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Anna’s blog
Forget 5.9% – some train fares rise today by four times inflation
January 2, 2012 transportanna
Today, rail fares go up by an inflation-busting average of 5.9%, to howls of outrage from commuters and groups like Passenger Focus. But what many people don’t realise is that 5.9% is just an average.
And while Passenger Focus came across individual fare increases of up to 11%, I have scraped data from National Rail Enquiries and found that some anytime fares rise today by as much as 20% – that’s four times inflation – while others have fallen by as much as 45%.
Roll up, roll up to play the great rail fares lottery! (Bad luck if you live on Merseyside, where everyone seems to be a loser this year.)
Travelling from Moorfields to Chester at peak time? Oh no! Your anytime fare with Merseyrail has rocketed by 20% overnight, from £5.15 to £6.20. Liverpool to Southport? Ouch! The Merseyrail anytime fare is up 19%, from £4.65 to £5.50. Peak-time London to Warwick with Chiltern? Bad luck! Your fare rises by 9.8% today, from £51 to £56.
But peak-time Gatwick Airport to Southampton? DRRRRRIIIING – you’ve hit the jackpot: Southern’s anytime fare has bizarrely fallen by 45%, from £26.90 to £14.90. What’s going on?
You can find my raw data here – I scraped the fare increase in Anytime tickets on every end-to-end route listed in the NAPTAN database. I chose Anytime tickets because they are unregulated fares, and hence not subject to the RPI-plus-1% average limit imposed by the Chancellor. However, Passenger Focus’s good work has found large variation in regulated (off-peak and season) fares too – buying train tickets really is a lottery.
The 5.9% figure is a high-level average produced by ATOC, which regulates the train operators. When I rang them, ATOC told me the 5.9% figure is an average of an average, across all operators and all available potential routes, and all regulated and unregulated fares.
Clearly, with such wild variation between operators and regions, we need much better comparative data. I drew a graph showing the average rise I found in each operator’s fares, which showed large differences. I also compared the variation in fare increases, which produced some interesting geographical patterns (I’m looking at you in particular, Southern).
However, I’ve decided not to publish these for the moment, because my data only covers Anytime tickets and end-to-end routes, not every available journey, and it has holes in it, having been scraped. To compare prices properly, we really need to know how often each ticket is bought, but that data isn’t public.
At some point, I’ll try a proper analysis with the National Fares Manual and librailfare. In the meantime – here’s hoping your train fare hasn’t gone up too much, and happy new year!
← Train times v. house prices: the commuter belt, on a graph Introducing… What Size Am I →
Mapping £2.6 billion of farm payments
My year-and-a-bit working on tech-for-good projects
How to use Land Registry data to explore land ownership near you
Using statistics to find the nicest (and nastiest) food at Waitrose
Sienna, Rihanna, Cameron and Usama: Baby names in England and Wales
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Issue: 16 December V161, Issue 12 2 December V161, Issue 11 18 November V161, Supplement 18 November V161, Issue 10 4 November V161, Issue 9 21 October V161, Issue 8 7 October V161, Issue 7 16 September V161, Issue 6 2 September V161, Issue 5 19 August V161, Issue 4 5 August V161, Issue 3 15 July V161, Issue 2 1 July V161, Issue 1 17 June V160, Issue 12 3 June V160, Issue 11 20 May V160, Issue 10 6 May V160, Issue 9 15 April V160, Issue 8 1 April V160, Issue 7 18 March V160, Issue 6 4 March V160, Issue 5 18 February V160, Issue 4 4 February V160, Issue 3 21 January V160, Issue 2 7 January V160, Issue 1
18 November V161, Supplement
18 March 2014 Vol: 160, Issue 6
Hepatic Decompensation in Antiretroviral-Treated Patients Co-Infected With HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Compared With Hepatitis C Virus–Monoinfected Patients: A Cohort Study
Vincent Lo Re III, MD, MSCE; Michael J. Kallan, MS; Janet P. Tate, ScD; A. Russell Localio, PhD; Joseph K. Lim, MD; Matthew Bidwell Goetz, MD; Marina B. Klein, MD, MS; David Rimland, MD; Maria C. Rodriguez-Barradas, MD; Adeel A. Butt, MD, MS; Cynthia L. Gibert, MD, MS; Sheldon T. Brown, MD; Lesley Park, MPH; Robert Dubrow, MD, PhD; K. Rajender Reddy, MD; Jay R. Kostman, MD; Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH; Amy C. Justice, MD, PhD
During the era of antiretroviral therapy, few studies have examined the incidence of hepatic decompensation among patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and few have compared incidence among these patients with that among patients infected with HCV alone. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected patients receiving care at Veterans Affairs medical facilities and found that, despite receiving antiretroviral therapy, co-infected patients had higher rates of hepatic decompensation than those infected only with HCV.
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):369-379. doi:10.7326/M13-1829
Video Supplemental Content
Variation in Diagnostic Coding of Patients With Pneumonia and Its Association With Hospital Risk-Standardized Mortality Rates: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Michael B. Rothberg, MD, MPH; Penelope S. Pekow, PhD; Aruna Priya, MA, MSc; Peter K. Lindenauer, MD, MSc
Measures of hospital risk-standardized mortality rates for pneumonia exclude more severe cases, which are coded as sepsis or respiratory failure with pneumonia as a secondary diagnosis. This cross-sectional study of adults hospitalized for pneumonia between 2007 and 2010 examined the effect of coding on hospital mortality rates. The authors found that variation in use of the principal diagnosis of sepsis or respiratory failure may bias efforts to compare hospital performance regarding outcomes of pneumonia.
Clinical Course and Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients With Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection Free
Yaseen M. Arabi, MD; Ahmed A. Arifi, MD; Hanan H. Balkhy, MD; Hani Najm, MD; Abdulaziz S. Aldawood, MD; Alaa Ghabashi, MD; Hassan Hawa, MD; Adel Alothman, MB; Abdulaziz Khaldi, MD; Basel Al Raiy, MD
In a study of patients hospitalized with suspected Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection, those with confirmed disease had preexisting comorbid conditions and required mechanical ventilation. Mortality was high, hospitalization was prolonged, and some exposed health care workers became infected.
Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Rajiv Chowdhury, MD, PhD; Samantha Warnakula, MPhil; Setor Kunutsor, MD, MSt; Francesca Crowe, PhD; Heather A. Ward, PhD; Laura Johnson, PhD; Oscar H. Franco, MD, PhD; Adam S. Butterworth, PhD; Nita G. Forouhi, MRCP, PhD; Simon G. Thompson, FMedSci; Kay-Tee Khaw, FMedSci; Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH; John Danesh, FRCP; Emanuele Di Angelantonio, MD, PhD
Nutritional guidelines encourage consumption of fatty acids to improve cardiovascular health. The authors summarize evidence about associations between fatty acids and coronary disease, concluding that guidelines promoting high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats may need to be reexamined.
Research and Reporting Methods
Behavioral Counseling Research and Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Perspectives Free
Susan J. Curry, PhD; David C. Grossman, MD, MPH; Evelyn P. Whitlock, MD, MPH; Adelita Cantu, PhD, RN
This article, written on behalf of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), explores development of evidence-based recommendations for behavioral counseling interventions in primary care, which need rigorous synthesis of high-quality intervention trials. The authors discuss challenges in synthesizing trial findings to relate to study design and reporting and how USPSTF recommendations can be enhanced by consensus-based terminology for intervention components and intensity and for measures of behavioral and clinical outcomes.
Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement Free
Virginia A. Moyer, MD, MPH; on behalf of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
This updated recommendation from the USPSTF addresses screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women who have not previously been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The Task Force recommends screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in asymptomatic pregnant women after 24 weeks of gestation and concludes that evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening before that time.
CME Supplemental Content
“Compassionate Use” for Public Health
Kristen A. Feemster, MD, MPH, MSHP; Paul Offit, MD
Since 22 March 2013, 8 cases of confirmed Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) meningitis have occurred among students and visitors at Princeton University. The only vaccine in production that protects against MenB is being distributed in response to the outbreak. This distribution is the first time the “compassionate use” mechanism has been granted to allow a group of healthy persons access to a nontherapeutic biological drug. The authors discuss the ethical implications of this decision.
Medicine and Public Issues
Health Policy Basics: Medicaid Expansion
Ryan A. Crowley, BSJ; William Golden, MD
The Medicaid program provided health insurance for more than 62 million low-income persons and families in 2013. Before passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), few states provided comprehensive Medicaid coverage to low-income, childless adults. The ACA sought to mend this gap by expanding Medicaid to nearly all persons with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level starting in January 2014. However, in June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state expansion of their Medicaid programs would be optional. This article discusses this expansion and how it will affect patients and physicians.
After the Revolution: DRGs at Age 30
Kevin Quinn, MA
More than 30 years ago, Medicare began paying hospitals by diagnosis-related group (DRG), arguably the most influential innovation in health care financing. The author discusses the history and importance of DRGs and current debate on improving value in health care. He concludes that provider incentives can change delivery systems better than regulation and that sensible policy need not be the domain of any single political party or other entity.
Measuring Pneumonia-Related Mortality Using Administrative Data: Coding and Consequences
Scott A. Flanders, MD; Sanjay Saint, MD, MPH
In this issue, Rothberg and colleagues evaluate how variability of in-hospital coding of patients with pneumonia affects the risk-standardized mortality rates of these patients. The editorialists discuss the unintended consequences of using administrative data to compare hospitals. They also examine ways to improve value-based purchasing.
Medusa's Ugly Head Again: From SARS to MERS-CoV
Trish M. Perl, MD, MSc; Allison McGeer, MD; Connie Savor Price, MD
In this issue, Arabi and colleagues report a case series of severely ill patients infected with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The editorialists comment on the report and emphasize the need for transparency and collaboration in the scientific community to identify optimum management and prevent a pandemic.
You walk into the clinic room, your lab coat sleeves rolled up, your stethoscope askew. However, one look at the patient as he hunches over a basin, trying not to heave, and you know this is the real deal.
Reflections on a Whipple
Carolyn Kanter, BA
Although it is said that physicians make the worst patients, there is compelling evidence that medical students set the bar: They know just enough to be terrified of everything.
Comparative Safety of Vascular Closure Devices
Rahman Shah, MD; M. Rehan Khan, MD
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):438. doi:10.7326/L14-5006
Hitinder S. Gurm, MD; Carrie Hosman, PhD; Ben B. Hansen, PhD
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):438-439. doi:10.7326/L14-5006-2
Too Smart for Primary Care
Ian Jenkins, MD
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):439. doi:10.7326/L14-5006-3
Caroline Poplin, MD, JD
Commencement, College of Medicine
Stephen Harvey, MD
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):388. doi:10.7326/M13-2125
Brian Devitt, MD
ACP Journal Club
Review: Adding α1-blockers to 5α-reductase inhibitors improves lower urinary tract symptoms in men
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):JC2. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-160-6-201403180-02002
Adding lisinopril to losartan increased hyperkalemia and acute kidney injury in type 2 diabetes and proteinuria
In intracranial artery stenosis, adding angioplasty and stenting to medical therapy increased stroke or death
Review: In relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, disease-modifying agents reduce annual relapse rates
In overweight or obese patients with atrial fibrillation, a weight reduction program reduced symptoms
Edoxaban was noninferior to warfarin for preventing stroke or systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation
Warfarin dosing by genotype did not improve time in therapeutic range
In AF or VTE, warfarin dosing by genotype improved time in therapeutic range but not clinical outcomes
In AF or VTE, acenocoumarol or phenprocoumon dosing by genotype did not affect time in therapeutic range
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):JC10. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-160-6-201403180-02010
Individual chest pain characteristics had low accuracy for detecting acute MI in both men and women
Review: Some clinical tests performed by specialists identify rotator cuff disease or tears
In suspected ACS, a diagnostic protocol using hs-TnI identified patients at low cardiac risk at 30 days
The Consult Guys - NPO Before Surgery: How Long? Free
Geno J. Merli, MD; Howard H. Weitz, MD
The Consult Guys bring a new perspective to the art and science of medicine with lively discussion and analysis of real-world cases and situations.
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):CG3. doi:10.7326/G14-3003
Video CME Supplemental Content
Summaries for Patients
Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):I-30. doi:10.7326/P14-9011
Audio Commentary
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An Evolving Asset Class: The Future of Cryptocurrencies
By Peter M.J. Gross
The CFA Institute Annual Conference is an unrivaled opportunity to access high-quality, unbiased educational content that equips investment professionals with the latest thinking on critical industry issues. The 72nd CFA Institute Annual Conference will be held in London on 12–15 May 2019.
Bitcoin and the broader universe of cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings (ICOs), and other crypto assets have dealt with some enduring problems. But the endurance of those problems has demonstrated the endurance of those investments.
“This has been going on for about nine years going into 10,” said Sandra Ro, founder and managing director of Vector Crypto Capital. “Bitcoin’s died 900 times.”
Yet it continues to make headlines.
Ro has spent years building expertise at the intersection of cryptocurrencies and large-scale financial institutions. She serves on the Global Blockchain Business Council and was a founding board director of the Enterprise Etherium Alliance. At the 71st CFA Institute Annual Conference in Hong Kong, she shared her insights with an audience of global financial professionals.
“We have a little bit of a problem right now in this space, in the sense that what is reality is not always lined up with mainstream perception of what’s going on,” Ro said. “And the industry is growing quite quickly, so there’s a lot of growing pains.”
Ro acknowledged that bad actors are coloring the broader perception of cryptocurrencies as an asset class. Meanwhile, regulators in some countries, especially China, are closing cryptocurrency exchanges and banning new ICOs.
But Ro sees developments in the crypto asset space as the evolution of transfer of value. And she acknowledges that the evolution is ongoing. “We really need to sort out some very fundamental technical issues that are still plaguing the blockchain space,” she warned.
“This is just very similar to a lot of markets that you see,” she explained, “where it starts off nascent, it’s a bit of Wild West, and now there’s evolution and maturation going on.”
That maturation will likely involve the failure of many over-hyped cryptocurrencies with little substance behind them. “Here’s the thing: There might be thousands [of cryptocurrencies today], but I doubt most of them will survive another year or two,” Ro said. For many of these currencies, survival will depend on how well they serve use cases and meet specific needs for a clearly defined audience.
The smart contract is one example of a need that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology can meet, according to Ro. “If you and I agree to do a certain act regularly and recursively over X period of time, we can actually code that and make that effective on the Etherium platform,” she said.
Ro also said that central banks are considering ideas like digitized fiat currency, which would mean direct payments from governments. Her specific example involved a government paying money directly into the digital wallets of its employees, but her broader definition meant payments from governments that could bypass the banking system completely.
In the coming years, Ro anticipates regulation will becoming increasingly important for crypto assets, but the distributed nature of crypto technology will make such regulation difficult. “How can you regulate something that doesn’t have a center?” she asked.
She also challenged the notion that US regulators would ultimately decide how these crypto assets would be treated, pointing to the disagreements among multiple US regulatory agencies. “You’ve got the SEC saying it’s a security, the CFTC saying it’s a commodity, FINRA is saying that it’s money, and the IRS is saying it’s property.”
Ro praised Singapore and Switzerland for their treatment of cryptocurrencies and ICO offerings. But she believes that regulating the crypto space is too big a task for any one country. “This is a global problem, or situation,” she said. “It’s going to require coordinated global regulators — or at least regulators in their jurisdictions getting together globally and coming up with solutions.”
Experience the 71st CFA Institute Annual Conference online through Conference Live. It’s an insider’s perspective with live broadcasts and recorded video archives of select sessions, exclusive speaker interviews, discussions of current topics, and updates on CFA Institute initiatives.
All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.
Image courtesy of IMAGEIN
This entry was posted in Alternative Investments, Archives, Investment Topics, Speakers, Standards, Ethics & Regulations (SER) and tagged bitcoin, CFA Institute Annual Conference, cryptocurrency, Hong Kong. Bookmark the permalink.
← INSEAD Professor: US to Lose Its Place as Top Spot for Venture Capital Next Year
These Are the Most Important Connections →
Enterprising Investor
Market Integrity Insights
European Investment Conference
Freezing Assets
CFA Society India
City A.M.
LSE Blogs
The Research Puzzle
Essentia Analytics
Peter Zeihan Newsletter
The Belle Curve
Annie Duke: Accepting Wrong Gets to Right Faster
Time for Financial Professionals to Sharpen Their Saws
PIMCO’s Sundstrom discusses how to navigate the “recession moment”
Understanding the Secrets to Perfect Timing with Daniel Pink
Roger Ibbotson Explains the Price of Popularity
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Records of the Office of the President, 1 results 1
Office of the President -- Lewis T. Preston -- Visvanathan Rajagopalan (Vice President and Special Adviser to the President), 1 results 1
Records of the Office of the President Office of the President -- Lewis T. Preston -- Visvanathan Rajagopalan (Vice President and Special Adviser to the President)
Top-level description Records of the Office of the President
Records of the Vice President and Special Adviser to the President, Visvanathan Rajagopalan
WB IBRD/IDA EXC-12-02
Subsubfonds
Records of President Lewis T. Preston
Visvanathan Rajagopalan was the Vice President for Sector and Operations Policy when President Preston asked him to join the President's staff as Senior Adviser. Rajagopalan held this post for the year 1993, retiring at the end of December. D...
Office of the President -- Lewis T. Preston -- Visvanathan Rajagopalan (Vice President and Special Adviser to the President)
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Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin was assistant editor for a radical Muslim journal which wrote against gay couples and claimed some women are “asking to be raped”
tags: Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin, liberal hypocrisy, Politics
Two of the major issues Hillary Clinton is campaigning on are women’s rights and LGBT rights, however it turns out the former Secretary of State’s most trusted adviser, Huma Abedin, was the assistant editor for a radical Muslim journal which often expressed a contrary and inflammatory position on these issues, in addition to blaming the United States for the September 11th terrorist attack. (In the interest of clarity I am using the term radical as a qualifying adjective to distinguish between extremist Muslims and moderate Muslims, I am no way suggesting that all Muslims are radicals. I feel this should go without saying however there seems to be a general lack of reading comprehension in the United States, at least on this issue with the left, because every time I use the term I am accused of lumping them all together.)
Human Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s longest and reportedly most loyal aide, served as assistant editor at a radical Muslim journal for twelve years. The journal defended Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women and, while Abedin edited the publication, an article called the United States’ actions in the Middle East a “time bomb” leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The article blamed the United States’ “spiral of violence” for “building up intense anger and hostility within the pressure cooker,” which was strengthened by “various kinds of injustices and sanctions.” This created a “time bomb that had to explode and explode it did on September 11, changing in its wake the life and times of the very community and the people it aimed to serve,” the article read, according to the New York Post.
Here is more about the journal’s position on how western women are asking to be raped:
“the journal ran an article headlined “Women’s Rights Are Islamic Rights.” The article attacked a broad range of liberal and feminist ideas, from homosexuality to more revealing dress and even women in the workforce.
“Pushing [mothers] out into the open labor market is a clear demonstration of a lack of respect for womanhood and motherhood,” the article declared. It added that less modest clothing ushered in by women’s liberation “directly translates into unwanted results of sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility and indirectly promote violence against women.” The Post‘s Paul Sperry summarized this, writing, “In other words, sexually liberated women are just asking to be raped.”
Here is what the journal said about single moms and gay couples who adopt:
The article also argued that single moms, working mothers, and gay couples with children should not be recognized as families: “A conjugal family established through a marriage contract between a man and a woman, and extended through procreation is the only definition of family a Muslim can accept.” A Saudi official with the Muslim World League authored the article, and JMMA was founded and funded by the former head of the Muslim World League.
Christians in America have been under assault for espousing traditional family values and Hillary Clinton has been a leading voice in this attack as well as labeling the right misogynists. Remember the justified outrage when Todd Aiken talked about “legitimate rape” and women being able to will away pregnancy?
Yet Hillary Clinton’s top aide was assistant editor of a journal which basically claimed some women were responsible for being raped and the former Secretary of State is defending Huma Abedin:
“My understanding is that her name was simply listed on the masthead in that period,” Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said hours after The Post broke the bombshell story. “She did not play a role in editing at the publication.”
Even if we grant this point and willingly suspend disbelief and admit Huma Abedin did not actually do anything while being an assistant editor for the radical journal it would seem to me that she was in agreement with what the journal was writing. Why else would she be associated with the journal and allow her name to be used all those years?
← State Department issues a warning about Americans traveling to Iran
Over half of Hillary Clinton’s State Department meetings with non-government people were with Clinton Foundation donors →
Huma’s father founded the Institute of Minority Muslim Affairs, (IMMA.co.uk) and its publishes the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. After Huma’s father died her mother Saleha Mahmood Abedin took over the Journal. Humas’s sister and brother are also involved with the Institute and the Journal.
Congresswomen Bachman was thwarted in her efforts to raise concerns about Huma by John McCain. Why?
What passports does Huma have? She was born in the US to alien parents. Her father was Indian and her mother is Pakistani. The family moved to Saudia Arabia when she was 2. She returned to the US to attend university. What was her student status and who paid for her education?
I didn’t know all that about her parents, thanks for sharing. There are many questions which need to be answered but nobody is asking the questions.
According to shoebat.com Huma’s father Syed Abedin wrote a document for the rulers of Saudi Arabia which became their blueprint for spreading Islam to the rest of the world and the IMMA is their front. Huma is essentially a solider in this global plan of Islamification. The House of Saud owns the Clintons and they will call in their chits when Hillary is elected.
Looks like we have a fifth columnist who is about to be right next to the next President advising her!
Here’s something emailed to me recently to go right w/ this:
Warning: graphic and shocking.
Lorra B. permalink
Wow…that turned my stomach. Hillary is so evil!!!
Yep, and that was back then! So many more years later of hardening, she’s progressed even further into that darkness. There’s a warning: ‘Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.’ Luke 11:35 Jesus talking to the Pharisees: But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Matt 6:23 Dark lights grows strange things.
The darkness is DEEP my friend, very deep… 😦
I hate to call anyone evil but how else can you describe this?!
She may well be the first person I have actually called evil. I usually reserve that right to God…who am I? But you are right…what else could we call her?
I heard about this story and how Hillary laughed about it but I had not heard how she got him off. Absolutely sickening!
And Huma a devout Muslim is married to a pervert Jew. Makes no sense at all. He was an up and coming politico that gave her entree into the halls of power. How well she has done. I suggest Huma is more dangerous than Hillary. And by the looks of it, was running the state department. Of course with her Iranian born buddy Val Jar. Throw in Kerry whose daughter’s in-laws are in Iran…….
The fifth column is in place and the next four years could be very scary!
I am no expert, but what I have read about Islam makes it a very complicated theology. There are rules that allow members to break the rules if it is with the intent of advancing Islam. Huma can marry a Jew if it was to advance the spread of Islam. What is most telling is her mother and brother have not denounced her. This would indicate there is a higher goal involved.
Agree entirely. In fact supports the fact that she is a wolf is sheep’s clothes. How many have already lost their lives because of her? The two of them sure were anxious to get the Muslim Brotherhood set up in Egypt.
They are also allowed to lie if it spreads the ideology!
They SHOULD NOT be allowed in this country since Islam is contrary to our principals of freedom and justice. They are incapable of integrating and want instead to impose their beliefs on us.
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Literary fiction, essays, and poetry.
Anca L. Szilágyi
DAUGHTERS OF THE AIR
Winter Class: Writing About Place
Pieter Bruegel the Elder – Hunters in the Snow (Winter) – 1565
This winter, I’m teaching Writing About Place at Hugo House. In this six-week class, we’ll read stories by Flannery O’Connor, Louise Erdrich, and Ursula LeGuin, among other illustrious authors. We’ll write about places we know, places we don’t know, and places that exist only in our imaginations. And, we’ll talk about memory, research, and world building.
Class meets Wednesdays 5-7 pm from 2/22-3/29. Hugo House is located in First Hill, an easy-peasy trip from downtown and right next to the always-free Frye Art Museum. Speaking of place, if you’ve not been to the Hugo House’s temporary home, you’re in for treat, with a light-filled atrium and mysterious winding hallways. Registration is now open. The scholarship deadline is 12/16 and there’s an early bird discount until 12/19! Hope to see you there.
Tags: Amsterdam, Argentina, Buenos Aires, fiction, fiction class, First Hill, Flannery O'Connor, Hugo House, Hunters in the Snow, landscape, Louise Erdrich, memory, More Like Home Than Home, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, place, research, setting, The Netherlands, Ursula LeGuin, world building, writing fiction
Categories fiction, pedagogy, psychogeography, reading, resources, Richard Hugo House, Romania, writing
Author Anca Szilagyi
← December Events
Bright Spots of 2016 →
Anca L. Szilágyi is a Brooklynite living in Chicago. Her fiction appears in Lilith Magazine, Confrontation, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere. Her nonfiction appears in Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of fellowships and awards from Made at Hugo House, Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4Culture, and Artist Trust. The Stranger hailed Anca as “a fantastic magical realist.” She is the author of Daughters of the Air, which Shelf Awareness called “a striking debut from a writer to watch” and The Seattle Review of Books called “a creation of unearthly talents.”
“Crowd-sourcing the canon” in The Seattle Review of Books
“Cosmic Fruit” in Orion Magazine
Exit Interview with The Seattle Review of Books
Cross-Country Drive in Lists, 10 Years Later
DAUGHTERS OF THE AIR excerpt in Tin House
“Scrolling Through the Feed” in Cascadia Magazine
“Street of the Deported” in Lilith Magazine
“Healers” in Geometry
“Don’t Worry” in Moss
“Cauliflower Tells You” in Monkeybicycle
“Old Boyfriends” in Propeller Magazine
“The Zoo” in Washington City Paper
Tokyo, City of My Dreams
Tin House Writers Workshop 2013
Medieval Botany
Your Gustatory Guide to #AWP14 in Seattle
Lanternfish Press to Publish My Debut Novel
A Humble Food Guide to #AWP16 in Los Angeles
RT @UWAPress: Come work with us! We are looking for a marketing manager to oversee the press’s exhibits, course adoption campaigns, direc… 3 days ago
Nice place, VSC. Good cheese & bread. I learned how to core a pineapple there. Also finished a first draft of my first book. 3 days ago
Opportunity alert: Vermont Studio Center is looking for an Executive Director. pw.org/job_listing/ex… 3 days ago
Follow @ancawrites
book reviews books Daughters of the Air fiction Hugo House ploughshares Richard Hugo House Seattle writing writing prompts
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High Five On ZEE5: Padma Shri Bhawana Somaaya To Conduct A Fireside Chat With Celebs
The second edition of High Five on ZEE5 is set to take place on 15 January 2020 in Mumbai. Simmba, Karenjit Kaur, etc have been nominated this month.
Updated on Jan 14, 2020 13:30:02 IST | By Aayushi Sharma
Amongst the many trends pioneered by ZEE5, the OTT platform is at the forefront of introducing a coveted OTT-only awards show, recognizing the top performers across various categories. High Five on ZEE5 honours the ‘Most Viewed Content’ on ZEE5. The video streaming service launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has launched over 80+ originals so far in 12 languages. The second edition of the coveted awards event is set to take place in Mumbai on 15 January 2020. The evening shall also witness an engaging fireside chat hosted by renowned journalist and Padma Shri awardee Bhawana Somaaya who will bring to life some interesting insights about evolving technology and how it has transformed our viewing experience in her conversation with the celebrities in attendance.
For those who came in late, HIGH FIVE ON ZEE5 recognizes the most consumed content across various categories which was adjudged based on data pertaining to consumers viewership, engagement rate and completion rate. The categories under which awards are given are Hindi TV shows, Hindi Original Series, Regional Original Series, Movie & Music Video. It is the first time that an OTT Platform in India conducted an awards evening at this size and scale. We have earlier announced the list of nominations for the ‘Most Viewed Content’ on ZEE5 in the month of December 2019. Check out the list of nominations for content that has been consistently raking in best views.
Nominations for ‘Most Viewed Original Content (Continuing)’ are as follows:
Karenjit Kaur
Nominations for ‘Most Viewed Original Content – Regional (Continuing)’ are as follows:
Auto Shankar
Horn Ok Please
Nominations for ‘Most Viewed Movie’ (Continuing) are as follows:
Uri: The Surgical Strike
Nominations for ‘Most Viewed TV Show’ (Continuing) are as follows:
Sembaruthi
The first edition of High Five on ZEE5 saw the presence of talented artists like Nushrat Bharucha, lead actress in the recently released film Dream Girl, Bhav Dhulia – director of Rangbaaz, actor Anant Joshi Of Virgin Bhasskar, Producer and Director of Telugu series G.O.D Radhika Lavu and Anish Yohan Kuruvilla, Director and Lead Actor of Auto Shankar Panduranga Hari .R and Sarathkumar S M and lastly the extremely popular star-cast of Kumkum Bhagya Krishna Kaul and Mughda Chapekar (Ranbir and Prachi) were seen in attendance too.
ZEE5, India’s largest ConTech OTT platform has rolled out 100+ originals so far across genres, and the platform is committed to launching 15-20 more by March 2020. It has crossed 90 million+ downloads since launch on the Play store and has recorded a peak of 8.9 million DAUs as of September 2019. Show your love and appreciation to the nominees in the comments below.
Catch Vikrant Massey plays the role of Arjun Kapoor’s best friend in Half Girlfriend, now streaming on ZEE5.
Sidharth Malhotra And Parineeti Chopra-Starrer Romcom Jabariya Jodi Is Now Streaming On ZEE5, Click To Watch
4 Reasons Why Never Kiss Your Best Friend Is A Must-Watch Millennial Love Saga
The Chargesheet: Innocent Or Guilty Review: A Gripping Story Backed By Solid Performances
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The Body Structure of Wolves
By Chuck Robert | Updated September 26, 2017
Wolves are the largest of the canids, a family of mammals that includes dogs, foxes, coyotes and jackals. Wolves have dense and muscular bodies. These skilled predators run fast and have heightened senses, allowing them to find, chase down and kill prey with their powerful jaws. Their body structure also plays a role in the wolf pack, helping to establish dominance.
Most wolves have gray fur, though some have white or black. Their fur is wiry, long and dense, with a fluffy undercoat of gray, black or white hairs. The animal's pelt is thick to keep the wolf warm during the winter. Wolves shed their hairs annually in the spring. The hair on the neck and shoulders stands up when the wolf feels aggressive. As wolves age, their pelts lighten. They have thick and bushy tails.
Wolf legs are designed for running, which they use to chase and tire out larger prey. They have narrow chests and hips. Wolves have toes that move individually. Their toes have heavy paw pads to protect them while running. The claws are blunt and do not retract. In contrast, a cat's claws do retract. A wolf's hindfeet have four toes and its forefeet have five. The fifth toe on the forefoot, called the dewclaw, does not touch the ground. Some wolves do not have this toe.
Because wolves need to bring down large prey, their bones are often put under high strain. Therefore, wolves have strong bones. Their bone structure makes their bodies streamlined, including their narrow collarbones and wrist bones. The wolf's forelimbs do not rotate, which adds stability for running. The skull is long and narrow, allowing the wolf to hold onto prey. Wolves have large brains that help them engage in social activities, so they have large skulls.
Wolves have scent glands near the side of the tail closest to the backbone. This gland is located where there is a spot in the fur. They have scent glands near the anal glands, which release an odor used to identify the wolf. Wolves raise their tails when in a dominant position so other wolves know their rank. They will lower their tails when in a submissive position. Wolves have scent glands near the roof of the mouth and between their toes. They have 10 times the ability of dogs to detect odor and 100 times that of people. Wolves have short, blunt and broad muzzles. They use their moistened noses to cool the blood flowing through the muzzle, which helps them avoid overheating.
Wolves usually have yellow eyes, though some have maroon eyes. Baby wolves have deep blue eyes that gradually lighten and then fade as they age. Full-blooded wolves do not have blue eyes in adulthood, but some wolf hybrids do. They are near-sighted. Their eyes effectively detect motion and they have strong peripheral vision. They have better night vision than people. They are partially colorblind. They have a third eyelid that stretches across the eye and releases oil to lubricate it.
Wolves have strong jaws that allow them to bite with twice as much pressure as a German shepherd. Their tongues have projections called papillae that help them groom and rip meat from bones.
Wolf ears are small and rounded. Wolves can move their ears in different directions, letting them hear more effectively. They also use ear motion to communicate with other wolves. Their hearing is 16 times more sensitive than human ears.
Running With the Wolves: Wolf Anatomy
Animal Corner: Wolf Anatomy
Chuck Robert specializes in nutrition, marketing, nonprofit organizations and travel. He has been writing since 2007, serving as a ghostwriter and contributing to online publications. Robert holds a Master of Arts with a dual specialization in literature and composition from Purdue University.
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Posts Tagged ‘The Financer’
Allen Mendenhall, Amy Willis, Atlas Shrugged, Austrian Economics, Austrian Economics and Literature, Ayn Rand, Babbitt, Capitalism, Capitalism and Freedom, Death of a Salesman, Ed Younkins, Edward W. Younkins, Emily Stipes Watts, Executive Suite, Exploring Capitalist Fiction, free market, Henry Hazlitt, Joseph A. Badaracco, Michelle Vachris, Oliver F. Williams, Other People’s Money, Paul Cantor, Robert A. Brawer, Robert Coles, Ryan McMaken, Sarah Skwire, Stephen Cox, The Financer, The Octopus, The Rise of David Levinsky, The Rise of Silas Lapham, Wheeling Jesuit University
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Edward W. Younkins
In American Literature, Arts & Letters, Austrian Economics, Book Reviews, Books, British Literature, Economics, Fiction, Humane Economy, Humanities, Imagination, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Literary Theory & Criticism, Literature, Novels, Philosophy, Politics on February 12, 2014 at 8:45 am
Edward W. Younkins
AM: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I’d like to start by asking why you chose to write Exploring Capitalist Fiction. Was there a void you were seeking to fill?
EY: The origins of this book go back to the Spring of 1992 when I began teaching a course called Business Through Literature in Wheeling Jesuit University’s MBA program. Exploring Capitalist Fiction is heavily based on my lectures and notes on the novels, plays, and films used in this popular course over the years and on what I have learned from my students in class discussions and in their papers.
The idea to write this book originated a few years ago when one of Wheeling Jesuit University’s MBA graduates, who had taken and enjoyed the Business Through Literature course, proposed that I write a book based on the novels, plays, and films covered in that course. I agreed as I concluded that the subject matter was important and bookworthy and that the book would be fun for me to write and for others to read. I went on to select twenty-five works to include in the book out of the more than eighty different ones that had been used in my course over the years. I have endeavored to select the ones that have been the most influential, are the most relevant, and are the most interesting. In a few instances, I have chosen works that I believe to be undervalued treasures.
I was not intentionally trying to fill a void as there are a number of similar books by fine authors such as Joseph A. Badaracco, Robert A. Brawer, Robert Coles, Emily Stipes Watts, and Oliver F. Williams, among others. Of course, I did see my evenhanded study of business and capitalism in literature as a nice complement and supplement to these works.
AM: I assume that you’ll use this book to teach your own courses, and I suspect other teachers will also use the book in their courses. Anyone who reads the book will quickly understand the reason you believe that imaginative literature and film have pedagogical value in business courses, but would you mind stating some of those reasons for the benefit of those who haven’t read the book yet?
EY: The underpinning premise of this book and of my course is that fiction, including novels, plays, and films, can be a powerful force to educate students and employees in ways that lectures, textbooks, articles, case studies, and other traditional teaching approaches cannot. Works of fiction can address a range of issues and topics, provide detailed real-life descriptions of the organizational contexts in which workers find themselves, and tell interesting, engaging, and memorable stories that are richer and more likely to stay with the reader or viewer longer than lectures and other teaching approaches. Imaginative literature can enrich business teaching materials and provide an excellent supplement to the theories, concepts, and issues that students experience in their business courses. Reading novels and plays and watching films are excellent ways to develop critical thinking, to learn about character, and to instill moral values. It is likely that people who read business novels and plays and watch movies about business will continue to search for more of them as sources of entertainment, inspiration, and education.
AM: Who are the intended audiences for your new book?
EY: My target audiences include college students, business teachers, general readers, and people employed in the business world. My summaries and analyses of twenty-five works are intended to create the feel of what it is like to work in business. The premise of the book is that fiction can provide a powerful teaching tool to sensitize business students without business experiences and to educate and train managers in real businesses. Studying fictions of business can provide insights to often inexperienced business students and new employees with respect to real-life situations.
In each of my 25 chapters I provide a sequential summary of the fictional work, interspersed with some commentary that highlights the managerial, economic, and philosophical implications of the ideas found in the work. My emphasis is on the business applications of the lessons of particular novels, plays, and films. This book highlights the lessons that an individual can take from each work and apply to his or her own life. It is not literary analysis for its own sake.
I do not delve deeply into these novels, plays, and films in order to identify previously-covered and previously-uncovered themes in existing scholarship. My book is essentially a study guide for people interested in becoming familiar with the major relevant themes in significant works of literature and film. The book can also serve as a guide for professors who desire to expand their teaching approaches beyond the traditional ones employed in schools of business.
Of course, literary scholars can use my book as a starting point, catalyst, or reference work for their own in-depth scholarly studies of these and other works. For example, I can envision a number of scholars, from a variety of viewpoints, contributing essays to book collections devoted to different literary works. One possible collection that readily comes to mind would be devoted to David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. Other candidates for potential collections might include Howell’s The Rise of Silas Lapham, Norris’s The Octopus, Dreiser’s The Financer, Cahan’s The Rise of David Levinsky, Lewis’s Babbitt, Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Hawley’s Executive Suite, Lodge’s Nice Work, Sterner’s Other People’s Money, among others. It would be great if some of the contributing literary scholars to these volumes would come from pro-business, pro-capitalist thinkers such as Paul Cantor, Stephen Cox, Ryan McMaken, Sarah Skwire, Amy Willis, Michelle Vachris, and yourself. As you know most literary critics are from the left. Those mentioned above celebrate individualism and freedom in place of collectivism and determinism.
AM: What can be learned from business fiction?
EY: Fiction can be used to teach, explicate, and illustrate a wide range of business issues and concepts. Many fictional works address human problems in business such as managing interpersonal conflict and office politics; using different styles of management; the potential loss of one’s individuality as a person tends to become an “organization man”; the stultifying effect of routine in business; the difficulty in balancing work life and home life; hiring and keeping virtuous employees; maintaining one’s personal integrity while satisfying the company’s demands for loyalty, conformity and adaptation to the firm’s culture; communication problems a business may experience; fundamental moral dilemmas; depersonalization and mechanization of human relationships; and so on. Fictional works tend to describe human behavior and motivations more eloquently, powerfully, and engagingly than texts, articles, or cases typically do. Literary authors and filmmakers are likely to develop and present ideas through individual characters. They depict human insights and interests from the perspective of individuals within an organizational setting. Reading imaginative literature and watching films are excellent ways to develop critical thinking and to learn about values and character.
Many novels, plays, and films are concerned with the actual operation of the business system. Some deal directly with business problems such as government regulation, cost control, new product development, labor relations, environmental pollution, health and safety, plant openings and closings, tactics used and selection of takeover targets, structuring financial transactions, succession planning, strategic planning, the creation of mission statements, the company’s role in the community, social responsibility, etc. Assessing fictional situations makes a person more thoughtful, better prepared for situations, and better able to predict the consequences of alternative actions. Fiction can address both matters of morality and practical issues. There are many fine selections in literature and film which prompt readers to wrestle with business situations.
Older novels, plays, and films can supply information on the history of a subject or topic. They can act as historical references for actual past instances and can help students to understand the reasons for successes and failures of the past. Older literature can provide a good history lesson and can help people to understand the development of our various businesses and industries. These stories can be inspiring and motivational and can demonstrate how various organizations and managers were able to overcome obstacles, adapt, and survive. Fictional works are cultural artifacts from different time periods that can be valuable when discussing the history of business. Many fictional works present history in a form that is more interesting than when one just reads history books.
Imaginative literature reflects a variety of cultural, social, ethical, political, economic, and philosophical perspectives that have been found in American society. Various images of businessmen have appeared in fictional works. These include the businessman as Scrooge-like miser, confidence man, robber baron, hero, superman, technocrat, organization man, small businessman, buffoon, rugged individualist, corporate capitalist, financial capitalist, man of integrity, etc.
AM: How will your teaching approach change in your Business Through Literature course now that you have published your own book on the subject?
EY: In the past students in this course have read, analyzed, and discussed novels, plays, and films. Each student prepared a minimum of 6 short papers (2000 words each) on the assigned works. Grades were based on these papers and class discussions.
I am experimenting this semester using my book in the class for the first time. I am requiring each student to take notes on each chapter of the book to help them in bringing up topics for class discussion and in participating in class discussions. Each student is also required to prepare and turn in three essay questions on each chapter. These are turned in before each relevant class. Grades for the class are based on class participation and two essay tests.
AM: Isn’t the reverse also true that literature students ought to study economics or at least gain an understanding of business from something besides imaginative literature and film, which tend not to portray capitalists in a favorable light?
EY: It would definitely be beneficial for literature students to study classes in business areas such as management, marketing, accounting, and finance. It would help them somewhat if they took a course or two in economics. Unfortunately, almost all college-level economics courses are based on Keynesian economics. I would encourage anyone who takes such courses to read and study Austrian economics in order to gain a more realistic perspective.
AM: You’ve written a great deal about Ayn Rand, and the chapter on Atlas Shrugged is the longest one in your book. Rand can be a divisive figure, even, perhaps especially, among what you might call “libertarians” or “free marketers” or “capitalists” and the like. But even the people in those categories who reject Objectivism tend to praise Rand’s novels. What do you make of that, and do you think there’s a lesson there about the novel as a medium for transmitting philosophy?
EY: I suspect that there are a lot of people like me who value “novels of ideas.” There have been many good philosophical novels but none have been as brilliantly integrated and unified as Atlas Shrugged. Rand characterizes grand themes and presents an entire and integrated view of how a man should live his life. Rand’s great power comes from her ability to unify everything in the novel to form an integrated whole. The theme and the plot are inextricably integrated. Rand is a superb practitioner of synthesis and unity whose literary style and subject are organically linked and fused to the content of her philosophy. She unifies the many aspects of Atlas Shrugged according to the principles of reality. People from the various schools of “free-market” thought are in accord in promoting an appropriate reality-based social system in which each person is free to strive for his personal flourishing and happiness.
AM: I want to ask about Henry Hazlitt’s Time Will Run Back, the subject of chapter twelve of your book. Why do you think this book has not received much attention? It has been, I’d venture to say, all but forgotten or overlooked by even the most ardent fans of Hazlitt. Is the book lacking something, or are there other factors at play here?
EY: Hazlitt’s novel may not be “literary” enough for many people. However, in my opinion, the author does skillfully use fiction to illustrate his teachings on economics. I think that the book also has a good story line. Economics professors tend to shy away from using it in their classes. Some may be so quantitatively oriented that they cannot envision using a novel to teach economics. Others may perceive the Austrian economics principles found in Time Will Run Back to not fit in with the Keynesian economics principles found in most textbooks (and of course they are right).
AM: Thank you again for doing this interview. All the best in 2014.
Edward W. Younkins. Exploring Capitalist Fiction: Business Through Literature and Film. Lanham,
Maryland: Lexington Books, 2014.
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Film. Food. Fashion. Fun. Los Angeles. Life.
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Tag Archives: Costume Designers
Hollywood Costume Exhibit
Posted in Explore, Fashion, Film, Fun by C.
What: Hollywood Costume Exhibit
Where: The Historic Wilshire May Company Building
Location: 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Miracle Mile
Unlike some years, I’ll remember fondly how I kicked-off 2015…and that’s in-style. Literally. While most likely spent January 1st curled up on the couch nursing their New Year’s Eve hang-over, we found our way through the easily maneuverable LA streets to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences new home on Wilshire Boulevard. Currently inside the historic Wilshire May Company Building, resides a tribute to Hollywood history. The caveat is that this history is told through fabric and shoes, handbags and hats.
Hollywood Costume creates the rare opportunity of introducing movie-lovers to the iconic wardrobe worn by some of the most legendary actors to ever grace the big screen. The exhibition highlights over 150 costumes spanning the Golden Age of Cinema (the late 1920s) to the present day. Its aim is not only to allow the costumes themselves to step out of the screen and into the general public, but to further acquaint fiction with reality by inviting an up-close and personal look at those behind these emblematic looks, the costume designer.
{Front entrance.}
The exhibition’s message is clear: without costume designers and what they bring to the table, one of the most pivotal aspects to the cinematic process is valueless. Costumes encourage character development, create a sense of time and place, and most importantly, drive the narrative. Ultimately, without the right look an “actor” is just “an actor,” but with the right attire, an “actor” becomes someone we see as a character, separate from the movie star on-screen. This is why we see Indiana Jones, and not Harrison Ford; why we see Batman, and not Christian Bale; and why we see Dorothy Gale, not Judy Garland.
{Tickets.}
Like the characteristics of Hollywood itself, the exhibition expressively features a dramatic, and moody approach. Dim, yet strategic lighting showcases the glitz of a dress or the cut of a suit. The room instantly encourages viewers to travel back in time, to when you first met these pieces on-camera. The treat here is not only seeing wardrobe that’s instantly recognizable, but absorbing the words and video interviews of those personally involved with building the looks, reminiscing over how and what it took to create these iconic movie characters.
See the white ivory William Travilla dress that exposed Marilyn Monroe’s legs as she famously stood over the subway grate in The Seven Year Itch (that same dress sold for $4.6 million at a 2011 auction). Stand in front of Julie Andrew’s Mary Poppins costume. See Beyoncé as a “Dreamgirl.” Take a moment to re-visit Julia Roberts’ memorable red evening gown in Pretty Woman. Look at Rocky’s actual boxing shorts. See one of Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra ensembles. Batman, Superman, Captain America, Spiderman, Darth Vader; and Bond…James Bond, all make an appearance. And the highlight, staring at Dorothy’s famous (estimated $3-$4 million dollar-valued) ruby slippers from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
It’s hard to capture the breadth of what’s contained in the exhibition in words. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the galleries. I shot the exteriors, but the following images are courtesy of The Academy to give you a taste of what’s inside:
{Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson / Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Titanic, 1997}
{Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels, The Birds, 1963}
{Front: Chris Evans as Captain America / Henry Cavill as Superman (2013)
Top: Christopher Reeves as Superman (1978)
Back: Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man / Christian Bale as Batman}
{Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward, Pretty Woman, 1990}
{Daniel Craig as James Bond / Harrison Ford as Han Solo / Uma Thurman as The Bride (Kill Bill)}
{Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network, 2010 / Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez, Argo, 2012}
{Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.}
{A special tribute to the range characters played by the incomparable Meryl Streep. Looks from The Iron Lady, It’s Complicated, Mamma Mia, and Out of Africa.}
{Amy Adams as Sydney Prosser / Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld, American Hustle, 2013}
Needless to say, it was an unforgettable way to spend my first afternoon of 2015. Nearly three hours later, we emerged, filled with a rich and renewed appreciation for costume design. It’s pretty astounding when you think about how much clothing impacts a film and your memory of it. I don’t necessarily recollect every aspect of a film, but can instantly be transported to that world (or a time in my life) when seeing even a short clip of a sweeping camera movement over an iconic costume.
Hollywood Costume does a phenomenal job of curating and combining my two favorite “F” words: film and fashion. It salutes and elevates key players and key moments in the art of cinema.
Just a note that if you plan to visit Hollywood Costume, that it is a timed exhibition. This means that guests are admitted into the presentation at designated time slots on specific days to prevent over-crowding. It’s encouraged that you buy your tickets in advance on-line. (Hint: use promo code “MayCo” for a special discount).
The exhibition closes Monday, March 2nd.
Get there quick…you won’t regret it!
{Program.}
{Full exterior, Wilshire May Co. Building. Saying goodbye after an incredible day.}
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*Interior photo sources via The Academy website press kit.
Costume Designers, Film, hollywood, Hollywood Costume Exhibit, Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe, Museum Exhibitions, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Wilshire May Company Building 6 Comments
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Detachment of Breast Tumor Cells Induces Rapid Secretion of Exosomes Which Subsequently Mediate Cellular Adhesion and Spreading
Rainelli B. Koumangoye, Amos M. Sakwe, J. Shawn Goodwin, Tina Patel, et al
http://www.mendeley.com/research/detachment-breast-tumor-cells-induces-rapid-secretion-exosomes-subsequently-mediate-cellular-adhesio
Is derived from
Mendeley 15103 May 10:08 UTC
{"title"=>"Detachment of breast tumor cells induces rapid secretion of exosomes which subsequently mediate cellular adhesion and spreading", "type"=>"journal", "authors"=>[{"first_name"=>"Rainelli B.", "last_name"=>"Koumangoye", "scopus_author_id"=>"36617180000"}, {"first_name"=>"Amos M.", "last_name"=>"Sakwe", "scopus_author_id"=>"6603131076"}, {"first_name"=>"J. Shawn", "last_name"=>"Goodwin", "scopus_author_id"=>"7201951448"}, {"first_name"=>"Tina", "last_name"=>"Patel", "scopus_author_id"=>"51663855100"}, {"first_name"=>"Josiah", "last_name"=>"Ochieng", "scopus_author_id"=>"7003905679"}], "year"=>2011, "source"=>"PLoS ONE", "identifiers"=>{"issn"=>"19326203", "scopus"=>"2-s2.0-80052446161", "sgr"=>"80052446161", "pui"=>"362504708", "isbn"=>"1932-6203 (Electronic)\\r1932-6203 (Linking)", "pmid"=>"21915303", "doi"=>"10.1371/journal.pone.0024234"}, "id"=>"24e5aae9-3795-33b2-9602-6fa8bc42aa41", "abstract"=>"Exosomes are nano-vesicles secreted by a wide range of mammalian cell types. These vesicles are abundant in serum and other extracellular fluids and contain a large repertoire of proteins, mRNA and microRNA. Exosomes have been implicated in cell to cell communication, the transfer of infectious agents, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as tumor progression. However, the precise mechanisms by which they are internalized and/or secreted remain poorly understood. In order to follow their release and uptake in breast tumor cells in real time, cell-derived exosomes were tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CD63 while human serum exosomes were rhodamine isothiocynate-labeled. We show that detachment of adherent cells from various substrata induces a rapid and substantial secretion of exosomes, which then concentrate on the cell surfaces and mediate adhesion to various extracellular matrix proteins. We also demonstrate that disruption of lipid rafts with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD) inhibits the internalization of exosomes and that annexins are essential for the exosomal uptake mechanisms. Taken together, these data suggest that cellular detachment is accompanied by significant release of exosomes while cellular adhesion and spreading are enhanced by rapid uptake and disposition of exosomes on the cell surface.", "link"=>"http://www.mendeley.com/research/detachment-breast-tumor-cells-induces-rapid-secretion-exosomes-subsequently-mediate-cellular-adhesio", "reader_count"=>143, "reader_count_by_academic_status"=>{"Unspecified"=>5, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>9, "Researcher"=>34, "Student > Doctoral Student"=>9, "Student > Ph. D. Student"=>38, "Student > Postgraduate"=>4, "Other"=>4, "Student > Master"=>16, "Student > Bachelor"=>17, "Lecturer"=>2, "Lecturer > Senior Lecturer"=>1, "Professor"=>4}, "reader_count_by_user_role"=>{"Unspecified"=>5, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>9, "Researcher"=>34, "Student > Doctoral Student"=>9, "Student > Ph. D. Student"=>38, "Student > Postgraduate"=>4, "Other"=>4, "Student > Master"=>16, "Student > Bachelor"=>17, "Lecturer"=>2, "Lecturer > Senior Lecturer"=>1, "Professor"=>4}, "reader_count_by_subject_area"=>{"Unspecified"=>7, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>73, "Arts and Humanities"=>1, "Philosophy"=>1, "Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>1, "Chemical Engineering"=>1, "Chemistry"=>8, "Engineering"=>5, "Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"=>21, "Materials Science"=>1, "Medicine and Dentistry"=>19, "Neuroscience"=>2, "Sports and Recreations"=>1, "Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science"=>2}, "reader_count_by_subdiscipline"=>{"Materials Science"=>{"Materials Science"=>1}, "Medicine and Dentistry"=>{"Medicine and Dentistry"=>19}, "Sports and Recreations"=>{"Sports and Recreations"=>1}, "Unspecified"=>{"Unspecified"=>7}, "Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science"=>{"Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science"=>2}, "Chemical Engineering"=>{"Chemical Engineering"=>1}, "Arts and Humanities"=>{"Arts and Humanities"=>1}, "Engineering"=>{"Engineering"=>5}, "Chemistry"=>{"Chemistry"=>8}, "Neuroscience"=>{"Neuroscience"=>2}, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>{"Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>73}, "Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"=>{"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"=>21}, "Philosophy"=>{"Philosophy"=>1}, "Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>{"Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>1}}, "reader_count_by_country"=>{"Sweden"=>1, "Hungary"=>1, "Belgium"=>1, "United States"=>1, "China"=>1, "United Kingdom"=>1, "Chile"=>1, "France"=>1, "Spain"=>1}, "group_count"=>8}
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Europe PMC Citations 3315 Apr 04:06 UTC
Scopus 10625 Dec 10:17 UTC
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Research Blogging06 May 10:45 UTC
{"title"=>"File:Detachment-of-Breast-Tumor-Cells-Induces-Rapid-Secretion-of-Exosomes-Which-Subsequently-Mediate-pone.0024234.s003.ogv", "url"=>"http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detachment-of-Breast-Tumor-Cells-Induces-Rapid-Secretion-of-Exosomes-Which-Subsequently-Mediate-pone.0024234.s003.ogv", "timestamp"=>"2017-02-05T17:12:03Z"}
Wordpress.com26 Oct 15:33 UTC
{"month"=>"11", "year"=>"2019", "pdf_views"=>"5", "xml_views"=>"19", "html_views"=>"22"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739812"], "description"=>"<p>BT-549 stably transfected with either GFP-AnxA6 (panel A) or GFP-AnxA2 (panel B), were plated on glass coverslips in culture medium. After 24 h, the cells were washed 3X with PBS, loaded or depleted of cholesterol. Fluorescence recover after photo-bleaching (FRAP) was performed on a Nikon A1R laser scanning confocal microscopy as detailed in <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234#s2\" target=\"_blank\">Materials and Methods</a>. FRAP readings were done on cells in PBS, pH 7.4 and at room temperature.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["oncology", "women's health", "Biochemistry"], "article_id"=>410189, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g009", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>1, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Fluorescence_recovery_after_photo_bleaching_/410189", "title"=>"Fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 00:03:09"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739322"], "description"=>"<p>BT-549 cells were grown on glass cover-slips for 24 hours. Cells were then washed twice with HBSS, and treated with different concentrations of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD) (0–10 mM) for 30 minutes. Subsequently, cells were incubated with 10 µg/ml GFP-CD63 labeled exosomes in HBSS containing 0.5% BSA and 1 mM Ca<sup>2+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> for 30 minutes at 37°C. In panel A, the untreated (control) and cells pre-incubated with 10 mM of MβCD were washed in ice-cold HBSS and fixed with paraformaldehyde and cover-slips mounted with Prolong Gold and visualized by confocal microscopy. Images were captured using a Nikon TE2000. Bar is 20 µm. In panel B, the cells were also processed for flow cytometry as indicated. Unstained control cells (black line) were included. In panel C, BT-549 cells grown on MatTek glass bottom culture dishes were incubated in HBSS 0.5% BSA 1 mM Ca<sup>2+</sup> 1 mM Mg<sup>2+</sup> on ice for 10 minutes. The cells were then treated with 10 µg/mL of alexa fluor Tf (left panel) or CTXB (right panel) and GFP-labeled exosomes on ice for 10 minutes again. The trafficking of GFP labeled particles and colocalization with either Tf or CTXB (white arrows) were tracked live on the Nikon TE2000 for 10 minutes. Representative time-lapse images are shown.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["exosomal", "uptake", "carcinoma"], "article_id"=>409694, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g006", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>1, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_The_exosomal_uptake_route_in_breast_carcinoma_cells_/409694", "title"=>"The exosomal uptake route in breast carcinoma cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:41:34"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739460"], "description"=>"<p>BT-549 cells gown on glass cover slips were incubated with purified GFP-CD63 exosomes (green) for the indicated time points. At each time point the cells were fixed with PFA and stained with antibodies to the early, late and recycling endosomes followed by TRITC conjugated secondary antibodies (red). The first row shows co-localization of GFP-exosomes with EEA1 (early endosomes); Second row shows colocalization with CD71 (recycling endosomes); and the third row shows colocalization with LAMP1 (late endosomes). Bar is 10 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["gfp-exosomes", "carcinoma"], "article_id"=>409833, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g007", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>1, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Trafficking_of_GFP_exosomes_in_breast_carcinoma_cells_/409833", "title"=>"Trafficking of GFP-exosomes in breast carcinoma cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:43:53"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739659"], "description"=>"<p>Parental BT-549, BT-A2-sh and BT-A6-sh were grown on glass coverslips or 10 cm dishes and incubated with GFP-CD63 exosomes and analyzed by (A) confocal microscopy or (B) Flow Cytometry. In panels C and D, BT549 cells were grown on glass cover-slips, serum starved for 24 hours washed and stimulated without (control) and with 100 µg/mL exosomes in HBSS 0.5% BSA 1 mM Ca<sup>2+</sup> 1 mM Mg<sup>2+</sup> for 5 and 15 minutes at 37°C and fixed with PFA. Cells were then treated with rhodamine phalloidin for actin staining followed by antibodies to AnxA2 (C) and AnxA6 (D). Images were acquired with a Nikon TE2000 confocal microscope. Bar is 20 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["uptake", "disposition", "exosomes"], "article_id"=>410037, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g008", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>5, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Annexin_mediated_uptake_and_disposition_of_exosomes_on_the_cell_surface_/410037", "title"=>"Annexin-mediated uptake and disposition of exosomes on the cell surface.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 00:00:37"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739930"], "description"=>"<p>BT-549 cells gown on glass cover slips were incubated without or with purified GFP-CD63 exosomes (green) for 2 h. The cells were then fixed with PFA and stained with antibodies to AnxA2 (panel A) or AnxA6 (panel B) followed by TRITC conjugated secondary antibodies (red). Bar is 10 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["anxa6", "anxa2", "endosomal", "compartments", "exosomal", "uptake", "bt-549"], "article_id"=>410302, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g010", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>18, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Trafficking_of_AnxA6_but_not_AnxA2_to_the_endosomal_compartments_as_a_function_of_exosomal_uptake_by_BT_549_cells_/410302", "title"=>"Trafficking of AnxA6 but not AnxA2 to the endosomal compartments as a function of exosomal uptake by BT-549 cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 00:05:02"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/738875"], "description"=>"<p>A-B) BT-CD63 cells were maintained in adherent (panel A) or non-adherent (panel B) modes as described in <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234#s2\" target=\"_blank\">materials and methods</a> and examined by confocal microscopy Note that the EDTA-induced detachment of BT-CD63 led to the accumulation of the GFP-CD63 labeled exosomes on the cell surface. C-D), parental BT-549 cells in adherent cultures or in anchorage-independent cultures on polyHEMA coated plates were incubated with conditioned medium containing GFP-CD63 vesicles for 3 h. Cells were thereafter processed for microcopy as described in <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234#s2\" target=\"_blank\">Materials and Methods</a>. Bar is 10 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["gfp-cd63", "containing", "exosomes", "adherent", "non-adherent", "bt-cd63"], "article_id"=>409245, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g003", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>4, "page_views"=>248, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Distribution_of_GFP_CD63_containing_exosomes_in_adherent_and_non_adherent_BT_CD63_cells_/409245", "title"=>"Distribution of GFP-CD63 containing exosomes in adherent and non-adherent BT-CD63 cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:34:05"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/738734"], "description"=>"<p>BT-CD63 cells or GFP expressing control cells were plated on MatTek glass dishes for 24 hours. Prior to live-cell imaging cells were washed 2 times in PBS. Cells were then treated with EDTA (2 mM) and the trafficking and release of GFP-labeled exosomes was monitored by time-lapse imaging for up to 10 minutes. Upper panels are representative individual frames from time-lapse acquired images of GFP expressing control cells. Lower panels are representative individual frames tracking the release of the GFP-tagged CD63 vesicles. The white arrow shows a strongly adhered cell that was not detached even after 10 minutes following EDTA addition. The yellow arrows indicate stream of GFP-tagged CD63 vesicles that are being released (see <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234#pone.0024234.s002\" target=\"_blank\">movie S1</a> and <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234#pone.0024234.s003\" target=\"_blank\">S2</a> in supplemental materials). Bar is 20 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["cellular", "detachment-induced", "exosomes", "bt-cd63"], "article_id"=>409102, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g002", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>2, "page_views"=>54, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Visualization_in_real_time_of_cellular_detachment_induced_rapid_release_of_exosomes_from_BT_CD63_cells_/409102", "title"=>"Visualization in real time of cellular detachment-induced rapid release of exosomes from BT-CD63 cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:31:42"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739205"], "description"=>"<p>In panel A, BT-CD63 cells were plated in 35 mm with glass bottom dishes and allowed to adhere for at least 24 hours in complete DMEM/F-12 medium. The culture medium was replaced with fresh medium containing 30 µM BAPTA-AM and allowed to incubate for another 7 hours. The dish was then placed on microscope stage (Nikon A1R) and the live cells photographed (t = 0) and then 2 mM EDTA added. After 5 and 10 minutes of EDTA addition, images were again taken of the cells. Bar is 20 µm. In panel B, BT-549-Gal-3 cells in control wells (untreated) and in BAPTA-AM treated wells (in the absence and presence of purified cellular exosomes) were allowed to adhere to Fetuin-A coated wells, fixed, stained and photographed as described above. Bar is 40 µm. In panel C, the experiments in B were repeated with a different cell line (MDA-MB-231). At the end of the incubation, the non-adhered cells were washed off and fresh medium containing a 1∶10 dilution of Alamar Blue added to the wells, incubated for another 1 h and cell number determined by fluorescence spectroscopy.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["secreted", "cells", "detachment", "adhesion"], "article_id"=>409579, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g005", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>5, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Exosomes_secreted_by_tumor_cells_during_detachment_are_required_for_subsequent_adhesion_and_spreading_/409579", "title"=>"Exosomes secreted by tumor cells during detachment are required for subsequent adhesion and spreading.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:39:39"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/372869", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/372929", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/372986"], "description"=>"<div><p>Exosomes are nano-vesicles secreted by a wide range of mammalian cell types. These vesicles are abundant in serum and other extracellular fluids and contain a large repertoire of proteins, mRNA and microRNA. Exosomes have been implicated in cell to cell communication, the transfer of infectious agents, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as tumor progression. However, the precise mechanisms by which they are internalized and/or secreted remain poorly understood. In order to follow their release and uptake in breast tumor cells in real time, cell-derived exosomes were tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CD63 while human serum exosomes were rhodamine isothiocynate-labeled. We show that detachment of adherent cells from various substrata induces a rapid and substantial secretion of exosomes, which then concentrate on the cell surfaces and mediate adhesion to various extracellular matrix proteins. We also demonstrate that disruption of lipid rafts with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD) inhibits the internalization of exosomes and that annexins are essential for the exosomal uptake mechanisms. Taken together, these data suggest that cellular detachment is accompanied by significant release of exosomes while cellular adhesion and spreading are enhanced by rapid uptake and disposition of exosomes on the cell surface.</p> </div>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["detachment", "cells", "induces", "secretion", "exosomes", "subsequently", "mediate", "cellular", "adhesion", "spreading"], "article_id"=>133637, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.s001", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.s002", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.s003"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>3, "page_views"=>7, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/Detachment_of_Breast_Tumor_Cells_Induces_Rapid_Secretion_of_Exosomes_Which_Subsequently_Mediate_Cellular_Adhesion_and_Spreading/133637", "title"=>"Detachment of Breast Tumor Cells Induces Rapid Secretion of Exosomes Which Subsequently Mediate Cellular Adhesion and Spreading", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>4, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 01:00:37"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/738627"], "description"=>"<p>(A) BT-549 cells stably expressing GFP-CD63 were grown on glass cover-slips for 24 hours and the intracellular localization of the CD63-associated vesicles visualized by confocal microscopy. Bar is 10 µm. (B) Over-expression of GFP-CD63. Total cell lysates from control BT-549 and BT-549 expressing GFP-CD63 (BT-CD63) cells were analyzed by western blotting and probed with antibodies against CD63. (C) Exosomes purified from the spent media of BT-CD63 cells were layered on top of a sucrose step gradient and centrifuged at 200,000 x g for 4 hours in a Sorvall M150 microcentrifuge. Equal volumes of fractions collected from the top of the gradient (20 µL) were separated by SDS-PAGE and analyzed by western blotting for the co-migration of CD63 and the indicated exosomal markers. (D) BT-CD63 cells (5×10<sup>6</sup>) were cultured in complete medium for 24 hours. Adherent cells were maintained in phenol red and exosome-free DMEM/F-12 for the indicated times (0–6 hours). For non-adherent cultures, EDTA-detached cells were resuspended in phenol red and exosome-free DMEM/F-12 for the indicated times (0–6 hours). GFP-CD63 tagged exosomes in the conditioned media were assayed by fluorescence spectroscopy. (E) Purified exosomes secreted for 2 hours from adherent or non-adherent BT-CD63 cells (5×10<sup>7</sup>) were separated in 4-12% SDS-polyacrylamide gels and analyzed by western blotting using antibodies against CD63 and the indicated exosomal markers.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["quantification", "intracellular", "released", "exosomes", "conditioned"], "article_id"=>408993, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g001", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>23, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Detection_and_quantification_of_intracellular_and_released_exosomes_in_the_conditioned_medium_of_BT_CD63_/408993", "title"=>"Detection and quantification of intracellular and released exosomes in the conditioned medium of BT-CD63.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:29:53"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/739076"], "description"=>"<p>The wells of a 96-well culture plate were either uncoated (plastic), or coated with 10 µg/ml of fibronectin or laminin for 16 hours at 37°C. Prior to use, the wells were washed twice with HBSS. BT-549 cells were pre-incubated in serum-free medium for 2 hours to deplete endogenous exosomes. The cells in serum free medium (SFM) were divided in 2 groups and re-suspended in SFM containing 1 mM Ca<sup>2+</sup>/Mg<sup>2+</sup> without or with cell-derived exosomes (10 µg/ml). Cells (2×10<sup>4</sup>) were transferred to 96-well plates for indicated times (30–120 minutes) and incubated at 37°C. The unattached cells were aspirated with the SFM and the adhered cells fixed in cold methanol and stained with crystal violet. Cells were photographed and the number of attached cells assessed by cell counting. Each bar represents the mean ± S.E of adherent cells per field. Bar is 40 µm.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["adhesion", "bt-549", "cancer"], "article_id"=>409449, "categories"=>["Cancer", "Biochemistry", "Mathematics"], "users"=>["Rainelli B. Koumangoye", "Amos M. Sakwe", "J. Shawn Goodwin", "Tina Patel", "Josiah Ochieng"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024234.g004", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Exosomes_promotes_rapid_adhesion_of_BT_549_breast_cancer_cells_/409449", "title"=>"Exosomes promotes rapid adhesion of BT-549 breast cancer cells.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2011-09-06 02:37:29"}
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A Vicious Cycle: A Cross-Sectional Study of Canine Tail-Chasing and Human Responses to It, Using a Free Video-Sharing Website
Charlotte C. Burn
http://www.mendeley.com/research/vicious-cycle-crosssectional-study-canine-tailchasing-human-responses-it-using-free-videosharing-web-3
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{"title"=>"A vicious cycle: A cross-sectional study of canine tail-chasing and human responses to it, using a free video-sharing website", "type"=>"journal", "authors"=>[{"first_name"=>"Charlotte C.", "last_name"=>"Burn", "scopus_author_id"=>"7003377580"}], "year"=>2011, "source"=>"PLoS ONE", "identifiers"=>{"pui"=>"362888192", "sgr"=>"80655141541", "issn"=>"19326203", "pmid"=>"22096487", "scopus"=>"2-s2.0-80655141541", "doi"=>"10.1371/journal.pone.0026553"}, "id"=>"840c6d9a-74ba-384d-a612-30d004d3718c", "abstract"=>"Tail-chasing is widely celebrated as normal canine behaviour in cultural references. However, all previous scientific studies of tail-chasing or 'spinning' have comprised small clinical populations of dogs with neurological, compulsive or other pathological conditions; most were ultimately euthanased. Thus, there is great disparity between scientific and public information on tail-chasing. I gathered data on the first large (n = 400), non-clinical tail-chasing population, made possible through a vast, free, online video repository, YouTube™. The demographics of this online population are described and discussed. Approximately one third of tail-chasing dogs showed clinical signs, including habitual (daily or 'all the time') or perseverative (difficult to distract) performance of the behaviour. These signs were observed across diverse breeds. Clinical signs appeared virtually unrecognised by the video owners and commenting viewers; laughter was recorded in 55% of videos, encouragement in 43%, and the commonest viewer descriptors were that the behaviour was 'funny' (46%) or 'cute' (42%). Habitual tail-chasers had 6.5+/-2.3 times the odds of being described as 'Stupid' than other dogs, and perseverative dogs were 6.8+/-2.1 times more frequently described as 'Funny' than distractible ones were. Compared with breed- and age-matched control videos, tail-chasing videos were significantly more often indoors and with a computer/television screen switched on. These findings highlight that tail-chasing is sometimes pathological, but can remain untreated, or even be encouraged, because of an assumption that it is 'normal' dog behaviour. The enormous viewing figures that YouTube™ attracts (mean+/-s.e. = 863+/-197 viewings per tail-chasing video) suggest that this perception will be further reinforced, without effective intervention.", "link"=>"http://www.mendeley.com/research/vicious-cycle-crosssectional-study-canine-tailchasing-human-responses-it-using-free-videosharing-web-3", "reader_count"=>43, "reader_count_by_academic_status"=>{"Unspecified"=>2, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>3, "Researcher"=>6, "Student > Ph. D. Student"=>7, "Student > Postgraduate"=>4, "Other"=>6, "Student > Master"=>4, "Student > Bachelor"=>7, "Lecturer"=>2, "Professor"=>2}, "reader_count_by_user_role"=>{"Unspecified"=>2, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>3, "Researcher"=>6, "Student > Ph. D. Student"=>7, "Student > Postgraduate"=>4, "Other"=>6, "Student > Master"=>4, "Student > Bachelor"=>7, "Lecturer"=>2, "Professor"=>2}, "reader_count_by_subject_area"=>{"Unspecified"=>2, "Nursing and Health Professions"=>1, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>18, "Medicine and Dentistry"=>2, "Neuroscience"=>1, "Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>7, "Psychology"=>5, "Social Sciences"=>3, "Computer Science"=>2, "Earth and Planetary Sciences"=>1, "Linguistics"=>1}, "reader_count_by_subdiscipline"=>{"Medicine and Dentistry"=>{"Medicine and Dentistry"=>2}, "Neuroscience"=>{"Neuroscience"=>1}, "Social Sciences"=>{"Social Sciences"=>3}, "Psychology"=>{"Psychology"=>5}, "Earth and Planetary Sciences"=>{"Earth and Planetary Sciences"=>1}, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>{"Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>18}, "Computer Science"=>{"Computer Science"=>2}, "Nursing and Health Professions"=>{"Nursing and Health Professions"=>1}, "Linguistics"=>{"Linguistics"=>1}, "Unspecified"=>{"Unspecified"=>2}, "Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>{"Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine"=>7}}, "reader_count_by_country"=>{"Hungary"=>1, "United States"=>1, "United Kingdom"=>5, "Australia"=>1}, "group_count"=>2}
http://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12125
http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-183X.2012.00851.x
http://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2015.20.9.538
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.007
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.02.005
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.10.014
http://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00052
http://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2015.20.10.548
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2014.01.011
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.01.019
DataCite26 Apr 19:53 UTC
Europe PMC Database Citations23 Apr 10:10 UTC
PubMed Central11 May 03:45 UTC
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Facebook 429 Jul 23:26 UTC
{"type"=>"COMMENT", "annotationUri"=>"info:doi/10.1371/annotation/a59ed2d7-76f3-4e6a-98f3-a87b843b4fbf", "title"=>"Interesting", "body"=>"Just a quick note for myself", "highlightedText"=>"''Dogs that tail-chase very rarely are likely to be under-represented, as videographers would have to catch the behaviour at exactly the right place and time. Conversely, dogs with clinical diagnoses may also be under-represented if owners are embarrassed (but not if they wish to raise awareness). Thus, the tail-chasing dogs on YouTube™ should approximately represent the centre of the normal distribution of dogs that chase their tails at some point in their lives. As with other survey methods, the use of video-sharing websites requires similar caution in generalizing conclusions beyond the sample population, because the populations are usually non-random and self-selecting to some extent.''\nhttp://plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553#article1.body1.sec1.p5", "isRemoved"=>false, "created"=>"2011-11-22T14:53:32Z", "lastModified"=>"2011-11-22T14:53:32Z", "creator"=>{"userId"=>"94267"}, "competingInterestStatement"=>{"creatorWasPrompted"=>true, "hasCompetingInterests"=>false}, "parentArticle"=>{"doi"=>"info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553", "state"=>"published", "journals"=>{"PLoSONE"=>{"journalKey"=>"PLoSONE", "eIssn"=>"1932-6203", "title"=>"PLOS ONE"}}}, "replyTreeSize"=>0, "mostRecentActivity"=>"2011-11-22T14:53:32Z", "replies"=>[]}
Research Blogging30 Apr 17:44 UTC
{"id"=>"220255675635351553", "text"=>"A paper about watching videos of dogs chasing their tails on YouTube. Sorry, no joke here. http://t.co/P6LbIEM7", "created_at"=>"2012-07-03T20:40:19Z", "user"=>"Becky_ABC", "user_name"=>"Rebecca Bish", "user_profile_image"=>"http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/2251352973/profile_pic_normal.jpg"}
{"id"=>"724225130587643905", "text"=>"@HygieSuperBowl Le co?t = la souffrance inutile d'?tres vivants .\n\nhttps://t.co/vVi2UquNpL", "created_at"=>"2016-04-24T13:15:01Z", "user"=>"Plouf_007", "user_name"=>"Cui Cui, Elle m?dite", "user_profile_image"=>"http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/508425701653880833/nBcJZRTD_normal.jpeg"}
Wordpress.com29 Aug 03:52 UTC
{"month"=>"11", "year"=>"2011", "pdf_views"=>"91", "xml_views"=>"13", "html_views"=>"2125"}
Figshare 9408 May 14:08 UTC
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{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/363869", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/363922", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/363964"], "description"=>"<div><p>Tail-chasing is widely celebrated as normal canine behaviour in cultural references. However, all previous scientific studies of tail-chasing or ‘spinning’ have comprised small clinical populations of dogs with neurological, compulsive or other pathological conditions; most were ultimately euthanased. Thus, there is great disparity between scientific and public information on tail-chasing. I gathered data on the first large (<em>n</em> = 400), non-clinical tail-chasing population, made possible through a vast, free, online video repository, YouTube™. The demographics of this online population are described and discussed. Approximately one third of tail-chasing dogs showed clinical signs, including habitual (daily or ‘all the time’) or perseverative (difficult to distract) performance of the behaviour. These signs were observed across diverse breeds. Clinical signs appeared virtually unrecognised by the video owners and commenting viewers; laughter was recorded in 55% of videos, encouragement in 43%, and the commonest viewer descriptors were that the behaviour was ‘funny’ (46%) or ‘cute’ (42%). Habitual tail-chasers had 6.5+/−2.3 times the odds of being described as ‘Stupid’ than other dogs, and perseverative dogs were 6.8+/−2.1 times more frequently described as ‘Funny’ than distractible ones were. Compared with breed- and age-matched control videos, tail-chasing videos were significantly more often indoors and with a computer/television screen switched on. These findings highlight that tail-chasing is sometimes pathological, but can remain untreated, or even be encouraged, because of an assumption that it is ‘normal’ dog behaviour. The enormous viewing figures that YouTube™ attracts (mean+/−s.e. = 863+/−197 viewings per tail-chasing video) suggest that this perception will be further reinforced, without effective intervention.</p> </div>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["vicious", "cross-sectional", "canine", "tail-chasing", "responses", "video-sharing", "website"], "article_id"=>131921, "categories"=>["Neuroscience"], "users"=>["Charlotte C. Burn"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553.s001", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553.s002", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553.s003"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>21, "page_views"=>23, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/A_Vicious_Cycle_A_Cross_Sectional_Study_of_Canine_Tail_Chasing_and_Human_Responses_to_It_Using_a_Free_Video_Sharing_Website/131921", "title"=>"A Vicious Cycle: A Cross-Sectional Study of Canine Tail-Chasing and Human Responses to It, Using a Free Video-Sharing Website", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>4, "published_date"=>"2011-11-09 00:32:01"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/714417"], "description"=>"<p>When videos had no sound-track or the soundtrack was replaced by music, missing values were recorded for data reliant on sound; similarly missing values were recorded for videos without relevant comments or where the behaviour could not be clearly seen. The proportion of tail-chasing videos (excluding those with missing values) showing each characteristic is displayed, along with any significant associations with relevant predictors, for which the odds ratios, degrees of freedom, and P-values are displayed. *This odds ratio was calculated from a model using ‘Habitual’ vs other frequencies as a binary variable.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["behavioural", "associations"], "article_id"=>384794, "categories"=>["Neuroscience"], "users"=>["Charlotte C. Burn"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553.t001", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Brief_description_of_behavioural_data_collected_from_YouTube_and_associations_between_them_/384794", "title"=>"Brief description of behavioural data collected from YouTube, and associations between them.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2011-11-09 01:19:54"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/714357"], "description"=>"<p>Breeds are grouped according to the Kennel Club, which takes into account the breed history and general usage. They can also be grouped both genetically, as described by Parker et al. (2007), but those data are not shown here because not all recognised breeds have been genetically characterised according to that system to date. Representative breeds that showed perseverative or habitual tail-chasing are listed for each breed group; these were identified from uploader descriptions, or if no breed was stated, the breed was estimated from the appearance of the dog. Only those videos that included a potentially distracting event (<i>n</i> = 198) are included in the figures for perseveration, and only those with comments describing the tail-chasing frequency (<i>n</i> = 86) are included in the habitual chasing calculations.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["habitual", "tail-chasing", "kennel"], "article_id"=>384718, "categories"=>["Neuroscience"], "users"=>["Charlotte C. Burn"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026553.t003", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>16, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Perseverative_and_habitual_tail_chasing_described_by_Kennel_Club_group_/384718", "title"=>"Perseverative and habitual tail-chasing described by Kennel Club group.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2011-11-09 01:18:38"}
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« The Herero and Nama genocide
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Africa: the last 13,000 years
Fri Aug 3rd 2012 by abagond
Chimamanda Adichie, who warns us against the danger of the single story!
The following is based mainly on chapter 19 of Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel” (2005) – with his racist framing taken out:
The best way to understand the last 13,000 years in Africa is to look at its languages – particularly at the words people use for the plants and animals they eat. Throw in archaeology and glottochronology and you can work out who was where when and why.
The native language families of Africa:
Language families of Africa, c. 2000
Afro-Asiatic: from Ethiopia. Spreads to most of North Africa and the Middle East. Ancient Egyptians, Ethiopians, Somalis, Arabs, Jews, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Berbers, Tuaregs, Moors. What the Bible calls the sons of Ham and Shem. Copper and iron tools. Native plants and animals that could be domesticated: sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, camels, wheat and barley. Suited for dry lands with winter rains.
Nilo-Saharan: from the Sahara, which from -9000 to -4000 still had lakes, game animals and real grass. Were farmers before the Egyptians. Today they live on the remaining grasslands south of the Sahara. Mali and Songhai empires, Timbuktu. Copper and iron tools. Native: sheep, goats, cows, sorghum, millet. Suited for dry lands with summer rains.
Niger-Congo: from West Africa. From -3000 to +500 the Bantu branch spreads across most of Africa south of the equator. Native: African rice and yam, kola nuts, oil palm, guinea fowl. Suited for wet lands and summer rains. Later took on dry-land farming, cows and iron from Nilo-Saharans and Afro-Asiatics. Could make steel. Resistant to malaria, which their farming spreads. Livestock resistant to the tsetse fly. Does not spread into the south-western corner of Africa due to its winter rains.
Khoisan: from eastern and southern Africa. Now just in south-western Africa with pockets in East Africa. Their languages have clicks, which some Bantu languages, like Xhosa, have picked up. (Some of the Xhosa in South Africa also look part Khoisan.) Native plants and animals that could be domesticated: none. Hunter-gatherers, stone tools. Some started herding cows and sheep a few hundred years before the Bantus arrived.
Pygmies: from the middle of Africa, where they can still be found here and there. No longer a language family – they now speak the languages of nearby farmers. Native plants and animals that could be domesticated: none. Hunter-gatherers with stone tools.
Remaining Pygmy peoples to give you some idea of their old range in -3000
The Bantu Expansion: From -3000 onwards the Bantus “engulfed” the Pygmies and Khoisan. Jared Diamond uses “engulfed” because we do not know just what took place, like interbreeding, conquest, expulsion, killing or epidemics.
Why the Bantus?
Afro-Asiatics were held back by the summer rains (not the Sahara).
Nilo-Saharans, despite their empires, were held back by the tsetse fly, which their horses were not resistant to.
Pygmies and Khoisan were held back by the lack of native plants and animals that could be domesticated.
Present-day range of the tsetse fly – which is close to the Niger-Congo range
The Austronesian Expansion from South East Asia reached Madagascar between 300 and 800. It brought bananas and Asian yams.
The European Expansion reached south-western Africa in 1652. Their Afro-Asiatic plants were suited to the winter rains.
sexual selection and race – also based on Jared Diamond
human migrations
Mali Empire
How black was Ancient Egypt?
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 15:57:28 SomeGuy
Now I’m confused. Who is Black, again?
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 16:08:33 abagond
Jared Diamond sees it this way:
Afroasiatic – mostly white
Nilo-Saharan – black
Niger-Congo/Bantu – black
Khoisan – separate race
Pygmies – separate race
Instead of getting into his views of race, which kind of make my skin crawl, I put in pictures instead, which is a subtle dig against him on my part.
I should maybe rename the post.
Everyone in those five separate classes would be considered Black in America.
I agree. Reread my previous comment – I added to it.
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 16:39:24 B. R.
Im in agreement, Someguy and Abagond, while their genes and culture may have differances , which I cant break down now, they are phenotype black enough to be persecuted by the klan…and any other discrimination against black people anywhere…for sure here in Brazil , if they were born and raised here
@ SomeGuy, B.R.:
Trying this again. I changed the title from “How Africa became black” and repurposed the post to make it less confusing and to avoid Diamond’s ideas about race.
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 17:48:04 CDF
I wonder about other melanin-rich peoples around the globe (i.e. South America, South Pacific, etc.).
I think the Pygmies actual name is Bayaka. It sounds less de-humanizing.
@ CDF
I did a post on Negritos:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/negritos/
While they have kept much of their black appearance because they have remained in the tropics, they are in fact more distantly related to, say, West Africans than Europeans are – because they were among the first to leave Africa.
Just from looking for pictures for this post it became apparent to me that Pygmies are way more dehumanized than other Africans. The cold white gaze in full effect. It took me way longer to find a good picture that would fit in with the others. (Niger-Congo, on the other hand, was by far the easiest. So easy I had to stop myself from putting up Oluchi or Genevieve Nnaji as “unfair”).
From what I understand Bayaka is just the term used for those in the Central African Republic.
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 19:29:21 Randy
Just from looking for pictures for this post it became apparent to me that Pygmies are way more dehumanized than other Africans. The cold white gaze in full effect.
Also, the cold Congolese, Tutsi, and Hutu gaze, to cite but a few additional examples.
“The Twa of Rwanda and Burundi are treated by both Hutu and Tutsi as completely inferior. Eating, drinking, and intermarrying with the Twa is unacceptable to the vast majority of Hutu and Tutsi; even sitting and talking with them is often forbidden, and they have frequently been dispossessed of whatever land they held without this being seen as theft.”
http://books.google.com/books?id=f7EPoTyUvfkC&pg=PA314
Great map , Abagond, and, I would like to show that the Africans below the Sahara, were in touch with certain principles and concepts that are unique that area despite people that might think inspite of differant tribes and areas and migrations, something very special was happening in below the Sahara Africa with the phenotype black Africans. Here is a youtube of the San people, and they are doing a very basic 6/8 slow groove all the way through, maintaining that pulse :
Abagond, if I am off topic about this, please let me know, I think its extremly relevant, but, I would respect totaly your opinion. Its about culture and understadning each of these people desctibed here, makes their culture extremly relevant
My computor gliching made me type real fast…I mean, that there are people who talk about the differant cultures in below the Sahara, but, I say there is a common thread….not that everything is the same, but, similar concepts….and these concepts arnt common to all dark skinned people on the Earth, it is a wonderful thing that came from the dark skinned people ( meaning the San and Pygmies too), and, it just has to be dealt with by the anthropologists and arcealogists…they need to listen with their ears and see with their eyes
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ItXIclHyg)
here are the Mbute Pybmies, another group described as differant , yet using the same 6/8 concept as the San but much faster with drums and dance
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juK3JmFEGUw)
Bushmen drumming a complex yet definable groove concept
The Bushmen, San and Pygmies are all suposed to be the different group from the Bantu, and I can bring in huge amounts of drumming from Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Congo, that all have these concepts, and I beleive we are talking about concepts that are thousands of years old that have evolved
The San for example, arnt drumming, it was hard to find them drumming, but the groove and claps and dancing that they are dealing with is very related to many other black African concepts
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4JFj057wTI&playnext=1&list=PL9EDC3EB0834E743F&feature=results_main)
that is too cool, that is the Baki pygmyes
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Sy0gKvAko&feature=related)
and we have talked of the Dogon, here they are and some of their grooves
there is definitly a thread of similar concepts running through these youtubes
very interesting youtube about “Nilo Sahara”(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujo5qcbm1As)
on Fri Aug 3rd 2012 at 23:40:52 mary burrell
Abagond, and all the commenters on this thread this is indeed a great education for me. It also teaches me that you have to be careful where you get your information from. It’s important for me to know what is accurate.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 00:16:01 B. R.
For me too, Mary, it is a constant evolving learning experiance to go much deeper into a culture that brings incredible ancient knowledge to the table , than the normal history books and scholars tell us. There is huge amounts of buried treasure and knowledge to be discovered .
Dr Ani, a marvelous educator who talks about being in touch with this ancient knowledge, ancient black African knowledge and concepts, and she is in touch with the reality of being in a state of mind coming from this knowledge , and the strength someone can gain from it and how it has been supressed.
Lets face it ,Chistianity, Islam, the West and the Arab world has gone in, built their beliefs on top of these concepts, buried over these concepts, and tried to destroy them .
If any one looked at that Nilo Sahara youtube, you see them talking about things in those concepts that arnt in Islam, and then you see them building pyramids in the end…..pyramids ! Did they get it from Egypt or was it the other way around…
There is so much treaseur to discover about the people who brought these concepts into the world and created the first civilisations
I went into Kwamla’s site once and there was a link about a huge very ancient civilisation that was built around the gold trade in a place in lower Africa I dont remember. The evidence was overwelming that it was a large civilisation who built a lot of walls and streets and they might have been 10,000 or more years old….there is so much we just dont know…and there are some very deep concepts of how to look at and live life that are not ackowledged in present day society.
The world knows about transcendental meditation, yoga, chinese marcial arts , many things are starting to be discovered by the Western world as great knowledge and concepts to live life with , especialy in the cold scientific , weighed down and supported by religions, but, these concepts arnt really talked about or understood the real power to be harnesed from it. At the most, by way of the incredible fact that black African slaves brought their culture with them and it ended up dominating every country they were brought to, the West unconciously has regulated it to Dick Jane and Sally , candy bubble gum enetertainment in their lives. They go to a disco, go to a rock show, most all informed by these concepts, and have an incredible time , its their social pop lives, they feel good…but have absolutly no idea the depth that lays behind these concepts that the pop world of their lives barley touches on…they have no idea where it came from or what it really is, they dont ackowledge it and they have no idea of the real power behind it .
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlQLpc_cfBg) Here is something from North Africa and you can see they still are dealing with a groove feeling on the bottom but there is an introduction of Arab type melodies on the top….this is the mixture that starts to define it differant as some of the youtubes I brought in above..just to note it. This doesnt mean I think one is better than another, its just that we should understand the differances to get the total meaning and concept that each culture has to offer
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4_ovDP40fw&feature=related)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK7GdnDLE7w)
gnawa from North Africa, Morroco, a North African music with origins in the below the Sahara concept but the melodies start to reflect the Arab influence, at least compare it with Kenya
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VVbcFQMePo&feature=related)
Im having sound problems with this, but it is so incredible, women from West Africa playing Djembi…hope the sound works for anyone who listens
, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfXnuG6X7cw&feature=related)
Senegal…..these two clips start to really show the depth complexity and power of the more advanced concepts that I think the below Sahara brings to the table. On the Senegal clip, you have to go in about 3 minutes and it really gets intence….I can barely follow it and Im a trained musician…the counter point, syncopation , pollyrythms etc…virtuostic
(sorry to inundate the thread with all these youtubes, but, I think they can really describe what the thread is trying to get at about the variations and mixes you can find in Africa….youtube is so great when it comes to actualy studying culture)
I think I read , from a link someone gave on here the other day (sorry I forgot who) about the farmers in Africa , because they were able to stay in one place , raising their crops, unlike the hunter gatherers, who had to be on the move, these farmers could then organise standing armies, organise to govern, trade etc
The link from Kwamla’s site about the huge ancient community built around gold mining, was just mind blowing , I mean it was big and ancient. And makes me think we know so little about what really happened, and, Western history books arnt going to really tell us
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 02:06:43 abagond
@ SW6
“Why is this post different? What was the title this morning? Where is the information about blacks in certain regions being a new thing?”
This post was named “How Africa became black”. That is the name of the chapter in “Guns, Germs and Steel” it is based on. But race in this case is a mystification – it makes it harder not easier to understand the last 13,000 years. It was better to just leave it out.
Jared Diamond does not regard the Khoisan and Pygmies as black. Therefore when the Bantus engulfed them, Africa “became black”. Diamond regards only the speakers of Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan as being mostly black. The other three language families he counts as mostly belonging to other races.
The Hutus are racist? What a shocker! Does that excuse anti-Pygmy racism? Does that excuse white racism or something? Do you look up to Hutus? Or are you expecting me to give equal time to Hutu racism, which does not directly affect anyone I know?
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/whites-are-not-uniquely-evil/
“Classification schemes pigeonholed them into categories defined as narrowly as possible…whilst expanding definitions of Caucasoid groupings as broadly as possible.”
Tell me about it! I think separating the Khoisan from other blacks into a separate race like Jared Diamond and Carleton Coon do is part of the same thing. The Khoisan are genetically the closest of anyone alive to the first Homo sapiens sapiens, so they need to be denegrified as much as possible. Like calling Obama half-white or biracial even when he regards himself as black. The genetic distance between the Khoisan and other blacks is not big enough to put them in a separate race. It is no worse than between Greeks and Anglo-Saxons.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 04:30:34 The Cynic
Phenotypically speaking, Afro-Asiatic is a bit broad. Why no pictures of the Berber peoples from North Africa? That would be a pretty cool post btw
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 06:08:17 Eurasian Sensation
It’s been a while since I read GG&S, but I think you miss the point about Jared Diamond’s classifying people as black or not black.
“Black” is a social construction and it is not really about colour. Whether or not Americans would regard Khoisan or Afro-Asiatics as “black” is not relevant to this discussion. You need to momentarily take off your American sense of what “black” means, because it’s not useful when talking about the diverse populations of Africa.
Diamond’s classifying Northern Africans as white/Caucasian is a bit oversimplified, but it is undeniable that there is a significant amount of West Eurasian genetic input in the Horn of Africa, with some Ethiopians being genetically just as “white” as they are “black” (again, those terms are social constructions).
“I think separating the Khoisan from other blacks into a separate race like Jared Diamond and Carleton Coon do is part of the same thing. The Khoisan are genetically the closest of anyone alive to the first Homo sapiens sapiens, so they need to be denegrified as much as possible. Like calling Obama half-white or biracial even when he regards himself as black. The genetic distance between the Khoisan and other blacks is not big enough to put them in a separate race. It is no worse than between Greeks and Anglo-Saxons.”
Sorry to say, but that is ludicrous, and I have no idea where you are getting your information from. Diamond’s point is that Africa is more diverse than any other continent. The pygmies and Khoisan are genetically VERY different to the Bantus and everyone else – on the human family tree, they branch off before everyone else. The first Homo sapiens sapiens was undeniably a dark-skinned African, but to say Khoisans are closer than anyone else to those early people is erroneous. Evolution doesn’t work that way; the ancestors of Khoisans and Pygmies split off from other Africans early on, and all continued to evolve into what they are now. If we take out recent admixture, I’m pretty sure that Bantus are actually more closely related to Europeans and Asians than they are to Khoisans.
Most of my African friends get really pissed when Westerners talk as if Africans are all pretty much the same. So it’s kinda weird here seeing people (who I presume are black Westerners) trying to say that Africans are effectively all the same.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 07:08:00 Origin
Educational post. I like the point about some Bantus being able to make steel. Many people do not know this.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912179,00.html
“The Haya were centuries ahead of European metallurgists”
Abdominal deliveries (c-sections) were also practiced in Bantu Africa before colonization.
“Caesarians were performed in Africa much before colonization. A story of an abdominal delivery as performed by an African operator, is related in detail. Another incident of a black slave in America in 1869 performing abdominal surgery on herself is briefly mentioned. It is clear from the stories that medical knowledge was fairly advanced in Africa: cauterization of the bleeding points with a hot iron was used, dressing with a poultice to decrease risk of infection was standard, closing the incision with animal gut sutures, post operative suture removal, “anesthesia” with wine, and scrubbing with alcoholic beverages were all techniques used that are strikingly similar to “modern” surgical techniques.”
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 09:53:50 Xeelee
I have not read Diamond’s books. When discussing “expansions” or “conquests” I would imagine he is aware that languages and cultures spread far faster than actual population. For example, we know very well from historical records that the “Arab conquests” of the 7th-10th centuries took place not by Arab populations spreading out from the Arabian peninsula, but rather by a small warrior elite establishing themselves as rulers over other peoples. These peoples then gradually came to adopt the Arabic language and regard themselves as Arabs.
In the same manner, it’s dangerous to interpret the spread of technology or agricultural methods as an evidence also of population migration.
Well , that is the thing, I dont know the gene or DNA background of the differant groups talked about here, but, I just tied various of these groups together in one kind of cultural expresion…and its not like this cultural expresion is done in other parts of the world..except where the descendants of this cultural expresion were brought as slaves.
I dont exactly know why this is, but it is a reality, rarely ackowldedged or discussed by the scholars
I have a huge curiosity how these various people from very differant areas on the continent, arrived at some cultural similarity in how they express themselves…Im not saying they are exactly the same, Im saying there are principles that are in tact and quantifiably can be tied together , and arnt common to ancient people outside of Africa ( keeping in mind, these concepts were fully developed when the first slaves were brought to the Americas, and, there are even ancient Egyption scriptures talking of a singing and dancing pygmy as far back as 3000 bc)
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 11:53:54 vindicator
The African language families seem to semi correlate with the different phenotypes and genotypes of Sub Saharan Africans.
There seem to be six main branches of Sub Saharan African peoples. They are:
Hamitic (Horner)
Nilotic
Khoi San
However a famous geneticist called Tishkoff (look her up or do a post on her) said there are 14 distinct gentic clusters of Sub Saharan African peoples!
@ Eurasian
Diamond very much pulled race into this – it is even in the name of his title for the chapter: “How Africa became black”. Further he appeals to American ideas about race when he says that most Afroasiatics are whites. He even draws a rough race map of Africa and spends a page on the standard disclaimers about race (that each race is internally diverse, that there are no hard lines between races, etc). And his “blacks” are those Africans from whom America’s slave labour force was drawn.
I am the one who took race OUT of the whole thing. I do not use the word “race” or “black” or “white” once in the post. It is all about geography, agriculture, technology, language families and so on. Which I find far more enlightening than dividing it up by race.
Dividing Africa by race has nothing to do with Africa itself and everything to do with the dehumanization of blacks in America. Diamond should have said that shit. He did not.
History is twisted to prove the worthlessness of blacks and the wonder of whites. And part of how that is done is by taking away the historically important bits of Africa, like Egypt and early man. Even Timbuktu becomes “Arab” or “due to Arab contact”. This is how the part of Africa with the worst archaeological record becomes the home of the “true” blacks. Wow.
The One Drop Rule is applied to Americans but when it comes to history it goes out the window – even though that very same history is used uphold that racism, a racism that does NOT regard itself as a social construct but as “natural”, as a matter of common sense. Which to me shows what a rotten lie it is.
“Sorry to say, but that is ludicrous, and I have no idea where you are getting your information from. Diamond’s point is that Africa is more diverse than any other continent. The pygmies and Khoisan are genetically VERY different to the Bantus and everyone else – on the human family tree, they branch off before everyone else. “
I am basing my comments on a genetic distance chart from Cavalli-Sforza, as seen here:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/mephisto-on-race-iq/
There the Khoisan certainly are not one of the six or seven “races” as Diamond claims. Not even close.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 14:49:27 SomeGuy
History is twisted to prove the worthlessness of blacks and the wonder of whites. And part of how that is done is by taking away the historically important bits of Africa, like Egypt and early man. Even Timbuktu becomes “Arab” or “due to Arab contact”. This is how the part of Africa with the worst archaeological record becomes the home of the “true” blacks.
This is the most significant paragraph in this entire thread; because it basically states the reality of the situation, free from all double-speak, obfuscation, and deception (self-imposed or otherwise).
History, specifically the history of Africa, is used almost purely as propaganda by White Americans and some Europeans to widen what White is, in order to assimilate all Human novelty and invention into the White spectrum. It also has a secondary goal of narrowing what is Black to the extent that one begins to wonder just what the heck “Black’ is, until you take a closer look and then it becomes very obvious. Black is anyone from, or currently living in, the countries in which the former slaves of America originated! Anyone outside that sphere gets their Mischling Card.
The genetic diversity of Africa is celebrated in the White scientific community for these reasons. You’ll notice that these same Whites have absolutely no problem with unifying Europe, some even including the Middle East and North Africa, into a SINGLE race they call “Caucasian” or some other such non-sense label. They do this with Y-Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA testing because they know that those are the best pseudo-scientific ways to unify dissimilar people. What would be more accurate is if they used Autosomal tests, which can determine the fine differences in the DNA of Europeans and all people for that matter.Then they can proceed to break up Europeans into different races just like they do Africans.
“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. English. Your DNA came up Western/Northern European. It’s a shame you can no longer claim the splendors of Greece and Rome. Sorry, Mr Thatch roof!”
For the record, the exercise of writing about 13,000 years of Africa in 500 words showed me how unnecessary race is and how it gets in the way.
I can see “race” being important only when you want to understand the actions of racists, like the Europeans and White Americans. But at that point it is feature of their ideology, not part of the framework of African history.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 17:26:10 JT
The thing is. I act, think and write in terms of practical use rather than other methods of interpretation. I do this mainly because that is how the world itself works. I described the practical application of history; because, after all, all of the sciences are just tools to get what you want or need. History and the social sciences such as anthropology are not simply for understanding Humanity, like it’s some curio. History, anthropology, archaeology and every science is about getting that crucial edge over your neighbor.
There is a significant difference from how laymen see these sciences and how the scientists themsleves see them.
There have been a lot of developments in the study of human genetics and evolution in the last 3-4 years, so I’m not sure how accurate that Cavalli-Sforza chart is now. I’ve seen numerous ways to interpret and present genetic data, and Cavalli-Sforza’s does not tell the whole story. For example, it cannot properly represent populations that are admixed – for example, he categorises Indians as European even though there is clearly a sizable non-European component in Indians.
Obviously I’m not a geneticist so I’m a bit out of my depth discussing this angle, but the stuff I’ve been reading recently seems to indicate a fairly ancient divergence between the hunter-gatherer populations of Africa and those who are now agriculturalists/herders. I’m trying to find a link with a chart but it’s eluding me so far.
Bear in mind that modern man existed in Africa for a long time before a small portion of them departed and gave rise to everyone else. So it is only logical that the greatest genetic diversity exists in Africa because there was so much more time to diversify.
Most Afro-Asiatic speakers are, in effect, “white”; generally speaking, the Berbers and Arabs are much closer to Europeans than black Africans, although obviously there is some admixture and diversity there. Cushitic peoples in the Horn have significant “white” genetic components, although it is certainly a stretch to describe them as actually being white.
I don’t think Diamond has any agenda to denigrate Africans. His whole book is basically a big F U to HBD types who would say that the lack of technological development in Africa and elsewhere is due to some kind of genetic or mental inferiority. He’s one of the good guys.
His book is also pitched at a fairly accessible level, which is why his descriptions of the different populations in Africa are overly simplistic. It is an attempt to explain anthropological science to lay readers, which means the use of loaded and problematic terms like black and white. He does it clumsily, but I think it’s incorrect to read an agenda into it.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 18:31:15 Jefe
It certainly seems reasonable that the current inhabitants of Africa have diverged from the original prehistoric inhabitants as much as the ones descendant from those that left – genetic drift and bottlenecks occurred there too, as well as supplantation of one breeding population over another.
I’d like to see a post about the theory about the differentiation between East Asians and Europeans, who theoretically both trace their origins to Central Asia (and earlier to the Arabian peninsula), with one group migrating to East Eurasia and another migrating to west Eurasia.
Im not sure of all the confusion with “quantum semantics”…
What really is important is culture. And its important to not water down what the cultural contributions of certain people are.
I dont care if we want to abanodon “race”, “territorial barriors”, change any semantical way to look at it, as long as we can ackowledge the cultural ties and contributions and what their value is .
If we are going to abandon semantical referances, then other ones that can express these truths have to be defined and substituted
I just tied together cultural similarities of San, Bushmen,Pygmies, Nilo Sahara, Senegal, and could bring in much more of Kenyan, Ghana, Ruanda, Uganda etc etc, and showed how North Africa uses these concepts but mix them with Arab concepts and these concepts dont just stay above the Sahara. And Arab influence affects how the culture is as does Islam and Christianity.
What should never get lost in this shuffle is the fundimental genius of these cultures I tied together….and exactly what makes them unique and contribute so much to the world
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 20:19:48 Randy
The Hutus are racist? What a shocker!
Actually, to a significant fraction of your readership and others in the modern west, it probably is indeed a shocker to learn that Africans inflict the same type of racism and dehumanizing discrimination against one another as has been inflicted upon them by outsiders.
I frequently read the opinion that racism and its attendant consequences are the unique provenance of European peoples and European cultures. Obviously, this is a fallacy as the experience of forest peoples in Africa continues to demonstrate.
Do you look up to Hutus? Or are you expecting me to give equal time to Hutu racism, which does not directly affect anyone I know?
No and no, though I was surprised that you characterized the difficulty of finding positive images of Pygmy people as being due to a “cold white gaze” given that the most frequent and persistent tormenters of those groups have been black.
One thing I want to address also is, the scholar world has a pretty good idea of what the fundimentals and values of Christianity, Islam, Judism, Bhudism,Hinduism but there seems to be very little understanding of the fundimentals and values of the cultures I have tied together above in the thread….
Some of the deep values have to do with letting go of the thinking brains and getting in touch with intuition. And, these deep values are much more than the religious rites in Africa that used these concepts in them, the way Christianity uses Bach to compose for the Church…they are much more…
Its interesting that some of the fundimental religios rites are seriously in effect in the Americas, and on full display for us to understant the orgins and value….Candomble in Brazil, Santera in Cuba, Voodo in Haiti and it even carries over into some of the black American church. All have themes of letting go , getting in touch with the spirit, intuition, as I said, the religious rites are just using these concepts , the concepts exist seperatly also…they are much bigger…and the idea of getting in touch with the spirit and intuition and turning off the thinking brain is a very valuable concept to understand and use in this mundane plane world
But, these things arnt really acknowledged or talked about in the same way as the other ways of thought and religion and values, as a matter of fact , they are dismissed
That is why its very important to look at this culture and examine it very deeply on its own terms to fully understand it and its value, to really understand how it got buried over or destroyed by these other values and religions that came in and built over it or conqured the people.This is part of the very deep story of 13,000 years of Africa, and , a very important part of that history
For sure, semantics dont function, “black”, “race” “sub”, they are only words to get the general idea, they fall short at really describing what is happening, but, we need other definition if these arnt enough
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 21:37:38 Mz. Nikita
The information about Africa’s diversity is a subject that is long overdue-particularly for those of us in the ‘States who almost never get to hear its’ truE history of Africa’s people and their accomplishments. Great post!
