another illustration of my problem with the "purity monster".
https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=Career&cid=n00004357&type=I
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/opinion/and-jesus-said-unto-paul-of-ryan.html
"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven,” Jesus mused to himself. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven.”
“Let me teach you about love, Jesus — tough love!” Pious Paul explained. “You need a sustainable pro-business model. And you need to give people freedom, Jesus, the freedom to suffer misery and poverty.”
“Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God,” Jesus said. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received comfort.”
“Oh, come on, Jesus,” Pious Paul protested. “Don’t go socialist on me again. Please don’t encourage class warfare. The best way to help the needy is to give public money to the rich. That then inspires the poor to work harder, galvanizes the sick to become healthy, forces the lepers to solve their own problems rather than kick back and depend on others. That’s why any realistic health plan has to focus on providing less coverage for the poor, and big tax benefits for the rich. When millions of people lose health care, that’s when a country is great again!”
On the other hand, a look at Laden's blog shows me that he sees the bias and fact-free assertions coming from those attacking Bernie; I may have taken descriptions of his attacks on Perez from a secondhand source that was not telling the truth. This happens, and makes this discussion, if one is uncompromising, all the more difficult to have.
SteveMDFP
I agree with Susan's stance on this topic.
I think Corporate Democrats are a symptom of legal (Supreme Court-created) realities. I think many of the CD's are a necessary evil, not a problem to be attacked directly.
Citizen's United opened a floodgate to corporate money in elections, directed towards third-party opinion-movers. Without corporate funding, Democrats would be hopelessly out-gunned by well-financed Republicans.
Much of the commentary in favor of kicking out the CD's seems to pre-suppose that the election loses of 2016 happened because the Democrats failed to offer sufficiently progressive candidates. Many seem to believe that Sanders would have prevailed in a general election against Trump. I think this is absolute nonsense. Sanders would have lost far more badly than Hillary. America is very, very unlikely to ever elect an avowed "Socialist," however he may try to nuance that label. Note that I think Sanders (with a Democratic Congress) could do the US a world of good. But he's never getting elected, except in the quite liberal state of Vermont.
As evidence, I'd offer two articles from Salon.com that analyzed who exactly voted for Trump who had previously supported Obama:
New election theory: Did “working-class whites” switch from Obama to Trump because the economy was better?
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/30/new-election-theory-did-working-class-whites-switch-from-obama-to-trump-because-the-economy-was-better/
New election analysis: Yes, it really was blatant racism that gave us President Donald Trump
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/19/new-election-analysis-yes-it-really-was-blatant-racism-that-gave-us-president-donald-trump/
These are the same "Reagan Democrats" who want worker-friendly governance, but don't like minorities, gays, muslims, or immigrants. They really wouldn't have supported Sanders, not as long as they already have jobs themselves.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 10:18:53 PM by SteveMDFP »
Re: Last presidential election
ANES survey just came out, major points:
1)Clinton got the rich and lost the poor From the Washington post article:
"2016 was plainly an anomaly. While the wealthy are usually most likely to vote for the Republican, they didn’t this time; and while the poor are usually less likely to vote for the Republican, they were unusually supportive of Trump. And the degree to which the wealthy disdained the 2016 Republican candidate was without recent historical precedent."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/04/17/racism-motivated-trump-voters-more-than-authoritarianism-or-income-inequality/?utm_term=.918adbe626ef
2)racists swing vote actually went for obama in 2008 and 2012. From the Booman tribune
"This data can be compared to previous elections going back to 1988. What’s surprising isn’t that Trump voters are more racist than Clinton voters, because the same finding is there for people who voted for Romney, McCain, Dole and the two Bushes. In fact, on three of the four questions that test racial attitudes, Trump’s voters were less racist than their Republican predecessors (the fourth question was a tie).
The big difference is among Democrats, or Hillary Clinton voters, who are far less racist in their attitudes than the Democrats who voted in any recent election, including the two for Barack Obama. The implications are bizarre, suggesting that a lot of racially bigoted people were willing to vote for Obama against an opponent who didn’t appeal too directly to their racism, but who flocked to Trump when he made “political incorrectness” central to his pitch. To be explicit here, a lot of racist Democrats voted for Obama and didn’t vote for Clinton, and they did it because of racism."
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2017/4/17/114259/800
The first point is why supporting Corporate Democrats will lose elections.
Re: "Without corporate funding, Democrats would be hopelessly out-gunned by well-financed Republicans."
Obama and Bernie crowdfunded their campaigns.
Re: " the idea that Ryan is anything but pure evil is gobsmacking!"
I said nothing about Ryan's moral standing. My point was that he is not as much of a corporate slave as the three others in my statement.
I accept that some think that there is no alternative to supporting Corporate Democrats. Well, I suppose this thread is not for them.
Back to the topic at hand: Who are the corporate democrats coming up for reelection in 2018 ? Who are their likely primary opponents ? If none exist, can an opponent be found and persuaded to run in the primary ? Pelosi is coming up for relection in the House, she has large sacks of money but no one is invulnerable, as the Hillary loss proved. I note with regret that Schumer is not up for reelection for a while.
Make no mistake, after months of research, I left Bernie and joined Hillary. I still like her positions. I make excuses for things she's done I don't like (I've made lists in earlier comments). I dislike Bernie's polarizations and simplifications, and the attack language adopted by his supporters. It has caused a deep rupture in my friendships, but I can do no other. I don't like bullying.
Let's avoid taking sides on this. Sidd makes many valid points, and the subject of this forum is "corporate Democrats". I am eager for people to avoid circular firing squads, and participate in absolute opposition to the existing power structure on the Republican side.
I find it inexcusable to excuse Ryan and Gorsuch, I will say that. Otherwise, if my efforts encourage people to take "sides" I apologize.
Please look up Shaughnessy Naughton, a person I've supported (with the science march coming up Saturday, which just happens to be earth day and my birthday as well) like Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. The latter is a near-perfect example of an unsung hero of true public service.
As a woman, I would love to absolutely reject "hair and makeup". But as a realist, I know despite Indira Gandhi, Goldar Meir, and Angela Merkel, in this country we're stuck. Men can be ugly (Trump!); women can't.
And dammit! from my about to be 69 years (wish I could skip that one and just be 70 for 2 years) I do know one thing.
Hatred hurts the hater more than the hated.
It's really a stunning contrast to see what democratic voters require of their candidates compared to what republican voters require of theirs. Granting the fact that to regain power you need to demonstrate so much more than the opposition, but Democratic candidates suffer the Goldilocks conundrum: not too old, not too young, not too callow, not too scripted etc. Contrast this with Republican candidates who just need to shout, "Tax cuts, no abortion, immigrants out!" and they're golden. Progressive voters may need to re-calibrate their standards and stop searching for perfect; it's the enemy of rescuing this country from abject failure and pillage.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/opinion/georgia-didnt-affirm-trump.html#permid=22202179
1) I am not excusing Ryan, Gorsuch or anyone else. I will be glad to discuss getting Republicans out of power on another thread.
2) And, of course, happy birthday Susan !
Quote from: sidd on April 20, 2017, 12:01:16 AM
The big difference is among Democrats, or Hillary Clinton voters, who are far less racist in their attitudes than the Democrats who voted in any recent election, including the two for Barack Obama.
Exactly my point, and the gist of the Salon articles. Hillary lost the racists who might vote Democrat. She didn't lose because she was inadquately progressive/pure/non-corporate, she lost because she was seen as too progressive for those "Reagan Democrat" types.
And if we're going to kick out Corporate Democrats, are there ANY who are pure enough to stay in? Elizabeth Warren, the justified darling of progressives everywhere (including me) isn't corporate-free at all. In fact, when it comes to medical device manufacturers, she's been a corporate whore:
Elizabeth Warren Goes to Bat for Medical Device Industry
http://time.com/3695581/elizabeth-warren-medical-device-lobbyists-obamacare
So, where do we draw the line between Democrats we might support and Democrats whom we try to defeat? I think the effort to draw such a line dooms the party. As imperfect and corporate-influenced as it is, the Democrats are alll better than the Republicans. "A house divided cannot stand."
The Republicans have been having a mirror-image internal struggle for a decade. The reactionary "base" has been trying to shun the "RINOs." They blame establishment/moderate
Republicans for their party's falures, too. They've long claimed that only a true-blue Conservative can inspire the broad American voting public. They didn't get the President they wanted at all, what they have is a deeply divided party whose divisions are preventing them from governing when they have both houses and the presidency on the R side.
Attempting to do the mirror-image effort on the D side is pure folly.
Quote from: Susan Anderson on April 20, 2017, 12:46:28 AM
+inf and happy birthday...
Re: Warren and medical tech bill
Not enuf to make me lose support for her. I am no absolutist, i pick the ones i will support and those i consider beyond the pale. For example i am looking at house democrats in ohio for 2018. I dont trust beatty or fudge, and tim ryan is pretty far out there on some of his positions, but i trust him more than the other two.
I don't disagree with my colleagues to my left, my problem is "how". If I could wave a magic wand and take away the excess millions (let alone billions) from the looters and hoarders, and take big money out of influence, courts, and elections, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But refusing to collaborate with people of goodwill who work within the system is, I'm convinced, a way to encourage strife and lose the bigger battles. As soon as "sides" are taken between good people, energy is wasted. Cautionary note: that goes both ways.
Language like "put the shiv in" doesn't work for me to describe a complex situation. I did a search and don't know what to make of this: https://www.google.com/search?q=what+did+the+democratic+party+do+to+tulsi+gabbard
I read a couple of the articles, and with this discussion in mind, reserved judgment. I think this reservation of judgment and tolerance for opposing views is what I'm begging for. This with her support from Bannon looks awful, but it's not what it seems. https://ivn.us/2017/02/09/why-do-trump-supporters-love-democrat-tulsi-gabbard/
If I were Hawaiian, I would definitely vote for her. Her crossing of conventional lines makes her unusual, and the only other congresscrittur I know of who met with Assad is Nancy Pelosi (! - years ago) and at the time it didn't look good to me.
People who thought Trump would listen to people like Gabbard are receiving a lesson in reality now.
NEW, important, real reason I am back again: Last night I watched a terrific interview with Elizabeth Warren on The Maddow Show. (Yes, I know, some of you don't care for her.) Unfortunately, the link I used is closed this morning, and MSNBC may not be available across the pond or this soon. Anyone who doesn't know Elizabeth Warren, she's about as close to ideal as anyone could get. Hard to believe she's 67! Here's a possible starting point.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/warren-trump-poised-to-deliver-knock-out-blow-to-middle-class-924959299911
[Please do try to find it. Skip over the intro (Russian influence on and collaboration with the Trump campaign ... and now Russians/Exxon want sanctions removed for Arctic drilling (Tillerson now being SoS)). The version, now blocked, that I watched had Warren coming in at minute 25.]
« Last Edit: April 20, 2017, 05:52:35 PM by Susan Anderson »
ah! Tim Ryan (sidd) is not Paul Ryan (the "Irish undertaker). I may have encouraged confusion there. More power to ya!
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Bookmakers experience profitable Grand National
gambling industry grand national sports betting
The Grand National marks an important day in the calendar of horse racing fans and betting companies alike. After a terrible Cheltenham Festival, which saw bookmakers make losses, the festival at Aintree has reversed the trend and combined profits, according to first estimates, stand at close to 100m Euro.
We reported on the profit bookmakers made during Cheltenham. Few weeks after, another highlight was in store for bookmakers, such as Paddy Power and Ladbrokes, whose brands ensnare horse racing events. The Grand National is held annually in Aintree and provides sports betting companies with an opportunity to attract new, and retain longstanding customers.
“It is estimated that a quarter of the UK adult population will bet on the Crabbie’s sponsored Grand National in 2016. Most people will have a small each-way bet on a horse they fancy for no other reason then they like the name,” reads one excerpt, publishes as part of a Betfair ad.
With The Grand National races over, analysts have started to speculate on how high bookmaker profits were this year.
Bookmakers in the UK are estimated to have made over £75m (close to €94m) in profits. According to data released by bettingexpert.com, over 35 million bets were expected for the Grand National alone.
The average profit per person stands at £2.84. That figure merely considers major bookmakers. An interesting trend can be observed upon considering the average bets per user throughout the three days. Day one begun with a solid 7.5 bets per user, day two continued with an increase, up to 10.3, and day three saw 7.9 bets placed per user.
While these statistics will prove useful for analytics-centred betting companies, these figures may also influence future race planning at Aintree, to ensure a more even program, attracting fans over the three days. A simple explanation though may be that day two was a Saturday.
Either way, Aintree was the well-needed good news for bookmakers, after a disastrous Cheltenham 2016.
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GoSouth
South African, Credible and Current
NATURE & ANIMAL CHAT
Cape South Peninsula
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa elected President of South Africa
The JSE jumped nearly 4% as the rand soared to a near 3-year high against the dollar.
Earlier Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng announced in parliament:
“Only one candidate has been nominated.
The honourable Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. The nomination is in order. Accordingly … I declare the Honourable Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
duly elected President of the Republic of South Africa.”
Speech by the official opposition, Democratric Alliance Leader Mmusi Maimane
On behalf of the Democratic Alliance I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the new President of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Cyril Ramaphosa.
While the circumstances of his election were far from ideal for our country, Honourable Ramaphosa now has an opportunity to close the Zuma chapter and begin charting a new course.
We wish him well in his new job. And I would like to assure him that he can count on our support and cooperation as long as he acts in the best interest of the people of South Africa.
I have heard many people say, with much relief, that we can now finally shift our focus from the ANC’s problems to the country’s problems.
And I agree, we cannot waste any time in attending to the massive challenges faced by our people every day.
But this statement misses one crucial fact, and that is that the ANC is our country’s biggest problem.
All along, we didn’t have a Zuma problem. We didn’t even have a Gupta problem.
Our problem is that the ANC put Zuma in power and the ANC kept Zuma in power, knowing full well what was going on.
And our problem is that same ANC is still here in this House today.
I see all the Members in the ANC benches are celebrating today, as if they had nothing to do with Jacob Zuma.
The biggest Jacob Zuma supporters have changed their tune overnight.
Honourable Ramaphosa,
Right now South Africa is riding a wave of relief. Our country is celebrating the end of the worst era in our democracy. And many people have pinned their hope on you.
Many people think you have a simple task.
You just throw out the corrupt ones and replace them with good ones, and the rest will take care of itself.
I know this is not the case. I only have to look around you to know what you’re up against.
The corrupt system that allowed Jacob Zuma to survive motion after motion in this House while selling off our country has gone nowhere.
It’s still here, in these benches.
He may be known for his lies and deceit over the years, but Jacob Zuma told one uncomfortable truth in his rambling TV interview yesterday.
He said that no one in the ANC could tell him what he did wrong.
Why is that? Everyone knows what he did wrong. Why could no one from the ANC come out and say this?
I can think of only two reasons:
Either the ANC genuinely believes Jacob Zuma did nothing wrong, and that it’s simply now someone else’s turn to eat.
Or, the ANC can’t admit what Jacob Zuma did wrong, because doing so would implicate the party and all of you.
This is the ANC you have inherited. This is the ANC you have been part of for years. And this is our country’s biggest problem.
That is why we have moved a motion in terms of Section 50 of the Constitution, to dissolve parliament and call an early election.
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma problem is gone, but its ANC problem is still very much here. That is why we need a new election as soon as possible.
Voters must have the chance to punish the ANC for what it has done for the last 10 years.
In that election, Mr President, and in all of those to follow, let us have a proper debate about ideas for a better future of our country, and how to get us there.
In that contest of ideas about the future, we look forward to taking you on toe to toe in this House.
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Everything you need to live well
Traditional Festivals And The Importance Of Easter In Nigeria
By Oludamola Adebowale 21 April 2019 | 9:00 am
A country like Nigeria, diverse in culture, religion and ethnicity requires tolerance from her inhabitants to accommodate the different religious and traditional festivals that dot the calendar annually. Festivals have always held sway among people connecting to their culture, heritage and roots. Some of these festivals have been in practice for hundreds of years and remains relevant even in the 21st century.
The importance of festivals is to perpetuate salient elements of the culture or religion and to preserve it. This brings to mind the importance of Easter to Christians as the celebration of the actual and symbolic death of Jesus Christ.
In a country of over 371 tribes and 250 ethnic groups, we have several traditional festivals with pre-colonial origins. Some of these festivals are over 300 years old.
The death of Oba Akitoye of Lagos on September 2, 1953, ushered in the theatrical performance of a religious play done to celebrate the life and times of Oba’s in Lagos and other important chiefs and personalities in the state. Originally known as the “Adamu Orisa Play”, later called Eyo festival, had its first performance in 1853.
Eyo Festival. PHOTO: Travelstart Nigeria
There are four important groups that come in procession during the Eyo festival. These groups have their respective quarters, known as Iga. Laba (Red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (Green) and Agere (Purple) take turns in a parade from their quarters throughout the streets of Lagos Island and finally to the Oba of Lagos’s Palace. The last display is usually done by the most senior “Eyo Masquerade”, known as the Adimu identified by a black, broad-brimmed hat. The last Eyo Festival held in 2017 during the celebration of 50th Anniversary of Lagos.
The prestigious Ojude Oba festival is revered by the people of Ijebu. Celebrated on the third day after Eid El Kabir (Sallah), it originally got its footing in 1892 when the then Oba Adesumbo Tunwase offered land to Muslim settlers. Since then, the festival has become a clarion call for the Ijebus’ both home and abroad to celebrate their essence, culture and heritage. The colourful and flamboyant way the Ojude Oba festivals is celebrated makes it an important festival in Yoruba land.
There are two major highlights of the Ojude Oba festival. One is the colourful and flamboyant display of attires and styles by the three major age grades, known as Regberegbes. These groups try to outwit one another in a show of style and class before the Awujale of Ijebu and his council of chiefs.
The other major highlight is the horse riding display by the Balogun, a descendant of war heroes who fought and kept the town safe from internal and external attacks during the 17th and 18th century. A few of the families control this horse riding display during the festivals. These families don’t just flaunt their well-built horses and horse-riding, but also fire gunshots into the air to announce their arrivals, giving a magnificent display at the festival.
Another important festival is the Durbar festival which holds in Northern states of Nigeria. The festival marks the end of Ramadan. It begins with prayers, followed by a parade of the Emir and his entourage on horses, accompanied by musicians, and ends at the Emir’s palace. Durbar festivals are organised in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zaria and Bida, and are considered tourist attractions.
The Durbar festival was first announced by the then Emir of Kano, Sarki Muhammad Rumfa about 500 years ago. Originally a military drill, it has evolved as a majestic display of grace, culture and tradition of Northern Nigeria.
The New Yam Festival, Ofala Festival, Mmanwu Festival, Ekpe Festival and Inne Festival all venerate the cultures and traditions of Igbo Land. The New Yam Festival is an important festival for the Igbo people. Yam, being a staple food in Igbo land, is often described as the “King of Crops” and it represents prominence and royalty. The festival, celebrated between August and October every year, gives thanks to the gods for a bountiful harvest.
The style of the New Yam Festival varies from one community to the other. The festival kicks off with prayers and libation to the gods. A huge tuber of yam is roasted with palm oil, animal blood and some other ingredients before it is offered to the gods. This ritual is always done by the King of the land or any high-ranking person. After the prayers, the festival proper kicks off with masquerade display, cultural dance by different age grades and most times, a fashion and beauty contest by the maidens of the land. In some parts of Igbo land, the New Yam Festival also symbolises the beginning of a New Year in the Igbo’s cultural calendar.
New yam festival in Nnewi. Photo: Nnewi
In a country with diverse ethnic groups and religious bodies, majority of Nigerians are wedged between two religions: Christianity and Islam. One special holiday (festival) celebrated by Christians all around the world is the Easter holiday.
Originally called Pascha in Greek or Latin, it is a festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion by the Romans around 30 AD. Around 33 AD, Christians all around Judah and its environs began to celebrate Easter with a feast marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ with a celebration of a new life and hope. It became popular in the New World (Europe, America) around 1770.
After missionaries saw the essence of the religions after the abolition of the slave trade on March 25th 1807, they, especially the CMS in West Africa, Nigeria began the spread of Christianity. Christianity came, and it brought its festivals with it—Easter, Christmas and the Mark of a New Year.
Since then, Easter festivals have been a festival observed by Christian Faithfuls all around Nigeria. It is a period for sober reflection and to make merry with family and friends. In the late 70s and till the late 90s in Nigeria, Christians celebrate the Easter with not eating of animals with blood. It was a period that the snail and fish market blossomed. The current economic situation won’t allow most people to do that now, but even with that Christians faithful still find time to have fun and unwind; they won’t allow any economic hardship or strain to dissuade them from not celebrating the revivification of their Lord Jesus Christ.
