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__label__cc	0.607563	0.392437	The Berks Kids Posted in: Activism Guide, USA Don't Let Children Grow Up in Jail Kids and their parents are stuck in what are known as “baby jails.” Their so-called crime? Fleeing violence and dreaming of safety in the United States. Every year, tens of thousands of people come to the U.S. southern border seeking safety. They are trying to escape horrific violence and persecution, and going there to ask for asylum, a form of protection recognized under U.S. and international law. Upon entering the U.S., many people seeking safety here are imprisoned and held behind bars for many weeks, months, and even years, without easy access to lawyers or interpreters. The majority come from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador in Central America. But they also come from Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detains families seeking asylum at three family detention centers. They hold as many as 3,000 kids and parents each day. Berks County Residential Center in Pennsylvania is the oldest of these “baby jails.” Some children and parents are deported without ever having their claims for protection heard – forced to return to countries where they may be tortured, imprisoned, or even killed. AMNESTY IN ACTION Amnesty International has helped protect the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers for decades – documenting the conditions they are fleeing, ensuring that individual people are protected, and changing policies so that more people can rebuild their lives. Last year, Amnesty International campaigned for the release of four families held at Berks family detention center. They had been jailed there for nearly two years. In August, all four families were friends. One child was three-years-old when released. He learned to walk and talk behind bars. Our urgent action to free these children and their parents was part of #TheBerksKids campaign to end the policy of detaining families simply for seeking safety in the U.S. While the four Berks families are free, the battle doesn’t end there. The government is trying to put them back in jail, and new families continue to be locked up every day at Berks as well as the other detention sites in Karnes City and Dilley, Texas. Family detention is inhumane, expensive, and undermines the United States’ long history as a beacon of hope for people seeking safety. It’s time the U.S. free all families in detention like #TheBerksKids. Join us and call on DHS to immediately release parents and children in detention like #TheBerksKids, and end the policy of detaining families for seeking asylum. 1. Download a Petition and gather signatures in your community 2. Tweet at the Department of Homeland Security @DHSgov whether for 2 weeks or 2 years, no family should be jailed for seeking safety. Help #TheBerksKids https://t.co/ELfob44MB3 — Amnesty Ontario (@AmnestyOntario) May 2, 2018 Hey @DHSgov - no child should grow up in jail. It’s time to free #TheBerksKids https://t.co/ELfob44MB3 @DHSgov there are kids sitting in jail simply because they fled violence in their home country. Free #TheBerksKids https://t.co/ELfob44MB3 3. Take more actions to speak out for refugee rights Norway: Stop Taibeh's Deportation Now! 18 year old Taibeh Abbasi and her family are at risk of deportation to Afghanistan Canada: Rescind Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement USA: Free the Berks Kids Every day hundreds of families are locked up in three family detention centres in the United States. Their only ‘crime’ is seeking safety. Gloria Nafziger Refugee Rights and Country Campaigner https://twitter.com/refugeescanada https://www.facebook.com/AICanadaRefugees/ Gloria is a refugee rights and country campaigner with AI Canada. In the course of her 20 years of work with AI Canada she has... continue reading Gloria Nafziger's bio. Read more by this author @AmnestyNow Tweets by @AmnestyNow Ecuador: Protect Women Guardians of Nature Authorities must stop the attacks on women defending the Amazon. > Take Action Now You can help Save lives, Stop torture, Bring justice and Protect human rights.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24224
__label__cc	0.511829	0.488171	An Interview With Mark Roberge: Navigating the Complexities of Hiring Sales Managers and VPs of Sales Mark Roberge, Sr. Lecturer at HBS; Former CRO of HubSpot; Author of “The Sales Acceleration Formula” Mark Roberge, author of The Sales Acceleration Formula, is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management. The sales and marketing expert joined the faculty of Harvard Business School three years ago and, in addition to teaching, advises, invests in, and serves on the board of a range of startups and businesses of all sizes. However, Mark’s career foundation was not rooted in sales, but rather in engineering and coding. He credits the innovative ways upon which he approaches sales and marketing strategies with this career foundation of data, science, and process. In grad school, Mark sat next to a future founder of HubSpot, and shortly thereafter joined the team to run sales when the company was only three people. Seven years later as SVP of Global Sales and Services, Mark had grown the team to over 400 employees spanning roles within sales, services, and operations across three continents and producing over $100 million of annualized revenue. In this conversation with Mark, we discussed strategies for hiring sales managers, identifying the best candidates to promote into management, and how sales leaders should work with the C-suite. What are the potential pitfalls of promoting sales management from within? Promoting a sales manager can be an enormous challenge, especially for founders or CEOs running sales with minimal prior experience in the field. Many leaders in this situation promote their best salesperson to be the first manager, hoping the seller can replicate their success across the rest of the teams. However, the attributes that make a good salesperson don’t always translate into that of a good manager. Often, successful salespeople are aggressive, extremely diligent about their personal time, and sometimes even a bit selfish and egotistical. These attributes don’t make for a good leader. Sales managers need to do two primary things well: hire and coach. The skills behind these tasks include delivering feedback effectively, developing morale, reading about the true motivations of individuals, understanding learning styles, diagnosing skill deficiencies, etc. How do you identify the best candidates for promotion? Hiring the best sales management candidate is a delicate balance. “What you’re looking for in a manager is an individual who can develop team camaraderie as well as have empathy for individuals,” Mark said. “You also want someone who has the ability to coach and teach skills to their team members.” Mark’s step-by-step playbook for developing sales managers from within: Demonstrate proficiency and consistency across the entire sales process: Some salespeople are exceptional in a few areas, but simply middling in others. If those sales people were promoted, they would struggle to coach their team members with deficiencies in the area where they themselves are weak. A promotion candidate needs to be proficient in all parts of the sales process. They do not need to be the best, just proficient. Mark likes to use an advanced skill certification to test this. He also believes they need to demonstrate consistent quota attainment. Consistent attainment is another indicator of proficiency and is necessary to develop credibility with their future team. Complete leadership training. Even a candidate with potential needs guidance. It’s critical to train new leaders on delivering feedback, conflict resolution, and other leadership skills. Leverage best practice readings on these topics and then role-play scenarios they will encounter as a sales leader in your company to bridge the theory with practice. A curriculum Mark used many years back is available here and may be useful for topic identification. Hire and manage the next recruit. As a final step in the process, have the sales management candidate interview, assess, hire, train, and manage the next sales recruit while at the same time continuing to own their quota. Mark doesn’t recommend the “team lead” role, where sellers manage reps and own a quota for many years. However, this final step in leadership development allows the candidate to put their skills to use in a safe environment where they can receive ample coaching from the sales executives on these tasks. Continuing to own their quota in parallel tests their ability to time manage effectively. Mark believes it’s important to always be developing from within, nd prefers to hire 75% of sales leaders internally, and 25% or less externally. Why not develop everyone from within? He believes outside hires bring a fresh perspective of best practices from other companies and avoids a scaling risk should your internal candidate pool be low. How involved should a sales manager be in deals? According to Mark, frontline sales managers shouldn’t be involved in deals much at all. He regards this as another potential pitfall: since most have done sales before, they’re used to being completely in control of their destinies. That can make a promotion to management a very difficult change. Mark counseled one of his best sales managers who was just moving into the job, and she told him her most difficult challenge was losing that control. When she was behind quota, she could catch up by making more calls. “She had a hard time letting go, but really bad things can happen when managers get overly involved in the funnel,” Mark said. The urge to get involved can be strong, but an over-involved sales manager can cause a team to lose confidence, become lazy, and reduce the potential scalability of the manager. To avoid stunting a sales team’s growth and discouraging sales professionals, Mark insists managers should focus on hiring and coaching rather than closing deals and pipeline management. They’ll need to validate opportunity stages with salespeople to make sure the pipeline is accurate, but they should lean on tech as much as possible and focus on developing their team instead. A sales manager can model work for the team, but their primary role should be to coach. How is hiring a VP of sales different than hiring a sales manager? A VP of Sales needs an entirely different skill set than that of a sales manager. VPs own a range of strategic elements such as developing and promoting sales managers, designing the salesperson hiring and coaching framework, developing comp plans, etc. They must also focus on how their department aligns with marketing, customer success, product, and the sales team’s participation in the broader company strategy. The hiring process for this position is especially challenging. It’s easy to assume because an external candidate has been successful elsewhere, that they can immediately repeat that success for a new company. “Frequently, a company will raise a large venture round and give in to pressure to level up their sales leader,” Mark said. “They over-index their qualification criteria on finding the candidate who has been there done that, who is currently leading the team at another big success story company.” Mark has seen many organizations take this approach and has watched the new sales leader implement the playbook from their last company, hiring the types of sellers, implementing the sales playbook, and deploying the sales compensation plan that worked at their last company. However, the strategies that worked at their last organization are usually not optimal for the new one because of differences in the context. These context variances are often driven by the stage of the business, buyer type, product complexity, category maturity, and geography in which they are selling. As a result, Mark approaches outside candidates by testing them on their ability to shift context. “I understand how you hired people at your last job. How will you change it for this company and why? How will you change your comp plan for this company and why? How will you adjust the sales process and why?” The right candidate appreciates context variances and the necessary adjustments to their playbook to match the context. How do you balance internal promotions with a team dynamic? Promotions can be further complicated when all of the candidates are internal. Mark has frequently encountered companies that consider several employees for promotion, promote only one, and inadvertently drive the other employees to leave. However, by formalizing the sales leadership development process as previously described, companies can avoid this issue. The leadership development program can extend over a 12 to 18 month period to keep top performers motivated and growing. For example: 3-6 months of a candidate demonstrating they can consistently hit their number and pass skill certifications 3-4 months of the candidate enrolled in actual leadership training 3-4 months of a the candidate making a hire and developing the new rep “A 12 to 18 month program like this almost manages itself,” Mark said. “And no one’s wondering why someone got promoted first when there’s a clear program in place.” High performers feel like they’re progressing in their careers, and there’s always a pool of talent ready to be promoted when it’s time to scale. Other candidates may self-select out of the hiring process, but are more likely to keep performing instead of feeling unappreciated.” What can sales organizations do to make the right sales hires and reduce turnover rate? There’s more than one way to quantify the cost of an unsuccessful promotion, but the wrong fit for leadership can be devastating. The process of hiring a new team, undoing a sales playbook, and reconfiguring comp plans could take a year or more. Developing a framework and formula for hiring is essential. Mark believes taking a wider view can help mitigate some of these losses. “I think the reason attrition in sales is so high is that sales has a tendency to be very short-term minded,” he said. “If a sales leader walks into a day with a motivational team meeting at 9 AM, a big pitch to a prospect that could save the quarter at noon, and an interview with a new candidate at 3 PM, I feel they often bring their ‘A game’ to the first two meetings and ‘wing’ the interview. However, the upside of finding your next top seller or downside of making a bad hire as a result of the interview are arguably far greater than the outputs of the first two meetings. The more a company can put into place discipline and processes to be operating not in a reactive mode, but in a proactive mode, the more successful they’re going to be.” An Interview With Asa Hochhauser: The Importance of Building a Sales Playbook	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24226
__label__cc	0.593295	0.406705	Provisional List Of House Of Representatives Seat Winners This table shows the seats that have been decided in the 2016 House of Representatives election. The seats are listed by party and State or Territory. The Coalition and the ALP each have a definite 65 seats. There are 3 independents, 1 Green and 1 NXT. I have designated 15 seats as in doubt. These figures will change as this week progresses and counting proceeds. Fifteen seats are listed as being in doubt. Not all of these are truly doubtful, based on past experience. Most are listed because the margin is less than 1000 votes or 1%. Seats where the Greens and the Nick Xenophon team appear are listed because preference flows are not known and many pre-poll, absent, postal and declaration votes have not yet been counted. The situation should become clearer by close of counting on Tuesday, July 5. Colour-coded table of House of Representatives Results Since 1984 House of Representatives – Decided Seats AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY NSW (24): Barton, Blaxland, Chifley, Cunningham, Dobell, Eden-Monaro, Fowler, Grayndler, Greenway, Hunter, Kingsford Smith, Lindsay, Macarthur, Macquarie, McMahon, Newcastle, Parramatta, Paterson, Richmond, Shortland, Sydney, Watson, Werriwa, Whitlam. VIC (16): Ballarat, Bendigo, Bruce, Calwell, Corio, Gellibrand, Gorton, Holt, Hotham, Isaacs, Jagajaga, Lalor, Maribyrnong, McEwen, Scullin, Wills. QLD (8): Blair, Flynn, Griffith, Lilley, Longman, Moreton, Oxley, Rankin. WA (4): Brand, Burt, Fremantle. Perth. SA (5): Adelaide, Kingston, Makin, Port Adelaide, Wakefield. TAS (4): Bass, Braddon, Franklin, Lyons. ACT (2): Canberra, Fenner. NT (2): Lingiari, Solomon. 65 The COALITION consists of the Liberal Party, Liberal National Party (Qld) and The Nationals. They are shown separately below. The Coalition has 65 seats. LIBERAL NSW (14): Banks, Bennelong, Berowra, Bradfield, Cook, Farrer, Hughes, Hume, Mackellar, Mitchell, North Sydney, Reid, Warringah, Wentworth. VIC (11): Aston, Casey, Corangamite, Deakin, Flinders, Goldstein, Higgins, Kooyong, McMillan, Menzies, Wannon. WA (11): Canning, Curtin, Durack, Forrest, Hasluck, Moore, O’Connor, Pearce, Stirling, Swan, Tangney. SA (2): Boothby, Sturt. 38 LIBERAL NATIONAL (LNP-QLD) QLD (17): Bonner, Bowman, Brisbane, Dawson, Dickson, Fadden, Fairfax, Fisher, Groom, Hinkler, Leichhardt, Maranoa, McPherson, Moncrieff, Ryan, Wide Bay, Wright 17 NATIONALS NSW (7): Calare, Cowper, Lyne, New England, Page, Parkes, Riverina. VIC (3): Gippsland, Mallee, Murray. 10 GREENS VIC (1): Melbourne. 1 NICK XENOPHON TEAM (NXT) SA (1): Mayo. 1 INDEPENDENT VIC (1): Indi. QLD (1): Kennedy. TAS (1): Denison. 3 IN DOUBT NSW (2): Gilmore, Robertson. VIC (5): Batman, Chisholm, Dunkley, La Trobe, Melbourne Ports. QLD (4): Capricornia, Forde, Herbert, Petrie. WA (1): Cowan. SA (3): Barker, Grey, Hindmarsh. 15 Filed Under: 2016 Federal Election, A.L.P., Greens, House of Reps, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party, The Nationals, Turnbull Tagged With: NXT	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24228
__label__cc	0.601026	0.398974	A Plea for Atheism Charles Bradlaugh THIS essay is issued in the hope that it may succeed in removing some of the many prejudices prevalent, not only against the actual holders of Atheistic opinions, but also against those wrongfully suspected of Atheism. Men who have been famous for depth of thought, for excellent wit, or great genius, have been recklessly assailed as Atheists by those who lack the high qualifications against which the malice of the calumniators was directed. Thus, not only have Voltaire and Paine been, without ground, accused of Atheism, but Bacon, Locke, and Bishop Berkeley himself, have, amongst others, been denounced by thoughtless or unscrupulous pietists as inclining to Atheism, the ground for the accusation being that they manifested an inclination to push human thought a little in advance of the age in which they lived. It is too often the fashion with persons of pious reputation to speak in unmeasured language of Atheism as favouring immorality, and of Atheists as men whose conduct is necessarily vicious, and who have adopted Atheistic views as a desperate defiance against a Deity justly offended by the badness of their lives. Such persons urge that amongst the proximate causes of Atheism are vicious training, immoral and proffigate companions, licentious living, and the like. Dr. John Pye Smith, in his "Instructions on Christian Theology," goes so far as to declare that "nearly all the Atheists upon record have been men of extremely debauched and vile conduct." Such language from the Christian advocate is not surprising, but there are others who, while professing great desire for the spread of Freethought and having pretensions to rank amongst acute and liberal thinkers, declare Atheism impracticable, and its teachings cold, barren, and negative. Excepting to each of the above allegations, I maintain that thoughtful Atheism affords greater possibility for human happiness than any system yet based on, or possible to be founded on, Theism, and that the lives of true Atheists must be more virtuous -- because more human -- than those of the believers in Deity, the humanity of the devout believer often finding itself neutralized by a faith with which that humanity is necessarily in constant collision. The devotee piling the faggots at the 'auto da fe' of a heretic, and that heretic his son, might notwithstanding be a good father in every other respect (see Deut. xiii. 6-10). Heresy, in the eyes of the believer, is highest criminality, and outweighs all claims of family or affection. Atheism, properly understood, is no mere disbelief; is in no wise a cold, barren negative; it is, on the contrary, a hearty, fruitful affirmation of all truth, and involves the positive assertion of action of highest humanity. Let Atheism be fairly examined, and neither condemned -- its defence unheard -- on the 'ex parte' slanders of some of the professional preachers of fashionable orthodoxy, whose courage is bold enough while the pulpit protects the sermon, but whose valour becomes tempered with discretion when a free platform is afforded and discussion claimed; nor misjudged because it has been the custom to regard Atheism as so unpopular as to render its advocacy impolitic. The best policy against all prejudice is to firmly advocate the truth. The Atheist does not say "There is no God," but he says: "I know not what you mean by God; I am without idea of God; the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation. I do not deny God, because I cannot deny that of which I have no conception, and the conception of which by its affirmer, is so imperfect that he is unable to define it to me. If, however, 'God' is defined to mean an existence other than the existence of which I am a mode, then I deny 'God,' and affirm that it is impossible such 'God' can be. That is, I affirm one existence, and deny that there can be more than one." The Pantheist also affirms one existence, and denies that there can be more than one but the distinction between the Pantheist and the Atheist is, that the Pantheist affirms infinite attributes for existence, while the Atheist maintains that attributes are the characteristics of mode -- i.e., the diversities enabling the conditioning in thought. When the Theist affirms that his God is an existence other than, and separate from, the so-called material universe, and when he invests this separate, hypothetical existence with the several attributes of personality, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternity, infinity, immutability, and perfect goodness, then the Atheist in reply says I deny the existence of such a being"; and he is entitled to say this because this Theistic definition is self- contradictory, as well as contradictory of every-day experience. If you speak to the Atheist of God as creator, he answers that the conception of creation is impossible. We are utterly unable to construe it in thought as possible that the complement of existence has been either increased or diminished, much less can we conceive an absolute origination of substance. We cannot conceive either, on the one hand, nothing becoming something, or on the other, something becoming nothing. The words "creation" and "destruction" have no value except as applied to phenomena. You may destroy a gold coin, but you have only destroyed the condition, you have not affected the substance. "Creation" and "destruction" denote change of phenomena; they do not denote origin or cessation of substance. The Theist who speaks of God creating the universe must either suppose that Deity evolved it out of himself, or that he produced it from nothing. But the Theist cannot regard the universe as evolution of Deity, because this would identify Universe and Deity, and be Pantheism rather than Theism. There would be no distinction of substance -- no creation. Nor can the Theist regard the universe as created out of nothing, because Deity is, according to him, necessarily eternal and infinite. Gods existence being eternal and infinite precludes the possibility of the conception of vacuum to be filled by the universe if created. No one can even think of any point in extent or duration and say: Here is the point of separation between the creator and the created. It is not possible for the Theist to imagine a beginning to the universe. It is not possible to conceive either an absolute commencement, or an absolute terminltion of existence; that is, it is impossible to conceive beginning, before which you have a period when the universe has yet to be; or to conceive an end, after which the universe, having been, no longer exists. The Atheist affirms that he cognizes to-day effects; that these are, at the same time, causes and effects -- causes to the effects they precede, effects to the causes they follow. Cause is simply everything without which the effect would not result, and with which it must result. Cause is the means to an end, consummating itself in that end. Cause is the word we use to include all that determines change. The Theist who argues for creation must assert a point of time -- that is, of duration, when the created did not yet exist. At this point of time either something existed or nothing; but something must have existed, for out of nothing nothing can come. Something must have existed, because the point fixed upon is that of the duration of something. This something must have been either finite or infinite; if finite it could not have been God, and if the something were infinite, then creation was impossible: it is impossible to add to infinite existence. If you leave the question of creation, and deal, with the government of the universe, the difficulties of Theism are by no means lessened. The existence of evil is then a terrible stumbling- block to the Theist. Pain, misery, crime, poverty confront the advocate of eternal goodness, and challenge with unanswerable potency his declaration of Deity as all-good, all-wise, and all- powerful. A recent writer in the 'Spectator' admits that there is what it regards "as the most painful, as it is often the most incurable, form of Atheism -- the Atheism arising from a sort of horror of the idea of an Omnipotent Being permitting such a proportion of misery among the majority of his creatures." Evil is either caused by God or exists independently; but it cannot be caused by God, as in that case he would not be all-good; nor can it exist hostilely, as in that case he would not be all-powerful. If all-good he would desire to annihilate evil, and continued evil contradicts either God's desire, or God's ability, to prevent it. Evil must either have had a beginning or it must have been etemal; but, according to the Theist, it cannot be eternal, because God alone is etemal. Nor can it have had a beginning, for if it had it must either have originated in God, or outside God; but, according to the Theist, it cannot have: originated in God, for he is all- good, and out of all-goodness evil cannot originate; nor can evil have originated outside God, for, according to the Theist, God is infinite, and it is impossible to go outside of or beyond infinity. To the Atheist this question of evil assumes an entirely different aspect. He declares that each evil is a result, but not a result from God nor Devil. He affirms that conduct founded on knowledge of the laws of existence may ameliorate each present form of evil, and, as our knowledge increases, prevent its future recurrence. Some declare that the belief in God is necessary as a check. to crime. They allege that the Atheist may commit murder, lie, or steal without fear of any consequences. To try the actual value of this argument, it is not unfair to ask: Do Theists ever steal? If yes, then in each such theft the belief in God and his power to punish has been insufficient as a preventive of the crime. Do Theists ever lie or murder? If yes, the same remark has again force -- Theism , failing against the lesser as against the gearer crime. Those who use such an argument overlook that all men seek happiness, though in very, diverse fashions. ignorant and miseducated men often mistake the true path to happiness, and commit crime in the endeavour to obtain it. Atheists hold that by teaching mankind the real road to human happiness it is possible to keep them from the by-ways of criminality and error. Atheists would teach men to be moral now, not because God offers as an inducement reward by and by, but because in the virtuous act itself immediate good is ensured to the doer and the circle surrounding him. Atheism would perserve man from lying, stealing, murdering, not from fear of an eternal agony after death, but because these crimes make this life itself a course of misery. While Theism, asserting God as the creator and govemor of the universe, hinders and checks man's efforts by declaring God's will to be the sole directing and controlling power, Atheism, by declaring all events to be in accordance with natural laws -- that is, happening in certain ascertainable sequences. -- stimulates man to discover the best conditions of life, and offers him the most powerful inducements to morality. While the Theist provides future happiness for a scoundrel repentent on his death-bed, Atheism affirms present and certain happiness for the man who does his best to live here so well as to have little cause for repenting hereafter. Theism declares that God dispenses health and infficts disease, and sickness and illness are regarded by the Theists as visitations from an angered Deity, to be borne with meekness and content. Atheism declares that physiological knowledge may preserve us from disease by preventing us from infringing the law of health, and that sickness results not as the ordinance of offended Deity, but from ill-ventilated dwellings and workshops, bad and insufficient food, excessive toil, mental suffering, exposure to inclement weather, and the like -- all these finding root in poverty, the chief source of crime and disease; that prayers and piety afford no protection against fever, and that if the human being be kept without food he will starve as quickly whether he be Theist or Atheist, theology being no substitute for bread. It is very important, in order that injustice may not be done to the Theistic, argument, that we should have -- in lieu of a clear definition, which it seems useless to ask for -- the best possible clue to the meaning intended to be conveyed by the word "God." If it were not that the word is an arbitrary term, maintained for the purpose of influencing the ignorant, and the notions suggested by which are vague and entirely contingent upon individual fancies, such a clue could probably be most easily, and satistactorily obtained by tracing back the word "God," and ascertaining the sense in which it was used by the uneducated worshippers who have gone before us, and collating this with the more modem Theism, qualified as it is by the superior knowledge of to-day. Dupuis says: "Le mot Dieu parait destine a exprimer l'idde de la force universelle et eternellement active qui imprime le mouvement a tout dans la Nature, suivant les lois d'une harmonie constante et admirable, qui se developpe dans les diverses formes que prend la matiere organisee, qui se mele a tout, anime tout, et qui semble etre une dans ses modifications infiniment variees, et n'appartenir qu'a elle-meme." "The word God appears intended to express the universal and etemally active force which endows all nature with motion according to the laws of a constant and admirable harmony; which develops itself in the diverse forms of organized matter, which mingles with all, gives life to all; which seems to be one through all its infinitely varied modifications, and inheres in itself alone." In the "Bon Sens" of Cure Meslier, it is asked: Qu'est-ce que Dieu? "and the answer is: "C'est un mot abstrait fait pour designer la force cachee de la nature; ou c'est un point mathematique qui n'a ni longueur, ni largeur, ni profondetir." "It is an abstract word coined to designate the hidden force of nature; or it is a mathematical point having neither length, breadth, nor depth." The orthodox fringe of the Theism of to-day is Hebraistic in its origin -- that is, it finds its root in the superstition and ignorance of a petty and barbarous people nearly destitute of literature, poor in language, and almost entirely wanting in high conceptions of humanity. It might, as Judaism is the foundation of Christianity, be fairly expected that the ancient Jewish records would aid us in our search after the meaning to be attached to the word "God." The most prominent words in Hebrew rendered God or Lord in English are @@@@@ 'Ieue,' and ##### 'Aleim.' The first word Ieue, called by our orthodox Jehovah, is equivalent to "that which exists," and indeed embodies in itself the only possible trinity in unity i.e., past, present, and future. There is nothing in this Hebrew word to help us to any such definition as is required for the sustenance of modem Theism. The most we can make of it by any stretch of imagination is equivalent to the declaration "I am, I have been, I shall be." The word *** is hardly ever spoken by the religious Jews, who actually in reading substitute for it, Adonai, an entirely different word. Dr. Wall notices the close resemblance in sound between the word 'lehowa' or leue, or Jehovah and Jove. In fact %%%%% Jupiter and leue-pater (God the father) present still closer resemblance in sound. Jove is also $$$$$ or @@@@@ or ##### whence the word Deus and our Deity. The Greek mythology, far more ancient than that of the Hebrews, has probably found for Christianity many other and more important features of coincidence than that of a similarly sounding name. The word * traced back, affords us no help beyond that it identifies Deity with the universe. Plato says that the early Greeks thought that the only Gods (%%%%%) were the sun, moon, earth, stars, and heaven. The word $$$$$, Aleim, assists us still less in defining the word God, for Parkhurst translates it as a plural noun signifying "the curser," deriving it from the verb @@@@@ (Ale), to curse. Dr. Colenso has collected for us a store of traditional meanings for the ##### of the Greek, and the *** of the Hebiew; but, though these are interesting to the student of mythology, they give no help to the Theistic demonstrator. Finding that philology aids us but little, we must endeavour to arrive at the meaning of the word "God" by another rule. It is utterly impossible to fix the period of the rise of Theism amongst any particular people; but it is, notwithstanding, comparatively easy, if not to trace out the development of Theistic ideas, at any rate to point to their probable course of growth amongst all peoples. Keightley, in his "Origin of Mythology," says: "Supposing, for the sake of hypothesis, a race of men in a state of total or partial ignorance of Deity, their belief in many Gods may have thus commenced: They saw around them various changes brought about by human agency, and hence they knew the power of intelligence to produce effects. When they beheld other and greater effects, they ascribed them to some unseen being, similar but superior to man." They associated particular events with special unknown beings (Gods), to each of whom they ascribed either a peculiarity of power, or a sphere of action not common to other Gods. Thus, one was God of the sea, another God of war, another God of love, another ruled the thunder and lightning; and thus through the various then known elements of the universe, and the passions of human-kind. This mythology became modified with the com mencement of human knowledge. The ability to think has proved itself oppugnant to, and destructive of, the reckless desire to worship, characteristic of semi-barbarism. Science has razed altar after altar heretofore erected to the unknown Gods, and has pulled down Deity after Deity from the pedestals on which ignorance and superstition had erected them. The priest, who had formerly spoken as the oracle of God, lost his sway just in proportion as the scientific teacher succeeded in impressing mankind with a knowledge of the facts around them. The ignorant, who had hitherto listened unquestioning during centuries of abject submission to their spiritual precaptors, at last commenced to search and examine for themselves, and were guided by experience rather than by church doctrine. To- day advancing intellect challenges the reserve guard of the old armies of superstition, and compels a conflict in which human-kind must in the end have great gain by the forced enunciation of the truth. From the word "God" the Theist derives no argument in his favour; it teaches nothing, defines nothing, demonstrates nothing, explains nothing. The Theist answers that this is no sufficient objection that there are many words which are in common use to which the same objection applies. Even if this were true, it does not answer the Atheist's objection. Alleging a difficulty on the one side is not a removal of the obstacle already pointed out on the other. The Theist declares his God to be not only immutable, but also infinitely intelligent, and says: "Matter is either essentially intelligent or essentially non-intelligent; if matter were essentially intelligent, no matter could be without intelligence; but matter cannot be essentially intelligent, because some matter is not intelligent, therefore matter is essentially non- intelligent; but there is intelligence, therefore there must be a cause for the intelligence, independent of matter -- this must be an intelligent being -- i.e., "God." The Atheist answers: I do not know what is meant, in the mouth of the Theist, by "matter." "Matter," "nature," "substance," "existence," are words having the same signification in the Atheist's vocabulary. Lewes used "matter" as the symbol of all the known properties, statical and dynamical, passive and active; i.e., subjectively, as feeling and change of feeling, or objectively, as agent and action"; and Mill defined "nature" as "the sum of all phenomena, together with the causes which produce them, including not only all that happens, but all that is capable of happening." It is not certain that the Theist expresses any very clear idea to himself when he uses the words "matter" and "intelligence"; it is quite certain that he has not yet shown himself capable of communicating this idea, and that any effort he makes is couched in terms which are self-contradictory. Reason and understanding are sometimes treated as separate faculties, yet it is not unfair to presume that the Theist would include them both under the word intelligence. Perception is the foundation of the intellect. The perceptive ability differs in each animal; yet, in speaking of matter, the Theist uses the word "intelligence" as though the same meaning were to be understood in every case. The recollection of the perceptions is the exercise of a different ability from the perceptive ability, and occasionally varies disproportionately; thus, an individual may have great perceptive abilities, and very little memory, or the reverse; yet memory, as well as perception, is included in intelligence. So also the comparing between two or more perceptions; the judging and the reflecting; all these are subject to the same remarks, and all these and other phases of the mind, are included in the word intelligence. We answer then, that "God" (whatever that word may mean) cannot be intelligent. He can never perceive; the act of perception results in the obtaining a new idea, but if God be omniscient, his ideas have been eternally the same. He has either been always, and always will be, perceiving, or he has never perceived at all. But God cannot have been always perceiving, because, if he had, he would always have been obtaining fresh knowledge, in which case he must at some time have had less knowledge than now; that is, he would have been less perfect; that is, he would not have been God. He can never recollect nor forget; he can never compare, reflect, nor judge. There cannot be perfect intelligence without understanding; but following Coleridge, understanding is the faculty of judging according to sense." The faculty of whom? Of some person, judging according to that person's senses. But has "God" senses? Is there anything beyond "God" for God to sensate? There cannot be perfect intelligence without reason. By reason we mean that phase of the mind which avails itself of past and present experience to predicate more or less accurately of possible experience in the future. To God there can be neither past nor future, therefore to him reason is impossible. There cannot be perfect intelligence without will; but has God will? If God wills, the will of the all-powerful must be irresistible; the will of the infinite must exclude all other wills. God can never perceive. Perception and sensation are identical. Every sensation is pleasurable or painful. But God, if immutable, can neither be pleased nor pained. Every fresh sensation involves a change in mental and perhaps in physical condition. God, if immutable cannot change. Sensation is the source of all ideas, but it is only objects external to the mind which can be sensated. If God be infinite there can be no objects external to him, and therefore sensation must be to him impossible. Yet without perception where is intelligence? God cannot have memory nor reason -- memoiy is of the past, reason for the future, but to God immutable there can be no past, no future. The words past, present, and future imply change: they assert progression of duration. If God be immutable, to him change is impossible. Can you have intelligence destitute of perception, memory, and reason? God cannot have the faculty of judgment -- judgment implies in the act of judging a conjoining or dis-joining of two or more thoughts, but this involves change of mental condition. To God the immutable, change is impossible. Can you have intelligence, yet no perception, no memory, no reason, no judgment? God cannot think. The law of the thinkible is, that the thing thought must be separated from the thing which is not thought. To think otherwise would be to think of nothing -- to have an impression with no distinguishing mark would be to have no impression. Yet this separation implies change, and to God, immutable, change is impossible. In memory, the thing remembered is distinguished from the thing temporarily or permanently forgotten. Can God forget? Can you have intelligence without thought? If the Theist replies to this, that he does not mean by infinite intelligence, as an attribute of Deity, an affinity of the intelligence found in a finite degree in humankind, then he is bound to explain, clearly and distinctly, what other "intelligence" he means; and until this be done the foregoing statements require answer. The Atheist does not regard "substance" as either essentially intelligent or the reverse. Intelligence is the result of certain conditions of existence. Burnished steel is bright -- that is, brightness is the characteristic of a certain condition of existence. Alter the condition, and the characteristic of the condition no longer exists. The only essential of substance is existence. Alter, the wording of the Theest's objection: -- Matter is either essentially bright, or essentially non-bright. If matter were essentially bright, brightness should be the essence of all matter; but matter cannot be essentially bright, because some matter is not bright, therefore matter is essenteally non-bright; but there is brightness therefore there must be a cause for this brightness independent of matter -- that is, there must be an essentially bright being -- i.e., God. Another Theistic proposition is thus stated "Every effect must have a cause; the first cause universal must be eternal: ergo, the first cause universal must be God." This is equivalent to saying that "God" is "first cause." But what is to be understood by cause? Defined in the absolute the word has no real value. "Cause," therefore, cannot be eternal. What can be understood by "first cause"? To us the two words convey no meaning greater than would be conveyed by the phrase "round triangle." Cause and effect are correlative terms -- each cause is the effect of some precedent; each effect the cause of its consequent. It is impossible to conceive existence terminated by a primal or initial cause. The "beginning," as it is phrased, of the universe is not thought out by the Theist, but conceded without thought. To adopt the language of Montaigne: "Men make themselves believe that they believe." The so-called belief in Creation is nothing more than the prostration of the intellect on the threshold of the unknown. We can only cognize the ever-succeeding phenomena of existence as a line in continuous and eternal evolution. This line has to us no beginning; we trace it back into the misty regions of the past but a little way, and however far we may be able to journey there is still the great beyond. Then what is meant by "universal cause"? Spinoza gives the following definition of cause, as used in its absolute signification: "By cause of itself I understand that, the essence of which involves existence, or that, the nature of which can only be considered as existent." That is, Spinoza treats "cause" absolute and "existence" as two words having the same meaning. If this mode of defining the word be contested, then it has no meaning other than its relative signification of a means to an end. "Every effect must have a cause." Every effect implies the plurality of effects, and necessarily that each effect must be finite; but how is it possible from finite effect to logically deduce a universal -- i.e., infinite cause? There are two modes of argument presented by Theists, and by which, separately or combined, they seek to demonstrate the being of a God. These are familiarly known as the arguments 'a Priori' and 'a posterori'. The 'a posteriori' argument has been popularized in England by Paley, who has ably endeavoured to hide the weakness of his demonstration under an abundance of irrelevant illustrations. The reasoning of Paley is veiy deficient in the essential points where it most needed strength. It is utterly impossible to prove by it the eternity or infinity of Deity. As an argument founded on analogy, the design argument, at the best, could only entitle its propounder to infer the existence of a finite cause, or rather of a multitude of finite causes. It ought not to be forgotten that the illustrations of the eye, the watch, and the man, even if admitted as instances of design, or rather of adaptation, are instances of eyes, watches, and men, designed or adapted out of pre-existing substance, by a being of the same kind of substance, and afford, therefore, no demonstration in favour of a designer alleged to have actually created substance out of nothing, and also alleged to have created a substance entirely different from himself. The illustrations of alleged adaptation or design in animal life in its embryonic stages are thus dealt with by the late George Henry Lewes: "What rational interpretation can be given to the succession of phases each embryo is forced to pass through? None of these phases has any adaptation to the future state of the animal; they are in positive contradiction to it, or are simply purposeless; many of them have no adaptation, even in its embryonic state. What doe's the fact imply? There is not a single known organism which is not developed out of simpler forms. Before it can attain the complex structure which distinguishes it, there must be an evolution of forms which distinguish the structures of organisms lower in the series. On the hypothesis of a plan which prearranged the organic world, nothing could be more unworthy of a supreme intelligence than this inability to construct an organism at once, without making several tentative efforts, undoing to-day what was so carefully done yesterday, and repeating for centuries the same tentatives and the same corrections in the same succession. Do not let us blink this consideration. There is a traditional phrase which is in vogue amongst Anthropomorphists -- a phrase which has become a sort of argument -- 'the Great Architect.' But if we were to admit the human point of view, a glance at the facts of embryology must produce very uncomfortable reflexions. For what shall we say to an architect who was unable -- or, being able, was obstinotely unwilling -- to erect a palace, except by first his materials in the shape of a but, then pulling them down and rebuilding them as a cottage, then adding storey to storey, and room to room, not with any reference to the ultimate purposes of a palace, but wholly with reference to the way in which houses were constructed in ancient times? Would there be a chorus of applause from the Institute of Architects, and favourable notices in newspapers of this profound wisdom? Yet this is the sort of succession on which organisms are constructed. The fact has long been familiar; how has it been reconciled with infinite wisdom?" The 'a posteriori' argument can never demonstrate infinity for Deity. Arguing from an effect finite in extent, the most it could afford would be a cause sufficient for that effect, such cause being possibly finite in extent and duration. Professor Flint in his late work in advocacy of Theism concedes that "we cannot deduce the infinite from the finite." And as the argument does not demonstrate God's infinity, neither can it, for the same reason, make out his omniscience, as it is clearly impossible to logically claim infinite wisdom for a God possibly only finite. God's omnipotence remains unproved for the same reason, and because it is clearly absurd to argue that God exercises power where he may not be. Nor can the 'a posteriori' argument show God's absolute freedom, for as it does nothing more than seek to prove a finite God, it is quite consistent with the argumefit that God's existence is limited and controlled in a thousand ways. Nor does this argument show that God always existed; at the best, the proof is only that some cause, enough for the effect, existed before it, but there is no evidence that this cause differs from any other causes, which are often as transient as the effect itself. And as it does not demonstrate that God has always existed, neither does it demonstrate that he will always exist or even that he now exists. It is perfectly in accordance with the argument, and with the analogy of cause and effect, that the effect may remain after the cause has ceased to exist. Nor does the argument from design demonstrate one God. It is quite consistent with this argument that a separate cause existed for each effect, or mark of design discovered, or that several causes contributed to some or one of such effects. So that if the argument be true, it might result in a multitude of petty Deities, limited in knowledge, extent, duration, and power; and still worse, each one of this multitude of Gods may have had a cause which would also be finite in extent and duration, and would require another, and so on, until the design argument loses the reasoner amongst an innumerable crowd of Deities, none of whom can have the attributes claimed for God. The design argument is defective as an argument from analogy, because it seeks to prove a Creator God who designed, but does not explain whether this God has been eternally designing, which would be absurd or, if he at some time commenced to design, what then induced him so to commence? It is illogical, for it seeks to prove an immutable Deity, by demonstrating a mutation on the part of Deity. It is unnecessary to deal specially with each of the many writers who have used from different stand-points the 'a posteriori' form of argument in order to prove the existence of Deity. The objections already stated apply to the whole class; and, although probably each illustration used by the Theistic advocate is capable of an elucidation entirely at variance with his argument, the main features of objection are the same. The argument 'a posteriori' is a method of proof in which the premises are composed of some position of existing facts, and the conclusion asserts a position antecedent to those facts. The argument is from given effects to their causes. It is one form of this argument which asserts that a man has a moral nature, and from this seeks to deduce the existence of a moral governor. This form has the disadvantage that its premises are illusory. In alleging a moral nature for man, the Theist overlooks the fact that the moral nature of man differs somewhat in each individual, differs considerably in each nation, and differs entirely in some peoples. It is dependent on organization and education; these are influenced by climate, food, and mode of life. If the argument from man's nature could demonstrate anything, it would prove a murdering God for the murderer, a lascivious God for the licentious man, a dishonest God for the thief, and so through the various phases of human inclination. The 'a priori' arguments are methods of proof in which the matter of the premises exists in the order of conception antecedently to that of the conclusion. The argument is from cause to effect. Amongst the prominent Theistic advocates relying upon the 'a priori' argument in England are Dr. Samuel Clarke, the Rev. Moses Lowman, and William Gillespie. An important contribution to Theistic literature has been the publication of the Baird lectures on Theism. The lectures are by Professor Flint, who asks: "Have we sufficient evidence for thinking that there is a self-existent, etemal being, infinite in power and wisdom, and perfect in holiness and goodness, the Maker of heaven and earth?" "Theism," he affirms, "is the doctrine that the universe owes its existence, and continuance in existence, to the reason and will of a self-existent Being, who is infinitely powerful, wise, and good. It is the doctrine that nature has a Creator and Preserver, the nations a Governor, men a heavenly Father and judge." But he concedes that "Theism is very far from coextensive with religion. Religion is spread over the whole earth; Theism only over a comparatively small portion of it. There are but three Theistic religions -- the Mosaic, the Christian, and the Muhammadan. They are connected historically in the closest manner -- the idea of God having been transmitted to the two latter, and not independently originated by them. All other religions are Polytheistic or Pantheistic, or both together. Among those who, have been educated in any of these heathen religions, only a few minds of rare penetration and power have been able to rise by their own exertions to a consistent Theistic belief. The God of all those among us who believe in God, even of those who reject Christianity, who reject all revelation, is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From these ancient Jewish fathers the knowledge of him has historically descended through an unbroken succession of generations to us. We have inherited it from them. If it had not thus come down to us, if we had not been born into a society pervaded by it, there is no reason to suppose that we should have found it out for ourselves, and still less that we should merely have required to open our eyes in order to see it." If "Theism is the doctrine that the universe owes its existence to the reason and will of a self-existing Being who is infinitely powerful, wise, and good," then it is a doctrine which involves many difficulties and absurdities. It assumes that the universe has not always existed. The new existence added when the universe was originated was either an improvement or a deterioration on what had always existed; or it was in all respects precisely identical with what had therefore always existed. In the first, if the new universe was an improvement, then the previously self-existent being could not have been infinitely good. If the universe was a deterioration, then the creator could have scarcely been all-wise, or he could not have been all-powerful. If the universe was in all respects precisely identical with the self- existent being, then it must have been infinitely powerful, wise and good, and must have been self-existent. Any of the alternatives is fatal to Theism. Again, if the universe owes its existence to God's reason and will, God must, prior to creation, have thought upon the matter until he ultimately determined to create; but, if the creation were wise and good, it would never have been delayed while the infinitely wise and good reasoned about it, and, if the creation were not wise and good, the infinitely wise and good would never have commenced it. Either God willed without motive, or he was influenced; if he reasoned, there was -- prior to the definite willing -- a period of doubt or suspended judgment, all of which is inconsistent with the attributes claimed for deity by Professor Flint. It is hard to understand how whole nations can have been left by their infinitely powerful, wise, and good governor -- how many men can have been left by their infinitely powerful, wise, and good father -- without any knowledge of himself. Yet this must be so if, as Professor Flint conceives, Theism is spread over only a comparatively small portion of the earth. The moral effect of Christian and Muhammadan Theism on the nations influenced was well shown in the recent Russo-Turkish War. Every Theist must admit that, if a God exists, he could have so convinced all men of the fact of his existence that doubt, disagreement, or disbelief would be impossible. If he could not do this, he would not be omnipotent, or he would not be omniscient -- that is, he would not be God. Every Theist must also agree that, if a God exists, he would wish all men to have such a clear consciousness of his existence and attributes, that doubt, disagreement, or disbelief on this subject would be impossible. And this, if for no other reason, because that out of doubts and disagreements on religion have too often resulted centuries of persecution, strife, and misery, which a good God would desire to prevent. If God would not desire this, then he is not all good -- that is, he is not God. But as many men have doubts, as a large majority of mankind have disagreements, and as some men have disbeliefs as to God's existence and attributes, it must follow that God does not exist, or that he is not all-wise, or that he is not all-powerful, or that he is not all-good. Many Theists rely on the intuitional argument. It is, perhaps, best to allow the Baird Lecturer to reply to, these: "Man, say some, knows God by immediate intuition; he needs no argument for his existence, because he perceives Him directly -- face to face -- without any medium. It is easy to assert this, but obviously the assertion is the merest dogmatism. Not one man in a thousand who understands what he is affirming will dare to claim to have an immediate vision of God, and nothing can be more likely than that the man who makes such a claim is self-deluded." And Professor Flint urges that "What seem intuitions are often really inferenices, and not unfrequently errondous inferences; what seem the immediate dictates of pure reason, or the direct and unclouded perceptions of a special spiritual faculty, may be the conceits of fancy, or the products of habits and association, or the reflexions of strong feeling. A man must prove to himself, and he must prove to others, that what he takes to be an intuition is an intuition. Is that proof in this case likely to be easier or more conclusive than the proof of the Divine existence? The so-called immediate perception of God must be shown to be a perception and to be immediate; it must be vindicated and verified; and how this is to be especially if there be no other reasons for believing in God than itself, it is difficult to conceive. The history of religion, which is what ought to yield the clearest confirmation of the alleged intuition, appears to be from beginning to end a conspicuous contradiction of it. If all men have the spiritual power of directly beholding their Creator -- have an immediate vision of God -- how happens it that whole nations believe in the most absurd and monstrous Gods? That millions of men are ignorant whether there be one God or thousands?" And still more strongly he adds: "The opinion that man has an intuition or immediate perception of God is untenable; the opinion that he has an immediate feeling of God is absurd." Every child is born into the world an Atheist, and, if he grows into a Theist, his Deity differs with the country in which the believer may happen to be born, or the people amongst whom he may happen to be educated. The belief is the result of education or organization. This is practically conceded by Professor Flint, where he speaks of the God-idea as transmitted from the Jews, and says: "We have inherited it from them. If it had not come down to us, if we had not been born into a society pervaded by it, there is no reason to suppose that we should have found it out for ourselves." And, further, he maintains that a child is born "into blank ignorance, and, if left entirely to itself, would, probably, never find out as much religious truth as the most ignorant of parents can teach it." Religious belief is powerful in proportion to the want of scientific knowledge on the part of the believer. The more ignorant the more credulous. In the mind of the Theist "God" is equivalent to the sphere of the unknown; by the use of the word he answers, without thought, problems which might otherwise obtain scientific solution. The more ignorant the Theist, the more numerous his Gods. Belief in God is not a faith founded on reason. Theism is worse than illogical; its teachings are not only without utility, but of itself it has nothing to teach. Separated from Chrisitanity with its almost innumerable sects, from Muhainmadanism with its numerous divisions, and separated also from every other preached system, Theism is a Will-o'-the-Wisp, without reality. Apart from orthodoxy, Theism is the veriest dreamform, without substance or coherence. What does Christian Theism teach? That the first man, made perfect by the all-powerful, all-wise, all-good God, was nevertheless imperfect, and by his imperfection brought misery into the world, where the all-good God must have intended misery should never come; that this God made men to share this misery -- men whose fault was their being what he made them; that this God begets a son, who is nevertheless his unbegotten self, and that by belief in the birth of God's etemal son, and in the death of the undying who died as sacrifice to God's vengeance, men may escape the consequences of the first man's error. Christian Theism declares that belief alone can save men, and yet recognizes the fact that man's belief results from teaching, by establishing missionary societies to spread the faith. Christian Theism teaches that God, though no respecter of persons, selected as his favourite one nation in preference to all others; that man can do no good of himself or without God's aid, but yet that each man has a free will; that God is all-powerful, but that few go to heaven, and the majority to hell; that all are to love God, who has predestined from etemity that by far the largest number of human beings are to be burning in hell for ever. Yet the advocates for Theism venture to upbraid those who argue against such a faith. Either Theism is true or false. If true, discussion must help to spread its influence; if false, the sooner it ceases to influence human conduct the better for human kind. This Plea for Atheism is put forth as a challenge to Theists to do battle for their cause, and in the hope that, the strugglers being sincere, truth may give laurels to the victor and the vanquished; laurels to the victor, in that he has upheld the truth; laurels which should be even more welcome to the vanquished, whose defeat crowns him with a truth he knew not of before.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24233
__label__cc	0.666495	0.333505	Recycling — Apple slashes trade-in values for many of its products Mostly iPhone and iPad models are affected; Macs didn't see much change. Samuel Axon - Jan 10, 2020 10:34 pm UTC Enlarge / The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which will now gain consumers $40 less in trade-in value than before. Samuel Axon 87 with 73 posters participating Apple has proudly touted its trade-in and recycling programs, mentioning them prominently at major events, during investor calls, and on its website. But in changes that quietly went into effect this week, the company reduced the trade-in value for many of its products, meaning consumers will get less money for their old iPhones and other devices than they did previously. Apple wants to stop mining and start making everything from recycled materials MacRumors reported the news based on looking at values estimated on Apple's online store before and after the change, and the site listed the tracked changes. Trading in an iPhone XS Max was previously estimated to fetch the consumer $600 toward an upgrade, but that number is now $500. The iPhone 8 estimate has gone down from $220 to $180, an iPad Air from $100 to $70, and an Apple Watch series 4 went from $110 to $100. It's interesting to note, however, that Mac trade-in values were barely affected, if they changed at all. And all Apple Watch models except the newest series 4 model also remained the same. It's mainly the iPhone and iPad product lines that have been impacted. Apple hasn't publicly stated why it made these changes, but it could be some combination of device value depreciation and efforts to improve profit margins as much as possible. Apple earnings Q4 2019: Tim Cook says health will be what Apple is remembered for iPhone revenue has been slow to move in recent quarters, so any bit might help, though Apple has mostly made up for those losses with its rapidly growing services and wearables businesses. For example, Apple sold $6 billion worth of AirPods in 2019, according to market researchers, and a recent report estimated that the AirPods business alone is worth more than Nvidia, Adobe, or AMD individually, and only slightly less than all of Uber. As is often the case with valuable assets like cars and electronics, consumers will generally get better deals selling their old iPhones and iPads to private buyers than they would through the trade-in program. These changes may serve as a reminder about that, though of course these products will depreciate in that channel as well. On the other hand, Apple's trade-in program funnels the devices into a system that the company claims ensures efficient recycling of devices that are no longer viable. Samuel Axon Based in Los Angeles, Samuel is the Senior Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he covers Apple products, displays, hardware and software for developers and creative professionals, and more. He is a reformed media executive who has been writing about technology for 10 years at Ars Technica, Engadget, Mashable, PC World, and many others. He is also a hobbyist iOS and indie game developer. Email samuel.axon@arstechnica.com thedarkhalf Wise, Aged Ars Veteran reply Fri Jan 10, 2020 5:41 pm These seem to be on par with Gazelle trade ins. For a "flawless" iPhone XS MaX (512GB), trade in is $363. valkyriebiker Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor I have never used Apple's trade-in program. I've always done much better on swappa.com. That said, iPhone resale values, traditionally pretty strong, have declined in the last couple of years. Nowicki Ars Tribunus Militum Id love to be a fly on the wall in discussions with phone repair, and replacement businesses. This must have a pretty big impact on their model given the significance of IOS in the market. The assumption by most everyone is that they would hold value, now a fair amount of stock just depreciated. 4347 posts \| registered Jan 6, 2015 j17robotdancer Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor If your not happy with your trade in value then check out other companies. 127.0.0.1rules Ars Scholae Palatinae Also these trade-in programs tend to be picky about condition. We tried to trade in a working, unlocked 6S with some dings and chips (as a 4 year old phone does), so Apple’s willing to pay $0. Just being a working, usable, supported iPhone fetches more than that on Craigslist. It’s like how KBB will price a 15 year old car in prestine shape, even though no such thing exists. Digital Dud Ars Praefectus valkyriebiker wrote: I sent in an old Apple watch and it suddenly broke once it reached their trade-in center and won't boot anymore, so now it's worth $0. JuniorSweet Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor Hmm, I just traded in a few iPad2s at an Apple store last week and was surprised to get $20 for each of them. 17 posts \| registered Nov 6, 2015 Silellak Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor So like am I missing something or could this headline just be “Apple now giving less money for increasingly-older devices because that’s how the market works” I traded in my iPhone 6 and got $150 trade in for a iPhone XR in May of last year. Pretty decent value if you ask me Jurchik Seniorius Lurkius et Subscriptor Guess I’ll hang on to my 7 until Apple comes up with really new technology. It isn’t broke and my carrier supports it. 2 posts \| registered Mar 14, 2014 Fabermetrics Ars Scholae Palatinae I always ebay my phones. Nalyd Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor thedarkhalf wrote: They still gave me $60 for my 6 when I got an 11 in November. I was quite pleasantly surprised. It even had a couple little dings in the sides. And boy was that an upgrade! 1033 posts \| registered Jul 2, 2001 Jurchik wrote: You could still get $120 on your trade-in with Apple. j17robotdancer wrote: Or ~280 on ebay if its unlocked. Fabermetrics wrote: I'll raise you swappa.com where you can get a iPhone 7 for as low as $162 or thats in excellent shape with a high price of $486. If people are buying for those prices all the power to people. I just hate to see these trade ins to apple where everyone gives a trillion dollar company extra money for no reason, AND apple gets one less used phone to compete with. MartianNick Smack-Fu Master, in training I think their trade-in program is more about convenience. They make it incredibly easy. I always sell my iPhones on Craigslist or eBay to get the most I can for them. Heck, I traded up from my used 256GB iPhone X to a used 256GB iPhone XS and my net cost was like $25 this past year. I did however spend a bunch of time doing it: searching for a cheap XS, meeting someone in person for a cash payment, taking photos and making an auction for my X, shipping it... I kind of enjoy it, but many folks may consider all that a big hassle. I'll raise you better cuz you can get a brandspankingnew 7 from Consumer Cellular for only $200. I'm sorry but there's no way I'd pay $162 for a used one when I can get a brand new one with a guaranteed usefulness (not all resellers bother to check if the phone is unlocked and usable let alone battery lifespan) for only $38 more. And that's without any contract. Entegy Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor Wow. I just traded in two old phones, 6S and SE. The SE netted $50CAD and the 6S $80CAD. According the Canadian trade-in site, the 6S is now worth $60 and the SE has no trade-in value. Talk about timing. EDIT: Click through and the higher-capacity SEs still have some trade-in value. PotatoLizard Smack-Fu Master, in training Rickey Gervais must have really rubbed Tim Cook up the wrong way. hakalau tom Seniorius Lurkius et Subscriptor beebee wrote: "Apple sold $6 billion worth of AirPods in 2019, according to market researchers, and a recent report estimated that the AirPods business alone is worth more than Nvidia, Adobe, or AMD individually, and only slightly less than all of Uber." I can't think of a worse fashion statement outside of a MAGA hat. Google Glass? 35 posts \| registered Nov 25, 2008 Eraserhead Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor itfa wrote: What a racket. Apple catching the financially ignorant coming and going. Selling privately is a hassle. Must take a couple of hours. J.C. Helios Wise, Aged Ars Veteran Apple sold $6 billion worth of AirPods in 2019, according to market researchers, and a recent report estimated that the AirPods business alone is worth more than Nvidia, Adobe, or AMD individually, and only slightly less than all of Uber. Ugh. I would've preferred for Apple's decision to kill off the headphone jack to have gone badly for them, not fantastically wonderfully. 186 posts \| registered Dec 22, 2016 LtKernelPanic Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor KarolofNine wrote: This reflects the declining value of the Apple brand. Time to sell your shares, boys. I know don't feed he trolls but you do know that AAPL was up over 100% in the last year and over 200% since their last split right? NetMage Ars Scholae Palatinae They're just making a lot of money off people with more money than sense. Reportedly most of that $6 billion is made by people repeatedly losing their pods. I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but this is Ars: citation needed. daemonios Ars Tribunus Militum Or you could use your phone until you can't justify it anymore. My last phone - a Nexus 5 from 2013 - lasted me 6 years. I just recently replaced it due to terrible battery life, loose back cover and poor GPS performance. It's in a drawer and still works, should I ever need it, as does my previous phone, an HTC Legend that also has a few glitches but was fine as a wireless router when I worked extensively abroad and a simple data-only mobile plan solved my Internet needs. To be honest, I feel these trade-in programmes are more about getting people to upgrade early, before the "old" gadget depreciates further. Promise high trade-in value, even if the actual offer is typically much lower because of scratches, smudges, cracks and such, and many people will still go ahead with the trade after they've set their mind to it. m0nckywrench Ars Praefectus Profit is still profit. It doesn't matter "how", it matters "how much". If you can afford their products in the first place, the trade-in value doesn't really matter. MattZN Wise, Aged Ars Veteran The trade-in programs are more designed to take phones off the street than to push owners to upgrade. Just taking the phone off the street means there is one more person out in the world ready to buy a new phone who would otherwise have been happy with a used one. Personally speaking I still have my iPhone 6, and after sending it in to Apple for a battery replacement a year ago (at around 5 years old), it is as good as new and ready for another 5 years. Legatum_of_Kain Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor I’m probably one of the few, but when I buy a phone from Apple, it’s due to their os upgrades, and I keep said phone 4-5 years or longer, depending on when they EOL updates to it. It’s a solid investment in the long run for a mobile phone, and reduces electronic waste. Dputiger Ars Tribunus Militum The idea that Apple's AirPod business is worth more than Nvidia or AMD only shows how poorly defined our economic concept of "worth" is. Since AMD re-entered the CPU market with Ryzen, the number of cores available for mainstream desktop platforms has quadrupled. Intel now sells twice as many CPU cores for the same price as it did in 2017. From 2011 - 2017, Intel kept the number of cores and threads in its desktop and most of its mobile products constant. Even if you don't care about Nvidia's accomplishments in gaming, they basically invented the GPGPU, AI, and deep learning markets. Nvidia is largely responsible for the adoption of GPU accelerators for HPC applications. Even the companies building their own custom hardware for AI started off working with GPUs first. And then, from Apple, we have... some pretty nice wireless earbuds with a custom BT pairing chip that simplifies the process if you're plugged into their ecosystem. I am aware that the economic concept of "worth" is constrained compared to the many things that humans value. My point is not to define alternate metrics to praise companies I like -- it's to illustrate that the contemplated value of AMD or Nvidia's "worth" ignores the very measurable value their products have brought to the market. Making computing faster and extending it into new spaces doesn't just generate value for the company, it generates value for an entire ecosystem.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24238
__label__cc	0.581337	0.418663	Choline Is Crucial for Liver Health How to Get Rid of Moles Safely and Naturally Anthocyanin: This Purple Pigment Fights Disease Choline, found in ample amounts in egg yolks, is an essential nutrient for a healthy brain, nervous system and cardiovascular function. It’s also essential for prevention of fatty liver disease A study looking at choline’s impact on the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease found decreased choline intake significantly increased symptoms, including fibrosis (the thickening and scarring of connective tissue) Choline is particularly crucial during fetal development so requirements rise exponentially in pregnant women Although a small amount of choline is produced by your liver, the rest must be supplied through your diet. An estimated 90 percent of the U.S. population are deficient in choline People who are at particularly high risk for deficiency include pregnant mothers, athletes, high alcohol consumers, postmenopausal women and vegans Choline, found in ample amounts in egg yolks, was first discovered in 1862.1 Since then, we've learned that this is a truly essential nutrient for a healthy brain, nervous system and cardiovascular function. It's particularly crucial during fetal development,2 so choline requirements rise exponentially in pregnant women.3 Importantly, choline is used in the synthesis of phospholipids in your body, the most common of which is phosphatidylcholine, better known as lecithin, which is required for the composition of your cell membranes.4 As noted in a 2013 paper:5 "Humans must eat diets containing choline because its metabolite phosphatidylcholine constitutes 40 to 50 percent of cellular membranes and 70 to 95 percent of phospholipids in lipoproteins, bile and surfactants … [It] is needed to form acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter; its metabolite betaine is needed for normal kidney glomerular function, and perhaps for mitochondrial function; and it provides one-carbon units, via oxidation to betaine, to the methionine cycle for methylation reactions. There is a recommended adequate intake for choline (about 550 mg/day), but choline intake in the diet has been estimated to vary by as much as threefold — the lowest quartile and the highest quartile of intake were approximately 150 mg and 500 mg/day choline equivalents, respectively…" Studies also stress its importance for liver health, and it may actually be a crucial key for the prevention of fatty liver disease — including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is largely driven by high-sugar diets as opposed to excess alcohol consumption. Nine in 10 Americans Are Deficient in Choline Although a small amount of choline is produced by your liver,6 the rest must be supplied through your diet. Unfortunately, an estimated 90 percent of the U.S. population are deficient in choline.7 People who are at particularly high risk for deficiency include: Pregnant mothers — Choline is required for proper neural tube closure,8 brain development and healthy vision.9 Research shows mothers who get sufficient choline impart lifelong memory enhancement to their child due to changes in the development of the hippocampus (memory center) of the child's brain.10 Choline deficiency also raises your risk of premature birth, low birth weight and preeclampsia. Athletes — During endurance exercise, such as a marathon, choline levels deplete. Choline supplementation before severe physical stress has demonstrated a number of advantageous effects in studies.11,12 Choline supplementation may also reduce body mass without side effects.13 High alcohol consumers — Excess alcohol consumption can increase your need for choline and raise your risk of deficiency.14 Postmenopausal women — Lower estrogen concentrations in postmenopausal women increases their risk of organ dysfunction in response to a low-choline diet, so their requirements are higher than those of premenopausal women.15 Vegans — Choline supplementation may also be important for this demographic, as they have an elevated risk for deficiency if they avoid choline-rich foods such as eggs and meats.16 Choline Is Required for Optimal Health Choline was officially recognized as an essential nutrient for human health by the Institute of Medicine in 1998.17 It's required for: Cell messaging, by producing cell-messaging compounds18 Cell structure; making fats to support the composition of your cell membranes Fat transport and metabolism, as choline is needed to carry cholesterol from your liver, and a choline deficiency could result in excess fat and cholesterol buildup19 DNA synthesis Nervous system health (choline is necessary for making acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in healthy muscle, heart and memory performance) Studies have linked higher choline intake to a range of benefits, including a decreased risk for heart disease,20 a 24 percent decreased risk for breast cancer,21 and the prevention of NAFLD. In fact, choline appears to be a key controlling factor in the development of fatty liver, likely by enhancing secretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles in your liver.22 Choline Plays Crucial Role in NAFLD In a 2010 article, Chris Masterjohn, who has a Ph.D. in nutrition, writes:23 "After studying the relevant literature and tracing it much further back in time than anyone else ever bothers to, I've come to the conclusion that neither fat nor sugar nor booze are the master criminals here. Rather, these mischievous dudes are just the lackeys of the head honcho, choline deficiency. That's right, folks, it's the disappearance of liver and egg yolks from the American diet that takes most of the blame [for rising rates of fatty liver disease]. More specifically, I currently believe that dietary fat, whether saturated or unsaturated, and anything that the liver likes to turn into fat, like fructose and ethanol, will promote the accumulation of fat as long as we don't get enough choline." The curious link between choline and fatty liver emerged from research into Type 1 diabetes. Studies in the 1930s demonstrated that lecithin in egg yolk (which contains high amounts of choline) could cure fatty liver disease in Type 1 diabetic dogs. They later found choline alone provided the same benefit. Masterjohn goes on to explain:24 "We now know that choline is necessary to produce a phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine (PC) … a critical component of the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particle, which we need to make in order to export fats from our livers. The amino acid methionine can act as a precursor to choline and can also be used to convert a different phospholipid called phosphatidylethanolamine directly into PC. Thus, the combined deficiency of choline and methionine will severely impair our abilities to package up the fats in our livers and to send them out into the bloodstream." Diets High in Saturated Fat Increase Your Choline Requirement According to Masterjohn, while saturated fats are beneficial to health, they increase your choline requirement — and to a greater degree than unhealthy fats such as corn oil (about 30 percent greater) — so in the absence of sufficient choline, even these healthy fats can contribute to fatty liver. In a nutshell, choline is a necessary ingredient that helps minimize liver fat, no matter what the cause. While dietary fats can contribute to fatty liver if and when choline levels are low, the greatest culprit in NAFLD is excessive sugar, especially fructose, as all of it must be metabolized by your liver and is primarily converted into body fat opposed to being used for energy like glucose. According to Masterjohn: "In 1949 … researchers showed that sucrose and ethanol had equal potential to cause fatty liver and the resulting inflammatory damage, and that increases in dietary protein, extra methionine, and extra choline could all completely protect against this effect.25 Conversely, much more recent research has shown that sucrose is a requirement for the development of fatty liver disease in a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) model … The MCD model produces not only the accumulation of liver fat, but massive inflammation similar to the worst forms of fatty liver disease seen in humans. What no one ever mentions about this diet is that it is primarily composed of sucrose and its fat is composed entirely of corn oil! … The picture that is clearly emerging from all of these studies is that fat, or anything from which fat is made in the liver, such as fructose and ethanol, are required for the development of fatty liver. But in addition to this some factor — overwhelmingly, it appears to be choline deficiency — must deprive the liver of its ability to export that fat." More recent research26 has also discovered evidence of epigenetic mechanisms of choline, which also helps explain how choline helps maintain healthy liver function. Healthy Choline Sources In the '70s, many doctors told their patients not to eat eggs, or at least egg yolks, in order to minimize their cholesterol and saturated fat intake. In reality, both of those are good for you, and eggs are one of the most important health foods available. A single hard-boiled egg can contain anywhere from 113 milligrams27 (mg) to 147 mg28 of choline, or about 25 percent of your daily requirement, making it one of the best choline sources in the American diet.29 Only grass fed beef liver beats it, with 430 mg of choline per 100-gram serving.30 As noted in the Fatty Liver Diet Guide:31 "Eggs rank very high on the list of foods that are high in either lecithin, which converts to choline, or in choline itself. Note that this is the egg yolks only, not egg whites, which only have traces of this micronutrient. Choline is essential in the production of phosphatidylcholine, a fat molecule called a phospholipid. But wait! Isn't all fat bad? No — especially if it is essential to overall health and in particular, liver health. Simply put — if you don't have enough choline, your liver can't move out fat. It instead begins to collect within your liver, creating fatty liver." Other healthy choline sources include wild-caught Alaskan salmon,32 organic pastured chicken, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus (one-half cup contains about 31 mg, 24 mg and 23.5 mg of choline respectively), shiitake mushrooms and krill oil. One 2011 study33,34 found 69 choline-containing phospholipids in krill oil, including 60 phosphatidylcholine substances. Phophatidyl choline (PC) is one of the best sources of choline and although eggs have a fair amount, krill oil per volume is higher as about 40% of krill oil is PC. Only about 13% of PC is choline so two krill oil capsules will provide about 400 mg of PC but around 50 mg of choline. This is one of the reasons why I personally take about 10 krill oil capsules a day which provide about 500 mg of choline. Are You Getting Enough Choline to Protect Your Health? While a dietary reference intake value has not yet been established for choline, the Institute of Medicine set an "adequate daily intake" value of 425 mg per day for women, 550 mg for men35 and 250 mg for children36 to help prevent a deficiency and potential organ and muscle damage. Keep in mind, however, that requirements can vary widely, depending on your overall diet, age, ethnicity37 and genetic makeup. As noted in one paper,38 "People with one of several very common genetic polymorphisms in the genes of choline metabolism are more likely to develop hepatic dysfunction when deprived of choline." Also, as discussed above, eating a diet high in (otherwise healthy) saturated fats may actually increase your choline requirement. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, athletes and postmenopausal women also need higher amounts. If you already have NAFLD, you'd be wise to pay careful attention to choline as well. A study on the severity of 664 people with NAFLD found that decreased choline intake significantly increased their symptoms, including fibrosis (the thickening and scarring of connective tissue).39 The tolerable upper intake level for choline is 3.5 grams per day. Side effects of excessive choline include low blood pressure, sweating, diarrhea and a fishy body odor.40 As mentioned, eggs are a primary source of choline in the diet; with more than 100 mg of choline per egg yolk, they're an easy way to ensure sufficiency. That said, supplementation is an option if you're concerned about getting enough choline from your diet. 1 Ann Nutr Metab. 2012;61(3):254-258 2 Nutr Today. 2007; 42(4): 181–186 3 Science Daily January 4, 2018 4 WellWise 2013 5, 26, 38 Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2013 May; 16(3): 339–345 6 Geneticgenie.org October 21, 2013 7, 29 Nutr Rev. 2009 Nov; 67(11):615-23 8 Am J Epidemiol. 2004 July 15;160(2):102-9 9 Am J Epidemiol. 2013 June 15;177(12):1338-47 10 J Am Coll Nutr 2004 Dec.;23(6Suppl):621S-626S 11 Eur J Appli Physiol Occup Physiol. 1993:67(1):87-91 12 J Am Coll Nutr 200 Nov.-Dec.:19(6):768-70 13 J Hum Kinet. 2014 March 27;40:77-82 14 J Exp Med. 1954 Dec. 1:100(6):615-27 15 Am J. Clin Nutr 2010 Vov.;92(5):1113-9 16 Int J Mol Sci. 2012;13(11):15401-15419 17 Nutr Rev. 2009 Nov; 67(11): 615–623 18 J Inherit Metab Dis. 2011 Feb.:34(1):3-15 19 J Biol Chem. 2002 Nov. 1;277(44):42358-65 20 ARYA Atheroscler. 2011 Summer;7(2):78-86 21 FASEB J. 2008 June;22(6):2045-2052 22 Veterinary Journal 2008 Apr;176(1):10-20 23, 24 Chrismasterjohnphd.com November 23, 2010 25 British Medical Journal 1949 Nov 5; 2(4635): [1001]-1004-1, 1005-1006 27 Nutrition Data, Hardboiled egg 28 USDA Nutrient Database Hardboiled egg 30 USDA Database for Choline January 2008 31, 36 Fatty Liver Diet Guide 2012-2015 32 National Academy of Sciences 2016 33 Lipids. 2011 Jan; 46(1):25–36 34 Natural Products Insider October 6, 2010 35 Authority Nutrition 2012-2016 37 FASEB J. 2014 July;28(7):2970-8 39 Am J Clin Nutr 2012 April:95(4):892-900 40 Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline Previous Article How to Get Rid of Moles Safely and Naturally Next Article Anthocyanin: This Purple Pigment Fights Disease	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24241
__label__wiki	0.556165	0.556165	arturoblogito “Notes on a Journey to Ever-Dying Lands” article series CV Visual Arts CV Drawings Disegno Literary Publications C.V! C.V! C.V! More Drawings (Dibujos 2) Arab Rites of Spring Death of Nilüfer the drawing led to me being contacted for an interview meydan.tv/+jezos by exiled poet of Azerbaijan and dissident Gunel Movlud. The interview is in Turkish, the article is on the dissident media network of Azerbaijan) I was inspired to make the drawing after hearing of the Death of Nilüfer after I heard the story from a comrade in Azerbaijan who I interviewed, you can read the interview in English here on OpenDemocracy or here on Arseh Sevom (who might soon translate it into Farsi) AUGUST 27, 2012 · 2:43 PM \| EDIT Tunisia- Tunis without Eyes Tunis, Tunisia March 19 2012 -Tunis without Eyes. On the street down from Port de France, round the corner of dirty stinking Rue Mobarak in Tunis knelt a man with no eyes in his head, skin sucked in and sealed at the back of his sockets like the hollows of an emptied dozen-box of eggs. He wore a dust-caked suit that maybe some European nuns had struggled to put over him. It was day, dusty, the cold of spring in Tunis and when I saw him I realized it was not true what Tunisians meant when they said moyen, tout est moyen ici, ‘all misery is moderate here’. This man was without eyes on his knees, three empty mouths in his head and seemed someone had once scooped out his sight. I could not keep my Dinar piece, so I bent to put it on the patch of cardboard on which he sat. That instant he decided to move and stretch his legs, as he rose and lifted the cardboard divan my coin slid down unnoticed by him to the sidewalk. Monsieur, I said. He mumbled in Arabic dusting off his mat of cardboard, I retrieved the coin. Monsieur! I said again and tried to put the dinar in his hand, but he swung his hand speaking in Arabic, as if I was a nun trying to pick his lice again tell him about St Lucia Monsieur! I now tried to drop the silvery coin with emblems of liberty and fruit harvest in his begging bowl, but missed again as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit on the mat with the English “down side up” (maybe it was a Mauritanian import) and symbol of a wine glass, an umbrella of bad luck. People walked by, sets of male and female many-scented behinds in tight violet and blue pants. (Noise-shuffle of footwork as if a ritual mating dance was required before I could inseminate the center of his old tumor-hand with a cold Dinar-nickel depicting in faded metal relief the figure of a girl bring Spring bounty to the risen nation.) He found his spot and settled, finally I placed the coin in his smoothed callused open palm; his palm shone as if he could now see through the silvery retina I had landed successfully in it. Something had made it impossible for me to complete the transaction and give him the charity without our touching. His blindness, his having two holes in his head, carved by a war criminal or a cruel castrating ogre-Odysseus, at least forcefully ensured physical contact, bending the knees of self-flattering alms throwers. When my imagined Mother Teresa glow wore off I wondered if anyone had once tried to place shining coins in each hollow of his eyes. Maybe that was the problem—when he died, in a suburb of Athens or Crete his loved ones did not care to place coins over his eyes as they haphazardly cremated him on cheap hay by the river while they smoked and spat, gossiping provincial in the midst of river-side burial. So when he was to go to the Netherworld, he did not get far until animals of the netherworld ate his uninsured eyes and he ended up in Tunis, in the city of cold dry gray and dust on trade. Tunis where the tough-lunged brokers who were well-fed and moneyed from their struggles and government favors competed for the limited air. He sat since then howling on his knees, death without eyes, waiting for the sunbarge to the Western lands of gold wheat and peace where he could rest amidst the flowers they call Sisters of Noamen. Note from Tunis, Tunisia March 19 2012 Tunis without eyes by Arturo Desimone is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at arturoblogito.wordpress.com. above portrait of an Argentinean orientalist I met in Tunis ( the essay below was first published on Unlikely Stories : Episode IV Interdependency Issue in 2012.http://www.unlikelystories.org/12/desimone1112.shtml ) The Arab Spring, named by non-Arabs after the anti-soviet offshoots of perestroika in formerly Russian-colonized Eastern Europe, as a construct of the Western imagination is in itself an Orientalist fantasy. The Egyptian artist Hala Elkoussy, in her mosaic “Room of the Myths and Legends” exhibited in the Carthage museum of Tunis, is right to adorn her tapestry-circus of demonstrators and missing children haunted by the spectres of the military state with images of the cheapest kind of internalized Orientalist spectacles, magicians making people levitate, swamis hanging upside down, the cobras and hypnotists— Why would Arab revolutions be celebrated as poche causes in Western Europe and the United States by those who before would not hesitate to stereotype the former peoples as submissive fanatics, as people who blamed Israel and the West for their problems and only took action when a mediocre Danish cartoonist drew Mohammed (albeit this depiction of the Quranic illiterate prophet had him wearing an explosive bomb-turban) Why would the former racists, the former patriots who saw their national martyrologies in the execution of Theo Van Gogh and in the fall of the September 11 towers, suddenly rush to celebrate the causes of Libya, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt, countries they knew nothing about? Why did Isrealis take to the streets as well, calling their demonstrations a revolution, inspired by the Arab revolution, to protest housing and employment crises in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—an Israeli revolution inspired by Arab revolts where there was very little mention of any kind of solidarity with the desire of Palestinian Arab population to not live under sustained occupation, there were important and pressing oppressions to take stances against such as the housing market in Jerusalem, no mention of house demolitions by the Israeli army—this is not entirely fair, one motivation of the outpourings in Israel was the Israeli Labor-lefts indignation towards the religious right and settler movement, though it seems Israeli concern with settler’s aggression and power-politics is primarily the fear of the religious neo-Judaism taking over and compromising Israel’s Secular-Zionist character, out of moral imperative the Israelis’ main concern has to be none other than the integrity of the Jewish state and the suffering of Palestinians at the hands of the non-religious or secular Zionists is a humanitarian side issue. “Arab Spring,” the revolts in Arab countries against their dictators and oligarchs, reinterpreted and reconstituted in the commercial imaginary of Europe and America’s media is by no means a revolution of Arabs against clear enemies who are external to them, there is no mention in the historic coverage of how Ben Ali’s was a US and French client state, how Mobarak was an Arab-facade regime for the United States and an ally of Israel which earned him, perhaps sadly, more hatred from his people than all his police state crimes against Egyptians who were abducted and tortured in junta-fashion for decades. Elites in Europe-America adhering to a capitalist and business-oriented way of life could never support a revolution of any kind if they noticed this revolution opposed more than an image or a symbol, that is was against existing power relations, not only cultural but also economic and concerning international and beyond-national political hierarchies that transcended the meridian-like painted borders of cultures and clashing civilizations drawn by right wing Ivy League intellectuals serving as their states and corporations’ propagandists. The word revolution was archaic and politically incorrect, irrational and quixotic only until January 2011. The Arab Spring was a revolution, by Western perceptions, of Arabs against themselves, Arabs against their inherent Arabness. Their sympathizers in powerful economic societies who witnessed their struggles in their media and then celebrated their domestic imitations of the quasi-religious and esoteric occupy movements (occupy is covered now daily in Tikkun Magazine of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, and has self-appointed Hegelian prophets who act as its representatives such as the apocalyptic and at times apparently histrionic Zeitgeist movement) did not see a movement of Arabs who were acting in accordance to their own, natural and civilizationally inherent morality, reason, emotion. The Arabs were acting on feelings and intellectual motivations, and a rationality and masculinity that were all in fact essentially alien to themselves, to their socieites, history and cultural, the Arabs had become alien from what is commonly argued or held to be Arab, they had not overthrown brutal dictators and drugdealers who had imprisoned their Arab philosophers and poets, they could not biologically or culturally be outraged at the police state records of disappearances, abductions of dissidents, organized robbery. Outside the Arab world those who accepted the neoliberal status quo had long believed the old European colonial slogans about Africa and the Orient, which continued and still lives to this day in the vocal-chords of Israeli politicians justifying onslaughts on Gaza, “The Arabs only understand the language of the use of Force.” The West was celebrating not a successful chain of historic Arab uprisings within the long centuries old history of Arab uprisings, their jubilee was at The Arab Epiphany, they got it, they understood a language that was not of brute force or sluggish conformity to domination, unthinking, irrational. They had instead awakened to a force utterly foreign to them, propelling them in a Gandhian, pacifistic war against Arabness. Islam Inc. The enthusiasm has quelled for the Arab Spring and re-shifted to other grids of humanitarian logic. The current fashions are concern by humanitarians on how to adopt the Syrian revolution by way of NGOs and microfinancing, or focussing criticism on the admittedly Neo-Stalinist regime of Putin’s Russia for continuing its client state support of Bashar Assad as massacres continue—though well intentioned they conveniently have been led to ignore the US and British support of identical massacres in Bahrain. It has shifted to the hysteropias of the occupy movements and Zeitgeist movements, inspired originally by Arab Spring. Perhaps the Western support will continue in the form of humane support of the Ennahda Moderate Islamist party, which sells itself to the Orientalists claiming it is a new kind of Islamism, inspired by European Christian-Democrat parties, violently pro-business and ultra-liberal in its financial and labor policies, pacifistic as violent Islamic revolution does not work, earning support from France, the United States and the Emiratis and Qatar, Islam and Islamism in this century has become capitalistic and about investment, enterprise, jobs, favoring those who want to be managers and against the arts and higher culture. The Europeans and Americans will likely now give their solidarity to this campaign of Islam Inc which as well takes responsibility for the history of shameful Arabness, even while these body-politics will estrange and suppress some of the secular voices who were integral to this Arab revolution, one of the many Arab revolutions in a century and like all one that was betrayed and corrupted. Arab Demeter A few nights ago on the Tunisian radio, a scholar was interviewed on the subject of the Pre-Islamic Mecca and its nexus of odd cults. This pre-Islamic Mecca, as a center of idolaters, cults and forbidden thought is traditionally vilified in the Islamic tradition as jallihiya, ‘the barbarism’, or ‘the savagery’ and primitive fetishism which was dispensed of and prohibited by Mohammed in his Islamic political campaigns of violent emancipation and education out of these pre-Islamic dark ages. The Tunisian scholar described findings and observations on how the Arabs like much of the Meditterrenean of antiquity had a strikingly similar mythology to that of ancient Greece. The mythological systems of the ancient Mediterranean were a complex case of parallel lines of development, along with plagiarisms from one another, and the monotheistic Bible emerged out of this world, influenced by it as an artist is influenced by his forerunners. (There was some euphoria in listening to this inspired, wine-drinking Tunisian scholar on the car radio as my Tunisian girlfriend drove past such sites as the new Islamic bank, opened in 2003 by Ben Ali’s RCD, or the RCD mosque mosque by Ben Ali–the one jemma whose calls to prayers go unheard by the Islamist voters, which now no one attends in Tunisia.) Some Mecca Arabs may have been cultic hellenizers, meaning Arab tribes directly included among their gods and idols those of Greece, Demeter, Apollo, Dionysus. The keeping of Greek idols probably went further, in terms of influences of Hellenicist literary thought–pre-socratic greek thought–impacting these Arab cultures. Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi regime forbids any excavations by archeologists within the Arabian peninsula where the Arab people emigrated to the rest of the Mediterranean. This concerns excavations of ancient pagan sites as well as the anti-literate Saud’s prohibition of access to sites for archeologists who were banned after they found older Korans of Late Antiquity shortly after the final divisions of Shia and Sunni. These Korans had texts with different content than the present-day Koran currently accepted as the standard undiluted word from Arcangel Jibrail’s mouth to Mohammed’s dreaming ear in the cave. It is important to mention one of many possible dimensions to the complexity of Arab heritage and civilization that bears little direct relation to Islam or Islamism. Nationalist and humanist cults of antiquity and modernist Renaissance would not necessarily be an improvement on Islamist idealization of medieval achievements. Both these tendencies are nationalisms that aim to reconnect with sensations of blood and soil—though presenting themselves as one or other rational sobriety and morality they are really neo-paganisms, new kinds of mystical cults against reason, political militant gatherings in the tombs and necropolis. Still, this man’s findings point to the complexity of Arabness. At this time Tunisians of the middle classes are arguing in the media whether their identity is theologically Islamic or closer to Europe, an insane set of illusory alternatives according to some dissidents and intellectuals who participated in the 2011 uprisings. The Arab Rites of Spring were celebrated as a revolution against the retrograde confines of the Arab soul as understood by the common Western orientalist, only to be replaced by the worst representatives of internalized orientalism: the pro-investment-banking Islamists who feel that a historically idealized Caliphate, static, immune to history and totalitarian is a defense against the residue of past colonization. Yet during the revolution some artists made signs and propaganda posters with such perhaps too-sentimentally-romantic slogans as “RCD deja, Dionysos Reviens” RCD, (Ben Ali’s and Bourguiba’s one party) Fuck off, Dionysos return to us” In this time it is perhaps necessary to unearth and seek an Arab Demeter, or to go more deeply to the roots and origins of goddesses, to an Arab Artemis, an Arab Aphrodite. Tunis, Tunisia, March 2012 Arab Rites of Spring by Arturo Desimone is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.unlikelystories.org/12/desimone1112.shtml. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.unlikelystories.org/12/desimone1112.shtml. Pictures: young man in Regueb on a mountain, near Sidi Bouzid Girl with a child on her pack from the facebook page of the revolutionary activist Arroi Very arousing poems by Afghan women–I have so far skipped over the explanatory texts by the researcher: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/media/landays.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=general_marketing Today read this lovely poem in ShotGlass Journal: http://www.musepiepress.com/shotglass/aftab_yusuf_shaikh1.html Saturday quandary I am wondering if it is not rather self-destructive and stupid to submit a novel excerpt to an online literary journal, so that an important link in the wider story-system is disclosed, floating in the internet fluxus, for free, a self-denunciation with bowed head, a millionaire cock-trumpet erection ringing shame on the morning floor of the New York Stock Exchange to be cancelled under a wave of empty ambition; wind-rippled, tattered flag of patriots who ate the dirt of their own prized land and dreamt to a childish death in their fat sleep. Review of Omar Pimienta’s Album of Fences in South Florida Poetry Journal publication of Ouafa and Thawra (book of poems, drawings and an essay) reprint of short story The Conversation of Angels censorship-essay in Africanah contemporary art magazine Book Review: Poems of the Mare Nostrum / Costa Nostra Drawings/Dessins/Dibujos/Disegno/Visual Art haiku from Nowa Huta by Arturo Desimone is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. arturoblogito · This is my wordpress blog for Argentinean-Arubian writer and visual artist Arturo Desimone,	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24242
__label__cc	0.71031	0.28969	2,319 words Admittedly I have been absent from this space for a while now, This of course doesn't mean that I have stopped reading. I am still going strong with my reading lists and 2019 challenge with 45 books under my belt. But there has been some distractions, namely in form of my renewed interest for Nintendo video games. I have spent so many hours in the past months on old and new Nintendo video games as well as traveling more than usual. In my deference I did read 5 books on video gaming industry...so there's that! I do have some observations on things I have observed, learned and liked from my indulgence in the industry and the world of video gaming. That is a post for near future though, I promise! More later.... Today I want to talk about the Threshold Series by Peter Clines. This has three books todate v.i.z. 14, The Fold , and Dead Moon. Clines has built not only an amazing universe in the first two books but also created a set of very likeable and relatable characters in these 2 books. Without giving away any plot spoilers 14 can be best described as a weird mystery, to the likes of thebTV series Lost while The Fold is a solid sci-fi story with interdimenstional travels et al. In short both the books are very great reads. Its the third books in the series, that landed last week, Dead Moon that spolis the good taste. I was pumped about the universe Clines built since book one and have spent almost 2 years waiting for the third book to land in anticipation of another great story. As intrguing and captivating the story and characters in the first two books are, the third one unfortunatley falls flat on the build up. Honestly if Peter Clines had failed to mention that this is the third in the series, there would be no way or inklings that linked this book to the bigger universe, Better so, the interim book he wrote between The Fold and Dead Moon (called Paradox Bound) actually dropped some easter eggs to the threashold universe that better qualifies it to be the part of this series than his latest official entry. Maybe there is a hope that it will somehow tie-in a better way in the coming installments. This however is no reason at all to skip the first two books of the series. I strongly stand by those two books and can say its one of the best books I have ever read. There are a lot, but these would definetely be in the list. I recently finished reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Cerreyrou. The book details the inner workings of the (once a unicorn) startup Theranos and how the its founder Elizabeth Holmes tried to dream, build and eventually brought a disgraceful end to Therenos. Holmes, along with her #2 Sunny Balwani created an elaborate smoke and mirrors dream, misleading the investors and business partners as well as playing with the health of actual patients! The book also exposes the caustic culture within Theranos that was cultivated by Holmes and Balwani, focused on the doctrine of Holmes and her impractical beliefs! Holmes, with her evangilcal views on changing the health care industry her own way, fueled by the shrewd, thin-skinned, and overbearing Balwani, together created one of the biggest vaporware in the health-tech industry and did not stopped before taking it to actual people. John Cerreyrou does an excelllent job with exhaustivly detailing all the aspects of the story. The book gripped me from the begining and kept me wanting more and more. Apart from a well constructed narrative, John remians very objective theoughout. This is one of the few books that can be used as a case study for what not to do in corporate governance! John's investigative peice on Theranos in Octorber 2015 in WSJ caused the first dominoe to fall for Theranos! After completing the book I was compelled to go back and read all his reporting on this from October 2015 all the way to Spetember 2018, by which Therenos was completly dissolved with Holmes and Balwani were under federal investigations. This is a facinating read and I would highly reccomend! Easily in one of the top 5 new books I read this year. To set the context, I like reading horror novels and its not because they scare me. On the contrary, horror stories usually do not scare me. There are very few horror novels where I have genuinely felt scared. Stephen King's The Shinning is one such books where it got me at some parts. There are some wildly acclaimed scary books, to the likes of Salem's Lot (King) or The Woman in Black (Susan Hill) or The Heart Shaped Box (Joe Hill) et al, where I was promised a good scare and it didn't! I also do not usually like post apocalyptic stories plainly due to the the fact that most are left open ended (which I call as lazy landings). Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy was a huge disappointment for me for the same reason even after people vouching for it over reddit! This bring me to Josh Malerman's Bird Box. It is a horror novel set in a post apocalyptic world! I heard a lot of praise for the book and now Netflix is releasing a live action adaptation in December, so I reluctantly picked it up over the Thanksgiving break and started listening. I was instantly hooked! It is a well crafted, stunningly portrayed and eerily written book. I have a habit of listening to my book at wee hours of the night with lights off. This is perhaps the second book ever, where I stopped listening at a point, scared! Malerman creates amazing handful of characters and peels the story in layers like an onion. It is a short read (< 9 hrs at 1X speed) but very very effective! Also it has some parallels to this year's hit A Quite Place. Set around two vastly different setups , a claustrophobic house with 5 people, and navigating wild without sight, the author excels in creating panic and paranoia that anyone reading can relate to! If you are looking for a good story with genuine scares and gut wrenching moments, Bird Box is the book to pick up! btw, I do not watch horror movies because I hate jump scares!! Mikasa Ackerman (from Attack on Titan) Black Widow (from MCU) The Wasp (from MCU) Lara Croft (from the 2013 rebooted video game universe) Ginny Potter (from the books) Frances Neagley (from Jack Reacher books) Trinity (from Matrix) Ilsa Faust (from Mission Impossible) Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Edge of Tomorrow) Rita Vrataski (All you need is Kill) So I finally finished reading the third (and the last book) in the Crazy Rich Asians series over the weekend. There are three books in the series viz. Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems. These books are written by Kevin Kwan, with the movie adaption of the first one, took America on a cultural storm making it one of the top box office grossers this summer. While the movie markets the story as a romantic comedy, the books (all three of them) are far from it. At the core of it, the story is a family drama. Kwan has managed to create characters with textbook superficial traits as well as tinge of heart! I picked up the first book, after the twitter uproar the movie created in the last days before its release, and was instantly hooked. The story is very daytime soap like but with brilliantly created characters. I am not sure how much it echoes the actual ultra elite society of super rich Asians of Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China and the Malays, but the story is very compelling! What I loved the most of the books was that each book has its own set of central characters which differ in each book. There are off course some central storylines that progress throughout the books but Kwan manages to create different intrigue in each books. I loved the last book the most in the series as it brings the stories and characters to a more realistic conclusions rather than doing any fan service. These books might not for everyone, but then which book is?? Although, anyone looking for a fun, light and soap opera-esque drama, this is a great series to pick. I don't know about others but reading these books tickled my noodle-loving palate and made me hungry! I know that's weird but I am known to mix food and leisure! If you are a fan of mystery/crime books, I would highly reccomend you books in the Agent Pendergast series. These are very skillfully written by the duo of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston. Special Agent Aloysius Xingu Leng Pendergast is the modern day take on Sherlock Holmes. while he works for FBI, has very intersting background and almost always takes up grusome murder mysteries. There are clear inspirations drawn from Sir Conan Doyle's Holmes universe with a strong loyal sidekick, mysterious women, sibling rivarly and a Moriarty-esque arc nemisis. The first two books in the series Relic and Reliquery features Pendergast as not the main character, but Preston & Lee soon discovered that they have created a very complex and superbly interesting character with Pendergast to have its own series. The only caveat is that the first couple of books needs to be read in that order atleast as it sets up all the important characters in the Pendergast universe with back stories that keeps on evolving throughout. I ploughed through 6 books so far this year and loved every single one of them! Today is National Voter Registration Day! While I do not follow the fad of everyday is national something day, I feel any day that explicitly calls out people to exercise their fundamental right as the citizen of their country, is worth mentioning. And in today's political climate of polarized viewpoints, where often Idealogy trumps concience and humanity, making your voice count in a democratic system is the least you can do! If you are in the United States, today is more important than anyother as the midterm elections are right around the corner. Be a part of the referendum, do the needful, head over to headcount.org and get registered today! Since 2017 I have been participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I pledged for 40 books last year and finished 2017 with 43 books and am currently at 45 books (and going strong). Am I selling myself short? I am also trying to incorporate the notion of digital wellbeing to my life and reading, via listining to audiobooks, is extreamly theraputic in that sense. Its not only something that I enjoy a lot but also keeps me off news cycles these days (that has a tendency to often put me in a downward spiral of more and more screentime! ). So...what are you reading these days??	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24244
__label__wiki	0.816898	0.816898	Accreditation and Performance Evidence-Based Public Health Health in All Policies Clinical to Community Connections Insular Areas State Health Policy Policy and Position Statements Profile of State and Territorial Public Health State-Local Health Workforce Development and Research About ASTHO Member Services ASTHO Leadership Institute Directory of State and Territorial Health Officials My.ASTHO - Member Collaboration and Discussion Platform Getting to Work: ASTHO’s Federal Policy Priorities in 2020 Beyond Opioids: Tobacco and Other Substance Use Among Pregnant Women State Health Policy Issues to Watch in 2020 Top Nine Public Health Highlights of 2019 Reflecting and Looking Ahead: Federal Health Policy in 2019 and Beyond States Seek to Increase HPV Vaccine Coverage Through School Immunization Requirements December 04, 2019\|2:53 p.m.\| ASTHO Staff Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common virus that can lead to certain types of cancer later in life. The virus is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact and can be transmitted by having sex with someone who has HPV. Almost 80 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and about 14 million become infected each year. While 90 percent of HPV infections go away within a couple of years, they sometimes last longer and can cause 6 types of cancer. Each year, approximately 20,700 cancer cases in women and 14,100 cancer cases in men are caused by HPV. In 2006, the FDA approved a vaccine to prevent HPV infection. The CDC currently recommends that all children at ages 11-12 receive the HPV vaccine and that anyone through the age of 26 who is not vaccinated also be vaccinated. Giving the vaccine at an early age can protect a person long before he or she is ever exposed to the virus. Nathaniel Smith, MD, secretary of health for the Arkansas Department of Health and ASTHO president, spoke last year about the importance of the HPV vaccine as a cancer prevention tool. Smith also highlighted the importance of coalition building, partnering with healthcare systems, and addressing rural provider needs as ways of improving HPV vaccine coverage. Some policymakers are also working to include the HPV vaccine in school entry immunization requirements to boost vaccination rates. Three states and the District of Columbia have added the HPV vaccine to their school vaccination requirements, with Virginia leading the pack. Virginia requires all female students entering sixth grade to receive the vaccine. A parent or guardian may choose to not vaccinate their child against HPV but only after reviewing informational materials about HPV and the vaccine. The District of Columbia also requires female students who are entering the sixth grade to receive the HPV vaccine. In Rhode Island, all students entering seventh grade must show they have received the HPV vaccine and in Hawaii new rules adopted earlier this year added HPV vaccine as a requirement for all students entering the seventh grade. During the 2019 legislative year, several other states considered bills to require the HPV vaccine before school attendance. While none of these bills became law, they do show the various ways legislatures continue to deliberate the issue. Florida (HB 245 and SB 356) and Massachusetts (S 1264) introduced bills that would add HPV to the list of diseases students are required to be vaccinated against before attending school. A bill in Illinois (SB 1659) directed the state health agency to adopt rules requiring children entering sixth grade to receive the HPV vaccine and a bill in New Jersey (A 1847) required children enrolling in grades six through twelve to have the vaccine. In New York, companion bills (A 2912 and S 298) were introduced to require children entering the seventh grade to receive the HPV vaccine and in Connecticut there was a bill (HB 7199) setting the vaccine requirement for ninth grade. In addition to school immunization requirements, states are also seeking to improve HPV vaccine coverage by expanding the pharmacist scope of practice to administer the vaccine. For example, earlier this year North Carolina added the HPV vaccine to the list of vaccinations a pharmacist may administer to anyone over the age of 18 (HB 388). In 2017, Hawaii enacted a law (SB 514) allowing trained pharmacists to prescribe and administer the vaccine to anyone between the ages of 11-17. Other examples of state efforts to improve HPV vaccine coverage, such as requiring health insurance to cover the vaccine, and informing families about HPV and the vaccine, can be found at NCSL’s HPV Vaccine: State Legislation and Statutes page. The HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way of preventing HPV-related cancers later in life. Increasing HPV vaccine coverage rates and increasing access to the vaccine by informing the public and expanding the providers authorized to administer the vaccine often requires legislative and regulatory action. State and territorial health agencies are well positioned to utilize their expertise and partnerships to educate policymakers and pursue appropriate policies that will increase vaccine coverage. ASTHO will continue to monitor legislative activity and trends on this important public health issue. @ASTHO on Twitter Tweets by @ASTHO © 2020 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Privacy Copyright HIV/AIDS Content Notice	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24251
__label__cc	0.513594	0.486406	What Will The August 21 Total Eclipse Look Like From Space? Posted on July 23, 2017 July 23, 2017 / astrobob / Moon / This amazing image was one of the last ever taken from the Mir space station and shows the shadow of the moon darkening Earth during the August 11, 1999 total eclipse. Copyright: CNES It’s now less than a month before the August 21 total solar eclipse. Many of us have booked rooms or campsites and will drive hundreds of miles to reach the path of totality, where the moon will cover 100% of the sun. On a map, it looks like a black ribbon just 73 miles wide but stretching almost 2,500 miles from Oregon to South Carolina. For a few minutes at midday, daylight will fade and be replaced with a hybrid twilight that resembles a bright, full-moon night but with a deep blue sky and brighter pastel pinks in the distance above the horizon. I bet you can hardly wait to get under the moon’s shadow. Looking back toward Earth from the moon in this illustration, you can see the moon’s umbral shadow crossing the U.S. as the Earth rotates. The outer shadow, called the penumbra, is where the eclipse is partial. Credit: NASA If you’ve picked a site out in the wide-open spaces with a 360° view, you’ll not only sense the eclipse shadow’s enormity but also its boundaries. If there are landmarks beyond the path of totality, a mountain for instance, some sun still shines there, and you’ll easily see this from where you’re standing. The moon’s shadow is shaped like a long, tapering cone that extends some 235,000 miles to the ground during a total eclipse. That’s a few thousand miles less than the average distance of the moon to the Earth, but it makes sense when you remember that the moon has to be closer to the Earth than average for its shadow to touch. This time-lapse was compiled from true color photos taken by the Japanese weather satellite, Himawari-8, during the March 9, 2016 total solar eclipse. It shows the moon’s shadow sweeping over Indonesia. Throughout the eclipse, the moon is moving along its orbit at some 2,280 mph (1.02 km/sec), so the shadow it casts moves rapidly along the ground though more slowly than its orbital speed because the Earth’s rotation keeps trying to play catch-up. Our planet rotates in the same easterly direction as the moon orbits at a rate that varies by latitude, fastest at the equator and slowest at the poles. At 40° north latitude (central U.S.), Earth spins at 795 mph (1,279 km/hr), so if we subtract 795 from 2,280, we get 1,485 mph (2,390 km/hr). That’s how fast the shadow will be traveling at that latitude. Another perspective from space showing the moon’s umbral and penumbral shadows cast on Earth during a total solar eclipse. By a fortunate coincidence, the moon’s about 400 times smaller than the sun and also 400 times farther away, so the two are nearly match in apparent size. That’s why the moon fits so neatly over the sun during an eclipse. Credit: NASA We all know that Earth’s a sphere. Not a perfect one but close enough. When the moon’s shadow first encounters the planet, it does so at such an oblique angle, that it moves much faster across the ground. The shadow gradually slows as it “climbs uphill” across the Earth’s curvature and then hurries away on the other side of the “hill” when it departs the Earth for outer space. When the shadow first touches Oregon, it will be traveling at 2,240 mph (3,600 kph), then will gradually slow down as it climbs over the Earth’s curve, reaching its slowest speed in Tennessee at 1,323 mph before accelerating to 1,354 mph as it departs South Carolina. The moon’s umbral shadow crosses 2,496 miles (4,017 km) of the U.S. in just 90.7 minutes at an average speed of 1,651 mph (2,657 km/hr). Combine this with the fact that the moon only barely covers the sun during totality, and you can understand why the total phase of an eclipse doesn’t last long. That’s why some people book special flights in fast-flying, eastbound planes to extend totality from just a few minutes to dozens! The moon’s shadow on Earth snapped by one of the GOES satellites on March 29, 2006. Credit: NASA Photos taken from spacecraft not only show the dark, umbral core of the moon’s shadow but also part of the penumbra, where the shadow gradually becomes less opaque until it blends fuzzily into the sunlit Earth-scape. The penumbral shadow isn’t as dark as the umbral because sunlight spills into it, the more sunlight the further you get from the path of totality. That’s why it gradually gets lighter as you move from the center to the edge. In other words, the penumbra defines where the eclipse is partial. Left: The shadow of my camera on a piece of white posterboard taken with the sun at my back. Right: The camera’s shadow again but this time with Venus at my back. The Venus photo looks gritty because of the long time exposure in low light. Because Venus is a point source, its shadow appears sharp — no light “leaking” around the edges. Credit: Bob King And why the fuzzy edge? For same reason a tree casts a fuzzy shadow. The sun is a disk, not a point of light. Light from one side of the sun can reach areas that are shadowed from the light of the other side of the sun and vice versa. A little sunlight spills into one side of the shadow and the other, lightening and softening its border. Only a point source like Venus can create a sharp shadow. Map showing the path of the the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse path. Anyone within the dark band will get to see a total eclipse. Observers outside of the band will witness a partial solar eclipse. Credit: Fred Espenak (NASA’s GSFC), MrEclipse.com, Google Maps Since the August eclipse has everything to do with shadows it seems fitting to spend a little time exploring them. Seeing the shadow play from space will help us better understand what to expect on the ground. Space Station Makes July Dusk Debut Hook Mercury With The Crescent Moon Tonight I heard that we are supposed to have 15 days of darkness in November is this true??? astrobob This will not happen. The sun would have to shut off and then restart, which is quite impossible. Or one of the worst volcanoes in history would have to blow. Nothing like this is expected. You can happily go about your life without this worry. Shine Your Little Light, ISS Seeing The Starlink Satellites — Let’s Try This Again Throw Canis Minor A Bone For Goodness Sake Commented On Dec 29, 2019 Bob, Now wouldn't that be nice! bkellysky Sorry about the snowstorm. Thanks for the heads up about this view! In the meantime... Hey, Bob, that turned out well. Close to vertical. A much better view than from here un... Hi, Bob, I caught the semicolon tonight through a thick deck of high clouds. I'm just ... ABC's of Distances Algol minima calculator App — Star Chart for Android / Free App — Star Chart for iPhone / Free Asteroid impact simulator Atmospheric optics – halos, rainbows and sundogs August 21 Total Solar Eclipse Compilation and Guide Aurora active now? Check the Kp index Aurora active? Check the Bz / Real-time solar wind Aurora app for Android Aurora app for iPhone Aurora e-mail forecasts / Subcribe Aurora – How to listen to it Auroral oval — 30-minute forecast Black holes FAQ Christopher Go's Jupiter site Clear Sky Clock – anywhere Clear Sky Clock – Duluth, MN area Comets weekly update Fireball reports Heavens Above — see the space station ISS Detector for Android ISS Spotter for iPhone JPL-HORIZONS — locate anything celestial Jupiter's Great Red Spot visibility times Jupiter's moons – where are they tonight? Light Pollution mitigation — LED lighting guide Light pollution — Find dark-sky friendly lighting Light pollution — How increased street lighting affects accident and crime rates Light pollution — How to become an International Dark-sky Community Light pollution — How to create a lighting ordinance for your town Light Pollution — Lite-Blocker shields for existing lights Mars Curiosity Rover Mars Opportunity Rover blog Moon Atlas – free software Moon atlases – mother lode Moon Globe for iPhone Moonrise, moonset, sunrise, sunset for anywhere Official U.S. time Report a fireball Rosetta blog – latest on Comet 67P/C-G Space weather forecast Star Chart app for Android Star Chart app for iPhone Stellarium – free sky charting software The Nine Planets – A tour of the solar system The Ultimate Almanac of 21st century sky events © Copyright 2020 Astro Bob \| AreaVoices	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24252
__label__wiki	0.848247	0.848247	The inventor of Atomic Layer Deposition receives the Millennium Technology Prize 2018 The Millennium Technology Prize is a Finnish one-million-euro award awarded by Technology Academy Finland every second year in honour of a pioneering technological innovation that improves people’s quality of life and promotes sustainable development. The President of the Republic of Finland Mr Sauli Niinistö presented the eighth Millennium Technology Prize in Helsinki yesterday to Dr Tuomo Suntola, the inventor of Atomic Layer Deposition. Two themes were mentioned repeatedly in the discussions yesterday during the Millennium Technology Prize ceremony in Helsinki: Invisible technology and persistence. ALD – The invisible advantage Everybody at yesterday’s award ceremony seemed to agree that Technology Academy Finland made a great choice by lifting to the limelight a hidden innovation that has improved our lives in so many ways. ALD applications are everywhere around us but very few people know about them. Many people at the Award Gala were surprised to hear for the first time about a technology that has so many everyday applications. As Academy Professor Päivi Törmä, Chair of the Millennium Technology Prize Selection Committee, put it: “The ALD method is a textbook example of a technology that is hidden from users but is nevertheless vital for visible development. ALD has also made the ownership of information technology more democratic, thereby contributing to the wider access to information and communication.” Dr Tuomo Suntola receives The Millennium Technology Prize from the President of the Republic of Finland Mr Sauli Niinistö. A 50-year journey from theory to industrial production The winner, Dr Tuomo Suntola, invented Atomic Layer Deposition, or Atomic Layer Epitaxy as it was first called, on the 1970’s. The first application was electroluminescence, and the plan was to create a totally new kind of durable display. In the following ten or so years, the idea was taken from research labs to production. The knowledge of Mr Suntola and many others and many more innovations were required before the production could start. The first industrial ALD equipment had to be built, production planned, processes refined. The first products and supporting electronics had to be designed. The production of the electroluminescent displays, the first industrial ALD products in the world, started in the middle of the 1980’s in the premises that are today the Beneq factory. This is why we call our factory the Home of ALD. The latest generation of the same EL displays are still being built in the same place, since 2012 under Beneq’s Lumineq display brand. From a Finnish innovation to a global technology Tuomo Suntola saw also other application areas for Atomic Layer Deposition already in the early days, and for years he tried selling the idea to large international companies without success. It took a couple of decades before ALD was adopted by the semiconductor manufacturers. The technology began spreading in the electronics industry worldwide in the early 2000s. After that, there has been no stopping of the expansion of the ALD technology. Today, almost 50 years after the invention of Tuomo Suntola, we have only seen the beginning of industrial ALD. Not a day goes by in the world of Atomic Layer Deposition without a new ALD recipe, process invention or coating improvement. New ALD application areas pop up all the time. The latest hot areas have been OLED encapsulation, safety and durability of Li-Ion batteries, anti-corrosion barriers for electronics components and wafer-based ALD applications in the so called More than Moore markets, such as MEMS, RF and power semiconductor components. TAF, Technology Academy Finland, has also made an excellent video about Dr Suntola, his invention and the benefits of ALD, which we think everybody should watch. The ALD community congratulates Dr Suntola! Dr Tuomo Suntola in the award ceremony with the Millennium Technology Prize 2018. What a great story of how ground-breaking research turns into viable industrial products enabling everyday life improvement! It may take some, but with a vision of dedicated people and persistent execution you will eventually get there. We are proud to be part of the story. The future growth of Beneq is built on a great legacy. Beneq congratulates Dr Suntola for the Millennium Technology Prize and thanks for his pioneering work on behalf of the whole ALD community. The story of Beneq and ALD How ALD works The 2018 Millennium Technology Prize video The Technology Academy Finland news release 7 May 2019 News	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24259
__label__wiki	0.650473	0.650473	“Shanghai”… The China syndrome The “most progressive state in the country” has embarked on an ambitious redevelopment project that hints at the title of Dibakar Banerjee’s new film, Shanghai. It’s called International Business Park, and the acronym is reconfigured – on stage, during a celebratory dance performance by an “imported kamariya” (no lowly desi dancers, after all, will behoove these aspirations) – as India Bana Pardes. Naturally, there is a spoilsport, an activist named Dr. Ahmadi (Prosenjit Chatterjee), who urges the people being relocated (you might say dislocated) to hold on to their lands and not sign any papers. He will soon be assassinated, and this event will set in motion a lengthy, dry procedural that’s also a depiction of a pulsating microcosm of India, situated around a metaphorically named Bharat Nagar. Manmohan Desai, in Desh Premee, reached for a similar metaphor when he set his story in a Bharat Nagar – but had someone like Dr. Ahmadi existed in that film (made in the cinematic climate of those times), he’d have been a saint. Here, he’s something of a sinner. In an early scene, as Dr. Ahmadi alights from his plane, he is preceded by a leggy starlet, the one with the imported kamariya. She is besieged by the media, whose members are predictably oblivious to Ahmadi’s presence. Do they even know that he’s written a timely book titled Kiski Pragati Kiska Desh?, attacking the development project, and that he’s here to speak out against it? But with Dr. Ahmadi, there’s no self-pity. There are no laments about the trivialisation of the fourth estate. He simply walks up to the starlet and engages in casual conversation, which directs the media’s attention towards him. He’s smart – perhaps even a bit of an opportunist. He’s cut off soon when they realise they have no use for his moralising, and they return to quizzing the starlet about her next film, but he’s snatched for himself a spot of limelight. Even later, before entering the hall for his big speech, he’s hit by a stone, and instead of fulminating with righteous fury, he goes inside and makes light of this incident. “Victim nahin banna hai,” Dr. Ahmadi tells Shalini (a miscast Kalki Koechlin), a former student with whom he had an affair, and he subsequently issues threats to intimidate a couple of goons harassing her. Dr. Ahmadi, in short, is far from the good-hearted, conservative Muslim we’d have found in the Manmohan Desai era. (Even his wife, a Hindu named Aruna, was a former student of his, and who can say there weren’t more students that he managed to seduce?) It is this sort of detailing that sets apart the films made these days from the ones we got earlier – we now have evasive characters instead of rock-solid archetypes, and Dibakar Banerjee is nothing if not an expert chronicler of character. This is why he gets such fine performances from actors (yes, even Emraan Hashmi) who do so much with so little. We aren’t given a lot of establishing detail about the oleaginous politician played by Farooq Sheikh – and in that sense, he’s certainly embodying the archetype of the Corrupt Man of Power – but by the end, by the time he’s reduced to exquisite bafflement while staring at the skewer of paneer tikka in his fingers, he’s fleshed out as a completely one-of-a-kind character. Banerjee’s finely honed sense of detailing extends beyond the people in his films to the places they inhabit. There is a delicious sense of the absurdity that surrounds us when Shalini raises her voice outside the room the bloodstained Dr. Ahmadi has been wheeled into and a nurse reprimands her to step outside: “Yeh hospital hai. Please jaake bahar fighting kijiye.” (The line is also an excellent example of how English and Hindi twine so easily in daily usage, unlike the dialogues in our upscale multiplex movies that creak and groan with the strain of being translated into Hindi from the original English.) And elsewhere, when Krishnan (Abhay Deol), who is overseeing the enquiry into Dr. Ahmadi’s assassination, presides over some sort of hearing, a ball rolls in from outside, where kids have been playing. A man’s death is being discussed, and an assistant has to break away to warn a child, “Yeh khelne ki jagah nahin hai,” that this is not a playground. Speaking of which, when was the last time you saw a character sweating it out in a game of badminton? If God is in the details, then Banerjee’s films are certainly sky-scraping cathedrals. As if in cognizance of unspeakably dirty dealings, something is always being cleaned in the first half – a bookshelf is dusted, a floor is swept, a corridor is mopped (which only causes someone to skid). And when it comes to who really runs the country, we’re shown clearly that it’s not the power brokers who have minions standing by with bottles of mineral water when the taps in the bathrooms run dry, but the great unwashed masses who throng the streets in constant celebration and bring the cars carrying those powerful men to a grinding halt. Banerjee even manages to delineate, through Abhay Deol, a reasonably convincing Tamilian – a far cry from the caricatures we see in films like The Dirty Picture, which are all surface. With Krishnan, we see a neatly trimmed moustache, hints of talking to his amma, and a way of lapsing into owr (instead of aur) and bejna (instead of bhejna). He doesn’t do this always (in other words, he doesn’t overdo this) – just enough to betray his roots, his tongue, no matter how many postings he’s held in Hindi-speaking states. But look past these dazzling details, and we get a hollow shell of a film that’s about as “timely” as yesterday’s newspaper. When Costa Gavras made Z (from the Vassilis Vassilikos novel that Shanghai is also adapted from; there are nods here in a permission denied to hold an event in a hall, and in a pickup truck that hovers around menacingly), it was the late 1960s. It was the counterculture, when the Cold War (with its threat that the world would vanish in a mushroom cloud) was a frightening reality, and a peace-mongering politician who spoke of disarmament (the equivalent of the Dr. Ahmadi character) was a genuinely vital figure that people identified with. More importantly, that was an era of widespread mistrust. You couldn’t trust the parents who raised you, the politicians who governed you – and Z, along with the decade’s other political thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate, paved the way for the subsequent decade of mainstream Hollywood movies (Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, All the President’s Men) that played on audience’s fears about shadowy government conspiracies. The fear of those times, that the System was corrupt and out to get you, is no longer a fear – it’s an institutionalized reality that we’ve become inured to. Whether this attitude is healthy in a democracy is a different question – but as drama, these stories simply don’t have the power to jolt us anymore. Banerjee is an admirably high-minded filmmaker, and he won’t resort to conventional dramatic devices. A “lesser” filmmaker would salivate at the prospect of milking the transition of Emraan Hashmi’s character (a pornographer named Jogi, whose most telling detail is that he’s a Rajput who’s a skin-saving coward) from uncaring onlooker to an active participant in the political drama that forms the film’s core, and Jogi’s rooftop escape from thugs out to get him might have become an action set piece. But Banerjee won’t go there. He drains the pulp elements of his story of all juice, as if following Hitchcock’s footsteps from Torn Curtain, where an assassin’s murder is presented not as a thrilling set piece but as a protracted and agonising portrait of how difficult killing someone can be. That may be how things are in real life, but it cannot be the motivation to watch a movie whose trajectory is so numbingly familiar. People keep making Romeo and Juliet over and over, but the reason an Ishaqzaade works is because of the detailing as well as the drama. There is no shame in amusing an audience, as Banerjee himself proved in his masterful Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, which was both a smart critique of the India we live in as well as a bloody entertaining movie. Even the big reveal here, at the end, carries no charge. Besides, if you’re no fan of conventional drama, why incorporate traditional dramatic moments like the Big Reveal? Why stage half-hearted songs like Bharat Mata ki Jai, which is shoehorned badly into the film in a moment that makes no sense? Shanghai is full of memorable filmmaking but it isn’t a memorable film. There’s a lingering sense here of wanting to rise above the material, which is fine, but then why pick this material in the first place? In a sense, the title could refer to Banerjee as well. Like the politicians in the film who want to sacrifice India for a shining simulacrum of China, he’s rejecting the inbuilt cravings of Indian audiences in favour of a low-key, Western kind of sophisticated filmmaking, easier to admire from a critical distance than be entertained by up close. ← “Prometheus”… Spaced out in space Lights, Camera, Conversation… “The north-south non-divide” → 47 Responses ““Shanghai”… The China syndrome” → Just back from Shanghai. Actually I was back from it last night, but thought I will sleep over it before putting down my thoughts. And so? Disappointed. All my worst fears about the film came true. I would say it was watchable and the performances of both Emran and Abhay were good. And that’s about it. To start with, at the story level it was very naïve. If an IAS officer could get at a CM so easily everyone would have been doing it. And if it was supposed to be fantasy, then why this pretence of naturalism? I would rather watch Shankar’s Mudalvan where at least some political philosophies are articulated. Then there is the triteness of the story itself. This kind of political expose may have been new in the 70’s when Z came out. But today it is old hat and does not evoke any kind of disbelief and outrage. So let’s come to the style and execution. The grammar of cutting scenes midway is novel, but gets irritating after a while. The idea might have been to give the whole proceedings a feel of naturalness , but it only ends up looking arty. Take the speech of Dr Ahmadi about ram asking for water ina mall. It is cut off after the first sentence and the story is completed later when Krishnan is watching the video footgae. But the story is so lame that the punch line has no punch. I so much prefer Salim-Javed’s story of the sone ki murgi in Deewar. Also if the idea is to present things as they are without over-dramatizing where do songs like Imported Kamariya and Bharat Mata kI Jay come from? You expect me to believe they have dances like that performed at official government functions. Or that they have crowds singing songs like Bharat Mata on the streets. If these are supposed to be artistic liberties then go all the way and stage them properly. When a song like Al I izz well or Give me sunshine is used in 3 Idiots it is in tune with the general narrative style and the words in the songs articulate some thoughts very clearly. Another way of using a song is the Mahie Gill mujra in Gulall. It is witty, picturized with humour and not like a wanna-be item number. And then there is Kalki. Why the hell she is cast in that role? She behaves like a zombie and looks like an alien. There is no nuance to her performance. She scarcely looks human. Her kiss with Dr Ahmadi is another art film cliché. The worst part of the film is that it is neither satirical as some critics have commented or offers any new insights. Agreed Hindi films in general overexplain. But this one explains nothing. Shouldn’t the title of Shanghai been touched upon a little more somewhere I the film? There is much more to the idea of Shanghai that just corrupt politicians. If so called ‘ thinking’ directors can up with nothing more than the revelation that the CM herself is behind the land deals, I will take Prakash Jha or Shankar any day ( who at least has the sense to bring out show the middle –class who read the newspaper over a cup of tea and are unwilling to join the hurly-burly of politics are as much to blame as corrupt politicians…in Mudhlavan.) Characters like Dr Ahmadi are cardboard stereotypes and he does not even have anything interesting to say. That brings me to my general low opinion of political thrillers. In my opinion they are so inadequate at throwing up any in-depth understanding. But at least the best of them like the original Z act as very enjoyable thrillers. This one is just about average as an engaging thriller. The best that one can say about the film is that it is a time pass film. And the time for most part passes quite slowly. i saw this movie yesterday and felt nothing at all. It was blank. There was master class acts often that would make me smile or amuse me. Being a blogger i couldnt even conjure some words to write about this film. Yet you wrote one of your best write-ups here. Take a bow BR 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/groups/onemmr/ Rasik Tirodkar The observation in the last few lines of your review is simply brilliant! travellingslacker Very disappointed… doesn’t intrigue like a thriller… nor does it seriously analyze the socio-economic or political issues that it deals in… yes, nice details but simply not enough to be called a good film… PST & VD remains the best films so far in a year in with Sriram Raghavan & DB released films… let’s see what AK has in store now… Watched Shanghai last night and was waiting eagerly for your take on it. The only point I disagree on is the acting — barring Farooq Sheikh, who did wonders for a character that would otherwise have gone unnoticed, I found the other performances just adequate. Yes, Emraan Hashmi was a pleasant surprise, but that joy was completely negated by Kalki Koechlin employing the same empty, wide-eyed expression on about 6 different occasions. I couldn’t help but compare Shanghai to Kahaani where the casting was exceptional. Also, what did you make of the slipping-on-the-wet-floor scene? Was it meant to foreshadow how each of the 3 characters would eventually behave in the face of the denouement, or as the mess had been “cleaned” up? vishal yogi >> “Western kind of sophisticated filmmaking” Would you say that PST is an Indian kind of sophisticated filmmaking? I loved that one, and I wonder if such a distinct Indian thing (or rather a collage of elements) exists or could potentially exist later on, if it already doesnt. I am not a veteran (yet) when it comes to appreciating cinema, and I hope my question is not silly or otherwise. If it has already been answered or discussed in any online source or books, I’d appreciate the info! travellingslacker: Yeah, it appeared that all the energy was expended in adding flavour and detail and finally they lost track of what^ they were adding all that flavour and detail to. For a political thriller, nothing new in the politics, and no thrills either. I wonder how many people in the audience were still invested in whether anyone got punished etc. by the end. Vanya: About “the slipping-on-the-wet-floor scene,” I didn’t see it as a foreshadow. Just that this was slippery ground, and that they’d have to be watchful or they’d “skid.” How did you read this scene? Also, I think Kalki was cast for the way she looks. The character is that of someone who doesn’t look Indian, so that Emraan can tell her “India aapko suit nahin karega.” And then she surprises him by biting the fingers of the man who jumps on the autorickshaw — thus proving that she is as “Indian” than he is, perhaps more so. So they needed someone who could be mistaken for a dainty thing, but who’s really as savage as everyone else. She’s as (deliberately) progammatic a part of the microcosm as everyone else — a Tamilian, a Rajput, a Muslim, and so on. vishal yogi: I would say that PST too is more “Indian” than this, and the loose yardstick I use is whether an Indian audience exposed only to Indian cinema will be able to follow (and be entertained/engaged by) what’s going on. I’d think that that audience would be a little baffled by “Shanghai,” and no amount of badly-thrust-in item songs can alleviate this disconnect. When Kalki and Abhay both slip on the floor, I felt this immediate concern for Emraan’s character as he began to walk across; that’s the only reason I started to read a lot into that scene. And at the end, out of the three of them he “stumbled” the least, so to speak (Kalki lost it and mercilessly attacked the driver; Abhay was one foot out the door before he was convinced to turn around). So, you’re saying Kalki is this generation’s Tom Alter? 😛 Although, yes she brings an innate vulnerability which always makes her character likable. I just felt there was so much more potential to her role. Sudipta Bhattacharjee Nice post – mostly agree with you BR. Was dis-satisfied about the following – noted them below (have highlighted the same points in Jai Arjun Singh’s blog too): 1)why couldn’t Prosenjit’s and Abhay’s character be Bengali and north Indian (respectively)? Prosenjit’s Hindi and Abhay’s Tamil accent (IMHO-of course I wud defer to your view on Tamil accent 🙂 But it was the inconsistency of the accent that didn’t work for me – unlike say, Mohanlal in ‘Company’) were not upto the mark and took away something from their otherwise competent performances.This is a particularly relevant point given that these actors were decided before finalizing the screenplay. 2)The ‘Bharat Mata’ song, while well done on a stand-alone basis, was more suited in a Madhur Bhandarkar movie 3)the almost complete lack of background music was jarring and took away something from the storytelling – it is a very difficult thing to pull off and ‘Shanghai’ IMHO didn’t succeed in this aspect 4)Why Vishal-Shekhar for music direction in this one – somehow, music seems to have gotten a step-motherly treatment in this movie – very unlike Dibakar Any specific thoughts on the above? P.S. – BTW, did you know that Prosenjit is yesteryears’ star Viswajeet’s son, started his career in Hindi films as a ‘chocolate-boy’ romantic hero with ‘Andhiyan’ (you may youtube. The movie also starred Mumtaz and Shatrughan Sinha. Praosenjit’s Hindi was much better then)and was offered ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ before Salman Khan? a delicious ‘what-if’ scenario for a bollywood buff, no? 🙂 Manu Mysore Except Abhay and Farooqh’s performance, nothing works for this movie ………Watching Parallax View just a day before was sure an experience…… prasun Regarding the language issue, I thought that Abhay Deol’s character spoke in a slight Tamil accent in once scene and no accent in the rest of the movie. Also, in recent movies, there is a tendency to have lines that were constructed in English and translated word-by-word. Traces of this were there even in this movie, (I can’t remember the exact instances but some of Kalki’s lines for example) Partha When you say there was nothing “new” in the political thriller, what exactly are you looking for? Surely by that standard, as a nation, we have well gone past any attempt by our filmmakers to shock us politically. Just because we are insulated from the reality does not mean the subject lacks gravitas. I think the movie was investing most of its energies into the character of the bureaucrat.That he was in charge of the Bharatnagar land acquisition initially and was hesitant to take up his added responsibility, was no coincidence. It all built up to that scene when he confronts his senior bueraucrat and bullies him(Farooqe Shaik was not a politician here). Apart from this the silent twist with the doctors wife joining the IBP was extremely subtle. It was laced with irony and wit, and for me that seemed more than enough ride for a gripping movie. Sudipta Bhattacharjee: About your points — 1) “why couldn’t Prosenjit’s and Abhay’s character be Bengali and north Indian (respectively)?” Because a microcosm means you have to have a representative India filled with people from all over — a Rajput, a Tamilian, etc. A more valid question might be: Why couldn’t Abhay’s character have been played by a Tamil actor? 3) The lack of score didn’t bother me at all. 4) “Why Vishal-Shekhar?” But why not? They make music. The film needs music. Nobody talked about OLLO’s music, because it wasn’t by abig name, and if roping in big music director’s adds to the value of the package, why not? P.S. ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ without Salman Khan? What a delicious anecdote! 🙂 prasun: I quite like the way Dibakar Banerjee uses language. His films (and films like Delhi Belly) are the rare instances where the Hindi/English mix comes off sounding right, unlike Cocktail (whose trailer I saw before Shanghai). I kept thinking: Why don’t you guys just speak English, dammit? Also, the traces of Tamil need not be in the “accent”, as you put it. It’s in the subtler details like “bha” being pronounced as “ba”, because there is no “bha” in Tamil. And you can acquire it as you speak, but there are times you lapse into “ba.” I thought that was beautifully done. Partha: Reg. “When you say there was nothing ”new” in the political thriller, what exactly are you looking for?” I guess I’m looking for something that tells me more about the situations we’re handed. I did not find any particularly intriguing insights — they all seemed to me fairly stock situations. Take away the detailing in the film, and what do you really have that we haven’t seen earlier? “Apart from this the silent twist with the doctors wife joining the IBP was extremely subtle.” I didn’t see this as a twist. There’s a big hint earlier on when she makes a determined speech on a news channel about her husband’s condition. It’s very well done (in the sense that it’s not harped on), but it wasn’t surprising to me. You are not anymore my fav critic 🙂 Govardhan Giridass “Kalki is this generation’s Tom Alter” ROTFL. Best I’ve heard in a long time. Made my day. Thank you. The language in these movies is definitely better, but every once in a while there is an odd line that would have worked better in English. To me, it appeared that Abhay Deol’s character was a Tamil who had grown up in Delhi – and therefore spoke Hindi like a Dilliwala – but still spoke Tamil at home (he talks to his mom in one of the earlier scenes). To my untrained ear, his Tamil didn’t sound like a native speaker. So it was weird when he “lapses” in the boardroom scene with Kaul. Just my perception though. backgroundscore Shanghai Background Score (Composer – Mikey McCleary) available for download here Santosh Kumar T K Kangna Ranaut is the poor man’s (filmmaker’s) Kalki Koechlin, or the other way around. I am not quite sure about Tom Alter, though! What is PST and VD? And AK Shanghai is leftist drivel: capitalists are bad, big projects are bad, mining is bad, development is bad, etc. That loony arundirty Roy could have written this stuff. Brangan, I have not seen Shanghai, because it did not release in the cinema halls here in the town stay at in US. But given that I admire the logical way you analyze movies, I am surprised by this comment that you make: “Take away the detailing in the film, and what do you really have that we haven’t seen earlier?” Isn’t modern cinema a lot about detailing, style, and adding grey shades to those once one dimensional characters? Didn’t ‘kaminey’ (I know I know people loved Kaminey and I will probably get lynched for saying this) work along the same lines, as in give us colorful characters in the police offers, the maharashtra-loving bhai, the wacky/weirdo brothers who made money out of horse racing? Take all that away, and we don’t have much of anything that I had not seen before – a movie where things go wrong at every move, plans do not work out, and at the climax, usually through a fight, everything falls in place. I can think of Hera Pheri, Hungama, 99, House Full….wrong of me to compare these movies to one another, but aren’t they incomparable mainly because of the treatment, the detailing and the character building? Anushil Gupta disagree with you here again. what new intriguing insight this film offer which one didn’t know? I think the question should be what new intriguing insight this film offer which one didnt know in films? Name 3 Indian films, (name 1 with the exception of Hazaro Khawaishen aisi), which dealt with political corruption and the public apathy with as much integrity? yes may be the know-all couch intellectuals amongst us is inured towards the happenings and with no ‘big-revelation’ or the so called orgasmic moments to shock us. Saw the film with my fiancée who reports to the Commissioner of a state, she was shocked, despite seeing the same happenings(or non happenings) day in and day out. For me the point of the film was just that, apathy, and that shocks in its completeness. Also have heard many folks complain about not explaining many things, well these are the same folks who complain about the spoon feeding in Indian cinema. (Again you keep mentioning things vaguely about being Indian cinematically, don’t understand the concept, indianness of cinema,curious, could you elaborate)This one didn’t and yet if you look closely everything is explained. Why can’t a film-maker make things which have stopped being shocking, and what makes it inferior if it is engaging even if you knew it all. For us the trajectory was pretty predictable, including the climax, and yet the wonder was the tension DB managed to sustain. Agree with you about the first 20 mins or so, pretentious long takes of Kalki’s face that didn’t contribute to anything and so on, the two item songs, distracting camera work..commercial compulsions of a higher budget may be, experimentation.. but then towards the second half it had has hooked. planning a second look soon, would recommend one for you. “even the big reveal carries no charge…”, somehow BR I thought that was the beauty of the film..sort of like a japanese haiku or painting,that through all the murkiness, there is a kind of no charge existence we live in, apathy or whatever. For a mainstream movie to have the audience in the hall, without waltzing in and out unlike the infamous thaniavarthanam music academy vadaai cases, here the audience actually stayed until the credits rolled and was over…almost waiting for something else to happen.For me the draw was that he wove silences and longshots along with the two item numbers that was quickle dispensed with.. and agree..dame kalki , acting classes maybe?! I would like to ask the same question that Apu has, Mr. Rangan. Lots of films tread familiar ground, and turn out to be enjoyable precisely because of the detailing. And you have written about that before. About ‘Udaan’, you said, “The find-yourself story arc may be fairly predictable, but the detailing is the thing that makes this superb first feature soar.” So, you admitted that there is hardly anything new or novel about the story arc of ‘Udaan’, but that it is the detailing that makes the film “superb.” Why, then, do you dismiss ‘shanghai’ despite the fact that it has such awesome detailing? Why are you not willing to overlook the familiarity of the subject matter–as you did in the case of ‘Udaan’–and laud the film for what it is? I mean, there are hardly any “new” stories out there; almost all films have plots that have precedents in other, earlier films. The best that any director can do is to take a familiar story and enliven it with his own touch–through his own detailing, in other words. And I feel Banerjee has done that with this film. I agree that the film is not groundbreaking, but it does succeed in pulling us into the story of three people who try, in their own ways, to fight the rampant corruption in India. You are right that this corruption is something which many of us have become inured to, but does that mean no films should be made on the subject? It brings me back to my original question: a subject matter (be it the adolescent angst and aspirations in ‘Udaan’ or political corruption in ‘shanghai’) may be familiar, but if a director decides to tackle it nevertheless and adds his own brand of exquisite detailing to it (as both Motwane and Banerjee have), isn’t that quite an accomplishment? Apu/Abhirup/Anushil Gupta: When you say that I have a “logical” way of admiring films, I hope you don’t mean that there is no “emotional” component — because a reaction to a film consists of the conscious things you register (i.e. the “logical”) as well as the unconscious ways in which it made you react. And a review is a bit of both, which is why you find — as Abhirup did — that the very things you like in one film may not be what you like in another, or the things that made you admire one film aren’t enough to make you admire another. So when I say “Take away the detailing in the film, and what do you really have that we haven’t seen earlier?,” guess I mean that I admired the detailing in a logical way, but beyond that the film didn’t make me feel anything, and the details were all that stood out. There wasn’t anything unconscious that made me react to anything beyond* those details. As you say, the sameness isn’t the problem. But the fact there’s nothing beyond the detailing is a problem (at least to me). Unlike Anushil, I didn’t feel any tension. By the end of Udaan (because Abhirup brought it up, and which I reviewed here), I was rooting for the kid to escape — and that’s not a film that has many obviously “dramatic” moments either. But the director shaped his characters and his staging so that you still had an emotional investment in what happened, and that emotional investment wasn’t there for me here. As I mentioned, I got the sense of the director being “above” this material, and that was a bit of a turn off as well. But I hope that this review doesn’t give the sense that I did not like the movie. I probably don’t rate it as highly as some people, but I did like it, and tried to point out what I liked before I came to address my problems with it. anamika: Yes, but didn’t that reveal come through like an afterthought? The way the film was shaping up, it didn’t matter whether the answers were there or not, and even if Kalki hadn’t found out about the guy at the end, the film would have still fit your thesis of “all the murkiness, there is a kind of no charge existence we live in.” Fair enough, Mr. Rangan. But I still think that the film’s detailing elevate it despite the familiar premise. I would further argue that it is not solely about details either, that it has characters and situations that elicit an emotional reaction. For example, when that aging truck driver (the one who had been reluctant to get involved in the plan to kill Dr. Ahmadi, but was forced to do so) says, “Jeena haram lagta hain, paar marne se daar bhi toh lagta hain”, I was quite moved. Jogi’s recounting of his cowardly escape from his hometown, and the way he said it–Emraan Hashmi did a good job of sounding candid and looking ashamed in that scene–was also oddly touching. I could name many other moments. But of course, a scene or a film that moved me need not do the same for you, and vice versa. Your take on ‘Shanghai’ is a good read, as usual; it’s just that I feel you were too harsh on it. Whatever may be the film’s drawbacks, to call it a “hollow shell” is unjustified in my opinion. A hollow shell of a movie is one that has no ideas or craft worth the name, and which has been made without any thought, care, concern or vision. ‘housefull 2’, for instance. Surely that doesn’t hold true for ‘Shanghai’? I think the film is better than you made it appear in your review. That’s all. Thanks for your reply. No matter what Abhirup said above, I have faith that BR will always stick to speaking his mind 🙂 His article sealed my decision to not watch this movie 😉 My biases and reasons are scattered, and one of them is to watch cinema outside the influence of Hollywood – for example there are some fine directors in Russian, Turkish and Iranian cinema. Maybe its wishful thinking, but I dont see why Indian cinema cant have its own unique stamp – sure its bound to be more rural than urban – but then, we as a civilization have lived much closer to Nature than the western ones. And maybe a more spirituality based tradition might be more challenging to depict in a visual medium than a material (western) culture. But where there’s an outline, there’s always a way. Its just that we have this ingrained sense of inferiority about our past and the culture it brings – post the British rule, which is accelerating as we go ga ga over american pop culture. We salivate and drool when Indian cinema incorporates borrowed elements, but would that hold, if someone went in the opposite direction? I went a bit off track, but I think I was able to verbalize a bit about what could be imagined to be potentially Indian. Criticism (of cinema, literature, etc) is usually rooted and shaped by dominant (western) perceptions as depicted by the evolution of cinema in the West – and if this school of thought cant dissect something that was never in their field of analysis, that is their problem. Maybe that’s why neither Adaminte Makan Abu nor Jodái-e Náder az Simin (A separation) could have won their holy grail – the Oscars. Glad you explained Brangan. It just seemd that you were using a different set of standards for this movie, and it was important for me, who has not seen the movie, to understand that. And no, by ‘logical’, I did not mean a dispassionate or unemotional analysis, what I really meant was that you usually look at all aspects of a movie and do not dismiss the movie by just saying ‘bakwas’ or ‘awesome’. There are a lot more nuances in your review, but I understand what you say about the overall ‘feel’. Paan Singh Tomar, Vicky Donor, Anurag Kashyap “No matter what Abhirup said above, I have faith that BR will always stick to speaking his mind” Errr, can’t remember asking Mr. Rangan to do otherwise. Brangan, hi. I had few problems with your review of Shanghai. I loved the way you brought in details from the film, and appreciated those, but I also saw a sense of deliberate skepticism to berate the movie purely because it doesn’t have the loud thrust of an entertainer? The director is “above” the material, according to you, but I would say he drove the material single-handedly by adding nuances. Isn’t the material symptomatic of the largely available political realities? Like, what has changed to really manifest that change into movie making? Should Anna Hazare be fictionalised on screen as a crusader, and will that be a supplication for change in art? I don’t understand the need to dismiss the movie on that account. And on that note, not everyone has seen Z and neither have I. I would love to see it. And, I believe the seeming absurdity of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ was a poignant distraction to involve the audience in the multiple realities outside ‘the hall’. I believe the movie has ample dystopia with moments of hope, and I would ask, what is the formula to entertain while putting a message across? Is it by an Indianised version of A Clockwork Orange, where the grotesque takes over the narrative? And, will that be new? Vishal yogi: “Its just that we have this ingrained sense of inferiority about our past and the culture it brings – post the British rule, which is accelerating as we go ga ga over american pop culture. We salivate and drool when Indian cinema incorporates borrowed elements, but would that hold, if someone went in the opposite direction?” Not true. Today we all live in a globalized world where no culture is insulated from other. There is always a constant give and take. Iranian cinema borrows from Hollywood. Hollywood borrows from Hong Kong cinema and so on. If no one borrows much from Indian cinema that means we aren’t making films with our own original grammar that is powerful or good enough to attract others. WE will wait for such a film and applaud it when it comes. Adaminte Makan Abu obviously is not that film. Incidentally A separation did win the Best Foreign Film Oscar… not to mention box office picking of 19 million USD ( It was made for 800,000 USD) And again there is nothing wrong with incorporating Hollywood aesthetics in Indian films. But Shanghai is not really Hollywood. if at all it is inspired by Z , which is European cinema. Ironically enough, I find your review to be just what you deem to hate. An intellectually-propped up critique of a film that is being compared to either earlier films or is being judged by your understanding of “audience”. Did you even get the point of the film? I don’t think so from what I read. And you wouldn’t have gone on about Z if you did. The film talks of small, personal victories being the only thing that can happen in today’s India, no major change of the system. How is that irrelevant? If you like entertaining films and by entertainment you mean laughs…say you didn’t think this was it. To presume what the filmmaker was making was “sophisticated Hollywood film” makes you seem ignorant as do a lot of points you make. I am not saying you SHOULD like the film; all I m saying it is view a film for what it is. Not a thing to be compared to a Director’s previous films and not a film to be superficially analysed in terms of acting, writing etc etc. Utkal Mohanty: “…we aren’t making films with our own original grammar that is powerful or good enough to attract others.” Indian civilization has a longer history than most other cultures – and we could have drawn from the rich past – but most of that history is “encoded” in Sanskrit – which we have disconnected from. Besides that, the second disaster (currently shaping up) is that the regional Indian languages are also slowly being swallowed up under the umbrella of english. Think 30-40 years ahead, & Indians would be content with a functional grasp that does not extend to literature, philosophy or thought processes. How many readers of this blog can claim to actually read outside english and appreciate the same? So even if a film maker surmounted the above obstacles, perhaps he/she would choose to not take the risk because the audience expectations were already shaped by global trends? We are the only country that exists “in translation”. For example, people happily chanting Sanskrit hymns and mantras without knowing an iota of the language itself. To quote from an article elsewhere, “Language like life, like faith, encodes the identity of a people. Bi- and trilingual cultures would fall silent before the blistering array of languages India is home to: five language families,14 major writing systems, 400 spoken languages, thousands of dialects.” Its a shame that our diverse landscape is rapidly getting homogenized by english. aandthirtyeights I find this surprising, to say the least – what did The Great Gatsby tell the Jazz Age that the Jazz Age didn’t know about itself? Did it shock people of that time? Is art to be judged by its shock value? If yes, then Madhur Bhandarkar is the truest artist around. Meta Sant I consider DB with the best storytelling sense in Bollywood. He has that knack and with varied topics has managed to tell a good story. For once, I was disappointed, with Shanghai. I believe that this was his toughest story to ‘show’ – commenting on the politics of our times; the scope is very broad and challenging. Both in terms of setting and characters of the story ‘Z’. He has followed ‘Z’ (the film) to a good extent except for one big change: creating the (Kalki) character of Shalini, a lover, who takes forth the battle to get the criminal behind bars. Or well…she is supposed to. This is a problem, or a challenge very difficult to deal with: trying to put a passive character at the center of the story. Then…dealing with multiple narratives and intending to focus on stories of other key figures. The danger is in keeping track of the core of the story. The big flaw for me (as Utkal pointed out in the first comment) is his strategy of execution to tell the story. With regards to cinematography and editing. He goes hand-held for most of the times, which gets jarring over the time; worse, it takes you away from the characters. I am sure the Shanghai crew will back their strategy but shakiness, all the way, even if justified, is very hard to execute. It can work, if the characters are developed and arc well; you need emotional resonance. Shanghai doesn’t exude that. Hand-held relates to certain tension and for most parts the tension isn’t there. Even though to be fair there’s a conflict at play. What hampers this is the editing. The quick-paced editing takes you out of scenes too quick to feel the (emotional) impact. Again, either they didn’t get good footage (!) or it was deliberate, which I would like to believe. There are moments when the characters (especially, Shalini) seem to linger on too much on the camera. Besides, the transitions seemed to take you out of things. Now…that could very well be what DB wanted but they do take you out. At least me. For me, Kalki was alright. I thought the direction and editing made things seems bad for her. As for Hashmi, he was effective but at times DB went the Kashyap way, which I can’t relate to – focusing on character traits that ought to appear cute / funny – taking you out of the story; this is highlighted especially by the (lame?) dialogues. I admire the dude for trying to tell this story. For trying multiple narratives. For making a comment on the system at play. For getting good performances. Well even for the ‘detailing’, which many critics have stressed on; sometimes I don’t know what’s the big deal – you need that stuff. I mean, yes, I appreciate the sets and the ‘real’ locations, which I salute DB a lot for but you need that for the sake of the story; plus it’s not Wake Up Sid stuff, where struggling young adults have a house that should have a rent of 50K/month! But then…those films are another ‘genre’. One angle as some have pointed out – some of the stuff seems naive. This is a ‘serious’ picture in a way. Focusing on ‘realistic’ stuff. I am not disturbed by the songs et al. In fact, I won’t be surprised to find that the Bollywood dance show actually happens. Am sure it can be worse. Is Shalini plain dumb to not understand how the system works? Krishnan is the smart cookie and Deol plays him well but what spoils stuff is the weak writing and quick cuts. I don’t know why Krishnan avoids talking to the ‘activists’ till the very end. One cliched masala-movie stuff: quick resolution when Deol takes on Sheikh – “i know you have done this, i know you have nexus et al…” What’s the point? To be impressed that our man has integrity. Well, you were on the right track, here’s a character caught in-between, here’s a dude who stands for the principles you stand for, but does DB emphasize the struggle. He highlights for sure but the turn-around is too quick and goes for a quick-fix. The big point is – Which characters you relate to? How emotionally affecting the story is? He was there and…wasn’t. I thought the story had meat but…it was poor execution. Trying too much. Doing too much. Moving around too much – the camera, literally! I was pretty curious to know how the highly acclaimed ‘Z’ was and well…the best part – it’s fully available on YT: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheodorakisZ Made in 1969, the scale, when it comes to having gang-fights is kinda bigger. But DB follows the film to a good deal. The big difference is the narrative flow. ‘Z’ flows simply even though it’s a complex film – no straight-forward protagonist. However, by making the judge (Krishnan) the key guy, who keeps following up, you are more in sync with the story. Garvas does less and achieves much more. Again, you have pointed out numerous nuances of this film that have escaped the perspective of many other reviewers, and as expected, it is a joy to read your observant views but I disagree with your overall opinion of this film, especially considering its coolly ironic and superbly metaphorical ending. Costas-Gavras’ “Z” which was not all that great in the first place, might have been released in more politically charged times but DB’s sanguine depiction of his film’s contemporary Indian milieu has a vibrant authenticity to it that is relelvant no matter how any other similarly-themed films we have seen. Banerjee, as Khosla ka Ghosla showed, is an optimist and that is why he injects this largely stolid narrative with last-minute drama as if to display that he believes in gunning for redemption no matter how fatalistic or ridiculous it appears. The pic’s very end however re-cements his concurrent seemingly paradoxical credentials as a realist. And I dont subscribe to the generalization however tempting, of the “Indian audience’s inbuilt craving for..” There are plenty amongst us who inspite of our spiced blood, who can fully appreciate and even enjoy “low-key supposedly Western kind of sophisticated film-making”.There is space after all for all kinds of good films. yaohfsl Mr. Rangan’s opinion about Shanghai is bang-on accurate. It is at best a pretentious narrative, pretentiously executed – the detailing-shetailing etc. etc as he mentions. I am not surprised that so many of our ‘A list’ reviewers loved Shanghai, and panned a truly moving film like Ishaqzaade. The problem with them is that can only see (and praise) overt complexity, they can’t see the complexity inherent in overtly simple stuff. Mr. Rangan can. I am impressed :). “In a sense, the title could refer to Banerjee as well. Like the politicians in the film who want to sacrifice India for a shining simulacrum of China, he’s rejecting the inbuilt cravings of Indian audiences in favour of a low-key, Western kind of sophisticated filmmaking, easier to admire from a critical distance than be entertained by up close” What are you talking about? when did paying attention to detail become a western kind of sophisticated film making? and what the heck are the inbuilt cravings of indian audiences? a yet another saif ali-deepika padukone love kal parso? Your review shows how unbelievable you were that you got to see a movie like shanghai in your lifetime and you are still trying to save your face because you had already surrendered to a certain kind of “inbuilt” expectation from indian cinema. You should go watch Golmaal 5. Unbelievable! ” There’s a lingering sense here of wanting to rise above the material, which is fine, but then why pick this material in the first place? ” Because you were unable to answer this self raised question…you have missed the hidden chameleon which is the theme of the film. you think dibakar will take the plot from the Novel Z..merely to reproduce an already famous film that has won an oscar..in Indian setting?Is dibakar as banal as that? the film is a merciless critique of the middle class mentality…..and all its talk of…we hate corruption. the film has been consciously made drama dry and is not a social commentary but an insight into indian pyschology. all the characters in the movie are gray.But the biggest of all the villains is Abhay Deol. the fact that tenders r being invited in bharat nagar…..in which a lot of money can be made by the politicians and the bureaucrats and the CM is sending him to videsh on a decorative post at this time…..is another reason y abhay is pissed off from the govt. did u notice…..every one was asking abhay…cm ji aapse bahut khush hain..and smiling….why was that?they were making fun of him…as it often happens in bureaucratic circles. also,the fact that this case was given to abhay..and not to any one else…why was that?becoz everyone knew that the death of ahmedi was a murder and not an accident…..so public sentiment was against the govt…..still abhay(by the very nature of his job was not supposed to do a through investigation)…therefore….who will become the scapegoat for not doing through investigation and pinning down the culprit?Abhay..ofcourse. abhay was disenchanted for all these reasons…and wanted his pie in the bharat nagar tender thing…so he made his move.. hence,the biggest of all the villians is abhay.the struggle abhay is going through ..is of all the things certainly not the struggle of conscience…whether to opt for justice or go with injustice?abhay’s struggle is the struggle of macbeth…..shud i follow this case strongly and fuck the government(it is obvious from the beginning that the govt. has a role in the killing)….should i be ambitious?or should i just finish my job..and go to the foreign country on a decorative post…away from the main source of power politics.that is his struggle…and finally he decides to be ambitious..and makes farrukh the offer.now,in the new regime it is obvious abhay will play a vital role..and farrukh will be in awe of him. The biggest villian No. 2 is kalki….more on her later. just rewatch the movie closely again. shanghai is such a deceptive and deep film…not only the best of dibakar….but as far as the hitchcockian depth of its theme is concerned….certainly it deserves a cult status like ardh satya though i loved the movie gow very very much….loved the visiting vengeance subversion of the prankster anurag in it….that film is nothing when compared to shanghai. I had this odd feeling that I was missing something – the movie seemed familiar and predictable, and with any other director, I would take it as a fairly timepass, well made thriller. But given DB’s other movies, I kept looking for something else that would give me an “aha” moment. And it wasn’t the ending, for sure. While I hadn’t anticipated Aruna becoming the next cutout, at the same time it wasn’t a mindbending twist, and the expression of Dr Ahmedi looking gobsmacked at the end was only amusing, not shocking, if that is what DB intended by insering that shot there. The only thing that held me was actually Deol’s character. I thought Krishnan was perhaps the key to the movie, not Ahmedi, not Kalki’s character, nor that of Hashmi who was interesting too, showing more depths of guile than his initial simple minded approach would have indicated. Krishnan is the enigmatic one – he is shown to be vindictive in the beginning (when he is told he is like a haathi who never forgets an insult) and when I was pondering why the character had to be South Indian at all, I figure he is the outsider in this cow-belt movie, showing the “other” India, the educated, conservative one and on both sides you can see how this contrast affects decisions. To the northies, Krishnan comes across as a puppet whose need for structure and convention can be used against him, there is a palpable contempt in the way Farooq Shaikh’s character talks to him, also the way the police address him. On his part, Krishnan seems to view the politics around him with tightly concealed distaste that peeks through every now and then, using his precise clothing (loved how the tie comes up again and again) and reserved demenour to delineate that he may work there but he is not part of this circus. Was he really fighting the good cause when he gets the government toppled in the end? Or was he actually telling all those who pushed him around, kept him in the dark about coalition politics, assumed he could be bought off for a Stockholm posting, that he was the smart one, not them? He is shown relishing the puppeteering in the end – responsible for changing the fates of the CM, the Central Government minister, the cops, the Chief Secretary. I think Deol did a fabulous job with the accent – he didn’t let it become a caricature a la Mehmood, not even as broad and annoying as Konkona as Mrs Iyer – like most southies who have lived in the north, his Hindi was practically accentless except under stress – I liked the way he lapsed into a slight Tamilian drawl (“Ennnqqquiry commission”) when he got hassled, and then back to accentless speech when he had composed himself. Rahul Tyagi er… “A Separation” couldn’t have won the Oscar? It did, actually. How could it not, really? such an amazing movie! sorry brangan. hadn’t read the replies below which already mentioned this. feel free to not publish these two comments. well its satisfying at last….dat in India some people are here to care about d ground stories….really a great work to managing the society from slum to the MP house…. i eagerly waiting for movies like dis….nice judgement Dibakar with all you role… Thank you Devarsi Ghosh And how relevant is this film today. Umar Khalid was shot at on his way to an event in Constitution Club, Delhi. Amazing how it came two years before 2014, and it predicted the rise of a venomous cult oriented around “development” of “Bharat nagar”. 