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Horse Racing In Ancient Norse Mythology
The sport of horse racing is almost as old as time itself. Since the point in time where man understood that he could sit astride a horse's back, he has challenged fellow riders to race. More commonly known examples of ancient races exist in the chariot races held at Roman coliseums. But ancient Norse mythology has revealed that horse racing was a part of life even then.
The most notable example of Norse horse racing mythology can be found in the account of a race between the Norse god Odin and the giant Hrungnir. This ancient Norse horse racing contest had high stakes and the story behind it may be even more confusing. Still, it portrays the horse as a creature of speed and beauty and shows just how highly regarded horses were during these ancient times.
The story of Odin and Hrungnir should probably start with an understanding of how Odin came to have his amazing horse ‘Sleipnir’. According to Nordic prose, a giant disguised as a human stonemason appeared at Asgard and offered to rebuild the wall in exchange for the sun, the moon and a goddess named ‘Freyja’. The gods agreed, thinking there was no way that the giant would be able to complete such a task in the required time. At the last moment Loki, the Norse god of mischief, agreed to allow Hrimthurs to use his gray stallion, Svadilfari, to complete the task without the input of the other gods. The help of the horse enabled the giant to almost complete the task on time. This angered the gods, who had no desire to keep up their end of the bargain so they threatened to torture Loki eternally if he did not rectify the situation. Loki transformed himself into a beautiful white mare and led the stallion away. This angered the giant who broke down his wall and subsequently was unable to finish in the allotted time. Meanwhile, Loki mated with Svadilfari and sometime later gave birth to Sleipnir.
The horse’s name meant smooth or gliding and was a reference to its flight of foot. It was said to be grey in color and have eight legs. Whether this unusual number of legs was to be interpreted literally or figuratively, one thing was sure – Sleipnir was the fastest horse on earth. He could glide over sea, fly through the air and even take a rider from the land of the living to the land of the dead. He was given to Odin as a gift and so it was with some confidence that Odin must have bet his own head in a race against Hrungnir and his horse ‘Gullfaxi’. Of course Sleipnir won the race with ease but Hrungnir was still invited to Valhalla. Here he became drunk and abusive and Thor was called to defeat and kill him.
It is interesting to note that most legends are based in some truth so there was likely at one time a horse who was so fast amongst his contemporaries that he received special acclaim. Surely his owner must have felt the same pride that racehorse owners today feel when they see their graceful steed glide over the finish line in first place. Still, very few horses over the history of the sport have garnered extra special attention as being completely unbeatable in their lifetime. You will find their compelling life stories in the ‘famous horses’ section of our website.
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Jeffrey T Girard
jtgirard@syr.edu
Jeffrey T. Girard entered the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York in July 1981 and graduated on 22 May 1985, 292nd of 1010 in his class. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps by his sponsor Major Stephen Klinefelter, who later as Colonel served as the Chief Information Officer at West Point.
Lieutenant Girard was assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia, from 1985 to 1989, where he served as a Tactical Command Post Platoon Leader, A Company and then Forward Area Signal Center Platoon Leader, B Company, 24th Signal Battalion, supporting the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 24th Infantry Division. From 1987 to 1989, he served as Communications-Electronics Staff Officer for 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. While assigned to the “CottonBailers,”Lieutenant Girard led the communications transition from the aging Jeep and Gamma Goat fleet to the new HMMWVs, and from the M113 Infantry Carrier to the new Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Additionally, he replaced PRC-77 series radio systems with the new SINCGARS. Lieutenant Girard deployed to the National Training Center three times with the 24th Infantry Division, once as a signal platoon leader and twice as CESO. He also deployed as a signal platoon leader to Egypt for Bright Star ’87.
After the Signal Officer Advanced Course, Captain Girard served in South Korea from 1990 to 1991 as the S1 of the 304th Signal Battalion. He introduced automation to the Signal Battalion, installing a Local Area Network throughout Camp Colbern and engineering a Closed Circuit Television System for the Camp. On the tactical side, Captain Girard made his garrison-based S1 section deployable by obtaining and retrofitting a tractor trailer unit as a mobile Personnel Administration Center. For this achievement, Captain Girard was recognized by the 1st Signal Brigade.
In the summer of 1991, Captain Girard re-joined the “muddy boots” forces at Fort Hood, Texas, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Captain Girard served as year as the Battalion Signal Officer. During this year, the battalion executed two Gunnery cycles as the battalion transitioned from M60 tanks to the new M1 Abrams.
After returning from CAS3 in the later spring of 1992, Captain Girard was assigned as the Assistant S3, 13th Signal Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. He later served as the S3, unusual for a Captain. In October 1993, Captain Girard took command of the Delta Dragons, 13th Signal Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. During 14 months of command, Captain Girard and the Delta Dragons were instrumental in the modernization of the Mobile Subscriber Equipment based signal battalion. As the networking expert, he led the transition of the battalion’s equipment to the new Tactical Packet Network and stood up the new MultiChannel Satellite Platoon, the new Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) platoon, and single channel tactical satellite radio systems. Captain Girard was responsible for implementing the Cavalry Division’s automation systems over the new Tactical Packet Network and designing, engineering, outfitting, and rehearsing the Division’s rapid force projection “Fly Away Package.”
In January 1995, Captain Girard was selected to attend Duke University to earn a Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence, completed in the spring of 1996. He was assigned to the Military Intelligence Center and School, Fort Huachuca, Arizona to establish an Artificial Intelligence Center there. He developed a program to immerse military intelligence interrogators in a virtual world using AI technologies to reduce the needs for instructor roll-playing. FBI and law enforcement agencies also employed the system to train their interrogator specialists. Upon completion of this project, Major Girard assumed control of the School’s Automation Branch. During 2 years in the Intelligence Center, Major Girard completely upgraded the school’s data network from an old proprietary system to modern Internet Protocol-based equipment and software.
After two years away from troops, Major Girard volunteered to join the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). He was once again sent “downrange”, where the action was. Assigned as the Brigade S6 for the 1st Brigade (Warriors) of the 10th Mountain Division. Major Girard arrived in June and four months later deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC). Here, Major Girard implemented a data transfer system of his own design to push data capabilities to the Light Infantry Battalion level. The novel approach to OPORD dissemination was highlited by the JRTC observer/controllers. Upon redeployment to Fort Drum, Major Girard installed data networking capabilities throughout the brigade area in garrison, standing up one of the Army’s first network management domains. In May 1999, Major Girard was reassigned to the 10th Signal Battalion as its Executive Officer. One month later, he became the Battalion Command of the 10th Signal Battalion (Provisional). Major Girard commanded 328 soldiers, including HHC, three line companies, battalion and divisional staff elements. During his ten month command, Major Girard’s signal battalion supported tow Brigade exercises including deploying nearly all assets. Major Girard was also the 10th Mountain Division’s lead architect for the planning of the Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment to digitize a light division and the retrofit of the Battalion’s MSE equipment with the new High Speed Tactical Data Network (THSDN) equipment. Major Girard stayed two more years with the 10th Mountain as the Division Automation Officer. During this time, he expanded the data networking capabilities of the division by transitioning to the new Active Directory structure and populating the divisional command posts with their own routers and switches. During this time, Major Girard first employed the new Voice of Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology by employing VoIP in tactical situations and integrating it with MSE voice networks. In November 2001, Major Girard deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division as the Automation Officer. He subsequently became the Coalition-Joint C6 Automation Officer for CJTF Mountain and was responsible for the design, installation, and maintenance of four data networks supporting (then) MG Hagenbeck as he commanded the fight during Operation Anaconda.
Upon returning from Afghanistan, LTC Girard was reassigned to the US Army War College at Carlisle Barracks as the Chief Technology Officer. There, he introduced many new technologies to support strategic leader education. These included storage area networks, blade servers, SIPRNET expansion, and Voice and Video over IP. During his time at Carlisle, LTC Girard earned a PhD in Management Information Systems via Distance Learning.
In the summer of 2005, LTC Girard joined the faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at West Point, New York. As part of the faculty, LTC Girard taught IT305 Theory and Practice of Military Information Systems and was the course director/instructor for IT382 Networked Systems Management. LTC Girard also served as the department’s network support expert, taught a Cisco Certified Networking Associate Course, and served as the Networking Subject Matter Expert for Senior Research Projects and the highly successful CyberDefense Exercise. From the summer 2007 to his departure in the summer of 2008, LTC Girard was the singularly responsible for the engineering, design, configuration, and implementation of the VoIP system in the new Jefferson Hall Learning Center.
In the summer of 2008, COL Girard was reassigned to the Future Forces Integration Directorate at Fort Bliss, Texas. The mission of the FFID is to design, test, and integrate the future forces of the United States Army. In this position, COL Girard was responsible for designing, testing, and implementing all of the data and voice networks that would become part of the next generation of combat forces.
COL Girard retired from the Army in August of 2010. At that time, he started several businesses - one of them a consulting business and one of them a school teaching networking skills in preparation for taking the Cisco Certified Networking Associate exam.
As a consultant, Dr. Girard has been retained by several prominent companies - including Corning Glass Works and the Harris Corporation out of Rochester.
Married to former Erin Colasanti
3 children - Beau, Cory, and Heather
Enjoy boating, motorcycle riding, avid lacrosse fan
30 years US Army officer
Consultant in Networking with specialization in Voice over IP
United States Military Academy at West Point, 2005 - 2008
IT305 - Theory and Practice of Military Information Systems
IT452 - Management of Network Systems
Cisco Certified Networking Associate
Within the Cisco Networking Academy Format as well as outside of the Networking Academy
Fall 2019 IST233 M007 Intro to Computer Networking
Fall 2019 IST400 M005 Security in Networked Environm
Spring 2020 IST452 M001 Advanced Computer Networking
Spring 2020 IST233 M008 Intro to Computer Networking
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late in the evening
Paul Simon – One Trick Pony (1980)
One Trick Pony is a 1980 Paul Simon movie with a soundtrack that doubled as Simon’s Warner Brothers debut. The vehicle is technically a fictional biopic about a successful 1960’s rocker named Jonah Levin (Simon), as he endures the 1980s, a dwindling fan base, tepid record executives, and a marriage on the rocks. It’s part road movie, part record industry commentary, part sweat study, and part Kramer vs Kramer-lite.
There is plenty of fodder here that lend itself to pointing out the similarities of Jonah’s journey to Simon’s own career arc, but rather than focus on that, let’s look at two scenes that exemplify how this is the most acutely self-aware movie about pop music, while simultaneously being an out-of-touch vanity project, that ultimately bombed at the box office.
The following two clips are a prime example of why these “rock movies,” are so fun to chase down. Here we have the B-52s in their prime, nailing Rock Lobster in small club, followed by a young Lou Reed playing a smarmy record producer riding at the console with Rip Torn and bass legend Tony Levin. Only in the movies.
THE B-52s SCENE
I’m sure this was nothing more than Warner Brothers trying to give a little mainstream love to Simon’s new labelmates, but to write them into a newspaper review as critical darlings while the decrying the Jonah Levin band as uninspired and over the hill is just so incredibly accurate! The idea that Simon (who wrote the film) would add such a scenario into a somewhat bloated vanity film is true irony.
THE RECORDING SESSION
Reed and Torn are so good. The irony here is that while Jonah is ultimately crestfallen with the results of this session, this is exactly the type of song that the real Paul Simon would record, in fact there is a soundtrack full of these types of songs. It’s called One Trick Pony.
The gem of said soundtrack is below.
https://intothemildblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/otp_late-in-the-evening.mp3 Paul Simon – Late In The Evening
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged 1980, jonah levin, late in the evening, lou reed, One Trick Pony, OST, paul simon, rip torn, Rock Lobster, soundtrack, the agora, the B-52s, tony levin on December 6, 2015 by mgroesch2014.
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Tag Archives: The Opposite Field
July 19, 2011 · 12:40 pm
Talkin’ Baseball
Parents Behaving Badly: A Novel by Scott Gummer (Touchstone, $23.00, 224 pages)
You can observe a lot by just watching. – Yogi Berra
Parents Behaving Badly is a solid, if not spectacular, offering by Scott Gummer. Gummer has likely drawn from some of his experiences as a participant, parent, and youth sports coach to craft a story familiar to most people with sons – the saga of a summer spent on the diamonds of Little League baseball.
The main character, Ben Holden, is the son of a local coaching legend known to everyone simply as, you guessed it, Coach. Though the entire town reveres the man, as is often the case, the emotions of his own children are a bit more complicated. Ben’s older brother, Fred, is the talented screw up, while Ben – the moderately talented overachiever – quits baseball to run track. Sister Nancy spends most of her life moving from man to man with speculation that her hang-ups somehow trace back to her relationship with her father. Ben is clearly the most centered and focused of the three children.
When Ben and his wife Jili return to their hometown in California from a stint out East, their two boys express an interest in playing Little League ball. About two-thirds of the way into the season, their oldest son Andrew’s coach gets suspended by the league for inappropriate behavior, and Ben is thrust into the role of being the team’s coach. His players and parents are forced to adjust to a new philosophy – going from “win at all costs” to “have fun playing the game.” The shift is far from an easy one, and you can guess for yourself whether the “good guys” win at the end.
Along the way, past relationships and high school memories are revisited (Ben and Jili went to the same high school and started dating in college), and many local characters resurface throughout the story. Middle age adult behaviors, lifestyle adjustments, and sexual obsessions are as much or more of the story as is our country’s troubled evolution of youth participation in sports (and the often misguided parental attitudes associated with it).
The author appears to rush through the plot’s action in order to get at the complicated themes that line the story. The reader nevertheless is interested in turning the page to find out what happens next. Characters are introduced in rapid succession in the initial two chapters, making it a bit difficult to truly get to know them. They’re a bit stereotypical but, in fairness, easy to relate to.
Anyone who has spent as little as five minutes at a Little League game has seen these people: the coach who has to prove his self-worth by winning baseball games featuring 12-year-olds; the parents who drive their children to the point of quitting; the mom-slut who thinks that everywhere she goes, someone is dying to look at her scantily clad body; the daughter who spends every waking moment texting and Twittering; the middle-aged male who spends much of the day daydreaming about having a sex life, etc., etc., etc.
When Ben first takes over as the team’s coach, he comes across as completely clueless, which is hard to believe considering his father’s history. The fact that he quickly develops a reasonable degree of competence is not the most believable portion of the tale, although it may be a logical outcome. As one who has experienced the shenanigans of Little League draft rooms and the frequently politically motivated – and arguably unethical selection – selection of post-season All-Star teams, these sections are quite strong. Also, they are either hilarious or sadly pathetic depending on your perspective.
Dave Moyer
A review copy was provided by the publisher. Mr. Moyer is the author of Life and Life Only, a novel of baseball and Bob Dylan. A recommended memoir that covers much of the same territory is The Opposite Field by Jesse Katz (Three Rivers Press, $15.00, 352 pages).
Tagged as a novel, audiobook, baseball, Ben Holden, Bob Dylan, book review, California, coaches, competition, Dave Moyer, fiction, hardbound release, Jesse Katz, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, Life and Life Only, Little League baseball, marriage, Nook Book, parents and children, Parents Behaving Badly, popular fiction, quirky characters, recommended books, relationships, Scott Gummer, sportmanship, sports, stereotypes, Talkin' Baseball, The Opposite Field, Three Rivers Press, Touchstone, Yogi Berra, Yogi Berra quotes
The Barricades of Heaven
The Opposite Field: A Memoir by Jesse Katz (Three Rivers Press)
“Better bring your own redemption when you come/ To the barricades of Heaven where I’m from…” Jackson Browne
“Some nights I think, just maybe, I have found the place I belong.” Jesse Katz
There are probably just three groups of people who will be attracted to this memoir by Jesse Katz – parents, baseball fans and those who love the greater city of Los Angeles. No, make it four groups, as nomads must be included. Nomads in this case being defined to include those who were born and grew up in one part of the United States but found their true, instinctual home in another part of the country.
Jesse Katz is one of those nomads but in his case it was genetic. His parents met and were married in Brooklyn, but felt the need to move a million miles west to Portland, Oregon. This was the pre-hip Portland, a city of mostly white persons before it became the ultra-cool city that attracted Californians – a city with a bookstore so big that it requires a map to get around inside of it.
Author Katz grew up in a humble apartment complex near downtown Portland’s Chinatown, his father a suffering artist and later a professor at Portland State. Katz’ mother was a late bloomer, a Robert F. Kennedy inspired feminist-activist who eventually was elected to the State Legislature, then became the first woman elected as Speaker of the Assembly before becoming a two-term Mayor of the Rose City.
But this is Katz’ story which describes his escape from Portland as a teen, moving to the wilds of Los Angeles, a city that he so accurately describes as the anti-Portland. In L.A. Katz – “a white boy” – found that, “I had become a minority, the exception… I was a curiosity even. God how I loved it! Los Angeles… Where had you been all my life?”
Katz first lives north of downtown before he moves to the multicultural community of Monterey Park. Monterey Park, a city of taco stands, noodle shops and Mexican restaurants, bereft of national retailers, where the local 7-Eleven sells the Chinese Daily News. There he burrows into the Hispanic-Asian suburb (yet an independent city) just 7 miles east of downtown L.A.’s skyscrapers. And he finds a new life that centers around the seemingly minor sport of Little League baseball.
Katz, a reporter by profession, becomes the Little League coach of a team that plays at the La Loma fields in Monterey Park; coaching a team that includes his son Max. Max, unlike his father, is himself multicultural, the product of his Jewish father and Nicaraguan mother. The game of baseball as played by children may not seem to offer great lessons, but Katz comes to find the truth as expressed by writer John Tunis: “Courage is all baseball. And baseball is life; that’s why it gets under your skin.”
The game gets under Katz’ skin to the point where he agrees to serve as the Commissioner of Baseball for the multi-age league centered at La Loma. This means that every waking moment for several years, not devoted to reporting on gangs for the Los Angeles Times or writing about the city for Los Angeles magazine, is reserved to keeping the league afloat. It is, in many respects, serious business but also fun… “I could not escape the feeling that Little League was like summer camp for adults, a reprieve from whatever drudgery or disorder was besetting our regular lives, a license to care about things, about events and people, that otherwise would have passed us by.”
Katz wisely chooses to omit little of the successes and failures that he encountered, both as “The Commish” and as the single father of a teenage son. This is a look back at a life lived both large and small, and a look at a city, Los Angeles, that embraces the people who make up its communities. Yes, the city and its suburbs embrace its citizens in a fashion that is far more real than the media’s myths of L.A.’s violence and tawdriness.
This reader, who lived in L.A. and learned to love it (and was embraced by it), would love to raise a toast to Jesse Katz (AKA Chuy Gato). Perhaps one day he will let me buy him a beer at the Venice Room in Monterey Park (“the seamy cocktail lounge that sooner or later everyone ended up at…”). A toast to greater L.A., the barricades of Heaven; a place to which we were not born, a place we discovered before it was too late.
A review copy was received from The Crown Publishing Company. The Opposite Field was released in trade paperback form by Three Rivers Press on July 13, 2010.
Tagged as 7-Eleven, A Memoir, Asian, baseball, book review, books, California, Californians, children, Chinese Daily News, Crown Books, family, father and son, Hispanic, I'm Alive, Jackson Browne, Jesse Katz, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, L.A., L.A. Dodgers, life lessons, Little League baseball, Looking East, Los Angeles, Los Angeles magazine, Los Angeles Times, Max Katz, memoirs, Mexican restaurants, Mexican-Americans, Monterey Park, multicultural, Nicaraguan, nomads, Oregon, parenting, Portland, Portland Mayor, Powell's Books, recommended books, RFK, Robert F. Kennedy, social landscape, southern California, Spanish, sports, The Barricades of Heaven, The Opposite Field, Venice Room, women in politics, youth baseball
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Tag Archives: Vietnamese-American
I’m Walking to New Orleans
Mr. Cao Goes to Washington: A Documentary (shown on PBS TV on January 3, 2013 and afterward)
Joseph Cao was a Congressman who voted for Obama Care before he voted against it. This is one of the factors that led to his defeat when he ran for a second term as a U.S. Congressman from the historic Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. The producers of this documentary would have the viewer believe that Cao’s defeat had more to do with racial partisan politics but that may be an overstatement; an attempt to find more meaning than is supported by the facts.
Mr. Cao, a once-politically Independent Vietnamese-American who became a Republican, was elected to go to Washington in 2008. His election was such a surprise that, in the wake of Barack Obama’s victory with 78 percent of the vote in the Second Congressional District, the national media came to call Cao “The Accidental Congressman.”
Cao was a former seminarian whose pro-life Catholic views colored his approach to political issues, and may have put him out of touch with his poor, primarily African-American constituents. A key issue, as stated by an African-American community spokesman in the film, is that when speaking to constituents, Cao would say that he would do whatever was necessary to secure government funds and services for his district (i.e., a big government approach); but when in the company of big donor Republicans, he would oppose taxes on the rich and take other highly conservative positions (i.e., a small government approach). It was transparent enough for the voters to catch on quite easily.
Mr. Cao Goes to Washington seems to argue that Cao was roughed up the vicissitudes of politics, but then politics is not bean bag; it’s a sport for big boys and big girls, and the thin-skinned need not apply. When the Democrats nominated Cedric Richmond, a younger version of President Obama, Cao chose to go negative against Richmond, something that one of his chief political advisors (as seen near the end of the documentary) viewed as a basic mistake. Throwing mud on Richmond seemed to contradict Cao’s labeling of himself as a man of “high integrity.” Cao clearly worked extremely hard for his constituents after the disasters of Hurricane Katrina and the BP Gulf Coast oil spill, and perhaps his campaign should have focused, first and foremost, on his successes in securing services and corporate and federal rebuilding funds for his heavily-impacted district.
Cao’s strategy was proven to be quite wrong on Election Day 2010, as African-American voters in the District turned out at almost twice the usual rate – despite a heavy rain – to vote for the challenger Richmond. The election was held just days after Cao had lost his father, and he appears to be devastated and disoriented at the end of the hour-long film.
This is an excellently produced documentary, and it’s fully engaging. However, I suspect that it offers fewer lessons than intended for the average viewer since Cao is somewhat less of a sympathetic figure than the filmmakers intended. Joseph Cao seems to have been bitten by the hubris that infects most politicians, and he appears to have adopted a world and political view that was strangely narrow, based more on his religious training and personal background than on the needs of the generally impoverished voters that he was elected to serve.
In the film, we’re expected to believe that Cao honestly viewed President Obama as a close friend, despite the fact that they were of different political parties. (Sixty-eight percent of Cao’s votes over two years were supportive of the Administration.) The friendship would not survive Cao’s position change on Obama’s landmark Affordable Health Care Act, which led to distrust on both sides. Joseph Cao, like too many once-idealistic human beings, attempted to play both sides against the middle.
The lesson of Cao may be that a politician is free to change his or her views on major issues, but doing so without sufficiently explaining those changes to one’s constituents can be, and often is, fatal.
Mr. Cao is a tough reflection of a tough town. It succeeds when brightly reflecting the political wars that rage in our capital. It’s less successful when viewed as a tribute to a flawed, transitory political figure.
A review DVD was provided by PBS. Mr. Cao Goes to Washington premieres on PBS TV on January 3, 2013.
My thanks to Daniel D. Holt of Master Po Editing Services HP for his assistance on this review.
This article first appeared on the Blogcritics Video (TV/Film) site: http://blogcritics.org/video/tv-review-mr-cao-goes-to/ .
Tagged as 2008, 2008 election, 2010, 2010 election, 2013, 2nd Congressional District, Affordable Health Care Act, African-American voters, Barack Obama, Blogcritics TV/Film, Blogcritics Video, book review site wordpress, BP Gulf Coast oil spill, Catholic Congressman, Cedric Richmond, Congressman Cedric Richmond, Congressman Joseph Cao, Daniel D. Holt, documentary, election day 2010, engaging documentary, hubris, Hurricane Katrina, I'm Walking to New Orleans, January 3, Joseph Arellano, Joseph Cao, Louisiana, Master Po Editing Services HP, Mr. Cao, Mr. Cao Goes to Washington, new on PBS, New Orleans, Ninth Ward of New Orleans, NOLA, Obama Care, partisan politics, PBS, PBS TV, personal integrity, political flip-flops, politicians, politics, politics is not bean bag, President Barack Obama, pro-life legislator, racial politics, recommended documentary, recommended TV program, reelection campaign, Republican Joseph Cao, TV program review, TV review, TV/film review, U.S. politics, Vietnamese-American, Washington D.C., Wordpress book review site
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Gotta Love Tabloid Journalism
Lemon Jelly - Ramblin' Man
Just came across this page, with two interesting short stories. The top story cites a popular tabloid newspaper as its source, which is rather amusing in itself.
Tags: cgi, harry potter, news, tabloid journalism
i don't know what to believe...
lightningbaron
First they say Sir Ian McKellan was going to replace the now late legendary Richard Harris. I knew that coudln't be true, as I believe I heard Sir Ian say in an interview he wouldn't do it because he'd already done Gandalf and all that.
Then I heard Chris Lee in the running. I think that was false too.
CGI theory has been around ever since the day Harris died.
I don't know if they could pull it off. Then again, they managed to do it in Gladiator, sort of. And CGI has come a long way. I don't know.
I read about this is one of the many HP Yahoo!groups I belong to. I don't believe it. If it's true, I'm going to be rather dissapointed. It's not that I don't think McKelllen has the talent, because I believe he's a brilliant actor, but they might want to cast someone that at least resembles Richard Harris.
I heard rumblings of his stunt double, who reportedly looks very similar to Harris, taking the role, but haven't heard much of that since the original report.
And boo hiss to CGI humans. Didn't the film industry learn their lesson with FF:TSW? Their work was absolutely breathtaking, but people were - myself not included - almost squicked by humans-that-aren't-actually-human. I can only imagine what chaos that would bring to the fandom.
I'm just going to wait and see.
Sir Ian himself said on his website that the rumors of him replacing Harris are NOT true and he has no plans to do so. Chris Lee and Peter O'Toole are the others in the running I think. Although I think the Chris Lee thing may be a big rumor too. Don't know, since Lee hasn't commented on it much.
As for the CGI people....it works if they have a HUMAN to draw from, take from, base it on, etc. Case in point, Gollum in Two Towers. If they could take Harris' previous footage and un-used footag eand program it in the computer somehow, it might work. Note, I say might. And that's a very big might ;) This is ILM after all, we're talking about, and although they've stagnated recently in my opinion (yes the stuff they do for world and environment CGI is ten years ahead of everyone else, so is much of the rest of their stuff, but they have fallen behind in the CGI character creation [Jar Jar, or even some of the Potter stuff in my opinion]) they may yet surprise us. I dunno. WETA rules now. Heheh.
The New Dumbledore
E!Online is reporting that Michael Gambon, who has been seen in many recent high-profile films including Gosford Park, The Insider, and Sleepy Hollow, will replace the late Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore in the next Harry Potter film. This puts to rest rumors that our very own Gandalf, Ian McKellen, would take over the role.
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The Real Cost of Israel’s ‘Do-Over’ Elections in September
By Dov Lipman/JNS.org | July 11, 2019
A man casts his vote at the central elections committee warehouse in Shoham on March 25. (Credit: Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
While many in Israel bemoan the financial burden of the new elections this fall, the major cost to the country will likely lie in other realms.
Israel’s 21st Knesset voted to disperse itself on May 30, just one month after its inauguration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to piece together a government and chose to call for new elections rather than give another Knesset member the opportunity to try.
What does the new election—Israel’s second in six months—mean for the country?
According to Deputy Minister Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the United States, while the September elections will come with a hefty price tag, their greatest cost will not be financial in nature.
Oren told JNS that “Israelis, like so many in the world today, are experiencing a crisis of [belief] in national institutions. The authority of the judicial system, the press and the police is being questioned as never before.” But it is the political echelon, he said, that suffers from the most profound credibility problem, adding that “the failure of political leaders to form a government and their decision to go once again to elections further deepens this crisis.”
The true challenge, said Oren, will be to “restore our citizens’ faith in the Knesset and its majority coalition” after the Sept. 17 elections.
As for the economic cost, Bayan Wattad of the Finance Ministry’s budget division warned back in May that “a source does not exist” within the state budget for funds to cover the cost of the new elections. The money, he said, would therefore have to be found by “reducing government activity.”
The direct cost to the Israeli government for new elections, including a budget for the central elections committee and state funding for parties running in the elections, is estimated at NIS 800 million ($220 million). There is also the indirect cost of government workers, like Knesset members themselves, who are getting paid but aren’t doing any work, which is more difficult to assess.
The greatest loss, however, arises due to the fact that election day is an official vacation day in Israel. The country’s daily GDP is approximately NIS 5 billion ($1.4 billion), and according to conservative estimates, election day represents a loss to the Israeli economy of some NIS 1.5 billion ($410 million). This means a cumulative loss of nearly NIS 2.5 billion ($700.3 million), with close to 1 billion of that coming directly from the government.
‘Harms the Stability of Business’
Despite the seemingly hefty price tag, however, Professor Yedidia Stern, vice president for research at the Israel Democracy Institute and a professor of law at Bar-Ilan University, told JNS that ultimately the new election won’t really cost the state anything.
“Had a new government been formed,” he explained, “the state budget would have increased, as each party would have asked for large budget increases for their ministries as a condition to enter the government. Since a new election was called, all ministry budgets remain stagnant and are prorated based on the last budget approved by the last government. So it actually evens out from a purely economic outlook.”
This stagnation, however, comes with its own cost. Government ministries continue to function during election season—for example, the Education Ministry is preparing for the opening of the school year on Sept. 1. The problem is that ministries cannot implement new initiatives, which prevents problems from being addressed and progress from being made.
The April 9 election was called in December 2018. With the second election being held in September 2019, and taking into account the time it will take to form a new government after the new election, the government has essentially been shut down for a year.
“With all the political disputes which Israel has, elections have always run well, with a smooth transition of power. This is the first time that the elections did not lead to the formation of a government. This will have a horrific effect on the public and also raises many procedural questions about the Israeli system,” Stern said.
Stern is convinced that fewer people will vote in September.
“This means that the smaller, more sectarian parties will increase their power because they will bring their supporters out to vote,” he said. “This will create an imbalance because democracy is supposed to reflect the will of the people, but this election won’t reflect the true will of the people. In a successful democracy, the people participate, and their voices are heard. That ideal will be lost in the repeat election.”
By Dov Lipman/JNS.org
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New Book Calls for Getting Smarter about Cybercrime
Cybercrimes, when they occur, are almost unrivaled in generating attention and even fear. Whether in the form of assaults on individual bank accounts or coordinated efforts to skew a presidential election, most people agree that protecting our data should be a top national priority. Nonetheless, there is a broad gap between knowing what to protect and understanding how to protect it.
“Unfortunately, even though we’ve seen academics, politicians and government officials talk about cybercrime as being such a great threat, there are very few criminological studies that look at different kinds of cybercrime,” said Associate Professor Marie-Helen Maras of John Jay’s Department of Security, Fire and Emergency Management, who also teaches in the digital forensics and cybersecurity program.
Maras said that existing studies concentrate on just a few cybercrimes and criminological theories; what is currently lacking is a comprehensive examination of cybercrime through the lens of criminology. Her latest book, Cybercriminology (Oxford University Press, 2016), does just that.
“I think there’s a misconception that in order to be a researcher in cybercrime, you need to have the same technical knowledge, skills and abilities that you would need to perform in a computer science program. That’s incorrect,” Maras said. “We must understand the perpetrators to anticipate their next move. As security professionals, if we understand the environment where they operate, we can determine appropriate countermeasures.”
By using traditional criminological techniques to study non-traditional crimes, Maras hopes to break down the barrier of understanding when it comes to cybercrime and show that these concepts are accessible to a general audience. She does this through simple language and concrete examples.
“There’s currently a deficit in our national capacity to deal with cybercriminals,” she said. “From an educational perspective, we’ve always had computer science degrees, we have programmers, but that’s not what we need. We need individuals from all disciplines to have some cyber-related training, experience, and knowledge.”
Sociology, psychology, public administration, criminal justice, law, economics, political science, and security are a few of the fields that Maras believes should be incorporating cybercrime into their curriculums.
Maras is an advocate for mandatory cybersecurity standards across the private sector. This idea has been floated before but never adopted because private companies have resisted any increased governmental regulation. An executive order issued in 2013 tasked the National Institute of Standards and Technology with creating principles, policies and guidelines aimed at developing a cybersecurity framework with the potential to minimize threats. However, adoption of the framework was voluntary, thus limiting its impact.
According to Maras, this is a problem largely because when a private company is hacked, the liability falls on the individual, not the company. “If someone steals my identity, who has to take all of the actions to clear my name?” She shared an anecdote about a woman whose identity was stolen and who was later billed by a hospital for a leg amputation. The woman walked to the hospital to prove that she had, in fact, two fully functional and intact legs, yet the hospital and her insurance company continued to bill her for nearly two years.
Individuals often become victims of identity theft through no fault of their own because of third-party data breaches. “One of the major conclusions from Cybercriminology is that we not only need to educate consumers about the need to request greater protection of their data by third parties, we need a radical reform in our education system from the bottom up to teach the next generation about cybercrime, cybersecurity, and safe Internet practices.”
In the classroom, Maras does not hold back when it comes to teaching her students that they are all vulnerable to cyberattacks. They even started using the hashtag #MarasMadeMeParanoid. But according to Maras, a little paranoia is just what people need.
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Vinnie Vincent Preparing ‘Uncomfortable’ Memoir
Martin Kielty
Former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent said that his upcoming memoir will contain “the in-depth answers to everything” he had experienced, and admitted it would be an “uncomfortable” read.
Vincent, who played with Kiss from 1982-84, has spent most of the past two decades out of the spotlight, only recently returning to public attention.
“I've been away 20 years, not by choosing, but because of events that happened," he told Talking Metal (via Blabbermouth). "So those events will be really talked about in uncomfortable depth — because it's cathartic, number one. Number two, the fans deserve to know; and I deserve to tell it. And it's nice to be back, but you can only be back unless … The meaning of being back, the reason and the meaningfulness of being back can only depend on the resolve of the past … that book is my resolve.”
He noted that the book, which is being co-written with an unidentified author, would be “a very interesting read and something that will be not a one-time picking it up and never reading it again” experience.
“If I have my way – which I will – it will be something that I wanna read a few times," he said. "Even though whatever happened to me happened, I wanna make sure that it's compelling enough where I get to pick it up and not put it down for a while. And if I can do that ... "
Vincent compared it to a record. “If I could listen to my own recordings, which a lot of times is difficult, but if I can listen to my own recordings and actually enjoy them, then I know I've done something that is satisfying to me," he said. "So I want the book to be that way. And there's a lot to tell.”
Meanwhile, his former Kiss bandmate Gene Simmons commented once again on speculation surrounding the band’s bid to trademark “The End of the Road,” leading to speculation that a farewell tour is being considered. “We can’t keep doing this forever,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We are the hardest-working band in show business. If [Mick] Jagger stepped into my dragon boots, he couldn’t last a half hour.”
He added that the band “doesn’t want to stay onstage a day longer than when we feel valid. … Remember, we introduced ourselves as ‘When you wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world.’ Not we ‘used to be the best.'”
Next: Kiss Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Source: Vinnie Vincent Preparing ‘Uncomfortable’ Memoir
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Posts Tagged: LanDesk
A Little Sunshine / Data Breaches / The Coming Storm — 61 Comments
Breach at IT Automation Firm LANDESK
LANDESK, a company that sells software to help organizations securely and remotely manage their fleets of desktop computers, servers and mobile devices, alerted employees last week that a data breach may have exposed their personal information. But LANDESK employees contacted by this author say the breach may go far deeper for the company and its customers.
The South Jordan, Utah-based LANDESK makes and markets software that helps organizations manage all users, platforms and devices from a single digital dashboard. The company’s software specializes in automating and integrating IT systems management, endpoint security management, service management, IT asset management, and mobile device management.
On Nov. 18, 2015, LANDESK sent a letter to current and former employees warning of an intrusion, stating that “it is possible that, through this compromise, hackers obtained personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, of some LANDESK employees and former Wavelink employees.”
LANDESK declined to answer questions for this story. But the company did share a written statement that mirrors much of the text in the letter sent to affected employees:
“We recently became aware of some unusual activity on our systems and immediately initiated safeguards as a precaution and began an investigation. As part of our ongoing investigation in partnership with a leading computer forensics firm, we recently learned that a small amount of personally identifiable information for a limited number of our employees may have been accessible during the breach. While no data compromises of personally identifiable information are confirmed at this point, we have reached out with information and security resources to individuals who may have been affected. The security of our networks is our top priority and we are acting accordingly.”
“The few employees who may have been affected were notified promptly, and at this point the impact appears to be quite small.”
According to a LANDESK employee who spoke on condition of anonymity, the breach was discovered quite recently, but system logs show the attackers first broke into LANDESK’s network 17 months ago, in June 2014.
The employee, we’ll call him “John,” said the company only noticed the intrusion when several co-workers started complaining of slow Internet speeds. A LANDESK software developer later found that someone in the IT department had been logging into his build server, so he asked them about it. The IT department said it knew nothing of the issue. Continue reading →
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Police Fatally Shoot Man in South L.A.; Family Members Say He Was Lying Down When Shot
Posted 5:01 AM, August 12, 2014, by John A. Moreno, Melissa Pamer and Nerissa Knight, Updated at 11:39PM, August 12, 2014
Family members said Tuesday that a 25-year-old man was complying with police orders when he was fatally shot by LAPD officers in the Florence neighborhood South Los Angeles.
Officers are seen on a street in South Los Angeles where a man was fatally shot by police on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)
Officers responded to a report of a possible officer-involved shooting at the intersection of West 65th Street and South Broadway (map) at 8:12 p.m. Monday, Lt. Ellis Imaizumi of the Los Angeles Police Department said Monday evening.
Patrol officers had "conducted an investigative stop" in the 200 block of 65th Street, and "during the stop a struggle ensued" and police opened fire, an LAPD news release issued midmorning Tuesday stated.
The man was transported to a hospital where he underwent surgery, according to Officer Sara Faden, spokeswoman for the LAPD. He later succumbed to his injuries, police confirmed.
LAPD responds to the scene were police fatally shot a man on Aug. 11, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)
Officers sustained minor scrapes during the altercation and did not require hospitalization, Imaizumi had said very early Tuesday. The news release stated no officers were injured.
Police were being tight-lipped with details about the incident because of a "gathering" at the scene of the shooting, Imaizumi said.
It was unknown if the "suspect" had any gang affiliations, police said in the news release.
A woman who said she was the deceased man's mother identified him in a phone call to KTLA as Ezell Ford.
Ezell Ford is shown in a photo provided by his family. He was fatally shot by police on Aug. 11, 2014.
"My heart is so heavy," Tritobia Ford said in an interview Tuesday evening. "My son was a good kid. He didn't deserve to die the way he did."
Her son was lying on the ground and complying with the officers' commands when he was shot three times, Tritobia Ford said.
In the aftermath of the shooting, she said, police refused to inform her of where Ezell Ford was hospitalized.
An LAPD supervisor at the scene of the shooting was unaware of anyone being denied information, Faden said Tuesday.
The victim's family members interviewed on camera at the scene of the shooting on Monday night supported Tritobia Ford's account.
A man who did not give his name and identified himself only as a cousin of the victim described what he witnessed, saying he had been around the corner when the altercation first occurred.
“They laid him out and for whatever reason, they shot him in the back, knowing mentally, he has complications. Every officer in this area, from the Newton Division, knows that — that this child has mental problems," the man said.
"The excessive force … there was no purpose for it. The multiple shootings in the back while he’s laying down? No. Then when the mom comes, they don’t try to console her … they pull the billy clubs out."
The victim's grandmother, who did not give her name, told KTLA in a phone conversation that he was 24. Other relatives insisted he was 25 years old.
An investigation was ongoing into the shooting, which came two days after Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting in the St. Louis suburb sparked widespread anger, marches, confrontations with police and looting.
Reaction to the South Los Angeles shooting was spreading on social media Tuesday under the hashtag #EzellFord. A rally was being organized for 3 p.m. Sunday at LAPD headquarters, according to a Facebook invitation.
Civil rights leaders called for a meeting with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck over Ford's shooting, according to Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson.
"The killing of Ezell Ford -- coming on the heels of the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri -- again raises the issue and problem of tense police-community relations," Hutchinson said in a statement. "This is the sole reason we have called for a meeting ... to get all the facts in the shooting and for assurances that the shooting will be subject to the most rigorous review to determine if there was any wrongdoing in Ford’s death."
The fatal incident was expected to be reviewed by Beck, the Office of the Inspector General and Board of Police Commissioners "for compliance with the department's use-of-force policy, which states that an officer’s use-of-force actions must objectively reasonable," the LAPD's news release stated.
The officer who opened fire on Ford has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, according to Sgt. Barry Montgomery.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division was also expected to review the shooting.
Anyone with information was asked to call the LAPD's Force Investigation Division at 213-486-5230.
KTLA's Scott Williams contributed to this article.
Topics: ezell ford, Los Angeles Police Department, shooting, South Los Angeles
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Family Says Costco Shooting Victim Was Mentally Disabled, Non-Verbal
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Ken's Alternate Universe!
Geeking Out Over Pretty Much Everything!
July 11, 2019 by kenfontenot
A Super Partnership?
At Your Local Walmart
Love it or hate it, you can’t deny the reach of Walmart. While I personally tend to do most of my retail shopping at Target or other stores, sometimes a trip to Walmart is unavoidable. Starting last year, DC Comics gave me one more reason to risk life and limb down the aisles of the Big Blue Box Store. DC began releasing exclusive 100 Page Giant comic issues featuring twelve pages of original content and reprints of recent stories from DC’s collection. Stories featuring Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and other popular characters were released in a monthly format that allowed more casual readers a chance to not only read an original story, but catch up on fairly current stories as well. Most of the reprinted stories appear to be from the New 52 line or just a tad bit older. The books sold so well that DC expanded the line to include books for characters such as the Flash and Teen Titans and also released holiday-specific books as well. I own the Halloween Horror Giant that features Swamp Thing, Aquaman, Blue Devil, Scarecrow, Reaper, and Zatanna. It’s an excellent book.
Earlier this year, DC announced that they would be dropping Walmart’s exclusivity on this line and would begin selling the books at comic shops. They’ve also begun reprinting the original stories from these 100 Page Giants and releasing them as individual stories at comic retail shops. This is a great thing, as it has been somewhat difficult to find many of these books at Walmart. In many cases, I couldn’t find any books at all. At other times I was able to easily find multiple issues of books both new and old in the same area of certain Walmart locations. I also found plenty of damaged books as well.
The success of these books had opened the door for even more exclusive items at Walmart. The first exclusive is a wave of Batman: Black & White miniature statues based upon the DC Collectibles Black & White 7″ polyresin statue line. These statues, standing roughly 3.75″ tall, are plastic versions of their larger counterparts and feature a blank base. The 7″ statues feature a black and white Batman logo.
Mike Allred’s Black & White Batman miniature statue.
At the time of this post, three series have been released of these miniature statues. Each series features six statues based upon the work of artists such as Frank Quitely, Patrick Gleason, Amanda Conner, and Dick Sprang. They come in blind bags and cost about five bucks each. With such a small amount of figures to collect, though, getting duplicates is rather easy. In fact, I’ve purchased five blind bags far and already have a duplicate.
The full-sized Darwyn Cooke Batman with a stylized base.
DC announced that these figures would be released as a set at comic shops and would include a seventh exclusive figure. If you’re a fan of Batman, I highly recommend nabbing some of these statues if you can find them.
Series 3 of the Black & White Miniature line.
Teaming up with Walmart has proven to be profitable for DC Comics. Yes, the giant retailer has shut down plenty of independent comic book shops over the years, but by exposing potential new readers to some great stories and cool exclusive items, this partnership might actually help local comic retailers. I especially like the fact that DC has started releasing reprints of the stories and full sets of the miniature statues with exclusive bonus statues at comic shops, as it gives folks that might have missed something a second chance at picking up what they want.
Have you read any of the Giants? Do you own any of the statues? Let me know in the comments and also tell me how you feel about DC Comics or any other comic company teaming up with big retailers such as Walmart. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you all again real soon.
Posted in action figures, batman, Comics, dc
Tagged Batman, batman black and white, comic books, DC Comics, superman, swamp thing, walmart, Wonder Woman
July 9, 2019 by kenfontenot
Stranger Things Season 3 Review
In a quiet little town called Hawkins….
Things definitely got a little stranger in the third season of Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers changed up the dynamic of our core group by having not only an evil being out to get them, but also having them tackle topics such as teen romance, infighting, bottom of the barrel jobs, and Russians…..yep, Russians.
Non-spoiler review ahead.
Lucas and Mike are in love with Max and El, respectively. The season fires up with Lucas and Max on the outs and eventually Mike and El end up in the same boat. Lucas, being the more experienced romantic, attempts to walk Mike through the highs and lows of a teenage breakup. You’ll have to watch to see how successful he is with Mike. Poor Will gets left in the dust by Lucas and Mike.
Max and El trek out on their own, embracing the sister-like bond forming between them. Their friendship strengthens via activities that include sleepovers, trips to the mall, using El’s powers for questionable purposes, and checking out comic books. There’s even a brief fashion montage thrown in for good measure.
Hopper and Joyce bond as well, as they set out to find why magnets won’t work anymore in certain parts of Hawkins. They team up with Murray Bauman, the conspiracy theorist that exposed the love that existed between Nancy and Jonathan in Season Two. Together they battle it out with a foreign power that has infiltrated Hawkins in an ingenious way.
Jonathan and Nancy find themselves working as a photographer and office runner for the local newspaper. Much like Hopper, Joyce, and Murray, they stumble upon something that brings back old memories for the group. Their relationship also runs into a few mild snags, but nothing too major.
Then there’s good ol’ Billy, the trashy stepbrother to Max. He finds himself in a very tight spot early in the season and we get to watch as his character develops into a major threat for the group. The flirtation that happened between him and Mike’s mom in Season Two progresses into something more this season as well, but I won’t spoil anything here.
Last but not least, the best bromance in all of streaming programs is revisited hen Dustin, fresh from summer camp, teams up with Steve, stuck in a dead end job at Scoops Ahoy in the new Starcourt Mall. Added to their group is Erica, Lucas’ younger sister, and Robin, Mike’s co-worker at Scoops Ahoy. I’ll get to them a little bit later.
So how is the season? In my opinion, it’s very good. It’s stronger content-wise when compared to Season Two and it doesn’t have any jarring episodes that throw off the rhythm of the series like Season Two did with that episode where El goes to Chicago. The relationships built in this season are powerful as well, especially the bond between El and Max, El and Hopper, and Robin and Steve.
This season also feels like an 80’s film more than either of the other two seasons. There are real threats present for all of the cast members as they are broken up into smaller groups. Each threat that they face eventually comes to a head at the climax of the series.
The special effects were very solid, especially considering the size of one of the creatures that the group has to face. There are also plenty of nods to classic 80’s films and television shows such as Evil Dead, Magnum P.I., and The Thing, and a few blatant tips of the hat to shows and films like Back to the Future, Cheers, and Day of the Dead. Much like the show did in previous seasons by adding popular 80’s stars to the cast such as Matthew Modine, Paul Reiser, and Sean Astin, this season brought us Cary Elwes as sleazy Mayor Kline.
New additions to the cast such as Elwes as Kline and Maya Hawke as Robin and an expansion of roles for returning characters such as Erica (Priah Ferguson) and Murray (Brett Gelman) also strengthened the show as a whole. Robin and Erica held their own while featuring in almost every scene with Dustin and Mike. While Erica did get a little mouthy at times, she still injected some much needed humor in an otherwise dark season.
The series wasn’t perfect, however. Product placement was terribly noticeable. Seeing old storefronts for extinct stores like Wicks N’ Sticks and Waldenbooks was cool, but the blatant New Coke moment and massive Burger King shot and references were annoying. The Seven-Eleven moments fit into the story quite well, however.
I also got annoyed by the use of 80’s music throughout the season. Don’t get me wrong, music is just as important as any other element in a film or television series, but the placement of 80’s hit tunes felt forced at times.
Overall, this season was better than Season Two and can hold its own against Season One. The kids have grown up a lot and the adults didn’t skip a beat. The character development was solid and the ending…..well, it was just brutal. Things are left wide open for Season Four and there is already a ton of speculation as to who or what might turn up next season.
As always, thanks for reading. I’ll be posting again real soon.
Posted in Nerdy stuff, netflix
Tagged eleven, hopper, horror, joe keery, millie bobby brown, netflix, steve harrington, stranger things, stranger things 3
Artwork by Alex Ross.
The Next Chapter Is Coming!
Sulphur, LA
For the sixth year in a row, the cliffhangers of yesteryear are returning to southwest Louisiana at Calcasieu Serialfest! This free event will once again be held at the Brimstone Museum in Sulphur.
You’ll get to watch selected chapters from serials of the 1930’s and 40’s featuring such heroes and adventurers as Spy Smasher, Captain Marvel, and the Lone Ranger. There will be free popcorn and drinks served at the event and even a free lunch!
The festival always highlights specific individuals that had an impact on serials over the years. Usually this is an actor such as Buster Crabbe or Tom Tyler, but this year Serialfest will celebrate the work of two pioneering special effects artists, the Lydecker Brothers! Howard and Theodore Lydecker became known for their effects work using large and detailed props. They were nominated for two Emmys during their time in film, with Howard winning the Individual Achievement in Cinematography for his work on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Some of the serials that will have chapters shown at the event include Adventures of Captain Marvel, Darkest Africa, Undersea Kingdom, The Crimson Ghost, and The Lone Ranger. Be sure to also keep an eye out for Gene Autry in The Phantom Empire.
A special surprise for attendees will be a viewing of selected chapters from Mystery of the Bat-Man. This lost serial, recently “uncovered” in 2015, is a tribute not only to Batman’s first comic appearance, but to serials as a whole. Director/producer/actor Ryan Bijan will be in attendance. Be sure to check out all of the available chapters of this serial on YouTube.
Cosplayer Bill Necessary will also be in attendance. He’ll be dressed as some of your favorite classic serial heroes. Mr. Necessary has become a fixture of Calcasieu Serialfest, and it’s always great to see him bring many of these amazing characters to life.
The event will take place at the Brimstone Museum located at 900 S Huntington Street in Sulphur, LA on Saturday, July 20th. Serials will begin playing at 10 AM and continue until 5 PM that evening. As already stated, free popcorn and drinks will be served throughout the day and a free lunch will also be offered to attendees. There will also be door prizes given out at the event.
I’ve been a huge fan of Calcasieu Serialfest since its inception. I’ve attended the festival every year save one where other things got in the way. If you are in or near the Lake Charles/Sulphur/southwest Louisiana area, make plans to attend this great event. See the earliest live action versions of some of pop cultures biggest heroes.
Thanks for taking the time to check out my latest post. Feel free to share it with others and be sure to leave a comment as well. More great things are coming to Ken’s Alternate Universe very soon, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!
Posted in fantasy, Festivals, films, Nerdy stuff
Tagged bill necessary, brimstone museum, calcasieu serialfest, louisiana, spy smasher, sulphur
June 27, 2019 by kenfontenot
Throwback Thursday: This Bigfoot Isn’t Blurry!
Just a stone’s throw away from Fouke, Arkansas is Texarkana, Texas. While that fact may not interest everyone, it definitely got the attention of Bigfoot fans earlier this month. On June 14th and 15th in Texarkana, The Legend of Boggy Creek was shown at the Perot Theatre, the same theater where the film premiered in 1972. Additional showings have been scheduled nationwide in select theaters. The film has been fully remastered using 4K technology by the George Eastman Museum of Rochester, New York and Audio Mechanics in Burbank, California.
Fans of creature features and cryptids alike have made the film a cult classic. It helped spawn the Bigfoot craze of the 1970’s and became a catalyst for the release of other Bigfoot related films such as Creature From Black Lake, Harry and the Hendersons, Willow Creek, and Abominable. It set the bar for docudramas and mockumentaries as well and is credited as a major influence in many found footage and documentary style films such as The Blair Witch Project.
The film primarily featured locals and witnesses in the area. It was produced and directed by Charles B. Pierce. Pierce was a set decorator, screenwriter, producer, director, actor and more and worked for many years in film and television. Some of his best known works include The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976, director and producer), Sudden Impact (1983, initial screenplay writer), and Fresno (1986 miniseries, Primetime Emmy nominee for set decoration).
I actually saw the film’s second sequel entitled Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues before seeing the original film and it’s first sequel, Return To Boggy Creek (1977). Pierce had nothing to do with Return, and ignored that film’s events when he made Boggy Creek II. Released in 1985, the film triggered dreams of capturing Bigfoot in my nine year old mind. I’m still a huge fan of cryptid films and cryptozoology in general because of the film and would love to see it remastered as well.
Hopefully I will get a chance to see The Legend of Boggy Creek in all of its remastered theatrical glory. I don’t know if it will be released in Louisiana. I hope that it at least has a showing in Shreveport, LA, where some of the film was shot. After a few more theatrical showings, a Blu-ray of the film will be made available. For more information on the film and a store featuring some pretty cool merchandise, visit the film’s official website. You can also sign up for their newsletter on the site.
Thank you for revisiting this cult classic with me. Let me know in the comments if you’re a fan of the film, a believer in Bigfoot, or even a skeptic.
Posted in films, Throwback Thursday
Tagged arkansas, bigfoot, boggy creek II: And The Legend Continues, charles b. pierce, cryptid, fouke, louisiana, shreveport, texarkana, texas, the legend of boggy creek
Monster Mash!
Fenway Park And Beyond….
Godzilla: King of the Monsters has been out for almost two weeks now. It’s ticket sales haven’t been impressive and it has been slammed by critics, but the bottom line is this: If you watch a Godzilla movie hoping for anything other than massive monster fights, you’re watching it for the wrong reason.
KOTM is loud, has a thin plot that gives us little more than a reason for giant monsters to battle one another and a surprisingly solid cast of human characters that do little more than get knocked out of the way of the film’s real stars, the monsters. But you know what? That’s really all that it needs because this film is FUN.
After watching the film in the theater with my son, I remained seated as the credits rolled along and thought that I just saw a very good monster flick full of action and noise. Sure, the action was shot very close up and it was often hard to follow, but it was still enjoyable. I also remembered that there were a number of epic shots in the film that showcased not only the quality of the CGI, but the overall look and feel of the movie as a whole.
I walked out of the theater still believing that I saw an enjoyable (but not necessarily great) film. I hopped into my vehicle with my son and we actually sat there for a few minutes talking about our favorite parts of the movie. It was at this moment that I realized just how much I loved this film. The more we talked, the more I noticed how really cool Godzilla’s primary adversary was and just how much I wanted to see more of the character. I also discovered just how truly beautiful and epic Godzilla’s sidekick was and how amazingly silly the villain’s assistant happened to be in the film.
I also recalled just how dumb the plot was in the movie but how necessary it was to bring so many monsters onto the screen at one time. Ignore the film’s human-centered plot and focus on the monsters’ reasons for battling it out across the globe.
After arriving at our home, I laid down in bed to go to sleep. I caught myself smiling as I revisited certain moments, monsters, and characters in the film. I love this film and if you appreciate noisy monster movies with paper thin plots, you’ll love this one, too. Go see Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the theater. The ending promises bigger things to come and be sure to stay until all of the credits have rolled.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring, The Manchurian Candidate), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Super 8), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai, Inception), Zhang Ziyi (Memoirs of a Geisha, The Cloverfield Paradox), and Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things, Intruders) as well as Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.
As always, thank you for reading my post. See you again real soon. I plan on taking a look back on a legendary monster flick celebrating almost fifty years with a remastered limited release in a couple of days.
Posted in films, Nerdy stuff, Science Fiction
Tagged ghidorah, godzilla, ken watanabe, millie bobby brown, mothra, rodan, stranger things, vera farmiga, warner brothers
Slow Burner
Brightburn, KS
I saw Brightburn a couple of weekends ago. It has a very small cast, a very simple plot, and does a decent job of telling its story. The basic premise of the film is that young Brandon Breyer has been the perfect child for his parents, Tori and Kyle, but after hitting twelve years of age, things change….a lot.
Brandon begins to develop powers very similar to a superhero that we all know and love. That hero is Superman. Just like Superman, Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) fell to our planet in a spaceship as an infant. The Breyers, desperate for a child of their own but apparently unable to conceive, take in Brandon as their own. Kyle (David Denman) hides the spaceship in the family barn and he and his wife raise Brandon in a normal, human home. Brandon learns that he has super strength, super speed, heat vision, the ability to fly, possibly super hearing, and he only has one weakness that will remain nameless.
Unlike Superman, Brandon is compelled to use his powers for evil. He wants to control everything and everyone. There is a reason for all of this that I won’t go into, but it possibly sets up a potential sequel if it is decided that one will be made. Brandon terrorizes the locals and people start to die and/or go missing but Tori (Elizabeth Banks) refuses to believe that her son is the culprit in all of the chaos.
Despite not wanting to believe it, Kyle realizes that Brandon truly is a disturbed individual. As he slowly uncovers the magnitude of Brandon’s powers, he decides that something has to be done. Does Kyle stop Brandon? Does Tori realize that her son is pure evil? Does a Lex Luthor type show up to save the day? You’ll have to watch Brightburn to find out.
The film is pretty enjoyable. There are plenty of things about it that could have been done differently or perhaps better, but it was a satisfying film to watch. The ending leaves things wide open for a sequel and I do hope that one is made as I believe that this film set the table for better things in the future.
The cast did a fine job. Not one person in the bunch gave a bad performance. Dunn was solid as Brandon as he slowly spiraled into an evil abyss, and Banks was very convincing as a mother who believes that her son isn’t capable of doing bad things. Denman was solid as an awkward father learning as he goes with a son going through some major changes. Other members of the cast included Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner as Brandon’s uncle and aunt, Becky Wahlstrom as Erica, the mother of Caitlyn (Emmie Hunter), a young girl that Brandon is attracted to, and Gregory Alan Williams as the local sheriff trying to solve the murders and mysteries in his town.
Elizabeth Banks stars in Sony PIctures’ BRIGHTBURN.
My only complaint with this film is one of the same complaints that I have with Superman flicks: Brandon is too overpowered and lacks a real adversary in the movie. That’s why I’m hoping that a real challenge shows up in a sequel. Other than that, the movie was pretty good. It moved slowly, featured a decent amount of scares (most of the jump variety), and even a bit of suspense. It had some pretty harsh moments that earned its R rating, but cleaning up a bit of the gore and language, this film could have passed for a PG-13 flick. It was written by Brian and Mark Gunn and produced by James Gunn.
To be completely honest, I would only go check this out in theaters if you wanted to see it based on the trailers. I don’t believe that your average moviegoer (especially those that cut their teeth on the PG-13 fare of Marvel) will be interested in this film, as it focuses on horror more than action, and DC fans might be turned off by the fact that it’s simply Superman’s story with an evil twist. Horror fans may not care for the supervillain angle, but this movie is definitely more in their wheelhouse than in comic fan’s.
As always, thanks for reading. I plan on reviewing Godzilla: King of the Monsters in a few days. I saw it over the weekend and really enjoyed it.
Posted in Comics, dc, marvel
Tagged brightburn, david denman, elizabeth banks, horror, jackson a. dunn, superman
steven on Marvel At This?
Patrick on Marvel At This?
Poppy Herrin on Throwback Thursday: Teen …
Poppy Herrin on Shark Bait! Our Obsession With…
It’s Just A Ga… on “None Of This Is Real…
dc animated universe
Nerdy stuff
Ten Burning Questions
Thirty-One Days O'Horror
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Wednesday, Aug 1 2007
Hispanic, Black Men More Likely To Contract HIV From Drug Use, Related Risky Behavior, According to Findings Presented at Conference
Hispanic and black men are more likely than others to become HIV-positive through injection drug use and other risky behaviors related to any type of drug use, Rhonda Hagler, medical director of the New Jersey-based HIV/AIDS clinic Proceed, told participants at the 2007 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS on Monday, the Miami Herald reports. Hagler said, "Drugs, whether you inject them, inhale them or take them orally, alter your judgment and put you at risk for HIV."
According to a 2004 CDC survey, Hispanic and black men are nearly three times as likely as white non-Hispanic men and nearly twice as likely as Asian-Americans to contract the virus from sharing needles.
Hispanic and black women, on the other hand, are less likely than white non-Hispanic and Asian women to become HIV-positive through injection drug use. In addition, Hispanics are 43% more likely to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS during the disease's late stages, compared with 37% of non-Hispanic whites, according to a 2006 CDC report. The report also found that 45% of Hispanics have been tested for HIV/AIDS, compared with 54% of non-Hispanic whites.
Jose Moreno, professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a Herald interview, "My patients with HIV have a higher viral load because they've been infected for a long time and don't have the resources to see a doctor." He added, "Some of them may be illegal, and they're afraid of being deported."
Hagler said that HIV-positive individuals who use drugs have higher suicide rates; a quicker progression from HIV to AIDS; and complications from combining prescription drugs with illegal substances (Tasker, Miami Herald , 7/31).
Additional Conference Information
The conference aims to increase HIV/AIDS awareness among Hispanics and includes presentations from local and national health officials about prevention, statistics and overall impact of federal and state policy ( Miami Herald , 7/30). Over two days, conference participants are expected to discuss Hispanics' lack of access to medical care and undocumented immigrants' awareness of HIV/AIDS ( Miami Herald , 7/29). Actress Rosie Perez spoke at the conference Monday, saying, "We get tired and frustrated from the apathy there is on this subject," adding, "We must re-commit every morning. We're brothers and sisters in this fight" ( Miami Herald , 7/31).
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In 1959, Van Dyke landed a small part in the Broadway comedy review Girls Against the Boys. The show only lasted two weeks, and he soon moved on to another production. Along with Chita Rivera, Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly, Van Dyke was cast in the musical Bye Bye Birdie, which made its Broadway debut in 1960. The musical proved to a big hit, and it brought Van Dyke his one and only Tony Award win in 1961, for his supporting role. Not long after, his career took off.
Shop for Your Personal Style - No matter what home decor style speaks to you - Urban Chic, Traditional, Rustic Country or Casual Comfort - Art Van Furniture offers inspiring furniture collections. The interior design experts at Art Van specialize in mixing materials, craftsmanship and room by room decorating suggestions to make designing your dream home simple. Start from the floor up and be inspired to furnish your home with furniture that you personalize with color, fabrics, finishes and accents that speak to you.
Van Dyke took a more dramatic turn in the 1990s. He starred in the popular crime drama Diagnosis Murder alongside his real-life son, Barry Van Dyke. Debuting in 1993, the series featured Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical professional who helped the police solve crimes. The series ended in 2001, but Van Dyke didn't stay away from the small screen for long. He played another amateur detective in a series of TV movies, beginning with 2006's Murder 101. That same year, the actor appeared in the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum.
In 1957 Francis Bacon based a series of paintings on reproductions of Van Gogh's The Painter on the Road to Tarascon, the original of which was destroyed during the Second World War. Bacon was inspired by an image he described as "haunting", and regarded Van Gogh as an alienated outsider, a position which resonated with him. Bacon identified with Van Gogh's theories of art and quoted lines written to Theo: "[R]eal painters do not paint things as they are ... [T]hey paint them as they themselves feel them to be."[285]
Van Gogh returned to Cuesmes in August 1880, where he lodged with a miner until October.[52] He became interested in the people and scenes around him, and recorded them in drawings after Theo's suggestion that he take up art in earnest. He travelled to Brussels later in the year, to follow Theo's recommendation that he study with the Dutch artist Willem Roelofs, who persuaded him – in spite of his dislike of formal schools of art – to attend the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts. He registered at the Académie in November 1880, where he studied anatomy and the standard rules of modelling and perspective.[53]
Van Gogh returned home a fortnight later and resumed painting, producing a mirror-image Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, several still lifes, and La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930). Several weeks later, he again showed symptoms of mental disturbance severe enough to cause him to be sent back to the hospital. At the end of April 1889, fearful of losing his renewed capacity for work, which he regarded as a guarantee of his sanity, he asked to be temporarily shut up in the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in order to be under medical supervision.
By March 1882, Mauve appears to have gone cold towards Van Gogh, and stopped replying to his letters.[72] He had learned of Van Gogh's new domestic arrangement with an alcoholic prostitute, Clasina Maria "Sien" Hoornik (1850–1904), and her young daughter.[73] Van Gogh had met Sien towards the end of January 1882, when she had a five-year-old daughter and was pregnant. She had previously borne two children who died, but Van Gogh was unaware of this;[74] on 2 July, she gave birth to a baby boy, Willem.[75] When Van Gogh's father discovered the details of their relationship, he put pressure on his son to abandon Sien and her two children. Vincent at first defied him,[76] and considered moving the family out of the city, but in late 1883, he left Sien and the children.[77]
The sunflowers were painted to decorate the walls in anticipation of Gauguin's visit, and Van Gogh placed individual works around the Yellow House's guest room in Arles. Gauguin was deeply impressed and later acquired two of the Paris versions.[134] After Gauguin's departure, Van Gogh imagined the two major versions of the sunflowers as wings of the Berceuse Triptych, and included them in his Les XX in Brussels exhibit. Today the major pieces of the series are among his best known, celebrated for the sickly connotations of the colour yellow and its tie-in with the Yellow House, the expressionism of the brush strokes, and their contrast against often dark backgrounds.[244]
We had a little ranch way out in the middle of nowhere. My wife didn't like showbusiness - as most spouses don't: they get shunted aside. But it was too soon for me. I could not afford either emotionally or financially to quit and retire. Not in my forties. We finally parted company because of that. And now another forty years have gone by and I've been very busy. I still am.
His film work affected his TV career: the reviews he received for his role as D.A. Fletcher in Dick Tracy led him to star as the character Dr. Mark Sloan first in an episode of Jake and the Fatman, then in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama Diagnosis: Murder. The series ran from 1993 to 2001 with son Barry Van Dyke co-starring in the role of Dr. Sloan's son Lieutenant Detective Steve Sloan. Also starring on the same show was daytime soap actress Victoria Rowell as Dr. Sloan's pathologist/medical partner, Dr. Amanda Bentley, and Charlie Schlatter in the role of Dr. Sloan's student, Dr. Jesse Travis.[29] Van Dyke continued to find television work after the show ended, including a dramatically and critically successful performance of The Gin Game, produced for television in 2003 that reunited him with Mary Tyler Moore. In 2003, he portrayed a doctor on Scrubs. A 2004 special of The Dick Van Dyke Show titled The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited was heavily promoted as the first new episode of the classic series to be shown in 38 years. Van Dyke and his surviving cast members recreated their roles; although nominated for a Primetime Emmy,[30][31][better source needed] the program was roundly panned by critics. In 2006 he guest-starred as college professor Dr. Jonathan Maxwell for a series of Murder 101 mystery films on the Hallmark Channel.
The same thing happened at the Church of Belgium: In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him "Christ of the Coal Mines."
In 1892 Émile Bernard organised a small solo show of Van Gogh's paintings in Paris, and Julien Tanguy exhibited his Van Gogh paintings with several consigned from Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. In April 1894 the Durand-Rue Gallery in Paris agreed to take 10 paintings on consignment from Van Gogh's estate.[269] In 1896, the Fauvist painter Henri Matisse, then an unknown art student, visited John Peter Russell on Belle Île off Brittany.[270][271] Russell had been a close friend of Van Gogh; he introduced Matisse to the Dutchman's work, and gave him a Van Gogh drawing. Influenced by Van Gogh, Matisse abandoned his earth-coloured palette for bright colours.[271][272]
The piece comes back and looks horrible. The fabric was torn and stapled back together unevenly. We called Art Van to complain and were promised to be contacted by the manager. In the meantime we moved and didn't get a chance to call manager back. We called back and were told manager would contact us. Nothing. I finally called the manager, Kathy Smith, today and received the worst treatment I've ever experienced from a store. Right away she had a chip on her should and said because it's been 8 months since original purchase, we couldn't get a replacement and basically it wasn't her problem. I wasn't rude and didn't say anything to anger her but she acted like I was trying to steal from her. I explained that if we could not get the piece replaced (which is ridiculous by itself), could we get a decent discount on the purchase of two new pieces? We need to get the reverse pieces for the new house and were hoping after all the inconvenience, that they could work with us since the original piece looks terrible from being serviced.
He moved to Antwerp that November, and rented a room above a paint dealer's shop in the rue des Images (Lange Beeldekensstraat).[91] He lived in poverty and ate poorly, preferring to spend the money Theo sent on painting materials and models. Bread, coffee and tobacco became his staple diet. In February 1886 he wrote to Theo that he could only remember eating six hot meals since the previous May. His teeth became loose and painful.[92] In Antwerp he applied himself to the study of colour theory and spent time in museums—particularly studying the work of Peter Paul Rubens—and broadened his palette to include carmine, cobalt blue and emerald green. Van Gogh bought Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts in the docklands, later incorporating elements of their style into the background of some of his paintings.[93] He was drinking heavily again,[94] and was hospitalised between February and March 1886,[95] when he was possibly also treated for syphilis.[96][note 6]
Those of you who have followed this saga and supported my efforts with your countless emails will understand when I say that regardless of money, ethics, William Morris Agents and their lawyers, and anyone else who has the guts to call this project their own, I can honestly say that I am sitting here in my apartment in New York City SMILING BIG SMILES because I know in my heart (and so does EVERYONE ELSE) that this whole bloody thing...and all of your happiness....was because of something I did.
Despite a pessimistic diagnosis, Van Gogh recovered and returned to the Yellow House on 7 January 1889.[155] He spent the following month between hospital and home, suffering from hallucinations and delusions of poisoning.[156] In March, the police closed his house after a petition by 30 townspeople (including the Ginoux family) who described him as "le fou roux" (the redheaded madman);[149] Van Gogh returned to hospital. Paul Signac visited him twice in March;[157] in April Van Gogh moved into rooms owned by Dr Rey after floods damaged paintings in his own home.[158] Two months later, he left Arles and voluntarily entered an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Around this time, he wrote, "Sometimes moods of indescribable anguish, sometimes moments when the veil of time and fatality of circumstances seemed to be torn apart for an instant."[159]
Art Van Elslander founded Art Van in 1959, opening his first store in East Detroit.[2] Van Elslander's furniture first business was a 4,000 square-foot space on Gratiot Avenue and 10 Mile Road. He expanded to three stores in that same year, and a fourth store opened in 1960. His first employee was not hired until this time.[3] Art Vans Furniture (later changed to Art Van Furniture) opened with mostly modern and Danish-style furniture.[4]
Van Gogh returned to Etten in April 1881 for an extended stay with his parents.[54] He continued to draw, often using his neighbours as subjects. In August 1881, his recently widowed cousin, Cornelia "Kee" Vos-Stricker, daughter of his mother's older sister Willemina and Johannes Stricker, arrived for a visit. He was thrilled and took long walks with her. Kee was seven years older than he was, and had an eight-year-old son. Van Gogh surprised everyone by declaring his love to her and proposing marriage.[55] She refused with the words "No, nay, never" ("nooit, neen, nimmer").[56] After Kee returned to Amsterdam, Van Gogh went to The Hague to try to sell paintings and to meet with his second cousin, Anton Mauve. Mauve was the successful artist Van Gogh longed to be.[57] Mauve invited him to return in a few months, and suggested he spend the intervening time working in charcoal and pastels; Van Gogh went back to Etten and followed this advice.[57]
Though The Dick Van Dyke Show got off to a slow start, it eventually developed quite a following; Van Dyke won over audiences with his good humor and likeability, and won three Emmy Awards for his work on the series. Decades after the show went off the air, in 1966, it remained a popular program in syndication. Following the show's end in 1966, Van Dyke starred on several other TV series, including The New Dick Van Dyke Show, but none captured the public's heart the way his first sitcom did.
He incorporated his children and grandchildren into his TV endeavors. Son Barry Van Dyke, grandsons Shane Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke along with other Van Dyke grandchildren and relatives appeared in various episodes of the long-running series Diagnosis: Murder. Although Stacy Van Dyke was not well known in show business, she made an appearance in the Diagnosis: Murder Christmas episode "Murder in the Family" (season 4) as Carol Sloan Hilton, the estranged daughter of Dr. Mark Sloan.
In 1980, the company issued its first credit card and in 1985 the company introduced clearance centers attached to many of the stores offering overstocked merchandise.[3] In 2009, the company's half-centennial, Art Van Furniture was named furniture retailer of the year by Furniture Today magazine.[7] In 2013, the company made a $50 million investment in the State of Illinois to open a sequence of new establishments in the state.[8] In 2015 Patti Smith wrote about Art Van stores as a favorite hang-out of hers during the 1970s.[9] The CEO of the company is Ron Boire.[10] Art Van also operates Scott Shuptrine Interiors retail locations. In March 2017 the company was purchased by Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) a private equity firm based in Boston.[1]
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May 13, 2017 May 13, 2017 lajicarita
Snooping Around the Conservative Mindset
Commentary By KAY MATTHEWS
Once again Trump’s erratic and dangerous behavior, this time the firing of FBI director James Comey, has taken over media attention, and reporters are scrambling to make sense of it.
But as we follow the unfolding of this latest scandal we need to keep paying attention to what led us to this narcissistic white nationalist in the White House, particularly the implosion of the Democratic Party with Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the run for president. Many folks haven taken up the gauntlet and are engaged in the community organizing and resistance work necessary to take the party back from the Clinton elites. For this article I decided to take a look at how the GOP and those who voted for Trump view the Democratic Party after its defeat.
I’ve been monitoring some conservative web sites, newspapers, and blogs to get a feel for how folks of this political persuasion are assessing Trump’s first 100 days. I looked at sites like Commentary Magazine and snooped on Facebook to learn about the general divide within the conservative community: those who never supported Trump and those who support his administration unequivocally. I was hoping to find a third group, those who are beginning to rue their vote, but that hasn’t been the result of my sleuthing. They may be out there, but there is a thread between the “#NeverTrumps” and the “he can do no wrong Trumps” that binds them together: bashing liberals who were “ruining our country” under Democratic rule—the former group—and bashing liberals who are trying to dethrone Trump—the latter group. There’s another more insidious subgroup—the anti-globalization nationalists—that appears to be emerging from the #NeverTrumps”; I’ll discuss this later in the article.
What is it about liberals that generates such hate and why do conservatives think they’re ruining the country? According to Chauncey DeVega, in his pithy analysis in a Salon article (that appears in Alternet), “conservatism is a type of socially motivated cognition that minimizes any sense of human obligation and connection to other people, outside a narrowly defined kin or other peer group.” In other words, little or no government that works to the benefit of a select group of white people. Ergo, liberals, who generally believe that the job of government is to provide a social contract that maximizes services to as many of its citizens as possible, threaten the economic and social hierarchy upon which this country is based.
Horatio Alger
Where does this minimized “sense of human obligation” come from? An American ethos of selfishness has long been with us. The Horatio Alger myth defines those who fail to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and become successful as the dregs of society who don’t deserve any help. Max Weber’s theory is that it’s the spillover of the individualistic Puritan ethic once the religious asceticism has escaped from the cage: “In the field of its highest development, in the United States, the pursuit of wealth, stripped of its religious and ethical meaning, tends to become associated with purely mundane passions, which often actually give it the character of sport,” i.e., competition. This also fits into conservatives’ enthusiastic endorsement of neoliberalism, whereby money defines success and capitalism provides the ultimate path there.
The recent firing of Bill O’Reilly from Fox News generated enormous attention on the Facebook sites I monitored and the sympathy largely lay with O’Reilly, not Fox News, because he’s the champion liberal basher. Many of those commenting on various sites—and many of them were women—focused on Fox News’s disloyalty to O’Reilly, who was responsible for the network’s status and revenue. They didn’t seem to care whether he is a sexual harasser, racist, homophobe, or whatever: as long as he went after the liberals who were destroying the country that was OK by them.
Another common target in the O’Reilly firing is the “hypocrisy of the sanctimonious liberal journalist” critics, particularly the New York Times and CNN, who went after O’Reilly and forced his sponsors to abandon his show. In an article in Investor’s Business Daily, L. Brent Bozell claims that these are the same media outlets that cried foul when Donald Trump tried to insert Bill Clinton’s sexual conduct into the presidential campaign. Several of the Facebook commenters also raised this issue, although interestingly enough, a few of them made the distinction between supposed “consensual” consent in Clinton’s case and O’Reilly’s harassment.
Rush Limbaugh also heavily pushes this opinion on his show: “And this is what happens. O’Reilly is not the first, and he will not be the last. But it still boils down to one thing: The left cannot beat Fox News in the arena of cable news. The media, the left cannot beat Fox News. The only option they have is to destroy it. Because they can’t outcompete it as is evidenced by ratings day in and day out since 1996, when Fox debuted. The standard operating procedure for the left is not to level the playing field but to close it. It’s to deny participation on the playing field, not level it. No tolerance. No fairness.”
In an article in the conservative Washington Examiner reporting on a CNN interview, Sarah Palin expressed what a few of the O’Reilly commenters also said: if you’re being sexually harassed in the work place “don’t stick around for a paycheck,” which doesn’t demonstrate much empathy for those who are completely dependent on that paycheck and again puts the onus on the individual, not the system. (Palin herself was fired from Fox News in 2015, when she claimed she was let go for “calling someone out. ”)
Liberal bashing continues to dog former President Obama, and the vitriol is even worse. These are a few of the Facebook comments on a video of Marco Rubio saying Obama purposely divided America:
“Yes, Obama is trying to destroy us, he let all of these thugs in America to try and finish what he started, he put a open season on police officers, I hope he has sleepless nights, you know what they say about Karma, we will be waiting and watching.”
“I said this from the very day Obama was elected. This my opinion only but I believe Obama is an anti-American, America hating, Marxist piece of human debris.”
“It’s all about divide and conquer. The oldest power grab move in history. Blaming racism on those who were against Obama is only another tactic to divides [sic]. I only know one person who voted against Obama because of race, and that person was a Democrat. Everyone I know that did not like Obama was because they felt he was a far left extremist who wanted to expand the power of government over they [sic] people. And that was proven to be true.”
Commentary, Norman Podhoretz’s neoconservative magazine, along with other mainstream Republican magazines like the Weekly Standard (Bill Kristol), represent the “never Trump” camp that often focuses its liberal bashing on exploiting the divide in the Democratic Party between the progressives and the Washington elite—a divide they claim plays into Trump’s hand:
“If President Donald Trump wanted to confuse his opponents and dilute any serious criticisms of his approach to the situation in Syria, he could have done no better than to blame his predecessor, Barack Obama, for the crisis. In a statement condemning the slaughter of civilians in what appears to be the worst regime-ordered chemical attack since 2013, the president observed that Obama had drawn a ‘red line’ over this same sort of thing but ‘did nothing.’ Instantly, partisan battle lines were etched into the sand. The New York Times editorial board was one of many liberal outlets that felt compelled to defend Barack Obama’s Syria policy. In the process, they water down their criticisms of Trump’s approach to the nightmare in the Levant. That serves Donald Trump’s interests just fine.”
The magazine also claims that the Democrats “learned all their worst lessons from the conduct of their political opponents” who spent eight years obstructing the Obama administration and who are now prepared to do the same. The magazine also chides the Dems for claiming Trump is an “illegitimate president,” which they say are the same tactics used against Obama and will turn them into the “very same creatures they once claimed to oppose.”