Happy Holidays!!!!!
nigerian easter festivalsnigerian festivalsOludamola Adebowale
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Guitar for Absolute Beginners: Play Guitar in 10 Weeks
Guitar for Absolute Beginners - Lesson 1
Lesson 1 - Introduction (0:56)
Parts of the Guitar (2:30)
Parts of the Guitar: Self Test (1:47)
How to Hold a Guitar (1:27)
How to Strum - The Rest Stroke (2:07)
Rest Stroke Exercise @ 60 bpm (1:19)
Rest Stroke Exercise @ 100 bpm (0:51)
How to Identify Strings (1:58)
Identifying String - Self Test (1:04)
How to Identify Fingers (0:55)
Identifying Fingers - Self Test (1:09)
How to Identify Frets (0:45)
How to Fret a Clean Note (2:09)
Fretting Exercise - Explained (0:59)
Fretting Exercise @ 60 bpm (1:59)
Fretting Exercise @ 100 bpm (1:03)
Fretting Troubleshooting (1:34)
Self Test - Finger, Frets and Strings (2:08)
Acquiring a Metronome (1:58)
The D Chord - Introduction (2:59)
D Chord Build Up - Explained (1:10)
D Chord Build Up @ 60 bpm (2:24)
D Chord Build Up @ 100 bpm (1:16)
D Chord Mega Lift - Explained (1:24)
D Chord Mega Lift @ 60 bpm (1:20)
D Chord Mega Lift @ 100 bpm (0:53)
Clear Sounding D Chord (1:34)
D Chord Troubleshooting (1:43)
Chord Diagrams Explained (3:00)
Chord Diagram Reading - Self Test #1 (1:28)
The G Chord - Introduction (1:13)
G Chord Build Up - Introduction (0:56)
G Chord Build Up @ 60 bpm (1:23)
G Chord Build Up @ 100 bpm (1:15)
G Chord Mega Lift @ 60 bpm (0:55)
G Chord Mega Lift @ 100 bpm (1:14)
G Chord Troubleshooting (2:27)
D to G Switch - Explained (3:03)
D to G Change Drill @ 60 bpm (1:51)
D to G Change Drill @ 100 bpm (1:16)
Wrist Troubleshooting (3:17)
Six Songs @ 60 bpm (2:46)
Six Songs @ 100 bpm (2:05)
Introducing the Capo (2:12)
"Give Peace a Chance" - Explained (0:54)
Play Along in the Style of 'Give Peace a Chance' (2:20)
'Born in the USA' Explained (0:39)
Play Along in the Style of 'Born in the USA' (1:55)
'Walk on the Wild Side' - Explained (0:46)
Play Along in the Style of 'Walk on the Wild Side' (1:25)
"What I Got" - Explained (0:42)
Play Along in the Style of 'What I Got' (1:51)
14 Two-Chord Guitar Songs For Beginners with D and G (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 1)
How to Use a Tuner (3:20)
How to Hold a Pick (1:49)
Playing On the Beat (2:09)
D to G on beat @ 60 bpm (2:18)
D to G On the Beat @ 90 bpm (2:06)
D to G On the Beat @ 120 bpm (2:12)
The A7 Chord - Introduction (1:48)
D to A7 @ 60 bpm (2:47)
D to A7 @ 120 bpm (1:14)
How to Read Guitar Tab (7:57)
Guitar Tab Reading - Self Test #1 (2:02)
What is a Lick? (1:27)
How to Read Guitar Charts (6:07)
Memorizing Songs, Using Patterns (1:55)
"Batman" Style Intro - Explained (3:38)
"Batman" Style Intro - @ 60 bpm (1:26)
"Batman" Style Intro - @ 120 bpm (0:52)
12 Bar Blues - Introduction (2:15)
"Ice Cream Man" - Explained (1:01)
Play Along in the Style of 'Ice Cream Man' (1:41)
"Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - Explained (3:13)
Play Along in the Style of 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' (2:46)
13 Three-Chord Guitar Songs For Beginners With D, G and A7 (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 3)
What is a Chord Progression? (4:41)
The E Minor Chord - Introduction (0:44)
G to Em Pivot - Explained (1:53)
G to Em @ 60 bpm (1:32)
G to Em Pivot at 90 bpm (1:20)
G to Em Pivot @ 120 bpm (1:05)
The C Chord - Introduction (1:14)
Em to C Pivot - Explained (0:53)
Em to C Pivot @ 60 bpm (1:40)
The D7 Chord - Introduction (1:45)
C to D7 @ 60 bpm (1:56)
C to D7 @ 120 bpm (1:12)
The Whole Shebang - Explained (2:59)
The Whole Shebang @ 60 bpm (2:09)
The Whole Shebang @ 120 bpm (1:45)
Capo Talk (2:57)
Play Any Song with One Simple Trick (5:35)
The Almost "Peter Gunn" Riff - Explained (2:19)
The Almost "Peter Gunn" Riff @ 60 bpm (1:25)
The Almost "Peter Gunn" Riff @ 120 bpm (1:17)
Fundamental Habits of a Good Guitar Player (2:57)
"Stand by Me" - Explained (1:08)
Play Along in the Style of 'Stand By Me' (2:32)
Play Along in the Style of 'Last Kiss' (2:30)
"Viva La Vida" - Explained (2:19)
Play Along in the Style of 'Viva La Vida' (2:43)
14 EASY FOUR CHORD SONGS FOR GUITAR BEGINNERS WITH G, EM, C AND D7 (Absolute Beginner Class 3 Song Links)
Alternate Strumming - Introduction (1:10)
Strumming Notation (0:56)
Em to G Pivot - Explanation (1:59)
Em to G Chord Alternate Strumming @ 60 bpm (0:54)
Em to G - Alternate Strumming @ 90 bpm (0:57)
Em to G - Alternate Strumming @ 120 bpm (0:39)
Small Barre - Introduction (1:14)
Small Barre Lick #1 (0:47)
Classic Sliding Small Barre - Explained (2:01)
Classic Sliding Small Barre #2 (1:34)
"Bad Moon Rising" - Explained (0:43)
Play Along in the Style of 'Bad Moon Rising' (1:13)
"I Gotta Feeling" - Explained (0:45)
Play Along in the Style of 'I Gotta Feeling' (slow) (2:19)
Play Along in the Style of 'I Gotta Feeling' (fast) (2:04)
"First Cut" - Explained (1:01)
Play Along in the Style of 'First Cut is the Deepest' (slow) (2:55)
Play Along in the Style of 'The First Cut is the Deepest' (fast) (2:27)
Lesson 5 - Introdution (1:30)
"Wild Riff" - Explained (4:40)
"Wild Riff" Play Along @ 60 bpm (2:08)
"Wild Riff" Play Along @ 120 bpm (2:05)
A Minor Chord - Introduction (1:49)
C to Am Pivot - Explained (1:51)
C to Am Pivot @ 60 bpm (1:53)
C to Am Pivot @ 120 bpm (1:32)
G to A Minor - Explained (1:43)
G to A Minor @ 60 bpm (1:25)
G to A Minor @ 120 bpm (1:26)
D to A Minor - Explained (1:51)
D to A Minor @ 60 bpm (1:05)
D to A Minor @ 120 bpm (0:50)
"My Girl" - Explained (3:45)
Play Along in the Style of 'My Girl' (slow) (2:41)
Play Along in the Style of 'My Girl' (fast) (2:21)
"Knocking on Heaven's Door" - Explained (1:32)
Play Along in the Style of 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' (slow) (2:13)
Play Along in the Style of 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' (fast) (1:15)
"Hot n Cold" - Explained (1:38)
Play Along in the Style of 'Hot N Cold' (3:40)
Play 13 Easy Beginners Songs On Guitar Using The C Chord (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 5)
Air Strum Technique - Explained (1:46)
Basic Strum Pattern - Explained (3:06)
Em to G Basic Strum Pivot - Explained (1:18)
E Minor to G Basic Strum Pivot @ 60 bpm (1:13)
E Minor to G Basic Strum @ 90 bpm (1:06)
E Minor to G Basic Strum @ 120 bpm (0:56)
D to G Basic Strum - Introduction (1:08)
D to G Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:23)
D to G Basic Strum @ 120 bpm (1:00)
"Jet Plane" - Explained (1:22)
Play Along in the Style of 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' (2:56)
"Country Roads" - Explained (1:11)
Play Along in the Style of 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' (4:06)
"Wish You Were Here" - Explained (0:43)
Play Along in the Style of 'Wish You Were Here' (1:26)
13 Easy Basic-Strum Songs With G, C and D (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 6)
Best Strum Pattern - Explained (3:21)
Best Strum @ 60 bpm (0:58)
Best Strum @ 100 bpm (0:57)
E Minor to G Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:03)
E Minor to G Best Strum @ 100 bpm (0:56)
G to C Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:19)
G to C Best Strum @ 100 bpm (0:51)
"Sometimes it's Just Not Easy" (0:40)
"Brown Eyed Girl" - Explained (1:23)
Play Along in the Style of 'Brown Eyed Girl' (2:11)
Play Along in the Style of 'I Will Follow You into the Dark' (slow) (3:10)
Play Along in the Style of 'I Will Follow You into the Dark' (fast) (3:46)
"Johnny B. Goode" - Explained (0:52)
Play Along in the Style of 'Johnny B. Goode' (Slow) (3:04)
Play Along in the Style of 'Johnny B. Goode' (fast) (1:40)
14 Easy Best Strum Songs With G, C and D (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 7)
A Chord - Introduction (1:09)
D to A Pivot - Explained (1:03)
D to A Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:27)
D to A Best Strum @ 100 bpm (0:59)
A to C Pivot - Explained (2:06)
A to C Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:23)
A to C Best Strum @ 100 bpm (0:57)
The E Chord - Introduction (0:48)
D to E Pivot - Explained (1:21)
D to E Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:17)
D to E Best Strum @ 100 bpm (1:38)
A to E Best Strum @ 60 bpm (2:37)
A to E Best Strum @ 100 bpm (1:11)
E-D-A-E Progression with Pivot - Explained (2:13)
E-D-A-E Progression with Pivot @ 60 bpm (1:45)
E-D-A-E Progression with Pivot @ 100 bpm (1:28)
Introduction to Music Theory (0:48)
Music Theory Part 1 (2:05)
"Wild Riff" Key of A @ 60 bpm (1:33)
"Wild Riff" Key of A @ 100 bpm (1:28)
"All I Want is You" - Explained (3:32)
Play Along in the Style of 'All I Want is You' (2:41)
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Explained (2:00)
Play Along in the Style of 'Sweet Child O' Mine'(Slow) (3:48)
Play Along in the Style of 'Sweet Child O' Mine' (Fast) (2:38)
12 Easy Guitar Songs For Beginners With A Major Chords (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 8)
Mixed Rhythm - Explained (2:38)
G Best to Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:12)
G Best to Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:16)
Em Best Strum to G Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (2:33)
Em Best Strum to G Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:20)
D Best Strum to G Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:25)
D Best Strum to G Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:19)
Split Measures - Explained (2:19)
D-G Basic Strum to A7 Best Strum - Introduction (1:57)
D-G Basic Strum to A7 Best Strum @ 60 bpm (1:52)
D-G Basic Strum to A7 Best Strum @ 100 bpm (1:21)
G Best Strum to C-D Basic Strum - Introduction (1:05)
G Best Strum to C-D Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:49)
G Best Strum to C-D Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:18)
"Take it Easy" - Explained (0:53)
Play Along in the Style of 'Take It Easy' (2:00)
"Redemption Songs" - Explained (1:39)
Play Along in the Style of 'Redemption Song' (3:03)
"Hey Ya" - Explained (1:04)
Play Along in the Style of 'HeyYa' (Slow) (2:23)
Play Along in the Style of 'Hey Ya' (fast) (1:25)
8 Awesome Split Measure Songs For Guitar Beginners (Songs For Absolute Beginners Class 9)
Guitar for Absolute Beginners - Lesson 10
Lesson 10 - Introduction (1:00)
Review of the Nine Most Important Chords (4:26)
The Four Most Important Strums (4:19)
E to A Down Strums @ 60 bpm (1:17)
E to A Down Strums @ 120 (1:06)
D-A7-G-A7 with Alternate Strum @ 60 bpm (1:36)
D-G with Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:23)
D-G with Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:17)
Review of Split Measures and Mixed Rhythms (2:35)
D-G Basic Strum to A7 Best @ 60 bpm (1:55)
D-G Basic Strum to A7 Best @ 100 bpm (1:29)
D-A7-G-A7 with Alternate Strum @ 120 bpm (1:15)
G Best Strum to C-A7 Basic Strum @ 60 bpm (1:24)
G Best Strum to C-A7 Basic Strum @ 100 bpm (1:21)
How to Practice Guitar, Or Anything, Successfully (6:53)
Thank You from Dan Emery (0:43)
Playlist (0:26)
Play Along in the Style of BlankSpace (2:36)
Play Along in the Style of Photograph (3:02)
Play Along in the Style of Hello (2:35)
Play Along in the Style of Sugar (1:39)
Play Along in the Style of Falling Slowly (2:40)
Play Along in the Style of What About Us (2:40)
Play Along in the Style of Get Lucky (4:25)
Play Along in the Style of Havana (2:17)
Play Along in the Style of Titanium (3:10)
Play Along in the Style of For What it's Worth (3:50)
Lesson 7 - Introduction
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Halifax Initiative
Press Release - September 26, 2005
World Bank, International Monetary Fund write off some debts
Debt cancellation too late, for too few, but at last, not too little
September 26, 2005 -In a historic move, the World Bank and IMF agreed, yesterday in Washington, to write off debts owed them by some of the world's poorest countries. The plan to write off the debts of countries that go through the World Bank and IMF minimum 6 year debt program was called for by the G8 earlier in the year, but had been resisted by other governments and the institutions themselves. Last minute pressure by Canada and others led to the adoption of the G8 plan.
"We congratulate Canada and other governments for their efforts to get some of the poorest countries out from under the burden of debt," said John Mihevc, of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and Co-Chair of the Halifax Initiative Coalition. "However, we have serious concerns abut the disastrous economic policies that continue to be imposed on countries as a condition for receiving debt relief."
Yesterday's agreement will see the debt cancellation for 18 countries immediately, 9 eventually, and potentially another eleven. The debt plan could eventually free up $US 40 to 50 billion in resources for qualifying poor countries. While the debt deal is viewed as a significant step forward, it contains some severe limitations in terms of the list of countries covered as well as the conditions attached before countries might qualify.
Debt cancellation will be available only for countries who "graduate" from a World Bank/IMF minimum 6 year program of economic adjustment - adjustment which has in many cases found to worsen living standards of the poor.
"When the World Bank and IMF announced the first debt plan in 1996, we said it was too little debt relief for too few countries, too late," said Gerry Barr, co-chair of the Make Poverty History campaign. "Now it is only too late, for too few".
At least 60 countries need immediate debt cancellation to have any hope of achieving poverty reduction targets. Other countries are suffering under the burden of odious debt, such as South Africa, for example, whose debt was largely incurred under apartheid.
"Canada and other governments are to be congratulated for their efforts in making this debt deal a reality, but the reality is that there can be no rest until the burden of conditionality is lifted from those who are suffering from it," said Barr.
Pam Foster, Coordinator, Halifax Initiative Coalition, (613) 255-8558, pfoster@halifaxinitiative.org.
Katia Gianneschi, Media Relations, Make Poverty History, (613) 241-7007 ext. 311, katiag@ccic.ca.
History and Key Achievements
Volunteering at HI
Export credit agencies
Other - G8, G20 and UN
Canada, the Bank and Fund
Structural adjustment programs in Canada
Mining map
Financing for development
IFI accountability
Key IFI Contacts
Current and past events
Conference: What's missing in the response to the global financial crisis?
Tax Justice Resources
Statements and submissions
World Bank, International Monetary Fund write off some debts Debt cancellation too late, for too few, but at last, not too little
Development Finance:
Multilateral debt, Conditionality, Debt
HI Resource Types:
International Financial Institutions:
World Bank, International Monetary Fund
Multilateral Organizations:
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Colleges and universities charge more, keep less, new report finds
Forced to keep discounting their prices as enrollment stagnates, U.S. universities and colleges expect their slowest growth in revenue in 10 years, the bond-rating company Moody’s reports.
The squeeze could threaten further cuts in services even as tuition continues to increase.
A quarter of colleges and universities are projecting declines in revenue, according to a closely watched annual Moody’s survey. Half of public and 40 percent of private institutions say they will take in only 2 percent more than the inflation rate, or worse.
“Smaller entering classes in much of the country over the next few years foreshadows continued revenue pressure.” Eva Bogaty, vice president and senior analyst, Moody’s
Moody’s analysts say regional public universities and small private colleges, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest where birth rates are flat and enrollment growth has stalled, are at the greatest risk. But the problems are dogging campuses everywhere.
“Smaller entering classes in much of the country over the next few years foreshadows continued revenue pressure,” says Eva Bogaty, a Moody’s vice president and senior analyst.
Nearly 40 percent of public and 45 percent of private institutions expect that their enrollments will decline next fall.
That is “forcing already-struggling schools to offer deeper discounts to potential students,” Bogaty says.
While students and their families may see tuition going up, the pressure on universities and colleges to moderate these increases and give deeper and deeper discounts means they’re still barely keeping pace with inflation, the survey shows.
The proportion of their tuition private colleges and universities are giving back in the form of discounts continues to creep up, to 45 percent from 43 percent last year.
The Moody’s survey also shows that private universities with the highest standings on college rankings are more likely to increase their tuition revenues than those that are lower rated.
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news website focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about Higher Education.
Jon Marcus
Jon Marcus, higher-education editor, has written about higher education for the Washington Post, USA Today, Time, the Boston Globe, Washington Monthly, is North America higher-education… See Archive
@JonMarcusBoston
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Are iPads or Chromebooks better for schools?
by Meghan E. Murphy
This story also appeared in The Atlantic
For an entire school year Hillsborough, New Jersey, educators undertook an experiment, asking: Is the iPad really the best device for interactive learning?
It’s a question that has been on many minds since 2010, when Apple released the iPad and schools began experimenting with it. The devices came along at a time when many school reformers were advocating to replace textbooks with online curricula and add creative apps to lessons. Some teachers welcomed the shift, which allowed their students to replace old poster-board presentations with narrated screencasts and review teacher-produced video lessons at any time.
Four years later, however, it’s still unclear whether the iPad is the device best suited to the classroom. The market for educational technology is huge and competitive: During 2014, American K-12 schools will spend an estimated $9.94 billion on educational technology, an increase of 2.5 percent over last year, according to Joseph Morris, director of market intelligence at the Center for Digital Education. On average, he said, schools spend about a third of their technology budgets on computer hardware.
Seventh-grade social studies teacher Jennifer Harmsen reviews lessons in an online video on Roman life with her students at Hillsborough Middle School. (Photo: Meghan E. Murphy) Photo: Meghan E. Murphy
Meanwhile, the cost of equipment is going down, software is improving, and state policies are driving expectations for technology access. “It’s really exciting,” said Douglas Levin, executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association, “but at the same time it’s really challenging for schools to have confidence when they make a decision.”
iPads have so far been a gadget of choice at both ends of the economic spectrum: in wealthier schools with ample resources and demand from parents, and in low-income schools that receive federal grants to improve student success rates. Last fall, enthusiasm for the Apple device peaked when Los Angeles Unified Schools, the second largest system in the nation, began a rollout out of iPads to every student.
“We can’t keep up with the trends in personal devices.” Paul Smith, supervisor of network services for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
However, the L.A. district quickly recalled about 2,100 iPads from students. At the end of the school year, leaders announced that schools would instead be allowed to choose from among six different devices, including Chromebooks and hybrid laptop-tablets. L.A. schools weren’t the first to falter: At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, Guilford County Schools in North Carolina halted an Amplify tablet program, and Fort Bend, Texas, cancelled its iPad initiative.
Hillsborough took a different approach. During the 2012–2013 school year, the district executed a comparative pilot, giving iPads to 200 kids and Chromebook laptops to an almost equal number. As other schools rushed into programs they would later scrap, Hillsborough took a more cautious approach, hedging its bets and asking educators: How can we get this right?
In June 2014, seventh-graders filed into Jennifer Harmsen’s Hillsborough Middle School social studies class. They sat in a u-shaped forum of desks. Native American artifacts hung on the walls and a world map mural enveloped a corner of the room in blues and greens.
Students pulled Chromebooks from their book bags, opened them, and got to work. They watched a video lesson covering topics like aqueduct architecture and Roman numerals. When they finished, Harmsen directed them to put the devices in “listening mode,” and they snapped the lids down.
After receiving teacher and student feedback from the 2012–2013 school year, Hillsborough sold its iPads and will distribute 4,600 Chromebooks by the fall of 2014. The students in Harmsen’s class had been on Hillsborough’s iPad pilot team, and Harmstead admits she was a little disappointed when the district chose to go with Chromebooks. She said being on the pilot iPad team transformed her classroom approach after 24 years of teaching and made her a digital-education advocate. But now that she’s spent a full year using the new device—a pared-down laptop that stores files on the Internet—she agrees with the decision.
A student in Jennifer Harmsen’s seventh-grade social studies classroom at Hillsborough Middle School watches a video on his Chromebook about life in ancient Rome. (Photo: Meghan E. Murphy) Photo: Meghan E. Murphy
Other iPad pilot teachers came to see the benefits of laptop capabilities, too. “At the end of the year, I was upset that we didn’t get the iPads,” said seventh-grade science teacher Larissa McCann. “But as soon as I got the Chromebook and the kids started using it, I saw, ‘Okay, this is definitely much more useful.’ ”
While nobody hated the iPad, by any means, the iPad was edged out by some key feedback, said Joel Handler, Hillsborough’s director of technology. Students saw the iPad as a “fun” gaming environment, while the Chromebook was perceived as a place to “get to work.” And as much as students liked to annotate and read on the iPad, the Chromebook’s keyboard was a greater perk — especially since the new Common Core online testing will require a keyboard.
Another important finding came from the technology support department: It was far easier to manage almost 200 Chromebooks than the same number of iPads. Since all the Chromebook files live in an online “cloud,” students could be up and running in seconds on a new device if their machine broke. And apps could be pushed to all of the devices with just a few mouse clicks.
Hillsborough educators also tend to emphasize collaboration, and they found that Google’s Apps for Education suite—which works on either device—was easier to use collaboratively on Chromebooks.
“Our goal was [to find out] not really which device was better, per se, but which device met the learning goals,” Handler said.
Although Hillsborough ended up settling on Chromebooks, the laptop versus tablet debate is far from settled nationwide. The education market is currently split fairly evenly between the two types of devices, said Phil Maddocks, a market analyst at Futuresource Consulting. The laptop market is varied, but iPads account for the vast majority of tablets used in schools.
Students sit down to watch an online lesson on Roman life in Jennifer Harmsen’s seventh-grade social studies classroom at Hillsborough Middle School in New Jersey. (Photo: Meghan E. Murphy)
David Mahaley, a head administrator and active classroom teacher at Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina, has had iPads in his classrooms for four years. The AP human geography course he teaches is paperless. His students use the iPad to annotate text, share with other students for collaboration, and even create e-books. He says the device makes his teaching job easier and gives the students more opportunities for digital creativity. He’s encouraged other educators in the Wake Forest school system to use the 1,650 iPads for everything from learning materials to classroom assessments.
“I don’t own Apple stock or anything like that; I see the iPad as a great tool that we’ve been able to exploit,” said Mahaley. “I come at it as a practitioner.” Still, he acknowledges that different schools have different priorities, and the iPad might not be the best choice for students of every age and learning style. “You’ll probably never find the answer of what is the right device,” Mahaley said. “First you have to ask: What do you want the device to do for your children?”
To make the decision even more complicated, companies are constantly updating their products. In September, Baltimore County, Maryland, will pilot a new hybrid laptop-tablet in 10 elementary schools. Over the last year, teachers and students there have had the chance to experiment with more than a dozen different devices, said Lloyd Brown, director of the information technology department. When Baltimore leaders asked if teachers wanted a tablet or a laptop, the answer was, “Both.”
At Hillsborough, the Chromebooks are currently being supplemented by 3,000 Nexus tablets, handed out by Google as part of a new pilot program. Susan Fajen’s fourth-grade classroom is now littered with devices. Students work together in pairs, elbow to elbow, one holding a tablet, the other typing on a laptop.
During the past year, Fajen’s kids used tablets to record their voices for a project on tall tales, and to design parade balloons before making them in papier-mâché. But for word-processing projects, like blogging, the kids took out their laptops. Fajen paused when asked which device was better. “It’s hard to choose,” she said.
After bungled iPad rollout, lessons from LA put tablet technology in a time out
The inside story on LA schools’ iPad rollout: “a colossal disaster”
Five unexpected benefits of a wired school
Technology offers special help in special ed
Money is, of course, a limitation. The Chromebook is the least expensive of the devices in question, with a retail price starting at $279. iPads start at $399. There are many hybrid and convertible tablet/laptops available, but one of the most popular, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, starts at $799. And the HP EliteBook Revolve 810 Notebook, chosen by Baltimore County Public Schools, starts at $1,299. That’s almost 4 1/2 times the retail price of a Chromebook, though schools do get bulk purchasing discounts and negotiate with the vendors for cheaper prices.
In Miami-Dade County, Florida, a large urban district with 320,000 students, schools are promoting a “bring your own device” model. “We can’t keep up with the trends in personal devices,” said Paul Smith, supervisor of network services. Miami-Dade delayed its technology rollout after hearing of the Los Angeles iPad recall last fall; this year, it will have provided about 48,000 laptops: Ninth-grade history students will take them home, while seventh-grade civics students will each have a device in class. Some elementary students will have laptops on carts in their classrooms. Still, the system doesn’t have enough money to give a laptop to every student. So, leaders are urging parents to buy computers and will try to fill any gaps with district-issued devices.