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 23:15:59 Mbeti
Another interesting post on the same tired subject.
Black/meleniated peoples and how whites/albinics done and are doing us wrong.
Its true and its important but its not everything nor the only thing about the world or our(black/meleniniated peoples) place in it.
on Sat Aug 4th 2012 at 23:52:28 Matari
“Actually, to a significant fraction of your readership and others in the modern west, it probably is indeed a shocker to learn that Africans inflict the same type of racism and dehumanizing discrimination against one another as has been inflicted upon them by outsiders. ”
I see that our favorite pest and irksome RACIST, Randy is rabid in his persistence to label any misconduct between factions as racism. Yet even he has to know that one group fighting against another group doesn’t equate to racism/white supremacy.
Randy, let me make it plain and clear for you. Racism IS white supremacy. White supremacy IS racism. Whites INVENTED (made up) racism as a JUSTIFICATION to rob, kill, rape, mistreat and enslave others. Racism IS NOT two groups of the same so-called race going at each other for whatever reason. Racism IS simply white people mistreating/oppressing OTHERS (non-whites) based upon their skin color!
Saying that ” Africans inflict the same type of *racism* and dehumanizing discrimination against one another,” is akin to saying that England was racist toward France, Italians were racist against Scandinavians, or Spaniards are racist against Poles.
Of course this makes absolutely no sense according to the ORIGINAL definition of racism. Which is why the definitions of “racist” and “racism” have subtly CHANGED over time so that anyone (especially the non-white VICTIMS of white supremacy/racism) can NOW be deemed racist or practicing racism – according to the current dictates of WHITENESS (and those that are held/indoctrinated in its grasp).
Dude you’re wrong again – as usual! (But at least you’re consistent..Obviously you enjoy being a not so undercover racist).
I’m going back to ignoring you and your lame-ass/knucklehead attempts to derail the OP.
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 00:50:26 Randy
Matari:
Randy, let me make it plain and clear for you. Racism IS white supremacy. White supremacy IS racism. Whites INVENTED (made up) racism as a JUSTIFICATION to rob, kill, rape, mistreat and enslave others.
You just helped to corroborate my claim to Abagond that many people actually believe that racism is an exclusive invention and pathology of Europeans. Thanks for helping out!
The way that many central African groups treat the Pygmies goes way beyond “groups going at each other” as you put it.
Pygmies are seen as inferior, sub-human. Their land is stolen without guilt or recompense. They’re massacred and abused. To this day, governments refuse to acknowledge them as citizens and afford them basic rights and access to resources.
Read these links and tell me if this type of treatment does not strongly correlate to the historically abusive beliefs and treatment of Africans by Europeans:
Bigotry against Twa peoples by Hutu and Tutsi:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/africa-the-last-13000-years/#comment-140565
Dehumanization of Pygmies in Central Africa:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/the-herero-and-nama-genocide/#comment-140432
If you do care to continue that discussion, let’s move it to the Open Thread.
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 01:23:11 SomeGuy
I’m only speaking upon what others want and do with history.
Personally, for the most part, I think history is a waste of time. People say those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. What a crock of horse sh*t! People don’t learn squat about life lessons in history. People continue to do the same mistakes humans have made for thousands of years. Yeah, African history is a little interesting, as is European history; but I care about what people are doing NOW…F*CK HISTORY.
I focus on the present and the possible future.
I tell people this: if you knew for certain there was a God what would you do? You know what people would do? They would crumple up that piece of paper, put in the their back pocket and then business as usual. God, History and all other distractions don’t change people. The technology is more advanced in the 21st century, but we still have the same mentality we had 30, 000 years ago. Evolution will change that, not knowledge.
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 01:31:17 Franklin
In your pathetic attempt to “be right” for the 1st time in this thread, you failed to pinpoint where Matari said racism was exclusive to whites. Saying something “is something” doesn’t automatically mean it’s only one thing. So you’re back down to “zero” in this thread. An outcome that you’re all too familiar with.
Yeah, um…
http://www.unicef.org/wcaro/english/4501_5081.html
This is just one example. This is also what happens when you keep spouting the same “sure fire”, copy-n-paste, stupidity. Because the world is constantly changing, you’re eventually going to be wrong when you’re against any sort of logic/research. Why do you even post on this site anymore?
Because I pity you, due to you been getting kicked around this entire thread, I’ll give you an easy out here. Because you’re Randy and you’re predictable, you were honestly implying that this is Pygmies “in general”. Because you now need a way to recover from consistently being made out to look like a complete idiot who’s immune to facts, you’re going to shift goal posts now and say “not all”. While taking this opportunity to abandon this discussion and go off in a different, and more “solid” direction.
Let’s all watch and see how this plays out…
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 06:11:14 satanforce
Ah yes. America, center of the world. The The Nilo-Saharan would be considered half -Indian in much of Africa (for example Uganda ) or mixed (South African). The Khoisan would be considered half – Chinese in Jamaica. In fact, I used own a friend in my study group with a picture of a San that looked just like him. But that’s just Africa and the Caribbean, a relatively small amount of ‘black people.’ Hell, Omar al-Bashir considers himself an Arab, not a black. You wanna go tell him otherwise?
Should this be called the black American gaze?
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 11:25:12 B. R.
“This particular video was designed to show you that the “Nilo-saharan” black man is not only native to “sub-saharan” Africa, However is indigenous to ALL of africa, including the sahara where the indigenous black natives have been outnumbered and systematically erased from HIS-story , via enslavement and colonization. When we examine regions of North africa, like the Ahaggar region of southern Algeria, it show and proves who the indigenous “Saharawi” people truly were, even before the drastic climatic change in the North african region, where most whites claim that no black man is indigenous to.
Extensive, breakthrough Research throughout Kemet (Egypt), Algeria,”Subsaharan” Darfur / Sudan, and zimbabwe, reveals the relation between “subsaharan africa” and the saharan north africa, which changed that mis-conception for many who did not know that we are the orignal north africans, due to the implementation of systematic brainwashing perpetuated throughout the world, as told by the honest white, world renowned african historian Basil davidson.”
here is a quote from who made the youtube of the Nilo Saharans I brought in, and it sais “we are the original North Africans”, so this is a Nilo Saharan saying this.
Its obvious that black Africans do understand this dynamic of black Afrricans and cultural differances and they are debating it also
(Somebody mentioned the Berbers:)
For me, North Africa is a tremendous criss cross of cultures that can lean one way or the other. Here is an example of drumming that sounds like the roots from the south….This is from Morrocco, I can bring in youtubes of Morrocan music that sounds extremly Arab. So there truly is a tremendous mix of cultures coming together and breaking apart.
Word dont do justice in discussing these cultures, they have to be seen and heard and felt to really come close to getting the true picture…a video is worth a thousand words
I think the Berbers are on the cusp of the cross culture of North Africa
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 12:07:19 Yawn
“In your pathetic attempt to “be right” for the 1st time in this thread, you failed to pinpoint where Matari said racism was exclusive to whites. Saying something “is something” doesn’t automatically mean it’s only one thing.”
Are you even looking anymore? Or just trodding around thy holier than thou attitude?
“Racism IS simply white people mistreating/oppressing OTHERS (non-whites) based upon their skin color!”
Pretty sure this would constitute stating it’s exlusive to whites. Or else he’d have stated racism is x (for any race) oppressing mistreating x (any other race).
I’ll let it side though, Matari is just being the troll he is.
Back to lurking for me yet again.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4PYoTV_jMQ&feature=fvwrel)
Here, you can hear music from Morroco with somewhat of the groove of the link I brought in above yet with an unmistakable Arabian melody on top…the cultural mixture in North Africa is immense
…by the way, the quotes I brought in, that are in moderation , in a nut shell, is a Nilo Saharan excaiming that the black Nilo Saharans are tied to the culture of the South and not Islam
Whether anyone agrees with him or not, the point is, Africans are well aware of this dynamic of “black Africa”, and the cultural differances brought in from Islam, and they are debating these issues
you can just click on the youtube of the Nilo Saharans I linked in and look at the descriptoin of the person who brought that youtube in
That link you posted actually supports my point about the plight of Pygmy peoples. Thanks!
From the text:
Generations of traditional prejudice against pygmies seem so ingrained that many do not even question the discrimination they face.
“They refuse to treat us. They say the hospital does not belong to us,” a third woman voices her opinion.
At the town hall in Mbaiki, the Mayor himself recognizes that pygmies face problems with social discrimination and that very few are present in the national system of registration.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyLF3y1YJKA&feature=related)
Here is a San healer talking about exactly what I said about dancing to go into a trance to get in touch with the spirit world…the rhythm is in a 6/8, the San dont have a drum cultrue but the priciples that are in other African groove concepts are in tact….Now, the San also have beats that are devided like 3 groups of 6 and one group of 8, so, I want to emphasis that there is diversity in various areas in how people aproach the groove, but, there are also examples of how there is a common thread, like the common thread of European classical music among many countreis with differant languages and customs
You know, there is some genetical differances in these San with other areas nearby, but, not enough to keep them off the slave ship
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr9Qn3s-ABA)
Music from the San that is the closest Ive found to their culture being very similar to other below the Sahara black African cultures, with lots of great pictures of their culture also
Im concentrating on the San because they are suposed to be the hunters and gatherers who are differant from the southern migration, yet, there are cultural elements that are similar and ones that are very differant also…how did they get similar? Influencing each other?
And this is the culture in Africa that is thousands of years old
Actually the link I posted conflicts with your notion that they don’t have ANY rights and are denied basic liberties.
“COOPI, the NGO employing Simone, works throughout the southern district of Lobaye. COOPI is supported by UNICEF and teaches pygmy communities about their legal rights and encourages parents to register their children. COOPI staff also train local authorities, police and military personnel on human rights and the plight of pygmies. COOPI assists pygmy communities with registering to attain legal status as a village. They also support cultural performances and help with establishing schools.”
So let’s not play the Randy Game of Cherry Picking minor details in an article that conflicts with your logic, while dishonestly trying to claim it in fact supports your arguments. What you did, as usual, was ignore the greater point being made, so you could desperately present yourself as being correct. It’s kind of sad, how one of the most “intelligent” trolls on this site has degenerated into such a pitiful display.
It’s kind of sad, how one of the most “intelligent” trolls on this site has degenerated into such a pitiful display.
Not sad at all but to be expected. Hey Franklin, I found a picture of Randy on the net, suits him to a tee!
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 18:09:43 Jared
Black” is a social construction and it is not really about colour
I think that many have a limited understanding about what it means to be black, it was never only about colour or phenotype but also about recognizable culture , shared ancestry and being a member of a marginalized group.
I say this because many believe if you remove the U.S. social descriptor “black” you are somewhat different, and we know that racist won’t discriminate.
I have African Friends ( east and west ) who tell me that people in my country are ashamed of being black, they were not talking about phenotype ,but about not promoting “Africanness” within the society.
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 21:07:25 phoebeprunelle
i don’t necessarily agree that ancient black people didn’t identify themselves by skin colour–too much evidence exists that suggests they did.
Also, unless you have lived in African nations among the black people there, then you could just be speculating about how people see themselves–none of the Africans i have been around– including myself– identify with being anything other than black.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLiwhvc7Axg&feature=related)
Is this the original doo wop ? amazing vocals that sound contemperary….and, this is the beat that is actualy , counting really fast 5 beat cycle, 2 6 beat cycles and an 8 beat cycle, which , to be sure is not a common beat cycle in a lot of African drumming.
Nice information, Bulanik, those caves had ancient paintings that helped scientists understand the meaning of really ancient European cave paintings by researching living San peoples rituals and consulting their healer, like the one I brought in, I better not paraphrase what I think they found out or I might get it wrong.
Pheobeprunelle , what you say seems to ring true for me
Jared “I think that many have a limited understanding about what it means to be black, it was never only about colour or phenotype but also about recognizable culture , shared ancestry …” rings true also for me
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 22:23:47 Fiamma
I wonder where I can get one of those nifty “thinking” hats for myself!
but that BLACK is not the primary identifier for many people – rather that nationality, religion, etc., and their particular ethnic African-ness – might be instead.
This has not been my experience…mainly because most Africans i know do not separate their blackness from their ethnicity, or nationality.
I’m sure you noticed kind of thing: A light skinned Eritrean being “African” in Kenya, an “Arab” in Sudan, “habesha” in Egypt and back in the USA, an “African” again, but a “coloured” in South Africa.
And that is not because that person doesn’t know they are black….
People do that, sometimes they say their mixed when amongst a certain group, among others they claim their blackness.
For some here in the US the label “Black” mainly (or only) applies to Black Americans (the descendants of US enslaved Africans); many others classify themselves more in terms of nationality — either that of themselves or of their immigrant parents (in the case of 1st generation Americans). I have seen this time and time again.
on Sun Aug 5th 2012 at 23:48:47 kittyem
Based on this post I would say Diamond’s book is fundamentally flawed as there are inaccuracies while some things just dont make sense.
For example, Khoisan is presented as if its one ethnic group but its not. They even have different phenotypes. Khoi were pastorialists while San are hunter gatherers. Khoi were wiped out by diseases they caught from Europeans settlers or invaders while San were mostly absorbed by West African Migrants.
I would say that this book should be dismissed as nothing more than cheap charlatanism.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 01:41:13 B. R.
Its not that I personaly think all Africans should think of themselves as black, its the notion that Africans dont think of themselves as black, when obviously some do , which is what I question. And that it is only the “American gaze” or something I question also. I brought in a youtube about the ” Nilo Saharans”, and the person who brought it in was Ethiopian with his moniker “Theusamustfall”, and he was very firm about his “blackness”, and that the “black people” of his area, the Nilo Sahara, are linked to the black people of the south and not the white people of the north.
I think speaking in absolutes of what African people think like , or like this semantic “black” is imposed, when some of the people who it describes are very happy with that description of their identity, is what could be something to question.
We are speaking English on this blog, obviously there are numerous obsticles right there about really describing Africa and the people, but its what we are working with here. If I have to come up with a convoluted five sentance phrase to describe something, and then lose numbers of people because they dont know anything about the description, then, communication is lost.
Either people cant be hung up on semantics or come up with tangible descriptions that we can work with , and more than anything, that is what Im looking for, if someone doesnt like the descriptions then they have to come up with something that I can use, because I sure wont abandon the concepts that there are cultures tied together througout the below the Sahara line, and, they just happen to be mostly dark skinned people…to be sure of differant genes and hues.
I need words to describe how the cultures I demonstrated are tied together. If someone cant help me come up with the words, it does me no good to take these cultures and blur them in with a bunch of others.
See that is the danger about semantics and descriptions, we dont have to throw the baby out with the bath water..
And, the first thing that is going to get lost in the shuffle is the real genius and cultural contribution of those dark skinned people who are tied together exactly by the concepts I have demonstrated very firmly here on the youtubes…or all over , like on the Miles Davis thread, or the Brazil thread where I debated with an anthropologist who could barely ackowledge a bell pattern in Brazilian Candomble was actualy extremly derived from black cultures in Africa..and its in a bunch of places in Africa
The deep philosophies and ways to see the world and get through life are going to be crushed under semantical demands to not use this or that term or that it is some American imposition or what ever , you can just be sure its going to be lost in the discusion and buried under the table….meanwhile, I can listen to some of those youtubes and hear the roots of some of the greatest Cuban, Brazilian, Haition,Jamaicon, Puerto Rican, American etc etc culture
So people have to gve me the words or it just doesnt work and I have to stick to the same old semantics
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 02:09:47 vanishingpoint
@/Bulanik
My skin color and my id is white.
But even I, a white child of a black father understands Black, and you, a Black woman, do not get Black, as negritude?
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 03:36:00 Eurasian Sensation
@ kittyem:
You are dismissing the book as nothing more than cheap charlatanism, based on your interpretation of Abagond’s interpretation of one chapter?
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 04:00:55 Jared
When I think about it, black is not so much an identity – it is more social and political consequence of a world which after colonialism and slavery existed in those colour terms.
You’re right it was born under those circumstances and it wasn’t around a hundred thousand yrs ago, but it’s here now and it’s meaning may vary among various groups; a socio -political identifier or a cultural glue that binds africans and the diaspora.
If you think about it a hundred thousand yrs ago there was no Europe but today their are Europeans and Euro americans and Euro australians..
Their is a European Identity. but i get what you are saying, good points.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 04:09:59 satanforce
@kittyem
Diamond’s book is a modern classic. I highly recommend that you watch the documentary then buy the book based on that.
Btw, the Afro-Asiatic, as well, could AND would absolutely be considered mixed or part-Lebanese or half-Indian in different parts of Africa and the Caribbean, too.
I remeber one of my firends was cosidered a Coloureed in South Afruca because she was not as dark as the blacks in the country, and used chemicals in her hair to straighten it. Just goes to show.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 08:22:59 chulanowa
Regarding Jared Diamond in “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” I really did not get that message of him thinking along lines of “black, mostly black, sort-of black, not black.”
He raised the point that Africa is by no means populated by a single contiguous ethnic group, as is often portrayed in media and “common knowledge.” In Europe and the Americas, “black” is often defined by the descendants of slaves taken from Africa – slaves who were mostly of the Congolese / Bantu ethnic backgrounds. So in common portrayals of Africa by whites, it’s presented as nothing BUT that particular ethnic group.
It’s a case of “they all look the same,” and my reading of Diamond is that he finds that portrayal not just inaccurate, but ethically bankrupt. perhaps he’s a little clumsy with expressing it (though again, I never saw the terms you’re attaching to him) but it seems abundantly clear to me.
At any rate, it’s a good point; the continent that serves as the cradle of humanity, the most genetically diverse ark of our species, is most certainly NOT going to be made of people who can just be labeled “black,” by the common European / American definition of blackness, any more than eastern Asia can be ethnically categorized in a Dale Gribble fashion, “So, er ya Chi-neeze ur Jappa-neeze?”
@Kittyem,
Correct, “Khoisan” is not an “ethnic group,” strictly defined. it’s a linguistic group, that happens to be found in two major ethnic groups (The San and the Khoekhoe) and possibly some isolates scattered around sub-saharan Africa.
It’s a terminological shorthand, when talking about the peoples of pre-Bantu southern Africa and their modern descendants as a group.
I’ve never heard someone calling themselves “Euro American”,
Oh Really !! , maybe not so much on a personal level, but definitely used to describe White descendents of Europeans.
@ chulanowa:
You put into words what I’ve been struggling to express. Bravo.
Diamond’s book is the first tome I would reach for in order to educate someone who thinks a race’s greater technological accomplishment is a sign of racial superiority. And there are a lot of people who think that way. The book is not perfect, but as Satanforce says above, it’s a modern classic.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 12:44:33 abagond
Jared Diamond is not all good or all bad. There is plenty of good material in his book but his framing is sometimes racist.
On the one hand the main thrust of his book argues against the racist idea that the current state of the world (whites on top, etc) is due to genetic differences in intelligence. On that point he is great. Wonderful, in fact.
On the other hand he does divide the world into races as if they are a fact of biology. He says, yes, races are internally diverse – Berbers look pretty different from Swedes – and yes there are no hard lines between the races – one race slowly shades into another. But he also says:
“Nevertheless, as we’ll see, recognizing these major groups is still so useful for understanding history that I’ll use the group names as shorthand, without repeating the above caveats in every sentence.”
Race as a social construct was NOT one of his caveats. Instead races are “useful for understanding history” – and by history he does not mean since white colonialism, but the past 13,000 years.
As a scientist writing for a lay American public he is helping to support one of the main pillars of white supremacist thinking: that race is a fact of nature. And given that most biologists no longer believe that, he is pushing a racist myth, a very dangerous one.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 13:50:57 resjan
I hate the term “Afro-Asiatic” because it is an African group of over 300 languages, and only 2 of them are used in Asia.
@abagond: be careful when you say Afro-Asiatics are “mostly white”…there are what you call Arabs and Berbers (people of mixed heritage mostly Ottoman, European and some instances African), i.e., the majority in Algeria (35 M), Libya (6 M), Morocco (30 M), Egypt (80 M) and Saudi Arabia (25 M), Oman (2.5 M), Yemen (25 M, although many have significant African ancestry), Iraq (30 M), other Arabian peninsula Arab speakers (10 M), European Israelis (7 M)…
but Afro-Asiatic also includes people who are “mostly black” such as the Tuaregs (1 M), Gnawas and Haratins of N. Africa (5-10 million), most Ethiopian groups (80 million), Somalis (10 M), Sudanese (30 M), Hausa (40 M), Fulani (13 M) , “black” Mauritanians who speak Arab (2.5 M), minority blacks in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, and Arabian Peninsula who speak Arabic (several million), minority blacks in Israel who speak hebrew (under 1 M)
Just as many, if not more Afro-Asiatics are “black” than “white”…and it’s really incorrect to label them as “white” b/c they are largely mixed….
@ resjan
It is Jared Diamond who says Afroasiatics are “mostly white” – not me. If you look at my post I do not bring race into it at all.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 15:53:32 Roxanne
@SomeGuy
Regarding your first comment “Who is Black again?”
I’d like to ask, do you believe that people who are predominantly of African descent should be labelled as ‘just black’? Despite their country of origin, traditions, culture etc?
I ask because I notice many people think that there is a ‘Black mono-culture’ that every one who ask darker skin belongs to. Yes, we may share a high melanin content and have roots in the continent of Africa, but it is very dismissive to ignore the hundreds, yes hundreds of ethnic groups in Africa. Africa is the most genetically diverse continent of the planet yet far too many people do not acknowledge this and use the label of ‘Black’ to either dismiss or not acknowledge our variety. Funnily enough, in my experience when I’ve had the question ‘Where are you from’ and I state the East African country I was born in, on my visit to the U.S, It was mainly African Americans that replied “So just say you’re Black!”, or “Basically you’re just Black” and don’t get me started on the time one guy said to me, ‘To the Klan you’re still a n****r!’; As if the perception I have of myself is defined by bigots….Please!
I understand that given the history of the U.S, African Americans – no fault of their own- have no way of knowing where in Africa their roots may lay, and so it is understandable that ‘Black’ is a unifying term. But Africans in general don’t call ourselves Black first because there’s sense of cultural identity, ethnicity, tradition and language that we use to describe or identify ourselves by, rather than just skin colour. Even in the U.K, 2nd or even 3rd generation Nigerians, Kenyans etc use their country of heritage to identify themselves, even if they were born here (England)! and their proud of it too, the same goes for a lot of Jamaicans and West Indians here also.
The beauty and diversity of the various cultures and ethnic groups in Africa should be celebrated and not dismissed as “JUST BLACK”
Sorry, I should have phrased my response differently. you’re right to not even focus on race in the article as these are language groups that traverse races and ethnicities.
@Eurasian Sensation
You said to Abagond: “You need to momentarily take off your American sense of what “black” means, because it’s not useful when talking about the diverse populations of Africa”
I completely agree
You said: “The Khoisan are genetically the closest of anyone alive to the first Homo sapiens sapiens, so they need to be denegrified as much as possible. Like calling Obama half-white or biracial even when he regards himself as black.”
Now, from some of the previous comments and posts you have made, it is quite evident that you strongly believe in the ‘One drop-rule’. Calling someone who has a half-white parent; biracial or half-white is an acknowledgment to the fact that they ARE ‘half white’. That is what they are, it’s not all they are, but we can all agree to that. However in regards to self-identification, just because a person may choose to label themselves according to which ‘side’ they may feel closes to, that does not and will never change the ‘racial’ make up of BOTH their parents, whose union is the reason they are here in the first place. I personally see it as a form of denial, which in itself self hatred. Loving who you are, and acknowledging your where you came from is something that should be applauded. Not ‘covered up’ or hushed away, or told to pick a side. A person can identify as almost anything these days, it doesn’t mean that is what they are, some people write ‘Rainbow’ in the race section of the census! Hell, some people even refer to themselves as ‘The second coming of Christ’ but their personal decision to do that doesn’t make it a fact.
The one drop rule, just like the ‘N’ word and everything born out of slavery was created to dehumanize, degrade and destroy. To continue it is to honour those who created it.
I had to get that off my chest, the Obama comment just came out of nowhere and has been griping at my brain cells. But the mixed race debate is getting so old now it is starting to get Liver Spots
Right, coffee time then back to the Africa discussion. There’s an article I recently read about a group of African ‘Semitic’ people in Southern Africa that I need to find….
“Frankly, I cannot imagine ancient peoples in Africa seeing the obvious, the natural skin colour they had, as the most distinctive characteristic in defining themselves. For instance:
Zulu means: People of the Sky
Khoi/San means: King of humans
Senegal means: Our land
I think the Swahili call themselves “people” – no colour attached…why should all the peoples of Africa attach a colour to what they call themselves?
The tribal groups in Europe didn’t all go around self-describing as whites, pinks, or something like that.
I don’t think other peoples around the world all went around calling themselves after their skin colour – they were more likely to describe their humanity, or their cosmic origins, etc. So it gets on my nerves when the race of the many African peoples gets drawn in, and cut up into who was blackest, etc.”
^^^^^^^
THIS!!
I can’t co-sign enough!
Just for that comment alone, I love you for life 🙂
Why do people think that being called Black means that Ethnic identity disappears ? if you want to appear different from Blacks, well good luck with that,other peoples are not gonna spend the time learning how to identify differences, you could wear a T shirt saying you are not Black lol
India has different ethnic groups with different languages and religions yet they are all Indian.
We live in a a world now of large Group identities ,East Asians,Pacific islanders, Middle easterners,Europeans and Whites. Should Tibetans be considered Chinese ?
@ Roxanne
The nature of my belief in the One Drop Rule:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/race-is-social/
Yet white does exist, not in the biological sense,but something that can be seen ,felt, and understood.
By the way the suspect in the Sikh Temple shooting was not from a tribal group.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 19:05:30 phoebeprunelle
Why do people think that being called Black means that Ethnic identity disappears ?
I wonder this too. So far, my friends and i have not come to a consensus.
How Jared didn’t seemed to get my point is baffling. It really doesn’t take Stephen Fry…
@Jared
Have you been watching the Olympics? did you see the Opening ceremony where all those talented athletes from African and Caribbean countries walked out? No? You saw ‘Just Black’. Or when Kenya won the long distance running last night… I suppose they were just ‘Team Black’. I also suppose Usain Bolt isn’t Jamaican (West African descended) either, he’s ‘Just Black’, Right Jared?…Oy Vey….
Jared, I am not sure if you have read my other comments on other threads about the Badensers and Wurtemburgers or the Land of Tribes in Ireland?
No i have not, work will not allow me to read every single posts. As i continue to read in this thread, i see that misunderstandings can arise from how we view certain things.
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 20:22:11 Tyrone
What makes a human being black or african? Is it ancestry, skin color, or phenotype? This is the age-old question that blacks and non-blacks have been debating since the dawn of humankind. If humanity began in Africa, therefore, all human beings are of african descent…Yes and No! That may be true in large part, but, we deal with the here and now. As black people, we often wonder why we’re in conflict with whites and asians so much? Turning back the clock is the crux of the issue. Blackness is the obsession of all human beings, not just black folk. It’s important that we understand this as a race. As Abagond stated, some tribes that migrated out of africa stayed black, some didn’t. Based on visual observation, i would assume that most so-called Arabs were black at some point, but not black today. East-Asians are a mixed bag, they still have the color and facial features, but the hair is straight. Polynesians are black, depending on the islands in questions…some islands are majority black, others are mixed with black and asian, and so forth. Basically, we have a large swath of human beings that used to be black a long time ago striving to be “Black Again.” All of the bs that we witness in the multicultural/humanist movement comes out of the desire of other colored folk to take back what was stolen from them via slavery and colonialism. For a long time, we’ve only dealt with blackness thru the lens of africa and the americas, ignoring the middle-east, south asia and the pacific isles. It’s not a question of color, they’re brown-skinned people without a doubt, but, can said groups be considered “Black” in the eyes of real black people? Are we comfortable with the idea of black people looking different than our ancestors? Again, this is a mixed bag…the women are black enuf to pass, but, the men are not…Blackness Runs Thru The Female! This is the obstacle that stands in the way of Afroasiatics and others who want membership in the fam again. Blackness has to be on both sides, not just the female side. I see this dilemma a lot within spanish culture, some non-black spanish women can pass as black females with no problem, they got the phenotype down pat. This is the group that insist they’re not this or that, they want society to see them as women of color(Black). Abagond, we have to take this issue serious. Are we gonna remain black for centuries to come on this planet, or, are we gonna throw away our blessing for the sake of getting along with others just because it’s the politically correct thing to do? What’s the deal black people?
@ Roxanne,
No Roxanne i think that you missed my point, i have no problem with you stating the limations of the Black identity when it comes to the diverse peoples of Africa and the diaspora, I just felt that it could of been taken a bit further.
You talked about being born in an east african country but aren’t most of those countries made up of different tribes with unique cultures ? does being Ethiopian or Kenyan tell you all about the various groups within those countries ?, What about Nigerian or West Indian. Nothing would be enough to to properly describe the diverse human groups.
Roxanne , Pheobeprunell came in and said she lives in Africa and her colleagues consider themselves “black”, I brought in a youtube where an Ethiopian with a moniker “Theusamustfall”, who considers himself black and sais the people of the Niro Sahara consider themselves “black” and seperate from the “whites ” in the norht. I dont think you can make a statement that all Africans dont consider themselves black….its just not true
But, great , Id like your opinion, I brought in various youtubes, from the various diverse ethnic catagories we have disscussed here with a blatent connection of certain concepts that were invented below the Sahara, by dark skinned people of varius hues. It is there genius, their culture, tied together from those difereant ethnic backgrounds. And you dont find it anywhere else outside of Africa except the places where descendants of West African slaves, but these concepts are in East Africa, and South Africa, and, traces are found in North Africa with obvious Arab influences tied into it
As a person , who, when I am not on this blog, am battling to educate people on these concepts, that are unique to the genius of the cultures I tied together in these youtubes , I am limited by the semantics of English, which is severly lacking to truly describe this genius…how would you reccomend that I describe these cultures that have this tie of concepts,even if they also have many of their own unique differances also ? Without having to go into paragraphs to describe the breakdown
on Mon Aug 6th 2012 at 21:23:14 sam
I think what has slipped from some here: like abagond points out, the whole concept of race appears insane when thinkin about Africa and its history.
And, terms like “black” and “white” and the rest are, I think, the lingual tools of racism to define people from the outside. I think that the very idea of races and racial differences sit so deep in american language as a system of thinkin that it is very hard for any one grown up inside that system to see what they are: tools to separate humanbeings, vehichles to guide the thought process towards certain world view.
Not one african with whom I have talked with or know defines him/herself as black. They may say that they are senegalese etc. or some tribal name etc. but not as black. The Black comes into the self definition ONLY after introduction to the european or american culture and society. It is those who define them all as blacks. It is also that same System which defines afroamericans as just “blacks”.
As I understand calling certain people as blacks was an insult, a racist slur in USA way back when, so that in 60`s the activists “stole” that word from the racist by claiming Black is beautiful etc. They purposely changed its meaning from degratory insult into something else and so successfully that today “black” is (almost) neutral definition in the racist system frame.
I understand that need and emotional history behind it. Some european people who have been second class citizens or non citizens have done the same: the word Celtic was also an insult way back when. It referred to the more un civilized and brutal folks, the irish and such, but since then it has become a source of pride.
When talking about african history a debate of who is black and who is not seems almost funny. Almost. The sad thing is that it reflects the racist system of concepts and thinking, of language and that way symbols, in the western minds. It is so deep in our heads that when we look at Africa, a vast and huge continent with thousands of cultures and fantastic history going back to the birth of human, we start to wonder who is really black and who is not and why.
I think it is nonsense.
Africans are africans. All of them, regardless of their skin color.
“recognisable culture”…this is what Jared said and I agree with that.
I need to know how to describe who is responsible for the “recognisable culture”.
We all know that Europe is recocognised as the fonte of European classical music, various countries languages and culture are tied together by a common thread that evolved classical music, that , even when played all over the world, Europe is known as the fonte.
Why people cant tie that together with the cultures I have demonstrated , is beyond me…
“black”, “subsahara””African”…its all “quantum smantics”
follow the culture, that will really tell you the real deal , if you can really define it. You have to seperate the Islam and Chritianty and the Europe and Arab from Africa to really examine the roots of the culture Im talking about
Well , Sam, I just said there are Afrcans who call themselves “black”
Go into the Niro Sahara thead I brought in and see how an Ethiopian descibes himself,and then notice on the side of the youtubes a huge amount of youtubes that arnt American addressing this
What a false concept to think that no Africans think of themselves as “black”…..now I agree its a lot semantcal hangups, but no need to make just false statements
And, Sam, I have to ask you the same question I asked Roxanne.
Because I know only too well that below the Sahara isnt just “black”, that is a semantical term that depending on the intent can mean many things.
But, if you think the word “black ” is not adequate, you have to give me an alternative definition of the cultures I have blatently tied together with the similarities of expresion the same way Italy is differant culturaly than Germany but they are tied together by similar concepts in classical music
Otherwise , the genius of the cultures we are talking about get smothered over and buried, and that is what has always happened anyway. Islam has done it, Christianity has done it, Arabs have done it, Europeans have done it, all have buried and destroyed and built over this genius with their own cultures and beleifs
I mean how would you describe this genius, Sam ? There really are these ties and they are unique and dont come from other parts of the world…how would you describe it in a way I can tangably use in the battles I fight to get these concepts across to other people?
People are talking at each other here and not really listening, and we are getting hung up on semantics…too bad, there is a really rich vast incredible subject to dive into and learn, and Ive learned here from everyone, but, nobody is really listening
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 00:05:22 phoebeprunelle
Not one african with whom I have talked with or know defines him/herself as black.
Just know that there are plenty who do otherwise…
What a false concept to think that no Africans think of themselves as “black”
It is false, but what is more interesting is that some seem to be implying that it is wrong. You won’t ask white people to stop identifying as white?
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 00:55:47 B. R.
You know, its all fine and good to talk about migrations, farming habits, language and dialects, they are important to understanding history in anthropology and arcaeology, but, art ,the expresion of their culture is the window to a peoples soul and their humanity and exactly who they are
Ive brought in some of the art of the people south of the Sahara, which undeniably demonstrates their humanity and soul, and shows how there are connections and ties between those people , from West, South and East Africa
Its pretty much blatently right there….but, it seems no one really wants to address that aspect in this discusion, even though it has deep answers to the culture of that people that stretches back thousands of years
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 00:59:06 Fiamma
“There’s an article I recently read about a group of African ‘Semitic’ people in Southern Africa that I need to find….”
The Lemba, perhaps?
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 01:53:29 Herneith
Oh yes, the anything but black meme. Whites don’t concern themselves with this because they are the default race. There is nothing wrong with saying you are black and from___insert country, continent. Your ‘colour is not all you are but unfortunately, whites make it so, being the ‘default’ race they don’t have to, nor want to give two sh&ts. Phoebe, you are very diplomatic!
As far as semantics and confusion, how about”Asian”…a lot of people are confused about “South East Asian”, they dont get it can mean several ethnic backgrounds…
And what about native Americans and “Indian”…my gosh, its a name meant for people who they thought were in India…what kind of semantic confusion is that?
How about South Americans…a whole whole lot of people think its just Spanish when the biggest country in South America speak Portuguese, beleive me, Ive run into that confusion more than a few times…more semantic confusion
how about “it depends on what your definition of “is” is…”
its quantum semantics, guarenteed to gum up any conversation and guarenteed we arent going to get anywhere
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 06:47:52 sam
Perhaps I should try to clarify myself here. I am not saying it is wrong to identify oneself as black. What I am saying that those africans I have met have not introduced themselves to me as “I am so-and-so, I am black”. Instead they have said: “I am so-and-so and I’m from Togo, Senegal, Kenya” etc. Or: “I am masai, ibo, yoruba” etc.
Whites do define themselves sometimes as whites because it is their system to categorise people according to the racial epitets, by the color of the skin. That is pretty much the system in many countries but extremely strong in USA. But even whites do not usually define themselves first and foremost as whites but being as a citizen fo a nation, part of the ethnic group, in many many cases by their profession etc.
Of course black africans know and understand that according to the race based system of thinking they are black and of course they sometimes define themselves as black BUT that is not the first and foremost definition they apply to themselves. It has meaning in the white racist system of consepts, or idea. So when dealing with that system of thinking they define themselves as blacks vs whites or any other racial color definition. BUT in Africa, when I was there, I never met a single african who stated that first and foremost he/she is black. Nor I have met any african living in Europe who states that he/she is first and foremost black, and nothing else period.
What I am saying that because in the american racist thinking system color of your skin IS the defining factor you start to think that way and see the world that way. Your skin color becomes who you are, everything you do or say etc. is your skin color BECAUSE that is the point. In racist system it is the Only thing that matters. You are no longer a doctor, a scientist, an athlete, a woman, a man, father, mother BUT you are first and foremost black. Period. It is how the surroundings define you and how you define yourself. Everything is about the color of your skin. Nothing else matters in the big scheme of things, only your skin color. So, naturally, you begin to categorise the whole world around you via the very same race based way. That is why it becomes The Thing. That is the corner stone of racism. To make you think trough your skin color, to make you believe that the color of your skin is the only thing that matters.
BUT in Africa, were most of the people around are “black”, that is not the point. It is almost meaningless. There are litterally thousands of groups who are so called “black”. It just makes no sense. A guy from Masai Mara is a masai when meeting some one from the coastal region, from Mombasa for example. He does not say that hey, I am black, by the way. BUT in the racist system of thinking and from the outside and in the context of the Outside (“white world”) he is black african.
As for the european unity and feeling of togetherness, I think that is a load of propaganda by some intellectuals, church people and the EU. There is no Europe other than in geographical sense. There are many separating lines and these are very deep. One is between the religions, lutheran and catholic, south and north, more local ethnich lines etc. Just look at the Yugoslavian wars in 90’s. Just look at the conflict in Northern Ireland or talk some irish guy about the english. One might say that it is an racist Utopia, the unified white Europe. There is no such thing, never was, never will be. Nor there is no “european culture”. European cultures, yes, but not A Culture. No more than there is european language.
I hope this clarify my thinking here.
Sam, I apreiciete your explanation, and I just want to point out a couple of things. How do you define what European Classical music is? The basic fundimentals of advanced harmony were developed there by the various European countries like Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary, France etc….the principles are recognised as coming from there. Of course, any one from anywhere can learn and play these concepts, but they have to go throught that tradition. Even a great composer, like Vila Lobos, from Brazil, who used many ideas from folklorico Brazil, still has to filter it throught the standards established by the tradition of European Classical music.
You mention Africans defining themselves by country… I mean, arnt these countries national boundry lines defined by white colonizers?
My wife is black Brazilian, of course, whe wont introduce herself as a black Brazilian, but, in our privacy she will lament very sadly at the discrimination she has experianced because she is black
The thing is, I totaly understand and apreciete the diversity and mixture you all are talking about. But, Im sure to a tee, Sam, Bulanik, Roxanne, Eurasion Sensation, you all could recognise and have a great insight into the Arab cultural influence on North Africa.You have no trouble defining Arab and their contribution…
But it seems you all are hard pressed to recognise and ackowledge (Bulanik did ackowledge culture but I dont think she can define what it is) the way there is a tie between all these various groups I brought in from West, South and East Africa, and to be able to try to explain the genius involved in that culture.
If you really want to beat the HBDers into the ground, you just have to be firm about what that genius is, and all of their lame points melt to nothing.Its funny, having a debate with and anthropologist, he practicly scoffed at the notion that it is genius, in the face of the unbeleivable presence of the Afro diasporic culture in the Americas despite brutal repressive slavery…now that strong powerful culture that comes from a genius unique to the youtubes I have tied together
Bulanik, I have brought in serious referances to ancient Africa, its strange you are the one who brought in the controversy about the semantic “black”… that is why we are going over this.
And you know, Im not really fighting or arguing with people on here about this. I have enjoyed immensly the informtion Bulanik brought in about the Zulu hanging with the San, and then see the steps they both do with jingles on their feet are similar…its not the jingles, some native Americans use jingles also, they just dont use the same concept of steps….its totaly differant
The truth is, Ive almost begged for an alterntive definition about how I can express the truth about this genius and the ties it has…but, no one has anything for me….
Im kind of leaning towards ” the culture from the past that is left in Africa after you strip away the Islamic, Christian, Arab , European influences….”…..
Since “black” and “sub” are under scrutiny, does that include “Afro”? White Brazilians also get uptight if you try to define “Afro Brazilian culture”, they say, “we are all Brazilians”, but they cant even recognise their own culture. The great artists can recognise it there and have talked about it, not the white nationalists.What about “Afro diasporic”? Knowing using that term is really a definition for the concepts I have tied together , not Arab influences..what is the scrutinised responce to that?
By the way, when I said I dont think Bulanik can describe that culture, I meant what I am talking about, not the many informative things she knows about the migrations , dialects, farming versus hunting gatherers…Im saying she is hard pressed to understand what I am talking about this tie in of these various below the Sahara cultures…..
And seriously, unless you all can address this overwelming aural and visual evidence I have brought in, there is a hole in what you are saying…you all are making great points, I just suggest you go back to the drawing board and tweak it…Im tweaking my point of veiw as we go here
Sam, glad you mentioned the Masai, they are a group that suposedly was one of the migrations back South..they dont emphasize a drum culture as much…neither to the San, but, some of their concepts as I showed do line up with the ties Im taking about and a lot doesnt…yes, I do say that there is a lot of differant cultural expresion , but, like in Europe with all the differant cultures, they have huge links in their classical music ( they just call it classical musc, as though it can be the only music anywhere that could be defined as classical and we all know that it comes from Europe)
by the way, I want to clarify Im talking about past culture, there is a huge hybrid culture happening in Africa today with the use of electric guitars, basses, drum sets, dj mixing, influences of Reggae, Clave and James Brown
Wow. I am just reading some of the comments and it really does seem like people are doing their best to discredit black–by saying it is the “white racist way in which people describe other people”…just wow.
You totally disregard the fact, that before there was substantial contact with whites or others–ancient blacks–oops that’s a bad word–*shame on me* well lets say Africans–referred to themselves as “black”, “dark”, kemetic–which means land of the blacks–no they weren’t referring to soil….
You seriously telling me that art found in temples of darkly hued people in depictions of their everyday life–these people didn’t know how they looked? They didn’t know how to define themselves? They were wrong? Listening to the white man–yeah? Really?
I don’t believe or at least the way i interpreted it–that people here are saying black is the only definition–no it isn’t but not many blacks i have encountered separate their blackness from their nationality or ethnicity.
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 15:37:05 Roxanne
@ Sam & Bulanik
Both of you articulated what I wanted to say in ways I never could….Mind readers perhaps?
@Fiamma
YES! The Lemba!
I saw a documentary about them not too long ago. Such an interesting people. Right now I’m researching about ‘Great Zimbabwe’.
It’s amazing the things they never teach you in school
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unlabeled_Renatto_Luschan_Skin_color_map.svg
That ‘Skin colour’ map is just ridiculous in so many ways. I can’t even… don’t get me started on this one
I can barely believe it…”discredit” black – it’s a colour – you can “discredit” a colour? … WTF.
I think you totally missed my post…
@ B.R
My internet is having problems with youtube at the moment, but when it’s up and running I will take a look at those videos you posted
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjCgZt0ok1Y)
Here is what Phoebeprunell is talking about, and, please check out the person describing the video below, who is Ethiopian and seriousy identifies as black and has a monikar “theusamustfall”, hardly the American point of veiw
Good point about Kemetic
What is the story about Nubia and the Carthage armies of Hanibal were famous for having the quick moving Nubian troops? Just asking, I dont know
….no matter what point of veiw here, that is ancient Africa
……my post came in before I saw Bulanik’s comment….for sure, I wont address Bulanik personaly , Ill be happy to honor her wishes, but, I will comment more
I apreciete it , Roxanne, and, I earnestly ask you for the way to define what I am seeing, as a way to define how these differant expresions of these groups on the youtubes, are tied together in certain cultural areas, if the terms I am using arnt working
@B.R
You said “Im kind of leaning towards ” the culture from the past that is left in Africa after you strip away the Islamic, Christian, Arab , European influences….”…..
Why not just say ‘Pre-colonial Africa’, or the specific African region you are discussing, it doesn’t have to be a complicated mouthful, it really doesn’t. It’s the same way if you were having an educational discussion about North America before European invasion, or as I’ve heard some say The Americas BC (Before Columbus). Or say, a single country, India, you would say pre-colonial India, or the specific age in India’s history that you are referring to. It’s not that hard, most Indians know they have skin colour a shade of brown, they know this, but you’d be crazy if they were to say they were ‘Brown Only’ or Brown India. It’s stating the obvious. Plus, when you’re the majority in a country where everyone else shares a similar or not too dissimilar skin tone from you, why on earth would you let that define you? That’s the situation in Kenya, that’s the situation in Uganda, that’s the situation in Congo, Burundi, Mongolia etc. This thing about ‘White people’ being the default. Yeah, where there’s a lot of Europeans maybe, but believe me, Slavery and Colonialism might have caused the African Continent real damage. But we have held on to a hell of lot that we had before Europe, and before arab invasion, i’ll be dammed if I gave in and saw myself as ‘Just Black’. My parents are way too proud of their name and clan to let me forget that. Black and dark skin IS a part of us and our various stories, particularly in relation to contact with people from other continents, BUT it is just the tip of the iceberg.
I think you’re maybe making this more complicated than needs be. If it’s easier for you to talk about Africa simply in ‘Black’ terms, so be it, that’s up to you. My head hurts, let’s agree to disagree
^Okay and maybe i’m not sure if some other poster has implied this:
i’ll be dammed if I gave in and saw myself as ‘Just Black’.
Who has asked you to?
@ phoebebrunelle
Do you always need to wait for a question to make a statement? It is what it is….A Point of view
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 18:05:56 Jared
That’s right, the currents that took Africans to the New World are now bringing back new world diasporic culture to the continent. we all know that defining someone based solely on skin colour and phenotype is very limiting.
Does anyone know how these New world Afro descended influences have affected current African society ? What about in 50 yrs time would Africa still be African ? most of us don’t know because we are not looking at things from that particular angle.
You have young boys from Egypt to South Africa rapping,West africans dancing to their version of Jamaican dancehall. Should those influences be associated with blackness if so then how black is africa ?
That depends; especially in debates.
If that is your point of view fine. However, i doubt anyone here has implied that by referring to a person as black–that is all they are. I think Jared, myself and B.R. were saying that identifying with blackness does not erase a person’s nationality or ethnicity. In many cases it is intertwined.
I don’t see or have read commentors here questioning why white people refer to themselves as white or suggesting to them that they give that up. If there are black people who want to solely identify as black–what does anyone have against that and why suggest that they are inaccurate? There could be a multitude of reasons why they see it that way.
I think Jared, myself and B.R. were saying that identifying with blackness does not erase a person’s nationality or ethnicity. In many cases it is intertwined.
Like I said, I have not met an african person myself who has said to me that he/she is black and then something. Usually they have stated the country which they come from, or when I was in Africa some 20 years ago, they very often defined themselves via their tribal group or an area etc. BUT of course they all knew/know that in the racist skin color system they are “black”.
I am not saying that they deny this. What I am saying that based on my personal experience in Africa back in 80’s and in Europe, those africans I have met have not placed that much emphasis on the color of their skin. Usually they have been defined as blacks by non blacks.
As for the electric guitars etc. I used to listen Fela Kuti back in the late 70’s so I know they been around in Africa at least since the 60’s and earlier. It is not like Africa has ever been in a time capsule culturally either. There were some really swank night clubs in many african cities in 1950’s already, african jazz musicians and singers were world famous in the 50’s etc.Just like Africa has been giving cultural impulses to the rest of the world and keeps doing so, it has also taken in.
And that brings us to the “european classical music”. It is a name describing certain style of music which has very strict hierarchies and codes. In a sense, it is just a style, one mode or way of making music. It was not very popular among the masses in the days of Beethoven, Motzart and Bach, but among the elites it was popular. Perhaps that is why it became so hierarchial too? Even today, when it is more popular than ever, it is still seen as the music of the snobs and higher classes.
Trying to see certain music or art as pure european or pure anything is also an old way of looking at things. It is the way world view was constructed back in 1800’s and that kind of thinking is still very strong in USA which for some reason forgot that we live in a post modern world which recognises that there are no clear cut divisions or in a wider sense anything “Pure” or “clean”. Not culturally, in arts or music, or even racially.
Actually the whole concept of various races is a just a fantastic relic from the 1800’s and it is mind bogglin that it still holds so tightly in the official system of USA and some other countries. The science has demonstrated without any doubt that there is only one human race, It is a biological fact. And yet, here we are, in 2012, trying to do away the racism.
I conclusion: I do not deny the word black nor I think it can not be used, nor I have any negative meanings with that word. All I pointed out was that those africans whom I have met during my life time have not defined themselves as black first and foremost. They know that they are seen as black, and see themselves as black in the skin color system of the west, but in their lives they do not make this as The defining factor of their lives.
I understand that it is different in USA. I have been there too. I have lived in USA twice so I know the realities over there. And the fact is that in USA the color of your skin IS the defining factor because the whole cultural system around you is racist. There fore an american with african heritage is classified first and foremost as black, not as an newyorker, philadelphian etc. not to mention that they would defined as scientists, generals, professors etc. It is always a Black athlete and then just an athlete, who is usually white.
And that is the reason why it is important to be black and proud of it. That is the reason why it is important to build up postive connotations and meanings for the Black, which is ok. I am not saying it should not be done, I am all for it.
But I think this is not the case for the africans living in Africa. They have no need for it all the time in their lives. Yes, they can be called as blacks and yes, they sometimes call themselves as blacks, but only in the context of our racist system. Hope this clarifies my take on this a bit more.
on Tue Aug 7th 2012 at 19:49:40 Tyrone
All of this is so basic. Africa is our homeland, black and brown are the colors. The same goes for europeans as well. White arabs and spaniards have added a lot of confusion in regard to this issue. A group of white-complexioned people who say they’re not white, instead, they choose to identify themselves with another race more than their own…Blacks! The obvious question, can blackness be co-opted by others that are not black? A certain percentage of whites on this planet don’t know what whiteness is, because they’ve obsessed over black culture so long, it’s all they know. From my perspective, Why would someone loathe their culture to that extent? Racial acceptance is relevant to all human beings, but, with black folk it’s even greater. Being the first comes with a lot of responsibility, black people need to remember that.
” think Jared, myself and B.R. were saying that identifying with blackness does not erase a person’s nationality or ethnicity. In many cases it is intertwined.” yes
Lots to anwser here, Roxanne and Sam, I apreciete your answers. I dont think any of us really is delving in stereotypes, and , after all, we all have a great affinity and are sympathetic to the plight of Africans
“Pre colonial”…I like that, does that include pre Arab invasion ? Because that would be part of it too, if it does, Im happy to use that phrase . Roxanne, I would never presume that you should think a certain way about yourself…I only observe that Pheobeprunell is stating another experiance and I brought in a youtube with an Ethiopian exclaiming about his “blackness” and the “blackness” of the Nilo Saharan people. So, obviously, and not surprisingly,there are lots of differant opinions about that….of course we can agree to disagree, and Im here to learn also…the only thing about narrowing down a region is that, what Im talking about is many regions, with differant cultures and genes and hues, who have , a part of their culture that is tied to very similar concepts, they are principles and laws of music that show a tremendous insight and genius. And, Im not saying all the people in those areas do these principles , Im saying enough people do , that it has to be taken note of and understood, its as big as Classical music is to Europe with the same situation that many differant cultures and languages , established certain laws of music for their expresion.
And, for example, I brought in a San healer talking about trance and getting in touch with the spirit world through dance and chanting. Lots of other cultures in the world use trance and try to get in touch wth the spirit world with music and prayer, but, its the unique way that these various people in pre colonial Africa do it, with specific principles of groove and dance , duple / triple meter, call responce. And, in the Afro diaspora you have varius religious rites like Candomble, Santera, Voodoo that go after these same principles because they brought them from pre colonial Africa. There is a specific way and concept these pre colonial Africans were in touch with that was unique to them and was its gift to the world.
And I can bring this concept in from East Africa, West Africa, South Africa, and its traces that were up in North Africa but you can hear he Arab influence in there which does change the paramater..
I welcome this diolougue…Sam Ill anwer you in the next post
Sam, your experiances and insights are always welcome, I would never deny your experiances, I only say it seems there are also other people who have their experiances…we can only put it together and try to get some kind of bigger picture. Of course, many things you all have said, about varying cultures, I know and beleive also. But, I need definitions to get at the root of describing these cultural properties , that are extremly blatent to me…
Ha, I kind of meant in a thread about 13,000 years, the 60’s or so is pretty recent…Fela is great, I saw Hugh Masakela in the 60’s ( I have to post this, my computor is gliching and Ill fix it and continue)
Sam, interesting point you make about classical music…Im not even a huge afficiando, but, I think if there was anything about Europe in the 17 century and 18th century compared to looking at the wars, the migrations, the foods, etc, to understand the soul of the people , it would be to hear Mozart, Bheetoven, Bach.etc…their gift of vision of harmony is something that has lasted and lasted and even ite principles carried over into Afro diasporic concepts like jazz and samba and Cuban music , even though its the slave to the groove of those idioms….and that is also what you could say that I would want to reject about them and reflective of this methodical Western way of expressing music or ife, where every note is written out and there is no groove to build off of and go into intuition and turn the thinking brain off…feeling , yes…turning off the tinking brain, no, pre colonial African music is the most profound at uncovering that to go into an alpha state…
Im glad you said it wasnt popular, because Im not saying these pre colonial African concepts are done by all of Africa and are pretty much regulated to folklorico groups in each of the countries like Gana and Nigeria , Kenya etc,or , actualy out in the bush, I have freinds who went into the bush to hear the roots of these principles…
Depth is never popular…I guarentee you, those harmonic insights have outlasted so much else that has been forgotten from those periods and these pre colonial African concepts have lasted well into our age and virtualy dominated the popular cultures that slaves were brought over from Africa…isnt that really deep?Unfortunatly, the West only uses it for their entertainment, they really dont have an idea how to tap into its full power , except people like MIles Davis and John Coltrane , or Estacao Primeiro de Mangueira
on Wed Aug 8th 2012 at 15:12:29 B. R.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070817150136AAYBEqH
Here is an interesting thread where people are debating about whether Ethiopians could be considered black
As i suspected, there are Africans and Ethiopians on both sides of the argument
About that Ethiopian thing:
It always makes me lol! Most of the the Ethiopians who are debating their blackness are those that live in Addis. It has to do with where they were educated cause lots of them go to Italy or Germany to university and then go back home. It also has to do with Arab influence on some Ethiopians, but most of the ones I know consider themselves black; their problem is mainly ethnocentrisms (if that’s a word) where they can be very cliquish about religion and ethnicity. I have heard many an Ethiopian say “we all black” so why the fighting? lol.
I thought what was interesting about it was there were differant points of veiw that some represented the differant opinions on here, and that is in Ethiopia , which is on the cusp of the Nilo Sahara and Arab mixes…….
I actualy dont know how that came in, I wrote it but decided not to send it, but, when I left the thread, I guess it went through
Roxanne, Im trying to use the words you reccomended ” pre colonial Africa”.
Do you really think that implies the Arab and Islamic aspects also ? It sounds more like it refers to the recent colonisers, which wouldnt even include the European slave trade since they didnt colonise Africa, they were buying slaves for their colonies in the Americas… ….or , what do you think about that? Are you considering the Arabs colonisers also ?
on Wed Aug 8th 2012 at 19:45:54 Tyrone
If you’re black, you’re black. What’s the point of beating yourself up for having kinky hair and brown skin, Seriously? If being black is so bad, those in question should drive to the nearest Home Depot and purchase 2 buckets of white or yellow paint, and “Get It Poppin.” All the ills that plague us as a race today, and we’re arguing about whether or not we should identify as african, african-american, negro, colored, and so forth? Have black folk ever heard of “The Chocolate Rainbow?” We come in many shades, facial features, hair textures, physiques…All Of The Above! Come on black people, it’s 2012!!!
Be who you are, not someone else. This goes for all races. However, that’s not how racial identity works. I don’t see this paranoia with other races, only black people. We have to un-black ourselves to get along with others, which i’ve never understood. Black people are seen as a “Gift Horse” in the eyes of others.
if being black is so bad, those in question should drive to the nearest Home Depot and purchase 2 buckets of white or yellow paint, and “Get It Poppin.”
Yet no one bothers to question why people still identify as white. *shrugs*
We have to un-black ourselves to get along with others, which i’ve never understood.
Or not be accused of being devisive and or a “race” man or woman.
@Phoebe
I’m not the only one that has noticed this mindset among other races. It’s okay for whites, asians, and native-americans to be who they are, but not black people. We have to de-emphasize the fact that we are different from the others. As i’ve said many times on this blog, if others are not happy with themselves, it’s not our problem to worry about. It goes back to the old saying…misery loves company. If we can’t be black, black people shouldn’t be equally happy to be so at the same time. I understand the desire of others to be “African.” That’s what all of this insanity is about, but, folk can’t turn oil into water and water into champagne…Not Possible! On the surface, this may seem trivial, but it’s not. Blackmen are killing other black people on this planet because they don’t see them as black like them, instead, they call them human. That’s the dangerous aspect of this issue that we run away from as a race. Phoebe, all of us are inter-dependent as black people. What i do as one blackman alone can positively or negatively affect the race as a whole…Connectivity! I don’t have to know you personally, live in the same country, speak the same language, etc. But, if i strap a bomb-belt around my waist and kill dozens of black folk in Nigeria, it will affect all of us. This is why we have to fight the temptation to see ourselves as less than black. No matter how much we disagree about this or that, i love you enuf to not do bodily harm to you and others. Blackness is 24/7365
Phoebe, all of us are inter-dependent as black people. What i do as one blackman alone can positively or negatively affect the race as a whole…Connectivity! I don’t have to know you personally, live in the same country, speak the same language, etc.
Tyrone, you’re a gem! I have been saying this for years.
@Tyrone.. i think you misinterpreted my two earlier posts–We are saying the same thing.
(http://newsrescue.com/ancient-200000bc-human-metropolis-found-in-africa/#ixzz1yAAZ90QS)
Great information from Bulanik, and to just add to that, I got this link from the site of regular poster here, Kwamla, about an ancient civilisation much older than we can imagine who were involved, according to this link, in digging for gold and trading….the evidence is very powerful and the ramifications are incredible if the dates are correct
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 00:57:49 Eurasian Sensation
The Sahara WAS a barrier, but the extent of it was different at different times.
The “Green Sahara” period, when there was greater moisture and much of the area became savannah, was from about 7000BC until 3000BC. It was in this window that cattle and goat herding most likely entered Africa from the Middle East; herding is thought to have reached the southern tip of Africa 2000 years ago via the Khoikhoi.
It is likely that the spread of the Afro-Asiatic language family also occurred in this time, with pastoralism the likely catalyst.
But outside that window (and several other windows that occurred earlier in prehistory), the Sahara was mostly desert and reduced exchanges between north and south to low levels. Clearly there would have been black Africans north of the Sahara, but their numbers were probably not great. Caucasian-type hunter-gatherers (the ancestors of the Berbers) are also known to have been living along the coast of Northern Africa for at least 12,000 years. Even with a Green Sahara, spread of hunter-gatherer populations is limited. They do not expand rapidly in the way farmers or pastoralists do, because the H-G lifestyle can only support a small population. Range further afield and H-Gs would come into conflict with other H-G groups. So the two populations would have moved north and south, but only to some extent, limited by the terrain (in the periods of Sahara desert) or the presence of other tribes and the carrying capacity of the land during the Green Sahara phase.
The main exception to this is of course the Nile Valley, which remained fertile, and allowed genes and culture to still be exchanged in both directions. The trans-Saharan trade network is also limited by the willingness of people to undertake such arduous journeys; but also there was probably a gap of 2-3000 years between the Sahara drying up and the use of the camel as a domesticated animal in the region.
Pastoralism, and later farming, resulted in greater population growth, and thus the spread of genes and culture across north and east Africa. But this could only happen at certain times, in certain places and in certain directions, due to the environmental restrictions.
So I think it’s clear that sub-Saharan Africa was hampered to a large extent by its location. It is no surprise that Ethiopia, at the end of the Nile, historically has a lot more genetic and cultural influence from the “white” world than, say, Nigeria.
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 01:01:08 Herneith
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Genesis-Prehistoric-Origins-Ancient/dp/159143114X
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 11:13:58 Dahoman X
The Sahara WAS a barrier
This commonly held belief is consistently invalidated by African history. From the fall of ancient Egypt to the advent of the transatlantic slave trade, all the states which dominated this part of the continent were built around the transaharan trade: Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Kanem Bornu, etc…. Interactions through Sahara were not sporadic/limited but constant and of large scale. They are abundantly documented (both by written and oral tradition) and confirmed by obvious cultural influences.
For ages, the Sahara has been portrayed as an ‘empty-quarter’ where only nomads on their spiteful camels dare to tread. Colonial ethnographic templates reinforced perceptions about the Sahara as a ‘natural’ boundary between the North and the rest of Africa, separating ‘White’ and ‘Black’ Africa and, by extension, ‘Arabs’ and ‘Berbers’ from ‘Africans’. Consequently, very few scholars have ventured into the Sahara despite the overwhelming historical evidence pointing to the interactions, interdependencies and shared histories of neighbouring African countries. By transcending the artificial ‘Saharan frontier’, it is easy to see that the Sahara has always been a hybrid space of cross-cultural interactions marked by continuous flows of peoples, ideas and goods.
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/lydon/Writing%20Trans-Saharan%20History.pdf
A simple question: if the exchanges were so limited, how does one account for the scope of North african influences obvious throughout the sahelian cultures?
The trans-Saharan trade network is also limited by the willingness of people to undertake such arduous journeys
Another myth which is contradicted by facts.
I live in northern Benin (well, actually the center, but here the cultural north encompasses about 2 thirds of the country. Don’t ask.) This part of the country is culturally closer to our Northern neighbor, Niger, than from the southern part of the country (where I’m from). Up to this day, and despite better roads and a railroad linking my town to the capital in the South, the circulation between our town and Niger remains more “natural” than with the South. I actually know several people who walked from Northern Niger to here.
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 11:36:45 B. R.
Dahoman X , as a person who lives in Benin , what do you think of what Im saying that there are pre colonial, pre Arab, Islamic , European, Christian, cultural ties in certain concepts of music, drum/dance, to be found mostly in West, East and South Africa, that while not being the same ( very important to note im not saying its the same dances , the same beats, Im saying that the conceps have something in common ), have a conceptual connection that is not the same as the Arab or European influences (which I have demonstrated in various youtubes above) ?
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 11:49:10 abagond
Your history fits a narrative of White Saviours and Helpless Darkies. That does not disprove it, of course, but it does make it suspect.
Even Diamond would disagree with you:
1. The main southern barrier for Afroasiatics was not the Sahara but the summer rains south of it where their plants do not work.
2. From #1 we can tell that agriculture between the Sahara and the equator is native. It does not come from the Middle East.
3. The main thing that delayed Africa south of the equator from taking part in the agricultural revolution was not the Sahara (see #2) but the lack of native plants and animals that could be domesticated in that part of the continent.
what do you think of what Im saying that there are pre colonial, pre Arab, Islamic , European, Christian, cultural ties in certain concepts of music, drum/dance, to be found mostly in West, East and South Africa
Music is not my field of expertise, and I’m not trained in ethnology either, so I can only give you my subjective opinion.
I believe there is a fundamental unity between African cultures, not only in music but in each aspect of our cultures: philosophy, religion, systems of value, etc… This is not to say we are a monolithic bunch, but that there are a number of common denominators upon which each of our cultures builds its own expression, according to its own distinct character and circumstances.
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 13:37:13 resjan
The Sahara was only a barrier to Europeans. Africans have lived in the Sahara continuously for millenia, and I have proof. First there are hundreds of rock paintings in the Sahara that date beyond 5000 BC.
Even Herodotus(c. 450 BC) told of several different peoples living in the Sahara: Ammonians, Nasamonian, Garamantians, Atarantians, Maxyan, Zavecians, and Gyzantians.
And we have historical evidence that Africans populated the ENTIRE length of the Nile, as told by Diodorus (c. 50 BC):
“There are also numerous other Aithiopian tribes; some live along both sides of
the river NILE and on the islands in the river, others dwell in the regions that border on Arabia, others again have settled in the interior of Libya . The majority of these tribes, in particular those who live along the river, have BLACK skin, snub-nosed faces, and CURLY hair”
Given all these historic accounts, how is it that so many whites say that the Sahara was a barrier for Africans? what proof do you have?
Thanks, Dahoman X, for your answer…I like how you tie in these other aspects, I always felt that music was only the tip of the whole picture, yet, a very revealing part of that picture
You have no evidence to prove Europeans were in Africa prior to the Cyrenians. I don’t know why whites say 12,000 BC or 30,000 BC…where’s the proof?
Ethiopians were not influenced by Europeans, it was the exact opposite. It is the only African country that was never colonized by Europeans. Ancient Ethiopia, which encompassed a much larger area than modern Ethiopia, actually colonized both Europe and Asia.
Homer (c 800 BC) said Ethiopians ruled Arabia and Troy: “Eos (Dawn) first saw him, she fell in love with him and brought him to her palace by the stream of Ocean in Ethiopia. They had two children, Memmon and Emathion. Emathion became a king of Arabia…Memmon took a force of Ethiopians to Troy and died while fighting the Greeks”
The bible (c. 675 BC) says thanks to “Tirhakah [Taharka] king of Ethiopia” “Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
Diodorus (c. 50 BC) said: “Osiris being come to the borders of Ethiopia, raised high banks on either side of the river…Thence he passed through Arabia, bordering upon the Red sea as far as to India, and the utmost coasts that were inhabited; he built likewise many cities in India, one of which he called Nysa”
Strabo (c. 50 BC) said: ” However, Sesostris, the Egyptian, he adds, and Tearco [Taharka] the Aethiopian advanced as far as Europe
Stephanus (c. 700 AD), “Ethiopia was the first established country on earth; and the Ethiopians were the first to set up the worship of the gods and to establish laws.”
What evidence do you have to the contrary?
on Thu Aug 9th 2012 at 14:37:07 phoebeprunelle
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 02:34:41 Franklin
Oh man. The Kurukan Fuga. Imagine the amount of Western knee-jerking over Britain not creating the first Human Rights Bill, if they (Malian scholars) somehow find that manuscript in the thousands that are still untranslated.
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 04:46:18 Fiamma
Wasn’t “Aethiopia” used mostly in reference to Black Africa in general or sometimes to Kush, but not actually to ancient Abyssinia?
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 11:00:42 B. R.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEdvPjqqAlI&feature=related)
This is precious, it looks like a cerimony for pregnant women
I cant tell if the woman is playing a wood drum or something plastic, but, this has to be something from an older custom
heck, i played that groove on a gig the other night, it was a rumba
which is just unbeleivable connectable truth of the origins of certain principles of music….that come out of Africa…did the pygmies get this from the migratorial people or did they have some of this concept before?
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhE3p9D_8XY&feature=related)
This is some of what ancient Africa looks like and sounds like.This is the Africa before Arab . European, Chritianity or Islam
Words sometimes just dont do justice to what ancient Africa was about….it also talks about bartering with the “tall people”
It is a mystery how groups really influenced each other, but, they did .
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR40OIjNvFA&feature=relmfu)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7tYE2DZsU4&feature=related)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf1fgCe0Aig&feature=related)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T1SI4-VmcM)
The first three youtubes dont even have drums , but, they all have similar concepts as the last youtube which are the Zulu, who are using drums.Notice the very similar steps with their legs and feet.This is slightly differant from dances you would find in central and west and east Africa, yet they have similar groove concepts
All are tied in by similar rhythm concepts, repeated call responce pretty much duple triple meter . I have seen some San beat cadences that go into 5 beats or even more complicated, which just makes my point that each differant culture has things unique to themselves, but , in other expresions , they are tied with other peoples expresions in Africa , by a similar concept.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LahtV_4YGOk&feature=related)
Just so we can see a contrast of ancient culture , and dark skinned people from Papua New Guinea, and how it really is a differant aproach from the African concepts I am brining in…notice how they change the beat in mid tempo, and go back and forth with it…the African clips I bring in drill the groove into the ground from beginning to end…and. the most unbeleivable thing, is being able to see how the roots of some of the ancient pre colonial African cultures I bring in are the origins of many dance and grooves in the Afro diasporic Americas, like Rumba, Cha cha cha, Gua Gua Co, Samba, Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop, Maracatu, Bloco Afro, Candomble, Santera, Voodoo, etc etc
….just to make it clear, you can find many ancient cultures that use beats, trance, dancing, but, its exactly how it is used in the ancient pre colonial, pre Arab pre European Africa,
And they are powerful and nothing short of genius
Who ever started layering one rhythm over another in pollyrhythmic , call responce , syncopated beats and grooves with dances taylor made to go with them , were mathamatical visionaries , with incredible concepts of how to get in touch with the human spirit and the intuition and turn off the thinking brain
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 14:15:34 Roxanne
@Tyron Why are you so offended by Africans proudly stating where they are from, their ethnic identity (tribe/clan)? I find that very worrying on your part.
‘It’s okay for whites, asians, and native-americans to be who they are, but not black people’.
Notice how you said, asians and native american’s, not yellows and reds? If an African is an African that is EXACTLY who they are.
Do You KNOW who you are Tyron?
” I understand the desire of others to be “African.” That’s what all of this insanity is about”
Desire to be “African”. There ain’t no desire, you either Are African or you’re not. What’s with the quotation marks around Africa?
Let me take a wild guess, are you American?
Would you be happy if a Masai shed away his clothes, unlearned all of his customs, language and just sat there on mount Kilimanjaro with nothing mumbling ‘I’m only Black, I’m only Black, I’m only Black, I’m only Black.’
I am an African woman, East African to be exact, I speak Swahili, amongst other languages and I am proud of it. Do these words make you spit out bile in disgust? I have smooth brown dark skin, and I know that because my skin is rich in melanin I am also a black woman, many will see me as just that I know this. But you would prefer me and every other dark skinned African or African descended person to forget everything and just focus on a layer of skin. Would you like us to swap all our traditional garments and clothing and instead wear FUBU and Baby Phat? Or how about we swapped our traditional dances for the Electric Slide. Is that ‘Black’ enough for ya?
Do you believe that ‘Black’ history started with the transatlantic slave trade? that Africa didn’t have a rich history before Arab and European enslavement? That we were all sitting around, picking yellow Gloop out of our big toenails with no culture or ethnic identity until the white slavers came, and brought their inferior concept of us being ‘Just Blacks’. Notice I said JUST. Because when you’re ‘just black’ you are just a skin colour, what is your story? What is your language? What are your roots? There are Indians that are Black, Aborigines that are black, but they are not African (Not recently so). Being an African holds more weight and meaning than a single ‘colour’
Why do you fear the word ‘African’ Tyrone. If you say it five times in the mirror, I promise nothing ‘dark’ or Voodo-tastic will happen to you; it’s a safe word really. That Dark continent phase was just scare tactics.
Don’t get angry at Africans from the motherland for being proud of who we are. We have nothing to be ashamed of, all of mankind came through us! You are seriously starting to remind me of those outdated history books. I think you are the perfect candidate that seriously needs a trip around the motherland.
I never thought I’d see the day when I would agree with ‘Satanforce’, but early in this thread he said something about the ‘Black- American Gaze’ of Africa. I think that’s what you have Tyrone. If you as a Black American ONLY see yourself as ‘Black’. Good for you. If that label ALONE makes you feel whole and satisfied. Then so be it.
By the sounds of it, you could do with learning and appreciating the diversity of Africa. I would buy you an ‘Around Africa’ plane ticket because, but unfortunately the recession has hit my finances kinda hard..
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 14:25:47 resjan
It depends when you are talking about. The ancient Greeks, especially Herodotus, used “Aithiopia” to refer specifically to an organized country south of Egypt and the Thebaid.
“After forty days journey on land along the river [Nile], one takes another boat and in twelve days reaches a big city named Meroe, said to be the capital city of the Ethiopians”
Obviously, Ethiopia to the Greeks was synonymous with “Nubia” or “Kush” c. 450 BC
Herodotus also indicated that Ethiopia was a colonial empire:
“Ammonians who are a joint colony of Egyptians and Ethiopians, speaking a language between the two…”
Libya was initially the term for West Africa, and the Greeks mistakenly believed the Nile eventually flowed west (which of course was confused with the Niger River).
Not sure when, if ever, Ethiopia was synonymous with all Africa.
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 14:31:48 Eurasian Sensation
That statement says more about how you interpret history than how I do.
I think it’s beyond dispute that the Middle East was ahead of both Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of plant and animal domestication, and also the technological and cultural advances that accompany those things.
West Africa did develop agriculture independently (something Europe never did). But the drying up of the Sahara would have reduced the extent to which Middle Eastern innovations could flow to Africa. Perhaps my use of the term “barrier” sounds absolute; impediment is more correct a term. In any case, Europeans was blessed with a location from where they could absorb more readily from the Middle East than SS Africa.
I personally make no apologies about saying that black Africa was not as advanced technologically as certain other regions. What I am not saying for a second though, is that black Africans are any worse, or less intelligent or whatever because of it. In fact, I think Afrocentrists who are obsessed with claiming Egypt and whatever else as black (as opposed to brown or beige, for instance) fall into this trap. Whatever colour the Egyptians were makes absolutely no difference to how awesome one should believe black people to be. That anyone of the West African diaspora should tie their self esteem to the achievements of Egypt or Ethiopia is ridiculous IMO. The fact that Europeans and East Asians achieved a higher level of technological development is primarily due to luck, just as Diamond says.
“…as I said before upthread, but you may not have seen those earlier comments…”
I can’t really follow anything on this thread because every other post is B.R. talking to himself about intangible musical genius.
@ resjan:
“Ethiopians were not influenced by Europeans, it was the exact opposite.” I didn’t even say they were, but whatever. Ethiopian culture was influenced by the Middle East, and vice versa. Part of their genetic makeup is Caucasian (for want of a better term).
Re: “white” people along the northern coast of Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsian_culture
They were only black if you believe in the one-drop rule.
There are of course more rigorous sources than Wikipedia, but I really can’t be bothered.
Regarding “Pre-colonial Africa”, yes that does also include Africa prior to Arab invasion.
There are of course modern traditions and customs that are Arab or Euro influenced but have been ingrained as part of the African culture. Such as ways of worship that have been influenced by the imported religions of Christainity ans Islam. I think the great thing about Africans is the ability to make these foreign exports our own. Like for example, with Christianity, If you went to a typical Nigerian church, it would be very different to a church you’ll find in Buckinghamshire in England; even though it was the English missionaries that brought that same branch of Christianity to Nigeria. The hymns may be the same, but the dances, additional beats, dress code and vibe of the Nigerian church would be very ‘African’ in it’s essence. That ‘Africaness’ which I speak of existed prior to Arab and European interaction.
I’m not sure what you meant by this paragraph because I think it is basic knowledge that Europeans, Western Europe specifically DID colonise almost all of Africa, That’s why there are yearly celebrations of ‘Independence’ days. Heck, Britain even waited as recently as 1980 to give Zimbabwe independence!! (Rhodesia is a dirty word in my household).
So although, the European slave traders themselves may have not ventured further than the coastal towns and settled into mainland Africa, they set the ball rolling for the ’empires’ of western Europe to force their way in and take over.
Yes, I would most definitely consider the Arabs colonisers. To me personally, their enslavement and invasions in Africa (past and present) is just as important to remember as the more recent European ones.
So to answer your question, yes, regarding ‘precolonial Africa’ I would consider that Africa before European AND Arab invasions
I keep saying telling myself to make my last comment on this thread, but then I read something and I get sucked right back in!!! lol
Oh well, Eurasion sensation, another person frivilising the genius of pre colonial Africa..and, implicated that black Africans arnt as advanced back then so they couldnt have contributed anything…..!!!????
You have to be kidding….by way of European slavey, that black culture was ripped from Africa, and even though they tried to suffocate it, bury it and kill it off, that culture absolutly dominated the culture there in the Americas, and guess what, the whole world, even where you are sucking off all that black culture in the Americas right now ( you do know what cha cha, samba, funk etc is, right? I dont know any Aurstalian cultural musical contributions that are that well known right now)..you better get for real there …I guess that means nothing to people like him…..just take it all out of your life and see where you all would be…let alone the fact that the world could learn a whole whole lot about the philosophy and how to get in touch with the intuition and feeling ( you know ,like that old James Brown song ” I got the feeling…”, ) to learn how to live better in this world…oh, but you go on back , Eurasion sensation, and read your books and think you are getting what happened back then
not to mention the Dogon were advanced in astrology as far back as the Egyptions or more
Look people, you cant look at ancient Africa without understanding a big part of it is dance / drum ….
The problems with reading words is, every one starts making up make beleive ideas of what ancient africans were like…sorry to burst your bubbles, they have a lot to do with the music dance clips im bringing in
I beg to differ. What you fail to understand is that Ethiopians colonised the Middle East thousands of years ago. I don’t remember the Middle East ever colonising Ethiopia. If so, please alert me to your historical evidence (I already presented SOME of mine).Yes, Muhammed sought refuge in Ethiopia, but neither he nor any Arabian ever colonized it.
Ethiopia is a very diverse country, and the majority of indigenous Ethiopians,like the Hamer, Gurage, Afar, Oromo, etc. are not partly “Caucasian” (a 18th century, unscientific term invented by a racist based on a theory of classification of how beautiful he believed people were).
The “Caspian culture” article you referenced strongly suggests the African origins of the Caspian culture. One dead giveaway was the widespread use of “ostrich eggshells”. Ostriches are a “sub-Saharan” species. Also, N. African cave paintings that date to that era show dark brown people with some white animals (proving that they could have portrayed themselves with pale skin if they wanted to). Furthermore, the cranial measurements of the ancient Caspians do not fit the “caucasoid” classification (btw I don’t believe cranial classifications are a legitimate way of determining race), so new race names were invented by racist anthropologists to describe them. So, sorry, that’s not evidence of any prehistoric European presence in Africa. If you could somehow prove that the “Caspians” were paedophiles or zoophiles, then we might believe you.
Roxanne, thanks for your clarification….I will continue trying to use that terminology, even if i sometimes slip back in to the old terminology
I know what you mean about how Africans can make it their own, Its very important for me to concentrate on the cultures ive been tying together with out the Arab, Christian, European, and Islam , because, when you mix them, something gets lost from the original culture, which has these specific properties Im talking about . There are too many rules and restrictions and desire to bury the original concepts by the people who are trying to impose these outside influences on Africa.
I have to thank Dahoman X for at least admitting he is not an ethno musicologist, and I think he knows somewhat about what Im talking about, but, I really dont think its getting through here to everyone….Im not even an ethno musicologist, Im a decades old profesional musician who made a choice about what concepts are the most powerful for me and have put huge amounts of time in my life discovering what those concept are and trying to define them, something the sholars dont do, except maybe Dr Ani
And ive been in the precence of the highest leval of some of these practiicionors in cultureal centers in New York and then went to llive 25 years in a country that has the highest African population of any country in Africa except Nigeria ( or Afro descendant if you want to get technical), to really get gigantic insights to these concepts and the roots and origins and how they manifested in the Americas , that affects most all of us today…the whole world is revebrating to these concepts
Dont ever frivilise them…..ever
It’s the same with the Benin Empire. They were falsely branded as being “massive slave traders”, despite the fact that they had no need for the money gained, because they were already wealthy due to their own healthy economy. Eresoyen, who was the 61st Oba (king) in 1735, was shot at by a Dutch slave merchant named Willem Hogg, because he refused to help him recapture the blacks that sought refuge in Benin City.
http://www.edoworld.net/Edo_Warrior_Kingdom_Opposed_Atlantic_Slave_Trade.html
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 21:39:28 Satanforce
No, I am interested to know more about what is rarely mentioned about Africa’s past. For example, the letter from Mani-Congo, the ruler of a Congo state, who wrote this letter to King John III of Portugal in 1526:
That looks like it was taken from the excellent ‘King Leopold’s Ghost’, required reading for any educated layman interested in in Africa. There are also several good books about pre-Colonial Akan Empire on archive.org. I’ll make a Listmania on Amazon, and probably make short Abagond style reviews on my blog.
on Fri Aug 10th 2012 at 23:24:17 Dahoman X
I have to thank Dahoman X for at least admitting he is not an ethno musicologist, and I think he knows somewhat about what Im talking about
Actually, I’d be quite interested in hearing an ethno musicologist’s take on this. It is fascinating how music remains as central in diasporic African communities as it is on the Continent.
What about the Africans involved in the trade….
I.M.O., there is no continuity between the traditional forms of servitude and the transatlantic slave trade. They are 2 different things.
The kingdom of Dahomey, in the southern part of my country, was one of the main providers of the transatlantic slave trade. Slavery in Dahomey was basically a monopoly of the King and the European traders. To the point that the Dahomean official in charge of the slave trade was called Yovogan (literally “chief of the Whites” in fongbe).
on Sat Aug 11th 2012 at 01:48:35 Eurasian Sensation
I’m not belittling African culture, I’m just complaining that every other post on this thread is you talking about it to no one in particular. 5, 6 posts in a row… come on, man.
If I show you scientific evidence, you might just tell me it comes from white scientists and is not to be trusted. Thus it’s pointless to argue with you, really.
Btw, your citing ostrich eggs doesn’t prove that whoever was using them was black or otherwise.
Regarding “Caucasian”, I agree it’s an outdated term, but at least we know what it implies. I can use “West Eurasian” if you like. In any case, there is clear evidence of West Eurasian back-migration and genetic input in NE Africa. It’s not coincidence that out of all the people in Africa, those from the Horn look most like the people from the Middle East, which happens to be next door. Especially given the early development of farming and herding in the Middle East, which is obviously going to lead to population dispersal into nearby areas, including N and NE Africa. Do you really think that with the sudden increase in population in the Fertile Crescent caused by farming, none of those people are going to venture into Africa?
Many of the languages of Ethiopia (Amharic, Tigre, Gurage) stem from a migration from South Arabia about 2800 years ago. Look it up.
Likewise in N Africa, the Berbers are a mix of phenotypes, but many of them could pass for European. Zinedine Zidane the soccer player is a good example. They have a history in Africa that pre-dates the Arabs and Cyrene.
I’ve never said there were no black people in the very north of Africa. But there were clearly non-black people there too, for thousands of years. The cultures that developed there probably had elements of both; however, climate and terrain make it easier for people to move along the northern coast than across the desert.
on Sat Aug 11th 2012 at 02:11:38 Dahoman X
how did the King achieve this monopoly with the European traders?
It is assumed that Dahomey engaged in slave trade after 1727, when it invaded the then independent port of Ouidah. According to historian I. Akinjogbin, in the early years of its contact with Europeans the kingdom was reluctant to slavery (this is contested by other historians, tough).
I will try and find more details about how the whole thing was organized.
And what was the lasting impact of the Trade with Europeans on Dahomey?
It became crucial to its economy and its politics, as it was the main source of acquisition of european-made firearms. The kingdom was a military-oriented state whose kings had an obligation to increase their territory. Also, Dahomey was then a vassal of the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo and getting rid of this tutelage was kind of an obsession for the kings of Agbome. Independence was eventually achieved under King Ghezo in early 19th century.
The trade also provided tobacco, alcohol, cloths and luxury goods which were used in ceremonies and sacrifices organized in the capital.
One can imagine that the continuous military campaigns must have created a very chaotic environment.
Regarding the consequences of the slave trade at the continental level, one the best assessments IMO has been done by Louise- Marie Diop-Maes in her work on the evolution of the African demography between the 8th and 20th century:
rechearchers endeavoured to study the effects of the different slavery trades, and, more particularly within Black Africa itself. According to last the clarifications 22 to 26 million individuals at least, have left Subsaharian Africa in between 1550 to 1900 , either across The Atlantic (for more than half of them) , or across Sahara, The Red Sea and The Indian Ocean .But the losses are far from reflecting the whole of the demographicic effects on the large subsaharian triangle. Even before, the settling up of the slavery trade on a large scale, the Portugueses, the Arabs and Moroccans (1591) provoked many killed and mass destructions. This point is too often forgotten.During the following decades, ” The economic context of slave trade has greatly determined the bursting out of internal conflicts and civil wars, as well as the multiplication of country people’s fleecing “. Which is what C.BECKER and V.MARTIN observed in Senegambia.
The rich towns on the Eastern coast, which remains are still visible , have been destructed, Mozambic and Zambezia, have been ruined, as well as Kongo, Angola, and by other means , the loop of the Niger. The ancient kingdoms and the Empires broke up. Slave trade caused at the same period many shifts in population which did not take place without clashes.During about three centuries , by force of circumstances, nearly all the kingdoms, reduced to the size of principalities, accumulated slaver prisoners of war to be given in exchange with firearms and diverse European or Arabic goods. In Congo, in Dahomey, in Senegal, some kings tried to rebel against slave exportation, but it was in vain. The system was the strongest. The percentage of slaves in the population became enormous (nearly half of it). ” The birth rate of a servile population is often low “ [68][69]. The slaves were distributed among marketplaces, slaveries,slave/reserve villages, under the prince’s authority and lastly notables and individuals.C.BECKER notes in Senegambia the depopulation of the border regions in between the kingdoms; these areas are reconquered by the bush or the forest ” although they were densively populated areas “ [70].
Similar phenomenons are observed in almost all regions:(Fuuta Jallon, Benin,Oyo, Dahomey, (cf. the paper given by B.BARRY and that of J.E.INIKORI at the colloquium in Nantes). In Kongo and in Angola it was even worse.W.G.L.RANDLES reports, according to the Portuguese archives, that thousands of warriers were killed and a vast crowd of slaves were captured in Angola by the Portugueses themselves. The inland population, had ” seriously decreased “ because of the internal wars, of the plunders to capture slaves and the results of smallpox, as Manuel FERNANDES puts it himself (1670). The region of Ambacca had lost in 1782, the 2/3 of its inhabitants [71].
Indeed there has been the building up of new harbour-towns along the Atlantic coast, but also, at some certain variable distances around and specially inland, the emptying of people from plundering, burning down, and stealing, ” carrying away to slavery all those they possibly could “. The cultures, he writes, were abandonned, famine settled down for good. ” One witnessed a dreadfull decline of the Negro civilisation… the warrior becoming thereafter the unique master.
The Pax maliana was but a vague remembrance of the golden age of Sudan “.The villages settle on easily defendable but difficult to cultivate high points,autochthonous arts and crafts are withering so is the inter regional trade of local goods (which was, and we have proofs of it, very busy before).
http://www.ankhonline.com/revue/diop_lm_history_evolution_africa_population.htm
on Sat Aug 11th 2012 at 13:44:18 resjan
1.There is no evidence of Asian or European migration to Africa prior to 3000 BC. There is ample evidence of African migration to Europe and Asia as early as 60,000 BC to present. You don’t seem to comprehend that Arabisation of North Africa comes much much later in history.
For some genetic and historical background, see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC379148/
It says “They observed a high degree of genetic homogeneity among the NW African Y chromosomes of Moroccan Arabs, Moroccan Berbers, and Saharawis, leading the authors to hypothesize that “the ARABIZATION and Islamization of NW Africa, starting during the 7th CENTURY AD”
Furthermore, “LITTLE is known of the origins of the indigenous population of the Maghrib, the Berbers, EXCEPT that they have always been a COMPOSITE people. After the 8th century CE, a process of ARABIZATION affected the BULK of the Berbers”
So Zidane, and most other so-called “berbers” have Arab ancestry (i.e. are NOT indigenous).
2. Semitic languages come from Africa. The oldest evidence of a Semitic script comes from the Nile river valley in southern Egypt (Wadi el-Hol), and the oldest evidence of a “South Arabian” script comes from pre-Axumite Ethiopia. They predate anything ever found in West Asia, FYI. There is also much much greater Semitic language diversity in Africa, which further supports the African origin of these languages.
Many historians, such as Herodotus (c. 450 BC), attested to the presence of ancient Ethiopians in Arabia: “But there are also a great many other tribes of the ETHIOPIANS, some of them dwelling in the land lying on both banks of the Nile and on the islands in the river, others inhabiting the neighbouring country of ARABIA…”
3. I pointed out the widespread use of ostrich eggshells to say it implies a “sub-saharan” origin of the “Caspians,” since ostriches are a “sub-saharan” species. I don’t recall saying anything about “black”. Again, there is no evidence to suggest Eurasians migrated to Africa anywhere near that period of time.
I understand your viewpoint. It’s the same one invented by racists in the late 1700s/ early 1800s to make Africa seem uncivilised and the Eurasians as the civilised. There is evidence of agriculture in Africa that is just as old as anything ever found in Asia, BTW, and domestication of cattle in Africa thousands of years before Asia.
Civilization along the Nile surpassed anything found anywhere else in the ancient world, as attested by historians around the ancient world:
“Concerning Egypt itself I shall extend my remarks to a great length, because there is no country that possesses so many wonders, nor any that has such a number of works which defy description. ” (Herodotus)
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 01:00:15 Eurasian Sensation
It’s ironic, we can hear people talk about the white-washing of black history, but you’ve just done the same thing by claiming the Berbers as all black. The link you posted says the Berbers were a COMPOSITE population; what the article implies is not clear, but I would read that as having more than just sub-Saharan ancestry.
Another way to read the data of that article, by the way, is that Berbers and Arabs have genetic similarities not just because Berbers were Arabized, but also because those who consider themselves Arabs today were once Berbers. Meaning that they became culturally Arab while still being genetically largely Berber. This happens commonly when a conquering elite imposes its culture on a subject people – an example is Sudan, where the Sudanese Arabs are still primarily Nubian/Nilotic – they are more culturally than genetically Arab. Turkey is another example – the people are genetically similar to Greeks but speak the language of the Central Asian Turks who conquered Anatolia.
Here’s a completely different interpretation of genetic data:
“Both Arabic and Berber-speaking populations live in Tunisia. Berbers are commonly considered as in situ descendants of peoples who settled roughly in Palaeolithic times, and posterior demographic events such as the arrival of the Neolithic, the Arab migrations, and the expulsion of the “Moors” from Spain, had a strong cultural influence. Nonetheless, the genetic structure and the population relationships of the ethnic groups living in Tunisia have been poorly assessed. In order to gain insight into the paternal genetic landscape and population structure, more than 40 Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms and 17 short tandem repeats were analyzed in five Tunisian ethnic groups (three Berber-speaking isolates, one Andalusian, and one Cosmopolitan Arab). The most common lineage was the North African haplogroup E-M81 (71%), being fixed in two Berber samples (Chenini–Douiret and Jradou), suggesting isolation and genetic drift. Differential levels of paternal gene flow from the Near East were detected in the Tunisian samples (J-M267 lineage over 30%); however, no major sub-Saharan African or European influence was found.”(http://dienekes.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/tunisian-y-chromsomes-and-mtdna.html)
“There is evidence of agriculture in Africa that is just as old as anything ever found in Asia, BTW, and domestication of cattle in Africa thousands of years before Asia.”
And I’m sure you can find links to it, and I’m sure I can find links to say otherwise. That’s the wonderful thing about the internet.
FWIW, independently developed agriculture is about 9000 years old in the Middle East, 8000 years old in China, and maybe 4000 years old in Africa, and about the same in the Americas. But you know what? It’s not a race. Whoever done it first doesn’t get a prize for being more clever.
“I understand your viewpoint. It’s the same one invented by racists in the late 1700s/ early 1800s to make Africa seem uncivilised and the Eurasians as the civilised.”
Just as your viewpoint is the one invented in the 20th century to make black African history seem more grandiose.
One thing you may not get about me – I’m just concerned with historical accuracy. I don’t have an agenda to make any race seem better or worse here. If it turns out that the ancient Berbers and Egyptians and Ethiopians WERE completely black African with no trace of Eurasian DNA, then that’s fine. It makes no difference to my life and doesn’t actually effect anything in this world. It wouldn’t make it any better or worse to be white, and it wouldn’t make it any better or worse to be black. However, it’s just not correct. I’m interested in the scientific perspective, which means trying to establish the truth. The Afrocentrist perspective is about trying to establish the truth only so long as it fits the narrative of African greatness.
The Afrocentrist perspective of claiming Ancient Egypt as an example of how great black civilization can be is actually just buying into the same twisted logic that white racists have: namely that a race’s worth can be measured by its capacity for advanced culture and technology. Here’s what I mean: Just say someone is Melanesian, from New Guinea. Now, Melanesians have never invented a civilisation on the scale of Ancient Egypt, and were not advanced as the kingdoms of West Africa. I don’t think they ever had writing until the 20th century. Does that mean that Melanesians are inferior to Europeans, Asians and Africans, because they didn’t invent these things? Hell no. Just because my ancestors did this or that doesn’t make me any better as a human being. Melanesian cultures, African cultures, European cultures – they are fine as they are without having to falsely inflate their achievements.
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 01:35:59 SomeGuy
If it turns out that the ancient Berbers and Egyptians and Ethiopians WERE completely black African with no trace of Eurasian DNA, then that’s fine.
I just wanted to quickly say this.
Even the father of the modern day Afrocentric movement, Chancellor Williams, admits in his book “The Destruction of Black Civilization” (which I own and have read several times) that the Egyptians were a people composed of Blacks and mulattoes who were Black Africans mixed with White Asiatic people of Upper Egypt. So, I really don’t see how anyone can claim Blacks within the movement say that the Egyptians were just Black Africans. Hell, even Dr. John Henrik Clarke says the Egyptians eventually became a mixed race over the thousands of years of it’s existence.
I think what is important is that the actual claim is that Egypt has it’s origins in so-called Black Africa; not that it was just Black or was always Black.
Personally, I care more about the advancement of Blacks NOW more than history, but thought I’d toss in my two cents.
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 02:02:02 phoebeprunelle
So, I really don’t see how anyone can claim Blacks within the movement say that the Egyptians were just Black Africans. Hell, even Dr. John Henrik Clarke says the Egyptians eventually became a mixed race over the thousands of years of it’s existence.
Yeah he did say this…but not before clarifying that Kemet had 10,000 years of all black dynasties and populations before any penetration of “others”. This was proven by Diop’s research and genetic testing of so called mummies.
You should also check out what Dr. Spencer Wells and Dr. Michael Bradley (both white scholars) have to say on the matter; if you haven’t already done so.Their theories are not entirely different than the “Afrocentrists”.
I think people have it twisted to say Ethiopians and Kemites–which were the same folk were “mixed”.
Like i said; Dr. Spencer Wells and Dr. Michael Bradley will tell you different–i mean since so many black people like to rely on white scholarship; anyway you don’t even have to take their word for it…the ancient Hippocrates had no problem giving credit where it is due…
The Afrocentrist perspective is about trying to establish the truth only so long as it fits the narrative of African greatness.
So what about the Eurocentrist’s perspective that causes them to lie, distort and manipulate certain truths out of history to fit their narratives of European/white greatness???
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 02:37:48 B. R.
Good points , Phebeprunelle …..
I see the things I brought in and see profoundness , genius, depth, and conceps that lead into today that affect places in the world , deeply..its extremly quantifiable and tangeble for me.
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 02:38:13 Cornlia
“black”, “white”, “mixed”, “race”, these are all recent concepts that are total anachronisms in an Ancient Egyptian context.
Why does everyone still want to rely on the theory of races to describe things. It is giving it to much importance.
I think it is a very American vision of things (from most Americans), nowadays, that tends to racialize anything and everything, thereby confusing facts and making it even more difficult to counteract racists. Unfortunately.
Yeah he did say this…but not before clarifying that Kemet had 10,000 years of all black dynasties and populations before any penetration of “others”.
Considering that Egyptian dynasties only lasted around 4,000 years, I don’t see how he could have possibly stated this. In fact, I’m fairly certain he didn’t. If you can quote that from his book, I will gladly retract my statement.
I’m only speaking in Afrocentric terms and I’m not saying if I agree or disagree with those terms.
I think you can most certainly apply modern day racial labels on any Human population. Aren’t they arbitrary classification to begin with anyway? Do I agree with doing that? It depends. Is there a benefit to doing so?
If I am an Islander who looks African (although Europeans are more related to Africans than Africans are to Islanders) and I go down to Mississippi and roam into Klan country, is that Klanman going to give two f*cks if I am an actual African or not? He’s going to see a Black face and that’s all there is to it. You can argue that racial classifications are bullsh*t, but as long as you can still get killed for being Black, you cannot simply dismiss them as being outdated. You cannot sit there and say “Why haven’t we gotten past this yet?”. We haven’t and, like it or not, race exists in the minds of men who can kill you.
Umm he doesn’t state it in his book, but in the film about his work and research “A Great and Mighty Walk”….you can look it up on youtube i am sure.
@ phoebebrunelle:
Of course this has happened in the course of history, and I am saying that the Afrocentrist perspective is guilty of exactly the same thing, just with a different colour attached.
It’s hard to have a reasoned debate with an impassioned Afrocentrist, because whatever scientific data is shown to them that refutes their argument, they can dismiss it with the comeback that whoever compiled that data is being “Eurocentric” and therefore cannot be trusted.
@ phoebeprunelle
I do want to say that I believe there were several major civilizations within and around Africa far before pre-recorded history; civilizations that were destroyed and left little to no records. I have no proof of these things, of course, but I still think there are things we will probably never know about the past.
@Someguy,
I perfectly understand, this is just debating to me :-)…
I agree with you on this point. However, there is no global Historical Authority and basically anyone with enough time and money can research anything and write a book. This goes for people who work for universities as well. So, history is not really something that is unified and the left hand can be doing something the right is completely unaware of.
This is the primary reason for my loss of interest in history. It’s far too easy to manufacture, obfuscate, and distort information. Also, as I’ve stated before, I really don’t think people learn from history any way. It’s used to be a nice way to pass the time; now it’s just irrelevant – to me anyhow.
There is also much much greater Semitic language diversity in Africa, which further supports the African origin of these languages.
That is easily explained by history; there is less language diversity in Arabia because the rise of Islam led to a more homogeneous linguistic and cultural identity in Arabia. Ethiopia’s Semitic languages are still around because the groups that speak them were more fragmented and were not assimilated by a cultural juggernaut like Arabic/Islamic culture.
Here is genetic data showing the mixed heritage of Ethiopians:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/01/the-genetic-affinities-of-ethiopians/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 04:45:05 resjan
1. It’s clear to me you are deliberately misconstruing my statements. I never said all berbers were black–not once. I simply pointed to a genetic study that suggests most modern so-called “berbers” along the NW African coast have significant Arab ancestry (and the blog you referenced does not refute this), due to the well known migration from Arabia that commenced in the 7th century AD. I also pointed out that there is no evidence of migration from Asia or Europe prior to 3000 BC, and you have yet to prove otherwise.
2. My viewpoint is shared by ancient historians whose own attestations I have presented to you, and supported by archaeological evidence. What you fail to realise about “Egypt” is that it began in the south by Africans:
Diodorus (c. 60 BC): “Osiris being come to the borders of Ethiopia, raised high banks on either side of the river, lest, in the time of its inundation it should overflow the country more than was convenient make it marish and boggy; and made flood-gates to let in the water by degrees, as far as was necessary. Thence he passed through Arabia, bordering upon the Red sea as far as to India, and the utmost coasts that were inhabited; he built likewise many cities in India, one of which he called Nysa”
Diodorus’ statement was made nearly 2000 years ago, not in the 20th century. So, if anyone is a revisionist it is you and the other racist historians with your viewpoint.
South of “Egypt” you will find plenty of archaeological evidence of the foundations of pre-dynastic culture. Here are some archaeological sites as evidence: Wadi Kubbaniya (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wadi/hd_wadi.htm — note the article states, “These sites demonstrate that the early inhabitants of the Nile valley and its nearby deserts had learned how to exploit local environments, developing economic strategies that were maintained in later cultural traditions of pharaonic Egypt.”), Jebel Sahaba, Wadi Halfa, etc.
I understand you are desperate to separate ancient “Egypt,” N. Africa, etc. from Africa and credit Asia and Europe when you have absolutely no evidence to do so. I never stated that Africans need Egypt to legitimise their intelligence or self-worth, I simply refuted your erroneous notions that ancient Egyptian and N. African civilisations came from Eurasia. All evidence points to their southern origins.
With regard to Ethiopians, I’ll try to be more clear this time: They were the first to colonise Arabia. Arabia never colonised Ethiopia. I am aware that Muhammed and others sought refuge in Ethiopia, as aforementioned.
The article you referenced suggests, “Ethiopians lack any of the other Middle Eastern components besides the one modal in Saudi Arabia” (it also points out that the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia are least Asiatic). Equally, most Arabians, particularly Yemenis, have “sub-saharan” African genes, and are closer genetically with Africans than western europeans:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/10/59/
All I’m arguing is that Ethiopians entered Arabia first, and much much much later, some Arabians sought refuge in Ethiopia, which can be proven. I’ll remind you that ancient historians like Herodotus contradict your theories:
“But there are also a great many other tribes of the ETHIOPIANS, some of them dwelling in the land lying on both banks of the Nile and on the islands in the river, others inhabiting the neighbouring country of ARABIA…”
As to Semitic languages, again, they originated in Africa….see the wadi el-hol inscription in southern egypt, or the pre-aksumite “south Arabian” script in Ethiopia, both of which predate anything found in West Asia.
You inferred that Berbers only look Caucasian because they mixed with the Arabs.
This article reiterates what I said earlier: that Arab-Islamic conquest was more cultural than genetic:
“Attested presence of Caucasian people in Northern Africa goes up to Paleolithic times. From the archaeological record it has been proposed that, as early as 45,000 years ago (ya), anatomically modern humans, most probably expanded the Aterian stone industry from the Maghrib into most of the Sahara [1]. More evolved skeletal remains indicate that 20,000 years later the Iberomaurusian makers, replaced the Aterian culture in the coastal Maghrib. Several hypothesis have been forwarded concerning the Iberomaurusian origin. They can be resumed in those which propose an arrival, from the East, either from the Near East or Eastern Africa, and those which point to west Mediterranean Europe, either from the Iberian Peninsula, across the Gibraltar Strait, or from Italy, via Sicily, as their most probable homeland [2]. Between 10,000 and 6,000 ya the Neolithic Capsian industry flourished farther inland. The historic penetration in the area of classical Mediterranean cultures, ending with the Islamic domination, supposed a strong cultural influx. However, it seems that the demic impact was not strong enough to modify the prehistoric genetic pool.”
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC270091/)
Remember as well that a lot of the current sub-Saharan African presence in North Africa is the legacy of the slaves brought there by Arabs. Counter to the idea that the Arabs made North Africa more “white”, they may have actually made it more “black”.
Regarding Diodorus: aside from the obvious pinch of salt needed when taking the word of 2000 year old historians as fact… he’s talking about Osiris. A GOD.
I’m not trying to say Europeans had anything to do with Egypt. Egypt was indigenous African with influences from the Middle East. However, not all Africans are black. Ancient Egyptians were predominantly like modern Egyptians; Mediterranean/Middle Eastern types who had been in North Africa since the Paleolithic, with some Cushitic/Nilotic admixture which increased moving southward. The Coptic Christians of Egypt, who are the least Arabized in their country and whose liturgical language is descended from ancient Egyptian, fit that same description.
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 07:57:15 sam
@cornilia;
And in my mind, ok egyptians might have been this or that color, but I really do not care weather they were blue or green or purple, the main thing is this: they were africans. It was an african civilization. It was there when we guys in europe were not actually composing religious texts, debating politics, practising medicine with brain surgeries etc. what ever they were doing already then.
Debating about the color of their skin is kind of, well, american in a way. Who cares what was their skin color? Look at the africans now. Their skin color ranges from the pale berbers to the darkest in the planet BUT they are all africans.
For me it seem somehow strange that we, outsiders, still look at Africa as a Black continent, a Dark continent, this or that, and somehow refuse to realize that is is cotinent which is more diverse than whole Asia from Afganistan to Korea and Indonesia.