But there is also a disturbing movement on the conservative side to reframe the party’s Reaganism orthodoxy into Trump’s nationalistic, anti-globalization branding that targets immigrants and free trade. In the April 30 New York Times Sunday Review R.R. Reno, editor of First Things, a conservative religious journal, advocates for this movement in “Why the GOP Must Embrace Nationalism.” He couches it in a bipartisan argument that both parties have been moving in a “globalist direction” for years—which is certainly true—but says nothing about the fallout of this nationalistic reframing: racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, the invasion of privacy, and an assault on civil liberties.
In the same NYT issue Russ Douthat, a regular conservative columnist at the Times who has been a longtime member of #NeverTrump, wrote an article called “Is There a Case for Le Pen,” which basically says that her advocacy of “France First” is a necessary correction to the many ills facing that country: Eurozone elite “lashed to a destructive common currency”; massive immigration; vast unemployment; and domestic terror threats. While Douthat claims she is a much smarter and more competent politician than Donald Trump—“her ability to serve as president without turning the office into a reality-TV thunderdome”—he, like Reno, fails to talk about what values are inherent to nationalism and in Le Pen’s case, how she got there as the daughter of a Holocaust denying anti-Semitic. (See this response to Douthat in Slate).
This is all very dangerous talk, as Patrick Cockburn points out in his CounterPunch article “The Great Division: The Return of Nationalism”:
“Defending the motherland against the evil schemes of foreigners is a political gambit that has been played out countless times since the age of Pericles, but its impact depends on the political context in which it is used. At the moment, it is peculiarly destructive as ethnic nationalism reasserts itself as a vehicle for grievances and rivalry between different nation states is reaching new heights. Populist nationalist leaders from Manila to Warsaw to Washington are promising more than they can deliver and looking for scapegoats at home and abroad to blame when things go wrong. Nationalism has always needed real or invented threats to super-charge communal solidarity.”
Bashing liberals may be toxic but it’s much less dangerous than promoting ethnic nationalism. In a recent article in the New Yorker about the election in France, Lauren Collins describes the positions on globalism of four of the candidates who ran in the first round voting: “Mélanchon [the far-left candidate] wanted a nationalist economy but a globalist identity, Macron [center, who is now the president] wanted a globalist economy and a globalist identity, Fillon [center-right] wanted a globalist economy but a nationalist identity, and Le Pen [far-right] wanted a nationalist economy and a nationalist identity.”
Trump campaigned as an advocate of this last category, although it’s impossible to know what he’s actually going to do (flip flops on NATO, China, etc.) Is the Republican Party going to embrace this kind of nationalism? How are the Dems going to counter this message? Activists like linguist George Lakoff are warning liberals that it’s time reframe their message in the language of “cognitive linguistics” to promote core values—equality, empathy, and responsibility towards their fellow humans—in the fight against this far right platform—and the neoliberal Democratic one—that are threatening not only this country but the world.
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/the-republican-party-moment-lost/
“Amid these [congressional] efforts to manage expectations, a sense of crushing disappointment is palpable. This was supposed to be the Republican Party’s moment. The GOP has spent the last four election cycles clawing its way back from the nadir of its political power to become the nation’s governing party. It has not controlled this many state and federal offices in nearly 100 years. Yet schisms within the GOP in Congress and an absentee chief executive—who seems only ever to engage in the role of the presidency when it means sowing divisions and stoking animosity—has rendered the Republican Party, at the apex of its potency, a spent force.
The occasion of an attack using weapons of mass destruction in Syria that killed at least 70—including ten children—and injured over 400 is an inopportune moment for a president to pass the buck to his predecessor. Trump’s statement represented a crass attempt at obfuscation, and an abdication of an American president’s responsibility to eschew prevarications. As a political tactic, however, Trump’s maneuver succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings.
It is clear now that Democrats learned all the worst lessons from the conduct of their political opponents over the course of the Obama presidency. With unchecked bitterness, Democrats have convinced themselves that the right did little more than obstruct, distract, and indulge their basest impulses for eight years. For this, they were rewarded with total control of all the levers of government in Washington. Thus, anticipating rewards, Democrats have embraced a policy of strategic incoherence with no grander objective than mollifying their base. In the process, they’ve become the very creatures they once claimed to oppose.
“Donald Trump, you didn’t win this election!” declared new Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez. Perhaps anticipating that his explicit contention that Donald Trump is an illegitimate president would yield some uncomfortable parallels, Perez preemptively defended himself. “I don’t care,” he said, “because they don’t give a s— about people.” That’s some defense.
Alternet article http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/gop-party-death
Once again, the repeated efforts by the Republican Party to repeal the minimal protections offered by the Affordable Care Act serve to remind us that conservatism is a type of socially motivated cognition that minimizes any sense of human obligation and connection to other people, outside a narrowly defined kin or other peer group.
Today’s version of American conservatism is also a celebration of selfishness — and a belief that true freedom and liberty are based on a perverse individualism with little sense of common decency or linked fate with someone’s fellow citizens. Today’s American conservatism also embraces an extreme form of neoliberalism whereby human worth and dignity are determined by profit-and-loss statements and capitalism and democracy are confused with one another. Ultimately, American conservatism is a value system that is antisocial, anti-democratic and anti-freedom.
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/bill-oreilly-ruined-news-10-ways-he-and-fox-news-harassed-us-all
Brietbart, on the other hand,
George Lakoff
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Gregory Corning says:
How can people continue to stand by a floundering Donald Trump? We are endlessly capable of fooling ourselves. Victor Klemperer, a diarist in Nazi Germany, recorded what a German soldier said at the end of World War II (which Germany undeniably lost, and which utterly devastated Germany): “[Hitler] has never lied yet. I believe in Hitler.” A worker told Klemperer “…understanding is useless, you have to have faith. I believe in the Führer [Adolf Hitler]”.
Many, maybe most, Trump supporters will never see his failures and his horrid character; they *believe* in him. [Quotes from Timothy Snyder’s book “On Tyranny”.]
Govethics says:
You nailed the big-picture problem in one article. This problem will be the downfall of this country.
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December 20, 2011 by David K. Sutton
The Left-Right False Equivalence Media Failure
It’s lazy reporting to conclude that “both sides do it”. It’s a failure of analysis to conclude that both sides play the same games whether we are talking about left or right – Democrat or Republican – liberal or conservative. Are they really mirror images? Do both sides play the same tricks?
If we limit the scope of this discussion to the political parties and a corrupt political system then there might be at least some merit to this idea of equivalence. It is true that most politicians will say what they need to say to get elected and generally rig the system in favor of their next election with little regard to their constituents. I happen to think Republicans are more unabashed about it and quite frankly better at it, but I admit that could be bias talking.
I believe this idea of equivalence starts to break down when you apply it to liberal vs. conservative. Forget about politics, politicians and political parties and focus instead on the things people are for or against. Obviously liberals and conservatives have very different ideas about how things should work like role of government including health care, economy, etc. but it seems like the media likes to portray both sides as equal halves of a political pie. They like to talk about pandering to the base and extreme ideology left and right as if there are equal measures of it on both sides.
Where is the extreme left exerting its influence now?
You could make a case for a radical left-wing element in this country – Weather Underground – Students for a Democratic Society – Blank Panther Party – that exerted its influence back in the 1960s and 70s but I don’t know what you can point to now. Is it a radical left-wing idea to want health care for all? Is it a radical left-wing idea to have compassion for the poor and those less fortunate and feel government can play a role? Is it a radical left-wing idea to want equal rights for every citizen and every member of the military? Give me an example of something radical from the left that has prominent influence over our political discourse in this country.
Where is the extreme right exerting its influence now?
The better question would be – where isn’t it? A constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage – Illegal immigration laws in some states that make it practically a crime to walk around without “papers” when your skin color is darker than some would like – Voter suppression laws enacted by Republican controlled states that effectively make it more difficult for minorities to vote.
These are just some of the extreme ideas on the right that have at least some mainstream traction. Most if not all of these extreme ideas are based on anecdotal evidence at best. Come up with a theory – that instantly turns to fact – of what is wrong with the country and conservatives start trying to find ways to limit the rights of people who don’t look like them or act like them. Of course that doesn’t sound very conservative to me. It sounds like big government interfering in people’s lives. I think it’s best to refer to these people and these ideas as extreme right-wing and not conservative. The country has been pushed so far to the right over the past few decades that more and more extreme right-wing ideas are being fully embraced by people who call themselves conservatives. Are they all extreme right-wing ideologues or are some in a pot a water set to a slow boil?
I’m still waiting for someone to tell me what the left-wing equivalents are to these extreme right-wing ideas. The scale started tipping to the right during the 70s and 80s and it’s now in full-tilt. It’s a complete and nonsensical overreaction to the social upheaval of the 1960s and 70s, which will need an entire article unto itself some day.
You could throw the anecdotal evidence charge back at me or to others on the left when we make claims about how a specific problem should be addressed but there is a key difference between the right and the left. Even if my evidence happens to be anecdotal on a given issue, my intention is to actually fix a problem using compassion and without discrimination. Liberal solutions to problems do not contain a side goal – or primary goal – to disparage people. The problem with the right is that many of the things they advocate turn out to disparage people based on things like race or sexual orientation.
I dare you to name something from the left that has the explicit intention of disparaging a group of people. And I’m not talking about political rhetoric aimed at one politician to another. I’m talking about real ideas and legislative goals that aim to disparage another group of people. The only thing I can come up with is a deeply religious conservative who believes it’s against his or her religion and against the word of god to accept gay people and in fact take it a step further and proclaim that gays are disparaging their faith just because they exist and want to have the same rights as everyone else. But this is only disparaging within the mind of that person. It is not as if the advocating of gay rights has the intention of disparaging some other group of people. You can’t control how people think. You can’t control if they are closed-minded about differences in fellow human beings. We should never cater to the lowest common denominator out of fear of offending what could only be described as bigoted and offensive sensibilities.
Just for once it would be nice if the media stopped worrying so much about Fox News and conservatives complaining about a liberal bias and instead focused on the facts. The truth doesn’t have a bias even if some interpret it as such.
photo by holeymoon via Flickr
#conservative#Democratic#false equivalence#gay#left#left-wing#lesbian#liberal#media#Republican#right#right-wing
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« Judge Tosses Suit Over IRS Health Care Law Regulation | Main | Federal, State Court Officials Warn of Email Scam »
Apple to Refund $32M to Settle FTC Charges
Apple Inc. will pay at least $32.5 million in consumer refunds to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it wrongly billed parents millions of dollars for unauthorized charges incurred by their children in kids' mobile apps.
The company, which settled a private class action over the same conduct in October, likened the settlement to "double jeopardy," as Apple CEO Tim Cook put it in a letter to employees, and FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright dissented from the deal, arguing the FTC did not meet its burden of proof.
The FTC in an administrative complaint alleged Apple failed to tell parents that when they entered their passwords to authorize purchases of virtual items or currency in an app, their kids could continue to make unlimited additional app purchases for the next 15 minutes. According to the FTC, thousands of kids did so, racking up millions in charges on apps such as Dragon Story and Tiny Zoo Friends.
The agency charged Apple with violating Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bans unfair acts or practices. In addition to refunding a minimum of $32.5 million to consumers (if the claims are less, the FTC will keep the difference) Apple will change its billing practices to ensure it obtains consumers’ express, informed consent prior to billing them.
“This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple’s unfair billing and a signal to the business community: whether you’re doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said in a news release. “You cannot charge consumers for purchases they did not authorize.”
The FTC’s allegations are not new. In 2011, Apple was hit with a private class action filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over unauthorized app purchases by kids. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in October approved a settlement that calls for class members to get a full refund of charges—either in cash or as an iTunes Stores credit. The deal also includes $1.3 million in attorney fees to plaintiffs counsel from firms including Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, Boni & Zack, Seeger Weiss, and Berman Devalerio.
Ramirez in a press conference defended the FTC’s settlement as “much more robust” than the class action resolution, which she said did not require Apple to change its billing practices.
Cook, the Apple chief executive, didn’t see much distinction. “It doesn’t feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled,” Cook wrote in the Wednesday morning letter. “To us, it smacked of double jeopardy. However, the consent decree the FTC proposed does not require us to do anything we weren’t already going to do, so we decided to accept it rather than take on a long and distracting legal fight.”
Apple was represented in the FTC matter by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher partner M. Sean Royall, who was deputy director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition from 2001 to 2003.
FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright, a Republican, penned a 17-page dissent to the settlement.
“I believe the Commission should have conducted a much more robust analysis to determine whether the injury to this small group of consumers justifies the finding of unfairness and the imposition of a remedy,” he wrote. “I do not believe the Commission has met its burden to satisfy all three requirements in the unfairness analysis. In particular, although Apple’s allegedly unfair act or practice has harmed some consumers, I do not believe the Commission has demonstrated the injury is substantial.”
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SB-880 Firearms: assault weapons.(2015-2016)
SB880:v95#DOCUMENT
An act to amend Sections 30515 and 30900 of, and to add Section 30680 to, the Penal Code, relating to firearms.
SB 880, Hall. Firearms: assault weapons.
(1) Existing law generally prohibits the possession or transfer of assault weapons, except for the sale, purchase, importation, or possession of assault weapons by specified individuals, including law enforcement officers. Under existing law, “assault weapon” means, among other things, a semiautomatic centerfire rifle or a semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has any one of specified attributes, including, for rifles, a thumbhole stock, and for pistols, a second handgrip.
This bill would revise this definition of “assault weapon” to mean a semiautomatic centerfire rifle, or a semiautomatic pistol that does not have a fixed magazine but has any one of those specified attributes. The bill would also define “fixed magazine” to mean an ammunition feeding device contained in, or permanently attached to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without disassembly of the firearm action.
By expanding the definition of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Existing law requires that any person who, within this state, possesses an assault weapon, except as otherwise provided, be punished as a felony or for a period not to exceed one year in a county jail.
This bill would exempt from punishment under that provision a person who possessed an assault weapon prior to January 1, 2017, if specified requirements are met.
(3) Existing law requires that, with specified exceptions, any person who, prior to January 1, 2001, lawfully possessed an assault weapon prior to the date it was defined as an assault weapon, and which was not specified as an assault weapon at the time of lawful possession, register the firearm with the Department of Justice. Existing law permits the Department of Justice to charge a fee for registration of up to $20 per person but not to exceed the actual processing costs of the department. Existing law, after the department establishes fees sufficient to reimburse the department for processing costs, requires fees charged to increase at a rate not to exceed the legislatively approved annual cost-of-living adjustment for the department’s budget or as otherwise increased through the Budget Act. Existing law requires those fees to be deposited into the Dealers’ Record of Sale Special Account. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, establishes the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies.
This bill would require that any person who, from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2016, inclusive, lawfully possessed an assault weapon that does not have a fixed magazine, as defined, and including those weapons with an ammunition feeding device that can be removed readily from the firearm with the use of a tool, register the firearm with the Department of Justice before January 1, 2018, but not before the effective date of specified regulations. The bill would permit the department to increase the $20 registration fee as long as it does not exceed the reasonable processing costs of the department. The bill would also require registrations to be submitted electronically via the Internet utilizing a public-facing application made available by the department. The bill would require the registration to contain specified information, including, but not limited to, a description of the firearm that identifies it uniquely and specified information about the registrant. The bill would permit the department to charge a fee of up to $15 per person for registration through the Internet, not to exceed the reasonable processing costs of the department to be paid and deposited, as specified, for purposes of the registration program. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations for the purpose of implementing those provisions and would exempt those regulations from the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill would also make technical and conforming changes.
(4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES
Section 30515 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 30510, “assault weapon” also means any of the following:
(1) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that does not have a fixed magazine but has any one of the following:
(A) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.
(B) A thumbhole stock.
(C) A folding or telescoping stock.
(D) A grenade launcher or flare launcher.
(E) A flash suppressor.
(F) A forward pistol grip.
(2) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
(3) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has an overall length of less than 30 inches.
(4) A semiautomatic pistol that does not have a fixed magazine but has any one of the following:
(A) A threaded barrel, capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer.
(B) A second handgrip.
(C) A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel that allows the bearer to fire the weapon without burning the bearer’s hand, except a slide that encloses the barrel.
(D) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip.
(5) A semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
(6) A semiautomatic shotgun that has both of the following:
(A) A folding or telescoping stock.
(B) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon, thumbhole stock, or vertical handgrip.
(7) A semiautomatic shotgun that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine.
(8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
(b) For purposes of this section, “fixed magazine” means an ammunition feeding device contained in, or permanently attached to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without disassembly of the firearm action.
(c) The Legislature finds a significant public purpose in exempting from the definition of “assault weapon” pistols that are designed expressly for use in Olympic target shooting events. Therefore, those pistols that are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee and by USA Shooting, the national governing body for international shooting competition in the United States, and that were used for Olympic target shooting purposes as of January 1, 2001, and that would otherwise fall within the definition of “assault weapon” pursuant to this section are exempt, as provided in subdivision (d).
(d) “Assault weapon” does not include either of the following:
(1) Any antique firearm.
(2) Any of the following pistols, because they are consistent with the significant public purpose expressed in subdivision (c):
MANUFACTURER MODEL CALIBER
BENELLI MP90 .22LR
BENELLI MP90 .32 S&W LONG
HAMMERLI 280 .22LR
HAMMERLI 280 .32 S&W LONG
HAMMERLI SP20 .22LR
HAMMERLI SP20 .32 S&W LONG
PARDINI GPO .22 SHORT
PARDINI GP-SCHUMANN .22 SHORT
PARDINI HP .32 S&W LONG
PARDINI MP .32 S&W LONG
PARDINI SP .22LR
PARDINI SPE .22LR
WALTHER GSP .22LR
WALTHER GSP .32 S&W LONG
WALTHER OSP .22 SHORT
WALTHER OSP-2000 .22 SHORT
(3) The Department of Justice shall create a program that is consistent with the purposes stated in subdivision (c) to exempt new models of competitive pistols that would otherwise fall within the definition of “assault weapon” pursuant to this section from being classified as an assault weapon. The exempt competitive pistols may be based on recommendations by USA Shooting consistent with the regulations contained in the USA Shooting Official Rules or may be based on the recommendation or rules of any other organization that the department deems relevant.
Section 30680 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
Section 30605 does not apply to the possession of an assault weapon by a person who has possessed the assault weapon prior to January 1, 2017, if all of the following are applicable:
(a) Prior to January 1, 2017, the person was eligible to register that assault weapon pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 30900.
(b) The person lawfully possessed that assault weapon prior to January 1, 2017.
(c) The person registers the assault weapon by January 1, 2018, in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 30900.
(a) (1) Any person who, prior to June 1, 1989, lawfully possessed an assault weapon, as defined in former Section 12276, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 19 of the Statutes of 1989, shall register the firearm by January 1, 1991, and any person who lawfully possessed an assault weapon prior to the date it was specified as an assault weapon pursuant to former Section 12276.5, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 19 of the Statutes of 1989 or as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 874 of the Statutes of 1990 or Section 3 of Chapter 954 of the Statutes of 1991, shall register the firearm within 90 days with the Department of Justice pursuant to those procedures that the department may establish.
(2) Except as provided in Section 30600, any person who lawfully possessed an assault weapon prior to the date it was defined as an assault weapon pursuant to former Section 12276.1, as it read in Section 7 of Chapter 129 of the Statutes of 1999, and which was not specified as an assault weapon under former Section 12276, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 19 of the Statutes of 1989 or as amended at any time before January 1, 2001, or former Section 12276.5, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 19 of the Statutes of 1989 or as amended at any time before January 1, 2001, shall register the firearm by January 1, 2001, with the department pursuant to those procedures that the department may establish.
(3) The registration shall contain a description of the firearm that identifies it uniquely, including all identification marks, the full name, address, date of birth, and thumbprint of the owner, and any other information that the department may deem appropriate.
(4) The department may charge a fee for registration of up to twenty dollars ($20) per person but not to exceed the reasonable processing costs of the department. After the department establishes fees sufficient to reimburse the department for processing costs, fees charged shall increase at a rate not to exceed the legislatively approved annual cost-of-living adjustment for the department’s budget or as otherwise increased through the Budget Act but not to exceed the reasonable costs of the department. The fees shall be deposited into the Dealers’ Record of Sale Special Account.
(b) (1) Any person who, from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2016, inclusive, lawfully possessed an assault weapon that does not have a fixed magazine, as defined in Section 30515, including those weapons with an ammunition feeding device that can be readily removed from the firearm with the use of a tool, shall register the firearm before January 1, 2018, but not before the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (5), with the department pursuant to those procedures that the department may establish by regulation pursuant to paragraph (5).
(2) Registrations shall be submitted electronically via the Internet utilizing a public-facing application made available by the department.
(3) The registration shall contain a description of the firearm that identifies it uniquely, including all identification marks, the date the firearm was acquired, the name and address of the individual from whom, or business from which, the firearm was acquired, as well as the registrant’s full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, sex, height, weight, eye color, hair color, and California driver’s license number or California identification card number.
(4) The department may charge a fee in an amount of up to fifteen dollars ($15) per person but not to exceed the reasonable processing costs of the department. The fee shall be paid by debit or credit card at the time that the electronic registration is submitted to the department. The fee shall be deposited in the Dealers’ Record of Sale Special Account to be used for purposes of this section.
(5) The department shall adopt regulations for the purpose of implementing this subdivision. These regulations are exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
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On My Recent Revelation About L.A Rap in the 1990s
Everyone has to start somewhere. Mostly, it’s at some kind of beginning, and that makes you, by virtue of your position, a beginner. When I was a kid, I found a book in Bromley Central Library of show tunes. I’d just started liking jazz, and was eager to try out new tunes, maybe find some that hadn’t been played that much. I was particularly taken with two of the songs in this book. One was “Stella By Starlight’ and the other was “On Green Dolphin St”, two of the most played standards in the whole jazz repertoire. I didn’t know what I didn’t know then and, if my discovery was thirty years too late, I knew at least I was on the right track if Miles Davis liked those tunes too.
The 2007 Ava DuVernay film, “This Is The Life”, comes at the uninitiated like a torrent of white water. There’s no welcome message, no complimentary mint on the pillow, you’re straight in, it’s like you pass someone on the street and they just start spilling it all out, their life story and the life story of the club that made them. This was the story of “The Good Life”, a health food cafe that doubled as a music venue, where rappers were thrown out for cussing, or for using excessive “diggety” ornamentation in their rhymes (filler-type patterns that had the slight stink of bullshit about them). There had to be substance to the words, these were the rules. Substance and no cussing. And no leaning on the paintings.
Parallels with hip hop and jazz here speak for themselves (God knows jazz has its share of meaningless ornamentation). But when the musicians talk about how they rap, what happens when they’re doing it, it’s all flow and it’s all concentration, it’s character and it’s technique, articulation, being suave or being charming, “chopping”, “spitting”, breaking up the line. This isn’t “new” to me, but these grainy old video footage of these grainy exchanges shows how the rappers bounce off the energy of the audience and off each other, and that brings everything closer to us. These are a cast of characters (including the director herself, who was in the group “Figures Of Speech”) united by their music and mutual respect, but also by their drive to be unique, a community of individuals. These people are loveable nerds. There’s one guy who, apparently, would always rap about fish (“he would be putting in stuff about, you know, red snapper”). There was no bluffing in this art, and anyone who did would be told to leave, often, eventually, by the whole audience, as if they were polluting the atmosphere somehow.
Hard but fair. The fact it happened to a guy who had a record deal at the time (“pass the mic” the audience would chant) will resonate with jazz musicians, or with anyone who works at their craft, no special dispensation for big time success stories in that club. I won’t attempt a “review” here, it’s best experienced fresh, but this film is full to the brim with music and words, a real treasure trove.
The thing I love most about the cinema is coming out afterwards, the feeling of moving from that enclosed space to the open world, the dislocation that confirms that something has changed. I haven’t spoken for five hours, but in my brain there’s a head-spinning avalanche all the way home, I’m trying to remember everything that I saw and heard, it came in such a rush, all the names of the MCs and crews, where was the club, was it LA, (I’ll check when I get home), I’ll buy all the records, and I’ll look for the lyrics so I can start again and piece it all together slowly at my own remedial pace. I’m lost. I feel like a beginner, like an idiot somehow and, as a musician, that’s the feeling I’m always looking for. It’s the best feeling in the world.
Posted in arts, Fame, Hip Hop, Jazz, Los Angeles, Music
Tagged "This Is The Life", Ava DuVernay, Hip Hop, Los Angeles, MCs, Rap, Rhymes
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Serving the Lower Mainland since 1971, Living Systems Counselling is a leading provider of counselling, training, education and research based on Bowen family systems theory. Our professionals have assisted thousands of individuals and their families to function more effectively in relationships and in life.
Our vision is to contribute to the knowledge of human behavior from a natural systems perspective.
Our mission is to make knowledge of human behavior from a natural systems perspective available to the community by providing counselling, training, education, and research.
Randy Frost, M.Div., RCC, Director, Training and Research. Randy trained in Bowen family systems theory and family psychotherapy at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, D.C. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Randy is certified as a Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and is a registered clinical counsellor.
Leila Howard, MA, RCC, Business and Finance Director. Leila oversees the business operations for the Society, including program administration, business & finance, marketing, grant applications and community outreach. She supervises administrative volunteers and contract work. Leila is part of the conference committee, website committee, and marketing committee.
Katie White, MA, RCC, Clinical Director. As Clinical Director Katie oversees the Counselling Program including our policies and procedures. She is also a member of the Conference Committee.
Mark Smith, M.S.W., R.S.W. President. Mark joined the Board of Directors in 1998 and has been President of the Board of Living Systems Counselling since 2002. He was also a former Co-Chair and a Divorce Coach with Collaborative Divorce Vancouver. Mark is a Bowen family systems therapist in Private Practice.
Ariel Creighton, Member at Large. Ariel previously was Staff Associate at Highlands United Church and is now retired. This is Ariel’s second round of being a member on the Board, having previously been on the Board of the North Shore Counselling Centre for several years.
Dan DeBeyer, BSc, MBA, Member at Large. Dan is currently an Associate Director, Innovation Translation with
Providence Health Care in Vancouver, BC.
Erica Guliker, MA, Member at Large. Erica is the Director of Planning and Redevelopment for Providence Health Care. She has a background in Psychiatric and General Nursing holds a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from the University of Victoria and a Masters Degree from UBC. Erica joined the Board of Living Systems Counselling in 2007.
Don Wills, BA. PLog, Member at Large. Don is currently an Associate Project Director, Redevelopment with Providence Health Care in Vancouver, BC. He has 20 years of leadership experience in the healthcare system and is currently the Director of Support Services.
Contact Mark and the Board of Directors
To see our latest Annual Report click here: Annual Report 2016-2017
Support the Community: Support Living Systems Counselling
Joining Living Systems Counselling Society is a way to support the advancement of Bowen family systems theory and therapy in British Columbia. As a member, you will have a voice in determining the future of this dynamic organization. You will also receive discounts on registration fees for conferences. The membership fee is $10 for one year or $25 for three years. To become a Living Systems Counselling member please mail your cheque with a note attached to it regarding your membership to: Living Systems Counselling, 209-1500 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1T7 or pay online via paypal:
1 year membership $10.00 CAD 3 year membership $25.00 CAD
As a non-profit society, Living Systems Counselling depends upon the financial support of individuals, businesses and other organizations who believe in the principles of Bowen family systems theory and therapy. Without their help, we would be unable to continue our work in counseling, training, education and research. All financial donations receive a receipt that can be used for income tax purposes. United Way contributions may be designated to Living Systems Counselling.
To make a donation to Living Systems Counselling Society mail a cheque to Living Systems Counselling, 209-1500 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1T7 OR
Please keep a copy for your records. Thank you for your support. We will mail a tax receipt for donations over $20.
Living Systems Counselling depends upon a network of volunteers who give generously of their time, energy and skills. If you are interested in volunteering please contact us.
Counselling programs for lower-income individuals and families is supported by the ongoing support from the following organizations:
Vancouver Foundation
City of North Vancouver
B.C. Gaming Commission
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Ads: ► Plumber in London ► Man and van West London ► London PPC agency
Where Pass London Offers Visitors First 3-in-1 Visa Debit Card Combining Travel, Attractions and Spending Money
LONDON, June 13, 2016
Morris Visitor Publications (MVP), leading provider of visitor information and owners of the Where brand worldwide, is pleased to announce the first-to-market Where Pass London. This three-in-one contactless Visa™ debit card combines travel on Tube, bus and clipper river services with discounted access to top London attractions and spending money for one or multiple travellers. The pre-loaded card gives users complete control and the ability to build an entire trip before travelling.
Working in collaboration with 28 merchant partners across the city, Where Pass London offers visitors access to the very best London attractions with a simple swipe of a card. From the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral to Shrek’s Adventure and iconic sporting venues such as Wembley Stadium, there is something for everyone. The card not only gives admission, it also offers great discounts at attractions and shopping destinations whilst allowing queue-jumping access at a number of attractions.*
Unlike any other product on the market, Where Pass London allows visitors to enjoy the best of the city without having to carry multiple tickets and debit cards. By pre-loading spending money, travel and attractions, visitors make a one-time payment in their own currency and can use Where Pass London as a UK issued debit card, without incurring any additional currency exchange charges whilst abroad. Whether it’s a journey along the River Thames or a quick stop for coffee, Where Pass London keeps everything in one place and puts the traveller in control.
Sarah Clegg, Business Development and Marketing Director Where Pass London said: “We are absolutely delighted to launch Where Pass London. We know that London can be a daunting place for visitors and we believe this card has the power to transform how travellers book and enjoy their time in the capital. The three-in-one combination of travel, discounted attractions and spending money gives the user complete control and makes life that little bit easier. Not only is this the first product of its kind, the curated list of premium attractions, savings and tailored journey planner enables the customer to manage their time to maximum effect.”
Chris Manning, Managing Director Europe at Morris Visitor Publications continued: “Globally, the Where brand is recognised as a leading publisher of reliable visitor information, carefully packaged in various formats for all types of domestic and international travellers. Where Pass is a natural extension of the products and services MVP already offers to millions of visitors and London is a part of a wider European launch that also includes Paris and Berlin.”
Jennifer Dardis, UK Trade Director, Merlin Entertainments, the largest entertainments company operating in Europe commented: “Where Pass London is a hugely compelling proposition, with its integrated ‘one-stop-shop’ formula set to make a big impact on the user experience as well as our business. It encourages visitors to plan ahead, enabling businesses like ours to forecast more efficiently and gain a better insight into the type of people visiting.”
Kevin Jenkins, Managing Director UK and Ireland, Visa Europe said: “Where Pass London enables visitors to take advantage of the great contactless payment network throughout the city. This includes travelling by Tube, taxi, bus and river services as well as enjoying restaurants and shopping. Knowing that the card is accepted across London gives consumers piece of mind and removes the need to carry and keep track of cash.”
Where Pass London is simple to use and lets travellers pre-arrange travel, attractions and spending money for a group of up to six people. On the website, users simply specify the number of travellers, location in London, budget and areas of interest. Where Pass will then suggest an itinerary of attractions to suit your preferences and calculate your costs. Once the order is placed, Where Pass cards will be dispatched to a chosen address, in time for travel. Alternatively, it can be collected at Original London Visitor Centre in Trafalgar Square. The cards can be quickly activated online and are then ready to use as soon as travellers arrive on UK soil, avoiding lengthy queues at the airport to purchase travel cards.
Each element of the trip can then be managed through the website, on any device, with the option to add more attractions or money and change itinerary. The site also offers news, advice and recommendations on how to make the most out of London. The card itself arrives as part of a beautiful smart pack including a visitor map and useful pocket guide book.
Where Pass London has been developed by Morris Visitor Publications (MVP) working with key partner Contis Financial Services. It is the UK’s first Visa™ visitor card to combine travel, attractions and spending money. Morris Visitor Publications (MVP) is the world’s largest provider of visitor information, publishing guides, magazines and city maps in over 80 cities around the world. In London, MVP has been the trusted and preferred partner of London’s four and five star hotels and concierges, luxury apartments, embassies, tour operators and airlines for nearly 40 years with the Where brand, which is designed to enhance a visitor’s trip to London, giving them accurate and timely information on our great city.
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NEWS: Brand New Production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution to Open On Southbank
AuthorEmma ClarendonPosted on June 21, 2017 June 22, 2017 Categoriesdrama, News, Theatre, UncategorizedTagsAgatha Christie, London County Hall, Lucy Bailey
It has been announced that a brand new production of Agatha Christie’s classic Witness for the Prosecution will be performed at the London County Hall from the 6th October.
James Prichard, Matthew Prichard and Lucy Bailey. (c) Helen Maybanks.
This new production will be directed by Lucy Bailey and will be performed in the chamber of London County Hall from the 6th October until the 11th March 2018.
Step inside the magnificent surroundings of London County Hall and experience the intensity and drama of Agatha Christie’s gripping story of justice, passion and betrayal in a unique courtroom setting.
Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes are high – will Leonard survive the shocking witness testimony, will he be able to convince the jury, and you of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose?
Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions will be presenting the production that will feature designs by William Dudley, lighting by Chris Davey and sound design by Mic Pool.
Witness for the Prosecution was one of Agatha Christie’s favourites of all her work. In her autobiography she said: “One night at the theatre stands out in my memory especially; the first night of Witness for the Prosecution. I can safely say that that was the only first night I have enjoyed…. It was one of my plays that I like best myself.”
This new production has been developed with the help and support of the Christie family. Christie’s Great Grandson and Executive Chair of Agatha Christie Ltd, James Prichard said “It is really exciting to see this innovative approach to one of my great grandmother’s best plays. The amazing setting of County Hall will help raise the production to great heights, and with Lucy Bailey directing it will be a must see theatre event. This show will help demonstrate that Christie’s works are as relevant today as they have ever been, and 21st century London is in for a treat.”
Witness for the Prosecution will play at the London County Hall from the 6th October until the 11th March 2018. For more information visit: http://www.witnesscountyhall.com/ . To book tickets: Ticketmaster.co.uk, Discount Theatre.com, See Tickets.com, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.
← NEWS: Rachel Tucker to Appear in Fundraiser at Bridge House Theatre
Review Round Up: Anatomy of a Suicide, Royal Court Theatre →
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Employment Law Daily Hospital can't prove undue hardship or direct threat defenses in deaf nurse’s disability claims
Hospital can't prove undue hardship or direct threat defenses in deaf nurse’s disability claims
By Kathleen Kapusta, J.D. Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), which rescinded a job offer to a deaf nurse based on the purported $120,000 cost of providing her with an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, could not prevail on its undue hardship defense by asserting that the department’s “threshold is zero for interpreter costs,” while failing to account for its $1.7 billion budget, found a federal district court in Maryland, observing that another hospital was able to provide her with her requested accommodation. The nurse was also entitled to summary judgment on JHH’s direct threat defense, which the court found was based on post-hoc rationalizations and thus was suggestive of pretext (Searls v. Johns Hopkins Hospital, January 21, 2016, Blake, C.). Upon her graduation from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, the nurse was offered a job in the same unit where she performed two clinical rotations. Although she could read lips, she understood better through sign language and during her clinical placements at JHH, the school provided her with a full-time ASL interpreter. Offer rescinded. When she accepted the offer, the nurse requested a full-time ASL interpreter as an accommodation. After much discussion between the nurse manager, JHH’s ADA Compliance Specialist, an ADA/Accessibilty Consultant, and others, the job offer was rescinded based on the undue hardship of paying a full-time ASL interpreter’s salary of $120,000. Several months later, the nurse began working at another hospital that provided her with a full-time interpreter. During the time her request was being evaluated, no one asked her how she would work with an interpreter, including during an emergency situation or when an alarm sounded, or proposed any alternative accommodation. She subsequently sued, claiming that JHH violated the ADA and the Rehab Act by rescinding her job offer even though she was a qualified individual who, with the accommodation of an ASL interpreter, was fully able to perform the essential job functions of a nurse. Reasonable accommodation. At issue in her reasonable accommodation claim was whether, as JHH contended, hiring a full-time interpreter would have reallocated essential job functions. JHH’s job description of the position at issue listed as essential job functions communicating with patients, family members, and other hospital personnel, and monitoring and responding to alarms. Even with the assistance of an interpreter, the court found that she would perform a significant portion of the essential functions of communicating and responding to alarms herself as she would decide which questions to ask, speak for herself in talking to patients and other professionals, and act in response to alarms. As to whether her inability to hear affected her ability to communicate and respond to alarms such that she would be unable to perform these essential job functions within the meaning of the ADA, the court again noted that with the aid of an interpreter, she could perform a substantial portion of these functions, and most importantly, those portions requiring nursing judgment. Thus, her inability to hear did not detrimentally affect the purpose of employing her as a nurse. Therefore, her accommodation request would not have reallocated the essential job functions. Undue hardship. And while JHH asserted that providing her with an interpreter would have caused an undue hardship on its operations, the court noted that despite the relevance of its overall budget, it focused exclusively on the resources and operations of the unit where she would be working and the Department of Medicine and ignored the question of how providing an interpreter costing at most $120,000, or 0.007 percent of JHH’s 2012 operational budget of $1.7 billion could impose an undue hardship on the hospital. Observing that JHH essentially argued that it had no money in its budget for reasonable accommodations, the court pointed out that the employer’s budget for reasonable accommodations is an irrelevant factor in assessing undue hardship because allowing an employer to prevail on its undue hardship defense based on its own budgeting decisions would effectively cede the legal determination on this issue to the employer that allegedly failed to accommodate an employee with a disability. Moreover, said the court, even assuming the salary of a full-time ASL interpreter would be twice that of a nurse, that by itself did not establish undue hardship. Not only does the EEOC’s interpretive guidance on its ADA regulations explain that “[s]imply comparing the cost of the accommodation to the salary of the individual with a disability in need of the accommodation will not suffice,” the court found it particularly relevant that the hospital that hired the nurse has been able to accommodate deaf nurses. Thus, she was entitled to summary judgment on this defense. Direct threat. In arguing that employing the nurse would have imposed a direct threat, JHH contended that some alarms were only auditory and “[i]t would have been a significant patient safety risk to rely on an interpreter, without any nursing training, to engage in nursing judgment by determining which alarm was sounding and to rely on the interpreter’s judgment to determine when a patient emergency was occurring, requiring nursing assistance.” However, because JHH did not raise patient safety concerns until after the nurse sued, because the issue of patient safety was absent from contemporaneous communications concerning the reason for denying her an ASL interpreter, and because the only explanation JHH gave to her for revoking her job offer was the cost of providing a full-time interpreter, it did meet its burden on its direct threat defense. The defense also failed because there was no individualized assessment. Rather, said the court, JHH relied on stereotypes or generalizations about deafness. Noting deposition testimony from the nurse manager, who stated that she was concerned about the nurse’s ability to function safely based on whether she would be able to hear alarms, the court pointed out that she admitted she never observed the nurse fail to respond to an alarm. Nor did JHH dispute that no one ever raised the patient safety concerns with the nurse or asked how she planned to work with an interpreter to respond to alarms.
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Arts & Culture » Culture
At Boise City Hall Pride Flag Raising, A Call for Inclusion
Speaking in front of Boise City Hall the morning of June 14, City Council President Lauren McLean's comments on the raising of the Pride flag verged on prayer.
"You're loved, you're wanted, and your city believes you should be treated with dignity and respect," she said.
McLean joined other members of the Boise City Council, Pride organizers and activists in front of City Hall to offer remarks on 30 years of the festival. In the early years, Pride parade participants often hid their faces to avoid being identified as part of the LGBTQ community; over this coming weekend, organizers expect tens of thousands of people to partake in festivities.
Standing beside McLean was Boise Pride organizer Joseph Kibbe, who attended the first march wearing a bag over his head. Reflecting on the changes to the city over the last three decades, he said "I never would have envisioned this in my entire life."
Soon thereafter, a city worker hoisted the rainbow Pride flag.
Visible in the background of the flag-raising was the massive Pride Main Stage and the Idaho State Capitol, where the Department of Administration has told event organizers that it will not, as it has in years past, illuminate the building with the Pride rainbow. Instead, Pride raised funds to beam a rainbow onto the Capitol from Cecil D. Andrus Park starting at 10:30 p.m. on June 24.
"This is a rebellion—a little act of defiance," Kibbe said.
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Book Culture, Medieval Scribes, Paleography, Repost
Common but not Ordinary: The Leiden Dioscorides Examined
February 24, 2012 Erik Kwakkel
This week one of my MA-students expressed he wanted to write his thesis on MS VLQ 1 in the Leiden University Library. The manuscript in question contains an alphabetized version of Dioscorides’ De materia medica. It belonged to a copy presented in several parts, but the others have all been lost, it seems (VLQ 1 contains the Preface and Acorus through Ficus maritima). It was made in or nearby the Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino in the late eleventh century. This monastery is known for its high-end illuminated manuscripts written in Beneventan script. Thumbing through VLQ 1, however, quickly shows that this is not such a book. Not a single decorative element is encountered in the manuscript and the parchment is of particularly poor quality: some folia contain pronounced follicle patterns, translucent patches or a yellow discoloration; others contain cuts or gaps at the edge of the page.
The manuscript’s most notable feature, however, is the mix of scripts on its pages. The first scribe, who copied f. 1r to f. 13v, line 36, includes such familiar Beneventan letter forms as the a that looks like ac, the enlarged e that looks like a t with a circle on top, and the ti ligature. Curiously, the two remaining hands in the volume used Caroline Minuscule. The first of these takes over in line 37 of f. 13v, halfway through a sentence (see image). The transition is marked by a “barred” capital “P” in the margin, contemporary and perhaps executed by the first hand. A third individual copied the remainder of the manuscript (f. 32v). The script suggests the first scribe was trained in the Beneventan zone (Monte Cassino and its surroundings); the others came from elsewhere.
Monte-Cassino expert Francis Newton relates the coexistence and mixed application of Beneventan and Caroline in Southern-Italian scriptoria to status and the purpose of a book. High-quality manuscripts with gold and colored initials, which he calls Nobilissimi or most noble books, are always copied in Beneventan script. This category consists of display books and liturgical manuscripts. One step down in the hierarchy there are the Notabiliores, or more notable books, commonly with patristic and classical contents as well as contemporary medieval texts, predominantly written in Beneventan script entirely. The lowest tier on Newton’s ladder is a class he calls Viliores, or more common books. This is where we may situate VLQ 1. These manuscripts, which may be partly written in Beneventan and partly in Caroline, contain works on such topics as dialectic, grammar, law and medicine. These plain objects were likely made for school use or scholarly pursuit.
Thus, the Leiden Dioscorides is common but not ordinary: the object holds an every-day text that was produced under unusual circumstances, in a scriptorium where scribes from different origins found common ground in the books they copied. I can’t wait to see what the MA-thesis will uncover about this most intriguing book.
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Psychological Models of Masculinity in DÖblin, Musil, and Jahnnmännliches, Allzumännliches
Author: Kingerlee, Roger
This book offers original interpretations of three great German-language novels from the 1920s, showing how ecological and feminist debates of today had already been initiated by men at that time. It examines Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz; Robert Musil’s The Man without Qualities, and Hans Henny Jahnn’s Perrudja. Together, these novels illustrate how notions of masculinity had become problematic even by the 1920s; and suggest how increased self-awareness can improve men’s lives. “Dr. Kingerlee’s level-headed and well-informed reading of these notorious complex texts not only makes them accessible to the apprehensive reader, it also convincingly rescues at least one of them from crass accusations of extreme male chauvinism. . . . one of the major virtues of this highly original book is that it provokes one to ask questions about maleness and selfhood and to test out one’s answers against those which are explored in the literary texts under discussion.” – Richard Sheppard
“Roger Kingerlee’s study of psychological models of masculinity offers both a general overview of a topic of considerable socio-political relevance, and a penetrating study of three particular works by writers who are widely recognized to be of huge importance in the history of modern literature. . . . likely to appeal to readers in such fields as sociology and psychoanalysis, and as a substantial and original contribution to the interpretation of German modernist texts. . . . Kingerlee is able to deploy his theoretical sources, such as the work of one of Germany’s most significant living sociologists, Klaus Theweliet, in such a way as to bring to life the psychological insight of these texts; as a result, his study is likely to be a major reference point for future work on these novels.” – Paul Bishop
“This book aims to do more than extend the application of gender critique to some classic modernist texts. Kingerlee adopts a critical stance towards the perspectives on male sexuality established by Klaus Theweleit in Miinnerphantasien (Frankfurt a.M.: Roter Stern, 1977), Andrew Webber in Sexuality and the Sense of Self in Musil and Trakl (London: MHRA, 1990), and Maria Tatar in Lustmord: Sexual Murder in Weimar Germany (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995), and provides readings of Dablin's Berlin Alexanderplatz, Musil's Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften, and Jahnn's Perrudja which bring out the senses in which these texts themselves present a critique of aggressive or 'heroic' masculinity. That critique, he rightly observes, owes much to the analytical discussion of human personality prompted since the 1 880s by the writings of Nietzsche, Ernst Mach, Freud, Jung, and a number of other psychological theorists. It is a consistent strength of Kingerlee's textual analysis that he is able to relate specific motifs and specific perspectives on gender reliably to theoretical assumptions which were current when the literary works in question were being written, including works on Taoism which strongly influenced thinking about the complementarity of male and female principles … by examining these three texts alongside each other, he provides an illuminating study of the contribution that literary writing was making in the 1920S to the revision of gender assumptions. It will be welcomed as an informative basis for further research in this area.” – MLR, 99.1, 2004
Foreword by Professor Ritchie Robertson
1. Psychological and Sexological Models of Masculinity up to 1933
2. Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz : The Cultural Context
3. Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Critique of Hyper-Masculinity
4. Robert Musil’s The Man without Qualities: The Cultural Context
5. Robert Musil’s The Man without Qualities: Rejuvenating the Male
6. Hans Henny Jahnn’s Perrudja: The Cultural Context
7. Hans Henny Jahnn’s Perrudja: The Melancholic Male
8. Overview
Bibliography; Index
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Published in Talent
Michigan State University’s Grand Rapids Research Center — slated to open in late 2017 — sits in close proximity to other life sciences-related facilities and complementary mixed-use housing and commercial projects. Economic developers say university life sciences projects are increasingly catalyzing developments in cities all over Michigan. Courtesy Photo
Biomedical programs breathe new life into Michigan downtowns
BY Nick Manes Sunday, July 24, 2016 02:24pm
The emergence of life sciences-based higher educational institutions continues to have a discernible impact on ancillary development in urban areas across Michigan.
From the downtowns of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo to Detroit’s booming Midtown neighborhood, major research institutions each with an emphasis on the life sciences are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into new facilities that stakeholders claim will continue to attract new residential and retail users in close proximity.
“Not only are we attracting a lot of national and federal dollars into the state for research and development, but those dollars are then employing researchers and faculty members that are living and spending money in the local communities,” said Jeff Mason, executive director of Lansing-based University Research Corridor (URC).
Mason’s organization serves as an alliance between three of Michigan’s major research institutions: the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.
According to Mason, the three URC schools last year invested $1.1 billion — or more than 50 percent of their total research and development expenditures — into life sciences-related endeavors.
While that money may be related to investments in new facilities and expensive technology, Mason and other industry sources say there’s a direct spillover effect into the local communities.
“I think what you see in the life sciences and the investments universities are making, there’s a lot of research and development going on,” Mason said. “There’s the saying that’s been out there for a long time about ‘eds and meds.’ I think our three universities really reflect that.”
Indeed, the institutions create the types of jobs that municipalities, the state and universities need to be fighting for, said Ned Staebler, vice president of economic development at Wayne State University and president and CEO of TechTown Detroit, the school’s nonprofit business accelerator and incubator. Research organizations typically have a high multiplier effect in creating other jobs in the surrounding communities, he said.
“These types of workers are the manufacturing jobs of 50 to 60 years ago,” Staebler said.
EXPLORING DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS
While still more than a year out from opening and several years from being at full occupancy, MSU’s Grand Rapids Research Center could function as an anchor on the western end of the so-called Medical Mile along Michigan Street, according to stakeholders.
With the structure fully enclosed and interior work underway, the $88 million biomedical research facility sits at the northeast corner of Michigan Street and Monroe Avenue on the former site of the Grand Rapids Press headquarters.
Plans call for the other two parcels on the site to house some sort of ancillary development. Michigan State plans eventually to issue a request for proposals to determine appropriate uses for the parcels, said Vennie Gore, vice president of auxiliary services for the university.
At this time, Gore said the university has no specific timeline as to when it would issue RFPs or select partners for ancillary development on the site.
“We’ve been meeting with various folks in the community and we’re interested in this being an innovation park,” Gore said. “We’re being thoughtful with who those partners are. We’re purposely taking our time as we move through this.”
Gore declined to offer any specifics on the types of uses the university would like to see proposed, but did say the city of Grand Rapids is pushing for some form of retail user on the site.
Additionally, the Grand Rapids Research Center is projected to have a $28 million economic impact on the broader Grand Rapids community, according to a report released last summer by Anderson Economic Group LLC, an East Lansing-based consulting firm.
“The (research center) will increase the daytime population and pedestrian foot traffic at the site due to employees working at and visitors to the facility,” according to the report. “The physical improvement of the site will also generate interest in the area and has spillover effects in attracting interest in nearby properties.”
Directly across Monroe Avenue from the Grand Rapids Research Center, crews continue to work on the Rowe Hotel redevelopment, which is slated to open in early fall. The approximately $25 million redevelopment project by CWD Real Estate Investment Inc. will offer 77 market-rate apartments, a small number of condominiums and ground-floor retail space, including a satellite location for Detroit-based Atwater Brewing Co.
That type of nearby ancillary development is exactly what URC’s Mason hopes to have happen in more areas of the state.
“Certainly these types of positions … like those at the research center in Grand Rapids are going to be high-paying, technical kinds of positions that will create great wealth for the community,” Mason said. “Those positions create disposable income that helps stimulate other parts of the economy. There’s certainly positions that are well above the average salary, not only for West Michigan but the statewide average.”
CATALYZING KALAMAZOO
Likewise, Western Michigan University’s Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in downtown Kalamazoo also appears to be acting as a catalyst for ancillary development in Southwest Michigan’s largest urban core.
The facility — a collaboration between WMU and health care providers Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare Group — sits in the southeastern corner of Kalamazoo’s expanding downtown, in the vicinity of several mixed-use housing developments, as well as increasing office, commercial and dining options.
In the short term, the medical school and the nearby development projects bring about $100 million in investment to the downtown, according to Jerome Kisscorni, assistant city manager and economic development director for the city of Kalamazoo.
“That brings down all the professional folks to operate and administer the organization,” Kisscorni said of WMU’s emerging medical school. “We’re ramping up the number of students going in, and that has a rollover with housing in downtown. There’s really a boom from the standpoint of housing.”
In many ways, the development pipeline in downtown Kalamazoo and its adjacent areas has begun to mirror what’s been coming online in Grand Rapids, with multiple mixed-use housing projects either under consideration or under construction. Additionally, developers in both cities have announced plans for projects to update office and commercial space.
The trends also reflect what Staebler of Wayne State University is seeing in the booming areas of Detroit. He believes the presence of life sciences companies can only help to ramp up the redevelopment efforts.
“It’s not going to stay contained. You’re already seeing some of that spillover effect,” Staebler said. “The adjacent areas to Midtown and downtown are starting to benefit from the increased demand in these neighborhoods. That’s the ultimate goal. … The core is now to the point where it’s starting to grow organically.”
Read 8428 times Last modified on Thursday, 21 July 2016 14:58
Jeff Mason,
Ned Staebler
Vennie Gore
Atwater Brewing Co
CWD Real Estate Investment Inc
Borgess Health
bronson healthcare group
Jerome Kisscorni
WMU gets approval to sell parcels in second phase of BTR Park
Concept for regional fund to back Great Lakes VC investors faces key hurdles
Whitmer policy allows commercial solar projects on farmland preservation property
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Difference between revisions of "Y. enterocolitica"
From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource
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[[Image:OULOGOBIANCO.JPEG|thumb)|230px)|left|University of Oklahoma Study Abroad Microbiology in Arezzo, Italy)
[http://cas.ou.edu/study-abroad/]]
[[File:Y. enterocolitica.jpg|1000px|thumb|right| <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i>. From:http://www.nbbcfood.info/foodmatters/foodsafetyatoz/images/30fsmyersinia.jpg]]
==Etiology/Bacteriology==
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University of Oklahoma Study Abroad Microbiology in Arezzo, Italy[1]
Yersinia enterocolitica. From:http://www.nbbcfood.info/foodmatters/foodsafetyatoz/images/30fsmyersinia.jpg
1 Etiology/Bacteriology
1.1 Taxonomy
2 Pathogenesis
2.1 Transmission
2.2 Infectious dose, incubation, and colonization
2.3 Virulence Factors
2.3.1 Enterotoxicity
2.3.2 Iron and Pathogenicity
3 Epidemiology
4 Clinical Features
5 Diagnosis
6 Treatment
7 Prevention
8 Host Immune Response
Etiology/Bacteriology
| Domain = Bacteria | Phylum = Proteobacteria | Class = Gammaproteobacteria | Order = Enterobacteriales | Family = Enterobacteriaceae | Genus = Yersinia | species = Y. enterocolitica
NCBI: [3] Genome: [4]
Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram negative coccobacillus-shaped, facultative anaerobe that is motile at temperatures ranging from 22 to 30°C. This bacterium is not part of the human microbiota, but has been isolated from clinical specimens along with many other animals including pigs, cattle, birds, and domestic animals [1]. Y. enterocolitica is psychrotrophic, meaning it can flourish in lower temperatures, even below 4°C. Therefore, it can survive freezing and inhabit frozen foods for a long period of time [2]. There are several different serotypes of Yersinia enterocolitica classified by the surface antigens they share, which are then further categorized according to which O-antigen they express on their surface. Only certain types of this bacterium are human pathogens. Infections from Yersinia enterocolitica are common year-round, but have an optimum infection period in fall and winter. Certain types of infections occur in different geographical areas. For example, serotypes O:3 and O:9 are responsible for outbreaks in Europe, while O:8 is found in the United States, and O:5 and O:27 are found in Canada and Japan [3]. Yersinia enterocolitica is a common cause of food-borne gastrointestinal diseases in moderate and subtropical climates around the world. An infection may present itself as enteritis, terminal ileitis, pseudo appendicitis, or mesenteric lyphadenitis, which is inflammation of the mesenteric lymph nodes [4]. As a zoonotic pathogen,Y. enterocolitica can infect the host after ingestion of contaminated food or water. Although host gastric acid act as a substantial barrier to prevent infection from the pathogen, Y. enterocolitica utilizes plasmids during pathogenesis to overcome this barrier. These plasmids include an outer membrane protein, YadA, that is used for adhesion and can resist phagocytosis by host cell with the help of Yops proteins [2]. Yersiniosis, a disease caused by this microorganism, has symptoms including abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea that occurs in 80% of cases. Patients usually recover within three weeks of infection without the use of antimicrobials, unless it becomes chronic entercolitis. This disease may last a few months; however, fatalities from Yersinia entercolitica are extremely rare. Infections caused by this pathogen can be easily prevented using proper sterilization techniques when handling food, practicing proper hygiene, and avoiding raw milk or undercooked pork products [2].
Yersinia enterocolitica is found in meats (pork, beef, lamb, ect.), fish, and raw milk. Exact reason for food contamination is unknown [5]. Human-to-human transmission is rare, however, incidences have been observed and reported. It is thought that an infected person suffering from diarrheal symptoms will transmit the disease to others if proper hand washing techniques are not followed [6]. Yersinia enterocolitica infection results in yersiniosis—a zoonotic disease that occurs in humans, cattle, birds and pigs [5]. Only a few strains cause infection in humans, and children are infected more often than adults. However, there are extreme cases in which Y. enterocolitica has been transmitted via blood transfusions. In such cases, transfusion acquired septicemia usually results from the infected blood serum [6]. There are over 60 serotypes for Yersinia enterocolitica . The serotypes pathogenic to humans are O:3, O:5,27, O:8, O:9, and O:13 [5,7].
Mode of Transmission of Yersinia enterocolitica. From:http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpath/2011/429069.fig.001.jpg
Y. enterocolitica has various serotypes for different mammals and each strain has different virulence factors. Biotypes 2 to 5 are less virulent in mice yet account for a majority of human illnesses [11]. Bioserotype 4/O:3 accounts for around 90% of illnesses in the Eastern hemisphere, and is one of the two main strains found in pigs. As stated earlier, the bacteria are mainly foodborne pathogens, and transmitted through undercooked pork. Studies show that each biotype possesses similar mechanisms but different virulence in humans.
Infectious dose, incubation, and colonization
According to the CDC, the infectious dose of Yersinia enterocolitica is currently unknown, however, the FDA estimates it is between 104 to 106 organisms. The infectious dose depend on the strain and host factors. It takes a lower dose of organisms to cause yersiniosis in young children and the elderly, who have weakened immune systems, compared to a healthy adult's immune system [2]. Illness takes place between 24 and 48 hours after ingestion [8]. Illness typically presents as diarrhea—sometimes bloody—low-grade fever, abdominal pain and vomiting, which is present in 15%-40% of cases [7]. Yersiniosis is less common due to the improvement of food processing techniques, which eliminate the risk of infection [8]. Y. enterocolitica efficiently colonizes the small intestine. After entering the host, bacteria adhere to the lumen and invade the epithelial lining, eventually going to the Peyer Patches where the microorganism proliferates [7]. Y. enterocolitica colonization requires the transfer of the bacteria across the epithelial tissue barrier.
Yersinia enterocolitica attaches to epithelial cells by use of three proteins: per se, Inv promotes entry, YadA (plasma encoded protein) promotes adhesion for attachment, and Ail correlates with virulence because its only detected among pathogenic strains [12].
Damage Response Framework of Yersiniosis caused by Yersinia enterocolitica[2]
Virulence Factors
There are 3 invasive proteins—Ail, YadA and invasin that are produced by Yersinia entercolitica [7]. These proteins promote adherence and invasion of microfold cells, which are found in the follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patches. Microfold cells, or M cells, are a type of antigen-sampling intestinal epithelial cells.
Enterotoxicity
The toxin Yst, included on the genes ystA and ystB, is a membrane-acting virulence factor. It is a heat-stable enterotoxin that is important in causing diarrhea in the host, however, it is only present in virulent strains of Y. enterocolitica . It stimulates the cGMP synthesis in the intestinal lining, which leads to an overall effect of fluid loss due to a lack of fluid absorption [9]. The enterotoxin produced by Y. enterocolitica is similar to that of Escherichia coli . Nevertheless, the enterotoxin only plays a minor role in pathogenesis, because diarrheal symptoms have been observed in the absence of the enterotoxin [7] . The outer membrane antigens are associated with bacterial resistance to opsonization and phagocytosis by neutrophils [7].
Iron and Pathogenicity
Y. enterocolitica is unable to chelate iron. Despite not being able to produce siderophores-- Y. enterocolitica can utilize siderophores produced by other bacteria [7]. This pathogen contains the plasmid PYV encoding virulence genes that affect pathogenesis. Included in these virulence genes it YadA (Yersinia adhesion A), which is an outer-membrane protein that is expressed by the organism. Also included is the type III secretory system guided by Yops proteins that offer Y. enterocolitica a way to resist phagocytosis and immune responses by the host [2].
The populations most susceptible to Y. enterocolitica are small children, the elderly, and immuno-suppressed hosts [8] . 75% of patients with this disease are between the age of 5-15 years [7]. Most isolates of the disease are type O:3 and O:9 serotypes found in Canada and Europe. In the US it is estimated that approximately 5% of enteric bacterial infections are in children under the age of 5.The CDC reports 17,000 cases of infection in the United States annually [5]. This disease is much more common in Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan.
Clinical Features
Yersinia enterocolitica typically causes diarrhea in all manifestations of the infection, with occasional more severe cases containing blood in the stools [7]. The disease may present differently when comparing adult and adolescent cases. Pediatric cases are characterized by fever, abdominal pain, and more commonly present with bloody diarrhea than in adults [8]. The most common presentation of Y. enterocolitica in children is enterocolitis. The symptoms include watery and mucoid diarrhea, fever, colicky abdominal pain, and stools containing a high number of white blood cells. Adults characterize their infection symptoms as being diarrhea, localized lower right quadrant abdominal pain, vomiting, and low-grade fever [7]. Often the infection will clear without the aid of antibiotics, but those that do not display more severe side effects which includes red or purple raised lesions, known as erythema nodosum and joint pain commonly in the knees, wrists, or ankles [5]. Erythema nodosum lesions appear 2-20 days after the onset of the infection and usually resolve without medical treatment in about a month [7]. Lesions are more commonly seen in females and present on the patient’s trunk and legs. Joint pain may manifest about a month after the onset of symptoms and cease after 1 to 6 months [5]. Septicemia, or bacteria in the blood, can occur in adults with predisposing conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, immune defect, alcoholism, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, or hemochromatosis. Septicemia can also cause metastatic infections including abscesses in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs [7].
Yersinia enterocoliticain a 45 year old woman. From:http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/infectious_diseases/211212-232343-1185.jpg
There are numerous tests that can be conducted to diagnose a Yersinia enterocolitica infection. A stool culture is the best way to confirm the presence of the pathogen, but can take two weeks after the onset of the disease for the culture result to come back positive or negative [7]. Other tests include tube agglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, radioimmunoassays, ultrasonography or computed tomography scanning imaging studies, colonoscopy, and joint aspiration in certain cases [7]. A majority of Y. enterocolitica infections will clear up on their own with good nutrition and hydration [7]. Severe or complicated infections can be treated with the appropriate antibiotics. [5].
Infections by Yersinia enterocolitica are usually self-limiting and will resolve on their own in most patients who recover without any antibiotic treatment within a seven days to three weeks period [5]. Hydration is important in uncomplicated cases of diarrhea caused by the organism and will be sufficient treatment in the infection, however in severe or more complicated cases of infection antibiotic treatment may be necessary. The antibiotics commonly used are aminoglycosides, doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or fluoroquinolones [5].
Prevention of Yersinia enterocolitica infection is a matter of avoidance of certain foods. The most common mode of transmission is via poultry and livestock [7]. Thus, avoid raw or undercooked meats. Milk products must be pasteurized before consumption. If raw meat is handled, clean hands thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination. Beware of cross-contamination in the kitchen by cleaning all surfaces and appliances with soap and hot water. Animal feces may also be contaminated, so dispose of all animal waste properly [7].
Host Immune Response
During the later stages of Yersinia infection, there are many clinical and histological signs of host response. The host's innate immune response activates macrophages against the infection. Macrophage activation is dependent upon the number of CFUs in the host and the duration of the infection. The immune response will produce multiple TLR ligands, which activate the macrophages [10]. The release of the aforementioned ligands by macrophages will contribute to inflammation of the small intestine. Induction of inflammation is a typical host immune response to enteric pathogens.
1. Microbiology in Pictures. http://www.microbiologyinpictures.com/yersinia%20enterocolitica.html
2. Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/UCM297627.pdf
3. Public Heath Agency of Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/yersinia-enterocolitica-eng.php#footnote7
4. Infection and Immunity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1951990/#!po=1.72414
5. CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/yersinia_g.htm
6. Hindawi. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpath/2011/429069/
7. Medscape. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/232343-overview
8. FDA. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/CausesOfIllnessBadBugBook/ucm070040.htm
9. Virulence Factors of Pathogenic Bacteria. http://www.mgc.ac.cn/cgi-bin/VFs/vfs.cgi?Genus=Yersinia&Keyword=Toxin
10. Journal of Immunology. http://www.jimmunol.org/content/168/3/1315.full.pdf
11. Infection and Immunity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3811832/
12. Yersinia enterocolitica: Pathogenesis, virulence and antimicrobial resistance. http://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-enfermedades-infecciosas-microbiologia-clinica-28-articulo-iyersinia-enterocolitica-i-pathogenesis-virulence-and-90093119
Created by Emily Kurtz, Kristen Hoelscher, Dane Korber and Caitlyn Baukal, students of Tyrrell Conway at the University of Oklahoma
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Posted on Sep 14, 2016 by mahdi in C, K-Movie | 0 comments
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NYSME was originally organized in 1926 in New York City. In its early years, the organization moved to and from various locations throughout Manhattan. In the early 1940’s, the organization moved to the Lackawanna’s Hoboken Terminal. However, during the mid-1950’s the organization moved to its current location in Carlstadt, NJ.
At our present location, our organization features two operating model railroad displays. One railroad, The Union Connecting, models two rail O-Scale (1/4″ to the foot) The other railroad, The Union, Hoboken, and Overland, models HO scale (1/8″ to the foot).
NYSME holds two public exhibitions of the layouts around Christmas time and in the early spring. However the society does hold a work session every Wednesday night starting around 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome to come by but there is no guarantee that any trains will be operating.
History of NYSME
Before there was an N.M.R.A., Model Railroader, or Walthers, there was the New York Society of Model Engineers. The Society was incorporated in 1926 and is known to be the oldest society in the United States. The members of the New York Society of Model Engineers will be celebrating their 90th anniversary in 2016.
Our past membership reads like the Who’s Who in model railroading…. Alexander, Ickens, Vanderbilt, Walthers. The first president and four founding members of the NMRA. Five authors of articles in the first edition of Model Railroader. John J Astor was also notable past member to have graced the society history. The society set model railroading standards, which were eventually adopted by the NMRA, and became the basic standards for the hobby in all the scales. The Society was the first to organize and hold contests, setting the criteria for others. Famous builders, manufacturers and authors of articles on how to design and build model railroads have been included in our society’s membership.
The NYSME has had many different modeling divisions over the years. The first president of the Society built maritime models, which for the longest time was our largest division. We even sponsored boat races in Central Park. There were also divisions for stationary steam engines, trolleys, boats, live steam engines, gas powered racecars, airplanes, and of course trains, in multiple scales.
The Society has called many places home and it has been said that we have been dispossessed more times than any other group! We started on the 8th floor of the Knickerbocker Building in New York City, and then were moved to the basement. Next we moved to 34th Street. After that the Science Building on 32nd Street. We were evicted again and at that point the Society got lucky.
The Lackawanna Railroad discontinued some of their ferry service after World War II, and we were able to secure the upper ferry concourse at the Hoboken Terminal. At this site we built the largest model railroad in the world at that time. In 1958, the Society was evicted again, this time by the United States Postal Service. The concourse was going to serve as a mail sorting area. But after the railroads were dismantled, the USPS decided to let the airlines handle first class mail. The concourse was never occupied and we were invited to move back. By that time, however, we had purchased our own building and moved to our current location in Carlstadt, NJ.
The building in Carlstadt was renovated and made ready for housing a model railroad society. A workshop was built for the membership which included lathes, milling machines, drill presses, band saws, a table saw, and a spray booth. We also began a library, to archive model railroading and railroads. And we also began two new layouts, one in O scale the other in HO.
The HO railroad is known as the Union, Hoboken, and Overland. The railroad went through three revisions and was totally ripped out in 1985. The new railroad is designed to be a walk around layout. There is a two track mainline with a branch line that has plenty of industries to be serviced. A large freight yard was also constructed and includes an operating hump yard for sorting out cars. All track is hand laid with code 83 rail on wooden ties. There are 237 switches all powered by Tortoise motors. Overall the railroad is about 5.5 scale miles. Our most recent improvements to the UH & O include a prototypical signaling system, the addition of digital control system (DCC) for the entire railroad and installation of an interlocking connecting the main line, branch and flat yard.
The O Scale railroad is known as the Union Connecting. Its design is based on the Erie Railroad between Jersey City and Port Jervis. The railroad features a 4 four-track main line, which splits and comes back together at Ridgewood Junction. The layout has two passing sidings, a large freight and coach yard, a branch line, and an operating trolley system. Track on the O scale layout is also hand laid; there are also 28 double slip switches, 200 turnouts, and over 17 scale miles of track. Current projects on the railroad include a replacement of all control panels, installation of a signaling system, improving scenery, replacing the trolley system overhead wire, and expansion of the Port Jervis yard.
Our membership is proud of our past performances but we are constantly looking to the future, learning new skills and growing in our hobby. If you are interested in becoming a member please view our membership page.
Being a new member of the society and not having much experience at all in the hobby I find that the members are great in wanting to teach me and others various things about the hobby. It’s a very friendly atmosphere that I recommend anyone who is interested in model railroading regardless of your level of knowledge to join.– Phil Zablocki
The train society is a fun place to be a member of and a great place to visit. I love hearing stories of people who bring their kids to our public because their parents brought them when they were kids. They keep the tradition alive. I also enjoy learning various modeling methods from other members as well as hanging out with them. We share in good laughs and have fun memories.– Mike Mazzola
My wife enjoys me getting out of to the house once a week. I enjoy the change of scenery. Since my retirement, I’m able to enjoy conversations with various members on varying subjects. One of the biggest assets of coming to the society is the challenge of advancing my ability with the skills I use in model railroading.– John Moe
The camaraderie among the members is the driving force to my membership.– Paul Harbord
To me this society is model railroading. This is where I always turn to whenever I have model railroading related questions. The members are always willing to work me and I love working with them. I enjoy going on various trips to rail fanning spots and model train shows. The company of the members is entertaining and we always have a good time.– Anthony Bonelli
I enjoy operating trains on the vast layout. The friendly atmosphere is very warm and inviting. I also enjoy working projects with other members. The more experienced members are always willing to help me learn things.– Tony Calise
The social aspects are enjoyable. Everyone has shared interests and tips from their experience in model railroading. These personal experiences are important to help each other thrive in a hobby we share. When we help each other we are also helping the society look better because we put our abilities together to create the society we love to share with you all.– Andy Estep
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This page was created for the reference staff of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center. It is intended to serve as a tool to aid with communication and resource sharing. For more information on the library, please visit www.memphislibrary.org.
5 responses to “About”
bibomedia.com says : March 5, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Mr.Carrot81 says : October 22, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Among the most important lessons learned were the discovery of the community as an extension of the classroom and a new-found mutual respect between teachers and youth. ,
ReadersHeaven says : September 22, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Hi, nice to meet you !
Justin says : February 2, 2014 at 2:23 am
and I were honored to be asked to provide a stop on that tour.
often just before they’ve reached critical mass and
were at the edge of success.
Blogging for libraries « WPL Staff - May 23, 2007
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The music video, directed by Director X, was released on February 26, 2016.[82] Speaking on the video's concept, X said that he wanted to incorporate the theme of "work" but "with a different approach." Initially, the setting was going to be in a "corporate office" but the idea was not executed as the group previously released "Worth It" in that same setting. Other ideas included a condominium construction set. He noted the reverse gender roles where the men are "the objects" as "opposed to the other way around" and the many interpretations of work, which he says aided in the song's success.[83]
Ready to enter the ecommerce fray? Why not sell your own stuff. Of course, along with selling your own stuff on your own website comes a whole slew of both responsibilities and technical configuration and requirements. For starters, you'll need a website and a hosting account. You'll also need a merchant account (sure you can use Stripe or PayPal). Then you'll need to design that site, build a sales funnel, create a lead magnet and do some email marketing.
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The song debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 88,000 downloads sold,[9] and reached number four in its thirteenth week,[10] becoming their highest charting single in the United States; it surpassed "Worth It", which peaked at number 12. "Work from Home" also became the first top-five single in the country by a girl group in ten years, following the September 2006 peak of "Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls at number three.[11] Among national airplay charts, the song topped both the Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic Songs.[12][13] As of December 2016, the single has sold 1.4 million digital copies in the United States.[14] The song has achieved multi-platinum certifications in several countries, including quintuple platinum in Canada and the United States.
Using a food delivery service can’t necessarily earn you money, but it can help you save you money if you constantly find yourself throwing out half the food you buy. Food delivery services send a box of food every week with new, sometimes unique vegetables, meat, fruit, and so on. If you don’t have time to shop and want simple meal-prep that leads to a good meal, a food subscription service may be perfect for you.
Not to mention, reducing or eliminating that grinding daily commute--something 70% of people said would reduce their overall stress levels in the 2017 Super Survey on flexible and remote work. People also think working remotely would reduce interruptions from colleagues (76%), eliminate distractions (76%), and minimize their exposure to office politics (69%). It’s clear that professionals could reap a lot of benefits if they worked from home--but only if they do it well.
What It Is: Companies like Google and Yahoo give you information to search for, and you tell them how closely their results matched what you were looking for. Does a search for Lady Antebellum turn up sites about the music group or links to pre-Civil War period information? If you are Latina, for example, you might be asked to search the way a Spanish speaker might perform a search in English.
When I started to work from home, I missed talking to people. A lot. But I soon found a friend. Every day, I would hear the UPS guy gunning his motor as he drove down my long driveway to deliver my packages. As soon as I would spot him, I’d fly out of the house and chat him up. And now he leaves the packages by the curb. Sure, the one big bonus of working from home is that it gets you away from the petty office politics and never-ending gossip.
Do you search the Internet? Want to get paid for it? Swagbucks is a site that rewards you for doing various online tasks like taking surveys, watching videos, and using their search engine. When using their search engine, you get reward points after several searches, usually in the amount of 10-15 points. You can start cashing out rewards at the 500 points mark.
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Naval Air Power in the 21st Century
August 30, 2013 Richard Benedikz
A new exhibition has opened at the Fleet Air Arm Museum to present development of the two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and their capabilities for the 21st Century.
The aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are expected to enter service in 2016 and 2018.
The vessels will continue the rich tradition of Royal Naval aircraft carriers and will be the largest warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy. They will measure 280 metres (920ft) long and displace 65,000 tonnes and will carry Lockheed Martin F35B Lightening II Fighters as part of their embarked air group.
The new permanent exhibition features films showing the unique ‘building block’ construction process along with interactive displays allowing the user to manoeuvre aircraft on a flight deck and take-off.
[img src=7143 align=full]
Advanced Super Hornet Completes Flight Tests
During three weeks of flight testing, Boeing and Northrop Grumman demonstrated improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.
Through 21 flights that took place in St. Louis and Patuxent River, Md., the team tested conformal fuel tanks (CFT), an enclosed weapons pod (EWP), and signature enhancements each of which can be retrofitted on an existing Block II Super Hornet aircraft or included on a new jet.
Improvements to the aircraft’s radar signature including the enclosed pod resulted in a 50 percent reduction compared with the U.S. Navy’s stealth requirement for the current Super Hornet variant. The tests also showed that the CFTs increase the jet’s combat radius by up to 130 nautical miles, for a total radius of more than 700 nautical miles.
“Even though we added components to the aircraft, their stealthy, low-drag design will enhance the combat capability and survivability of the Super Hornet on an aircraft that has a combat-proven history launching and recovering from aircraft carriers,” said Mike Wallace, the Boeing F/A-18 test pilot who flew the Advanced Super Hornet configuration.
The improvements will ensure that the Advanced Super Hornet outpaces enemy aircraft and defenses through 2030 and beyond.
The companies, along with Hornet Industry Team partners GE Aviation and Raytheon, are investing in new technologies for the Advanced Super Hornet, including internal Infrared Search and Track, an enhanced engine and a next-generation cockpit.
F-35B Ready For Sea Trials
The Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) completed its 500th vertical landing August 3.
Sea Trials, known as Developmental Test 2 (DT-2) are scheduled to begin for the F-35B variant onboard the USS WASP.
DT-2 is the second of three planned tests aimed at defining and expanding the F-35B’s shipboard operating envelope for the U.S. Marine Corps. The first shipboard testing phase was successfully completed in October 2011.
The successful completion of the upcoming Sea Trials is key to declaring F-35 Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the U.S. Marine Corps in 2015.
NAVAIR test GPS Anti-Jamming Device
Part of an initiative to protect GPS technologies on small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the Navy recently conducted tests to demonstrate how miniaturised GPS protection devices can prevent interruption of this mission-critical global positioning data.
From July 10 to 24, the Communications and GPS Navigation Program Office (PMW/A 170), headquartered in San Diego, mounted a Small Antenna System (SAS) on an Aerostar unmanned aircraft, then placed the small UAV in a room lined with signal-absorbent material at the FARM (Facilities for Antenna and RCS Measurements), where it was subjected to GPS jamming signals.
Equipped with model jammers, the FARM facility was used as a stage for the “enemy” to jam the GPS signal and try to knock the UAV off course, said Eric Stevens, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Communications and Navigation lead for PMW/A-170, which supplied the antenna system. Knocked off course, the UAV would not be able to relay critical intelligence back to the ground control station — disrupting communications among U.S. and allied forces’ ships, aircraft and submarines. In a worst-case scenario, GPS jamming could even cause UAVs to crash.
PMW/A-170, aligned under the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego partnered with Naval Test Wing Atlantic, which supplied the Aerostar, to conduct July’s testing. Personnel and teams from the Maritime Unmanned Development and Operations (MUDO); the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical
Unmanned Air Systems Program Office (PMA 263); and an engineering team from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Radar and Antenna Systems Department also supported the event.
Personnel involved in the testing were optimistic about the results.
Equipped with the SAS, the Aerostar will be also used to support a U.S. Army pre-deployment war-game scenario conducted at Fort Polk, La., in August, said Donn Rushing, the project lead for MUDO. Rushing participated in the Fort Polk exercises last year and said the addition of the GPS anti-jamming antenna will give the “good guys” an edge this year.
“This new anti-jam system decreases the footprint normally required of such a system, which is now ideal for UAV incorporation and service,” Rushing said. “What makes us smarter is knowing our enemies are smart and that we have to stay one step ahead of them. The SAS development is the latest GPS anti-jam capability to aid the war fighter in combating the bad guys.”
Turkish Air Force A400M Takes Off
The first production Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter for the Turkish Air Force (TAF) has made its maiden flight, marking a key milestone towards its delivery.
The aircraft, known as MSN9, took off from Seville, Spain, at 13:56 local time (GMT+2) on 9 August and landed back in Seville 5 hours and 30 minutes later.
The A400M programme for the TAF is also making good progress at the Airbus Military International Training Centre at Seville, where TAF pilots, loadmasters, and maintenance technicians have already begun their training. Turkey has ordered 10 A400Ms.
Disney’s Planes Exclusive! We talk to the Director
Disney’s Planes movie hits the UK cinemas on August 16 and is sure to be a hit with kids aged three to 103.
AirForces Monthly’s Editor, Gary Parsons, had an opportunity to speak with the movie’s director, Klay Hall, who has directed episodes of the Simpsons, King of the Hill and Disney’s Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.
Produced at Southern California’s Disneytoon Studios, Disney’s Planes tells the tale of a crop duster — named Dusty — who’s sure he’s capable of more than taking care of crops.
Klay Hall was into aircraft long before Planes ever got off the ground. “I’ve always loved airplanes,” he says. “My dad was in the US Navy and his dad was also a pilot. They flew all their lives and passed that love of aviation to me.
“When I was a kid in California my dad and I would grab some burgers and Cokes and go to the local runway to watch the planes take off and land. I’d sit there and sketch as he talked about the characteristics of the airplanes. I still have a couple of those drawings. So when this project came up, I was able to really jump into this universe.