“We’re doing as much as we can to move it from a school responsibility to home,” said Debbie Karcher, head of information technology for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. For now, only parents who work within the school system are eligible for credit-union loans to buy devices at the district’s bulk rate pricing. (About 30 percent of Miami-Dade schoolchildren have a mother or father employed by the district.) But Karcher believes that the declining cost of technology will make money less of an issue for most parents in a relatively short time.
“If you look back at the calculator, you almost had to be a millionaire to buy the first Texas Instruments,” Karcher said of the bulky scientific devices once needed in high school math and science classes. “Now it’s not even a technology we talk about anymore. I kind of see this going the same way.”
Reproduction of this story is not permitted.
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CBD, Europe, Farming, News
Chaos in UK means £200,000 in losses for hemp co-op
Hempen destroyed 40 acres of hemp fields to comply with the law
Posted By: HempToday™ July 30, 2019
A UK hemp farming operation has destroyed its 2019 crop after failing to receive a growing license amid continuing regulatory confusion. Hempen, which is based in Goring Heath, Oxfordshire, said it will lose £200,000 (€220,00 / $243,000) as a result of the canceled harvest.
“Instead of capitalizing on the booming CBD industry, the Home Office’s bureaucracy is leading British farmers to destroy their own crops, and millions of pounds’ worth of CBD flowers are being left to rot in the fields,” Hempen co-founder Patrick Gillett said.
The UK’s Home Office last year blocked the farming of hemp flowers for CBD, but indicated hemp could still be grown for seed and stalk, which Hempen planned to do this growing season. But government officials later told Hempen to cease production entirely.
40 acres of hemp destroyed
Hempen said it would appeal the decision but in the meantime has cut down and crushed the crop from its 40 acres of hemp fields to remain within the law.
Hempen, a not-for-profit cooperative started in 2015, said it had held a hemp growing license for three years, and had expected further approval of its application filed last December. But the company was recently notified of the application’s rejection.
Hempen said it had been clear in statements submitted each year to the Home Office regarding how its hemp harvest was to be used. The Home Office raised no issues with the intended use of the plant over the course of the three-year license, the company said.
Company officials said Hempen plans to stay in business by changing its strategy to become an importer of CBD to the UK, which is legal.
‘Green shoots of hope’?
“In challenging economic times for British farmers, hemp is offering green shoots of hope as a rare crop that can pay for itself without subsidy,” Gillett said. “The government should move the responsibility of regulating farmers over to DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)” and out of the Home Office, he added.
Hempen’s product portfolio has been based on organic hemp seed oil, hemp tea, moisturizing oils and CBD products.
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Fremantle Herald Interactive
Your free, online, independent newspaper
Promotional Reviews
Phoenix in a flap
March 24, 2017 · by Your Herald · in News. ·
COCKBURN council has delayed upgrades to Rockingham Road and the town centre for up to two more years until it can reach an agreement with Phoenix Shopping Centre.
The council wants to create more of a town centre around the shops by dropping the speed limit on Rockingham Road to 50kmh and narrowing it to one lane in each direction.
It hopes this will make the area more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, and it has also earmarked upgrading bus stops to encourage public transport use.
• Phoenix shopping centre.
Cr Lyndsey Sweetman said the two-year period will allow the council to coordinate with local businesses from Lancaster to Phoenix roads.
“Allowing a two year period will give ample time for Phoenix Shopping Centre to develop its master plan,” she said.
Resident and former Spearwood Community Association president John Cunai said the planned upgrades didn’t incorporate enough community feedback.
“There are some good design concepts but the council need to take notice of the submissions from residents and business owners worried about restricted access,” he said.
“The decision to give the centre two years is somewhat generous considering the new shopping centre owners knew what the plans were and the objectives before they took it on.”
Mr Cunai’s close supporter Len Glamuzina said the plan shouldn’t be tailored to appease Phoenix shopping centre.
“It’s about Spearwood — not just the Phoenix shopping centre — the actual revitalisation of the area should be going ahead,” he said.
Mr Glamuzina said it’s time that Spearwood and the surrounding area was revitalised, after ratepayers contributed to the development of newer suburbs like Cockburn Central.
Mr Cunai and Glamuzina have been pushing the barrow for development of the precinct since 2007, and are pleased the upgrades are back on council’s radar.
“If we do it right the first time, it’s going to be a major transformation for future generations to enjoy,” Mr Cunai said.
by CHARLIE SMITH
← Treeby blowing in the wind
Good day for arts →
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Another Kevin Spacey accuser dies as actor releases creepy Christmas video
OPCW lied about chemical weapons report on Syria
Prince Andrew met with pedophile procurer Ghislaine Maxwell after investigation into Jeffrey Epstein was reopened
War on Terror: over 801,000 people killed, $6.4 trillion of taxpayer money wasted
It’s time for Prince Andrew to be arrested and taxpayer funding of the royal family to stop
British royal family ‘threatened’ ABC News for report on Epstein
World more outraged over Notre Dame fire than the Amazon burning
Russia is dumping US dollars and hoarding gold
Switzerland chooses gold over paper wealth backed by US dollar
Amazon makes $5.6 billion in US profits last year but paid nothing in federal income taxes
Iran bans use of US dollar in trade as petrodollar becomes increasingly irrelevant
Bitcoin is now bigger than Bayer, Goldman Sachs & Nike
How Puerto Rico can rebuild and become a powerhouse economy
China claims gold reserves at end of 2016 a massive 12,100 tonnes
New York Times propaganda: Hillary’s white pantsuit displays ‘empowerment’ but Tulsi’s says ‘fringe cult leader’
Tulsi Gabbard calls out ‘queen of warmongers’ Hillary Clinton
Election meddling: Google blocks Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign ads
Bernie Sanders pays his staff less than his proposed minimum wage
Nigel Farage has called on the EU to investigate George Soros for political meddling
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9/11 WTC b7 – lawsuit absolves United Airlines of responsibility, highlights nation’s ignorance of third building
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United Airlines will not bear any responsibility for the collapse of the third World Trade Center building on September 11, 2001, WTC-7. The owner of the company, Larry Silverstein, who held the lease on the WTC property, had filed negligence claims against United for security lapses at the Portland, Maine airport. Tower 7 collapsed in the evening of September, 11, after having supposedly been “pierced” by debris from the crash of American Airlines Flight 11 into nearby 1 WTC. The suspects had originally boarded a United Airlines flight before transferring. The judge ruled that United could not have foreseen the events that led to the destruction of Tower 7. Silverstein Properties anticipates filing a similar claim over United’s Flight 175.
The ensuing insurance claims and lawsuits filed in the wake of 9/11 comprise an interesting collection of anecdotes regarding the fateful day. As few US citizens understand, in evening of September, 11, 2001, a third WTC building, building 7, collapsed in the evening, and is claimed to have collapsed due to structural damage despite that it clearly collapsed and caved in on itself. It was also reported by BBC that the building fell, before the actual event.
Which brings us to our understanding of the events of 9/11.
There is a litany of ways US citizens understand the maelstrom of 9/11, giving us all insight into the inter essences of our thoughts-and-ideas, and where they come from, how they meet one another:
18 Saudi Arabians fly planes into WTC
18 muslims fly planes into WTC
Osama Bin Laden hatches plot of destroy US economic dominance
US government hires out contractors to execute the plot
The Globalists, above-and-beyond all nation-states, did it.
The War of Terror
Reconstruction by memory of signal occurrences can change the course of history. Our outlook on the past informs our present and leads us into our future. We are, in a way, one of the innumerable mediums by which time accounts for itself.
The events of 9/11, for cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, brought to mind a question of language and cognition: How many events took place as part of 9/11? It is a lesser known legal debate. It could be argued that the answer is one. The attacks on the buildings were of one plot conceived in the mind of one man in service of a single agenda, Pinker writes. Two planes crashed within a few minutes and yards of each other, targeting two related buildings with a single name, design and owner. Or was it two events? North tower, south tower, different configurations of glass, steel, etc. Or, was it three? Debris from the two planes hitting the first two buildings destroyed the infrastructure of WTC-7 and so then it fell.
Pinker only uses official examples, as I am sure he is not up to lose his publishing relationships. He goes, however, to look at what makes up an event? An event is a period of time, and time, is a continuous variable of the universe, in Newton’s thinking, or a fourth dimension in a fabric of hyperspace. This time, in the minds of men, is formed and captured through events. The way in which we understand these events, through the images of atoms of thought, make up the “language of thought,” or conceptual semantics.
In one way, it is easy to see that the event of 9/11 is still ongoing. Silverstein’s lawsuit is just one example of the way in which that event still impresses upon our current lifestyle. One obvious example is the War on Terror. 9/11 put the US in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then in Africa, then Pakistan, then Syria, and so on until the entire foreign policy character of the nation had transformed into a more intense manifestation than hitherto. If the War on Terror is seen as an outcome, and cause-and-effect are related, then we see how 9/11 still persists, not only in mind, but in the physical world.
That is a deeply unhealthy state for a culture to find itself, constantly being haunted by the ghost of violence. The problem-reaction-solution trifecto let the collective down, directed by the OG Pirates as it was. Moreover, for those who understand that the story that has been trumpeted by the dominant culture, the 9/11 eventship has been one long mire of tyranny.
The Silverstein case regarding building 7, filed against United, is ignorant of all the screaming evidence that the United flight had absolutely nothing to do with the collapse of that building, and is indicative of a cultural psychosis. It makes no sense to think the way in which building 7 fell was via debris from the first two impacts. I believe scientists could put two monkeys through a series of learning tests to get them to come to the proper conclusion: there were explosions of a sort.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving.
DON’T MISS:
– Jesse Ventura exposes 9/11 and WTC b7 on CNN’s Piers Morgan show…crowd agrees!!
– The 11th Anniversary of 9/11 – Paul Craig Roberts
– President of Italy’s supreme court says 9/11 was an inside job
– 9/11: A Conspiracy Theory
– Media hype 9/11, ignore 1,000,000 Iraqi victims
Source: http://silvervigilante.com/911-wtc-7-lawsuit-absolves-united-airlines-of-responsibility/
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9/11 families sue Saudi Arabia for involvement in terrorist attack
John Bolton, former US ambassador to United Nations suggests Russian ‘hacks’ were a false flag
Will Saudi Arabia crash the US economy following 9/11 bill?
9/11 anniversary: how the evidence was hidden and destroyed
28 previously hidden pages of 9/11 report released
Saudi Arabia: US blew up World Trade Center to create ‘War on Terror’
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Louis Nunn November 27, 2019
Mental health support teams to launch across schools in Rushcliffe and Gedling
Pupils struggling with mental health issues are set to benefit from more joined-up care and support across schools and NHS services as a new mental health support service is launched in a number of schools in South Nottinghamshire.
Mental Health Support Teams will be available to pupils in Rushcliffe and Gedling from December 2019, giving them access to help from NHS trained staff earlier and within their school environment.
Local NHS Commissioners and Nottinghamshire County Council have received pilot funding to roll out the scheme, enabling the teams to be set up in schools across Rushcliffe and Gedling to offer increased access to emotional and wellbeing support.
The teams will be staffed by mental health professionals from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust CAMHS services and will work with children and young people with mild to moderate emotional, mental health and well-being problems.
The scheme will be launched at a partnership event today, Wednesday 27 November, which will give involved and interested organisations the opportunity to find out more about the CAMHS services and how practitioners and teachers will work together.
Initially, 43 schools will benefit from the rollout of the scheme. The Mental Health Support Teams will be operational by December 2019, and will include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy therapists, Education Mental Health Practitioners and administrator.
The team will:
• deliver evidence-based interventions in or close to schools and colleges for those with mild to moderate mental health issues;
• help children and young people with more severe needs to access the right support;
• work with and within schools and colleges, providing a link to specialist NHS services;
• and build on and increase support already in place, not replace it.
These schools will be the first in Nottinghamshire to implement and test the Mental Health Support Team delivery model, and learning from these trailblazers will inform the future rollout of the scheme across the City and County.
Dr James Hopkinson, Gedling GP and the Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group’s Clinical Lead, said: “This scheme is a great opportunity to focus on early intervention.
“We know young people and their parents and carers want to be able to access mental health services quickly and that the earlier mental health problems are identified the better the health outcomes.
“Issues like exam stress, low mood and friendship difficulties will all be tackled to help young people as they navigate school. Having mental health support teams in schools will provide additional support for well-being and mental health directly to children and young people and offer an easier and more familiar setting for them to access care when they need it.”
Councillor Philip Owen, Chair of Children and Young People’s Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Schools play a vital role in identifying mental health needs and building resilience in young people, so we believe these teams will enhance the support already in place.
“The mental health support teams will work with children, young people and their parents and carers to help them access the right support and provide a link to specialist NHS services. They will also offer one to one and group interventions for those experiencing anxiety, low mood, friendship difficulties and behavioural difficulties.”
Dr Julie Attfield, Executive Director for Mental Health with Nottinghamshire Healthcare commented: “Any additional investment into the mental wellbeing of young people has to be celebrated. I am delighted that this support is being extended to enable more young people to benefit.”
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Category: misty ii
Misty starts shipping its programmable robot to backers – gpgmail
September 4, 2019 administrator Hardware, misty, misty ii, Robotics
When we met with Misty back at CES, the Sphero spinoff had an April timeframe for its programmable robot, Misty II. But the best laid plans, et al. The startup announced this morning that it’s started shipping the robot to its around 500 or so crowdfunding backers over the coming weeks. It’s a few months late, but that’s just kind of the life of the robotics startup.
And as we’ve mentioned in previous posts, the company’s got a pretty long runway for its ambitious plans. They started last year with the modular, handmade Misty I. The Misty II is still more platform than product, with the intention of giving developers a place to create various robotics tasks.
Early gen two models have already been seeded to a handful of developers, who have begun to create a wide range of different functions for the plucky little robot, including property inspection, environmental monitoring, eldercare and autism therapy. The potential applications go well beyond that, leveraging the robot’s different on-board technologies, including locomotion, facial recognition and programmable personality traits.
“Delivering Misty II to our crowdfunding backers is a major milestone for the company as they will play a special role in helping us prepare Misty for her official market launch later this year,” founder Ian Bernstein said in a release tied to the news. “Our backers are investors in the vision of personal robots becoming a reality in our lives. We are very excited to see how hundreds of developers bring Misty to life.”
Five-hundred developers is a drop in the bucket, but it does prove that there’s some interest in the product. The company will continue to offer pre-orders on the robot for $2,399, with a full market launch set for later in the year.
Leave a comment backers, gpgmail, Misty, programmable, robot, Shipping, starts
The European Union considering temporary facial recognition ban – Blog – 10 minute
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Five Stars Squared
I just finished reading a delightful book which I thought would bring me back to grief. I read all the reviews and picked up the story line ahead of time to realize the main character loses his wife to cancer. I hate stories about men who lose wives to anything disease. That is how I lost my first wife and am now losing my second. The idea of awakening grief within my body made me cringe. Yet, after beginning to read I fell in love with this story. Yes there was grief, love, suspense, and excitement, all of the elements of fiction that make a story interesting. The most unlikely character is the dog. The central character’s dog Enzo tells the story from beginning to end. The ending is sad but beautiful. You will not go wrong reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Five stars squared.
Filed under: Book Review, family, grief | Tagged: Auto racing, Cancer, Dogs, love | Leave a comment »
NUMBER 93, GRAVITY RACER
Jack kept dreaming about racing in the Soap-Box Derby. His vision of that racer in the Popular Mechanics magazine stayed in his mind. This summer the dream got stronger.
“I’ll make the best car yet,” he said to his friend Rich. “My first car was a two by four with two axles and a board for a seat.”
“I remember that one, we had tons of fun pushing each other around the alley.”
“The next one had a backrest and a square hood.”
“Yeah, that year I built a car too. That is when the real fun began,” said Rich.
“Yeah, racing in the alley with our sisters pushing us.”
“They didn’t push very fast,” answered Jack. “The races got faster after we recruited Joe, and Bob as pushers. My new car will be the best one yet.”
Jack used his father’s handsaw, hacksaw, files, pliers, hammer, and brace. He wished he could use the tools at the wood shop in Tuley Park, but it was too far from home.
“Dad, can you help me make the axles?”
“My wagon axles always bend, and the wheels fall off.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Two weeks later Dad came home with a pair of killer axles. A machinist friend in the shop helped to make them. He used square stock, and cut a spindle with a thread on each end for the wheels. He cross-drilled a hole for a cotter pin to keep the nuts from spinning off.
“I would have been happy with the axles alone, but Dad fit the axle into a heavy oak board. That will make it easier to mount them to the frame. My second big problem is wheel failure. The rubber tread falls off, or the hub breaks. Sometimes, a wheel falls off, and the bearings spill into the dirt. With these new axles, I can use my best wagon wheels with the roller bearings.”
Jack and his buddies set up a racetrack in the alley.
“We can start at my garage and race around the bend to the sidewalk. Rich and I will drive first, then take a turn at pushing back.” The first team to complete the route wins.”
They were off. The two cars lunged forward and got through the turn at the same time.
“Push faster,” shouted Jack to his pusher Bob. They got to the sidewalk first. Jack jumped out.
“Get in,” he shouted to Bob. They traded places, and Jack pushed as hard as he could.
“I should slow down at the turn,” he said, “but they are right on my tail.” He pushed harder. Bob steered to the outside to go faster. Jack saw the wheels drifting into a slide, throwing up dirt.
“Oh no!” he shouted as the rear tire came off the wheel. Jack stopped to fix it before the wheel was damaged. Joe and Rich passed by and won the race.
The turn in the middle was hard on the wheels. The cars slid through the turn, and kicked up loose cinders forming a groove in the turn. The wheels always broke at that turn.
“When a wheel breaks the race is over for me. Sometimes, I can fix it by rolling the tire back onto the rim. When a spoke or a hub breaks, I need a new wheel.”
Jack began building a new car to put his new axles on. “I will use the wheels off the Radio Flyer.
He dug up the plan from Popular Mechanics, and began looking for materials in the alley.
“WOW, this is my lucky day. This piece of corrugated aluminum is just what I need for the body.” He found it behind the grocery store.
“I’ll cut this sheet into two pieces. One for the hood and one for the trunk.”
It took hours to go through such a large piece with the hacksaw. His arms ached and sweat rolled off his forehead. The longest piece became the hood; the remainder formed the tailpiece behind the seat. Corrugated metal is easy to bend along the grooves, but very hard to bend the other way. It limited any fancy curving Jack could do when he formed the body. In his mind he pictured an Indy-Sprint car.
“The plan calls for pulleys and rope to make the steering. I’ll have to use the money I have saved to buy them.” Jack walked a mile to the hardware store on Cottage Grove Avenue to buy pulleys and a new clothesline. He worked hard to install the pulleys in the right places under the hood. He kept looking at the plan in the magazine. Eventually, he figured it out, and the car had a steering wheel that worked. The days of holding ropes, or steering with the feet were over.
“I’ll never need the brake, but the plan shows one.” He made a drag brake.
Jack’s dream car became a reality. He painted the body canary yellow.
“Racecars have numbers. I’ll give my car a number too, but what?” It took days to come up with a number that meant something to him. When he finally decided on it, he bought a can of Chinese red paint. It was the brightest color he could find.
“What are you doing Jack?”
“What does it look like? I’m painting a number on the car.” He brushed red paint carefully between pencil lines on the hood.
“Why did you pick number Ninety-three?”
“It stands for 93rd Street where we live, dummy.” More people asked him about the number than how the steering worked.
Number-93 was faithful for the remainder of the season. The wheels never fell off the axles and the hubs stayed in place. She did well in the alley races, and became the envy of the neighborhood.
“I’m going to the library Mom,” he said. He took a short cut through the schoolyard at Perry School when he stopped dead.
“I don’t believe my eyes,” he said to himself. “The perfect hill for number ninety-three. They took the slide off the wooden ramp. I can pull the car up to the top and race it down, just like they do at the real Soap Box Derby.”
Perry School is only three blocks away from home. They took the giant steel slide off the wooden ramp. The ramp was twenty feet high It sloped at thirty degrees, and was wide enough for Number-93 to roll down. It was the perfect hill to try her out.
Jack began visioning his big adventure.
“I’ll Rich to help me tow 93 to the schoolyard. We’ll do it after school when there are not as many kids around.”
A couple of days later 93 was up to the ramp.
“We’ll move her up backwards so we don’t have to turn around at the top.”
Jack pulled and Rich pushed. Moving the heavy 93 to the top was hard.
“Are you ready?” asked Rich.
“Yep.” Rich held the car back as Jack climbed in and settled into the seat with his feet pressing against the footrest. He pushed until his back was firm against the backrest. Jack tried the steering. He held pressure on the the brake to keep from moving forward. Everything was okay.
“Let go on the count of three,” said Jack.
They counted together, “one, —two, — three.”
Rich let go, and Jack released the brake. Ninety-three began to move slowly. Within a few feet the speed was thrilling. Jack’s heart began pounding out of his chest. He tucked his head down out of the wind, and held onto the wheel tightly while bracing his feet against the firewall. The brake was between his legs, but he was too afraid to take a hand off the wheel to make it work.
“I’m really rolling now he shouted.” The noise of the wheels clacking against the wooden planks drowned out his voice. The wind rushed over the dashboard into his eyes. I have to keep her straight, he thought. Ninety-three picked up more speed. The ride down was a thrilling rush. Jack’s eyes watered, his head shook from the vibration of the bumpy boards. In an instant, number ninety-three was at the bottom. She hit the transition with a big bump and leveled off. Everything was a blur when Jack hit top speed. Jack enjoyed a smooth ride half way across the yard. Eventually he coasted to a stop.
Rich came running up next to him, “How was it?”
“Wow, my legs are shaking. That was fun. Now it is your turn”
“Not me, that looked scary.”
THIS IS A TRUE STORY, ONLY THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE GUILTY.
The Art Of Racing (Soap Box) In The Rain [Soap Box Derby] (jalopnik.com)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Auto racing, Axle, Gravity Racing, Radio Flyer, Soap-Box Derby | 1 Comment »
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Length: [3/?]
Pairing: Yunjae, Yoosu, ((Leeteuk and Heechul??))
Disclaimer: Since owning people is "illegal" i do not own the boys
Summary: Two brothers get drafted into the military during the Korean war, but before they can go into combat they are sent to train at camp 409 where they must live with other trainees for at least two months. ((bad summary...))
Author's Note: obviously i didn't live in the 1950's and certainly was not in Korea during the Korean war, so some of the details are going to be inacurate... just bear with me :]
Yoochun watched Yunho grab the young boy’s face with hate for the Soryeong building up in him. He couldn’t quite place why he wanted to protect a person he had never met before, but his rage nearly exploded out of him when he watched Yunho yell in the boy’s face. If the guy that was accused of being a woman hadn’t snapped back at Yunho, he would have done it himself. Yoochun was too far away to hear what the Soryeong said next, but judging by the boy’s silence it was conversation-ending. He waited impatiently until Yunho had passed by him and laughed softly.
Yunho reacted exactly how Yoochun had expected; he stopped abruptly and turned his head to the side. “Is there something funny Ideungbyeong?”
Yoochun immediately ceased his laughter but kept a smug grin plastered on his lips.