And guys, white guys, really… Old Egypt was african thing trough and trough. Yes, those pyramids and all those stuff, africans did them. Really. And ethiopians? Yes, they are also africans. That is a fact. And I don’t care about their skin colors, hues or shades, hair styles, lipstick colors, make ups, fashions, jewelries or none of that. They were and are all africans. Period.
That is why you have to look at the culture…and see where the real origins are….you can see the Islamic cultural ties, you can see the Christian cultural ties, the Arab influence, the European influence..
Take all that away and see what you have
The fact that the San and Pygmies are more phenotype similar to the other people next to them compared to the differant phenotypes you can find to the north, is less important that there are unified concepts to these diverse groups and real differances from others.
Culture trumps nationality also… I mean , lots of these countries have changed names and borders even recently…how can nationality be any way to judge who the people are also and identify themselves? Most of these borders are or were difined by colonisers also
“All Africans” doesnt satisfy me either, since I live on a continent that has the same thing, and, its very awkward to me to lump Brazil into a bunch of other countries with differant languages and cultures .But I can show you cultural similaritites in Afro diasporic religious rites from Candomble from Brazil, VooDoo from Haiti and Santera from Cuba
Hi Someguy,
You said (I don’t know how you guy manage to quote others here): I think you can most certainly apply modern day racial labels on any Human population. Aren’t they arbitrary classification to begin with anyway?
Can you re-read what you just wrote here ? Isn’t it totally contradictory ?
“Do I agree with doing that? It depends. Is there a benefit to doing so?
Of course, KKK members and racists are racist and believe in the BS. But should you ? Should you justify it by explaining thousands of years-old facts based on THEIR theory ? How will you then reject their assertions that Egyptian were white if you stand on the same a-scientific and anachronistic ground ?
WHERE did I imply what you put in my mouth : “Why haven’t we gotten past this yet ?” Nowhere and never. We are not on a KKK blog here. This is a blog that, it seems to me, tries to explain things with a scientific (in the sense that it tries to observe facts as they are) and therefore knowledgeable approach. Using the racists’ approach simply doesn’t work. There are African scholars who adopt the same stance, they consider a racist/racialist approach as alienating (which it is) and try to not use racial vocabulary to analyze African facts (even though it is difficult because racialism has penetrated all of our minds.
That doesn’t mean that they reject the fact that most people live in the illusion of race being a fact. But it is a belief and has no place in analyzing history that predates it by thousands of years.
even though I suggest that we do not use the racial references to analyze antiquity, I am not saying that I don’t care about the color of the people we are referring to. I simply think we should be very careful not to perpetuate race-ism by using it in a scientific/historical context.
I say very clearly that the Ancient Egyptian were dark-skinned people, like most of the inhabitants of Africa, some VERY dark-skinned, that doesn’t mean I have to rely on the theory of races.
It still bothers racists (which I like when it does), because they would like to be able to say “they were white”, or to sound more modern or scientific: “they were leucoderms”.
No, they weren’t, they weren’t green either, they were dark brown. What the theory of races assembled as one “race”, that they called black.
So I am very careful not to evacuate the fact of their dark skin. Do you see what I mean ?
@cornilia:
Yes, I agree completely. As a person who has been in Egypt for some time and who has seen a lot of drawings, pictures and paintings etc. of the acient egyptians I totally agree. I also am convinced that the more southern culture of Nile was the original birth place of the whole thing, Nubia that is, people whom egyptians presented in their paintings and drawings being as darker than themselves.
But the debate on the idea that Egypt was white/non black/black seems to override the one fact that, no matter what color of the skin the egyptians had at that time, they were africans. Period.
To conclude, I think that it is time we stopped giving racists the impression that they are “right”, because they are not.
Why then use their words, when we can describe things otherwise. Their words participate in the subjugation that is essential to the theory of races. There is no theory without the words. It’s quite simple. It doesn’t mean denying people their own actual skin color or darkness or lightness. It just takes away the manipulation that has been working so well for so many years, to the point that the very victim of that theory sometimes tend to claim it for themselves.
This is the things that racists hate the most: when you take away their essence. They die.
President Obama calls himself Black, but is really Mixed Race. Isn’t that totally contradictory? Semantics.
Of course, KKK members and racists are racist and believe in the BS. But should you ? Should you justify it by explaining thousands of years-old facts based on THEIR theory ?
I simply think we should be very careful not to perpetuate race-ism by using it in a scientific/historical context.
You are misunderstanding my intention. I am playing “devil’s advocate”.
No, when you take away their life they die.
@ Cornlia
Let me ask you this:
First, you say:
even though I suggest that we do not use the racial references to analyze antiquity, I am not saying that I don’t care about the color of the people we are referring to.
Can you explain this, because it sounds like you want to have your cake and eat it too. If you don’t believe in racial profiling, why should you care what color the Ancient Egyptians were? Do you want to ban the racial system or not? Do you wish for a color coded system, which is basically the same thing?
@Cornlia,
Yea, i gotta agree with Someguy on this one…
I’m not saying you don’t have a point but i think its faulty for us to assume that people in antiquity did not have a sense of how they looked in comparison to others… Sheba said it many times that she was “black” and comely–and was this not in ancient times?
Rememeber, Moses caught hell for marrying a dark skinned black chick–yes?
on Sun Aug 12th 2012 at 16:01:03 Origin
Exactly. They were indigenous African people and many aspects of their culture testify to that. Skin colour is barely relevant since Africans possess a range of hues just as Europeans do. Your average Scandinavian is much fairer than Mediterranean types and there is variation even within a given geographical location. The Aegean and Italian peninsulas are unquestionably European but racism can separate an ancient region that’s smack-dab in contiguous continental Africa from its Africanness. That’s the “exceptional negro” phenomenon on steroids. It is truly remarkable that so many people (black and white) accept such nonsense without question. “The matrix”.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 04:08:03 resjan
1. It’s important to separate speculation from evidence. “Attested presence of Caucasian people in Northern Africa goes up to Paleolithic times” is an opinion, and the genetic study you cited does not even attempt to prove it. It is completely irrelevant.
The study attempts to find the origins of U6 and concludes “The most PROBABLE origin of the proto-U6 lineage was the Near East”, despite the fact of U6 prevalence in places like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Canaries. It is a HYPOTHESIS. Even if it is a correct hypothesis, how do you know what were the physical characteristics of the proto-u6 carriers?
2. Your statement, “a lot of the current sub-Saharan African presence in North Africa is the legacy of the slaves brought there by Arabs” shows your ignorance about the great diversity in that region.
All stereotypically “sub-saharan” Africans who live in N. Africa are not genetically or culturally the same and did not arrive at the same time. Some are recent immigrants and some have thousands of years of family history in that region. Furthermore, all “berbers” (a european term) are not genetically or culturally the same. Many Tuaregs, Gnawas, Siwas, etc are closer genetically to “sub-saharan” Africans, but have lived in N. Africa before any “Arab” slave trade existed.
You seem to disregard a big part of N. African history: the OTTOMAN colonisation (1500s – 1800s). The Ottomans portrayed themselves with pale skin and enslaved as many (if not more) EUROPEAN christian slaves as “sub-saharan” Africans. This undoubtedly changed the genetic makeup of that region.
3. It is debatable whether Osiris was a person who was later deified or a purely mythological figure…I won’t debate it now. But, Diodorus also said, “Now the Ethiopians, as historians relate, were the first of all men and the proofs of this statement, they say, are manifest. For they did not come into their land as immigrants from abroad but were natives of it.”
4. “Egypt was indigenous African with influences from the Middle East.” Please prove that ancient Egypt prior to 2000 BC had “influences from the Middle East” (assuming you mean West Asia). This is more of your speculation.
5. I never said all Africans are “black”! There you go again misconstruing my assertions. I personally don’t think any of them are black, rather various shades brown or pale.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 04:48:15 Eurasian Sensation
Ok, since my summation of the scientifically accepted consensus will clearly never satisfy you, let me ask you 2 questions so I can better understand your vision of what Egypt looked like.
1. What kind of Africans were the Egyptians?
Obviously Africa is genetically diverse. Were they Nilotes, akin to the South Sudanese? Were they akin to the people who left West Africa in the Bantu expansion? Were they related to the pygmies of Central Africa, or perhaps the San of Southern Africa? Were they Cushitic-types like the Oromo?
2. In that ancient world, where did the range of “African” people end, and where did the range of “West Asian” people begin?
Did they all mutually agree to stick to their respective continents? Or was there some kind of gradient where people had a mix of both genetic components – if so where was this?
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 08:44:24 Giggles
You forgot a race of Aficans in a manner that can only be described as racist. you forgot the Boer people in South Africa. They are as African as anyone having had their entire culture and nation born and raised on African soil. There is no other place in the world besides South Africa where this race is evident. The Boer’s in South Africa are an African race whether black Africans like it or not. They are indigenous to Southern Africa.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 09:13:54 B. R.
The problem is, the “darker skinned” people always get the shaft in looking back at history and defining who has made contributions to humanity. The Dogon’s knew many things about the stars that equal what the Egyptions did, but, no one ever talks about that in history books….
There has to be some way to define how the “darker skinned ” people have contributed to civilisation and humanity…that is what will get lost in “they are all Africans”…noted Roxannes solution “pre-colonian Africa”
We are just getting tripped up on semantics…its about intent, the “racists” will just find ways to twist any new ways to define these things so people really have to look at intent
Good point about the Berbers, I saw youtubes where they are differant shades and looks….you know, I just listen to their music and its obvious to me they are on the cusp of what was happening south and of the Arab influences….anthropologists and arceologists ought to learn how to listen to culture , besides dialects, also, it would tell them a lot
Many of the hard sciences are in direct concflict about what was happening back then….so much is changed by the next discovery, how can people be stuck on positions when there might be something new discovered that might blow everything out of the water..Id say the youtubes of the folklorical cultures are the living snapshots…
No one really paid attention to the stuff I found on Kwamla’s site that indicates a 75,000 year old site that was enourmous in south Africa that was built around gold digging
I understand the point about the Boers, there were also many Indians that came over to work in countries in south Africa also who have made up a part of that cultural makeup in those areas
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 09:27:59 Dahoman X
Giggles indeed…
Someone here needs to look up the word “indigenous” in a dictionary.
@Dahoman X – Indigenous means: belonging to a certain place. The Boer people of South Africa are a race unto themselves. They are NOT European. They are indigenous to South Africa with their own language, traditions etc – you know NOTHING about South African history if you refute that. The Bantu people are also NOT indigenous to South Africa. So I think you need to do a little more research before you say stupid things.
@ Giggles
I gave Europeans the last 18 words of the post. Given that they have only been in Africa for the past 2.77% of the 13,000 years that the post covers, I should have given them at most 14 words. So if anything this post favours them more than it should.
I would so love to know why you hate white people so much? And FYI – the BOER people are NOT Europeans but are an indigenous race exclusive to South Africa.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/do-i-hate-white-people/
I mean that the boer (or Afrikaner) RACE was created in Africa. The boers are NOT as most people would like to believe purely European in descent. No, they are a race that is uniquely made up in South Africa from roughly 1600 of European (all over Europe and not 1 little country), African, Cape Malay and San descent. A RACE all on their own.
Most Afrikaner families have between 5% and 7% non-white ancestry, such as Khoi African, Indonesian and Indian, as the early Dutch settlement at the Cape allowed inter-racial marriage. During the Apartheid era, race classification was based on appearance and there were many borderline cases.
South Africans of British descent are considered a separate ethnic group from Afrikaners, and their first language is English.
And yes. The people born and raised in Africa are indigenous to Africa. You may be black but you are NOT an African. Even with my white skin I’m more African than you could ever hope to be.
You can point me to your self-serving rant all you want. All you want to do is been to be “tolerant” of your “aggressors” as far as possible yo justify your hatred which is blatant in your posts.
I’m guessing deep-seated inferiority complex. You hate whites because you yourself are not and can never be white. You assume that all are the same and that all have the same opportunities. That is American arrogance.
@ Giggles (I really love your name, man)
Indigenous means: belonging to a certain place.
In ecology and geography (fauna, plants, etc…), yes. But when talking of human beings, the indigenous people = the original peoples of the region.
That’s why white descendants of Englishmen (and other Europeans) are NOT considered indigenous in Australia, despite them not being European, being “born and raised” in Australia and having their own culture.
By the way, according to your reasoning, I suppose that white Americans too are indigenous to North Americas, right?
Regarding the Boers:
Afrikaners (including the Boer subgroup) are a Germanic ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from Dutch (including Flemish),French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch , and a variety of other languages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaner
Translation: they are recent immigrants of European genetic makeup speaking a mostly germanic (=european) language.
Would you disagree with this?
Even with my white skin I’m more African than you could ever hope to be.
Ooooh. Priceless.
So, not only is he African, but he is more African than anybody else…
@ Giggles:
After you look up “indigenous” in the dictionary, I think you also need to look up what the word “race” means, buddy.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 14:58:37 SomeGuy
Why so hostile, my African brother?
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 15:04:18 sam
@someguy: He is a boer, check out their history and you’ll understand.
@giggles: You talk about race with a gusto of some one who really, really believes in them. Heres a news flash for you: there is biologically only one human race in this planet.
1. What is the “scientifically accepted consensus”? The idea that “Caucasians” (an unscientific term) populated N. Africa prior to 3000 BC has never been proven. It may be an “accepted consensus” by some, but it hasn’t been “scientifically” proven. Besides, genetics disproves the definition of the antiquated term, “Caucasoid.”
The genetic study you referenced only sampled different living individuals with the u6 subclades in an attempt to HYPOTHESIZE the origin of a proto-u6 marker. The facts in the study were the results of the genetic sampling. The rest about origins and history is unsubstantiated.
2. Your question, “What kind of Africans were the ancient Egyptians” shows a basic lack of understanding about that civilisation. “Egypt” or Ha Ka Ptah was only part of the empire called Ta-Merry. The entire empire contained 42 different nomes (sepats) with varying cultural practices and identities. By 3000 BC, all of them were given a specific number, starting with number 1 in Ta-Seti, the southernmost sepat.
Since Bes (the childbirth deity) and Ptah (who supposedly created the world) are the oldest deities of that region and they are both portrayed as dwarfs, we can deduce that “pygmies” or Batwa were the pioneers. It’s also interesting that “Ptah” and “Batwa” are phoenetically similar.
But one thing is certain, the oldest archaeological evidence of the foundations of dynastic “Egyptian” culture comes from the region well to the south, (again, see Wadi Kubbaniya, Jebel Sahaba, Wadi Halfa, et al. Thus I don’t know why, with no evidence, you are so compelled to suggest some Asian influence.
3. It depends on what part of “ancient history” you are talking about. The first migration out of Africa, according to archaeological evidence, occurred between 60,000 and 70,000 years ago–so Africans populated both Europe and Asia at that time.
I gather your real question is what was the first empire and what was its extent. We have archaeological evidence that Mentuhotep II (c. 2000 BC) went as far south as Lake Chad and there is a 5000 year old “Egyptian” tomb in Israel. We also see temples in Iran (e.g. Persopolis c. 500 BC) that are very similar in style to “Egyptian” architecture. We are also told by several ancient historians that many Africans colonised the world. For example, Herodotus said, ” the Egyptians said they believed that the Colchians were a portion of the army of Sesostris.” Both Diodorus and Strabo’s accounts were consistent with this.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 15:25:29 Cornlia
President explained why in a very subtle way, when faced with a question on a talk show. He basically -but very subtly- told his interviewer that this is a racist country with a colonial mindset, and that “he” didn’t call himself that, but that this society called himself that.
“No, when you take away their life they die.”… Now, that’s was a bright statement, wasn’t it ? You know very well what I meant, Someguy.
As well as here:
“even though I suggest that we do not use the racial references to analyze antiquity, I am not saying that I don’t care about the color of the people we are referring to”
One, I was replying to Sam, in the context of his post. Two, I position myself outside of “race”, not outside of ACTUAL skin colors, ranging from very light beige to very dark brown, which are DESCRIPTIVE, I’m not positioning myself within colors as in “races” -white, black, yellow, red-, and I’m pretty you did get that too, which are IDEOLOGICAL.
You ask me this:
I hope my explanation above is clear.
Racial profiling is a tool of racism, that is based on racial definitions (very different ones sometimes from one country to the other) linked to development of colonial rules.
Caring about the COLORs of the skins of people who have been debased and looked down upon is NOT racial profiling. It is simply describing.
You understand very well that I think we should find ways to not refer to the racial system (we know very well what the effects have been and are, and they were purposely so), and you do get what I mean.
I NEVER implied that I “wish for a color coded system”, don’t put words or ideas in my mouth and minds, I’m saying that Ancient Egyptians were Africans AND dark-skinned (dark-skinned, that’s not a color) and that THIS is contrary to what Eurocentrists want us to believe.
You also know very well that it is very difficult to navigate those topics and remain factual, because they are deeply if not totally polluted by the ideology of race.
I think you’d better take care of racists and argue with them (and that is damn difficult, because you’re battling with a deeply rooted belief) than play little rhetorical games with people who you know (since you said “You are misunderstanding my intention. I am playing “devil’s advocate”) are sincere in their intentions.
When I said if you take “whiteness” away from “whites” (that is “white-minded” people), they die, I think you understood what I meant. Our identity is what we are. They don’t know that they have a “who” that is deeper than their racial definition, the “what” that they take as their self to a point that they battle others over it. They do die psychologically if you scratch that part of them. Under is void.
My post above was a reply to Someguy and the first two words were “President Obama”.
@ Cornalia
#1 I don’t think you get the subtlety of my statements.
#2 You imply many things that you later deny, probably because you don’t realize that your own personal biases are so ingrained.
#3 I don’t put words in your mouth. I translate what you are saying because your statements seem very vague and open to a wide range of interpretation.
I totally agree Phoebeprunelle.
As I replied to Someguy, this is not easy stuff to use, explain or around. There is a different with actual observation and description, and ideology. That is why racism works so well, as a matter of fact, because it has based itself on ideas and concepts that “seems” descriptive, but are not.
That Sheba described herself as “black” was descriptive. She was obviously not using 18th century Euro-centrists reference… 😉
I am a European and I want to take care of the BS my ancestors left with us. I have spent the last twenty-five years learning about it, observing the effects, being disgusted and determined to teach about it. Let me do that.
That Afro-descendents wish to feel pride in their “blackness” is something I let them deal with. I think – and that is just my humble opinion- that it is a mistake to claim the words the racists labeled them with. I think it is more than a mistake, I think it’s a trap. Because in a white supremacist world, it’s like sliding the cover of the trap over your head. I think it is exactly what racists wanted them to do. But I don’t have lessons to give, just an opinion to express.
There are Africans and Afro-descendents who claim the opposite. Who say “those words are plantation talk and we should not use them for our sake and our psychological sanity”. They know that those words are the engines of racism. Take them away from the ideology, and what are you left with ?
My point is, let me fight those racists by diluting, powdering, destroying THEIR weapons. Using their weapons to fight is like fighting an enemy with the weapons he knows because he created them.
That’s how I see the fight against racism. Recognizing people for who they are or who their (mythical or not) ancestors were, not *what* they were called by racists.
@ Cornlia (sorry, mis-wrote your name above
Why are you arguing with me in the first place. I understand what you’re trying to say. I’m not saying I necessarily disagree. I didn’t start this argument, you did. I just think that trying to re-define language and terms, instead of fixing the problems directly, is a waste of time, effort and energy.
Someguy, you are the one who reacted to my comments, above, so why are you asking me this: “Why are you arguing with me in the first place.”
I don’t like the little game you play. I perceive it as manipulative. I have to much experience of it to continue arguing. I don’t like it when someone tries to imply things about me that he doesn’t know and to destroy my “personality” on a site/blog where I find a friendly and interesting place to express myself (which I find very seldom on that topic).
I know you know very well what I am saying and the “because you don’t realize that your own personal biases are so ingrained” is the type of phrase that sounds like a sentence from someone who has adopted the role of a judge or a psychiatrist. I realize very well who I am, thank you.
You are writing comments on a blog, AND complaining that someone argues with you, whereas you are commenting on that person’s comments !
If you think discussing with me is a “waste of time, effort and energy”, please be so kind to find other people to exchange with. That will spare us wasted time, indeed.
Cornlia, the racists are just going to take any words you think are better and figure out how to use them….that happens now…
Why dont you let black people figure out what is best for them on an individual basis? …there is obviously a lot of differant opinion on this and no total group agreement
You got Ethiopia, a very cross culture country in Africa and I brought in a thread with various opinions exactly from Ethiopians about whether its ok to self identify with “black”…I even brought in another Ethiopian sure he wanted to be known as black, then Roxanne sais that she doesnt like to define things like that…so, just from Ethiopia, there is differance of opinion on this…that is all people can really have about it…an opinion and what they want to identify themselves as
When people start saying what the rules should be , and they really dont speak for everyone, it can be creepy…
Someguy, saying this:
“I just think that trying to re-define language and terms, instead of fixing the problems directly, is a waste of time, effort and energy.”
shows you don’t have much of an idea of what the rhetoric of race is. If the word “black”, “white”, “red” and “yellow” are not the basis of the rhetoric of race, then what are they ?
If you have a solution to “fix the problems directly”, please be our saviour.
I imagine that the direct solutions to fixing racism existed, it woudl have been solved long ago.
Please let me propose my own vision of it, which I think is not that *stupid*, and if you think it is, well, propose your own.
To conclude on that, Someguy, what did racists do if not “re-define language and terms”, so that they would accompany and shape their ideology ?
Ideologies don’t exist outside of specific language.
Whatever. You do you and I’ll do me. No skin of my back. Just don’t address me in your posts and I won’t have to respond.
B R, if you read what I said what you ask me to do: “Why dont you let black people figure out what is best for them on an individual basis?”
I said this: “That Afro-descendents wish to feel pride in their “blackness” is something I let them deal with” and “But I don’t have lessons to give, just an opinion to express.”
I have noticed, all this time (years), that I have been discussing this topic, one thing:
“Don’t touch it”. Don’t touch race. Leave it alone. Why do you want to touch it ? Why do you want to attack it ?
What is everyone afraid of ? Losing their identity ? Probably. I don’t think it will be a great loss if it’s race. It will be a liberation rather. From the racists. They won’t have anything to attack anymore.
Well, the fact is, I think that we must attack racism at its roots. They are races. That’s all. That’s what I think.
Am I allowed to have an opinion ?
Someguy, I didn’t address you and you quoted me. Please, don’t play that game. It’s distasteful.
I POSTED AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU. OBVIOUSLY I DID NOT SEE THAT.
Cornlia, well that is my point, everyone is entitled to their opinion , and to be understood for their intent when using words, and, I respect what you are saying, and , its been said many times on this blog , about how “race” was invented to rationalise slavery.And, I have no argument with that, and, I also see we are dealing with discriptions of things and using English, which is a very limited language to describe people in Africa.
Again, for me, just “we are Africans”, is something I can understand also but, as someone living in Brazil, describing all the people down on this contintent as “South Ameicans” , means what makes Brazil really special is totaly lost in that description…
Describing by nation, is strange also, since , many of these countries were named by the colonisers and more important, some change names and boundries, so, that is self explanatory why just national self identity can not be fullfilling in all cases
And, my biggest concern about abandoning referances to hues of people is, again, guarenteed, the darker hued people will get lost in the shuffle and not really understood for the contributions to humanity that they have made…something that seems to not be very defined out here these days, people in this discusion cant really define it very well…”pre colonial”, roxannes suggestion, does help in some ways, but, all pre colonial Africans did not represent this culture (these people have to be recognised for much more than just as hunter gatherers or pastoril farmers, or regugees or who were sought after for slavery)…but, many many do have tie ins with this culture, from east to west and south , in a big way and north also, but, is way more influenced by Arab culture and Islamic culture…Islamic culture also is found in various places in Africa, but, it has buried over and destroyed in many cases, what the values are of the cultures that were before it…same with the Christian religion where that is…
So, Cornlia, its not about “dont touch it…” with me, by all means address and say what you want, but, you have to also have a way to give credit for the humanity and the contributions to civilisation that many cultures of the darker hued people in Africa have made and we need a way to describe those contributions…and who the people were…in some cases, the people who the HBDers are saying are inferiour….I dont defend by saying those people dont have a race , even if I beleive that underneath , I defend them by saying ” … look at their genius , their humanity , look at what they have contributed to civilisation and then try to tell me they are inferior…”
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 19:13:34 satanforce
So Dahoman isn’t African now? I tell you, I can always rely on Abagond’s for shits and giggles. No pun intended.
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 19:56:46 Origin
White people introduced this white supremacy racism but they don’t want POC to address it by asserting the worth of darker people. It is defined as racist to do that. That is typical. White people have long held the handle of this racism blade and used it to powerful effect to cut through cultures and nations. The solution, according to white people, is to pretend that the wounds aren’t there to be stitched up. Let’s continue as if nothing happened while maggots and gangrene set in. “Affirmation action?” Bad!!! That’s “reverse racism”! Healing of wounds? We can’t have that! The last thing we want to do is “reverse” racism. But I suppose there is progress in admitting that the centuries during which most black people were denied even basic education was forward racism.
“Color doesn’t matter” is something one can say only when your color doesn’t hinder you. Which is seldom the case for black people when they live among whites whether as a demographic minority (say USA after 1900) or a majority (say South Africa). White (supremacy) racism is a very predictable phenomenon and the attitudes that accompany it have been very relevant in shaping our world. They know the power of racial identity as a tool for organizing people especially when it comes to unleashing aggression. The eventual emergence of a “black identity” was an unintended consequence of white racism which created a shared experience of racial oppression among black people inasmuch as it created a shared (often vicarious) experience of power among whites. What is the fundamental difference in popular message between Martin Luther King and Malcom X? Wasn’t it that one subordinated a black identity to an American one while the other did the reverse. Which one got more support (still shot dead though); which one has a “day”?
Now back to the race of ancient people. I think it is usually accepted that the ancient Greeks were white and many people who claim not to care about color would cry bloody murder if people suggested they were not. But to suggest that a group of ancient Africans were black people is an unacceptable “playing of the race card”. It is all part of the process of identity denial also manifested in renaming, and religious “conversion”. Even some white people who claim to be “not racist” get uncomfortable when black people identity with other black people whether geographically or historically separated. Never mind the fact that white people do it all the time! Anyone who studied “western history” in college will know how much “we” owe to the Greeks. Ancient Egypt, which is more African the farther back you go, poses a problem but nothing a little convenient color-blindedness (or even outright whitening) can’t fix!
The bottom line is that white people decide who is white and, by exclusion, who is not. In America there has long been the “one drop rule” whereas South Africa gives mixed “coloureds” a separate category. Think about demographics and why this makes sense. Who does it serve in each case? TBH, I’d rather not have to consider these things. But I don’t have the hue that allows ignorance to be a self-serving strategy. C’est la vie.
I respect what you are saying, Origin
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 20:48:45 Fiamma
Origin writes:
“White people introduced this white supremacy racism but they don’t want POC to address it by asserting the worth of darker people. It is defined as racist to do that. That is typical. White people have long held the handle of this racism blade and used it to powerful effect to cut through cultures and nations. The solution, according to white people, is to pretend that the wounds aren’t there to be stitched up. Let’s continue as if nothing happened while maggots and gangrene set in.”
I agree with your comment in its entirety — the above quoted excerpt, I couldn’t have phrased any better myself. Great observations, as usual, Origin!
on Mon Aug 13th 2012 at 23:03:45 Roxanne
Seems like “Giggles” is here to make us all giggle. Carry on my Mzungu ‘brotha’, keep em’ coming… 🙂
Er, yeah, ok… that doesn’t sound absolutely unscientific at all. I think this is the point at which I stop trying to argue with you as it is a waste of time.
on Tue Aug 14th 2012 at 00:54:13 resjan
I never said it was “scientific”…i provided cultural and historical information in the absence of “scientific” evidence of the genetic origins of the original inhabitants of the Lower Nile.
But, nice diversion from the topic, Sensation. I guess that must somehow negate the archaeological evidence i provided, even though you have yet to provide any proof for your claims of some Asian origin or influence.
on Tue Aug 14th 2012 at 03:30:03 Cornlia
BR you said: ” you have to also have a way to give credit for the humanity and the contributions to civilisation that many cultures of the darker hued people in Africa have made and we need a way to describe those contributions…and who the people were…in some cases, the people who the HBDers are saying are inferiour….I dont defend by saying those people dont have a race , even if I beleive that underneath , I defend them by saying ” … look at their genius , their humanity , look at what they have contributed to civilisation and then try to tell me they are inferior…””
I’m asking: did I say ANYTHING different from that ?
WHY do I have to call dark-skinned people “black” when it suffices to say “dark-skinned”, “very dark-skinned”, “dark-skinned African” ? Why ?
To Euro-centric egyptologists, it is enough. They say Egyptians were leucoderm, I say no, they were dark-skinned. To racists/white supremacists, who claim against all odds that Ancient Egyptians were “white”, it is enough to say, no, they were dark-skinned. Some come up with dark-skinned whites, whatever, let them talk. It’s a belief, it’s a mental distortion, you’ll never get them to believe otherwise, unless their mental illness cures. It has to come from them.
So, why do I have to call myself “white” ? Because the theory of races said so. And I don’t believe that the theory of races is right. It is funny how people are so attached to it. Really, what is the problem if I don’t call myself “white” ? Who does it bother if not racists ? I don’t care what they think. I don’t call myself white, period. Whiteness is an illusion.
Of course, I know how that illusion has had consequences ! But there is a moment when we need to stop being manipulated by this belief ! There is a moment when we need to say, stop, I don’t believe your BS, period. I
think the problem here on this blog and elsewhere on the net is that the American vision of race dominates conversations. Americans need to know that IT IS NOT THE CASE elsewhere. Tell a French person he or she is Caucasian, he/she’s gonna look at you like, huh, WTH is he/she calling me ? There is NO WAY he/she will know what you are referring to.
The first time i heard it, I laughed. I was liked, what ? What did you just call me ? And then I saw that person was serious. And I have had to explain to Americans many times, that no, not everybody with a light-skin on this planet defines him/herself as Caucasian. Caucasians live in the Caucasus, and the fact that naturalists and then racists designated light-skinned people as “Caucasian” or “white” doesn’t mean we have to agree to it ! There is actually no genetic proof that all Europeans descend from “Ancient Caucasians” ! They chose the term for reasons that had nothing to do with genetics (see The History of White People by Neil Irving Painter for more detail).
To come back to your comment, I believe Africans, Asians, everybody around this planet achieved things, great, not so great, greater than the rest, and obviously dark-skinned Africans in Ancient Egypt were amongst those who achieved some of the greatest things. And I am among the people who will remind others, for instance, that Yes, Egypt is ACTUALLY in African, yes, yes, didn’t you notice ? And yes, Ancient Egyptians were dark-skinned.
But I don’t have to call Ancient Egyptians “black” and myself “white” for that.
Egyptians were great people, dark-skinned people, Egypt is in Africa and that matters.
Many Afro-centrists these days refer to dark skinned Africans as Kemit, Kamit, Kemet, etc. They don’t use the term black. Some African thinkers do not use racial terms that they coin “plantation talk” (“vocabulaire de la plantation”). They are trying to create a new approach to thinking African history with African philosophy and African psychology, and explain that one step to free African thought is to free it from racial thought. They actually battle against the tendency to create words in African languages as translation of racial terms, which do not exist in those languages, simply because Africans didn’t invent the concept…
I had not read any of those before I started thinking what I think. I have understood very early how wrong racial rhetoric is simply because it’s used to separate. I realize it simply by observing. When you say “dark-skinned, light-skinned, brown colored, curly haired, straight-haired, brown-eyed, beige-skinned, dark-brown, you observe and describe.
When you say “white”, “black”, “yellow”, “red”, you separate humans into groups that have specificities applied to them by the theory of races. These are not skin colors. That people may have used “white”, “black” to describe very light-skinned or very dark-skinned people is not the same. Races are over-simplifications that have been erected into concepts.
Little children who have not been told about race do not (never) define themselves racially. They color people their actual colors in drawings and paintings. In the US, children are told very early on what their “race” is. In many other places, they don’t know what “race” is. Americans should really realize that their approach and vision is very very special. Vey shocking too, for an outsider who approaches American culture with a naive and open eye. For instance, the new president of France had among his proposals to remove the word “race” from the first article of the Constitution. This is not understood in the US. And in France, it is not understood that you have to state your race when you fill out official forms. It is outrageous and sound uncivilized to a French reader…
So don’t believe (not necessarily you BR) that “race” is a concept that is universal… It is a colonial concept that is found and used to various degrees in former or present colonial settings (in the French West Indies, still bery much, because the colonial setting is still alive).
It is really strange to me to realize that most people do not see that when you say “white”, you automatically set apart from “black”. You don’t allow for unity. Those words weren’t used for description. Otherwise we would be called beige and brown. There is a difference between actual colors, features, and predetermined definitions and labeling that group together people that have nothing in common, except their phenotype. I realize that some people really get lost when you take that away from them. It acts as a frame that holds things together.
I know that there are people (I have read some on this blog) like Cheik Anta Diop, who think/thought (because they fear/ed it) that doing away with races means “color-blindness” (when it is not about colors, but races…), and is somehow a threat to the reality of the history of dark-skinned people, as you are implying. They think only racial unity will help. I think it is a distortion of racial thought that is dangerous, because political unity doesn’t mean the dilution of multiple cultures into one “race”. That would mean doing exactly what racists have hoped for.
I think we need to free ourselves from the grip of race because it is the tool of the racists.
Most people continue to confuse “skin color” with “race”. That is exactly what racists count on.
If you (or others) don’t agree with that, no problem. But please do not imply things from what I say.
I think Africans and everyone else with a dark skin must be recognized for WHO they are and were, or not for WHAT they were designated to be by others, who planned to dominate them and did so.
That is only what I think, and if people feel threatened by it, they need to look at why they feel threatened, because personally, I don’t imagine myself as a great threat to anyone. I’m just proposing ideas to participate in the destruction of the idea of race. It’s not very American, I know. But it’s a way to go. And it means learning everyone’s history.
on Tue Aug 14th 2012 at 04:27:13 B. R.
For sure its not threatening for me…i can easily use things like “dark skinned people” , “pre colonial Africans”, and, if Im with people who describe things as “black” or “sub Sahara”, I have no problem communicating the thoughts about concepts I am trying to get across with them using the terms they define , it makes me no differance…
By the way, I dont agree this is just an American thing, Origin explained it well, and, for example, they just passed racial quotas down in Brazil to guarentee “black” ” negros em portugues” and “brown” “pardos em portugues” people can get into universities that had percentage numbers unbeleivably low
Despite the ideology against quotas or the misconception that this is American and horrible, they have to pass these laws because the “white ” Brazilians arnt giving up their power for anything
Not only that, I have brought in various posts from Ethiopians who identified themselves as black, but, I want to note Roxanne is Ethiopian and she thinks the opisite , only to point out that no, this is not just something in the USA…I think its best to just be honest about this, even if some of the thought process did come from the USA, its not unique to there at all…is this some hang up to always just blame it on the USA?
on Tue Aug 14th 2012 at 04:34:35 satanforce
@Roxanne
Their view of Jamaica is generally not much better. They thik of here as a paradise of mangoes and breadfruit aplenty, with the countryside a paradise for black people. And don’t let me start on Brazil…..
on Tue Aug 14th 2012 at 07:32:44 Eurasian Sensation
If anyone is interested to read the chapter that this post is based on, “How Africa became black”, from Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel”, it can be found here:
http://discovermagazine.com/1994/feb/howafricabecameb331/
It basically outlines the consensus of most mainstream experts on the prehistory of Africa. Diamond’s use of the terms “black” and “white” are simplistic, but the terms are proxies for what used to be termed “Negroid” and “Caucasoid”.
Since I’m giving up arguing with you, you can read Diamond’s work and take that as a summation my views, more or less, on the peopling of Africa. And I’m sure you’ll take it as some kind of victory that I don’t wish to debate you anymore, but it’s really an acknowledgement that it’s a waste of my time.
You’re right it’s a waste of time, b/c you have no evidence to support your claims.
on Wed Aug 15th 2012 at 00:43:51 Cornlia
Hi BR, of course, I will not jump on people in conversations if they use racial terms… But here is a place (that I discovered recently) where people are willing to discuss such ideas. That’s why I do it… And I guessed you were one of them. 😉
I simply think that this is regularly swept under the carpet and it shouldn’t, because they are the basis of the idea of race…
And sure, it is not “just” an American thing. But the US is the place I know with France… Both are racist countries with colonial pasts, but in different ways and therefore with different consequences.
I don’t know enough about the various countries in South America to say anything. I think you have to have had a personal experience of a place to really know on that topic and to have interacted with all kinds of people to get an insight.
If it sounded like it that I blamed it only the USA, I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention. I think I said that many of the blogs and sites that discuss this topic are American, and as such bring the American vision of it in to the discussion, and I think it “narrows” it.
However, I think it is very interesting to be able to discuss it with people from all over and I will navigate Abagond more in the next weeks to check out what there is and who’s there.
I wasn’t aware of the quotas in Brazil. Back in 1992, I wrote a crossfire section on the commemoration of the quincentenary of the “Discovery of America” and I actually took the example of Brazil to explain that Africans had been treated badly all over the Americas. I wanted to say things without being too harsh on my hosts… as I was a Teaching Assistant in an US university…
It is a pity one has to resort to quotas, because they actually reinforce the idea that races are “for real”, but what else to do in this state of things ? I hope your quotas actually have an impact, because it doesn’t seem it has been the case so much in the US, unfortunately.
I believe we should start with imposing history and sociology courses on what race is so that kids know more about it than just what they are told by media, parents and society…
Obrigada pela resposta… I once learnt Brazilian. Wish I had had time to continue… I love the language.
on Wed Aug 15th 2012 at 09:35:26 B. R.
Cornlia, just to clarify , Im an American living in Brazil for 26 years now….tudo bom…
Of course, its great to have a diolougue about these subjects , and, I do understand where you are coming from , except , unfortunatly the racists are going to know how to dribble phrases like “dark hue” also, and run their bs
I even forgot to say that Brazilians have phrases like “my black” they use all the time , so it is in their Portuguese also
I cant speak for the Caribean, but, I think Brazil is a huge country with an enormous slave past, so like the USA , they have to deal with these things that have serious effect on society…the white Brazilians arnt going to give it up, the laws have to be implemented to bring some kind of fair integrataion into society
Im only speaking about this to not let semantics get in the way about talking about Africa…and as I stated, Im willing to change my semantics to fit into the conversation with the person Im talking about, because these concepts Im talking about , dont have to be fenced in by words
Im much more interested in looking at the docu youtube about the Pygmies I brought in and see how they had things like one mate for their life not multiple wives, they welcome the people with giving them water, and there was one guy with his portable drum kit that he could set up on the go…which showed these hunter gatherers retained a powerful drum culture,,,that sais so much more about them as a people than just hunter gatherers,,,,and, their drum culture is a lot like the taller people around them even though they are of a really differant genetic,,,yet, they have very similar phenotype features and similar drum culture concepts,,,,who influenced who ? or was it mutual
This is real ancient culture…Egyption records as far back as 3000 bc mentioned a small man who could dance and sing from the interior, that just shows this culture is much older than that
on Wed Aug 15th 2012 at 17:57:09 resjan
“Egyption records as far back as 3000 bc mentioned a small man who could dance and sing from the interior, that just shows this culture is much older than that”
I tried explaining that ancient Egyptians’ oldest deities (Bes and Ptah) are also dwarfs to explain a possible link to “pygmies” (Batwa). But then I was reminded of a letter from Pepi II (c. 2278 – 2184 BC) to Harkhuf, stating:
“You said in this letter of yours that you have brought a pygmy, of divine dances, from the land of the horizon-dwellers, like the one that the seal-bearer Bawerdjed brought from Punt in the time of king Isesi….When he goes to bed at night, get trusty men to lie all round him in his hammock. Inspect ten times a night ! My Majesty longs to see this pygmy more than all the treasures of Sinai and Punt !”
Thanks. You as well. Just doing my part to stamp out all the misinformation out there.
on Thu Aug 16th 2012 at 00:15:23 Eurasian Sensation
No resjan, I can’t be bothered arguing with you because you would clearly prefer stories about gods to actual science.
You need to re-read the articles you linked to that you think supports your perspective, btw. The first one clearly states that the majority of sub-Saharan DNA in Saudi Arabs is from female slaves. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1180338/)
on Thu Aug 16th 2012 at 13:18:38 resjan
I thought you were already done arguing…so why are you back?
Again, you need to learn to discern facts from speculation. The facts are the findings of the genetic study…all else is speculation.
The article does not even pretend to know how the African genes got into Arabia, it speculates. “Taken together, these results are consistent with substantial migration from eastern Africa into Arabia, AT LEAST IN PART as a result of the Arab slave trade…”
Did you get that? “IN PART”…..WHERE DOES IT SAY a “majority” as you’ve miscontrued? It is a HYPOTHESIS.
I know there were/still are African slaves in Arabia, just as surely as there were/still are European ones, but this is relatively recent history, and the article even says that these ties supposedly go back to the “7th millennium BC.”
Clearly YOU’re the one who should re-read the article!
To clarify: I referenced the article to point to the fact that genetically speaking, many Arabians, especially south Arabians share “sub-saharan” African genes, in response to your belief that Ethiopians are so much unlike other “sub-saharan” Africans and so much like Arabians.
If you read that article well, you’d see that most Yemenis sampled are more genetically close to the West African samples than they are to the sampled Ethiopians.
on Thu Aug 16th 2012 at 14:41:15 B. R.
Resjan, yes, I noted that you mentioned that about the dwarf gods , and, I thought it was relevant…I apreciete your insight
The Pygmies have so many secrets to ancient Africa…the youtubes Ive brought in have blown my mind…that youtube of the pregnant women dancing to a groove that has emerged in Cuba as a rumba is unbeleivable tangent evidence of genuis and the power of it…what strenght to have lasted and emerged as a popular culture with power, all the way into this last century
I say the real story about ancient Africa has so much to be discovered….they just found cave paintings in Europe that are 20,000 years older than they thought, and, the notion of humans painting is a major developement in human evolution (imagine how far back they went in Africa?)…Imagine what is still buried in Africa that could tell us what was really happening back then ?
Yes, you’re right that there’s so much undiscovered, but so much has already been discovered that just isn’t talked about or taught in western academia. There’s evidence of 100,000 year-old artwork in South Africa, evidence of mining that goes back 45,000 years and mathematics that goes back 35,000 years. There are also thousands of stone circles spanning from South Africa to Tanzania that few are willing to investigate or openly discuss..the only westerner I know who talks about these stone ruins credits aliens….
So, it’s not just a matter of discovering, rather researching and bringing about awareness.
I totaly agree about the evidence that is ignored by the western acadamia.
Ive learned some wonderful things about Africa just from this blog, things that are ignored by acadamia..
Ha ha Resjan, this “the only westerner I know who talks about these stone ruins credits aliens…. ” reminds me of the various origins given to the giant Olmec stone heads in Ivan Van Sertima’s book ‘They came before Columbus”. He makes a list of the “possible” origins given by western researchers, and one of them is “brought there by Aliens”…
@Cornlia
Funny, but true. He (Michael Tellinger) has done extensive research and has brought awareness of this ancient stone metropolis in SE Africa (remember that British settlers of the late 1800s deliberately hid much of this) , but he credits a Sumerian extraterrestrial for these ruins. After concluding that extensive knowledge of astronomy was used to constuct these structures, he simply could not believe that Africans were capable of such (even though the world’s oldest evidence of astronomy is found in Africa). Had these ruins been discovered in Europe, needless to say that they would be wholly European, and nothing else! That is the bias we’re up against
I recall Van Sertima saying something like “we have to produce lots of evidence to prove African involvement but they only need one piece of evidence to prove European involvement.” But, now, we all know that one of the oldest skeletons found in the Americas (Brazil) resembles an African http://bit.ly/KRJ4Yb, and the oldest skeleton was found in the Caribbean sea (coincidentally on the current oceanic current from W. Africa) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080903-oldest-skeletons.html…pointing to migration across the Atlantic from Africa, not from the Bering Strait or outer space
on Tue Aug 21st 2012 at 00:23:18 B. R.
Resjan , yes, the report I got off Kwamla’s site was this one you are talking about, I think…I just disreguard the extra terrestial aspects…they try to push that on the Egyption pyramids too…
There are some things that are talked about on other documentaries, that really can make you think, like, if you draw a straight line from Easter Island to the Egyption pyramids, you pass through some ancient ruins on the coast of Peru , the Nasca lines, then through some ruins in mexico, and, when it crosses the Atlantic it goes through Dogon territory, and then the Pyramids…if you continue the line as a circle through the globe , the point at the top of the pi of the circle , actualy touches the magnetic north pole that is differant than the north pole we talk about…and the whole circle touches various other ruins before it gets back to Easter Island and these ruins , in position with the others, show the “golden number”….all coincidence ? probably, but, if not, it shows unbeleivable knowledge of the earth being round and mathamatical principles that are very advanced…Im not one who beleives in the alian stuff, but, all Im saying is that there are some really unbeleivable mysteries out there from ancient times
on Tue Aug 21st 2012 at 00:56:46 resjan
Point well taken. Since the great pyramids are supposedly located on the earth’s energetic center (and most other ancient ruins are on grid lines), I think it’s evidence of ancient knowledge about the same.
There’s no way for me to verify whether or not extraterrestrials have visited, but we can easily verify with archaeological evidence the DEVELOPMENT of mathematics, science and astronomy in Africa.
on Tue Aug 21st 2012 at 10:46:49 Kwamla
B.R, Resjan, Bulanik & Cornlia
Its quite intriguing for me to read conversations about the technological achievements of ancient African civilizations and how they find it difficult to attribute these discoveries to the people themselves.But what is even more intriguing is how we have all been so successfully duped into believing or not questioning the FACT that Extra-terrestrial beings have had NO influence in shaping or forming our collective human existence.
My own research has shown its not possible to go back thousands of years into ancient African history and not examine this possibility.
https://kwamlaonfb.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/youtube-black-people-does-the-earth-belong-to-blacks-have-they-been-invaded-david-wilcock/
“…“we have to produce lots of evidence to prove African involvement but they only need one piece of evidence to prove European involvement”, it irritates me equally, that for some, the idea persists that African’s intellectual achievement / civilization becomes only possible with the intervention of extra-terrestrials..”
This is simply because we have allowed ourselves to become locked into the various accounts of how the world was formed and we came into existence told from a narrow and limiting perspective. A standard perspective which suits and is geared to what we’ve been collectively educated to believe are the default people on this planet. – White people. When they are not!
Clearly many ancient civilizations held a much more inclusive and cosmic perspective. The historical evidence when taken together shows this to be the case. But again just like the continuing existence of Racism some of us feel reluctant in ourselves to entertain or even consider this view point.
Now why is that? .
Kwamla, glad you commented here….
One point that stands out in my mind is how we never hear about the Dogons having great knowledge of the stars, equal to the Egyptions,and that they and the other people to the South , that I got off your site, built calenders and constructions that acnowledged the equinox and rotations of the stars in 26,000 year cycles
Who I heard this from is you, and some other people on here (Wilson, Satan etc)
This amounts to what seems like a heavy snow job in our history books in the west…no pun intended
on Tue Aug 21st 2012 at 13:49:22 Matari
“But again just like the continuing existence of Racism some of us feel reluctant in ourselves to entertain or even consider this view point.
Now why is that?”
Perhaps because the last thing Africans and descendants of Africans need to fathom/think about (on top of this current global white systemic supremacy) is the possibility that any of these so-call Extraterrestrial/Cosmic visitors may be *white!*
: )))
Lol!!! You’re right! And thats exactly how they are portrayed in all the SF movies and investigations. The fact is it would be even worse to have to contend with the reality that ALL ETs are white! They are not!
But in truth the reality is even weirder than that! They are all colours imaginable!
As you’re discovering thats exactly what was intended. You have to learn to explore and do your own research rather than allow yourself to be locked into the false reality matrix of Western society, science, religion, history, economics and culture.
Kwamla, based on some documentaries Ive seen that were pretty deep, I do want to keep an open mind to any posibilities of some body of knowledge that would understand pi and the golden number and that the world is round from the ancients, and, even the posibility of something from space…we are all stardust , after all , anyway. And, there is information that boggles the mind in the world, like ancient veda text from san script in India that talks about “gods” who could fly in machines with fire out the back..look at the Nasca lines, what was that for? You can only make out what it is from high in the air….unbeleivable heavy objects lifted for long distances etc
Yet, at the same time, what I never lose vision of and firmness is, the cultures that I brought in on youtube , and, what some of the gifts that the ancient Africans have given us…
I see that pygmie youtube of the pregnant women moving in a circle around a women playing what has evolved in our modern day world as a rumba, and they are singing the most enchanting melody unfettered by any western or Arabian scale , and, I understand these people knew something about how to deal with pregnancy that rivals any modern classes the west gives to pregnant women about how to prepare for the baby coming. They knew how to put the women in an alpha state to help deal with the uncomfortability…I tell you, I get weak in the knees seeing that. The blind racists arnt going to understand the absolute incredible fact that here is an ancient custom that is meant to naturaly help the woman and with a beat that has been passed down all the way through repressive slavery that really tried to destroy that culture , that came out as a major cultural expresion in Cuba with world wide popularity…
The things we could learn from those ancient African cultures are nothing short of profound and genius and it blows my mind…but, for now, its buried treasure….waiting to be discovered…I think Dr ani knows something about things like that
on Tue Aug 21st 2012 at 23:24:37 Cornlia
You said: “it irritates me equally, that for some, the idea persists that African’s intellectual achievement / civilization becomes only possible with the intervention of extra-terrestrials.”
Personally, I’m done with being irritated with those dummies. I just laugh at them or ignore them. It’s a waste of time to bother even telling them anything. They have such mental disorders to deal with, let them drown in their illusions while we advance in reality.
We need to support real work, African researchers and others who really do research.
on Wed Aug 22nd 2012 at 17:15:39 the_noeticist
Funny–so everyone can have different ethnic groups making up their race except black people. Whites can be Norse or English, Armenian; Asians can be Filipino, Hmong, Japanese; Native Americans can be Eskimo, Quechua. All varieties. But black people can only have the parts of Africa that can be seen in the majority of [phenotyping] genes within black Americans or West Indians.
Egyptians can’t be an ethnic group of the black race; I’ve seen people question Ethiopians, too–now San people and Pygmies can’t be black either!
White supremacists never cease to amaze me with their tricks. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sickening… Yes, the taking away of certain black people from all black people is definitely used to denigrate the ones who found themselves enslaved in the New World. No doubt about it.
on Wed Aug 22nd 2012 at 17:55:03 Cornlia
Hi the_noeticist
Which post are you replying to ? Thanks.
As a general remark to your remark: I see what you’re saying, but the only problem is that racial reference (putting a whole bunch of different people(s) in the same “racial” bag) is exactly what white supremacy/racism does. Why would you want it ?
The peoples of Africa are very varied and different. They have cultural, genetic, linguistic and other features in common and some they don’t share. Why would *you* want to define them on the line stated by race theoreticians ?
I don’t know if you understand French, but here is this man, who is Congolese, a researcher now living in Canada. He clearly states that Africans and all other peoples “named” by racists under racial labels should refrain from using racial labeling. I know it angers some, but it is a fact that Europeans invented races in an attempt to make them seem natural and reflecting a certain “character” that applies to all the people that belong to that “race”.
http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x1jxvn_Nzwamba_supercherie-de-l-identite-noire/1#video=xhdcz8
(supercherie means deception)
White supremacists hate it when other people remind them of the fallacy of the attempt at making “race” a natural fact. They always try to dismiss anti-racist claims by stating that “races existed before the theory of races”.
Why would you state the same claim (though in a different way and for a different reason) ? I have noticed that many African-Americans follow that line of thought, which I can understand on the one hand, since African-Americans “had to” build their identity the ‘black” racial reference, so socially it has its relevance inside a racist system like the US.
But, on the other hand, why they would support racial labeling and classifying “absolutely” (in the sense that it supposedly is a “truth”), is something I still have to understand.
Do you see what I mean ?
(I know that there are some posters here who think I am *crazy* for asking those questions, but I think they are questions to ask if you really want to understand how racism actually works and perpetuates itself. They are difficult questions because they rub on personal identities and huge taboos…)
Cornlia:
I was just replying to the blog entry, in general, not to anyone’s comment specifically.
I understand what you’re saying and I do agree with you. We are more accurately defined by being a member of the human species than by “races”, which, for the record, I believe in the concept of race more as a philosophical point than a scientific one. It’s not to say that what makes you look black or white or prone to ethnically-linked diseases are not genetically based; they are.
But my point was that IF we have this concept of race, with the sub-category of that being ethnicity, and we’re going to be stuck with it, it should be par for the course to also allow black people just as many diverse ethnic backgrounds as you allowed with whites, Asians, Native Americans, etc. It’s ridiculous to simply say black is just this but not those and never, ever that while whites or Asians, for example, are this and that and everything in between.
Likewise, if we dismantled the racial categories all together, it would mean that people are just people who look different, just like swarthy brunettes are different from fair redheads. It would also mean that white people would have to stop claiming Egypt… they might not like that one.
on Wed Aug 22nd 2012 at 19:30:42 B. R.
Cornlia, no one thinks you are crazy, there are 4 other people on this thread who have said the same thing..
What is perplexing to me is how you think that is the solution to neutralising the white racists…?You dont know white racists if you think that would work, they are very adept at shifting gears and shifting their semantics to try to get what they want…
Its a word, a semantic, a metaphor, it doesnt really describe the reality but it is in a context that many people understand since people like Malcolm X brought a differant context of it and many people throughout the world latched on to it also. The same way that a word like “apartheid” gained new awareness in the context of the violent struggle that went on in South Africa…most people wouldnt even know the word if it hadnt been used in that context…
Here is the problem, for the people who dont like the usage of that word, I think its great if you dont use it, but, why are you superimposing your value on others here as though if they want to use it , they are somehow “wrong”? I dont think the people who object to it here are bringing any more awareness to the table as Malcolm X did, and that is the model most of us are using.
What is the hang up it came out of America? I get that that becomes the real problem here for some people….obviously some Africans do refer to themselves as “black”, and Im more than happy to respect Roxannes desire for her to not want to use it and to not refer to her as black…yet, other Ethiopians did refer to themselves as black…no one can say it is a blanket fact that all Africans dont refer to themselves as “black”.
So, instead of having a deeper discusion of 13,000 years of Africa, we are hung up on quantum semantics about the word “black” …because lots of people are using it who come from America
Cornlia, no one here is going to suggest that you use the word “black”
And, I actualy welcome the suggestions I got from some people about how to phrase ancient Africans with out using “black”, which I intend to do…but, not all the time, there are times in my discusions in trying to get across concepts of the genius of ancient Africa where those terms can be very eficiant and comunicative as to the point Im trying to make.
You know, people like Malcolm X transformed the word “black” to fit their conept and they snapped their whip and the white racists got in line like trained dogs and realised they cant chomp on racists words in public or pronounce the word “nigra” or “coloreds” as well as the “n” word . It dramaticly changed the landscape of how the white racists had to react.Id say that isnt playing into their game , if you ask me
Most white racists are very politicly correct in public exactly because of people like Malcoml X and those concepts, and, people of color all over the world noticed, and some latched on to those concepts also
I understand everything you’re saying B.R.
My question is : what do we do then to get at that ideology ? Because this is linked to the “Psychopathic Racial Personality”, or I prefer, “Narcissistic Personality Disorder”. In the interactions with those individuals, unless you decide you are going to ignore them, you find yourselves forced to interact in their world with their postulates and symbolic. Either you do, or you can’t interact with them. But if you try to interact with them you can but be manipulated by them. Psychiatrists and psychologists know it and when they realize they are dealing with one (if they are not being manipulated already), they throw them out of their offices.
So how do we deal with them ?
I’m proposing a way that doesn’t stem out of void, it stems out my observations, my personal experience (including being manipulated which allowed me to know how it works), my culture, my interactions with others, my readings (but until recently, I deliberately tried not to read too much, except novels, to built my own vision. Now I am in a process of intensive reading, and hopefully in some time of intensive research). One has to have some convictions to be able to do research and prove (or not) one’s point… otherwise there wouldn’t have been many scientific discoveries…
A few points on what you said: “obviously some Africans do refer to themselves as “black”. Definitely. But why do they ? Isn’t it because the ideology summons them to do so ? Europeans have reshaped the thinking patterns on the African continent too. That is why the researcher I quoted is actually working on the topic. He explains in that conversation that there are new words being coined in African languages to fit the racial reference and that make it so, that even after hundreds of years, African languages had managed to keep racial thought out. I think it is a catastrophe because language is who we are deep down as societies. He does to. Others don’t…
I *think* (and who am I ? A little nobody facing a hugely successful ideology) that those words contain more than it seems. I would like, if I can, to really study that to bring some understanding to how this simple words had so much impact. I *think* that the very fact of using them separates. Saying “black” for a certain group of people, “white” for another, “yellow” (have you even seen someone yellow ?) and “red” has this immediate effect of separating categorically and creating walls. If you are “white” you are not “black”, you “cannot” be. This is no bridge. There is no link. Same between all the racial words. Descriptive words, on the other hand, do not have that separating effect. As you said, it’s semantics, but is it only semantics ? I don’t think it is only semantics. I’d like to be able to prove it. If I can, I will.
Just an anecdote to illustrate this;
back in 2002, when LePen reached the second round of the Presidential elections on France, there were huge demonstrations all over the country. On France 2, the French national TV, there was a report in which a young man with Afro-origins said this, while commenting on LePen half-victory: “He reminded me that I was black”.
This can be analyzed taking the Malcolm X take of “race pride”. But it can also be analyzed as “he reminded me that I am supposed to stay where I belong, the “black race”.” This is what I am interested in, how does it work.
A French philosopher and historian, Claude Ribbe https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151142463041320set=a.85712766319.102668.527186319&type=1&theater , whose main activity is to try and revive the contributions of Afro-descendents in France and who is one of them, has the same take on this as me. He calls the phrase “Black is beautiful” a paradox in the fight against racism.
Of course, same here, when you say “there are times in my discusions in trying to get across concepts of the genius of ancient Africa where those terms can be very eficiant and comunicative as to the point Im trying to make”… We can obviously not escape the ideology totally (and certainly not in our respective social positions), and it is easier to explain things with people who otherwise would have no idea what we are talking about.
So I agree with you, but please allow me to think that something must be tried to understand how semantics charge ideology with meaning, and as some think, make ideology incarnate itself in the social world.
on Thu Aug 23rd 2012 at 02:31:18 B. R.
Cornlia, it is interesting, keep on doing what you do, all voices are welcome against white racism
on Sat Jan 5th 2013 at 20:39:39 Fleecyhead Milagrero
you’ll have to explain to me what you mean by ‘winter rains’ and ‘summer rains’. what’s the difference between them? isn’t rain just rain regardless of season?
on Tue Jan 15th 2013 at 19:54:46 annef1
Hi everyone. What a great discussion, it’s great to see how you have all researched the topic. I would like to add that the switch from hunter gatherer to farming is presented as “progress” by a type of pro-colonialist scientists with an agenda…but we know now that this switch is not determined by “intelligence” but by circumstances, and also that hunters gatherers are healthier and have less negative impact on the environment than farmers and industrialists.
I come from a European country which is just as racist as the next one…but where colour is not defined the way it is in the US/UK (where I live now) because while northerners, in my country, can be pale, blue-eyed etc, southerners can definitely be olive skinned, with very dark eyes (darker than the eyes of some of my African and Asian friends for sure!) and hair. The UK nit-picking race separation shocked and angered me. Plus, they think that asking people their race on forms guarantees equal ops, this is not how the non-white concerned perceive it.
So I conducted my own experiments and I can assert that the way I am “classified” by most so-called white people in the UK depends entirely on how I am dressed, coiffed, made up (not talking skin tone change or even lenses however). This demonstrates how the perception of someone’s colour is based on superficial clues and prejudice. Besides, saying that blond is “white Nordic” only demonstrates ignorance as there are blond haired Australian aborigenes for instance.
I am not averse to talking DNA, genetics etc, but not in terms of races, in terms of retracing History and the routes taken by various groups of human beings so as to understand better who we are as an entire species. And don’t get me started on the survival of the fittest…Darwin never said it the way it has been used and abused!
on Thu Sep 3rd 2015 at 09:43:35 talibmensah
If you want a good read on African history by a someone working in historical linguistics (and without the racial framing of Diamond), check out Christopher Ehret’s book, Civilizations in Africa.
http://books.upress.virginia.edu/detail%2Fbooks%2Fgroup-2705.xml?q=Christopher%20Ehret
I don’t know enough about linguistics or African history to tell you how well-received his book was/is, but it certainly makes you think about African history in ways that don’t revolve around race!
on Wed Nov 1st 2017 at 17:31:34 ericrhetoricamubu
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« Munsee
Arpeggio: Love and Desire »
Sat Dec 31st 2016 by abagond
What is known about the year 2016 on its last day:
The 2016 election for US president: The popular vote:
48.04% Hillary Clinton
45.95% Donald Trump
3.28% Gary Johnson
1.06% Jill Stein
0.53% Evan McMullin
0.15% Darrell Castle
0.08% Bernie Sanders
0.05% Gloria La Riva
Thanks to the electoral college, Donald Trump won.
Trump had the support of White Evangelical Protestants, the alt-right, fake news, US cable news, Russian trolls and, according to the CIA, Russian hackers. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton took the Black and Latino vote for granted.
Hate crimes increased after Trump’s victory. Even before that, White children were becoming more openly racist.
Forty-nine were gunned down by Omar Mateen at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
US police continue to gun down Black and Native people as if their lives do not matter, notably:
Alton Sterling,
Philando Castile,
Korryn Gaines,
Sylville Smith,
Tyre King,
Terence Crutcher,
Alfred Olango,
Deborah Danner, and
Jackie Salyers.
Meanwhile Freddie Gray’s killers walked free.
Brexit: Britain voted to leave the European Union. Like Trump’s victory, it took the press by surprise and seemed partly driven by White nationalism.
War: The Syrian Civil War remains the most violent conflict in the world, though Iraq and Afghanistan are not far behind. Russia and its allies took back Aleppo (pictured above), Syria’s second city. Meanwhile the US and its allies fought to take back Mosul, Iraq’s second city.
Water: In the US, safe water became an issue in Flint and Standing Rock. Not because of some kind of natural disaster or aging pipes, but because state governments favour the interests of banks and the fossil fuel industry over the health of people of colour.
Beyonce got in Formation at the Super Bowl,
Jesse Williams spoke at the BET Awards,
Colin Kaepernick took the knee, and
Chris Rock hosted #OscarsSoWhite.
Nobel Prize: Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Olympics: at the Rio Olympics the two Simones – Simone Biles and Simone Manuel – won gold medals.
The Smithsonian at long last opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Black US television: Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” and Issa Rae’s “Insecure” appeared for the first time. So did “Luke Cage” and Ava DuVernay’s “13th” on Netflix.
The cosmos: Proxima b, an Earth-like planet, was found circling the nearest star to the Sun.
Doomsday clock: now stands at three minutes to midnight (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) – as bad as it was in the 1980s, in part because of:
The global temperature average: 14.8 °C in April (NOAA), the warmest April since at least 1880, when records began. It was 1.10 °C above the average April in the 1900s.
Person of the Year: Donald Trump (Time magazine).
Word of the Year: post-truth (Oxford dictionary).
Top US R&B song: “One Dance” by Drake featuring WizKid and Kayla (Billboard).
Top Hollywood film: “Captain America: Civil War”.
Top images (on Google Images):
the most beautiful woman:
well-dressed man:
In memoriam: Frances Cress Welsing, David Bowie, Maurice White, Vanity, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Dr Sebi, Fidel Castro, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Harambe.
June 29th 1916 – a hundred years ago
US Election Day 2016
results by county
Unarmed Black Americans killed in 2016 by ISIS, by police
killer cops
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 18:01:12 michaeljonbarker
“according to the CIA, Russian hackers”
This is the same CIA that the U.S. governemt relied on to justifybthe Iraq war. Their bad intelligence, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, led to a needless war and the political chaos we now have across the Arab world.
I follow Glenn Greenwald because he is a skeptic of both the left and right and I find his commentary largly rational and free of MSM or fake news bias.
The line separating what is true and what is propaganda overlaps between both fake news and the MSM.
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/31/russia-hysteria-infects-washpost-again-false-story-about-hacking-u-s-electric-grid/
I don’t trust the Russians any more then I trust the U.S.
I expect with a Trump presidency, Putin will have the green light to expand Russian influence abroad including military incursions. Similarly Isreal will be emboldened to continue settlements and Palestinians will see an escalation of violence against them.
As far as what Trump will do domestically the first year I think will be determined by how much he can get away with.
He has surrounded himself with people potentially comfortable with Federal intrusion into the lives of both people and business in his pursuit to “make America great again”. Will the House and Senate go along with his bully pulpit and cow to “populist” voters in their respective districts or will they resist the slide towards more facsim. We shall see.
I do think that presuming the popular vote determines Trump’s support is misleading. I think the racist, xenophobic undertow of the American public is far deeper and broader then “45.5%” of the vote.
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 19:53:55 Mary Burrell
I loved the black representation on television in 2016 OWN’s Queen Sugar to Netflix Luke Cage to FX’s Atlanta and HBO’s Insecure with Issa Rae made me happy so many Easter eggs. Even Thandie Newton and Jeffery Wright turned in great performances on HBO’s Westworld. Westworld was a great show. I cried that we lost two beloved characters on AMC’s Walking Dead Glenn and Abraham. The big screen has some great films coming out. Hidden Figures and Fences and Moonlight. The melanin was shing and beautiful on the big and small screen. That made me happy.
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 20:23:03 dorisjean23
“In the US, safe water became an issue in Flint and Standing Rock.”
There is a pattern here. Fruitvale is 21% Black, 46 % Hispanic and 8% white.
I also read recently that Flint also has high levels of bacteria in their water.
http://sfist.com/2016/12/30/dangerous_levels_of_lead_in_fruitva.php0
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 22:47:40 gro jo
“I expect with a Trump presidency, Putin will have the green light to expand Russian influence abroad including military incursions.” Really, to what end? Russia’s intervention in Syria was based on the need to curb the Jihadists unleashed by the USA and its Arab Sheikh allies. Ukraine was the handiwork of the CIA that now cries foul because the Russians allegedly unmasked HRC for the two face liar she is.
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 22:47:55 Afrofem
“There is a pattern here.”
The pattern is called environmental racism…and it has been going on for decades.
Fruitvale link doesn’t work in my post above.
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.sfist.com/amp/articles/create%3Farticle_id%3D5866cb12ada6e21d1227ca35?client=ms-android-verizon
@Grojo
I think the Russian long term goal is to regain the regional influence as well as the international presence they had before the Soviet Union collapsed.
As U.S. influence declines around the planet that vacuum will be filled by either China or Russia.
If one adds up the total percentage vote for “right” and “left” candidates, the “right” won 49.91% to 49.23%. 45.95% Donald Trump, 3.28% Gary Johnson, 0.53% Evan McMullin, 0.15% Darrell Castle, 48.04% Hillary Clinton, 1.06% Jill Stein, 0.08% Bernie Sanders, 0.05% Gloria La Riva. 0.86% of the vote is missing, which side won it?
on Sun Jan 1st 2017 at 23:30:23 nomad
There is simply no proof of support of Trump by Russian hackers or trolls. That is a conspiracy theory that has the benefit of being propped up by the Clinton campaign and the government without evidence. At least you could have said alleged. Fake news should also be placed in quotes because the post you reference brands some legitimate news sites as fake..
I like Rall’s cartoons. Except for his apelike depiction of Obama. He proves here that he is capable of drawing a dark skinned person who doesn’t look like a monkey. Even though this guy here I think is a tan white guy, he is actually closer to the skin color of Obama than …this:
Also in this one
Com’on! It’s change of seasons. They’re clothing should change too. Or maybe, by having them wear short sleeves in winter he is also making a statement abou global warming.
on Mon Jan 2nd 2017 at 01:10:15 Mary Burrell
Ava DuVernay documentary 13th was good as well as directing Queen Sugar. 13th can be seen on Netflix.
on Mon Jan 2nd 2017 at 05:50:28 nomad
yeah that’s what I did. called the psychopath an ape. tell me, am I also a white racist? unlike some folk here, I don’t engage in jim Crowism.
ive called him a punk an asshole a fraud a puppet a manchurian candidate evil the drone ranger a mass murderer the enemy of black people a psychopath and the worse president in history.
but never an ape.
I’m amazed at how well the CIA programming worked on you. they must have embedded subliminal messages in black tv shows. ‘love Obama. defend him from all slights real and imaginary.’ SNAP OUT OF IT! he’s history. you don’t have to defend him anymore.
How are all the other characters less ‘apelike’ than the Obama one?’
cant you see it? rall has toned it down a bit since being kicked off kos for his apelike obamas. but not much.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dk-production/images/60001/large/185477_10150266680747858_2599142_n.jpg?1386080462
Well why not? you made it thru the idiot filter.
Fake news should also be placed in quotes because the post you reference brands some legitimate news sites as fake..
This is especially true since MSM its has been outed as fake news, especially during the Hillary Clinton fake polls debacle. “Fake” has become an ironic label that applies to MSM as well as to those it accuses of being fake. A little history if you please:
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2017/01/fake-news-time-choose-corporate-media-fakes-us-kennedy-assassination-fairy-tales-covering-us-01-coup-real-leadership-impossible-today-similar-thre.html
A history of fake news:
(https://youtu.be/RkpBRAR8ftM)
on Tue Jan 3rd 2017 at 12:43:15 nomad
“nono, relax, I was just impressed that you managed to elude Abagond’s anti racist slur filter.”
insult in mod. there was no racist slur.
Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it. That’s the way propaganda works. Clinton’s made up story about Russian trolls and hackers, backed by Obama and the government without evidence, is reported here as fact. And it shouldn’t be. It is allegation and should thus be put in quotes. “Fake”. It is that thing that you disdain. It is conspiracy theory. It just has the benefit, thanks to Obama, of being official conspiracy theory. Like 911.
It glosses over a momentous event that should have changed how we think of MSM. It has lost its credibility. It can no longer be trusted. Take that propaganda and shove it. That’s what we ought to be saying.
In the post I said “according to the CIA”. That is not reporting it as fact. As we all know, the CIA has been wrong in the past.
“Trump had the support of White Evangelical Protestants, the alt-right, fake news, US cable news, Russian trolls and, according to the CIA, Russian hackers.”
I’m being a little picky here, but it’s important. The Russian hackers you singled out as ‘according to the CIA. Fine. Accurate. The rest you reported as independent fact. The Russian trolls, of which I presume you include me, is a complete fabrication. The fake news also alludes to some legitimate sources which are not fake. And also the sources making this claim against them have themselves been proved to be fake in what has to be the biggest journalism kerfuffle in modern history. You omit this important context. Said kerfuffle was one of the biggest stories of the year. That fact should have been mentioned in your review, IMO.
on Tue Jan 3rd 2017 at 16:29:53 resw
You can’t take abagond too seriously. He is a paid shill. He has been caught lying about RT, lying about Putin, lying about Russian trolls, etc.
on Tue Jan 3rd 2017 at 17:32:00 Mack Lyons (@DDSSBlog)
You sound oddly defensive.
@Mack Lyons
So do you. Are you a paid propagandist too, or just sucking up to abagond?
Aside from the issues themselves -fake news, Russian trolls- there is the assertion that these issues are used to support. That is, that these and the support of White Evangelical Protestants, the alt-right, and US cable news were the cause of Trump’s victory. It has been clear for sometime that the cause of Hillary’s defeat and the corollary Trump victory was leaked not hacked e-mails. No mention of that in the synopsis.
Also you make it seem like Trump’s support was great, when clearly Hillary’s was much greater. In fact that is the essence of the narrative that unfolded in the presidential election of 2016. Trump overcame overwhelming odds. That was what was so spectacular about his victory. I’ve never seen anything like it. The media was against him. The elites. His own party. Even Google was working against him. And still he won!
So your narrative of what happened politically in 2016 is skewed Hillary.
on Wed Jan 4th 2017 at 05:27:43 michaeljonbarker
Nomad said.
“leaked not hacked e-mails”
There is no conclusive evidence either way.
The people at the top of the hierarchy belive they could control the narrative and therefore the outcome of the election. Build Trump up and then tear him down to get Hillary elected. Trump figured out how to play the electoral collage and won. Even his team didn’t quite belive the internal polling they were getting out of the Rust States. A lot of people didn’t vote and third parties did very well.
The people who run this country, the media ect live in a bubble. The degrees of separation from where the poor and working class Blacks and whites are at compared to middle class and the educated is great. And Trump picked up white middle class and educated because of their underlying racism.
I expect Trump’s popularity to increase if the economy improves despite what the media says and does. Remember Regan’s popularity grew under Iran/contra. That was the beginning of the populace distrusting and hating the press.
This blog is about how the majority of white people are blind to their own racism ect. As I stated earlier it’s much easier to belive the majority of the country is racist and xenophobic and Trump fed and exploited that.
I found the Don Lemons and Rachel Maddow’s to be disrespectful of working class Americans. Their elitism doesn’t resonate with working class Democrats. You don’t talk down to potential voters.
@ Mack Lyons
Resw is a troll. That is why he says that kind of stuff. He knows full well that I was a Bernie supporter, not some die-hard Hillaryite.
And you skew Putin, way more than I skew Hillary.
“Also you make it seem like Trump’s support was great, when clearly Hillary’s was much greater.”
What are you talking about? I quoted the actual percentage of the popular vote they got to two decimal places. Not sure I can be any more clear than that.
“In fact that is the essence of the narrative that unfolded in the presidential election of 2016. Trump overcame overwhelming odds. That was what was so spectacular about his victory. I’ve never seen anything like it. The media was against him. The elites. His own party. Even Google was working against him. And still he won!”
Oh please. As if. The US is racist as fuck. Do not sugar-coat it.
I am not sure about Google, but the Republican Party, in the main, supported him. There was no widespread revolt as predicted, not even after the Hollywood Access tape. Not even among White Evangelical Protestants, who supposedly care so much about moral character.
And the media, far from being against him, gave him wall-to-wall coverage for at least 15 months. It was sickening. They gave him billions in free airtime, more than Hillary. And they treated him like a serious candidate, helping to legitimize him, big-time. Because CBS and the rest are greedy douchebags. Even when he started blacklisting news outlets, the others still played nice with him. They are as pathetic as your beloved RT. They ALL bend over. Do not fool yourself.
“Fake news should also be placed in quotes because the post you reference brands some legitimate news sites as fake.”
on Wed Jan 4th 2017 at 12:40:19 nomad
I skew truth. Countering your russophobia.
Such as? RT.
@MJB
Assange himself testifies that his source was a leak. Probably from within the DNC. That’s me saying that. Might have been the DNC personnel that was mysteriously murdered.
“, gave him wall-to-wall coverage for at least 15 months. ”
They were trashing him. The debates were even biased with moderators attacking Trump and feeding Hillary questions before hand. Com’on man. You’re not really going to double down on this distortion? Anybody can see for themselves that that is what happened. The elite of the GOP abandoned Trump for Hillary. Do I really need to dig up the articles?
“Do not fool yourself.”
I don’t intend to be fooled. Certainly not by what you written.
on Wed Jan 4th 2017 at 12:51:47 Jeff Elberfeld
I do not believe it was out of racism, or out of love for Trump that the media gave him so much airtime. If it was for the support, they would not have made an news item of Trump saying “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” or Trump saying the elections were rigged. Or his blunt statement that Ted Cruz’s dad killed JFK, according to some gossip magazine.
I might be wrong, but I think it is more because viewers are more willing (or at least seen as more willing) to watch an empty stage, where later on an orange-haired clown will perform a weird act, than a sixty-nine-year-old career politician talking about her plans and ambitions. And thus, if that empty stage sells more advertising money, then the networks will show us the empty stage.
As CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said about Donald Trump: “It May Not Be Good for America, but It’s Damn Good for CBS” See http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leslie-moonves-donald-trump-may-871464
on Wed Jan 4th 2017 at 13:28:03 resw
“He knows full well that I was a Bernie supporter, not some die-hard Hillaryite”
Nice deflection, but that’s irrelevant.
It doesn’t take away the fact you’ve been caught lying or “misspeaking” about RT, Putin, and Russian trolls. Did you forget?
Assange ‘Russia not a source of DNC emails’
(https://youtu.be/86vtTRPg-sk?t=33s)
@Jeff Elberfeld
‘As CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said about Donald Trump: “It May Not Be Good for America, but It’s Damn Good for CBS”
that’s a good quote there man
“not some die-hard Hillaryite”
Abagond likes to say things like that but his actions speak louder than words.
Abagond has written several articles in favour of her has advocated his readers vote for her, has attacked all his commenters who have done nothing but spoken truths about her, and has unfairly changed his rules to target them.
Here we are almost 2 months after the election, and he’s still up to his shenanigans. He needs to dry his tears and move on.
My post on fake news says not a word about RT.
So lets rehash a bit. I posted this list of designated fake news sites on the referenced post.
list of leftist fake news sites. BE WARNED. DO NOT GO TO ANY OF THESE SITES!
I think big brother might be watching
counterpunch.org
greanvillepost.com
informationclearinghouse.info
http://www.voltairenet.org/en
moonofalabama.org
nakedcapitalism.com
How ridiculous is the ‘fake news’ label? Your 2016 review does not acknowledge the dubious nature of the label you use. You use it, as they say, without irony. As if it’s a legitimate thing.
I’m not trusting any gatekeeper that labels Counterpunch, let alone RT, as “fake news”.
Which of those did I label fake news? You are creating a straw man.
true but there was a discussion on that post re what constitutes fake news.
Nevertheless. My bad. Must have been thinking about things you’ve said elsewhere. Tell me then, is RT included in your above use of the term?
On the contrary. I’m attacking a straw man called fake news and another called Russian trolls.
fake news is a meaningless though, for freedom of speech, deadly term. if virtually all news is fake save for “officially” sanctioned sources, then what we have is complete control of news by the corporate state, i.e. fascism. especially when those sanctioned sources themselves have so spectacularly proved to be fake. we should, whether right, left or independent, guard against that. that is totalitarianism. that’s why i’m being picky. a small but important point.
Of course what the racist klansman has referenced was a direct Washington Post quote, correcting a lie the Washington Post published about RT.
If you want to see abagond’s lie about RT, which I caught him on, and he was forced to correct, it is here:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/rationalwiki-media-guide/#comment-360740
So yes, like the Washington Post, abagond too engages in propaganda.
^and like the Washington Post, when you call out its or abagond’s lie, they pretend it was just a mistake.
The racist white Irish supremacist is also a liar since I’ve never made such claims about either the New York Times or the Washington Post.
But what else can you expect from someone educated by the klan?
” hasn’t stopped people like you and Nomad from claiming that they’re “mouthpieces of U.S. imperial propaganda” or whatever. ”
Well, I haven’t made that claim directly, since I read neither, but I suspect that’s true.
“Fake news” is a more virulent control label than “conspiracy theory” because it moves us one step closer to fascism as a nation. “Conspiracy theory” just programmed us as to what topics were off limits. “Fake news” takes our programming a step further, telling us which sites are approved. It inevitably leads to the shutting down, slow or fast, of unapproved sites. A closer walk with Big Brother.
Sadly, this Orwellian propaganda works perfectly since most people are already comfortable getting all their news from one or two sources, like abagond gets most of his news from Univision Communications, Inc.
Already begun with YouTube, with some sites claiming unfair censorship and “demonetization”, whatever that is. Big Brother wants to shut some of us up.
on Wed Jan 4th 2017 at 19:40:54 Afrofem
“demonetization” = funding cuts.
Actually it means those censored youtubers are no longer be able to monetize their videos, i.e., earn money with ads on their videos. This opens up a huge opportunity for youtube/gOOgle competitors.
“earn money with ads on their videos” = funding cuts
Not really. You tried though.
I know they’re complaining about it.
Hey, BAR’s got some good stuff up about Barack Obama’s establishment of the Ministry of Truth.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/obama%27s_propaganda_gift_to_trump
His gift to the Great Again White Hope.
“SOMEBODY HELP ME! HE’S CRAZEEEE!!!!”
http://www.blackagendareport.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-400×300/public/FR_SamGangsta.jpg?itok=AmeSXLjL
on Thu Jan 5th 2017 at 14:55:25 v8driver
i like globalresearch.ca
on Sat Jan 7th 2017 at 00:01:47 nomad
And you know why they are so desperate to erect these new walls of thought containment? Why they will go to any lengths, even risk WWIII as a diversion. Well, the plan for war with Russia has been in the works for several years now, as insane as that sounds. But that’s what you get from insane leaders. Surrounding Russia with military bases. Nevertheless, they are rolling it out now, with diplomatic affronts, to divert attention from so-called Pizzagate, which arguably deserves mention as one of the defining events of 2016. It is ultimately intertwined with the ‘fake news’ story. Obama certainly wants to bury it, because he’s implicated in Pizzagate too, just as he is implicated in the Hillary email scandal. The best way to divert public attention is with a crisis. Hence all this ballyhoo (without evidence) of Russian influence on the election and in the process delegitimizing Donald Trump. Those are big diversions. And yet the so called Pizzagate crimes are so expansive in the people implicated it has the possibility of becoming an even bigger story in 2017. Well, unless there’s a war or something.
Fake news. A big cover up requires a big diversion. Also, it doesn’t hurt to stamp out alternative media that report on Pizzagate in the process. The alleged threat of Russian fakers gives the state license to do this. So I’m gonna say, it wouldn’t be 2016 without Pizzagate. We ended the year on that emphatic note.
When did MAD become insanity? It all started back in 2006. Put into practice during the Barack Obama administration.
“The U.S. government’s plan to conquer Russia is based upon a belief in, and the fundamental plan to establish, “Nuclear Primacy” against Russia — an American ability to win a nuclear war against, and so conquer, Russia.
This concept became respectable in U.S. academic and governmental policymaking circles when virtually simultaneously in 2006 a short-form and a long-form version of an article endorsing the concept, which the article’s two co-authors there named “nuclear primacy,” were published respectively in the world’s two most influential journals of international affairs, Foreign Affairs from the Council on Foreign Relations, and International Security from Harvard. (CFR got the more popular short version, titled “The Rise of U.S. Nuclear Primacy”, and Harvard got the more scholarly long version, which was titled “The End of MAD?”.)”
https://off-guardian.org/2017/01/02/americas-secret-planned-conquest-of-russia/
on Sun Jan 8th 2017 at 04:33:58 nomad
Putin on how insane this is and how it is enabled by fake news, msm style.
“It’s only you “It’s only you [MSM] that tells these fables and you buy it and spread it to the citizens of your countries. Your people do not feel a sense of the impending danger, this is what worries me. How do you not understand that the world is being pulled in an irreversible direction? That is the problem. But they pretend like nothing’s going on…ah, I don’t even know how to get through to you people anymore,” Putin stated at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, 2016.
While you were sleeping, they came and took another portion of it away. While you were distracted by who said he said she Russia did it. And terrorist attacks around the world. They came and took another part of away. In fact, they used the bogus Russian threat as a means to accomplish this end. A sweeping act, done while nobody was looking. Another slick move on the Fascistic Obama chessboard. Check, America, check! Mate is imminent. Is it a coup?
““The designation [of US elections as critical infrastructure] allows for information to be withheld from the public when state, local and private partners meet to discuss election infrastructure security — potentially injecting secrecy into an election process that’s traditionally and expressly a transparent process. U.S. officials say such closed door conversations allow for frank discussion that would prevent bad actors from learning about vulnerabilities. DHS would also be able to grant security clearances when appropriate and provide more detailed threat information to states.”
[Also known as: “we can intercede in the election process and determine its outcome without any need to pretend we’re being transparent; only people we approve will know the details of how we run elections; secrecy works.”]
“The Obama administration has proposed international cyber rules for peacetime that would expressly note that countries shouldn’t conduct online activity targeting critical [US] infrastructure, which will now also include election systems.”
[Also known as: “in case there is any doubt, elections systems in America will be property of the federal Executive Branch.”]
This is a coup.
This is equivalent to declaring a national state of emergency, including martial law: the DHS, if it deemed it necessary, could utilize armed agents to enforce the new directive and take over states’ offices that resist.
Election-processes belong to the states. But not anymore.”
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/this-is-a-coup-the-homeland-security-takeover-of-us-elections/
I knew they were jamming us up for something big in the last days of the Obama regime. With this preposterous fake news/Russian hacking psy op. Perhaps this is it.
on Sun Jan 8th 2017 at 19:03:39 resw
Good point. Even if this made the headlines, most Americans wouldn’t comprehend the significance (or just don’t care). This gives the feds a license to interfere with election results…………while they continue to hypocritically delegitimise elections abroad.
on Sun Jan 8th 2017 at 19:53:03 Afrofem
“…they were jamming us up for something big in the last days of the Obama regime. With this preposterous fake news/Russian hacking psy op.”
Good call. Thanks for sharing that info. It seems there have been a series of mini-coups steadily eroding the little that remains of American democracy. This time between presidents is always fraught with peril. Lame duck executives can do a lot of damage with little or no downside to themselves.
Well, if Obama did it, it must be okay. And Jeh. He’s black too. Kinda. So it must be okay.
‘This time between presidents is always fraught with peril.’
I don’t follow these transitions too closely, but this seems unparalleled. I’ve never seen the outgoing prez try to hobble the incoming like this. Dubya didn’t even do it when transitioning to Obama. This that Obama’s doing is disgraceful.
“I’ve never seen the outgoing prez try to hobble the incoming like this”
I agree, but we have to remember that Trump is not in the club. Being rich and racist does not automatically get you into the club.
As Newt Gingrich said, and I quote: “He hasn’t been through the initiation rites. He didn’t belong to the secret society.”
on Mon Jan 9th 2017 at 03:36:28 gro jo
I just read that Trump’s son-in-law got into Harvard due to his daddy’s cash, $2.5 million. The book this information comes from is called “The Price of Admission” by Daniel Golden. resw, nomad and other Trump lovers, say it ain’t so? Kiwi might want to expectorate on this “scandal” as well, given the fact that he fancies himself a gatekeeper to such hallowed educational institutions.
on Mon Jan 9th 2017 at 05:47:33 nomad
all these bogus baseless accusations and insinuations. give it a rest.
Have you read the book or is this a faith based, fact free opinion?
on Tue Jan 10th 2017 at 21:00:55 resw
Comey claims the DNC denied the FBI access to their supposedly Russian-hacked servers, despite DNC’s recent claim that they didn’t:
“We’d always prefer to have access hands-on ourselves if that’s possible,” and that FBI made “multiple requests at different levels”.
Another official said:
“The FBI repeatedly stressed to DNC officials the necessity of obtaining direct access to servers and data, only to be rebuffed until well after the initial compromise had been mitigated” and
“This left the FBI no choice but to rely upon a third party for information”
I wonder why DNC was so adamant about getting this third party “compromise” company, CrowdStrike?
Maybe because its co-founder, Russian-American Dmitri Alperovitch, has been blaming the Kremlin for almost every minute malware discovered on US government and private company servers since 2012.
on Tue Jan 10th 2017 at 23:45:23 nomad
Another aspect of 2016 that distinguished it was the spate of suspicious mass shootings, with conflicting eyewitness reports and which happen to help advance a political agenda. If they were not false flags they were politically convenient. Allow me to include also the mass shooting that happened in San Bernardino, California,. Remember how they wanted to use that to demand back door entry to cell phones. There was Orlando where the primary witness was black, possibly a crisis actor. There were a couple of mass shootings or assaults on police where the perpetrators were black. One seemingly a part of the black truth community. Seems convenient for adding kindling to simmering racial tensions.
and targeting that community as dangerous because of it. The overall theme of 2016 is shutting down dissident voices. Associating them with terrorism here earlier in the year. Culminating in the fake news operation at the end of the year.
San Bernadino Dec 2015 BTW.
on Wed Jan 11th 2017 at 14:35:27 nomad
“I just read that Trump’s son-in-law got into Harvard due to his daddy’s cash, $2.5 million. The book this information comes from is called “The Price of Admission” by Daniel Golden.”
No, that’s not the part I was talking about. No I haven’t read the book. Not a surprising thing, though. These are generational elites we’re dealing with.
This is the part that needs to be laid to rest. The myth that you and others here subscribe to. The Trump non fan club. Give it a rest.
” resw, nomad and other Trump lovers,”
It has no basis in anything I have said or that I have read from resw, fan or whoever else you might be referring to as “other Trump lovers”. I only heard one regular on this forum admitting to liking Trump. And no one sought to smear him for it.
So give it arrest.
Donald Trump. Accidental president and Pizzagate will become Pedogate in 2017.
CIA Clandestine Case officer
(https://youtu.be/iXJm6VLR33E)
Comment deleted. Please call nomad by his proper name.
Russian hack fail.
Putin says: “If only I could hack your elections. I could have saved you from Obama.”
Obama seems desperate to ignite conflict with Russia in his last days. RT again. Because MSM is not going to report it. They’ll have us diverted by the latest slander against Trump. Meanwhile Obama hopes threat of war with Russia will hide the crumbling of the authority of the three pillars of social control, MSM, the political establishment and intel agencies.
(https://youtu.be/9buokAcMc8o?t=7m35s)
“Obama seems desperate to ignite conflict with Russia in his last days”
Right, the same man who got a Nobel Peace Prize. But what else can you expect from a prize named after a weapons manufacturer and distributor.
Obama has definitely been a boon for the big weapons companies, and they’re cheering this rift with Russia all the way to the bank:
http://stockcharts.com/c-sc/sc?s=LMT&p=W&st=2008-01-20&en=(today)&i=t65221514260&r=1484167369626
Fake news bites CNN in the ass.
If you’re living in a glass house…
(https://youtu.be/2CYasjjqHNw)
(https://youtu.be/xhaEzW005T8)
on Thu Jan 12th 2017 at 15:45:25 resw
CNN deserves it. Hopefully they will revert to real journalism.
Speaking of fake news distributors, The Washington Post has a nasty habit of publishing fake news and then retracting it a few days later after the damage has been done:
Washington Post: “Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electric grid. Authorities say there is no indication of that so far. The computer at Burlington Electric that was hacked was not attached to the grid.”
hoisted with their own petard. such a fitting term for MSM in the age of Obama. A fake progressive. A fake African American. With a fake black family. Faking efforts at peace while starting wars. Faking the assassination of Bin Laden. Faking healthcare reform. Fake, fake, fake. Trying to orchestrate fake news to damage the incoming administration. Faking a war against ISIS. What an appropriate characterization of the age of Obama. Barack Obama. The fake president.
(https://youtu.be/R48KMbOOR-A)
Spoken like a true Non-Fan of Trump, letting his lies sail right on by.
I leave trumps lies to you
“Non-Fan of Trump”
I still have no idea what that means. Some kind of fake label, I guess. Indicating my lack of disdain for Trump. Don’t see what the big deal is. You’ve had Trump in blackface for eight years now. It didn’t seem to upset you then. Why should it upset you now? Ask me who do I disdain more? Obama or Trump? Go ahead. Ask me? Trump or Clinton. Go ahead, ask me. The enemy pretending to be your friend can do much more harm than the enemy you perceive as your enemy.
‘yo enemy cant do you no harm
Cause you know where he’s coming from.
You’ve already had protofascism for eight years. Why wait til now to get upset?
LOL. How dare nomad talk about CNN’s lies! Using abagond’s logic, not talking about Trump’s lies means nomad is “letting his lies sail right on by” and it makes him a de facto Trump supporter. Just like abagond once said that not voting means you’re a de facto Republican voter.
So how is what CNN reported about the British spy’s dossier “fake news” but the Pizzagate stuff is not?
Simple answer. If any news report is a lie, it’s fake news! Doesn’t matter if it’s intentional, or not.
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/mainstream-corporate-press-dead/
“CNN first published an article citing without including information ostensively ruinous to President-elect Donald Trump’s political career — but BuzzFeed took that ball and ran — publishing documents believed to have originated from an unnamed British intelligence officer and admittedly unsubstantiated and unverified.
Careless reporting by the mainstream press, in other words, has reached critical mass — and known publishers of Fake News are now calling each other to task for egregiously vapid journalism.”
This is like you going on or implying that your presidential vote counts because …… it’s the common conventional belief IN THE PROCESS despite the overwhelming (in your face!) evidence that elections (and many other things) in present day Amerika are rigged by the controllers beyond most people’s willingness to accept or recognize.
each story is evaluated on its own merits. pizzagate has ample evidence. don’t know why its considered fake news [yes I do]. even by RT. calling it ‘stuff’ and ‘nonsense’ and ‘garbage’ is not going to make it go away. the citizen journalists are on it, even as MSM tries to cover it up.
Excuse me for linking Alex Jones. But he explains the watershed nature of the event very well. Just watch the first five minutes or so. Regardless of what you think about Jones or his politics, he’s spot on here.(https://youtu.be/dcripWKX67U)
Not politically simpatico, maybe. But I also thought Yvette Carnell had a good perspective on the Trump slap down.
(https://youtu.be/4mnR7k7pVY8)
I didn’t see the event. Did he really rip the intel agencies? Donald Trump is a brave brave man.
on Fri Jan 13th 2017 at 16:40:49 resw
Abagond is extremely loyal to msm networks like CNN. So we can’t expect him to be objective here.
“This is like you going on or implying that your presidential vote counts because”
Abagond does indeed imply that when he says that you are voting Republican if you do not vote.
Deleted comment for moderated language.
What moderated language? There was nothing untoward to moderate. Please explain. Otherwise will assume
That was just censorship, pure and simple.
piss.
it’s a bit irritating to compose a perfectly legitimate comment only to have. I don’t know what abagond is talking about. The comment was basically an introduction to the AJ video reviewing the descent of MSM into fake news propaganda in the wake of 911; mentioning the fiascos of WMD in Iraq and the fake war on ISIS and the recent Clinton polling debacle. Ohhhh!!!! I did call the latest attempt to smear Trump by a ‘p’ word!!! And for that he deleted the entire comment. What a petty move.
I figured it out. What a petty move.
He’s petty and super quick to delete comments when he disagrees with your argument. But he allows his colleagues, his master and others who attack people with whom he disagrees to repeatedly break the comment policy for months or longer.
on Sat Jan 14th 2017 at 10:24:41 nomad
So, yeah, and the other thing about the phenomenal Trump slap down of the Intel community and its handmaiden the MSM is it demonstrates that Trump is, not only not part of the secret society insiders, he is not under influence of the CIA as has been every other president since a former head of the CIA, Bush1 held the office.. Clinton, Bush2, Obama. All CIA presidents.
Trump is obviously not a CIA puppet. And that’s a good thing.
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/11/the-deep-state-goes-to-war-with-president-elect-using-unverified-claims-as-dems-cheer/
“The serious dangers posed by a Trump presidency are numerous and manifest. There is a wide array of legitimate and effective tactics for combating those threats: from bipartisan congressional coalitions and constitutional legal challenges to citizen uprisings and sustained and aggressive civil disobedience. All of those strategies have periodically proven themselves effective in times of political crisis or authoritarian overreach.
But cheering for the CIA and its shadowy allies to unilaterally subvert the U.S. election and impose its own policy dictates on the elected president is both warped and self-destructive. Empowering the very entities that have produced the most shameful atrocities and systemic deceit over the last six decades is desperation of the worst kind. Demanding that evidence-free, anonymous assertions be instantly venerated as Truth — despite emanating from the very precincts designed to propagandize and lie — is an assault on journalism, democracy, and basic human rationality. And casually branding domestic adversaries who refuse to go along as traitors and disloyal foreign operatives is morally bankrupt and certain to backfire on those doing it.”
Oh yeah. Another point from my deleted comment. Trump made the accusation heard around the world. “CNN is fake news!” The person about to hold the highest office in the world has declared CNN and by extension MSM fake news. I’ve been saying that here. But Trump is saying it on a much, much bigger stage. MSM has tried to dam it’s competitors, RT and alt news, as fake news. An accusation that Trump has hurled back at them. Hoisted! Hoisted I say! Hoisted with its own petard. Globally, thanks to Trump.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petard
‘A petard is a small bomb used for blowing up gates and walls when breaching fortifications. It is of French origin and dates back to the 16th century.’
Trying to blow up Trumps gate, the bomb exploded in their face. Blown up by their own petard.
Remember what happened to the last president that defied the Military Intelligence Complex? Back in 1963? The MIC won that dispute and has held every US president hostage to it ever since.
These people are desperate and capable of anything. That’s why it is suspiciously strange to have the general in charge of presidential security scheduled to be removed the day of Trump’s inauguration. What does that mean? Stand down? Like with JFK?
Watch out for flying kitchen sinks.
Last Minute Change in Security at Inauguration Reminiscent of JFK in Dealey Plaza
(https://youtu.be/6quFfUj2boU)
This word would make an excellent subject for a future post.
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Jonathan Swift (Hardcover)
By John Stubbs
Publisher: viking press
Edition: Hardcover
Jonathan Swift's world-famous works - from Gulliver's Travels to A Modest Proposal - are unparalleled in their piercing critique of modern society. But Jonathan Swift was a man of great contradictions: a man who satirized the powerful but aspired to political greatness, who mocked men's vanity but held himself in high esteem, a religious moralizer famed for his malice - a man sharply aware of humanity's flaws, but no less susceptible to them.As with his acclaimed biography of John Donne, John Stubbs paints a vivid portrait of an extraordinary man and a turbulent period of English and Irish history.
John Stubbs was born in 1977 and studied English at Oxford and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge where he completed a doctorate in 2005. Donne: The Reformed Soul was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. Reprobates was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize.
Title: Jonathan Swift
Author: John Stubbs
Saladin (Lead Title)
John Donne: The Major Works: Including Songs and Sonnets and Sermons
Grace Abounding: With Other Spiritual Autobiographies
Sam Walton, Made in America: My Story
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction
Collected Poems
Introducing Chomsky
In Praise Of Prejudice: And Some Prejudices Of My Own
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Pan American Health Organization, 17 résultats 17
Organisation de l'aviation civile international, 8 résultats 8
UNEP, 2 résultats 2
Asie et Pacifique, 16 résultats 16
Afrique, 11 résultats 11
République arabe syrienne, 2 résultats 2
Royaume-Uni, 2 résultats 2
Yémen, 2 résultats 2
Thaïlande, 2 résultats 2
Arabie saoudite, 2 résultats 2
Dossier, 10 résultats 10
Sous-sous-série, 1 résultats 1
Letter indicating the representative of the World Health Organization for the International Conference of States with a view to the adoption of the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific
Memorandum of understanding on the environmental aspects of natural disasters
UNEP-UNDRO-WFC-UNIDO-ILO-UNESCO-WHO-WMO
Sous-sous-série
Mexico - FAO/UNESCO/UNDESA/OPS-OMS/PMA/PNUD/Unicef
Sous-série organique
Haiti - Programme de nutrition et développement rural en collaboration avec la FAO, OPS/OMS, UNESCO et Unicef
File contains letters and cables from organizations sending observers to the International Conference in view of the adoption of the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab and European States...
Nepal - Development of Services benefiting Children (1975-1980) - Plan of Operations
Nepal - Unicef/WHO/UNESCO - Development of Services benefiting Children (1975-1980)
Gambia - WHO/FAO/UNESCO/UNSDD/Unicef
Amérique latine - CEPAL/FAO/OPS/OMS/UNESCO/Unicef
Yemen-ILO-FAO-WHO-UNESCO-Unicef
Sierra Leone-UNSDD-WHO-UNESCO-Unicef
Development of Services for Children in Sierra Leone - Plan of operations
Arabie saoudite-UNDESA-UNESCO-FAO-WHO-Unicef
Proyecto para reforzar los servicios basicos de atencion a la infancia, juventud y familia, en los campos del bienestar social, educacion y salud - Plan de operaciones
Nicaragua-UNESCO-OPS/OMS-Unicef
Caraïbes (région)/UNICEF/PAHO/WHO/CFNI/FAO/UNESCO
Syrian Arab Republic/UNDESA/ILO/FAO/WHO/UNICEF
Paraguay/OIT/FAO/UNESCO/OMS/UNICEF
Panama/FAO/UNESCO/OPS/OMS/UNICEF
El Salvador/FAO/UNESCO/OPS/OMS/UNICEF
Philippines/FAO/WHO/UNESCO/UNICEF - National Food and Nutrition Programme in the Republic of the Philippines
[Programa demonstrativo de desarrollo integral rural (Uruguay)] - Plan de operaciones, Junio 1971
Item is an unsigned copy.
Programa demonstrativo de desarrollo integral rural (Uruguay)
United Arab Republic - UNICEF/United Nations Social Development Division/WHO/FAO/ILO/UNESCO
Nicaragua - FAO/UNESCO/OMS/UNICEF
Honduras - FAO/UNESCO/OMS/UNICEF
Accord entre l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'Education, la Science et la Culture et l'Organisation mondiale de la santé
1948-07-17?
Agreement between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization
Accord entre l'UNESCO et l'Organisation mondiale de la santé
Accord de base entre l'ONU, l'OAA, l'OACI, l'OIT, l'Unesco, l'OMS, le BAT et le Gouvernement de l'Indonésie
File contains the basic agreement, and a printed copy of supplementary agreements 1 and 2.
Accord de base entre l'ONU, l'OAA, l'OACI, l'OIT, l'Unesco, l'OMS, le TAB et le Gouvernement de El Salvador
File contains a printed (unsigned) copy of the agreement and a note of transmission from the UN Secretariat dated 1954-05-14.
Accord de base entre l'ONU, l'OAA, l'OACI, l'OIT, l'Unesco, l'OMS, le TAB et le Gouvernement de l'Iran
File contains an unsigned printed copy of the Agreement and a note of transmission from the UN Secretariat, 13-04-1954.
Basic agreement between the UN, ICAO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, TAB and the Government of the Philippines
File contains one signed original of the Basic agreement and its Annex I - Observations on and guiding principles, as well as a signed copy of Supplementary agreement no.1 on rural urban education, and an exchange of notes concerning the entry int...
Supplementary agreement no. 3 (between the organizations and the Government of the United Kingdom being the Administrative Power of the territories of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania)
File contains two signed copies and one unsigned translation into arabic.
Supplementary Agreement number four to the basic agreement concerning the United Nations, the ILO, the FAO, UNESCO, the ICAO and the WHO and the Government of the United Kingdom of Libya
File contains a signed original agreement in English and a copy of the signed agreement in Arabic.
Supplementary agreement no. 7
File contains an original signed agreement in English, as well as an original signed agreement in Arabic.
Supplementary Agreement no. 5 between the UN Technical Assistance Administration, International Labour Organization, FAO, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, and the Government of Thailand to the Basic Agreement between UNESCO and the Government of Tha
FR PUNES AG 8-LEG-A-95-10
Original instrument.
Tripartite Plan of Operations between World Health Organization, UNESCO and the Government of Thailand for the establishment of a school health (demonstration) Project in Chachoengsao Thailand in association with the Fundamental Education Programme
Accord concernant le statut juridique de l'OMS et Arrangement en vue de l'exécution du dit accord
FR PUNES AG 8-LEG-B-14-6
Item is a photocopy of the 1949 agreement, likely kept on file as another example of an agreement with the Swiss government.
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| 0.55389
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Norwegian kr. (NOK)
Swedish kr. (SEK)
Nude & Erotic
> Monographs>Fabrik - A Photo Epos of Technology
Fabrik - A Photo Epos of Technology
@ Tuggener, Jakob
Reference: 978-3865214935
Presentation by Steidl:
"Jakob Tuggener’s Fabrik, published in Zurich in 1943, is considered to be a milestone in the history of photography books. The series of 72 photographs in this Photo Epos of Technology is oriented toward the expressionist aesthetic of the silent movie. It imparts a sceptical view of the destructive potential of unbridled technological progress — at the time the Swiss military industry was producing weapons for World War II.
Tuggener’s uncompromising subjective photography and his critical attitude did not suit his time. Fabrik was not a commercial success — the copies were sold at a loss and in part apparently even converted to pulp. Now the work, which has since become a sought-after classic, is being reissued as a reprint with a contemporary afterword."
This book is a new edition of a work originally published in 1943 by Swiss publisher Rotapfel-Verlag.