“I think people will really relate to Planes because it’s a great underdog story. It has a lot of heart and a message we can all use – if we can believe in ourselves, step out of our comfort zones and get past whatever fear is holding us back, we’d be surprised with the results. And that’s exactly what happens to Dusty in this movie. He’s a crop duster who’s never flown above 1,000 feet, but he dreams of being the fastest air racer in the world. He has a lot of obstacles to overcome and needs to dig pretty deep to find the courage to become more than what he was built for.”
AFM: You must have been pretty excited when John Lasseter asked you to take on the movie?
Klay: “That’s an understatement! John tells the story that when I got back off the floor and the blood rushed to my head it was like ‘yea, I’m on it’! I was so excited – it was a great surprise and an honour.”
Does the genesis of Planes go back to the Air Mater short?
“We were involved with that, although it was strictly a Pixar short – we helped with art direction and character designs. It was a chance to weigh up our characters. Planes was in work before that short, but what we were able to do was tee-up the idea of Mater loving flying. Planes existed in the Cars franchise long before we came on the scene.”
Your scriptwriter, Jeffery Howard, has an air force background – was that deliberate?
“It was a coincidence – what we found out was that many of us on this movie had a lot of aviation background. It seems like it was set up that way – Jeff’s dad was a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War – but it was almost like it was meant to be.”
There are a lot of ‘Top Gun’ references – did that movie inspire you 25 years ago?
“Yes, absolutely – who wasn’t inspired by that? When I knew I was going to have some sequences with naval aviation I picked the F4U Corsair to kick it all off – it’s probably one of the most iconic and best looking aircraft of the Second World War with its gull-wing, and the ‘Jolly Rogers’ squadron under Tommy Blackburn [has a great history]. I knew that was a great aeroplane to start with because of its historical significance and what’s cool about the ‘Rogers is that they currently fly F-18s. I wanted to get a contemporary feel into certain sequences and that whole Top Gun thing, so when the opportunity came to casting Goose [Anthony Edwards] and Iceman [Val Kilmer] they both responded with ‘absolutely!’ It was so cool as a fan of that movie to be working with those guys and almost resurrect those roles in [the characters] Bravo and Echo.”
Absolutely – perhaps two of the most iconic characters from the Top Gun movie. Did you approach Tom Cruise?
“We did, but he was doing Mission Impossible IV at the time.”
How much did the US Navy help with the production?
“They helped a great deal. They didn’t necessarily help with the design of the aircraft – that was art direction under Ryan Carlson and his team. Actually our F-18s are a mixture of three or four different types – F-18, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle and MiG-29. We contacted the navy to let them know we would welcome their input and we had a guy from the Department of Defense who flew in with two navy commanders from the Pentagon to look at the movie in production. As a filmmaker I was nervous as here we have aeroplanes representing the US, but after they saw the screening they said they’d thoroughly enjoyed it and were very eager to help us in any way they could. What they were able to do was put us in contact with a couple of current Hornet pilots so we could get the proper jargon, but the icing on the cake was that they flew a small team of us out to the USS Carl Vinson 150 miles out to sea where we landed by arresting wire on the deck. Landing on deck was an unbelievable opportunity – we flew in on a C-2 Greyhound – it was beautiful! They were launching F-18s while we were there – it was right out of Top Gun with the steam rolling across the deck and the guys operating the catapults – just that whole thing was amazing to see. We spent two days with the crew and aircrew getting to know their way of life and were able to play my navy sequence back to the captain – overall they loved it, but we were then able to change a few specifics to make it more true.
“I was like a kid in a candy store – we were able to talk to aviation pioneers and fighter pilots, Korean War vets, civilian test pilots. We had special access to the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. It’s been amazing.”
What about the manufacturers, such as Boeing, did they get involved?
“We didn’t have to go to them – there’s so many flight experts out there. All of our team is familiar with flying in one way or another, but we brought in an ex-fighter pilot, Sean Bautista, as a consultant who had flown F-16s for the air force for 20 years. He was very familiar with all kinds of aircraft fight dynamics and characteristics. We also had a visual effects consultant, Jason McKinley, and he helped lead the team on flight dynamics.”
Making Planes fly — literally — called for a unique combination of research, collaboration and a lot of hard work. Jason McKinley, who had worked on ‘Red Tails’ was flight specialist for the film. He is the creator, producer and director of the ‘Dogfights’ series for the History Channel and specialises in designing flying effects for film and television. “With every flying scene, there’s a giant sky,” he says. “You’re flying around at 300-400 miles an hour and the space you take up is huge. So we wanted to get that massive feeling of space and speed to the audience.
“The planes have to be a real size, the set has to be real size and you have to fly the plane at the speed it can actually fly. The human eye is very attuned to motion — we’ve all seen a bird fly or thrown a ball. We’ve built in our brains a library of motions and how those motions are supposed to look. The second you veer from the laws of physics, everybody can tell that it doesn’t look right.”
Helping to ensure the authenticity was Sean Bautista, who became a licensed pilot in high school, went on to fly a variety of aircraft — from Cessnas and Pipers to F-4s, F-16s and commercial 747s — and has logged several thousand flight hours during his career. “I was able to answer technical questions like ‘How do you up the horse power on a PT6 powered turbo prop crop duster?’, he says.
He also helped authenticate some of the dialogue – “We’d go out to lunch and they’d flip on the tape recorder and ask me to talk like a military pilot or traffic controller. These guys don’t talk in normal jargon — it’s sort of shorthand and harder to understand. But incorporating the real thing really makes it feel right.”
AFM: You’ve got some fine old actors – Stacey Keach, John Cleese – it must have been a hoot to work with them?
Klay: “It was fantastic – both of those guys are legends. What Stacey brought was a salt-of-the-earth texture to his character, Skipper the Corsair, where he commands instant respect. Having John Cleese and knowing his Monty Python days, how magically funny he was, it was just great working with him.”
Did Stacey voice Skipper in the Air Mater short?
“Yes he did.”
How about a Planes 2 – could that be more military-minded?
[Laughs] “We’ve talked about ideas and that’s certainly one of them. The thing about this universe is that it’s wide open. But Planes 2 will be about fire and rescue – you know the first plane to drop water on a fire was a crop duster. The history of fire-fighting from an aeroplane’s point of view is the core idea of the story. But going back to the military, that’s something we need to explore.”
Will Planes fire and rescue be a full-length movie?
“A theatrical world-wise release for the summer of 2014.”
So the work never stops!
“Right now it doesn’t! It’s all good – it comes back to John Lasseter’s philosophy about these things – it’s all about the quality of the stories. Just as long as we’re focussed on great stories and characters.
“We’ve all been the underdog in our own lives – we’ve all been Dusty at some point. It’s that familiarity — paired with the authenticity we worked so hard to incorporate at every level — that’ll make audiences root for this guy. And I think that’s one of the best parts of going to the movies.”
//www.youtube.com/embed/fTyXnRDBnXA
New Systems Tested on Growler
August 9, 2013 Richard Benedikz
The U.S. Navy has flown on a Boeing EA-18G Growler to test a new sensor system and data network upgrade.
The flight test demonstrated how the enhanced technologies would allow aircrews to locate threats more quickly and accurately.
The secure, high-speed network will allow aircrews to share targeting data in real time and the technology will be incorporated into deployed Growler electronic attack aircraft in 2018.
“These enhancements provide a significantly faster and more accurate targeting solution for the Navy and allied forces,” said Capt. Frank Morley, U.S. Navy F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager. “The result is a more capable EA-18G that is better able to control the EA spectrum.”
The demonstration took place July 15-19 during the Navy’s fleet experimentation campaign at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland.
The upgrades are planned to be retrofitted into existing Growlers and included as a standard offering for future new aircraft sales. Boeing and the Navy will work closely with supplier partners Northrop Grumman, Harris Corporation, L-3 Communications and Rockwell Collins to add system upgrades to the fleet.
US Navy Signs deal for additional P-8As
The Navy has signed a $2 Billion order with Boeing for 13 P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The contract includes long-lead funding previously approved by the Navy.
The aircraft will be used for the continued modernisation of the U.S. maritime patrol fleet that will ultimately involve more than 100 P-8As, replacing the Navy’s current P-3 aircraft.
In total, the Navy has now ordered 37 of the 117 P-8As it is expected to purchase and to date, 10 have been delivered. The P-8As are based on the Next-Generation 737-800 commercial aircraft and will be used to provide anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Boeing assembles P-8As in the same facility where it builds all its 737s and the Poseidon team uses in-line processes that takes advantage of the efficiencies in the Next-Generation 737 production system. After initial assembly, the aircraft enter a separate mission system installation and checkout facility for final modifications and testing.
Initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) was completed in March; the Navy announced July 1 that the P-8A program had passed IOT&E and the P-8A was ready for fleet introduction.
Blazing Waddo
All images by Gary Parson.
Pirates of Culdrose
Lewis Gaylard reports from England’s most Westerly air show, the RNAS Culdrose Air Day 2013. All images by the author.
11 days later it was the turn of Yeovilton’s sister base in Cornwall, RNAS Culdrose, to open its arms to the public. After a year’s absence it was fitting Culdrose returned in this 60th year of Royal Navy Search and Rescue (SAR).
Despite the unfavourable weather, a large crowd of holidaymakers and enthusiasts witnessed what was a most enjoyable airshow. On static display was nice mix of modern and vintage aircraft which included a German Navy Sea King MK 41 from Marinefliegergeschwader 5, a rare appearance of a Dutch Navy NHIndustries NH90, a Dutch Air Force AH-64D Apache and a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina from the Catalina Society.
Although the RAF pulled a couple of display aircraft due to operational requirements, they did however delight the crowd by sending a 15 Sqn Panavia Tornado GR4 and a 6 Sqn Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, which performed a couple of circuits before taking its place in the ‘live static’.
[img src=6781 align=full]The air display commenced with a salvo of Culdrose based aircraft which consisted of AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 and the new HM2, Westland Sea King ASaC Mk7 and MK5 along with a four-ship formation of 736 NAS Hawk T1As.
Amongst the many excellent displays were a couple of real gems. The Dutch Apache Demo team, having charmed the crowd on the ground with their static aircraft and trailer, put on a terrific display which, accompanied by many flare releases, was quite spectacular with many roles, loops and ‘hammerhead’ turns.
[img src=6787 align=left]With the sad cancellation of a display by the RAF ‘Red Arrows’ due to the low cloud base the crowd was thrilled by the explosive arrival of an old FAA legend. Making its 1st air display appearance of the season, the mighty deHavilland Sea Vixen FAW2 roared into the display circuit and in the hands of Matt Whitfield it performed a powerful display.
Amongst the other displays was the Vietnam veteran Bell UH-1 or ‘Huey’ which was dramatically displayed, Gloster Meteor T7 of the Classic Air Force, a Westland Wasp HAS1, flown by John Beattie in his second display of the day, the Blades Display Team and the Breitling Wing Walkers.
The airshow finished with Culdrose based aircraft performing an Anti-Piracy Demo which included a Sea King ASaC7, Merlin HM1 and some ‘Swashbuckling’ Pirates! Well done to all those who helped to produce two very different but highly entertaining air displays.
USAF F-16s for New Zealand Airshow
News Update: Schools Aerospace Challenge winners
Thameslink improvements coming in stages
RAAF to celebrate with WOW
SAS creates five new routes from Aarhus
Historic Aviation
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Tag Archives: alt-rock
Check ‘Em Out: Colt.22
Los Angeles alternative indie-rock band Colt.22 will release their highly-anticipated debut album Freedom/Freewill on indie label Elite Frequency Group with distribution by The Orchard on Friday, August 25th. Colt.22 is a collaboration between two experienced music producers and writers, John “Fingazz” Stary and Travis Pavur.
Their mission is to draw upon influences of the past and fuse them with the sound of now. This fusion has a powerful reaction, like the recoil of a gun, firing out lyrical content like bullets of self-awareness and knowledge. They blend Stary’s gritty emotional vocals and driving beats with Pavur’s solid rock guitar riffs. A compilation of 11 songs, Freedom/Freewill is an exploration of blues, rock, and electronic music that uses heavy anthemic chants layered with harmonies.
Pre-order Freedom/Freewill – http://apple.co/2t32elP
The video for the album’s first single “Call To Action” is a tribute to cult classic films like Kill Bill and Sin City. Following Los Angeles parkour stunt group Substance Over Hype, “it’s got gunfights, martial arts, and car chases and is generally bad ass” (Ghettoblaster Magazine).
Both, Fingazz and Pavur, met in 2011 while working on a project for Interscope Records. Fingazz is a platinum award certified hip-hop producer best known around the globe as one of the few masters of the “talkbox,” which has been featured on records by Snoop Dogg, Mike Posner, Far East Movement, Flo Rida, Tyga, Bryson Tiller, Just Blaze, and many more. His sound can be described as “Future Funk” and his song “Winning” won on So You Think You Can Dance.
In contrast, the New Orleans-born Pavur is a rocker through and through. He has recorded and produced countless up and coming rock acts from his own Los Angeles studio, Golden Beat Recording. Currently, he is an engineer at the historic Valentine Recording Studios as well, working with acts like Lana Del Rey and Eagles of Death Metal. During their time at Interscope, the two lived together in a Hollywood Hills music collective. They immediately hit it off and began working together with an intense focus to fuel the world with a new alt rock sound. Enter: Colt.22.
Another track, “Find Your Pride” has been featured in the promos for Showtime’s show Billions.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, new albums, video
Tagged as alt-rock, Billions, Call To Action, Colt.22, Elite Frequency Group, Find Your Pride, Freedom/Freewill, indie, John Fingass Stary, Showtime, Travis Pavur, Winning
Newest Love: Palo Duro
“Surrounded by an ethereal haze of guitars and billowing bass lines, Michael J. Winningham’s bittersweet vocals simmer as he croons over an ’80s-era snare” — SPIN
Palo Duro is the pulsating, technicolor universe of Michael J. Winningham, an Austin based songwriter previously fronting the band Gold Beach.
In July 2012, Michael reached out to his childhood friend, producer Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Benjamin Booker) to continue work on a new Gold Beach record. As teenagers, Sam helped Michael arrange his first song at a house party in Houston TX. They were 16 years old at the time. Fast forward many years later and this creative synergy proved to be strong—Instantly, in the studio, exciting and bold ideas emerged. Collaboration and endless possibilities informed the arrangements between Sam, Michael, and keyboardist Carlos Orozco, and a new spirit was born. This was no longer Gold Beach.
Two years flew by and a rotating cast of musicians were invited to join the recording process. New songs emerged from studios in Wimberley TX, New York City, and Los Angeles. In this time, 23 songs were recorded, and eventually, Michael would name the project Palo Duro. In the summer of 2016, the music was introduced to 30th Century Records founder Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, and plans began to release the music.
The first single, “Darken the Glow” is a William Onyeabor inspired pop song with scaling guitars, a dirty back beat and a chorus that soars in the direction of Quincy Jones. “Darken the Glow” embodies the trust, the celebration, and ultimately, the creativity of this body of work and the people involved. The found footage video, featuring hundreds of skeleton-clad Lucha Libre fighters dancing while eating ramen, sumo-wrestlers, and dragons falling from the sky, echoes this celebration.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, Newest Love, video
Tagged as alt-rock, Austin, Brian Burton, Carlos Orozco, Danger Mouse, Darken the Glow, Gold Beach, Michael J. Winningham, Palo Duro, Quincy Jones, Sam Cohen, William Onyeabor
New Track From Coast Modern – “Dive”
credit: Cina Nguyen
The LA duo Coast Modern – comprised of Coleman Trapp and Luke Atlas – release their newest song, “Dive” – a certified summer jam that has all the elements that make for a perfect night, with lyrics that talk about sunrises, love, and of course – in the bands own words, the “pool of life.” Speaking of the track, the duo added; “The moment right before a first kiss, a sticky night by the beach bonfire, the endless summers of youth… we bottled some of these feelings and cast them into the churning waves for the world to receive. ‘Dive’ is a song about making the whole of existence your ocean to explore.”
The song comes from the duos debut record, which is set for release later this year via 300 Entertainment / +1 Records. Like a trip to Disneyland; with each song like a stop in another world, Coast Modern’s debut album is a rollercoaster ride through a musical spectrum that spans from introspective acoustic streams of consciousness to psychedelic jams to relaxed dancehall vibes. Coast Modern are capable of covering a large swath of musical territory, yet a strong, self-aware voice and a sense of groove tie them all together.
After releasing their debut single, “Hollow Life”, the duo have gone on to release a handful of tracks in their short tenure as a band – the anthemic “Animals,” summer-tinged “Guru” and jungle cruise jam; “The Way It Was” (all four of which sat at the top of the HypeMachine charts), and followed up with “Comb My Hair” and “Pockets Full of No” – tracks to kick you out of the most serious of funks. The band would later receive praise from across the blogosphere and fashion press. Their tracks would creep their way to the airwaves, garnering heavy rotation from the likes of SiriusXM Alt Nation and KCRW. Coast Modern made their live debut at SXSW, playing their first shows together as a band, and were subsequently scooped up to tour with BORNS, The Wombats and The Temper Trap respectively. The duo just wrapped up the Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour which saw them hit the road with Missio, 888 and Sundara Karma.
Filed under listen
Tagged as Advanced Placement Tour, alt nation, alt-rock, Animals, Coast Modern, Coleman Trapp, Comb My Hair, Dive, Guru, Hollow Life, Luke Atlas, Pockets Full of No, summer jams, The Temper Trap, The Way It Was, The Wombats
August 1, 2014 · 11:16 am
Check ‘Em Out: Kiev
Photo credit: Murphy Karges
“The sun sets in the background as the band plays on, masterfully achieving an organic sound…” – Elmore Magazine
“Sharing their funk and psychedelic rock influences through visuals that reinforce its sound, the hypnotic track is set to a magical journey that sees the band’s members riding on bongo drums while coming in contact with electrified lily pads” – NYLON Guys
“Kiev’s genre-transcending full-length […] exudes a powerful otherworldly quality, as if Orange County-based band of sophisticates give in at times to the urge to simply space out.” – Buzzbands.LA
Orange County alt-rockers Kiev released their debut full-length album, Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth, in October of last year. In support of the record, the band is kicking off a west coast tour today with fellow Californians Bad Suns.
Having recently unveiled their otherworldly video for Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth album cut “Be Gone Dull Cage,” the band has now dropped an incredible live video of “Solving and Running”- shot in a stunningly picturesque desert locale.
Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth was produced & engineered by Chris Shaw (Wilco, Phish, Super Furry Animals), and pays homage to collective band influences & minimalist pioneer Steve Reich. The members of Kiev have strong connections to the world of visual art, and have orchestrated & added a multi-faceted 3D element to their live performances. Additionally, the LP art was originally a band favorite by renowned contemporary artist Walton Ford, who gave the band his blessing to use it as the cover for Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth upon hearing the record & how it spoke to his painting.
Full West Coast Tour w/ Bad Suns Kicks Off Today:
8/1: Bakersfield, CA @ B Ryders
8/3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
8/4: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
8/5: Reno, NV @ Cargo Reno
8/6: Eugene, OR @ Cozmic
8/7: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
8/10: Boise, ID @ Reef
8/12: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
8/13: Las Vegas, NV @ Container Park
8/15: Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, Shows, video
Tagged as alt-rock, Bad Suns, Be Gone Dull Cage, Chris Shaw, Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth, Kiev, Phish, Solving and Running, Steve Reich, Super Furry Animals, tour dates, video, Walton Ford, Wilco
Newest Love: The Julian Taylor Band – “Never Gonna Give You Up”
With recent packed performances at Canadian Music Week (CMW), showcased on CTV News, an opening spot for super group Magic! at the Mod Club, and a date at The Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts, THE JULIAN TAYLOR BAND has officially release the already widely-acclaimed CD TECH NOIR.
Toronto-based award-winning singer-songwriter Julian Taylor and his band are thrilled about the reaction of their much anticipated new album TECH NOIR. The first single “Never Gonna Give You Up” has already been nominated as a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and the video has blown up on YouTube with more than 300,000 views – the track storming the Top 40 on the Canadian Alt Rock chart.
In addition, The Julian Taylor Band’s previous member and bass player, Ben Spivak, – who now plays with the massively successful “Magic” – has several song co-writes and also plays on Tech Noir. The band is currently comprised of a group of formidable musicians – Julian Taylor (vocals and guitar), Jeremy Elliott (drums), Steve Pelletier (bass) and David Engle (keys).
A truly gifted performer, Taylor has a distinct delivery that’s raw and emotional. The sound on Tech Noir is a culmination of every musical genre that has influenced him throughout his life and his most recent reincarnation sees him moving towards the kind of music that inspired him as a child. While even more energetic in their live performances, the band’s new soul-driven pop-rock is inspired by the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers and this is reflected on the new album.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, Newest Love, video
Tagged as alt-rock, Bill Withers, CMW, Lenny Kravitz, Never Gonna Give You Up, new album, Stevie Wonder, Tech Noir, The Julian Taylor Band, video
Video: Black Lips – “Funny”
Fresh off a US tour with a plethora of sold out shows from coast to coast, Black Lips are once again preparing to hit the road in support of Underneath The Rainbow this fall with The King Khan & BBQ Show. This pairing has a storied history, from KK & BBQ’s chaotic introduction as support on Black Lips’ first European tour to the amalgamated supergroup of both acts as psych-gospel sextet The Almighty Defenders in 2009, and the resulting shows are certain to be legendary.
Underneath the Rainbow further demonstrates Black Lips’ 15 year evolution from underground hellions to international ambassadors of rock-n-roll (via tours that have graced the likes of Iraq, Lebanon, Thailand, India, Mexico, and dozens more). While production credits from Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and Tommy Brenneck (Cee Lo, Dap Kings) help to spotlight the band’s songcrafting, at their heart Black Lips are a vibrant and invigorating live act who thrive on getting a room moving.
7/17/14 – Nashville, TN – Exit / In
7/18/14 – Louisville, KY – Forecastle Festival
7/19/14 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
9/06/14 – Lafayette, GA – Cherokee Farms
9/10/14 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s*
9/11/14 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s*
9/12/14 – Austin, TX – Ghost Town*
9/13/14 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater*
9/15/14 – St. Louis, MO – Ready Room*
9/16/14 – Iowa City, IA – Blue Moose Tap House*
9/17/14 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*
9/18/14 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon*
9/19/14 – Chicago, IL – Logan Square Auditorium*
9/21/14 – Columbus, OH – The A&R Music Bar*
9/23/14 – Cincinnati, OH – The Southgate House Revival*
9/24/14 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick*
9/25/14 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre*
9/26/14 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda*
9/27/14 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall*
9/28/14 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club*
9/30/14 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza*
10/01/14 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg*
10/02/14 – Washington, DC – Black Cat*
10/03/14 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle*
10/04/14 – Atlanta, GA – The Goat Farm*
11/08/14 – Austin, TX – FunFunFun Fest
* w/ The King Khan & BBQ Show
Filed under Awesome, Shows, video
Tagged as alt-rock, Black Lips, funny, King Khan & The BBQ Show, tour dates, Underneath the Rainbow, video
Stream: The Kin – Get On It EP
Popular alternative rock band The Kin kicks off yet another nationwide tour on February 5, 2014, in support of their new five-track EP Get On It (Interscope Records). Fresh off their Australian and US tours supporting P!NK, the power trio amps up to headline their own two month tour, bringing their explosive live shows to 27 cities across the US in February and March 2014.
The Kin, comprised of Isaac Koren (vocals, keys), Thorald Koren (vocals, guitar, keys), and Shakerleg (drums, percussion), have enraptured live audiences worldwide with their powerful vocal harmonies, hard-driving guitar and percussion and captivating stage presence. It was only a matter of time until major labels took notice and Interscope signed on to help promote their current EP Get On It, released in October 2013. The Kin teamed up with legendary producer Tony Visconti (best known for his work with David Bowie and T.Rex), as well as former Record Plant staff engineer Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith) and Nic Hard (Joey Ramone, The Church) to capture the group’s gritty, propulsive rock sound that comes across best during their live performances. The Get On It EP is currently charting in the US and Australia and went gold in New Zealand, reaching #2 on the Pop charts there.
During their tours, The Kin also are known for causing trouble with their signature “Musical Robberies” where they burst into a randomly chosen high-traffic public area, such as a diner or airport, and surprise innocent on-lookers with a spontaneous live performance. The Kin have launched several of these “musical robberies,” including at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Soho House, Seven Grand Whiskey Bar in Los Angeles, and a French airport. “We’re looking to surprise people and give them a musical experience,” says Isaac. “Even if it’s just for a split second, it’s a rush for everyone involved.”
Listen: The Kin – Get On It EP
2/18/2014 7pm Columbus, OH A&R Bar
2/20/2014 7pm Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
2/22/2014 6pm Cambridge, MA TT The Bear’s
2/23/2014 8pm New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
2/24/2014 8pm Vienna, VA Jammin Java
2/26/2014 8pm Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
3/9/2014 9pm Indianapolis, IN Deluxe at ONC
3/15/2014 9pm Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
3/17/2014 7pm Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
3/19/2014 7pm Seattle, WA The Crocodile
3/20/2014 9pm Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
3/21/2014 7pm Sacramento, CA Assembly
3/23/2014 9pm Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
3/24/2014 8pm Fresno, CA Strummer’s
3/26/2014 8pm Santa Ana, CA Constellation Rm
3/27/2014 830pm San Diego, CA Soda Bar
3/28/2014 8pm Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
3/29/2014 5pm Las Vegas, NV Container Park
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen, Shows
Tagged as alt-rock, Boy You're a Pretty Girl, Club Cafe, EP, Everything's Changing, Get On It, Interscope Records, Mary, On The Rise, Pittsburgh, stream, The Kin, tour dates
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Why the Mormon-Facebook Rumor Made Sense
By Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins 2008-08-21 23:15:14 UTC
Several bloggers high and low took a great deal of heat for publishing a rumor yesterday that the Mormon church was looking into purchasing or acquiring social networking giant Facebook. WinExtra, The Industry Standard, Inquisitr and VentureBeat all covered the rumor that seemed to originate from Zach Klein and Brady Brim-DeForest.
Zach Klein said on his blog:
I heard from an employee close to the deal that the Mormon church’s genealogy business made an unsolicited bid to acquire Facebook.
While maintaining the country’s largest ancestral database, they certainly have a motive to control this generation’s biographical data, and they certainly have the cash to do it. In 1996, Time Magazine estimated the church’s annual revenues to be $5 billion, with total assets at $25 to $30 billion.
Zach is co-founder of video site Vimeo, and Brady has a laundry list of founding, executive, and directing positions at Web 2.0 companies in his bio. These folks aren't unreliable sources of information, but as with all merger and acquisition rumors, they must be taken with a grain of salt. Who would have thought that AOL was seriously buying an Old Media organization like Time-Warner before it was confirmed? I remember the morning I woke up to Adam Ostrow telling me that Microsoft was trying to buy Yahoo - I had a hard time believing that one, too.
That the Mormon Church would attempt to buy Facebook is a semi-credible rumor, and it's given even more credence when you start to throw in background bits of information about the LDS organization and Facebook itself.
First of all, as almost everyone noted, Facebook has started allowing employees to sell off stock at a much lowered valuation than the $15 billion that Microsoft invested in. Second of all, and again, widely discussed, the Mormon church has a very ingrained to the theology interest in creating very detailed genealogical records of all church members.
This didn't prevent a literal virtual mob from forming around the rumor, which went into full-on attack mode against anyone who posted anything that entertained the idea. I'll grant you it was probably the politest mob I've ever encountered in one of these "let's get'em" situations, but a mob none-the-less.
Brady's initial write-up was probably the most succinct and thorough treatment of the rumor, and it was re-hashed by the other bloggers who talked about it as well:
The Mormon Church maintains the largest genealogical database in the United States and apparently has the cash reserves necessary to make an offer of the magnitude necessary to acquire Facebook.
According to a 1997 Time Magazine Report, the Church of Latter Day Saints’ assets exceeded $30 Billion in 1996, and three years later was reported to be making over $5 Billion in revenue each year.
The Church is no stranger to the technology world, and in the 1980’s even created the first standard for exchange of genealogical information, Genealogy Data COMmunications, or GEDCOM for short.
The sheer depth and breadth of the Church’s genealogical information is staggering - the specter of pairing it with one of the most detailed, accurate, and widespread social maps in existence (Facebook) is truly terrifying.
How much did they offer? Well, according the the latest executive stock sale rumors, Facebook may actually be valued at around $5-8 Billion – so we can only assume that the Church made an offer somewhere north of the $5 Billion mark.
Brady established the feasibility and motive for it to be true, but the response was swift and certain from members of the church who were offended by the notion. Louis Gray and Jesse Stay both posted to their blogs questioning the rumor, and Louis Gray questioned the intelligence and common sense of the other bloggers who gave the story play on their own blogs. Jesse Stay, though, went further out of his way to show his displeasure with the blogosphere for considering it, even for a moment!:
Frankly, I never share [rumors] (well, rarely), but they are fun to read because, well, they’re funny. But rumors like an entire Faith buying a huge company like Facebook are ridiculous, unfounded, and frankly offensive to me that anyone would take such a rumor seriously when the Faith is my own. It’s a religion, people - tell me one reason a religious Faith would need a social network like Facebook to further its mission. Do you seriously believe any religion would be so stupid as to try this? People would leave Facebook in droves if that were to happen, and a network like Facebook has no good way of building up the members of the Faith itself.
Mormonism is a For-Profit Organization
The problem is that like many other modern religious movements, the Mormon church looks more and more like a business than a faith as time goes on. I did some research last night to compile some very interesting facts about the Mormon church with relation to their finances.
The church has not publicly disclosed its financial statements in the United States since 1959, and only their UK revenues are audited (where it is required by law). Most of the revenues for the church supposedly come from tithes and offerings, but there are a wide variety of commercial efforts and enterprises that the church undertakes, some of them a part of the non-profit side, while others have been spun off into a for-profit corporate arm of the church named Deseret Management Corporation.
Assets of this company include: America's largest nut producer AgReserves Inc, a company called Hawaii Reserves, Inc. that generated $280 million in revenue alone, a half-million acre farm named Farmland Reserve Inc, a TV and radio chain named Bonneville International Corporation (the 14th largest in the US), and an insurance company named Beneficial Financial Group which has $3 billion in assets.
This, of course, doesn't include the second largest newspaper in Utah or Brigham Young University, both of which generate substantial revenue and fall under the ownership of the church in one form or another.
A lot of these subsidiaries are rationalized by the fact that they have benefit to members of the church. The insurance company can sell insurance to the church members at a discount, the radio and TV chain can provide all-Mormon all-the-time entertainment. The farm and nut producer can be used to feed the flock on missions as well as the starving folks of the world. I still haven't figured out how a tourist attraction in Hawaii can be justified, but I'm sure if you ask the Mormon PR folks, they'll give you a decent answer.
The truth is, though, that these corporations do more than just what their justifications dictate. A lot more. You don't accrue $3 billion in assets by taking a loss selling insurance to your flock. The radio and TV stations that are owned by Bonneville may be "family oriented," but include a whole lot of secular content (mostly adult contemporary music and right-wing talk shows).
Does the rumor sound so offensive, outlandish, moronic and ridiculous now?
I've intentionally stayed away from talking about the theology of the movement because it's not germane to the business dealings in the context of this rumor, and frankly I know a lot of Mormons that are really cool people, and I don't really want to go to war with them over religion. The truth is, though, that there is a lot more than what some of their apologists and fervent defenders are saying, and their attempts to quash the rumors ignore some very large truths.
That said, to understand why this is such a particularly plausible rumor requires understanding why heritage research is so very important to Mormons. A little bit of searching found a website for a (very long! and) even-handed documentary I watched recently on Mormon history by PBS. They explained it thusly:
One of the core tenets of Mormon faith is that the dead can be baptized into the faith after their passing. Baptism of the dead evolved from the beliefs that baptism is necessary for salvation and that the family unit can continue to exist together beyond mortal life if all members are baptized.
Mormons trace their family trees to find the names of ancestors who died without learning about the restored Mormon Gospel so that these relatives from past generations can be baptized by proxy in the temple. For Latter-day Saints, genealogy is a way to save more souls and strengthen the eternal family unit.
There are enormous resources put into this endeavor, and it's not something they take lightly. There's an entire mountain compound devoted to the discovery for and cataloging of these records. What was originally estimated to be a 120 year project is now estimated to be completed in 10 years thanks to what? You guessed it: technology!
Acquisition and Merger Rumors in General
So we've established that Mormon-owned organizations like to buy stuff, and they're not particularly hung up on them being secular organizations in nature, they have enough cash to buy most, if not all, of Facebook at the lowered valuation, and they really love having records on people.
All this is moot, though, since the church debunked the rumor? The official line from the church since 3:00 PM yesterday has been, "This rumor has no foundation whatsoever."
Let me throw another quote at you: "We're not shopping the company." That one comes from Kevin Rose, talking about Digg. If you believe that, I've got some land in the Everglades for you.
Still not convinced? Tell me if you remember this line: "Microsoft taking over Yahoo — that conversation has never come up." That's Terry Semel, former CEO of Yahoo. Caterina Fake also laughed off the prospect of Yahoo buying Flickr weeks before it happened. If you go back over the years, denials of impending acquisitions where the takeover or a deal was imminent are just as common as when it isn't.
The bottom line? This potential deal makes great sense for the Mormon organization, and is still plausible to boot. The mob should think twice before they get so offended that we entertain rumors along these lines in the blogosphere. It certainly isn't cause for a lot of the insults and accusations of poor journalism that were hurled.
Topics: acquisition, church of jesus christ and latter-day saints, Facebook, mormon, opinion, Politics, rumors, Tech
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FlyDubai pilot reported fatigue before plane crash
Russian Emergency Ministry rescuers examine the wreckage of a crashed airplane at the Rostov-on-Don airport on March 20, 2016.
Image: VASILY MAXIMOV / AFP / Getty Images
By Cailey Rizzo 2016-03-24 17:07:43 UTC
The FlyDubai captain whose plane crashed in Russia on Saturday was due to leave the airline because of exhaustion, according to a report by the BBC.
The crash, which killed all 62 people on board, took place early in the morning on Saturday, just short of the runway at Rostov-on-Don airport runway.
SEE ALSO: Plane carrying dozens bursts into flames as it crashes near Russian airport
"I don't want to speculate on what caused the crash, but I think that fatigue must have been a contributory factor. I'm also not surprised it happened," a FlyDubai pilot told BBC.
"Crew are overworked and suffering from fatigue. It is a significant risk. Staff are going from night to day shifts without enough rest in between. I would say 50% of the airline's workforce are suffering from acute fatigue."
Three FlyDubai staff members told BBC that captain Cypriot Aristos Sokratous had resigned and was finishing his three-month notice. He had cited fatigue and lifestyle as reasons for leaving.
At the time of the crash, hazardous conditions — including rain and winds of 30 to 50 mph — were reported at the airport.
The Boeing 737-800 flew four hours from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don airport. The plane's first landing attempt had been aborted due to high winds and low visibility. Pilots circled the airport for two hours before making a second attempt at landing, which was captured by CCTV.
The footage shows the plane coming in at a steep angle and ending in an explosive crash. The plane missed the runway by more than 100 feet.
The pilots did not issue any distress calls before the crash CEO of FlyDubai Ghaith Al-Ghaith said.
Authorities located the plane's two black boxes, but they were badly damaged in the crash. It could be months they are able to paint a clearer picture of what exactly happened in the cockpit.
"We strictly follow authorized flying duty time regulations in compiling duty rosters, with special attention paid to the variables which affect our crews including report times, previous duty and the number of days off," FlyDubai said in a statement.
"If a member of flight crew feels that, for whatever reason, they have not been able to get enough rest before starting a shift, our Safety Management Systems, encourages pilots to declare themselves unfit to fly."
It's estimated that pilot fatigue is a factor in 15-20% of fatal aviation accidents caused by human error. It was listed as one of the causes of a TransAsia crash that killed 48 in July 2014.
In February, the European Aviation Safety Agency issued new shift limitations for European airlines, in an effort to combat pilot fatigue.
FlyDubai did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment.
Topics: Travel, flydubai, pilots, plane crash, Travel & Leisure, World
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My PhD Experience
… my quest to earn a PhD in Public Policy.
Dissertation Topics
Field Statement
Nuclear Proliferation to Non-state Actors
Russian Foreign Policy
References used in this area of my field statement:
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Daft, Richard L. Organization Theory and Design. 6th ed. Cincinnati, Ohio: South Western College Publishing, 1998.
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Preston, Thomas, and Paul ’t Hart. “Understanding and Evaluating Bureaucratic Politics: The Nexus Between Political Leaders and Advisory Systems.” Political Psychology 20, no. 1 (March 1, 1999): 49–98. doi:10.2307/3792005.
Rosenthal, Uriel, Paul ’t Hart, and Alexander Kouzmin. “THE BUREAU-POLITICS OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT.” Public Administration 69, no. 2 (Summer91 1991): 211–233.
Simon, Herbert A. Administrative Behavior: a Study of Decision-making Processes in Administrative Organizations. 4th ed. New York: Free Press, 1997.
Smith, Martin A. “US Bureaucratic Politics and the Decision to Invade Iraq.” Contemporary Politics 14, no. 1 (March 2008): 91–105.
Spear, Joanna. “Governmental Politics and the Conventional Arms Transfer Talks.” Review of International Studies 19, no. 4 (October 1, 1993): 369–384. doi:10.2307/20097347.
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Waltz, Kenneth Neal. Theory of international politics. Long Grove, Ill.: Waveland Press, 2010.
Welch, David A. “A Positive Science of Bureaucratic Politics?” Mershon International Studies Review 42, no. 2 (November 1, 1998): 210–216. doi:10.2307/254412.
Wolfowitz, Paul. “Open Letter to President Clinton on Iraq.” Project for the New American Century, January 26, 1998. http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm.
Woodward, Bob. State of Denial. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006.
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Video April 16, 2012 AFB Leave a comment
A flattering photo of Catherine de Medici
We have all probably heard that Catherine de Medici, brought culture upon the French people (whether they liked paying for it or not), and that she, with her husband Henri II of France, their nine children (one of whom was affianced to Mary Stewart-Queen of Scots from before 10 years of age and died, shortly after their marriage), and his mistress (Diane de Poitiers), their three(?) children, were harbingers of the period of enlightenment and of a trendy form of government called (royal) Absolutism -“One King, One Law, One God”, an expression epitomized in the 17th century by Louis XVI, though not even a direct descendant of Catherine’s; his wife, Marie Antoinette, was. All of Catherine’s children married into prominent royal families of their own and in turn (copying their mother) spent a great deal of the public largess staging outrageous splendors including victuals, parties, a personal zoo, triumphs, and fêtes unlike any of us have really seen the magnificence of except through tapestries and artworks. Though Catherine’s heirs (probably hundreds even though many of her own children died or had no issue) promulgated culture, I do not think their diversity, significance, or largess ever exceeded or met their mother’s, at the time (they tried). People really do not understand to what degree or how ostentatiously the French, or royalty in general for that matter, in those days, lived, and that as a result of these opulent expenditures how fortunate we are to have benefited from these grandiose festivals, or from them came what salon arts-among other things, ballet.
Diane de Poitiers-Painter unknown, but learn more about her by clicking the photo.
Catherine brought, and repeatedly sent for, chefs, tailors, artists, poets, writers, musicians, personal dancing masters, and any number of other coaches, teachers and “servants”-not just from the Italian court where she was a scion as well, but from around the globe; they instructed not only her own children, but the entire court, on various arts, as well. Many great performances were planned by her for the enjoyment of her guests, and later the public. These spectacles, I have read, involved not only the ladies and gentleman of the court dancing in normal surroundings, but imagine great and opulent sets featuring rides and forests, whole elaborate gardens brought in to recreate lavish and fantastical environments to excite the senses, enveloping viewers (and participants) in delights and repasts, and performances the like of which we could not possibly recreate due to their cost alone, and not possible at all to replicate the magnificence of not just the gesture, but the potential of the world as seen by their complexity, technology, and imagination at the time of enlightenment-oh, were we to enjoy life from the vantage point of a 14th century participant! Not only were these designed to be highly interactive, each one was deemed better than the last, and so on, but also unique, and in no way like the last. Original.
Antoine Caron, c. 1568; Triumph of Winter.
Queen Catherine was a great promoter and through these events managed to keep the court (and the world) poised and waiting for what she would do next. Additionally, she used these soirees to entice illustrious counterparts from other kingdoms to France, to her salons in order to exact her due; this was deliberately done to iterate her family’s political force, and to strategically keep her friends close and her enemies closer, for there were many who aspired to the seat of France. By this, and other methods, she married her sons and daughters to royalty, calling in the obligations for favors as she needed them. You were “in” if she liked you and “out” when she no longer had any use for you. Mary, Queen of Scots, despite having been a part of that royal family for over 10 years, considering herself a Frenchwoman, hastened out of France by a circuitous back route after the death of her young husband, Francis II, King of France, and Catherine’s oldest son. Despite their oft demonstrated closeness (Mary was reared by Catherine as one of her own), Mary somewhat feared her mother-in-law just the same and knew when it was time to tuck tail and leave.
François Clouet, painted three generations of the Valois line (1510-1572). Henri II, Rois de France (1519-1559). Musée Condé, Chantilly.
Mary, next in line to the English throne, after Henry the VIII’s children, was originally affianced to Henry VIII’s only son, Edward VI (Jane Seymour). But, as political intrigue of the day would have it, and the time-honored feud between the Scots and the English (for their autonomy), the Scots broke the match and scuttled Mary off to France, preferring to maintain the alliance via the Valois house, as her mother was a member of the Guise family (a compatriot of Henri II, King of France). A political move to put a French Queen and King into the Scottish realm, also Catholic (Catherine would probably not have allowed her son to ever go unprotected to England anyway), but tricky. Catherine’s rise was accidental, more or less, and this was early on, but she was busy finding royalty for her offspring to marry, and betrothals were a guarantee (of sorts), but she might not have been as clever then as she was later. At any rate, it was Mary’s life at stake there and while in France, Mary was still a Guise. Catherine, like many royals, here and there, had come to France to marry the 2nd son, not the heir apparent (who died, as they did then, suddenly), but she seemingly took up where her predecessor had left off, swimmingly in most regards. Henri II was not known to share affairs of state with Catherine in any way at all; but he did support her in her wifely duties which she appeared to take very seriously. It must have been a different life than Catherine hoped for, married to a sullen and gloomy Prince taken by bouts of depression and who, having been held hostage for four years in Spain, purportedly, was difficult to please and unpredictable-he also had a very famous mistress, Diane de Poitier. Catherine worked hard to make a success of her life and legacy, and also surprisingly, to make her King happy, and it appeared that entertainments were the chief employ she used (also food). Henri II, King of France, like later Kings of the Bourbon line, enjoyed dancing and the company of certain people.
Painter of the French School, approximate date 1574-1623 (Musée des Beaux-Arts. A Ball during the reign of Henri III.
His affair with Diane de Poitiers began then, and lasted his lifetime (not that long). It is said she had greater influence, not only on policy, but on development and the budget, than Catherine did, so it was not until his death that Catherine really gained more control over matters of state, and then, mainly through her children or rather, because of them. Perhaps France was better for Mary to grow up in, as she gained more popularity as an “escaped” ruler living in decadent France-the glorious France Catherine was promoting, than she would have, without any romantic excursions, living in rustic Scotland. Francis I, King of France, died shortly after their marriage, at age 15, of tuberculosis (some said ear infection) in 1560. France afforded Mary a life of excitement and wonder, and, if nothing else, the privilege and dynasty of the French court, and untold luxury and surroundings-truly a fairy tale lifestyle. The entire “situation” infuriated Henry VIII, King of England, and his wrath was witnessed in a series of attacks on Scotland, known as the ‘Rough Wooing.” Mary and her new fiance, the Dauphin (Henri II’s heir), Francis (1544-1560), were wed on 24 April, 1558, and Mary, briefly, became Queen of France (1559-1560) as a result. Mary’s was not a happy life, or a long one, but it was a more typical life of that period than we would be prepared to believe. Catherine’s own story is not dissimilar, and Mary was possibly comforted by the thought that her fate might end as well as Catherine’s, and followed the advice of her betters; this was not to be. But, had Catherine married Henri VIII’s son, it is very possible that Elizabeth I, still would have had her head. So, Mary, Queen of France, became Bloody Mary, though it is said. much loved by her people.
Unknown artist. Allegedly Marie de Guise, Corneille de Lyon, c. 1537. National Galleries of Scotland.
In the same year as Francis’ death (1560), Mary’s mother, Mary of Guise (a Bourbon, married to Henry V, King of Scotland), died also; Henry V was her second marriage). Her daughter, Mary, longed to return to Scotland (supposedly), particularly after her mother’s death (and wise, too), since the French were anxious to rightfully establish “their Queen” as the monarch of Scotland-apparently to serve dual political purposes, she was given the boot, permission to leave. The French had the young Queen (Mary) sign documents, prior to this “release,” which they sent to (Henry VIII) England ahead of her, naming her as the rightful heir to the Scottish throne. This arrogant claim by a Queen, upset the English, and undoubtedly set off the chain of events which led to her own execution there in 1567, a mere 7 years after the loss of both her husband and her mother, but this was not the grand design planned for her, and it might be said that what she had learned in her life, prepared her for that eventuality in some respects. Mary was a political pawn, and may have done well to stay in France, or was this was a power move keeping with Mary’s own desires, after all? It is never mentioned that Mary had a desire to rule, but we can assume she was prepared to do, and had done, what was expected of her, despite any other longings. If death was a possibility, then she had clearly already chosen this path to avoid that end already in France -maybe seen as the lesser of two evils by her, and also one of at least, hope.
Many masks of Mary exist today (and of other notables). Unknown date and origin.
While this may seem a long way away from ballet, it is not, and had Mary stayed in France, had Catherine de Medici not been vigilant in her ambitions to remove threats to the throne, promote her court, or had her own hold not been so tenuous ballet might not have played the part it did, repeatedly, to evoke the results Catherine desired. Afterall, endorphins make people happy, and somehow, Catherine managed to make “non-sporting” courtiers and the public happy with this fete. It is important to also compare and contrast the power of women, felt by some to be less than natural and overflowing, so here was a women par example who exercised that power cleverly, if not ruthlessly-and as a man, she would not have taken any criticism for it. This might be the first example also of using ballet for power as a tool. Seen as a transparency today, the political goings on of ballet companies, choreographers, schools and governments, or with other women (or persons) with whom we compete daily, and for what reasons and ultimately to what end-it almost seems par for the course, child’s play, compared to the lives drawn from it, movements created by it, and occurred throughout the history of ballet, in the halls of the great Kings, not merely in the studio today. I think this is what Shakespeare (1554-1616) meant in As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII, to preserve art faithfully, when he spoke
"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."
Far less is at stake today, and despite issues of governance, Catherine dutifully upheld her position as Queen, in providing diversions and costly entertainments to persuade her adversaries; it is said that words are far more important than weapons, and in this case, it might have been her choice of entertainments which actually carried her family as far as they went. Ballet has played an integral part in the political and financial processes of many countries, and this was just the first. So, it is also important to note that history contests the Queen’s concern for Mary, and poses some life or death reasons for her rapid departure from France, not only for Catherine’s political interests in England and France, but resolved what best to do with her, as she was Queen, and seen as a threat to Catherine’s offspring, and a possible pawn by outside parties. It is hard to imagine that Catherine had no idea how far alee that wind actually blew. She was still of very marriageable age (purportedly very beautiful), fiery (no doubt due to her Scottish background), and also considered reckless and passionate, and not very cautious–which some attribute to her liberal French upbringing), and might have been the natural choice for another claimant to the throne of France. Perhaps it was not said by Catherine, and instead these words sonorant in history instead:
“Many of us saw in the place where we are now assembled to deplore her, the Queen on the day of her bridals, so covered with jewels that the sun himself shone not more brightly, so beautiful, so charming in all as never woman was. The walls were then hung with cloth of gold and precious tapestry, every space was filled with thrones and seats, crowded with princes and princesses who came from all parts to share in the rejoicing. The palace was overflowing with magnificence, fêtes and masques, the streets with tourney.
“A little time, and it has all vanished like a cloud. The marble, the bronze and the iron are decomposed in the air or corroded by dust, but the remembrance of her brightness shall live eternally.”
~The Archbishop of Bourges
Or, in the words of Elizabeth I,
“The Daughter of Debate,
that eke discord doth sow.”
(~Ascribed to Queen Elizabeth)
So much is perhaps written about her, compared to Catherine, that it is possible to feel more intimately the realities of the time, dark contrasts, possibly fates, and opinions of others through her, when we might look at what was PR by Catherine, and believe that this was indeed a fairy tale existence. This is, in reverse, the path which Catherine herself so arduously avoided. Mary might also have not favored the political process of Catherine, including, ballet. It is however, also interesting to note that has Mary brought these spectacles to Scotland, England’s own influence on the craft might have commenced much, much earlier than it did.
William Segar (fl. 1585-1633). Possibly mary Queen of Scots (1542-87).
Possibly one of three paintings of Elizabeth I, Queen of England, by George Gower, termed the Armada Portrait-any of three surviving versions of an allegorical oak panel painted c. 1588. Woburn Abbey.
Catherine’s husband, the King, Henri II, who jousted and performed many feats for her, including dancing, had died less than two years prior to these events, by an errant splinter to the eye (during a joust), yielding to an infectious fever. This diversion of the new Queen to Scotland, also left France to Catherine’s will (and Recency) until Charles IX (about her 5th child) was old enough to become King himself. Catherine never ruled herself, but was probably one of the most powerful influences behind any throne in the 16th century (or any other-truth be known). Reigning as Regent (governor) over 30 years, and including, during her youngest son’s (Henri III) reign (last male of the Valois line), where she was said to be his most potent advisor until very shortly before his own murder in 1589. Without Catherine, who only reigned as “consort” alongside her own husband (Henri II, King of France) from 1547 until 1559, it is very doubtful whether her sons would have remained in power at all; they were all seen as weak. In her own way, Catherine had many disappointments in life, but as an orphan, a follower of Machiavelli, it was not what Catherine understood about ruling which limited her power, but what she failed to grasp or have patience to understand which did, at the end, seem to be her and her family’s undoing. She seemed to be vulnerable only due to her great love for her children, unable to counter their whims, transfer her greatness to them, rule for them, so she did the next best thing by actively protecting them, guarding their interests, and influencing their decisions.
Unknown artist. Portrait of Henri III, King of France.
By this measure, Catherine was a good mother, and a careful ruler, if unable to see/correct her own children’s flaws, she did her best in spite of them. Her ruthlessness is popularly underestimated. Poor Mary, therefore, was doomed from the start due to events completely out her control, a cog in the wheel of a vastly complex coup d’é·tat, and a real tragedy in a game of thrones. Perhaps, had she lived, Scotland might have been a seeding ground of culture, ballet, and arts, as she had not the chance to rule, but she and Catherine, and many great “outsiders” and “black sheep” have come into their own by sheer determination and persistence, have survived due to not luck, but by circumstances, grit, and indomitable strength of will-perhaps mere stubbornness, none of which could be known in advance, predicted, or changed, except by death, and only history shows us possibly where they might have erred. The fact that it was the imagination, intrigue, and manipulation of women, who created something as interesting as ballet, as beautiful, and as full of the possibilities of art as it could be, does not surprise me. Catherine had to think, she had to be smart, and because of the plight, deaths, and resourcefulness of women, and mothers, in many senses, there is ballet. One can readily see why Catherine had concern for Mary’s charms, which besides unparalleled beauty (at the time), including known kindness.
Little remains of real information for this period of French rule, and despite Catherine’s patronage of the arts, very few paintings exist of the events and festivities which characterized her court. One painter, Antoine Caron, did win her favor, but perhaps his paintings are not as realistic as many people would like. Either that, or the probable fact that his subjects are fantastical and allegorical, elevating the surroundings to heights partially within Catherine’s imagination [sic, this is what it was supposed to look like] and therefore found her support. Catherine was not ugly by any means, but she may have suffered from rickets, however slightly, and other deformities, such as slight sexual ones, but this was commonplace among royalty (See, Hapsburgs), etc. he did have somewhat protruding eyes and a larger mouth, which were not considered beautiful traits of the day, but was, accredited with beautiful hands, a fine figure, and lovely skin-it is no wonder that these features are exemplified in approved paintings of her, and her faults are minimized, without appearing patronizing.
At Henry III’s death in 1589, her realm collapsed, religious wars were ongoing, both within and without France, and with no male heirs left, Catherine probably looked for her daughter Margaret’s match to Henri, King of Navarre (of mixed Catholic and Protestant background), to extend the rule, preserving the control of at least her immediate heirs-he had, after all, promised to convert to Catholicism, and did during her lifetime, anyway, thus gaining her favor by his loyalty. It was not until later that his army defeated her son’s in favor of more tolerance to the Huguenots, his reasoning being that the country was divided. He won overwhelmingly, but continued on, with Henry, in this way, and this was when, no doubt, Henry III contradicted the will of his mother, to come out in more liberal position toward the Huguenots, and at which time he was killed, whether to insure Henri of Navarre’s ascension to the throne, or due to its inevitability due to birthright, and the fact that Henry III had no heirs.
Henry, became Henry IV, King of France, in 1859. It is notable that at the festivities of Henri and Margaret’s arranged marriage, nearly 20 years earlier, on August 24, 1572, Catholics and Huguenots were brought together. The killings and slaughter of Huguenots, some said at Catherine’s own order, are ever after referred to as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Henri escaped with his life, with the help of his new wife, promising to convert. Later they would divorce, and Henry would issue the Decree of Nantes, becoming briefly one of France’s more humane and democratic rulers, offering “tolerance” to Huguenots, as well as tax concessions, which made him popular during his reign, and before the reversion of the line to the House of Bourbon, where continued rules, absolutism, and Catholicism by the devout Catholics and the line of Louis XIII would again find a foothold. Catherine had no way to foresee all of this, and at her death probably rested permanently with the thought that the arranged marriage for her daughter with this direct descendant to the throne of France was insured, but unstable, as Margaret and Henri had no issue by that time, so it is probable that when she died, she died knowing of the likelihood of the reversion, and more than anything, perhaps, all of her life, Catherine had feared failure of that- loss of the throne by the House of Valois to the House of Bourbon-probably praying for some interception of fate, desperately. But no one could ever say that Catherine de Medici had not done her very best by her family, or that she had not been strong, or true to her purpose.
Though historians often credit Catherine with various decisive and history-changing, terrible actions, actions such as the massacre of the Huguenots, it is pretty clear that the length of time she was able to keep the Valois line on the throne, had much to do with memory and perpetuity, if not the final and permanent adoption by France of the Catholic faith, and she did not know another way of dealing with this problem. Without all of these publicity and political attempts to entertain the population, establishing what she was to be remembered for, it makes clear this great woman did that, and did not put more strain on the purse that her successors did, and that she and her children were at least able to govern ostensibly, if not equitably. Often called “the rival queens”, Catherine had her own trouble with her daughter, Marguerite de Valois, who married the future Henry IV, and changed the path of france, was in many a historian’s view, the ultimate betrayal, of a daughter to her mother. Clashes of religion, not culture, were Catherine’s undoing, and so much was made of the Valois’ contributions to France (collectively), that it is no wonder Louis XIV took nearly a century to catch up to her or best her.
However, without this turmoil, this strife, and these innovations, ballet might never have been the success that it was, so the concentrated efforts of Catherine de Medici to ignite her House of Valois, make it memorable, cannot be too much inflated. At last, it was Henri IV (Henri of Navarre), who had married her daughter, Margaret, who was radical to that end, selfish in other ways, and who was the cause of the destabilization of the House of Valois, and not Catherine, probably due to his more liberal religious views (and his ambitious wife). The zig-zag course of Catherine’s life, the loss of her parents as a newborn, her commoner status, her luck, the decisions she made, that she was able to bear so many offspring following medical corrections, the loss and death of her children, betrayal, overcoming of certain odds, such as her husband’s lifelong affair with Diane De Poitiers, the selected marriages for her children, her promotion and ingenuity, all bear testimony to the fact that she was perhaps the last and most ambitious of France’s great rulers, and a determined warrior queen, and whom, in the future, France has had no equal. Aside from Cleopatra, whom even less is known about, Catherine de Medici, remains an object of controversy in many more arenas than any other Queen, and the most fascinating subject of films, books, and diatribes-however scant the text and proofs-the imagination runs wild, and her interests spanned everything.
Dancing was one of Catherine’s many passions and she knew it pleased others greatly. Many dancing fetes were held at her many palaces and there was always music, theater and poetry. All of the arts were represented in her court, but not all at the same time, or at once. There were those who wrote and directed ballets with their household members and as early as 1530, and there is a reference of the Count of Savoy preparing and acting in ballets with the princes and princesses of his court, but the most remembered and copied ballets d’action were those of Catherine de Medici who brought an Italian dance master by the name of Baltazarini to teach her children. Everyone knows (probably) that Queen Catherine brought many fashion experiments to the French court as well, making popular the high heel. This shoe was designed, especially for her, to give her the look of a more pointed (and therefore) more attractive line. A bit chubby and ungainly, she felt that this extended, made more graceful her legs and feet, and looked prettier while dancing. Soon the whole court was wearing them! The gesture of presenting the foot was made more popular and of course the ankle was turned out, facing the partner, and presentation for her was everything!
So not only did she feature the first choreographed dances, usually the polonaise (but enough information is not available to discern the truth completely), with costumes, sets, music and scenery, but she also fed the idea that “turnout”, grace and a focus on footwork was necessary for a most appealing presentation of the spectacle of dance. These rules and refinements were the minimum set forth in her court and passed along to other courts as “the thing to do,” and how to do them properly. Through word of mouth, art work and in-person eye-witness accounts these facts remain.There is a lot of speculation regarding Catherine’s planning and motives for the Ballet Comique de la Reine, as nothing she ever did was not for a political purpose (or several), but this, which was to become precedent for ballet, started the form of the cour, and was possibly motivated by personal reasons as well. In her own way, perhaps Catherine threw herself into the creation of spectacle and entertainment to cast a different light on the Royal family, enduring his affair, and most of all to insure the popularity of her court and therefore her children. It is said Henry III, her fourth son, maybe/maybe not gay, was encouraged to (actually) celebrate his favorite’s marriage, Duke de Joyeuse, to Margaret of Lorraine. In order to give this sacrament its most noble and elevated appearance, it is said Catherine planned a most elaborate performance for her son’s benefit, and for her court and admirers, entitled The “Ballet Comique de la Reine.” It is is said to have been the most costly performance of hers to date, coming in at over one-million ecu. Although these tidbits are widely argued and disagreed with by historians, it does seem important to mention them, as in a lot of gossip, sometimes there is truth.
This extravagant entertainment (Ballet Comique de la Reine) cost more than a million ecue (a la couronne). Money was rather unstable in this period of history, and monarchs tended to play around with the value of coinage, but merchants did not, so it is fairly certain the cost of the affair was remembered accurately. Although the ecu did not rise in value comparatively and stabilize until 100 years later, the French sovereign’s coin was undoubtedly solid gold, and having the same approximate value as an English or Spanish sovereigns coin would have had (for they desired to best each other), thus the expression, “worth your weight in gold.” Henry of England’s gold coin, in British culture, was worth more to its people (and to Henry), but in France, the Queen paid in her gold, probably never in silver, so a commission from the Queen would have been in gold, at the going rate universally, but worth much more (in gold) as coming from the Queen, whose “weight” was greater than anyone else’s. So when these costs are bandied about, and uncertain, the only absolute certainty was that there was status in being paid by the Queen, this payment was the best and highest monetary payment one could receive, even if its value on the common market was roughly equal (gold did not go up more than 10x silver which is still a little low), until later in the next century, and the affair was by principal the most costly. In grams, the ecu was 3.399 weight of gold, and imagine one-million of them for this triumphant spectacle!
“Beau Sancy” is one of the world’s oldest known diamonds and weighs 34.98 carats once belonged to Catherine de Medici
One-million! From gram to Troy pounds this is approximately 2,700 pounds of gold-a ton is 2000 pounds-more than 1 ton of gold. Possibly the weight of her entire immediate family. A lot of gold. It’s fineness was 96.35, and the composite of fine gold to trash gold was 3.275:3.399-a very high ratio of fine gold (the Queen’s). In comparison, however, Henry’s English coins were much heavier-and contained more actual pure gold, and were therefore worth more, side by side, had gold been valued or measured intelligently at a common market rate, but it wasn’t, and the gold sovereign sets the standard for gold weighing in at 15.552 grams in 1489. With 15.471 grams of that being fine gold. But Henry would never have spent his gold on this folly. He liked dancing, but he was more occupied with the costs of war, so reserved his fortunes for security purposes. France knew the what money could buy and they bought what they could if only for promotional purposes. For us, this was the moment ballet was sold to the highest bidder, established as an important art and entertainment form, used for a political purpose, and thank goodness, Catherine wanted to buy it instead of opera or acting!
The Queen’s gold had high value in France, but not so much in England, where there was growing hostility for the Catholic French, but perchance in Italy, her gold had more value even because although of French, and even English descent, Catherine had originally come from the Italian court. This may have been the reason she sent so frequently for things from Italy, and her gold might have had even more value there; she was able to spend less of it, bring what was exotic, cultural, and pleasing to her-it underlines that Catherine knew about Italian culture, understood what was missing from the French culture, and with this knowledge, she planned to make her empire great and unique. She did, and whether the Italians worked on credit, sale prices, or obligation, they came and brought their skills where they were paid for and could be perpetuated and appreciated, for if the Queen would introduce them-how could they fail? Had Henry the Eighth felt that ballet and dancing won compatriots, defined civility, or counted for more than war efforts, in other words, competed, ballet might never have become what it was and has been, for through the influence of Henry we would have seen a much different form of danse. But England was always frugal. France extravagant, and Catherine could see that things other than war could make a civilisation memorable-she ruled from her seat, not from her horse.
Balthasar (also known as Baltazarini) de Beaujoyeux’s most important work, was the “Ballet Comique de la Reine” in 1581, considered the first ballet de cour. Of course sets, costume and dialogue were all coordinated as before, but what set this apart as different was that the ballet told the whole story-it was the central theme-the dancing. Catherine recognized this difference, and had a libretto scripted from it due to its success-sort of a princely gamble, setting it down in history as a fete remarkable. As such, the libretto still exists. The event was memorialized with drawings, which were sent in remembrance to all the courts of Europe, sort of like a photo or belated party favor. In this way, they have been passed down in memoriam. She publicized it. As a result, it was copied. Instead of Italian ballet masters, the courts now looked to the French for their dancing examples. In one fell swoop, she did what Nureyev did for ballet, in the 1960’s, she popularized it, stole it, vanquished her artistic foes, and took ballet, the art form, away from the rest of the world and made it French! Italy was so far behind, they focused on opera, and England’s art became the theater. Such a coup has not been seen before or since, and Nureyev merely stole a stage for a generation, Queen Catherine stole the stage for 200 hundred or more years. She made ballet public.
On October 15, 1581, Queen Catherine’s household would showcase this first staged public ballet. Due to Catherine’s influence, and after the succession of her son Henri III, his wife, the reigning queen, Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont, would formally host the event. The Ballet Comique de la Reine was a four-hour spectacle commissioned by her for the wedding of her sister Marguerite, to Anne de Batarnay de Joyeuse, who was not only a a royal favorite, but also an active participant in the French Wars of Religion. It was probably not by accident that each of Catherine’s grandly staged events was also a testimony to the power and authority of her House, but also were Catholic events, staged by the Catholics, much like the events in Rome, and miracles, to magnify the power of the Catholic Church and its chosen royal family. No doubt Catherine had seen this done, and the success of it. Though this was a new way of promoting her line and her heritage in France, it cannot be ignored that these carnivals and fêtes were often the site and cause of tension and uprising, even violent, with the Huguenots, such as the one in 1572, referenced above.
A Gate of the Louvre, after St. Bartholomew’s Day
A complete and utter favorite of Henry, The Duc de Joyeuse, as he was thereafter called, was not to have this soiree, as his only elevation. King Henry III used the marriage as a pretext for raising his rank to the dignity of ‘Duc de Joyeuse’. He was given number one standing over all other dukes of France, with the exception of ‘Princes of the Blood’. His dowry, in consequence, was over 300 000 écus, and he was given the sovereignty of Limours. This is called ‘keeping it in the family and the gift of significant lands and title were to bestow upon him, by royal privilege, parlements above and beyond any other noble.’
In this, we can see the French crown’s ambition and path toward absolutism really beginning, which would see its end in the revolution over 200 years later. So, with ballet, and unprecedented honors, festivities, and celebrations, came politics-always. Today’ antics can hardly be called unique or unusual, but pale famously in comparison, so matter how dastardly they might seem. Beaujoyeux , or Baltarizini, originally a violinist and tutor, headed the direction, staging and designing this Ballet, with a group of writers, musicians, actors, dancers, architects, and designers of many talents and copious skills. Beaujoyeux also was the court dance master and choreographer as well as valet de chambre to herself and the King. This marriage called for a larger-than-usual celebration and consisted of no less than seventeen events including horse ballets, allegorical feats, a triumph, a water fete, fireworks, and masquerades. One of these was also “Le Balet Comique de la Royne,” described in great detail in various accounts of the period, in artwork and poems. So memorable a festival it was, and lasted for nearly two weeks. The performance took place in the Salle de Bourbon, near the Louvre Museum (which is described as a large rectangular space) which was festooned with flowers and other decorations placed at strategic points around the perimeter of the room. Later, a sort of park, memorialized in some paintings, with a carriage circle, it was a common venue for such entertainments by the royalty at the time. There were few spaces, even in France large enough for such spectacles and frequently they were carried on out-of-doors, so we can assume this venue was of such a size and demeanor that it qualified for such an event.
The story itself concerns the sorceress, Circe, who captures men, turns them into beasts and keeps them in her garden. The performance is stated to have lasted over four hours, and the ballet opened with loud music. One victim escapes the enchanted garden and asks the King for help. A huge fountain is drawn into the hall containing the Queen and her ladies in waiting. The Queens praises are sung and here begins a large battle of good and evil. The Queen and her ladies dance as naiads until the sorceress casts a evil spell over them. Mercury descends from the clouds and dissolves the spell. They begin dancing again and the sorceress casts another spell upon them, forcing them to stop again. Wood deities enter and begin dancing and Pan is summoned to help the naiads but he refuses. The four virtues enter and sing about the King and they call Minerva. She enters and sings with them and herself summons Jupiter. He descends among thunder and music from forty musicians in a golden grove. A brief battle ensues between the sorceress and Jupiter, which she of course, loses. A long and complex variation follows consisting of dancing geometric figures. When the ballet is over, gifts were given to prominent audience members; it is said a dolphin, from his mother, to King Henry III, to signify that a son (Dauphin) be born to continue their rule (which did not happen), though it appears that Henry was in love with his wife, made many efforts, and had been in love deeply before with another woman, Marie de Clèves, whom had died prior to his becoming King (or he would have married her).
The music , singing and dancing continue throughout the performance. Music is the main theme-a lute, a small ensemble, and pieces for up to a whole orchestra, but it is varied and constant. Written accounts stated that the music was “unlike anything ever heard!” Apparently, there were so many diversified performances in costly programs, that no prevailing kind of dancing arose from any of them, as they seemed mostly to be unique and highly experimental. The Balet Comique, a rarefied example, was seen to be the beginning of the ballet de cour-in essence, a clear and dramatic story-line with a structured development and a cohesive theme replete with many art forms. What we do know is that each of these spectacles ends with a grand ballet which is long and complex. Those ballets, up to 1610, were not very well documented and none seemed to be as detailed or elaborate as Circe, although there are histories of many copies. The general public, as well, seems to have been influenced and impressed by them. Their history stemmed from the Italian Commedia dell’arte which was a traveling comedy show in which their characters wore masks. There were a lot of ballet de cours subsequently, but the genre seems to have disappeared by about 1673.
Beaujoyeux’s choice of music was that type composed by Lull, Bach and even Mozart,
http://youtu.be/CoLQYe_EPik
and had a very distinct rhythm much like a sixteenth-note polska. Despite the fact that these singing, dancing, poetry-laden independent productions, ending in a ballet, were started in France, they were not formed into a permanent unison by the French. Until much later there was not apparent what we now recognize and exhibit as the art form, but it is Catherine de Medici, and her family and descendants who are the forbears of such noteworthy entertainment and who we can thank for the history of these continued divertissements. What is particularly significant about the ballet de cour itself is the strong position of dancing as well as the theatricality of the dancing productions. Plates exist to detail some of the creative hyperbole, which the French were known for, and the allegorical references in the productions did become the theme for classical ballets, such as those by Fokine, again popularizing their form in what was not strictly original but a neoclassical revival of that bygone era. In other words they became the subject of history of ballet and therefore fodder for later choreographers to develop onto.
Research is partially credited to articles which appeared by Andros on Ballet (http://michaelminn.net/andros/biographies/de_medici_catherine/), Richard Cavendish (http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/marriage-mary-queen-scots), and Kristin Rygg, Masqued Mysteries Unmasked: Early Modern Music Theater and its Pythagorean Subtext. Pendragon Press Musiclogical Series, 1953. All highly recommended reads!
Ballet Comique de la ReineCatherinecatherine de medicichoreography storiesCourt (royal)Diane de PoitiersFranceGeneral Dance DiscussionHenry III of FranceOpinionsPerformances
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About Brookdale
Brookdale Comes Together for Global Peace Day
Brookdale Newsroom
EOF, Events, Student Clubs, Students
Members of the Brookdale Educational Opportunity Fund’s (EOF) Rising Leaders Academy joined with representatives from the Asia Society and Gateway to Japan on Sept. 21 to hold a college-wide rally for peace in the Student Life Center.
The event, held on this year’s International Day of Peace, featured a wide range of activities, information booths and prize raffles designed to educate community members about ongoing global peace initiatives and enlist them in a world-wide effort to enact social change.
“A couple of years ago, the United Nations agreed on 17 global goals that they want for the world,” said Rising Leaders member Austin Santana-Simmons.
“They include things like ending hunger, promoting quality education, gender equality and climate action. This year, the UN is asking people to take steps in their own lives and their communities to achieve those goals, and that’s part of what we’re promoting today. We’re asking people to make a pledge to do something for the world.”
Attendees were encouraged to select one of the UN’s goals and commit to supporting it in their day-to-day lives, either by donating time or goods or trying to raise awareness in their own communities. Brookdalians were also invited to create a custom, origami “peace cranes” at a crafts table hosted by members of each club.
One of dozens of origami peace cranes collected during the International Day of Peace event in Lincroft on Sept. 21.
The small cranes, adorned with a variety of salutations and motivational phrases, will be mailed to residents of Mexico as part of a global “peace crane” exchange in the coming weeks.
“Countries across the world will receive them and send them on to other nations, kind of like an international swap,” said Santana-Simmons. “Today we are trying to focus on peace and equality, and acknowledge that we are all here under the same sun.”
Attendees could also enter a prize raffle for a book on peace cranes, or take group photos with the college’s new Peace Pole.
The pole – a hand-crafted, six-foot-tall monument bearing the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages – was created for the college this year by the internationally recognized Peace Pole Project. Today there are tens of thousands of peace poles in more than 180 countries across the globe.
“The pole, much like today’s event, is a reminder that we are all connected and that our actions really can have an impact beyond ourselves,” said EOF associate and Rising Leaders Academy advisor Catherine Cutlip, who joined the students in holding a moment of silence at the peace pole at noon on Sept. 21.
“We do a lot of work locally and across the state each year, and we felt that this year we should begin the semester by focusing on the global perspective. It’s that idea of, ‘What is your role in the system?’ Whatever you do is going to have ripple effects across the world, especially now that we are all so globally connected… It’s not all about governments and big organizations. It’s about what you can do, personally, to make things better.”
The Rising Leaders Academy, established at Brookdale in 2015, provides a select group of students the opportunity to perform valuable community service and advocacy work while completing a comprehensive leadership training program throughout their time at Brookdale. Rising Leaders members also receive financial compensation in the form of Federal Work Study fund. Learn more about the program here.
Click here to learn more about Brookdale’s EOF program.
Check out more photos of the International Day of Peace event here.
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Barringer
Copyright 2013 Brookdale Community College
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The vicious cycle of conflict-driven migration
Hugh Biggar
A woman on a beach in Nigeria. Photo credit: Adeolu Adeniyi
Investing in rural landscapes may reduce record number of displaced people
(Landscape News) — In northern Nigeria, nomadic livestock herders have been pushed out due to desertification and the loss of traditional grazing lands — their move south in search of a better location resulting in violent clashes with local farming communities.
Such circumstances are emblematic of instability, illustrating how conflict, migration, scarcity of food and water are interconnected and form a pattern of circularity. A lack of resources to sustain livelihoods leads to migration and conflict, then migration and conflict lead to more scarcity and more conflict, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) report in a joint brief.
“Conflicts increase food insecurity and limit the livelihood options of rural populations,” states the brief titled, Conflict, migration, and food security: The role of agriculture and rural development. “Conversely, food insecurity – driven by sudden food-price spikes, dispossession, or loss of agricultural assets – may compound existing grievances and trigger conflict.”
Already, the number of people on the move is enormous, with the world experiencing the largest population of displaced people in history, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR). In 2016, there were 66 million forcibly displaced people resulting from conflicts, an increase of 65 percent from 40 million people in 2011. In the same year, people forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations, included 22.5 million refugees, 40.3 million internally displaced people and 2.8 million asylum seekers.
The FAO-IFPRI brief makes recommendations to help break the cycle of shrinking resources, migration, and conflict, including continued investment in agricultural and rural development, responding proactively to rebuild agriculture after unrest, developing amicable relations with neighboring countries hosting refugees, and ensuring food security is a part of humanitarian aid.
The brief posits that fortifying agricultural resilience and investing in rural development could decrease the number of migrants and help prevent unrest from igniting in the first place. The key is to invest in scientific research to provide people with incentives to stay and ensure adequate access to food rather than uproot.
“We can identify common problems around the globe linked to this dimension,” said David Laborde, a senior research fellow at IFPRI. “In a nutshell, we can summarize them as ‘property rights’ issues regarding land and natural resources. Lack of clear definition, or violation of these rights, leads to many political tensions and conflicts.”
Land use and Conflict
Laborde cited disputes over land ownership and extraction of natural resources such as oil or minerals as two main sources of conflict. At the same time, changes in landscape due to climate change are also exacerbating the issue, he said.
Similarly, the IFPRI-FAO states that, “Protracted conflicts around the world have been a main cause of a rise in global hunger in recent years. Conflicts are also driving the dramatic increase in the number of forcibly displaced people …. But forced movements of people and food insecurity may also fuel conflicts.”
A 2017 World Food Programme (WFP) study found that the greatest numbers of refugees are from countries experiencing armed conflict and the highest levels of food insecurity. The finding suggests that strengthening availability and access to food in troubled countries could reduce the flow of migrants.
Investing in Agriculture and Rural Development
Laborde also stressed the importance of continued support for agricultural and rural development.
“First, let’s make sure to have well-defined property rights on land, and resources above and underground…. it is really a key element,” he said. “Second, guaranteeing that resources and benefits are properly shared between central government and local communities. Third, and from an international perspective, is making sure that international border disputes do not escalate to open international conflicts. Fourth, sustainable management of natural resources, especially land and water, [is vital]. Major land degradation or water scarcity will lead local community to migrate [and] has a high probability to lead to political tensions, and sometimes conflicts.”
On this last point, Laborde noted that climate change will continued to fuel migration and help spark conflicts as has happened with the herders in northern Nigeria.
Going forward, he said, proactive policies such as early warning systems of impending crisis or food shocks, resource sharing and maintaining funding from donors to help pay for land reform and sustainable agriculture are going to be increasingly important.
“To address conflict-driven migrations we must address the roots of conflicts,” he said.
“Geopolitical, ethnic and religious drivers are important and there is no easy solution to address them, especially when looking from a landscape perspective.”
Conflict, migration, and food security: The role of agriculture and rural development
Migration: What happens to the people (and forests) left behind?
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
2017 – At the root of exodus: Food security, conflict and international migration
conflictdisplaced peoplemigrationrefugees
CGIAR commits to research for climate-smart agriculture – global alliance launched at UN Climate Summit
Long-term development efforts key to breaking food emergency cycle
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Mongabay Series: Oceans
Global marine wilderness has dwindled to 13 percent, new map reveals
by John C. Cannon on 26 July 2018 |
New research examining the effects of 19 human stressors on the marine environment shows that only 13 percent of oceans can still be considered wilderness.
Of the remaining wilderness, much of which is located in the high seas and at the poles, less than 5 percent falls under protection, and climate change and advances in technology could threaten it.
The authors of the study call for international cooperation to protect the ocean’s wilderness areas, including a “Paris Agreement for the Ocean,” which they hope will be signed in 2020.
Humans have wiped out most of the pristine parts of the world’s oceans, a new study has found.
In the first global mapping of human impacts on marine environments, a team of scientists from Australia, Canada and the United States demonstrated that few corners of the globe have been left untouched by shipping, mining and commercial fishing. Just 13 percent of the world’s oceans hold intact ecosystems and are free of these impacts — the team’s definition of marine wilderness. And of the remaining underwater wilderness, less than 5 percent is protected.
“We know how valuable and how unique places in the ocean [are] that don’t have high levels of human activity,” Kendall Jones, a conservation scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in an interview. They’re home to a wide variety of life, including many of the ocean’s top predators, he added.
But unlike our understanding of how wilderness has disappeared on land, “we had no real global map of where those locations are” in the ocean, said Jones, who is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Video by Kendall Jones, Carissa Klein and James Watson.
To develop that map, Jones and his colleagues plotted out the locations of 19 human “stressors” on the world’s oceans, ranging from intensive fishing and shipping to land-based factors such as fertilizer runoff. They then drilled down to a resolution of 1 square kilometer (0.4 square miles) and picked out the places in the marine environment that exhibited the least combined impact. Those spots amounted to 54 million square kilometers (21 million square miles), or 13.2 percent of the marine environment.
The team also zeroed in on 16 different realms in the ocean, unearthing huge disparities in the distribution of marine wilderness. For example, parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans hold more than 16 million square kilometers (6.2 million square miles) of wilderness. But the realm around southern Africa has less than 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles). Jones said the researchers meant for this part of the analysis to help pinpoint “the best of the best” wilderness remaining in these areas as potential targets for conservation.
An oil platform off the coast of Brazil. Image by Divulgação Petrobras/ABr (Agência Brasil [1]) (CC BY 3.0 br), via Wikimedia Commons.
The research, published July 26 in the journal Current Biology, highlights the rarity — but not the complete absence — of marine wilderness near dense human populations and coastal areas. These spots are also where a lot of marine protected areas lie. They might still harbor endangered species or threatened ecosystems, as with coral reefs, Jones said, but few of them can still be considered wilderness.
“We’re not saying that places aren’t worthy of protection or conservation action,” he said. “But we argue that what’s also important is to save those wild places that are still functioning as they once were.”
The highest concentrations of wilderness appear at the poles and in the high seas. In effect, the challenge of getting through the sea ice around Antarctica and the Arctic and the vast distances that must be traveled to reach distant points in the open ocean have protected these areas.
But Jones said that advances in technology were allowing humans to probe deeper into the ocean in search of fish. And climate change is melting sea ice, opening up new parts of the once-inaccessible Arctic to fishing and mining for natural resources. Those looming threats to marine wilderness suggest we may need to change tack in how we protect these places, Jones said.
An aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
He likened it to different approaches to healthcare. “At the moment, we’re spending all of our money on emergency heart surgery without any preventative health measures,” he said, “so we’re working in the emergency room only.
“We’re saying we should go to the other end of the spectrum as well and save these places before they get to that stage.”
That will require international cooperation, as it entails countries working together to safeguard parts of the ocean that lie well outside a single jurisdiction, Jones said. Organizations that manage fisheries for regions of the planet, rather than individual countries, could work together to limit commercial fishing in wilderness areas.
Another issue is that more than half of all fishing on the high seas is subsidized, he said.
“The government is funding these boats to go and fish in really faraway places that would otherwise be not feasible,” Jones said.
A humpback whale breaching. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
The authors note that the United Nations is working out the details for a global “Paris Agreement for the Ocean.” The legally binding pact is aimed at protecting open-ocean biodiversity, and Jones said they expected it to be ready for signing by 2020.
Such broad-scale agreements could help face down pressures over which humans have less control, such as climate change, and maintain these wilderness areas as essential refuges in the future.
“Studies have shown that intact places with low levels of human impact can be more resilient to climate change or land-based runoff,” Jones said. “Saving these intact places may be a good option for allowing species and biodiversity to adapt to and recover from those impacts of climate change that we can’t manage as easily.”
Banner image of southern right whales by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
John Cannon is a Mongabay staff writer based in the Middle East. Find him on Twitter: @johnccannon
Jones, K., Klein, C., Halpern, B. S., Venter, O., Grantham, H., Kuempel, C. D., … Watson, J. E. M. (2018). The location and protection status of Earth’s diminishing marine wilderness. Current Biology.
Article published by John Cannon
Agriculture, Animals, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change And Biodiversity, Climate Change And Conservation, Climate Change And Coral Reefs, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Mammals, Mapping, Marine Protected Areas, Nutrient Pollution, Oceans, Oceans And Climate Change, Overfishing, Parks, Plants, Protected Areas, Research, United Nations, Water Pollution, Whales, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
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Ponca Tribe opens Prairie Flower Casino in Iowa; lawsuit pending
Latest Casino and Gambling News, Tribal Gaming, Casino openings, Iowa
In Iowa, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska celebrated the opening of the new Prairie Flower Casino on Thursday in the small town of Carter Lake, marking a milestone for the federally recognized tribe which claims a membership of more than 4,200 members.
Commenting on the opening of the casino, which provides the tribe with an important new revenue source, tribal chairman Larry Wright Jr., said, “I’m excited, overwhelmed. This a great day for our people,” said Larry Wright Jr., the tribal chairman.
“We have been able to grow, with eyes to the future. This is a symbol of our resilience,” according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Replaces cigarette shop:
In June this year, the Nebraska tribe broke ground on the 9,500 square foot casino, which is located on five acres of tribal land at 1031 Ave H. where a Ponca cigarette shop had reportedly been operating on the site. The gaming venue features 200 Vegas-style slots along with a full-service bar and a snack bar and will be open 24 hours a day. The casino employs 100 people and represents phase one of the Prairie Flower project.
“In less than a year, we’ve been able to do this,” said Wright. “We’re late to the process, but we hope to be one of the best in Indian country.”
Plans to expand:
While for now there are no gaming tables, plans to expand the venue’s footprint to include up to 2,000 gaming machines and 50 live table games are in-progress and will be released to the public when finalized, according to the tribe’s August press release (pdf).
Carter Lake locale:
The gaming facility is located in the small town of Carter Lake, which sits geographically on the Iowa side/west side of the Missouri River, adjacent to Omaha, where casinos are illegal. The hope is that the casino will draw a large number of its future players from what is the state’s largest city and just three miles from Carter Lake.
The opening comes after a decade of lawsuits, appeals and legal reviews, including a series of rulings from the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), which in November last year, gave the tribe the green light for the casino.
Nearby competition:
It is anticipated that Prairie Flower Casino will face stiff competition from the three much larger casinos located across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, which include the Horseshoe Council Bluffs, which offers more than 1,400 machines and 64 tables; Harrah’s Council Bluffs, with 543 machines and 22 tables; and Ameristar Council Bluffs, which features nearly 1,600 machines and 26 tables. In 2017, the three casinos located in Iowa’s Pottawattamie County took in $174 million, $73.7 million and $172 million respectively.
Along with the approximately 150 people who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, the leader of Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) from Minnesota, Charlie Vig, was also in attendance.
The Minnesota tribe, which has reportedly achieved financial wealth thanks to its Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino and related enterprises, underwrote the Prairie Flower project. The Ponca Tribe were reportedly given a $1 million grant by the SMSC in 1999 to purchase the Carter Lake property, along with a $10 million loan for the construction of the new casino and other projects, according to the Omaha newspaper.
Annual donation agreement:
While the tribe has tax-exempt status, it has reportedly agreed to an annual donation of $775,000, which will go to the city of Carter Lake for the police department, emergency services, and other services. According to the news agency, profits from the casino will fund those programs, as well as youth programs and elder care, and towards the preservation of the Ponca language.
Wright said, “It means self-sufficiency, the sovereignty that we had for millennia,” Wright said. “Gaming will be part of who we are, but it will not define who we are. … Lifting our own, and our community, absolutely defines who we are.”
Federal lawsuit:
As for the planned future phases of development, they will likely be put on hold for a considerable amount of time as a federal lawsuit filed late last year by the City of Council Bluffs names as defendants the U.S. Department of the Interior, which administers the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the NIGC. The States of Iowa and Nebraska and the City of Council Bluffs have tried for 10 years to block construction of the Ponca’s casino.
Due to its location, the Prairie Flower Casino is seen as a threat to cut into tax revenues generated by commercial (non-Indian) gambling enterprises that currently operate in the state. Meanwhile, officials in Nebraska want to keep the slots and the tables away from the state where casino gambling is still illegal.
The casino is named after former Chief Standing Bear’s daughter who died during the forced removal of the Ponca Tribe from their homeland in northeastern Nebraska to Indian Territory in Oklahoma, as announced in August this year.
National Indian Gaming Commissionshakopee mdewakanton sioux communityomahamissouri riverponca tribe of nebraskacarter lakeprairie flower casinochairman larry wright jrchief standing bearcity of council bluffs
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Relevent Sports Sues U.S. Soccer, Escalating Fight Over Sanctioning
April 22, 2019 smartblogs 0 Comments Escalating, Fight, Relevent, Sanctioning, Soccer, sports, Sues
In a sudden escalation of a long simmering feud, Relevent Sports filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation in New York State Court on Monday, claiming U.S. Soccer is jeopardizing Relevent’s soccer promotion business and has a conflict of interest in sanctioning professional matches.
The lawsuit adds to the legal woes for U.S. Soccer, which is facing at least three other lawsuits, including a gender discrimination claim filed by members of the United States women’s national team last month.
Relevent Sports is a promoter that brings high-profile European clubs to the United States each summer to play exhibition matches in football stadiums during its International Champions Cup tournament. This year’s edition will feature teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, but Monday’s lawsuit makes clear that the company has ambitions outside its usual summer window, ambitions that most likely made a conflict with U.S. Soccer inevitable.
Eager to expand beyond exhibition matches, Relevent has spent months trying to bring a competitive match to the United States, similar to how the N.F.L. and N.B.A. stage games abroad each season. Thwarted in its efforts to bring a Spanish league match to America in January, Relevent’s latest attempt is an Ecuadorean first-division match between Barcelona S.C. and Guayaquil City, scheduled for May 5 in Miami.
The sanctioning process for that match prompted the lawsuit. Relevent has written approval for the match from both Ecuador’s soccer federation and Conmebol, the governing body for soccer in South America, but according to the lawsuit, U.S. Soccer has refused to sanction the game.
U.S. Soccer declined to comment on the lawsuit. Relevent Sports confirmed that it had filed the lawsuit on Monday, but had no other comment.
As the national governing body for soccer in the United States, U.S. Soccer has the authority to sanction all professional soccer matches played in the country. It is also allowed to collect sanctioning fees, which can be quite lucrative. According to the lawsuit, in the last six years Relevent has paid U.S. Soccer approximately $19.5 million for the right to host its summer tournament and other matches.
But U.S. Soccer has chosen not to sanction the match featuring the Ecuadorean teams because it has questions about whether Relevent’s listed match agent — Charlie Stillitano, the chairman of Relevent Sports — is a properly certified and insured FIFA match agent, according to the lawsuit. Relevent says it presented U.S. Soccer with a copy of Stillitano’s insurance policy, and an email from FIFA confirming that his omission from its online database of registered match agents was a mistake.
As of Monday morning, Stillitano was listed in FIFA’s match agent database, which seems to have been last updated on Thursday.
U.S. Soccer’s refusal to sanction the match is about an issue much deeper than concerns about credentials, according to the lawsuit. Relevent contends the decision is part of a proxy fight between Relevent and the U.S. Soccer partner Soccer United Marketing (SUM).
SUM is the powerful, and profitable, marketing arm of Major League Soccer, the top professional league in the United States. But it also is a critical business partner to U.S. Soccer, paying the federation $30 million annually for its commercial rights, which include rights to most United States national team telecasts. SUM also represents the commercial interests of the Mexican national team within the United States, and is a marketing partner of Conmebol and Concacaf, the governing body for soccer in North America.
In essence, then, Relevent and SUM are the two biggest promoters of soccer games in America, and Relevent is accusing U.S. Soccer — by blocking its game but not any organized by SUM — of putting its thumb on the scale in favor of a partner.
Critics have raised questions about conflicts of interest between SUM, M.L.S. and U.S. Soccer for years. For example, Don Garber, the commissioner of M.L.S., is also the chief executive of SUM and a member of U.S. Soccer’s board of directors. U.S. Soccer’s president, Carlos Cordeiro, addressed those concerns directly while running for the post last year, telling Sports Illustrated in an interview that “the unique ownership of SUM creates conflicts that need to be addressed.”
The U.S. Soccer policy manual states that international matches should be sanctioned unless there is “clear and convincing evidence” that they would be “detrimental to the best interest of the sport.” Relevent argues in the lawsuit that American interest in soccer can’t possibly be diminished by hosting an Ecuadorean league match, and therefore U.S. Soccer must be placing “the economic interest of a select group of its members over its statutorily-mandated purpose.”
This is not the first time U.S. Soccer has been sued over its sanctioning policies. ChampionsWorld, a company owned by Stillitano that arranged international soccer matches in American stadiums in the early 2000s, sued the federation in 2006, claiming it was forced into bankruptcy by excessive sanctioning fees charged by U.S. Soccer. After a seven-year legal battle, the sides eventually reached a settlement.
It is also far from the only lawsuit U.S. Soccer is facing. Besides the gender discrimination suit involving the women’s national team and a similar case filed by the former goalkeeper Hope Solo, there is also an antitrust suit filed by the North American Soccer League and a trademark dispute with the United States Soccer Federation Foundation. There is also a claim in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport asking U.S. Soccer to compel M.L.S. to institute a system of promotion and relegation.
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June 18, 2019 smartblogs 0
2019 N.B.A. Draft Results: Analysis of Every Pick in Round 1
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Tag Archives: Losing Faith
Michael Tolkin’s “The Rapture” (A Look Back)
1991, Acclaimed, Baptist, Bojan Bazelli, Christian, Controversial, David Duchovny, Despair, Devil, End of the World, Epic, Film, God, Having Faith, Look Back, Losing Faith, Love, Mate Swapping, Michael Tolkin, Mimi Rogers, Movie, Murder, Patrick Bauchau, Retrospective, Sadness, Satan, Soul, Strong, Suzzanne Fenn, The Rapture, Uncompromising, Vision, Will Patton
First of all, let me start off by saying this film is like no other. At 102 minutes in length, it stands as one of the most uncompromising epics of the soul. In other words, here is a film that begins with the conept of mate swapping and closes with the end of the world.
Michael Tolkin, the director, wrote this film when he became aware that 50 million Americans identify themselves as fundamentalists of some kind. His script that evolved from this study would quickly become one of the most controversial films of the year.
To quickly paraphrase, the movie follows a character named Sharon as she grows restless with her day job (telephone operator) and her current lifestyle; which consists of her lover, Vic and her prowling the earthly streets of L.A. looking for other promiscuous souls to share a bed with.
And then in the morning, Sharon returns to work lifeless and takes each call with an unenthusiastic, “This is operator 134, what city please? Is that a business or residence? Please hold for the number.” Tolkin uses Sharon’s daytime job as a metaphor for modern man, who may communicate more easily than ever before, though more impersonally. At this moment, her life is an empty void. There’s no place for her to go.
In the immortal words of Christian Slater from “Pump Up the Volume”, “(Her) life is on hold. I mean (she) desperately needs something new. (She’s) just waiting for some new voice to come out of somewhere, and say, ‘Hey! What is wrong with this picture? Take a look around.'”
Sharon finds her change in religion–quickly converting to being a fundamental Baptist, marrying and having a child. In her eyes, the static life she now leads is happy and perfect. And then something occurs. Her life becomes a void again–only now on God’s terms.
For a roll of this complexity, a director must find an actress that is up to the challenge–and Michael Tolkin did just that in his casting of Mimi Rogers. That’s right, Mimi Rogers–former wife of Tom Cruise and co-star of Ridley Scott’s 1988 thriller, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” She buries herself into this role so completely that we forget she is acting. I can not tell you how long it has been since I’ve seen a film in which the character, and not the star, was accomplishing the actions layed out in the script. Mimi Rogers develops the character into a flesh and blood human being; making the journey from sinner to Christian to loser of faith in a strong, fearless and completely confident performance. It’s no wonder that people must talk about this film once it is over.
Now most movies that deal with religion as their primary focus are usually made by people who are themselves religious, but this film is seen from a more literal and skeptical point of view. Michael Tolkin may be Jewish but he confessed during the making of this film, “If this is what the end of creation is going to be like, then we should state unblinkedly at its full and terrifying implications.”
Some critics argue that “The Rapture” is too preachy, but I disagree. In this day and age, any film that mentions God or religion is accused of being “too preachy” so there is not a lot of validity to that critique. Besides, this a film that ends with the main character standing alone in the dark with neither the devil, nor the saints in the her corner.
Any work of art that leaves you with an open ended discussion about God should and cannot be considered propaganda for the religious right, or a win for the naysayers out there. It’s a story, pure and simple–and you take away from it what you will.
Also, pay attention to the expressionistic high contrast and low key lighting. Since this film is a tragedy and a thriller all at once, the use of the different lighting systems are used to convey that something important, historic and heartbreaking is happening right before our eyes.
Another thing to watch for is Bojan Bazelli’s stunning camera work. At the start of the film, Sharon is in complete control of her wild life–so the picture is held steady while she moves within the frame. It’s as if God is watching her life without judgement because she does not acknowledge him yet. When she marries and converts to the Baptist religion, now it is both her and the camera that is held steady. The result of this technique is standing back and watching Sharon and God mold into a similar state of mind; achieving an inner harmony. However, when Sharon’s life becomes without meaning anymore, it is the camera that moves about while she sits steady within the frame.
We become so involved with Sharon’s character that the story is no longer just happening to her, but to us.
At the end of the film, Michael Tolkin closes the film in silence. There is no “exit the theater” music to accompany you as you depart. The director has trusted his ideas and themes right up to the last frame–forcing us to reconcile with all that has come before.
Each and every one of us has our own relationship with the nature of God, whether you believe or not. What you take away from this work is largely what you bring to it, and there lies its power. Tolkin knows it. Mimi Rogers knows it. Sharon knows it–and I know it.
This is “The Rapture.”
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Issue Description
Judith Stein, who died two years ago, left behind a legacy of students, colleagues and admirers who were inspired by her teaching, her scholarship, and her imposing intellect. The essays published here are in Judith’s honor.
issue #28 (Summer 2019)
The Masses Against the Classes, or, How to talk about populism without talking about class
By Anton Jäger (University of Cambridge)
Judith Stein and the Historical Materialist Study of American Political History
By Adolph Reed, Jr. (University of Pennsylvania)
DuBois’s “General Strike”
By James Oakes
Defining the Race 1890-1930
By Judith Stein (CUNY)
Change Agent: Gene Sharp’s Neoliberal Nonviolence (Part One)
By Marcie Smith (CUNY)
“Blackness” and the Sclerosis of African American Cultural Criticism
By Kenneth Warren (University of Chicago)
Of All the Things to Say about Mayor Pete
By Roger Lancaster (George Mason)
Inside Issue #28
these positionings continue to have appeal for academics, who are often relatively well-off at elite universities, who have the leisure to pose and play at abjection. Their work distills a schizophrenic desire: they want to run free with the wolves while howling in protest against their exclusion from society. But the authors are in fact very far removed from the lives of the most oppressed and marginalized, who they take as their models and who they purport to represent.
The reason that contemporary liberal writers seem to have such thorough problems with the form of anti-racism exemplified by the Populist movement, is not, therefore, that Populists sought to unite poor white and black tenants in their shared “material self-interest.” Rather, it lies in the fact that they did so without seeing such co-operation as originating in a moral duty, and refused to carry out the necessary amount of affective investment.
Stein’s work shows the depth, breadth and intellectual richness that a grounded historical-materialist perspective can bring to scholarship and understanding. She assumed from the outset that black political history could not be properly understood without situating it in relation to the broader currents within which it has been embedded and with which black agents have interacted at any given point. She never accepted analytical categories that attributed political agency to abstractions like “the black community,” “white supremacy,” or even “capitalism,” and always grounded her arguments in the issues, concerns and understandings of the groups and tendencies she studied. She saw race, class, labor and political economy as irreducibly linked.
Despite his longstanding socialist sympathies, DuBois was repelled by the specter of revolutionary violence, hence his admiring account of the moderation of the southern slaves. They “showed no disposition to strike the one terrible blow which brought black men freedom in Haiti…. for the simple reason that there was an easier way involving freedom with less risk.” They went on strike.
As politics changed, the organic model that had dominated black thought since the 1890s lost its power to persuade. Blyden, Du Bois, and Garvey had invented a view of the race to support a politics that addressed the elite discrimination they faced. Like all ideologies, their view of race attempted to interpret the world and direct behavior. Models and goals were taken from Western elite culture. Black elites imagined the majority of Afro-Americans passive and in need of their leadership. The NAACP and Urban League claimed to represent the race by default.
The late Gene Sharp is known worldwide as a Gandhi-like champion of nonviolent protest. But he is better understood as one of the most important U.S. defense intellectuals of the Cold War and a neoliberal theorist who advocated nonviolent action as a means to “State decentralization.” Properly contextualizing Sharp and his ideas is essential to understanding the world today.
Black studies scholarship on the whole has been plagued by “the temptation to attempt to speak on behalf of the political and social needs of some ‘black community’ outside the academy.” Declaring themselves responsible to this community, which is in no way positioned to ratify the propositions being put forth on its behalf, while disdaining the professional norms prevailing in the academy as inherently biased against the beliefs and practices necessary to carry out their work, many black scholars have been able to operate in a zone of relative unaccountability in which the narrative recounting of their own experiences and thoughts are treated as paradigmatic of “the race.”
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Launching a new Indigenous education system
Published Tuesday, October 2, 2018 7:35PM EDT
It's a huge day for Indigenous people in the Anishinabek Nation.
Teachers, students, and dignitaries gathered Tuesday morning on the Nipissing First Nation, near North Bay.
They were there to celebrate the opening of a brand new education body and the official launch of a new teaching system.
The new education building stands tall on the Nipissing First Nation and leaders say 25,000 Indigenous students and faculty will benefit from it.
Kelly Crawford is the Director of Education for the new Kinoomaadziwin Education Body.
"When a student knows their identity and they know who they are and they have those opportunities to be supported holistically, then there's success." said Crawford.
A board of directors will work to ensure the implementation of the education agreements with Ottawa and with Queen's Park.
23 First Nations are involved in the transformational change that they say will allow Anishinabek control over on-reserve education from junior kindergarten to grade 12.
The new building was only a part of the celebration, the Anishinabek Education System, which was implemented in April, has been officially launched.
Leaders say the AES will deliver cultural education programs to generations of Anishinabek students.
However, it wasn't smooth sailing to get to this day. Negotiations with the federal government have been a long and drawn out process.
"The negotiations themselves took over 20 years with the Government of Canada. It was a very long time. Today is a real celebration, both of our education system and the new building itself." said Anishinabek Nation negotiator Tracey O'Donnell.
When Ottawa decided to jump on board, it came with a pledge of $50-million each year to the project.
"We have communities that are coming out of the emotional scars that are still open with respect to the residential schools. There's that in a lot of people's minds." said Marc Miller, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
Indigenous leaders say these partnerships formed with Ottawa and with the province are unique within the country and are unprecedented in Ontario.
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Home » Clannishness » North/South Differences in Italian IQ: Is Richard Lynn Right?
Richard Lynn has stated that there are differences in Northern and Southern Italian IQ scores. Is he correct?
Lynn claims Italian IQ is 100 in the North and 90 in the South, with the lowest being IQ 89 in the Southern most part of Sicily.
Richard Lynn is of course, extremely controversial in his research areas of interest, mainly with his views on IQ and how it relates to the wealth of nations.
In his paper which talks about the North/South differences in IQ which predict differences in education, infant mortality, stature, and literacy.
Lynn’s methods were to take samples of the Program for International Student Assesment (PISA) which administers tests gauging the abilities of students in math, reading comprehension and science understanding. IQs were calculated by averaging science understanding, reading comprehension and mathematical ability, which the averages are expressed in SD unit deviations from the British PISA mean (n=502, SD 99). Figures are then converted to conventional IQs by multiplying them by 15. So the regional Italian IQs are expressed in comparison to the British IQ and SD (100 and 15 respectively).
His 10 data points are as follows:
First, the IQ in the northern regions of Italy measured by the PISA data is approximately 100 and therefore about the same as in Britain and other countries of northern and central Europe given in Lynn and Vanhanen (2002, 2006). This confirms the results of the standardization of the Colored Progressive Matrices in northern Italy reported by Prunetti (1985) and shows that IQs measured by the PISA data and by the Colored Progressive Matrices data are consistent. Regional IQs in Italy decline steadily through the central regions and into the south and reach a low of 89 in the most southerly region of Sicily. The first hypothesis of this study that there may be a north–south gradient of IQs in Italy is supported and quantified by the correlation of 0.963 between regional IQs and latitude.
First, the PISA data from 2013 shows Southern Italians scoring higher, and Northern Italians scoring around the same. Is that an increase in intelligence that happened in only 3 years? Did the genetics of Southern Italy change in 3 years? No.
The table above shows the changes in PISA scores for Southern Italy in only 3 years for all 3 subjects tested in PISA. Southern Italy increased by 26 points in reading, and Southern Italy and islands increased by 30 points. For math, 25 for the South and 34 for South and the islands. For science, 18 for the South and 22 for the South and the islands. The presence of non-native students may also be a factor in these score differences. You can see the differences from 3 years, and how even in 3 years, there was a slight decrease in scores in Northern Italy. Migrants, after coming in from the South of the country, then continue to go into the Northern part of the country. This could also explain a huge part of the differences, seeing as they may be counted as Italian citizens, yet aren’t native to the country.
The above table shows mean PISA scores for 2006 and 2009, showing a huge increase in scores from Southern Italy, and hardly any increase in Northern Italy. Any genetic changes in 3 years to show that big of an increase?
Source: Problems in deriving Italian regional differences in intelligence from 2009 PISA data
Two, the second hypothesis of this study is that the north–south gradient of IQs in Italy may explain much of the difference in economic development between the north and south of Italy
Wrong again. Southern Italy has a huge underground economy, that isn’t noted on the books. The GDP in Southern Italy is far from accurate and employment figures do not match reality.
These raw figures require a closer look, because one economist’s analysis of Calabria found low pay, high unemployment, and a very high level of consumer spending. In 1994, the government insurance agency placed the number of business enterprises in Calabria at 23,758, while Istat, carrying out the 1996 census, found about 90,000 businesses in the same region.The economist Domenico Marino concluded, on the basis of 4,000 interviews in Calabria, that 75 percent of the Calabrian work force would refuse a fairly low-paying job, despite a very high official level of unemployment. In Calabria, with its dire employment figures, 84 percent of the families own their own home. What such anomalies must mean is that real income in Calabria is far higher than what is “on the books.” Many among the vast numbers of officially unemployed are, in fact, partly or fully employed. They are earning no social benefits, but they are earning the daily lire that keep their families afloat.
This massive sector skews all the statistics. It means that the GDP for the Italian South (and for Italy as a whole) is far from accurate. And the unemployment figures do not reflect reality.
LOOKING TO 2007: ITALY TIMES TWO
Three, the third hypothesis we set out to examine is that regional IQ differences in Italy are also manifest in variables that can be regarded as correlates or effects of IQs, including stature, infant mortality, literacy, and years of education
When historical data on those variables are used, a different picture emerges. Correlations are insignificant and in the case of infant mortality, do not the supposed link of regional differences in intelligence and socioeconomic development.
Four, per capita incomes are also highly negatively correlated with rates of infant mortality in 1954–57 (r= −0.652), and 1999–2002 (r=−0.823).
When the years 1911, 1891 and 1871 are averaged in, there is no difference.
Lynn didn’t consider the data from the 1860s to average it in with the rest of his data.
Five, the ability of populations with high IQs to give their children better nutrition makes them healthier, more resistant to disease and reduces the risk of mortality, and also improves their children’s stature
Right. But there is no mortality difference, as seen above.
There is a 1.7-inch difference between Northern and Southern Italian height. Which is explained by differences in nutrition between the regions, with the South having a more grain-based diet. Those effects are explained by a grain-based diet, and those Italians from America (which a huge majority are from the South of the country), actually show better educational attainment as well as more monetary success than their Northern counterparts.
Six, regional IQs in 2006 are highly correlated with the years of education of adults in 1951 (r=0.929), 1971 (r=0.871) and 2001 (r=0.886)
At the regional level, average IQs and current per capita GDP are highly related: for the year 2012, the correlation is 0.86. The link between IQ and regional development is, instead, much weaker when data for the years 1871, 1891 and 1911 are considered. Regional IQs and infant mortality rates in 1863–66 are positively correlated, contrarily to that which would be expected based on Lynn’s assumptions;
Two Italies? Genes, intelligence and the Italian North–South economic divide
This is explained simply. When Italy became unified in 1861, there were literacy differences in the country. 87 percent of the Southern population was illiterate in comparison to 67 percent of the Northern population.
The likely explanation for this high correlation is that the percentages of the population that were literate in 1880 was a function of IQs and therefore that the regional differences in IQs were present in 1880 and have been stable over the period 1880 to 2006.
Literacy and average years of schooling are better predictors of income levels than regional IQs.
The above table shows this.
Eight, it is an interesting question whether the differences in Italian regional IQs were present in earlier historical periods. Some useful data bearing on this question have been assembled by Murray (2003, pp. 303–5) who has compiled the numbers of “significant figures” (i.e. those who have made significant contributions to science, literature, music and art) and their places of birth for the whole of Europe from the year 1400 to 1950. His figures for the north, center and south of Italy are shown in Table 3.
Pretty damning right? Wrong.
More than half of the country is put into the ‘North’ section of what he is talking about, and how he did the dividing, it looks like this.
Murray also said that achievement happened in a few places in Italy, with Southern Italy being one of the many areas in Europe with ‘low achievement’, which includes a big part of Northern Italy as well. The achievements in Italy were mainly found in Tuscany, which the literacy rate wasn’t too high in 1880. Again, refuting Lynn on his thesis.
Nine, Putnam (1993, p. 159) and Tabellini (2007) have proposed that “civic trust” is a determinant of regional differences in economic development in Italy and in western Europe.
There are hardly any regional differences in economic development, as seen above.
A possible explanation for the northern regions having had higher IQs than the southern regions at least from 1880 and possibly from 1400 to 1600 is that the populations of the north and south are genetically different and these genetic differences are related to differences in intelligence.
Not at all. I touched on this in my Refuting Afrocentrism: Are Italians Black? article.
They write of the population genetics of Italy that “northern Italy shows similarities with countries of central Europe, whereas central and southern Italy are more similar to Greece and other Mediterranean countries.
See above. They are genetically the same:
Comparison with Germany and Italy, Germans are spread out farther on the graph than are Italians, are there huge genetic differences with Germans as well?
They write of the population genetics of Italy that “northern Italy shows similarities with countries of central Europe, whereas central and southern Italy are more similar to Greece and other Mediterranean countries. This corresponds to the well-known differences in physical type (especially pigmentation and size) between the northern and north-central Italians on the one side and southern Italians on the other”.
Pigmentation is explained by getting the same UV rays as Northern Africa:
Size differences explained by slight differences in nutrition.
Subsequent studies have confirmed the genetic impact of immigration from the Near East and North Africa into southern Italy. For instance, the Taql, p1 2f2-8-kb allele has a high frequency in the Near East and North Africa (Morocco, 81.8; Lebanon, 43.7; Tunisia, 34.1). The allele is also present but at a lower frequency (26.4) in southern Italy, including Sicily.
Using a single, or small number of loci will lead to you finding the same loci in different populations? Who knew!!
The diffusion of genes from the Near East and North Africa may explain why the populations of southern Italy have IQs in the range of 89–92, intermediate between those of northern Italy and central and northern Europe (about 100) and those of the Near East and North Africa (in the range of 80–84) (these IQs are given in Lynn, 2006). This also explains the north–south gradient of IQ in Italy in which the regional IQs do not show a clear dichotomy between north and south but rather a gradient in which IQs decline steadily with more southerly latitude.
Nope. I’ve covered this in my ‘Black Italians’ article:
Combined data from two large mtDNA studies provides an estimate of non-Caucasoid maternal ancestry in Italians. The first study sampled 411 Italians from all over the country and found five South Asian M and East Asian D sequences (1.2%) and eight sub-Saharan African L sequences (1.9%). The second study sampled 465 Sicilians and detected ten M sequences (2.2%) and three L sequences (0.65%).This makes a total of 3% non-white maternal admixture (1.3% Asian and 1.7% African), which is very low and typical for European populations, since Pliss et al. 2005, e.g., observed 1.8% Asian admixture in Poles and 1.2% African admixture in Germans. (Plaza et al. 2003; Romano et al. 2003)
Similar data from the Y-chromosome reveals Italians’ even lower non-Caucasoid paternal admixture. Both studies obtained samples from all over the mainland and islands. No Asian DNA was detected anywhere, but a single sub-Saharan African E(xE3b) sequence was found in the first study’s sample of 416 (0.2%), and six were observed in the second study’s sample of 746 (0.8%). The total is therefore a minuscule 0.6%, which decreases to 0.4% if only Southern Italians are considered and 0% if only Sicilians are considered.Again, these are normal levels of admixture for European populations (e.g. Austrians were found to have 0.8% E(xE3b) by Brion et al. 2004). (Semino et al. 2004; Cruciani et al. 2004)
An analysis of 10 autosomal allele frequencies in Southern Europeans (including Italians, Sicilians and Sardinians) and various Middle Eastern/North African populations revealed a “line of sharp genetic change [that] runs from Gibraltar to Lebanon,” which has divided the Mediterranean into distinct northern and southern clusters since at least the Neolithic period. The authors conclude that “gene flow [across the sea] was more the exception than the rule,” attributing this result to “a joint product of initial geographic isolation and successive cultural divergence, leading to the origin of cultural barriers to population admixture.” (Simoni et al. 1999)
One of the most important citations is the Simoni et al. 1999 cite. Which says that gene flow across the sea was more the exception than the rule. Those 3 studies above refute any ‘racial differences’ between Northern and Southern Italians.
There are problems deriving Italian IQ from PISA test scores. You cannot take PISA data and infer a group’s IQ from it!! Moreover, on purer measures of intelligence, such as Raven’s Progressive Matrices, there is no significant difference between North and South children. These are differences in achievement, not intelligence. None of the studies cited by Lynn were aimed at comparing Italian IQ across regions and none of them used the same age groups!! This is why his data on Italian IQ is wrong.
To conclude, we don’t know the true IQs of all of the regions of Italy. Lynn used faulty measures to make his theory (which doesn’t need fluff) of north/south disparities in IQ more palatable. He’s been refuted multiple times on this matter. I may do another in the future.
Italianthro source: Refuting Richard Lynn’s IQ Study
Italianthro source: Italian vs German Clustering
Italianthro source: Italians
Italianthro source: Sicilians
Tags: correlation, Culture, ethnicity, Europe, IQ, Muslims, Refutation, white
By RaceRealist in Clannishness, Culture, IQ, Italians, Nutrition, Refutations on January 31, 2016 .
← Southern Italians and Ashkenazi Jews: What Is the Connection? How Did Man Evolve to Eat? →
With the recent death of Antonin Scalia it has got me thinking again why Italian-Americans have incomes that are higher than the average for white Americans when something like 85% of Italian-Americans originally come from Sicily and other parts of southern Italy. If what a lot of HBD bloggers write about that region’s IQ are to be believed then Italian-Americans should really be no different than the Mexicans, yet they have higher than average incomes and are prominent in many professions.
Exactly. The educational attainment of Southern Italians in America is better than that of the North, iirc. As I noted, they have a diet high in grains. I’m 75 percent Calabrese. I know that Calabrese people eat alot of grains. But with better nutrition in America, the average height is slightly taller than in Southern Italy.
A big majority of Italian immigrants are from the South of the country, left due to poverty. A few generations later and Italian Americans are one of the biggest ethnic groups in America, as well as having high monetary attainment.
(I know, anecdote) my family family in America has great jobs. All law enforcement or lawyers. There are around 33 million people in Europe at risk or having malnutrition. When those individuals come to America, they get an IQ boost due to better nutrition, which shows in educational attainment, monetary success and intelligence.
Lynn’s explanation about the low IQ of Southern Italy being due to North African and sub Saharan African ancestry is unfounded as the amount of non-European ancestry is actually below average for that of Europe (.8 percent of Austrian DNA is negroid, 1.2 percent of German DNA is negroid, 1.8 percent of Polish DNA is Asian), did the small amount of admixture have deleterious effects on their IQs? No way.
So we can see from some observation on other average IQs as well as admixture, that the small amount of non-European admixture doesn’t mean anything in regards to what Lynn was saying about the reason for low IQ.
Rex says:
Italian-Americans are on the mid-lower end in terms of annual income when compared to other European-American groups. Even then, how much of it can be attributed to the restaurant, deli and food business where other white ethnic groups have virtually little to no representation whatsoever? For every Scalia, you have a slew of whack jobs like Nancy Pelosi, Mario Cuomo, Bill De Blasio, etc. The fact that we haven’t had a president with a shred of ancestry from the Italian peninsula says a lot.
The truth is that Southern Italy is a lot like India. In the past, most Neapolitans and Sicilians who emigrated abroad were the more intelligent and ambitious type. They had the desire to go and adopt a new way of life (not the agricultural ways they once knew) and make money in hopes of returning one day. The same is true for many Indians, who seem to become spelling bee champions, doctors and lawyers overnight in America. Meanwhile in India, there is mind blowing corruption, low IQ, poverty and incompetence. The same is true for south of Rome, which today has the highest rate of child poverty in Europe, is at risk of being deserted by people and industry, is rampant with crime and corruption and low entrepreneurial spirit. On top of it all, it’s a ghost town for tourism.
You say individuals like Pauly D and others don’t represent true southerners, but as someone who lives in New Jersey, I can confidently say this guido/mafia culture is just as common in the Italian-American community as gangsta rap is in the African-American community. Those shows and characters are the direct manifestation of it.
It’s well known that the people south of Rome are largely of southern Balkan (Albanian, Greek) and Levantine origin, so it only makes sense that their IQ’s are similar (low 90’s). Germans may place wider apart from one another, but they are still both of a certain stock known for higher IQ, unlike eastern Meds.
What should be focused on and brought to the attention is the continual suffering of those in the south and the truth about how they became part of Italy (colonization, genocide and ethnic cleansing) http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/9511-cultural-recuperation-and-the-case-of-southern-italy
Start video @ 12:15 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h7BkvzcuQpo
Italian-Americans are on the mid-lower end in terms of annual income when compared to other European-American groups.
Median Income: $61,300/year (in 1999)
[National Median Income: $50,000/year]
https://www.osia.org/documents/IA_Profile.pdf
For every Scalia, you have a slew of whack jobs like Nancy Pelosi, Mario Cuomo, Bill De Blasio, etc. The fact that we haven’t had a president with a shred of ancestry from the Italian peninsula says a lot.
Politicians aren’t a representative sample of the population.
What does a President not having any ancestry to Italy have to do with anything?
The truth is that Southern Italy is a lot like India. In the past, most Neapolitans and Sicilians who emigrated abroad were the more intelligent and ambitious type. They had the desire to go and adopt a new way of life (not the agricultural ways they once knew) and make money in hopes of returning one day.
Southern Italy is like that due to bad nutrition. When they come to America, they then have better nutrition. Get an IQ boost and height boost, and a new way of life they didn’t have in Southern Italy.
The same is true for south of Rome, which today has the highest rate of child poverty in Europe, is at risk of being deserted by people and industry, is rampant with crime and corruption and low entrepreneurial spirit. On top of it all, it’s a ghost town for tourism.
Low entrepreneurial spirit?
http://web.archive.org/web/20041025083527/http://www.csis.org/europe/pubs/Italy2007.pdf
Romania, Hungary, and Latvia all have higher rates of child poverty than Italy.
https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc10_eng.pdf
There is plenty of tourism to Southern Italy.
I live in New Jersey as well. All of the Italians I know are respectable. They all have good kids who go to good universities and end up getting great jobs. My family is full of government workers. My family is from Calabria and Naples. Just because a few clowns got put on a show and they called it the Jersey Shore, doesn’t mean that that is a good representation of New Jersey Italians or even New Jersey as a whole.
Show me Italians committing crime on the same level as blacks.
That doesn’t mean there are any racial differences. There are hardly any phenotypic differences between the North and South. Any differences are due to UV rays which affect skin color slightly as well as physical appearance. Germans place wider apart on a PCA as I have noted; are they two different races and have two differing IQ distributions? No.
The Levantine comes from when the Jews migrated from the Levant to Rome thousands of years ago and mated with beautiful Roman women.
https://notpoliticallycorrect.me/2016/01/29/southern-italians-and-ashkenazi-jews-what-is-the-connection/
Lynn cherry-picked data to fit his idea. He’s been refuted on Southern Italian IQ. I may make another post like this soon, actually.
As I said there is hardly any phenotypic difference between North and South Italians.
Any slight physical differences are due to climate.
What should be focused on and brought to the attention is the continual suffering of those in the south and the truth about how they became part of Italy (colonization, genocide and ethnic cleansing)
What ‘ethnic cleansing’. They’re the same people. Genetic distances are minute between the North and South. I’ve shown with the composites that there are hardly any noticeable physical differences between the two. It’s all embellishment based on political factors.
I agree this needs to be put out, and that’s part of the reason why there is a political climate like that in Italy. But there are **no** physical or genomic differences between the two.
Good video. I did bring up how the eleven Italians got lynched in New Orleans here:
https://notpoliticallycorrect.me/2016/01/10/refuting-afrocentrism-part-2-are-italians-black/
They didn’t get lynched due to ‘being black’ as some people claim. It was because they killed a police officer, and as seen in the video, they didn’t do it.
All in all, these are political differences, not genetic differences. Richard Lynn has been refuted. Southern Italians show higher monetary attainment in America than the average. The cause for this is better nutrition than that of what is gotten in Southern Italy.
A more recent and reliable source (not the Son’s of Italy estimates you provided) estimates Italian-Americans @ $53,000 dollars when compared to other various other European-American ethnic groups provided: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-EMpadQx4hM/S00PAivXUEI/AAAAAAAAAAk/bangxl04qZk/s1600-h/3.png
Good discussion, information and sources on Italian people: “There is no such thing as a genetic Italy or an Italian (genetically); Italian groups (North Italians / Central Italians / South Italians / Sicilians / Sardinians) are diverse and do not cluster with each other (DiGaetano et al 2012 / Nelis et al 2009) in PCA-plots; In fact Italians are just as little related with each other (IBD sharing) as they are to other nations (Ralph & Coop 2013);
So the real ‘lesson’ is that Italians, despite being politically ONE nation, are in fact however genetically diverse i.e. not one people; And Sardinians are an isolated old-stock, in fact the last Neolithic remnants in Europe: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/13645/are-italians-genetically-separated-from-other-europeans
“Italy is only a geographical expression” http://www.eupedia.com/genetics/italian_dna.shtml
Southern Italian ethno-cultural journal “Il Regno” discusses the “Celebration of Genocide” of Italian-Americans: http://ilregno2s.blogspot.com/2011/03/celebration-of-genocide.html?m=1
The following article sites a book recently written on the issue of the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the people south of Rome: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/9511-cultural-recuperation-and-the-case-of-southern-italy
Book review: https://naplespolitics.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/book-review-“terroni-all-that-was-done-to-ensure-that-the-italians-of-the-south-would-become-meridionali-southerners”-by-pino-aprile/
Italian-American blogger discusses how southerners identity with the history and culture of their ancestors conquerors (Rome and those north of Rome):
http://italianamericantoday.tumblr.com/post/11279690808/a-real-italian-american-hero
“Why no one wants to travel to Naples” article sites the fact that only 13% of tourists that visit Italy travel south of Rome” (most are southerners visiting the region and family from abroad): http://www.businessinsider.com/why-no-one-wants-to-travel-to-naples-2015-7
The south of Italy is “a land at risk of industrial and human desertification, where emigration continues,” said the report by Svimez, the association for industrial development in southern Italy: http://www.thelocal.it/20140731/southern-italy-at-risk-of-desertification
“Italy Has Europe’s Highest Percentage of Children in Poverty, Says UNICEF” http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/04/italy-has-europe-s-highest-percentage-of-children-in-poverty-says-unicef.html
Here is an accurate representation of Northern Italians VS Southern Italians. You do not need genetic tests to see that they are clearly of different origins.
Northern: 1. Stefano Gabbana (founder of Dolce & Gabbana), 2. Giorgio Armani (founder of Giorgio Armani), 3. Garibaldi, 4. Fabio Lanzoni (famous Italian model), 5. Venetian YouTubers
Famous and prominent Southern Italians: 1. Turturro brothers (Hollywood stars), 2. Gorga family – southern surname (Real Housewives of NJ), 3. Antonio Carluccio (famous southern Italian chef), 4. Ariana Grande (famous singer).
Northern: 1. Gildo Zegna: CEO of famous Ermelegildo Zegna fashion empire. 2. Claudio Marchisio: current famous football player from Piedmont. 3. Letizia Moratti: former mayor of Milan and businesswoman. 4. Marco Paolini: actor, director, author from Veneto.
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/488727326-gildo-zegna-ceo-of-the-zegna-group-poses-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=X7WJLa88Cweo9HktRLaNXpKHFPdJ%2F%2BwpmbQIk5ORLyDFyz1587%2FuePeD5Mmf9lbU%2BMffdCKeVKWjhLnoLAP4Qhm%2B4VudTw4CQ09qlSGQh30%3D
http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/335/254/cb6f01e4722d0fed4ff3d69180b94147_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75
Southern “Italian” people: 1. Gennaro Gattuso: legendary football player from Calabria. 2. Elisabetta Gregoraci: famous fashion model from Calabria. 3. Sophia Loren: Iconic actress. 4. Marco Materazzi: famous football player assaulted by Zinedine Zidane via headbutt during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. 5. Pauly D Delvecchio: MTV’s Jersey Shore star.
Here’s another interesting photo. Enzo Ferrari (the founder of Ferrari) was from central Italy, a territory of the Etruscans who were from Anatolia (modern day Turkey). Mesut Ozil, a German national football player, is of Turkish descent.
“Yet the Etruscans, whose descendants today live in central Italy, have long been among the great enigmas of antiquity. Their language, which has never properly been deciphered, was unlike any other in classical Italy. Their origins have been hotly debated by scholars for centuries.
Genetic research made public at the weekend appears to put the matter beyond doubt, however. It shows the Etruscans came from the area which is now Turkey – and that the nearest genetic relatives of many of today’s Tuscans and Umbrians are to be found, not in Italy, but around Izmir.
The European Human Genetic Conference in Nice was told on Saturday the results of a study carried out in three parts of Tuscany: the Casentino valley, and two towns, Volterra and Murlo, where important finds have been made of Etruscan remains. In each area, researchers took DNA samples from men with surnames unique to the district and whose families had lived there for at least three generations.
They then compared their Y chromosomes, which are passed from father to son, with those of other groups in Italy, the Balkans, modern-day Turkey and the Greek island of Lemnos, which linguistic evidence suggests could have links to the Etruscans.
“The DNA samples from Murlo and Volterra are much more highly correlated to those of the eastern peoples than to those of the other inhabitants of [Italy],” said Alberto Piazza of the University of Turin, who presented the research. “One particular genetic variant, found in the samples from Murlo, was shared only with people from Turkey.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/18/italy.johnhooper
Their IQ’s have increased as they’ve mixed with other European ethnic groups in America for well over a century now. Robert De Niro is the typical “Italian-American” today. He is mostly of Irish, English, French, German and Dutch ancestry. Leonardo Dicaprio? Half German at least. Marlon Brando? German and Irish with no ancestry from any part of Italy. Ray Liotta? Scottish, adopted by Italian-Americans. Southerners who have not mixed can easily be found on television shows like Jersey Shore (Pauly D, The Situation, Sammi Sweetheart), Real Housewives of New Jersey (Gorga family), Mob Wives, Jerseylicious, Carfellas, etc.
Their IQ’s have increased as they’ve mixed with other European ethnic groups in America for well over a century now.
Italians are pretty ethnocentric and stick to their own for the most part. That’s how I is for my family and the other Italians I know atleast. I know intermarriage rates are pretty high, around 90 percent currently.
Southerners who have not mixed can easily be found on television shows like Jersey Shore (Pauly D, The Situation, Sammi Sweetheart), Real Housewives of New Jersey (Gorga family), Mob Wives, Jerseylicious, Carfellas, etc.
They are not a representative of the average Southern Italian. I have a huge family. I’m talking over 60 people at our reunions. My whole family is successful, good government jobs, corrections jobs as well as having college degrees. My family is from Naples and Calabria. I know many successful Southern Italians. These shows where they grab the biggest idiots they can are not a representative of Southern Italians.
Also, Lynn is clearly being dishonest about Southern Italian IQ as well as non-white admixture. It’s incredibly minute, with more non-white admixture being in Poles, Germans and Austrians. That didn’t “effect their IQs”, so why is it any different between North and South Italians?
Also, there is greater generic distance between North and South German than between North and South Italians. With that logic North and South Germans are of a different race and should have a ten IQ point difference as well, right?
The studies I cite disprove Lynn’s thesis on Southern Italian IQ. PISA isn’t even good for gauging IQ. As I’ve shown, PISA scores for Southern Italians and Islands have increased in the past 3 years the last time a sample was taken. Is that any genetic change in thay short a time period? No.
The disparity can also be partly explained due to immigrants entering from Southern Italy (as that’s where a lot of the North African immigrants come from), who then trek North after entering through the South. They’re then counted as “Italian” when they aren’t ethnically Italian. This skews the stats as well.
ron burgundy says:
italian americans live in high income areas, like new jersey. not as many in places like west virginia. they are the largest nationality in the nyc area, but they don’t do better than the jews or the irish. do they? compare apples and apples.
scalia was from nyc. italian americans are still very concentrated in the nyc phili area. a lot in upstate new york too.
compare the above to irish americans.
if it’s not IQ then it’s clannishness and low trust that explains s italy’s poverty. italian americans are by far the most conspicuous white ethnics and by far the most chauvinistic and clannish. that is, if jews don’t count as white. the irish blend in. the germans and scandinavians are indistinguishable. etc. the italians stick out.
Rex, you t@rd, first of all Enzo Ferrari was from Emilia Romagna, so hardly a Central Italian. Second, you as a perfect retard seems to have lost many new studies on Etruscans’ dna who place them perfectly between Tuscany and Spain, and not Turkye. Casentino and Murlo are very isolated places and those similar result to Smirne can be a neolithic thing only. Infact new studies also say that wichever similarity there is between Tuscany and Turkye can be dated to 5000 years ago too. Let alone the fact that those similarities can be found throughout Europe. Third, Tuscany, in Livi’s study on recruits, showed a greater number of fair eyed and haired people than Emilia and Liguria, not to mention that Tuscans were the tallest Italians togheter Friulans. Forth, many of the IQ people Lynn attributes to North Italy are not North Italians but Tuscans infact.
Ciro says:
Rex is a dumb troll who ignores evidence and cherry-picks to make his points.
When you take random people from north and south Italy, they look mostly the same.
http://italianthro.altervista.org/amici.html
http://italianthro.altervista.org/grande-fratello.html
Exactly. The facial composites I linked show that they’re the same. Physical differences come down to UV rays. Southern Europe gets a similar amount of UV rays as North Africa and the Middle East. That accounts for slight skin color difference as well as physical differences.
Sure those from the North are more Germanic. However, genetic distance on a PCA graph shows how similar they really are. There is a bigger distance between North and South Germans, are they “of a different race”? No. Temperature differences cover those differences and any and all differences between the North and South are political, not genetic in nature.
I’d like to see those darker skinned ones get a DNA test, because I can almost guarantee that they don’t have Italian/Greek ancestry and are probably North African/Middle Eastern.
There are blonde people in the South too. My grandfather is a good example. My grandmother is from Calabria, black hair and brown eyes. There is a lot of diversity between Italian people, but the genetic distance isn’t big enough to call them a different ethnicity. PCA graphs prove that.
You simply do not like the reality. I’m not the one who manufactured facial composites like RaceRealist did – I saw the time stamp. I’m not the one who selected data that makes “Italian-Americans” appear to be above average in income like the Sons of Italy statistics that were provided by RaceRealist. You ignore, or are ignorant of the fact that around half the population in the north today is of southern origin due to southerners migrating north in the 60’s and 70’s by the millions (that continues to this day) in search for a better life.
Name calling too, huh? Half my family is from Veneto. I know far more about the society than you all do. Even if Italians were all one people, their histories, cultures and contributions are vastly different.
Myth 2. Columbus was Italian.
The National Italian American Foundation calls the Columbus Day parade in New York “the most visible and accessible manifestation of our Italian American Pride,” and Italian Americans have led efforts to oppose changes to the holiday’s focus nationwide.
But when Columbus lived, there was no such thing as an Italian; Italy did not exist until 1861. The best evidence suggests that the explorer was born in a village near Genoa, which is part of Italy today. To his deathbed, he proudly claimed Genoa as home. In Columbus’s lifetime, Genoa was a fiercely independent republic with its own language, currency and overseas colonies. Its commercial ties to Castile and Aragon, in modern-day Spain, were intimate. Genoese trading colonies in Seville, Barcelona and Lisbon were sizable. Some Genoese who married locally were naturalized Castilian, Catalan or Portuguese subjects. Those cozy relationships helped give rise to a crop of Columbus “birthers.” Catalan, Majorcan, Ibizan, Portuguese, Greek, Sephardic Jewish, Sardinian, Polish and even Scottish claims have been made by a mix of serious scholars and crackpot theorists. Most historians believe that Columbus was Genoese, but they hesitate to call him “Italian,” partly for the reasons stated above, and partly because Columbus left home early and moved around a lot.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-christopher-columbus/2015/10/08/3e80f358-6d23-11e5-b31c-d80d62b53e28_story.html#
I’m not the one who manufactured facial composites like RaceRealist did – I saw the time stamp.
Average Italian women:
Average Italian man:
The composites are available with a simple search. Here’s another, from Italianthro:
Northern and Southern Facial Composites
Are there other facial composites that show the differences you’re speaking of? I doubt it.
Fact of the matter is, you can cherry-pick all you want, that’s not a representative of the average population.
I’m not the one who selected data that makes “Italian-Americans” appear to be above average in income like the Sons of Italy statistics that were provided by RaceRealist.
Italian Americans by the Numbers – Income, Earnings & Poverty
You ignore, or are ignorant of the fact that around half the population in the north today is of southern origin due to southerners migrating north in the 60’s and 70’s by the millions (that continues to this day) in search for a better life.
I know that; the Mafia is a big part of it.
The Mafia is responsible for between a 16 and 20 percent drop in GDP.
All you need to do is look at a PCA graph to the two cluster together.
Here is another:
They cluster together. Of course there is going to be genetic variation, but that’s seen in all populations. There is no racial difference, there is no Arab/North African/Negro admixture, there is no IQ difference. And with this study, it shows without the Mafia, GDP differences will almost, if not, disappear between the two.
I’ve noticed you’ve had these conversations with others and don’t like the results and others have called you out on it. North, central and southern “Italians” are just as related to one another as other European populations are to each other. They are different: genetically, and even more so culturally and historically.
Those in my family from Veneto look like the photos of northern Italians I provided. Southerners in church would always ask, “You’re Italian? You don’t look Italian!” or “You’re just a wannabe Italian” or “You’re only 10% Italian” Even their cuisine was wildly different from the food I knew. They practiced Catholicism different, spoke differently, etc.
You keep providing statistics (all gathered by “Italian-Americans” ) that are very different from much more reliable government sources I’ve read. But I’m not surprised. Many “Italian-Americans” I’ve seen tend to be egomaniacs and have a superiority complex. The “Italian-American” wiki page reads like a boastful resume, boasting of history that isn’t their own.. It’s so obvious.
https://doc-0g-ag-docs.googleusercontent.com/docs/securesc/ha0ro937gcuc7l7deffksulhg5h7mbp1/iuotmhgkhatqibfg446ofj2po2bfj11g/1464184800000/10718852151634554628/*/0B9o3EYTdM8lQV1VNT2dzSUl0RDQ?e=download
I’ve noticed you’ve had these conversations with others and don’t like the results and others have called you out on it.
They are different: genetically, and even more so culturally and historically.
See The PCA graph I linked in my last comment.
Was the analysis link in my previous comment incorrect?
You go to Wikipedia for serious information? There’s your problem.
Care to explain what you’re talking about in regards to that?
See The PCA graph, there is hardly any genetic distance and the distance that is there is normal between all populations in the world.
See the map of UV rays I linked. The reason for physical differences is designed to that, that’s why there are slight physical differences, they are not racial differences.
Unless they are, do you have a citation saying they both are racially different?
Southern Italians have an ancient Greek component, while Northern Italians have an ancient Celtic component. That’s the only difference.
And this all goes back to the reason for this post: there is no North/South IQ difference, there are substantial no Arab or Negro genes in Southern Italians. Genetic tests show this. The PCA graph proves my point.
xThe history books you have studied started with the history of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Italy : the base of the western culture in terms of language, society, politics, science, phylosophy and religion. When in Italy and Greece people were writing, in northern Europe, people were living by robbery and grazing cows. Have you ever heard about of Archimedes, Pythagoras … I will not talk Ettore MaJorana, Verga or Pirandello. We can speak maybe about China, that country that is imitating all that you could consider “Italian” or we could talk about the fact that a huge amount of capitals in the world have Romans columns as architecture gold-standard. If the Romans had not civilized the north europe, all blond guys with blue eyes, today, would have to sell the cow leathers on the street; maybe better, I’m ironic. From the Latin “et credunt fingunt Germans”, and even “The Germans did not know the writing and did not have an alphabet before their contact with the Romans, who took all the elements of civilization. The word” vandal “derives from” Vandals ” (term used for the Germanic peoples of Wandili), looters and destroyers barbarians. From Latin : “Latrocinia nullam infamiam habent quae extra fines cuiusque civitatis fiunt, atque and ac Iuventutis exercendae desidiae minuendae due proud praedicant” Translation: The larceny does not involve dishonor, if committed outside the territories of each people, in fact, the Germans advise the young people to exercise and decrease the inertia (from Customs and Traditions of the Germans).
A mediterranean climate has allowed the birth of civilization that have been the beginning of modern history, the flywheel of evolution. A better climate increases the complexity of societies and generates classes of individuals who have fitness not only for physical strength and resistance to a selective climate (as in the north or too far south). In old Greece a man could have voting rights and a salary : the artist, as a politician, as the philosopher or the goldsmith. In Italy there were figures like the actor, satirist, writer, sculptor…. a “no limit complex society”. A complex society derived from a perfect climate selects not only for functional bodies, but also for brain abilities.
The Mediterranean populations genes were selected on the basis of sexual selection (Geoffrey Miller, the last of Darwin’s theory), and they produced art, science, politics, agriculture and health related technologies (Luca Cavalli Sforza). In the north, there were so many beasts: only barbarians. What is the problem? That it’s the truth.
Exactly right. All though cold temperatures allowed the intelligence we have today, those same cold temperatures aren’t conducive to a well-run society.
What Nordicists don’t realize is that civilization went from South to North in Europe, not North to South. You are correct that the Germanic tribes were barbarian looters, which, if I recall correctly, is one reason Rome fell.
Thanks for the quotes, they really put things into perspective. I guess that’s where the Afrocentrists thought up the “cave living” of Europeans, when that was really only the North. The South was much more cultured.
Care to go more in depth on sexual selection in Rome?
HaHa. Hilarious. I marvel at the lengths to which you guys will go to keep justifying your false ideology to yourselves. So, according to you, cold temperatures allowed for greater intelligence. But those with that “greater intelligence” were marauding barbarians for the better part of human history while those in the warmer latitudes had scintillating civilizations. Yet you insist that those in the colder temperatures were smarter. You can’t make this shit up. .
What proof do you have that cold temperatures enhanced intelligence? Please provide real scientific proof as distinct from pseudoscience or a bunch of incoherent nonsense from a racist blogger. And how to you explain people from around the equator that are much smarter than you? How did they acquire their intelligence if warm weather is incondusive to intelligence?
frances van siclen says:
I love Italy- north south east west – it is all great and beautiful in my book !
Stefano Spagocci says:
You write a lot of lies. It is now firmly established (and even mainstream Italian media admit to it) that Italy is the more genetically diverse “country” in Europe. There is nothing like “Italy” from the genetic point of view (not even from other points of view, but that’s another matter). There are a few (relative) genetic islands in Europe and two of these, unexpectedly, are Tuscany and “northern Italy”. In particular, “northern Italy” only reconnects to Europe when one considers contributions originated before 400 b.C. When Celtic tribes migrated in the Po Valley. To this, one may add that there is a sharp discontinuity between central-northern Italy and southern Italy, which dates back to Neolithic times. Finally (but I could go on) what you write about the Etruscans is incorrect, as well. Surely, the Etuscan contribution relates Tuscany to part of what is now Turkey. But it has been firmly established that this is a Neolithic contribution. Which is present everywhere in Europe, even in Sweden. The somatic differences between northern and southern Italy are a fact, and I’m talking about averages (as for IQs). And, even if Italy were an ethnic group (which is not at all), the differences in mentality are evident.
You write a lot of lies.
In regards to southern Italian IQ, Lynn is the liar.
Italy is the more genetically diverse “country” in Europe.
There is nothing like “Italy” from the genetic point of view (not even from other points of view, but that’s another matter).
Why is there greater genetic differences between North and South Germans in comparison to North and South Italians? This has been noticed in Sweden as well.
There are a few (relative) genetic islands in Europe and two of these, unexpectedly, are Tuscany and “northern Italy”.
Don’t forget about Sardinia.
When Celtic tribes migrated in the Po Valley. To this, one may add that there is a sharp discontinuity between central-northern Italy and southern Italy, which dates back to Neolithic times.
Northern Italians have an ancient Celtic ancestry while southern Italians have an ancient Greek ancestry. The only genetic differences between the two.
The somatic differences between northern and southern Italy are a fact, and I’m talking about averages (as for IQs). And, even if Italy were an ethnic group (which is not at all), the differences in mentality are evident.
Somatic differences are due to differences in nutrition. In America, Southern Italians reach 6 feet. Southern Italians also have great wealth attainment. Almost as if shitty nutrition depresses IQ and body growth…
There are no differences in IQ between North and South Italians.
Reread the article.
If you reread my post, you will find the answers. Italy is the state (not country, it is not) in which the genetic distance between the various parts are (far) larger. What Germans are or are not is of no concern here (btw, I suspect they are an ethnic group while Italy is not at all). Sardinia is another thing, so what? They are Sardinians, not Italians, the same way as I am a Lombard. The IQ differences are there to see and the increase in performance in PISA tests has a simple explanation (which is given by the Italian Ministry of Education and I won’t insist on it because we would end up arguing on non-genetic matters). More on somatic differences later.
Italy is the state (not country, it is not) in which the genetic distance between the various parts are (far) larger.
So you’re saying genetic differences in different regions in Italy differ substantially. Source? If you read the end of my piece, you’d see that even when including southern Italians, Sicilians and Sardinians, non-European admixture is negligible.
What Germans are or are not is of no concern here (btw, I suspect they are an ethnic group while Italy is not at all).
It is of concern. It shows that two populations (North and South Germans) have greater genetic distance than North and South Italians.
Sardinia is another thing, so what? They are Sardinians, not Italians
They, along with Libyans and a few other North African countries are genetic remnants of Carthage.
The IQ differences are there to see and the increase in performance in PISA tests has a simple explanation (which is given by the Italian Ministry of Education and I won’t insist on it because we would end up arguing on non-genetic matters).
PISA is not good to infer a population’s intelligence.
On Raven’s Progressive Matrices, there is no difference.
As for somatic differences, study a bit of Greek 🙂 By somatic I mean the difference in look (which refers to averages, of course, like for the IQ). How can they be influenced by nutrition? if, on the other hand, we refer to height, eye colour, hair colour, then you are wrong again. What does eye or hair colour have to do with nutrition? At least on hundred-year time scales. They have to do with climate? Fine, we then agree on something! As for height, it is certainly partly influenced by nutrition. But are you Italian nationalists not always praising Italy for her supposed Mediterranean diet, which would make Italians healthier than the Barbaric northeners? Who follows the Mediterranean diet? Come on! On a more serious note, Cavalli Sforza (whom you surely know) clearly states that the antropometric differences between northern and southern “Italians” are correlates to the genetic differences between them. But more than genetic difference, I should say fracture. Anyway, it is also well known that when in 1861 Italy was (disgracefully) “united”, the economic differences between northern and southern Italy were much smaller than today’s. There were differences in mentality and social structures (I know where they come from!) but I can assure you that here were maybe more people starving in certain regions of the north than in the south. In any case, if we eat differently (which is true), that means (once again) that “we” are not a nation at all.
I know what soma means.
How can they be influenced by nutrition?
IQ, along with height, is 80 percent heritable, *with proper nutrition*. Without, the genetic ceiling for either of those two variables will not be reached.
What does eye or hair colour have to do with nutrition? At least on hundred-year time scales. They have to do with climate? Fine, we then agree on something!
This doesn’t have to do with the conversation, but those who are deficient in nutrients show in their hair and eyes. Whether the hair is thin or discolored to whether there is discoloration the eyes.
The proof is in the fact that when southern Italians come to America, height and intelligence increases. Why? First world societies. It’s no secret how northern Italy fucks the South.
Cavalli Sforza (whom you surely know) clearly states that the antropometric differences between northern and southern “Italians” are correlates to the genetic differences between them.
Like… Ancient Celtic ancestry for the North and ancient Greek ancestry for the South.
There were differences in mentality and social structures (I know where they come from!)
It’s not genetic.
but I can assure you that here were maybe more people starving in certain regions of the north than in the south
Regional differences in cuisine mean…. What exactly?
Again, there is no intelligence difference between North and South Italians.
Despite the minor differences between the studies, our results demonstrate quite clearly that raw scores [on Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices] of children from Sicily are not lower than those [of children from the North and Central-South] reported by Cornoldi et al. (2010). On the contrary, they are sometimes higher. This result could be related to the fact that the children in our group were tested in group sessions, while children in Italian standardization scores (Belacchi et al., 2008) were tested both in group and individual administration. Belacchi et al. (2008), indeed, found mean raw scores significantly higher in group sessions administration than in individual administration. Moreover, the children in our group were selected for other research purposes, and did not include children with socio-cultural disadvantage or other type of behavioral or cognitive problems. The more extensive sample reported by Cornoldi et al. (2010), on the contrary, was collected with the aim of building norms, and it likely includes a more diverse sample of children coming from different urban and suburban areas, and showing different socio-cultural levels.
PISA is a shitty metric to see a population’s IQ. Raven’s Progressive Matrices are much superior. Raven’s tests show there is no difference in intelligence.
And, to wrap up, since you cite prof. Piazza on Italy, then you should cite everything he writes. Prof. Piazza is totally in favour of Italian unity, since (rightly or wrongly) he thinks that genetics has nothing to do with statehood. Having said that, he explicitely declared that, from the genetic point of view, there is absolutely nothing to define Italianness. I woud say from other points of view, as well. In the popular science paper where he presented the results of his studies, he wrote that the genetic landscape of Italy is virtually frozen to pre-Roman times. And he explicitely writes that all this has to do with the big cultural differences within Italy and with its late “unification”. I know that all over Italy there were Indoeuropean people and Lynn know that, as well. Yet, the Indoeuropean contribution is not at all uniform in Italy (and less in the south). The fracture, anyway, is in the Neolithic component. Which is present everywhere, even in Scandinavia, but like it or not, binds southern Italy to the Middle East. What else is Lynn stating?
And, to wrap up, since you cite prof. Piazza on Italy, then you should cite everything he writes.
I cite Richard Lynn here more than once. Does that mean I should cite all of his work? I’m sure you know that, for instance, his IQ data for Equatorial Guinea is wrong. It’s actually the IQ of sick, retarded Spanish school children. So I should cite that since I cite Lynn here?
And he explicitely writes that all this has to do with the big cultural differences within Italy and with its late “unification”. I know that all over Italy there were Indoeuropean people and Lynn know that, as well.
Yes. But the Indo-Europeans were not blonde haired blue-eyed. They had dark hair and dark eyes.
The Indo-Europeans are the Yamnaya, from the Russian steppe. They share distant ancestry with Siberians. That’s another Nordicist fantasy that the Aryans (Indo-Europeans) were blonde haired and blue-eyed.
The fracture, anyway, is in the Neolithic component.
Why is wealth and educational attainment higher for southern Italians in America than in Italy? Seems to me that environment (nutrition) and other factors play a part.
but like it or not, binds southern Italy to the Middle East
Did you not see the studies cites at the end of the article? Stating that non-European admixture in Italians is lower than the average for Europe? MENA admixture is negligible.
What else is Lynn stating?
He wrongly states that the differences in Italian IQ are due to MENA admixture, which is negligible.
Of course, people everywhere have experimented an increase in height with modernity (as long as it brought more food) . So what? But, I repeat, economic conditions were not very different in northern vs southern Italy before “unification”. This cannot explain height differences. And if, on much larger time scales, differences in average height might be (partly) due to different food regimes, so what? This means that we had a Barbaric food regime and you didn’t. Very happy about this! To this I would add that your theory on eye colour is at best debatable. But who cares! On hundred-year time scales food cannot explain anything and, on longer scales, if it does this further proves that “Italy” means nothing!
Immediate differences in height are noticed when nutrition is lacking in populations.
My ‘theory’ on eye color is fact. When deficient in nutrition, people look physically worse than those who are not nutrient deficient. I don’t even know why this has to be said. But as I said, that has nothing to do with this conversation.
100 years definitely can explain a lot. Hell, just *growing up* with food deficient in the right nutrients stunts growth.
As for the Germans, the fact that Italy is the “country” where there is a larger difference among its different parts implies that what you state is not correct! Anyway, apart that it is not my businness what they are or are not, the Germans are the offspring of Germanic tribes, so they are an ethnic group. Surely enough, southern Germans are partly Celts and partly Germans but all of Germany has a certain ethnic unity. Italy has not, sorry for you! Having said that, who cares about genetics! It is cultural differences that matter, especially when one part of a country wants to impose an artificial identity to another part.
As for the Germans, the fact that Italy is the “country” where there is a larger difference among its different parts implies that what you state is not correct!
There are hardly any differences:
What’s so hard to understand?
My friend, Lynn is not Gospel (as they say in Italy) but what he states is basically correct. IQ, or PISA test results if you prefer, is (strongly) correlated to all the genetic, antropometric and also economic, historical and sociological maps of Italy (see the works of Putnam). And what differentiates central-northern from southern Italy is partly the Indoeuropean contribution (I’m sorry) but mostly the Neolithic one. I.e. in the south there is (much more than) an admixture with the Middle East. Are they not “Niggers”? Fine, no one says so. Anyway, it seems that if we go back 200 kyears we are all kind of “Niggers”. So what? More on IQ and PISA later 🙂 I might agree on the fact that the Aryans were purely Nordic but so what? Looking at the Tarim mummies, I would tend to believe that they were but basically who cares! 75% of the genetic pool in Britain is “Iberian”. So what? Dark hair and eyes are part of the European identity. But the looks or some or many Greeks, southern Italians, Middle Easteners is not completely European. And the culture, as well!
what he states is basically correct
No it’s not. I showed how it’s not in this article.
What ‘genetic’ differences? Without that, Lynn’s thesis falls apart. The differences are negligible and don’t account for the disparity.
And what differentiates central-northern from southern Italy is partly the Indoeuropean contribution (I’m sorry) but mostly the Neolithic one. I.e. in the south there is (much more than) an admixture with the Middle East.
You probably didn’t read this:
Hardly ANY MENA admixture. It’s NOT the cause and without any substantial admixture, Lynn’s theory falls apart.
I might agree on the fact that the Aryans were purely Nordic but so what?
I showed you three studies on the matter. If you want to deny, be my guest. But it doesn’t change that Indo-Europeans (Aryans) were dark haired and dark eyed.
Looking at the Tarim mummies, I would tend to believe that they were but basically who cares!
Another Nordicist fantasy!
The most dominant haplotype found in the Tarim mummies, haplotype C, is southern Siberian.
Your Nordicist fantasies don’t line up with reality, sorry to say.
But the looks or some or many Greeks, southern Italians, Middle Easteners is not completely European. And the culture, as well!
You mean people live in countries where they don’t have paternal or maternal admixture? Surprising!
Finally (for today), let us talk about the PISA tests. I tend to agree that they measure IQ, due to the way they are built. But let us say that they do not. Well, the Italian school system is not federal, quite the contrary! So the same things are taught from the Alps to 50 km from Lybia. And the teachers are mostly souterners even in the north. Same programs, teachers coming from the same places, same mass media, same national myth. Yet, even if PISA is not IQ, even if IQ does not measure intelligence, this strange PISA thing gives results that put northern Italy on the side of northern Europe and southern Italy in the good company of other “southern” people. This correlates with the genetic data, it is a fact. I could add that on Lombardy and Piedmont (which do slightly worse) Lynn is not informed. It is not that there is more “admisture”. There are far more southern immigrants! If this is not due to genetic factors (maybe, maybe not), then is it due to the fact that “southern” cultures do not stimulate intelligence? Well, one more reason to stay separated, sorry to say!
I tend to agree that they measure IQ, due to the way they are built.
They don’t.
In 2006, Finland scored had the highest PISA test scores in Europe, but only a 97 IQ. Romania’s score is near the bottom which would equate to IQ 85 but their national IQ is 94.
I showed you how PISA is not good to measure a population’s IQ. It’s not like the SAT and IQ correlation, it’s an achievement test.
Yet, even if PISA is not IQ, even if IQ does not measure intelligence, this strange PISA thing gives results that put northern Italy on the side of northern Europe and southern Italy in the good company of other “southern” people.
Scores are rising in the South and staying steady in the North. Why is that?
There are far more southern immigrants! If this is not due to genetic factors (maybe, maybe not), then is it due to the fact that “southern” cultures do not stimulate intelligence? Well, one more reason to stay separated, sorry to say!
There is a 20 percent difference in GDP between North and South Italy. As luck would have it, the Mafia is responsible for a drop between 16 and 20 percent of the Southern Italian GDP.
IQ differences don’t exist. Gaps in achievement tests are closing, Lynn’s main thesis for the reason for the score differences are that the South has higher MENA admixture; which is not true!
Just as it is self-evident that blacks tend to be less cognitively intelligent than white Europeans, the same happens between southern and northern Italians. So why insist on this point, RaceRealist *
You have South Italian origin *
What is also self-evident is that blacks and whites are genetically different. North and South Italians barely are different genetically.
With blacks and whites there is all of human history to show that blacks are less apt than whites when it comes to creating and maintaining civilization.
Looking at the history of Southern Europe and the types of civilizations that were based in the Mediterranean, we can see that there were great accomplishments by Mediterranean people.
The thesis of Southern Italian IQ being lower than the North rests on a supposed generic difference between the two groups which does not exist.
It’s just a Nordicist fantasy.
http://www.eupedia.com/genetics/italian_dna.shtml
Don’t seems to be a ”nordicist fantasy”
i’m trying to understand. You accept most part of Lynn works, less the part when he said that south italians are, on avg, less smart than north italians…
Don’t seems… ok the difference between ”whites” and ”blacks” are obviously higher than between ”south” and ”north italians” but still salient. In the end, this genetic differences are not the best argument that you can use to refute a bunch of anecdotal and not-so anecdotal evidences about this salient differences between italians, and namely the intellectual differences.
Brazil history: during the colonial period the northeast region was the richest of all brazilian regions. Today is the southeast region that is the richest of all while the northeast is the poorer.
You can conclude: ”northeastern brazilians ‘are’ poor today, but ‘they’ already was able to produce a rich society”
But the factual understanding of this situation is: during the colonial period were portugueses (and dutch) who produced a ‘rich’ society.
There are two types of civilization: the first type, based on a socio-demographic perspective, is basically created and maintained by an intelligent elite. The second, which I call complete ” civilization ”, that is not created and maintained only by an elite, but for all people.
The US is an example of ” complete civilization ”. An incomplete civilization, the first type, can produce all the characteristics of a ” civilization ”, and yet continue to show great social, technological and cultural disparities among its inhabitants, that is, combining features of societies ‘advanced’ ‘and’ primary ‘.
For example, we have the oil-rich micro-nations of the arabian peninsula.
A ” Italy ” was strongly influenced or affected by two empires: Habsburg and Austro-Hungarian. From the little I know of Italian history, there was economic prosperity period of the city-states like Genoa, Venice and some cities in the south of the peninsula as well.
But the idea that the Italian mafia is responsible for draining 16% of the wealth produced in the Mezzogiorno is very interesting, though, is not an evidence for his thesis.
Corruption also drain the Brazilian economy, but that does not mean that Brazilians are on average smarter, it’s not a evidence for that.
Why the modern Greeks have not produced the same scale as the ancient Greeks**
Listen, even in very poor areas in China, students still can score higher in school/cognitive exames than in [comparative] richer subregions like black neighborhoods in NY.
The modern Greeks are genetically the same as the ancient Greeks *
You know that the whole of Europe has undergone major genetic changes. Even if the people have remained in genetic terms, this still does not mean that cognitive transformations, dysgenic or eugenic nature, or may not have happened at a great period of time.
The genetic differences between the northeastern and southeastern Brazil are not that big, though still prominent as those between southern and northern Italians.
There are socio-economic factors that contribute to understanding this complex dynamic between culture, history and genes. For example, the natural resources. The Brazilian northeast is rich in a time when the colony was closely linked to Portugal, a closer region of Europe, the presence of ” Brazil wood ”.
When gold was discovered inside the southeast region, this region became the richest. Regions that are on the rise economically tend to attract more people ” smart ” and ambitious.
Industrialization in Italy happened fundamentally via the use of the rivers, which originate in the Alps to build hydroelectric plants.
Perhaps, as many believe, the asynchronous development between northern and southern Italy may have attracted and drained the smart fraction of the country’s south, a kind of brain drain.
Yea R1b isn’t prevalent in the South, J2 is. That is the paternal haplotype, if I recall correctly.
I don’t accept all things from Lynn. Like the supposed penis size differences, they’re wrong.
The PISA is not a good test to infer a population’s IQ, Raven’s Progressive Matrices shows no differences between the North and the South, with the South even beating out the North sometimes. The Raven’s test is the best test to use to see differences between groups.
Brazil has had much immigration from Europe, most notably Italy and Germany. It’s not a good comparison. Also, did the ethnic makeup of North Brazil stay the same in that period of time?
Nice observation.
The study was done over a 30-year period. Pinotti says:
Over a thirty-year period, the two regions experience a 16% drop in GDP per capita relative to the synthetic control, at the same time as the difference in murder rates increases from 0 to 3 additional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (twice as much the average murder rate in Italy during the post-war period). Based on the distribution of placebo estimates for all other Italian regions not significantly affected by organized crime, such changes in GDP and murders turn out to be extremely unlikely under the null hypothesis of zero effect of organized crime.
Malnutrition is one reason. For instance, the Greek famine in the 40s had an adverse effect on the educational achievement in the urban sample in comparison to the rural sample. The famine was worse in the urban areas and those from the urban areas show a worse educational attainment in scholastic achievement.
Proper nutrition in the womb and during early years of childhood is critical to have proper brain functioning. This, of course, is one reason, while malnutrition in and of itself is a problem.
A lot of immigration to Brazil is recent, with a lot of Germans and South Italians emigrating there. Not coincidentally, Southern Italian immigrants show high achievement wherever they go. The same for America as well.
There is a lot of immigration to Brazil that’s recent so it’s not a good comparison.
The Chinese IQ is quite low in rural areas. Iodine deficiency is the cause.
To study children＇s intelligence after universal salt iodization (USI） had been implemented for 10 years in China. Methods: The children of 8 to 10 years were sampled by population proportion sampling method. The samples were divided into groups according to the province, age, sex, urine iodine. Intelligence quotient （IQ） values were measured by the combined Raven＇s Test in China （CRT-C2）. Results The mean IQ of children was 103.4.
The differences in IQ are huge, compared to who has good nutrition and who doesn’t.
Partly. This is why blacks in the UK score so high on IQ tests, super-selection, only the most intelligent leaving.
But there are still no differences in IQ between North and South Italy.
What ”supposed” penis size differences*
In terms of temperament, the northern Italians seem to be much more like the South French, Swiss, Austrians and Slovenians than the South Italians. Temperament is also very important. Extraversion tends to result in anti-social behavior, corruption, lack of respect, etc.
You are descendants of South Italians and you do not want to accept that the population from which you are derived may be less intelligent on average than the North Italian. How many non-South Italians who are concerned to prove ** Seems, Very few …
Perhaps the cognitive differences are small, but the temperament usually have a big impact. Compare the average behavior of women and men.
This comparison is valid because you only offer the argument that, while Africa has ever produced the same level of civilization than Europe or Asia, this has not happened to southern Italy in relation to the north. therefore, it is perfectly observed the african ‘inferiority’ to the Europeans and East Asians.
I speak of modern Greeks in relation to the ancient Greeks, a gap of 2-2500 years. So was the longest hunger of human history.
But most Italian immigrants who came to Brazil came from the north, especially the Veneto. Brazil was one of the few countries where the majority of Italian immigrants were from the north.
On Italian south immigrants, most of their colonies around the world appear to be selected and do not represent the average of those who remained.
Just stay partially convinced when they were made broader studies especially in the case of China.
My comparison was not directed to the respective historical background of the two regions, but to refute their argument on the differences white vs. black and southern Italian x northern Italian.