1 Trackback For This Post In Appreciation of Dibakar Banerjee \| Chasing Rabbits → March 17th, 2015 → 03:43 […] anger was his attention to details. To quote Baradwaj Rangan, my favorite Indian film writer from his review of DB’s Shanghai (till I find any better) “If God is in the details, then Banerjee’s films are certainly […]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24261
__label__wiki	0.917841	0.917841	About Barbara Goleman NBC 6: Brag About Your School Feature AP Capstone & STEM: AP Capstone Information Systems Technology Law Enforcement/Intelligence Studies Subject Selection Sheets 2019-2020 M-DCPS Calendar Gator News Update – 1/13/2020 Parent Portal Account Creation Home / Our School / About Barbara Goleman Barbara Goleman High School will foster a collaborative environment for our diverse student population, faculty, staff, parents, and community. Through a challenging and comprehensive curriculum, our students will gain the skills and knowledge needed to become active members of society while achieving their personal, academic, and career goals. Barbara Goleman High School will be a model for schools throughout the nation. Teachers, students, and community members will work as one in order to engender an atmosphere that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit. The Barbara Goleman High School family is extremely proud of the accomplishments and philosophy of the school’s namesake and will continue to honor Ms. Goleman by emulating her commitment to excellence. Ms. Barbara Goleman Barbara Goleman High School is the first in Miami-Dade County named after one of its teachers. Barbara Goleman was a Miami-Dade County language arts teacher and supervisor. Ms. Goleman began her career with M-DCPS in 1954 at Miami Jackson High School after receiving her master’s degree from Florida State University. While teaching at Miami Jackson, Ms. Goleman was named the 1969 National Teacher of the Year. In 1975, Ms. Goleman went to North Miami Beach Senior to teach and serve as a staff development specialist for internship programs. Ten years later, Ms. Goleman went to the district office as an administrator for language arts. She shared her love of teaching and language with teachers throughout the district and the country. By her example she taught others what great teaching should be. Her greatest concern and interest, of course, was the student. Everything she believed in was directed toward helping students be the best they could be. Ms. Goleman retired in 1990. At the Dedication Ceremony for Barbara Goleman High School, Ms. Goleman directed her remarks to those whom she cared for most: “What do I wish for you, the students, the teachers, the full staff of this exciting brand new school? I wish that every student will feel that people in this school truly care about her or him, that people here believe that learning is the most exciting human endeavor – far beyond mere textbook encounters; that understanding and compassion in our hearts can replace intolerance and animosity and prejudice; that service, not greed, carries honor and self-fulfillment; that we as human beings can make our own meaning out of life; that we can make mistakes and still go on and create new meaning. I wish for every teacher and administrator and service person that this school environment will be warm and supportive, that there be opportunity for growth, that teamwork and cooperation and mutual respect prevail. I wish for this school the highest form of school spirit, love of excellence, honor for sportsmanship and citizenship and scholarship, respect for diversity, simply caring for one another.” The students and staff of Barbara Goleman High School are honored and proud to have such an extraordinary educator as our inspiration. Burgundy & Las Vegas Gold Gators We sing of praise We sing of pride Our trust and loyalty, Our lives we place Within your arms The Gold and Burgundy. Warmed by the Sun’s Atlantic shore Soft breezes through the trees, Barbara Goleman Senior High Will lead us To our dreams. We fondly value Knowledge shared As years pass slowly by, True Gator spirit Thrives in us At Goleman Senior High. Go Goleman Gators We will march onto victory. We wave our school banners Dressed in gold and burgundy. We sing of our spirit proudly For all the world to see. Our goal is to make our mark in history. Barbara Goleman Senior High School’s History Barbara Goleman Senior High School opened its doors to its founding group of students on August 28, 1995.The first students to call the school their home were 1,037 freshmen and 763 sophomores, many of whom came from Jose Marti Middle School. The school’s mascot, the gator, and its colors, burgundy and Las Vegas gold, were selected by the first graduating class. The school is the first school in Miami-Dade County Public Schools named after one of its teachers. In 1969, Barbara Goleman was named the National Teacher of the Year, a recognition awarded at the White House by former President Richard Nixon. Located in the Town of Miami Lakes, the school sits on 37.5 acres of land and houses twelve buildings. The nearly one-thousand seat auditorium provides an excellent facility for musical/theatre productions. Additionally, with a capacity of nearly 3,000, the gymnasium is an exceptional facility for a multitude of sporting events. Students at Barbara Goleman Senior High School enjoy a plethora of extra-curricular activities that enhance their high school career. In addition to a challenging and comprehensive curriculum that encourages students to become productive young adults, the school provides them with the opportunity to join service clubs, honor societies, and athletic teams to expand their experiences beyond the classroom. The Athletic Department also offers students the opportunity to participate in a wide range of competitive sports teams that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit. Goleman students may also join one of three academies that are part of the National Academy Foundation (NAF) to enrich their learning experiences. The school offers its students classes in the Academy of Finance, Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, and the Academy of Information Technology. Since its inception, Barbara Goleman Senior High School has emphasized the importance of each individual’s ability to take constructive action to benefit their community and society and make the world a better place. It is only fitting that a school named after a top-notch teacher, produces top-quality students. Go Gators! Barbara Goleman High School 14100 NW 89 Avenue Miami Lakes, Florida 33018 www.barbaragolemansenior.com GolemanGators on Twitter RT @ACTStudent : Superscore ❓: How do you superscore the #ACT? 🗣️: Gather all your ACT score reports, identify your highest score from each… 2 days ago RT @ACTStudent : #ACT Test Tip: If you regularly use a calculator in your mathematics work, use one you're familiar with when you take the A… 2 days ago Anti-Discrimination Policy - English \| Spanish \| Haitian Creole COPYRIGHT © 2018 - MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24262
__label__wiki	0.695478	0.695478	Funding For Policy Scandal – Australia Is A Kleptocracy Do you want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes? h/t to Twitterer @Kmorefive for bringing the following to my attention. From Business Spectator (emphasis added) – An ALP funding horror Robert Gottliebsen If an election is held in the next few months, Australian banks will play a big role in the outcome. And unless there is a dramatic change in the fortunes of the parties, the banks will still be key players if (as is likely) the next election is two years away. Australia has rarely seen such a banking/election event in its history and it certainly did not occur in recent elections. The looming role of the banks could force the ALP into a pre-election leadership change and in extreme situations force it to modify its carbon tax. To understand the pivotal role of Australian banks in the funding of political parties requires a deep knowledge of how the system works. For the most part, in the vicinity of three quarters of a major party’s funding in most elections comes from the public purse. The ‘public purse’ amounts are allocated to parties after the election in accordance with the proportion of the votes that are achieved. But there is no forward allocation of money. The distribution of ‘public purse’ money is strictly governed by the proportion of the votes actually achieved. ALP organisers are not looking forward to meeting with their bankers as the election nears. They are deeply apprehensive that as a result of current opinion polls, their bankers will slash the amount of election funding available to the ALP and lock it into a low vote. Conversely, Liberal and National Party organisers believe that as a result of their opinion polling they will receive a huge increase in support from their bankers to fund unprecedented amounts of advertising and promotion. If, theoretically, an election was to be held in a few months’ time, ALP organisers would go to their bankers and negotiate to borrow the money required to fund the campaign expecting to pay it back when they receive their ‘public purse’ money after the election. This might be the conversation: Banker: What proportion of the votes do the opinion polls suggest you will gain? ALP organiser: The current Nielson poll suggests we would gain 26 per cent of the primary vote but we know we will do better. Banker: Maybe you will, but if I lend you money that represents the amount you will receive from the ‘public purse’ if you attained, say, 40 per cent of the vote, I might bankrupt the ALP if you only receive 26 per cent because you could not pay me back. That would not only give my bank a bad debt but it would be disastrous for Australian democracy. ALP organiser: But it will be disastrous for Australian democracy if we are decimated at the polls because we have only meagre advertising money. Banker: I am sorry but I have shareholders and I need a safety margin. I will fund your advertising on the basis that you receive 20 per cent of the votes. You will need to be much more skilled in using non-advertising promotions. The Coalition conversations with their bankers would be the exact reverse of this. The ALP organisers fear that the party is going to be much more dependent on union contributions than it has been in recent times. This may tend to spin the party to the left, although many unions are opposed to the carbon tax. Those unions opposed to the carbon tax may require modification before they inject ‘rescue’ money. However, if they see Tony Abbott moving to water down industrial relations legislation they may be tempted to dig deep. In the case of the Coalition, the parties will depend less on contributions from party members and corporate supporters, assuming they maintain the current lead in the polls. In reality, if the current opinion poll levels are maintained then it will make it very difficult for the ALP to gain the election funding to change its fortunes at the polls. As the horror of this outcome becomes apparent to party members, they may seek to replace the prime minister with someone who might either lift the party’s ratings in the polls or who will attract more union rescue money. The ALP has its back to the wall. There you have it. The banksters do have a powerful, direct influence over the direction this nation goes. Now we understand even more clearly, why a Banksters’ Glee Club comprising a clear majority bank-employed “leading” economists has been publicly barracking for the government’s carbon pricing scheme scam. Mr Gottliebsen’s revelations on how electoral funding really works in practice are seriously troubling, in their implications for what amounts to a clear opening for the perversion of the democratic process. And yet, I think he is (perhaps naively?) completely misunderstanding what those implications are, in terms of the most controversial public policy right now. Quite simply, he’s reading the implications backwards. Because I suspect that the ALP will not have much difficulty in getting the loans they want/need for their election campaign. Especially whilstever they cling to the bankster-driven “pricing carbon” policy. And in terms of the Liberal Party, in light of the constant appeals for donations that seemingly appear in all of their public communications collateral (emails, newsletters etc), I suspect that the anti-carbon tax Abbott-led Coalition is not sitting as prettily with their bankers as Mr Gottliebsen seems to believe. Now, to an interesting and directly related front. If our basic contention – as implied by Mr Gottliebsen’s article – is that our political parties’ policies can be and ultimately are determined by their financial backers’ willingness to loan (or donate) to their election campaign funding, then we only see further supporting evidence for that somewhat chilling reality check in this news story about another of Green-Labor’s proposed policies (emphasis added) – About 1800 cement industry jobs are at risk from Labor’s carbon tax and proposed new shipping rules, the federal opposition says. Nationals leader Warren Truss says the $2 billion a year industry is facing a double whammy under the Gillard government. He says domestic cement manufacturers could be killed off by “dirtier” imports, made cheaper under the carbon tax. “The paradox is Australian cement production is a leader in low emission technology and any shift to imports will force global CO2 emissions to rise,” Mr Truss said in a statement. Mr Truss said Australian cement had the world’s second lowest greenhouse gas emissions behind Japan. “But the carbon tax will price Australia’s cleaner cement out of the market, giving the green light to our international competitors to boost their higher CO2-emitting production and flood Australia with dirty cement,” he said. “… the Australian cement industry will be crushed by competitors who will not be paying a carbon tax.” Mr Truss said Labor was also rewriting the Navigation Act to force businesses that ship products around Australia to use local, union-dominated vessels. He said “unionised shipping” costs significantly more than current market rates, which would be another blow to the industry. “Right now it costs about the same to ship cement from China to Australia as it does to ship it from Adelaide to Port Kembla,” he said. “Under the Gillard government’s sop to the maritime union, our biggest competitors in cement – China, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand – will dramatically undercut Australian suppliers on shipping costs alone.” He said a large section of the cement manufacturing sector would not be compensated under the carbon tax plan. The compensation package only applied to processing clinker, the first stage of making cement, he said. “The second milling stage to make what we know as cement receives no compensation,” Mr Truss said. So, the real reason why the Green-Labor Government has been slowly re-regulating (ie, re-unionising) the Australian economy … is because they need their money to finance their election campaign. The lesson we must learn? When it comes to the all-important consideration of why a politician or party really adopts the policy/s that they do, the Golden Rule always applies. Follow The Money. The following of which will always lead you down the rabbit hole … into the wonderland of global finance. More honestly and accurately called, “bankstering”. Ladies and gentlemen … we are not living in a democracy. We are living in a kleptocracy. What are you going to do about that? Tags: ALP, bankers, business spectator, campaign funding, carbon tax, kleptocracy, robert gottliebsen ← The “500 Biggest Polluters” Exposed – Everything The Government Is Not Telling You Barnaby Brings The Elephant Into The Room →	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24263
__label__wiki	0.605867	0.605867	MoonRightRomantic Everything posted by MoonRightRomantic Just uploaded most of the yahoo groups files to here MoonRightRomantic replied to MoonRightRomantic's topic in Nephilim The rulebook mentioned eight elements, not six or seven. Sun/Solar, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Moon/Lunar, Black Moon/Lunar, and Black Sun/Saturnian/Orichalka. Alien Ka is such a fascinating concept given Nephilim’s cosmology. In the French, the “shen” (Chinese nephilim, called “xian-ren” on the English mailing list) purified their Air Ka and Lunar Ka to create Wood Ka and Metal Ka (or Qi). Nephilim’s pentacle is identical to the Wu Xing pentacle except for that rename (Air=Wood, Lunar=Metal). IIRC from the archives of the old 90s mailing list discussions, you guys were considering that non-Western nephilim would have different elements (the French version had vaguely similar ideas in its Exiles supplement, like the historical Ghost Dance disabling orichalka in North America). Nowadays, I personally find that unnecessary (and like a lot of 90s RPG material concerning foreign cultures, often extremely ignorant and unintentionally offensive) since Nephilim’s default cosmology already owes plenty to taoist alchemy and other non-Western occultism. Nephilim, expanded universe. MoonRightRomantic replied to Zulfikar Zaban's topic in Nephilim Yep. Even today, what makes Nephilim stand out from World of Darkness is that the protagonists aren’t a*holes trying to conquer the world so they can enslave and/or eat humanity. The secret societies, the villains, are the ones trying to conquer the world and performing mass human sacrifice. That should be obvious from the fact that in the secret history of Nephilim the very mortal secret societies were responsible for the Holocaust. As for the second point, I think that making the game more accessible (e.g. starting as a normal person awakening to the occult underworld, recalling past lives during play, etc) would necessarily require changing the nephilim to awakened humans rather than elemental spirits stealing human bodies. The KaIm can still exist in the lore as the creators of humanity and ancestors of the nephilim, and it makes sense to me that their experiments yielded fruit in the form of humans awakening as nephilim. This would also fit into the multiple modern meanings of the Hebrew world nephilim. It means “fallen ones”, either from grace (fallen angels) or in battle (demigod heroes). The former would be KaIm, the later awakened elemental humans. At least that is what I think. I have been brainstorming a lot on trying to integrate nephilim, selenim, and ar-kaim (and various other weird options like the cruxim and the 666) into the setting as awakened humans, as well as various other cosmological concerns. The original French game was, like a lot of 90s games, really haphazard and messy in its rules and setting. The scanned translation of Selenim, for example, is full of rambling tangents and weird ideas unsupported by concrete rules. For example, one paragraph speculates that Saurians live on Saturn and sent the Orichalka meteor in vengeance for their dead kin. The English adaptation was so much cleaner and concise, even reviews by French gamers applaud it. Highlander seems to have been a major inspiration for a lot of the urban fantasy roleplaying games of the 1990s. A lot of them were dismissed as knock-offs of White Wolf, but that is unfair. Incoming rant! I for one dislike White Wolf's virtual monopoly on the urban fantasy roleplaying game market for the last thirty-odd years. Whenever people tell me to play a White Wolf game or make reference to their games as some kind of game industry standard (as if no other games exist and White Wolf doesn't liberally steal all their ideas from elsewhere), I get peeved. Most of the reason I am interested in Nephilim is because it isn't White Wolf: even thirty-odd years after its first publication, it's a breath of fresh air in the stagnant American market. Fair enough. As I said, the English fandom had the opposite problem. There seemed to be a general dislike of the nephilim for 1) being body-stealing parasites, and 2) overwhelming new players with massive backstory and complicated character creation. I’m surprised I only discovered it recently, but apparently the French third edition introduced the idea of “natural” nephilim who are essentially awakened humans. More specifically, the ar-kaïm and “natural” selenim. In prior editions it was mentioned that new nephilim could be born from Nexuses (carried over in English adaptation), but this was later retconned: all nephilim were former KaIm that were imprisoned in stases (in the French stasis was a prison made by secret societies, not nephilim) and incarnated in human bodies. The ar-kaïm were humans awakened with elemental powers but they lacked past lives; one supplement referred to them as “astrological nephilim” (as their character concept was based on zodiac signs). The selenim were mostly former nephilim, but some were spontaneously born from humans like ar-kaïm. They lacked past lives too. What I find odd is that this concept of awakened humans was never carried over to the nephilim proper. I wonder how these concepts could be worked into Ex Oculus. I asked the groups.io list about ExOc and am waiting on a response. Nephilim, Superworld - Does Anyone Still Play These RPGs? MoonRightRomantic replied to ColoradoCthulhu's topic in Basic Roleplaying The English adaptation was not a faithful translation. It made a bunch of changes to the lore and replaced core mechanics in supplements. About a decade ago some of the freelancers and other Nephilim fans from the mailing list drafted plans for a new edition tentatively named Ex Oculus. In this setting, the nephilim were changed to reincarnating human souls with elemental powers. It paid lip-service to the prior edition by claiming there was evidence to the contrary without ever showing any and letting PCs choose their own POV. The English adaptation’s awakened human concept appears loosely in the French third edition as the character type Ar-Kaïm. They are awakened humans with elemental powers, but no past lives or ancient identity. They deal primarily with mundane concerns over occult. I would really like to see the English adaptation get a chance to explore its nascent ideas. Concepts like selenim, xian-ren, shamanism, revised summoning, and so forth never got explored in the new lore and rules context. I have no idea how ar-kaïm would be handled therein. With the yahoo group shuttering, the English mailing list archives are being deleted forever and the few people who posted recently have moved to a new list on groups.io opened by Shannon Patrick. Sadly the cost to easy import the yahoo archives is too high ($200 last I checked) so it never sent out a message to the whole member list. Until December this is your last chance to archive anything. MoonRightRomantic replied to Tigerwomble's topic in Basic Roleplaying I agree that a BRP Rules Companion would be useful. Things like potency vs severity for diseases/poisons, percentile characteristics, and other innovations from BRP products released since 4th edition. Not only that, but I would love it if forgotten rules from old supplements could be referenced and revised as well, like Nephilim's potency mechanics (expanded from disease/poison to apply libraries and other things) and changing Appearance to Charisma, or RuneQuest's various spirits that could do things like storing power points, healing, causing madness or disease, etc. At least if equivalents don't already exist, do they? The BRP catalogue is extensive and difficult for me to parse. Revising the summoning system? MoonRightRomantic posted a topic in Nephilim So the summoning system never received a revision like the sorcery and alchemy systems did. Sorcery was revised in the Liber Ka sourcebook. Alchemy was revised in the unpublished Slaying the Dragon sourcebook. Both systems were revised and reprinted in Enlightened Magic for BRP. The closest we have to a revision of summoning is the third circle spell "Summoning" on page 54 of Enlightened Magic. Could that be expanded into a whole enlightened summoning skill with three circles? Here are a couple extracts from the old mailing list: While I think some suggestions may be needlessly complex, the overall idea is that summoning invocations would be performed as rituals to call and bind an entity into service, or compel an entity that already exists in proximity (e.g. exorcising demons, calming an elemental creature, binding a nephilim/homunculus into oaths of servitude). In general summoning would be more powerful than sorcery, although the risks would likewise be higher. What do you think? nephilim Revised Alchemy Formulas MoonRightRomantic posted a file in Other Original description: "Here are the Alchemy formulas from the rulebook, revised for the system presented in Slaying the Dragon. I'm attaching them to this email as a word document. If anyone has criticisms, feel free to reply." Originally uploaded as attachment to yahoo group 30 Nov, 2011 Nephilim clone? Yes, Shannon Patrick from the nephilim mailing list. I have been thinking about possible alternatives. Removing the ka roll, and by extension the sacrifice mechanic, has a ripple effect on how casting works because mortal sorcerers rely on the sacrifice mechanic to cast spells. That may not be a bad thing, since the ka roll/sacrifice felt like a needless tax and the elixir holding multiple magic point pools was completely different from nephilim casting anyway. In the Ex Oculus rules, at least the 2010 draft I have, somebody apparently noticed this disparity since in those rules the nephilim track their five ka separately rather than deriving them with math from dominant ka. Since we are talking about selenim too: they spend ka from their ka pool (distinct from their ka core) by default without a sacrifice ritual in a manner similar to the spending of ch'awe. Incidentally, ch'awe was only added in the English adaptation. The saturnian spells in Secret Societies are perhaps the most complex: they require spending ch'awe, a skill roll, a ka roll, a sacrifice of elixir, and a sacrifice of awakened orichalka. The awakened orichalka is sacrificed by spilling the elixir's blood on the metal lump. Both the French and English versions were more complicated than they needed to be and seemed to enjoy inventing new subsystems in every book. I would prefer a universal guideline over these. I think a simpler universal system would be if, I don't know, characters had a magic point pool for each type of ka they had and spent points from that to cast spells instead of ch'awe. If they didn't have the relevant point pool, then they couldn't cast the spell unless they drew it from someone or something else like a sacrificial victim, an elixir, or lump of awakened orichalka. The sacrifice ritual would cost more but provide additional benefit, similar to the various overexertion or action point rules in many RPGs. But that's just one idea. EDIT: Perhaps the sacrifice ritual allows a nephilim to draw from the ka of another nephilim? For example, elemental affinity of a spell relies on who provides the ka; two nephilim could synergise their abilities by having one provide the occult training and another provide the elemental affinity. The secret societies perverted this into a form of involuntary human sacrifice. Definitely. I saw plenty of useful ideas in Ex Oculus (e.g. concealing the backstory about saurians, kaim, atlantis, lilith, etc rather than overwhelming players with it at the start) and various homebrew (e.g. distinguish ka types by evolving/elemental/residual). At the same time, I would prefer to avoid turning it into a clone of Mage: The Awakening or something. With the revisions to alchemy and sorcery from Liber Ka and unpublished Slaying the Dragon (ultimately revised and reprinted in Enlightened Magic), I thought that necromancy and so forth could be represented as black moon spells under those occult skills in the same way as saturnian spells. Since only selenim have black moon, only they could use these spells (but conversely they couldn't use other elements). They didn't necessarily need an entirely new set of skills that essentially do the same thing as the nephilim skills except only for black moon spells. For example, The King in Yellow makes sense as an enchanted work of Black Moon White Stone Alchemy. I didn't mean it in the sense of them casting other elemental magic, just consolidating the eight elements into a unified system. Elixirs are horrifying because their creation generally involves mass murder, and it doesn't make sense that the selenim would gleefully slaughter nephilim to create them. Indeed? What direction would that be? What I personally liked about the selenim lore was its heavy inspiration from Necroscope. The selenim were uniquely able to speak with the dead and build a rapport with them, largely distinct from their history with the nephilim and secret societies. The "ghouls" are essentially just a retread of Dracula's depiction of Renfield as Dracula's servant and vampirism as a gradual infection. GURPS Blood Types has an entry on half-vampires that encompasses several beings in folklore and fiction. What little I could piece together of the selenim from the English books and mailing list archives was definitely uninformed. They were mentioned as inventing sarcophagi as a precursor to stasis object (in the French this never happened, stasis was invented by the secret societies to imprison nephilim), spending periods of time in hibernation (in the French, this wasn't feasible due to entropy; they weren't VtM vampires), and at least their cultists in the Cultes des Goules believed they need human sacrifices and practiced cannibalism (in the French, they were emotional vampires). And the 2nd and 3rd editions introduced a variety of new things like nephilim/selenim hybrids, new selenim being spontaneously born from the spirits of dreamers, and the arkaim who had black moon-ka but didn't suffer from entropy. Sorry I haven't responded, I've been busy lately. Yes, Enlightened Magic is the latest version of the sorcery and alchemy mechanics. It does have key divergences from Nephilim though, like characters not tracking multiple POW characteristics and not rolling twice to cast spells. There's no skills for summoning, either, since that never received a revision. (The most summoning got was additional spells for manipulating elemental creatures that spontaneously arose from plexus and nexus; ironically, this is very similar in concept to the selenim's conjuration skill from the French third edition.) The "ex oculus" drafts I got from Shannon almost a decade ago still tracks multiple KA characteristics and requires rolling twice to cast spells (which also determine the mechanics for elixirs). The EM rules do make me wonder whether Nephilim could stand to be simplified. Are there simpler ways to represent the same thing? We also need to take into account the mechanics from other supplements, like the saturnian spells and solar-ka techniques in Secret Societies, the planned Selenim rules, and the Ar-KaIm from the French third edition. Based on Ian's old preview notes from his long dead prodigy pages site (which I helpfully archived), the tenebrae, necromancy, and black summoning would be introduced as their own skills. However, this is incongruous with the saturnian spells in Secret Societies using the standard nephilim occult techniques of sorcery, summoning, and alchemy. Why can't the black moon spells rely on the nephilim's occult techniques as saturnian spells do? How would these skills manifest differently for the selenim? The French Selenim and Black Book rules also included mechanics for things like orichalcum addiction and nephilim or muggles being "infected" with black moon-ka, which are very loosely similar in concept to the cultivation of saturnian-ka in Secret Societies. Does black moon infection allow one to cast black moon spells without being selenim? Could selenim or the undead (living or dead humans infected with black moon-ka) cultivate saturnian-ka within themselves? What exactly is the difference between the selenim and the undead? So many questions that have never been answered. I remember now. A long time ago Shannon sent me a copy of a planned Nephilim revision dated 2010. It explains concepts like fugue, parasite and so forth. Compared to the standard Nephilim lore, it is much more mysterious and unexplained. The backstory prior to the development of human civilization (e.g. saurians, kaim, atlantis) are not given, so PCs do not know where nephilim come from and generally behave as awakened reincarnating human beings. It has a number of innovations, such as scoring past lives by how well they are remembered and allowing nephilim to remember additional past lives by spending experience points. The sanity system is expanded, with each ka-element linked to particular stresses. I don't have permission to share it since it was put together by the freelancers IIRC, so you may need to ask Shannon about whether it can be shared. I don't mean that it becomes a happy circumstance; it should definitely be a heavy burden and it shouldn't be some kind of conscious relationship between the simulacrum and elemental. What I mean is that critics call the nephilim body-stealing parasites, a la the horror trope. This was a popular topic of discussion on the mailing list back in the day. The way I heard it explained, the difference is that vampires generally don't pretend they aren't monsters. The nephilim are depicted as an unjustly persecuted minority by comparison, even though they steal the bodies of unsuspecting innocent people and wreck their lives. Hence the suggestion that this be rewritten to be less of a conventional possession and more of a sympathy between the simulacrum and nephilim. Okay. That does not fit with the nephilim cosmology as presented. I am generally opposed to completely rewriting the setting, and the English adaptation has already taken major liberties from the original French. Michael Bishop wrote a simple house rule to store 50% of your occult points for spending during play, but it wasn't as extreme as recalling whole past lives during play. Speaking of character creation, I archived house rules involving advanced past lives and easy character creation. That reminds me. I talked with Shannon a few years ago about custom rules she thought of, which included the additional insanity state "Fugue"/"Sekhat" in which the nephilim was overwhelmed by the personality of a past life and forgot their other memories. I can't remember the details beyond that. One idea I had for making Nephilim easier to grok would be to allow characters to recall past lives during play rather than starting with convoluted character creation, although this may not be feasible under the BRP rules. Aside from being newbie unfriendly, another possible problem with the game's premise is that Nephilim are presented as parasites possessing human bodies. While sufficient for antagonists in a horror or conspiracy game, it isn't really appropriate for protagonists. One way I think that this could be addressed, in tandem with recalling past lives during play, is that the relationship between the human and nephilim personalities be rewritten to make them less seemingly villainous. Rather than parasites, it might be better to characterize them as symbiotic. To some degree this concept of merger between elemental and simulacrum is already present in the standard rules, since nephilim rely on their simulacrum's characteristics plus the bonus from their ka's meta-characteristics. I would prefer not to characterize them as awakened humans because that's already what every other modern magic game does, because that doesn't fit with the rest of the cosmology and magic system, and because that makes certain character types like selenim and ar-kaim untenable. For example, perhaps the shouit mechanic could be rewritten. Instead of the nephilim suffering sudden amnesia after a critical on a skill roll, they accrue shouit points for failing to maintain their muggle relationships to represent the muggle side's emotional turmoil. When shouit does take over, the muggle personality doesn't forget everything but merely doesn't remember the occult life and their psyche devises explanations to explain it away; although specifics may vary by character. Conversely, the khaiba mechanic could be rewritten in a similar fashion. Rather than simply accruing with critical rolls until it maxes and forces a state of khaiba, points could accumulate on a meter in opposition to shouit points. Khaiba represents the base nature of the nephilim without the human side to anchor them, so nephilim are truly gestalt beings rather than elemental spirits possessing human bodies. So what effect does this have on the culture of the nephilim? It means that they would prefer simulacra who are sympathetic to them, because otherwise the fusion simply would not work well if at all. You could go so far as to say that nephilim simply cannot merge with a simulacrum that doesn't meet a minimal threshold of psychological compatibility, or that if they do it causes extreme personality changes in the nephilim. This would be very difficult to roleplay, so switching simulacra shouldn't be a frequent thing. (E.g. look at Dax from Star Trek for an example.) Most of the Major Arcana work fine with this adjustment, save for those like Devil, Hanged Man, Death, and Moon, plus the ar-kaim. Those require a bit more thought. Devil believe enlightenment is found through khaiba and reject the muggle world entirely. Naturally, they might form genuine satanic cults in order to find simulacra with compatible personality types who won't accrue too much shouit points. In any case, Devil are probably not appropriate as PCs given their obviously antisocial culture. That they are an arcanum at all is interesting by itself. Hanged Man aren't as extreme under the symbiotic POV. They are probably the most similar to the awakened human mages in other RPGs, since they lack the ready access to past life memories and ancient perspective of other nephilim. However, this in itself gives them a unique POV since they think of themselves first as their current muggle lives and not as reincarnating wizards with ancient grudges. Moon encompasses nephilim with animal rather than human simulacra. If they are merges of elemental and simulacrum, then this raises the question of where their intelligence comes from. Since nephilim rely on the characteristics of their simulacrum plus the bonus from meta-characteristics, this means that the Moon Arcanum is at an intellectual disadvantage because their simulacra are animals. On the other hand, it does give them more reason to interact with muggles rather than living in total isolation like the Hermit Arcanum. After all, who do you think inspired the myths of the witch's familiar? Death is synonymous with selenim. In the French version, later editions apparently added that selenim could be born of the black moon field or "the spirits of dreamers" without having once been nephilim. I couldn't find a detailed source to confirm the nature of this, but I suppose it would be fine to run with the idea since the plans for the Chaosium adaptation involved major changes to the selenim lore like adding sarcophagi as a stasis precursor/equivalent. Black moon magic allows the selenim to manipulate solar-ka in ways unknown to the nephilim, such that they no longer have to worry about shouit and may switch simulacrum at will; I don't know how we would want to adapt any of this. Ar-kaim were never adapted into English. They were basically modern day superheroes with "talents" that worked like superpowers rather than the occult sciences. Ar-kaim are created when a muggle finds themselves at the right astrological conjunction and gets empowered with a "heart" of elemental ka. The heart may contain all eight of the ka elements, including black moon-ka and orichalcum/saturnian-ka. They haven't been around long enough to accumulate past lives, but the third edition included very brief rules for reincarnation. Not sure how they would be represented in BRP. Ideally our rules should account for selenim and ar-kaim rather than starting with nephilim and adding them later. For example, saturnian spells from Secret Societies use the existing occult sciences rather than inventing new ones; black moon spells could work the same. Not sure how to account for ar-kaim superpowers other than the "elemental effects" optional rule from Liber Ka p. 88; their shtick is that their innate abilities work like superpowers rather than spell-casting, which might not work well with the modern occult theme unless we draw inspiration from psychic phenomena. Yahoo Groups is shutting down in December, with uploads being disabled next week. I'm glad I saved all the important files. Sadly I didn't think to save the photos and desktops, and the yahoo server is now having outages that prevent a last minute backup. There's so much else I wanted to save that I may not get a chance to, but I've resigned myself to the loss of years of history. If anybody wants to help pay for the transfer to groups.io, then ask Shannon for details. On a more positive note, here are two links to Nephilim-related websites: https://nephilim.obsidianportal.com/ This is somebody's campaign site, but it does include some neat ideas on cosmology like "evolving ka" and "residual ka" that I find quite useful for explanation. (Their info on Selenim is pure homebrew with no relation to the French original.) http://bmo.altervista.org/Nephilim/index.htm This is where I archived a bunch of old nephilim websites for posterity. There are a bunch of interesting ideas for mechanics hidden there. I had plenty of ideas for revising the selenim rules, beyond what was originally planned for the English adaptation (according to the notes, selenim were going to have invented the precursor of stasis objects, meaning they would have their own equivalent that was absent in the French original). Among other things, it might make more sense to introduce the black moon spells for the existing occult sciences rather than introduce new black moon skills. The sorcery and alchemy rules were revised extensively in Enlightened Magic (unfortunately summoning never got a similar treatment) and Saturnian magic was introduced in the Secret Societies book, so it makes sense from that perspective. Unless we intend to overhaul the magic system again to take into account all eight elements. There were about 90 files I uploaded from four different yahoo groups archives. I could zip them up, sure, but I don't know whether everything would be particularly useful to you. At least here, the files may be sorted fairly easily with the tagging system. And you can put comments on them. And stuff. I didn't upload the Nephilim redux/rewrite files or the unofficial translation of the selenim books since those were specified to be private by the sharers. I also saved an archive of some ancient fansites from decades ago, which might have some useful ideas. Since Yahoo Groups is unstable, I copied over most of the files to here (except, as of this writing, the photos and desktop wallpapers). There wasn't a nephilim section, so I used the tagging system to keep the files organized. Hopefully this doesn't cause any problems. If the mods have anything to say, I will defer to their judgment. Thanks! nephilim Selenim manuscript.pdf.PdfCompressor-218763.pdf OCR/compressed version of the Selenim manuscript selenim nephilim Arcanum XIII - The Unnamed.doc The introduction to Selenim for the Chaosium edition, copied from Ian Young's old site. character generation nephilim The Selenim Files.pdf An archive of Ian Young's notes and the translated manuscript (except the section on realms, to be added later). Digitized for easy reading. nephilim Selenim - Character Sheet.pdf A crude sheet for portraying Selenim characters (based on Ian Young's notes). character sheet nephilim Selenim-pt1.pdf The Selenim manuscript from the MultiSim 1st edition, translated by Philippe Auribeau. Originally intended to be edited and expanded for the Chaosium edition, the document includes brief, hand-written editorial remarks from Ian Young. The manuscript has been separated into two files for ease of transfer. Originally uploaded to yahoo group by ianabsentia Jun 30, 2007 Selenim-pt2.pdf nephilim Nature_of_Agartha.txt Doyle's Essay Summary. Originally uploaded to yahoo group by simon_hibbs2 on Feb 21, 2002 nephilim Campaign_Plan.txt David Chart's campaign plan. Originally uploaded to yahoo group by simon_hibbs2 on Feb 28, 2002 adventure ideas nephilim timezone.jpg World TimeZone Map. Originally uploaded to yahoo group by agarthan_at_work on Jul 30, 2001	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24264
__label__wiki	0.529009	0.529009	Feature: FreedOM Therapeutics, at The Brunswick Center in BGT Focus, Featured Business Where therapeutic massage and yoga are combined, to refresh oneself both physically and mentally: FreedOM Therapeutics Working 65 to 70 hours a week in the retail industry, Oneika Mays found herself constantly stressed, tired and aching. That is, until she found yoga. Today, the longtime Jersey City resident has long left the world of retail behind and is a licensed massage therapist, yoga teacher and owner of FreedOM Therapeutics. “When people first get on my table, I have them take a moment and breathe so they have a sense of awareness. Then we do a gentle body scan, face-up or face-down, which gives them a chance to bring themselves into this moment,” said Mays. “Using yoga and meditation in conjunction with massage gets people inspired and helps them set their mind on self-healing.” Mays, who has taught yoga to everyone from cancer patients to prisoners on Rikers Island, says therapeutic massage and yoga combined allow her clients to refresh themselves both physically and mentally. In the case of her patients with athletic injuries, she says they can even heal faster with her help. “Working with stretches is such a different way to explore therapeutics than statically lying on a table — You just feel more moved.” She tailors each 60- to 90-minute session for each client. Some of her patients just opt for yoga, others for just massage, and for several, her winning combo of both. “Some people like to do therapeutic postures before moving onto the table, or even stretches with a yoga feel on the table,” she said. “Working with stretches is such a different way to explore therapeutics than statically lying on a table. You just feel more moved!” Being in the Brunswick Center also adds to the experience, she says. “It’s amazing. The energy in this space just feels so good — there are people doing spin, kickboxing and even capoeira! Everyone is so community-oriented and it’s just such a friendly place,” she said, adding that the center is one of the most fantastic community resources in the Village neighborhood and Jersey City overall. “There is an explosion happening in Jersey City that is absolutely incredible, especially with local businesses that have a wellness spin,” said Mays. “It feels like the time is right to be here. It’s great to see how Jersey City has blossomed into a great place for people to live and now, work.” For more information, visit FreedOM Therapeutics.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24267
__label__wiki	0.656925	0.656925	Watford 1 Burnley 2 (27/11/2007) 27/11/2007 Five thunks from Burnley: 1- F***ing hell. 2- And it should have been worse. I struggle to remember a clearer cut penalty call not given than Jay Demerit’s “Royal Mail” tackle on ?McCann? in the first half. 3- I guess that’s what nine-point cushions are for. But we need to instill some variety in our attacking play before Saturday; it should take more to stop us playing than doubling up on our wide midfielders. 4- Thank heavens for Lloydy, one glinting coin nestled in a pile of manure. A shame that his one sidestep towards a reckless foray forward allowed our visitors to break for the second goal. 5- Burnley boast an astonishing array of old second tier lags; thirteen of their sixteen were familiar faces at this level, and in Graham Alexander, David Unsworth, Ade Akinbiyi, Robbie Blake, Steve Jones, Alan Mahon and Gabor Kiraly Owen Coyle has a troupe that a predecessor Stan Ternent would have been proud of. Oh Mickey, what a pity 15/11/2007 It’s difficult not to be cynical about ex-footballers in administrative positions. Team management and coaching is one thing; top ex-players have obviously been there and done that, been exposed to a range of top coaches and therefore have something of a head start (even if a glittering professional career isn’t a prerequisite to a successful coaching career – witness Wenger, Taylor, Boothroyd, or even a guarantee of one – too many examples to mention). But administration is something different, several steps away from the goings on on the pitch of which a player has direct experience. So it was difficult not to be a little cynical when Michel Platini was elected as head of UEFA in January. Yes, he had managed the national side, yes he had masterminded the successful 1998 World Cup in France. But this is the top job in European Football, for which being able to pick a pass as well as anyone of his generation was no preparation at all. Since when Platini has been something of a breath of fresh air. Things started well, with the riling of a good number of folk who deserve to be riled as he proposed changes to the hugely lucrative Champions’ (sic) League structure – his suggestions including the limiting of number of entries to three at most per nation, the enforced withholding of one place for the Cup holders and the reserving of a larger number of places for a broader range of national representatives. Cutting to the crux… the Champions’ League has been a hugely successful moneyspinner for those in on the act whose success is measured in pounds or euros. For everyone else, it’s a bit of a disaster. Across Europe the financial rewards of qualification for the group stages have been hugely divisive – not just in England, where the top four’s dominance has only been perturbed by Everton’s fourth place in 2005 within the last four years, but across Europe. Success, and its financial rewards, tend to breed success of course. It was ever thus – but the gap between the haves and have nots has never been as large, as insurmountable. Add to this an inherently conservative (some might say criminally anticompetitive) statistical system for assessing the number of qualification places each nation receives, and you have a situation where the status quo can only be disrupted by a monstrous external investment (on behalf of a competitor) or chronic incompetence (on the part of one of the incumbents). Entertaining as this is when it happens (Guten Tag, Bayern München) it’s hardly enough to sustain interest in an increasingly closed shop. I’ve got no problem with Manchester United, say, or Chelsea or whoever winning the League based on being the best team in the competition. I do have issues with the state of play being so much in favour of preserving the status quo. This was always the motivation behind the Champions League, of course; the vastly inflated incomes of those involved act as a huge barrier to entry to any domestic challengers unable to compete in terms of wages and transfer fees, much as the Premier League structure does the same domestically. And however repellent the G14 concept is, and whatever the conceit of many of those involved, the bottom line is that the guys involved are doing what they’re paid to do – protect the financial interests of their employers. Given that the Champions’ League is UEFA’s flagship club competition, its hugely encouraging to hear their new President make such inclusive, provocative statements. The limit to his influence was betrayed this week, however, when his proposals were largely dismissed by UEFA’s European Professional Football Strategy Council. A body that includes Peter Kenyon, the chairman of the FA Geoff Thompson and the chairman of the Premier League Dave Richards. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas after all. It’s occurred to me in the past that one way that joe public might effectively influence the passage of events might be to organise a public boycott of the shirt sponsors of G14 clubs. After all, however many football fans follow the continent’s largest clubs, very many more of them do not, and even those that do aren’t all driven by self interest. In reality, however, these revenue streams are dwarfed by those from television… and a sponsors boycott might be difficult to popularise if the G14 carries through its plan to double in size. Officially this move was to make their “voice of the clubs” moniker more defensible by greater representativeness. In practice, self-interest on a wider scale is another step towards a European league. Interest in such a thing would surely be far less from country to country than domestic championships currently enjoy, but those involved would glean a much greater share, albeit of a reduced whole. All in all, it’s difficult to see football as anything other than on a path to eating itself. Whatever Monsieur Platini’s admirable intentions. Watford 2 Colchester United 2 (10/11/2007) 10/11/2007 Five Thunks from Colchester 1- Fair play to Colchester… their open, positive approach was as vital in earning them a point as our wasteful finishing and inept defending, speaking of which… 2- When Kevin Frisbee scores against you, you know you’ve got issues. 3- Marlon had failed to find the target with two chances that I had already pencilled in as goals; I didn’t expect him to score the penalty. 4- Adam Johnson. Wow. We should all be praying for an improbable Middlebrough revival. 5- Gavin Mahon. Covered, battled, blocked, fed, spread, chased. Terrific. Norwich City 1 Watford 3 (06/11/2007) 06/11/2007 Dave Messenger’s five thunks from Norwich… 1- Oooo, look at the pretty floodlights… 2- I wonder if we’ll meet Delia Smith. Julian, do you think we’ll meet Delia Smith? 3- Julian, I’m cold. Is it nearly finished yet? 4- I used to run a fanzine, you know. 5- Oooo, look at the pretty floodlights…. Only joking… 1- John Hartson. Destined to be Norwich’s Mickey Quinn. 2- Whoever taught Lloyd Doyley overlapping runs over the summer is a genius. 3- Since when have Watford had 2 physios? Stewart and Mahon were treated simultaneously by Watford tracksuits… 4- Doyley and Mariappa have a £1000 bet on who scores first. Mariappa must have been counting his winnings… 5- Norwich are shite and bottom. So 24,000 midweek is fair play… Watford 0 West Bromwich Albion 3 (04/11/2007) 04/11/2007 Five thunks from yesterday’s game: 1- We never beat Albion anyway. Perhaps fortunate that we spent an off day on a match that we’d tend to lose in any event. 2- We got no breaks in that first half hour… headers that could have crossed the line, goalline clearances, a key player stretchered off and a foul in the build up to the opening goal… 3- …but we need to get that glass jaw seen to. 4- Robbo. Sob. Still. 5- If I had my way, I’d lock the muppets who cheered Mahon’s substitution up in a sealed room with the individuals in my neighbourhood who saw fit to release fireworks at midnight last night and throw away the key. Protecting the gene pool from terminal stupidity, y’see. The horror of the evolutionary potential of this sealed room is perhaps a concern, but in reality if its inhabitants ever worked out how to procreate the offspring would at least preserve the future of radio phone-ins. Which in turn keeps Victoria Derbyshire off the programmes that anyone ever actually listens to.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24268
__label__cc	0.622417	0.377583	Ahentafel index Champions from Normandy A to Z challenges Boltz family index Budge and Gunn family index Cavenagh family index Chauncy family index Cross and Plowright family index Cudmore family index Dana family index Dawson family index de Crespigny family index de Crespigny family index 2 – my English forebears de Crespigny family index 3 – the baronets and their descendants Hughes family index Mainwaring family index Back to 1066 via the Mainwaring family Sullivan family index Young family index ~ An online research journal Trove Tuesday: Flying the Kangaroo route in 1949 Posted by Anne Young in Berlin, Boltz, immigration, Trove Tuesday Qantas Kangaroo Route Advertisement 1948 retrieved from Pinterest Most migrants to Australia, including immigrants in my family, came here by sea. My grandfather is an exception. He arrived by air. Hans Boltz was born on 4 July 1910 in Berlin, where he trained at the State Institute for map drawing as a cartographer. From 1930 to the beginning of World War II he worked for the Prussian Geological State Institute (Geological Survey of Prussia or Preußischen Geologischen Landesanstalt). After the war, when he found his way back to Berlin, he discovered that this building, in Invalidenstraße 44, was situated in the Russian zone. Hans lived in the American zone and, reluctant to travel every day into the Russian-occupied part of the city or move there, he resigned. In 1948 he applied for work with the Australian government, which at the time was recruiting Germans with qualifications and skills in short supply in Australia. He got a job as a cartographer with the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources. Invalidenstraße 44 in Berlin-Mitte, the building of the former Geological Survey of Prussia. Image from Wikimedia Commons. Hans Boltz’s file created by the Department of Post War Reconstruction includes the dates of his journey from Berlin to Canberra: Wednesday 13 July 1949 left Germany for London Sunday 7 August 1949 left London Thursday 11 August 1949 arrived Canberra via Sydney Friday 12 August 1949 commenced working for the Bureau of Mineral Resources. NAA: MT105/8, 1/6/4531 Page 2 of 143 (click to enlarge image) In the late 1980s with the help of my grandfather Hans I spent some time compiling my family tree on my mother’s side. I had bought a book in 1978 called The History of our Family, published by Poplar Books of New Jersey. This had a series of templates for recording family history. One of these was for immigration. Decades afterwards, my grandfather remembered very clearly his trip from Berlin and his arrival, on 11 August 1949. I summarised my grandfather’s recollections as follows: Hans Fritz Boltz emigrated from Berlin to Canberra 11 . 8 . 1949 Aeroplane – Berlin – Hamburg – London 4 weeks London museums / concerts … wandering around sightseeing London – Cairo – Karachi – Singapore – Darwin – Sydney – Helopolis Hotel Cairo Raffles Hotel Singapore Qantas flight In London my grandfather was given English lessons. He was not just a tourist. Qantas Sydney-London Constellation route map retrieved from Pinterest On Trove I have found an advertisement for the route in August 1949. AUSTRALIA-ENGLAND CONSTELLATION SERVICE (1949, August 4). Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW : 1891 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163836624 A Qantas Empire Airways Constellation airliner, photographed by Frank Hurley retrieved from http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/40487425 In 2007 Qantas celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Kangaroo route. This video includes footage of the journey on the Lockheed Constellation aeroplanes. The first flight on the route had departed 1 December 1947. The journey took four days, 55 hours of flying time. There were two overnight stops, one in Cairo and the other in Singapore. In Cairo my grandfather stayed at the Heliopolis Palace Hotel. In Singapore at the Raffles. There were 29 passengers and 11 crew. Poster for the Heliopolis Palace Hotel retrieved from Palace intrigue: Egypt in the Golden Age of Travel Raffles Hotel in 1932. Image from Wikimedia Commons The airfare in 1949 was £260 sterling. By way of comparison my grandfather’s salary on starting with the Australian Public Service as an experienced cartographer was £222 a year and the average earnings for men in Australia was about £220 a year. The Australian government paid my grandfather’s fare. Berlin Blockade. (2017, June 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:55, July 4, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Berlin_Blockade&oldid=785025285 East Berlin. (2017, June 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:04, July 4, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_Berlin&oldid=786178030 West Berlin. (2017, June 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:07, July 4, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Berlin&oldid=788336909 Seite „Preußische Geologische Landesanstalt“. In: Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 30. April 2017, 21:40 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Preu%C3%9Fische_Geologische_Landesanstalt&oldid=165063321 (Abgerufen: 4. Juli 2017, 06:59 UTC ) Seite „Reichsamt für Bodenforschung“. In: Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 8. August 2016, 14:31 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reichsamt_f%C3%BCr_Bodenforschung&oldid=156828824 (Abgerufen: 4. Juli 2017, 07:01 UTC) Kangaroo Route. (2017, June 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:37, July 4, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kangaroo_Route&oldid=784943474 Fare cost in 1949: FARE “WAR” ALLEGED BY BRITISH AIRLINE (1949, January 5). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 – 1954), p. 6 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230238480 My grandfather’s salary: NAA: MT105/8, 1/6/4531 Page 2 of 143 Average weekly earnings for men in Australia in 1949 was $8.44 which converts to approximately $440 or £220. Table LAB153 Average weekly earnings for males 31 December 1949 from Vamplew, Wray, 1943- Australians, historical statistics. Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates, Broadway, N.S.W., Australia, 1987. page 157. C is for career in Canberra Citizenship Day 17 September Sepia Saturday: My grandfather’s back garden Kanu-Club Wannsee K is for Kennengelernt Australia Day: Climbing our family’s gum tree 6 thoughts on “Trove Tuesday: Flying the Kangaroo route in 1949” Crissouli said: A great insight into times past…how wonderful to know so much about your grandfather's journey. The two grandparents who could have told me all about their journeys are long passed, one I never knew, the other when I was just 5. My Greek grandmother wasn't very proficient in English and not one to talk with me re anything that was 'me busyness' as she called almost anything I wanted to know. Great story and research. Anne Young said: My grandfather is not listed on the National Archives' passenger index which is not yet comprehensive but your grandparents might be. I don't remember my grandfather telling me much about the journey. I would love to ask him now what the flight was like and about the stops on the way. Thanks, Anne. I have my grandfather's passenger index, but not my grandmother's. He came over in 1904, she came over around 1910 from what I have found. In those times, women rarely travelled alone from Greece, so for years, I've been ploughing through all passenger records I could find from that era. Often they came with other families from the island, but no luck as yet. I have included your blog in INTERESTING BLOGS in FRIDAY FOSSICKING at https://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2017/07/friday-fossicking-7th-july-2017.html Thanks Chris. I had a similar problem wondering how my great grandmother travelled from Germany on her own. When starting I didn't know when she arrived but my mother remembered my grandparents travelling to Sydney to collect her and approximately the time of year. It was only recently the relevant passenger list became available. Beforehand I used to suggest possible ship names to my mother based on shipping arrival notices from Trove, as a strategy it didn't work 😉 There were still too many ships then and my mother did not remember. Once I found the passenger list at the National Archives freshly indexed and digitised, I went through the passenger list and recognised the surname of family friends of my grandparents. My grandfather and his friend must have arranged for their mothers to travel together. http://ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/g-is-for-great-grandmother-from-germany.html Jill Ball said: So different from today's trip but probably more comfortable and exciting. Pingback: Hans Boltz’s school photograph \| Anne's Family History Follow Anne's Family History on WordPress.com . 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__label__cc	0.578511	0.421489	Study quality on groin injury management remains low: a systematic review on treatment of groin pain in athletes Andreas Serner1,2, Casper H van Eijck3, Berend R Beumer3, Per Hölmich1,2, Adam Weir1, Robert-Jan de Vos4 1Aspetar Sports Groin Pain Center, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar 2Arthroscopic Center Amager, SORC-C, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager-Hvidovre, Denmark 3Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 4Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Correspondence to Dr Robert-Jan de Vos, Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands; r.devos{at}erasmusmc.nl Background Groin pain in athletes is frequent and many different treatment options have been proposed. The current level of evidence for the efficacy of these treatments is unknown. Objective Systematically review the literature on the efficacy of treatments for groin pain in athletes. Methods Nine medical databases were searched in May 2014. Inclusion criteria: treatment studies in athletes with groin pain; randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials or case series; n>10; outcome measures describing number of recovered athletes, patient satisfaction, pain scores or functional outcome scores. One author screened search results, and two authors independently assessed study quality. A best evidence synthesis was performed. Relationships between quality score and outcomes were evaluated. Review registration number CRD42014010262. Results 72 studies were included for quality analysis. Four studies were high quality. There is moderate evidence that, for adductor-related groin pain, active exercises compared with passive treatments improve success, multimodal treatment with a manual therapy technique shortens the time to return to sports compared with active exercises and adductor tenotomy improves treatment success over time. There is moderate evidence that for athletes with sportsman's hernia, surgery results in better treatment success then conservative treatment. There was a moderate and inverse correlation between study quality and treatment success (p<0.001, r=−0.41), but not between study quality and publication year (p=0.09, r=0.20). Conclusions Only 6% of publications were high quality. Low-quality studies showed significantly higher treatment success and study quality has not improved since 1985. There is moderate evidence for the efficacy of conservative treatment (active exercises and multimodal treatments) and for surgery in patients with adductor-related groin pain. There is moderate evidence for efficacy of surgical treatment in sportsman's hernia. Methodological Overuse This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Acute and long-standing groin pain are frequent problems in sports involving rapid directional changes,1 ,2 and frequently lead to absence from sporting activities. It is estimated that 5–18% of all sports injuries are groin-related.3 The groin region has a complex anatomy with a large number of potential pain-generating structures. Symptoms may arise from systemic, gynaecological, urogenital, gastrointestinal, neurological and musculoskeletal structures.4 This can make groin pain terminology confusing, resulting in difficulties with interpretation of research results. The natural history of most groin injuries in sport is favourable after a short period of relative rest.5 However, some injuries can result in longer rehabilitation time and may even become long-standing. It is known that long-standing groin pain can be resistant to many treatment options and can have slow recovery times.6 Three systematic reviews have been published on the treatment of groin pain in athletes.4 ,7 ,8 In 2008, the first review included all types of treatment, but a quality assessment was not performed for 39 out of 45 (87%) studies, due to a subjective consensus on sufficient level of evidence based on individual study design.4 The authors were not able to provide clear recommendations based on the available evidence, instead they described that conservative management was usually tried initially, and surgery might be indicated following unsuccessful treatment. Two further systematic reviews, from 2009 and 2013, only included studies on the effectiveness of conservative treatment.7 ,8 A thorough evaluation of exercise interventions, aiming to strengthen the hip and abdominal musculature, was performed in one review.7 All study designs were eligible for inclusion, but only five studies were included and assessed with a modified generic quality appraisal tool. Although the authors conclude that exercise should be a key component in the treatment of groin pain in athletes, the overall evidence base was poor. A recent Cochrane review focused on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs only. This limited the inclusion to two studies, which were evaluated with a seven-point bias assessment. The authors concluded that the two studies provided insufficient evidence to advise a specific conservative treatment for exercise-related groin pain.8 The methodology used in the previous reviews has proven insufficient to provide a clear overview including quality considerations of all available literature on the treatment of the wide spectrum of groin pain in athletes. We examined the currently available literature on the efficacy of conservative and surgical treatment options for groin pain in athletes. It assesses studies of all levels of evidence, with a focus on high study quality, to provide recommendations for clinical practice and guide further research. A secondary aim was to correlate the study quality with treatment success, percentage of athletes returning to play, time to return to play (RTP) and publication year. Registration in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews was performed prior to study initiation (registration number CRD42014010262). The databases PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline OvidSP, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Sportdiscus and Cochrane Library were searched without time limits in May 2014. The complete electronic search is shown in online supplementary table S1. Manual screening of the reference lists of the eligible studies was performed to include other potential eligible studies. The literature search was assisted by a biomedical information specialist (WM Bramer). Two independent reviewers (R-JdV and BB) assessed all potentially eligible studies identified by the search strategy. The eligibility criteria were: Athletes with a diagnosis of groin pain which was treated either conservatively or surgically; A quantitative outcome measure in terms of treatment success, recovery rate, percentage of athletes returning to play after treatment, pain scores, functional outcome scores or patient satisfaction; Study design was a RCT, prospective or retrospective controlled study, case–control study, or case series with n>10; The article was written in English. Studies on intra-articular hip pathologies (eg, osteoarthritis and femoroacetabular impingement) and isolated nerve injuries were excluded. All titles and/or abstracts were assessed by two independent reviewers (R-JdV and BB) and, subsequently, relevant articles were acquired. If online access to the articles was unavailable, authors of these articles were contacted for further information. All relevant articles were read in full text by the reviewer to assess whether eligibility criteria were met. One reviewer (R-JdV), blinded from the quality assessment, recorded publication data, number of participants, study design, diagnosis, intervention and, if applicable, control group(s), duration of follow-up from baseline (for primary outcome measure or, if not applicable, the last follow-up time point) and outcome, using standardised data extraction forms. Primary outcomes were extracted from the published articles to assess the treatment success of the interventions. If the outcome was not defined as primary or secondary, the most relevant outcome was extracted. The treatment success was hierarchically defined in terms of the percentage of recovered athletes, percentage of excellent or good patient satisfaction, improvement in pain scores, improvement in functional outcome scores or percentage of athletes returning to play. Improvement in pain scores or functional scores was measured as percentage of athletes with predefined successful outcome or as a fraction of the improvement compared with the baseline measure.9 For assessment of the studies we used a modified Downs and Black (D&B) scale (see online supplementary table S2). The D&B scale is suitable to assess RCTs and non-randomised trials, and has shown good reliability.10 A higher score on the D&B scale is indicative of better methodological quality. The original published tool comprises 27 items with a maximum score of 32; the maximum score for item 5, regarding principal confounders, is 2, and the last item evaluating the power of the study is scored from 0 to 5. However, in line with previous studies, the multiple score on a single item was omitted due to its potential ambiguity.11 ,12 The tool in our review, therefore, consists of 27 questions with a maximum score of 27. We judged each study as having a high (≥19/27) or low (<19/27) quality as modified from a previous study.12 The quality assessments of the included studies were used to categorise the level of evidence. Studies with high quality (D&B score ≥19/27) were included in the final analysis for determining the efficacy of treatment in athletes with groin pain. We also used the quality scores to evaluate the relationships with treatment success, percentage of athletes returning to play, time to RTP and publication year in all initially included studies. The Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis was used to examine the correlation between these variables if data were not skewed. The correlation coefficient (r) was interpreted as no association when 0.0, weakly positive when 0.2, moderately positive when 0.5, strongly positive when 0.8 and perfectly positive when 1.00.13 Statistics were performed using SPSS V.20.0.0 (SPSS Science Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA), and significance was considered for p values less than 0.05. The types of treatment (conservative/surgical) and injury (acute groin injury/overuse groin injury) were analysed separately. When possible, we also evaluated subgroups of patients with adductor-related, iliopsoas-related, inguinal-related and pubic-related groin pain.2 Two authors (AS and AW) independently assessed the quality of included studies using the modified D&B forms. If there was disagreement on an item, it was discussed between the two reviewers. A consensus was reached in all cases, which precluded the need for a decisive independent third reviewer (R-JdV). Best evidence synthesis The heterogeneity of the data was evaluated after assessing the number of included high-quality studies. Data could be pooled if there was methodological homogeneity and I2 statistics would be performed if there was homogeneity of data. If data could not be pooled because of heterogeneity, a best evidence synthesis was carried out consisting of a qualitative analysis with five levels of evidence, whereof only the highest two levels of evidence were attainable due to the quality criteria:9 ,14 Strong evidence: provided by two or more studies with high quality and by generally consistent findings in all studies (≥75% of the studies reported consistent findings). Moderate evidence: provided by one study with high quality and/or two or more studies with low quality and by generally consistent findings in all studies (≥75% of the studies reported consistent findings). Limited evidence: provided by only one study with low quality. Conflicting evidence: inconsistent findings in multiple studies (<75% of the studies reported consistent findings). No evidence: when no studies could be found. The initial search yielded 5380 records and, after removing duplicates, 2216 articles were screened using the title and/or abstract. Ninety-five studies were identified as potentially relevant, for which we aimed to retrieve full-text articles. Two articles could not be retrieved, even after contacting the authors, who did not have copies of their own publications. Citation tracking did not lead to any additional relevant articles. After reviewing the full text of 93 articles, 21 articles were excluded and 72 articles6 ,15–85 met the inclusion criteria (figure 1). Study selection flow diagram. Description of included studies Supplementary table S3 presents the characteristics of the included studies. Data extraction was performed in the 72 studies included, and a detailed description of the studies is provided regarding year of publication, study design, participants, diagnosis, intervention groups, control groups, duration of follow-up and outcomes. Owing to heterogeneity of the established diagnoses, interventions, outcome measures, follow-up times and methodological quality, it was not possible to perform statistical pooling of the data.86 Sixty-five of the 72 studies were case series, of which 52 were retrospective and 13 prospective. Two studies were controlled clinical trials77 ,78 and five were RCTs.6 ,33 ,66 ,69 ,76 Two of the RCTs reported concealing their allocation and blinding of the assessors of key outcomes.6 ,66 None of the RCTs reported blinding of the patients. Publication dates ranged from 1985 to 2014. The median number of athletes included in the studies was 41 (IQR 24–73) and 95% were male. The mean athlete age was 27.3 years (SD 4.6, range 18–43 years). The majority of the athletes in the studies included were football players (61% of the studies). Other sports included ice hockey (7%), Australian rules football (6%) and rugby (6%). In 14% of the studies the type of sports was not reported. The level of sports was reported in 56% of the studies with a mean of 61% professional and 39% of amateur athletes. The mean symptom duration was 10.9 months (SD 4.7, range 3–21 months). Diagnostic terminology Thirty-three different diagnoses were used for groin pain in athletes in the 72 included studies (see online supplementary table S3). One study included acute groin injuries and 71 were on long-standing groin pain. Diagnostic criteria were frequently not reported and, if reported, many different diagnostic criteria were used (see online supplementary table S4). It should be emphasised that diagnostic criteria were very clear in some studies, but very non-specific in most of the studies. This difference could not be addressed in the online supplementary table and the criteria presented are in some cases inferred data. Seventy-one studies evaluated the treatment effect in long-standing groin pain, and one study in acute groin injuries. The following diagnoses were most frequently used: sportsman's hernia (31%), chronic groin pain (10%), osteitis pubis (10%) and adductor-related groin pain (10%). Iliopsoas-related pain (diagnosed as ‘iliopsoas syndrome’ or ‘iliopsoas tendinitis’) was diagnosed in 3% of the studies. Multiple diagnoses were established in 14% of the studies. The interventions were conservative in 18 (25%) and surgical in 54 (75%) studies. The conservative treatment studies included passive physical therapy modalities and/or exercise therapy (10 studies), or injection therapy (corticosteroids or dextrose, 9 studies). There were no studies focusing on the conservative treatment of sportsman's hernia with a well-described treatment protocol. The surgical studies examined open hernia repair (12 studies), laparoscopic hernia repair (10 studies) and adductor tenotomy (9 studies). Many surgical treatments were combined (16 studies), and additional neurotomy of the ilioinguinal, genitofemoral and/or iliohypogastric nerve was often performed (12 studies). For controlled studies (n=7), the control group intervention was a passive physical therapy modality or exercise therapy in three studies (43%), local corticosteroid injection in two studies (29%), and surgical adductor repair and wait and see in one study (14% each). Primary outcome measures Many different outcome measures were used, and frequently these were not defined as being primary or secondary. Forty-three per cent of the studies described their main outcome as percentage of patients without symptoms, 21% as percentage of patients who returned to play, 17% as patient satisfaction, 14% as a pain score and 6% as a function score. The percentage of athletes returning to play was described in 81% of the articles and the time to RTP in 38% of the articles. There was a wide range in follow-up time in the 55 studies that contained these data. The mean follow-up time was 27.7 months (SD 32.1) with a range from evaluation directly after treatment to 156 months postintervention. All studies reported a treatment success in the intervention groups (using definitions related to the percentage of recovered athletes, percentage of excellent or good patient satisfaction, improvement in pain scores, improvement in functional outcome scores, or percentage of athletes returning to play) with a mean of 84.1% of athletes (SD 16.8, range 27–100%). A mean of 90.6% of the patients returned to play in the intervention groups (SD 11.2, range 49–100%) and the mean reported time to RTP was 11.3 weeks (SD 8.1, range 1–38 weeks). The mean treatment success in the control groups was 48.7% (SD 29.9, range 8–93%). A mean of 45.8% (SD 21.9, range 14–64%) returned to play and the mean time to RTP was 25.6 weeks (SD 5.9, range 2–17 weeks). Forty-two articles (58%) reported on the occurrence of complications. There were no complications in 15 of these studies (36%) and in 27 studies (64%) complications were mentioned. Most frequently reported were wound infections, which were reported in 13 (31%) studies with a mean occurrence of 3.0% (SD 3.5, range 1.0–14.0%), haematomas needing evacuation (5 studies, 12%) with a mean of 2.3% (SD 1.7, range 0.6–4.9%), seroma formation (5 studies, 12%) with a mean of 3.9% (SD 3.6, range 1.0–10.0%) and neuralgia with variable durations after leaving the hospital (5 studies, 12%) with a mean of 3.4% (SD 2.9, range 0.3–7.0%). The quality assessment scores of all included studies are shown in table 1. There was initial disagreement between the two reviewers in 205 of the 1944 item scores (11%). In two of the 72 studies (3%), this resulted in a difference between low and high quality after agreement was reached (one from high to low quality74 and one from low to high quality81). The percentage of agreement was lowest in items 9 (74%), 11 (79%), 13 (79%) and 20 (74%). The included studies scored worst on items 14 (blinding participants, 100% absent), 15 (blinding outcome assessors, 97% absent) and 24 (concealment treatment allocation in case of a RCT, 97% absent). D&B quality assessment scores (in chronological order) The scores ranged from 2 to 24 points with an average of 10.3 (SD 4.6). Four studies (6%) were considered high quality (table 2). The high-quality studies were performed in patients with long-standing adductor-related groin pain (n=3)6 ,66 ,81 and sportsman's hernia with and without adductor tendinitis (n=1).69 One RCT evaluated the effect of active exercise therapy in the intervention group6, one RCT evaluated the effect of multimodal treatment including a manual therapy technique66 and one RCT assessed the effect of laparoscopic surgery.69 Two RCTs used exercise therapy as control group66 ,69 and one study used passive physical therapy modalities as control.6 One prospective case series evaluated the effect of surgical adductor release.81 Outcomes of the high-quality studies per diagnosis There was a significant moderate and inverse correlation between study quality and treatment success (p<0.001, r=−0.41). There was a weak, but non-significant correlation with quality and the percentage of athletes returning to play (p=0.09, r=−0.23) and no correlation with the time to RTP (p=0.94, r=−0.01; figure 2). There was a non-significant weak correlation between publication year and the D&B quality score (p=0.09, r=0.20), so over time there was no significant improvement in the methodological quality of the studies included. Correlation between quality scores and outcome or publication year. (A) Significant association between treatment success and study quality score (p<0.001, r=−0.41). (B) Association between percentage of patients returning to play and study quality score (p=0.09, r=−0.23). (C) Association between time to RTP in weeks and study quality score (p=0.94, r=−0.01). (D) Association between study quality score and publication year (p=0.09, r=0.20). D&B, Downs and Black; RTP, return to play. Level of evidence The four high-quality studies showed a significant improvement after intervention at the final follow-up or predefined primary outcome time. Table 2 shows the outcomes of the high-quality studies, which all included football players. There is moderate evidence that: Active physical training (consisting of adductor and abdominal strengthening, and coordination exercises) is superior to passive physical therapy modalities (consisting of laser, transverse frictions, adductor stretching and electric nerve stimulation) for long-standing adductor-related groin pain.6 Multimodal treatment (consisting of adductor warming, a specific manual adductor stretch, static adductor stretches and a return to running programme) enables a quicker return to sports than active physical training (consisting of adductor and abdominal strengthening and coordination exercises, and a running programme) for long-standing adductor-related groin pain.66 Partial adductor longus release reduces pain and enables RTP over time for athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain.81 Laparascopic inguinal surgery (totally extraperitoneal repair) with or without surgical adductor release is more effective than conservative treatment (consisting of various types of adductor and abdominal strengthening and coordination exercises, corticosteroid injections and oral anti-inflammatory analgesics) for long-standing sportsman's hernia with or without ‘adductor tendinitis’.69 There was limited evidence for all other treatment options that were evaluated in the included studies, as all low-quality studies showed an improvement in time in the intervention groups. A total of 72 studies were suitable for inclusion in this systematic review on the treatment of groin pain in athletes. Only 4 (6%) studies were high quality. Three of these studies were on athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain. According to the best evidence synthesis of this systematic review, there is currently moderate evidence that: (1) active exercise therapy improves treatment success when compared with passive treatments, (2) multimodal treatment with a manual therapy technique shortens the time to return to sports when compared to active exercise therapy and (3) adductor tenotomy improves treatment success over time. For athletes suffering from sportsman's hernia with or without ‘adductor tendinitis’, there is moderate evidence that surgery results in better treatment success compared with conservative therapy. There was limited evidence for all other treatment options that were evaluated in the included studies. An important secondary finding in this systematic review is the inverse relationship between study quality and treatment success; the higher the study quality, the lower the treatment success. Over time, the quality of studies has not improved significantly. Notably, only one study included acute groin injuries. As this study was not considered high quality, no definite conclusions can be made regarding the treatment of this type of injury.63 Low-quality studies result in better outcome This is the first review on groin pain in athletes that demonstrated a relationship between study quality and treatment success—lower quality studies showed significantly higher treatment success. This is an important finding and highlights the fact that caution is needed when drawing conclusions based on low-quality studies. Previous studies on the management of tendinopathy also showed this inverse relationship, which is known as the ‘Coleman effect’.87 ,88 No significant relationship was found between either the percentage of athletes returning to play or the time to RTP, and study quality. This is probably due to the fact that fewer studies could be included in these analyses, as these data were not reported in all studies, and that this type of data is more objective than treatment success, which is often defined according to a threshold set by the individual authors. We used the modified D&B quality assessment tool to evaluate the study quality, as it is a suitable tool for controlled trials as well as for case series10 and has good reliability.10 After modification of the original tool, there were still 27 items to assess, making it a complete assessment tool. The cut-off of 19 points, to discriminate high-quality and low-quality studies, is a dichotomous approach, but was deemed necessary to perform a reasonable best evidence synthesis. The cut-off used was modified from the existing literature.12 We did not perform a separate ‘risk of bias’ assessment as the D&B quality assessment tool examines the major sources of bias in its items. This is, in our opinion, a large improvement of the previous quality assessments in reviews on this topic, which have omitted a large number of studies from the quality assessment and have only used a subjectively determined evidence level cut-off, a modified generic quality appraisal tool or a seven-point bias-risk assessment.4 ,7 ,8 The lack of high-quality studies in the field is highlighted in this systematic review. Only 6% were assessed as being high quality. The most frequent methodological flaws were the lack of a suitable control group, randomisation (including allocation concealment), and blinding of participants and those involved in the treatment. Future studies should, therefore, use these features in the study design. There has been no significant improvement in the studies from 1985 to 2014. Even in recent publications many authors fail to report on basic information, and could have benefitted from following reporting guidelines such as STROBE and CONSORT.89 ,90 This demonstrates that the current review process is not succeeding in enforcing these guidelines in new publications. Many different diagnoses for groin pain A major problem in the field of groin pain in athletes is the lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria.91 Our systematic review revealed that 33 different diagnoses were used for groin pain in athletes (see online supplementary table S3). Clear diagnostic criteria were frequently not reported and, if they were, many different diagnostic criteria were used (see online supplementary table S4). Consensus on diagnostic criteria in the field of groin pain in athletes would help to decrease heterogeneity between studies, and it would aid in interpreting and comparing studies for clinical decision-making. In a recent position statement, an expert group aimed to improve terminology for groin injuries in the inguinal region by adding a new term, ‘inguinal disruption’.92 This was defined but only covers one location of groin pain in athletes. While this systematic review is not designed to propose diagnostic criteria, we would like to emphasise the need for this. Potential limitations of this systematic review There are a few potential limitations of this systematic review. One limitation is that we analysed the results of the predefined outcome measures, or the final follow-up measurements if there was no predefined primary outcome, which was frequently the case. This may have resulted in a bias towards shorter follow-up times, and this fact is not obvious in some cases after the data extraction. For this reason we also extracted data of the time to RTP, enabling readers to estimate the time of recovery. While only 38% of the included articles reported on the time to RTP, the mean was 11 weeks across these studies. This could be helpful for clinicians when discussing prognosis with athletes in general. The large SD of 8 weeks should also be considered in this regard. A second limitation may be the relatively high number of disagreements between the authors in the quality assessment. There was initial disagreement in 11% of the item scores, and in 3% this resulted in a difference between low and high quality after reaching agreement. There are two possible reasons for this result. First, a few items on the D&B assessment form are not optimally described, especially for case series. The questions on describing the patients lost to follow-up, those on external validity and the main outcome measures had the lowest level of agreement. Interpretation of the items is difficult in some cases. For example, we chose to award a point if estimates of the random variability in the data (item 7 of the D&B tool) were displayed for the extracted outcome measures. As we extracted multiple outcome measures, it was complex to evaluate this item in some cases. Second, the writing quality of the eligible articles was disappointing, and many authors did not follow the CONSORT or STROBE guidelines for their methods and results. The level of description in the articles makes it consequently challenging to find and interpret the requested information. Failure to report according to the existing guidelines will probably result in more disagreements, as reviewers are forced to rely on assumptions. A clear description of the methods and results containing all relevant information makes assessing the quality much easier. A third potential limitation of this systematic review is the fact that we were not able to pool data for a quantitative analysis. As stated in the methods, we would only do this if there was homogeneity of data. Owing to the obvious heterogeneity of the diagnoses, interventions, outcome measures, follow-up times and methodological quality, we refrained from statistical pooling of the data. A quantitative analysis has been performed using the calculated percentages of improvement in pain and/or function scores, which has also been carried out in previous systematic reviews.9 ,88 As this percentage improvement is dependent on the baseline score, it is less optimal. However, it was the best available measure we could apply to enable us to explore correlations between study quality and treatment success. A fourth limitation is the fact that we excluded all low-quality studies before performing the best evidence synthesis. Another approach could be that we only included all RCTs in the best evidence synthesis, which is a common method.9 However, we wanted to stress the importance of the quality assessment. We are aware that even multiple low-quality studies may provide useful information, but on the other hand, this systematic review highlights the high risk of bias when evaluating treatment success with methodologically flawed studies. We feel this inverse relationship between methodological quality and reported success validates our choice to not pool many low-quality studies into the evidence synthesis. Our methods were predefined and documented in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42014010262). Recommendations for future studies Future studies in this field should use appropriate control groups with blinding of patients and treatment assessors, if possible. Authors should follow the CONSORT or STROBE guidelines when reporting their studies to allow better evaluation of the quality. Although only RCTs will have the possibility for the optimal quality score, this study shows that the outcome in case series can also be relevant if performed and reported well. There is also a need for high-quality studies on acute groin injuries. There are many publications on the effect of treatments in athletes with long-standing groin pain, but very limited information on acute groin injuries. Only 6% of the included studies were high quality. These studies include different treatments, so there is no strong evidence to support any single treatment option. There is currently moderate evidence for surgical and conservative treatment of athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain, and for surgical treatment of athletes with sportsman's hernia. There was limited evidence for all other treatment options that were evaluated in the included studies. Lower quality studies reported significantly higher treatment success, and study quality has not improved significantly over the past 30 years. There is a clear need for well-designed studies in this field with adequate reporting following the appropriate guidelines. What is already known? Groin pain in athletes is difficult to treat and can result in prolonged absence from sporting activities. The best available evidence from two previous systematic reviews on treatment of groin pain in athletes was exercise therapy, but the evidence could be regarded as limited. A recent Cochrane review only included randomised controlled trials and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to advise a specific conservative treatment for exercise-related groin pain. What are the new findings? Only 6% of the studies on treatment of athletes with groin pain are of high quality. There was a significant correlation between lower study quality and higher treatment success. For athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain there is moderate evidence that: (1) active exercises improve treatment success compared with passive treatments, (2) multimodal treatment with a manual therapy technique shortens the time to return to sports compared with active exercises and (3) adductor tenotomy improves treatment success over time. For athletes suffering from sportsman's hernia with/without adductor tendinitis, there is moderate evidence that surgery results in better treatment success compared with conservative therapy. 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Surg Endosc Interv Tech 2006;20:971–3. doi:10.1007/s00464-005-0281-8 Schilders E, Bismil Q, Robinson P, et al . Adductor-related groin pain in competitive athletes: role of adductor enthesis, magnetic resonance imaging, and entheseal pubic cleft injections. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007;89:2173–8. doi:10.2106/JBJS.F.00567 Van Veen RN, De Baat P, Heijboer MP, et al . Successful endoscopic treatment of chronic groin pain in athletes. Surg Endosc Interv Tech 2007;21:189–93. doi:10.1007/s00464-005-0781-6 Verrall GM, Slavotinek JP, Fon GT, et al . Outcome of conservative management of athletic chronic groin injury diagnosed as pubic bone stress injury. Am J Sports Med 2007;35:467–74. doi:10.1177/0363546506295180 Brown RA, Mascia A, Kinnear DG, et al . An 18-year review of sports groin injuries in the elite hockey player: clinical presentation, new diagnostic imaging, treatment, and results. Clin J Sport Med 2008;18:221–6. doi:10.1097/JSM.0b013e318172831a Lloyd DM, Sutton CD, Altafa A, et al . Laparoscopic inguinal ligament tenotomy and mesh reinforcement of the anterior abdominal wall: a new approach for the management of chronic groin pain. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 2008;18:363–8. doi:10.1097/SLE.0b013e3181761fcc McKechnie A, Philippon MJ, et al . Experience with “sports hernia” spanning two decades. Ann Surg 2008;248:656–64. Radic R, Annear P . Use of pubic symphysis curettage for treatment-resistant osteitis pubis in athletes. Am J Sports Med 2008;36:122–8. doi:10.1177/0363546507306160 Reeves KD . Regenerative injection of elite athletes with career-altering chronic groin pain who fail conservative treatment: a consecutive case series. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:890–902. doi:10.1097/PHM.0b013e31818377b6 Ziprin P, Prabhudesai SG, Abrahams S, et al . Transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopic approach for the treatment of sportsman's hernia. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech 2008;18:669–72. doi:10.1089/lap.2007.0130 Atkinson HD, Johal P, Falworth MS, et al . Adductor tenotomy: its role in the management of sports-related chronic groin pain. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 2010;130:965–70. doi:10.1007/s00402-009-1032-4 . Changes in abdominal muscle thickness measured by ultrasound are not associated with recovery in athletes with longstanding groin pain associated with resisted hip adduction. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2009;39:724–32. doi:10.2519/jospt.2009.3068 Mann CD, Garcea G, et al . The inguinal release procedure for groin pain: Initial experience in 73 sportsmen/women. Br J Sports Med 2009;43:579–83. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.053132 Talbot JC, . Adductor-related groin pain in recreational athletes. Role of the adductor enthesis, magnetic resonance imaging, and entheseal pubic cleft injections. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009;91:2455–60. doi:10.2106/JBJS.H.01675 Schlegel TF, Bushnell BD, Godfrey J, et al . Success of nonoperative management of adductor longus tendon ruptures in National Football League athletes. Am J Sports Med 2009;37:1394–9. doi:10.1177/0363546509332501 Weir A, Veger SA, Van De Sande HB, et al . A manual therapy technique for chronic adductor-related groin pain in athletes: a case series. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2009;19:616–20. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2008.00841.x Jansen J, van Keulen J, et al . Short and mid-term results of a comprehensive treatment program for longstanding adductor-related groin pain in athletes: a case series. Phys Ther Sport 2010;11:99–103. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2010.06.006 van de Port IG, et al . Manual or exercise therapy for long-standing adductor-related groin pain: a randomised controlled clinical trial. Man Ther 2011;16:148–54. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.09.001 Muschaweck U, Berger L . Minimal Repair technique of sportsmen's groin: an innovative open-suture repair to treat chronic inguinal pain. Hernia 2010;14:27–33. doi:10.1007/s10029-009-0614-y Chernyavsky VS, Davidov T, Trooskin SZ, et al . Athlete's hernia—a true, early direct inguinal hernia: diagnosis, pathophysiology, and surgical treatment. Am Surg 2011;77:1472–6. Brinck T, Hermunen H, et al . Laparoscopic surgery for chronic groin pain in athletes is more effective than nonoperative treatment: a randomized clinical trial with magnetic resonance imaging of 60 patients with sportsman's hernia (athletic pubalgia). Surgery (USA) 2011;150:99–107. Preskitt JT . Sports hernia: the experience of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Bayl Univ Med Cent Proc 2011;24:89–91. Robertson IJ, Curran C, McCaffrey N, et al . Adductor tenotomy in the management of groin pain in athletes. Int J Sports Med 2011;32:45–8. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1263137 Dojcinovic B, Sebecic B, Staresinic M, et al . Surgical treatment of chronic groin pain in athletes. Int Orthop 2012;36:2361–5. doi:10.1007/s00264-012-1632-4 Jans C, Messaoudi N, Pauli S, et al . Results of surgical treatment of athletes with sportsman's hernia. Acta Orthop Belg 2012;78:35–40. Maffulli N, Loppini M, Longo UG, et al . Bilateral mini-invasive adductor tenotomy for the management of chronic unilateral adductor longus tendinopathy in athletes. Am J Sports Med 2012;40:1880–6. doi:10.1177/0363546512448364 . Surgical management of sportsman's hernia in professional soccer players. Orthopedics 2012;35:e1371–e5. doi:10.3928/01477447-20120822-24 Comin J, Obaid H, Lammers G, et al . Radiofrequency denervation of the inguinal ligament for the treatment of ‘Sportsman's Hernia’: a pilot study. Br J Sports Med 2013;47:380–6. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2012-091129 Economopoulos KJ, Milewski MD, Hanks JB, et al . Sports hernia treatment: modified bassini versus minimal repair. Sports Health 2013;5:463–9. doi:10.1177/1941738112473429 Garvey JF, Hazard H . Sports hernia or groin disruption injury? Chronic athletic groin pain: a retrospective study of 100 patients with long-term follow-up. Hernia 2013 Published Online First: 12 October 2013doi:10.1007/s10029-013-1161-0. Jakoi A, O'Neill C, Damsgaard C, et al . Sports hernia in National Hockey League players: does surgery affect performance? Am J Sports Med 2013;41:107–10. doi:10.1177/0363546512462679 Mei-Dan O, Lopez V, Carmont MR, et al . Adductor tenotomy as a treatment for groin pain in professional soccer players. Orthopedics 2013;36:e1189–e97. doi:10.3928/01477447-20130821-23 Dimitrakopoulou A, Cooke M, et al . Effectiveness of a selective partial adductor release for chronic adductor-related groin pain in professional athletes. Am J Sports Med 2013;41:603–7. doi:10.1177/0363546513475790 Bernhardt GA, Gruber G, Molderings BS, et al . Health-related quality of life after TAPP repair for the sportsmen's groin. Surg Endosc 2014;28: 439–46. doi:10.1007/s00464-013-3190-2 Cavalli M, Bombini G, Campanelli G . Pubic inguinal pain syndrome: the so-called sports hernia. Surg Technol Int 2014;24:189–94. de Queiroz RD, de Carvalho RT, Szeles PR, et al . Return to sport after surgical treatment for pubalgia among professional soccer players. Rev Brs Ortop 2014;49:233–9. doi:10.1016/j.rbo.2013.10.001 Sansone M, Ahlden M, Jonasson P, et al . Can hip impingement be mistaken for tendon pain in the groin? A long-term follow-up of tenotomy for groin pain in athletes. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2014;22:786–92. doi:10.1007/s00167-013-2738-y Crowther M, Lim W, Crowther MA . Systematic review and meta-analysis methodology. Blood 2010;116:3140–6. doi:10.1182/blood-2010-05-280883 Tallon C, Coleman BD, Khan KM, et al . Outcome of surgery for chronic Achilles tendinopathy. A critical review. Am J Sports Med 2001;29:315–20. van Veldhoven PL, Moen MH, et al . Autologous growth factor injections in chronic tendinopathy: a systematic review. Br Med Bull 2010;95:63–77. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldq006 Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D, et al . CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomized trials. Ann Intern Med 2010;152:726–32. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-152-11-201006010-00232 von Elm E, Egger M, et al . The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet 2007;370:1453–7. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61602-X . From disruption to consensus: the thousand mile journey. Br J Sports Med 2014;48:1075–7. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092958 Sheen AJ, Stephenson BM, Lloyd DM, et al . ‘Treatment of the Sportsman's groin’: British Hernia Society's 2014 position statement based on the Manchester Consensus Conference. Br J Sports Med 2014;48:1079–87. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092872 This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content. Data supplement 1 - Online table 1 Contributors R-JdV performed the search strategy, data extraction and summary, analysed and interpreted the data, and wrote the first draft of the paper. BB performed the search strategy. AS and AW performed quality assessment, interpreted the data and revised the paper. CHvE and PH interpreted the data and revised the paper. All authors gave final approval for the version to be published. Patient consent Obtained.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24283
__label__wiki	0.912638	0.912638	June 2003 - Blabbermouth Archive TOMMY LEE, NICK CARTER Discuss Collaboration Over Dinner Star magazine reported last month (click here to see the original story) that BACKSTREET BOYS singer Nick Carter went out to dinner with former MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee at Koi in Los Angeles to talk about collaborating on a project and to get tips on how he could rough up his too-sweet ... PANTERA's DIMEBAG, VINNIE Jam With DISTURBED At Dallas OZZFEST PANTERA guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul (along with members of DROWNING POOL) joined DISTURBED onstage at Dallas' Smirnoff Music Centre Sunday night (June 29) for a rendition of PANTERA's "Walk". Dimebag and Vinnie are in the process of mixing the debut album from their new band, NEW FOUND POWER, for a tentative late ... DUFF MCKAGAN Explains Why SEBASTIAN BACH Was Not Chosen To Sing For VELVET REVOLVER Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan spoke to 97.1 KLSX FM's Riki Rachtman about VELVET REVOLVER's decision to tap STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' Scott Weiland over ex-SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach as their new singer. "[Sebastian] did some amazing fantastic stuff on [the music we gave him to record vocals over] ... Ex-TESTAMENT Guitarist: New METALLICA 'Represents Everything Wrong With The Music Business' Former TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, whose previous group was once considered to be among the natural successors to the San Francisco Bay Area metal throne held by METALLICA, has slammed his one-time heroes, calling their latest opus, "St. Anger" a "sloppy mess" and insisting that Hetfield and Co. "represent everything wrong with the music business." ... THANATOSCHIZO To Record New Album In November Portuguese avantgard metallers THANATOSCHIZO will enter Oporto's Rec N' Roll Studios in November with producer Luís Barros (drummer for AFM Records recording artists TARANTULA) to begin recording their third album, tentatively due in April 2004 through Rage Of Achilles Records. The as-yet-untitled effort is the follow-up to last year's "InsomniousNightLift", which was released through Portugal's ... MARTY FRIEDMAN, ALEX SKOLNICK And CHRIS POLAND To Team Up For U.S. Tour Guitar shredders extraordinaire Marty Friedman (ex-MEGADETH), Alex Skolnick (ex-TESTAMENT, SAVATAGE) and Chris Poland (ex-MEGADETH) will be teaming up for a U.S. tour later in the summer. Friedman will be performing as a solo artist while Poland and Skolnick will be showcasing their current group projects, OHM and THE ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, respectively. The trek, dubbed ... DAYS OF THE NEW Frontman Talks About VELVET REVOLVER, Decision To Enter Rehab DAYS OF THE NEW frontman Travis Meeks, who is in the process of completing a month-long stint in a California rehabilitation center for treatment of a crystal methamphetamine addiction, recently spoke to Rolling Stone about his audition for VELVET REVOLVER, the new band formed by former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt ... Former MEGADETH Drummer, LIZZY BORDEN Bassist Jam With XYZ Former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza and LIZZY BORDEN bassist Marten Andersson were set to perform session duties with XYZ during the latter band's previously announced tour with GREAT WHITE and L.A. GUNS when they got word that the trek was called off due to insurance issues. Says Andersson, "As some of you might have heard ... AEROSMITH: Blues Album Delayed Until January AEROSMITH's much-anticipated new blues album has had its release date pushed back to January 2004. Guitarist Joe Perry told Billboard.com, "All the basics are done, we're probably three-quarters done with the overdubs. And there really aren't many to do, because we cut the album basically live." "By having the record come out in January, it ... 150,000 Tickets Sold For Toronto's SARS Benefit The Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert — featuring AC/DC and RUSH, among others — sold a record 150,000 tickets in its first day of sales, according to Billboard.com. The event's main sponsor, Molson Canadian, also said that sales to U.S. fans for the July 30 concert at Downsview Park were "well ahead of expectations." ...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24284
__label__cc	0.657341	0.342659	Bulls Trade Rumors: Chicago 'Would Jump' to Deal Denzel Valentine by Deadline Tyler Conway@jtylerconwayTwitter LogoFeatured ColumnistJanuary 12, 2020 Carlos Osorio/Associated Press With Denzel Valentine again out of the Chicago Bulls' rotation, the team is reportedly exploring trading him before February's deadline. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the Bulls "would jump" to make a deal for the 2016 first-round pick. Valentine is a restricted free agent this summer, and the team reportedly has no plans on bringing him back. The Michigan State product is averaging 6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game on 41.7 percent shooting. He has appeared in just 22 games this season and played only nine minutes in January. "I'm definitely not happy about it," Valentine said Saturday. "I'm a competitor. I want to play, I want to be productive, I want to help the team win. But that's out of my control, so I'm not about to let it make [me] not happy every day." Valentine might be an interesting flier for a team that needs wing help. He is an above-average shooter and decent secondary ball handler, though he hasn't quite flashed the brilliance he displayed at Michigan State. If the Bulls are desperate to unload him, a matching contract and a second-round pick might be enough to get the job done—a more than worthy endeavor. Valentine has the makings and skill set of a reliable rotation wing, especially in an era where shooting and versatility are paramount. The fact he can't crack the Bulls' rotation is concerning, but this might be a situation where a change of scenery allows Valentine to untap his potential. 3 Reasons to Trade Thaddeus Young Before the Deadline Jake Rogers via NBA Analysis Network LeBron's MVP Play Is Carrying Lakers in AD's Absence Andy Bailey	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24286
__label__wiki	0.89817	0.89817	MLB's Ruling on Cheating Scandal Leaves Astros Reeling, Alex Cora on Thin Ice Scott Miller@@ScottMillerBblTwitter LogoNational MLB ColumnistJanuary 13, 2020 Jeff Luhnow, the now-ex-general manager of the Houston Astros.Associated Press Faced with the defining moment of his tenure amid one of the most important moments in MLB history, Commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday swung for the fences and sent the Houston Astros into orbit. No further trash cans were damaged in the process, but the stiff punishment should be enough to encourage 29 other clubs to now view digital thievery much the same way they view the inside of a dumpster. The long-anticipated reckoning for the Astros regarding their systemic digital cheating and stunning disobedience of a 2017 Manfred directive came swiftly and strongly. Houston was hit with a $5 million fine (the maximum allowed under the major league constitution), one-year suspensions for both general manager Jeff Luhnow and field manager AJ Hinch, the forfeitures of both first- and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and the placement onto baseball's ineligible list of former Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman. Then, furthering what will be recorded as one of the game's most extraordinary days, Houston owner Jim Crane fired Luhnow and Hinch on the spot. Quick, bloodless and staggering, all of it. Bottom line is, it was imperative that MLB hit the Astros hard because all this, at heart, is an integrity-of-the-game issue. It's the entire reason Manfred's office exists. The commissioner's office was created in 1920 in direct response to the 1919 Black Sox scandal, the fixing of a World Series. The lords of the game knew that if fans do not feel like what they're watching is believable and true, then the game eventually will wither and die. A century later, that still stands. Talk to the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans about integrity and the believability, in hindsight, of portions of their World Series losses in 2017 (to the Astros) and 2018 (to the Boston Red Sox). As this fast-moving scandal, fueled by veteran pitcher and whistleblower Mike Fiers, devoured the winter and the investigation went deeper, action was required. So Manfred's choice was easy, and it really wasn't even a choice: Go light, try to smooth things over with the Astros and then sit back and listen to the eye-rolls across the game as everybody else figures the coast is clear for them to fire up more cheating computers and monitors...or make damn sure you make your best point possible so the rest of the cheaters and would-be rule-breakers in the game stand down. And on the off chance the message still isn't fully realized, stay tuned: MLB's parallel investigation of the Red Sox is underway, and included in Manfred's ruling Monday was an ominous warning for Sox manager Alex Cora, who was an Astros coach in 2017: "Cora was involved in developing both the [trash-can] banging scheme and utilizing the replay review room to decode and transmit signs. Cora participated in both schemes, and through his active participation, implicitly condoned the players' conduct. I will withhold determining the appropriate level of discipline for Cora until after the [Department of Investigations] completes its investigation of the allegations that the Red Sox engaged in impermissible electronic sign stealing in 2018 while Cora was the manager." Measure that next to the findings against Hinch, whom the report says "neither devised the banging scheme nor participated in it. Hinch told my investigators that he did not support his players decoding signs using the monitor installed near the dugout and banging the trash can, and he believed that the conduct was both wrong and distracting. Hinch attempted to signal his disapproval of the scheme by physically damaging the monitor on two occasions, necessitating its replacement. However, Hinch admits he did not stop it and he did not notify players or Cora that he disapproved of it." That, and Hinch still is on ice for a year, the longest managerial suspension since Pete Rose was permanently barred from baseball in 1989. Astros manager AJ Hinch was suspended for the 2020 season by Major League Baseball on Monday before being fired by Houston owner Jim Crane soon after.David Zalubowski/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press Multiple industry sources told B/R on Monday that they expect Cora's suspension to be longer than Hinch's, and there is an expectation that Cora, like Hinch, very well might be whacked. Hey, the Astros set the precedent. There will be a hard-core group of fans—say, especially, those of the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and AL West teams, clubs Houston laid waste to these past few seasons—that think the Astros got off easy. There always is. But, on that point, a couple of things. The $5 million fine not only is the maximum allowed under the major league constitution, but the constitution was also just rewritten and ratified, and the new version went into effect Jan. 1. As recently as December, the most a club could be fined was $2 million. Consequently, by definition, this was the largest fine ever absorbed by an organization. The stripped draft picks in 2020 and 2021 are significant. Those are what grabbed the attention, as much as anything else, of several baseball operations folks throughout the game Monday. Houston bragged hard under Luhnow about its singular genius in stripping down to its studs and rebuilding with draft picks, but good luck doing anything close in the near future. And as for the idea that the Astros players themselves escaped punishment, what Manfred clearly was leaning into was what the NCAA refers to as "lack of institutional control." Plus, any punishment of players almost certainly would result in grievances filed on their behalf by the players' union, which would have further extended the scandal, easily into the 2020 season. By taking this route, it is over and done with before spring training and the new season. "I will not assess discipline against individual Astros players," Manfred wrote in his statement. "I made the decision in September 2017 that I would hold a Club's General Manager and Field Manager accountable for misconduct of this kind, and I will not depart from that decision." Leadership is critical to the game's integrity: Not always does cheating start at the top, but it can and should be stopped by those at the top. Luhnow denied knowledge of the sign-stealing and trash-can-banging schemes all the way through the investigation despite "both documentary and testimonial evidence that indicates Luhnow had some knowledge of those efforts, but he did not give it much attention." Sounds like the textbook definition of someone striving for plausible deniability. Speaking shortly after MLB's discipline was issued, Crane explained his firing of Luhnow and Hinch by saying, "I have higher standards for the city and the franchise." He would not admit, however, that Houston's 2017 World Series title is tainted. "Absolutely not," Crane said. Which begs the question that if the Astros were not seeking to gain a competitive advantage, then why did they even concoct this scheme? Of course their World Series title is tainted. But at this point, it's all about changing the course of the future, not the past. We all watched the University of Louisville beat Michigan in the 2012-13 NCAA men's basketball championship, and then two Februaries ago, the NCAA stripped Louisville of its title in the wake of the Rick Pitino scandal. Ridiculous. There would be little satisfaction today if MLB suddenly took Houston's '17 title and pretended it didn't happen. In a B/R digital thievery story published as the playoffs began in October, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, responding to a question regarding whether he saw things during the '17 World Series that made him suspicious, paused for several seconds. "I think," he finally said, "the Astros did everything they possibly could to give themselves the best chance for success." Red Sox manager Alex Cora, whom Major League Baseball stated was involved with the Astros' cheating scheme when he was a bench coach for Houston in 2017, is expected to face a suspension possibly longer than what Hinch received Monday.Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Thing is, earlier that season, the Red Sox were busted for using an Apple watch in the dugout during a game with the Yankees, and on Sept. 15 of that summer, Manfred sent a strong memorandum to all 30 clubs spelling out some penalties for digital cheating. From Monday's report: "Notwithstanding the publicity surrounding the Red Sox incident, and the September 15th memorandum that I sent to all Clubs, the Astros continued to both utilize the replay review room and the monitor located next to the dugout to decode signs for the remainder of the regular season and throughout the Postseason." With these sanctions, which fall in line with the warnings Manfred issued all the owners at their recent meetings, the message should be very clear to the Astros and to all other clubs: Society and the game may be knee-deep into the digital age, but everyone must play by the same rules. The Astros just learned that. The Red Sox may be next. Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball. Dusty Baker: It’d Be an ‘Honor’ and ‘Privilege’ to Manage Astros Astros Superfan 'Mattress Mack' Loses $2 Million Betting Against Chiefs via Yahoo Red Sox Pairing David Price w/ Mookie Betts Astros, Sox Look Ahead in Wake of Sign-Stealing Scandal HardballTalk \| NBC Sports via HardballTalk \| NBC Sports	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24287
__label__cc	0.656283	0.343717	Energy Tech Tips Community Facebook is Building a Data Center in Virginia and Focusing on Renewables Facebook is investing massively in renewables for their new $750 million data center in Virginia. Not only are they working to make the space itself energy-efficient and sustainable, but they are making strides to do the same for the entire state. What Facebook’s Data Center is All About They are building this data center right outside of Richmond, VA. Facebook will incorporate outdoor air as well as an evaporating cooling system to manage the temperature in the data center. They are partnering with Dominion Energy to offset the energy use of the data center by building new solar installations all across the state. The Positive Effects on Virginia’s Environment Facebook is funding solar projects in a state where solar was once practically nonexistent. They hope that with renewable energy, they can improve both the design of the building as well as the state of Virginia itself. By spreading their sustainable impact beyond the walls of the center, they foster a sense of community involvement in the surrounding areas. It makes their impact much larger, as it feeds to a central goal of bettering the environment for all. The Social Effects on Virginia The state of Virginia is thrilled to be the landing spot for Facebook’s new data center. They hope that this will encourage other massive tech companies, such as Amazon, to flock to VA for construction. Having these massive tech companies in-state not only helps fund the state itself but creates jobs for those in the surrounding area. This 1 million square foot data center will create thousands of construction jobs and 100 full-time employees post construction. Hopefully, other companies will take notice, and put the state they are building in more in the forefront of their minds. By supporting the state through renewable energy, they are also supporting the power for their very own company. Sources: Associated Press, Washington Post Your solar panels could soon work at night One of the most popular clean energy sources in North America, solar power, has skyrock... Massachusetts: We’re bringing solar power to your community This month, we officially launched our first-ever community solar project in the state ... Arcadia and the people-powered energy revolution Today marks an important milestone in our journey — five years, and one billion kilowat... How Arcadia is helping Illinois residents save with clean energy Since 2002, Illinois energy customers have had the ability to pick their energy supplie... How our members are helping bring the first community solar projects to Illinois Solar power is the most affordable and prolific energy available, but the vast majority... Get clean energy and lower bills Sign up for free in two minutes. © 2017 Arcadia	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24289
__label__wiki	0.679441	0.679441	Book: Watt, Fiona; Wells, Rachel «That's Not My Farm - Sticker Book» That's Not My Farm - Sticker Book Издательство: "Usborne Publishing Ltd." (2012) Купить за 490 руб на Озоне The Torah introduces Rachel and her older sister Leah with these words::Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah and the name of the younger one was Rachel.:Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.:(Genesis 29:16-17)It was this external beauty that initially attracted Jacob when he met her by the well, tending her father's sheep. Rebekah had sent Jacob back to her hometown to avoid being killed by his brother Esau, and possibly to find a wife. When Jacob saw Rachel for the first time, she rolled the heavy stone off the well (something that normally took many men to accomplish) and watered her flock. After living and working for a month in Laban's house, Jacob asked for Rachel's hand in marriage. Laban agreed, on condition that Jacob work as a shepherd for him for the next seven years. The Torah says those years "seemed to him a few days, because of his love for her" (Genesis 29:20). On the wedding night, however, Laban dressed Leah in the wedding dress and veil and brought her to Jacob instead of Rachel. To reinforce the ruse, Laban gave Zilpah as a handmaid to Leah. Zilpah was the younger of the two handmaids in the house, and it was assumed that she would become the servant of Rachel, while Bilhah, the older handmaid, would become the servant of Leah. (Some say that Bilhah and Zilpah were younger sisters of Rachel and Leah). [Ginzberg, Louis (1909) [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/loj/loj108.htm "The Legends of the Jews"] , Volume I, Chapter VI: Jacob, at sacred-texts.com ] According to the Talmud ("Megillah" 13b), Jacob and Rachel suspected that Laban would pull a trick like this. They made up a series of secret signs with which the veiled bride would identify herself to her bridegroom. But when Rachel saw her father bringing Leah out to the wedding canopy, she could not bear to see her sister shamed in public, and revealed the signs to Leah. [Wagensberg, Abba (2006), [http://www.aishdas.org/ta/5767/vayeitzei.pdf "Between The Lines,"] in Toras Aish, Volume XIV, No. 11, © 2006 Rabbi A. Wagensberg & aish.com ] When Jacob discovered the deception in the light of day, the marriage had already been consummated. Jacob agreed to work another seven years in order to marry Rachel as well (see Genesis 29). Following the week-long celebration of his marriage to Leah, Jacob also married Rachel. with a prayer that her husband draw closer to her. When Rachel saw that she was unable to conceive, she offered her handmaid Bilhah to her husband in marriage, and named the two sons that Bilhah bore, Dan and Naphtali, indicating that they were to be considered her family. [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=57&letter=R&search=rachel Rachel] at [http://jewishencyclopedia.com http://jewishencyclopedia.com] ] Leah, who also desired more children, then offered her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, and Zilpah bore two more sons, Gad and Asher. Finally, after Leah produced another two sons, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah, Rachel finally bore a son, Joseph. Rivalry with Leah On a homiletical level, the classic Chassidic texts explain the sisters' rivalry as more than marital jealousy. Each woman desired to grow spiritually in her "avodat Hashem" (service of God), and therefore sought closeness to the tzadik (Jacob) who is God's personal emissary in this world. By marrying Jacob and bearing his sons, who would be raised in the tzadik's home and continue his mission into the next generation (indeed, all 12 sons became "tzadikim" in their own right and formed the foundation of the Nation of Israel), they would develop an even closer relationship to God. Therefore Leah and Rachel each wanted to have as many of those sons as possible, going so far as to offer their handmaids as wives to Jacob so they could have a share in the upbringing of their handmaids' sons, too. [http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/feinhandler/archives/vayetze3.htm] Death and burial After Joseph's birth, Jacob decided to return to the land of Canaan with his family. Fearing that Laban would deter him, he fled with his four wives and eleven children without informing his father-in-law. Laban chased him and accused him of stealing his idols. Indeed, Rachel had taken her father's idols, hidden them inside her camel's seat cushion, and sat upon them. Not knowing that the idols were in his wife's possession, Jacob pronounced a curse on whoever had them: "With whoever you will find your gods, he will not live" (Genesis 31:32). Laban proceeded to search the tents of Jacob and his wives, but when he came to Rachel's tent, she told her father, "Let not my lord be angered that I cannot rise up before you, for the way of women is upon me" (Genesis 31:35). Laban left her alone, but the curse Jacob had pronounced came true shortly thereafter. At the outskirts of the land of Canaan, approaching Efrat, Rachel went into a difficult labor with her second son, Benjamin. The midwife tells her in the middle of the birth that her child is a boy. [Reisenberger, Azila, [http://www.uct.ac.za/newsroom/mondaypaper/?id=4123 "Medical history: Biblical texts reveal compelling mysteries,"] Newsroom and Publications at the [http://www.uct.ac.za/ University of Capetown] website] Before she died, Rachel named her son Ben Oni (literally, "son of my mourning"), but Jacob called him Ben Yamin (Benjamin). Rashi explains that Ben Yamin either means "son of the right" (i.e., "south"), since Benjamin was the only one of Jacob's sons born in Rachel died on the eleventh day of the Hebrew month of Heshvan, [Melamed, Zalman Baruch, [http://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/shiur.asp?id=4115 "The Anniversary of Rachel's Death,"] at [http://www.yeshiva.org.il yeshiva.org.il] ] and was buried by Jacob on the road to Efrat, just outside Bethlehem. [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=57&letter=R&search=rachel Rachel] at [http://jewishencyclopedia.com http://jewishencyclopedia.com] ] Today Rachel's Tomb, located between Bethlehem and the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, is visited by tens of thousands of visitors each year. [ [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=92913 "Kever Rachel Trip Breaks Barriers"] by Israel National News Staff at [http://www.israelnationalnews.com israelnationalnews.com] , Published: 11/14/05] Rachel's offspring Rachel's son, Joseph, is destined to be the leader of Israel's tribes between exile and nationhood. This role is exemplified in the Biblical story of Joseph, who prepared the way in Egypt for his family's exile there, [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=441&letter=J&search=Joseph Joseph] at [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com jewishencyclopedia.com] ] and in the future figure of "Mashiach ben Yosef" (Messiah, son of Joseph), who will fight the apocalyptic Wars of Gog and Magog, preparing the way for the kingship of "Mashiach ben David" (Messiah, son of David) and the messianic age. [Davidiy, Yair, [http://www.britam.org/messiah.html "Moshiach Ben Yoseph,"] at [http://www.britam.org/ britam.org] ] [ [http://www.truthnet.org/TheMessiah/4_Messiah_of_Judaism/ "The Messiah of Judaism,"] at [http://www.truthnet.org/ truthnet.org] ] Additional references in the Bible In Jeremiah 31:15, the prophet speaks of 'Rachel weeping for her children' (KJV). This is interpreted in Judaism as Rachel crying for an end to her descendants' sufferings and exiles following the destruction of the First Temple in ancient Jerusalem. According to the Midrash, Rachel spoke before God: "If I, a mere mortal, was prepared not to humiliate my sister and was willing to take a rival into my home, how could You, the eternal, compassionate God, be jealous of idols, which have no true existence, that were brought into Your home (the Temple in Jerusalem)? Will You cause my children to be exiled on this account?" God accepted her plea and promised that, eventually, the exile would end and the Jews would return to their land. [Weisberg, Chana, [http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article.asp?AID=439609 "Rachel - Biblical Women"] at [http://www.chabad.org chabad.org] ] In the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew (part of the New Testament), this reference from Jeremiah is interpreted as a prediction of the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod the Great in his attempt to kill the young Jesus. Mordechai, the hero of the Book of Esther, and Queen Esther herself, were descendants of Rachel through her son Benjamin. The Book of Esther details Mordechai's lineage as "Mordechai the son of Yair, the son of Shimi, the son of Kish, a man of the right ("ish yemini")" (Esther 2:5). The designation of "ish yemini" refers to his membership in the Tribe of Benjamin ("ben yamin", son of the right). The rabbis comment that Esther's ability to remain silent in the palace of Ahasuerus, resisting the king's pressure to reveal her ancestry, was inherited from her ancestor Rachel, who remained silent even when Laban brought out Leah to marry Jacob. [http://www.beingjewish.com/yomtov/purim/esther_hamalkah.html] Rachel as a modern name The name Rachel is popular in Britain and the United States. According to United States Social Security card applications in 2006, the name Rachel ranked 38th out of the top 100 names chosen by parents for their baby girls [http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/living/health/top-100-popular-baby-names-60710.shtml] . In the modern interpretation of the name, Rachel is also meant as "one who is best". In Hungarian and several other Eastern European languages, Rachel (Рэйчел) has the connotation of a goddess in vampiric mythology. http://www.questiaschool.com/read/8470850?title=Yahweh%3a%20The%20Divine%20Name%20in%20the%20Biblehttp://www.questiaschool.com/read/111990487?title=The%20Vampire%20Lectures [http://www.keverrachel.com Rachel's Tomb Website] General Info., History, Pictures, Video, Visitor Info., Transportation * [http://www.rachelstomb.org/ The Committee for Rachel's Tomb] Источник: Rachel Orwell George Animal Farm 'All animals are equal - but some are more equal than others'When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the… — @Penguin, @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @Penguin Classics @ @ Подробнее... 2017 Orwell G. Penguin Classics Animal Farm 'All animals are equal - but some are more equal than others'When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the… — @Penguin Group, @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @Penguin Modern Classics @ @ Подробнее... 2013 George Orwell Penguin Classics Animal Farm `All animals are equal - but some are more equal than others`When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the… — @Penguin Books Ltd., @(формат: 110x180, 128 стр.) @ @ @ Подробнее... 2003 Carolyn Keene The Secret of Red Gate Farm A special treat for Nancy Drew fans, and any reader who's new to the series! We're releasing a stunning new edition of an old favorite: The Secret of Red Gate Farm, the sixth book in the incredibly… — @Grosset&Dunlap, @(формат: 125x190, 192 стр.) @Nancy Drew Mystery Stories @ @ Подробнее... 2015 Margie Warrell Stop Playing Safe. Rethink Risk, Unlock the Power of Courage, Achieve Outstanding Success Tap the power of courage and achieve greater clarity, confidence, and satisfaction in your work and life Tap in to the inspirational motivation of best-selling author, life coach and media… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited (USD), @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @ @ Kirstein Lincoln Walker Evans: American Photographs More than any other artist, Walker Evans invented the images of essential America that we have long since accepted as fact, and his work has influenced not only modern photography but also… — @The Museum of Modern Art, @ @- @ @ Подробнее... 2013 Kirstein Lincoln Walker Evans: American Photographs More than any other artist, Walker Evans invented the images of essential America that we have long since accepted as fact, and his work has influenced not only modern photography but also… — @The Museum of Modern Art, @(формат: 125x190, 192 стр.) @ @ @ Подробнее... 2013 Paul Rees A. Studying Captive Animals. A Workbook of Methods in Behaviour, Welfare and Ecology Studying Captive Animals outlines the methods that may be used to study the behaviour, welfare and ecology of animals living under the control of humans, including companion animals, feral… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited, @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @ @ 11703.21 электронная книга Burchett Stephen Introduction to Wildlife Conservation in Farming This book provides an invaluable, comprehensive and practical introduction to conservation issues associated with current farming practice. Representing both industry and conservation as an… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited, @(формат: 110x180, 128 стр.) @ @ Truman Capote Breakfast at Tiffany's Truman Capote`s dazzling New York novel Breakfast at Tiffany`s that inspired the classic 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn is beautifully repackaged as part of the Penguin Essentials range.`What I`ve… — @Penguin Books Ltd., @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @Penguin Essentials @ @ Подробнее... 2011 Capote Truman Breakfast at Tiffany's Truman Capote's dazzling New York novel Breakfast at Tiffany's that inspired the classic 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn is beautifully repackaged as part of the Penguin Essentials range.'What I've… — @Penguin, @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @Penguin Essentials @ @ Подробнее... 2017 Lars Tvede Supertrends. Winning Investment Strategies for the Coming Decades The 2008-2009 market meltdown and house price collapse has reset the credit and property cycles, and smart investors are now looking for the upside. But Where Will the Next Bull Runs Come From, and… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited (USD), @(формат: 110x180, 176 стр.) @ @ Pedro Barbosa Insect Outbreaks Revisited The abundance of insects can change dramatically from generation to generation; these generational changes may occur within a growing season or over a period of years. Such extraordinary density… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited, @(формат: 110x180, 128 стр.) @ @ Edward Anderson Reliability Prediction and Testing Textbook This textbook reviews the methodologies of reliability prediction as currently used in industries such as electronics, automotive, aircraft, aerospace, off-highway, farm machinery, and others. It… — @John Wiley&Sons Limited (USD), @(формат: 110x180, 128 стр.) @ @ Jill Limber Daddy, He Wrote From Bestseller to…Best Father?Journal Entry No. 1: I bought Blacksmith Farm to find peace and quiet to write my next bestseller–not to spend it with a fetching widow caretaker and her baby! This… — @HarperCollins, @(формат: 110x180, 128 стр.) @ @ 365.57 электронная книга Другие книги по запросу «That's Not My Farm - Sticker Book» >> Farm Security Administration — Initially created as the Resettlement Administration in 1935 as part of the New Deal, the Farm Security Administration was an effort during the Depression to combat rural poverty. The FSA stressed rural rehabilitation efforts to improve the… … Wikipedia Book of Mormon — This article is about the religious book. For the Broadway musical, see The Book of Mormon (musical). For other uses, see Book of Mormon (disambiguation). Part of a series on … Wikipedia Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 — The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, also known as the 2002 Farm Bill, is the most recent incarnation of U.S. government assistance to domestic farmers. 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Amos is one of the minor prophets.Amos was the first biblical prophet whose words were recorded in a book, an older contemporary of Hoseah … Wikipedia farm building — ▪ agriculture Introduction any of the structures used in farming operations, which may include buildings to house families and workers, as well as livestock, machinery, and crops. The basic unit of commercial agricultural operation,… … Universalium that — /dhat/; unstressed /dheuht/, pron. and adj., pl. those; adv.; conj. pron. 1. (used to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time … Universalium Animal Farm — This article is about the novel by George Orwell. For other uses, see Animal Farm (disambiguation). Animal Farm … Wikipedia	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24299
__label__wiki	0.716627	0.716627	Typeset in the Future reveals how classic sci-fi cinema conveyed the future via stylized fonts Filed under: Comics & Books, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café — 2 Comments In art director and designer Roger Christian’s book Cinema Alchemist (reviewed here at borg) readers learn how the Oscar-winning set designer changed the way audiences see the future through intentionally distressed sets and props and the clever incorporation of real-world components. In books like Dressing a Galaxy, Star Wars Costumes, and Star Trek Costumes, readers can see how costume designers create what we think of as the future. Now writer Dave Addey takes science fiction fans back to visit how visionary filmmakers of classic science fiction used futuristic and sometimes even classic fonts and type styles to convey what lies ahead and in his book Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies, available now from Abrams Books. At first focusing on what he believes to be the most pervasive font of the future, Eurostile Bold Extended–used in Back to the Future, Apollo 13, Battlestar Galactica, Independence Day, and hundreds of other films–Dave Addey highlights seven key science fiction films and how they used a wide variety of typeface designs to make us see the future. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner, Total Recall, Wall·E, and Moon (alas, no Star Wars, possibly because it is not technically science fiction per se) each get taken apart and dissected. With numerous screencaps, and identification of several dozen font designs inside the films and used in marketing via posters and other advertisements, readers will be surprised what set designers came up with over the past 50 years. Addey finds some of the fonts made famous in film have filtered into our daily lives as real-world corporate logos–Gill Sans Light, City Bold, Univers 59 Ultra Bold Condensed, Manifold, Futura Bold, Kabel Book, Computer, Micr, Data 70, Stop, Handel Gothic, Pump Demi, Swiss 911 Ultra Compressed, Gunship–these will all be familiar to you even if you don’t know them by name. With his own pop culture knowledge and sense of humor, he has also built his own framework to analyze the success of these fonts, using manipulation via italic slant, curved lettering, straightening others, adding sharp points, adjusting kern or spacing, creating slices through letters, adding texture, adding a bevel or extrusion, and/or a star field background, although he says no title font has yet used them all to become the most futuristic of all. Here is a look inside the book: Typeset in the Future includes interviews with notable names in the business, including visionaries like Italian type designer Antonio Cavedoni, Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers director and auteur Paul Verhoeven, Mike Okuda of Star Trek fame, and Pixar’s Ralph Eggleston and Craig Foster. Typographer Stephen Coles explains how fonts come to be experienced as futuristic, some because they are attached to an obvious science fiction property and the audience buys into it, others because they are used in specific, standout ways that become synonymous with sci-fi, and yet others use the artistry of the typeface itself to show forward thinking and modern elements. Art designers, commercial design students, graphic designers, advertising professionals, and other creators will appreciate Addey’s suggestions for making fonts in project signage give the feeling of futurism, including several pages of examples from across the history of cinema. It’s been said that science fiction and design go hand in hand, and fans of both subjects will find something of interest in Dave Addey’s Typeset in the Future. It’s available now in an attractive full-color hardcover edition loaded with photographs. Get it at your local bookstore or order it now at a discount off the cover price (as of the date of publication) here at Amazon. Tags: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Abrams Books, advertising, Alien, Antonio Cavedoni, Apollo 13, Back to the Future, Battlestar Galactica, Blade Runner, Cinema Alchemist, Craig Foster, Dave Addey, Eurostile Bold Extended, futurism, futurists, graphic artists, Independence Day, marketing, Mike Okuda, Moon, Paul Verhoeven, production design, Ralph Eggleston, science fiction fonts, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Stephen Coles, Total Recall, Typeset in the Future, Typeset in the Future book review, typography, Wall·E michaelprestage Considering the sheer volume of film, television and print that bubbles to the surface these days, Chris you have a real knack for uncovering gems that might otherwise go unnoticed. Being both a fan of fonts and sci-fi, it looks like this book will definitely end up a must-have. I won’t contest the fact that Eurostile Bold (and its variants) have left their mark on the genre, but simply by virtue of its ample cinematic appearances combined with its uniquely mechanized origins, old-school Westminster must surely be up there with the most iconic of them. While fonts have always played prominent role in cinema (perhaps to a greater degree in its promotional materials), the arcane, often hand-scribed title cards of the silent era, especially those of Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau and Robert Wiene, were so interwoven into their respective films that they literally become a character unto themselves. Oftentimes functioning more so in the manner of a special effect than merely conveying the spoken word. Lang’s remarkable “Girl in the Moon” is an excellent example of this. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Mr. Addey addresses a few of these old-timers, If not, German Expressionism-era fonts and typography might well make a fascinating subject for a quirky follow-up book! borgeditor Thanks, Michael! To respond to your comments about earlier fonts… No, Addey did not address these in his book. His overview is limited to the movies I mention in the review, so really he has only scratched the surface. Hey–maybe you should write THAT book, eh? My own mental wanderings took me back to the 1950s era, like the title fonts in Forbidden Planet, The Blob, etc., all these images that grabbed people on the street and pulled them in. Not to mention the flip side, like Saul Bass’s work that said more of “come on in… if you dare!” I could see a more analytical approach in a different book, viewing how each decade’s audiences changed in their perceptions, who made it happen and why it did or didn’t work, instead of a deep dive into only a few specific movies as Addey did. « See the next generation of film technology in Gemini Man: The Art and Making of the Movie X-Men: Days of Future Past–Novel adaptation takes X-Men back to the original Kitty Pryde adventure »	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24300
__label__wiki	0.580714	0.580714	KISS FM on Alexa KISS FM App Will G Will Gordon Bozeman's KISS FM 96.7Bozeman's KISS FM 96.7 New Music Releases – November 2015 Brian Josephs Rich Polk/Neilson Barnard/Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images The leaves are turning brown and a chill is filling the air. Fall is here, but the musical hits are still continuing throughout November. Ty Dolla $ign's Free TC, an album dedicated to his incarcerated brother, is finally coming out after constant delays. He's been searching for that hit single, and "Blasé" fills that role well. Dolla $ign, an artist who dances between singing and rapping, is definitely talented enough of a songwriter and musician to follow it up with a strong set. But if you can, why not flex with a strong guest list? Free TC, which drops Nov. 13, has a supporting cast that includes Kendrick Lamar, Brandy, Kanye West and Diddy. The second biggest November release comes from Jeezy, who's resuming his hood pope duties with Church in These Streets. The album is presumably going to be a collection of real talk moments, and if his previous album is any indicator, there should be a solid number of features. The rapper sets out to save the streets on Nov. 13. And of course, there's Adele. The British songbird teamed up with Mack Wilds to bring you the video for "Hello" last week and she'll break more hearts when 25 drops on Nov. 20. Those are the three main blockbuster releases, but there's also heat coming from Talib Kweli, Redman, Chris Brown and a few others. Check them out below. It's a Wonderful World Music Group Talib Kweli & 9th Wonder, Indie 500 Redman, Mudface Logic, The Incredible True Story Ty Dolla $ign, Free TC Jeezy, Church in the Streets Big Pooh & Nottz, Home Sweet Home CeeLo Green, Heart Blanche Alessia Cara, Know-It-All Le1f, Riot Boi Strange Music Tech N9ne, Strangeulation Vol. II Adele, 25 Chris Brown, Royalty Source: New Music Releases – November 2015 Filed Under: adele, chris brown, redman, young jeezy Is Robert Pattinson Engaged to Suki Waterhouse? 2020 96.7 KISS FM, Townsquare Media, Inc. All rights reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24305
__label__wiki	0.705637	0.705637	Tribute to a Modern Artist-Scientist In 2011, Robert Villa, the young Vice President of the Tucson Herpetological Society joined NG Explorer Mike Fay for miles of walking on his Tucson Transect at BioBlitz 2011 in Saguaro National Park. Here he offers a tribute to one of his inspirations and role models. By Robert Anthony Villa Dr. Robert Cyril Stebbins (age 98; 31 March... In 2011, Robert Villa, the young Vice President of the Tucson Herpetological Society joined NG Explorer Mike Fay for miles of walking on his Tucson Transect at BioBlitz 2011 in Saguaro National Park. Here he offers a tribute to one of his inspirations and role models. By Robert Anthony Villa Dr. Robert Cyril Stebbins (age 98; 31 March 1915-23 September 2013), a great naturalist, biologist, ecologist, conservationist, herpetologist, and soul, has died and left a legacy that will be nearly impossible for others to live up to. I first met this dean of southwestern herpetology as a 15-year-old Geekus maximus at a symposium in my home of Tucson, AZ. I knew he would be there for a book signing, and also accompanied him on a field outing. He was nothing but a gentle and noble soul – autographing my copy of “the Stebbins”. His Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians (“herps”) is a bible of sorts. It is the only compact, concise and authoritative field reference for the entire western US and Canada. It also stands as a work of art because apart from being an astute scholar, Dr. Stebbins was also an artist, who beautifully painted all of the species of amphibians and reptiles occurring in the geographic scope of the guide. Being an artist myself (musician), he stands as one of my artist-scientist heroes, teaching me to see each one through the other’s perspective. Dr. Robert Cyril Stebbins and Robert Anthony Villa. (Photo courtesy Robert Anthony Villa) Among his accomplishments, Dr. Stebbins described four herps and had three named in his honor (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi, Anniella stebbinsi, and Batrachoseps stebbensi). He explored the function of the pineal (“third”) eye in reptiles, discovered the ring species phenomenon in California Ensatina salamanders, and was an eloquent advocate for the conservation of our natural resources. Dr. Stebbins, you live through those you have and will continue to affect through your contributions to herpetology and conservation of our natural heritage. Stebbins, R. C.. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Stebbins, R. C., and S. M. McGinnis. 2013. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California. California Natural History Guides. University of California Press Stebbins, R. C.. 2012. Connecting with Nature: A Naturalist’s Perspective. National Science Teachers Association Press.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24310
__label__wiki	0.617767	0.617767	En Route to Search for Dolphins in Shark Bay National Geographic Grantee Whitney Friedman is studying some of the smartest creatures in the sea- dolphins. Their complex alliances and social interactions may be more similar to humans than any other species. Follow her expedition on Explorers Journal as she joins a 30-year study on male alliances among bottlenose dolphins in Western Australia’s Shark Bay. ... National Geographic Grantee Whitney Friedman is studying some of the smartest creatures in the sea- dolphins. Their complex alliances and social interactions may be more similar to humans than any other species. Follow her expedition on Explorers Journal as she joins a 30-year study on male alliances among bottlenose dolphins in Western Australia’s Shark Bay. A competition among two second-order alliances of males in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Photo by Whitney Friedman, Dolphin Innovation Project The Journey to Shark Bay It’s sunrise somewhere over the Pacific ocean. At almost midnight 14 hours ago, I departed from Los Angeles International Airport. I never quite get over the bizzare effect of crossing the international date line: its been pitch black since we departed, and this year, the 6th of August will never occur for the passengers aboard this plane. My destination: Shark Bay, Western Australia. It takes a minimum of 35 hours of direct travel to arrive at this remote destination half-way around the world from where I began. But the destination is well worth the long journey. In addition to the 24 species of sharks, 10000 dugongs, 300+ species of fish, and many more animals that inhabit the UNESCO World-Heritage site, Shark Bay is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins currently estimated at about 5,000 individuals. An international team of researchers have studied the dolphins since the early 1980s when the research was spearheaded by an ambitious duo of then-recent university graduates, Richard Connor and Rachel Smolker. This will be my fourth year joining Dr. Connor’s team to study the social relationships among these resident dolphins; in particular among the adult males. Nested Alliances of Bottlenose Dolphins Over the last thirty years, Connor and his colleagues have uncovered a “nested” alliance structure among adult males in this population whose complexity is likely more similar to that of humans than to any well-studied mammal – terrestrial or aquatic. Especially during the mating season in Shark Bay (beginning in just a few weeks!) male bottlenose dolphins form pairs or trios to ‘consort’ individual adult females. Estrus females are a limited resource during the mating season, and encounter rates among males are frequent in this dense population. This recipe is thought to contribute to frequent conflicts among the males. But rather than keeping the fight between each pair or trio of males, when fights erupt other males porpoise in from afar to join – and they take consistent sides. You see, in addition to belonging to a pair or trio (sometimes stable for over 20 years!) most males also belong to a “second-order” alliance — a group of up to 14 males that have also been found to persist for nearly two decades. These males work together during such mating competitions to aid in the defense or theft of estrus females from males in other second-order alliances. As if this wasn’t complex enough, we also find examples of second-order alliances that spend time together and occasionally join forces against other groups. That’s right: a third level of alliance! An ‘Open’ Social Network These alliances reside within a huge “open” social network of bottlenose dolphins that stretches over the ecologically diverse Eastern and Western Gulf of Shark Bay. The variable underwater microhabitats of flats, channels, and gradually sloping embayment plains support different species of fish, and though the dolphins share general foraging tactics, many also have specialized foraging tactics particular to the region of they bay in which they spend most of their time. These specializations are thought to contribute to a network of overlapping but relatively stable homeranges for groups of male and female dolphins. This gives researchers in Shark Bay a very unique opportunity to reliably seek out particular individuals among a free-ranging population of cetaceans; if we want to find the group of six males we call “The Crunch Bunch” we know to look around an area east of our research base. This exciting combination: nested alliances within a mosaic of overlapping home-ranges, in which neighboring groups often forage together one day and compete the next, and the accessibility of this near-shore population makes this site one of the most unique and exciting places to study the social lives of this fascinating non-human species. Meet the Boys This season I’ll be focusing on how the males within two “second-order” alliances – the “Primas” and the “Krokers” – establish and maintain their relationships. These two groups have been studied since the mid-90’s, when the two young alliances formed. We find these two alliances frequently as they inhabit the channel just offshore of our research base at Monkey Mia, WA. The Primas and Krokers represent extremes of second-order stability: since their formation in the mid-90s the Primas have consisted of two stable trios who consort females almost exclusively within these trios. The Primas also have an occassional 7th member, “Barney”, who rarely seems to make his way into consortships. The geographically-related Krokers have fluctuated in group size from a maximum of 14 to the current low of 10 individuals. They tend to form more stable pairs, but consort females in trios – often meaning a rotating third individual. The Krokers and Primas are often found together in social and foraging situations, and have been seen to work together during mate competition – pegging them one of best groups to study to further understand the making of 3rd order associations. Read All Dolphin Alliance Project 2013 Blog Posts Whitney Friedman My name is Whitney Friedman and I’m proud to be a National Geographic Explorer. I’m blogging from Shark Bay, Western Australia, where I’ve joined Dr. Richard Connor’s 30-year study on male alliances among bottlenose dolphins to discover how it is that these fascinating creatures establish and maintain relationships within a complex social network that may be more similar to humans than to any other species. Read more as I recount the adventures, challenges, and highlights of this season!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24311
__label__cc	0.721419	0.278581	Tag: press Our top story: StoryBots on your TV screen in 2013! 2013 was a big year for StoryBots! We increased our portfolio to 14 apps, spread to over 2400 classrooms around the world, and brought families closer together. The word about StoryBots has hit the airwaves, and we’re happy to showcase a snippet of StoryBots press coverage from 2013. Check out this recap, featuring StoryBots on CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and more. Tada! A big thanks goes to those who have covered StoryBots during the year. We greatly appreciate the hundreds of clips featuring StoryBots far and wide, across the country and around the world. It’s been a blast spreading smiles and bringing families together wherever they may be, and we’re excited for what 2014 holds! January 1, 2014 January 7, 2014 cnbc, cnn, fbn, fox, media, press, recap, story bots, storybots, tadaLeave a comment	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24315
__label__cc	0.690886	0.309114	U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES & SERVICES Broward County, Florida Category Archives: Magazines Today’s Top Picks for Our Readers Learn something new today with a free eBook, covering professional and personal development topics. Free for a limited time; availability subject to change. New eBooks are added daily. Good Housekeeping (2-year) Only $10.00 Every issue delivers a unique mix of independent investigation and trusted reporting, along with inspirational and personal stories. The magazine’s rich tradition embodies a commitment … Our Daily Bread Devotional, by RBC Ministries Spend time in God’s Word and find deeper meaning in each day’s Scripture reading. Our Daily Bread Devotional is available in standard print, large print and new kid-friendly version. Free Bridal Guide Magazine Issue Sign up here for a complimentary Bridal Guide issue. Google’s Universal Search for Universities Learn how to enhance information access and improve productivity for students, faculty and staff with Google’s universal search solutions. FREE Nature Methods Magazine Nature Methods provides techniques for life scientists and chemists. Nature Methods is dedicated to publishing novel methods together with significant advances to tried and tested … ←Older Entries Low-cost Behavioral Health Services, Broward County Emergency Hotlines, Free VESIcare® $50.00 Coupon, Free Amplified Phones, Alzheimer's Association Florida Chapter, Free Eyeglasses for the Needy, STD Testing Services and $10.00 Coupon, YMCA of Broward County, Parenting and Counseling Programs, Free Nutritious Supper Program, Affordable Healthcare, Low Income Permanent Housing, Jackson Memorial Hospital Dental Clinic, Free or Low-cost Clinics in Broward County, FL, FREE LEGAL AID SERVICE OF BROWARD COUNTY, Banfield Pet Hospital, Free Legal Services in Broward County, Broward Addiction and Recovery Center, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and more! Home, About Us, Health, Addiction, Behavioral Health, Camps, Dental Clinics, Eye Exam and Glasses, Florida Clinics, Food, HIV Centers, Government Benefits, Hearing, HIV/AIDS, Mammograms, Mental, Sex Addiction, Lifestyle, Arts and Crafts, Babies, Beauty, Coupons, Instant Printable Coupons, Education, Household, Pet Care & Supplies, Recipes, Samples, Shopping, Publications, Bilingual Books, Books, Broward County Library, Knitting Books, Magazines, Online Textbooks, Public Domain Books, Technology, Electronics, Games, Hammacher Schlemmer, Information Technology, ThinkGeek, Walmart Computers, Walmart Tablets, What's New © 2020 - U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES & SERVICES For continued access, do not enter.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24323
__label__wiki	0.669911	0.669911	About AAC Pilot Pharmacokinetic Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients Receiving Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF): Investigation of Systemic and Intracellular Interactions between TDF and Abacavir, Lamivudine, or Lopinavir-Ritonavir Alain Pruvost, Eugènia Negredo, Frédéric Théodoro, Jordi Puig, Mikaël Levi, Rafaela Ayen, Jacques Grassi, Bonaventura Clotet Alain Pruvost CEA, iBiTecS, SPI, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, Gif sur Yvette, F-91191 For correspondence: alain.pruvost@cea.fr Eugènia Negredo Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation Frédéric Théodoro Mikaël Levi CEA, iBiTecS, SPI, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, Gif sur Yvette, F-91191SPI-BIO, Parc d'Activité du Pas du Lac, 10 bis avenue Ampère, F-78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France Rafaela Ayen Irsicaixa Foundation, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain Jacques Grassi Bonaventura Clotet Lluita contra la SIDA FoundationIrsicaixa Foundation, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01064-08 Previous work has demonstrated the existence of systemic interaction between tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and didanosine as well as between TDF and lopinavir-ritonavir (LPV/r). Here we investigated TDF interactions with the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) lamivudine (3TC) and abacavir (ABC), comparing both the concentrations of nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors in plasma and the intracellular concentrations of their triphosphate metabolites (NRTI-TP) for human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving these NRTIs with TDF and after 4 weeks of TDF interruption. We also looked at interactions between TDF-ABC and LPV/r, comparing patients receiving or not receiving LPV/r. Blood samples were taken at baseline and at 1, 2, and 4 h after dosing. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure NRTIs and NRTI-TPs. Statistical analyses were performed on pharmacokinetic parameters: the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 4 h (AUC0-4), the maximum concentration of the drug (Cmax), and the residual concentration of the drug at the end of the dosing interval (Ctrough) for plasma and the AUC0-4 and Ctrough for intracellular data. Among the groups of patient discontinuing TDF, the very long intracellular half-life of elimination (150 h) of TFV-DP (the diphosphorylated metabolite of TFV, corresponding to a triphosphorylated species) was confirmed. Comparison between groups as well as the longitudinal study showed no significant systemic or intracellular interaction between TDF and ABC or 3TC. Significant differences were observed between patients receiving LVP/r and those receiving nevirapine. For ABC, plasma exposure was decreased (40%) under LVP/r, while, in contrast, plasma exposure to TFV was increased by 50% and the intracellular TFV-DP AUC0-4 was increased by 59%. A trend for a gender effect was observed for TFV-DP at the intracellular level, with higher and Ctrough values for women. Highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens include at least three antiretroviral agents combining a nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor [N(t)RTI] backbone with a protease inhibitor (PI) or a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) (51). The issue of drug-drug interaction between NRTIs, including N(t)RTIs, and also between N(t)RTIs and PIs or NNRTIs needs to be addressed (37). All these drugs or prodrugs could interact at the systemic level (absorption, metabolism, distribution, or elimination) or at the cellular level through membrane transport, or through intracellular metabolism for the N(t)RTIs. Several in vitro and in vivo intracellular interactions have been reported between NRTIs sharing the same metabolic pathways for thymidine analogues (14, 17) and for cytidine analogues (24). More recently, a significant interaction between didanosine (ddI) and tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been clinically demonstrated (6, 23, 29, 32), showing a higher plasma exposure to ddI when it is combined with TDF than when it is given alone. As a result, the ddI dosage was reduced to 250 mg in combination with TDF, allowing plasma to reach the same exposure to ddI as that obtained when 400 mg ddI was given alone (i.e., without TDF). Intracellular investigation of this new combination (35) has shown no significant difference between the levels of ddATP (the triphosphate metabolite of ddI) reached with 250 mg of ddI in combination with TDF and those reached with 400 mg of ddI without TDF, further proving that the dose adjustment of ddI was correct. To explain the ddI-TDF interaction, an interesting hypothesis based on the inhibition of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) by TFV phosphate was proposed (39). This enzyme, which is involved in the catabolism of the purine bases inosine and guanine, when inhibited by phosphorylated forms of TFV, would lead to increased levels of ddI (a purine analogue) in addition to increased concentrations of GTP and consequently dGTP (2). The corresponding increased levels of dGTP might be responsible for a decrease in ribonucleotide reductase activity and for mitochondrial DNA damage, which would be the main cause of the CD4+ cell depletion reported when TDF and ddI are combined (3, 30). Nevertheless, recent in vitro data showed no alteration in endogenous deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools by TDF (41, 46). The aim of this pilot study was first to explore possible interactions between TDF and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) other than ddI (i.e., lamivudine [3TC] and abacavir [ABC]) and also to confirm a previous observation regarding a potential interaction between TDF and lopinavir-ritonavir (LPV/r) (34). Just after the initiation of this pilot study, a publication reporting the intracellular pharmacokinetics of a triple-nucleoside regimen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients (15), trying to explain the early lack of virologic response to this combination (12), showed no intracellular drug interaction between TDF, ABC, and 3TC. Finally, it was also reported in other work (22) that coadministration of TDF and LPV/r resulted in increased TFV exposure at the plasma level. In this study, by using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) techniques, we confirmed the previously reported lack of interaction between 3TC, ABC, and TDF at both the plasma and the intracellular level. We also evaluated, in HIV-infected patients, the interaction between TDF and LPV/r at both the plasma and the intracellular level; previously, this interaction was described for healthy volunteers at the plasma level only. As secondary objectives, we investigated possible interactions between 3TC, ABC, and LPV/r or nevirapine (NVP) at the plasma and intracellular levels. Finally, on the basis of the hypothesis of PNP inhibition by TFV phosphate, we measured and compared the intracellular dGTP concentrations between groups of patients. (The data reported in this study were presented in part as poster and abstract 56 at the 8th International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of HIV Therapy, Budapest, Hungary, 16 to 18 April 2007.) Patients.The study enrolled subjects who had been receiving a triple highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen for more than 42.2 (±8.2) months, including 300 mg of TDF once daily, taken with food; 300 mg of 3TC once daily or 300 mg of ABC twice daily; and an NNRTI (NVP; 400 mg once daily) or a PI (LPV/r; 400 and 100 mg, respectively, twice daily). Patients were seen consecutively between January 2005 and August 2005 in the HIV Unit of Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (Badalona, Spain). Patients who consented were included in the study and were classified depending on the NRTI combination. Exclusion criteria were suspected improper drug adherence, treatment discontinuation, or treatment changes during the previous 3 months. Patients were asked to come fasting to the clinical unit and then took antiretroviral therapy after the first blood draw (baseline). After that, they ate a breakfast consisting of a mini-sandwich and coffee or juice. Study design.This was a single-center, pilot cross-sectional study followed by a longitudinal prospective study (after 4 weeks of TDF interruption). (i) Cross-sectional study.The four groups were assigned treatment regimens as follows: group 1 (seven patients, five male and two female) received TDF, 3TC, and LPV/r; group 2 (eight patients, five male and three female) received TDF, 3TC, and NVP; group 3 (seven patients, five male and two female) received TDF, ABC, and LPV/r; and group 4 (five patients, all male) received TDF, ABC, and NVP. (ii) Longitudinal study of patients discontinuing TDF.TDF was withdrawn for 4 weeks in order to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions between TDF and ABC or between TDF and 3TC, only for patients receiving LPV/r (groups 1 and 3), in order to avoid viral rebound during the dual therapy. For groups 1 and 3, measurements of plasma ABC or 3TC levels and intracellular carbovir triphosphate (CBV-TP) or 3TC-TP levels were repeated after this 4-week interruption. Blood samples were taken from all subjects at baseline (just before dosing) and at 1, 2, and 4 h postdosing. Chemicals.3TC, 3TC-TP, ABC, and CBV-TP were from GlaxoSmithKline (Research Triangle Park, NC). TFV and TFV-DP (the diphosphorylated metabolite of TFV, corresponding to a triphosphorylated species) were from Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA). 