Lower price! :-)
62 pages - Hardcover with cristal DJ
Steidl, 2011
Format : 22.8 x 30.9 cm
New - Mint condition
Warning: Last books in stock!
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Tuggener, Jakob
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American Realities
Publisher's presentation: "In 2010 more Americans were living below the poverty line than at any time since 1959, when the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting this data. In 2011, Kira Pollack, Director of Photography at Time, commissioned Joakim Eskildsen to photograph this growing crisis affecting nearly 46.2 million Americans. Based on census data,...
Quick view Leiter, Saul
Early Black and White
.Back in stock.Presentation by Steidl: Saul Leiter’s early black and white photographs "The distinctive iconography of Saul Leiter’s early black and white photographs stems from his profound response to the dynamic street life of New York City in the late 1940s and 50s. While this technique borrowed aspects of the photodocumentary, Leiter’s imagery was...
Quick view Killip, Chris
In Flagrante Two
Presentation by Steidl: "The photographs that Chris Killip made in Northern England between 1973 and 1985 were first published by Secker & Warburg in the book In Flagrante in 1988. The new oversized Steidl edition is a radically updated presentation, showing a single image on the right side of each double-page spread. In Flagrante Two is strident in...
See all the books of Steidl: 22
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The Harbinger Decoded
by Jonathan Cahn (Author)Michael Brown (Narrated by)
DVD-Video
7.5” x 5.33” x 0.58”
The power and stunning presentation of the revelations contained in the "New York Times" best seller "The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future"--in audiovisual form.
Is there an ancient mystery that lies behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the American economy--a mystery going back over two and half thousand years to the last days of ancient Israel? Could this mystery foretell modern events down to the exact days and hours--and reveal statements from American leaders even before they were spoken? Is America in danger of destruction? And is it all happening according to a key given by an ancient prophet?
Now, viewers can go deeper and actually see for themselves the nine Harbingers of national judgment that have appeared on American soil and hear American leaders pronounce the ancient and ominous words of judgment upon the nation. Viewers can see all of the nine Harbingers in visual form as well as such revelations as the mystery of the Shemitah, the mystery ground, and much more, including things never before seen on DVD.
The "Harbinger Decoded" features Jonathan Cahn as he uncovers and decodes the mystery with a stunning array of footage of the unfolding mystery. The DVD also interweaves glimpses of the prophet, Nouriel, and the nine ancient seals of "The Harbinger"'s narrative.
In addition, "The Harbinger Decoded" contains several special features, including: Most Asked Questions End-Time Prophecy America and the Last Days The (Supernatural) Story Behind the Story And much more
"The Harbinger Decoded "is a gripping, stunning, and amazing prophetic presentation for believer and unbeliever alike. Perfect for congregations, small groups, and individuals, it's a powerful tool to help lead unbelievers to salvation and believers to revival.
Jonathan Cahn, Author
View more by Jonathan Cahn
The Book of Mysteries
Love Thy Body
$15.99$19.9920
Beating Guns
God's Double Agent
Bob Fu
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2019’s most unusual requests from Brits abroad
As 2019 draws to a close, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has released details of some of the oddest requests, demands and enquiries it has received from Brits abroad this year and highlighted what it can and can’t help with when British people run into trouble abroad.
Of the 330,000 calls taken by the FCO this year, ten of the more unusual ones were:
A man rang to complain about the aeroplane food on the way to his holiday destination, asking us to change him to a different airline for the return journey.
A customer calling from Nigeria wanted to speak to the rapper 50 Cent and asked the British Consulate to share his phone number.
A woman emailed to ask if she could buy 30 sheets of A4 paper from the British Consulate, as she couldn’t find any where she was in Texas.
A caller rang to say they had left their headphones in their hotel room in France and asked if Embassy staff could pop round and see if they were still there.
A couple thinking of moving to Portugal contacted the British Embassy to ask how removal companies got large items of furniture into small flats in Lisbon.
A caller wanted to ask about getting British nationality for his son, who had recently been born overseas. He hoped the child would qualify for citizenship on the basis his parents were certain he’d been conceived in the UK.
A man rang to ask us to provide a television for his friend who had been hospitalised in Australia because the one in his ward was broken.
A woman rang from Qatar to ask how we could help deal with a make-up artist for her wedding as she wasn’t happy with the service she’d received.
A woman calling from Sweden had been invited to an event at Windsor Castle and wanted advice on what to wear for it.
A couple in China who had engaged the services of a sperm donor wanted to know if our staff could verify the nationality of the sperm as British.
While the FCO cannot help with the types of problems listed above, we can help British people who run into trouble abroad in a number of ways. These include:
Issuing an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) if people lose their passport. We issued more than 27,000 ETDs in 2019.
Visiting people who have been admitted to hospital. More than 3,400 people contacted us after being hospitalised abroad in 2019.
Offering advice to people who have been imprisoned. More than 5,000 people asked us for assistance after being jailed in 2019.
Getting in touch with family or friends if people can’t contact them themselves.
Providing details of local services such as lawyers, interpreters and doctors.
Sadly, more than 20,000 calls received by the FCO this year were from people ringing to intentionally waste our time or be abusive to staff members.
An FCO spokesperson said:
While we can’t hand out famous rappers’ phone numbers, collect your lost property or advise on Windsor Castle’s dress code, our dedicated consular staff are there to help Brits who run into trouble when they’re abroad.
Read our travel advice before you go away, make sure you have appropriate travel insurance, and if you get into difficulty, you can call the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.
In the 12 months to December 2019, the FCO received 17 compliments for every 1 complaint from people who received consular services.
If you are in the UK and worried about someone overseas, you can call the FCO on 020 7008 1500.
British people in another country who needs our help should call the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Contact details are here.
We recommend people read our travel advice before going abroad. It is available here: FCO Travel Advice.
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FEATURED GREAT LITERATURE:
“A wildly successful first novel made Grady Tripp a young star, and seven years later he still hasn’t grown up. He’s now a writing professor in Pittsburgh, plummeting through middle age, stuck with an unfinish-able manuscript, an estranged wife, a pregnant girlfriend, and a talented but deeply disturbed student named James Leer. During one lost weekend at a writing festival with Leer and debauched editor Terry Crabtree, Tripp must finally confront the wreckage made of his past decisions.
A modern classic, now in a welcome new edition, Wonder Boys firmly established Michael Chabon as a force to be reckoned with in American fiction. At once a deft parody of the American fame factory and a piercing portrait of young and old desire, this novel introduces two unforgettable characters: Grady Tripp, a former publishing prodigy now lost in a fog of pot and passion and stalled in the midst of his endless second book, and Gradyâs student, James Leer, a budding writer obsessed with Hollywood self-destruction and struggling with his own searching heart. All those who love Michael Chabonâs The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay will find the same elegant imagination, bold humor, and undeniable warmth at work in Wonder Boys.
Mordant but humane, Wonder Boys features characters as loveably flawed as any in American fiction.” (via Amazon)
WRBH’s Great Literature program airs on Monday through Friday at 10AM. Your read for this book is Lisa Houck and the music used in the open and close is at the link below:
https://youtu.be/jFIVUpSpMJw
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Roll Player review — Step forward adventurer
By Matthew Smail On Oct 12, 2018 0
What a time to be alive! Whilst character creation is perhaps one of the most exciting things about many role playing games, I honestly never thought that I’d see a board game about it. But, Roll Player is just that; a board game that focuses purely on creating optimal characters based on a randomly chosen class, alignment and back story. This is a fast-paced dice game for one to four players and, I tell you what, give it chance and you might be surprised by what it does well.
Roll Player certainly presents a simple concept that any video or board gamer can get behind. The desire to create an unbelievably powerful character that is perfectly suited to their role is a very strong one among players — unless, obviously, you are the kind of masochist who plays Dark Souls as a “Deprived” class. Roll Player simulates the character creation procedure by using fun, dice drafting mechanics and a strong objective structure that gives players several things to think about.
The game usually lasts around an hour, although it is more like thirty minutes when played solo and perhaps ninety minutes when four players are involved. The solo game is more or less mechanically identical to the multiplayer experience and there is an option to play against an AI who has just a couple of rules tweaks to take into consideration. Overall, Roll Player is fairly straightforward to learn and to teach, especially if the players already understand the basic concept of creating an RPG character.
Broadly speaking, the players will take turns to draft dice and add them into gaps on their player board. Both the dice value and colour can be relevant, since each role requires different attribute values, each of which will be worth victory points. A fighting class, for example, will demand higher scores for strength or constitution, whilst a cleric might seek wisdom. Placing dice of specific colour in the slots indicated on your board will also score bonus points and every time a dice is added to one of the six attributes, a special action can be taken. Dexterity, for example, allows any two dice to be switched.
At the end of the game, each player will look at their class, alignment, background and attributes (and their cash plus any other modifiers) and tally up their score. The highest score across everything wins, rightly suggesting that the winning player has created the ultimate RPG character. There are a fair number of other things to consider in Roll Player, like the purchase of equipment after each round of drafting and the benefits of various special actions.
Roll Player is presented in a smallish, compact and impressive package. Very little space inside the box is wasted, thanks largely to the abundance of chunky, attractive dice that come in numerous colors. There are also coin tokens, wooden cubes to track alignment and then a number of decks of cards that aid the randomization of setup, provide the item market and so on. All of this hangs together on the player boards, each of which is double sided and aligned to a particular race (dwarf, human, elf etc.) It’s a nice touch that the designers saw fit to make both male and female sides of each race, so players can choose whatever character they prefer.
The player boards are well made from sturdy cardboard, which means that dice slot straight into them with no trouble and little chance of accidental damage. They are also clearly and logically laid out, with prompts to show where cards will be added and when specific benefits or actions will result from die placement, for example. The cards are equally clear to use and the artwork throughout is perfectly fine, though I guess one might argue that the subject matter (weapons, armor, items) don’t lend themselves to the most exciting scenes.
The real stars of the show are those dice. All of the different colors are bright and bold, with a larger than average plastic construction that is heavy and satisfying to roll. The number of pips on each is clearly printed and a bag is included with the game to make sure that the blind draw aspect of the game is possible without buying additional accessories. Overall Roll Player is a nicely crafted package — nothing about it is over the top or unnecessary, but everything works well together and I don’t think you’ll find any aspect of the build quality to be lacking.
Turn structure
Among the many features that I like about modern tabletop games, one that I consider to be especially important is that of intertwining the player turns so that the game feels permanently engaging. Roll Player achieves this by starting each turn with the lead player drawing one dice for each player, plus one (so three in a two player game) and then placing them on an initiative track from lowest to highest. The players will then take turns to draft those dice, with the highest value ones giving the player who takes them a lower initiative in the buying round that follows. Simply put, taking a higher die will mean you likely miss out on the best item, and vice versa.
When the first player takes their chosen die (and the initiative card it comes with) they will then place it onto their player board. Dice must be placed in the leftmost space of any attribute first and each row takes three dice to fill. Whenever a die is placed, the special bonus for that attribute will also be triggered — for example, the dexterity ability that I mentioned earlier, or the strength one, which allows the player to change the value on one dice. Other effects might be triggered depending on the dice colour, where it was placed and any items the player might have. Sometimes the player will gain money or change their alignment, for example.
Each player will be aiming to draft dice of the right value and colour to manipulate their board until the attribute values are as closely aligned to their class’s ideal specification as possible. This will often be a specific (and high) number for key skills that score the most points, whilst less critical attributes might have a middling requirement and a range of values that will score, albeit that the points awarded will be much fewer than those given for critical skills. Some of the races have a base modifier (elves are dextrous, halflings are weak) which can make it easier, harder or even impossible to fulfill your target value. These factors should be considered carefully when setting up your character.
After the players have all drawn their chosen dice (and the initiative card that comes with it) they may purchase from the market. There are weapons, armour sets, traits and skills to choose from, each of which will work slightly differently. Some of these cards have passive effects that enable the player to influence their dice or attributes somehow, whilst others provide skills that must be activated and allow an immediate benefit. Armour often comes in sets and complete sets are worth large amounts of points.
After the drawing and drafting of dice and then the purchasing round, any cards left in the market will be discarded and any dice will be returned to the bag. A new set of items will then be laid out and the next player will draw dice from the bag and place them, effectively repeating the process. This cycle continues until all players have filled all spaces on their board (effectively eighteen rounds.) Once all the boards are filled, the players use the back of their player aid to track points from all sources — mostly the alignment of attribute values to dice placements.
Game experience
From the perspective of someone who really loves to immerse themselves in the deeper aspects of character creation in games, I have to admit that I feel that Roll Player captures the feeling of creating the perfect character very well. The initial set up of the board (where six dice are drawn and placed anywhere) creates a similar feeling to that which you’ll experience when you create your first crappy D&D character and, at best, you’ll have one or two stats that come even close to where you want them.
As the game goes on, of course, you’ll add more and more dice, but most importantly, you’ll add many skills, items and traits to your character board. I found that this was where Roll Player moved away from the basic character creation element and came into its own. Adding dice and cards to your board is the equivalent of questing and defeating enemies (presumably) to obtain experience and money, but in Roll Player, none of that is seen — players simply draw dice. I’m actually quite pleased about that, because by keeping things simple, Roll Player remains a short, sharp and punchy experience.
Roll Player is a very streamlined game to play and I like that the objective is so straightforward and yet so varied: make the best character you can. Simple. With that said, optimising dice value and placement, managing your alignment and collecting items creates a rich mixture of options to pursue. Obtaining all of these goals is nigh on impossible in a single play, so as with all good games, Roll Player often becomes a case of making tough decisions every single turn, with a real sense of urgency as the board fills up with dice.
Roll Player delivers on a lot of the features that I look for in a good game. It plays out in around an hour and each turn passes quickly and with good humour, thanks to the way in which each dice is drafted based on the initiative system. There isn’t a ton of interaction between the players in a mechanical sense, but you won’t miss that given the camaraderie and “banter” that takes place during the drafting. The actual pulling of dice and placement of them is both tactile and appealing both to the eye and to the mind — optimising dice placement to meet multiple objectives at the same time is incredibly satisfying.
I think it is possible to suggest that Roll Player might eventually become a little bit repetitive, but given that the deck of market cards is deep and the variability among races, classes, backstories and alignments is high, I haven’t found myself in that position yet. This is helped by the game length, which means that Roll Player lends itself to short, relatively-deep play perhaps before or after a bigger game. Roll Player adapts very well to different player counts, although I do think it’s a slight shame that it only supports up to four players.
Overall I think Roll Player is a very solid dice drafting and optimisation game that plays quickly and will be of particular interest to people who love role playing games and/or the character creation process that comes with them. Even if you’re not a role playing game fan, I still think that Roll Player creates a complex enough puzzle for others to enjoy, since the concept is very clear and can simply be boiled down into a series of mathematical optimisation exercises. A strong and solid recommendation from me.
A copy of Roll Player was provided for review purposes and can be purchased via 365 Games or through one of the shops found in this handy Store Locator.
asmodeeDICEKeith MatejkaRoll PlayerThunderworks Games
Matthew Smail 308 posts 39 comments
Matt is B3's resident Head of Board Games. As a life-long fan of all things gaming he'll also occasionally be found covering video games with the team, or bringing a nice mix of topics to the podcast.
Skulk Hollow — A Foxen good time
Mage Knight Ultimate Edition review — Reach for the skyrim
Takenoko — Build bamboo and eat it up
The River review — Without a paddle?
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Seven Essential Ingredients for Change Management
Organisational Change Management Volume 2
The Fundamental Tasks of Leadership During Change
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. A leader needs to create a holding environment ‐ an apt analogy is that of a pressure cooker: need to regulate the pressure by turning up the heat while also allowing some steam to escape. If the pressure exceeds the cooker's capacity, the cooker can blow up. However, nothing cooks without some heat.
In the early stages of corporate change, the holding environment can be a temporary place in which a leader creates the conditions for diverse groups to:
- talk to one another about the challenges facing them
- frame and debate issues
- clarify assumptions behind competing perspectives and values
. A leader is responsible for direction, protection, orientation, managing conflicts and shaping norms, and this is described as adaptive work:
Technical or Routine
(management role)
(leadership role)
Define problem & provide solutions
Identify the adaptive challenge and frame key questions & issues
Shield the organisation from external threats
Let the organisation feel external pressure within a range it can tolerate
Clarify roles and responsibilities
Challenge current roles and resist pressure to define new roles quickly
Restore order
Expose conflict or elicit its emergence
Shaping norms
Maintain norms
Challenge unproductive norms
. A leader must have presence and poise ‐ regulating distress is perhaps a leader's most difficult job and the pressures to restore equilibrium are enormous. Just as molecules bang hard against the walls of the pressure cooker, people bang up against leaders who are trying to sustain the pressures of tough, conflict-filled work. Leadership demands a deep understanding of the pain of change, including the fears and sacrifices associated with major adjustments. It also requires the ability to hold steady and maintain tension, otherwise the pressure escapes and the necessary conditions for learning and change are lost.
A leader must have the emotional capacity to tolerate uncertainty, frustration and pain. He or she has to be able to raise tough questions without being too anxious himself/herself. Employees as well as colleagues and customers carefully observe the verbal and non-verbal cues of the leader's ability to hold steady, so leaders need to communicate confidence that all can effectively tackle the tasks ahead
. A leader needs to encourage diversity & inclusion ‐ diversity is valuable because innovation and learning are a product of our differences. No one learns anything without being open to contrasting points of view. A leader must get staff to confront tough trade-offs in values, procedures, operating styles and power. Different people within the organisation bring different experiences, assumptions, values, beliefs and habits to their work. To get the most out of your diversity and inclusion approach it needs to be
- measured
- camp in by senior executives
- have targets with rewards for achieving them and penalties for not
- be added to the resource
NB Diversity refers to elements of multiculturalism/ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, disability, generational/age, etc
As Jan Carlzon (the legendary CEO of SAS) states
"...one of the most interesting missions of leadership is getting people to listen and learn from one another. Held in debate, people can learn their way to collective solutions when they understand one another's assumptions. The work of the leader is to get conflict out into the open and use it as a source of creativity..."
. A leader needs to encourage disciplined attention ‐ people need leadership to help them maintain their focus on tough questions
. A leader needs to develop collective self-confidence ‐ as Carlzon observes
"...people aren't born with self-confidence. Even the most self-confident people can be broken. Self-confidence comes from success, experience and an organisation's environment. The leader's most important role is to instill confidence in people. They must dare to take risks and responsibility. The leader must back them up if they make mistakes..."
HBR, 1998c
This can be very important, especially as staff who sense early changes in the marketplace are often at the periphery or lower levels of the organisation. All too often, people look up the chain of command, expecting senior management to meet market challenges to which they themselves should be responding
. A leader has to provide protection to staff who point to the internal contradictions of the organisation
. A leader needs to understand the rational and non-rational aspects of an organisation and its people. The rational refers to what can be reasoned with logic and is observable, while non-rational refers to what must be inferred and can only be interpreted through intuition.
(sources: HBR, 1998a, b & c)
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He has 30+ years experience in management and consulting, both in Australia and internationally, in the public, private, co-operative, professional, educational and not-for-profit sectors.
In addition to acting as a consultant/trainer, Bill's experience comes from his senior management positions as a change catalyst. His approach is very practical and is based on hands-on experience.
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Andrea Soranno, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Publications (PubMed / NIH)
Office: 2913 South Building
Email: soranno@wustl.edu
We combine single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and concepts from polymer physics to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins; we develop innovative methods to study macromolecular conformations and dynamics within cells and in membraneless organelles.
Singh S.P., Soranno A., Sparks M.A., & Galletto R. (2019). “Branched unwinding mechanism of the Pif1 family of DNA helicases.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Nov 19. pii: 201915654. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1915654116. [Epub ahead of print] (Abstract)
Felicia Gibson, Andrea Soranno, Wenwei Zheng, & Sara M. Vaiana. (2019). “Extracting Sequence-Dependent Intra-Protein Interaction Parameters from Photo-Induced Electron Transfer Measurements of IDPs” Biophysical Journal. Volume 116, Issue 3, Supplement 1, 15 February 2019, Page 202a. (Abstract)
Andrea Soranno, Jeremias Incicco, Paolo De Bona, Eric Tomko, Eric Galburt, & Roberto Galletto. (2019). “Shelterin Components Modulate the Phase-Separation Propensity of Telomeres” Biophysical Journal. Volume 116, Issue 3, Supplement 1, 15 February 2019, Pages 467a-468a. (Abstract)
Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton, Berevan Baban, Greg DeKoster, Carl Frieden, & Andrea Soranno. (2019). “Single-Molecule Conformational Analysis of Apolipoprotein E” Biophysical Journal. Volume 116, Issue 3, Supplement 1, 15 February 2019, Page 167a. (Abstract)
Rezaei-Ghaleh N., Parigi G., Soranno A., Holla A., Becker S., Schuler B., Luchinat C., & Zweckstetter M. (2018). “Local and Global Dynamics in Intrinsically Disordered Synuclein.” Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2018 Sep 5. doi: 10.1002/anie.201808172. [Epub ahead of print] (Abstract)
Soranno A., Zosel F., & Hofmann H. (2018). “Internal friction in an intrinsically disordered protein-Comparing Rouse-like models with experiments.” J Chem Phys. 2018 Mar 28;148(12):123326. doi: 10.1063/1.5009286. (Abstract)
Borgia A., Borgia M.B., Bugge K., Kissling V.M., Heidarsson P.O., Fernandes C.B., Sottini A., Soranno A., Buholzer K.J., Nettels D., Kragelund B.B., Best R.B., & Schuler B. (2018). “Extreme disorder in an ultrahigh-affinity protein complex.” Nature. 2018 Mar 1;555(7694):61-66. doi: 10.1038/nature25762. Epub 2018 Feb 21. (Abstract)
Zosel F., Haenni D., Soranno A., Nettels D., & Schuler B. (2017). “Combining short- and long-range fluorescence reporters with simulations to explore the intramolecular dynamics of an intrinsically disordered protein.” J Chem Phys. 2017 Oct 21;147(15):152708. doi: 10.1063/1.4992800. (Abstract)
Soranno A., Holla A., Dingfelder F., Nettels D., Makarov D.E., & Schuler B. (2017). “Integrated view of internal friction in unfolded proteins from single-molecule FRET, contact quenching, theory, and simulations.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Mar 7;114(10):E1833-E1839. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1616672114. Epub 2017 Feb 21. (Abstract)
Borgia A., Zheng W., Buholzer K., Borgia M.B., Schüler A., Hofmann H., Soranno A., Nettels D., Gast K., Grishaev A., Best R.B., & Schuler B. (2016). “Consistent View of Polypeptide Chain Expansion in Chemical Denaturants from Multiple Experimental Methods.” J Am Chem Soc. 2016 Sep 14;138(36):11714-26. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b05917. Epub 2016 Sep 1. (Abstract)
Schuler B., Soranno A., Hofmann H., & Nettels D. (2016). “Single-Molecule FRET Spectroscopy and the Polymer Physics of Unfolded and Intrinsically Disordered Proteins.” Annu Rev Biophys. 2016 Jul 5;45:207-31. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-062215-010915. Epub 2016 May 2. (Abstract)
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Home > Journals > Journal of Wildlife Diseases > Volume 8 > Issue 3 > Article
1 July 1972 PATHOBIOLOGY OF Artystone trysibia SCHIOEDTE (ISOPODA: CYMOTHOIDAE), AN ENDOPARASITIC ISOPOD OF SOUTH AMERICAN FRESH WATER FISHES
HARRY W. HUIZINGA
HARRY W. HUIZINGA1
1Department of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61761, U.S.A.
J. of Wildlife Diseases, 8(3):225-232 (1972). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-8.3.225
The endoparasitic isopod, Artystone trysibia, was found within a pouch-like encapsulation in the abdomen of a naturally-infected, fresh water discus fish, Symphysodon discus, imported from South America. Larval stages released from the female isopod penetrated various body sites in the albino catfish, Corydoras aeneus, where they caused mechanical damage and hemorrhage. In one case, a larva that penetrated behind a pectoral fin was observed during a 72 day period to grow and develop into an immature male isopod which was separated from the internal organs of the catfish by a host-produced capsule. The isopod maintained an opening to the outside by the continuous movement of its abdominal appendages. The capsules surrounding isopods in both the discus fish and albino catfish contained tissue elements of body wall origin suggesting that the growing isopod causes fibrous changes of the body wall which expands to form a protective invagination. A proposed life history is discussed.
HUIZINGA: PATHOBIOLOGY OF Artystone trysibia SCHIOEDTE (ISOPODA: CYMOTHOIDAE), AN ENDOPARASITIC ISOPOD OF SOUTH AMERICAN FRESH WATER FISHES*
HARRY W. HUIZINGA "PATHOBIOLOGY OF Artystone trysibia SCHIOEDTE (ISOPODA: CYMOTHOIDAE), AN ENDOPARASITIC ISOPOD OF SOUTH AMERICAN FRESH WATER FISHES," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 8(3), 225-232, (1 July 1972). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-8.3.225
Received: 24 January 1972; Published: 1 July 1972
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 8 • No. 3
HARRY W. HUIZINGA "PATHOBIOLOGY OF Artystone trysibia SCHIOEDTE (ISOPODA: CYMOTHOIDAE), AN ENDOPARASITIC ISOPOD OF SOUTH AMERICAN FRESH WATER FISHES," Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 8(3), 225-232, (1 July 1972)
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BUSTED: Bloomberg’s “The Trace” Intentionally Misrepresents Defensive Gun Uses
Posted at 1:27 pm on May 3, 2016 by Bob Owens
Defensive Gun Uses (DGUs) are a relatively well-known fact of life in the United States, with various studies estimating from between an improbably low 55,000 DGUs on the low end, to an impossibly high 4.7 DGUs on the upper end of the spectrum.
It’s highly amusing, then, to see Michael Bloomberg’s gun control “news” site The Trace attempting to manufacture a laughably dishonest and much smaller low-end figure than even the most rabid of gun control groups
Clearly, the integrity of “reporters” Evan DeFilippis and Devin Hughes can be purchased quite cheaply.
Recently, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has brought the notion into the 2016 campaign. “If you’re a single mom living in a tough neighborhood, the Second Amendment protects your right, that if someone comes through the window trying to harm your kids,” he said in an April appearance on Good Morning America. “You have a right to be armed to protect your family.”
By at least one measure, the message seems to be persuasive: 56 percent of female gun owners believe that having a gun makes the home a safer place, according to a recent survey conducted by Marie Claire; among women in general, 20 percent hold that view. But the available evidence does not support the conclusion that guns offer women increased protection. Myriad studies show that the NRA and its allies grossly misrepresent the actual dangers women face. It is people they know, not strangers, who pose the greatest threat. There is also strong, data-based evidence that shows owning a gun, rather than making women safer, actually puts them at significantly greater risk of violent injury and death.
In some places and in some instances, women have, in fact, used guns to successfully defend themselves. But the case that gun rights advocates make when pitching guns as essential to women’s personal and family security goes beyond the anecdotal, leaning heavily on an oft-cited 1995 study by the Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck—a study built on faulty research.
In his findings, Kleck estimated that women use guns to defend themselves 1.2 million times per year, and that 200,000 such defensive gun uses stopped sexual assaults. Those estimates have proved to be wildly inflated. Successful defensive gun use is, in fact, extremely rare among all people: There are fewer than 1,600 verified instances in the US each year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. By comparison, annually, 118,000 people are injured, killed, or commit suicide with a gun.
Did you catch what DeFilippis and Hughes tried to pull?
They’re intentionally using invalid data from the Gun Violence Archive. Their hideously and perhaps intentionally flawed methodology asserts that there can’t be a defensive gun use unless it made the news. The reality of our “if it bleeds, it leads” media culture is that most DGUs are simply not newsworthy.
The majority of defensive gun uses are instead instances where people are not shot, or even where shots are fired. The vast majority of defensive gun uses occur with the mere display of a firearm causing a criminal to flee. These stories don’t make the news.
So how many defensive gun uses actually occur each year?
Even the most conservative estimates put the number of defensive gun uses in the high tens of thousands per year, and the mid-range estimates are between 250,000-370,000 DGUs per year. Higher end and reputably defended estimates range as high as millions of defensive gun uses per year, most of those uses being the mere brandishing of a firearm to scare away a criminal.
DeFilippis and Hughes are gun control supporters, so it is hardly surprising that they’d stoop to deception to promote their views. Nor is it surprising that gun control zealot Mike Bloomberg would peak out from behind his hypocrisy-rich phalanx of armed bodyguards to put their fiction on one of his many vanity sites, like The Trace.
What is a bit more perplexing is why Vice is echoing Bloomberg’s publication without doing even a cursory examination to see if the propaganda being pushed by DeFilippis and Hughes is even vaguely plausible.
It isn’t, and that says a great deal about e-zine, and what the editors think of the intelligence of their readers.
Tags: Anti-Gun Hysteriadefensive gun useDevin HughesEvan DeFilippisMike BloombergThe Trace
Author's Bio: Bob Owens
Bob Owens is the Editor of BearingArms.com. Bob is a graduate of roughly 400 hours of professional firearms training classes, including square range and force-on force work with handguns and carbines. He is a past volunteer instructor with Project Appleseed. He most recently received his Vehicle Close Quarters Combat Instructor certification from Centrifuge Training, and is the author of the short e-book, So You Want to Own a Gun. He can be found on Twitter at bob_owens. https://bearingarms.com/author/bobowens-bearingarms/
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Blueguerilla Board index Videos
Disco Demolition - July 12, 1979
Videos about cats and stuff
Dr. Zoidberg
Post by Dr. Zoidberg » Sat Oct 13, 2018 5:41 pm
Bonus baseball riot video:
Wrestling Mod
Re: Disco Demolition - July 12, 1979
Post by Big Boss Man » Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:59 am
Nile Rodgers spoke about this in I think one of the documentary series Rock and his ex wife produced for CNN. Basically it was really down to the radio host being a bigot. They'd probably have and continued to deny it but when Disco was heavily associated with the gay community and was despite the success of Saturday Night Fever & the Bee Gees it was a sub genre of black music you can only come to the conclusion the host was racist and/or homophobic. If not why attack a genre of music which didn't advocate anything negative?. Yea you had white acts jumping on the bandwagon putting out Disco records and songs like Disco Duck but generating enough hatred to actually blow the records up, is just too much. They have smashed up Elvis records, Beatles records & Rock and Roll records too in the past so it wasn't a new thing either. But in this case it was a public display of hatred towards not only Disco music but its entire culture. Even now it comes off wrong. Same when majority of white folks protested about Rap music and smashed CDs etc up. Its targeted towards not the content of the music but the artists who make it and that's just incredibly small minded and pathetic.
So yea the "Disco Sucks" and Disco demolition were I believe Trojan horse type marketing campaign so those who partook within could use that to deflect the real reasons behind it. Which were they were racists and homophobes. On the down low perhaps but that's just as bad or even worse. If I find Nile talking about it I'll add the video since its very eye opening getting his perspective.
Post by Dr. Zoidberg » Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:43 am
It was probably more anti-gay than anti-black. The main reason would have been because disco took over the charts for a few years and the style of rock they liked started to fade away and die. A lot of radio stations that were rock switched to disco and improved their ratings. Dahl was fired from a rock station that switched to disco.
Post by Bandit » Sun Oct 14, 2018 3:12 am
I don't think racism and homophobia was the key reason. People just didn't like the music and were mad that bands they liked were experimenting with a Disco sound to get airplay. They thought it was mechanical and empty sounding. And not just white Rock fans, black R&B purists despised it too because it took soul out of music in their view. I know a bunch of people black and white of that age group who all hated it simply because they thought it was bad music. I'm not saying there were no racists and homophobic Disco haters, just that most resented it took over the music they liked. Am I homophobic because I didn't like N'Sync and Backstreet Boys taking over music in 1999 or did I just think they were bad?
Plus remember by this time the faces of Disco were the Bee Gees and John Travolta, who were heterosexual and white.
Also black churches were the ones who destroyed gangsta rap CDs in that protest, BTW. Reverend Calvin Butts and C. Delores Tucker.
Post by Big Boss Man » Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:57 am
A lot of soul artists made Disco records though - Curtis, Marvin, Smokey, James Brown for example. I don't think the music Barry White and the Gamble & Huff PIR artists like Teddy P, MFSB, O'Jays, Harold Melvin etc was mechanical either.
I agree R&B purists disliked some of it, but not all. Philly Soul which was very Disco orientated but was popular & sold a ton of records. R&B purists disliked Motown too to a degree and preferred like Stax records artists like Otis. I think like The Supremes, Temptations, Sam Cooke performing at the Copa was more negative to the authenticity of soul music. The difference between Sams Copa live at the Copa and the the Harlem Square club is really night & day. Disco essentially replicated what Motown did and dulled R&B music to be consumed by a white audience. It started out more so as a black music genre but then you had white artists jump on board like Leo Sayer, The Bee Gees etc making Disco albums.
I think even with the Bee Gees their earlier albums were much more Beatles-esque but again you had Al Green covering "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and Robins said he patterned his vocal style after Aaron Neville so they were actually fans of soul music. Plus they put out Nights on Broadway, Fanny Be Tender etc when Disco was just sort of breaking out. So I don't think they dulled Disco down. But with any style of music that's popular you get poor imitations and novelty records.
Like in the 90s you had like pop R&B of the Backstreet Boys, NSync which you can trace back to when the Osmonds were trying to emulate the Jackson 5. Did pop R&B dilute the genre, definitely put not to a degree where they smashed up cassettes and CDs en masse. So I do believe the "Disco sucks" thing was fuelled by racist overtones and by homophobia. Most disco records were by black artists and the gay community embraced the Disco genre. Did it crossover yes but the mainstreams musical interests respond to trends as it's always done. Really when you think about it the campaign was aimed at the core audience and again it's my view and opinion on this but it seemed very anti Gay and racial orientated to smash up Disco records. Music has always been trend driven, Elvis sold records he had like Billy Fury, Fabian, Cliff etc come up as competition. Beatles sell records, you get a multitude of Merseybeat groups. Fast forward to more present day Britney sells records you get a ton of similar artists.
Music purists in general likely disliked bubblegum pop but they didn't go on a campaign where they smashed up all the CDs etc. So it wasn't just Rock fans hating on Disco, at least that's my point of view. They twisted it to be about race and sexuality & that really sucks. Because each genre has its place and music has amalgamated so many genres and sub genres now you've got hybrid ones like Rock Rap for example.
Going on to rap, I believe there was a campaign against it before Delores Tucker. PRMC targeted them and if I'm correct they did a mass protest against it by smashing up CDs too. Hip hop again is a predominantly black music genre so was it racially motivated, you know I think so. The PRMC targeted Frank Zappa, Dee Synder of Twisted Sister etc too but again they went after Prince because of Darling Nikki. I mean you had groups putting backwards masking in their records (yea Prince did that too after that song ironically) & having Satantic imagery etc which is surely more damaging to an impressionable audience?.
Not making this as a colour thing though because music shouldn't have any colour and I hate the rhetoric that because of skin colour you can only listen to a certain genre(s) of music. That's BS. Everyone has the right to listen and like or dislike whatever they like. Should you hate on a genre and go on a tirade against a genre though like the radio host did?, no. Granted he was pissed he lost his job over his station switching playlists but to actively hate and drum up hatred among others about a musical genre to me just doesn't sit right. Of course you can dislike it but just don't buy the records and/or listen to them, simple.
But again fast forward some years to when Hip Hop was taking over I believe the radio host would have smashed up Hip Hop albums instead.
Here's part of what I was referring to about what Nile Rodgers was saying here
http://www.nilerodgers.com/blogs/planet ... fter-death
In the summer of '79, Disco Sucks killed my band CHIC. But our song "Good Times," went to #1 in spite of this tumultuous event called Disco Demolition... where they dynamited our records, along with a host of other funk and dance artist's music.
Though "Good Times" shot to the top of the charts and had a huge influence on music in general, the band who'd composed and performed it would never have another hit record as CHIC.
Only our love of music kept us going. All we'd ever wanted was to be part of the pop music community, which despite the factionalism, it's basically all rock and roll - the music that gives a voice to the voiceless - and power to the powerless.
Rock and roll is a mindset - a collective of artists who dream anything is possible.
At the end of the 70's every kind of negativism started growing, most likely as a backlash of the perceived victories of underground movements flaunting their triumphs: women's lib, racial equality, the anti-war and gay rights movements, etc. The one thing that seemed to bring everybody together was discotheques.
Some of the most extreme right and left wingers rubbed elbows nightly at clubs like Studio 54... and Studio 54 wannabees around the country. We had a damn good time together and genuinely liked each other as people. We respected each others differing political, religious and sexual points of view.
Our country, and dare I say our world, is very different today. When I was a kid, I hung with any and everybody because we were all together.
Over the years, many wonderful things in my life have been lost. Loss is just a part of the beautiful gift called life.
Not only did I lose my band after Disco Sucks, I lost many of my band mates... and I physically lost our recordings when the studio we'd worked in for years was sold. This felt worse than death. This music was proof that a dance band had existed, and developed their art in this place before and after Disco Sucks.
On June 20, 2010, a number of boxes showed up at my house filled with tapes I'd thought were lost forever. I felt my original CHIC band had one more chance to live. A few months later I was stricken with extremely severe cancer and I said, "Before I die I'm going to do so much music that CHIC won't ever be lost again."
In the last four years I've done more concerts and records than any period of my life. I'm currently cancer free and started to work on the lost CHIC tapes, which includes: analog multi-tracks, two-tracks, cassettes and hand-written scores and lyrics.
Thirty-five years ago the original CHIC Organization LTD commercially and spiritually died. The last original surviving members, along with some of my current band mates, performed a vocal session on a song that was a CHIC Organization out-take, one of the rare few that exists. The session was perfect.
The track has everybody from the 1st CHIC recording session on it, even Luther Vandross. There was more love in that room than I've felt in a long time.
Maybe, There "Is" Life After Death?
This is very TL:DR but I think it needed to be said. We will all have differing views and everyone has a right to an opinion. This is mine and you disagree with it as you see fit. But reading between the lines and reading & hearing what Nile has said and other Disco acts just vanished after the Disco Sucks campaign I do believe had it been a predominantly white driven genre the host wouldn't have went after it with the same energy. I mean you get music listeners who disliked Prog Rock because it dominated the charts for a while but they didn't smash up early Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd etc records and take them to a football/soccer stadium to smash them to pieces. In hindsight they are seen as pioneering and Rick Wakeman lauded for using Moog synths etc.
Disco musics roots still are within a lot of today's Dance music. House descended from Hi-Nrgy music than had its roots in Disco. Disco also seemed to evolve out of the four on the floor more Uptempo soul records so you listen to Northern Soul records there is strong elements of Disco within them. "The Night" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for example. Again you had cheesy Disco records but you had authentic R&B artists, even like Aretha the Queen of Soul made Disco album with Van McCoy.
Speaking of which you had Van, Norman Whitfield, Norman Harris, Barry White with Gene Page, Gamble & Huff among others putting out sophisticated Disco records which even today soul music connoisseurs listen to. Especially the PIR stuff because this type of Disco music had Soul in it.
So again I believe and it's my opinion the radio host would have targeted any popular black music genre at the time if it were overtaking what he didn't like regardless of the timeframe. Remember you had radio hosts destroy early Rock & Roll music calling it "Devil
Music" and boycotting it. Seen footage of Elvis records etc being smashed up & Elvis was often disliked when he first started because he sounded more like a black R&B artist which is why Sam Phillips at Sun signed him because his sound was one which authenticy to it. I think Peter Guralnick covered this in detail about his first book about Elvis and his one about Southern soul music which most R&B purists would consider the most authentic as it's not as commercialised as Motown was but that's all subjective too. Motown wasn't backed by a major label it was run out of a small building in Detroit. It's just that it's music appealed to everyone regardless of their skin colour and where in the world they were. How music should be, for everyone and everybody.
Post by Dr. Zoidberg » Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:29 pm
The disco hate only really started when white people got into it and it started dominating the charts and fashion, nothing else took over as much as disco did. When it was just appearing on Soul Train and urban radio they didn't care, when it became popular with white people was when the backlash kicked in. When rock artists like The Rolling Stones, Kiss & Rod Stewart started making disco records. The fact that a lot of gay people liked it made it an easy target to put down but they weren't going after other things gay people might have liked like musical theatre or other black styles of music like RnB and soul.
They probably would have hated on punk but it didn't affect the charts and radio as much, although it did hurt classic rock. Plus having a punk demolition night at the baseball would have caused way more trouble.
Depeche Mode were hated by the same classic rock fans when they hit it big and they were white and straight.
Post by Big Boss Man » Mon Oct 15, 2018 12:31 am
A Punk demolition would have resulted in the DJ host getting beat up by the Punks, they'd have stormed in and rioted en masse. They weren't far removed from football hooligans and their IDGAF attitude meant something like that wouldn't have taken place because they've have beat up all the protestors
Disco I 110% agree was an easy target, yea white artists made it too but it was predominantly a black music genre still. The whole Disco Sucks and Demolition caused a lot of groups to dissolve and labels to close in the fallout. Was over saturation of the music & trends changing a cause too, yea, but it just fell off after the DJs hate campaign.
I have never heard of Depeche Mode being hated on, in fact the complete opposite. Glam Rock wasn't hated, New Wave wasn't hated, New Romantics weren't hated, Punk was disliked but no one publicly slated it, the records by SAW (Kylie, Jason, Rick Astley etc) had critics but again no LPs being smashed/blown up.
Hip Hop was targeted next by the PRMC, C Delores Tucker etc and again the campaign caused major labels to drop their rap subsidiary labels, rappers like Ice T, Tupac et al being hate figures and blamed for social unrest etc. Again I think the negativity was because it was a sub genre of Black music. I mean Heavy metal groups had satanic imagery, backwards masking on their records, lyrical content which was misconstrued by some who committed crime, acts of violence, murder etc. But no one went on an anti Heavy metal campaign, so again and its my 2cents on this, I think the Disco sucks was because a) it was a black music genre and b) because the gay community embraced it. Definitely do agree it was an easy target but the music itself was if you look at the high quality of the records made its not because the genre sucked far from it. You had cheesy novelty records but they exist in most musical genres. So for someone to hate a genre so much to campaign against it,I personally think it was much more racially motivated & homophobic. Notice majority of those in the video are white straight males. Maybe the host got the door slammed in his face at Studio 54 and had beef about it too. Disco as a genre has a lot of substance to it, many songs would today be seen as classics. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough is a disco record, Rock with You is, Boogie Wonderland, Fantasy, Don't Leave Me This Way, The Love I Lost, Love Train,Let the Music Play, My First My Last My Everything among others.
This article is an interesting read
https://sabotagetimes.com/.amp/music/fa ... f-all-time
Post by Dr. Zoidberg » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:05 am
Big Boss Man wrote: ↑
I have never heard of Depeche Mode being hated on, in fact the complete opposite.
They were hated in their earlier days. A young synth band with no guitars or drums.
Also it's not like disco was hated everywhere to that level, it mainly seems to have been working class areas of the US that just wanted rock.
Post by Bandit » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:27 am
Going on to rap, I believe there was a campaign against it before Delores Tucker. PRMC targeted them and if I'm correct they did a mass protest against it by smashing up CDs too. Hip hop again is a predominantly black music genre so was it racially motivated, you know I think so. The PRMC targeted Frank Zappa, Dee Synder of Twisted Sister etc too but again they went after Prince because of Darling Nikki. I mean you had groups putting backwards masking in their records (yea Prince did that too after that song ironically) & having Satantic imagery etc which is surely more damaging to an impressionable audience?
Like I said, the CD smashing incident was organized by Calvin Butts, who is black. Gangsta rap probably had as many if not more white defenders in the media. Older people in the black community hated it because they thought it made being a gang member glamorous to black teenagers at a time gang violence was an epidemic. In the white community you didn't have to worry about your kids becoming gangbangers unless it was some goofy West Staines Massive wannabe shit.
And besides Jack Thompson (who was only singling out 2 Live Crew) and Charlton Heston (who was only singling out Ice-T), the white critics of gangsta rap were going after white rock musicians too. Nine Inch Nails, Cannibal Corpse, and especially Marilyn Manson, who got way more protests than every rapper combined in the late 90s. And it's not like Cop Killer wouldn't have been controversial if Metallica made it. So I can't say it was widely racist because I didn't think black musicians were being singled out. Just like I don't think Tipper Gore was racist because she had a problem with Darling Nikki, because she had a problem with Motley Crue and WASP as well.
But no one went on an anti Heavy metal campaign
They did. The 80s had the "Satanic Panic" where Ozzy, Judas Priest, Venom, Slayer, Motley Crue, WASP and many others were accused of trying to use their music to worship Satan and encouraged violence and suicide. It was a huge thing. In the 90s metal had fallen off in popularity and gangsta rap was bigger so Snoop, Ice-T, Tupac, Geto Boys, etc. became the focus along with the Natural Born Killers and Trainspotting films. But then Marilyn Manson became hugely popular and had far more people working against him than Death Row had. People were shutting down their concerts, getting their music pulled from stores, and he had a 1997 Senate hearing mostly about him I think in the UK you just saw him as kind of silly shock rock. But conservatives freaked out about him.
Post by Big Boss Man » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:35 am
Thats interesting, I've actually never heard any hatred towards Depeche Mode at all, especially here. Maybe they were a bit poppy when Vince Clarke was in the group but there was other synth driven bands before them like Kraftwerk and they were no different to the New Romantic groups of the time like Spandau Ballet, Human League etc.
The Disco sucks/demolition, I guess you could call it the after affect of it destroyed the genre nationwide though. Labels dropped disco acts, singers who switched to Disco couldn't get anymore hit records. It became the #1 Black music genre so 99.9% of R&B/Soul artists made Disco records. Soon as that popularity bottomed out majority never had another hit record, some just disbanded altogether. So whilst it might have been in just one area, Chicago at the White Sox's stadium, the demolition and Disco Sucks campaign effectively ended the genre altogether.
https://aeon.co/ideas/the-night-when-st ... kill-disco
This is from Dahls book
I’m worn out from defending myself as a racist homophobe for fronting Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park,’ he wrote in his book. ‘This event was just a moment in time. Not racist, not anti-gay … It is important to me to have this viewed in the 1979 lens … That evening was a declaration of independence from the tyranny of sophistication.’
I guess the irony that the music was enjoyed by the Gay community and is a genre of Black music, the leading genre of Black music back then is still lost on him years later
Anything European was seen as "acting gay" by stupid middle American meatheads back then. Duran Duran and Flock of Seagulls got it too. Depeche Mode had a huge gay fanbase, gay clubs were the first to promote their music early on in America. So they got the gay tag over that. But by Violator they were over that dumb view some had.
I can't remember if it was in an interview or a doco but a few years ago I read/saw Dave Gahan talking about how the English rock journos and fans really hated them in the early to mid 80s.
And they looked like this:
Dr. Zoidberg wrote: ↑
In the US it was more this look that got them flack
I didn't see your post first time Bandit but again the campaign against Ozzy and co they didn't smash up their records and go on a Metal sucks campaign. It didn't destroy the genre, sales went up most likely. Hip Hop like Disco took a hit when critics started hating on it. Again Hip Hop became the #1 Black music genre and was targeted. To my knowledge we've never hated on any genre here or taken it too seriously. Punk was inflammatory, Grime sadly I think will be targeted though because of the unfortunate stabbings, murder and gang violence going on in London & other places. So its a lot more real out there than people repping West Staines like Ali G. You from a different area or aren't part of a gang its just as dangerous or even more so because you can't arm yourself, at least legally. Regardless of skin color you'll be targeted - robbed, beat up and if you don't give up your phone, money etc you could be stabbed & killed. So its nothing to mess with. UK cops aren't armed either, prisons no deterrant because we have no capital punishment and life sentences are very rarely truly imposed. So going off topic but thought I'd bring this up because of the Ali G reference
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2018/ ... lent-crime
Grime took Hip Hop and mixed it with elements of Reggae, Dub, Jungle etc too and its one of the fastest rising genres of music in the UK right now,I think some acts have released music in the US and other countries. I do believe though it will be brought down here because of the associations with violence & murder. And...Grime is predominantly a Black music genre again so..
To think its not about race doesn't make logical sense, you have to read between the lines but Gloria Gaynor said she believed Disco Sucks was all about Rock label bosses planning on bringing the genre down.
Again this is my opinion and feel free to disagree with it. Forgot to mention about Marilyn, any impressionable music will influence people to commit acts of violence, murder etc. Goes back to even books and perceiving things in differing ways. A guy comes up to John Lennon in the Gimme Some Truth documentary and says everything John sings is about him personally. He replies "its about me, and at best Yoko if its a love song". So whilst Punk, Heavy Metal & Hip Hop are what you'd call inflammatory genres it depends on the individual how they act when they listen to it. For most its just music and videogames, books etc can incite someone of not a sane mind to act up.
We're coming from entirely different perspectives and points of view too so its unlikely we will agree on much and that's the whole purpose of a discussion forum, for debating. But I sensed a degree of malice & condenscending type attitude with the Ali G reference and thought I'd bring that up. We don't need that malice and snide remarks because that type of BS plagues other boards and I visit here because ,9.9 times out of 10 we don't have it here. I'm fine with disagreeing with me,no issue with that, but being condenscending isn't cool. Could be how I perceived it though.
OK cool. Was it Synth Britannia?. The BBC did a Depeche Mode doc a few years back so could have been that. Again this is news to me as DM are very respected here. Maybe it was because of their dress sense but with New Romantic clothing and makeup I've seen worse.
I didn't see your post first time Bandit but again the campaign against Ozzy and co they didn't smash up their records and go on a Metal sucks campaign. It didn't destroy the genre, sales went up most likely. Hip Hop like Disco took a hit when critics started hating on it.
I mean no offense, but you're completely wrong. I lived through it. I remember. Gangsta rap did not take a hit in popularity, it got bigger and became a phenomenon. NWA were not mainstream until they got negative media coverage and then Straight Outta Compton went platinum and Niggaz4life went to #1. And then labels signed up every gangsta rapper and put them on MTV. Controversy sells and gangsta rap went from underground to #1 albums because of the protests. Same with 2 Live Crew, they were only popular in Florida until they got arrested, and then As Nasty As They Wanna Be went top 10 due to the news coverage.
Heavy metal absolutely went through the same thing as gangsta rap. I don't know what you're reading but it's wrong. I experienced it. I don't know about Disco since I wasn't alive, but I distinctly remember people trying to stop satanic metal bands as much as gangsta rap. And Marilyn Manson later on was so much more controversial than Death Row.
Bandit wrote: ↑
I didn't see your post first time Bandit but again
No offence taken, but again you're coming across as kinda condensing. Hip Hop was big here too, Snoop, Pac, Death Row, Bad Boy etc. Used to listen to Westwood back in the day when he had all the exclusives so I'm well versed in Hip Hop history . Listened to E-40, Mac Dre, Bay Area rap. I think you've misconstrued my point. Hip Hop was hit like Disco meant it was targeted just the same as that was. Yea it had a reverse effect and sales went up, but, it was still targeted.
I'm not as conservant with Heavy Metal but I know about what went down with the PRMC hearings. The UK media aren't likely to cover much of this because its more US centric but I'm aware of Ozzy and co getting flack for their imagery etc. I can't honestly recall reading any negative publicity about Heavy metal music here, so there may lie the disconnect, US media is more vast and is more likely to cover these topics. I vaguely recall criticism about Gangsta rap and about Marilyn Manson. Goth sub culture was a thing here too. The UK emulates a lot of US culture and trends and has done for years. I think the UK was more accepting of Black music especially like Reggae and there was sub genres of that like Ska and 2 Tone. So the media never really came after certain genres (Rave maybe but because of the drug culture involved & setting up in places they shouldn't) so to me it's senseless how this guy hated on Disco and went after it for the sole purpose of destroying it. How the discussion went off in different avenues idk but getting back to the original topic I personally think and artists like Nile & Gloria Gaynor have said as such it was to bring the Disco genre down. Make up your own mind whether it was to do with race & sexuality.
Back to Hip Hop to conclude. Yea they was against Metal but I didn't see any politician (at least here) go up against it. Rap CDs like Disco (again the point I was making "hit like Disco") were destroyed. To my knowledge there was no public destruction of Metal records. Again I think that was done to disrespect the genre as it was with Disco.
Plus factor in East vs West rap war feulled CD sales and labels signed up artists to capitalise on that too. Agree 110% controversy sells and I didn't say otherwise. I think I'll need to be more clearer with my points in future but I often read between the lines as you often find the real truth there. This is interesting about Tipper Gore and the PRMC
Messed up the quoting there
Reading thru the topic like
I'm done with this...smh
Yea...through with it
Still done...
Signing out in 3...2...
And I'm....
Still here...
BG CLUB 4 LIFE~!
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Trump asked about shooting migrants crossing border in the legs: Sources
Frustrated with a record number of people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border this spring, President Donald Trump at one point asked in a private meeting with close aides whether the U.S. could shoot migrants below the waist to slow them down.
The account, first reported in a book excerpt released by the The New York Times on Tuesday, was confirmed to ABC News by a senior administration official who was in the room at the time, as well as several other sources who were later briefed on the conversation.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, Trump in private meetings raised the prospect of shooting migrant families seeking asylum at the border as early as November 2018. He also floated a similar idea publicly at one point, suggesting that rocks thrown by migrants will be considered a firearm and potentially warrant lethal force.
(MORE: Trump claims crackdown coming on asylum seekers, says troops could fire on migrants if rocks thrown )
Sources interviewed by ABC News say Trump’s aides discouraged the idea of shooting unarmed migrants and it was never acted upon. But Trump remained focused on the idea, bringing it up again in the private Oval Office meeting in March 2019, when the number of undocumented migrants arriving at the border topped 100,000 for that month alone.
The detail of shooting migrants below the waist are included in a new book “Border Wars: Inside Trump’s Assault on Immigration,” by Times reporters Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear. According to Davis and Shear, the president also talked to aides about building an electrified border wall, as well as a “water-filled trench, stocked with snakes or alligators, prompting aides to seek a cost estimate.”
In a tweet Wednesday, Trump denied the allegations about the trench and the electrified fence, but did not address the idea of shooting migrants.
“I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough,” he wrote. “The press has gone Crazy. Fake News!” he tweeted, initially misspelling “Moat” as “Moot.” It was later corrected.
Attending the meeting was then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who resigned in April. It was widely reported at the time that Trump didn’t think Nielsen had done enough to curb the tide of asylum seekers, which is expected to fall shy of 1 million people this year alone.
Trump’s repeated question on allowable use of force underscores the extreme lengths the president has been willing to consider to address a signature issue for the president. Trump frequently describes people coming across the border as part of an “invasion” and people who are criminals.
Posted in News, Politics
Biden fires back at Trump on Ukraine: 'He is the definition of corruption'
Fri Oct 4 , 2019
Former Vice President Joe Biden issued some of his strongest rebukes to date of President Donald Trump’s allegations against him after revelations that Trump pushed the Ukrainian president to investigate him and his son, Hunter. “All this talk from the president about corruption comes from the most corrupt president we’ve […]
Leaders Detail Efforts on Climate, But Get Earful From Young Activist
Rep. Collins slams announcement of formal impeachment inquiry against Trump
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← CONFLICTED BOOK BLITZ
BEAUTIFUL LIAR BOOK BLITZ →
by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | May 10, 2016 · 5:00 am
Gone From Me Blog Tour With Excerpt
Gone From Me Synopsis:
Their life was a fairy tale—until it all came tumbling down.
Hearts of the South, Book 10
Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Amy Bennett isn’t sure when her own Prince Charming went AWOL from their marriage, but she’s certain of one thing. She wants him back. She and Rob had it all: law-enforcement careers they loved and each other. Yet somehow he’s wound up sleeping on the couch and emotionally beyond her reach.
Rob is trying to put the pieces back together, but battling his own demons while starting over in a small-town sheriff’s department is pushing him—and his marriage—to the breaking point.
His very first missing person’s case threatens to end anything but happily ever after for the families involved. Then a young man goes missing too, and the pressure has Rob reaching for the nearest lifeline. The one that’s dangling by the barest of threads—his wife.
And though Amy’s grip is strong, her love may not be enough to keep Rob from slipping away.
Contains a husband who’s holding too much in, and a wife who’ll do anything to get him to let go, even meet him halfway on their last piece of common ground—in bed. Also: cop bonding between cops who talk like cops.
Numb. All he felt was numb, which was crazy because he should be hurt, jealous, enraged. Rob’s friend—make that former friend—had one hand buried in Amy’s hair, an arm about her waist, and his lips hovered over, not quite touching, Amy’s mouth. Jake was about to kiss Rob’s wife, and all the emotion Rob could dredge up was irritation at not being able to feel.
The lack of feeling bugged the hell out of him, as it had for weeks now.
A fat drop of rain splattered on his shoulder, and the chilly spray across his neck broke him free from the paralyzing trance. He stepped off the curb into the parking lot as Amy wedged her palms against Jake’s shoulders and shoved hard.
“What are you doing?” Amy, at least, was angry, fury dripping off each syllable. She brought her fisted hands up and took a firm step back. She lifted her chin, thick brown hair sliding over her shoulders in a glossy fall.
“Amy, baby, wait.” Jake reached for her, and she knocked his hand aside. “We need to talk—”
“You’re insane.” Another step backward, but with her body shifted so she could spin if he lunged at her. Rob had witnessed that stance often enough when they’d been rookie agents, training together. Capable and strong in more ways than one, Amy could handle herself.
The door behind him swung open, a group of laughing diners spilling from China Garden. Peals of merriment blended with the splashing fountain and the plopping of raindrops on asphalt. Amy and Jake both glanced toward the newcomers. Rob read their expressions as they registered his presence—Jake’s smug triumph, Amy’s horror.
Rob strode forward, feet automatically carrying him toward the train wreck that had been one of his closest friendships since college. Jake had always been a little of a self-centered whiner, but they’d been buddies, sharing similar interests. Hell, how had Rob missed that one of those interests had been Amy?
Maybe he was further gone that he’d thought.
“Rob…” Amy’s voice held a nervous tremor that probably only someone who knew her the way he did could hear. She was actually scared, which made no sense. He’d never hurt her. Jake appeared frightened as well, a hint of fear warring with the challenge in his gaze.
He cataloged that away and stopped next to Amy. Hands tucked in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels. “Ready to go home?”
Surprise flared on both their faces. Yeah, his reserve was probably the epitome of anticlimactic. Amy’s shock quickly morphed into eager relief. She pulled at his arm and slid her hand into his, her fingers as chilly as the rain falling in earnest now, plastering their clothes to skin. “Yes.”
“Okay.” He didn’t tighten his own fingers around hers, but steered her toward his truck. He yanked open the passenger door and helped her inside before jogging around to the driver’s side. Water dripped from his collar, his shirt clinging like a clammy hand. In the passenger seat, Amy twisted the hem of her own soaked top. The Ford’s cloth interior would be toast after this.
He didn’t care about that either, even though his dad would spin in his grave over Rob letting this happen to his beloved pickup.
“Rob? I don’t know what you saw, but it isn’t what you think.” Amy’s quiet voice barely cleared the noise of the engine and rain. He shifted into drive and pulled into the steady stream of traffic on Ashley Street. Why the hell had they agreed to come all the way over here for dinner? At least an hour’s drive back to Chandler County, in the rain, with this conversation hanging over them.
Oh, yeah. Because it would be fun to meet up with Jake and their old college friends at China Garden, to relive the good times and celebrate his new job at the same time.
“What do I think, Amy?” He turned right to skirt around Valdosta State. He could take the back roads through Moultrie, cut at least ten minutes off the drive.
“I… He was trying to kiss me, not the other way around.”
“I never said I thought that.” He rested his wrist on the wheel, waiting for the red light to turn green. Traffic bunched around them, leaving him with a sensation of being cornered and trapped. He rolled his shoulders. “I don’t know what led up to it, but it was pretty plain you weren’t looking for what he was offering.”
“Nothing led up to it.” Distress and annoyance lingered in her voice. “One minute he was asking about us moving to Chandler County, the next he…he grabbed me.”
He nodded. The light flared green, and he pressed the accelerator.
“Aren’t you angry?”
“With you?”
“With Jake.”
He considered that while he navigated the bottleneck near the interstate exit. Traffic eased around them as he crossed over I-75 and headed out of town on the two-lane blacktop. “I don’t know what I am.”
“Wait a minute. You walk out of that restaurant, find Jake with his hands on me, and you don’t know what you are?”
Now she was mad at him, too. Great. “Amy, I’m just…I’m tired, okay? It’s been a long week, and you know I haven’t been sleeping—”
“How would I know that? You don’t sleep in our bed. We don’t talk unless it’s about chores or bills or what’s for supper or what’s still packed in what box. I don’t know how you feel about going to work at Chandler or the holdup with our adoption application or anything.” From the corner of his eye, he saw her run her fingernail along the windowsill. “We don’t even go to church or pray together.”
Mad at him and hurt. Disappointed, maybe, because he wasn’t the husband she’d bargained for, wasn’t Prince Charming who could give her everything she wanted. Hell, he couldn’t give her anything she wanted. Hadn’t the last few months proved that?
His headlights illuminated dark fields as they flashed by. The wipers swished rain from the windshield. Next to him, Amy expelled a shaky breath. “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
“Maybe.” The lie niggled at him, the first real thing beyond irritation he’d felt all night. He gripped the wheel tighter. “Yeah.”
“What do we do now?”
Was she actually looking to him for direction? Surely not. He couldn’t give what he didn’t have. His knuckles ached under the pressure of holding the wheel. “I don’t know.”
Linda Winfree Bio:
How does an English teacher end up plotting murders? She uses her experiences as a cop’s wife to become a writer of romantic suspense! Linda Winfree lives in a quintessential small Georgia town with her husband and grand-dog Poe. By day, she teaches English/Language Arts and is an all-round education nerd; by night she pens sultry books full of murder and mayhem.
To learn more about Linda and her books, visit www.lindawinfreewrites.com, follow her on Twitter@lwinfreewrites, or connect with her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/lindawinfreewrites. You can also contact Linda via email at lindawinfreewrites@gmail.com.
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Gone From Me Release Day Launch
Gone From Me Synopsis: Their life was a fairy tale—until it all came tumbling down.
Every Kiss Blitz
Music, Love and Other Miseries – the Prequel Contemporary Romance Date Published: December 17, 2019
Faith Through Falling Snow Blitz
Contemporary Romance Date Published: 11/5/19 Publisher: 5 PRINCE PUBLISHING With Laci and Mitch anxiously awaiting
Senna’s Secret Tour
The Flowers of Avenel Book 3 Contemporary Romance Date Published: October 12, 2019 Senna Lang
Comments Off on Gone From Me Blog Tour With Excerpt
Filed under BLOG TOUR, BOOKS
Tagged as blog tour, contemporary romance, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Amy Bennett, Gone from Me, Linda Winfree, Rob
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Hot and Bothered: Illicit Encounters 1
C.J. McLane
From the Publisher that brought you popular short story romances Witching Call, Hostile Hearts, Earthbound Angels, January Morrison Psychic Files, Ralph's Gift, Eve Snow Psychic P.I., In the Blood, Sex Demons, The Halloween Awakening, The Whispering, Seasons of Love, Ms Bookworm and Mr Sex Symbol, and Friend Zone. Now, here is Illicit Encounters...
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER BECAME SOMETHING MORE
A HANDSOME MAN, A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, AND AN ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN
When Elize took a break from her busy work schedule and her equally pressure-filled personal life to go to a remote island resort in the Caribbean where she hoped she would never meet anyone she knew, she did not expect for the experience to be one of the best she has ever had in a long time.
She met Joey”, and she has suddenly become “Anna”. He brought her to the pad he rents from his friend “Jude”. He’s finishing a painting, she posed for him nude. The experience led to great sex, and then they went their separate ways.
Back in the States, Joey and Anna met each other again in a party in the Governor’s Mansion while with each other’s fiancée and fiancé. In fact, Joey is his friend Jude, a billionaire; and Anna is Elize, a smart attorney who works on her father’s law firm.
Will they have another encounter as they had in the island? Or is Joey and Anna’s adventure over?
Find out by reading on!
***Warning: This story contains adult themed graphical descriptions that a small number of readers might find offensive, including sexual acts and suggestive themes.
“Do you have to paint any nude models?” Elize asked.
“Actually, yes, I do,” Joey said. “Although I haven't done it yet because so few women are willing to get naked in front of the easel. It's almost like they think it's a camera or something. It's not like people will be able to recognize you from what I've painted. I wish I were that good,” he said wistfully. “Well, really it isn't because I'm not that good, it's just because the faces of the figures I paint are often small because I usually over-emphasize the backdrop.”
Elize thought about it for a moment as the breeze played with her hair. Should he take off her top? It was taboo, that much was certain. There wasn't anyone around though.
Another thought sprung into her head. What if it led to more? There was a chance that taking her top off would lead to more than just a painting... like touching and kissing and even more than that.
For a second, the idea of getting friendly with the strange man behind the easel scared her. But then the next moment, it made warmness spread deep in her womb that she hadn't felt in a very long time with her fiancé.
Before she could consider the consequences any further, she arched her back so her hands could undo the knot holding her bikini top together, and slowly let the top slide to the ground.
“Wow,” Joey said, his mouth hung open behind the canvas on the easel. “You are so beautiful in the nude.”
“Well, thanks,” Elize said.
“Not to say that you weren't beautiful before you were nude,” Joey said. “I mean, of course you were. But, you know, when someone amazing looking when take their top off, it's kind of like an eclipse. Everything stops and everyone just stares.”
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Más libros de C.J. McLane
Frenzied and Excited: Illicit Encounters 2
Friend Zone: The Complete Tale!
Sex and Just... Sex: Miss Bookworm and Mr. Sex Symbol 2
A Knight Comes To Bed (Miss Bookworm and Mr. Sex Symbol 1)
Mr. Perfect? Or Mr. Right?: Friend Zone 3
I Do, I Do!: Friend Zone 4
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Interview with the Vampire (Unabridged)
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of its publication
The time is now.
We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks--as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. . .
He speaks quietly, plainly, even gently . . . carrying us back to the night when he departed human existence as heir--young, romantic, cultivated--to a great Louisiana plantation, and was inducted by the radiant and sinister Lestat into the other, the "endless," life . . . learning first to sustain himself on the blood of cocks and rats caught in the raffish streets of New Orleans, then on the blood of human beings . . . to the years when, moving away from his final human ties under the tutelage of the hated yet necessary Lestat, he gradually embraces the habits, hungers, feelings of vampirism: the detachment, the hardened will, the "superior" sensual pleasures.
He carries us back to the crucial moment in a dark New Orleans street when he finds the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her, struggling against the last residue of human feeling within him . . .
We see how Claudia in turn is made a vampire--all her passion and intelligence trapped forever in the body of a small child--and how they arrive at their passionate and dangerous alliance, their French Quarter life of opulence: delicate Grecian statues, Chinese vases, crystal chandeliers, a butler, a maid, a stone nymph in the hidden garden court . . . night curving into night with their vampire senses heightened to the beauty of the world, thirsting for the beauty of death--a constant stream of vulnerable strangers awaiting them below . . .
We see them joined against the envious, dangerous Lestat, embarking on a perilous search across Europe for others like themselves, desperate to discover the world they belong to, the ways of survival, to know what they are and why, where they came from, what their future can be . . .
We follow them across Austria and Transylvania, encountering their kind in forms beyond their wildest imagining . . . to Paris, where footsteps behind them, in exact rhythm with their own, steer them to the doors of the Théâtre des Vampires--the beautiful, lewd, and febrile mime theatre whose posters of penny-dreadful vampires at once mask and reveal the horror within . . . to their meeting with the eerily magnetic Armand, who brings them, at last, into intimacy with a whole brilliant and decadent society of vampires, an intimacy that becomes sudden terror when they are compelled to confront what they have feared and fled . . .
In its unceasing flow of spellbinding storytelling, of danger and flight, of loyalty and treachery, Interview with the Vampire bears witness of a literary imagination of the first order.
Simon Vance
The Vampire Lestat (Unabridged)
The Queen of the Damned (Unabridged)
The Vampire Armand: The Vampire Chronicles (Unabridged)
Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles (Unabridged)
Memnoch the Devil (Unabridged)
The Tale of the Body Thief (Abridged)
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Finish Line for the Race for Water Odyssey
After a exceptionnal journey, the Race for Water Odyssey (R4WO) returned to Bordeaux, France , last week concluding an unprecedented human and scientific adventure which took the team to 17 locations, ranging from very remote islands to important international cities across the world. At each stopover, the R4WO team studied levels of plastic pollution in...
After a exceptionnal journey, the Race for Water Odyssey (R4WO) returned to Bordeaux, France , last week concluding an unprecedented human and scientific adventure which took the team to 17 locations, ranging from very remote islands to important international cities across the world. At each stopover, the R4WO team studied levels of plastic pollution in the water and raised awareness of the global issue. The findings are dramatic: plastic pollution is ubiquitous.
Macroplastics – Easter Island (Race for Water 2015 / Peter Charaf)
After a nine-month journey, the Race for Water Odyssey (R4WO) returned to Bordeaux, France on the 18 November, concluding an unprecedented human and scientific adventure that began on 15 March and which took the team to 17 locations across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. At each stopover, the R4WO team studied levels of plastic pollution in the water and raised awareness of the global issue. Our findings are dramatic: plastic pollution is everywhere.
Macroplastics soiling a beach – Koror (Race for Water 2015 / Peter Charaf)
After more than 32,000 nautical miles across three oceans and a painful ordeal when the project’s flagship trimaran capsized, the environmental expedition concluded its journey today with its return to its home port. On arrival in Bordeaux, the team will assess nine-month worth of data collected and the personalities and general public that the project reached with its awareness raising programme and its call to action. Race for Water Odyssey used a standard protocol based on that of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to sample the plastic pollution on 30 beaches located in five major waste accumulation zones. The project’s various partner institutions, including the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), the University of Bordeaux (France) and the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) are currently analysing the collected samples. Duke University and Oregon State in the USA are studying images taken by the senseFly drone, eBee. Results are expected in 2016.
Preliminary results and alarming testimonials
Preliminary results of the Race for Water Odyssey, microplastics concentration (Race for Water 2015 / Peter Charaf)
The first findings, reported in September, are clear and alarming. Plastic is everywhere. And it is present in such large quantities that an effective ocean clean-up is unrealistic.
“This expedition has been a great human and scientific adventure and our arrival back in Bordeaux is an emotional experience. The last nine months have been challenging at times, but all the data and knowledge acquired and the enriching encounters that we have experienced are priceless,” said Marco Simeoni, expedition leader and president of the Race for Water Foundation.
Sorting microplastics (Race for Water 2015 / Peter Charaf)
“Race for Water Odyssey is just the beginning. It is a springboard that has enabled us to further define what can be done to counter pollution. Following the Odyssey, our conclusions are clear: we must be proactive and prevent plastic from getting into our waterways by making plastic waste attractive. We will be launching pilot projects that transform waste into energy in 2016,” he added.
Race for Water Odyssey: a springboard for the solutions of tomorrow
The Race for Water Foundation plans to use the expedition’s findings as a basis for its fight against plastic pollution, starting with a presence at COP21 with its new Race for Water flagship, the largest solar-powered catamaran in the world. The Foundation will present its findings and its solutions and launch the 2016 programme, based on pilot projects that give value to plastic waste, on the 26 November.
Race for Water Foundation
The Race for Water Foundation is an organization dedicated to the preservation of water and the ocean in particular. This indispensable resource is under massive threat from pollution and must be protected. The Foundation aims to identify, promote and implement technological solutions to preserve the ocean. Race for Water remains committed and head back to sea with the Race for Water Odyssey : a 5-year expedition around the world dedicated to science and energy transition, using the ocean, the sun and the wind as its sole sources of energy
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Improving the Sustainability of Thru-Hiking
Though I felt immensely connected to nature on my Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike (an end-to-end hike of a long-distance trail within one season), I was disappointed by how environmentally degrading backpacking can be. I found countless coolers and campsites full of trash, and eating individually wrapped packets of ramen and Pop-Tarts generated an uncomfortable amount...
Though I felt immensely connected to nature on my Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike (an end-to-end hike of a long-distance trail within one season), I was disappointed by how environmentally degrading backpacking can be. I found countless coolers and campsites full of trash, and eating individually wrapped packets of ramen and Pop-Tarts generated an uncomfortable amount of waste. Unsure of how to marry my beliefs in environmental sustainability with my need for lightweight calories, I ignored my guilt and promised to do better next time.
After summiting Springer Mountain, I reached out to other hikers for ideas on making long-distance backpacking more environmentally sound. Though it’s nearly impossible to avoid creating some amount of trash, many hikers found that making mindful purchases, buying in bulk and adhering to Leave No Trace principles helped mitigate environmental damage.
One hiker bought some of his gear secondhand from the Backpacking Light forums and REI Garage Sales. Buying used and repurposing items is always more sustainable, and this is particularly true for hikers, as many follow the latest developments in clothing and gear. While there have been some undeniable revolutions in lightweight backpacking, looking at specifications often reveals that the newest models aren’t significantly different from their predecessors. Buying older, gently used models can prevent great items with a lot of life left from being wasted.
Hikers can reuse footwear as well; though most people wear trail runners, I hiked in Chaco sandals. Chacos can be resoled and restrapped, and I continue to use the same sandals instead of buying multiple pairs of new shoes. Boots can be resoled as well, though most long distance hikers don’t use heavy footwear.
Many backpackers avoid the problem of individual packaging by sending bulk meals to mail drops. This allows control over the ingredients and whether the items were sustainably grown and raised. Though packaging food ahead of time still often includes a lot of Ziploc bags, Minigrip GreenLine makes biodegradable versions that help minimize the impact.
Hikers can best protect both the environment and other people by following Leave No Trace Backpackers should always respect fire bans; though the wildfires that plagued the southern AT were not caused by hikers, the devastation demonstrated how vital it is to prevent fire damage. Hikers should always avoid creating new campsites and satellite trails whenever possible, especially in fragile ecosystems that cannot rebound quickly.
Avoiding certain areas during peak hiking times will help the trail and those who maintain it. The Appalachian Trail does not yet have a permit system, so the influx of northbound hikers to Georgia in March and April wreaks havoc on the forest and campgrounds. I began my hike in Maine to dodge the crowds and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy encourages people to consider a flip-flop hike starting in Harper’s Ferry. Such alternatives minimize impact on the forest and create a more enjoyable experience for those who don’t mind missing part of the socialization.
Though hikers are some of the most resourceful people I’ve met, there is still room for improvement in the way we treat the environment. With research and some creativity, future generations will be able to hike these precious wilderness trails as they are meant to be enjoyed.
Read more Voices for Biodiversity articles about sustainability and conservation here!
Danielle Vilaplana is an avid hiker, bird-watcher, runner, and long-distance backpacker. She graduated from The Ohio State University with degrees in Anthropology and Globalization Studies and currently lives in Columbus, OH. She completed a southbound thru hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2016 and is preparing to walk the Continental Divide Trail in 2017.
Voices for Biodiversity
An online magazine connecting humans with the natural world to help all species survive and thrive together. Voices for Biodiversity shares the stories of eco-reporters from around the world, using the ancient human art of storytelling to connect people with each other, other species, and the natural world. Our goal is to connect the human animal with the global ecosystem.
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Taking stock of housing statistics
Debra Prestwood
Categories: Data, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Public Policy
Statisticians across the UK have been working together to help make housing and planning statistics more coherent and comparable. The work is now starting to yield results – including collaboration between statisticians in the devolved administrations and publication of experimental stats on homeless deaths in England and Wales. Debra Prestwood updates on the progress so far.
Housing affects all citizens in the UK and official statistics on housing play a vital role in helping to inform decision-making of all kinds. In May 2018 we pledged to improve the harmony and coherence of housing and planning statistics. Eight months on it’s fair to say that the work set out in the programme has largely been achieved. We have also made progress in joining up statisticians across government and strengthening links across departments and the devolved administrations – both at an operational and strategic level.
Establishing coherence between the differing approaches of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is proving to be beneficial, although not without challenges given that individual countries often have separate policies and legislation relating to housing due to devolution. Working closely with our colleagues, we have found a balance between driving forward improvements whilst maintaining the devolved nature of the statistics.
The five key areas we identified to improve in May 2018 are coherence, quality, harmonisation, accessibility and user engagement, as described in our workplan:
Coherence – Housing and homelessness are high profile topics and important improvements to the coherence of these statistics include:
A new experimental Statistical Framework for Housing and Planning Statistics developed in collaboration across the GSS, as a tool for identifying what we are measuring and priority areas for improvements.
A better understanding of data gaps and new analysis to start to address these. For example, the first publication of the Deaths of Homeless People in England and Wales.
The publication of an article on the Private Rented Sector, which brought together existing data sources from across the UK to assess comparability, coherence and data limitations.
Quality – Departments and devolved administrations are constantly striving to improve the quality of their statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and in the context of the Office for Statistics Regulation’s Systemic review of UK housing and planning statistics:
In England – The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) outlined their action plan for improving the measurement of new homes and published the first estimates of statutory homelessness using more detailed record level ‘H-CLIC’ data.
In Northern Ireland – the Department for Communities and the Housing Executive are working together to produce a standalone publication of homelessness statistics.
Household Projections for England were successfully transferred from MHCLG to ONS and a new methodology implemented.
In Wales – a new Welsh Housing Conditions Survey was conducted, with the first results since 2008 published.
Harmonisation of definitions and statistics is an important enabler of cross UK comparisons, and can help avoid unnecessary confusion and erroneous comparisons. Improvements here include:
Statistical publications are increasingly setting themselves in the context of other available data sources across the UK, giving agreed, consistent messaging about comparability and harmonisation, for example the recent MHCLG Affordable Housing Supply publication has a section on devolved administration statistics.
MHCLG have created a harmonised Glossary of terms and definitions used across their published statistics.
Statistical producers across all four nations have contributed to a report on the feasibility of developing a harmonised definition of homelessness, which will be published soon.
Accessibility – to help improve the public value of these statistics, the accessibility of datasets has been improved by the:
Creation of a webpage for cross UK housing related content and updates on progress.
Development of an overview identifying which departments and devolved administrations produce data on which topics.
A new spreadsheet guide to statistics available in the UK by topic.
MHCLG has added additional contextual information to their publications. For example, related releases such as Social Lettings and Social Housing Sales were published on the same day and there are plans to further consult users on how MHCLG releases can be even further aligned.
Innovative ways to disseminate statistics in Scotland – using a ‘data comic’ to highlight the key findings from their latest household survey
User engagement – As statistical producers we need to keep users at the heart of any statistical release, developments and addressing information gaps. We have continued to get feedback on releases and priorities through direct contact, mailing lists and user engagement events and also:
We have agreed how to engage with users on the demand for more comparable data, or more transparency where there are necessary differences. Country specific user events are now including sessions on the demand for comparable data and a programme is being developed to further this.
We have started to present our work, at the Wales Housing Information Group seminar on the Private Rented Sector, on 24 January. A cross UK London event is scheduled for 14 February which will also focus on this sector.
We’re pleased with how it’s gone so far but will continue to focus on the user perspective to increase the public value of these statistics. In 2019 we’ll share these developments with users and seek suggestions about new priorities for cross UK coherence or quality improvements.
We’ll also draw up the next iteration of our Work Programme taking us through to March 2020 and beyond. This will include more user engagement events across the UK, new articles on affordable housing and homelessness, and we are planning to continue exciting work to prototype linked open data on dwelling stock data across the four nations.
We look forward to building on the momentum of the collaborative work already completed – so that our statistical outputs can help shine a brighter light on society’s evolving questions about housing and planning in the UK.
Please get in touch if you wish to express interest in attending a future user event or get involved in our work.
Debra Prestwood, Deputy Director, GSS Strategy Delivery, ONS
debra.prestwood@ons.gov.uk
Tags: data, Housing, improvement, innovation, ONS, Statistics
Continuing improvements to crime statistics – repeat victimisation
Transforming population and migration statistics
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Call for funding for Community Initiatives
November 8, 2016 /in BTS News, Media Releases & Statements /by BTS Administrator
Living Donor Transplantation for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Communities
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have commissioned the National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance to manage the delivery of a Living donor Transplantation Initiative, up until March 2018. The funding of £90,000 is in response to a recent decline in the number of living donor transplantations among BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities. From 169 living donors from a BAME background in 2013/14 to 136 in 2015/16, there has been a decline of 19.5%.
The coordinated approach of NHSBT commissioned NBTA living transplant initiatives will address the inequality in donation and transplantation for BAME communities, and aim to widen the impact of effective practices that improve and save lives.
There are three key outcomes which NBTA will be required to achieve which are:
40 people from BAME background seeking information or expressing an interest in living donation
25 people from BAME background being assessed for living donation
10 people from BAME background, after assessment, being suitable for living donation
There are four priority geographical areas and BAME communities associated with each as follows.
North West London : Hindu and Jain communities
West London: Sikh communities
London ( targeted boroughs): African and African-Caribbean communities
Leicester: Hindu and Sikh communities
Although NBTA have four priority areas, NBTA would welcome initiatives from across the UK and funding permitting will be pleased to discuss any proposals.
Following this announcement for seeking submissions, all bids should be made by 5 December 2016, using the pro-forma. The Steering Group will announce decisions on the submissions on15 December 2016 and projects can commence by early 2017. This first round of submissions may be followed by a second round in early 2017, depending on the availability of the funding.
The overall outcome for focussing on BAME living donation work is to close the gap between black and minority ethnic communities and white communities in securing transplantations at the same time as securing savings to the NHS on the costs of healthcare. To reach these goals and the outcomes NBTA will deliver:
Better awareness amongst BAME communities of health inequalities and the need for donation
More collaborative working, and sharing of best practice amongst organisations including NHS Blood and Transplant working on donation and transplant to improve health outcomes for BAME communities
Incremental change in the numbers of BAME people represented on donation registers and agreeing to transplantation.
Collation of resources of effective interventions and materials on donation and transplant issues with BAME communities
Behaviour change and increased BAME and Faith Community Engagement.
Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant said:
“People from Black and Asian communities have a higher incidence of conditions such as diabetes and certain forms of hepatitis, and currently make up a third of the active kidney transplant waiting list. Although some are able to receive a transplant from a white donor, for many the best match will come from a donor from the same ethnic background. While only 5% of all deceased organ donors currently come from black and Asian backgrounds, living donation can be the life-saving opportunity, a patient waiting for a transplant desperately needs. With increased awareness and improved information, we hope that more potential living donors will come forward and more patients will have their lives saved or transformed.”
Orin Lewis OBE, Co-chair of NBTA and Chief Executive of ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) said
“The NBTA applauds NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for committing its funds and trust in our members to delivering this initiative on behalf of the various UK BAME communities. This NHSBT funded initiative is a major “game changer” for BAME communities in relation to Living donor Transplantation. A successful undertaking of the 3 key outcomes will enable an acceptable positive ripple effect awareness effect from with the aforementioned BAME communities and result in more lives being saved.”
For more information on the Living Donor Transplantation Initiative and to request application pack please email Kirit Modi – Steering Group Chair on kiritmodi1@hotmail.com .
The National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance (NBTA) is a forum of organisations, set up by the Department of Health, who work together on behalf of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) patients and communities. NBTA’s aims to address the disproportionality in stem cell, blood and organ donation through raising awareness of inequalities, promoting the importance of transplantation; with the aim of increasing the number of BAME donor registrations and consent to transplantation.
For more information on NBTA please visit http://www.nbta-uk.org.uk/2016/10/invitation-to-make-submissions-for-the-living-transplant-initiative-lti/
and for press interviews please contact either of the following Co-Chairs:
Mr Orin Lewis OBE on 020 3757 7700 or orin@aclt.org
https://bts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BTS_LOGO.jpg 0 0 BTS Administrator https://bts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BTS_LOGO.jpg BTS Administrator2016-11-08 10:14:092016-11-08 10:50:44Call for funding for Community Initiatives
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Charles Hearn (Talent)
Additional Languages: Italian, Spanish
Acting, Modeling, Reality TV, Promo / Events, Theater, Voice-Over
Charles Hearn is a California native who has traveled the world in search of creative and athletic adventure, he played pro American football, and studied Fine Art in Italy, rides BMX, surfs and snowboards. Charles brings creativity, humor and athleticism to all that he does. Most recent appearances include hit National Geographic show Brain Games, and a commercial for the Thinkpad Laptop.
Charles is a featured rider in freestyle bmx videos both online and in DVD releases. He also commutes by fixed gear bicycle, which affords him an urban cool as he merges with the pulse of the city, to get from a to b and back. As an avid surfer, and snowboarder Charles naturally reflects the hip, and fast pace ethos of the "xtreme sports community" with a polished international style. With his fearless approach to sports, his creative flair, and a positive perspective on things Charles is the right choice.
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Online Workshop
Start a Converstation
Crysten Cornish
Brand Architect | CSO
The daughter of small business owners, Crysten developed an interest in entrepreneurship at an early age. Always working on-the-go, Crysten’s family frequently visited Walt Disney World during her childhood, where she was first introduced to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Years later, the emotional impact of seeing Make-A-Wish in action would prove to be a key component in the development of Crysten’s future. Choosing to combine her love of entrepreneurship with her passion for serving others, Crysten went on to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree from Cornerstone University with a dual major in Non-Profit Administration and Business Management.
Crysten remained in Michigan for several years, launching her career in leadership while partnering with non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Family Promise, and Junior Achievement. In 2016, Crysten relocated to Florida as a newlywed, where she uncovered yet another passion of hers: business consulting and development!
4851 Tamiami Trail North
info@catalystccg.com
Catalyst Brand DNA
Mobile Website Checker
Grade Your Brand
We develop tailor-made plans for each business, bringing them through a process of discovery, analysis, and strategy. This ultimately leads every business to custom made creative solutions, which become the Catalyst for their newfound momentum and long-term success.
© 2020 Catalyst Collective. All Rights Reserved.
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Cyprus peace talks open in Swiss resort - Daily News Egypt
World Cyprus peace talks open in Swiss resort
Cyprus peace talks open in Swiss resort
Rival leaders from divided Cyprus are meeting for UN-backed peace talks in Switzerland.
Deutsche Welle November 7, 2016 Be the first to comment
Rival leaders from divided Cyprus are meeting for UN-backed peace talks in Switzerland. Even though serious divisions still remain, the talks are billed as the best chance to end the long-running political crisis.Division along a United Nations-monitored ceasefire line has prevailed since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a coup supported by the military junta ruling Greece, and is a source of friction between NATO allies Greece and Turkey.
But on Monday five days of negotiations open at a luxury resort outside Lausanne are expected to zero in on territorial disputes which have fuelled more than four decades of discord between the island's Greek and Turkish communities.
"The prospect of a solution in Cyprus is within their reach," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters as the negotiations got underway in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland.
The talks began 17 months ago between Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Mustafa Akinci. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has made clear he wants to see a final, enduring deal reached before his term expires at the end of the year. "Disagreements remain on issues which have been discussed," Anastasiades told reporters. "Important … security and territorial issues – which are decisive – have not yet been the object of any substantive dialogue."
The last peace efforts collapsed in 2004 when a proposal worked out by then-UN chief Kofi Annan was accepted by most Turkish Cypriots, but resoundingly rejected by Greek Cypriots in twin referendums.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – which is only recognized by Turkey – says talks cannot go on indefinitely. "This is not something that we can keep discussing after 50 years for another 50 years. Everyone, including the UN, is aware of this," Akinci said in a speech last week.
The two sides are trying to solve an internal boundary between two future constituent states, allowing for the return of some areas in Turkish-held northern Cyprus to Greek Cypriots. Diplomats say they are cautiously optimistic that a solution could be in before the end of this year. A United Nations envoy this week said negotiations represented the best chance for a deal in decades. In addition to territorial swaps, Greek Cypriots who represent Cyprus in the European Union are adamant that a deal see the withdrawal of the Turkish military from the island.
jar/kms (AFP, Reuters)
Topics: Cyprus Switzerland UN UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
http://www.dw.com/en/cyprus-peace-talks-open-in-swiss-resort/a-36287331?maca=en-rss_en_DailyNewsEgypt-14679-xml-mrss
https://cdn2.dailynewsegypt.com/2016/11/07/cyprus-peace-talks-open-in-swiss-resort/
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111% increase in Egyptian exports to Cyprus: Trade Minister
Egypt, Cyprus sign deal to transfer Cypriot natural gas to Egypt via pipeline
Cyprus seeks more cooperation with Egypt: Cypriot foreign minister
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July 3, 2012 July 3, 2012 carolynhelselLeave a Comment on What does Racial Identity have to do with Narrative? Or: Answering Exam Question 2
What does Racial Identity have to do with Narrative? Or: Answering Exam Question 2
So my second exam question on my fourth preliminary exam (the one that deals specifically with my anticipated dissertation subject–no pressure!), has to do with the role of narration in racial identity (R.I.) development theory, and then put that in conversation with a narrative theorist.
The problem I’m running up against is that these two theories are not explicitly in conversation already, so it’s a constructive (read: first time anyone’s written about it and hence no one I can turn to) project. Yes, the critical race theorists I have read from sociology and other scholars of critical theory have drawn from narrative–they challenge the narrative of race at its very core. But racial identity development is a different project altogether.
Racial identity development theorists have a distinct telos in mind: help people feel better about themselves while living in a racist society. That is, R.I. theorists have as their goal to help persons of color and white people (the typical victims and villains in the narratives told by critical race theorists) feel better about being people of color and white people, respectively.
But narratives are central to the various stages of racial identity development–narratives are told to describe the kind of feelings persons have about being part of a particular group, as the theorist tries to explain the various stages or statuses along the developmental spectrum. So in communicating about the stages, theorists tell stories, and they describe the kinds of counter-narratives that the individuals learn that prompt them into new stages of development. One of the stages, Immersion/Emersion, deals explicitly with learning the history of persons who are white who have worked against racism, or for persons of color to learn about the leaders in their history who have worked to end oppression.
In the description of the various stages, it seems a consistent factor that new encounters and hence new narratives are what precipitate adjustments to one’s own understanding of oneself as a member of a particular racial grouping. Thus, while theories about narrative are not necessarily described or addressed in any detail by racial identity development theorists (these are psychologists and social scientists, whereas narrative theorists seem to come more frequently out of theology and philosophy), narrative seems to play a significant role within the process of R.I. development and hence is a ripe subject to be explored for persons interested in drawing upon these two resources. In a later post, I will try to draw the connections I see between the work of narrative theorist Alasdair MacIntyre and the goals of R.I. development.
Previous Interlude: A Poem
Next MacIntyre’s Dependent Narrative Animals: Accountable Narrativity and Addressing the Problem of Racism
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29 January 2019 / Company
Timescale raises another $15M for its leading time-series SQL database and introduces an enterprise offering
Icon Ventures leads a new round of funding for Timescale to develop the foundational technology for businesses storing, analyzing, and acting on time-series data
Today, as we approach the 2nd anniversary of when we first released TimescaleDB to the public, we’re proud to share two major announcements.
First, we’ve raised another $15 million in a Series A1 financing led by Icon Ventures with participation from existing investors Benchmark, NEA, and Two Sigma Ventures, just one year after we announced our previous Series A financing.
Altogether, Timescale has now raised over $31 million to build the foundational database for the accelerating time-series data market.
Second, we’re also publishing a new release of TimescaleDB that marks a major milestone in our journey to a self-sustaining open-source business. Since its inception, TimescaleDB has been an open-source software project (Apache 2.0). With the release of TimescaleDB 1.2, that open-source core is now complemented with community features (free, Timescale License) and enterprise features (paid, Commercial License). All of that code base has been made source-available in the TimescaleDB GitHub repository. (More on TimescaleDB 1.2 can be found in this separate post by our CTO.)
Helping organizations analyze the past, monitor the present, and predict the future
Time-series data keeps cropping up in more and more places. As storage becomes cheaper, and computing becomes more powerful, businesses and organizations across a broad set of industries are storing data at higher fidelities.
Time-series is the highest fidelity of data you can store. Every data point has a timestamp. Storing your data in a time-series format allows you to analyze not just what your data looks like right now, but how it is changing over time. Put another way: Why look at a point, when you can study a line? Why look at a still image when you can watch the movie of how your business and operations are doing over time?
Yes, all data is fundamentally time-series data.
We are already observing the transition from storing “snapshots” of data to time-series data, and this trend will only continue to grow as businesses realize the value they can derive from time-series data.
“We're very happy with TimescaleDB at Nutanix. We researched a number of different options to store and analyze the variety of metrics data we collect. Ultimately, we decided TimescaleDB, with the flexibility and reliability of PostgreSQL, was the best option. We're so happy with the results we're seeing from TimescaleDB that we're in the process of deploying it in other areas at Nutanix.”
- Dan Small, Performance Engineering, Nutanix
In fact, time-series has been the fastest growing database category over the past 24 months. PostgreSQL has been the fastest growing database for two years in a row. And it is no secret that SQL is back, cementing its position as the lingua franca for data analysis. (In fact, SQL lags only Javascript, and HTML/CSS in developer popularity, with an estimated 14 million developers worldwide who know SQL today.)
In an industry crowded with database options, TimescaleDB remains unique in sitting at that intersection of time-series, PostgreSQL, SQL, and scalability.
We recognize the critical fact that time-series data doesn’t exist in a vacuum, but must be understood within the context of the larger universe of a company’s data. The challenge with most time-series databases today is that they require you to silo your time-series data within a non-relational store with an unfamiliar query language and limited connectors to the outside world. On the other hand, TimescaleDB is built on the open standard of SQL, and easily integrates into the rest of your software and data infrastructure.
As a result, businesses large and small all over the world today trust TimescaleDB for powering mission-critical applications, including: industrial IoT data analysis, IT and network monitoring systems, financial systems, in-application metrics, geospatial asset tracking, and more. Production deployments include Altair, Charter, Comcast, Cray, Hexagon Mining, LAIKA, Nutanix, SoFi, Transferwise, LaunchDarkly, Consensys, and many more.
We are excited to have found exceptional investors who share our vision and have joined alongside us to support this foundational technology and scale this business.
"Driven by the needs of modern web and IoT-scale time data, time-series databases are in the process of blossoming from a niche technology to a mainstream product category, equal in importance to transactional and analytic databases. But before TimescaleDB, time-series databases were making unfortunate trade-offs that damaged their utility as a general purpose application platform. The enthusiasm we've seen for Timescale among its open source community, as well as its rapid adoption rate, make us extremely excited to back both the technology and this incredibly talented team."
- Michael Mullany, General Partner, Icon Ventures
Capitalizing on significant community momentum
Two years ago, we started working on TimescaleDB to scratch our own itch and build the first time-series database that scaled and supported full SQL, engineered on top of PostgreSQL.
Since then, the developer response to TimescaleDB has exceeded what we expected, with over 1 million downloads, 6,500+ GitHub stars, and ~2,000 members in our Slack community. TimescaleDB is now the most requested extension on Amazon RDS, and the most requested feature on Azure PostgreSQL.
"As an animation studio, we have render farms, workstations, virtual machines, and lots of miscellaneous devices producing large amounts of data. We could foresee that our internal database, InfluxDB, was not scalable nor resource-efficient for this workload. Since we are huge fans of PostgreSQL, TimescaleDB was a natural solution. We've moved many of our existing workloads to TimescaleDB, and have even moved all of our long-term software licensing data from InfluxDB to TimescaleDB. The transition allowed us to retire complex internal applications and immediately allowed us to correlate licensing data with farm usage. We are very pleased with TimescaleDB's ability to serve as a sophisticated database system that does not require much manual servicing."
- Mahlon Smith, Senior Technologist, LAIKA
It is this growth that led us to opportunistically raise this Series A1 round, just one year after our previous financing. This latest round of financing allows us to add fuel to the fire, accelerate our growth, add to our growing team, and aggressively tackle what we believe is a fundamental problem for the future of data and computing.
"The market has been hungry for a database that can address this ubiquitous need for time-series data with a standard SQL interface running on a proven database engine. Timescale has delivered against this promise, and the growth since our investment captured the attention of a number of investors. We are excited for this new financing and how it allows us to scale this foundational technology and company."
- Peter Fenton, General Partner, Benchmark
Building a self-sustaining business
Today we are also excited to share TimescaleDB 1.2, which is our first release to include open-source, community, and enterprise features. More about these features are in this separate blog post.
Our new enterprise tier includes automated data lifecycle management capabilities critical for production workloads in order to ensure efficient resource utilization and optimized query performance.
Purchasing an enterprise subscription also unlocks additional services, including:
Expert help with schema design and query optimizations
Production deployment assistance
Enterprise-level SLAs
Warrants and indemnifications
To sign-up for a free trial of enterprise features, or to learn more about our enterprise offering, please visit our pricing page.
While our past two years have seen significant growth and development in our product, company, and community, we expect 2019 to be even bigger. This year, we’re actively developing scale-out clustering, adding even more open-source, community, and enterprise-grade features, and bringing TimescaleDB to a cloud near you. And we’re planning more events to meet with our community face-to-face.
If our mission resonates with you, then please join our community. If you are just getting started, please download TimescaleDB and give it a whirl. Then join our Slack channel and let us know how we can help. And if you’d like to be a part of a hungry, humble, hard-working team hustling to solve a huge problem, then please say hi.
If you are interested in reading more post like this one, sign up for our mailing list below. For real-time updates on all things Timescale, follow us on Twitter.
Ajay Kulkarni is a member of the Timescale team.
If PostgreSQL is the fastest growing database, then why is the community so small?
The database king continues its reign. For the second year in a row, PostgreSQL is still the fastest growing DBMS, however, its community is not keeping pace.
Andrew Staller
TimescaleDB 1.2: Analytical functions, automated data lifecycle management, improved performance, and more
Milestone release includes open-source improvements as well as our first community and enterprise features
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Dev on Dev: The Witness, Obduction Creators Trade Notes
With Obduction launching Tuesday, we invited Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid & The Witness, to interview Rand Miller of Cyan, one of the minds behind all-time classic Myst.
Jonathan Blow President, Thekla, Inc.
Hi, everyone! Justin at PlayStation.Blog invited me to help celebrate the upcoming PS4 release of Cyan’s game Obduction by doing a question-and-answer session with Rand Miller, CEO and lead designer of the game. I have been playing Rand’s games since the 1990s, and Myst and Riven were both huge influences on The Witness. I felt like this was a good opportunity to ask some serious design questions, so here goes!
Jonathan Blow: One very obvious trend, looking at the series of games from Myst through Obduction, has been the advancement of technology. Today’s consoles are insane supercomputers compared to the machines people played Myst on, back in the day. There are some obvious benefits, like the fact that you can walk around the world of Obduction in full realtime 3D, whereas the original Myst was a series of 2D images.
I’m interested in how this affected puzzle design. The advantage of something like Myst is that you can curate each individual image very closely — you know exactly where the player is standing and what she’s looking at, and if you want to make some important clue more obvious, it’s clear how to do that. When building things to be explored in full 3D, it’s a much less-concrete discipline because you don’t exactly know where the player is coming from. How do you deal with that? Does it affect the basic design of the puzzles in some way, or is the difference more down to the way specific details are authored?
This isn’t Cyan’s first realtime 3D game; both Uru and Myst 5 were 3D, but I would describe those as occurring in the earlier days of 3D when it was at least a little daring to make a 3D puzzle adventure game. How have things changed between those games and now?
Rand Miller: The nature of exploration/adventure games is that you want the player to feel like they have complete freedom, but at the same time provide some kind of path guidance that insures that the player gets the story/information they need. I think we’ve learned as we’ve transitioned to realtime 3D that the path guidance that we might have previously achieved on a “per frame” basis, we now have to do on a different scale.
I’ll give some specific examples. Early in Riven there was a gate that was locked. It wasn’t immediately evident, but the player could slide under the gate. We placed a dagger in the ground under the gate to draw the player’s attention to that lower area. Further, if the player clicked on the dagger the player’s point of view changed to a view of the gate from a much lower perspective – a view that seemed to suggest that they might be able to crawl under the gate. That example precisely illustrates how, by having control of the view we could move the player forward in subtle ways.
But that doesn’t work for realtime 3D.
Obduction has an example of how that idea has to change in realtime 3D. At the beginning of the game the player can only move forward through a canyon. At one point in the canyon a recorded message directs the player to a house with a white picket fence. At this point the canyon is almost gone, and the player has a choice to visit the house with the white picket fence or explore in various other directions. But we also built in a “pinch point” before the player can move on to another section. Approaching this pinch point triggers a rather large insect-like creature to fly out of a mine, across the prairie, and onto the roof of the house with the white picket fence. The idea being that if the player has chosen to ignore the house, we’d like to remind them that it was something that they were instructed to inspect. It’s a much larger and more dynamic hint to entice the player in a particular direction, but it serves the same purpose that the dagger serves in Riven.
I must say that as much as I love realtime 3D it seems like it is always more awkward lining up with devices for interaction with them. Watching players get to the correct angle and the right distance can be cringe inducing – a little left, step back, too far, strafe right a bit, etc. It makes me think back fondly on the Myst 2D images where we control the exact position for optimal interaction. Did you have any of that frustration watching early players of The Witness?
Interestingly, I feel like VR throws more challenges into this discussion – looking around is so natural and effortless, having the player look in a particular direction for a short time can feel like keeping the attention of a three year old. It’ll be interesting to see how our design evolves to embrace this.
Jon: We didn’t have too many early players; I tend not to playtest very much! We had a bunch of players come and try the game at PSX 2015, but by then the game was mostly done being designed. Our game had the advantage that our main puzzles are discrete panels located at obvious places in the world, and we auto-position people to interact with most of these if they start to interact while in the neighborhood.
But that solution wouldn’t work for most adventure games, because part of the reason it works is because you know exactly what is going to happen — in a puzzle more integrated with the environment, even if you knew it was going to auto-adjust your position, not knowing exactly where you would end up would lead to lots of frustrating moments by itself.
Do you find that you change your puzzle designs much to make them less-interactively-awkward? I imagine there’s a limited extent to which puzzles can be adjusted, but beyond that they would break or just lose a great deal of their aesthetic appeal.
Rand: There are definitely some puzzles that we feel more secure about – and are less likely to fiddle with. But we try to start behind-the-back testing early because players tend to do things that catch us off guard and require adjustments to friction, interface, and story delivery. And yes, we have only so much plasticity in how the puzzles can be adjusted because of the interwoven story/environment – it’s an interesting constraint that can be frustrating, but mostly just involves making sure our problem solving considers all the angles.
The subtle clue solutions are the most fun for me – just a little tweak that has the perfect psychological effect – a flash of light on the other side of the world, a small 440 volt sign, a license plate on a desk, using consistent colors, etc. I love when those work to fix little issues, and even if they don’t work for everyone, they make the experience more about paying attention then just trying to get into our (the designers’) heads.
Jon: The core gameplay conceit of Obduction (well, I think of it as the core) is really cool. I don’t want to say what it is, because I don’t want to spoil for readers this moment in the game when you first encounter this idea and start to understand how it works. But it’s interesting to me how many of the puzzles of the game are based on this idea, and on how the player can interact with it in different ways. Many of the puzzles are tied together by this consistency — as the player, I am building an understanding of how this thing works, and I get to be delighted each time I get to use this thing in a new way.
Did you set out to design a game unified by a central puzzle concept, or did it work the other way around, where this idea started as something smaller, and then you realized how many different ways it could come into play? Thinking back to Myst V, that game had a bit of a similar thing, with the writing on the slate being the core of the game; do you see these things as playing similar roles?
Rand: This is fun to discuss, because I think it’s similar to my impression of how you designed The Witness. We started with the simple idea of the puzzle mechanic — just a bare bones core — that we thought was interesting. As we continued to design the various worlds and levels we began to see different ways that the mechanic could be used. Interestingly, in our particular style of game, trying to balance that puzzle mechanic with the story and environment dampens our ability to continue the process and see how many more variations of that simple play mechanic might arise. Playing The Witness I get the distinct impression that you started with the smaller idea for the mechanic as well and extrapolated into amazing (and surprising) variations.
The core gameplay mechanic in adventure or puzzle (or whatever you call them) games is always interesting to me. Seems like many indie studios are generally not feeling obliged to start with a tried and true mechanic (FPS, racing, sports, etc.), instead opting to try new mechanics and friction to see where they go. That path is, of course, more risky, but has the potential to surprise players with great “ah ha” moments.