I showed that a region that was already rich need not have been a direct product of its people but its elite, which are almost always civilizations. And with that I tried to show the difference of two types of civilizations. The fact of northeastern Brazil have been the richest region of the country does not prove anything in the Northeast are not less intelligent, on average, than the inhabitants of southeastern Brazil. In the same way, the fact of southern Italy have already been richer does not prove anything that South Italians are not, on average, less intelligent.
frances vansiclen says:
Who cares about all this nonsense anyway ! Live and let live ! It is not important who is smarter or shorter or taller !!!! Who gives a damn anyway !
IQ matters in life. Why shouldn’t we care about these things? Why shouldn’t we give criticism to people’s studies if They’re mostly wrong?
Do you believe that IQ doesn’t correlate highly with love success among other positive variables?
My grandparents were from Calabria. IQ of 156 here. This article is nonsense.
Individual have no effect on averages.
I don’t believe that South Italians have a lower IQ. In fact, Sicilians score higher than North Italians on RCPM, indicating a South/North gradient.
Here is part II.
Denny says:
“In fact, Sicilians score higher than North Italians on RCPM,”
UH-OH………you just triggered a lot of heart attacks right there, hahahaha!
People believe stereotypes and movies and they most definitely believe what they want, truth be damned.
No IQ gap exists.
Here we are not talking about stereotypes. We are talking about peer-reviewed scientific studies. According to these studies, the IQ gap does exist. Whatever its causes, it does exist. Are the causes not (directly) genetic? This is probable. Although the “race realists” here are not realist when Southern Italy is involved, there is no “Italian” ethnic group and there is not even a group of connected “Italian ethnies”, distinct from other ethnic groups. This may be the case of modern-day Germany, Spain, France (except Corsica), United Kingdom and Ireland. Not Italy, like it or not. The whole of Central/Northern Europe (including “Northern Italy”, Central Italy and Iberia) may be considered as a group of connected ethnies but Southern Italy is a thing apart and is rather connected to Greece and the Middle East (and Northern Africa for the Caucasian component). Like it or not. Southern Italian IQ, not by chance, is similar to the IQ of these regions. Does it mean that it is genetic? Not necessarily. I personally think it is mainly due to cultural reasons, to the different mentality. The genetic ties and the cultural ties are two faces of the same coin, so as to say. There may be a genetic component, as well, but with today’s data we may only say that there is a genetic correlation (correlation is not necessarily cause).
We are talking about peer-reviewed scientific studies
Point me to robust sample done with actual IQ tests and not PISA.
A scholastic achievement gap does exist and it is explained by environment, ie school quality and culture.
Are the causes not (directly) genetic? This is probable.
Of course it is probable. I don’t rule out any hypothesis. However more robust data than 06 and 09 PISA data says the opposite of Lynn’s conclusion.
Although the “race realists” here are not realist when Southern Italy is involved
If there is, without a shadow of a doubt, as large of a gap as Lynn claims I will concede. Though actual IQ tests (not PISA proxies) show no gap, or the south beats out the north. Even then, I admit there may be a small Gao of a few points. However, that is not enough to explain the economic disparities between the north and the south, which is Lynn’s main point to his argument.
there is no “Italian” ethnic group and there is not even a group of connected “Italian ethnies”
They still cluster together in PCA.
This may be the case of modern-day Germany, Spain, France (except Corsica), United Kingdom and Ireland.
I know this is seen in Sweden as well as Germany. Are they different ethnies?
but Southern Italy is a thing apart and is rather connected to Greece and the Middle East (and Northern Africa for the Caucasian component)
Non-European admixture in Italy is lower than average for Europe. See my article on “black Italians“. Yes southern Italians are related to the Greeks due to the Magna Gracea colonies.
Like it or not. Southern Italian IQ, not by chance, is similar to the IQ of these regions
Says Lynn’s PISA data.
. Does it mean that it is genetic? Not necessarily. I personally think it is mainly due to cultural reasons, to the different mentality. The genetic ties and the cultural ties are two faces of the same coin, so as to say. There may be a genetic component, as well, but with today’s data we may only say that there is a genetic correlation (correlation is not necessarily cause).
I will concede a small gap of two to three points. That’s it though and that’s not enough to explain environmental and economic disparities between the north and south.
Whatever the case may be, on actual IQ tests there is no gap. This is a fact.
How hard it is, in these politically correct times, to acknowledge the truth! And it is difficult for Italian (southern) race realists, as well! I’m sorry for you but you are not part of any “Italian race” and you belong to the Levant complex (Caucasian or whatever), to which we do not. It is a fact! First of all, Italy is a very centralized state. As a consequence of this, all Italian students study essentially the same things from the far North to the far South. And, unfortunately, Italian schools are underfunded from the North to the South. And, as eveybody knows, due to the centralized hiring system, many teachers in Northern Italy actually come from Southern Italy (the majority, some people would say, but in any case many many of them). So, it cannot be the fault of the school system. The results of PISA tests are empirically related to IQ. It is not Lynn’s opinion, it is fact! If you (irrationally) refuse this correlation, the fact is that such an indicator as PISA results, which maps what any reasonable person would judge as “intelligence” rather than notions, (strongly) divide Italy. Northern and Central Italy have PISA scores at the same level as Central and Northern Europe, Southern Italy is close to the Levant and Northern Africa. Your “theory” does not account for this. Lynn’s does, “mine” as well. How do you explain the fact that PISA (or IQ) tests are consistently below the Northern/Central Europen average in all the countries that are genetically similar and distinct from the Northern/Central European complex? is this due to the fact that all of them are “poor”? And why are they “poor”? You could say that the “evil Northern Italians” depauperated the South (not an explanation, see below) but what about the other Levantine countries? Are you implying that the inteligence level was equally “low” before the Industrial Revolution and it grew in all Northern/Central European countries? You have to give empirical evidence for this!I don’t know of any. And why, starting from the same IQ levels, all the Central/Northern European people suddenly became “rich”? Your politically correct “theory” does not explain this. If, instead, IQ is genetic and/or determined by mentality (and/or, mind you), all of the above is easily explained, since the different mentality (i.e. culture i.e. weltanshauung), be it partially genetic or not, acted as a catalyzer for industrialization and “richness”. There is an empirical proof of this for Italy, if you are aware of Putnam’s studies. We know that, before the “unification” of Italy, the South was only slightly poorer than the North. But the degree of civicness (measured with a rigorous methodology), or rather the sharp difference in civicness between Northern and Southern Italy, was the same in 1861 as it is nowadays. And civicness, like many other indicators, is strongly correated to the genetic data (correlation may or may not mean cause but it is compatible with it). The difference in mentality caused the difference in richness, not the other way round. And if richness was an effect and not a cause, your “theory” looses its value.
As an aside, I see that some people post pictures of Northern and Southern Italians to “prove” their “theories”. I know the game, I’ve seen it played for twenty years at least. Not that I believe in the race stereotyping that is done on Jews but I notice that, among the tactics used, one is that of posting pictures of “Northern Italians” of Jewish or Southern Italian origins! In any case, one has to look at statistics and not to the single cases. Every Gaussian has a (theoretically infinite) tail! Genetic maps say that not only no “Italian” ethnic group, let alone “race”, exists. It also says that there is not even a group of “italian” ethnies which blend into each other and are distinct from other groups of ethnies. “Northern/Central Europe”, to which “Northern Italy”, Central Italy and Iberia belong, is such a group of ethnies. Southern Italy is not part of this group, sorry for you or anyone else! And it is also not true that there are genetic distances within Italy but they are the same as in any other country. Genetic distances within Italy are the highest in Europe. In addition, most other European states have their (non immigrant) citizen belonging to the same ethnic group of ethnic complex (in the sense stated above). Italy does not. This is a fact, like it or not! I personally do not give a particular value to anthropometry in itself (if it is not correlated to genetic maps) but, talking about anthropometrics, or the old fashioned “racial” classifications, Italy is also divided along the same North/South line, whatever pictures you may show! Speaking of anthropometric data, you should be aware of Livi’s work. It also shows a divided Italy, sorry for the politically correct and sorry, as well, for the racists that do not accept the “racial methodology” to be applied to them!
How hard it is, in these politically correct times, to acknowledge the truth!
Show me some robust IQ studies showing this 10-point gap.
all Italian students study essentially the same things from the far North to the far South.
Quality of schooling matters.
So, it cannot be the fault of the school system.
The data says otherwise.
The results of PISA tests are empirically related to IQ. It is not Lynn’s opinion, it is fact!
Perhaps you missed this:
Problems in deriving Italian regional differences in intelligence from 2009 PISA data
If you (irrationally) refuse this correlation, the fact is that such an indicator as PISA results, which maps what any reasonable person would judge as “intelligence” rather than notions, (strongly) divide Italy. Northern and Central Italy have PISA scores at the same level as Central and Northern Europe, Southern Italy is close to the Levant and Northern Africa.
So PISA scores (the gap is closing, if you didn’t know) show the cause for economic disparities between the north and south?
For example, Bratti, Checchi, and Filippin (2007) investigated the existence and dimension of territorial differences in the maths skills of Italian students. Their analysis benefited from the data set that merges the 2003 wave of the PISA data (OECD, 2003) with territorial data collected from several statistical sources and with administrative school data from the ItalianMinistry of Education. In addition to the standard gradient represented by parental education and occupation (PISA Economic, Social and CulturalStatus index), they considered three different groups of educational input: individual characteristics (mainly family background), school types and available resources, and territorial features related to labour market, cultural resources and aspirations. In particular, among the local factors measured at Province level, they found a substantial impact of buildings maintenance and likelihood of employment. Student sorting across school types was also found to play a relevant role (in the North student sorting takes place according to ability and is based on school tracking and repetition: a less talented student is directed towards technical/vocational schools and/or held back one or more years; in the South students are less sorted among tracks). When accounting for territorial differences, Bratti et al. (2007; see also Santello, 2009) found that most of the North–South divide (75%) is accounted for by differences in school financial resources, teacher tenures, family background, while other contextual variables account for the remaining fraction. In conclusion, correcting for family and context background removes a sizable part of the postulated genetic differences between regional groups.
The mean Southern Italian children IQ is not particularly low: A reply to R. Lynn (2010)
If you were to read the comments in this thread (as well as my other article), you’d see that this has been addressed already.
The Mediterranean acted as a genetic barrier.
Although the Southeastern Mediterranean islands seem to have acted as a bridge from Anatolia to Southern Europe, the relatively small degree of gene flow between the African and the European coasts shows that the Mediterranean Sea also had a barrier function as also suggested with studies of mtDNA polymorphisms. Thus, the Mediterranean seems to have facilitated the migrations of Neolithic farmers along its Southern European coast but it mostly acted as an isolating factor between its European and African coasts.
Maritime route of colonization of Europe
How do you explain the fact that PISA (or IQ) tests are consistently below the Northern/Central Europen average in all the countries that are genetically similar and distinct from the Northern/Central European complex?
Addressed.
Are you implying that the inteligence level was equally “low” before the Industrial Revolution and it grew in all Northern/Central European countries?
Well, for one, consumption of fish products is higher in northern Europe than in southern Europe. The math section of the PISA exam is strongly correlated with fish consumption—particularly being positively correlated with DHA and n-3 intake and negatively correlated with n-6 intake (Lassek and Gaulin, 2013). So, you tell me what this means.
We know that, before the “unification” of Italy, the South was only slightly poorer than the North. But the degree of civicness (measured with a rigorous methodology), or rather the sharp difference in civicness between Northern and Southern Italy, was the same in 1861 as it is nowadays. And civicness, like many other indicators, is strongly correated to the genetic data (correlation may or may not mean cause but it is compatible with it). The difference in mentality caused the difference in richness, not the other way round. And if richness was an effect and not a cause, your “theory” looses its value.
This has been addressed. I wrote a follow-up here.
As for your other comment, you need to read this.
To Stefano,
” It also says that there is not even a group of “italian” ethnies which blend into each other and are distinct from other groups of ethnies. “Northern/Central Europe”, to which “Northern Italy”, Central Italy and Iberia belong, is such a group of ethnies. Southern Italy is not part of this group, sorry for you or anyone else!”
Actually what is shows are pulls and that they are indeed a mixture of Groups with different distributions, the only major seperate entity being Sardinians
http://www.unz.com/gnxp/italy-from-top-to-boot/#comment-1254143
“And it is also not true that there are genetic distances within Italy but they are the same as in any other country. Genetic distances within Italy are the highest in Europe.”
RR, just show this idiot the genetic differences compared to Germany as he provides no sources and is obviously ranting. While the diveristy is high, it is expected based on distance shape of the country.
“In addition, most other European states have their (non immigrant) citizen belonging to the same ethnic group of ethnic complex (in the sense stated above). Italy does not. This is a fact, like it or not!”
Ethnicity and genetics are two different things, elaborate. Ethnically speaking Italy actually did spread with others on a network of Latin and Latin-like Speakers. There were indeed different groups with different histories, but how is that different from many other populations in Pre-modern Europe?
“I personally do not give a particular value to anthropometry in itself (if it is not correlated to genetic maps) but, talking about anthropometrics, or the old fashioned “racial” classifications, Italy is also divided along the same North/South line, whatever pictures you may show! Speaking of anthropometric data, you should be aware of Livi’s work. It also shows a divided Italy, sorry for the politically correct and sorry, as well, for the racists that do not accept the “racial methodology” to be applied to them!”
The best data I have is Northern Italy having a significant Alpo-Dinaric component with Atlanto-Med while the Mainland south and Sicily being more Mediteranean with a Alpine streak.
Hardly Stark though.
http://www.geocities.ws/racial_reality/italians.html
If everyone is hating on the Meridionali so much, then why did they go through the trouble of uniting the Peninsula???? Some claim it was for the gold in the south. Either way, Northern migration stopped and Southern began.
Some famous Settentrionali:
http://image.slidesharecdn.com/vilfredoparetoreport-130623173248-phpapp01/95/vilfredo-pareto-report-1-638.jpg?cb=1372008880
Do facts matter? Nice move by the troll taking a photo of an elderly Sophia Loren, all tanned up, as “evidence.” BTW, Garibaldi is clearly Dinaric.
Papini was not dark like the pic you posted. You accuse others to cherry pick and then act the same. Papini could easily pass as french, Sofia Loren no, not even in regular pics
D’Annunzio was not from the North, was from Abruzzo, that genetically and historically is South.
Apparently some Southerners want out of this union:
https://www.facebook.com/MagnaGreciaConfederazione/
tony b says:
I’m not a geneticist nor an anthro specialist…but isn’t it obvious by now that biology is always in a state of flux and therefore it’s impossible to pinpoint any kind of attribute that could simply change over time?
On the other hand, over the years, I found that my favorite musician was Frank Zappa and that my favorite film-makers were Martin Scorsese and Frank Capra; all three widely considered as geniuses. I never realized that all three were Sicilian-Italians…so it did strike me that there was something in the DNA.
There’s simply too many factors…but here’s my two cents….
1 Migrations from southern Italy to the north is something that occurs worldwide as people who begin to accumulate money or have a lot of ambition to make money, most often separate themselves from the areas of the poor (with its accompanying crime rate, lack of cultural institutions, food and medical resources that directly affect brain development etc…).
2 Italy…from Rome down, was occupied by caucasian Arabs for less than seventy years, not hundreds of years like Spain and some parts of France. The occupiers were in a constant state of war. It’s hard to see how any major assimilation or admixture could take effect.
3 There was never a Negro invasion of Europe, ever. If you consider one man…a dark-skinned Hannibal that invaded northern Italy through the Alps, then ok, but his occupation was no more than a few years. I don’t give much credence to Afro-centrist “scholars” desperately trying to revise history to show that African “empires” compared to the European empires or culture.
4 Sub-Saharan / North African race-mixing became more pronounced after the slave trade exploded FIVE–HUNDRED years AFTER the Berbers were in Italy. Northern European slave traders like the English and Dutch as well as German, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Jewish slave-owners in America with four-hundred years of race-mixing with slaves must show a higher admixture.
In America, “whitened” people of Negro extraction would never reveal that their grandmother was black and often married into the above communities of northern European descent.
5 Food most definitely has an effect on intellect. India has some of the lowest rates of dementia and alzheimers and at the same time, has some of the highest IQ’s. Studies now attribute this to the amount of tumeric in their curries.
Watchman says:
From the European Journal of Human Genetics: s.it in light green = “Southern Italian” http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/377578ejhg2015233x8.jpg
c.it – Central Italy
n.it -Northern Italy
aos – Aosta Valley
sar – Sardinia
Richard Lynn responds to the critics on Southern Italian IQ: https://lesacreduprintemps19.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/iqs-in-italy-are-higher-in-the-north-a-reply-to-felice-and-giugliano.pdf
Colonization of Southern Italy: “The so-called Unification of Italy in 1860 was, for the South, an invasion and occupation with as many as a million people killed; women and children massacred; men shipped north to die in a concentration camp, their numbers unknown as the bodies were dissolved in caustic lime; hundreds of thousands imprisoned without any charges or trials; torture; rape; iron works and steel mills and agriculture destroyed; railroad tracks torn up; police duties entrusted to (thereby establishing the power of) the Mafia and the Camorra; the gold from the treasury of the Spanish Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies carried north to pay off the debts of Piedmont.” http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/9511-cultural-recuperation-and-the-case-of-southern-italy
Immigrants from the Mezzogiorno were desperate to gain acceptance in American society, so they created an identity for themselves by popularizing all the peoples and cultures of the Italian peninsula as one in order to make themselves more desirable. Columbus was their homemaking myth (Immigrant Minds, American Identities: Making the United States Home, 1870-1930).
Columbus was not Italian (point #2 in https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-christopher-columbus/2015/10/08/3e80f358-6d23-11e5-b31c-d80d62b53e28_story.html?utm_term=.e61f09f34145): “The National Italian American Foundation calls the Columbus Day parade in New York “the most visible and accessible manifestation of our Italian American Pride,” and Italian Americans have led efforts to oppose changes to the holiday’s focus nationwide. But when Columbus lived, there was no such thing as an Italian; Italy did not exist until 1861. The best evidence suggests that the explorer was born in a village near Genoa, which is part of Italy today. To his deathbed, he proudly claimed Genoa as home. In Columbus’s lifetime, Genoa was a fiercely independent republic with its own language, currency and overseas colonies.”
“Columbus Day & Consequences: Re-examining Italian American Commemorations, Historic Anxieties, and (Some of ) the Narratives they Silence” by Kathryn Anastasi discusses why and how immigrants from Southern Italy came to celebrate Columbus Day — a desire to be white and accepted in American society: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1102&context=tapestries
From the European Journal of Human Genetics
This isn’t novel information. Point is, N. Italians cluster in the Med cluster in PCA, which is what that graph shows along with the one I used in this article.
Richard Lynn responds to the critics on Southern Italian IQ
I covered this here.
North/South Differences in Italian IQ: Is Richard Lynn Right? Part II
The colonozation of S. Italy is a large cause of economic disparities between the N. and S. Italians.
Italians were white on arrival.
Why must you spread lies?
Why should I care if Columbus wasn’t what we call Italian today? He was born in an area that is now called Italy.
Do you think that really means anything to me?
a desire to be white and accepted in American society
Read the above link.
This isn’t that difficult, my friends. Many modern nations are made up of different people. Scotland is another example. The Highlanders (mostly came from Ireland and were Gaelic speaking) were once considered a barbaric race by the Lowland Scots and English.
The genetic distance between north and south Germans and north and south Swedes is greater than the distance between north and south Italians. Does this mean that those two nations are made up of different peoples as well?
Southern “Italians” are some of the most corrupt and deceptive people on earth. Lie, deny, and repeat.
Thanks for your opinion. Care to talk about what is written?
Ashkenazi Jews show affinities with Southern Italians due to interbreeding 2000 ya in Rome. What you’re showing me isn’t anything new; notice how even the ‘Nordic’ northern Italians still cluster with S. Europeans? Which was my point, did it go over your head?
I don’t know how Germany came to be. They have different cultures, histories as well. Northern Italians aren’t nordic. The only error Lynn appears to have made was giving Italy an average IQ of 102 when it is truly around the mid 90’s. He corrected it recently.
I don’t recall how Germany came to be, I’ll get back to you on that.
Northern Italians aren’t Nordic, Lynn is clearly biased.
Other studies on actual IQ data show the reverse; Southern Italians outscore Northern Italians. I’ll cite studies later.
Lynn has no idea what he’s talking about here.
Do you recall which paper Lynn revised his numbers for southern Italians?
Also read part II to this article. I’m going to write a 3rd rebuttal eventually.
Pari says:
Richard Lynn responds to criticism from Southern Italians who are in denial with data as proof for their lower intelligence: https://lesacreduprintemps19.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/iqs-in-italy-are-higher-in-the-north-a-reply-to-felice-and-giugliano.pdf
Afrosapiens 🇫🇷🇪🇺 says:
And his response is just pathetic.
I’m sure centuries of inbreeding and emigration also has a lot to do with low IQ in Southern Italians.
yes. the only question is: are s italians as smart as haitians?
the official national socialist ideology as expounded by alfred rosenberg is…
ancient greece and ancient rome and ancient persia and ancient india were all founded by aryans.
the aryans were fairer than modern greeks, romans, persians, and indians.
how much fairer? idk. it doesn’t matter. just fair-er.
it’s all explained here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_the_Twentieth_Century
the “aryan” is not just a gay fantasy.
what the nazis meant by “aryan” was “indo-european”. the evidence for these people is not so much archeological as linguistic. the linguistic evidence is that at one time in the distant past. maybe 8,000 years ago. there was one tribe which conquered europe and iran and india. this tribe may have come from the russian steppe or from the mouth of the danube or from germany or from anatolia. it’s not clear. but it is clear that this tribe is not theoretical. there was such a tribe.
Pell says:
European Journal of Human Genetics: https://evolutionistx.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/genetic_map_of_europe.png
https://media.nature.com/original/nature-assets/ejhg/journal/v24/n7/extref/ejhg2015233x5.jpg
“Most south Italian immigrants emigrated from small rural villages in Italy’s newly unified southern provinces, namely Campania, Abruzzo, Calabria, Molise, Sicily, and Sardinia. Southern Italian peasants had distinct histories, cultures, and languages, entirely different from those of northern Italy and what people often think of as “Italian culture” – i.e. Renaissance art, Venetian carnivals and canals, high fashion in Milan, luxurious lifestyles in Rome, etc.” — “By incorporating the celebrated figure into a southern Italian American identity, Columbus has enabled southern Italian Americans to able to be, to use Trouillot’s words, “discovered by Europeans” (or in this case, White Anglo Saxon Protestant America), and “finally enter the human world.” “Because of the fixation on celebrating and saving Columbus Day, Italian Americans lose sight of their actual roots and the realization that Northerners pushed who they saw as southern savages towards other colonized lands, for the sake of their own nation’s progress in the larger European arena.” SOURCE: ”Columbus Day & Consequences: Re-examining Italian American Commemorations, Historic Anxieties, and (Some of) the Narratives They Silence” http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1102&context=tapestries
“Newcomers defined themselves by their association with their native villages rather than with their country of origin. Intraregional rivalries, along with disparate dialects and traditions, estranged Italian immigrants. Maria Laurino, for instance, has remarked that even “towns only about forty miles apart […] had a distinct dialect, nurtured for centuries by separate cultural influences and foreign rule.” As Robert Orsi puts it, southern Italians were instead “most closely bound” to northern Italy “by oppressive taxation policies, not patriotic ties. Their primary loyalties were to their villages and families” (15). “Northern Italian politicians argued over how to handle “the Southern Question,” and many “dismissed southern Italians as dark-skinned outsiders” (Orsi, 315). Works by scholars Nelson Moe, Jane Schneider, and Elizabeth Wong demonstrate the historical and ongoing marginalization of southern Italians in the Italian media and state in general.”
“The so-called Unification of Italy in 1860 was, for the South, an invasion and occupation with as many as a million people killed; women and children massacred; men shipped north to die in a concentration camp, their numbers unknown as the bodies were dissolved in caustic lime; hundreds of thousands imprisoned without any charges or trials; torture; rape; iron works and steel mills and agriculture destroyed; railroad tracks torn up; police duties entrusted to (thereby establishing the power of) the Mafia and the Camorra; the gold from the treasury of the Spanish Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies carried north to pay off the debts of Piedmont.” http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/9511-cultural-recuperation-and-the-case-of-southern-italy
“I learned in my youth there is no such creature as an ethnic Italian, in spite of what the bulk of humanity may otherwise believe.” – Niccolò Graffio from southern Italian historical blog “IL Regno” http://ilregno2s.blogspot.com/2011/03/a-celebration-of-genocide.html
“Italians” don’t exist and are genetically less related to one another than other European nations are to each other: https://evolutionistx.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/genetic_map_of_europe.png — S. Italian in Green = Southern Italy where 90% of “Italian-Americans” come from, Tuscan in Yellow = Central Italy, Northern Italian in Purple and Sardinia in dark Purple. Another study from the European Journal of Human Genetics as confirmation: https://media.nature.com/original/nature-assets/ejhg/journal/v24/n7/extref/ejhg2015233x5.jpg “s . it” in light green = Southern Italian
From the Washington Post, Five myths about Christopher Columbus: “The National Italian American Foundation calls the Columbus Day parade in New York “the most visible and accessible manifestation of our Italian American Pride,” and Italian Americans have led efforts to oppose changes to the holiday’s focus nationwide. But when Columbus lived, there was no such thing as an Italian; Italy did not exist until 1861. The best evidence suggests that the explorer was born in a village near Genoa, which is part of Italy today. To his deathbed, he proudly claimed Genoa as home. In Columbus’s lifetime, Genoa was a fiercely independent republic with its own language, currency and overseas colonies” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-christopher-columbus/2015/10/08/3e80f358-6d23-11e5-b31c-d80d62b53e28_story.html?utm_term=.df078b7b846c
Forging an Ethnic Identity: The Case of Italian Americans:
https://www.cairn.info/revue-francaise-d-etudes-americaines-2003-2-page-89.htm
“Delivered at a 2011 Calandra Institute conference in New York by Donna Chirico, Professor of Psychology and Interim Dean for the School of Arts and Sciences at York College of the City University of New York, the talk pointed out that among European immigrants to the US, Italian-Americans remain near the bottom in terms of educational attainment.” http://www.italoamericano.org/story/2014-10-15/Chirico
South in dire need of help today:
“Italy is a “divided country” and its south is facing possible human and industrial desertification, according to an industry and employment report released on Wednesday. Svimez, a private association for development in Italy’s south, called the area “a land at risk of human industrial desertification where people continue to relocate, don’t have children and become poor.” – http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2014/07/30/southern-italy-risks-human-industrial-desertification_4f4704dd-1ba0-4962-85ec-ed4fa87fef2d.html
Only 13 percent of tourists who come to Italy go to the Mezzogiorno, as the south is known: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/opinion/severgnini-why-no-one-goes-to-naples.html
“Half of southern Italians at risk of poverty: report” – https://www.thelocal.it/20161206/half-of-southern-italians-at-risk-of-poverty-report
“If the trend continues, the south risks losing more than four million people in the next half century, emptying towns and cities and leaving much of the countryside bereft of people.” – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11196442/South-of-Italy-in-catastrophic-decline-after-recession.html
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Home » Clannishness » How Does the Increasingly Diverse American Landscape Affect White Americans’ Racial Attitudes?
How Does the Increasingly Diverse American Landscape Affect White Americans’ Racial Attitudes?
Last month I wrote about how Trump won the election due to white Americans’ exposure to diversity caused them to support Trump and his anti-immigration policies over Clinton and Sanders. That is, whites high in racial/ethnic identification exposed to more diversity irrespective of political leaning would vote for Trump for President and not Clinton or Sanders. It is commonly said that more diversity will increase tolerance for the out-group, and all will be well. But is this true?
Craig and Richeson (2014) explored how the changing racial shift in America affects whites’ feelings towards the peoples replacing whites (‘Hispanic’/Latino populations) as well as the feelings of whites towards other minority groups that are not replacing them in the country. Interestingly, whites exposed to the racial shift group showed more pro-white, anti-minority violence as well as preferring spaces and interactions with their own kind over others. Moreover, negative feelings towards blacks and Asians were seen, two groups that are not replacing white Americans.
White Canadians who were exposed to a graph showing that whites would be a projected minority “perceived greater in-group threat” leading to the expression of “somewhat more anger toward and fear of racial minorities.” East Asians are showing the most population growth in Canada. Relaying this information to whites has them express less warmth towards East Asian Canadians.
In their first study (n=86, 44 shown the racial shift and 42 shown current U.S. demographics), participants who read the title of a newspaper provided to them. One paper was titled “In a Generation, Ethnic Minorities May Be the U.S. Majority”, whereas the other was titled “U.S. Census Bureau Releases New Estimates of the US Population by Ethnicity.” They were asked questions such as “I would rather work alongside people of my same ethnic origin,” and “It would bother me if my child married someone from a different ethnic background.” Whites who read the newspaper article showing ethnic replacement showed more racial bias than those who read about current U.S. demographics. Whites exposed to projected demographics were more likely to prefer settings and interactions with other whites compared to the group who read current demographics.
In study 2 a (n=28, 14 Dutch participants and 14 American participants, 14 exposed to the U.S. racial shift, 14 exposed to the Dutch racial shift), those in the U.S. racial shift category showed more pro-white/anti-Asian bias than participants in the Dutch racial shift category. Those who were exposed to the changing U.S. ethnic landscape were more likely to show pro-white/anti-black bias than participants exposed to the Dutch racial shift (study 2b, n=25, 14 U.S. racial shift, 11 Dutch racial shift). In other words, making the U.S changing racial/ethnic population important, whites showed that whites were, again, more likely to be pro-white and anti-minority, even while exposed to an important racial demographic shift in a foreign country (the Netherlands). Whites, then, exposed to more racial diversity will show more automatic bias towards minorities, especially whites who live around a lot of blacks and ‘Hispanics’. Making whites aware of the changing racial demographics in America had them express automatic racial bias towards all minority groups—even minority groups not responsible for the racial shift.
In study 3 (n=620, 317 women, 76.3% White, 9.0% Black, 10.0% Latino, 4.7% other race) whether attitudes toward different minority groups may be affected by the exposure to the racial shift. Study 3 specifically focused on whites (n=415, 212 women, median age 48.8, a nationally representative sample of white Americans). Half of the participants were shown information about the projected ethnic shift in America while the other half were given a news article on the geographic mobility in America (individuals who move in a given year). They were asked their feelings on the following statements:
“the American way of life is seriously threatened” and were asked to indicate their view of the trajectory of American society (1 = American society is getting much worse every year, 5 = American society is getting much better every year); these two items were standardized and averaged to create an index of system threat (r = .64). To assess system justification, we asked participants to indicate their agreement (1 = strongly agree, 7 = strongly disagree) to the statement “American society is set up so that people usually get what they deserve.”
They were also asked the following questions on how certain they were of America’s social future:
“If they increase in status, racial minorities are likely to reduce the influence of White Americans in society.” The racial identification question asked participants to indicate their agreement (1 = strongly agree, 7 = strongly disagree) with the following statement, “My opportunities in life are tied to those of my racial group as a whole.”
The researchers had the participants read the article about the impending racial shift in America and had them fill out “feeling thermometers” on how they felt about differing racial groups in America (blacks, whites, Asians and ‘Hispanics’) with 1 being cold and 100 being hot. Whites reported the most positivity towards their own group, followed by Asians, blacks and showing the least positivity towards ‘Hispanics’ (the group projected to replace whites in 25 years). Figure 2 also shows that whites don’t show the same negative biases they would towards other minorities in America, most likely due to the ‘model minority‘ status.
So the researchers showed that by making the racial shift important, that led to more white Americans showing negative attitudes towards minorities—specifically ‘Hispanics’. This was brought about by whites’ “concerns of lose of societal status.” When whites begin to notice demographic changes, the attitudes towards minorities will change—most notable the attitudes towards blacks and ‘Hispanics’ (which is due to the amount of crime committed by both groups, and is why whites show favoritism towards Asians, in my opinion). Overall, it was shown in a nationally representative sample of whites that showing the changing demographics in the country leads to more negative responses towards minority groups. This is due to the perceived threat on whites’ group status, which leads to more out-group bias.
These four studies report empirical evidence that contrary to the belief of liberals et al—that an increasingly diverse America will lead to more acceptance—more exposure to diversity and the changing racial demographics will have whites show more negative attitudes towards minority groups, most notably ‘Hispanics’, the group projected to become the majority by 2042. The authors write:
Consistent with this prior work, the present research offers compelling evidence that the impending so-called “majority-minority” U.S. population is construed by White Americans as a threat to their group’s position in society and increases their expression of racial bias on both automatically activated and selfreport attitude measures.
Interestingly, the authors also write:
That is, the article in the U.S. racial shift condition accurately attributed a large percentage of the population shift to increases in the Latino/Hispanic population, yet, participants in this condition expressed more negative attitudes toward Black Americans and Asian Americans (Study 3) as well as greater automatic bias on both a White-Asian and a White-Black IAT (Studies 2a and 2b). These findings suggest that the information often reported regarding the changing U.S. racial demographics may lead White Americans to perceive all racial minority groups as part of a monolithic non-White group.
You can see this from the rise of the alt-right. Whites, when exposed to the reality of the demographic shift in America, will begin to show more pro-white attitudes while derogating minority out-groups. It is important to note the implications of these studies. One could look at these studies, and rightly say, that as America becomes more diverse that ethnic tensions will increase. Indeed, this is what we are now currently seeing. Contrary to what people say about diversity “being our strength“, it will actually increase ethnic hostility in America and lead towards evermore increasing strife between ethnic groups in America (that is ever-rising due to the current political and social climate in the country). Diversity is not our “strength”—it is, in fact, the opposite. It is our weakness. As the country becomes more diverse we can expect more ethnic strife between groups, which will lower the quality of life for all ethnies, while making whites show more negative attitudes towards all minority groups (including Asians and blacks, but less so than ‘Hispanics’) due to group status threat. The authors write in the discussion:
That is, these studies revealed that White Americans for whom the U.S. racial demographic shift was made salient preferred interactions/settings with their own racial group over minority racial groups, expressed more automatic pro-White/antiminority bias, and expressed more negative attitudes toward Latinos, Blacks, and Asian Americans. The results of these latter studies also revealed that intergroup bias in response to the U.S. racial shift emerges toward racial/ethnic minority groups that are not primary contributors to the dramatic increases in the non-White (i.e., racial minority) population, namely, Blacks and Asian Americans. Moreover, this research provides the first evidence that automatic evaluations are affected by the perceived racial shift. Taken together, these findings suggest that rather than ushering in a more tolerant future, the increasing diversity of the nation may actually yield more intergroup hostility.
Thinking back to Rushton’s Genetic Similarity Theory, we can see why this occurs. Our genes are selfish and want to replicate with out similar genes. Thus, whites would become less tolerant of minority groups since they are less genetically similar to them. This would then be expressed in their attitudes towards minority groups—specifically, ‘Hispanics’ as that ethny will most likely to become the majority and overtake the white majority in 25 years. This is GST on steroids. Once whites realize the reality of the situation of increasing diversity in America—along with their status in the country as a whole—they will then show more negative bias towards minority out-groups.
All in all, the more whites are exposed to diversity in the social context as well as the reality of the ethnic demographic shift in 25 years will be more likely to show negative attitudes towards all American ethnies (though less negative attitudes towards Asians, dude to being less criminal, in my opinion). As the country becomes less white, so to will the whites in America become less tolerant of all minorities and start banding together for pro-white interests—showing that diversity is not our strength. This, in reality, is exactly what liberals do not want—whites banding together showing less favoritism towards the out-group. However, this is what occurs in countries that increasingly become diverse.
Tags: Clannishness, diversity, Genetic Similarity Theory, Race Realism
By RaceRealist in Clannishness, diversity, Ethnic Genetic Interests, Genetic Similarity Theory, Personality, Race Realism on January 8, 2017 .
← Neurons By Race Why Are Humans Here? →
“Last month I wrote about how Trump won the election due to white Americans’ exposure to diversity.”
Stop repeating this. It is factually incorrect.
Trump won because: 1) Rust Belt white voters who had previously voted for Obama voted for Trump. 2) Rust Belt whites comprised a higher % of the electorate in 2016 than in 2012 because whites voted at a higher % in 2016 than in 2012 and blacks voted at a lower %.
Blacks did not fall from the sky into the Rust Belt between 2012 and 2016. They have been there in significant numbers since the early part of the 20th century. All white voters in the Rust Belt are and have been aware of black people since at least WWII.
Thanks. I edited it.
Whites exposed to more diversity are more likely to show negative attitudes towards ethnic minorities—more so towards blacks and the ones set to replace them, ‘Hispanics’. This was seen to a lesser extent in Asians, showing that when whites are exposed to the reality of being replaced as the majority in the country in 25 years that they look at all non-whites as a ‘monolith’, showing negative attitudes towards all minority groups in the country because when you get down to the very bottom of this, it’s all about genetic interests. And I assume that when the reality of what’s at stake is thrown right into people’s faces, they start to become more ‘tribal’, so to speak, and start pushing more for their own interests with pro-white bias while derogating out-groups.
Whites exposed to more diversity are more likely to show negative attitudes towards ethnic minorities
Whites don’t have to have ethnic minorities as neighbors in order to be exposed to more diversity. Attitudes can shift as a result of nationwide trends and exposure via media and other sources. Modern society considers racism passe and undignified. There is a recognition of the horrors racism has wrought in the past and a desire not to repeat the same mistakes. People living in all-white towns are not immune to these trends.
The point of this paper is that exposing whites to the fact that they wull be a minority in 25 years creates more in-group favoritism, having whites want to be around and congregate with other whites, while derogating the out-group, even racial minorities who are not contributing to the racial shift.
Recognizing that one is being replaced and then that individual then works for his own interests has nothing to do with whatever you’re talking about. When the average white America is exposed to this fact, more in-group favoritism and out-group derogation occurs.
In addition to that rust belt whites voted overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders, Mr. Diversity himself. In fact if Sanders had gotten the nomination he would’ve received such a large percentage of the white vote that his election would’ve been inevitable. Hillary was a terrible candidate with a closet full of skeletons. Trump won because Hillary could not motivate Obama voters to vote for her. How can Trump’s election represent white fear of diversity when black Americans alone would have given the presidency to Hillary if so many of them didn’t stay home?
For his sake I hope someone is paying this blogger for his “output.” He certainly wastes a lot of his time writing things that have absolutely no basis in reality.
This wasn’t about the election per se, it was just about how increasing diversity makes whites more ‘racist’ (whatever that means). Everything I wrote here is factually correct.
I don’t get paid for this pal. I do this on my free time.
it was just about how increasing diversity makes whites more ‘racist’
That’s utter bullshit. Whites are less racist now than they were 20 years ago. And they were less racist 20 years ago than they were 50 years ago. And they were less racist 50 years ago than they were 100 years ago. Read newspaper articles from around the turn of the 20th century. You will find that vicious, ugly racism represented mainstream thought in this country. I’m talking about major American newspapers that are still around today.
With each passing year whites become less racist. Whites becoming less racist is directly attributable to more diversity and more exposure to other races, cultures and traditions. This is not even something that can be argued with a straight face. White racists still exist and may always exist as a percentage of the population. But it goes without saying that increased diversity promotes a reduction of white racism.
I’m actually paying white people a compliment. But as a so-called race realist (i.e., racist) you don’t want to hear that. You want whites to be more racist. You want racial conflict and even race wars.
That is ‘utter bullshit’, yet expsure to the fact that whites will be replaced in America in 25 years shows they begin to show more bias for the in-group and show less favorable attitudes towards all minorities, least to Asians.
You want whites to be more racist. You want racial conflict and even race wars.
I want people to wake up to common sense and I most definitely do not condone violence.
I agree with your opinion that the extent and virulence of white racism has declined. A separate but related idea of the current era is white resentment. This is an important force within the white working class and this resentment gets confused with racism by SJWs and advocates of white identity movements alike.
That is ‘utter bullshit’, yet expsure to the fact that whites will be replaced in America in 25 years shows they begin to show more bias for the in-group and show less favorable attitudes towards all minorities, least to Asians
This is a matter of great import only to people like you. Once again, these anti-diversity arguments were voiced almost verbatim with regard to Italians, Greeks, Russians, Jews, etc. In fact the intensity of the anti-immigrant sentiment was in the past much fiercer than anything we see today. There were anti-Chinese riots, anti-Mexican riots, anti-Italian riots, anti-Polish riots, anti-German riots, anti-Irish riots and general anti-Catholic riots. These were violent events in which people were killed because they were perceived as different and other.
In more recent history, Iranians have taken over Beverly Hills. That couldn’t have happened in the 20’s or 30’s or even in the 70’s. But nowadays no one really cares primarily due to the salutary impact of greater diversity. Your Italian immigrant forefathers helped pave the way for those Iranians. They also helped pave the way for all the other new immigrants against whom you are using the very same rhetoric that was used to try to keep out your people.
So what you’re saying is nothing new. But in the modern world trying to maintain in perpetuity a white majority in is untenable. Migration has altered the ethnic make-up of nations throughout human history. It’s not inconceivable that in the future it will be Americans looking to immigrate to places with greater opportunities. Nations rise and fall and nothing in nature lasts forever.
I agree with your opinion that the extent and virulence of white racism has declined. A separate but related idea of the current era is white resentment.
The intensity of white resentment against immigrants reshaping the landscape has also diminished greatly. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries much of that resentment was directed against newly arriving ethnic whites. The resentment often was expressed violently and many people were killed.
In large part, the earlier resentment was directed at the groups because they were “different.” Today’s resentment is not so much that the groups are different, although that is still present, it draws much more strength from what is understood as special treatment for minority groups.
In large part, the earlier resentment was directed at the groups because they were “different.” Today’s resentment is not so much that the groups are different, although that is still present, it draws much more strength from what is understood as special treatment for minority groups
That’s called scapegoating and it was vastly more virulent when directed against Irish, Italian and other white immigrants back in the day.
Somewhat, but scapegoating would be blaming blacks and integration for causing the failure of public schools.
Resentment is saying that black students are exempted from compliance with accepted behavioral norms in school.
Resentment was at the heart of the antagonism toward ethnic white immigrants. They were alleged to be dirty, with weird alien practices and habits. They were alleged to be criminally inclined. They were alleged to be a threat to women. They were alleged to be unable or unwilling to assimilate and conform to normative American values. They were alleged to undercut labor by working cheap and being paid under the table. They were alleged to practice an idolatrous religion that was incompatible with American values. They were alleged to hold their allegiance to said religion more important than their allegiance to any country.
Chinedu,
Nations rise and fall and nothing in nature lasts forever.
Of course not. I’d like to prolong a fall for as long as possible though. Why let things crumble when you can save them, if not only for the time being?
The Sun is going will turn into a red giant in five billion years and everything that evolution has done on earth will not matter. May as well stop studying evolution right?
RealRealist,
Here’s a little bit of your people’s history that you may be ignorant of:
I knew something about our nation’s early antipathy toward Catholics and Italians, but I had not fully appreciated the depth of that antagonism. For example, the largest mass lynching in U.S. history took place in New Orleans in 1891 — and it wasn’t African-Americans who were lynched, as many of us might assume. It was Italian-Americans.
After nine Italians were tried and found not guilty of murdering New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy, a mob dragged them from the jail, along with two other Italians being held on unrelated charges, and lynched them all. The lynchings were followed by mass arrests of Italian immigrants throughout New Orleans, and waves of attacks against Italians nationwide.
What was the reaction of our country’s leaders to the lynchings? Teddy Roosevelt, not yet president, famously said they were “a rather good thing.” The response in The New York Times was worse. A March 16, 1891, editorial referred to the victims of the lynchings as “… sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins.” An editorial the next day argued that: “Lynch law was the only course open to the people of New Orleans. …”
John Parker, who helped organize the lynch mob, later went on to be governor of Louisiana. In 1911, he said of Italians that they were “just a little worse than the Negro, being if anything filthier in [their] habits, lawless, and treacherous.”
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/opinion/falco-italian-immigrants/
If this doesn’t demonstrate to you how far in a positive direction this country has come then you are hopelessly deluded. Pay particular attention to the blurb from New York Times editorial. THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!!
I encourage you to read the entire article. Hopefully it will wake you up.
Italians were always looked at as Caucasian in America. I know of the 9 Italians lynched in LA. What will it ‘wake me up’ from? I read the article, plus I’ve read about rhe event a lot in the past. And? Things happen. The past is the past.
According to the Genetic Similarity Theory, shouldn’t whites not be the least positively disposed towards Hispanics, since they’re more similar to Hispanics than to the other groups?
I don’t know the ethnicities of the subjects in the representative sample in the third study, I’ll check it out tomorrow to see if it’s either said or I can infer it.
But, for instance, Mexicans are about 56 percent ‘Native’ American, 5 percent African and 37 percent European (see table 1 of Admixture in Latin America: Geographic Structure, Phenotypic Diversity and Self-Perception of Ancestry Based on 7,342 Individuals)
So they’re genetically more distant due to being more ‘Native’. If these individuals in the study are Northwest European, than the generic similarity hypothesis still holds. Moreover, it’s about another racial/ethnic group overtaking whites’ majority status which is one reason why more negative attitudes are had toward ‘Hispanics’ when they become aware of the racial shift.
Even then if we are just talking ethnic genetic interests, the same applies. Genetic distance between European ethnies, though less than that between the macro races, is still enough distance for ethnic strife.
I mean Hispanics relative to other non-white groups. Hispanics would be closer to whites genetically than the other non-white groups.
Correct. But when shown that ‘Hispanics’ will replace whites in 25 years they show negative attitudes towards all minority groups, most of all ‘Hispanics’ as they will replace whites. If another non-white group were to replace whites, you’d see the whites in the sample dislike that group the most, and it’s due to the population replacement.
You also have to remember that that’s an average estimate of admixture in Mexicans, so some may be more and others less related to Europeans while being more related to ‘Natives’.
I believe the average Mexican is mestizo. At any rate, whatever the admixture, they’re generally closer genetically than the other non-white groups are.
According to Genetic Similarity Theory, in a replacement scenario, presumably the negative attitudes would shift accordingly based on genetic similarity. If the French, for example, were to be replaced by the Germans, shouldn’t the French still have less negative feelings towards Germans than to, say, blacks, because the Germans are much more genetically similar than blacks are?
Mexicans have more ‘Native’ ancestry than European, on average. The ruling class is largely Spaniard.
presumably the negative attitudes would shift accordingly based on genetic similarity.
When a representative sample of white Americans (n=415, 212 women, median age 48.5) read a newspaper that showed they would be replaced in 25 years by ‘Hispanics’, they thought negatively of all minority groups.
shouldn’t the French still have less negative feelings towards Germans than to, say, blacks, because the Germans are much more genetically similar than blacks are?
Yea, but these people are replacing them; gene frequencies are substantially different between both populations due to recombination and other processes.
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Sarah’s Report from Women’s Conference and Labour Conference 2017
I’m writing my report from the perspective of what it’s like being a first-time delegate.
Firstly I wanted to say thanks to Claire Wadey and that conference was made much easier by her being so organised, running briefings before and being around at conference to answer questions. I noticed that some other delegations didn’t know what they were doing, and I had people ask me questions as we were more organised.
I went to the Women’s Conference which apparently was the largest ever. Dawn Butler opened as the new shadow minister for Women and Equalities and mentioned that it was the trade union movement that taught her that others would stand her side in times of despair. She said “Today at this new transitional Women’s conference I want us to be united in our fight against injustice, all of you in this room are phenomenal women, our conference is to discuss policy and to empower you, and for you to empower others”. She quoted Martin Luther King who said “I cannot be where I ought to be until you are where you want to be”. One thing she highlighted was period poverty and was proud to announce conference was the launch of Labour’s official campaign against period poverty. She said the next Labour government will provide funding for free sanitary products for secondary schools, the food banks and the homeless shelters. She thanked Jeremy because they have worked out how they’re going to pay for this scheme, which was by scrapping the vanity products of this conservative government, grammar schools and the free schools. That money will go to helping women.
Jeremy then spoke to conference, having just come from being at Brighton Table Tennis Centre where he spoke about how fantastic it was to see young people, older people local people refugees and so many others all coming together in community activity. He said “building that strength of community that’s the sort of thing we’re about the party isn’t it?”. He thanked us all for being there and thanked Dawn for announcing the policy on period poverty in this country saying “that’s part of our policy we’re going to make sure that happens, we’ll force the Tories to do it and if they don’t we will when we have won the election”. He said that it was very important that women are heard and can debate properly and the policies come from the women’s conference as far as women are concerned. He said that we have to do even better as a party to attract even more women into membership, we need to attract far more working class women into membership – we want to be a woman’s membership to reflect the totality of women all across the United Kingdom. 45% of the parliamentary Labour Party is now women, with 119 women MPs in Parliament. He is very determined that we meet our target of 50% representation and was very proud to be part of a gender balanced shadow cabinet.
Emily Thornberry, who gave one of my favourite speeches, talked about the biggest increase in the Labour Vote since 1945. She said “Sisters, that is the evidence we need to show that if we are united behind Jeremy, and if we are standing on a radical manifesto, there is absolutely no seat that we can’t win and no Tory that we can’t bin”. She talked about next time round we are going to make history and have full equality of representation in the house of commons for the Labour Party.
I came away feeling inspired and uplifted and looking forward to the main conference.
At Labour Conference I was wondering how it would differ to the many UNISON national conferences I have attended. Firstly, what hit me was the sheer size of the event, the numbers attending were amazing.
During conference there were so many memorable speeches. Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Emily Thornberry, Laura Pidcock, Angela Rayner and Jeremy, of course, all made outstanding speeches (and received standing ovations) which I would recommend anyone who was not at conference watching. I’ve watched them all again on YouTube and it’s inspiring to hear them.
Naomi Klein gave another of my favourite speeches. She said she felt privileged to attend conference and could feel the optimism and energy at a time when there are so many bad things happening in the world. She talked about how moments of crisis do not have to be times when the obscenely wealthy grab more. We can go the opposite way, these can be moments when we find our best selves, where we locate reserves of strength, focus and resolve that we never knew we had. She also talked about the importance of social movements like Momentum working alongside political parties to create something which parties can’t achieve on their own and that this is inspiring to others. She said that people came to understand that “the biggest challenge is overcoming the way neo-liberalism has waged war on our collective imagination”. Again, I would recommend that anyone who did not see her speech to watch it as it certainly inspired me.
Aside from speeches from the platform, it was great to see how many delegates got up and spoke and debated, including our own Claire and Amanda who both spoke really well. The conference floor was electric at times and you really felt like you were part of an amazing historical event. I have to say I was happy with the contributions from those who mentioned Israel and Palestine and felt that there was no truth in any concerns raised about anti-Semitism in speeches made in the conference hall.
The only fringe meeting I made was the one on Autism and Neurodiversity where the new manifesto was launched
“The whole world is Neurodiverse, We are launching an inclusive Manifesto for all”
I learnt about the new manifesto and its key principles which are
The social model of disability: Disability is caused by society creating barriers to the equal participation of impaired (or neurologically different) people.
The neurodiversity approach: Humanity is neurologically diverse; people have different brain wiring. ADHD, dyslexia, autism and others are neurological differences. We want human neurodiversity to be accepted not suppressed or cured. (See our website for Neurodiverse profile prevalence figures.)
Opposition to austerity: We need adequate public services, benefits and wages. Government and local authority cuts to these are a political choice, not an economic necessity.
Socialism, democracy and solidarity: As a prospective Labour Party manifesto, this document bases itself on labour movement principles. We want to challenge the deep social roots of discrimination against neurodivergent people.
Nothing about us without us: Policies and services, and the Manifesto itself, must be shaped by autistic and other neurodivergent people.
That last point was the most important to me – that people on the autism spectrum can themselves shape policy
The manifesto goes on to talk about diagnosis, support, independent living services and welfare amongst other things.
I would recommend anyone interested to go and read it at https://neurodiversitymanifesto.com/.
So conference was overall an enjoyable experience, although very tiring. My only criticism is that the disabled access was not good – with hardly anywhere in conference, apart from your allotted seat, to sit at other times. A lot of the people with mobility issues and those in wheelchairs were seated at the back, where they could not be seen easily if they wanted to make a contribution, and it was a long walk to the stage if they did get selected to speak. I think in future they should be seated across the front, with behind them trade unions on one side of the hall and CLP delegates on the other. Also when thinking about people (like my son with Asperger’s) who have sensory issues, it was a bit of a sensory nightmare with bright lights and main areas which were very noisy. So a separate quiet area would be good for people to go to for a while if they needed.
Sarah Pickett
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Free At Last!
If memory serves, there were six instances* where the Silver Surfer managed to escape the barrier of Galactus while trapped on the planet Earth: (1), when Loki maneuvered him into traveling to Asgard and attacking the mighty Thor; (2) when he streaked into the future, to a time when the barrier no longer existed; (3) when Mephisto dissolved the barrier in a scheme to demoralize him; (4) through his own power, after meditating for an entire year to focus on piercing the barrier; (5) relying on the Hulk's gamma radiation to increase his strength; and (6) when Reed Richards provided him with a one-time-only opportunity to pass through the barrier in accordance with a unique planetary alignment. In one way or another, all attempts met with eventual failure, the last being made in 1982.
*Add two more to the list, if you're counting his "escape" to the Microverse or the misdirection he encountered in the dimension of the Nameless One.
But nearly five years later to the month, writer Steve Englehart, together with artists Marshall Rogers and Joe Rubinstein, launched a brand new Silver Surfer series. And in its first landmark issue, the question of whether the Surfer would still be shackled to our world or, instead, would be soaring among the stars once more is immediately settled in a bold, two-page spread which indicated an entirely new direction for the character--thanks to a single word, which spoke volumes and let the reader know that the Surfer was, finally:
Up until this time, the Surfer was in another type of void, as far as his readership was concerned--consigned to the status of guest star, with the prospect of another series for him on hold due to an informal arrangement with the Surfer's original writer, Stan Lee, to allow him to maintain creative control of the character. By 1982, however, Lee had gradually made a number of exceptions to that request vis-à-vis the growing number of writers who succeeded him**--and with Lee segueing to oversee Marvel's Hollywood projects, he formally released the Surfer to their management after his collaboration with John Byrne in the '82 Silver Surfer one-shot, ending years in virtual limbo for the character's direction.
**Circa 1971, when he was made Publisher--around the time when the "Stan Lee Presents" caption began appearing on each title's splash page.
More appearances in other titles followed, until the new series by Englehart in '87 breaks new ground for the Surfer in his own book. It's a promising first issue, where once again the Surfer received aid from the Fantastic Four to break free from his prison--this time with no cloud hanging over him that practically broadcast to readers that the attempt wouldn't succeed. Instead, we see the Silver Surfer racing toward the infinite, and, at long last, to new storylines that didn't confine him to a single world.
And yet the Surfer himself realizes that there is one loose end which he'll need to confront before moving on with his life--one being who will ultimately decide whether or not he can fully embrace his newfound freedom.
As to the how and why of the Surfer's good fortune, the "why" arrives in the form of Champion--one of the Elders of the Universe, a group that has apparently put a price on the Surfer's head. Champion, of course, needs little excuse to pursue competition with those reputed to have great strength; but in meeting defeat at the Surfer's hands, he reveals that he has a greater purpose in seeking out his foe.
Yes, "unless" the Elders feared the Surfer would escape Earth--which plants the fervent thought in the Surfer's mind that there indeed is a way to be found.
With Champion refusing to disclose any further information and disappearing, that leaves the FF and the Surfer comparing notes on the Surfer's previous attempts at escape. Neither Reed nor the Surfer come up with anything new that might yield the answer; fortunately, there is one other on the team who has, on several occasions, demonstrated a gift for cutting to the chase and tackling the source of a problem.
Ben's theory checks out--and immediately afterward he slips past the barrier and congratulations are happily offered, the Surfer turns his attention to retrieving his board which remains trapped on Earth. But from there, he knows that he must gain the pardon of Galactus to remain free--only this time, he has a bargaining chip if words should fail.
It was Byrne who first established the more personal ties between Galactus and Nova, though in that story Nova's growing love for Galactus was one-sided. Now it appears that Englehart wishes to pursue that "relationship" (I honestly don't know how else to phrase it) in a mutual sense--but to what end is unclear. Presumably, once the Surfer accomplishes his task and formally wins his freedom from his former master, he and Galactus part company--and given the new direction that Englehart has set this series, it seems unlikely that we'll see Galactus as a recurring character in the book and thus begin to keep tabs on the progress of the Galactus/Nova situation. For what it's worth, in succeeding issues, Nova switches her attentions from Galactus to the Surfer--officially making this possibly one of the most pointless storylines of Englehart's career.
On another note, you may find the style of Rogers for this character to be an acquired taste--though I will say, as a regular reader of this series, that his art in the book can grow on you. He does bring a resemblance to Jack Kirby's original concept of the character (while, like Kirby initially, also choosing to omit those absurd shorts that were later added to the torso--will wonders never cease). But there are times when you may find yourself asking if you're reading "the Adventures of Kid Surfer," as lithe and youthful as Rogers renders him. Were it not for his power, it would be difficult to buy anyone being intimidated by the Surfer--not the Skrulls or the Kree, and certainly not Champion or the other Elders.
Following the successful completion of his mission, we return to find a very interesting discussion taking place between the Surfer and Galactus, on a topic that's reared its head often enough: that at times, Galactus himself forgets who he is. Dispassionate... aloof... he roams the cosmos, searching for worlds to sustain him and sate his hunger, heedless of those who must perish in the process. "Emotion is for lesser beings!" "I feel no anger! I know no pity! I merely do what must be done!" With Nova freed, he and his herald should simply be on their way, back to business; instead, he wishes to mete out punishment to the Skrulls by consuming their worlds, even though this being has also claimed in the past that vengeance is not for him. And so it falls to the Surfer to remind him of the fact that Galactus is Galactus.
Whatever we believe that Galactus is poised to do here, it's Englehart who uses the moment to provide this first issue with a closing scene that fulfills the promise of excitement and potential that was previewed in its beginning--and so, in one awesome, swift motion, the Silver Surfer becomes the character he was meant to be, and soars to his destiny among the stars.
You almost walk away from this issue as if you're seeing the Surfer for the first time, though there is still one tie to his past which must be addressed before he truly soars "free"--his relationship with Shalla Bal, and his reacclimation to his homeworld of Zenn-La, both of which are covered in the following issue.
In the first three issues, Englehart also provides some thoughts on the Surfer's history, as well as where he would like to take the series. Primarily, however, his focus would be on the Surfer as a much different character than we've seen previously: "...[T]he whole thrust of this series is to unleash the Silver Surfer, so he'll win a lot more than he'll lose--and even when he does lose, he won't mope about it..." Hand in hand with that aim, of course, is that the Surfer no longer has cause to mope about his imprisonment on our world--specifically, being forced to coexist with those whom he finds impossible to understand or reason with and who will inevitably destroy themselves. There's admittedly a great deal of truth in how the Surfer views the human race, but we have the news to remind and inundate us with our failings on a daily basis--we generally don't expect to open an adventure comic only to find its title character giving us more of the same.
Rogers, as it turned out, would stay with the new series for only twelve issues (abandoning it for G.I. Joe--how's that for a change of pace), though the book found an able replacement in Ron Lim for a good deal of its run--while Englehart would clock out at just over thirty issues. Silver Surfer hung on for an astonishing 146 issues in all (along with a few annuals), with an eclectic mix of creative talent stepping on and off its surfboard throughout--and while "stopping short" before even hitting the 150-issue mark could be seen as a rebuke of Englehart's perpetual caption for this series ("Space is infinite!", i.e., "There's no limit to the stories we can have for this character!"), and, yes, there were times you had trouble seeing the Surfer for all the guest stars, the series can probably still be counted as a success in light of the fact that, at one time, the future for the Silver Surfer seemed anything but vast.
Silver Surfer #1
Script: Steve Englehart
Pencils: Marshall Rogers
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
Letterer: John Workman
Labels: Galactus, reviews, Silver Surfer, Steve Englehart
Big Murr said...
"Space is infinite!"
This development for the Surfer is logical and way past due. I recall being excited and intrigued...for about six or seven issues and then lost all interest.
On the one hand, travelling alone meant we once again had the Surfer endlessly talking to himself, like in the old series. And too many stories once again became morality-metaphor plays. The alien planet wasn't a fully functioning civilization, but some weird, "one-joke" world obsessed with some trait to give the humans reading another finger-shake admonition. I recall feeling like I was experiencing the worst episodes of Star Trek
Then there would be a story with a familiar face. Characters that the Surfer and the reader know. This also began to annoy me. Space is apparently about as infinite as Rhode Island, bumping into the same people over and over.
I guess if they had created a credible cast of supporting characters for the Surfer to talk with, it would have sustained me better. But, the nature and power of the Surfer makes creating such a cast pretty difficult.
HellRazor said...
This was a great series for most of its run. Englehart was perfect for this comic, I think it was some of his best work. Epic cosmic storylines that made great use of (and built upon) Marvel's space-borne characters and the Elders of the Universe.
Even beyond Englehart's run, it remained a good read at least up until (and including) the Warlock and Thanos storylines. I quit collecting right around that time.
Not so great toward the end of the run though, from what I've seen.
Most modern writers don't seem to write the Surfer very well. Not sure what he is doing these days, but a couple of years ago he voluntarily became Galactus' herald again, which I thought was completely out of character and illustrated a basic lack of understanding of the character.
I remember coming across those issues where the Surfer rejoined Galactus, HellRazor, and I agree it seems an unusual move on his part given what we've seen here. I don't recall the circumstances, but now I'm curious to revisit that story and discover what prompted his decision. (I also seem to remember other Marvel characters (like the Thing) bringing it up with him, as if it were a casual piece of news that was no great concern, which seems strange in itself.)
Colin Jones said...
Drat!
After reading the first six I thought triumphantly: "He's forgotten the Microverse one" :D
The Infra-World of Captain Omen!
A Behemoth Stalks The Stars!
Arrrr... I Be The True Sub-Mariner!
Escape From Hades!
You Always Battle The One You Love
The Final Fate of The Bride of Doom!
In Victory, Defeat!
When Ambushes The Silver Surfer!
Fathers, Sons, Huns... and Doc Ock!
A World For The Winning!
In The Clutches of... The Collector!
Now You See Him, Now You Don't
Clash Of The Titans!
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Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding there before strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. The federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed at more than fifty places. Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans was breached as Hurricane Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Eventually 80% of the city became flooded and also large tracts of neighboring parishes, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks. At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. Economist and Crisis Consultant Randall Bell, brought into the area after the levee failures, writes in his book, Real Estate Damages, "Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992." The storm is estimated to have been the costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history.
The levee failures prompted investigations of their design and construction which belongs to the US Army Corps of Engineers as mandated in the Flood Control Act of 1965 and into their maintenance by the local Levee Boards (who prevented the Army Corps from building flood gates at the mouth of the drainage canals at Lake Pontchartrain ). There was also an investigation of the responses from federal, state and local governments, resulting in the resignation of Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael D. Brown, and of New Orleans' Police Superintendent Eddie Compass. Conversely, the United States Coast Guard, the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service were widely commended for their actions, accurate forecasts and abundant lead time. Four years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana were still living in trailers.
Reconstruction of each section of the southern portion of Louisiana has been addressed in the Army Corps LACPR Final Technical Report which identifies areas to not be rebuilt and areas buildings need to be elevated. The Technical Report includes locations of possible new levees to be built; suggested existing levee modifications; "Inundation Zones"; "Water depths less than 14 feet, Raise-In-Place of Structures"; "Water depths greater than 14 feet, Buyout of Structures"; "Velocity Zones"; and "Buyout of Structures" areas for five different scenarios. The Corps of Engineers will submit the report to Congress for consideration, planning, and response in mid 2009.
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Jets Trade Calvin Pryor
Posted on June 1, 2017 by Jason Fitzgerald
According to Mike Garafolo the New York Jets are trading former first round draft pick Calvin Pryor to the Cleveland Browns for inside linebacker Demario Davis. The trade of Pryor should be no surprise since the writing was on the wall from the minute the Jets drafted Jamal Adams in the first round last month. Davis has spent the first four years of his career with the Jets before signing with the Browns as a free agent last season.
From a monetary standpoint on it’s face it is an odd trade. Davis comes over to the Jets with a $3.8 million salary for the year while Pryor leaves with just a $1.6 million salary. For all of Pryor’s faults and his lack of a role for 2017 it is hard to see the Jets having to essentially pay $2.2 million to get rid of him. While some may argue that the Jets are high on Davis, it was just last year that they let him walk for essentially the same salary as he will earn this year so it should not be that.
It’s possible that the Jets could have gotten the Browns to eat some of the salary to balance out the trade or that they have worked out something else with Davis. It’s also possible that the Jets will work out a lower salary for David Harris to balance out the cost. If all things remain the same it’s an odd distribution to the position with Harris earning $6.5 million and the Jets having spent a first round pick on Darron Lee last year.
Pryor should get an opportunity to revive a career that never really got off the ground in New York. Ive likened Pryor for some time to Rams safety Mark Barron who essentially plays linebacker now. That is probably the best role for Pryor if he is willing to embrace that with the Browns.
For the Jets the trade of Pryor will mark the end of one of the worst periods in their history when it came to the draft. From 2012 to 2014 only one of the Jets four first round draft picks made it to the end of their rookie contract with the team. Linebacker/Defensive end Quinton Coples was released in the middle of his fourth year, Dee Milliner was cut at the start of his fourth year, and now Pryor was traded before year four began. Neither of the other two are still in the NFL. Sheldon Richardson is currently in the fifth year of his contract and the Jets had hoped to trade him last season but couldn’t find a buyer. If you want a big reason why the Jets are as bad as they are look no further than their drafts during that era.
Questions about this article? Reach Jason Fitzgerald on Twitter at @jason_otc
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Robeson, NC post office locations
FAIRMONT 100 N WALNUT ST FAIRMONT, NC 28340 - 1952 910-628-6778 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm Sat 10:00am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
Lumber Bridge
LUMBER BRIDGE 104 S FAYETTEVILLE ST LUMBER BRIDGE, NC 28357 - 8778 910-843-4454 Mon-Fri 9:45am - 12:45pm 1:15pm - 4:15pm Sat 10:00am - 12:30pm Sun Closed
LUMBERTON 301 E 7TH ST LUMBERTON, NC 28358 - 4837 910-739-4355 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm Sat 8:30am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
MARIETTA 2733 MARIETTA RD MARIETTA, NC 28362 - 8901 910-628-9742 Mon-Fri 12:15pm - 4:15pm Sat-Sun Closed
MAXTON 215 MCCASKILL AVE MAXTON, NC 28364 - 1827 910-844-3417 Mon-Fri 9:00am - 11:30am 1:00pm - 4:30pm Sat 10:00am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
ORRUM 1545 S CREEK RD ORRUM, NC 28369 - 9275 910-628-6226 Mon-Fri 9:00am - 12:00pm 1:15pm - 4:15pm Sat 8:00am - 11:00am Sun Closed
PARKTON 29 S FAYETTEVILLE ST PARKTON, NC 28371 - 9006 910-858-3554 Mon-Fri 10:00am - 12:00pm 12:30pm - 4:30pm Sat 9:00am - 12:30pm Sun Closed
PEMBROKE 404 E 3RD ST PEMBROKE, NC 28372 - 8888 910-521-4792 Mon-Fri 9:00am - 4:30pm Sat 10:00am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
PROCTORVILLE 101 W MAIN ST PROCTORVILLE, NC 28375 - 8901 910-628-0433 Mon-Fri 12:30pm - 4:30pm Sat-Sun Closed
RED SPRINGS 230 S MAIN ST RED SPRINGS, NC 28377 - 1622 910-843-2972 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm Sat 9:00am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
REX 1045 REX RD REX, NC 28378 - 8901 910-843-3447 Mon-Fri 2:45pm - 4:45pm Sat-Sun Closed
ROWLAND 202 N BOND ST ROWLAND, NC 28383 - 9770 910-422-3016 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 11:30am 12:30pm - 4:30pm Sat 9:00am - 12:30pm Sun Closed
SAINT PAULS 320 W BROAD ST SAINT PAULS, NC 28384 - 1536 910-865-4159 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm Sat 9:30am - 12:00pm Sun Closed
SHANNON 14654 NC HIGHWAY 71 N SHANNON, NC 28386 - 8905 910-843-5831 Mon-Fri 9:30am - 12:30pm 1:30pm - 4:30pm Sat 9:00am - 11:00am Sun Closed
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The Crisis of Neoliberalism - CEPREMAP
The Crisis of Neoliberalism Gérard Duménil and Dominique Lévy The implementation of neoliberalism in the late 1970s and early 1980s was a rather painful process, with the multiplication of crises around the world, as in the United States during the 1980s, Japan in 1990, Mexico in 1994, Korea and other countries of East Asia in 1997, and Latin America, notably Argentina in 2001. The expression “crisis of neoliberalism” is, however, used to designate the major crisis that hit the United States (US), Europe, and indirectly many other countries in the so-called “financial crisis” of 2008 and the “great recession” of 2009. Thanks to the dramatic policies conducted in support of financial institutions and the stimulation of the economies by huge deficits of government expenses, the repetition of a scenario similar to the Great Depression was avoided, but macro policies cannot remedy a structural crisis. As of the 2010s, the “world” is no longer in crisis, but the US and, even more, Europe are not out of crisis, with low growth rates—what is now denoted as “stagnation”—and skyrocketing government debts. The establishment of neoliberal capitalism cannot be understood as a merely economic phenomenon, a change in policies and institutions. The crisis of neoliberalism is the expression of the inner contradictions of a political strategy supported by basic national and international economic transformations, whose main objectives are the restoration and increase of the power, income, and wealth of upper classes. But the international domination of the US worldwide was considerably weakened during the most recent decades and profoundly affected by the crisis itself as other countries were forging ahead. The new policies now undertaken in the US testify to a strong determination on the part of the government and the Federal Reserve to revert this declining trend. If these strategies were successful, US neoliberalism could be retrospectively understood as a stepwise process, with a first episode whose major stake was the restoration of the hegemony of upper classes, and a second episode now targeted to the restoration of US international hegemony. Much remains to be done, however, and the final outcome is far from obvious. The analysis is conducted in five sections. First, we examine the historical background in terms of relations of production, classes, and class struggle. Second, we attend to the success—according to its own criteria—of the new social order and its, at least, provisional failure in the crisis of 2008 marking the end of a first episode in the neoliberal endeavor. The third section is devoted to the resurgence of traditional Keynesian and Marxian interpretations among leftist academics, which may shed some light on this complex course of events but, in our opinion, fails to address the specific class and imperial features of the chain of events that led to the crisis. Fourth, we address the significance and prospects of the new policies in the US that aim to restore the country’s international economic hegemony, the second episode that remains to be written.i A final section is devoted to broader historical prospects. 1. Neoliberalism as a successful strategy of class reconquest in the overall dynamics of managerial capitalism Relations of production are in constant evolution, even within each of the successive modes of production. In this respect, the history of the US since the independence of the country is quite specific as, from the origin, capitalist relations of production developed on the new continent at a distance from the remnants of feudalism or the transition of the Ancien Régime. But reaching the end of the century, the emergence of new managerial features signaled a basic transformation in relations of production, with the three revolutions at the turn of the century, namely the corporate, the financial, and the managerial revolutions. The US
capitalism of the early 20th century was already a hybrid society, a “managerial capitalism”. A straightforward quantitative expression of this secular tendency is the invasion of the upper segments of the income pyramid by wages compared to capital income (rents, dividends, and interest). Considering the top 1 percent (the fractile 99-100) of households in the income pyramid, prior to the Great Depression in the US, capital income still amounted to 1.5 more than wages, emphasizing the capitalist nature of the fractile. In 2012, the ratio had been inverted as wages were 4 times larger than capital income. Nowadays, even within the top 1/1000th of the income pyramid, wages are twice that of capital income. The progress of managerial relations of production cannot be separated from the transformation of class patterns. For the traditional bipolar scheme capitalist-proletarian classes, one must substitute the threefold pattern capitalist-managerial-popular classes. The position of managerial classes was originally that of a new intermediate class, but these classes gradually move to the top, at the conquest of the status of new upper class besides capitalists. (Within both classes, capitalists and managers, a large spectrum of positions obviously exists.) Our interpretation is that a transition is presently under way toward a new mode of production in which managerial classes would be the new upper classes. The hybrid features of managerial capitalism are the expression of this transition.ii Concerning the politics of the transition, the pattern of dominations and alliances between the three classes are of crucial import. Since the early 20th century, we distinguish between three social orders: 1) The first financial hegemony. From the beginning of the century to the Great Depression, capitalist classes unquestionably dominated social relations, in alliance with the emerging class of managers, an alliance to the right. 2) The postwar compromise. From the New Deal to the 1970s, a new social order was set up.1 This order was the outcome of the depression itself, in the context of the rise of the worker movement worldwide, and under the threat of self-proclaimed “socialist” countries for capitalist classes. The new social order was the expression of the alliance between popular classes and managers, an alliance to the left, within “socialdemocratic” of “Keynesian” societies. The main social forces in these movements were popular classes, but managerial classes assumed the leadership in the new management of corporations and the definition of new policies. 3) The second financial hegemony in neoliberalism. In the context created by the crisis of the 1970s, the continuing struggle on the part of upper classes, and the weaknesses of the postwar compromise, the alliance swung to the right, between capitalist and managerial classes. The new trends were already manifest during the 1970s and early 1980s, with the dramatic restoration of the income and wealth of upper classes still on the rise after 2000. The management of corporations was radically transformed to the benefit of shareholders; new policies were defined; free trade and the free movements of capital worldwide placed the workers of all countries in a situation of competition. In the US, the progress of the purchasing power of the bulk of wage-earners was blocked and the old controls that the New Deal had placed on financial institutions were lifted. Note that neoliberalism is a phase of managerial capitalism, not an
The « New Deal » is the name given to the set of programs and policies enacted in the US under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt after 1933, in the wake of the Great Recession. It is also commonly referred to the political groups that supported many of the policies enacted during the first decades following World War II as the “New Deal coalition”.
ideology, though there is obviously a neoliberal ideology, that of “free-market” economics (limited government intervention), as in Classical liberalism. One must, however, keep in mind that neoliberal governments remained strong and played a crucial role in the launching and perpetuation of the new social order. Figure 1 shows the average yearly income in constant purchasing power per household in each fractile of the income pyramid since World War I in the United States. The fractiles are listed under the figure. (For example, 0-90 refers to all households with the exception of the upper 10 percent, and the fractile 99.99-100 refers to the top 1/10 000th of households with the most elevated income.) The logarithmic scale provides a clearer view of growth rates. The variables have been rescaled to 100 for the average of the period 1960-1973 when the growth rates of purchasing powers were almost the same for the various fractiles. The vertical continuous lines in 1933 and 1974 delineate the three social orders above; the dotted lines in 1960 and 2000 separate two sub-periods within the second and third periods. Figure 1 – Average yearly income per household in seven fractiles (constant dollars, 19601973=100).