2-Chloroadenosine and 2-chloro-ATP, both used as internal standards (IS), were from Sigma-Aldrich (St Quentin-Fallavier, France). Analytical methodology and performance. (i) NRTIs in plasma.Calibration standards were made in blank human plasma (Biopredic, Rennes, France) at concentrations ranging from the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), 5.0 ng/ml, to the upper limit of quantification, 1,500 ng/ml, with quality controls at 15.0 (low), 800 (intermediate), and 1,400 (high) ng/ml. On the day of analysis, samples were thawed; 50 μl of IS solution (3,750 ng/ml in water) was added to a 200-μl aliquot of plasma diluted with 200 μl of 0.1 N HCl in a polypropylene tube; and the mixture was vortex mixed. Solid-phase extraction was performed on Oasis MCX 60-mg, 3-ml cartridges (Waters, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France) using a positive-pressure processor (Speedisk 48; Mallinckrodt Baker, Paris, France). After the cartridge was washed with 2 ml of acetonitrile and conditioned with 2 ml of water, the sample (450 μl) was loaded under low pressure. Cartridges were washed first with 2 ml of 0.1 N HCl and then with 2 ml of acetonitrile and were dried under a stream of nitrogen for 30 s. Analytes were eluted with a threefold 500-μl methanol-2% ammonia solution. The extract sample was evaporated to dryness at 50°C in a Turbovap LV evaporator (Zymark, Roissy, France). Extracts reconstituted with 200 μl of mobile phase A (see below) were held at +4°C in the autosampler, and 10 μl was injected into the LC-MS-MS system (Alliance 2795-Quattro Micro; Waters, France). The LC assay method coupled with spectrometric detection (MS-MS) for the simultaneous determination of 3TC, ABC, and TFV in human plasma has been validated and described previously (27). To sum up, LC separation was achieved on a Synergi Polar-RP 4-μm, 50- by 2-mm column (Phenomenex, France) maintained at around 40°C. Gradient analysis was performed from 98% water-formic acid (99.5:0.5, vol/vol) (mobile phase A) up to 80% methanol-formic acid (99.5:0.5, vol/vol) in 4 min at a flow rate of 300 μl/min. MS-MS detection was performed after positive electrospray ionization, with monitoring of ion transitions 230.2→111.7, 287.2→191.1, 288.1→176.03, and 302.05→169.88 for 3TC, ABC, TFV, and 2-chloroadenosine, respectively. The calibration curves were fitted to a 1/x2-weighted quadratic regression model for 3TC and ABC. For TFV, a 1/x2 weighted linear regression model was used. The LLOQ was 5 ng/ml when 200 μl of the biological sample was used (50 pg on the column). Mean extraction recoveries over the entire calibrated range were 88.7% ± 4.9%, 85.3% ± 3.8%, and 80.3% ± 3.8% for ABC, 3TC, and TFV, respectively. Mean ionization recoveries were 92.7% ± 2.5%, 91.5% ± 13.4%, and 86.3% ± 5.9% for ABC, 3TC, and TFV, respectively. Extraction and ionization recoveries were 92 and 102%, respectively, for the IS at working concentrations. The accuracy and precision values for intra-and interanalytical runs met the international requirements (48). Stability experiments performed with plasma (for 4 h at room temperature and after three freeze-thaw cycles) and processed samples (72 h at +4°C in the autosampler) gave precision and accuracy results within the regulatory limits (48). (ii) NRTI-TPs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).The purity of the master stock solutions was checked using the same chromatographic system previously described (4) coupled with UV detection (λ, 254 nm). For the simultaneous determination of 3TC-TP, CBV-TP, and TFV-DP levels, the validated LC-MS-MS assay method previously reported (36) was used. For dGTP measurement, a previously described method (16) was used, slightly modified according to the work of Pruvost et al. (36) for LC and MS detection. Clinical subject samples.After thawing at room temperature, patients' plasma samples were treated in the same manner as the calibration standards and quality control samples, as described above. PBMCs collected from 7 to 8 ml of blood from treated patients were kept frozen at −80°C. PBMCs were transferred on dry ice to the analytical laboratory and were subjected to the same treatment as previously described (36). Cell counting.The PBMCs of each clinical sample were counted in our laboratory using a validated biochemical test as previously described (5). PK parameters and statistical analysis.The area under the concentration-time curve from 0 h to the last sampling time, 4 h (AUC0-4), was calculated for both N(t)RTIs and NRTI-TPs by using WinNonlin Professional software (version 3.1; Pharsight Corporation, CA). A noncompartmental analysis program and a linear trapezoidal rule were used to compute the AUC. For plasma, the highest of the concentrations of the drug found at the four sampling times was considered the maximum concentration of the drug (Cmax) in plasma and was used for comparison. Since for ABC, 3TC, and TFV, the time to maximum concentration of the drug is around 1 h, we were in the terminal phase of elimination at 4 h. Under these conditions, the AUC0-4 was a representative part of the total AUC, which can be used for comparison. Owing to the particularly flat intracellular PK profiles of these NRTI-TPs, Cmax was not used for comparisons of NRTI-TPs. The residual concentration of the drug at the end of the dosing interval (Ctrough) was also used and was the first concentration read at time zero just before the new dosing. Since dGTP is an endogenous compound with low intra-variability (here 16%), the mean concentration for the four sampling times was calculated and used for comparisons between groups. GraphPad Prism (version 5.01; GraphPad Software Inc., CA) was used to report descriptive statistical values such as means, coefficients of variation, geometric least squares means, and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical comparisons by treatment group using the PK parameters discussed above were performed using SigmaStat software (version 3.0.1; SPSS Inc., IL). According to the situation, one-way analysis of variance (Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance on ranks when the normality test failed), a paired t test, or two way analysis of variance was used. Statistical comparisons were accepted as significant at a P value of <0.05. Twenty-seven patients were included in the cross-sectional part of the study: seven in group 1, eight in group 2, seven in group 3, and five in group 4. Fourteen of these patients (groups 1 and 3) also participated in the longitudinal study. Most patients were men (26% were women), and the mean age was 43.8 ± 9.5 years, with no differences between treatment groups (the mean age of each group differs less than 7.5% from the global mean). All participants were Caucasian. The mean CD4 cell count was 650 ± 367/mm3 (the mean CD4 cell count of each group differs less than 14.2% from the global mean), and all participants maintained viral suppression (<50 copies/ml) throughout the study. On entering into the study, none of the participants presented with an acute infection or another opportunistic disease. The mean (standard deviation) baseline plasma creatinine level was 99.5 (24.5) μmol/liter. For patients participating in the prospective study, no changes were observed at the end of the study, with a mean (standard deviation) plasma creatinine level of 91.9 (24.4) μmol/liter. Plasma and intracellular interactions.To study the possible plasma and intracellular interactions between NRTIs and TDF as well as between NRTIs and the third antiretroviral agent (LPV/r or NVP), we measured the concentrations of both NRTIs in plasma (272 results in 164 plasma samples) and those of NRTI-TPs within the cells (in PBMC samples). Assay performance measurements gave results similar to those obtained during the validation (27, 36). For NRTIs, mean precision and accuracy ranged from 3.3 to 12.8% and from 92.3 to 114%, respectively. For NRTI-TPs, mean precision and accuracy ranged from 9.5 to 19% and from 91.6 to 102%, respectively. Effects of TDF on NRTIs and NRTI-TPs in the presence of LPV/r.To evaluate the impact of TDF on the pharmacokinetics of NRTIs, the PK parameters of group 1 (TDF-3TC-LPV/r) for 3TC and 3TC-TP were compared (by a paired t test) with those of the same patients discontinuing TDF. Geometric means (GM) for the 3TC AUC0-4, Cmax, and Ctrough in plasma for group 1 with and without TDF were 5,636 and 6,896 h·ng/ml, 2,360 and 2,448 ng/ml, and 107.3 and 101.6 ng/ml, respectively, showing no significant difference. Comparison of the GM of the intracellular 3TC-TP AUC0-4 and Ctrough (48.2 and 58.0 h·pmol/106 cells and 10.4 and 12.4 pmol/106 cells, respectively) led to the same conclusion. Similar observations were made for plasma ABC and intracellular CBV-TP PK parameters by comparing group 3 (TDF-ABC-LPV/r) with group 3 discontinuing TDF. ABC AUC0-4, Cmax, and Ctrough GM were 3,202 and 2,842 h·ng/ml, 1,510 and 1,621 ng/ml, and 57.7 and 36.3 ng/ml, respectively, and CBV-TP AUC0-4 and Ctrough GM were 1,388 and 1,022 h·fmol/106 cells and 296.1 and 212.3 fmol/106 cells, respectively, showing no statistically significant difference. It is worth noting that for the two groups discontinuing TDF, after 4 weeks, no quantifiable level of TFV was found in the plasma samples. In contrast, 48% of the PBMC samples (27/56) had quantifiable concentrations of TFV-DP (median, 17 fmol/106 cells; range, 7 to 39 fmol/106 cells), allowing us to calculate an intracellular half-life of elimination. The other half of the patients presented intracellular TFV-DP levels that were detectable but below the LLOQ. To include these patients, very likely associated with a shorter TFV-DP half-life, in the analysis, the LOQ/2 value according to their cell counts was also used to evaluate the half-life of TFV-DP; the median half-life was estimated as 150 h, with a range of 120 to 266 h. Effects of NRTIs (3TC and ABC) on TFV and TFV-DP.The effects of 3TC and ABC on the pharmacokinetics of both TFV and TFV-DP were evaluated by comparing group 1 (TDF-3TC-LPV/r) with group 3 (TDF-ABC-LPV/r) and group 2 (TDF-3TC-NVP) with group 4 (TDF-ABC-NVP). The GM of the AUC0-4, Cmax, and Ctrough of TFV for groups 1 and 3 were 962.0 and 845.9 h·ng/ml, 356.0 and 290.2 ng/ml, and 90.6 and 86.3 ng/ml, respectively, and the GM of the AUC0-4 and Ctrough of TFV-DP were 1,150 and 839.8 h·fmol/106 cells and 247.4 and 213.9 fmol/106 cells, respectively, showing no significant difference between groups 1 and 3. The same observation was made in the comparison of group 2 versus group 4; the GM of the AUC0-4, Cmax, and Ctrough of TFV for groups 2 and 4 were reported as 581.8 and 637.7 h·ng/ml, 248.6 and 232.4 ng/ml, and 55.4 and 45.8 ng/ml, respectively, while the GM of the AUC0-4 and Ctrough of TFV-DP were 651.9 and 564.2 h·fmol/106 cells and 176.2 and 108.5 fmol/106 cells, respectively. Effect of LPV/r or NVP on NRTIs and NRTI-TPs.As shown from the data presented above, we can observe apparent differences in the PK parameters of both TFV and TFV-DP between regimens including LVP/r or NVP. As a result, the effects of LPV/r and NVP on ABC, 3TC, and TFV and their corresponding triphosphate metabolites were investigated. For this purpose, comparisons were performed between groups 1 and 2, groups 3 and 4, and groups 1 plus 3 and 2 plus 4 for plasma and intracellular PK parameters of 3TC and 3TC-TP, ABC and CBV-TP, and TFV and TFV-DP, respectively. PK parameters are reported in Tables 1 and 2 for NRTIs and NRTI-TPs, respectively. For 3TC and 3TC-TP, no significant differences were evidenced. For ABC (group 3 versus group 4), the Cmax and AUC0-4 were decreased by 46% (P = 0.012) and 40% (P = 0.048), respectively, when ABC was dosed with LVP/r compared to NVP. At the PBMC level, intracellular PK parameters for CBV-TP showed an opposite trend, but it did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, for TFV (groups 1 and 3 versus groups 2 and 4), the Ctrough, Cmax, and AUC0-4 were increased by 72% (P = 0.013), 33% (P = 0.033), and 50% (P = 0.026), respectively, when TDF was dosed with LVP/r compared to NVP. This difference was also seen for TFV-DP at the PBMC level, where the Ctrough and AUC0-4 were 57% and 59% higher, respectively, with TDF-LVP/r than with TDF-NVP. Plasma PK parameters of lamivudine, abacavir, and tenofovir in the presence of lopinavir-ritonavir or nevirapine Intracellular PK parameters of 3TC-TP, CBV-TP, and TFV-DP in the presence of lopinavir-ritonavir or nevirapine dGTP concentrations.Comparison of mean intracellular dGTP concentrations in the same patients with and without TDF showed no effect of TDF on the intracellular concentration of dGTP: the GM for group 1 with and without TDF were 117 and 127 fmol/106 cells, respectively, and the GM for group 3 with and without TDF were 88 and 99 fmol/106 cells, respectively. Moreover, no gender effect was observed. Gender effect.In order to detect a possible gender effect in the results described above, a two-way analysis of variance taking into account two factors, gender and associated treatment (LPV/r or NVP), was performed. PK parameters are reported in Table 3. For TFV-DP, a significant gender effect (P = 0.045) was evidenced at the intracellular level: AUC0-4 values for women were 72% and 41% higher than those for men in the LPV/r and NVP groups, respectively. The relative rank order of mean AUC0-4 values for TFV-DP was as follows: highest for women with LPV/r (1,745.2 fmol·h/106 cells), intermediate and similar for men with LPV/r (921.2 fmol·h/106 cells) and women with NVP (829.3 fmol·h/106 cells), and lowest for men with NVP (590.8 fmol·h/106 cells). The same observation was made for Ctrough values (P = 0.039), which were 45% and 84% higher for women than for men in the LPV/r and NVP groups, respectively. No such significantly higher exposure was observed for TFV at the plasma level, despite a trend in AUC0-4 and Cmax in the LPV/r group. Also, no statistically significant difference was observed for 3TC in plasma. A trend toward higher 3TC-TP exposure was observed at the intracellular level. Such a comparison was not performed for CBV-TP, because there were too few patients in this group. Intracellular PK parameters of 3TC-TP and TFV-DP in men and women in the presence of lopinavir-ritonavir or nevirapine In this study, we have been able to describe detailed systemic and intracellular drug-drug interactions between TDF, ABC, and LPV/r. These data confirm previous reports showing the lack of interaction between TDF, 3TC, and ABC at the level of plasma (11, 21, 49), as well as the lack of interaction at the intracellular level in vitro (38) and in vivo (15). Interestingly, the median intracellular half-life of elimination of TFV-DP found in this study, 150 h, provides confirmation of our previous estimate of 180 h (35) and is very close to the value reported by Hawkins et al. (15), around 150 h. By comparing the LPV/r and NVP groups, we have observed a decrease in ABC exposure (40%) when ABC was combined with LPV/r similar to that recently published by Waters et al. (50), who reported a 32% decrease in plasma ABC exposure following the addition of LPV/r for HIV-infected patients on ABC (600 mg once daily). The mechanism of induction of ABC glucuronidation by ritonavir and/or LPV proposed by Waters et al. on the basis of their own work and previous work (10, 31, 44, 45) seems to be well founded. To our knowledge, PK data for intracellular CBV-TP in the presence and absence of LPV/r were not reported. While a lower plasma ABC concentration was observed in this group receiving ABC-LPV/r, our observation of a reverse trend for CBV-TP at the PBMC level was very surprising and certainly deserves confirmation. Globally, as expected, TFV-DP, 3TC-TP, and CBV-TP presented flat PK profiles from 0 to 4 h. However, for a few patients of the LPV/r group, the CBV-TP profile fluctuated more than usual. It seems likely that, for these patients, the intracellular CBV-TP concentration at the 4-h time point was near the Cmax but was not included in the 0- to 4-h period. Consequently, for CBV-TP, AUC0-4 was not a representative part of the total AUC and was possibly underestimated. This does not challenge our findings but rather explains why only a trend was observed for increased intracellular CBV-TP exposure in the presence of LPV/r. Nevertheless, this observation is consistent with the efficacy of the combination containing ABC plus LPV/r in comparison with other nucleoside combinations, as seen in the present study and in the KLEAN study (9). In contrast to ABC, we may observe an increase of around 50% in plasma TFV exposure when TDF is administered with LPV/r, confirming the systemic interaction between TDF and LPV/r already observed in a previous study (22) conducted with healthy volunteers. In the present study, conducted with chronically treated HIV-infected patients, the effect was a bit more pronounced. But these results in this study cannot be directly compared with those of the crossover drug interaction study with healthy volunteers, and this weak gap could be explained either by differences in the two populations studied (healthy volunteers versus chronically treated patients, age, gender structure, sample size, and diet) or by the way PK parameters were estimated. Nevertheless, regarding our evaluation of PK parameters (over only 4 h instead of 24 h), we may note that the mean Ctrough with or without LPV/r was 91.8 or 60.8 ng/ml, respectively, which compares well with that reported by Kearney et al., 99.8 or 63.8 ng/ml, respectively. This shows, furthermore, that Ctrough is not the parameter involved in the difference in the AUC increase. Since Ctrough is the same in both studies, and considering that the Ctrough could also be used as the 24-h concentration, because after the last sampling time (4 h) we are in the terminal phase of TFV elimination, as shown by Kearney et al., we may evaluate the AUC0-24 for TFV. By doing so, we obtain a mean TFV AUC0-24 (without LPV/r) of 2,904 ng·h/ml, a value very close to that for the group of healthy volunteers without LPV/r, reported at 2,870 ng·h/ml. Thus, the use of AUC0-4 for group comparison was suitable here. It is worth noting that our results and those of Kearney et al. contradict recently published data (25), where no statistically significant difference was found between PK parameters for HIV-infected patients receiving TDF with and without LPV/r. Since the patient demographic structure (age and gender) was very close to that of our study, the reason for this discrepancy remains unclear to date. Interestingly, the original contribution of this study is to show that the TFV increase observed at the plasma level is accompanied by a TFV-DP increase of a similar magnitude at the intracellular level. TFV-DP exposure was increased by 59% when LPV/r was coadministered. This confirms the existence of an interaction and demonstrates a direct correlation between plasma TFV levels and intracellular TFV-DP concentrations. As far as the mechanism of the TDF-LPV/r interaction is concerned, several hypotheses that involve intestinal or renal function have been proposed. In fact, PIs are known to interact with efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (7, 18, 19, 26, 33, 47). LPV and ritonavir could thus affect TDF absorption by inhibiting Pgp activity, as previously observed in in vitro experiments (43). Other investigators recently reported on a possible renal implication (40), but some of these results are contradictory, and so far there is no clear demonstration of involvement of kidney function in this interference. Nevertheless, in parallel with this increase in exposure, patients had not developed overt adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity (20). Another original contribution of this paper is the observation that intracellular TFV-DP exposure is significantly higher for women than for men, even if we must remain cautious owing to the low number of women in the patient groups and the P value of 0.045. A similar trend was observed for 3TC-TP but was not statistically significant, very likely due to the lower number of patients receiving 3TC than TDF. Sex-related differences in intracellular concentration for NRTI-TP metabolites have already been reported for zidovudine (1, 42), 3TC (1), and ABC (13, 28); such differences are shown here for TFV-DP and have to be confirmed by other studies. This significant difference was seen only for the triphosphate metabolite at the intracellular level, not for TFV at the plasma level, suggesting a difference in the capacities of men and women to phosphorylate NRTIs and N(t)RTIs, whether directly related to sex hormones or not. Finally, concerning the possible inhibition of PNP by TDF phosphate metabolites and its possible consequence on an increase in the dGTP pool, no difference was seen in dGTP levels between patients receiving or not receiving TDF. These in vivo results are in agreement with previous in vitro observations showing similar dGTP levels in uninfected human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells treated with ABC, TDF, TDF-ABC, and TDF-ABC-3TC (41) and revealing no effect of TDF alone or with other NRTIs on dNTP pools (46). Of note, TFV-DP was not entirely washed out after 4 weeks in patients of groups 1 and 3. Still, considering the half-life and the washout period, the remaining TFV-DP level was around only 4.5% of the initial TFV-DP level. In addition, TFV monophosphate (TFV-MP) is known to be the main inhibitor of PNP (39). Because there is no enzymatic limiting step in the TFV phosphorylation cascade, TFV-MP levels cannot be higher than those of TVF-DP; the former are approximately fivefold lower than the latter (8). Thus, taking into account the TFV-DP concentration after the washout period, the remaining TFV-MP level would be markedly lower than its Ki for PNP inhibition (39). Therefore, under these conditions, we can reasonably consider that the comparison of dGTP levels as a marker of PNP inhibition (before and after TDF washout) is relevant. Some limitations of this study have to be pointed out. First of all, the sample sizes of the groups included in this study were small and do not allow high-powered statistical tests. The study design also leads to limitations. For example, the potential impact of TDF on 3TC or ABC was directly investigated with the same patients receiving TDF and after TDF discontinuation, whereas the influence of 3TC or ABC on TDF was indirectly observed by comparison of TDF PK parameters in the two combinations. Nevertheless, this work clearly shows the interest of addressing both systemic and intracellular metabolism for the understanding of N(t)RTI- and NRTI-based anti-HIV therapies. This study was supported by unrestricted grants from GlaxoSmithKline and Gilead Sciences, Spain. We acknowledge the study participants. 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__label__cc	0.709133	0.290867	« The perpetual foreigner stereotype Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal: Saturday Love » The Arab trader argument Sat Oct 3rd 2009 by abagond The Arab trader argument is my name for an argument white Americans often use to defend the evil they do in the world. It goes like this: if white Americans do something evil and terrible it is all right – or at least not all that bad – so long as they can find at least one example from world history of someone else doing the same thing. Thus the Atlantic slave trade was not so bad because Arabs traders sold slaves too! See how it works? Pretty cool trick. Not! The thing is utterly morally bankrupt. It is the everyone-does-it argument that we tried when we were eight . Our mothers did not buy it then and it does not work now – except maybe for the morally blind. But that is just what many white Americans seem to be: morally blind. They know the evil that is done in their name, not just in the past but even now, but they do not want to see it. And when they are faced with it, they try to excuse it with stuff like this. Maybe moral blindness leads to morally broken thinking – or is it the other way round? It would be like if I robbed a bank and then said, “People rob banks all the time, what is the big deal?” Or if I slept with someone’s wife and I said, “Your wife had an affair two years ago. See! I am not that bad. Why are you angry at me?” Do you see how shameless this kind of argument is? It amazes me that anyone even tries it, for two reasons: That anyone would waste more than two seconds trying to excuse something so clearly evil, like the slave trade, the Japanese American prison camps, racism, etc. That they would try to use such a bad argument with a straight face and not see just how bad it is. But they do it. It seems to bring comfort to them, but that comfort is completely one-sided. It brings no comfort to those who have to suffer their evil. Like when the Jews were being sent to the death camps, did it bring any comfort to them to know that the Turks killed over a million Armenians? Forms of this argument: This is the way we have always done it Blacks do it too Blacks are racist too There will always be racists Right and wrong are not determined or proved by what everyone does, much less by what some people do, like Arab traders. That would just excuse everyone to sink to the lowest, meanest, most evil levels of behaviour. A simple and far better way to determine right and wrong, without getting deep into religion or philosophy, is the Golden Rule, which is not “Do unto others as some others have done”, as the Arab trader argument would have it, but “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Acts of racism fail this test by their very nature. How to tell if a commenter is white blame-shifting white innocence Apple-pie America – more on American moral blindness The slave trade was immoral – also brings up the Arab trader argument Pam Peters: The Cambridge Guide to English Usage – come to think of it, this everyone-does-it approach is applied even to English usage. Maybe it is not just a disingenous argument but a way of thinking! Posted in 2000s, America, arguments, moral fallacies, racism, racist arguments, stuff white people say \| 176 Comments on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 01:36:05 macon d This is a great post, very clarifying. I hear this kind of thing all. the. time. on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 01:59:10 Herneith This is a good catchall phrase for for these ‘arguements’! on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 10:35:34 Aiyo Good post on a statement that has been heard too much on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 10:47:08 Vindicator Good post! Abagond! Why people use this argument is beyond me. The adultery example is excellent for proving your point. A lot of people do think that it’s “alright” because “other people are doing it”. on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 02:35:04 temple This is my favorite (this tactic was very often used by a white woman who had a feminist blog where she consistently silenced black women while trumpeting her personal sacrifice of giving birth to biracial kids): “Slavery happened centuries ago. It’s time to get over it. On the other hand, white women have been oppressed going back thousands of years. We must never forget this.” Privileged much. on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 11:55:12 Black&German Slavery happened centuries ago. It’s time to get over it. On the other hand, white women have been oppressed going back thousands of years. We must never forget this. Nearly spit out my coffee reading that. Good grief. I do have to admit I’m a sucker for diversionary statements and ridiculous questions. I’m easy to distract that way because I enjoy going off on a tangent. So if you ever catch me feeding the trolls, as I am wont to do, please redirect me to the topic at hand. Trust that I won’t be offended. 🙂 on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 21:16:54 Rose “It brings no comfort to those who have to suffer their evil.” That’s hilarious. If whites didn’t exist stopped their “evil” as you put it, your standards of living would fall right back to where they were 200-300 years ago. Personally, I would not be opposed to this. If blacks want their independence, that’s fine, just don’t expect whites to continue feeding your populations. Abagond, look at yourself. You’re a racist. Let me know when you, as a black man, are ready to apologize and pay reparations to the Khoisan for your ancestors having nearly exterminated them. If you take a long, objective look at history, you’ll realize that history is all about superior groups conquering (and sometimes, exterminating) inferior ones. This tendency is common to all of humanity (and indeed, to all living things) and is not exclusive to the white race. If you’re still alive today, you can be sure it’s because your ancestors at some point mercilessly crushed a competing group (either that, or they got lucky). This is just the kind of thinking my post is talking about – excusing the evil that whites do by pointing out the evil done by others. Like that makes it right or something. It is morally bankrupt thinking. Your comment shows a comfort with evil that is sickening. on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 01:12:33 La Reyna May I ask which feminist website because there are several feminist who think like her just because she gives birth to Black children, she thinks that absolves her of being racist. That’s the type of thinking I get from White feminists who dismiss the unique histories of Women of Color in order to point their brand of being oppressed by their White men for centuries. on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 10:29:24 Vindicator temple Says: This is why you should never buy into feminist propoganda. Not once do feminists ever explain how women have been oppressed. on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 16:15:14 dani @ La Rena co-sign 😉 on Thu Oct 8th 2009 at 01:18:10 temple La Reyna, This blogger recently went private & I prefer not to give the blog name. Being silenced is a very common experience among black women & other women of color in feminism. It’s happened to me IRL & in the blog world quite often–often enough that I’ve faced the reality that not all women are my allies. on Thu Oct 8th 2009 at 18:53:32 Herneith Of course having black children has made her an authority on black issues. As for the white women being oppressed for thousands of years, what about racialized women? Did she address this? ‘That they would try to use such a bad argument with a straight face and not see just how bad it is.’ Why would they? When maintaining their power,it is not in their best interest to do so. They may be oblivious to these facts. * This is the way we have always done it * Blacks do it too * Blacks are racist too * There will always be racists Many whites possess a different moral compass than do racialized people. Many do-not have an inkling as to this lack either consciously or sub-consciously. The ones who do and are aware will try to debunk your arguments through condescending diversionary tactics which only serves to berate and humiliate the racialized person. This is particularly effective as it lets the racialized person know just exactly what you think of them and their group without resorting to racist name calling or your inherent superiority. Best of all, It makes them feel better as they have(in their mind) reinforced their self-perception that they are not racist. They are Just resorting to a logical explanations of how things really are. In effect, they are infantalizing the racialized person. It works. I know this. Why? If one responds to their arguement and gets progressively angry, it reinforces the stereotypes they may already have of your racialized group, puffing them up further. This is why they throw in facts unrelated to the topic at hand. This throws you off kilter. Unless you have a photographic memory and can pull facts out the air at random, you may be at a loss as to how to respond effectively. This enforces their notion of your group as having sub-intelligence. If you try to deflect the impact of the arguement via comic relief, then you are a buffoon who doesn’t understand anyway. This is also a reflection of your groups mindset. If you respond with dumbness, then you are too stupid to in the first place, also reflective of your groups’ intelligence and inability to debate such things; at this point they may become paternalistic as if teaching a child. This has happened to me throughout the years. If you learn to argue and counteract these arguments you’re dismissed as an exception or as uppity. You can’t win for loosing! My reaction now is to tell them that I have no wish to engage them. This angers them as they can not dazzle you with their brilliance and emphasize your, and by extension your groups, lack thereof. You know what? I don’t care anymore, go dazzle someone else with your b*******! The ones who are open to changing their white supremset mindset are relatively rarer. on Fri Oct 16th 2009 at 04:10:57 Rycher Yes but your ideological kin do the same thing all the time Abagond. For example, the Crusades are quite often used in EXACTLY the same manner to justify Islamic violence that occurs quite plentifully today. (This despite the fact the the Crusades were largely a response to Islamic aggression and militancy in the first place). Ultimately, your article here is null and void because your comrades do it all the time; they are guilty of the very thing you so righteously mock. on Fri Oct 16th 2009 at 04:16:14 Herneith @Rycher: You’ve just proved his arguement which is other people do it! Sorry, I meant; You’ve have just proved his argument whereby white Americans will say, “Everyone else does it to!”,when excusing any culpability in evil acts or criticism levelled at them for such. on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 19:42:05 Rycher First off: I abhor slavery and I view it as a point of shame for whites. With this in mind: The arab slave trade is highly relevant when it comes to grievances concerning the white slave trade. It is incredibly important to point out that the arab slave trade lasted well over ONE THOUSAND years, and that the white slave trade is given a maximum timeline of 2 to 3 centuries. It is also important to note that the arabs were far more inhuman, cruel and brutal to their slaves than were the whites. Moreover, despite the immorality and atrocities of the slave trades, the whites at least left a few benefits where they practiced colonialism: roads, electricity, water treatment, literacy, etc etc were often left behind in many communities that were under white colonial rule. So why I am saying this? Again, I do not point to the arabs to try and EXCUSE white slavery. Slavery is inexcusable. I point to the arab slave trade because so much focus and attention is given to the white slave trade which was far shorter, far less brutal and at least had some benefits. Since the arab slave trade was far worse by ALL MEASURES, why aren’t people getting after the arabs about it? This is what I find so absurd about this entire article- you point out all the terrible things about slavery but you are ready to dismiss a brutal slave trade that lasted over a MILLENIUM in order to attack whites. Given that slavery is such an important part of your history and a continued point of contention between blacks and other races, why aren’t you pursuing the arabs who’ve committed this crime on a much much much greater scale? Why do you readily dismiss their crimes? I’m quite sure I know why: you will find no sympathy from the arabs. But you will from whites. Some important reading: http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/easterntrade.html http://www.youtube.com/user/AhmadsQuran3#p/u/213/AHSP9TGLs4E on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 20:17:51 sanabituranima I’m no expert on the subject, but I know enough to know that that’s an over-simplification. Since the arab slave trade was far worse by ALL MEASURES, why aren’t people getting after the arabs about it? 1. People do often mention the Arab slave trade. That’s what the post is about. 2. Consequences. People are still suffering from the after-effects of Arab clonialism (Darfur is a tragic, potent example.) HOWEVER, I would argue that mre peole are suffering because of the after-effects of white colonialism. This makes discussion of white colonialism and slave-ownership more pertinent. Some of my ancestors were probably enslaved by ancient Romans. And that was an immoral thing. HOWEVER, it does not directly affect my life now. I will not be treated any worse because some of my ancestors were slaves. I will not be denied a job or a promotion because of it. I am not ging to be shot by the police because of it. I am needn’t worry that in in emergency, paramedics will try less hard to save my life beause of it. The Roman idea of Britain being full of barbarian hordes has stopped being believed. However, many people still believe that PoC, especially blacks, aren’t completely human. The transatlantic slave-trade was abolished, but the idea of black sub-humanity is still left over and still having negative consequences. That is why the transatlantic slave-trade is directly relevant to modern-day politics. Also, abagond is an America, writing in the English language. The majority of his readers are Amercan. White slave-ownership has more immediate personal relevance to an American readership than other examples of slave-owning societies. 3. He is not saying that the Arab slave trade was remotely ok. He is just saying that 2 wrongs cannot ever make a right. on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 21:28:05 abagond Rycher: Your moral reasoning is broken. If you disagree, then when your wife catches you with another woman all you have to do is say this: “I know what I did was wrong, but my friend Joe has been cheating on his wife WAY LONGER than me. And he beats her too. Please keep that in mind!” And if she continues to be angry at you, say this: “Why are you so angry at me but not at my friend? I mean, he is way worse than me! You are being unfair.” And then do not forget to pat yourself on the back and say: “The only reason you are angry at me is because you will find no sympathy from him but you will from me.” To pick up on what Sanabitur Anima said, I know no one who has been affected by the Arab slave trade nor do I live in a country that has been shaped and continues to be shaped by that trade. That is quite untrue about the Atlantic slave trade. The degree of dehumanization of blacks and moral blindness of whites required by that trade still live on. That is why I had to write this post in the first place. Her example about the Roman slave trade is a good one. on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 23:22:23 nicia There was also a difference in the Arab/African slave trade vs the European one. They had a unique brand of cruelty which dictated that even a drop of Black blood made one a slave. So European slavery led slaves and their descendants into neverending perpetual slavery. In contrast, the descendants of Arab and African slaves were born free,were given same rights and were free to intermarry. If you ask any African living in Africa if they descended from a conquered slave class, they prob wouldn’t know. They’ve prob been treated as an equal their whole life. They can go out and get a job,not get followed in stores or stopped by police. Ask a Black living in a White country where slavery was practiced hundreds of years ago what their life is like…..jobs,respect, etc,,, and you’ll see that European slavery mentality still exists…It hasn’t ended…on paper only on Sat Oct 24th 2009 at 01:15:27 Rycher Abagond I can see how you’d interpret my reasoning the way you did, but I can assure you that’s not at all what I meant. (I’d be embarrassed to ever resort to that cheap kind of pseudo-reasoning.) In short,this is what I meant to convey: Whenever I see people talking about the slave trade and its horrors, it boggles my mind how the best example of slavery that human history has to offer, the ARAB SLAVE TRADE, is never mentioned and is seldom taught in school. You’d be surprised how few people actually know about the arab slave trade, despite its sheer length and magnitude. (I realize that this article has the arab slave trade as its headline but the topic was just used to segue into the white slave trade) But I understand that you blog about the atlantic slave trade since you live in the USA. I understand that. However I’m curious, what do people here think about pursuing reparations from arabs and their slave trade? Would it be worth pursuing? What kind of response would you expect? on Sat Oct 24th 2009 at 15:00:13 abagond It seems pretty clear that I will have to do a post on the Arab slave trade itself since it keeps coming up and some commenters act as if I am not seeing the light that they see. But that is not the subject of this particular post. I did not bring up the Arab slave trade to segue into the Atlantic one. I brought it up because it is used to make a bad moral argument to defend white racism, an argument that comes up in different forms. A form of pseudo-reasoning, as you put it. on Tue Dec 29th 2009 at 18:16:20 Big Rome This is a great article that does a great job of throwing light upon this argument which is used in many forms and many places (not least the emphasis by those in NeoConfederate movements to highlight Lincoln’s racism and thereby absolve the sins of the South)- I’m glad you’ve started a great discussion here. Being a student and scholar of Race in the US, I would also point out that while Slavery has (and unfortunately still does) exist(ed) across the world and across the centuries, racialized slavery was novel to the New World in general and the US in particular. In no other place and at no other time had an institution of heritable and permanent chattel slavery existed, nor has it existed since, on the scale and to the degree practiced by peoples of European descent on peoples of African descent. That set of facts is undeniable. on Tue Dec 29th 2009 at 18:26:45 Mira Hmmm… I think that Arab trader argument actually means: “people of all races did horrible things; whites are not evil by nature!” Nobody’s evil by nature. That’s not the point. The point is: just because another group of people did some horrible things, it doesn’t mean crimes made by your own gorup any less horrible. I never said it that’s the way I see it. In fact, I don’t see it that way. I see it as a very, very poor excuse for doing horrible things. But I think white people see it like I described. I might be wrong, though. on Fri Mar 5th 2010 at 19:33:24 Honky But how can whites constantly be singled out and berated and be condescended to if everyone did it? It’s like if 100 people robbed 100 banks but we’re only going to punish the one who made the most money off of it. on Sun May 30th 2010 at 17:56:09 Robin While I do agree that whites do use this and I’m not trying to excuse their actions. I think that it’s a human reaction not to wanting your group or culture being look at as horrible amd unhuman. Everybody wants to believe that their group that they represent is good. While whites have the arab trade agruement, Blacks have the well, at least, they didn’t go through slavery agruement towards gays and other non-black ethnic groups. They’ll use the same book to dehumanize gays that was used to take away their idenity and justify slavery. Maybe I feel this way because I’m experience racism both sides. on Sun May 30th 2010 at 19:37:49 abagond You are using the Arab Trader argument to defend the Arab Trader argument. The Arab Trader argument says that it is not so bad to do x because other people do it too. But that is a very poor way to determine whether something is moral or not. Whatever x is, you will almost always find other people doing it. My own rule of thumb: an argument that could defend cannibalism probably has something wrong with it. on Tue Dec 14th 2010 at 11:04:10 chroniclinghate If someone attempts to justify the transatlantic slave trade by mentioning the Arab slave trade then yes that is a reprehensible argument. However bringing up the Arab slave trade is a legitimate response to racist nonsense attempting to paint slavery as being something unique to “White people” or something that “White people” should guilty about, just as it’s legitimate to mention non-Islamic terrorism in order to counter bigoted filth attempting to portray terrorism as something unique to Muslims. If it’s wrong to respond to racist arguments that portray slavery strictly as a white evil then Tim Wise is also just as wrong for citing statistics about White crime in order to demolish White supremaicst propaganda that claims that African-Americans are a uniquely criminal racial group. There is a clear difference between a rational discussion of the transatlantic slave trade and a racist screed portraying Whites as collectively guilt of slavery while ignoring non-Western forms of slavery or White victims of slavery (over three million Eastern Europeans were enslaved by the Crimean Khanate). http://historyanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/03/white-people-know-their-slavery.html “he story of 50,000 Irish who were transported as slaves to Barbados and Virginia in the 17th century is chronicled for the first time.” http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Barbados-Ethnic-Cleansing-Ireland/dp/0863222870 on Sat Feb 5th 2011 at 23:39:24 Dawn Unfortunately as much as you have a point? Some people especially PoC try to derail any discussion of the multifacted nature of racism and history by using this argument as if the mere discussion of historical issues and how it has affected the world today is somehow making excuses for another dark and inhuman part of history. So even if you’re just talking about the Trans-sahara slave trade, you’re likely to get someone breaking in to the conversation to harass you about how you’re supposedly using it to negate the evil that the western world has done. Even if the trans-atlantic slave trade hasn’t been mentioned. At the end of the day, what Hitler did to the Jews does not eclipse, remove or erase any other genocide that has happened in history. It is wrong to point at another genocide and use that to try and say that Hitler wasn’t such a bad guy, it is not wrong to simply talk about historical genocides including the holocaust in general and what was behind them. Besides most people do not deny that the trans-atlantic slave trade was inhuman, cruel and downright evil, but some of us do get tired of it being treated as the only slave trade in the history of the world evah cos PoC just “don’t do that sort of thing” in some people’s minds backed up by people attempting to shut down any discussion that might dispell the illusion that white people are the only people capable of true evil. on Sun Feb 6th 2011 at 00:50:18 Kwamla The difficulty with using this Arab Trader argument to account for something like the African Transatlantic slave trade is one of degree and magnitude. It also shows a lack of awareness of the scope and dimensions involved. One way to recognize or begin to appreciate this is to use another analogy: Imagine a small grocery store. Like Groceries ‘R’ Us. They rapidly expand to include other items like clothing, then maybe electrical goods. Other groups watch this and begin to get in on the act. Soon there are lots of small and large Groceries, Clothes and Electrical goods ‘ R ‘ Us all over the country. Suddenly, there emerges a big, gigantic Groceries ‘R’ Us. Its bigger than anything that has gone before its called Walmart it expands all over the country but then it gets even bigger. It expands to other countries as well. It takes over and swallows up existing Groceries ‘R’ Us. stores all over the planet. It becomes a monster. But because its grown so big and has a branch in every country on the planet it starts to be the main grocery store most people recognize and go to. Its now hard to remember a time when going to a grocery store didn’t mean going to a Walmart. The African Transatlantic slave trade became that Walmart Before this there only used to be Groceries ‘R’ Us and every country had their own one. In fact some still do. “Some people especially PoC try to derail any discussion of the multifacted nature of racism and history by using this argument as if the mere discussion of historical issues and how it has affected the world today is somehow making excuses for another dark and inhuman part of history.” @ Dawn Hey Dawn, it’s difficult to say whether you are making a valid point or not. So let me ask you this. Please simply link to 2 or more examples of what you’re talking about. I think that’s fair. You have an entire internet to draw from. I’m not even saying that what you describe doesn’t exist… after all, everything happens, at least once or twice, somewhere on the internet. Just post a few examples of it. @Dawn: Tell us culluds what it is we need to know! on Fri Feb 18th 2011 at 09:19:58 chroniclinghate Islamic slavery was just as vast and it lasted much longer than Western slavery; the Saudis ‘abolished’ in the late 20th century and there has never been an Islamic abolition movement. The trade has deeply scarred Africa as evidenced by the massacres of Arabs by Blacks during the Zanzibar revolution. The idea that the transatlantic slave trade was the first major form of slavery is absurd; the Mongols for example practiced mass murder and slavery on an industrial scale. However anyone brining up non-Western forms of slavery to counter legitimate discussion of American slavery is defending slavery. However if someone was to bring up slavery in order to demonize ‘Whites’ then yes I would bring up such things as Islamic slavery or the type of slavery practiced by the Imperial Japanese army that would be a legitimate argument much like an African-American citing ‘White’ crime groups and gangs to respond to racists attempting to demonize Blacks as a uniquely criminal people on Fri Feb 18th 2011 at 18:36:38 Kwamla @chroniclinghate. You do seem to have problems when it comes to trying to make connections or comparisons. Particularly when scales of degree, magnitude and depth are involved. Surprisingly enough though you don’t seem to have this as a problem when it comes to making comparisons between the plight of the Palestinians and Jews. And in particular the roles of Nazi Germeny and Israel. I extracted these comments from your own blog: “Does a Holocaust survivor have the right to speak his mind and say ‘what happened to me during the Holocaust, I see it happening again to Palestinians, Never Again for Anyone.’ Should he be labeled an anti-Semite for such statements?” This is nothing more than a crude attempt to equate Israel with nazi Germany and the Palestinians with the Jews; a hateful and ignorant comparison. Does anyone recall Jewish suicide bombings? Has Israel killed over four million people? Any honest individual with a fifth grader’s command of history can see that Emperor’s garbage is a thinly veiled anti-Semitic attack. What is it that you see that is so unique to Jewish, genocidal, holocaust experience that you are unable to see in the African, genocidal, holocaust experience? Which incidentally lasted over 500 years as an institution but left a legacy that Africa and its diasporic peoples are still left traumatically dealing with. On top of which is a continent that has and continues to be plundered and exploitered for its natural resources to the obvious detriment of its own people? And you believe Islamic slavery had a greater impact? Or are you just unable to equate the sufferings of anyone non-Jewish with horrors of the Jewish holocaust? Incidentally. If you really wish to understand why anyone would even attempt to equate what Israel is doing to the Palestinians with Nazi Germany – they may not be quite there yet. But they are heading down that direction – you should have a look at this documentary. Its very graphic in detail: And then listen to Auschwitz Survivor on Palestine here: on Sat Jul 30th 2011 at 20:43:32 mindweapon OK, ok, you don’t like the Arab trader theory that contemporary whites owe less than zero to blacks. How about this one: “I don’t care, and I refuse to be held liable, and I will fight to the death against any black-slavery-reparations-debt-collectors. Come on and try to take my house and my family. Come get your repamarations. In the end, I don’t give a fig about your arguments, I think they are bullshit, I am not swayed in the least by any theory of “white guilt” or, to use the modern Tim Wise euphemism, “white responsibiltity.” I repudiate it all. I think you owe us, and you can make the debt good by returning to Africa. That’s not what the argument entails. The argument has nothing to do with ‘reparmations’, it is a evasive tactic to draw attention from themselves. However, if you wish to ‘contribute to my own ‘repamarations, my email address is: herneith@blowitoutyourhole.com. I take banker’s cheques, money orders, wire transfers if you are sending money internationally, crdit cards and PayPal. Hey now! Think of the tax write-off! Come on and try to take my house and my family. Come get your repamarations. I’m not interested in trailor homes. Do you live in a mansion? I’ll take that! Your family? Sorry, I am not interested in inbred people, too many potential problems. In the end, I don’t give a fig about your arguments, How about a figleaf?: I am not swayed in the least by any theory of “white guilt” or, to use the modern Tim Wise euphemism, “white responsibiltity.” I repudiate it all. “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” Mark Twain. If your mind is a weapon, then the trigger is jammed and the barrel is rusted. You’re asking what we collectively think about an argument that is basically, “I don’t care if your arguments are valid or not! Just you try and make me pay?” The main argument here is for acknowledgement of privilege, not “reparation.” BTW, what do you owe the Native Americans and when are you planning to pay therm back by returning to Ireland? http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/ireland/090113/irish-economy-nears-collapse on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 04:43:52 Herneith @King; He suffers from chronic brain flatulence! on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 06:37:29 Columnist True, but why punish only whites, and not other slave traders? By the way, instead of petty squabbling, both whites and Black people should learn Hebrew, Arabic and Chinese. on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 07:40:35 King Lol! And how! When whites enslaved Black people, white people were Christians. Now, most Black people are Christians. Oh the irony! I think if you check the worldwide numbers, most Blacks are probably Muslim. Most American Blacks are Christian. Well, Kenya is 80% christian,… on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 06:16:53 Deb @King…“Most American Blacks are Christian”Yep, and irony had nothing to do with it! on Fri Jun 15th 2012 at 08:08:42 Unbeweavable \| Slouching Towards Kingston […] argument is like when white people say that they shouldn’t be held accountable for slavery, because “Arabs sold slaves too!” That type of derailment fails specifically […] on Fri Oct 26th 2012 at 01:21:47 Jack I think you will find that most people bring up the Arab slave trade, not to make the European slave trade look better by comparison, but more to try and dispell the popular notion that only white people were responsible for the slave trade. What both the whites and the Arabs did was terrible, though to be fair i don’t think people should blame the slave trade on entire races of people. I was carried out solely by and for a small minority of rich elites. The average European or Arab peasant would not have had any involvement, most were probably weren’t even aware of the atrocities that were being commited in Africa and the other parts of the world, heck they were probably treated like slaves themselves, by the rich lords and land owners. They were bad times to be poor anywhere in the world. on Fri Oct 26th 2012 at 11:35:22 abagond on Sun Oct 28th 2012 at 07:58:15 oogenhand Although you have objective morality on your side, is it prudent to attack the only ones that set their own slaves free? on Thu Nov 1st 2012 at 09:15:45 oogenhand Some strictly monotheistic religions would consider forced conversion to Christianity from “idolatry” a step up. BTW, Christianisation of Europe was largely non-consensual, too. on Wed Nov 7th 2012 at 10:54:32 barchan The transatlantic slave trade was a disgusting and horrible crime against humanity with repercussions even today. Now that I have said this so no one think im some kind of apologist or something I will get to my point. Because to be honest the main diffrence between the Arab slave trade and the Transatlantic slave trade of black Africans, is that the arab slave trade has actually NEVER stopped. Still happening in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen Mauretania… it has kept happening (on a smaller scale today of course) and this has been going on for AT LEAST a millenia. (Though most likely around 1400 years) but when you discuss this with an average muslim(black or arab)they completly shut down, you can show them pictures from the FIFTIES with Saudiarabian families with their black slaves and they still go “Allah! everyone is equal in Islam Muhammed is great!!!!!! What about the crusades 800 years ago!!! Christians are just as bad” just the typical deflections And this just shows that in this sad part of history the slavery apologists have succesfully shaped our view of slavery as an only white on black occurance. And even bringing the up the arab slavery in a discussion about slavery can seen as derailong and racist (??) (English is not my native language so my text is perhaps a little badly written but I hope you get my argument) on Wed Nov 7th 2012 at 15:41:49 oogenhand On a practical level, Saudi-Arabia is a very tempting target for reparations. It has a lot of stuff, and a Iranian knife to its throat. Hell is eternal. on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 14:42:41 Winslie Gomez Reblogged this on HAPLOGROUP – bit that makes us human. and commented: on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 15:28:44 The Mind of RD Revilo Reblogged this on RD Revilo. on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 23:48:57 And now some non-writing stuff \| Fraser Sherman's Blog […] may sound weird now, but it was commonly expressed back in the day. On a related topic, one blogger rips into the “Well, X may have been bad but he wasn’t as bad as an Arab slave […] on Thu Dec 6th 2012 at 21:53:30 Ghost So a white guy, a black guy, and an arab guy assault a black guy. What guys like Macon don’t understand is that if we’re going to be shoveling cultural guilt onto people for crimes like slavery, we have to punish all the involved guilty parties, not just the white ones. Which is why the “arab slave trade” arguement exists: It’s a justified desire to see all parties involved in the crime punished, instead of singling out one group of people because of skin-color. on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 09:49:42 oogenhand Reblogged this on oogenhand and commented: Abagond correctly applies Judeo-Christian morality. But Dutch tort law would allow whites to demand reparations from arabs for the reparations paid to blacks (“onrechtmatige daad”, “hoofdelijke aansprakelijkheid”). on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 18:16:16 GB Sorry you white-hating racist, but the issue is how the non-white/leftist coalition applies the standards only to whites. The argument isn’t “others do it to” the proper and true argument is “others do it to but only whites get the blame and holding whites to a standard you don’t hold anybody else to is pure hate, pure racism.” You see? Anti-racism is a racist code word for anti-white. P.S – If we’re so racist just get the hell away from us. You keep whining about how bad you’re treated but you never leave. You’re a parasite who lives off his betters, your income is at least 5 times what it would be if you lived on your own. If you were really our equals in ability you wouldn’t hesitate to go, to set up your own society, even within the U.S., where “white racism” wouldn’t hold you down. I mean, if the things you say are true why would anyone in their right mind would stay and pay to suffer them. They’re not true, they’re the opposite of truth, and that’s why you cling to our legs like a two year old child. “Civil Rights” and “White privilege” and all that other BS are just the plausibly deniable excuses to keep your fingers in white wallets because you know you couldn’t do nearly as well on your own. on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 19:17:23 Herneith @GB: Hardy har hoo, schnooka schnaw. Put it to music and compose yourself a concerto. on Sun Dec 30th 2012 at 22:00:35 Barchan Man your stupid. I never tried to condone or sugarcoat the Transatlantic slave trade. I only said that the Arab slavetrade of Black Africans is still happening extensivly to this date in Saudi arabia, Yemen Sudan Mauretania and no one really cares…. it seems partly because it doesnt really fit the whole ” only the evil white man can be racist” thingy you guys jerk of to…. You have no idea how many times you get the ” its white propaganda” answer when you call someone out people denying arab racism/slavery black Africans…. on Mon Dec 31st 2012 at 19:43:33 Herneith @Barchan: It’s ‘off’ not of. Carry on. on Mon Dec 31st 2012 at 20:32:03 King @ Ghost What guys like Macon don’t understand is that if we’re going to be shoveling cultural guilt onto people for crimes like slavery, we have to punish all the involved guilty parties, not just the white ones. I think that you misunderstand the objections to the use of the Arab Slave trader Argument. Let’s take you example: So a white guy, a black guy, and an arab guy assault a black guy. OK So let’s say that the Black assaulter runs really fast and evades arrest. And let’s also say that the Arab assaulter is well connected and manages to get released with just a warning. Does the fact that the other two guys beat the rap make the white guy any less guilty of assault? The problem is that sometimes, when Black people are talking to White people about their own part in the assault, instead of admitting to the injustice of it, will often instead point out that the real injustice is that the other two guys got away and that’s what we should really be talking about!!!! That is what Abagond is saying here. on Mon Dec 31st 2012 at 21:24:06 abagond ^^ Amen on Tue Jan 1st 2013 at 13:06:21 Barchan Thank you for your constructive criticism! I guess that was the only argument you could find against my text 😛 english is not my native language so unfortunatly I will make some spelling errors now and then, try not to get an ulcer 😛 Yup but the point is that the transatlantic at worst sugarcoated while the transsaharan one is denied sickenly to the point that so few even know that it is still happening and has kept on happening 1600 years at least. on Tue Jan 1st 2013 at 17:52:15 Linda “Barchan Yup but the point is that the transatlantic at worst sugarcoated while the transsaharan one is denied sickenly to the point that so few even know that it is still happening and has kept on happening 1600 years at least.” I don’t think anyone is denying that a slavery is currently happening in different countries in Africa and Middle East. What the main point of the post is: the denial and how white society downplays (marginalizes) the transatlantic slave trade and the prosperity and benefits they gained from it and the lengths and evil done in order to maintain it. There is a VAST difference in the effects and outcome of “intra-slavery” in Africa/middle east from the “trans-Atlantic” slavery and to compare the 2 does an injustice to both! This is not a case of “everyone did it, still does it” — this is a case of how a dominant white society marginalizes/ likes to diminish their ancestors Part in the tragedy and attempts to not want to take ownership of this lovely part of history — but they (like the rest of us in the so-called 1st world countries) are enjoying the rewards created by the trans-atlantic slave trade. The world was forever Changed due to the trans-atlantic slave trade and the biggest beneficiaries and Rewards went to white Europeans — not the Arabs and the Africans. By the time they (arabs/africans) realized their mistake, their partners in crime (the Europeans) double-crossed them and was able to outgun them and started invading / occupying their lands (and Africa is still dealing today with the effects of this “partnership gone wrong”) Slave labour built US of America into the rich country that is/was — it “shaped” the views of the country and it’s society –just like every other country that had African slave labour….this is the legacy that we all have to deal with until today (unfortunately) The America’s (north and south) were not the only beneficiaries. the trans-atlantic slave trade actually changed the world. Colonialism and Imperialism were born and maintained due to the financial prosperity gained from trans-atlantic slavery … without it, Britian would not have gotten rich and would not have been able to dominate the rest of the world for as long as it did. The trans-atlantic slave trade should Always stand by itself because of the Vastness and abject Evil that surrounded and maintained it — It changed Human history (not just the lives of the enslaved Africans) Reply to Linda. The arab enslavement of black africans was “Intra slavery” ??? You cannot be serious? All the fucking slave-grabbing JIHAD INCURSIONS into Africa were just some nice calm cultural exchange between so called “People of color” then ??? The fact that slavery started again in Sudan after the brits left(in 1980) because no one was there to hold back the islamist arabs that continued doing what they always did with the “kaffirs/Abds”?…Slaves died at the same extent when being forced to march across the whole fucking Sahara desert towards the slave markets in North Africa or the middle eas, as when they faced horrible conditions abord the european slave ships… “By the time the Arabs realized their mistake” it is hard to take you seriously when you have an idelized view of the arab slavery like that. Yemen made slavery illigal in 1963 for christ sake!! You want to see some nice Saudi Arabian family pictures fro FIFTIES with their Black slaves in the cornors??Mauretania made it formally illegal in 1973. The genocide of black Sudan by arabs?. The list goes on and on. There is nearly zero regrets in the arab world for their enslavement of Black Africans, zero regrets partly because it is never talked about and the few research on the economic effects it has had on North Africa and the middle east. The word Abd(slave) is commonly used for Black Africans and people just look completly indiffrent when you object to them using that term. Slave labour builds Saudi Arabia, Dubai Lebanon Syria to this today but it really isnt that bad when the slaveowners are “people of color” right? And no the world did not “change” when the transatlantic slavetrade began, it was “just” a second horrible step in the exploitation of Africa by non africans, made particulary easy thanks to the extreamly destabilizing effects the countless Jihad incursions against the ” dirty kaffir kingdoms” the arabs were doing in Africa. I am not in anyway trying to sugarcoat the long lasting effects the transatlantic slave trade has had! I just want to make people realize that just because the Middle East arent as rich in this time from their exploitation of Africa didnt make it any less worse which you seem to think. Ok im sorry for being a bit fiery with this topic but this denial/sugarcoating of how arabs view black africans is something I have grown up near and how it is all perfect harmony in the “people of color world” crap, and I have several bad expiriences with this here in Sweden from arabs and their views on literally anyone non arab.. And I meant to write that there is “idyllic”family pictures with arabs families in mostly saudiarabian households from s late as the fifties/sixties with their black slaves suffering in the background. Reply to Linda. The arab enslavement of black africans was “Intra slavery” ??? You cannot be serious? All the fucking slave-grabbing JIHAD INCURSIONS into Africa were just some nice calm cultural exchange between so called “People of color” then ???” Yes –the word is “Intra” because it’s happening on the African continent by African people. The Arabs in Sudan are still African but since Saudi Arabia is technically not connected to Africa — we can call it international or regional if it makes you feel better. Like I said to you and I repeat — each deserves to be spoken about and remembered on it’s own merit without being intertwined. You shouldn’t have to speak about African slavery without diminishing the TransAtltantic slave trade — both Evils stand by themselves and it’s neither should be compared. on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 02:37:05 Linda By the time the Arabs realized their mistake” it is hard to take you seriously when you have an idelized view of the arab slavery like that. Yemen made slavery illigal in 1963 for christ sake!! ” Do me a favor and don’t interpret for me — my English is pretty clear and no where in my post do I “Idolize” the Arabs….history is what it is and yeah, I’m sure the Africans/Arabs realized they made a bad “business” deal with the Europeans…they did indeed suffer for it. It’s nice that you feel “fired” up but let’s not get things twisted — most of us black/brown people of the diaspora on this blog aren’t excusing the Africans or Arabs …what we are discussing is how “white” society likes to excuse their European ancestors and try to play the blame game and downplay the effects and implications of the TransAtlantic slave trade Slavery is not new — the Europeans enslaved other Europeans, just like how slavery was not new to Africa—but the transAtlantic slave trade took on a significance and life all on its own because of the International Impact it had. You talking about and trying to compare the the African slave trade to the TransAtlantic slave trade is like apples to oranges, even though the TransAtlantic slave trade originated because of slavery in Africa. you seem to have a good handle on the modern day African slavery that most of us of the diaspora don’t get a chance to hear about or see… I would be most interested in hearing more about it, would you consider doing a guest post about it if Abagond is interested? on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 08:21:15 Barchan “The word intra, because it was happening on the African continent by african peoples” No this is not correct. This is what i meant about Jihad Incursions into Africa FROM the middle east. Simply put, an invading force from another continent (The middle east which is counted into Asia). The first and second Jihads were concentraded from the middle east and was aimed at Africa and Europe. In Europe it managed to concquer the Balkans and large parts of Spain. In Africa it spread across North Africa and later on the western and northern coasts. The things thats similar with the transatlantic slavery is that it was on a whole very race based with an similar hazardous transportation(cramped inhumane cargospaces on the slave ships from western Africa towards America- long hazardus march in chains over the Sahara desert towards the huge slavemarkets in Kairo or even further into the middle east).and yeah, to this date theese brutal pieces of history have shaped white westernes and arabs view of Black Africans. Huh black/brown people? Weird term I say. What i have learned is that there seems to be so few who is aware of the racism in the arab world. The main reason for this is when the north african arab majority countries has now later on tried to build relations with the southern Black African majority countries, they have managed to point exclusivly towards europe and its 400 years of african exploitation and slyly hidden their even longer history of exploitation of Africa (not at all saying what is worse or so but simply that theyve managed to hide such a long history of racism) huh write here :)? Dont think my english is good enough for them to bear with me x) I notice all my errors later on now when I read my old comments . Well Since I know a bit arabic it has been a shocking realization of what a lot of arabs people say. For instance you can check ANY syrian pro Assad page and find Extreamly racist comments about Obama. When they want to a.ttack the “whore americans” they have the wordgame joke “Al abed al-aswad fi al-beit al-abiyad” which I can roughly translate to “The black slave in the white house”. Racist rhymes and jokes like that is common among palistinians(and most arabsk) aswell when they get into their hate america rants like how pathetic they are (white americans) “they now let their slaves rule them” shittalk that really makes me sick. Or that they(white americans) tries to trick them(arabs) by letting “slaves” (black americans) unto high positions of power in USA ( Obama, Colin Powell Condolezza Rice) to make them underestimate them (I really wish I was making this shit up). I forgot the whole deal with Kofi Annan and his UN pleads that people needs to strife towardss peace in syria. The rebels and military needs to stop killing and so on and he was dismissed in extreamly racist ways on arabic news channels and on facebook groups. … Im really tired of the way to mny black americans have the whole people of color-white people view on arab racism(not accusing anyone on abagond anymore now though!). There was for instance a youtube video on an Ethiopian maid being abused and beaten and driven to suiccide by arab men in lebanon and so many tumblr black american blogs were like ” oh how pity we people of color do that to each other” ” oh white people have damaged us we are fighting each oher now” very annying world view to me…..and btw Linda I dont think we really disagree on much at all, we both just despise racism in any form and im sorry for my angrier tone before! 🙂 on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 09:29:41 abagond @ Barchan This thread is not about Arab racism or the Arab slave trade. It is about how the Arab slave trade is used to play down or excuse the Western slave trade. White Americans use the Arab slave trade as squid ink to cover their own evil with an “Everyone does it” argument. To separate the two issues I will do a post on the Arab slave trade, just as I did one on the Transatlantic trade. If you want to point me to any good books or online sources that would be appreciated. Yup I got that! , Murray Gordon written a really good book called “Slavery in the Arab world” that covers the whole slavery era to date and todays view. Wiji Bohme Shomary has a lot of great texts about her life growing up as dark-skinned in the middle east and she has researched the arab slavery aswell but her articles are mostly in arabic or swedish though… Thank you! Do you have any thoughts about this book: Bernard Lewis: “Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry” (1990) http://www.amazon.com/Race-Slavery-Middle-East-Historical/dp/0195053265 I havent read it but reading the description does make me want to order it xD. It seems the whole complexity with islams relation with slavery is discussed in it. Which I find very interresting, the whole “no muslim can enslave another muslim”ideas and the very good and humanistic message Islam has and that “everyone is worth as much before God”. …. AS LONG as your a muslim and not a unfaithful”kaffir” of any other religion, then its not that bad to enslave someone right?… Sigh Well considering the fact that around 200 000 black sudanese has gotten enslaved by their arab countrymen in the the last 30 years I would understand some resentment between north and south Sudan. Thanks for the recommendations! btw Linda I dont think we really disagree on much at all, we both just despise racism in any form and im sorry for my angrier tone before!” No problem, Barchan, I like your passion… you have brought some interesting information to the table and I look forward to reading Abagonds post about this topic. I don’t know much about the subject but I’ve also lived in Europe. I went to university in Germany and I got to meet many different kinds of people. I can honestly tell you I came away with a love/hate relationship with Spaniards and Italiens, and I did get a small glimpse into the muslim world via my Turkish friends. As for how Arabs feel about Africans/black people — I can honestly say, I walked away not knowing how to feel. I had different experiences that I would say gave me a small insight but not enough to say “I understand these people” Because there were so few of us coloured/non-white students living in the town I was in, we all sort of stuck together, so Syrians, Saudi’s, hung with Egyptian, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Sudan, etc. even Eritrea hung with Ethiopians (this was the 80’s mind you) — what I learned: –some of northern Africans called themselves ‘white” even though they were darker than me, –the Africans did not consider black Americans or any other black from the diaspora to be “Africans”, –I was called a “unpure” by a few of the central & Southwest Africans because I am mixed-race and they questioned my right to call myself “black” –Most of the Arabs/Africans spoke at least 3-4 languages minimum (their own, Arabic, and English), majority spoke French and was learning German like I was. –even if there were disagreements along nationality/ethnic lines–everyone came together if one person was being insulted or threatened by the Europeans (we had a few frisky Italien, Danish and Finnish students who liked to start trouble when drunk) –as a woman, I would never voluntarily marry or live in an Arabic/muslim country — I like my freedom. ( I had heard stories of Jamaican women who went to work in Saudi Arabia, had their passports taken, and were treated like slaves and beaten. They had to escape to Jamaican embassy and beg for safety) from this group was the first time I did see the Arab arrogance towards darker-skinned people and I realized there was dislike for some of the Arabs from the African students but I’ll be honest, I never associated it with any historical past or Arab slavery….so you bringing this subject up actually shines a light on this topic. on Thu Jan 3rd 2013 at 09:15:12 oogenhand What to think of Salafi plans to blow up Kemetic pyramids? Slavery cannot explain the Arab dislike of dark skin, as they had pale-skinned slaves as well. on Fri Jan 4th 2013 at 01:08:06 Barchan Well to be honest when are arabs ever seen as whites (by white people) in any other way than the racial classification in the US? Still otherd into the non-european category by most I would believe. Whites and Arabs have had historical similarities in race relations with other people (mainly Black Africans) though Yep. Very good examples and as ive said before the most powerful man in the world Barack Obama has been called “Al abed al-aswad fi al-beit al-abiyad”. Or in english “The black slave in the white house” by Syrians and Lebanese (but this racist joke is common throughout the middle east. similar to the contempt racists can have of him in the US. The arab nationalism you write about is very interesting. One similarity ive noticed is the growing fear of each other between white europeans and arabs. The white europeans is starting to fear the growing Islamic faith in Europe and that it brings older gender roles (separate swimming hours in water parks , that has started in immigrant heavy areas is one example, growing numbers of mosques) and the whole war on terror thing Bush stirred up which points suspision towards arabs( in racist ways). While many Arabs feel that European influence is undermining their traditional values (no matter how oppressive they can be towards women and non heteros people) and that they are the victims of aggressive cultural imperialism from the West. Both sides has points but we are heading in a dangerous direction that can escalate REALLY badly if things get out of hand on Sat Jan 5th 2013 at 02:53:52 Linda Bulanik@ Linda I shared a few of your experiences in Germany. Omg, just harsh and straight out like that. I didn’t like it. It was a learning curve. You know, there was no ‘explaining’ that they’d accept. Just rigid. Learning curve is the word! Reality check in an inverse way and a little shocking to hear certain things because I was hearing it for the 1st time. I was also called a “mutt” and so were the few black American students who were there. They were more perplexed than I was because to them, I “was” a mutt for true but they (black Americans) represented what “real” black people looked like – well, not according to our fellow African students, who also placed them in the same category as me and told us blacks of the diaspora were a “lost” people who were not African. Mind you, these things were not said in order to hurt us or put us down – these statements came about in discussions that we would have about religion, race, and other current events of the time in Africa and the Middle east….as you said, Rigid –their ethnicity and ancestral name meant a lot to them and was not a fluid thing — it defined who they were. Seeing the world through their eyes was an eye-opener. The whole “one drop” rule and “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud” did not resonate with them – they thought it was a joke As much as I think Kola Boof is “touched”, many of the African students I met thought along the same lines as she does. Her view on Soledad O’Brien and her “who is Black in America” show: “A White Woman (Soledad O’Brien) is given the power to DICTATE to Blacks what “blackness” is….she of an Irish name, white skin & everything but the burden. She is to define an entire race of people from AFRICA based on the 1 drop rule invented by the KKK and we’re supposed to listen to her and not our own continent. It’s so typically arrogant and AMERICAN RACIST. I have a few drops of TURKISH blood–why can’t I do a “White In America’ tv. special. Explain that ____________________ ______________ Barack Obama just as his Kenyan family taught him is “Half-Caste African Luo” …..he is African, but he is not Black. The other Africans on this thread have told you the same thing. Black is a Color that symbolizes African people—it’s not off white or cream yellow. We don’t accept “kinda black” or “black at certain times of the year” as Black.” I will post her entire Rant in on the open thread, it’s long and I don’t want to derail this post too much. Bulanik, I am going to post Kola’s rant on Abagonds “Kola Boof” post instead…better fit rather than clogging up the open thread — it’s long and has profanity — she was very passionate :-), so it will go into moderation I’ve always thought of the northern Africans, like the Egyptians, as a confused set of people– to me, they represent colourism at it’s finest — they despise dark skin and praise light skin. I am not saying they are black — they are not, they fall into that “brown/other” category just like Hispanics/Latinos in America. They (Egyptians) are a mixed-race people (and just like most Hispanics/Latinos)refuse to acknowledge their African ancestry even though a good portion of the population have black African mDNA — the Egyptians I knew were the main ones calling themselves “white” — (is this African denial taught in their schools?) Is it really the Arab influence that made them this way or was it the European/British influence or the many invasions by their southern black African neighbors that made the Egyptians feel this way? I stumbled across an Egyptian-American writer who touched on this subject concerning how the Egyptians treat the Sudanese refugees (one commenter mentioned how Indonesion and Asian “guest” workers are treated): The Arab World’s Dirty Secret: Racism http://www.monaeltahawy.com/blog/?p=93 Living in America or Europe must be a rude awakening for most of them (Arabs/Muslims) — they are in the same boat as “black” people and other minorities and the “white” colour designation they enjoy at home has no real currency outside of African/Middle East. Their treatment in Europe is not new — it’s just seems like it’s getting worse because the Europeans are being more loud and vocal than ever before. on Sat Jan 5th 2013 at 07:55:02 oogenhand “black African mtDNA” There should be marriage rules (reversed kafa’a) that allow black African men to have Arab wives, but not the other way around. on Mon Jan 7th 2013 at 21:07:44 sam When thinking about USA and arabs and how they are seen or were seen before, he is a tip: Paul Anka. Yeap. Lebanese roots. The guy who sang Diana, Put your head on my shoulder, My Hometown, Crazy Love and You are my destiny. So at least in the 50’s being an arab was no obstacle. on Tue Jan 8th 2013 at 08:04:07 sam I think we have to remember that muslim arabs propably are seen more alien in USA than christian arabs. When ever we talk about arabs, usually we assume they are muslims, but that is not the case, not even when discussing about the palestinians. There is a quite significant christian minority of palestinians too. And in USA, being a christian (what ever that might be) is traditionally seen as a positive sign. So if you are an arab, whos complexion is light, and you are an christian, I would imagine that people around you do not recognize your ethnicity, specially if you have changed your name, like it was a custom in the early part of 1900’s up untill 1960’s. So, if you are Jack Arafat instead of Jasser Arafat and go to church every sunday and live a life just like everyone elese around you, most people would not even notice your ancestory. As for the arab racism, I can not guess what are its origins. I do know that many of them are pretty racist towards blacks, unless in the context of Umma, supposed islamic unity etc. I have no idea how sincere the non-racism is even in islam. If we look at the conflict in Sudan, it was supposedly about the religion and resources, islamic north vs animistic and christian south, but for some reason the north was represented by arab volunteer shock troops etc. and the southern rebels were almost to a man black. So the supposedly religious lines in that conflict followed pretty much the racial and ethnical division too. Yes, there are and were very dark sudanese muslims, but their idea of the southern sudanese people (who were even darker) was pretty much that those were un educated african savages etc. on Tue Jan 8th 2013 at 08:29:35 oogenhand But why internalize ideas from the West? They see the West as their cultural opposite. I do relate to that. Without beard, I am seen as white Dutch. But if I wear a beard, people start talking Arabic to me. on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 01:03:47 B. R. “The American is primitive in his artistic taste, both in what he enjoys as art and in his own artistic works. “Jazz” music is his music of choice. This is that music that the Negroes invented to satisfy their primitive inclinations, as well as their desire to be noisy on the one hand and to excite bestial tendencies on the other. The American’s intoxication in “jazz” music does not reach its full completion until the music is accompanied by singing that is just as coarse and obnoxious as the music itself. Meanwhile, the noise of the instruments and the voices mounts, and it rings in the ears to an unbearable degree… The agitation of the multitude[2] increases, and the voices of approval mount, and their palms ring out in vehement, continuous applause that all but deafens the ears” Sayyid Qutb No, its near perverse to try to tie in some ideological link with Sayyid “In the Shadow of the Koran” Qutb and the fight against white racism. “It was as if his own experience of racism as a black man (which was what he appeared to be to ‘proper’, non-Arab whites under the One Drop Rule of that era) was the spark and the explanation behind anti-American elements in parts of the Middle East” What a pseudo intellectual manipulation of what this guy, and his followers really are about. And a total misrepresentation of their real fundamentalist positions. The visceral truth about what he has said and is , is directly in the racist statement I brought in , taylor made for exactly all I need to know about this sob to know why I despise him and his followers…who really are much more interested in if you are “faithful” or an “infidel” than if you are a white racist. It also really hits home with a huge authority, exactly the principle Ive been talking about , how, this persons ideology in his fundamental religion, as well as fundamental Christianity or Orthadox Judeism does not accept the real genius and contribution of the Afro Diasporic expresion and its great value.He might as well be Henry Ford, with his referances to bestial tendancies and primitive inclinations . Ha, personaly I dont care if someone on here intellectualy wants to identify with this person’s views and find some kind of connection for themselves with this person and his followers , but, for me, his total disrespect for one of black America’s greatest contributions to the world, and his uptightness with “lavicious behaviour” of women and dancing and music, is all I need to know that these people are my ideological enemies. I love Wesern decadance, my organisation is mixing a monster CD now with plenty of bestial tendancies and primitive inclinations and everyday its got warmth and sun where I live, and I can see women in the most naturaly provocative nudity, or dancing incredible Afro Diasporic dances, with aggresive pelvic thrusts , I am a tremendously greatful individual , for the profound insight and well being it brings to my life. “The Arab Trader” argument? Yes, as a person here, who has made it clear that I think the slave trade in the Americas was worse than the Arab slave trade,I totaly also feel I can talk with quite frankness about how I feel about the Arab slave trade and how it affected the black Africans who suffered from it… Yes, I have been a strong supporter of how the legacy of slavery to the Americas affects us all into theh present, and, yes, I have tried with all my might to bring attention on how Brazil is even affected as much as anywhere because of the legacy of the slave trade to the Americas… so, Im amazed that now , I have been carded on this blog with the Arab Slave trade argument, as well as , no matter if its a discusion about Fake Indians and my son’s right to express himself, or, about Africa 13,000 years, or pointing out Arab racism on an Arab thread, I get pointed out as the “white” “racist” “American” “male” “oppresor”? Does this mean that in the Arab Trader argument, if I am white, American, male, then that automticly disqualifies me? on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 17:04:11 oogenhand Sound logic. In the end, morality is supranatural in origin. on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 17:44:51 Linda “B. R. BR, everyone here has butted heads on one subject or another, that’s what makes these discussions lively because there is always a “ying” to someone elses “yang” …try not to take it personally…just shake it off. The information you brought in on Sayyid Qutb brings balance — which is necessary in these discussions because humans are not one-dimensional creatures — you just showed that it’s possible to be prejudiced/racist against one group of people while at the same time experiencing prejudiced/racist yourself at the same time from another group (there is always a hierarchy). You’ve brought into focus another aspect of this topic — which is religion. Was Sayyid Qutb dislike of black Americans religious driven or was it culturally driven because he was Egyptian and they were/are prejudiced against black Africans? Regardless, he still felt the sting of being marginalized by white Americans for not being what they call “white”…it would be nice to think that he would have learned from this experience and felt compelled to empathize with black Americans but as you just pointed out, he just internalized his feelings and expressed it as “hatred” of the westerners/infidels while keeping his cultural/racial prejudices intact. I believe it’s good to show inverse relationships/patterns of behavior in these types of discussions because it shows how the world doesn’t roll on just one set of rules and that people do grow–whether in a good way or bad way — look at Malcolm X – he wasn’t the same man in the end — but what he achieved was profound — it would have been interesting to see where his new found enlightenment would have taken him. on Thu Jan 10th 2013 at 05:30:02 B. R. So sorry the truth hurts, Bulanik. Its you who try to casualy bring in Qubt and imply his experiances with racism in America could be some link with some philisophical context in the groups that followed him…bs…you can casualy try to slip his name past readers here who dont know what he stands for , but I do, and people deserve to know that aspect…not your hidden agenda…who do you think you are fooling? The people inspired by his beleifs assasinated one of Egypts great polititions, Anwar Sadat..did you hear what i said? “followed his beleifs”…its his fundamentalist crud that inspires these scum bags to interpret Islam in their way and they kill more people of Islam than the West ever could. Oh yeah, try your psyche and “its not about you, how did this get to frivilous drumming…” keep showing you dont get it, Bulanik, you never did, Im not surprised you cant tie in how Qubt’s racist remarks about jazz also reflect the more insidious aspects of his fundamentalism. You dont really perceive what jazz is in relationship to its value and its Afro diasporic roots, and how those roots are dismissed, buried, and destroyed BY ALL FUNDIMENTAL RELIGIONS LIKE iSLAM CHRISTIANITY AND JUDISM… Interesting how you really try to put on me like I am racist against Arabs or Islam when I specificly state its the fundamentalism in all these religions…I SPECIFICLY STATED THAT , LADY…so dont run bs. And hades yes , Im going to point out how you have tried to put me in a trick bag because you cant handle being challenged.About me? Ive been pulling back commentary, based on your bs…yet you think you can slip by some manipulative statement about Qubt , someone I do know about, and Im not going to bring in the truth about his sob fundalmentalism? Its exactly because I do say the Atlantic slave trade is worse than the Arab slave trade and because I have supported and added to the discusion of how the legacy of slavery still affects society today, that I know I can come in and point out the racism of Qubt , in the face of your diceptive statement about him…and as usual, you try to make me out to be racist or anti Arab. Linda, just look at Qubt’s remark. Its not even that he doesnt like jazz. “Bestial”? “primitive inclinations”? You may have to think in your head if it is religious or what, I dont, its plain as day exactly where he is coming from…its the same as Henry Ford, and all the other fundamentalist racists that when it gets down to the truth, its that they dont want to recognise some incredible gifts and contributions and what is really the humanity of the exact people who were ripped out of their lives in Africa for slavery in both the Atlantic and Arab slave trade All I did was bring in some truth…the readers on here can make up their own minds on Fri Jan 11th 2013 at 11:44:27 B. R. Bulanik, you have to be kidding me , right? You cant be serious, like I have to step into some kind of grilling by you, on your terms..a person who has slandered me, painting me as a stalker, said I have belittled her as a black woman, called me racist white american oppressor in arguments that have nothing to do with that. I tell you what, you tell me where i have belittled you as a black woman and Ill answer every point up there…I mean you have incredible recall on posts on this blog, you must have this incident deeply entrenched in your mind exactly where it is , since you claim it traumatised you so much… As it is, Ill certainly point out some of the most ridiculous questions. Nazi Germany and how they treated jazz? I mean you cant be for real about this, are you? The anwer is so obvious and I included it all ready as I have answered all ready all your questions. I implicated everyone who is fundamentalist and who would make racist statements that would relagate high leval Afro diasporic culture to “bestial sexual promisuous inclinations”….EVERYONE… I said that, do you get it now!! I included Islam, Chritianity, Judism, you think I would give the Nazi’s a pass? You are weird…are all Arabs fundimentalist? Do these fundamentalists represent all Islam? Ask all the people who practice Islam who are slaughtered by these fundamentalists, inspired by Qutb and his ramblings…do you care about them? A bunch were slaughtered this week in Pakistan…by the Taliban, followers of Sayyid’s fundamental philosophies Al Queeda out to kill black musicians? Really , these questions are extremly foolish. You are the one who actualy begged the question if these groups who were inspired by Sayyid could have some philosophical hook up with anti racism in the USA that Quibt spoke about…in certainly much less detail than American mores…do I think you are a beleiver in Al Queeda’s principles? No, I think you will hide the truth of the whole story for your own agenda that you are on, seething in your own resentments Do you actualy think his racist remarks against black American culture, only aply to American culture? Do you think his fundamentalist beleifs would give Brazil, and all its unbeleivable sensual culture and Afro Brazilian dances and bestial beats a pass? or the Mambo in Cuba? Or is his fundalmentalism cutting much deeper and seriusly implicating all Afro diasporic cultures that have these beats and dances as the foundation of their cultures…and , do you think Al Queada, or the Taliban, with their restrictions on music , are , in their fundamentalist translation of Islam, giving these cultures a pass? Actualy, you dont have to answer, the answer is already obvious… I mean seriously, all you have to do is look at the truth in his statements I brought in…I dont have to say anything, its all there. And that is the basis of a strict fundamentalist Islamic aproach to black Afro ( emphasize black African) diasporic culture that relates to beats with dances that are a part of that culture….if you are classifying him “black” and Arabs as “black”, then this group of people who took slaves and the religion that came with the Arabs ( yes, Islam is not representative of all Arabs, but it is the religion that came with the Arabs), then its just an example that a group of “black people” who arent Afro diasporic with Afro diasporic culture, can also enslave and bury other “black peoples ” culture…. Who gets lost in this whole debate, agian, and Ive said it over and over, is the cultural humanity , expresion and the value of the gifts and concepts of the ancient Africans, before Arab or Western enslavement and religious domination I can only let my black American colleagues read his words and make up their own minds….I never have had an atitude on this blog that “black Americans ought to blah blah…” I can only tell you this, as a jazz musican and a person who works intimitly with Afro diasporic dances and beats, I know only too well what he means, and I have heard it before in great amounts by white racists, white fundamentalists Christians, Nazi’s, bans on sax playing inituaily by Fidel, who gave it up realising how stupid it was, racist Brazilians about Afro Brazilian culture,and all these people are my ideological enemies, and I fight them everyday just living my lifestyle to the fullest oh just to be more correct , when I say Afro diasporic, Im talking about pre ismlamic or christian sub Sahara black Afro diasporic…Qutb is African hahahahahahah This is absolutly hilarious !!!!! You think because I used “my black American colleagues”, that it is some kind of “you arnt with them , I am”…blahhhhhhaaaaa I say black American colleagues in the sence that since we are American citizens , that makes us colleagues…colleagues means I can site this that we have in common and not make Truthbetold obligated to think she has to speak with me….its exactly saying the opisite of what you are implying…Im not asking to be accepted because “I am down”. And you think because I mention jazz, that is going to be some kind of badge of acceptance in the black American community? hahahahahahahahahahah this is killing me!!!!!!!!! Black Americans dont automaticly love and accept and know about jazz…..you think black Americans are saying “he digs jazz , he must be cool…” Jazz is black American culture, it doesnt represent black Americans, it doesnt oblligate black Americans to embrace and play jazz on their sound systems…in fact most dont….but it is one of the highest expresions of black American culture and is part of black American history and Afro diasporic culture…its is there for any black American to discover if they want to and receive the treasures it represents , and the enormous pride they deserve to feel as it is one of black Americas highest expresions and gifts to the world Oh, because I dated many many black woman and married two, Im thinking I get a pass on here? I thought you were reading this blog? Havent you seen how integrated couples have been raked over the coals here? Havent you been paying attention? There is no badge of acceptance to come in here and say “im a white guy dating and married to black women….arnt I cool and accepted?” The truth is , I am who I am, with my experiances, that nobody can take away from me, and, I am proud to stand up for my experiances and be exactly who I am…If I anounce on here I am from an integrated mairadge raising a bi racial son, its to stand up to anyone who would say that there is something funny about it.If I stand up for Afro diasporic culture and can bring insights to the table, especialy to show its great value and genius, its because it is a fact I have been a involved with these cultures ( I always was into jazz, African, Brazilian and Cuban drum/dance cultures) since before 8 years old, and, my passion , that is and always was my life and porfesion , has given me incredible insights into the value of the Afro diasporic culture.. Fankly, I find your acuasations extremly weak…even the semantical mixup of “islamist” . my gosh,you are using that as your basis to incriminate me? Im calling you out for dropping a turd on this thread , by bringing in Sayyid and implying that his followers were somehow tied into a philisophical bond against white racism in America, Im telling you that , in light of his blatent racist statement, your assumtion stinks on Sat Jan 12th 2013 at 21:46:01 Linda “BR@ Linda, just look at Qubt’s remark. Its not even that he doesnt like jazz. “Bestial”? “primitive inclinations”? You may have to think in your head if it is religious or what, I dont, its plain as day exactly where he is coming from” BR, in my own way, I was attempting to forestall the upcoming falling out between you and Bulanik…but Oh well, I knew it wouldn’t really work 🙂 So, I will carry on. I already stated that I believe the north Africans are prejudiced/racist against the black Africans or darker skin. They seem to share the same colourism (reverse “US one drop rule”) as/was in the Caribbean/ Mexico/ Central/ South America. Living in Brazil, you know the score: There seems to be this common thread where light-skin is preferred, where “white daddy” was beloved and “black mama” was kept in the closet and the “brown” children were tolerated by white society– educated to be “psuedo white people” loving everything European, given certain privileges and power, and taught to hate/despise/forget/deny their black African heritage. (whereas, in the US, these brown children were completely locked out of white society by the “one drop rule”) But in the Caribbean / Latin America — these prejudices/racism was introduced courtesy of the Europeans; whereas, the North Africans seemed to already marginalize their black/ dark skin neighbors. — my question is — was this racial attitude introduced by the first Islamic Arab Jihad wave into Africa as Barchan mentioned or was it introduced by the Europeans during occupation/ colonization? Because no doubt, in western countries, Arabs and North Africans (like the Egyptians) are not considered “black” nor or they considered “white” — they are “other” and face similar racial marginalization just like black people do in Europe and America. That being said, the existing racial prejudice the north Africans have, coupled with extreme Islamic beliefs, does seem to be a combination that belittles and seeks to destroy/dismantle whatever black African country/ culture they occupy…look at what’s happening in Mali –it breaks my heart. The Tuaregs (north African berbers) sought to take back their ancestral lands from the “black African” oppressors and thanks to US interference in Libya, the Tuaregs got the opportunity and the firepower. Quaddafi was a bad man indeed but he managed to stand between old adversaries, keep a certain order and sought alliances with his black African neighbors. The Tuaregs brought in their Arab / Islamic jihadist partners to enter into a fight they had no business being a part of and as usual — the Tuaregs got double-crossed because the Islamists promptly turned around and stabbed them in the back and kicked out the Tuaregs. The Islamic jihadist took over Timbuktu and proceeded to destroy ancient African temples and artifacts out of contempt and intolerance (and big time Ignorance). I understand the racial undertone that possibly drove the Tuaregs but the new Islamic jihadi fighters are Arabs from Middle East and Muslims from Pakistan/Afganistan so, would you say their contempt for African tombs/ history/ culture is racial or religious? because they seem to have no tolerance for any culture/ country they are in — look at what is happening in Nigeria and Pakistan. Here’s a link if you are not familiar with what is happening in Mali? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/24/mali-africa on Sun Jan 13th 2013 at 01:02:16 sam Seems to me that everybody takes their shot at the tuaregs, from colonial times up today, from the french foreign legion to the foreign legion of islamists. The Tuareg seem to have been marginalized by different groups over the years. Do you think they could be construed as oppressed as a result of this? What do you think their entitlement should be in West African countries? I wonder whether we should even call it an entitlement since they are neither Arab or “black Africans” As far as entitlements go, the Tuaregs are indigineous (originate) from west/ north Africa, so I feel they are entitled to fight and try to win back their ancestral lands and form a bordered country (something their forefathers fighting the French didn’t want to do) Other ethnic groups in Africa have been fighting to re-establish their ancestral borders since the Europeans screwed them up — so the Tuaregs should try as well. My understanding is that they got screwed over by their Arab and black African neighbors during the fight for Independence from European colonialism The Tuaregs are definitely marginalized as a group…it was done deliberately to weaken them — first by the French, then by the North and West Africa post-colonial countries (ex. Algeria, Niger). I don’t really know the history very well but from what I’ve read, the Tuaregs seem to have the same problem as the indigineous natives of North/South America and Australia — they are treated as second-class citizens in their own ancestral lands ….as a people, they were not taken into consideration when these new “republics” were being formed. Now, on the flipside, should I, feel sorry for them? (u know I like to play devils advocate 🙂 From what I’ve read, the Tuaregs controlled the Saharan Trade Routes pre-European invasion (colonialism) – they were responsible for bringing black African slaves north — so they had a huge hand in controlling the flow of slaves in Africa. In a way, it could be said that “payback is a b’tch” because they’ve been fighting to regain their indepenance since 1962 in Mali and Niger. Do the Tuaregs have a rightful claim? My understanding is that the Tuaregs claim to be the descendents of the Songhay and have ancestral rights to re-establish the borders of the Songhai empire (I believe this is the “Azawad” they keep referring to) which the Songhai ruled after the Mali empire declined. but PLEASE, Bulanik — anyone familiar with the history — correct my information or fill in the holes because I don’t know enough about this history — I shouldn’t even be commenting on it but I find this part of African history to be interesting — and to me, the Tuaregs are an interesting, complex people But isn’t the vandalism targeting Muslim saints’ tombs? Aren’t they pulverizing valuable parts of the history of Islam in Africa? (Also, if Islam was brought to Mali through aggression, then why would such mausoleums, etc., even exist?)” I guess my point was that the Islamic jihadist have no respect for any culture – muslim or non-muslim… As far as Timbuktu goes, from what I’ve read, it was the Tuaregs around 1000 AD (Tin Abutut, Maghsharan Tuaregs) who established it — pre-Arab invasion (please correct me if I’m wrong) — so this city is firmly African. I was incorrect by saying the Tuaregs are descendents of the Songhai — the Songhai are a seperate group that ruled Timbuktu after the Tuaregs. It seems it was the Tuaregs, then Mali empire, then Songhai empire, then Dende empire, various groups, then the French, to present day Mali, with the Mande being the majority population. But as for Timubktu being ransacked, they are destroying both black African and Arab/muslim history. In the 11th century: “The first constructions in Timbuktu were designed by African architects from Djenne (Soninké) and later on by Muslim architects from North Africa. Trade and knowledge were at their height. It was at this time that the King of Sosso invaded the empire of Ghana, thus causing the exodus of the scholars of Walata to Timbuktu.” http://www.timbuktufoundation.org/history.html So, if I understand, the Temples/ artifacts are a mixture of black African and Arab/Muslim architecture. I don’t think all the credit should go to the Arab muslims — I would be very interested to know who taught/copied who — what I find to also be a travesty is that many old manuscipts are still being held in French museums. on Sun Jan 13th 2013 at 07:11:24 Ghost @ King. “Does the fact that the other two guys beat the rap make the white guy any less guilty of assault?” Course not. But that also means that the other 2 shouldn’t be let off, we shouldn’t call off the hunt, or we shouldn’t be pissed that the arab used his connections to get away with a crime. But, Linda, since you mention it, and you also mention Mali, I would appreciate if you’d outline the origins of Islam in west Africa and please specify the methods used.” Now you know this is your specialty here…I’ve already exhausted myself just learning about the Tuaregs 🙂 but based on my readings, I believed it spread further west during the Mali empire (founded by ruling families of the declined Ghanian empire) and also during Songhai dynasty. The Soninke (black Africans), the founders of the ancient Ghanian Empire (750-1240 CE) embraced Islam in the 1000’s after coming into contact with the Almoravids (Moroccan Berbers). The Moroccan Berbers converted to Islam in the 9th century (after contact with the Arabs) and became known as the Almoravids who invaded/converted the Sudanese in 10th century and also invaded Spain — known as the Moors. After the decline of the Ghanian empire, some of it’s former rulers (keep in mind they were mostly black Africans) formed the Mali empire (most famous ruler was Mansa Musa, who built the University of Sankore in Timbuktu and famous temples). I believe the religion was spread even more west & east during the rule of the Songhai empire (by Askya Muhhamd I aka “Askia the Great” (from Solinke/Songhai ruling families) http://www.whenweruled.com/articles.php?lng=en&pg=22 Side note: There was alot of intermixing during this time – many of the Almoravids married into prominent Ghanian ruling families — this is primarily how the religion was spread during the Ghanian empires occupation by the Almoravids, as well as people converting becausing they were being over-taxed because they were non-muslims. and vice-a-versa–many of the Ghanian people assimilated into the Almoravids – so “slavery” is not the only reason why north Africans carry black African genes. Here is an interesting map I found that compares empires http://empires.findthedata.org/compare/140-147-165-188/Ghana-Empire-vs-Kingdom-of-Kush-Mero-vs-Mali-Empire-vs-Songhai-Empire I find this stuff so fascinatings — Africans have all the rights in the world to hold their heads up high and give the middle finger to the white Europeans whose ancestors were still primitive barbarians when these black African people were building empires. you mentioned “methods” of contact – I forgot to really address this… The Almoravids got into Ghana by mostly invasion/ war but they also married into the ruling classes — my readings indicates that this is how the religion was primarily spread. The Almoravids invaded the Ghana Empire because it was one the richest empires at the time and the wanted a piece. on Tue Jan 15th 2013 at 17:16:18 Linda You mention above that in Ghana the religion was spread by war and invasion mainly.” No, that’s not what I meant. From my readings, in Ghana Empire, the religion was spread mainly through Marriage. “Linda@ The Almoravids got into Ghana by mostly invasion/ war but they also married into the ruling classes — my readings indicates that this is how the religion was primarily spread.” The Almoravids spent almost 10 years fighting to get in/take over Ghana empire through invasions because it was one of the richest regions at the time. If anything, they were more successful destabilizing Ghana from the inside — marrying into the rulng families, converting the ruling families to Islam, gaining power, having new laws enacted in accordance with Islam. Once they were able to get in successfully with their army, their main goal was to rule the Empire — this goal was financially motivated. Spreading their religion was secondary. I also read that many of the regular people –trademen, merchants, etc.. converted to Islam because the were being over-taxed because they were not muslims. The Soninke ruling class had already converted to Islam (and so did their servents) but the religion didn’t “spread” because of this…it seemed when they moved on to form Mali dynasty that the religion took on more traction. on Thu Jan 31st 2013 at 22:23:36 sam I think just like in christianity there has been several different stages in islam. In its heyday during the islamic renessance muslim world was the most advanced. They had 1000 doctors working in a hospital in Bagdad which was free for all. They had post offices as far as in China, knew the basics of photography, were top class in mathematics, biology, geography etc. BUT the religion moved in to the center and that was that. Same happened in the Ottoman empire. As soon as the religion began to difine and direct the development of society, unavoidable stagnation arrived. Same happened in the west with christianity, first during late 300’s and then during the middle ages etc. If anyone has any illusions or missguided ideas about the nature of islam, just read the Koran. It is very clear on certain issues, such as how women are always under the will of men, without any exception, and how the infidel must be eliminated one way or the other. Just like christianity islam is a religion which has a basic consept of submission, surrender of ones own will to the God will, which is naturally explained by those who “know better”. Both are very political and also systems of power and control. That is the key for islam and christianity. Islam was very militant and was spread into Africa by missionaires and military, just like christianity was spread into Europe before. The conversion was sometimes peaceful but usually forced. This meant destruction of local belief systems, killing off the local holy men and women as witches, destroying the native temples or holy places, images etc. Just like in the case of christianity. Similar tales of massacres, conquest etc. I know it is fashionable today to see islam in a politically correct light and explain its history in a cleaned up way but the conquest of north Africa was just that: a conquest. It was not a huge wave of spontanic conversion or native movement, it was a conquest of the eastern arabic origin and the guide line was the command of Koran: the holy war to make the world muslim. The same kind of idea and ethos was behind the european crusades bit later: holy war and conquest, “saving” the world. I think this is a neat package of the arab conquest and it has source references too. http://patachu.com/maghrib-arab-conquest-of-650-715/ Naturally I assumed that people know how the christianity was brought to Europe, by conquest and holy war. Charlemagne for example killed tens of thousands of western slavs and germans with his crusades and those wars continued all to way up to the surrender of Lithuania in late 1300’s to the church. So it took some 400 years and hundreds of thousands of dead europeans before Europe was even nominally christian. So perhaps I should clarify my stand on these religions. I see them pretty much the same. From my perspective there is no difference between them and also, they have the same God, so… What I meant with the political correctness is that when we now live the time when islamophobia is running rampant in the west, and is used by many opportunistic politicians and extremist right wing nutters, there is a tendency on the other end of the spectrum try to see islam in more postive light than what it is. This is what I meant. And like this conversation here shows, it is very hard to discuss about islam without misunderstandings. As for the conquest of Spain by the moors, it would be good to remember that the situation was never as clear cut as we today often think it was. El Cid, that great spanish national hero, for example, was on the pay roll of some muslim lords at one time or another, and he fought against the muslims and sometimes against the christians. So muslim conquest and the reconquista later were not black and white events, they were very confused, mixed, and very complex series of events spanning for centuries. on Sat Feb 2nd 2013 at 04:28:37 oogenhand http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271921/Victorias-Secret-worker-scarred-life-niqab-wearing-attacker-threw-acid-face-walked-home-shop.html on Sat Feb 2nd 2013 at 09:43:55 Linda Bulanik, I will try to clarify my points (I don’t have much time now but I want to continue this discussion) I have nothing against Islam in itself– only how it is practiced or rather manipulated in certain countries or groups with Agendas — this could be said of almost any religion. I also have a beef with different Christian groups and their version and interpretation of the “word”…but I digress It’s not yet clear to me what your PoV is on the subject under discussion. The impression I have so far is that you believe Islam, over the centuries, was enforced and imposed by violence on unwilling Africans by paler invaders. If I have got you wrong, excuse me in advance, and put me right” Your impression is Not at all my POV– to be clear: the Africans themselves helped to spread Islam and the spreading and teaching of the religion was done non-violently. it was the Berbers that kicked it off and spread it south and groups like the Sudanese helped to spread Islam west and South. The religion first hit African shores in the northeast, brought by the Arabs/Eurasians, who initially came peacefully and established relationships with the local people — but then, as you know, a military invasion came after the death of the prophet Mohammed — this is the violence that most people speak of when talking about Arab invasion into north Africa (I’ve never heard of armies taking territory without bloodshed.) I was trying to say that in the north West, the conversion to Islam on a larger scale began with the Almoravids, and gained more traction by spreading into the Ghanian empire. This conversion was done peacefully because the majority of Ghanians themselves learned about Islam, accepted and converted willing — and when the Ghanian empire declined, the Ghanian people themselves spread Islam even further west, south, and east (Malian Empire, Songhay Empire) But the conquest of the Ghanian region (geography-wise) was done through force- the Almoravids took control using violence — The Ghanian rulers were not willing partners in giving up their trade-routes and wealth. Keep in mind that the Almoravids were Berbers, who were called “Warrior Monks” — they were well known and respected as tough military fighters and for being very religious, very pious and devout — their primary goal was to spread the teaching of Islam and they ruled/ took control of different regions/ countries by any means necessary– this is what they were known for — their military and fighting skills. (That’s why the Arabs in Spain reached out to them for help against the Christians) Also, the Almoravid army (and Empire) had to maintain itelf, so their secondary objectives was financial — they had to have funding. “Before the advent of the Almoravids in the first half of the eleventh century, the Sanhaja (Almoravids) had only played an ancillary role in the trade links between southern Morocco and Ghana and the western Sudan. They had been passive witnesses of the intense commercial exchanges taking place through their territory without gaining any profit from them. Control of the trade routes was in the hands of the Soninke state in Ghana, in the south, and of Zanata Berbers—a rival tribal group—in the north. The first Almoravid campaigns were aimed, therefore, at occupying the main commercial centers.” http://patachu.com/abd-allah-ibn-yasin-almoravid-sahara/ So yes, the Almoravids wanted to rule the commercial routes that the Ghanians controlled — that’s why they invaded the Ghanian Empire–dinars were made from Gold that was brought from the south by the Ghanian traders. Even though the Almoravids were considered to be “religious zealots” — they were also known for being tolerant of other religions (unlike the Almohads) and for not forcing the local populations to convert to Islam but the local populations had to follow their rules, which were based on islamic doctrine. on Sun Mar 24th 2013 at 21:12:59 Neeva This blog is nonsense.There are no arab trader arguments or white invention arguments.This is pure fabrication by abagond.But,i suppose it serves the interests of anti-racists(the most intolerant and biggoted people alive)Regarding this thread.It certainly is important to mention the arabs,and more importantly,the jews involvement in the african slave trade.This does not mean whites are refusing to take responsibility,they are just pointing out that other ethnic groups share the responsibility.Everyone also seems to forget that blacks themselves enslaved their own people and sold them to traders.This is not shifting blame,it is a fact! Another fact which is also conveniently omitted is that whites worked to end the slave trade,despite jewish opposition.Again,this is not,as this blog would have us believe,because whites were trying to redeem themselves by doing something “good”,they did it because they truly believed it was wrong.In other words,whites are the not singular cause of all the “evil”(an exaggeration)or “oppression” of the world,although there are obviously many who want to believe this for whatever reason. on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 00:55:42 Sharina @ neeva But it also seems to serve the interest of you because you post here alot. on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 01:16:27 jefe Everyone also seems to forget that blacks themselves enslaved their own people and sold them to traders.This is not shifting blame,it is a fact! Abagond had a term for the practice of how a counter-argument actually validates the original premise. What was it called? The Roisey effect (or something like that)? on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 15:54:06 oogenhand Again, we should pressurize Arabs and Jews to pay their share of reparations. Next to morality, there is common sense. It would be very stupid to only attack the people who more or less voluntariliy gave up slavery. Nobody would be so stupid to ever free his own slaves, if no good deed goes unpunished. Also, Sandew Hira has interesting comparisons with the Jewish Holocaust. This blog is nonsense. Why are you here? to provide some comic relief? Neeva is just filled with broken record arguments, among other things. on Tue Mar 26th 2013 at 04:44:41 oogenhand I WILL make sure Arabs will pay Allen West, I WILL make sure Jews will pay Tony Martin. Arabs and Jews are threatened by Iranians in the Middle-East, and they are busy destroying each other. As well, both cultures are more tolerant of abortion than of euthanasia, which will make their demography lopsided towards old. Israel has the additional problem of Ultra-Orthodox people who only study Talmud, and have large families. on Wed Apr 3rd 2013 at 16:29:41 waltika Reblogged this on waltika. on Wed Jul 10th 2013 at 11:00:02 EuroGAL According to the race research done in the early 1900s, Arabs are Caucasian. Doesn’t that make them white in a sense? on Thu Aug 1st 2013 at 12:05:10 White Supremacist I’ve been reading your posts and have come to the conclusion that you’re probably in the 60-75 IQ range (not uncommon among your kind). You do understand that you can’t condemn Europeans as uniquely evil if they did what anyone else did/would do in that age? Lunatic. […] The Arab trader Argument […] on Fri Oct 4th 2013 at 06:38:22 The Arab trader argument \| White's Only \| Scoop.it […] The Arab trader argument is my name for an argument white Americans often use to defend the evil they do in the world. It goes like this: if white Americans do something evil and terrible it is all… […] on Tue Oct 8th 2013 at 13:58:46 Samantha Tesner Reblogged this on Setting the Record STR8. on Tue Oct 22nd 2013 at 07:31:56 The Arab trader argument \| Culturally Teaching ... on Tue Oct 22nd 2013 at 10:58:30 The Arab trader argument \| THE REUNION OF BLACK... on Wed Apr 23rd 2014 at 14:17:47 Herneith When fools try that argument on me, I just tell them I am not from the country they are alluding to so why bring that up? I also tell them to stay on topic. The anger and frustration they exhibit is hilarious. on Wed Apr 23rd 2014 at 19:13:17 Sharina I gather that seems to be more your iq level if not lower. Seeing as your ability to comprehend seems to be shot all to hell. on Fri Apr 25th 2014 at 18:45:06 KungPao Mentioning Arab slave traders is not meant to excuse morally wrong actions, it’s meant to keep people intellectually honest who focus exclusively on white sins and act as if non-whites have a moral high ground, completely peaceful peoples who just happened to have their happy times interrupted by evil white racists. If equality is your bag, then dole out the judgements equally. @Kung Pao: Hilarious, another colour-blind racist! KungPao If you call intellectual honesty deflecting from the subject at hand. If a person wants to truly show some level of intellectual honesty then they will simply acknowledge the wrongs of said individuals and move on. Not try to push the focus elsewhere. It is simply an argument among 2 year olds. “But he did it first…blah…” on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 03:15:31 KungPao Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa. The reason the Arab slave trade is even brought up is because this happens so often in debate. Those who bring it up are not looking to excuse white slavery of blacks, they’re seeing if you’re just as principled against other slave trades as you are against white slavery. And you never are. You need a bib or something? on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 03:26:36 King ,blockquote>Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Or in other words, you haven’t ever taken the time to look at all the past posts on this blog that address just that. on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 05:30:14 Sharina “Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?”—On the contrary, intellectual dishonest is the advocacy of a position known to be false, but that is not the case here (though other definitions may apply). The whole point of the post is for people who do not say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” but choose to use this to deflect from the point at hand. They never make it to “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” “And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa.”—Who says they don’t? “The reason the Arab slave trade is even brought up is because this happens so often in debate. Those who bring it up are not looking to excuse white slavery of blacks, they’re seeing if you’re just as principled against other slave trades as you are against white slavery.”—And what proof do you have that this is the reason? You are now taking on the position of assuming you know what every person that uses that argument means. Reasonably you don’t, but for argument sake lets say you do. So they use this argument, but it is still deflection. They still are trying to point fingers at another instead of owning up to said wrong. This does not mean that the others involved should be overlooked, but it does mean that it is a weak argument to try and make it acceptable by saying such and such did it first. Like I said…it is a child’s argument regardless of what party uses it. “And you never are”—I never am what? If you are assuming something about me then you are aware that you have thus far engaged in intellectual dishonesty? I am confused on how you hope to lecture people on something you can not manage to not engage in yourself? Seems like we have another white male Asiaphile loose in the house. Soon we will be hearing the Asia atrocity arguments again to be “balanced”. That is the corollary to the Arab Trader argument. Don’t tell me it is a reincarnation of DJ or Asplund or XPrae. “I never am what?”- People like you are never as sanctimonious with other forms of slavery as you are with white slavery. I don’t know that for a fact with you, but I’d wager from the general tenor here that is the case given all the ‘white male this’ and ‘racism that’ going on. “Who says they don’t?”- I say they don’t. Most slavery discussions are centered around white-black slavery, other forms are derided as ‘making excuses’. “And what proof do you have that this is the reason?”- Some I’m sure really are making excuses for slavery, but for the people who make it past that, who say “Black slavery is bad and gone.”, the Arab Trader has its appeal to make those observing the debate aware that slavery has gone on long before and after the white man elected to stop it in his own countries, as these debates are often framed in terms of “LOOK WHAT WHITES DID!”. After one debater has ceded that black slavery is bad, there’s no point in beating the horse further unless there’s some other motive at play other than the spirit of debate. on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 11:22:43 B. R. For me, the “Arab trader “argument has lost its value on here… The cut and dried truth is, it is suposed to be used on whites who will try to diminish the Atlantic slave trade by stating that it happened from the Arabs To be sure, in the light of this dim wit cowboy and Fox news ridiculous followers, it is a valid point but, i went out of my way to say the Atlantic slave trade was worse for the slave taken to the Americas, and more brutal for the individual…but, what happened to black non Christian and non Islamic Africa , was equaly as brutal…the amount of slaves dying on the jornies to the slave ships was equaly brutal, the ripping apart of families was equaly as brutal, those slaves didnt go home for family visits Huge amount of comments on here refer to the absolute humiliation and cruelty of white rapes of black slaves in America, it is one of the leading themes, yet , black African women in the Arab slave trade , in many cases, or the majority of cases , were actualy brought over to be exactly sex slaves…and in some cases, the mens genitals cut off to guard these women People talk about the Arab slave could be freed in twenty years…what was the life span of people back then? How many people could survive twenty years of slavery? Were those words just wishful thinkingn from the Koran, but not played out on the ground like the Declaration of Independance? I totaly get the point white people should be shut down if they try to diminish the Atlantic slave trade, but, it is really wrong to try to not address the reality of the Arab slave trade in black Africa, that lasted a thousand years and had its peak in the late 17 hundreds and mid 18 hundreds and how both the Arab slave trade and Atlantic slave trade have been equaly guilty of destroying Afro diasporic culture… bottom line, if people can say the Atlantic slave trade was worse, the true ramifications and huge scope of the Arab slave trade and what it did to black non Islamic Africa should be fully on the table if people can say the Atlantic slave trade was worse, on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 15:05:34 Herneith Hi Asplund, or is it Da Jokah? Another racist moniker I see. Kung Pao, is there some underlying meaning to this or do you just like the chicken. Carry on Aspy! Why do people always confuse the Arab Slave Trading Argument: “You cannot reduce culpability by pointing at another group of people who have things that are just as bad as you have.” with the ‘Black Slavery Was Worse’ argument? Do they need a bib? on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 15:57:55 abagond @ KungPao 1. In my experience the Arab Trader argument is brought up as a deflection, not as a serious point in the spirit of debate. MOST people who bring it up are not serious students of history. Nor are they the sort who can admit that whites are a mix of good and evil like everyone else. 2. This blog mainly concerns racism in the US. That is where I and most commenters live. It is not a world history of Man’s Inhumanity to Man. So the slavery practised by White Americans is what matters most. on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 16:10:09 Matari Abagond – or anyone else, Please share your awareness with us, if you know… Are you aware of any slaves that were involuntarily brought to the American mainland, yet were freed, or manage to escape and return to the EXACT same people, group, village or place that they were taken from on the African continent?? I will respond to you thoroughly, but first I wanted to ask; why harp about intellectual dishonesty and then turn around and engage in it? If you are unaware of what it means and signs of it then I ask you to research it but I think it was just a waste of time to lecture someone on it and then use it. In the mean time I will point out where you have engaged in it and perhaps in your response to me you can answer with intellectual honesty. “People like you are never as sanctimonious with other forms of slavery as you are with white slavery.”—And who or what are people like me? I never divulged any information about who I am so it really is odd that any reasonable individual of adult stature would rely on assumptions in an argument/debate. You lose credibility here, but you also engage in that intellectual dishonesty you kept talking about as you are relying on an assumption to make your case. “I don’t know that for a fact with you, but I’d wager from the general tenor here that is the case given all the ‘white male this’ and ‘racism that’ going on.”—You don’t know that at all wager or no. You can not pin point what a person thinks or believe based on what others in here say. This is another form of intellectual dishonesty. You are basically attempting to dismiss my credibility based on what you have determined I might believe based on others. “I say they don’t. Most slavery discussions are centered around white-black slavery, other forms are derided as ‘making excuses’.”—-And what authority do you have? Do you read minds or are you some psychic in your spare time? I say most don’t, so why is it that you view me as less credible when you endorse a “say so” as credibility? This is also a form of intellectual dishonesty in that you are making yourself the authority of something. Most discussions on slavery would be about white-black if that was the topic to begin with (transatlantic). Bringing in what other people did is deflection and it does not address the issues being made. If a person lived in another country then of course the issue would not be white-black as they were likely not affected by transatlantic in the sense of white-black. For example if the actual topic was arab slavery, then it would be ridiculous for my only retort to be whites in the Americas did it or everyone does it. “Some I’m sure really are making excuses for slavery, but for the people who make it past that, who say “Black slavery is bad and gone.”—I would say very few make it to “Black slavery is bad and gone.” So few that this is the reason this post was created. “the Arab Trader has its appeal to make those observing the debate aware that slavery has gone on long before and after the white man elected to stop it in his own countries, as these debates are often framed in terms of “LOOK WHAT WHITES DID!”.”— I am confused because you have listed a few different reasons why it is used so which one is it? Everyone knows that the transatlantic was not the beginning, so it would not make sense to use the Arab trader argument in a debate for that reason. Man 1: Slavery in the Americas was terrible etc. Man 2: Quit complaining because Arabs sold slaves too and it was worse. If said individual was tracing back the history to show where it began then by all means I would accept that as valid when discussion the issues of slavery in the Americas, but just to bring it up because they don’t like people talking about white-black slavery is a bit ridiculous and is nothing more than deflection. No one is claiming that Arab slavery was somehow better or a day in the park. This blog does not hide the fact that Arabs had black female sex slaves or that they castrated black boys or that slavery by Arabs probably still goes on: https://abagond.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/arab-slavery/ “it is really wrong to try to not address the reality of the Arab slave trade in black Africa, that lasted a thousand years and had its peak in the late 17 hundreds and mid 18 hundreds”—I have absolutely no problem with addressing any type of slavery a person wishes, but I do have a problem about when people choose to bring it up and on Q it is always when American slavery or transatlantic slavery is mentioned. Those same people do not care to or wish to discuss or address it any other time, so that leads me to believe that they are looking to deflect. Truth of the matter is that they each need to be discussed on their own merit because there is so much information to both, IMO. “After one debater has ceded that black slavery is bad, there’s no point in beating the horse further unless there’s some other motive at play other than the spirit of debate”—Just because one person/debater admits to it being wrong does not mean every person agrees or believes that. What kind of faulty logic is this? Actually that is the debate stopper unless said individuals goes on to try to minimize or deflect. At which point he is opening the door for the debate to continue. If I said drugs in the US are bad and should be made illegal, but Europe does drugs too and they are worse. That statement then opens the door for someone to debate me on the matter of who has a worse drug problem. It is still the spirit of the debate, but one I opened to be further examined. Yes, Abagond, and Sharina , what you are saying is what I had in mind…I would never diminish the Atlantic slave trade using the Arab slave trade , or want to change the subject to the Arab slave trade , when talking of the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade But, I did get carded about that by you, Abagond…when I thought I mentioned up front I thought the Atlantic slave trade was worse (meaning you seemed to agree with someone about it used on me) I could be wrong in my judgement, but I sure dont have a problem directly facing the history of slavery in the USA and also saying I know the legacy of slavery exists into today…like a festering wound I would think white people would want to address that just to make society a better place without those kinds of festering wounds…we all would be better off if we did…but, you got so many examples of Fox nuts and guys like that cowboy..when i see that, I surly understand the need to shut that down Fair enough. Thanks for the civil response. “Why harp about intellectual dishonesty and then turn around and engage in it?”- When I first jumped in, I was talking about the dishonest people who are most vociferous in their condemnation of white slave trade and give at most a slap on the wrist for everyone else. Kind of like how many atheists lump in Taoism and Wicca into their anti-religion rants even though they don’t give a shit about them, they just don’t want to be seen as partial and biased when they kick in Christianity’s teeth. “And who or what are people like me?”- Don’t play coy. Birds of feather flock together. The people who go HYUCK HYUCK WHITE COWBOY! FAUX NEWS! Will be the same ones who overlook non-white atrocities in favor of emotionally appealing white ones. “You can not pin point what a person thinks or believe based on what others in here say.”- It’s generally a good bet, see above response with people of generally the same mindsets congregating. “And what authority do you have? Do you read minds or are you some psychic in your spare time?”- No but I do have eyes and I’ve observed most slavery talk centers around one kind that happened in the past. Your experiences may be different. “I am confused because you have listed a few different reasons why it is used so which one is it?”- Why not both? The purpose of bringing it up in one context (online thread) is to see if one’s opponent is true to the principles of their anti-slavery rhetoric or will rationalize other trades away due to their white biases, the purpose of bringing it up in another context (real life) is for the benefit of any observers present. “Everyone knows that the transatlantic was not the beginning, so it would not make sense to use the Arab trader argument in a debate for that reason.” – Not everyone knows that. I’d be surprised if the American school system even mentioned slavery in Egypt. For those that don’t know, the Arab Trader is useful for dispelling the mythical quality of the white tyrant, and while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty “Just because one person/debater admits to it being wrong does not mean every person agrees or believes that.” – I never said as much, only that once that one person says “I agree, black slavery was bad.” then there’s no point in going “Well! Don’t you feel baaad about it!? Guilty?” to that one person. This holier-than-thou moral posturing is disingenuous when other legacies of cruelty are passed over. White people do this the most and it becomes a competition on who can feel the most bad about something, who has experienced the most privilege, like a post-modern confession, such as the We Are Not Trayvon Martin tumblr where a bunch of narcissists ego stroke each other over how not racist they are. “Actually that is the debate stopper unless said individuals goes on to try to minimize or deflect.”- If the debate was “Was black slavery bad?” then yes it would. Most debates tend to have broader topics however. Agreed @ B.R. on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 21:06:55 Bic Bickel How long? How long are we going to keep the slavery guilt thing going? Who does it help? Was my father a slave holder? ( N0 ) Was my grandfather a slave holder? ( No ) Were my great grand fathers slave holders? ( No ). Did I personally benefit from slavery ( No ) Have I been punished because of slavery? ( Yes ) Is that justice? ( No ) Does every person of color have the same opportunity or more that I, a white man? ( Yes ) Do Black’s disproportionately choose to have children out of wedlock, use drugs, drink alcohol in excess, commit violent crimes, engage in risky sexual behavior, and drop out of school? What causes their behavior? ( You tell me, but its a choice I choose not to make ) Blacks who don’t make those choices do quite well, and are often hated on by their own people. Are you going to call me a racist for my honest observations and opinions? ( Yes ). That is your problem not mine. Michael Jackson wrote a song about the Man in Mirror, and I’m not standing behind him when he wrote it. He in fact was a victim of his own sad choices. I thought that Joseph Cinqué and his fellow Amistad mutineers were returned to their native Sierra Leone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cinqué @ Bic Bickel How long did American Slavery last? And when slavery was finally outlawed, was there justice and equality for Black Americans following slaver… or was there something else? Please be brave enough answer honesty. “When I first jumped in, I was talking about the dishonest people who are most vociferous in their condemnation of white slave trade and give at most a slap on the wrist for everyone else……”—I get that, but does it really change anything I said? You called it intellectual dishonesty and that really is more what you are engaging in. “Don’t play coy. Birds of feather flock together. The people who go HYUCK HYUCK WHITE COWBOY! FAUX NEWS! Will be the same ones who overlook non-white atrocities in favor of emotionally appealing white ones.”—I am not being coy and those are your words not mine. Unless I decided to tell you what I think or believe it is just noice and foolishness on your part to continue to assume. “It’s generally a good bet, see above response with people of generally the same mindsets congregating.”— A bet is nothing more than a good bit of guess work, but based on your logic then you being here means you believe the same thing as those above…right? “No but I do have eyes and I’ve observed most slavery talk centers around one kind that happened in the past. Your experiences may be different.”— Of course we have different experiences but because you say so does not make your experience any more credible than the homeless man on the street. It also does not change that you engaged in intellectual dishonesty no matter how you explain it. “Why not both? The purpose of bringing it up in one context (online thread) is to see if one’s opponent is true to the principles of their anti-slavery rhetoric or will rationalize other trades away due to their white biases, the purpose of bringing it up in another context (real life) is for the benefit of any observers present.”—I have no problem with it being both but I have a problem when people fail to be consistent. If it is for both reasons then simply state that. As to the reasons both can be a reason for online and offline settings, but none of which you would know if it is or is not the reason unless you can read the minds of the individuals that chose to use it in an argument. This may simply be your reasoning alone. “the Arab Trader is useful for dispelling the mythical quality of the white tyrant, and while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty”—I disagree because this solely depends on if you are talking to someone who already knows about slavery vs someone who has no clue. In most cases that I have witnessed the person brings this up even when they are talking to people who clearly know about other forms of slavery thus your reasoning is lost when dealing with those type of people. In this blog most if not all people in here know about other forms of slavery, so when the arab slave trader argument is brought up it simply becomes a deflection and not a means to let other know that others did it too. Even if it was a matter of the individual not knowing about it then it still becomes others did it too as the individual is seeking to place blame rather than acknowledge a wrong (this excludes those that actual do acknowledge). “I never said as much, only that once that one person says “I agree, black slavery was bad.” then there’s no point in going “Well! Don’t you feel baaad about it!? Guilty?” to that one person.” — Then based on what you said is a bit confusing. What one person are you referring to? One out of the two people debating or one person in a group full of people discussing the issue? Based on your example the debate is then over and the other half is a last minute retort, but we are not talking about someone who simply makes the statement “I agree, black slavery was bad” and is then done. We are talking about someone who uses a deflection tactic such as the arab slave trader argument to point the finger elsewhere. correction noise “while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty”—based on the definition of excusing then I would have to say you are incorrect. If said wrong was done and a person says “but such and such did it” then that is excusing on the bases that others did it. Sure it points out others who did it, but it is still a good old pass the blame game and nothing more. Kungpow and Bic Bickel, see, its interesting that guys like you can be in denial of just how things have gone down in America…how at every step, obstacles and opresions are thrown into black Americans path…if slavery wasnt enough, after slaves were freed, they didnt get any benifits or help to really get going..carpet baggers came in and raked over everything and just when black Americans actualy got positions in the South after the war, Jim Crow came along, enforced by the absolutly violent racism of the Klan,and huge amounts of lynching. In the north, the draft riots demonstrated the northern kind of hate and racism towards black Americans… As each decade went down, the face of white racism , with the legacy of slavery, kept rising its ugly head, from white flight and realaters in colusion with government created ghettos…the heavy huge southern migration in the fifities absolutly exasperated already strained forced black neighborhoods i mean when i was born, maybe a year before, they just integrated baseball…i mean really , its just not that long ago that the most incredible , low leval, unbeleivable opressive racist discriminations went down ..and still raises its ugly head with the question we all should ask, how is racism going down today that we just dont perceive…like back in Jim Crow days where everyone takes it for granted its suposed to be that way yes, the legacy of slavery still exists in Ameria, it exists in all the Americas that brought slaves from Africa to the Americas, Brazil has the same problems because of these festering wounds.. and Kungpao, (is that you duck?) ,Fox news and their followers are in denial about this legacy of slavery and how it is like a festering wound…when as Americans are we really going to take responsibility for this? Its just the right thing to do…take responsibility for these wounds we have left in various groups of people…but, black African slavery brought to America is absolutly a very deep wound that requires a special attention to the size it took on and the depth of what the reality is , and for the absolutly enormous contributions to our cultures made by desendants of slaves from Africa …ripping huge amounts of people from their homes and bringing them a long way and destroying their identity and culture is something that really is in denial by a lot of white people in America this is a festering wound…you can see it in Brazil too…it could be dealt with if we all just took responsibility for what went down…whether we had slaves or not, or are racist or are not..its our society…do we want to just let a festering wound just keep going and get infected…its just plain as the nose on our faces that these are the reasons and origins for the problems we see plauging our societies that had large slave populations brought over from Africa in the Americas I just looked at Bic’s comment as an example of deflection on a post that is not even about slavery but a weak argument used against it. I have found that white people end up bringing up slavery just as much if not more so than blacks in an effort to try to defend against just about any argument or accusation. Cinque: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cinqu%C3%A9 Are you going to call me a racist for my honest observations and opinions? ( Yes ). Yes. Observations are like anuses everyone has one, yours happen to be racist that’s all. Thank you much, Herneith, That wiki account was certainly an interesting (??) read. I’m somewhat wary of the agenda of those who formed the references that wiki cited, especially the suggestion/suspicion that Cinque and others in his captured parties actually becoming slave traders themselves after returning to Africa. From Wiki: “The latter charge derived from oral accounts from Africa cited by the twentieth-century author William A. Owens, who claimed that he had seen letters from AMA missionaries suggesting Cinqué was a slave trader. Although some of the Africans associated with the Amistad probably* did engage in the slave trade upon their return, most historians agree that the allegations of Cinqué’s involvement are not substantiated.” “probably…” ?????????? If this allegation were factually true, one stills wonders why what would’ve caused those who were captured and targeted for slavery desiring to send others that looked like them into that external hell. {{Does anyone have a Time Travel apparatus I could borrow?}} Thanks again, Herneith! “How long? How long are we going to keep the slavery guilt thing going?” You are looking at slavery in an extremely self-centred way – making it about your feelings. It seems you would have me shut up about an important part of the country’s history just to spare your feelings. Is that what you are saying? https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-feelings-of-white-people/ Thank you, King. I agree that Bic Bickel made it about his feelings. I don’t see anyone advocating that we should feel GUILTY about slavery and slavery’s aftermaths. Facing up to the effect that slavery and genocide had on today’s society is simply looking at it squarely in the face, not sweeping it under the carpet and trying to delete it from our history books. And it is not about feeling guilty. I beseech all Americans who are inclined to feel guilty about the slavery and genocide that white people perpetrated on its fellow residents to STOP FEELING GUILTY and start acknowledging the effect it has on its current day residents. Do not erase or whitewash the history. Acknowledge what needs to be done besides affirmative action and reparations to survivors. on Sun Apr 27th 2014 at 16:16:53 Mary Burrell @jefe: Well said. I agree with Jefe. White guilt probably does more harm than good. It leads to whitewashed history, to deflections like the Arab Trader argument, to the vicious circle of racist thought and action. […] Africans sold their own into slavery. The Arabs traded slaves too! […] on Wed Sep 23rd 2015 at 21:16:38 Victor Lee Hello! I’m Victor, and this blog is awesome. I think you debunked that argument 100%. It’s basically a straw man in my view. on Wed Jun 22nd 2016 at 03:10:57 mike4ty4 Another thing that racists don’t get about the Arab Trader argument: It proves that Whites are no better than anyone else. on Tue Jul 5th 2016 at 16:00:53 kungfurandablog new commentator here and I agree completely with the previous posters above me. Moral deflection is something that I see white Americans engaging in a lot when they’re caught with their pants down (figuratively speaking of course). It’s like saying that since everyone else is lying then it’s okay to lie too. And Kiwi, you’re totally right about that tactic that whites use to shut Asian-Americans up when they point out racism. Just recently, I was on a website and someone in a thread that I started about digital yellowface also used that same tactic to try to get me to shut up. I rightly called him out on it. I think it was a he. Both white American men and women that I encountered online use this tactic so I don’t know but often it’s the white American men (or should I say boys since men know how to take responsibility for their words) that resort to this kind of thing when they can’t handle the truth from a POC. on Wed Oct 5th 2016 at 03:22:02 Benjamin I would never mention the Arab Slave Trade to justify any White evils. However, I would mention it to counter somebody if they stated that Whites were the only ones to have committed slavery. And yes, while they might not be on this blog, there are people who do believe that only Whites have committed things like slavery and ethnic cleansing. And if confronted by such people, I see nothing wrong with providing examples proving such a belief is incorrect. I would be interested in you mentioning the Arab Slave Trade. Before you do, could you please clarify what you mean or understand by the ‘whites’ who have committed slavery and what does ‘Arab’ mean in the ‘ Arab Slave Trade’? on Sun Feb 11th 2018 at 22:24:05 Yes, Africans DID Own White Slaves, BUT… \| BROTHA WOLF […] of one of humanity’s odious practices whenever white racism is discussed. Fellow blogger Abagond coined it the ‘Arab Trader Argument’, a tactic that (mostly) white people use to deviate from the sins of Caucasians by bringing up the […]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24332
__label__cc	0.709191	0.290809	« Trayvon Martin Grada Kilomba on racism in Europe » The Broken Africa stereotype Tue Mar 13th 2012 by abagond Somewhere in Africa in a place called Kenya The Broken Africa stereotype is one of the main ways Americans picture Africa: a violent hellhole, savage and cruel, a place of war, genocide, famine, slums, disease, failed states, refugee camps, etc. Aids, malaria and Ebola. Idi Amin, Mugabe and now Kony. Rwanda and Darfur. Somali pirates. Corrupt government officials. Child soldiers. Black men raping virgins to spread Aids. The heroes of this piece? White saviours, like Bono and Miss Jolie. White people to the rescue! Africa was, is and always shall be backward. Anything good in Africa comes from outside. Africans can never do anything right – and never will. James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA who should know a thing or two about genes, said he was: I used to think this picture was a side effect of the Western press, which makes a living off of bad news, and Western NGOs, which make a living off of helping the helpless – making Africa the Country into a land of bad news and helpless people. Not so: the stereotype goes way back, to the 1700s, to the days of the slave trade. War, famine, disease and evil men are found throughout the world and throughout history, not just in Africa. So why does the image of a Broken Africa stick? The Rule of How Mud Sticks: When blacks do something bad or whites do something good, it is largely due to inborn qualities – like “black” crime and “white” inventions. When blacks do something good or whites do something bad, it is an exception or largely due to circumstances – like black inventions and white crime. This creates an imbalanced, racist picture of Africa: Mugabe? Proof that blacks are unfit for rule. Hitler? A madman. The Rwandan genocide kills 800,00 Tutsis? Proof of how violent Africans are. The German genocide kills 6 million Jews? That was an exception. The Germans killed 100,00 Hereros in Namibia? Another exception. Middle-class Nairobi or Luanda? Exceptions. The slums of Nairobi and Luanda? Proof of how screwed up Africa is. African civilizations? They tell us nothing. Primitive tribes in out-of-the-way places? The True Africa. Like most stereotypes it is two parts self-serving lie and one part projection: Projection: It was the West that broke Africa. It was the West that was savage. It was the West that could not run things properly. Before whites showed up Timbuktu had more people than London and its schools were better known at the time than Oxford and Cambridge. After whites appeared over 17 million died in the slave trade and the slave wars. Self-serving lie: The stereotype did not arise till the 1700s to excuse the slave trade – and later grew in strength during the white rule of colonialism. That Africa is poorer than Europe and North America has nothing to do with whites robbing it of human labour and mineral wealth. No, Africa is broken by nature. The first picture was taken by photojournalist Kate Holt, who works for the British media and NGOs. If you click on the picture it leads to her blog where you can find out more about the picture and about her. The first two pictures are from Dadaab, a vast refugee camp in Kenya where hundreds of thousands have fled famine and war in Somalia. The third picture is from a coffee house in an upmarket Nairobi mall – also in Kenya. It is by Noor Khamis for Reuters and appeared in the South African press. stereotypes about Africa The Panama Papers – a more objective look at corruption than what the Western press presents. White paternalism White saviours and darkies Chinua Achebe: Africa’s Tarnished Name Why do whites hate, demonize, fear and look down on blacks? A bit of realism for those interested in Africa The Business of Saving Africa An Open Letter to King Leopold II Fanon: The So-Called Dependency Complex of the Colonized on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 12:39:29 Matari Truthfully stated, Abagond. Now let the trolling begin! on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 12:54:42 anglesanddimensions Portraying the affluent class of Africa side-by-side doesn’t negate the fact that the sorry picture of Africa exists. It only serves to show the extreme inequality that exists in the region. The poverty in Africa is shown with a purpose, and not a humanitarian one. It is used to show that Africans are inherently screwed up, they can’t govern themselves and hence they need American and European [conditional] aid, foreign soldiers on their ground, foreign control on their resources. To back this theory up they show the ‘benevolent whitey’ side by side. In my country, India, I’ve seen many holding up the 58 dollar billionaires of India when they want to portray their country as a ‘good’ place. Nationalism obscures one to reality and makes them resort to absurdity when someone points out something that’s wrong in their country. Obviously, 58 dollar billionaires are a shame in a country whose 80% live under Rs.20 ($1=about Rs 50) per day. But there’s one thing that must be mentioned about those who point out that something is wrong in a country – usually they are the ones trying to establish their superiority over another. You will see how the tone changes when you bring up IMF, World Bank, their conditional loans and aids, wars, sanctions etc imposed by the UN, US & Co because those point towards all the evils that their countries are doing, and they know they’re beneficiaries of it. I have only one thing to say to those in the first world who point towards the poverty in third world countries – protest against your govt policies, stand up against the wars that your countries wage against others(Libya used to be one with a good HDI before Obama & Co. bombed it to the ground, and yes, sponsored the killing of blacks in Libya by the rebels). If you don’t, then stop whining and shove your charity up your backside. Don’t use poor people as an excuse to feel good without doing anything good. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 13:20:15 leigh204 You know what I find repugnant? You see the media showing the likes of Bono and Angelina Jolie shaking hands with some of the populace, “Oh, look. We are trying to make a difference in Africa.” They don’t deserve recognition. Other people have been doing it for years. Did they smile for the camera and get a pat on the back for helping those in need? on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 13:22:47 Oyan (@Oy_aN) I understand that this blog points out what was/is wrong with the evil behavior of Europe/whites and how they mangled and continue to mangle Africa/black, but, what is ‘wrong’ with Africa that this was possible. I was listening to a Youtube vid, and this professor , Dr Amos Wilson, spoke on how Europe attempted this horror on China, was initially successful, but the Chinese were able to repel them. ‘Other’ groups keep coming for us, why is that? There is this parable, “when you act like sheep, people will act like wolves”. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 14:25:42 JC What are your thoughts on the Arab slave trade? Slavery was not just a phenomenon of the West and Europe. https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/the-arab-trader-argument/ Very interesting article on the “Arab Trader Argument.” It would be futile trying to compare or judge which was worse. My feeling is that the European slave trade is still highly remembered due to the ever-lasting presence of NGOs in Africa, particularly when they are fueled by projections and self-serving lies. On the other hand there aren’t any current issues that allow bringing up the Arab slave trade. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 15:36:36 lokey @angelsanddimension Hello from your fellow countryman :). I dont know if you are in the US or in India, but I guess you got the picture, the Imperial narrative of the colonized has always been designed to shame the colonized into thinking the other (colonizer) is great while making the colonizer feel superior to the colonized. Gandhi called this phenomena: Drain inspection. The chief artist of this deception against India was an American white woman (who was also a racist, anti-immigrant conservative who would fit right in with the loonatic racists of the tea party of today). You can read more here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2006/02/teaching-journal-katherine-mayos.html She was hijacked by the British propaganda machine and because she was white and American, most people in the US and UK (and more shamefully our own Indians) brought this racist/biased narrative. Now you can see that this culture continues by way of rented-negroes (in these case rented-Indians) see here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17377895 I just looked at the comments, it is hilarious that the Arab trader argument popped up like clockwork. These guys are like automatons! @ JC My feeling is that the European slave trade is still highly remembered due to the ever-lasting presence of black people in the Americas. As if on cue: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57398804-10391698/george-clooney-arrested-during-protest-at-sudanese-embassy/ It is becoming so predictable and hollow. It’s funny, because the time I spent in both Edo State and Lekki Nigeria was simply fantastic. There are many spots that are incredibly modern and over looked, while there were many spots that were poor and over exposed. The people though, were more aware of their situation then the (whites) West give them credit for. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 17:27:45 truthbetold I will respond later when I have more strength. My heart is weary from the last post on the killings of our people. @lokey Hi!(Punjab? Am from Kolkata) Among the many issues with Gandhi’s observations is that he failed to grasp the cause-and-effect relations and thus reached a wrong conclusion. While I do agree that colonizers and neo-colonizers everywhere try to paint the colonized people as horrid, irrational people unable to govern themselves and I do caution myself and others against accepting accounts by colonizers without solid evidence as they’re most likely liars, I do not agree with the approach taken by Abagond here, or nationalists at home to counter such ‘drain inspections’. Drains need to be inspected. Not by degenerates like Katherine Mayo who use the drains in order to turn the whole country into a stinky swamp, but by people who would clean the drains up. Katherine Mayo and her likes in the US want to rob people of their sovereignty and exploit them all the while justifying the exploitation with the theory that we’re not fit to govern ourselves. Yes, India is an extremely poor country. The denial of this fact is denying the truth and supporting the ‘feel good’ feeling propagated by the media in order to keep the countrypeople from a revolution. It is like someone from the slavery era saying that there are slaves who have better masters who don’t beat them up and feed them well and even let them read books. At home CNN does not mention poverty once on TV, in abroad the same CNN is gushing about poverty in third world countries. It’s against the ruling class interest to let the relatively better-off people here who can access TV know how hard the overwhelming majority of the country suffer. In abroad, the ruling class use the ‘drains’ to garner support for all the atrocities they commit in the name of help. So yes, India is a poor country and I’m an Indian by accident of birth and internationalist by principle living in India. That does not make me or anyone in India superior or inferior to anyone and does not make us deserving of subordination or inherently screwed up. Want proof of how India or Africa came to be so poor? Look at the global powers, the corporations, the international organizations like the UN, IMF, World Bank. Learn some history and you’ll find that we’re not inherently screwed up. Rather, the ones who are trying to portray us as such are. As one commenter commented on this blog yesterday, “there’s no shame being a slave. Only a slaveholder.” P.S. Gandhi was, without a shred of doubt, a servant of the colonizers. Gandhi opposed the struggle of the Zulus and defended the massacre of the Zulus by the British in South Africa, was racist to the core which is evidenced by his many remarks on the inferiority of the black race, opposed freedom struggles by labourers and peasants in India, openly said that he supported landlordship and opposed any kind of attempts to take away the wealth they held, worked as a recruit agent for the British army and declared that the British rule was a godsend for India. His ‘non-violence’ was only for the Indians struggling for their freedom because he knew if the struggle turned violent, the British would have to flee and the power would be seized by the people instead of the Congress party (created by the British) which existed to serve the interest of the Indian bourgeoisie. Obviously, given the nature of Gandhiism, it would naturally be the philosophy that the ruling class would want the oppressed class to believe in. Oppress without any fear of a backlash – the dream of the oppressor! on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 19:12:58 DarqBeauty This post instantly made me think of this video. -_- on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 19:47:03 dave I’ll concede the point about Mrs. Jolie / Pitt, however, when It comes to Bono I am going to disagree. He doesn’t just use his celebrity and own money to help others in need in Africa…He does it throughout the world. Not only In America, but his own country of Ireland. I saw him when I worked at the pentagon after 9/11 (I was there on the smoke cleanup crew.) He was also with Chris Tucker, by the way they looked to be having a ball together laughing and clowning each other. I didn’t get to meet Bono, but later on Tucker was walking around near the Hall of Heroes, which I happened to be cleaning and I met him. He was very nice and he wanted to see the devastation and he told me he offered officials there anything he could do for help to raise awareness by the use of his celebrity. Now why isn’t Chris Tucker and other blacks being yelled at. Why do you guys hate Bono so much. I think he is a nice man. What about Sean Penn and the work he does in Haiti. Penn also partnered with Spike Lee on that movie he did to benefit with Hurricane Katrina victims. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 19:55:14 brothawolf I just had to deal with a fool on Colorlines.com who gave me his Western view of Africa as a helpless, corrupt place incapable of of self-governance and self-reliance. He objected to how the Kony 2012 issue is a “white savior” infomercial and the possibility that America’s main interests when it comes to any African nation is to make money from its resources. It’s amazing what some people will believe without using their heads. on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 20:45:46 Tyrone Africa was turned into a monopoly board by europeans, this fact is omitted from so-called journalism here in the US and abroad. Leaving out this info presents a false narrative to consumers of media, because all consumers of media don’t have the same level of understanding about the issue. If folk haven’t studied the history of what took place via the transatlantic slave trade, they would view africa as continually dysfunctional. It’s not what we see and hear in media, it’s what we don’t see and hear in media that keeps us in the fog. Whites portray native africans as out of control, knowing damn’ well that their race is the source of the problem. This allows them to play the role of “Savior” that we have all come to despise. Brad Pitt, Angelina, Bono, and other bleeding hearts will never be honest about who created the chaos that we see in some african countries, Never! on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 21:54:24 Notable Links: 3-16/12 « BROTHA WOLF […] “The Broken Africa Stereotype” by Abagond […] on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 22:07:30 BROTHA WOLF on Fri Mar 16th 2012 at 22:15:47 Mel @Oyan, Other’ groups keep coming for us, why is that? There is this parable, “when you act like sheep, people will act like wolves”. I do sometimes feel blacks “welcome” the victim-hood portrayals. I often find it aggravating the way blacks welcome cameras to film them. Those videos of Africans dancing and singing for white audiences annoy me. So do those “news” pieces with black women crying about how “single” /unmarried they are. Why allow mainstream media to victimize you? What many black people don’t get or understand is that many non-blacks, particularly whites, believe, as a natural rule, that blacks are genetically or intellectually inferior to whites and other groups. From this “blacks are naturally inferior” belief, they build all their opinions, laws, attitudes, etc about blacks. I volunteered at a local high school in 2010, and was allowed to sit in on the staff meeting, where the officials discussed “dumbing down of the curriculum.” The school is mostly black and South Asian, and when I asked why they were dumbing down the curriculum (which made it difficult for the kids attending the school to get into universities), the answer was that the kids can’t handle the tougher curriculum, so the solution, naturally, is to dumb it down. Now, if I were a parent with a kid at that school, I’d be offended that they’re doing this, because I understand why they chose this as a solution…they believe the black and South Asian kids are too dumb. So Mel, just to be clear, are you’re saying here that you were okay with the dumbing down process (not offended) because you’re not a parent with a child attending that school? Were any African or South Asian staff members attending that meeting? on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 00:37:40 destructure I used to care about what happened to poorer countries. But this post has really straightened me out. From now on I promise not to give a $#!t. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 01:05:49 Franklin @ Destructure If your belief is that flimsy and is swayed that easily then it probably wasn’t genuine in the first place. But that’s me posting as if I has no idea that you were just some dishonest white who’s trying to paint himself as an open-minded person who is now deeply offended because of some cruel boogeymen that he was fighting for. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 01:28:47 Adeen Danica Mckenzie Abagond, I am glad that you posted this post. Good post. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 02:03:27 Bliff @mel the answer was that the kids can’t handle the tougher curriculum, so the solution, naturally, is to dumb it down.. Finally, a sensible school district. Usually, the teachers, administration, community, or white people are blamed, usually in a game of musical chairs which of this takes it’s turn in being blamed. Finally, they have awoke – maybe its the kids. @anglesanddimensions 58 dollar billionaires are a shame in a country whose 80% live under Rs.20. You know nothing of the generation of wealth in an economy. The presence of biliionaires, indicates a growing economy. From India’s lower economic base, much money is made by entrepreneurs who create business and start to produce goods for the people. The entrepreneurs can make a lot of money in these intial stages. those who point out that something is wrong in a country – usually they are the ones trying to establish their superiority …..Don’t use poor people as an excuse to feel good without doing anything good. Not always. There are many honest charitable organizations, nost of them white. Your racist attitude toward them may explain your poor opinion of them. Would you rather we not send the money? Because if that is your attitude, maybe we should not. @leigh204 Bono and Angelina Jolie shaking hands with some of the populace,… They don’t deserve recognition. The use of celebrities to bring awareness, action, and money has been used very successfully for a wide range of causes. People would normally not listen to simple pleas for help unless there is something that catches their attention – celebrities, pictures of children, or highly polished videos. So perhaps you should put aside your disdain for white people and think about how the disadvantaged are helped by the celebrities’ efforts. It’s irrelevant whether Jolie and Bono are getting more than their share of publicity. It’s disgusting to me how many commenters disdain white people so much that they would criticize their efforts to help. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 02:49:09 brothawolf @Bliff, But it’s okay to have a disdain for blacks, including Africans, because you, as a so-called race realist, believe they are not as intelligent or sufficient as whites? I’m just asking. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 02:53:40 leigh204 Pffft. What do I care about white celebrities bringing attention to causes. I personally know people who do a lot more in helping others and don’t go in front of a camera to do it. GTFO. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 03:17:21 FG Stop blaming Americans for everything and start paying more attention to the problems of your own country! on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 03:34:12 DarqBeauty FG obviously hasn’t read the post and the comments. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 05:15:03 dave I would like to hear some credit for this man here. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 07:55:21 anglesanddimensions @Bliff And your profound knowledge of economics astounds me. For twenty years since neoliberal policies have been adopted India has been experiencing what economists call ‘jobless growth’. Unless ‘growing economy’ means increased economic inequality, I don’t see how we can call the economy of a country which has the highest unemployment rate in 20 years growing. Goods for people? The purchasing power of the common Indian is mentioned in my previous post. Social welfare indicators are indicating the worst in 20 years. Some amount of industrialization is happening all right, but at the cost of farmers and tribals who are displaced from their lands creating several times more jobless and homeless people than the factories can hire. Again there are the huge number of factories that shut down and small businesses are getting wiped out. Trickle-down economy has failed. It is clear as daylight and anyone with a slightest bit of brain can see why. So we’d better stop being happy about pumping money into the tummy of the super-rich. Not always. There are many honest charitable organizations, nost of them white. Your racist attitude toward them may explain your poor opinion of them. Would you rather we not send the money? Because if that is your attitude, maybe we should not. There may be “honest” charitable organizations, but charity is merely a way to keep people from an uprising. Charity does not solve poverty, it keeps a very tiny percentage of people in poverty barely alive. An investigation into the cause of poverty reveals what policies are responsible for it and who wanted to implement those with what intentions. This part gets really uncomfortable for people like you who think you’re doing us a favour by tossing $5 a week at us. That is why people like you will boast of charity but start opposing anyone who will stand up against the cuts in welfare, the liberalization-privatisation-globalization drive. If those organizations really wished to solve the issue of poverty, they would have hit at the core reason of poverty, the international policies, organizations like WB and IMF, imperialist wars, sanctions imposed on countries (US is threatening to impose sanctions on India if the latter doesn’t stop buying oil from Iran) etc. and finally capitalism itself. So save your favors. Do away with the charity industry by all means. Hardly makes a difference to the poor population, but at least it will stop the people who want to boast to people ‘you know, I donated to the poor kids in Africa, oh how poor they are’ without any significant loss to their lifestyle and all the while supporting the system that keeps their privileges intact and makes the poor people poorer. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 09:48:26 malkia Thanks for this post! Especially in the wake of that Kony mess and now George Clooney! @Destructure honestly, I really do wish all of you would leave us alone. Thanks. Your “help” is more about how good you want to feel than about us really. Am not trying to be your feel good moment. I don’t think many Africans like it. I agree with Mel. A lot of white people do truly believe that black people are inferior. I will not believe otherwise. A couple of things they have said: 1. Oh look at Rwanda, these primitive savages killing each other over some ancient tribal feuds. Never mind that people were fighting over systemic inequality introduced by the Belgians. 2. On critics of Kony 2012: “Well at least we care about your hellhole!” “at least WE are doing something unlike YOU Africans” “Africa is just stuck in the stone age, we should leave those uncivilized people to kill each other” 3. Saw a story on dead elephants on CNN, the white people almost dying over a dead elephant in fact some were saying that they should be moved out of Africa. Next story was on Sudan…”primitive savages” seemed to be the underlying message in their comments. I could go on and on, but this is the general meme of their arguments. Finally, Africa does have a lot of problems, I do not deny that. I live here and we are all faced with our problems. But we are more than the sum of our failures. Here is fact: 8.5 billion dollars worth of diamonds are extracted out of Africa every year. It is enough to wipe out hunger and poverty in Africa. This is just diamonds. Here is another fact: only an eighth of Africa’s mineral have been discovered. The clamour for Africa’s rare minerals have began. There is no continent like Africa. Congo alone could feed us for 20 years. I wish we could really see how much we have and rise as a people and take fate into our hands. @Oyan, I agree with you. We as Africans and black people are way too forgiving! Look at the Jews, they did not forgive or forget. We should emulate them! “But that’s me posting as if I has no idea that you were just some dishonest white” But of course I’m a “dishonest white”. Is there any other kind? And each one of us is more racister than the next, right? That’s why I came to this blog — to learn da troof. Yes, yes, yes. A person with no real purpose or argument is using colorful sarcasm as their “Hail Mary Attempt” to sway people’s attention away from that fact. It was only a matter of time. malkia honestly, I really do wish all of you would leave us alone. Thanks. Your “help” is more about how good you want to feel than about us really. Am not trying to be your feel good moment. I don’t think many Africans like it. I can assure you that Africa has never been my “feel good moment”. I’ve never been there. Never plan to go there. And I’ve never given a cent to any charity except for those performing medical research. I believe most charities end up making things worse. People shouldn’t become dependent on handouts whether it’s welfare or ‘save the children’. There’s a reason national parks have signs that say, “Don’t Feed the Bears.” It’s bad for bears and its bad for the people feeding them. And it’s just as bad when people get charity. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 18:01:00 Nom De Plume I’ll say it again. Subscribing to The Africa Channel through my cable company was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Pffft. What do I care about white celebrities bringing attention to causes. Pffft yourself. Apparently you don’t care about the disadvantaged either, otherwise, you wouldn’t put down people like Jolie or Bono. @brothawolf disdain for blacks….believe they are not as intelligent. Saying blacks is less intelligent than whites is something I have come to believe as an explanatory principle of blacks, condition. It’s not something I created, nor do I say it in any disdain….it’s just something that’s true and explains an awful lot. You are just shooting the messenger. I “disdain” I speak of here is those who speak ill of those who are helping. I am criticizing the criticizers for what they are doing – disdaining – not for any of their abilities. People are held responsible for what they do, not for who they are. neoliberal policies That was India’s first mistake. Should have tried capitalist policies. Works much better. Trickle-down economy has failed. Don’t think so. The strange term just makes it amenable to ridicule. Charity does not solve poverty, it keeps a very tiny percentage of people in poverty barely alive. This is all charity could ever be expected to do. Solving poverty comes from the country, their government in its policies, and the people themselves, including developing/adopting a culture of growth. This part gets really uncomfortable for people like you who think you’re doing us a favour by tossing $5 a week at us No, I personally don’t even do this; hence, no discomfort. I give $0 to overseas charities. They let do it on their own. They constantly criticize USA and Americans, so let them pound salt. core reason of poverty, the international policies, ….., and finally capitalism itself Lady, I’ll bet you learned your wacko liberal-socialist ways right here in the USA at one of our fine leftist universities. We wouldn’t need any international policies if the poor countries were already doing fine on their own. Capitalism is the GREATEST solution to poverty. Look at Hong Kong, Asian tigers, and China. They are growing due to their adoption of Western (white) capitalist policies. Do away with the charity industry by all means. Here we agree. YOU can be the one to tell your people you recommended turning down western money because it was given by snotty white people. Then take the first flight out of your country immediately, for your own safety. stop the people who want to boast to people ‘you know, I donated to the poor kids in Africa Really. You think this is why people do this? Do you think white people are not caring? How RACIST!!!! on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 19:13:08 Matari ” I agree with you. We as Africans and black people are way too forgiving! Look at the Jews, they did not forgive or forget. We should emulate them!” Speaking with my individual POV as a descendant of those kidnapped from somewhere in West Africa, I don’t think Jews are the people we should emulate. Without going into a lengthy post, here’s why. There exists in a Marvel Comic storyline about a mythical technologically advanced self-sustaining, never colonized, never conquered Kingdom/nation in Africa that’s run by a fictional King/Ruler named T’challa, aka The Black Panther. This “fictional” Kingdom, an African nation named Wakanda, imo, is closer to who we once were as Africans, (i.e. the Moors ..) in antiquity than the present model of real life Jews. If we need to emulate someone, let’s model ourselves after own ancestors/people before they were overcome by Europeans. Even the mythical Wakandan empire is a better role model than modern, present day Israel largely comprised of Ashkenazi Jews. How can it be good for our young to grow up wanting to pattern/model/emulate after a group made up of largely European people? Haven’t we already witnessed enough of the harm internalized racism has pained us? Yes, we should never forget ..or repeat our mistakes. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 19:30:30 vanishingpoint @Bliff, ever hear of Lauren Gallindo? Jolie’s adoption of her son from Cambodia was tainted, and the facilitator(Gallindo) was arrested and convicted of child trafficking. Also, another saviour, Madonna, took David from Malawi even though he was not an orphan, his father visited him every week and never gave permission for him to be adopted. I guess splitting up families due to poverty is helpful and good? @ Bliff Get a clue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism You’re new around here, aren’t you? And you don’t have a clue as to the kind of person I am so please spare me with the “you don’t care about the disadvantaged either” crap. Again, what do I care about Angelina Jolie and Bono? They’re just a bunch of rich, influential white people who smile for the camera patting themselves on the back for the “good” they’ve done. What a great photo op. on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 20:10:16 JC Don’t forget to add George Clooney to the mix….It’s almost as if he was trying to purposely get arrested this week in Sudan. Is this supposed to be raising awareness or attention grabbing self-aggrandizement?!?! (The spirit of Rochester rasps); “Help us, help us lousy nigras sah! What is disgusting is they have neglected to clean up their own back yard whilst helping someone else with theirs. Anything to keep the nigras at home in their place. At the same time you can feel good about yourself for helping the nigras overseas! Why don’t you go kiss some more white behind? Thanks white folks! Now can you do for us here at home what you are doing for others abroad? @anglesanddimensions: He is smarter than you because he is a white man, never forget that! But of course I’m a “dishonest white”. Is there any other kind? If there is I have yet to meet one! Really you sound paranoid. There’s a reason national parks have signs that say, “Don’t Feed the Bears.” It’s bad for bears and its bad for the people feeding them. Stop! Will the lunacy never end? What's wrong with you? People are held responsible for what they do, not for who they are. If that were true you would stop writing the reams of garbage that you do. 1. So, what you’re saying is that any theory that “proves” the so-called inferiority of blacks and Africans is something you would automatically believe without question? (yes or no) And any proof that counters this is just wrong? (yes or no) 2. No one here has the right to question or criticize anything they find suspicious when it comes to whites always being seen as saviors of Africans even though that not only does it offend, but also raises important questions? (yes or no) 3. If people are held responsible for what they do and not who they are, then: a. Why can’t we hold you responsible for the racist…i’m sorry, race realist crap you spew all the time that offends the people here? b. Why is it you believe that blacks and Africans are responsible for the ills they go through and face because they are black and African and nothing else? c. Why don’t you hold white people responsible for the ills they’ve done to themselves and other people? “Perhaps FG is another advocate of the: — “non-American ‘foreigners’ have no right to comment on this blog-site and if they comment must only praise everything about the US” — school of non-thought?” I never told anyone that they can’t criticize the US (or other countries). I just think that several of this blog’s patrons have an unhealthy, sometimes hateful obsession with Americans and American social life. This reached a crescendo with the micro-analysis of the YouTube video made by those two little girls from Florida. If two 15 year-olds living in Britain or France made a comparable video, I wouldn’t give it any attention whatsoever. That’s because I am primarily (though not solely) concerned with what’s going on in the society in which I was born and raised. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 02:22:39 Bliff You’re new around here, aren’t you? Yeah I am, but more than a match for you, young missy. you don’t have a clue as to the kind of person I am Let’s see – you think you’re nasty, sassy, think you know more than you do and you actually think that I care. what do I care about Angelina Jolie and Bono? You missed the point. I don’t care Jolie and Bono either. However, celebrities attract attentionto their causes and that helps the disadvantaged. The point that you missed is the celebrities are unimportant, what they can bring in to help the disadvantagedis what is important. It seems you would let the disadvantage suffer, just to spite the celebrities. Do you understand now. inferiority of blacks and Africans…believe without question I never stated I believed it without question, like I just woke up one day and it was convenient to me to believe. No, I believe, not in “inferiority”, like you state, but that blacks are less intelligent, more impulsive, and less forward thinking than whites, which causes them to underachieve in a white-based society like the USA. I don’t believe it without question, I have come to see it as a good explanation of blacks’ condition in USA, as opposed to the white racism charges of people like Abagond. whites …. as saviors of Africans Why do you obsess on this? Whites do what they do to help, other people do what they do to help Africans. Just because there is some publicity in the USA about white peoples efforts, is no reason to get concerned. I would think you would be happy about anyone helping Africans. we hold you responsible for the realist crap you spew What do you mean by responsible? You can challenge me at anytime on this blog. If you want me to respond, you must write something worth responding to, not just a bunch of personal attacks. Why is it you believe that blacks and Africans are responsible for the ills they go through and face because they are black and African and nothing else? As I said before, I believe blacks’ have trouble in USA because of what I said earlier. These are the main reasons. Why don’t you hold white people responsible for the ills they’ve done to themselves and other people In the last 50 years, whites have been overwhelming helpful to blacks. Few blacks today should be concerned with happened before that, because that is before their time. However, I see many blacks, on this blog and others, who obsess over the past times. I think they’re just trying to scam whites and get extra benefits. Blacks need to let go off past times and be concerned with what is happening in the present and what that means for the future. you can feel good about yourself for helping the nigras overseas Maybe you would prefer we don’t help the “nigras overseas”, just so the snotty white people don’t feel good about themselves? A great help you are to the disadvantaged. @vanishingpoint ever hear of Lauren Gallindo? No, I haven’t and I don’t care about Jolie’s personal life. I am just here to point out that many commenters would rather criticize Jolie, Bono, etc about the publicity they attract, out of jealously, rather than their efforts to help the disadvantaged. Would you would prefer we don’t help, just so the snotty white people don’t feel good about themselves? on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 03:15:40 DarqBeauty How can someone think Africans are inferior then feel out of sorts because we don’t think Africans need white help? These people don’t care about Africans. So why are they pretending indignation. Am I the only one who sees how illogical this argument is? Abagond sure has some interesting visitors.People who think we are inferior, but will spend days and days arguing with those they consider beneath them. o_0?? You confuse me. The Africans can refuse white help at any time. How can you say whites don’t “care about Africans” when we do many things to help. I’m feeling that whites will be criticized by blacks NO MATTER what we do. I never called YOU personally inferior. “Reporter Asked Trayvon Martin’s Mom If He Ate Chicken! LAMO. How great is that!?” That is what you wrote on another post. You are filth. Your diseased mind has been exposed. There is nothing you can say, no sanctimonious stance you can fake. You’ve been exposed by your own words. Don’t address me ever again. Just typing to you creeps me out. You’re a racist with a hard heart. You are irredeemable. I feel sorry for you, but on the other hand, I am deeply disgusted by your very presence. Please. Don’t address me again. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 05:08:26 brothawolf Bliff, I won’t try to participate in derailing this thread for your amusement, but you’re just showing how trolls think when it comes to your comments: You basically don’t give a damn who you offend on this blog, do you? Now back to our conversation: You say you never stated you believed in black inferiority, but then again, I don’t recall you saying that you’ve questioned or not questioned it either until now when you said that you don’t believe without question. Here’s what’s so funny. You say you don’t believe in “inferiority” and yet you say that blacks are less intelligent, more impulsive, and less forward thinking than whites which causes us to underachieve in a white-based society like this one. Well, what else do you call it especially compared with your brand or level of so-called intelligence, behavior, and mentality? You don’t have to say “inferiority” outright if all that what you say you believe in compares one group of people to another based on your own prejudices. If you truly do think blacks are inferior, why not be a (white) man and say it instead of double talking. If anyone is obsessed with white saviors it’s white people and their media. I’m not happy if all I see are white people as generous, altruistic human beings saving the poor, helpless Africans who can’t save themselves. Why the bloody hell would I be happy to see those images over and over again? If you’re a white man with intelligence superior to my own, why don’t you tell me what responsible is? I, Abagond, and most other people have challenged you. Yet, you come up with laughable, offensive, and degrading responses like a typical troll. We’ve written something worth responding to and yet you seem to cower behind your race-realism, fake knowledge of history, narrow-mindedness and other dehumanizing responses. Why is it you believe that blacks and Africans are responsible for the ills they go through and face because they are black and African and nothing else? As I said before, I believe blacks’ have trouble in USA because of what I said earlier. These are the main reasons. So, the answer is yes. See? This is what pisses me off the most. You and your “that’s in the past and it doesn’t matter” crock of bullshit you always type. And how the fck have whites been overwhelming helpful to blacks? Name some true examples–that have actually worked. Your problem is that you can’t stand to face the truth of the white race’s past let alone the present. No wonder you have a poor knowledge of history. But I bet dollars to donuts that you would get orgasms about Paul Revere’s ride, Ben Franklin’s innovations, and the most important event, how this country was founded. But Heaven forbid you learning about–and I have to keep this within the subject matter–European colonization of Africa and the West’s–and Europe’s–exploitation of the continent’s rich resources, and the support of the dictators of certain regions. All of which were orchestrated mostly by whites in a subtle method of modern imperialism for greed and power. This is why I’m tired of seeing the same “white savior of Africa” image over and over again when most/many whites, especially those in power, have corporate interests in the land, and will do ANYTHING, which includes destruction, to take over. For the record, learn to read directions carefully because I did ask for ‘yes or no’ answers and not paragraphs. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 05:08:33 joshua What should George Clooney be doing? I’ve seen him interviewed, and he seems to be truly passionate about the causes he gets involved with. Does anyone here know differently? The map at the start of this thread is bogus. It is titled “African Slave Trade” yet the arrows coded for volume really only show the Atlantic slave trade. Trickle down is a failure. Feudalism was an example of “trickle down”. The basic problem is that pure capitalism tends to concentrate wealth in few people to the extent that they can manage it. The sayings “it takes money to make money” and “them that have the gold make the rules” are as true now as they ever were. This is even more true in places without decent education systems. The rich can send their kids abroad – what do the poor do? on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 07:04:52 anglesanddimensions neoliberal policies That was India’s first mistake. Should have tried capitalist policies. Works much better… Lady, I’ll bet you learned your wacko liberal-socialist ways right here in the USA at one of our fine leftist universities. We wouldn’t need any international policies if the poor countries were already doing fine on their own. Capitalism is the GREATEST solution to poverty. Look at Hong Kong, Asian tigers, and China. They are growing due to their adoption of Western (white) capitalist policies. Because there do not exist any mainstream leftist parties in the US, the American left is the global centrist with a Keynesian approach, practicing a somewhat cushioned capitalism. The political terminology is upside down – the Keynesians are called liberals. If you had the slightest familiarity with politics except what your mainstream ‘Faux’ and CNN are blathering, you would’ve known that neoliberalism is in common parliance what is called the free market policy. Fine specimen of the superior race, you are. And yeah, you lost the bet. I will not derail the thread going into China’s widespread poverty, labourer repression etc. I’ve seen American people boast of charity too many times not to think this is the chief reason they donate. I do not say there aren’t white people who care (this is so tiring and we’ve all been through this several times, but you lot are rigidly against any observation of traits prevalent in white people or American people. This helps you deny that environment conditions a person thus denying the necessity to change the environment and attributing everything to ‘genes’, ‘internal structure’ etc. Funnily, you people are constantly making general assuptions about black people, Arab people, Indian people, East Asian people, Muslim people and so on. While not allowing general observation of white Americans and making general observations of many other groups, traits get attributed to race, religion, nationality et al while the white American culture remains ‘no-culture’). Few people, of any ethnicity or nationality, really care. But there’s no point repeating what I’ve made obvious in my previous posts. Not sorry to disappoint you, I think that is exactly why people do this. And this culture of hypocrisy is spread with a purpose which is beyond your comprehension, I’m afraid. Correction: The political terminology in America Just saw the ‘chicken’ comment. Go to Stormfront, that’s where you belong, bliff. I just hope there are no people of color in your neighbourhood. Here is the Ugandan prime minister’s response video to “Kony 2012”. Notice how he sees northern Uganda as something to be proud of rather than something to be pitied or ashamed of: Jesus Christ, of all people, said that if you do your charity for the world to see then it is not true charity but hypocrisy: you are doing it not out of love and concern but to make yourself SEEM like a good person to others. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 08:01:16 leigh204 Wow, this fellow finds amusement with the chicken comment? Sick! You are so on the money about this pathetic excuse for a human being, DB. The fact that I even acknowledged his lowly presence gives me a feeling of revulsion. @ Joshua It does show African slaves going to other parts of the world. If you have hard numbers, rather than wishful thinking, to dispute the indicated volumes for those years (1500-1870) then please share. Personally I doubt it: there is a huge African Diaspora (160 million people) on the shores of the Western Atlantic. I do not see signs of anything like it elsewhere from the past 10,000 years. The closest thing is the Bantu Expansion but that was within Africa. In case you do not know, Arab slave traders are a moral fig leaf White Americans like to hide behind. As the map shows it is a pretty slim one. @ leigh Yuck, double yuck with a side of crispy fried nastiness. I mean who thinks things like that, let alone says them? smh That chicken comment was in extremely bad taste, at the least. Therefore I have allowed DB’s and Leigh’s comments to go through. A few more things you need to realize. The reason why, as you say, I–or rather we are obsessed with the white savior bit is because it’s shoved into our eyes and eyes all the time. We can’t go anywhere without hearing about it from the TV, the radio, or even our co-workers. But do you hear or see POC going to Africa and doing good deeds there? Hardly. Does this mean POC, including blacks, don’t go to Africa? No. Does this mean they don’t perform good deeds over there. Again, no! But how often do you hear about them as opposed to the white people saving Africa news? You’d be lucky to hear about it at all outside of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and even then it rarely happens. The point is that Africans are not helpless. Only someone who learns from the mainstream media or raised by that way would foolishly believe that unquestionably. I had to deal with two people on Colorlines.com who see white saviors as white saints!! They see this guy Jason Russell as an angel and his movement as something 100% noble. When I placed my two cents into the forum, one kept going on and on about why is this a race issue. The other believed that Africans are really helpless and hopeless. Both saw Kony 2012 as a God send, and despised the fact that questions and criticisms were made as a response. These two would not see what the “fuss” was about no matter what explanations were given. It was like talking to a two cartoon idiots. I should post the link to the video about Jason’s bender. Then again, they may consider it as a leftist plot, anything not to see the shadows behind their “white knight”. @ Bliff, etc Given the bad relationship that whites have had with Africa – slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism, etc – any thinking person is going to question the motives of whites who want to “help”. Whites in general have way more power in the world than blacks. That the prime minister of Uganda felt the need to defend his country from a YouTube video and found himself writing to the likes of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga shows that imbalance. It shows how dangerous “well-meaning” whites can be. Tourists spent $560 million in Uganda in 2008. Invisible Children spent $3.3 million there in 2011. If Ugandan tourism drops by more than 0.6% due to the “Kony 2012” video making people think Uganda is a dangerous place, then it will do more material harm than good. Broken Africa is basically the bases for racist propaganda in USA and around the west, mainly. The idea behind it is that because the whole Africa is just a cesspool of hunger, diseases and poverty and failure, no wonder that all the blacks are basically the same all over the world. Broken Africa is the reason why blacks are below whites and stay there and should stay there. No need for complicated HBD theories nor any other scinetific crap, just point a finger to Africa and say: See? Broken Africa is the patent aswer for all questions about racism. “See+ Look at It yourself!”. It is also very important, almost essential, to show year after year how the White West rescues africans from africans and most of all, from Africa itself. It is very important to repeat this message in various forms and platforms, overtly and subliminaly, ober and over again, untill it becomes a reality and replaces any other idea of Africa. It is via this repetition that comes the idea that it is natural to send in some relief troops or military into Africa to helpo africans, because they can not helpo themselves. In this propaganda it is also very important to avoid all images, stories and videos of any sort of normalcy. Delete all information that shows how normal life is in Africa. Deny all the development in Africa. Also, high light the corrupt leaders of Africa as natural beings for Africa and do not even hint that those guys are stealing their countries blind with the help and assistance of white bankers and consults and big companies etc., sometimes with the helpo of white soldiers who may be “advisors” or “security consultants” or even “friendly forces supporting and protecting democracy”. Put all these together and you once again can do what ever you want or need to do when ever it is in your white western interests. A very good example: somali pirates. International fishing industry has been stealing the fish from the sea and somali fishermen had no more their traditional way to support their families etc. They became pirates. And how this has been presented in the western media?? That is why and how Africa is ad will be broken in the white western media. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 11:40:19 Matari SatanForce I see that you’re “trying” to read my posts. Good for you!! LOL Keep at it. With time and practice your comprehension skills will improve. In time, your ability to see past the box you’re in may improve. At any rate, I think (despite your confusion) this point can’t be stressed enough. Israel is not a good role model to emulate! 🙂 What I actually wrote was: on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 14:45:56 Nom De Plume “Which brings me to the 2 ‘little girls’ on their racist rant on another recent thread.” “Do you have any sympathy for the black and brown little girls these girls were hating on? And you think Abagond wrote that post only for American commenters?” I caught that comment, too. “FC” referred to the teen racists in Florida as “little girls.” On another thread, destructure seems to believe that Trayvon, who was around the same age, was a grown man because he could grow hair on his face and get a drivers license. Different commenters with the same double standard. George Clooney is appearing on “Meet The Press” today, no doubt discussing his recent arrest in Sudan. Let’s see – you think you’re nasty, sassy, think you know more than you do and you actually think that I care. That sounds like you are describing yourself. Do you understand now. No. You’re writing in circles. On the one hand celebrities are unimportant. On the other hand they generate publicity for these photo-ops, I mean charities. If the celebrities are not important, then how do they engender the publicity to get people to ‘donate’ en masse to these charities? Maybe you and your ilk can promote these causes! No, I believe, not in “inferiority”, like you state, but that blacks are less intelligent, more impulsive, and less forward thinking than whites, which causes them to underachieve in a white-based society like the USA. What Bliff really means; “I hate ni&&ers, but am to ‘civil’ to use uncivil words. I prefer to baffle people with nonsense! It is more fun and helps me bolster my already low to non-existant self worth. Where would we be without the lowly negro to enhance our sense of worth or to compare ourselves to(of course to our betterment)? If you want me to respond, you must write something worth responding to, not just a bunch of personal attacks. Oh and I guess your reply to Leigh was constructive criticism, cretin? I think they’re just trying to scam whites and get extra benefits. Where can I sign up for this program genius? I could use the extra benefits and cash to buy a new handbag! . Blacks need to let go off past times and be concerned with what is happening in the present and what that means for the future. According to you, Bliff, we are less intelligent so therefore we cannot. Any suggestions? So why are they pretending indignation. Am I the only one who sees how illogical this argument is? Nope. I am starting to think they let the lunatics loose on the computers at the mental hospital. They are f—ed in the head, morally bankrupt among other things. It is too bad there is a comments policy here or I would really let this Bliff person know what I think of them. T’wouldn’t be nice and would make one’s ears burn! on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 17:03:19 truthbetold @ Abagond, Leigh, Darq, Brothawolf There are some folks on this blog, that I won’t mention, who just come here to incite and fan the flames of racial hatred. These individuals have no purpose here. They’re not here to learn or heal or understand a damn thing. Just ignore them. You’ll be better off. I need to let them go stew in their own hate. They give me nothing in return but headaches. on Sun Mar 18th 2012 at 22:09:20 kittyem The woman on the first pic appears to be posing. It’s a norm for western jurnos to go to the refugee camps and actively look for the thinnest children to photograph. A former jurno narrated at how his former boss used to reject his work because the children were “not thin enough” During the Horn of Africa drought last year, a common complaint among the Somali people at the refugee camps was the jurnos who kept asking them to uncover their children so that they can take “good” pictures. It seems the more the ribs that can be counted, then so much the better. On the Kony 2012 issue, I learned that our hero recently embarked on a public masturbating frenzy. Apparently he is also a coke addict. It just goes to show that whites are still hankering for for negative narrative about Africa and they will reflexively buy into any such nonsense without even questioning who came up with it. The third picture is from a coffee house in an upmarket Nairobi mall. It is by Noor Khamis for Reuters and appeared in the South African press. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 00:04:58 Doug1 Projection: It was the West that broke Africa. No it wasn’t. ssAfrica has always been a very lagging part of the world, throughout all history. There was no literacy in African languages until Europeans taught that to them. Why? Because of the major geographic races with lots of members, ssAfricans are the least intelligent. Other races as distinct as ssAfricans are from the other six or so major geographic races, are even less intelligent on average than ssAfricans, such as the Koisans, Pygmies, and Australian Aborigines. However their numbers have always been relatively few, and also their impact on world history, A. Aborigines partly excepted due to overplayed by leftists white guilt. The so called stereotype has TONS of truth to it, in other words. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 00:12:47 JC @Doug, did you not read the article? Yes it is TRUE that Africa has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, but this doesn’t mean all of Africa should be portrayed that way. That’s how a STEREOTYPE works, by making blanketing assumptions across the board even when there is diversity. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 00:45:19 Bliff Oh c”mon the “chicken comment was in extremely bad taste”. This whole blog is in bad taste. People attack me personally all the time here. I’ve seen pornographic conversations on this blog about porn movies (Not that there’s anything wrong with that). In fact,I was only quoting Oyan who stated it first. It’s TRUE! Blacks are really OVERSENSITIVE to mild things. In fact, I think it’s worse than that. I think you guys feign being insulted just to have something to whine about and shoot back at the whites. @Doug1 Good one. Nice to see someone else on this blog who actually knows something and has not bought into the Bad White, Good Black mentality. You’re writing in circles. No I’m not. You’re playing games with the references to the word important. The celebrities are important to the charities because they raise awareness and bring in more money than if the were not involved. The celebrities should be unimportant to observers, like you, because you should be concerned with the charity work, not weather Jolie and Bono are getting any more publicity. You see? A completely contained reason thought, no circular logic. What Bliff really means; “I hate ni&&ers. Wrong again. I believe what I said because it seems to be a good explanatory principle. Like a scientific theory. There is no hate involved. Just a dispassionate belief. I have no reason to hate black people. Can you prove that I do? Where can I sign up for this program genius. You probably already have: affirmative action, anti-discrimination laws restricting whites’ actions, Title I, Head Start, many programs for the poor that help blacks disproportionately. what that means for the future. If you can’t run or walk, then at least limp into the future. Quit whining about the past, and think about your future in this greatest of all countries. where was the US when the Acholi people…Banyore massacre….Mukula massacre….Uganda People’s Defence Force…. DR Congo’s resources were being plundered? The rest of the world, including you, apparently think they have some say in where the USA employs its military forces. The USA will employ them where we have an interest. Africa is not really that place. I wasn’t important when we were confronting the USSR, and it’s not so important in the MIdEast. Contrary to myth, we DON’T jump into every conflict there is. We get blasted by the rest of the world as it is, so why would we jump into meaningless African conflict? we are obsessed with the white savior bit is because it’s shoved into our eyes and eyes . It is NOT!! You’re just whining. I watch TV too and it’s just not on that much. If you don’t like it turn the channel. I would really let this Bliff person know what I think of them. I think you already have….in so many words. Frankly, Herneith, I think you’re just ticked because the truth hurts; you know it and I know it. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 01:37:52 Franklin @ Doug1 Normally, I ignore your because your arguments because they’re flimsy and full of holes. But periodically, just to demonstrate how little you know, (despite all your desperate posturing) I like to prove that you’re an idiot and that you don’t know squat. Here we go again… “There was no literacy in African languages until Europeans taught that to them.” Right off the top of my head Ge’ez, Chromatographic Edo Script, Nsibidi, are three African writing systems among a number, that pre-date the arrival of Europeans on the continent. Now I’ll sit here and wait for you to shift goal posts, by attempt to invalidate that fact by saying something ridiculous like “There were no books, so it doesn’t count!” on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 02:56:24 DarqBeauty ” Now I’ll sit here and wait for you to shift goal posts, by attempt to invalidate that fact by saying something ridiculous like “There were no books, so it doesn’t count!”” Exactly. They may tell themselves that we are intellectually inferior, but who are the geniuses arguing with people they consider below them day after day? This is one of those regurgitated “facts” that white supremacist like to regurgitate. Even though the reality is vastly different. But hey, they can’t like little things like facts get in the way of their good old fashioned hate. It is NOT!! You’re just whining. I watch TV too and it’s just not on that much. If you don’t like it turn the channel. If you were to read the whole sentence, I mentioned other mediums. I should’ve mentioned movies as that’s a Hollywood narrative to produce at least once a year. You’re backed into a corner for which you can not escape by using your ramblings. Also Bliff, I’ve written a bit about how people like you act in another thread entitled “My Philosophy on Trolls”. I don’t want to derail this topic. So, if you want to continue with your hatred, meet me there. @doug1: “ssAfrica has always been a very lagging part of the world, throughout all history.” Öööh… You do know that your ancestors came from Africa? Like, all humanbeings came from Africa, right? And since we are now on the subject, what your ancestors were doing when the nubians were building pyramids or those guys in Timbuktu were collecting one of the biggest library in the world, or those guys in present day Zimbabwe were trading with gold and silver and building castles from stone? You do know that most of the whites who escaped or were sent by force, were slaves or prisoners or just ran out from Europe because they could not make it there, could not even read, right? You know that at that time the english men bathed perhaps once or twice a year, right? You do know that the parfume industry was created to cover up the rampant diseases in the court of the Sun Kig of France back in the late 1600’s because the smell of rottening felsh, infections, and other of such since they did not have a single toilet in Versailles nor used baths? Never mind that africans had have their parfumes for centuries by then and washed almost daily were ever water was available. You do know that in 1700’s absolute majority of the white europeans could not read or write? Majority of the white europeans could not read or write in first half of the next century either. You do know that there were massive famines in Europe in 1800’s? You do know that it was only in 1800’s that the white europeans realised that it could be a good idea to wash hands before helping at child birth or surgical operations or at all? The japanese, chinese and indiand, arabs and some africans had done it for centuries by that time. You do know that the Great White Man had no say so in most parts of Africa untill 1800’s? The funniest thing is that they died in there and could not live there because they had no idea how to survive there. The crucial point came when they realised that perhaps we should learn something from the natives, like kinine, the only working medicine against malaria, which by the way, the africans had used and known for centuries by then. And this happened in late 1800’s, not before. Now I wonder, if africans and Africa had been lagging all trough the history, why on earth the white man did not take over before that? Why white men did not invade Africa before 1800’s? According to you, the place was a mess and lagging already. Why not the vikings, who went to America and Asia and kicked almost everyones butts, did not just row their boats up the Nile or Kongo and kicked the butts of those black semianimals and steal their ivory and gold? They did it almost anywhere else, like in the White Sea area where they brought the northern ivory, tusks of the walruses. They were trading slaves from Ireland to Caspia Sea, so why not from Africa? Why the great english sea dogs and explorers did not just occupy that lagging part of the world in 1600’s? Why the french did not do that? Or the dutch? I mean, they invaded and occupied the East India. And on that note, why the americans, the greatest of the great whites, did not take over the whole continent from those savages in 1800’s? They took their own continent from the natives just like that, so it could not have been morally wrong or even impossible, right? Ok, why the USA did not invade and take over Africa after WW1 or WW2? I mean, USA was the only super power in 1945. It could have been so easy. Right? Now, lets see how the mighty USA has been doing in the lagging Africa… Somalia in 1990’s, anyone?? “Contrary to myth, we DON’T jump into every conflict there is.” China 1945-51. France 1947. Marshall Islands 1946-58. Italy 1947-1980’s. Greece 1947-49. Philippines 1945-53. Korea 1945-53. Albania 1949-53. East Europe 1945-56. Iran 1953. Guatemala 1953-90’s. Costa Rica 1950’s, 1970-71. Middle East 1956-58. Indonesia 1957-58. Haiti 1959. Guyana 1953-64. Irak 1958-63. Vietnam 1945-73. Cambodia 1955-73. Laos 1957-73. Thailand 1965-73. Ecuador 1960-63. Kongo/Zaire 1960-65, 1977-78. France 1960’s. Brazil 1961-64. Peru 1965. Dominican 1963-65. Cuba 1959- present. Indonesia 1965. Ghana 1966. Uruguay 1969-72. Chile 1964-73. South Africa 1960’s-80’s. Bolivia 1964-75. Australia 1972-75. Portugal 1972-75. East Timor 1975-99. Angola 1975-90’s. Jamaica 1976. Nicaragua 1979-80. Hoduras 1980’s. Philippines 1970’s-90’s. Seychelles 1979-81. South Yemen 1979-84. Souht Korea 1980. Tshad 1981-82. Grenada 1979-83. Surinam 1982-84. Libya 1981-89. Fidji 1987. Panama 1989. Afganistan 1979-92. El Salvador 1980-92. Haiti 1987-94. Bulgaria 1990-91. Somalia 1993. Irak 1990’s. Peru 1990’s. Columbia 1990’s. Mexico 1990’s. Yugoslavia 1995-99. Just few examples of conflicts were US military or CIA has been involved since 1945. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 07:32:29 dee I recommend everyone to watch this. Ignorance is caused by, well, ignorance. Apart from American history, American schools spend way too much time only focusing on Europe. As a high school student, all I’ve learned about Africa from school are basically things that contribute to African stereotypes. I blame textbook makers, and schools, for buying these inadequate learning devices. I don’t understand why the good parts of Africa are completely ignored, beyond ancient Egypt and parts of South Africa. Just because someone doesn’t live in a mansion doesn’t mean their life sucks. But at the same time, there are many people who do live in mansions. I don’t understand why this sort of thing continues @bulanik: No, he did not know, but then again, he does not believe it. He believes he sees on tv, on the right channel that is. @bulanik: 😀 on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 11:48:14 leigh204 Italy 1947-1980′s. Guatemala 1953-90′s. Costa Rica 1950′s, 1970-71. France 1960′s. South Africa 1960′s-80′s. Angola 1975-90′s. Hoduras 1980′s. Philippines 1970′s-90′s. Irak 1990′s. Peru 1990′s. Columbia 1990′s. Mexico 1990′s. Now that’s what I call a BURN. lol! 😀 on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 12:05:36 Jack in the Box So that’s where all my tax money went? on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 12:20:09 Matari I recall seeing the above JS video years ago. SIX MILLION people from third world (non-white) countries are DEAD in the wake of the CIA’s 40 years (at the time that video clip was produced) involvement in the affairs “other” nations Remember, this video was made way BEFORE the 911 false flag operation invasion that led to the phony War On Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan (and Iran too if these crooks have their way). The white racial frame propaganda machine prohibits people from seeing who the true, brutally efficient criminals are in America, and those who are dead as a result. Some of us here know that non-white dead (or alive) people don’t cause whites much concern, or sympathy. Yet, incredulously adding insult to injury, the white racial frame (POV) maintains that blacks are the most violent criminal group in America that deserves incarceration. The combined number of black violent criminals worldwide can’t begin to match the atrocities of the top 2% of white male criminals – the ones who wear badges, uniforms, white collars, carry brief-cases and have never seen the inside of a prison. Remember this the next time a troll, or whomever, suggests to you that blacks are the most aggressive, violent and criminal people on earth. Sam listed a number of conflicts that we were involved in, though I don’t necessarily agree with his list. These are conflicts we apparently wanted to be involved in. You listed some we did not get involved in, so my original point, we don’t get involved in every conflict, still stands. So, all US disruptive involvement in Africa is military? If you’re addressing me, please explain why would you even ask me this. I have made no such generalization. I made one comment about how the USA does not get involved in every conflict when you listed some conflicts in Africa you apparently thought we should’ve have got involved in. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 13:31:02 Nom De Plume “Does this means then, that the real challenge is to find other sources of capital?” Dr. Moyo recommends encouraging and assisting people to start their own businesses. She says that http://www.kiva.org is a good way to do this, and believes it will prove to be more beneficial over time than funding from NGOs and others. I know what you mean. I haven’t had any personal involvement with the organization. I just remember Dr. Moyo recommending it during one of her interviews. on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 20:46:22 Tyrone All of us know that our african sistas and brothas have to reconstruct “Mama Africa” on their own accord going forward, but, we can’t allow those who created the mess to wash their hands of what we see taking place in nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, etc. We should bitch and moan about the ish that we see going on. As black people, we should be outraged at so-called black leadership in this country and in africa. George Clooney has to get arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy to bring attention to the genocide in Sudan and South Sudan, WTF? Why the hell are we voting for a bunch of yes men and women who don’t speak up for us anyway? The CBC loves to travel to africa, but can’t open their mouths when the st hits the fan. We have a so-called black president in power, and the bs is still taking place…Scary!!! on Mon Mar 19th 2012 at 23:02:20 V-4 It seems like Dr. Moyo is ignoring the wests involvement over the years in creating instability and poverty, its not “aid” that has created the problem. In a very real way, its the system she is talking about, capitalism, profitting off of another human beings misery is pretty much the central tenent of capitalism. I mean, in the US we getting tremendous amounts of aid from China, so she may have a point. If China wasn’t willing to give us money would we have gone to war? On the other hand; socialistic countries are way more stable than the ones like the US which are more based on a capitalistic economic system. Less criminal, more literate, less depression etc…. And her Ethiopian example; she pointed out the African average for ownership of cell phones was 30% so their must be countries out their that recieve aid that don’t fall under the Ethiopia example, countries that can do both aid and capitalism, why not look to them as examples? That being said; she points out the problems with the Aids Culture, its messages are negative and ultimately potentially harmful as pointed out with Invisible Children, if they cause tourism to fall even a tiny miniscule amount they have simply done harm and no good. The Aids culture message negates people wanting to do business or even interact in africa, while at the same time not pointing fingers at the damage our culture as a whole has done to Africa. on Tue Mar 20th 2012 at 04:17:04 Secular X. Blood You really should look at Unamusement Park. He has a great flyer on stereotypes (no, really). There is this thing in statistics called “The Exception that Proves the Rule.” The term is somewhat misleading. A better, albeit less catchy term would be “The Anomaly that Highlights the Tendency.” Hitler is one of those exceptions. As is Stalin. Back to the thing about blacks being just as fit to run a country as whites. Are you willing to make the argument that South Africa is better now than it was 30 years ago? What about Namibia? Human differences exist. Things would go a lot better if we recognized them and compensated for them. We would have saved millions of lives in America and Africa alike if we would not hide behind your liberal curtain. If you would like me to show you some evidence that racial differences do indeed exist, you are welcome to email me (please resist the urge to troll). My email is secularblood (at) gmail (dot) com. Unamused’s Blog: http://unamusementpark.com/ on Tue Mar 20th 2012 at 06:56:52 Franklin Unamused? Is that the same Unamused who didn’t even know that “The Rule of Thumb” was an idiom, that had his entire blog consistently refuted by the infamously nutty (but accurate) Obsidian (who Unamused banned because he couldn’t handle facts), and who has been thoroughly embarrassed on this very blog? He’s a joke who “whores out”/shamelessly plugs his worthless blog and brags about traffic, like he’s some sort of posturing 12 year old that desperately needs validation in order to prove to himself “that he’s a big boy now.” Unamused’s blog is like “The Mad Magazine of Genetics”. @ Secular Your approach has been tried and instead of saving lives it has led to the deaths of tens of millions of people, like Jews, blacks, Gypsies and natives on three continents. “Things” only went better for white Christians. The current racism of ordinary White Americans, a racism much milder than yours, has led to the rise of the Kleptocracy, bringing levels of class inequality even worse than famously kleptocratic Nigeria. But then again, as a Social Darwinist, you are probably proud of that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/democide/ on Thu Mar 22nd 2012 at 04:20:15 Ace That has got to be the best shut down of a “Africa’s always been horrible” argument that I’ve ever seen. It’s funny how these same people won’t even go into how messed up Europe was throughout the majority of it’s history… on Thu Mar 22nd 2012 at 04:32:40 V-4 Satanforce kind of has a point about Wakanda I mean they bad talked the various modern powers at that meeting but they themselves do fuck all to help out the various countries around them. Its a monarchy with an incredibly wealthy elite at the top with an incredibly poor bottom layer…..I mean the people at the top are pretty much techno-gods while the people at the bottom live in huts and still use spears to hunt. Exactly why don’t they share their technology more, not only with other countries but within their own as well? I don’t think there’s any escaping the class system they have going on if you want social mobility. on Thu Mar 22nd 2012 at 22:25:43 Matari “Lets look at Israel. A constitutional created from an international diaspora of varying peoples. They are energy independent, due to nuclear power. They can kick anyone’s ass, conventionally and nuclear – no nation in their vicinity can fuck with them!!! Through lobbying and and strategic alliances, they guaranteed the utmost support of the US . They have created a “start-up nation” , in essence, a national Silicon Valley. And most importantly, they have enslaved and destroyed the nation-state (West Bank, Gaza Strip) that opposed them. Cheap labour forever. Yes, they could be kinder, but fuck that.” “I know. I know. I find it hard to escape the fact of how smart and conscious I am.” And IMMORAL, too – which isn’t at all unexpected, given your name. YOU would align, ally and imitate… Theft and occupation of sovereign land, racism, hatred, oppression & mistreatment, slavery-like conditions & wages, expansionism, covert operatives/spies interfering in the affairs of sovereign nations, manufacture/buy/export hi-tech weaponry, attack Iran, (or have a proxy do it), control & own the galaxy. White Supremacy – Lite! Yup … nice role model, indeed! Why not simply model yourself after the United States of America? The big cheese. – chuckle – No thanks Donald. I’ll stick with the imperfect, fictional Wakanda. : )) on Fri Mar 23rd 2012 at 16:47:16 Bliff If a Pan-African solution were created, say a 19 nation Sub-Saharan African Federal Republic (SSAFR), it would by simple definition, be a sub-continental superpower, on the level of Brazil, Russia, India, China and yes, the U.S. You write some of the best posts on this otherwise lame black-centered blog. However, this one left me LMAO. Are you serious? An African super-power? Run by a bunch of countries who can’t even run themselves. Africa is so tribal each country is dysfunctional, unless bailed out by whites, or more likely now, by the Chinese. I suppose they could use that Western black powerhouse nation that has been independent for over 200 yrs now – Haiti – as a template. Yes, with Haiti’s senior leadership, maybe they could pull it off. One thing from history when we are talking about how Africa and its history are seen and what really was: How many of you know how big Christopher Columbus “ship” was? It was a pretty small boat, actually. Some plus 20 meters long if I don’t remember wrong. And how big were the “canoes” used along the Kongo river system from the earliest times? They were 50 to 60 meters long. They carried people and goods all across the “darkest Africa” for centuries before any white dude showed up with his tsuktsuk steam engines to the same waters. Why not heavier boats? Because the canoes, just like those viking ships, could go trough shallow waters and navigate trough water vegetation, something that those steam engine boats could not do, even though they had nice sound and that advanced technology! The guys living on the other side of the world in the New Caledonian islands had “canoes” even longer, carrying up 100 guys and their gear. Ad the ships on the east coast of Africa? Well, they were bigger than any of the cogs in Europe for centuries. They were trading to Arabia and India and beyond. Some historian think all the way up to China. And this happened well before Marco Polo came back with noodles and created the spaghetti. Also, something to think about: east africans were trading with the romans. They have discovered at least two cities (roman cities according to the white historians but it can be argued whose cities they actually were) on the east. These were trading with romans in Egypt and in Middle East via Red Sea etc. The romans also recognised african kings and nations, they also fought long and hard wars against some of them, and if you read their texts about these african adversaries you’ll notice that the romans saw them as equal adversaries, enemies taken seriously. They were not less sub human savages than the celts or any other nations or people the romans met and fought with. Actually roman texts are more hostile and racist towards the northern people than the africans. Just read what they say about the people living beyond the germanic tribes. So perhaps the history of Africa is not what it has been made to look like in recent decades or during last couple of centuries. @satanf: Sure, but I just wanted to point out the fact that sea going vessels, which some argue were the reason for the expansion of the white european colonisation (and an example of more advanced technical know how of the whites vs black africans etc.) were NOT unique in the way some have seen it. And while we are here, some of the viking ships were pretty big too, from few centuries before those examples of wikipedia. on Sat Mar 24th 2012 at 15:02:52 SHONDIS to get arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy to bring attention to the genocide in Sudan and South Sudan, WTF? YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT!! THE POINT IS NOT TO BELIEVE THE GARBAGE THE MEDIA SAYS IS GOING ON IN AFRICA IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! if you meet someone from sudan, ask them about the genocide and i bet they will say “WHAT GENOCIDE”??? I love the construction/development shown in those videos you posted. It’s in sharp contrast to what the western MSM shows what;s going on in Africa. That said, there’s something a bit unsettling about the tall apartment buildings – they seem to suggest movement towards higher population densities. My personal preference – lol – is for a much lower skyline that lends towards a more spread out community contoured and integrated with open spaces. People, especially children, should be closer and more connected to the land, NATURE and natural open spaces, rather than concrete, steel, and super tall hi-risers. Perhaps those skyscrapers are the more affordable housing units for the less well to do as oppossed to the beautiful homes being constructed for the upper-middle class? I love your Malcolm X picutre. I listen to him these days instead of Lil Wayne and I am a Black teen. I wish you can get other Black teens to stop listening to Lil Wayne and start listening to Malcolm X’s message and speeches. He is way more important to Black History and more inspirational. As for the Broken Africa Sterotype, where did that come from? The last time I studied African history, there were rich civilizations such as the Mali, Songhai etc. Africa was a rich contient with gold and resources. Even though Afirca seems to be poor today, some people from Africa tell me that there are shopping mall and things in Africa. They never show that on the TV and I always wondered why. Ms.McKenzie, Thank you. I totally agree with your opinion regarding Malcolm X vs many of today’s “commercial entertainment artists.” I’m certain there are other young people, however few they may be, who also (or will come to) share your view. Why is Africa almost always shown in a very negative way on TV? In a word: RACISM. White Supremacy/Racism (whiteness) – in order to maintain itself – must elevate itself by devaluing/deflating others. They transmit their supposed superiority and others’ supposed inferiority messages in thousands of different ways that affects everyone – whether they realize it or not. Whiteness prefers to showcase Africa’s weaknesses and problems while failing to highlight her strengths, vast potential and material wealth/natural resources. Its intent is to own and control all or some of Africa’s vast mineral abundance because of its insatiable greed/need to consume/control everything and anything within its reach or grasp. Whiteness is like a really bad mental, emotional, spiritual sickness that cannot be cured or fixed. Thank you because I go to school and all they talk about is Africa being poor and not being anything. I always found that strange. The movie, Hotel Rwanda was shown in my history class and it really made me think that Africa was poor and nothing. @adeen: Always when learning history remember that it is told by some one who has his/hers own agenda and opinions. This is true in every history lesson, book, documentary etc. It is very important to learn more, so that one can make more complete picture about any issue at hand. One very important thing about Africa: it is a huge continent. When western media talks about Africa, it is the same as it would be for Europeans look at USA nothing but a part of whole Americas and treat all of USA and its people like they are just the same as anyone from Chile or Brazil. That is how western media many times treats Africa. As for Malcolm X, I think he was one of the most important thinkers of the last century. He was not the monolithic zelot the white media has been always presenting him. He corrected his own views if he learned otherwise and got more and more information for himself for his thinking, he was studying everything all the time, and most of all: he saw the big picture and did the analysis. Very dangerous thing. He saw the whole thing as it was: poverty and disaster of the black ghettoes, crime and narcotics, black criminals working in cahoots with white criminals, who were working for white organised crime, who was working with the local police, federal law enforcement, CIA, with the help and the blessing of the politicians, who were errand boys of the white elite who was really ruling the country. That made him so dangerous for that whole power network. That is why they decided to kill him one way or another. The same thing happened to Martin Luther King too, after he started to talk openly about that same power stucture. He understud it too and saw it and talked about it. And was killed. on Sun Mar 25th 2012 at 18:42:05 matari8017 SantaForce “Stark Industries, in collaboration with Reed Richards, have found a way to cheaply synthesize artificial vibranium, reducing the thprice from 30,000 dollars a gram, to 3 dollars a kilo, This has caused the Wakandan economy to collapse overnight, with riots shaking the capital and calls for the Wakandan king, T’Challa to step down. Chief amongst these calls is Nobel award winning biophysicist Joseph Kenyatta, who i calling for a constitutional monarchy with a new constitution, as well as abandoning Wakanda’s isolationaist stance so that an East African republic may be created. How will T’Challa respond to this?” He doesn’t have to respond. But, why not? Apparently the Universe had other plans for this small, yet powerful African nation. Haven’t you heard? The synthetic vibranium was discovered to have a couple of latent flaws that were somehow overlooked by the Stark-Richards consortium. It turns out that these two literal super-geniuses (like you!) in their rush to, one: undermine Wakanda’s sovereignty, wealth, independence and two: to bring their artificial product to market — failed to conduct substantive empirical testing on what has turned out to be an inherently unstable pseudo vibranium. Put simply, the free valence electrons in the synthetic version could not maintain and sustain its atomic orbit/integrity. Another snafu was the stock-market backlash (CRASH) caused by the fake vibranium resulted in record breaking financial losses, thereby bringing both Stark Enterprises and Richards Corp along with their hordes of financial backers to the brink of bankruptcy and financial ruin. Subsequently, the resilient Wakandan economy currently enjoys a full recovery, along with an increased demand for vibranium, now at $40K a gram to replace the faulty synthetic product tragically failing on a global scale in electronic consumer, commercial & military industrial components and systems, not to mention the degrading spy/surveillance satellites orbiting the Earth. T’Challa’s kingdom, prestige, honor and political base are fully restored. Rumors about his impending marriage to Storm, a senior member of the X-MEN, have been confirmed by Wakandan press releases. An African mutual defense treaty with Wakanda’s neighbors is in its early development stages. All is going very well for the Black Panther, the sage Wakandan monarch and his people. Tony Stark & Reed Richards are both facing civil litigation class-action law suits that will likely tie them up in court for the next 20 years. on Sun Mar 25th 2012 at 19:59:32 Adeen Danica Mckenzie I am starting to realize that History is told by people with an agenda.I am really young, under the age of twenty five. Ah, but Bliff, I am afraid that the facts beg to differ with you. Interesting. However, you can easily get high rates of growth starting off of a very low base, which is where Africa is now. You can never just simply extraplote this growth rates into the future. they are unlikely to last. Africa has always had a lot of potential. There are the vast mineral deposits in the Congo and elsewhere. The Ivory Coast has great cocoa plantations ever since the cocoa tree was imported from South America during the Age of Discovery and Slavery. However, the problem is the Africans themselves. They were primitive until Europeans came to colonize. Since the Europeans left, Africa has slid backwards, unable to maintain what the Europeans created. Africa is highly tribal and their nation-states, imposed by the Europeans, barely work. Strong man dicatators have taken over in most states and have imposed socialist bureaucratic governments. Look at what Mugabe did to Zimbabwea. Most of the people are loyal to their tribes, not the state. The dictators spend much of the country’s wealth on building grandiose capital cities, with modern airports and modern center city areas. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is in shambles. Even Bulanik seems to be fooled by the lavish capital cities, surrounded by much vaster slums. The Africans themselves produce mainly bureaucracy. Most college educated Africans go into the govenment, where they are expected to provide favors to their extended families. Corruption, by Western standards, is completely embedded into the system. The Africans themselves are not exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer. Africa has been dominated by Europeans, and now the Chinese are coming in. I know the Chinese have a low opinion of blacks, so it will be interesting how it plays out. I see no scenario in which any group of African nations rises to superpower status in anyforeseeable future. Your Wiki link was interesting, and pointed to some current high rates of economic growth. However, even it did not indicate any thing as preposterous as a SuperPower Africa. Why don’t you go there and help them out? Invest some? “You can never just simply extraplote this growth rates into the future. they are unlikely to last.” You mean like in USA? With several depressions and slumps in its record? What was the growth rate in USA last year? Oh, well… “They were primitive until Europeans came to colonize. Since the Europeans left, Africa has slid backwards, unable to maintain what the Europeans created.” They were primitive? You mean unlike europeans out of whom majority could not read or write, who usually lived well below the poverty line, who had famines every now and then in 1800’s etc.? Yes, they have had hard time to maintain such a rate of slavery and opression, but they try, my friend, they try. It is hard, though, without the european know how on opression. It is kind amateurish now but lucky for them, there are european, american and chinese intelligence people, soldiers, sorry advisors, and big businesses helping them to maintain the opression leves at some kind of standard. “Africa is highly tribal and their nation-states, imposed by the Europeans, barely work.” You are right and that is why you have all these ethnic conflicts falring up inside those european imposed un-natural states. “Strong man dicatators have taken over in most states and have imposed socialist bureaucratic governments”. Name one African country that is socialist. And those strong men have some backing. Example. Just recently the military took over in Mali because the government was not doing enough to deal with the tuareg rebels in north. You know why those tuaregs are fighting? Their land has uranium. Guess who are after that? Yeap… “The dictators spend much of the country’s wealth on building grandiose capital cities, with modern airports and modern center city areas.” Noup. The dictators hide most of their nations wealth into secret bank accounts i Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Caribian island banks. As for building modern airports and cities, you mean like USA did in 1950’s and 60’s and 70’s and… Those bureacracies were created by europeans during colonial times. They were created to control the population and still do. Nepotism was also a handy tool used by the european minority to conquer and divide and they used it from Africa to India. When it is possible to feed your family by working in the bureacracy, that is where you aim to get in. Once in, you are sipposed to do favors for your bosses and help your own clients. That is called clientism, a nice system, which was also the governing system of Rome. And speaking about bureacracies, isn’t it weird that you guys always complain about the Big Government in USA? As for the corruption, that is pretty funny coming from a guy who lives in a land where dozen banks stole 770 billion dollars from taxpayers with the help of the government. Or where a war was kept on going for the benefit of private companies for ten years. Nice. That is because you have a bit naive and short view of history. Egypt was a super power for couple thousand years. How long USA has been one? A hundred, 120 yrs? Not that long in history. That is true, that is why they do not use knives anymore but assault rifles. “Africa has been dominated by Europeans” Right, and yet you claim that africans have caused their problems, this despite of your fact that Africa has been dominated by Europe. So which way it is? Did the europeans dominate africans or are the africans the cause of their plight? “now the Chinese are coming in” Well, according the recent studies and findings it is possible that chinese merchants have been coming in since 1300’s but who cares. Right off the top of my head, you can also add the Benin Empire (who are severely mis/under-reported), the Axumite Empire, or even Kanem Bornu as another non-primitive examples. What do you think of the recent Chinese involvement in Africa? @StanForce, et al I originally just wanted to comment on SatanForce’s statement about the Africa SuperPower. Contrary to what it may seem, I really have NO INTEREST IN AFRICA. So this will be my last go round on this topic; just so everyone knows, if you respond to this, I won’t be responding back, so save your typing fingers. You do realise that all those countries are democracies There are still many strongman governments in Africa, whether they are officially called “democracies” or not. I don’t democracy has really taken hold yet in Africa, it’s counter to their tribal mentality. were primitive until Europeans came to colonize. Most of subSaharan Africa was preliterate before the coming of Europeans. That does not include those areas where Islam was introduced or those along the Nile Valley. The Ashanti became an empire only after they encountered Europeans and obtained firearms in exchange for slaves and ivory. Other commenters referred to battles in the 1800’s between Africans and Europeans. This is again, after the coming of the Europeans. I see little to change in my original comment. That’s it – I’m done with this Africa thread. You can go and talk amongst yourselves, now. on Mon Mar 26th 2012 at 20:32:26 SomeGuy Contrary to what it may seem, I really have NO INTEREST IN AFRICA. Strange that someone would make a hobby of Black folks and not have at least a passing interest in their continent of origin. Bliff, I don’t think you are taking this hobby seriously! on Mon Mar 26th 2012 at 21:37:08 teddy1975 Satanforce, the Ashanti, one of the most notorious slave trading peoples in all of Africa, still not entirely forgiven by others, might not be the best counter example to the broken Africa stereotype. on Mon Mar 26th 2012 at 23:06:06 JT Anyone else find it wierd that Black people are Bliff’s hobby? Do you think it is because he identifies with Black people on some level? on Tue Mar 27th 2012 at 02:06:34 Bliff a hobby…not the hobby; really an interest of mine, not my only interest. Would you find it odd that some people have an interest in watching football? Would that mean that’s all they do? Think first next time, JT. Are you fucking crazy???!!! Use the n-word again, even with asterisks, and I will fucking ban you. You’re funny, you know Bliff? Research your claims before committing to them. Akan Script – Asanteman Nsibi Script Geez Script -Ethiopia, approx. 500B.C. Akan uses a Latin script. Europeans devised the script for the Akan language when they arrived. The Akans had the language, the Europeans invented the writing for them. Nsibidi is a primitive proto-writing symbology from the Nigeria region. It is a primitive set of symbols, not a true language. Geez Script, has been used in the Ethiopia area, which is the Nile Valley, not subSaharan Africa. The script has Semitic roots, not Negroid roots, in South Arabia. Again, from Semitic, white people. Who’s funny now, SatanForce? on Tue Mar 27th 2012 at 13:33:51 sam You are funny. Nubians in present day southern Sudan had their own alphabet and writing already in 100 AD, perhaps even before. Your great great great great great great grand parents did not even know how to read or write. At that time their kingdom was well below Sahara. Around 700 Bc their empire consisted whole of Nubia, Kush, from Meroe to the Libanon in middle east. Burns your behind, doesn’t it? But never mind the alphabets. You do know that other civilizations, like the incas, used totally different kind of symbol system as a means to communicate, that is to “write” without using letters? You did not know that? Oh my oh my… So, you do not know everything about all?? Tsot tsot… You are funny part 2. “the Ethiopia area, which is the Nile Valley” Back to school, my friend. Take few geography classes first, before some history. Ethiopia is not the Nile valley. Sorry about that but hey, you are a product of the american school system so I forgive your ignorance on the geography too. on Tue Mar 27th 2012 at 16:52:59 Matari Three words to summarize your latest video offerings: -Happy -Prosperous -Thriving Three existential things the western media is most likely NOT to televise re Africa. Pease keep up the good works, even if some of us can’t keep up with YOU! Bulaniik “This has led to creation of specialized agencies to handle the work of urban housing by acquiring assistance from the World Bank and UN to implement national or city-based housing-related projects. It sounds good, doesn’t it —- but do these initiatives work without the political will and leadership to carry-through on commitments? ” The mere mention of the World Bank and the UN, for me, conjures up nasty images of western corruption – both financial and political. I don’t like or trust either of these institutions.The solutions to housing the poor, for example imo, should come from innovative grass-root leaders, scholars and thinkers that are FROM the problem areas. We already have a ton of examples why the IMF, WB, WTO and UN solutions don’t/won’t work. Greed, corruption and the desire for control/power/hegemony. The best outcome is to enable, empower and allow the indigenous populations to solve their own issues. There are some GREAT forward thinking young (and old) African minds already at work, seeking/offering long term plans and solutions for Africa’s people. BTW, I love the idea of bottle housing! If waste is used to produce and construct useful/beneficial products – everyone wins! Still you. Right everybody? Right you are chap! Bliff is a ras hole! I will interrupt my self-imposed exile for just this brief message. I am no Africa expert. Apparently, Africa has brought novel ideas to the entire world, besides spear chucking. There is that noble practice of….female genital mutilation. The one the West couldn’t come up with. Perhaps Bulanik could bring this practice with her from Mother Africa. on Tue Mar 27th 2012 at 19:10:25 SomeGuy Nah, some Europeans should just stick to what they know best: Child Abuse, White Sexual Slavery and Ruining National economies. You know, the good stuff! “There is that noble practice of….female genital mutilation. The one the West couldn’t come up with.” Ok, buddy, you asked for it. And I assume you mean whites with the term West? Ok. Lets see. Every one knows what it was like in the medieval times so just to spare some space here and abagonds nerves I bring you the western stuff since 1500’s. Religious wars from 1500’s up untill 1600’s in the continent and up to 1990’s in Northern Ireland. The religious wars in France in 1500’s claimed up to 200 000 victims, some estimates are even higher. Mutilation was not only typical, it was the usual method of getting rid of the opponents. 30yrs war (1621-48) by the way was the most destructive event to face Europe up till that time and before Napoleons wars, WW1 and WW2. That was destruction on a biblical scale, so much so that northern Germany was reduced form a green agricultural land into a barren desolet waste land populated by flys only, as one soldier once wrote. Normal practises in that war were: skinning, slaughtering, burning, mass lynching, torture on massive scale and some few thousand witch burnings to go along. Swedes (and finns among them) invented a swedish drink. They poured urine and such into someone untill his stomach was totally bloated and after that they jumped up and down on that individuals stomach, untill it bursted open or internally. Nice, huh? Holy roman inquistion is well known but its counter part Spanish inquisition (which was independent organ working under the Spanish royalty) was much more original. They had a massive spike, three feet high, widening at the base, into which women were lowered so that the spike penetrated their private parts and lowered still untill women were ripped apart. The famous burining at the stake was considered as an act of mercy since it shortened the time spent in the purgatory. So they tried to burn the victims as slowly as possible for the joy of their ideology. And this went on for few hundred years totally among the westeners. If we move into USA and genital mutilation, when the colorado volunteers massacred the peaceful natives in Sand Creek, they took some souveniers. They made money pouches from the testicle sacks of the dead natives, pinned male genitals into their hats as trophies and also female genitals, they had legs, thigs, breasts and heads on spikes as trophies as well as killed native children. These were shown to a white publuc on a victory parade held later and received a great joy and jubilation among the white population. And of course, there were the lynchings of the blacks in which genital mutilation was fairly common feature. And these went on at least untill 1930’s in your beloved US of A. And of course there are other snappy methods of mutilationa and mayhem that those africans never came up: the flame throwers which made their debut at the battle of Verdun in 1916 and poison gas used as weapon, machine gun which helped the britts to mow down thousands of natives in Sudan early 1900’s. Even Winston Churchill who was at present was impressed when they lost only few men and the natives lost thousands in few hours. And one thing those africans never came up with was that A bomb. Now that is some serious destructive bisnes right there. @bulanik: For all my knowledge this old custom is very rare in sub Saharan Africa but more common in the southern Sahara area, around Sudan, Tshad, and northern Ethopia and Somalia etc. in the east. I have no knowledge opf this custom among the central african people. I might be wrong. This cutting Africa into two parts divided by Sahara is funny since Sahara was steppe and savanna until few thousand years ago. Also rivers like Nile and coastal traffic had not stopped going trough or around that area. Timbuktu is a fine example of how much there used to be traffic across the Sahara during centuries. on Tue Mar 27th 2012 at 20:27:49 B. R. I refer at times to sub sahara Africa to define a cultural genius that came from there that can be found all over sub sahara Africa, and, is differant from the culture that is in north of the Sahara Africa (although traces of it are in north Africa also, but, there is a deep Arab influence also up there). Where there are huge cultural differances from tribe to tribe, area to area, there is a cultural expresion that have similar properties that is the gift that sub Sahara Africa has given the world Talk about the broken Africa concept and how people outside of Africa look at Africans, here is a excerpt from Che Guevara’s diary. wow, it is pretty shallow : On July 17, 1952, age 24, in his personal diary, Che Guevara wrote[1]: “The blacks, those magnificent examples of the African race who have conserved their racial purity by a lack of affinity with washing, have seen their patch invaded by a different kind of slave: The Portuguese. These two races now share a common experience, fraught with bickering and squabbling. Discrimination, and poverty unite them in a daily battle for survival but their different attitudes to life separate them completely: the black is indolent and fanciful, he spends his money on frivolity and drink; the European comes from a tradition of working and saving which follows him to this corner of America and drives him to get ahead, even independently, of his own individual aspirations on Wed Mar 28th 2012 at 03:39:54 Bliff Cool!! I love Western violence. I am so proud of our boys. on Wed Mar 28th 2012 at 12:29:51 B. R. I have to confess, one of my biggest dreams is to visit a country in Africa , like Gana, Angola, Kenya, Senegal. I dont know if I will ever be able to do that, but, I would love to go to one of the modern cities, stay in a nice hotel and be able to see as much music as posible since music and dance is a tremendous live experiance that have a big affect on me. Especialy the state folkloric danca and drummers. Ways to see the traditions and histories. Id really like to find out the true Africa instead of the media Africa on Wed Mar 28th 2012 at 23:48:06 Dahoman X For those curious about african writing systems, there is this book, by Saki Mafundikwa: http://creativeroots.org/2011/11/afrikan-alphabets-book-by-saki-mafundikwa/ A review of the book (with some pictures): http://kintespace.com/rasx46.html Have you ever heard of Aminata Traore? She summed up your many interrogations in one single question: what kind of development do we (Africans) want for of Africa? In an interview she was asked: “What does it take to give Africans a dignified life?” Her answer: In the first place it takes self respect and a belief in our own capabilities. Real development needs the fertile basis of a lively culture that constantly feeds new solutions. (…) Real development should also be based on a culture that found the right balance with the surrounding environment. Because every culture primarily is a transformation of the earth, the forests and the soil. Economics, ecology and culture are the three pillars that carry a society. From the moment that triangle is balanced, we can build a society that no longer robs people from their own dignity, knowledge and dreams. Then we can make a future for our own people. If we could have defined for ourselves what democracy is made of, we would have found ways to question and sanction our leaders for example. Because when the moral point of view is shared, the powerful are obliged to listen to the powerless. http://www.mo.be/node/23000 Aminata Traore is particularly critical of the neoliberal policies enforced in Africa during the last 2 decades. More about her ideas here: http://www.guinguinbali.com/index.php?lang=en&mod=news&task=view_news&cat=3&id=372 on Wed Mar 28th 2012 at 23:56:25 silentreturn BR, Start saving a little bit now. 🙂 on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 00:33:45 silentreturn ‘Nsibidi is a primitive proto-writing symbology from the Nigeria region. It is a primitive set of symbols, not a true language.’ By that logic, hieroglyphs and cuneiform is not writing either. on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 03:03:41 Bliff the black is indolent and fanciful, he spends his money on frivolity and drink; the European comes from a tradition of working and saving which follows him to this corner of America and drives him to get ahead, even independently, of his own individual aspirations Ya see – if duma$$ Che Guevara had the low down on blacks. A race realist like me couln’t said it any better. This is a pretty typical international-wide opnion of blacks. on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 03:23:44 SomeGuy Since you are so fond of quotes, here’s one: “Universal truth is not measured in mass appeal.” -Immortal Technique Truth spoken. Also, the scrotal sacks of native men, and the breasts of native women, would be dried and cured, and used as tobacco pouches and black-powder (for guns) pouches. White europeans (the French, specifically) are the ones who originally engaged in the practice of scalping – they called it ‘counting coup’. And what did he (Che Guevara) do? Did he went on bashing blacks, did he went on stating that blacks are less than human, that they do not deserve the same rights as whites, that blacks are not equal with whites? Did he say that black cubans are less cubans than white cubans? Was he burning crosses and killing blacks for fun? @sepultra: It was also pretty common practise among the celts to take the heads of their enemies. It was called “taking beards”. This habbit was practised at least till late roman times and perhaps even till later. Also let us not forget the romans, those civilized white heros of the past: in one 107 days lasting games given by emperor Trajanus some 30 000 people were killed in Colosseum alone. That is fed to the beasts, killed by any other means, and of course, killed by each other. All this for the great amusement of the audience. on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 04:51:54 Linda In 1964, Che Guevara then denounced the United States policy towards their black population, stating: “Those who kill their own children and discriminate daily against them because of the color of their skin; those who let the murderers of blacks remain free, protecting them, and furthermore punishing the black population because they demand their legitimate rights as free men—how can those who do this consider themselves guardians of freedom worldwide?” on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 10:04:23 B. R. Sorry , Linda, Guevara’s racsim is blatent in his statement about Africans no matter what he states about Americans. Sam, you do know that some of Guevaras solderscomplained of his racism? You do know that the Congolease communists kicked Guevara out because he was too radicle in his methods ? You do know that a bunch of black scholars has condemned Castros Cuba as racist You do know that Fidel and Guevara executed more poeple than the militarry dictaroships of Cile, Argentin and Brazil put together? I mean that is an important question for Africa, do you want just any white man coming in…a white man like Guevara ? Who demonstrates without a doubt that he is racist to the core calling Africans frivilous and saying they smell bad but can mouth the right things about what is wrong with America ? After that passage in his diary, I wouldnt cut Che Guevara any slack what so ever… In my book he was a meglomaniac Bulanik…Gueveras trips to Africa were sponsered by the Soviet Union, since they were sponsoring Cuba. They were everybit and more involved with trying to spread their flawed ideaology over the globe as the USA, and Africa was caught right in the middle of both of these ideologies Seriously, if any person can read what Guevera said about Africans, and still think he was some noble fighter for justice and equality and really have the interests of black people in his heart…i have to question their logic What do you not understand about ” Africans are frivolous..they dont bathe…”? If that is the kind of white man you think is fine to look to for inspiration..becaue he can mouth something about the USA who was his sworn enemy, who would like to find their weakness ? But fundimentaly he looks down on Africans ? He is a basic racist ? What is wrong with your logic ? How interesting, Guevera is no better than Doug 1, Bliss, or any other racist on here who sais disgusting things about black people and he is ok with you? It is absolutly plain and clear that Guevera, a blatent racist , is as bad for Africa as any colonial power out there. He is as guilty as any other power that came into Africa to exploit it and start wars… And that is ok for you ? So what the USA did in Africa and the colonial powers is what is bad but the Soviet Union sponsering Cuba and people like Guevera to come there and start wars is ok ? Looking down on Africans while you come in to start wars and destruction to get power of recources for you and your sponsoring country with a flawed ideilogy to begin with is just fine ? The hypocricy is mind boggling..see I know both sides are dirty So you give Guevera a pass? After what he puts in his diary… You arent going to call Guevera what he is …a blatent racist ? He is no better than what we have heard from Doug ,Bliff, No Slaps the lot of them on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 11:25:06 Matari “Ya see – if duma$$ Che Guevara had the low down on blacks. A race realist like me couln’t said it any better.” You and your brethren ought to quit with the phony pretense and just come out of the closet. “Race Realist” is purely a PC way of saying REAL RACIST. Racism (and racists) haven’t changed. Only the language/lexicon has. Also, if Che Guevara is a “duma$$,” comparatively speaking that makes you (and other real racists) extraordinarily stupid/deluded duma$$es. A trait that you persist on continually showing the world. Despite the grievous offense you bring to my nostrils, I fully understand why Abagond permits your stinking presence to foul up the air in here. Bulanik , this is the Broken Africa thread. I already said they both were dirty…does that rersonate with you at all? Im making posts on other threads, I suggest you read them. You were inspired enough by Gueveras scripted words , prepared as his propaganda page to defend them brought in by Linda, against his emotional entry into his diary that reveals he is a blatent racist , which seems to mean nothing to you. You absolutly cannont discuss broken Africa seriously without examining all the sides who were involved breaking it, and , Guevera, a man who personaly brought his flawed idealogy, who reveals himself to be a racist with a very low opinion of Africa,started armed revolutions , death and destruction in Africa, is as guilty as the USA and all the colonising powers to the factors that contribure to the things that are ailing some of the African countries today. He is part of the whole truth about broken Africa Yet you fail to acknowledge that,and , are attacking me, have mischaractorised me right along the way since the other thread . . You are trying to shift talking about broken Africa into American racism when Guevara personaly was in Africa promoting death and destruction. One thing you should know. Communism never was interested in racsim and the civil rights for black people By the way, Im not like any of the people on here who call Obama a socialist or scream “commie” at any inteligent solutions They dont know what real communists are I do, I have researched the numbers of people eliminated under the flawed ideaology of communism . There was a real reason to fight communism , but not what the dorks you see screaming “commie” coming in here know anything about When I talk about communism Im not talking anything like what those chumps are railing about Actualy, what Im really saying is that, all the conflicts, the colonizers, the powers that invaded for riches , the Gueveras backed by Fidel in Cuba with Soviet support…etc All these things are what contriburted to the broken Africa stereotye.They were the conflicts that take away the attention from anything good and growing in Africa.That hinder any good growth when they are set into effect. Because this thread is about the broken Africa stereotype By the way, relating to Gueveras diary statement, I just am in humble admiration as to what Africans from countries like Gana, Nigera, Kenya, Semagal etc etc have brought to the tavble of civilisation interms of culture , language, foods, etc I could never make a ststement like his nor ever understand it No I don’t but I do know that he was a real hero for millions who fought against western imperialism in the Third world. No I don’t but I do know that he was too radical for Castro too. Who are these black scholars? Name few, thank you. No I do not because that is a lie. Those three dictatorships killed many more thousands than Castro and his ilk ever did. The diary you so eagerly quote was written when Guevara was a young amn still looking what to do with his life. At that time he was not a communist nor guerilla, nor anything else than a young middle class kid from Argentina driving around the continent with his friend on motorcycles. Let me get this very clear to you. I don’t like Che or Castro or soviet or any kind of communism. Why? I lived my whole life few miles from the USSR. I can assure you that I know hell of a lot about USSR than you will ever know. And that includes communism, you know, the real deal, Red Army, red ruskies and all that, not the one you read in the books. As for Africa, this thread is not about BROKEN Africa per sé but the stereotype of it, the one you so eagerly promote here. If you were alert and understud the post you would realise that in reality there is not that Broken Africa you suscribe for. It is a myth promoted by western propaganda and judging from you, it has worked just fine. There is no lost cintinent raped by communist subversives: that is the CIA vision of it. You claim that Che Guevara, who only visited Africa, and communists are responsible for the stereotype of Broken Africa. I wonder how you get your head around that. It is the western media which has created that myth. Not communist propaganda. If you look at their own myth, Africa is a place were happy balck people hold hands and sing and dance with Lenin smiling at them, and also a continent raped by the mean american tycoon. That was their myth. Broken Africa is a western idea of a continent that can not handle itself because of its ow people. I hate making you look bad, Sam because I like your heart is in the right place Would you like me to destroy your other arguments ? 30,000 people were eliminated by Argentina military dictators, 3,000 in Chile, less than 1000 in Brazil 60,000 were executed in Cuba Ill be happy to referance it, yes you know more about the red army and I know more about you about what happened in South America Sam , did you read what I said ? You are putting words in my mouth. These conflicts and the exploiting of Africa that we have all talked about, is one of the reasons for the broken Africa stereotype and I said that right above, are you reading ? Bulanik, I wrote that you were “inspired” to defend Guevara’s words inspite of seeing he is a blatent racist ( dont buy your excuse, Sam). You are getting on your motorbike and spinning wheels knocking up a lot of dust to try to point out to everyone that I am for some reason not qualified to post about these things or I might be a racist.You are doing that on the other thread…go right ahead, maybe after spinning your wheels enough and kick up enough dust you might find something that sticks…but you are going to have a lot of dust and smoke in your eyes Sam , quote quote from wikipedia : According to various reports and investigations 1,200–3,200 people were killed, up to 80,000 were interned, and up to 30,000 were tortured by his regime including women and children.[6][7][8] Under the influence of the free market-oriented Bulanik, excuse me, Ive been acused of lies by Sam, do I have any right to prove he is dead wrong….about “inspiration” ive answered twice Sam here is Brazil “According to a government-sponsored truth and reconciliation commission in 2007, by the end of the 21 years of dictatorship there were 339 documented cases of government-sponsored political assassinations or disappearances. More were interrogated, tortured, and jailed ” The point we are making about Africans and how this relates to all this, Guevara, represents , along with the colonisers, the USA cold war polocies etc, the real reasons Africa had conflicts that gave people stereotypes of Africa is all conflicts and violence… (gees Sam, millions of people voted for Bush also, whta does tht tell you? Millions and millions of people can make wrongt choices, millions and millions of people hate them both alsoe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War Argentina ,statistics right at the top Yeah its wikipedia, but, they fall into the statistics Ive seen many times….they could vary , Ive seen more in some reports check out this history of how many times Cuba has been involved in Africa for dirty wars that also had involvement by the USA and other out of Africa powers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Cuba again, all this really points out how responsible outside forces were at conflicting inside Africa and creating impresions world wide that Africa is nothing but conflicts You are looking way more into the word “inspired” than I ever intended… Let me state , I absolutly dont think you or Sam are communists or followers of Che Guevara Sorry , Linda, Guevara’s racsim is blatent in his statement about Africans no matter what he states about Americans I truly hold no white man up as an inspiration, least of all Che Guevara… I am not sure at what point he made his statement about “blacks being indolent and frivolous” (before or after Congo) but it doesn’t matter… he was dedicated to his cause and he viewed the Congo as another frontier to conquer (just like European adventurers before him) ….he was also told by the Egyptians not to go to the Congo and interfere, but he did it anyway and like his predecessors before him, he thought he could “tame the natives”..he lost that bet. “BR But fundimentaly he looks down on Africans ?” Guevara was no different than the average “white” north American or South American, who thinks they are better than anyone with dark skin. the average person doesn’t reveal their true feelings when it comes to race anyway. thanks to the internet, my white coworker who sits next to me all day, can safely go onto a blog forum and call black people the N-word, while telling me about her day and her family (true story) I put up Guevara’s quote about “race in America” as a balance to the previous quote and as you stated, megalomaniacs (pick any country with money and an agenda with military might to back it up) tend to talk out of both sides of their mouths to further their causes…. on Thu Mar 29th 2012 at 17:00:40 Dahoman X I re-read my previous post and your subsequent reply, and I believe we may have a misunderstanding. IMHO, I think one doesn’t have to be African oneself to appreciate the seriousness, the complexities, beauty and supreme importance of Africa’s development by Africans. I did not imply anything like that. Quite the contrary: I like how your posts develop actual analysis and it’s obvious that, unlike many commenters, you go through the trouble of researching the issues that you write about. My Aminata Traore reference was just to bring to your attention a woman whose thoughts on development go in the sense of your own reflection. Bulanic , I am sorry it took me this long to understand what you needed to hear ….my bad…I hope Im not a person who acuses anyone of being commies for making intelligent statements Sam is my man also, Linda, I agree, Guevera is the same as any other white man going into Africa and superimpose his values Bulanik…again I misspelled your name, my error , I am a person who is paid well for a skill I am good at but I am not college educated so I am always making spelling errors I have followed your posts and I know you are a very articulate informed young lady… We are just sharing opinions , right ? We may disagree on other things also but at least I want you to know I have a fundimental respect for you and where you are coming from on Sat Mar 31st 2012 at 12:18:55 sam Images are power, that is why the System uses them more and more with more and more sophistication. Africa and africans in the images are part of that use of power trough images and visual means. Africans are smiling and happy only when a white celebrity comes to their village and hands out some relief. Then they dance and clap their hands and sing their tribal songs for the great white saviour. During other times they are just trying to survive famine, wars, mass murders, genocides, aids, flies in their eyes, tuberculosis, crockodiles and hippos, elephants on rampage, robbers, drunken men in armed gangs looting villages at random, warriors from the neighbouring tribe, islamic jihadists, mercenaries paid by angry arabs, couple Al Qaida guys here and there, dictators and strongmen, unhealthy food full of flies and maggots, dirty water, cholera, malaria, huts built from cow manure, smoking stoves and broken sandals. That is, if you believe what you see in western media. That is why women today see few hundred photoshopped unrealistic images of the woman in magazines, commercials and practically everywhere, every day. Hundred years ago average woman saw perhaps a 100 women during her lifetime, more if she lived in a city but at most few thousand. Today, if you are living in a big city and heavy user of the media, you will see few thousand of such images a day. Why? To make you feel frustrated of yourself so that would trigger a shopping spree. US marketeers found this out already in 1940’s. on Sat Mar 31st 2012 at 15:24:09 abagond I did that same sort of Google experiment with Luanda. If you search CNN or the New York Times for images of Luanda, the first pictures that come up are those of its slums. If you search the whole Internet, the first pictures that come up are beautiful pictures of the centre city: https://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/how-backward-is-africa/ The term “sub-Saharan Africa” makes my skin crawl. I should probably do a post on it. on Sat Mar 31st 2012 at 15:45:26 B. R. Absolutly correct, people react to image…. Im a person who has never been to Africa, and, it is one of those dreams I have…I would love to know where some countries that have powerful drum and dance cultures, have folklorico national drum dance companies , and be able to stay at a nice hotel…and if its on a beach that has some small waves to swimn in…. Any reccomdations from people who live there or know ? Actualy, Bulanik, you asked me who I dig from Senegal…I love the drum record by Dou Dou Rose, you can hear the roots of Cuban mambo gua gua co, and samba, and funk and jazz…I was into those AFrican folkways records from a long time ago, Fon Ton Fron drumming, Congo ( I have a record now I listen to), Masai, Kikuyu, Gana drumming, Nigeria You know, Im one of those people who believe very deeply in the genius of sub Sahara Africa, and in that context, I really do beleive you can look there as the place that came certain concepts of culture, music and dance that have a similar developement, the same way as we recognise Europe classical music , it comes from various countries but in a similar context. And those concepts have affected the world in a big way on Sat Mar 31st 2012 at 16:19:40 Herneith Try talking to people from the various countries in Africa. You will get myriad information about politics, societies etc. Many would be surprised at the disparities between what they tell you and what the white media tells you. I am speaking in general, society at large, not anyone in particular, therein lies the problem. Sure some of these countries have problems in varying degrees but what country doesn’t? For example; if you are homeless and starving in North America, that makes that society morally bankrupt as it is put forward as a 1st world country(ies). What is their excuse? They should apply all this charitable work to their own country and clean up their own back yards instead of fomenting propaganda against other countries. But then again they would have to admit their wickedness towards their fellow countrymen both currently and historically. I think they concentrate on these countries and their travails to show that blacks inferiority, this appears to be on a continuum when taken in its’ totality, via media etc. Fools like these race realist have taken to using these images to prove blacks inability to run things and clinging to their white privileges. If I were paranoid, I would think there was a conspiracy of a sort to this end. I don’t credit them with enough intelligence for this, they take a ‘Let the chips fall where they may’ approach. Good point, Herneith Its hard to find images of Africans that gets into their humanity, and, the value of their culture. Its all suffering and they are in the distance. It starts becoming ammunition for what ever agenda wants to use it. I remember seeing a really off the radar documentary of a tribe from northern Uganda, the part that was more affected by violence, with some of the children had been child solders and others had lost loved ones. The young kids were getting ready to go down to a big city to compete in a cultural music and dance festival. It showed the teachers come in and demonstrate the dances and musics, and, the kids had seperate interviews about their experiances. They went down to the competition and you could see that through their participation and victory in two of the catagories , a tremendous pride and emotion. One girl , who seemed to have the saddest look, came all alive while dancing with the most incredible expresion of joy on her face, she later said when she is dancing, she forgets all her problems…and the drumming and dancing was wonderful It was just a moving documentary that got deeper into these peoples humanity and struglle and joy through artistic expresion…I was floored…and you just dont get to see that kind of stuff on tv that often on Sun Apr 1st 2012 at 00:57:52 B. R. Enough !! Its over, this phony charade about intelligence tests that are controversial anyway belongs in the trash. They dont cover real ways to survice in life like intuition and improvisation. Bell curves, IQ exames, they are useless in judging real genius. There is more black American genius at the highest level in the world you can find in this youtube , than you could shake a stick at the whole ivy league. These gentleman have raised the bar in what they do to an unbeleivable hight and their work will be studied in 100 years as the defining thinkers of this time , 1965… I cant listen anymore to white insecure no nothings who dont know how to difine real genius if it was sitting on their nose . Any one who question black American intelligence or genius, just tell me what these gentlemen are doing here if you can Sorry, posted this on the wrong thread, my apologies on Mon Apr 2nd 2012 at 01:18:58 B. R. Actualy, Im going to tie this in with this thread…with out the cultural concepts that came from certain areas of Africa, this wouldnt have existed…. And, these concepts are never really addressed or talked about with any depth. With any notion how much they have dominated much of the worlds popular music. Any where there is the African diaspora, there are these concepts that entered the popular musics of where African slaves were brought, and absolutly took over the type of beat and dance that each of the countries turned into their popular grooves and dance crazes , of course mixing with the culture of each area they arrived at. and, the “broken Africa stereo type” has totaly buried any real look at these incredible concepts that have shaped cultures in various places The humanity and culture are ovelooked to focus more on misery , death and destruction. All you hear about is death and destruction in the Congo Ive got an incredible record of folklorico music from the Congo. Did you know they have a drum that stretches one gut over the bottom head, so the drum buzzes as you hit it….it is the first snare drum. I thought snare drum concepts came from Europe….wrong When I think of Congo, I think of these musicians and the concepts they are dealing with, I see their humanity and creativity and artistic expression. These wars and conflicts dont define the people there, the culture and art defines them on Sat Apr 7th 2012 at 08:15:33 Anna Another side-effect of the stereotype. – If you happen to be African, live in a Western country, are articulate, educated, has travelled a lot i.e. don’t correspond to most stereotypes people have of African people, it either mean your parents were diplomats or are corrupt politicians who feed off the poorest of their country. – You can’t and don’t know much about your history, your culture, your continent because let’s face it, you’re too famished to think about knowledge. African people cannot write plausible and objective facts about themselves: they don’t even have schools. – If you happen to speak any European languages without the (awful and generic) African accent, it means you went to a private French, Belgium, American or British school in your country – All African people have protuberant abdomen (a Chinese friend from Mauritius told me that after stressing on the fact that she isn’t African – I asked her why her country was a member of the African Union then) – Do you live with the lions or in the trees? (not kidding, I was asked this question a couple of times, years ago in France – Same thing happened to my Malagasy friend from Indian descent and another West African friend) – If you have a light skin, it means you must have had a white or an Arab ancestor. – “Hakuna Matata! Do you speak swahili?” (Huge eyeroll) I am not saying that Africa isn’t poor. It is indeed and a lot remains to do, first of all by assuring food security. Yet, Africa isn’t only the dying and begging kids, the dishevelled women, the desert, the armed conflicts and…. the safaris. I think Sahel is the area on the southern edge of the Sahara proper. I think it does not cover more than that. As for sub-Saharan Africa, the funny thing is that originally it was geographical term: it described the difference between the Sahara region and area north of Sahara (sub tropics) and the areas south of them. the savannah etc., the climate etc. BUT what has happened is that racists have hijacked this term too as a cultural and racial divide. This is not an accident. This idea, like others such, come from few racist think tanks which replace the meaning of a word and then begin to use it as their own. This is an old trick used by several ideologies in the past, like the Nazis or communists. on Sat Apr 7th 2012 at 13:29:59 Dahoman X what has happened is that racists have hijacked this term too as a cultural and racial divide. This is not an accident. I believe it dates back to the colonial era. Only then did the Sahara (which historically has always been a crossroad) become this somewhat airtight frontier between “white” and “black” Africa. Notice how this frontier conveniently ceased to exist every time the colonizer summoned the infamous “arab influences” to explain any sign of “civilization” observed in the southern part of the continent… I just talk about Africa and for me that covers anything south of Mediterannean. From Morocco to Capetown. @dahoman X: I think the racist sub Saharan Africa is quite recent term. I am not certain though. In colonial times they used very handy term the Darkest Africa. Thus they implied an area whithout any light=intelligence and culture=civilization and also the dark skinned inhabitants. Thus white (light) people were bringing light o the darkness when they conquered it. Nice ideological twist. on Sat Apr 7th 2012 at 14:47:17 Adeen Danica Mckenzie What made Africa split into non Black Africa, North Africa and land south of the Sahara is Black Africa?. So strange. I just don’t get that at all because I usually think of Africa as an continent where Blacks descended from like how Caucasians descended from Europe. Yeah the words Sub Saharan Africa makes my skin crawl as well because the term doesn’t make sense to me at all. What in the world is that term supposed to mean except for the fact that it is the south of the Sahara deser? I agree with you. Yes, Africa is anthing that is south of the Mediterannean to Capetown is Africa to me as well. Glad someone reads my mind. All people come from Africa. That is the scientifical fact. The present day europeans are decendants of the people who came from Africa tens of thousands of years ago. So there is no humanbeing who has originated elsewhere. If one wants to be a bit cheeky one can say: biologically we are all Africans. That is also the one thing racists try to hide and do their best to discredit. But that is a fact. So there are no caucasians at all. There is only one humanrace on this planet. Gentically you and I are more closer than a guy from Mali is to a guy from Mozambique. There are bigger genetical differences inside Africa than in all the rest of the world. That is because the rest of us are the decendants from those who left Africa tens of thousands of years ago. In colonial times they used very handy term the Darkest Africa. Thus they implied an area whithout any light=intelligence and culture=civilization and also the dark skinned inhabitants. Thus white (light) people were bringing light o the darkness when they conquered it. Yeah, Africa is often referred as “the dark continent”. All those meanings are implied here. Joseph Conrad’s title “Heart of Darkness”, literally the tale of a journey to the heart of Africa, also comes to mind. Yes and it is excellent book. And look who is the worst lunatic of them all: white colonel Kurtz. So the heart of darkness is in actuality inside the white mans head: “Horror, the horror!” I have no knowledge of this but I always suspected that Condrad knew something about Leopolds Congo. on Sun Apr 8th 2012 at 06:12:48 sam I do not know if he ever visited Congo himself. In the book the structure is three dimensional: steamboat travel along the Thames “up the river into the heart of darkness”, in the narrative on a steamboat along the Congo River “into to the heart of darkness” and in the minds of the carachters “into the heart of darkness”. If he did visit Belgian Congo we know where he got his nightmarish storyline but if he did not, he obviously knew something about what was going on in there. on Sun Apr 8th 2012 at 07:47:37 Dahoman X According to the wikipedia page Conrad did visit Congo: Eight and a half years before writing the book, Conrad had gone to serve as the captain of a Congo steamer. On arriving in the Congo, he found his steamer damaged and under repair. He became sick and returned to Europe before serving as captain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness A good read: An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, by Chinua Achebe. http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html There is a distinct cultural differance between sub Sahara Africa and North Africa.Some one in here had an argument with me a long time ago, I was telling him there is a distinctive cultural way that drums are played and the dances are done , that seperate sub Sahara Africa from North Africa. I proceeded to bring in youtubes from various areas of sub Sahara Africa with very similar concepts in drumming and dancing. Let me make it clear that Im absolutly not saying all the drumming and dancing are the same. Its the basic pollyrhythmic concepts that are the same. The same way we can say Europe evolved harmony and classical music symphonies even though they are from differant countries that speak differant languages but Europe is where they evolved certain harmonic concepts. In that context you can say sub Sahara Africa evolved certain musical concepts.Ill be happy to bring in those youtubes again if anyone has any doubt that you cant quantify certain concepts of culture from sub Sahar Africa Recently Ive been listening to a cd from Dudu Rose from Senegal. The drumming concepts are distinctive and recognisable. I have a record from the Congo also. It has very distintive charactoristics but the pollyrhythmic call responce is the same as Senegal. I saw an in depth docu of Uganda recently and some children preparing for a music fest with their drumming and dancing, distinct beats and dances but same concepts as the Congo and Senegal. I have youtubes of the same concepts from kids playing in Kenya, I think they are Kikuyu, you can look at Watusi cerimonies, Zulu cerimonies, I can go on and on and bring in examples. Besides Gnawa in Moroco, Id like to see some North African drumming and dancing that uses these same kind of pollyrhythmic , call responce, pelvic thrust, fast shuffle steps. Im sure they exist, but, Im not aware of them, I dont think north Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Moroco except for Gnawa, have those concepts as the dominant factor in their musical culture. Maybe Sudan and Ethiopia have some forms of the drumming, for sure you can really hear mixtures of both the Arab concepts and the sub Sahara drum dance concepts. If someone can bring in a youtube to educate me , it would be welcome As equaly frightening as outsiders thinking sub Sahara Africa is some horrible place compared to North Africa, would be denying the genius that is from the culture of sub Sahara Africa. That is extremly important to recognise the cultural gifts to the world that black sub Sahara Africa has been responsible for To deny this genius fits right in with the broken Africa sterotype, especialy the broken black Africa stereotype on Tue Apr 10th 2012 at 12:13:17 Adeen Danica Mckenzie I agree. And why did they separate ”North Africa” from Sub Saharan Africa when both places are in Africa? If all the Blacks came from Sub Saharan Africa, how come supermodel Iman is from Somalia and Somalia is NOT in ”Sub Saharan Africa”. Iman is Black! Somalia is in North Central Africa. That Sub Saharan crap that is perpentrated in History and Geography is a lie. I think they split Africa in two to discredit Africa’s role in civilization and History. No wonder Egypt is in ”North Africa”, because they weren’t ”Blacks” and couldn’t have possibly have built such an empire! I believe some of the Pharoahs were Black, yes but this foolishness has to stop. Blacks have contributed much to civilization and inventions as much as East Indians, Chinese, Europeans and others. Adeen, Im in full agreement about any attemt to paint any part of Africa as less than or more backwards. And, I think the cultrual aspects Im talking aboiut dont address color in the sence that North Africa has a wide range of color. I want to make it clear that I am addressing cultural concepts that most certainly came out of black Africans who have differant culturual concepts from Arabs that took over North Africa And these cultural concepts are distinctive and can be quantified. In North Africa, I suggest that there is a mixture of these concepts but the Arab concepts are more in effect in North Africa Any body who knows a little bit about the various drum/dance concepts that dominate the Afro diasporic cultures throughout the Americas, can recognise the roots of those grooves right away in various sub Saharan drum dance cultures and you cant do that with North African musics Or , please demonstrate it, because I can demonstrate with authority what Im talking about this is differant from what I will bring in belowhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMHucmq7yBE il try to linc the north African style again this is differanthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CozpRbD5sms I mean anyone on here can hear the differance, right? Its not color, its culture… Also Im not sure about how one minute we are so firm that Africa is a continent of many countries and cultures and the next oh but its all one Africa… I mean great about ideaologicy thought out intellectual arguments to counter stereotypes and western ignorance about real Africa, but please dont sweep in distnintive cutltrural differances that actualy point out to a genius of cultural value that is quantifiable and distinct from anythng else in the world here is the gnawa from moroco that I said is more from a groove stanpoint. It is the exception of North Africa It is obvious that in North Africa because of the Arab conquest that the Arab concepts of music are going to dominate, like I said this is somewhat of a an exception, but you sure can hear a differance from the youtube avove As I said, Morroco is the country in North Africa that has good examples of the drum principles that come from the south. You have to look at how the dances hook up with the drums to really see the differance with the Morrocon concepts versus say concept you might find in Nigeria. Of course influences were going back and forth. Swahili had Arab influcence. Nigeria has some of the population muslim. But this what what I consider a more North African feel on Tue Apr 10th 2012 at 17:02:22 teddy1975 Well, the Sahara was a greater barrier than the Mediterranean Sea, which with ships and all was rather a way things could be transported, even the fauna and flora of Super-Saharan Africa have more in common with southern Europe than with Sub-Saharan Africa. The Islamic conquest really changed the way Europeans saw (North) Africans. Before that, that part of Africa was not seen as intrinsically different from the European parts and islands of the Mediterranean. Here is the differace Absolutly, Teddy, that is my point, there are concepts of life and how to aproach life that come from the middle of Africa down towards the south. Was it the Bantu migration ? I dont know or really think so, I think some of these drum dance concpets go back a long long time. And, I think the fact that you can see the power in the Afro diasporic concepts, and how they absoutly dominate any country that brought slaves from the culture above, the Mali drumming, for example. It is a power, a genius, it shouldnt be hidden behind other cultures like the Arab cultures, and the mixtures of those concepts,those are fantastic also, really fantastic. But these principles of life , and living, filtered sometimes through drumming /dancing, the inclination to use these drums and dances to turn off the thinking brain and get in touch with the intuition, need to be examined on their own terms for exacty what they represent and represent alone. Especialy in light of scientific discoveries that prove that is what is happening in our everyday life anyway It is that reason that I say there are instances that we can look at culture from sub Sahara Africa…I totaly agree that any point of veiw that choose to look at sub Sahara Africa as sub or worse off, or equal to misery is ridiculas. And again, like in the Congo, if you really begin to understand the humanity of the people, the contriburion their culture has made on the world, those stereotypes couldnt kick in We have to make the culture as a focal part of what is incredible about all of Africa Ok all of those sentances are not understandable: And, I think the fact that you can see the power in the Afro diasporic concepts, and how they absoutly dominate any country that brought slaves from the culture above, the Mali drumming, for example (should continue on to say ) is a tremendous example of that power and genuius. Look how they groove the beat into the ground . I get it now. I am sick of the false sterotypes about Africa and I really want to know the truth about Africa. on Tue Apr 10th 2012 at 22:04:42 Dahoman X Abagond already posted about Achebe’s response to Conrad Abagond actually commented Achebe’s criticism of Conrad, but his post did not include a link to Achebe’s original article which, IMHO, is pertinent to the present thread. This article also further explores the 2 allegories mentioned by Sam: the one regarding the parallel Thames/Congo, and the one about the darkness inside Kurtz’ (the White man’s) heart. @ Adeen Somalia is located in East Africa and is considered part of sub Saharan Africa. For some weird reason, you seem to infer from my post that: 1) I believe there is no difference between Northern and Southern Africa 2) I imply some kind of inferiority of the Southern part 3) I’m trying to hide it by stressing the “Arab” influence If you actually read this in my comment, please re-read it. It is not what I wrote. Northern Africa and Southern Africa have their own identities (notice the plural. None is monolithic). Yes, the Northern part, while very diverse, is culturally close to the Arabic Peninsula and the Middle East. I don’t deny that. If you take a plane from Tunis to Lagos you will be shocked by the contrast and will feel like you stepped from a world to another. But if you, say, travel by caravan from Tunis on the Mediterranean Sea to Lagos in the Gulf of Benin, you will have a very different experience. The transition will feel very progressive and you won’t be able to define a clear cut frontier between these two parts of the continent. That’s because, contrary to what people commonly believe (see teddy1975’s post above) the people living along both banks of the Sahara have always interacted and influenced each other. They have never let the Sahara become a barrier. Quite the contrary, actually: during the past millennium it has been the place of the most dynamical trade routes of the continent, and of racial and cultural melting-pot. And when I say they have interacted, when I say melting-pot, I don’t imply that it has always been kumbaya love between North Africa and Southern Africa, or between so-called “white” and “black” Africans (see the racist exactions currently going on in “liberated” Libya, for instance). Regarding the polyrhythmic concepts. I’ll have to trust your expertise on this, as I’m utterly illiterate in the matter. I can appreciate good music though. I can’t really see your YouTube videos (slow connection here), but I recognize some names. Beside you cited Doudou Ndiaye Rose. Good pick. on Tue Jul 17th 2012 at 01:46:31 Anomymous I have more hope for Africa, than Haiti. However one of the main problem is the government and lack of unity, and initiatives. Africans are very divided. They are still too tribal (IMHO). Then there is the never ending political unrest etc…. If the Africans leaders were serious and there wasn’t all this division going on,then it would move forward in a faster fashion. on Thu Jan 10th 2013 at 06:25:38 munu aka Bantu I want to put my two cents to counter stereotypes about Africa in general and a few guidelines about how to look at African affairs: 1. As somebody said already, most stereotypes carry some truth with them; the question is, oft, of how can we expurgate them of implicit falsehoods; for example it’s truth that African governments are, in most cases, corrupt, but a) not all of them (I bet that the Botswana Government is one of the world’s most clean in that regard!) and the rest are corrupt in different degrees; b) outside the continent we find also many corrupt governments (in Latin America, South Asia or Eastern Europe, for example) and, therefore it’s false to draw the conclusion that corruption is kind of an African trademark alone; 2. Africa is a very diverse continent as Abagond has pointed out already (possibly the most diverse of them all!); there are many different countries there, and each of them is an unique “human experiment” by itself; you have different ancient histories from different places (from Yoruba kingdoms in one corner to Zulu warriors in another, and many other different narratives in between); you had different colonial powers in different places (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Belgian, etc) with different impacts (the different “official“ – European – languages” are a lasting testimony of that); you had different colonial settlements in different places (from none or few European settlers in places like Ethiopia, Somalia or Cameron to hundreds of thousands or millions in most Southern Africa countries and Algeria) and therefore you should expect different degrees of “European acculturation” in those places (in Maseru, Lesotho you will find that most native Africans communicate between themselves in a local African idiom most of the time, but in Maputo or Luanda people opt to use Portuguese as their “lingua franca”) 3. The diversity of situations in Africa is also clear in terms of economic development; from small economies as in the Sao Tome e Principe islands to the relatively highly developed economy and infrastructure as in the Republic of South Africa, which consumes more energy per year than highly industrialized countries like Netherlands or Sweden, you find a large spectrum of all different levels of economic development; a curious fact about the perception of long term economic prospects of Africa is that a few years ago the keyword was “afro pessimism” but now some economists start to look at Africa as the next large emerging market after China and India and they cite the present high grow rates in many African countries as an early indication of that; a more sober and balanced view would be to look at African economies as “developing economies” meaning that they are “yet to mature organic systems” that appear now in a yet relatively young phase of their development; as with humans, adulthood will surely follow the young age, but the journey from one point to the other will be a zigzag of advances and setbacks; so it’s life! 4. Diversity is also to be found in the level of economic development inside each African country; you have the striking divide between the urban (more developed and westernized) and the rural (less developed and more traditional); urban settlements show also a divide between their more developed center and their less developed periphery (shanty towns); there are also oft regional differences (for example the southern part of Mozambique is more developed than the northern part; the same can be said about Nigeria); these features characterize all developing countries including the ones in South America and Asia. 5. Each African country is also a diverse place as a consequence of recent history; the borders of most African states – defined by European powers at the begin of the 20th century – encompass a huge variety of ethnic groups (the so called “tribes”); this is sometimes the cause of internal strife and political instability but when properly managed is the foundation upon which a very rich cultural heritage can develop; one of the functions of the state in Africa is to build the nation from the amalgamation of those diverse groups, contrary to 19th century European states which were, for the most part, mono-ethnic; there are, also, some African mono-ethnic states such as Botswana, Lesotho or Swaziland; this kind of diversity implies that most Africans speak at least 2 languages (one African idiom plus the official European idiom…) and oft even 3 (…plus one more African idiom; this is the case in many urban settings where people from different ethnic backgrounds coexist). 6. Last but not least, the reality of African societies is very fluid and what is true now can change tomorrow behind recognition. This is, in fact, what makes many stereotypes not stand to a close scrutiny: the reality they were supposed to describe oft has already changed when you present them! A few examples: a decade ago it was said that most of Africa (except a few countries) had a very low density of telephone lines and this was seen as a major stumbling block against social and economic progress; today, after a rapid penetration of mobile telephone networks, all over Africa, its citizens are reasonably well connected. It is known that libraries and access to books are in short supply in many African societies and that impacts negatively teaching and learning activities. But as I write, we are witnessing a remarkable grow in Internet access (yet to mature) which can open, in the coming years, the access to universal human knowledge (written documents) to a much wider class of African citizens. More, a decade ago you would see a serene traffic atmosphere in the streets of Maputo and other Mozambican cities. Today, after an explosive grow of the number of car owners, during the past decade, we witness major traffic congestion in their urban settlements which are, therefore, forced to expand their limits outwards and densify their road networks. Twenty years ago we had merely 3 institutions of higher learning in Mozambique enrolling a few thousands students, but now we have more than 30 such institutions which graduate thousands of young (and not so young!) people every year. The same trends you can watch in many other African societies. Many such developments are not an end by themselves, but form a basis for future social and economic progress. Finally, I cannot end without mentioning that all those trends are turning into a reality the emergence of a middle class, in not few African societies, which are gradually overcoming the old motto that says that in Africa either you are (very) rich or (very) poor. munu aka Bantu At the 80’s I was in Germany to study and soon it became clear to me that most people there had little to no knowledge about Africa, and from that fact followed a lot of false assumptions and misunderstandings about the continent and its people. Stereotypes thrive in an environment of ignorance. In most cases it is less a question of malice, and more of lack of knowledge of the facts. This is my opinion. Therefore the best antidote against stereotypes is to put the facts before people so that they can review their perceptions by themselves. At that time, I wrote letters to my brothers asking them to send to me dozens of postcards with diverse motifs reflecting life in my country. And I showed them to my German colleagues. I can bear witness to the fact that many of them became, after that, more curious about my “heimat” and, not few, changed radically their view of it. Today it should be easy for anyone to do the same at a lower cost: you can search through the Web and collect photos and video-clips which show how things are in your country. Or you can upload your own items to your blog or site. It is that easy! And if we, as Africans, don’t do that, then we must bear some of the guilt for the current situation where most people living outside Africa rate the continent much lower than it should be! Not only Whites who never visited the continent but also Asians, American and European Blacks, and even first generation children of Africans in the Diaspora share those misconceptions. Even worse: often you discover that Africans themselves don’t question such stereotypes when they think about other African nations, sometimes even neighbor countries. We should do better about this and surely we can! on Thu Jan 10th 2013 at 14:01:43 Kwamla @ munu aka Bantu Thank you for your informed and much needed perspective on the changing and ever developing continent we label Africa. I for one enjoyed these far more enlightend contributions. on Wed Jan 16th 2013 at 03:31:03 munu aka Bantu Kwamla To close my contributions on this topic of “broken Africa stereotype” let’s show some images of the continent. I will put some links to web-pages with pictures and video-clips about two places from the eastern part of Africa: Nairobi and Maputo. The former is well-known in many quarters as a beautiful urban setting in Africa, kind of a mini New York of sorts, and the later is my birthplace and, as an American visitor once put it, “one of the most underrated tourist destinations in Africa”. Let’s begin with Maputo: Video-clip (taken in the central areas of the city) • http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=373682379318444&set=vb.243802292315574&type=2&permPage=1 (this clip gives a glimpse of the cosmopolitan atmosphere in Maputo) Photos (taken in the centre of the city) • http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1446879&page=4 From munu aka Bantu: … About Nairobi: · http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyNztfyen7Q (this clip looks at middle class Nairobi life) · http://www.nairaland.com/51356/nairobi-photos-kenya-beautiful-east I hope this helps people to review their stereotypes about Africa. Perhaps, the continent is not “so broken”, after all! Here is the BBC’s top picture of Nairobi on Google Images: on Thu Jan 17th 2013 at 22:44:57 Jorbia Well,if Africa is so broken, why are so many Europeans living there? Many Europeans who live in Africa for a while never want to leave. If they can, they will go back there to live, even if it’s after they retire. My parents have European friends who went to East Africa when they were adults but call Kenya and Tanzania “home.” on Sat Jul 27th 2013 at 15:48:16 Shefali Thank you for posting this. This and the comments are so informative. One thing to think about re. black IQs – even if IQs are lower in the third world, it is known that malnutrition adversely affects IQs, into the third or fourth generation. So solve the issue of hunger, and the IQ problem would also be resolved, IMHO. […] tried elsewhere to give, what I think is, a more balanced overview of Africa. See: https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/the-broken-africa-stereotype/#comment-156161 If you want to discuss those issues with me, I would suggest you comment at those aforementioned […] on Tue Sep 17th 2013 at 06:02:29 ACurious Youngin Sub-Saharan Africa is the most genetically/phenotypically heterozygous continent and the origin of modern Homo Sapiens. Most racists believe that the regions lack of centralization until 1800s show some sort of failure. They first believe in this false Eurocentric myth that civilization arose there indigenously and not imported from the Middle east and think they have the right to criticize other cultures for lack of writing or urban stimulus for technology yet ITSELF did not invent neither of these things. Secondly, racists falsely believe that the determinants of civilization depend on some genetically conditioned intelligence(guess that makes Europe stupid then). The latter view distorts history and makes Civilization seem like it is a phenomenon that only the group based intelligent can accomplish. For starters, there is no such thing as a ” Group” IQ instead intelligence goes by a bell curve with 15 % between “races” and 85 % within these “races”. There is Within population genetic diversity in every Human population and is expressed highest, as said, in Sub-Saharan Africa, so the concept of a “Universal IQ” seems ludicrous. Furthermore, if genetic variation ,according to racists, determine ability in intelligence and innovation solely, if at all, that would mean that Sub-Saharan Africa and recent diaspora have the highest in both extreme outliers, in other words, the ability to make 2X scientific/technological innovations , in terms of quality. However, at the moment that is not observed, meaning their is more to innovation or civilization than genetics which does not play a major factor (at least evidently) in the divergence of the Mother continent from that of the prehistoric diaspora. According to most anthropologists, there were only six areas that had the requirements that others did not that enabled civilization ; a river valley located in a soft fertile region. The belief in “Anthrocentrism” is what fuels racism in the first place, the thought that Man is God therefore can control every aspect of its progress and those behind are the least “fittest” which is untrue. We are subject to are environment no matter how genetically “superior” or competent we may supposedly be. From the six areas, civilization spread to those that were less efficient reaching Northern Europe(400 AD) and Sub Saharan Africa in several eras; Axum/Ethiopia (400 BCE); Islamic SSA (1000 AD); the rest of Africa (1800s AD). In the former two eras, Africa rose to significance such as in Pastoralist but Imperial Axum, a military power equal to Rome or China emerged according to contemporary prophet Mani or during Songhai dynasty where scholars in a salt (or iodine) depreciated but wealthy region were able to be great leaders in Islamic literature ( Mathematics, Astronomy, History,etc.) and Law. In the latter era, however nothing but destruction was brought from slavery to colonialism to modern exploitation nothing but disaster has befallen SSA forming the modern stereotype which was not far from the truth. In modern times, however, this is not accurate as Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s fastest growing economies and is predicted by economics to reach 29 trillion USD by 2050,larger than USA and Eurozone combined and definitely larger than United states of America and Europe separately. Sub-Saharan Africa would have gotten back in its feet sooner had not 1.4 trillion USD not been transferred illegally largely to the west, that’s more than the ODA that racists complain about being paid. If anything ODA should be seen as the West paying debt to Sub-Saharan Africa like they are to the Peoples Republic of China. So this stereotype of Africa is long overdue and blasted to make racists feel like “at least the Negros are still down” as we enter a multipolar world;no longer “white man’s Burden”. Deny or envy, but Sub Saharan Africa is getting up in the world. Look for example at Luanda in Angola, it has a booming luxurious industry but they never show you that… they’ll never tell you this ^. I don’t blame them, it is the responsibility for an Afro-descendant to know their history, struggles, progress, and future not the American Western Media, their purpose is to distort, degrade, dehumanize, to erase any sense of hope in an African so that all is left is a empty vessel, a Slave…No more. See: Get Ready for an African boom/CNN http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=768&tbm=isch&tbnid=GzgEOtFEwhoNXM:&imgrefurl=http://hotelpresidenteluanda.com/presidente/en/hotel/lazer&docid=omRZdruSt2n26M&imgurl=http://hotelpresidenteluanda.com/site_images/contents/contents/225/page/Luanda.jpg%253F1304523299&w=990&h=600&ei=Y-83UtXyOKrC4APAx4DQBg&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:6,s:0,i:97&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=175&tbnw=254&start=0&ndsp=15&tx=161&ty=155 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8DjO8FHj3Y) @Shefali I do believe malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora is preventing it from reaching full potential such that micronutrients like Iodine and iron alone can cost 15 IQ points and 14.8 IQ points respectively along with the effects of others micronutrient deficiency as well as rampant poverty. As I said, the diaspora is also going through this with African American mothers giving birth iodine deficient on average since 1900s. That’s 15 IQ points right there and the Flynn effect has been explained based on micronutrient deficiency( Iodine for instance). In the Western world, the introduction of iodine to Whites via lactose dairy products allowed the IQ to rise to 15 IQ points during the 1900s. see: http://www.businessinsider.com/iodization-effect-on-iq-2013-7 omg i am so sick of the united states i can’t wait to go over ther to africa (http://youtu.be/5utDdxveaJc) Trotting out “the children” is always a good say to say shut up! I’m very suspicious of Gates here. Moyo’s response: http://www.dambisamoyo.com/?post=dr-dambisa-moyo-responds-to-bill-gates-personal-attacks […] The Broken Africa stereotype – Africa is a hellhole […] on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 14:33:22 EPGAH How did whites “break the continent”? Did you forget empires like the Oyo, and even the NIGER EMPIRE starting slavery, then Arab slavers, THEN AND ONLY THEN the whites? We tried to rebuild things. Shining cities, safe countries, rule of law, etc. If you want to say Mugabe is “just a madman”, that would imply he’s the exception. What about Mandela, Zuma, Shaka Zulu, Idi Amin? If a group keeps having “exceptions”, they stop being the “exception”, and start being the rule. Sort of like how the Moslem Cult is associated with terrorism, and even the “moderates” are in favor of forcing Sharia Law on anyone naive enough to let them in? Even when shown a picture of shining white houses in “Africa”, as I was recently shown to try to shut me up, it was NIGERIA, who are up to their old thieving tricks, AND getting money and infrastructure from CHINA! Why can’t Africa do on its own, without another group building FOR them and FORCING Order on them? on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 15:11:33 sharinalr @EPGAH tsk tsk tsk. Oyo, Niger, and Arabs did not start slavery. Your precious slavery was in full effect for years. Used by all. Greeks and Romans alike used slavery. Then along came Whites or Americans if you like who needed new slaves. Whites did not try to rebuild things. They destroyed it. They came and stole any and everything they could from Africa. Did that for years. They created laws that benefited them. Destroyed cities that were already there and replaced them with their own. Laid claim to the ones they liked. “Sort of like how the Moslem Cult is associated with terrorism, and even the “moderates” are in favor of forcing Sharia Law on anyone naive enough to let them in?”—Claims that require proof. So far this is talk of a mad man. “Even when shown a picture of shining white houses in “Africa”, as I was recently shown to try to shut me up, it was NIGERIA, who are up to their old thieving tricks, AND getting money and infrastructure from CHINA!”—It was not used to shut you up. It was used to make you look like the fool you are. While you are trying to find some nitch to say how bad Africa is, there are several other cities just like it. Not to mention you made yet another claim your a* seems to be unable to cash. You claimed there were no such cities that made it. Now you want to whine about how they made it. Yet according to YOU making it entails thievery. So why be made because they are taking a page out of the white play book? “Why can’t Africa do on its own, without another group building FOR them and FORCING Order on them?”—I would ask the same things about white America, but you are a hypocrite so. At any rate China did nothing more than invest. After investments it takes drives and work to run the businesses to build from that point on. So in short they are doing it by themselves. Just like they are doing it by themselves when they come to america and make your young white children look dumb. on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 15:31:05 Michael Jon Barker @ sharinalr. A shout out to you for having the patience in dealing with EPGAH. Whatever BS he comes up with you have effectively shot it down. I’m unable to have civil conversations with people like EPGAH. His world view is no different then Roofs so he comes here to shoot this place up. To him his views are his religion. on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 15:32:30 King “Even when shown a picture of shining white houses in “Africa”, as I was recently shown to try to shut me up, it was NIGERIA, who are up to their old thieving tricks, AND getting money and infrastructure from CHINA It would be interesting to hear how Nigeria could possibly be “stealing” from the larger and more powerful China? One might ask why the backward northern barbarians could not do on their own without the Romans building FOR them, assimilating them, and FORCING order upon them. You know… the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Burgundians, the Franks, the Britons, theVandals… in other words, YOU. on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 15:39:04 taotesan @mike4ty4 “ and this is exactly why I have so much discomfort with the idea of a so-called “white African”. How can “whites” be truly called “African” when they, or at least most of them, benefit from educational, wealth and land ownership, and social privileges that have yet to be afforded to the people who have been in Africa for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years longer than their families have ever been, not to mention it is questionable how much cultural assimilation they have undergone?” This is my take on ‘white Africans’ in the South African context. It is quite long. Apology. I do not speak as political analyst, but from a personal broad-based perspective.Being veteran grandmaster thieves of land, this latest development of linguistic contortionism is the refinement of their delusion of white superiority complex and greedy-guts syndrome. These people, including the liberals (we did not know it was wrong to hate Black people, we were only taught to) who owns land that is simply not his or hers, if they are such lovely non-racist Africans, they must give us back our land. I am not sure the time when Black people said: “Here, Baas, take our land, we love living in matchboxes. You are so good.” To be called a white ‘African’ (writing this hurts me) ties in, not with any nationalist, patriotic or any romantic notion, but with their unbridled capitalistic rapacity and their perverted ideology that they are God’s chosen people (Afrikaners) so they are entitled to all our land. In South Africa, we have Black Economic Empowerment, aka BEE, a program (which is failing dismally) to redress the iniquitous economic disparity wrought on the natural inhabitants by centuries of genocide, slavery, cultural annihilation, land dispossession, colonialism, apartheid and neo-colonialism. Now the very beneficiaries of slavery, colonialism and apartheid, want to insist upon South Africans that they are Africans so that they can continue being first in line, as usual. They just have to be OWNERS. They have to own everything, including their victims’ name and land. So, being a white ‘African’ would tie them to the right to lay claim to mineral rights, economic opportunities and to hold on to land claims. Not so long ago when these people had their very own nirvana, (and they still do, for the most part) they made up the most crude and de-humanising names for African people. Remember, apartheid was supposed to be forever. Every single facet life of a South Black person’s life was/is still dominated and poisoned by white superiority. As a person who is still trying to heal very deep wounds (and trying hard to forget) from apartheid, I remember how my parents were forced to bow their heads to white people, who insisted they be called ‘baas’ or ‘missus’- master and madam in Afrikaans. [Both of them eventually died from a broken heart.] The ‘master race’ – the European, in their utopia, subjected the natural inhabitants to unspeakable and intolerable cruelty and made sure that we knew that they were Europeans or whites, who were the acme of civilization. The humiliation of the ubiquitous apartheid signs. Almost ALL of our rivers, mountains, seas, plants, animals and place names are European or British named. They called themselves Europeans and whites interchangeably. Google the apartheid signs. In their ugly madness they have no insight when they nakedly accuse the victims of their oppression as racist, when we refuse to acknowledge them as Africans. The temerity of these ungrateful gate-crashers. They are not Africans. They are white South Africans. Or European descendants / settlers/ invaders/ living in South Africa. The African name has been most reviled by the same white man and woman who wants to be included as African for capitalistic, neo-colonialist motives, and further perpetuating their economic dominance in the midst of their manufactured poverty. It also kills two birds with one stone: they can claim victimhood (and what loud moaning Charlies they are) and exonerate them from their complicity in apartheid. But they do that anyway. In South Africa, they create websites exaggerating the number of farm murders and crying foul that a ‘genocide’ has been committed against them. Understand it is the very people who make/made Black people feel like criminals just for being Black. Although we do not have formal slavery, these Afrikaner farmers (owning millions of hectares of stolen African land) treat their workers sadistically and still pay them a pittance, where they have they still have very little recourse to the law. These wannabe ‘Africans’ have now overwhelmingly denied that apartheid was a crime against humanity. The deafening silence of the European colonialist has not been punctured by even a susurration of admittance or half an apology. Because they are not sorry. Whites are symbiotes not parasites…Or at least were. We built and let anyone in WHO WOULD OBEY THE RULES! “You are welcome to join us, but you will not lead!” What group doesn’t pass laws that benefit themselves? I asked you that in another thread, plus asking what nonwhite group passes laws like Affirmative Action, that benefit non-self, at self’s expense. Got no answer so far. Is that a claim every white hater’s a* are unable to cash? We have a mediocracy now, because it’s what gets rewarded. I’ll be the first to say Ob-America is an Obamination compared to 80s America. But that is a derail, because it’s all about WHITES instead of Blacks, much less Africa. http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/01/nine-things-youll-learn-from-pews-poll-of-the-worlds-muslims/ If you prefer, rather than linking, I can copy&paste the whole article, rather than a link? Not sure what your policy is on copy&paste plagiarism. Did you ever use your favorite search engine and look up the Moslem “refugees” trying to cancel Germany’s Octoberfest, because beer&boobs are offensive to them? I use the quotes, because true refugees would NOT be trying to change their hosts, they’d be thankful their hosts are protecting them from whatever they’re fleeing! Maybe not kissing ass, but at LEAST keeping a low profile and causing as little problems as they could? South Africa (and others) were under Civilized World control. It put an END to tribes and their petty bickering. It put an end to Shaka Zulu’s “knocking”. (One of those genocides everyone forgets because it wasn’t committed by whites). It was an idyllic scene straight from the Mythical 1950s! Important detail: WHITES built that, not the savages. THEY DIDN’T MAKE THAT, WE DID! Mugabe’s “palace” is actually an old white farmers’ house that was stolen! Savages came in, “Only To Work”, then once they were the majority in the whites’ country, they overthrew and destroyed it. How is that from whites’ playbook? Actually, that sounds more like the Mexican Scam! Whites never wanted, nor even pretended to want, to JOIN savages’ savagery, buy land, kick them aside and build civilization seems to be our historical path. Just for clarification: When the savages got control, whom did the laws they pass benefit? Particularly BEE, the exact inverse of our Affirmative Action? In America, Government forces Black MINORITY into undeserved jobs. In South Africa (Savage control), Government forces Black MAJORITY into undeserved jobs. See how that works? A certain asymmetry and/or lack of charity there! America wasn’t the one that got order forced on us. From the 1800s to let’s say 1964, we have been the enforcer of order. It wasn’t Britain or France that put the Barbary Pirates down…It was America. Britain could’ve stopped the Japanese carrier group that did Pearl Harbor. They didn’t because they WANTED America in the fight. Why? Everyone “hates” us, sure, but when they have a flood, tsunami, earthquake, or riot, it isn’t CHINA they call for help. Why is that? Is that a long-con plan to drain us of our resources? Are we chivalrous or chumps for always helping others, even our enemies (Like Afghanistan) whenever they call? China didn’t just invest. China (re)built the country, in exchange for resources. Just like whites did! So why are Chinese “Noble” for doing this, but whites are “evil colonialists” for the same thing? China is building the country in exchange for resources. China is “helping”. Whites did the same thing, but whites are the “evil colonialists”. Eventually, the savages turned on whites, stole and ruined the country. Do you think China will let the savages pull that same stunt? Keep in mind our divergent responses to riots in our own country. America gives savages “Space To Destroy”, China sent a TANK to stop the party! What do you consider Romans if not white? Were they Black? Arab? Space aliens? Thanks. That is because he is a big joke. Laugh at him and even you will have the patience. taotesan By that “logic”, Blacks in America should be called something else, and if they get “too rich” in our country, they should be murdered and their property stolen, just like the savages did–AND STILL DO–to landowners and farmers in South Africa and elsewhere? “Kill The Boer Kill The Farmer” vs…Hm, we don’t have a “Kill The Savage” movement here in America, do we? Of course whites would be owners, whites built the country. Blacks came in only to work. That “pittance” you call it, was WAY more than they could get under their fellow savages. Once again, why come INTO a place if you’re so ill-treated? Find out if the border is just as permeable the opposite direction! Have you done any searches on what the savages did to the people who built up a better country that they could live in if they could behave? Did you ever consider Apartheid was to PREVENT exactly what the savages did when they got weapons from Russia and overran our control? Google “Farmers killed by machete” and take a REAL wild guess why they don’t consider Apartheid a bad thing. Hint: Your deep EMO wounds are nothing compared to what the savages did to the whites, then stole their land/farm/business to add insult to LITERAL injury! To wit: If you are violent and untrustworthy (Savage), why not keep you away from us? As to education, look at the fantastic schools and universities whites built even in the areas they set aside for savages. They didn’t HAVE to do that! They could’ve said, “That side is your side, be as Savage As You Wanna Be” How DID you learn English anyways, if not taught by the Civilized World? Did you butcher a human, eat his brain, and absorb the knowledge that way? I thought that only worked in videogames! As to wealth, you’re right, but whites figured out how to make resources into wealth. That’s why “make money” is an American/European idiom that does NOT mean counterfeiting. As to land ownership, once again, whites brought the CONCEPT of land tenure there. “This Area Is Ours. Period.” not “Oh, we lay claim to this vast strip, but we’ll keep going back and forth along it like a toy train” Even now, YOU call the land they own “stolen”, and look the other way, if not cheer, when savages brutally murder them and steal what they built and EARNED, right? Is that not greedy gutting? (Literally!) Are they made to feel like criminals for being Black or for what they did to the people who built the country? How many decades are you going to keep pretending to be victims? You killed them, you stole the country, what are you going to do with it? Make it crash&burn, then blame the whites, right? Kinda like someone carjacking me, killing me, then wrapping my car around the nearest utility pole, and blaming ME for not teaching them to drive before they killed me, right? Right, ROOF is the threat, not Farrakhan, or Noble, or Kambon, or any of the other savages exhorting the extermination of whites, especially cops? You don’t see how those two are opposite, but not equal? Farrakhan&co would NEVER dirty their hands by killing a white themselves. They enjoy the luxury of the Civilized World too much. All they’re doing is free speech, right? “You want freedom? You’re gonna have to kill some crackers! You’re gonna have to kill some of their babies!” Those were the words of Minister King Samir Shabazz, also known as Maurice Heath, the New Black Panther Party’s Philadelphia leader. Shabazz is the same man the Holder Department of Justice refused to prosecute after he was filmed on Election Day 2008 with Jerry Jackson wearing paramilitary uniforms, carrying a nightstick and blocking a doorway to a polling location to intimidate voters. Is their hate their religion too? small person shout at the warden and tell to loosen your straight-jacket on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 16:14:06 v8driver Awkward! I guess there was a bit of antiamerican sentiment in my part uf u scroll back abit but thats under the category of no way to explain that to the kids that live actually near me on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 16:14:29 Omnipresent EPGAH What do these savages look like? ^him and whilst you are at it insist on better padding on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 16:19:10 Uglyblackjohn @ EPGAH – But the Africans are wrong for taking over an existing culture? Isn’t that their manifest destiny? Didn’t most white people end up on other continents in an effort to escape oppression by other white people? As to views as religion, even here on this very site, some Blacks claim that whites are not human, or in this very thread, one claims we who created the country don’t deserve to enjoy it, so which “religion” do you think is more harmful? “WE SEE THEM AS HUMAN, THEY LOOK LIKE REAL HUMANS BUT THEY ARE NOT, THEY DO NOT HAVE HUE TO BE MAN.” HUE-MAN? Sounds like a He-Man villain. v8driver I don’t blame you at all. You want to escape America to escape your ex-wife. taoetesan You justify BEE–Government forcing Blacks into undeserved positions–but isn’t that just the savages, now that they’re in control, passing laws to benefit THEM? Where is their generosity, like whites passing Affirmative Action, laws that harm us, and benefit not-us? Savages are selfish, whites are generous. “what nonwhite group passes laws like Affirmative Action, that benefit non-self, at self’s expense. Got no answer so far. Is that a claim every white hater’s a* are unable to cash?”—That is not the question you asked, but I will quote what you did say so you can stop pretending like you are not goal post shifting when you are. Your original response got an answer. You just did not like it. As such AA actually benefits whites. Which is why they are the biggest benefactors/supporters of it. You need to do research on what AA includes. Not just women but those with disabilities as well. “If you prefer, rather than linking, I can copy&paste the whole article, rather than a link? Not sure what your policy is on copy&paste plagiarism.”—Two problems with your source. 1. It does not prove or support what you claimed above. 2. It managed to show no sample size. 3. It contradicts what you you claim. Ie In most the percentage of Muslim respondents who said they favor Shariah as the law of the land is 20 percent or lower. “Important detail: WHITES built that, not the savages. THEY DIDN’T MAKE THAT, WE DID! Mugabe’s “palace” is actually an old white farmers’ house that was stolen!”—Sure and I am an Alien. I require proof. Not a mad man ranting. Even with sources you seem to be unable to realize what they say versus what you believe in your mad mind. “Savages came in, “Only To Work”, then once they were the majority in the whites’ country, they overthrew and destroyed it. How is that from whites’ playbook? “—How can they come in to land that was already theirs? News flash they can’t. So based on your logic the savages are the whites who came in to “work” and steal and when they became the majority they overthrew and destroyed. Copy that to the situation in America and you have successfully described how everyone took a page from the white playbook. “Everyone “hates” us, sure, but when they have a flood, tsunami, earthquake, or riot, it isn’t CHINA they call for help.”—You might want to talk to some of those people. They don’t beg for America’s help as the media likes to tell. In fact I have ran across a great deal that would like america to stay out simply because America uses it’s “Help” to build strongholds in their countries. “China didn’t just invest. China (re)built the country, in exchange for resources. Just like whites did! So why are Chinese “Noble” for doing this, but whites are “evil colonialists” for the same thing?”—Whites did not invest in the country. They simply took. Big difference. @ EPGAH That is quid pro quo, or as we like to call it, “doing business.” Each party agrees that the other party has something of value to offer. An exchange is driven, and both parties benefit. Neither party is “stealing” as you have so recklessly suggested. No, I think not. Whites did not sit down with Africans and hammer out a quid pro quo. Whites simply stole the land and resources by annexing them by force. They did the same in India and later, in China. Whites essentially carved up Africa into colonies as they pleased… which I assume is why they were called “evil colonialists.” To the thinking man, this makes perfect sense. https://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1e0eaaa410d48dc9e428825b11643bad?convert_to_webp=true Uglyblackjohn Well, you COULD say whites LEFT if they didn’t like it! Which was my message on one of the other threads. If I DO have a flaw, it’s that I’m too subtle for most people to get the message. Whites’ flaw is suicidal altruism. Woman and the snake, Frog&scorpion, whatever. But I digress. But actually, no, most white countries/colonies/whatever you want to call it is because whites, once we had the wherewithal to, are explorers. Is there really an “edge of the world”? Is the Sound Barrier real? Is the sky really the limit? If you’re trying to draw an equal sign between conquests, I have to put a big old NO on that one too. Which group made a BETTER, SAFER, MORE LAW-ABIDING country, and which one made Purgatory on Earth? Or let’s talk about EARNING? Which one did it all on their own, and which one needed Russian weapons to overthrow civilization? And now needs constant investment from China? “Which one did it all on their own, and which one needed Russian weapons to overthrow civilization? And now needs constant investment from China?”—America. @Everyone For everything he is trying to say about Africa, I realize he is actually talking about America. ROFL http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/21/us-safrica-mugabe-idUSKCN0RL19P20150921 Let’s start with this one? South Africa ruled that Mugabe has to give back ONE stolen residential property. I don’t know how jurisdiction works there, that would be like France making Spain return something they stole. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/active/11442408/Zimbabwes-white-farmers-targeted-for-new-Mugabe-land-grabs.html MORE stealing from white farmers. I am shocked! Or at least pretending really really hard to be shocked! News flash: It WASN’T their land, they didn’t have the concept of land tenure. So it’s NOT theirs! Another poster in this thread put up a map of who owned what. Whites–at least British and Dutch–set aside Reservations for the savages. Savages eschewed that and wanted the whites’ part! If I let you live in my basement, would you kill me and take over the upper floors of my house? The whites didn’t come there to work, they BUILT THE COUNTRY! It was their work that made the country worth savages immigrating/invading! What the savages did is something akin to what I believe Mexicans are trying to do to America. And South Africa is an EXTRA special case, it was too desert, too inhospitable for even the SAVAGES to want to live there! So if you throw something away, I take it, recondition it into a gleaming (or at least serviceable) prize, you don’t get to say “I want it back, it’s mine.” They terraformed it into something worth living in, that’s why the savages wanted it. That, or thriving farms and businesses, electric and road infrastructure, things worth stealing. I’m sorry, building a whole country from scratch is not investing? It WAS quid pro quo: WE build a country, savages could live there if they wanted a Better Standard of Living, otherwise, they could get out of the way. But now the savages have their Wish! They are reduced to a paltry minority in their own countries, if not entirely left or dead (Which is “gone” in the metaphysical sense). Being our Noble EQUALS, why didn’t the savages build or at least maintain a country every bit as shiny as when the whites controlled it? Why did they NEED China to build infrastructure FOR them? Whites already built the infrastructure, what happened to that infrastructure? Did whites rip it out with their dying breaths? Did the savages destroy it because it was a reminder of Civilized World control? Did they just let it decay because they didn’t know how to maintain it? @epgah, at that point i was considering moving to lesotho/south africa America has always been independent by nature. In the last 60 years, we undid our isolationism, which is a large part of the end of my parents’ mythical 50s. Russia has never given us anything but grief. In the 90s, there was an attempt at reconciliation–and we even bailed them out when they collapsed–but even if Gorbachev was 100% sincere and honest, the long-term effect was that it was just for them to get closer to stick a bigger blade in Uncle Sam’s back. If you want to borrow King’s thing about a give&take, so far, America’s been doing all the Giving, and Russia is not the least of countries doing all the TAKING! Most egregiously, America GAVE up our anti-nuke project in Poland. If we hadn’t, Iran’s PROMISE (And probable LIE) about not building nukes wouldn’t matter. They would stay peaceful, because if they weren’t, we’d shoot their nukes out of the sky and return fire. If Russia FELT it was aimed at them, only the hit dog squeals, right? What might Russia be doing that an anti-nuke system would thwart? That is not quid pro quo. Look up the word first before you…..nevermind. “Being our Noble EQUALS, why didn’t the savages build or at least maintain a country every bit as shiny as when the whites controlled it? Why did they NEED China to build infrastructure FOR them?”—They had. This is the part of the story where the whites come in and destroy it. “America has always been independent by nature.”—False. Even coming to this land “Americans” were dependent on the help of natives. Otherwise they would have died. Years fast forward they became dependent on the funds of other countries. You forget this country is in debt. We are dependent on foreign oil. Should I continue on this dependency? I don’t see where I mentioned Russia, but…..deflect on. You are good at that. FYI my comment came before king so not sure how I borrowed anything from him, but great minds do think alike. EPGAH, Whites did not “build a country” almost anywhere in Africa. What they built were a very few White cities/towns that were used as garrisons, colonizing centers, and hotels for the Whites who came and went. In all cases, the vast majority of the “country” was worse off after colonization then before colonization. This idea that Whites built up these countries into shining African empires that were then taken over by ungrateful savages and ruined is more the result of you not reading books than reflective of any historical facts on the matter. That would kind of redefine “Out of the Frying Pan, Into The Fire” (Capitalization?) Unemployment has gotten worse, and the savages decided it wasn’t bad enough, so they passed BEE laws, so if you’re white and can’t buy your way into Orania, you can forget about it. Also, savages with machetes are a constant problem, stealing from anyone who DOES make it. I’ve even heard rumors they have started attacking “too successful” blacks now, but that’s probably overblown. You see all the houses with concrete corners and barbed wire? They’re not a WWII reenactment troop, they’re trying to ward off savages. On the other hand, if you join a PMC, you can make serious bank protecting civilized from savage! Even some of the richer savages hire “consultants”, not bodyguards. The name-change is to avoid hypocrisy, of course! Also, savages with machetes are a constant problem, stealing from anyone who DOES make it. I’ve even heard rumors they have started attacking “too successful” blacks now, but that’s probably overblown Why is it overblown? Further upthread, I asked you what these savages look like. taotesan suggested they look like you but I don’t think you picture them that way. If I DO have a flaw, it’s that I’m too subtle for most people to get the message. I am sure you know what I am driving at here but, if you are ‘less subtle’ and actually honest, it will discredit all of your arguments on here and expose you so instead, you misrepresent things but what is underlying is not at all subtle You said we were just the same as the savages taking help from Russia to overthrow and destroy. “A page from America’s book”, right? quid pro quo is a TRADE. Doesn’t have to be a FAIR trade, even, it has to be PERCEIVED as a fair trade at the time. What do others have to offer that is worth the upgrade in Standard of Living they would get by invading any place created by the Civilized World? Yes, America TRADED food for protection. The savages didn’t give us food because they were feeling generous or some kind of Welfare project, it was because the Wampanoags were attacking them and they saw Salvation in our metal-and-GUNPOWDER weapons! We beat the bullies down–then they turned on us! I think I said that in another thread? Or you just weren’t listening. Our dependence on foreign oil is a CHOICE. Environmental regs have choked off not only oil-drilling but smelting, manufacturing, all dirty industry. Economy is less important than ecology, and we have the unemployment to prove it, right? Of course, Obama claims it’s part of a “strategy” to have oil left when terrorists/Mexico/Canada run out. We suffer until they run out…Does this even “seem like a good idea at the time”? There was a Faction in America’s RECENT history, say the last 10 years, that wanted eco-exemptions for “Drill Baby Drill”. Refresh my memory, were they praised or ridiculed? “You said we were just the same as the savages taking help from Russia to overthrow and destroy. “A page from America’s book”, right?”—I didn’t mention Russia, so you basically are putting words in my mouth. The only thing I said from your quote was “A page from America’s book.” “quid pro quo is a TRADE. Doesn’t have to be a FAIR trade, even, it has to be PERCEIVED as a fair trade at the time.”—Here is the definition of quid pro quo “Quid pro quo means an exchange of goods or services, where one transfer is contingent upon the other.” It requires a trade yes, but forcing a lifestyle on someone is not a trade. You have so far been describing a forced lifestyle on people. Not a quid pro quo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quid_pro_quo “Yes, America TRADED food for protection. “—Nope. Another snippet from your false history. They gave you food and taught you how to grow it. Among other things. “I think I said that in another thread? Or you just weren’t listening.”—You claim to say a lot of things and when it comes to those things being quoted it turns out that is not what you even said. You make stuff up as you go as I did say and can quote time and date when I said it. Plus I can’t hear you through the computer screen. “Our dependence on foreign oil is a CHOICE.”—If that is the lie you wish to tell yourself. If it was a choice the choose to drill oil on your own land or choose to make cars that don’t rely on it, but America can not fathom a life without oil. Primarily why the business is rolling in the dough. This quote is a prime example of that dependency “We suffer until they run out”. If you were not dependent on something you would not see it as suffering for not using it. “There was a Faction in America’s RECENT history, say the last 10 years, that wanted eco-exemptions for “Drill Baby Drill”. Refresh my memory, were they praised or ridiculed?”—Don’t know and don’t care as to answer would give you another deflection route. Why is it overblown? Because savages would NEVER attack their OWN for being too rich. This is about RACE and who BELONGS there, not who got rich and who didn’t, isn’t it? They are trying to have the whites’ houses, businesses, and lifestyle, without the whites! Killing fellow savages would not advance this goal. They want a WHITE-free country, not a country purged of fellow savages! Is that or is that not what is underlying the overthrow, no matter how nobly or subtly they may couch it? Why IS it noble for savages to purge whites–EVEN FROM OUR OWN COUNTRIES–but whites purging savages are “madmen”? Even Hungary building a wall to keep savages OUT, rather than purge them, is considered worse than Mao and Hitler put together! I picture them as Black, grinning evilly, a machete in one hand, and either a gun or a severed head “trophy” from a recent murder in the other. Lions are actually more valuable than HUMAN lives to the savages. Which is why they were so tightly controlled when the Civilized World ran the place. They somehow predicted savages would be savage (Definition: Primitive and violent), so they kept them separate to avoid trouble! I’ve tried being less subtle but my comments keep getting deleted. Hilarious but unproductive. What do you think I’ve “misrepresented”? I keep getting accused of moving the goalposts and similar, but I don’t see it. “very few White cities/towns that were used as garrisons, colonizing centers, and hotels” What do you consider a COUNTRY to be? Are they supposed to coat the whole place in concrete? Maybe Domed Cities with Cursed Earth between them? America is generally considered a country, but there are large unoccupied areas, and other areas are over-occupied. Are the unoccupied areas NOT America? If so, why don’t illegals settle there and build their own civilization, rather than invade our ALREADY-BUILT CITIES and antagonize us by failing to observe our language and laws? Furthermore, what determines ownership? Might Makes Right? Sheer Numbers? (Which is actually a variant, but let’s pretend it’s separate.) Borders and Laws? Or the people who BUILD the country, OWN the country? I’ve read plenty of books about Rhodesia and South Africa, but it just doesn’t do it justice. When I actually was ASSIGNED there, I was shocked at how much worse it was than the books hinted at. The books I read were “Tell Me And I Shall Forget” “Memoirs of a Traitor” I also read some book I can’t remember the title of about Cargo Cults in Africa, far deadlier than their Asian counterparts. After whites left, of course it’ll be worse! We raised their expectations! They’ve always HAD disease, starvation, death, and random violence, but now, because of Civilized World food, meds, and law-enforcement, they EXPECT not to! Somehow it becomes the whites’ fault the savages are dying. Our fault for letting them kill us, I guess, instead of developing bulletproof skin and machete-proof necks? The underlying problem: They want the white lifestyle without the whites making it/making it possible! That’s where the “White Privilege” misconception comes from. It’s like a child demanding more toys, more candy, believing the parents have or can buy it, and are just selfishly holding out on them. Someone slips the kid a gun, they shoot the parents, then find out the parents weren’t holding out, they really DIDN’T have it to give. And the kid can’t afford to buy more because anyone unscrupulous enough to HIRE a kid would CHEAT it! In fact, that was almost verbatim the plot of the book about the African Cargo Cults. Whites were messengers from the Gods, sent to give the savages gifts, but when we stopped giving gifts, they thought we were HOLDING out rather than RAN out of gifts to give, so they killed us! Now THAT’S ungrateful! “I keep getting accused of moving the goalposts and similar, but I don’t see it.”