Obduction | Image Gallery
Jon: One reason Witness took so long was just that I was doing a bunch of “design research” to chase down all the possibilities for those puzzles, yeah.
But also, I know exactly what you’re talking about when you say that there’s an interplay between the puzzles and the story+environment that can make it hard to go beyond a certain point. In our case, I kept letting story be secondary so that the puzzles could be whatever they wanted to be — and even then, it took a great deal of work coming up with environments that somehow enabled these puzzles to exist. But since Cyan games are much more story-oriented, the tradeoffs are pretty different.
Rand: This is one reason it was a nice change for me to play The Witness – the mindset is different. I was able to focus my attention on the puzzle clues and variations, with story elements adding flavor. I enjoyed Firewatch for a similar reason – I could focus on the story, and the puzzle elements added flavor. I really do enjoy our game design niche of balancing story, friction, and environment – as in Obduction, but after a few years of development it’s fun to play the alternatives.
Jon: I think fans of Cyan’s games appreciate both the stories and the puzzles, so your particular mix is definitely working. In bringing Obduction to PS4, what kind of stuff did you tweak? Any major gameplay changes, or interactivity that was rearranged to suit the gamepad as the primary controller?
Rand: We had a huge focus on optimization – reducing the footprint, keeping the quality high, and increasing performance. We were able to provide a really graphically rich experience – which was very important to us. As for interface changes, the primary one was being able to play with just the gamepad – no keyboard required. And then there are the bits and pieces I can’t really mention yet. 😉
PlayStation.Blog extends our thanks to Jon and Rand for taking the time for this Q&A.
You can buy Jon’s latest game, The Witness, at PlayStation Store now, and you can pre-order Obduction for PS4 here ahead of its August 29 launch.
cyanobductionPlayStation 4playstation gamesps vrthe witnessthekla
My favorite kind of blog post on the Playstation Blog
Justin Massongill
I hope we get more chances to do this kind of thing! Any Q&A’s you’d like to see?
drd7of14
Warren Spector/Harvey Smith and Ken Levine…
What is that Ken up to these days? Hmmmm….
Dead-Sync
Justin thanks for putting this together. Was a great read and really is a meeting of the masterminds in this genre. Would be awesome to be a fly on the wall with these two talking together in person. I loved The Witness, and I’m really excited for Obduction too…even though I just learned about it a few weeks ago when it got posted on the blog!
I just kicked things off, Rand and Jon are the ones to thank! But thanks to you as well for commenting — Obduction has certainly been more on my radar since we’ve started hearing more about it.
paulogy
What an excellent piece and great opportunity! The Witness and MYST are two of my all-time favorite games, in large part because of the ingenuity and creativity of their creators. Thanks Jon, Rand, and Justin for putting this together!
I would love to see Jon interview other developers as well. Some other people who I think would make great interviewers (or guests) if they were willing: Rami Ismail, Tim Schafer, Phil Tibitoski, Tom Happ, David Jaffe, Mark Cerny, David Cage, Hideo Kojima, Jenova Chen, Mike Bithell and Jeremy Dunham, to name a few :-)
Adding my support to the chorus here. This is an awesome blog post and I love seeing designers pick the brains of others and get a little look behind the curtain at what are the processes in building these games.
jarryharry
Some of the best designers in the business here, so seeing them talk like this is great. I’m so excited to finally be able to play Obduction now!
CuriouslySane
“I must say that as much as I love realtime 3D it seems like it is always more awkward lining up with devices for interaction with them. Watching players get to the correct angle and the right distance can be cringe inducing – a little left, step back, too far, strafe right a bit, etc.”
It’s a real shame then that Obduction makes this so painful to do in VR. I have to make a strict choice between teleportation and precise movement, and neither is entirely suitable for navigating the game. It would have been a much smarter design choice to enable both concurrently whether with a different mapping for each hand or a modal toggle.
Fifthangel
What an insightful interview. Loved The Witness and am totally looking forward to Obduction. I remember Myst way back and the time I spent involved. The environments for Obduction look fantastic.
Has Jon ever hinted at a sequel for the Witness, stringing us to another island?!
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House, Senate hold Hearings on Online Privacy
Published On July 28, 2010 | By Lisa Branco | General
Committee hearings on online privacy are being held in both the House and Senate this week. On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on Consumer Online Privacy at which the committee heard testimony from the chairs of the FTC and FCC, as well as representatives from Facebook, Google, AT&T, and Apple. (Archived hearing webcast here.) Today, the House Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing on “Online Privacy, Social Networking, and Crime Victimization” at 2pm Eastern. (Webcast.)
There are currently several online privacy and security bills in play in both the House and Senate, including the Boucher-Stearns bill, the Rush bill, the Rockefeller-Snowe bill, and the Lieberman-Collins-Carper bill. Additionally, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) announced in yesterday’s Senate hearing that he plans to introduce an online privacy bill in the near future. Despite the number of bills that have been introduced, most analysts feel the chances of a privacy bill passing this year are slim, though FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz warned that “there will be a fair amount of interest in the next Congress” in getting a privacy bill passed if companies failed to take privacy seriously.
Kerry, McCain to Introduce Online Privacy Legislation
Kerry, McCain Release Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act 2011
FTC Releases Final Agenda for Mobile and Online Advertising Privacy Disclosures Workshop
Lisa Branco
More Posts by Lisa | Email Lisa
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What If Someone Had Been Armed?
End of Course Assessments Leaves Florida’s Private Schools in a Bind
Keith Rockefeller
2nd Amendment,
Aurora Shooting,
The shootings a month ago at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado are a tragedy. There is no doubt about that, but many have tried to make this cause for advocating gun control measures to restrict or outlaw semiautomatic weapons since the shooter used a semiautomatic pistol and rifle along with a conventional shotgun to commit his heinous deeds. The question that arises is would those measures be most effective, or would there have been a better solution? One question that I have had is “what if someone in that theater had been able to shoot back?” I would argue that instead of this situation being cause for greater gun control that it is justification for less. I would argue that had one or more people had guns on their persons and would have shot back that they could have stopped this tragedy from escalating from the murder of one or two people to the massacre of twelve people and the injuring of many others.
It is true that the shooter had armored himself with a bullet resistant vest and helmet. It is true that such protections stop most handgun bullets from penetrating the torso and causing fatal injury. A ballistic helmet covers the skull and is also bullet resistant from handgun and small rifle bullets, but those measures still left several areas wide open to bullet strikes from someone shooting back that could have killed or seriously injured the shooter and stopped the attack.
A medium or large sized bullet to the hands or arms could have rendered the shooter unable to operate his weapons. A bullet striking the upper arm could have shattered the bone or took out arteries that would have disabled him or caused significant pain to stop his attack. A bullet strike the legs or groin would have also caused significant pain with the possibility of hitting the femoral artery and rapid death from blood loss.
The shooter’s face was a vulnerable area that could have been hit causing serious injury or death. It is true he had a gas mask, but gas masks protect again gases and biological agents. They can’t stop a bullet. A bullet to the face could have caused tremendous damage and pain. It could have broken the various bones of the face like the jaw or upper jaw. It could have caused massive bleeding to the noses and sinuses, but more importantly a bullet hitting the upper face or eye region could have struck the brain and killed the shooter instantly.
It is true that one or two people armed with a pistol would have been at some disadvantage, but they had other advantages, too. They had cover from behind the various chairs from behind which they could have shot back. They could have moved from place to place engaging the shooter who was basically in one area. They also had the moral edge that they were fighting for survival and would have continued to fight back as long as the threat was there, while shooter may not have had to will to continue his evil deeds once real opposition had arisen or he had been hurt from defensive fire.
These arguments all point to the possibility that instead of more gun control that maybe the policies of the theaters and other places should be taken down and conceal carry of firearms should be allowed. We can’t remove evil people from society entirely who would do such evil things, but it is very possible to minimize the evil they would do by having those persons nearby would go stop the evil doers before they can cause much harm. Maybe someone other than the shooter at the Aurora, Colorado theater should have had a gun and maybe this whole thing would not have happened.
Chris Brooks says:
It’s worth mentioning that a bullet-proof vest is not a forcefield. Even if it stops the bullets, you’re going to bruise, if not break, a rib or two. It’s going to be harder to move, and he might even go down. It’ll certainly create the opportunity for someone else to engage him hand-to-hand. And bullet proof vests don’t stop knives.
Dougmami says:
I disagree with your reasoning and arguments for less gun control.
I am a member of a household firing 15,000 to 20,000 rounds a year with small game hunting and moving target competition and practice with awards in state and national arenas.
The premis a civilian without military combat or law enforcement training will react as you describe is flawed. The ability to access the situation in a timely manner, draw a firearm, take the safety off, protect ones own safety, and the accurately fire at a moving target is not possible for and untrained person without causing unimaginable casualties of innocent people. If your theory is true, no one shooting competative moving targets would ever miss a target.
The sole purpose for firearms is to hit or kill a target whether a target, animal, or human.
Gun control is necessary to keep the firearms out of the hands of the Rambo population who overestimate their abilities, and put other in danger with their disreguard for human life..
I am a law abiding gun owner who believes in strict gun control laws to keep firearms out of the hands of the untrained individuals those with grandiose ideas of their own abilities and the crazies who intend to harm others.
Can Donald Trump Obstruct Justice?
Shane Vander Hart: The claim that President Donald Trump is above obstruction of justice charges is ludicrous, but so is calling firing the FBI director obstruction.
Senate Republicans Use the Nuclear Option to Confirm Gorsuch
Senate Democrats let the first partisan filibuster against a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, the nuclear option was used to allow a majority vote.
Grassley: Judge Kavanaugh’s Judicial Record is Extraordinary
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke in support of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Grassley: I’m Confident FBI Will Not Succumb to Political Pressure During Kavanaugh Investigation
Grassley: “I’m confident that the FBI agents tasked with this responsibility will not succumb to public political pressure or politicians telling the agency how to do its job.”
Keith is a native of Nebraska and has served as a prison religious coordinator and pastor.…
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Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Are Not Worthy of the White House
Brian Myers: Donald Trump clearly needs to be in therapy. Hillary Clinton clearly needs to be indicted. Neither are fit for the White House.
Ex-CIA Officer Launches Independent Presidential Bid
Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer and chief policy director for the House Republican Conference, launched an independent presidential campaign.
The Electoral Map Doesn’t Look Good for Trump
Shane Vander Hart: Based on state polling the current electoral college map in 2016 does not look very good for Donald Trump heading into November.
Mitt Romney: Better than We Thought…Less Than We Need
Adam Graham: Personal decency and character should define conservative candidates, but be coupled with the ability to offer bold, conservative leadership.
Adam Graham
Ben Carson Ignores Own Criteria in Endorsing Donald Trump
Dr. Ben Carson violates his pledge not to endorse a candidate and ignores his criteria for an endorsement when he backed Donald Trump for President.
Why I (Likely) Won’t Be Voting for Donald Trump
Shane Vander Hart explains why it is extremely unlikely he will cast a vote for Donald Trump in November should he become the Republican nominee.
Rick Perry 2.0 Is Off to a Good Start
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry’s second presidential campaign has avoided his past mistakes of 2012 and is off to a good start in early states.
John Kasich: I’m Unorthodox Because I’m Normal
Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio) explained to reporters in New Hampshire that he is an unorthodox politician because he’s a normal guy.
Ted Cruz: I Believe in the Power of Millions of Courageous Conservatives
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) formally announced his candidacy for President of the United States during an address at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
Ted Cruz Jumps Into 2016 Race
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) jumped into the 2016 race with both feet last night with a single tweet shortly before midnight.
Video: Carly Fiorina Discusses 2016, Common Core
Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina talks to Caffeinated Thoughts about her interest in 2016, what would set her apart as a candidate and her view of Common Core.
2014 in Review: Our Top Stories and Highlights
Shane Vander looks at some of Caffeinated Thoughts top stories and recaps monthly highlights in U.S. politics, Iowa politics and cultural news.
Rick Santorum Wins Our Labor Day Presidential Preference Poll
Former U.S. Senator and 2012 Iowa Caucus winner Rick Santorum wins our Presidential preference poll, drops to fourth place among Iowa participants.
Three Questions Mike Pence Will Avoid Hiding Out in Iowa
Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN) will manage to duck questions on Obamacare, Common Core, and integrating workforce development into K-12 education when in Iowa.
Bobby Jindal Considering 2016 Presidential Run
Caffeinated Thoughts discusses the 2016 presidential race, Common Core, activist judges and a pro-life agenda with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
Proof that Rick Santorum is Running for President
Former U.S. Senator and 2012 Iowa Caucus Winner Rick Santorum offers proof that he is running for President in 2016 in the form of a NCAA bracket.
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Current and Back Issues
Where to Buy Canadian Art
Art School Guide
Events and Programming
Canadian Art Encounters
Issue Launches
Canadian Art at Art Toronto 2019
Canadian Art Social 2019
Mentorship and Education
Canadian Art Writing Prize
School Hop
Editorial Mentorships
Wanda Koop Research Fund
Essays –
News / November 26, 2019
Luc Courchesne Wins Quebec’s Highest Art Honour
Courchesne, who creates digital and interactive art, is the latest winner of the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas
Luc Courschene receiving the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas for 2019. Photo: Patrick Lachance. Courtesy Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications.
Luc Courchesne, Naked in Paradise (production still), 2019. VR. Courtesy Luc Courchesne.
Montreal artist Luc Courchesne has spent the past five decades working on interactive and digital art forms.
Now, his practice is being recognized with the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, which the province of Quebec calls its highest distinction in the visual arts and craft. It comes with a $30,000 award.
Courchesne was born in St-Léonard-d’Aston in 1952 and received a bachelor’s degree in design from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1974. A decade later, he earned a master’s of science in visual studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also influenced younger generations of artists and creatives as a professor in the school of design at l’Université de Montréal from 1989 to 2013.
Through the years, Courchesne’s work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the NTT InterCommunication Center in Tokyo, Fundacion La Caixa in Barcelona, La Villette in Paris and the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. He is currently represented by his longtime dealer, Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain, in Montreal.
Courchesne played a key role in co-founding or growing Canadian digital arts groups like the Inter-Society for Electronic Arts and the Société des arts technologiques, both of which are based in Montreal.
Past winners of the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas include Jana Sterbak, Rita Letendre and Betty Goodwin.
The prize decision this year was made by jury members Claudine Thériault, Moridja Kitenge Banza, Pascale Girardin, Carmelle Adam and Monic Brassard.
News / January 15, 2020
Stan Douglas to Represent Canada at the 2021 Venice Biennale
For more than three decades, the artist has connected local histories to questions of image-making, collective memory and broader social movements
News / December 19, 2019
News Roundup: Kent Monkman Paintings Debut at the Met
Plus: An artist launches a new fund to diversify the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts collection and the minister of Canadian Heritage gets his list of policy priorities
Toronto Gallery Margin of Eras at Risk of Closing
Amid cuts to Ontario arts funding and surges of gentrification in Parkdale, the gallery, which creates space for artists on the margins, is struggling to keep its doors open
by Kelsey Adams
New Architecture and Design Gallery Invites Visitors to Turn On, Tune In and Take a Nap
The Toronto gallery opens with a cave-like installation accessible to the public 12 hours a day, six days a week
by Barbara Purcell
Newcomers Discuss Creative-Industry Barriers in Canada
Even when recent immigrants have substantial arts experience abroad, they find entry points to Canada’s culture sector are few
by Maya Wilson-Sanchez
Show Related
T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss
by Oscar Domingo Rajme
In the Studio with Jamiyla Lowe
by Yaniya Lee and Brittany Shepherd
Eric Mack
by Tess Edmonson
215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 330
Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2C7
info@canadianart.ca
© Canadian Art, 2020
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HBC Careers mobile
HBC mobile site is a paired down version of the main HBC Career website
HBC, Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters
Working with the HBC Marketing and HR teams we designed and developed a strong brand presence that would incorporate all the retail banners that make up the HBC team to promote the diverse career force that lives under these famous world class brands. With corporate headquarters and retail locations from coast to coast in Canada and in nine US states, HBC employs nearly 45,000 talented associates in more than 5,000 different roles.
The mobile site was designed to promote HBC and its banners and also new career opportunities within the organization. The mobile site is a scaled down version of the main HBC Careers site. Promoting the latest career opportunities for potential job seekers to view and request an email reminder that will then be sent to their email inbox. Email reminder will have a link to the job application and more details of the job opportunity at HBC to apply for the position.
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Iqra Aziz Biography | Age | Height | Dramas | Stardom |
by Celebrities Newss
Iqra Aziz
Iqra Aziz is a Pakistani TV actress but also a model and declared a new sensation of the drama industry. Getting fame by playing a role Muqaddas in Hum TV serial Muqaddas. She won the Hum award for the best female actress. We have seen her dedication and love with work. Most of the people like boys and girls join the showbiz but don’t get fame and recognition. After that she has also played a leading role Ajiya Nazakat Ali, Suno Chanda popular series of 2018 In addition, now is playing a role of Noori in serial Ranjha Ranjha Kardi. Iqra is a new face, most of the people don’t familiar with her name but fan following is increasing rapidly. She is a very talented girl and looks so pretty in her every play.
Early Life:
According to Iqra Aziz Biography, she was born on November 24, 1997, in Karachi. Her family is based on only 3 members like a mother and a sister. Elder sister Sidra Aziz is currently living in Malaysia. She mentioned her mother struggle in an interview as a single parent. It is very difficult to meet every day due to fulfilling the financial need and her mother was a first female careem driver in Karachi. She cannot complete her Bachelor’s of commerce degree from the University of Karachi. She wished to take a break from acting and modelling to complete the degree.
Stardom:
At the age of fourteen (14), she started her career. Her mother wanted to complete the education then entered into showbiz. She is very possessive of her education. She entered the proper channel in the industry, took part in the first audition of television commercial as a model. Co-Producer Momina Duraid noticed her talent and offered her a role in the series of Kisay Apna Kahain.
Iqra Aziz Drama’s:
Iqra Aziz is the very talented and new sensation of current drama industry. She has millions of fan following and grabbed the attention of viewers and a lot of directors. The chemistry with Shahzad Sheikh was very appreciated in the serial Choti Si Zindagi topped the list in March 2017 and both received the nomination for best couple. In this drama, both are forced to marry and they were too young. However, don’t know what they wanted to do in life. She also performed in many TV commercials like Hilal Kake, Meezan Cooking Oil and many more. I hope you are enjoying Iqra Aziz Biography.
Her second drama Muqaddas was aired in the month of May. Her name was Muqaddas in this drama and plays a leading role. The story of that drama revolved around her character. She appeared in another drama serial with Faisal Qureshi and many famous actor and actresses but she is a very diverse and versatile actress who is playing her next drama serial Ranjha Ranjha Kardi and got fame. She has also played a lead role in Suno Chanda opposite Farhan Saeed. The story was based on the rapped reality of family weddings. The second part is it works due to the popularity of that play. Her notable works include Choti Si Zindagi, Tabeer and making a display on the big screen. Appearance in Shows
She has recognized her career in a very short period in the showbiz. She appeared in many talk shows and morning shows as a guest. Her 1st appearance was in the morning show of Jago Pakistan Jago. She has also appeared in The After Moon Show and Tonite with HSY as a guest and was also a take part of music video O Janaa and Farhan Saeed was also playing and directs it. She deserves a big project to show talent and make a mark in the showbiz.
She was getting the legal notice for breaching of contract. Hussain said that Iqra breached an agreement for the project approved by the talent agency. She made another contract with PR agency headed by Maida Azmat despite the first contract repeatedly. It is very disappointed about her can cheat us for greed.
She refused the allegation and said he was delaying my payments for many months. When he made a routine for delaying payments, So I stopped his project and decided to switch another one because I have no money these days. But now they resolved the issue and decided to continue working with each other in the future.
Other’s Activities
She was nominated and won many TV awards and like the stylish TV Actor Award. She is working with many brands as ambassador like 7up, Nestle, Cadbury, and National Food.
Views on Drama Gahirat
Ghairat is also another most popular drama of her. A story of a young girl who is in love, which is considered a shameful act in society. The women can get killed in some households or someone other’s family member is killed. The story revolves around the Saba (Iqra Aziz) who lived a sheltered life within the constraints of patriarchal norms. She was deeply respecting her brother Usman Bhai now seeing him in a different character.
Popular and Recent Drama’s
Year Drama
2014 Kissey Apna Kahein
2015 Muqaddas
2016 Socha Na Tha
2016 Deewana
2016 Kisay Chahoon
2016 Laaj
2016 Choti Si Zindagi
2016 Natak
2017 Judai
2017 Gustakh Ishq
2017 Dil-e-Jaanam
2017 Ghairat
2017 Khamoshi
2018 Qurban
2018 Suno Chanda
2018 Tabeer
2018 Ranjha Ranjha Kardi
2019 Suno Chanda (season 2)
Music Video Appearance
2018 O Jaana Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
2018 Jo Tu Na Mila Asim Azhar
2016 Hum Awards Best Tv Sensation Female
2017 Hum Awards Best Actress Popular(Nominated)
2018 Hum Style Awards Most stylish Tv Female
Social Media Platform
Facebook – @iqra-Aziz
Instagram – iiqraaziz
Twitter – @iqraAzizz
Iqra Aziz Biography Height, Weight, Age, Body Measurement
Name: Iqra Aziz DOB: 24 November 1994
Birth Place: Karachi, Pk Profession: Actress, Model
Education: Bachelor’s Nationality: Pakistani
Religion: Islam Siblings: Sidra Aziz
Horoscope: Sagittarius Iqra Aziz Age: 24
Figure: 34-26-34 Inches Waist Size: 26 Inches
Weight: 50 KG Height: 5 Feet 3 Inches
Body Type: Slim Eye Color: Brown
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14-Jun-2011 2:53 PM
EADS does not need German ownership: Airbus CEO
Airbus CEO Thomas Enders has stated in an interview with Germany’s Welt am Sonntag that the German state does not necessarily need to be a shareholder in parent company EADS. France and Germany have been in talks since the beginning of the year over EADS’ ownership structure.
German carmaker Daimler controls a 22.5% voting stake, including 15% in shares it owns itself and 7.5% of shares it manages for a consortium of banks. The manufacturer has been looking to sell its stake in EADS, as it does not consider it a core asset. However, the company’s stake is politically sensitive, as it is seen to balance the 22.5% of EADS held by the French state and French media firm Lagardere.
Mr Enders has suggested that the idea of a golden share, giving France and Germany effective veto power over strategic issues and a defence mechanism against potential takeovers, should be though about “intensively”. However, EADS is registered in the Netherlands, placing it under Dutch corporate law, which has no provision for golden shares.
Shares in EADS were up 0.7% on Monday. Elsewhere, shares in Bombardier dropped 3.8%.
Honeywell announced it has agreed to acquire mobile networking and satellite communication connectivity solutions provider EMS Technologies for USD506 million, net of cash acquired. The purchase is to be split between two divisions, as is expected to be accretive to earnings from 2012. The acquisition will boost offerings in mobile computing technologies and satellite communications in its automation division and aerospace segment.
World Fuel Services Corporation announced (10-Jun-2011) its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of USD0.0375 per share payable on 08-Jul-2011 to shareholders of record on 24-Jun-2011.
Selected Aerospace daily share price movements (% change): 13-Jun-2011
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Visual data changes the execution game
By Deena M. Amato-McCoy - 10/12/2017
When it comes to managing the execution of promotional campaigns, image-based platforms are taking strategies to a new level.
An industry known for being data-heavy, retail is inundated with a constant flow of product and customer information passing between retailers and supplier partners. However, disparate operations continue to take a toll on trade promotions.
Some brands continue to manage information through email exchanges and text messages. Other companies use even more cumbersome processes as they continue to physically input data archived on paper-based spreadsheets. It’s clear that such legacy systems are not up to the demands of real-time retailing.
“Whether you are writing information with a pen and paper, or emailing data to create a PowerPoint, that takes a ton of time out of the day, and kills a return on investment,” said Chris Kampfe, VP of marketing, GoSpotCheck. “Companies need to spend less time on managing data and focus on higher value activities. By streamlining campaign execution, retailers will also get paid faster from supplier partners.”
Data gets visual — and centralized
The solution for many companies is adopting a standardized platform that manages structured data, such as currency, numbers, names, dates and addresses filtered through point-of-sale solutions, customer relationship management systems, and other mission-critical applications, as well as unstructured data, such as metadata and audio and video files. GoSpotCheck offers a 360º solution that can streamline execution and drive ROI.
In this first-of-its-kind platform, a mobile app is complemented by a web-based dashboard that acts as central repository of all data.
Now, as users create an end-cap display, for example, all data — from pricing values to product images — is aggregated in a centralized location.
“Viewing photos and data are a big part of execution,” he explained. “From a reporting standpoint, the images not only help retailers meet metrics, they also keep stores in compliance of what the campaign should look like and account for all steps that need to be completed. The tools also give a way for users to follow up on tasks ASAP.”
The platform in action: a retail case study
One retailer that is using the technology successfully is Crocs. Like many companies, Crocs collected data using a time-consuming process that included paper documentation, electronic conversion, and digital organization across multiple organizational teams. Data was recorded using Excel, but the information was not in a shareable or digestible format.
“There was also no way to attach digital pictures to paper which severely limited comprehensive analysis,” said Samantha Rice, director of retail operations at Crocs.
In search of a field team management solution that could increase general accountability for both individual team members and within retail stores, Crocs turned to GoSpotCheck’s survey solution, called Missions. Optional and mandatory survey fields were important for the retailer to differentiate between secondary and high-priority tasks.
Missions helped Crocs gather detailed information through pictures and a variety of task types, including multiple choice and conditional questioning. GoSpotCheck’s picture upload capabilities and related photo management made it simple to pair the numerical data with imagery.
“GoSpotCheck gives us an easier way to track presentation standards in the stores, while aggregating collected data for us to examine from a manager and leadership perspective,” Rice explained.
Using the mobile and online reporting dashboard combination empowers district managers to hold stores to brand goals at the enterprise level. Meanwhile, customizable charts and graphs keep teams accountable when examining retail execution and tracking activity. Filterable reporting tiles help Crocs discover actionable data quickly and easily.
“I can see what stores are visited and by what teams, the time between the previous visit, and the length of time each team spends in each store,” Rice said. “I have everything at my fingertips to bring clarity to the whole chain.”
Since rolling out GoSpotCheck, the company has improved the consistency of when and how visits are conducted, giving leadership in the corporate office “better visibility into store visits,” she added.
Crocs’ story illustrates the early benefits of image-based reporting, but new gains are on the horizon, including the transition to optical recognition. As a user snaps a picture of a display, for example, this data can be merged with a POS transaction log to ensure planograms and product movement is in compliance, creating “a truly automated process,” Kampfe said.
Bringing visibility into facilities management
Search engine giant steps up fashion searches
Visual data eliminates ‘contractual blind spots’
The impacts of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the food and beverage industry – could humans be replaced?
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BrainBerries / Mulan
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Hit-and-Run Driver Killed Cleo Andrews, 41, Near Chicago State University in Roseland
The crash site at 95th and King. Image: Google Maps
Police are searching for the hit-and-run driver who fatally struck Cleo Andrews, 41, near Chicago State University in the Roseland neighborhood.
On Thursday, May 16, at about 1:30 a.m., Andrews was walking north across 95th Street at King Drive when the driver of an eastbound blue Chevrolet Cobalt swerved while changing lanes and struck him him, according to Officer Steve Rusanov from Police News Affairs, a Chatham resident, was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead at 2:31 a.m.
An image of the car shot by a surveillance camera at 103rd and Cottage Grove. Image: CPD
This week police released a surveillance camera image of the car. The four-door sedan had the Illinois license plate BE82675 and was last seen heading eastbound on 95th from Vernon Avenue, according to police. They said the car probably has “extensive damage to the windshield and roof.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the CPD Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521.
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Filed Under: Driving, News, Walking, Chicago State University
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THE RELATIONSHIP SHOW:
"The Other Side's Playbook" Her Side, His Side and the Truth
is a hilarious look at the things that men and women do that get on each others nerves. This is not just a battle between the sexes but a look at how each group thinks, and why they think it. As the show builds Marvin Lee lets the women know EXACTLY what they do that drive men crazy all to the cheers of the men in the audience. As the show reaches a fevored pitch Marvin flips it on the men and gives them the "What for" to the screams and laughter of the women in the audience.
Set up in a Ted Talks format this stand-up comedy stage show is a high energy laugh ride that will take you through the world of between the sexes as only Marvin Lee can do it! Finally the show switches to an improv Q&A session between Marvin Lee and the audience where nothing is off the table. There is just one rule: YOU HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST with your answer NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK! making every show unique where nothing is off the table!
For the couples The Other Side's Playbook offers a 100% guarantee that you will learn something about your spouse that you never knew, no matter how long you've been together.
For the "Singles Edition" of the show Marvin Lee steps it up a notch by adding the after hours comedy social mixer to the different singles groups that attend.
Whether you're single or married, if you have ever been in a relationship for more than .... let's say ten minutes, you will definately find a lot to laugh about in this show.
In the end no matter which side you're on you'll see that no one is perfect and we should appeciate what the opposite sex brings to our lives. You will walk away from the show a little smarter and a lot happier because you now know The Other Side's Playbook.
"My stomach and cheeks hurt by the time his show was done!!!! I would recommend him to anyone and if I have the opportunity, I would hire him again!!!!
-Pam Trader Gig ID# 830060
"Client Review:Marvin had us all laughing - some crying from laughing so hard. Everyone enjoyed the show very much.
-Sue Vanderloop Gig ID# 1281637
"Mr. Lee has some of the best material I have ever heard. He IS the best performer I have ever seen! I now see comedy as science, not just telling jokes. I didn't feel as if he wrote a joke and was going to tell it regardless of the crowd, he had options. He studied the crowd, captivated their attention and did just what I asked, "Make their jaws hurt from laughing." There were teens in the audience as well as a few senior citizens; everyone was laughing. He was clean cut but the adults understood the subliminal/metaphorical provocativeness.
-Jovonni Banks (College of Southern Nevada)Gig ID# 1065603
"Marvin kept the crowd entertained throughout his entire show. He did a great job delivering a PG-13 performance that wasn't offensive to the crowd...yet continued to keep the audience laughing. Would definitely recommend!
-Dan Parrigan of the Knights of Columbus for Gig ID# 990953
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Home > Stanton, Thomas H > Hilfe! Suchhistorie
Treffer 1 - 20 von 27 für Suche: 'Thomas H Stanton', Suchdauer: 0.67s
Increasing the Accountability of Government-Sponsored Enterprises: Next Steps
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Public Administration Review Vol. 51, No. 6 (1991), p. 572-575
“...10.2307/976611 doi 976611 976611 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. Increasing the Accountability of...”
Government-Sponsored Enterprises: Reality Catches up to Public Administration Theory
“...27697909 27697909 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. Government-Sponsored Enterprises: Reality...”
When Government Isn't Exactly Government
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory: J-PART Vol. 14, No. 3 (2004), p. 435-437
“...3525845 3525845 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. When Government Isn't Exactly Government...”
Increasing the Accountability of Government-Sponsored Enterprises: First Steps
Improving the Managerial Capacity of the Federal Government: A Public Administration Agenda for the Next President
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Public Administration Review Vol. 68, No. 6 (2008), p. 1027-1036
“...25145700 25145700 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. Improving the Managerial Capacity of the Federal...”
The Life Cycle of the Government-Sponsored Enterprise: Lessons for Design and Accountability
“...4624638 4624638 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. The Life Cycle of the Government-Sponsored...”
What Comes Next after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?
“...42003124 42003124 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. What Comes Next after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...”
Conflict in Laos: The Village Point of View
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Asian Survey Vol. 8, No. 11 (1968), p. 887-900
“...10.2307/2642372 doi 2642372 2642372 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. Conflict in Laos: The Village...”
Risk Management Is Essential at a Time of Downsizing
“...23355463 23355463 ger GBVCP eng Stanton, Thomas H. Risk Management Is Essential at a Time of...”
Why some firms thrive while others fail: governance and management lessons from the crisis
von Stanton, Thomas H. Veröffentlicht 2012
E-Buch
Signatur: wird geladen...
Standort: wird geladen...
The Hidden Power of GSEs
von Bingman, Charles F. in Public Administration Review Vol. 52, No. 5 (1992), p. 522-524
“... Administration Stanton, Thomas H.: A State of Risk Bingman, Charles F. book-review gnd f book-review DE-601...”
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Public administration review : PAR Vol. 73, No. 6 (2013), p. 784-785
“... and Freddie Mac? Stanton, Thomas H. in Public administration review : PAR Hoboken, NJ : Wiley Vol. 73...”
The Administration of Medicare: A Neglected Issue
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Washington and Lee law review : member of the National and Southern Law Review Conferences Vol. 60, No. 4 (2003), p. 1373-1416
“... Neglected Issue Stanton, Thomas H. in Washington and Lee law review : member of the National and Southern...”
Lessons Learned: Obtaining Value from Federal Asset Sales
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Public budgeting & finance Vol. 23, No. 1 (2003), p. 22
“... from Federal Asset Sales Stanton, Thomas H. in Public budgeting & finance Hoboken, NJ : Wiley-Blackwell...”
Government-Sponsored Enterprises as Federal Instrumentalities: Reconciling Private Management with Public Accountability
von Moe, Ronald C. in Public Administration Review Vol. 49, No. 4 (1989), p. 321-329
“.... research-article gnd f research-article DE-601 Stanton, Thomas H. in Public Administration Review Vol. 49...”
Will Departmental or Agency Reorganizations Meet the Need for Information Sharing Required by the Challenge of 9/11?
von Tobias, Robert M. in Public Administration Review Vol. 68, No. 3 (2008), p. 585-587
“...-Ressource Copyright: Copyright 2008 The American Society for Public Administration Stanton, Thomas H...”
Commentary: Effects of Success on Management Performance
von Stanton, Thomas H in Public administration review : PAR Vol. 77, No. 4 (2017), p. 614-615
“.... Related Content: Nicholson‐Crotty, Nicholson‐Crotty and Fernandez (PAR July/August 2017) Stanton, Thomas H...”
Expression of Qa-1 on mitogen-stimulated cells
von Stanton, Thomas H. in Immunogenetics Vol. 9 (1979), p. 597-600
“... Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2002 ; 041039-1 Stanton, Thomas H. in Immunogenetics Vol. 9 (1979), p...”
Help Borrowers, Don't Hurt Them: Federal Credit Programs Need to Focus on Outcomes, Not Volume
“... Wiley Subscription Services, Inc. Stanton, Thomas H in Public administration review : PAR Hoboken, NJ...”
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Tag: Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Microplastics: Seeking the ‘plastic score’ of the food on our plates
Plastic from Almaciga Beach, on the north coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife Getty Images
Microplastics are found everywhere on Earth, yet we know surprisingly little about what risks they pose to living things. Scientists are now racing to investigate some of the big unanswered questions.
Daniella Hodgson is digging a hole in the sand on a windswept beach as seabirds wheel overhead. “Found one,” she cries, flinging down her spade.
She opens her hand to reveal a wriggling lugworm. Plucked from its underground burrow, this humble creature is not unlike the proverbial canary in a coal mine.
A sentinel for plastic, the worm will ingest any particles of plastic it comes across while swallowing sand, which can then pass up the food chain to birds and fish.
“We want to see how much plastic the island is potentially getting on its shores – so what is in the sediments there – and what the animals are eating,” says Ms Hodgson, a postgraduate researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London.
“If you’re exposed to more plastics are you going to be eating more plastics? What types of plastics, what shapes, colours, sizes? And then we can use that kind of information to inform experiments to look at the impacts of ingesting those plastics on different animals.”
Image captionLugworm living in the sand in Great Cumbrae, Scotland
Image captionThe beach at the town of Millport
Microplastics are generally referred to as plastic smaller than 5mm, or about the size of a sesame seed. There are many unanswered questions about the impact of these tiny bits of plastic, which come from larger plastic debris, cosmetics and clothes. What’s not in dispute is just how far microplastics have travelled around the planet in a matter of decades.
“They’re absolutely everywhere,” says Hodgson, who is investigating how plastic is making its way into marine ecosystems. “Microplastics can be found in the sea, in freshwater environments in rivers and lakes, in the atmosphere, in food.”
Multi-million-dollar question
The island of Great Cumbrae off Scotland’s Ayrshire coast is a favourite haunt of day trippers from nearby cities like Glasgow. A ferry ride away from the town of Largs, it’s a retreat for cyclists and walkers, as well as scientists working at the marine station on the island. On a boat trip off the bay to see how plastic samples are collected from the waves, a dolphin joins us for a while and swims alongside.
Image captionPlastic collected on Great Cumbrae
Even in this remote spot, plastic pollution is visible on the beach. Prof David Morritt who leads the Royal Holloway University research team points out blue twine and bits of plastic bottles that wash up with the seaweed at Kames Bay. Where it’s coming from is the “multi-million-dollar question”, he says, holding up a piece of blue string.
“We’ve just been looking at some of the plastic washed up on the strand line here and you can tell fairly obviously it’s fishing twine, or it’s come from fishing nets. Sometimes it’s much more difficult. By identifying the type of polymer, the type of plastic it is and then by matching that with the known uses of those polymers you can sometimes make an educated guess of where that plastic’s likely to have come from.”
From the Great Pacific garbage patch to riverbeds and streams in the UK, microplastics are among the most widespread contaminants on the planet, turning up from the deepest parts of our oceans to the stomachs of whales and seabirds. The explosion in plastic use in recent decades is so great that microplastics are becoming a permanent part of the Earth’s sedimentary rocks.
While studying rock sediments off the Californian coast, Dr Jennifer Brandon discovered disturbing evidence of how our love of plastic is leaving an indelible mark on the planet. MORE
Microplastics found in ‘pristine’ wilderness
Microplastics in ‘every studied animal’
Seven charts that explain the plastic pollution problem
Author gaianicityPosted on October 18, 2019 Tags Great Pacific Garbage Patch, microplasticsLeave a comment on Microplastics: Seeking the ‘plastic score’ of the food on our plates
Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time
Floating boom finally retains debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, creator says
The boom skims up waste ranging in size from a discarded net and a car wheel to tiny chips of plastic. Photograph: AP
A huge floating device designed by Dutch scientists to clean up an island of rubbish in the Pacific Ocean that is three times the size of France has successfully picked up plastic from the high seas for the first time.
Boyan Slat, the creator of the Ocean Cleanup project, tweeted that the 600 metre-long (2,000ft) free-floating boom had captured and retained debris from what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Alongside a picture of the collected rubbish, which includes a car wheel, Slat wrote: “Our ocean cleanup system is now finally catching plastic, from one-ton ghost nets to tiny microplastics! Also, anyone missing a wheel?”
About 600,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes of fishing gear is abandoned or lost at sea each year. Another 8m tonnes of plastic waste flows in from beaches.
Ocean currents have brought a vast patch of such detritus together halfway between Hawaii and California, where it is kept in rough formation by an ocean gyre, a whirlpool of currents. It is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world’s oceans.
Crew members sort through plastic onboard a support vessel in the Pacific. Photograph: AP
The vast cleaning system is designed to not only collect discarded fishing nets and large visible plastic objects, but also microplastics.
The plastic barrier floating on the surface of the sea has a three metre-deep (10ft) screen below it, which is intended to trap some of the 1.8tn pieces of plastic without disturbing the marine life below.
The device is fitted with transmitters and sensors so it can communicate its position via satellites to a vessel that will collect the gathered rubbish every few months. MORE
Author gaianicityPosted on October 7, 2019 Tags floating boom, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plasticLeave a comment on Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time
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Role of energy in the body with examples
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An introduction to the history of the tuskegee airman
Bloomington is his home for now, but he has dreams of moving abroad and jump-starting his writing career. In the primary and basic, the plebes would hold land school schoolroom classs and winging lessons.
The teacher rode with the plebe during the first pattern, whether the trainee knew how to wing or non. It is our desire to expand on this program to cover more students in a variety of cities in the Kentucky Commonwealth.
Pictured here with a hidden camera, arrested officers are about to board transports bound for Godman Army Field in Kentucky to be court-martialed.
The Air Force should purify each of those records on its own initiative. Of the 3, who trained to fly at Tuskegee, only 1, graduated. The former movie theater houses a bank branch. Air Force photo by R. It was non until June 9,three yearss after D-day that the nd got their first of import mission.
Formerly the Macon County Courthouse, the justice center bustles with activity. They were singled out and made examples of the consequences faced by black men who stood up to injustice.
Please contact chapter thru tuskegeeairmenstl gmail. Chapter Meetings Chapter meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at 6: Public domain The th Bombardment Group was an African American unit assembled around a core group of vaunted Tuskegee Airmen that began arriving at Freeman in March As the pilots flew around Germany, all they saw was fume coming from the hemorrhoids of dust.
Jessie Laine Powell, Ms. Air Force; George S. This living history exhibit also highlights the women who worked as mechanics, control tower operators and administrators.
Then he ordered the nd to travel acquire the enemies. About were single-engine pilots, with the remainder qualified as bomber pilots who never saw combat.
Martin Luther King Jr. Welch and Louis Fry, it replaced the original chapel, destroyed by fire in Patricia Hayden, Treasurer for ticket sales; Ms. Louis Veterans Day Parade. Most of the trainees were college alumnuss, including a police officer, an army officer, a mill inspector, and several immature work forces who were fresh out of college.
In nine months to a twelvemonth, they had mastered accomplishments the Air Force said should necessitate at least five old ages.
Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr.He gave a brief introduction to the history of the Tuskegee Airmen. His th Bombardment Group never saw combat but faced their own battles at home. “It did engage in the domestic war of racism.
Tuskegee Repertory Theatre, Inc., a ©(3) non-profit, tax exempt organization, was founded in by Dyann Robinson, and other Tuskegee performing artists and arts supporters.
The company performs in residence, at its home theatre space, The Jessie Clinton Arts Centre, and on tour. Watch video · For the training site, the War Department chose the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, then under construction.
Home to the prestigious Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington, it was located in the heart of. The Tuskegee Airmen -- "America's Black Air Force" in WWII The “Blacks Need To Think Outside Of The Box – Politically and Economically” blog on this TonyBrownsJournal Facebook page last week generated a five-day total of 1, views.
Col. Dick Toliver, USAF, Ret., gave a brief history of the Tuskegee Airmen during a Jan. 14 ceremony at the CAF Arizona Wing Aviation Museum.
Toliver is also a graduate of Tuskegee Institute, and was a decorated fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. A Tuskegee Airman Tuskegee, Ala., My dad, Lloyd Leslie Radcliffe, was a Tuskegee Airman with the 99th Fighter Squadron.
He is third from the left, bottom row.
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A review of swan lake a ballet by pyotr illyich tchaikovsky
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Bedestan (Old St. Nicolas Church)
Temple - Nicosia & Kyrenia, North Cyprus
Bedestan is a historical building located directly beside the Selimiye Mosque. The structure has a long and complicated history spanning more than one thousand years. Originally built as a church in about the sixth century, and expanded and rebuilt between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, it was converted to a bedestan, a type of covered market, during the period of Ottoman rule. It is currently used as a cultural centre.
photo credit: dronepicr Bedestan Nicosia via photopin (license)
Kuyumcular Sk, Lefkoşa 99010
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Discover the other places of Temple - Nicosia & Kyrenia
Nicosia & Kyrenia, North Cyprus
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By Meira Svirsky
Iranian Gov’t Front Group Funded Over 60 Islamic Sites in U.S.
Last week, the Clarion Project documented how an Iranian regime “propaganda” front donated to over 30 universities in North America. Published financial reports from that same front reveal that it also funded over 60 Islamic organizations, mosques, and Persian schools around the country.
The New York-based Alavi Foundation is accused of funneling money to an Iranian bank linked to the nuclear program. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office investigations chief, Adam Kaufmann, said “We found evidence that the government of Iran really controlled everything about the foundation.”
The Foundation’s president, Farshid Jahedi, pled guilty to destroying evidence before it could be submitted to the grand jury. The case has yet to be resolved.
The alleged regime front’s purpose wasn’t limited to Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. officials told the Washington Post that the Foundation “promotes Tehran’s views on world affairs.” An Iranian opposition figure in California similarly describes it as part of the regime’s “propaganda machine.”
Iran has made a major investment in influencing American opinion that has gone mostly unnoticed. In addition to North American academia, the Foundation’s website boasts of having funded over 36 Islamic centers and 30 Persian schools.
One of the Foundation’s initiatives is its book distribution program that it began in 1981. Over 15,000 free texts are distributed each year using four distribution centers at Islamic sites in New York, Texas, California and Maryland.
According to its website, recipients include “individuals, academic institutions, public libraries, Islamic centers, and the penitentiaries within the United States.” Yes, you read that correctly—an accused Iranian government front openly boasts that it provides texts for American prisons.
The Clarion Project has gone through the Foundation’s published financial reports from 2004 to 2010 and has put together a chart of documented donations, organized by state. The amounts include all financial and book donations to the organization, including any affiliated Persian weekend school.
Look at the chart below to find out what the Iranian “propaganda machine” has been up to near you:
STATE ISLAMIC ORG. DETAILS
AZ Al-Mahdi Benevolent Organization Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
CA Babul Ilm Islamic Center 2005: $150,000 loan converted to donation
Center of Persian Language Preservation Corporation / Alborz Farsi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
12/16/2011: $10,000
1/4/2011: Unspecified donation.
2010: $16,000
City of Knowledge School 2006: $50,000
Hejrat Educational Center 2005: $270,000
IABA Persian School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Education Center of San Diego Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Persian Cultural Club / Dekhoda Persian School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
11/8/2012: $25,000
1/4/2011: $30,000
Qoba Foundation 2009: $30,000
Resalat Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Shia Association of Bay Area Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
2007: $14,000 for books
2005: $500,000
CT Islamic Institute of Ahl’ Albait 2011: Over $200,000 according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website.
2005: $16,500 loan converted to donation
Jafaria Association of Connecticut 2009: $18,000
Pakistani American Association 2010: $12,000
DC Masjid al-Islam / As-Sabiqun Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
GA Sahebozzaman Islamic Center of Atlanta 2009: $6,500
2008: $6,500
Zainabia Nonprofit, Inc. 2005: $45,000
IL Irshad Learning Center 2007: $450,000
KS Az-Zahra Center 2008: $5,000
Imam Ali Center of Kansas City Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
11/8/2012: $8,000
Payame Noor Institute 11/8/2012: $6,000
12/16/2011: $5,000
KY Al-Zahrah Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MA Persian Language School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MD Idara-e-Jafferia 2004: $200,000
Islamic Education Center of MD Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Muslim Community School / Alim Academy Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
9/30/2011: $500,000
Persian Language Institute of MD 2008: $6,000
Quran Account, Inc. 2005: $20,000
Universal Muslim Association of America 3/24/2012: $10,000
MI Islamic House of Wisdom 2009: $4,000
MN Resalat Farsi School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
MO Dar al-Zahra Mosque and Education Center / Shia Islamic Education Center 2011: Thank-you letter on Alavi’s website states that it has received a total of $600,000.
NJ Muslim Foundation / Masjid-e Ali 2011: $250,000, as stated in a thank-you letter on the website.
New Jersey Islamic Center 10/16/2009: Unspecified donation to construction.
Noor Center Corporation 2005: $67,000
Persian Language Institute of NJ 2008: $4,100
NY Ahlul Bayt Mosque 11/20/2011: $50,000
Nov 2011: $10,000, according to a thank-you letter posted on the Alavi website.
Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation 11/6/2012: $25,000
Ark Institute 1/31/2011: $10,000
Iranian-Armenian Society 11/25/2011: Unspecified donation.
Islamic Institute of New York 3/20/2013: $120,000
11/15/2011: $240,000
2004: $98,191.86
Islamic Learning Center of Orange County / Masjid al-Ikhlas 2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website.
Islamic Seminary Inc. N.J. (based in NY) Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Jafaria Association of North America Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
10/16/2009: Unspecified donation for “scholarly research”
2005: $100,000 loan converted to donation
Masoomeen School of Islamic Education 3/2/2012: $10,000
Nurudeen Islamic Charity Org. of NY 2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website.
Razi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
OH Payam Farsi School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
OK Oklahoma Farsi School Foundation Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
1/4/2011: $8,000
OR Islamic Center of Portland 2005: $400,000
PA Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation 2011: $100,000 interest-free loan, according to a thank-you letter on the Alavi website.
Parvin Etesami Persian School (affiliated with Noor Center Corp. of NJ) Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Pennsylvania 8/15/2011: $5,000
TN Al-Zahra Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Al-Mahdi Islamic Center Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Message Group 2005: $210,000
TX Anjuman-E-Haideri / Persian School of Houston 12/13/2011: Unspecified donation.
Ferdowsi Persian School Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website.
Islamic Education Center of Texas Identified as an Alavi book distribution center.
Pars Academy Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
Texas Persian School 1/4/2011: Unspecified donation.
UT Alrasool Islamic Center 2009: $10,000
VA Imam Reza Foundation 2005: $6,000
VA Manassas Mosque 2005: $53,000
WA American Moslem Foundation 2005: $55,000 loan converted to donation
CANADA Toronto Farsi School Alavi website declares April 2013 donation
November 2011: Letter acknowledges unspecified donation.
It is quite possible that a recipient was unaware that the Alavi Foundation was part of Iran’s “propaganda machine,” but the Foundation didn’t donate to just anybone. Funds are limited and are distributed with the intent of having the maximum effect. It is suspicious when the Alavi Foundation/Iranian government decides that a specific U.S. organization deserves its money.
Every dollar spent on these organizations is a dollar that could have gone into the regime’s rapidly-thinning wallet. If an Iranian government front decides that a recipient is a more worthy investment than the regime itself, then the regime must be getting a lot for its dollar.
Meira Svirsky
Meira Svirsky is the editor of ClarionProject.org
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Ed Case on Civil Rights
Former Democratic Representative (HI-2, until 2007)
Supported Patriot Act to provide law enforcement tools
PATRIOT Act II was a reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. And it was passed after a very long and very vigorous debate. It was passed with my vote. We want our law enforcement community to have the tools it needs to protect us, investigating, surveying, wiretapping, but we want our law enforcement community to have those powers only if there’s a check and balance placed on that law enforcement community against abuse, i.e. a search warrant and court supervision. Source: 2006 HI Senate Debate on PBS Hawaii , Aug 31, 2006
Voted NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution stating: "Marriage in the US shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
The overwhelming majority of the American people support traditional marriage, marriage between a man and a woman. The people have a right to know whether their elected Representatives agree with them about protecting traditional marriage.
Every child deserves both a father and a mother. Studies demonstrate the utmost importance of the presence of a child's biological parents in a child's happiness, health and future achievements. If we chip away at the institution which binds these parents and the family together, the institution of marriage, you begin to chip away at the future success of that child.
This amendment does not belong in our Constitution. It is unworthy of our great Nation. We have amended the Constitution only 27 times. Constitutional amendments have always been used to enhance and expand the rights of citizens, not to restrict them. Now we are being asked to amend the Constitution again, to single out a single group and to say to them for all time, you cannot even attempt to win the right to marry.
From what precisely would this amendment protect marriage? From divorce? From adultery? No. Evidently, the threat to marriage is the fact that there are millions of people in this country who very much believe in marriage, who very much want to marry but who are not permitted to marry. I believe firmly that in the not-too-distant future people will look back on these debates with the incredulity with which we now view the segregationist debates of years past. Reference: Marriage Protection Amendment; Bill H J RES 88 ; vote number 2006-378 on Jul 18, 2006
Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent.
To extend and modify authorities needed to combat terrorism, and for other purposes, including:
Assigning three judges to hear individuals' petitions concerning improper requests by the FBI for library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, book customer lists, and other records
Reporting every year the number of library records orders that are granted, modified, or denied
Allows Internet service providers to disclose their subscribers information and the contents of their communications to a government entity, if they believe there is “immediate danger of death or serious physical injury”
Requires that any court that allows a “roving wiretap” under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) must describe in great detail the intended target whose identity is not known
Allows individuals and businesses to seek legal counsel if they have received a National Security Letter from the FBI requiring them to disclose financial information and records
Reference: USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act; Bill HR 3199 ; vote number 2005-627 on Dec 14, 2005
Voted NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Marriage Protection Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon any union other than that of a man and a woman. Reference: Constitutional Amendment sponsored by Rep Musgrave [R, CO-4]; Bill H.J.RES.106 ; vote number 2004-484 on Sep 30, 2004
Voted NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Pledge Protection Act: Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution. Reference: Bill sponsored by Rep Todd Akin [R, MO-2]; Bill H.R.2028 ; vote number 2004-467 on Sep 23, 2004
Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration.
Desecration of Flag resolution: Vote to pass the joint resolution to put forward a Constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Note: A two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting (284 in this case) is required to pass a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution. Reference: Resolution sponsored by Thomas, R-CA; Bill HJRes.4 ; vote number 2003-234 on Jun 3, 2003
Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all.
Case adopted the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":
Strengthen America’s Common Civic Culture
The more ethnically and culturally diverse America becomes, the harder we must all work to affirm our common civic culture -- the values and democratic institutions we share and that define our national identity as Americans. This means we should resist an “identity politics” that confers rights and entitlements on groups and instead affirm our common rights and responsibilities as citizens. Multiethnic democracy requires fighting discrimination against marginalized groups; empowering the disadvantaged to join the economic, political, and cultural mainstream; and respecting diversity while insisting that what we have in common as Americans is more important than how we differ. One way to encourage an ethic of citizenship and mutual obligation is to promote voluntary national service. If expanded to become available to everyone who wants to participate, national service can help turn the strong impulse toward volunteerism among our young people into a major resource in addressing our social problems. It will also help revive a sense of patriotism and national unity at a time when military service is no longer the common experience of young Americans.
Reduce discrimination based on race, gender, national background, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
Shift the emphasis of affirmative action strategies from group preferences to economic empowerment of all disadvantaged citizens.
Expand the AmeriCorps national service program so that everyone willing to serve can serve -- with 1 million participants enrolled by the end of the decade.
Promote character education in all public schools.
Source: The Hyde Park Declaration 00-DLC6 on Aug 1, 2000
Click here for definitions & background information on Civil Rights.
Click here for a profile of Ed Case.
Click here for SenateMatch answers by Ed Case.
Agree? Disagree? Voice your opinions on Civil Rights in The Forum.
Click here for a summary of Ed Case's positions on all issues.
Click here for issue positions of other HI politicians.
Other candidates on Civil Rights: Ed Case on other issues:
HI Gubernatorial:
Neil Abercrombie
HI Senatorial:
Daniel Inouye
HI politicians
Retiring as of Jan. 2013:
AZ:Kyl(R)
CT:Lieberman(D)
HI:Akaka(D)
ND:Conrad(D)
NE:Nelson(D)
NM:Bingaman(D)
TX:Hutchison(R)
VA:Webb(D)
WI:Kohl(D)
Senate elections Nov. 2012:
AZ:Flake(R) vs.Hackbarth(R)
CA:Feinstein(D) vs.Emken(R) vs.Taitz(R)
CT:Bysiewicz(R) vs.Murphy(R) vs.Shays(R)
DE:Carper(D) vs.O`Donnell(R)
FL:Nelson(D) vs.LeMieux(R) vs.Connie Mack(R)
HI:Hirono(D) vs.Case(D)
IN:Lugar(R) vs.Mourdock(R) vs.Donnelly(D)
MA:Brown(R) vs.E.Warren(D)
MD:Cardin(D) vs.Wargotz(R) vs.Capps(R)
ME:Snowe(D) vs.D`Amboise(R)
MI:Stabenow(D) vs.Hekman(R) vs.Konetchy(R) vs.Hoekstra(R)
MN:Klobuchar(D) vs.Arwood(R) vs.Hernandez(R) vs.Severson(R)
MO:McCaskill(D) vs.Akin(R) vs.Steelman(R)
MS:Wicker(D)
MT:Tester(D) vs.Rehberg(R)
ND:Heitkamp(D) vs.Berg(R)
NE:Nelson(D) vs.Kerrey(D) vs.Flynn(R) vs.Stenberg(R) vs.Bruning(R)
NJ:Menendez(D) vs.Diakos(R) vs.Booker(D)
NM:Bingaman(D) vs.Balderas(D) vs.Sanchez(R) vs.Wilson(R) vs.Martin Heinrich(D)
NV:Heller(R) vs.Berkley(D)
NY:Gillibrand(D) vs.Noren(D) vs.Maragos(R)
OH:Brown(D) vs.Pryce(R) vs.Mandel(R) vs.Coughlin(R)
PA:Casey(D) vs.Scaringi(R)
RI:Whitehouse(D) vs.Hinckley(R)
TN:Corker(R)
TX:Cruz(R) vs.Leppert(R) vs.Jones(R)
UT:Hatch(R) vs.Ashdown(D) vs.Chaffetz(R)
VA:Kaine(D) vs.Allen(R) vs.Radtke(R) vs.Donner(R)
VT:Sanders(I)
WA:Cantwell(D) vs.Baumgartner(R)
WI:Schiess(R) vs.Neumann(R) vs.Thompson(R) vs.Kagen(D) vs.Baldwin(D) vs.Schiess(R)
WV:Manchin(D) vs.Raese(R)
WY:Barrasso(R) Abortion
Bill Sponsorships
Group Ratings
[Title9]
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What Makes the Best Wood Furniture?
Woodworkers make most fine solid wood furniture from the wood of hardwood trees. This is because, as the name suggests, the wood is typically more dense and durable than wood from softwood trees. Hardwood comes from trees with leaves that shed seasonally while softwood comes from trees that are evergreen and have cones. Furniture manufacturers prize hardwoods for their stability, figured grain patterns, and color variations.
In the United States, North American hardwoods are the best choice for furniture. Imported woods from tropical areas, such as mahogany, may crack in our dryer climate. Wood is a renewable resource, and North American forestry practices are some of the most sustainable in the world.
Shop Solid Wood Bedroom Furniture
Shop Solid Wood Dining Room Furniture
Shop Solid Wood Dining Extension Tables
Common North American Hardwoods Used in Furniture and Their Characteristics
Red Oak is a very hard wood with a coarse, textured grain that you can feel. The grain is typically wavy and darker than the surrounding smoother areas. Its natural color is light to golden. Oak takes stain well and evenly. Manufacturers often use Red Oak in “country” style furniture.
Like it’s cousin the Red Oak, White Oak is a very hard, durable wood with a heavy grain. White Oak is usually quarter sawn so that more of the planks come from the center of the tree. This quarter sawing process gives White Oak more straight grain and areas of “ray flake” which are considered desirable. Ray flake creates lighter, irregular shaped “rays” or striations throughout the wood which are particularly noticeable when White Oak is stained in medium to darker toned colors. It often has the nickname of “tiger oak” because of these striations. White Oak is more expensive than Red Oak and is frequently the wood of choice for Mission or Arts and Crafts style furniture.
Brown or “Soft” Maple
In the eastern United States, Brown Maple usually comes from Red or Silver Maple trees. People sometimes refer to it as Soft Maple to distinguish it from Rock or Sugar Maple, from which syrup is harvested. Although not as hard as the Sugar Maple, Brown Maple is still a North American Hardwood and similar in density to Cherry. Its grain is smooth to the touch, unlike Oak, and is less figured than Cherry. It is easily stained, and you can find it in all types of furniture in colors from mid-tones to dark. Its natural color is light with occasional brown streaks.
Maple or Hard Maple
Maple, sometimes called “clear” Maple, is harder and has less streaks than its Brown Maple relative. Hard Maple comes from the Sugar Maple Tree from which syrup is harvested. It is very strong, and due to its hardness, is usually left unstained. Its grain is smooth like Brown Maple but typically more figured. It grows slower and is more expensive than Brown Maple. Maple is light in color in its natural state but overtime the finish may yellow giving the wood a warmer hue. Contemporary or shaker style furniture often use maple, as well as Mid-Century Modern furniture such as Heywood-Wakefield designs.
Hickory is one of the hardest North American woods. It has a coarse texture like Oak but a straighter grain pattern. It accepts stain well and is perfect for high traffic areas of the home. Unstained, Hickory is light or golden with lots of brown and almost white streaks. “Farmhouse” style dining tables often use Hickory wood.
Cherry is the wood of choice for many fine furniture and cabinet makers. It has a beautifully figured grain, smooth texture and accepts stain well. Cherry furniture left unstained is very light when first produced but darkens with age to a rich, medium-toned, red/orange-y hue. The most dramatic change in color usually occurs during the first six months to a year and exposure to sunlight speeds the aging process. Cherry will also feature occasional dark mineral spots and light sapwood which are very prominent when the wood is left unstained. Woodworkers use Cherry for all types of furniture styles from traditional to modern.
Walnut is a medium textured wood and usually has a straighter, less figured grain than Cherry. It is also slower growing and more expensive than Cherry. Its natural color is a rich brown with shades of purple and grayish hues. It will also have occasional light sapwood streaks. Left unstained, Walnut will become lighter and more golden over time and can turn a very light yellow/gold with long-term exposure to sunlight. Antique and Mid-Century Modern or “Danish style” furniture often use Walnut.
Ambrosia Maple
Ambrosia or “Wormy” Maple comes from Brown or Soft Maple trees that have been infested by the Ambrosia beetle. The female beetles “drill” holes into the tree to lay their eggs and bring with them a fungus to feed the larvae. The fungus discolors the wood leaving streaks of brown, grey and, sometimes, greenish tints. In the past, due to the highly evident holes and discoloration, furniture makers used Ambrosia Maple strictly for furniture frames as the “defects” were hidden under upholstery. Today, many people consider the unusual grain pattern of the Ambrosia Maple to be decorative, and woodworkers highly prize it for table tops and other visible areas of furniture.
Quilted Maple
Quilted Maple describes a figured grain anomaly that resembles the pattern of a patchwork quilt or rippled water. It is not known how the “quilting” is produced in the tree, but the visual effect occurs due to the varying ways the wavy grain reflects light. Quilted Maple occurs most often in Soft Maple lumber, but can appear in Hard Maple as well. Woodworkers frequently search it out for use in electric guitar bodies, table tops and other decorative areas of fine furniture.
Birdseye Maple is a decorative grain pattern that can occur in Sugar or Hard Maple trees that experience unfavorable growing conditions. In an attempt to get more sunlight, the tree produces many new shoots or buds that never fully form due to the lack of light. The stunted growth leaves behind tiny knots that resemble birds’ eyes, hence the name. Woodworkers highly desire this decorative grain and use it in fine furniture, jewelry boxes and intricate veneer patterns on all types of furniture.
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Moses Brown Papers
Agreement between Nicholas Gilbert and Lindor, 'the blackman'
Agreement between Nicholas Gilbert and Lindor, 'the blackman', ca. April 29, 1799
Agreement between Nicholas Gilbert on Newport and Lindor, an African American man held in prison, in which Lindor agrees to serve on two India voyages for Gilbert's client Poulain Audinet, "and at the expiration there of to be considered allowed by him & his Constituents as a free man and to have and Enjoy his Liberty accordingly without any further claim." On verso in a copy of Audinet, wife of William Audinet of Guadeloupe, granting Gilbert power of attorney (1799-04-26) to reclaim Lindor as an escaped slave. Witnessed by Joshua Lindley and Moses Brown.
Providence (R.I.)
Free African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.
Free African Americans--Rhode Island
Fugitive slaves--Rhode Island
witness(s)
Lindley, Joshua
Brown, Moses, 1738-1836
Gilbert, Nicholas
Audinet, Poulain
Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries.
Agreement between Nicholas Gilbert and Lindor, 'the blackman', ca. April 29, 1799. Moses Brown Papers (MS 930). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries
mums930-b01-f013-i001
http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums930-b01-f013-i001
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Attendees celebrate as confetti and balloons drop to mark the end of the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Sunday Playlist: Convention-o-rama
(CNN) – The Republican National Convention is over and the Democrats' convention is about to get underway.
If you're feeling the fever like we are, you've spent the last week glued to your computer, radio, and television (or all three at once, if you're hardcore) to get the latest from Tampa.
A lot of great media outlets did a lot of great work, so in this week's Sunday Playlist we're listing some of our favorite convention-inspired audio pieces from the last week.
So without further preamble, we give a fond tip-of-our-hat to:
Filed under: Politics • Stories • Sunday #Playlist
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivers his nomination acceptance speech during the final day of the Republican National Convention.
What we don't know about Mitt Romney
By Lisa Desjardins, CNN
Tampa, Florida (CNN) – The Republicans' convention is over. The chairs are empty and the balloons are being swept up.
Over the last few days we’ve heard a lot about Mitt Romney. We heard from governors, senators, significant others, and from the candidate himself.
So now with all that behind us, what did we learn (or not learn) about Mitt Romney?
Posted by Chip Grabow -- CNN, Dan Szematowicz -- CNN, Lisa Desjardins -- CNN
White House Gifts manager Andrew Gallagher shows two of the store's bumpersticker offerings, one for Republicans, one for Democrats.
Polling by bumper stickers, buttons and T-shirts
(CNN) – Walk into White House Gifts in Washington, and the display is right up front: bumper stickers, buttons, T-shirts and hats.
Mitt Romney’s on one side; Barack Obama’s on the other.
There are scientific ways to take the pulse of the public and figure out who’s ahead in the presidential race.
This is the fun way. Count the bumper stickers and the buttons and the hats that get snapped up.
Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. He's coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Venus and Serena Williams.
Bollettieri on the new kids tennis controversy
(CNN) - Sometimes to get a fresh perspective it’s best to turn to somebody old.
That’s what we’ve done for this story on one of the biggest controversies over how to teach children tennis.
With the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in full swing, we’ve turned to Nick Bollettieri. His tennis academy in Florida has turned out some of the sport’s greatest players over the past 60 years. FULL POST
Posted by Chip Grabow -- CNN, Dan Szematowicz -- CNN, Michael Schulder -- CNN
Filed under: CNN Profiles • Sports • Voices
US Jarryd Wallace reacts after winning gold during the 2011 Para Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Paralympics tech battle
(CNN) - More than 4,200 disabled athletes have gathered in London for the Paralympic Games, which opened this week. The Games are becoming more popular, as 2.5 million tickets were sold to Paralympic events.
But, there’s more to the competition than just the athletes going head-to-head on the playing field. The cutting-edge equipment they use is on display and in its own contest – a competition between companies.
Stephen Schulte owns ProCare, a prosthetics company in Buford, Georgia. He'll be closely watching how Jarryd Wallace runs in London.
[:34] "It’s exciting, but it’s also stressful because we’ve produced something that we hope is going to carry him down the track, as fast as humanly possible."
Wallace is a 22-year-old Paralympian who will run on a right leg made from components from four different companies from around the globe. Schulte's aligns and puts it all together.
Posted by Dan Szematowicz -- CNN, Edgar Treiguts -- CNN
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Back to Code Review Stack Exchange Return to the main site
I bet you didn't know about this comment by Jeff Atwood on Code Review's viability
I just stumbled across a comment on Code Review by Jeff Atwood
I just stumbled across a comment on Code Review by Jeff Atwood that only 2 people other than me seem to have noticed (and known the significance of the owner).
Beyond wanting to point out that fun-fact that the inventor of Stack Exchange commented here promoting the idea of code review and was hardly noticed, I think the content of his comment has significance.
Stack Overflow is certainly big enough to support related sites like this. – Jeff Atwood♦
My point? Code Review is still in beta, but perhaps that isn't the right measure for success.
It's been what? 3 years since Code Review began beta? And still no fancy upgrade. It seems to me that you determined, high-rep users who worked so hard to make this site a success must be feeling a little.. Meh.
But what you'll find is that this site was never meant to be big, and you guys have already achieved something incredible. Because as pointed out by users throughout the years, Stack Exchange isn't exactly the perfect format for this community. But it has its strengths.
This site is great because of the people here, and because of its monster of a big brother, Stack Overflow. Like Jeff says, Stack Overflow is big enough to support this community, and this format, regardless of the interface. We won't get traffic from Google, and we were never meant to. But that doesn't mean that this site isn't ready to move forward.
I think that it may be time for the people in charge here to point out that Code Review is a successful asset to Stack Exchange in its own way.
This site has reached it's full beta potential. Sure, there are always improvements to be made within the community, but why dampen this site's potential by keeping it in beta any longer?
It makes more sense to let this site to continue to grow with it's own design, and all of the advantages of graduation. The people here deserve it.
I'm new here, so I suggest this all humbly, but I think seeing the situation through new eyes is somewhat an advantage that might be worth sharing. I hope I haven't over-stepped my bounds, after contributing so little to the site.
discussion beta-progress
ViziionaryViziionary
\$\begingroup\$ I assure you, we wish we knew more about why we haven't graduated yet. What we have been told is that we just need to keep doing what we're doing, and we'll at least avoid shutdown. For more info on one of these obstacles, refer to Grace Note's answer. \$\endgroup\$ – Jamal♦ Jul 20 '14 at 19:39
\$\begingroup\$ @Jamal Noted. I'm looking at it from a morale standpoint. I think graduation is a positive thing, on the grounds that after 3 years, this site's potential is not going to shoot upward like other sites. It's a valuable tool, and yes, from reading meta, I see it needs voting increases. But I'd say it's reached its activity potential, and you guys deserve to graduate as a reward for the work required to get to this point. \$\endgroup\$ – Viziionary Jul 20 '14 at 19:48
\$\begingroup\$ We do certainly have good activity, but I'm also personally wondering if there are enough users to ensure self-moderation (they should especially be aware of our answer-invalidation policies). We also need a decent number of people willing to run in the moderator election. \$\endgroup\$ – Jamal♦ Jul 20 '14 at 19:50
\$\begingroup\$ One thing's for sure: The site certainly won't be short on editing whilst you're around. @Jamal \$\endgroup\$ – Viziionary Jul 20 '14 at 19:52
\$\begingroup\$ That's true. :-) Even then, I'd like to see more people making good edits as well. I can't be around for each question, and no matter how many edits I make, I'll always make mistakes. \$\endgroup\$ – Jamal♦ Jul 20 '14 at 19:54
\$\begingroup\$ @Jamal, you know that I will run for Moderator, but unless they need more than 3 I think it would be the same 3 mods! LOL \$\endgroup\$ – Malachi♦ Jul 21 '14 at 14:06
\$\begingroup\$ As a side note, please don't ever feel worried about making suggestions or asking questions just because you're new! Especially when you think and write (and use Markdown) as well as you do. Oh, and, actually, this applies to people who aren't new, too. \$\endgroup\$ – Pops Aug 5 '14 at 17:05
\$\begingroup\$ Maybe time to call @JeffAtwood himself to here and ask for an answer? \$\endgroup\$ – chillworld Aug 7 '14 at 12:07
\$\begingroup\$ Actually, I have tried searching Code Review on Google. The second (or third) result was Code Review SE. \$\endgroup\$ – TheCoffeeCup Oct 8 '14 at 0:05
Without any further ado:
Code Review is a successful asset to Stack Exchange in its own way.
(I hope that I qualify as one of the "people in charge" for the purposes of this discussion.)
To be fair, comments three and a half years old probably shouldn't generally be considered authoritative. Plus, Jeff moved on from the company long before I was hired, and I've been around for a year now. But we do still believe that there's room for multiple sites in the network related in some way or another to software development. If we didn't, this site and several others would have been shuttered long ago.
You guys have put together a pretty darn nice site here, and more impressively, it's still improving all the time. When you look at the fact that you're still a beta site, the proper analysis isn't that you're bad, it's that the design of our beta/release system doesn't handle the things that make Code Review a special snowflake very well. In other words: it's not you, it's us.
But we're working on it, in part due to the fact that we do have great sites like yours still in beta! Recently, the community team has been talking about making a bunch of changes that would remove "graduation from beta" as the one be all, end all milestone in our process, and replacing them with smaller individual milestones that sites could achieve independently. It's still far too early in the process to be specific about this in any way, but I expect Code Review to look much more like a "full" site than a freshly launched beta when it's all over.
A couple people have asked about my word choice above. When I said "special snowflake," I was partially just trying to be cute, which probably wasn't the best idea. And jt0dd's comment is pretty accurate. But here's one example: one of the things we look at during site evaluations is "does this site result in answers to questions that are better than the answers you could get somewhere else?" It's one way we try to see if we're achieving our qualitative/fuzzy goal of making the Internet a better place. As I mentioned in chat, it's easier to compare "how do I cook broccoli so it's soft but not mushy" across sites than "what should be improved in the following eighty lines of code?"
PopsPops
\$\begingroup\$ "our beta/release system doesn't handle the things that make Code Review a special snowflake very well". I'm just curious, but do you have some examples of this? \$\endgroup\$ – Pimgd Aug 7 '14 at 6:54
\$\begingroup\$ @Pimgd I would guess that he is referring to the fact that the numbers and figures that would typically show a healthy Stack Exchange site aren't a perfect tool to measure the health of an atypical site like Code Review, having key differences which make it both a successful asset and a "special snowflake" hence the need to be treated a bit differently. It it now the case that not all SE sites can be seen as nails to hammer. Based on the insight that Pops has just given, I would say that Stack Exchange sees this, and is adapting to it, so that unique communities like this one can thrive. \$\endgroup\$ – Viziionary Aug 7 '14 at 18:50
\$\begingroup\$ @Pimgd reply got kinda long, so I edited the answer instead, see above. \$\endgroup\$ – Pops Aug 7 '14 at 22:22
I wouldn't read too much into that historical comment:
It was made in the very early days of Code Review's existence.
Jeff Atwood is no longer actively involved in Stack Exchange operations.
The remark was made in response to a suggestion that some questions should be migrated from Stack Overflow. That is already the case today: Stack Overflow regularly migrates questions to us that contain working code, and we refer users to Stack Overflow when code that is posted here is broken.
Beta sites are like pre-IPO startups. Some of us have lots of stock options (reputation points) that are currently unvalued. However, we are already providing a valuable service to programmers worldwide. Our community is healthy and growing. The assessment we have been given is, graduation is mostly a matter of time.
I believe that the big folks at Stack Exchange know how important Code Review is to a lot of people, which has been stated by Grace Note: (emphasized by me)
Past that, though, the site’s actually doing rather well. It has a humongous userbase behind it (albeit, again, bottom-heavy), the userbase is engaged on Meta, traffic metrics are superb, and overall the site has a positive feel. When we’re not looking at the stagnant and decayed questions, I see extremely in-depth reviews and helpful advice, as well as both askers and answerers working together. However, between the lack of voting and the poor question/answer return rate, it isn’t ready to see graduation.
This site has reached it's full beta potential.
Do you really know that? How can you be so sure?
Sure, there are always improvements to be made within the community, but why dampen this site's potential by keeping it in beta any longer?
It is not about "dampening the site's potential", it's about is it positive or negative?.
Sure, we are in general doing very well around here. However, what if our two-three top answerers in any specific tag would suddenly go on a break? Or, in worst case, leave for good? (Not that I think that's happening). Then we would get a whole lot more unanswered questions, perhaps another Zombie infestation which would not be healthy for a graduated site.
To graduate, we have been told to "keep doing what we're doing".
When it comes to our graduation, I trust the Community Managers of Stack Exchange. We will get there when we get there. As long as we graduate before PCG, I'm happy
Simon ForsbergSimon Forsberg
\$\begingroup\$ Well, I joined, and I intend to be a top answerer for JS as I improve, so I've got one of those 2-3 deserter spots covered :) \$\endgroup\$ – Viziionary Jul 23 '14 at 17:04
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged discussion beta-progress .
This site is for discussion about Code Review Stack Exchange. You must have an account there to participate.
What are the advantages of graduation?
How is Code Review doing right now?
Call of Duty - We're on a mission
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The race has started. Are you running?
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Congratulations! Code Review is undergoing design-independent graduation!
Why should I be able to answer my own question in the question's editor on Code Review?
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It is with disappointment that I hereby resign as a moderator
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Coffee region
Southwest Colombia
Northeast Colombia
Central Colombia
Crime and security
Colombian accessories designer nominated for fashion award
by Aylish O'Driscoll January 11, 2012
The future of Colombia Reports relies on your support. Please become a patron and support independent reporting from Colombia.
The future of Colombia Reports relies on your financial support. Please become a patron and support independent reporting from Colombia.
A Colombian accessories designer has been nominated for the prestigious Rising Star fashion award.
Designer Adriana Castro’s star is on the rise in the fashion world, and this latest nomination proves that good things come in threes. The designer was recently awarded the Miami 2011 prize for her women’s handbags, and last October officially opened Bogota‘s Third International Fashion Week.
Castro will certainly be hoping it’s third time lucky for her in the upcoming 2012 awards, as this marks the third consecutive year she has been nominated for the prize.
Talking to Caracol Radio, Castro said, “This great achievement fills me with emotion, and at the same time motivates me to continue giving my best. It is an honor to represent my country at these awards which are so important in the fashion industry.”
In perhaps the most official stamp of Castro’s growing popularity, five of her handbags were used in the Sex and the City 2 movie, while celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez are real-life fans.
Proving that beauty is pain however, Castro’s accessories and handbags are centered on the use of exotic animal skins, including alligator, ostrich and python.
The Rising Star prize is awarded by The Fashion Group International, a global non-profit organization of fashion industry members that rewards up-and-coming fashionistas for their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial achievements.
The winner will be announced at the award ceremony to be held in New York on January 26.
kim kardashiansex and the city
‘Sinaloa Cartel paid Uribe to facilitate drug trafficking route between Colombia and Mexico’
Colombia’s strike leaders call for new mass protests on Monday
Bogota police violently ends peaceful salute to global protests movements
Weekly interviews and news updates
Colombian beauty Natalia Paris: Bad news better than no news
Sex and the City 2 premiers in Colombia
Colombian bags to feature in Sex & the City movie
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Warm Bodies Review
Posted On February 26, 2016 Rob Jefchak 1
Innovation is necessary for any series or genre of film to survive and prosper. Those that don’t continue to disappoint (both critically and financially) because the same trick is being used over and over again and people are sick of paying to see it (I’m looking at you every western movie made in the last 10 years). So when I heard about a romantic comedy zombie movie based off a book that basically tells an undead version of Romeo and Juliet (the leads are called R and Julie to boot), I had to admit this is certainly something different from the zombie community. Zombies have always been popular and keep popping up even to this day, so what makes “Warm Bodies” worth your time and is it more for romantics or more for zombie fanatics? Let’s find out.
While attacking/eating some humans who cross paths with R, he finds Julie (Teresa Palmer), a beautiful girl who he feels inexplicably drawn to. He keeps her safe from other zombies and “Bonies”, creatures who are de-evolved zombies that kill human and zombies alike. The two develop an odd relationship that causes humanity to spread to the other zombies like a virus. Unfortunately, Julie’s father Grigio (John Malkovich) wants to eradicate all zombies and now the two must save the zombies from becoming killed by humans and from the Bonies.
“Warm Bodies” is an odd mix of romance, humor and supposedly horror but in reality, there’s nothing even remotely terror inducing about these walking corpses. The zombies here look more like pale weirdos with some interesting eye colors and gross eating habits, they’re portrayed almost cartoonishly bizarre to make them seem more like characters and less like the monsters zombies are typically portrayed as. But the innovation of the story and the creative use of humor works far better than any misinterpreted idea of horror existing. Hoult is the perfect lead with his hilarious narration and highly expressive features. He’s got this look that conveys so much humor even without his witty commentary. It’s an aspect about this portrayal that really makes the film stand out and one I was certainly not expecting to come across.
Teresa Palmer makes a fine foil to Hoult’s quirks. She works as a love interest, as a character and as a well-balanced peace keeper between the undead and the living. Dave Franco and John Malkovich provide acceptable performances but are by no means memorable enough to linger long in your memories. David Corddry proves he can make anyone laugh even with a few grunts and broken sentences. You know you’re doing something right when the undead characters who rely almost solely on shambling and wide eyed expressions feel more “alive” than the human characters. It’s a true credit to this unique and unusually delightful portrayal of zombies.
The rest of the cast clearly suffers from adequate attention or development. No one else is memorable or worth mentioning, the zombies and the romance are the real headliners here. Unfortunately the romance feels awkward and difficult to process on a believable level. Sure, this is more comedic than serious but with the romance being the literal heart of the story, it would have been beneficial if the chemistry was there but it didn’t always feel like it was. This movie also feels too safe. Being PG-13, its obvious the zombies can’t be as authentic cannibalistic as they’re supposed to be according to everyone’s desire to put them down. Zombie films are exceedingly depressing but even the comedic takes on them know gore is needed. The Bonies are poorly rendered and only help reinforce the fact that the writers couldn’t give their zombies the bite that the story presented them to have.
Overall, “Warm Bodies” produced some truly talented leading actors with a sharp, refreshing sense of humor that gives us a new look and understanding towards the zombie lore. Hoult, Palmer and Corddry leave everyone in the dust with their scene stealing performances and the use of expressions and narration were surprisingly funnier than expected. The romance doesn’t always work though, the supporting cast is forgettable and its safe depiction of zombie’s horrific nature inadvertently disrupted the flow and effect they were aiming for. Still, it’s funny and devilishly different enough to warrant your interest and time. It’s no “Shaun of the Dead” but it’s one of the better and far more memorable zombie comedies out there.
#apocalypse#warm bodies#Zombie#zombieland
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Not Your Mission Field
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Gender Transition Gallery
Selected Press Mentions and Interviews
June 11, 2019 June 11, 2019 chrissystroop Personal Narratives, Queerness
Call Me Chrissy
Welcome to the Coming Out Post I’ve Been Putting Off for Years
The first Pride celebration I attended was held on June 28, 2015. It was a small and joyous affair in a small town in the autonomous region of Galicia, located on Spain’s Atlantic Coast. None of the few pictures I took came out well, but here’s a picture of me from earlier that same day, shortly after two friends picked me up at the airport:
These same friends, a lesbian couple I’ve known for years–my friendship with one of them goes all the way back to my undergraduate days–took me to Santiago de Compostela on July 2. They gave me the moral support I needed to buy myself women’s clothing for the first time, despite intense anxiety.
Santiago de Compostela, July 2, 2015.
We also visited a wonderful lesbian bar that is, unfortunately, now defunct.
My friends in Spain were among the few people at the time to know that I had come to identify as queer. That much has been known to anyone who follows my social media for some time now, but I have never discussed it publicly at length. These old friends, however, also knew then what has begun to become known to the general public only in the last few weeks: namely that during the previous year, when I was poly dating a queer woman in Moscow (I was doing academic research and teaching at a Russian university at the time), I had realized, and admitted to myself despite anxiety about the likely fallout of eventually coming out, that I am a transgender woman.
In the aftermath of that moment, I told a few people privately that she/her pronouns had come to feel most natural to me, though I wasn’t ready to make any kind of public pronoun change. And roughly two years after that milestone in self-discovery, I also learned that not only can I admire male bodies without qualms (something that had already been true for a good while), but that I can also crush on men as well as women.
Since that time, I have attended and enjoyed more Pride-related events. And each year, as International Transgender Visibility Day and then Pride Month come and go, I consider writing about my queerness, coming more fully out of the closet, and yet I haven’t–until now. Sure, I tried to push myself in little ways here and there. On a number of podcasts, I’ve said something like “In many ways, I identify more with women than with men.” Part of the reason for this sort of hinting and beating around the bush in not the most visible of spaces is that I’ve been trying to push myself and to build up the confidence to come out more fully. I was raised evangelical, after all–sometimes I still have to be passive-aggressive with myself.
To be honest, under normal circumstances, I don’t think I would have been brave enough to come out as a trans woman before I had gotten to a point in life where I could begin transitioning. The only reason I am doing so now is because I felt the issue to be more or less forced during an internecine exvangelical falling out in which I became the target of a smear campaign on social media. If you want to read about how I was harassed by people I thought were my friends, how I responded, and the attendant drama, there’s a Twitter thread for you here. (Note that the dress I’m wearing in the selfie is the one I bought in Spain in 2015.)
And so here we are. I’m facing my hangups and fear around discussing my queerness and my gender in detail, and while my anxiety has certainly flared up, I’ve also received an outpouring of support on social media that has warmed my heart.
Where I’m From
It took me almost two decades after I began deconstructing evangelicalism to feel like I had rather a lot to say about it and that I was ready to do so publicly. And as I’ve noted before, survivors of abusive indoctrination in toxic Christianity are often able to change our minds about something intellectually–for example, the existence of hell–long before we stop feeling the old emotions around it. I was afraid of going to hell, deeply, viscerally afraid, for a long time after I stopped believing in it. Interestingly, it was only after I recognized my gender that I really stopped being afraid of hell, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. It seems to me that continually repressed queerness was an undercurrent to my deconstruction that needed to be resolved.
So here’s a bit of my story. I was raised as a boy in Jesus Land, USA. I was not particularly good at being a boy and was precocious enough to get away with a degree of non-conformity, but only a degree. Even that seems radical to the denizens of Jesus Land. Growing up, I felt “different,” “off,” uncomfortable in my own skin–so I learned to live in my head. Becoming cerebral as a coping mechanism helped launch me from Jesus Land to Stanford, where I got my Ph.D. in Russian history, so thanks, I guess? Of course there are no tenure-track jobs in the field, and I still sometimes wonder whether I should have dropped out of grad school at some point.
As a kid, I read a lot, but I grew up in an environment in which sexuality was “a choice” and genderqueerness unheard of. At times I got teased for not conforming to masculine stereotypes; a popular boy in high school seemed to find my enthusiasm for Alanis Morissette endlessly amusing. I would shrug these things off by retorting, “I’m comfortable in my masculinity,” but the only thing that ever really meant was “I like girls.” Which I did, and not at all only romantically or sexually.
Later in high school, when I could drive and I had participated in some programs outside the evangelical bubble, like taking summer honors classes at Indiana State University, I got looked at askance for frequently going out with girls–far more often than not, not on dates, but simply because we were genuinely friends. (In fact, what little dating I did do in high school was accompanied by high anxiety on my part because of purity culture.) As a German and pre-grad history major at Ball State University, I did two of my major college history papers–my primary source lab project and my undergraduate thesis–on women’s studies topics, just because that’s where my interests fell. And the more I became my own person, the more it seemed that most of the people I was drawn to as friends turned out to be women and/or queer.
But my understanding of gender remained thoroughly constricted as I slowly and painstakingly broke away from evangelicalism, feeling like “an impossible person who shouldn’t exist” and trying as hard as I could to stay in the fold so that I wouldn’t rock the boat with my family. Any conception I would have had of a transgender woman would have been of someone far more femme than me who was attracted exclusively to men. I know this is silly, but I simply had no awareness that gender and sexuality operate independently, or of the rich diversity of gender identities and expressions out there.
I was 33 (hey, just like Jesus when he was crucified!) and, oddly enough, living in Putin’s right-wing Russia, when I finally had the intellectual toolkit and life experience necessary to realize that I didn’t have to be a man. And, given that I had never really “felt like” a man–even though at that time I had grown a beard and started trying to part my hair on the left side rather than on the right, where it parts naturally, in order to appear more masculine–wow, what a relief that revelation was. It was now okay to admit to myself and to people I trusted that what I really wanted was to be “one of the girls.” At the same time, it was scary, because this was not something that was going to go over well with my childhood friends and relatives from Jesus Land. I’m luckier than most former evangelicals with how things are going so far, but it hasn’t been a walk in the park.
So, where do we go from here? I don’t know. As most of readers of Not Your Mission Field are probably aware, after giving up on the tenure-track academic search and deciding to continue pursuing writing and public speaking rather than letting myself get bogged down in the dead end of adjuncting, I moved back in with my parents in Indiana to see if I could make a go of it and to save money toward getting back out on my own. I had been teaching at the University of South Florida in Tampa for three academic years, first as a postdoctoral scholar and then as a visiting instructor in the Honors College, but then I ran out of good-but-not-permanent instructor jobs with benefits.
In the coming weeks, I need to figure out whether I’m ready to move yet this summer to some place where I can get into therapy and start moving ahead with changing my gender expression, or whether I don’t find that feasible at this point. Right now, when journalists and editors ask for my pronouns, I think I’ll stick with they/them, and I won’t bite anybody’s head off for use of he pronouns. But she/her really does feel best. I like that Chris is a gender neutral name, and it’s fine if people use it, but I’ll be increasingly going by Chrissy. When I am finally able to transition, I suppose I will document that on this blog. I’m still scared. The Trump regime is waging a full-on assault on trans rights and existence, with the enthusiastic backing of the kind of right-wing Christians I grew up among and as. But, as much as I didn’t want to speak it so fully and publicly at this point, this is my truth. And this is the first Pride Month when I’m finally speaking it out loud.
Hello world, and happy Pride!
Thank you for reading this post. If you’d like to support me and my work going ahead, please check out my Patreon and/or my newly created CafePress shop, named after this blog and featuring co-branded designs, Not Your Mission Field.
Tagged Christian Nationalism, Christian Right, Christian Trumpism, Christianity, Christianity and Politics, Coming out, Education, Evangelical Authoritarianism, Evangelical Subculture, Evangelicals and Trump, Ex-Evangelicals, Exvangelicals, Galicia, Gender, Gender and sexuality, Gender theory, Gender transition, Higher Education, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Indoctrination, Jesus Land, June, Lesbian bars, LGBTQ, LGBTQ advocacy, LGBTQ Pride, LGBTQ Rights, Losing My Religion, Moscow, Moving, Personal stories, Polyamory, Pride Month, Queerness, Religion, Religion and Politics, Religious Right, Repressed queerness, Repression, Santiago de Compostela, Sexuality, Spain, Speaking one's truth, Stanford University, Trans spectrum, Trans women, Transgeder Pride, Transgender identity, Transgender Rights, Transgender women, Transphobia, Travel, Trumpism, Women, Women and gender, Women's issues, Women's Rights, Work, Writing
Published by chrissystroop
Writer, Scholar, Ex-Evangelical View all posts by chrissystroop
66 thoughts on “Call Me Chrissy”
Angela Jamison says:
Sending so much love to you, from this random reader in Michigan.
chrisstroop says:
Robin Schoenfeld says:
Welcome to you, dear sister Chrissy! Sending you joy in your becoming ever more whole, and ever more the self you discover yourself to be. May courage, integrity and love light your way forward.
Thank you so much, Robin!
Hi, Chrissy, and welcome! I am so impressed by your bravery. Thank you so much for sharing some of your journey. I look forward to buying some merch soon. I also look forward to getting better acquainted with you. I have followed you on twitter since 2017, though not closely enough to be aware of your fuller personal story or the issues with the TERF group that tried to hurt you. I think you’re awesome and amazing and again, just looking forward to knowing you and your work better. Sincerely, Carol @cutthetreacle
Thank you, Carol!
Lisa Marie Hale says:
I would be honored to call you Chrissy. I’m happy for you, and I support you. 100%! I’m bawling my eyes out after reading this. Everyone deserves the right to live our short time on the planet in peace. Why does it have to be so damn difficult? Sending cyber love and hugs your way and and wishes for nothing but support and peace. You are an amazing person, and you’ve touched my life. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Lisa!
Karen K says:
Congrats, Chrissy! This is so exciting!
professorisin says:
Thank you, Karen!
My dear Chrissy,
I was so glad to find your writings, again. We had communicated a few years back. I had recently left the evangelical church at which I worshipped nearly 20 years. I left after losing my lifelong faith/belief.
Somehow, your news doesn’t surprise me. I think we both were searching for answers to questions we didn’t even realize we had at the time.
I still struggle with grieving the loss, as there was consolation in the hope it sold.
I am happy for you. Thank you for being so brave and sharing your story. For all the progress we make, there’s still a battle against closed minded people and idiotic leadership.
Thank you, Pamela, and all the best to you!
Sarah Longstaff says:
❤ ❤ ❤ So many ((hugs))!!!! ❤ You have me in tears. Congratulations! I love the name Chrissy! Bless you! (yes, I'm an atheist, but as you said, the emotions can still be there even after we change our minds!) 😀 😀 😀
Thank you, Sarah!
Aleksei Valentín ✡️♿ (@ai_valentin) says:
I came to transitioning later in life, in my 30s, in the midst of my PhD at a wildly conservative Catholic university. It’s strange, the circumstances that help you find yourself.
Welcome to the fold, Chrissy. It’s a strange time to be trans, but isn’t it always? I’m genuinely and deeply happy for you.
Thank you, Aleksei!
Mae B. says:
How wonderful! You have the glow of someone about to embark on another amazing journey.
Jendi Reiter (@JendiReiter) says:
Hooray for discovering and being your authentic self! I’m seeing some happy “soft butch” energy in those 2015 photos 🙂 You might like Grace Lavery’s e-newsletter The Stage Mirror (find her on Twitter @graceelavery) which is very insightful and funny about becoming a trans woman.
Thanks for the kind words and the recommendation! I’ll look Grace Lavery up.
YES! Mazal tov, Chrissy, & thank you for sharing this piece of your story & yourself with us. Wishing you strength, happiness, & bravery in your continued journey & transition.
Thank you, Kate!
Chrissy,
Have been following your work on Twitter with deep interest. (Work for a progressive Lutheran ELCA synod, with a strong personal wish to Do No Harm, so follow #emptythepews to get educated on how churches can be toxic). Congratulations on your coming out–I am so sorry that it wasn’t at a time of your independent choosing, but I hope that the freedom you now feel will be a comfort.
Peg Kerr
@pegkerr
(mom of two bi daughters, author of The Wild Swans, a novel that examines how the culture of Puritanism in American worsened the spread of the AIDS epidemic)
Thank you so much, Peg!
otto katz says:
Congratulations for coming out on your own timeline, and with bravery and good friends around you. Good for you, welcome to the world, Chrissy!
Thank you, Otto!
kim morris says:
Tried 3 times so far to leave a message for you, wordpress does not like me.
Congratulations on finally becoming your true self! Welcome to the world, Chrissy!
Thank you, Kim! And sorry, if you haven’t commented before then I have it set up so I have to approve the comment. But once I’ve approved you once, it should work in the future without that step (I think).
Love to you! If you want to go to Fort Wayne Pride, lmk. ❤
Thanks, will do!
Alice Venturi says:
Hey, Chrissy! Congratulations on coming to a major landmark on the road to being your true self! My former spouse is making the same journey, and I have seen how difficult that road can be. You have friends on social media who will stand by you & support you (including me!) I hope you also have friends in RL who will do the same. May the mundane world details work themselves out in a way that brings you both prosperity & happiness!
Thank you so much, Alice!
Your honesty and transparency are beautiful and will most likely encourage others to be their authentic self. I only wish our culture was more loving and affirming. I wish you peace…
Thank you, Leslie!
Paula Kiger (Big Green Pen) says:
Thank you for your bravery and humanity in sharing this.
pawnyourhalo says:
Hello Chrissy! 🙂 I wish I could say all the perfect things to express my feelings, which are many, and your awesomeness, which is much, but for brevity’s sake: I am 100% for you and for all you’ve posted. My childhood was in deep country; I was raised by believers of zeal and harsh judgment; and my resource was a house full of books, from which I built castles, shields, and weapons. Books saved my life and got me out. And my role models, mostly from fiction, let me follow my gender path.
I’d love to hear more about that early process for you, if you ever feel like sharing and feel safe to do so. If not, you’re still amazing, and I’m still grateful to have found your voice in the ether. (And your pics! Without unpacking my Pretty™ baggage, let me just say they were beautiful to see.)
I stumbled upon this by accident. As a recovering evangelical (now, oh horror, a witch!) I applaud your honesty and bravery. May you have the best life ever!
whollyword says:
Congratulations! May you be well and happy! (signed, a queer church secretary)
I wanted to thank you for the article about exvangelicals and transphobia on Rewire, but they took away the ability to comment!
So, I just wanted to say that I too am trans; I too tried to wear the gender shoes that won’t fit for much of my life — and, I too am an ex-evangelical.
Sadly, even when one leaves evangelicalism, the toxicity and shame can take a while to evaporate from ones soul.
Thank you for sharing this, Pamela!
Suzana Stucka says:
Hi Chrissy,
Longtime reader, first time caller =)
Good for you and thanks for sharing. Wishing you the very best.
Thank you, Suzana!
Kaessa says:
Congrats, Chrissy. I’ve been following you on Twitter for a while now, I’m glad to have gotten to know you, even through the lens of Twitter and social media. Best of luck with your transition and I hope your life as Chrissy is amazing. ❤
Thank you so much, Kaessa!
mseddy says:
Congrats, Chrissy. Sending you BIG LOVE. Also, I’d like to invite you to visit me in MI. I have a lovely spare room, which is also my library, and a garden. Come for a personal healing retreat; take as much time as you like for solitude. Pet the dogs. Relax. For real; any time you need to get away! (HUG) ~lisa eddy
Thank you so much, Lisa! I don’t know that I’ll be able to take you up on this invitation soon, but I would love to someday! 🙂
tgflux says:
Welcome Out, Chrissy! This side may be scarier, but SO much more colorful and joyful!
Eric Bonetti says:
Thank you for your encouragement and support amidst my own challenges.
javabear says:
Congratulations Chrissy! Welcome to womanhood (?). I mean, you’ve been a woman for a long time, it’s just now I know.
Actually, didn’t know who you were until about an hour ago when I saw one of your posts shared on Twitter. I have thoughts. Much of what you say about being ex-evangelical resonates strongly. I may send you another message later, or I might just chew on these thoughts on my own.
Anyway, it’s great that you’ve publicly proclaimed your gender identity. You go, girl!
unclejoed says:
Your courage and bravery are commendable and inspiring. May your new identity bring you all the happiness you so rightly deserve. Well done, Chrissy!
ponie1911 says:
Chrissy — I knew you when; I follow you now; bravo!
> I moved back in with my parents in Indiana
I think it’s pretty cool how generous and loving your parents are.
Yasssss, girl yass!!!
Love and all the best from a little town outside of Seattle.
Blue in Red Missouri says:
Chrissy, I am navigating this from the other side– my son is exploring transitioning to be female. He’s 17 so of course I’m worried he doesn’t fully know himself yet and, in fact, in the year since he told me and we started at the gender transition clinic here, he’s (I still say he because that is currently how he publicly identifies and says it’s fine with him for now) changed his mind several times about the degree to which he wants to transition or even if he’s trans. So for now, we’re simply holding the full onset of male maturity at bay with hormone blockers and a teeny tiny dose of estrogen to keep him from having hot flashes. We are giving him the time and space to figure things out. We fully support him. I won’t lie: it’s hard to think of this child who I’ve known as a boy since before he was born and whose name I carefully chose not being that person any more. And yet I know that who he is at his core doesn’t change and I also know that a healthy trans daughter beats the heck out of a miserable, suicidal son. (He hasn’t been suicidal, but the attempt rate for trans people is frighteningly high, so it is something that concerns me). My parents, his grandparents are like yours, Chrissy, believing it’s a choice and believing it’s a sin. I dread the day they finally realize what is happening because as awful as it would be, I’ll choose my kid over them. Chrissy, you mentioned being afraid of this administration’s attacks on the transgender community. This has been my biggest fear for my son. He could, if they get their way, lose his health care and his employment protections. It’s scary. Anyway, all of this to say I don’t know what it’s like to be you on your journey (I’ve always been a woman and never had any doubts about it), but I know it has been challenging and you are a strong person. I wish you all the best and all the happiness as you start to live in the body you feel you were meant to have all along. I hope you are surrounded by supportive people.
chrissystroop says:
Thanks for the kind words, and I’m sorry you have to worry about evangelicals and the government when it comes to your child. For my part, I’ve had a lot of suicidal ideation over the course of my life. I’m glad your kid hasn’t been suicidal, but sometimes figuring out one’s gender is a process, and it’s great you’re supportive of that.
Chrissy, it is through the brave actions of people like you who are ahead of my kid that will make things easier for him. You are breaking ground and making a trail; his journey will be a little easier because of it. So thank you.
teresablythe says:
I continue to enjoy everything you write and am seeing more healing in my own leaving of exvangelicalism thanks to you sharing your story. I’m glad to call you a sister and hope hormones are everything you want them to be!! They will likely give you energy as well as curves. Enjoy the transition. I’m with you 💯 and will shout down anyone on Twitter that tries to shame or silence you. Peace.
Thank you, Teresa!
Epic Christian Fails: Arky Arky Awkwardness
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Catholic Church Coventry, Registered Charity No. 234216
Pastroral Work
The Sower. The Advent edition o Archdiocese magazine. link
Sunday 8th December 3.00pm – Anointing of the sick
Tuesday 17th December 6.00pm – Carol Service at St Augustine’s Church
Monday 16th December 7pm in Christ the King – Advent Penance Service.
Thursday 19th December 6.00pm – Carol Service at Christ the King Church
The O’ Antiphons. We are in the Great Seven Days before Christmas link
Parish Walk to Santiago September 7-15, 2019 – find out how they are getting on link
Sunday 1st September 2019. Annual Harvington Pilgrimage link.
50th Anniversary Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes at Hednesford 7th July 2019. News story link Photos link
Friday 5th July Christ the King Boxing Gala link
Lent 2019 link
Archbishop Longley’s Pastoral letter 6/7th April link Audio Recording:
https://coventry-catholicdeanery.org.uk/new/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Pastoral-letter-April-2019.mp3
Fr Michael Stack has written a book about his time as a Hospital Chaplain. It is entitled “Lord when did we see you sick?” It is a series of prayerful meditations based on visits to patients he has made over the years. It is on sale in our parish shop at the back of church. It is priced at £5 and all profits go to the Catholic Nurse Guild. It will be a lovely book for anyone working in the medical profession and looking for inspiration and for any carers or anyone dealing with illness themselves.
His Grace, Archbishop Bernard, celebrated Thanksgiving Mass for Marriage on Sunday 3rd February, 11am at St Chad’s Cathedral. Photos link Archdiocese news story link
Birmingham Passion Play 2019: The Archbishop asks the Catholic community to support/participate in this event which will run on 16th, 17th and 18th April 2019 in the Birmingham City Centre. The leading actors/actresses will be supplied by professional players from the Saltmine Trust www.saltminetrust.org.uk. 3rd February Session 1 photos link
Christ the King receive livesimply award in September link
Funeral arrangements for Fr Eugene Nee at Christ the King. Reception of body on Monday 14th January at 7.00pm including Mass. Funeral Mass Tuesday 15th January 12 noon.
We are in the Great Seven Days before Christmas – a bit like Holy Week in Lent. We call them the days of the ‘O’Antiphons. In each of the seven days the Gospel acclamation is an antiphon beginning with the word ‘O’ showing we are calling someone. Each day we are calling out to the child in Mary’s womb, using a title usually taken from the Old Testament looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Occasionally it is from the Apocalypse, Revelation, which looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ. link
Advent Penance Service – Monday 17th December @ 7.00pm
Mass for Deceased Coventry Priests: The annual Mass for deceased clergy of the Coventry Deanery was celebrated at Precious Blood and All Souls Church on Tuesday 13th November at 7pm. Photographs can be found here. A complete list of Deceased Coventry Priests can be found here
Coventry Winter Night Shelter. The Winter Night Shelter is preparing to open again this year. Why not think of helping! More information link
Holy Cross Multi-Academy Company – Consultation letter for parents and parishoners – link
Coventry Deanery is organising a bus to Hednesford on Sunday July 1st, leaving Christ the King at 1.30pm returning at 8.00pm. Please ring the Presbytery if you would like to book a place. The cost will be £8.
Call 024 76591618 to book a place.
Pastoral Care Group Community Lunch: The next lunch will be on Monday 2nd July at the Community Centre, again the two course meal will cost £8. You can sign at the back of Church or phone the presbytery on 024 76 591618.
Congratulations to Fr Tom 60th birthday. Link to photos.
Nigerian community Mass. Sunday 10th June at 2.30pm at Christ the King. Link to photos
Pastoral Care Group Community Lunch 4th June 2018. Link to Photos. Link to news article
Parish Worker for leading Music. Music is an important part in our liturgical celebrations. We are looking for somebody who is capable of developing our music capability at Christ the King in Coventry. We have many volunteers at various skill levels and we want to develop these to enhance the music at our celebrations. A background in Music and experience in leading a small group is essential. The role is part time 2 to 3 hours per week and the salary is negotiable. If you are interested or have any questions please email link with your contact details.
Lenten 2018 Program pdf
Talks on the Faith 2018 programme link.