Yunho’s eyes narrowed and he walked back to Yoochun’s spot in line. “I asked you if you thought something was funny,” Yunho said coldly, inching closer to Yoochun’s face.
Yoochun returned Yunho’s icy glare along with a slight smile. “I just think it’s funny that you pick on newbies for kicks. And I’m not an Ideungbyeong.”
Yunho cocked his head and intensified his glare. “What?”
“I’m not an Ideungbyeong,” Yoochun repeated slowly, emphasizing each word.
Yunho decided to switch his approach. He softened his glare and raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh? Then I take it you’re one of our American’s huh?” Yoochun nodded in reply. “Well then,” Yunho laughed softly, then hissed in perfect English, “Welcome to hell.”
Jaejoong and Junsu didn’t say a word to each other or anyone else until they came back to their Resident after dinner. They had been assigned to different bunks with one bed in between them. The twins had always shared a room with beds right beside each other and Jaejoong felt as if the few feet of distance was an eternity away. He cast longing glances at his brother while he tried to make his small bed somewhat more homey. He hardly even noticed the pair of legs hanging over the edge of the bed above him.
“Hey! Are you listening to me?” the voice above him shouted as the owner leaned over the edge.
Jaejoong jumped at the sound and slammed his head on the bar over him. “Sorry…” he muttered, rubbing the sore place on his head.
The other man swung himself over the edge and landed beside Jaejoong with his hand outstretched. “Donghae,” he introduced himself simply.
Jaejoong wearily took Donghae’s hand and shook it lightly. “Jaejoong…” he said softly.
Donghae scanned his eyes over Jaejoong with a slight smile after he released his hand. “Oh Yunho’s going to have fun with you,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“Y-Yunho?” the first thought that came to Jaejoong’s mind was the master pervert in jail that had the intention of raping every guy he could get to. There weren’t really those kinds of people in the military too, right?
Donghae nodded. “He’s the Soryeong who probably yelled at you when you got here. You know, Soryeong Jung?”
Jaejoong’s eyes widened. Was that why he accused me of being a woman? Because he wanted me?? “What exactly do you mean by fun?” he asked, half afraid of the answer.
“He’ll work your ass to death in training,” Donghae replied.
Jaejoong sighed in relief. He could handle training. “How long have you been here?” he asked, switching to a slightly more comfortable subject.
Donghae stared at the ceiling in thought for a few seconds. “Six months I think.”
“Six months??”
Donghae nodded. “The drills never really stuck with me so I’ve had to get them pounded into my head for a little longer than everyone else.”
Jaejoong groaned. So they would keep him here if they didn’t think he was good enough? He cast another longing gaze at Junsu, but the latter was already on his way over with his arms crossed and lips pushed out in a pout.
“This isn’t fair,” Junsu whispered with his eyes locked on his bunk.
“What’s not fair?” Jaejoong whispered back.
Junsu nodded toward the man standing in front of the bunk’s ladder. “I wanted to top…”
Jaejoong blinked at his brother. “You wanted to what now??”
“I wanted the top bunk!” Junsu whined.
Jaejoong shook his head briskly. “Yeah, of course that’s what you said.”
Junsu shifted his gaze to look at Jaejoong with question in his eyes. “What did you think I said?”
Jaejoong shrugged. “Oh nothing. Why don’t you just ask the other guy if you can switch with him?” he asked.
“Didn’t you listen Hyung? Jungnyeong Park said that nobody was allowed to switch, no matter what.” Junsu sighed. “And I really don’t want to cause trouble on our first night here…”
“Oh right. I knew that,” Jaejoong mumbled. He suddenly remembered his bunkmate’s presence and turned to Donghae. “Oh, this is my brother Junsu,” he said, gesturing to his twin.
Donghae held his hand out like he had for Jaejoong, but Junsu pointedly ignored him and returned his gaze to the man who was still frozen in front of the ladder. Junsu walked back to his bunk without a word of goodbye and flung himself on his bed.
Yoochun just stood at the base of the ladder, staring at it. There was not way in hell he was going to sleep on the top bunk for the next few months. No way. He didn’t even bother to move when his bunk mate flung himself onto the bed beside him. He continued to stare, not daring to ascend the ladder, for several more minutes until a small voice from beside his waist broke the silence.
“Are you going to just stand there?” the voice asked.
Yoochun didn’t spare his bunkmate a glance. “I’m afraid of heights…” he muttered, half hoping that the man didn’t hear him.
Junsu slowly came out from under the bed to stand beside Yoochun, his sympathy taking over. He stared at the ladder also, biting his lip slightly. “It’s not all that high,” he said softly.
Yoochun flickered his gaze to Junsu’s innocent face. “I know. I just… can’t sleep that way.”
Junsu climbed up the ladder and held his hand out to Yoochun. “Come on.”
Yoochun hesitated before very slowly following Junsu’s example. Junsu scooted over when he finally sat onto the mattress. He slightly leaned over the edge and took a calming breath before turning to see Junsu’s friendly smile. Yoochun forgot for a moment where he was when he saw that smile. It reached the younger man’s eyes, unlike all of the fake smiles he had lived with for the past year. “Park Yoochun,” he said, offering his hand and reflecting Junsu’s smile.
“Kim Junsu,” Junsu mumbled, taking Yoochun’s hand. For a second he didn’t want to let go of the other, but a sickeningly sweet voice forced them to jerk apart.
“What’s going on up there?” Leeteuk asked from the foot of Junsu’s bed. He still had his new-trainee smile painted on his lips to mask his deep hate for being in this position at all. How was he supposed to be Heechul’s right hand man if he was all the way on the other side of the camp? “I’m pretty sure that only one person was assigned to each bed. And I hope you’re aware of the rule I explained on the training field will be very strictly enforced.
A light pink graced Junsu’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. We were just-”
“I don’t care what you were doing. My point was that you should separate yourselves,” Leeteuk said. He waited for Junsu to return to his bed before he continued. “Lights will be out at eight thirty every night and everyone will be up at four every morning. If you are out of your bed between those times, you will be punished. Understand?”
Junsu nodded without looking anywhere but at his hands. He waited for Leeteuk to walk a little further before going back to the ladder. “By the way, thanks for sticking up for me earlier in the lineup…” he whispered.
Yoochun kept his eyes on the mattress below him. “Hm? Oh, yeah. No problem. I can’t stand jerks like that, Soryeong or not.”
Changmin stole away from his resident to join up with Yunho in the officer’s quarters, shortly followed by Dongwook. Sure they were leaving their trainees unattended, but the back door in their rooms prevented the trainees from knowing that. They were having a mini welcome back party for Yunho and not even the overseers wanted to miss out. Besides, Changmin had been the one to plan the whole thing. Then again, he planned for Yunho to be enjoying it, but judging by the way he was scowling at the wall with his face partly covered by a cup, not everything was going as planned. Changmin carefully approached the Soryeong. “Having fun Hyung?” he asked somewhat cheerfully.
Yunho whipped around and shot daggers out of his eyes. “What the fuck do you want?” he snapped.
“A portable music player smaller than my hand that lights up,” Changmin answered caustically, emphasizing his sarcasm by rolling his eyes. He pulled a nearby chair closer to him and sat in it backwards, facing Yunho. “What’s bothering ya?”
“That damn American…” Yunho said, raising his cup to his lips and taking a short sip. “He had the audacity to stand up to me. Hah! His ass is mine in training. He’ll see… Oh and that girl they sent us…”
“Wait a second,” Changmin interrupted. “What girl?”
Yunho sighed and took another drink. “One of the new trainees is really good looking, almost like a girl.”
“Ohh, I know who you’re talking about. He was the one wearing the black and white shirt, right?” Yunho nodded. “He’s hot.”
Yunho nearly spit his drink out. “What did you just say???” he shouted.
Changmin gasped and put on a mischievous grin. “Hyung are you blushing?”
Yunho turned away from the younger with a scowl. “Hell no I’m not blushing…” But he could feel the heat spreading across his cheeks. He rested his chin in his palm and glared at Changmin from the corner of his eye. He was only blushing because of Changmin’s stupidity, of course. ((a/n: **cough cough**)) Deciding to clear his mind of the other’s stupidity, he focused on Leeteuk who was slinking his way to Heechul’s room. Of course, Yunho thought, Hyung can’t be away from his Cinderella for more than two seconds without going insane… Yunho grinned at the thought, letting his mind wander to the stupid things the Jungnyeong had done to impress Heechul back when they were only trainees themselves.
Leeteuk was in absolutely no mood for the party. At the moment, he wanted nothing to do with anyone but Heechul. Sucking up to the Daeryeong was generally easy, and he would have to be doing a heck of a lot of it if he had any hopes of being relieved from his temporary position as Resident A’s overseer. He wasn’t going down without a fight, no matter how sickeningly obedient he was going to have to be to win that fight. After all, that was his only hope unless by some miracle Heechul happened to find anyone better than him for the job. Leeteuk couldn’t help but laugh at that thought; there was no one better, both he and Heechul knew that. Still, he had to try. He strode past a scowling Yunho and laughing Changmin straight to the Daeryeong’s room.
“What do you want Leeteuk?” Heechul asked, continuing to stare at the ceiling from his bed. He didn’t say it cruelly, but Leeteuk could feel the iciness in his tone.
Leeteuk bowed deeply and smile played on his lips when he rose to see Heechul’s face; not the kind of smile he gave trainees, but the one he reserved especially for the man in front of him. “I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for you sir,” he offered, his voice dripping with sweetness.
“Did you really leave your trainees alone to suck up to me?” Heechul asked calmly. His eyes on the other hand spoke of a different emotion.
Leeteuk stared with his mouth open for a second as he tried to come up with a reasonable answer, or at least one that wouldn’t piss the Daeryeong off, none of which included the truth.
Heechul sat up and spoke before Leeteuk could answer. “Go back to your Resident and never do this again.”
“But sir, the others aren’t in their Residents either,” Leeteuk pointed out, trying to save himself. “They’re partying right outside your door!”
Heechul’s eyes burned holes into the other’s face as he held his gaze. “Yes I know that. I authorized it the moment of Yunho’s return. Jungnyeong Shim thought it would be a good idea and so did I, so there is nothing wrong with it. Now go back to whatever it was you were doing and leave me alone.”
Leeteuk thought for a second and decided on a bold move. Maybe too bold considering Heechul already seemed to be mad at something. “Are you going to join us in the party sir?” he asked quietly.
The corner of Heechul’s mouth twitched up into a momentary smile. “Yes actually, I think I will,” he answered, standing and walking out of his room with Leeteuk at his heels. He knew very well what the Jungnyeong was trying to do, but he decided to humor him for a little bit and get some fun out of it. Parties in camp 409 didn’t come very often after all.
The officers bowed deeply when Heechul made his presence known. The Daeryeong waved them off and sauntered to Yunho and Changmin who were still going at their squabble over the woman-like trainee. Yunho instantly bowed when he saw Heechul, but Changmin just handed him a drink as if he was just a good friend.
Leeteuk and Yunho went into panic mode when he saw Changmin’s careless action.
There was a very tense pause before a smile graced Heechul’s lips and he took the drink from the youngest with a small nod. “I see you’re enjoying yourself Changmin,” he said casually, taking a very small sip.
Changmin grinned. “You should try it some time sir,” he said, giving an almost invisible wink to Leeteuk.
Leeteuk instantly lowered his head at the gesture. How was it that Changmin could do just about anything he wanted with Heechul when he was the Daeryeong’s most trusted officer? If he ever said something like that to Heechul he would have been scolded for sure, while all Changmin got was a smile. Not only that, but Changmin was the only one who knew of his secret admiration for Heechul, and it wasn’t just a respectful admiration either.
Heechul turned his attention from Changmin to Yunho. “I don’t believe I had a chance to formally welcome you back Soryeong Jung,” he said. The second he looked away from Changmin, his smile changed ever so slightly. It would have gone unnoticed by anyone except Leeteuk, and Leeteuk noticed big time.
Jaejoong had pretty much lost track of time since he got to camp 409, but he was pretty sure it must have been late since everyone else around him was sound asleep. At least he thought all of them were. Now was his chance to get a shower without having to fear anyone else seeing him. He knew very well that nobody was allowed out of their beds after Leeteuk had made it clear that it was eight o’clock, but he also knew that he didn’t want to be naked with God knows how many other naked men in the same room; it would be just plain weird. Besides, if he went about it right, nobody would know he had been gone.
As carefully and as silently as humanly possible, Jaejoong slipped out of his bed and toward the front door, making sure to check on Junsu as he went. He stopped by his brother’s bed for only a second before Junsu’s eyes fluttered open. “Hyung!! What are you doing??” he hissed. “Get back in bed before you get caught!”
“I have to take a shower Su,” Jaejoong whispered back.
“We all get to in the morning. Just wait a few hours.”
Jaejoong shook his head. “I can’t. It’d be too weird.”
Junsu rolled his eyes, even though he knew it would be hard for Jaejoong to see the gesture in the dark. “I’m sure you can restrain yourself for five minutes Hyung. Stare at the wall the whole time or something.” The comment earned him a light smack to his head.
“That’s not what I was talking about!” Jaejoong’s head snapped up when he heard rustling right above him, followed by a drawn out groan. Both he and Junsu froze at the sound. Jaejoong waited for a few seconds for the rustling to subside and bent down to whisper into his brother’s ear. “I’ll be right back. Try to get some sleep.” He didn’t wait to hear Junsu’s reply before slipping out the front door.
Jaejoong wondered around the camp, hidden by shadows, trying his best to dig around in his memory for bits and pieces of what Leeteuk said about which building was which. But unfortunately, he couldn’t remember the Jungnyeong saying anything about showers. So he continued to wander around until he came upon a chamber with a huge water tank positioned at its wall and pipes leading into the cement side. We have a winner! Jaejoong thought with a triumphant smile.
He took a quick look around before he slid into the small building. Just as he thought, the door led into a room with six showerheads hanging over six wooden stalls. Again, he scanned his surroundings to see if anyone was around and gave himself a mental ‘okay’ before stripping down and stepping into the furthest stall from the door. As he let the water run over his body he kept glancing over his shoulder, paranoid the someone would walk in on him at any minute. And he had to be honest with himself, he was more afraid of being seen exposed than of being caught out after their curfew. He was positive that whatever punishment was to befall of him wasn’t nearly as bas as humiliation.
Jaejoong took as little time as possible to wash himself (mainly his hair) and just a little longer to enjoy the water, even though it was freezing cold. I could get used to this, he thought, it’s quiet and I don’t have to worry about any one timing me… With a small smile on his face, he shut off the water and came out of the stall to get his clothes. Only then did he realize that he didn’t have a towel to dry off with.
Yunho glanced at the clock for the hundredth time since Heechul had joined them. It was finally late enough for him to be able to use taking a shower as an excuse to get away from the party. He had to admit, it was nice and all for Changmin to set it up for him, but there was only so much of this fake respect stuff a person could take. “I’m going to hit the showers so, I’ll… be back in a few minutes,” Yunho announced to the small group around him before standing and stretching his arms.
“Yeah, me too,” Changmin said, following Yunho’s actions.
Heechul looked up at Changmin with a smile in his eyes that of course only Leeteuk noticed. “I might go in a minute as well,” he said.
Leeteuk nearly exploded at his words. He wished he could say that he’d be going as well, but he defiantly didn’t want to be saluting the Daeryeong in the showers. So he just nodded and put on a fake smile. “Do you want me to get your clothes and towel sir?” he asked in one last attempt to suck up.
“Yes, go do that,” Heechul replied with a dismissive wave. As Yunho and Changmin left, he decided to grace some other officers with his presence, occasionally looking over his shoulder and awaiting Leeteuk’s return.
Yunho walked across the dark campgrounds with Changmin humming quietly by his side. He didn’t want the younger (or anyone for that matter) to be with him, but you can’t exactly be choosy in a military camp when you’re only a Soryeong. The pair made their way to the officer’s showers and Yunho let himself in first, only to see an angel bright and shining before him, with its back facing the door. Yunho’s mouth dropped and all color in his face vanished.
Jaejoong jerked his head toward the door as two officers came in. He was done for now. The officer he had a confrontation with that afternoon was staring at him with his mouth hanging open slightly while the other was struggling to hide the amusement on his face. They didn’t really look like they were going to punish him… or at least not yet anyway. Even though his mind was screaming at him to run, his body was too shocked to listen, so he stayed in place, staring at the officers like a deer in headlight.
“Oh my God!” Changmin cried, finally surrendering to his smile. “Look Hyung, he is hot!”
Yunho and Jaejoong both blushed furiously at the comment, but the moment was cut short when Heechul came into the room with Leeteuk dutifully at his heels.
All heads turned to the Daeryeong except for Yunho’s which stayed staring at Jaejoong’s naked form, barely noticing that Heechul had come in at all. His mind was at a standstill and his eyes were taking in every inch of Jaejoong’s body. He’s so skinny… Yunho though, and his skin is so… white. It’s intoxicating…
The corner of Heechul's mouth twitched before he broke out into a wicked smile. "And what, may I ask, in God's name do you think you're doing in here trainee?" he queried in a quiet voice loud enough for all of them to hear clearly.
Jaejoong snatched his clothes and held them over himself before turning around to fully face Heechul. "I-I-I... was j-just taking a sh-shower...." he stammered, staring at the floor.
"In the officer showers?" Heechul's face was riddled with amusement at Jaejoong's fear. He had never caught a trainee in the officer showers before, especially not after curfew.
"I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't know..." Jaejoong answered. Now he had really done it.
Heechul's smile spread more as he turned to Leeteuk. "No matter. You're out after curfew anyway. Leeteuk, take care of him." With that Heechul exited the showers, completely forgetting about why he went there in the first place; busting a trainee with something like this was just that much fun.
Changmin stared at Leeteuk. "Are you going to do it?" he whispered.
Jaejoong shifted his gaze from the floor to Leeteuk with horror in his eyes. He didn't think that getting caught would be such a big deal, but all of them had seen him exposed and the Daeryeong had a frightening aura around him as he left. Do what? he thought, not sure that he wanted to know.
Leeteuk glared at Changmin. "Of course I'm going to! He broke two very important rules in one move. Why the hell wouldn't I?"
Changmin bit his lip and glanced at the trembling Jaejoong. "It's not like he hurt anything... Besides, he's new so he probably really didn't know," he pointed out.
"He broke curfew Changmin! It doesn't matter if he knew or not, he still broke the rules. But hey, you can go defy Heechul's orders if you want to. Me on the other hand, I'm taking him to the chambers."
Yunho snapped back to reality. "No!" he shouted.
"And why not?" Leeteuk asked, switching his glare to focus on Yunho.
"Nobody is sent to the chambers just for braking curfew!" Yunho knew what going to the chambers meant; he had been a first hand witness to the torture when he was a trainee, and something in his mind screamed at him to keep Jaejoong from that fate.
"Yes, but he didn't just brake curfew. Have you forgotten where we are Yunho?" Leeteuk said. "More importantly, have you forgotten exactly who gave the order?" Only silence answered him. He nodded his head toward Jaejoong. "Get your clothes on and then follow me, understand?"
"Y-yes sir..." Jaejoong replied, hurriedly yanking on his clothes.
Yunho narrowed his eyes and stared at the floor. Of course, no matter what Heechul tells Leeteuk to do it is always done. Always.
A/N: okay~! nothing really happens in this chapter, but it leads up to a major part in the beginning of ch3 :] comments are loved, of course <3
Heechul: Daeryeong ((american equal is colonel))
Changmin: Jungnyeong ((american equal is lieutenant colonel))
Leeteuk: Jungnyeong ((american equal is lieutenant colonel))
Dongwook: Jungnyeong ((american equal is lieutenant colonel))
Yunho: Soryeong ((american equal is major))
Yoochun: Sangdeungbyeong ((american equal is corporal))
Donghae: Sangdeungbyeong ((american equal is corporal))
Jaejoong: Ideungbyeong ((american equal is private))
Junsu: Ideungbyeong ((american equal is private))
BONUSES: ((they really have nothing to do with the fic, i just decided to post them for the heck of it. enjoy!
sorry the words are blurry, paint tends to do that to me for some reason... :[ also i didn't know the girl's
names at the time, but i do now sooooo yeah :]
ok, i saw this picture and i just thought it was priceless and i HAD to put their expressions to words ;P and i spelled jealous wrong on purpose :]
PeAcE~
Kiss The Rain- Yiruma
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Length: [14a/?]
Pairing: Yunjae, Yoosu, Leeteuk and Heechul ((Tuekchul?))
Disclaimer: i only own them in my dreams
Summary: In the breaking point of the Korean war, two brothers get drafted into the military and forced to fight for the lives. literally. punishment in camp 409 is just as unforgiving as its officers. attraction? frowned upon. affection? unheard if. love? strickly forbidden. But the training camp they thought they knew gets turned upside down when six of them decide to leave no rule left unbroken
Author's Note: ok, so i've taken forever and ever on this, i know. chapter 13 is hella long. like twice the usual length of my chapters. and it's all teukchul for this chapter. but! before you run away screaming in a yunjae-deprived rage, hear me out. it's all leeteuk/heechul's memory except the very end so it's VERY important to the fic. VERY IMPORTANT. so please read it even if you don't like the teukchul. anyway, since i'm on spring break this week and i'll be gone literally ALL day every day but friday, i decided that i should just post half of ch13 and keep you from waiting any longer. ((i'd have to split it inot two parts anyway. lord knows, i might even have to split it into 3!)) so yeah. :] please don't shoot!!!!
{Prologue} {Ch 1} {Ch 2} {Ch 3} {Ch 4} {Ch 5a} {Ch 5b} {Ch 6} {Ch 7} {Ch 8} {Ch 9a} {Ch 9b} {Ch 10} {Ch 11} {Ch 12}
This be Chapter 13a :]
“Teukie-ah! Teukie-ah! Look what I got!” Six year old Heechul screamed as he;’ ran to his best friend. He skidded to a stop and wrapped his skinny arms around the other boy’s waist, squishing his face against the boy’s chest and grinning into the fabric.
The slightly older boy giggled and smiled with his friend as he wrapped his arms around Heechul’s small frame in return. “Well whatever it is, it’s stabbing my butt. Now let go.”
Heechul furiously shook his head, burying it further into Leeteuk’s shirt. “I don’t wanna,” he protested cutely. He secretly savored the smell that always clung to his best friend and wished he could drown in the scent forever. It was the love, security, and tranquility that he could never get with anyone else and that he knew would always be there when he needed it. Little Heechul was so lost in the other’s essence he almost let the long black velvet box slip out of his hand, defeating the main purpose of his visit. Instead, he forced himself to pull away and stared into Leeteuk’s eyes. “I got this from my Umma’s drawer. Isn’t it pretty?” he asked as he held the black box between them.
Leeteuk slowly tucked his hair behind his ear and gazed at the box. “I guess so. What’s in it?”
The younger boy’s face lit up even more and he bit his lip to contain his childish excitement. “That’s the best part Teukie,” he nearly squeaked. With a flick of his thin wrist, Heechul opened the box to reveal several gold and silver rings all mixed up together. He glanced up at Leeteuk to gage his reaction and pushed the box closer to the latter. “They’re rings!” he said, answering the unasked question. “I saw Umma and Appa wearing them and asked Umma what they were for. She said that when two people wear ‘um they have to be together forever!” Heechul’s smile stretched from ear to ear, showing off his missing front tooth.