—You also don’t see what half of your sources say, so the idea that you don’t see it is inline with a lot of things you don’t see. For example you claimed Africa never made it. Then when presented with a Pictures of Africa that has “made it” you change or switch goal posts to say they are thieves or scammers. This is goal post shifting and you have several across several threads. China is heavily involved in terms of upgrading several countries in africa’s infrastructure, for commercial gain, it’s true but.. I don’t know if you’re being intentionally difficult/obtuse, or just really can’t figure it out. We don’t FORCE a lifestyle on anyone. They WANT our lifestyle, and consider it unfair if we have ANYTHING they don’t! BUT they don’t want to follow the rules, or even the annoying steps we had to go through to GET to this point of relative wealth. In short, they want us to build it up, they show up “Where’s My Share?” and we just fork it over! Otherwise we’re selfish Privileged scum, right? Is that or is that not why poor savages keep pouring into white countries, instead of China or fellow savage countries? Indeed, why is illegal immigration from CHINA now outstripping that from MEXICO, our hereditary invader? China’s a rich country, shouldn’t they be able to take care of their own excess population? Unless they WANT OUR LIFESTYLE? “They gave you food and taught you how to grow it. Among other things.” Yes, but you keep mischaracterizing it as them doing it out of altruism, the Goodness of their Heart, etc. It wasn’t. They could’ve let us starve, it wasn’t against their BELIEF, as they later tried to DIRECTLY KILL US, it was against their SELF-INTEREST! IF we die, the Narragansett keep attacking them until THEY die. Once the Narragansett were gone, we had Outlived our Usefulness, so they tried to kill us DIRECTLY! Sad Music They USED us! End Sad Music Whites may or may not have whined, “But we had a DEAL!”, but in any event, we kicked savage ass. Did you read the Wikipedia article on King Phillip’s War? Or just Google it, and find a site you DO trust, if you don’t trust Wikipedia for whatever reason? It’s not just Americans that can’t fathom (Good pun!) a life without oil. Europe, Chinese, Russians, and savages of every country and description have cars too, and I DON’T think any of them run on fairy dust! Even when savages can’t AFFORD a car in their own country, as soon as they invade the Civilized World, they get one? (If people REALLY cared about Global Warming, or Environment Justice or whatever, they’d stop savages from getting cars, but that’s just shy of stopping them from BREEDING in difficulty!) Petrochemicals are the ONLY way to get AS MUCH energy as you want WHEN you want WHERE you want. Battery tech has basically plateaued in say the past 10 years? (We can argue exactly HOW LONG it’s stagnated, but it HAS stagnated, can you agree with that?) So electric cars are inefficient, and more importantly, EXPENSIVE to have batteries on a CAR scale instead of a cellphone or laptop scale. The Volt is $70,000 STRIPPED! I can buy 3 cars for that! And batteries don’t MAKE electricity, they STORE it. Where are we going to get the electricity in the first place? Solar and wind are unreliable and require constant subsidy. Solar cells and windmills are built in CHINA, so that wouldn’t create any jobs FOR AMERICANS! (It doesn’t “count” if it’s not for us, OK?) The Bum keeps blocking charters of new nuclear reactors or even renewal of old ones. So all we’ve got left IS fossil fuels. EPGAH said: I picture them as Black, grinning evilly, a machete in one hand, and either a gun or a severed head “trophy” from a recent murder in the other. Lions are actually more valuable than HUMAN lives to the savages. Which is why they were so tightly controlled when the Civilized World ran the place.They somehow predicted savages would be savage (Definition: Primitive and violent), so they kept them separate to avoid trouble! Your outlook on life is primitive and violent so, I think you fit the term savage more than anyone else. I feel like I am reading the post of a child, one that is constantly pointing the finger saying ‘look what he/she/they did’ and just not understanding the context of anything. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Look at all the concessions China has squeezed out of America for just monetary loans to support our ridiculous “social safety net” spending, from letting spies go to our nuclear and rocketry secrets. How much MORE would they extort if they actually BUILT THE COUNTRY? Savages have nothing to offer except staying out of the way while someone mines resources that Civilized World needs and China needs for their cheap (and often toxic) knockoffs of our products…Or LABOR. China does not have slavery, they have Laogai, which is arguably worse… My outlook on life is NOT primitive and violent. I LOVE the Civilized World’s technology, and I think we could’ve done a LOT MORE if we weren’t constantly trying to keep savages either at bay or paid off. As to post of a child, there are other threads here that seem like just, “Whites have MORE than we do! GIMME GIMME GIMME!” I consider myself the adult saying, “BEHAVE! Let us EARN more so we can give you more!” Savages overthrowing our countries is a primitive, violent way of saying, “WE WANT IT NOW!” Actions louder than words, right? Or burning down cities in America. As to context, what “context” could possibly justify invading a country, demanding things from it, and murdering the people and destroying it if they don’t get their way? ·They didn’t build any of it. ·If they worked, they were paid for it. ·We tripled their average life expectancy, so they owe US, not vice-versa. ·If they didn’t like it, they could stay out and return to Nasty, Brutish, and Short! That is my “context”. What “context” could reverse that formula? PS, the savages HAVE done that to farmers and other WHITE landowners, so I don’t think I’m particularly off in my idea of how savages look/act/wield. Do a Google Images Search on it. Maybe you’ll throw up in horror, or maybe you’ll cheer at the savages killing the greedy selfish whites? But given what they’ve done, doesn’t that make ANY length whites go to to protect ourselves seem absolutely justified or else “Not enough”? From Apartheid in South Africa–UNFAIR, sure, but NECESSARY, given what the savages did when it stopped–to Hungary and Israel walling themselves off from the violent savages to America… Hmm, America doesn’t HAVE ANY defenses from the savages since Wilson, do we? BTW, this article completely leaves out Amy Biehl. Gang-raped and murdered while trying to help the savages. And her parents put up money…for the legal defense of the savages who did it! THAT is seriously bad parenting! Or the nurses who got raped in Haiti. Or the doctors who got kidnapped in Somalia so frequently, that Doctors Without Borders quit going there! What’s the “context” to justify those? “I don’t know if you’re being intentionally difficult/obtuse, or just really can’t figure it out.”—Nope that is all you. You seem to have a thing for voicing who you are while trying to paint it as someone else. “We don’t FORCE a lifestyle on anyone. They WANT our lifestyle, and consider it unfair if we have ANYTHING they don’t!”—That is false and history shows that as much. Take the natives for example. They were put in schools and had their names changed, forced to renounce their old ways, and forced to dress the way “whites” wanted them to. Even if we look at today, whites want to force people who come here to speak English and even force English on other countries. “Is that or is that not why poor savages keep pouring into white countries, instead of China or fellow savage countries?”—History shows that whites pour into other people’s countries. Just because those minorities decide to return to their lands does not mean they are pouring in to a white country. It just means they are returning home. “Yes, but you keep mischaracterizing it as them doing it out of altruism, the Goodness of their Heart, etc. It wasn’t.”—-Here is another example of goal post shifting. You claimed America was independent. You have a whole aparagraph above raving about it, but Natives decide to help those helpless white Americans and now you want to claim it was not for nothing. A claim you have no proof of other than your idea of “we whites would have done that so they more than likely did it.” In short the first settlers needed them. Their survival was dependent on them. You were debunked again. “Did you read the Wikipedia article on King Phillip’s War?”—Save the deflection as it still has nothing to do with what you are claiming. “It’s not just Americans that can’t fathom (Good pun!) a life without oil.”—But we are not talking about other countries. We are talking about dependency. You claimed America was so independent. Now you are making excuse for why it is SO dependent. See the humor. ROFL If you want lack of context, look at the top of the page here. Mugabe is proof that blacks are unfit to rule and Hitler is a madman, because of the CONSEQUENCES for their respective genocides. Whites all banded together to stop Hitler. Even Russia (for a time) was on the side of the Angels! Blacks, they banded together…UNDER it! They didn’t try to STOP Mugabe, too busy congratulating it for overthrowing and murdering whites in our own country, and even shielding the King of Sudan from prosecution! @Omnipresent I think he is a child myself. I have met some dumb adults but this is utter ridiculous. The savages wanted to live in OUR country, so why shouldn’t they speak OUR language? Who is returning to THEIR land? If they’re coming into OUR country, it’s obviously not theirs! English is the Universal Language because English were the Universal Civilizers–before America took up the torch. Everything from science to commerce to Air Traffic Control is in English. If China had civilized the world, rather than merely usurp America’s tech, would you complain as loudly if they expected anyone who wanted to do business with them to learn Chinese? Indeed, would China be ANYTHING without England upgrading them? Why DID they renege on the land treaty of Hong Kong? “In Perpetuity” becoming “99 years” is moving the goalposts…quite a bit! The “context” being they killed a lot of English people, and turned one English woman into a Nice Belt! That needs to be punished, don’t you think? You debunked NOTHING King Phillip’s War is not a deflection. It is exactly what I’m claiming. King Phillip’s War is the name usually given to the Wampanoags turning on the Pilgrims. We were independent, trading military aid for food. “America’s” first military treaty even BEFORE America was a country! If they just fed us and we stood around and did NOTHING for it, then yes, I’d say we were dependent leeches. OK? That is the difference. Our survival was dependent on them, BUT if we didn’t beat their bullies, their survival was null&void too. They were dependent on us! If whites were as evil as you pretend, why didn’t we kill BOTH groups of savages, TAKE the food, and that’s that? “murdering whites in our own country”—anymore questions on the level of delusion of this man? You don’t HAVE to learn English. You don’t even have to get housebroken. But if you do not, there will be things forever denied you, and people will always treat you as less. Assimilating to a better culture, a better mode of behavior, gives you privileges in return. Privilege is as always, EARNED, not merely BORN! Rhodesia was a white country. If you want to claim the English aren’t or weren’t white, it’s not me that has a level of delusion! “The savages wanted to live in OUR country, so why shouldn’t they speak OUR language?”—False. You are in their country. You should be speaking native tongue. This is not your land. You wanted to come here. No native invited you. “If they’re coming into OUR country, it’s obviously not theirs!”—False again. You can return to a land that you once lived on. Reread what I said. You seem to have gotten sidetracked. “If China had civilized the world, rather than merely usurp America’s tech, would you complain as loudly if they expected anyone who wanted to do business with them to learn Chinese”—Can you stop trying to deflect. You are embarrassing yourself terribly. Forcing English on people in other countries doesn’t have to do with just business. Research…research. “Indeed, would China be ANYTHING without England upgrading them?”—It would as would any country, but it just would not be what you want it to be. “You debunked NOTHING”—I actually did. Several times I might add. I got such a level of kick and giggles out of how easy it was. You made claims you never could support. King Philip was not even one of them. You bring in a bunch of irrelevant things hoping that those will beef up your claims. They don’t. Then you switch positions in hope that moving to another will make you seem more right. It doesn’t If you like I can and likely will make a list of all the claims you made here and were debunked on. “If they just fed us and we stood around and did NOTHING for it, then yes, I’d say we were dependent leeches. OK? That is the difference.”—There is no stipulation to being dependent on something. The meaning of the word is clear. If you rely on or your life standing is determined by something or someone else then you are dependent. Period. “Our survival was dependent on them, BUT if we didn’t beat their bullies, their survival was null&void too. They were dependent on us!”—Except those “bullies” were around before you came. How did they deal with them them? The same as they did before you came. “If whites were as evil as you pretend, why didn’t we kill BOTH groups of savages, TAKE the food, and that’s that?”—Because you still needed the other group to teach you the land beyond the coast. Except American culture is not a better culture. You only put it on a pedal stool. “Rhodesia was a white country.”—Countries don’t have color, but if we want to go their it was stolen. That does not make it a white country. “If you want to claim the English aren’t or weren’t white, it’s not me that has a level of delusion!”—Except I did not claim that and was not going to. I thought you got enough of embarrassing yourself by trying to lay claim to what I think or believe. @epgah what does epgah stand for? Btw if you wrote anything besides vitriol and hate you’d be an eloquent and persuasive writer We’re on land they once occupied. They were no more invited than we. We actually made a country, they didn’t. Think of 5-year-olds playing in a dirt lot. They don’t build anything (Or at least nothing lasting), they invent nothing, how is it theirs? Then if a bunch of musclebound behemoths lift them off that dirt lot, and put them outside it, and build a store there, can they barge in and say “We own this store because we used to play in the dirt lot that was here before!”? Don’t think so. I’ve moved 27 times in my 36 years of life. Could I go to any of those previous houses and say, “Hey, I USED to live here, I’m gonna live here again!”? I don’t think that would fly. The current occupants might make ME fly out a window, but that doesn’t “count”! No savages are coming here because America used to be theirs. Mexicans used to be kept out by Apache and Comanche, now immortalized in military helicopters. It would be exceptionally ironic if we used those helicopters to keep them out…but we don’t. We have the Bum’s “Virtual Fence” with camera drones so we can WATCH them invade and rape our country, turning it into the same mess their country already is! Before English, German was the Prime Language, and before that, Latin was. There’s always some Prime Language, everyone “has” to learn if they want the benefits behind it. AND of course, the lesser cultures are always going to whine some variant of “Hey, why can’t we have the benefits without the rest of the culture?” American culture of WHAT YEAR? If even HALF of what my parents claim is true, then the 50s were better than the 80s, which in turn, are far and away better than the now-time. Technology is better, people, educational system, manners, safety, and other facets are worse. And this is the same country–allegedly–just separate temporally from itself. Are you the same person as you were 30 years ago? Or even 10? But if America is not a better culture, how do we still have a better country? Or at least better than Mexico…Faint Praise, indeed! And in turn, there are countries south of Mexico that make MEXICO look like a success story. Mexicans complain about Nigerian and Honduran illegals! That is what you said. BUT King admitted that Europeans carved the mostly-blank land of Africa into COUNTRIES where there weren’t before. Just like America, Rhodesia was sparse or even blank land before the Civilized World built it into a COUNTRY! Stealing a country is a modern thing, there has to BE a country there first! “Breadbasket of Africa”, now can’t even feed itself. We send seeds, they either eat them or use them to soak up floods. Hilarious, but unproductive. “What do you consider a COUNTRY to be? Are they supposed to coat the whole place in concrete?” What are they SUPPOSED to do? Probably not take over other people’s lands without invitation, consent or payment, If it comes down to what they are “supposed” to do in the first place. But if you want to make an argument that part of the payment was “building up the country,” then it can’t just be built up for the White people in the country. Otherwise it’s not helping the people who you are arguing that it benefits for taking their land. Well, the Europeans seem to keep changing their minds on what constitutes ownership. For example, when dealing with non-Europeans, then “Might Makes Right” is a perfectly acceptable rationale. “Manifest Destiny” in the Americas and the “Scramble for Africa” on the Continent exemplify that reality. However if Hitler invades Poland or France, then it’s no longer an acceptable rationale. Or if Saddam invades Kuwait, or if Putin invades Ukraine. This is what’s known as Moving The Goal Posts (please see sharinalr for details) “After whites left, of course it’ll be worse! We raised their expectations! They’ve always HAD disease, starvation, death, and random violence, but now, because of Civilized World food, meds, and law-enforcement, they EXPECT not to!” But then everyone has always had disease, starvation, death, and random violence. Do you watch the news? Do you read history? These poor souls… such a Savage existence… (SMH) EPGAH: demanding things from it and murdering the people and destroying it if they don’t get their way This sounds an awful lot to me like what Europeans did for example in America but under no initial resistance from the indigenous people that lived there. The native people helped them – that’s what Thanksgiving is about isn’t it? Later down the line, they Europeans got greedy, took land but wanted more, encroaching on and then invading on what was established indigenous areas. Guess who the murderers were here? It’s my initials. Why do you consider what I write “hate and vitriol”? Whites are called “Cancer of the planet” on this very site! Savages talk&sing about exterminating whites–sometimes they DO it, so why is it “hate and vitriol” to want savages to either calm down and behave or get the expletive of your choice out of our countries? Is it also hate&vitriol when savages invade our countries, murder the people and overthrow them? Or when say, Mexico doesn’t want savages to breach THEIR southern border and cause “economic and cultural disruption”? When does it stop being “hate and vitriol” and start being a reasonable desire not to be murdered, robbed, or otherwise violated? Or is that NEVER a reasonable desire? Speaking of which, have you seen the savages national anthem after they overthrew South Africa? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcOXqFQw2hc) Kill the White, Kill the Boer. What “context” makes that not “hate&vitriol”? It wasn’t murder, it was fighting back. After you sell me land, I can do whatever I want with it. It is no longer yours, it is MINE! If you get “worried” I’m buying too much land, the correct way of stopping me is to stop selling me anymore. Japanese and Chinese are buying up land in America, from prime grazing land to Rare Earths mines–the ones necessary for Clean Energy technology as well as battery research. Should we kill them as well because the amount of land they’ve bought is “worrisome”? Should we claim they only buy it for 99 years, instead of forever? (Hong Kong reference) We don’t renenge on land deals, we play fair, even with our enemies. In any event, the savages CHOSE to attack us, and we CHOSE to fight back rather than bending over. So yes, the savages were the murderers. If I sell you my house RIGHT NOW, then I kill you for being in “my” house, then I am the murderer. YOU legally have the deed. All your friends would exact vengeance on me, or at the very least, the police would! Do you get the “context”? “Under no initial resistance” is a bit of a red herring, BTW. If you offer me enough for my house, I won’t “resist” selling to you. If you buy too many houses in my neighborhood, the civilized way would be to organize the rest of the homeowners NOT to sell to you. What the savages did was round up a posse and try to kill you for the equivalent of buying too many houses in my neighborhood. After the posse killed 1/10 of your family, you calmly shot the whole posse. Is that a better explanation? “Don’t think so.”—It is common knowledge now that you don’t think. Let’s take your example. You don’t just come and build a store on land. You pay for it. Seeing as you never paid the natives for their land then you are on stolen land. I doubt the man who puts up the store invented anything, but felt by some right he could just take the land. In the real world the natives were not just playing in sand on their lands. They had homes, crops, a lifestyle. All your examples fail in these situation because frankly the key term here is paid for it. Something settlers did not do. “No savages are coming here because America used to be theirs.”—False again. For example Texas used to be Mexicos. I believe some other areas fall into their too. So yea….they are returning home, but this is another straw man. I never said just Mexicans. “Before English, German was the Prime Language, and before that, Latin was.”—False again. There were many languages, but none of them were prime ones. “American culture of WHAT YEAR? “—That is irrelevant. The year does not change the heart of the culture. “Are you the same person as you were 30 years ago? Or even 10?”—Nope, but that has a great deal to do with me pulling myself away from American culture. “But if America is not a better culture, how do we still have a better country”—But you don’t have a better country. You would be surprised at the lengths your government goes through to ensure you believe that. It indoctrinate its citizens to believe that. “anymore questions on the level of delusion of this man?”—I never questioned your delusion. I can read your post and let it stand as proof of your delusions. “That is what you said. “—If that was what I said then you would be quoting it. The fact that you have not says a great deal. At any rate if you want to do a straw man then it would not be the first, but do stop putting words in my mouth. “Just like America, Rhodesia was sparse or even blank land before the Civilized World built it into a COUNTRY!”—Just like America this would be another false statement with no supporting facts. “Stealing a country is a modern thing, there has to BE a country there first!”—No it does not. Stealing by definition is taking what is not yours. If the land was not yours then you stole it. Just because you decided to call it a new name does not mean it was never stolen. @epgah frankly, i’m surprised that this conversation has been going on all day? But the ‘mostly white’ colonislstic forces interrupted africans’ development, dutch east india co. Style, creating the diaspora, etc at the time of their industrial age, it’s been posited here before, idk you keep saying savages, and your reasoning is biased and ‘monolithic’, xenophobic, idk… not friendly either. My wife calls me racial slurs, so what, i mean we’re all grown (mostly) here, i’d assume “vitriol and hate you’d be an eloquent and persuasive writer.”—I don’t think so unless he is talking to a bunch of individuals who do not do research. The heart of everything he says is a lie. Most of his rantings of paranoid rants of a mad man. Suffering from delusions of grandeur. My comment is in moderation, but this portion I want to make very clear. You have made the claim several times now of me saying something that I did not. If that is the tact that you must resort to then what every debate you think you have had with me has been lost several times over. I DID quote it, I copied and pasted it directly. https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/the-broken-africa-stereotype/#comment-296048 Here’s a direct link to your comment, in case you forgot you said it. Yes, and mostly nonwhite conquerors “interrupted” Rome’s development. But the whites just got back up and continued. And it should be noticed that whites and ONLY whites judged slavery ILLEGAL. Whether or not we considered it WRONG, we made it ILLEGAL. As to being biased, calling “White Privilege” a bad thing should be considered “biased” and thrown away. At least if we’re using the dictionary definition of “Privilege”, “Extra benefit or access earned by meritorious behavior” When and how did that become a four letter word? There’s a whole thread on how the Irish “mysteriously” became white, but they did so by learning how to behave, instead of insisting on behaving THEIR way in OUR country. As to monolithic, we’re talking about a “minority” group that celebrates and angsts over being a “minority” group. Noone else suffered as much as they did, from slavery on up, right? If the majority of a group acts like X, and the rest of the group does not punish those who act X or extra X, we have every reason to suspect the group LIKES acting X, right? Whites punished Hitler, so he was a madman. Blacks APPLAUDED Mugabe so it was part of their DESIRED behavior, not a madman to their standards. Is that a good illustration? As to xenophobic, that would be true if and only if we had no indication of how a given group behaved. But we have whole COUNTRIES their behavior already ruined. Some groups, we’ve let into our country in substantial numbers, we can observe if their behavior “magically” improves from setting foot in our country. So far, I’d say they act the same or worse in our country as they do in their own, wouldn’t you? Ever seen Star Trek? Dad bought the tapes and we watched one per night when I was a kid. The most extreme perversions of the human form were accepted because they BEHAVED. Things that looked like humans with bad mustaches and eyebrow implants were NOT accepted because they kept ATTACKING US! Are we not supposed to judge by their behavior in real life? on Sun Oct 4th 2015 at 22:49:51 mike4ty4 @EPGAH: Slaughtering tens of millions in wars and genocides, deceiving and defrauding people out of land so that it could be used to extract resources, etc. are not “meritorious behavior”. It’s nation-scale robbery. What the savages did was round up a posse and try to kill you for the equivalent of buying too many houses in my neighborhood. Incorrect, since there is a presumption here that the dealings with the NAs were Honest. They weren’t, and employed various forms of deceit (fraud). We don’t FORCE a lifestyle on anyone. They WANT our lifestyle, and consider it unfair if we have ANYTHING they don’t! If they “WANTED” it and it didn’t need to be “FORCED”, then there was no need for whites to SLAUGHTER them by the MILLIONS in pursuit of granting it and try their darndest to obliterate their native culture. That was evil: murder, theft, rape, and psychological torture all in one. (Oh yeah and if you don’t think hostilities emerged until the Natives fired the first shots — WRONG. When Columbus first showed up his men took people and RAPED them. “Civilized” all right. Hostilities were established from day 1, by the Whites.) “I DID quote it, I copied and pasted it directly.”—Aw so you were referring to that quote. But what you wrote is simply copy and paste and can been seen more as plagiarism than quoting me. Quoting it not throwing out a random sentence with no proper credit to the individual. Here is an example of quoting: According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the perceived crisis of American education is to “Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend” (para. 3) Notice the quotation marks around the quoted phrases. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/563/ At any rate, what of it? You have said nothing that changes what I said. @EPGAH, Also, if “whites” were truly so “civilized” and “sorry” they did all this slavery and were really trying to end it, not only would they have made it “illegal” but they would ALSO not have instituted 90 years of Jim Crow on top and instead would be or have been paying reparations to recompense the communities who were denied wealth after slavery was made “illegal”. (Seems after slavery was made “illegal” whites tried their darndest to keep Blacks as close to slaves as they could without making them actually so — almost as if the outlawing of slavery was a grudging concession instead of a whole-hearted display of “Civilization”.) @sharina i meant stylistically,obviously we diverge on content, something … idk I see africa as a succession of power vaccuums from untenable states of being directly traceable to berlin 1888 i believe bolstered by cheap weapons and expedience and ulterior motives, a sad thing really. mike4ty4 We ARE civilized, which is why we’ve abided by land sale agreements, and not killed the ex-slaves like Moslems often did when they were “done with them”. Oprah, MJ, Sharpton, Jackson, etc. were not killed so we could take back their property. Indeed one of those is well behind on taxes, IIRC? Once the slaves were no longer our PROPERTY, by all logic, they should no longer be our PROBLEM right? We’re off the hook for their upkeep and all that? (Except with the Rise of the Welfare State, we are essentially THEIR slaves, but I think we’re supposed to ignore that?) BUT that assumes the slaves just stopped existing once they stopped being property. They didn’t, they went directly from “property” (HELPING you make a profit) to “rival” (OBSTACLE to you making a profit), and in some cases, outright ENEMY (KILLING you to prevent you making a profit). So self-preservation would lead us to make the obstacle as small as possible and the enemy as safe as possible, right? Jim Crow Laws varied from State to State, depending on the severity of the perceived threat. Which State do you want to go through? One of them had literacy tests for voting. Only people who could READ could vote! I think that’s a GREAT idea, needed now! Why pay reparations to the enemy? Where are the reparations for the chumps who bought slaves, and were abruptly divested of very expensive property? Or is it because they lost the war, they don’t DESERVE reparations? What if your car or your computer went from being your property to your enemy? Would you pay it or try to destroy it? How much did you pay for your car, and would that amount of money prevent you putting a bullet through/between the headlights? If only there were some highly allegorical movies about our machine property turning on us. Get Schwarzenegger on the phone, he’d be good for 3-4 of such movies! on Mon Oct 5th 2015 at 00:13:39 EPGAH Also remember, when they WERE offered a chance to get “out from under” AND reparations…Most REFUSED! ·Their own land–FREE ·Their own livestock–FREE ·Their own tools–FREE ·Their own effort determines how much they get! Maybe they thought it was an MLM scal, but depending whose stats you take as Gospel, only 9,000-13,000 took them up on the Deal..OVER 100 YEARS! (Lincoln to Eisenhower!) Modern cruise ships carry more than that–plus passengers–every trip! Maybe they weren’t crazy or desperate enough to leave, and the real ungrateful complaining wouldn’t begin until the 1960s? Maybe they knew it would be overthrown as soon as America yanked the Marines that acted as Border Patrol for them? Maybe if more had gone, they would not have been overthrown? Look up Liberia in whatever info engine you like, tell me if I’m lying? on Mon Oct 5th 2015 at 00:18:48 v8driver one time, when i was in the homeless shelter in easton, pa? i met a marine sniper, he shot the opposition leader in liberia @ EPGAH: Comment deleted for use of moderated language. on Mon Oct 5th 2015 at 00:52:00 sharinalr Perhaps….. I met the Epic Beard Man before he was Epic, and the American Sniper before he was murdered, does that count? Just goes to show africa and the middle east has been a chessboard for centuries And south/southeast asia EPGAH is banned for plagiarism. I’m sure i’ve caused some grief here, but that was a little unsettling, plus it was like 2 weeks of discussion in 8 hours? Unreal. on Mon Oct 5th 2015 at 16:46:17 villagewriter “To be called a white ‘African’ (writing this hurts me) ties in, not with any nationalist, patriotic or any romantic notion, but with their unbridled capitalistic rapacity and their perverted ideology that they are God’s chosen people (Afrikaners) so they are entitled to all our land.” When I read about “god’s chosen people” (Afrikaners) I had a good laugh. I am sorry but I do not trust them. They could plant a nuclear weapon in South Africa or even assassinate your president. Their kind of racism is so fresh and pure that it makes American racism look like Godly love. on Mon Oct 5th 2015 at 19:55:24 Michael Barker @ Mirkwood It’s your blog, you shouldn’t have to come here for approval. What you have in common with him is that the both of you deny white supremecy but for different reasons. If you kept him around on your blog and debated him it might help you see things differently here and as they truley are. You have been here a while but have resisted changing your world view. I would stick to my comment policy, though you might want to think about what changes you should have going forward. He would still be here if he was not caught plagiarizing. To me trolls are part of the cost of doing business. Sometimes they can be put to good use as useful idiots. Most trolls wind up using sock puppets, so I would keep my eye out for that. on Tue Oct 6th 2015 at 13:11:21 Uglyblackjohn Dang it!!! I finally get around to finding his reply and he’s gone? The thing that he fails to understand is that most white immigration WAS done because white people wanted to get away from other white people. That most of ‘his’ country’s wars: both World Wars, the Cold War, the Civil War, the Mexican-American War (Spain is European and white – he agrees), the War of 1812, the Revolutionary War and the Seven Year War – were fought against OTHER WHITE PEOPLE. So much for being a civilized people. (And yes, it was fun having him around.) on Tue Oct 6th 2015 at 19:24:22 sharinalr EPGAH’s screen name was very familiar and then I realized I debated him prior on some youtube comment section. on Wed Oct 7th 2015 at 01:32:45 Fan ... “I’ve decided not to ban him,…” Well, it’s not like you have a large group of posters there, and commenters – for some people – are hard to come by, so I can understand you being far less discriminating… Besides, I didn’t see you disagreeing with a lot of its mess before IT was banned. I suspect that you may not have enjoyed ITS presence here because IT was stealing away much of the attention you were formerly getting. lol “If you refuse to do so, then I know you’re not seriously interested in what my political leanings are ….” You’re kidding, right?? (Nice try … lol) Even the walking dead KNOW what your politics are… which is why to a very large degree you stand OUT here. Much of what you, if not all you do here, is talk about the donkeys and the elephants. That’s why people like me don’t take you very seriously. You infinitely dodge the root issues, even when it’s politely explained to you. “I am tired of trying to justify myself to everybody here 24/7, but I will keep at it.” No one is buying your justifications because they are found bogus and irrelevant to what OUR day to day experiences are. If you wish to be taken seriously and not ignored (or used for entertainment) you need to come in here through a door of OUR shared circumstance. The door you approached and entered in here (your circumstance) just ain’t working! on Wed Oct 7th 2015 at 15:01:36 taotesan I was going to write a sober response to your comment, but this popped into my mind and ran away with me. (Still trying to write, but feeling a little brain-dead at the moment.) No, I do not ride zebras. It is a surprise to any African that zebras could be ridden, but I do have pet lion, Nelson, whom I walk with to my child’s school every day. I go about my day to day life in a loin cloth, with my breasts bared. Who is this Levi, Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan? I wrote this article, in African, had it translated into English by a special seer, in feather pen, in long hand, in my village , on papyrus and sent it cross-Atlantic by carrier pigeon. I do not know how to read. I have never heard of Shakespeare, Jackie Collins, Brendan Behan or Noam Chomsky. When trying to contact a relative long distance, I walk for miles and ululate in special code. What is this thing called a cell phone? My stomach is still digesting the GMO maize meal so generously donated by the USA, with mopane worms and chicken feet. I do not know what a quiche Lorraine, fettuccini carbonara or Nigiri is. When we listen to music, a goat must be slaughtered, and its hide cured and made into a djembe drum and we dance and ululate around the fireplace. I have never heard of Tchaikovsky, Whitney Houston, Eminem, Tupac or Bono. I must tell you I have never had the AIDS. I am afraid of needles. I know this is too much information and you probably would not believe me, but my private parts are intact. What is this Princess Diana and Prince Albert piercings? When I have that thing Europeans call influenza, (not affluenza) I boil special herbs in water from the river that USA dumps their toxic waste. It tastes horrible. What is antibiotics? I do not have the Ebola either. Mzanzi or South Africa is closer to Antarctica than to Sierra Leone and Guinea. It’s about 9000 km. Sierra Leone is closer to New York (7063 km) than Cape Town. My sister tells me there are white people in America who have the Ebola. In my hut, I use special cow-dung. I do not know magic white light. I have no idea how to re-heat a pizza, or how to load a washing machine. I have never heard of Mies van der rohe or Buckminster Fuller. Before my daughter goes to school, she walks barefoot in the dark, to collect firewood. I also rise early to collect water for bathing and drinking water. But I heard a lot about this TV, you know, the big box where the people who talk funny in the English tongue, live. My brother tells me that that ladies with long blond hair like to kiss a lot and like the sex with different men. He also says that the people, even the women with the sun-hair and no skin colour and white-white teeth like shooting people a lot. They have better guns than the Russian AK-47s and Kalashnikovs. . I do not like guns. My brother’s wife wants a weave like the Black ladies in the TV. You can buy a weave from the Chinese corner shop. Me, I am just a wash and leave. I also hear in America white fat people are dying from malnutrition. When I travelled to the USA, I crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a dhow and then hitched a ride, monkey grip on Boeing 747. I know there is a Black President in America, but my brother,he tells me that there is going to be another Black president, who is very, very rich, just like our president, but he is white and has a carpet on his head, just like our president who has a shower on his head. My brother says orange is the new black. Very funny clip by fellow Mzansinite, Trevor Noah. Those are not the root issues. Those are YOUR root issues. When we attempt to discuss anything with you you happily dismiss it. on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 10:05:00 TheHipHopRecords (@TheHipHopRecord) How many countries in Africa can you name ? http://www.sporcle.com/games/g/africa Quick little fun game. I got 27 out 54. Can anyone beat that ? I don’t think so Don’t cheat though. Unless you want to check spelling on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 13:20:30 Kartoffel Ha, I love these Quizes. got 50/54 but I do them all the time. I couldn’t remember the english spelling of four countries. Also this test doesn’t forcde you to match country and its name, for example I never now which one of the islands is which. on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 16:54:41 gro jo How is Mugabe like Hitler? You swallowed the propaganda all the while pretending to debunk it. Africa is broken, how could it not be after more than five hundred years of near genocidal exploitation? The real question is how to repair the damage done. Only people like Mugabe have the balls to take on the task of repairing the damage. @Kartoffel – 50 our 54 ? Are you serious ? What ones did you miss ? Anyone who get’s over 40 is a Jedi on African geography. I’ve never known anyone to get 50; That’s a Jedi master. The average score is around 22. I’d say about 10% get over thirty, 5% over 40 and as I say (if your telling the truth) no-one has got to 50. I knew my score of 27 would not be a stern test, the ‘I don’t think so’comment was tongue in cheek but that’s what I got. Best be honest @Lord of Mirkwood – 38 is still way above average and like you I missed out on some incredible ones, that I can’t believe. on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 19:55:58 taotesan I can tell who is a white American in my area without hearing them talk. @taotesan: Can you recommend a book about the history of Africa I know this can be quite dodgy? While trying to find decent reference books about the continent of Africa I have learned many books are written by whites who view Africa with a white lens and they are not objective. What I am learning is the language used in these reference books, for example “darkest Africa or black Africa. There is something very unsettling about that type of language. I want to make smart choices when I purchase reference books any suggestions will be welcome. @taotesan: I love Trevor Noah he hilarious thanks for the YouTube share. @ TheHipHopRecords As I said it wan’t the first time I did such a quiz. I have no idea how much I scored when I did an Africa nation quiz for the first time. Also I learned all African states by heart as a child. I couldn’t remember the English spelling of Mauritania, Equitorial Guinea, Sao Tome e Principe, Djibouti and other. ( Sorry, was watching Paralympian bench press) @ Mary I can’t think off hand the exact titles with authors. I will come back to you soonest. Off- hand, I would highly recommend Guyanese Walter Rodney’s seminal work: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. It is information dense beginning with the European slave trade of Africans to neo colonialism in Africa. Kwame Nkrumah’ Decolonization. Timbuktu by Diagne. I can’t get the the title or author of Ancient Egyptian history. The historian was Caribbean and I think he was assissinated. I had read it a few years ago and the historians name eludes me. A Comparative Study of South African and American History by Frederickson. On my shelf and not yet read: Half a yellow Sun by Adichi Chancellor Williams by The Destruction of Black Civilization Revolution by Frantz Fanon. Most of my books are packed away, and just can’t recollect. Perhaps you could tell me the region and era that you might be interested in. A good place to start would also be a light introduction through literature. Nervous Conditions, by Tsitsi Dangaremga, a Zimbabwean. Maru by Bessie Head, South African (highly recommended) Naguib Mafouz : Trilogy , Egyptian Things Fall Apart : Achebe, Nigeria This will be nice a project for the week, and I will provide some background. My reply to you is in moderation. Yes, there are a plethora of books written by white foreigners through a paternalistic lens. Read a few and tossed them out. Give me a bit of time to provide a precis of and better thought through and systematic recommendations . I think a start could be is to first ground in Ancient history by Black historians: I think ‘Stolen Legacy’ by a Guyanese, George Granville James, who was also assassinated like Walter Rodney! is a must read. Cheikh Anta Diop: ‘African Origin of Civilization’ or any book by him. (Glad you enjoyed Trevor Noah, Unfortunately, I have watched him so many times, that I can’t even laugh anymore. Briefly met him before he was famous. ) on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 21:43:20 Solitaire I only got 28. Out of the remainder, there were maybe half I knew but blanked on (e.g. Chad, Angola, Sierra Leone), but the rest I would have never gotten. I need to brush up on my African geography. I also showed my age by trying Zaire. 😦 What is the name of the small African country with an American miltary base? Clue:Which you might hear about in a few months time when the US announces that country needs a regime change or needs to install ‘democracy’ Another clue: China has troops there. on Sat Sep 10th 2016 at 22:28:03 abagond Djibouti? You are fast , Abagond. 🙂 Now how about on that overdue post on South Africa?:) I got 53/54. I missed Seychelles. @ taosetan LMAO. What is the name of the island in the Indian Ocean which Britain has stolen from its inhabitants and had sold it to the United States, which is now populated by Americans with its military base and what is the name of the island in the Indian Ocean which the the inhabitants were relocated and now live in abject poverty? village writer and michaeljonbarker know the answer. Here’s a gem: Which are the three African countries, which are diamond rich, had the Marburg virus? Or one on Trevor Noah. You can put Mary out of her misery, who has been throwing hints for a while. 🙂 53 out of 54?!? Damn, Abagond, you are smart. on Sun Sep 11th 2016 at 06:18:49 Afrofem “the name of the island in the Indian Ocean which Britain has stolen from its inhabitants and had sold it to the United States, which is now populated by Americans with its military base and what is the name of the island in the Indian Ocean which the the inhabitants were relocated and now live in abject poverty?” Diego Garcia. @taotesean:Thank you for those titles I will write them down and check them out. A post on Trevor Noah would be great I think he’s funny and sharp. on Sun Sep 11th 2016 at 20:15:13 taotesan Not to mention. I will provide more later, when I am back home. Trevor Noah On Black Americans. I must have watched this about 20 times. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgZYCj39M38) Not just a pretty face. Excellent. And the Indian Ocean island the Chagossians were relocated to? No pressure. Since you are so smart on African geography and all, perhaps another post on Africa from your pen is in order. The Chagossian diaspora resides on three islands: ▷the Seychelles (east of Kenya/Tanzania) in the Indian Ocean ▷Mauritius east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean ▷the UK in the Atlantic Ocean I hope this is not a spoiler, but I saw an excellent 2015 article about the Chagossians in the Independent, a UK based newspaper/news site: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-chagossians-the-indian-ocean-islanders-exiled-from-their-home-and-struggling-to-make-ends-meet-10169107.html on Mon Sep 12th 2016 at 21:11:55 taotesan You are sharp. ( I could not get on to your link, yet). (http://johnpilger.com/videos/stealing-a-nation) John Pilger was the investigative journalist who brought it to the world’d attention. And resw, it is through the Queen of England’s seal, that this crime is allowed to continue. And do Americans know about one of the most outrageous crimes of the 20st century? “Today, the main island of Diego Garcia is America’s largest military base in the world, outside the US. There are more than 4,000 troops, two bomber runways, thirty warships and a satellite spy station. The Pentagon calls it an “indispensable platform” for policing the world. It was used as a launch pad for the invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq.” LOL. Posts on present-day Africa are hard for me because I know from experience that I sit on the other side of a huge Eurocentric lens. For African history, I have better sources. So, the Songhay Empire, say, is much easier for me to do a post on than South Africa. That said, on a blog like this, I cannot NOT do posts on South Africa and apartheid. And Zimbabwe too. And, because Mary’s suggestions are almost always good, Trevor Noah. What are some good websites on news in South Africa? on Sun Sep 18th 2016 at 02:32:20 Solitaire So I took the map of European nations quiz on the same website and did just as dismally, like almost the exact same score. Granted, Eastern Europe has changed a lot since I was in school — but I got several of those new little nations while completely blanking on Austria. What’s even worse is that as I was filling in those little nations, I thought to myself, “That’s right, this all used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.” And I still forgot to add Austria! I did get Hungary, though. I do have a few brain cells left. At least I did much better on the South America quiz, but then there were only 12 nations, so it’s not anything to brag about. on Sun Sep 18th 2016 at 05:30:18 jefe Thank you for that video link. I love Trevor Noah. I even tried to book tickets to see him on my next trip to New York. After hearing his testimony, it reminds me of a lot that I grew up with too. It was not until I was in college that I shared a hotel room together with both my parents – and that was in Boston, not in the South. I find it inspiring that he can make a joke of it now and make others laugh. I am also an autodidact like you. I think learning about the History of Africa is so important in the diaspora. I have learnt about my own history(through woven interconnections) by learning about African American History. Experiencing a fever of moods, amidst tumult here, so apology for replying in my own time. Here is an addenda to previous recommendations. “An Account of Egypt”, by Herodotus – Abagond had written on it: (https://abagond.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/black-people-according-to-herodotus/) “ The Black Athena” by Martin Bernal, highly controversial book. Ivan Van Sertima was born in Guyana.He is a literary critic, a linguist, an anthropologist and has made a name in all three fields. He has also been honoured as an historian of world repute by being asked to join UNESCO’s International Commission for Rewriting the Scientific and Cultural History of Mankind. A small sampling from a prolific writer: 1 “Blacks in Science: ancient and modern”. 2. “Black Women in Antiquity”. 3.” Egypt Revisited”. 4.” Egypt: Child of Africa”. 5.” Nile Valley Civilizations”. 6. “African Presence in Early Europe”. 7.” African Presence in Early America”. 8. “Great African Thinkers”. Dr. John Henrik Clarke, was a Pan-Africanist writer, historian, professor, and a pioneer in the creation of Africana studies and professional institutions. Molefi Kete Asante listed Dr. John Henrik Clarke as one of his 100 Greatest African Americans. 1.”Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization: Exploding the Myths ” 2″.Dawn Voyage: The Black African Discovery of America” 3.”Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism” ,amongst many other books. (I had half-read this on pdf and it is brilliant. I had also read that he was a teacher par excellence. Toyin Omoyeni Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. 1.”Colonialism and Violence”. 2.”The power of African cultures”. Chancellor Williams was an African-American sociologist, historian and writer. He is noted for his work on African civilizations prior to encounters with Europeans. his major work is: 1. “The Destruction of Black Civilization”. Yosef Alfredo Antonio Ben-Jochannan,was an African-American writer and historian. He was considered to be one of the more prominent Afrocentric scholars. 1.”Africa: Mother of Western Civilization (African-American Heritage)”. “Meanings of Timbuktu” by Shamil Jeppie, Souleymane Bachir Diagne (http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=2216) I apologize, if you were interested you would not have found it by my previous description. Joseph Ki-Zerbo was a Burkinabé historian, politician and writer. He was recognized as one of Africa’s foremost thinkers. Ki-Zerbo campaigned internationally to make make slavery as a crime against humanity and that Africa should get reparations for it, too. 1. “History of Black Africa” originally written in French. I have not read anything from a Black South African historian’s pen. However, not quite historical, but urgently, one of the most important books, is Steve Biko’s: “I Write What I Like.” If you might be interested in South African history, there is an online history written by both Black and white authors. (http://www.sahistory.org.za/) It has been a while that I have been to my local library. Most of the books I had read a long time ago on History/Archeaology/ Anthropology of Southern and West Africa were authored by white academics. Correction: “Toward the African Revolution” By Frantz Fanon I had also read “Black Skin,White Masks” and “The Wretched of the Earth”, both hard to read, but worth the effort. I would add: “Precolonial Black Africa” by Cheikh Anta Diop, who was an historian, anthropologist, physicist and politician who studied the human race’s origins and pre-colonial African culture. He was a towering intellectual. Some I have read, half-read and quite a few are on my wish-list, if I had the time and money (and attention span). I would love to own Unesco General History of Africa” volumes 1-V111. Entirely at your convenience and schedule, could you let me know if it was at all helpful and what you book/s you had decided on and your take on them? No rush. You might want to dip into a few of these online news wbsites. Honestly, I am the last person to vouch for any newspaper, as I have tremendous feeling that I am lied to and the news seems obscured to demonize Black people as the only corrupt ones, that criminality is essentially a Black enterprise and white plutocracy does not exist, even though there are excellent Black editors such as Justice Malala and previously Ferial Haffejee (I grew up with her) of the “Mail And Guardian” – mg.co.za. Most of the news is still dominated by whites. I go through spells when I cannot bear to read or watch the news for a long while. That being said,I would recommend (http://mg.co.za/) with usually excellent editorials & (http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/) which is regional. (http://www.iol.co.za/) (http://www.timeslive.co.za/) (http://www.news24.com/) I have added City Press: [(http://mg.co.za/) (http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/) (http://city-press.news24.com/) ] as top recommendations. (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica) I have a comment for you in moderation. And corrections in moderation. on Sat Oct 1st 2016 at 21:37:58 abagond on Sun Oct 2nd 2016 at 01:04:28 abagond Do you have any opinions about “Cry, the Beloved Country” (1948) by Alan Paton or “The Covenant” (1980) by James Michener? on Sun Oct 2nd 2016 at 03:26:19 michaeljonbarker @Taotasen I am curious of your opinion of the newly elected major of Johnnasburg, Herman Mashaba. I understand he is a self made millionaire from developing hair products called “Black Like You”. Is South Africa post aparthied a better climate for Black entrepreneurship ? on Sun Oct 2nd 2016 at 17:57:06 taotesan Thank you for asking for my input. By brain is percolating, and stomach queasy scanning all the rave reviews and critiques of “Cry, The Beloved Country” that has won Alan Paton critical acclaim and is probably the widest read book on South Africa. I have not read the book and am way too jaundiced to write a balanced critique on a dead white man’s paternalistic juvenile dehumanization of Black people. The white liberal is the one who tells us how to respond to his kick. For now, I had picked up that book was a ‘poetic and nuanced lyricism” of a quixotic look into pre-apartheid South Africa. Interestingly, Alan Paton’s widow had scurried back to England, after Nelson Mandela was the first (Black) democratically elected President. She complained South Africa was too violent. When one of the most evil systems was about to be codified, she and her late husband opted to stay put. I will come back to you tomorrow with some kind of synthesis, Abagond. Are you reading it at the moment or have seen the film with James Earl Jones and Charles S. Dutton? If you do, if I may offer that you read Steve Biko’s ‘I Write What I Like’ as a perfect counterpoint to white liberalism in South Africa. “The Covenant” was banned in South Africa during apartheid. That in itself should not carry the have to read, because it was verboten. It was merely banned because Michener had wrote about apartheid in his particular style. I have not read “The Covenant” either. Although, through blurbs, it starts with the San migration, it has a lens through Afrikaners and their history, hundreds of pages long. You will come out dirty. That the tome ends in 1980, when the country was in political turmoil, I do not think justifies reading 900 pages. If there are any questions or suggestions, I could e-mail you. (You are catching me out as my reading of late has been from the pen of African American and Caribbean writers). ” it reminds me of a lot that I grew up with too. It was not until I was in college that I shared a hotel room together with both my parents – and that was in Boston, not in the South” I do not share your stance on Kiwi’s antipathy towards Black people. That said, I am tremendously saddened to read your story with your mother and father. I have read a bit about Jim Crow South, but were there codified laws like the ‘immorality act’ , ‘mixed marriages act’ as in South Africa, that legally made such unions illegal, punishable to the full-extent of the law? In some way, if my child was born during Jim Crow or apartheid, tragedy such as yours, Trevor Noah and Bessie Head would have been befallen my small family. He is extremely clever, if you know what I mean, to embody magnanimity and self-deprecation showing up the absolute absurdity behind personal tragedy. One can laugh, go mad, like Bessie Head, or die of a broken heart like my half-brother. I misspelled Taotesan’s name. My apologies on Mon Oct 3rd 2016 at 00:46:14 Mary Burrell @taotesan: I thank you for your wonderful suggestions I have decided to go with the UNESCO General History of Africa Volumes. However I will definitely explore some of the other books you suggested. Many thanks sister.🤓🤓 on Mon Oct 3rd 2016 at 04:35:05 abagond I have copies of both books and am wondering if they are worth reading. on Mon Oct 3rd 2016 at 21:16:40 taotesan @ michaeljonbarker :Not a problem at all, will reply later. As a person that subscribes to Black consciousness, I cannot recommend” ‘Cry, The Beloved Country” the liberals handbook, in good conscience. If you do, use James Baldwin’s understanding of white innocence, and Biko’s appraisal of the white liberal to thoroughly appreciate the project of white South Africans instant self exoneration of crimes against humanity, whilst successfully demonizing the Black (criminals) victims, casting themselves (whites) as civilizing saviours and victims of pinned privilege. This book is one of those. Of all the reviews, not one Black voice was amongst the praise. I can’t read anything written by white South Africans without thick cynical cataracts. Strained to yet give good recommendations, because most books are still published white authors. Wow. Thanks. I was afraid of that. Quite long, dismiss if necessary. From studynotes and reviews: (that you won’t find on goodreads) My obtuse understanding of interweaving Alan Paton’s life and that of the ‘white antagonist’, fleshed out an the white protagonist, this is a beautifully written book about the skin deep understanding of the liberal. Paton, concedes that the South African Black is broken by cultural decimation, through enforced labour, and land loss, through the white exploitation. The landowner Jarvis/ Paton, cannot go below the skin of genocide and slavery and recent recipients of African land, to see that they themselves are the criminals and invaders. Instead they are come with ersatz Christianity as means of reconciling the irreconcilable. The landowner offering cheap benevolent philosophy to the victim is small change, a pro-active balm against an intuitive sense that white people deserved to be killed for their crimes. The same Christianity that has made the landless, beasts of burden, docile, preaches to the Black man to love his oppressor. There is no sense of irony through Paton, that Jarvis that he is a settler, an invader, but some-one tied to the land, as echoed in Alan Paton living on acres and acres of land, displacing the Native and relying on him for mining, and domestic servitude, and the indentured servitude of subcontinental Indians(in Kwa Zulu Natal). Got carried away. That the book was published before 1948, just when virulent Nazi-inspired racism codified under Afrikaner apartheid, was put in place, his vision of South Africa , though quixotic, yet Paton himself and his white ‘protaganists’ never found apartheid repugnant enough to up and leave in disgust to their mother country, merely offering a critique of the status quo, on the racist uncles of Afrikanerdom. The Afrikaners gave the British and Jewish liberals shade to tolerate the worst abominations. Merely , by describing the abominations and offering advice to the Native about his own liberation through a foreign ‘civilizing’ Christianity betrays the paternalism of the white saviour, without really doing anything, except to dispense maudlin, schmaltzy forgiveness, in a flipped script, that is not theirs to forgive. The liberal colonist gets to keep the land and the minerals, his own religion, obscene wealth hypocritical dependence on cheap labour and the saved façade of goodly ‘anti-racism’, power, exemption from psychological torture, and arrogance to lecture the Indigine, dispensing ‘philanthropy’ through civilizing the already dismembered,disenfranchised and dispossessed. Any white man killing any black person would have gotten off scot- free. As a matter of fact less than a handful over the last century and a bit has been jailed for killing, stealing, raping any Black man and woman. Khumalo is jailed for killing the settlers son, who forgives him. The unnatural bending forced upon Africans to endure the most abnormal circumstances with no way out is out of the criticism of the white man who is the originator of that abnormality. My words not, Paton’s. Sophisticated white man’s tears where ‘forgiveness’ is not theirs to give. Alan Paton and Jarvis stayed put on land that was stripped from Blacks 1913 Native Land Act. They did not give it up back then, and they still have not given it back now. Only a pleasure. @ michaeljonbarker. Yes, poportunities have indeed opened up for some South Africans across the board. There are now a few millionaires and a middle-class due to entrepreneurship. ( I, myself am had two failed small businesses- one being freshly prepared vegan and vegetarian food ).There was no Black middl-class twenty years ago. Most however , are situated in the corporate environment. Before, all that talent was consigned as cheap labour. However, many people have good ideas, but the failure rate for entrepreneurship is very high compared to other countries – about 70% due to complex reasons- competition for markets, not having requisite business skills, lack of role model emulation, high interest rates for start-up , lack of infrastructure, lack of finance due to lack of assets, background of terrible education system and an alloy of other reasons. What I am more concerned about is the Black and Coloured membership of the Democratic Aliance. The DA is essentially a Jewish and afrikaner party. Some Blacks do not see that they are being played even with leadership positions the top positions, like mayorship. The top echelons of the party are not Black and has strong ties with Zionism. Its unstated mission is to re-install white rule, applying similar undermining tactics as the Jewish presence in the NAACP. (http://www.smesouthafrica.co.za/15427/The-state-of-SAs-township-entrepreneurship/) on Thu Apr 12th 2018 at 09:02:38 satanforce Hey Abagond – check your e-mail again. Could you help me with that thing I asked you? Satanforce’s comments on this thread have been removed per his request.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24333
__label__wiki	0.885524	0.885524	/ The Bees / Who Cares What The Question Is? Who Cares What The Question Is? Preview Who Cares What The Question Is? Who Cares What The Question Is? (Radio Edit) Pop, Rock, Indie Rock, 2000s ℗ 2007 Virgin Records Ltd © 2007 Virgin Records Ltd Also by The Bees Preview Every Step's A Yes Every Step's A Yes The Bees 2011 From $10.99 Preview Octopus Octopus The Bees 2007 Who Cares What The Question Is? The Bees 2007 Preview Listening Man Listening Man The Bees 2007 Preview The Singles The Singles The Bluetones 2002 Preview Paralytic Stalks Paralytic Stalks Of Montreal 2012 Preview Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles Collection 1977 - 1992 Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles Collection 1977 - 1992 XTC 2009 From $16.99 Preview Donovan: Essentials Donovan: Essentials Donovan 2011 Preview Dizstruxshon Dizstruxshon XTC 2010 Preview Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? Of Montreal 2007	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24336
__label__wiki	0.977014	0.977014	December 9, 2019 / 12:24 PM / a month ago Tesco shares jump on possible sale of Asian business James Davey LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in Tesco (TSCO.L) rose more than 5% on Monday after Britain’s biggest retailer said it might sell its Asian businesses, in Thailand and Malaysia, which analysts valued at up to $9 billion. Tesco said on Sunday it had begun a review of its Asian operations after receiving approaches for the businesses. It said the review was at an early stage and gave no details of the interest received in the businesses, which generate about 8% of the supermarket group’s total annual revenue and 10% of its profit. Pulling out of Asia would mark a further retreat toward Tesco’s core domestic market and a shift in strategy as the group had identified Thailand, where it is the market leader, as a key growth area at its Capital Markets Day in June. “Hence, to us, for any approach to be accepted by the Tesco board for Thailand then it needs to be highly attractive if not a knock-out price,” said Shore Capital analyst Clive Black. Shares in Tesco were up 5.5% at 1122 GMT, valuing the retailer at 24 billion pounds ($31 billion), as analysts said rival retailers and private equity investors could be interested. If Tesco does exit Asia the decision could be made by its new CEO, Ken Murphy, rather than incumbent Dave Lewis who is stepping down next year. Analysts at Bernstein valued the Asian business at 6.5 billion pounds to 7.2 billion pounds ($8.3 billion to $9.2 billion). FILE PHOTO: A company logo is pictured outside a Tesco supermarket in Altrincham northern England, April 16, 2016. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Tesco trades from 1,967 stores in Thailand and 74 in Malaysia. In the six months to Aug. 24 the businesses generated sales of 2.56 billion pounds, up 1% at constant exchange rates from a year earlier, and operating profit of 171 million pounds, up 42.3%. Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said Tesco’s Thai operation was a “high quality business”, with 50% of its earnings coming from a mall-rental business and 50% from a food retail market that is much less competitive than the UK. He said the Thai business still had significant growth opportunities. In 2016 France’s Casino sold its majority stake in Thai hypermarket operator Big C Supercenter, Tesco’s main competitor in Thailand, to TCC Group for 3.1 billion euros. Rival Carrefour quit Thailand in 2010. Monteyne noted the Big C deal was at 16 times enterprise value/earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), while Tesco itself trades at 6.8 times. “That leaves the Thai business hugely undervalued as part of the group. That in itself provides ample justification to consider a disposal, especially if there is unsolicited interest,” he said. GROWTH AVENUE While selling Thailand could mean a material distribution to Tesco’s shareholders it would remove a growth avenue from the group, which said in June that it saw an opportunity for 750 new convenience stores in Thailand over the “medium term”. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Tesco is five years into a UK-focused recovery plan launched by Lewis after an accounting scandal capped a dramatic downturn in trading. In October Lewis declared Tesco’s turnaround complete and said he would step down next summer. Murphy, a former executive at healthcare group Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O), has not yet confirmed his start date. FILE PHOTO: Tesco Group Chief Executive, Dave Lewis speaks at an analyst presentation in London, Britain, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo In 2015 Tesco sold its South Korean arm to a group led by private equity firm MBK Partners for $6.1 billion. A year later it sold its Kipa business in Turkey to Migros, the country’s largest supermarket chain. Under its previous management Tesco made costly exits from Japan, the United States and China, starting a retreat from its once lofty global ambitions. If Tesco does quit Thailand and Malaysia, it will inevitably raise questions over the future of its remaining overseas operations - its central European division, consisting of stores in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Reporting by James Davey, Editing by Paul Sandle and Susan Fenton	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24337
__label__wiki	0.569938	0.569938	www.cahighways.org California Highways 2006 Changes I started with the usual round of link updates. In particular, this was a period for updating of the "recommended reading" page, also known as the bookstore. In particular, I added the book Survive the Drive: How to Beat Freeway Traffic in Southern California by Dr. Roadmap. This book wasn't what I was expecting -- it is a very good analysis of how to avoid the traffic in Southern California by understanding how the traffic works and why it is there, as opposed to just being alternate routes. Highly, highly, recommended. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Hank Fung(2), Cameron Kaiser(3), Kurumi(4), Kevin B McCarty(5), Larry Nelson(6), Rebel049(7):Route 1(1), Route 99(6), Route 164(2), Route 237(4), Route 262(4), US 101(1), US 395(3,7), Tuolumne County Route E5(5), Tuolumne/Calaveras County Route E15(5), Tuolumne/Calaveras County Route E18(5), Tuolumne/Mariposa CR J132(5). Updated the legislative information page. As the session just started, there wasn't much there. Updated the statistics on the progress of the exit mile numbering. Thanks to Don Howe of Caltrans for this information. Reviewed the December CTC Agenda. Noted the following items of interest: 2.1a. Program Amendments/Project Approvals – STIP Amendments for Action STIP Amendment 06S-015 The Department and San Diego Associated Governments are requesting to program $81,289,000 of Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Border Infrastructure Program (BIP) funds to Construction in FY 2006-07 for the Route 905 freeway – Otay Mesa project (PPNO 0374K) in San Diego County. This amendment will also revise the project scope from a four-lane freeway to the six-lane freeway as originally programmed, shift $9,461,000 programmed in the IIP from Construction to the Environmental and Design phases, shift $6,355,000 programmed in the IIP from Construction to Construction Support, and shift $1,209,000 programmed in the RIP from Construction to Construction Support. 2.1c. Traffic Congestion Relief (TCR) Program Application Approvals/Amendments (3) The Department requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute a total of $230,000 from PS&E to Construction, and update the project schedule and funding plan for Project #95 – Route 41; add auxiliary lane/operational improvements and improve ramps at Friant Road Interchange in Fresno in Fresno County. (Related Item under 2.6e.) Resolution TAA-06-63, Amending Resolution TAA-06-04 2.3c. Relinquishment Resolutions 12-Ora-5-PM 35.2 Route 5 in the City of Orange. This is right of way in the city of Orange, at Chapman Avenue, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city streets and frontage road. 2.3d. Vacation Resolutions One Vacation Resolution 2-Sha-44-PM 53.6 (KP 86.26) Route 44 in the County of Shasta. This is right of way in the county of Shasta, about 4.3 miles northeasterly of the junction of Route 44 and Route 89, consisting of right of way no longer needed for State highway purposes. Yet again, another delayed update. This time it is because I've been conducting family tree research with some cousins over at ancestry.com. The research is proving fruitful, and I'm looking forward to a family reunion with this part of the familial line in Nashville TN in June 2006. Who knows, I might do some roadgeeking while I'm there :-). So on to the updates... which start, as usual, with mailed in or posted updates to the links list. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Robert Cruickshank(2), Paul D. DeRocco(3), Mark F(4), Cameron Kaiser(5), Dominic Ielati(6), Ron Langum(7), Scott Nazelrod(8), Steve Varner(9): Route 4(6), Route 18(3), Route 35(7), Route 49(6), Route 133(1), Route 238(1), Route 241(1), US 80(9), US 395(5,8,9), I-5(4), I-215(1), I-238(2). Updated some statistics on the progress of the exit mile numbering. Thanks to Don Howe of Caltrans for this information. I was unable to update legislative links due to system maintenance of the Assembly bill system. Reviewed the October and November CTC Agendas (there was no August meeting). Noted the following items of interest: 2.1b. Program Amendments/Project Approvals – STIP Amendments for Notice [Nov] STIP Amendment 06S-015 The Department and San Diego Associated Governments are requesting to program $81,289,000 of Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Border Infrastructure Program (BIP) funds to Construction in FY 2006-07 for the Route 905 freeway – Otay Mesa project (PPNO 0374K) in San Diego County. This amendment will also revise the project scope from a four-lane freeway to the six-lane freeway as originally programmed, shift $9,461,000 programmed in the IIP from Construction to the Environmental and Design phases, shift $6,355,000 programmed in the IIP from Construction to Construction Support, and shift $1,209,000 programmed in the RIP from Construction to Construction Support. [Oct] (1) The Department requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute a net total of $61,000,000 in TCRP funds from PS&E and Construction to R/W for Project #42.1 – Route 5; widen Santa Ana Freeway to ten lanes in Los Angeles County, from Orange County line to Route 605. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. [Oct] (2) The City of San Buenaventura requests a TCRP Application Amendment to program a net total of $106,000 in new TCRP funds for PA&ED for Project #47 – Route 101; California Street off-ramp in Ventura County. This amendment will also designate the City of San Buenaventura as the Implementing Agency and update the project schedule and funding plan. [Oct] (3) The Department requests a TCRP Application Amendment to program $4,920,000 in new TCRP funds for R/W for Project #113 – Route 46; Widen to four lanes from Route 5 to San Luis Obispo County line in Kern County. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. 2.2c. Environmental Matters – Approval of Projects for Future Consideration of Funding, Route Adoption or New Public Road Connection (Final Negative Declaration or EIR) [Oct] (1) Future Consideration of Funding: Route 140 in Merced County – Roadway improvements near Merced (EIR). [Oct] (2) Future Consideration of Funding: Route 46 in San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties – Roadway improvements near Lost Hills. [Nov] Approval of New Public Road Connection: I-10 in the County of Riverside – Roadway Improvements near Thousand Palms (ND). 2.3b. Public Road Connections [Nov] One New Public Road Connection to I-10 at Bob Hope Drive in the County of Riverside. 8-Riv-10 PM 43.0 (KP 69.1). [Oct] 1-Men-101-PM 6.0/6.2 (KP 9.65/9.98) – 1 Segment. Relinquishes right of way on Route 101 in the county of Mendocino, about 300 feet northerly of the Pieta Creek Bridge, consisting of superseded highway right of way. [Oct] 6-Kin-43-PM 21.5 – 1 Segment. Relinquishes right of way on Route 43 in the city of Hanford, at 0.5 mile north westerly of Fargo Avenue, consisting of frontage road. [Oct] 8-Riv-111-PM 34.2/38.0 – 1 Segment. Relinquishes right of way on Route 111 in the city of Indian Wells, under terms and conditions determined to be in the best interest of the State as stated in the cooperative agreement to be approved by the city in October 2006. Authorized by Chapter 594, Statutes of 2005, which amended Section 411 of the Streets and Highways Code. [Oct] 11-SD-125-PM 18.5/19.0 – 5 Segments. Relinquishes right of way on Route 125 in the city of La Mesa, from Alvarado Avenue to Blue Lake Drive, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city streets and frontage roads. [Oct] 12-Ora-5-PM 28.5/30.1 – 3 Segments. Relinquishes right of way near I-5 in the city of Tustin, between Browning Avenue and Pasadena Road, consisting of frontage roads. [Nov] 4-SCl-237-PM 7.1 – 2 Segments. Relinquishes right of way near Route 237 in the city of San Jose, at North First Street, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city streets. [Oct] 3-Nev-80-PM 18.8/20.2 - 1 Segment. Vacates right of way near I-80 in the town of Truckee, between Truckee Airport Road and the Truckee River, consisting of highway right of way easement no longer needed for State highway purposes. Due to the High Holy Days, I'm getting to this a bit late. The updates started, as usual, with the usual mailed in or posted updates to the links list. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from John Gray(2), Steve Pederson(3):Route 60(1), Route 90(1), I-15(3), I-505(2). Updated the legislative information page. Of course, there were no new bills, nor action on bills not on the Governator's desk, as the deadline for all of that was 8/31. It is still unclear whether there will be a lame duck session to take actions before the 2005-06 session bills become toast. However, as there was a load of stuff for Ahnold to sign, I noted the passage of the following: AB 1407 (Lieber) State-owned Bay Area toll bridges: HOV lanes.. Existing law specifies the respective powers and duties of the Bay Area Toll Authority and the Department of Transportation relative to the operation of the state-owned Bay Area toll bridges and the allocation of toll bridge revenues. Existing law also provides for the Department of Transportation to designate certain lanes for the exclusive use of buses and high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs), which lanes may also be used by certain low-emission and hybrid vehicles not carrying the requisite number of passengers otherwise required for use of an HOV lane if the vehicles display a valid identifier issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles until January 1, 2008. Existing law authorizes, but does not require, the Bay Area Toll Authority to grant toll-free or reduced-rate passage on the state-owned Bay Area toll bridges to buses and specified carpool vehicles. Existing law requires the same toll-free or reduced-rate passage to be extended to certain low-emission vehicles and hybrid vehicles displaying the identifier issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, subject to various conditions. Under these conditions, residents of the 9-county Bay Area with hybrid vehicles are first required to enroll in the automatic vehicle identification and payment system, known as FasTrak, before they may apply to DMV for an identifier and before they may travel in any HOV lane without having the requisite number of passengers otherwise required for use of an HOV lane. To the extent that residents of the 9-county Bay Area with hybrid vehicles travel on a Bay Area state-owned toll bridge without the requisite number of passengers required for toll-free or reduced-rate passage, those persons are required to pay the regular applicable toll through the FasTrak, system. Residents of other counties with hybrid vehicles are not required to first enroll in FasTrak, in order to apply to DMV for an identifier. This bill would instead require residents of the 9-county Bay Area with hybrid vehicles to obtain and maintain an active FasTrak, account in order to apply to DMV for an identifier and before they may travel in any HOV lane without having the requisite number of passengers otherwise required for use of an HOV lane. This bill would also require a local authority, until January 1, 2008, if it authorizes or permits exclusive or preferential use of highway lanes or highway access ramps for high-occupancy vehicles, to also extend the use of those lanes or ramps to vehicles that have been issued distinctive decals, labels, or other identifiers because the vehicles meet specified conditions for low-emission vehicles. This bill would require the local authorities to suspend the high-occupancy vehicle lane access privilege during periods of peak congestion to the above-described vehicles if a periodic review of lane performance discloses certain factors. Chaptered September 29, 2006. Chapter 606. AB 1858 (McCarthy) State highways: Routes 58, 178, and 204 This bill would authorize the California Transportation Commission to relinquish to the City of Bakersfield the portions of Route 178, and Route 204 that are located within the city limits of that city. The bill would also authorize the commission to relinquish to the City of Bakersfield or the County of Kern the portion of State Highway Route 58 that is located within the city limits of the City of Bakersfield under certain conditions. Chaptered September 18, 2006. Chapter 315 AB 1938 (Bogh) State highways: relinquishment. This bill would authorize the commission to relinquish any portions of Route 79 in the City of San Jacinto to that city under certain conditions. AB 2002 (La Malfa) Highway signs: veterans. Existing law authorizes local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, signs to recognize the sponsors of the Adopt-A-Riverway Program. This bill would authorize county officials, with respect to any state or county highway within their respective jurisdictions and upon a resolution adopted by the respective county board of supervisors , to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, at or near the county line and at county expense, signs stating, or to add to their existing signs, the statement "Where We Honor Veterans." The bill would require the approval of the Department of Transportation if those signs are on a state highway. Chaptered September 6, 2006. Chapter 204. AB 2415 (Nunez) Wireless technology. Existing law, the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, provides specified protections for the computers of consumers in this state against certain types of computer software. This bill would require a person or entity manufacturing a wireless network router, wireless network switch, or wireless network bridge that is sold in this state on or after October 1, 2007, for use in a small office, home office, or residential setting, and that is not used in a federally unlicensed spectrum, to either include a warning advising the consumer how to protect his or her wireless network connection, a warning sticker, or provide other protection that, among other things, requires affirmative action by the consumer prior to use of the device . The bill would provide that if any part of these provisions or their applications are held invalid, the invalidity would not affect other provisions. AB 2600 (Lieu) Vehicles: HOV lanes. Existing law provides for the Department of Transportation to designate certain lanes for the exclusive use of high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs), which lanes may also be used by certain low-emission and hybrid vehicles not carrying the requisite number of passengers otherwise required for use of an HOV lane if the vehicles display a valid identifier issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles until January 1, 2008. Existing law requires the department to make available for issuance, no more than 75,000 distinctive decals, labels, and other identifiers for certain hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles meeting specified mileage and emission standards. Existing law authorizes, but does not require, the Bay Area Toll Authority to grant toll-free or reduced-rate passage on the state-owned Bay Area toll bridges to any vehicle. Existing law requires that if such authority is exercised the same toll-free or reduced rate passage be extended to certain low-emission vehicles and hybrid vehicles displaying the identifier issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, until January 1, 2008, subject to various conditions. This bill would extend these provisions until January 1, 2011, or until the Director of Transportation determines that federal law does not authorize the state to allow these low-emission and hybrid vehicles to so operate in HOV lanes, whichever occurs first. This bill would increase the number of described distinctive decals, labels, and other identifiers that are required to be issued by the department to no more than 85,000, rather than no more than 75,000. Existing law prohibits, until January 1, 2008, a person from operating or owning a vehicle that displays a decal, label, or other identifier if that identifier was not issued to that vehicle. Existing law provides that a violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor. This bill would extend this prohibition to January 1, 2011 or until the Director of Transportation makes a determination regarding federal law, as specified . Because a violation of this prohibition is a crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. AB 2733 (Leslie) State Highway Route 193. This bill would authorize the commission to relinquish to the City of Lincoln the portion of State Highway Route 193 that is located within the city limits of that city under certain conditions. AB 2977 (Mullin) Swimming pool safety. Existing law, the Swimming Pool Safety Act, generally provides that, on and after January 1, 1998, whenever a building permit is issued forconstruction of a new swimming pool at a private, single-family home, the pool shall be equipped with at least one of 5 specified safety features, including: (1) a pool enclosure; (2) a safety pool cover; (3) exit alarms on doors providing direct access to the pool; (4) self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism on doors providing direct access to the pool; or (5) other means of protection, if the degree of protection afforded is equal to or greater than any of the specified devices. This bill would set forth legislative findings, declarations, and intent to enact the Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2006 to better protect the children of this state. This bill would revise the above provision to provide that, on and after January 1, 2007, whenever a building permitis issued for construction of a new swimming pool or spa, or for the structural remodeling of an existing pool or spa, at a private, single-family home, the pool shall be equipped with at least 1 of the 7 drowning prevention safety features, including the 5 devices specified above, except that a device as specified by an ordinance governing child access to pools would no longer be an authorized device and a spa must also be covered with a lockable or latchable cover, plus (6) removable mesh fencing meeting standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM); and (7) swimming pool alarms meeting ASTM standards. The bill would provide that prior to the issuance of any final approval for the completion of permitted construction or remodeling work, the local building official shall inspect to ensure that the above standards are met and that the drowning prevention safety features are in good working condition.. The bill would provide that prior to the issuance of any final approval for the completion of permitted construction or remodeling work, the local building official shall certify that the above standards are met and that the drowning prevention safety features are in good working condition. Existing law provides that any person entering into an agreement to build a swimming pool shall give the consumer notice of the requirements of the Swimming Pool Safety Act. This bill would require this consumer notice to also be given when the person enters into an agreement to build a spa or to remodel an existing pool or spa. Existing law provides that whenever a construction permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa, the pool or spa shall meet specified requirements, including that any backup safety system that an owner of a new swimming pool or spa may choose to install shall meet specified standards of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission issued in January 1998. This bill would update the citation to the backup safety system standards by referring to those issued by the commission in March 2005 and would also provide that whenever a building permit is issued for the modification of a single family home with an existing swimming pool, toddler pool, or spa, the permit shall require that the suction outlet of the existing swimming pool, toddler pool, or spa be upgraded so as to be equipped with an anti-entrapment cover meeting the current standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. AB 3030 (Emmerson) State Highway Route 66, Route 83. Existing law provides the Department of Transportation full possession and control of all state highways. Existing law establishes Route 66 from Route 210 near San Dimas to Route 215 in San Bernardino. Existing law provides for the relinquishment of a portion of Route 66 to the cities of Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga under specified conditions. Existing law also establishes Route 83 from Route 71 to Route 210 near Upland. This bill provide for the relinquishment of a portion of Route 66 to the City of Upland under specified conditions. The bill would also provide for the relinquishment of a portion of Route 83 to the City of Upland under specified conditions. AB 2234 VETOED(Strickland) Highway signs: World War II Aviation Museum. Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation shall have full possession and control of all state highways and associated property. This bill would require the Department of Transportation to authorize the placement of a sign on the north and south bound portions of State Highway Route 101 that indicates, and is within one mile of the exit for, the World War II Aviation Museum and Camarillo Airport. The bill would require the department to determine the cost of the signs, and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs. What's odd is that this is normally done by resolution. 09/29/2006 Vetoed by Governor. ACR 142 (Oropeza) Marco Antonio Firebaugh Interchange. This measure would designate the I-5/I-710 interchange in Los Angeles County as the "Marco Antonio Firebaugh Interchange". Chaptered September 7, 2006. Resolution Chapter 132. ACR 156 Emmerson and Bogh (Coauthors: Baca, Garcia, Haynes, Huff, Maze, and Mountjoy)(Coauthors: Senators Dutton and Soto) Martin A. Matich Highway. This bill designates the portion of Route 30 from the existing interchange of Route 30 and Route 215, in the City of San Bernardino at post-mile 21.84, to the existing interchange of Route 30 and Route 10, in the City of Redlands at postmile 33, as the "Martin A. Matich Highway". [One wonders if they realize the Route 30 is also part of Route 210] Chaptered September 12, 2006. Resolution Chapter 144. ACR 157 (Vargas) Filipino-American Highway Designate the portion of Route 54 from its westernmost point to its intersection with Route 125, in the County of San Diego, as the "Filipino-American Highway". SB 463 (Ducheny) Toll roads. Existing law, until January 1, 2003, authorized the Department of Transportation to solicit proposals and enter into agreements for the construction and lease of no more than 2 toll road projects, and specified the terms and requirements applicable to those projects. Existing law provides that the toll roads constructed under these provisions shall be owned by the state, but leased to a private entity for up to 35 years under the agreement. This bill, with respect to the agreement entered into by the department under these provisions for State Highway Route 125 in San Diego County, would allow tolls to be collected for that project for a period of up to 45 years, rather than 35 years from 2002, under specified terms and conditions. SB 988 (Migden) Safety Awareness Zones: Golden Gate Bridge Existing law makes the Department of Transportation responsible for improving and maintaining the state highway system. Existing law does not provide for the designation of a specified segment of a highway as a Safety Awareness Zone. This bill would designate the Golden Gate Bridge as a Safety Awareness Zone, upon the satisfaction of specified requirements that the bill would also establish standards for a designation of a highway segment as a Safety Awareness Zone. The bill would authorize a Safety Awareness Zone to be in effect for 3 years and would authorize renewal of a Safety Awareness Zone for an additional 3 years. The bill would require the approval of the Director of Transportation and the Commissioner of the Department of the California Highway Patrol for a 3-year renewal of the Safety Awareness Zone that is a state highway. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to develop and place signs to notify motorists of the presence of a Safety Awareness Zone. The bill would enact related provisions applicable to the establishment of Safety Awareness Zones. SB 1613 (Simitian) Vehicles: wireless telephones. Under existing law, it is a crime for a person to drive a schoolbus or transit vehicle while using a wireless telephone, except for certain work-related or emergency purposes. This bill would make it an infraction, operative July 1, 2008, to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, unless that telephone is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking operation, and is used in that manner while driving. This offense would be punishable by a base fine of $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense. The bill would provide that this prohibition does not apply to a person who is using the cellular telephone to contact a law enforcement agency or public safety entity for emergency purposes, or to an emergency services professional while he or she operates an authorized emergency vehicle, as specified. The bill also would prohibit the assignment of a violation point for a violation of the above. The bill also would provide, until July 1, 2011, that this prohibition does not apply to a person when using a digital 2-way radio service that utilizes a wireless telephone that operates by depressing a push-to-talk feature and does not require immediate proximity to the ear of the user, and that person is driving a motor truck or truck tractor, as respectively defined, a listed or described implement of husbandry, a listed farm vehicle, or a tow truck, as defined. The bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to a person driving a schoolbus or transit vehicle that is subject to certain existing wireless telephone usage restrictions, and would specify that the restrictions contained in this bill do not apply to a person while driving a motor vehicle on private property. SCR 37 (Florez) Donald E. DeMers Highway. Designates the portion of Route 41 between Jensen and Elkhorn Avenues located in the City of Fresno as the "Donald E. DeMers Highway" SCR 114 (Chesbro) Mignon "Minnie" Stoddard Lilley Memorial Bridge. Designates the new South Fork Eel Bridge (Bridge number 10-0299, Kilometer Post 160.03), located on Route 101 in the County of Mendocino, as the Mignon "Minnie" Stoddard Lilley Memorial Bridge. SCR 120 (Denham) Caltrans Highway Maintenance Lead Worker Michael (Flea) Feliciano Memorial Highway. Designates that portion of Route 101 north of Chualar between Payson Street and Esperanza Road in Monterey County as the Caltrans Highway Maintenance Lead Worker Michael (Flea) Feliciano Memorial Highway. Reviewed the September CTC Agenda (there was no August meeting). Noted the following items of interest: (2) STIP Amendment 06S-004 The Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) proposes to split the I-80 Capacity/Operational Improvements project (PPNO 0146D) funded with $2,000,000 RIP and $4,600,000 IIP into two new projects as follows: Phase I - $2,000,000 in RIP and $600,000 in IIP for the I-80 Capacity/Operational Improvements project (PPNO 0146B); and Phase II - $4,000,000 in IIP for the I-80 Capacity/Operational Improvements project (PPNO 0146C). (5) STIP Amendment 06S-007 The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is requesting to program two new PTA eligible projects, add programming to one existing PTA eligible project, delete funds from one existing RIP project, and program one new RIP project in the 2006 STIP as follows: [...] delete $16,667,000 from the Route 12 (Bouldin Island) Passing Lane project (PPNO 7350); and program $16,667,000 in FY 2009-10 for Construction of the City of Stockton’s new Route 5/French Camp Interchange project (PPNO 7239). (6) STIP Amendment 06S-008 The Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) proposes to reduce the scope of the Route 219 (Kiernan Avenue) Widening project (PPNO 9940) to acquire right of way and construct the project in two phases and shifts a total of $927,000 in RIP programmed in prior years from R/W Support to the PA&ED and PS&E. (2) The Department requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute a net total of $467,000 from PS&E and R/W to PA&ED for Project #46 – Route 1; reconstruct intersection at Route 107 in Los Angeles County. This amendment will also de-program $1,183,000 from R/W. (Related Item under 2.6e.(2).) Resolution TAA-06-51, Amending Resolution TA-01-17. (4) The City of Santa Barbara requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $28,000 from Construction to PS&E for Project #102.3 – Route 101; Intersection Improvements and signal Coordination. TCRP Project #102.3 improves traffic congestion by reconstructing various intersections and installing signals on the Outer State Street Corridor and the De La Vina Corridor (parallel to State Street) in the City of Santa Barbara. This amendment will also revise the project scope, and update the project schedule and funding plan. (Related Items under 2.6e.(1) and 2.6e.(2).) Resolution TAA-06-54, Amending Resolution TAA-05-06 (1) Route 12 in Calaveras County – Rehabilitate roadway near Wallace (ND). Resolution E-06-26 (2) Route 204 in Kern County – Replace Chester Ave bridge in Bakersfield (ND). Resolution E-06-27 2- Las-36-PM 25.1, Route 36 in the City of Susanville, at Foss Street, consisting of a road connection. 6-Ker-58-PM 107.5 and 108.9/117.8, Route 58 in the County of Kern, near Mojave, at Randsburg Cutoff Road and along Business Route 58, from 2.7 miles northerly of Route 14 to about 4.8 miles easterly of Route 14, consisting of superseded highway. 6-Tul-198-PM 21.9 (KP 35.23), Route 198 in the County of Tulare, at Avenue 296, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county road. 7-LA-164-PM 8.8/11.0, Route 164 in the County of Los Angeles, on Rosemead Boulevard, from Callita Street and Sultana Avenue to Foothill Boulevard. 8-Riv-215-PM 27.9/32.4, Route 215 in the County of Riverside, on the west side of State Route 215, between Nuevo Road and Oleander Avenue. August/September 2006: A brief update at the end of August, to capture the end of the legislative session. And what would updates be without link updates? Dull. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Gary Araki(2), Mike Ballard(3), Michael Boguslawski(4), Timothy Edwards(5), Tod Fitch(6), Cameron Kaiser(7), Eric McGill(8), Ron Z(9):El Camino Real(3), Route 33(2), Route 41(4,5), Route 94(7), Route S21(8). Updated the legislative information page. Noted the passage of the following: AB 188 (Nakanishi) Vehicles: golf carts: low-speed vehicles: special crossing. Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2006, a golf cart or a low-speed vehicle to cross Route 16 at certain intersections, if the crossing is controlled by an official traffic control device and is at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the direction of the highway. Existing law authorizes the Rancho Murieta Community Services District to take any reasonable measures within its jurisdiction that are necessary to ensure that golf carts and low-speed vehicles may cross safely and that highway traffic is not unreasonably impeded thereby. This bill would extend the repeal date specified in existing law to January 1, 2007.. Chaptered June 30, 2005. Chapter 26. ACR 47 (La Suer) Ramon Ojeda Memorial Highway. This measure would designate Route 78 between Third Street and Route 67 as the "Ramon Ojeda Memorial Highway". Chaptered August 16, 2006. Resolution Chapter 100 ACR 104 (Chavez) Officer Kenneth Wrede Memorial Highway. Designates the portion of I-10 between Vincent Avenue and Grand Avenue in the City of West Covina as the "West Covina Police Officer Kenneth Wrede Memorial Highway". Chaptered August 16, 2006. Resolution Chapter 102. ACR 123 (La Suer) Historic U.S. Highway Route 80. This measure would designate segments of former U.S. Highway Route would request the Department of Transportation to design and facilitate the posting of appropriate signs and take related actions in that regard. ACR 132 (Cogdill) Deputy David P. Grant Memorial Highway. This measure would designate the portion of Route 49 one mile before and after its intersection with Parrott's Ferry Road, in Tuolumne County, as the "Deputy Dave Grant Memorial Highway". SB 3 (Torlakson) Highways: Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zones. This bill would, until January 1, 2009, designate, upon approval of 2 county resolutions, as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone a segment of Vasco Road between the Interstate 580 junction in Alameda County and the Walnut Boulevard intersection in Contra Costa County. The bill would also require the department to, by January 1, 2008, prepare an evaluation on the Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone and submit a report to the Legislature. Chaptered August 28, 2006. Chapter 179. SB 186 (Benoit) State highways: relinquishment. Authorizes the commission to relinquish portions of State Highway Routes 74 and 111 in Riverside County to specified local agencies (the Cities of Indian Wells, Indio, and Palm Desert, as applicable) under certain conditions. Chaptered October 6, 2005. Chapter 594. SCR 52 (Margett) Mayor James Thalman and Mayor Michael Wickman Memorial Highway. Designates the segment of Route 71 between Soquel Canyon/Central Avenue and Pine Avenue as the "Mayor James Thalman and Mayor Michael Wickman Memorial Highway" Chaptered April 21, 2006. Resolution Chapter 26. SCR 53 (Ashburn) Mark C. Salvaggio Interchange. Name the interchange of Route 99 and White Lane in Bakersfield the "Mark C. Salvaggio Interchange". Chaptered April 26, 2006. Resolution Chapter 39 SCR 55 (Ashburn) Paul H. Pino Memorial Highway. Designates the portion of US 395 from the junction with Route 190 to Gill Station Coso Road in the County of Inyo as the "Paul H. Pino Memorial Highway". Chaptered May 9, 2006. Resolution Chapter 50. SCR 57 (Cox) Robert M. Jackson Memorial Highway. Designated the portion of Route 89 from the Alpine/Mono County line to the junction of Route 89 and Route 4 as the "Robert M. Jackson Memorial Highway" SCR 68 (Florez) The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. Designates the portion of Route 119 between Route 184 and Enos Lane, in the County of Kern as the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway". Chaptered August 15, 2006. Resolution Chapter 95. SCR 72 (Maldonado) Vernon L. Sturgeon Memorial Highway and , the Marilyn Jorgenson Reece Memorial Interchange. Designates the portion of US 101 between Spring Street in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara Road in Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County as the "Vernon L. Sturgeon Memorial Highway". It would also designate the I-10/I-405 interchange in Los Angeles as the Marilyn Jorgenson Reece Memorial Interchange. SCR 93 (Runner) California Highway Patrol Officers James E. Pence, Jr., Roger D. Gore, Walter C. Frago, and George M. Alleyn Memorial Highway This measure would designate a specified portion of I-5 between the Rye Canyon Road overcrossing and Magic Mountain Parkway in the County of Los Angeles as the "California Highway Patrol Officers James E. Pence, Jr., Roger D. Gore, Walter C. Frago, and George M. Alleyn Memorial Highway". SCR 95 (Soto) Officer Richard Hyche Memorial Freeway. This measure would designate a portion of I-10 in the City of Ontario between the 6th Street overcrossing and the intersection of Euclid Avenue as the "Officer Richard Hyche Memorial Freeway". SCR 96 (Ortiz (Coauthor: Senator Machado) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Jones and Nakanishi)) Deputy Sheriff Sandra Powell-Larson Memorial Highway. This measure would designate a portion of I-5 between Q Street and J Street in the City of Sacramento as the "Deputy Sheriff Sandra Powell-Larson Memorial Highway". There was no August CTC meeting. July/August 2006: This is a combined summer update, just because I've been really busy. Here goes... Did the usual round of link updates. There weren't that many this month, but I did add an affiliate to the Recommended Reading page. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Concrete Bob(2), Jason Elliot(3), Dominic Ielati(4), Clary E. Kooshian(5), Larry Scholnick(6), Sean Tongson(7), Ron Z(8):Route 11(1), Route 13(7), Route 37(8), Route 58(2), Route 118(5), Route 149(4), Route 275(4), I-80(3), I-405(6). AB 1781 (Mountjoy) Highways: victim signs. Existing law requires, until January 1, 2007, that the Department of Transportation design, place, and maintain, or cause to be designed, placed, and maintained, "Please Don't Drink and Drive" signs on state highways in memory of accident victims killed in accidents involving another party who was convicted of drunk driving or various other offenses and in certain other cases, if such a sign is requested or consented to by a family member of the accident victim and the requester pays a fee to cover the department's costs, as specified. This bill would delete the January 1, 2007, sunset date for this program, thereby extending the program indefinitely. Chaptered July 20, 2006. Chapter 81 ACR 65 (Cogdill, Arambula, Benoit, Bermudez, Bogh, Daucher, DeVore, Evans, Frommer, Garcia, La Suer, Maze, Montanez, Mountjoy, Spitzer, Villines, and Wyland, Ackerman, Ashburn, Kuehl, Poochigian, and Romero) Kristopher's Crossing. Designates Department of Transportation Bridge 4122 in Madera County as Kristopher's Crossing. Chaptered July 11, 2006. Resolution Chapter 82. ACR 97 (Blakeslee) Alex Madonna Memorial Highway Designates the portion of US 101 from the Madonna Road exit in San Luis Obispo to the Santa Barbara Road exit in South Atascaderoas the "Alex Madonna Memorial Highway". ACR 108 (La Malfa) Crynthia and Erling Hjertager Memorial Highway and the Erling Hjertager Memorial Bridge. Designates the portion of Route 3 between Callahan at post-mile 8.8 and Etna at post-mile 19.7 in the County of Siskiyou as the "Crynthia and Erling Hjertager Memorial Highway". It also would rename the Wildcat Creek Bridge on Route 3 in the County of Siskiyou as the "Erling Hjertager Memorial Bridge". ACR 124 (Leslie) Harry Crabb Tunnel. This measure would designate the dedicated access enabling motorists to enter eastbound I-80 from Sunrise Boulevard, in the County of Placer, as the "Harry Crabb Tunnel". Reviewed the July CTC Agenda. Noted the following items of interest: (5) STIP Amendment 06S-007. The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is requesting to program two new PTA eligible projects, add programming to one existing PTA eligible project, delete funds from one existing RIP project, and program one new RIP project in the 2006 STIP as follows: program $1,850,000 in FY 2007-08 for Construction of the City of Lodi’s new Municipal Service Center (MSC) Transit Vehicle Maintenance Facility project (PPNO 0139); program $1,300,000 in FY 2006-07 for PA&ED for the San Joaquin Regional Transit District’s new Regional Operations Facility project (PPNO 0140); advance $887,000 of PS&E from FY 2009-10 to FY 2008-09 and program $13,000,000 for the City of Lathrop’s existing Lathrop Road Grade Separation project (PPNO 3K41); delete $16,667,000 from the Route 12 (Bouldin Island) Passing Lane project (PPNO 7350); and program $16,667,000 in FY 2009-10 for Construction of the City of Stockton’s new Route 5/French Camp Interchange project (PPNO 7239). (6) STIP Amendment 06S-008. The Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) proposes to reduce the scope of the Route 219 (Kiernan Avenue) Widening project (PPNO 9940) to acquire and build the project in two phases and shifts a total of $927,000 in RIP programmed in prior years from R/W Support to the PA&ED and PS&E. (13) STIP Amendment 06S-015. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) proposes to delete the Traffic Monitoring System (TMS) project, located on Route 5, Route 805, and Route 94 in San Diego County (PPNO 0800), from the 2006 STIP. (5) The Alameda County Congestion Management Agency requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $6,000,000 from PS&E to Construction for Project #31 – Route 580; construct eastbound HOV lane from Tassajara Road/Santa Rita Road to Vasco Road in Alameda County. This amendment will also rescind the AB 1335 Letter of No Prejudice previously approved for PS&E and update the project schedule and funding plan. (8) The Department requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $3,430,000 from Construction to R/W for Project #85 – Route 56; construct the new State Route 56, which will provide a direct connection between I-5 and I-15. This amendment will also update the project funding plan. (9) The Merced County Department of Public Works requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $400,000 from Construction to Right of Way for Project #106 –- Campus Parkway; build new arterial in Merced County from Route 99 to Yosemite Avenue. This amendment will also update the project funding plan. (12) Tulare County requests a TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $653,000 from PA&ED to PS&E and revise the project scope for Project #122 – Route 65; widening project from Kern County line to Route 190 in Porterville. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. 2.2a. Environmental Matters – Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Route 101 in Humboldt County – Corridor improvements near Eureka (NOP). 2.2b. Environmental Matters – Comments on Documents in Circulation (Draft EIR) Route 24 in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties – Add tunnel near Oakland (DEIR). (4) Route 188 in San Diego County – Construct truck scales near Tecate (ND). (5) Route 65 in Placer County – Construct bypass near Lincoln (FEIR). (6) Route 46 in San Luis Obispo County – Construct corridor improvements near Paso Robles (FEIR). 2.3a. New Route Adoptions One Route Adoption for a Freeway in the County of Placer at 03-Pla-65, PM R12.4/R22.8 (KP R19.9/R36.7) 01-Lak-53-PM 1.2/1.5, Route 53 in the City of Clear Lake, between Cache Creek and Old Highway 53, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city streets, frontage roads and cul-de-sacs. 03-ED-50-PM 5.0 Route 50 in the County of El Dorado, at Cambridge Road, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county road. 10-Cal-49-PM 18.6, Route 49 in the County of Calaveras, at 0.1 mile northerly of Angels Road, consisting of superseded highway right of way. 12-Ora-5-PM 37.7/37.9, Route 5 in the City of Anaheim, on Disneyland Drive between Ball Road and 0.2 mile northerly of Ball Road, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city street and frontage road. Did the usual round of link updates. Updated information on the El Camino Real bell installation project, which was completed in June 2006 (thanks to Keith Robinson of Caltrans for all the information he provided on the project). Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Mike Ballard(2), Timothy Edwards(3), Claudia Elliott(4), Andy Gross(5), Glenn Pillsbury(6):Route 84(5), Route 99(4), Route 190(4), US 101(1), I-5(6), I-405(1), I-710(1,2,3). SCR 7 (Denham) Officer Stephan Gene Gray Memorial Highway. Designates the portion of Route 99 between Childs Avenue and 16th Street in the City of Merced as the "Officer Stephan Gene Gray Memorial Highway". Chaptered May 26, 2006 Resolution Chapter 56 Reviewed the June CTC Agendas. Noted the following items of interest: (3) TCRP Application Amendment to transfer $30,426,000 in TCRP funding from Project #41.1 – Route 5; HOV lanes on Golden State Freeway – Route 118 to Route 14 to Project #41.2 – Route 5; HOV lanes on Golden State Freeway – Route 170 to Route 118. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan for each project. (5) TCRP Application Amendment to designate the San Bernardino Associated Governments as the Implementing Agency for Project #57 – Route 215; add HOV lanes through downtown San Bernardino, Route 10 to Route 30. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. (8) TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $4,486,000 from Construction to R/W for Project #106 –- Campus Parkway; build new arterial in Merced County from Route 99 to Yosemite Avenue. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. (9) TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $1,000 in TCRP funding from R/W to Construction for Project #108 – Route 5; add northbound lane to freeway through Mossdale “Y”, Route 205 to Route 120 in San Joaquin County. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. (2) Route 4 (East) in Contra Costa County – Widen to 8 lanes from Loveridge Road to Route 160 (TCRP #16.2) (4) Route 55 in Orange County – Modify an overcrossing and add High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) drop ramps in Santa Ana and Irvine (FEIR). 2.3b. New Public Road Connection 12-Ora-55 KP 12.10 (PM 7.52). One New Public Road Connection on Route 55 at the Alton Avenue Direct Access Ramps in the City of Santa Ana. 04-SCL-101-PM 40.5 (KP 65.26) Route 101 in the City of San Jose. This is right of way in the city of San Jose, at Channing Avenue and Seaboard Avenue, consisting of reconstructed and relocated city streets, frontage roads and cul-de-sacs. Added observations from an approximately 1957 Thomas Brothers map that I recently acquired. This resulted in updates to: Route 2, pre-1964 Route 7, Route 11, Route 14, Route 15, Route 19, Route 26, Route 27, Route 118, Route 134, US 60, US 101, I-10, and I-405. Did the usual round of link updates. Added a link to USA Traffic Signs to the FAQ, for those that want to order their own traffic signs. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Bruce(2), Cameron Kaiser(3), Glen Norman(4), Carl Rogers(5), Joel Windmiller(6): Route 16(3), Route 74-Mid County Parkway(1), Route 91(1), Route 130(5), Route 170(4), US 101(6), US 399(3), I-5(2), I-10(1), I-80(1, 6), I-405(1). SCR 66 (Cox) Historic Alternate U.S. Highway Route 40. Designates, upon application by an appropriate local governmental agency, any section of former Alternate U.S. Highway Route 40 that is still a publicly maintained highway and that is of interest to the applicant, as Historic Alternate U.S. Highway Route 40 and request the Department of Transportation to post appropriate signs, as specified. This included portions of Route 113 and Route 70. Chaptered May 18, 2006, Resolution Chapter 51. I'll also note there's one really funny bill out there, quasi-highway related: ACR 149 (Houston) The Isleton Bridge. This measure would request the Department of Transportation to grant, without charge, to the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus an encroachment permit that would authorize an appropriate plaque to be placed adjacent to the Isleton Bridge on Route 160 near the City of Isleton. Now, this bill notes that on October 27, 1923, the Isleton Bridge on Route 160 was dedicated by the City of Isleton Chamber of Commerce, and has served the Sacramento River since that time. The Isleton Bridge is a heel trunnion bascule bridge based on a design patented by Joseph Strauss, who was chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge. Only a twenty horsepower motor is required to lift the bridge's center section, and counterweights balance the moveable sections of the bridge, which enables tilting the floor to permit maritime traffic to pass. Of course, none of this is the reason that the ECV is interested in the bridge; I have no idea what that is. But when you read about them, you know there's something more colorful behind it. Reviewed the April and May CTC Agendas. Note that May was a retreat, so there wasn't the usual business. Noted the following items of interest from April: (1) TCRP Application Amendment to expand the project scope for Project #4 – Route 680; add northbound and southbound HOV lanes over Sunol Grade, Milpitas to Route 84 in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. This amendment will also redistribute a net total of $1,000,000 from PS&E and Construction to R/W, and update the project schedule and funding plan to complete the southbound lanes sooner. (3) TCRP Application Amendment to program a net total of $15,400,000 in new TCRP funding for Project #18 – Route 101; widen eight miles of freeway to six lanes from Novato to Petaluma. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. (4) TCRP Application Amendment to program $56,900,000 in new TCRP funding for Construction for Project #40 – Route 10; add HOV lanes on San Bernardino Freeway over Kellogg Hill, Route 605 to Route 57 in Los Angeles County. This amendment will also redistribute a net total of $4,951,000 from PS&E and R/W to Construction and update the project schedule and funding plan. (6) TCRP Application Amendment to transfer $23,100,000 in TCRP funding from Project #83.1 – Route 15; Managed Lanes - Transit Elements, to Project #83.2 – Route 15; Managed Lanes - Freeway elements for Construction. This amendment will also redistribute $3,663,000 from R/W to Construction, and update the project schedule and funding plan for each project. (7) TCRP Application Amendment to redistribute $20,000,000 from Construction to R/W, for Project #84 – Route 52; build four miles of new six-lane freeway to Santee, Mission George to Route update the project schedule and funding plan. (8) TCRP Application Amendment to update the project schedule and funding plan for Project #86 - Route 905; build new six-lane freeway on Otay Mesa, Route 805 to Mexico Port of Entry in San Diego County. Environmental Matters – Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (1) Route 101 in Monterey County – Construct interchange near San Juan Bautista (NOP). (2) Route 180 in Fresno County – Route 2.2b. Environmental Matters – Comments on Documents in Circulation (Draft EIR [DEIR]) (2) Route 18 in San Bernardino County – Replace bridge near Big Bear Lake (DEIR). (3) Route 5 in San Joaquin County – Construct interchange and extend Sperry Road near Stockton (DEIR). (7) Route 70 in Butte County – Upgrade from expressway to freeway and construct interchange near Oroville (FEIR). 04-Son-101-PM 15.4 Route 101 in the County of Sonoma and 04-Son-101-PM 53.9/56.2 Route 101 in the County of Sonoma. The first is right of way in the County of Sonoma, at Santa Rosa Avenue and Roberts Lake Road, consisting of superseded highway right of way. The second is right of way in the County of Sonoma, between the Preston Overhead and the Mendocino County Line, consisting of superseded highway right of way. Did a quick pass through the various relinquishments, updating the route definitions to reflect mainline relinquishments (i.e., not those of superseded right of way) for the following routes: Route 1, Route 2, Route 19. Did the usual round of link updates. There weren't that many. Folk need to remember to mail me your updates! Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from: Paul D. DeRocco(2), Cameron Kaiser(3), Steve Varner(4), Joel Windmiller(5):Pre-1981 Route 11(1), Route 16(5), Route 22(1), Route 65(3), Route 90(1), Route 94(4), Route 126-Cross Valley Connector(2), Route 138(2), Route 148(5), Route 160(5), Route 163(3), I-10(1), I-80(1, 5), I-605(1). Updated the following pages, based on information provided by Don Howe(6), Marc Fannin(7), David Nebenzahl(8): California Exit Numbering(6), El Camino Real(8), Interstate Highway Types(7). Added information on the story behind the memorial signs. Added the first entry: Christopher Williams, US 101, provided by Laurie R. Moreno. AB 424 (Calderon) Identity theft. Existing law provides that every person who willfully obtains personal identifying information about another person, as defined, and uses that information for any unlawful purpose is guilty of a crime. Existing law provides a procedure for a person to initiate an investigation of potential identity theft. Existing law also provides that any person, upon discovering that in the person's name an unauthorized individual has made an application for certain services or has opened certain accounts, is entitled to receive the identifying information that was used by the unauthorized individual to apply for any service or open any account, upon the presentation of a copy of a police report and identifying information. This bill would expand the definition of "personal identifying information" to include an equivalent form of identification. This bill would provide that "person" as used in these provisions includes a firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, company, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill imposes a state-mandated local program. Chaptered February 25, 2006. Chapter 10. Reviewed the March CTC Agenda. Noted the following items of interest: (2). Programs $9,140,000 in new TCRP funds for Construction on Project #60.2 – Route 15; Southbound truck-climbing lane. This amendment will also update the project schedule and funding plan. (3). Updates the project schedule for Project #77 – Route 94; Environmental studies to add capacity. (7). Updates the project schedule and funding plan for Project #157 – Route 12; Improvements from Route 29 to I-80 through Jamison Canyon. Route 99 in Merced County – Realign and widen to six-lane freeway near Merced (DEIR). (2). Friant Road in Fresno County - Widen to four lanes from Copper Avenue to Road 206 (TCRP #96) (MND) (FONSI) 2.3b. New Public Road Connections New public road connections on State Route (SR) 905 at Heritage Road, Britannia Boulevard, the Enrico Fermi Road connection to the SR 905/125 Interchange, and Siempre Viva Road. 11-SD-905 PM 7.1/11.6 (KP 11.4/18.6) in the City of San Diego. 10-Mer-99-PM 32.3/36.2 Route 99 in the County of Merced, between Sycamore Avenue and Early Dawn Road, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads, frontage roads and cul-de-sacs. Alas, I didn't get around to March updates. Did the usual round of link updates. Joel Windmiller's site has relocated to Golden State Highways, but it hasn't opened yet with the content. This also included a page to mark the interstate highway segments you have clinched; I'd do this as a meme, but the input format looks a little too cumbersome. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Shirleigh Brannon(2), Dennis Carr(3), David P Hogan(4), Cameron Kaiser(5), Gary Richards (SJMN)(6): LRN 37(2), LRN 38(2), Route 7(5), Route 11(5), Route 14(5), Route 18(5), Route 22(3), Route 25(6), Route 30(5), Route 31(5), Route 47(5), Route 54(5), Route 91(5), Route 103(5), Route 106(5), Route 110(5), Route 152(6), Route 195(5), Route 209(5), Route 210(5), Route 241(1), Route 252(5), Route 259(5), Route 274(5), I-5(4), I-805(4), US 40(2), US 60(5), US 66(5), US 95(5), and US 395(5). Updated information on the standards for county highways, discovered while investingating a query to the site. Updated the legislative information page. Noted the passage of the following resolution: SCR 20 (Soto) CHP Officer Thomas J. Steiner Memorial Highway. Designate the portion of Route 60 in the City of Pomona, beginning with Phillips Ranch Road and ending at Reservoir Street as the "CHP Officer Thomas J. Steiner Memorial Highway". Chaptered January 31, 2006. Resolution Chapter 2. The following bills also caught my eye; they haven't passed yet: AB 1970 (Levine) Energy resources: California Vampire Slayer Act of 2006. This bill would require the manufacturer of an appliance sold in California to place a power content label on each of its products that shows the energy consumption or energy efficiency of the appliance. The bill would require that the label also show the appliance's estimated annual operational cost both when the appliance is in the "active/on" mode and when it is in the "active/standby" mode. The bill would prescribe requirements on how the label is to be attached, and also require that same information to be displayed in any order catalog. The bill would require the act to be known as the California Vampire Slayer Act of 2006. LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/23/2006 LAST HIST. ACTION : Referred to Com. on U. & C. AB 2127 (Plescia) Hazardous waste: alkaline batteries. Existing law defines the term batteries, for purposes of the hazardous waste control laws, as primary or secondary batteries, including nickel-cadmium, alkaline, carbon-zinc, and other batteries generated as waste that are not subject the federal Resources Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). The bill would require the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the Department of Water Resources, by July 1, 2007, to jointly undertake a study and submit a report to the Legislature regarding whether there are any environmental impacts caused by the random disposal of used alkaline batteries in a permitted solid waste landfill facility, the extent of those impacts caused by that disposal, and proposed solutions to mitigate those identified impacts. The bill would also require the Office of the Legislative Analyst, by July 1, 2007, to evaluate the cost of developing an infrastructure to collect used alkaline batteries as a non-RCRA hazardous waste from consumers and the likely financial impact on California consumers, if they are required to fund the development of that infrastructure through a deposit, fee, or other form of imposed cost. LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/22/2006 LAST HIST. ACTION : From printer. May be heard in committee March 24. AB 2350 (Maze) Vehicles: character education: specialized license plates. This bill would create a new category of license plates known as the character education specialized license plates. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to design and make available for issuance a character education specialized license plate with a specified design that promotes those values specified in existing law requiring teachers to endeavor to impress certain principles upon the minds of pupils. Existing law, the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, provides specified protections for the computers of consumers in this state against certain types of computer software. Existing law, the Anti-Phishing Act of 2005, makes it unlawful for any person, through the Internet or other electronic means, to solicit, request, or take any action to induce another person to provide identifying information by representing itself to be a business without the approval or authority of the business. This bill would prohibit a person or entity from selling wireless technology, as defined, to a computer user in this state unless that technology contains encryption software or a similar encryption device, which is set as the default mode at the time of sale. The bill would also provide that if any part of these provisions or their applications are held invalid, the invalidity would not affect other provisions. AB 2625 (Pavley) California Heritage Corridor Act. This bill would enact the California Heritage Corridor Act and establish the California Heritage Corridor Committee in the Department of Transportation to determine street and highway routes that qualify to be designated as heritage corridors, as defined, and locations that qualify to be identified within designated heritage corridors. The bill would establish the membership of the committee and its duties and would require the department to provide administrative and staff support to the committee. The bill would establish the California Heritage Corridor Fund in the State Treasury and require all moneys in the fund to be continuously appropriated to the department and made available to the committee to cover its costs in implementing the California Heritage Corridor Act. The bill would require the committee, in cooperation with the department, to design a heritage corridor roadside sign that meets specified requirements for the purpose of identifying heritage corridor routes. The bill would require the department to, in consultation with the committee, develop criteria for placement of heritage corridor signs and to install and maintain those signs at the request of the committee. The bill provides a number of examples of corridors, but doesn't explicitly define any. LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/24/2006 LAST HIST. ACTION : Introduced. To print. SB 1228 (Morrow) Covenant marriage. This bill would enact the Covenant Marriage Act of 2006. The bill would establish procedures by which a couple may enter into a marital contract rejecting the right to a dissolution of marriage or a legal separation on grounds of irreconcilable differences, except in certain circumstances. The bill would require couples to receive marital counseling before entering into a covenant marriage and before divorcing. LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/16/2006 LAST HIST. ACTION : To Com. on JUD. COMM. LOCATION : SEN JUDICIARY This bill would make it an infraction, operative July 1, 2008, to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, unless that telephone is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking operation, and is used in that manner while driving. LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/24/2006 LAST HIST. ACTION : Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. The February CTC Agenda was reviewed last month. First, I did the usual round of link updates. Please note that I tend to only read misc.transport.road only once a month nowaday; you're best way to get changes to me is to mail them. Updated information on the following routes, based on my research(1), and contributions of information on leads (via direct mail or Usenet) from Jay Arnold(2), Mike Brady(3), Dave Hogan(4): Route 1(3), Route 2(1), Route 47(1), Route 121(2), Route 241(4), andI-15(4). Reviewed the Governator's Strategic Growth Plan and updated information on the following routes: Route 4, Route 12, Route 24, Route 44, Route 46, Route 58, Route 70, Route 78, Route 91, Route 99, Route 156, Route 299, Route 905, US 50, US 101, I-5, I-10, I-15, I-80, I-215, I-405, I-680, and I-880. Updated the legislative information page. New bills are starting to appear, and some old ones are coming back to life. Of most interest are some proposed major transportation bonds for the ballot, as well as relinquishment of part of Route 58. One naming resolution from 2005 made it to the Governator's desk. Reviewed the CTC Agenda for items of interest. There was no January meeting. Note the following February items: (3). Revise the project scope and update the project schedule for Project #93 – Route 180; environmental studies to extend Route 180 from Mendota Fresno to I-5. (4). Redistribute $424,000 in TCRP funds from R/W to PS&E, and update the project schedule and funding plan for Project #95 – Route 41; add auxiliary lane and improve ramps at Friant Road interchange. (6). Redistribute $5,000,000 from PA&ED to PS&E, and update the project schedule and funding plan for Project #15 – Route 24; Caldecott Tunnel; add fourth bore tunnel with additional lanes. (1). Route 20 in Colusa and Sutter Counties – Rehabilitate roadway near Colusa (ND) (2). Route 101 in Mendocino County – Realign highway near Leggett (FEIR) 2.3a. Route Adoptions Route Adopting a Traversable Highway at 01-Men-101 KP 159.2/162.2 (PM 98.9/100.8) in County of Mendocino. 2-Teh-36-PM 38.4 Route 36 in the County of Tehama. This is right of way in the County of Tehama, at Kinney Avenue, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads. 2-Mod-299-PM 21.6/22.3 (KP 34.8/35.9) Route 299 in the County of Modoc. This is right of way in the County of Modoc, at the intersection with County Roads 54, 82 and 83, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads. 2-Sha-299-PM 67.8/77.9 Route 299 in the County of Shasta/ This is right of way in the County of Shasta, between Goose Valley Road and Mackinac Street, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads. 3-But-70-PM 0.2/9.1 (KP 0.32/14.64) Route 70 in the County of Butte. This is right of way in the County of Butte, between Lower Honcut Road and Grover Lane, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads. 2.5e.(1) Supplemental Funds for Previously Voted Projects (2) On Route 101 in Santa Rosa, from Route 12 to Steele Lane. Widen from 4 to 6 lanes for high occupancy vehicle lanes. Supplemental funds are needed to award this project. (3) On Route 101 in Santa Maria, from south of Santa Maria Way to Route 135/Route 101 Separation. Widen to 6-lane freeway. 2.6e.(3) Traffic Congestion Relief Program Projects (2) Project #93 – Route 180; complete environmental studies to extend Route 180 westward from Mendota to I-5 in Fresno County. Preliminary engineering and environmental studies of various east-west connection alternatives for route adoption for the segment of Route 180 between I-5 and Route 33 in Mendota. Re-allocate $4,758,000 in previously allocated TCRP funding. (3) Project #95 – Route 41;add auxiliary lane/operational improvements and improve ramps at Friant Road Interchange in Fresno County. This project will add auxiliary lanes and improve ramps at Friant Road interchange, construct a median lane along Route 41, and construct auxiliary lanes from both Herndon Avenue and El Paso Avenue to Friant Road. Re-allocate $424,000 in previously allocated TCRP funding. Prior Year Changes: Note: Changes before early 1996 were not specifically noted, although this site, in various forms, dates back at least as far as 1986, when the first postings of California Highway Lists were made to ca.driving. Return to California Highways Home Page Start Visiting Highways © 1996-2012 Daniel P. Faigin. Maintained by: Daniel P. Faigin <webmaster@cahighways.org>.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24338
__label__wiki	0.885937	0.885937	Career night from Reed propels Bruins past Jamestown #23 Jamestown Bellevue (17-10, 9-5 NSAA) 38 38 76 #23 Jamestown (19-8, 8-6 NSAA) 31 42 73 Pts: Richard Reed - 24 Reb: Brandon Fagins - 9 Ast: Nick Hilton - 3 Pts: Purintun, Jon - 25 Reb: Johnson, Sam - 7 Ast: Purintun, Jon - 5 Richard Reed went off for a career-best 24 points to lead BU over Jamestown on Friday JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- Richard Reed scored a career-high 24 points, including sinking a pair of free throws that proved to be the game-winning points with 2:19 to play, to lift the (RV) Bellevue University men's basketball team to a 76-73 win over #23 University of Jamestown on Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at Newman Arena. Bellevue (17-10, 9-5 NSAA) has now won three-straight games while Jamestown (19-8, 8-6 NSAA) saw their four-game win streak halted. With the win the Bruins move into sole possession of first place, a game ahead of both the Jimmies and Dickinson State, in the North Star standings. BU found themselves in a seven-point hole with 9:06 to play in the first half after a basket from Leighton Sampson put Jamestown up 23-16. The Bruins made their move a short time later as Austin Moore keyed a 9-0 BU run in a span of just 1:43 with a pair of free throws. Jamestown led 28-27 after a Christian Kvilvang three-pointer but BU out-scored the Jimmies 11-3 over the final 4:21 of the first half to take a 38-31 lead into halftime. The Bruins led throughout much of the second half, pushing their lead to as many as 13 points when a trey by Brian Stokes with 11:41 to go put BU up 60-47. Jamestown got as close as a single point on multiple occasions in the final 2:34 but they were unable to overcome their guests. Up 74-73, Nick Hilton sank a free throw with 1:28 to play and had a chance to push the lead to three but was called for a lane violation on the second attempt. A turnover by Jon Purintun gave the ball back to BU with 1:00 to go but Reed was whistled for an offensive foul with 42 seconds on the clock that gave the ball back to Jamestown. Purintun missed a three that was rebounded by Jalen Hall. Following a foul Connor Dukes hit one of two free throws to put BU up 76-73 with 11 seconds left. Kevin Oberweiser missed a three-pointer at the buzzer which would have tied the game. Reed led the way with 24 points and Blake Wilder was the only other Bruin to score in double-figures finishing with 10 on 4-of-4 shooting. Nick Hilton (9), BJ Shelton (8), Connor Dukes (7), and Brandon Fagins (6) combined for 30 points with Fagins hauling in a game-best nine rebounds. Jon Purintun paced the Jimmies with 25 points and five assists. Leighton Sampson went for 19 and Kevin Oberweiser dropped in 15 for the home side. Sam Johnson added nine and a team-best seven boards. Bellevue has the opportunity to clinch at least a share of the NSAA Regular-Season title tomorrow when they take on (RV) Mayville State at 5 p.m. in Mayville, N.D.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24340
__label__wiki	0.79849	0.79849	How the hospitality business left JRG's founders both shaken and stirred They were young, naive and ambitious. But eventually, they got it together and now own 26 hospitality and retail properties Andre Bourque (left) and Ryan Moreno: "After the (bartending) classes were finished we were holding $8,000 in our hands and realized we had created a business."Courtesy JRG Group Denise Deveau When young entrepreneurs ask Ryan Moreno his key to success, the CEO of the Joseph Richard Group (JRG) in Surrey, B.C. says there’s no secret formula. Moreno co-founded JRG with André Bourque, a friend he has known since primary school. Together the intrepid team has built the company into a thriving operation that owns and manages 26 hospitality and retail properties in the province. Their success story is one that seems more fiction than fact. It doesn’t involve incubators or a network of mentors and business connections. It’s more about street smarts and staying determined through plenty of ups and downs. Moreno started as a busboy at the age of 14 and immediately developed a liking for the restaurant industry. At 19, he and Bourque took a bartending course together and ended up working at Earl’s. “Like anybody our age we kept thinking we could do cocktails better and differently,” Moreno says. From catch to kitchen: Entrepreneurs reel in data on seafood supply chain Owning a restaurant is a risky venture — here’s how to up your chances of success Restaurants think they have a secret weapon in battle with Amazon, delivery startups So they developed a bartending course with a modern spin. “After the classes were finished we were holding $8,000 in our hands and realized we had created a business. That was a big wow moment,” Moreno says. Not long after, they each ventured into a business of their own. Bourque purchased a failing nightclub; Moreno took over a restaurant where the owner was retiring — but it ultimately failed. “It was a monster,” he says. “I didn’t do enough research around leasing, pricing and terms, or dealing with liquor boards and licenses. Three years into entrepreneurship I lost all my money.” He rebounded quickly and launched another restaurant called Rain with funds provided by his mother. Bourque’s nightclub deal came with a $300,000 debt incurred by the previous owners but that didn’t stop him from pursuing the opportunity, he says. “They wanted $10,000 for me to take it on. I thought, I’m 24, living in a basement and all I have is a car worth $500. What have I got to lose?” He managed to turn it around before closing it when the lease came due. In 2006, Bourque and Moreno decided it was time to invest in a new business together: The Vanilla Room in Langley, which has since closed after a successful run. And that was just the beginning. Their big break was in 2009 when a Vancouver property on Granville Street came up. They founded JRG and opened Joseph Richard Nightclub (based on their middle names). Bourque says they had to pull out all the stops to fund the $1 million project. “We called everyone we knew and presented our proposal to at least 20 people. Finally a couple of friends jumped in to help.” We were young and both got taken advantage of and ran into challenges … but I don’t regret it. Everything was a learning experience. Ryan Moreno, co-founder, JRG Group Since then, JRG has divested itself of a few ventures, and diversified through expansion and acquisitions. Their trajectory is especially noteworthy given their ages and lack of experience when starting out, Moreno says. “We were young and both got taken advantage of and ran into challenges. I don’t wish what we went through in those years on our worst enemy, but I don’t regret it. Everything was a learning experience.” Like many young entrepreneurs, financing in those early years was an uphill battle until they gained their footing, he adds. “Getting started is the hardest because nobody wants to help you. We spent hours talking to every person we could. We would go to banks and ask them what we need to do and what they wanted to see. Than we would keep coming back with what they asked for. Now a lot of those same banks are happy to lend us funds.” While Moreno may not have a simple answer when asked about his success, he does point to one important factor. “It’s being good to the people we have around us and are experts in what they do.” In fact a number of JRG’s key personnel they met by chance or through family and friends connections. Another is keeping the entrepreneurial momentum over the years, Bourque says. “It’s hard work to keep a vision going. But you have to keep trying knowing you won’t win every time.” Entrepreneur Newsletter (Every Wednesday) WatchEntrepreneurs are planning to invest in 2020, despite economic naysaying, BDC study finds How a Winnipeg entrepreneur is using Mother Nature's deadly weapon to fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs This entrepreneur has thrown out the standard tech playbook — and his strategy appears to be working Competition Bureau cracks down on paid posts of social media influencers Canadian company backed by Jeff Bezos gets $100 million for nuclear fusion demo plant Entrepreneurs beware: Behind the label of 'tireless visionaries' can lurk mental exhaustion and depression For small business success, listening to your critics is just as important as listening to your fans Embracing the enemy: Canadian banks partnering with fintech firms after once seeing them as rivals Follow this advice if you want to avoid a business partnership that crashes and burns Why bootstrapping just may be your company’s best (if not only) bet Top mistakes to avoid when signing a lease agreement for your business Sidewalk Labs and Plaza Ventures planning Toronto-based venture fund focused on smart-city technology	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24346
__label__cc	0.701273	0.298727	Calendar Submit an Event Weather THVB All North Shore Beaver Bay, Minnesota Finland, Minnesota Knife River, Minnesota Silver Bay, Minnesota Two Harbors, Minnesota Login Join Us Fees Mission Statement About Contact Us Tettegouche Event: Universe in the Park Saturday Aug 10, 2019 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM CDT Tettegouche Event Calendar Universe in the Park is a summer outreach program hosted by the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics and area state and local parks. This annual program, modeled after a very successful project at the University of Wisconsin, is headed by faculty member Evan Skillman and graduate student Chris Nolting. At our events, representatives of the Institute will present a short (20?30 min) public talk and slide show. Presentations cover a variety of astronomical topics such as: the history of matter, how astronomers "see," and a journey through our solar system. Afterwards, if weather allows, attendees have the opportunity to view the sky through multiple 8-inch reflecting telescopes, operated by the staff and provided by the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics. Additionally, we provide free star maps (e.g. www.skymaps.com) and are happy to show visitors how to use them. Throughout the evening, we encourage questions from the audience and enjoy discussing topics ranging from backyard astronomy to the latest scientific discoveries. Through these events, we hope to convey the excitement of modern astronomical research while simultaneously providing an enjoyable introduction to amateur astronomy. Although a vehicle permit is usually required to enter the parks, the events are free to the public. Please join us! Business Directory News Releases Events Calendar Hot Deals Member To Member Deals Marketspace Job Postings Contact Us Information & Brochures Weather Join Us SPEAK TO A HUMAN ? The Lake County Chamber of Commerce is comprised of members in the Beaver Bay, Finland, Knife River and Silver Bay and Two Harbors communities. 1330 MN-61 Two Harbors, MN 55616	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24347
__label__cc	0.671019	0.328981	View source for Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics From CCRMA Wiki ← Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics The Stanford University Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics is a multi-disciplinary facility where composers and researchers work together using computer-based technology both as an artistic medium and as a research tool. [http://cm-wiki.stanford.edu/wiki/Special:Allpages Current Pages] == Recently added pages == * [[realsimple]] project overview Return to Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. Retrieved from "https://ccrma.stanford.edu/wiki/Center_for_Computer_Research_in_Music_and_Acoustics" Special:Categories CCRMA Web Site About CCRMA Wiki	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24350
__label__wiki	0.54425	0.54425	Old Bulgarian Old Slavonic Only content I have full access to Structuralism and Post-Structuralism We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria. Result 1-20 of 623 "Rébellion du signifiant": Rayonnement contemporain du concept de bricolage Author(s): Ines Prica / Language(s): French / Issue: 2/2009 " In this paper the concept of bricolage is applied to the paradoxical contexts of transitory societies using the translation of general theoretical concepts to those politically recognizable. On the one hand, notions of intersubjectivity, improvisation and self-organisation suggest social functioning based on the principles of free market, management and self-government; while on the other, common understanding of transition as the "application of democracy according to a model", introduces radically different background of bricolage as non-inventiveness, imitation, fragmentary connection and "irrational mentality". "Uistinu nije moguća kritika onoga što činim" Jacques Derrida odgovara Florianu Rötzeru Author(s): Jacques Derrida,Florian Rötzer / Language(s): Bosnian / Issue: 05+06/1987 Interview with Jacques Derrida by Florian Rötzer A critical note on the evolution of social theoretical and linguistic underpinnings of contemporary discourse studies Author(s): Piotr Cap / Language(s): English,Croatian / Issue: 2/2019 This paper gives a critical overview of analytical approaches dominating the field of discourse studies in the last three decades, from the perspective of their philosophical and formative bases: social constructionism and linguistics. It explores different conceptions of the theoretical nexus between these two bases leading to the emergence of three distinct yet complementary strands of thought (i–iii). The paper starts with poststructuralist views of discourse salient in (i) Laclau and Mouffe’s Discourse Theory. Laclau and Mouffe’s assumption that no discourse is a closed entity but rather transformed through contact with other discourses is taken as the introductory premise to present a large family of (ii) critical discourse studies, characterized as text-analytical practices explaining how discourse partakes in the production and negotiations of ideological meanings. Finally, the paper discusses (iii) three recent discourse analytical models: Discourse Space Theory, Critical Metaphor Analysis, and Legitimization-Proximization Model. These new theories make a further (and thus far final) step toward consolidation of the social-theoretical and linguistic bases in contemporary discourse studies. The empirical benefits of this consolidation are discussed in the last part of the paper, which includes a case study where the new models are used in the analysis of Polish anti-immigration discourse. A meta-structuralist trap: Periodisation and Jan Mukařovský’s structuralism Author(s): Aneta Daszuta / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2018 The aim of this article is to show some methodological traps connected with the common tendency for periodisation of phenomena or processes in research, basing on the example of secondary literature about Czech structuralism, especially Jan Mukařovský’s theory. The author describes the narratives shaped in these works and shows how their symbolic charge directs the way of thinking about the heritage of the Prague school and Jan Mukařovský, which may influence the interpretation of his literary and aesthetic theory. A NON-PHALLOCENTRIC FEMININE WRITING PRACTICE IN VIRGINIA WOOLF AND ERENDİZ ATASÜ THROUGH THE ‘ALL-ENCOMPASSING FEMALE LANGUAGE’ Author(s): Muzaffer Derya Subasi Nazlipinar / Language(s): English / Issue: 33/2017 Language has always played an active role in creating a subjugated life for women. In this limited life, civilization is patriarchal, history is HIStory, literature is phallocentric and language is man-made. In order to break the chain of vicious circle, forcing them being the inferior ‘others’ of men, women seek the ways of de(con)structing all the fixed and hierarchical structures of male discourse and its manmade language. Among those women are Virginia Woolf and Erendiz Atasü, who assert that women can transcend all patriarchal boundaries between body/mind, female/male and self/other through the ‘all-encompassing female language’, enabling a nonphallocentric feminine writing practice. Depending on their concerns, this study puts forward how phallocentric ideology affects women and how it is challenged by women’s writing by basing its argument on post-structuralist feminist theories. It analyzes the pursuit of a female language by Woolf and Atasü to find out if the female language shares common features despite the philosophic, religious and cultural differences. The comparative analysis of the two writers reveals that the all-encompassing female language challenges and brings down the phallocentric discourse by de(con)structing the distance between ‘body and mind’ and achieves ‘wholeness’ by moving beyond the fixed confines of sexual differences. A POSTMODERN NARRATIVE FOR AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY Author(s): Philip Higgs / Language(s): English / Issue: 04/2016 In this essay I argue for a distinctively postmodern African knowledge culture which recognizes that knowledge is not only local, but also inter-subjective. Such an African knowledge culture not only includes the idea of what I refer to as plural conversations in an inter-African context, but also includes a cross-cultural knowledge that facilitates cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. In the light of this, I propose an orientation to African knowledge culture that has cultural relevance insofar as it is mounted on concepts peculiar to an inter-African context, as well as in the larger context of a continuing cross-cultural dialogue. Such an African knowledge culture acknowledges the necessity to develop the ability to grasp the fundamentals of indigenous African cultures and other cultures by way of adopting and living out what I call a postmodern dis-position. Such a postmodern dis-position would perceive an African knowledge culture not only as an inter-cultural African philosophy of personal intent, but also as the practice of cross-cultural dialogue, where culture takes on the form of a consensual or social epistemology, that is, an epistemology deliberately situated in a particular cultural context and sensitive to the need for cross-cultural dialogue. In this instance, the individual recognizes and exercises knowledge(s) appropriate to his/her culture, and at the same time has a critical awareness of the knowledge(s) and cultural traditions of both his/her culture and that of other cultures. In so doing, the individual constructs a sound epistemic identity for his/her culture, as well as one that meets the particular demands of his/her unique cultural context. Such an epistemic identity perceives of philosophy as a product of, and a reflection on, reality, as a guide to life; while the experience out of which philosophy emerges is determined by how people have lived in their particular historic and cultural contexts. A post-structuralist revised Weil–Lévi-Strauss transformation formula for conceptual value-fields Author(s): James B. Harrod / Language(s): English / Issue: 2-3/2018 The structuralist André-Weil–Claude-Lévi-Strauss transformation formula (CF), initially applied to kinship systems, mythology, ritual, artistic design and architecture, was rightfully criticized for its rationalism and tendency to reduce complex transformations to analogical structures. I present a revised non-mathematical revision of the CF, a general transformation formula (rCF) applicable to networks of complementary semantic binaries in conceptual value-fields of culture, including comparative religion and mythology, ritual, art, literature and philosophy. The CF is a rule-guided formula for combinatorial conceptualizing in non-representational, presentational mythopoetics and other cultural symbolizations. A quoi servent les genres? Partage, délimitation et classification dans l’anthropologie structurale et cognitive, sur l’exemple de la culture musicale Author(s): Bojan Žikic / Language(s): French / Issue: 2/2009 Levi-Strauss’s theoretical-methodological "legatee" – anthropological structuralism was one of the most important theoretical frameworks used in cognitive anthropology. Since it was sometimes too abstract for ‘practical’ minds, trained in British-American empirical traditions, Levi-Strauss thought was mediated through the works of British structural-functionalist, particularly those of Mary Douglas and Edmund Leach, who established its premises as a kind of contextualised particularism of the unquestioned universalism. Ideas about the way in which human cultural mind functions, is one of the corner stones of cognitive anthropology, which cognitive anthropology shares with structural anthropology, and from which cognitive anthropology actually inherits what it shares with structural anthropology – this sounds properly structural – that is: an interest in the processes of division, demarcation and classification in a sense of cultural management of a perceived surrounding reality. An example for such analysis, that I use in this paper, is music, or more precisely music culture, an expression that I use in order to imply that the affinity to a type of music, or musical genre should be understood in a sense of a particular cultural way of thinking and acting. A RECONSIDERATION OF FOUCAULT’S “MARXISM” IN RELATION TO THE THOUGHT OF LOUIS ALTHUSSER Author(s): DEB J. HILL / Language(s): English / Issue: 02/2013 The purpose of this paper is to supplement existing studies that have explored Foucault’s “Marxist” inclinations by means of a focused consideration of the thought of the person who challenged Foucault with an entirely different version of Marxism – his friend and mentor, Louis Althusser. My argument here is that “Marxism” has been treated largely as a singular category within the literature, meaning that an understanding of the points of difference and agreement Foucault had with competing versions of Marxism has been conveniently ignored. As I maintain within this paper, one cannot fully understand the nature of Foucault’s relationship with “the Marxist tradition” – and his comments about various aspects of this tradition – without understanding Althusser’s own “rereading” of what could be regarded as dubious versions of Marxism. As I further contend, Foucault’s recalcitrant attitude towards traditional orthodoxies of scholarship and method owes much to Althusser’s articulation of Marx’s anti-humanist, anti-historical, and anti-Hegelian revolution in thought and practice. A Structural Study on the Image of the Turk in the British Caricatures Author(s): Evrim Ulusan Öztürkmen / Language(s): English / Issue: 91/2017 The main tool of the caricature is the “line”. The line on its own, the characteristics of the line such as being horizontal, vertical, or diagonal and its figural characteristics such as being circular, curved, diagonal, or zig-zag create different associations and semantic fields in the mind. While the line in the caricature is processed with such tools as color, texture, shadow and perspective, it creates a discourse consisting of verbal and visual patterns. In this research, the following questions were sought to be answered by examining six cartoons published in England in the magazine Punch during World War I: What kind of image of the Turk do the lines in the England caricatures create? What kind of relationship is there between the visual content and the verbal content of the caricature? What are the concepts that make up the positive and negative contents of the images of the Turk? Activist Philosophy and the Occurent Arts Author(s): Brian Massumi / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2013 This text deals with a number of interrelated concepts – from something doing to the bare fact of activity, from bare activity to event and change, from change to potential and the production of the new, from production of the new to process as becoming. But process of becoming is also self-creation, and as such is double. It consists of relational and qualitative dimensions, which are also in their turn political and aesthetic, that is aesthetico-political and speculative-pragmatic. Practices we call politics and practices we call art are all integrally aesthetico-political, and every aesthetico-political activity is integrally speculative-pragmatic, and as such can be approached through the concept of techniques of existence. They are inventive of subjective forms in the activist sense – dynamic unities of events unfolding – so they qualify whatever domain in which their creativity is operative as an occurrent art. Afektivna topologija: Maks Rajnhard kuća (1992) Pitera Ajzenmana Author(s): Željka Pješivac / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 3/2013 This paper reconsiders the relation between digitally modeled architecture and a body in front of it or in it. Such a relationship investigates production or better affection of haptic space in a viewer’s body, and thus dislocation of the discursive function of the human subject and vision. Developing this thesis through historical, comparative and analytical method, the objective of this paper is to elaborate contemporary cognitions of affect and affectation (in the era of digital media) and modifications of a body perception in interaction with digital technology manifested through architectural design. The starting point is based on the philosophical views of Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari and Mark Hansen. Attention is moving from poststructuralistic semiology and theory of text toward a new phenomenology. Aforizam u nezgodno vrijeme Author(s): Jacques Derrida / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 23/2018 Aforizam je ime. Kao što mu ime kaže, aforizam odvaja, bilježi disocijaciju (apo), završava, razgraničuje, utvrđuje (orizo). Aforizam dovršava odvajajući, odvaja kako bi dovršio - i odredio. […] African Woman Rises from the Ashes: Alice Walker’s Mimicry of Classic Ethnography in Possessing the Secret of Joy Author(s): Zohreh Ramin,Farshid Nowrouzi Roshnavand / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017 Before the advent of deconstructive schools of thought in the second half of the twentieth century, anthropology and ethnography were hailed as scientific disciplines whose major consideration was to provide an objective analysis of other cultures. However, the launch of such critical approaches as postcolonialism, feminism, and postmodernism has nullified the two disciplines’ claim to scientificity and objectivity by laying bare their sexist, racist backdrop. In the postist zeitgeist, new ethnographies have been promoted in an attempt to disrupt the hierarchical relationship between the researcher and the studied subject of classic ethnography through including first-hand marginalized voices. Moreover, they blur the long-held generic boundaries between science and fiction via establishing the “ethnographic novel” as a medium that committedly voices the subalterns. Alice Walker’s Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) is one of these new ethnographic novels which has as its protagonist an oppressed African woman. What makes Walker’s work distinct and notable is that the feminist writer subversively employs the conventional mode of ethnographic writing to stand up to African patriarchy and its horrific ritual of female circumcision. Agon-kompleks Author(s): Luka Perušic / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 03/139/2015 Considering the three orders in the cosmic assembly (macrocosm, microcosm and mesocosm), using an integrative analysis of cosmological understandings of variously-oriented metaphysicists and scientists, I firstly reach to a conclusion on entanglement of two developed cosmic principles that define the relational totality of objects and meanings. The first I term gathering- one-allness, which I describe with arhe-complex. The second I term itself-against-striving, which I describe with eris-complex. On the basis of a shift from enclosed systems (non-living being) to open systems (living being), I elaborate how arhe- and eris-complex create logoscomplex and agon-complex and in what way this new entanglement passes through corporeality (microcosm) to society (mesocosm), in the broadest sense appearing as a strife between realpolitics and utopian striving. In further development, I suggest an articulation of the current world state with the term biopolitical agon in which the power flows through infosphere relays. It is based on dismembering the living into convertible information that contains power in the ability to regulate and be regulated, i.e. the ability of the biopolitical to subdue logos with agon through logos itself, which I attempt to explain by matching this issue with previously mentioned phenomena. With corporeality as an instrument of transformative bitisation, I further discuss societal leaning towards cancelling the original purpose of logos-complex and depowering it regarding the control of bodily articulation of its own purpose-defining. This I shortly outline and then route back to the research’s starting point. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Perception of Reality from the Visual Field of the Other: Analysis of the Relation between Ordinary Language Philosophy and Poststructural Critique of Vision Author(s): Margareta Jelic / Language(s): English / Issue: 9/2016 The first objective of this work is to establish a parallel between the ordinary language philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein as well as the philosophy of Stanley Cavell and poststructuralism and its theories through their apprehension of vision and seeing as conceptual categories. The second objective is the analysis of perception of reality from the visual field of the other (children, women, other civilizations and peripheral parts of society) as a place of position of the subject in the frame of Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic poststructural theory, Jacques Derrida’s deconstructivism and psychoanalytic poststructural feminist theories (Irigaray, Kristeva). Alkisti Efthymiou in Conversation with Athena Athanasiou: Spectral Publics and Antifascist Eventualities Author(s): Alkisti Efthymiou,Athena Athanasiou / Language(s): English / Issue: 1-2/2019 This text is a conversation between Athena Athanasiou and Alkisti Efthymiou, drawing from Athena Athanasiou’s new book, Agonistic Mourning: Political Dissidence and the Women in Black (Edinburgh University Press, 2017). The conversation discusses the critical potency of collective subjectivities such as the Women in Black and expands on issues that include political agency, vulnerability in resistance, spacing appearance, performing public mourning, or the traveling of social movements, associating them with contemporary feminist and antifascist urgencies. Central to the text is the concept of non-sovereign agonism, a form of political agency that addresses (or takes into account) the dispossessed quality of subjectivity and pays attention to the relationality through which we are constituted as subjects. ALWAYS ON THE RUN: THE VICISSITUDES OF REALISM IN HUNGARIAN CRITICISM Author(s): Sándor Hites / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2014 In this article I offer an overview of the ways in which the term realism has been understood and used in Hungarian literary criticism, from the introduction of the term into Hungarian discourses in the middle of the 19th century to the post-1989 period, when the term had to grapple with the legacy of its appropriation by the Socialist regime. I examine three specific junctures in the critical trajectory of Realism: the introduction of the term in the 1850s, the uses and abuses of the term by Marxist ideologues, and finally the aversion towards the term that emerged in the post-Socialist era. In addition to examining pivotal moments in the history of this critical concept in Hungarian literary discourse, my inquiry also offers a critical perspective from which to consider an enduring anxiety concerning the achievements, past and future, of Hungarian literary culture, an anxiety that finds expression in a symptomatic concern with the ways in which tendencies in Hungarian culture do or do not relate to cultural developments outside of Hungary. AN EXISTENTIAL ERRAND: SCHOLARSHIP, AUTHORSHIP AND THE CRISIS OF REPRESENTATION Author(s): Thomas Basbøl / Language(s): English / Issue: 06/2015 Since 1968, at least, academia has been subject to the “crisis of representation.” This essay explores the consequences of the “postmodern condition” for the identity formation of academics. It is informed by Foucault’s and Deleuze’s understanding of the pivotal intellectual developments in the late 20th century, which are taken to challenge Wittgenstein’s presumption that language is essentially about the assertion of facts. Instead of abandoning representation, however, it proposes to meet this challenge squarely, proposing a disciplined engagement with its particular difficulty. Facts are deployed in academic writing, it argues, through the act of scholarship. The ability to represent a fact is at the core of the knowledge that is implicit in the self-formation of the scholar. Antagonističko, agonističko i singularno pluralno političko Author(s): Nada Harbaš,Bernard Harbaš / Language(s): Bosnian / Issue: 01+02/2011 This article is an attempt to present historical development of the concept of the political. Through positions of Carl Schmitt, Chantal Mouffe and Ernesto Laclau, Jean-Luc Nancy and Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, this article demonstrates three different understandings of the relations between politics and the political. While Carl Schmitt understands the political as the precondition of a state and defines it through the antagonistic relation friend/enemy, Mouffe and Laclau determine the political as agonistic, transforming at the same time the enmity into the relations between adversaries. Instead of Schmitt’s idea of enmity, as well as Habermas’s deliberative definition of democracy, the two theoreticians suggest a concept of agonistic pluralism should be introduced which would, along with the agreement, necessarily include disagreement on political matters. Nancy and Lacoue-Labarthe, similarly to Mouffe and Laclau, and following Heidegger, bring the political into relation with philosophical and define it as a constant questioning of current politics. They believe that every agreement necessarily leads to totalitarianism so that the political thus always needs to be opposed to power and government.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24352
__label__cc	0.728458	0.271542	Blog Tour: The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019 ~ celiamoontown ~ Leave a comment Published by Penguin Viking Books, 21 March 2019, £3.50 Another true gem from Dinah Jefferies! Packed with gorgeous detail, mystery, humour, and romance. Any season, any day, any time- a new Dinah Jefferies book will whisk you away into an exotic vintage dream. After a few pages of The Missing Sister, you will be strolling down dynamic streets of 1930s Burma feeling the humidity and getting peckish for the local food. Jefferies is already established as one of my favourite writers, her addictive stories are always flowing beautifully as the far-flung settings she visits. The Missing Sister is the most mysterious addition to her repertoire. It is about a young English woman called Belle, who takes up a job as a singer for a hotel in Burma. Her father had just passed away and she has no connections left at home. She recently found a newspaper clipping that stated how her parents were living in Rangoon when their baby daughter disappeared; a daughter that they had before her and that she never knew about. She decides to go to Burma, still under British colonial rule, to see if there are any remnants of her parent’s history and her past. Racial politics and mental health are the two main compelling themes, especially the treatment of women suffering from mental health problems. Ignorance is recognised as the biggest enemy. Interwoven with Belle’s new adventure are segments of her mother’s life from a few decades earlier. These chapters are written in the first person, which compared to Belle’s third person POV are a little jarring, but certainly, thicken the plot. I love how Belle begins to connect threads of mystery and how friendly characters she meets along the way appear disturbingly suspicious. Moving melancholia and heart-fluttering moments punctuate continuously- and what a wonderful ending! Many thanks to Georgia Taylor at Penguin for my review copy Blog Tour: Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey January 24, 2019 ~ celiamoontown ~ Leave a comment Published by Viking, Jan 2018 (paperback), 336 pages, £6.99 A carefully constructed story about mother-daughter relationships, paranoia, and trust. Emma Healey has a talent for exposing the disturbing nature of a fragmented family. I was blown away by her debut, Elizabeth is Missing, but felt tepid about this second novel. The pacing was slower and it found it hard to empathise with some of the characters. Lana, a teenage girl, goes missing during an art retreat in the country. After a few days, she is found by the police, to the relief of her parents. However, she cannot remember what happened during her time away or to her mother’s suspicion, is deliberately hiding something. So her mother, Jen, keeps probing her, hoping that she would open up. She goes through multiple theories, thinking up all kinds of solutions to engage with her daughter. At the same time, Lana becomes more distant and begins to change her habits, as if her character is distorted. Jen is certain something happened and begins comparing her relationship with her daughter before and after the incident, her paranoia driving the whole family mad. To an impressive degree, Healy creates a quietly turbulent situation, where nothing is quite right. But we can’t quite put our finger on what exactly is wrong. Everything is hanging in suspense, the bonds between the family are barely being kept together, but not broken yet. Instead of chapters, it’s structured in episodes, flash backs, random thoughts- reflecting the shards of memories and suspicions the mother has to piece together. However, it felt too fragmented and left me grappling with what concept to focus on. I found it tricky to get a fuller understanding of the characters; Lana felt too mysterious and Jen started to get quite frustrating. During traumatic times, you would expect anyone to be more than frazzled, but her lack of strength was more annoying than endearing. The ending was interesting, not the gut-pull Elizabeth is Missing had, but a quieter inward revelation which is chilling in its own way. Unfortunately, the route the novel took to get to the final point perhaps undermined the impact it should have had. Thank you so much to Georgia Taylor from Viking for my copy EXCERPT REVEAL Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry January 9, 2019 ~ celiamoontown ~ 1 Comment I am delighted to reveal an excerpt of Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry as part of the blog tour for her new novel, out on the 22nd January. Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people’s opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be? “A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry. “Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), ONLY A BREATH APART will be available on all retailers on January 22, 2019! About ONLY A BREATH APART: Jesse dreams of working the land that’s been in his family forever. But he’s cursed to lose everything he loves most. Scarlett is desperate to escape her “charmed” life. But leaving a small town is easier said than done. Despite their history of heartbreak, when Jesse sees a way they can work together to each get what they want, Scarlett can’t say no.Each midnight meeting between Jesse and Scarlett will push them to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. Amazon \| Kobo \| Google Play \| B-A-M \| Barnes & Noble \| iBooks “Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series Add it to your Goodreads today! I’m defying my parents by attending a funeral. Reckless and adventurous teenage behavior, I know. Most seventeen-year-olds lie to their parents so they can go on a date with a forbidden boy or attend a party where there will be questionable behavior. Me? I’m outright lying to my dad, and it’s because Jesse Lachlin’s grandmother died. The entire way here I’ve questioned my sanity, but I don’t know how I’d live with myself if I stayed home. Jesse Lachlin used to be my childhood best friend. We were inseparable. We had the type of friendship people strive to have, and then, a few years ago, he cut me so deeply that I still bleed. But ten-year-old me would have never abandoned a hurting Jesse. So today I’m not only honoring the memory of Jesse’s grandmother, but also the memory of our dead friendship. On my way to the funeral, the high grass of the field swats at my legs, but I don’t mind the sting. I love walking barefoot in grass, I love the smell of the earth and I love that brief feeling of freedom open spaces can provide. It’s the dog days of August. The type of hot that starts when the sun rises and makes you sweat through your clothes within minutes. While my skin and palms are on fire, the pads of my feet are cool against the dirt. The heat is unwelcome, but the sky is deep blue and the sun is bright, and for that, I can be grateful. Walking out of the field, I stop short of crossing the one-lane road to slip on the flats that dangle from my fingertips. My mother would be mortified if she knew I was entering a church in a cotton daisy-print sundress. It’s not one of the dresses with stiff fabric and impossible back zippers she would have picked for me at an overpriced department store. It’s the type that’s machine-washable and breathable. The type of dress Jesse’s grandmother would have given her stamp of approval. I can practically hear my mother heavily sigh and mumble my name, Scarlett, as if it were her personal, private curse word. Mom believes there’s a certain way to dress and behave, and I’m breaking all sorts of her rules today. Watch out, world. I’m officially rebellious. I smile to myself because I’m the opposite of rebellious. For the last few years, I’ve followed every rule. I’m the teacher’s pet and the girl with straight A’s. I’m the poster child of perfection, and have earned every snarky ice princess comment Jesse’s friends whisper about me in the school hallways because he and I no longer speak. There are only six cars in the parking lot of the white church, and that makes me frown. I thought more people would have wanted to attend. Jesse’s mud-covered pickup is there, and so is an unnaturally clean black Mercedes that belongs to his uncle. This ought to be interesting. Jesse and his uncle have a mutual hate for each other that runs deeper than any root of any tree. Movement to my right and I slowly turn my head. Shivers run down my spine at the sight of Glory Gardner. Even though I’m seventeen and too old for ghost stories, I still can’t shake the ones regarding this woman. Girls would whisper over lunch boxes that Glory was a witch. As I grew older, I understood that witch meant con artist. She claims she can read palms, tarot cards and “sees” spirits from beyond the dead. All for a glorious fee. She’s a beautiful woman—long dirty blond hair that’s untamed, even in a bun, and she has an eclectic taste in clothing. Today she wears a white peasant shirt and a flowing skirt made of material that shimmers in the sun. Glory watches me like I watch her, with morbid curiosity. I knew her as a child, back when Jesse and I ran wild in the fields near her home, but we haven’t talked in years. She stands under the shade of a towering weeping willow. There are lots of those trees around here. Mom says it’s because there is too much water in the ground. I say it’s because the people in this town have cried too many tears. Mom doesn’t like my answer.I tilt my head toward the church, an unspoken question if Glory will be joining me. She shakes her head no. I’m not shocked. According to rumors, Glory will go up in flames if she enters the house of God. But who knows? Maybe I will, too. The church is one of those picturesque, historical, one-room school buildings squeezed between a cornfield on one side and a hay field on the other. A huge steeple with a bell attempts to reach the heavens, but like anything created by a human, it falls tragically short. The foreboding wooden door makes no noise as I open it, and I’m able to slip in without a huge, squeaking announcement. Orange light filters in through the dark stained glass windows, and its struggling beams reveal millions of dancing particles of dust. On the altar, there’s no casket, but there is an urn. My heart dips—Suzanne is dead. I used to wish she were my grandmother, and many times, she treated me as if I belonged to her. Suzanne was the epitome of love, and the world feels colder now that she’s gone. Choosing a spot in the back, I drop into a pew, and as I scan the church my stomach churns. How is it possible that this place is so barren? Besides the Funeral Brigade, or the FB, as I like to refer to them, there aren’t many people here. The FB are the older group of woman who attend every funeral in our small town even if they didn’t know the person. Attending funerals isn’t my idea of fun, but who am I to judge? The FB sit directly behind the one person the town believes to be the lone sane member of the Lachlin family, probably because he isn’t blood related—Jesse’s uncle. On the left side of the church is Jesse. Only Jesse. And that causes a painful pang in my chest. Where are his stinking friends? The anarchists in training who follow Jesse wherever he goes? Where is the rest of the town? Yes, Suzanne was polarizing, but still, where is any respect?Quietly, so I don’t draw attention to myself, I slip from the right set of pews to the left. Someone should be on Jesse’s side, and it’s sad it has to be me. A door at the front of the church opens, and the pastor walks out from the addition the church build on as a small office ten years ago. I would have thought any pastor assigned to this place would be as ancient as this church. Sort of like an Indiana Jones Knights Templar scenario where he lives forever as long as he stays inside. But no, he’s the youngest pastor from the main, newer church in town. His name is Pastor Hughes, and he’s a thirty-something black man with a fit build who is just cute enough that he should be starring in a movie. The pastor looks up, and he flinches as if startled. I peek over my shoulder then sigh. Clearly, he’s surprised to see me. Flipping fantastic. His reaction, and the fact he won’t stop staring, causes every person to turn their heads. Lovely. I’ve had dreams like this where I enter a room and become the center of attention. Only in my dreams it’s at school, it’s my classmates and I’m naked, but still, this is disconcerting. Eventually, the FB and Jesse’s uncle return their attention to the front, but Jesse doesn’t. He rests his arm on the back of the pew, and it’s hard to ignore that he’s made me his sole focus, but I do my best to act as if I don’t notice. To help, I concentrate on what my mom taught me as a child—to make sure the skirt of my dress is tucked appropriately so that my thighs don’t show. I then fold my hands in my lap and straighten to a book-on-head posture. I can be the ice princess people claim me to be. Five pews separate me and Jesse, and it’s not nearly enough. My cheeks burn under his continued inspection. Jesse has done this a handful of times since our freshman year. Glance at me as if I’m someone worth looking at, someone worth laughing with a little too loud and smiling with a little too much. Then he remembers who I am and snaps his gaze to someone else. But he’s not looking away now. Katie McGarry Bio: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013. Website \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Goodreads \| Pinterest \| Tumbler \| Instagram The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (Audio experience) December 27, 2018 ~ celiamoontown ~ Leave a comment July 2018, 336 pages, Corvus, £2.48 (ex Amazon Whispersync) Scrolling through twitter, I read about an author who is gathering praised for diversifying romance. Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient is a love story with an autistic heroine and Vietnamese American hero. It engages sharply with issues about disability and social norms without compromising on heat and drama. Always grumbling about how there is a lack of representation and people of colour in romance, I don’t make as much effort as I should to seek out alternative stories. Hoang proves that our much loved formula-genre is ever more enhanced with voices that are usually excluded. I’m not sure why romance is dominated by the white boy meets girl scenario, the answer lies somewhere uncomfortable and complicated. The stigma that the romance genre carries, in general, makes it hard for those within the industry to criticise it at all. But I’m glad there are authors shaking things up while keeping what we love best: lurve. Hoang was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, previously known as Asberger’s Syndrome. The creation of her heroine, Stella Lane, was modeled close to her personal journey with autism. Stella is a successful economist, but struggles with social situations especially reading social cues and is very sensitive to sensory disturbances, such as loud noise. This makes dating a nightmare. Feeling great pressure from her parents to find a husband she decides to be practical and hires an escort to teach her how to be the perfect girlfriend. Enter Michael, a very good looking guy down on his luck and facing bankruptcy. He has resorted to escorting to make ends meet. When he meets Stella, he realises that she is no ordinary client. What she is proposing sounds ridiculous and dangerous, but he finds himself tempted just to spend more time with her. This is where the reader gets hooked into their unique dynamic. The teacher-student-contract plot does of course crop up all the time, and it’s one of my favourites (Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot). However, Hoang introduces a new spin to this reverse ‘Pretty Woman’ story, by dealing with ideas of cultural differences, social expectations and class. Nothing too heavy. I listened to this on audiobook- my first time listening to romance. Quite an experience! Mostly exciting, but I do not recommend tuning in when you are in crowded places. Sometimes the dialogue felt very slow moving at times, but I’m not sure whether that was from the narrator or writing. Overall, this is a wonderful read that paves a promising future for the industry. Blog Tour: One Day in December by Josie Silver September 1, 2018 September 1, 2018 ~ celiamoontown ~ Leave a comment Published 18 Oct, Penguin, 432 pages, 99p on Amazon Monthly Kindle deal If you want to weep, laugh, melt and cry out in anguish during the chilly months, then One Day in December is your perfect fix, an ideal Christmas romance for fans of Richard Curtis tearjerkers. It not only deals with the sentimental and cosy parts that love-stories should tick off, but the infernal frustration and rage involved. This debut novel proves that fate can be both cruel and wondrous. I do genuinely believe in love at first sight, or a certain connection that two people can have which is almost instant. You have to believe in this theory, even a tiny bit, to enjoy the story. Two strangers, Laurie and Jack, glance at each other through a misty bus window and experience just that. Everybody knows how buses can get during the winter; jam-packed, foggy and cough-fumed. For Laurie, all of this evaporates for one second of life-altering, mysterious magic. Then it’s gone as her bus drives away. She spends a whole year searching for ‘bus-boy’ only to be introduced to him as her best-friend’s new boyfriend. She convinces herself the whole concept of Jack as her instant soul mate is insane and gets on with life. And life certainly barges through, another point this novel conveys successfully. Through new careers, holidays, illnesses and even marriage, time slips by ruthlessly. The only way to claim moments is to be fearless and take chances. Ten years can be filled with everything and nothing. We have all been a Laurie; out of uni and trying to figure out how to be independent. She is sweet, passionate and realistic. I have just watched the Bridget Jones double dose of lunatic and heart-warming tumbles. The films came out when I was too young to understand all the jokes grown-up girls and mums were making around me. One Day… reads like a homage to the great Bridget. It has the same hilarious manic narration but navigates a style of its own. It does well in keeping a reader’s attention through the spirals of diverting events. The language was at times quite dated, perhaps a generation behind. Overall, it was a pleasure to have been part of Laurie’s and Jack’s beautiful journey, which truly left me in awe about life’s magic moments. Many thanks to Georgia Taylor at Penguin General for my copy xxx Born to be Wilde By Eloisa James (Wildes #2) July 28, 2018 ~ celiamoontown ~ Leave a comment Always a perfect weekend read Published by Piatkus Books, 31st July 2018, 384 pages, £5.99 Born to be Wilde begins beautifully, as all of Eloisa James’ novels, perfect for early morning commutes and lazy Sunday noons. It instantly claims you from the first few sentences and fills you with that warm, soothing glow you expect from a classic regency romance. Lavinia Gray, friend of the scandalous Wildes clan who we were introduced to in Wilde in Love, is in trouble. The money has gone and her mother has committed crimes. In a fit of desperation she turns to Parth Sterling, unofficial Wilde member, bosom pal of her friends’ husbands and self-made rich bachelor. Despite being the one who has always irritated her, prickled her with his comments about her frivolity, caused her to retaliate with childish taunts, she asks for his hand in marriage. But he turns her down. That is what she expected anyway. Why would sensible, serious Parth want her anyway? And she doesn’t want a man who lacks understanding, compassionate and respect. As she comes to terms with her rejection, she realises how hurt she was. However, her proposal was not born out of love… or was it? Parth has already chosen a perfect bride for himself. Someone who ticks all the boxes and is as practical as he is. When he learns part of Lavinia’s problems, he volunteers to find her a husband, the best candidate being a Prince. But he also finds it hard to get her proposal out of his head. When Lavinia realises she can earn money by doing what she loves best, she grows in confidence. Parth is able to understand her interests more, and the longer they spend time together on his ‘matchmaking’ trials, he realises that practicality is no match for what he has been denying for years. I loved how the two MCs gradually accepted their feelings for each other. A deliciously stubborn coupling who bicker, clash heatedly and are drawn together like magnets. My favourite scene was a reckless rain-soaked one. Typical but quite necessary. We also follow Lavinia’s journey to earn independence and save her mother, learning about 18th fashion and addiction on the way. However, the narrative struggled to keep my interest towards the end and falls a little flat towards the final fifty pages. Still waiting for the best of the series. Many thanks to Little, Brown/Piatkus for my copy xxx Blog Tour: Wilde in Love by Eloisa James November 9, 2017 ~ celiamoontown ~ 1 Comment Published by Piatkus, 31st October 2017, 416 pages, £8.99 Eloisa James returns with another heart-hugging and racy romp perfect for this season. As days darken and leaf strewn streets beckon us into the sanctuary of a warm reading nook, this book is ideal for curling up and warming the soul, with of course some pulse quickening moments. It’s the first in a new series (although it never really matters which part of a romance series you begin with), set in the Georgian period and is an idol story. Lord Alaric Wilde returns to England from years of exploring and writing to find out he has become something of a sensation, with leagues of women devouring his books and plastering their bedroom walls with his handsome face. Confused by all the attention he retreats to his father’s castle to reunite with his family only to find a host of their guests fawning over his every movement. The one who isn’t the least bit interested (of course) is a young woman called Willa Ffynche. Spirited and witty, Willa is unfazed by his reputation and is frankly indifferent to him. The fact that it’s a simple plot set in one location with a small circle of characters, is a testament to the author, who kept me reading into the night. The obstacles keep on piling. Alaric has to convince Willa that his interest in her, whilst other women are throwing themselves at him, is not because she is another unmarked territory to conquer. Willa, composed and sensible, finds it increasingly difficult to ignore the mere heat of his presence. James is skilled at creating tension without dialogue, just with the characters being in the same space. Even if Willa does succumb to her attraction, marriage with Alaric, who is followed eagerly by every newspaper, is the last thing that she wants if she is to have a peaceful life. James expertly drops moments of recognition and satisfaction, building towards a blissful ending with a note of suspense. She also throws in memorable quirks such as a delusional missionary and an intelligent skunk that helps save the day. Many thanks to Piatkus for my review copy xxx	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24354
__label__wiki	0.768869	0.768869	CH_xfuture-logo_white Created with Sketch. Overview Agenda Speakers Exhibitors Deal Room Mark Kohler EXELERATE Capital Mark has 30+ years of experience as an entrepreneur and investor at leading financial services, healthcare, and technology companies in North America. He was the Executive Chairman at QHR Corporation (TSXV:QHR) where he lead the Board and... Mark has 30+ years of experience as an entrepreneur and investor at leading financial services, healthcare, and technology companies in North America. He was the Executive Chairman at QHR Corporation (TSXV:QHR) where he lead the Board and management through the profitable transformation and strategic re-alignment of its healthcare businesses; a process that resulted in the sale of the company to Loblaw Companies Limited for approx. $170 million. He has extensive experience as a financial executive, and as a board member (Versapay, BeWhere, Privacy Horizon Inc., TickIT Health, etc.), and as an advisor/mentor to many early stage technology ventures. He was also the Chairman of one of Canada’s federally regulated financial institutions. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Exelerate Capital Corp. (TSXV:XCAP), a CPC with the mandate to buy healthcare technology businesses that enable the build out of an “Information Supply Chain™” for the healthcare sector in North America. Agenda: xfuture 2019 Speaker Hall Feature Panel: Digitizing Canada's $250B Healthcare Industry Canada's most exciting health-tech innovators discuss the reasons that Canada is lagging behind and where the biggest transformations will take place. Speakers Hamed Shahbazi, Mark Kohler, Bruce Schmidt See Mark Kohler at the Extraordinary Future. Join over 100,000 subscribers to receive premier video and editorial content, investment alerts and conference notifications. Our goal is simply connecting companies with capital. Exhibitor Info About Us Contact Us © 2020 Cambridge House International. Terms of Use	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24363
__label__wiki	0.575551	0.575551	MyU: For Students, Faculty, and Staff What Is Campus Climate Resources for Concerns Bias Response and Referral Network progress-1152x375.jpg Faculty and/or Staff Focus Faculty, Staff, Student Focus College-Based Focus Outreach Focus This section contains a number of initiatives and projects that are currently under way to advance campus climate on the Twin Cities campus. The list is not comprehensive and will be continuously updated. If you have an initiative or project you would like to add to this page, email cclimate@umn.edu. Improve Retention of Underrepresented Faculty Improving retention of underrepresented faculty is a priority of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Twin Cities Deans, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs (VPFAA). In 2015, VPFAA began conducting exit interviews with all departing University of Minnesota-Twin Cities faculty. This information will inform efforts to address retention and climate issues. More information: Ole Gram, gram@umn.edu. Enhance Department Head and Chair Training The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost has the longstanding practice of offering department head and chair training. In partnership with the Office of Equity and Diversity, the vice provost for faculty and academic affairs has worked on enhancing department executive officer leadership training to incorporate best practices for recruiting, retaining, rewarding, and ensuring a welcoming climate for all faculty. This office incorporates information about available resources related to campus climate and highlights family friendly benefits at UMN. More information: Ole Gram, gram@umn.edu National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). Our membership is part of our ongoing commitment to recruit and support field shaping faculty and graduate students who advance academic excellence, facilitate reciprocal engagement, and develop scholarship that meets the grand challenges of our world. NCFDD is a nationally recognized center dedicated to helping faculty, post-docs, and graduate students make successful transitions throughout their academic careers by providing professional development, training, and mentoring. NCFDD resources are applicable across fields of inquiry and focus on a range of topics that include strategies for increasing productivity, writing grants, overcoming academic perfectionism, developing a daily writing plan, managing time more effectively, maintaining work-life balance, and resolving conflicts, among others. The benefits of NCFDD membership include greater success with publications and securing external funding for research, increased confidence as an independent scholar, healthier relationships with departmental colleagues, and more. As an institutional member of the NCFDD, UMNTC's graduate students, post-docs, and faculty can sign up to receive institutional resources at no cost. More information: Rebecca Ropers-Huilman, ropers@umn.edu or https://faculty.umn.edu/national-center-faculty-development-diversity Advancing Diversity in Recruiting and Hiring Having a diverse workforce has always been a top University priority as a way to promote excellence, broaden perspectives, create a more inclusive campus, and increase student and employee retention. The Office of Human Resources (OHR), in partnership with the Office for Equity and Diversity, has expanded its efforts to attract diverse candidates for employment at the University. The University has a wide array of positions that require diverse skill sets and perspectives. To focus on bringing talented and diverse applicants to these positions, OHR has several recruiters in place focused on strengthening the University’s relationships with diverse communities, organizations, and campus groups, as a way to build pipelines of talent. Under the theme “Together, We'll Change the World,” OHR participates in diversity and veteran career fairs, has held its own virtual career fair, supports applicants in their job search, and consults with departments across the institution to promote best practices in hiring, including key student-facing positions. The University is also conducting implicit-bias training for search committees involved in hiring and is enhancing the onboarding experience to strengthen the connection to the University from the onset. Together, these initiatives will help the University fully reflect the diversity of our students, state, and nation. More information: Laura Negrini, negri001@umn.edu Led by OHR, the employee engagement survey measures many aspects of the workplace environment. Survey reports are shared with all leaders across the system where at least 5 faculty or staff completed the survey. There are a variety of tools available on the ee.ltd.umn.edu and z.umn.edu/engagedU websites and through the various forms of consultation and training that OHR provides to HR Leads across the University and to their leaders. Consultants have also conducted input sessions with faculty and staff at the request of local leaders and provided recommendations for action. Those actions are at the core of workplace improvement. In addition, data showing differences on the engagement survey by gender and race /ethnicity, along with recommendations for action, have been shared with University leaders (e.g., deans, senior administrators), including the Faculty Consultative Committee, and the Diversity Community of Practice, facilitated by the Office of Equity and Diversity. OHR has made a number of recommendations to these groups based on the data and research-supported best practices. More information: Brandon Sullivan, sull0179@umn.edu Academic Leadership Development The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost develops academic leadership programs through external and internal opportunities. These include the comprehensive year-long Provost’s New Department Heads and Chairs Leadership program as well as the “Talking Heads” program. Best practices are also disseminated in a variety of other programs, including new faculty orientation, comprehensive dean reviews, the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Academic Leadership program, the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Department Executive Officers program, and APLU leadership training opportunities. Additional peer networking activities include the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, distinguished faculty luncheons and lectures, annual promotion and tenure recognition events, and various faculty awards ceremonies. Working in partnership with the Office of Human Resources and academic officers, academic leadership development and training includes identifying and strengthening opportunities and incentives for bringing field-shaping faculty to the University, and identifying best approaches to ensuring faculty and academic success. Our institutional commitment remains to create a culture that sustains top faculty and staff. OHR has developed new tools, programming, and services focused on leadership development for academic and administrative leaders. A key priority for this work is intentionally incorporating diversity and inclusion. To help with this, OHR collaborated with OED leaders to develop new leadership tools and programming. Based on recommendations from this group, OHR has defined behavioral competencies for leaders in the area of equity and diversity, which is included on 360 surveys and incorporated into training and development resources in collaboration with OED. OHR also refers supervisors to OED training opportunities. Implicit Bias Trainings for Faculty and Staff Involved in Hiring Decisions The Implicit Bias Education Program (IBEP) is jointly sponsored by the Office for Equity and Diversity, the Provost’s Office, the Graduate School, the Office of Human Resources, and the Office for Undergraduate Admission. Fall 2017-Spring 2018 trainings include Identifying & Challenging Implicit Bias in Faculty Search Committees workshops and Identifying & Challenging Implicit Bias in Graduate Program Decisions. IBEP Training Team: Michael Goh, Virajita Singh, Wendy Weimerskirch Plager. More information: Stef Jarvi, Director of Education, swilench@umn.edu, 612-625-9973 Diversity Community of Practice The Diversity Community of Practice (DCoP) is a grassroots community of faculty and staff from collegiate units across the Twin Cities campus that meets monthly. Its purpose is to develop and leverage personal, professional, and technical expertise, thereby effectively creating innovative strategies that ensure successful implementation of equity and diversity goals at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. DCoP Goals are to Educate/Collaborate/Support/Assess and: Connect specific college equity and diversity strategies to the UM strategic plan Share resources and collaborate Increase awareness of collegiate diversity goals, events, etc. Support one another as members innovate and take risks Utilize outcomes-based assessment to make decisions and determine success More information: Virajita Singh, Assistant Vice Provost, Office for Equity and Diversity, singh023@umn.edu or https://diversity.umn.edu/programs-initiatives/diversity-community-practice Institute for Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy (IDEA) IDEA works to transform the university by enhancing the visibility and productivity of an interdisciplinary group of faculty and community scholars. This group's expertise in equity, diversity, and underrepresented populations leads to innovative scholarship that addresses urgent social issues. IDEA is also designed to enhance retention and faculty diversity by fostering stronger ties among and with faculty and the local community. Resources include: faculty research grants; sponsorship of symposia and lectures; faculty workshops; and mentorship and professional development opportunities for junior faculty of color. More information: Sean Garrick, Associate Vice Provost, Office for Equity and Diversity sgarrick@umn.edu or idea.umn.edu College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) Faculty and Staff Diversity Programs and Initiatives 1. Teaching Across Difference (TAD) Community of Practice The Teaching Across Difference (TAD) Community of Practice is part of CFANS' Working Across Difference Initiative (WADI) led by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Center for Educational Innovation. It shares the same primary goals as The Working Across Difference Initiative: Enhance our ability to prepare students to work across difference, engage in complex problem solving, and enter into an increasingly diverse and globalized workforce. Increase intentional integration of culturally relevant collegiate course content and pedagogy that reflects the needs and interests of diverse undergraduate students and addresses the unequal impacts of difference. Create and integrate effective, best practices to help students develop intercultural and global competencies and an increased awareness of issues relating to diversity and social justice. The resources shared within the community of practice support teaching and learning that incorporate explicit exploration of intercultural content, diverse perspectives, and self-awareness. More information: Sandra Mitchell, mitchels@umn.edu, and Mike White, mwhite@umn.edu 2. Dialogue with the Deans The Dialogue with the Deans series offers members of the campus community the opportunity to engage with the deans and other colleagues in learning and conversation about how to make the CFANS more responsive and welcoming of various groups. The diversity dialogue is an open exchange, an effort to understand each other’s ideas around diversity and inclusion. The goal of the dialogue is to encourage everyone to learn about diversity in CFANS and at the University of Minnesota, explore new issues and build a deeper awareness of the topics in a safe environment. More information: Sandra Mitchell, mitchels@umn.edu 3. Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) The Intercultural Development Inventory is a tool that measures one's level of intercultural competence as a developmental skillset. Intercultural competence is the ability to adapt behaviors and shift cultural perspectives across cultural similarities and differences. One core competency our college is that students and employees should possess the ability to work across cultural similarities and differences, and the Intercultural Development Inventory allows for us to measure that outcome. The IDI is used primarily for presentations, staff development, or as a course requirement. However, students, faculty, and/or staff members are encouraged to complete the assessment. A requirement to receive scores is to schedule an individual feedback session with a Qualified Administrator. A new parental leave policy for employees was adopted in April 2018 that provides both parents who meet eligibility requirements with six weeks paid leave, expands coverage to include gestational surrogacy, removes the nine-month employee eligibility requirement. More information: https://policy.umn.edu/hr/parentalleave College of Liberal Arts - Staff of Color Community (CLA-SCC) We want to help advance the college’s goal of cultivating a welcoming and respectful climate in its diverse intellectual community. Through a grassroots effort, we initiated the CLA Staff of Color Community (CLA-SCC). In so doing, we strive to make CLA a destination college not only for students and faculty, but also for staff of color. We’ve worked on this concept for some time and feel that this initiative aligns well with CLA’s Roadmap. Most importantly, this initiative is close to our hearts because as people of color ourselves, we understand the need to feel that we belong to a community that shares our experiences and perspectives in the workplace. With that vision, CLA-SCC was created to: develop ways for CLA staff of color to promote and build trust, teamwork, and pride among themselves; create an environment that provides a sense of belonging and community through shared cultural backgrounds and experiences; provide support for navigating University systems, leading to advancement at the University. Needless to say, this initiative resonated within the college. CLA-SCC kicked off in December 2017 and as of Oct. 2018 is 96 members strong with staff from throughout the college. For questions, please email: cla-scc120717@umn.edu Increase Scholarship Funding The University has increased the number of scholarships we are able to provide students and as a result we have been able to increase the amount of money we give in gift aid to students who have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero. In the most recent aid year where we have a full year of data, 2017-18, the University disbursed $50.7M in University of Minnesota Foundation scholarships to students. In 2016, the University Promise (UPromise) scholarship program was expanded to include all Minnesota-resident undergraduates with family incomes up to $120,000. Awards for the 207-18 academic year will range from $306 to $4,134, with higher awards directed to students with the greatest financial need. Additionally, some of the newer donor funds have created scholarships with both a need-merit component. And over the last few years, the University has directed scholarship (merit) funding to Minnesota students attending schools with high participation of students in free- and reduced-lunch programs. More information: Tina Falkner, rovic001@umn.edu Multicultural Student Engagement Multicultural Student Engagement (MCSE) is a unit in the Office for Student Affairs. Multicultural Student Engagement will support an inclusive and culturally diverse environment on campus by providing programs & services that assist underrepresented students in developing global competency and making connections between their academic and co-curricular experiences. MCSE goals include: provide opportunities for all students to increase awareness, understanding and appreciation of diverse populations; support the personal and professional development of multicultural students; develop programs and services that support and retain multicultural students to graduation; and create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. MCSE is committed to serving all University of Minnesota students in myriad ways. One such way is through our strong support and advisement of the Cultural Centers and several student groups. These include: Cultural Centers (Al-Madinah Student Cultural Center, American Indian Student Cultural Center, Asian American Student Union, Black Student Union, Disabled Student Cultural Center, Feminist Student Activist Collective, La Raza, Minnesota International Student Association, Queer Student Cultural Center) Registered Multicultural Student Organizations Minnesota Multicultural Recruitment Society (in partnership with the Office of Admissions) Student Campus Climate Engagement Advisory Group Power and Privilege Series Art of Participatory Leadership Training Our Voices: IWWOC Dialogue Group Social Justice Leadership Certificate Program More information: mcse.umn.edu or Anise Mazone amm@umn.edu The Commuter Connection The Commuter Connection aims to offer off-campus students a link to the campus community through programming, large group volunteering, leadership opportunities, advocacy, and providing an open lounge area. The Commuter Connection works with other student organizations and University partners to engage commuter students on campus and increase their sense of belonging at the University. Current plans include 1) providing monthly programs, both social and education, 2) assessing the needs of current commuter students and determining what barriers they face in regard to involvement on campus, and 3) implementing programming and resources to meet those needs. More information: commuter@umn.edu Gopher Hall Gopher Hall is a virtual community that provides social and academic support by providing a forum for commuter students to connect with one another. The combination of virtual resources and in-person programming promotes a more accessible and stronger connection to the campus community for commuter students. With many of the University's commuter students also being first-generation students, Gopher Hall provides easily accessible resources, information, and answers to questions that they may not receive living at home. More information: Caitlin Herby, herby005@umn.edu Learn & Lunch Learn & Lunch is a new initiative to connect commuter students with campus resources. Through the partnership with University offices such as Career Services, the Aurora Center, the Learning Abroad Center, Multicultural Student Engagement, Student Unions & Activities, and LEAD-UP, Learn & Lunch will provide professional and personal development opportunities for commuter students. Over the lunch hour, commuter students will be invited to bring their lunch and learn more about topics such as resume reviews, leadership opportunities, campus involvement, and effective studying habits for academic success. Our commuter students largely consist of students of color and first generation students, so this program will further support the needs of students in those populations. Commuter Student Meet and Greets Off-Campus Living (OCL) wants to make sure all first-year Commuter Students have a space to get to know each other, to enhance their sense of belonging on campus. OCL will be offering Meet & Greet sessions during the Fall 2017 semester, for commuter students, based on their college. Students that live off-campus can find it challenging to build relationships with other students, and this program will create an opportunity for them to do so. Building Art Initiatives Student Unions & Activities (SUA) is committed to representing diverse perspectives and individuals through its building art program. We work with students to develop strategies for showcasing works of art created by artists from various backgrounds. In addition, we work to represent a diverse range of individuals in various exhibits. SUA recently completed a mosaic art piece on the second floor of Coffman Union. The piece is titled Global U and is located across from Al-Madinah and the American Indian Student Cultural Center. Students from across the University created the work of art. Also, we coordinate three rotating galleries across campus, two of them in Coffman Union. The galleries showcase original art created by students, members of the university community and the greater Twin Cities community. We hope the exhibits will create dialogue and foster greater cultural awareness. More information: Tricia Schweitzer schwe030@umn.edu Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE) MCAE is a campus-wide resource that promotes an inclusive atmosphere to foster and enrich multicultural understanding among all members of the University of Minnesota community. MCAE's commitment to creating such a climate is driven by a student-first culture in which students are the highest priority. More information: mcae.umn.edu Asian Pacific American Resource Center On January 24, 2018, the University of Minnesota’s Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC) celebrated the grand opening of its new space in 311 Appleby Hall. The center uses the space to serve the U’s Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduate populations. More information: https://campus-climate.umn.edu/content/asian-pacific-american-resource-c... College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) Student Diversity Programs and Initiatives Housed within the CFANS Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the CFANS Student Diversity Programs and Initiatives aimed to focus on the recruitment, retention, success, and community building/outreach for students; specifically, from underrepresented and marginalized communities. The suite of current programs includes the following with many more to come: CFANS Achieve Mentoring Program: The Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) "CFANS Achieve" mentoring program is a structured mentoring program for undergraduate underrepresented and marginalized students (including students of color) in CFANS to gain knowledge, skills, abilities, networks and connections to resources that will be essential to their academic, personal, and professional success. This mentoring program aims to also provide a sense of community for underrepresented and marginalized students (including students of color) within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and the University of Minnesota. Mentors will provide additional academic, psychological and emotional support, goal-setting and career support, and serve as a role model to their mentee. Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) Success Workshops: The workshops, usually partnerships with both campus and community offices/resources that focuses on the holistic success, transition, and experiences of students; specifically from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds to give them the resources, skills, and tools to successfully transition, find a sense of community/support, be successful throughout their undergraduate experience at the U and in CFANS, graduate, and know the options post-graduation available to them. Research Opportunities and Design (ROAD) Program: As a major research institution, the University encourages all students to have at least one research experience as a part of their academic career. The ROAD program assists students in exploring research options, finding a faculty mentor and writing a research proposal through five workshop sessions. Students who participate in the program also have the opportunity to submit their final research proposal for funding. Multicultural Student Kickoff with the UMN Chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS): Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), in collaboration with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosts the annual Multicultural Student Kick Off Event for CFANS Students of Color during the month of September each year. This event aims to foster a sense of community and belonging among all students of color within CFANS. CFANS Diversity Scholars Fellowship for Graduate and Postdoc: CFANS is taking proactive steps to increase diversity within its graduate programs. The CFANS graduate programs have agreed to annually fund the CFANS Diversity Graduate and Professional Scholars (DGPS) program. This program will fund eleven, one-year scholarships for incoming underrepresented students of color that enroll in one of the twelve CFANS graduate programs. Support for Professional Development activities are included in the award. The goals of the program are to increase the number of underrepresented students of color applying to CFANS graduate programs, increase enrollment and retention rates of those graduate students, and build a more diverse faculty. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences- MANRRS (UMN Student Chapter): MANRRS is a student chapter of a national organization that provides students with an expanded network and social, professional and career building opportunities. The MANRRS group in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences holds biweekly meetings throughout the semester, gives back to the community through volunteer work, hosts social events and attends the regional and national MANRRS conference each year. The annual MANRRS conference includes poster sessions, public speaking events, a career/internship fair, professional development workshop sessions and a wide array of networking opportunities. Students from any major at the University of Minnesota are welcome to participate in this organization. More information on the CFANS Student Diversity Programs and Initiatives, please contact Joseph Ballard II at jballard@umn.edu. College of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (CCAPS) graduate programs The INC initiative was launched to meet a need for resources and programming focused on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies (CCAPS) graduate programs. It is our goal to create a welcoming space to celebrate the breadth of our students’ diversity of experiences and to provide a forum for dialogue around inclusion. More information: ccaps.umn.edu/inc or Michelle Iwen, miwen@umn.edu and Fiyyaz Karim, kari0057@umn.edu Gender Inclusive Restrooms The University has also been at work over the past two years to increase the number of gender neutral restrooms across campus. There are now more than 300 gender neutral restrooms in public spaces on campus and approximately 100 more in spaces with controlled access areas such as departments. This effort is the culmination of the long advocacy of the University's Trans Advisory and Action Team (formerly the Transgender Commission) and the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life (formerly GLBTA Program's Office), as well resolutions last year from the U Senate and the Council of Graduate Students. A GIS-enabled map of these facilities is being developed for the University website and will be updated as the project progresses. More information: Dave Hutton, Operations, hutto007@umn.edu Lactation Advocacy Committee (LAC) The Lactation Advocacy Committee (LAC) is an ad hoc committee of employee and student volunteers working to make our campus a more supportive environment for those who need to pump or express breastmilk. Since 2009, the LAC has made great strides toward addressing the inadequate number of lactation spaces across the Twin Cities campus. In 2017, the LAC completed their 2017-2018 Report on Lactation Resources at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. In late 2017, the LAC was awarded a Campus Climate Microgrant and used these funds to install a keypad on a room with limited access on the St. Paul campus and to conduct four focus groups with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students around lactation experiences. The LAC continues to work with various stakeholders across campus to address ongoing needs, including Space Planning, University Senate, the Title IX Office, and individual units. More information: Sara Benning (sbenning@umn.edu) and Sarah Keene (skeene@umn.edu) Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life (GSC) Office Lounge The GSC lounge serves as a safer space for students (as well as faculty and staff) to build community, gain access to resources, hang out, study, or have small group meetings or student-focused programs. The lounge will have student workers staffing it throughout the day to answer questions and provide resources for visitors. Couches, coffee, snacks, and access to computers are provided. In the evening, we hope to use it for student group meetings, game nights, movie nights, and more. More information: gsc.umn.edu University of Minnesota Women in Technology Women in Technology (WIT) formed at the University of Minnesota in 2016 as a community that provides a forum for women to share experiences and resources in a supportive network. Women who work with technology and students interested in working in technology will grow their professional network, share knowledge with peers, and develop a support system to empower their future careers. We strive to increase diversity in technology on campus at all levels. Who this is for: Women in Technology is open to faculty, staff, students, and community members who would like to participate in and support our mission. Please join our Google group to receive updates about upcoming events and to share resources with the community. More information: Visit our website and connect with us via Twitter. Please direct specific questions to the wit-exec@umn.edu. Campus Climate Initiatives Last fall a new position was created in the Office for Equity and Diversity to provide leadership for campus climate. The Campus Climate Website serves as a central hub for information, which is disseminated broadly. Sign up for updates here. More information: Ann Freeman, director, Campus Climate Initiatives, afreeman@umn.edu or cclimate@umn.edu Bias Response and Referral Network (BRRN) The Bias Response and Referral Network was created in through a charge from President Kaler in 2016. The BRRN, along with other campus partners, works to respond to bias incidents on the Twin Cities Campus in ways that support those most impacted, promote education and dialogue, and affirm the University's commitment to equity and diversity, free speech, and academic freedom. More information: https://bias-response.umn.edu. To report an incident, email endbias@umn.edu or through the BRRN UReport. Immigration Response Team The Immigration Response Team (IRT) exists to ensure all who are affected by immigration policy changes have access to resources and support. The team provides outreach to the greater University community on the impact of executive orders and other policy changes, immigration regulations, and issues connected with DACA and immigration status. The IRT’s services include consultations, Immigration Drop-In hours for students, the writing of travel letters for faculty and staff, and the monitoring of the impact of immigration policy changes on the UMN community. The IRT also administers The Dream Fund, a fund that provides modest grants for emergency situations to students who have/had DACA, lost Temporary Protected Status, are undocumented or face other challenges due to immigration policy changes. More information: immigration.umn.edu; immigration@umn.edu; sign up for email updates at z.umn.edu/irtupdate. Expanded food options New or expanded food options were added on campus in fall 2017. They included included kosher, halal, vegan and vegetarian foods. More information: https://campus-climate.umn.edu/content/new-and-expanded-foods-and-facili... Multi-use facilities that include foot washing Three existing spaces were renovated in spring 2018 to provide places to sit, paper towel dispensers, and floor sinks. These spaces provide convenience to members of the University community who need to wash their feet or desire privacy. They are all multi-use and open to everyone. The facilities are located in Mayo Room G200-6, which opened in fall 2017; 208 Coffman Union; and Room 16 in the St. Paul Student Center. More information: https://campus-climate.umn.edu/content/three-multi-use-facilities-now-av... Campus Climate Micro-Grants The micro-grants project aims to improve the overall campus climate by supporting new and existing activities at a local or grassroots level through small grants. In December 2017, the Campus Climate Engagement Team (CCET) awarded nearly $24,000 to 31 projects. Now in its third year, the project received 67 applications, more than double the number received last year. Funds were provided by the Office of the President. Micro-grant funding will continue in the 2018-19 academic year. More information: https://campus-climate.umn.edu/content/campus-climate-micro-grant-projec... College-Based and Administrative Unit Focus School of Public Health Diversity and Equity Advisory Leadership Team (DEALT) The purpose of DEALT is to contribute to shaping policies and practices that will promote a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive SPH environment by serving as an advisory “think tank” to the dean and school leadership. DEALT brings together leaders and members of the Health Equity Work Group, Diversity Matters, and the Equity Diversity Inclusion Team (EDIT) and the four academic divisions to align our work and initiatives across the school. More information: Lauren Eldridge, leldridg@umn.edu or Susan Rafferty, raffe005@umn.edu School of Public Health Equity Diversity Inclusion Team (EDIT) EDIT is a team of students, faculty, and staff from across SPH that proactively addresses issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the SPH community through a variety of creative ways, with the main focus being facilitated community conversations. The team works to build a more inclusive workplace and learning environment. More information: Lauren Eldridge, leldridg@umn.edu, Susan Rafferty, raffe005@umn.edu, or Melissa Wuori, wuori003@umn.edu School of Public Health Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) The Health Equity Work Group’s mission is to advance health equities research at SPH and nationally; develop collaborations with faculty and community partners; and ensure SPH students are well trained to work in a diverse society. The HEWG meets quarterly and welcomes new members. More information: Rhonda Jones-Webb, jones010@umn.edu or Kathleen Thiede Call, callx001@umn.edu, http://www.sph.umn.edu/research/hewg/ College of Design Diversity Committee The College of Design highlights their multiyear, continuous effort to address campus climate, proving that by working together, challenging the status quo, and focusing on outcomes, units can build a culture where diversity isn’t a stand-alone issue. Rather, it’s one that is consistently intertwined with the standard operating procedures of their college. More information: Jessica McCann, mccann@umn.edu Department of Chemistry Diversity Committee The Department of Chemistry is united in the belief that diversity in all of its forms is good. Collaboration among people of all cultures and backgrounds enhances our experience as scientists and contributes to excellence in teaching, learning, and research. We strive to promote a climate that celebrates our differences and strengthens our department by embracing and working to increase our diversity. Who is this for: Department of Chemistry faculty, students, staff, post-doctorate researchers. More information: http://www.chem.umn.edu/diversity/ 1. Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committees The purpose of the Carlson School of Management Diversity and Inclusion steering committees is to identify opportunities to improve equity and address barriers to social justice within our respective programs. Through various sub-committees, staff and students collaborate to communicate the needs and concerns of the student community and partner with school administration to initiate change, implement new programs, and meet the students needs. Student leaders volunteer for their position and each represent one of the Carlson School’s affinity student clubs and organizations. More information: Amber Bundy-Davis abundyda@umn.edu, Meghan Mullaney mmullane@umn.edu, Linh Gilles huyn0070@umn.edu, Patrick McCarthy mccar390@umn.edu. 2. Diversity and Inclusion Graduate Student Steering Committee The purpose of the Carlson School of Management Diversity and Inclusion Graduate Student Steering committee is to communicate the needs and concerns of the student community and partner with school administration to initiate change, implement new programs, and meet the students needs. Student leaders volunteer for their position and each represent one of the Carlson School’s affinity student clubs and organizations More information: Amber Bundy-Davis abundyda@umn.edu, Meghan Mullaney mmullane@umn.edu, and Allyson Trochez atrochez@umn.edu 3. Power Lunches Power Lunches are new series that connects Carlson School undergraduate women with business leaders for insightful conversations. Each month, preeminent women who are leaders in their fields will share lessons from their careers and discuss current business topics with a small group of undergraduate women. More information: Allyson Trochez, atrochez@umn.edu 4. Equity & Leadership Conference 1st annual Carlson Undergraduate Equity & Leadership Conference: Gender Equity in the Workplace, November 2, 2018 During this conference Carlson and UMN undergraduates will have the opportunity to explore the current business landscape, opportunities in business, and the importance of equity in the workplace. In addition, the conference will empower students to challenge the status quo, navigate challenges to equity in the workplace, and build a network of mentors. 5. Women’s Leadership Conference Since 2005, the Women's Leadership Conference has inspired women to develop as leaders—as individuals, professionals, and community members. Attendees build connections and select from an array of sessions that suit their personal and professional interests. The conference also features prominent thought leaders as keynote speakers, as well as presenters from across the vibrant Twin Cities business community. More information: Amber Bundy-Davis abundyda@umn.edu or WLC@umn.edu or visit https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/conferences/womens-leadership-conference 6. Community Lunches (Community of Color and LGBTQIA Community Lunches) A collaboration between Undergraduate Programs and the MBA Program, students are invited to this free event, hosted each month in Hanson Hall. This is a great opportunity for students to meet new people and enjoy a break from the classroom while building community. More information: Angela Murray, murr0132@umn.edu or Meghan Mullaney mmullane@umn.edu 7. Pathway initiatives (Business Innovation Academy and Camp Emerge) Business Innovation Academy is a two-week, interactive, and hands-on summer pathway program for incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Equity Alliance MN is partnering with the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management to ignite student’s passion for learning and to provide opportunities to explore higher education and careers in Business. The purpose of this summer program is to boost students’ personal awareness and self-confidence as well as improve problem solving and soft skills. Students will also have numerous opportunities to improve leadership skills and work on college and career readiness through real world applications. 8. Carlson Global Scholars A cohort-based program for all new, first-year and degree-seeking Carlson international students (new high school and transfer). The program addresses common concerns from incoming international students: balance, language barriers, cultural differences, and participation in class. Students attend monthly sessions facilitated by upper class mentors to build community and participate in student success workshops. 9. Carlson Emerging Scholars A cohort-based program for all new, first-year Carlson students (new high school and transfer). Invited students attend monthly dinners and workshops. The purpose of the monthly meetings is to build community and provide the tools for continued success during their first year. More information: Angela Murray, murr0132@umn.edu 10. Project Emerge Project Emerge is a personal and professional developmental program for high-potential diverse college junior and senior undergraduate students, as well as emerging professionals (with 1-2 years’ experience), from ALL majors who wish to explore how their future can be positively impacted by business. Rising juniors and seniors and emerging professionals (1-2 years post-undergrad) interested in exploring a future in business People of color, women, LGBTQ, and first-generation students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply Curious learners eager to gain perspective from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and experiences Community leaders, now or in the future, interested in growing skills to lead in their careers and communities More information: Projecte@umn.edu Sign Up: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/project-emerge/sign-up 11. Camp Emerge Camp Emerge is the focal program of Project Emerge. It is a three-day business leadership camp at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Camp Emerge participants will gain personal, professional, and cultural leadership training to prepare for the business elements of any career.The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota believes that, no matter the industry, focus, or goals of a student, a foundational knowledge of business is a critical component of career development and success. Through Project Emerge, we strive to introduce diverse groups of students to the fundamentals of business, explain how business applies to individual career interests, and help participants acquire new knowledge. More information: Projecte@umn.edu 12. Diversity Visit Days The Carlson School MBA Programs invites (Women students, LGBT students, Students of Color) to come visit our community through our Visit Day program. On your Visit Day, you'll have the opportunity to engage with prospective and current students with shared experiences, learn more about your academic experience here, interact with alumni, and immerse yourself in what the Carlson School can offer you. Our Admissions Team is eager to host you on campus and give you the information and tools you need to navigate the MBA Admissions process. Visit day information can be found here: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/events More information: Amber Bundy-Davis abundyda@umn.edu,Kathryn Andersen kanderse@umn.edu One Stop Student Services’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Members of One Stop Student Services’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee actively support and strengthen a workplace culture that expects staff to mindfully and constructively consider aspects of identity and its influence in their daily work. Committee members create and facilitate experiences that: Build staff capacity to critically reflect on existing systems and processes Incorporate and normalize the use of equity, diversity and inclusion lenses Identify opportunities for improvement in all spheres of influence More information: Trinity Muller, mulle276@umn.edu, 612-626-1384 College of Veterinary Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DNIC) The mission of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DNIC) is to coordinate and lead The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in support of the creation of a collegiate culture that is supportive of diversity and equity initiatives, and the recruitment of faculty, staff, and student bodies that reflect the diversity of our neighborhoods, region, and society. To this end, the CVM DNIC brings together faculty, staff, and students from all departments, centers and service areas in CVM to work together and with other University of Minnesota offices concerned with diversity and multiculturalism, and have also developed a Diversity Plan propelled by our Guiding Values. For more information: Dawn Foster, Co-Chair, fosterd@umn.edu, Mark Rutherford, Co-Chair, ruthe003@umn.edu, DNIC Website Law School Diversity Committee The mission of the Law School Diversity Committee is to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students in Mondale Hall and to support the diversity and inclusion initiatives of the admissions, alumni relations, career and communications offices at the Law School. The committee is comprised of Law School faculty, staff, students and alumni invested in bettering campus climate and improving representation in the legal profession. For more information: lawdiv@umn.edu The School of Dentistry Diversity Standing Committee The Diversity Standing Committee is responsible for the promotion and appreciation for all aspects of diversity at the School of Dentistry. It reviews policies, plans programs and services related to equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity, provides a forum for discussion of issues of diversity, sponsors activities and events that celebrate diversity and increase employee/student awareness. The Diversity Committee recently met with the Council of Chairs to plan for “Creating a more equitable culture” at the School of Dentistry. Several initiatives planned cover issues affecting students, faculty and staff. These include adding diversity in annual performance reviews, creation of scholarship to recognize diversity efforts among students, increased integration of cultural competence in the curriculum. A climate survey is planned in 2018. For more information: Naty Lopez lopez216@umn.edu or Carmen Real real0007@umn.edu. College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) 1. Working Across Difference Initiative (WADI) The Working Across Difference Initiative (WADI), a comprehensive initiative poised to serve as a national model, has three core components: curriculum, pedagogy, and student assessment. CFANS students in all majors and in each year of undergraduate education take discipline-based courses and participate in activities (e.g., study abroad and service learning) that intentionally incorporate multiple cultural perspectives to develop intercultural competency and to learn about cultural similarities and differences and how those differences may result in unequal impacts on people and communities. More information: http://www.cfans.umn.edu/differenceinitiative or Sandra Mitchell, mitchels@umn.edu, and Mike White, mwhite@umn.edu 2. CFANS Committee on Diversity and Inclusion The Committee on Diversity and Inclusion is comprised of a group of dedicated individuals with a strong interest in strengthening the college's commitment in the areas of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion. Members of the team come from staff, faculty, students and community partners. Representation includes participants from across the campus. We are committed to identifying and implementing a strategic change agenda that encourages the College to reflect the interests, aspirations and cultural richness of our extended community. Specific recommendations and action items to accomplish this agenda are forwarded to administrative leadership through the Director of Diversity Programs for CFANS. More information: https://www.cfans.umn.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/initiatives-working-groups/cdi or Sandra Mitchell, mitchels@umn.edu 3. Nibi and Manoomin: Bridging Worldviews Committee A partnership between reservation communities of the upper Midwest and the University of Minnesota, this group works to build understanding within the university of the significant role that wild rice (manoomin, Zizania palustris) plays within the communities of the Anishinaabe people of the upper Midwest and Cree of Canada, and the threats to wild rice in the future. More information: https://www.cfans.umn.edu/wildrice or Mark Bellcourt, belc001@umn.edu Academic Support Resources Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee The mission of Academic Support Resources (ASR) is to make a positive difference in students' lives. ASR is committed to cultivating and sustaining an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are better able to serve and represent our University community when we value differences and individuality. The ASR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee was established in 2016 to support and foster an environment that creates change and inclusiveness. Our overall objective is to understand the climate of ASR, address issues through projects, and explore educational opportunities. The committee consists of representatives from each unit within ASR. In the recent past, ASR has surveyed staff to better understand the climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our units; created helpful guides and documents in an online employee toolkit to assist search committees with the recruitment and hiring of a diverse workforce; communicate out through a bi-weekly staff newsletter to raise awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion news, events and educational opportunities; and supported the implementation of new functionality within the MyU portal to allow all students, faculty, and staff at all five campuses the ability to share gender identity and personal pronouns. More information: Julie Selander, goode021@umn.edu College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Campus Climate Initiative The CEHD Campus Climate Initiative began in fall of 2016 and was developed as an opportunity for students to discuss issues and concerns related to campus climate. This initiative will continue into the 2018-2019 academic year. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni will gather twice each semester for lunch and broad conversations around campus climate. The lunch is an informal and intentional space to discuss a wide range of ideas and concerns related to campus climate, and to develop mentors across disciplines. For more information contact Na'im Madyum madyu002@umn.edu Family Social Science Department Graduate Student Diversity Survey The Family Social Science Department diversity committee created and administered a survey for all graduate students to assess the department climate as it relates to diversity. The project’s purpose was to identify what percentage of our graduate students feel safe and supported in the department, and to lay the groundwork to identify what we should do to work toward everyone feeling at home. This project was part of a pilot diversity/equity microgrant program that identified climate as a key area of focus. The survey was adapted from the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey, surveys addressing diversity used by other Minnesota universities, and the Racial MicroAggressions Scale. Thirty-nine students took the diversity survey, representing 70 percent of the current and recently graduated students. Department faculty and students reviewed the results of the summary in a faculty meeting and graduate student organization meeting, and then discussed them together in small and large group formats. Students were added to the diversity committee and several students and faculty attended a "Keeping our Faculty of Color" conference. The committee is continuing to plan additional changes. More information: Jaime Ballard, jeballard@umn.edu CEHD Reads part of CEHD's Common Book in the First Year Experience Program Each year CEHD selects a common book for the First Year Inquiry course that explores the importance of culture, history, human development, and personal relationships. Our Fall 2018 common book is Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet. The book is centered on Lizet the daughter of Cuban immigrants and the first in her family to graduate from high school is secretly accepted to an ultra-elite college, her parents are furious at her decision to leave Miami. Just weeks before she's set to start school, her parents divorce and her father sells her childhood home, leaving Lizet, her mother, and Lizet's older sister scrambling for a place to live. As students read this book they will engage in thoughtful in-class discussion around diversity, social justice, and identity development. Students, family, and friends will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the author Jennine Capó Crucet, when Crucet presents at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on Thursday October 25th 7:30-8:30 p.m. The First Year Experience Program puts CEHD freshmen on the path to: • timely graduation, • establishing strong networks and a community of support, • opportunities for engagement and collaboration, • successful and efficient navigation of the U, • skillful communication with diverse people, ideas and perspectives. For more information please contact Jason Stahl at stah0064@umn.edu TRIO and Student Services 1. Social Justice Professional Development Series (led/facilitated by staff & open to all): SJPD Library includes more than 50 books. Topics presented: Power, Privilege, Oppression Muslim Students Navigating University Life Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson- Book Discussion "Mask I Live In" Documentary Viewing and Discussion Working with immigrant college students Women of color caucus space TRIO Advocacy & Lessons from Capitol Hill Self-Defense Workshop "I Am Not Your Negro" Documentary Viewing and Discussion Self Care and Social Justice Sleight of Mouth Technique "Precious Knowledge" Documentary Viewing and Discussion Accessible language (coming soon) 2. POC and White Caucus spaces (led/facilitated by staff/ open to all)To provide spaces for people to work within their own racial/ethnic groups and promote accountability. For white people, a caucus provides time and space to work explicitly and intentionally on understanding white culture and white privilege and to increase one’s critical analysis around these concepts. A white caucus also puts the onus on white people to teach each other about these ideas, rather than constantly relying on people of color to teach them. For people of color, a caucus is a place to work with their peers on their experiences of internalized racism, for healing and to work on liberation. 3. Accountability Process Work Group (closed group) To create a process of accountability and restorative justice 4. Social Justice Consciousness-Raising Forum (led/facilitated by staff & open to non- supervisory staff only) To create/provide a space for Student Services and TRIO programs staff in CEHD to come together in an attempt to build community, understanding, and heightened awareness regarding issues of social justice that impact us all in the work we do as well as the lives we live. 5. Multicultural Organizational Development Work To assess the current stage of multicultural organizational development in order to inform actions that move towards goal of multicultural organization. 6. Social Justice Retreat To engage staff in ongoing social justice reflection and action, including centering education and awareness of white supremacy and how it manifests in daily lives. 7. Monthly POC Lunches (open to all POC identified in unit, usually led by our Associate Dean of Diversity & Equity: Na'im Madyun) To create a space to work with people of color peers on their experiences of internalized racism, for healing and to work on liberation. GPS inSIDE (GPS in Service of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) GPS inSIDE Vision: To collaboratively develop an inclusive and equitable GPS Alliance community. GPS inSIDE Mission: GPS inSIDE brings together the myriad of minds and identities that make up the GPS community around ideas of social justice, diversity, equity, human rights, and equality. The group strives to create a space which allows all voices to be heard without compromising divergent views. By holding this space, and encouraging conversations which acknowledge barriers, power structures, and difference, we seek to promote acceptance and motivate growth towards the common purpose of honoring everyone’s authentic self. We recognize this is a developmental process of understanding and we welcome moving through a learning space both individually and together. For more information: BJ Titus, titus007@umn.edu, Tami Jauert, jauer002@umn.edu, Laura Bell, noppe003@umn.edu Office of Information Technology (OIT) OIT contributes to the University's representational diversity objectives by ensuring an objective, competency based, hiring process that emphasizes the highest quality hires. This process implemented in Fall 2015 has supported a change in the demographics of OIT's workforce in becoming more representative of the Twin Cities IT community. For example staff of color in OIT has more than doubled. This effort is ongoing as significant progress is still needed. Key Contact: Meghan Johnson (huberm@umn.edu) In addition to building a more representationally diverse workforce OIT has made intentional efforts to promote a more inclusive work environment. In Summer 2017 OIT launched a 4 workshop series for managers designed on understanding and seeing the value of inclusion and how to foster an inclusive environment while modeling inclusive behaviors. Inclusion efforts are continuing by conducting workplace culture assessments for specific areas of need. Inclusion / Culture - Amanda Low (lowxx066@umn.edu) OIT is partnering with Disability Resource Center and others to promote Accessibility. Technology plays a significant role in Accessibility and supporting members of the University community by developing Core Skills. OIT is also in the early stages of exploring piloting HR practices that support accessibility. Key Contact - Donalee Attardo (dattardo@umn.edu) Key Contact HR practices: Kendric Moore (kendric@umn.edu) Multicultural Student Success Committee: The goal of the Multicultural Student Success Committee is to improve the retention, graduation, and success of undergraduate students of color on the Twin Cities campus. The committee was charged by the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee and will work to coordinate efforts with the broader enrollment efforts and across campus initiatives. The committee’s work is in support of the Regent’s Resolution passed in February of 2018 which aims to: Reduce the four- and six-year graduation rate gaps for African-American, Latinx, and American Indian students by 50 percent by 2025 Improve the satisfaction of students of color and American Indian students with the Twin Cities campus climate by reducing the difference compared to all other domestic students by 50 percent by 2025, as measured by the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey of undergraduates. Specifically, the MSSC will: Review existing data in order to identify barriers to student success for multicultural students. Identify and coordinate the various programs, services and units working with predominately multicultural student populations to assure alignment and coordination. Identify gaps, trends, and/or ideas to enhance support of various student populations. Work with other committees on campus who are engaged in addressing similar issues. Brings items/issues to Strategic Enrollment Management Committee and others as appropriate. Recommend strategies for improvement to address the graduation gap and campus climate. More information: The committee is co-chaired by LeeAnn Melin, Office of Undergraduate Education, melin002@umn.edu; and Sean Garrick, Office for Equity and Diversity, sgarrick@umn.edu Multicultural Recruitment Initiatives from the Office of Admissions: Multicultural Campus Visit Experiences – Multicultural experiences were added to our summer recruitment events, showcasing our multicultural campus community and resources to prospective students and their families. Targeted Recruitment Events – A recruitment event for high school seniors from underserved Asian Pacific Islander populations was added to our slate of recruitment events for multicultural students including African American, Latino, and American Indian high school seniors. Targeted Commitment Events – A Golden Evening commitment event for admitted students from underserved Asian Pacific Islander populations was added to our slate of commitment events for multicultural students including African American, Latino, and American Indian high school seniors. Minnesota Multicultural Recruitment Society – Created a professionally-advised, registered student organization that will incorporate the student voice into recruitment efforts in new ways. This is a partnership between the Office of Admissions and the Office for Student Affairs. More information: Multicultural Recruitment: Barkley Barton, bbartoni@umn.edu The Community Outreach, Retention, and Engagement Program is a community-based initiative that functions to empower students, families, and their communities, to achieve their educational and economic goals. CORE focuses on addressing the academic, fianncial, and social barriers to higher education. We do this through building awareness and investing in our participant's capacity (i.e. knowledge, skill, ability, etc.). CORE serves students that will be the first in their family to attend college; students and families that are concerned about their ability to pay for college, and/or students from African American, Hmong, Latino, and Native American backgrounds. More information: https://diversity.umn.edu/core Deaf/Hard of Hearing Day This annual event provides an opportunity for middle school students and high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn about college life and opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students at the U of M. More information: Contact information: Ander Bolduc, Associate Director of Access Programs, boldu0004@umn.edu. West Bank Community Garden The Off-Campus Living area within the Office for Student Engagement is supporting the growth of a new West Bank Community Garden by helping connect local community members and students through the garden and by helping to source supplies for the garden. The West Bank Community Garden is an effort by students, faculty, staff, and community members to increase area residents’ access to affordable, healthy food and strengthen the campus community’s connection with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood through the conversion of an underutilized campus lawn into a community garden. More information: Regular community garden work and meetings happen every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. More information: https://www.facebook.com/WestBankCommunityGarden or westbankcommunitygarden@gmail.com For Students, Faculty, and Staff © 2020 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. 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__label__cc	0.630552	0.369448	Capmocracy \| Empowering Human Capital Capmocracy.com/social - A Social Network for you! Connect, Discuss or Debate. Unleashing Human Capital into Politics Everyday Can Trump Still Avoid War With Iran? Capmocracy President Donald Trump does not want war with Iran. America does not want war with Iran. Even the Senate Republicans are advising against military action in response to that attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities. “All of us (should) get together and exchange ideas, respectfully, and come to a consensus — and that should be bipartisan,” says Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch of Idaho. When Lindsey Graham said the White House had shown “weakness” and urged retaliatory strikes for what Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls Iran’s “act of war,” the president backhanded his golfing buddy: “It’s very easy to attack, but if you ask Lindsey … ask him how did going into the Middle East … work out. And how did Iraq work out?” Still, if neither America nor Iran wants war, what has brought us to the brink? Answer: The policy imposed by Trump, Pompeo and John Bolton after our unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Our course was fixed by the policy we chose to pursue. Imposing on Iran the most severe sanctions ever by one modern nation on another, short of war, the U.S., through “maximum pressure,” sought to break the Iranian regime and bend it to America’s will. Submit to U.S. demands, we told Tehran, or watch your economy crumble and collapse and your people rise up in revolt and overthrow your regime. Among the 12 demands issued by Pompeo: End all enrichment of uranium or processing of plutonium. Halt all testing of ballistic missiles. Cut off Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Disarm and demobilize Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq. Terminate support for the Houthi rebels resisting Saudi intervention in Yemen. The demands Pompeo made were those that victorious nations impose upon the defeated or defenseless. Pompeo’s problem: Iran was neither. Hezbollah is dominant in Lebanon. Along with Russia and Hezbollah, Iran and its militias enabled Bashar Assad to emerge victorious in an eight-year Syrian civil war. And the scores of thousands of Iranian-trained and -allied Shiite militia fighters in the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq outnumber the 5,200 U.S. troops there 20 times over. Hence Tehran’s defiant answer to Pompeo’s 12 demands: We will not capitulate, and if your sanctions prevent our oil from reaching our traditional buyers, we will prevent the oil of your Sunni allies from getting out of the Persian Gulf. Hence, this summer, we saw tankers sabotaged and seized in the Gulf, insurance rates for tanker traffic surge, Iran shoot-down a $130 million U.S. Predator drone, and, a week ago, an attack on Saudi oil production facilities that cut Riyadh’s exports in half. This has been followed by an Iranian warning that a Saudi attack on Iran means war, and a U.S. attack will be met with a counterattack. We don’t want war, the Iranians are saying, but if the alternative is to choke to death under U.S. sanctions, we will use our weapons to fight yours. America might emerge victorious in such a war, but the cost could be calamitous, imperiling that fifth of the world’s oil that traverses the Strait of Hormuz, and causing a global recession. Yet even if there is no U.S. or Saudi military response to Saturday’s attack, what is to prevent Iran from ordering a second strike that shuts down more Arab Gulf oil production? Iran has shown the ability to do that, and, apparently, neither we nor the Saudis have the defenses to prevent such an attack. A more fundamental question arises: If the United States was not attacked, why is it our duty to respond militarily to an attack on Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia is not a member of NATO. It is not a treaty ally. The Middle East Security Alliance or “Arab NATO” chatted up a year ago to contain Iran — of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states — was stillborn. We are under no obligation to fight the Saudis’ war. Nor is Saudi Arabia a natural American ally. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman runs an Islamic autocracy. He inserted himself into first position in the line of succession to the throne of his father, who’s in failing health. He locked up his brother princes at the Riyadh Ritz Carlton to shake them down for billions of dollars. He summoned the prime minister of Lebanon to the kingdom, where the crown prince forced him to resign in humiliation. He has ostracized Qatar from Arab Gulf councils. He has been accused of complicity in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. With his U.S.-built and bought air force, the Crown Prince has made a hell on earth of Yemen to crush the Houthis rebels who hold the capital. The question President Trump confronts today: How does he get his country back off the limb he climbed out on while listening to the Republican neocons and hawks he defeated in 2016, but who have had an inordinate influence over his foreign policy? Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever.” Previous articleTrump administration to sign asylum agreement with El Salvador Next articleClimate Change Activism: From Flight-Shaming to Video-Shaming After the Slaughter: DOD to Update Vetting Procedures for Foreign Students CNN Airs Audio Of Tense Exchange Between Elizabeth Warren And Bernie Sanders Still at it: House Democrats Launch Investigation Into Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ Program Capmocracy \| noun \| capmocracy - 2008 MD A government ruled by special interest groups. A government in which the majority of power is held in special interest groups and exercised by elected officials directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held elections. Capmocracy.com/social - empowering human capital everywhere! Have a story you want out? contact us at truejournalism@capmocracy.com Contact us: services@capmocracy.com © Capmocracy.com 2012 Climate refugees cannot be sent back home, United Nations rules NBC Falsely Claims Voting For Trump is a ‘Constitutional Hate Crime’	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24370
__label__cc	0.574582	0.425418	CARE France’s charitable lottery: A Picasso for 100 Euros One incredibly lucky art lover will soon be the proud owner of an original Picasso, for just €100 (£85). Thanks to a worldwide raffle organised in support of global humanitarian charity CARE International, participants can win an original piece of art by Pablo Picasso worth one million euros. Until 6 January 2020, anyone can buy a €100 raffle ticket via the website www.1picasso100euros.com. The funds raised will enable 200,000 people to have access to clean water and education through CARE International’s projects in Cameroon, Madagascar and Morocco. With 200,000 tickets for sale, the odds of winning are around 700 times higher per ticket than winning the Euromillions jackpot, for example. The painting, Nature Morte, oil on canvas, dated 1921, is currently being exhibited in the Picasso Museum in Paris until January 2020. This remarkable raffle is organised by the association ‘Aider les autres’ and based on an original idea by Péri Cochin, French TV show host and producer. Cochin explains: There are so many people who need help around the world. We wanted to make something different to enable lots of people to take part in charity actions. Philippe Lévêque, CARE France CEO, says: Two hundred million hours a day: that is how much time women and girls spend collecting water in the world. Think about what they could do instead with that time: get an education, start their own businesses… This raffle will help us change the lives of 200,000 people in the world. Access to water is a key factor of development. There was a similar charity raffle in 2013. A 24-year-old American won the prize, a 1914 Cubist drawing. The raffle is set to become an annual event. Each year, a new cause will be supported and a new Picasso will be won. You can follow the raffle on Instagram - 1Picasso100euros. The draw takes place on 6 January 2020 and you can watch the draw live at the Picasso raffle website. Camille Nozières, CARE France nozieres@carefrance.org \| 07 86 00 42 75 News releases and statements CARE Ready to Respond to Philippine’s Taal Volcano, Possible Hazardo... Fires in Australia must serve as wake-up call to climate crisis CARE Canada welcomes Barbara Grantham as new President and CEO	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24371
__label__cc	0.518469	0.481531	A Message from Dean Don Cardinal: A Thank You for the Freire Events Every once in a while, dreams come true. And sometimes they pass without full acknowledgement–we are off to the next big thing. Recently, one of our dreams was realized and thus it is worth pausing, just for a minute, to celebrate this special moment in time. Many years ago, led by Tom Wilson, a small group of faculty decided to bring to campus, Paulo Freire. That led to developing the Paulo Freire Democratic Project (PFDP) which annually bestows awards to individuals and community groups. The Paulo archives in our library has been of keen interest to many around the world. After more than a decade, maybe two decades, the dream of making the Paulo Freire Democratic Project (PFD) more visible on the national educational map came to be realized. Close to 300 people, most from other countries and states, other universities, and some from our local community, came to hear some of the greatest minds on the topic “Teaching Critically and Democratically: Politics and Pedagogy in Times of Crisis” extend the thinking of Paulo Freire into the 21st century. Our Freire archives were also rededicated and Paulo’s wife, Nita, here from Brazil, named the Chapman archives as the official North American site for artifacts of Paulo. I promise you, regardless if you knew the players or not, you would have been greatly inspired by the many, many scholars and friends who looked at Chapman’s CES as the place to be, to be free to do one’s work and to make a difference. I heard a common theme from others, “You guys really seem to like one another while you are doing great things, do you know how rare that is?” This all happened through the very hard work of the PFDP board and in particular, Dr. SooHoo, who worked tirelessly on this event from the first day to the last day. It is the result of many, many years of pushing uphill. Please join me in thanking so many for this important accomplishment. Thank you all for dreaming and then working so hard to make those dreams a reality. In admiration for all, Dean Donald N. Cardinal, Ph.D. Attallah Awarded International Accreditation for School Psychology Program Future Educators Partnership Signed with Santiago Canyon College Chapman's Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society Welcomes New Initiates Making the Community Your Classroom Announcing the 2017-2018 Attallah College Undergraduate Student Leadership Council Attallah College student named "Outstanding School Psychologist" by The California Association of School Psychologists From IES to the Classroom – Samantha Barnes ’17 Attallah College organizes collaboration between district and charter schools - Recipients awarded inaugural ePrize grant for $100,000 Q & A with New Faculty Member Jorge F. Rodriguez Paulo Freire Democratic Project Thomas Wilson, Ed.D., 1930–2018 - Freirian scholar and social justice advocate Dr. Monzo hosts speakers from the International Marxist humanist organization Connecting with community members through practical education Dean Don Cardinal Aims of Education Address by Don Cardinal Donald Cardinal, Ph.D., Announces his Retirement as Dean of the College of Educational Studies How do we know if we are making a difference? Teachers College building named after Dr. Peter McLaren Ahmed Younis, Ph.D., Wins Doti Award as Outstanding Grad Student Ahmed Younis: The Importance of Critical Pedagogy 14 social 14 people shared or liked this. December 12, 2019 by Stace Dumoski \| News A new local community college partnership will bring future educators to Chapman and help fill the growing need for qualified teachers in Orange County. Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies and Santiago Canyon College have signed a new partnership that is designed to meet the growing need for teachers in California. The Chapman Transfer Lessons at Chapman Lead to Action in Africa January 3, 2020 by Cheryl Baltes \| Students When Action in Africa opened a new community center in Nakuwadde, Uganda, in January 2015, it was an important milestone for the nonprofit and its young executive director, Sarah Nininger ’13. Still, the center’s success was not at all certain. The floors were still caked with mud from construction, and there were no doors or	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24372
__label__wiki	0.893061	0.893061	Microsoft / The AI Blog How autonomous systems use AI that learns from the world around it Jennifer Langston Nov 4, 2019 Share on Flipboard (opens new window) Share on Reddit (opens new window) If a mine collapses or an earthquake strands people underground in a subway car, first responders can’t rush into that unknown subterranean environment without potentially endangering themselves. A rescue team must ensure an area is structurally sound and air is breathable before pushing forward — which sometimes means help moves slower than anyone would like. In a competition sponsored by DARPA, teams are designing autonomous robots that can explore and map these potentially dangerous underground landscapes and also identify objects of interest to first responders like survivors, backpacks, cell phones or fire extinguishers. “With a robot, you’re able to take much more risk and potentially move much faster in a rescue,” said Sebastian Scherer, Carnegie Mellon University associate research professor and co-leader of Team Explorer, which took first place in the initial leg of that Subterranean Challenge using Microsoft’s AirSim technology to train its robots to recognize objects in a simulated mine. “It’s really difficult to design a system to operate in an environment where you really have no idea what’s coming next. It has to be very robust and be able to make decisions on its own to get itself out of trouble,” Scherer said. It’s exactly the kind of hard problem that Microsoft’s autonomous systems platform is designed to make easier — along with a growing list of other industrial and manufacturing applications in which AI can be used to teach machines to learn from and respond to the physical world. At its Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida, this week, Microsoft announced that it is expanding a limited preview program of its autonomous systems platform, which will offer more opportunities for developers, engineers and enterprise customers to test its first components. Autonomous systems are part of a new class of systems that go beyond basic automation. Instead of performing a specific task repeatedly without variation, they are capable of sensing and dynamically responding to changing environments to accomplish a desired goal. Microsoft’s platform uses a unique combination of machine teaching, reinforcement learning and simulation to help companies create these systems. At Ignite this week, Microsoft also announced that it is launching new partnerships with companies such as MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software and maker of the MATLAB and Simulink products that are used by millions of engineers and scientists worldwide to design complex embedded and multidomain systems. The partnership will allow engineers to create autonomous systems using Microsoft AI and Azure with the widely used modeling and simulation tools already at their fingertips. New partners also include Fresh Consulting, a Bellevue, Washington-based consulting team of designers, developers and engineers who are helping customers build new systems such as tractors that autonomously deliver materials to outdoor solar farms or construction sites. Microsoft says these new partnerships reflect the company’s commitment to building an entire ecosystem of partners — with expertise ranging from simulation to drone software and systems integration — that will support customers interested in taking the leap from automated to autonomous systems. In some cases, those pioneering companies are using autonomous systems to perform work that’s either too dangerous or tedious for people to want to do. In others, they are helping people who work with physical systems — someone tweaking chemical reactions to make an optimal batch of plastics or adjusting automotive components to ensure a smooth ride — make smarter decisions by processing greater volumes of information than people can comprehend. Microsoft’s unique machine teaching approach allows employees who might know a lot about keeping large buildings at a comfortable temperature without wasting energy or how material needs to move around a construction site but who aren’t data science experts to more intuitively “teach” AI systems. By using their subject matter expertise to break complicated tasks into smaller parts, they help the AI hit on solutions faster. This approach also results in AI with explainable behavior, giving people a clearer understanding of how it makes decisions and confidence that the solution is sound. Deep reinforcement learning algorithms — which the Microsoft autonomous systems platform selects and manages — learn by testing out a series of actions and seeing how close they get to a desired goal. But because no one wants to crash real robots or take critical pieces of equipment offline while the algorithms figure out what works, the training happens in simulated environments. With the MathWorks partnership announced today, customers can now use MATLAB and Simulink models with Microsoft’s machine teaching tools for training autonomous systems on the cloud. This enables them to use a wider range of simulation models to instantly spin up scenarios that mimic all the different conditions that an autonomous system might encounter. Whether those represent the many potential hazards inside a collapsed mine or a jet engine flying in different weather conditions, this allows the AI to learn from many simulated situations at once. The journey from automated to autonomous systems is a spectrum of solutions, and very few of the engagements we’re seeing are in that fully autonomous with no humans in the loop zone. The vast majority are assistive technologies that work with people. Millions of engineers across industries such as automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery and medical devices have already built models of the systems they work on using MATLAB or Simulink. This new partnership allows users to bring simulation models built using MATLAB and Simulink to Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, enabling unprecedented scalability and making it easier for developers and engineers building autonomous systems. “Our core interest really comes down to engineering productivity — the ability to succeed at a task in the least amount of time possible,” said Loren Dean, MathWorks senior director of engineering for MATLAB products. “This partnership allows engineers to stay in a familiar workflow to learn and apply AI without having to do the things that are non-traditional for them, like setting up the infrastructure to run a bunch of simulations at once. They’re shielded from all that.” By running hundreds or thousands of simulations in parallel in Azure and learning from massive amounts of data at once, deep reinforcement learning algorithms can find optimal solutions to chaotic, real-world control problems that other types of AI still struggle to solve. It turns out these problems are everywhere, said Gurdeep Pall, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Business AI. Microsoft received three times more interest than it expected after opening its autonomous systems limited preview program in May. The companies who have applied to work with Microsoft’s autonomous systems team and partners are looking to develop control systems to intelligently stitch fabric, optimize chemical engineering processes, manufacture durable consumer goods and even process food. The potential goes far beyond robotics or autonomous vehicles, Microsoft says. “These are the kinds of diverse use cases for autonomous systems that we’re starting to see emerge,” Pall said. “As customers learn about the capabilities of our toolchain, we’re seeing them apply it in really interesting ways because these control problems exist almost everywhere you look.” Most customer use cases Microsoft has seen so far involve helping existing employees do their jobs more efficiently, safely or with higher quality, said Mark Hammond, Microsoft general manager for Business AI and the former CEO of the startup Bonsai, which Microsoft acquired last year. As sensors in modern workplaces collect ever more data, it can become difficult for any one operator — such as someone who is guiding a drill bit or calibrating expensive equipment — to track it all. AI tools can process that data and bring the most relevant patterns to that operator’s attention, enabling them to make more informed decisions. “The journey from automated to autonomous systems is a spectrum of solutions, and very few of the engagements we’re seeing are in that fully autonomous with no humans in the loop zone,” Hammond said. “The vast majority are assistive technologies that work with people.” Training AI systems in virtual worlds Traditionally, AI models have often relied on labor-intensive labeled data for training, which works well for many problems but not for those that lack real-world data. Now, Microsoft and partners like MathWorks are expanding the use of AI into more areas such as those that require learning from the three-dimensional physical world around them — through the power of reinforcement learning and simulation. Engineers have long used simulations to mathematically model the systems they work with in the real world. This allows them to estimate how a particular change in a chemical, manufacturing or industrial process may affect performance, without having to worry about slowing production or putting people or equipment at risk. Now, those same simulations can be used to train reinforcement learning algorithms to find optimal solutions, Dean said. “The AI is really augmenting how these traditional systems have worked — it just gives you greater confidence in your design and gives you additional capabilities that either had to be done manually before or were difficult to solve,” Dean said. Imagine a building engineer whose job is to calibrate all the heating and cooling systems in a large commercial building to keep each room at a comfortable temperature as people stream in and out for meetings and outside weather fluctuates — while using as little energy as possible. That could involve tuning dozens of different parameters and might take many cycles of modeling and measuring changes for that engineer to find the best balance of controls. With the new Microsoft and MathWorks partnership, that engineering expert could use machine teaching tools to help an AI system focus on the most important dimensions of the problem, set safety limits and figure out how to reward success as the algorithms learn. This allows for greater transparency and trust in how the AI system is making decisions and also helps it work more efficiently than randomly exploring all possibilities. The engineer could train the AI using models that he or she already developed in MATLAB or Simulink. The simulations can be automatically scaled up in the Azure cloud — which means the engineer doesn’t have to worry about learning how to host and manage computing clusters. The end result is the building engineer uses AI to zero in on promising solutions much faster — but still uses his or her judgment to decide what works best. “This partnership really marries the best of MathWorks’ capabilities for modeling and simulation with the best of Microsoft’s capabilities for cloud computing and AI,” Microsoft’s Hammond said. Our core interest really comes down to engineering productivity — the ability to succeed at a task in the least amount of time possible. But simulation needs vary widely. Some engineers execute equations in pure math to model fluid dynamics while others want to test a drone’s detection capabilities in photorealistic scenes. That’s why the autonomous systems toolchain also includes AirSim, an open source technology developed by Microsoft to simulate vehicles, drones and other equipment operating in three-dimensional virtual environments. In the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, for instance, researchers and students from CMU and Oregon State University used AirSim to train perception models to detect objects such as people, backpacks or phones from three-dimensional LIDAR data. In its two best runs, Team Explorer’s robots were able to detect and map 25 artifacts — more than twice as many as any other team. Artists used reference material from real-world mines to create an intricate maze of virtual manmade tunnels in AirSim. The simulations also included the team’s robotic vehicles and sensor data that reflected obstacles and objects they might encounter. Others have used AirSim to train drones to spot elephant poachers and autonomously inspect wind turbines. “I can create one scenario with the wind turbine operating in cloudy skies with windy conditions and another in sunlight and hot temperatures and all the permutations in between,” said Microsoft Senior Principal Researcher Ashish Kapoor. “There are thousands of different worlds we can create instantly and in parallel that the AI can learn from.” The ability to generate data on such a massive scale allows reinforcement learning algorithms to pinpoint exactly which actions or series of steps mattered most in reaching a goal, which is critical to solving dynamic real-world problems. AirSim is also well-suited to modeling situations where people’s unpredictable behavior comes into play, Kapoor said. In those cases, there are no immutable laws of motion or physics on which to rely. “We can’t use our existing control techniques, so you need something to create a world that mimics all this unstructured behavior. And that’s what AirSim does very well — it allows you to create data that represents the chaos of human life,” Kapoor said. In the first leg of DARPA’s Subterranean Challenge, winning Team Explorer used Microsoft’s AirSim simulation technology to help build autonomous vehicles and drones that could map and locate objects in underground mines. Photo courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University. Building an ecosystem of partners Helping customers transition from automated to autonomous systems — a shift that Microsoft says is foundational to the fourth industrial revolution — will require more than one company acting alone. In addition to its strong portfolio of Internet of Things services, Microsoft’s partnerships with companies like Fresh Consulting will help customers who see the benefits that AI-powered autonomous systems could offer but who may need conceptual or technical help in building them. Other collaboration and partnership announcements include simulation software makers AnyLogic, CGTech, solution providers Neal Analytics and enterprise drone software maker 3DR. In a warehouse of today, said Fresh Consulting CEO Jeff Dance, companies have to build a lot of infrastructure around an automated robot arm that can only pick up an object of a certain size or in a certain orientation. They may create special shelving or pallets that need to be redesigned if the process or product changes. By contrast, autonomous systems are designed to adapt to the world around them. “When you can create an autonomous machine that can deal with new situations it’s never seen before, you don’t have to create that infrastructure, and that’s a huge benefit,” Dance said. Fresh Consulting is also developing a fleet of autonomous tractors that can deliver panels and other materials to workers assembling outdoor solar farms — as they’re needed in the field. With persistent labor shortages in the construction industry, that allows installations to go quicker and employees to focus on more interesting parts of the job, Dance said. Microsoft is partnering with systems integrators like Fresh Consulting to help customers that are interested in autonomous systems but don’t have core expertise in hardware or software design, Pall said. It’s still an emerging industry, and Microsoft is still in the process of listening to early customers to refine its autonomous systems toolchain and help put all the puzzle pieces together, he said. “Eventually we will get to a platform that becomes absolutely accessible to everyone, and that will be the tipping point in how we build things the old way and how we build things in entirely new ways,” Pall said. “But what we’ve seen through history is that it’s the folks who embrace these big leaps early, not the ones who move slowly until their comfort levels are hit, who emerge as leaders in the new paradigm. And you can definitely tell from talking to customers who is really leaping.” Top image: Microsoft partner Fresh Consulting, based in Bellevue, Washington, helps customers build autonomous systems such as these tractors that can autonomously deliver materials to workers assembling solar farms. Photo courtesy of Fresh Consulting. Visit: Autonomous systems with Microsoft AI Read: Bringing autonomous systems to engineers: Taking a leap from the digital world of games to the real world Read: Helping first responders achieve more with autonomous systems and AirSim Read: Machine teaching: How people’s expertise makes AI even more powerful Read: From automated to autonomous systems: Microsoft’s developer platform aims to accelerate the journey Learn more: Game of Drones Competition at NeurIPS 2019 Watch: Autonomous systems at AI Business School Jennifer Langston writes about Microsoft research and innovation. Follow her on Twitter. Defeating dengue fever: AI boosts the global fight against mosquito-borne diseases 6 AI features Microsoft added to Office in 2019 An introduction to Azure FarmBeats at Microsoft Ignite 2019 Ericsson to build its Connected Vehicle Cloud on top of Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24373
__label__wiki	0.777586	0.777586	Discuss Previews and Spoilers Y&R: Actress OUT! By dragonflies, July 26, 2019 in Discuss Previews and Spoilers Lifetimer You all guess right Billy Miller Fan So they let her go because they didn't know what to do with her creatively, (which is crap, there was stuff they could have done with her.) and because they wanted to use the budget to increase other people's storylines. So she got let go to probably increase the budget to add more people to Adam's storyline (even though he's already eating up the show) and maybe to Kyle/Lola's as well. I guess the money to pay her may go to bring back people like Avery and maybe Papa Rosales. There is also someone from Kyle's past named Zoe that is supposed to be coming on, though I don't know how long she will be sticking around for. Very disappointed about this news, but I wish her the best. She deserved a lot better from a writing regime and show that just never really tried to invest or do much with her character. Edited July 26, 2019 by xtr Ungrateful bitches! Vengeance is mine!!!! Black budget in tact. Check! Bonus for AnHellica!!!!! Gray Bunny These hoes don't know what they're doing over there. They take a decade to put a new actor in their opening credits; she is one of only two so far to get inducted and now they're releasing her. WTF... BetterForgotten Unforgivable - ratings fall and they blame the black characters they never write for anyway. There's big issues with this show and ratings continue to bleed severely, but Loren should not be a casualty of that. It's who they currently feature that's the issue, and the problematic writing. I am very annoyed by both of the reasons they gave her for letting her go. But I am even more annoyed that they told her that one reason she was let go, is because they didn't know what to creatively do with Ana. (I know that they probably wanted to free up more people to add to storylines for Adam/Kyle/Lola). But they didn't "know what to do with Ana creatively excuse." IMO is BS and was just something they told her to try and placate her. As I have said multiple times, there was plenty they could have done with Ana. Fen was right there for her as love interest early on (or they could have brought him back). They also just recently teased a storyline with Theo mentoring her/maybe being in a triangle with him and Summer. They could have done that or paired her with Chance when he came back on the show. The reality is they didn't want to write for her & didn't care enough about her to give her any sort of storyline, that was even hallway decent. Which is why she never got any sort of romance, or even a kiss in nine months of being on the show. But they tried to sell that excuse to her. that they couldn't think of anything to do with her creatively. Right, that is just a big old crock of mess. This show continues to show time and time again, they don't care much about the black characters or their black audience (including black women) who have supported them for years. This treatment of Loren is just another awful chapter added to that book. It's just ridiculous. And to add insult to injury they just recently had her debut in the opening credits of the show. Probably after they decided to let her go. What a very unfortunate/disappointing situation. Let's see: - Stafford's return is flopping - Chelsea's return is flopping - Adam is hogging the show and ratings are dropping to record lows - Kyle and Lola are a massive failure - Nick and Victoria are unbearable characters But it's the black girl with potential that gets cut because they feel they can better "spend that money elsewhere." This is such sh!t. Morina and Griffith need to be fired, but that won't change the inherent racism on this show. Edited July 26, 2019 by BetterForgotten 7 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said: And Lola is utterly insufferable and the show keeps dumping never ending ridiculous types of "angst" on her and Kyle isn't helping either. It really is a crock of crap. And I am extra annoyed about this, because Loren really wasn't given anything as a storyline. How is she on the show for nine months, but doesn't get a kiss? Let alone any type of romance or anyone really showing interest in her. Zach Tinker's Fen did flirt with her a little, butthey got him up out of there quickly and shut the door on that potential romance. The way this show did Loren IMO was disgraceful. This is one of the worst treatments, (if not the worst in some ways) I have seen of a black actress/black female characters on the show. Other black female characters in the past haven't been treated very well, but at least they were allowed to be shown as desirable to someone. And allowed to have at least some romance. And not just hang up underneath their brother a lot of the time, or be used as a third wheel. Loren was blatantly disrespected by Josh and company, when they didn't even give her those courtesies. StepBack They did Loren dirty. They have Summer talking about getting millennials and all this BS, and yet, Loren was doing this for the show with her positivity and engagement with fans. How Lola and Tessa are surviving longer, and they use "creative reasons" as an excuse to get rid of her shows how utterly incompetent these people are. Even KSJ and the passing of Neil's character was like a week long story, instead of spurring it to be something bigger. Screw these writers. Anthony Morina and Josh Griffith seem very tone-deaf and have no self-awareness. The show is dropping to record low ratings week after week (and no, the DirtectTV blackout isn't a full excuse, this trend has been going on for close to two months now), and they don't seem to recognize it's what they're prioritizing and showcasing on the show that's the issue. It will be a great day when Morina and Griffith are fired. We'll get another recycled pair of hacks, but these two are such horrible people with no talent at all. Cranky S.O.B. What can I say that hasn't been said already? Y&R (and soaps in general) continues to de-value the very demographic that helped pushed them to the top of the ratings in the first place. One of these days, they'll realize that (maybe) and attempt to course-correct (maybe). By that point, however, it'll be too late. So you mean to tell me that a young legacy character who has years of story played by a talented and charismatic Black Actress makes you creatively bankrupt? Victoria Rowell was right when she said this show got a problem not only in front of the camera but the back of the camera as well too. Ana had so much potential to be a breakout character. However, everytime they put her in a story she was the supportive player. I won't be surprised by the next week or so we'll get an announcement that Mishael Morgan is back. So Angelica, Tony and Josh can come off as "Heroes" by stating "We might've gotten rid of one black woman but hey we got Hilary back Y'all." 9 minutes ago, Khan said: Black folks refuse to give up Sharon and Victoria. God knows why! Even when I'm off, I don't [!@#$%^&*] with YR! 5 minutes ago, Forever8 said: Yep. After all, they see us as interchangeable -- meaning, of course, "we all look alike" -- so why not? 2 minutes ago, ChitHappens said: Black folks refuse to give up Sharon and Victoria. No, no, no. Black folks are HERE for Victor, and Victor alone. Sharon and Victoria, we could take-or-leave. Edited July 26, 2019 by Khan YRfan23 Such a damn shame but I’m not surprise with this show anymore...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24378
__label__wiki	0.78688	0.78688	/ Cory Doctorow / 8:35 am Tue Jul 23, 2019 A deep dive into Elizabeth Warren's plan to tame private equity Yesterday, I published a brief analysis of Elizabeth Warren's plan to close the loopholes that allows private equity to defraud investors, creditors and workers to make billions while destroying the real economy. Today, I'm going to suggest that you read Yves Smith's analysis of the proposal on Naked Capitalism. Private equity is one of the most politically and economically consequential forces in the USA and the world today, behind much of our inequality, looting, and policy dysfunctions. Private equity is a bezzle, protected by deliberately dull layers of obfuscation and complexity that allows its practicioners to claim that the reason they seem to be out-and-out crooks is that none of us are smart enough to figure out what they're doing. Warren isn't buying it. Her proposal builds on the scholarly investigations of Eileen Appelbaum and Rosemary Batt (here's some of Appelbaum's commentary on the proposal) to fashion a series of killing blows aimed at the industry's soft, vulnerable spots, from a two-year ban on dividends after PE acquisitions to giving worker pay and pensions bankruptcy priority, to treating gift cards as consumer deposits for bankruptcy purses. As Smith says, there's no chance that the current Congress and Senate would pass this, but that's not the point. The point -- as with Sanders' 2016 Medicare for All proposal -- is to shift the political center, normalizing ideas that sound impossible as part of our daily political discourse. If it's one thing the whole progressive wing of the Democrats have gotten good at in the past four years, it's changing the width of the Overton Window, from Warren to Sanders to AOC. This is a bold set of proposals that targets abuses that hurt workers and investors. Most readers may not appreciate the significance of the two-year restriction on dividends. One return-goosing strategy that often leaves companies crippled or bankrupt in its wake is the “dividend recap” in which the acquired company takes on yet more debt for the purpose of paying a special dividend to its investors. Another strategy that Appelbaum and Batt have discussed at length is the “op co/prop co.” Here the new owners take real estate owned by the company, sell it to a new entity with the former owner leasing it. The leases are typically set high so as to allow for the “prop co” to be sold at a richer price. This strategy is often a direct contributor to the death of businesses, since ones that own their real estate usually do so because they are in cyclical industries, and not having lease payments enables the to ride out bad times. The proceeds of sale of the real estate is usually dividended out to the investors, hence the dividend restriction would also pour cold water on this approach. The bill also seeks to help workers by making the private equity firms liable for pension looting, and for giving unpaid wages and other employee consideration much higher status in bankruptcy. Elizabeth Warren Seeks to Cut Private Equity Down to Size [Yves Smith/Naked Capitalism] (Image: Adam Jones, CC-BY-SA, cropped) 2020 / banksters / Democrats / Eileen Appelbaum and Rosemary Batt / elections / elizabeth warren / finance / grifter capitalism / grifters / guillotine watch / late stage capitalism / looters / private equity Biden says Section 230 tech liability shield should end for Facebook, Zuckerberg should be subject to civil liability Former Vice President and current 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden says U.S. Section 230 should be immediately revoked for Facebook and other social media platforms, and that Mark Zuckerberg should be submitted to civil liability. FBI says it will notify state officials when local election systems are hacked On 'The View,' Mike Bloomberg says he regrets telling 'bawdy' jokes (WTAF?) “In one notable instance, a saleswoman filed a lawsuit in 1997 alleging that when she told Bloomberg she was pregnant, his response was, ‘Kill it.’” Mike Bloomberg is running for President of the United States as a Democrat this year. He has long been accused by former employees of maintaining a hostile working environment, in […]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24379
__label__cc	0.612032	0.387968	Everywhere Topics This forum This thread New posts New life-bits New life-bit comments New profile posts Latest activity Life-bits New life-bits from CC members New comments Search life-bits Immigration Invasion Thread starter Quantrill Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music. If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us! To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat. Christian Chat Rooms & Forums Christian News Forum Quantrill calibob said: 100 people is only 2 US history classrooms. Do you remember? That's where we were supposed to learn most of us are decedents of refugees? No, our country was based on pioneers. Not refugees. Once we conquered the area, then conquered England, then we would have an immigration policy. A policy that was directed towards other Europeans to come over. Until 1965 when favoritism was demanded toward third world countries. So, now we have the results of that. We have third world peoples pouring into the country making it a third world country. The minorities are so stupid. They can't see that they trashed their own place. And that they will do the same to their next place. They just run to the greener pasture. And the stupid leftist whites hang their stupid heads in guilt and invite them in. Only satan could induce such craziness. maxwel 100 people trying to cross a border illegally is not an attack. It certainly is if: A. They're throwing rocks at border guards.. rocks are perfectly lethal projectiles, and have been for thousands of years. B. They were told repeatedly, BY ACTUAL AGENTS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, to stay back, not try to cross, and that attempting to cross is an illegal act. C. We have no idea WHY they're crossing illegally since they haven't been vetted; for all we know they're breaking in to commit terrorism... it is pure presupposition to assume that people breaking our laws and ignoring government agents to break into our country illegally are actually just a nice bunch of guys with good intentions. D. The act of crossing a border illegally is, in itself, a criminal act against a sovereign nation... even without the violence it can be considered an attack on our "sovereignty", on our "laws", and on our "border." * And one last time: go throw a big rock at a policeman, and see if you don't get arrested for "attacking him." calibob Sinner saved by grace maxwel said: That's aggravated assault. And if they cross they will be detained in prison camps but not deported until a fair hearing regarding their status about political asylum. That's federal law also. Dude653 said: Trumpers... if you don't like your country you should leave Also Trumpers...dang immigrants..get outta muh country conservative logic is really that backwards When you resort to name calling, and strawmanning... it usually means you've lost the debate and you have nothing intelligent to say. Let us not forget. Jesus, Joseph and Mary were refugees in Egypt when Harrod wanted to wanted to put Baby Jesus to the sword. As I see it my duties are to God, family, charity/self (tie) and country. In that order. You and all without charity in your hearts will not change it. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary did not assault the border guards in Egypt. These are people fleeing a violent country run by drug cartels.. they are not an invading Army But they are diluting the white gene pool........ Then they can stop in Mexico. Embankment said: Exactly right. And then we become a useless third world country like the one they flee from. Funny how the minorities are fleeing to white people's place of living. Yet complain about white people complaining about it. When you crap in your own bird nest, don't look to come over and pollute ours. Quantrill said: Exaggerate much? My 12th graduating class was over 1100, graduating. Our varsity football team could beat up 100 tired hungry immigrants. Invasion? Really? that's a line from what it's worth. "Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it may creep. It comes when your always afraid." Steven Stills. Trump ran on a platform of fear-mongering. Immigrants are going to come here and Destroy America. Conservative literally say if you don't like your country you should leave. Well that's pretty much what these immigrants are doing I am far more frightened of the oil companies, Monsanto and the JBS than homeless immigrants. A few hundred refugees are going to turn us into a third world country? As to the Nation, these 4000 Honduran people are the enemy. Whether they are oppressed remains to be learned. Just because they are oppressed doesn't give them the right to oppress others. Christianity cannot work in unison with the State if the State is opposed to Christianity. The more third world peoples you bring in to the State, the more anti-Christian the State becomes. This is why the U.S. was so great when it was. It was Christian. From top to bottom. The State and Church could move together. That is gone. Chemtrails are turning the frogs gay That maybe true but is so, why not seeks asylum in Mexico? The reason that they don't is because they want a better life for themselves and this is the primary reason why they left their own country. preacher4truth Bad thing is they're going to come here and vote for the same type of ideology that got where they came from in the shape it is. Then stop watching Alex Jones?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24382
__label__cc	0.637525	0.362475	The Library of Congress > Chronicling America { title: 'Search Results', download_links: [ { link: 'https://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about Chronicling America - RSS Feed', }, ] } Results 21 - 40 of 162 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| ... \| 7 \| 8 \| 9 162 results containing “the phrase "alamo"” Show only front pages Sort by: Relevance State Title Date Results per page: 20 50 Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.), May 03, 1836, Image 2 Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]), April 21, 1836, Image 1 Der Vaterlandsfreund und Westliche beobachter. (Canton, Stark County, Ohio), June 17, 1836, Image 2 Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.), June 10, 1836, Image 3 Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.), April 16, 1836, Image 2 Southern telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.), April 01, 1836, Image 2 Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.), June 17, 1836, Image 2 Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.), July 15, 1836, Image 2 Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.), April 21, 1836, Image 5 Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.), November 29, 1836, Page 218, Image 2 The North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.), June 16, 1836, Image 2 The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.), February 27, 1836, Image 2 Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.), June 13, 1836, Image 3 Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.), May 14, 1836, Image 2 Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.), April 20, 1836, Image 3 Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.), August 25, 1836, Image 2	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24385
__label__wiki	0.717264	0.717264	Jeff Woods Construction Wins Best Booth Award at UC Home & Garden Show Press Release from the Upper Cumberland Home Builders Association, March 23, 2018: Exhibit Winners at 2018 Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show COOKEVILLE, TN – At the Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show in Cookeville, the Home Builders Association presented awards to exhibits, based on effective marketing of company and products. Jeff Woods with Larry Suggs, HBAUC president. The winner of “Best of Show” was Jeff Woods Construction. Best Large Exhibit was Bath Fitter. Best Small Exhibit was Pampered Chef. The metal awards were custom made for the event by JCL Metals. The Home & Garden Show included over 175 exhibits that featured a variety of products and services for homes and outdoor living. For more information about the Home & Garden Show, visit www.uchba.com. March 25, 2018 /by Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-25 13:06:322018-03-25 13:08:54Jeff Woods Construction Wins Best Booth Award at UC Home & Garden Show Outdoors, Press Release, Recreation Register Now for 2018 Guided Waterfall and Wildflower Tours Press Release from the State of Tennessee, March 20, 2018: NASHVILLE – Tennessee State Parks is offering vacation packages that take visitors on guided tours through some of the state’s most scenic waterfalls, swimming holes and wildflower trails. Spring, summer and fall tours will take participants through Tennessee’s Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau, an area nationally-known for its cascades, gorges, rock houses and waterfalls. Tours include folklore and history shared by State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath and Park Ranger Cara Alexander, educational and interpretive programs unique to each location, meals and transportation. Specific tours offered in 2018 are: Waterfalls & Wildflowers Photography Workshop & Tour: April 13-15; locations include Cumberland Mountain State Park, Ozone Falls, Piney Falls and the Head of the Sequatchie; led by published Nature Photographer Byron Jorjorian. Spring Waterfall Tour: April 27-29; locations include Cumberland Mountain State Park, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Ozone Falls, Piney Falls and Lost Creek Falls. Summer Swimming Hole Tour: July 16-18; locations include Edgar Evins State Park, Rock Island State Park, South Cumberland State Park and Cummins Falls State Park. October Waterfall Tour: October 1-3; locations include Cumberland Mountain State Park, Burgess Falls State Park, Colditz Cove State Natural Area, Cummins Falls State Park, Frozen Head State Park and Rock Island State Park. November Waterfall Tour: Nov. 14-16; locations include Cumberland Mountain State Park, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Ozone Falls, Piney Falls and Lost Creek Falls. All tours are $350/person and include meals, taxes, gratuities, interpretive programming and transportation. Onsite lodging, including camping or cabins, is available at an additional cost. Complete itineraries and registration information can be found at https://tnstateparks.com/about/tennessee-state-parks-vacation-packages. https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-22 13:08:492018-03-22 13:10:39Register Now for 2018 Guided Waterfall and Wildflower Tours $9.6M for Industrial Site Preparation Sent to TN Communities Press Release from the Office of Governor Bill Haslam, March 21, 2018: NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that 25 communities will receive more than $9.6 million in Site Development Grants. The Site Development Grant program is part of the larger Rural Economic Opportunity Act passed in 2016 and updated in 2017. “By making our rural communities ready for investment and economic success, we help them attract jobs and more opportunities for citizens,” Haslam said. “I congratulate the Site Development Grant program recipients and look forward to watching as they thrive and bring new businesses to our state.” The grants are intended to help rural communities overcome barriers to site certification and prepare them to receive an economic development project that creates jobs in their community. These funds assist communities in finalizing infrastructure and engineering improvements for project-ready certified sites. “We want to help these rural communities up their game and increase their close rate by making our rural county site inventory among the most attractive and project-ready in the world,” Rolfe said. “We are proud to see these 25 communities taking the initiative to invest in themselves and look forward to seeing their future success.” “Each of the recipients is taking a major step to enhance their community and with the assistance of the site development grants, they are given the opportunity to compete for jobs and business,” TNECD Assistant Commissioner for Community and Rural Development Amy New said. “The Site Development program shows great return on investment, and I am thankful that the investment from the Rural Economic Opportunity Act will continue to help many more communities in the years to come.” The Site Development Grant program works in cooperation with the department’s Select Tennessee Site Certification program. “Through its Site Development Grant program, TNECD has awarded $21.6 million over three years to communities throughout Tennessee,” TNECD Site Development Director Leanne Cox said. “These grants are a valuable resource for local economic development projects, demonstrating Tennessee’s proactive approach to industrial development and support for further growth and job creation.” Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Austin Consulting, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Transportation and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development. https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-22 13:01:102018-03-22 13:02:04$9.6M for Industrial Site Preparation Sent to TN Communities Arts and Crafts, Press Release Appalachian Center for Craft Connects Kids with Art Skills Press Release from Tennessee Tech University, March 21, 2018: Middle schoolers learn crafts hands-on at Craft Center Tennessee Tech University’s Appalachian Center for Craft hosted students from Janis Nunnally’s eighth grade art class from Upperman Middle School as part of its Outreach Program recently. Students chose a medium in which to work and got hands-on experience in that craft. They made hooks in blacksmithing, enameled copper, made glass beads, learned clay hand-building and slip decorating techniques, carved wooden spoons, Shibori dyed silk, and, on the second day of outreach, a book-making class was offered. Nunnally has been bringing her students to the Craft Center for years. “Taking UMS eighth graders on their annual trip to the Appalachian Center for Crafts is always a wonderful experience,” Nunnally said. “The students discover a world outside of their community while finding out that they can create amazing things!” During the more than thirty years of its existence, this outreach program has served tens of thousands of students from the Upper Cumberland and from as far away as Memphis and Chattanooga. The program allows eighth through 12th grade students to experience college-level, hands-on art activities in professionally equipped studios on the craft center campus. “The students got the opportunity to create projects that we are not able to do at school,” Nunnally said. “They did amazing work and were so proud of their artwork. It is a joy to work with Gail Gentry on this field trip, she is always able to be calm and make it all work!” It is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission. To learn more about the Appalachian Center for Craft, visit https://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/. https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-22 12:49:202018-03-22 12:49:35Appalachian Center for Craft Connects Kids with Art Skills Press Release, Uncategorized TFA: Similarities Seen in Speaker Harwell’s Handling of Guns, Medical Pot Press Release from the Tennessee Firearms Association, March 22, 2018: Rep. Jeremy Faison expresses frustration with a “special kind of stupid” as one of Beth Harwell’s House committees continues to play games with his legislation on medical marijuana. Tennessee Firearms Association wants to recognize with appreciation the frustration that has caused Rep. Jeremy Faison to finally share with the public the hard facts of trying to pass controversial legislation even when the law or facts might be otherwise clear. His comments related to his efforts to enact “medical marijuana” legislation, a topic not normally addressed by TFA other than its impact under federal law on the 2nd Amendment rights of those who might be helped by such a law. However, his comments evidencing his frustrations with Beth Harwell’s committee leaders and system are strikingly similar to the problems that 2nd Amendment advocates have experienced repeatedly and consistently under a Republican “super majority” when led by the wrong kinds of leaders. On March 21, Rep. Faison presented his medical marijuana legislation to the House Criminal Justice committee. The bill debate started but did not finish. Speaking to reporters after his bill was pushed off, Rep. Faison’s frustrations with the situation were evident in his comments as recorded by a local news station: “You gotta be a special kind of stupid to not realize this helps Parkinson’s,” Faison said. “This whole notion that this is a schedule one drug, you are a special kind of ignorant human being if you think this is still a schedule one drug. That means there’s no value to human life. Holy smokes. Why don’t you tell that to all of the people who are illegally alive today that this plant has no value to them.” Over the last 8 years, the super majority of Republicans in the Tennessee legislature have been under the total control of certain individuals who identify as Republicans. During this time bills to eliminate infringements on the 2nd Amendment and the Tennessee constitution have repeatedly been shut down in the committee system or in the Senate under the thumb of the Lt. Governor and Judiciary chairman Brian Kelsey. Sadly, those conspiring in the shenanigans and stunts often rely heavily on representatives from law enforcement, Haslam’s administration, the TBI, and the Department of Safety rather than to rely on the single sentence comprising the 2nd Amendment. What bill topics have they killed? – constitutional carry – permitless open carry – permitless concealed carry – eliminate gun free zones – decriminalize the posting statute relative to private property – holding businesses and government agencies that post “no guns” liable to individuals injured as a result of those policies – prohibit 2nd Amendment based discrimination by local governments – allow citizens to have private rights of action against government officials over 2nd Amendment violations – exempt permit holders from the TICS/NICS system – eliminate the TICS system (at a cost of over $5,000,000 per year to gun owners) and proceed under the NICS system – failures to treat all “citizens” equally relative to the rights of self-defense, carrying of arms, and reciprocity – true restoration of rights on entry of a court order of restoration or pardon – allow school employees who want to carry to do so – campus carry for college students – campus carry for parents and adults – eliminate inclusion of antique weapons as a “firearm” so that state and federal definitions are consistent; and – enforce the 10th Amendment against federal infringements of the 2nd Amendment … just to name a few. Now, not all gun owners may be 100% on all of these issues. That’s ok – that is how a constitutional republic works. However, it is critical to understand that through stunts and shenanigans by leadership and the committee chairs over the last 8 years these issues are not even getting to the floors of the respective houses for consideration and debate by all legislators. That is outright disenfranchisement of the voters because probably 80%-90% of the elected legislators in the last 8 years have never had the opportunity or the duty to debate or to vote and be held accountable on these topics. Sadly, that same 80-90% have never acted in unison to demand that these issues be put before them on the floors of the House or Senate. What can you say about 8 years of votes, stonewalling, stunts, shenanigans and dereliction in a system set up and controlled by the Legislative leadership to make sure that these bills are never openly heard and debated on the House or Senate floors by all elected representatives and senators? Do they not understand that these issues implicate constitutionally protected rights? Do they not understand that these issues directly impact the capacity for individuals to defend themselves, their spouses, their families and friends? Do they not understand that keeping, bearing and wearing arms are not just about hunting or recreational activities? Borrowing from Rep. Faison’s frustrations on medical marijuana should we now be asking if these legislators who are at fault for these shenanigans and abuses are a “special kind of stupid” or a “special kind of ignorant”? Is it something even worse than failing to comprehend the constitutional significance? Is it something worse than ignoring campaign promises? Is it a willingness to disenfranchise the citizens of 80-90% of the state whose elected legislators are never called upon to consider and vote on these issues? Again, TFA applauds the enthusiasm that Rep. Faison has shown on a topic that is clearly important to him and on which he is trying get a vote. TFA applauds Rep. Faison for looking past the stonewalling and raising the important question for voters and citizens of whether such failures are special stupidity, special ignorance or something else. If you are tired of the stonewalling, the shenanigans, the disenfranchisement that has been the standard operating procedures under Beth Harwell’s leadership – then you need to be doing something about it. Call your legislators and demand that all 2nd Amendment bills be brought to the floor this year – this election year. Go ahead – demand it because our bet is that they will simply listen but not do it. Then, after they have been given a chance we encourage you to go to the polls in August and vote to replace those who have conspired to disenfranchise you, those who have ignored the constitution and those who have stood by as mere spectators while their peers have so clearly chosen to keep these important issues from public hearings, debate and consideration by all elected legislators. Let your voice be heard and contact your legislators. You can identify your legislators on this website tool. https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-22 12:36:032018-03-22 12:36:20TFA: Similarities Seen in Speaker Harwell's Handling of Guns, Medical Pot Featured, Tennessee News Putnam County Gov’t Gets Good Comptroller Report Putnam County has secured a place among just over a dozen Tennessee counties to earn a “clean” audit report from the state agency charged with examining local-government fiscal affairs. Ninety of Tennessee’s 95 counties have been audited since the last fiscal year ended on June 30. Only 13 have been declared free of accounting discrepancies and defects in spending oversight. Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson’s office issued a news release last week declaring that Putnam County’s financial management — as well as that of Lincoln and Louden — has recently been reviewed without identifying any “weaknesses or deficiencies in government operations.” Elected officials from Putnam and other counties that earn clean audits deserve appreciation for making a serious commitment to “accurate financial reporting and clear checks and balances that help protect taxpayer money,” according to the comptroller’s office statement. “A clean audit is a positive sign that a county government in on track,” Wilson said. “I commend all of the elected officials, leaders, and county staff who have committed to a well-run government. This is an accomplishment worth celebrating.” Putnam County Executive Randy Porter indicated he was obviously quite pleased with the audit results, saying that one of his “primary goals” upon taking office in 2014 was to work toward a clean audit. “This is really significant for Putnam County, as we know this has not happened in the past 25 years and possibly never,” Porter said in an emailed statement. Making Putnam County government more fiscally responsible “has truly been a team effort” among all the county’s elected leaders and department employees, he said. On average, Tennessee counties examined this year by state auditors received 3.76 “findings” of fiscal failing or budget-management blundering of one sort or another. That number is an improvement from the previous fiscal year, when the state average per county was 4.26. The other counties besides Putnam, Lincoln and Louden awarded recognition for state auditors finding no fault in their administrative financial affairs this year are Bedford, Blount, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Marshall, Rutherford, Tipton, Unicoi and Williamson. March 22, 2018 /by Center Hill Sun https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/putnamcountytn.png 640 1252 Center Hill Sun https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Center Hill Sun2018-03-22 12:13:352018-03-22 15:29:38Putnam County Gov't Gets Good Comptroller Report Education, Press Release TTU Grads Tops in Loan Repayment in TN Tech is ranked first in Tennessee among public colleges and universities, and second in the state overall once private institutions are considered, by both groups. Nationally, Tech is ranked #83 by Student Loan Report and #121 by LendEDU. “College is a significant investment,” said Tech President Phil Oldham. “Students and their parents need to consider the return on that investment. These rankings, along with numerous others, show that Tennessee Tech provides a strong return on that investment by providing a high-quality education at an affordable price.” The only other public university in the top five of Student Loan Report’s rankings for the state is the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (#5/#226 nationally). Vanderbilt University is the top-ranked school in Tennessee (#1/#78 nationally). More than 1,000 schools were ranked in the report. The annual Student Debt Repayment Success Indicator report uses a formula to determine graduates’ chances of successfully repaying student debt. The indicator includes early career salary, student loan default rate, and average student loan debt per borrower. Several datasets – including federal repayment data from the Department of Education, data from Peterson’s Financial Aid dataset, and early career data from PayScale – are used. The study showed Tech’s early career pay at $51,000 with the debt per borrower at $19,363 and the default rate at 5.31 percent for an indicator rating of 2.49. A similar index from LendEdu, the College Risk-Reward Indicator, also ranked Tech as the top public university in the state, second overall and #121 nationally. Tech is the only public university in LendEDU’s top five rankings for the state. Nearly 1,000 schools were ranked by LendEDU. LendEDU compared the average student loan debt per borrower with the average early career pay, or the median salary for alumni with zero to five years of experience. The Student Loan Report rankings are at https://studentloans.net/student-debt-repayment-success-indicator/. The LendEDU rankings are at https://lendedu.com/blog/college-risk-reward-indicator-2018. https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png 0 0 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2018-03-15 12:51:382018-03-22 12:54:36TTU Grads Tops in Loan Repayment in TN	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24387
__label__cc	0.634631	0.365369	Everett L. Cooley Oral History Project Title Earl Harmer, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by Calvin Harris Alternative Title No. 50, Earl Harmer, interview by Calvin Harris Creator Harmer, Earl W. Contributor Harris, Calvin; Cooley, Everett L.; University of Utah. American West Center Access Rights I acknowledge and agree that all information I obtain as a result of accessing any oral history provided by the University of Utah's Marriott Library shall be used only for historical or scholarly or academic research purposes, and not for commercial purposes. I understand that any other use of the materials is not authorized by the University of Utah and may exceed the scope of permission granted to the University of Utah by the interviewer or interviewee. I may request permission for other uses, in writing to Special Collections at the Marriott Library, which the University of Utah may choose grant, in its sole discretion. I agree to defend, indemnify and hold the University of Utah and its Marriott Library harmless for and against any actions or claims that relate to my improper use of materials provided by the University of Utah. Spatial Coverage Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, http://sws.geonames.org/5780993/ Subject Harmer, Earl W.--Interviews; University of Utah--Faculty--Biography; Educators--Utah--Biography; University of Utah--History; University of Utah. College of Education--History Description Transcript (35, 9 pages) of interview(s) by Calvin Harris with Dr. Earl Harmer on August 10, 1984.This interview is no. 50 in the Everett L. Cooley Oral History Project, and tape nos. U-174 and U-175 Abstract Harmer (b. 1926) discusses his association with the College of Education at the University of Utah, 1940s-1970s. Interviewer: Calvin Harris Genre oral histories (literary works) Rights http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/ Scanning Technician Matt Wilkinson Metadata Cataloger Matt Brunsvik; Jeremy Myntti; Ken Rockwell; Patrick Miller Conversion Specifications Original scanned with Kirtas 2400 and saved as 400 ppi uncompressed TIFF. PDF generated by Adobe Acrobat Pro X for CONTENTdm display ARK ark:/87278/s6bc5ksn Topic Educators--Biography; University of Utah; University of Utah. College of Education Setname uum_elc Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bc5ksn Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bc5ksn/805681	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24400
__label__wiki	0.931788	0.931788	Daemon x Machina Review: A Mecha Anime Fan's Dream By Nick Valdez - October 17, 2019 01:19 pm EDT Mecha games are an increasingly rare subgenre, and it's splintered even further when it comes to how they play. You can either get a granular experience where each piece of the mecha is broken down with stats, or you get something that's more of a flashy affair that emphasizes style but lacks the customization options of the former. Daemon x Machina sits somewhere right in the middle of these two extremes. Bringing flashy combat with a healthy amount of customization, Daemon x Machina is the game mecha anime fans have been waiting for. Now this comes with a caveat, however, as mecha anime fans are all too aware that an easy pitfall to find a series in is that there can be almost too much going on. There's an inherent forgiveness necessary to fully enjoy what's being offered. The game takes place in a dystopian future long after the moon collided with the Earth. A strange new energy known as Femto starts bringing Artificial Intelligence to life and sets them on a destructive path against humanity. Players are part of Orbital, an organization with several groups of pilots who use Arsenals (the mechs of the franchise), who head out into the world to take down Immortals⁠—machines that have gone rogue. Playing the game itself involves customizing your Arsenal with various parts that you can either upgrade, purchase, or loot from fallen enemies before setting out into missions. With each mission, Arsenals are dropped into an area full of either tank or flying enemies and most of the time it's a rinse and repeat kind of thing as you're supposed to just clear out all enemies to end the mission. Sometimes you're defending a tower, but most of the missions begin to feel the same. Each mission is separated into ranks, which offer a steady incline of difficulty. Unfortunately, rising difficulty here means that there will just be more enemies to take down rather than involve much strategy. There are some occasions where players will face off against other Arsenals, and the giant Immortals, that take more of an effort to take down. These missions are a huge bright spot, but are too few and far between. The missions wouldn't be a huge issue if Daemon x Machina really was able to explore the grand story it so clearly wants to tell. Daemon x Machina has an anime-esque plot with tons of colorful characters with distinctive personality traits, but it bites off far more than it can chew. Because the narrative is delivered in short cut scenes or dialogue boxes in between each mission, fans are only privy to a small bit of the world-building each time. This is fine in theory, but new factions or characters are continually introduced over the missions in random batches. It's hard to dive into character motivations or even care at all about what they're doing when there's a potential for a character to completely disappear for a great amount of time and suddenly ask you to care that they're involved in a life-or-death situation. With all that being said about the narrative around it, Daemon x Machina is still incredible. Gameplay is slick and fluid. While its heavy use of the triggers might seem strange at first, it becomes second nature pretty quickly. Boosting feels great (and made even better with a refillable stamina meter) and there is a wide variety of weapons and builds. No two Arsenals will be alike, and you can cater it to your preferred play style. Want to be a speedy mecha dual-wielding katanas? Want to be a slower, but powerfully destructive tank? Want to just shoot an enemies from afar with bazookas? You can do that! The stats get a little more granular the more you customize, and even more so when it comes to the player character itself, but there's a wealth of options for those who truly fall in love with the game's rhythm. At the end of the day, that's really the main draw. While the entire Daemon x Machina package does not hold up strong against scrutiny, it's really nailed a feeling. It's a perfect title for Nintendo Switch's handheld mode where you can just pick up and play a few missions before it starts to run its course. Like some mecha anime, it's better to just sit back and enjoy the cool things happening. Daemon x Machina is now available on Nintendo Switch. A digital copy of this game was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24402
__label__cc	0.656696	0.343304	Advantages Overview Optimal Location Living in RI Talent Rich Jobs for RI Key Data Sets Expansion and Relocation Latino Entrepreneurs Start-Up Assistance Site Readiness Program SupplyRI Foreign Trade Zone 105 Business Friendly Environment Tax Credits and Financing Innovation Incentives Main Street RI Streetscape Improvement Fund Rebuild Rhode Island Applications Export Promotional Grants IT Software, Cyber-Physical Systems, Data Analytics Defense, Shipbuilding, and Maritime Advanced Business Services Design, Food, and Custom Manufacturing SBDF Investment Fund Tax Credit Opportunity Zones (OZ) OZ Property Search Development Districts Get In Touch With Your Business Advisor More Advantages Rhode Island’s location along the Northeast I-95 corridor means easy access to major metropolitan areas. You can reach Boston in under 45 minutes, and New York City in under three hours; nearby airports and shipping terminals serve international markets. T.F. Green International Airport: Voted one of the most convenient airports in the country, T.F. Green is also one of America’s fastest-growing airports, routinely securing new routes to in-demand destinations. With low-cost service to Ireland, Norway, and England, and more transcontinental and international destinations to come, T.F. Green is the third-largest airport in New England. Boston Logan International Airport: Just a 45-minute drive from Rhode Island, Boston Logan flies to hundreds of destinations nationally and internationally. Train: Rhode Island’s rail system serves both high-speed Amtrak trains and Boston’s MBTA commuter rail. 35 minutes to Boston by Amtrak Acela from Providence Amtrak Station, with more than 40 trains daily between Providence and Boston. 2.5 hours to New York City by Acela, with more than 20 daily trains between Providence and New York City. Pawtucket-Central Falls, just north of Providence, is building a $50 million Amtrak and commuter rail station. Car: I-95, the main north-south interstate for the east coast, runs through Rhode Island. To strengthen the long-term reliability of Rhode Island’s roadway infrastructure, the state has made a significant investment of $4.7 billion over 10 years to improve roads and bridges. Bike: An impressive array of bike paths winds through Providence’s urban core, and connects significant portions of the state. A recent bond allocated $10M to enhance our green economy and included the statewide expansion, creation, and maintenance of bike paths, which employees can use as commuting and leisure options. Ferry: Ferry transportation is available between Providence and Newport. Port of Davisville: The Port of Davisville is Rhode Island’s premier public port and gateway to markets throughout New England. Strategically located near the mouth of Narragansett Bay, Davisville is one of the top ports handling auto imports and frozen seafood along the US East Coast. With its 150 MT mobile harbor crane, Davisille is also a leading marine highway terminal, and is ideally equipped and situated to enable energy companies to participate in offshore projects from Cape Cod to New Jersey. ProvPort: One of the busiest ports in America’s northeast, ProvPort is a privately owned deep water port located in Providence along the Providence River. Open Government / Transparency YOUR BUSINESS ADVISOR	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24403
__label__cc	0.677158	0.322842	A Replacement for Alfred Thread: A Replacement for Alfred Mutant God Originally Posted by Hypestyle as long as Lucius tells Wayne flatly, "I'm not cooking your meals, doing your laundry or vacuuming", so be it. (cue the "Batman gets black butler as supposedly progressive" threads). I guess Bruce needs more black employees lol. Seriously I would like to see a grim/modern version of Aunt Harriet like shes an former Arkham inmate who Bruce decides to give a job to so she can back on her feet until Alfred comes back or maybe some soap opera like shes Catwoman's biological mother or something. Skeeter: Hey time traveling O5 members of the X-Men We don't take kindly to people who create a time paradox around here! Bartender: Now calm down Skeeter they aint hurtin nobody. Skeeter: No! I wanna know som'in from the "O5" How come you cant go back to your own timeline in the first place and how come when Reed Richards "fixed" the universe you wasnt put back and how come the changes that happn to you dont happn to your present day selves? Bartender: Skeeter I dont want trouble Godlike13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ From CEO to Butler, lol. skyvolt2000 Originally Posted by Bat-Meal Strange pattern, the Bat-Family members with TV shows are kinda written-out of the comics. Nightwing in Titans, in comics = Ric. Alfred in Pennyworth, in comics = Dead. Batwoman (show), in comics = occasional guest appearances. That tends to DC's trend. Especially with POC and the younger generation (Tim, Ms Martian, Bart, Conner, Wonder Girl, Bumblebee, Aqualad, Black Lightning's daughters, Static, Cassandra Cain for example). Pretty Cyborg is the only POC who have appeared in both medias consistently. Lady Nightwing Originally Posted by Godlike13 This is what gets me. How do you phrase that without it sounding like a slap in the face? How would you explain that at a Wayne enterprise meeting? "I need the CEO to stand down, I have no clean towels and the kitchen bin is overflowing" Tzigone Originally Posted by Lady Nightwing I get what you mean. Though I will say in the initial description, I read it as taking over Alfred's "head quarters" role, not his domestic one. Though Alfred's head quarters role isn't usually that large in the comics. And he keeps the CEO job, apparently, given the three hours sleep comment. Still not a fan. Like others, I don't especially care to see Lucius brought into a batrole, since the family is big already. Though I guess if they're jettisoning all the others, that won't be an issue. Also, not down for the repeat father/son dynamic. I've complained before about how heroes created in recent decades too often have someone to answer to, a "boss" or someone who can take it away from them (specifically a complaint with early 'Tec Batwoman whose father even arranged her training and such), in a way that earlier-created heroes do not. They too often lack the full independence of earlier heroes. Lucius may or may not be that figure, but Bruce almost certainly will be, and I am just so not interested. Gotham citizen Spectacular Member Like I wrote in another topic (I don't remember in what topic), a writer should know what he can and what he can't write. In my humble opinion kill a character which is fundamental for the framework of the comic book, like Alfred is for Batman, is a wonderful example of what a writer should never do; above all if that killing imply a drastically change in the role of another character (like Lucious), which already has a perfectly definite and fundamental role in the comic book. I wonder if the writers think about the long term consequences that their decisions will have on the comic books they write, or if they don't give a damn. I'm sorry if I seems disconsolate, but I'm a little bit disappointed about the evolution of the storytelling in the US comic books. P.S. Now I'm ready to see Peter Parker adopted by J.J.J. after the death of aunt May. Last edited by Gotham citizen; 12-04-2019 at 06:04 AM. «Let me get this straight: you kink that your client, […], is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands and your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck.» «Joker is a violent and inartistic movie, not like that masterpiece of A Clockwork Orange.» Yes, some critic of the AMPAS was able to say that. «What weight 6 ounces, sits in a tree and is very dangerous?» «A sparrow with a machine gun!» from "Batman'66 the movie" Originally Posted by Gotham citizen While I didn't want Alfred to die (and don't think he'll stay dead), I don't think he's fundamental for the framework of a Batman comic. As I said on another thread, I'm kinda sad about Alfred-ever-increasing-importance to Bruce and feel like he displaced Dick a bit there. I also don't prefer him in parental role (which he has been for a long time now), as I've discussed before. Also Alfred and his role are sort of tied in with Bruce's increasing emotionally damaged state over the decades -a hit with the world, but not me. I do think killing Alfred and putting Lucius in his place could make fans dislike Lucius. But if Luke is moving over too, then I think more likely people will either just blame editorial (rather than character) or want them to shifted off to another book. It could make both disliked. Or it could go swimmingly and gain a lot of new fans without losing too many existing ones (which is what DC is hoping for). No telling. I don't much care for Alfred as an "operations manager" - Batman did fine without for years (I liked Oracle with the Birds instead of running Bat or JL IT for the same reason). And Alfred has only sometimes had that role in the comics. So I feel like this could have been framed entirely differently with Lucius becoming operations-manager, and Alfred staying the butler and parental figure. If Lucius had been brought into his role a couple years before Alfred was killed, it'd have been an easier sell. Originally Posted by Tzigone It is my fault, because I started read the Batman stories from the very begins, so there is a huge hole between the stories of early nineties (that I read in this moment) and the King's run, then I took my idea of Alfred's role for granted, while they aren't. My ideas about Alfred are based on the role he had in the comics until the first half of the nineties, in Batman T.A.S. and in the Nolan's movies, where he is basically a discrete adviser (even if in the last Nolan's movie became more a paternal figure) and in his role of butler helps the book to be credible: Bruce Wayne can't do everything alone, so like he needs Lucious Fox to manage the Wayne Enterprises, he needs also Alfred to manage the Wayne Manor, allowing him to be Batman and have a private life. A private life which is necessary, to avoid to give the feeling Bruce Wayne is some kind of sociopath and recover to the stress of his war to Gotham crime. In my humble opinion overburden Alfred with a more active role in the Batman battle is a distortion of the character, so from this point of view I agree totally with you; if I have understand what you meant. Maybe I'm wrong, but my feelings when a character is heavily distorted (like Alfred who became an operations manager) are that the writer is the one who didn't understand the character, his role in the book and he feels him boring, so he tries to improve the character give him a more important role. My ideas about Alfred are based on the role he had in the comics until the first half of the nineties, in Batman T.A.S. and in the Nolan's movies, where he is basically a discrete adviser (even if in the last Nolan's movie became more a paternal figure) and in his role of butler helps the book to be credible: Bruce Wayne can't do everything alone, so like he needs Lucious Fox to manage the Wayne Enterprises, he needs also Alfred to manage the Wayne Manor, allowing him to be Batman and have a private life. A private life which is necessary, to avoid to give the feeling Bruce Wayne is some kind of sociopath and recover to the stress of his war to Gotham crime. I get that. It's just they managed fine without a butler in the very early days (I think Wayne manor has grown to the point where two people couldn't keep in clean, though, and they'd need to hire more help than Alfred to at least come in occasionally), and Alfred was not a "discrete advisor" until the 1960s, at least ('70s is more likely). A friend, yes. An advisor, no. And it was the 1970s where Lucius was introduced, but of course back then Bruce ran the company himself (it also didn't really, properly exist until the 1970s, but it's part of lore now and that's fine). I do agree that Bruce needs a private life. A non-Brucie, non-Batman-justice-oriented (the "alpha Bruce" indicated for next run is no fun for me, either) private life. Actual friends outside the hero community existing even if we rarely see them, etc. I miss the days when he was better-balanced. I feel like too often in these days, there can be no truly civilian characters. Though, of course, in the 40s-60s, Alfred did his own investigations (and sometimes heroics, though mostly comedy earlier on). Maybe we should start a thread on how Alfred himself has changed over time. Edit: Not sure if I was clear, me talking about Alfred supplanting Dick was not meant in regards to professional role, but in regards to closeness to Bruce. Discussed on this thread. Last edited by Tzigone; 12-04-2019 at 08:03 AM. That is exactly why I wrote Alfred and Lucius are fundamental for the framework of the book: they help to obtain a better balance in the Bruce Wayne's life. So when I defined Alfred's like a Bruce Wayne "discrete advisor", I meant a person able to help Bruce to reconcile his private life with his battle against the crime. I understood perfectly well what you meant and about Dick I think him and Alfred are two characters perfectly complementary in the Batman life, like Alfred and Lucius are. But I'm not ready to talk about that: there are a lot of things I still need to understand about Batman's world, so I will await. I don't agree. I think actually working in the company and interacting with others would give better balance to Bruce (more interaction with normal people, more of a normal life) than having Lucius run the company. It doesn't make as much logical sense since it's a lot of hours of work, but it would be a great outlet. Alfred is nice, but not necessary, as there are plenty of other people in know that Bruce could talk to. I don't think he needs to be advised by anyone - or rather, he could easily be written as a person who doesn't need advice (he used to be one) and in more recent years he usually doesn't listen and so the "advisor" is used as either an indication of his lack of his emotional/mental health when he doesn't listen or an indication of his "alpha" state when he doesn't listen. Neither of which appeals. DC Classics Winged Freak Terrorizes The Golden Age 1940s Alfred Beagle was an amateur detective and butler. Beagle is revealed as Alfred's last name in Detective Comics #96 (1945) "Alfred, Private Detective" written by Don Cameron and art by Dick Sprang [reprinted in Batman Archives vol. 4 (1998)]. The Silver Age 1960s Alfred is Alfred Pennyworth and Pennyworth has been carried on in the comics ever since it's stated that the Silver Age Alfred has a brother named Wilfred Pennyworth in Batman #216 (1969) "Angel -- Or Devil?" written by Frank Robbins and art by Irv Novick. The name of the butler that served Thomas Wayne was called Jarvis in Batman #16 (1943) "Here Comes Alfred" written by Don Cameron and art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson and George Roussos [reprinted in Batman: The Dark Knight Archives vol. 4 (2003)], and Frank Miller added the concept that the butler that served Thomas Wayne was Alfred himself and that Alfred became Bruce Wayne's legal guardian. So I think his full name now should be Alfred Jarvis Beagle to be truer to the original. Pennyworth is a jokey sounding name for a millionaires butler, that sounds like it's saying "Alfred's only worth a penny, get it?" Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler, chauffeur, medic, amateur detective assistant and manager of the Wayne Mansion. Additionally, Alfred must have responsibility over the hiring and firing of the Wayne Mansion staff - waiters, wine stewards, casino roulette dealers, the chef and cooking staff, the maids, valets and the estate groundskeepers. And that's all. Alfred couldn't believably do everything at the Wayne Mansion himself, and be a bodyguard, chief of security and inventor of the costumes and weapons, too. Bruce Wayne should be the chief of security with his surveillance cameras, etc., Bruce should be the strategist, inventor of the costumes and weapons, and I don't like the concept that Alfred was Thomas Wayne's bodyguard. If Alfred was Thomas Wayne's bodyguard he must have been a really crappy bodyguard for Thomas Wayne and his wife to get mugged and murdered on the street. #$#RCO007_1469070265g.jpg (86.9 KB, 50 views) Last edited by DC Classics; 12-04-2019 at 10:17 AM. Additionally, Alfred must have responsibility over the hiring and firing of the Wayne Mansion staff - waiters, wine stewards, casino roulette dealers, the chef and cooking staff, the maids, valets and the estate groundskeepers. And that's all. Alfred couldn't do everything at the Wayne Mansion, be a bodyguard, chief of security and inventor of the costumes and weapons, too. I once read someone say that the most unrealistic thing about the Batman mythos was that Alfred could handle the upkeep Wayne Manor all on his own (in recent decades, as it has grown). I think this kinda comes in with what backstory you want for Alfred and what you want for him in the present-tense. As it stands, he's the man-of-all-jobs. Too many jobs. I like the casino roulette dealer job , but it does usually seem like Alfred does all the cooking and cleaning for the place himself. Which is kinda funny since there was an issue in the bronze age where Bruce had a cleaning lady (can't recall how often she came in) at the penthouse. Alfred seemingly used to have more of his own life, too, back before he raised Bruce. He had days out (where we saw wacky hijinks, mostly) and such. Now it all too often seems like his entire life is about Bruce. By extension, the kids, but they are an extension. We don't need to see all his daily life when not at work, but it would be nice to have more of a sense that he had one. Back in the early 2000s when he left Bruce's service (because of Bruce's reaction to Gordon being shot), he just switched over to being Tim's valet (and for some reason he wanted Tim to do a Clark-like disguise, oddly enough). I get that it kept him in the comic, but it's one of those things that makes you wonder if Alfred is just as emotionally unhealthy as Bruce, just in a different way. And once King got ahold of him.... Again it is my fault, because if you don't agree with me, but what you write doesn't contradict what I mean (on the contrary I agree again with you), it means I wasn't able to explain what I wanted to say. I think this kinda comes in with what backstory you want for Alfred and what you want for him in the present-tense. As it stands, he's the man-of-all-jobs. Too many jobs. I like the casino roulette dealer job , but it does usually seem like Alfred does all the cooking and cleaning for the place himself. Which is kinda funny since there was an issue in the bronze age where Bruce had a cleaning lady (can't recall how often she came in) at the penthouse. Thanks. The casino roulette dealers, waiters, wine stewards and valets came from Tim Burton's Batman (1989) during that charity ball event. Ordinarily Alfred wouldn't need a chef and full cooking staff, when he's just cooking small meals for Bruce, Richard Grayson, or Bruce on a date with Vicki, or Selina. 'Ol Alfred would realistically regularly need a cleaning staff, though, of maids, and estate groundskeepers for upkeep of the mansion and estate, or the 'ol Wayne Mansion would be as dusty and cobwebbed as Edward Scissorhand's castle. In Starburst #132 (1989) Michael Gough explained, "In real life, the butler is the head of the household. There's the master of the house and the butler and the mistress of the house and the housekeeper, in that order." The only time I saw a maid/housekeeper appearing in the Batman comic books was one maid named Cathy in Detective Comics #397 (1970) the "Paint a Picture of Peril" Orson Welles' Citizen Kane inspired story written by "Dandy" Denny O'Neil, art by "Nefarious" Neal Adams with Giordano inks, Schwartz editing. BeFunky-collage.jpg (98.2 KB, 44 views) Last edited by DC Classics; 12-04-2019 at 12:09 PM. Quick Navigation Batman Top	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24406
__label__cc	0.577514	0.422486	Craig's Movie Reviews I love movies. I love writing about them. Hope you like reading what I write. Craig Andrew Robertson My Directed Projects Boiling Point (2015) How to Read Lips (2016) Sam (2016) 12 Days of Movies (2014) Worst & Best (2015) My Faves (2016) Laika is yet another animation studio which has been producing an output of brilliant films for years, apparently, and I am only now watching one of them. Sometimes it feels efficient, self a critic! Kubo and the Two Strings tells the story of a boy, Kubo, who uses his guitar to summon spells and samurai era Japan. He is forced to go on a journey to find his father’s armour and sword, so you might protect himself from his Grandfather, the evil Moon King. Goodness this movie is beautiful! Everyone’s been going on about how is the best film of the year. They say it’s the most perfectly executed movie ever made. I think such criticism with a grain of salt. I’m of the feeling that many, when they come across a great film, an animated film particularly, overemphasise their opinions for two reasons. One because they want to convince the uninitiated animation is not just kids’ stuff. To because of the stouter for when they would only watch animated films. The mean these people are wrong. I often being among them. This reaction is paired often with one of the magnificent Studio Ghibli Animes and yes, some of their work is among the greatest cinema ever created. So is this? First of all, Laika specialises in puppet stop motion animation. They are bloody good at it! Every motion, every colour, every character bursts forth with furious and extraordinary life. Next is those characters. All of them are brilliantly created. All have personalities I can relate to. Heck, even Kubo who a lesser movie would come across as some sort of generic, wonder-bread protagonist, is a joy to behold here. The world’s characters inhabit is akin to the world of Ghibli. Not only is set in mediaeval Japan and contains a great deal of magic, but the people in this world feel like they live, work and died here they are part of the setting and the setting remains part of them. A key trait in at Studio Ghibli film. In the first two-thirds of the film, I was floored by the animation, entranced by the setup and thrilled with the adventuring characters! Then the third act happened. The third act is a tricky thing to pull off in most films, particularly in Ghibli films which this is clearly emulating. However, the reveal of some of the twists in this film’s closing third is so obvious and emotionally uninvolving that it makes the cryptic and technically brilliant final moments of the movie lack potency. Nadine this is one of those movies I have to watch twice to fully get. That was something I expected considering how hiked up this film was. If anything, though, it approves the film. It means I can watch it again. Recommended Scenario: If you love beautiful animation and a great adventure with an ending which makes you think. Pass this around: This entry was posted on September 28, 2016 by Craig Andrew Robertson in Film Review, Released in 2016. https://wp.me/p5ciAT-lJ Year of Review Year of Review Select Category Film Review (173) Released in 2014 (12) Released in 2015 (51) Released in 2016 (55) Released in 2017 (44) Released in 2018 (2) Released in 2019 (4) Special Blogs (2) TV Review (1) Calandar 01) “12 Years A Slave” 02) “Inside Llewyn Davis” 03) “A Most Wanted Man” 04) “Gone Girl” 05) “The Imitation Game” 06) “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” 07) “Edge of Tomorrow (2D)” 08) “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2D + 3D)” 09) “The Lego Movie (2D)” 10) “The Guardians of the Galaxy (2D)” 11) “Noah” 12) “American Hustle” 13) “Candlestick” 14) “The Dallas Buyers Club” 15) “The Wind Rises” 16) “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” 17) “The Penguins of Madagascar (3D)” 18) “What We Did On Our Holiday” 19) “Paddington” 20) “Godzilla (3D)” 21) “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” 22) “Horrible Bosses 2” 23) “The Equalizer” 24) “The Expendables 3” 01 – Room My Runners Up 02 – Victoria 03 – The Hunt for the Wilderpeople 04 -High Rise 05 – The Revenant 06 -When Marnie Was There 07 – Hail, Caesar! 08 – The Big Short 09 – Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders 10 – Hell or High Water	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24407
__label__wiki	0.600633	0.600633	View source for Creatures Wiki:Copyrights ← Creatures Wiki:Copyrights {{TOC left}}All work submitted to this Wiki is licensed under the [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license] (CC-BY-SA) and, unless otherwise specified, the [[Creatures Wiki:GNU Free Documentation License\|GNU Free Documentation License]]. The ''copyright'' of work submitted to this Wiki remains with the copyright holder - which, if you wrote it, will be you. Submitting your work does not restrict what you can do with it; it just permits us to do certain things with it as well. By submitting your work, you grant permission to distribute it under the terms of the CC-BY-SA and the GFDL, and you accept that others may modify and distribute your work under the same terms. That means they may change what articles say, and make copies of our articles on other sites, as long as they license such copies under the CC-BY-SA and/or GFDL. :'''Note that you cannot retract this license'''. You can, of course, edit an article to alter or remove your work if you do not want it there anymore, but you cannot stop someone reinstating it. Please think carefully about whether you want to write something on the wiki before you do so. ==Submitting the work of others== You may submit the work of others ''if'' they say it is in the [[Wikipedia:Public domain\|public domain]], or freely licensed under the CC-BY-SA, or a [http://creativecommons.org/compatiblelicenses compatible license] (the GFDL alone is '''not''' a compatible license). Just copying from a website with no indication that the work is under such a license is ''not'' acceptable; such work is liable to removal. This applies to written works, visual art and all other forms of creative expression. You must comply with any attribution requirements for the original work. If you submit work that is under the CC-BY-SA but ''not'' the GFDL, please note this in the page footer, edit summary or on the talk page. === Corporate artwork === There is '''one exception''' to the above - artwork from [[Cyberlife]]/[[Creatures Labs]]/[[Gameware]]. Permission to use such images from them on fan sites has been granted by the company. However, that does not mean that they can be taken from here and used on non-fan sites. Gameware Development, Creature Labs, CyberLife, Creatures, Creatures Adventures and Creatures Playground are registered trademarks of Gameware Development Ltd.. The Gameware Development, Creatures, Creatures 2, Creatures 3, Creatures Adventures, Creatures Playground, and Docking Station logos are trademarks of Gameware Development Ltd. in the United Kingdom and other countries. ==Redistribution of content== To people wishing to distribute the content of this Wiki (excluding the above images): :'''This Wiki is Copyright © to its contributors. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license], using the work's URL as attribution; and, unless otherwise specified, under the terms of the [[Creatures Wiki:GNU Free Documentation License\|GNU Free Documentation License]], Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.''' You should read the above license and the [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Copyrights#Users' rights and obligations\|rights and obligations]] section of Wikipedia (which explains this in much more detail) carefully before copying work. The CC-BY-SA requires you to link back to our article. If you use the GFDL, you must link back if you modify the work, and you must also list the most prominent original authors. In any case, you '''must''' license your copy under the CC-BY-SA and/or the GFDL — and give a public indication of this license — so that it remains free for others others to copy and modify. Having read the above, feel free to [[Special:Export\|export an article]]. Template:TOC left (edit) Return to Creatures Wiki:Copyrights. Retrieved from "https://creatures.wiki/Creatures_Wiki:Copyrights"	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24409
__label__wiki	0.925212	0.925212	Writers Search Organizations Search False Flag Controversies Int'l Relations War & Military Action Critical Studies/News/Attorney Who Sued Bush over Iraq War Says US Assassination of Soleimani Was a ‘Violation of Human Rights Law’ Attorney Who Sued Bush over Iraq War Says US Assassination of Soleimani Was a ‘Violation of Human Rights Law’ by Jake Johnson on January 9, 2020 “As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States has the ability at any time to discuss threats against it. It has chosen not to do this, instead using almost-certainly illegal force against another U.N. member country. The consequences will be grave.” An attorney who sued George W. Bush over the 2003 invasion of Iraq said Saturday that the U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani on orders from President Donald Trump constitutes an “act of aggression” and a violation of international law. Dave Inder Comar, executive director of the non-profit human rights law firm Just Atonement Inc., argued in a Common Dreams op-ed Saturday that the Trump administration’s attempt to justify the drone strike on Soleimani as a legal “defensive action” does not comport with the facts. “The United States most likely committed an act of aggression against Iran and killed Soleimani in violation of human rights law,” Comar wrote. Comar argued the U.S. assassination of Soleimani fits two distinct International Criminal Court (ICC) definitions of “aggression.” There are two important ICC definitions of aggression that are relevant here. First, an act of aggression can be, “an attack by the armed forces of a State on the land, sea or air forces, or marine and air fleets of another State”—in other words, attacking another state’s military. The killing of Soleimani would seem to fall under this definition, as he was a high-ranking military official in Iran… The second important definition from the ICC identifies aggression as, “the use of armed forces of one State which are within the territory of another State with the agreement of the receiving State, in contravention of the conditions provided for in the agreement or any extension of their presence in such territory beyond the termination of the agreement.” In other words, armed forces lawfully in a third party’s country suddenly acting unlawfully and in breach of the agreement may constitute aggression. “Under two separate International Criminal Court (ICC) definitions of ‘aggression,’” Comar noted, “the U.S. likely committed an act of aggression against Iran in assassinating Soleimani.” As Common Dreams reported earlier Saturday, the Trump administration has repeatedly claimed it killed Soleimani in an effort to thwart “imminent” attacks on Americans in Iraq. But, pressed by reporters, the administration has yet to provide evidence to substantiate that claim. In response to the Trump administration’s claim of “anticipatory self-defense”—a justification also used by the Bush administration to invade Iraq—Comar wrote “this international legal standard is extremely difficult to meet.” “Under Article 2(4) of the United Nations (U.N.) Charter, a breach of international peace is only permitted when authorized by the U.N. Security Council or conducted in an act of self-defense. Self-defense means fending off an armed attack,” Comar noted. “Absent evidence of such an extraordinary attack against the United States, ‘anticipatory’ self-defense, e.g., Pompeo’s stance that the killing was a ‘defensive action,’ likely cannot be legally justified.” Comar wrote that Soleimani’s assassination “marks the most dangerous escalation between the United States and Iran in recent history, from which Iran and Iran’s neighboring countries will suffer the most.” “Under the U.N. Charter, Iran and the United States have a legal obligation to settle their disputes peacefully,” Comar added. “As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States has the ability at any time to discuss threats against it. It has chosen not to do this, instead using almost-certainly illegal force against another U.N. member country. The consequences will be grave.” Comar is far from the only legal expert to conclude that the U.S. assassination of Soleimani was illegal under international law. Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extra-judicial executions, tweeted late Thursday that the killing of Soleimani “is most likely unlawful and violate[s] international human rights law.” Yale law professor Oona Hathaway agreed, writing in a series of tweets Friday that “based on what we currently know, the U.S. strike on Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani is legally tenuous under both domestic and international law.” “Congress should begin hearings and demand answers about the legal basis and the plan for handling the inevitable fallout,” Hathaway said. Common Dreams: Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely. More from criticalstudies The United States’ Assassination of Iranian Military Leader Violates International Law UN Secretary General Guterres Fails to Condemn US Assassinations in Iraq America the Repugnant. Assassinating Foreign Leaders Is an Act of War Trump’s Mass Deception on Iran Lies, the Bethlehem Doctrine, and the Illegal Murder of Soleimani U.S. Has Only Acknowledged A Fifth of Its Lethal Strikes, New Study Finds By: Jake Johnson Source: Common Dreams Topics:Intelligence, Law and Justice, Racism, Terrorism, War & Military Action, Places:Iran, United States, Slogan Voters – The Road to Political Ralph Nader America’s Wealthiest Family Owns W Bernie Sanders How Britain dresses up crimes in Israel Jonathan Cook Noam Chomsky: We Must Stop War with Iran Noam Chomsky Resistance Is the Supreme Act of Faith Chris Hedges John Mearsheimer: What Has Changed Since John J. Mearsheimer Our myopic approach to Iran Stephen Martin Walt America the Repugnant. Assassinating For Philip Giraldi Finding the truth amid Israel’s lies Ilan Pappe The End of Palestine? An Interview with Norman Finkelstein Iran, Orientalism, And Western Illusions Flynt Leverett The Most: The West Is Run by Barbarians By Peter Koenig ISIS and Israel praise Trump’s assassination of Iranian top general Soleimani By Sarah Abed Pompeo’s Gulf of Tonkin Incident. Provocation to War By Gareth Porter British universities invest in Israeli apartheid By Asa Winstanley UN Security Council Extends Aid Runs for Al Qaeda in Idlib By Vanessa Beeley US Resurrecting ISIS in Iraq? By Stephen Lendman Strikes in Iraq and Syria: US Terror for the New Year By Tony Cartalucci Did Pompeo Dupe Trump Into the Soleimani Hit?? By Mike Whitney Polls Show Americans Believe Killing Iranian General Made the US Less Safe By Stephen Lendman US Plans Permanent Occupation of Iraq By Stephen Lendman The Growing Iranian Military Behemothby: %AUTHOR% Email Shows Exxon Was Studying Its Climate Impact in the ’80sby: %AUTHOR% Exclusive: Hillary Clinton State Department Emails, Mexico Energy Reform and the Revolving Doorby: %AUTHOR% Trump’s Ridiculous Foreign Policyby: %AUTHOR% Why Invade Iraq?by: %AUTHOR% Peeling the 9/11 Onion: Layers of Plots within Plotsby: %AUTHOR% Of Human Dignityby: %AUTHOR% Letter From CIA Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling Details Federal Prison’s Scandalous Treatmentby: %AUTHOR% Iran, Orientalism, And Western Illusions About Syria—A View From Tehranby: %AUTHOR% American Meddling in Yemen Means Aggression at Homeby: %AUTHOR% Nuclear Ambiguity or Hypocrisy? By Sasan Fayazmanesh An Interview with Sasan Fayazmanesh By Sasan Fayazmanesh Of Human Dignity By Marlyn Tadros The Most Common Mistakes of Israelis By Gilad Atzmon After the Terror By Ted Honderich The push for divestment from Israel By Rutie Adler Sharon declares war on Palestinian children By Barbara Lubin An Open Letter to President George Bush, from Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss By Yisroel Dovid Weiss “Our job description as Christians”: An interview with G. Simon Harak By Simon Harak By: Toranj CO © Copyright 2015, Critical Studies. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24413
__label__wiki	0.614661	0.614661	Home / Degree Programs / Graduate / Specializations Latino Specialization Cronkite News Cronkite students in the on-campus Master of Mass Communication program can specialize in two of the fastest-growing areas of journalism: business journalism and bilingual journalism. The Cronkite School has long been a leader in business journalism education, housing both the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Students in the business journalism specialization gain a thorough understanding of business and economic principles through practical journalism course work and professional internships at major news organizations that include Bloomberg News, Thomson Reuters, CNBC, MarketWatch, MSNBC.com and the business news departments of the Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, Phoenix Business Journal and The Arizona Republic. Entering graduate students take the courses MCO 550 Issues in Coverage of Business and the Economy and MCO 553 Reporting on Business and the Economy. The MCO 550 seminar introduces students to business and economic coverage, from balance sheets to regulation and coverage of business personalities. In MCO 553, they report and write stories about business and economic topics, often on deadline. Students learn how to present complex financial topics in clear and compelling ways, with the goal of publication. Students in the specialization are encouraged to complete their required professional program on the business desk of Cronkite News, where they report on a wide range of stories that have money as an angle. Their stories are published on the Cronkite News website and are distributed to local, regional and national news outlets. Students emerge with robust portfolios of published work and ready to enter the profession. Graduates work at major news outlets as well as business publications around the country. Graduate assistantships are available to graduate students who have strong potential for business journalism careers. Those students are assigned to the Reynolds Center, where they get additional experience reporting, writing and producing content about the coverage of business. Online students with an interest in business journalism can pursue the Master of Science in Business Journalism, which includes both Cronkite courses and courses from the W.P. Carey School of Business. For more information on the MSBJ or the business journalism specialization, contact Cronkite Professor Andrew Leckey, a longtime business journalist and president of the Reynolds Center, at andrew.leckey@asu.edu. Bilingual Specialization The Bilingual Specialization at the Cronkite School is designed for students who want to build their cultural knowledge and tell the important stories of diverse communities throughout Arizona and the world. Students report on people and places in Phoenix, along the U.S.-Mexico border, in Indian country and in other countries – from Peru and Puerto Rico to Hungary and Nicaragua. They learn from a team of experienced professionals that include Fernanda Santos, a Brazilian-American journalist, author and former Phoenix bureau chief for The New York Times; Rick Rodriguez, former executive editor of The Sacramento Bee and the first Latino president of the American Society of News Editors; Vanessa Ruiz, an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and former evening news anchor for the NBC affiliate in Phoenix; and Valeria Fernandez, an award-winning narrative journalist and former correspondent for CNN Spanish. Students may choose from courses such as Latino and Transnational Issues, a seminar that introduces students to cultural, economic and social issues in immigrant and border communities, and Depth Reporting, a course that takes student to another country over spring break to report on immigration and border issues. Student work in the Depth Reporting course has won major awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, Hearst Journalism awards and regional Emmys. Previous class projects include: Puerto Rico: Restless & Resilient \|Queretaro: Promise of Prosperity for Mexico \| Hungary: Europe's Borderland \| Nicaragua: Channeling the Future \| Chiapas: State of Revolution \| Two Borders\|Puerto Rico: Unsettled Territory\|Stateless in the Dominican Republic \| South Africa Documentary \| Borderlands Photo Essays \| Divided Families \| Divided Families Documentary \| Children of the Borderlands Students in the Bilingual Specialization complete their capstone professional program in either Cronkite News-Borderlands or the Spanish-language Cronkite Noticias program. In Cronkite News-Borderlands, students cover stories across the Southwest and along the U.S.-Mexico border, which are published in English on the Cronkite News website and distributed to regional media outlets. In Cronkite Noticias, students produce in-depth stories for the online platform, a weekly Facebook Live, and a newscast that airs on Univision Arizona. They also produce radio and short-form documentaries.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24415
__label__wiki	0.604363	0.604363	From The Beginning: WildStorm Universe – Backlash #1-5 November 19, 2016 by krisis [Patreon-Nov16-Post-Bug][/Patreon-Nov16-Post-Bug]Backlash leaps to his own series after a brief supporting turn in Stormwatch and co-starring with Grifter in The Kindred. (This clearly comes after WildCats #14 since Marlowe and Savage Dragon are on a first-name basis. It’s also after Wetworks #5, as we’ll see in Backlash #4. A brief scene with Diva seems as though it could fit between Stormwatch #11-12.) I’m not convinced anyone liked Backlash enough for him to merit his own series, but at this early stage in WildStorm’s life it seems they’re intent on playing out a certain set of plots and Backlash’s Daemonite hunt is one of them. My main beef with Backlash to this point has been that his fearsome reputation doesn’t line up with what’s on the page. He’s supposed to be tough, but all we see is him getting the tar beat out of him. He’s supposed to be heartless and arrogant, and while he’s got the latter down to a tee he’s more tactical than he is cold-hearted. This betrays a weak spot in WildStorm’s early scripting. Even when characters aren’t stereotypes, they’re a flat package of clearly labelled traits without much humanity. Backlash is a potentially rich enough character that he can actually portray these seemingly opposed traits, but no one with enough skill to balance it has written him yet – he slipped out of Stormwatch just before Ron Marz could get his hands on him. Unfortunately, the writing that finally shows Backlash as the dynamic, serious threat he is rife with toxic masculinity that goes beyond any aspect of chauvinism in Backlash himself. In his five issue run, guards whine about their women and try to score with their female compatriots, Diva cries on Backlash’s shoulder, Backlash narrates about guarding his lover Diane even if she doesn’t want that from him (while calling her “kiddo” – super gross), a cop hopes to run into “a drunk starlet,” and Taboo is suddenly sex-crazed for Backlash. Each taken on their own most of these would slip by me aside from the cop who wants to commit sexual assault, but they’re compounded by a particularly ugly one – Pike threatening Zealot with sexual violence. I think that’s a first so far in WildStorm. Not only is the Zealot comment disgusting, but it’s the laziest of writing to take the toughest, most-dynamic character in your entire universe and decide the only way to weaken her is to threaten her sexual agency. It rings completely false on the panel, even if Pike is exactly that nasty of a guy. This marks the first time a WildStorm title has kicked off without Brandon Choi having a hand in the proceedings. While Choi hasn’t exactly been the paragon of writing female characters not named Zealot, he’s been surprisingly even-handed when it comes to women as objects and women in peril. Not these writers – each issue is attributed to the crowd of artist Brett Booth, Jeff Mariotte, and Sean Ruffner. They’re giggling like maniacal pimpled teenage boys every time they can suggest one of their male characters might be able to seduce or assault a woman, and their version of agency for Taboo is her coercing Backlash into having sex. Is Backlash any good if you can look past its misogyny? It might not be as weak as The Kindred, but it’s still just average tough guy fare, despite a killer first issue. [Read more…] about From The Beginning: WildStorm Universe – Backlash #1-5 Filed Under: comic books Tagged With: Backlash, Brett Booth, From The Beginning, From The Beginning: WildStorm Universe, Image Comics, Jacob Marlowe, Jeff Mariotte, S'Ryn, Savage Dragon, Sean Ruffner, Void, Wetworks, Wildstorm, Zealot	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24416
__label__wiki	0.67281	0.67281	You are here: Home / Archives for acquisition training June 9, 2011 By AMK Georgia Tech now offering advanced government contract training in Atlanta Georgia Tech is helping the federal government address a critical need for government contract training by launching The Contracting Education Academy, a Defense Acquisition University (DAU) equivalency provider that will offer acquisition and public sector contracting for both the government and business communities. The Academy’s first course offering – Mission-Focused Contracting – is designed for personnel new to the contracting workforce or non-contracting personnel who play a role in the acquisition process and want to learn and apply problem-solving and negotiation skills. Through interactive instruction and case studies, participants in this comprehensive, 10-day course will learn how government agencies: • Complete a market research report; • Develop a bid or proposal package; • Evaluate proposals and award contracts; • Monitor contractor performance, apply remedies and make proper contract payments; and • Modify contracts, exercise options and complete the contract closeout process. Rhonda Lynch, project manager for The Academy, points out that Mission-Focused Contracting is the capstone course for Level I federal contracting professionals as well as for all non-contracting personnel who play a role in the acquisition process. “The beauty of this class is that it is applicable to both government and industry purchasing,” Lynch said. “This course engages the participant in the entire acquisition process, from meeting with the customer to completing the contract closeout process. Contracting officials and members of the contracting community alike will have the unique opportunity in this class to sit side-by-side to learn how the government acquisition process works.” Stephen Fleming, the vice president and executive director of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI²), says that the idea for the Academy began last year as an outgrowth of a range of services offered to the government and business sectors. “There are record high retirements from federal ranks and the number of jobs is increasing, so there is a huge demand for these classes,” he observed. “Every federal agency is represented in Atlanta, so in these budget-conscious days, having The Academy in the southeast can greatly reduce travel budgets.” Within the first six months of operation, The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech was recognized by the DAU as an official equivalency provider of DAU course work. This is especially significant for at least two reasons. Since federal contracting professionals are required to obtain a certain amount of hours of contract training annually to keep their jobs, those located in Atlanta will not have to travel far to obtain training. Whereas local agencies and businesses view The Academy as a welcome resource for superior and convenient training, there is quite a bit of interest from prospective students outside of Georgia. A chance to train at Georgia Tech, the availability of classroom seats, and the ease of access to the city of Atlanta are just three of the many pluses for The Academy. In addition, The Academy’s DAU-equivalent classes satisfy both the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification programs, which means contracting officials from any federal agency will receive credit toward their training requirements. To see The Academy’s full schedule of classes, and to register, please visit http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training. More information about The Academy, including training offerings and services, can be found on the web site at www.contractingacademy.gatech.edu or by contacting Rhonda Lynch at 404-894-6109 or rhonda@contractingacademy.gatech.edu. About Enterprise Innovation Institute: The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute helps companies, entrepreneurs, economic developers and communities improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. It is one of the most comprehensive university-based programs of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization and economic development in the nation. Enterprise Innovation Institute Georgia Institute of Technology 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA Media Relations Contacts: Nancy Fullbright (912-963-2509); E-mail: (nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu). Writer: Nancy Fullbright – June 8, 2011 Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce May 27, 2011 By AMK Acquisitions skills could put you on the fast track We hear that the economy is improving, but we know there are still so many people looking for work. And although people hear that the federal hiring process has improved, many are still finding it a difficult journey. But there may be hope. Under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, Department of Defense agencies including the Air Force Materiel Command, Defense Information Systems Agency and various entities with the Department of Navy have been using their “expedited-hiring authority” to fill critical acquisition positions. I know what many of you are saying right now: “I don’t have a background in acquisition, contracting or procurement.” But the acquisition process in the federal government is so complex that there is a need for people in a range of career fields. The list is long, but it includes auditing, contracting, life-cycle logistics, quality control and assurance, and science and technology management. So you may have a background that is a perfect fit. Just by doing a quick search on USAJOBS under the acquisition career fields, I found agencies looking for people from biologist to computer scientist to telecommunications specialists. In accordance with DAWIA, many of these positions require employees achieve a certain level of Acquisition Career Field Certification within two years of being hired. But don’t let that worry you. The government will send you to Defense Acquisition University for training and certification. If you’re already a federal worker or government contractor with Level I, II or III acquisition certifications or part of the Acquisition Corps, that may expedite things: You would be deemed a highly qualified candidate. When checking USAJOBS or job-search engines such as Indeed.com, do a keyword search for “expedited hiring authority” or “expedited” on USAJOBS. You can also search for “acquisition.” These positions are nationwide as well as worldwide, so some jobs will no doubt include interesting travel opportunities. The key is to think outside the box and where your skills, experience, education and other qualifications might apply to the acquisition mission. Sharpen your resume to make your case. Who knows — this may be your ticket to the fast lane of government employment. — by Derrick T. Dortch, president of the Diversa Group, is a career counselor who specializes in government job searches and military transition. Published in The Wasington Post on May 25, 2011 at http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/politics/acquisitions-skills-could-put-you-on-the-fast-track/2011/05/25/AG230UBH_story.html. Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, DAU Legislation would reorganize Federal Acquisition Institute House and Senate lawmakers have introduced legislation that would dramatically reorganize the Federal Acquisition Institute, the government’s training academy for civilian contracting professionals. The 2011 Federal Acquisition Institute Improvement Act, introduced last week, would require that the school, through its board of directors, report directly to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy. The FAI director would be appointed by the OFPP administrator and report directly to the office’s associate administrator for acquisition workforce, the bill stated. The current hiring process is less formal, with consultation by General Services Administration, OFPP and FAI’s board of directors. GSA now oversees the institute, although OFPP has a role choosing its leadership. The new bill would give OFPP a more active management role in running FAI. All civilian agency training programs at the institute — including acquisition internship programs — would follow OFPP-issued guidelines, ensuring consistency in training standards, according to the legislation. The OFPP administrator would report annually to Congress on FAI’s projected budget needs and expense plans. Established in 1976 under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, the Federal Acquisition Institute is charged with training and developing the skills of the federal acquisition workforce. Critics say FAI has been underutilized because it lacks organizational clarity, is not funded as well as the more entrenched Defense Acquisition University and is only intermittently used by federal agencies. “This legislation would make the federal government more efficient and saves tax dollars,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who introduced the bill in the House. “In the past decade, federal procurement spending grew by 155 percent while the acquisition personnel managing that spending grew by just 10 percent. We just don’t have the workforce to manage large, complex contracts and the Federal Acquisition Institute is not meeting our training demands.” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the bill’s lead sponsor in the Senate, noted legislation is needed for the acquisition workforce to keep pace with the massive growth in federal contract spending during the past decade. “This level of spending requires professionally trained and invested acquisition personnel who can manage these huge expenditures while also guarding against the possibility of waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Collins said. “The Federal Acquisition Institute Improvement Act would strengthen the FAI, which promotes career development and strategic human capital management for the entire civilian acquisition workforce.” The Senate measure is co-sponsored by Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; and Scott Brown, R-Mass. A similar version of the legislation passed the Senate in the 111th Congress last December, but did not receive a vote in the House. The bill also would provide enhanced and more consistent training for thousands of civilian contracting officers. FAI would be required to keep current governmentwide training standards and certification requirements and modify the programs when core competencies are not covered. In addition, career path information would be developed to encourage contracting officials to stay in federal positions for decades to come. The human capital efforts would be coordinated with the Office of Personnel Management. To help standardize training for civilian and Defense acquisition employees, the Bush administration in 2005 moved the Federal Acquisition Institute to the campus of the Defense Acquisition University in Fort Belvoir, Va. The Senate legislation is scheduled for a vote on Wednesday, April 13, by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. — by Robert Brodsky – GovExec.com – published April 11, 2011 at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=47576&dcn=e_tma Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, DAU, FAI, OFPP Academy conducts contract negotiations workshop at national conference Over 200 contracting counselors from across the country received training last week on how contract negotiations are conducted in the government marketplace. The two-hour workshop was conducted by representatives of The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech. The March 24th interactive training session, entitled “Contracting and Negotiation Skills,” was led by The Academy’s project manager Rhonda Lynch. The training was conducted as a part of the spring conference of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC), held this year in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The presentation consisted of an excerpt from the 10-day Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course known as CON 120 – Mission-Focused Contracting. Mission-Focused Contracting is the capstone course for Level I contracting professionals, engaging participants in the entire acquisition process. The “Contracting and Negotiation Skills” training excerpt covers conducting actual negotiations in a post-award contracting scenario. APTAC is a national trade organization representing the 93 procurement technical assistance centers that operate across the country. These centers help local businesses compete successfully in the government marketplace. PTACs are the bridge between buyer and supplier, bringing to bear their knowledge of both government contracting and the capabilities of contractors to maximize fast, reliable service to our government with better quality and at lower costs. The major objective of today’s workshop, states Ms. Lynch, is to help APTAC’s counseling professionals be “better prepared to advise their business clients on how to develop strategies for their contract negotiations with government agencies.” She explained that negotiations skills are essential to reaching success in the government marketplace as well as being helpful in everyday life. “Each of us engages in negotiations practically every day of our lives — whether we realize it or not. If we happen to engage in win-win strategies, we succeed. The problem is, we sometimes don’t use good negotiation techniques so the outcome too often is win-lose.” Attendees at The Academy’s workshop participated in mock contract negotiations, patterned after real government negotiations. Some of the participants played the role of either government negotiators or as members of a contractor’s negotiation team. Others in attendance played the role of observers who later analyzed and reported on the negotiations techniques they witnessed. Prior to the workshop, The Academy provided relevant pre-course reading material to participants that may be found at http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/?p=544. The Academy also recommended that workshop attendees take an on-line DAU course to learn more about negotiations. It can be found at http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/courses.aspx?crs_id=469. The full CON 120 course, taught on the Atlanta campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology, carries with it 8.8 Continuous Education Units and 88 Continuous Learning Points, both granted by DAU. In addition, Georgia Tech grants 6.65 Continous Education Units for the CON 120 class. The Academy is an official DAU equivalency training provider. For more information about The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech, please visit http://www.contractingacademy.gatech.edu/. For registration details on The Academy’s CON 12o course, please visit http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-120-mission-focused-contracting. Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, government contract assistance, negotiations March 2, 2011 By AMK Bidders bite back High above the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in Southeast Washington, construction crews have begun the largest federal construction job since the Pentagon, transforming St. Elizabeths Hospital into the new consolidated campus of the Homeland Security Department. The $3.4 billion project encompasses 4.5 million square feet and eventually will house 22 government agencies. But the project hit a snag in October 2010 when four losing bidders for a $2.6 billion information technology contract filed protests with the Government Accountability Office. They challenged the selection of Northrop Grumman Corp. to run a massive data network at the site and argued their own bids were unfairly evaluated. Recognizing that mistakes might have been made, the General Services Administration opted to cancel the contract and begin anew. Northrop Grumman has since filed its own protest of GSA’s decision, further delaying issuance of a new solicitation. Such is the new reality in federal procurement. Key contracts – whether it’s $500 million to create an IT infrastructure for the Transportation Security Agency, or $40 billion for a fleet of Air Force aerial refueling tankers – can grind to a halt because of a bid protest. Until the past decade, Ralph White, who heads the bid protest division at GAO, would stop and take notice when contracts protested reached nine figures. “I considered it a big deal,” White says. “Now a $100 million contract is a fairly routine thing. We did not used to see that, and certainly not at this level.” Protest filings are on the rise at GAO, reaching a 15-year high in fiscal 2010. Some analysts note few protests are ultimately sustained, and many are dismissed in a matter of weeks. But the delays come at a cost to the government, contractors and the taxpayer. “At the end of the day, it really slows down the process of getting hardware and services to the warfighter,” says Daniel Beck, spokesman for the Chicago-based Boeing Co. More Protests GAO bid protests, in some form or another, have been part of federal procurement for nearly a century (the first protest was filed in 1926). But it was not until passage of the 1984 Competition in Contracting Act that the practice became formally structured and regulated by Congress. Companies that believe they were not treated fairly during source selection also can challenge the decision with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, or directly with the contracting agency, though GAO overwhelmingly is the preferred option. During the 1980s and early ’90s, contractors filed an average of nearly 3,000 protests per year – an astounding figure given the relatively low number of government contract actions at the time. Surprisingly, the rise in protests during the past decade pales in comparison to the sharp increase in contract spending. For example, between fiscal 2001 and 2008, procurement actions increased almost 600 percent and their value rose more than 100 percent, according to the Congressional Research Service. But the number of protests filed during that period went up only 37 percent, indicating that despite popular perception, the proportion of contracts that were protested actually shrank. “Each year, our contracting agencies take hundreds of thousands of contract actions that could be protested, but more than 99 percent of them don’t get protested,” says Daniel Gordon, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Obama administration’s top acquisition official. As the government continues to slow its acquisition spending, Gordon expects protest figures to decline as well. But recent data suggest otherwise. During the past three years, GAO protest filings have skyrocketed 39 percent, reaching 2,220 in fiscal 2010, the highest point since 1995. There are several explanations for the increase, most notably the agency’s expanded jurisdiction to task-and-delivery order protests of more than $10 million. In 2010, 189 task order contracts were protested. In 2008, Congress also authorized contractors to protest TSA acquisitions and public-private competition decisions made under circular A-76. Analysts also see the influx of lucrative, multiyear, indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contracts – which have the potential to lock a contractor out of agency work for up to 10 years – as a contributing factor. “Larger companies, which were historically more reluctant to file protests because of customer relations concerns, are a little less reluctant,” says Thomas C. Papson, a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge in Washington. “It’s almost a circle. As you see your competitors filing protest after protest, it almost legitimizes it from that standpoint.” While protest filings are on the rise, the percentage of cases GAO sustained has remained flat at roughly 20 percent. Most cases never get to that point as contractors find other ways to settle disputes in their favor. Agencies often will eliminate the middleman and renegotiate directly with the contractor. The 2010 effectiveness rate – based on a contractor receiving “some form of relief from the agency,” frequently the reopening of the contract – was 42 percent, according to GAO data. “Protests give agencies and their counsels an opportunity to have a sanity effect on what they have just done,” Papson says. “It allows them to go back, take a fresh look with the benefit of the protest issues put on the table and correct the mistakes.” The parties also can agree to use alternative dispute resolution, an increasingly popular “outcome prediction” process in which GAO attorneys inform the parties early in the process about how they will likely rule if forced to draft a decision. The technique typically leads to protests being resolved without further GAO intervention. The high rate of agency interventions in bid protests could signal that contracting officers are making too many mistakes in following the terms of the solicitation. “The ones that get pulled back without a decision usually have some really basic mistakes in them,” White says. “You can’t say that you will evaluate [a proposal] one way and then evaluate it another way.” Abusing the System? A GAO protest generally triggers an automatic stay of the contract award or performance while the protest is pending, though the agency is allowed to move forward under urgent and compelling circumstances. GAO has up to 100 days to issue a decision, a deadline it has never missed. But critics suggest companies have abused the process either by looking to extend the life of an existing contract by a few months, or by grasping at straws in an effort to uncover some minor error that could lead to a reversal. “We feel protests are being used as a standard business practice, and that disturbs us,” Beck says. “We feel that protests are appropriate if there is strong evidence of a problem in the acquisition process but we don’t think it’s appropriate as a post-award strategy for those contractors that were defeated by bids that were simply deemed superior in a fair and open process.” James E. Cuff, executive vice president of business development, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions at SAIC in McLean, Va., suggests some protests are little more than fishing expeditions. By filing a protest, a company can gain access to far more information than it would typically be entitled to during a post-award debriefing. “It would be healthier for industry, and clearly healthier for the customer, if protests were an extraordinary event,” Cuff says. He’d recommend a system in which “people can’t protest simply because they don’t like the answer and they are hoping to find some flaw, even if they don’t know of any flaw, when they file the protest.” SAIC and Boeing have reputations for filing fewer bid protests than do other large contractors. “We treat protests like extraordinary events,” Cuff says. “We set a high bar when protesting. There must be a significant mistake in the process.” Boeing, however, was responsible for arguably the most significant protest in recent memory: its successful challenge in 2008 of the Air Force’s aerial refueling tanker contract awarded to EADS North America and Northrop Grumman. “It’s a costly exercise to go through for us,” Beck says. “We also need to be thinking about our relationship with our military and government customers. But with the tanker, we felt there was strong ground for a protest, and GAO validated our concerns.” The Air Force has yet to issue a new contract for the tankers. Pentagon contracts are particularly vulnerable to bid protests. From fiscal 2001 to 2008, Defense Department protests increased 39 percent, the Congressional Research Service notes. “Protests are extremely detrimental to the warfighter and the taxpayer,” wrote then-acting Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics John Young Jr. in an August 2007 memo. “These protest actions consume vast amounts of time for acquisition, legal and requirements team members; delay program initiation and the delivery of capability; strain relations with our industry partners and stakeholders; and create misperceptions among American citizens.” But Gordon suggests its focus on transparency and timeliness makes the U.S. protest system a model for other nations. “I don’t think that protests affect agencies’ ability to rapidly award contracts, except for the few dozen each year where GAO finds the agency violated procurement law,” he says. “And in these cases, it’s important for us to stop and get things right.” Tip of the Iceberg With contract spending expected to decline in the coming years, particularly at Defense, and the larger economy still in slow recovery, some analysts believe the incentives for filing protests will only grow stronger. “Companies are concerned about being locked out of the market and may think it makes more sense to protest,” says Rich Rector, chairman of the government contracts practice and partner at the Washington law firm DLA Piper. “With the decline in spending, these are tough economic times, and they are getting tighter in the government space. It could drive people not to be as sanguine when they lose a contract.” It’s unclear, however, what, if anything, can be done to stem the tide. Some industry officials want to see a financial penalty levied on losing protesters as a disincentive to filing frivolous challenges. While the topic has been batted around at Defense, the plan does not yet appear to have the administration’s support. Some have speculated that fining protesters could deter many firms, including small businesses, from filing legitimate protests. Others argue that protests will decline only if the government provides additional resources and training to an overburdened and overworked acquisition workforce. “We need to ensure that competition is done right the first time so that the kind of obvious errors you see in some major procurements get made less frequently,” Papson says. “Some mistakes leave you shaking your head and asking how they missed that. The answer may be that they are inadequately staffed, or they were under pressure to get it done in an unreasonable amount of time.” Some agencies, however, might be going overboard to protect against protests. Too often, contracting officers issue awards based on initial proposals without conducting further dialogue with bidders for fear that discussions are a “protest-rich area,” Gordon says. The result, he says, is the government might be missing out on better or less expensive proposals. In recent months, OFPP has begun meeting with contracting officers in an attempt to “myth bust” the idea that talking with vendors will lead to protests. “We need to talk with vendors early and often in our acquisitions,” Gordon says. “And not talking with them to avoid protests only hurts the government, particularly when more communication could help the agency better figure out what it needs and how to buy it.” While the bid protest system is undeniably imperfect, most agree it’s one of the success stories of the American federal procurement structure. GAO works through its cases rapidly and judiciously, often with little complaint from industry. All the while, the bid protest staff at GAO has remained static at roughly 30 employees for the past decade. “What you get is a lot more transparency, integrity, or accountability than in other places,” White says. “It’s a system I would hate to walk away from and think about what it would mean to provide no opportunity for a redress when people think that something was unfair.” — by Robert Brodsky – Government Executive – February 1, 2011 Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, bid protest, contract dispute, delivery order, DHS, DoD, GAO, GSA, IDIQ, OFPP, task order, TSA	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24424
__label__cc	0.74771	0.25229	You are here: Home / Archives for industry day January 8, 2019 By AMK Contracting workforce at forefront of Army savings New Year’s resolutions take on many forms. Whether it’s kicking a bad habit, curbing meals to lose weight or perhaps a making a greater effort to keep in touch with family and friends beyond the occasional social media post, a new calendar year often begins with the best intentions. A contract specialist with the Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) office at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston discusses Army contract opportunities with two local small business representatives during an industry outreach event in November at the University of Texas at San Antonio Procurement Technical Assistance Center in San Antonio. The event provided contracting guidance, briefings and breakout and match-making sessions with MICC contracting personnel. (Photo by Ryan L. Mattox) Such intentions may also call for an evaluation of spending in hopes of socking away a little more in retirement accounts or building a coffer for future tuition needs of soon-to-be high school graduates. Similar efforts to save across the government also begin with individual resolutions and don’t necessarily require meticulous analysis. Introduced as a replacement for the Army Suggestion Program, the Army Ideas for Innovation, or AI2, program became fully operation in 2017 and strives to capitalize on A innovative and creative solutions put forth by civilian and uniformed members of the service that contribute to cost savings, increased productivity and improved processes. The call for innovative solutions by the government aimed at realizing cost savings isn’t necessarily a novel concept. In fact, a lesser known workforce goes about that task as its daily endeavor. Members of the Army Acquisition Corps possess a combination of requisite education, experience and certification levels vital in carrying out their duties to include contracting. They make up about 34 percent of the Army acquisition workforce consisting of approximately 38,500 professionals responsible for developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining equipment and services to meet the Army’s present and emerging needs. Contracting officers in the 1102 career series and Soldiers in the 51 Charlie military occupational specialty at the Mission and Installation Contracting Command make up a subset of the Army Acquisition Corps. They are responsible for acquiring equipment and services that support service members from the time they voluntarily raise their right hand in solemn oath to serve this nation through retirement as part of the Soldier for Life initiative. In fiscal 2018, MICC contracting officers and Soldiers executed almost 30,000 contracts valued at more than $5 billion. This included contracts for professional scientific and technical services, administrate support, remediation services, construction, manufacturing, educational services, accommodations, food services, and utilities just to name a few. MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, ensuring installation readiness with many daily base operations support services, readying more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which governs processes for acquiring contract goods and services by the DoD as well as all executive agencies, serves as the bible for contracting professionals. It prescribes policies and procedures for negotiating contract awards using other than a sealed bid. By using one or a combination of source selection approaches, MICC contracting officers obtain the best value in a negotiated acquisition. Employed by contracting officers every day, negotiation tactics can spell significant savings and increased benefit for the Army both on a smaller scale for relatively low-dollar buys through reverse auction as well as with complex acquisitions. As many government contractors discover, skillful negotiation benefits both their respective industry interests and the government as each strives for innovative pursuits to meet operational priorities and focused efforts. The significant role by MICC contracting professionals in the transition of rotary aircraft maintenance services between contractors at Fort Rucker, Alabama, earlier this year illustrates the value the contracting workforce bares on the Army’s efforts to save costs. The innovative approach to the $4.7 billion contract presents the potential for 191,000 extra flight hours over the next 10 years, according to the GAO, estimated at a DoD benefit of $876 million. MICC contracting professionals also contribute to government savings by reducing opportunity costs that take on a not-so-tangible form. Efforts by the command to standardize acquisitions for full food services and base operations this year offer enterprise-wide solutions for not only decreasing bid and proposal costs but also dramatically curbing touch labor and procurement acquisition lead time. Not only does the contracting workforce save the Army money, but also those savings – both tangible and intangible – allows leadership from supported organizations to redirect those funds and resources toward other mission priorities. As trusted business advisers to their mission partners, MICC contracting professionals are dedicated to the timely delivery of contract goods and services in support of Soldiers and the Army’s commitment to readiness. Source: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/5004231/contracting-workforce-forefront-army-savings Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition workforce, Army, cost savings, DoD, FAR, GS-1102, industry day, industry days, innovation, MICC, Mission Focused Contracting, outreach event, small business, source selection December 3, 2018 By AMK Georgia Tech hosting event promoting ‘defense innovation’ to be held on Jan. 14th Companies who believe that they have the next key discovery or the next great idea that could benefit the Department of Defense (DoD) are invited to participate in a Georgia Tech-hosted event on Monday, January 14, 2019. On that date, Georgia Tech’s Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) will host a day-long event designed to benefit innovative small businesses – with priority given to small technology companies that have the potential to directly enhance achievement of DoD’s mission. Lisa R. Sanders, Director of Science and Technology for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), is a featured speaker at the Defense Innovation Conference. (More details here: https://gtpac.org/2018/12/17/special-operations-science-and-technology-director-is-speaking-at-jan-14-gtpac-event) Registration is now open at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-the-next-defense-innovation-conference-tickets-53056770228 Advance registration is required for this event; on-site registration will not be allowed. The registration fee is $50. By attending, companies will learn all about the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, the Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF), Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for prototype projects, and additional contracting vehicles aimed at attracting innovative companies to help the U.S. Department of Defense. See promotional flyer here: Defense Innovation Conference – Jan. 14 2019 Event Registration for the event is now open at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-the-next-defense-innovation-conference-tickets-53056770228 Full Agenda and Featured Speakers An advance copy of the conference agenda is available here: Agenda – Defense Innovation Conference – 01.14.2019 – Final. Biographical sketches of all the featured speakers is available here: Featured Speakers – Defense Innovation Conference 01.14.2019. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: breakthrough, contracting opportunities, Creating the Next, Defense Innovation Conference, DoD, Georgia Tech, GTPAC, industry day, innovation, OTA, RIF, save the date, SBIR, small business, STTR, technology Navy launches ‘Innovation Cell’ to speed IT acquisition It’s almost accepted as a truism in the modern era that the federal acquisition system simply isn’t up to the challenge of buying information technology. But IT leaders in the Navy suspect the problem isn’t so much the regulatory scheme itself, but the way it’s historically been applied to technology purchases. To test that premise, on Thursday, the Navy’s program executive office for enterprise information systems will formally launch what it terms its Innovation Cell, a nascent effort to begin rapidly inserting relevant commercial technologies into Navy networks without a single change to the Federal Acquisition Regulation. PEO- EIS will begin by presenting industry with three “enterprise challenge statements” at an industry day in Tysons Corner, Virginia, one focused on big data analytics, another on enhanced virtual desktops and one seeking an end-user productivity suite. “There are too many products that you can go down to Best Buy and purchase today, but we don’t have in our enterprise,” Capt. Paul Ghyzel, the deputy program executive officer, said in an interview with Federal News Radio previewing the innovation cell. “It’s for various reasons. Some of them, like security, are valid, but in other cases, it’s just that the model we use to acquire them today doesn’t lend itself to taking advantage to what’s already in the marketplace. When we build the next generation of aircraft carrier, we have to make the investment. In IT, the commercial companies are already making the investment, and we need to leverage that.” The “cell” is more a framework than a physical place, and will serve several functions in the Navy’s acquisition ecosystem, officials said. Keep reading this article at: http://www.federalnewsradio.com/885/3824927/On-DoD-Navy-launches-Innovation-Cell-to-speed-IT-acquisition Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: industry day, innovation, Innovation Cell, IT, technology	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24425
__label__wiki	0.60037	0.60037	Her Dear & Loving Husband review from San Francisco Book Review By Meredith Allard Copperfield Press, $9.99, 262 pages To escape the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and a bad divorce, Sarah Alexander moves to Salem, Massachusetts, known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials held in the 1600s. Within days of arriving, Sarah meets the man of her dreams, literally. Handsome English professor James Wentworth is the man she sees herself with every night in a reoccurring dream. James’ first impression of Sarah is that he has just seen his dead wife’s ghost. James is not about to tell Sarah, because his wife died hundreds of years ago during the hysteria of the witch trials. Author Meredith Allard weaves a fascinating story in Her Dear and Loving Husband, book one of The Loving Husband Trilogy. Readers learn early on that James is a vampire. He has lived without his beloved wife for decades and cannot seem to move on. Sarah has secrets of her own. She has always suffered from nightmares that leave her shaken when she wakes up. In Salem, they get worse and she begins to experience dreams about the witch trials filled with arrests, hangings, death, and despair. Are Sarah and James connected? Can James dodge a snoopy reporter set on revealing what he is? The title of the book refers to a poem by a woman declaring her eternal love to her husband. Allard combines historical fiction, romance, and paranormal fantasy. She does a nice job of setting the scene and readers feel like they are walking through the shaded streets of Salem along with the characters. It is clear that she has done her research about Salem and the witch trials. Allard tackles themes of reincarnation, eternal love, second chances, and redemption. It is a very ambitious project and the author succeeds in tying everything together to create a unique, mysterious, memorable story. Allard’s second book comes out in Spring 2012. Her Dear and Loving Husband, Media Kit, San Francisco Book Review Her Dear & Loving Husband review from Midwest Book Review Meredith Allard’s Interview–Romance Radio Network	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24429
__label__wiki	0.552386	0.552386	Tag Archives: Kurt Joshua Comendador To Pull a Hook By Kurt Joshua O. Comendador (This essay is the winner of the 1st Lagulad Prize.) “Ako na pud kuya bi,” my younger brother Sean said while trying to take the fishing rod from me. “Paghulat gud,” I told him, moving the rod out of his reach. “Nagahulat na ang talakitok sa akoa o.” “Ganina pa man ka.” “Lima na lang ka labay,” I promised him. I whipped the line out into the sea, away from the shore. My fancy for fishing started with envy. I was hooked into it after seeing an episode of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on television. The titular character and his rowdy gang of country boys had run away from their homes and were fishing in the Mississippi River to feed themselves, competing who had the biggest catch in the process. I watched with envy as they roasted the fish over open fire and devoured them when they were cooked. I was seven years old back then at my grandparents’ farm somewhere deep in Polomolok, South Cotabato. There was nothing much to do except for the daily trips to the river that my grandfather and I had to take to tend the cows. People in Polomolok mostly farmed for a living. On special occasions, a cow, maybe a goat, and a couple of chickens would be butchered for a feast, but the daily diet consisted of vegetables, which was virtually everywhere, and fish—fish from the market and fish from the river. My grandparents were able to buy fish from the market, but I wanted to try eating fish that I myself had caught. Fishing was originally developed to find food in the wild for survival. As time progressed, fishing evolved to include the activity as a pastime. Recreational fishing is a luxury for those who have pockets full of money with time on their hands to cast carbon-fiber retractable fishing rods with high-end reel and a line of nylon connected to a floater or a sinker with a plethora of colorful artificial baits, one for each type of fish. While this is so, the tackle, or the entire fishing equipment, used in Polomolok only consists of a good-length bagakay (a kind of thin bamboo) for a rod, a coil of thin, transparent nylon, and a single hook. Baits can be found wherever there is moist and healthy soil. “Tay, bakal na bala sang bunit,” I requested my grandfather one day. “Sa sunod ah,” he answered. The dialogue continued for days. Same plea, same answer—always sa sunod, sa sunod, sa sunod. One morning, I woke up only to see the sun high above the coconut trees behind our house, too late to join Tatay down the river, as he should have been already back by this hour, but not too late for morning cartoons—time to watch Tom Sawyer and his friends again. As the house lacked walls, I immediately saw Nanay at the sink, busy with the dishes. I asked her where Tatay was. “Nagkadto sa Proper,” she replied through the clinks and clanks of plates. Somehow, someway, I thought that the time had finally come. I took a late breakfast of rice and inun-unan, fish cooked in vinegar. Midway through my meal, the sound of Tatay’s motorcycle engine came sputtering toward the house. The loud barks of our dogs welcomed him. He appeared at the doorway moments later with a plastic bag in his hand. “Ano na, Tay?” I asked while trying to peer through the white, plastic bag he was carrying. “Mga gipangbakal ko sa Proper ah,” he replied. He unloaded the things on the table: a pack of dried fish, three cans of sardines, two packs of instant noodles, and a bundle of sweet bananas. That was all. Disappointed, I resumed eating my meal, thinking that perhaps I would receive it sa sunod. Then a small plastic pouch landed on the table just in front of my plate. Without uttering anything, Tatay immediately went into his room, the only room separated by walls in the house. In the pouch was a coil of new fishing line and a set of fishing hooks. His room might have been surrounded by walls, but his heart wasn’t. I was glad. I went out on my first fishing trip with Tito, Tatay’s nephew, three days after Tatay bought the materials. We couldn’t find a good pole, so we only took a fishing line coiled around a tin can. We started toward the river after breakfast, at about eight in the morning. It was about thirty minutes’ walk from the house, past the purok center, through a cornfield, and finally, down a hill. The sound of the deep, masculine gush of the river was a welcoming sound to hear after the hike under the summer sun. I couldn’t wait to wade in the water to get across to familiar grounds where Tatay’s cattle were grazing. I thought it took forever for Tito to get across. Together, we went further down the riverbank where we thought the water was deep and there would be plenty of fish. We sat on a grassy patch and prepared our fishing line. I watched Tito, also a first timer, took out an earthworm and skewered it with the hook. I shuddered as I watched the hook emerge on the other end of its body—I still do whenever I remember that moment. Whenever there was a slightest movement on the nylon, we would immediately pull out the line, hoping that a fish was hanging at the end of the line. It was maddening. The fish didn’t seem to be biting. Every time we pulled it out, the worm would emerge in one piece. I felt pity for the worm. I felt stupid sending it again and again into the water. An old man happened to pass by. He was barefoot and wearing shabby short pants and a dirty old jacket over a ragged shirt. His skin was dark with shades of crimson, like fine-aged leather. “Gaano kamo da?” he asked. “Gapamunit, Kol,” Tito answered. “Ahay!” blurted out the old man. “Indi kamo makadakop da. Didto kamo sa hinay ang dalihig sang tubig ho.” He pointed downstream, at a spot where the river curved. He looked terrible in his shabby clothes, but it seemed that we were more pitiful than he was. He had the wisdom we didn’t have. He had the experience we couldn’t hold a candle to. To him, we were the worms that needed help. We followed the advice of the old man. We waited and waited. Every time we noticed movement in the line, we pulled it out. This time, we were at least getting some results—the worm would come out nibbled. We had to replace the bitten worm every time. On one try, half of the worm’s body went missing. It was funny how fishing in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was easy as could be: The characters only had to sit on the edge of the water with a fishing pole, and all of a sudden, they already had something scaly for lunch. Huckleberry Finn even survived living by himself in the forest by eating fish he caught from the river. Not only is truth stranger than fiction; truth is harder than fiction, too. If Tom Sawyer had his Mississippi River, we had our Silway River. It had brown, muddy water, and at its deepest part, it only reached the hips of adults. Silway River is the river that runs from Polomolok to General Santos City. In Google Maps, it looks like a giant snake slithering through the two places before finally joining Sarangani Bay at Barangay Labangal in the city. There were plenty of ways on how fishing was done in the river. The most common was by using a fishing pole. Another common way was pangurinti, done by stunning the fish with electric rods connected to a car battery. Another one was pang-atas. I only saw this once on our way home, but from what I remember, the men isolated a part of the river with a long tarpaulin, and as the spot ran out of water, they used a net to catch the fish that were trapped and swimming downstream. “Hala! Ari na, kuy!” Tito’s voice distracted me from watching the cliff on the other side of the river. I turned and saw him with his arm raised, struggling to pull the line out of the water. Something had taken the bait! We had caught something! Could it be a tilapia? Could it be a catfish or even an eel? I didn’t have a clear view of it when he lifted it out of the water. Black and white, black and white. It was all that I could see. The fish was spinning with the line? Was it a fish? It had limbs. A turtle? We caught a turtle? A snake-necked turtle! Tito immediately went into action: He took the snake turtle and laid it on its soft, leathery carapace. We had to remove the hook that had pierced through its cheek without getting bitten. Every time Tito’s finger went near its pointed snout, the turtle snapped violently and without hesitation. Back then, we knew—I knew—that there was only one way to remove the hook out of the turtle’s mouth. But I wanted to try all other possible ways first. “Butunga na lang nang hook, Tito,” I said. “Di pwede kay masangit iya punta,” my uncle said. I knew it was impossible. The hook had a barb, and pulling the hook would embed the barb deeper into the flesh. “Utda ang punta eh,” I said. Tito fell silent. He didn’t tell me that what I had suggested was almost impossible to do, too. So he had to do the inevitable: using the jagged edge of the lid of the can where we were keeping our worms, he tore the turtle’s cheek, and then he removed the hook with his hand. I could not imagine how it must’ve felt for the turtle. The pain must’ve been unbearable—to have someone slice your cheek, going from side to side, until the soft, delicate flesh tore open and the hook could be removed. I thought that the turtle must be envious of us humans: there were no hooks to catch us. If the turtle could talk, I’d also like to ask it why it bit something that wasn’t meant for him. We continued fishing until the afternoon and we ran out of bait worms. The turtle was the only catch we had for the whole day. On our way back to the house, some of my Tito’s friends saw the turtle inside our net bag. “Mas namit pa na sa manok ba,” they said. “Amon na lang na bi.” We declined. It was our sole prize, and we were determined to take it home. “Ay abaw!” exclaimed Nanay when she saw the turtle in the net bag. “Kanami sang dakop niyo ba!” said Tatay with a laugh. We put the turtle into our empty concrete fish pond where guppies, mollies, and carps used to swim. Sometimes, I would bring over other kids in the neighborhood to show them the turtle. “Baw, dako dako ba,” gushed one. That might’ve been the first time they saw a turtle snake as big as an adult’s hand. “Gin-ano niyo na pagdakop?” one of them asked. “Ginbunit eh,” I said. “Ti, ano ginapakaon niyo sina hay?” “Ambot ay. Kung ano ang ihaboy da eh.” Banana peels, rice, pieces of leftover fish, fruits, anything, I explained. In an article published in the Philippine Star in 2013, it was revealed that the Chinese softshell turtle is threatening the freshwater fish population in Central Luzon. Fishpond owners and operators grew weary of the invasive species since they prey on local fish species, especially milkfish and tilapia fingerlings. Farmers are complaining of receiving bites from snake turtle hiding beneath the mud of their rice paddies. However, I rarely heard of them as a problem before in Polomolok. In fact, people would be happy if they managed to catch one of them. In a segment of Born to Be Wild aired in 2017, I learned that Pampanga has the biggest population of Chinese softshell turtle with a market for its meat: people are really buying live snake turtles for food! I didn’t know why, but the turtle died after about a week of captivity. I still try to figure out what happened, but as a kid, I thought that maybe we should have let Tito’s friends slaughter it. At least, it would not have died for nothing. It died alone, away from its habitat, away from its home, its carcass buried on the soil where coconuts grew. Days after, we went on another fishing trip. This time, Tatay went with us. We woke up early in the morning and hastily ate our hanggop, or cooked rice poured with hot water and flavored with salt. “Dal-a tong silupin,” Tatay said, pointing to the plastic bag containing hooks and lines. “Wala man ta stick,” I said. “Pati lang bala.” The three of us began hiking at about six in the morning. The morning air felt as though they were seeping through my arms and into my back, causing me to shiver from time to time. Tatay seemed amused. We were cold, while he was warm in his jacket. We followed the usual path to his parcel of land beside the river. He then made Tito and me wait in a hut surrounded by foxtails, brushwood, and all kinds of balubagon. He returned after an hour. “Dal-a ning paya oh, kag kadto kamo to sa may puno sang ipil-ipil,” he told us. “Kalot kamo to kag kwa kamo ulod kay may kadtoan lang ko anay. Kita lang ta sa may pispan sa likod sang bayog,” he said. Tito and I took a coconut shell lying on the ground and went to the ipil-ipil tree, while Tatay went about his business. The worms under the tree were larger than the worms I had seen before, about the size of my fingers back then. I couldn’t help but wonder back then if what had made them grow so big. I managed to catch a few of them. The way the worms moved about in my hands tickled, so I dumped them into the shell as soon as I caught them. We made our way through the thick wild grass to the fish pond behind the clumps of bamboo called bayog, just in time to see Tatay walking toward us, carrying three stalks of bagakay, a thinner family of those big, towering, and heavy ones. One of them was fifteen feet long, much longer than the others. Almost every body of water has its distinct smell, and this wasn’t any different. The pond smelled of putrid mud and algae, but there were tilapias and paitan, or small freshwater fish with bitter flesh. The word rotten may be associated with death. It is synonymous with decay, the slow and gradual decline of life. But to us, this smell was only superficial. Life thrived in the waters: fishes and snails, tangkong and takway, and whatnot. Each contributed to the system we were living off. It was rotten, putrid, pungent, and acrid, but the pond, entirely by its presence, told a whole new different story, brought a whole new meaning. I wonder if it’s the same with us. When we started fishing, I understood why Tatay took a longer pole. Tito and I, with our shorter poles, had to stand close to the putrescent waters of the pond, our feet tangled in takway and tangkong, while Tatay sat on the grassy slope away from the water. I envied him, looking so relaxed and carefree. I wished I also had a longer pole. We didn’t catch any despite fishing the entire afternoon. I nearly had one. Through the clear waters, we saw the fishes nibble at the worm. When I saw a tilapia took a huge bite of the bait, I instantly yanked it out of the water. I saw a small fish hanging at the end of the line. But just when I thought I finally had my first catch, it fell back into the water! A few days before leaving for General Santos City to start the school year, I went to the river with Tatay to see the extent of the flood that the previous day’s rain had brought. I saw a number of local kids walking and kicking about in the brown, muddy puddles that were formed when the water rose above the riverbank. We approached them, walking through the ankle-deep puddles. The biggest kid of the group was carrying a big can of powdered milk. Not concerned with our presence, they continued kicking the water around. To my surprise, a fish jumped out of the water! A kid then shoved the fish out of the water to the taller grass, the few which were not submerged in floodwater. “Gaano kamo da?” asked Tatay. “Nagapanakop isda, Kol,” said the kid carrying the can. “Bi, palantaw sang dakop niyo bi.” The kid showed us the can. They had managed to catch four tilapias, wiggling inside the cramped space. “Ay bi, panghatag man para may sud-anon kami,” Tatay joked. “Indi pwede, Kol, kay sud-anon man namon ni,” the kid said. The huddle broke up, and they resumed kicking in the puddles again. Envious of their catch, I went to a large puddle nearby and started kicking around the water. “Ara! Ara! Dakpa niyo! Dakpa!” a kid shouted. I turned around and saw the kid pointing at something on the grass. I followed the kids as they rushed toward their friend. There, on the ground, on its back, was a snake turtle, slightly smaller than the one we had caught earlier in the summer. Tatay, the other kids, and I gathered around the turtle. The big kid slipped through, sat down, and picked it up. The turtle immediately retracted his long snake-like neck. He gave the can of fish to one of his companions. “Bantay ha,” tatay warned them. “Makagat kamo sina.” “Tagai bala ko sang stick,” said the kid. One of his companions gave him a bamboo twig. The kid proceeded to aggravate the turtle, poking its snout with the twig. The turtle in turn snapped at the object. The huge kid continued teasing the turtle. Once, it firmly bit the twig, and he pulled it away, causing the turtle’s neck to extend. “Pabay-i niyo na lang na,” I said. I don’t know if they heard me or they just chose to ignore me. Not contented, the kid once again pulled the turtle’s head and twisted it. I saw the life fade away from the eyes of the turtle. I felt someone tap my head. It was Tatay. “Dali na, kuy,” he said. “Puli na ta.” I still wanted to kick around the puddles, hoping I could still catch some fish. I followed him as he made his way toward the riverbank. I turned my head around in time to see the kid throw the turtle to the flooded river. It was already dark when we reached the gate of Tatay’s farm. Two neighboring teens passed us by as they ran toward their homes. They were shirtless, dripping wet, illuminated by a motorcycle’s headlight. I saw that they were carrying fish impaled on a thick strand of nylon. It was the last time I saw someone carrying fish from the river. I’ve never spent a whole summer in Polomolok after that, but over the years, on some weekends, we would visit the farm, and if time permitted, we’d go on a trip down the river. I was told that the poles were given to relatives living near the river, and in one of those trips, I saw that the poles were still around, stuck on the roof of their hut. I couldn’t help but wonder how many fish they had caught using those. The envy? I no longer felt it. It was gone. Like the pond we used to fish years ago. “Naay nipaak!” I said while the waves of the sea gently crashed on my thighs. “Naay nipaak!” I could see the tip of our cheap carbon-fiber fishing rod bend against the weight of the fish. “Sige, sige,” my brother said. “Biraha lang pirmi.” I spun the reel handle as fast as possible while constantly pulling on the rod. When I finally pulled it out of the water, a talakitok was hanging at the end of the line. “Paunsa ni tanggalon ang taga, Sean?” I asked my brother. The hook was completely stuck in the talakitok’s cheek. “Ambot. Wala ko kabalo.” I began to twist the hook in all directions, but still it wouldn’t come off. It reminded me of the turtle my tito and I caught years ago. It kept me from trying hard enough. “Unsaon nato ni? Buy-an na lang nato ni?” “Ayaw na oy. Nagadugo na man gani na iyang aping oh.” It was either this fish or the memory of the turtle. One had to go. I let my brother take a try at removing the hook. “Di man nako kaya, kuya,” he said after a while. “Ikaw na lang. Imoha bitaw nang dakop.” So it was decided. The thought of the turtle had to go. I forcefully pushed the hook, which removed it from the talakitok’s cheek. “Sorry, fish,” my brother said jokingly as I pulled the hook out of the fish’s mouth, “but a man’s gotta eat.” I wrapped the fish at the bottom of my shirt and took it to our cottage, where the rest of my family were. There was no reason to show them my catch. Perhaps I just wanted them to envy me. As I grew up and came to know the world a little bit better, I understood that we were not any different from the snake turtle: we were also prone to bite things that weren’t for us. We ate the talakitok for dinner, wasting none of it. We didn’t make the same mistake as before: to waste a creature’s life for nothing. After twelve years, the purpose of the turtle’s death was finally realized, and its thought lived on. March 8, 2019 Cotabato Literary Journal essay, essay English, Kurt Joshua Comendador, Lagulad Prize REGULAR EDITORS Eric Gerard H. Nebran is an educator and illustrator from General Santos City. He is currently a PhD Comparative Literature student at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. His research interests include orality, history, and literary productions of his hometown. Jude Ortega is the author of the short story collection Seekers of Spirits (University of the Philippines Press, 2018). He studied political science at Notre Dame of Marbel University in South Cotabato and currently divides his time between Senator Ninoy Aquino and Isulan, both in Sultan Kudarat. Doren John Bernasol is from Koronadal City and a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Filipino from Mindanao State University in General Santos City. He’s currently working for Zuellig Pharma in Davao City. Kurt Joshua O. Comendador is an AB English student at Mindanao State University in General Santos City, where he also serves as associate editor of the official student publication and as president of a book reading club. He was a fellow at the 2018 Davao Writers Workshop and at the recently concluded 3rd Nueva Ecija Personal Essay Writing Workshop. His piece that appears in this issue won the inaugural Lagulad Prize, a regionwide essay writing contest organized by Cotabato Literary Journal. Jermaine Dela Cruz studied Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature at Mindanao State University in General Santos City. She works as managing editor of Standout GenSan, the official publication of General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., and she currently serves as interim chairperson of Pangandungan, General Santos City’s writers’ association. Allan Ace Dignadice is from Koronadal City, South Cotabato, and a BS Electronics Engineering student at Mindanao State University in General Santos City. He is a former editor in chief of the official school publication of Koronadal Comprehensive National High School. Norsalim S. Haron is from Pikit, Cotabato Province, and teaches at Rajah Muda National High School in the same town. He is a graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education, major in Filipino, at the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, Cotabato Province. Marc Jeff Lañada was born and raised in General Santos City. He is a graduate of BA Communication Arts in the University of the Philippines–Mindanao. He was a fellow at the 2017 Davao Writers Workshop, and some of his works have appeared in Dagmay, the literary journal of Davao Writers Guild. March 8, 2019 Cotabato Literary Journal Allan Ace Dignadice, Doren John Bernasol, Eric Gerard Nebran, Jermaine Dela Cruz, Jude Ortega, Kurt Joshua Comendador, Marc Jeff Lañada, Norsalim Haron By Kurt Joshua Comendador Essay and Short Story It’s a cold night. I’m left alone as my family has gone for a visit to a relative’s house. With nothing to do, I rummage through the pieces strewn all over the face of the piano: Scott Joplin, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Clementi, and many others. Deep into the layers of printed pieces, I come across Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 9, no. 2. I pull it out and try sight-reading it. Many wrong notes later, I decide to stop and listen to it. Again. After so many times listening to it, I still don’t get tired of the music. Easy to the ears and easy to the mind, the music perfectly matches the ambience of the night. Before I know it, I drift to sleep, and then I’m awakened by an entirely new music. The music begins to flow like honey: slow, fluidic, and tantalizing. A gentle cascade of poetically beautiful passages, as if performed by cherubs on their harps. It doesn’t take long for me to identify it: Chopin’s Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brilliante in E-flat Major, op. 22. The music engulfs me, making me feel as though I’m floating on a clear lake, its glassy surface reflecting the serene light of the full moon on a cloudless night. A nocturne. A lullaby. A blanket, soft as velvet, wrapping my very soul. Slowly, all my troubles, all my worries and anxieties, lightened. It is just me and the music, dancing and playing to the extremes of reality and imagination. It takes me to the time when innocence, hope, and dreams are synonymous to your very existence. Yes, like a baby in a cradle being rocked softly by the benevolent waves of the ocean we call life. “Frédéric,” Nicholas muttered as he received the child from his wife. “I did not quite hear you, Nick,” Justyna said as she propped herself up in the bed. Do you mind repeating what you’ve just said?” “We’ll call him Frédéric,” Nicholas said in a more audible and distinct voice. “Frédéric,” Justyna reiterated with an agreeing smile. “Frédéric Chopin.” “Can I see him father?” said a young girl, tugging gently at Nicholas’s jacket. “Definitely, Ludwika,” Nicholas said. Ludwika slightly backed away as Nicholas lowered himself, carefully so as not to shake the infant. Ludwika tiptoed towards her now-crouching father and peeked sheepishly at Frédéric. “You’re going to be a good sister to him, wouldn’t you, Ludwika?” Nicholas said, never taking his gaze off his newborn son. His face, as if painted by happiness himself, grinned from ear to ear. “Yes!” Ludwika cried. “I will be a good sister to him, Father!” Frédéric twitched. “Now don’t speak too loudly or he might cry!” Nicholas said with a laugh. Ludwika, as if instinctively, covered her mouth with both hands, putting them down immediately to resume talking: “I will take good care of him, Father! I will teach him how to write or maybe teach him how to play the piano. I will definitely be a good sister to him, Father!” “Now that’s enough, you two,” Justyna interrupted. “Return him here. Frédéric and I could use some rest.” Nicholas returned Frédéric to his wife and stepped back. “We’ll be back before dinner.” He kissed Justyna on the forehead and proceeded to exit the room with Ludwika skipping behind him. Nicholas opened the door and waved goodbye to Justyna. “Goodbye, Mother! Goodbye, Frédéric!” bade Ludwika The music flows continuously, like rain in a gentle torrent on a cold November morning. A kindle of curiosity arouses within me. A longing to know something, to discover something new. The music, like a hand, leads me on. The essence of curiosity prominent in the tranquility and warmth of the piece. Curiosity—discoverer of gifts, revealer of talents, and leader of all willing to learn. Like how the hammer inside the piano strikes the strings to produce sound, man and idea must collide in order to create a work of art. A child’s curiosity, coupled by the nurturing guidance of the parents, will create an entirely new individual: a child prodigy. The perpetual flow of gracious notes seems like a portal to the mind of a piano prodigy, enchanted to play his wildest fantasy and imagination, improvising and playing by feel. My mind is enveloped in a blissful feeling, swept by the cold serene river that is the music. Frédéric watched as his mother played the piano. The way Justyna caressed the keys of the piano enthralled the one-year-old. “Handsome boy!” said Justyna. “What’s the problem? Don’t you like the music?” Frédéric let out a laugh and extended both of his hands in the air, begging to be picked up, giggling, cooing, and smiling. “Oh, you want to sit with me? Is that it?” Justyna asked. She picked up her son and put him on her lap. “Now you behave, Frédéric, else you’re going to fall.” Frédéric’s eyes lit up when his mother began playing, his head turning eagerly from side to side, following the hands of his mother. Frédéric clapped and giggled, as if he appreciated the music being played for him, to the delight of his mother. “Why do I have this feeling that you would be a great pianist someday, my little Frédéric?” she whispered to him. And after three years . . . “Justyna! Ludwika!” Nicholas called out. “To the music room! Hasten!” “Is something the matter, Father?” Ludwika asked, Justyna just behind her, wiping her hands on her apron. “Behold this!” Nicholas said. “Frédéric will perform Bach’s first minuet. I taught it to him just this afternoon, and now prepare to be amazed by the progress he has made.” Frédéric sat on the piano and proceeded to play the heralded piece. He pressed the keys intently. His movement appeared to be effortless, with no wasted motion and unnecessary movements, his arms apart to the side of his body. Frédéric produced rich and elegant tones as though he had practiced the piano far longer than his age. His legs hung lazily on the bench as his legs were still too short to reach the floor. On and on he went. One-two-three, one-two-three, went the beat on Frédéric’s mind, careful not to disrupt the timing. The littleness of his hands made the last few measure difficult to execute. Nevertheless, he finished the piece, and it was a job well done, worthy of the applause of his family. “Bravo!” said his mother. “Bravo, Frédéric!” “Thank you, Mama!” Frédéric blushed. “Well done, little brother!” Ludwika said. “Sooner or later, you’ll be even better than me.” “Thank you, Ludwika,” Frédéric said. “I’m sorry, but I am certain that something smells burning in here!” “I think it comes from the kitchen,” Nicholas said, sniffing the air. Justyna stood still, her eyes wide open. “Oh no! My pies!” she exclaimed with a gasp and then promptly scampered to the kitchen. The rest of the family burst out in laughter. The newest member of the family, Emilia, watched from her crib, sucking nonchalantly on her pacifier. The relaxing cascade of music comes to a temporary halt: no crash, no violent impact, and no sudden collision that perturbs the earnest meditation I’ve been thrown into. The music smoothly transitions—like a seasoned driver flawlessly shifting gears—into an entirely new character: a simple formal march with a distinct beat. The music carries a soothing air that further emolliates my mind and soul, taking me to a whole new scene. The music carries nostalgia unto me, as it reminds me the very first time I played in public: the uncomplicated sound resembles an easy piece that new students learn for their first recital. There is something magical in it—something powerful, something sentimental, something appealing. Then again, who forgets their first? I close my eyes and imagine the first public recital of Frédéric when he was eight years old. “How are you feeling, son?” Nicholas asked Frédéric backstage. “I feel excellent, a little excited perhaps,” Frédéric replied. “God bless you! I wish I had your confidence!” The host ended his introduction and presented Frédéric to the crowd that had gathered to witness his first public recital. On the front row sat Frédéric’s mother and two sisters, Ludwika and Emilia. Nicholas scurried to his seat, bent as low as possible. Frédéric walked to the center of the stage where the piano was placed. He stood still for a moment, briefly scanned his audience, took a bow, and then took his position on the piano. Frédéric’s professionalism and stately manners endeared him to the crowd, prompting an applause. The clapping stopped, and the performance started. Here was the boy who had grown up in a musical family. Here was a boy proclaimed as musical genius by his first teachers. Here was the boy who, at seven, had published his first musical composition. This was his first public recital. Waltzes, marches, mazurkas—these were some of the music he played that day. The stage was his, and the crowd offered him their time and attention. Each minute increased the amazement of the crowd that, in the end, the place was about to crumble to the thunderous standing ovation the crowed bestowed on him. The cheers, however, were no greater than that of Frédéric’s family: “Bravo, Frédéric! Bravo!” they exclaimed in unison. Tears begin to form on the corner of my eyes as the emotions begin to swell. There is sadness in its beauty, like a desperate plea for solace. It has a character of a swan song: a longing and questioning aura, a final offering before moving on to the next stage, a request for consolation. The music is a plea for a return to the past, to cherish loving memories once again, to be with loved ones again for even just a single day, to return to the place of origin, the place we call home. The music merely shows that life is indeed a fleeting moment. The featherlike music wafts into my ears and directly goes into my heart. The piece’s subtlety carries overwhelming woes that pierce the soul, a proof that music is indeed a powerful being, able to carry happiness, relief, sadness, and pleasure through its nuances. “It is time for you to leave, Frédéric,” Nicholas said. Justyna was standing beside her husband, sobbing silently, wiping her tears with a white handkerchief. Frédéric stood up from squatting beside Emilia’s grave. “I just want to make sure I have spent some time with Emilia, Father,” Frédéric said with a sigh. He wiped the headstone, revealing the transcription: She disappeared at fourteen the spring of life in which beauty the fruit flourished “I am sure that Emilia would be happy for you, Frédéric,” Nicholas said. “I am certain she will watch over you.” “I still have doubts whether I can endure being away from here, Father.” “Nineteen years is enough, Frédéric. Poland is too small for you. We must go now. Everyone is waiting for you.” Teachers, friends, and family had gathered at the toll gate to bid Frédéric adieu and wish him good luck. “Oh, Frédéric!” cried Constance, Frédéric’s sweetheart. “You must remember us. Many others may better praise you and adore you, but none would love you stronger than we!” “I will never forget you, my love!” Frédéric answered. “Nor I will forget anyone of you. For my heart will forever remain in here and my loyalty forever reside in this country. Farewell, Mother and Father! Farewell, Constance! Farewell, Ludwika! Farewell, Poland!” As the coach carrying Frédéric started rolling down the road, the people behind started singing a song composed by Professor Elsner, Frédéric’s headmaster in the conservatory of music. Such a touching act caused Frédéric to weep bitterly. The melancholic music fades away, just like the screams of an airplane taking off: before you know it, there is nothing you could hear. I want to chase after it, as though it’s a runaway kite, with the thread glancing off your fingers, but there’s nothing I can do but to long after it, wishing it would come back. What’s left is an obscure mixture of feelings. All of a sudden, like a pre-invasion salvo of artillery nobody expects, the music comes alive. Like a team of stallions thrown into a gallant gallop by the crack of a whip by the coachman. Formal, noble, and energetic. A brilliant and majestic processional tune fitting to announce the arrival of a king. The music is so enthralling, it throws me into a fervor, making me move my head and hands unconsciously, mimicking the actions of a conductor as he directs an orchestra, feeling the music at the same time. It is magical, and from it I have no escape. The opening barrage finished, the landing party follows. The music turns into a radiant and lively dance theme. It’s like watching an old master fill the canvas with colors, watching his paintbrush trail behind colors from his mystical pallet to create a masterpiece. I see a man dancing with Destiny in the form of a beautiful woman. The woman dances coyly, being elusive and playful as can be. Oftentimes, it appears the man has finally caught the woman, but every time, he lets her get away. The man knows enough that it has only begun—the night is young and so are they—and the music is far from over. He keeps on dancing. Just he and the woman. Alone in the cosmic parquet of life, sooner or later, he shall triumph. Frédéric arrived in Vienna and immediately resumed his familiar life, taking no time to acclimatize to his current repertoire—playing in theatres and grand saloons, displaying his elegant techniques and expressive renditions of his pieces that were absolutely new to the people of Austria. Frédéric jumped from one saloon to another, from theatre to theatre, from one aristocrat’s lavish home to another. Chopin was leading a musician’s dream of fame and fortune, but it didn’t stop him from writing home as much as possible. . . . Luxembourg and Berlin. It is still not confirmed, but I might go to London one of these days. P.S. Send my regards to Mother and Father. Love, Frédéric Ludwika lowered the letter that she had read aloud. “Good Lord!” Justyna said. “Frédéric must be really absorbed with all these travels!” “It is no question, Justyna,” Nicholas said. “It has always been like that and always will be. Where were you when Frédéric played at almost every grand saloon in the country when he was young? Not to mention the times when he played for the royal families of Poland and Germany. The world is ready for our Frédéric!” “I absolutely have that on my mind, but it just never fails to amaze me,” Justyna said. “Don’t quarrel now, you two,” Ludwika teased her parents. “It would be better if you just pray for Brother while I write an answer to him. We must keep him updated of what is happening here.” The music is a stark contrast to the youthful and lyrical character of the spianato. Highly dramatic, more technical and much grander in style. The entirely new music is a sound that comes from heartfelt rendering from the keyboard: feeling of despair, confusion, and self-doubt mixed into the fury of regal music. It is filled with angst and rage, with passages similar to asking questions. It is filled with rising and falling intonations, with masterful variation of volume and tones. It is indeed emotionally evoking. Such is the power of music when manipulated by a virtuoso. “What am I going to, Tytus?” Frédéric asked as he shuffled across the room in his apartment. “You must steady yourself, Mr. Chopin,” replied Tytus in a consoling tone. Tytus is a fellow student of Chopin, as what Frédéric is now referred to, at the Warsaw Lyceum. “I want to return to Poland and fight with our brothers, Tytus!” “You must remain here, Mr. Chopin. You are much too valuable to lose.” “I am just a pianist, Tytus. I am no more special than the man feeding the dogs when it comes to serving the country.” “You are not merely a pianist, Mr. Chopin. You are Poland’s future! The very embodiment of Poland’s spirit! You will support our cause through your music!” Chopin sat on the divan, and not a moment passed when someone knocked on the door. “Do me a favor, Tytus. Answer the door for me, will you?” Chopin scowled, pressing his forehead with his fingers. After a while, Tytus said, “It is a letter, Mr. Chopin.” “From whom is it this time?” Chopin said, clearly distressed. “It came from Poland. It’s from Constance. Constance wrote you a letter, Mr. Chopin!” “Constance! I haven’t heard from her for a year. Quick! Give me that letter!” Chopin’s enlivened mood didn’t last long. His body slouched as he read the letter. “Oh God! No!” cried Chopin, bursting in tears. The outpouring sorrow could no longer be suppressed. Like a dam crumbling from the surmounting water, Chopin cried his heart out. “Why do these have to happen to me?” yelled Chopin bitterly. “What is the matter, Mr. Chopin?” asked Tytus. “Co-co-Constance will be married to someone else, Tytus!” Chopin replied, barely getting the words out of his mouth. “Mr. Chopin, I feel terrible for you, but it would be her loss, not yours.” “What have I done to deserve this, Tytus?” “Mr. Chopin—” “I shouldn’t have left! I shouldn’t have left! I shouldn’t—” Chopin paused midsentence, his mouth gasping for air, his movements erratic. He grasped his chest. “Mr. Chopin!” exclaimed Tytus, rushing to assist the musician. “What happened? Good Lord!” Chopin had dropped on the floor, moving spasmodically, mouth gaping, eyes wide open. Tytus was horrified. Hours later, the doctor told Tytus, “He has gone weak. He needs to rest as much as possible to fully recover. I strongly advise him to refrain from long travels. As for now, he will be all right. Just don’t let him do anything that might agitate him.” “What about concerts, Doctor?” Tytus asked. “If he wants to be better, he must avoid it. He can still teach and play, but performing in a concert would be too exhausting for him.” Chopin did exactly as what the doctor had advised. Secluded in his room, with his diminished health and with no other outlet to pour his grief, Chopin’s talents ripened. As Tytus returned to Poland to fight, Chopin emptied his sentiments on the piano, never once playing in public in his time of recuperation. On a warm day eight months later, he received a letter from François-Antoine Habeneck, inviting him to play in the Paris Conservatory. “I must go,” Chopin told himself. “I am ready. I will go to Paris. I must perform even if it costs me my life.” Chopin set out into his journey to France, together with his new companion, Simon. “I really think I’m quite ready for this, Simon,” Chopin said, as their stagecoach rolled steadily to Paris. “But still I’m feeling uneasy” “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Chopin,” Simon said. “I think you will do just fine.” The day came for the concert. Chopin paced back and forth in the backstage of the theatre. “What is the matter, Monsieur Chopin?” asked Habeneck, the mastermind of the event. “I am excited, Monsieur Habeneck!” “Oh, I thought it was something else,” Habeneck said. “You better steady yourself now, Monsieur Chopin. You’re going to be called out any minute now.” The female host announced, “Mesdames et Messieurs, vous présentant l’immortel, Monsieur Chopin!” “There’s your cue now, Monsieur!” exclaimed Habeneck. “Show them what music is all about!” Chopin strutted to the center of the stage, gave the host a peck on each cheek, and assumed his position on the piano bench. Chopin hovered his arms above the keyboard, like a heron’s wings preparing for flight. With a controlled drop, Chopin struck the first key perfectly, twitching his head as his ears registered the sound of perfection. All his pent-up emotions were relieved, all his experiences were incorporated into his music, and all his misery was exhausted on that concert. Chopin’s body language clearly signified his joy and displayed his ecstasy. Chopin took flight with the polonaise, like a stallion, running wild and free in the plains of the west. It was a majestic performance, evident in the thunderous applause of his audience. “Fantastique! Excellent! Bravo!” the French shouted. Chopin basked in the glory of musicianship. Soon enough, flowers were delivered to Chopin by bouquets. It was a magnificent concert indeed, one which immortalized him to those who witnessed his greatness. It was the last grand concert Chopin would offer as he would never enter the concert platform again. Chopin fully reached his peak of his fully mature style—a style in which pianistic virtuosity was placed at the service of expression. It has taken me a few seconds to realize that I’m clapping with the audience. Such is the power of Frédéric Chopin’s music, able to garner appreciation and acclamation almost two hundred years later. At the conclusion of the piece, the music is thrown into a frolic frenzy, a music of great gaiety, a music for the man who has finally captivated Destiny, the beautiful woman who initially eluded him. The music ends, and so does my imagination. The music of Chopin has invigorated my spirit and my musical self. From a very somber beginning to a splendid ending, it has taken me into a journey of what may have been the musician’s life. With renewed hope and confidence, I return to the piano and attempted to play another one of his pieces. February 1, 2018 Cotabato Literary Journal essay, essay English, fiction, fiction English, Kurt Joshua Comendador A Dream in a Minor Key It was the summer at the end of fifth grade. My brother, after seeing a violin ensemble perform at our church, managed to convince my parents to enroll him in music lessons. He wanted to play the violin, but my parents believed that he should start with the piano in order to establish a solid musical foundation. “Ubani lang imong manghod, Kuy. Pa-lesson lang sad ka’g apil.” I agreed to go. After all, what was I to lose? Never did I know that it would be one of the most important decisions in my life. Learning the piano is roughly the same as going to school: you start in Kindergarten (Kinder A and B), and then Grade 1 until Grade 8. I finished the Kinder B book in a month, skipping the entire Kinder A book. Maybe because of my age, I quickly understood what was being taught to me. I was promoted to Grade 1 right after. The pieces got more complex, so I needed to practice more often to keep up. As I learned and mastered one piece after another, I got this satisfaction I couldn’t describe. The joy of playing the pieces was very pleasurable sensation. The gliding of the fingers through the black and white keys of the keyboard had a very intimate feeling to it. Playing the right keys, hearing the right notes, magnified these feelings a hundred times over. I played the piano with vigor. I was young then, very passionate. An obstacle appeared when I was in Grade 6: I got busier and lost my time for piano lessons. I spent my time practicing and learning alone. By this time, I had improved a bit and started playing church hymns, most of which were arranged with four voices. Meaning, I had to read and play multiple notes at a time. It was a hard and taxing effort, one which required multitasking: identify the notes, find the right keys, position the fingers, to name a few. It also required patience and dedication. “Pag makahuman ka og isa ka piyesa, Kuy, hatagan tika’g dyis,” my father would tell me. I got more motivated than ever. Getting 10 pesos was a good reward for me back then, coupled with the happiness of playing a piece. Whenever I mastered a piece, I couldn’t wait to play it during our evening family worships, always gleaming with pride and pleasure. The piano, for me, was a way of life. I needed to practice every single day. A day without practice was a wasted day. There was one time when my little 54-key electric keyboard, bought from a surplus store, got broken and was not repaired for three months. Missing three months of practice was a very big deal for me, especially that I’d already claimed to be a pianist. So, like a good musician, I practiced without sounds. It was boring and dull, but I needed to keep my senses sharp and keep myself from, so to speak, accumulating rusts. The year 2013 was one of the best years of my life. I started following the Boston Red Sox and watched them become the world champions in October, in that year. I also bought the very first book in my collection. It was also in that year that my parents finally managed to buy a real piano: a Trebel Vertigrand. I was also starting to play at our church as a substitute pianist. I’d always give the song leader, however, a list of the songs I could play. It was all the same throughout the year: lessons, practice, play. I was always craving for more. I had the thirst for learning and playing the most difficult pieces. I wanted to be a concert pianist. I wanted people to see me at my best in a concert hall, just me and my piano up the stage. When I was in high school, if anyone asked me what I wanted to be, I would almost always answer, “Concert pianist.” Although I also wanted to be a pilot, I thought that it was too ambitious. At the end of high school, like almost everyone, I had to pick a course for college. That was the moment my dream took a huge detour. My song changed from a major key to a minor key. “Gusto nako mag-music school, My,” I opened up to my mom. “Dili man na puwede kay dapat mag-professional jud ka,” my mom replied. I couldn’t understand. Why couldn’t I follow my dream? Was it about the money? The nature of work? I couldn’t understand. Wasn’t music a profession? My parents and I fought over it for some time. These fights were sometimes so bitter it could leave my mother crying. “Gusto ko ninyo mag-abogado kay gusto ninyo modato. Tanan wala ninyo nabuhat, ipabuhat ninyo sa ako,” I would blurt out sometimes. My parents are both professionals. My mom is a registered pharmacist, and my dad is an engineer. I couldn’t understand them at all. Why didn’t they want me to become a professional pianist? Why couldn’t they let me chase after my dream? Bitter and rejected, I followed them. I enrolled in the English program of Mindanao State University in our city. But still I continued my piano-playing. When I reached college, it all became too much. I knew I was running out of time. I’d gone through many music teachers, but the last teachers I had were by far the most influential, as they were the ones I ran to when I was already mature enough to understand things. The words of Ma’am Malou seemed like a distant echo: “Talented kaayo ka, Kurt, ba. Pag-apas sa akoa sa Cavite ha? Didto ka mag-school sa CUP.” Ma’am Marian introduced me to technical playing, improving my touch to the keys. She always emphasized that I should play with emotions, to harness them to enhance my performance. Our lessons were always filled with her friendly, albeit sometimes fierce, reminder to “keep it soft, don’t band the keyboard.” She pledged to help me enter a music school, even offering to give lessons for free. Then came Ma’am Dianne, my last teacher, but the first one who encouraged me to finish my current degree first. “Tapusin mo na lang muna ‘yung degree mo. Tapos tutulungan kitang makarating sa Maynila.” She refined my skills and helped me in interpreting pieces according to the period they were composed and who composed them. She would help me with a condition: I must return to GenSan to help other aspiring musicians. To each of them, I only had the same reply: “Sige, ma’am, apas ra ko sa inyo puhon.” I always said that with a reassuring smile. I’ve always believed that I can do it and catch up with my former music teachers. But deep inside, downcast feelings engulf me. My mentors always support me, confident that I will follow their words. But at this rate, I know I’m already letting them down. I’m losing hope. I no longer have the fire that fueled me before. I remember my friends: Ate Jasmin and Kuya Sid. They want me to be music majors like them. I always thought that I could be like them. But that was before. I can only hope that I could meet them someday, not as their student, but as their equal. I believe that no matter how skilled he/she is, an amateur pianist can never equal a professional one, except perhaps the gifted ones. But what a truly great day that would be: when my dream finally becomes a reality, when it’s time that my life transposed into a major key. Sitting by the piano tonight, I remember the musical pieces I used to play. The night is young and quiet, a good time to play music. A sonatina by Clementi is a good piece to start. The first few notes are heavenly. Full of emotions, I close my eyes and play it by memory. Years of practice has imprinted that piece into my mind and body. It all feels like a blur, a glitch, a painful memory. I’ve lost my tempo, I’ve lost my tension. But still, with my eyes closed, fingers bumping each other every once in a while, I tap away on the piano keys. January 1, 2018 Cotabato Literary Journal essay, essay English, Kurt Joshua Comendador Editor and Contributors Jude Ortega has been a fellow for fiction at the 2016 UP National Writers Workshop and in five other writers workshops. He divides his time between Senator Ninoy Aquino and Isulan, both in Sultan Kudarat Province. Al-faidz Omar grew up in the Municipality of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. Currently a student at Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City, he writes to contemplate his own feeling and discover the mysteries within. Krizza Nadine A. Calmerin loves writing poetry and fiction and experimenting with the literary forms. She is currently a Bachelor of Secondary Education (major in English) student at Mindanao State University-General Santos. Jonamari Kristin Ordinario-Floresta is from Kidapawan City but is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in Educational Administration at the University of Sydney in Australia. She writes stories for children, teaches at Kumon Sydney, and speaks in several international conferences. Kurt Joshua O. Comendador of General Santos is an AB English student; trainee at Bagwis, MSU-GenSan’s school publication; and the president of the book reading club, Valoræx. Jerome Cenina was born in Brgy. Spring, Alabel, Sarangani Province. He is currently studying at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University as a Humanities and Social Sciences Grade 12 student. He has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer and writer. PG Murillo is an Information Technology student at STI College-GenSan and a member of the rap artist group Katagang Pinoy ng Malayang 083. He served as the battle emcee of Digmaan GenSan Rap Battle League, placed first at the Rap Battle of GenSan Summer Youth Fest 2017, and was recognized as a Spoken Word Poetry Artist by his school. Ryan Christian Dulay Tuan is a senior high school student (Humanities and Social Sciences specialization track) at Lake Sebu National High School. He is an active member of the Lake Sebu Youth Network. Sharmin Tanael is a Bachelor of Elementary Education student at Notre Dame of Marbel University in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. She is from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Merhana Macabangin is a writer, illustrator, and Education student from Polomolok, South Cotabato. Her works are usually about Muslims and the Maguindanaon. January 1, 2018 Cotabato Literary Journal Al-faidz Omar, Jerome Cenina, Jonamari Kristin Ordinario-Floresta, Jude Ortega, Krizza Nadine Calmerin, Kurt Joshua Comendador, Merhana Macabangin, PG Murillo, Ryan Christian Dulay Tuan, Sharmin Tanael	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24434
__label__cc	0.560527	0.439473	Sunday Playlist: Discussing Middle East violence By Tyler Moody, CNN (CNN) – For today's Sunday Playlist we set out to collect voices discussing the events of the past week in the Middle East. First we hear about Ambassador J. Christopher Stephens, who was among the Americans killed in Benghazi. The following conversation with Robin Wright, Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute for Peace, comes from KCRW's To The Point: In this piece from PRI's the world, we hear the perspective from one of the activists that helped with last year's Arab Spring: "Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Nasser Weddady of the American Islamic Congress about the recent violence in the Arab world. Through Twitter, Facebook and blogs, Weddady helped train a core group of activists who led last year's Arab Spring." From WBUR in Boston, the program "On Point" discussed the week's events from a cultural, and political point of view. And finally when it comes to the political reaction to this week's events, we can't ignore the role audio played in one part of the story. Prior to Governor Mitt Romney making a statement and taking questions from reporters, an open mic captured two reporters discussing what questions to ask. This was perceived by conservative outlets to be proof of a coordinated media attack on the Republican candidate, while others merely hear reporters making sure an important question is asked and answered in the limited time available. Mediaite's Noah Rothman writes about the incident and reaction in this piece that includes links to the audio so you can hear it and decide for yourself. Posted by libya, media, middle-east, politics, Tyler Moody -- CNN By CNN Radio, CNN CNN Radio News Day is an evening news program that gives you informative, thoughtful and creative news stories Monday through Friday at 4:30pm. Diplomats are working overtime to mend relations as anti-U.S. protests continue throughout the Middle East and Africa. [7:50] “America they stand with us in the time of war, you have to stand with us in the time of peace," says Ali Aujali the Libyan Ambassador to the United States. An immediate budget crisis was averted last night, but huge problems loom to fund the U.S. Government. [9:53] “What the government's doing is putting off hard decisions that need to be made and squabbling over small things," says Wes Messamore with the Independent Voter Network . It's suicide prevention week and we talk to a woman who survived an attempted suicide. [18:33] “W e need programs that provide free counseling, because the stress of money for counseling just compounds the problem for a lot of people." says attempted suicide survivor, Kristen Anderson. Posted by Barbara Hall - CNN, Edgar Treiguts -- CNN, Emma Lacey-Bordeaux -- CNN, Jim Ribble -- CNN, Jonathan Binder -- CNN, Lisa Desjardins -- CNN, Pat St.Claire - CNN, Susanna Capelouto -- CNN, Tommy Andres -- CNN Jobs clarity through CNN’s Iowan eyes (CNN) – Everyone gets their first lesson in job creation when they're a child, whether they realize it or not. Our Economics Correspondent Christine Romans got hers in Iowa, sitting around the kitchen table with her grandparents on their farm. She remembers them discussing how a slight difference in the price of farm equipment could make the difference between a purchase made or deferred. With jobs perhaps the number one issue in this election, we turn to Christine Romans, as we have all week in CNN'S special economy coverage, for some clarity on how Barack Obama and Mitt Romney propose to improve the jobs picture in America. [26:48] "You’re going to get a slow, steady healing with maybe some hiccups and some pullbacks, no matter who is president. You’re going to start to see jobs created and the longer we see jobs created, the more comfortable people will feel about taking a little bit of a risk." Christine Romans' Iowa roots helps her notice things about our economy that others may not. Being a mother of three who has to get to work at 3:30 in the morning might shape her economic perspective too. [13:00] "My grandparents were farmers, so I grew up, you know, the conversations around the kitchen table were the price of beans or the price of corn and whether you could get a new truck this year. Well, you could at six-fifty but you couldn’t at six." But you'd never guess her work hours from the energy in her voice or the clarity of her insights. Christine Romans has not lost her Iowan optimism. [21:15]"Now I like to think in the optimistic Iowa girl part of me that there are people over at the State Department, at the Pentagon and the Treasury who are the career diplomats and the career politicians who have the career ties to the Chinese who really do have a national strategy. I just like to hope that’s true." But, as you will hear on this CNN Profile, when she thinks about this economy there is one thing that chokes her up. Posted by Dan Szematowicz -- CNN, Jonathan Binder -- CNN, Michael Schulder -- CNN Filed under: CNN Profiles • Economy • Politics • Voices Jacques MoraMarco is one of America's first licensed acupuncturists. The elder statesman of acupuncture (CNN) – Acupuncture history is about to be made for a second time in California. Governor Jerry Brown is expected to sign two bills that would, for the first time in US history, put acupuncture in the list of essential health benefits. That means health insurance providers would have to pay for acupuncture treatments like they pay for x-rays or flu shots. [:46] “I’ve personally seen the evolution of this profession in California and basically in the United States,”said Jacques MoraMarco, acupuncture practitioner and Dean of Emperor’s College in Santa Monica. In 1976, then Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that legalized the practice of acupuncture. MoraMarco was among those who took the first licensing test 35 years ago. Posted by Dan Szematowicz -- CNN, Jim Roope -- CNN Filed under: Health • Voices Anti U.S. protests continue and grow throughout the Middle East and Africa sparked in part by an offensive video. [1:38] “To me personally this video is disgusting and reprehensible," says Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "It appears to have a deeply cynical purpose to provoke rage." New York decided today to ban large soft drinks. We get reaction from midtown Manhattan. [9:53] “This is the single biggest step a city has ever done to curb obesity and we believe that it will save lives." says New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. We remember Neil Armstrong who was honored in a public memorial today. [15:30] “Neil always tried to explain to people that it was just a matter of circumstance that enabled him to be the commander of a landing," says Armstrong biographer Jim Hansen. Posted by Emma Lacey-Bordeaux -- CNN, Jim Ribble -- CNN, Jim Roope -- CNN, Jonathan Binder -- CNN, Pat St.Claire - CNN, Steve Kastenbaum -- CNN, Susanna Capelouto -- CNN, Tommy Andres -- CNN	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24439
__label__wiki	0.597534	0.597534	Home Crypto Markets As Bitcoin Goes Parabolic, Analysts Voice Their Concerns As Bitcoin Goes Parabolic, Analysts Voice Their Concerns Magenta Rabbit It takes a brave soul to bet it all on bitcoin. Yet six months ago, that’s exactly what one Redditor did, using $325,000 of equity to purchase 191 BTC. As one commenter put it: “Firstly, let me wish you good luck. Second, let me tell you how much of an idiot you are.” As bitcoin kisses the symbolic $10k threshold, a new wave of intrepid souls has emerged, willing to lay it all on the line in the name of bitcoin. Will history prove them to be shrewd or stupid? That all depends on which analyst you consult. Heavy Hitters Spar with Bitcoin By whatever metric you choose to measure it, bitcoin has gone parabolic. Half a million newcomers are believed to be entering the market every day, and the bitcoin bounce is blessing everything from BTC domain names to cryptocurrency-related stocks. Former hedge fund manager and major bitcoin investor Mike Novogratz has said he sees bitcoin multiplying four-fold by the end of 2018. But he’s also hedged his bets by saying there could be a 50% correction. The former Fortress hedge fund manager appeared on CNBC on Monday where he said: Bitcoin could be at $40,000 at the end of 2018. It easily could. Novogratz also predicted Ethereum tripling in value within the same period. Thomas Gluckman, head of marketing at Hong Kong’s Gatecoin exchange, also believes there’s still ample scope for growth. When quizzed about bitcoin on Bloomberg, Gluckman said: I would still argue that it is highly, highly undervalued. If you look at the long-term potential of the technology in the next 10, 20, 30 years, $10,000 is cheap in my opinion. Don’t Mention the B-Word Within the past 24 hours, the term “bitcoin bubble” has peaked on Google Trends, though given the glut of analysts and investors who’ve been uttering the B-word of late, that’s no surprise. On CNBC on Monday, Citadel’s Ken Griffin invoked the old tulip mania canard, before adding: Is it a fraud? No. But these bubbles tend to end in tears. And I worry about how this bubble might end. If there are three things bitcoin’s original believers resent their digital currency being likened to, it’s a bubble, the return of tulip mania, or a reprise of the dot-com crash. Each of these analogies has been discredited at length, but that doesn’t stop them from resurfacing every time bitcoin pulls another bitcoin and rockets higher still. We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Moon A BNP Paribas spokesperson noted that whatever happens with bitcoin, they don’t see the trend breaking down anytime soon: We are seeing a shift of resources now. Is this a misallocation or seeds of a really worthwhile shift? Time will tell. We suspect cryptocurrencies are here to stay. Another analyst, Peter Tchir in Forbes confessed to “having some real trepidation at these levels”, before opining that “it has gone too far, too fast”. As bitcoin has risen over the past few weeks, going from meteoric to parabolic, many fear the next stage could be catastrophic. A 50% retracement would still leave the majority of this year’s buyers sitting pretty at $5,000 a coin. In fact as one analyst pointed out, bitcoin could lose 85% of its value overnight and still be up 40% for the year. But for the late arrivals to the party, a serious crash would be hard to countenance. “Bitcoin is Starting to Worry People in the Federal Reserve” “Bitcoin has gone parabolic,” conceded Art Cashin on CNBC, before adding “that usually doesn’t end well.” Cashin continued: “I think we’re in the fear-of-missing-out phase now…I am told – and take this with a huge grain of salt – that the movement is even beginning to worry some people in the Federal Reserve.” Such has been the rate of bitcoin’s inexorable rise, analysts have been struggling to find a similar case for comparison. The most oft-cited stat seems to be the Dow Jones industrial average which climbed 82% in 1915, its biggest year. Bitcoin has outperformed that by 10x this year and it hasn’t even broken a sweat. Everything seems like a bubble after the fact. But right now, we could just be getting started. That guy on Reddit who took out $325k equity on his house to buy bitcoin? His investment is now worth $1.9 million. The only way to find out whether this rocket is filled with paper straws or moon fuel is to keep going. One thing’s for sure: up this high in the atmosphere, things start to get scary. It’s a long way down. Do you think bitcoin’s still got room to grow or are we due for a correction? Let us know in the comments section below. Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Pixabay. Bitcoin Games is a provably fair gaming site with 99% or better expected returns. Try it out here. Previous articleThe Cryptocurrency Market Cap Trends Higher – Commanding $300Bn This Week Next articleMarkets Update: Bitcoin Bulls Set Their Sights for the $10,000 Target P2P Markets Round-Up: Record Volume Across Canadian and Latin American Markets New Report Blames Tether for Bitcoin’s Bull Run Markets Update: Cryptocurrency Prices Tumble Before the Weekend Criminals Move from Hacking to Kidnapping; Disturbing Tales of Latest Acts	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24442
__label__wiki	0.647205	0.647205	Niantic’s Peter Carlson on Life and Lighting Design Old Saybrook Police Commission Votes for 3.8% Budget Increase 12-and-Over Library Policy Raises Concern in Old Saybrook A Tale of Two Projects Letter: Appraisal Estimates Don’t Add Up for Residential Owners in Sound View Editorial: DEEP Weighs in on Stonington Development Published on May 30, 2019 June 8, 2019 in Editorials by Gregory Stroud Two months ago, the town of Stonington provided the Connecticut of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) with a zoning map amendment for the proposed Smiler’s Wharf development in downtown Mystic for review. Two months later — the day of a key hearing of the Planning and Zoning Commission — Brian Thompson, Director of DEEP’s Land & Water Resources Division replied. The four-and-a-half page letter, though late in coming, is by any reading, damning. Thompson concludes that the project — which recently received the unanimous approval of Stonington’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) — adversely affects the “water-dependent use” of the site, contrary to General Statutes 22a-92(3). Basically, that means the project is contrary to the state’s legislated interest in preserving maritime uses for waterfront properties. It’s an argument that in the near future could equally be applied to constrain redevelopment of the waterfront in Essex. Thompson also cites the lack of easy egress from the site during a storm — an argument similarly applied to a proposed development on Shaw’s Cove in New London (a complaint which in that case has apparently been withdrawn). Thompson denies in advance approval of flood and erosion control walls. In numerous instances, Thompson argues even that the Smiler’s Wharf proposal is at odds with the town’s own Plan of Conservation and Development. We have not yet heard from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation or any other preservation group that would presumably voice concerns that the project will adversely affect the nearby National Register Historic District and the defining historic use and aesthetic of the working harbor. We encourage you to read Thompon’s letter. Developer Explains the Housing and Retail Market in East Lyme Connecticut’s Hospital Tax Exploits Medicaid to Finance Irresponsible State Spending The New and the Old of It SUNDAY DIGEST Latest from Editorials When the Connecticut legislature passed a ban on most pesticides for athletic If you read the newspapers in America in 1780 or so – Editorial: A Round Up of What’s to Come With a short legislative session in the spring, state and federal elections Editorial: Stepping up to Help a Neighbor Seven months ago we launched CT Examiner with a story by Julia Editorial: Oversight of Education Funding Requires Action By Legislature When the Regular Legislative Session convenes on February 5, I hope that © Copyright 2019, CT Examiner LLC. All Rights Reserved. Web and Social Media Services Provided by The Constable Group, LLC Sign up for our Sunday Digest to get each week's news stories delivered straight to you!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24443
__label__cc	0.669032	0.330968	FacebookInstagramBlog TwitterCustom Lodging Specialties The Rush Funplex SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium Antelope Island Davis Conference Center Reception Centers Activities and Meetings Planning Guide Local High School Productions 45 East State Street, Farmington, UT, United States 45 East State Street Farmington Utah 84025 US http://www.davis.k12.ut.us High Schools in the Davis School District offer very professional live theater at reasonable prices. Check the web site for fall and spring performances. 525 North 400 West, Centerville, UT, United States http://www.centerpointtheatre.org CenterPoint Legacy Theatre has easy access from I-15 and is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility. They also offer a black box theatre and children’s acting classes. The Kenley Amphitheater 403 North Wasatch Drive, Layton, UT, United States http://www.davisarts.org/amphitheater-info/ In 1995, the Davis Arts Council partnered with Layton City, corporate sponsors, and private donors to build the Edward A. Kenley Centennial Amphitheater. Since that time Davis Arts Council has proudly packed it each summer with some of the greatest talents of our time: Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, Styx, and Olivia Newton John to name only a few. We also feature dozens of local performers yearly and are proud to showcase the wealth of talent Utah has to offer. The Kenley is right in the heart of Layton Park and can hold 1800 people at capacity. In addition to the serene landscaping and view of the mountains, you’ll also often see a flock of geese fly over. We like to think of the Kenley as one of the many gems of Layton. If you’re interested in renting the amphitheater, contact Layton City Parks and Recreation at (801) 336-3900. Davis Arts Council http://www.davisarts.org/ The mission of the Davis Arts Council (DAC) is to “strengthen and enrich our community through the power of the arts.” The heart of our mission rests on a starry summer night at the Kenley Amphitheater, which we consider to be the “front Porch” of Layton City and northern Davis County. Each summer, DAC’s “Summer Nights with the Stars” season of music, theatre, and dance brings an eclectic mix of local, national, and international performers right to the “front porch” of Layton City and northern Davis County. Performances have included the incredible talent of Chicago, Olivia Newton-John, Foreigner, The Beach Boys, Judy Collins, Huey Lewis & The News, Three Dog Night, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and so many more. As accessibility is a key component to fulfilling our mission, DAC presents many free programs and services as well, including our “Free Sunday Night Concert Series” at the Kenley Amphitheater; Active Stages: Arts in Education, seen by over 10,000 Davis County Students annually; “ Snow Horse Visual Arts Gallery,” a partnership with the Davis Conference Center; and the “Davis Arts Chamber Music Series”. We then conclude our programmatic year with a holiday celebration of music we like to call “DAC the Halls.” The Davis Arts Council’s vision is to be an exemplary community arts organization recognized for presenting the highest-quality artistic programs that are accessible year-round to our entire community. On Pitch Performing Arts (OPPA!) 587 Main Street, Layton, UT, United States http://www.onpitchperformingarts.com/home.html Layton’s ONLY live Theatre. OPPA! exists to educate, entertain, and inspire children, adults and audiences with theatrical productions that range from musicals, plays, and new works; we train and support the next generation of theatre artists; we provide arts education programs that promote life-long learning; and we celebrate the power of theatre to bring together our community. For more information please visit our website at http://www.onpitchperformingarts.com follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Additional information: Brandon at Brandon@onpitchperformingarts.com or call 435-760-0257. 500+ Miles of Davis County Trails Hiking / Biking Trail Systems Davis County, UT, United States 10.96 mi http://www.daviscountyutah.gov/trails Explore over 500 miles of trails in Davis County. Get your FREE trail map today at any city office or bike shop in Davis County. The trail systems in Davis County offer both paved and natural surface trails, mountain trails and lakeshore trails accommodating a wide range of users from bikers and joggers to walkers and strollers. This link provides details on a wide variety of trails within the County. Davis County’s wide selection of trails (including those on Antelope Island) offers a unique rural/urban quality of life amenity to residents and businesses. Many trails include a great view of the world famous Great Salt Lake and have an abundance of wildlife. Cities within the County also provide trail systems that access the popular D & RG Rail Trail and the Legacy Parkway Trail. Charles W. Penrose Cabin Museum 272 North Main Street, Farmington, UT, United States 0.29 mi http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMBRC4_Pione... In 1847 Hector C. Haight settled in North Cottonwood, now Farmington, followed by others and a ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized 1849, Joseph L. Robinson, Bishop. In 1861 this cabin, built for Charles W. Penrose by his friends, was typical of the homes of that day. It was moved log by log to the courthouse grounds, rebuilt and dedicated 1926 as a Daughters of Utah Pioneers’ relic hall. Returned to its original site in 1956. Lagoon Amusement Park 375 Lagoon Drive, Farmington, UT, United States 0.76 mi http://www.lagoonpark.com Lagoon is an amusement park in Farmington, Utah, located about seventeen miles (27 km) North of Salt Lake City. It has ten roller coasters including; Colossus the Fire Dragon, a double looping coaster; White Roller Coaster, one of the oldest coasters in the world operating since 1921; Wicked, a fast and thrilling experience; Cannibal, with one of the world’s steepest drops; and more! It also has an assortment of kiddie rides, family rides, and extreme amusement rides. It also has Lagoon A Beach aquatic playground! Beat the heat in the six acres of surging slides, twisting hydro tubes, crystal waterfalls, bubbling fountains, and lazy river. Lagoon also has a live performance stage full of music and choreography to awe you. You can also experience history at Lagoon’s Pioneer Village and Museum, where historic pioneer homes are preserved. During September / October Lagoon is open for Frightmares – where you can experience the park plus Halloween entertainment like haunted houses. Lagoon is the ultimate family entertainment experience in Davis County. Station Park Ice Skating - seasonal 833 West Clark Lane, Farmington, UT, United States 0.98 mi http://www.shopatstationpark.com/play Station Park Shopping Center creates an outdoor ice skating rink during the winter months. This is a fun place to bring the family. As You Wish Pottery Painting-Station Park 855 East Promontory, Farmington, UT 84025, United States 1.01 mi http://www.asyouwishpottery.com/ CUSTOM TREASURES IN 3 EASY STEPS! Pick a piece of pottery from our shelves. Design, decorate and doodle, As You Wish! In just a few days, your piece will be glazed, fired and ready to pick up. Cinemark Farmington at Station Park http://www.fandango.com/cinemarkfarmingtonatsta... Station Park outdoor shopping complex is located in Farmington just west of Interstate 15, on Park Lane. Many stores and restaurants are located there. Station Park 140 West Union Avenue, Farmington, UT, United States 1.14 mi http://www.shopatstationpark.com Station Park is a mixed-use town center with shopping, dining and entertainment available. Station Park is conveniently adjacent to the UTA commuter rail station at the southwest corner of Park Lane and I-15/Legacy Highway. The property is located in Farmington City, Davis County, Utah- just 15 miles north of Salt Lake City. Station Park is owned by CenterCal Properties, LLC. CenterCal Properties owns and operates 14 shopping and power centers in the western U.S., encompassing over 4 million square feet of retail. Great Salt Lake Bird Festival 151 South 1100 West, Farmington, UT, United States 1.18 mi http://www.greatsaltlakebirdfest.com Great Salt Lake Bird Festival starts the Thursday after Mother’s Day. On-line registration and program at http://www.GreatSaltLakeBirdFest.com 5 days of guided birding field trips (car, van, boat, kayak, horse-back) 1 ½ days of free workshops, vendors, student art show, family/youth activities Well-known Keynote Speaker and Dutch oven dinner Hands on Art 4 Everyone - Pottery & Art Studio 1050 Shepard Lane, Farmington, UT, United States 1.9 mi http://www.handsonart4everyone.com/ Hands on Art for Everyone is a painting pottery and art studio, that offers a great venue of entertainment and art skill building program to individuals of any ages. Either you are looking to have a great time by your own or as a group we have the perfect fit for your needs. With a selections of more than 120 pieces, our ceramic studio offers a variety of choices from home decor, dinnerware to children banks and collectible figures for your enjoyment or to brighten anyone’s day when you present it as gift. We also offer Acrylic on Canvas parties and workshops. Our facility is the perfect place to celebrate Birthdays, Bridal Shower, Proms and even team building activities for Companies. We also have the best art program starting from ages 3 and up. We focus on building artistic skills, attention span, creativity, confidence and self-esteem. Call us today for more information about our program and check our web page to find out what parents think about Hands on Art!! Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area 1325 W Glovers Ln, Farmington, UT, United States 2.02 mi http://wildlife.utah.gov/habitat/farmington_bay... Excellent bird watching and fall waterfowl hunting – over 200 species have been documented. Stop at the Visitor Center (look for the large white ball-like antenna) and drive out to the dikes, then walk or bike for excellent bird watching opportunities. Oakridge Country Club 1492 Shepard Lane, Farmington, UT 84025 2.29 mi http://www.oakridgecc.com No. of Holes/Par: 18/72 Total Yards: 7013 yards A private, membership-only golf course located near I-15 in Farmington, Utah. Reservations required. Features include a snack bar, pull and motorized carts, plus driving range. Attached to the course is a large club house for year-round dining, corporate meetings and receptions. Cherry Hill Resort and Water Park 1325 South Main Street, Kaysville, UT, United States 2.69 mi http://www.cherry-hill.com Cherry Hill Resort also offers camping, water park, mini golf, and batting cages. Davis Park Golf Course 1074 E. Nichols Road, Fruit Heights, UT 84037 3.64 mi 801-544-0401 or 801-546-4154801-544-0401 or 801-546-4154 http://www.davisparkutah.com/ Total Yards: 6472 Davis Park Golf Course is a public golf course located on the benches of Fruit Heights, Utah. The course has beautiful views of the valley, lake, and mountains. It is known for its smooth putting surfaces and great staff. Cinemark Bountiful 8 206 South 625 West, West Bountiful, UT, United States 3.93 mi http://www.cinemark.com/theatre-detail.aspx?nod... Located by Costco, restaurants and other shopping. 525 North 400 West, Centerville, UT, United States 3.99 mi Historic Bountiful Main Street 450 North Main Street, Bountiful, UT, United States 4.08 mi Bountiful City 801-298-6140Bountiful City 801-298-6140 http://bountifulmainstreet.com/ 400 North to 500 South in Bountiful visit a variety of locally owned ecletic and specialized stores located in original buildings. Check their calendar for the farmer’s market and other events on Main Street. Megaplex Theatres - Legacy Crossing 1075 Legacy Crossing Boulevard, Centerville, UT, United States 4.22 mi http://www.megaplextheatres.com/D-Theatre_Movie... Megaplex Theatres are at the south west area at the junction of Interstate 15 and Parrish Lane in Centerville, UT. Boondocks Fun Center 525 Deseret Drive, Kaysville, UT, United States 4.61 mi http://www.boondocks.com Boondocks has many activities for families including bowling, bumper boats, laser tag, go karts, and mini golf. Kaysville Theatre 21 North Main Street, Kaysville, UT 84037, United States 4.65 mi http://thekaysvilletheatre.com/ Small theater… BIG value! Providing top-rated movies on multiple screens using the latest digital technology, all at a bargain price. Famous for their fresh popcorn, free refills and popular candy selection. Family-owned business. Lakeside Golf Course 1201 N. 1100 West, West Bountiful, UT 84087 5.61 mi http://www.lakesidegolfcourse.com/ Voted as a “Top Value” in the PGA Guide to Travel. This beautiful 18-hole course presents many challenges because of various water hazards and small greens. Course is short enough for the beginner to enjoy. Features a large driving range and practice green. Come enjoy the great mountain views and friendly staff. Places to Play -Live Theater -Museums -Aquariums -Bowling -Movie Theaters -Recreation -Skating -Swimming -Bird Watching -Hiking / Biking Trail Systems -Skiing -American -Argentine -Asian -Bakery / Donuts -Barbecue -Beverages / Smoothies -Brew Pubs -British -Buffets -Burgers -Coffee Houses -Desserts / Ice Cream -Greek -Hawaiian / Tropical -Indian -Italian -Korean -Mexican -Peruvian -Sandwich Shops -Seafood -Steakhouses -Sushi / Japanese -Taverns / Bars -Thai -Vietnamese -Alcohol Served -Breakfast -Fine Dining -Gluten Free -Outdoor Dining -Take Out -Vegetarian -Complimentary Breakfast -Fitness Center -Meeting Space -Pool -Shuttle Service A Must-See for Families: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at CenterPoint Antelope Island State Park Celebrates 50 Years March Events in Davis County, Utah Contact Informtaion 61 South Main Street, Room 304 ©Copyright 2017 Davis County Tourism	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24452
__label__wiki	0.568001	0.568001	12.0384 new on WWW Humanist Discussion Group (humanist@kcl.ac.uk) Mon, 1 Feb 1999 23:35:12 +0000 (BST) Next message: Humanist Discussion Group: "12.0387 talk" Previous message: Humanist Discussion Group: "12.0385 imaging query" Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 12, No. 384. Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/> <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/> [1] From: Willard McCarty <Willard.McCarty@kcl.ac.uk> (20) Subject: dictionary Subject: TLS Centenary Archive [3] From: Rossen Rashev <rashev@gmd.de> (19) Subject: Educational Technology & Society Journal - Second --[1]------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Willard McCarty <Willard.McCarty@kcl.ac.uk> Humanists, especially the lexicographers and linguists among us, will want to know about and perhaps to exercise The Totally Unofficial Rap Dictionary, <http://www.sci.kun.nl/thalia/rapdict/>, the work of Patrick Atoon and Niels Janssen, two Dutch students. Not for a Tipper Gore. You'll have to decide for yourself whether the Dictionary is really fat, but in order to know you'll have to get busy. Recommendations of online dictionaries of any sort would be most welcome. On my list are the following: The Wordsmyth English <http://www.lightlink.com/bobp/wedt/> Florida State Neuroscience dictionary page <http://www.neuro.fsu.edu/diction.htm> Lexical Freenet <http://www.link.cs.cmu.edu/lexfn/> Ariga Yiddish <http://www.ariga.com/yiddish.htm> WordNet <http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/~wn/> Dr. Willard McCarty, Senior Lecturer, King's College London voice: +44 (0)171 873 2784 fax: +44 (0)171 873 5081 <Willard.McCarty@kcl.ac.uk> <http://ilex.cc.kcl.ac.uk/wlm/> maui gratia In its 5,000th issue, for 29 January 1999, the Times Literary Supplement has announced its Centenary Archive project, which aims by December 2000 to put all back numbers of the TLS online in an image database. Currently a free (which suggests later not at all free) trial for the year 1921 is accessible, at <http://www.psmedia-online.com>. The software used for the retrieval has been developed by a company called Primary Source Media (formerly Research Publications), <http://www.psmedia.com/site/>. As part of the project authors of articles (which up to 1974 were almost always anonymous) are being identified, as a result of which "a store of new discoveries" are coming to light. The TLS article boasts that "The back numbers of The Times Literary Supplement are among the prime sources of twentieth-century Western cultural history". So it would seem. The demo for 1921 would appear to work much better with Internet Explorer than with Netscape. The Java applet involved slows with the latter to the speed of molasses in January (among worshippers in the circumpolar bear cult), whereas with the former response times are acceptable. But then I was making my trial on a obsolete Pentium 166 with only 64MB of RAM, so perhaps the trial was not a fair one.... From: Rossen Rashev <rashev@gmd.de> Subject: Educational Technology & Society Journal - Second issue contents The second issue (January 1999) of the 'Educational Technology & Society' (ISSN 1436-4522), peer-reviewed online journal is now complete. It is freely accessible at: http://zeus.gmd.de/ifets/periodical/ The contents of the issue are listed below. The journal invites articles, case studies, review papers and other items of interest to educators and educational system developers. The author guidelines are also available at the journal website. The journal editorial board and reviewer team consists of esteemed academics and professionals who are committed to keep the authors' research work current. The articles are typically published in about one and a half months from submission if no major revisions are required. [material deleted] Rossen Rashev E-mail: Rossen.Rashev@gmd.de http://zeus.gmd.de/hci/pages/rossen.rashev.html Phone: +49 2241 14 28 70, FAX +49 2241 14 20 65 GMD FIT Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik GmbH German National Research Center for Information Technology D-53754 Sankt Augustin, GERMANY (near Bonn) Humanist Discussion Group Information at <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24460
__label__cc	0.626278	0.373722	Home Marketing Google and Facebook Welcome Back Crypto Advertising Google and Facebook Welcome Back Crypto Advertising 07/24/2018 Cyprian FrancisMarketingNo Comments Google and Facebook welcome back crypto advertising. Earlier this year, Facebook implemented an update to the policies of their Ad platform, banning all cryptocurrency-related ads. Two months later, Google was quick to follow Facebook in this decision by also banning similar ads on their platform. During the last few weeks, however, both companies have slowly welcomed Coinbase, one of the leaders in the cryptocurrency world, back onto their Ad platforms. New policies have also been implemented to allow certain types of “crypto ads” to be published. The Ban Against “Crypto Ads” On 30 January 2018, Rob Leathern, the Product Management Director at Facebook, published an update to the company’s policies regarding their Ad platform. He described that the platform had been developed to provide a safe way for Facebook’s existing user base to discover new and exciting products and services. After a lot of consideration, the company has decided to ban any ads related to cryptocurrency, as well as to ICOs and trading platforms in general. The goal was to help prevent misleading ads from being promoted on their platform. In March 2018, Google released a blog post describing new policies to the Google AdWords platform. The new policy banned any type of cryptocurrency-related content from being advertised, including exchanges, wallets, trading services and ICOs. Twitter, SnapChat, and even Instagram announced similar changes to their policies. Lifting The Ban On “Crypto Ads” Even with the biggest social media platform and the world’s most successful search engine banning cryptocurrency advertisements, we saw a steady growth of cryptocurrency since the beginning of the year. In June 2018, Facebook started to realize that welcoming these ads back to their platforms may be beneficial for them after all. One publication explains that Facebook did not lift all the bans that they initially implemented at the beginning of the year. Instead, they decided to ease up on cryptocurrency companies interested in making use of Facebook’s advertising system. Coinbase was the first to promote its services on Facebook Ads again, after being banned for almost six months. Internet users quickly started to notice Coinbase ads running on Facebook and began to share this move on Reddit. An official announcement is yet to come from Google. However, a search for cryptocurrency-related keywords on their search engine, such as the word “Bitcoin” would reveal top-ads that takes the searcher to Coinbase. Adhering To The New “Crypto Ad” Policies Google, Facebook and other networks that have completely banned cryptocurrency ads previously might be opening up to these ads again, but be sure to read the fine print. Facebook has updated their policies by adding a separate Addendum specifically tailored toward cryptocurrency advertisements. Before ads are approved, however, the advertiser will need to fill out a special online form. This form requires a complete application to be filled, which will be reviewed by the Facebook Ads team. At the moment, Facebook will not allow the promotion of ICOs. Several other types of ads related to this industry are also still red flagged. Legitimate companies, such as Coinbase, should not have any problem having their advertisement accepted, however. Further data is still needed from the Google AdWords platform. The company has not yet revealed how exactly they go about reviewing cryptocurrency related ads. After both Facebook and Google started to ban cryptocurrency advertisements on their Ad platforms, both companies have come to realize the potential of this industry due to its recent growth. These two global giants have implemented a program where advertisers can now apply for running cryptocurrency ads. While running these ads is possible, an application process needs to be completed first. : Advertising, Crypto, Facebook, Google, Marketing Snapchat’s Bitmoji is the No. 1 most-downloaded app in five top markets 04/09/2017 Cyprian Francis Google has a Powerful New Job Searching Tool	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24461
__label__wiki	0.672442	0.672442	Creepy clown sightings no laughing matter as Halloween nears Sightings across the United States of creepy clowns with red lips and fixed smiles are have become anything but a laughing matter and have cast a menacing tone as Halloween approaches. Since late August, the trend of trying to scare unsuspecting people has grown with scary-looking clowns lurking in woods, appearing on dark roads or driving in cars, some brandishing knives. The spine-chilling sightings have been reported in states ranging from California and Minnesota to South Carolina, New Jersey and New York and have generated the hashtag #IfISeeAClown and @ClownSightings on Twitter, which has 335,000 followers. Even the White House weighed in on the sightings. Press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters in response to a question at a briefing that local police take it quite seriously. “If anything is suspicious, anything, be it somebody verbally or physically acting menacing in any type of costume, notify the police right away,” said Capt. Laurence Martin of the Wayne Police Department in New Jersey, which responded to a report of a clown sighting last week. In nearby Fair Lawn, where young adults were stopped following a scary clown sighting report, police said trick-or-treaters should be vigilant. “Have a heightened awareness about what is going on around you,” said Sgt. Brian Metzler of the Fair Lawn Police Department. Best-selling author Stephen King, whose 1986 novel It weaves a tale of a Maine town being terrorized by a supernatural being that appears as a clown named Pennywise, took to Twitter to address the phenomenon. “Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria – most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh,” he said in a recent post. A film adaptation of King’s book is due to be released next year but the studio has denied any link to the scary clown sightings. While the reports and hoax calls have been a headache for police, a concern for parents and resulted in arrests in some states, it has been a boost for online costume stores. “There has been a bit of an uptick,” said Leigh Wendinger, the inbound marketing manager for Minnesota online retailer HalloweenCostumes.com. She said clown costumes are up about 40 per cent this year but it was difficult to say if it is due to the creepy clown sightings. Creepy clownshalloweenUS Church sued by family over alleged brainwashing of monk son Everything you need to know about baby Norway finmin quits over IS woman’s return from Syria A case of the pot calling the kettle black Man jailed for six years for cocaine trafficking	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24462
__label__cc	0.588184	0.411816	The Daily Tales of Gregg Savage Every day, I write a unique story for you to share and enjoy. #91 – The Tale of Chris the Completely Unamazing Juggler Once upon a time, there lived a young boy named Chris who wanted to be the best juggler the world had ever seen. He dreamed of entertaining thousands of people around the world with his amazing juggling skills and, every morning before school, he would wake up, head outside and practice juggling with the special clubs his grandmother had purchased for him on his seventh birthday. This was two years ago, and Chris had obviously improved since then. He had started by practising with a single club, gradually moving on to “The Double Throw” and, before long, attempting to juggle all three clubs at the same time. Which he couldn’t do, because Chris wasn’t very good at juggling at all. In fact, despite making some improvements over the year, he was, as it turned out, a dreadful juggler. Chris knew he wasn’t very skilled, but this didn’t stop him from using most of his free time to get better. His parents even tried to have conversations with him where they redefined what ‘juggling’ was and argued between themselves about ‘what makes a good juggler’, but Chris understood precisely what made a good juggler. It said so on the very first page in the How to Juggle with Clubs book that came with his birthday present: What is a Juggler? A juggler is someone who is skilled in keeping several objects in motion in the air at the same time by alternately tossing and catching them. It was evident to Chris for some time that keeping clubs in the air was not a talent he possessed, let alone alternately tossing them or catching them, but this fact seemed to bother those around him more than it bothered Chris. He felt far too inspired by the posters of influential jugglers on his bedroom wall to start changing the definition of what a juggler was and was not. One day, a talent contest was announced at Greenvale School and Chris was encouraged by his parents to sign up to display what they referred to as his “cute juggling skills.” Chris attempted once again to explain that he really didn’t have that many skills, but, if there was one thing that could make Chris change his mind, it was the sight of his mother being upset and upset she was. All she wanted, she had said, was to watch her son try and live out his dreams. Reluctantly, Chris signed up for the Greenvale Talent Contest. In the weeks leading up to the contest, Chris practised harder than he had ever practised before, waking up earlier and staying up later just to be able to fit in more practice. He read his How to Juggle with Clubs book cover to cover several times over and attempted tricks he had never thought possible. And, they weren’t possible. Because, despite all of his practice, Chris still wasn’t very good at juggling. He struggled to even get the basics of throwing two clubs up in the air at the same time most days. This is not to say there weren’t moments where Chris felt like his practice might pay off, but they were few and far between and, once the day of the Talent Contest arrived, Chris felt extremely unprepared. While watching act after amazing act from the side of the stage, Chris started to feel increasingly nervous. There were students who could combine karate and dance into a single movement, ventriloquists, magicians and hypnotists and even a girl who claimed that eating fruit from a mysterious tree could help her sing. Whenever he felt too overwhelmed though, he reminded himself that he was doing this for his mother and that was enough to keep him going. Eventually, Chris’s name was called out and he walked out from behind the curtain. On the drive home, Chris sat peacefully in the back of the car, watching the clouds move overhead. His parents sat quietly in the front seats, his dad driving while his mother closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze on her face. She had never felt prouder of her son and, when she opened her eyes, she smiled as she looked in the side-view mirror. She had caught a glimpse of her son in the backseat, tightly clutching his participation trophy close to his chest. My name is Gregg Savage and, every night when the house is quiet, I write and publish a free children’s story at dailytales.com.au for you to share and enjoy. FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION \| TWITTER \| FACEBOOK \| WEBSITE Tell Someone About This Tale! blog, children's stories, creative writing, daily writing, family, fiction, funny, funny story, kids, kids stories, short stories, short story, story, writing THANK YOU – 500 Followers! Introducing My Illustrator – Alisha Towers 18 thoughts on “#91 – The Tale of Chris the Completely Unamazing Juggler” james'snotes says: As usual, great story! I suppose that one day I will read all your stories to my daughter 🙂 DailyTalesGreggSavage says: Thank you, James! I’d love to know what she thinks when you do! It will be a bit later, because she is 4 month old right now 😀 Ha ha. I’ll make sure I keep the website going for a few years then hey! Or by that time you can publish youe own book! zaheenkhan says: Working hard without a goal is like shooting for an aim in the dark. Having an objective makes a lot of difference. I needed this message and I got it from your story. ❤ So true! Excellent moral to take away from this one. 😃👍 Vikash says: Yeah, a great story indeed! I loved the pace and crispness. I can’t wait for your book of short stories and I see it coming soon. Thanks a lot for sharing. 👌👌🙌🙌 Thank you, Vikash! I’d love to publish one day soon. We’ll see! Yeah.. all the best…! 😊 velvetscreams says: Thank you! Appreciate it! 👍 You are welcome…hoping to see more There’s one every day! Its not about winning but taking part! Only sometimes! Ha ha. This was very good Not the “expected” And so very touching Nice juggling! Thank you, Ash! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Free Daily Tales Click below to receive new tales in your email once a day. Follow The Daily Tales of Gregg Savage on WordPress.com Readers’ Favourites #236 - The Tale of the Flying Ballerina	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24465
__label__cc	0.507286	0.492714	Daniel B. Roberts journalism, criticism, ephemera, excreta I got to see this three days before it came out in theaters, at a special screening. I was very excited. I really, really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, the movie falls incredibly short of all the hype that has been building for so many months. At the very least, the film is visually stunning. It is indeed “beautiful,” as many have called it. The world of the wild things is a treat for the eyes, andit doesn’t look fake, either. A scene in which Max tromps across the desert is especially striking, as is a moment when petals fall all around. Camerawork and visual effects, however (for me at least), cannot save a movie. Where the Wild Things Are is a major downer. I don’t recall the book being like this, and I don’t understand why just for the sake of being avant-garde or ‘quirky’ Spike Jonze needed to take what I remember as a charming, fun story and make it so goddamn miserable. The beginning part of the movie is perfectly done. As many have said, it captures accurately the turmoil of childhood—one minute everything is happy, Max is having a friendly snowball fight with his older sister’s friends (and they’re paying attention to him, so cool!), and the next they jump on top of his snow fort (still without malice, I’d argue, but they just got too rough) and Max is bawling as the older boys drive away callously. All of this is great stuff. But as soon as Max gets to the isle of the wild things, the movie goes sour, and stays it until the end. First of all, sorry to be unsentimental but when he meets the wild things and begins telling them about his “powers,” it just feels silly. All these claims Max makes about how he can control certain things (in response to one of the monsters asking, “Can you make the loneliness go away?” in one of the more morose, overwrought bits of dialogue) are just stupid. And the monsters buy it, natch, and everyone in the theatre around me was oohing and aahing, like, “Oh, so cute and beautiful and touching, oh, oh!” Considering that Max is with the wild things for a whole six pages in Sendak’s book, and there’s no text, just wonderful illustrations of them romping around, it’s a bit much to have to watch Max play psychiatrist to the monsters’ relationship problems. Not only is the film depressing, it frequently makes no sense. I suppose, again, that’s Spike Jonze’s “genius,” but bits like an entire subplot involving K.W. (the sad female wild thing that Carol, the sad male wild thing, has a crush on) and her two friends, is really unnecessary. The friends, of whom every mention makes Carol suffer with jealousy, turn out to be two owls. K.W. speaks to them and understands them, but they can’t talk, it’s unclear if she’s pretending or not, Max can’t understand them, then she brings them to the other monsters and the question of whether all the wild things can communicate with them is answered when Carol says, hilariously but bizarrely, “I don’t apologize to owls.” Weird enough for you? And no, don’t mention Being John Malkovich or Adaptation to me—those are “weird” movies that make sense, and their weirdness serves a function. Finally, after such a strange journey of constantly fluctuating emotions and mood shifts, the film could at least give us a happy ending. I suppose that would be too pedestrian, though, so instead there is zero resolution, zero sign of the monsters forgiving Max or feeling as though his visit had any effect, positive or negative. Carol, as Max sails away, is just as miserable as he began. As are we, the audience. Kudos to Catherine Kenner, though, and to Gandolfin and Paul Dano for standout voice acting. Good costumes, great music, beautiful cinematography, funny/random cameo from Mark Ruffalo as the ‘boyfriend’ with one line. But overall, though it’s a movie most will want to see “just to see,” Where the Wild Things Are is a big fucking drag. Slate movie critic Dana Stevens summarized the story perfectly: “Fuzzy guys build a stick fort, sit inside it, and mope.” Tagged: adaptations, Catherine Keener, children's lit, Dave Eggers, hype, Mark Ruffalo, movie review, Movies, Slate, Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are Posted in: DBR Blog ← The Humbling Never Let Me Go, book vs. movie → One Response “Where the Wild Things Are” → Stevens’s assessment could be extended to everything ever written by Dave Eggers. Sifl and Olly Salman Rushdie in 2008 My favorite book of 2015 The best books I read in 2014 Missy on Sifl and Olly A Q&A with Danie… on Salman Rushdie in 2008 myleyes on Survivor Mark on Sifl and Olly academic Adam Haslett Adam Levin Adam Ross adaptations art Ben Affleck best books of the year Booker prize book review Books C Christopher Nolan Chuck Palahniuk College controversy cover art David Foster Wallace Deal from Hell death drinking Ed Park education Entourage gay HBO hip-hop hype Inception India Ireland James O'Shea Joshua Ferris Journalism Judaism Kanye West Kid Cudi Klosterman lit crit literary analysis Martin Amis movie review Movies Mr. Peanut music n+1 New York Nobody's Fool NY mag NYT Ondaatje Philip Roth publishing rap Religion Richard Russo Salon Sarah Palin sex Showtime Slate social media Survivor Tao Lin technology Tender Branson The Instructions Tom McCarthy Tom Perrotta TV twist endings Twitter Union Atlantic video year in review I also have a tumblr Here is where I tumble Eli Epstein Ethan Wolff-Mann Hold my coat Jennifer Reingold Paxson Woelber	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24467
__label__cc	0.640203	0.359797	Daisy Johnsom is discussing: Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Daisy Johnsom Richard hall's coverage of Joe Cox is interesting and very though provoking. You may not agree with his theory but he covers the killing in details no other media outlet would touch. Why? I do not believe the official story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxXcYsC8aIM Richard hall's coverage of Joe Cox is interesting and very though provoking. You may not agree with his theory but he covers the killing in details no other media outlet would touch. Why? I do not believe the official story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxXcYsC8aIM Trending On www.youtube.com 5 Things I Hate About Leftists - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtOL3WmZRYo Trending Comments On www.youtube.com in the U.S. in any trial or investigation, it should always be Innocent until pr... 13 hours ago, Daniel Maxwell It's not politicians that fuck with Human Rights, it's the Human Rights that **F... 13 hours ago, Shin Fil Well... when your base doesn't believe in God or Individual rights... what do yo... 14 hours ago, Cory Michael That's their objective, to make people afraid. Fearful people are easier to cont... a day ago, Shin Fil And that friends... is how you know we've hit FULL on Clown world here in 2020.... Yep... and ALL the rain forests are going to be wiped out!!!! (According to my... a day ago, Cory Michael It's OK to be White... 5 hours ago, The Village Idiot of Kekistan Eh .. kinda sorta, but not really. They don't really "believe" in prove your in... 13 hours ago, Nam Retupad The levels of double-think this 'journalist' is exhibiting are unheard of... 14 hours ago, Tim van der Scheer Hahaha. Don't interrupt an idiot when they're making a mistake! Bloomberg i... Copyright © 2020 Gab AI, Inc. LegalTerms of UsePrivacy Policy ProductsDissenter StoreDissenter Web BrowserDissenter Comment Extension Dissenter	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24476
__label__cc	0.737821	0.262179	D.K. Wall Imagination Conjuring Reality Timelapse Photography Photos For Sale – Fine Art America About D.K. Wall Pestilence: Journey Through The Woods: Chapter 04 March 1, 2018 / 1 Comment New chapters of the serial novel, Pestilence: Journey Through The Woods, will be posted each Thursday. Subscribe to have new chapters delivered to your mailbox. If you are new to the story, I suggest starting at Chapter 1. What would a real man do? Travis Makepeace was eleven years old and on his inaugural Boy Scout camping trip when Johnny Hamilton first asked him that question. Everything was new that weekend. Sleeping in a tent. Cooking over a campfire. Carrying supplies in a backpack, one of many the troop owned so that no boy, no matter his economic situation, would lack the necessary gear. Spending an entire weekend away from his mom who raised him alone ever since his father left many years before. Chatting with other new Scouts, he thought nothing of walking past the plastic bottle tossed to the side of the trail by a previous hiker. Mr. Hamilton stopped the hike and gathered the boys. He addressed young Travis and asked him if he had seen the bottle. In response to his tentative nod, the follow-up question came, “What would a real man do?” Embarrassed, Travis shrugged. “Real men always try to leave the world better than we found it.” Chagrined, Travis picked up the bottle, stuffed it in his backpack and hiked on. But what did picking up trash have to do with being a man? A real man. Real men were superheroes or heroes in video games. At the end of the weekend, he cleaned the pack and stared at the bottle that had traveled back home with him. Such an insignificant act. Picking up one piece of trash. What difference did it make? Sure, the troop took pride in leaving their campsites cleaner than they found them, but there was so much trash that even the whole troop didn’t seem to make a difference. But Travis picked up trash everywhere he went. At school. In a shopping center parking lot. At the playground. His friends laughed at the odd habit, even joking as they picked up trash themselves and threw it away. A year later, on another camping trip, Travis – now 12 – was assigned a new eleven-year-old Scout as a tent mate. The boy knew nothing about how to set up a tent or organize their packs or how to start a campfire. Travis grew frustrated having to do so much work. Mr. Hamilton waited for a quiet moment before he motioned Travis to join him at the fire. “So how is Corey doing?” “Terrible, Mr. Hamilton. I don’t want to be his tent mate next time.” Mr. Hamilton nodded and stirred the fire. “It’s a good thing you know all about camping or Corey would be in a lot of trouble.” “Yes, sir, he would be.” “Does he want to learn?” Travis thought for a second before answering. “Yes, sir. He asked how I knew to do stuff.” “What did you tell him?” Red crept across the boy’s face. “Because some older guys showed me.” “And are you older than Corey?” “Well, yes, sir.” Mr. Hamilton watched Corey struggling to gather firewood. “And you know the things he needs to learn.” Travis looked at his feet and kicked the dirt. “Yes, sir.” “What would a real man do if he saw someone trying to learn something?” “He would take the time to teach him.” Chagrined, Travis scrambled over to Corey, helped him gather the firewood, and then offered to teach him a few knots. Corey caught on and his camping proficiency grew. Still, Travis didn’t understand how teaching someone some knots had anything to do with being a real man. A real man already knew how to camp and tie knots, using that knowledge like a movie hero fighting evil. He didn’t waste his time teaching others. But the next week at school, he sat down with one of his friends who struggled with math and offered to show him how to do it. It took a lot of time and effort before the friend’s grades improved. At thirteen, Travis enjoyed his first high adventure trip restricted to the older boys. Rappelling down a rock face was exciting – until he stood at the top of the cliff and stared down at the broken boulders below. Strapped into his harness with a helmet on his head, he eased over the cliff and moved a few feet down the face before freezing. He was too scared to continue and too ashamed to climb back up. Mr. Hamilton laid down on the rock above so that his head was just a few feet above the dangling boy. “Scary up here, isn’t it?” “Y-y-yes. It’s so high.” “I understand. I get scared every time I go rappelling.” Travis’ mouth gaped open as he stared at the older man. “Scared? I thought you liked rappelling.” With a nod, Hamilton replied, “I like it because it makes me face my fears. Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. And being scared isn’t wrong because you can get hurt rappelling. But a real man acknowledges those fears, faces them, makes sure he is as safe as possible, and then moves forward.” Travis gulped and gripped the ropes securing him against gravity. “So you think I can do this?” “I know you can do it. But it doesn’t matter what I think or know. It only matters what you think.” Travis closed his eyes for a few moments and breathed deeply. When he opened his eyes, Mr. Hamilton remained laying above him. “I can do this.” And he did. Step by step, he inched himself down the rock until he reached the bottom, as safe as ever. He ended up rappelling several more times that weekend – though always scared at the start. Real men weren’t afraid, were they? They sure never looked scared on TV. When would he stop being afraid? A few weeks later, a bully was picking on one of his friends. The guy was bigger and had a rough reputation, so his friend was in a bad situation. Though scared to get involved, Travis knew the two of them could handle it. And if the two of them stood there, maybe other friends would join. So he stepped beside his friend and told the bully to stop it. The bully looked less certain at the two of them, but his confidence crashed when a third friend and then a fourth friend joined. He backed down, looking for easier prey. “Weren’t you scared?” they asked. “Of course,” he replied. Shortly after Travis’ fourteenth birthday, a boy joined his school and scout troop. Being both new and quirky, the youngster attracted unwanted attention and struggled to fit in. Several weeks after the boy’s first appearance, Mr. Hamilton asked for a moment with Travis before the weekly meeting. “How is Darren doing?” “Ok, I guess.” “And at school? Is he fitting in?” “Uh, not really. He’s a little unusual. That’s tough sometimes.” Mr. Hamilton nodded. “You’re a soccer player, right?” “Popular in school, too?” Travis shrugged. “More than some, I guess.” “How many members of the soccer team are in Boy Scouts?” “Just Mike and me.” “Any of them tease you about it?” “Sure, but I don’t care. I like Scouts.” “That makes you a little unusual, doesn’t it?” Travis paused. “Yes, sir, I guess so.” “And yet you fit in fine.” “Well, they know me, sir.” “Yes, true, and that makes things tough when you are the new kid. People don’t know you. They judge you.” Travis nodded. “I get it. You want me to be more accepting of Darren.” “Well, that’s part of it. Ask yourself, what would a real man do?” Travis sat beside Darren that night during the meeting. They talked for a while after. But the real test came the next day in the school cafeteria. Travis watched Darren in the lunch line, getting his tray and looking around for somewhere to sit. Sensing what a real man would do, Travis waved him over to join his table. “What are you doing?” “He’s a weirdo.” “No one likes that guy.” The chorus of protests rose around the table. Travis looked at them all and replied, “He’s a cool guy. You haven’t given him a chance yet.” And he welcomed Darren to the table. A year later, Darren’s circle of friends were saddened when he moved away. His family moved a lot as Travis learned once he took the time. New school every year or two. Travis always smiled when an email came in from Darren, somewhere else in the world, sharing with his friend the latest of his adventures. He was unusual – something Travis grew to appreciate. Fifteen-year-old Travis was upset that one of their favorite camping spots was inaccessible because a flood had washed away the trail. The rangers said funding approval to rebuild would take months. Frustrated that a weekend of fun had been taken from them, the boys sat glumly in a meeting room and debated alternate camping sites. Mr. Hamilton sat down with them and asked his famous question, “What would a real man do about this?” As the boys mumbled, Travis raised his hand. “Mr. Hamilton? What if we helped them rebuild the trail? Could it be done faster?” The Scoutmaster nodded solemnly. “Yes, the rangers said they don’t need a lot of supplies, but they don’t have the budget to hire the labor.” “But,” protested Corey, “That wouldn’t be a fun camping weekend working on a trail. Besides, we can’t get it done in one weekend.” “So, we get part of it done. And if Mr. Hamilton told the other Scout troops what we were doing, some of them would help, too.” Following a long, hard weekend of work, Travis rested in his bed feeling his muscles ache. The trail was done and the camping area was open again – months earlier than feared. He thought of all the new friends he made, boys from other troops and rangers who worked alongside them. He dreamed that night of the rebuilt trails guiding hikers through the woods. A few weeks later, vandals broke into his school on a Friday night, painting graffiti on the cafeteria walls. The principal appeared on the TV news Saturday, lamenting how much it would cost to paint the cafeteria and how long the room would be out of service. She appeared again on the news Sunday, gushing about how a group of students showed up with paint and equipment. Repainted, the entire cafeteria would be open for business Monday morning – not a single school day missed. She was proud of all the students, but especially Travis Makepeace who had called his soccer buddies and talked them into the project. Travis dismissed the praise, pointing out his teammates called their friends who called their friends, and it was almost a hundred students who spent their Sunday afternoon painting. And local businesses, owned by parents of students, donated the supplies. Travis claimed to be but one of many. Now, sixteen-year-old Travis sat in the snow watching the tent doors flap in the winter breeze, revealing and hiding the corpse of his Scoutmaster. Travis’ father left the family many years before, so was nothing more than pictures in a scrapbook. Laying in front of him, though, was the person who guided Travis down the path to becoming a real man. But I never said thank you. Not once. Wrapped in grief, he could only sit immobile. The wind drifted snow against his legs. What would a real man do, Mr. Hamilton? Could you answer that? Because I’m all alone here and no clue what to do next. Travis listened for an answer, but heard only the creak of a branch as the wind sailed through the treetops. The crackle of the campfire roaring behind them. Snow falling from a tree. The sobbing of Cooper sprawled beside him in the snow, muttering “I’m so sorry. We tried. Really, we tried.” The tent door flapped open, wide enough to shine light deep into the tent and reflecting off of Hamilton’s eyes. For a second, Travis thought his Scoutmaster winked at him before reality came crashing back through the howls of dismay from Cooper. Thank you. I know what a real man would do right now. Because you taught me. Because you showed me. Travis slid through the snow, wrapped his arm around Cooper, and whispered. “You did everything you could, Coop. I know it. Mr. Hamilton knows it. I’m proud of you.” Click Here To Go To The Next Chapter – Chapter 5! The cover image is licensed under Creative Commons: 0.0 License from Qimono on Pixabay. Enjoy My Stories? Try a FREE Book Enter your email address to download your free copy of Alone Together. You will also be added to my newsletter to be the first to know of new creations. Don't worry—you can unsubscribe at any time. GET MY FREE BOOK ← Pestilence: Journey Through The Woods: Chapter 03 Books Read February 2018 → 1 thought on “Pestilence: Journey Through The Woods: Chapter 04” Christina M Agans Really enjoying this story!! Enjoying Pestilence? Try A Short Story A Crappy Little Short Story January 8, 2020 \| 10 July 12, 2019 \| 8 January 23, 2019 \| 14 December 19, 2018 \| 16 Cave Entrapment Of The Minor Kind D.K. Wall \| Conjuring Reality LLC \| PO Box 2231 \| Murrells Inlet SC 29576-2231 Copyright © 2011 - 2019 by D.K. Wall \| All Rights Reserved	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24479
__label__wiki	0.674705	0.674705	Schindler's list » Keneally, Thomas. Listen Alaska IL: UG - BL: 8.6 - AR Pts: 25 2nd Floor- Adult Books FIC KENEALLY T. 1992, c1982. 1st Touchstone ed. Simon and Schuster, 398 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. English 1993. Hoopla Abridged. Simon & Schuster Audio, 1 online resource (1 audio file (240 min.)) : digital. English Winner of the Booker Prize Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Fiction Schindler's List is a remarkable work of fiction based on the true story of German industrialist and war profiteer, Oskar Schindler, who, confronted with the horror of the extermination camps, gambled his life and fortune to rescue 1,300 Jews from the gas chambers. Working with the actual testimony of Schindler's Jews, Thomas Keneally artfully depicts the courage and shrewdness of an unlikely savior, a man who is a flawed mixture of hedonism and decency and who, in the presence of unutterable evil, transcends the limits of his own humanity. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Fiction Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Kraków -- Fiction Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust -- Poland -- Kraków -- Fiction Schindler, Oskar Schindler, Oskar, -- 1908-1974 -- Fiction World War, 1939-1945 -- Fiction World War, 1939-1945 -- Jews -- Rescue -- Poland -- Kraków -- Fiction Kingsley, Ben. ceabbf26-dbbb-f7af-fc55-7bfb8b01b690 schindler s list keneally thomas available_at_addison During the Holocaust at the German concentration camp near Plaszow, thousands of Jews lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis. More than a thousand others would have been counted among the dead if not for a womanizing, heavy drinking, German-Catholic industrialist and Nazi Party member named Oskar Schindler. One of the most remarkable narratives of the Holocaust, Schindler's List masterfully recreates the daring exploits of Schindler, who used his enormous fortune to build a factory near the concentration camp and saved the lives of over 1,300 Jews. An absorbing, suspenseful and moving account of Oskar Schindler's legacy of life, this is an unforgettable audio program. ils:.b10252472 .i12203701 2nd Floor- Adult Books FIC KENEALLY T. 1 false false Check Shelf Sep 16, 2014 afic hoopla:MWT11634747 Online Hoopla Collection Online Hoopla eAudiobook Audio Books 1 false true Hoopla https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11634747?utm_source=MARC Available Online ils:.b10252472 Book Books 1st Touchstone ed. English Simon and Schuster, 1992, c1982. 398 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. hoopla:MWT11634747 eAudiobook Audio Books Abridged. English Simon & Schuster Audio, 1993. 