Source : Piketty and Saez 2003. The succession of the three social orders above is clearly apparent in the trends of purchasing powers and income inequality. Beginning with the comparatively high levels of inequality prior to the New Deal, a dramatic reduction occurred during the first few decades (up to 1960) of the new compromise to the left; then, all purchasing power grew at similar rates. From about 1974 onward, a new spectacular diverging pattern is apparent, with skyrocketing high income and the income of the 0-90 stagnating (being even reduced). Both the historical profiles of wages and capital income are involved in these profiles. The following are noteworthy. First, due to their comparative and rising importance, wages are a crucial component of the distinct trends in each period. Second, the income of the top income fractiles was dramatically reduced during the intermediate period, sometimes
described as a “financial repression”. In neoliberalism, upper classes were able to increase both upper wages and capital income. This “return” of capital income seems to contradict its secular comparative decline but, despite its spectacular amplitude, this movement remained inferior to the rise of wages and confined within very small income brackets at the top. 2. The structural crisis of the early 21st century as class- and national-specific In the Communist Manifesto, Marx compared capitalist classes to apprentice “sorcerers”. To the aim of increasing their powers and income—and pushed forward by the dynamics of accumulation and competition—these classes boldly innovate and remove all impediments to their action (as in deregulation); they periodically lose control of their magic. Marx described this inclination as a general feature of capitalism, and there is no doubt that credit and, more generally, financial mechanisms, are pushed to and finally beyond the limits during the recurrent phases of expansion. The crisis of neoliberalism is not any of the standard exercises in witchcraft, however, as during the phases of recurrent overheating and recession. Truly specific of the social order is the amplitude taken by these developments over various decades and across countries, as well as their sophisticated interrelations that conferred to the crisis its structural character. The crisis is the crisis of neoliberal capitalism, not any form of capitalism and, even more specifically, the crisis of neoliberalism under US hegemony, as suggested in the left part of the diagram. In the phrase, “neoliberalism” accounts for the specific class character of the crisis. The words “U.S. hegemony” account for the particular US aspects of the process. This hegemony, in which the towering positions of US financial institutions and of the dollar are key elements, allowed for the continuation of the growing disequilibria of the US macroeconomic trajectory to the unsustainable levels of imbalance finally reached after 2000. No other country would have performed anything similar. Figure 2 – A diagrammatic representation
Returning to the chain of events, two basic categories of factors were involved. The upper part of the diagram in Figure 2 (following Arrow A) points to the “quest for high income”, meaning the eagerness of upper classes to restore and increase their income and wealth after decades of comparative setback. In a broad context of deregulation, the 1980s were a period of unchecked progress of financialization and globalization, in particular financial globalization. A lot has been written concerning financial instability inherent in the advance of financial mechanisms. Market mechanisms (the stock market, derivative markets, etc.) are center stage, but also the mechanisms supporting loans (such as securitization or credit default swaps). Important risks were also involved in the process of globalization, in particular the potential imbalance of foreign trade, the flows of short-term capital across the world, and the lost control of credit mechanisms and financial markets. The lower block of factors (Arrow B) is more specifically typical of the U.S. economy:
1) With the new methods of managements and the rising flows of direct investment toward the rest of the world, the rate of capital accumulation dramatically diminished. The variable in Figure 3 is the share in GDP of nonresidential investment of the U.S. private economy. After 1980, a dramatic downward trend was substituted for the earlier rising trend. 2) A crucial determinant of the crisis was the deficit of foreign trade, reaching about 5 percent of GDP prior to the crisis. The excess of imports over exports results in a deficit of demand toward the enterprises located on national territory. These enterprises are at the origin of the flows of income resulting from production, under the forms of wages and capital income. This income should return to these enterprises when the purchasing power is used to buy goods and services. When, as a result of the deficit of foreign trade, a fraction does not go back to domestic enterprises, a deflationary chain of events is initiated. This is what happened prior to the crisis. Stimulation was required, under the form of a flow of new loans correcting for the deficient demand levels. The new borrowings could come from enterprises, the government, or households. In the US in those years, enterprises did not borrow to the aim of investment (another component of demand), only in support of financial activity. An even larger reliance on government’s deficit was not in line with neoliberal policy options. The new borrowings came from households financed by mortgage loans. 3) A direct consequence of the growing deficit of the US foreign trade was the rise of debts. The “debt” of the country toward the rest of the world increased mechanically with the deficit. (The flows of financing from the rest of the world can also take the form of the purchase of stock shares, but new loans were the main channel.) The second debt was the rising debt of households, up to the unsustainable levels reached prior to the crisis. Figure 3 – Share in GDP of nonresidential investment (percent): U.S. private economy.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Nipa. The relationship between the two categories of determinants (Arrow E) is also important. For example, financial deregulation and the rise of financial institutions allowed for the upward trend of the debt of households and its new bold forms of refinancing by private-label issuers (besides securitization by Government sponsored enterprises). The Federal Reserve met with
growing difficulties in controlling interest rates, as financial globalization allowed US financial institutions to borrow from foreign (notably Japanese) banks. The two sets of factors converged (Arrows B and D) during the second half of the 2000s, causing the crisis in the US economy. The crisis was rapidly exported to the rest of the world. First, many countries were themselves engaged to various extents in similar unsustainable practices. Second, a significant fraction of US bad securities had been sold to these countries. The crisis unfolded as a stepwise process. A first phase can be dated to January 2006-July 2007, with the fall of building permits, home sales, home prices, and the beginning of defaults. The devaluation of the riskiest segments of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) began. Between August 2007 and September 2008, the situation of U.S. financial institutions deteriorated, with liquidity problems and losses, but the crisis was still a US phenomenon. The most dramatic phase was September 2008-February 2009, with the multiplication of failures (notably Lehman Brothers), the contagion to the rest of the globe, and the contraction of output. The trough of the recession was reached by mid-2009 in the United States, while the default on household debt reached unprecedented levels. Stock-market indices plunged. The reaction of central authorities was rapid and strong: (1) The Federal Reserve engaged massively into the purchase of agency MBSs and supported the financial sector (loans and direct holdings), while federal funds rates had declined to levels close to zero, and (2) Government deficits exploded. Since 2010, a rather steady growth rates (about 2 percent) then prevailed in the United States, supported by the continued strong involvement of the government and the Federal Reserve, while the economy of the European Union (EU) went on stagnating, paralyzed by the attempt to correct government deficits in the absence of more profound transformations. Other countries in the rest of the world, like China, were hit by the recession in the old centers and then recovered. 3. The comeback of traditional Keynesian-Marxian interpretations The violence of neoliberal capitalism had already been a source of revival of the most critical analyses of capitalism (see Springer, this volume, Chapter 1). The occurrence of the crisis in 2007-8 prolonged these early assessments. The crisis is explained by basic tendencies inherent in capitalism, like: (1) financial instability; (2 and 3) a mismatch between aggregate supply and demand levels due to either (2) a deficient demand levels caused by a bias in income distribution or (3) excess supply on the part of enterprises; (4) declining profit rates, and (5) the historical recurrence of long waves. The return to the traditional analyses of crises in capitalism is sometimes asserted vigorously, as a refutation of approaches describing the crisis as the “crisis of neoliberalism” (rather than capitalism). In our opinion, the crisis must be understood in reference to “neoliberal managerial capitalism”, and abstraction should not be made of the specific features of this form of capitalism. The boundaries are not easy to draw between various trains of thought as, for example, the reference to Keynesian financial instability is directly evocative of Marx’s analysis of fictitious capital; similar views concerning deficient demand levels are typical of the two trains of thought, though the particular mechanisms may be distinct. 1) Financial instability. There is no surprise in the resurgence to the fore of “financial instability” as a crucial determinant of crises, a factor whose relevance is unquestionable. Within the Keynesian train of thought, reference is often made to Minsky’s analysis of the pattern of cumulative rise, sudden reversal (the Minsky point), and collapse, typical of financial markets. Examples are Paul Krugman (2008) and Paul Davidson (2009), pointing to the rise of financial mechanisms and deregulation. The analysis of Joseph Stiglitz (2010) emphasizes the mistaken macro policy undertaken in response to the 2000-
1 recession (and in the wake of the collapse of the stock market). The Federal Reserve drastically diminished the interest rate and, thus, fed the housing bubble that the greed of financial institutions contributed to inflate resorting to highly risky procedures. Among Marxist economists, even if the terminology is distinct, the core analysis hinging around the risks inherent in the accumulation of fictitious capital, that is, financial assets is in line with the above (Chesnais 2014). At a general level of analysis, we have no disagreement with the emphasis on financial mechanisms, deregulation, and mistaken macro policies. They were all part of the 2008 crisis. But the class determinants, accounting for the prevalence of these stubborn trends during more than three decades of neoliberalism, should not be overlooked. 2) Deficient demand as accounting for the low levels of utilization of productive capacities. Typical of the Keynesian train of thought but also Marxist perspectives is the reference to deficient demand levels. The origin of the mismatch between supply and demand is located on the demand side, as an effect of the low share of wages and/or its declining trend (Shaikh 2011, Valle 2008). The argument rests on the notion that wage earners spend a larger share of their income than capitalists. Two difficulties are involved: (1) In the United States, the share of wages did not decline prior to the crisis; and (2) As already stated in Section II, a basic feature of the period preceding the crisis was the excess demand (as manifest in the excess of imports on exports), not deficient demand. More sophisticated interpretations are, therefore, required. A substitute for the first objection above could be the consideration of upper income (profits and wages) fractiles, instead of profits alone. Empirical data shows, however, that the recipients of upper incomes diminished even more their savings prior to the crisis than the lower strata (Saez and Zucman 2014). As a reply to the second objection, it is typically answered that the problem was not the lack of actual demand but the lack of demand financed out of income, a deficiency that caused the borrowing spree compensating for the deficient purchasing power of households. (In other words, consumption and investment were high but their financing perilous.) A first counter-argument is that, in the history of capitalism, the needs of the poor segments of the population never pushed banks to lend without sufficient guarantees. Moreover, these interpretations forget that the control of the volumes of borrowing is a basic function of monetary policy. Up to the very last moments, the upward trends of household borrowing were a deliberate policy on the part of the Federal Reserve intending to counteract the effect of the deficit of foreign trade (given the refusal to allow the deficit of the government to perform the tasks). The key role played by the deficit of foreign trade is precisely what is overlooked in these analyses. 3) Overaccumulation. Symmetrical, or used in combination with the above, another reading of the crisis points to an autonomous tendency toward overaccumulation (over-supply), a traditional Marxian contention. US enterprises allegedly went on increasing their productive capacities independently of the actual levels of demand (possibly as a consequence of competition or rapid technical change). iii It is, however, difficult to imagine why US enterprises maintained this puzzling behavior during several decades without adjustment. The downward trend of the capacity utilization rate in manufacturing industries is put forward to support this interpretation. We have serious doubts concerning the relevance of this empirical foundation as, taken at face value, the low levels of the capacity utilization rate during the 1990s would imply that overaccumulation was already a feature of the period, when the US economy was growing at rates of about 4 percent (during the boom of new technologies). Finally, the analysis of delinquencies on loans clearly demonstrates the quite unusual pattern observed prior to the 2008-9 recession, as
the delinquencies on industrial loans did not increased before the recession (as in usual cycles) while the delinquencies on mortgage loans exploded. 4) Declining profit rates. As the crisis of the 1970s had been a profitability crisis, numerous Marxist economists prolonged this analysis to the new crisis. A crucial issue was therefore the calculation of profit rates, with the usual problems met in the definitions of profits and capital. There is actually a huge gap between: (1) profit rates measured using a very broad definition of profits (total income minus labor compensations) divided by the stock of fixed capital (at replacement cost) and, (2) the “rate of retained profits”, that is profits after paying out taxes, interest and dividends, divided by enterprises own funds (Duménil and Lévy 2011, Figure 4.1). The profit rate in the first broad measure partially recovered after the decline that caused the crisis of the 1970s. Subtracting all taxes, the profit rate recovered its levels of the 1960s (as profit taxes were diminished iv). It is actually the increased flow of dividends in neoliberalism that caused the decline of the retained profit rate, that is, a tendency inherent in neoliberal management procedures. This decline was a crucial factor in the downward trend of investment in Figure 3, but did not cause the crisis. (The housing crisis began in 2006 and was later transformed into a recession.) In a profitability crisis, like during the 1970s, capitalism “sinks” because profits are the oxygen of capitalist corporations, and there is no significant financial component. In a crisis like the 2008 crisis, capitalism “explodes” as financial mechanisms play an important role. A symmetrical line of argument is sometimes put forward by Marxist economists, pointing to a restoration of the profit rate prior to the crisis, pinned on a decline of the share of wages (Moseley 2009, Shaikh 2011, and Husson 2012). (See the discussion above concerning the wage share.) 5) Long waves. A special emphasis must be put on interpretations hinging around the theory of long waves or Kondratieff cycles, with often a clear reference to the historical framework developed by Fernand Braudel. Capitalism goes through long phases of expansion that culminate in episodes of financialization, as a manifestation of the depletion of profitable opportunities in the nonfinancial sector (Arrighi 1999). Then, a long phase of decline occurs. The causes of the depletion of nonfinancial investment opportunities is pinned on various mechanisms evocative of overaccumulation, but not with precise contents. In the case of Emmanuel Wallerstein, the crucial factor is the rise of costs (energy, labor, and the like) whose final outcome will be the extinction of capitalism (Wallerstein 2000). 4. A broad Agenda: Exiting the current crisis, avoiding a new crisis, remedying the current stagnating growth, and restoring the US international hegemony From the viewpoint of its class objectives, namely the restoration of the power and wealth of upper classes, neoliberalism was amazingly successful (Section I). Concerning the US economy, the consequences were, however, devastating (Section II). A major crisis occurred, threatening the continuation of the entire endeavor; neoliberal trends were at the origin of a more than three-decade long decline of investment rates on U.S. national territory, when other countries were forging ahead. The already weakened US international hegemony is at risk. Thus, the program for the coming decades is clearly set out. Macro policies are central, but one cannot remedy a structural crisis only by the Keynesian stimulation of demand: 1) Stabilizing the economy—consolidating the aggregate economy (still supported by government deficits)—that is, really going out of the current structural crisis, and avoiding the repetition of major crises in the future.
2) Stimulating investment and growth, what implies forms of re-territorialization of industrial production, notably within key industries. 3) Restoring the US international hegemony (conditioned by the two previous requirements), notably perpetuating the domination of the US network of financial institutions worldwide in the structure of “Anglo-Saxon neoliberalism” (Duménil and Lévy 2014, Ch. 7). This is where the relationship between the class and international components is the closest (a reciprocal relationship). Obviously the role of the dollar is crucial. A first issue is the political motivation. A sharp difference between the US and Europe is that, within the EU or the euro zone, there is no national feeling, since there is no European nation. The project of continental integration was the product of the consciousness, after the devastations of the two World Wars, of a common cultural heritage and solidarity, but the differences between countries remain of considerable import as evident in the treatment (or absence of treatment) of the crisis. Policies in Europe are clearly in line with basic orthodox tenets, like the downward pressure on labor costs and the eagerness to “tranquilize” the banks holding government securities by cutting government deficits. Nothing that would allow Europe to move forward. Conversely, in the US, the “national factor” plays a central role, and the consciousness of the necessity of safeguarding the international hegemony of the country may provide sufficient grounds for the establishment of a new course. Actually, the process is already under way. A second issue is the social-political nature of the endeavor, knowing that we refer here to ongoing trends from the viewpoint of upper classes, and not to what “should”, in our opinion, preferably be undertaken. A strong involvement of central authorities, notably the government and the Federal Reserve, is required. No private institution, no “market” can perform the task, and the conduct of such policies implies a significant break from neoliberal ideology and practices. The new course of events is typical of what can be called “administered neoliberalism”, at odds with the classical liberalism of free markets. Principles and methods are, however, much less important than the class foundations and objectives of the social order, in particular when the international domination of the country is involved. There is clearly a class component in the definition of these new directions as government officials—a segment of managerial classes and a component in the alliance at the top—play a central role (a new New Deal politically oriented to the right). The action of high officials within central institutions was and is still central in the treatment of the crisis. They should play a prominent role during the coming decades. If they don’t, the objectives will not be reached. A third issue is the contents: 1. Regulating financial mechanisms. A law, the Dodd-Frank Act, was voted in the wake of the crisis to place limits on the action of financial institutions. Its implementation was, to a large extent, blocked by the Republicans. One thing is clear, the volume of transactions on derivative markets did not diminish with the crisis, and the threat of a new financial crisis is still there. 2. The competitiveness of the US economy. The target here is the re-territorialization of industry with, notably, the objective of remedying the deficit of foreign trade. In the lower segments of employment, workers are available to work at a very low cost and deprived of basic social protection. Active policies stimulated the use of shale gas as a source of energy, with dramatic effects on the cost of energy. Given the differences in productivity worldwide (and including the cost of transportation), the costs of one unit of production in manufacturing industries in the United States and China have now converged (Sirkin, Zinser, and Rose 2014). These new achievements are of utmost importance, since most of 9
foreign trade is a trade of manufactured goods (despite the increase of US exports of services). To these, one must add the new forms of hidden protectionism (notably by the definition of technical norms to which imports are subjected, Evenett 2013) v , and industrial policies in favor of specific industries (in new technologies). As of 2014, an examination of the latest data shows that the deficit of foreign trade still amounts to 3 percent of GDP, compared to the 5 percent observed prior to the crisis. 3. Macro policies. Since the 2009 recession, a growth rate of about 2 percent has been maintained, but the deficit of the government still amounts to 6 percent of GDP, that is, levels are that are typical of the trough of recessions. The Federal Reserve is fully committed to the restoration of the economy, holding a huge stock of Treasury and Government sponsored enterprises securities to the aim of diminishing long-term interest rates. Nonetheless, the private sector is still paying back its debt instead of borrowing, and the downward trend of investment has not been inverted. To date, no autonomous (unsupported) restoration of the aggregate economy has been achieved. These policies guarantee to the US economy a form of “reprieve”. The key issue will be the continuing involvement of central authorities in the future and the resistances concerning corporate governance (foreign investment abroad, lavish flows of dividends, extravagant “compensations” at the top, and the like). 4. Taxation. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) constrains US citizens (even living outside of the country) to report their accounts in the rest of the world, and foreign financial institutions to inform the Internal Revenue Service of the existence of these assets. To what degree the device will be extended to the world and prove efficient remains to be determined. Major countries have signed agreements with the US, though neither Russia nor China, but the number of tax havens in the list is impressive. Contrary to the measures above, the new controls could be detrimental to rich individuals forced to pay taxes. But remedies must be found to the deficit of the government. In the abstract, the potential inherent in the new policies seems unquestionable. Other countries are, however, also active and may improve their own competitiveness as fast as the US economy, or even faster (notably with respect to patents and the price of energy). The class interests inherent in neoliberalism place major limits on policies in most if not all of the above respects, and the contradiction between class and territorial objective is acute as clearly demonstrated during the first neoliberal episode prior to the crisis. Strengthening the situation is really a challenge. 5. Historical prospects Returning to the general framework of Section I—relations of production and class struggle— the political implications of the above are obvious and of historical import. At the beginning of the 20th century, the US assumed a clear leadership in the transition from the traditional capitalism of the 19th century to managerial capitalism (in the corporate, managerial, and financial revolutions). The capability of the United States to lead the path in the establishment of the new institutions of managerial capitalism was the main determinant of the international hegemony of the country during the 20th century under the new forms of Wilsonian informal imperialism (as opposed to traditional colonial empires). At stake in the early 21st century, are the political options governing the trajectory toward most advanced forms of managerial capitalism. Two options are opened: (1) a course evocative of the post-depression path to the left that commanded the reduction of inequality (the opposite of the rise at the top); and (2) a movement along the right branch of the bifurcation as in neoliberalism. The first option failed during the 1970s. The crisis of
neoliberalism was hastily interpreted by analysts in the left, as the failure of the second track. Can the conduct of the second post-crisis episode turn this failure into success, thus demonstrating the compatibility of class and territorial hegemonies? One can have serious doubts given the amplitude of the task to be accomplished and the obvious resistances to the required adjustments that can be expected on the part of upper classes. These are the domestic contradictions, but the external contractions are also acute. Will Europe remain staggering at the cross-road with the consolidation of conservative policies or is there a chance for a left turn on the old continent? And what of China—the other champion of the “national factor” and the country of the tightest alliance-merger between capitalists and government officials— an obvious candidate for a new global hegemony? References Arrighi, G. 1999. The Global Market, Journal of World System Research, 5(2): 217-251. Brenner, R. 2009. What is good for Goldman Sachs is good for America: The origins of the current crisis. UCLA. Chesnais, F. 2014. Fictitious capital in the context of global over-accumulation and changing international economic power relationships. In The Great Recession and the contradictions of contemporary capitalism, ed. R. Bellofiore and G. Vertova, 65-82. Aldershot, England: Edward Elgar. Davidson, P. 2009. Alternative Explanations of the Operation of a Capitalist Economy: Efficient Market Theory vs. Keynes’s Liquidity Theory, Real-world economic review 50: 85-100. Duménil, G., and D. Lévy 2001. Costs and benefits of neoliberalism. a class analysis. Review of International Political Economy 8(4):578–607. ————. 2011. The Crisis of Neoliberalism, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. ————. 2014. La Grande Bifurcation, Paris: La Découverte. Evenett, S.J. 2013. Protectionism’s quiet return. GTA’s pre-G8 summit report. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research. Husson, M. 2012. Le néolibéralisme, stade suprême ?, Actuel Marx 51, 86-101. Kotz, D. 2009. The financial and economic crisis of 2008: A systemic crisis of neoliberal capitalism, Review of Radical Political Economics 41: 305-317. Krugman, P. 2008. The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008, New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Moseley, F. 2009. The U.S. economic crisis: Causes and solutions, International Socialist Review 64.
Piketty, T. and E. Saez 2003. Income Inequality in the United States, 1913-1998, Quarterly Journal of Economics 118(1): 1-39 (updated to 2012). Saez, E. and G. Zucman 2014. Wealth Inequality in the United States since 1913: Evidence from Capitalized Income Tax. NBER Working Paper # 20625. Shaikh, A. 2011. The first great depression of the 21st century. Socialist Register 47: 44-63.
Sirkin, H., M. Zinser, and J. Rose, 2014. The shifting Economics of Global Manufacturing. How Cost Competitiveness is Changing Worldwide. Boston Consulting Group. Stigliz, J. 2010. Free to Fall. America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy, New York: Norton and Company. Valle, A. 2008. La crisis estadounidense y la ganancia. Razón y Revolución 18: 79–93. Wallerstein, I. 2000. Globalization or the age of transition? a long-term view of the trajectory of the world-system. International Sociology 15 (2): 250–268.
In the remainder of this study, we will only exceptionally refer to our earlier work. Specific contributions are: Duménil and Lévy 2001, 2011, and 2014. ii
We will not discuss here the implications of this “managerial hypothesis” concerning the struggle for the emancipation of humanity, as necessary as ever and neither less nor more impossible than before. iii
As in David Kotz’s reference to overinvestment (Kotz. 2009).
Robert Brenner (2009) only subtracts indirect business taxes from profits and, consequently, finds a declining trend of the profit rate, to which the crisis is imputed.
The Crisis of Neoliberalism Gérard Duménil and Dominique Lévy The implementation of neoliberalism in the late 1970s and early 1980s was a rather painf...
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Posts ➤ The Six Nations which invaded the Philippines
The Six Nations which invaded the Philippines
The Six Nations which invaded the Philippines.
➢ History textbooks may have taught you that only three countries ever invaded the Philippines in known history. This information is false and misleading. Although it is partly true that Japan, the USA and Spain popularly subjugated the Filipino nation, there are other three minor invaders recorded to have conquered the Pinoy Islanders.
In reality, The Netherlands (Dutch), Portugal and the Great Britain (England) also briefly invaded the Philippines. Also, some other less known foreign cultures and factions temporarily encroached Philippine territories during the colonial and pre-colonial times.
Photo Credits: Magellan from Wikimedia Commons and SCMP
SIX MAJOR INVADERS OF THE PHILIPPINES
IMPERIAL JAPAN 1941 - 1944
➢ The most recent invasion is attributed to Imperial Japan during World War II. A combined force of American and Filipino fighters resisted the full control of Japan of the Filipino nation. The Japanese takeover lasted from years 1941 to 1944. Eventually, Japan was soundly defeated together with Germany and Italy in the end by the combined military power of the Allied nations.
Photo Credits: Credits: Flag from Sciencekids
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1899 - 1946
➢ The United States of America entered the Pacific theater with the start of the Spanish-American War in April 25, 1898. Spain got obliterated by the USA in the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1 of the same year and subsequently sold their sovereignity of the Philippines for 20 million dollars in the Treaty of Paris. Resistance forces of the Philippine Republic prevented the complete annexation of the Americans which led to the Philippine-American war. The Moros and the Pulahanes also revolted against American rule. The war lasted from 1899 to 1913. America formally governed the Philippines up until 1946 when Japan was defeated and the USA relinquished sovereignity and control back to the Pinoys in the Treaty of Manila.
Credits: Flag from Sciencekids
GREAT BRITAIN 1762 - 1764
➢ The Great Britain was dragged to the Philippine shores after Spain discreetly allied with France, an enemy of England during the Seven Years War. It was January 4, 1762 when England declared war against the Spaniards. Britain later annexed Manila and Cavite with its Indian regiment. England brought in a strong fleet of eight ships of line, three frigates and four ships. Manila was immediately occupied and pillaged. However, the combined forces of Spain and Filipino fighters prevented the complete control of the country by the British invaders. The Brits eventually withdrew control of the Philippines after the Treaty of Paris in 1763 but was only implemented in 1764 due to delays in correspondence.
NETHERLANDS · 1600, 1609, 1616, 1646
➢ After gaining its independence, the Dutch yearned to be an economic power by siezing Asian territories from western powers. They first tried to attack Filipino shores in years 1600, 1609 and in 1616 with all ending in defeat opposite superior Spanish navy. Afterwards, in 1646, the Netherlands and Spain engaged in a series of five naval skirmishes known as the Battles of La Naval de Manila. Initially, Spain was ill-prepared to fend-off the Dutch. The good thing was Spain did utilize the help of Filipino fighters, hence they stopped the Dutch from ever capturing Manila. Spain had 2 and later 3 aging Galleons against the might of the Hollanders who brought 3 naval squadrons consisting of 16 Galleons and other smaller ships. The Hollanders started by plundering and pillaging the homes of the Pangasinenses and the Ilocanos when they refused to revolt against the Spanish. One Dutch squadron attacked Zamboanga and eventually blockaded San Jacinto port in Ticao island but failed. The aftermath of the war saw the Dutch losing decisively against the superior tactics of the Spanish navy commanders. Despite having a much more powerful navy, the weak tactics of Netherlands led to their ultimate defeat in the Philippines.
➢ Ever since Pope Alexander VI divided the known world for Spain and Portugal in Treaties Tordesillas and Zaragosa, both countries tried to outsmart one another in gaining territories for resources and power. Portugal surveyed the Philippine Colony in 1566 and warned the Spaniards in 1567 that it actually belonged to them and will retake it with a powerful armada. They came back in 1568 when Portuguese General Gonzalo de Pereira attacked the forces of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Cebu. Pereira blockaded the port of Cebu and attacked the settlement with guns and cannons. They burned a multitude of barangays and killed even children and women. However, Pereira retreated eventually even if he had the superior naval force. He feared that any losses incurred to his navy might mean losing Malacca, which also faced internal enemies. The attack in Cebu came as the last time Portugal attacked the Philippines. In 1580, Spain and Portugal were united as one nation after Portugal’s last sovereign royalty died, effectively uniting all the territories to Spain.
➢ Spain subjugated the Philippines the longest compared to all other foreign adversaries. Although initially discovered by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, it was not until 1565 that Spain began the permanent colonization of the Philippines. In the same year, Ruy Lopez de Villalobos founded settlements in Cebu and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi returned in 1571 to formally annex and establish a city in Manila. Spain controlled the Philippines for 333 long years until their defeat to the Americans in 1898.
MINOR INVADERS OF THE PHILIPPINES
CHINESE PIRATES 1574 - 1575
➢ Chinese pirate Limahong tried to invade Ilocos Sur and then Manila (through Parañaque) in 1574. The Spaniards, under Spanish Captain Juan de Salcedo and Filipino Dol Galo repulsed the pirates under the command of Limahong and stopped them from ever invading Manila. Limahong, however laid siege and successfully established a fort and a stronghold in Lingayen Pangasinan in 1575, garnishing himself as a royal king. After exacting tributes from the natives of Pangasinan, Limahong ultimately retreated to China when the Spanish made a blockade of the Lingayen river and forced an inland skirmish against the beleaguered Chinese bucanneers.
➢ Though ultimately unsuccessful in his ambition to invade the Philippines during the Spanish era, Zheng Chenggong aka “Koxinga” still raided several Philippine towns before his death. His threat to conquer the Philippine islands after annexing Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty resulted to the Spaniards concentrating their forces into Manila, thus abandoning the complete control and conquer of the Mindanao and Moro lands. This scenario also forced the Spanish to relinquish their hold of the Moluccas islands. An author, Tonio Andrade, theorized that Koxinga may have defeated the Spanish if he did not die abruptly.
OTHER NOTABLE PRE-COLONIZATION INVADERS OF THE PHILIPPINES
• INDONESIA – Sri Vijaya and Majapahit Empire
• BRUNEI – Sultan Kingdom of Brunei (around 1500 A.D.)
• MALAYSIA – Malacca Sultanate/Kingdom
• CHINA – Ma-I Mindoro Huangdom and Huangdom of Pangasinan
• Carioti, “The Zhengs’ Maritime Power in the International Context of the 17th Century Far East Seas: The Rise of a ‘Centralised Piratical Organisation’ and Its Gradual Development into an Informal ‘State'”, p. 41, n. 29.
• Andrade, Tonio (2005). “Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End”. How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century. Columbia University Press.
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Suspicious package found in Hopewell turned out to be empty
Krystal Knapp2 min readMarch 22, 2018Add comment
On Thursday afternoon, police in Hopewell Township received a call about a suspicious package at the Hopewell Gardens apartment complex on Denow Road. A cardboard package with suspicious writing on it had been left just outside of the mail room by an unknown person.
Police, assisted by Hopewell Valley Emergency Services personnel and members of the Pennington Fire Company, evacuated the east wing of the building as a safety precaution. Hopewell Township officers, assisted by the Pennington Borough Police Department, also closed a section of Denow Road in front of the complex.
A person of interest in the matter was detained for questioning, police said.
Members of the New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit responded to the scene to examine the package, which was deemed to be empty and harmless. A Mercer County Sheriff Officer and K-9 then conducted a search of the building. The building was declared safe and residents were able to return to their apartments at approximately 7:25 p.m.
After further investigation, the person of interest, Masanoly Aiken, 56, was placed under arrest. Aiken, a Hopewell Gardens resident, was charged with false public alarm, making terroristic threats, and causing or risking widespread injury or damage. He is currently in custody at the Hopewell Township Police Department, and his case is being forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for review, officials said.
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MLB’s Future: Kolby Allard
Jake Carmendy Uncategorized December 3, 2017 December 5, 2017 1 Minute
Since being drafted 14th overall in the 2015 MLB draft, Left-hander Kolby Allard has made a name for himself in the Atlanta Braves farm system. He currently ranks 2nd among Braves prospects according to MLB.com and 21st in their top 100. Let’s take a further look at Allard.
Allard’s first taste of minor league action came after he was drafted in 2015, when he returned from a back injury and pitched 6 scoreless innings for the GCL Braves in the Gulf Coast League. His first full season of minor league ball came in 2016, when he pitched 93.2 innings across 3 levels.
The Braves continued to move him up, and this year seen Allard pitch at the Double-A level, throwing 150 innings of 3.18 ERA ball. Allard has clearly shown his upside in the 2 years since he was drafted, and sooner than later Allard will be major league ready. Let’s take a look at what evaluators have to say about Allard.
Baseball America:
Baseball America(subscription required and recommended) currently has Allard ranked as the team’s No. 7 prospect in their system, citing his changeup as one of his best pitches. Scouts say his ceiling is of a No. 3 or 4 starter, and he could make an impact in the big leagues as soon as next season.
“His lack of size limits his projection, but his preternatural polish and command give him a high likelihood of big league success.” (per Baseball America).
MLB.com:
MLB.com has him rated higher as the team’s No. 2 prospect, citing his fastball and curveball as 60-grade pitches on the 20-80 scouting scale.
“With the back issue in the rear view mirror, the gloves came off for this talented left-hander. He jumped on a faster track to a future as a top half of a rotation starter with a double-jump to Double-A in 2017.”
(per MLB.com)
He’ll start next season at either Double-A or Triple-A, but if he is to continue to be successful in his development, Braves fans can expect to see another one of their top prospects ascend to the MLB level in what looks to be a bright future for the talented 20-year old.
Published December 3, 2017 December 5, 2017
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Reflections on the Irish Language I a) – for adult learners
On December 14, 2017 December 14, 2017 By rebelbreezeIn Cultural Comment, Ireland, Irish Language, Traditions & Folk Custom
REFLECTIONS ON THE IRISH LANGUAGE
A) FOR ADULT LEARNERS
Among the many spurious difficulties about learning Irish quoted by people there are some genuine ones.
TO BE OR …. SOMETHING ELSE
Much of what happens in English requires the use of the verb “to be”, which is a highly irregular verb so that the past tense singular was and plural were do not resemble each other much and resemble the infinitive to be or present tense for different persons (am, is, are) not at all. However the child learning to speak English as a mother or environmental tongue, i.e the language spoken around her outside the home, will in time get over the difficulty.
But when the adult English-speaker comes to learn Gaeilge (Irish), she will encounter in that language no equivalent usage to that of the verb “to be” in English. Instead, she will find the verbs “Tá” and “Is”. Furthermore, the verb “tá” will have other uses too.
Stock adult education class photo (Source: Internet)
For example, “I am a man” will be “Is fear mé” but “I am tired” will be “Tá mé tuirseach”. And “Tá”, with a set of prepositional pronouns, is used also to correspond to the verb “Have” in English: for example “Tá rothar agam” = “I have a bike”. And furthermore, when feelings are conveyed, “Tá” is used too but with another set of prepositional pronouns: “Tá fearg orm” = “I am angry” (lit. “I have anger on me”). Physical feelings too, eg: “I am thirsty” will be “Tá tart orm” (literally, “I have a thirst on me”, a phrase that appears in English spoken in Ireland even by people who have not spoken Irish in generations).
Now, before the complainer about Gaeilge can throw up his or hands in exasperation and exclaim “You see?”, let us examine another European language.
Castilian (Spanish) has exactly the same division between the verbs estar and ser: Estoy cansado (“I am tired”) but soy un hombre (“I am a man”). And furthermore, the use of another verb, tener (“to have”), to correspond to the use of the verb “to be” in English. As an example of the latter, tengo sed (literally “I have thirst”) = “I am thirsty”. Further, the verb “to make” in Castilian, hacer, will be used to describe the weather, as in “Hace frio” (lit. “It makes cold”) = “It is cold”.
Castilian is I believe the mostly widely-spoken European language after English but also the language with the most speakers in the world after Mandarin Chinese. Well over 400 million people speak Castilian as their first language and it has official status in 21 states spanning three continents.1
Not many people are going around whining about Castilian/ Spanish being difficult to learn (or if there are, they’re being ignored) so clearly, this problem of the different verbs in use in one language to an equivalent use of only one verb in English is not such a big problem at all.
So, if some people don’t want to learn Gaeilge, they need to find a different excuse; otherwise, as they say in coarse English (but not i nGaeilge or in Castellano) – suck it up!
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language also https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/spanish-speak-language-400-million-people
Irelandsocial commentary
SINGING SONG CENTRAL
REFLECTIONS ON THE IRISH LANGUAGE 1 b) FOR ADULT LEARNERS
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Reidhead & Company Publishers
Independent Publishing & Design
The Andes: The Complete History of Mountaineering in High South America
The history of climbing in the Andes has more unanswered questions than that of any other mountain range in the world. This climbing history began in the late Stone Age and covers a span of more than 15,000 years. The Andes is a climbing history that spans the ages, documenting the ascents of thousands of adventurous souls of all epochs: from unknown cavemen, hunters, Indians, grave-diggers, and miners to explorers, scientists, surveyors, artists, and, of course, modern sportive climbers!
With a wealth of over 800 pages, 290 illustrations and 60 maps, The Andes: The Complete History of Mountaineering in High South America is unparalleled in its breadth and bravely faces these unanswered questions.
The Andes is the most detailed and complete history ever written about the range. The book also includes a list of over 3,000 first ascents in the range—an unparalleled resource for any mountaineer.
Dimensions: 8.5 x 2.3 x 11 inches
eBook: $19.99 available at Amazon and Apple iBookstore.
Paperback: $64.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon , the Book Depository, and on order at most independent bookstores.
Note on eBook: The iBook version is an enhanced eBook and we consider it the best value and the best format for enjoying this book. That said, it only works on the iPad and Apple computers.
Note for international buyers: The iBook and Kindle versions are available internationally. Purchasing one of these versions will have significant savings in shipping costs. The paperback is also available through some retailers outside the United States, including Amazon UK and Amazon EU, but we cannot control the retail price on these copies, and they could have a list price more than the recommended U.S. $64.95. If you have an issue, please contact us.
Cover of the Revista del CIADAM. The drawing on the cover shows a typical statuette that has been found on several Andean summits.
Map of the Mountaineering Seasons in the Andes
Any photograph of the Torres del Paine National Park is immediately thought to represent Chile. Thus, the image below could be like any local postcard. The Cuernos (horns) del Paine are shown on left and La Fortaleza in center. And yet, none of these bold peaks is higher than 2800m above sea level.
Map of Cordillera Huarochiri or Pariaccaca
Henry Hoek (1878- 1951) at the start of his expedition into Bolivia in 1903.
Antuco volcano in southern Chile, first ascended in 1828 by Poeppig and a local hillman. This view by a French naturalist, quite inaccurately, purports to illustrate an eruption of Antuco. Claude Gay, 1845.
Always lacking funds, Annie Peck used to advertise her lectures and herself, attired in men’s pants, an unpardonable attitude for the epoch.
By 1980, the highest unclimbed peak in the Cordillera Blanca was Nevado Puntancuerno (5959m). It had been attempted twice by strong North American groups. The Peruvians Américo Tordoya and Augusto Ortega boldly scaled to the top.
Nevado Cayesh (5721m) a veritable ice needle.
Map of Tierra del Fuego
One of the many unclimbed, unnamed mountain peaks that Shipton’s party sighted above the clouds of the Hielo Patagónico Norte in 1963/64.
One of the most imposing mountains in Peru is Nevado Salcantay (6271m), whose south face shows in this greeting postcard mailed to friends and supporters by the 1974 German Naturfrfrende expedition.
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Building Bridges in an Age of Walls
A Story of Human Migration
Talk, Teach, and Learn
Explore the Re-imagining Migration Learning Arc
Moving Stories Storytelling Resources
Immigration and Identity: Jewish Immigrants Letters from the Bintel Brief
Thousands are Sailing: Irish Immigrants’ Letters from the 19th Century
A Culturally Responsive Guide to Fostering the Inclusion of Immigrant Origin Students
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Stories of Movement and Migration
Understanding Migration
From Stories and Understanding to Action
Inclusive Classrooms
Fellows Seminar 2019
The Great Migration and the power of a single decision
March 15, 2019 /0 Comments/in African Americans, Audio/VIdeo, High School, Historical & Scientific Perspectives, History, Journey, Social Studies /by Adam Strom
From Jacob Lawrence’s series The Great Migration.
Not all migration stories are across national borders. In fact, humans have been on the move well before the creation of national borders. Despite the lack of an international boundary, it does not mean that the decision to migrate is often a complicated one. It involves uprooting one’s self, sometimes one’s family, and taking a journey to a new land, with new rules and customs. While migration can be liberating, it can also be difficult.
Some have argued that the migration of six million African Americans to the North, between the end of World War I and continuing to the 1970s, is more similar to stories of international refugees that other voluntary migrations that have shaped the history of the United States. Others push back, arguing that talking about African Americans as refugees, in a country that is constitutionally obligated to guarantee equal rights for all citizens is offensive. In this TED talk, scholar and author Isabel Wilkerson explores the power of the decisions made by African Americans to leave the Jim Crow South.
Tags: new ideas, What do people experience as they move from one place to another?, Why do people leave their homes?
https://reimaginingmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jacob-Lawrence-During-WWI.gif 408 600 Adam Strom https://reimaginingmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Re-imagining-migration-color4no-background-300x120.jpg Adam Strom2019-03-15 09:52:162019-06-19 14:53:02The Great Migration and the power of a single decision
Talking and Teaching about Walls and Borders
What Kind of Asian are You?
The Legacy of the Trail of Tears
Mary Garvey, writing from Hightstown, New Jersey to her mother in Ireland, October 24, 1850.
Historical Context: Irish Immigrants in the 19th Century
Exploring Code-Switching in the Classroom
Let’s Talk. Let’s Teach.
Let’s Learn.
© Copyright - Re-imagining Migration. Site by Academic Web Pages
What is Our Learning Arc? Rule of Naturalization 1790 Congressional Debate
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North West Top for Buy to Let Property Investments
TOPICS:buy to letinvestmentsNorth Westpropertyyields
The North West of England offers the best yields on buy to let property investments according to the latest UK Buy to Let report from Shawbrook Bank.
Considering property prices, the research from Shawbrook Bank predicts annual property price inflation to be more subdued in the five years up to 2023 than over the last few years. The report forecasts average annual house price predictions for the years 2017 to 2023 to be at 4.5 per cent, compared to an average of 7.0 per cent for the high-growth years of 2014 to 2016.
Property price growth in London is expected to continue trailing the rest of the country for the next two years, with Brexit and the resulting uncertainty regarding the future of the financial services sector in the City of London looming over activity in the prime end of the market as have higher SDLT rates.
However, with landlord investment in London slowing, this improves the attractiveness of other regions for buy to let property investors.
The research from Shawbrook Bank suggests that the North West region and the city of Manchester in particular, to be the top new investments hotspots due to higher rental yields.
Lower property prices in the North West mean it is easier to achieve better rental yields and the city of Manchester is attracting students and employees from all around the country with developments such as Media City.
The average UK house price is currently £228,000, which is 43 per cent higher than the average house price in the North West at £159,000.
The North West leads the rankings with an average yield of 5.4 per cent, followed by Scotland with 5.3 per cent and Yorkshire and the Humber with 4.9 per cent.
Sales director for Commercial Mortgages at Shawbrook Bank, Emma Cox, commented: ‘Landlords have had a rough ride over the past few years with multiple tax changes, but our research shows that it’s not all doom and gloom for potential investors in 2018. Lower rental yields in London and affordability constraints for investors has driven interest North, where borrowers are chasing the yield and heading to locations with lower average house prices.’
She continued: ‘There are still interesting times ahead for savvy investors and good investment opportunities remain. However, when landlords invest far away from their home turf, they can run the risk of falling foul to local knowledge. Smarter local investors may be seeing an opportunity to divest themselves of their less desirable housing stock, so it’s important for buyers to do their research to make sure they understand the local supply and demand before investing.’
Buy to let for retirement
Is buy to let a good investment
The state of buy-to-let – a summary
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31 - 40 of about 3121 results
Looking Back at the 11th Annual Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit
This past weekend, Las Vegas hosted the 11th annual Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit culinary festival. See a full recap of the weekend’s events below.
May 02, 2017 - Events-Images & Videos
Las Vegas Celebrates Global Meetings Industry Day 2017
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) joined leaders from across the Las Vegas meeting and convention industry including Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan Las...
Apr 06, 2017 - Events
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Honored with Top Financial Awards
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has received two prestigious national awards from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada...
Mar 13, 2017 - News Releases
Las Vegas Continues to the Take Top Spot Among Trade Show Destinations
Las Vegas maintains its long-standing reputation as the leading destination for business travel. For the 23rd consecutive year, Las Vegas was named the country’s No. 1 trade show destination.
Las Vegas News Briefs - March 2017
Las Vegas Named Top Wedding Destination The online credit score and financial resource WalletHub recently named Las Vegas to the top spot in its 2017 list of the best places to get married....
Las Vegas News Briefs - February 2017
Las Vegas Breaks Tourism Record, Welcoming 42.9 Million Visitors in 2016...
Feb 22, 2017 - News Releases
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
LVCVA has been honored with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the 28th consecutive year.
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Named Best Tourism Board at Travvy Awards
LVCVA continues its longstanding position as a leader in the travel industry by earning the prestigious Gold Travvy Award for Best Tourism Board U.S./Canada.
Las Vegas Gives Away Free Trips to Celebrate Inaugural 'National Plan for Vacation Day'
Convention Attendees Surprised with Vegas Vacations Courtesy of Las Vegas and Allegiant Air
Jan 31, 2017 - News Releases
Las Vegas to Host Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit
LAS VEGAS –– On August 26 – 29, the senior executives and leaders in all areas of global aviation will meet in Las Vegas to discuss emerging changes that will affect all areas of transportation....
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The Buzz on Neonicotinoids
Published by Guest on March 20, 2017 March 20, 2017
By Kaytlin Robertson, University of Saskatchewan student
Neonicotinoids are commonly used agricultural systemic pesticides typically applied to the seed and transferred through the vascular system to the rest of the plant, making all parts of it toxic to any insect that chews on it (LinkTV, 2012). There is a public perception that these chemicals should be banned because they are impacting beneficial organisms such as bees, destroying the base of the food chain and polluting the entire ecosystem. In reality, since neonicotinoids are a seed coating that are buried in the soil, their contamination throughout the ecosystem is not as widespread compared to liquid sprayed pesticides.
Are neonicotinoids causing impaired performance, lethal effects of bees, or colony collapse disorder?
Neonicotinoid criticism comes from people who are misinformed about the topic. Partially due to the strong influence from environmental agencies, these pesticides are being blamed for the declining population of pollinators. The fact is that the weakening of honeybee health can be related to multiple stressors including inadequate food sources/poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss, colony management practices, diseases and parasites including tobacco ringspot virus and varroa mites (Entine, 2014).
The number of colonies in the US has fallen by 45% in the last 60 years, these numbers began to decline way before neonicotinoids were introduced (LinkTV, 2014). In addition, of the neonic residues found in hives, its presence is hundreds of times below the risk of having any harmful or lethal impact on bees (Entine, 2014). If evidence were gathered to support the claims of neonicotinoids being detrimental to bees or the ecological system, the agriculture industry would not likely risk its ecological system nor the food chain supply to continue with the use of these products.
Why agriculture shouldn’t be blamed for the decline in pollinators
Many trials and studies have concluded that these registered pesticides when used properly under field-realistic conditions and at appropriate doses, show no long-term adverse effects on pollinators, bird populations, and other wildlife (LinkTV, 2014). It is the duty of regulatory systems to evaluate whether or not a product meets standards for the protection of the environment and human health prior to its release onto the market. This process is very expensive and time-consuming; these investments of time and money to ensure the safety of a product should be enough to convince the public that the decisions made by the regulatory systems are scientifically correct. While there are a number of contradicting research out there, they are typically selective reviews demonstrating worst-case-scenario studies.
In July of 2015, Ontario introduced new regulatory requirements to limit the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds (Benzie, 2015). This was an attempt to reduce the number of acres using these chemicals and phase them out over time, with the exception of proven cases of serious pest problems. The government hopes that this jurisdiction will help farmers to become better environmental stewards of the land and strengthen their approach to protecting their crops.
Farmers have the most to lose if neonics are to impact the bee population. Farmers continue to use neonics as a trusted and safe pesticide. Banning neonicotinoids forces farmers to return to older unsustainable pesticides, which are less effective and more toxic to humans and bees, and moves them away from their goal. Not only would the environment suffer, so could the economy. Neonicotinoids are the fastest growing group of insecticides in the United States, used on over 200 million acres (over 40%) of cropland (LinkTV, 2014). A ban would mean more time and money put into research towards another solution.
Spread the buzz!
What can be done? Instead of eliminating neonicotinoids from the market, we can inform people about the safety of the products when properly used, and the possible dangers when abused. Monitoring the scale of use to ensure that these pesticides remain sustainable is important, however, it is the public that has the power to influence change, and the spread of misinformation can create enough uncertainty about an issue and influence others to question science and turn to unreasonable politics instead.
For more information, check out these references:
Benzie, R. 2015. Ontario first in North America to curb bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. Accessed at: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/06/09/ontario-first-in-north-america-to-ban-bee-killing-neonicotinoid-pesticides.html
Earth Focus/LinkTV. 2012. Killing Bees: Are Government and Industry Responsible? Accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i97o0slqv-s
Earth Focus/LinkTV. 2014. Neonicotinoids: The New DDT? Accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLPORypiB8
Entine, J. 2014. Bee Deaths Reversal: As Evidence Points Away From Neonics As Driver, Pressure Builds To Rethink Ban. Accessed at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/02/05/bee-deaths-reversal-as-evidence-points-away-from-neonics-as-driver-pressure-builds-to-rethink-ban/#600b5a0a5f9d
Kaytlin Robertson
Kaytlin is in her fourth & final year of her Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture with a major in Agronomy and a minor in Agribusiness at the University of Saskatchewan. Born and raised in the town of Unity, Saskatchewan, despite not have any farming roots, she is proud to be an Agro. Kaytlin is eager to go out into the industry and put to use all that she has learned so far while continually expanding her knowledge and passion to grow.
Categories:AgricultureNewStudent Blogs
Tags: BeesChemicalRegulation
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Engines & Equipment
How Trains Work
Pictured is a model of a railway carriage introduced on the Stockton & Darlington Railway. How did we get from here to high-speed trains?
Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Chugging across short distances or entire continents, trains act as a major form of transportation worldwide. Also called railroads or railways, trains carry within their cars passengers or freight -- such as raw materials, supplies or finished goods -- and sometimes both.
Back before the wild ideas of people like the Wright brothers, Henry Ford and Gottlieb Daimler, you had limited options for traveling around town and country. Paved roadways didn't always crisscross the countryside. Even with roads, horse-drawn vehicles still struggled to move people and goods, especially in bad weather. As early as 1550, pragmatic Germans constructed and used wooden railway systems, reasoning that horse-drawn wagons and carts could travel more easily and quickly over wooden rails than dirt roads. By the late 1700s, iron wheels and rails had one-upped wooden ones.
But it wasn't until the steam locomotive was invented in 1797 in England that the railroad as we know it began to take shape. The Stockton & Darlington Railroad Company in England became the first public railroad to carry passengers and freight. Steam-powered locomotives carried six coal cars and up to 450 passengers a distance of 9 miles (14 kilometers) in less than an hour. Horses just couldn't top that.
Across the ocean, the B&O Railroad Company established itself as the first U.S. railroad company in 1827. By 1860, U.S. rail workers had laid more than 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) of track, more than in the entire world [source: AAR]. Railroads served as the main mode of transportation and made it cheap and easy to ship supplies and goods, even for Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.
After the Civil War, the U.S. railroad network expanded again, and the country's first transcontinental railway was completed in 1869. Towns sprouted along the railway lines, and the railroad hastened westward expansion. By the early 20th century, U.S. railroads operated 254,000 miles (408,773 kilometers) of track. Diesel locomotives had replaced steam ones.
But by the mid-20th century, the decline of the U.S. railroads had begun. A developed interstate highway system and extensive federal regulations took their toll on trains. In the ongoing energy crisis, however, trains, which run on diesel and sometimes even biodiesel fuel, may regain their former popularity with passengers as we move through the 21st century.
Don't get derailed. Stick around as we talk about train technology, how trains move people and freight, and what the future of rail transportation may hold.
How Diesel Locomotives Work
How Steam Technology Works
How Road Trains Work
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Artist Notes: What a festive and fun way this card is to say Happy Birthday to all the special people in your life - whether friends, family or work associates. The card features a row of colorfully patterned and decorated candles, with diagonal stripes, polka dots, flowers and swirls on the candles of blue, green, pink and orange, on the black background. The result is a colorful line-up of candles, with flames atop, ready for the birthday celebration to begin. The hand lettered message, "Happy Birthday", is above the candle flames, in alternating brightly colored letters, that match the candle colors. The inside wording is "Hope your birthday sparkles!""
There’s so much to love about our funny, cute, and photo upload cards, but we also have hundreds of designs from our favourite brands. From Batman and Spiderman to Wonder Women and The Incredible Hulk, we have all the best action heroes. There’s also tons of Star Wars and Game of Thrones birthday cards and a wide range of birthday cards for kids with Frozen, Trolls, Paddington, and The Little Mermaid.
The real kick in the backside came as I approached the middle of the year. I was getting closer and closer to the Fall season - a time when I knew that I had two big trips coming up - one to Europe and one to the States. I'm a traveling girl. I get on the plane at least once a year. However, this time, I was ready to write a slightly different story for myself. I was ready to feel differently about myself. I had a picture in my mind and in it, I was sitting in a cafe in Paris drinking a latte and feeling successful, feeling at peace because I had a business that was making money even while I was on vacation.
Some initial news sources characterized the decision as ruling that the song was in the public domain,[43][44] but the decision did not go so far, holding only that Warner/Chappell did not prove they owned the copyright.[41] However, because there are no other claimants to the copyright, and the copyright to the melody long ago expired,[45] the plaintiffs suggested that the song was de facto in the public domain.[41] Also, the judge ruled that the song was not copyrighted by Summy Co., who had written in the song book, "Special permission through courtesy of the Clayton F. Summy Co." Since there was no evidence Summy Co. had copyright on the song, the song is still considered to be in the public domain.[46]
Kids are all about their birthdays, and we have hundreds of birthday cards for kids, including age-specific cards and featuring favorite licensed characters from Disney, Star Wars, My Little Pony, Spider-Man and many more. You'll even find twins birthday cards for those lucky enough to share a birthdate. If you're throwing a birthday party, use our fill-in-the-blank birthday invitations for quick, affordable invites.
Hi Angie! Just wanted to contact you about using a couple of your vintage portraits on our church website. We’re doing a promotion for our church directory, trying to encourage folks to get in and get their photos taken and I wanted to do a slide using the couple that could be a wedding photo and the one of the grandma in the garden. While it’s not exactly a “commercial” use, it’s a little more than a “personal” use so I wanted to be sure and have permission before using them! I’m a big fan of your blog and Facebook page and have gained so much inspiration from you! Thanks so much!
We stayed at the East Bay Inn for 2 nights in July and were so delighted at the experience. The staff was super friendly and had everything taken care of. Cold bottled water was available whenever we needed it (it was July, we needed it often). A wine and cheese reception was offered every evening and there was much more than cheese to munch on. The rooms were fabulous!
Note to my readers: I recently changed over to a new ad network and have worked to make sure that the ads displayed on this site are G rated and family friendly. However, from time to time you might see an ad that you find offensive. Don’t hesitate to report the ad by clicking on the lower right hand corner of the ad. I want my readers to be happy and satisfied with the content provided on this site.
Have I made my point yet? They are not kidding when they say bioDIVERSITY. There is literally every form of living thing available to choose from. Butterflies and water fowl, more frogs, turtles and lizards than I ever knew existed. Weird fancy pigeons, big and small game animals…it just goes on and on and on. The only bad part is you can’t search for specific images but hey, it’s free!
Artist Notes: Send funny Happy 32nd Birthday greetings with this design that features an overall wood effect with a humorous sentiment based on trees and wood. Front sentiment is "You look so awesome! No one "Wood" believe you're 32" Inside sentiment is "Just don't let them count your rings. Have a tree-mendous birthday!" All wood effects are digitally created.
These birthday quotes are a great place to start, but don’t think you have to stick with only what’s written here. Personalize the sentiment even more with an inside joke or special moment between you and the birthday boy or girl. Sending a heartfelt birthday card with the right intentions can make all of the difference on someone’s big day. Make them feel special with the simplest birthday wish from you! Also, before you go, don’t feel limited to just using these birthday quotes for cards. You can print them on décor pieces and hang them around the party, use them on birthday party invitations or however you’d like. Get ready to celebrate!
And so, in June 2015, I released my Life Binder product to the world - meaning I listed it on Etsy and told my email list about it. Then...my phone started "cha-chinging" more than it ever had before! By the end of the month, I had reached $1000 in sales! That blew my mind. I had made more in one month with one product than I had in the last 18 months!
This card has optional greetings: Merry Christmas!, Season's Greetings!, Happy Holidays!, Happy Christmas!, Happy New Year!, Have an Ice Day!, Thank You!, Celebrate!, Happy Solstice!, Happy Birthday!, Happy Belated Birthday!, Happy Anniversary!, Happy Valentine's Day!, I Love You!, Get Well Soon!, Congratulations!, You're Invited!, Come to the Party!, Just Saying Hi!, Thinking of You!, [No Caption]
Love this list. Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful printables. This is such a helpful post!! I found this list on facebook and saw some little blue tags with a girl’s shilhouette on them, but couldn’t find that printable. I would love to know where to find that one, it was darling. Any help you could offer in helping me find that printable would be most appreciated. Thanks!!
These next two features are for the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition. I love this feature. There are so many times I want to access an object within several tightly spaced objects and using the rectangle or ellipse selection tool is an exercise in frustration. The flexibility this feature allows in selecting objects is so awesome. This feature gets a 5 star rating.
When you sit down with a blank greeting card in front of you, don’t be surprised if you can’t seem to put the pen to paper. Many of us get a case of writers block when we sit down to write a birthday card greeting, especially to the people we love the most. Sure, the birthday honoree knows just how much you love and appreciate him or her but, it doesn’t hurt to remind them on their day.
A great tip Sarah shared was to encourage independence in smaller children so they can be playing alone and entertained at least for a short time while you do some work. Sarah has been able to achieve her goal of making a part-time income on her own terms with lots of flexibility. Although she tries to continually create new products, she knows that her business was built to allow for flexibility and put her family first. So Sarah doesn't stress if she can't add new products for a while. Her business works for her - not the other way around!
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November came along (5 months after I had launched the Life Binder) and I was packing my bags for Europe. The "cha-ching" sound from the Etsy app on my phone was a part of my daily life now...and life was good. As a single lady with not a lot of expenses, making even $1000 a month in passive income was a game changer. I was able to make better decisions in my business because I was not longer stressed out by money. In fact, I was working less and less, but making more and more.
So the moral of the story is that success takes time and it's all in your head. In my first 18 months on Etsy, I made less than $1000. In my second 18 months on Etsy, I made $30,000. What changed? I did. Now, looking back over this whole experience, I've taken inventory of the mindset shifts, the skills, the resources, and the knowledge that has helped me get to this point and I've created an online, self-paced course called Passive Income with Printables. It contains everything I would have LOVED to know when I started.
This card has optional greetings: Happy New Year, Kung Hei Fat Choi, Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity, Happy Spring, Welcome Spring, Celebrate New Beginnings, Hope Springs Eternal, Stay Strong, With Sympathy, Have a Peaceful Day, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Thank You, Thinking of You, Get Well Soon, Just Saying Hi, You're Invited, Good Luck, [No Caption]
In a 1998 episode of the television show Sports Night, "Intellectual Property", character Dan Rydell sings the song to his co-anchor during a telecast, forcing his network to pay royalties, and causing him to ask his colleagues to choose public-domain songs for him to sing for their birthdays.[57] The copyright is also referenced frequently in a Disney A.N.T. Farm episode where characters repeatedly try to sing the song, only to be stopped by others reminding them of the price. The melody of the song is also featured in The Wrong Trousers but was replaced with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" for DVD releases. The use of the song is a problem even if it is sung in a made-up language, as a Klingon-language version was nixed in pre-production from the 7th-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Parallels", replaced with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" in Klingon. In the Futurama episode "I Second That Emotion", they poke fun at the song and its copyright by making their own version with the lyrics "What day is today? / It's (birthday person)'s birthday / What a day for a birthday / Let's all have some cake."
3. Advanced – increasing what you offer. I have videos for each of my products, a pattern maker could include a video walkthrough too! A party supplies maker could include an “in the mail” copy so they can see what it is supposed to look like. Adding more to the digital download will increase the happiness of the person who buys your products which is super important.
If your customer would be benefitted by having the high-res or high color print professionally printed, suggest it. Even if it’s at your local Staples® make the suggestion to save them time and aggravation. If your products are business forms, to-do lists, etc., a home printer will do, so let them know. Have your cover sheet also include any specific instructions about your product, and a thank you.
Hey there!! I wanted to thank you again for including a collection of my printables in your collection :o) I recently moved to WordPress & you can no longer get to those printables from the link above…I was curious if you could update it as your site is one of my BIGGEST referrers for which I am so grateful! I couldn’t find a way to contact you so I hope this comment finds it way! Happy New Year…
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Awards success for Sheffield City Region Start-Ups
August 7, 2018 Filed under: NewsComment
Nine of the Sheffield City Region’s newest and most promising entrepreneurs have been given special recognition at a unique awards ceremony designed to celebrate and showcase the achievements of individuals who have entered the world of self-employment during the past two years.
Organised by the Sheffield City Region’s Launchpad programme, the event took place at 92 Burton Road, Sheffield and saw the new entrepreneurs go head-to-head in eight different categories with an overall winner, Launchpad Champion 2018, chosen by an audience vote on the night.
Sheffield’s next generation of entrepreneurs enjoyed a particularly successful evening, with five of the nine awards up for grabs being presented to businesses based in the city. Five Rivers Coffee Co, based in Broomhill, won the Start-Up Business of the Year award; nursing and social care agency Trios Healthcare based in the Wicker walked away with the Rising Star Business of the Year award; Paul Thompson of market research consultancy Willdoo Limited was crowned Entrepreneur of the Year; Annie Bowman, founder of Hoyden’s Workwear for Women was named as Aspiring Entrepreneur of the Year and personalised chef knife manufacturers APOSL Knives took home the Made in the SCR award.
However, it was Conisborough-based Andrew Ashworth who enjoyed a particularly memorable evening, not only being crowned the winner of the Inspiring Achiever award, but he was also chosen by his peers as the first Launchpad Champion during a live vote held on the evening.
Elsewhere in the City Region, Doncaster-based digital marketing and creative agency Loud Crowd scooped the Growth Business of the Year award, whilst Barnsley’s Abbie Allert, owner of handmade children’s clothing business Mamma Made It, was named as Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
The Launchpad programme was launched in April 2016 and provides entrepreneurs and start-up business owners throughout the Sheffield City Region with fully funded business support and advice via one-to-one meetings, workshops and a dedicated mentoring programme, ensuring the next generation of entrepreneurs are prepared, confident and celebrate success.
Since the programme was launched, almost 800 new businesses have started within the Sheffield City Region, and Launchpad has provided over 25,000 hours of support to more than 2,700 individuals to help them on their way to starting and growing their business.
Anna Smith, Programme Manager at Launchpad said:
“Launchpad celebrates its second anniversary this year and we wanted to draw attention to some of the truly amazing and inspirational work being undertaken by new entrepreneurs based in the Sheffield City Region and highlight the important contribution small businesses make to the local economy.
“Launchpad was created to help break down the perceived barriers to self-employment and many of the businesses supported by the programme have gone on to enjoy a significant amount of success. Many have helped to create jobs for others and some are successfully resurrecting centuries old traditions which are synonymous with the region, such as knife making.
“Of course, we also recognise that entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes and as well as those working at the cutting edge of technology and manufacturing we recognised that with the right support and assistance in place, anyone can be an entrepreneur and many have successfully started to earn a living from the hobbies and interests they enjoy.
“This is the first time we’ve held the Launchpad Awards, and the standard of entries was very high. I’d like to pass on my congratulations to all the award winners and finalists and a huge thank you to everyone who played a part in ensuring the night came together perfectly.”
Launchpad is the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub’s key business support programme for new business. Financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by local authorities within the Sheffield City Region and the Prince’s Trust, the programme provides free help and support to budding entrepreneurs in the Sheffield City Region who are thinking of starting their own business, or have started trading within the last two years.
For more information on the Launchpad programme and how it operates throughout the Sheffield City Region, contact the SCR Growth Hub Gateway on 03330 00 00 39 or visit www.scrlaunchpad.co.uk
‘Top dog’ photographer develops new career through business support programme
Life’s a ‘bries’ for Cheese Connoisseur who found the right ‘whey’ with Launchpad
Supported by the European Regional Development Fund
SCRLaunchpad@SCRLaunchpad·
** SAVE THE DATE! ** The Launchpad Awards will return to 92 Burton Rd, home of @peddlerMKT on Friday 27the September. Entry includes a welcome drink, food, and some amazing #networking opportunities! Tickets now available:
https://t.co/bwrOHy1MS7
Designed & Managed by Walnut Creative
© 2017 – 2019 Launchpad
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Is authenticity authentic?
Perhaps the only truly authentic version of you is just a few days old, lying in a crib, pooping in your pants.
Ever since then, there's been a cultural overlay, a series of choices, strategies from you and others about what it takes to succeed in this world (in your world).
And so it's all invented.
When you tell me that it would be authentic for you to do x, y or z, my first reaction is that nothing you do is truly authentic, it's all part of a long-term strategy for how you'll make an impact in the world.
I'll grant you that it's essential to be consistent, that people can tell when you shift your story and your work in response to whatever is happening around you, and particularly when you say whatever you need to say to get through the next cycle. But consistency is easier to talk about and measure than authenticity is.
The question, then, is what's the impact you seek to make, what are the changes you are working for? And how can you achieve that and still do work you're proud of?
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India's three-time prime minister Vajpayee dies aged 93
AFP News 16 August 2018
Then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee pictured during a function at his residence in New Delhi on June 1, 1999
Three-time Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has died, current leader Narendra Modi said Thursday of the ailing 93-year-old who had been hospitalised.
"Atal Ji's passing away is a personal and irreplaceable loss for me," Modi said in a tweet Thursday, using a Hindi-language honorific.
"It was Atal Ji's exemplary leadership that set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century."
Vajpayee had battled poor health for years but his condition deteriorated sharply in recent days.
The former premier was being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where he was admitted nine weeks ago with health complications.
"Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems. Despite the best efforts, we have lost him today," AIIMS said in a statement.
"We join the nation in deeply mourning this great loss."
His waning health sparked a flurry of visits from top dignitaries Thursday, including Modi and senior cabinet ministers.
Vajpayee, a former journalist and poet-turned-politician, was credited with helping lay the foundations for the meteoric rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the right-wing political powerhouse that rules India today.
India calls off Moon mission launch 56 minutes before blast-off
Spiritual speaker BK Jayanti conducts ‘Creating Calm in Chaos’ programme in KL this Sunday
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Who Wants to Buy a Used War?
10 Dec 2006 Jane Hamsher
Said the Very Serious Dean earlier this week:
Whatever the final impact of the Iraq Study Group report being issued today, for the 10 commission members this was an exhilarating experience, a demonstration of genuine bipartisanship that they hope will serve as an example to the broader political world.
But it doesn't appear the wingnuts are going along with all this feel-good bipartisan rhetoric. Diane West of the Washington Times just called it the "Iraq Surrender Group" on CNN and said "We look like Lichtenstein" (without a trace of irony). Writing in the WaPo, Glenn Kessler and Michael Abramowitz note that this abject minority are giving Bush cover to ignore the Baker group and do what he damn well pleases:
Notably fueling the skepticism has been Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has raised pointed questions about the Baker-Hamilton panel's unwillingness to prescribe more troops, as McCain has urged, and its embrace of a regional conference with Syria and Iran.
"It's sort of hard to suddenly say everyone agrees Baker is the way to go when the leading Republican candidate for '08 is saying no," said William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard.
I'm sorry the wingnuts feel like they got shafted by the ISG, but despite the Dean's collegial harumphs about bipartisanship, there is something missing on the ISG that, like your average Ken Doll, I just can't put my finger on. Let's ask Russ Feingold:
"This commission was composed apparently entirely of people who did not have the judgment to oppose this Iraq war in the first place, and who did not have the judgment to realize it was not a wise move in the fight against terrorism.
"So that‘s who‘s doing this report. And then I looked at the list of who testified before them. There‘s virtually no one who opposed the war in the first place, virtually no one who‘s been really calling for a different strategy that goes for a global approach to the war on terrorism."
I'm probably a bit closer in perspective to Paul Waldman, who writes at Media Matters:
It remains the case that the primary prerequisite for being considered "serious" on matters of foreign policy and national security is that you were wrong on the most momentous foreign policy and national security decision of the last few decades. If your judgment was faulty, your understanding lacking, your foresight non-existent, your ideology blinding, then you are someone whose opinions should be listened to. If you supported what may be the single biggest foreign policy debacle in our nation's history, you are "serious." That disastrous error in judgment, which has so far resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 U.S. troops, also makes you "strong on defense," not to mention "pro-military" and someone who "supports the troops."
And I know it's a bit of a digression, but where does this leave the 2008 "support our troops" pro-war hopefuls? Terry Welsch says:
I've been thinking for a while that someone who has continued to support the Iraq War is now in a tough position. The war in Iraq is inarguably not working out, so you either have to suddenly drop your support for the war or suggest, per McCain, that those who have been prosecuting the war (with you support) haven't been aggressive enough and should send more troops. The former idea makes you look like you're flip-flopping for political reasons and the latter gets support from roughly 15 percent of the American public.
Me, I always like the "we were right to be wrong" argument. I hope they trot that one out again. Ah that's a chestnut.
Inside the Haggard marriage
The American Film Institute's movies of the year
Prisoners, Grassroots Activists Halt Construction Of Federal Prison On Former Coal Mine
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July 26, 2-3 p.m.: Jean Guerrero, author of “CRUX– a Cross-Border Memoir,” is the winner of the PEN/FUSION Emerging Writers prize. She is an Emmy-winning investigative immigration reporter for KPBS in San Diego; she contributes to NPR, PBS, PRI’s The World and other public media. Months before Trump’s family separations captured national attention, her reporting about the practice was cited by a Congressional inquiry. She started her career at the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires as a correspondent in Mexico City, trekking through mountains with coffee smugglers, opium poppy producers and maize farmers across Latin America. She was named “Latina Journalist on the Rise” from one of the 15 most influential Latina journalists in Southern California by CCNMA. The San Diego City Beat picked her as one of San Diego’s “Best People.” In her spare time, she surfs and rides horses.
Book Description: In this lyrical, haunting memoir, Jean Guerrero tries to locate the border between truth and fantasy as she searches for explanations for her father’s behavior. Refusing to accept an alleged schizophrenia diagnosis at face value, she takes Marco Antonio’s dark paranoia seriously and investigates all his wildest claims. She crisscrosses the Mexican-American border to unearth the stories of cousins and grandparents and discovers a chain of fabulists and mystics in her lineage, going back to her great-great-grandmother, a clairvoyant curandera who was paid to summon spirits from the afterlife. As she delves deeper and deeper into her family’s shadowy past, Jean begins mirroring her father’s self-destructive behavior. She risks death on her adventures, imperiling everything in her journey to redeem her father from the underworld of his delusions. Click on Author Jean Guerrero
August 23, 2-3 p.m.: We are excited to introduce you to Huda Al-Marashi, the Iraqi-American author of “First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story.” The Washington Post called her story, “a charming, funny, heartbreaking memoir of faith, family, and the journey to love. If Jane Austen had grown up as a first-gen daughter of Iraqi parents in the 1990s, she might have written this.” Excerpts from this memoir have also been anthologized in Love Inshallah: The Secret Love Lives of Muslim American Women, Becoming: What Makes a Woman, and Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women and Extreme Religion. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the LA Times, al Jazeera, VIDA Review, Refinery 29, the Rumpus, The Offing and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a Cuyahoga County Creative Workforce Fellowship and an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writer Fellowship.
The Story: “First Comes Marriage” is an Iraqi-American memoir about immigration, marriage, and love. When Huda meets Hadi, the boy she will ultimately marry, she is six years old. Both are the American-born children of Iraqi immigrants, who grew up on opposite ends of California. Hadi considers Huda his childhood sweetheart, the first and only girl he’s ever loved, but Huda wants to be successful by both cultures’ relationship standards–to honor her religious traditions while also experiencing the kind of love story that would prove to her American friends her marriage was not arranged. First Comes Marriage is Huda’s journey to reconcile her culture’s pragmatic ideas on marriage with Western notions of love and romance. And, with its tender and heartwarming portrayal of an Arab, Muslim family, it debunks stereotypes while challenging our ideas of what it means to fall in love.
September 27, 2-3 p.m., We look forward to hearing from author Kate Quinn, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction.
The author: A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network” and “The Huntress.” All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with two rescue dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.
The Huntress, Book synopsis: Bold, reckless Nina Markova grows up on the icy edge of Soviet Russia, dreaming of flight and fearing nothing. When the tide of war sweeps over her homeland, she gambles everything to join the infamous Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on Hitler’s eastern front. But when she is downed behind enemy lines and thrown across the path of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, Nina must use all her wits to survive.
British war correspondent Ian Graham has witnessed the horrors of war from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials. He abandons journalism after the war to become a Nazi hunter, yet one target eludes him: the Huntress. Fierce, disciplined Ian must join forces with brazen, cocksure Nina, the only witness to escape the Huntress alive. But a shared secret could derail their mission, unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.
Seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride grows up in post WWII Boston, determined despite family opposition to become a photographer. At first delighted when her long-widowed father brings home a fiancée, Jordan grows increasingly disquieted by the soft-spoken German widow who seems to be hiding something. Armed only with her camera and her wits, Jordan delves into her new stepmother’s past and slowly realizes there are mysteries buried deep in her family. But Jordan’s search for the truth may threaten all she holds dear.
October 25, 2-3 p.m., we are excited to have Elke Ertle return to the San Carlos Branch Library to discuss the “History of the Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall”. Her talk/discussion is in conjunction with the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. Ertle is the author of the autobiography, Walled-In Berlin: A West Berlin Girl;s Journey to Freedom.
The author: J. Elke Ertle was born and raised in West Berlin following World War II, a time when the city was the focus of an escalating Cold War between East and West. During the first twenty-one years of her life, she lived with her mother and father in the British sector of the city and was known by her first name, Jutta. In the late 1940s, her family braved the Berlin Blockade, surviving by and large on account of the American-conceived Berlin Airlift. More than a decade later, when Jutta was a teenager, her family endured many hours, days, and weeks of petrifying uncertainty in the wake of the construction of the Berlin Wall. Overnight, the city had been split into two and rumors ran amok. Jutta, along with the rest of the population of West Berlin, feared for her future and her freedom.
Retired from employment in the public sector, Elke now lives in San Diego with Burch, her husband of four decades. She holds a masters degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from San Diego State University and a Certificate in Fitness and Exercise Science from the University of California, San Diego. She teaches group exercise classes and enjoys reading, writing, dancing, hiking, tennis, gardening, cooking, and crafts. Elke is a contributing author to “The Real F.M. Urban,” published in the Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, and to two anthologies.
Book Description: In Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, J. Elke Ertle chronicles the first 21 years of her life growing up in West Berlin during the Cold War. Located one hundred miles from the closest West German border, West Berlin was nothing more than a tiny western island in the middle of a large Communist sea. But by the same token, it also represented the front line of the Cold War divide.Walled-In probes the concepts of freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. cooperation, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
These are photos of the Berlin Wall as it was being torn down.
November 22, 2-3 p.m., we’ll be welcoming author/Professor Emeritus, Lawrence Baron (SDSU), Baron will be discussing his books and “What Americans Read When They Read About the Holocaust.”
Program Description: This lecture looks at the perennial best-selling Holocaust books and why they appeal to a diverse spectrum of the American reading public. Though Anne Frank, Primo Levi, and Elie Wiesel are obviously on this top-ten list, the other works on it range from children’s books to Christian Evangelical memoirs.
The author: Professor Emeritus Lawrence Baron held the Nasatir Chair of Modern Jewish History at San Diego State University from 1988 until 2012 and directed its Jewish Studies Program until 2006. He received his Ph.D. in modern European cultural and intellectual history from the University of Wisconsin where he studied with George L. Mosse. He taught at St. Lawrence University from 1975 until 1988. He has authored and edited four books including The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema (Brandeis University Press: 2011) and Projecting the Holocaust into the Present: The Changing Focus of Contemporary Holocaust Cinema (Rowman and Littlefield: 2005). He served as the historian and as an interviewer for Sam and Pearl Oliner’s The Altruistic Personality: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe. In 2006 he delivered the keynote address for Yad Vashem’s first conference devoted to Hollywood and the Holocaust. His contribution to Holocaust Studies was profiled in Fifty Key Thinkers on the Holocaust and Genocide (Routledge: 2010). In the fall Semester of 2015, he served as the Ida King Distinguished Visiting Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the Richard Stockton University of New Jersey.
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The effects of anemia on pregnancy outcome in patients with pyelonephritis.
OBJECTIVE: Pyelonephritis is a common infectious morbidity of pregnancy. Though anemia is commonly associated with pyelonephritis, there are little data describing the effect of pyelonephritis with anemia on pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to further assess the association of anemia with infectious morbidity and pregnancy complications among women with pyelonephritis. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women admitted to Duke University Hospital between July 2006 and May 2012 with pyelonephritis. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data from the subject's pregnancy and hospitalizations were analyzed. Patients with pyelonephritis and anemia (a hematocrit < 32) were compared to those without anemia. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the two groups. RESULTS: 114 pregnant women were admitted with pyelonephritis and 45 (39.5%) had anemia on admission. There was no significant difference in age, race, preexisting medical conditions, or urine bacterial species between patients with anemia and those without. Women with anemia were more likely to deliver preterm (OR 3.3 (95% CI 1.07, 11.4), P = 0.04). When controlling for race and history of preterm delivery, women with anemia continued to have increased odds of preterm birth (OR 6.0, CI 1.4, 35, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Women with pyelonephritis and anemia are at increased risk for preterm delivery.
Open Access Copy from Duke
Dotters-Katz, Sarah K.
Grotegut, Chad Aaron
Dotters-Katz, SK; Grotegut, CA; Heine, RP
Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol
Logistic Models
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
Pregnancy Outcome
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Fuel optimal Mars transfer trajectories
Benzin, Kathryn C.
Miele, Angelo
This thesis research examines the fuel optimal trajectories for a spacecraft going to Mars and returning to Earth. Challenges encountered include the defining of equations of motion and optimality conditions, formulation of constraints, and overcoming difficulties deriving from large distances and times involved and the accuracy required. In addition to calculating an optimal trajectory, two different arrival orbits at Mars are compared: a clockwise and counterclockwise Martian orbit. The optimal trajectories are computed using a mathematical optimization algorithm SNOPT, developed at Stanford University and UC San Diego. A solution method is recommended where an initial guess is generated analytically via a patched conic approach. The problem is solved in two steps: first with relaxed constraints, then using that result to find the optimal solution. This approach is proven by separately solving two different trajectories: an Earth to Mars trajectory and a Mars to Earth trajectory. The results demonstrate that the two arrival conditions are very similar in most aspects, including planetary phase angles and total trajectory time. The trajectory using the counterclockwise Mars orbit has a slight advantage in propellant usage (DeltaV), but the difference is less than 1%. These transfers also have symmetries between the outbound and return portions of the trajectories. Both trajectories should be available for consideration for a mission to Mars depending on other mission requirements.
Aerospace engineering; Mechanical engineering
Benzin, Kathryn C.. "Fuel optimal Mars transfer trajectories." (2005) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17756.
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(Redirected from Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
Motto: Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc
"Independence – Freedom – Happiness"
Anthem: Tiến Quân Ca
"Army March" (first verse)
Vietnam in red
Largest city
Official scripts
Unitary socialist republic,
Single-party state
• President
• Prime Minister
• Chairman of National Assembly
Nguyễn Sinh Hùng
• Chairman of Fatherland Front
Nguyễn Thiện Nhân
• CPV General Secretary
National Assembly of Vietnam
• Independence from China
• Independence from France and Japan
• Reunification
30 April 1975[1]
• Current constitution
346.410 km2 (133.750 sq mi) (64th)
• Water (%)
• 2011 estimate
90,549,390[2]
• 2009 census
259/km2 (670.8/sq mi) (46th)
$273.967 billion[4]
• Per capita
$3,104.179[4]
GDP (nominal)
$1,168[4]
Gini (2008)
medium · 113th
Đồng (₫) $1 = 22,700 VND (VND VietNamese Dong)
UTC+7 (ICT (Indochina Time) UTC+7)
UTC+7 (No DST)
Driving side
Calling code
Map of Southeast Asia, showing Vietnam and its neighbours.
According to the official name and 1992 Constitution.
Vietnam (Vietnamese: Cộng hòa Xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam) is a country in Southeast Asia. The long-form name of the country is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The neighboring countries of Vietnam are China, Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam is one of five remaining countries that believe in communism. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi. The biggest city is Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). There are about 94,444,200 people living in Vietnam.
After the Japanese occupation in the 1940s, the Vietnamese fought French colonial rule during the First Indochina War between the Viet Minh and the French in 2 September 1945. Hồ Chí Minh declared Vietnam's independence from France under the new name of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, but was fought by French colonialists. In 1954, the Vietnamese declared victory in Dien Bien Phu which took place between March and May 1954 and culminated in a major French defeat. Then Vietnam was divided into two political states, North Vietnam (officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (officially the Republic of Vietnam). Conflicts between the two sides intensified in the so-called Vietnam War with strong influence from the US in South Vietnam. The war ended in 1975 with a North Vietnamese victory.
Vietnam was then united under a communist government. In 1986, the government launched a number of economic and political reforms that began Vietnam's path to integration into the world economy.[8] By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with all nations. Since 2000, Vietnam's economic growth has been among the highest in the world [8], and in 2011 it had the highest global growth generator index among 11 major economies.[9] Its successful economic reforms resulted in its becoming a member of the World Trade Organization in 2007. It is also a member of economic cooperation between Asia and the Pacific and the International de la Francophonie Organization.
1 Names of Vietnam
4.1 Viet
4.2 IndoChina
4.3 North and South Vietnam
4.4 Unification
5 Provinces
6 Science and technology
7 Related pages
Names of Vietnam[change | change source]
"Annam", which originated (or started) as a Chinese name in the 7th century, was the common name of the country during the colonial period
Xích Quỷ (赤鬼)
Văn Lang (文郎 / Orang)
Âu Lạc (甌雒 / Anak)
Nam Việt (南越)
Giao Chỉ (交趾 / 交阯)
Vạn Xuân (萬春)
An Nam (安南)
Tĩnh Hải (靜海)
Đại Cồ Việt (大瞿越)
Đại Việt (大越)
Đại Ngu (大虞)
Đại Nam (大南)[10]
Population[change | change source]
In Vietnam, the approximate population is 97,094,658[11]. 25.2% of these people are aged between 0-14, with 11,954,354 being male and 10,868,610 being female. 69.3% of the population are between the ages of 15-64. The male-to-female ratio is almost evenly split, with 31,301,879 being male and 31,419,306 being female. 5.5% are 65 and over, with 1,921,652 being male and 3,092,589 being female. So within the older two categories, there are more women than men.[12]
The population is not from one origin. There are many ethnic tribes that developed in the history of Vietnam. This makes Vietnam's history and culture very diverse. It's not the same as a country where every family landed on the country's shores in the same century. French and Chinese colonization didn't involve an excessive migration of people to Vietnam.
Nowadays, the blend of cultures has been increasing with the influence of globalization and world interest. Many Vietnamese that have been living overseas are described as the Viet Kieu. The population has several communities in many countries around the world.