Leeteuk shifted his gaze from the glittering rings to Heechul and back again several times before voicing his thoughts. “So?”
Little Heechul’s grin quickly slipped away into a serious face, fingers tracing nervously along the black velvet. “I want us to be together forever Teukie. So… I thought if both of us wore a ring then we’d have no other choice.” Heechul paused and stared at Leeteuk with wide and uncertain eyes. “Don’t you want us to be together forever Teukie?” he asked very quietly.
The older boy’s response was nothing short of automatic. “Of course I do.”
Light instantly returned to Heechul’s eyes and the smile made a reappearance. “Then pick one for me and I’ll pick one for you.”
Leeteuk hesitated before pulling a plain silver band out of the box. He wanted the perfect ring for Heechul- diamonds were too flashy, colored stones were too girly, pearls reminded him too much of the old lady that liked to pinch their cheeks every time they saw her. He held up his selection and smiled. “This one.”
But Heechul just scrunched up his nose in disapproval. “Silver is icky.” He missed the disappointment that flashed in his best friend’s eyes. “Pick that one.” Heechul pointed to an almost identical gold ring and bounced slightly on his toes.
Leeteuk grabbed the gold ring without a second thought and left his chosen silver one behind. Both boys watched intently as Leeteuk slid the ring onto Heechul's finger with sparkling eyes. “It’s kinda big, isn’t it?” Leeteuk questioned, flicking the ring and watching it loosely twirl around the other’s finger.
“If we’re gunna wear them forever, then we’ll grow into them,” the younger replied matter-of-factly. Heechul had already selected a ring and tried to slide it onto Leeteuk's finger.
“Wait a second.”
Heechul stopped and looked up at Leeteuk. “What?”
“I thought you said silver was icky.”
Both of them stared down at the silver ring Leeteuk had originally chosen as it hung on the latter’s left ring finger. “Well… it is to me, but you like it… don’t you Teukie?” Heechul gave his friend the best puppy eyes he could manage, making Leeteuk instantly crumble.
“Of course I do Chullie.” The older boy smiled and held his hand up by his face. “Aish… My Heechullie is so sensitive…” In a matter of seconds, the breath was knocked out of his lungs and two skinny arms were squeezing him in a tight hug.
“Me and Teukie are going to be together forever!”
A blade hit the floor with a soft clink. Life hit the tiles in bright red drops, staining the ceramic and draining away an eight year old boy’s life with every drop of her blood. The boy watched the water around his mother turn red, just like magic.
“Leeteuk, hurry up and get dressed. We’re going to Heechul’s house for a little while.”
The eight year old boy instantly jumped off his bed and yanked on his clothes at his mother’s words. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he rushed to the front door where his parents were waiting for him. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Leeteuk pulled at the sleeve of his father’s black suit in attempt to drag him out the door. “Appa let’s-” but the boy’s words stopped short when he saw the solemn expression on his parents’ faces. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
His mother spoke first in a hollow tone. “Heechul’s mother died last night sweetie.”
Leeteuk heard his own heart shatter. Tears stung his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks as he stared at his mother in disbelief. He stayed silent, lips trembling and hands clenching into little fists to hold back his sobs.
His mother kneeled in front of him and wiped away Leeteuk’s tears. “Be strong today Leeteuk. Heechul needs you.”
The Park family arrived at their destination twenty minutes later. Heechul’s father stood in the front yard talking to a woman Leeteuk had never seen before. The young boy clung to his mother’s hand, the silver ring that his parents never questioned pressed against her pale skin. He tensed as they got closer to his friend’s father and even more so when the man turned to look at them. The woman was waved off and he approached the family with elegant strides closing the distance between them.
Even at eight years old Leeteuk could see just how fake his smile was. The man’s face was void of any emotion but full of an icy bitterness like always, his posture too stiff for any human being, and his eyes fierce. Leeteuk didn’t see Heechul’s father very often since he was constantly away for work, but he had the same cold aura around him every time.
Leeteuk stood in front of the said man now looking up into his narrowed eyes with his own wide ones. The young boy could have sworn Heechul's father glared at him for a second before looking at his parents.
“We’re very sorry about your loss,” Leeteuk’s father said with a deep bow. Unlike the other, true sorrow poured from his eyes. “How did it happen?”
The answer was instant and clipped. “Suicide.”
A sharp gasp punctuated the word. Leeteuk scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. He looked up at his parents, but they seemed to understand the meaning of the unknown word.
“Sangmi just didn’t seem like the kind of person to do such a thing…” Leeteuk’s mother said more to herself than to the men around her.
The ice in Heechul’s father’s eyes grew even colder and his lips pressed together in a hard line. “It seems there were several things we didn’t know about her.”
Leeteuk’s father tilted his head slightly to the side. “What do you mean?”
“She was having an affair.”
Leeteuk’s father’s mouth dropped and his eyes widened. His mother on the other hand stayed uncomfortably still.
Unaware of the tense situation, Leeteuk voiced his only thought. “Where’s Chullie?”
Three pairs of eyes stared down at the little boy, shocked out of the tension by his innocent question. Again Leeteuk saw the glare.
“That’s a very good question,” his mother said quickly.
The glare disappeared as quickly as it came as Heechul’s father lifted his gaze to the woman in front of him. “I left him in his room. He’s been crying like a girl all day.”
“His mother just died for God’s sake! Of course he’s upset!” Leeteuk's mother cried. She looked down to say something to her son but he was already running into the house as fast as his eight year old legs would carry him.
Leeteuk ran straight to Heechul’s room without thinking about the movement of his feet. His hand automatically reached for the deformed paperclip that always laid in the corner of the closed door and shoved it into the lock, twisting the clip until the lock clicked. He slowly pushed the door open a fraction only to be faced with darkness. Soft sniffling and choked breaths filled the room, clawing at Leeteuk’s heart and ripping it to shreds. He pushed the door open farther, letting light flood into the room. A glint caught Leeteuk’s eye and his attention momentarily diverted to a small knife on the floor, the red blade gleaming in mock innocence. The young boy stepped closer to the crimson-stained metal and only then did he see the other person curled up on the bed beside it.
Heechul’s entire body trembled as he stared blankly ahead of him. The front of his shirt, knees of his pants where his arms wrapped around his legs, and the skin of his wrists were all stained an angry red that slowly dripped to the floor along with the young boy’s tears. He saw his mommy in the same state the night before, using his logic to copy her actions and release the pain. Nothing else mattered. His mother was dead. His ears were deaf to the door opening and eyes blind to the light that poured into the room upon his savior’s entrance. A glimmer of golden hope streaked through his dark world as he caught the scent of love and security. His love. His security. Leeteuk.
“CHULLIE!!” Leeteuk flung himself onto the tiny bed and wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller boy. He didn’t care at all that his clothes were slowly blooming roses.
“She said she’d be with Appa forever Teukie… Umma lied…” Heechul said in a dead voice barely louder than a whisper. He fully leaned his weight against Leeteuk, finding a sliver of comfort in the other’s warmth. His eyes slid closed and his energy trickled away. “Teukie, is forever over yet?”
Leeteuk fiercely shook his head as he took Heechul’s hand and held the icy, red-tinted gold band against his cheek. His own tears washed away small bits of the ring’s bloody coating and he held the other boy closer to his body. The person in his arms grew limp as the seconds past, tears warming his shoulder. “Of course it’s not. Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because I don’t want to lose you too Teukie…” the young boy’s head slumped against Leeteuk’s chest and darkness consumed him.
Four men approached each other in pairs from opposite sides. Two of them well into their adult years, two just barely eleven. Quick smiles were exchanged between the younger two, one of them bright and heartfelt while the other was weak and confined. The elders exchanged bows and tight words. Leeteuk’s smile stayed on his lips as the men carried on their conversation above his head. His eyes sparkled with admiration for his best friend. Heechul’s hair was cut in a mildly short and clean style and his clothes were pressed and spotless, yet still casual. His own attire consisted of choppy hair that stuck out in the back on purpose and his clothes hung dully from his slender body. The older boy reveled in the sight, drinking in the elegant beauty of the other’s face; his wide eyes still held the appearance of innocence, his lips full and deliciously pink, both complimented by flawless pale skin.
Heechul wanted Leeteuk to know everything. He wanted more time with his best friend. He wanted to stay with Leeteuk forever. But Heechul knew it was all wrong. He could never get what he desired most- his father made that very clear. He shouldn’t absolutely love Leeteuk’s “sloppy” attire. The carefree look in the older boy’s eyes shouldn’t make him want to run away with him forever. His want to be with his soul’s brother was a vile thing that he could never obtain. Happiness was just a dream.
The tears in his heart never fully healed, just patched themselves up with emotionless and unfeeling scar tissue. He still cried often but much less than before. Pain didn’t faze him as much as he knew it should. He’d changed since his mother left and had only his father to blame. He raised his gaze to look into Leeteuk’s all too eager eyes. He missed this boy and they both knew the feeling was mutual. Heechul just wished the longing would go away.
Leeteuk’s heart fluttered when Heechul finally locked eyes with him. It had been doing that every time he was in the other’s presence and he just blamed it on their time together being less often as the weeks went by. For the first year after the death of Heechul’s mother, the two had been inseparable. But Heechul’s time spent at home had gotten less and less as his father forced the young boy to travel with him.
Leeteuk stepped forward and pulled his friend into his arms and felt the other tense with resistance at the gesture. Before either boy could move an inch farther Heechul’s head violently jerked into Leeteuk’s shoulder and a sharp clap rang in the latter’s ears along with Heechul’s hiss of pain. The younger boy quickly pulled away from Leeteuk’s embrace, biting his lip to hold back his complaints.
“I don’t ever want to see you doing that again, do you understand me?!” Heechul’s father yelled, his hand still in the air ready to strike again. Leeteuk could have sworn he heard the man mutter ‘disgusting’ under his breath.
“Yes sir,” Heechul replied with feigned strength. “I’m sorry...” He lowered his head and raised a hand to fix his tousled hair.
Heechul’s father glared at the two boys from above. “Don’t apologize, just listen.”
Leeteuk was about to retaliate for his friend, but a hand on his shoulder held him back. He looked up at his own father who gently shook his head as if he knew that Leeteuk wanted to hit Heechul’s father right back. The boy settled for watching Heechul fix the silky black hair he loved to see so much. But with every brush of Heechul’s hand his smile gave away to a slight frown. He kept his eyes glued to that hand until their little meeting came to a close and again the older men exchanged bows. As Leeteuk walked away with his father, he stared at the silver band on his finger and couldn’t help wondering when Heechul had replaced his ring of gold with bracelets of rose-petaled gauze.
Heechul took a long drag on the tight paper roll hanging from his lips and watched the exhaled smoke twist into intricate spirals his brain couldn’t quite process. A dull buzz of numbness relieved his fifteen year old mind and body from their pain- for once in a very long time he didn’t feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling that rocked like small ocean waves, hypnotized by their gentle movement. This was his freedom, and more importantly it was what he looked forward to most when he was with his best friend. He passed their secret drug to his right and it was gratefully taken.
“Hey Chullie, how long do you think we can pull this off before we get caught?” Leeteuk asked in a dreamy voice before he put the indirect kiss to his lips.
“Forever,” Heechul replied lazily. He already knew forever was a lie but still he said it to fool himself into believing they really could keep going on for the rest of time.
“Forever huh? That’s a long time,” Leeteuk said, swaying slightly from side to side as he blew into the air. The wisps of smoke twisted into hearts and he giggled when they began to circle Heechul’s face. In his state of bliss, he didn’t notice that Heechul had taken hold of his hand, not allowing him to bring the drug up for another hit.
The younger boy thumbed the silver band encircling Leeteuk’s left middle finger, breathing slowly as he watched the metal shine in the dull light. He vaguely remembered that the elder used to wear it on his ring finger, but the memory vanished as soon as it came. The ring felt like a cool liquid under his touch, and for some unknown reason, he had the fleeting desire to lick it off. “Why do you still wear this?”
Leeteuk spared a glance at their hands and a smirk pulled at his lips. “Why don’t you wear yours?” he shot back. Just below his drug haze was real longing to know the answer that would extinguish the burning curiosity he’d held since he first saw the ring absent from Heechul’s finger four years ago. He easily slipped his hand out of Heechul’s weak hold and brought the drug to his smirking lips.
“I’m not six anymore.” Heechul closed his eyes and let the buzz in his fingers consume his arms and dance under his skin. “Besides, only girls wear jewelry Leeteukie. Despite what some people think, I am most defiantly not a girl.” He leaned in toward Leeteuk, his lips dangerously close to the smooth skin on the other’s cheek, and took the paper roll out of Leeteuk’s slipping grasp. He inhaled the last of their sweet escape and laid himself back onto the soft sheets of his bed. They wrapped their silky warmth around him, caressing his humming skin and making him fall deeper. “Forty six minutes left…” he said to no one in particular. All of his pain would come flooding back in just forty six minutes. It wasn’t nearly long enough. He let the burnt-out roll fall to the floor and his hand returned to his side. “What would you do if I died?” Heechul asked after a long silence. He expected a snarky answer, wanted a snarky answer, not the one he got.
“I’d die too.”
Silence consumed them again while they breathed in the smoke that lingered in the air. Leeteuk was content with his answer; it came out automatically and the words felt so right on his tongue. He lay beside Heechul on the latter’s small bed, gazing at him with dilated eyes. “Forever is forever…” He buried his face in a pillow only inches away from Heechul’s silky raven-colored hair and breathed in the scent he preferred high above the smell of their drug. “I always want to be where you are…” he breathed out without even thinking about the words.
Something in Heechul’s body twinged at the statement. Hate, rage, annoyance, or something else he couldn’t tell. “Stop acting like a queer,” he said, mirroring another’s words as he shut his eyes. No one could possibly care about him that much unless they wanted something out of it.
But Leeteuk did care. Despite the offensive accusation, he wanted to reach out and take Heechul’s hand in his own and never let go.
“Would you even go with me to the military?” Heechul asked.
“…You’re going, aren’t you?” The dull tone in Leeteuk’s voice wasn’t even brightened by their high. It was just flat and disappointed.
“Will you go with me?”
Again, Leeteuk’s answer was automatic. “Yes.” Their fingers finally laced together for the first time in five years. Leeteuk felt like that was were his hand belonged, where it needed to be. He gazed at the silver ring pushing against where the golden match should have been longingly and closed his eyes. Their normal high was nothing compared to this.
Before Leeteuk could soak in the moment the door burst open and he was pushed to the floor with a hand clasped around his neck. None of it hurt but he knew it should have. The tainted breath was forced from his lungs and his vision momentarily blacked out before sound boomed in his ears. “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON!!” he heard a familiar voice bellow right in front of his face. When his vision returned, the features only inches away from his eyes were even more wavy and unfocused than the drug could ever accomplish on its own. Pressure pushed against his side from a force he couldn’t comprehend and a metallic ringing pattered away from him, leaving his left hand feeling completely naked.
The intrusion didn’t register in Heechul’s mind until Leeteuk had already hit the floor. He jumped away from his father and stared at the man in horror. This wasn’t supposed to happen; his father was supposed to be gone for another three weeks, they weren’t supposed to get caught. A sudden pressure assaulted his face and he fell to the side off balance and majorly disoriented. A second wave of pressure slammed into the other side of his face, forcing him back against the wall. Raw fear pulsed through his veins as his father towered over Leeteuk and pulled the shocked boy off the ground by his shirt. Words were shouted and Heechul squeezed his eyes shut to block out the scene. “Don’t hurt him,” he tried to command through his clenched teeth. Even behind his closed eyelids the world was swimming with loose movement and threw his consciousness even further out of wack. “Don’t hurt him,” he said again.
The shouting came to an abrupt halt. Only Leeteuk’s heavy breathing corrupted the thick silence that lingered in the air until Heechul’s father spoke. “What did you just say to me?” he said in an icy voice.
“Don’t hurt Leeteuk. It was my fault,” Heechul knew his voice sounded pathetic mixed with the slur of drugs and the wavering of fear clearly evident. He hated it.
“How many times have I told you not to act like one of those disgusting fags only to have you deliberately disobeyed me?” They all knew it was a rhetorical question. “Exactly. It makes me sick Heechul. Sick of you and sick of him. I think you know damn well that it’s not a coincidence you only act like that when he’s around.”
Heechul didn’t dare open his eyes to look at the boy his father was ranting about. His best friend wasn’t that way and neither was he.
The eldest turned back to glare at Leeteuk’s offended face with a sickening sneer. “I don’t ever want to see you anywhere near my son again, got that? Now get out of my sight!!”
All of them knew Heechul would have cried his heart out, begging on his knees at his father’s feet for him to let Leeteuk stay. He would have clung to his best friend for comfort and never let him leave. Above all else, he would have been heartbroken if he could never see Leeteuk again. But that was five years ago. Heechul stood frozen in his room with his eyes still closed and nails digging into his skin. Not a word passed through his tightly pressed lips.
Leeteuk stared at the younger boy for only a few seconds before picking up his bag and heading for the door. He felt a cold pair of eyes on his back just watching his departure and shooting daggers into his heart.
“Leave it here Leeteuk.”
A deep sigh left his mouth and the bag slid from his shoulder, landing on the floor with a solid thud. He twisted his head to look over his shoulder at the two behind him. “Anything else?” His voice slightly cracked and he sucked in his breath in anticipation. The few seconds between his words and the response seemed like hours.
“You’re parents will be hearing from me about this. All of this.” Ragged breathing came from two separate bodies, one more controlled than the other yet both painful to take. Leeteuk left the room without another word and a shattered heart.
Heechul arrived at Camp 409 three days later. Two best friends were left alone miles and miles apart, craving for something more than long days of silence. Heechul went away, Leeteuk didn’t follow and both wound up broken. One silently cried in rage every night while the other shielded himself from the pain of another discontinued forever with a sheet of prestige and ice.
A/N: IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMMENT THIS CHAPTER! FOR REAL! I NEED TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TEUKCHUL!!! THE REST OF THE FIC LITERALLY DEPENDS ON IT!!
bestfriend- toybox
lfw news, lfw update
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Environment & Health News Round-Up: Threats to Water & Food Supplies, Water Recognized as Human Right and more
Filed under: agriculture, biowarfare, consumerism, cover-up, ecology, environment, food, genetically modified food, health, news, poison, politics, pollution, water
UN Declares Water a Fundamental Human Right — U.S. Abstains from Voting on Resolution
The United Nations General Assembly has declared for the first time that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. In a historic vote Wednesday, 122 countries supported the resolution, and over forty countries abstained from voting, including the United States, Canada and several European and other industrialized countries. There were no votes against the resolution.
High levels of benzene, health hazard in Michigan now
Michigan spill: Would you like some Benzene with your Water?
Battle Creek girl vomits black liquid
Newtown Creek Is New York City’s Parallel to Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Fracking With Food: How the Natural Gas Industry Poisons Cows and Crops
New garbage patch discovered in Indian Ocean — ‘The world’s oceans are covered with a thin plastic soup’
Water Scarcity Facing 1/3 of US Counties
Poison Tap Water
Alex Jones is launching a new campaign to inform the public about the toxic chemical fluoride being added to tap water across the country. While EPA scientists and workers are calling for an end to water fluoridation, the government is doing everything in its power to continue and even increase the amount of toxic chemicals being added to public water supplies.
Video: Australian TV Exposes Fluoride as Poison
39 More Toxic Coal Ash Sites Found to Contaminate US Water Supply With Arsenic & Heavy Metals
BPA contamination found in 90 percent of soup cans
Even tiny exposure to BPA turns offspring into genetic mutants
Is Modern Medicine Founded On Error?
America’s Mental Illness Epidemic: It Turns Out That the Drugs Are the Problem
Aspartame: The Hidden Poison
Amazon’s Chernobyl – Massive Contamination and Destruction by Chevron
Cloned Meat May Already Have Invaded Our Food Supply, Posing Alarming Health Risks
Cloned Livestock Gain a Foothold in Europe
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals suspected as more girls experience early puberty
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals likely cause of feminization of fish in Alberta rivers
US food crops absorb toxic pharmaceuticals and personal care products from treated wastewater
6 million dead fish, alligators, turtles and dolphins floating down Bolivian rivers
“The extreme cold front that hit Bolivia in mid-July caused water temperatures to dip below the minimum temperatures river life can tolerate. As a consequence, rivers, lakes, lagoons and fisheries are brimming with decomposing fish and other creatures.
Iraq’s Garden of Eden
Restoring the Paradise that Saddam Destroyed. “Saddam Hussein drained the unique wetlands of southern Iraq as a punishment to the region’s Marsh Arabs who had backed an uprising. Two decades later, one courageous US Iraqi is leading efforts to restore the marshes. Not even exploding bombs can deter him from his dream.” [Via]
New Data Emerges On Gulf War Illness
A Quarter Century after Chernobyl Radioactive Boar on the Rise in Germany
As Germany’s wild boar population has skyrocketed in recent years, so too has the number of animals contaminated by radioactivity left over from the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. Government payments compensating hunters for lost income due to radioactive boar have quadrupled since 2007.
The CLEAR ACT: They are stealing it all: Land, water, minerals and the air we breathe
HR.3534, Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2010 (Reported in House – RH) will effectively render a greater amount of land as owned and/or controlled for profit, by the federal government along with minerals and water rights to now be controlled by the federal government and enforced through the BLM.
The Clear Act claims control of the oceans, Great Lakes and by extension many other waterways and freshwater resources, mineral mining, solar, geo-thermal, and gas and oil conducted on land or in the oceans, in, on or near the continental United States. This bill passed the House on August 4, 2010. All of this as a result of the BP Oil gusher; like we didn’t already have thousands of unused laws on the books to deal with this.
Shocking Negligence: Gas Companies Drilling in Pennsylvania Have Committed Nearly 1,500 Environmental Violations in Just Two Years
Canada Forfeits Sovereignty Over Food & Natural Health
U.S. dietary supplements often contaminated: report
S510 – Illegal To Grow, Share, Trade, Sell Homegrown Food
S510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US.
Climate Scandals: List Of 94 Climate-Gates
Rare Earth Elements: World is Rapidly Running Out, China has Most of Remaining Supply
The Food Crisis in Niger
Nigeria records 3,000 oil spills since 2006
Weapons Buried at Sea: Big, Poorly Understood Problem
I n June, a clam boat happened upon some old military munitions off the coast of Long Island, New York. Mustard gas, released when the fishermen inadvertently hauled in the shells, blistered one crew member and reminded government officials, scientists and the public of the weapons arsenal that is buried deep below the surface of the world’s oceans.
UN Identifies Medical Use of Radiation as Main Source of Human Exposure
FDA ignored evidence that CT scans are killing 14,000 Americans a year from cancer
The Cancer Epidemic: Its Environmental Causes
The World Health Organization is projecting that this year cancer will become the world’s leading cause of death. Why the epidemic of cancer? Death certificates in United States show cancer as being the eighth leading cause of death in 1900. Why has it skyrocketed to now surpass heart disease as number one? Is it because people live longer and have to die of something? That’s a factor, but not the prime reason as reflected by the jump in age-adjusted cancer being far above what could be expected from increased longevity. And it certainly doesn’t explain the steep hike in childhood cancers. Is it lifestyle, diet and genetics, as we have often been told? They are factors, but not key reasons. The cause of the cancer epidemic, as numerous studies have now documented, is largely environmental – the result of toxic substances in the water we drink, the food we eat, the consumer products we use, the air we breathe. As the President’s Cancer Panel in May in a 240-page report titled Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now declared: “The American people – even before they are born – are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures.” It said: “With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action.”