The Coventry Winter Night Shelter fifth year. Thanks to all who have helped with the Winter Night Shelter. The Night Shelter closed at the end of March and will look to grow and develop next year, especially with a focus on helping people to find permanent accommodation. Coventry Winter Night Shelter website: link . About volunteering link. Come out of the Cold and into a Coventry Church link
Watch Sermon from Sunday Mass: 18/2/18 link , 11/2/18 link, 4/2/18 link, 28/1/18 link
Watch Mrs E Burnett receiving the Bene Merenti Papal decoration 9am Mass 11/3/18 link Photos link
Christ the King School 9.15 am Mass 30th January – 80th Anniversary of the opening Photos link
Finance Meeting minutes: 12th October updated, 22nd June, 16th March
Our Parish Our Future: link
Safeguard the future of Catholic Education The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admissions cap which prevents some schools from allowing all Catholic pupils to attend. By her own admission, the Secretary of State has said the rule has been ineffective and adversely affects Catholic families. By forcing Catholic schools to turn away Catholic school children on the basis of their faith, the very principle of a Catholic parent’s right to choose a Catholic education is under threat. Please click link to support
Saturday 3rd February from 9.30am to 4.00pm. Christ the King will be hosting a Day of Evangelisation, A day consisting of keynote speakers and workshops, in preparation for two large events this year in the life of the Church: the World Meeting of Families (21st – 26th Aug) and the Adoremus: Eucharistic Pilgrimage & Congress (7th – 9th Sept) 2018. Please bring a packed lunch. For more information contact: Paul Northam at fieldevang@maryvale.ac.uk or Sr Gillian Murphy at parishesmv@maryvale.ac.uk or
Watch Fr Toms Christmas message link
Christ the King. A Prayer for Ireland – Sunday 26th November. The Church of Christ the King in Coventry are organising a Holy Hour on Sunday 26th November at 2.30pm. The intention of the Holy Hour is to pray for the Republic of Ireland, as it prepares to debate Section 8, concerning the rights of the Unborn Child. All are welcome to join them in prayer. Poster link
“Talks on the Faith” Leaflet with all the dates available at link. The Talks will be on Wednesdays with breaks for half term, Christmas etc. The Talks are suitable for those wishing to join the Church and for existing Catholics who want to improve their knowledge of the Faith.
Fatima Centenary News. Sunday 26th November marks the end of the Centenary Year commemorating Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima in 1917. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 3pm to 4pm, ending with the rosary, at St. Peter, Leamington Spa, CV32 5AE, a pilgrimage church of our Archdiocese during the Fatima Centenary Year. There will be a light refreshment after the service. All welcome.
Alzheimer/Dementia Awareness Evening Thursday 23rd November at 7pm in the Library at Christ the King. Guest Speakers from the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, University Hospital, Admiral Nurses and Carers Centre.
From Peter Martin: “I have completed my St James Way Walk. I walked 574 miles, from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and on to Lands End Lighthouse in Finisterre, 25 August to 8 October 2017. I have raised £2837.50 online and a total of £3308.50 offline, making a total of £6146 so far for Zoe’s Baby Hospice. The walk, the people I met from all over the world, and the places and sights I have seen have been an experience of my lifetime.The donations made by you wonderful people have far surpassed my expectations. God Bless you all. Thank you.” Read his blog on this page link
Evensong at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday October 29th at 4 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in an ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday October 29th at 4 pm. Our guest speakers will be Bishop William Kenney and Senior Pastor Albrecht Köstlin-Büürma. Music will be led and performed by the Choir of Beverley Minster.
Good Neighbours. A training session and this has been arranged for Thursday, 9th March with the option of an afternoon or evening session. This will prepare you for the work of befriending local people and give you the skills and confidence necessary. The afternoon session is from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and the evening session from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. This will also allow you to get the necessary safeguarding clearance (DBS). If you are coming to the meeting, you will need an in date passport, driving licence a utility bill or bank statement which shows your address and a document with your NI number. If you have any questions please contact Jess on 07563 902904 or email: goodneighbourscoventry@gmail.com. This will ensure that the scheme is properly and professionally organised.
Sunday 9th October 6pm Music concert with Dan Callow at Christ the King. Link to Photos link
The Annual Blessing of the Graves: 11th September at St Paul’s @ 3pm, 18th September at Canley @ 3pm, 25th September at Lenton’s Lane @ 3pm, 2nd October at London Road @ 3pm.
Father Eamon Clarke (1935-2016) link
Maundy Thursday March 24th 2016. Photos link
Jimmy Mitchell Tuesday 8th March 2016
A Deanery Lenten Retreat Evening. An evening of music, worship and reflection as we go deeper into our Lenten journey, led by Jimmy Mitchell, a talented and gifted speaker from Nashville, Tennessee, at Christ the King.
Photos from the talk at: link
Lent and Easter 2016 link
Advent and Christmas 2015 link
September Sponsored Walk. The parish was blessed with good weather for a 10 mile sponsored walk, in aid of the ‘Little Sisters of the Poor’, on Sunday 27th September. About 50 people set off from the Church, and were joined by 50 young children with their families for the last 2 miles. At the half way mark the walkers enjoyed a picnic in Elkin Wood, and ice cream and drinks were served at the end. Many of the walkers were members of the parish walk club that meet every Sunday afternoon. The sponsored walk raised £4,000.
Catholic Church England & Wales
Epiphany: Following the stellar arrangements
Christmas: How silently the wondrous gift is given
Mental Health, Faith and Philosophy
Blood and Organ Donation
ZENIT – The World Seen From Rome
ZENIT News in Text Format
Homeless in Rome Attend the Circus
Pope Lauds Youth Preparing to Build ‘World of Peace’
Pope’s Morning Homily: Faith Is Deciding Factor Between Victory and Defeat
Bishops to Peoples of Middle East: You Are Not Forgotten
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God our Father you call us together to make our Parish a sign of the heavenly kingdom. Help us through this Church and our lives To be a fountain of faith, a beacon of hope and a haven of charity and prayer. We ask these prayers through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
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How (Not) to Criticize Karl Polanyi
A recent critique of Karl Polanyi reveals more about the limits of our current political debates than anything about the man himself.
By Steven Klein
June 5, 2017, 1:13 pm – 9 MIN READ
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Insulin Should Be Free. Yes, Free.
It wouldn’t be very complicated, and it wouldn’t be nearly as expensive as you think—around $10 billion a year. The impacts would be profound.
By Merrill Goozner
December 10, 2019, 2:28 pm – 32 MIN READ
The House of Representatives has had 435 members since 1912. Expanding it would right historical wrongs—and maybe reduce polarization, too.
By Thomas Downey
No More School Districts!
At the root of educational inequality: the rich and poor districts that keep education segregated. Here are the three reforms we need.
By Kevin Carey
Dixie Is (Still) Done
The author revisits his 2006 argument that the Democrats should forget the South—and finds that the non-Southern strategy still holds.
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September 10, 2019, 6:29 pm – 21 MIN READ
Jill Lepore has Schlesinger-like aspirations, albeit updated for the twenty-first century.
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'The Neuroscience of Surviving America'
September 13, 2019 / 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Denison University's Laura C. Harris Series welcomes Uzo Nwankpa.
Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts - Thorsen Dance Studio
Ticket Info:
Tickets are free but reservations required.
Academic Administrative Assistant
Coordinator, Laura C. Harris Series
brownr@denison.edu
Denison University’s Laura C. Harris Series welcomes Uzo Nwankpa performing “The Neuroscience of Surviving America: A Black Immigrant’s Story.”
Nwankpa is a community health registered nurse, teacher, storyteller, dancer, and founder of the Uzo Method Project which explores the use of alternative healing modalities as a public health solution to increase wellness across communities. A person of Igbo heritage (Nigeria), Uzo is a queer, first generation immigrant dedicated to invigorating her ancestral notions of health, well-being and healing that have been oppressed as a consequence of colonization, assimilation, and genocide. Through a ‘one-woman performance ritual’ that combines dance, music, and a research based-monologue, her performance investigates the unfamiliar, less understood and the less obvious perspectives of the healthcare system. Uzo combines her interest in health and social justice with performing arts to investigate questions and articulate insights about health from an indigenous and diaspora African orientation. The performance research will utilize Crenshaw’s (1989) theory of intersectionality to look at the distinct health challenges facing marginalized folk.
Residency: Sept. 8 through Sept. 16, 2019.
This performance takes place in Thorsen Dance Studio in the Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts.
'What Genealogies Reveal'
Deirdre Cooper Owens presents a talk, "What Genealogies Reveal: Slavery, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology."
Laura C. Harris Series: Elena Conis
Denison University's Laura C. Harris Series welcomes Elena Conis.
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Concert de Soutien à Yohann Thibaut
www.facebook.com/events/1693266747415000/
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As of the last issue, Jean is back to being called Marvel Girl in the cast roster. I wonder if this was an error. Anyways, hated the dialogue between she and Emma. It was cringeworthy as Hickman's attempt at shade/humor fell flat
It was probably an error to list her as Jean before. I think she's gonna continue going as Marvel Girl, even after she changes costumes(assuming she's gonna be wearing the Red green/yellow one after the annual).
Thy should make the transition from marvel girl to marvel woman
Originally Posted by Wiccan
Im not sure Jean was an error, bc its been used in 4 issues and MG was only used here. I thought they were slowly phasing the MG persona out especially with her going back to her Red suit soon
Hickman thinks everyone should have some codename because it's their "mutant name". Though I don't think they've been paying much attention to that.
LOL...it will feel so odd if he has her referred to as MG in her Red suit
It should be Marvel Woman, Phoenix or Jean Grey but never Marvel Girl. That's her teenage superhero name.
it feels weird, as Superman going by superboy. That's how it feels to me
Invisible woman was once invisible girl.
A codename like Marvel Woman would feel better if she was more important for the wider marvel universe
There's nothing wrong with just Jean Grey as I feel its the name is she is most known as even above Phoenix. Jean Grey is what has been primarily used for her branding and considering they chose to name her Giant Sized issue, Jean Grey, I have a feeling its what she will officially be going by next year. I cant help but think that her use of Marvel Girl was a way for Marvel to keep the trademark active since there isnt currently an AU version of the character using it at the moment
They used it a bit on X-men blue. But without a comic book series called "Marvel Girl", they can lose the name like DC lost captain marvel
I know that Marvel asked to copyright the name Jean Grey, no sure if they succeed
yeah but Blue ended last year, which is why I suspected she took it this year
But it guarantees copyrights? If it does, I don't think they need to use the name every year. Marvel release some minis to hold copyright names
Not every year. I dont know what the length of time in comics needs to be but I know it isnt annualy. It could just be that Marvel used it here to extend that as they dont have any plans to use it in the next couple of years. This is all speculation
You are confusing copyright and trademark.
Originally Posted by Narasinha
I always confuse it
Copyright protects someone's work. You don't need to "register" it or whatever. It's automatic: you can't copy or re-use someone's work without his permission. There is also no expiration (some work can fall into "public domain" after 70 years or more (for recent works) after the death of the author).
Trademark protects a brand. It needs to be registered and renewed. You also need to use the brand regularly to keep it registered. You can't register a name or common word because it's not distinctive enough so you can't register "Jean Grey". But you could register a "Jean Grey" logo or a distinctive character. Also a trademark must be limited in scoop (Ie it apply only to a specific domain in relation with a specific type of produces. Ie if you trademark a comic book character with the name "Jean Grey", it won't apply to a mark of pants called "Jean Grey".
Marvel didn't got a trademak on Jean Grey's logo or anything related to Jean Grey so there is nothing that can expire. Which doesn't mean that someone could make stories about a character named Jean Grey who is a redhead with super-power because that would infringe on the copyright.
You are probable confusing with the stuff about Captain Marvel: A company trademarked a comic with a character called "Captain Marvel". DC sued them because (they said) the character was too similar to Superman, which was already trademarked. As a result, the first company had to stop publishing their Captain Marvel comic.
But DC didn't trademarked their own comic called Captain Marvel so Marvel was free to create their own book and trademark it (as they didn't used a character that was too similar to one of the DC's brands).
Later DC got the right to the original Captain Marvel comic but they couldn't use the name anymore in the context of a comic book as Marvel had trademarked the character for a comic book already.
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Showing results for tags 'google'.
Gaming News:Google Spills the Beans on Stadia Launch Window, Price, and Game Line-Up
Marcus Stewart posted a topic in Announcements
Days before E3 weekend kicks off, Google streamed its Stadia Connect video detailing the pricing and release date for its game streaming service, Stadia. On top of sharing when and how players can get in on the upcoming platform, the tech giant also showed off a line-up of games both new and old coming to the service. Users can open a basic Stadia account for free which lets them stream games up to 1080p/60fps with stereo sound. Players looking for a premium experience can subscribe to Stadia Pro. For $9.99 a month subscribers can stream in 4K/HDR with 60fps and 5.1 surround sound. Similar to Xbox Gold/PS Plus, Pro users also receive free games and discounts. The big caveat is that neither the free accounts nor Stadia Pro will be available until 2020. That’s because Google Stadia technically launches this November. However, you’ll need to purchase the Stadia Founder’s Edition to play then. The $129 bundle includes a Chromecast Ultra, a limited edition Night Blue Stadia controller, 3 months of Stadia Pro, a 3-month buddy pass of Stadia Pro to gift to a friend, and a copy of Destiny 2: The Collection. Founders also get to claim their Stadia usernames before anyone else. Players can pre-order the Founders Edition beginning today with Google stressing that the offer only lasts for a “limited time in limited quantities”. Google Stadia will first rollout in 14 countries: USA, Canada, UK, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, and Norway. Stadia will become available in more countries beginning next year. Games are purchased the same way as always in that they’re bought individually at prices similar to those on other platforms. Stadia controllers run separately for $70 and come in three colors: white, black, and wasabi (pale green). Google also broke down the resolutions various internet speeds allow. The minimum required 10MBps will stream games at 720p resolution. Speeds clocking around 20 Mbps run games at 1080p. Finally, 35 Mbps grants the much-touted 4K/HDR visuals. Resolutions may vary, but Google promises games will run at 60 frames per second no matter what internet speed players fall under. On the software side, the reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3 kicked things off on a high note. Fans have waited/begged for a new sequel in acclaimed RPG series since the mid 2000's making its debut a major get for Google (it's coming to PC too and is NOT a Stadia exclusive). A cinematic trailer, posted above, transitioned to a chat about the game's origins from the head of developer Larian Studios. Another new title is GYLT, a Pixar-esque horror adventure title from Rime developer Tequila Works. Party game Get Packed is coming in 2020 and appears to channel the multiplayer insanity of Overcooked but trades hectic cooking for hectic moving. The Division 2 and the upcoming Ghost Recon: Breakpoint both received overview trailers confirming their inclusion. Destiny 2: The Collection bundles every piece of DLC including the newly revealed Shadowkeep expansion. Bungie confirmed that players can upload their Guardian's data to the Stadia version of the game (though a disclaimer points out that PS4 transfers are still pending due to Sony, likely due to their slow adoption to cross-play). In addition to the games already discussed, the Stadia website lists these additional titles for purchase: Assassin's Creed Odyssey Borderlands 3 Darksiders: Genesis Doom Eternal Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Farming Simulator 19 Final Fantasy XV Football Manager 2020 Just Dance Metro Exodus Mortal Kombat 11 NBA 2K (year not specified) Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid Rage 2 Samurai Shodown The Crew 2 The Elder Scrolls Online Thumper Tomb Raider Trilogy Trials Rising Wolfenstein: Youngblood Google seems to be taking a gradual approach with Stadia by rolling the service out for premium members first before opening the floodgates for everyone else next year. That’s probably the best route for testing the service’s stability, though in a way the Founder’s Pack feels like a pricey ticket to a beta test. It all comes down to just how well Stadia lives up to its lofty promise. What do you think of Stadia’s details. Does the roster of announced games excite you? Let us know in the comments. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
baldurs gate 3
get packed
Google Spills the Beans on Stadia Launch Window, Price, and Game Line-Up
Marcus Stewart posted an article in Gaming News
Days before E3 weekend kicks off, Google streamed its Stadia Connect video detailing the pricing and release date for its game streaming service, Stadia. On top of sharing when and how players can get in on the upcoming platform, the tech giant also showed off a line-up of games both new and old coming to the service. Users can open a basic Stadia account for free which lets them stream games up to 1080p/60fps with stereo sound. Players looking for a premium experience can subscribe to Stadia Pro. For $9.99 a month subscribers can stream in 4K/HDR with 60fps and 5.1 surround sound. Similar to Xbox Gold/PS Plus, Pro users also receive free games and discounts. The big caveat is that neither the free accounts nor Stadia Pro will be available until 2020. That’s because Google Stadia technically launches this November. However, you’ll need to purchase the Stadia Founder’s Edition to play then. The $129 bundle includes a Chromecast Ultra, a limited edition Night Blue Stadia controller, 3 months of Stadia Pro, a 3-month buddy pass of Stadia Pro to gift to a friend, and a copy of Destiny 2: The Collection. Founders also get to claim their Stadia usernames before anyone else. Players can pre-order the Founders Edition beginning today with Google stressing that the offer only lasts for a “limited time in limited quantities”. Google Stadia will first rollout in 14 countries: USA, Canada, UK, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, and Norway. Stadia will become available in more countries beginning next year. Games are purchased the same way as always in that they’re bought individually at prices similar to those on other platforms. Stadia controllers run separately for $70 and come in three colors: white, black, and wasabi (pale green). Google also broke down the resolutions various internet speeds allow. The minimum required 10MBps will stream games at 720p resolution. Speeds clocking around 20 Mbps run games at 1080p. Finally, 35 Mbps grants the much-touted 4K/HDR visuals. Resolutions may vary, but Google promises games will run at 60 frames per second no matter what internet speed players fall under. On the software side, the reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3 kicked things off on a high note. Fans have waited/begged for a new sequel in acclaimed RPG series since the mid 2000's making its debut a major get for Google (it's coming to PC too and is NOT a Stadia exclusive). A cinematic trailer, posted above, transitioned to a chat about the game's origins from the head of developer Larian Studios. Another new title is GYLT, a Pixar-esque horror adventure title from Rime developer Tequila Works. Party game Get Packed is coming in 2020 and appears to channel the multiplayer insanity of Overcooked but trades hectic cooking for hectic moving. The Division 2 and the upcoming Ghost Recon: Breakpoint both received overview trailers confirming their inclusion. Destiny 2: The Collection bundles every piece of DLC including the newly revealed Shadowkeep expansion. Bungie confirmed that players can upload their Guardian's data to the Stadia version of the game (though a disclaimer points out that PS4 transfers are still pending due to Sony, likely due to their slow adoption to cross-play). In addition to the games already discussed, the Stadia website lists these additional titles for purchase: Assassin's Creed Odyssey Borderlands 3 Darksiders: Genesis Doom Eternal Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Farming Simulator 19 Final Fantasy XV Football Manager 2020 Just Dance Metro Exodus Mortal Kombat 11 NBA 2K (year not specified) Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid Rage 2 Samurai Shodown The Crew 2 The Elder Scrolls Online Thumper Tomb Raider Trilogy Trials Rising Wolfenstein: Youngblood Google seems to be taking a gradual approach with Stadia by rolling the service out for premium members first before opening the floodgates for everyone else next year. That’s probably the best route for testing the service’s stability, though in a way the Founder’s Pack feels like a pricey ticket to a beta test. It all comes down to just how well Stadia lives up to its lofty promise. What do you think of Stadia’s details. Does the roster of announced games excite you? Let us know in the comments. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
Google Unveils Stadia Its Game Streaming Platform
Google has been slowly moving into gaming for quite some time. Now, the tech giant has decided it will try to break into mainstream gaming with Stadia, its state-of-the-art game streaming platform. Google claims it will offer up to 4K resolution at 60fps, cross-play functionality, and unleash more processing power for devs to play around with than current consoles, in some cases double the capabilities of current premium consoles. We've known for quite a while that Google has been working on perfecting video game streaming. Late last year, the company offered the public a chance to play around with Project Stream, a closed beta meant to test the platform's capabilities. Project Stream brought gamers into the test by offering to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey in HD. It seems that Project Stream's test was successful. Today, Google took the stage at GDC to unveil their full service, Stadia. Stadia runs almost entirely by streaming game data from Google's servers, eliminating the need for a console or PC to play or store games (though a Chromecast dongle will be needed to stream games to a television). When Stadia launches later this year, Google's Phil Harrison claims that it will be able to ensure 4K at a steady 60fps to almost any screen one could imagine. Eventually, Google sees Stadia capable of hitting an 8K resolution at 60fps, according to one of their key visuals from the presentation. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone will have internet capable of delivering those resolutions and frames at a smooth clip. At no point during the reveal of Stadia did Google's reps reveal what sort of internet speed gamers would need to maintain a steady streaming experience. On top of that, questions remain about how well Stadia can handle streaming online games. A great deal hinges on whether or not people have access to internet connections capable of supporting Stadia. It's quite possible that the type of performance Google has touted for Stadia will be unreachable for most people looking to get in on game streaming. For comparison, Project Stream required users to have a connection of 15 megabits per second with 40 millisecond latency, though it was only offering 1080p resolutions and still seemed to suffer from occasional hiccups. Whether those issues were the result of untested streaming software or an indication of Stadia's future remains unclear. Game streaming has been around for quite a while, but it has always occupied a niche space. Notably, services like PlayStation Now and the late OnLive service have offered streaming in recent years, though they have always contended with the issues of internet on both the side of the company and the users. Google claims that the hardware on its end will enable a smooth experience that will make many people believers in the possibilities Stadia holds. They believe they have a system that will allow people to watch a trailer, press a button, and be playing a new game all in a few seconds. Stadia has been designed to be an incredibly versatile platform. It will work on televisions, tablets, laptops, phones, and PCs. On top of that, it will work with existing controllers attached to laptops or PCs. Google will be releasing its own optional controllers for Stadia, as well. These proprietary controllers connect to Google's streaming centers directly to offer a slightly better response time, the ability to share in-game content to YouTube (livestreaming, clips, and screenshots), and a Google Assistant that will be able to offer advice if players get stuck. Interestingly, Google seems to be going hard not just into the development of Stadia as a platform, but also into the games it can offer players. According to the announcement, over 100 studios have received Stadia develpment kits. On top of that, Google has founded Stadia Games Entertainment, a studio that will make games exclusive to the streaming platform. One of Ubisoft's most legendary producers, Jade Raymond, will be overseeing Stadia Games & Entertainment to work on its game projects while also bringing new features to third-party games coming to Stadia. So far, the first game revealed to be running on Stadia has been Doom Eternal. A number of features are made possible by Stadia that are pretty intriguing. Players will be able to do something called "state share," where they are able to save their game at a specific moment in time and then share that with other players or friends via a simple link. Another possibility is called Crowd Play. This would enable players watching a livestream to digitally line up for their chance to control the same game instance and become the streamer, offering a new way for streamers to interact with audiences. What do you think? Can you embrace an all digital, all remote future for gaming? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
Gaming News:Google Unveils Stadia Its Game Streaming Platform
Google has been slowly moving into gaming for quite some time. Now, the tech giant has decided it will try to break into mainstream gaming with Stadia, its state-of-the-art game streaming platform. Google claims it will offer up to 4K resolution at 60fps, cross-play functionality, and unleash more processing power for devs to play around with than current consoles, in some cases double the capabilities of current premium consoles. We've known for quite a while that Google has been working on perfecting video game streaming. Late last year, the company offered the public a chance to play around with Project Stream, a closed beta meant to test the platform's capabilities. Project Stream brought gamers into the test by offering to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey in HD. It seems that Project Stream's test was successful. Today, Google took the stage at GDC to unveil their full service, Stadia. Stadia runs almost entirely by streaming game data from Google's servers, eliminating the need for a console or PC to play or store games (though a Chromecast dongle will be needed to stream games to a television). When Stadia launches later this year, Google's Phil Harrison claims that it will be able to ensure 4K at a steady 60fps to almost any screen one could imagine. Eventually, Google sees Stadia capable of hitting an 8K resolution at 60fps, according to one of their key visuals from the presentation. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone will have internet capable of delivering those resolutions and frames at a smooth clip. At no point during the reveal of Stadia did Google's reps reveal what sort of internet speed gamers would need to maintain a steady streaming experience. On top of that, questions remain about how well Stadia can handle streaming online games. A great deal hinges on whether or not people have access to internet connections capable of supporting Stadia. It's quite possible that the type of performance Google has touted for Stadia will be unreachable for most people looking to get in on game streaming. For comparison, Project Stream required users to have a connection of 15 megabits per second with 40 millisecond latency, though it was only offering 1080p resolutions and still seemed to suffer from occasional hiccups. Whether those issues were the result of untested streaming software or an indication of Stadia's future remains unclear. Game streaming has been around for quite a while, but it has always occupied a niche space. Notably, services like PlayStation Now and the late OnLive service have offered streaming in recent years, though they have always contended with the issues of internet on both the side of the company and the users. Google claims that the hardware on its end will enable a smooth experience that will make many people believers in the possibilities Stadia holds. They believe they have a system that will allow people to watch a trailer, press a button, and be playing a new game all in a few seconds. Stadia has been designed to be an incredibly versatile platform. It will work on televisions, tablets, laptops, phones, and PCs. On top of that, it will work with existing controllers attached to laptops or PCs. Google will be releasing its own optional controllers for Stadia, as well. These proprietary controllers connect to Google's streaming centers directly to offer a slightly better response time, the ability to share in-game content to YouTube (livestreaming, clips, and screenshots), and a Google Assistant that will be able to offer advice if players get stuck. Interestingly, Google seems to be going hard not just into the development of Stadia as a platform, but also into the games it can offer players. According to the announcement, over 100 studios have received Stadia develpment kits. On top of that, Google has founded Stadia Games Entertainment, a studio that will make games exclusive to the streaming platform. One of Ubisoft's most legendary producers, Jade Raymond, will be overseeing Stadia Games & Entertainment to work on its game projects while also bringing new features to third-party games coming to Stadia. So far, the first game revealed to be running on Stadia has been Doom Eternal. A number of features are made possible by Stadia that are pretty intriguing. Players will be able to do something called "state share," where they are able to save their game at a specific moment in time and then share that with other players or friends via a simple link. Another possibility is called Crowd Play. This would enable players watching a livestream to digitally line up for their chance to control the same game instance and become the streamer, offering a new way for streamers to interact with audiences. What do you think? Can you embrace an all digital, all remote future for gaming? Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
Gaming News:Google Tests the Gaming Waters with Project Stream
Google has announced a new initiative called Project Stream that aims to smoothly stream HD video games to players via the company's Chrome internet browser. This would mark one of the biggest attempts Google has made to enter the gaming market thus far, especially if it turns out to be a successful alternative for third party developers and publishers looking to release a typically console-focused games to a larger audience. It would also mean that most devices capable of a steady internet connection and running Google Chrome could be turned into gameplay streaming hubs. The ambition of this endeavor is striking, but also faces some significant hurdles. Specifically, consistently running smooth, HD graphics via stream poses pretty big problems using current technologies. The requirement of high-speed broadband internet could limit the availability of Project Stream for people in the general market as will the need to be close to Google's data centers (for now). Latency has long been another factor holding streamed games back from reaching their full potential in the United States with its lagging internet infrastructure. Finally, part of Project Stream will be dedicated to figuring out exactly how costly running such a service might be to Google. If it can figure out a way to make the tech work and it finds a market among gamers, the floodgates will open for Google-powered services to take on gaming applications like Google's Cloud or Daydream VR equipment. It would also offer the chance for Google to enter the digital game storefront business, competing directly with the likes of Steam and Good Old Games for exclusives and sales prices. Those who find the idea intriguing and are 17 years or older can sign up for a beta trial of the service which will allow those selected to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey to Google Chrome. There will be no charges for the beta though they do recommend an internet connection that holds at 25Mbps download speeds. The test will start on October 5 and the number of participants will be limited. This seems pretty neat and, if you have a solid enough internet connection, a good way to possibly play Assassin's Creed Odyssey for free. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! View full article
project stream
Google Tests the Gaming Waters with Project Stream
Google has announced a new initiative called Project Stream that aims to smoothly stream HD video games to players via the company's Chrome internet browser. This would mark one of the biggest attempts Google has made to enter the gaming market thus far, especially if it turns out to be a successful alternative for third party developers and publishers looking to release a typically console-focused games to a larger audience. It would also mean that most devices capable of a steady internet connection and running Google Chrome could be turned into gameplay streaming hubs. The ambition of this endeavor is striking, but also faces some significant hurdles. Specifically, consistently running smooth, HD graphics via stream poses pretty big problems using current technologies. The requirement of high-speed broadband internet could limit the availability of Project Stream for people in the general market as will the need to be close to Google's data centers (for now). Latency has long been another factor holding streamed games back from reaching their full potential in the United States with its lagging internet infrastructure. Finally, part of Project Stream will be dedicated to figuring out exactly how costly running such a service might be to Google. If it can figure out a way to make the tech work and it finds a market among gamers, the floodgates will open for Google-powered services to take on gaming applications like Google's Cloud or Daydream VR equipment. It would also offer the chance for Google to enter the digital game storefront business, competing directly with the likes of Steam and Good Old Games for exclusives and sales prices. Those who find the idea intriguing and are 17 years or older can sign up for a beta trial of the service which will allow those selected to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey to Google Chrome. There will be no charges for the beta though they do recommend an internet connection that holds at 25Mbps download speeds. The test will start on October 5 and the number of participants will be limited. This seems pretty neat and, if you have a solid enough internet connection, a good way to possibly play Assassin's Creed Odyssey for free. Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
Podcast:The Best Games Period - Episode 94 - Pokemon Go (ft. Kevin Slackie)
Pokémon Go released in 2016 as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and Niantic Labs, a game developer that grew out of a Google initiative designed to explore the potential uses of the technology used to create Google Maps. The mobile phone game caused an unprecedented fervor in the general public, gaining a worldwide following in the hundreds of millions. Though plagued by technical issues at release, becoming the subject of criticism for the public behavior of the player base, and botching some high profile events, Pokémon Go continues to receive updates and has maintained a consistent base of support from around 65 million people. Given the sweeping social impact Pokémon Go had, would it be fair to call it one of the best games period? Each week we will be tackling a video game, old or new, that at least one of us believes deserves to stand as one of the greatest games of all time. We'll dive into its history, development, and gameplay, while trying to argue for or against the game of the week. Sometimes we will be in harmonious agreement, other times we might be fighting a bitter battle to the very end. However each episode shakes out, we hope that everyone who listens will find the show entertaining and informative Outro music: Pokémon Silver 'Lucky Coin' by Schtiffles (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03476) Kevin Slackie can be found on Twitter @KSlackie talking about game design and meeting Ray Wise. You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available as well, so you can watch what we are talking about while we talk about it! If you want to have your opinion heard on air, share your opinion in the comments, follow the show on Twitter, and participate in the weekly polls: @BestGamesPeriod New episodes of The Best Games Period will be released every Monday View full article
tbgp
The Best Games Period - Episode 94 - Pokemon Go (ft. Kevin Slackie)
Jack Gardner posted an article in Podcast
Pokémon Go released in 2016 as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and Niantic Labs, a game developer that grew out of a Google initiative designed to explore the potential uses of the technology used to create Google Maps. The mobile phone game caused an unprecedented fervor in the general public, gaining a worldwide following in the hundreds of millions. Though plagued by technical issues at release, becoming the subject of criticism for the public behavior of the player base, and botching some high profile events, Pokémon Go continues to receive updates and has maintained a consistent base of support from around 65 million people. Given the sweeping social impact Pokémon Go had, would it be fair to call it one of the best games period? Each week we will be tackling a video game, old or new, that at least one of us believes deserves to stand as one of the greatest games of all time. We'll dive into its history, development, and gameplay, while trying to argue for or against the game of the week. Sometimes we will be in harmonious agreement, other times we might be fighting a bitter battle to the very end. However each episode shakes out, we hope that everyone who listens will find the show entertaining and informative Outro music: Pokémon Silver 'Lucky Coin' by Schtiffles (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03476) Kevin Slackie can be found on Twitter @KSlackie talking about game design and meeting Ray Wise. You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available as well, so you can watch what we are talking about while we talk about it! If you want to have your opinion heard on air, share your opinion in the comments, follow the show on Twitter, and participate in the weekly polls: @BestGamesPeriod New episodes of The Best Games Period will be released every Monday
Google Announces Daydream View, Their Answer to VR
Google has officially unveiled their new VR product. Titled Daydream View, their VR device operates similarly to Samsung's Gear VR. Customers insert their smart phone into the device and use it as the VR screen. It doesn't seem to be something that will be in direct competition with dedicated VR platforms like Oculus, PSVR, or the HTC Vive, but it comes with the significantly smaller price tag of $80. This puts it at a slightly cheaper price than Samsung's device that also makes use of smart phones. The Daydream View will come with a single, small motion-controller to help play VR games and apps. It's compatible with Google's recently announced Pixel phone or "any Daydream-ready phone." Google has been understandably cagey about that last part; they want to sell their Pixel phone after all. Turns out that not many smart phones on the market are ready for what Google considers Daydream-ready. In fact, only one phone has actually been given that stamp of approval: Google's own Pixel. Rumors are swirling that advanced phones like ZTE's Axon 7 will be made compatible at a later date, but when the Pixel launches it will be the first one ready for Google's Daydream View. Google has said that the device will have over 50 apps available by the end of the year and hundreds more in the future. Daydream View officially launches sometime in November. It will be interesting to see how successful a cheaper competitor to the Gear VR will fare on the open market this holiday season. While it won't have the horsepower to compete with its beefier PC and console cousins, Daydream could open the door to more casual, mobile VR experiences. What do you think? Will you be picking up one of these contraptions next month?
Gaming News:Google Announces Daydream View, Their Answer to VR
Google has officially unveiled their new VR product. Titled Daydream View, their VR device operates similarly to Samsung's Gear VR. Customers insert their smart phone into the device and use it as the VR screen. It doesn't seem to be something that will be in direct competition with dedicated VR platforms like Oculus, PSVR, or the HTC Vive, but it comes with the significantly smaller price tag of $80. This puts it at a slightly cheaper price than Samsung's device that also makes use of smart phones. The Daydream View will come with a single, small motion-controller to help play VR games and apps. It's compatible with Google's recently announced Pixel phone or "any Daydream-ready phone." Google has been understandably cagey about that last part; they want to sell their Pixel phone after all. Turns out that not many smart phones on the market are ready for what Google considers Daydream-ready. In fact, only one phone has actually been given that stamp of approval: Google's own Pixel. Rumors are swirling that advanced phones like ZTE's Axon 7 will be made compatible at a later date, but when the Pixel launches it will be the first one ready for Google's Daydream View. Google has said that the device will have over 50 apps available by the end of the year and hundreds more in the future. Daydream View officially launches sometime in November. It will be interesting to see how successful a cheaper competitor to the Gear VR will fare on the open market this holiday season. While it won't have the horsepower to compete with its beefier PC and console cousins, Daydream could open the door to more casual, mobile VR experiences. What do you think? Will you be picking up one of these contraptions next month? View full article
Google I/O Extended Grand Rapids
Viedt posted a calendar event in Grand Rapids Guild
Join the developer community this year at our 3rd consecutive Google I/O Extended in Grand Rapids! Held at the Harris Building in downtown GR, this event will be more “Googley” than ever. With a day full of live tech presentations, food, networking, games, Google I/O Live Streams, and a special after-party; it will be a day you won’t want to miss. Your Attendee registration will grant you a spot at the conference and after party. This will grant you access to all of the event keynotes and sessions, conference t-shirt and swag, refreshments, lunch, and snacks throughout the conference! This year the conference planning committee has formed the Google Developers Group of Grand Rapids (GDG GR). Please head over to our meetup page and checkout our new website to follow us for future events!
software conference
booth event
Doctors use Google Cardboard to explore a heart, save a life
Infinite-Studio posted a topic in General Extra Life Discussion
Four-month-old Teegan Lexcen was born in Minnesota with a small, malformed heart, no left lung, and the faintest chance of seeing her first Christmas. Now she's recovering after open-heart surgery at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, Florida, where a team of enterprising doctors used a smartphone and Google's Cardboard VR headset to peer into her chest and save her life. Tackling such a delicate operation would've been harrowing even if the patient were an adult, but Teegan's situation was made trickier by her fragile frame. A successful surgery would have required an astute understanding of the shape her tiny heart was in, and 2D MRI scans could only tell part of the story. The answer? Dr. Juan-Carlos Muniz, head of Nicklaus Children's MRI department, converted those 2D scans into stereoscopic images, loaded them onto an iPhone and stuck it inside Google Cardboard for his colleague, cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Redmond Burke to peek at. The experience, Burke told UploadVR, was like "standing in the operating room" two weeks prior to surgery. Armed with clearer knowledge of Teegan's heart, Dr. Burke figured out where to make his first incision — right in the middle of her chest. Seven hours later, Teegan got a new lease on life and the VR movement got a brand new feather in its collective cap. Most of the medical VR experiences we've seen have been centered around touring the deep recesses of the brain, be they abstract or unflinchingly complex. While those simulations tend to rely on high-grade VR setups like the Oculus Rift, the events of the past few weeks prove you don't need pricey gear to change minds and lives — just a willingness to look at things a little differently.
minnestoa
Google Declares Gaming Content Mainstream
Google released their analytics from 2014, revealing that Minecraft was the second most searched term on the service, losing only to generic music searches. Minecraft was searched more often than movies, Frozen, or Beyoncé. PewDiePie also topped the charts, ranking a solid 5% over searches for rapper Eminem. And there is more. Gaming consistently remains the top category of content accessed on YouTube. In the month of October, video games were the number one most viewed type of videos for all but six days. Gender also seems to play a role in how viewers interact with gaming videos. 70% of users who like, favorite, comment, or playlist videos identify as male. However, viewers that identify as female tended to spend more time actually watching the videos. Some interesting info to digest as we make our way into 2015.
Gaming News:Google Declares Gaming Content Mainstream
Google released their analytics from 2014, revealing that Minecraft was the second most searched term on the service, losing only to generic music searches. Minecraft was searched more often than movies, Frozen, or Beyoncé. PewDiePie also topped the charts, ranking a solid 5% over searches for rapper Eminem. And there is more. Gaming consistently remains the top category of content accessed on YouTube. In the month of October, video games were the number one most viewed type of videos for all but six days. Gender also seems to play a role in how viewers interact with gaming videos. 70% of users who like, favorite, comment, or playlist videos identify as male. However, viewers that identify as female tended to spend more time actually watching the videos. Some interesting info to digest as we make our way into 2015. View full article
Destiny's Planet View Holds Some Secrets
In the ramp up to Destiny's release next week, Bungie has partnered with Google to create interactive maps of the planets players can visit in-game. Enterprising players who take the time to explore those planets can unlock a neat reward. Players who take the time to find every viewable in Planet View will be receive a unique emblem to show off in-game. In addition to the flashy piece of loot, Planet View gives a lot of narrated background on the different environments and enemies that players will encounter. As someone who takes a particular interest in lore and world building in video games, more information about the denizens of Destiny's universe is always welcome. Destiny releases next week on September 9.
Gaming News:Destiny's Planet View Holds Some Secrets
In the ramp up to Destiny's release next week, Bungie has partnered with Google to create interactive maps of the planets players can visit in-game. Enterprising players who take the time to explore those planets can unlock a neat reward. Players who take the time to find every viewable in Planet View will be receive a unique emblem to show off in-game. In addition to the flashy piece of loot, Planet View gives a lot of narrated background on the different environments and enemies that players will encounter. As someone who takes a particular interest in lore and world building in video games, more information about the denizens of Destiny's universe is always welcome. Destiny releases next week on September 9. View full article
Gaming News:Minecraft Meets Quantum Mechanics in qCraft
Ever wondered what Minecraft would be like if quantum mechanics were programmed into it? No? Well, Google's Quantum A.I. Lab certainly has and now you can play their creation. qCraft essentially adds a few of the principles of quantum mechanics to Minecraft in the form of blocks that do their best to represent quantum entanglement, superposition, and observer dependency. While all elements of quantum mechanics may not be present, Google doesn't try to cover that up and fully admits that it isn't a complete recreation of those principles. Essentially, qCraft is supposed to be a fun way to introduce people to some of the core elements of one of the crazier and most mind-bending parts of modern physics research. You can learn more about qCraft or download the mod on qcraft.org. What do you think? Interesting? Pointless? We'd love to hear some of your thoughts! View full article
qcraft
Minecraft Meets Quantum Mechanics in qCraft
Ever wondered what Minecraft would be like if quantum mechanics were programmed into it? No? Well, Google's Quantum A.I. Lab certainly has and now you can play their creation. qCraft essentially adds a few of the principles of quantum mechanics to Minecraft in the form of blocks that do their best to represent quantum entanglement, superposition, and observer dependency. While all elements of quantum mechanics may not be present, Google doesn't try to cover that up and fully admits that it isn't a complete recreation of those principles. Essentially, qCraft is supposed to be a fun way to introduce people to some of the core elements of one of the crazier and most mind-bending parts of modern physics research. You can learn more about qCraft or download the mod on qcraft.org. What do you think? Interesting? Pointless? We'd love to hear some of your thoughts!
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Annual Report 2018 : “it takes a collective”
“I love it, I do”
By Jonathan Young on 12/23/19 in Chapel Hill, Giving, Highlight, Housing, Member Story
“I gave a sharp interview, I believe that’s what put me in there,” Leonard says with a smile. In April, he interviewed for one of the newly-completed PeeWee Homes, tiny homes built on the property of Episcopal Church of the Advocate in Chapel Hill. A couple of days later, he received a call: “‘You have one of the PeeWee Homes!’ I went and picked my key up, signed my lease, and been there ever since. This month it’ll be 8 months. I love it, I do.”
After experiencing more than 30 years of homelessness, Leonard’s home still feels new. When Leonard isn’t out working one of his two jobs, his home provides a peaceful haven. He regularly checks on his neighbor, PeeWee (after whom PeeWee Homes is named), who loves to fish in the pond out back. On Sundays, he attends church next door at Episcopal Church of the Advocate.
Before finding his own home, Leonard stayed at the InterFaith Council (IFC) shelter for seven years. There, he heard about and connected with CEF, and began working with Advocates to achieve a comprehensive slate of goals: securing multiple jobs, navigating benefits like food stamps, budgeting, saving for a laptop, and obtaining health insurance.
Leonard’s Advocate, Keely, recalls looking through housing listings for months on end without finding any answers. “Where do we go from here?” she wondered.
One day in the CEF office, Keely heard the PeeWee Homes were becoming available and realized they were an ideal fit: they were located by a bus stop, affordable, and Leonard met the income eligibility guidelines. Several meetings, emails, phone calls, a written application, and one “sharp interview” later, Leonard showed up to his regular Wednesday meeting with good news. “What did they say?” “I got one!” Keely’s notes from their meeting that day say it all, “it was just a billion exclamation points!”
“I was falling down until I started working with CEF. Keely, Zoe, and other Advocates… I’ve basically dealt with all the Advocates here.” Leonard continues to meet with his Advocates on Wednesday mornings, working towards even greater savings and financial goals. “I don’t bother my money in my CEF Safe Savings Account. I let it stay there.”
Originally from Raleigh, Leonard left home when he was 19 or 20. “I’ve been pretty much homeless most of my life. It was a rough life, I didn’t ever think I was going to get back on my feet, but I did. I kept the faith and kept going at it.”
“[Now] I’m on my feet, got me two jobs working two stores. I got my own place. I can look over my shoulder. I’ve got too much to lose now and I’m trying to stay ahead, keep the faith, and keep doing what I gotta do.’”
Donate to CEF!
To help support this work, please consider making a donation during CEF’s Holiday Campaign! Thanks to a generous group of CEF donors who came together to match year-end contributions, your gift to CEF will be doubled through December 31st, up to $38,000!
Heartfelt thanks to our friends at PeeWee Homes, who built Leonard’s home! Learn more about the initiative here: https://peeweehomes.org/
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Return to Play in Elite Sport Following ACL Injury of the Knee
Strength Training Manual: Prescription – Part 3
Posted by Tim McGrath on 13/08/2019 in Membership Content
Guest Article by Tim McGrath
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries of the knee represent a serious concern in sports, not only because of time loss from sport but also because of the long-term health consequences, including a substantially increased risk of knee osteoarthritis and impaired lower limb function 23 as well as a re-injury rate of between 5-30% depending on the pre-injury competitive level played, and the goals of the athlete post-injury 12 18. Following injury, return to sport (RTS) is generally permitted as soon as six to twelve months following surgery depending on the graft used in surgical cases 28 (or even sooner in the cases of non-operative management) and the desired level of risk 5. However, some authors suggest that return to sport might even be delayed until up to 2 years after surgery for the lowest chance of reinjury 16, which can be problematic given the often capricious nature of professional sport.
Case Study – How I Rehab an Athlete Post ACL?
For simplification, I generally loosely plan rehab into five distinct stages. The timeframes I’ve quoted are indicative to the ones I would use for a stock-standard ACL reconstruction post-surgery:
Stage 1 – Early post injury (0-2 weeks)
The goal of this phase is on restoration of range of movement, particularly normal walking and knee extension. The former is a vastly underrated quantity as the ability to walk with normal physiological extension of the knee implies good range of movement and quads activation. Once an athlete can achieve these two things, I will generally start active lower body rehab in the gym. Often there is some residual swelling during this phase and as long as the athlete can actively bend the knee past 120deg I’m not too concerned.
Stage 2 – Functional Strength (3-10 weeks)
The goal of this phase is on development of baseline strength, particularly lateral hip (important component of change of direction), …
Tim McGrath has extensive sports physiotherapy experience. He holds a PhD from the Research Institute of Sports & Exercise (UCRISE) at the University of Canberra on the topic of ACL rehabilitation of the knee. He is the current Physiotherapy and Medical Services Co-Ordinator at St George-Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League Competition (NRL), and since 2004 has previously worked with other high level sporting teams, including the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL (2015-2017), Brumbies Super Rugby Team (2006-2011), Sale Sharks Rugby Football Club United Kingdom (2006), and Canberra Raiders NRL Team (2004-2006). He has also toured with the Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens Team in the HSBC World Series (2013-2014). Tim has also enjoyed brief stints with other high level sporting teams such as the Tongan National Rugby Team and the Australian Rugby Union. He also consults to the ACT Comets and ACT Meteors Cricket Teams in Australia.
In addition to his undergraduate Physiotherapy degree and PhD, Tim has completed a post-graduate Master’s Degree in Sports Physiotherapy and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Extended-Scope Physiotherapy and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Data Science. He is Head of the Athlete Research Lab housed within Elite Rehab (www.ersportsphysio.com.au) and developed PITCH READY®️ which uses meta-data for return to sport decision making in athletes recovering from a knee or lower limb injury (www.pitch-ready.com). He has lectured extensively in sports physiotherapy courses for the Australian Physiotherapy Association as well as to other health professions and has authored publications in peer-reviewed journals (see research page of Elite rehab website). Tim has also previously consulted to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department as an Extended-Scope Physiotherapist and to Occupational Rehabilitation Companies as a senior consultant.
Twitter: @_timmcgrath | Email: tim@pitch-ready.com
Tags:ACL, Guest Article, Injury
About Tim McGrath
Is a COD Deficit Really a Deficit? (Part 1)
Strength Training Planning for Combat Athletes & Exercise Selection
Shoulder Mobility
Capitalist Conditioning for Rugby – Part 1: Rugby Epistemocrat
Welcome to Complementary Training Community! › Forums › Return to Play in Elite Sport Following ACL Injury of the Knee
This topic contains 3 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Chris Garinet 5 months ago.
Chris Garinet
Great article Tim. Am curious to know how different this would be from a meniscus repair. I had mine done a year ago and recovery has been slow.
Tim McGrath
Hi Chris, thanks for reading. From my experience, we typically plan a meniscus repair around 6 weeks slower than a typical timeframe for an isolated autograft ACL reconstruction. All things being equal, I would usually aim to start the content listed in ‘Stage 3’ somewhere around 16 weeks post-op. Hope that helps.
That’s great thanks for the reply Tim.
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You are at:Home»Posts Tagged "Putin"
Browsing: Putin
The Art of Deceit: How Russia Manipulated America into Electing Donald Trump
By Yazeed A. Bunyan January 12, 2019
Russian interference in the United States’ 2016 election follows an established pattern of electoral influence and manipulation by the Kremlin Anyone familiar with the Canadian rock…
Exposed: Jenna Abrams, Elaborate Russian Troll
By Dan Fisher November 3, 2017
Popular alt-right blogger, Jenna Abrams, has been outed by the US Intelligence Committee as a creation of the Russian state-backed Internet Research Agency.
Battle of Ideas
Russia-phobia: We Are Not Scared Enough
By Dale Claridge September 9, 2017
Modern Russia still retains corruption from its days as the USSR; the difference is, we are no longer as alert to this threat.
St. Petersburg Bomber Suspected Islamist
By Scott Jacobsen April 10, 2017
The St. Petersburg bombing suspect is reported to have been an Islamist who may have “travelled to Syria before” the attack
Putin’s Response to Recent Protests Shows Russia’s Democratic Deficit
By Angelos Sofocleous April 1, 2017
On Sunday 26th of March, thousands of Russians took to the streets in order to protest against the great corruption and democratic deficit that exists in…
Pardon My French Madame Le Pen, But You’re a Dangerous Paradox
By George Suchett-Kaye March 27, 2017
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the expression “pardon my French?” Some say that it originated in the 19th century and was used as an apology…
The Left’s “Antisemitism Problem” And Their Focus On Israel
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Netflix at E3: What could they be up to?
May 15, 2019 June 5, 2019 | Starla
When Netflix first began back in 1998, my family and I would excitedly open our little red envelopes every week and watch the DVDs that came with them, most of which had been sitting in our queue for months. Oftentimes, my mom wouldn’t look at what was sent. I think we all enjoyed the surprise. It was fresh, new, and exciting.
As fun as that was, it was even more exciting once they launched streaming services. Before, I would only have to walk to my mailbox; now I didn’t even have to go outside! Netflix really got me.
Then came the Netflix Originals, which have given us plenty of hits (or misses) to try out while allowing our favorite streaming service and production companies to spread their creative wings. Titles like Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Fuller House, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (to name a few) have become massively popular, with a fanbase that loves the fact that they can binge watch a brand new season in one night.
More recently, Netflix went even further with their creativity by introducing us to interactive content. One interactive show in particular, Bear Grylls’ You vs. Wild, gives you the option to choose your own adventure, allowing you to… well, make Bear do some pretty wild things.
Over the years, Netflix has truly proved its worth and shows no fear of innovation, or its competition with Amazon or Hulu. They have made their mark in entertainment, and with their recent announcement, are proving they’ve got even more up their sleeve.
Netflix revealed on Twitter on Monday that it would be hosting a panel at E3 in June. What in the world are they doing mingling with the video game industry, you ask? Well, they’re not giving that away just yet.
The NX on Netflix Twitter account, which is the primary go-to for Netflix’s sci-fi and fantasy titles, tweeted very sneakily at E3.
Netflix went on to mention its upcoming Stranger Things game releasing on the Nintendo Switch on July 4th with its season 3 debut, but noted there may be more than that on the horizon.
Of course there’s the upcoming @Stranger_Things game but hmmmmm… there’s definitely more to come! pic.twitter.com/UFBUCAs7Qr— NX (@NXOnNetflix) May 13, 2019
So with the knowledge that Netflix is now dipping its feet in the video game pool, it begs the question: are they only going to make their existing original shows into video games, or will they be creating new content specifically for video games? OR will they be opening their own Steam/Origin-like service for video games? It’s tough to say, but I’m definitely intrigued.
Is there another Netflix Original you’d like to see as a game? Do you think the video game industry is going to welcome Netflix warmly, or will this be a flop?
Posted in Gaming News E3Gaming NewsNetflix
< Chapter 4: The Heat Rises
Happy Monday! Here’s something random to watch >
3 thoughts on “Netflix at E3: What could they be up to?”
missmiserie says:
Has netflix really been around THAT long???
I keep feeling like it was a 2012 thing…
I thought the same thing! It was super small in the beginning and then it blew up so maybe that’s why. I don’t even know, but it makes me feel old, lol
Pingback: Cloud Gaming: Is It Coming For Console? – Confessions of a Lady Gamer
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Emperor`s Birthday in Japan 2009
Emperor Akihito 76th birthday was celebrated in Japan with a national holiday and thousands of well-wishers being allowed into the Royal Palace for the occasion. He made three such appearances during the day and spoke of the economy difficulties many Japanese people are suffering during his address. He was accompanied by Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino and their wives. Tokyo, Japan December 23rd 2009
Filename: dc-emperors-birthday-20.jpg
Japanese Emperor's Birthday
Asia, Asian, Birthday of Japanese emperor, Emperor Akihito, Japan, Japanese, Japanese emperor, Royal Family, Royalty, Tokyo, audience, banzai, birthday, birthday celebration, celebration, crowd, crowds, cultural, culture, demo, emperor of Japan, festival, flag, flags, palace, palace grounds, patriotism, rare, rarely, royal palace, tradition, traditional
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521 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:48 pm
Variety Actors on Actors:
I'm halfway through this and I love their conversation. Now I need Darren to be on This is Us! They both are such nice people, and I love how much thought they put into their discussions about hitting bumps/roadblocks in their career, appreciation of the creative minds behind projects, etc. Ok, this is just a question, but at around 12:43, Darren mentions he and Ryan talked about this other thing they did together. Yes, he could just be talking about Glee or his appearance on AHS, but wouldn't he have said that?
Mandy Moore & Darren Criss – Full Conversation Actors on Actors
Meant to post this earlier but didn't have time:
522 58th Monte Carlo Television Festival (June 2018) on Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:26 pm
58th Monte Carlo Television Festival
From dcriss-archive
Via Simona Magni’s Instagram Story (June 15th, 2018)
festivaltvmonte_carlo: A few happy #OMG Card Owners are having a great time with @darrencriss from @americancrimestoryfx at the #FTV18 ! #MonacoMoments
Darren Criss attends the 58th International Television Festival opening ceremony, Monte Carlo, Monaco - 15 Jun 2018
Darren Criss attends the opening ceremony of the 58th Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 15, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Mia is looking lovely.
US actor Darren Criss and his partner US producer Mia Swier pose as they arrive for the screening of the film ‘Jack Ryan’ during the opening of the 58th Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 15, 2018 in Monaco.
Darren tweeted Umberto Tozzi (whose Italian version of "Gloria" Darren had sung recently):
*I’m in Greece
*Aww what a pity… but there is no harm! Have fun, friend!
*Write me on direct
*Someone told me that you live in Monte Carlo, I don’t believe it. I’m here now. Where are you? We have to find a a piano
I thought I saw Ben Feldman in one of the videos. I like Mia's hair.
benmfeldman: Fully present & living for the moment in Monte Carlo #FTV18
523 58th Monte Carlo Television Festival on Tue Jun 19, 2018 12:52 am
Via Jérémie Dunand’s Instagram Story (June 17th, 2018)
allocine: .@DarrenCriss nous parle d’#AmericanCrimeStoryVersace, de #Glee, de Ryan Murphy, et de ses goûts musicaux. #ACSVersace #FTV18 @festivaltvmc @seriescanalplus
@DarrenCriss tell us about #AnericanCrimeStoryVersace, of #Glee, Ryan Murphy and his musical tastes. #ACSVersace #FTV18 @festivaltvmc @seriescanalplus
Festival TV Day 3 begins with @DarrenCriss, in press conference for @ACSFX @FXNetworks #FTV18 #MonacoMoments
drive_in_mag: Next week all videos from Darren Criss press conference on our Facebook Page
festivaltvmonte_carlo: Interview with @darrencriss under the sun at the #FTV18 ! @americancrimestoryfx #MonacoMoments
Darren Criss at the 58th Monte Carlo Television Festival (June 16th, 2018) | Source
Darren having fun with the paparazzi.
festivaltvmonte_carlo: “Who’s the photographer now ?” @americancrimestoryfx #MonacoMoments @darrencriss #FTV18
teleloisirs: Darren Criss, incroyable dans American Crime Story, n’en revient toujours pas de sa popularité à Monte Carlo ! #ftv18
Darren Criss, incredible in American Crime Story, still can not believe his popularity in Monte Carlo! # ftv18
[HQ] Darren Criss Attends ‘American Crime Story’ Photocall at the 58th Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco (June 17th, 2018) | Source
Nice pics.
Darren Criss attends the 58th Monte Carlo Television Festival, Monaco - 17 Jun 2018
Darren Criss Is Having Fun with His Fashion in Europe!
Darren Criss has been wearing a bunch of outfits for appearances in Europe this past week and we’re recapping all the looks!
The 31-year-old American Crime Story actor was in attendance at the Giorgio Armani fashion show on Monday afternoon (June 18) in Milan, Italy.
Darren looked suave in a blazer with the sleeves rolled up while posing alongside fiancee Mia Swier.
Over the weekend, Darren promoted American Crime Story at a photo call during the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, where he wore a t-shirt and floral pants. He also suited up for the Soiree Serie TV event on Saturday night and for the opening ceremony on Friday night.
[HQ] Darren Criss attends “Soiree Serie TV” during the 58th Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 16, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
524 Giorgio Armani Show during Milan Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 ( June 18, 2018 in Milan, Italy) on Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:38 am
Giorgio Armani Show during Milan Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 (June 18, 2018 in Milan, Italy)
Ports V Dinner (during Milan Fashion Week)
Via Harrison Osterfield’s Instagram Story (June 18th, 2018)
Via Eric Podwall’s Instagram Story (June 18th, 2018)
brooklynpr_la: Thank you to everyone who attended the Ports V Dinner in celebration of the second drop ‘Cool for the Summer’ at Ceresio 7, during Milan Fashion Week.
Hi Ashley.
Via Ashley Weston’s Instagram Story (June 18th, 2018)
Darren Criss attends the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on June 18, 2018 in Milan, Italy.Giorgio Armani Show during Milan Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019Giorgio Armani Show during Milan Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019
525 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:52 am
Rogue Magazine photoshoot
Via Jackie Fernandez’s Instagram Story (June 18th, 2018)
roguemagazine: Here’s a peek at our 6 page feature with Darren Criss @darrencriss in @roguemagazine roguemagazine’s Summer Issue N°9, out now, link bio. Find out about his upcoming tour with @leamichele, his future acting projects & his new Hollywood piano bar @trampstampgrannys where you can catch him singing live for free! Photography by @josephsinclair Styling by @krishanparmar_ Hair by @naradkutowaroo Makeup by @laurengriffinmua Written by @jackiefern #darrencriss #assasinationofgianniversace #americancrimestory #versace #glee @americancrimestoryfx
Queerty wrote:
Rotten Tomatoes 10 highest rated TV series for your Pride viewing pleasure
9. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018) – 86%
The Ryan Murphy anthology series returned this season, reimaging one of the most shocking murders in American history. Though the show features a cast that includes Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, Ricky Martin, Edgar Ramirez, and Judith Light, the series belongs to Darren Criss as spree killer Andrew Cunanan. Criss captures the imbalance of the character, making him all the more despicable. While the series in no way absolves Cunanan of his crimes, it also has a preoccupation with the rampant homophobia of the time, ranging from Donatella Versace’s disgust with her brother’s lover, to the FBI claiming Cunanan had evaded escape by posing as a woman (yes, it really happened). This opera of a show plays just as infuriating as it does tragic.
Source: https://www.queerty.com/rotten-tomatoes-10-highest-rated-tv-series-pride-viewing-pleasure-20180618
tedsun77: Congrats to @darrencriss on his amazing performance in @americancrimestoryfx #assassinationofgianniversace #nominee#bestperformance in a show @mtv #mtvmovieawards #actor #portrait #darrencriss #tedsunphoto [camaera emoji]
@tedsun77
Variety wrote:
Emmy Nominations 2018: Variety’s TV Critics on Their Dream Picks
This year’s Emmy nominations are almost upon us, and with the possibilities more scattered than usual, so are our opinions on who deserves to get a nod. So, with voting now underway, Variety’s TV critics got together to hash out their favorite contenders and — more importantly — point to some of the stellar performances that might not have enough support or clout to be recognized, but really ought to be.
D’Addario: We’ve gotten spoiled in recent years—the era of “Big Little Lies,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” and “Fargo”—such that this year seems pretty widely considered “weak.” There are plenty of credible nominees that exist in a slightly older mode: The tony TV literary adaptation. I was pleasantly surprised by both Netflix’s “Alias Grace” and Showtime’s “Patrick Melrose,” series that assay widely-respected recent novels with elegance, but verve, too. They may not be quite as edgy as the limited series that have bloomed in recent years, but they weren’t “Masterpiece Theatre,” either.
Framke: I’ll freely admit that this category doesn’t excite me much this year, with a couple exceptions. One is “Alias Grace,” which crawled under my skin for days after I finished it. The other is “American Crime Story: Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which didn’t get nearly as much attention or adulation as “People vs. OJ,” but was slick and confrontational in a way that kept my attention.
LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Framke: Given your ambivalence towards “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” I’ll stump here for Darren Criss, whose performance just about chilled my blood with every blink. And on the complete opposite of the spectrum (and in what I’ll admit is a “no way in hell” nomination dream), I’ll say that Jimmy Tatro‘s surprisingly grounded “American Vandal” role deserves more attention than it got.
D’Addario: I’ll admit I didn’t vibrate on “Vandal’s” frequency. I admired Kyle MacLachlan’s sheer commitment to his “Twin Peaks” role(s) enough to hope he lands a nomination, but find myself rooting for “Patrick Melrose’s” Benedict Cumberbatch. The actor’s no stranger to the Emmys thanks to “Sherlock,” but his compelling, painful, redemptive journey through addiction and self-loathing on “Melrose” deserves notice.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Framke: If the FYC campaigns are any indication, this might be Jeff Daniels’ race to lose, but his consciously hammy performance in “Godless” left me pretty cold. Instead, I find myself in a somewhat hilarious position that my middle school self would find perfectly appropriate: rooting for Ricky Martin’s heartbreaking performance in “ACS: Versace.” I will also happily accept Cody Fern’s.
D’Addario: Cody Fern was a genuine discovery in “Versace.” My vote, though, would go to Jason Ritter, putting his considerable charm towards risky and, eventually, genuinely scary use as a predator in “The Tale.” It’s a performance that walks close to the edge without losing balance.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
D’Addario: If anyone onscreen in “Versace” earned a prize, it’s Penelope Cruz’s uncanny Donatella, balancing feral pain with the need to save face. In my dream world, Riley Keough’s sharp, dogged work in “Paterno” pays off, and Frances Conroy gets in for an eerie, brief appearance in “The Tale,” one that leaves a painful afterburn.
Framke: I see your Penelope Cruz and raise you a Judith Light — which might be one of my favorite sentences I’ve ever written. Bless TV forever and ever, amen.
Source: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/emmy-nominations-2018-game-of-thrones-atlanta-the-americans-1202849534/
darrencriss: Wrap Superstars. @edgarramirez25 @judithlight
526 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:24 am
I accidentally placed my post yesterday in the Darren Criss Appreciation thread, so I'm copying and pasting it here:
Congratulations to Darren for his Television Critics Association Award nomination!! Yea!
She is the photographer for the Wrap photoshoot.
ecarenphoto: Congratulations @darrencriss on your #TCA nomination!! #AmericanCrimeStory Versace seriously hoping he wins the Emmy for Best Actor- he was so believable. For @thewrap #creativedirector @guerin_ad #stylist @ashleypweston #photoshoot #emmys#darrencriss #elisabethcaren
Source 1, 2
'Killing Eve,' FX Lead 2018 TV Critic Awards Nominations
. . . While FX led the pack among networks with 10 [nominations for the 2018 Television Critics Association Awards].
The awards are voted on by more than 200 television critics and journalists across the country. Winners for the 34th annual TCA Awards will be announced Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills during the TCA summer press tour.
Individual Achievement in Drama
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve, BBC America
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, FX
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale, Hulu
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve, BBC America
Matthew Rhys, The Americans, FX
Keri Russell, The Americans, FX
Outstanding Achievement in Movie or Miniseries
Alias Grace, Netflix
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, FX
Howards End, Starz
Patrick Melrose, Showtime
The Tale, HBO
Twin Peaks: The Return, Showtime
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/killing-eve-fx-lead-2018-tv-critic-awards-nominations-1121152/item/individual-achievement-comedy-tca-2018-1121155
I'm feeling a little under the weather, but wanted to post a few items about ACS Versace.
Hi Springbay! Nice to see you here!
'Assassination of Gianni Versace' delves into the mind of a killer — and societal prejudice
The second season focused on the mysterious backstory of spree killer Andrew Cunanan, a gay gigolo and prolific liar who killed four men before his infamous 1997 murder of groundbreaking Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace — one of the few openly gay celebrities of that time. (Cunanan, 27 at the time of Versace’s murder, would kill himself days later.)
In the midst of unpacking all of that, the drama presented a striking portrait of homophobia in the 1990s by examining the injustice that was steeped in societal prejudice — particularly in regards to how police officials handled the case — and the toll of hate, from outside and within.
“The underlying theme was homophobia,” said Edgar Ramirez, who played Versace. “The show talks about the open and raging political homophobia on one side, and it also talks about the internalized — and even more dangerous — homophobia within. What I love about this whole project is how, almost in the likes of a Greek tragedy, it touches upon subjects that are important and that are culturally and socially relevant today more than ever.”
Criss, who before “Versace” had largely been known for his bright-eyed turn in Murphy’s musical series, “Glee,” was struck by the psychological mapping the role required.
“There’s a lot of different ways we could have written Andrew, because there’s a lot of different ways anybody can glean who he was or what really made him tick,“ Criss said. “People always ask, ‘What’s it’s like to play a spree killer?’ If you boil it down to just that, that’s not who he was. It’s what we know him for. But if you think of all the worst things that anybody’s ever done in their life, the amount of time they spent doing that horrible thing is in the severe minority of the infinite minutes, hours, seconds, moments of their life. Again, I’m not saying this by any means exonerates him from those horrible minutes of his life, but it does beg the attention of the other moments.”
While Versace’s name brings heft to the narrative, the drama was just as invested in bringing attention to Cunanan’s lesser-known victims — Gulf War veteran and Cunanan’s good friend Jeffrey Trail; architect and Cunanan’s unrequited love David Madson; real estate mogul Lee Miglin; and cemetery caretaker William Reese — and the people whose lives were affected by those murders.
[Judith] Light says she hadn’t known much about Cunanan’s killings prior to joining the series. But she remembers the ethos of the time distinctly.
“I didn’t really know much about Cunanan’s prior victims,” she said. “So I wasn’t too familiar with the Miglin case. I remember the Versace killing, and I remember it was a very powerful, visceral experience. One of the most important factors in watching this is to see that, to whatever degree, we still have that [homophobia] going on in our culture.”
That function as a sociological yearbook is ultimately what binds “Versace” to “The People v. O.J. Simpson.”
“They’re very different stories,” Criss said. “But they’re excellent examinations of a time period that allows a certain thing to happen, which ends up being a crime — but how that crime affects the social landscape is also a crime.”
Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-st-versace-emmys-20180620-story.html
ecarenphoto: And you may find yourself in a beautiful house And you may ask yourself How do I work this? And you shoot through the doorway! #bts #photoshoot #ACSVersace #Emmys @thewrap @tatertatloveslu #creativedirector @guerin_ad #photo lighting asst @beardedimmaculateconception @cameron_gardner @joshdavisshoots @alreadymadeorg #femalephotographer#5050by2020 #behindthescenes @hollywood_bts#edgarramirez #darrencriss #judithlight@loveartistsagency
Via Darren’s Instagram Story (June 19th, 2018)
TV Line wrote:
Emmys 2018: Lead Actor, Limited Series — Dream Nominees
DARREN CRISS, THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
WHY HE DESERVES A NOD: Gianni Versace may have gotten his name featured in the title of FX’s second American Crime Story, but it was Andrew Cunanan — played to haunting perfection by a not-so-Gleeful Darren Criss — who captivated audiences until the season’s unforgettable conclusion. With each gut-wrenching breakdown and unnerving look, Criss embodied a character capable of skyrocketing him from teen-TV heartthrob to Emmy-nominated powerhouse. And need we remind you about that infamous underwear dance? Playing this role took some serious, well, you know.
Source: https://tvline.com/gallery/2018-emmy-awards-lead-actor-limited-series-dream-nominations/
*He became known in 2010 in the hit Musical series #Glee, today he plays the famous serial killer of season 2 of #AmericanCrimeStory @AHS “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”: Welcome #DarrenCriss in the #10h12h
Haven't had a chance to listen.
Track: Darren Criss on Sud Radio (06-20-18)
Darren Criss on Sud Radio (June 20th, 2018) | Source
*Darren’s speaking in English and it is being translated in real time to French.
**Interview recorded on June 17th, 2018
Episode stills for episode 4 of The Assassination of Gianni Versace | 20 June 2018
528 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Sat Jun 23, 2018 1:17 am
What is happening in my country right now, with these innocent children--who are just so young and so vulnerable, whose only "crime" is to place their trust in their parents' desire to protect them by fleeing from horrifying violence in their native country to try to apply for asylum in the U.S.--it is just so heartbreaking. It is unbelievable to me that there are people in my country who actually support Trump's deplorable, cruel decision to separate children and babies from their parents.
What has happened to compassion for our fellow human being? These are people with so little, with very little rights, with nothing but each other. And our government takes them away from each other?!!
It seems to me that these "Americans" who support Trump's inhumane persecution of these babies and children and their parents, are not seeing these children and their parents as people; Trump and his followers are dehumanizing these children and their parents, seeing them as a type of pests that they find threatening.
This is exactly why representation matters. This is why it's absolutely critical that minorities--whether those in the immigrant community, those in the LGBTQ community, in racial and religious minorities, those with disabilities, women--need to be present and represented. They is why persons in minority communities need to have their faces seen and have their voices heard: To show their humanity matters, to show that they-- as human beings-- matter and must be valued as much as those in the majority.
Why am I talking about this in this thread and not in the thread for news? Because it's all linked. It's all related. This is the same overriding message of this show. In ACS Versace, the way law enforcement and others regarded gay men in the 1980s in the U.S., with fear, with a lack of understanding and a lack of caring, it's all tragically present in many ways today. And most horrifying is that these misguided, hateful attitudes are present both at the highest levels of government, by our own President, and among his followers. So I want to say, in this thread, where ACS Versace is discussed, that I am thankful to Ryan Murphy for creating a show that brings up this discussion, that shines a spotlight on how tragic is the human toll of hate and intolerance of our fellow human beings. And thank you, Darren, for being an actor who supports representation of minority communities. I cannot express how much that is needed. All one needs to do is look at what is happening to these precious children to know how vital it is to show that we must continue to spread the message over and over again, that we all belong, that we all matter, please see us, please hear us, please do not hate us, please value us.
Ok, I'm falling off my soapbox now.
latimesent: “People always ask, ‘What’s it’s like to play a spree killer?’ If you boil it down to just that, that’s not who he was. It’s what we know him for.“ - @DarrenCriss on playing #ACSVersace’s real-life murderer lat.ms/2tm9L01
L.A. Times.
[UHQ] Darren Criss, Judith Light, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin in the June 21st issue of the Los Angeles Times
Via Ricky Rollins’ Instagram Story (June 21st, 2018)
Via Darren’s Instagram Story (June 21st, 2018)
Link: https://www.thewrap.com/assassination-gianni-versace-followed-killer-madness/
Darren's secret weapon are his expressive eyes.
Actor Darren Criss, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap | Source
Some items I meant to post earlier but didn't have time (from dcriss-archive):
‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ delves into the mind of a killer — and societal prejudice | 20 June 2018
kmannmakeup: #bts with @darrencriss@edgarramirez25 @judithlight for @thewrap magazine #darrencriss #styling @ashleypweston #grooming by me #kindramannmakeup @tmgla #edgarramirez #grooming @sascha_breuer #judithlight #makeup @jamiemakeup #hair @lightaaron
I earlier had posted in this thread, the audio for this podcast about actors who Ryan Murphy likes to work with on his projects. Here is their Consequence of Sound website you can go to, where it's easier to locate the point where they discuss Darren (although if you have time, it's fun to hear their thoughts on the other various actors Ryan likes to work with). Go to Point 1:13:50. Link: https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/06/tv-party-rank-and-file-ryan-murphys-most-valuable-players/
And this is a nice article on this same website. Best quote: "He has such an open face and it's such a deep well of emotion in those eyes. But he also can deaden them [Darren's eyes] when he needs to." Also love her comment on his physicality, in terms of the different ways Darren moved as Andrew Cunanan, sometimes a strut, sometimes a glide, sometimes like a shark, sometimes like a cat.
Consequence of Sound wrote:
Assassination of Gianni Versace Proves Two Things: Darren Criss Is a Star, and Ryan Murphy Can Pick ‘Em
But now hear this: It can never be said that Ryan Murphy’s loyalty to actors, and theirs to him, has not paid dividends. . .
Now it’s going to make a star of Darren Criss, and Darren Criss in turn makes The Assassination of Gianni Versace a piece of can’t-miss television. His isn’t the only great performance in the second go-round of American Crime Story, but it’s the best and also the most surprising. It’s well past time to call it like it is: Ryan Murphy’s single greatest strength as an artist is his work with actors. He can spot them, nurture great performances from them, earn and retain their loyalty, and identify precisely when to throw them into the role most likely to show them at their best. He did it with Lange. He did it with Paulson. And now, he’s doing it with Blaine the Warbler from Glee.
Like most of Murphy’s recent work, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is every inch an ensemble piece, but only the second season of American Horror Story rivals this outing for the sheer, magnetic pull of one character and performance. Criss’ work as spree killer Andrew Cunanan is so good that it’s perhaps fairest to talk about literally everything else first.
As the Versace siblings, Edgar Ramírez and Penélope Cruz sit on either side of a seesaw so that when one is volatile, the other is vulnerable; when one is triumphant, the other recedes. They’re both excellent, equal parts charismatic and fragile. In the eight episodes provided to critics, Judith Light only seizes the spotlight once, but in that episode, which centers on Marilyn and Lee Miglin, she’s predictably terrific; newcomer Cody Fern is similarly great and with a heavier load. The writing, primarily by Tom Rob Smith (from Maureen Orth’s book Vulgar Favors), doesn’t dazzle in quite the way that the previous American Crime Story did, but the highs are every bit as high. It’s beautifully shot, tensely edited, and cleverly structured.
It is, in short, a good show, but it centers on a great performance. The show begins with Andrew Cunanan’s murder of Gianni Versace and slowly moves backwards, first tracing the path Cunanan took to Miami Beach and the lives he took along the way, then going back further to look at the young man who became a killer and the boy who became that young man. As a result, we see his lies get better, which get borrowed from someone else, and which turn out to be at least a little bit true. We watch his detachment dwindle. We watch as he checks off, like items on a grocery list, the personas he rattles off in this unsettling little speech from an early episode in the series:
“I’m a banker. I’m a stockbroker. I’m a shareholder, I’m a paperback writer, I’m a cop. I’m a naval officer. Sometimes I’m a spy! I build movie sets in Mexico and skyscrapers in Chicago, I sell propane in Minneapolis. I import pineapples from the Philippines. You know, I’m the person least likely to be forgotten.”
Then the screen cuts to black, and he adds one more to that laundry list: “I’m Andrew Cunanan.”
It’s one of the most chilling, upsetting line-readings in recent memory. Three words uttered in darkness, somehow hugely loaded. They’re truthful and ring with that truthfulness; they’re laced with something that sounds like pride and defiance, but they also hint at something more like despair and defensiveness. That’s in three words. And if that sounds impressive, just wait until you see the terrifying way he eats a ham sandwich.
Criss has always been watchable. In his first appearance on Glee, he played a teenage dream who literally sang “Teenage Dream”, and while it’s not a performance you’d call particularly nuanced, it’s evident immediately that this is a performer with vats of charisma at his disposal. What’s so thrilling about his American Crime Story performance is how much more there is going on and how he wields that charisma like a knife. You get the sense that Criss knows exactly when he wants the audience to believe Cunanan and when he doesn’t — when the lies should be convincing and when they shouldn’t. Sometimes, all that charm emanates from him like body heat, something natural and unconscious, but at others it’s obviously tactical, weaponized, hollow. Cunanan has control at some points and not at others, but Criss knows exactly what he’s doing.
When Murphy first cast the largely unknown Criss in Glee, did he know he’d be making him a series regular? Probably not. He certainly didn’t know he’d be putting him at the center of one of 2018’s most exciting television shows and would have had no way of predicting that the result would be a performance that’s sure to be among the best of this or any other year. But what’s almost certain is that Murphy did what he seems to always do: he found an actor he thinks is good, so he made sure to give that actor work. The work was good, so he got more work. And now, this.
There are many reasons to tune into American Crime Story over the next several months — great acting, good writing, terrific production design, and editing as taut as the best horror movie among them — but the lynchpin is Criss’ performance. It’s one more piece of evidence that sometimes loyalty pays off, not in dollars or trophies, but in remarkable art. Ryan Murphy believes in Darren Criss. Darren Criss did not disappoint him. Television is all the better for it.
Source: https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/01/assassination-of-gianni-versace-proves-two-things-darren-criss-is-a-star-and-ryan-murphy-can-pick-em/
529 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:19 pm
Hello Poppy. Hope you feel better.
Yeah, what's on the news is often sad
Thank you, Jeremy. You are so sweet.
531 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:56 am
SO: Emmy "Voting closed June 25, with the nominations to be announced July 12." Source: http://www.emmys.com/news/emmys-calendar/emmy-awards-industry-calendar
In a few weeks, we'll hear who is being nominated for an Emmy! Cross fingers for ACS Versace, Darren and the rest of the cast and crew!
Emmy Magazine Photoshoot (June 25th, 2018) | Source
Mashable wrote:
The 10 best new shows of 2018 (so far)
9. American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Ok, so American Crime Story technically started before 2018, but since it’s an anthology it’s probably OK to put this one down as a “new” show. Versace had the hard task of following the lauded People vs. OJ Simpson season and moved with that momentum, with standout performances from Darren Criss as murderer Andrew Cunanan and Penelope Cruz as the iconic Donatella Versace. While the crime itself is literally given in the title, the show’s peek behind Cunanan’s psyche and the drama that followed the murder make for some peak Ryan Murphy excellence.
Source: https://mashable.com/2018/06/25/best-television-shows-2018-so-far/#OJJ3V7Tqoaqs
The Ringer wrote:
The Best TV of 2018—So Far
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
No series this year has a closer relationship between its form and its function than The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the second volume of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology drama, American Crime Story. Written entirely by Tom Rob Smith, the nine-episode season tracks the murders of the world-famous designer and four other victims by Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), a gay man who envied Versace’s lifestyle but lacked any of the positive qualities that earned it. Assassination disarms the audience by starting where many assumed it would end, with Cunanan shooting Versace on the steps of his South Beach mansion. Smith then moves backward in time and broader in focus than the celebrity who serves as its Trojan horse, giving the three other gay men who died at Cunanan’s hands their own extended eulogies. Assassination is one of the more damning portrayals of cultural and internalized homophobia ever dramatized; by withholding an origin story for Andrew until the very end, the show throws the spotlight not just on his victims, but on the society that created him. No wonder it didn’t become a smash hit. — Herman
Source: https://www.theringer.com/tv/2018/6/25/17494092/best-tv-of-2018-so-far
I don't give a real importance to awards but it would be nice to see him receiving a major award like this one
533 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:59 pm
Yes, i don't value Awards that much either. There are so many deserving artists who are not even nominated for various awards (Academy Award, Grammy Award, Emmy Award, etc.). Plus the criteria used for various awards is so biased toward artists with big names, and awards are also given because the voters (of the Television Academy or Film Academy, etc.) would like to reward an artist for their body of work done over the course of their career (especially if that artist has had a long career and had not yet received any awards), versus whether a new young artist had done an amazing performance for this season. And there are other factors beyond the the issue of which artists gave the most impressive performance this season, such as what social-political issues are currently very relevant, and whether the artist's show pairs up with currently hot social-political issues.
I honestly just would like Darren to receive a nomination.
It seems the majority of critics revere his performance this season in ACS Versace. But at the same time, I've seen media critics state they also would like to see Kyle MacLachlan rewarded for his body of work over the course of his long career, especially for his work in Twin Peaks (the original seasons) and the recent reboot of Twin Peaks. I imagine some of the voters of the Television Academy may also feel the same (that although Darren did an amazing job this season, they feel they want Kyle MacLachlan finally be recognized for his body of work over the course of his career, especially since many did feel he did a good/great job on this recent reboot of Twin Peaks).
534 VH1's Trailblazer Honors to Ryan Murphy (June 28, 2018) on Sun Jul 01, 2018 6:55 pm
VH1's Trailblazer Honors to Ryan Murphy (June 28, 2018)
The full speech. Very eloquent speech. "I see you." So beautiful for someone to say that to you, and then for Ryan to pay it forward to so many deserving people in the LGBT community, minorities and women. I wish that more individuals in Hollywood (actors, directors, writers, producers) would try to be trailblazers too for those communities in need of such leadership, in need of that helping hand. I've been watching Pose, and I LOVE it! I haven't had the time to post my thoughts on it, but I just need to say it's a wonderful show, full of heart.
Logo New Now Next wrote:
Watch Julia Roberts, Connie Britton, and Sarah Paulson Honor Ryan Murphy
Prolific producer and director Ryan Murphy will be recognized at VH1’s Trailblazer Honors for highlighting queer stories in projects like The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, The Normal Heart, and his latest hit, Pose. He has also launched the Half Initiative, a program designed to create equal opportunities for women and minorities behind the camera.
In a new video from the ceremony, some of the biggest stars from Murphy’s projects, including Julia Roberts, Connie Britton, Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates, all explain how he has changed their lives forever, and how he is also helping expand acceptance by telling the stories of the LGBTQ community.
“Ryan recognizes where there is an unreasonable, irrational, unacceptable void,” Britton says in the new video.
Kathy Bates, who has starred on multiple seasons of American Horror Story, reveals how working with Murphy has “rejuvenated” her career in a way that she “never expected my third act to be.”
“These are the best years of my life, and that is in no small part due to Ryan Murphy,” she adds.
Watch the actresses honor him below, and tune into see Murphy’s acceptance speech when Trailblazer Honors airs at 9:30/8:30c on VH1.
Source: http://www.newnownext.com/ryan-murphy-vh1-trailblazer-honors/06/2018/
darrencrissarmy:
Darren Criss, Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Brad Falchuk, Cheyenne Jackson & Sterling K Brown speak about Ryan Murphy on the VH1 Trailblazer Awards.
Last edited by Poppy on Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
535 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:10 pm
US Magazine wrote:
6 Underrated TV Shows and Actors Who Deserve Emmy Love: Pics
Playing a villain in a way that the audience admires isn’t an easy task. Especially, when it’s based on a horrible person like Branch Davidians leader David Koreshin Waco. While the category – Lead Actor in a Limited Series – will most likely go to Darren Criss’ portrayal of Versace’s killer Andrew Cunanan – Kitsch still deserves the recognition.
Source: https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/6-underrated-tv-shows-and-actors-who-deserve-emmys-pics/the-bold-type-2/
I really enjoyed the insights in Matt Brennan's articles in Paste Magazine:
Source / Link to first article/ Link to second article
First article: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/01/american-crime-story-assassination-of-gianni-versa.html
Second article: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/03/why-the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-is-the-yea.html
Newsday wrote:
Best TV shows of 2018 so far: 'Atlanta Robbin' Season,' 'The Middle' series finale, more
7. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX) OK, fine, we can all agree — not as good as “O.J.” But there were many pleasures here, almost all in the craftsmanship. The performances were uniformly good, while lead Darren Criss turned in a superb one — and possibly an Emmy-winning one, too.
Source: https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/best-tv-shows-2018-1.19469512
Source / Link to article
Link: https://decider.com/2018/04/04/best-tv-episodes-2018/
Here's the Decider excerpt:
Decider wrote:
10 Best TV Episodes of 2018 (So Far)
1. ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ Episode 4: “House By the Lake”
With its fourth episode, The Assassination of Gianni Versace emerged as the show it had been trying to be. Without the gaudy trappings of the Versace family, producer Ryan Murphy and writer Tom Rob Smith turned their narrative eye towards the unbearably tragic murder of David Madson.
Darren Criss (as Andrew Cunanan) and Cody Fern (as Madson) turn in searing performances as killer and victim, respectively, anchoring the episode even as it takes a few flights of fancy. — Joe Reid
Source: https://decider.com/2018/04/04/best-tv-episodes-2018/
AV Club wrote:
The best TV of 2018 so far
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace didn’t seize the zeitgeist the way its predecessor did, but it still made for a focused tragedy told in novel fashion a visual flair fit for the late fashion icon of its title. Played with tremendous warmth by Édgar Ramírez, Versace is ultimately a supporting character here, the spotlight falling on Darren Criss, doing the best work of his career as Versace’s murderer, Andrew Cunanan. At turns magnetic and terrifying, Criss plays Andrew as a creature of pathological confidence and need, forged from the pressures of the American dream and an internalized homophobia whose external manifestations allowed his crimes to go overlooked and under-investigated for months. In the mixed-up chronology of Tom Rob Smith’s scripts, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story shows not how the monster was once a man, but how the man always had some bit of monstrousness impressed upon him, an ugliness that festered in Cunanan and claimed the lives of others, until it snuffed out one of the world’s true champions of beauty. [Erik Adams]
Source: https://tv.avclub.com/the-best-tv-of-2018-so-far-1827001282
Metacritic!
Metacritic wrote:
The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2018 (So Far)
Above, find the highest-scoring first-year TV shows (and miniseries) debuting between January 1, 2018 and June 27, 2018. Only shows with at least 7 reviews from professional critics are included.
#16 (tie): The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story: Season 1
Ryan Murphy originally planned for a Hurricane Katrina-themed season of his American Crime Story anthology series to follow 2016’s wildly acclaimed The People v. O.J. Simpson. But with the Katrina season now being retooled (it should air in 2019), the anthology’s second installment instead focuses on a series of murders in the 1990s, culminating in the shocking 1997 killing of fashion designer Gianni Versace (played by Edgar Ramirez) in Miami.
Despite the title, the series mostly focuses on the life of serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Glee’s Darren Criss), and his story (based on Maureen Orth’s book Vulgar Favors) is told in reverse, beginning with Versace’s assassination and then moving backwards to fill in the details.
“Assassination may not be as enjoyable to watch as O.J., but it’s striking to see how thoughtfully all involved approach a very different story in a way that gives it its own tone, its own themes, and its own grandeur. This is a more difficult but more ambitious work, and it stands as a worthy companion.” —Todd VanDerWerff, Vox
Source: http://www.metacritic.com/pictures/best-tv-shows-of-2018-so-far/3
536 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:33 am
Aw, you can tell Jon Jon is very touched here--this meant a lot to him. I admire his humility.
Jon Jon Briones - East West Players Visionary Awards 2018
East West Players 52nd Visionary Awards. IdeateTV host Jennifer Field interviews EWP honoree Jon Jon Briones. Jennifer gets Jon Jon to sing a little as well as gets a surprise shout out to him at the end of the video for Jon Jon and his receiving a visionary award. | 10 May 2018
Esquire wrote:
The Best TV Shows of 2018 (So Far)
3. THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
The first season of American Crime Story set an impossibly high bar for later editions of Ryan Murphy’s latest anthology series. While The Assassination of Gianni Versace seemed like the perfect follow up to The People v. O.J. Simpson, the former never quite lived up the hype of the latter. That is essentially a shame—and perhaps its misleading title is to blame. While the 1997 murder of the Italian fashion designer does kick off the season, it’s hardly its focus; instead, serial killer Andrew Cunanan is the leading player as the show follows him on his three-month murder spree across the United States. Darren Criss delivers a phenomenally unhinged performance as Cunanan, bringing humanity to the sociopathic character who left behind little explanation of his motives. —Tyler Coates
Source: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/g14465280/best-tv-shows-2018/
Interesting discussion. Discussion of Lead Actor for Limited Series/TV Movie occurs from :01 to 11:20. Amanda: "Darren Criss looks like it's his to lose." Riley: "I do think Darren Criss is ahead just because he got the TCA nomination, . . . there's more passion there than I thought." Zach: "I guess Darren Criss is ahead in this, but I really do wonder if the empathy factor is going to be something that hurts him. . . they like to vote for sympathetic heroes. . . so I kind of wonder, if as brilliant as Darren Criss is in this show, and as far and away the front runner as Versace is to win in the limited series, if that could be an impediment on him . . . " Amanda: "I think what helps Darren Criss is the reverse factor, like you hate him and then you kind of start feeling a little bad for his abusive crazy childhood . . . but I do think he gives this big performance." Riley: "That's where I think Darren Criss has a leg up when it comes to deciding the winner like where is the passion." (Riley believes that the passionate performance of Darren will help him.)
2018 Emmy nominations slugfest: Limited Series/TV Movie acting predictions | GOLD DERBY
Contributors Amanda Spears, Zach Laws and Riley Chow debate the Emmy races for Best Movie/Limited Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. | 2 July 2018
Ryan Murphy: “I Was Told I Was Too Weird, Too Faggy, Too Unusual” for Hollywood
Prolific producer and director Ryan Murphy was recognized at last week’s VH1 Trailblazer Honors for highlighting queer stories in projects like The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, The Normal Heart, and his latest hit, Pose.
Now his full acceptance speech has been released online, and watch as Murphy tells the audience about his years as an out gay man in Hollywood where he was told he was “too weird, too faggy, too unusual.”
“My mannerisms and voice were mocked by executives in notes meetings,” he adds.
When he was about to give up on his dream of making it in the entertainment industry, Murphy got a call from another television pioneer, someone he calls one of the original trailblazers: Norman Lear.
The All in the Family and One Day at a Time creator told Murphy not to give up. “I see you. Keep going,” he told him.
Watch as the Glee creator talks about being inspired by older women, creating the Half Initiative, and how the upcoming episode of Pose directed by Janet Mock is “perhaps the best hour of television in my career that I have been associated with.”
As if we weren’t excited for Pose already. Watch his inspiring speech below.
Source: http://www.newnownext.com/ryan-murphy-vh1-trailblazer-honors-speech/07/2018/
Consequences of Sound wrote:
The Top 25 Performances of 2018 (So Far)
06. DARREN CRISS
The Show: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
The Showrunner: Tom Rob Smith
The Performance: Leave it to Ryan Murphy to spot that Glee’s teenage dream could also be The Assassination of Gianni Versace’s 27-year-old nightmare. There has perhaps never been a better match of performer and real-life subject matter than Darren Criss and serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Like Cunanan, Criss is a Filipino American with an inherently magnetic charisma. Whether sauntering into a house party in a red leather jumpsuit or coldly committing a brutal murder, Criss is as a hypnotic, heartbreaking, and, above all, terrifying anchor for the series. —Caroline Siede
Also Great: Penelope Cruz, Cody Fern, Finn Wittrock, Judith Light
Source: https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/07/the-top-25-performances-of-2018-so-far/
537 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:18 am
2018 Emmys: ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace,’ ‘Godless,’ ‘The Looming Tower’ will top acting nominations for limited series/TV movies
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace” will be the latest Ryan Murphy show to dominate the acting races at the Emmys, according to Gold Derby’s predictions. FX’s anthology series is forecasted to top all other limited series/TV movies with four acting bids, for lead Darren Criss and supporting players Penelope Cruz, Judith Light and Edgar Ramirez. Not to outdone, two other limited series — Netflix’s “Godless” and Hulu’s “The Looming Tower” — are predicted to walk away with three acting noms apiece.
Gold Derby’s racetrack odds are derived from the predictions made by Expert journalists, website staff Editors, our Top Users who scored the best predicting previous events, and all site Users. The Emmy nominations will be unveiled July 12.
Here’s the breakdown of each limited series/TV movie that’s predicted to earn two or more acting nominations at the 2018 Emmys:
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace” – 4 acting predictions
Movie/Mini Actor Darren Criss
Movie/Mini Supporting Actress Penelope Cruz
Movie/Mini Supporting Actress Judith Light
Movie/Mini Supporting Actor Edgar Ramirez
Source: https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/2018-emmys-assassination-of-gianni-versace-godless-the-looming-tower-news/
Watch out, Darren Criss (‘Versace’)! The Emmy front-runner could be upset by Benedict Cumberbatch (‘Patrick Melrose’)
Darren Criss has been the Emmy front-runner for Best Movie/Mini Actor since we opened our predictions center in March. He has a showy starring role as real-life serial killer Andrew Cunanan in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” the second installment of Ryan Murphy‘s “American Crime Story” franchise. But later in the spring a challenger emerged who might be Criss’s biggest threat: Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose“).
As we approach the announcement of the Emmy nominations on July 12 Criss has leading odds of 10/3 based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. Among those users are 19 Expert journalists from top media outlets, 12 of whom agree with the consensus that Criss will win: Debra Birnbaum (Variety), Debbie Day (Rotten Tomatoes), Lynn Elber (Associated Press), Chris Harnick (E!), Matthew Jacobs (Huffington Post), Tom O’Neil(Gold Derby), Lynette Rice (Entertainment Weekly), Robert Rorke (New York Post), Matt Roush (TV Guide Magazine), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) and Ken Tucker (Yahoo).
Based on our combined odds, Criss’s closest competition is Al Pacino(“Paterno”), who ranks second with 9/2 odds. But the Experts think the real dark horse is Cumberbatch for playing the title character in Showtime’s literary adaptation “Patrick Melrose.” It’s a meaty showcase for Cumberbatch, who gets to play a former child abuse victim struggling with addiction, and five Experts say it will be the ticket to an Emmy win: Eric Deggans (NPR), Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood), Anne Thompson (IndieWire) and Ben Travers (IndieWire).
Source: https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/darren-criss-assassination-of-gianni-versace-emmys-benedict-cumberbatch-news-957130684/
Feinberg Forecast: Final Emmy Nomination Projections
PROJECTED NOMINEES
Godless (Netflix)
The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
Genius (National Geographic)
POTENTIAL SURPRISE
SHOULDA BEEN A CONTENDA
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Jeff Daniels (Godless) — podcast
Edgar Ramirez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Brandon Victor Dixon (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Tahar Rahim (The Looming Tower)
Peter Sarsgaard (The Looming Tower)
Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Merritt Wever (Godless)
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Judith Light (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Nicole Kidman (Top of the Lake: China Girl) — podcast
Sharon Stone (Mosaic)
Ellen Burstyn (The Tale)
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/emmys-2018-feinberg-forecast-1122792/item/best-drama-series-1122795
Vox wrote:
The 24 best TV shows of 2018 so far
The second installment of American Crime Story after 2016’s The People vs. O. J. Simpson was less immediately arresting. But its depiction of ’90s America is just as impressive, tracing the circuitous route of serial killer Andrew Cunanan backward from his most famous victim through a gay scene struggling not to be forced back in the closet. Darren Criss’s work as Cunanan is masterful.
How to watch it: American Crime Story is available for digital purchase, or on FX’s streaming platforms. It will eventually be on Netflix.
Source: https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/7/3/17526700/best-tv-2018-so-far
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) wrote:
Channelling good entertainment
. . . Five shows managed to shine just a little brighter in the insanely crowded TV landscape.2.
2. THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY (SoHo)
The latest American Crime Story adaptation is a misnomer, as it follows (mostly in reverse chronological order) the life of Versace’s murderer, Andrew Cunanan. But as played in a tour de force and award-worthy performance by Darren Criss, Cunanan’s and Versace’s (Edgar Ramirez) interwoven stories are riveting and revealing, a study of the lives and struggles of gay men in the 1990s. At times difficult to watch, the portrait of the spree killer is gilded and fascinating, gorgeous and off-putting from beginning to end.
Source: https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/television/channelling-good-entertainment
538 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:33 pm
This critic's analysis of the performances of Cody Fern and Darren is spot-on. The critic captures why I was so taken with Cody's performance as David Madson--it was how Cody so brilliantly captured the pain of such a kind, gentle, sensitive soul, how Cody expressed Madson's haunting sadness due to his internal conflict of feeling shame for being gay (with Cunanan expertly manipulating Madson's shame that in effect slowly killed Madson's soul before Cunanan fired those fatal gunshots), as well as due to the external conflict due to the intolerance of American society. Cody's performance just broke my heart. It'll be a shame if he and Jon Jon Briones are not nominated. And similarly, this critic captured why Darren's performance was so affecting, how he portrayed such a complex character, at times so cruel, unfeeling, violent and hateful, a monster, and other times, so undeserving of that simple label of a monster, with Darren showing Andrew to be so human, so vulnerable, so desperate to be loved and to be respected.
Best Performances of 2018… So Far
By Kayla Cobb
We’re only halfway through the year and already 2018 has been an embarrassment of television riches. From Russian spies to empowering lady wrestlers, this year in TV has been defined by sympathetic characters and simply incredible performances. But who’s delivered the best performances… so far?
Cody Fern, ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (FX)
Initially, it seemed like Cody Fern‘s delicate, devastating performance as David Madson, the second of Andrew Cunanan’s murder victims, was going to be relegated to a mere tragedy of proximity. David was unfortunate enough to cross paths with this burgeoning killer at exactly the wrong time, catching his eye, earning his sinister intention, and ultimately reaping the violence that Andrew held inside him. Ryan Murphy and Tom Rob Smith’s production was far smarter than that, showing David in the crosshairs not of one madman but of a dehumanizing, unsympathetic society that left people like David exposed and uncared for. Into that elevated narrative, then, stepped Cody Fern, an Australian actor and genuine find, who played David not just with the doomed air of future victim but with the waxing and waning of someone trapped between choices he never wanted to have to make. As the season went on, we got to see more of how Fern played David’s faith in people — his parents, his friends, his neighbors — and how that faith would be broken and questioned. The way Fern plays David, wholesomely kind and talented, you can see why Andrew would have thought that attaining him would solve all his problems. But Fern also never let those haunted doubts behind David’s eyes go away. The ones that, in his final days, wondered if the shame of a son touched by sin wouldn’t be worse than the grief of a son lost forever. — Joe Reid
Darren Criss, 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (FX)
It would have been easy for The Assassination of Gianni Versace to lean into the pulpy tone that defined Versace’s murder in 1997. Instead Darren Criss brought us a performance that was more complicated, nuanced, and sympathetic than any coverage of Andrew Cunanan has ever been. Criss’ Cunanan was unmistakably the villain of his own story, but through his shifting glances, fake smiles, and constant lilting lies, he captured the hero Cunanan saw in the mirror. More than once Criss forced audiences to ask if this killer — who murdered five innocent men in cold blood — was actually a victim of his upbringing, societal homophobia, and his own disturbed mind. And yet the Versace season of American Crime Story was never afraid to pull back, showing us the monster Andrew Cunanan was beneath his perfect smile. Criss’ portrayal of a young man so enchanted by notoriety and enraged by jealousy that he would kill to obtain it is one of the most haunting roles ever brought to screen. — Kayla Cobb
Source: https://decider.com/2018/07/04/best-performances-2018-so-far/
EDIT: Added some more items.
Best TV Shows of 2018… So Far
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’
From singing high schoolers to horror stories throughout history, Ryan Murphy has made a career out of humanizing society’s outcasts. But nothing he has created has ever been as heart-breaking, nuanced, or painful as the Versace season of American Crime Story. Rather than building to the climax of Andrew Cunanan’s (Darren Criss) murder spree, American Crime Story starts with Versace’s (Édgar Ramírez) murder. What follows is a complicated reflection on how the prejudice the LGBT community faced in the ’90s, a toxic celebrity environment, a genius designer’s complicated legacy, and one man’s disturbed mind all resulted in one of the most preventable murders in American history. American Crime Story transformed its pulpy premise into an emotional love letter to Cunanan’s victims all while pointing a judgmental finger at the bigotry that led to these five victims’ needless deaths. — Kayla Cobb
Source: https://decider.com/2018/07/04/the-best-tv-shows-of-2018-so-far/
Another video from Gold Derby, focusing not on the acting categories, but on the shows in contention for Limited Series & TV Movie.
2018 Emmy nominations slugfest: Limited Series & TV Movie/ Gold Derby
Contributors Zach Laws, Riley Chow and Amanda Spears debate the Emmy races for Best Limited Series, Movie, Movie/Limited Writing and Movie/Limited Directing. | 4 July 2018
Regarding Limited Series.
Medium wrote:
My Picks For This Years Emmy Nods: Limited Series
The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX)
Okay, it wasn’t at the level of People Vs. O.J. Simpson. But the second season of American Crime Story did have some of the more memorable performances of the year. And by operating in reverse chronology, we got to see a lot clearer what drove Andrew Cunanan to become the monster he was — something we never saw for O.J. Simpson. The series took on the issue of homosexuality in a far darker and more realistic way than we’ve come to expect from Ryan Murphy and company, and in its own way, it was as relevant as Simpson was in 2016. We still had a harder time looking at the title victim, but considering how closely we viewed all the other victims — including Cunanan himself — it was hardly lacking. The odds on favorite to win this year.
Source: https://medium.com/@davidbmorris/my-picks-for-this-years-emmy-nods-limited-series-dddfd106cc16
Regarding Lead Actor in a Limited Series/TV Movie
[url=https]My Picks For This Years Emmys, Outstanding Limited Series Awards[/url]
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace
One of the most dominant and fascinating performances for the entire year, Criss did something that even the greatest television has rarely been able to do: put you in the mind of a psychopath. The reverse unfolding of the series showed us just how Andrew Cunanan went from a gay rent-boy to a serial killer. He never quite earned our sympathy — he was just too deranged a personality to accomplish that — but through Criss’ portrayal we saw that in many ways, Cunanan was as broken and damaged as the victims he killed. The fact that Criss managed to do all this while making us forget the memorable portrayal of Blaine in Murphy’s Glee demonstrated just how great a talent he is. Probably the front-runner for the Emmy.
Source: https://medium.com/@davidbmorris/my-picks-for-this-years-emmys-outstanding-limited-series-awards-90d93f79b9d9
Some stills:
Episode stills for episode 6 of The Assassination of Gianni Versace | 4 July 2018
539 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Fri Jul 06, 2018 12:49 am
540 Re: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Mon Jul 09, 2018 1:10 am
I enjoyed watching the full roundtable.
Via Darren’s Instagram Story (July 8th, 2018)
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Google’s AI may be better than doctors at spotting breast cancer
Wednesday, 17 October 2018 by Abir
Cancer researchers are constantly advancing the technology that doctors use to screen for, detect, and treat all kinds of cancers, and the survivability prospects have greatly improved over the past few decades. Now, AI is giving scientists another tool in the fight against the disease, and one of the biggest names in the AI game
Published in Bespoke Software Development
Google executive warns of face ID bias
Saturday, 28 July 2018 by Abir
Facial recognition technology does not yet have “the diversity it needs” and has “inherent biases”, a top Google executive has warned. The remarks, from the firm’s director of cloud computing, Diane Greene, came after rival Amazon’s software wrongly identified 28 members of Congress, disproportionately people of colour, as police suspects. Google, which has not opened
Why is software security so important?_
Monday, 09 July 2018 by Abir
DID YOU KNOW, THAT ACCORDING TO THE 2017 INTERNET SECURITY THREAT REPORT, OVER 7.1 BILLION IDENTITIES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED IN DATA BREACHES IN THE LAST 8 YEARS? In order to stay resilient to these breaches, it is crucial for organisations to take a proactive approach to security and weave it into the fabric of their
Who is a Business Analyst?_
Wednesday, 21 March 2018 by Abir
A Business Analyst’s (BA’s) work can be briefly summed up as investigating business needs to conduct an analysis of the problem and propose the best possible solution. But there’s so much more behind the curtain! A Business Analyst’s main role is to engage during the early phases of a project, and conduct analysis throughout its
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Supreme Court rules House shopping law unconstitutional
By George Psyllides December 3, 2015 December 3, 2015 18 69
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favour of the president’s referral of a law regulating shops’ opening hours, voted by parliament in May 2015, saying it violated the principle of separation of powers.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court reasoned that the House may legislate broadly on matters, setting the framework within which the executive branch of government may operate.
In this case, the court said, parliament passed a law distinguishing between shops according to their size and the products they sell, the area they are located in, affording some shops extended operating hours and restricting those of others.
This runs counter to the labour minister’s explicit right to set shops’ operating hours, after consulting with legally-prescribed advisory committees at district level.
The law was the culmination of months of feuding between the government and opposition parties, which sought to restrict the labour minister’s right to liberalise shop working hours, arguing that the liberal schedule favoured big chains and crushed small and medium businesses.
It stipulated that only some types of shops, up to a certain floor size, may operate under an extended schedule – including Sunday – across Cyprus, with the rest being so allowed only in the summer in specifically designated tourist areas.