Geography[change | change source]
The length of the country, from North to South, is 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles).[13] "At its narrowest point, Vietnam is only 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide".[14]
The country is covered in rainforests that are currently going through rapid deforestation. It borders the South China Sea to the east, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and China to the north. The country is slightly larger than Malaysia.
History[change | change source]
Vietnam's history has long been characterized by the neighborhood of China in the north. For about 1,000 years, northern Vietnam belonged to China, but from 938 the country became independent and later expanded southward at the expense of the Champa kingdom. In the 19th century the country was colonized by France and during the Second World War, the country was occupied by Japan. After this war, the colonial empire did not have the resources to restore the regime and lost the military battle against the liberation forces. This led to the division of the country, which in turn led to the Vietnam War with major human and material losses for the country. The war ended on April 30, 1975 by the fact that North Vietnam took the southern part. After experimental planning in the 1970s and 1980s, the economy was reformed in a market economy direction.
Viet[change | change source]
About 5000 years ago, the two ethnic tribes of the Lac Viet and Au Viet lived together in many areas with other inhabitants. Due to increasing needs to control floods, fights against invaders, and culture and trade exchanges, these tribes living near each other tended to gather together and integrate into a larger mixed group.
Among these Lac Viet tribes was the Van Lang, which was the most powerful tribe. The leader of this tribe later joined all the tribes together to found Van Lang Nation in 2897 BC, addressing himself as the King Hung. The next generations followed in their father's footsteps and kept this appellation. Based on historical documents, researchers correlatively delineated the location of Van Lang Nation to the present day regions of North and north of Central Vietnam, as well as the south of present-day Kwangsi (China). The Van Lang Nation lasted to the 3rd century B.C.
Óc Eo may have been a busy port of the kingdom of Funan between the 1st and 7th centuries.
The Dong Son civilization that covered much of Southeast Asia was also the beginning of Vietnam's history. In 221 BC, the Qins invaded the land of the Viet tribes. Thuc Phan, leader of the alliance of Au-Viet tribes managed to expel the enemies and declared himself King An Duong Vuong and his territory Au Lac Nation (257-207 BC). In 208 BC, a Qin Dynasty general named Triệu Đà invaded Au Lac. An Duong Vuong failed this time. As a result, the northern feudalist took turns dominating the country over the next eleven centuries, establishing their harsh regime in the country and dividing the country into administrative regions and districts with unfamiliar names. However, the country's name of Au Lac could not be erased from the people's minds in their everyday life.
In 207 BC Triệu Đà established a state called Nam Việt which encompassed southern China and the Red River Delta. The historical significance of the original Nam Việt remains controversial because some historians consider it a Chinese occupation while others believe it was an independent era. For most of the period from 111 BCE to the early 10th century, Vietnam was under the rule of successive Chinese dynasties. Sporadic independence movements were attempted, but were quickly suppressed by Chinese forces.
The kings of Champa (Chiêm Thành in Vietnamese) started construction of Hindu temples at Mỹ Sơn in the 4th century AD.[15][16]
Hội An was founded as a trading port by the Nguyễn Lord Nguyễn Hoàng sometime around 1595.
Work on Imperial City, Huế started in 1804.
IndoChina[change | change source]
Chochina is shown on the eastern coast of this 1886 map of Indo-China.
In September 1858, France occupied Đà Nẵng. Cochinchina was a French colony from 1862 to 1948.
In 1930 Nguyễn Ái Quốc established the Vietnamese Independence League (Việt Nam Ðộc Lập Ðồng Minh Hội) which is also known as the Việt Minh.
The Japanese took over Vietnam in World War II. The Việt Minh fought against both the Japanese and the Vichy French.
When the Japanese were defeated, the Vietnamese people, led by the Việt Minh started the August Revolution.
On September 2, 1945, Nguyễn Ái Quốc (who was now calling himself Hồ Chí Minh, meaning 'Hồ (a common last name) with the will of light') read the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Ba Ðình Square, in Hànội. It was based on the American Declaration of Independence.
Hồ Chí Minh led the Việt Minh in a war for independence from France.
The "Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina" (République Autonome de Cochinchine) was proclaimed June 1, 1946 to frustrate the Việt Minh's desire to rule all of Vietnam.
The War between France and the Việt Minh lasted from 1946 to 1954. The French were defeated in 1954 after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
North and South Vietnam[change | change source]
The nation was then divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. After independence was achieved, the French gave the land of the Mekong delta that was part of Cambodia to South Vietnam. The anti-communist United States had a lot of influence in the South, and the communist and nationalist Việt Minh controlled the North. Hồ Chí Minh was extremely popular in the whole nation, as he was the only remaining leader after years of fighting, so he became President of the Democratic Republic of (North) Việtnam. It was agreed that the nation would be reunited by elections in 1956. But, the Americans and the Southern government stopped the elections from happening because they expected Hồ Chí Minh to win because communist North Vietnam refused to hold free elections. Dwight Eisenhower said he thought Hồ would win with around 80% of the vote if elections were held because of the majority of the population being in the north added with Ho's few supporters in the South.[17]
Soon, the USA was at war with Vietnam. This war was known as the American War, the Vietnam War, or the Second Indochinese War. Soon, South Vietnam became a military dictatorship with some basic freedoms. The Southern army removed the controversial[18] Ngo Dinh Diem from power and killed him.
Regions of Vietnam
On September 2, 1969, Independence Day, President Hồ Chí Minh died of heart failure.
Unification[change | change source]
On April 30, 1975, the National Liberation Front with the help of the N.V.A.[17] overtook Sàigòn and quickly renamed it Hồ Chí Minh City, which is the capital of Vietnam. The nation was fully reunified as Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976.
Provinces[change | change source]
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces. There are also five city municipalities which have province authority.
Red River Delta
Bac Ninh
Ha Nam
Hai Duong
Hung Yen
Vinh Phuc
Hanoi (municipality)
Hai Phong (municipality)
North Central Coast
Nghe An
Quang Binh
Quang Tri
Thua Thien-Hue
Bac Giang
Bac Kan
Lao Cai
Phu Tho
Tuyen Quang
Dien Bien
Hoa Binh
Lai Chau
Son La
Lam Dong
South Central Coast
Binh Thuan
Khanh Hoa
Ninh Thuan
Phu Yen
Da Nang (municipality)
Vung Tau (Ba Ria-Vung Tau)
Ho Chi Minh (municipality)
Mekong River Delta
Bac Lieu
Ben Tre
Ca Mau
Hau Giang
Soc Trang
Tien Giang
Tra Vinh
Can Tho (municipality)
The provinces of Vietnam are divided (by the government) into provincial cities and provinces.
Science and technology[change | change source]
Media said in 2011 that investment in science and technology was 2% of GDP.[19]
"Vietnam provides no incentives for students to return to Vietnam from their foreign graduate programmes" was the opinion (in 2011) of French physicist Pierre Darriulat.[19][20]
List of rivers of Vietnam
Vietnam at the Olympics
Vietnam national football team
Find more about
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News stories from Wikinews
Source texts from Wikisource
Learning resources from Wikiversity
↑ Robbers, Gerhard (30 January 2007). Encyclopedia of world constitutions. Infobase Publishing. p. 1021. ISBN 9780816060788. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
↑ "East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Vietnam — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov.
↑ "General Statistics Office Of Vietnam". www.gso.gov.vn.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Vietnam". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
↑ "GDP năm 2010 của Việt Nam vượt 100 tỷ USD". Vnexpress.net. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
↑ "Gini Index". World Bank. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
↑ "Human Development Report 2010. Human development index trends: Table G" (PDF). The United Nations. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
↑ 8.0 8.1 "Vietnam's new-look economy". BBC News. 18 October 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
↑ Weisenthal, Joe (22 February 2011). "3G Countries". Business Insider. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
↑ Elijah Coleman Bridgman; Samuel Wells Willaims (1847). The Chinese Repository. proprietors. pp. 584–.
↑ "Viet Nam Population (2019) - Worldometers". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
↑ "CIA The World Fact Book". Retrieved 10-05-2011. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
↑ "How Big is Vietnam in Comparison to the United States, Germany, Japan and UK?". 26 February 2014.
↑ "Vietnam". Kids.
↑ "KINGDOM OF CHAMPA".
↑ Andrew David Hardy, Mauro Cucarzi, Patrizia Zolese Champa and the Archaeology of Mỹ Sơn 2009
↑ 17.0 17.1 "Eisenhower's Views on the Popularity of Ho Chi Minh". www.mtholyoke.edu.
↑ "BBC NEWS". news.bbc.co.uk.
↑ 19.0 19.1 "Stemming the outflow of talent". 16 September 2011 – via The Economist.
↑ "Website Under Maintenance". en.baomoi.com.
Countries and territories of Asia
Afghanistan · Armenia2 · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China (PRC) · Cyprus2 · East Timor · Gaza Strip · Georgia1 · Hong Kong3 · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Macau3 · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · Syria · Taiwan (ROC)4 · Tajikistan · Thailand · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · West Bank · Yemen
1. Includes territory in both Europe and Asia. 2. Usually thought of Europe for cultural, political and historical reasons. 3. Special territories. 4. Disputed territories.
The member countries of ASEAN
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vietnam&oldid=6556541"
ASEAN Members
1975 establishments in Asia
Articles containing Vietnamese-language text
This page was last changed on 27 May 2019, at 20:05.
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About infectious diseases
New diseases can appear and spread suddenly. Read and subscribe to the travel advice for your destination before you depart to ensure you have the latest information.
Water-borne, food-borne, parasitic and other infectious diseases (including cholera, hepatitis, tuberculosis, typhoid and rabies) are common around the world, with serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. Vaccinations are available for the prevention of some infectious diseases. Ensure you discuss potential vaccinations with your GP before you travel.
More information: Health Checks and Vaccinations
Bear in mind that standards of food handling and preparation may be different in some countries from those in Australia. Illness caused by poor food handling is common in some locations, even in expensive hotels.
Water-borne diseases
Water-borne diseases (including cholera, typhoid, leptospirosis and schistosomiasis) are common in many countries. Some can be caught from drinking contaminated water or food and others from direct contact with contaminated water.
In rural areas and countries where water-borne diseases are common, boil or treat all drinking water or drink bottled water.
Avoid ice cubes.
Avoid uncooked and undercooked food.
Avoid contact with water or soil that may be contaminated with animal urine.
Cover any cuts or abrasions, and wear waterproof protective clothing, especially footwear, if in contact with water that might be contaminated, including unchlorinated fresh water, such as lakes and streams.
In some countries, avoid swimming or wading in unchlorinated fresh water.
Mosquito-borne and other insect-borne diseases
Yellow fever: If you're travelling to parts of Africa, South or Central America or the Caribbean you may be exposed to yellow fever. Yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitos. It is a serious and potentially fatal disease which is preventable by vaccination. We recommend that you check the yellow fever entry requirements for all countries you intend to enter or transit by contacting their embassy or consulate. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country.
If you have visited countries where yellow fever is endemic in the days before you return to Australia, you will be asked to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate upon entry into Australia. For more information about yellow fever, including Australian re-entry requirements, see the Department of Health website.
Zika virus: A number of countries in South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific are experiencing ongoing transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Transmission mainly occurs through the bite of some species of Aedes mosquito, particularly Aedes aegypti. These mosquitoes bite in the day, often around dawn and dusk. Sexual transmission of the virus is also possible. The infection often occurs without symptoms and only one in five people who get it will feel sick, usually for a few days. Illness from Zika does not usually require hospitalisation, but in some cases can cause fever, rash, severe headache, joint pain, and muscle or bone pain. There are no vaccines. All travellers are urged to protect themselves by taking measures to prevent mosquito bites. There is scientific consensus that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Given the risk to unborn babies, pregnant women (or women trying to become pregnant) should consider postponing travel to countries where Zika is common or talk to their doctor about implications.
World Health Organization's Zika virus fact sheet
World Health Organization's Zika virus classification table for a list of Zika virus affected countries
Australian Department of Health's Zika virus information page
Pan-American Health Organization's Zika virus infection page
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (US) Zika Virus page
There are a number of other mosquito-borne diseases that can affect travellers visiting warm climates, including southern Europe and North America. Diseases include malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, West Nile virus and Japanese encephalitis. Also ticks, sandflies and other insects spread other diseases in some countries. Take measures to avoid insect bites, including ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof; using an appropriate strong insect repellent and wearing long, loose fitting, light coloured clothing.
Medication to prevent malaria may be recommended for some high-risk destinations. Our country-specific travel advice indicates where malaria is a risk. In addition to taking precautions against mosquito bites, you should also consult a doctor about the need for malaria medication.
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
When travelling you should always exercise appropriate precautions when engaging in activities that expose you to bodily fluids such as unprotected sex, tattoos, piercings, injecting drug use, working in a health care facility or delivering first aid. The level of HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, is very high in many countries.
Victims of violent crime, especially rape, are strongly encouraged to seek immediate medical assistance. There are medications available to help decrease the chance of becoming infected with HIV in these circumstances. For more information on the spread of HIV/AIDS, see the World Health Organization website.
Influenza is a viral infection that affects mainly the nose, throat, airways and, occasionally, lungs. The virus is transmitted easily from person to person when infected people cough or sneeze. Annual epidemics of influenza usually occur during the winter months in temperate regions, but can occur year-round. See the Department of Health Influenza website for more information.
Avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and rarely causes infections in humans and other mammals. There is no ongoing spread of avian influenza from person to person.
The risk of human infections is low. For more information on avian influenza see the websites of the Australian Department of Health and the World Health Organization.
Australians travelling to areas affected by avian influenza can reduce their risk of infection by:
avoiding situations where they may come into contact with infected birds, including live bird markets
ensuring all uncooked poultry and eggs are handled hygienically with careful attention to hand washing after handling
ensuring all poultry and eggs are cooked thoroughly before eating (proper cooking destroys the virus in poultry and eggs)
See a doctor promptly if you become sick with fever, coughing, or difficulty breathing during or after travel to a country affected by avian influenza.
H1N1 (swine flu)
Swine influenza viruses are common among pig populations globally and do not usually infect humans. Most human infections with swine influenza viruses are mild, with the virus not spreading further to other people. The (H1N1) 2009 virus that caused the global pandemic in 2009-2010 was thought to have originated in pigs and is an example of a swine-origin virus that was able to spread among people and cause disease. Since 2010, the H1N1 virus strain has been incorporated in the annual seasonal influenza vaccine around the world.
Rabies is present in many countries worldwide. Rabies is a fatal viral disease that is almost always spread by an animal bite, but can also be contracted through a scratch or when an animal's saliva gets directly into the eyes, nose, mouth, or broken skin. If bitten, scratched or exposed to the saliva of an animal that may carry rabies you should immediately use soap and water to wash the wound thoroughly for at least 10 minutes and seek urgent medical attention. It is usually impossible to tell if an animal is infected with rabies or not, so you should seek advice for all bites or other exposures.
You can minimise the risk of exposure by avoiding contact with wild and domestic animals, such as dogs, monkeys, bats and other mammals. Travellers should not feed or pat monkeys, even in places where tourists may be encouraged to do so. Be aware that monkeys may bite or scratch you without warning to look for food.
Roughly 97% of confirmed human rabies cases worldwide are caused by contact with infected dogs. However, in recent years an increasing number of Australians returning from overseas have required rabies treatment following bites and scratches from monkeys, particularly following travel to Bali and Thailand.
The Rabies vaccine is effective if given shortly after an exposure (bite, or scratch) in combination with Rabies immunoglobulin. The availability of rabies treatment (vaccine and immunoglobulin) may be limited in some locations overseas. You may need to return to Australia or travel to a third country to obtain prompt treatment. If you are planning to stay in a location with high levels of rabies for a prolonged period or to work with animals, you should consult your doctor or travel clinic about obtaining a pre-exposure rabies vaccination. For further information on rabies see the World Health Organization website.
Ebola virus disease
Infection with Ebola virus disease (EVD) is frequently fatal. The symptoms of EVD are severe and can include high fever, muscle pain and weakness, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea and in some cases, internal and external bleeding. There is currently no available vaccine to prevent Ebola although there are efforts to develop one. There is no proven safe and effective treatment for EVD, however prompt and high-quality supportive care can be life-saving.
EVD is spread through direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes with the body fluids of an infected person, including blood, faeces and sweat. Transmission can also occur through direct contact with the body or bodily fluids of a deceased EVD patient. There is a risk of sexual transmission of Ebola virus from survivors for an unknown period after recovery, and should be considered to continue indefinitely until more is known.
Australians considering travel to a country where EVD is present should maintain strict standards of hygiene and avoid all direct contact with patients with EVD or unknown illnesses, including avoiding unprotected sexual contact with survivors. Avoid contact with any objects that could have been contaminated with the body fluids of someone with EVD. Avoid contact with wild animals and do not eat or handle raw or undercooked animal products, such as blood and meat. Know the symptoms of EVD and see a healthcare provider immediately if you feel unwell, or if you develop any EVD symptoms.
For more information about Ebola, see the websites of the Australian Department of Health and the World Health Organization.
Middle East respiratory syndrome
Cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have been reported in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Lebanon and the Republic of Korea.
MERS can cause a rapid onset of severe respiratory illness with a fatality rate of around 36%. There is no vaccine. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Some patients have reported a variety of other symptoms, including muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. Some patients have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Severe disease occurs more frequently in people with underlying conditions that may make them more susceptible to infection (including diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, asthma and lung diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease).
Camels are suspected to be the source of infection for sporadic cases, but the exact routes of direct or indirect exposure remain unknown. Person-to-person spread can occur, particularly in healthcare settings where outbreaks of the disease have been reported.
The WHO advises that people at potentially higher risk of severe illness should take appropriate precautions when visiting farms, barn areas or market environments where camels are present in MERS-affected countries. This might include avoiding contact with camels, good hand hygiene, and avoiding drinking raw milk or eating food that may be contaminated with animal secretions or products unless they are properly washed, peeled or cooked.
Travellers should practise good hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing before and after touching animals, avoiding contact with sick animals, and following food hygiene practices in MERS-affected countries. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Seek immediate medical attention if you feel unwell with symptoms similar to MERS infection while travelling or on your return to Australia. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider that you have travelled to a region where MERS is known to occur. Avoid close contact with people who are ill with these symptoms.
For more information about MERS, see the websites of the Department of Health and the World Health Organization.
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Noticing Therapeutic Novelty
A Process-Oriented Approach Using Innovative Moments
conceptualization|IM|innovative moments|narrative|outcome|story|web-only feature
Many children participate in the classic science project of nurturing a seedling in a Dixie cup and observing the ensuing course of germination. The child’s primary job is to exercise patience with the process, punctuated by subtle manipulation of the seedling’s environment to ensure ideal growth conditions. Hopefully, in time, the seedling pokes out of the soil in the form of a stem. This is a triumphant moment, and the child often proceeds to tote the small plant around the house, showing off the progress. At this point, a caregiver usually has to step in with a caution that too much jostling may compromise the fragile growth. The child begrudgingly returns the Dixie cup to its designated windowsill, and the waiting and observation continues.
This process parallels therapy, particularly for process-oriented clinicians. The therapist must master the perfect degree of attentiveness, balancing two temptations: overreaction to glimpses of the client’s progress in treatment and under-reaction lulled by the monotonous parts of any therapeutic journey.
How, then, do clinicians notice and nurture novelty, or growth, that is indicative of therapeutic change? Furthermore, how can this novelty be systematically assessed and utilized to promote therapeutic progress?
What Does it Mean to Notice and Nurture Novelty?
Assessing outcomes is an essential part of routine clinical practice. Symptom alleviation, as measured by instruments such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1993) or PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (Weathers et al., 2013), is a commonly utilized metric of therapeutic progress. While amelioration of distress often includes symptom reduction, tracking progress in this way necessitates adherence to an anti-symptom stance. The difficulty with such a perspective is that numerous therapies actually regard symptoms as meaningful and even necessary, and clinical progress can entail adopting an attitude of acceptance, or even gratitude.
Thus while useful in some contexts, symptom reduction measures are not always attuned to novel attitudes that may indicate adaptive progress. Furthermore, symptom measures that focus primarily or exclusively on behavioral changes (including physiological behaviors, such as muscle tension or racing heart) may overlook and therefore miss important changes in cognition that are likely to precede behavior change.
Given the established importance of common factors in therapy and their usefulness in predicting outcomes, assessment of the therapeutic relationship and therapy process provide another type of outcome data. Measures such as the Working Alliance Inventory (Horvath & Greenberg, 1989) and the Session Rating Scale (Duncan et al., 2003) indicate whether the therapeutic bond and collaborative process are functioning well in a given therapeutic relationship during a given session.
Yet, these variables are not problem-specific: a positive working relationship does not necessarily imply therapeutic progress toward addressing client problems (unless perhaps the presenting problem is interpersonal in nature). Furthermore, these measures, and the type of symptom measures noted above, rely on client self-report that may be influenced by social desirability, memory recall difficulty, or other biases.
Clearly there is a need for a means of noticing and nurturing to novelty that does not depend on retrospective reflection, is not beholden to an anti-symptom stance, and yet is also problem-focused.
The Innovative Moments Coding System (IMCS; Gonçalves et al., 2011) is a system for evaluating psychotherapy process research. It is transtheoretical and predicated on the establishment of a problem list derived from the client’s narrative. Rooted in the narrative tradition, the IMCS analyzes the way people tell their stories of themselves, their problems, and their solutions.
Solutions vary and are not pre-determined by the therapist or the type of therapy provided, yet they can be categorized and evaluated according to the type of “unique outcome” they represent. Most importantly, this categorization and analysis can occur moment-by-moment during the therapeutic encounter by a therapist who is tuned into the nuances of the client’s narrative.
What are Innovative Moments?
Innovative moments (IMs) are markers of therapeutic change that contrast with the problematic pattern or narrative: “An IM occurs every time the problematic pattern is challenged and a new way of feeling, thinking, and/or acting emerges that is different from [what] one might expect given the previous functioning” (Gonçalves et al., 2011, p. 497).
The first step to identifying IMs is to listen carefully to the client’s narrative and derive a problem list, which is an essential step in any case conceptualization. Armed with the problem list, the next step is for the therapist to become familiar with the types of IMs and how they relate to therapeutic outcome. A full discussion of the types of IMs is outside the scope of the present article and is thoroughly covered elsewhere (i.e., Gonçalves et al., 2011).
Brief definitions and client examples from research conducted by our team are provided here (Piazza-Bonin, Neimeyer, Alves, & Smigelsky, 2016; Piazza-Bonin, Neimeyer, Alves, Smigelsky, & Crunk, 2016):
Note. Examples are drawn from Piazza-Bonin, Neimeyer, Alves, Smigelsky, et al. (2016). Definitions are derived from the original article by Goncalves, Ribeiro, Mendes, Matos, and Santos (2011).
I Recognize an Innovative Moment – How is it Related to Outcome?
The research team in Portugal that developed the IMCS is continually assessing its functionality by exploring both good outcome (GO) and poor outcome (PO) therapy cases (e.g., Cunha et al., 2012; Gonçalves et al., 2012; Mendes et al., 2010; Santos, Gonçalves, & Matos, 2011). This allows for a comparative understanding of the role of IMs, and different types of IMs, in predicting therapeutic outcomes across orientations and presenting problems.
IMs typically occur throughout therapy in both GO and PO cases. However, GO cases have significantly more IMs than PO cases. In GO cases, action, reflection, and protest IMs are present early in therapy and then evolve into reconceptualization and performing change IMs. This evolution is absent or less pronounced in PO cases.
Reconceptualization IMs are central to the formation of a new self-narrative relative to the problem because they provide a meta-perspective that facilitates awareness of how the change occurred.
Performing change IMs generally follow reconceptualization IMs, marking new experiences that arise out of the change. These latter types of IMs are more complex and require a nuanced understanding of the problem, its etiology, and how it is maintained. This is consistent with stage models of change (e.g., precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance; McConnaughy, DiClemente, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1989) that suggest progress builds on itself and is facilitated through exploration of both the problem and the unfolding progress.
Therapists should strive to facilitate as many reconceptualization and performing change IMs as possible. According to Gonçalves, Matos, and Santos (2009), therapeutic change results from the elaboration and expansion of IMs. A skillful and attuned therapist may help a client transform a reflection IM to a reconceptualization IM simply by drawing attention to the reflection and helping the client expound upon it. This is more likely to facilitate a good outcome because it moves clients into a deeper understanding of their problems and their solutions.
As a Therapist How Can I Facilitate IMs in Therapy?
The best way to facilitate IMs in therapy is to be a truly integrative therapist, drawing on a variety of modalities to strategically lead from behind as the client moves into deeper self-awareness.
Action IMs are consistent with behavioral interventions that entail doing something concrete in opposition to the problem (e.g., behavioral activation).
Reflection IMs may be best facilitated by cognitive techniques that help a client to think critically and flexibly. Engaging in experiential and emotion-focused interventions, such as chair work (Kellogg, 2007), may bring about protest IMs. These types of interventions are likely already within the toolbox of an integrative therapist. If not, they are relatively easy to adopt with some practice.
How, then, do therapists transform these types of IMs into the more complex types that are most associated with GO cases? This may require moving beyond symptom reduction paradigms and into theories that promote the emergence of a new self-concept, or narrative. Consider this therapeutic exchange between a constructivist therapist and a client, in which the therapist points out a juxtaposition between past and present and encourages further exploration:
T: You are doing something differently with the stress of that grief that is letting the physical manifestation go away. What do you think it is? What makes a useful difference for you there?
C: Maybe it is dealing with it, as opposed to before [when] I kind of did shut down. I did spend a lot of time in my room crying…once I did start back to work and the prospect of going back to school was there, they subsided. I have been finding more creative ways to let it out. (Alves, Mendes, Gonçalves, & Neimeyer, 2012, p. 811).
This exchange focuses on the constructivist goal of helping the client make meaning of her experience. Out of this type of new understanding or sense of meaning, new possibilities can emerge and be enacted as performing change IMs, consistent with a narrative therapy paradigm of re-authoring one’s story. While these examples of modalities are certainly not exhaustive, they hopefully demonstrate the importance of being a truly integrative therapist.
What should I keep in mind when using IMs?
1. IMs are determined by the specific client’s problem list. What is an IM for one client may not be an IM for another client.
2. IMs can be co-constructed. If the therapist senses that a client is on the verge of challenging the problematic narrative, a well-timed and well-constructed reflection, question, or experiential interaction may guide the client into an IM.
3. Therapists can and should help clients stay with and explore IMs when they occur, inviting amplification that can lead to more complex IMs. Never move quickly past an IM!
4. Identifying IMs for clinical, rather than research, purposes allows for more leniency in categorization. However, the therapist should be sure to track complexity of IMs, given the association with good outcomes.
5. Keeping a log of IMs across sessions could be used collaboratively with the client in a later phase of therapy to help consolidate gains, such as by writing a fictional story or creating a work of art that tells the story of the client’s transformation.
Smigelsky, M. A. (2017, February). Noticing therapeutic novelty: A process-oriented approach using innovative moments. [Web article]. Retrieved from: https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/noticing-therapeutic-novelty/
Alves, D., Mendes, I., Gonçalves, M. M., & Neimeyer, R. A. (2012). Innovative moments in grief therapy: Reconstructing meaning following perinatal death. Death Studies, 36(9), 795-818. doi:10.1080/07481187.2011.608291
Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1993). Beck Anxiety Inventory manual. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
Cunha, C, Gonçalves, M. M., Hill, C. E., Mendes, I., Ribeiro, A. P., Sousa, I., Angus, L., & Greenberg, L. S. (2012). Therapist interventions and client innovative moments in emotion-focused therapy for depression. Psychotherapy, 49, 536–548.
Duncan, B. L., Miller, S. D., Sparks, J. A., Claud, D. A., Reynolds, L. R., Brown, J., & Johnson, L. D. (2003). The session rating scale: Preliminary psychometric properties of a “working” alliance measure. Journal of Brief Therapy, 3(1), 3-12.
Gonçalves, M. M., Matos, M., & Santos, A. (2009). Narrative therapy and the nature of “innovative moments” in the construction of change. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 22, 1–23.
Gonçalves, M.M., Mendes, I., Cruz, G., Ribeiro, A., Angus, L., & Greenberg, L. (2012). Innovative moments and change in client-centered therapy. Psychotherapy Research, 22, 389–401.
Gonçalves, M. M., Ribeiro, A. P., Mendes, I., Matos, M., & Santos, A. (2011). Tracking novelties in psychotherapy process research: The innovative moments coding system. Psychotherapy Research, 21(5), 497-509. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2011.560207
Horvath, A. O., & Greenberg, L. S. (1989). Development and validation of the Working Alliance Inventory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 36, 223–233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.36.2.223
Mendes, I., Riberio, A. P., Angus, L., Greenberg, L. S., Sousa, I., & Gonçalves, M. M. (2010). Narrative change in emotion-focused psychotherapy: How is change constructed through the lens of the Innovative Moments Coding System? Psychotherapy Research, 20, 692–701.
Goncalves, M. M., Ribeiro, A. P., Mendes, I., Matos, M., & Santos, A. (2011). Tracking novelties in psychotherapy process research: the innovative moments coding system. Psychother Res, 21(5), 497-509. doi:10.1080/10503307.2011.560207
Kellogg, S. H. (2007). Transformational chairwork: Five ways of using therapeutic dialogues NYSPA Notebook, 19(4), 8-9.
McConnaughy, E. A., DiClemente, C. C., Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1989). Stages of change in psychotherapy: A follow-up report. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 26(4), 494-503. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.memphis.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1990-11294-001&site=ehost-live
Piazza-Bonin, E., Neimeyer, R. A., Alves, D., & Smigelsky, M. A. (2016). Innovative Moments in Humanistic Therapy II: Analysis of Change Processes Across the Course of Three Cases of Grief Therapy. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 1-20. doi:10.1080/10720537.2015.1118713
Piazza-Bonin, E., Neimeyer, R. A., Alves, D., Smigelsky, M. A., & Crunk, E. (2016). Innovative Moments in Humanistic Therapy I: Process and Outcome of Eminent Psychotherapists Working with Bereaved Clients. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 1-29. doi:10.1080/10720537.2015.1118712
Santos, A., Gonçalves, M. M., & Matos, M. (2011). Innovative moments and poor outcome in narrative therapy. Counselling Psychotherapy and Research, 11, 129–139.
Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Keane, T. M., Palmieri, P. A., Marx, B. P., & Schnurr, P. P. (2013). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Scale available from the National Center for PTSD at http://www.ptsd.va.gov.
Therapeutic Change in Residential Wilderness Therapy Groups Creating Meaning Using the Significant Events Approach Psychodynamic Case Consultation
Melissa A. Smigelsky, M.A., M.S.
« A Deeper Look at Language in the Therapy Room
Explaining Therapeutic Change in Residential Wilderness Therapy Groups »
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[AUDIO Missing, will hopefully find this file soon. – Tyler August 2016]
RUDE BOY! So, you can tell a lot about a person’s historical/musical acumen by what they think of Ska music. People who are…less informed… to put it nicely, dismiss it as a trend that captured the hearts and wallets of white kids across the continent in 1997. However, people who know what they’re talking about, like our beloved guest Jacob aka DJ Buttons, will tell you about its cross-cultural, historical, and of course geographical importance to the history of western culture. Yes, No Doubt and Reel Big Fish got famous for playing the style of music in the right place (Orange County) at the right time (mid to late 90’s), but we’re here today to talk about its root in time and place.
Jacob takes us on a journey back to the early 60’s in Kingston, as Jamaican Independence gives birth to the soundtrack to a burgeoning culture. We moved forward gracefully between the so-called Second and Third Waves, bringing you the hits (or should have been hits) by the likes of the Aquabats (more OC for you), The Planet Smashers (Montreal, QC), Straighter than Pete (Syracuse, NY) and Mustard Plug (Grand Rapids, MI). In retrospect, the Mustard Plug song we did play “Throw a Bomb” was much more punk with horns than Ska, but you can detect the Ska influence. This, though, remains MP’s best song (I think) and one of the best singles to come out of that era:
Tyler also mentioned the Pietasters at one point, then ran out of time before being able to explain his affinity for the band. First of all, the Pietasters were really more of a neo-Northern Soul act with Ska roots, but considering how they were Washington, DC’s great hope in the late 90’s Ska boom, they are still known for that today. That’s a damn shame, though, because last time I checked, songs like “Rachel” owe much more to The Temptations than Desmond Dekker. But, it doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that their occasional hometown shows are a ridiculous, heavily intoxicated blast. Don’t miss the chance to see them play a Halloween show if you’re ever in DC around that time. You just might wind up running around on stage singing along with their frenetic cover of The Business’ “Drinking and Driving.”
Anyway, we hope you find this episode quite educational, and we hope it makes you move a little bit. Enjoy. It’s already on iTunes. PICKITUP!
Produced by Tyler S. for TDC Productions
Theme Song: “The Face of the Earth” by The Dismemberment Plan
Other Music Included:
Desmond Dekker – “Israelites”
The Skatalites – “Latin Goes Ska”
The Specials – “Ghost Town”
The Specials – “Concrete Jungle”
Operation Ivy – “Bankshot!”
The Aquabats! – “Martian Girl”
The Planet Smashers – “Life of the Party”
Straighter Than Pete – “The Hurt”
Mustard Plug – Throw a Bomb
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The Emperors and the Empire
Home Essay Samples The Emperors and the Empire
The Roman Empire was the most powerful state of the ancient world. It started as a kingdom, then as a republic, and continued as an empire. The extent of Roman Empire was so vast. Much of the lands that are part of the empire were accomplished by military conquest. The civilization of Rome spread throughout the empire, and the Latin language and Roman legal system created a big impact on the Western culture.
The ancient Rome developed an army that would enable it to conquer the Mediterranean world. The system of law of the ancient Rome is among its important contributions to the civilization. To date, Roman law is one of the two major legal systems of the Western world. Prior to the establishment of the Roman Empire, there was the Republic. The republic was governed by the Senate, different assemblies, and several officials. At first, the Senate was open only to patricians, who held all high government posts. Having dominated the machinery of the government, the patricians were able to pass laws that would cater only to their interests. Plebeians were often deprived of land and were forbidden to marry patricians. Later on, the Senate agreed the plebeians to elect tribunes to defend their interests.
The Roman emperors had kept the forms of the republic. Senate and assemblies still continued to meet. Officials were regularly elected. Theoretically speaking, the emperor and the Senate were two equal branches of the government. However, this did not seem to be the case. Some emperors just used the idea of republicanism as front, but in fact, they were more powerful, and the authority of the Senate was negligible. There were emperors who showed respect to the institution, while there were others who ridiculed it. On the other hand, the army became powerful during the Roman Empire. A significant change to the government was brought by Diocletian who divided the government between the East and West, and appointed a co-emperor. This divided government later on became permanent. In 476 A.D., the Western Empire ended. The Eastern or Byzantine Empire ended in 1453.
The emperors played a very important role in the development of the empire. Their personalities, actions and behavior greatly affected the fate of this powerful empire. As Theodor Mommsen (58) puts it, “Only under the Emperors did the Roman state attain its final form.” This essay discusses how the personalities of the emperors brought the rise and fall of the great Roman Empire. Only the most famous emperors are discussed herein in a chronological order. It should be noted that the personalities of each emperor affected their manner ruling, and their ruling affected the government of Roman Empire, as well as its rise and fall.
The Golden Age of the Roman Empire
In 27 B.C., Octavian was conferred with the title “Augustus” by the Roman Senate for ending the civil strife. Octavian is the son of Aita, a niece of Julius Caesar. Caesar adopted him as a son and heir. He was never proclaimed an emperor but was considered as such because he held supreme authority and passed the same to his heirs. He was 18 when Caesar died. He formed a triumvirate with Mark Antony and Lepidus in 43 B.C. in order to avenge Caesar’s death. The triumvirate declared the official government, put to death at least 2,000 individuals who are considered as enemies, and defeated the murderers of Caesar’s in the battle at Philippi. The conflict that ensued between Augustus and Antony ended when Antony married Octavia, Augustus’s sister. Antony, however, left Octavia for Cleopatra and planned to put up his own empire in Egypt. In a battle, Augustus defeated the forces of Antony and Cleopatra, and a year later, Augustus was able to occupy Egypt. As a ruler, Augustus made administrative reforms and attempts to restore public and private morality. This period is called the “Augustan Age,” which is the golden age of architecture and literature (New Standard Encyclopedia A-752). This was also the beginning of Pax Romana (Roman peace), which continued for two centuries. Under Augustus’s rule, the Roman Empire enjoyed peace and security.
Augustus was succeeded by Tiberius, his stepson. Tiberius was not as popular as other leaders but under his rule, the provincial system worked better than under the old system (Roman-empire.net). He was succeeded by Caligula, his nephew. At first, Caligula seemed to be a popular and generous leader, having liberated the prisoners, recalled exiles, burned incriminating documents, and showed great determination in unaccustomed business of administration. After a few months, however, he fell ill, and had risen from sickness apparently as a madman. He was bereft of moral sense, and was noted for acts of cruelty. In his fifth year of crazed reign, he was assassinated by his guards. Caligula was succeeded by his feeble-minded uncle, Claudius. He was considered the “the wisest fool” (Roman-empire.net). His intentions and political theory were seen as excellent. He organized the conquest of South Britain and built many public works. Claudius married Agrippina, the widowed mother of Nero in 48 A.D. In 54 A.D., Claudius died, presumably due to poisoning by Agrippina.
Nero succeeded his stepfather Claudius. Nero started as a mild and clement ruler, receiving counsel from his tutor, the philosopher and writer Seneca (New Standard Encyclopedia N-130d). Nero’s mother was murdered. His wife, on the other hand, died from his brutality. Later on, Nero scandalized Rome by public performances of acting, paying the harp, singing, and activities that are beneath his position’s dignity. In 64 A.D., the Great Fire destroyed much of Rome. Rumor had spread that Nero set the fire and sung his poem while the city was burning. A small community of Christians was accused of starting the fire. Some of the Christians were thrown to the lions in the amphitheater.
The empire was torn by civil wars after the reign of Nero. In 69 A.D. alone, four different emperors ruled. The last of these four, Vespasian restored the stability of the empire. As a ruler, Vespasian engaged in no violence and restored the rule of law and public confidence. The expenditure was likewise economical, putting the state treasury back on a good foundation. His sons and successors, Titus and Domitian, were known for increasing the prosperity in the empire (Potter 122).
Nerva succeeded Domitian. Nerva’s reign marked the beginning of the “Five Good Emperors.” Nerva was a man of lofty character. He was very courageous and wise. However, being told that he was, he had no heir. Instead of leaving it to chance, Nerva chose a successor by adopting Trajan as his heir. It is said that the Roman Empire was at its fullest during Trajan’s reign (New Standard Encyclopedia R-238). He was a man of very high ability who spent half of his life in the military. He declared that the Senate should always be informed about what was going on, and that the right to rule implies freedom for those who are ruled. He was succeeded by Hadrian who built many cities, fortifications, and public works. In 130s A.D., Hadrian invaded Athens without bloodshed. Hadrian relied not on superior military powers but on “armies of construction workers and careful town planning” (Kelly 61). Hadrian displayed his love for Greek culture and took an active intellectual interest in history and monuments of the eastern Mediterranean. Antoninus Pius succeeded Hadrian.
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the “Five Good Emperors.” He was wise and benevolent. In fact, he could even be considered the Rome’s first “Philosopher King” pursuant to Plato’s concept of the Philosopher King. He was devoted to academic pursuits when he was still young. He was serious and honest. His tutors were the finest in this period, including Euphorion for literature, Andron for geometry, Geminus for drama, Cornelius Fronto for Latin, and Alexander of Cotiaeum for Greek grammar. Honors were later received by his tutors. Aurelius studied stoic philosophy and became a dedicated student of the arts having Apollonius of Chalcedon as the tutor (UNRV History). However, during his reign, there were Barbarian attacks to the empire, forcing Aurelius to spend most of his time in military campaigns. A plague entered the empire and depopulated many areas. Aurelius died in war and was succeeded by his son, Commodus. Commodus’s reign was the mark of the decline of the empire.
The Decline of the Empire
Commodus neglected state affairs, and like Nero, he displayed public extravagance. He participated in chariot races and gladiatorial contests. He was later on assassinated. Following a year of disarray and ruling of Pertinax, then of Julianus in 193 A.D., Septimius Severus assumed emperorship. While Marcus Aurelius was the emperor, Severus was into the Senate. He continued to obtain imperial favor throughout the reign of both Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (UNRV History).
Severus was a strong ruler and competent administrator, raising the soldier’s pay, and enlarging the army. This signifies Severus’s intention to successfully defend the empire. The next emperors were Severus’s sons and relatives. The last in the Severan dynasty was Alexander Severus, who was killed by his troops because he attempted to negotiate peace with the Goths on the German Frontier. However, Alexander Severus was able to restore to Senate some of the authority it previously had in the past centuries (Roman-empire.net).
Maximinus replaced Severus. Maximinus was a peasant soldier who rose in ranks. This was the mark of the control of the army of the empire, when different commanders would fight for emperorship. The empire was in chaos.
Division between the East and the West
When Diocletian became the emperor, he restored peace. He won wars and secured the borders with fortifications. He made a basic change in the government of Roman Empire. He had taken absolute command of both political and economic activities and had himself worshipped as a god. He ruled the East, and appointed a co-emperor, Maximian, who would rule the West. Both took the title “Augustus.” Later on, Diocletian named two subordinates (subordinate emperors) as “caesars,” who were designated as successors.
A divided government of the empire was practical and became permanent. An equitable system of taxation was established. Tax assessments were revised and, if possible, increased every fifteen yeas. A complete census throughout the empire was inaugurated. This census was repeated every five years (Mommsen 196-199). During Diocletian’s rule, Christians were severely persecuted because the latter did not recognize Diocletian as god.
In 308 A.D., there were six co-emperors, four augusti and two caesars. All six were in war against each other until the conflict ended when the two remaining co-emperors, Constantine the Great of the West and Licinius of the East made peace. In a war in 324, Constantine defeated Licinius as rose as the sole emperor. This was an important era to the Roman Empire. During his time, Constantine converted to Christianity. He ended the persecution of the Christians, and even made Christianity the favored faith of the Roman Empire. Constantinople was made the capital of the empire.
Constantine developed the reforms made by Diocletian. He completed the division of military forces into two major arms: the frontier force and the permanent reserves. Constantine’s frontier policy was, however, different from Diocletian’s. Though both emphasized defense, Diocletian’s soldiers would tend to assume most of the burden at the frontiers, while Constantine’s policy relied on defense in depth. Constantine’s policy was based on the assumption that the enemies would first encounter the frontier troops, but as the enemies moved into imperial land, they would fight with troops that are lined behind various fortifications. This was intended to slow the enemies down until they are given with the killing blow (Santosuosso 182).
The system of command was likewise changed. The imperial guard was disbanded. Constantine further established a chief of staff who would assume the control of military operations. The commanders of the imperial guard then became appeal judges and ministers of finance (Santosuosso).
Constantine partitioned the empire among his sons and nephews. A few years following his death, however, the empire was divided between his two sons. The successors were able to reunite the empire, but the same was permanently divided upon the death of emperor Theodosius. The Eastern or Byzantine Empire was ruled from Constantinople until its demise in 1453. The Western Empire, on the other hand was attacked by Goths and Vandals during fourth and fifth centuries.
Romulus Augustulus, then about 15, was the last emperor. He was deposed by Odoacer, a mercenary. It was here that the Western Empire had ended.
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Straits Times Press launches OB Markers - My Straits Times Story by Cheong Yip Seng
Four new titles to be published by book publishing subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings
Singapore, 19 October, 2012 – Straits Times Press, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), launched a new book today titled OB Markers - My Straits Times Story. Written by Cheong Yip Seng, a former Editor-in-Chief of the English and Malay Newspapers Division at SPH, this book is the first of four new titles that the publisher will be launching from now till 10 November.
The four titles are:
- OB Markers - My Straits Times Story by Cheong Yip Seng
- My 1000 Days Ordeal by Ching Cheong (Available in both English and Simplified Chinese editions)
- Asian Larder by Sylvia Tan
- Ask the Foodie by Christopher Tan
OB Markers - My Straits Times Story, which hit bookstores today, was launched this afternoon at the SPH News Centre Auditorium. During the session jointly organised by Straits Times Press and the Singapore Press Club, the author engaged in a lively discussion with a panel comprising Rachel Chang, a journalist at The Straits Times and Patrick Daniel, Chairman of Straits Times Press and Editor-in-Chief, English and Malay Newspapers Division (EMND) at SPH. The launch concluded with an autograph session and reception.
In an acknowledgement published in the book, Han Fook Kwang, former ST editor and currently EMND's managing editor, says: "Cheong Yip Seng influenced an entire generation of journalists at SPH ... His first-hand account of Singapore' brand of journalism, warts and all, is as close as you can ever get to the action from the man who was in the thick of it."
Cherian George, himself an author of "Freedom from the Press: Journalism and State Power in Singapore", describes Cheong's book as "a frank memoir". In his acknowledgement, he says: "Cheong Yip Seng occupied the hottest of hot seats in Singapore media under three prime ministers ... he reveals why the task of balancing professional and political pulls was both agonising and inescapable."
Three other books published by Straits Times Press will be launched during the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) from 2 to 11 November this year.
My 1000 Days Ordeal by Ching Cheong, in both English and Simplified Chinese editions, will be launched on 3 November at the SWF and also available in bookstores. In his book, the author recounts crossing the border to Shenzhen for an investigation as a Straits Times correspondent, where he was subsequently accused of spying for Taiwan and detained in isolation for more than three months.
He narrates in detail how he was physically coerced to confess his crime and the torturous circumstances under which he was compelled to write a “confession” of his alleged crime to make sure that he “had not gone to jail for nothing”.
Asian Larder by Sylvia Tan will be launched on 9 November at the SWF. Sylvia is a newspaper food columnist and prolific food writer with nine cookbooks to her name. Before her full-time involvement in food writing, Sylvia was a newspaper journalist for more than 20 years. In Asian Larder, the author demystifies common and not-so-common ingredients found in a typical Asian kitchen. She describes the characteristics of some 130 Asian food products and uses 120 recipes that illustrate the use of these products.
Following that, Ask The Foodie by Christopher Tan or Chris Tan as he is better known as, will be launched on 10 November. The title is a reference to his popular column in The Sunday Times which started in 2006. Ask The Foodie is a compilation of frequently asked questions and answers that have been reinforced by further experiments.
Asian Larder and Ask The Foodie will be available in bookstores by 25 October.
Patrick Daniel, Chairman of Straits Times Press, said: “We are pleased to launch these four titles as they are books with inspiring real-life accounts and rich with years of the authors’ experiences. I am sure they will be insightful and memorable reads for our readers.”
Joelyn Tan
Email: tjoelyn@sph.com.sg
Adrian Cheong
Email: cheongcy@sph.com.sg
About Straits Times Press (STP)
Straits Times Press is a publishing house with more than 100 years of combined international publishing experience as a team. The team has won international and regional prizes for excellence in editorial, design and publishing.
Straits Times Press publishes History, Biographies/Memoirs, Politics, Culture, Food and Lifestyle books. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.
For more information, please visit www.stpressbooks.com.sg.
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 330 million page views with 18 million unique visitors every month. Apart from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH's online and new media initiatives include an online marketplace for products, services and employment, ST701; Stomp, omy.sg, and The Straits Times RazorTV. SPH also launched The Straits Times’ iPad and enhanced iPhone applications, an Android smartphone application and The Business Times Weekend's iPad application. SPH's Chinese flagship newspaper Lianhe Zaobao has also launched its digital platforms which include a web application, as well as online and PDF versions.
SPH has a 20 per cent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8 and U, and a 40 per cent stake in MediaCorp Press Limited, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has an 80 per cent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations UFM 100.3 in Mandarin, as well as Kiss 92 and HOT FM91.3 in English.
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping belt. Its second retail development, The Clementi Mall, started business operations in 2011. SPH's wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, has also developed a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road. SPH‘s latest retail development project, The Seletar Mall, is slated for completion by end 2014.
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Kamala Khan
Do you like superheroes? Many people like these stories of people with special powers. Robin Basselin and Colin Lowther look at a new superhero from Marvel, a superhero who is surprising many people.
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Robin Basselin.
And I’m Colin Lowther. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
A man climbs up the side of a building. A red mask covers his whole face. He shoots a thin rope from in his hand. He uses it to fly through the sky. He flips and soars through the air. It is Spiderman!
Spiderman is famous all over the world. There are many Spiderman movies and television shows. But Spiderman began as a character in a comic book. Comics are magazines that tell stories in pictures. Writers create characters called superheroes. These characters use special powers to defeat evil.
Marvel is one of the largest comic book companies in the world. It is based in the United States. But hundreds of millions of people around the world read Marvel comics and watch Marvel films. Marvel is so successful because people love superheroes! Superheroes give people hope. And they raise important questions. What do we want to be like? Who can be strong? And what does it take to be powerful? Today's Spotlight is on one of Marvel's newest superheroes – Kamala Khan.
In 2014, Marvel released a new comic book series. It is about a superhero named Kamala Khan. Khan is a 16-year-old girl. She lives in Jersey City, a large city across the river from New York City. In some ways, Khan is like many other Marvel superheroes. As a young adult, Khan recognized that she has special powers. She can grow and shrink parts of her body. She can also change her shape into different forms. And she uses these powers to fight evil.
But one thing about Khan’s character is historic. Kamala Khan is a Muslim. Khan is not the first female, Muslim superhero to appear in a Marvel comic. But she is the first Muslim superhero to have her own Marvel comic series!
Many people are excited about Kamala Khan. They enjoy reading about her character. And they also believe she will help fight negative stereotypes about Muslims. In the United States, some people have negative stereotypes about Muslims. Many people think these fixed ideas about Muslims are true. But stereotypes do not represent the true life or beliefs of all Muslims.
In the United States, many people began to form negative stereotypes about Muslims after September 11th, 2001. On this day, Muslim terrorists flew airplanes into the famous New York World Trade Center buildings. Thousands of people died during this tragic event. And after, many US citizens began to fear Muslims. Some news organizations began to represent Muslims in negative ways. And soon, negative stereotypes about Muslims began to grow.
G Willow Wilson is the writer for Marvel's new Kamala Khan comic. As an adult, Wilson became a Muslim. And later, she married a Muslim man. She knows well that some people in the United States have a very strong stereotype of Muslim women. Many people believe that all Muslim women are victims. They think that Muslim men rule oppressively over women. And they believe Muslim women lack power or control in their lives. This stereotype does not represent Wilson’s life. Wilson is a strong and independent Muslim woman. And she wants her two daughters to be so as well. So Wilson was excited when Marvel asked her to write the comic series for Kamala Khan. She told the BBC,
"It was important to me to have a female Muslim character that could be a positive example for people. We are so used to seeing in the news that Muslim women are oppressed and need saving. I wanted to change that. I wanted to make a story in which the Muslim woman tells the story of her own life."
Like all superheroes, Kamala Khan is involved in saving the world with her superpowers. But, she also has other, real life struggles. Khan is the child of immigrants who have moved to the United States from Pakistan. She is the first generation of her family to be born in the United States. So she has to balance two different cultures. On the Marvel website, Wilson says,
"Like a lot of children of immigrants, Khan struggles between two worlds: the family she loves, but causes her problems, and her friends, who do not really understand what her home life is like."
Sana Amanat is the editor of the Kamala Khan comic. She hopes that Khan's story will help people understand the real lives of Muslims in the United States. She talked with the New York Times about Khan’s family life. She explained,
"Her brother is extremely traditional. Her mother is afraid that Kamala is going to get pregnant. Her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor."
Khan’s family life may be different than many other young people in the United States. But in many other ways she is like most other young girls. She wants to go to parties. She is not sure her parents understand her. She wants people to like her. And she wants to find her own path in life. These are things all young people can relate to. And when non-Muslims read Khan’s comic, they can begin to recognize that Muslims are just like them.
But not everyone agrees that Khan’s comic will change negative stereotypes. In fact, Leon Moosavi fears the comic will strengthen negative stereotypes about Muslim men. Moosavi is a writer and university professor. In a story for Al Jazeera news, he wrote,
"Is Khan really a strong Muslim woman? Or is her story only a tool to confirm a stereotype of Muslim men - that they are oppressive and need to be restrained?”
Shelina Janmohamed is a British writer and Muslim woman. She believes that Khan is clearly powerful. And she sees much good in this. In a story for the Telegraph news organization, she wrote,
"Khan's very existence as the lead superhero makes room for the discussion about how America sees power - who can have power, and who has the right to be powerful. Do Muslim women have the right to be powerful? Khan begins to move our answer toward 'Yes.'"
Do you think Kamala Khan can change people's ideas of who can be powerful? Will she help Muslims and non-Muslims understand each other better? Tell us what you think. You can leave a comment on the script page of this program.
The writer of this program was Jen Hawkins. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, “Kamala Khan."
We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
What is your favorite superhero or comic book character?
georgino
Good idea, would be to begin a new life between muslims
After many years in war
Would be heroes of a future for your sons.
Great topic
dunguyenduy
I like to watch Marvel’s films. It’s amazing. I’ll read the comic about Khan.
said on August 01, 2014
I don’t like to read any comics, but movies I like :)
However your stories are informative and help to learn English
AwesomeGuy
said on September 08, 2014
I’ve never read this comic before, but I hope that it will change negative stereotypes about Muslims in America.
said on January 12, 2017
Kamala Khan is a candle in the darkness, but the real fact of this darkness is the absence of science and knowledge in theThird World , not only Muslims . Removal the darkness and oignorance in these socaities needs a huge efforts, let Kamala Khan to be a spot light . Thank you spotlight.
minhducbg
said on April 23, 2019
thanos is coming
In fact, I learned to read, read - or try - comics when I was very young. The first word I read was “alto”, “stop” in the Portuguese language. When I found a word I did not know, I asked my mother or my older brother. Today, I think I was a very boring kid. My favorite superhero was The Phantom and new people do not know who he is.
a covering for your face or part of your face
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Reviews3DS
Review: Little Adventure on the Prairie (Nintendo 3DS)
By Heath Shusterman-Zimmerman • 2 years ago
Little Adventure on the Prairie is an adventure platformer, from newly established developer and publisher Infinite Madda. The game was previously released on the iOS App Store. Let’s take a look at how it holds up on the 3DS.
My first impressions of this game were not positive. After completing all twelve of its stages in less than twenty minutes, my mind has changed just a little. I realized the game had potential and I understood a little of what the developers were probably striving towards.
As far as story goes there really isn’t one. There isn’t even a name for the main character, and as to why he is exploring a prairie, it is as good as anyone’s guess. I found this to be disappointing because clearly the time went into his design. The premise is you go around attacking monsters on a prairie for some reason. As you progress through the game the enemies and background change appearance once every four levels. It was this change in the level design and enemies that made me want to continue playing the game.
At times the level design, especially in the first level, just felt uninspired. Much of the level design looked as if the same ground piece was placed over and over again beside each other or sometimes slightly elevated or spaced out for a bit of a platformer feel to the game.
The controls mainly feature the “A” and “Y” buttons. The “A” button allows for the character to jump whereas the “Y” button attacks, I think? I was never really too sure because it seemed very ineffective and did not cause much damage. Instead the character just kind of flailed around his sword and hopped in the air. When jumping, the character looks like a marionette that has been pulled straight up. The movement did not resemble any sort of jumping motion, and looked kind of creepy. The controls and the attacks just didn’t feel complete, like they accomplished anything.
As for sound effects, there were no sounds to indicate anything. A sound to indicate that an attack was actually successful would have been nice. There was music to the game and although it was nothing spectacular, it was there–and it did keep the game from being total silence.
Along the way players can pick up power-ups, a sword-shaped one that raises the attack, and a shield-shaped item that raises defense. There are also red and blue healing items. The blue ones restore more than the red ones do.
Although it feels more like the test demo of a game rather than a completed work, it still offers limited fun. When compared to the rest of the game at least the character and monsters had reasonable designs. After playing all twelve levels the game still seemed to be missing its potential. Even just a little polish to the battle system would have been nice. It took me about 20 minutes to play through the game so with the price tag of $2.99 it still seemed a bit steep. Despite the flaws, I am curious as to what infinite Madda will have to offer in the future.
After playing all twelve levels the game still seemed to be missing its potential. Even just a little polish to the battle system would have been nice.
Disappointing 4
Review Nintendo 3DS Little Adventure on the Prairie
Heath Shusterman-Zimmerman
I began gaming at an early age, starting with an Atari 7800. It wasn’t until around the launch of Super Mario Bros. 3 that I was able to get a NES. I asked for a SNES near the time of release but got a Sega Genesis instead. Aside from the Nintendo handhelds along the way, none of my other consoles were Nintendo until the release of the Wii. It was the Wii that spawned my love for Nintendo.
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Join Program
Kickstart Your Recovery Episode 06: Embrace Honest Accountability
Embrace Honest Accountability – Abdallah’s journey from a life of dreams broken by addiction to the freedom created by his newfound commitment to accountability and honesty.
Today we’re talking about honest accountability – here’s the reason we need to talk about this: many people who are struggling assume that it’s better that my embarrassing and humiliating sin be hidden away from the world while I try to fix it all on my own.
Many think “look, I don’t want to harm or inconvenience or make uncomfortable the people around me by sharing with them my struggle – it’s better for everyone that no one ever finds out, and I’ll be able to fix it all on my own.”
The problem is that when you go to great lengths to ensure that no one knows the truth of your struggle, you also destroy one of the most important keys to success, and that’s accountability.
Why we need accountability to grow
You see, Allah made us a people who need others around us to help us grow and reach greater levels of our potential. We as human beings cannot rely solely on our own selves for our growth. And sometimes that means we need someone to steer us in the right direction when we’re going down the wrong one.
But in a desperate attempt to avoid the consequences of their mistakes, many people isolate themselves further and further – so that no one is able to see the true you, and the result of staying in isolation is that there can be no true growth.
Abdallah’s journey to honest accountability
Now what I want to focus on today is actually a story – it’s a story that answers the question: what happens when I embrace honest accountability? What happens when I let someone outside of me hold me to a higher standard? What happens when I’m no longer relying on my own will power and knowledge to achieve the growth I seek?
The reality is that it can really scary to face our uncomfortable truths – but as you’ll see in this story of Abdallah, doing so only paves the way for a much, much brighter future.
Growing up, Abdallah had a religious upbringing and went to Islamic school, but like many children the faith wasn’t firmly planted in his heart. So when he began seeking out explicit material online at a young age he didn’t really think it was a problem – only that no one could find out, of course.
He was a bright, good, innocent kid to his parents and community. He did well in school, but he didn’t really fit in with the others, and he got made fun of a lot.
As a child he responded to this bullying with resentment that he kept inside of him, and his access to pornography was his way of dealing with the lack of control and significance he experienced at school.
As he moved on toward middle school and high school, he became very methodical in accessing pornography regularly, and by this time he also started chatting with girls online.
And that was the greatest satisfaction he got in life – as a nerdy little kid, the idea that a woman would pay attention to him and laugh at his jokes was immensely validating.
He developed elaborate ways to act out while remaining secretive – he would go to bed at 11pm, then after everyone slept he would tiptoe to the family computer room, and he would stuff pillows around the computer to muffle the sound of it whirring and the sound of the dial up modem, so no one would wake up.
While this private life was going on, in public he still had a genuine interest in academics, and in high school he was obsessed with getting into an Ivy league university, and that was his big aspiration in life at that time.
Although so far he was able to keep up his grades despite spending hours each week acting out, at age 16 things turned around. He got a car, he got his own cell phone, and his family got high speed internet.
A whole new world of acting out sexually opened up – and overnight his grades went from A’s to E’s.
His big dream of going to an Ivy League school became jeopardized – but he was torn between his hunger for lust and this genuine dream. In the heat of the moment, he would forget all about reality, and he would indulge holding on to the false hope that the damage won’t be too bad. Yet, when the fantasy faded, he would be hit with reality once again, asking himself “what have I done?” and promising he would never go back again.
The consequences in his life were screaming “you need to do something about this problem!” but rather than taking heed he held onto the false hope that if he simply promised that he would stop, then everything would be OK.
As the years went on, he did things he never thought he would do. If you asked him if you would ever call one of the girls you’re chatting with, he would have said of course not. Yet that’s what happened. If you asked him would you ever meet one of these girls for a sexual encounter, he would have said of course not. Yet that’s exactly what happened as time went by.
Sometimes you can’t be objective in your own judgement, as we can see here his own judgement was telling him “it’s OK that you’re dreams are being sabotaged”. And so it’s important to ask – are you willing to rely solely on your own judgement?
By now his dream of going to an Ivy league school had been sacrificed for his sexual addiction.
Yet, he still did not fully admit the severity of his problem, because he could always say “well, it’s not so bad” – he couldn’t go to an Ivy League school, but hey he still got into a local college.
→ He didn’t face the reality of what he sacrificed for his addiction, and as a result it was free to continue to consume his life. And that’s one of the problems of staying in isolation and not embracing accountability in your life. The voice of addiction always belittles the consequences of your choices – don’t you see why it’s important to have another voice in your life to help you see things more clearly?
As this went on, he continued to be the model Muslim on the outside. He was active in his college MSA, and he was giving jum’ah khutbah at his local masjid.
And, at 23 years old, he got married, and his wife did not know the full extent of his behaviors. He swore that after getting married he would never go back to acting out.
→ The problem with promising yourself that it won’t happen again without taking responsibility for your actions up to that point is that it creates the illusion that nothing is wrong. And so with that illusion, no further action is taken. And this happens frequently when you are in isolation with no one holding you to a higher standard – but when you have honest accountability, then that support person can help you see that “look – you can’t just walk away. There’s work you need to do to clean things up.”
Just a few months into his marriage, he was talking on the phone with a woman, and his wife overheard the conversation.
She came into his office, where he was supposed to be studying, and asked “who are you talking to?”
His heart started racing, he became sweaty, and his face flushed – yet he still brushed aside what he was doing with more excuses, saying it was nothing and asking her what are you talking about.
She rushed to the living room crying, saying that she did everything for him, and that she wanted to get divorced.
A divorce did not happen, but the issue was swept under the rug, and, like he did previously when he faced the consequences of his behaviors, he swore up and down that this would never happen again.
However, eventually his wife caught him another time and the story repeated itself. And yet again he promised himself it would never happen again.
After his second time getting caught, he completely turned his life around – he became a very strict Muslim at that point. And he went about an entire year without acting out sexually!
But the problem is that he was still carrying the weight of his secrets.
A lot of people approach their struggle assuming that if they have enough self-control then their problems will be resolved. But in reality this struggle is NOT a test of your will power, it’s not about having an iron will! The real test is one of surrendering to Allah, accepting responsibility for your choices, loving yourself enough to make things right, and humbling yourself enough to get support when it’s needed.
Because for Abdallah, even this time around, with his sincere and very serious efforts, he still fell back to his habits after an entire year.
He got caught a 3rd time within 3 years of marriage, and then he finally began to realize that he needed to get help.
He and his wife met up with a Muslim family therapist, and this was a huge, huge step. But as they sat there, Abdallah was still lying in the name of Allah. His wife knew he accessed pornography, but when the therapist asked him if he had ever met up with another woman, he swore by Allah that’s something he would never do.
At the recommendation of this family therapist, he joined Purify Your Gaze to work on his recovery from sexual addiction. And now his wife knew that he was actively working to recover, and she truly believed that things could turn around.
Yet, even as he worked on his recovery, he still fell into his old habits of chatting with women and meeting up with them – and this was a part of him his wife had no idea about.
Until one day while he was doing some recovery work, she stumbled upon the notes he was taking while going through the Purify Your Gaze training course. She was happy to see the notes because it meant he was working hard. But as she started reading, she read about things he had done recently that she had no clue were even an issue.
At that point, his world fell apart.
In the whirlwind that ensued from his wife confronting him to her separating from him, at that point he asked Allah “I don’t know how, but after today, please let there be no more secrets!”
→ You see, in retrospect, he realizes that the worst part of the entire struggle was the fact that he could not be his true self in public and not even in front of his own wife. And he finally realized he could no longer live a life of secrets.
When he and his wife got around to speaking with one another, he told her everything.
Afterward he got in touch with Br Zeyad, who is the founder of Purify Your Gaze, asking for an urgent meeting. And in his work with Br Zeyad, he learned the following lesson that drove his life from then on:
The truth is guidance, and guidance is a Mercy, so when you deprive someone of the truth, you are depriving them from the Mercy of Allah.
And with that, Abdallah started building his recovery on the foundation of honesty, and that proved to be the solid foundation he needed to truly heal.
He disclosed everything to his wife’s family and his own family. And together it was decided the two of them should separate for a year. And at that point the terms of the marriage were clear: he would stay clean for a year, or they would get divorced.
For the first time, he was very clearly accountable for his actions. The possibility of crossing boundaries and going without consequences was completely eliminated. And so he shares that with the terms so clear, he abstained from acting out for that entire year for the sake of his marriage.
What happened during that year is that he tasted no happiness or joy whatsoever. And sometimes that’s what happens. There is a price we need to pay for our choices, we need to serve our time.
And so, as painful as it was to serve his time, with his commitment to honest accountability, justice was finally restored in his life.
Beautifully, he shares that the first time he felt genuinely happy since then was when he saw his and his wife’s first child in the ultrasound.
→ You see, he kept secrets from his wife believing that it would destroy his family if she knew – but what happened when he embraced honest accountability for the first time is that his family actually grew!
When they got back together this time around their relationship was built on a strong foundation of trust. And it’s been more than 3 years since then and he continues to enjoy the fruits of his commitment to honest accountability. And I’m happy to share that Abdallah and his wife have been blessed with yet another member to their family – a baby boy.
So, as we look at the whole of Abdallah’s story, there’s really one takeaway that’s so important and so relevant for us.
It’s so tempting for us to think that the answer to our problems can be found within our own selves, am I right? How often have you felt like if you want to solve your problem, you need to be stronger, you need to be more sincere, you need to get your act together.
But what this leads to is a self-reliance that only compounds the problem further. And this is so clear in Abdallah’s case. Time after time, as he faced bigger and bigger consequences due to his behaviors, he made more promises that he would never go back. Each promise was more resolute than the last one, but it made very little difference in the results.
Where did things turn around for Abdallah?
They turned around when he begged Allah “please let there be no more secrets after today.”
Rather than being so fixated on “I need to solve this problem” he redirected his focus to “I just want honesty, I want truth, I want sincerity in my life.”
If you can see the value of this very important shift of focus, then you may be wondering “how do I create that honest accountability in my own life?”
If you are wondering that, then I want to share with you that at Purify Your Gaze we’ve opened our doors for you to take that first step toward getting honest accountability in your own life by speaking with a member of our team.
The way this starts out is by you applying for a 45 minute Strategy Session with us. This is where you’ll get some private one-on-one time with a member of our team to talk about your recovery and to create a strategic plan to help you break free from your unwanted sexual behaviors.
I’ll let you know that to make sure that those who apply are really committed, there is a $100 deposit for this session, which will be fully refunded back to you after the session, unless you enjoy the session so much that you decide you’d like to apply your deposit toward joining us in our longer-term program.
You can learn all about this opportunity at www.PurifyYourGaze.com/getcoaching
Here’s the thing – Abdallah could have decided that “I’ve had enough” when he was still in high school and maybe his academic dreams could have been saved. Or before he got married, and maybe the heartache in his marriage could have been spared. The point is that it’s really up to you to decide when to draw that line and step out of the shadows and decide it’s time to put an end to the secret life.
So this Strategy Session is an opportunity to draw that line today. You don’t need to wait until that next big disaster or that next big relapse to embrace the accountability that will help you turn your life around.
So I truly hope that you’ll choose to draw that line today and you’ll let us help you build your life on that strong foundation of honest accountability.
Sign up for your strategy session with one of our caring team members at www.PurifyYourGaze.com/getcoaching
And I’d like to thank you once again for being with me for this episode of Kickstart Your Recovery, and I look forward to seeing you for our next episode where I’ll talk about Letting Allah Help you – and I’ll tell you this is going to be one of my favorite episodes insha Allah because I’ll share stories about how recovery actually teaches you how to surrender to Allah with your full heart, and how that very important lesson can help you lead a life of much greater peace and effectiveness, insha Allah – see you there!
Help Us Revolutionize Sexual Education For Muslim Youth
About Purify Your Gaze
Purify Your Gaze has built a revolutionary behavioral change system that brings together the tools, the peer support, the education, and the personalized professional care to help individuals struggling with pornography and sex addiction achieve long-term lasting change and build their new life in recovery. It’s all under one web-based platform that you can easily and anonymously access at your fingertips.
What We Are Fighting For
Our Story And Our Begninnings
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New Deadpool 2 TV Spot Shows Colossus Helping Wade Become X-Men
Still of Deadpool from Deadpool 2 Trailer/ 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox has rolled out a brand new Deadpool 2 TV spot which showcases the Merc with a Mouth training to join the X-Men.
In the TV spot, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) tells Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) that he can easily join the X-Men with proper training. But Wade doesn’t agree with Colossus as he explains that he’s not X-Men material at all, in fact, he is not even a virgin.
Interestingly, the next moment, the Merc with a Mouth is seen wearing a crop-topped X-Men shirt over his usual outfit approaching the mysterious kid Russell (Julian Dennison). He introduces himself to Russell as an X-Men. Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) clarifies that he’s still an X-Men in training. You can check out the new Deadpool 2 TV spot below.
According to the comic book storyline, Deadpool won’t make it out of the training stage with the X-Men. He will do something that will force him out of the superhero group. He will then create his own supergroup, the X-Force, in order to save the kid that Josh Brolin’s time-traveling Cable is running behind. Wade gathers together some key mutant allies in order to stop Cable.
As seen in the Deadpool 2 trailers, the X-Force will also include Zazie Beets as Domino, Terry Crews as Bedlam, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead as well as Lewis Tan’s Shatterstar. Colossus, played by Stefan Kapicic, will also have an expanded role that will be quite important to the film’s overarching plot. Deadpool 2 is likely to set the stage for Drew Goddard’s X-Force spinoff movie which is next in the pipeline. The filming on the project is slated to get underway sometime later this year.
During a recent interview with Fandango, Deadpool 2 director David Leitch explained what sets the sequel apart from the original film.
“We wanted to make sure that it was worthy of a summer tentpole movie, and we knew we were going to be wedged in between some big films,” Leitch said. “We did our best to expand the action, and in a general sense, just make it bigger. In terms of the tone, and the fun and the DNA of a Deadpool movie, you’re going to get everything you expect and more.”
Deadpool 2 is premiering in theatres on May 18, 2018.
Via: Comicbook
Related Topics20th Century FoxDeadpool 2featuredMarvel MovieX-Men
Avengers: Infinity War Had Moments To Spare For Two Indian Reference
Henry Cavill Talks Possibilities Of Man Of Steel & Black Adam Confrontation
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Morales, Kelsey
Morales, Kelsey - San Francisco, CA
Kelsey Morales is an Attorney at Van Der Hout LLP. Ms. Morales graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2016, where she was a senior member of the Northeastern University Law Journal and Co-Chair of the Latin American Law Student Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Latin American & Latino/a Studies and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College in 2013. During law school, Ms. Morales interned at the firm, Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project...
MoreKelsey Morales is an Attorney at Van Der Hout LLP. Ms. Morales graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2016, where she was a senior member of the Northeastern University Law Journal and Co-Chair of the Latin American Law Student Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Latin American & Latino/a Studies and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College in 2013. During law school, Ms. Morales interned at the firm, Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project...Kelsey Morales is an Attorney at Van Der Hout LLP. Ms. Morales graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2016, where she was a senior member of the Northeastern University Law Journal and Co-Chair of the Latin American Law Student Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Latin American & Latino/a Studies and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College in 2013.
During law school, Ms. Morales interned at the firm, Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. She is fluent in Spanish.
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After deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue, Charlotte’s faith leaders call for love, unity
By Glenn Burkins
Members of Charlotte's faith community attend a Tuesday night vigil at First Baptist Church-West, three days after a gunman killed 11 worshipers inside a Jewish center in Pittsburgh. (Photo: Qcitymetro)
Three days after a gunman killed 11 worshipers inside a Jewish center in Pittsburgh, members of Charlotte’s faith community came together Tuesday night to denounce all forms of violence and bigotry.
The interfaith services, sponsored by MeckMin and hosted by First Baptist Church-West, drew several hundred people – Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and various other faith traditions.
The Rev. Fred Robinson, executive director of MeckMin, said the event was held to demonstrate love and support for “a community in pain.”
“To attack the innocent in their house of worship is the ultimate act of barbarism,” he told the overflow crowd, “and we’ve come to let you know that you don’t have to stand alone in this fight against evil.”
Speakers also called the names of others who have died in recent acts of violence — Bobby McKeithen, a 16-year-old sophomore who was killed by another 16-year-old student early Monday at Butler High School; and Maurice Stallard, 69, and Vickie Jones, 67, two black shoppers who were gunned down by a white man at a grocery story in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. A witness said the gunman made a racist remark after he opened fire.
Rabbi Asher Knight of Temple Beth El said the nation must hold accountable those who speak words of hate and division.
“Rhetoric matters,” he said. “…because racism and anti-Semitism and xenophobia and homophobia (are) like a parched forest. When a match is lit, there is enough fuel for a powerful and destructive fire, because prejudice ultimately ends up in violent catastrophe. And haven’t we had enough?”
Knight said the Jewish community in the United States was saddened but not surprised by the deadly attack at the Tree of Life Center in Pittsburgh.
“…We have known for some time that something like this would happen, because it has been happening over and over again,” he said. “What happened in Pittsburgh is a symptom of a deep and profound and long-simmering illness.
“…We’ve seen the same type of hate lead to acts of violence against Muslims…in Sikh and Hindu temples and African American churches and other churches as well,” he said.
Knight said “silence kills,” and he admonished those in attendance to speak out against all forms of hate, whether it be based on race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.
“The world as it is is not as it aught to be,” he said. “Our country as it is is not as it aught to be. Our city as it is is not as it aught to be. And we can get to a better place, but it will require holding hands and walking boldly together.
“When a Muslim woman’s hijab is ripped off her head and she is ridiculed, we have to feel the garment pulled off from our bodies too, and we have to stand by her side, fighting for her rights,” he said. “When refugees escape pain and suffering and persecution to make their way to the promise and potential of the United States, we do not raise our fists and tell them to go back into burning buildings. When young black boys and girls are told their lives don’t matter, our dignity is ruptured with theirs, and we stand by their side fighting for their rights.”
The Rev. Ricky A. Woods, senior minister at First Baptist Church-West, said after the service that he felt it was important for Charlotte’s faith community to speak with one voice following the deadly attack in Pittsburgh.
“I think you saw tonight a community coming together from different faith traditions to say…that an attack on any single house of faith is an attack on all houses of faith,” said Woods.
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Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada issues statement amidst text scandal
Posted by alexander.willis
By ALEXANDER WILLIS
State Legislator Glen Casada, who represents parts of Williamson County and acts as speaker of the House, has issued a statement amidst an ongoing scandal that led to the resignation of his former Chief of Staff, Cade Cothren on Monday.
In a report by the Tennessean published Monday, Cothren was revealed through leaked text messages to have sent sexually explicit messages to and about interns, used racially derogatory remarks such as the n-word, as well as to have used cocaine in the state legislative offices, something Cothren issued a statement on that same day. Casada was also found to be engaging with some of the revealed text messages with Cothren.
Casada’s statement reads as follows:
“I take complete ownership over the text messages with inappropriate comments about women that I exchanged with my former Chief of Staff and another individual several years ago. It’s embarrassing and humbling to have it displayed in this manner. I apologize and hope that my friends, family, colleagues, and constituents find a way to forgive me for it because it is not the person I am and it hasn’t been the way I have conducted myself as Speaker.”
“I’d also like to take the time to express my sincere disappointment for the myriad of other messages between my former Chief of Staff and another individual that have surfaced which included racial slurs, drug use, and various other inappropriate comments. I condemn them in their entirety and I do not tolerate that type of behavior as an elected official or as a human being.”
“Moving forward, I have put together an action plan to be executed by members of my staff, members of the House Ethics Committee, and the joint legislative offices that seeks to provide clarity to what has transpired, as well as ensure that I am doing everything within my power to prevent future missteps. I look forward to executing this plan as I work towards establishing trust where it has been broken and ensuring that the House is more ready than ever to conduct the people’s business.”
This recent scandal, coupled with some past incidents such as his vocal support for another State Legislator David Byrd, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a 15 year-old girl in 1975, have lead many to call for Casada’s resignation.
“This is a pattern with him, this is not a one-off occurrence,” said Holly McCall, former chair for the Democratic Party of Williamson County. “He supported former State Representative Jeremy Durham after the attorney general had removed him from the legislative office building because he said he presented ‘a danger to women,’ and speaker Casada continued to support him. He continued to support Cade Cothren after these texts started coming out, and accused the most influential investigative reporter in the state of lying, and now he’s appointed a chief of staff who also has a history of racist acts.”
“If it’s one person, maybe it’s a lapse in character. If you continue to surround yourself with these people, you either have absolutely no judgement, or it tells people who you are.”
Former congressional candidate in Williamson County, Justin Kanew, was also highly critical of Casada, as well as his new appointment for his chief of staff, Scott Gilmer. In 2009, Gilmer entered a plea of no contest to a misdemeanor criminal charge after allegedly creating a fake social media profile for Nathan Vaughn, a former Democratic state legislator, casting him as a Union sympathizer.
“You would think that after what’s gone on with Casada’s chief of staff and the deeply racist text messages that Casada tried to cover for, he could find somebody to take that job that doesn’t also have a checkered past when it comes to racial issues,” Kanew said. “That should have been his number one priority, so he has already shown us that he is just not equipped to handle this position, again.”
“Bill Lee is not being a leader either by staying almost entirely silent about this whole thing. If you’re the governor, you’re somebody that is supposed to be a leader. If all you’re thinking about is your political loyalties when issues like this come up – that’s not leadership.”
“I would be saying exactly the same things if these were Democrats. If a Democrat was doing the things that Casada has been doing, and if we had a Democrat governor in office, I would be calling on the Democrat speaker to resign, and I would be calling on the Democrat governor to speak out exactly as I am with the Republican leadership.”
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HomeSt. Louis BluesBlues top Sharks, advance to first Stanley Cup Final in 49 years to face Boston
Blues top Sharks, advance to first Stanley Cup Final in 49 years to face Boston
May 22, 2019 stlsportspage St. Louis Blues, Uncategorized 0
By Lou Korac
Five years after General Manager Doug Armstrong challenged his Blues that they “need that killer instinct. … You need to take the knife and jam it through their eye and into their brain and kill them,” they used that knife and gutted the San Jose Sharks, and in the process, advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1970.
And in the process, ‘Gloria’ never blared louder or sounded better.
The Blues used that knife and carved their way to winning the Western Conference Final with a 5-1 win against the Sharks in Game 6 on Tuesday at Enterprise Center, eliminating San Jose in six games, the same Sharks who did the very same thing to the Blues in 2016.
The Blues will move on to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in franchise history and face David Backes and the Boston Bruins beginning with Game 1 on Monday at TD Garden.