Cannabinoids Kill Cancer and the Government has Known for 36 Years
Beyond the BP Spill: Serious Threats to the Environment and Our Health
Filed under: domestic news, ecology, environment, food, genetically modified food, GMO, health, news, poison, politics, pollution, water
The World’s Ongoing Ecological Disasters
While the focus is centered on the Gulf of Mexico, many of the world’s greatest environmental catastrophes continue, with no end in sight.
7 Secret Ways We Are Being Poisoned
The synthetic chemicals we encounter on a daily basis in our food, water, and environment are increasingly shown to be disastrous to our physical and mental well-being. Volumes can be written — indeed have been written — by experts in both mainstream and alternative medicine who have documented the sleight of hand used to hoodwink consumers and threaten our health. The categories below are worth deeper investigation as prime examples of what we might face as a species if this chemical bombardment continues.
THREATS TO WATER – KEY TO LIFE
One Million Gallons of Oil Leak Into Michigan River From Pipeline – Largest in Midwest History
Toxic waste reaches Potomac Aquifer
Tainted groundwater is spreading across thousands of acres in northern Delaware and has reached the Potomac Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to people across much of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. In some areas of the upper Potomac near Delaware City and New Castle, concentrations of benzene, vinyl chloride and chlorinated benzenes are so high that exposure poses an immediate health threat. Elevated levels of these industrial byproducts significantly increase the risks of cancer. Sustained exposure could kill.
“Fracking” Poisons Your Drinking Water: Stand Up to the Oil Giants and Help Stop the Catastrophe
1/2 of All China’s Water is Too Polluted to Drink
Amazon Watch campaigners report from Ecuador region devastated by Chevron oil spills
Jordan River too polluted for baptisms
“Sadly, the lower Jordan River has long suffered from severe mismanagement with the diversion of 98 percent of its fresh water by Israel, Syria and Jordan and the discharge of untreated sewage, agricultural run-off, saline water and fish pond effluent in its place,” the statement said.
Court Ruling: Botswana Bushmen Denied Access to Water
Worst drought in a decade destroys millions of hectares of Russian crops
Millions face starvation as Niger prays in vain for rain
Oceans facing ‘irreversible’ deterioration, report says
One Year After Ontario Ban: Over 80% Decline of Most Common Pesticides in Surface Waters
John Gormley: Fluoride, GMO and the Rockefeller Communist ‘Coincidence’!
Dr. Joseph Mercola Stresses Artificial Sweetener Killing Americans
America’s Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You with Name Change
Meet the Food Industry Front Groups That Push for Carcinogens in Your Food
Something Fishy This Way Swims! Genetically Modified Population Control is Something to Beef About!
USDA Reports Food Shortages: Wall Street ‘Caught Off Guard’ by Severity
Devastation of Food Farming: Expansion of Biofuels in Sub-saharan Africa
$500,000 Damages in Genetic Rice Trial
A federal jury awarded a rice farmer $500,000 for his claim that genetically modified rice contaminated his crop. It was the third of five “bellwether” trials involving hundreds of lawsuits that farmers have filed against Bayer CropScience. The complaints are the result of an August 2006 announcement that LibertyLink, a herbicide-resistant rice, had somehow been released from testing facilities. The rice had not yet been approved for sale for human consumption, causing rice futures to plunge.
Prozac Pollution Making Shrimp Reckless
Shrimp in Prozac-laced coastal waters swim into bright areas, making them more visible to predators, a new study says.
Pharmacists give themselves cancer from dispensing toxic chemotherapy chemicals
Deet Finally Exposed as Neurotoxic
Is Pfizer the BP of Drug Companies?
To say Pfizer’s been accused of wrongdoing is like saying BP had an oil spill. Other drug companies have a portfolio of products, Pfizer has a portfolio of scandals including, but not limited to, Chantix, Lipitor, Viagra, Geodon, Trovan, Bextra, Celebrex, Lyrica, Zoloft, Halcion and drugs for osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, kidney transplants and leukemia.
During one week in June, Pfizer:
1) agreed to pull its 10-year-old leukemia drug, Mylotarg, from the market because it caused more not less patient deaths;
2) Suspended pediatric trials of Geodon two months after the FDA said children were being overdosed;
3) Suspended trials of Tanezumab, an osteoarthritis pain drug, because patients got worse not better, some needing joint replacements (pattern, anyone?);
4) Was investigated by the House for off-label marketing of kidney transplant drug, Rapamune, and targeting African-Americans;
5) Saw a researcher who helped establish its Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica as effective pain meds; Scott S Reuben, MD, trotted off to prison for research fraud;
6) was sued by Blue Cross Blue Shield to recoup money it overpaid for Bextra and other drugs;
7) received a letter from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) requesting its whistleblower policy; and,
8) had its appeal to end lawsuits by Nigerian families who accuse it of illegal trials of the antibiotic, Trovan, in which 11 children died, rejected by the Supreme Court.
And how was your week?
Mobile phones ‘causing memory loss’
Widespread male infertility sweeping the globe
VIDEO: Life Under the Toxic Mountain. Kosovo Roma Suffer Ongoing Lead Poisoning
Mapping the Atlantic Garbage Patch: Expedition counts up to 500,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer
It’s Not Just the Bees — Now Scientists Say 25% of All Flowering Species Could Go Extinct
Walmart, KFC, Burger King Paper Purchases Destroying Indonesia’s Rainforests
Fallujah children’s ‘genetic damage’
US War Crimes: Cancer Rate in Fallujah Worse than Hiroshima
Photos Iraq babies born deformed depleted uranium — US Veterans becoming sick with DU — Children living lives with DU
In September 2009, Fallujah General Hospital, Iraq, had 170 new born babies, 24% of whom were dead within the first seven days, a staggering 75% of the dead babies were classified as deformed. This can be compared with data from the month of August in 2002 where there were 530 new born babies of whom six were dead within the first seven days and only one birth defect was reported. Doctors in Fallujah have specifically pointed out that not only are they witnessing unprecedented numbers of birth defects but what is more alarming is: “a significant number of babies that do survive begin to develop severe disabilities at a later stage.”
American Fascism News Round-Up: The Police State is Here – What They’ve Done Is Nothing Compared To What They’re Prepared To Do
Filed under: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, biowarfare, Bush, business, collapse, colonialism, consumerism, corporate corruption, cover-up, crimes against humanity, death, Democrats, dictatorship, domestic news, economy, Election Fraud, empire, environment, false flag, fascism, genetically modified food, GMO, homelessness, hypocrisy, illegal, IMPEACHMENT, imperialism, infowar, interesting, International news, katrina, martial law, Miscellaneous, news, obama, poison, police brutality, politics, pollution, population control, poverty, prison camps, random, reference, Republicans, spying, surveillance, technology, torture, war, war atrocities, war crimes, war profiteering, weaponry, wiretapping
Wake Up America-Current State of Affairs in a Nutshell
The Critical Unraveling of U.S. Society
A great summary and call to action
American fascism: by political definition the US is now fascist, not a constitutional republic
How can the US be fascist if we have elections and the US Constitution? Ok, I’ll explain…
Civilization, Created by Mass-Murderers Using Slave Labor
The Bill of Rights Was Meant to Limit Federal Power
How fragile we are: Why the complexity of modern civilization threatens us all
The simple fact is while America has been sleeping, the groundwork to totally and finally break the American people into accepting global government as a solution to war, climate change, food, pandemics, and natural disasters is in place.
US Military Actions Overseas: 1798 – 2008
Compiled by Congressional Research Service for Congress, 2009. With the infrequent exception of year off now and again, we have been at war continuously since 1798.
A History of CIA Atrocities
Top 100 Defense Contractors
World Wide Military Expenditures
Video: Galtung: ‘U.S. empire will fall by 2020’
Although most of the headlines read that the U.S. economy is growing again, professor and author Johan Gultang seems to have a different perspective on the future of the U.S. RT’s Dina Gusovsky interviews him about his new book: The Fall of the U.S. Empire-And Then What?
Militaristic, corrupt America increasingly resembles a Third World state.
Angry nationalism shouts down prudence. Disproportionate military spending threatens economic wellbeing. Industry has its hand so deep in the government’s purse that private enterprise is becoming public property. The currency falters, the infrastructure crumbles. And a supine media, once a watchdog of the powerful, happily licks the strongman’s hand. If the picture looks familiar, that’s because we’ve seen it many times before, from Argentina to Chile to Russia. The U.S. is third worlding. That statement may smack of hyperbole. It may also understate the phenomenon, for many of the countries that the United States increasingly resembles are not only Third World—they are authoritarian, even rogue.
10 False Flags that Changed the World
George Soros Lauds Chinese Model Of Goverment – Wants Global Governance Under UN Security Council
Ron Paul: Government Can Quarantine People – H1N1, Quarantine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran
New World Order Videos
Global Governance – EU President Admits One-World Government is Here NWO – New World Order
Ecoscience Co-Author Paul Ehrlich Maintains Global Population Control Advocacy in recent interview
U.S. Military Employs “Counterinsurgency” Strategy In Californian City
In Indiana, practice for ‘civilian surge’ in Afghanistan
To Prepare for War, G.I.’s Get a Dress Rehearsal
In Louisiana, training scenarios in mock Afghan villages are created from intelligence reports fresh from the front.
Winchester to Deliver 200 Million 40-Cal. Rounds to Homeland Security
Winchester Ammunition was recently awarded a contract by the Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security to supply a maximum of 200 million, 40 cal. rounds over the next five years.
Spies for Hire: New Online Database of U.S. Intelligence Contractors
Brazil: Police Killed More Than 11,000 in the Last Six Years
Unmanned aerial “Predator” drones to patrol US/Mexico border
Welcome Home, War! Creating the “Domestic Surveillance State”
American fascism: Obama, “Justice” Dept., Supreme Court prevent prosecution of US torture
The John Hope Franklin File: FBI Looked At Esteemed Historian For Communist Ties
U.S. Imprisoned Iranian Engineer Secretly For Two Years Before Sentencing
RAND: A Stability Police Force for the United States
Establishing security is the sine qua non of stability operations, since it is a prerequisite for reconstruction and development. Security requires a mix of military and police forces to deal with a range of threats from insurgents to criminal organizations. This research examines the creation of a high-end police force, which the authors call a Stability Police Force (SPF). The study considers what size force is necessary, how responsive it needs to be, where in the government it might be located, what capabilities it should have, how it could be staffed, and its cost. This monograph also considers several options for locating this force within the U.S. government, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) in the Department of State, and the U.S. Army’s Military Police. The authors conclude that an SPF containing 6,000 people — created in the U.S. Marshals Service and staffed by a “hybrid option,” in which SPF members are federal police officers seconded to federal, state, and local police agencies when not deployed — would be the most effective of the options considered. The SPF would be able to deploy in 30 days. The cost for this option would be $637.3 million annually, in FY2007 dollars.
New maritime security law will deputize U.S. officers “in every part of Canada” during integrated operations
Underming the American People’s Right to Privacy: The Secret State’s Surveillance Machine
If you’ve done nothing wrong, you have everything to worry about
People who say this are fools, not to be too blunt about it. Not only are they willing to trade away my rights, since they haven’t a basic appreciation of theirs, but their understanding of the relationship between government and the governed is one of subservience based on fear, and the idea that their fear is not only natural, but justifiably permanent given the state of the world.
Google CEO: “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”
Google chief: only miscreants worry about net privacy
If you’re concerned about Google retaining your personal data, then you must be doing something you shouldn’t be doing. At least that’s the word from Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place,” Schmidt tells CNBC, sparking howls of incredulity from the likes of Gawker. But the bigger news may be that Schmidt has actually admitted there are cases where the search giant is forced to release your personal data.
Google now tracking you even after you log out
Police Spying On Protesters Stirs Outrage in Britain
Release of secret reports delayed
President Obama will maintain a lid of secrecy on millions of pages of military and intelligence documents that were scheduled to be declassified by the end of the year, according to administration officials. The missed deadline spells trouble for the White House’s promises to introduce an era of government openness, say advocates, who believe that releasing historical information enforces a key check on government behavior. They cite as an example the abuses by the Central Intelligence Agency during the Cold War, including domestic spying and assassinations of foreign officials, that were publicly outlined in a set of agency documents known as the “family jewels.’’
Homeland Security Embarks on Big Brother Programs to Read Our Minds and Emotions
The CIA Mind Control Doctors: From Harvard to Guantanamo – with video, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International
They Really Are Trying to Engineer Super-soldiers
$3 billion super soldier program: 10 times muscle endurance, 7 foot vertical leap, wall crawling, personal flight and more DARPA today has a long-term, $3 billion program to help make such a “Metabolically Dominant Soldier.” In other words, the military is studying how to use technology and biology to meld man and machine
NSA Has Conspicuous Role in New Federal Cybersecurity Center
Judicial Watch Obtains New CIA Documents on Terrorist Interrogations
At U.S. airports, TSA officers covertly monitor travelers’ behavior
Department of Justice Threatens the Internet
Feds Wanted Private Data on All Visitors to Liberal Internet News Site
Spying on Americans: Obama Endorses Bush Era Warrantless Wiretapping
Obama Regime: Toss NSA Warrantless Wiretapping Lawsuit
CIA Had People Raped with Broken Bottles, Boiled Alive
Senate Bill Would Give President Obama Authority to Pull the Plug on Your Internet
CNET News has obtained a summary of a proposal from Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) that would create an Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor, part of the Executive Office of the President. That office would receive the power to disconnect, if it believes they’re at risk of a cyberattack, “critical” computer networks from the Internet.
FDA dupes Interpol to achieve illegal kidnapping and deportation of herbal formulator Greg Caton
Small Community Cancer Cure Crushed by Big Pharma, Part I
The Secret ICE Prisons of the United States
“If you don’t have enough evidence to charge someone criminally but you think he’s illegal, we can make him disappear.” Those chilling words were spoken by James Pendergraph, then executive director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of State and Local Coordination, at a conference of police and sheriffs in August 2008. Also present was Amnesty International’s Sarnata Reynolds, who wrote about the incident in the 2009 report “Jailed Without Justice” and said in an interview, “It was almost surreal being there, particularly being someone from an organization that has worked on disappearances for decades in other countries. I couldn’t believe he would say it so boldly, as though it weren’t anything wrong.”
Police Handing Out Tickets For Air Fresheners
Ermir Spahiu was pulled over by police for his window-mounted GPS unit. For Tina Ross, it was her handicapped placard. And Mark Hubbard was nailed for an air freshener. All three Illinois drivers were stopped for what they thought were innocent items placed near their windshields.
22 million missing Bush-era emails found, set for 2014 release
Mercenaries and Assassins: The Real Face of Obama’s “Good War”
Blowback From America’s Mercenary Army–Ret. Generals Make More Than Gates
America’s Faltering Military/Mercenary Army
US: Up to 56,000 more contractors likely for Afghanistan
The surge of 30,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan could be accompanied by a surge of up to 56,000 contractors, vastly expanding the presence of personnel from the U.S. private sector in a war zone, according to a study by the Congressional Research Service.
WMD treaty violations and inspection refusal for biological, nuclear, chemical weapons. Iran? No, US
Bayer Admits GMO Contamination is Out of Control
State of Texas Saving Newborn DNA Samples
CNN finds modern-day slaves in US
Public Menace-Private Profit: America’s Biowarfare Alliance
Rahm Emanuel Says that One-Million Americans Should Lose Their Constitutional Rights
The Annexation of Colombia to the US
Council On Foreign Relations Symposium on Pandemic Influenza: Science, Economics and Foreign Policy: Fake Scarcity of H1N1 Vaccine to Convince People to Take It (Laughter)
Where Will They Get the Troops? Preparing Undeployables for the Afghan Front
Declassified FBI File Alleges an Israeli Intelligence Agent Worked at AIPAC
KBR may have poisoned 100,000 people in Iraq: lawsuit
Whistleblowers: Blackwater approved payoffs of Iraqi officials
UN investigator accuses US of shameful neglect of homeless
Support our troops when they become veterans: 25% of US homeless are veterans
Former US diplomat could make ‘hundreds of millions’ off Iraqi oil fields
How Rahm Emanuel Made Mega-Millions and Bought His Way to Power
Son of a Zionist Terrorist: Rahm Emanuel’s Dirty Secret
Democracy: U.S. Unveils New $60 Million Prison Wing in Afghanistan
USA Prepares to Attack Russia in 3 or 4 Years?
America needs a “Manhunting Agency”
The US military’s Joint Special Operations University argues that the CIA hasn’t done enough to take out the Bad Guys, one by one. No: America needs a “National Manhunting Agency” to hunt down jihadists, drug dealers, pirates and other enemies of the state. I suggest a rebrand: “Manhunting Agency” sounds a bit too much like a gay dating site.
OBAMA’S YOUTH CORPS
Police to Wear Ear-Cams to Record Arrests
Young Children Taught To Inform On Parents In Tampa
Rahm Emanuel to Disarm America:”#1 Issue”, Gun Owners are Terrorists
Chicago Aldermen Keep Secret Slush Fund
D.C. Council Chair Adds To Growing Local Scandals
VIRUS in the VOTING MACHINES: Tainted Results in NY-23
Facts Behind ‘Men Who Stare at Goats’
As crazy as “The Men Who Stare at Goats” may seem, there’s a real story behind the psychic experimentation
Secret Global Copyright Agreement is Executive Order
Judge: Corps’ negligence caused Katrina flooding
The Pentagon Budget: Largest Ever and Growing
FDA openly allows criminally-convicted doctors, researchers to keep working on pharmaceuticals and clinical trials
The Emerging Medical Dictatorship
We may have been granted a temporary reprieve from forced medical treatments this time around, but have we been spared from the government? As usual, the answer is “no”. While the government may not be forcing a medicine down our throats or corralling uncooperative people in camps, what they are doing should send shivers down our collective spine. They are creating lists of dissidents and “terrorists”. These lists contain detailed information on individuals. And, if ever the laws were changed to permit more coercive action instead of passive data collection then the government would already have the names of the supposed “enemies of the state” on hand.
News Round-Up: Environment, Climate and Geoengineering / Weather Modification
Filed under: chemtrails, climate change, corporate corruption, cover-up, crimes against humanity, death, domestic news, ecology, environment, fascism, food, genetically modified food, genocide, geoengineering, global warming, GMO, health, hypocrisy, illegal, imperialism, infowar, interesting, Miscellaneous, news, obama, poison, politics, pollution, population control, science, surveillance, technology, war profiteering, water, weaponry, weather engineering, weather modification
Spy Drones To Enforce CO2 Regulations
Climategate Part 1 – A 2,000-page epic of science and skepticism
Oceans at a Tipping Point for Ecological Collapse
The U.S. Military is One of the World’s Largest Sources of C02
Alex Jones: Copenhagen births World Gov’t framework despite fallout over science fraud
AP: Monsanto dominating seed markets with patented genetics
The New GMO Debate: Genetically Engineered Organic Crops
Researcher Wants Sulfur Pumped Into Stratosphere To Combat Warming
Filmmaker Robert Greene on Weather Modification, Geoengineering, and Owning the Weather; Film Screens Sunday at COP15 (Interview)
Chavez asking Cubans to ‘bomb clouds’ amid drought
Worlwide Corporate Control of Agriculture: The New Farm Owners
Is There Such a Thing as Agro-Imperialism?
Phthalate warning: Medications contain chemicals that “feminize” unborn baby boys
Chemicals used in plastics feminise the brains of little boys ’so that they avoid rough and tumble games’
Genetically Engineered Agriculture Results in Increased Herbicide Usage; Weed Resistance, Farming Costs and Health Concerns on the Rise
Genetically engineered hormones used by dairy industry promote cancer
CDC study finds mercury and more in Americans
Many of the tallest mountains in North and South America contain PCBs
Fluoride Causes Premature Births, Brain Degradation, Bone Loss, Cancer and Hormone Disruption
Deepest volcano caught on Pacific Ocean video
Massive Underground Coal Fire Started in 1962 Still Burns Today
Such unwanted coal fires rage or smolder in the United States, South Africa, Australia, China, India and beyond. They are burning in huge volumes in rural China and blazing in a district of India to such a great extent the flames from some surface coal fires are more than 20 feet high. Here in the U.S., they are burning in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Colorado and Wyoming as you read these words.
Chevron Sued for Billions After Poisoning Waterways in Ecuador; One of the Largest Environmental Damage Cases in History
6 Ways Agriculture Impacts Global Warming
Beauty-conscious women put 515 chemicals on their face and body every day
Growing Food, and Community, in the Desert
A cynic might look at a program like the Edible Schoolyard — the much-lauded school garden initiative launched by Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters — and wonder if such a thing would be possible outside the favorable growing climes (and foodie sensibilities) of California, and without the support of a famous chef. But as a moving article by a young teacher in rural Arizona shows, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Newly evolved finch appears on the Galapagos Islands
Scientists studying Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos are witnessing evolution in action. (Photo: Grant, P./PNAS)
Just a few years ago, the husband and wife team of Peter and B. Rosemary Grant made the breakthrough discovery that the beak sizes of some of the finches on the Galapagos Islands had already changed since Darwin’s visit in 1835. Now they believe they may have witnessed the evolution of a brand new species.
Bird feeders speed up evolution
Dams potentially cause more rain
Fish kill called necessary to save the Great Lakes
Burst Oil Pipeline Leaks 46,000 Gallons in One of Alaska’s ‘Worst Ever’ Spills
The Weapons Used In Iraq – Afghanistan Have Far Reaching Effects
We have seen the terrible consequences to human life and the environment that has been caused by weapons that contain uranium components. Genetically speaking the US and UK have destroyed the DNA of the Iraqi people as well as causing catastrophic effects on the environment.
Presidents and Prime Ministers really have a lot to answer for when they started the wars in the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza and now Pakistan. We are now seeing their continued aggression and intimidation against Iran and North Korea and one wonders that they have up their sleeve.
What we the public do not understand is that these very acts alone and the weapons being used are creating a mass genocide of millions of people around the world.