These were the walled city of Nicosia, Paralimni and Ayia Napa in Famagusta, and the Polis Chrysochous, Peyia, and Neo Chorio areas in Paphos.
The president’s referral made five separate arguments against the law’s constitutionality, citing separate laws.
In the Supreme Court ruling, only the first was examined – separation of powers – and, as a clear breach was identified, the court did not delve into the rest of the arguments.
economylegalparliamentshopping hoursshopsSupreme Courtunconstitutional
Cabinet extends Total’s exploration licence
Denmark looks set to reject more EU integration – exit polls (Updated)
George Psyllides
Source: Cyprus News Agency January 20, 2020
Ombudswoman snubs auditor once more
Evie Andreou January 20, 2020
Staff Reporter January 20, 2020 January 20, 2020
Annette Chrysostomou January 20, 2020
Annette Chrysostomou January 20, 2020 January 20, 2020
Football fixtures to resume, player arrested over illegal betting claims released (updated)
Jonathan Shkurko January 20, 2020 January 20, 2020
The World Wants To Deal With Sexual Harassment Like It Happened In The Past
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Meet DSG’s People
Work for DSG
DSG Contract Vehicles
DSG Project History
Information Technology and Applications Development
Conference Management and Event Planning
Evaluation of Evidence-Based Programs in DC Schools
Through a contract with the District of Columbia’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education and the Interagency Collaboration and Services Integration Commission (ICSIC), DSG conducted an evaluation of five evidence-based programs implemented in D.C. public schools.
The initiative addressed the needs of at-risk children through the implementation of the D.C. Student Assessment and Resilience Team (or D.C. START) program and other evidence-based programs in the public schools, including Primary Project, Second Step, LifeSkills Training, and School Resource Officers. This evaluation was guided by research questions related to student-level outcomes, school-level outcomes, and community-level outcomes.
A single-group pretest-posttest design was used to assess the effects of each program. Student-level outcomes examined changes in grades, school discipline incidents, attendance, and behaviorally specified targets of psychosocial and emotional development (e.g., personal development, level of functioning). School-level outcomes examined changes in truancy, drug use, violence prevention, delinquency, feelings of safety, fights on school grounds, weapons carrying, and school climate. We also conducted annual surveys of students, parents, and school personnel.
CONTACT US ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Please contact DSG President Marcia Cohen at mcohen@dsgonline.com or 301.951.0056.
Located at 7315 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 800 East · Bethesda, MD 20814 · 301.951.0056
Copyright © 2017 Development Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Projects History
CDC expert panel on macroeconomic factors and individual violence – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Violence prevention leadership support program – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Model Programs Guide – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, DOJ
Crimesolutions.gov – Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the consequences of school violence – National Institute of Justice
Mixed-methods study on the effect and quality of services provides to victims of identity theft – National Institute of Justice
Evidence assessment of school safety programs and practices – National Institute of Justice
Mixed-methods study on the impact of safe harbor laws on commercial exploitation of minors – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Evaluation of the impact of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations GPS system for monitoring high-risk sex offenders – National Institute of Justice
Evaluation of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation GPS system for monitoring high-risk gang offenders – National Institute of Justice
Evaluation of the Girls Circle Program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Evaluation of Father Flanagan’s Boys Town short-term shelter for female juvenile offenders – National Institutes of Justice
Evaluation of San Francisco SAGE project’s LIFESKILLS and GRACE commercial sexual exploitation prevention and intervention programs – National Institute of Justice
Evaluation of adolescent gang prevention programs – National Institute of Justice
Socioeconomic mapping and resource topography system – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Court coordination program technical assistance – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Technical assistance for the juvenile accountability incentive block grant program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Evaluation of Boys Town Washington D.C. – District of Columbia Justice Grants Administrator
Northern Virginia gang assessment study – Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force
National evaluation of prevention projects relating to drugs and youth gangs – Family and Youth Services Bureau, HHS
Evaluation of law-related education court diversion programs – Virginia Department of Corrections Division of Youth and Family Services
Youth violence prevention training and technical assistance project – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Faith- and Community-Based youth violence prevention training and technical assistance initiative – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Technical assistance on the national forum on youth violence prevention – White House Initiative
Technical assistance to end racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Partnerships in prevention of youth violence – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Violence data exchange team training – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Violence against women training curriculum – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Youth gang drug prevention technical assistance program – Administration for Children, Youth and Families, HHS
State advisory group training provider – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Management of formula grants and technical assistance program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Development of performance measurement system for formula grants and Title V program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Management of Title V training and technical assistance for state and local governments – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Management of the targeted community action planning intensive technical assistance initiative – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Management of the JAIBG national training and technical assistance program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Development of the program implementation guide for child-focused interventions with sexual abuse victims – National Children’s Advocacy Center
Disproportionate minority contact reduction best practices database – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Performance evaluation of state-run secure juvenile residential facilities – Colorado Department of Human Services’ Division of Youth Services
Gaps analysis for facilities master plan – Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
Review of readiness for deadly force encounters – General Services Administration, OIG
Protective factors framework and literature review – Administration of Children, Youth and Families, HHS
Uniform Data Set Development – Office of Minority Health, HHS
Cross-site evaluation of experimental behavioral health interventions in the workplace – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Evaluation of bilingual/bicultural health services demonstration grants – Office of Minority Health, HHS
Evaluation of managed care programs in the workplace – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Evaluation of HIV/AIDS risk behavior change among injection-drug and crack users – National Institute on Drug Abuse
Ethnography of runaway youth – National Institute on Drug Abuse
Community utilization of evidence-based program registries in behavioral health care – National Institutes of Drug Abuse
National registry of evidence-based practices and programs – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Database for First Lady’s Helping America’s Youth Initiative – SAMHSA, HRSA, NIDA, CDC, DOE and DOL
Longitudinal study of 12-year criminally insane forensic patients in Maryland – National Institute of Justice and Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center
Minority fellowship program coordinating center – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
DATA waiver processing and support center – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Recovery to practice – Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA
GetFit interactive website – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Outpatient and aftercare tracking systems – State of Maryland Department of Mental Hygiene’s Conditional Release Program
Flight attendant well-being study – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Ethnography of U.S.-Mexico border media and violence – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA
Mixed-methods study on substance abuse and HIV/AIDS risk in Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian communities – National Institute on Drug Abuse
Coordination of working group on standards for juvenile and adult facilities for illegal immigrants – Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement web-based application for monitoring and analyzing compliance with federal performance protocols and standards – U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Evaluation of Boys Town Louisiana – Administration of Children, Youth and Families, HHS
Methodological development of National Library of Medicine ACCESS Project – National Library of Medicine
What Works Clearinghouse – Institute of Education Sciences, DOE
Reviews, Reporting, Dissemination and Development for What Works Clearinghouse – Institute of Education Sciences, DOE
Children exposed to violence evidence-based guide – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Evaluation of evidence-based program implementation in D.C. classrooms – District of Columbia’s Office of the Deputy Major for Education
Evaluation of court appointed special advocate program – Fairfax County, Virginia
Evaluation of the Youth Awareness Program – District of Columbia Public Schools
Evaluation of educational services for at-risk English speaking minority students – District of Columbia Public Schools
Child welfare meeting preparation and support – Administration of Children and Families, HHS
Coordination of the school violence expert working group – Office of the U.S. Attorney General
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Category Archives: Luxury Housing
High-rise living in Central Phoenix
Posted by Yuri Artibise
[Source: Kara G. Morrison, The Arizona Republic]
Central Corridor condo market shows signs of revival
One Lexington. Charlie Leight/The Arizona Republic
When Michael Hauer decided to buy a home, the 25-year-old looked for something with architectural flair close to his midtown-Phoenix office.
In December, he chose a 734-square-foot condo in One Lexington, a high-rise on Central and Lexington avenues.
Once called Century Plaza, the steel-and-glass former commercial building went through bankruptcy during the housing collapse, and the new owner cut condo prices by about half.
Less than a year after One Lexington restarted sales, more than 70 percent of its 145 units are sold or under contract.
Hauer thinks his new home is a good investment at $181,950 plus a $299 monthly HOA fee (based on his unit’s square footage), which he’ll start paying at the end of the year.
Such luxury-condo developments, meant to capture buyers wanting an urban lifestyle with access to Metro light rail and Phoenix’s burgeoning restaurant and nightlife scene, are showing signs of life after the housing crisis sent several such properties into bankruptcy.
Will Daly, a Phoenix broker who specializes in urban properties and lives in a midtown-Phoenix high-rise, said he’s starting to see an uptick in interest for high-rise and urban-living options.
“The urban-condo market in Phoenix is relatively small and relatively new,” he said. As the economy picks up, he says, “it seems like some major pieces are now in place for development to continue along light rail and in downtown Phoenix.”
Mini urban mansions
Just down the road from One Lexington at Central Avenue and Palm Lane (just north of the Phoenix Art Museum) is another luxury development that went through months of financial turmoil but is back on the market under new ownership.
Chateau on Central is a development of 21 luxury townhomes that looks like miniature brick castles, complete with turrets. These Queen Anne Victorian-style townhomes boast 5,200 square feet of living space or more on five floors.
The homes went on the market for $1.389 million to $2.459 million in December (plus a $575 monthly HOA fee), when the new developers unveiled two model homes decorated by the Scottsdale design firm Est Est.
None of the units has sold yet.
Prices are about half of the townhomes’ original asking price of $2.8 million to $4.5 million in 2007.
MSI West Investments bought the 21-townhouse development for $7 million last year after its financer, Mortgages Ltd., declared bankruptcy.
Each home has four floors plus a basement, a private four-person elevator, a two-car garage, a top-floor terrace and balconies.
There are no shared community amenities, such as gyms, swimming pools or cigar clubs, at Chateau. Joe Morales, a real-estate agent with Arizona Great Estates-Realty One Group, said that’s because luxury buyers prize privacy over shared spaces. All the townhomes are zoned as work/live spaces, so buyers could set up professional offices in the basement or on the first floor.
Morales said he may seek a light-commercial buyer, such as a high-end restaurant or law firm, for the largest townhome: an 8,252-square-foot corner property on Central Avenue, currently listed at $2.459 million.
Sell vs. rent
One Lexington and Chateau on Central are bucking a trend. Other developers are putting rental signs on luxury and high-rise urban properties built during the height of the market and meant to sell as luxury condos. The 44 Monroe building in downtown Phoenix and West Sixth, formerly called Centerpoint in Tempe, are two such properties whose units will be leased rather than sold.
Two years ago, Daly, the Phoenix broker, conducted bus tours, taking dozens of urban-living enthusiasts to see high-rises and new condo developments around the Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe city centers. The economy put many of those developments, and his tours, on hiatus.
Today, Daly said he’s getting more inquiries from out-of-towners looking for investment properties and second homes. And Valley residents are asking when his tours will resume.
“Right now, it’s just a matter of time and energy,” he said. “I think we’ll be firing them up again in the next two to three months.”
For Hauer, an architect in training with Gabor Lorant Architects, the clean lines of the contemporary One Lexington building won out over some older downtown high-rise properties he considered.
Remaining units at One Lexington (owned by the Macdonald Development Corp.) range from $165,400 to $981,900 for a two-story, 2,846-square-foot penthouse.
“The finishes were a big part of it,” Hauer said, listing the Caesarstone countertops, stainless-steel Bosch appliances, bamboo floors and modern kitchen cabinetry.
The building’s amenities include a pool, gym, community room, parking and a small dog run, which comes in handy for Hauer’s longhaired Chihuahua, Margarita.
Hauer said he also enjoys sitting on his small 14th-floor balcony, looking north over the stunning midtown Phoenix skyline and the distant mountains, reading his iPad.
“That’s the icing on the cake,” he said.
Posted in Luxury Housing, Midtown Vitality
Tags: Chateau on Central, condos, Midtown Phoenix, Midtown Vitality, One Lexington
Wisconsin firm buys troubled midtown Phoenix project
Posted by DVC
[Source: Milwaukee Business Journal] — Main Street Ingredients, a La Crosse company that manufactures and distributes food-processing ingredients, has been selected to buy the “opulent” Chateaux on Central brownstone project in Phoenix for $7 million. The unfinished residential development at the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Palm Lane has been financially troubled since construction started in 2005. All forward movement stopped when the lender, Mortgages Ltd., took it back in 2008 shortly before that company was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Mark Winkleman, chief operating officer of ML Manager LLC, said MSI West Investments LLC submitted the winning bid for the Chateaux. Closing on the property is scheduled for Friday. ML Manager is the court-approved entity administering the Mortgages Ltd. loan portfolio in the wake of the lender’s bankruptcy. The Chateaux is one of the first Mortgages Ltd. properties to be sold off.
Dave Clark, CEO of Main Street Ingredients of La Crosse, confirmed that his company is behind the winning bid. Main Street recently created MSI West, a limited-liability company registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission. The company has purchased real estate in other states and started looking around the Phoenix area last year. “We like what we see in downtown Phoenix,” Clark said. “We feel this will be a good investment, but we’re not here to turn a dollar.”
The project was designed as 21 five-story residences with private elevators and rooftop terraces. The announced prices ranged from $2.8 million to $4.5 million per unit, but none were sold. Desert Hills Bank provided the first construction loan, but the relationship soured when the bank filed a lien on the property. The late Scott Coles, then CEO of Mortgages Ltd., stepped in to salvage the project, but Coles committed suicide on June 2, 2008, thrusting the entire Mortgages Ltd. loan and property portfolio into limbo. Within a month of Coles’ death, several borrowers forced Mortgages Ltd. into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Tags: Arizona Corporation Commission, Chateaux on Central, Dave Clark, Desert Hills Bank, Foreclosure, Main Street Ingredients, Mark Winkleman, ML Manager LLC, Mortgages Ltd., MSI West Investments LLC, Scott Coles, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Fraud case ends for Arizona’s Mortgages Ltd.
Unfinished Hotel Monroe project, downtown Phoenix
[Source: Andrew Johnson, Arizona Republic] — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has resolved fraud accusations it brought against an investment arm of failed commercial real-estate financier Mortgages Ltd. The federal agency on Monday announced that Mortgages Ltd. Securities LLC agreed to an order revoking the company’s registration as a securities broker-dealer.
The SEC also sought $7.3 million in penalties and prejudgment interest but waived the amount because the investment firm demonstrated a lack of funds to pay. The action stems from the downfall of Phoenix-based Mortgages Ltd., once considered Arizona’s largest private commercial lender.
Mortgages Ltd. distributed more than $900 million in loans for real-estate acquisitions, development, and construction projects… Mortgages Ltd.’s failure led to the collapse of several high-profile real-estate projects, including Hotel Monroe in downtown Phoenix and the Centerpoint condo towers in Tempe. It also left the company’s thousands of investors, many of them retired, in the lurch. [Note: Read the full article at Fraud case ends for Phoenix’s Mortgages Ltd.]
Posted in Crime, Downtown Vitality, Finances, Governance, Luxury Housing, Office Space
Tags: Centerpoint, Downtown Phoenix, fraud, Hotel Monroe, mortgage fraud, Scott Coles, Tempe, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
44 Monroe luxury condos in downtown Phoenix on road to foreclosure
[Source: Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic] — Most of the units in 44 Monroe, the swank, 196-unit luxury high-rise could be headed for foreclosure. The bank has filed a notice of trustee’s sale, the first step toward taking over 182 unsold condos. The units are scheduled to be sold to the highest bidder on April 14, according to county documents. A notice of trustee’s sale doesn’t always end in foreclosure but it’s a signal that the project has serious financial problems.
The 44 Monroe owes Corus Construction Venture, LLC $86.8 million, according to county documents. Officials at Grace Communities, the project’s Scottsdale developer, declined to comment on today. The project near 1st Ave. and Monroe St. was completed in 2008.
44 Monroe’s lender collapsed and was taken over last year by the FDIC, which owns a 60 percent stake in Corus Construction Venture, LLC. The rest is of the firm is owned by private equity consortium led by Starwood Capital Group.
This is the second upscale high rise in the heart of downtown Phoenix to face financial trouble in recent months. The Summit at Copper Square, a 165-unit condo complex, sought Chapter 11 protection October. The developer headed to bankruptcy court to stop its lender from foreclosing on 74 unsold units. The Summit’s bank, Scottsdale’s Stearns Bank, filed a notice of trustee sale last summer.
Before the recession and the housing bust crippled the economy, Phoenix leaders hoped that affluent condo dwellers who lived in projects like 44 Monroe and the Summit would help revive downtown Phoenix. [Note: Read the full article at 44 Monroe luxury condos in downtown Phoenix on road to foreclosure.]
Posted in Downtown Vitality, Finances, Luxury Housing
Tags: 44 Monroe, Corus Construction Venture, Downtown Phoenix, FDIC, Foreclosure, Grace Communities, Stearns Bank Arizona, Summit at Copper Square
Despite mayor’s optimism, downtown Phoenix feels real estate, consumer stress
[Source: Mike Sunnucks, Phoenix Business Journal] — Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon extolled the economic resilience of downtown Phoenix [last] week during this annual “State of Downtown” speech. Gordon said Arizona State University’s expansion of its downtown campus, construction of the mixed-use CityScape project, and the light rail system are helping the area. He also said while sales tax revenue is down citywide, it is up 13 percent in downtown Phoenix. “Yes, it’s been a tough year economically for everyone. You’ve heard all about it, read all about and felt it,” Gordon said. “But in spite of it all, we’ve still got a lot going on in downtown Phoenix.”
Notwithstanding the mayor’s optimism, downtown Phoenix faces some economic problems. High-rise condominium developers face questionable financial futures because of troubles with pricing and occupancy. The Hotel Monroe redevelopment at Central Avenue and Monroe Street remains stalled, and the boarded-up building has become a haven for pigeons. The total amount of vacant space in downtown Phoenix stands at 1.05 million square feet — up from 630,400 square feet in the first quarter of 2007, according to Colliers International. The downtown vacancy rate is 13.8 percent, compared with 8.5 percent in first-quarter 2007, according to Colliers.
Downtown also is feeling the effects of pulled-back consumer spending. A number of downtown businesses have closed because of the recession, including Weiss Guys Car Wash at Grand Avenue and Van Buren Street and the China Inn restaurant at the Colliers Center.
The two downtown pro sports teams also face economic challenges. The Arizona Diamondbacks had a poor season on the field and drew about 381,000 fewer fans than in 2008, according to ESPN. The Phoenix Suns have gotten off to strong start on the court — but, like other sports teams, they face hurdles in attracting and keeping fans during the consumer doldrums. [Note: Read the full article at Despite mayor’s optimism, downtown Phoenix feels real estate, consumer stress.]
Posted in Business, Downtown Vitality, Employment, Finances, Governance, Luxury Housing, Office Space, Sports
Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, ASU, China Inn, CityScape, Colliers International, condos, Downtown Phoenix, Hotel Monroe, Light Rail, Phil Gordon, Phoenix Suns, sales tax revenues, Weiss Guys Car Wash
Green-building advocates coming to Phoenix
[Source: J. Craig Anderson, Arizona Republic] — Thousands of green-building advocates will travel to Phoenix this month for the industry’s largest annual conference, featuring seminars, networking events and a consumer expo focused on energy efficiency and conservation.
Many of the estimated 25,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, from Nov. 11 to 13 at the Phoenix Convention Center, also will get their first glimpse of sustainability efforts in the desert. The Greenbuild conference will acquaint visitors from around the world with dozens of green-building projects and initiatives in the Valley and across the state.
Through a series of tours featuring more than 70 environmentally friendly Arizona projects, officials said they hope to attract new businesses operating in the burgeoning fields of sustainable development and conservation-oriented products and services. “I think it’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the things we’re doing out here in the West,” said Ian McDowell, a green-building expert with Tempe-based Sundt Construction. “This is the first time Greenbuild has traveled west of the Mississippi.” [Note: Read the full article at Green-building advocates coming to Phoenix.]
Posted in Affordable Housing, Architecture, Downtown Vitality, Environment, Governance, Historic Preservation, Livability, Luxury Housing, Office Space, Sustainability, Transportation, Visioning and Planning
Tags: Greenbuild, Ian McDowell, Phoenix Convention Center, Sundt Construction
Planners contemplate Phoenix’s post-boom future
[Source: Ted Robbins, NPR] — The vast majority of the Phoenix metropolitan area — 90 percent — was built after 1950. It’s been a pell-mell push for growth. But like many places, that growth came to a screeching halt during the recession. In the suburb of Maricopa, AZ, the population grew from 1,000 to 45,000 residents over the past decade. In 2007, the city was processing 700 building permits a month. But then the economy soured. “We reduced that to 300 and then … we set our budget last year at 100,” says Maricopa Mayor Anthony Smith. “Well, 100 was too many. So now we’ve set our budget for 30 new building permits each month.”
Housing Surplus
There’s a large inventory of homes on the market in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Salter family — Thad, Laura and their sons, Isaiah and Isaac — moved to Maricopa three years ago, from San Jose, Calif. They paid more than $300,000 for their home. It’s now worth about half that. Thad Salter says more than half of the 22 homes on his block have been foreclosed on: “My block got devastated. My next door neighbor’s no longer my next door neighbor. And I’ve seen houses across the street from me going down the block on my side of the street just turn over.”
The good news is the homes did turn over. All but two resold — albeit at much lower prices. The Salters have been trying to refinance their mortgage at a lower interest rate for two years and are just now getting their lender, Chase Bank, to come to terms. Still, they are glad they moved. “You know, my kids love it here. I have family here. I have some good friends here,” Salter says.
Lost Construction Jobs
But the pause button has been pushed in Phoenix when it comes to new construction. Grady Gammage Jr., an attorney and a real estate developer, spends a lot of time thinking about his native Phoenix’s future. He says the pause should make the Phoenix area take stock. “We’re now big enough that maybe continuing to operate on a boom and bust cycle as a sort of Wild West frontier town is no longer the right formula, and we ought to try to diversify our economy a little more,” he says.
One-third of the jobs lost statewide — 100,000 out of 300,000 — have been in construction. Gammage says it’s time for Phoenix to create employment that can sustain itself through good times and bad. A solar energy industry is one idea for alternative employment given the abundance of sunshine.
Create Urban Density, Not Sprawl
Instead of the sprawl Phoenix is known for, many local architects and urban planners want more density. Urban nodes, they call them — where working and living can be done close to each other. Phoenix has expanded its downtown business core in recent years — but as in other Western cities, it largely rolls up at night when people drive home to the suburbs.
The car is king here. For years it has been the only way to get around. But in December, Phoenix opened its first light-rail system. Two lines connect downtown with outlying areas. Ridership was up to 1 million people a month at one point.
The recently minted town of Maricopa just started running a bus line to transport workers and others the 35 miles to downtown Phoenix. These are welcome drops in the bucket for most planners and are signs that Phoenix is beginning to grow up. [Note: Read the full article at Planners contemplate Phoenix’s post-boom future.]
Posted in Affordable Housing, Downtown Vitality, Employment, Finances, Governance, Livability, Luxury Housing, Population Trends, Sustainability, Transportation, Visioning and Planning
Tags: Grady Gammage, Lee McPheters, Maricopa, Phoenix, recession, sprawl
City council members annoyed by lack of communication from developers
Unfinished Hotel Monroe (Photo: Rail Life)
[Source: Mike Sunnucks and Jan Buchholz, Phoenix Business Journal] — Some Valley city council members are frustrated with the lack of updates they are getting from real estate developers regarding projects tabled by the market crash and recession. A slew of construction projects have fallen short of expectations, and council members across the Valley are giving developers and their lawyers mixed reviews on keeping their respective cities updated.
“No, no, no, no, no,” Tempe City Councilman Ben Arredondo said when asked whether he’s been kept up to date on the status of stalled projects — including the Tempe Centerpoint condo high-rise, which is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and sits unfinished on Mill Avenue. Arredondo said he’s not getting frequent or detailed enough updates on Centerpoint or other projects. He said developers — especially those in distressed situations, such as Centerpoint — aren’t giving Valley cities straight answers on their projects. “I don’t think they are ever going to give us the bottom line,” Arredondo said.
Developers and their various lawyers aren’t specifically obligated to keep cities updated on their projects, but some city council members are worried about the status of delayed or abandoned developments and how they might hurt short- and long-term economic development.
Centerpoint developer Ken Losch did not respond to requests for comment. Centerpoint is not the Valley’s only distressed real estate development. The Hotel Monroe redevelopment in downtown Phoenix sits empty and boarded up. Downtown condos such as 44 Monroe and the Summit at Copper Square are mostly empty, and a significant number of suburban subdivisions and commercial developments are unfinished or delayed because of lack of demand and financing.
“I think that everyone is cautious and holding close to the vest. This goes beyond the developers, as end-users are placing projects on hold,” said Surprise City Councilman John Williams. “That said, I believe much of the information shared is often one-sided and biased and may not reflect the exact state of our economic recovery.”
Valley cities signed off on scores of retail, condo, single-home and commercial projects during the real estate boom. Now, many of those projects are on the back burner. “Many of (the planned projects) look foolish in hindsight, but most looked really good at the time,” said Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot…
After extensive efforts to obtain updates on several of the largest mixed-use developments in the Valley, few elected officials wanted to discuss the uncertain, even dire, financial situations facing some of them. The Phoenix Business Journal asked for comments about those projects — including CityScape, CityNorth, and Main Street Glendale — from the cities of Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler. The only responses from public officials are those noted above. [Note: Read the full article at City council members annoyed by lack of communication from developers.]
Posted in Business, Downtown Vitality, Finances, Governance, Luxury Housing, Office Space, Visioning and Planning
Tags: 44 Monroe, Ben Arrendondo, CityScape, Downtown Phoenix, Hotel Monroe, Summit at Copper Square, Surprise, Tempe, Tom Simplot
In Phoenix, luring suburbanites to greener, urban life
[Source: Adam Hochberg, National Public Radio] — Phoenix is one of the nation’s fastest-growing and most sprawling metropolitan areas. Cheap and plentiful land has led to an ever-expanding ring of suburbs, and commuting downtown can take longer than an hour. Now, a small developer is buying up foreclosed houses near mass transit lines in the city, renovating them to green building standards, and marketing them to young professionals who may be tired of commuting. [Note: Listen to the broadcast or read the transcript at In Phoenix, luring suburbanites to greener, urban life.]
Posted in Affordable Housing, Luxury Housing, Neighborhoods, Sustainability, Transportation
Tags: commute, green building, Green Street Development, sprawl
Phoenix Interrupted: Downtown’s full of gleaming progress surrounded by vacant lots – now what?
Failing midtown Phoenix project (Photo: Sharon, Phoenix Daily Photo)
[Source: Sarah Fenske, Phoenix New Times] — There’s a development on the edge of downtown Phoenix that captivated me even before I moved into the neighborhood: the Chateaux on Central. My interest wasn’t a matter of good design — everyone from Will Bruder on down is on the record mocking the place, and rightly so. (With its fanciful turrets, shiny copper roofs, and that ghastly faux-French “eaux,” the project’s overall effect is Disney Does Brownstones in the Desert.) No, the Chateaux on Central were somehow personally evocative. They made me homesick. [Note: Read the full article at Phoenix Interrupted: Downtown’s full of gleaming progress surrounded by vacant lots – now what?]
Posted in Downtown Vitality, Luxury Housing, Midtown Vitality, Neighborhoods, Visioning and Planning
Tags: 44 Monroe, Alta Lofts, Carol Johnson, Chateaux on Central, empty lots, Hotel Monroe, Jason Harris, Mo Glancy, Mortgages Ltd., Orpheum Lofts, Roosevelt Row, Sheraton Hotel, Summit at Copper Square, Will Bruder
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Best Dream Meaning
Interpretation, Symbolism, and Dictionary
Home→Life→Car→Car Related Themes Dream Interpretation
Car Related Themes Dream Interpretation
Being able to own and drive a car is a huge enabler in real life. Having a car subconsciously means that you are in control of your own life. In this section, we will go over various dream symbols with the events that can happen to or with your cars inside the dreams.
Complete Dream Dictionary Index
There are various events that can happen to or with your car. With this complete car dream interpretation guide, we will go over all the common themes to help you decipher the meaning of your car related dreams.
Generic Car Driving Dream Meaning
Car driving journey or trips symbolizes how you are dealing with the decisions in your life. To dream about traveling alone in a long distance trip means that you will face difficult situations and worries.
However, if you are traveling with family members or friends, it signifies that you will find new friends.
When you are not the one driving in your dream, it means that you are taking a more passive role in life. If you are riding in the passengers front seat, it means that you want to have a more active say with the decisions. While traveling in the backseat of the car means that someone else is mostly making all the important decisions for you.
Dreaming about jumping from a car means that you are not happy with how your life is going. You want to take a leap of faith simply to get out of your current situation. Take note if the car is going fast or slow within your dream, it can foreshadow whether or not the leap may be dangerous in nature.
Dream About Car Accident
Since car accident or wreck can have many underlying symbols. Please refer to Dream Meaning for Car Accidents. This includes car being flipped over or exploding.
Dream About Car Stolen or Hijacked
The dream about your car being broken into and parts being stolen means that someone has taken advantage of you in a certain way, based on the actual parts or the car itself being stolen or stripped away. You can check our Car parts dream interpretation for the meaning of different car parts. The dream might mean differently things based on the missing car parts stolen from the break-in.
Entire Car is Stolen
If you dream about your entire car is lost or missing due to being hijacked or robbed. One thing to note is that if you were present in the dream while the robbery is happening.
If someone is robbing and stealing your car right in front of you, it means that someone might be stopping you from achieving your goals.
If you simply lose your car without being consciously knowing who stole it. The missing car symbolizes lost opportunities.
Dream About Car Race
When you dream about fast car chases or races, the context of the race matters within the dream.
Note the reason of the race, is it to compete for a prize? Is it for fun? Maybe you are trying to compete with other people in the real life. Next, note the result or the race itself. Are you chasing the other car racers or are the others chasing you?
If you win the car race in the dream, good thing will happen to you. You may be able to get a promotion such as “getting ahead” in life.
Dream About Car Driving Variations
The dream has a car driving itself:
Try to remember how you feel while sitting in the car when the car drives itself. Are you relaxed? Maybe you enjoy letting someone make the important decision for you once in a while. Consider letting go some of the responsibilities at work.
You dream about driving backwards:
If the car is going backwards or in reverse, you may be backing out from unpleasant offers or work situations. However, if the car is rolling backwards without your control because of a downhill, watch out as your efforts in life may be compromised because of other life events.
The car is flying in the dream:
Your life is going on the highway. Is the flight being smooth or is the car flying excited and dangerous. The context matters in a car flying dream, you may need to dial down your ambitions if it is a dangerous dream. But if the car flight is smooth, you may be able to overcome many hurdles and obstacles in the waking life.
You Dream about driving someone else’s car
When you drive someone else’s car to get to where you need to go, you may need help and assistance from other people. As you have lost your own car. Look within the dream to get more clues on why you had to use someone’s car instead of driving your own.
Dreaming about car rolling downhill
You will have a smooth ride after some periods of hard work. This is because you had to drive hard to get uphill in the first place.
Dream About Car as Gift
If you are dreaming about buying a car as a gift, you may be helping someone a great deal in real life.
To receive a car as a gift in a dream, good things will happen to you.
The location of the gift car given does not really matter whether it is inside a car dealership or your house garage.
Dreams About Different Car Problems and Troubles
Depending on the context and situation of the car troubles, they may have different meanings in the dream world.
Look at the different car problems, and figure out whether or not they are repairable.
Car Stuck in Mud or Pothole
For dreams of driving a car that is stuck in mud or any kind of pothole, life may offer obstacles for you to try to overcome. If you cannot seem to get out of in the dream, the current obstacle may be too much for you to handle. Consider asking other people for help.
Car Not Stopping Because No Brakes
When you dream about car not stopping because of broken brakes, it is usually a bad dream involving last minute panic. The reason is that you typically do not notice that the brakes do not work until you need them.
Try to listen to the people around you for advice, limit your own impulses and reckless behaviors. If you end up having an accident due to a faulty brake system that fails to work, the wake up call is a warning for imminent danger. However, you still have a chance to repair the damage by fixing that brake ahead of time.
Car Getting Towed Because of Parking
The dream about car being towed because of parking violation is another form of wake up call. Your call will only get towed by police when you park in the no parking places. This means that your habits may be hurting you in the long run. The bad habits may hinder your ability to move through life and work.
Car Not Starting or Stalling
In the dream, your car is not starting or stalling. Your goal is to figure out the reason why the car is not working. It may be running out of gas or may be because of other failures. Your goals may take a hit and come to a stop before you fix the broken reasons.
Car Spinning Out of Control
When the car gets out of your control while driving, it means that you may be going too fast or life may throw a curve at you. Try to look into the reason behind the uncontrollable car is key to decipher this dream. You want to regain back your control to prevent catastrophe.
Car Overheating and on Fire
Dreaming about a car overheating and even being a on fire. It means that you may be burned out from your endeavors. Time to take a break and let the car rest before you do damage to yourself and the people around you.
Lost and Not Finding Car in the Parking Lot
To dream about not able to find your car in a big parking lot full of cars, it means that you are being distracted from your goals because of other distractions. Slow down and plan ahead, track your every move in real life to always know where you are and where you stand.
Vandalized Car
Having your car being vandalized in the dream means that someone might be hurting your outward image.
Dreaming that you have lost your car keys and cannot get in a locked car, means that you are being careless with your daily tasks. Be more careful about using your resources and know what you have.
Underwater or Flooded Car
The dream meaning about a car being underwater and you are drowning along with it in places like a pond, ocean, sea, lake, or a river. The car in the dream is falling and filling with water and you cannot get out. That sinking and submerged in water means that you may be depressed about your situations.
However, if you wake up on impact of the water. It may simply be that you are cold in real life and you dream about the splashing cold water to wake you up.
Dream About Car Wash
Getting a full car wash for your car means that you are ready to start a new journey. You first start with the outward appearances by having a clean start.
Dream About Car Insurance
Dreams about purchasing or switching car insurance, means that you are ready to take bigger risks. Or you may be trying to cut down your costs in doing business.
Car Related Themes Dream Interpretation — 22 Comments
Clo on January 5, 2017 at 3:05 pm said:
I had a dream where I witnessed two cars (mine and my former parter’s car) sliding down an embankment. My car only had a bit of damage to the rear bumper, however his car was totally wrecked. What does this mean?
Jess on March 16, 2018 at 3:17 pm said:
Had a dream about riding on the roof of a truck down the highway while trying to keep myself and my belongings from blowing away. (Hat and jacket)
Anyone understand this?
Sheronda mcrae on March 25, 2018 at 4:40 pm said:
I had a dream that some thugs burn my car and broke all of my windows out and ran and when I came outside to report it my ex boyfriend brother was watching near by was clapping his hand as if he was happy that my car was gone
Velasquez Horalia on March 26, 2018 at 2:16 pm said:
I had a dream of a child drowning inside a 1952 car gas tank
L.G. Swift on April 1, 2018 at 2:52 pm said:
It seems like the devil is after everyone.
Fidelis Atorsah on April 19, 2018 at 1:18 pm said:
I had a dream that a man was giving me a car as a gift
I dream that a great person handled over a car key
To me ,and he says when he is going I should see him
But I did not find any at the place we was .And when he is
going I did not meet him. An walk up on bed
faith on June 9, 2018 at 10:45 am said:
I had a dream that was driving a car full of passenger inside a mall
f lee on June 30, 2018 at 10:36 am said:
i dreamed that i was in my house and came out side to get into my car but there were others car that had me blocked in so that i was not able to get out of my driveway i mean several cars that i did not know to whom they belonged to what does that mean?
Stephanie on July 24, 2018 at 12:56 am said:
I had this dream that I am sitting on the back of the bumper of the car with one person and someone is driving it I don’t know where I’m going or I don’t know who I’m with what is the meaning of this dream can you please tell me
Jacqueline on August 7, 2018 at 3:29 pm said:
I had a dream me and a friend pull up to a parkinglot cut off the car just sitting there then all of a sudden my car doesn’t cut on but simply starts moving at top speed no other cars are around so no car wreck but it feels like an strong unseen force is pushing me through a field and feels like my truck is picked up and thrown in the field I’m upside down but oddly my phone is still in my lap as if glued there in panicky I scream help me in my dream and also in real life and my truck has no damage I’m not hurt not even a scratch as if something was trying to hurt me but something was also keeping me safe I just can’t understand for the simple fact there were no other cars
Rose Emmanuel on August 8, 2018 at 7:16 am said:
What if the car stolen in the dream is not yours? And what if the parts of the car broken into was found?
Prince kenncdy Smith on September 2, 2018 at 11:54 am said:
I dream of receiving a black car and the key as a gift .and also dream receiving cell phone as a gift too
Jimmy on September 23, 2018 at 11:00 am said:
I had a dream that my uncle had taken a pickup that used to belong to me
Brenda on October 23, 2018 at 5:22 am said:
Hey everyone. Today I had a dream. I was in the car with other unknown people and most of them were of younger age like 16 and below apart from the driver who I think was in his twenties like me. The drive was in a busy town. All of a sudden, our car collided with two other cars but ours was in the middle. The driver fainted and the car moved on by its own. I thought of I moving to go and control the car, because I was right behind the driver seat, but I recalled that I can’t drive. All of a sudden I saw men running after the car, so that they could stop it and safe our lives. Fortunately, they stopped the car and we the lift takers got out safely and went away as the driver was under watch of people to see whether he is dead or alive. Some said he is dead others said he is alive. What happened next to him I don’t know. So I went back with phobia of crossing the road because I thought I would be knocked down. I reached home safely and was able to narrate the story to my father.
Kandi on November 30, 2018 at 7:19 pm said:
I had a dream I was leaving somewhere and heading to my car but when I approached my car all the doors were open including the trunk and an extra set of keys was on the console and the car was completely cleaned. No papers or anything in the car. What does this signify?
Mike on December 14, 2018 at 3:05 am said:
I had a dream that my car was totaled, Broken car parts strewn everywhere. My rearend separated and in multiple pieces, car body parts everywhere. But I’m fine and walking around my car inspecting the damage. What does this mean.
Sheila on December 30, 2018 at 12:34 am said:
I dreamed that I was watching a car sink underwater on a flooded street. The person, gunned the engine and the car came back up for about twenty feet, than started to sink again. It was a white car, and when I saw the driver, he had a clowns face. The car went down under the water again without coming back up this time. The man drowned. The water was dark so you could not see the street below. What could this possibly mean?
Shereen on January 4, 2019 at 2:21 pm said:
I dreamed that I driving a new Mercedes-Benz, a white Mercedes-Benz.
Brittney on May 9, 2019 at 1:22 am said:
I dreamt I was leaving a house at night. I was backing up and all of a sudden it was pitch black and the car was being pulled backwards. I couldn’t see, I was terrified. While I was in the car it kept going in huge potholes. Sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards, but they were huge! I ended up waking up in a panic.
Rachael Whittemore on December 1, 2019 at 2:36 am said:
I have had multiple dreams where I’m in the backseat of a topless vehicle. We are driving down a bumpy road and I go flying out the back. Sometimes I hang onto the bumper for a minute and sometimes I just go flying and just keep falling. Anyone have any insight?
Ok so I had a dream last night that I was out with family and when we went to leave all the cars including my in the parking lot had the windows broken, doors pulled open almost torn off the hinges and everything stolen out of them. Like the steering wheel and seats,stereos everything except the dashboards were still there. What on earth could this mean? Can anybody help me out here? What on earth does this mean?
Dream Meanings Dictionary
Dream Answers A to Z
Symbols | Share Your Dreams
Related Meanings | Dictionary
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South Korea to play ‘mediator’ to resolve North Korea-U.S. summit doubts: official
Thursday, May 17th, 2018 | edainik | International
SEOUL, May 17: South Korea said on Thursday it would seek to mediate between the United States and North Korea after Pyongyang threatened to pull out of an unprecedented summit between its leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump on June 12 in Singapore.
North Korea on Wednesday said it might not attend the summit if Washington continues to demand it unilaterally abandon its nuclear arsenal.
Japan’s Asahi newspaper on Thursday reported the United States has demanded North Korea ship some nuclear warheads, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and other nuclear material overseas within six months.
The newspaper, citing several sources familiar with North Korean issues, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to have told the North Korean leader when they met this month that Pyongyang might be removed from a list of state sponsors of terrorism if it ships out those nuclear items.
The Asahi also reported that if Pyongyang agrees to complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization at the planned Singapore summit, Washington was considering giving guarantees for Kim’s regime.
Doubts over the U.S.-North Korea summit arose on Wednesday when Pyongyang denounced U.S.-South Korean military exercises as a provocation and called off high-level talks with Seoul.
Trump has said it is unclear whether the summit will go ahead but he would continue to insist on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea’s presidential Blue House said it would seek to bridge the gap between the Washington and Pyongyang.
A Blue House official said the South Korean government or President Moon Jae-in intends to more actively perform “the role of a mediator” between South Korea, the United States and North Korea.
Trump will host South Korean President Moon at a summit at the White House on May 22, and the two are expected to discuss the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit.
The Blue House intends to “sufficiently convey (to the United States) what we’ve discerned about North Korea’s position and attitude… and sufficiently convey the United States’ position to North Korea,” thereby helping to bridge the gap between their positions, the official said.
“Seeing the announced statements and responses from North Korea and the United States, we see the two parties as having a sincere and serious attitude (to stand in each other’s shoes),” the official said.
South Korea intends to continue discussions with North Korea to hold high-level talks North Korea canceled on Wednesday, Blue House said in a separate statement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chinese government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said on Thursday the measures North Korea has taken to ease tension on the Korean peninsula should be acknowledged, and all other parties, especially the United States, should cherish the opportunity for peace.
Cancellation of the summit, the first between U.S. and North Korean leaders, would deal a major blow to what would be the biggest diplomatic achievement of Trump’s presidency. This comes at a time when his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has drawn criticism internationally and his move of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem has fueled deadly violence on the Israel-Gaza border.
#South Korea
WHO plays down risk to Indian children from tainted polio vaccine
India on alert as zika virus hits tourism hotspot of Jaipur
At least 30 goldmine workers killed in landslide in northern Afghanistan: police
Chang’e 4 : China space mission lands on Moon’s far side
Putin, in New Year letter to Trump, says Russia is ready for dialogue
Trump, Xi hold telephonic conversation, agree to implement past deals
Clashes mar Bangladesh election where turnout appears thin
Cyber-attack disrupts distribution of multiple US newspapers
Canadian to appeal drug smuggling charges in China amid Beijing-Ottawa spat
Friday, December 28th, 2018/
Anak Krakatau: How a tsunami could wipe out the last Javan rhinos
North Korea defector hack: Personal data of almost 1,000 leaked
Experts issue global warning and say world is ‘well on the way’ to rise of 1.5C
South Korea begins removing mines, expects North to do same
UN report confronts nations with tough choices on climate
‘Trump-style solution’? North Korea says still open to talks after summit canceled
Foreign media arrive for North Korea nuke site closing
South Korea takes down propaganda speakers at border
Indonesia reroutes all flights around erupting Anak Krakatau volcano
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Trudeau and Singh speak about blackface scandal
Rachel Aiello Ottawa News Bureau Online Producer
@rachaiello Contact
Published Tuesday, September 24, 2019 4:13PM EDT Last Updated Tuesday, September 24, 2019 8:29PM EDT
OTTAWA – Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has now spoken to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to apologize personally to his opponent over photos and a video of him in blackface and brownface.
Both leaders were in the Vancouver area Tuesday. Trudeau started in Burnaby, B.C., which is Singh’s home riding, and was scheduled to have a rally in Surrey, B.C. in the evening. Singh landed in Burnaby, where he was scheduled to have a town hall.
CTV News’ Annie Bergeron-Oliver, who is on the campaign trail with Singh, reports the more than 10-minute conversation happened over the phone while Singh sat at the back of the campaign bus on the way to a stop in his riding of Burnaby South.
Bergeron-Oliver says reporters who were on the same bus as Singh at the time were not aware the call had happened as it was kept quiet and Singh was surrounded by campaign staff and top advisors.
Reporters have been told the conversation would remain private.
Trudeau said earlier Tuesday that the two leaders' offices "are working together to coordinate" what would be a closed-door conversation, out of the light of the national campaign.
Late last week, while taking steps to get his campaign back on track, Trudeau asked for a meeting with Singh so he could speak directly with him, as Trudeau had been doing in phone calls with community leaders and his candidates.
Singh has said that while Trudeau has expressed "a desire to talk," it will have to be a private conversation because the NDP leader is not interested in being used "as a tool in his exoneration," or as part of a Liberal public relations campaign in the wake of the controversy.
Singh hasn't ruled out working with Liberals in minority scenario
Singh addresses possible meeting with Trudeau
First there were the photos of Trudeau from 2001 at the private school's "Arabian Nights" themed dinner, where Trudeau dressed as Aladdin with dark makeup on his face, neck, and hands. Then Trudeau admitted to dressing up for his high school talent show where he performed the Jamaican folk song "Day-O," and the next day the Liberal campaign confirmed that a video dated to the early 1990s was also Trudeau, shown again wearing blackface and waving his arms. After the video came out Trudeau said that it was part of a "costume day" at a summer job he had.
Trudeau is still facing questions from reporters about costumes he was wearing in the video, but is offering no new comment or details. On Monday he was asked what the costume was exactly. Trudeau responded that he was being "open" with Canadians and restated that it was wrong, but wouldn't speak about the costume.
On Tuesday, Trudeau was asked how he could say he was still being open about the incidents, without commenting directly on them when asked. Trudeau said he understood the question before stating: "Let me make it very, very clear, there is no situation in which that would be appropriate. The racist history of blackface makes it wrong in any situation, in any circumstance. I did not know that then and I should have, and I take responsibility for that."
With files from CTVNews.ca's Ben Cousins in Toronto
The media were on the bus at the time of the call, but we did not hear it or know it was happening at the back of the bus. Party won’t say how long, but we’ve now been on the bus about 15 or 20 minutes. pic.twitter.com/HjG9XrCYbz
— Annie BergeronOliver (@AnnieClaireBO) September 25, 2019
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. (Photo credit: Canadian Press)
What are blackface and brownface? CTVNews.ca's explainer
Trudeau looks to pivot from blackface controversy, asks to meet with NDP's Singh
Singh meets with youth voters to discuss Trudeau's brownface scandal
Nenshi: Fighting Bill 21 matters more than 'hot takes' on Trudeau's brownface
'Insulting, racial mockery:' Trudeau's behaviour panned by Alberta premier
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Yanni is a musical phenomenon whose music speaks to people of all races and nations. He has always charted a solitary and distinctive path. He left the comforts of Kalamata, Greece, to fashion his own kind of American success story, later to become an international success story. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in psychology, he would seek a life in music. Through he could not read a note, he wrote wholly original works that defy categorizing. From the beginning, he operated with a simple creed: a faith in hard work and keeping an open mind.
He is a favored composer of every Olympic broadcast for the past decade. He has sold-out New York’s Radio City Music Hall ten times, performed in the shadows of the Parthenon, the Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City, toured all of China and more than 20 other nations. His television special was seen in 65 countries by a half billion people, his total album and video sales surpass 20 million copies, the Tribute album attained Platinum status in the United States within five weeks of its release, the Live at the Acropolis album sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide, and the list goes on.
“Music”, says Yanni, “is an incredibly direct language. It bypasses language and logic and speaks directly to your soul”.
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Dystopia Fantasy Reads
Reading and reviewing dystopia and fantasy books.
Review: The Hate U Give (THUG) by Angie Thomas
Three words: Justice, Crime, Family
Excuse me whilst I go hunt for some tissues 😢
A very thought provoking and amazingly written debut novel from Angie Thomas, who has captured a lot of social, racial and political issues which we still face today. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.
Meet Starr, a sixteen year old who lives in two completely different worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised, (I know you've just sang part of the Fresh Prince theme tune!) and her posh high school in the suburbs. Apart from the struggles of keeping her two worlds apart, and hoping her dad doesn't find out about her white boyfriend, Starr's live is pretty average until she witnesses the fatal shooting of an unarmed teenage African American boy by a police officer. The differences between her two worlds are brought painfully to light, and friends show their true colours. Being the soul witness to the shooting also puts a mark on Starr's back. Speaking up could get her killed, but keeping quiet can be so much worse, especially when it comes to fighting for justice not only for someone you know, but for all those who have been wrongly accused or unjustly killed by those who swear to protect.
I have no complaints about this book, or the writing style. Is there things that could of been done differently or better? Possibly, but they didn't jump out at me, nor did they interfere with the flow of the story. Not only does Thomas highlight the struggle between authority and those of a different racial background, but also the difficulties that surround those who are in a mixed race relationship. Whether it's having to keep it from your parents, to strangers in the street who may disagree and make you feel uncomfortable. I look forward to seeing more from Angie Thomas in the near future.
By Dystopia Fantasy Reads - September 29, 2017
Labels: #YAreadsNT, Angie Thomas, Review, The Hate U Give
Cora - Tea Party Princess 29/09/2017, 13:55
Fantastic review!
I can't wait to read this, I don't know why I've not picked it up sooner.
Cora ❤ http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Dystopia Fantasy Reads 29/09/2017, 16:11
It has flown off the shelves of the NTLibrary YA display!
Thanks for the comment! Leave a link and I will visit.
Top Ten Tuesday #40
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and is an opportunity for everyone to get to know fellow book bloggers and lovers, and...
Posts July (1) June (3) February (1) October (3) September (2) August (2) July (3) June (2) May (4) April (2) March (4) February (4) January (3) December (6) November (5) October (5) September (7) August (4)
#fairyloot
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#YAreadsNT
North Tyneside Libraries
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e-Discovery Team ®
LAW and TECHNOLOGY – Ralph Losey © 2006-2019
E-Vestigations
FRCP
TAR Course
The only types of Technology Assisted Review (TAR) software that we endorse for the search of large ESI collections include active machine learning algorithms, which provide full featured predictive coding capacities. Active machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence (AI). When used in legal search these AI algorithms significantly improve the search, review, and classification of electronically stored information (ESI). For this reason I prefer to call predictive coding AI-enhanced review or AI-enhanced search. For more background on the science involved, see LegalSearchScience.com and our sixteen class TAR Training Course.
In TARs with AI-enhanced active machine learning, attorneys train a computer to find documents identified by the attorney as a target. The target is typically relevance to a particular lawsuit or legal issue, or some other legal classification, such as privilege. This kind of AI-enhanced review, along with general e-discovery training, are now my primary interests as a lawyer.
Personal Legal Search Background
In 2006 I dropped my civil litigation practice and limited my work to e-discovery. That is also when I started this blog. At that time I could not even imagine specializing more than that. In 2006 I was interested in all aspects of electronic discovery, including computer assisted review. AI-enhanced software was still just a dream that I hoped would someday come true.
The use of software in legal practice has always been a compelling interest for me. I have been an avid user of computer software of all kinds since the late 1970s, both legal and entertainment. I even did some game software design and programming work in the early 1980s. My now-grown kids still remember the computer games I made for them.
I carefully followed the legal search and review software scene my whole career, but especially since 2006. It was not until 2011 that I began to be impressed by the new types of predictive coding software entering the market. After I got my hands on the new software, I began to do what had once been unimaginable. I started to limit my legal practice even further. I began to spend more and more of my time on predictive coding types of review work. Since 2012 my work as an e-discovery lawyer and researcher has focused almost exclusively on using predictive coding in large document production projects, and on e-discovery training, another passion of mine. In that year one of my cases produced a landmark decision by Judge Andrew Peck that first approved the use of predictive coding. Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe, 2012 WL 607412 (SDNY Feb. 24, 2012) (approved and adopted in Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe, 2012 WL 1446534, at *2 (SDNY Apr. 26, 2012)). There have been many cases thereafter that follow Da Silva Moore and encourage the use of predictive coding. See eg.: Rio Tinto v. Vale, 2015 WL 872294 (March 2, 2015, SDNY) with a case collection therein.
Attorney Maura R. Grossman and I are among the first attorneys in the world to specialize in predictive coding as an e-discovery sub-niche. Maura is a colleague who is both a practicing attorney and an expert in the new field of Legal Search Science. We have frequently presented on CLE panels as a kind of technology evangelists for these new methods of legal review. Maura, and her partner, ProfessorGordon Cormack, who is an esteemed information scientist and professor, wrote the seminal scholarly paper on the subject, and an excellent glossary of terms used in TAR. Technology-Assisted Review in E-Discovery Can Be More Effective and More Efficient Than Exhaustive Manual Review, Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, Vol. XVII, Issue 3, Article 11 (2011); The Grossman-Cormack Glossary of Technology-Assisted Review, with Foreword by John M. Facciola, U.S. Magistrate Judge, 2013 Fed. Cts. L. Rev. 7 (January 2013); Evaluation of Machine-Learning Protocols for Technology-Assisted Review in Electronic Discovery, SIGIR’14, July 6–11, 2014.
I recommend your reading of all of their works. I also recommend your review of my over sixty articles on the subject, study of the LegalSearchScience.com website that I put together, and the many references and citations included at Legal Search Science, including the writings of other pioneers in the field, such as the founders of TREC Legal Track, Jason R. Baron, Doug Oard, and other key figures in the field, such as information scientist William Webber. Also see Baron and Grossman, The Sedona Conference® Best Practices Commentary on the Use of Search and Information Retrieval Methods in E-Discovery (2013).pdf (December 2013).
Advanced TARs Require Completely New Driving Methods
TAR is more than just new software. It entails a whole new legal method, a new approach to large document reviews. Below is the diagram of the latest Predictive Coding 4.0 workflow I use in a typical TAR project.
See: TAR Training Course. This sixteen class course teaches our latest insights and methods of Predictive Coding 4.0.
Predictive Coding using the latest 4.0 methods is the new tool for finding the ESI needles of relevant evidence. When used properly, good predictive coding software allows attorneys to find the information they need to defend or prosecute a case in the vast haystacks of ESI they must search, and to do so in an effective and affordable manner.
Professor Cormack and Maura Grossman have also performed experiments on predictive coding methodologies, which, among other things, tested the efficacy of random only based search. Evaluation of Machine-Learning Protocols for Technology-Assisted Review in Electronic Discovery, SIGIR’14, July 6–11, 2014. They reached the same conclusions that I did, and showed that this random only – Borg approach – is far less effective than even the most simplistic judgmental methods. I reported on this study in full in a series of blogs in the Summer of 2014, Latest Grossman and Cormack Study Proves Folly of Using Random Search for Machine Training, see especially Part One of the series.
The CAL Variation
After study of the 2014 experiments by Professor Cormack and Maura Grossman reported at the SIGIR conference, I created a variation to the predictive coding work flow, which they call CAL, for Continuous Active Learning. Evaluation of Machine-Learning Protocols for Technology-Assisted Review in Electronic Discovery, SIGIR’14, July 6–11, 2014, at pg. 9. Also see Latest Grossman and Cormack Study Proves Folly of Using Random Search for Machine Training – Parts One, Two, Three and Four. The part that intrigued me about there study was the use of continuous machine training as part of the entire review. This is explained in detail in Part Three of my lengthy blog series on the Cormack Grossman study.
The form of CAL that Cormack and Grossman tested used high probable relevant documents in all but the first training round. (In the first round, the so called seed set, they trained using documents found by keyword search.) This experiment showed that the method of review of the documents with the highest rankings works well, and should be given significant weight in any multimodal approach, especially when the goal is to quickly find as many relevant documents as possible. This is another take-away from this important experiment.
The “continuous” training aspects of the CAL approach means that you keep doing machine training throughout the review project and batch reviews accordingly. This could become a project management issue. But, if you can pull it off within proportionality and requesting party constraints, it just makes common sense to do so. You might as well get as much help from the machine as possible and keep getting its probability predictions for as long as you are still doing reviews and can make last minute batch assignments accordingly.
I have done several reviews in such a continuous training manner without really thinking about the fact that the machine input was continuous, including my first Enron experiment. Predictive Coding Narrative: Searching for Relevance in the Ashes of Enron. But the Cormack Grossman study on the continuous active learning approach caused me to rethink the my flow chart and create the Version 4.0 process shown above. See: TAR Training Courses (teaches Predictive Coding 4.0).
Hybrid Human Computer Information Retrieval
In further contradistinction to the Borg, or random only approaches, where the machine controls the learning process, I advocate a hybrid approach where Man and Machine work together. In my hybrid method the expert reviewer remains in control of the process, and their expertise is leveraged for greater accuracy and speed. The human intelligence of the SME is a key part of the search process. In the scholarly literature of information science this hybrid approach is known as Human–computer information retrieval (HCIR).
The classic text in the area of HCIR, which I endorse, is Information Seeking in Electronic Environments (Cambridge 1995) by Gary Marchionini, Professor and Dean of the School of Information and Library Sciences of U.N.C. at Chapel Hill. Professor Marchionini speaks of three types of expertise needed for a successful information seeker:
Domain Expertise. This is equivalent to what we now call SME, subject matter expertise. It refers to a domain of knowledge. In the context of law the domain would refer to particular types of lawsuits or legal investigations, such as antitrust, patent, ERISA, discrimination, trade-secrets, breach of contract, Qui Tam, etc. The knowledge of the SME on the particular search goal is extrapolated by the software algorithms to guide the search. If the SME also has System Expertise, and Information Seeking Expertise, they can drive the process themselves. (That is what I did in the EDI Oracle competition. I did the whole project as an Army of One, and my results were unbeatable.) Otherwise, an SME will need expert helpers with such system and search expertise. These experts must also have legal knowledge because they must be capable of learning enough from the SME to recognize the relevant documents.
System Expertise. This refers to expertise in the technology system used for the search. A system expert in predictive coding would have a deep and detailed knowledge of the software they are using, including the ability to customize the software and use all of its features. In computer circles a person with such skills is often called a power-user. Ideally a power-user would have expertise in several different software systems. They would also be an expert in a particular method of search.
Information Seeking Expertise. This is a skill that is often overlooked in legal search. It refers to a general cognitive skill related to information seeking. It is based on both experience and innate talents. For instance, “capabilities such as superior memory and visual scanning abilities interact to support broader and more purposive examination of text.” Professor Marchionini goes on to say that: “One goal of human-computer interaction research is to apply computing power to amplify and augment these human abilities.” Some lawyers seem to have a gift for search, which they refine with experience, broaden with knowledge of different tools, and enhance with technologies. Others do not.
Id. at pgs.66-69, with the quotes from pg. 69.
All three of these skills are required for an attorney to attain expertise in legal search today, which is one reason I find this new area of legal practice requires a team effort.
It is not enough to be an SME, or a power-user, or have a special knack for search. You have to be able to do it all, and usually the only way to do that is to work with a team that has all these skills, and good software too. With a team it is not really that difficult, but like anything requires initial training and then experience. Still, among the three skill-sets, studies have shown that, System Expertise, which in legal search primarily means mastery of the particular software used (Power User), is the least important. Id. at 67. The SMEs are more important, those who have mastered a domain of knowledge. In Professor Marchionini’s words:
Thus, experts in a domain have greater facility and experience related to information-seeking factors specific to the domain and are able to execute the subprocesses of information seeking with speed, confidence, and accuracy.
Id. That is one reason that the Grossman Cormack glossary builds in the role of SMEs as part of their base definition of computer assisted review:
A process for Prioritizing or Coding a Collection of electronic Documents using a computerized system that harnesses human judgments of one or more Subject Matter Expert(s) on a smaller set of Documents and then extrapolates those judgments to the remaining Document Collection.
Glossary at pg. 21 defining TAR.
According to Marchionini, Information Seeking Expertise, much like Subject Matter Expertise, is also more important than specific software mastery. Id. This may seem counterintuitive in the age of Google, where an illusion of simplicity is created by typing in words to find websites. But legal search of user-created data is a completely different type of search task than looking for information from popular websites. In the search for evidence in a litigation, or as part of a legal investigation, special expertise in information seeking is critical, including especially knowledge of multiple search techniques and methods. Again quoting Professor Marchionini:
Expert information seekers possess substantial knowledge related to the factors of information seeking, have developed distinct patterns of searching, and use a variety of strategies, tactics and moves.
Id. at 70.
In the field of law this kind of information seeking expertise includes the ability to understand and clarify what the information need is, in other words, to know what you are looking for, and articulate the need into specific search topics. This important step precedes the actual search, but is an integral part of the process. As one of the basic texts on information retrieval written by Gordon Cormack, et al, explains:
Before conducting a search, a user has an information need, which underlies and drives the search process. We sometimes refer to this information need as a topic …
Buttcher, Clarke & Cormack, Information Retrieval: Implementation and Evaluation of Search Engines (MIT Press, 2010) at pg. 5. The importance of pre-search refining of the information need is stressed in the first step of the above diagram of Predictive Coding 4.0 methods, ESI Discovery Communications. It seems very basic, but is often under appreciated, or overlooked entirely in the litigation context where information needs are often vague and ill-defined, lost in overly long requests for production and adversarial hostility.
Hybrid Multimodal Bottom Line Driven Review
My descriptive name for what Marchionini calls the variety of strategies, tactics and moves is Hybrid Multimodal. See eg. Bottom Line Driven Proportional Review (2013). I refer to it as a multimodal method because, although the predictive coding type of searches predominate (shown on the below diagram as AI-enhanced review – AI), I also use the other modes of search, including Unsupervised Learning Algorithms (explained in LegalSearchScience.com) (often called clustering or near-duplication searches), keyword search, and even some traditional linear review (although usually very limited). As described, I do not rely entirely on random documents, or computer selected documents for the AI-enhanced searches, but use a four-cylinder approach that includes human judgment sampling and AI document ranking. See: TAR Training Course. This sixteen class course teaches our latest insights and methods of Predictive Coding 4.0.
The various types of legal search methods used in a multimodal process are shown in this search pyramid. Most information scientists I have spoken to agree that it makes sense to use multiple methods in legal search and not just rely on any single method. UCLA Professor Marcia J. Bates first advocated for using multiple search methods back in 1989, which she called it berrypicking. Bates, Marcia J. The Design of Browsing and Berrypicking Techniques for the Online Search Interface, Online Review 13 (October 1989): 407-424. As Professor Bates explained in 2011 in Quora:
An important thing we learned early on is that successful searching requires what I called “berrypicking.” … Berrypicking involves 1) searching many different places/sources, 2) using different search techniques in different places, and 3) changing your search goal as you go along and learn things along the way. This may seem fairly obvious when stated this way, but, in fact, many searchers erroneously think they will find everything they want in just one place, and second, many information systems have been designed to permit only one kind of searching, and inhibit the searcher from using the more effective berrypicking technique.
This berrypicking approach, combined with HCIR, is what I have found from practical experience works best with legal search.
My Battles in Court Over Predictive Coding
In 2012 my case became the first in the country where the use of predictive coding was approved. See Judge Peck’s landmark decision Da Silva Moore v. Publicis, 2012 WL 607412 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 24, 2012) (approved and adopted in Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe, 2012 WL 1446534, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 26, 2012)). In that case my methods of using Recommind’s Axcelerate software were approved. Later in 2012, in another first, an AAA arbitration approved our use of predictive coding in a large document production. In that case I used Kroll Ontrack’s Inview software over the vigorous objections of the plaintiff, which, after hearings, were all rejected. These and other decisions have helped pave the way for the use of predictive coding search methods in litigation.
In addition to these activities in court I have focused on scientific research on legal search, especially machine learning. I have, for instance, become one of the primary outside reporters on the legal search experiments conducted by TREC Legal Track of the National Institute of Science and Technology. See eg. Analysis of the Official Report on the 2011 TREC Legal Track – Part One, Part Two and Part Three; Secrets of Search: Parts One, Two, and Three. Also see Jason Baron, DESI, Sedona and Barcelona. In 2015, and again in 2016, I was a participant in TREC total Recall Track. My team members were the top search experts at Kroll Ontrack whom have all trained and mastered Predictive Coding 4.0 methods. The e-Discovery Team participation in TREC is reported on at MrEDR.com, the name my team gave to the Kroll Ontrack software we used in these experiments.
After the TREC Legal Track closed down in 2011, and then reopened in 2015 with the Total Recall Track, and again in 2016, the only group participant scientific study to test the efficacy of various predictive coding software, and search methods, is the one sponsored by Oracle, the Electronic Discovery Institute and Stanford. This search of a 1,639,311 document database was conducted in early 2013, with the results reported in Monica Bay’s article, EDI-Oracle Study: Humans Are Still Essential in E-Discovery (LTN Nov., 2013). Here is the below chart published by LTN that summarizes the results.
Monica Bay summaries the findings of the research as follows:
Phase I of the study shows that older lawyers still have e-discovery chops and you don’t want to turn EDD over to robots.
With respect to my dear friend Monica, I must disagree with her conclusion. The age of the lawyers is irrelevant. The best predictive coding trainers do not have to be old, they just have to be SMEs, power users of good software, and have good search skills. In fact, not all SMEs are old, although many may be. It is the expertise and skills that matter, not age per se. It is true as Monica reports that the lawyer, a team of one, who did better in this experiment than all of the other much larger participant groups, was chronologically old. But that fact is irrelevant. The skill set and small group size, namely one, is what made the difference. See: Less Is More: When it comes to predictive coding training, the “fewer reviewers the better” – Parts One, Two, and Three.
Moreover, although Monica is correct to say we do not want to”turn over” review to robots, this assertion misses the point. We certainly do want to turn over review to robot-human teams. We want our predictive coding software, our robots, to hook up with our experienced lawyers. We want our lawyers to enhance their own limited intelligence with artificial intelligence – the Hybrid approach. Robots are the future, but only if and as they work hand-in-hand with our top human trainers. Then they are unbeatable, as the EDI-Oracle study shows.
For the time being the details of the EDI-Oracle scientific study are still closed, and even though Monica Bay was permitted to publicize the results, and make her own summary and conclusions, participants are prohibited from discussion and public disclosures. For this reason I can say no more on this study, and only assert without facts that Monica’s conclusions are in some respects incorrect, that age is not critical, that the hybrid multimodal method is what is important. I hope and expect that someday soon the gag order for participants will be lifted, the full findings of this most interesting scientific experiment will be released, and a free dialogue will commence. Truth only thrives in the open, and science concealed is merely occult. That is one of many reason why the more open TREC experiments in 2015 and 2016 are so important. See MrEDR.com.
Why Predictive Coding Is Important
I continue to focus on this sub-niche area of e-discovery as I am convinced that it is critical to advancement of the law in the 21st Century. Our own intelligence and search skills must be enhanced by the latest AI software. Predictive Coding 4.0 methods allow a skilled attorney using the latest predictive coding type software to review at remarkable rates of speed and cost. The AI-enhanced review rates are more than 250-times faster than traditional linear review, and the costs less than a tenth as much. See eg Predictive Coding Narrative: Searching for Relevance in the Ashes of Enron; EDI-Oracle Study: Humans Are Still Essential in E-Discovery (LTN Nov., 2013); also see MrEDR.com.
My Life as a Limo Driver and Trainer
I have spoken on this subject at many CLEs around the world since 2011. I explain the theory and practice of this new breakthrough technology. I also consult on a hands-on basis to help others learn the new methods. As an old software lover who has been doing legal document reviews since 1980, I also continue to like to do these review projects myself. I like to run AI_enhanced document review projects myself, not just teach others or supervise what they do. I enjoy the interaction and enhancements from the hybrid, human-robot approach. Certainly I need an appreciate the artificial intelligence boosts to my own limited capacities.
I also like to serve as a kind of limo driver for trial lawyers from time to time. The top SMEs in the world (I prefer to work with the best), are almost never also software power-users, nor do they have special skills or talents for information seeking outside of depositions. For that reason they need me to run the review projects for them. To switch to the robot analogy again, I like and can work with the bots, they cannot.
I can only do my job as a limo driver – robot friend in an effective manner if the SME first teaches me enough of their domain to know where I am going; to know what documents would be relevant or hot or not. That is where decades of legal experience handling a variety of cases is quite helpful. It makes it easer to get a download of the SME’s concept of relevance into my head, and then into the machine. Then I can act as a surrogate SME and do the machine training for them in an accurate and consistent manner.
Working as a driver for an SME presents many special communication challenges. I have had to devise a number of techniques to facilitate a new kind of SME surrogate agency process. See: Predictive Coding 4.0 restated here in one post.
Of course, it is easier to do the search when you are also the SME. For instance, in one project I reviewed almost two million documents, by myself, in only two-weeks. That’s right. By myself. (There was no redaction or privilege logging, which are tasks that I always delegate anyway.) A quality assurance test at the end of the review based on random sampling showed a very high accuracy rate was attained. There is no question that it met the reasonability standards required by law and rules of procedure.
It was only possible to do a project of this size so quickly because I happened to be an SME on the legal issues under review, and, just as important, I was a power-user of the software, and have, at this point, mastered my own search and review methods.
Thanks to the new software and version 4.0 methods, what was considered impossible, even absurd, just a few short years ago, namely one attorney accurately reviewing two million documents by him or herself in 14-days, is attainable by many experts. My story is not unique. Maura tells me that she once did a seven-million document review by herself. That is why Maura and Gordon were correct to refer to TAR as a disruptive technology in the Preface to their Glossary. Technology that can empower one skilled lawyer to do the work of hundreds of unskilled attorneys is certainly a big deal, one for which we have Legal Search Science to thank. It is also why I urge you to study this subject more carefully and learn to train the document review robots yourself. Either that, or hire a limo driver like me.
Before you begin to actually carry out a predictive coding project, with or without an expert to run your project, you need to plan for it. This is critical to the success of the project. Here is detailed outline of a Form Plan for a Predictive Coding Project that I used to use as a complete checklist. (It’s a little dated now.)
My Writings on TAR
A good way to continue your study in this area is to read the articles by Grossman and Cormack, and the over sixty or so articles on the subject that I have written since mid-2011. They are listed in rough chronological order, with the most recent on top.
I am especially proud of the legal search experiments I have done using AI-enhanced search software provided to me by Kroll Ontrack to review the 699,083 public Enron documents and my reports on these reviews. Comparative Efficacy of Two Predictive Coding Reviews of 699,082 Enron Documents. (Part Two); A Modest Contribution to the Science of Search: Report and Analysis of Inconsistent Classifications in Two Predictive Coding Reviews of 699,082 Enron Documents. (Part One). I have been told by scientists that my over 100 hours of search, comprised of two fifty-hour search projects using different methods, is the largest search project by a single reviewer that has ever been undertaken, not only in Legal Search, but in any kind of search. I do not expect this record will last for long, as others begin to understand the importance of Information Science in general, and Legal Search Science in particular. But for now I will enjoy both the record and lessons learned from the hard work involved.
April 2014 Slide Presentation by Ralph Losey on Predictive Coding Using now ‘slightly dated’ 3.0 Methods
Please contact me at Ralph.Losey at gmail dot com if you have any questions.
42 Responses to TAR
Short Personal Summary of My Predictive Coding Methods and Services | e-Discovery Team ® says:
[…] CAR […]
There Can Be No Justice Without Truth, And No Truth Without Search | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Borg Challenge: Part Three where I continue my search through round 16 of machine training | e-Discovery Team ® says:
BORG CHALLENGE: The Complete Report | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Keywords and Search Methods Should Be Disclosed, But Not Irrelevant Documents | e-Discovery Team ® says:
A Modest Contribution to the Science of Search: Report and Analysis of Inconsistent Classifications in Two Predictive Coding Reviews of 699,082 Enron Documents | e-Discovery Team ® says:
$3.1 Million e-Discovery Vendor Fee Was Reasonable in a $30 Million Case | e-Discovery Team ® says:
“The Hacker Way” – What the e-Discovery Industry Can Learn From Facebook’s Management Ethic | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Impactful, Fast, Bold, Open, Values: Guidance of the “Hacker Way” | e-Discovery Team ® says:
“The Hacker Way” – What e-Discovery Can Learn From Facebook’s Culture and Management | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The Solution to Empty Suits in the Board Room: The “Hacker Way” of Management – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The Solution to Empty-Suits in the Board Room: The “Hacker Way” of Management – Part Two | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Relevancy Ranking is the Key Feature of Predictive Coding Software | e-Discovery Team ® says:
My Basic Plan for Document Reviews: The “Bottom Line Driven” Approach – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
[…] C.A.R. […]
My Basic Plan for Document Reviews: The “Bottom Line Driven” Approach – Part Two | e-Discovery Team ® says:
My Basic Plan for Document Reviews: The “Bottom Line Driven” Approach – Part Four | e-Discovery Team ® says:
My Basic Plan for Document Reviews: The “Bottom Line Driven” Approach | e-Discovery Team ® says:
depo.com | “The Hacker Way” – What the E-Discovery Industry Can Learn From Facebook’s Management Ethic says:
[…] hacker focus on impact and led to my development of Bottom Line Driven Proportional Review and multimodal predictive coding search methods. Other hacker-oriented lawyers and technologists have developed their own methods to give clients […]
depo.com | There Can Be No Justice Without Truth and No Truth Without Search says:
[…] a half. (They are listed at the end of this short essay as a convenient reference. Also see the new CAR page above that I recently added to my […]
Beware of the TAR Pits! – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Beware of the TAR Pits! – Part Two | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Fears and Loathing (and Pain) in Seattle: a Case Lesson in How NOT to Implement a Litigation Hold and Search for Email – Part Two | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The CIA Cyber Security Triad and 9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The “If-Only” Vegas Blues – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The “If-Only” Vegas Blues – Part Two | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Legal Search Science | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The “Hacker Way” – Impactful, Fast, Bold, Open, Values | My great WordPress blog says:
[…] means building new aggressive culling methods, such as Bottom Line Driven Proportional Review and multimodal predictive coding assisted review. SIRI and Pandora are the way of the future, not legions of low priced lawyers. The study of […]
“The Hacker Way” – What e-Discovery Can Learn From Facebook’s Culture and Management | Hacker Law says:
[…] hacker focus on impact and led to my development of Bottom Line Driven Proportional Review and multimodal predictive coding search methods. Other hacker oriented lawyers and technologists have developed their own methods to give clients […]
“Hacker Way” Can Solve the Problem of Empty Suits in the Board Room | Hacker Law says:
Introducing “ei-Recall” – A New Gold Standard for Recall Calculations in Legal Search – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Two-Filter Document Culling – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
ei-Recall | ZEN of Document Review says:
[…] to find better methods of predictive coding, and have uncovered an efficient approach with my multimodal CAL method. But I was still not satisfied with my recall validation approach, I wanted to find a better […]
Legal Search Science | ZEN of Document Review says:
[…] to avoid litigation, or for general business intelligence. See PreSuit.com and Computer Assisted Review. Legal Search Science as practiced today uses software with artificial intelligence features to […]
Two-Filter Document Culling | ZEN Document Review says:
[…] this multimodal method many times here, and you will find summaries of it elsewhere, including my CAR page, and Legal Search Science, and the work in progress, the EDBP outlining best practices for lawyers […]
Short Blog this Month Because I’m Busy at TREC | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Why I Love Predictive Coding | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Document Review and Predictive Coding: Video Talks – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Document Review and Predictive Coding: an introductory course with 7 videos and 2,982 words | e-Discovery Team ® says:
e-Discovery Team’s Best Practices Education Program | e-Discovery Team ® says:
The Law’s “Reasonable Man,” Judge Haight, Love, Truth, Justice, “Go Fish” and Why the Legal Profession Is Not Doomed to be Replaced by Robots | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Predictive Coding 4.0 – Nine Key Points of Legal Document Review and an Updated Statement of Our Workflow – Part One | e-Discovery Team ® says:
Complete Description in 30,114 Words and 10 Videos of the e-Discovery Team’s “Predictive Coding 4.0” Method of Electronic Document Review | e-Discovery Team ® says:
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Ralph Losey is a practicing attorney and shareholder in a national law firm with 50+ offices and over 800 lawyers where he is in charge of Electronic Discovery. All opinions expressed here are his own, and not those of his firm or clients. No legal advice is provided on this web and should not be construed as such.
Ralph has long been a leader of the world's tech lawyers. He has presented at hundreds of legal conferences and CLEs around the world. Ralph has written over two million words on e-discovery and tech-law subjects, including seven books. He is also the founder of Electronic Discovery Best Practices, and e-Discovery Team Training, an online education program that arose out of his five years as an adjunct professor teaching e-Discovery and Evidence at the UF School of Law. Ralph is also publisher and principle author of this blog and many other instructional websites.
Ralph is a specialist who has limited his legal practice to electronic discovery and tech law since 2006. He has a special interest in software and the search and review of electronic evidence using artificial intelligence, and also in general AI Ethics. issues. Ralph was the only private lawyer to participate in the 2015 and 2016 TREC Recall Track of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and prior to that competed successfully in the EDI Oracle research.
Ralph has been involved with computers, software, legal hacking and the law since 1980. Ralph has the highest peer AV rating as a lawyer and was selected as a Best Lawyer in America in four categories: Commercial Litigation; E-Discovery and Information Management Law; Information Technology Law; and, Employment Law - Management. Ralph also received the "Most Trusted Legal Advisor" industry award for 2016-17 by the Masters Conference. His full biography may be found at RalphLosey.com.
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Sedona Principles 3rd Ed
1. Electronically stored information is generally subject to the same preservation and discovery requirements as other relevant information.
2. When balancing the cost, burden, and need for electronically stored information, courts and parties should apply the proportionality standard embodied in Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(2)(C) and its state equivalents, which require consideration of importance of the issues at stake in the action, the amount in controversy, the parties’ relative access to relevant information, the parties’ resources, the importance of the discovery in resolving the issues, and whether the burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs its likely benefit.
3. As soon as practicable, parties should confer and seek to reach agreement regarding the preservation and production of electronically stored information.
4. Discovery requests for electronically stored information should be as specific as possible; responses and objections to discovery should disclose the scope and limits of the production.
5. The obligation to preserve electronically stored information requires reasonable and good faith efforts to retain information that is expected to be relevant to claims or defenses in reasonably anticipated or pending litigation. However, it is unreasonable to expect parties to take every conceivable step or disproportionate steps to preserve each instance of relevant electronically stored information.
6. Responding parties are best situated to evaluate the procedures, methodologies, and technologies appropriate for preserving and producing their own electronically stored information.
7. The requesting party has the burden on a motion to compel to show that the responding party’s steps to preserve and produce relevant electronically stored information were inadequate.
8. The primary source of electronically stored information to be preserved and produced should be those readily accessible in the ordinary course. Only when electronically stored information is not available through such primary sources should parties move down a continuum of less accessible sources until the information requested to be preserved or produced is no longer proportional.
9. Absent a showing of special need and relevance, a responding party should not be required to preserve, review, or produce deleted, shadowed, fragmented, or residual electronically stored information.
10. Parties should take reasonable steps to safeguard electronically stored information, the disclosure or dissemination of which is subject to privileges, work product protections, privacy obligations, or other legally enforceable restrictions.
11. A responding party may satisfy its good faith obligation to preserve and produce relevant electronically stored information by using technology and processes, such as data sampling, searching, or the use of selection criteria.
12. The production of electronically stored information should be made in the form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a that is reasonably usable given the nature of the electronically stored information and the proportional needs of the case.
13. The costs of preserving and producing relevant and proportionate electronically stored information ordinarily should be borne by the responding party.
14. The breach of a duty to preserve electronically stored information may be addressed by remedial measures, sanctions, or both: remedial measures are appropriate to cure prejudice; sanctions are appropriate only if a party acted with intent to deprive another party of the use of relevant electronically stored information.
Third Edition, Copyright © 2017 The Sedona Conference®. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted courtesy of The Sedona Conference®.
Go to www.thesedonaconference.org to download a free copy of the complete document for your personal use only.
BLOGGING MUSIC
Bach More Bach Debussy Gershwin
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Posted by tvernile on Tuesday, 15 April 2014 in Biofuels
MSU advances algae’s viability as a biofuel
Lab success doesn’t always translate to real-world success. A team of Michigan State University scientists, however, has invented a new technology that increases the odds of helping algae-based biofuels cross that gap and come closer to reality.
The current issue of Algal Research showcases the team’s invention — the environmental photobioreactor. The ePBR system is the world’s first standard algae growing platform, one that simulates dynamic natural environments.
Simply put, ePBR is a pond in a jar that helps identify, cultivate and test algal strains that have the potential to make the leap from lab to pond, proliferate in real-world, real-pond settings and produce the most oil.
Many scientists around the globe are looking for strains of algae that could become a sustainable source of alternative energy. A vexing problem they face, however, is that algal strains that perform well in labs often get stomped when it’s time to scale-up the experiment, said Ben Lucker, MSU research associate.
“It’s like training elementary kids to be really good pingpong players,” he said. “But then they take the kids and throw them into a football game against professional players; in those settings, they simply can’t compete at all.”
The ePBRs, which subsequently help make algae biofuel research more desirable to investors, were the brainchild of David Kramer, Hannah Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MSU.
Kramer’s lab is like no other. Even though it’s housed among other plant biologists, it could be mistaken for an electronics factory. The benches are covered with wires, soldering irons and printed circuit boards. There are even few early prototypes that provide a history of ePBR’s progress.
The latest models glow green and whir quietly as they test various strains. By allowing scientists to duplicate natural settings in a lab, ePBRs eliminate many variables before scaling up. The bioreactors are about the size of coffee makers and can induce changes in light, temperature, carbon dioxide, oxygen, evaporation, nutrient availability and more.
The ePBR system also can duplicate and confirm results from experiments conducted anywhere in the world. It replaces home-built growing platforms made from flasks, tubing, aluminum foil and grow lights and gives researchers a tool that can consistently replicate conditions and reproduce results, Lucker said.
The potential of ePBRs has already inspired the launch of a company, Phenometrics, an MSU spinoff headquartered in Lansing. The company is merely two years old, but steady orders for the bioreactors have the company already running in the black.
Additional MSU scientists who were part of this study include Christopher Hall and Robert Zegarac.
Kramer’s work is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and MSU AgBioResearch.
- See more at: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2014/msu-advances-algaes-viability-as-a-biofuel/#sthash.ofa1Os1C.dpuf
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Global Algae Biodiesel World 2012 - Biofuels June 10
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Home→ Lorna Maseko
Lorna Maseko
Celebrity Chef , Embassy Agency
https://embassyagency.co.za/@Lorns_Maseko
Lorna Maseko, better known as South Africa’s culinary princess, is one of the country’s most-recognized public figures. She is more popularly-known from her work on TV but that’s not all; in addition to having presented several popular TV shows, Lorna Maseko is also a Celebrity Chef, an Executive Producer, a Choreographer, a bubbly Master of Ceremonies and an Entrepreneur. Having come from humble beginnings – growing up in the township of Alexandra, Lorna Maseko prides herself in empowering and inspiring many South African women. And, of course, owing to her upbringing, passion for empowerment, and love for the culinary arts, Lorna often hosts cooking seminars that portray the beauty of cooking, beyond the ordinary cliches of it being an ordinary chore that women are subjected to. Lorna is an overachiever so when she was told to reach for the sky, she aimed for the stars instead – ultimately becoming one herself. One of Lorna’s greatest achievements was being crowned as South Africa’s premiere black female ballet dancer, which lead to her being the first black ballerina to ever dance a principal role in South African theatre. Lorna has become a captivating brand as a whole, and loves creating memorable and engaging moments within every sphere of her life.
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PART 1463—2005-2014 TOBACCO TRANSITION PROGRAM
Subpart A—Tobacco Transition Assessments
§1463.1 General.
§1463.4 National assessment.
§1463.5 Division of national assessment among classes of tobacco.
§1463.6 Determination of persons liable for payment of assessments.
§1463.7 Division of class assessment to individual entities.
§1463.8 Notification of assessments.
§1463.9 Payment of assessments.
§1463.10 Civil penalties and criminal penalties.
§1463.11 Appeals and judicial review.
Subpart B—Tobacco Transition Payment Program
§1463.100 General.
§1463.101 Administration.
§1463.102 Definitions.
§1463.103 Eligible quota holder.
§1463.104 Eligible tobacco producer.
§1463.105 Base quota levels for eligible quota holders.
§1463.106 Base quota levels for eligible tobacco producers.
§1463.107 Payment to eligible quota holders.
§1463.108 Payment to eligible tobacco producers.
§1463.109 Contracts.
§1463.110 Misrepresentation and scheme or device.
§1463.111 Offsets and assignments.
§1463.112 Successor in interest contracts.
§1463.113 Issuance of payments in event of death.
§1463.114 Appeals.
Subpart C—Miscellaneous Provisions
§1463.201 Refunds of importer assessments.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 518-519a, 714b, and 714c.
Source: 70 FR 7011, Feb. 10, 2005, unless otherwise noted.
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will levy assessments from January 1, 2005 through September 30, 2014 on certain domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products as provided for in this subpart in order to fund the issuance of payments made under subpart B of this part and to fund other activities authorized by Title VI of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. The total amount of assessments that may be collected under this part shall not exceed $10.140 billion.
The provisions of this subpart will be administered under the general supervision of the Executive Vice President, CCC.
The definitions in this section shall apply for all purposes of administering the provisions of this subpart:
Act means Title VI of the America Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-357).
Adjusted market share means the market share of a manufacturer of tobacco products or an importer of tobacco products adjusted to reflect such entity's share of a class of tobacco during the immediately preceding calendar year quarter. With respect to the 39th and 40th quarterly payments due on September 30, 2014, the adjusted market share will be the entity's share of a class of tobacco during the April 1-June 30, 2014 quarter.
Base period means the period July 1 through June 30 immediately preceding the beginning of a fiscal year.
CCC's point of contact means, for items physically sent to CCC, “Fibers, Peanuts, and Tobacco Analysis Group, Economic and Policy Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), STOP 0515, Room 3720-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0515” unless otherwise specified by CCC through actual notice.
Calendar year means the period January 1 through December 31.
Class of tobacco means each of the following types of tobacco and tobacco products for which taxes are required to be paid for the removal of such into domestic commerce: cigarettes; cigars; snuff; roll-your-own tobacco; chewing tobacco; and pipe tobacco.
Domestic manufacturer of tobacco products means an entity that is required to obtain a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury with respect to the production of tobacco products under title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Fiscal year means the period October 1 through September 30.
Gross domestic volume means the volume of tobacco products removed, as defined by section 5702 of the Revenue Code, and not exempt from tax under chapter 52 of such code at the time of their removal under that chapter or the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Importer of tobacco products means an entity that is required to obtain a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury with respect to the importation of tobacco products under title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Market share means the share of each domestic manufacturer and importer of a class of tobacco product, to the fourth decimal place, of the total volume of domestic sales of the class of tobacco product in the base period. Such sales shall be determined by CCC by using the total volume of such class of tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce in the base period.
National assessment means the total amount of funding that CCC has determined to be necessary to collect in a year from domestic manufacturer and importer of tobacco products in order to reimburse CCC for expenditures that it will incur in the year for expenses incurred under sections 622 and 623 of the Act in making payments under subpart B of this part; losses sustained by CCC in the disposition of tobacco acquired under price support loan agreements as provided in section 641(c) of the Act; and costs incurred by CCC in the utilization of financial institutions in administering sections 622 and 623 of the Act.
Revenue Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Tobacco Trust Fund means an account established for deposit of assessments collected under this subpart, plus interest that accrues on such assessments, to be used to implement this subpart.
[70 FR 7011, Feb. 10, 2005, as amended at 70 FR 17158, Apr. 4, 2005; 73 FR 23066, Apr. 29, 2008]
Annually, CCC will make a determination of a national assessment in as far in advance of when the first assessment is due as CCC determines to be practicable. Based upon the amount of assessments received and expenditures incurred in a calendar year quarter, CCC may adjust the national assessment for one or more classes of tobacco established for a particular year with respect to succeeding calendar year quarters.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the national assessment will be divided by CCC among each class of tobacco based upon CCC's determination of each class's share of the excise taxes paid using for all years the tax rates that applied in fiscal year 2005. The value of the excise taxes paid for each class of tobacco will be based upon the reports filed by domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products with the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security:
(b) For fiscal year 2005, the national assessment will be divided as follows:
(1) Cigarettes, 96.331 percent;
(2) Cigars, 2.783 percent;
(3) Snuff, 0.539 percent;
(4) Roll-your-own tobacco products, 0.171 percent;
(5) Chewing tobacco, 0.111 percent; and
(6) Pipe tobacco, 0.066 percent.
(c) For fiscal years 2006 through 2014, the division of the national assessment for each class of tobacco will be adjusted annually.
[70 FR 7011, Feb. 10, 2005, as amended at 75 FR 76923, Dec. 10, 2010]
(a) All domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products are required to pay to CCC their proportionate share of a calendar year's national assessment. Such entities are those that import or manufacture tobacco products in a calendar year and are required to report to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security the removal of tobacco products into domestic commerce under the Revenue Code or are required to pay taxes under chapter 52 of such code.
(b)(1) Such entities must provide to CCC's point of contact:
(i) Entity name; mailing address of the entity's principal place of business; an office or individual that CCC may contact for further information; an e-mail address and postal address at which they wish to receive notifications required by the Act to be made to them by CCC; and
(ii) On a monthly basis for each class of tobacco, the total amount of tobacco products, summarized by employer identification number or such other method as may be prescribed by CCC, that are required to be reported to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security in each month beginning October 1, 2004, and ending September 30, 2014.
(2) The information required to be submitted to CCC under paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be submitted by:
(i) With respect to fiscal year 2005 activities occurring prior to February 10, 2005, by February 25, 2005; and
(ii) With respect to all other activities, on the same date the information was required to be submitted to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security.
(a) In order to determine the assessment owed by an entity, that portion of the national assessment assigned to each class of tobacco will be further divided at the entity level. The amount of the assessment for each class of tobacco to be paid by each domestic manufacturer and importer of tobacco products will be determined by multiplying:
(1) With respect to each class of tobacco, the adjusted market share of such manufacturer or importer; by
(2) The total amount of the assessment for that class of tobacco for the calendar year quarter.
(b) For purposes of determining the volume of domestic sales of each class of tobacco products and for each entity, such sales shall be based upon the reports filed by domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco with the Department of Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security and shall correspond to the quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce by each such entity:
(1) For cigarettes and cigars, on the number of cigarettes and cigars reported on such reports;
(2) For all other classes of tobacco, on the number of pounds of those products.
(c) In determining the adjusted market share of each manufacturer or importer of a class of tobacco products, except for cigars, CCC will determine to the fourth decimal place an entity's share of excise taxes paid of that class of tobacco product during the immediately prior calendar year quarter. With respect to cigars, CCC will determine the adjusted market share for each manufacturer or importer of a class of tobacco products based on the number of such products removed into domestic commerce.
(d) The amount of a quarterly assessment owed by a domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products that must be remitted to CCC by the end of a calendar year quarter is based upon the application of the manufacturer's or importer's adjusted market share to the amount of the national assessment that has been allocated to one of the six specified tobacco product sectors under §1463.5. As provided in §1463.3, this adjusted market share is determined by the actions of such manufacturer or importer in a prior calendar year quarter. Accordingly, this amount must be remitted to CCC whether or not the manufacturer or importer is engaged in the removal of tobacco or tobacco products into commerce in the calendar year quarter in which it receives notification of the amount of assessment owed to CCC.
[70 FR 7011, Feb. 10, 2005, as amended at 70 FR 17158, Apr. 4, 2005]
(a) Once CCC has determined a national assessment, CCC will collect that amount on a quarterly basis from all domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products subject to §1463.5.
(b) 30 calendar days prior to the end of each calendar year quarter domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products will receive notification of:
(1) The national assessment;
(2) The percentage of the national assessment that has been allocated to each class of tobacco product and the total amount of assessments due from each such class;
(3) Any adjustments that have been from the prior fiscal year with respect to the allocation of the gross domestic volume determined for use in a fiscal year among the classes of tobacco products;
(4) An adjustment in the national assessment if CCC determines that the assessments imposed will result in insufficient funds due to changes in the amount of expenditures that CCC has determined will be made in a calendar year;
(5) The volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco that CCC has allocated to the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products for the purposes of determining such entity's adjusted market share. The volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco allocated to such an entity shall correspond to the quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce by each such entity;
(6) The total volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco that CCC has allocated to a class of tobacco, within the gross domestic volume determined for use in a fiscal year, that was used for the purpose of determining a tobacco manufacturer's or tobacco importer's adjusted market share. The total volume of gross sales of each such class of tobacco shall correspond to the total quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce.
(7) For that quarter, the adjusted market share of the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products;
(8) Beginning with the 2nd quarter of 2008, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the applied market share for that quarter of each other manufacturer and importer, for the applicable class of tobacco product of those manufacturers and importers that have provided such information to CCC in accordance with the provisions of §1463.6, as determined by the Deputy Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
(9) The manner in which assessments are to be remitted to CCC; and
(10) Identification of those Department of the Treasury and Department of Homeland Security forms filed by the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products that are used to calculate assessments.
(a) Assessments under this subpart are imposed for the expenditures CCC has determined it will incur in the 2005 through 2014 calendar years. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, payment of such assessments are due to CCC no later than the end of each calendar year quarter. If prior to 30 calendar days before the end of a calendar year quarter CCC has not notified an entity of the amount that is required to be remitted in that quarter, no interest will be assessed by CCC under paragraph (d) of this section until 30 calendar days have elapsed from the date CCC provided notification of the amount owed.
(b) Payments due under this subpart must be submitted to CCC by electronic fund transfer unless prior written approval has been obtained from CCC.
(c) The final two calendar year quarterly payments due to CCC under this part shall be due to CCC on September 30, 2014.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if CCC has not received payment of assessments determined to be owed at the end of a calendar year quarter, CCC will assess interest on such unpaid amount beginning on the first day of the calendar year quarter immediately following the end of such prior quarter. Such interest will be at the rate CCC assesses on delinquent debts in accordance with part 1403 of this title.
(e) With respect to funds placed in escrow that are refunded to the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products due to the resolution of an appeal, interest will be paid on such amount from the date of receipt by CCC until the date of the refund. Such interest rate will be at the rate charged by the U.S. Treasury for CCC's borrowing that is in effect on the date of receipt by CCC of such funds.
(a) Any person who knowingly fails to provide information required to be filed under this subpart, or provides false information under this subpart, may be subject to the penalties prescribed in 15 U.S.C. 714m, 18 U.S.C. 1003, and such other civil and criminal statutes as the United States determines to be appropriate.
(b) In addition to an action that may be taken under paragraph (a) of this section, with respect to any person who knowingly fails to provide information required to be filed under this subpart, or that provides false information under this subpart, a person may be subject to assessment of a civil penalty by CCC. Such civil penalty will be imposed by CCC taking into account the severity of the action; whether the action is of a repetitive nature; and the disruption the action has caused with respect to other parties subject to this subpart. Any such civil penalty will not exceed two percent of the value of the kind of tobacco products manufactured or imported by such entity in the fiscal year in which the violation occurred.
(a) An entity may appeal any adverse determination made under this subpart, including with respect to the amount of the assessment, by submitting a written statement that sets forth the basis of the dispute to Darlene Soto, Tobacco Transition Assessment Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3722, Mail Stop 0515, Washington DC 20250-0514, within 30 business days of the date of receipt of the notification by CCC of its determination.
(b) The Executive Vice President shall assign a person to act as the hearing officer on behalf of CCC. The duty of the hearing officer will be to develop an administrative record that will provide the Executive Vice President, or a designee, with sufficient information to render a final determination on the matter in dispute. The hearing to be conducted by the hearing officer will be an informal hearing at which the appellant may present oral and written evidence in support of the appellant's position. A copy of the rules of conduct that will be applicable to the proceeding will be provided to the appellant upon receipt of the appeal by CCC.
(c) For any appeals filed after October 1, 2014, appellants must submit all supporting documentation within 30 calendar days following the date of the initial written appeal to CCC. Any documents received after that time will not be considered by the hearing officer.
(1) The final date that entities may file an appeal is January 14, 2016.
(2) If 30 calendar days elapse following receipt by CCC of the final submission of supporting documentation by an appellant with respect to any appeal filed under this section regarding an assessment imposed on a domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products, without a final administrative decision by CCC, then all administrative remedies available to the appellant will be deemed to be exhausted; except, if the 30th calendar day would fall on a weekend day or federal holiday, then the 30th calendar day will be deemed the next business day following such weekend day or federal holiday.
(d) Any domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products aggrieved by a determination made by CCC under this subpart may seek review of the determination upon the exhaustion of the administrative remedies provided by this part in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or for the district in which such importer or manufacturer has its principal place of business.
Source: 70 FR 17159, Apr. 4, 2005, unless otherwise noted.
(a) The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will make payments to tobacco quota holders and tobacco producers as provided in this subpart with respect to farms for which a tobacco marketing quota had been established by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). To be eligible for a payment, such person must meet all provisions of this part; submit to CCC an application provided by CCC to enter into a contract for payment; and submit other information as may be required by CCC. Payments will be made by CCC annually over a 10-year period.
(b) As provided in this part, a tobacco quota holder or tobacco producer who is not the subject of an outstanding claim established by the United States may, under the terms and conditions established by CCC and with the prior approval of CCC, enter into a successor in interest contract with another person or entity. Upon approval by CCC, all rights and obligations of the quota holder or producer, with respect to payments made by CCC under this part, will be terminated and transferred to the successor party.
(c) As provided in this part, a tobacco quota holder or tobacco producer who may, under the terms and conditions established by CCC, and with the prior approval of CCC, may assign the right to receive a payment to be made under this part by executing an assignment as provided in §1463.111.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the provisions of 7 CFR parts 723 and 1464 shall not be applicable to the 2005 and subsequent crops and the 2005 and subsequent marketing years.
(a) The program will be administered under the general supervision of the Executive Vice President, CCC, and shall be carried out by FSA State and county committees (State and county committees).
(b) State and county committees and their representatives and employees have no authority to modify or waive provisions of this subpart.
(c) The State committee shall take any action required by the regulations of this subpart that has not been taken by the county committee. The State committee shall also:
(1) Correct, or require a county committee to correct, any action taken by such county committee that is not in accordance with this subpart; or
(2) Require a county committee to withhold taking any action that is not in accordance with this subpart.
(d) No provision or delegation herein to a State or county committee shall preclude the Executive Vice President, CCC, or designee, from determining any question arising under the program or from reversing or modifying any determination made by a State or county committee. Further, the Executive Vice-President, CCC, or designee, may modify any deadline in this subpart to the extent doing so is determined to be appropriate and consistent with the purposes of the program.
(e) A representative of CCC may execute a contract for a transition payment only under the terms and conditions of this part, and as determined and announced by the Executive Vice President, CCC. Any contract that is not executed in accordance with such terms and conditions, including any purported execution prior to the date authorized by the Executive Vice President, CCC, is null and void and shall not be considered to be a contract between CCC and any person executing the contract.
The definitions in this section shall apply for all purposes of administering the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP) authorized by this subpart.
Act means the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004.
Actual marketings means tobacco that was disposed of in raw or processed form by voluntary or involuntary sale, barter, or exchange, or by gift between living persons.
Actual undermarketings means the amount by which the effective quota is more than the amount of tobacco marketed.
Assignee means the person designated by a tobacco quota holder or tobacco producer on the correct CCC form to receive a payment to be made by CCC under this subpart.
Assignor means the owner of a farm, or a producer on a farm, who has been determined by CCC to be eligible for a payment under this subpart and who has elected to assign to another person on the correct CCC form, the payment to be made by CCC under this subpart.
Average production yield means, for each kind of tobacco, other than burley (type 31) and flue-cured (types 11-14), the average of the production of a kind of tobacco in a county, on a per-acre basis, for the 2001, 2002, and 2003 crop years. For quota holders only, if no records are available to provide the average production of a kind of tobacco in a county, the average yield will be the production yield established by the National Agricultural Statistical Service of the Department of Agriculture (NASS) for the 2002 marketing year for the applicable kind of tobacco.
Basic allotment means the factored allotment plus and minus permanent adjustments.
Basic quota means the factored quota plus permanent adjustments.
Base Quota Level (BQL) means the payment pounds as determined under this subpart.
Calendar year means the twelve-months from January 1 through December 31.
Claim means any amount of money determined by any Federal agency to be owed by a tobacco quota holder or a tobacco producer to the United States, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, that has been the subject of a completed debt collection activity that is in compliance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996.
Considered planted means tobacco that was planted but failed to be produced as a result of a natural disaster, as determined by CCC.
Contract means a Tobacco Transition Payment Quota Holder Contract, a Tobacco Transition Payment Producer Contract, a Tobacco Transition Payment Quota Holder Successor In Interest Contract, or a Tobacco Transition Payment Producer Successor In Interest Contract.
Contract payment means a payment made under a contract entered into under this subpart.
Dependent means an offspring child who is under 18 years of age.
Disaster lease means, as approved by FSA, a written transfer by lease under certain natural disaster conditions of flue-cured or burley tobacco when the transferring farm has suffered a loss of production due to drought, excessive rain, hail, wind, tornado, or other natural disasters. A disaster transfer of flue-cured tobacco must have occurred after June 30 and on or before November 15. A disaster transfer of burley tobacco must have occurred after July 1 and on or before February 16 of the following calendar year.
Effective allotment means the basic farm allotment plus or minus temporary adjustments.
Effective quota means the current year farm marketing quota plus or minus any temporary quota adjustments.
Effective undermarketings means the smaller of the actual undermarketings or the sum of the previous year's basic quota plus pounds of quota temporarily transferred to the farm for the previous year.
Eligible quota holder means only a person who, as of October 22, 2004, has either a fee simple interest or life estate interest in the farm for which FSA established a farm basic marketing quota for the 2004 marketing year. An eligible quota holder does not include any other person who: claims a lien, security interest or other similar equitable interest in the farm or in any personal asset of the owner of the farm or a producer on the farm; has a remainder interest or any other contingent interest in the farm or in any personal asset of the owner of the farm or a producer on the farm; or who may have caused any such marketing quota to have been transferred to the farm.
Eligible tobacco producer means an owner, operator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper who shared in the risk of producing tobacco on a farm where tobacco was produced, or considered planted, pursuant to a tobacco poundage quota or acreage allotment assigned to the farm for the 2002, 2003 or 2004 marketing years and who otherwise meets the requirements in §1463.104.
Experimental tobacco means tobacco grown by or under the direction of a publicly-owned agricultural experiment station for experimental purposes.
Factored allotment means allotment that has been factored to equate it to the 2002 basic allotment level.
Factored quota means quota that has been factored to equate it to the 2002 basic quota level.
Family member means a parent; grandparent or other direct lineal ancestor; child or other direct lineal descendent; spouse; or sibling of a tobacco quota holder or tobacco producer.
Farm means a farm as defined in part 718 of this title.
Fiscal year means the twelve-month period from October 1 through September 30.
Marketing year means, for flue-cured tobacco, the period beginning July 1 of the current year and ending June 30 of the following year. For kinds of tobacco other than flue-cured, the period beginning October 1 of the current year and ending September 30 of the following year.
NASS means the National Agricultural Statistics Service of USDA.
New farm means a farm for which a basic marketing quota was established for the 2003 or 2004 year from the national reserve that is set aside for such purposes from the national marketing quota established for the applicable year for the kind of tobacco.
Overmarketings means the pounds by which the pounds marketed exceed the effective farm marketing quota.
Permanent quota adjustments means adjustments made by FSA under part 723 of this title for:
(1) Old farm adjustments from reserve;
(2) Pounds of quota transferred to the farm from the eminent domain pool;
(3) Pounds of quota transferred to or from the farm by sale; or
(4) Pounds of forfeited quota.
Secretary means the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Share in the risk of production means having a direct financial interest in the successful production of a crop of tobacco through ownership of a direct share in the actual proceeds derived from the marketing of the crop, which share is conditional upon the success of that marketing.
Successor party means the means the person who has assumed all rights and obligations of a quota holder or tobacco producer arising under this part by executing a TTPP contract.
Temporary quota adjustments means adjustments made by FSA under part 723 of this title for:
(1) Effective undermarketings;
(2) Overmarketings from any prior year;
(3) Reapportioned quota from quota released from farms in the eminent domain pool;
(4) Quota transferred by lease or by owner, for all kinds of tobacco except flue-cured and cigar tobacco; except for flue-cured disaster lease;
(5) Violations of the provisions of part 723 of this title and part 1464 of this chapter.
Tobacco means the following kinds of tobacco: Burley tobacco (type 31); cigar-filler and cigar binder tobacco (types 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, and 55); dark air-cured tobacco (types 35 and 36), fire-cured tobacco (types 21, 22 and 23); flue-cured tobacco (types 11, 12, 13 and 14); and Virginia sun-cured tobacco (type 37).