For a city and hockey community that waited 49 years to see this day were able to live it. There were 18,684 in the building to see it, and thousands of other loyal, diehard hockey fans got to witness something past alumni, led by Bobby Plager, one of the existing original Blues from 1967 who played 615 games for the franchise, could not accomplish since the first three years of the franchise.
“We saw Chaser [Kelly Chase] in tears coming off the ice,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “Bobby, the list goes on and on. Those guys have built the foundation of this organization and they represent the Blue Note pretty well. We try and carry that on. It trickles down to the guys on our team. Guys like ‘Steener’ have put a lot of time, effort and games into this team. Guys like ‘Bouw’, those are the guys you’re fighting these games for. ‘Bouw’ is a man of very few words but we got a couple of smiles out of him.”
Five different goal scorers scored for the Blues, including David Perron with a goal and an assist in his third stint with the team that drafted him, Ryan O’Reilly, who was acquired via trade last July 1 and said to Armstrong in a phone call, “Let’s go win a Cup” had three assists and Jordan Binnington, who came on Jan. 7 and has solidified the ship in goal, came through once again with 25 saves and became the first rookie goalie in 32 years and sixth in NHL history to win each of his team’s first 12 playoff games.
“It’s just nice for everyone (and) for the city,” Perron said. “I experienced it last year (with Vegas) and it’s a very similar feeling. I was just glad to see Petro not touch that [Clarence Campbell] trophy because we touched it last year and it didn’t work.”
The Blues, who got goals from Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, Tyler Bozak and Ivan Barbashev, won the final three games of the series and outscored the Sharks 12-2.
“It’s obviously a great feeling,” said Blues interim coach Craig Berube, who took over for the fired Mike Yeo on Nov. 19. “For everyone. You know the fans, our organization. Ownership. Management. Players. Training staff. Everybody’s involved and they all deserve credit. And we’re moving onto the finals. So it’s a great feeling.”
The Blues saw an opportunity and delivered the knockout blow to a San Jose team that was battered and bruised and was missing star players, defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl.
“I thought we checked well tonight,” Berube said. “Maybe sat back a little too much at times. We got the lead. That’s natural a little bit to protect it. But that (San Jose) team, I give them credit. They battled hard all night. It was closer than you think. Couple big saves by our goalie, but I thought our guys did a good job of sticks and blocking shots, and all the little things that we had to do to close that game out.”
Perron opened the scoring at 1 minute, 32 seconds of the game and got the Blues off to the kind of start they needed against a fragile group to make it 1-0. Sammy Blais’ shot from the right circle after taking an O’Reilly pass caromed past Martin Jones.
And then there’s Tarasenko, who had a point in all six games (three goals, five assists) with his first power-play goal of the series at 16:16 to make it 2-0, just seven seconds after the Blues’ power play began.
O’Reilly won the face-off to Tarasenko, who moved the puck to Colton Parayko, who returned it to Tarasenko in the left circle, and he whipped a wrist shot past Jones high short side.
“I don’t even think about it. That’s done,” Tarasenko said of his point streak in the series. “Final is coming. Don’t even ask me about it.”
Dylan Gambrell got the Sharks back in the game, scoring at 6:40 of the second period to make it 2-1, a wrister from the right circle and the only shot to beat Binnington, but Schenn’s first goal in 14 games (Game 5 against Winnipeg), the Blues’ fifth power-play goal in four games and second in as many tries in the game, restored the two-goal lead at 3-1 at 12:47.
“I’ve had chances, the opportunity has been there,” Schenn said. “Getting a chance to play on the power play, I felt like I had to step up tonight and get one for the boys and it was nice to contribute.”
The Blues went into full prevent mode in the third period knowing they needed to protect a two-goal lead and being 20 minutes away from reaching the Cup Final. San Jose was pressing and had the first 10 shots on goal in the period, but Bozak, another free agent acquisition along with Perron last July 1, iced the game and made it 4-1 when his centering feed to O’Reilly clipped in off Gustav Nyquist at 13:05.
Barbashev put the finishing touches on the victory with an empty-net goal at 17:45 to make it 5-1, a fitting ending that Barbashev scored. He, Oskar Sundqvist and Alexander Steen, who make up the fourth line, scored in five straight games.
And as the final minutes rolled down, and the crowd was blowing “we want the Cup” through the roof, reality finally set in as the celebration set off, including ‘Gloria’, the unofficial-official team song from Laura Branigan’s 1982 hit that the team adopted while in Philadelphia on Jan. 6.
“I don’t understand yet,” Tarasenko said of the magnitude. “It’s obviously a pretty big deal for us to get what we get. The feeling is we’re not done yet. Really proud of the team how far we go, but there’s still one more opponent to beat. It feels unbelievable. I’m not going to lie.
“… I always feel it’s real. I told you guys before our hard work is supposed to pay off. We stay tight and this gives us good result.”
Photo by AP courtesy of KSDK Sports
Blues Post-Game Audio; Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule
Wednesday’s Game Report: Royals 8, Cardinals 2 (game one)
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Home » Korean Media » Translation in Isolation: The Rare, the Bad, and the Weird
Translation in Isolation: The Rare, the Bad, and the Weird
By Martin Weiser | July 06, 2017 | No Comments
Kim Jong-un inspects the KPA Air and Anti-Air Force Unit 991 in November 2014. | Image: KCNA
In the first and second parts of his series on reading (and interpreting) North Korean media, Martin Weiser took a deep dive down the well of the North Korean digital archive, bringing to our attention a wealth of additions, changes, and omissions that shed light on key aspects of North Korean government policy, and which, at times, inform third-country responses to it.
In this, the third part of the series, Weiser returns to the question of translation. By tracing the process by which translations come into being, he highlights the limitations and bottlenecks — some of them serious — that are created by the need to translate into multiple languages on a daily basis with very limited resources and, often, time. While the reader may assume that differences and omissions in official translations are always strategic, they are just as often down to resource and time limitations, and where one North Korean media organization might translate something correctly, elsewhere confusion can be inserted by a slightly unnatural word choice. — Christopher Green, Co-editor
by Martin Weiser
Like any country, North Korea maintains a large pool of translators and interpreters, who help it to not only translate its materials into foreign languages but also import texts from other languages into Korean. But as a 2005 book on Asian translation traditions had to admit, “Virtually no information is available about translation in North Korea.”1) Judy Wakabayashi, “Translation in the East Asian Cultural Sphere,” in Eva Hung and Judy Wakabayashi, eds., Asian Translation Traditions (St. Jerome, 2005), 18. In fact, searching through English books on the topic leads to only two pieces of information: first, that the Grand People’s Study House claims to employ 200 translators2)Chansik Cho and Myoung Chung Wilson. “National Libraries of Korea,” in David H. Stam, ed. International Dictionary of Library Histories (Routledge, 2001), 483.; and second, that in North Korea translators for Spanish language broadcasts have to be civil servants to “assure the political allegiance of the translator.”3) Allison Beeby Lonsdale, “Directionality,” in Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha, eds., Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2011), 86. It is not surprising given this dearth of insights that the way the translation process works in North Korean media organizations, how good North Korean translators are, and how they might have improved have not been raised in the literature.
But today, libraries provide access to a wide range of North Korean translations and leadership speeches, which lends them to analysis. While it is practically impossible to trace the work and effect of individual translators – due to partial non-disclosure of translators but also the lack of access to those translated materials – more general trends are traceable. It is, for example, still relatively under-explored how a crackdown in 1967 on both literature (domestic and foreign) and also translators undermined North Korea’s ability to make itself understood abroad.4)Among the foreign translators in Pyongyang, Venezuelan Ali Lameda and French Jacques Sedillot were imprisoned on espionage charges, while Charles Robert Jenkins says English translator Ann Sue was executed, likely because she was American and had before the Korean War even worked for the US military. The importance placed on translating phrases about and by Kim Il-sung correctly after fall 1967 and the severe repercussions for deviation can also be glimpsed from diplomatic records: In December 1967, the North Korean vice-foreign minister expressed his disappointment that the phrases “in the embrace of Comrade Kim Il-sung” and “the love of the Korean people for Kim Il-sung” had been left out of Czech press reports on his country. Charles Robert Jenkins, The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008), 115-116; “Aktenvermerk über eine Gespräch mit dem Attaché der Botschaft der CSSR in der KVDR, Genossen Schindler, am 12. 1. 1968, 14.00-16.00 Uhr [Notes on a Conversation with the Attaché of the CSSR Embassy in the DPRK, Comrade Schindler, on January 12, 1968 from 2 to 4 pm],” Embassy of the GDR in the DPRK, January 18, 1968, L 89/21-LG 5.1, C 147/75, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, GDR, as available at the National Institute of Korean History, South Korea. But it likely was severe, as a commentary on the first German volume of Kim Il-sung’s speeches makes clear: in 1973, exile South Korean M.Y. Cho criticized this translation to be “bizarre, not to say terrible.… Kim may not be a rhetorician like Mao, but he writes correct and clear Korean; the translation, however, is at times extremely clumsy.” Next to which, Cho also noted that the North Korean translator apparently was unaware that the prominently displayed sentence in each of Kim Il-sung’s volumes had a German origin, the Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848: It is not simply “workers” of all countries that should unite, but proletarians.
The final sentence of the Communist Manifesto in its German original and official English translation (top) differ with what is printed in Kim Il Sung’s works as they are an apparent retranslation of the Korean. | Source: Deutsches Textarchiv/Project Gutenberg
Only the sudden expansion of literature and translations in the 1980s might again have slowly reversed this trend in translation quality. In particular, the recruiting of foreign translators in the 1980s to revise translations of the Kims’ speeches seems to have had an important impact on North Korean translators, as they thereafter basically received free tutoring.5)In March 1987, Michael Harrold went from the UK to Pyongyang to be their English revisor until 1994, taking over the work of another foreigner, while German Holmer Brochlos corrected German translations from 1987 to 1988. Michael Harrold wrote a book about his time in North Korea, while for Holger Brochlos a South Korean interview is available. Michael Harrold, Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea (John Wiley & Sons, 2004); Korea Institute of National Unification (ed.), 북한체제 형성과 구술자료: 일본과 독일 [The Formation of the North Korean System and Oral History: Japan and Germany] (Sunin, 2006). Differences between translations of the same text might therefore be due to this outside input.6)Charles Armstrong pointed to differences in the English translation of Kim Il-sung’s speech, “All for the Postwar Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy” which was published in 1961 as booklet and again in a changed version as part of Kim Il-sung’s Works in 1982. Charles Armstrong, Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 1950-1992 (Cornell University Press, 2013), 54, f.n. 10.
The change of translation quality is supported by what we can glean from the official selections of both leaders. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il appear to have differed strongly on the topic of foreign literature. While Kim Il-sung constantly advocated for translations of scientific literature, Kim Jong-il in 1980 demanded that more foreign novels should be translated and distributed to the public. If public distribution were not possible for whatever reason, then at least summaries of texts were to be distributed to writers, the successor even decreed. In fact, it was only when Kim Jong-il slowly began to take over power in the late 1970s – also receiving his first Kim Il-sung award – that suddenly the “Hundred Copy Collection” (100부도서) was initiated, providing higher-quality translations of foreign works first to the elite but later likely trickling down to lower strata as well. Jang Jin-sung appears to be the only source on this thanks to his work in literature propaganda in the North, including the claim that Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” was circulated through this collection in 2013. But while Jang claims that these one hundred copies were only distributed to the elite, he also testified that he could get his hands on the Collected Works of Lord Byron, one of the series, at the age of 15 in 1985.7)Jang Jin-sung, Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014), 32.
The entry for bark in an English-Korean dictionary published in North Korea.
Lack of Qualified Translators | Given the lack of support by foreign translators for texts besides the leaders’ speeches, those North Koreans translating daily news presumably were largely left alone with whatever language skills they had. Michael Harrold, who dealt with English in Pyongyang between 1987 and 1993, recently stated that he still receives requests to translate important speeches of the Kims, which underlines that North Korea still lacks reliable domestic translators, at least for Western languages. But the very recent addition of Russian to KCNA’s online presence suggests a chronic shortage of translators across even traditionally important languages. A look at the first official translation of parts of Kim Jong-un’s speech on May 8 to the 7th KWP Congress reveals the extent to which even the state news agency is not able to produce good English translations when things have to go online fast. This lack of English skills was further underlined by the man who interrogated BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in May 2016. Although this North Korean claimed to have studied English literature, he still insisted that “bark” was only to be used for dogs and “grim-faced” to mean only “ugly.” That even official translations of major documents cannot be trusted completely was also recently underlined by a minor slip in the official translation of North Korea’s revised constitution. While journalists were quick to notice that Naenara updated its page on the North Korean constitution with a so far unavailable preamble, they did not consider it worth mentioning that the official English translation now spoke of the National Defence Committee (Article 103, clause 7), instead of the National Defence Commission. South and North Korean know only one word (위원회) for both committee and commission, which caused the mistake. Michael Madden from North Korea Leadership Watch asserted that this Committee now had taken the place of the Commission. But at least in name, it is still the same.
Anyone reading North Korea’s major newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, online also might have noticed how little is translated into English every day, and that translators are apparently so few in number that no one is left to translate on Sundays as well as around special holidays. In 2016, translators were on holiday from February 7 to 11 with only two short articles on Kim Jong-un published during that time in a prelude to Kim Jong-il’s birthday on February 16. On the actual birthday, again translators were on holiday, while on the next day again only one article on Kim Jong-un was translated. In 2015, translators had almost the whole week around Kim Jong-il’s birthday off, except for Wednesday, with someone having to translate the four mandatory articles on Kim Jong-un which came up that week. In 2017, this week of pre-celebration holiday was reduced to a Saturday off, still keeping the birthday and the following day as holidays. For Kim Il-sung’s birthday on April 15, the translators’ desks were empty for two days in 2015, but in 2016 were surprisingly fully staffed.
On Kim Il-sung’s birthday this year only two English translations on Kim Jong-un were uploaded at the website of Rodong Sinmun, contrasting with nineteen Chinese texts. | Source: Rodong Sinmun
Chinese translators do things a little differently. For the party anniversary on October 11, 2015, only three articles appeared in English, but fifteen in Chinese. Around Kim Jong-il’s birthday twelve more articles were translated into Chinese than into English in 2015 and again in 2016. On April 15, 2015, only two articles translated into English contrasted with twenty Chinese ones. Although fewer articles are translated into Chinese than into English on regular working days, Chinese translator have a habit of translating their usual workload on holidays, while the English only take time to translate the mandatory ones on Kim Jong-un – a curious difference in work ethics. Rodong Sinmun translators in general also do not work on New Year’s Day, Liberation Day (August 15), and the traditional Korean holiday Chusok. The holiday policy appears rather strict, as exceptions were made only three times for Sundays in the last two years: for the 70th founding anniversary of the KWP (October 11, 2015), for the 7th Party Congress (May 8, 2016) and for New Year’s Day this year. Sometimes translators do make an effort to translate older articles once they return from holidays, but usually those articles are simply never translated. Sometimes translations are even released a day earlier than they go to print in Korean. Apparently, this is because of the screening of outside contributions which, once approved, go directly to the translator.8)See, for example, the commentary “U.S. Brigandish Action of Snubbing S. Korean People’s No-THAAD Petition” by Ho Yong Min of 24 October, 2016, published only the next day in Rodong Sinmun in Korean.
If North Korea’s central party organ lacks translators for weekends, this implies a much grimmer picture for publications of lower political importance and smaller budgets. And a look into, for example, German translations of texts at Naenara – despite being operated by the Foreign Languages Publishing House – makes it quite clear that translators have not mastered the language sufficiently and at times prefer to summarize content instead of translating everything. Quantitatively, a comparison of news articles available at Naenara also shows this disparity across languages. While about 3,100 articles were published in Korean between May and September 2016, only about 1,500 were translated into English. Spanish, Japanese and Chinese followed close behind with about 1,300 articles each. Those four languages were also originally selected by KCNA for its online service and appear to receive preferential treatment. The four remaining languages (German, Russian, French, Arabic) featured only about 600 translations. The discrepancy is even more visible when the number of KCNA translations are compared. While the current archive gives about 33,000 Korean texts, 25,000 English translations exist, which identifies it as the major target language, compared to 16,000 Japanese and Spanish texts and only 13,000 Chinese ones – an even more uneven distribution than at Naenara. Considering these numbers, I suggest that the practical lack of translators and translation skills should be considered first, before one rushes to the conclusion that an untranslated article at the website of KCNA or Rodong Sinmun was aimed only at domestic readers.
Mistranslating | A mistranslation which even got reported in Western news came from KCNA’s coverage of North Korean archeology. The announcement on the discovery of a cave labeled a “unicorn lair” in November 2012 led to the ridicule of the Northern government. But KCNA’s translators apparently could not find a better Western expression for the mythical animal kirin (기린) which, in fact, looks very much like a unicorn. Translators already faced the same problem the year before when they decided to translate the mythical animal haetae (혜태) as “unicorn-lion.” Again, a mythical animal unknown to the average Westerner was described in terms of the way it looks, like a lion with a horn on its forehead. But no journalist was curious enough to look for more possible unicorn references by KCNA. One article published by Naenara in May 2013 on the same cave then avoided this ambiguity using simply a transcription of the term in the title, “Monument to Kirin Cave,” and explained in the article that the “kirin, or unicorn, is a mythological animal.” Whether the Naenara translators had learned from the international reaction from a few months earlier is impossible to say.
A drawing of a kirin in an old Chinese book (L) and a haetae sculpture with its very small horn at a palace in Seoul (R). | Source: Wikicommons
One KCNA article mentioned in the second piece in this series, in which former US President Barack Obama was described as monkey-born among other things, also included a term usually mistranslated by the North Koreans themselves: nature park (자연동물원), which is usually mistranslated as “natural zoo.“ Apparently, North Korean translators had looked up both parts of this composite separately and had not bothered to think about the actual concept behind the term. This in turn led to confusion among foreign journalists. An NK News article even translated that this one interviewee had said the perfect place for Obama would be “Africa’s national zoo.” But a quick look into North Korean rhetoric shows that “zoo” is not the right translation here. Referred to by North Korean media only a few times, those types of “zoos” are said to exist in Namibia, Tanzania, Congo, Sweden, and even in the area around Jong Il Peak at Mt. Baekdu. But hidden in a short article on Tanzania in a 2009 issue of Minju Choson, the term is clearly identifiable as a “nature park.”9)“정향향기 그윽한 탄자니아 [Tanzania, A Country of Clove Fragrance],” Minju Chosun, April 26, 2009. Here it was used for the Serengeti National Park in Africa, making it clear that this term does not refer to a “zoo,” despite the word being itself included in the North Korean term, but to nature parks. As this specific “natural zoo” was said to be the largest in the world and located in Africa, one could also have easily guessed that it is not a normal zoo. The area referred to in the article likely was the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conversation Area with its 520,000 square kilometers, calling itself the “potentially largest conversation area” and, although only by a small newspaper in Namibia, the “largest connected nature conservation area in the world.” How this North Korean knew of the park and why he assumed that even there people would throw bread at monkeys is, nonetheless, surprising.
More severe examples of mistranslation are plentiful and include, for example, an offensive Arabic translation of a book title, “Kim Il Sung is God,” a threat of double and thrice retaliation in English where the original spoke of secondary and tertiary retaliation,10)“KPA Will Blow Up Balloons Carrying Anti-DPRK Leaflets: Open Notice of KPA Frontline Units” [조선인민군 전선부대들 반공화국삐라살포행위를 무자비하게 징벌해버릴것이라고 남조선괴뢰당국에 공개통고], KCNA, March 22, 2015. This mistranslation was pointed out by Subin Kim on his personal blog., as well as imprecise statements regarding the restarting of its nuclear reactor in early 200311)Howard W. French, “North Korea’s Atomic Bravado Incites a Host of Skeptics,” New York Times, April 19, 2003. The exact North Korean statement Daniel Pinkston referred to in this article could not be identified. and the stage of its plutonium reprocessing in April 2003. On April 18, 2003, KCNA originally published a statement by the Foreign Ministry that North Korea was “successfully reprocessing more than 8,000 spent fuel rods at the final phase,” but three days later changed it into “successfully completing the final phase, to the point of the reprocessing operation, for some 8,000 fuel rods,” a translation previously offered by the US Federal Broadcast Information Service as being more accurate. This claim was, however, again disputed by a Korean linguist who argued that “North Korea had changed its English translation to conform to the US version” in a diplomatic move.12)Hae-young Kim, “Lost in Translation,” Guardian, 15 May 2003.
What the Internet Archive has saved from the Japanese KCNA website is, however, different. As the first saved version of the page dates to April 30, I cannot trace how this translation was taken down. But it shows instead an apparent revised translation reading “we are successfully going forward to reprocess work more than 8,000 spent fuel rods at the final phase.” That a mistake was included in this translation might attest to how urgently it was uploaded. Surprisingly, the next saved version of June again included the original wording again.13)The Internet Archive has the article on April 30 and June 22. Why North Korea played this diplomatic game only to go back few weeks later is unclear. But when both sides met later in April for talks in Beijing, North Korea’s representative made clear that the original translation by KCNA was right: “As we warned you earlier in New York, we finished reprocessing.” This confirmation also came with the North Korean claim that it now possessed nuclear weapons.14)Yoichi Funabashi, The Peninsula Question: A Cronicle of the Second Nuclear Crisis (Brookings Institutions, 2007), 507, fn. 64. In a case of inter-Korean mistranslation/miscommunication in 2002, even South Koreans were not quite sure how to interpret a North Korean radio announcement: While Yonhap quickly reported that North Korea “had come to have nuclear weapons,” a South Korean official claimed it was the usual North Korean statement that it “was entitled to have nuclear weapons.”
Sometimes the Korean text might even be a translation of an English original. In 2011, a short English KCNA article reported on a joint complaint by GLAAD, an LGBT organization, and the National Hispanic Media Coalition against a talk show in the USA. It referred to “gay and lesbian minorities,“ but in the Korean article it was turned into “ethnic minorities“ (소수민족출신 주민) and a range of other details was dropped as well.15)“Hispanic Groups in US Complain Obscene Spanish-Language Talk Show” translated as “에스빠냐계 미국인들 차별행위에 항의” [Hispanic US Americans Protest Discriminating Behavior], KCNA, March 3, 2011. An editorial decision which completely distorted the facts, as the talk show was itself part of the Hispanic minority, but disparaged LGBTs, especially gay men, and – something KCNA did not delete – women.
Toning Down | Sometimes translators also accidentally tone down a key term. So far unmentioned in the press, North Korea’s frequent usage of “human scum” (인간쓰레기) was joined by an alternative translation, bête noire, also used for other defamatory references. While this term had been in use by KCNA since 2007, more frequent usage began only in 2014. This translation is, however, not used consistently by KCNA with only about 20 percent of translations choosing this term, and North Korea has yet to use it in a more formal setting like the United Nations or in its official human rights report. Although KCNA translators use “human scum” and “bête noire” interchangeably in the same article, recently in the response to the defection of UK diplomat Thae Yong Ho16)“동족대결의 새로운 모략극 – 조선중앙통신사 론평” translated as “KCNA Commentary Accuses S. Korean Regime of Orchestrating Fresh Smear Campaign against DPRK,” KCNA, August 20, 2016., the two terms are quite different. “Bête noire” is not even listed as offensive in dictionaries and only defined as someone one dislikes very much. But mistranslation of this term also went the other way once at Voice of Korea, where a German translator spoke of the “Abschaum der Menschheit” (scum of mankind) instead of only “human scum.”17)“Der bestochene Abschaum der Menschheit (1)” [The Bribed Scum of Mankind], video at Voice of Korea, available as of September 1, 2016. The English translation of the same article was titled “Human Scum Bribed with Trifling Amount of Money.” But how to exactly capture the scope of this insult is a problem one can also find outside of North Korea. An NK News reporter and an official interpreter at the UN had decided for the broader “filth of mankind” and “scum of mankind,” respectively, over the usual North Korean translation as they apparently considered this a more appropriate translation of the term.
Claims about an alleged mistranslation of a March 2013 statement on an immediate state of war were correctly rejected by Adam Cathcart here at Sino-NK. But arguing that “it was the North Koreans themselves who did the translating” might not have been the way to make his point, as the examples above hopefully show. As simple as it is, the same expression that was disputed, “from this moment” (이 시각부터), had been used by KCNA before, as recently as a few days before the statement, and was always translated in this way. But often even the North Koreans preferred to be more precise and used “from this moment now” (지금 이 시각부터) instead. In the same article, Adam Cathcart also implied that the vastly different titles given to the article in Korean, English and Chinese might be due to targeting different audiences. Namely, the English title was giving the international reporters one message (“Korea will be on fire soon”) and the Chinese headline another one to the Chinese government (“Don’t attempt to interfere”). Surprisingly, Cathcart forgot that the message in the Chinese title usually was targeted against the USA, as they should not interfere on the Korean peninsula and obstruct unification. But the assumption that the North Korean government abuses only the headlines of news to forward diplomatic messages seem hardly believable. While this form of signalling might be a theoretical possibility in crisis situations, journalists rushed to point out that no symptoms of crisis like troop movements, all-out mobilization of civilians or fierce rhetoric in newspapers were visible.
A better explanation for this wide divergence in headlines would be that translators have a certain leeway how to rephrase headlines to focus on the main message. Translators with a sufficient understanding of the target culture, i.e. the West for English translations, then, of course, choose the facts they consider most important. If a foreigner is overseeing these translations including headlines, the difference in interpretation due to cultural differences would perfectly explain why in English the state of war features in the headline, while for a Chinese — used to Communist war rhetoric and North Korean behavior — this was not the main focus. While in this case the English title was more aggressive, often it is the other way around. After the knife attack on the US ambassador to South Korea in March 2015, KCNA directly published an article titled, offensively, “Just Punishment for War Crazy USA (전쟁광 미국에 가해진 응당한 징벌).” The English translation, however, featured only the facts, as would be expected in Western media: “U.S. Ambassador Attacked by S. Korean.” Translators’ freedom regarding the headlines accordingly appears to work in both directions. The headline for this specific headline also shows a cultural divide. While the Spanish title resembled the English one, Chinese and Japanese versions were exact translations of the Korean using the offensive phrase. Of course, targeting Koreans loyal to the North in China and Japan could have been a reason, while revisions for the West tried to comply with Western media standards. But again, it might also imply that for English and Spanish, foreigners play a greater role in daily news translations.
In Need of Bilingual Scrutiny | As can be expected from a developing country with little exchange with the outside world, translations by North Korea of its own media are neither as numerous nor as reliable as we would like. For non-speakers of Korean this has left only a tiny and often blurred window into the North. But with so many journalists and researchers on the North relying on North Korea’s own English translations, what is translated and how it is translated eventually has an enormous impact on how we come to see and understand the country. As mentioned already in previous parts of this series, approaching North Korea through this bottle neck has severe downsides. Not only is just a part of coverage made available in English, it often is severely shortened, and last but not least all too often mistranslated. But of course, these are all problems we can also find in the South Korean media.
No academic service will appear out of nowhere to offer the missing translations and correct what is wrong. Automatic translation services also still have a long way to go. Nonetheless they could help give access to North Korean daily news content that is improved and better organized than is currently the case. In particular, when news stories focus on a single term, it becomes rather easy to confirm. With ease journalists could have found that 2011 reference to LGBT discrimination was not made in Korean, and that unicorns are the usual way KCNA uses to describe mythological animals with a horn.
1. ↑ Judy Wakabayashi, “Translation in the East Asian Cultural Sphere,” in Eva Hung and Judy Wakabayashi, eds., Asian Translation Traditions (St. Jerome, 2005), 18.
2. ↑ Chansik Cho and Myoung Chung Wilson. “National Libraries of Korea,” in David H. Stam, ed. International Dictionary of Library Histories (Routledge, 2001), 483.
3. ↑ Allison Beeby Lonsdale, “Directionality,” in Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha, eds., Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2011), 86.
4. ↑ Among the foreign translators in Pyongyang, Venezuelan Ali Lameda and French Jacques Sedillot were imprisoned on espionage charges, while Charles Robert Jenkins says English translator Ann Sue was executed, likely because she was American and had before the Korean War even worked for the US military. The importance placed on translating phrases about and by Kim Il-sung correctly after fall 1967 and the severe repercussions for deviation can also be glimpsed from diplomatic records: In December 1967, the North Korean vice-foreign minister expressed his disappointment that the phrases “in the embrace of Comrade Kim Il-sung” and “the love of the Korean people for Kim Il-sung” had been left out of Czech press reports on his country. Charles Robert Jenkins, The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008), 115-116; “Aktenvermerk über eine Gespräch mit dem Attaché der Botschaft der CSSR in der KVDR, Genossen Schindler, am 12. 1. 1968, 14.00-16.00 Uhr [Notes on a Conversation with the Attaché of the CSSR Embassy in the DPRK, Comrade Schindler, on January 12, 1968 from 2 to 4 pm],” Embassy of the GDR in the DPRK, January 18, 1968, L 89/21-LG 5.1, C 147/75, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, GDR, as available at the National Institute of Korean History, South Korea.
5. ↑ In March 1987, Michael Harrold went from the UK to Pyongyang to be their English revisor until 1994, taking over the work of another foreigner, while German Holmer Brochlos corrected German translations from 1987 to 1988. Michael Harrold wrote a book about his time in North Korea, while for Holger Brochlos a South Korean interview is available. Michael Harrold, Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea (John Wiley & Sons, 2004); Korea Institute of National Unification (ed.), 북한체제 형성과 구술자료: 일본과 독일 [The Formation of the North Korean System and Oral History: Japan and Germany] (Sunin, 2006).
6. ↑ Charles Armstrong pointed to differences in the English translation of Kim Il-sung’s speech, “All for the Postwar Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy” which was published in 1961 as booklet and again in a changed version as part of Kim Il-sung’s Works in 1982. Charles Armstrong, Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 1950-1992 (Cornell University Press, 2013), 54, f.n. 10.
7. ↑ Jang Jin-sung, Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014), 32.
8. ↑ See, for example, the commentary “U.S. Brigandish Action of Snubbing S. Korean People’s No-THAAD Petition” by Ho Yong Min of 24 October, 2016, published only the next day in Rodong Sinmun in Korean.
9. ↑ “정향향기 그윽한 탄자니아 [Tanzania, A Country of Clove Fragrance],” Minju Chosun, April 26, 2009.
10. ↑ “KPA Will Blow Up Balloons Carrying Anti-DPRK Leaflets: Open Notice of KPA Frontline Units” [조선인민군 전선부대들 반공화국삐라살포행위를 무자비하게 징벌해버릴것이라고 남조선괴뢰당국에 공개통고], KCNA, March 22, 2015. This mistranslation was pointed out by Subin Kim on his personal blog.
11. ↑ Howard W. French, “North Korea’s Atomic Bravado Incites a Host of Skeptics,” New York Times, April 19, 2003. The exact North Korean statement Daniel Pinkston referred to in this article could not be identified.
12. ↑ Hae-young Kim, “Lost in Translation,” Guardian, 15 May 2003.
13. ↑ The Internet Archive has the article on April 30 and June 22.
14. ↑ Yoichi Funabashi, The Peninsula Question: A Cronicle of the Second Nuclear Crisis (Brookings Institutions, 2007), 507, fn. 64.
15. ↑ “Hispanic Groups in US Complain Obscene Spanish-Language Talk Show” translated as “에스빠냐계 미국인들 차별행위에 항의” [Hispanic US Americans Protest Discriminating Behavior], KCNA, March 3, 2011.
16. ↑ “동족대결의 새로운 모략극 – 조선중앙통신사 론평” translated as “KCNA Commentary Accuses S. Korean Regime of Orchestrating Fresh Smear Campaign against DPRK,” KCNA, August 20, 2016.
17. ↑ “Der bestochene Abschaum der Menschheit (1)” [The Bribed Scum of Mankind], video at Voice of Korea, available as of September 1, 2016. The English translation of the same article was titled “Human Scum Bribed with Trifling Amount of Money.”
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Sino-NK is a scholarly collective of young Sinologists and Koreanists dedicated to documenting and analyzing the borderland dynamics, transnational ties, and history of Northeast Asia. Work published on Sino-NK is regularly cited in journalistic outlets and our analysts have been featured in a range of academic publications. Sino-NK endeavors to better understand North Korea’s relations with the world and to chart a path forward for digital (and) academic analysis. Read more
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Posts Tagged ‘foreigner deported’
Timeline and analysis of Swedish student’s expulsion
Posted: July 9, 2011 in Politics
Tags: China, expelled, expulsion, foreigner deported, Fudan University student, Sven Englund, Swedish
Sven Englund
Today a Swedish student at Fudan University named Sven Englund was deported because of a blog post written in Chinese where he called for a flash mob in Shanghai Pudong’s bund. Global Voices has translated the original post here. Based on his blog (translated from Swedish) here and here, as well as his twitter feed over the past two weeks, which alternates between Chinese, English and Swedish, here’s a rough timeline of what happened:
June 27th: Englund posted a blog entry addressed to President Hu Jintao inviting him and anyone else to form a “freeze flash mob” in Pudong on July 1st (the Communist Party’s birthday) where everyone would freeze in place for five minutes. Inspired by Ai Wei Wei, he suggested Hu write “Freedom” somewhere on his body. The gathering would be an attempt to protest for freedom in China. Englund posted it on his twitter for some Chinese friends.
June 30th – In a class, Englund’s Chinese teacher arrived late and later mentioned the blog entry, asking him to delete it. Englund then found out that she was late because she was being put up to talking to him by a Communist Party leader at the school. Englund talked with the teacher for several minutes saying that he’d be happy to talk with the leader directly, but didn’t intend to take down the post.
Later that afternoon Englund got a call from the teacher saying that the leader wanted to meet him for coffee and a talk. Englund asked to delay the meeting until the following day. He later found that his blog could no longer be accessed, so he started a new one. He copied the original contents onto it and spread word of what was happening to his growing list of twitter followers.
July 1st – A woman and two men came to his apartment in the morning saying they had some kind of bill for Englund. He was skeptical about who they really were since they could have just put the bill in his mail slot.
Twitter: “Three persons in uniform just knocked on my door, and wanted to give me some kind of bill. Very suspect.”
Later that morning he left to go to the gym but saw two men (his blog says two men, twitter says only one) by his elevator that popped up with interest upon seeing him. They followed him in the elevator. When they got down, Englund stayed in, as did the men. They went back up. Englund got his phone from the apartment, tweeted and then went back down again…with the men.
Twitter: “One guy is following now, sitting outside the apartment and waiting for me. I went down the elevator, and the directly up again, so did he.”
When he got down a third man was waiting with a police car and said they would be going to the university (no time for the gym). Englund asked to go to his apartment again to get something. Inside he tweeted and emailed his embassy. He also put on a hidden voice recorder and started recording. He heard a knock on his door. The men and the teacher were there.
From the car he called his consulate (or embassy). He was taken to a room with seven people; among them two or three who appeared to be police. They all urged him to cancel the plan for the flash mob saying it was illegal and he needed to apply at least 15 days in advance to organize something like that. Englund asked them to show him the law. It doesn’t appear that they complied. They continued to question him and took his passport. They said he would be responsible for whatever happened and that he should cancel the event. Finally they sat him down at a computer. They quibbled over exactly what he should write. Finally they settled on something along the lines of saying that he wouldn’t be at the flash mob because he has not applied and “it seems it is illegal.”
They continued to question Englund. He assumed it was to keep an eye on him and prevent him from making further blog entries or going to the bund. They asked for the password to his blog account to which he refused, saying it was against his human rights. This was the only question he refused to answer. The police yelled and threatened him at several points, saying that he could be sent home and that he legally had to answer every question. Englund eventually had to sign and fingerprint the six pages of his answers that the police had written down. They refused to give him a copy. They said they would keep his passport until the following Monday and decide what to do. Until then, he should be careful.
He was given a certificate that , according to the Global Sources translation, says, “Sven Englund is suspected of ‘being harmful to social
management’ and has violated article 55 of the ‘PRC social security management law’. The interrogation was set on July 1, 2011 at the school general office.”
The whole ordeal lasted 9-10 hours. Englund started to worry he might be arrested. He then discovered his voice recorder had been running the whole time.
Twitter: “Filip forehead What can I say, done well and done well. This country has their backs. But I’m home, albeit a little hungry.”
July 4th (Monday) – Englund was supposed to receive his passport. He was told it wouldn’t be ready until Thursday.
July 5th – Englund still uses twitter to call on people to go to the bund with “Freedom” written on them. His followers increase by about 400 people.
July 7th – No word on the passport so Englund goes to the Fudan office where it’s being held. He’s told they will have a meeting the following morning.
July 8th – Englund gets his passport back with his residence permit stamped with “Length of stay shortened.” He now must leave by July 10th.
July 9th – Englund leaves China for Sweden (UPDATE 7/11 – According to Taiwan’s New Tang Dynasty Television, he was escorted to the airport by police.)
Twitter: “I hope I can come back at least when this country has gotten an legal government, that respects it’s citizens.”
Final Tweet from airport: “Time for boarding! Thank you all! And also thank you National security bureau for giving me that experience.”
I did my best to make sense of all Englund’s writings through Google translate, but keep in mind, I’m not a Swedish speaker and I’m a haphazard Chinese speaker. So if there are any errors, this is my disclaimer. But I think it’s true to Englund’s words.
I first saw this story as a tweet by @cyberzombies saying, “As of 30 minutes ago, Fudan University @svenenglund has officially been kicked out of China as a result of a blog post.”
That sent a chill through my spine. Like probably most bloggers in China who write on politics, expulsion is something I constantly worry about. People have been sent to labor camps for writing much less serious things than some of what I’ve written. I know as a foreigner that would never happen to me, but deportation is a definite possibility. When I got a little deeper into the story though, I relaxed a bit.
The guy seems to really support the cause of freedom, but he also didn’t seem to have much to lose. He must have known that organizing a peaceful protest wouldn’t be taken lightly, but it almost certainly wouldn’t result in jail time for a foreigner either. According to the Global Sources article, he was planning to leave China on July 27th anyways, so the expulsion really only cut his stay by about two weeks…and he still had time to finish his tests while his passport was being held. It also seems that he was given several opportunities to save his hide after the blog was discovered, but he remained antagonistic to the end.
I seriously doubt his fate would ever be shared by a mere English-language blogger like me (my visa was just extended yesterday for another year by the way). This guy was pretty much asking for it, so I’m not at all surprised this happened; especially being on the Communist Party’s huge pat-themselves-on-the-back anniversary.
Still…it’s another sign of a paranoid party making an international embarrassment out of a situation that would have otherwise amounted to absolutely nothing; save a handful of people standing still on the bund for five minutes confusing onlookers. Deporting Englund when he was going to leave in two weeks anyways was just the cherry on top. Now it could even turn into a copy-cat movement emboldening sympathizers to stage similar protests to mock the party.
So is the government really that stupid? Or could they be trying to send a message to other potential foreign troublemakers? Who knows? Both scenarios have ample precedent, but I would guess the former. It seems like it was just local officials at Fudan University responsible who were probably just playing it safe from their perspective.
Englund is on a plane back to Sweden right now as I write this so there will undoubtedly be more that comes out when he lands. Hopefully that includes the recording of his interrogation and explanation of just what the hell he expected would happen.
[UPDATE 7/11] Mr. Englund is back in Sweden now and seems to be enjoying his 15 minutes of fame and doing a lot of interviews, which he has been advertising on his Twitter feed. Here’s a video from a Taiwan news agency called New Tang Dynasty Television that gives some more up to date info (with English subtitles) and comment from a very supportive Chinese dissident.
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Serena Williams: Woman Warrior
September 11, 2018 • Media, Women's Empowerment • No Comments
Everyone knows that I have always been a fan of the Williams sisters since day one. My mother, Bernice Coleman, is a superfan. Serena Williams is showing us that she is so much more than an athlete; she is a woman warrior.
Serena Williams rises to the occasion, consistently and without fail. She is evolving into more than just a great tennis player and tremendous athlete-Serena Williams is a woman that we are all learning to respect, admire, and love.
We feel her pain, and we are on her side. The more we learn about Serena Williams, the more we like her, and the more powerful she becomes.
What happened at the U.S. Open
Last week, I went to see Serena Williams play at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. It was a historic match that I might not be able to witness again because it was a chance to see two Williams sisters play in one match. That night, everyone felt the bittersweet nature of her win because she beat her sister, Venus Williams, to make it through to the next round. As Serena later explained in her interview after the match, “Venus is my more than my sister. She’s my everything. I am here because of her.”
In the U.S. Open finals, Serena Williams was playing Naomi Osaka at Billie Jean King Stadium. Serena Williams was penalized a point, then a game, then fined $17,000 for… playing the game. Tennis players know that a double standard and gender bias was on display when Carlos Ramos, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) chair umpire, along with others in his position, tolerated similar behavior from male players without penalty or response yet, for some reason, decided to penalize Serena in what seemed like an unusually emotional way. His reflexive response elicited an even more emotional response from Serena Williams, a warrior who has been wearing her heart on her sleeve more and more since becoming a mother.
Most of us wondered why he responded to her in such a way. What made it different for Serena Williams was that: 1) the objection was coming from a woman, 2) it was coming from a woman of color, specifically a woman of African descent, and 3) this was a finals match between two women of African descent; Naomi Osaka is Japanese-Haitian-American.
Rather than rule in favor of the ITF guidelines, with which he has a wide range of discretion, Ramos appeared to respond in a directly personal way against Serena.
A case of injustice
Serena is arguably the greatest athlete in the world. She young, she’s entrepreneurial, she’s wealthy, and she is hardworking and talented beyond belief. Highly competitive, she is an individual who expresses herself with her words, her actions, and her fashion. Serena is also human. She was on a comeback trail after having her daughter and experiencing life-threatening setbacks, determined to make history. Importantly, she was coming back during this particular match at this particular point.
Serena Williams initially tried to use rationale to make her case, then lashed out in frustration, calling Ramos “a thief” as she pointed out his unfairness and locked eyes on him. This seemed to set him off right after he took a point from her and he, therefore, decided to take an entire game from her.
There was clearly a different standard applied by the umpire chair. No disrespect is meant to Naomi Osaka, who is an awesome tennis player. Serena graciously hugged her and attempted to draw attention from herself to legitimize her Osaka’s win. This demonstrates Serena’s sisterly spirit. Unfortunately, Naomi Osaka’s win was tainted by Ramos’ unusual actions.
Poor Naomi… you could see that she did not quite know how to feel after winning the tournament against her idol in such a fashion. She felt the injustice, too.
The power dynamics were clear: Ramos did not like how Ms. Williams was talking to him. He was threatened by Serena Williams (yes, she is a powerhouse). He used the authority of his position to try to put her down and take something away from her. He was aggressive in his tactic and it was painful for all of us watching. We all saw her being undermined and subjected to penalties that few other players experience, especially male players. We saw Serena get upset about not winning.
Black women like myself recognize what Serena was going through and even those in the audience were stunned at this unfair and unwelcome insertion of chair umpire authority. Due to my experiences at Princeton University, I am familiar with the intense racial, gender, economic, and class biases that Serena and Venus Williams were reportedly subjected to as young, gifted, and vulnerable Black girls engaging in traditional tennis tournament play. I think that Serena’s U.S. Open 2018 response was likely a cumulative response to her many of her negative experiences where people tried to block her from winning, not just this singular event.
What doesn’t kill you…
I have been called “uppity” and sabotaged by older European/White men in power who tried to break me, too.It did not work with me and it does not work with Serena Williams, either. Instead of getting weaker, I see Serena Williams expanding, getting stronger, becoming more powerful with more allies, more support, and more admiration. Passion and emotion, displayed by both male and female athletes, are assets, not liabilities. Serena was not “hysterical.” She wanted to win and Serena’s frustration, shared by many watching, was not unlike other champion athletes. Over the years, I have seen her pick her battles, take responsibility, and state her positions.
So, no worries, Serena Williams is going to be just fine.
Breaking down barriers, challenging the status quo and being a woman warrior is hard work. It is not easy. The resilience that we build up through our trials comes at a cost and the outcomes are not always immediate. Yet, there is great benefit.
Serena is a visionary who sees how her efforts now can benefit other women and girls, like her daughter. Being a trailblazer means creating a path where none exists. Serena Williams has been doing this her entire life. She is an elite fighter who is self-possessed and self-aware. Her critics want her to be more one dimensional, to just play tennis, smile, and be quiet. Instead, because Serena Williams, uses her voice, we are discussing issues of social importance that are challenging our norms and elevating our perspectives. It is no accident that her collection from Virgil Abloh and Nike is known as the queen collection.
Serena Williams has been through it all: banning of outfits, hateful name-calling, overzealous drug testing, “bumps” by opponents when switching sides, prejudice and racism, sexism, and medical events on and off of the court. Serena Wiliams is still here and she is standing tall for all of us as women and as an iconic role model for our girls, just like she was for Naomi Osaka. Ironically, by trying to suppress her spirit, she is becoming even greater. Whether you realize it or not, we are all reaping the benefits of this warrior woman’s efforts.
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Posts Tagged 'Economics'
Porcupines And The Social Contract
Published November 6, 2017 on Society , Politics Closed
Tags: Economics, Politics, Presidents, society, Truth
Sometime back there was an image on the internet of a snake that had swallowed a porcupine. I didn’t click on the image to see the video of the event as the photo was sufficiently vivid. That image came back to me after seeing photos online of Trump and members of Congress beaming into the camera having reached a happy compromise over the debt limit in order to facilitate hurricane aid to the affected states. The Republican Speaker of the House did his best to make it seem like a good time was being had by all. The Republican party, I think, swallowed a porcupine when they climbed onto the Trump bandwagon and they know it. The daily damage and destruction inflicted on the American social contract by the Trump administration has revealed a number of people who are now realizing they too have swallowed a porcupine.
Not long after hurricanes struck Puerto Rico, the President explained that Puerto Rico is an island way out in the ocean, thus making aid difficult. Despite begging from elected officials, prevarication characterized the presidential response to the emergency and attendant tragedy. Puerto Rico was still engaged in an ongoing humanitarian emergency weeks later as well as a verbal duel with the president, who visited the island and demonstrated his concern for the people by throwing packages of paper towels to them. Officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the government and its partners were providing only 200,000 meals a day to meet the needs of more than 2 million people. As if the Puerto Rico tragedy were not enough, just a week or so later a gunman, firing from a hotel room 39 floors above street level in Las Vegas, shot and killed 59 people and injured more than 500 who were attending an outdoor concert. The President’s response? It’s “premature” to discuss guns.
In some respects the porcupine seems to be going down easily. The President is eagerly joined by Congressional Republicans on certain issues. Speaker Paul Ryan in discussing the Republican sponsored tax cuts, explained that the middle class would somehow benefit from those cuts that were mainly for the wealthy. Middle class people would pay more to fund the cuts. Oh, yes, of course. So far the proposal has been stalled and new, sweeter proposals offered. This is the same Paul Ryan who led the Republican assault on Social Security and public education which should also give people a clue to just how destructive his party and this President are intending to be to American society and our limping democracy. The assault on public education, by the way, is the same strategy employed by demagogues and dictators throughout history; control education to control the minds of children and young adults so they become easier to manipulate as a general public. Control information with falsehood or distortion to control the public in general. And, let’s privatize public education to make a profit while we are at it.
What we have here is an untethered reality, a president who believes whatever he says is real and true. It is true, of course, that people can believe and not believe the same thing simultaneously. It’s a form of solipsism, the idea that anything outside your own mind doesn’t exist so you can inhabit your own reality simultaneously with inhabiting the outside social world shared with others. This self-defined world is fueled by what is sometimes referred to as “existential fatigue” which has been defined as a personal search for meaning and purpose in a world increasingly bankrupt of both. It isn’t a complicated matter for the people who voted for Trump who know his background of financial cheating, child molestation, self-admitted sexual assault complete with comments on how to approach that. Yes, good church-going, self-defined “Christians” remain supportive of the President and his agenda. What to make of this? A remarkable fluidity of perception, loose commitment to a social contract, and a fungible belief system. Now, while the porcupine is getting a lot of attention it’s the snakes facilitating the porcupine that we have to watch out for. And the snakes had better understand that once swallowed, the Porcupine has only one path out.
American Agonistes?
Published July 2, 2015 on Society Closed
Tags: Adam Smith, American Exceptionalism, belief systems, Bernie Sanders, capitalism, Class Warfare, Democracy, Economics, Elizabeth Warren, equality, inequality, Justice, Politics, social justice, Truth
Is it ironic that in the second decade of the 21st century we are still debating equality in a country where all are supposed to be political equals? In the 18th century, the equality debate concerned the rights of colonists. In the 19th century the debate erupted into civil war over slavery, followed in the 20th over suffrage, and in the 21st the battlefield is economic equality, a societal battle over the rights of money over the rights of citizens as embodied in the destructive sophistry of the 2010 Citizens United decision.
Earlier equality debates have not been resolved either as there is always someone with a new twist seeking to undermine what should be settled law. Racism, sexual orientation, religion, bigotry, and mysogny are unrelenting, persistent, and tragically reinvented daily. It’s a curse, this agon, this quest for equality. Not so long ago Southern European immigrants were persecuted presently it’s Muslims and migrants fleeing economic and political oppression. It has always been blacks; next week it will be someone else. Truth is, if every person of color were to disappear tomorrow morning a new target group would be found by nightfall. While discrimination on the basis of wealth isn’t new on the list of divisive social issues it has now become critical when so many are unemployed, underemployed, or simply dropped out including college graduates laden with debt who cannot find employment.
Hedge fund managers making $24 million annually are taxed at 15% while truck drivers who earn $43 thousand a year are taxed at 28% the tax burden thus falls to working class people. In Kansas budget shortfalls will be made up with increased sales taxes and fees paid mainly by the working middle class and poor. A non-partisan policy group says the poorest 20 percent of the state will now pay 1.5 percent more in taxes than they did in 2012. or an average of $197 a year. The Governor, Sam Brownback, in a classic Orwellian trope, told the press this isn’t an increase but a tax cut. “I think we’re in Wonderland, Aunti Em.”
When wealth is gained at the expense of the majority of the members of a society, social viability becomes the paramount question. Historically such has been the prelude to one sort of revolution or another and some think we may be on the precipice of a foundational evolutionary social reformation. Sentiments go well beyond the numerous books recently published about economic inequality and Capitalism. Petitions are being circulated calling for a constitutional amendment to nullify the obviously biased Citizens United decision. The presidential candidacy of Bernie Sanders, the rhetoric of Elizabeth Warren and others are also speaking to larger more fundamental deeply felt issues.
The realities of a diminished, if not extinguished, democracy are denial and negation of truth. Neither propaganda nor appeals to patriotism can make this go away because there is no alternative to inequality but equality. There is no livable alternate reality when 33 American cities already have or are planning to make feeding hungry people illegal. The casual abandonment of moral consideration is truly remarkable.
In an analysis of federal policy initiatives dating from 1981 to 2002 researchers at Princeton concluded, “ … economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence.” The denial and destruction of a government of, by, and for the people, is the antithesis of a democratic society paving an inevitable path to disengagement, and ultimately – dissolution. We can fairly ask as we must, how is it possible for a society to maintain a non-democratic economic system, qua religion, conflated with a barely functioning social contract? It is inarguable that a civilized society must correct those inequalities which can be corrected to provide the economic and social capital necessary to minimize inequalities of economic opportunity and political access.
Democracy as a political and social system requires equity, sharing, and engagement. Democracy is an expression of distribution and inclusion – capitalism is accumulation and exclusion. Capitalism is fundamentally a winner take all zero sum game, it has no ethic or morality other than to take it all is opposed to the sharing ethic required for a viable democratic civil society. Capitalism being finite and material has a natural end point – democracy being politically and socially aspirational does not, its horizon is indeterminate. In the absence of equal economic justice there is no possibility of a viable democratic social contract. As Adam Smith cautioned in his 1776 classic, The Wealth Of Nations: “No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.”
The United States has been engaged in one war or another for 222 out of the past 239 years. Since 1776 we have also been at war with ourselves. Is this then the ongoing American agon? We must decide.
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Corporate America Has Given up on Investing
Verizon’s record-breaking debt sale sums up everything that’s wrong with our executive class.
By Matthew Yglesias
Sept 10, 20133:38 PM
The third-largest acquisition in business history is Verizon boldly, bravely … buying out Vodafone’s share in Verizon Wireless. Snooze.
Photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters
This week, Verizon and its bankers begin shopping the world’s largest issuance of corporate debt. The company is looking for a blockbuster $20 billion loan at an interesting time for the bond world. Interest rates are far higher than they were a few months back, but still low by historical standards—the market’s appetite for a huge new swath of bonds will tell us a lot about where investors think rates are going. But for the actual world, this record-setting proposition is surprisingly boring. A never-before-seen spurt of corporate borrowing isn’t going to finance some exciting new investment that will bring new jobs, new products, and new competition to the marketplace. Instead, as with Apple’s previous record-setting debt sale earlier this year, the Verizon debt is being raised for what amounts to financial shenanigans. It’s a dull outcome for America’s business writers, and a sign of the excruciating malaise in corporate America that continues to hold back the national economy.
Verizon is incurring the debt to finance the largest corporate acquisition since 2000, and the third-largest of all time. That itself sounds pretty exciting—a throwback to the 1990s era of epic deal-making. The two larger acquisitions, Vodafone’s purchase of the German mobile phone operator Mannesmann and AOL’s acquisition of Time Warner, both remade industries. But what Verizon is doing will reshape precisely nothing: It’s buying Verizon Wireless. Most consumers will not notice any difference. Indeed, most consumers probably (and sensibly) assume that Verizon already owns Verizon Wireless, since the companies share a logo and a name.
But Verizon Wireless is not a subsidiary of Verizon. This part is somewhat complicated. Back in 2000, when M&A meant something, the British wireless company Vodafone was looking to expand aggressively. That’s how the blockbuster Mannesmann deal took place. To succeed in the American market, Vodafone and Mannesmann believed they needed a giant network—far larger than the fragmented regional ones that then dominated the space. So rather than spending the money to cover the entire United States, they formed a joint venture with two U.S. telecom companies—Bell Atlantic and GTE—which themselves were in the process of merging as Verizon. Vodafone bought a pager network operator called AirTouch and then merged it with the Bell Atlantic and GTE wireless resources to form Verizon Wireless. Vodafone owns 45 percent of the company, and Verizon owns 55 percent.
It’s been a huge success. So huge that year after year Verizon regrets not owning the whole thing. So huge that year after year Vodafone doesn’t want to give it up. All this acquisition means is that the two firms finally settled on a price and figured out strategies to minimize the tax bills from the sale. Verizon is borrowing a bunch of money and handing it to Vodafone, which will largely kick it out to shareholders. No actual investments are taking place.
The second-largest corporate debt issuance was similarly dreary. Rather than invest his company’s vast profits and enormous cash stockpile in expanded operations, Apple CEO Tim Cook wanted to increase dividends. It was more tax-advantageous to borrow the money—with the cash stockpile as implicit collateral— than simply to pay out the cash Apple already had on hand to shareholders. Clever financial engineering, but hardly an investment in the future.
These kinds of financial high jinks are inherent to the business world. But it’s depressing and disturbing that this is what the biggest deals and most aggressive fundraising in corporate America look like today.
For all the hype that the world of venture capital and startups attracts, the bulk of business investment is in established firms using retained profits or tapping debt markets. But today’s firms aren’t thinking big. The business lobby likes to complain about taxes and regulation, but whatever the sins or merits of the Obama administration, corporate profits have soared to over 12 percent of GDP while net investment has withered to about 4 percent.
Some of the mega-deals of yesteryear were disasters. But the spirit that gave us the AOL Time Warner fiasco also brought Vodafone into continental Europe and built America’s largest and most successful mobile phone network. This kind of investment is also how corporate profits transform into job creation and rising incomes. It’s no coincidence that the merger mania of the late 1990s was also a time of sky-high investment, full employment, and rising wages for rank-and-file employees.
Getting back to a healthier economy is going to take better public policy. But it will also take a bolder, more imaginative executive class that’s willing to tap financial markets to buy in to big ideas and big investments, rather than just buying up their own stock.
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 297 › Borden's Farm Products Co., Inc. v. Ten Eyck
Borden's Farm Products Co., Inc. v. Ten Eyck, 297 U.S. 251 (1936)
Borden's Farm Products Co., Inc. v. Ten Eyck
Argued January 6, 1936
Decided February 10, 1936
1. As an incident to a temporary and experimental scheme for assisting the milk industry by fixing prices to producer and consumer (Nebbia v. New York, 291 U. S. 502), the New York Milk Control Act, as amended, discriminated between dealers who had, and dealers who had not, well advertised tradenames, by permitting the latter to sell bottled milk in the City of New York at a price one cent less per quart than the price prescribed for the former. Held, that there was a reasonable basis for the discrimination, and that a dealer of the former class who failed to show that, in practice, the differential had resulted in any gain of trade at its expense by the latter class of dealers, or had caused it substantial loss, did not
prove a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Pp. 297 U. S. 261, 297 U. S. 263.
2. The findings in this case establish that, before the fixing of prices under the Act, dealers without well advertised brands were able to compete for the trade in question, but only by slightly underselling their advertised competitors. The differential is sustained as an attempt, competent to the legislature during the limited term of the experiment, to preserve this trade practice, already existing, which balanced the advantage of a lower price for the one group against the advantage of advertisement enjoyed by the other. P. 297 U. S. 261.
11 F.Supp. 599 affirmed.
Appeal from a decree which dismissed, upon the final hearing, a suit to enjoin the enforcement of a provision of the New York Agriculture & Markets Law. For an earlier phase, see s.c., 293 U. S. 194. Cf. p. 297 U. S. 266, post.
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
MR. JUSTICE ROBERTS delivered the opinion of the Court.
This cause is here a second time. The prior appeal was from a decree denying a preliminary injunction and dismissing the bill.{1} We reversed, holding that evidence should be taken, findings and conclusions made, and a decree thereupon entered. After remand, the appellant amended its bill, the court sent the case to a master, who made findings of fact, stated his conclusions of law, and
recommended that an injunction be entered. The District Court accepted the master's findings and found certain additional facts, but dismissed the bill upon the merits.{2} From this judgment, the present appeal was taken.
As will appear by reference to our former opinion, the appellant's complaint is that the fixing of a differential of not to exceed one cent per quart on sales to stores, in favor of milk dealers not having a "well advertised tradename," by the Milk Control Law of April 10, 1933, Laws N.Y.1933, c. 158 (reenacted by the Laws N.Y.1934, c. 126), was an invasion of rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The bill, as framed when the case was here before, recited that the administrative authority which fixed the minimum price on sales to stores found the appellant and three other milk dealers in the metropolitan market had well advertised tradenames, and the statute permitted dealers not having such tradenames to sell bottled milk to stores at one cent per quart less than the minimum which dealers with well advertised tradenames were required to charge, and also permitted stores to resell to their customers the unadvertised brands of milk at a price one cent per quart less than that at which the appellant's milk could be sold under the minimum fixed by the order. Resulting loss of business and irreparable damage were alleged.
In this Court, the appellees sought to justify the differential by the assertion that the statute was temporary in character, intended to relieve a temporary economic situation, and meanwhile to prevent monopoly of the business by dealers having well advertised names. In support of this position, it was said that, prior to the adoption of the Milk Control Act of 1933, independent dealers, so-called, had purchased from producers at prices lower than
those paid by appellant and other purveyors of well advertised brands, and, in turn, charged less to stores than the appellant and others in its class. By the Milk Control Act, the independent dealers were compelled to purchase from the farmers on the same basis as the well known dealers, and to deprive them of this advantage and, in turn, to compel them to charge the same price for their milk as the well advertised brands commanded would be to transfer all their customers to the owners of well known brands, and put them out of business. The appellant replied that, prior to the adoption of the Milk Control Law, there had been a threat to forbid the sale of milk in bulk to stores; this compelled the independents who had formerly sold mostly bulk milk to change to the bottled trade, and keen competition ensued between them and the owners of well advertised brands, with destructive price-cutting throughout the greater part of New York City, so that there was no fixed price for bottled milk sold to stores either by the independents or the well advertised dealers. In support of these contentions, we were referred to statements found in the legislative report leading to the adoption of the Milk Control Law, and the injunction affidavits.
We held we could not take judicial notice of local trade conditions prevailing in the City of New York; as the case had been disposed of below on the allegations of the bill, we were not called upon to examine the affidavits submitted in support of the motion for injunction and to find the facts, and the constitutionality of the challenged provision should be determined in the light of evidence upon the matters as to which the parties were in disagreement.
By amendment, the appellant added to its bill paragraphs to the following effect: prior to 1932, less than one-third of the fluid milk sold in New York was bottled, the balance being sold in bulk and under no tradename.
Toward the end of 1931, a commission recommended that the sale of loose milk to stores be prohibited. The Board of Health made an order, effective January 1, 1933, the effective date of which was subsequently postponed to June 1, 1933, prohibiting the practice. By reason of the impending ban upon the sale of loose milk, dealers engaged in the sale of that commodity were forced to make a drastic change in their methods. The transition from the sale of loose milk to bottled, which began about April 1, 1933, and continued until June 1, 1933, engendered widespread price-cutting and a steadily declining price level, and brought about unsettled market conditions and great variations in price. At no time prior to the effective date of the Milk Control Act was there any trade custom, practice, or usage whereby the bottled milk of dealers thereafter classified as not having well advertised tradenames was sold to stores at a price different from that of the bottled milk of the appellant and others classified as having well advertised tradenames. Before April 10, 1933, and thereafter, the appellant was in active competition with more than 150 dealers in the sale of bottled milk to stores in the city. The appellant and others classified as having well advertised tradenames sell approximately 21 percent of the bottled milk sold to stores. The prices paid by dealers to producers under the Milk Control Law have been the same for all dealers, no matter how classified. All bottled milk must have printed on the cap the name of the dealer distributing it. The services rendered by the appellant and by so-called independent dealers differ in no respect.
The assertions of shrinkage of appellant's sales to stores consequent upon the establishment of the differential were repeated and amplified in the amended bill. An answer was filed denying the allegations of the bill. Much evidence was received.
The findings of the master establish that the dealers having a well advertised tradename, of which appellant is one, are in keen competition with each other and with the independent dealers, and have no monopoly, nor anything approaching a monopoly, of the sale of bottled milk to stores. The findings further demonstrate that the good will incident to appellant's well known tradename "Borden's" has been built up largely by advertising, and there is no finding that the appellant's methods in that respect, or its trade practices, have been illegal. Grade B milk, with which we are alone concerned, must conform to standards of quality, purity, and cleanliness prescribed by law, whether sold by appellant or by an independent dealer. The service rendered and the conditions of sale are the same for both. It is plain from these facts that the allowance of the differential cannot be justified as a preventive of monopoly or as a deterrent of illegal combination or illegal trade practices, or as a recognition of differences in the service rendered.
We are brought to the remaining issue of fact to resolve which the case was remanded. Was there a differential during a substantial period prior to adoption of the act between the price charged to stores by dealers having well advertised tradenames and that charged by those lacking this advantage?
The master's findings upon the point, though the appellant excepted to them, were adopted by the court below. They are to the effect that, from November, 1931, to April, 1933, and for several years prior thereto, the independent dealers sold their bottled milk to stores in New York City for resale to consumers at one or more cents per quart below the price at which the advertised dealers were selling their bottled milk to stores in that city, and, during the same years, the stores were selling the independents' bottled milk to consumers from one cent to two cents per quart below the price at which they were
vending the bottled milk of the advertised dealers. The District Court made additional findings, supplementing those of the master, that independent dealers, on occasions before November 1, 1931, and until April 1, 1933, tried to sell bottled milk to stores at the same price as that charged by the appellant and another advertised dealer, and, in each case, were compelled by loss of business to resume their earlier and lower price, and, during the same period, customers, when offered the several brands at the same price, would usually take a bottle of the well advertised dealer's milk in preference to that of an independent dealer. These findings of the master and the court disclose the circumstances in the light of which the appellant's claim that it was denied the equal protection of the laws must be considered. The appellant assigns them as error, but they are supported by substantial evidence, and we will not disturb them.
We hold that the fixing of the differential in favor of the sellers of milk not having a well advertised tradename, in the situation exhibited by the findings, does not deny the appellant equal protection.
The argument is that the classification is arbitrary, since the statute puts the appellant and other dealers who have well advertised tradenames in a single class solely by reason of the fact that their legitimate advertising has brought them goodwill. So, it is said, they are penalized for their business skill and acumen. The answer seems sufficiently obvious. In enforcing its policy of price-fixing -- a temporary expedient to redress an injurious economic condition -- the Legislature believed that a fixed minimum price by dealers to stores would not preserve the existing economic method of attaining equality of opportunity. That method was for the well advertised dealers to rely on their advertising to obtain a given price, and for the independents to retain their share of the market, not by counter-advertising, but by slight
reduction of price. The one expedient, the law did not purport to touch; the other, by fixing the same minimum for all dealers, it would effectually destroy. In these circumstances, it was competent to the lawmakers to attempt, during the limited term of the legislative experiment, to preserve the existing relationship of advantage established by the past trade practices of the two groups. So to do, we must assume, was within the legislative power under the State Constitution. No prohibition of the expedient is found in the Federal Constitution unless in the Fourteenth Amendment. We have held that article does not prevent the fixing of maximum and minimum prices for milk in the circumstances existing in the state of New York in 1933.{3} We now hold that to provide that a differential of one cent maintained by the independent dealers shall continue does not deny their advertised competitors equal protection. There was a plain reason for the classification. It was not merely that appellant had established a goodwill; it was that there had resulted a balance between that advantage and the resulting disadvantage to the unadvertised dealer -- a balance maintained by a price differential. To attempt the maintenance of that balance was to strive for equality of treatment, equality of burden, not to create inequality. To adapt the law to the existing trade practice was neither unreasonable nor arbitrary. The present case affords an excellent example of the difficulties and complexities which confront the legislator who essays to interfere in sweeping terms with the natural laws of trade or industry. The danger in such efforts always is that unintended dislocations will bring hardship to groups whose situation the broad rules fail to fit. Where, as here, there is recognition of an existing status and an attempt to equate the incidence of the statute in accordance with it, we find a
compliance with, rather than a disregard of, the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The appellant cannot complain if, in fact, the discrimination embodied in the law is but a perpetuation of a classification created and existing by the action of the dealers. In the light of the facts found, the Legislature might reasonably have thought trade conditions existed justifying the fixing of a differential. Judicial inquiry does not concern itself with the accuracy of the legislative finding, but only with the question whether it so lacks any reasonable basis as to be arbitrary. Standard Oil Co. v. Marysville, 279 U. S. 582, 279 U. S. 586-587.
A second argument is that, instead of maintaining equality between the two groups, the act has destroyed it by unduly favoring the independents. The differential is said to inflict grievous injury and irreparable and continuing damage upon the appellant. We must look to the record to determine whether it supports the appellant's claim. The master made numerous findings touching the relative sales of bulk and bottled milk to stores by the two groups of dealers at various times before and after the adoption of the act, and in respect of appellant's share of that trade in comparison with total sales and those of its independent competitors. He also found:
"Since the enactment of the 1933 Law, the advertised dealers have had a smaller proportion relative to the independent dealers of the total sales of bottled milk to stores in New York City than before the enactment of the law."
But neither in his findings nor in his general discussion does he say that the smaller volume of appellant is due to the differential provision. He does state: "The voluminous proofs fail to furnish facts on which to base a finding as to the effect of minimum prices without a differential." There is no factfinding of loss and damage to plaintiff from the differential. A conclusion of law is: "By reason of the differential provision, the
plaintiff is now suffering, and will continue to suffer, irreparable damage." After a full discussion of the master's findings, the District Court said: "From all this, it seems to us very doubtful whether the differential has really damaged the plaintiff at all." We have examined the findings and the evidence, and concur in the conclusion. Though appellant, at the time of the trial, had acquired a large experience of the operation of the differential, its proofs and the findings based upon them, leave serious doubt as to the effect on the appellant's store trade of other factors, such as seasonal variation, the decrease in the consumption of milk in 1934, the change from loose to bottled milk in store distribution, and the sale of great quantities of so-called relief milk under arrangement with the public authorities. It has failed to show that, as a result of the statute, the independent dealers have gained trade at its expense, or that it has suffered substantial loss.
We have no occasion to determine whether the differential would become unlawful, and the appellant would be entitled to relief if there were proof that, in practice, it produces such gross inequality, and so unnecessarily damages the appellant, as to shock the conscience.
Borden's Farm Products Co. v. Baldwin, 293 U. S. 194; 7 F.Supp. 352.
11 F.Supp. 599.
Nebbia v. New York, 291 U. S. 502.
MR. JUSTICE McREYNOLDS, dissenting.
MR. JUSTICE VAN DEVANTER, MR. JUSTICE SUTHERLAND, MR. JUSTICE BUTLER, and I think the challenged judgment should be reversed.
In Nebbia v. New York, 291 U. S. 502, 291 U. S. 539, we stated reasons in support of the conclusion that the New York Milk Control Act of 1933 infringed the due process clause. We adhere to what we there said.
The present cause raises a distinct, although subordinate, question. Assuming that the general price-fixing provisions of the Control Act are valid, do the provisions
which permit other dealers to sell below the minimum price prescribed for appellant deprive it of the equal protection of the laws? The answer should be in the affirmative.
Rational classification, based on substantial differences, is within legislative power. An act which permits dealer A to sell at less than the price fixed for dealer B obviously denies equality, and, in the absence of some adequate reason for different treatment, the enactment is invalid.
Here, appellant differs from favored dealers only in that it possesses a well advertised brand, while they do not. And, solely because of that fact, the Legislature undertook to handicap it, and thus enable others profitably to share the trade. There is no question of unfair trade practices or monopoly.
By fair advertisement and commendable service, appellant acquired the public's goodwill. The purpose is to deprive it of the right to benefit by this, and thereby aid competitors to secure the business. This is grossly arbitrary and oppressive.
To support the legislation, it is said the Legislature believed that a fixed minimum price to stores would not preserve the existing economic method of attaining equality of opportunity. Apparently this means that a dealer who, through merit, has acquired a good reputation can be deprived of the consequent benefit in order that another may trade successfully. Thus, the statute destroys equality of opportunity -- puts appellant at a disadvantage because of merit.
Merely because, on a given date, there were differences in prices under open competition offers no rational reason for legislation abolishing competition and perpetuating such differences. The status existing under competitive conditions certainly is not preserved by destroying competition. Formerly, appellant had the right to adjust prices to meet trade exigencies, and thus protect itself
from loss of business. Now it must stand helpless while adversaries take possession of the field. It may suffer utter ruin solely because of good reputation, honestly acquired.
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 355 › MILLS MILL v. HAWKINS
MILLS MILL v. HAWKINS, 355 U.S. 605 (1958)
MILLS MILL ET AL. v. HAWKINS ET AL., CONSTITUTING THE UNA WATER DISTRICT
APPEAL FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF SOUTH CAROLINA. No. 670.
Decided March 3, 1958.
Appeal dismissed for want of a substantial federal question.
Reported below: ___ S. C. ___.
L. W. Perrin, Jr., Edward P. Perrin and J. Davis Kerr for appellants.
Harvey W. Johnson for appellees.
PER CURIAM.
The motion to dismiss is granted and the appeal is dismissed for want of a substantial federal question.
KLIG v. ROGERS, 355 U.S. 605 (1958) 355 U.S. 605 (1958) ">
KLIG v. ROGERS, 355 U.S. 605 (1958)
KLIG v. ROGERS, ATTORNEY GENERAL.
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA CIRCUIT. No. 143.
Upon suggestion of mootness, judgment of Court of Appeals vacated and case remanded to District Court with directions to dismiss.
Reported below: 100 U.S. App. D.C. 294, 244 F.2d 742.
Jack Wasserman and David Carliner for petitioner.
Solicitor General Rankin for respondent.
Upon suggestion of mootness by all of the parties, the judgment of the Court of Appeals is vacated and the case is remanded to the District Court with directions to dismiss the cause as moot.
Page 355 U.S. 605, 606
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Home » Our Story » Endorsements
Message from Margaret Beazley AO QC Governor of NSW
In my first message as Governor of New South Wales, I am delighted to have the opportunity to congratulate the Sydney Eisteddfod on 86 years of encouraging the arts and...
Message from Richard Bonynge AC CBE
Bravo to the Sydney Eisteddfod. So many young musicians in this country owe a great deal to you. I send my sincerest wishes to all those competing this year. Make...
Message from Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
Since 1933 Sydney Eisteddfod has been encouraging young singers, musicians, dancers and actors in the pursuit of excellence across every facet of the performing arts. It has evolved into one...
Message from David McAllister AM, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet
The journey of an artist's career is made up of many steps. Some of these are down in the solitude of a rehearsal room, some are boldly taken on stage. For...
Message from Clover Moore MP Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney
I am pleased to support the 2019 Sydney Eisteddfod, one of the largest performing arts competitions in the world. For more than 80 years, the Sydney Eisteddfod has been encouraging the...
Message from Professor Anna Reid, Dean of Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music has had a long association with the Sydney Eisteddfod; both provide wonderful opportunities for people of all age to participate in music making. For a very long...
Message from Cr Peter M Cavanagh Mayor of Woollahra
As the Mayor of Woollahra I am delighted to welcome new participants, organisers, family and friends to our Municipality for the 2019 Sydney Eisteddfod at Ascham School, Rose Bay overlooking...
Message from Cr Darcy Byrne Mayor of Inner West
I would like to congratulate the Sydney Eisteddfod upon the occasion of their 86th year and thank them for their continued support of young and emerging artists. They Sydney Eisteddfod provides...
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Russian Railways mulls participation in Trans-Arabian Railway construction
Saudi Arabia approved a program of infrastructure development until 2030
© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS
ST. PETERSBURG, May 24. /TASS/. Russian Railways is eyeing an opportunity to participate in construction of the Trans-Arabian Railway and other projects in Saudi Arabia, First Deputy CEO of the Russian railway operator Alexander Misharin told TASS in an interview on Tuesday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"Saudi Arabia approved a program of infrastructure development until 2030. It contains a railway component and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Saudi Arabia is currently preparing a tender for implementation of this project. A consultant has been selected; we received a request for our proposals concerning performance of the company and terms. We furnished such data. Now we wait for the next stage - the tender announcement," Misharin said. "We seriously consider participation in these projects, including in construction of the Trans-Arabian Railway passing through Saudi Arabia," he added.
Russian Railways eyes new infrastructural projects in Serbia
Spain interested in participating in Moscow - Kazan high-speed railway project
Republic of Korea eyeing return to Khasan-Rajin railway project
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Adam Selipsky
President & CEO, Tableau
Adam Selipsky is the President and CEO at Tableau. He sets the vision and direction for Tableau, and oversees all company strategy, business activities and operations. Selipsky spent over a decade building Amazon Web Services, one of the most successful technology platforms in the world. His leadership helped grow AWS from a startup into a multi-billion dollar business and establish it as the undisputed market leader in cloud computing. Selipsky served as Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Support for AWS. Prior to joining Amazon, he was an executive at RealNetworks, leading the video subscription and media player division. Before that, he was a Principal at Mercer Management Consulting, a strategy consulting firm. He holds an A.B. in Government and an MBA from Harvard University.
Upon joining Tableau, Adam commented "Tableau has that rare combination of a passionate customer base, leading products, amazingly talented people, dedication to technology innovation, and momentum in the market. I’m honored to join the leadership team and all the great people that have fueled Tableau’s disruption of business analytics.”
Keynote: Tableau Vision
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Agrippa V
William Hogarth. Election, 1755. Oil on Canvas. Public domain, photographed by the Yorck Project.
To the People.
In the course of inquiry it has appeared, that for the purposes of internal regulation and domestick tranquillity, our small and separate governments are not only admirably suited in theory, but have been remarkably successful in practice. It is also found, that the direct tendency of the proposed system, is to consolidate the whole empire into one mass, and, like the tyrant’s bed, to reduce all to one standard. Though this idea has been stated in different parts of the continent, and is the most important trait of this draft, the reasoning ought to be extensively understood. I therefore hope to be indulged in a particular statement of it.
Causes of all kinds, between citizens of different states, are to be tried before a continental court. This court is not bound to try it according to the local laws where the controversies happen; for in that case it may as well be tried in a state court. The rule which is to govern the new courts, must, therefore, be made by the court itself, or by its employers, the Congress. If by the former, the legislative and judicial departments will be blended; and if by the Congress, though these departments will be kept separate, still the power of legislation departs from the state in all those cases. The Congress, therefore, have the right to make rules for trying all kinds of questions relating to property between citizens of different states. The sixth article of the new constitution provides, that the continental laws shall be the supreme law of the land, and that all judges in the separate states shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding. All the state officers are also bound by oath to support this constitution. These provisions cannot be understood otherwise than as binding the state judges and other officers, to execute the continental laws in their own proper departments within the state. For all questions, other than those between citizens of the same state, are at once put within the jurisdiction of the continental courts. As no authority remains to the state judges, but to decide questions between citizens of the same state, and those judges are to be bound by the laws of Congress, it clearly follows, that all questions between citizens of the same state are to be decided by the general laws and not by the local ones.
Authority is also given to the continental courts, to try all causes between a state and its own citizens. A question of property between these parties rarely occurs. But if such questions were more frequent than they are, the proper process is not to sue the state before an higher authority; but to apply to the supreme authority of the state, by way of petition. This is the universal practice of all states, and any other mode of redress destroys the sovereignty of the state over its own subjects. The only case of the kind in which the state would probably be sued, would be upon the state notes. The endless confusion that would arise from making the estates of individuals answerable, must be obvious to every one.
There is another sense in which the clause relating to causes between the state and individuals is to be understood, and it is more probable than the other, as it will be eternal in its duration, and increasing in its extent. This is the whole branch of the law relating to criminal prosecutions. In all such cases the state is plaintiff, and the person accused is defendant. The process, therefore, will be, for the attorney-general of the state to commence his suit before a continental court. Considering the state as a party, the cause must be tried in another, and all the expense of the transporting witnesses incurred. The individual is to take his trial among strangers, friendless and unsupported, without its being known whether he is habitually a good or a bad man; and consequently with one essential circumstance wanting by which to determine whether the action was performed maliciously or accidentally. All these inconveniences are avoided by the present important restriction, that the cause shall be tried by a jury of the vicinity, and tried in the county where the offence was commited. But by the proposed derangement, I can call it by no softer name, a man must be ruined to prove his innocence. This is far from being a forced construction of the proposed form. The words appear to me not intelligible, upon the idea that it is to be a system of government, unless the construction now given, both for civil and criminal processes, be admitted. I do not say that it is intended that all these changes should take place within one year, but they probably will in the course of a half a dozen years, if this system is adopted. In the mean time we shall be subject to all the horrors of a divided sovereignty, not knowing whether to obey the Congress or the state. We shall find it impossible to please two masters. In such a state frequent broils will ensue. Advantage will be taken of a popular commotion, and even the venerable forms of the state be done away, while the new system will be enforced in its utmost rigour by an army. I am the more apprehensive of a standing army, on account of a clause in the new constitution which empowers Congress to keep one at all times; but this constitution is evidently such that it cannot stand any considerable time without an army. Upon this principle one is very wisely provided. Our present government knows of no such thing.
The Report of the Constitutional Convention, 17 September
Letter to George Washington
Letter to John McClernand
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