Environmental News Round-Up
Filed under: climate change, consumerism, domestic news, ecology, environment, food, genetically modified food, geoengineering, global warming, GMO, interesting, Miscellaneous, news, politics, pollution, sustainable technology, technology, water, weather engineering, weather modification
Drought: California Agriculture in Collapse – AP / Cryptogon 10/16/09
Chinese media claims Beijing snow ‘artificially induced’ – Prison Planet 11/2/09
7,000 buildings collapse in China under heaviest snow on record – Ice Age Now 11/14/09
The Farmer-Veteran Coalition. A Modern Swords to Ploughshares – Treehugger 10/20/09
Michael Pollan’s 20 Food Rules to Live By – LifeHacker 10/10/09
Argentina: Disappearing Farmers, Disappearing Food – Global Research 10/30/09
Contaminated Food – Gaining Control of the Entire Food Chain – EclippTV 10/31/09
It is too late to shut the door on GM foods – Guardian, UK 10/18/09
Ireland Says Not in this Country: Bans Genetically Modified Crops – Treehugger 10/17/09
Artificial Sweeteners are Continually Found to be Unsafe and Toxic – Natural News 11/14/09
The Fight Over the Future of Food: Monsanto, GMOs, and How to Feed the World – Treehugger 11/11/09
Pesticides Destroying 60 Percent of Honeybees – Prison Planet 10/22/09
Snack and soft drink sweetener putting millions at risk of high blood pressure – Daily Mail, UK 10/30/09
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Produces Toxic Chemical “HMF” When Heated – Prison Planet 10/20/09
FDA Chairman Took $5 Million Donation – “No Conflict of Interest” – The Zoo 10/21/09
A medical supply manufacturer, by the name of Charles Gelman, decides out of the goodness of his heart to give $5 million dollars to the research center. His July donation is 50 times the annual budget of the research center. Mind you this is the same manufacturer that is saying that Bisphenol A is safe. Even though scientist who have published their research in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” report that it is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Disappearing Plastic Bags – New Plastic Magazine Mailer Dissolves in Hot Water – Treehugger 10/23/09
If it sounds too good to be true…
Invasion of the giant blobs of “sea mucus” – Boing Boing 10/12/09
Tara McGinley of Dangerous Minds reports on mucus-like blobs that are forming with increasing frequency in the Mediterranean. They’re loaded with bacteria and viruses and the larger ones are 200 kilometers (125 miles) long.
Potomac Conservancy blames chemical runoff for intersex fish – Washington Post 11/11/09
Chemical BPA in workers linked to sex problems – Tulsa World 11/10/09
The Environmental Consequences of War – Treehugger 11/11/09
World Health Organization Says Cell Phones can Cause Brain Cancer – Natural News 11/10/09
Zebra Mussels (and Lots of Other Species) Invading Great Lakes and No One Can Decide What to Do About It – Treehugger 11/9/09
Synthetic DHA and ARA in Baby Formula is Causing Infant Illness – Natural News 11/9/09
KBR may have poisoned 100,000 people in Iraq: lawsuit – Prison Planet 11/9/09
Huge rise in birth defects in Falluja – Prison Planet 11/13/09
Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water – National Geographic 11/13/09
Dominican Republic town blames U.S. firm for birth defects – Miami Herald 11/5/09
Corn Ethanol Biofuels Contaminated with Antibiotics – Natural News 11/7/09
EPA Bans Pesticide Insecticide Carbofuran by 2010 – Treehugger 11/6/09
Consumers Reports Confirms Bisphenol A Leaches From Tin Cans – Treehugger 11/5/09
Stop the Phytonutrient Deficiency in America – Natural News 10/31/09
From Long Island to the Solomon Islands, communities tackle climate change – Mother Nature Network 11/6/09
Kenya’s Maasai tribesmen recruited as lion guardians – Mother Nature Network 11/6/09
Once, the Maasai lived in harmony with the lions of Southern Kenya, keeping down their populations to protect game while also keeping the herds safe from other humans. Now, the government is recruiting members of that same tribe to help Africa’s lions survive plummeting population levels.
Ice Loss in Antarctic Peninsula Unprecedented in 14,000 Years – Treehugger 11/6/09
GLOWING CORAL PHOTO: Fluorescence Found to Aid Healing – National Geographic 11/6/09
Asian Natural Disasters — Harbinger Of Events To Come – Global Research 11/6/09
8 Worst Man-made Environmental Disasters of All Time – Treehugger 10/21/09
A Hunt for Seeds to Save Species, Perhaps by Helping Them Move – NYTimes 11/10/09
Is it wise or foolish to assist with the migration of plants? Some experts see unintended consequences and others say it is worth the risk.
How the Bushmen of Africa Can Save Us from the Global Water Crisis (Video) – Treehugger 11/9/09
The Modern Green Movement Explained in Diagrams (VIDEO) – Treehugger 11/6/09
When Antibiotics Fail, Nurses Turn to Maggots And Manuka Honey to Beat Superbugs – Natural News 11/12/09
Environmental News Round-Up: Deliberate Destruction of Our Habitat
Filed under: biowarfare, business, corporate corruption, cover-up, crimes against humanity, domestic news, ecology, economy, environment, food, genetically modified food, GMO, illegal, infowar, interesting, Miscellaneous, news, poison, politics, pollution
EPA Looking at Regulation of Gender Bender Chemicals in Drinking Water – Treehugger 9/24/09
Food Is Power and the Powerful Are Poisoning Us – TruthDig 9/7/09
Cell phone-brain cancer link found? – Raw Story 8/29/09
Weird Ways Global Warming is Changing Animal Populations – Treehugger 8/29/09
U.S. Pharmaceutical Factories Dumping Huge Quantities of Drugs Into Public Sewers, Rivers and Waterways – Natural News 10/3/09
In one study, conducted by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), researchers tested the water entering two water treatment plants down the sewer line of several pharmaceutical factories, as well as at other plants not receiving sewage from drug plants. Researchers discovered drugs at “much higher detection frequencies and concentrations” at the plants receiving effluent from pharmaceutical factories. Drugs detected included opiates, a barbiturate and a tranquilizer.
500,000 Clean Water violations since 2004 – Mother Nature Network 10/4/09
Male bass in many US rivers have female features – AP/Tulsa World 10/4/09
Half of All Animal Species Will Be Extinct in Your Lifetime, Unless Emissions Peak by 2020 – Treehugger 9/29/09
Radioactive rabbit poop litters Washington state – Mother Nature Network 10/10/09
Confirmed: Current Atmospheric CO2 Levels Highest in 15 Million (!) Years – Treehugger 10/10/09
Insect repellent DEET is toxic to brain cells – Natural News 9/6/09
Cheyenne, Wyo.: Pollution an enduring legacy at old missile sites – AP / Tulsa World 10/11/09
Pacific ocean “Dead Zone” may be forever – Boing Boing 10/9/09
The Arctic turns acidic – Mother Nature Network 10/5/09
EPA to evaluate whether common weed killer harms more than weeds – Mother Nature Network 10/8/09
Top researcher who worked on cervical cancer vaccine warns about its dangers – Prison Planet 10/8/09
Consumer health group calls for scientific inquiry into safety of cervical cancer vaccines – Natural News 10/11/09
CDC Lead Levels Cause Learning and Social Problems – Natural News 9/23/09
Secret FDA Memos Reveal Concerns About Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) – video, via What Really Happened 9/9/09
Doctors Give Rat Poison to Heart Patients for Fifty Years -Natural News 9/2/09
Pfizer Directed Doctors to Use Drugs at Eight Times the Recommended Dosage and for Conditions Different to Those for Which They Were Approved– BBC via Cryptogon 9/4/09
Bayer Pesticides Blamed For Honeybee Deaths – Prison Planet 9/30/09
Autism Explodes As Childhood Vaccines Increase – Prison Planet 10/5/09
US Military involved in Huge AIDS vaccine trials – Prison Planet 9/24/09
Teen girl suffers permanent brain damage after cervical cancer vaccine – Prison Planet 10/7/09
Jury says chemotherapy drug death was “manslaughter” – Natural News 10/1/09
Farmers Vs Coca-Cola in Water Wars – Polaris Institute 10/1/09
Dangerous Mercury Contamination of Human Body Increasing, Study Finds – Natural News 9/23/09
Huge California study concludes soda consumption undeniably linked to obesity – Natural News 9/27/09
600 Coal Ash Dump Sites Found in 35 States: Is There One Near You? ‘Leading architect’ of Bush surveillance quietly appointed to declassification board – Raw Story 9/11/09
Environment & Health Round-Up: Food revolution, Geo-engineering, Hidden Cures for Cancer and more
Filed under: Barack Obama, business, consumerism, corporate corruption, cover-up, crimes against humanity, death, domestic news, ecology, environment, food, genetically modified food, geoengineering, GMO, illegal, infowar, interesting, Miscellaneous, news, obama, poison, politics, pollution, population control, science, technology, water
13 Ways to Create a Sustainable Food Tipping Point – Mother Nature Network 9/12/09
CliffsNotes to the food revolution – Salon 8/3/09
Prince Philip Implies World Needs 95% Population Reduction – Prison Planet 9/30/09
“The best thing to save the Amazon…bomb all the roads”– Treehugger 8/31/09
Quote from Brazilian scientist Eneas Salati; Article on why something as simple as a new road can ruin a rainforest
Ten Things You Can Do to Start a Community Garden – The Nation 9/9/09
DIY Biochar: Centre for Alternative Technology Explores Terra Preta (Video) – Treehugger 9/8/09
“Fertilizer Tree” May Revive African Farmlands – National Geographic 9/3/09
How to treat and store emergency water: Part 1, 2 and 3 – via There Are No Sunglasses
UK Royal Society: Engineering Earth ‘is feasible’ – Prison Planet 9/1/09
Royal Society Says Geoengineering Humanity’s Last Hope – But Emissions Reductions Must Be Top Priority (UPDATED) – Treehugger 9/2/09
FL Weatherman’s Radar Gets Jammed by Chemtrails – Prison Planet 9/30/09
10 intriguing environmentalists – Mother Nature Network 9/30/09
Organic water treatment system has cleaned up one-fifth of Tar Creek contaminates – Tulsa World 10/8/09
Garlic is natural medicine for treating high blood pressure – Natural News 10/8/09
Selenium Helps Remove Mercury from the Body -Natural News 10/5/09
New book reveals secret Brazilian Aloe recipe for curing cancer using just three ingredients – Natural News 10/2/09
Cancer Cured in Canada, But Big Pharma Says NO WAY! – EclippTV 9/20/09
A World Without Cancer – Vitamin B17 – Google Video via WRH 9/30/09
Cannabis Oil Cures Cancer: “Run From The Cure” The Rick Simpson Story – Cryptogon 9/22/09
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To carry out the ministry of evangelization given to the Church by Christ, the Church has the right and duty to erect and promote Universities and Faculties which depend upon herself.
The entrepreneur loves to take on tough technical challenges and turn them into business opportunities. He revolutionized online payment services with PayPal, built the first successful electric-car company with Tesla Motors and launched one of the first commercial space transportation companies with SpaceX.
But his proposed Hyperloop transportation system - which he unveiled Monday as a faster and lower-cost alternative to a high-speed train service between San Francisco and Los Angeles - may prove to be his toughest challenge yet.
While the science behind the idea seems sound, turning it into reality would require overcoming a host of engineering design obstacles, not to mention political and funding hurdles.
But he added, "I'm not sure whether the details work.
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The capsules, which would contain about 28 passengers each, would ride on pockets of air, propelled by a linear induction motor. They would travel through a low-pressure air system that would limit resistance and friction without requiring the amount of energy needed to maintain a complete vacuum.
At first blush, the concept seems practical write ap biology come from the realm of pulp sci-fi novels. It reminded me of a comic book I had as a kid in which a character traveled from Los Angeles to Tokyo on a high-speed train that traveled through a tunnel deep inside the Earth.
But as fantastic as the Hyperloop concept may appear, experts familiar with the page proposal Musk unveiled Monday say it's theoretically feasible. Linear induction motors already are used to propel maglev trains in Japan. Hovercraft have long demonstrated that one can travel on a pocket of air.
And the first subway in New York was operated inside a pneumatic tube, which was a larger variation on the systems still used by consumers at drive-up bank windows and pharmacies.
But while Musk has laid out the potential price of building the Hyperloop, he has ignored the development costs, which are likely to dwarf the cost of construction. Moore compared it to a pharmaceutical company exploring a new drug.
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One concern would be how the fast-moving capsules would respond to even a slight misalignment in the tubes, said MIT's Hansman. Another would be the interplay between the low-pressure air in the tube and the air pads on which the capsule will ride, he said.
By laying out his proposal before actually prototyping it, Musk has skipped a crucial step, argued Richard Muller, a physics professor at the UC Berkeley. Even if the Hyperloop idea proves sound in prototyping, practical issues would need to be overcome.
A big one is how much energy the Hyperloop would require. The linear propulsion system and the air pressure pumps for the tubes would probably need much more energy than would be provided by the solar panels Musk proposes installing on the tubes and the energy recovery system he envisions having at the end of the route, said Roger Goodall, a maglev train expert and a professor of control systems engineering at the United Kingdom's Loughborough University.
Then there are safety concerns.
Muller argues that the system, because of its novelty and the vulnerability of its tubes, would make a tempting target for terrorists. But it also could potentially be disrupted by more mundane threats, such as dirt and grime, he said.
And what would happen, Hansman wondered, if the power went out while a capsule was rocketing through the tube or if a capsule got stranded miles from a city? Engineers would need to determine exactly how the Hyperloop would deal with such contingencies if the system is ever to get up and running.
While such challenges could be overcome, some experts are skeptical that they will be. Because Musk's proposal ignores the expense and risks of developing the Hyperloop, it is for now just "another science-fiction dream," Muller said.Thanks for the comment Jeanne.
I totally understand the feeling. If you have not already been there, the AP Biology Community website is the best place to connect with your fellow AP .
You've got to hand it to Elon Musk - he certainly dreams big. The entrepreneur loves to take on tough technical challenges and turn them into business opportunities. Biology Essay Sample; How to Write a Biology Essay; How Can We Help; AP Biology Essay; Biology Article; Download Free Sample of a Biology Essay.
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Elon Musk's Hyperloop hype ignores practical problems
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What is plant cloning and how does it work?
by Hormex Blog August 20, 2018
Plant Cloning is the process of making a genetically identical plant through nonsexual means.
Vegetative propagation or cloning from cuttings is the most popular and fastest method
People have been cloning plants in one way or another for thousands of years. For example, when you take a cutting from a plant and grow it into a new plant (vegetative propagation), you are cloning the original plant because the new plant has the same genetic makeup as the donor plant. Vegetative propagation works because the end of the cutting forms a mass of non-specialized cells called a callus. With luck, the callus will grow, divide and form various specialized cells (roots, etc.), eventually forming a new plant.
Nature has been cloning organisms for billions of years. For example, when a strawberry plant sends out a runner (a form of modified stem), a new plant grows where the runner takes root. That new plant is a clone. Similar cloning occurs in grass, potatoes and onions.
Another form of plant cloning called tissue culture propagation is done by taking pieces of specialized roots, breaking them up into root cells and growing the cells in a nutrient-rich culture. In culture, the specialized cells become unspecialized (dedifferentiated) into calluses. The calluses can then be stimulated with the appropriate plant hormones to grow into new plants that are identical to the original plant from which the root pieces were taken. This procedure has been widely used by horticulturists to grow prized orchids and other rare flowers. It also happens to be the most difficult and requires a decent amount of experience to get it right.
Grafting and budding are horticultural techniques used to join parts from two or more plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. In grafting, the upper part (scion) of one plant grows on the root system (rootstock) of another plant. In the budding process, a bud is taken from one plant and grown on another.
Hormex Rooting Powder is excellent for cloning plants from cuttings significantly faster than other methods. To find the rooting powder strength that is best for your plants, click here.
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Global Mysteries
Travel the world in mystery novels
Posted by: nancycurteman | June 30, 2010
The Best-Known Song in History: Lili Marleen
In 1915 during World War I a homesick young German soldier, Hans Leip, wrote a romantic poem that was destined to become a popular song that would endure for decades, Lili Marleen. The romantic poem was not set to music until 1938. The lovely melody by Norbert Schultze along with the sentimental words conquered not only German hearts but the hearts of the Allied and Axis soldiers during World War II because Lili Marleen spoke to each soldier of his loved one back home. Stories abound about marching armies of every nationality singing this song either in German with heavy foreign accents or translated into languages such as English, French, Japanese, and Italian. Lili Marleen was published and/or performed in almost every country from France, England, the United States, Australia and Canada to the Netherlands, Croatia, Uruguay, Argentina and Spain. In 1950 Lili joined the military in Korea. In 1960 the song traveled to war-torn Viet Nam. Despite the fact that Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, vowed to crush the song because it wasn’t militaristic enough, Lili Marlene became a song for all nations. (Special thanks to my brother, Billy West, who provided background for this piece).
(English Words)
Underneath the lantern
By the barrack gate
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait
T’was there that you whispered tenderly
That you love’d me, you’d always be
My Lili of the Lamplight
My own Lili Marlene.
(German Words)
Vor der kaserne
Vor dem grosen tor
Stand eine laterne und steht sie noch davor
So wolin wir da uns wiedersehn
Bei der laterne wolin wir stehn
Wie einst Lili Marleen
Photo: Carlton Jackson
Posted in Uncategorized, Writing and Writers | Tags: famous songs, German, Germany, Hans Leip, Lili Marleen, Norbert Schultze, WW I, WW II
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Figures . . .
I’ve never heard of the “best known song in history.” ; )
By: nrhatch on June 30, 2010
I HAVE heard of it, and I know the tune. I’m not sure if it really is the best known song, however. I believe that the song sung most often around the world is “Happy Birthday”.
Eric Burden and the Animals had a very interesting version of Lili Marleen on one of their more psychadelic albums.
By: Richard W Scott on June 30, 2010
Thanks for the lyrics; I’ve never been able to put them all together before.
Interesting that opposing armed forces were all singing this song….
I also remember that it was sung by a most famous singer, but I can think who.
By: Loreen Lee on June 30, 2010
It’s a beautiful song. It was recorded by many artists including Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Lale Andersen (first to record it), Edith Piaf and Connie Francis. It was featured in the 1973 movie Judgment at Nuremberg as well as several television programs such as Rat Patrol.
By: nancycurteman on June 30, 2010
Thanks. Great information. How do you gather it! (Just rhetorical question!). It was Edith Piaf who is most remembered by me but yes, I thought of Dietrich, too.
Thanks for the memory!
I’ve always loved Lili Marleen. I remember the character played by Marlene Deitrich in Judgment at Nuremburg saying the German lyrics are sadder than their English translation. Thanks for this post.
By: Kathy on November 30, 2011
I learned the words to Lili Marleen in German and they are very sentimental. The melody is a nice even beat for marching.
By: Nancy Curteman on November 30, 2011
From the book THE ARMS OF KRUPP by William Manchester,Hans Leip the author of LILLE MARLEEN states, I have often had to refute the insulting assumption of english translators that lille marleen was a prostitute and therefore needed bowdlerizing for english sensibilities. The two people concerned were both highly respectable young ladies in Berlin in 1915.Their names were LILLI and MARLEEN and I,then a gaurdsman,fell in love with both of them.I fused their two personalities into one in these verses,which were written as a farewell just before we marched out for the Russian Front.
By: peter heinz on February 24, 2012
Peter, Thank you for adding so much more to the history of this well-loved song. The biggest surprise is that it was about two women.
By: Nancy Curteman on February 24, 2012
I learned two different versions of this song from my father, a WWII soldier. I titled them differently when we used to sing them on long car rides. One was known as Lily of the Lamplight and the other as Lily Marlene. Both songs had the same tune, but different lyrics. One was similiar to the above song you have printed, and the other had different words starting as:
“Sometime after midnght, in a land not mine
Somewhere near a roaring mudstrewn battleline
Oh sleep would not lull my soul tonight
And so awake, I long to write
To you, Lily Marelene
To you Lily Marelene
Oh soft burns my candle, soft yet bright (I can’t remember what
My love for you, is like that light else went here)
So true, Lily Marelene
Is your hair still golden, are your eyes still blue?
Would your voice enchant me the way it used to do?
Oh I’d give this world to see you smile,
And hold you close, just for awhile.
Just you Lily Marelene
Lower flames my candle, grey the eastern sky.
Another day of battle, another day to die.
Oh, God how I hate this warring hell,
But I endure each screaming shell.
For you Lily Marelene
Wait for me my darling,till I return to thee,
When the guns are silient in hush of victory.
For even the flaming gates of hell,
Against sweet you, cannot prevail.
Adieu Lily Marelene
Have you heard of any lyrics similiar to these? I so enjoyed singing these songs with my father. And love that he taught me many more wartime songs that I now sing to my grandchildren.
Sincerely Linda
By: Linda on August 12, 2013
Linda, I hadn’t heard these words. They are really beautiful. I’ll bet there are lots of variations on this famous song. New lyrics may have been added by different countries or in translations into different languages. Fascinating isn’t it?
By: nancycurteman on August 13, 2013
I’m glad I could share the words with you. My father died in 1975 when I was only 21 but I remembered all the songs he taught me orally, nothing written down. He did know the version you printed as well, and I remembered only parts of it: Orders came for sailing….Therefore, I’m glad I found your site to get the beginning verses so I can teach my grandchildren. By the way, my father was Canadian and in the war from the beginning to end. Possibly this is a Canadian translation?
Linda, My father was in the Navy in WW II. I still have his dress blues in my trunk. I also have some photos. He played guitar and sang some of those old songs. I’m glad to see you sharing them with your grandkids.
My mum during World War I I sang as a 13 year old the song to her dad 47 years old dying of leukemia contracted from mustard gas poisoning on the battlefield in world War I, as she sat by his couch / bed at home. When I sing it I change a few words of the Vera Lynn version “lips” to “heart” etc …so it makes more sense then to imagine it as a special song between my mum and grandad. It is especially poignant as my mum couldn’t go to the hospital in his last days and the seperation that makes the song so hauntingly beautiful became a painful reality for my mother then a child/ teen and the song befits the situation so well…”orders came for marching, ‘somewhere over there’ ” …like my grandad had his call to his final battlefield. ..the battlefield of sickness and death…and he could not meet his little girl again…..this song gave me goosebumps. ..part of my history…txs for the alternate words…I guess we can all fit this melancholy song to our own experience or our own thoughts on the experience of war….I think it strikes a chord through both tune and lyrics to help one feel the emotions even if we haven’t experienced the consequences of war first hand. …but for some of us in other ways…loosing a relative or witnessing the pain of those damaged on the battlefields or by the repercussions.
By: suzan on August 31, 2015
Thank you for sharing such a tender true story. How sad for your mother as a child not to be able to be with her father when he passed away. I remember when my father left for overseas though I was only two years old. I watched my mother cry and I cried with her. War can be such a heartbreak for everyone. The song does speak of the sadness of separation.
woah! Linda! I hadn’t read your comment when I wrote my reply above to Nancy re sharing the alternate words… then I afterward read your comment ..you mention the same line from the song that I did …you mention your Dad passing away and then I read the date of your comment. .August 13th …that is my mum’s birthday! . .she just turned 85 & I heard the song for the first time just 10 days ago whilst visiting her! Every time I talk about this song…read about it…hear it …I am convinced of it’s spiritual significance. (By the way I am from ‘down under’… Australia)
It seems that every country has a connection with this song. It’s not just the words and the lovely lilting melody, it’s the sentiment.
Well it looks like yours was the 14th August Linda…it was Nancy’ s comment the 13 th …but it’s all still significant for me.
[…] The Best-Known Song in History: Lili Marleen […]
By: The Black Forest: Kirsch, Cake, and Cuckoo Clocks | Global Mysteries on May 2, 2015
To Suzan, So strange to see this pop up in my e-mail 2 years after I posted my comments. How is it that you never heard the song until only 10 days ago? Had your mother never sung it to you as a child? Did she just recently tell you this story of her and her Dad? I know that most who served in those horrible wars never spoke much about their experiences. In any case, my Dad rarely did, unless prodded by me relentlessly, and after a few drinks and he would loosen his tongue up a bit. Never much of a talker, I only gleaned a few details of his experiences, and was in awe of the fact he had been in so many different countries. Like a bad world tour! Plus, I lost him at such a young age.