TTPP effective quota means effective quota plus or minus temporary adjustments because of disaster lease and transfer and before adjustment to the 2002 level for establishment of BQL.
United States includes any agency and instrumentality thereof.
(a) CCC will make a payment under this subpart to a person determined by CCC to be an eligible quota holder, as defined in §1463.102.
(b) The wetlands and highly erodible land provisions of part 12 of this title, the controlled substance provisions of part 718 of this title, and the payment limitation provisions of part 1400 of this chapter shall not be applicable to payments made under this part to an eligible quota holder.
(a) CCC will make a payment under this subpart to a person determined by CCC to be an eligible tobacco producer, as defined in §1463.102.
(b) The wetlands and highly erodible land provisions of part 12 of this title and the controlled substance provisions of part 718 of this title shall be applicable to payments made under this part to an eligible tobacco producer. However, the payment limitation provisions of part 1400 of this chapter shall not be applicable to payments made under this part to an eligible tobacco producer.
(c) For purposes of determining if an eligible tobacco producer has shared in the risk of producing a crop in the 2002, 2003, or 2004 crop years, CCC will consider evidence presented by a producer that includes, but is not limited to: written leases; contracts for the purchase of tobacco; crop insurance documents; or receipts for the purchase of items used in the production of tobacco.
(a) The BQL is determined separately for each kind of tobacco for each farm for which a 2004 basic marketing year quota was established under part 723 of this title. Any marketing quota assigned by FSA to a new farm in 2003 or 2004, other than through transfer from another farm, shall not be considered when determining the BQL.
(b) For burley tobacco quota holders BQL is established according to the following table, except as adjusted under paragraph (e) of this section:
(1) Farm BQL. The 2004 basic quota, multiplied by the BQL adjustment factor 1.071295. (Note: The factor adjusts the 2004 basic quota to the 2002 basic quota level.)
(2) Quota holder BQL. The farm BQL multiplied by the quota holder's ownership share in the farm. (Note: In the case of undivided tract ownership, BQL must be distributed among the tract quota holders by the tract owners.)
(c) For flue-cured tobacco quota holders the BQL is established according to the following table, except as adjusted under paragraph (e) of this section:
(1) Farm BQL. The 2004 basic quota, multiplied by the BQL adjustment factor 1.23457. (Note: The factor adjusts the 2004 basic quota to the 2002 level.)
(2) Quota holder BQL. The farm BQL multiplied by the quota holder's ownership share in the farm. (Note: In the case of undivided tract ownership, BQL must be distributed among the tract quota holders by the tract owner.)
(d) For quota holders of all other kinds of tobacco the BQL is established according to the following table, except as adjusted under paragraph (e) of this section:
(1) Farm BQL. The basic allotment established for the farm in 2002 multiplied by the county average production yield. The following NASS yields are to be used for any county without production:
(i) Fire-cured (type 21)—1746 lbs.
(ii) Fire-cured (types 22-23)—2676 lbs.
(iii) Dark Air-cured (types 35-36)—2475 lbs.
(iv) Virginia Sun-cured (type 37)—1502 lbs.
(v) Cigar Filler/Binder (types 42-44, 54, 55)—2230 lbs.
(e)(1) CCC will divide the BQL for the farm between the parties to the agreement as CCC determines to be fair and equitable, taking into consideration the proportionate amounts of cropland sold, if:
(i) On or before October 22, 2004, the owner of a farm had entered into an agreement for the sale of all or a portion of a farm for which a farm marketing quota was established for the 2004 marketing year; and
(ii) Such agreement had not been fulfilled or terminated prior to that date; and
(iii) The parties to the agreement are unable to agree to the disposition of the contract payment to be made with respect to the farm.
(2) If, on or before October 22, 2004, the owner of a farm had entered into an agreement for the permanent transfer of all or a portion of a tobacco marketing quota and the transfer had not been completed by such date, the owner of the farm to which such quota was to be transferred shall be considered to be the owner of the marketing quota for the purposes of this subpart. The BQL's for the transferring farm and the receiving farm will be adjusted to reflect this transfer.
(f) Any tobacco marketing quota preserved under part 1410 of this chapter as the result of the enrollment of a farm in the Conservation Reserve Program shall be included in the determination of the BQL of the farm.
(a) BQL is determined separately, for each of the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, for each kind of tobacco and for each farm for which a 2002 farm marketing quota had been established under part 723 of this title.
(b) The BQL for producers of burley tobacco is established as follows:
(1) The 2002-crop year BQL for burley producers is the 2002 effective quota pounds actually marketed, adjusted for disaster lease and transfer, and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings. The BQL is then multiplied by the producer's share in the 2002 crop to determine the producer's 2002 BQL. The adjustments for disaster lease and transfer and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings are made as follows:
(i) Disaster-leased pounds are added to the marketings of the transferring farm and deducted from the marketings of the receiving farm;
(ii) Considered-planted pounds are added to the farm's actual marketings, and includes only undermarketings that were not part of the farm's 2003 effective quota.
(iii) Pounds actually marketed as overmarketings and sold penalty-free are added to the farm BQL after the BQL adjustment factor of 1.12486 has been applied to the overmarketed pounds.
(2) The 2003-crop year BQL for burley producers is the 2003 effective quota pounds actually marketed, adjusted for disaster lease and transfer and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings, as follows:
(i) Disaster leases are added to the marketings of the transferring farm and deducted from the marketings of receiving farm.
(iii) Pounds actually marketed as overmarketings and sold penalty-free are added to the farm BQL after the BQL adjustment factor of 1.071295 has been applied to the overmarketed pounds.
(iv) After these adjustments the BQL is calculated as follows:
1 Subtract all 2002 undermarketings from the 2003 marketings, including undermarketings from the parent farm in any special tobacco combinations. Leased pounds are apportioned undermarketing history by dividing the transferring farm's undermarketings by the transferring farm's effective quota, before any temporary transfers, resulting in the percentage of undermarketings that were leased.
2 Multiply the 2003 marketings remaining after Step 1 times 1.12486 (the 2003-BQL adjustment factor).
3 Add the undermarketings that were subtracted in Step 1 to the sum of Step 2 to determine the farm 2003 BQL.
4 Multiply the sum from Step 3 times the producer's share in the 2003 crop to determine the producer's 2003 BQL.
(3) The 2004-crop year BQL for burley producers is the 2004 effective quota before disaster lease and transfer is calculated as follows:
1 Subtract all 2003 undermarketings from the 2004 effective quota, including undermarketings from the parent farm in any special tobacco combinations. Leased pounds are apportioned undermarketing history by dividing the transferring farm's undermarketings by the transferring farm's effective quota, before any temporary transfers, resulting in the percentage of undermarketings that were leased.
2 Multiply the 2004 effective quota remaining after Step 1 times 1.071295 (the 2004 BQL adjustment factor).
3 Multiply the undermarketings that were subtracted in Step 1 times 1.12486 (the 2003 BQL adjustment factor).
4 Add the effective quota from Step 2 to the undermarketings in Step 3 to determine the farm 2004 BQL.
(c) The BQL for producers of flue-cured tobacco is established by year, as follows:
(1) The 2002-crop year BQL for flue-cured producers is the effective 2002 quota actually marketed, adjusted for disaster lease and transfer and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings. The BQL is then multiplied by the producer's share in the 2002 crop to determine the producer's 2002 BQL. Adjustments for disaster lease and transfer and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings are calculated as follows:
(ii) Considered-planted pounds are added to the farm's actual marketings, and include only undermarketings that were not part of the farm's 2003 effective quota.
(2) The 2003-crop year BQL for flue-cured producers is the 2003 effective quota actually marketed, adjusted for disaster lease and transfer and considered-planted undermarketings and overmarketings, as follows:
(i) Disaster leases are added to the marketings of the transferring farm and deducted from the marketings of the receiving farm.
(ii) Considered-planted pounds are added to the farm's actual marketings, and includes only undermarketings that were in not part of the farm's 2004 effective quota.
1 Subtract all 2002 undermarketings from the 2003 marketings, including undermarketings from the parent farm in any special tobacco combinations.
2 Multiply the 2003 marketings remaining after Step 1 times 1.10497 (the 2003 BQL adjustment factor).
(3) The 2004-crop year BQL for flue-cured producers is the 2004 effective quota before disaster lease and transfer. The 2004 BQL is calculated as follows:
1 Subtract all 2003 undermarketings from the 2004 effective quota, including undermarketings from the parent farm in any special tobacco combinations.
2 Multiply the 2004 effective quota remaining after Step 1 times 1.23457 (the 2004 BQL adjustment factor).
(d) The BQL for producers of cigar filler and binder tobacco is established by years, as follows:
(1) The 2002-crop year BQL for cigar filler and binder tobaccos is calculated as follows:
1 Multiply the 2002 farm's basic allotment times the farm's average yield for 2001, 2002, and 2003 to get the 2004 farm base pounds total.
2 Multiply any 2002 special tobacco combination acres times the 2002-equivalence factor of 1.000.
3 Multiply the sum from Step 2 times the farm's average yield for 2001, 2002, and 2003 to get the 2002 farm special tobacco combination pounds total.
4 Add the sum from Step 1 to the sum from Step 3 to get the 2004 farm BQL total.
5 Multiply the sum from Step 4 times the producer's share in the 2002 crop to get the producer 2002 BQL.
2 Multiply any 2003 special tobacco combination acres times the 2003 BQL adjustment factor of 0.8929.
(3) The 2004-crop year BQL for cigar-filler and binder tobaccos is calculated as follows:
(e) The BQL's for producers of all kinds of tobacco other than burley, flue-cured and cigar filler and binder, are established by year, as follows.
(1) The 2002-crop year BQL's for these kinds of tobaccos are calculated as follows:
2 Multiply any 2002 special tobacco combination acres times the farm's average yield for 2001, 2002, and 2003 to get the 2002 special tobacco combinations pounds total.
3 Add the sum from Step 1 to the sum from Step 2.
4 Multiply any 2002 acres leased to or from the farm times the farm's average yield for 2001, 2002, and 2003 to get the 2002 lease pounds total. Then, to the sum from either:
(i) Step 3, add pounds leased to the farm to get the farm 2002 BQL total
(ii)Step 3, subtract pounds leased from the farm to get the farm 2002 BQL total.
5 Multiply the result from Step 4 times the producer's share in the 2002 crop to get the producer 2002 BQL.
2 Multiply any 2003 special tobacco combinations acres times the applicable 2003 BQL adjustment factor:
(i) Fire-cured (type 21)—1.0000
(ii) Fire-cured (types 22-23)—.980392
(iii) Dark Air-cured (35-36)—.952381
(iv) Virginia Sun-cured (type 37) 1.0000
5 Multiply any 2003 acres leased times the applicable 2003 BQL adjustment factor:
(i) Fire-cured (type 21) 1.0000
6 Multiply the sum from Step 5 times the farm's average yield for 2001, 2002, and 2003 to get the 2003 lease pounds total.
7 To the sum from Step 4 either:
(i) Add pounds from Step 6 leased to the farm to get the farm 2003 BQL total
(ii) Subtract pounds from Step 6 leased from the farm to get the farm 2003 BQL total.
8 Multiply the sum from Step 7 times the producer's share in the 2003 crop to get the producer 2003 BQL total.
(iii) Dark Air-cured (35-36)—.94264
(a) The total amount of contract payments that may be made to an eligible quota holder shall be the product obtained by multiplying:
$7.00 per pound × the BQL for the quota holder as determined under §1463.105 for each kind of tobacco
(b) During each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2014, CCC will make a payment to each eligible quota holder in an amount equal to 10 percent of the total amount due under a contract entered into under this subpart, except that in the case an application was filed after June 17, 2005, the applicant will receive only the TTPP payments that have not been made as of the date the contract is approved. However, in order for the contract participant to receive the 2005 TTPP payment an application to enter into a TTPP contract must be filed no later than June 17, 2005. CCC may, in its discretion, extend any deadline set forth in this paragraph. However, CCC will make the FY 2005 payment between June and September of 2005, and subsequent payments will be made in January, to the extent practicable, of each FY.
(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, the total amount of contract payments that may be made to an eligible tobacco producer shall be the product obtained by multiplying:
$3.00 per pound × the BQL for the producer determined under §1463.106 for each kind of tobacco
(b) Payments to an eligible producer shall be equal to:
(1) For an eligible producer that produced tobacco that was marketed or considered by CCC as planted under a marketing quota in all of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 marketing years, 100 percent of the rate specified in paragraph (a) of this section;
(2) For an eligible producer that produced tobacco that was marketed or considered by CCC as planted under a marketing quota in any two of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 marketing years, 2⁄3 of the rate specified in paragraph (a) of this section; and
(3) For an eligible producer that produced tobacco that was marketed, or considered by CCC as planted under a marketing quota in any one of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 marketing years, 1⁄3 of the rate specified in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) During each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2014, CCC will make a payment to each eligible producer in an amount equal to 10 percent of the total amount due under a contract entered into under this subpart except that in the case an application was filed after June 17, 2005, the applicant will receive only the TTPP payments that have not been made as of the date the contract is approved. However, in order for the contract participant to receive the 2005 TTPP payment, an application to enter into a TTPP contract must be filed no later than June 17, 2005. CCC may, in its discretion, extend any deadline set forth in this paragraph. However, CCC will make the FY 2005 payment between June and September of 2005, and subsequent payments will be made in January, to the extent practical, of each FY.
(a) CCC will enter into a contract with eligible tobacco quota holders and producers. To the extent a person has filed such a contract with CCC, but a final administrative decision has not been made with respect to such person's status as an eligible quota holder or tobacco producer prior to the final enrollment date, CCC will enter into such a contract only upon the issuance of a final determination of eligibility and the passing of any deadline for any administrative appeal under parts 780 and 11 of this title.
(b)(1) If contracts or other written claims are provided to CCC by June 3, 2005, by two or more persons with respect to the same tobacco BQL used to calculate a program payment, CCC will not issue such payment until CCC has determined the eligibility status of each claimant.
(2) If CCC has made a payment to a person after June 3, 2005, a person who is not an eligible holder or producer, as identified on FSA records, for such farm, or claims to be an eligible tobacco holder or producer and submits a contract or other written claim with CCC for the same quota used to issue the initial payment, CCC will issue no further payments for such farm until CCC has determined the eligibility status of each person who has submitted a contract or other written claim for such farm and the occurrence of the repayment of the initial payment made by CCC.
A person must refund all payments received on all contracts entered into under this subpart, plus interest as determined in accordance with part 1403 of this chapter, and pay to CCC liquidated damages as specified in the contract, if CCC determines the person has:
(a) Erroneously represented any fact affecting a program determination made in accordance with this subpart;
(b) Adopted any scheme or device that tends to defeat the purpose of the program; or
(c) Made any fraudulent representation affecting a program determination made in accordance with this subpart.
(a) TTPP payments made to any person under this subpart shall be made without regard to questions of title under State law and without regard to any claim or lien against the tobacco quota, tobacco marketing allotment, or the farm for which a tobacco quota had been established under part 723 of this title by any creditor or any other person.
(b) The provisions of part 1404 of this title shall not apply to this part.
(c) A quota holder or tobacco producer who is eligible to receive a payment under this part may assign a payment, or a portion thereof, to be made under this part to another person using the correct CCC form. Such an assignment will become effective upon approval by CCC. In order to provide for the orderly issuance of payments under this part, CCC may limit, in its sole discretion, the number of assignments that may be made with respect to a contract.
(d)(1) CCC will establish, after consultation with the Department of the Treasury, a discount rate that reflects the value of any remaining payments due under this part if such payments were to be made as a lump sum payment in the current year. Unless there is consideration for such contract in an amount equal to or greater than the discounted value of the payments, subject to the assignment, based on the discount rate established for such payments by CCC, CCC will not approve any assignment other than to:
(i) A family member; or
(ii) A party who had purchased a tobacco marketing quota prior to October 22, 2004 and had placed the quota on a farm with the owner's consent prior to that date in the manner that had been prescribed by FSA under part 723 of this chapter.
(2) The discount rate established by CCC will be determined by adding 200 basis points to the prime lending rate, as determined by CCC. If this sum is a fraction of a number, CCC will round the discount rate to the nearest whole number. Rounding of a half percent will be to the next higher whole number.
(e) CCC will issue a payment to an assignee only to the extent and amount of payment that CCC would otherwise have issued to the quota holder or producer in the absence of the assignment. In accordance with part 1403 of this title, any claim owed by the assignor to the United States will be deducted from any payment made under this part prior to the issuance of the payment to the assignee.
(f) CCC will report to the Internal Revenue Service any payment assigned under this section as income earned by the assignor.
(a) A quota holder or tobacco producer who is eligible to receive a payment under this part, and for whom a claim has not been established by the United States, may enter into a successor in interest contract with another party using the correct CCC form. Such successor in interest contract will become effective upon approval by CCC, and will not include the 2005 payment. Only one such successor in interest contract may be entered into by a quota holder or tobacco producer with respect to a farm for each kind of tobacco.
(b) Annually, CCC will establish, after consultation with the Department of the Treasury, a discount rate that reflects the value of any remaining payments due under this part if such payments were to be made as a lump sum payment in the current year. This discount rate will be determined as provided in §1463.111(d)(2). Unless there is consideration for such contract in an amount equal to or greater than the discounted value of the payments, subject to the successor in interest or contract, based on the discount rate established for such payments by CCC, CCC will not approve any succession in interest contract other than to:
(1) A family member; or
(2) A party who had purchased a tobacco marketing quota prior to October 22, 2004 and had placed the quota on a farm with the owner's consent prior to that date in the manner that had been prescribed by FSA under part 723 of this chapter.
(c) CCC will issue a payment, except the 2005 payment, to a successor party only if such party is otherwise in compliance with all other applicable regulations, which includes for successors to producer contracts only the wetlands and highly erodible land provisions of part 12 of this chapter. In accordance with part 1403 of this title, any claim owed by the successor party to the United States will be deducted from any payment made under this part prior to the issuance of the payment to the successor party.
(d) CCC will report to the Internal Revenue Service any payment made under a successor in interest contract as income earned by the successor party.
If a quota holder or tobacco producer who is eligible to receive a payment under this subpart dies, the right to receive payments shall be transferred to the estate of the quota holder or tobacco producer unless such person is survived by a spouse or one or more dependents, in which case the right to receive the payments shall be transferred to the surviving spouse.
A person may obtain reconsideration and review of any adverse determination made under this subpart in accordance with the appeal regulations found at parts 11 and 780 of this title.
Assessments paid on imported flue-cured or burley tobacco under sections 106A and 106B of the Agricultural Act of 1949 with respect to imports in the 2004 and prior marketing years may be refunded by CCC in accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR 1464.105 that were in effect prior to March 30, 2005, so long as such request for refunds are filed in accordance with such part no later than:
(a) August 1, 2005 for flue-cured tobacco; and
(b) November 1, 2005 for burley tobacco.
[70 FR 17159, Apr. 4, 2005]
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Google to acquire Fitbit, valuing smartwatch maker at $2.1 billion
HomeAll PostsWearable TechnologyGoogle to acquire Fitbit, valuing smartwatch...
Wearable Technology 01/11/2019 5Views 0Likes
Google parent company Alphabet will buy Fitbit, putting the tech giant head to head with Apple in the fitness tracking space. The deal values Fitbit around $2.1 billion at a fully diluted equity value, according to Friday’s announcement.
Fitbit’s stock surged 16%, while shares of Alphabet were up about 0.8%
Google will pay $7.35 per share in cash for the acquisition, Fitbit said. Fitbit’s all time high share price was $51.90 on Aug. 5, 2015, a couple months after its stock market debut at $30.40. The deal is expected to close in 2020, according to the announcement.
On Monday, Fitbit’s stock surged more than 30% on news that Alphabet had made an offer to acquire the smartwatch maker. As of Monday’s close, Fitbit’s market cap sat at $1.5 billion, up $340 million from the previous trading day.
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Following the announcement, Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh released a blog post explaining how the acquisition can help Google advance its ambitions for Wear OS, its software for smartwatches.
“By working closely with Fitbit’s team of experts, and bringing together the best AI, software and hardware, we can help spur innovation in wearables and build products to benefit even more people around the world,” Osterloh said. “Google also remains committed to Wear OS and our ecosystem partners, and we plan to work closely with Fitbit to combine the best of our respective smartwatch and fitness tracker platforms.”
Google will not use health and wellness data from Fitbit for its ads, according to the announcement. That didn’t convince Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., who is one of the leaders of an antitrust probe into Google. Cicilline said in a statement the acquisition “would also give the company deep insights into Americans’ most sensitive information.”
“This proposed transaction is a major test of antitrust enforcers’ will and ability to enforce the law and halt anti-competitive concentrations of economic power. It deserves an immediate and thorough investigation,” he said.
The move comes after Google announced a deal to buy $40 million worth of Fossil’s smartwatch technology in January. Fossil was already one of the primary brands building smartwatches on Google’s Wear OS.
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Land Tejas partners with HistoryMaker Homes on GHBA Benefit Homes Project
HomeAll PostsSmart HomeLand Tejas partners with HistoryMaker Homes on...
Smart Home 01/12/2019 7Views 0Likes
11:00 pm CST, Saturday, November 30, 2019
Land Tejas Companies, a long time supporter of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA), and the GHBA charity, the Benefit Homes Project, have donated their 17th lot for this 39-year-old charity fundraiser.
The Benefit Homes Project partners with Houston’s homebuilders, developers, trades, suppliers and vendors to raise funds for local charities through the sale of the Benefit Homes. The homes are built with donated materials, labor, services, the homesite, as well as closing costs. Proceeds from the sale of the home benefit HomeAid Houston and Operation Finally Home, two local charities.
“Land Tejas hit a milestone this year with their donation of a lot in Sierra Vista as it is the 17th lot they’ve generously provided,” said John Williams, president of GHBA. “These lot donations have an estimated total value of over $1,110,000.”
This Benefit Home is being built by HistoryMaker Homes. They are currently under construction on their Alder plan. Sierra Vista is located south of downtown, off Texas 288 and offers access to a variety of amenities with sister community Sterling Lakes. These include a junior olympic pool, poolside cabana, SplashPad Texas Waterpark, a recreation center and exercise facility, hike-and-bike trails and a sand volleyball court.
“The Land Tejas GHBA partnership is a huge factor in why the GHBA’s annual charity fundraiser has been so successful,” said Williams. “Al Brende, co-owner of Land Tejas has shared the vision of the Benefit Homes Project for two decades. His generosity has served the Benefit homes charities well. The addition of History Maker Homes in this partnership is a win for the charities and for the buyer of this beautiful home.”
“One of the very first things we did when setting up Land Tejas was to develop a partnership with the GHBA,” said Brende. “When they approached us with the first Benefit homes opportunity in 1998, we jumped at the chance. Not only does this cause help the greater Houston community, but it strengthens our bond with the builders who have been so loyal to us over the years. It is extremely gratifying to witness the impact the Benefit homes project has made by helping those in need. We are also honored to partner with History Maker on this program and expect their home to sell quickly.”
Brende, who founded Houston-based Land Tejas Cos. in 1997, was determined to develop the affordable gated-community concept. He was one of the first major developers to include community-wide amenities such as parks, splash pads, walking trails and community centers. He also helped pioneer the smart-home technology that has become a standard feature in many homes. Completed developments such as Canyon Gate at Cinco Ranch, Canyon Gate at Northpointe, Canyon Village at Cypress Springs, Sterling Lakes and many others represent years of development that launched in 1997 and continue today. With more than 10,000 acres of developed land across 20 communities, Land Tejas has shaped part of the Greater Houston landscape.
A second Benefit home was built by M/I Homes in Bridgeland. That home recently sold. M/I built their popular Roseville plan. The lot in Bridgeland was donated by the Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC), Bridgeland’s developer. Earlier this year, Chesmar Homes built a Benefit home that sold in NorthGrove. Toll Brothers, the community’s developer, donated that homesite.
For more information about the Benefit Homes Project, visit www.ghba.org or call the Greater Houston Builders Association at 281-970-8970.
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Etihad Airways signs codeshare agreement with Tanzania’s Precision Air
In a move that extends its reach across East Africa, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, earlier today announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with Precision Air, Tanzania’s leading domestic airline.
Under the new codeshare agreement, Etihad Airways will place its EY code on Precision Air flights between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Mtwara, Nairobi, Zanzibar, Pemba and between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.
Precision Air will place its PW code on Etihad’s daily services between Dar es Salaam and Abu Dhabi, strengthening ties between East Africa and the United Arab Emirates, in turn expanding the reach of Precision Air all the way to Abu Dhabi.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: ‘Precision Air is an innovative and award-winning airline and this new codeshare agreement demonstrates Etihad Airways’ growing ambitions to strengthen its operations across the East African region. This is a further example of our strategy of working with partners to extend our reach, and provide business and leisure travelers with more choice’.
Ms. Sauda Rajab, the Group Managing Director and CEO at Precision Air Services PLC, said in her response: ‘This is a new dawn for Precision Air and we are delighted to be working with Etihad Airways in this way. We look forward to welcoming Etihad Airways’ passengers on board our flights, and are excited about exploring additional opportunities to expand the relationship in the future. With this new partnership we are making it easier for passengers from across our domestic network to travel to Abu Dhabi, with convenient onward access to over 110 destinations on Etihad’s network, in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas’.
Passengers will be able to book flights from tomorrow, December 21, 2016, via travel agents or through the airlines’ sales offices and contact centers, with travel starting from January 11, 2017. when the codeshare arrangements will become operational.
Etihad Airways currently operates scheduled services to 10 destinations in Africa, including Nairobi, Entebbe and Dar es Salaam, while Precision Air serves a number of domestic and regional destinations in East Africa. Notably, Kenya Airways is a key shareholder in Precision Air and also codeshares on Etihad flights between Nairobi to Abu Dhabi.
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Cape Verde reports record nesting figures for loggerhead sea turtles in 2017
London to “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong”
Jamaica PM speaks at launch of Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre
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Home Organizations Trade Associations Fashion Associations South America Fashion Associations
South America – Fashion Associations
Abicalçados – Brazilian Footwear Industry Association
Abicalçados (Brazilian Footwear Industries Association) operates as an advocate for the policies favored by the Brazilian shoe industry. It watches over the industry’s interests and acts directly on domestic and foreign issues pertaining to the industry’s activities.
The footwear manufacturers represented by Abicalçados are responsible for an annual production of 764 million pairs of shoes, 177 million of which were exported in 2007. Around 140 different countries import shoes from Brazil, generating an inward flow of US$ 1.911 billion in revenues. Currently, 300,000 people are employed directly by the footwear industry in Brazil.
abicalcados.com
Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT)
ABIT (The Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) represents the integration of the Brazilian textile chain. Founded on the early 1960’s, ABIT sponsors companies of every segment in the textile industry, including cotton growing, synthetic raw materials, textile fibers, spinning, weaving, knitwear, dyeing, printing and clothing.
ABIT’s mission is to support the sustainable development of the Brazilian textile industry, representing its interests in the presence of governmental and international organizations, as well as making the textile sector better known to the general public.
abit.org
Brazilian Association of Artificial and Synthetic Fiber Producers / Associacao Brasileira de Produtores de Fibras Artificiais e Sinteticas (ABRAFAS)
The ABRAFAS – Brazilian Association of Producers of artificial and synthetic fibers, created November 7, 1968 as a representative of the entity manufactured fiber producers is a nonprofit corporation, which currently includes companies involved in production, processing and marketing of artificial and synthetic fiber, responsible for almost all of the total value of production of these fibers in the country. Even in its basic principles and objectives, the ABRAFAS sought to represent, coordinate and promote the interests of industries fibers produced by public and private, national and international, always trying to balance the interests of its members needs market.
abrasfas.org
Brazilian Clothing Association / Associacao Brasileira do Vestuario (ABRAVEST)
The Brazilian Clothing Association is the legitimate representative of the interests of the industry producing garments in nationally and internationally. Operating since 1982, headquartered in the state capital of São Paulo, brings together, through its board policy, about 63 Regional Employers’ Unions of the industry sector, covering about 22,112 firms distributed throughout the country. A represents Abravest the major force-generating jobs in the processing industry. Hand labor is directly employed 1,438,007 jobs, indirectly reaching a quota of 4.6 million people. Our industries in 2009 produced 6,680 billion pieces made with an annual turnover equivalent to U.S. $ 36,759 billion.
abravest.org
Institute for Export and Fashion / Instituto para la exportación de la moda (Inexmoda)
Inexmoda Institute is a research tool generator, marketing, innovation, training, internationalization and competitiveness of the textile – clothing – distribution channels and other sectors sensitive to design and fashion.
inexmoda.org
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A Simple Story – The Legend of Kanan Jarrus #RebelsRemembered
March 5, 2019 Shay
Hullo again, friends!
It’s been a while since The Elven Padawan has brought you anything new in the form of reading or listening material, but today we’re reemerging from the darkness to celebrate #RebelsRemembered: the anniversary of the finale of Star Wars Rebels, one of the best shows to ever grace our television screens and one of special significance to us here at TEP.
Not long ago, my good friend Lusa (who is also a huge supporter of TEP), told me she had something very special she’d written up in honor of Rebels, and particularly the character Kanan Jarrus. She sent it to me, wondering if I’d like to publish it here on the TEP blog, and once I read it I couldn’t wait to share it with you all!
So here it is: a special piece for #RebelsRemembered in honor of Kanan Jarrus, one of the greatest Jedi to live throughout the entirety of the Star Wars franchise. – Shay
A Simple Story
by Lusa
(A/N: I can’t take full credit for this. Shay actually started it on a chat group we’re in together, and I loved it and wrote more. Just wanna make sure she gets some credit!)
It was a small Jedi youngling named Caleb who first gave Obi-Wan the idea of recalibrating the signal to tell the Jedi to go into hiding.
A small Jedi Padawan who soon found himself receiving that message.
A small Jedi Padawan who found himself running through a forest, scared to death, completely alone and confused with his entire life and everything he had ever known crashing down around him.
A small Jedi Padawan who grew into a man.
A man who went for years with no purpose and no hope.
A man, once a small Jedi youngling, still alone but no longer frightened… or at least, not allowing himself to acknowledge fear.
A man, who after years of running through that forest, the forest of pain and bitterness, found himself with a home.
A man who became a leader.
A man people knew as Kanan.
A man who found himself in love. Real, true love. Not the kind that says it is love but walks away. Not even the kind that his Jedi master had given him as that small Jedi Padawan.
A man who sacrificed himself for that love. That love, and the love of his adopted family.
A family that was more real than any biological family could ever be.
A man — Caleb Dume, Kanan Jarrus — who found the moment in which he was most needed.
It had started in a lecture from Obi-Wan.
It grew into a simple story about a fallen knight.
No one ever thought it would end the way it did.
He found his purpose beyond what anyone ever imagined.
A simple story.
A small Jedi youngling named Caleb.
A fallen and risen knight named Kanan.
He became the spark that would light the fire that would burn the Empire down.
Categories: Blog, Books & Movies, Stories & Characters, Uncategorized Tags: #RebelsRemembered, Kanan Jarrus, Lusa, Rebel Alliance, Rebellion, Rebels, Shay, star wars, Star Wars: Rebels, Writing
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14 thoughts on “A Simple Story – The Legend of Kanan Jarrus #RebelsRemembered”
Oh myyyyyy I love this so much! It’s the littlest things that completely mess with my emotions. He will be missed along with this show. Very well written.
christineeyre says:
Oh, my heart!!!! Beautiful tribute to our precious Space Dad! On the one hand, I’m so glad the creators got to end their show the way they wanted. But on the other hand…WHY!????
This is so great and feesly Lu! ❤️💔
The Mithril Guardian says:
Nicely done, Lusa!
LusaBearHugs says:
#RebelsRemembered
Random thing here but I was scrolling through the sidebar with all Shay’s Twitter stuff and I had to zoom my screen in really big because Mr. Dave’s art. omw. yes. Now I have to go think up all the post-Epilogue headcanons… and also the art from Jane Rose Noble…. UGHHGHH I LOVE BEAN TOO MUCH.
Mr. Dave’s art had a very LOTR-ish feel to it, don’t you think?? I appreciate his full disclosure about this not being a hint or tease for future stories, just a *possible* scene from a future Ashoka and Sabine might face in their journeys. It leaves one free to imagine the possibilities without getting one’s hopes up and then slowly being let down when no more news breaks.
Jane Rose Noble’s art is some of my FAVORITE Rebels fan art ever!! And she’s super sweet online, too; I’m super glad I came across her stuff, she seems like such a genuinely nice person who makes fantastic content. 😊
And by the way, thanks for y’all’s compliments and feedback on my thingy… 😀
Have you read any original Star Wars Expanded Universe books? There is a character named Lusa in some of them. She becomes a Jedi in Luke Skywalker’s new Order. 🙂
Okay, so… I’ve read the Heir to the Empire trilogy, but that’s about it. But about a year and a half ago I found an excerpt from something that mentioned her and pretty much SCREAMED, Lusa has been my screen name for basically ever, it’s from the Seekers series by Erin Hunter. Apparently it means “black” in some language… it’s the name of my fav. character in that series — a black bear. So, yea I knew that, but I’m not named after her. 🙂
Cool! 😀 I didn’t know the name Lusa means “black”. That’s great to know – though it makes me wonder a bit about her name choice. SW’s Lusa is a centauriform alien with red hair covering most of her body! If you’re interested in “meeting” her, you can find her as a teenager in the “Young Jedi Kinghts: The Fall of the Diversity Alliance” collection by Kevin J. Anderson and as a little girl in “The Crystal Star” by Vonda N. McIntyre. (“Star” may have some mild adult content, but all the same, it’s not too bad.)
aiofan04 says:
Lu! You’re the best! Great job!
Amelie says:
Oh, wow, oh wow oh wow. Lu, this is amazing!! What a great way to remember Kanan. I loved this.
Pingback: Book Review – Star Wars: Survivor’s Quest by Timothy Zahn | Thoughts on the Edge of Forever
Nice job Lusa!
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Bazargan to Chabahar Tour (26 Days)
Tour Request Form
Depart from Bazargan Border every last Wednesday of each month
Attention: we can also manage this tour for those tourists who arrive Iran via other borders of Pakistan.
For the convenience of all tourists who desire to travel through Iran PTA plans an itinerary to cross Iran. Depart Bazargan every last Wednesday of each month. In this itinerary we provide visa, car and guide for only 1490 US$. Furthermore you have freedom for choosing your hotels.
arriving Bazargan, transfer to Tabriz
Bazargan is an Iranian city behind the Iran and Turkey's border in West Azerbaijan province. It is a sub county of Maku city. Bazargan is the most important Iranian ground border for importing and exporting.
Afterwards we will move toward Tabriz and transfer to hotel.(Transfer Information)
visiting Tabriz
Azerbaijan is home to one of the most cultured and bravest races in Iran, the Azaris. You will be impressed by the profundity and richness of Azeri culture, language, music, dance and literature. Lots of sightseeing here catches the eyes of visitors such as the former Shah Goli or the present Eil Goli (the Shah's pool) which is the name of a large park in Tabriz. It seems that it was used as a water resource for agricultural purposes. It was used as a summer palace during the Qadjar dynasty (when Tabriz was the official residence of Prince of Iran). Then we’ll visit the exotic bazaar which is one of the oldest bazaars of the Middle East and one of the largest covered traditional bazaars in the world. It was inscribed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2010.
Next place to visit is Kabood Mosques Remains of a Great Mosque Kabood or Jahanshah Mosque is one of the works by Abul Mozaffar Jahanshah bin Qara Yousef, a member of Qaraqoyounlu tribe, in Tabriz. It was completed in 870 AH subsequent to supervision of Jahanshah’s wife, Jan Beigum Khatoon. Then we’ll visit holy Serkis church, this church was constructed by 'Petrossian' in the Banvan neighborhood of Tabriz in the year 1821 AD. Stay overnight in Tabriz.
Today we have a half day tour to Kandovan. Kandovan is a tourist village near Osku and Tabriz. Its fame is due to its troglodyte dwellings. Some of the houses are at least 700 years old and are still inhabited. Kandovan is also known for its scenic beauty. A popular resort, it offers hotels and restaurants to serve tourists. Its mineral water is also popular with visitors and is believed to be a cure for kidney disease. Stay overnight in Tabriz.
driving 130 Km. to Kaleibar via Julfa
Today we will move toward Kaleibar. On the way we will visit Jolfa which is one of the most important border towns of Iran and it is located near the Aras River and the fascinating forests of Arasbaran. Julfa is the stronghold of the Armenian Christians who possess a rich and unique culture of their own. We will visit the ancient churches there. The St. Stepanos Monastery (Maghartavank) is an Armenian monastery about 15 km northwest of Jolfa city, East Azarbaijan Province northeast Iran. It is situated in a deep canyon along the Aras River on the Iranian side of the border between Azerbaijan and Iran. It was built in the 9th century and was rebuilt in the Safavid era after several earthquakes damaged it. Julfa also has a nice waterfall.
visiting Kaleibar, driving to Ardabil
Today we will visit the county Kaleibar which is noted for the Arasbaran forests protected area and the Bazz Galasi, the fortress of Babak Khorramdin. Babak Tower (Ghale-eh Babak) is where Babak-e Khorramdin lived. It is 3200 m above sea level. The landscape is fantastic.
Bābak Khorram-Din was one of the main Persian revolutionary leaders of the Iranian of the Khorram-Dinān. He was the leader of a local freedom movement fighting the Abbasid Caliphate. The Khorramdin rebellion of Babak spread to the Western and Central parts of Iran and lasted more than twenty years before it was defeated. To access the castle you have two options: you can leave the car in an entertainment area near the town and climb up towards the castle through dense forests or drive to the point the road extends, leave the car there and have an hour trek to the castle.
Afterwards we will move toward Ardabil.
visiting Ardabil
Ardabil is a historical, beautiful and unforgettable city which is located in the skirts of Sabalan Mountain (the bride of Iran Mountains). In this city the Safavid dynasty took up residence. We will visit the mausoleum of Sheikh Safi-ad-Din-e-Ardabili. It is an impressive ancient monument, comprising the following components: the mausoleums of Sheikh Safi and Shah Isma'il, Chini khaneh (meaning the house of chinaware), a mosque, Jannat Sara (meaning the house of paradise), Khanqah (the house of Dervishes), Cheragh Khaneh (the house of lamps), Shahid khaneh (the house of martyrs) and Chelleh Khaneh (the place where devotees shut themselves up during the forty days of Lent). The mausoleum of Sheikh Safi, the famous dome of which is called "Allah-Allah" has an octagonal interior. Stay overnight in Sarein.
driving to Masooleh
Today we will depart for the ancient village of Masooleh via Heiran Strait. Our tour will be continued through Heiran Strait where we can visit one of the best Iran landscapes.
visiting Masooleh and Anzali swamp, at evening driving to Ghazvin
In today tour we will visit the historical village of Masooleh. Its architecture is one of the inquests in the world which is registered in UNESCO. Masooleh architecture is unique. The buildings have been built into the mountain and are interconnected. Courtyards and roofs both serve as pedestrian areas similar to streets. Masooleh does not allow any motor vehicles to enter, due to its unique layout. It is the only village in Iran with such a prohibition. However, the small streets and many stairs simply also wouldn't make it possible for vehicles to enter. Yellow clay coats the exterior of most buildings in Masooleh. This allows for better visibility in the fog.
Then we have an excursion to the Anzali swamp which is one of the most beautiful and biggest swamps in the world. There are lots of beautiful flowers such as water lily, lots of unique birds and the silence there will hush us.
At evening we will move toward Ghazvin and stay overnight in Ghazvin.
visiting Ghazvin, driving to Tehran
The city today known as Qazvin is thought to be founded by Shapur II, King of Persia in 250 CE. Archeological findings in the Qazvin plain reveal urban agricultural settlements for at least nine millennia. Qazvin contains several archeological excavations being done. And in the middle of the city lie the ruins of Meimoon Ghal'eh, one of several Sassanid edifices in the area. You can visit this place. Afterwards we will drive in the highway to Soltanieh and visit the majesty of Soltanieh Dome (Gonbad Soltanieh) and stay overnight in Tehran.
visiting Tehran
Tehran, a modern megalopolis, prides itself in having unique museums with immense and unrivaled collections and artifacts dating from the earliest onset of history to the present era.
Our tour begins with a trip to the Archeological Museum, one of the rare places in the world where we will have the special opportunity to visit and experience the “evolution of mankind” through the marvelous display of historical relics.
Next on the agenda is our very much-awaited chance to savor the distinctive flavor of Iranian cuisine. Lunch will be set in an exquisite traditional Iranian restaurant where we will sample a wide range of delightful Persian dishes and desserts.
Afterwards, we will visit a world of jewels in a priceless Crown Jewels Museum one of which is one of the two greatest diamonds, Darya-e-Noor (sea of light).
At the end of the day, we will get a chance to see a variety of Persian hand-woven carpets and rugs in the Carpet Museum which houses more than 100 spectacular pieces from all over Iran. On top of that, we will also be given an insight into the history of these carpets. Stay overnight in Tehran.
A morning visit to Sa'ad Abad Complex with an immense area of 1,100,000 square meters and 18 magnificent historical palaces (2 of which we will visit). This palace was built by Pahlavi dynasty and it will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on us. And our Tehran excursion will end at the Ceramic Museum where we will be able to witness its construction with glorious ancient archaeology. Then we leave the hotel for a tasty Iranian lunch in a traditional restaurant.
driving to Isfahan via Kashan & Abyaneh
On the way to Isfahan, we will hop on to Kashan and visit Tabatabaiha and Borojerdiha houses and some other historical places specially chosen by our tour guide and be acquainted with the previous century’s architecture, the Qajar era.
Next, we will visit the UNESCO recognized village of Abyaneh, located at the foot of Mount Karkas and in the vicinity of desert. Appreciate the serenity of this quaint village with its splendid archaeology and meet the dwellers who speak, live and dress in the original Persian style. Stay overnight in Isfahan.
visiting Isfahan
Isfahan, the legendary city which never fails to enchant its visitors, is the pearl of traditional Islamic archeology. This city is revived by the works of contemporary artists. Isfahan prides itself in having fascinating historical garden palaces. Legend has it that the city was founded at the time of Tahmoures or Keykavous and because of its glories has been entitled “Half the World”. Our full day tour includes the famed Imam Square (Naqsh-e-Jahan), a huge square second in the world to Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Tour the architectural marvels of Sheikh Lotfollah and Imam Mosques, Aliqapu Palace, Chehel Sutoon and Hasht Behesht Palaces, and also visit one of the most famous bazaars in Iran, where we can purchase the arts & crafts for which Isfahan is so well renowned. Stay overnight in Isfahan.
Isfahan’s Jame' mosque holds in itself the passage of several centuries of historical Islamic evolution. This mosque is a gallery of Islamic architecture in which the progress of the architecture from the outset of Islam till recent times is evident. Then we will visit Vank Church which is one of the most beautiful Armenian churches in the world and will undoubtedly capture the attention of every Christian. Our day will conclude with a visit to Monar Jomban, the tomb of a Sufi with its shaking minarets and some historical bridges. Evening is free at leisure.
driving to Shiraz via Pasargadae & Shahreza
On the way we will have a few short stops.
Shahreza county is located about 80km south west to Isfahan and Zard Kooh mountain chain runs from north-west to south-east of the city, enjoying a cold climate. It is an old city which was first named Qomsheh, but later on its name was changed to Shahreza due to the existence there of the shrine of His Holiness Shahreza. One of the the most important tourist attractions is Shareza Imamzadeh.
afterwards we move toward Pasargadae to visit the most important and majestic monuments there. The tomb of Cyrus the Great, the originator and the great founder of Achaemanian Emperor, (500 years BC) is the oldest historical tomb. The wonderful architecture of his tomb, the huge fertile land over there beside the brave personality of Cyrus the Great impressed the visitors. This Archeological environment was the worshiping place for the followers of several religions and still it is so. Followed by the relief of the winged man and get familiar with its historical elucidations some researchers gave specific theories regarding the relation between personality of Cyrus the Great and one of the prophets of Holy Book. By visiting this majestic tomb you can have your personal comment about it.
Afterwards we will transfer to Shiraz and stay overnight in Shiraz.
visiting Shiraz
Shiraz has a reputation as an enlightened city that has been at the centre of Persian culture for more than 2,000 years, and was at one time the country's capital.
Shiraz is crowned as the heartland of Persian culture and this city of sophistication will never fail to conjure up images of roses and nightingales, gardens and poetry. Early in the morning, relish in the highlights of Shiraz when it was the capital of Iran during the Zand Dynasty. Be inspired by the glorious Karim Khan palace, the splendid Vakil mosque, Vakil Bazaar and Saray-e-moshir with its splendid architecture and interesting ethnic souvenir shops, Nasir Almolk mosque. Next, we will stop for a mouth-watering Iranian lunch at one of the traditional restaurants of Shiraz.
This gorgeous city in the province of Fars is home to famous poets such as Hafez and Sa'adi and historical sites from different eras stretching back 6,000 years ago can be found. Hafez is one of great poets who impressed everyone with his mastery. His poems give us a special feeling and the peace in his tomb is really outstanding. Sa’adi is a poet, philosopher and mystic who is known as the father of a alternative tourist. About seven previous centuries he travelled to different countries and cities. Then he collected all his experiences in verse and Rhyme prose in two books named Boustan and Golestan. These two books give you Lots of inspiration and information. We will get a chance to pay homage to tombs of these great poets.
In the evening, we will visit Ali-Ebn-e-Hamzeh and be prepared to marvel at its beauties. Take a stroll through the Jahan Nama Garden and witness its tall and proud cedars. Finally visit the Delgosha Garden and Khajoy-e-Kermani tomb from where the perspective of the mysterious city of Shiraz will perpetuate in our mind.
At night have dinner in a restaurant with specific atmosphere in the north of Shiraz.
an excursion to Persepolis & Necropolis
Our excursion for Today is Persepolis. Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site. It seems that Darius planned this impressive complex of palaces not only as the seat of government but also, and primarily, as a show place and a spectacular centre for the receptions and festivals of the Achaemenid kings and their empire such as Nowroz.
The next is Necropolis. Opposite the mountain of Mercy, ten minutes driving to the north, proudly stands the Necropolis, the magnificent burial place of Achaemenid kings. The site also provides seven bas-reliefs dating back to Elamite and Sassanid period.
driving to Yazd
Mehriz is located 30 kilometers south of the city of Yazd. Mehriz consists of one central district and five village centers. According to historians, the name belongs to "Mehrnegar" the beloved daughter of Anoushirvan, the Sassanid King. Mehriz was known, during the late Sassanid era (4th century AD), as a natural pleasant area. One of The most important places to visit in Mehriz is Saryazd.
Saryazd has a castle belonging to Sassanid era which is used as a haven in time of war. Another historical place out there is caravanserai in Saryazd which dates back to Seljuk and Safavid era. It is noteworthy that Saryaz has one of the best pomegranates of Iran. After that we will transfer to Yazd.
Today’s tour includes visiting Dakhmeh (tower of silence, where Zoroastrians leave the dead corpse to be eaten by vultures). The Zoroastrian fire temples are the next steps which come under three categories in terms of importance: Dadgah fire that is lit at residence and has no consecration ceremony. It is lit by the Zoroastrian priests, but ordinary people could light it too. We will get a breath-taking perspective of the oldest adobe city.
visiting Yazd
Yazd, the oldest adobe city in the world which is surrounded by the 4000m summit of Shirkooh and two majestic deserts of Iran, Dasht-e-Kavir and Kavir-e-Loot. This ancient city is furnished with mosques of stunning beauty. The co-existence of the splendid fire temples and the holy sites of different religions astonish every visitor.
driving to Kerman
Depart Yazd to Kerman. Set in the tranquil desert, Kerman has a long and turbulent history. The old part of the city has the famous Jameh Mosque dates back to the 14th century.Kerman is located on a high margin of Kavir-e Lut (Lut Desert) in the central south of Iran. The city's many districts are surrounded by mountains which bring variety to Kerman's year round weather pattern, thus the northern part of the city is located in an arid desert area, while the highland of the southern part of the city enjoys a more moderate climate.
visiting Kerman, driving to Bam via Mahan & Rayen
City tour in Kerman with visits to Ganjali Khan Complex including its bath and bazaar. This complex has been built during the Safavid era (1499 - 1723 AD) enjoying a modern architectural style of the time. Out of Ganjali Khan Complex, the Khan public bath located in the grand bazaar of Kerman serves as an anthropology museum today. This is a unique work of architecture with beautiful tile works, paintings, stuccos, and arches. We will also visit Jameh mosque. Drive to Rayn in Shahdad Desert to visit its beautiful old castle under the sky of Shahdad desert full of stars.
Move toward Bam and visit Mahan on our way. Mahan is well known as the final home of Shah Nematollah Vali, the Sufi saint and poet. The poet spent many years wandering through Central Asia before finally settling at Mahan, where he was taken with the surrounding violet-colored mountains. His tomb is an excellent example of the importance that traditional Persian architecture places on harmony between nature and physical structures. Visit the Shahzadeh Garden in Mahan and ten drive to Bam. Bam is located in a vast plain between the two mountain ranges of Barez and Kabudi. City tour in Bam. Have a visit to the ruins of Bam citadel which used to be considered as the largest city of the world that is made of sun dried bricks.
driving to Zahedan
Move toward Zahedan a city in southeastern Iran, located near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, the capital of "Sistan & Balochestan" province at altitude of 1,352 m from sea level. Zahedan is the main economic center of the region and home to many small- and medium-scale industries. Its main products include cotton textiles, woven and hand-knotted rugs, ceramics, processed foods, livestock feed, processed hides, milled rice, bricks, and reed mats and baskets. You will enjoy visiting this city. stay there overnight.
driving to Chabahar
Today those passengers who wish to depart Iran from Mirjaveh border, will be transferred to the border and depart through Shiraz. And those passengers who wish to depart from Goatr border will be driven to Chabahar.
visiting Chabahar
In the Ease Southern of Iran, beside the Pakistan border and also beside the Oman Sea and India Ocean, the beautiful Chabahar port is located.
Chabahar is officially designated as a Free Trade and Industrial Zone by Iran's government. Due to its free trade zone status, the city has increased in significance in international trade. Chabahar is a collection of beauties as it has beautiful and clean sea shores which have waves with 30 meters high in some seasons. It has beautiful mountains that are famous as Mars Mountains. The wonderful and rare flora and fauna of the region make Chabahar a marvelous port.
Among the attraction of the region we can mention Darya bozorg which is one of the beautiful sea shores of the region which its long waves create a marvelous perspective, Pasa Bandar that is the last southern port of East of Iran, Gel Afshan which is a place created via the change in the earth. Another one is Mars Mountains which is a beautiful attraction and amazed all visitors.
The county of Chabahar has a warm humid weather in the summer and temperate weather in the winter. The monsoon winds in the summer and the western winds in the winter bring about scattered rain falls in this region. The monsoon winds from the Indian subcontinent (in the monsoon season) make Chabahar the coolest southern port in the summer and the warmest part of Iran in the winter. Today is free at leisure to see the beauties of this land.
transfer to Goater & depart Iran
Depart Iran with fond of memories via Goatr, in south east of Iran, which is known as the last border line belongs to Iran.
Price: 1490 EUR
Tour Servives:
Invitation Letter for Iran visa
26 days transportation all across Iran
Experienced English speaking guide for 26 days
Iran Combined tour
Shiraz swimming pools
Zanjan Grand Hotel
Car rental for excursion
Tehran Ferdowsi International Grand Hotel
Spas in Tangestan Region
Sabz Pooshan
Ascending Bel Mount
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Square off | Article about square off by The Free Dictionary
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/square+off
(redirected from square off)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Financial, Idioms.
closed plane figure bounded by four straight line segments of equal length and meeting at right angles. The points of intersection of the lines, or sides, are called vertices. The diagonals of a square are the two lines joining opposite vertices; they are of equal length and are the perpendicular bisectors of one another. The perimeter of a square is the sum of the lengths of its sides, or P=4s, where s is the length of a side. The area enclosed by a square is A=s2. The square is one of the commonest geometric figures and has long had various symbolic meanings in religion and art.
A regular four-sided figure with equal sides and four equal right angles; may be subdivided along the diagonals or oblique lines connecting the corner angles and the lines that connect the center of each side. Also, an open area at the intersection of streets in an urban setting.
(religion, spiritualism, and occult)
A square is an aspect of 90° between two points—such as two planets—in an astrological chart. A square is a major aspect, regarded as challenging and inharmonious. It is the most difficult of all the hard aspects, though much depends on the nature of the planets involved. A square involving planets like Jupiter and Venus, for instance, will usually bring fewer hardships into a native’s life than squares involving planets like Saturn and Pluto. In a natal chart, the planets represent, among other things, various aspects of an individual’s psyche. For example, Mars represents the forceful, outgoing, aggressive aspect of self, whereas Saturn represents the security-seeking, self-disciplined aspect of self. Although everyone experiences some tension between these two principles, an individual with a Mars-Saturn square in her or his chart experiences this conflict in an exaggerated manner, often over-repressing outgoing, aggressive urges and at other times exploding with impulsive actions or words.
Many modern astrologers, in an effort to overcome the sometimes frightening delineations of traditional astrology, have tended to go to the opposite extreme. In the case at hand, the square is sometimes presented to clients as a source of “creative tension” or given some other such interpretation. Accurate though such delineations may be, clients ultimately are not served well by calling attention to the silver lining while ignoring the cloud. Squares—and almost everybody has a few—are the most challenging, destabilizing aspects in a natal chart. They demand attention and inner work if they are ever to manifest positively.
Hand, Robert. Horoscope Symbols. Rockport, MA: Para Research, 1981.
Sakoian, Frances, and Louis S. Acker. The Astrologer’s Handbook. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.
in urban design, a planned open area framed by buildings, structures, or greenery and forming part of a system of other urban areas.
The predecessors of the city square were the main courtyards of the palace and temple complexes of Crete, Egypt, Babylonia, and Assyria. Their rectangular, enclosed plan was transmitted to the Greek agoras and the Roman forums. The squares of European cities of the 12th to 14th centuries were similarly enclosed but almost always irregular in plan; the main square was the marketplace.
During the Renaissance, squares usually had a perimeter in the shape of a rectilinear geometrical figure such as a rectangle or trapezoid. Squares for public gatherings became very important; these were faced by the municipal government building and the loggia, where the patriciate held meetings. Baroque architecture introduced squares in the form of circles, polygons, and complex figures into urban planning.
In Russian medieval cities, the kremlin squares, marketplaces, and cathedral squares played an important social and urban-planning role. In the 18th century, open squares became widespread. Outstanding examples of squares for different purposes were created by architects of the classical era in Russia in the last third of the 18th and the first third of the 19th century.
In modern urban planning, squares are of two types: those for vehicular traffic and those for pedestrians. Squares designed for traffic serve as urban traffic junctions; those with heavy traffic are sometimes built in several tiers—at street level, underground, and overhead—so that traffic may be diverted to different levels. Squares for traffic often have specialized purposes: they may be located in front of railroad stations, in which case the flow of passengers arriving and departing must be regulated. When squares with large parking areas are located in front of large factories, stadiums, places of entertainment, and exhibition halls, the flow of persons arriving must be separated from the flow of persons leaving.
Squares designed primarily for pedestrians may also be specialized. Examples are main squares, used for public events and displays; theater squares; marketplaces; and memorial squares honoring important historical events and outstanding statesmen, scientists, and artists. Memorial squares, which often contain large-scale sculptures and paintings, are sometimes outstanding architectural ensembles that greatly influence the appearance of urban areas. Main squares or systems of main squares forming the nucleus of a city’s center are generally large and have impressive, large-scale structures such as government and municipal buildings. These squares are used for parades, holiday demonstrations, meetings, and public celebrations.
In modern urban planning, special parking areas are located near main public squares that have buildings used by large numbers of workers, spectators, and visitors. Squares of various types may have planted areas, usually parterres, in their center, along their perimeter, or in both locations. In park- and garden-like squares, the parterre is usually combined with topiary or with natural wooded areas of massed greenery surrounding the square.
Brikman, A. E. Ploshchad’ i monument kak problema khudozhestvennoi formy. Moscow, 1935.
Bunin, A. V. Istoriia gradostroitel’nogo iskusstva, vol. 1. Moscow, 1953.
Baranov, N. V. Kompozitsiia tsentra goroda. [Moscow, 1964.]
Osnovy sovetskogo gradostroitel’stva, vols. 2, 4. Moscow, 1967–69.
N. V. BARANOV
What does it mean when you dream about a square?
Squares suggest stability, which in a dream may reflect a felt state or indicate a need for more stability. Squares also signify strength and solidity (square jaw or square shoulders).
[skwer]
(mathematics)
The square of a number r is the number r 2, that is, r times r.
The plane figure with four equal sides and four interior right angles.
(mechanics)
Denotes a unit of area; if x is a unit of length, a square x is the area of a square whose sides have a length of 1 x ; for example, a square meter, or a meter squared, is the area of a square whose sides have a length of 1 meter. Also known as monomino. Abbreviated sq.
1. A measure of roofing materials; equals 100 sq ft (9.29 sq m).
2. Any piece of material sawn or cut to be rectangular with equal dimensions on all four sides.
3. A steel square for checking angles.
1. a plane geometric figure having four equal sides and four right angles
2. an open area in a town, sometimes including the surrounding buildings, which may form a square
3. Maths the product of two equal factors; the second power
4. an instrument having two strips of wood, metal, etc., set in the shape of a T or L, used for constructing or testing right angles
5. Cricket the closely-cut area in the middle of a ground on which wickets are prepared
6. Rowing the position of the blade of an oar perpendicular to the surface of the water just before and during a stroke
7. Astrology an aspect of about 90° between two planets, etc
8. having or forming one or more right angles or being at right angles to something
a. denoting a measure of area of any shape
b. denoting a square having a specified length on each side
10. Cricket at right angles to the wicket
11. Nautical (of the sails of a square-rigger) set at right angles to the keel
12. (of a horse's gait) sound, steady, or regular
13. Maths (of a matrix) having the same number of rows and columns
(language)
A query language, a precursor to SQL.
["Specifying Queries as Relational Expressions: The SQUARE Data Sublanguage", R.E. Boyce et al, CACM 18(11):621-628 (Nov 1975)].
adjustable square
Arts Square
bevel square
carpenter's square
Continuation Passing Style
Desiatina
Toy soldiers square off amid a red-painted landscape of rubber boots; fantasy action figures wallow at the bottom of an oversize brandy snifter; a traveler parks his camper in a bed of sunflower seeds.
Focusing on California prisons, Parenti exposes egregious examples of abuse: Inmates forced to square off as gladiators before being shot by guards; small-time troublemakers locked away with known sexual predators; male guards raping female inmates; and the tacit encouragement of vicious prison gangs.
Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis
Once you've taken in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, check out the black comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, with Kirstie Alley and Ellen Barkin playing longtime rivals from opposite sides of the track who square off as ferociously competitive beauty pageant moms.
The bottom man, once caught in the cradle [ILLUSTRATION FOR PHOTO 7 OMITTED], may square off on his knees [ILLUSTRATION FOR PHOTO 10 OMITTED] to avoid being rocked backward to his back.
Put your wrestler in the driver's seat: illustrating three pinning combinations from the crossfire drive position
Two general schools of thought currently square off on this issue.
Talking back in time; prehistoric origins of language attract new data and debate
He will now square off with Italy's Fognini for a place in the semi-finals.
Rome Masters: Nadal faces Fognini for semi-final spot
The Gilas Pilipinas Cadets try to end a slump in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup Wednesday when they square off against a rebuilding Perpetual Help at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Gilas PH eyes end of skid vs Perpetual
Summary: Bishkek: The Oman juniors will today square off against the 'unknown powers' of Kyrgyzstan but ...
Oman start qualifying quest today
SCOTTISH Rocks star Julius Joseph has warned his side to beware a Birmingham backlash today when the sides square off again in Glasgow.
Basketball: PANTHERS BACKLASH WARNING
The square off Highgate Lane was crammed with craft and food stalls for the third annual gala organised by Lepton Community Link.
Lepton summer fair
Trees are decorated with strands of pearls, nude women socialize with swans, and a crow and a scarecrow square off over the abundance of a cornucopia.
MARNIE WEBER
Summary: New Delhi [India], April 25 (ANI): India will square off against their arch-rivals Pakistan at Old Trafford on June 16 in one of the much-awaited clashes of the ICC World Cup next year.
Embrace yourselves: India-Pak World Cup clash in June next year
square and flat
square and rabbet
square billet
square billet molding
square bracket
square degree
square dome
square engine
square grade
square groove weld
Square Hebrew
square joint
square key
Square Kilometer Array
square leg
square matrix
square mesh
square mil
square miter
square notch
square number
square off
square pixel
square planar molecule
square roof
square rubble masonry
square search
square shoot
square splice
square staff
square tape
square thread
square wheel
Square, Mr.
squared log
squared rubble
squared splice
Squared stone
square-edge door
square-edged lumber
square-edged orifice
square-foot unit of absorption
square-framed
Square millimeter
Square millimeters
Square millimetre
Square Multiply Square
square my account
square myself up against
square myself up with
Square Nautical Mile
Square numbers
Square of Heavenly Peace
Square of Jupiter
Square of Mars
Square of Mercury
Square of opposition
Square of oppositions
Square of Saturn
Square of the Moon
Square of the Sun
Square of Venus
Square One (disambiguation)
Square One (song)
Square One Youth Centre
square one's account
square one's shoulders
square oneself up against
square oneself up with
Square Open-Loop Resonator
square our account
square ourselves up against
square ourselves up with
Square Patch Antenna
square perch
square perches
Square piano
Square pianoforte
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Telstra Exchange > Telstra Careers > Inspiration > Creating equality for new parents
Creating equality for new parents
by Alex Badenoch
Group Executive - Transformation & People
We’re relentlessly committed to diversity, inclusion and flexibility. This includes helping our team bring their whole selves to work and having the flexibility to balance their professional and personal lives.
Our Diversity and Inclusion strategy takes a holistic view of diversity – we will listen more, prioritise fairness and promote opportunities for under-represented groups within our business.
And now we’ve changed our Australian parental leave policy. The bottom line?
We want every parent, regardless of gender, to be able to share caring responsibilities while maintaining their career.
Removing boundaries, prioritising fairness
This change removes the distinction between primary and secondary carers, which are often linked to traditional gendered roles. Now, any eligible parent who has been with us a year or more can take up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave within the first 12 months after their child’s birth or placement. Secondary carers previously received two weeks of paid leave.
There’s also more flexibility in how this leave can be taken. Parental leave can now be taken in one block or multiple blocks, and can be used to return to work on a part-time basis as needed. This is in addition to our All Roles Flex approach that helps our people manage their work and life in a way that works for them.
Equal and shared parenting enables better gender equality in the workplace and reflects our changing society where both parents contribute to caring and family commitments.
This change is already having a positive effect on the lives of some of our people, and it’s being welcomed and supported by many others. Mike and Yvette are two examples.
Mike Bowers, Senior Product Specialist
New father to twin girls born in May 2019.
I think this is a major step in the right direction for gender equality. As a company I think we want to challenge gender stereotypes and this speaks volumes.
As first-time parents embarking on the challenge of caring for our beautiful twin girls, I was faced with a dilemma – be a great employee or be a great father. Before the new policy, I was looking at taking annual and unpaid leave so I could support my wife and family; I can now take some of that leave as paid. It makes me proud to work for a company that takes such a strong stance and really makes me want to give back to a company willing to give to its people during such a special chapter in their lives.
Yvette Sraga, Head of Programs – Principal
Yvette and Liz have shared the primary carer role for their three kids – Poppy (8) and twins Ava and Jacob (4).
I’m very proud of Telstra for challenging the gender stereotypes relating to a primary carer. This is a great step towards ensuring equal opportunity in the workplace and acknowledges the crucial role that both parents play in early childhood development.
In our situation, if both our employers had paid parental leave with options on how to use it, it would have not only removed a lot of pressure, but also would have allowed us both to bond closely with our babies during those precious first 12 months equally.
Commitment to fairness
We want to be the best place to work for all. Today, that means making it fairer for all new parents.
Our new policy of offering 16 weeks of paid parental leave for all parents puts gender equity front and centre. We want our people to bring their whole selves to work, and fulfil their most important role at home.
This change is initially available to our team members in Australia and we’re working to equalise our policies across our international locations.
Tags: careers, Diversity and Inclusion, flexible working, leadership,
Alex Badenoch
Alex leads Telstra’s global HR function including strategic advice and support to the business in the areas of Organisational Development and Performance, Talent, Recruitment, Remuneration and Rewards, HR Systems, and Workplace Relations.
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Profit Potential £10,800 Per Day
What is Recycled Concrete Production and how can you take advantage of it?
Concrete can be recycled and reused in many ways. The best method often depends on the size and shape of the concrete to be recycled. Reusing concrete is a good way to reduce construction costs while providing some benefits to the environment.
Recycled concrete not only stays out of the landfill, it also replaces other materials, such as gravel, that must also be mined and transported for use.
Uses for Old Recycled Concrete
Recycled concrete can be used in many of the same ways as new materials, like gravel, paving materials, and aggregates.
Manufacturing concrete lego blocks
Manufacturing concrete building blocks with an egg layer
Paving for walkways, driveways, and other outdoor hard surfaces
The base for new asphalt paving
Bed foundation material for trenches containing underground utility lines
Aggregate for mixing new concrete
Crushed recycled concrete can replace some of the virgin (new) aggregate used in ready-mix concrete
Recycling concrete helps reduce construction waste and extend the life of landfills as well as saving builders disposal or tipping fees
It also reduces transportation costs because concrete can often be recycled in areas near the demolition or construction site
If contractors are seeking LEED Green Building certification, they can receive points for using recycled concrete
Recycled Concrete Production Batching Plant
The F2200 and the M2200
The Fibo F2200 and M2200 Concrete Batching Plants are ideal to make recycled concrete.
100% Utilisation and Profit
The F2200 is a four bin mobile concrete batching plant with a 45 m3/hr output.
The F2200 is very flexible in use allowing you to maximise its utilisation and profitability.
With a margin of £30 m3 being the difference between the selling cost and input costs for recycled concrete, the F2200 can produce 360m3 a day with a £30 margin this is £10,800 per day at full capacity.
The actual profit margin is determined by the recycled concrete mix.
25% Utilisation and Profit
At 24% utilisation the F2200 can produce 20,000 m3 per year with a margin of £30 m3 this is £600,000 and for a competitive margin of £20 it becomes £400,000
At 50% utilisation the F2200 can produce 40,000 m3 per year with a margin of £30 m3 this is £1,200,000 and for a competitive margin of £20 it becomes £800,000
At 75% utilisation the F2200 can produce 60,000 m3 per year with a margin of £30 m3 this is £1,800,000 and for a competitive margin of £20 becomes £1,200,000
Why Buy an F2200 or M2200 for Your Recycling Business?
The F2200 comes with four bins, this makes it ideal for recycling concrete mixes. Two bins can be used for normal sand and stone and two bins can be used for recycled concrete materials.
We have a concrete technologist and consultant who can give you advice on material suitability for concrete production and who can design the mixes for you.
The F2200 can make up to twenty different concrete mixes with the press of a button. No calibration is required. It is a plug and go machine that can be set up within two hours to full production when moving to other sites.
The F2200 is built on a standard chassis. The M2200 is the mobile version that has the same design but is built on a joint triple-axle bogie trailer with a turntable front axle. The mobility gives the plant a lot of flexibility. The M2200 is ideal for recycled concrete production as you can take it to processing yards rather than bringing the materials to the M2200 machine.
It can be taken to other recycling yards to recycle materials into concrete products such as concrete lego blocks. It can also be hired out to contractors if not being used for any reason as it produces high-quality concrete. The flexibility allows you to work the plant to the highest utilisation.
The dosing accuracy of an F2200 is +- 3% for standard machines and +-1% for our pre-weighing machines.
The dosing accuracy is very important because it means you can produce concrete mixes to BS 8500 the concrete design code for all major construction projects within the UK.
Recycled Concrete Production Technical Questions
If you have any questions on recycled concrete production, contact me or use the chat bot below to send me a message. I will answer your questions as soon as I can.
Thanks Bob Evans
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Fish & Game salutes outgoing Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment
Fish & Game New Zealand is paying tribute to outgoing Parliamentary Commission for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, saying her time in the role has benefitted all New Zealanders.
Dr Wright steps down today after two terms and more than a decade in the role as parliament’s environmental watchdog.
Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson is praising Dr Wright’s work in those ten years.
“Dr Wright has been a staunch advocate for the environment and her work on water quality and climate change in particular has pushed politicians into not only acknowledging the issues facing the country, but actually starting to do something about fixing the problems.
“We may still have a long way to go, but Dr Wright’s willingness to speak out has helped keep water quality high on the public and political agenda,” says Bryce Johnson.
Bryce Johnson says New Zealanders have a lot to thank Dr Wright for.
“Jan Wright has not only given the public a voice by speaking out on issues like water quality, but she has brought scientific rigour to the debate and provided unequivocal evidence that we indeed do have a problem and need to tackle it,” he says.
“It is going to take a lot of effort to rectify the damage which has been done, but in the longer term, I am optimistic that Dr Wright’s work will eventually mean the environment will be in better shape than she found it.”
Public concern over the deteriorating state of the country’s water quality is continuing to grow and Bryce Johnson warns that concern is turning to frustration and anger.
“People want their rivers, lakes and streams to be swimmable, fishable and safe to gather food from. This election saw water become one of the main issues which needs to be addressed by the next government,” he says.
“Thanks to Dr Wright’s work, the incoming government has the evidence they need to act, particularly in relation to issues around intensive agriculture and the environment.”
Bryce Johnson says he would like to personally acknowledge Dr Wright and thank her for her hard work in the role.
“Dr Wright’s readiness to listen and learn have continued to enhance the importance and credibility of the role of Commissioner for the Environment.
“I have admired her determination and courage in speaking out on what have often been controversial issues. She hasn’t wavered from telling it like it is, even if that has been unpalatable to some politicians and industries.
“Dr Wright has set a high benchmark for her successor through her service to the environment and people of New Zealand,” Bryce Johnson says.
Posted in National; Tagged Fresh Water Conservation Posted 2 years ago by Richie Cosgrove
Whanganui Office
124 Ridgway Street,
P.O Box 4152, Whanganui.
Phone and Fax: (06) 3454908
Email: taranaki@fishandgame.org.nz
New Plymouth Office
3/477A Devon Street East
P.O Box 662 New Plymouth.
Email: astancliff@fishandgame.org.nz
Local Fishing Regulations
Taranaki Ringplain
Whanganui Fisheries
Ruapehu Fisheries
Local Hunting Regulations
About Taranaki Fish & Game
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.@GoddessFish presents Fire Above @CHMacLean Giveaway
Fire Above
by C. H. MacLean
I love her so much, I'd risk anything.
She and I don't have names. We're just slaves, after all. But our hearts don't care, and we're lucky, we have a chance at a scrap of happiness in our terrible lives. My father is the Queen's pet.
But when my love discovers the lords' newest atrocity, she lashes out, does the unthinkable, and attacks one of them. Her courage is heroic, but now they have stuffed her in prison, getting ready to slaughter her.
With nothing to lose, I dare to dream of a life far from the lords. I fight for our freedom, and escape to the woods with my love. We can do no less than free all of our people in the effort.
Our flight through the woods is only the start of our journey. The lords’ flaming attacks, their deception, the loss of so many of my people—I don't know if I will survive, or if I even want to. But for my love, I will do almost anything, even battle the fire above.
My father opened the small door and his eyes lit up for a brief second. He must be alone. We were still in the hall, though, so I said, “I live to serve.”
“I live to serve,” he said, moving aside and ushering me in.
His office always looked the same. Fireballs hovering in the corners cast flickering but bright light around the small room. Baskets of tally sticks lined the room in an order only he understood, stacks of the thin sheets of metal the lords used to hold language on the one table in the room. No chair or decoration. Looking like a storage closet, this room saw most of the information about the empire.
Inside, my father relaxed a hair. He gave me a half-smile and put one hand on my shoulder. “Where were you?” he said in low tones. “They need a runner to go to the far southeast village.”
“The lords wanted to collect a package from oldest brother's house,” I said. “They Called his youngest.”
“Already?” he said, his eyes falling. All three of my grandsons, I heard him think. I thought I had more time. He thought about telling me something else, something serious. Once again I considered telling him I could hear his thoughts, so he might as well just talk to me. Once again, I rejected the idea. My ability was close to magic, and everyone knew only lords could use magic. I loved my father, but didn't know how he would react.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
To young C. H. MacLean, books were everything: mind-food, friends, and fun. They gave the shy middle child’s life color and energy. Amazingly, not everyone saw them that way. Seeing a laundry hamper full of books approach her, the librarian scolded C. H. for trying to check them all out. “You'll never read that many before they expire!” C. H. was surprised, having shown great restraint only by keeping a list of books to check out next time. Thoroughly abashed, C. H. waited three whole days after finishing that lot before going back for more.
With an internal world more vivid than the real one, C. H. was chastised for reading in the library instead of going to class. “Neurotic, needs medical help,” the teacher diagnosed. C. H.'s father, a psychologist, just laughed when he heard. “She's just upset because those books are more challenging than her class.” C. H. realized making up stories was just as fun as reading, and harder to get caught doing. So for a while, C. H. crafted stories and characters out of wisps and trinkets, with every toy growing an elaborate personality.
But toys were not mature, and stories weren't respectable for a family of doctors. So C. H. grew up and learned to read serious books and study hard, shelving foolish fantasies for serious work.
Years passed in a black and white blur. Then, unpredictably falling in love all the way to a magical marriage rattled C. H.'s orderly world. A crazy idea slipped in a resulting crack and wouldn't leave. “Write the book you want to read,” it said. “Write? As in, a fantasy novel? But I'm not creative,” C. H. protested. The idea, and C. H.'s spouse, rolled their eyes.
So one day, C. H. started writing. Just to try it, not that it would go anywhere. Big mistake. Decades of pent-up passion started pouring out, making a mess of an orderly life. It only got worse. Soon, stories popped up everywhere- in dreams, while exercising, or out of spite, in the middle of a work meeting. “But it's not important work,” C. H. pleaded weakly. “They are not food, or friends, or...” But it was too late. C. H. had re-discovered that, like books, life should be fun too. Now, writing is a compulsion, and a calling.
C. H. lives in a Pacific Northwest forest with five pets, two kids, one spouse, and absolutely no dragons or elves, faeries, or demons… that are willing to be named, at least.
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest
Where is the social in social networking? #RB4U #MFRWauthor #RomFantasy
Most of us who are online have a presence on Facebook. Somewhere along the way, this site became the most popular in the world, and seems to have most users addicted to it. I admit to using it myself on a daily basis, even if that use is more often now being limited to a few minutes. I also see it warping self-perceptions, influencing views, thoughts, habits, and even the way we relate to each other. It’s a powerful network, and one that is deeply flawed because let’s face it, we are none of us perfect.
I’ve explored other sites recently, Seen, tsū, Path, ‘Ello – all offer interesting alternatives to the mighty Facebook, but none appear to have caught on. Personally, I think Seen has a great setup, and is a nice, secure site. No one’s heard of it, really. MySpace would be popular to this day if it hadn’t been turned into a site solely for musicians. I used to have over 1200 connections there, now it’s about 100… and when I think to go there, it’s bereft of contact. The world wants Facebook, but for too many, it’s just a trolling ground for ways to spread mean-spiritedness or outright malice.
Facebook’s biggest block to being the network is strives to be is, in my opinion only, the structure of reporting without investigation, groups that can be “secret” and therefore anything can be posted and people get locked into this fantasy world so easily. I set my professional page to be visible only to people 21+ years of age, yet supposedly grown men and women have reported posts because they dislike the curve of a male arse, or some other inane reason. Frankly, it’s childish and vindictive after a time–anonymity insures those with nothing better to do will be able to continue trolling for things to complain about, to make them feel like they’re contributing to decency, of course.
It’s not Facebook, is it? It’s the bored, lonely, unhappy, and petty people who get some kind of power rush when they can interfere with people they don’t even know. I’m not naïve enough to think everyone is sweetness and light and fair play, but this site is at its core supposed to be a social networking site. These days, it’s become the playground of pornography, hate, violence mongering, and just plain ugliness so often. Attacking people from the safety of your home because you’ll never have to face the consequences is pretty pathetic. But, it’s a way of life for some people who engage on social sites.
I’m an author, I do my share of promoting my work. Maybe too much. I miss the days when logging in to Facebook meant I would get to chat with friends, laugh a little, and just relax. Groups, and I have a small one filled with only a couple dozen friends, were great fun because they gave everyone present a feeling of unity and friendship. I admin a few promotional groups with a combined membership of 50,000 people. The garbage that is posted in these groups is truly amazing some days. Why would anyone post a video of themselves naked and masturbating? With an invitation to look at more videos? This wasn’t considered a violation of FBs terms of service, but models and their professional photographers are forever being banned, or threatened with deactivation.
We are all entitled to our personal choices and tastes. BUT, if you want to use a site like Facebook, or any other social network, you agree to follow the rules when you sign up. I don’t particularly agree with all of Facebook’s terms of service, but I do my best to abide by those rules. I took a step back many months ago and re-evaluated my personal stance on a lot of things related to social media. I’ve come to the conclusion that there isn’t much social about any of these networks. Psychologically and emotionally, there is a great deal of negative and harmful content pushed on us daily.
It makes me long for a simpler time, when people took the time to look at each other, to listen, and to care what was being said. Everywhere we look, heads are bent over electronic devices, and people are missing the reality in which they exist. We can’t even say live anymore in many cases, because the artificial bubble of the internet has taken control of an entire generation and taught them to be selfish, indifferent, and cruel because they don’t ever have to face consequences head on.
The global village is vast, but life felt closer and more real twenty-five years ago. I love the immediacy of talking to friends on the other side of the world, it’s true, but it would be lovely if to do that I didn’t have to log in to a site that seems determined to suck the joy and life out of us on a daily basis. And let’s not even get started on the effects of being an author in the digital age, because that’s another cesspool situation with its own brand of horror and nasty to go with it. That said, I think I’ll crawl back into my archaic little cave and read a book–paper, not stored on a device, after all a tree gave it’s life to provide me with this luxury…
New Release: Shades of Death - a mainstream paranormal mystery
Shades of Death is a novel many readers find difficult to define. I have to admit, I'm at a loss myself with this one because it encompasses many genres. I wrote it in two distinctive parts, and while it is a short novel, it's one that touches on a number of intriguing themes, Christianity's connection to the vampyre, modern research, paranormal investigations, and a touch of romance, of course. If you haven't already read this one in a previous release, I hope you'll enjoy this newly re-edited version.
Shades of Death returns:
Death has many shades and shapes... Deep within the ageless Carpathian Mountains, an ancient evil wakes. Imprisoned many centuries ago, the creature has waited, patiently, for the one destined to grant her freedom. Arienne Lereaux has studied the preternatural menace called "vampyre" for most of her life. She is an expert in the field. Loosely affiliated with a secretive organization called The Institute of Paranormal Research and Investigation, she turns to them when she unearths what may be the first representation of the vampyre ever to exist.
The enigmatic and attractive Head of the Institute, Adam Raven, has spent a lifetime tracking the clues left by his mother's disappearance in the mountains of Romania nearly twenty years past. When Arienne arrives at the secluded island headquarters of the Institute, he wonders if she holds the key to finding his lost mother. But before too many days pass, the city of Vancouver is rocked by a series of grisly murders. As it races to find the culprit, the Institute faces an evil unlike any it has encountered before...
In the middle of their hunt, another branch of their network is making a scientific breakthrough in genetically heightened telepathy. The team responsible may soon hold a weapon that will have world powers at their door—until their lead scientist vanishes after leaving Toronto to consult Raven and his people. Ancient myth is suddenly not myth, and evil may take many guises before the Institute can restore the delicate balance that was destroyed the night Arienne stumbled into a remote castle in the mountains half a world away…
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Exclusive excerpt from Chapter One:
The Institute of Paranormal Research and Investigation, British Columbia, Canada
The Nest, Adam Raven’s whimsical moniker for his small island home called Raven’s Eyre, was filled tonight with patrons from many of the charities and educational institutions that regularly received grants from The Institute of Paranormal Research and Investigation. There were also the expected number of curious spectators, casual students of archaeology, and reporters.
Standing slightly apart from the gathering was Arienne Lereaux, casually at ease and smiling, but shrouded in an almost visible, self-imposed distance. She held a glass of sparkling champagne, sipping it occasionally as she watched the other guests, her expression pleasant but aloof. She was not a woman who sought the limelight, but she never failed to attract a certain amount of attention in any room. At five and a half feet tall, Arienne was not imposing; yet she was striking. Her voluptuous curves drew men to her, and her cool, sometimes scathing wit just as quickly drove many away. Her hair was shining coffee brown, falling to the middle of her back; her eyes a matching darkness, that when she chose, could be fathomless.
Her features were a disarming mix of soft feminine gentleness, and unrelenting stubbornness when she was crossed. At thirty-three, she remained detached from people, and oddly untouched by the passions of love. In her innermost heart, where honesty is the only rule, she knew she inflicted that isolation on herself because she’d never met anyone who challenged and cherished her in equal measure. She made it an impossible quest for any man who tried, and, so far, none had proven her wrong.
Her expression warmed marginally when she met Adam Raven’s polite gaze, and she raised her glass in a wordless toast to him. His smile reflected amusement, and enjoyment.
Doctor Adam Raven was a man who made her contemplate things she rarely considered. He was intelligent, and an easy match for her swift mind. He was casually arrogant and composed, naturally in control of the responsibility of The Institute. Her woman’s heart also conceded to his charm and his handsome face. Adam was a man that was impossible not to notice–especially when dressed as he was tonight, in the stunning black and white of a tuxedo. Arienne smiled when he scanned the crowd to locate Lorinna Mallory, the most beautiful woman in the room, as far as Arienne could see. Adam smiled again when his colleague nodded in response to his wordless directive.
The Institute workers discreetly made their way to the far end of the room, and positioned themselves in a loose semi-circle at Adam’s back. The reception room grew hushed, and all attention became focused on the draped pedestal that was so clearly the reason for tonight’s party.
The Institute headquarters on the small island off the British Columbia coast was a grand, vaguely mysterious place, rarely made accessible to the public, except on occasions such as the one that opened the house tonight. The rich dark shades of gleaming wood dominated the atmosphere; books were a natural part of the decor; antiques of varying ages and places of origin; and a staff of demure, well-trained people ran the house with discreet efficiency.
Arienne knew that somewhere in its depths, the mansion also housed one of the most advanced laboratories on the planet. That was one of her reasons for coming to the city. A few seconds later, her attention was diverted from the estate and her internal wanderings.
Lori stepped forward and smiled.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if we could please have your attention for a few moments?”
The crowd quieted, and Adam once again glanced at Arienne, who made her way to the front of the assembled group, but had not joined the Institute team. For the first time since they’d met, her smile was radiant, and she nodded.
“You all know Adam Raven...” Lori continued, and took a step back to her position beside Robin George, a psychologist and M.D., and relatively new to the eclectic team.
Adam halted next to the shrouded pedestal and felt the focus of the entire room settle on him with expectant intensity. The unconscious force of psychic energy battered him for a moment before he imposed the control that kept such sensations from overwhelming him. Composed again, he smiled and addressed the people in front of him.
“As you are aware, the Institute Museum is home to many valuable and rare artifacts from all over the world.” He waited out the expected spurt of applause. “Tonight we are honored to add to our collection a piece many scholars and researchers believed to be pure myth.”
With the theatrical flourish of an accomplished magician, Adam lifted the small sheet that had hidden from view a figure of ancient stone. It was hideous in appearance; fanged, skeletal, winged and Vampire-like. Clutched within its talons was a human skull. There was an odd, eerie luminescence lurking within the dead eyes of the figure.
A quick scan of the room told the Institute members that their guests were wary of looking too closely at the small statue. That unease created its own wash of anxiety among them. Adam once again became the center of attention as he broke the uncomfortable silence.
“This piece has been dated at well over 30,000 years old. It was discovered in,” he smiled, expression faintly ironic, “perhaps appropriately enough, the Transylvanian Alps. Tonight, we have with us the woman who found the piece, Doctor Arienne Lereaux.”
He gestured to Arienne, who responded with a tiny bow of acceptance of the polite burst of clapping.
“Doctor Lereaux, would you do us the honor of explaining the significance of this piece?”
Arienne frowned briefly, then her expression smoothed, and she went to stand at Adam’s side. The slinky ripple of her gown as she moved made her overly conscious of herself, and she mentally berated herself for allowing the saleswoman to persuade her to purchase the outrageously priced designer dress–scarlet was not a color that left its wearer unobtrusive, as Arienne generally wished to be.
“Thank you, Doctor Raven.” She turned to the people who awaited her explanation of the find, and its significance. “We’ve all heard the legends of vampires and many of the myths most commonly found in our culture were born from Bram Stoker’s novel, DRACULA. There are vampire legends from virtually all cultures; they vary in types and abilities, but all have two things in common. They are creatures reputed to have died, and they feed off the living. This,” she touched the figure with reverent fingers, “is one of the oldest representations of the mythical being we call vampyre. The people of the Alps believe to possess this figure is to be enslaved to the vampire spirit entombed within it.” Arienne shrugged, and her features shifted to an expression of wry humor. “I guess that makes me Renfield.”
The guests laughed weakly, still unreasonably agitated in the presence of the idol. Adam and the other Institute members were also growing apprehensive along with the mood of the room.
Adam moved to go to Arienne’s side and halted abruptly, his eyes suddenly filled with the flashes of psychic vision plaguing him in recent years. As they often did, the images blurred together, a rapid series of impressions that would not make sense immediately: .....He and Arienne in a passionate embrace... making love... Arienne screaming... blood on Adam’s hands... Then, lastly, Arienne’s eyes... terror-filled... glowing...
The vision ended as precipitously as it began. Adam, inwardly shaken, completed his interrupted step to Arienne’s side. She was gazing at the crowd, seemingly oblivious to his closeness.
“The first record we have of this figure in our culture links it to Christianity, though it’s not clear how or why there is a connection,” she said quietly.
Adam glanced again at the crowd, aware that they were shifting nervously, hardly concerned with what Arienne was saying. He touched her elbow, and when she looked at him, he shook his head.
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. As always The Institute is grateful for your support and your continued interest.”
Adam glanced back to the other members of the Institute team, his request silent, but understood. They broke up and began to mingle with the guests, carefully leading them into the banquet room.
Discreetly, Adam took Arienne by the arm and led her toward the stairs. They exchanged smiles and comments with various guests as he maneuvered her up the flight, through the library, and into the conference room.
As soon as they were alone, Arienne left his side and wandered to the window, her thoughts alive with chaotic images that were terrifying... and uncomfortably familiar.
“You did not mention a religious connection when you brought the statue to us, Arienne,” Adam said. His voice, softly accented by his years spent in English schools, was cool with annoyance.
She was motionless, and unresponsive. For a moment, Adam wondered if she’d even heard him. When he was about to repeat the question, she turned to meet his angry eyes.
“Why else would I be interested in it? You know my specialty, Adam. I’ve been trying to connect vampire lore to the Christian myth for years.”
Adam crossed the room to stand at her side. “For many of us Christianity is not considered a myth of any kind. It is the basis of our faith and our goals here. The Institute supports your research in terms of knowledge, but not in spirit, Arienne. Not if you consider the core of our strength nothing more than myth,” he admonished with a gentleness that was in direct contrast to the storm that brewed in his deep brown eyes.
“You misunderstand me, Doctor Raven,” she whispered. She faced him squarely, expression composed but equally angry. She indicated an ornate plaque, visible beyond the open door as it reigned over the library, and the inscription etched deep into the rich silver, “All sacrifice is made worthy by Truth,” she read aloud, then smiled. “I am merely seeking that truth, Doctor Raven. Something your parents would understand well.”
Adam remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
“I have reasons as great as your own for believing in God, and all that He represents. The darkest path needs a light, however ephemeral, and I have often found that beacon from within my faith and trust in a God more wise than we will ever be.” As she spoke, she calmed, the anger and argument forgotten. She relaxed with her subject and spoke more freely.
“The primary purpose for my quest, as it were, is to discover why there has always been such a great fear of vampirism and why it’s become so heavily linked to the Christian faith. There’s more to it than the modern fascination with lurid fiction.”
Adam was thoughtful, and leaned on the polished frame of a window, his hands resting on the wide sill.
“How long have you been studying this?”
Arienne perched on the edge of the conference table and shrugged delicately.
“Since before I became associated with The Institute... I ran into one of your people on one of my excursions into the Carpathians, and she persuaded me to take my talents to your Paris Division. I agreed. It’s been very useful,” she added with a laugh.
Adam smiled. “For us as well.”
“Adam?”
Lori interrupted whatever reply Arienne was considering. Adam looked toward her, and saw the hesitation on his friend’s exquisitely beautiful features.
“We need you downstairs.”
He paused long enough to cast another look at Arienne, saw her nod and stroll to another of the many windows in the room, then he moved and followed Lori to the main floor.
Alone, Arienne stared blindly out the window. For the flicker of an instant, the mirrored surface of the glass cast her image back at her, but her eyes flared red fire. She was unaware of the disfiguration, and shivered violently as tears blurred her vision. Hugging herself tightly, she closed her eyes and bit back a sob of anguish.
Testimonials for Shades of Death:
Shades of Death was a great read from beginning to end. Just about the time I thought I knew what was happening, a new twist would come into play. I found myself riveted to my seat each night in front of my computer, reading and waiting to see where I would be taken to next. My only complaint is that this should be a movie and there had better be a sequel. ~~ Penny Adams, avid reader
In Shades of Death, the characters and the storyline draw you in so much that you forget time, you have to keep flipping the pages until the end.... ~~ Patsy Marshall, Book Club member and avid reader
Denysé Bridger's hauntingly suspenseful story kept me spell-bound from the first chapter right up to the last. It was hard to put down, and impossible to forget! ~~ Lisa Vance, Author
7 Lovely Things Blog Hop for Angelica
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I was tagged on Facebook and a request was made that I reveal 7 lovely things about me. So, let's see if I can think of 7 things??
1. I absolutely adore things associated with the Old West, including Westerns on TV, in movies and books.
2. I'm fascinated by the Ripper murders, despite my aversion to such bloody things, and have been known to write about this series of killings.
3. I am addicted to Popcorn.
4. My first internationally released paperback was based on Greek Mythology and involved a huge amount of research reading that I loved.
5. I get bored easily, so I often jump from genre to genre when I write in order to keep things fresh for me and anyone who reads my books.
6. I am a full time caregiver, looking after my mom at home. A few years ago she fell and broke a hip, and has been frail ever since and needs assistance.
7. I love wolves more than any other animal on the planet and believe them to be among God's most perfect creations. I've adopted two of them at Wolf Haven International.
On SALE for a limited time - the highly rated, best-selling Western novella Champagne and Chocolate @NaughtyNightsPr @GinaKincade
Currently on SALE for a Limited Time at $0.99, if you have a passion for the Old West and a hero who will make your heart beat just a little faster, it's time to indulge in a little Champagne and Chocolate.
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From different worlds, drawn by desire, passion is about to change their lives forever...
Indulge in a wickedly seductive taste of CHAMPAGNE AND CHOCOLATE:
Austin Standish is a man of refined tastes. Intelligent and educated, Austin enjoys all of the best life has to offer. A gambler, a gunslinger, and a man who has plans to taste the sweetest prize at The Palace Casino and Saloon - the lovely owner, Chantille L'Amour, the most sought after jewel on the Barbary Coast.
Running a high-class brothel and casino isn't exactly the life she was born to but Chantille is determined to overcome the ruin her family was left in once the Civil War ended. But, she has chosen a difficult path... one that demands much and leaves her lonely. She's noticed the handsome man who comes into her world from time to time, and when she chooses to give in to desire, the passion evoked by Austin's touch may change her life forever...
“Will you be needin’ anything else, Miss Chantille?”
Chantille L’Amour turned and looked at her maid. Carrie was hovering close to the door, clearly eager to get on with other chores if she wasn’t needed here.
“No, Carrie,” Chantille said with a shake of her head. “I just want a few quiet minutes before business begins for the night.”
Carrie hesitated, her mouth opened to speak, then she shook her head and nodded. A moment later, the door to the suite of rooms closed with a soft thud.
Chantille sighed heavily and walked to the French doors, then leaned against the door frame. The last faint rays of the glowing afternoon were giving way to the steady encroachment of evening as she stared out at the glittering, sun-dappled beauty of San Francisco Bay. For several more moments, she delayed the increasingly wearisome task of preparing herself for the evening ahead. For a few precious moments, she allowed her heart to pine for a simpler world in which to live. The world her parents spoke about with such longing, life as it had been before the Civil War tore everything to pieces. Born in the midst of that conflict, Chantille had never enjoyed the peace and happiness her parents had known in their youth. She’d resented it deeply, and, because of the devastation wrought by the war, she’d made choices that weighed heavily on her. Those dictates had done their part to age her spirit well beyond her twenty-five years.
The scents and sounds of the Barbary Coast wafted up to her, assaulting her senses now where they had once caressed. She’d arrived in San Francisco several years ago, bright-eyed and determined to be the mistress of her fate. She’d been tired of living on the dead dreams that sustained her family, fully aware that the South would never again possess the lazy, luxurious languor that had enabled it to fall to its own complacent arrogance. In San Francisco, Chantille’s money and family meant nothing to the hordes of men who flocked to her place of business. They cared only about the quantity of drink and companionship to be found at The Palace. The quality was another wasted effort on her part, though she steadfastly refused to compromise it.
With a barely audible groan, Chantille pushed herself from her casual slouch and went to her bed. She’d laid out her clothes before bathing, a custom she often found soothing. She slipped the silk dressing gown off her shoulders and reached for the soft, ribbon-trimmed cotton drawers. The ritual of dressing eased her nerves, as it always did, and her spirits lifted as she closed the hooks on her corset and carefully tugged free the hand-woven froth of lace that decorated her chemise. Layers of crinolines and petticoats came next, and, once she’d fastened them, she walked to her dressing table and sat before the mirror. She applied a slight hint of rouge to her high cheekbones, and then repeated the color in darker tones on her lips. She selected earrings, and a sparkling diamond necklace that was worth more than most of her customers would see in their lifetimes. She’d done her hair earlier and turned her head to survey the results of her work. The pale ash blonde of her hair was set off by the inky black, velvet ribbons that she’d taken time to weave into the intricate knot. Strands of fair hair had already escaped the confines of her careful design, but she knew better than to attempt to contain them further—by night’s end, many more curling wisps would be falling around her face, giving her a deceptively angelic appearance that she knew appealed to men.
Her gaze fell to the ivory swells of her breasts, the ample curves made more prominent by the corset she wore. Her waist was naturally tiny, and the tightness of the shaping undergarment made her appear delicate, almost fragile. Another illusion, she thought, as she laughed inwardly. She walked to the bed to retrieve the glowing silk gown she’d selected for the evening. It was pale amethyst in color, trimmed with deep plum lace and ribbon. She settled the heavy dress over her hips, pulled it closed, tight to her body, then tugged the wide straps downward so her shoulders were almost bared. As she bent forward to retrieve a handkerchief from the top drawer of her dressing table, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her parents would have been horrified to see her like this, her bosom all but falling from her dress, her face painted, and her dark brown eyes filled with knowledge that decent women would run from.
Oddly, the sadness that would once have accompanied the observation was missing now, and she realized she’d grown beyond caring what other people thought of her. There was no profit in opinion, and she’d learned that money was the only real power that mattered. So, she dismissed the whisper of censure from her past. However, the appealing image in the looking glass created an entirely different kind of ache within her. Loneliness, yes, but not the heartbreaking pain she’d known when she’d first arrived in San Francisco. This evening, she was lonely for the very companionship the girls who worked for her sold on a nightly basis. Chantille seldom accepted any of the numerous propositions that came her way in the course of an evening, but, tonight, she decided, she would attempt to be more receptive to the invitations she received.
It had been a very long time since she’d permitted a man’s arms around her. Longer still since she’d enjoyed more intimate pleasures. Smiling, she turned and headed down to the main room of the vast saloon she owned and ran.
Austin Standish alighted from his carriage and glanced at the incongruous, regal splendor of The Palace Saloon and Casino. He paid his driver, then headed into the sprawling building, an old opera house that had been abandoned for a number of years before Chantille L’Amour bought the place and set about reinventing it. He’d come to this particular establishment on numerous occasions since first discovering its existence and had enjoyed most of the pleasures offered. He’d thus far failed to make one conquest, however, and he was honest enough to admit it was that very challenge that kept him coming back. The owner of the saloon was an enigmatic and alluring woman who’d quickly seen through the charm and easy arrogance with which he had enticed so many ladies before her. Despite several invitations, she’d never granted him an audience.
Inside the grand saloon and casino, the décor was a reflection of surprising sophistication and good taste. It was wasted on most of the clientele.
Austin spotted several gentlemen who frequented the place, gentlemen who preferred not to be seen in the company they presently enjoyed. He ignored them and went through to the casino’s private room. He was known to the doorman and was immediately granted entrance. He spotted his quarry the minute he walked in; she was standing near the polished bar, surveying the customers and their talent at the tables.
Somewhere inside him, he felt a familiar flutter of excitement, but he dismissed it as ludicrous. He’d long ago learned the high price one paid for infatuation, and he refused to be swayed by it ever again. He wanted this alluring woman, but nothing more than that. A night in her bed, and he’d be content to never again step inside The Palace.
When the lovely Miss L’Amour glanced his way and held his eyes with her dark gaze, he had to ignore the self-mocking laughter that bubbled up inside his head. He inclined his head in a casual bow of acknowledgment, then went to purchase his usual thousand dollars’ worth of chips. He seldom lost, but his starting sum always remained the same; when he deviated from the practice Lady Luck withdrew her favor more often than not. He entered the casino with a thousand dollars, and usually left with considerably more than he’d had upon his arrival.
The chandeliers set in the high ceiling threw off enough light to rival the early afternoon sun, and the noise level, while something that couldn’t be entirely disregarded, was nowhere near the din that pervaded most saloons on the Coast. Standish was content for the moment to enjoy himself. He’d concentrate on the beautiful saloon owner after he’d indulged his more mercenary tendencies.
Less than two hours later, Standish’s winning streak forced a division of his attention. His last bet at the roulette wheel had earned him in the vicinity of ten thousand dollars. The man in charge of the table was looking more than a little bit worried, and he requested a moment to consult with the owner. Austin smiled and waited for the pretty woman to join them. He watched her for a few moments as she listened to whatever was being whispered in her ear. Once again, his stomach reacted with a disturbing flutter when she glanced at him, her stare bold and refreshingly direct as she considered her course of action. He realized, much to his inner horror, that he’d been holding his breath while he waited; he almost gasped in air when she smiled and began to walk toward him.
“Mr. Standish,” she murmured when she had reached the roulette table. “How lovely to see you again.”
He was surprised by the familiarity, and he arched one eyebrow, the response reflexive. “I wasn’t aware we’d met, Miss L’Amour.”
She laughed softly, and he was further enchanted.
“I don’t believe we have,” she agreed. “Not officially. But I do know who you are, Mr. Standish. Otherwise,” she added with a hint of irony, “you wouldn’t be permitted to gamble in this suite.”
“And am I to be permitted to continue this game, ma’am?”
“How lucky do you feel tonight, Mr. Standish?”
He grinned with an expression he knew was both confident and charming, a device well used over the years. Miss L’Amour’s tinkling amusement whispered in the space between them. Then she nodded and went around the table herself.
“Place your bets, gentlemen,” she said, gesturing at the numbered black and red table surface. She picked up the gleaming white marble and prepared to send the roulette wheel spinning.
When she bent forward, giving him a deliciously full view of her cleavage, Austin placed a reckless bet and sat back to watch the outcome.
“Your luck holds, Mr. Standish,” she said less than a minute later. “It would seem that I now owe you a substantial sum of money.” She walked from behind the table. “I’ll inform the cashier of your good fortune. When you wish to cash in, the money will be in my office.”
With a brief nod of her head, she left the table, smiling despite the loss of revenue. Standish was charmed all over again.
He turned to look at the man next to the roulette wheel. They were waiting for his next bet. He shook his head.
“Not this time, Marty,” he said with a laugh. “I think I’ll quit while I’m still winning.”
The other man nodded, and, the moment Austin left his chair, he was aware of another man taking his place. He headed for the bar, intent on exchanging more than a few words with Miss L’Amour.
Chantille watched Standish from her vantage point at the end of the bar. He was a handsome man, one she’d noticed on several occasions. As he stood, she took quick inventory of his appearance, chewing her bottom lip unconsciously as she absorbed the man’s almost palpable presence.
At a height of over six feet, Austin Standish was a man not easily overlooked. He had sandy blond hair with a lock that perpetually fell over his forehead. Under the shaggy blond hair, the most startling green eyes Chantille had ever seen missed nothing that came within their scrutiny. His face was a fascinating blend of angles and contours, the individual features not perfect, yet the overall combination completely arresting and pleasing to the appreciative eye. He was slender, yet there was an undeniable sense of strength and power in the long line of his body. Tonight, as on other nights, he’d chosen a suit of black, the inky shade contrasted sharply by the stark white of his shirt. The frills at his cuffs and along the front of the shirt could have lessened the impact of strong masculinity that emanated from him, but, instead, they only added to his imposing aura. His brocade waistcoat was a shade of palest gray, adorned by a gold watch chain that disappeared in a pocket at his left. Silver-trimmed boots finished the polished and cultured image, and Chantille wondered how he’d remained a free man for so long. She didn’t doubt for an instant that the company of women was something he never lacked.
She straightened when he caught her gaze and began to walk in her direction. Deep inside, she began to quiver, and the awareness that he could shake her so intensely with no effort was both disconcerting and annoying. Yet….
“Miss L’Amour.” Austin smiled when he reached her side. “Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?”
“Thank you, no,” she replied. “Have you come to collect your winnings, Mr. Standish?”
“If you can’t be persuaded to grant me your company, then I’ll have to settle for your money.”
“You’re far too charming to suffer loneliness,” she countered. She walked away from the bar and led him into her office. She arched one eyebrow in subtle surprise when he closed the door behind them.
“I assure you, Mr. Standish,” she said, her tone cool, “money is all you will be collecting in this office.”
Austin continued into the small room until he was directly in front of her and she had to tilt her head back to hold his gaze. The gleam of amusement in the deep green eyes that bored into her was irritating, and intriguing.
“Are you certain I can’t change your mind about dinner?”
“Not entirely,” she conceded with a smile that wanted to become laughter.
“Ahh,” he whispered. “Hope at last.”
“Hope has a way of disappearing just when you’re learning to count on it, Mr. Standish.”
“But the times it doesn’t are so sweet it makes the disappointments bearable, Miss L’Amour.”
“Right you are, sir,” she agreed with a thoughtful smile. She made a decision then, a reckless choice that she didn’t take time to consider. “Perhaps I could persuade you to dine with me in my suite?”
Austin’s gaze was pensive, and she wondered, with a tiny leap of panic, if she’d miscalculated his interest.
“It’s never a good idea to offer a man paradise if your plan is to shut the gates before he has a chance to come inside, Miss L’Amour.”
It was a veiled warning, but a warning just the same. This man was not one to be toyed with or played for a fool. He was drawing her a little more deeply into his presence, in spite of herself.
“And you think I’m offering you paradise, Mr. Standish?”
“I’m fairly certain of it, yes,” he murmured, voice low and compelling.
She smiled and went past him to the safe that was in her office. She collected his money and brought it to him.
“Your winnings, Mr.—”
“Austin.”
“Austin,” she said.
He took a double-eagle from the pocket of his waistcoat and held it between his index and middle fingers. With a quick grin, he slipped it into the valley between her breasts, caressing silken skin for the briefest instant before drawing his hand back. Something betrayed her reaction and made his smile deepen.
“You take liberties with great ease,” she whispered, her voice husky and exotic.
“Before the night’s over, I plan to take a great many more,” he assured her.
“Perhaps I’ll be the one to take liberties tonight, Mr. Standish.”
“I’d be delighted to put myself in your hands, Miss L’Amour.”
She smiled. “Would you wait here for a few moments? I have to speak to my maid.”
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