I regretted that my children would never know their Grandfather, and sang the song to them as a lullaby to get them to sleep when they were babies. And now, I have done the same to my Grandkids.
Thank you for reminding me today of this beautiful song and all its variations that has had such a great impact on me in my life.
Best regards Down Under,
Thanks to Nancy for using her site to communicate with Suzan
By: Linda on September 1, 2015
Yes Linda, many thanks to Nancy for this beautiful site! I am only now getting back to see your comment Linda Sept 1 /15 to reply. I have come back on to the site because we just commemorated 25th April the most important day after Easter and Christmas in Australia, remembering the fallen in Wars and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and the future generations . Australian culture (though loosening up now) had been for generations “stiff upper lip” and if bad things happened we were all taught to “soldier on” — so emotions were suppressed.My mum did not sing this song to me as a child…perhaps the memory of it was too painful…she was very close to her Dad. Mum and I are close too but I only heard Lili Marlene when she sang it to me just after her 85th birthday. We were having a great old yarn into the wee hours of the morning just like we used to when I was a teenager ( I am 60 years old now). I was visiting from another state (I live 800km from my parents). She told me for the first time the story of her singing it to her Dad shortly before he passed away and that was the very first time , as she sang it that night at 85 years old, that I had ever heard it. She couldn’t remember all the words, so I looked it up on utube and it was one of my experiences of extreme thankfulness for technology that Mum could hear the complete song again before the memory faded and we forgot about it ….now it is preserved for our family’s posterity.
By: suzan on April 26, 2016
Suzan, What a touching story about this beautiful song. Thank you so much for sharing it. Very heartwarming.
By: nancycurteman on April 26, 2016
Thank you Nancy, for forwarding Suzan from Down Under response to me. It may have taken a year to hear the answer to my questions, but she also provided a lovely story of her family. How fortunate for Suzan to still have her mother to spin a few yarns into the night. I too, am 60, but I lost my mother, who was a war bride, shortly after my father, when I was 25. Ironically, she died in Australia visiting my sister and her family, and her own 2 sisters. One who was also a war bride, but moved to Australia with her husband. What odd circumstances the war created. The shifting of people from place to place in the aftermath.
I had cared for my mother before she died, and knowing death was soon to come, I encouraged her to travel to see her first born daughter, and grand- children, as well as her 2 sisters. I knew they would care for her in her last hours and they did. I had hoped to visit Australia one day, but as I get older it seems less likely.
Thank you Suzan for getting back to me.
Best Regards, Linda
By: Linda Boughton on April 27, 2016
What a joy to see such interest in on of my most favorite songs. I love the stories associated with the song.
By: nancycurteman on September 1, 2015
Dear Nancy, It is fascinating to hear the connection Linda Boughton has with Australia. I’m not sure if it is the right place to see if Linda is interested in communicating more….just curious where her relatives are in Australia . You can send my email to her if she would like to communicate more, thanks! If you don’t have it please let me know how I can send it. Much appreciated!
By: suzan on May 3, 2016
I can only add to this fascinating chain that my mother, who passed away in 2012, sang to all of her nine children a lullaby to the tune of Lili Marleen. She was a nurse during WWII but on the home front, and my father served in the medical corps. She had two uncles that were casualties in WWI.
My mother I assume made up her own lyrics and all I recall is based on a tape she sent to me when I was in England in my youth in the sixties:
Mommy’s little baby, Daddy’s little boy,
“Johnny” is my darling, he’s daddy’s pride and joy,
And now that he’s far across the sea,
Dear God take care of him for me,
My own dear son, my darling one,
Who means so much to me.
Oh bring my love on wings of joy,
To my own dear son.
I have no idea how she may have changed the words for her daughters or if these lyrics are the same she used when rocking us to sleep. I’d be curious if anyone has ever heard anything similar to the tune of Lili Marleen.
Regards from Canada,
By: John on November 18, 2015
John, Thank you for sending this version of Lili Marleen to me. The words are lovely and speak of a mother’s love for her husband and her son.
By: nancycurteman on November 19, 2015
Here’s a link to Marlene Dietrich singing Lili Marleen. The lyrics are different from the ones I’ve always heard.
By: Kathy Waller on November 18, 2015
Kathy, That video was wonderful! What great scenes. Dietrich sang with such feeling. Thank you for providing this link for my blog readers. Outstanding!.
Thank you for passing this on to me. It seems that there are lots of variations in the words, but all have a great emotional impact.
Sent from Windows Mail
By: ranger@teksavvy.com on November 19, 2015
Ranger, I agree with you about the great emotional impact of Lili Marleen. Certainly the words are beautiful, but also the lovely lilting melody adds to the the song’s charm.
Thank you Nancy for passing on Suzan’s interest in communicating with me. I would like to hear more from her and you can pass on my e-mail or I will print it here. In answer to her questions, my sister and her family moved to Australia in 1977 to a suburb just outside of Sydney. She is 10 years older than me and was born in England during the war. My parents got married on Christmas Day in 1943. Several of my Dad’s brothers were there at the time, as he came from a family of 12 and many of them enlisted to serve. I actually keep in contact with my niece quite frequently through both Facebook and e-mail. She lives in Dover Heights which is close to Bondi Beach I think. My aunts and their family live in Melbourne, but I haven’t had much contact with them. You can contact me at this e-mail: ranger@teksavvy.com
By: Linda Boughton on May 6, 2016
Hi Linda, I hope Suzan reads your comment on my blog. I’m really enjoying all the family histories associated with the song, Lili Marleen. I love to hear if Suzan does contact you.
By: nancycurteman on May 6, 2016
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Here are the Top 5 African Countries With the Best Legal System
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Who wouldn’t have any desire to live in an equitable society where exclusive requirements are clung to in the legal framework and the standard of law isn’t messed with?
It is believed that nations that have a fairer and faster legal system function very well and attract the needed investors both at home and abroad. However, in numerous African nations, the legal framework is moderate and for the most part unjustifiable as courts that work viably are elusive while a few judges take ages to determine question or need autonomy.
Fortunately some African nations have, throughout the years, created the absolute best courts and a free legal executive that has made the landmass glad. This, among others, was contained in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 that completed an examination in 137 nations around the globe, considering factors like the autonomy of the legal framework from the administration, people or corporate impact.
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It is currently having the best judicial system in Africa as it ranked first in Africa and 23rd globally, making it one of the finest in the world, attaining higher scores than USA, France and Germany. Scoring 5.6 out of 7 on the ranking scale, authorities in Rwanda have often attributed this feat to the judicial reformsadopted in the country which came with a series of new laws, new court structures to judge among others cases of the genocide against the Tutsi and a “modern” professional judiciary.
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Ranking 29 globally, this is the second country in Africa that has improved its judicial independence, scoring 5.3 out of 7 on the ranking scale. In 2016, the country made a historic move in its legal history by establishing an independent body of the Judiciary that separated it from the Ministry of Justice. This ensured administrative and financial independence as it improved the country’s legal environment and enhanced the public trust in the judiciary.
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How Long Do Animals Live?
Discover the lifespan of the animals: dogs, cats, lions, whales, monkeys…
How long do giraffes live?
Herbivores, Mammals No Comments
Giraffes lifespan
There are many things that make giraffes unique and extraordinary animals, but most people know giraffes as the tallest land mammals on our planet. Male giraffes can reach 5 meters and females are just a little bit shorter. Another thing that makes them unique is their extremely long legs and neck. Their small head has between two and five small horns. These horns are covered by a thick layer of skin and they are bigger in males.
Giraffes weigh more than 1000 kilos. This means that they have to eat a lot to preserve their weight and keep functioning properly. The things they eat have a direct impact on their lifespan. If they are able to find adequate food on a regular basis they can live longer.
It is always difficult to tell how long to wild animals live because their life expectancy is affected by many different factors. However, scientists that are specialized in studying giraffes agree that their lifespan is between 20 and 30 years. There are reports of giraffes that lived in zoos and sanctuaries for more than 35 years.
Factors that contribute to the giraffes life expectancy
Food: What do giraffes eat?
Giraffes enjoy eating leaves of trees. They consume leaves from a wide range of trees, but it seems that acacia tree leaves are the most popular types of leaves among giraffes. This is quite natural because these leaves have the necessary nutrients for giraffes. In addition to leaves, giraffes also consume flowers, seed pods, and even fruits. They have very strong and long tongues (up to 45 cm) which help them gather and process food.
Subspecies and life expectancy
There are eight different subspecies of giraffes and most of them live in the semi-desert areas in and around central Africa. These subspecies have a similar life expectancy.
We should highlight the fact that even though these animals are huge, they do have natural enemies that affect their lives and how long they will live. Giraffes are very fast animals and they can run at 50 km per hour for a relatively long period of time. The most dangerous predator for giraffes is the lion.
When the situation is normal, the lion usually can’t fight the giraffe. However, lions usually attack when giraffes are drinking fresh water because when they do this, the position of their body makes them very vulnerable. But, this is the case of adult giraffes. When it comes to calves, the statistics shows that nearly 50% of giraffe calves are eaten by lions, hyenas and other similar predators. So, only half of them reach adulthood which makes their average lifespan lower.
Giraffes are fascinating animals from the moment they are born to the moment they die. They are extremely tall, strong and live interesting lives in a relatively wide space around Africa. If they are not killed by natural predators and illegal hunters in the first years of their life, they can live up to 30 years.
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Collaborative Leadership to Strengthen Progressive Jewish Life on Campus
HUC-JIR’s Founders’ Fellowship is a leadership incubator for college students. The Fellowship empowers students to create new Jewish ideas and visions and to implement them on their campuses. The Fellowship consists of a retreat at HUC-JIR’s New York campus, followed by guided mentorship and support, as well as a project stipend. If you care about Jewish life on your campus, love the thrill of implementing new ideas or want to explore Jewish entrepreneurship, this fellowship is a meaningful opportunity.
Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, the founder of Hebrew Union College in 1875, understood that Jewish survival on this continent would depend on Jewish leaders who could effectively address the challenges of religious freedom, assimilation, and acculturation. Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, who established the Jewish Institute of Religion in 1922, fostered generations of Jewish leaders who would inspire their communities to strive for social justice, human rights, and Jewish national expression in the State of Israel.
Today, the Jewish community is changing and requires greater innovation than ever before. The HUC-JIR Founders’ Fellowship calls upon you, as leaders on your campus communities, to share your visions for change, engage your peers, and carry the dreams of our two Rabbis Wise in your hearts by nurturing the vital bonds that link the Jewish people. As the Talmud says, “all the people of Israel are responsible for one another.”
Just as our founders were unwilling to sit idly by and accept the status quo, so too are we looking to act towards renewal. Are you ready to shift paradigms and reimagine progressive Jewish life on campus?
Questions? Contact the Founders’ Fellowship team at foundersfellowship@huc.edu.
Explore the Fellowship:
Fellowship Experience
Fellowship Terms
Selection Criteria and Process
What is The Founders’ Fellowship, anyway? Rabbis Isaac Mayer Wise and Stephen S. Wise are the co-founders of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Both were dedicated to making a difference in their respective communities to positively inspire, revitalize, and unite the Jewish world at large. We take our co-founders’ vision and perseverance as the inspiration for this fellowship; we are seeking to be bold, take action, and shift paradigms to re-imagine and strengthen progressive Jewish campus life.
In light of this concept, the New York campus of HUC-JIR will convene an intensive three-day weekend retreat during which college students are invited to share and workshop their existing or prospective initiatives to elevate progressive Jewish life on college campuses. Kicking off a year-long fellowship, the weekend retreat allows students a chance to outline strategies to be implemented the following year with coordinated support from the Fellowship and their peers, as well as stipends to catalyze their respective visions. Through an open application process, exceptional students, drawn from colleges in North America, will be selected to participate in this Fellowship weekend at HUC-JIR on November 15-18, 2018 in New York. Expenses relating to the training, travel, and room and board are provided as part of the fellowship.
Essential Operating Elements of the Fellowship:
I. Collaboration:
The weekend connects student leaders with other leaders, as well as helping students workshop and refine their ideas and plans for implementation. The weekend is a learning laboratory of creative thinking as well as a safe place for students to delve into their hopes and desires for their Jewish communities. As part of their application, students will outline an initiative they would like to pilot or strengthen the following year. They will leave the weekend with greater clarity on their own thinking, identify key next steps, and potentially access funds and other resources that will support them throughout the 2018-2019 school year.
II. Potential Themes for Initiatives - Justice, Arts, Spirituality, Technology, and Jewish Engagement:
HUC-JIR defines Judaism and Jewish practice broadly. For individuals rooted in their Jewishness, we recognize that Jewish identity and practice take on many forms and we anticipate our applicants will be drawn from a cross section of campus life seeking to address issues of justice, arts, spirituality, technology, and Jewish engagement.
III. What else:
Honing leadership skills
Taste of Jewish engagement through text study
Participate in communal prayer experience
The fellowship will last for 7 months with the following programming:
October 2018: Initial mentoring meeting and confirm travel logistics
November 15-18, 2018: Three-day Fellowship Weekend in New York City
December 2018 to May 2018: Bi-monthly check-ins and webinars with skill-building workshops, as well as monthly progress reports.
May 2018: Reflections and end of Fellowship for Cohort 4
Students must be starting their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year of college for the entire academic year 2018-2019. Students planning to study abroad during 2018-2019 year are not eligible for this fellowship.
Applications are now available. Please fill out the form on this page to receive the application via email.
All application materials must be received by September 21, 2018 at 11:59pm EST. Students will be notified of acceptance into the fellowship by October 5, 2018.
We are seeking individuals who:
Have a track record of taking risks and failing and/or succeeding;
Love to brainstorm and think of new ideas or possibilities; and
Are animated and informed by their Jewish identity.
Letters of Recommendation:
Your application must include two professional Letters of Recommendation: One should come from a professional on your campus (e.g. a professor or Hillel professional) who will serve as your on-campus "sponsor," providing guidance and advice as needed throughout your project. One of your two letters must also be a Jewish communal professional (e.g. Rabbi, Cantor, or Educator). These are not traditional letters, but rather, will serve as an opportunity for us to gain various perspectives and a sense of who you are. The form to share with your references in available here.
We seek applicants proposing:
1. “Jewish” initiatives - think Progressive Shabbat practice, creative text study, contemplative prayer, etc.
2. Initiatives that are more focused on justice, spirituality, arts, and technology initiatives – think organizing workers, Jewish yoga and or meditation, art installations for Sukkot or feminist imagery in the Bible, creating new apps or other online platforms.
The Selection Committee is comprised of HUC-JIR students and staff. The online application and proposal submission will be reviewed by the Selection Committee and applicants will be informed by October 5, 2018.
These profiles serve as examples of the landscape of successful Founders’ Fellows who have made impacts on their campuses.
Alona (Brandeis) Alona created an interdenominational chavruta program. She matched students raised in Progressive and Orthodox communities with each other to study as chavruta partners. The student chavruta pairs met regularly and got to know each other, as well as different Jewish approaches to text study and Jewish tradition. Alona also organized group meetings and Shabbat lunches for the chavruta pairs to come together, share what they were learning, and get to know a larger group of students.
Joe (Yale) Joe was interested in bringing more joy and spirituality into Hillel and at first wasn’t sure how to do it. Joe is very musical – he plays trombone and is in his school’s Jewish acapella group. Joe also loves Jewish music and niggunim, wordless melodies. Joe created a weekly niggun singing group, were students could gather on a weekday evening to bring their voices together in singing niggunim (wordless, so non-Hebrew speakers could easily participate). The group is gaining traction and more and more students are participating and feeling like it is a meaningful break in their week.
Matt (University of Vermont) Matt founded Green Mountain Manna, a Jewish outdoors group. Matt organized Shabbat hikes, holiday observances, and overnights in the Vermont outdoors, as a way to bring nature into his Jewish observance. By the end of the year, the group was established enough that Matt was focusing on building leadership for the future.
Ally (University of Texas) Ally used UT’s University Interfaith Council, to bring additional religious students together and to focus on shared programming. She created an interfaith day of services, where students packed bags for a nearby refugee shelter and engaged in conversation, study and shared meals together. She built relationships with students of other faith backgrounds so that she wasn’t the only person organizing and recruiting for the event.
How much money is the stipend?Funding will be allocated on a per-proposal basis; considerations will include amount needed for successful program and how much each leader is able to fundraise independently. Funding is up to $500 per leader.
What are the other applicants going to be like? Scroll up to read portraits of possible applicants. We expect a wide spectrum of people from different backgrounds and levels of involvement in the Jewish world. We’re hoping to find a diverse cohort of students who can inspire each other and offer their unique perspectives.
How much will my participation in this fellowship cost? All expenses paid! HUC-JIR will cover travel costs to New York City, subway transportation within New York City, food, and lodging. All other expenses outside of the fellowship are yours.
Do I really have to commit to work on my proposed program for the entire year? We know that the nature of this fellowship weekend is such that you might hear about other people’s brilliant ideas and want to adapt them for your own campus community. We want you to come prepared to workshop your ideas for your proposed program, but it might be that your entire program outlook changes because of your experience in this fellowship. We want you to be working on a program, even if it isn’t exactly what you proposed on your application.
Will it be wicked fun? Absolutely.
What’s the hashtag? Join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at #hucjir! And be sure to like or follow us on all three!
Do I have to be a Reform Jew to apply? No. We hope to find a diverse cohort, from different parts of the Jewish world. We expect many of our applicants will either be Reform Jews or more generally progressive Jews. We are looking for open-minded people whose Jewish values guide their work in the college communities and beyond; if they’re Reform Jews, great---if not, equally great.
Do I have to be Jewish to apply? Yes.
How Jewish does my proposal have to be? To see what some of our applicants might be thinking about working on, see our Portraits section. If you have any specific questions about if your project is “Jewish enough,” feel free to email us at foundersfellowship@huc.edu.
Will we have free time during the fellowship weekend? Not much. We hope all participants have an enriching experience in this fellowship both because of the high-quality programming and because of the experiences they’ll have in two amazing cities. The evenings will be fairly late and you will be expected to show up ready to work in morning. The only chunk of time to really hang with folks outside the program is after 1pm on Sunday afternoon, or before 4pm on Thursday before we start.
How old do I have to be to apply? Fellows will be 18 or older by the time of the fellowship weekend.
Will there be chaperones? No, not really. While fellowship coordinators will be with the participants for the majority of their time in NYC, participants will be expected to be on time and present by themselves.
Is alcohol permitted on this trip? Is Manischewitz the only possible adult beverage? We expect participants to follow New York State Law for the duration of the fellowship.
Is this the first year of the Founders’ Fellowship? Originally titled “The Smashing Idols Fellowship,” the Founders’ Fellowship is in its third year. Aside from the name change, all other details of the fellowship have stayed the same. Cohorts 1, 2 and 3 are incredible groups of leaders and thinkers! We are excited to see what the next cohort will do and look forward to welcoming you.
Please feel free to contact the Founders’ Fellowship team at foundersfellowship@huc.edu.
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site news books newspaper articles @HuddersExposed external links view a random page
Fred Bamforth (c.1894-1917)
Huddersfield and District Roll of Honour
An ongoing project to commemorate and research the lives of those who appear on war memorials and rolls of honour in the local area, who served in the military, or whose deaths were linked to conflict.
Fred Bamforth
Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922
The following extract is from Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922 (2014) by J. Margaret Stansfield:
BAMFORTH, FRED. Private. No 235269. 10th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. Formerly No 4970 Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Born Slaithwaite. Son of Mr James Bamforth, Wilberlee, Slaithwaite. Employed as a weaver by Messrs John Crowther and Sons, Milnsbridge. Was a member of the Slaithwaite Cricket and Bowling Club. Was also a keen member of the Slaithwaite Conservative Club. Enlisted March, 1916, into the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Was posted to the York and Lancaster Regiment as a Lewis gunner and drafted to France in May, 1917. Killed in action, 12.8.1917, aged 23 years. Buried in OOSTTAVERNE WOOD CEMETERY, WYTSCHAETE, BELGIUM. Grave location:- Plot 2, Row B, Grave 6.
ROH:- St. James' Church, Slaithwaite; Slaithwaite War Memorial.
Private FRED BAMFORTH
regiment: York and Lancaster Regiment
died: Sunday, August 12, 1917
record ID: 105016
Imperial War Museums: Lives of the First World War
10th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
Huddersfield and District Roll of Honour | People | York and Lancaster Regiment
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Home Community LETTER: West New York BOE trustee a hypocrite for no-showing meeting
LETTER: West New York BOE trustee a hypocrite for no-showing meeting
In a letter to the editor, West New York resident William Giles says that Board of Education Trustee Jonathan Castaneda is a hypocrite for no-showing a meeting last week that ultimately did not happen due to a lack of quorum.
West New York Board of Education Trustee Jonathan Castaneda (left) being sworn in on January 6, 2016.
Just before the 2016 elections West New York BOE Trustee Jonathan Castaneda penned a letter to the editor of this publication decrying the actions of some fellow trustees saying, “Why are members of this board not showing up to do the job they were elected to do?”
Further stating, “It was certainly nothing other than a slap in the face of our democratic values and our community” and “I was ashamed that members of our board felt it was alright to hold our governing body, our teachers and children, and democracy hostage.”
In a stunning display of hypocrisy, Trustee Castaneda (that champion of our Democracy and its values) was a No Show (along with 4 of his fellow trustees) at the very first meeting of the BOE since the election.
Those who did attend were Trustees Portillo, Cheng, Parkinson and Gonzalez. This was one short of the required 5 to have a quorum so the meeting was cancelled.
It is unclear why the others did not attend or why one BOE meeting (the meeting before the election where they moved heaven and earth to secure a quorum) was more important than the one after (where a majority of the current BOE Trustees treated it with a rousing meh).
Shouldn’t all BOE meetings be of equal importance?
BOE President Parkinson (who Trustee Castaneda hailed as a great leader in his letter) once again failed to find 4 of his allies on the BOE to attend and thus ensure the quorum was met.
This coupled with the 5 BOE Trustees who failed to attend displays to all of West New York their lack of interest/commitment when it comes to our schools and our children.
Trustee Castaneda, when you get back from Atlantic City or wherever it is you went (rather than showing up to do the job you were elected to do) please set our Democracy free!
William Giles
Resident WNY
LETTER: West New York BOE Trustee Castaneda has a selective memory
LETTER: Walking out of meetings solves nothing, West New York BOE trustee says
West New York BOE sticks with Parkinson as president, but VP remains up in the air
LETTER: West New York BOE should rescind latest $95k hire, candidate says
West New York BOE slate backed by Sires sweeps, congressman cruises to re-election
West New York BOE trustee, Roque chief of staff leaving Town Hall for Port Authority
jonathan castaneda
west new york board of education
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WNYlove November 22, 2016 at 9:01 pm
There is a huge difference between being absent for a meeting (which everyone is entitled to) and choosing to walk out so that there is no quorum (which there is no excuse for).
really November 25, 2016 at 7:01 pm
That’s right. Tequila with politicians is more important than hiring new teachers.
Miguelina Ovalle November 29, 2016 at 10:29 pm
I have to An Explanation for that. Just wait and see it.
LETTER: Hoboken Mayor Zimmer details upcoming Washington Street construction
North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue swears in 37, including 1st...
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