1 online resource (1 audio file (240 min.)) : digital. ils:.b10252472 .i12203701 On Shelf Check Shelf false true true false false true 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 20, 21 Listen Alaska\| Schindler's list / Thomas Keneally Schindler's list [electronic resource] / Thomas Keneally	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24484
__label__cc	0.577639	0.422361	Discworld Monthly Issue 229 May 2016 3. Upcoming Book Releases 4. May Events 5. Future Events 6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings 9. The Shakespeare Codex - Live in Abingdon (2 Reviews) 10. Emporium Plushie Competition Result 11. Truckers, Diggers and Wings Competition 12. Seriously Funny: The Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett Review Welcome to issue 229. On Thursday 14th April we travelled to London for Terry Pratchett's Memorial. It was a very moving evening covering a whole range of emotions from sadness to joy. Rob Wilkins, Rhianna Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Tony Robinson, Pat Harkin, Bernard Pearson, Philippa Dickinson, Jennifer Brehl, Anne Hoppe and Larry Finlay all spoke about their experiences with Terry. Steeleye Span performed two songs from their Wintersmith album (The Making of a Man and The Dark Morris Song) and the classic Thomas the Rhymer. The Epiphoni Consort choir bookended the evening by performing one of Terry's favourite pieces of music, Thomas Tallis' Spem in alium, to start and later closed the memorial singing Eric Idle's Always Look On the Bright Side of Life (after a video link from Eric Idle off on holiday somewhere) in which most of the audience joined in. It wasn't perfect but it was a wonderful send off to an amazing person. #GNU Terry Pratchett. The Guardian has a report of the event at: discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/793 It's our birthday - our first ever issue of Discworld Monthly was published in May 1997 and here we are 19 years later still producing monthly news. We hope you get chance to raise a glass of mostly apples this month to help us celebrate our birthday. Speaking of which, April 29th is Deputy Editor Bill Barnett's birthday and this year he will be celebrating the ripe old age of 44. Don't worry Bill - Richard and I are both older than you. While on the subject of birthdays don't forget to wear a black hat on Thursday 28th April for Black Hat Day. Thursday would have been Terry's 68th birthday had PCA not taken him from us far too soon. Want to ensure you get all the latest news direct from Discworld Monthly between issues? Then visit the Discworld Monthly Facebook page and hit the "Like" button. The page is an announcement only page and is always the first place we post new information. www.facebook.com/DiscworldMonthly We also include all our back issues on our website at discworldmonthly.co.uk where you can also find our complete range of Discworld Monthly licensed products as well as Terry Pratchett quotes, a full bibliography and links to articles we have written over the years. Discworld Auction Items. The Discworld Convention 2016 auction team are looking for auction items. The team are vetting items to try to ensure they are as varied as possible. Please email with details of what you want to offer and they will let you know if your items fit the current criteria. The Wadfest auction is also looking for items. Their remit is slightly more relaxed. Please email with the subject Wadfest Auction. Please let us have any submissions for issue 230 before 23rd May 2016. Jason Anthony (Editor and Wizzard) Richard Massey (iPhone auto-rotator) News from the Terry Pratchett Memorial. Several future projects were mentioned. This is a summary of what to expect. Moving Pictures News (there is no news as to when these projects will be released). - The Wee Free Men (screenplay by Rhianna Pratchett). There will be an announcement at the San Diego Comic Con this summer. - Mort (screenplay by Tony Rossio - Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean and Disney's Aladdin) - Good Omens (screenplay by Neil Gaiman - confirmed as a six-part series). See Neil's blog at discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/792 for how this came about and discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/794 for the Guardian's report. - The Watch Series - we were teased by an image of a copper's helmet. No more details were confirmed. - Charlie Russell is making a fourth documentary this time about the life and death of Sir Terry Pratchett. It will contain some footage from the memorial and also footage filmed in October 2014 where Rob Wilkins sat and interviewed / chatted with Terry for about 4.5 hours. Future Publications: - Small Gods: The Graphic Novel (2016) - The Long Cosmos with Stephen Baxter (2016) - The Discworld Colouring Book by Paul Kidby (2016) - The Terry Pratchett Biography by Rob Wilkins. This will happen at some point in the future but no dates are confirmed. - The Discworld Encyclopedia (now that the series is complete) again no release date as they haven't started writing it yet. ABC in Australia have an article on their website entitled: Two days with Terry Pratchett. "While Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, David Lloyd was thrilled to offer Terry Pratchett, his hero, an honorary degree. Pratchett refused. Thus began a two-day odyssey involving robes, hats, Guinness and unbridled scatological glee." An Important Announcement Regarding Discworld Ales from Paul Kruzycki We wanted to let our customers and fellow Discworld fans know about some changes happening with regard to the Discworld Ales. Availability of the beers is going to be interrupted for a few months - in a mirror of Roundworld, it appears that a lot has been happening in Discworld brewing circles. The multitude of breweries we've been working with are experiencing some disturbing and yet exciting upheavals which we're monitoring closely and will report back on when we have more news. The current availability of the original Discworld Ales 4 pack will continue until the end of June at the latest, or until our remaining stock of gift packs is sold. They are currently available from discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/791 - if you haven't done so already, we'd suggest you get them now as this is the last time they will be available in this format and design. For a short time from around June onwards, but possibly before then depending on delivery schedules from Ankh-Morpork, we'll offer you a chance to get the 2 best-selling ales along with Scumble and our amazing Taking the Dark. These will be presented in a gift pack format and again, numbers will be strictly limited. So when they are gone, that's it! In the meantime, Paul is working on the definitive history of Discworld Ales - going back to the very beginning of time to explore how they came to Roundworld, and telling the story of their creation and the people involved. Warts an' all! The Guardian newspaper featured an article entitled: How Terry Pratchett's Truckers changed my whole life. The article written by author Tom Nicholl talks about how he read Truckers after watching the Cosgrove Hall production on ITV in 1992 aged 9 and how it has stuck with him ever since. Ankh-Morpork came first in The Guardian's Top 10 fictional towns in children's books. While we would argue that Discworld are not exactly children's books... it's good to see that Ankh-Morpork is still considered the best. * UK Releases * We now have confirmation of the OFFICIAL DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK by Paul Kidby. At the memorial Rob said that each and every drawing in the book had been painstakingly recreated by Paul Kidby. In a short video Paul explained the process and how difficult it was to rationalise each picture and choose which lines to include and which to discard. Paul estimates that each illustration takes around 60 hours to convert. The book is due for release on the 11th August 2016. It will have 96 pages of glorious Paul Kidby illustrations for you to colour in and enjoy. It will be published by Gollancz / Orion and it's ISBN details are: The book will measure 15 x 21 cm and will be 2.2cm thick. It has an RRP of 9.99GBP. discworldmonthly.co.uk/ISBN/1473217474 The Shepherd's Crown will be released in paperback on 2nd June 2016 by Corgi Children's. The Long Cosmos (book five in The Long Earth Series) will be published in hardback by Penguin Random House on 30th June 2016. The Long Cosmos Slipcase Edition is now available to pre-order from Waterstones. Priced at 35GBP it will be released on the 30th June 2016. Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd, ISBN: 9780857524294 The Long Utopia (book four in The Long Earth Series) will be published in paperback by Corgi. Small Gods the Graphic Novel is currently scheduled for release on the 28th July this year in the UK. It will have 144 pages and be published by Doubleday. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner (a collection of 14 short stories written by Terry as a young man) will be released on 25th August 2016 (the day before the Discworld Convention). The slipcase edition will feature an additional story. /books_thewitchsvacuumcleaner.php Author Joanne Harris (via Twitter) has confirmed she has written a new introduction for Wyrd Sisters. We don't have a release date for this yet - but we suspect it will be sometime in 2017. It also looks like the new paperback editions of Mort and Guards! Guards! we mentioned last month will now be released in 2017 as Amazon have put back the release dates listed on their website by a year. * Other releases * The 18th May 2016 sees the launch of the French translation of The Shepherd's Crown. There will be a launch event in Paris at Librairie La dimension fantastique at 18.30. There is an awesome launch pack for those who have pre-ordered a copy of the book via the store. It contains a bee bag, a bookmark, a sticker sheet, a bookplate and a bee badge. Patrick Couton (the translator) will be in store doing a book signing. For more information go to the Facebook event page at: Small Gods The Graphic Novel (International Release) is scheduled to be published on the 23rd August 2016. discworldmonthly.co.uk/USISBN/0857522965 [USA, New] NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Music and Drama club (MAD) will soon present its 2016 spring show, Wyrd Sisters! Performances run May 6 - 21, on the NASA campus in Greenbelt, Maryland. Tickets are general admission: 16USD online and 20USD at the door, so be sure to get your tickets at www.madtheater.org Discounts are available for opening weekend! MAD is a club focused on NASA Goddard employees, contractors, and their immediate families - giving all an opportunity to cultivate various skills in the theatrical arts. Please visit us on our Facebook page to see more! www.facebook.com/GSFCMAD/ [UK] Caversham Park Theatre will be performing Wyrd Sisters at The Milestone Centre, Northbrook Rd, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PF from May 12th - 13th at 8pm and May 14th at 7pm. Book online at: www.cavparktheatre.org.uk or phone 0118-948-1377 [UK] Minehead Dramatic Society are presenting Wyrd Sisters (adapted by Stephen Briggs) at the Regal Theatre in Minehead, Somerset on Thursday 12th May 2016 - Saturday 14th May 2016 Performances start at 7:30pm. Tickets: Adults 8.00GBP, Friends 7.50GBP, ES40's/Students 4.00GBP [UK, New] The Oxford Story Museum is having a Discworld day on Saturday 21st May 2016. The event, which is now in its third year, celebrates the amazing worlds, characters and stories that sprung from Terry's imagination. This year's event is themed around the Carnegie Medal winning novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Visitors to the museum will be able to make their own cat or rat mask, follow the rat trail, learn to tap dance like a rat, and even handle some real life tame rats with animal expert Sasha Norris who will be sharing some interesting facts about these fascinating and highly intelligent creatures. Special events planned include a draw along read along event with Phoenix Comic artist Neill Cameron and voice of the Discworld audiobooks, Stephen Briggs - a must for aspiring illustrators and young fans of Terry's work and Discworld Monthly's Jason Anthony with an introduction to Discworld. Meanwhile, older fans will want to sign up for 'Dangerous Beans' Dinner', a Discworld dinner party complete with themed food, a literary quiz written by Jason Anthony, magic tricks and candlelit readings. www.storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/discworld-day/ [Germany] MORT will be performed on Saturday 21st at 19:30 and Sunday 22nd May 2016 at 15:30 pm at Theater Altes Hallebad, Friedberg Tickets are 10.00 EUR / concessions 8.00 EUR For more information visit heldentheater.de/ [UK, New] Bolton Little Theatre will having a read-through of Wyrd Sisters on Sunday 22nd May 2016 at 6.30pm which is open to anyone who is interested in learning more. They will be meeting in the theatre bar, so feel welcome to join them. Visit: discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/789 Their production will be performed in 2017 see the next section. The address is Bolton Little Theatre, Hanover Street, Bolton BL1 4TG [UK, New] Masquerade Theatre Group will be performing Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs on 3rd and 4th June, at Parkside Hall, Ampthill, Bedford. Tickets cost 10 GBP and the curtain goes up at 19:45. Tickets are available by phone 07817 528077 or by email: www.facebook.com/Ampthill.Info/timeline [UK] We are Theatre will be performing Mort from 21st - 22nd June 2016 at 7:30pm at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York. [UK, RESCHEDULED] Lords and Ladies (adapted by Irana Brown) will be performed by the People's Theatre (Newcastle upon Tyne). Originally scheduled for 12th July to 16th July 2016 from 7:30pm but NOW rescheduled to 19th-23rd July 2016. "Unfortunately we have had to reschedule this production to a week later than originally advertised. All customers who had already booked have been notified of this change. Please contact the Box Office at your earliest convenience to arrange to swap your tickets to a new date, or get a refund if required. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." Tickets cost 13.50 GBP (11 GBP concessions). Box office: 0191 265 5020 (Option 2) [UK] July 23rd - Sept 18th 2016. Discworld and Beyond, Paul Kidby's touring exhibition, is going to spend next summer in Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery (Riversley Park, Coton Rd, Nuneaton CV11 5TU). www.facebook.com/paulkidby [UK] Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society will be performing Wyrd Sisters from Thu 28th to Sat 30th July and Thu 4th Aug to Sat 6th Aug 2016 at The Georgian Theatre Royal. Performances start at 7.30pm and tickets cost from 6.50 GBP to 12.50 GBP. The Theatre is located in the heart of Richmond, North Yorkshire. tickets.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/public/show.asp [UK] Wadfest 2016, the Science Fiction Camping Event, dates have been announced. The event entitled: "Putting on the Flicks: It came from Planet W" will take place from 12th - 14th August at Wood Green, The Animal Shelter, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmachester, Cambs. PE29 2NH Waddy has informed us that sculptor Mark Ayling (ex Clarecraft) will be selling some of his wonderful designs at the event. Mark created the Dis-organiser, Death's Clock, the Iconograph and The "clicks" Iconograph from Moving Pictures. [UK, Updated] Monstrous Productions will be performing Going Postal from August 17th - 20th at the Gate Theatre in Cardiff, South Wales. Tickets are 8 GBP (6 GBP Concessions) and can be ordered from http://7889269b08cd.fikket.com/ Monstrous Productions Theatre Company are a Cardiff-based theatre company that solely performs plays by Terry Pratchett to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK [UK] The Discworld Convention 2016: The Band With Rocks In will take place in Chesford Grange Hotel, Warwick from 26th-29th August 2016. The event sold out in a matter of days when tickets first became available. Though the con have been running a waiting list for people still hoping to attend. 2016.dwcon.org [Australia] Guards! Guards! Will be performed in Brisbane, Australia from 8th October - 12 November 2016 by Brisbane Art Theatre. Tickets are available from: www.artstheatre.com.au/show/guardsguards [UK, New] Bolton Little Theatre will be presenting "Wyrd Sisters" on 6th - 11th March 2017. [Germany] All the Witches and denizens of the Chalk are invited to the 5th German Discworld Convention which will take place at Castle Ludwigstein from May 18th to 21st in 2017. More information will be released on their Facebook page: [Netherlands] Cabbagecon 4 - July 2017 The Cabbagecon team is proud to announce a new edition of the one and only Dutch Discworld convention. After visiting the Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild in 2015, we will team up with the Guild of Merchants to explore the great city of Ankh-Morpork some more in 2017. Come and see the sights, meet the colourful city-dwellers, try the local food and, in general, experience the unique atmosphere of the Disc's most famous city. The Ankh-Morpork Guild of Merchants has gracefully agreed to provide a balanced and representative programme of activities to keep all visitors entertained. Cabbagecon 4 will be held at the Hotel Carlton President in Utrecht on 1-2 July 2017. Check out our new website at www.dutchdwcon.nl [Australia] Announcing The Discworld Grand Tour 2017. The Ankh-Morpork Tourism Board invites you to a journey of wonder, whimsy, and, er, wossname at Nullus Anxietas VI - The Discworld Grand Tour - The Australian Discworld Convention. The Discworld Grand Tour will be held on 4th-6th August 2017 at the Lakes Resort Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia. This convention will be a way to escape on a luxurious trip to the Discworld to enjoy three (or four) fabulous days of fun and frivolity with your fellow fans of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett. You can find out more about Nullus Anxietas VI - The Discworld Grand Tour - The Australian Discworld Convention and chat with other potential tourists at: Website: ausdwcon.org Facebook page: facebook.com/Ausdwcon Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/ausdwcon2017 Twitter: twitter.com/ausdwcon Also please note that due to email problems some addresses have been lost from the mailing list. If you are not getting Drummers emails and want to, please email Helen Nicholls on The Drummers are always happy to welcome new visitors. You can find out more about the Drummers at www.brokendrummers.org/ or www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/ [Perth, Australia] The Treacle Mining Corporation meet up to celebrate the works of Sir Terry Pratchett, and welcome any fans of science fiction and fantasy. [Sydney, Australia] Sydney Drummers normally meet on the first Monday of every month. They meet at the NEW venue, 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney, 2000 from 6:30pm [Adelaide, Australia] The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. They have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join their mailing list, visit: cityofsmallgods.org.au [Brisbane, Australia] The Pratchett Partisans meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. For more info about their next meetup, check out: www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ We assume any correspondence is eligible for use in the newsletter unless otherwise stated, including the sender's email address. We may edit your letters for our own protection. * From: "Glenn Garside" Looking at Jake Thackray on YouTube and found this oldie... www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiXINuf5nbI It's based on one regional version of the old shepherds' counting system from which Tiffany was nicknamed by her Grandmother. * From: "Rachel Bligh" Firstly can I thank you for your efforts on Discworld Monthly, I have been a fan for many years of STP and of your newsletter which first opened up the world of other DW fans to me, including Wadfest that I've now attended four times. A small request, could you add the postcode for all productions as it makes it much quicker for me to assess if they are feasible to attend as I'm in Chesterfield? I have not been to a Discworld play for a few years and I thought that it was time I showed my support more in 2016, so in April I attended with my daughter the production of Lords and Ladies as you advertised in DWM [Ruyton Amateur Theatrical Society, Shropshire - Ed]. I will be sending them a copy of this email but I can only say bravo! It was excellent and well worth the 2 and a half hours there and the same back. For a production with limited budget, small cast and challenging location - it was absolutely brilliant and a credit to all concerned; their passion and enthusiasm were clearly evident. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in Lancre for the evening and wouldn't hesitate to go and see their next Discworld production. I had also planned to see Stephen Briggs' Codex - the two productions so close together was a little difficult to organise but we (my long suffering and non-Pratchett fan, husband and I) managed to get to the Village hall in Abingdon after a 5 and a half hour trip to arrive with 4 minutes to spare. The production was equally enjoyable, although clearly a more professional amateur dramatics society with more budget for costumes and a much larger cast. The whole experience left me grinning from ear to ear. Actually seeing Stephen Briggs (Discworld celebrity) added to the experience along with justifying a visit to the Discworld Emporium en route really topped off my weekend. I feel that I have been total spoiled by my family supporting me in these events that were so far away, but they do know that I'm a huge fan of all that is Discworld. I'd love to thank everyone individually but wouldn't know where to start so I thought DWM was a good place. Thanks again to you Jason for making me aware of the plays in the first place, I'll be scanning DWM for my next adventure - I aim to convert one person to Discworld every year and haven't failed for the last 7, I just need to pick a victim/lucky person for 2016, who can then join me at these productions where the need for giving entertainment and enjoyment to others just overwhelms me. * From: "Christian Collinson" While not explicitly Pratchett, I noticed that the National Poo museum opened recently in Sandown at the Isle of Wight zoo, which may be of interest to any of the young Sams out there. www.poomuseum.org/ DWM replies: Perhaps young Sam and Geoffrey could visit together. We're back with five challenging trivia questions for you. In the answers I've included which book the answer comes from. Good luck, Jason. What role did Nobby play in Culli, Gulli and Beti? What killed Mr Hammer-Hock? How many arrows did it take to "kill" Reg Shoe? Complete the name: Nijel the _______? (a) Barbarian, (b) Short Order Chef, (c) Destroyer or (d) Narrator. When the auditors of reality assumed human form, what name did they take? Review by Jason Anthony We went to the Thursday (second night) performance of The Shakespeare Codex as adapted by Stephen Briggs. The play is loosely based around events in The Science of Discworld 2 and is all about parasitic worlds. The Shakespeare Codex is the story of trying to get William Shakespeare to write A Midsummer Night's Dream to make elves into laughing stock rather than the nasty creatures they are in reality. Ridcully, Angua, Ponder, The Librarian and Rincewind are sent on the mission to help save Roundworld. Meanwhile on Discworld, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg prepare to defend the Dancers from incursions. In a twist to the original text Vetinari replaces King Verence. The switch makes sense because it allows Stephen Briggs to revisit his role as the Patrician but some of the lines spoken to him and his reaction didn't ring true to me. The Unicorn Theatre is part of the ruins of the Abingdon Abbey complex. The theatre itself is a high ceilinged stone building with quite a large multi-level stage area which means the action can take place in multiple locations. The production uses the space well but when the actors leave the side door they actually have to leave the building and re-enter elsewhere. My advice is not to sit next to the door as it gets chilly when people are rushing out the door every few minutes! The timing of the play felt a little rushed, there were very quick if minimal scene changes and some of the actors seemed keen to get everything said very quickly. Before we knew it we were rather abruptly at the interval. The second half continued at the breakneck pace and had some very funny moments. Seeking Matthew Kirk play an increasingly drunken Ridcully was very good and the whole time travel sequence was reminiscent of Scooby-Doo or Benny Hill. A very short cameo by a very famous doctor and his companion was a nod to the Doctor Who episode that used almost exactly the same plot. Then suddenly bang it was all over bar the dancing... Yes, dancing. I'm not 100% sure what Terry would have made of Granny Weatherwax and Lord Vetinari doing the Time Warp (and the remixed version at that!). I checked my watch as I left the theatre and discovered that the whole play including intermission was less than two hours long which ties up to my theory that the performance was a little rushed. I enjoyed the production but it didn't feel like Terry's work. Yes, it had some of Terry's best-loved characters in it and for the most part they behaved as you would expect, but there were one or two bits that didn't quite work for me. Still it was an enjoyable couple of hours. According to the programme, Stephen has been given permission to adapt at least one more Discworld novel so keep an eye on the newsletter for details of his next production. We will make every effort to go to that one too. www.studiotheatreclub.com/ twitter.com/StudioTheatreC Review by Colin Hicks On Saturday 9th April, we went to see Stephen Briggs' newly penned play, The Shakespeare Codex performed by The Studio Theatre group in Abingdon. This was my first visit to the town and not knowing what to expect we decided to arrive early. It turns out Abingdon is a nice small market town situated on the river Thames. I recommend, if you approach from the west or south, you park in the Rye Farm car park which is just outside the town to the south. This makes it an approximate 300 metre easy walk to the Theatre. Also, if you do arrive earlier, and it's a nice day, you can enjoy a walk along the Thames. This is a new play, based on the - in my opinion - often overlooked Science of Discworld series. This was the 4 book series that Terry did in collaboration with Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen over a period of 13 years. The play is based on the second book, The Science of Discworld 2: The Globe; however Briggs has added pieces from other Discworld novels and plays plus some familiar Roundworld ones as well. For staging purposes some aspects of the book have been simplified. Apart from Ridcully and Ponder, the UU faculty had been shrunk - literally (they were dolls about 10cm tall) - and were replaced by Captain Angua. She, at the Patrician's insistence, accompanied the wizards to Roundworld as he wanted someone sensible to be there. Angua basically gets all the lines that the faculty had in the book. The play follows the plot of the book quite closely and so ends by the wizards effectively helping the elves to help Shakespeare write his plays - much to the elves' suspicion. The wizards' efforts in getting Shakespeare to be born and for the human race to believe in stories, myths and folklore lead them all over Roundworld's timeline. This was done very effectively to the tune of Benny Hill. The play was superbly performed by all. This is an "amateur" group but they gave a professional performance. It looked like all involved had been working together for a long time. As it often the case with the Briggs adaptations, very few props were used will make it easy for other groups to stage when this script goes on general release. If I do have a criticism I would have liked it to be slightly longer. The running time of the performance including interval was just under 2 hours; other Discworld plays I have seen are often nearer to a 3 hour experience. But given it's based on a short story, maybe that's an unfair criticism. Anything added just for the sake of extra time may have seemed like padding. It's just I would have liked to spend more time in this world, with this group. I have been going to see these adaptations for nearly 10 years now and have seen them performed by various groups. All have been good. Of course. some have been "gooder" than others. But this one has been one of the best, in terms of acting, staging and professionalism. My play-going companion said it's the best adaptation she has seen so far. Praise indeed. In fact we are both interested in seeing this group's next production in July, a non-Pratchett one. Last month we had a Death of Rats Plushie to give away courtesy of The Discworld Emporium - we added a personalised Discworld Monthly mug and a Discworld Monthly competition winner's pin badge to the prize haul. In order to win this prize haul you needed to answer the following questions. The Discworld Emporium also make another plushie, what character is it? How many current mug designs do Discworld Monthly have available to purchase? The answers we were looking for were A1. The Librarian and A2. Six (6) We also accepted Seven (7) as a valid answer for the mug question as one of our mug designs has sold out and is no longer available to purchase. The randomly selected winner is Sally Ransom from Chelmsford in Essex. We'll print your mug with your requested name "Sally" on it and get it posted along with your Death of Rats Plushie and Discworld Monthly competition badge to you as soon as possible. For more information on the Discworld Emporium's expansive range of products visit: www.discworldemporium.com For more details of Discworld Monthly's range of mugs, badges, magnets, key rings and stickers visit discworldmonthly.co.uk/shop.php Discworld Monthly have purchased a set of paperback editions of Truckers, Diggers and Wings with the new Mark Beech covers to give away this month. In order to win this trilogy of Nomes books and a competition winner's pin badge, you need to answer the following question: Name any other Terry Pratchett book illustrated by Mark Beech. Send your answers, along with your postal address to before May 21st. Your address will only be used for sending out your prize should you be the lucky winner. Once prizes are sent out all address details will be destroyed. Entries received after the closing date or sent to any other address will be ignored. No more than one entry per person will be accepted. Failure to answer the questions or provide your postal address will prevent you from being entered into the competition. Multiple entries will be banned. Answers to the questions must not be posted to any websites before the competition ends. The judges' decision is final. The competition is open to all readers. 12. Seriously Funny: The Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett Reviewed by Jason Anthony I purchased a copy of Seriously Funny without really knowing what I was getting. When it arrived I was immediately underwhelmed. The book is quite small - small enough to fit into the back pocket of my jeans. It's 128 pages long and took me about 10 minutes to read from cover to cover. After a very brief introduction about Terry the book moves onto the quotes. These are divided up into sections such as Human Nature, Romance, Learning and Wisdom, Words and Writing, Religion, Politics, Life and Death, Animals and Success. Each quote takes a whole page and references where it came from. Many of the quotes are from the old Internet newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett (most of the afp quotes are still available in the Pratchett Quote File on www.lspace.org/books/pqf/alt-fan-pratchett.html) and one or two are from the Guardian newspaper. I've only got the one copy of the book so have no way of seeing if this is universal but it appears that the book was bound before the ink had dried properly. On most pages you can see an impression of the previous pages quote mirrored on the page. This really isn't very acceptable. I haven't counted them myself but I've read there are 105 quotes in total. All the quotes are very good quotes as you'd expect from Terry but and here is my problem ... 105 quotes for a RRP of 9.99GBP that feels wrong to me. When you can still pick up copies of The Wit and Wisdom of Terry Pratchett from Amazon for less than that with thousands of quotes in it - you have to wonder about the value for money. I feel bad in saying this but Seriously Funny: The Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett really feels like a way of wringing money of fans. 105 quotes hardly seems Endlessly Quotable. If my review hasn't put you off you can order Seriously Funny via: /books_seriouslyfunny.php Or if you prefer get a copy of The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld instead via: /books_thewitwisdomofdiscworld.php Our account for Paypal is You can also purchase items from our range of licensed Discworld Monthly products from discworldmonthly.co.uk/shop.php * Mailing List Hosting * Since issue 166 we have produced a version of Discworld Monthly that is formatted better for the Amazon Kindle eBook reader and since issue 186 we also produce an ePub version for other eBook readers such as the Kobo, Nook and Sony readers. We prefer information to be sent via email but can also accept information via post at the following addresses: J Anthony (DWM), 20 Cambrian Place, Pontarddulais, Swansea, SA4 8RG /books_theshepherdscrown.php /books_thelongutopia.php TURTLE RECALL: The Discworld Companion ... So Far - /books_discworldcompanion.php /books_wings.php Beti (Jingo) The Gonne (Men At Arms) 7a in total, 5 heavy bolts then 3 more arrows. (Night Watch) (c) Nijel the Destroyer (Sourcery) Lady Myria LeJean (Thief of Time) If you are looking for Terry books or videos over the net, simply visit our web page at discworldmonthly.co.uk and follow the "Terry Pratchett Books" link at the top of the page. We make every effort we can to ensure the information in this newsletter is accurate and legal. Remember to always exercise caution when passing your credit card details over the Net (or over the phone for that matter). All trademarks are recognized as the property of their respective owners, whoever they may be. Discworld (R) is a registered trade mark of the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett used under licence. Published: 27-April-2016 • Updated: 27-April-2016	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24486
__label__cc	0.693558	0.306442	What Is the Cialis Dose for Bodybuilding? It’s Time to Learn the Truth There’s a question that more and more people seem to be asking: what is the Cialis dose for bodybuilding? Yes, despite being most commonly associated with erectile dysfunction, the drug has recently set abuzz in the world of bodybuilding. Suddenly, these fitness fanatics have become interested in pumping up using medicine. In this article, we’ll focus on how Cialis helps with building muscles—and of course, we’re going to give you insights on the right dose for bodybuilding. PDE-5 Inhibitors: A Quick Overview The Use of Cialis for Bodybuilding But What Is the Cialis Dose for Bodybuilding? What’s the Bodybuilding Dose of Cialis? Better Safe than Sorry First, let’s have a bit of history on how Cialis came about. It was in 1986 when scientists proved that nitric oxide (NO) was a potent vasodilator, which meant it could improve blood circulation, heart health, and pretty much anything dependent on good blood flow (1). Medical researchers then began tinkering with a group of drugs referred to as PDE-5 inhibitors. These drugs are designed to perpetuate the effects of NO as a vasodilator. The first drug to be made publicly available for treating erection problems was Viagra. It was a huge success, but there were reports of heart problems from those who take them. Naturally, people clamored for a better option. Enter Cialis—a safer PDE-5 inhibitor that doesn’t have the fatal effects of Viagra and has an even longer half-life, meaning it can remain longer in your blood for an optimal outcome. Remember the discussion about Cialis, as a PDE-5 inhibitor, improves blood circulation? You see, when it comes to bodybuilding, optimal blood flow is pretty essential (2). Your muscles need all the nutrients they can get from your diet to start repairing and building muscle tissues. Cialis dilates your blood vessels by relaxing them and allowing them to open wider. This allows better blood flow, so nutrients from the food and supplements you ingest get to wherever they need to go. One of the other things necessary in bodybuilding is getting that pump. It’s that feeling when you’ve finished a set. You can feel blood filling up the body part you worked out. Cialis helps in getting that pump because it allows more blood to flow. Cialis versus Viagra before a workout There are lots of studies detailing the effects of Cialis, as well as other PDE-5 inhibitors, on erectile dysfunction. Proper dosages have long been established as well as the appropriate time in taking them. Viagra, for example, should be taken an hour before the expected sexual performance with a dosage of 50mg. The effects are felt after half an hour and usually wear off after 4 to 5 hours (3). Cialis, on the other hand, is more flexible when it comes to dosage. Patients need less of it, too. For erectile dysfunction, the dosage may start at 10mg, 30 minutes before the deed. It can then be increased up to 30mg if required (4). For bodybuilding, however, there is no established dosage because the drug just wasn’t developed mainly for that field. The muscle building effect was a fortunate ‘side effect.’ But since Cialis is much safer than Viagra, a more flexible dosage scheme can be set for bodybuilding. The standard Cialis dosage of 20 mg set for treating erectile dysfunction has been found to have the benefits of preventing muscle loss, or ischemia (5). When you want to gain muscle, you don’t want to lose it. The same dosage was proven to increase athletic performance by reducing the time to reach peak power. This is beneficial for bodybuilders since reaching maximum strength in a short time is required during intense weight training. Then again, people may react differently to the effects of Cialis. Some bodybuilders who have used the drug for quite some time highly recommend that those who are just beginning with Cialis start with a low dosage. At 10mg, the vasodilation effects of Cialis can already be felt, so it’s safe to start with that. You can then increase the dosage gradually as your body becomes more accustomed to the drug. Some bodybuilders have taken 30mg dosages and reported no side effects except mild headaches. But, these are seasoned athletes whose bodies are accustomed to supplements. Although the side effects of Cialis are minimal compared to its older sibling, Viagra, care should still be taken when using the drug. Stick to a maximum dose of 20mg to stay on the safe side. It’s the dosage that most studies about the benefits of Cialis is set on. Then again, remember that the drug isn’t developed with bodybuilding in mind, and lower doses tend to be safer. What is the Cialis dose for bodybuilding? As you’ve learned, there’s no definite answer to that—you’ll have to find the dosage that works best for you. If you wish to clear something up though, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments section. Does Viagra Make You Last Longer? It’s Time to Learn… What Are the Benefits of Cialis and Bodybuilding?… Cialis vs. Viagra for Bodybuilding? What Is Chewable Sildenafil, and Why Should You Choose It over Non-Chewables? What Are the Benefits of Cialis and Bodybuilding? Understanding What Happens, and the Risks Involved	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24488
__label__cc	0.710246	0.289754	Babylons Burning geneofisis on Babylons Burning thetruthnetwork on Babylons Burning thetruthnetwork on The White Cliffs of Dover Posted on May 29, 2019 July 12, 2019 by thetruthnetwork I just have to include a caveat with this post I don’t hate cats I am just questioning the nature of our reality with my tongue firmly in cheek as always. The question of whether Media is alive was brought up this week over at the Library where it was debated if it is one of the most important questions of our time. I believe that question has been asked many times before, throughout the ages in fact. In this fantasy island fictional media and reality media are merging at an exponential rate. What is real what is fake or should that now be deep fake alongside deep state. Science fiction writers from the 19th and 20th centuries if they were still with us would see their outlandish and fururistic plots come to life. Philip K. Dick in his book Eye in the Sky covers the subject of dreams within dreams and parallel dimensions long before it became mainstream. Which is why as I have stated many times that he was a prophetic voice for the 21st Century along with other writers of science fiction from the previous century. He leaves the reader vulnerable by altering the laws of time, physics and ultimately perception. The characters in Eye In The Sky are distinctive. While they all appear very normal on the surface, dark secrets lurk in the recesses of their minds. It questions the stability of people’s belief system and shatters the trust placed in the FIVE human senses. While on a visit to the (fictional) Belmont Bevatron in the 1957 novel’s near-future year of 1959, eight people become stuck in a series of subtly and not-so-subtly unreal worlds. The instigating incident is a malfunction of the particle accelerator (CERN), which places all of the injured parties in states of total or partial unconsciousness. After the Bee eVe tron fails, all eight members of the tour group are injured by a collapsing walkway (BRIDGE) and high levels of radiation. They awake to a world where miracles, prayer, and curses are common-day occurrences. Finally, the group arrives in a Marxist caricature of contemporary US society and again … he nailed it. After McFeyffe is knocked unconscious, the group believes they have returned to the real world. Jack Hamilton and Bill Laws form a small business that seeks advances in stereophonic technology. The novel ends ambiguously, as it is unclear if the group has returned to reality or is still living in someone else’s dream universe. Weird or What? Dick also hit the nail on the head with this quote from the past to the future. I was contemplating all of this when I went for a coffee the other day and was browsing through the print media. The first half of one paper was focused on just one story that of a British MP who was a Czech/Russian spy during the Cold War. In particular he handed over sensitive information on Brit ain’s nuclear capabilities to his handler. Czech Mate They visited nightclubs, among them The Georgian Pussy Club, it featured ‘gorgeous hostesses’ who waited on tables dressed in cat outfits comprising leotards and knee-high boots. It had NINE stand out treats or distractions. However the spy felt uneasy at the Pussy Club as if he were being spied on himself. At this time, newspapers were full of stories about Cold War traitors and Robinson, according to the files, was prone to jitters. In the spring of 1967, he met his handler in the Georgian nightclub but for once was unable to enjoy the entertainment. He became nervous about the presence of a man sitting at the next table. The files report that he was probably a musician since he was making notes on sheet music, but Robinson was ‘uneasy’ and, believing they could be overheard, insisted on moving elsewhere. ‘You can’t talk freely here,’ he is said to have told his handler. Kerry Kat atomic After ‘handing over his dark materials’, the files claim Robinson left to attend a meeting in Parliament before reconvening with Pravec an hour and a half later at a restaurant. On one occasion he met his handler at The Red Lion pub in St James’s, tucked away in Crown Passage, a 17th Century alleyway, and perfect for secret assignations. In the same newsapaper a former Russian spy was stating that modern spies must love modern technology such as Alexa as they no longer have to enter someone’s premises to plant devices when they have already one planted ready to go. He stated that it’s “not very smart to own anything with the word ‘smart’ contained in it” mmm smart advice. The Walls Have Ears I have often wondered why they had to choose a Russian name for AI and why does it always have to be predominantly female … and then I realised it is an Amazon after all. Big SIS I then returned home to go on the NET for awhile and I was contemplating why female spies are always sexy vamps while at the same time cold, hard and unemotional. They are also associated with secret codes normally related to nuclear or atomic weapons. In addition they are also linked to the colour black or gold and red. The All seeing spy arrow The above film followed the usual script of a Russian ballet dancer being turned into a spy and a deadly assassin. In this one Charlize Theron is compared to 007 as she goes atomic on the DNA stairwell on the 28 of the Seventh. In the 2001 film about the Enigma Code the blonde female spy Saffron Burrows (Sparrows) was also good at dancing and like Sinders loses her glass slipper on purpose in order to get her hands on the secret atomic code. She is an enigma alright I said to myself a terror able beauty. I AM LUCY (THE GODDESS MEDIA) I AM EVERYWHERE Red Russian spies appear not just in the fictional movie and comic book world but also in the ‘real’ news media. After her arrest by the FBI for her part in the Illegals Program, Chapman gained celebrity status. Photos of Chapman taken from her Facebook profile appeared on the web, and several videos of her were uploaded to YouTube. Her affiliation with the Russian Federation led at least one media outlet to refer to her as “the Red under the bed.“ In 2012, FBI counter-intelligence chief Frank Figliuzzi said that Chapman almost caught a senior member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet in a honey trap operation. This was reported as a primary motive behind the government’s action to round up the ten-person spy ring in which she was a member. The plan reportedly would have involved Chapman seducing her target before extracting information from him. As a model, Chapman posed on the cover of Russian version of Maxim magazine in Agent Provocateur lingerie. The magazine included Chapman in its list of “Russia’s 100 sexiest women.” As I was browsing I noticed Madonna’s latest disaster of a performance at the EuroVision… the online media were not very kind to her stating she needed more than a prayer. Then I noticed the eyepatch … more one eyed symbolism … and the crown … of the queen of heaven. Laughing Gass Apparently this seems to be part of her new persona Madame X, with the eyepatch emblazoned with a letter ‘X’. Another attempt to keep herself relevant and cool and to bring the past back to life. “I wanted to be able to go back to that time in my life when I was just starting out in New York and I didn’t care what people thought.” Which entails that now she craves their attention, their worship having got a taste for it … she needs it in order to survive. The last part of her song entitled Future was … Wake Up! as in opening up an eagle eye perhaps. Madame X is a freedomfighter ….she boldly states … They are so naive – they think we are not aware of their crimes. We know, but we’re just not ready to act. The storm isn’t in the air, it’s inside of us. I want to tell you about love and loneliness. But it’s getting LATE NOW. Can’t you HEAR outside of your Supreme hoodie, the WIND that’s beginning to HOWL?” That sounds like fighting talk to me … like she is getting ready to go to war, either that or a bad case of indigestion. The Winds of Chan ge. The above message is on a time loop from Media we hear it repeated over and over so we can’t say we weren’t warned in advance. In returning to new technology Madonna recently stated that she lost her children to New Media. “It ended my relationship with them, really. They became totally obsessed with their phones.” I do have a lot of empathy for her that is sad for any parent to go through that’s why too much technology like anything can be a bad thing….weeel almost anything. So has New Media become a god that we worship I asked myself. Well yes is the most obvious answer. Jade Rabbit The Watch Tower There has been an emergence of a new religion across the U.S. and the world. Billions have taken this religion along with their already-held beliefs, practicing both side by side. Most people spend hours every day worshiping and praising this religion’s idols. This new and fast-sweeping religion that we are all a part of is the religion of technology, where people worship the new gods of the internet and the television. Neil Gaiman’s novel “American Gods” demonstrates this idea of America’s “new gods” perfectly. The central premise of the book is that gods exist because people believe in them, a concept labeled as “thoughtform.” The “old gods,” among the likes of Odin, Ra, Anubis and Anansi, are powerless because no one worships them any longer. Instead, internet and media now rule the country due to people worshiping them instead. I AM LUCY … and I HAVE MANY FACES AND NAMES, MASS MEDIA … The screen is the altar. I’m the one they sacrifice to. Then till now. Golden Age to Golden Age. They sit side by side, ignore each other, and give it up to me. Now they hold a smaller screen on their lap or in the palm of their hand so they don’t get bored watching the big one. Time and attention, better than lamb’s blood. So is Neil Gaiman’s premise correct … do we create Gods … bring them to life … into this reality by paying time and attention to them … by turning them into idols … by believing in them … or where they already here all along? My mooney’s on the latter I decided.The world still worships the sun, moon and stars nothing has changed. The five senses or the five pointed star is what this world serves … believing in what it sees and hears from Media. It brought to my mind a Bible verse about faith: Hebrews 11 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. I recalled that I mentioned in my posts earlier this year that the moon in 2019 is taking centre stage. Maybe the world is moving from male sun worship to goddess moon worship trans sitioning between the two faces of Janus. Two Faced Moon The moon arguably only shows us its good side. The half of our satellite that always faces Earth shows off wide, smooth basins, whereas the far side of the moon is dramatically different and marked up with numerous craters. The Moon is always watching or observing us with her one good eye and is watching us more closely than we thought. The European Space Agency (ESA) said on February 20, 2019, that 20-year-old data from the space-based SOHO observatory has revealed an amazing fact about the Earth. The data have shown that the outermost part of Earth’s atmosphere – called its geocorona – extends beyond the moon’s orbit. (2020 vision) What if the Truman Show was right and the moon is actually an orb servation deck watching us 24/7 … recording us on its hard core drive … as evidence to be rewound and played back at a later date to accuse us with. Maybe that is why one of the names for AI is Siri or Iris. As I was mulling this over eye patches popped into my mind. Now where have I seen another woman with an eyepatch in the media lately … oh yes I remember. All the Boys Thinks She’s a Spy Tania Mallet, best known for her role in the 19 64 (88) James Bond film Goldfinger, has died at the age of 77. “We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time,” said the James Bond Twitter account. Tilly Masterson is the sister of Jill Masterson, murdered by the Auric Goldfinger henchman Oddjob after Jill, the mistress of Goldfinger has a fling with Bond. She shows up in Switzerland seeking to avenge her sister’s death and joins forces with Bond until Tilly too is murdered by a Oddjob. Unlike many other “Bond girls,” the elegant Tilly Masterson does not swoon over Bond. Armed with her own rifle, she seems to find him an irritant until he unmasks her true intent. Diana the Gold Digger Mallet was a first cousin to actress Helen Mirren. She was born in Blackpool, England, to British father Henry Mallet and Russian mother Olga Mironoff, a sibling of Mirren’s father. Mallet was working as a model when she was cast as Masterson by producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. She had auditioned for the role of Tatiana Romanova in 1963’s From Russia With Love, but lost the part to Daniela Bianchi even though Mallet was of Russian descent. Helen Mirren said in a statement in People magazine, “I was very sad to lose my cousin Tania this week. Tania was my aunt Olga’s daughter, and my sister [Katherine “Kate” Mirren] and I grew up with her. She showed her Russian heritage in her very beautiful bone structure and eyes, that made her into one of the top models of the early 60s.” Vintage Bond Girl 007 Didn’t Helen star in a film with the same name as Philip K Dick’s book … The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2015. Helen plays an army colonel Kat Pow ell who blows up children along with terrorists whilst drinking tea and eating biscuits using remote controlled drones. Red Russian Helen has the ass kicking spy role down to a tea. and like her Russian cousin she was a decent model as well back in 69. Shakespeare Sister Rosamund Pike was another woman this year I recalled who wore an eyepatch playing war correspondent Marie Colvin. It’s Personal Revenge Rosemund is well known for starring roles in Love in a Cold Climate (2001), and she received international recognition for her film debut as another Bond girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day (2002). Pike has recorded voicework for a lead role in the film Jackboots on Whitehall and lent her voice to a new series of James Bond audio-books, narrating The Spy Who Loved Me. In 2010 Pike played the part of Pussy Galore in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Fleming’s Goldfinger. In 2011, Pike played the part of Kate Sumner in the Bond spoof film Johnny English Reborn, Pike turned down the role of Jess Barrett in Focus (2015) Wu Wu that went to Margot Robbie. Was considered for either Emma Frost or M oira M cTaggart in X-Men: First Class and struck gold with landing the role of Gone Girl in 2014. Didn’t Madonna sing the soundtrack for the Bond film Die Another Day… and as usual wasn’t it packed full of mind control and occult references in which she invoked the name of god and disappeared … like a gone girl. The video referenced some of the past Bond movies and a Jill Masterson gold statue even appeared. Madonna also starred alongside Bond and Pike as fencing instructor Verity … dressed in black leather … very Russian spy like … she mentions that Pike won the GOLD medal at the Olympics. So Bond girls, Russian spies, Krazy Kats and atomic secrets connect them all together. Rose mund’s next two films are in keeping with the same theme … The Informer and Radioactive. Helen Mirren is also starring once again as a Red Queen or is it an Empress Cat or Babylion the Great. The four-part series “delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history,” according to Sky’s blurb for the show. It also describes its central character as “strong-minded, independent, brilliantly intelligent and sexually liberated, she was the definition of the modern woman.” The period of Catherine the Great’s rule, the Cat her inian Era, is considered the Golden Age of Russia I prefer Ivan the Great myself although his sense of humour is at times questionable and undoubtably politically incorrect. I suppose what Media is saying I thought to myself is that the age of man is over and that the god of this age/world is now a woman. Kat the Grrreat (Frosty Ice Queen) killed her husband/brother and took the throne for herself mirroring the tv shows House of Cards and Game of Thrones. Or on the other hand the two merge into one and reign together now that would be purrfect. In House of Cards in the last episode she finally gets her hands on the nuclear codes so as she can detonate an atomic bomb. Atomic Kitten This transition to goddess worship has actually been here before in fact she never left. We are just going back to the beginning and Madonna dances all over this in her new song performed in Israel. I hope you know (know) My life is gold (gold) I drip that ice (ice) Not everyone is coming to the future Not everyone is learning from the past Not everyone can come into the future Not everyone that’s here is gonna last (gonna last) It’s the future where we come from, bein’ stars It’s the future where we come from, bein’ hard It’s the future where we come from, beat ’em all It’s the future where we come from, bein’ boss It’s the future where you gotta pay the cost (the future) It’s the future where you come from, bein’ lost (the future) It’s the future, crucifixion on a cross But you know that I’ma rise above it all, yeah Rise like a phoenix or a dragon you mean from the ashes Digital Spy Dark Phoenix Jessica Chastain has revealed the inspiration behind her take on the Dark Phoenix “alien”, explaining that Tilda Swinton is her muse for anything out-of-this-world. A solid choice. “I am a shape shifter, so I am supposed to look like an elevated form of a human being,” Jessica said. “The one person I think of that way is Tilda Swinton. I’m not convinced she’s a human being. I think she is ruling over some planet somewhere like the goddess she is.” Tilda is famous for being androgynous playing both male and female roles and of course playing the ice queen on her throne. and playing a fallen angel who does not agree with God’s plan of salvation for mankind … who insteads wishes to bring hell on earth and watch it burn. The Beast blowing from the East came to mind Meanwhile over on the small screen media Game of Thrones finally ended after 8 years which is kind of like a time loop coming full circle. In the end the Dragon Queen showed her true colours by burning the world to the ground and then demonstrated her desire to reset and rebuild another. ‘They can live in my new world or die in the old’ … the Dragon Queen However John is having none of it instead he leads the free folk on an Exodus out of Babylion. It turns out he did know something after all … the way out … beyond the dimensional wall and through the exit door/ stargate. And another female’s rule has ended in tears in the news media however she leaves behind a legacy for the future. May introduced the Investigatory Powers Act, aptly nicknamed the snooper’s (spy) charter, during her time as home secretary, and her time as prime minister has not changed her attack-cat stance on internet surveillance. After the terrorist attacks in Manchester and London Bridge, May continued on her warpath to decrypt the internet and make our data security weak and wobbly In truth the only strength and stability May has ever demonstrated is in her commitment to bring internet security to its knees – exposing our data to hackers and the government. She seems all too keen to bring us closer to the world Orwell dreamed up. Heel Cat Maggie Big Brother/Sister are not coming they are already here I declared inwardly to myself and have been since the beginning. Maybe Gaiman is right the more this world worships them the more power it gives them. Maybe they keep this world enslaved through lust for power, money and sex and now they want people to merge with them and become trans human. However haven’t they already merged with us a crazy long time ago? Demiurge (in some theological systems) is a heavenly being, subordinate to the Supreme Being, that is considered to be the orb server/controller of the material world and hostile to all that is purely spiritual. Keepers of the LAW they are everywhere. I have always thought that AI is like the lizard side of our brain, cold, unemotional, no empathy, no emotion a killer king/queen.They are like alien parasites who feed of our negative energy and who not only rule our external world but who also hide inside our dna, inside our memory code. Maybe that is what the underlying message behind the big screen media film The Matrix was all about … casting out the Bond spyware woman and her son 007 from our dna … the hidden spy within. Mystery Babylion the Great Maybe then we should switch frequency by no longer worshipping Media Matrix and instead walking and living by faith in the real God not the artificial one. Another headline then popped up on my laptop and once again it was all about grrrumpy queen cats. Grumpy Cat Is Dead. Long Live Grumpy Cat. “Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere,” her family wrote in an emotional statement posted on Twitter. Grumpy Kat Queen is not dead at least not yet although the headline is prophecy she and Grumpy Canine just need to be loved. Miss MEME Mmm death and resurrection like a cat with nine lives then my mind wandered back to the Sherlock Holmes meme … the grumpy cat was the queen of me mes and what was the storyline in Sherlock The Beast From the East with Love doggy style of course … Miss Me in the UK reign Crack the Cybil Code Killer Dancing Queen Mmm weird dance moves again kind of like Shiva/Parvati and her dance of destruction. The Original Alien I needed a break from all this so I decided to watch a film on the big screen media … bad move. CApT MiaowVel of Nine Tails In Captain Marvel Nick Fury got his eye scratched out by a Krazy shapeshifting red Kat who had an atomic energy cube hidden within … so he had to wear an eyepatch … who writes these tails. The Big Alien Kats are Coming Then I switched over to the small screen media and watched a c(h)at show to unwind … from all those scary cat claws uh no not again. Running into someone who once dated your current partner is awkward. Running into someone who dated your now-husband on live TV is even more awkward. That was the case for Joe Jonas’ wife Sophie Twister Turner and ex Taylor Swallow Swift, who both appeared on Friday night’s episode of The Graham Norton Show. The two even rocked matching bangs, thanks to Sophie’s recent haircut. Turner appeared on the show alongside her X-Men: Dark Phoenix co-stars, while Swift was promoting her new album. Taking to Instagram following the appearance, the 29-year-old singer wrote to Instagram: “Feeling pretty lucky that I got to be a guest on the same night as @sophiet, Michael Fassbender, @Jessicachastain and @Jamesmcavoyrealdeal – They were all so sweet, now I want to just walk around yelling GO SEE DARK PHOENIX.“ Meet the Mutants with the XXX Factor After all that Katastrophe I decided it was time for a cat nap surely I am safe from Media when snoozing … or perhaps not …remember me? Wait a minute Kitty Kat … I remember you its all coming back we were in Paris … there was a tree …. we were having a picnic by the river and then a snake appeared. So is Media alive and if so what is she telling us … I leave that up to you I am away to walk the dog … hopefully nobody is watching if I don’t pick up the poo. Btw I really do love cats specially the ones that ROAR just gotta handle them with great care and attention. The thing is she is right I will never meet another one like ME she’s my twin. thetruthnetwork23@gmail.com 20 thoughts on “EYE SPY” Clicky says: Grumpy cat found in an apple pic.twitter.com/VDMjUqxBtz — Gautam Trivedi (@KaptanHindustan) May 28, 2019 thetruthnetwork says: The final story, “His Last Bow. The War Service of Sherlock Holmes” (1917), an epilogue about Holmes’ war service, was first published in Collier’s on 22 September 1917—one month before the book’s premiere on 22 October. The Voice of Terror 1942 “There’s an east wind coming, Watson.” “I think not, Holmes. It is very warm.” “Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There’s an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it’s God’s own divine wind nonetheless, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.” The east wind, in this context, represents World War I. In BBC’s ‘Sherlock,’ though, the east wind takes on a different meaning, For Sherlock, the east wind is Mary, as can be seen in his mind palace after she shoots him. In our first reference to the east wind in the episode, Mind-Palace Mycroft tells Sherlock, “The East Wind is coming, Sherlock. It’s coming to get you.” Immediately after he says this, Mind-Palace Mary appears in her wedding dress and shoots Sherlock again. To Sherlock, Mary represents the formidable force that has destroyed his life, specifically his life with John; her appearing in her wedding dress is especially telling, as John and Mary’s wedding is when Sherlock truly accepts that John has someone in his life who is just as important, if not more so, than Sherlock. Sherlock chooses to trust her, to accept her in John’s life, and now she has betrayed that trust. So we now know East Wind is Eurus , The secret sister of Sherlock . All those reference like “East wind is coming Sherlock, it’s coming to get you” and other things meant her . Roobeedoo2 says: EU+Rus… And like the last three episodes of Sherlock, it’ll be utter shite. The Tower of Babble In the Hathaway video whilst he was filming it, he says he asked a Strasbourg-born journalist if she understood the meaning of the tower. She said she did and she also confirmed that the members of the European Parliament also understood that it represented Babel from the Bible, and that the purpose of the European Union was to finish what Nimrud and the people together had failed to do some 3,500 years ago. Well we know what happened the last time….. the walls of the tower came tumbling down. https://mattbell.org/why-is-the-strasbourg-parliament-based-on-tower-of-babel The Twin Towers? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism#Later_research I watched an old movie this evening, called Dead Ringers. It was about downfall of respected and respectable twins called Mantle. Doctors… https://www.etymonline.com/word/mantle#etymonline_v_42819 Roob we had a conversation about another Doc Clive Mantle a crazy long time ago I met him once going to Wembley as he is a Shellsea fan. He was a giant which is why I suppose he got the part of Little John in Robin Hood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Mantle But I have been getting the whole Russian sister thing for a long time now my spidey sense is tingling off the scale. I am writing al book with fictional characters about real life syncs I will send you a copy when it is published it has developed a life of its own its kinda freaky as it links to your Lion explosion. In regards to Nazis and Communist/Socialist yes I agree they are related two sides of the same coin and the EU has been a long time in the making however it is all very personal to me with my name being Russian and being caught up in the whole alleged Russian chemical attack last year however I better not say anymore shhh we are being watched. Paris bakery gas explosion only there was no gas in the premises uh oh Two firefighters and a Spanish woman have died in a massive explosion caused by a “pocket of gas” in a SIX-storey building in Paris. The woman died in hospital and at least 46(88) others were said to be injured, NINE of them critically, including a THIRD firefighter, in the blast in the 9th arrondissement of the capital on Saturday morning. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/12/paris-bakery-blast-causes-multiple-injuries From and including: Saturday, 12 January 2019 To, but not including Friday 24th May 2019 is 133 days exactly. 19 weeks. If you don’t have a publisher, Shiny, I know of one 😉 https://legironbooks.co.uk/ Here’s a weird short story I read about a sister and a bald eagle this morning: https://gastradamus.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/phonestruck-2/ Apple Media from the tree of Knowledge/Intelligence I find the best medicine for G rumpy is a rocket up the ass Big Sis Hella Cat Captain MarVel Carol DanVers was the original Avenger But something about the “Protector” name doesn’t quite click with Fury. He starts re-examining some photos of Carol from her pilot days, and notices her distinctive callsign emblazoned on the side of her plane: Captain Carol “Avenger” Danvers. Inspired, Fury renames his project “The Avengers Initiative” – the same full name he refers to in early Iron Man movies and the first Avengers film. The distinctive Avengers theme plays while he looks, satisfied, at the screen. https://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2019-03-09/why-are-they-called-the-avengers-captain-marvel-finally-answers-question/ The Original Avenger at NINE TY in the early 1960s when, as Cat hy GALE in The Avengers, she not only aced the partnership with Patrick McNee’s John Steed, but introduced the previously little seen screen character of a woman who could take care of herself. Clad in leather right down to her kinky boots, she karate-chopped her way into the nation’s consciousness over two years and 43 episodes of the groundbreaking series. Later cast as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, she was the first Bond girl – though at 38 she was more Bond woman – to give 007 a run for his money. As she rolled in the hay with Sean Connery, it was never certain which of them would end up on top. America had its fair share of femmes fatales but Britain had the ultimate man-eater – and Blackman was the kind any man would be happy to be eaten by. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/honor-blackman-turns-90-hollywoods-tough-women-owe-a-debt-to-the-avengers-star-10462108.html Make of this what you will. I only know one alien cat woman 🐈 👽. She’s from the East. Saw her on Friday. Very nice lady. Frank I am sure she is I have met quite a few lately even Aphrodite herself stopped by and she was everything they said she was a true goddess.I met her in the Secret Garden I kid you not every day of my life is now extraordinary. Then I met another Georgia thats three so far and they are all red heads linking back to my post and one works In Cam den in London. However I think you misunderstand my point I am not talking about individuals I am talking about as you would say the collective. You were the one who helped point it out to me back in 2012 now I am just trying to return the favour. The very nature of this reality is to keep you here in captivity bound by the LAW in chains because of the past and as you know I want to break free and blow the doors off. And we need Grace for that … she is something else. I have no hostility within me against anyone we just need to be careful when handling dark radioactive material thats what hazmat suits are for. 🙂 As you have said yourself we have to draw the darkness (guilt anger shame hatred pride and past hurt) out into the light to expose it however its a dangerous task as I have found to my cost. When you are hurting you tend to lash out … I still have the scratch marks to prove it. Love Hurts. lol On another level I am strongly feeling that the chemical attack last year was a foreshadowing an echo of something much bigger to come. Shades of 19 39 and Paris/France is the epicentre of all this at the moment. Finally why write this into the all of the scripts of a pretty little cat shapeshifting into an alien octopus like creature that devours men and scratches their eyes out … just saying something to mull over. She the prime directive doesn’t want us to leave the Paris Pet Zoo Ooz Catherine of Aragon is trending. Perfect time to say that she was imprisoned in Ampthill Castle (Bedfordshire), which today is marked by a cross. That in turn went on to be one of the clues to solve the Masquerade puzzle in 1979. https://t.co/q7UEneMFhz — Rachel Lewis 🔶🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@Rachel_J_Lewis) May 30, 2019 I watched Logan’s Run tonight. I didn’t know Peter Ustinov was in it… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ustinov#Family_background_and_early_life Code 3303 She AI wants information where is Sankhtuary? Notre Dame of course Pingback: Playing The Super Yachtery – Library of Libraries Playing The Super Yachtery https://t.co/sQOtYswZpR via @Roobeedoo1 pic.twitter.com/mUYXpM5dkB — RooBeeDoo (@RooBeeDoo1) June 1, 2019	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24492
__label__cc	0.742978	0.257022	Home / Selection of the Domaine / For Her / Lame Ailée Lame Ailée Coutellerie Nontronnaise - Cutler Essence de bois Choose an optionOakWalnut Clear Coutellerie Nontronnaise Dimensions & Materials According to certain specialists, the Nontron, a traditional knife from the “Périgord Vert”, is the oldest knife in France. Since the 13th century, its blade has been composed of three types of steel while its handle is carved from a single piece of wood that has dried for at least four years. This long history gave rise to a custom… It used to be said that you shouldn’t give a friend a knife at the risk of severing the ties of friendship. According to custom, in order to ward off bad luck, the recipient should give the gift bearer the smallest coin from his or her wallet. Hence the gift becomes a purchase and the friendship is preserved. We asked Coutellerie Nontronnaise, under the art direction of designer Christian Ghion, to create the “Lame ailée” knife inspired by the dragonfly, the symbol of the Domaine des Etangs. The wood handle, available in oak or walnut, has been sculpted into the insect’s slender and delicate body while its wings rest in the casing. Steel and walnut/oak 12 x 2.1 cm Nos Racines Kintsugi Charentais	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24493
__label__wiki	0.58159	0.58159	Tanzania as few places in the world can offer variety of learning and adventurous centers about the oldest people found in the earth. The Serengeti believed to be inhabited by the first people in earth with the earliest record of a day 3.6 million years ago when three early human-like creatures (or hominids) walked across the Serengeti Plains, at a place now called Laetoli. With the eruption of volcano in that area the prehistoric people left a clear trail of footprints which was molded by lava before the early archaeologists found it by chance. The historians and archaeologists keep on giving us experience of these contiguous areas (of Ngorongoro and Serengeti) that 1.75 million years ago recorded shows that ancient walls of Olduvai Gorge where several skulls and related fossils of early hominids were found. The experiments were done by the family of Dr. Leakey in middle 1900’s. With the earliest people been moved by the Datoga people (probabily) who inhabit the Serengeti for years before been ousted by the Maasai approximately 150 years ago. Today no tribe can claim to be the original inhabitants of the Serengeti. Come with us now to show you these areas where current habitant linger with domestic and wildlife with their culture not distorted comparable with the other tribes of Tanzania approximately more than 120 speaking different native languages. For this reason we will be focusing in different areas, the Ngorongoro and Serengeti meeting the Maasai, Datoga and other popular tribes nearby the area. Maasai Village: The series of houses built by Maasai women in a round shaped protected by wild trees with thrones famously as Maasai Boma are places not to miss during a traditional tour. Leaving a huge space at the middle of those houses is a place to put their herds of cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys after grazing. Traditionally Maasai are nomadic pastoralists with their herds to find pasture and water; however, in recent years some of them have made more permanent settlements. Fortunately the tribe has extended to Kenya whereby travelling from Kenya to Tanzania normally is done on foot and it my take two to three days to rich the destination. It is at this time when there is no use of passport when crossing the boarder since they use to say “I just arriving from that Boma there” and this among others makes them legendary for their independence, physical courage, and their wildness as warriors. Wearing in red and blue colors the amazing culture is the way they dance their traditional music and jump, the killing of lion before getting married (but the government has asked them to stop it to protect the wildlife) and live in peaceful coexistence with the surrounding wildlife. Yet the Maasai are polygamist and the man who has many children especially boys is referred to as Boma Kubwa (Big Boma). The good thing about this tour it can be incorporated into any itinerary enroute from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater. Leaving in age-set system a village chief will provide a tour of the Boma and explain their beliefs and way of life. Dance with them, build house with Maasai women and if you are lucky if they have a traditional meeting they use to slaughter a cow you can witness and share barbeque with the Boma. Take pictures with them as no problem thinking of assisting them in schooling or whatever social service in need to improve their leaving standards. Pare – Mountains: Mghimbi caves and malameni rock – In the 19th century the caves where used by indigenous as a hiding place. This was the colonial era whereby people where taken to Europe and America as slaves. With our guides we will hike the Malameni rock and he will tell us a tale about the rocks. The main story is of about a thousands children were sacrificed to the gods to appease the evil spirits. Marangu – Mamba village: Marangu village is one of the famous villages for those who have climbed the highest mountain in Africa Mountain Kilimanjaro. The headquarters of the mountain are located to this village rich in different waterfalls acquire its water source from the mountain. Come and visit the home and memorial of the late Yohana Lauwo, a Marangu native who accompanied Dr. Hans Meyer on the first recorded climb of Kilimanjaro in 1889. Read the original books of Mr. Lauwo, who lived for an astonished 124 years. While in Marangu one can learn more about the chagga culture by visiting a traditional chagga house made of straw roofing. Also the traditional food made by bananas and local brew known as Mbege can be tasted. Mkuru: The village is located north side of Mountain Meru near the Momela gate. The inhabitants of the area are the warriors Maasai tribe. With their scattered house around the area are the populations of camel over a hundred. The village is popular for its camel safaris. Also one can hike to the Ol doinyo Landaree the little mountain that looks like a pyramid. The game can be view also with wild animals like zebras and giraffes escorted by Maasai warriors’ guides. Mkuru has numerous birdlife including the red and yellow barbet, fischers and rufous crowned roller among others.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24498
__label__cc	0.646929	0.353071	We can’t afford more national holidays: corporate leaders By Thanh Phong &nbspSeptember 22, 2019 \| 08:25 pm GMT+7 A garment factory in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by AFP. Businesses, and the nation itself, cannot pay for more national holidays given Vietnam’s low labor productivity and relatively underdeveloped status, corporate leaders argue. Dang Van Son, vice president and general secretary of the Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association (VPPA), said: "No business would want to have three more days added." "The proposal by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) to create three new holidays is not practical now since Vietnam's labor productivity is already low and its economy is not as developed as its neighbors," he told VnExpress. Moreover, Son added, for business owners it would be a double whammy since they would have to pay extra to employees working during those holidays. By law, wages during weekends are at least 200 percent of normal rates, and they rise to at least 300 percent during holidays. Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of Hung Yen Province's Business Association and owner of a garment business, said: "Vietnam has a decent number of days off already with 22 days - 12 days of paid leave a year and 10 public holidays - in total. It could be a huge challenge for businesses if the three additional holidays fall during the harvest period." A majority of Vietnamese businesses pay high wages for seasonal workers, he explained. The end of the year is the peak time for the electronics sector too, and it coincides with the peak fishing season, he said. Duong noted that the current number of working days is 305, meaning the three days off would shave off 1 percent of the total working time. "Vietnam has set a future economic growth target of over 7 percent to catch up with other countries in the region. But if we proceed with the proposal, the development gap with other countries will widen." Earlier this month, the VGCL proposed adding three days to the public holiday calendar with two options for how it could be done. One is to extend the Independence Day holiday on September 2 by three more days until September 5, the day the new school year starts. The other is to have a three-day break for the New Year (January 1-3) and declaring Vietnamese Family Day on June 28 as a public holiday. The VGCL called for increasing the number of holidays a year, saying Vietnam's is the lowest in Southeast Asia at 10, while Cambodia has 28, Thailand and Indonesia have 16, Brunei 15, Malaysia 14, and Singapore 11. 81 percent of around 1,300 workers in an online survey conducted this month by the confederation voted to reduce the workweek from 48 hours to 44. Vice chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Hoang Quang Phong, said the confederation’s proposal is not feasible since its previous proposal of reducing regular working hours and increasing the annual overtime cap has yet to be achieved. Business executives said the VGCL's argument is fallacious since Vietnam's productivity is the lowest in the region, its population is the world’s 15th largest but per capita GDP is only 131st highest. "Having more holidays is not recommended when productivity and economy are poor. Its per capita income is not half of Thailand’s or a quarter of China and others," he said. "The issue should be looked at from an economic perspective." National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan ordered a study into the socioeconomic impacts of the proposal. The confederation is set to submit its recommendation to the National Assembly next month. Plan for more public holidays draws mixed opinions Vietnam labor union suggests three more public holidays Less working hours not feasible, businesses say 81 percent of workers want less working hours Labor federation proposes extra day's leave for New Year Tags: Vietnam Vietnam people Vietnam life Vietnam public holiday Vietnam laborers Vietnam workers EYFS: Setting the stage for success with an early start Moody's assigns B1 rating to SeABank Mobile World inks exclusive deal for superhero watches German bank to invest $20 mln in Mekong Delta resort Novaland inks strategic deals with foreign partners to boost local tourism Circular economy model gradually becoming mainstream in Vietnam Businesses not ready for electronic invoice issuance Come home 'Phở' good: thriving economy, cultural affinities beckon overseas Vietnamese Reading: We can’t afford more national holidays: corporate leaders	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24502
__label__cc	0.538808	0.461192	The Power of Holocaust Poetry What do we, as Holocaust educators, seek to do? It’s a question with which I continuously grapple. It is impossible to deny that much of this history showcases the most devastating and bleakest views of humanity. Yet, despite this heart-breaking reality, as educators, we understand the critical importance of teaching our students the consequences of allowing antisemitism and other forms of bias and hate to pervade a society. From this realization, another equally vital question emerges: How do we best teach this history? The horrors of the Holocaust are undeniable, and though they must be taught, it is imperative that students are able to understand the material in a way that inspires them to engage positively with their communities to ensure that the past does not repeat. Art can act as an excellent gateway for students to effectively connect to the lessons of this history. Art raises questions seldom addressed when dealing with a historical subject. Art elevates viewpoints to a whole different level, which traditional historical approaches alone cannot inspire. While there are many types of art mediums from the Holocaust, poetry in particular is an excellent way to engage students. Poetry highlights an individual’s voice. This allows the reader to more fully empathize with the author’s experience and inspires both personal reflection and a greater understanding of the subject matter. Essentially, Holocaust poems are the whispers and cries from a dark past that we must bring to light. A poem I often recommend educators introduce into the classroom is Five, by Hanuš Hachenberg, a Jewish boy from Prague who wrote these words in 1943 when he was 13 years old. This morning at seven so bright and so early Five novels lay there, sewn up in a sack Sewn up in a sack, like all of our lives They lay there so silent, so silent, all five. Five books that flung back the curtain of silence Calling for freedom and not for the world They’re somebody’s novels, somebody who loves them… They call out now, they cried, they shed tears and they pleaded That they hadn’t been finished, the pitiful five. They declared to the world that the state trades in bodies, And slowly they vanished and went out of sight They kept their eyes open, they looked for the world But nothing they found, they were silent, all five. -Hanuš Hachenburg Hanuš wrote this poem and others, for Vedem (“We Lead”) – a clandestine magazine produced by Jewish teenage boys imprisoned in the Theresienstadt Ghetto. There, amidst their crushing reality of ever-present death and disease, horrific overcrowding and hunger, living in constant fear of transports “to the east”, Hanuš and the boys of his dormitory performed an incredible act of resistance: they created. They secretly wrote stories, poems, jokes, and essays. They illustrated comics and drew fantasy drawings. They wrote bitterly about the inhumane prison they were forced to endure while trying to make sense of the hatred that had engulfed their lives. Mourning their lost childhoods, they still dared to hope that the world they knew would one day be restored. They cautiously dreamed of a brighter future. They remained determined to retain their human dignity in a world that had betrayed them, and their magazine was a means to that end. Almost of all the young contributors to Vedem were murdered in Auschwitz and other death camps. Of the 7,590 children deported eastward from Theresienstadt, a mere 142 survived to be liberated. Of Hanuš, all that remains behind to show that a person of such sensitivity and brilliance ever existed are his beautiful Vedem poems and writings and a few black and white sketches. Not one photograph of this young man survives. We know almost nothing of his early life, except that it probably wasn’t a very happy one — following his parents’ divorce Hanuš spent 5 lonely years in an orphanage. The few people who remember Hanuš can only tell us that he was a frail, thin child with very dark and expressive eyes. Even in death he left nothing tangible behind. We will never have the solace of putting a memorial rock on his tombstone, running our fingers lovingly over the name engraved on its surface, sanctifying it with our tears. Auschwitz is his grave, and his poem Five is his epitaph. For me, Hanuš lives on in his poetry, and its power to move us. His maturity, sensitivity, and brilliance are almost palpable in each line that he writes. Reading the poems of Hanuš, I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of loss. And anger. And yet, his poetry offers us a conduit to connect students to his inner world, to give voice to his fear and despair, his anger, his hope, and his dread of being forgotten. It is a towering testimony to his humanity and individuality. The imagery in Five leaves us to face difficult and important questions to address with students: How could such grotesque hatred have led to these young innocent lives being cut short, like unfinished novels? How was this possible? What sack are the 5 books sewn into? Is it the closed sack of the impenetrable walls of Hanuš and his friends’ prison, Theresienstadt? Or are the novels engulfed by the indifference of the world, a world that would bury them out of sight, muffling their pleas and stifling their cries? And the most heartbreaking question of all: If only the five books had been completed, if only they had been allowed to reach their natural conclusion, what might have been contained in their chapters and pages? What could Hanuš and his friends have given the world? Furthermore, what could a million and a half murdered children have given the world? I think this is at the heart of what we, as Holocaust educators, seek to do. As we accept the challenge of teaching our students this painful history we can amplify it by the use of powerful mediums such as poetry; mediums that can inspire important and meaningful reflection. As educators, we want our students to be the ones to open the sealed sack, take out the forgotten books within, read their brief unfinished chapters, vow to remember the stories, and assure the voices behind them are still heard. By adding to our teaching the personal artistry of the poet, we not only honor the memory of Hanuš, his friends, and all victims of the Holocaust, but also inspire students to reflect on and create more healthy and humane futures. About the Author: Liz Elsby is a Holocaust Educator and Museum Guide who has worked at Yad Vashem since 2006. Looking for additional ways to teach about the Holocaust using art and poetry? Please explore the following resources from Echoes & Reflections and our Partners: Webinars: Creating Portraits as Testimony and Using Poetry to Teach the Holocaust Lesson Plans: Poetry lessons found in the units on “The Ghettos” and “The Final Solution” of Echoes & Reflections The Holocaust in the Arts (Yad Vashem) IWitness Activity: Found Poetry from Holocaust Testimony Article: A Creative Response to the Holocaust, Genocide, and Injustice Video Toolboxes (Yad Vashem): Poetry in Holocaust Education: this toolbox video includes a discussion of “Written in the Sealed Railway Car” by Dan Pagis, found in the Echoes & Reflections unit on “The Final Solution” Poetry in Holocaust Education: “Testimony” by Dan Pagis: this poem is also found in the Echoes & Reflections unit on the “The Final Solution” Author echoes_samPosted on 03/04/2019 03/06/2019 Categories Classroom Lessons, Teaching, UncategorizedLeave a comment on The Power of Holocaust Poetry	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24506
__label__wiki	0.568909	0.568909	Browsing NIOM - Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine by Title Deriving the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Score in Women from Seven Pregnancy Cohorts from the European ALPHABET Consortium. Aubert, Adrien M; Forhan, Anne; de Lauzon-Guillain, Blandine; Chen, Ling-Wei; Polanska, Kinga; Hanke, Wojciech; Jankowska, Agnieszka; Mensink-Bout, Sara M; Duijts, Liesbeth; Suderman, Matthew; et al. (2019-11-08) The ALPHABET consortium aims to examine the interplays between maternal diet quality, epigenetics and offspring health in seven pregnancy/birth cohorts from five European countries. We aimed to use the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score to assess diet quality, but different versions have been published. To derive a single DASH score allowing cross-country, cross-cohort and cross-period comparison and limiting data heterogeneity within the ALPHABET consortium, we harmonised food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data collected before and during pregnancy in ≥26,500 women. Although FFQs differed strongly in length and content, we derived a consortium DASH score composed of eight food components by combining the prescriptive original DASH and the DASH described by Fung et al. Statistical issues tied to the nature of the FFQs led us to re-classify two food groups (grains and dairy products). Most DASH food components exhibited pronounced between-cohort variability, including non-full-fat dairy products (median intake ranging from 0.1 to 2.2 servings/day), sugar-sweetened beverages/sweets/added sugars (0.3–1.7 servings/day), fruits (1.1–3.1 servings/day), and vegetables (1.5–3.6 servings/day). We successfully developed a harmonized DASH score adapted to all cohorts being part of the ALPHABET consortium. This methodological work may benefit other research teams in adapting the DASH to their study’s specificities. Determinants of phthalate exposure and risk assessment in children from Poland. Garí, Mercè; Koch, Holger M; Pälmke, Claudia; Jankowska, Agnieszka; Wesołowska, Ewelina; Hanke, Wojciech; Nowak, Dennis; Bose-O'Reilly, Stephan; Polańska, Kinga; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2019-04-16) Phthalates are a group of widely used chemicals and humans are exposed to them in their daily life. Some phthalates may affect the hormonal balance in both children and adults. The aim of this study was to assess the phthalate exposure and its determinants among children at age of 7 years from the Polish Mother and Child Cohort Study (REPRO_PL). 250 urine samples collected in 2014-2015 were analysed for 21 metabolites of 11 parent phthalates using on-line high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). This represents the most extensive set of phthalate metabolites ever determined for Poland. Ten metabolites were quantifiable in 100% of the samples, another eight in >90%. The highest median concentrations were found for the primary monoester metabolites of di-iso-butyl (MiBP, 72.4 μg/l), di-n-butyl (MnBP, 56.3 μg/l) and diethyl (MEP, 42.0 μg/l) phthalate, followed by the sum of di-2-ethylhexyl (ΣDEHP, 89.3 μg/l) and di-iso-nonyl (ΣDiNP, 21.9 μg/l) phthalate metabolites. Metabolite concentrations were higher in children at 7 years than in the same children at age 2 or in their mothers during pregnancy. Generally, phthalate exposures in this study were much higher than exposures reported in other European populations. Multivariate regression models showed that body mass index, place of residence, breastfeeding duration, socio-economic status and parental education were associated with the metabolite levels in the 7-year old children. Daily intake and hazard index calculations revealed that a small percentage of children (around 3-10%) exceeded the tolerable daily intakes established by international institutions such as EFSA and U.S. EPA indicating that these children might be at risk of anti-androgenic effects from the individual and cumulative exposure to phthalates. Thus, further monitoring of this population, by educational programs and follow-up interventions, is required. Development and validation of the Psychosocial Risks Questionnaire for Musicians (PRQM) Jacukowicz, Aleksandra; Wezyk, Agata; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (2017-06) Despite the constantly growing exposure to psychosocial hazards as well as their health and occupational consequences, research on psychosocial risks among musicians is exceptionally scarce. Moreover, previous studies on psychosocial risks and occupational stress among professional musicians have used a wide variety of measurement methods. The questionnaire we have developed assesses both the occurrence and stressfulness of particular work demands. Thus, it includes the “potential harm” caused by particular work aspects, described in the World Health Organization definition of psychosocial risks. Our questionnaire allows for measuring the general index of the occurrence and stressfulness of psychosocial risks in musicians’ work places, but also the occurrence and stressfulness of eight distinct categories of psychosocial risks: Job Content, Work Environment, Work-Home Interference, Relationships, Lack of Stability, Development Possibilities, Home-Work Interference, and Tools. The Psychosocial Risks Questionnaire for Musicians (PRQM) has satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha for the whole scale is 0.89 and from 0.74 to 0.86 for particular subscales). The PRQM correlates significantly with self-assessed work demands and stress symptoms (positive relationships) as well as with self-assessed physical and mental condition, control at work and coping ability (negative relationships). Developmental toxicity of N-methylaniline following prenatal oral administration in rats Sitarek, Krystyna; Gromadzinska, Jolanta; Stetkiewicz, Jan; Lutz, Piotr; Krol, Magdalena; Domeradzka-Gajda, Katarzyna; Wasowicz, Wojciech; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland (2016) Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess prenatal toxicity of N-methylaniline (NMA) administered by gavage to pregnant female rats. Material and Methods: Pregnant female rats were administered N-methylaniline in corn oil by gavage at daily doses of 0.8 mg/kg of body weight (b.w.), 4 mg/kg b.w., 20 mg/kg b.w. and 100 mg/kg b.w. from implantation (the 5th day post mating) to the day prior to the scheduled caesarean section (the 20th day of pregnancy). General behavior, body weight, food and water consumption, hematological, biochemical analyses and pathomorphological changes of the dams were recorded. Results: All the females survived until the end of the study. The test substance was toxic to pregnant females, even at the lowest of the used doses, i.e., 0.8 mg/kg b.w./day. Lower weight gain during pregnancy and significantly higher NMA-dose-dependent absolute weight of the organs were noted in the exposed females. The females from the groups exposed at doses of 20 mg/kg b.w./day and 100 mg/kg b.w./day developed anemia and showed higher concentrations of free thyroxine (FT3) and free triiodothyronine (FT4) thyroid hormones. Total protein concentration exhibited an increase in all the exposed groups of females. In the prenatal toxicity study, administration of N-methylaniline throughout the embryonic and fetal periods produced embryotoxic effects at doses ranging 4–100 mg/kg b.w./day. Conclusions: Considering the data obtained in this study, it is reasonable to assume that N-methylaniline administered orally to pregnant rats is toxic for mothers even at a low dose of 0.8 mg/kg b.w./day. However, this dose was not associated with any significant effects to their offspring. This prenatal exposure level may be considered as no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for the progeny and a dose of 4 mg/kg b.w./day as the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) for the progeny. Dextromethorphan recreational use and poisoning – the social and psychological background Koziarska-Rościszewska, Małgorzata; Piątek, Aleksandra; Kobza-Sindlewska, Katarzyna; Krakowiak, Michał; Winnicka, Renata; Krakowiak, Anna; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018) Diagnostic guidlines for occupational epicondylitis Krawczyk-Szulc, Patrycja; Wagrowska-Koski, Ewa; Puzder, Anna; Markowski, Przemyslaw; Walusiak-Skorupa, Jolanta; Regional Center of Occupational Medicine Prophylactic and Therapeutic Center in Lodz, Łódź, Poland; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland; Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland; (2015) Making final decisions on the occupational etiology of musculoskeletal diseases is often difficult and problematic at every stage of the diagnostic procedure. Taking into account the need to facilitate decision-making about the causal relationship between the diagnosed disease entity and the working conditions guidelines for the recognition of work-related musculoskeletal diseases have been developed. This paper presents the guidelines for the diagnosis of occupational etiology of humeral epicondylitis, one of the most common occupational disease of the musculoskeletal system in Poland. The developed guidelines have been based on the literature data concerning occupational risk factors of humeral epicondylitis, workload classification, including repetitive movements, awkward postures, and force. Some criteria applied in ergonomic evaluation methods were also included. The presented diagnostic guidelines define approximate benchmarks for stating (after excluding non-occupational etiology) that the identified humeral epicondylitis, is related to the way of working. Crucial work factors that should be analyzed include an operating time of movements overloading tendons connecting to the epicondyle, repetition and force used to perform occupational activities. The developed guidelines are aimed to facilitate occupational physicians diagnostic and certification procedures in case of humeral epicondylitis and determination whether there is a likelihood of its occupational etiology. The diet structure and body mass index among Polish preschool children in relation to their place of residence. Potocka, Adrianna; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018) Proper nutritional status in early childhood makes it possible for children to achieve their genetically-determined growth potential and intelligence. A child's nutritional status is due to economic, cultural, psychosocial and geographic factors. The present study aims to check whether the nutritional status of preschoolers differs depending on their place of residence. Dietary habits and myocardial infarction in occupationally active men. Bortkiewicz, Alicja; Gadzicka, Elżbieta; Siedlecka, Jadwiga; Szyjkowska, Agata; Viebig, Piotr; Wranicz, Jerzy Krzysztof; Kurpesa, Małgorzata; Trzos, Ewa; Makowiec-Dąbrowska, Teresa; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2019-11-15) Only a few studies have been undertaken to analyze the dietary habits of people with cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary behaviors of working people who were hospitalized due to experiencing the first acute cardiovascular incident. Material and Methods: In the study, the Functional Activity Questionnaire was used. The study was conducted in 2 groups. The first group included all the men hospitalized during 1 year (January–December 2009) in 2 clinics of cardiology, who were professionally active until the first myocardial infarction (MI). It comprised 243 men aged 26–70 years. The reference group consisted of 403 men, blue- and white-collar workers, aged 35–65 years. Results: The body mass index of the MI patients was significantly higher (p = 0.006). The frequency of consumption of particular products in the MI group and in the reference group differed significantly for 11 of 21 products. The MI patients significantly less frequently reported the daily consumption of fruit, raw vegetables, cheese, vegetable oils and fish. In this group, the consumption of salty (p = 0.0226) or fatty (p < 0.0001) foods was significantly higher. It was shown that, after adjusting for age, education and the type of work, the daily consumption of fish, salads and cooked vegetables, as well as fruit and vegetable oils, significantly reduced the risk of myocardial infarction. An increased MI risk was, in turn, associated with obesity and preference for fatty foods. Conclusions: The authors found that diet significantly modified the MI risk in the examined workers. This indicates that an important aspect of prevention activities among working people should involve education about proper dietary habits Dietary Inflammatory Index and Non-Communicable Disease Risk: A Narrative Review. Phillips, Catherine M; Chen, Ling-Wei; Heude, Barbara; Bernard, Jonathan Y; Harvey, Nicholas C; Duijts, Liesbeth; Mensink-Bout, Sara M; Polanska, Kinga; Mancano, Giulia; Suderman, Matthew; et al. (2019-08-12) There are over 1,000,000 publications on diet and health and over 480,000 references on inflammation in the National Library of Medicine database. In addition, there have now been over 30,000 peer-reviewed articles published on the relationship between diet, inflammation, and health outcomes. Based on this voluminous literature, it is now recognized that low-grade, chronic systemic inflammation is associated with most non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as impaired neurodevelopment and adverse mental health outcomes. Dietary components modulate inflammatory status. In recent years, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), a literature-derived dietary index, was developed to characterize the inflammatory potential of habitual diet. Subsequently, a large and rapidly growing body of research investigating associations between dietary inflammatory potential, determined by the DII, and risk of a wide range of NCDs has emerged. In this narrative review, we examine the current state of the science regarding relationships between the DII and cancer, cardiometabolic, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases, neurodevelopment, and adverse mental health outcomes. We synthesize the findings from recent studies, discuss potential underlying mechanisms, and look to the future regarding novel applications of the adult and children's DII (C-DII) scores and new avenues of investigation in this field of nutritional research. Dietary Patterns and Their Relationship With Semen Quality. Jurewicz, Joanna; Radwan, Michał; Sobala, Wojciech; Radwan, Paweł; Bochenek, Michał; Hanke, Wojciech; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018-05) Diet is a complex exposure variable, which calls for multiple approaches to examine the relationship between diet and disease risk. To address these issues, several authors have recently proposed studying overall dietary patterns by considering how foods and nutrients are consumed in combinations. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between dietary patterns, semen quality parameters, and the level of reproductive hormones. The study population consisted of 336 men who attended the infertility clinic for diagnostic purposes and who had normal semen concentration of 20 to 300 mln/ml or slight oligozoospermia (semen concentration of 15-20 mln/ml). Participants were interviewed, and a semen sample was provided by them. Diet was assessed via food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis. Men were classified into three groups according to scores of each dietary pattern: Western, Mixed, or Prudent. A positive association was observed between sperm concentration and Prudent dietary pattern, and level of testosterone and Prudent dietary pattern ( p = .05, p = .03, respectively). Additionally, Prudent dietary pattern was identified to decrease the DNA fragmentation index ( p = .05). The results were adjusted for sexual abstinence, age, smoking, past diseases, and alcohol consumption. Higher consumption of a Prudent dietary pattern was associated with higher sperm concentration and higher level of testosterone. Sperm chromatin structure was inversely related to higher consumption of a Prudent dietary pattern. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and extend these results to other populations. Differences in nutritional status of preschool children in the context of the maternal social characteristics. Potocka, Adrianna; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (2017-07-14) It is generally accepted that maternal factors are important in maintaining the adequate nutritional status of young children. This study was aimed at verifying whether mother's socio-demographic (age and relationship status) and socio-economic features (education and professional status) differentiate the child's nutritional status. The distribution and excretion of 1-Methylnaphthalene in rats exposed to 1-Methylnaphthalene by inhalation. Świercz, Radosław; Wąsowicz, Wojciech; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018-12-20) 1-Methylnaphthalene (1-MN) is a constituent of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the chemicals that have become ubiquitous in the environment as result of natural and industrial process. This paper reports a study on the distribution and excretion of 1-MN in rats after single and repeated inhalation exposure to 1-MN vapor. Male Wistar rats were exposed to 1-MN vapor at nominal concentrations of 50 mg/m3 or 200 mg/m3 in the dynamic inhalation chambers (TSE Systems Head Nose Only Exposure) for 6 h (single exposure) or 5 days (6 h/day, repeated exposure). Blood, urine and tissue samples were collected during and after the exposure. Blood, urine and tissue concentrations of 1-MN were estimated by gas chromatography using the headspace technique. The elimination of 1-MN from blood followed an open 2-compartment model. The concentration in rat tissues was dependent on the magnitude and time of exposure. After repeated exposure, the concentration 1-MN in tissue decreased in comparison to single exposure. The elimination of 1-MN with urine after single and repeated exposure to 1-MN occurred mainly in the samples collected during the first day of collection. 1-Methylnaphthalene was rapidly eliminated from the blood and tissues of animals exposed by inhalation to 1-MN. In repeated exposure, there was probably a significant increase of 1-MN metabolism in rats exposed to low and high 1-MN doses. Under conditions of repeated 1-MN exposure, no significant systemic 1-MN accumulation could be observed. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(6):763-770. Do hearing threshold levels in workers of the furniture industry reflect their exposure to noise? Pawlaczyk-Luszczynska, Malgorzata; Dudarewicz, Adam; Czaja, Norman; Bortkiewicz, Alicja; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland; Przychodnia „Mój Lekarz” / Out-Patient Clinic “Mój Lekarz”, Brodnica, Poland (2016) Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the hearing status of employees of a furniture factory with respect to their exposure to noise and the presence of additional risk factors of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Material and Methods: Noise measurements, questionnaire survey and assessment of hearing, using pure tone audiometry, were carried out in 50 male workers, aged 20–57 years, directly employed in the manufacture of furniture. The actual workers’ hearing threshold levels (HTLs) were compared with the predictions calculated according to PN-ISO 1999:2000 based on age, gender and noise exposure. Results: Workers under study were exposed to noise at daily noise exposure levels of 82.7–94.8 dB (mean: 90.9 dB) for a period of 3–14 years. In all subjects, mean HTL at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz did not exceed 25 dB. Nevertheless, high frequency notches were found in 11% of audiograms. The actual workers’ HTLs at 3000–6000 Hz were similar to those predicted using PN-ISO 1999:2000. There were statistical significant differences between HTLs in subgroups of people with higher (> 78 mm Hg) and lower (≤ 78 mm Hg) diastolic blood pressure, smokers and non-smokers, and those working with organic solvents. Hearing loss was more evident in subjects affected by the additional risk factors specified above. Conclusions: The results confirm the need to consider, in addition to noise, also some other NIHL risk factors, such as tobacco smoking, elevated blood pressure, and co-exposure to organic solvents when estimating the risk of NIHL and developing the hearing conservation programs for workers. Does the air condition system in busses spread allergic fungi into driver space? Sowiak, Malgorzata; Kozajda, Anna; Jezak, Karolina; Szadkowska-Stanczyk, Irena; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland (2017-12-05) The aim of this study was to establish whether the air-conditioning system in buses constitutes an additional source of indoor air contamination with fungi, and whether or not the fungi concentration depends on the period from the last disinfection of the system, combined with replacement of the cabin dust particle filter. The air samples to fungi analysis using impact method were taken in 30 buses (20 with an air-conditioning system, ACS; 10 with a ventilation system, VS) in two series: 1 and 22 weeks after cabin filter replacement and disinfection of the air-conditioning system. During one test in each bus were taken two samples: before the air-conditioning or ventilation system switched on and 6 min after operating of these systems. The atmospheric air was the external background (EB). After 1 week of use of the system, the fungi concentrations before starting of the ACS and VS system were 527.8 and 1053.0 cfu/m3, respectively, and after 22 weeks the concentrations were 351.9 and 1069.6 cfu/m3, respectively. While in the sample after 6 min of ACS and VS system operating, the fungi concentration after 1 week of use was 127.6 and 233.7 cfu/m3, respectively, and after 22 weeks it was 113.3 and 324.9 cfu/m3, respectively. Results do not provide strong evidence that air-conditioning system is an additional source of indoor air contamination with fungi. A longer operation of the system promoted increase of fungi concentration in air-conditioned buses only. Duration of breastfeeding and psychomotor development in 1-year-old children - Polish Mother and Child Cohort Study. Stelmach, Iwona; Kwarta, Paulina; Jerzyńska, Joanna; Stelmach, Włodzimierz; Krakowiak, Jan; Karbownik, Michał; Podlecka, Daniela; Hanke, Wojciech; Polańska, Kinga; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2019-04-03) The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between breastfeeding duration and child neurodevelopment based on the Polish Mother and Child Cohort Study. The current analysis included 501 mother-child pairs. The analysis evaluating the association between the length of breastfeeding and child neurodevelopment considered the following variables: maternal age and body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, parental level of education, marital status, socioeconomic status, child gender, birthweight, type of delivery, preterm delivery, pre- and postnatal exposure to tobacco constituents and child day care attendance. Psychomotor development was assessed in 1-year-olds on the <i>Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development</i>. The length of breastfeeding correlated positively with maternal age at delivery (ρ = 0.13), maternal and paternal level of education (ρ = 0.2 and ρ = 0.14 respectively), birthweight (ρ = 0.1) and marital status (ρ = 0.16) (p < 0.05). A negative correlation between the length of breastfeeding and maternal smoking status during the first year after delivery (ρ = -0.19) and weight gain during pregnancy (r = -0.1) was observed (p < 0.05). The association between the duration of breastfeeding and child development was not statistically significant in the model with the inclusion of confounding variables. A significant association between language development and maternal level of education (p = 0.004), gender of the child (p = 0.0007) and maternal weight gain during pregnancy (p = 0.01) was found. A negative association between cognitive development and maternal salivary cotinine during pregnancy (p = 0.03) and a negative association between motor development and maternal smoking status during the first year after delivery (p = 0.007) were also found. This study found no significant association between the duration of breastfeeding and child development after adjustment for confounders. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(2):175-84. An ecohydrological approach to the river contamination by PCDDs, PCDFs and dl-PCBs - concentrations, distribution and removal using phytoremediation techniques. Urbaniak, M; Kiedrzyńska, E; Wyrwicka, A; Zieliński, M; Mierzejewska, E; Kiedrzyński, M; Kannan, K; Zalewski, M; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2019-12-17) The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the Pilica River and Sulejów Reservoir were found to be 46% higher during the flood season than during stable flow periods. In addition, PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB mass loads increased by 5- to 12-fold and by 23- to 60-fold for toxic equivalency (TEQ) during flooding. The Sulejów Reservoir was found to play a positive role in reducing PCDD, PCDF and dl-PCB transport within the study period, with reductions ranging from 17 to 83% for total concentrations, and 33 to 79% for TEQ. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTPs) were not efficient at mass concentration removal, with small displaying the least efficiency. WTPs discharge pollutants into the aquatic environment, they also produce sludge that requires disposal, similar to reservoir sediments. Sludge- or sediment-born PCDDs, PCDFs and dl-PCBs may be removed using phytoremediation. The cultivation of cucumber and zucchini, two efficient phytoremediators of organic pollutants, on polluted substrate resulted in a mean decrease in PCDD + PCDF + dl-PCB TEQ concentrations: 64% for cucumber and 69% for zucchini in sludge-amended soil, and by 52% for cucumber and 51% for zucchini in sediment-amended soil. Effect of Arsenic Exposure on NRF2-KEAP1 Pathway and Epigenetic Modification. Janasik, Beata; Reszka, Edyta; Stanislawska, Magdalena; Jablonska, Ewa; Kuras, Renata; Wieczorek, Edyta; Malachowska, Beata; Fendler, Wojciech; Wasowicz, Wojciech; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland (2017-12-15) Arsenic (As) is a known toxic element and carcinogen. Transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) controls cellular adaptation to oxidants and electrophiles by inducing antioxidant genes in response to redox stress. To explore associations between As level and NRF2-regulated cytoprotective genes expression, an observational study was conducted in a population of 61 occupationally exposed men with median (Me) age 50 years (interquartile range (IQR) 42-54) and in a control group of 52 men aged 40 (IQR 31-51.5) without occupational exposure. NRF2, KEAP1, GSTP1, HMOX1, NQO1, PRDX1, and TXNRD1 transcript levels were determined by means of quantitative real-time PCR along with the gene expression, methylation of NRF2 and KEAP1, as well as global DNA methylation were assessed. The median urine As tot. level in the exposed and control group was found to be 21.8 μg/g creat. (IQR 15.5-39.8 μg/g creat.) and 3.8 μg/g creat. (IQR 2.5-9.3) (p < 0.001). Global DNA methylation was significantly higher in occupationally exposed workers than in controls (Me 14.1 (IQR 9.5-18.1) vs Me 8.5 (IQR 5.9-12.6) p < 0.0001). NRF2 mRNA level was positively correlated with expression of all investigated NRF2-target genes in both groups (0.37 > R < 0.76, all p values < 0.0001). The multivariate linear regression adjusting for global methylation showed that As(III) level was significantly associated with expression of TXNRD1, GSTP1, HMOX1, and PRDX1. The results of this study indicate that arsenic occupational exposure is positively associated with global DNA methylation. The findings provide evidence for rather inactivation of NRF2-KEAP1 pathway in response to chronic arsenic exposure. Effect of environmental phthalate exposure on pregnancy duration and birth outcomes Polanska, Kinga; Ligocka, Danuta; Sobala, Wojciech; Hanke, Wojciech; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland (2016) Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of phthalate exposure on pregnancy duration and birth outcomes based on the Polish Mother and Child Cohort (REPRO_PL). Material and Methods: Phthalate exposure was determined by measuring 11 phthalate metabolites (mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), 3OH-mono-n-butyl phthalate (OH-MnBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono‑(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono-hydroxy-iso-nonyl phthalate (MHiNP), mono-oxo-iso-nonyl phthalate (MOiNP), and mono-n-octyl phthalate (MOP)) in the urine collected from 165 mothers during the third trimester of pregnancy by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The following measures at birth were considered: gestational age, birth weight, length as well as head and chest circumference. Results: Pregnancy duration was inversely associated with natural log concentrations (μg/g creatinine) of MEP (standardized regression coefficient (β) = –0.2, p = 0.04) after adjustment for a variety of confounders. Significant impact of MOiNP on head circumference (β = –0.1, p = 0.05) was also observed. Conclusions: The study findings add further support to the hypothesis that phthalate exposure may be associated with shorter pregnancy duration and a decreased head circumference, and underscore importance of public health interventions to reduce that exposure. The effect of prenatal exposure on disposition of hexachloronaphthalene in female Wistar rats and fetal compartment. Stragierowicz, Joanna; Sitarek, Krystyna; Grobelski, Bartłomiej; Kilanowicz, Anna; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018-10-24) Due to structural and toxicological similarities to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were included in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in 2015. Hexachloronaphthalene (HxCN) is considered to be one of the most toxic congeners of PCNs. The objective of this study was to determine the maternal and fetal tissue concentrations of hexachloronaphthalene after a single administration. The effect of repeated cadmium oral exposure on the level of sex hormones, estrous cyclicity, and endometrium morphometry in female rats. Nasiadek, Marzenna; Danilewicz, Marian; Sitarek, Krystyna; Świątkowska, Ewa; Daragó, Adam; Stragierowicz, Joanna; Kilanowicz, Anna; Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (2018-10) Cadmium (Cd) is regarded as a potential endocrine disruptor. However, the exact mechanism by which this metal may interfere with the reproductive system has not yet been elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of subacute Cd oral administration at daily doses of 0.09, 1.8, and 4.5 mgCd/kg b.w. and the impact of Cd on sex hormones (estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P)) in the plasma and uterus, as well as on estrous cyclicity and histopathological changes in uterine and ovary in female rats after terminating the exposure and after a prolonged observation period (3 months). Moreover, Cd bioaccumulation in the uterine and brain tissue of rats was analyzed. The study revealed that oral Cd exposure induced changes in the plasma levels of steroid hormones: decrease in E2 and increase in P after the highest dose of Cd. Probably, for the first time, it was evidenced that circulation sex hormone disturbances in Cd-exposed rats caused irregular estrous cycle, persisting for 3 months after exposure termination; no alterations in these hormone levels in uterine tissue were noted. Cd did not induce estradiol-like hyperplasia of endometrium, but resulted in endometrial edema irrespective of the dose, and caused damage of the ovaries after the highest dose. In summary, subacute oral exposure of female rats to Cd may lead to long-term disturbances in reproductive system.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24507
__label__cc	0.651462	0.348538	General Motors Diesel General Motors Diesel was a Canadian railway diesel locomotive manufacturer. General Motors Diesel, Limited, was created in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro Motive Division of General Motors located in the United States. Tariffs protected Canadian manufacturers against imported goods, thus many companies wanting to do business in Canada set up controlled or wholly owned subsidiaries in Canada. Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in Montreal, Quebec, was created for just this reason building steam locomotives and later diesel (diesel-electric) locomotives to the designs of U.S. parent Alco (American Locomotive Company). Likewise, the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC) in Kingston, Ontario built steam and diesel locomotives to their own designs, and those of other manufacturers such as Baldwin Locomotive Works and later Fairbanks-Morse. Diesel-electric locomotives were built in Canada beginning in 1928 and continuing to the present. The earliest diesels were custom built one-of-a-kind designs such as Canadian National Railways numbers 9000 and 9001 and Canadian Pacific Railway number 7000. After these unique locomotives, the railways turned to more traditional designs built in the US and imported to Canada such as the Alco S-2 and EMD NW2 (both 1,000 hp) yard switchers. The growing market for diesels in Canada meant it became worthwhile to build facilities in Canada to avoid import duties. While MLW and CLC both utilized existing steam locomotive erecting shops in Montreal and Kingston, respectively; General Motors, never having built steam locomotives, required a new facility. General Motors Diesel selected a site on the outskirts of London, Ontario, for this plant. It opened in 1950, eventually expanding several times to 208 acres (842,000 m2) and branching out into building transit buses, earth movers (Terex 1965-1980) and military vehicles built at adjacent facilities. Originally designed to produce one unit per day, it was some time before that volume of orders were received. It was later expanded to one and one half units per day. La Grange, as the US plant was referred to, eventually could produce six units per day. The first diesel locomotive built was Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway (TH&B) number 71, one of four model GP7 1,500 hp (1100 kW) road switchers. It was however, not the first order (C-100) received, which was from Canadian Pacific for ten model FP7A 1,500 hp (1100 kW) A units of the "covered wagon" style of carbody. The two orders were on the shop floor under construction at the same time and it was TH&B 71 which was completed first and delivered on August 25 along with 72. Pairs of A units were delivered commencing with CP numbers 4028 and 4029 on September 14 and continuing until November 11. TH&B 71 cost $191,712 at the time. For comparison, Alco 1,000 hp (750 kW) yard switchers built in Schenectady, New York cost $115,000 including duty, while CPR G5 class 4-6-2 steam locomotives cost $88,000. The benefit of diesels over steam was largely their reduced operating costs compared to steam, but they had to be kept going to pay for themselves. Increased utilization was key to their cost benefits. Steam locomotives were inherently labor-intensive machines to operate even though less expensive to buy and operate than diesels. The greatest savings were to be had in yard service where switching often meant idle time. It was here that diesels made their first major inroads into the scene. Early road diesels were less dependable than yard engines and failure on the road away from a quick replacement engine would affect operations. Railways were not always willing to trust diesels with passenger trains that were themselves an advertisement for the railway, nor on freight trains that paid the bills. GMD built units for export, a significant amount of business supported by government grants to foreign countries. GMD also built some experimental diesel-hydraulic locomotives and straight electric units as well, although neither were more than a tiny percentage of production. General Motors Diesel Ltd. became the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada Ltd. on February 1, 1969, in a consolidation of all Canadian properties. Once dominant in North American diesel locomotive production having seen Baldwin, Fairbanks-Morse, Lima, Hamilton, Alco, MLW and CLC all fall by the wayside, General Motors fell under intense competition from General Electric (GE). GE expanded beyond its early production of small locomotives, much of it for small and medium size industries, into large mainline road locomotives for Class I railroad. EMD closed their main Chicago area locomotive plant in nearby La Grange, Illinois, in 1991, after which the London plant supplied US customers under the Free Trade agreement between Canada and the United States. On April 4, 2005, GM sold its EMD subsidiary and the former GMD plant in London and the EMD plant in La Grange to a partnership between Greenbriar Equity Group LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC. The new owners announced that EMD would be keeping its initialization, however the company was being renamed to Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.'s Canadian operations in London are now referred to as Electro-Motive Canada. Canadian National Railway Canadian Pacific Railway Direct Rail Services Fastline FirstGBRf New Zealand Government Railways NMBS Norfolk Southern Sri Lanka Government Railway Metropolitano S.A. General Motors Diesel Division List of GMD Locomotives History of General Motors Diesel v · d · eNorth American locomotive builders ALCO • Alco-GE • Altoona Works • Atlas • Baldwin • Bombardier • Brooks • Brookville • CLC • Climax • Cooke • Davenport • Dickson • EMD • Fairbanks-Morse • GE Transportation • GMD • Globe • Grant • Harlan and Hollingsworth • Hinkley • Ingalls • Jewett • Lima • Manchester • Mason • MLW • Mount Clare Shops • Mount Savage • NREC • Norris • Pittsburgh • Porter • Portland • Progress Rail Services • Railpower • Rhode Island • Richmond • Rogers • Schenectady • SLCC • Taunton • Tredegar • Vulcan • Wabtec • Westinghouse • Whitcomb • Willamette See also: List of locomotive builders v · d · eGeneral Motors GM lists GM factories · GM platforms · GM engines · GM transmissions · GM vehicles by brand Divisions / operating groups / ACDelco · Ally (4.0%) · CAMI Automotive · Chevrolet Europe · Coskata, Inc. · DMAX (engines) (50%) · GM Financial · GM Performance Division · GM Powertrain Torino · General Motors América do Sul · General Motors Canada · GM Korea · General Motors de Mexico · General Motors do Brasil · General Motors India (Chevrolet Sales India Private Limited, Opel India Private Limited) · General Motors Research Laboratories · General Motors South Africa · Global Hybrid Cooperation · GM Components Holdings · GM Goodwrench · GM Manufacturing Luton · GM Service and Parts Operations · GM Ventures · Holden · Holden New Zealand · Holden Special Vehicles · HRL Laboratories (50%) · Isuzu Motors Polska · OnStar · Opel · Opel Performance Center · Vauxhall Motors Former divisions and joint ventures Allison Engine Company (1929–1995) · Allison Transmission (1929–2007) · Atlantic Aircraft · Dayton-Wright Company (1919–1923) · Delco Electronics · Delphi Automotive Systems (1994-1999) · Detroit Diesel (1938–1988) · DirecTV (1994–2003) · Electro-Motive Diesel (1930–2004) · Electronic Data Systems (1984–1996) · Euclid Trucks (1953–1968) · Fisher Body · Fleetwood Metal Body · Frigidaire (1919–1980) · General Motors Europe (1986–2010) · General Motors Diesel Division (1938–1987) · General Motors Diesel (1949–1969) · Ghandhara Industries (1953–1963) · GM Defense (1950–2003) · GMAC Real Estate(1998-2008) · GM Truck & Bus Group (1943–1981) · GMC Heavy Trucks · Hughes Aircraft (1985–1997) · Hughes Electronics (1985–1997) · Hughes Network Systems (1987–2003) · HughesNet (DirecWay/DirecPC) (1996–2003) · Kettering University · National City Lines · New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI; 1984–2009) · New Venture Gear (36%, 1990–2002) · Nexteer (2009–2010) · North American Aviation (1933–1948) · Nuvell Financial Services (1997–2008) · PanAmSat (1995–2003) · Remy Electric (1918–1994) · Rochester Products Division · Terex · Saturn Corporation (1985–2010) · Terminal Taxi Cab · United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI; 1989–1996) · Winton Motor Carriage Company · Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company (1925–1943) Category · Commons v · d · eAutomotive marques of General Motors, and those of its affiliates and former affiliates Baojun • Buick • Cadillac • Chevrolet • GMC • Holden • Opel • Vauxhall • Wuling GM-AvtoVAZ • GM Korea (70.1%) • Shanghai GM (49%) • SAIC-GM-Wuling (34%) Former affiliates Fiat (2000–2005; up to 20%) • Isuzu (c.1971–2006; up to 49%) • Lotus (c.1986–1993; up to 100%) • Saab (c.1989–2010; up to 100%) • Subaru (c.1999–2006; 20%) • Suzuki (1985–2008; up to 15%) Defunct marques Acadian (1962–1971) • Asüna (1992–1995) • Beaumont (1966–1969) • Bedford Vehicles (1930–1986) • Cartercar (1905–1915) • Daewoo (1937–2011) • Elmore (1893–1912) • Geo (1989–1997) • Hummer (1992–2010) • LaSalle (1927–1940) • Marquette (1929–1930) • McLaughlin (1918–1942) • Oakland (1907–1931) • Oldsmobile (1897–2004) • Passport (1988–1991) • Pontiac (1926–2010) • Ranger (1968–1976) • Saturn (1985–2010) • Scripps-Booth (1913–1923) • Sheridan (1920–1921) • Statesman (1971–1984) • Viking (1929–1931) • Yellow Coach (1925–1943) Locomotive manufacturers of Canada Defunct manufacturing companies of Canada GMD locomotives General Motors subsidiaries America's Secret War Funeral march Diesel - получить на Академике актуальный промокод на скидку Kupivip RU или выгодно diesel купить с дисконтом на распродаже в Kupivip RU General Motors Diesel Division — was once a unit of General Motors and manufactured products like locomotives, transit buses and military products.The locomotive unit was acquired by private investors, the transit bus divisions were purchased by TMC in the U.S. and MCI in Canada … Wikipedia General Motors — Company Type Public Traded as NYSE: GM TSX: … Wikipedia General Motors — Тип … Википедия General Motors Europe — Ltd Former type subsidiary of General Motors Industry Automotive Succ … Wikipedia General Motors South Africa — Type Wholly owned subsidiary Industry Automotive Predecessor Delta Motor Corporation (1987 2003) … Wikipedia General Motors do Brasil — Type Wholly owned subsidiary Industry Automotive Founded (1925) … Wikipedia General Motors of Canada — Rechtsform Gründung 1918 Sitz Oshawa, Ontario Kanada &# … Deutsch Wikipedia General Motors Electro-Motive Division — Electro Motive Diesel, Inc. (EMD, bis 2005 General Motors Electro Motive Division) ist derzeit der zweitgrößte Hersteller von Lokomotiven auf der Welt. Der härteste Konkurrent ist General Electric, der Mitte der 1980er Jahre den ersten Platz von… … Deutsch Wikipedia General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization — The General Motors Chapter 11 sale of the assets of automobile manufacturer General Motors and some of its subsidiaries was implemented through section 363 of Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the… … Wikipedia General Motors — Pour les articles homonymes, voir GM (homonymie). Création 1908 (à Détr … Wikipédia en Français	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24511
__label__cc	0.508545	0.491455	Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/209 12S. X. MAR. 4, 1922.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 167 On p. 304, Canon Mifsud, after stating that " the Order became the statutory heir of the professed Knight of Malta in respect of that part of his estate of which he had not disposed before making his profession in religion," goes on thus : This was in virtue of the Canon Jaw Quidquid acquirit monachus, monasterio acquiril. The declaration of expropriation usually made by the Knights was not so much a testament as a state- ment of assets and liabilities to serve as guide in the framing and checking of their " spoils." Thus, the declaration of expropriation made by -Sir John Kendall, Grand Prior of England, in the deeds of Notary William Ylton, on the 14th of February 1501, was held by the Council of the Order at Ehodes on the 8th of February 1503 to be null and void, inasmuch as Sir John had .acted against the statutes by appointing heirs and making bequests. In 1499 " Johannes Kendal prior sancti Johannis Jerusalem in Anglia " was on the panel at the trial of Edward, Earl of War- wick (see L. W. Vernon Harcourt, ' His Orace the Steward,' at p. 465). JOHN B. WAINE WRIGHT. EMERSON AND DR. JOHNSON. Reading recently Dr. Johnson's description of a poet in ' Rasselas ' I was struck with the general resemblance that parts of it bear to Emerson's exposition of the duties of the scholar in his famous address on " the American Scholar " and in his ' Literary Ethics,' though there is, of course, an immense difference between the light, delicate, nervous style in which Emerson veils his ideas and the ponderous, unornamented pomposity of the Johnsonian phraseology. Johnson, like Emerson, is really laying down rules for the man who, with a high purpose, devotes his life to the pursuit of knowledge, and is not describing a poet in our narrower sense of the word. The following are the points of resemblance that I .noted : 1. He must divest himself of the prejudices of his age and country (Johnson). He is one who raises himself from private oonsiderations and breathes and lives on public and illustrious thoughts (Emerson). 2. He must know many languages and many sciences (Johnson). He must be be an university of knowledges (Emerson). 3. He must disregard present law and opinions . . . content himself with the slow progress of his name, contemn the applause of his own time (Johnson). (He must) defer never to the popular cry . . . let him seek the shade and find wisdom in neglect ... in the long period of his preparation he must betray often an ignorance and shiftlessness in popular arts, incurring the disdain of the able who shoulder him aside (Emerson). 4. He must write as the interpreter of nature (Johnson). Bend to the persuasion which is flowing to you from every object in nature to be its tongue to the heart of men (Emerson). Emerson, I believe, also 1 went to Fichte for some of his ideas on this subject. T. PERCY ARMSTRONG. The Authors' Club, Whitehall, S.W. ST. DUNSTAN'S, REGENT'S PARK. It may not be generally known that the house used by the late Sir Arthur Pearson for his training institution for blind ex -service men was once the residence of a noted collector, the late Mr. Henry H. Gibbs. There is in existence his ' Catalogue of some printed Books and Manuscripts at St. Dunstan's, Regent's Park, and Aldenham House, Berks ' (roxburghe binding, 4to ; privately printed, 1888). A presentation copy, with photo and autograph letter (lot 3219) was in the Huth collection and sold at Sotheby's, June 6, 1913. ANDREW DE TERN ANT. 36, Somerleyton-road, Brixton, S.W. WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to then' queries in order that answers mav be sent to them direct. TEMPORARY FORDS: "SAND." In an Inquisition, as to the Sewers of Lincolnshire of July 2, 25 Eliz., in the possession, in 1851 (when it was printed : B.M., 8775, c. 73), of William Sowerby, Esq., of Messing - ham, Lines, is a provision (p. 12) : That the Township of Burringham in making their warthes or fordes over the aforesaid dytches do not cast in more sand then is needfull for passage of their cattell into the Northmoores. It seems unlikely that ordinary sand would be available for this purpose or would be effective. It is possible that some sort of gravel is meant ? Are there other instances of temporary fords ? How was the " sand " prevented from being washed away immediately ? Q. V. " SOWMOYS." By a deed of 1500, enrolled on the Roll of the Great Seal of Scotland of the same year (printed 1882, at p. 542), a grantor concessit annuum redditum 10 librarum de terris dominii de Cavertoun, vie. Roxburgh, et duo cotagia proximo adjacentia occidentalem partem pomarii ejusdem . . . et pratum vul- Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Page:Notes_and_Queries_-_Series_12_-_Volume_10.djvu/209&oldid=9447019" Last edited on 16 July 2019, at 13:14	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24514
__label__cc	0.724788	0.275212	Introducing Hooks Hooks are a new addition in React 16.8. They let you use state and other React features without writing a class. import React, { useState } from 'react'; function Example() { // Declare a new state variable, which we'll call "count" const [count, setCount] = useState(0); <p>You clicked {count} times</p> <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}> This new function useState is the first “Hook” we’ll learn about, but this example is just a teaser. Don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense yet! You can start learning Hooks on the next page. On this page, we’ll continue by explaining why we’re adding Hooks to React and how they can help you write great applications. React 16.8.0 is the first release to support Hooks. When upgrading, don’t forget to update all packages, including React DOM. React Native supports Hooks since the 0.59 release of React Native. At React Conf 2018, Sophie Alpert and Dan Abramov introduced Hooks, followed by Ryan Florence demonstrating how to refactor an application to use them. Watch the video here: No Breaking Changes Before we continue, note that Hooks are: Completely opt-in. You can try Hooks in a few components without rewriting any existing code. But you don’t have to learn or use Hooks right now if you don’t want to. 100% backwards-compatible. Hooks don’t contain any breaking changes. Available now. Hooks are now available with the release of v16.8.0. There are no plans to remove classes from React. You can read more about the gradual adoption strategy for Hooks in the bottom section of this page. Hooks don’t replace your knowledge of React concepts. Instead, Hooks provide a more direct API to the React concepts you already know: props, state, context, refs, and lifecycle. As we will show later, Hooks also offer a new powerful way to combine them. If you just want to start learning Hooks, feel free to jump directly to the next page! You can also keep reading this page to learn more about why we’re adding Hooks, and how we’re going to start using them without rewriting our applications. Hooks solve a wide variety of seemingly unconnected problems in React that we’ve encountered over five years of writing and maintaining tens of thousands of components. Whether you’re learning React, use it daily, or even prefer a different library with a similar component model, you might recognize some of these problems. It’s hard to reuse stateful logic between components React doesn’t offer a way to “attach” reusable behavior to a component (for example, connecting it to a store). If you’ve worked with React for a while, you may be familiar with patterns like render props and higher-order components that try to solve this. But these patterns require you to restructure your components when you use them, which can be cumbersome and make code harder to follow. If you look at a typical React application in React DevTools, you will likely find a “wrapper hell” of components surrounded by layers of providers, consumers, higher-order components, render props, and other abstractions. While we could filter them out in DevTools, this points to a deeper underlying problem: React needs a better primitive for sharing stateful logic. With Hooks, you can extract stateful logic from a component so it can be tested independently and reused. Hooks allow you to reuse stateful logic without changing your component hierarchy. This makes it easy to share Hooks among many components or with the community. We’ll discuss this more in Building Your Own Hooks. Complex components become hard to understand We’ve often had to maintain components that started out simple but grew into an unmanageable mess of stateful logic and side effects. Each lifecycle method often contains a mix of unrelated logic. For example, components might perform some data fetching in componentDidMount and componentDidUpdate. However, the same componentDidMount method might also contain some unrelated logic that sets up event listeners, with cleanup performed in componentWillUnmount. Mutually related code that changes together gets split apart, but completely unrelated code ends up combined in a single method. This makes it too easy to introduce bugs and inconsistencies. In many cases it’s not possible to break these components into smaller ones because the stateful logic is all over the place. It’s also difficult to test them. This is one of the reasons many people prefer to combine React with a separate state management library. However, that often introduces too much abstraction, requires you to jump between different files, and makes reusing components more difficult. To solve this, Hooks let you split one component into smaller functions based on what pieces are related (such as setting up a subscription or fetching data), rather than forcing a split based on lifecycle methods. You may also opt into managing the component’s local state with a reducer to make it more predictable. We’ll discuss this more in Using the Effect Hook. Classes confuse both people and machines In addition to making code reuse and code organization more difficult, we’ve found that classes can be a large barrier to learning React. You have to understand how this works in JavaScript, which is very different from how it works in most languages. You have to remember to bind the event handlers. Without unstable syntax proposals, the code is very verbose. People can understand props, state, and top-down data flow perfectly well but still struggle with classes. The distinction between function and class components in React and when to use each one leads to disagreements even between experienced React developers. Additionally, React has been out for about five years, and we want to make sure it stays relevant in the next five years. As Svelte, Angular, Glimmer, and others show, ahead-of-time compilation of components has a lot of future potential. Especially if it’s not limited to templates. Recently, we’ve been experimenting with component folding using Prepack, and we’ve seen promising early results. However, we found that class components can encourage unintentional patterns that make these optimizations fall back to a slower path. Classes present issues for today’s tools, too. For example, classes don’t minify very well, and they make hot reloading flaky and unreliable. We want to present an API that makes it more likely for code to stay on the optimizable path. To solve these problems, Hooks let you use more of React’s features without classes. Conceptually, React components have always been closer to functions. Hooks embrace functions, but without sacrificing the practical spirit of React. Hooks provide access to imperative escape hatches and don’t require you to learn complex functional or reactive programming techniques. Hooks at a Glance is a good place to start learning Hooks. Gradual Adoption Strategy TLDR: There are no plans to remove classes from React. We know that React developers are focused on shipping products and don’t have time to look into every new API that’s being released. Hooks are very new, and it might be better to wait for more examples and tutorials before considering learning or adopting them. We also understand that the bar for adding a new primitive to React is extremely high. For curious readers, we have prepared a detailed RFC that dives into motivation with more details, and provides extra perspective on the specific design decisions and related prior art. Crucially, Hooks work side-by-side with existing code so you can adopt them gradually. There is no rush to migrate to Hooks. We recommend avoiding any “big rewrites”, especially for existing, complex class components. It takes a bit of a mindshift to start “thinking in Hooks”. In our experience, it’s best to practice using Hooks in new and non-critical components first, and ensure that everybody on your team feels comfortable with them. After you give Hooks a try, please feel free to send us feedback, positive or negative. We intend for Hooks to cover all existing use cases for classes, but we will keep supporting class components for the foreseeable future. At Facebook, we have tens of thousands of components written as classes, and we have absolutely no plans to rewrite them. Instead, we are starting to use Hooks in the new code side by side with classes. We’ve prepared a Hooks FAQ page that answers the most common questions about Hooks. By the end of this page, you should have a rough idea of what problems Hooks are solving, but many details are probably unclear. Don’t worry! Let’s now go to the next page where we start learning about Hooks by example. Hooks at a Glance	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24515
__label__cc	0.600598	0.399402	t’s scary and unfair: why I’m striking over university pensions usbUniversity As members of the University and College Union, including myself, gear up for the upcoming wave of strikes, I find myself wondering how we should communicate to students and the wider public what we’re doing and why. I find this a very difficult subject to broach. I love teaching and care deeply about my students. We’ve had such wonderfully productive sessions, so many fascinating ideas and critical questions. I’m not depriving students of lessons because of anything they’ve done. I’m striking because the Universities Superannuation Scheme is making our pensions much riskier and smaller. We stand to lose £10,000 every year after retirement – an estimated £200,000 in total. This is really scary and feels unfair. We have tried to reason with our institutions but they have not listened. So we are striking for 14 days in late February and early March, depending on the university. We are so terrified about what the cuts to our pensions might mean for our future that we are choosing to strike and to not be paid for these days. In this action we are supported by the National Union of Students. Lecturers, administrative staff and students will be protesting outside universities, taking adversarial action to discourage anyone from entering the building. We are not rescheduling lectures or providing online learning material. However, essays and exams will still be set on these subjects and marked as usual. It grieves us to hurt students in this way, and I understand why some are now demanding compensation for missed teaching time. But we can only motivate reform by maximising disruption. Just as women won the vote through protests, rallies and direct action, so too must we disrupt the status quo. Truth be told, the goal is to make students angry and annoyed, so that they complain, and eventually that our universities protect our pensions. Students and universities have the power to end this. But strikes don’t just incentivise reform, they can also shift norm perceptions, our beliefs about what others think and do. If everyone goes along with the status quo, we assume collective approval, not recognising that others may be privately critical. We may become despondent and pessimistic, sceptical of wider support and doubtful that change is possible. Without hope, we too conform, we go with the flow. We only revise our norm perceptions when we witness behavioural change – if we see widespread public critique, resistance and disruption. But obviously if everyone complies, we will not see any behavioural change. And we will be reluctant to deviate unilaterally – knowing this is individually costly and unlikely to secure success. So we follow the herd, think change impossible and sleepwalk into a neoliberal nightmare. You already know the ending to this sorry tale: our universities have become marked by grotesque precarity and inequality. We can only overcome this collective action problem through a coordinated change in behaviour. By striking together, in unity and solidarity, sharing photos of picket lines up and down the country, we will show widespread resistance. We will realise our collective strength, and become emboldened to mobilise for further change, to protect this sector we all love and cherish. This isn’t just about universities, it’s about inequalities more broadly, and the imperative to resist. While academic conferences and publications brilliantly analyse contemporary inequalities, we all know that evidence alone doesn’t drive policy reform. For that, we need collective action. I write in solidarity with my colleagues and students. Why our Young Labour conference ‘excluded’ straight, white, able-bodied men	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24519
__label__cc	0.710373	0.289627	Home » Posterior Auricular Lesion in 34-Year-Old... Posterior Auricular Lesion in 34-Year-Old Woman Pilomatricoma is a rarely encountered lesion in cytopathology. While its’ histologic features are easily recognized on surgically resected specimen, FNA samples often lead to a misdiagnosis, as a malignant lesion.5-8 Other commonly mistaken diagnosis are epidermal inclusion cyst, adnexal tumor, and salivary gland neoplasm when occurring in/near parotid glands.1 Clinically, the diagnosis is also challenging, since one study of 209 cases determined that only 54 cases (21%) were correctly diagnosed in clinical setting.2 Diagnostic morphologic features on histology are sheets of basaloid cells, sheets of shadow or ghost cells, and intervening stroma that may contain foreign body giant cells, mixed inflammatory cells, calcification, and hemosiderin.9 These features are also seen on FNA smears. which yield a highly cellular sample composed of sheets of anucleated squames (ghost cells) with clusters of basaloid cells. There are usually multinucleated giant cells and mixed inflammatory cells associated with these cells. The background may show keratin or stromal debris that may be mistaken for necrosis. These features maybe mistaken for a malignant neoplasm, e.g. squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, etc; however, careful review of the cells will reveal that the cells are uniform with no atypia. Knowing the clinical history is important since a majority of pilomatricomas occur in the head and neck and during the first 2 decade of life. When a young patient presents with a suspicious nodule on head or neck, the differential diagnosis of pilomatricoma should be kept in mind. While there are no specific cytomorphologic features of pilomatricoma, a good clinical history and a sound working differential diagnosis should aid in correctly diagnosing the lesion. Clinical History (7 pages) Case Study Diagnosis Post Test Evaulation	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24520
__label__cc	0.633004	0.366996	Energy Companies Need More Digital Executives: Nathaniel Bullard April 6, 2019 EnergyNow Media Apr 5, 2019 by Nathaniel Bullard (Bloomberg Opinion) A recently published Strategy& study examines the role of “chief digital officer” in the world’s 2,500 largest publicly listed companies. Chief among the consultancy’s findings: 2016 “was the high-water mark in CDO hiring” (though their 2018 data run only through the first quarter of the year, a spokesperson says). One reason for that peak, the study’s authors say, is that “as transformation becomes part of the core business, the next step will be for the CDO to disappear.” Marc Bain noted in Quartz that these days, becoming “digitally fluent” is “the responsibility of the entire organization.” It’s a useful study, and digital transformations will be companywide and probably become a matter of culture as much as a matter of specific, defined implementation of software and processes. But drawing on insights from a BloombergNEF survey completed last week, I’m not so sure that the role will disappear quite yet. According to Strategy&, in 2014 only 2.5 percent of oil, gas and utility companies it surveyed had a chief digital officer. Last year, that figure was 14.4 percent, below the global average of 21 percent. So even if chief digital officer roles are going to hit a peak in large energy and utility companies, there’s probably room to add more of them before hiring slows or stops. BloombergNEF’s survey on utilities and innovation helps highlight the challenges these chief digital officers will face. My colleagues posed two questions on digital innovation to the audience at the BloombergNEF New York Summit last week. The first question was about barriers. Half of those surveyed at the BloombergNEF summit said the biggest barrier to innovation isn’t a lack of understanding of technology, or applications that aren’t fit for certain purposes; rather, the biggest barrier in a highly regulated industry is … regulation. However, departmental “silos” of operational groups unwilling or unable to coordinate with each other was ranked as the biggest barrier by 38 percent of respondents. How can a company cut through silos, particularly when “innovation” means ever-more digitalization of existing processes — as well as new ones and even new, digitally based business models? In theory, that’s a job a chief digital officer can and should be doing. And that’s where another survey result is instructive. Asked which companies should supply Internet of Things and artificial-intelligence capabilities to utilities, nearly half of respondents said startups should be the providers; many more said that industrial equipment companies, such as General Electric Co., Siemens AG and Schneider Electric SE, should provide digital technology. Chief digital officer hiring might be tailing off, but the chief digital imperative for big business, so to speak, is only increasing. Established businesses need to become more digital. But if they also need to do so using vendors and partners who are small and specialized, they can really only do so with expert leadership. We might be at the high-water mark for chief digital officer hiring, but I doubt we are close to it in the role’s significance for big business. Certainly, companies need to embrace digital technologies at all levels and across groups, even if they aren’t creating these positions. That embrace is more than a hiring plan; it’s a change in the way companies think about technology. But there’s a place for digital expertise at the very top, too. All the more so when the biggest and oldest corporations in the world are to engage directly with some of the smallest and youngest. Canada Weekly Rig Count Down 20 for Week Ending April 5, 2019 TransCanada explores sale of $1 bln Appalachian pipeline unit -sources Frontier oilsands mine panel ordered to consider impact on world heritage site Shale Bogeyman Bedevils OPEC’s Resurgence Through Next Decade Sanjel Energy Services celebrates one-year anniversary with more than 4,500 service jobs completed safely and successfully Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. Announces First Quarter 2017 Dividend and Corporate Update Categories Canadian News, Featured Articles Post navigation Oil Climbs `Green Shoots’ to Longest Run of Gains Since 2017	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24523
__label__cc	0.609681	0.390319	Artists We’ve Worked With Concert & Comedy Films Enliven excels in every aspect of concert and comedy film production. We were an early adopter of HD production and have continued to innovate and apply our expertise to 4K, 8K, 360, VR and Livestream productions. Enliven hires the best creative and technical crew uniquely matched to your show, as your visuals are unique. We are skilled at working with small footprint video and audio flypacks, to the largest and most advanced video broadcast trucks and audio recording mobiles available around the world. In addition to filming, we have state of the art audio mixing and video editing capabilities using the most talented editors, mixers and graphic artists available today. Our team excels at building creative plans that highlight your vision, brand, and art. We are not satisfied with cookie-cutter productions; we work with you to obtain a novel and innovative approach that is unique and within a reasonable budget. From location and venue selection through logistics, design, production & delivery, we are there for every aspect from concept to delivery to broadcasters and distributors. We will create a budget for the project that is accurate and offers creative options. From a simple shoot downtown to a large-scale event overseas – Enliven has experience in every aspect of production and relationships with crews around the world. Documentary Film Production In today’s world of free information available on the Internet, it is essential to create a documentary that captivates and is not apparent to the viewer. We create art that intrigues and surprises your viewing audience with engaging threads and thought-provoking content. Not satisfied with simple talking head interviews or chronological diaries, Enliven will give your story a unique perspective. We pay attention to biographical detail and musical integrity. We want viewers to enjoy a cinematic catharsis, to experience a newfound and exciting outlook on your life and music. Archive Monetization Starting with the historical archives of the King Biscuit Flower Hour audio concert catalog, we have a thirty-year love affair with researching and monetizing archives for artists and record labels. Tape archives and content storage facilities are often neglected, mislabeled, not databased, and very confusing. We have the expertise to navigate and turn your audio and visual content into income producing revenue streams on the Internet, DVD release, and television specials. We also can restore and transfer your footage to digital and cloud-based storage Local and Global Enliven can help pre-finance and have your content distributed through its wide range of partners and investors. As a trusted production company with a 20-year history of broadcast delivery, we have facilitated and negotiated a strategic content relationship with record labels, video distributors, television networks and theatrical distributors. Some of our partners include Warner Brothers, Sony Music, Universal Music, Eagle Rock, BMG, HBO, Netflix, PBS, Amazon, Showtime, Comedy Central, Qello, AXStv, Bravo, A&E, MTV, American Public Television, VH1, CMT, and broadcasters around the world Events and Festival Productions Enliven has experience in designing and building events around the world. Whether renting an existing venue to creating a location event, Enliven can help from initial concept, art design, staging, video content screens, and event lighting through audio, security, ticketing, and promotion. We have the expertise and teams available worldwide to produce extraordinary productions tailored to your needs, whether for music, film comedy or events Artists We Have Worked With *N’Sync Keb Mo’ Archival: John Denver Estate Ronnie James Dio Estate Comedy: D.L. Hughley MTV International Barry Ehrmann Owner/Senior Producer Bobby Del Russo Kerry Asmussan Dick Wingate Brandon Altman Jim Yukich Director/Editor Peter Barker John Albarian Documentary Director/Editor 220 E. 60th St, Suite 3D For more information please contact: [email protected] Designed by Andi West	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24524
__label__cc	0.633459	0.366541	Gloss: A New, Stark and Sultry Poetry Collection by Rebecca Hazelton written by Andrew Squitiro May 2, 2019 Gloss by Rebecca Hazelton University of Wisconsin Press, February 2019 104 pages / Amazon Gloss ventures darker than Rebecca Hazelton’s previous work. Dark as in sultry, of course—a trademark of her writing—but dark also as in the intoxication of a toxic relationship, the searchlight gaze for the lover’s flaw after first kiss. The poems are blunt in the realities they present, unique in their sadness. The work reads easily and leaves a mark in the mind. It is Hazelton’s best yet, and required reading for anyone interested in love, heartache, and the versions of sensuality that hardly ever get told. In Gloss, the flaws of the love are occasionally absent, but usually revealed in a final, twisting line that shames the reader for believing the fairy tale ever. Like in, “Animals at Play,” a couple brings their sexuality into public display, adopt personae, roles, and everything is beautiful and great until the final lines, “Let’s pretend to be with other people / until we’re with other people.” And once you read that, you’re forced to reread it all, search for the early flaws, the early signs of trouble—much like an actual lover looking back on an actual break up. Other times, the poems are hard up from the beginning, like the haunting, “Do Not Want.” It’s a list poem of sorts, an accounting of a lover and a love not wanted anymore, even if some of it was pleasurable in the moment. When does protective become overprotective, or an intoxicating love turn actually toxic? For example, What a man felt in his fist when another man fell to his knees and the please of that sickening thump Why is the sickening thump so pleasing? The pain of others shouldn’t be pleasing—but sometimes, it is. Sometimes your own pain is pleasing, like the bruises and marks left by the lover on the speaker, along with the “satisfaction in harm for the asking.” It‘s unclear just how much of the pain is asked for, and that leaves us, the reader, as uncomfortable and unsure as the speaker. The poem gets darker when a different man comes to the neighborhood looking for a woman, and everyone’s doorbells are ringing, dogs barking, and the speaker takes this moment to reflect on her lover, Because I was fearful of the man of her fear of the fear that I’d be her if you were a different man which eventually you were. The fear here is real, and remarkable to see presented so clearly, so banal. And the stark sadness (of this all too common reality) sets Gloss apart from Hazelton’s previous work. They are real love poems, real moments, real truths that can be difficult to write about. To call these poems raw would imply they’re unfinished, unpolished, but that’s what’s so unique about the raw sensuality within them: the sex comes quietly, matter-of-factly, as simply as a grackle in a nature poem. It doesn’t feel put upon. Of course, before you buy this book, I must caution that it’s hard to read Hazelton in public without blushing, with lines like, “your name pressed to my thigh / like a curling iron,” and “when I’m worn out / from rough use, / I submit to a stitch // along my backside.” And it’s nice to see the so-called deviant forms of lovemaking presented with passion and without judgment: multiple partners, sometimes simultaneously, and the feelings that come from that, rough sex, sex with accoutrement. These deserve their own romantic gaze, and Hazelton provides it without judgment. Gloss: A New, Stark and Sultry Poetry Collection by Rebecca Hazelton was last modified: April 25th, 2019 by Andrew Squitiro Andrew Squitiro Andrew Squitiro is a poet and teacher in Louisiana. He runs the Downriver Chess Club and teaches at Delgado Community College. His writing can be found at Diagram, Pank, and Entropy. Literacy Narrative: Making Sense of Suffering, Arrival and Art The New Comics: David Mahler, “Collective Consciousness” We Are What We Worship: Reading Tatiana Ryckman’s I Don’t Think Of You Review: this hall of several tortures by Reuben Woolley The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington by Leonora Carrington The Force of What’s Possible, ed. Lily Hoang and Joshua Marie Wilkinson	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24525
__label__wiki	0.541861	0.541861	(-) Remove <label class='research-domain' title='Physiology, Pathophysiology and Endocrinology'>LS4 (12)</label> filter LS4 (12) Displaying 31 - 38 of 38. Show 10 \| 20 results per page. Project acronym QUANTUMCRASS Project Towards a fully quantum ab initio treatment of chemical reactions at solid surfaces Researcher (PI) Angelos Michaelides Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON Summary The making and breaking of bonds involving hydrogen atoms at the surfaces of materials plays a major role in nature. For example, the formation and activation of C-H, N-H, and O-H bonds lies at the heart of heterogeneous catalysis and is no less important to other disciplines such as electrochemistry and astrophysics, not to mention the widely discussed “hydrogen economy” of the future. When dealing with hydrogen, quantum nuclear effects - tunnelling and quantum delocalization - can be significant at room temperature and below. Despite this fact, and despite growing economic and environmental incentives to carry out hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions at lower temperatures most theoretical studies neglect the role quantum nuclear effects play in such processes. Here, we will address this by developing and applying ab initio path integral techniques for the rigorous treatment of quantum nuclear effects in elementary diffusion and reaction events at solid surfaces. The path integral formalism of quantum mechanics provides a powerful approach for treating quantum nuclear effects and when done with an ab initio determination of the underlying potential energy surface highly accurate predictions can be achieved. This project will begin with ab initio path integral simulations of time independent quantum properties such as addressing the extent of quantum delocalisation of adsorbed hydrogen atoms and hydrogen atoms incorporated in molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces. Following this ab initio centroid molecular dynamics techniques specifically designed for the determination of quantum transition state theory rate constants and mechanisms of elementary reaction and diffusion processes at solid surfaces will be developed. This highly ambitious project will culminate in the fully quantum treatment of several elementary reactions at metal surfaces and in so doing open up a new research frontier: the fully quantum path integral treatment of surface chemistry. The making and breaking of bonds involving hydrogen atoms at the surfaces of materials plays a major role in nature. For example, the formation and activation of C-H, N-H, and O-H bonds lies at the heart of heterogeneous catalysis and is no less important to other disciplines such as electrochemistry and astrophysics, not to mention the widely discussed “hydrogen economy” of the future. When dealing with hydrogen, quantum nuclear effects - tunnelling and quantum delocalization - can be significant at room temperature and below. Despite this fact, and despite growing economic and environmental incentives to carry out hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions at lower temperatures most theoretical studies neglect the role quantum nuclear effects play in such processes. Here, we will address this by developing and applying ab initio path integral techniques for the rigorous treatment of quantum nuclear effects in elementary diffusion and reaction events at solid surfaces. The path integral formalism of quantum mechanics provides a powerful approach for treating quantum nuclear effects and when done with an ab initio determination of the underlying potential energy surface highly accurate predictions can be achieved. This project will begin with ab initio path integral simulations of time independent quantum properties such as addressing the extent of quantum delocalisation of adsorbed hydrogen atoms and hydrogen atoms incorporated in molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces. Following this ab initio centroid molecular dynamics techniques specifically designed for the determination of quantum transition state theory rate constants and mechanisms of elementary reaction and diffusion processes at solid surfaces will be developed. This highly ambitious project will culminate in the fully quantum treatment of several elementary reactions at metal surfaces and in so doing open up a new research frontier: the fully quantum path integral treatment of surface chemistry. Project acronym Rotational Waves Project Controlling and resolving rotational quantum states in a molecule-surface collision: Matter-wave magnetic interference experiments with ground state molecules. Researcher (PI) Gil Nathan ALEXANDROWICZ Host Institution (HI) SWANSEA UNIVERSITY Summary The interaction between a molecule and a solid surface is fundamental to a huge variety of research fields and applications, ranging from industrial heterogeneous catalysis and atmospheric chemistry on ice particles, to ultra-cold astrochemical reactions on cosmic dust. One molecular property that is essential for molecule surface interactions, but also particularly difficult to control and resolve, is the orientation & alignment of the rotational axis of the molecule i.e. the quantum rotation projection states. The existing paradigm is that control over this molecular property can be obtained either by photo-excitation schemes and/or by deflecting experiments using strong electric or magnetic fields. Using these approaches valuable insight was obtained, and the crucial role the rotation projection states have on the outcome of molecule-surface collision was demonstrated. However, the two approaches mentioned above can only be applied to a very small sub-group of systems, (typically on excited/paramagnetic species). Here, we propose a completely different approach which utilizes the rotational magnetic moment, which is a general molecular property, to control and resolve the projection rotation states of ground-state molecules. Our matter-wave approach involves passing a molecular beam through a specific series of magnetic fields, where the different wave components interfere and produce Rabi-oscillations characteristic of the molecular wave function before and after scattering. We present proof-of-principle results demonstrating the validity of our general approach, and describe the novel molecular interference and molecular spin echo measurements we will perform to obtain the much-awaited experimental benchmarks in this field. The interaction between a molecule and a solid surface is fundamental to a huge variety of research fields and applications, ranging from industrial heterogeneous catalysis and atmospheric chemistry on ice particles, to ultra-cold astrochemical reactions on cosmic dust. One molecular property that is essential for molecule surface interactions, but also particularly difficult to control and resolve, is the orientation & alignment of the rotational axis of the molecule i.e. the quantum rotation projection states. The existing paradigm is that control over this molecular property can be obtained either by photo-excitation schemes and/or by deflecting experiments using strong electric or magnetic fields. Using these approaches valuable insight was obtained, and the crucial role the rotation projection states have on the outcome of molecule-surface collision was demonstrated. However, the two approaches mentioned above can only be applied to a very small sub-group of systems, (typically on excited/paramagnetic species). Here, we propose a completely different approach which utilizes the rotational magnetic moment, which is a general molecular property, to control and resolve the projection rotation states of ground-state molecules. Our matter-wave approach involves passing a molecular beam through a specific series of magnetic fields, where the different wave components interfere and produce Rabi-oscillations characteristic of the molecular wave function before and after scattering. We present proof-of-principle results demonstrating the validity of our general approach, and describe the novel molecular interference and molecular spin echo measurements we will perform to obtain the much-awaited experimental benchmarks in this field. Project acronym SOLARX Project Photon Management for Solar Energy Harvesting with Hybrid Excitonics Researcher (PI) Akshay RAO Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Summary In nature, biological light harvesting complexes use antennas molecules to harvest photons, generate excitons and then funnel them to the reaction centre where their energy is used to drive photosynthesis. Inspired by this paradigm, SOLARX will explore new strategies for photon management in solar energy harvesting, based on the transfer and manipulation of excitons at hybrid interfaces. At the core of SOLARX is our development of a new femtosecond transient absorption imaging technique with sub-10fs time resolution and sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution. This opens completely new possibilities to explore excitonic physics at the nanoscale, directly visualising not just the motion of excitons but understanding how vibronic coupling and local structure affects their dynamics. Building on this platform we will deliver ground-breaking new insights into excitonic process in and at the interfaces between organic semiconductors, quantum dots, 2D monolayer semiconductors and lanthanide doped nanoparticles. We will elucidate the fundamental nanoscale dynamics of: (1) endothermic singlet fission, (2) the injection of triplet excitons into lanthanide doped nanoparticles and (3) the motion of excitons in 2D monolayer semiconductors and how these excitons can be funnelled over µm length scales to be transferred to quantum dots. We will then use these insights to develop proof of concept demonstrations of structures which harvest photons across the visible and NIR, efficiently converting high energy visible photons to two NIR photons and then concentrating these photons within structures with the potential to achieve concentration factors well above 100, thus concentrating light to drastically reduce the number of PV panels and hence dramatically reducing the cost of solar energy. SOLARX will thus explore and elucidate fundamental new excitonic physics and use these insights to bring a paradigm shift to solar energy harvesting technologies. In nature, biological light harvesting complexes use antennas molecules to harvest photons, generate excitons and then funnel them to the reaction centre where their energy is used to drive photosynthesis. Inspired by this paradigm, SOLARX will explore new strategies for photon management in solar energy harvesting, based on the transfer and manipulation of excitons at hybrid interfaces. At the core of SOLARX is our development of a new femtosecond transient absorption imaging technique with sub-10fs time resolution and sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution. This opens completely new possibilities to explore excitonic physics at the nanoscale, directly visualising not just the motion of excitons but understanding how vibronic coupling and local structure affects their dynamics. Building on this platform we will deliver ground-breaking new insights into excitonic process in and at the interfaces between organic semiconductors, quantum dots, 2D monolayer semiconductors and lanthanide doped nanoparticles. We will elucidate the fundamental nanoscale dynamics of: (1) endothermic singlet fission, (2) the injection of triplet excitons into lanthanide doped nanoparticles and (3) the motion of excitons in 2D monolayer semiconductors and how these excitons can be funnelled over µm length scales to be transferred to quantum dots. We will then use these insights to develop proof of concept demonstrations of structures which harvest photons across the visible and NIR, efficiently converting high energy visible photons to two NIR photons and then concentrating these photons within structures with the potential to achieve concentration factors well above 100, thus concentrating light to drastically reduce the number of PV panels and hence dramatically reducing the cost of solar energy. SOLARX will thus explore and elucidate fundamental new excitonic physics and use these insights to bring a paradigm shift to solar energy harvesting technologies. Project acronym STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS Project New science for European ps time-resolved Laue X-ray diffraction Researcher (PI) Jasper J. Van Thor Host Institution (HI) IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE Summary I pursue the study of molecular reaction dynamics of biomolecules mostly in the non-coherent time-regime using spectroscopic and X-ray structural techniques. In recent years, breakthroughs in the field of pump-probe X-ray crystallographic structure determination of reaction intermediates of light-sensitive proteins have generated much excitement. These experiments provide insight of key Biological importance and marry structural observations with spectroscopic studies to understand molecular reactivity. My work focuses on the light-sensitive proteins in particular to provide structural dynamics understanding of photoreactions and Biological signalling. The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is investing in this area, providing and integrating technology that has been developed for pump-probe experiments using the pink-Laue technique in new designs for an upgraded and advanced beamline at ESRF. Historically, research groups in the US have dominated this field and the recent commissioning of the Biocars pump-probe beamline 14-ID-B at APS which has capabilities similar to ID09B at ESRF shows that international competition is strong. While technical capabilities of these two sources have rapidly developed, there has been an obvious lag in applications for the methodology. So far, photolysis of heme proteins (myoglobin-CO and recently FixL) and a photoreceptor molecule called Photoactive Yellow Protein (PYP) have been targets for pump-probe experiments. Clearly it is of strong strategic importance for European science to compete in this area. I have invested four years to develop the Green Fluorescent Protein as a new application, focussing on both time-resolved Laue diffraction as well as ultrafast vibrational and visible spectroscopy to characterise structural dynamics and to establish excited state absorption properties and reactivity for optical pulse profile optimisation for providing sufficient optical penetration. Here, I request European support for establi I pursue the study of molecular reaction dynamics of biomolecules mostly in the non-coherent time-regime using spectroscopic and X-ray structural techniques. In recent years, breakthroughs in the field of pump-probe X-ray crystallographic structure determination of reaction intermediates of light-sensitive proteins have generated much excitement. These experiments provide insight of key Biological importance and marry structural observations with spectroscopic studies to understand molecular reactivity. My work focuses on the light-sensitive proteins in particular to provide structural dynamics understanding of photoreactions and Biological signalling. The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is investing in this area, providing and integrating technology that has been developed for pump-probe experiments using the pink-Laue technique in new designs for an upgraded and advanced beamline at ESRF. Historically, research groups in the US have dominated this field and the recent commissioning of the Biocars pump-probe beamline 14-ID-B at APS which has capabilities similar to ID09B at ESRF shows that international competition is strong. While technical capabilities of these two sources have rapidly developed, there has been an obvious lag in applications for the methodology. So far, photolysis of heme proteins (myoglobin-CO and recently FixL) and a photoreceptor molecule called Photoactive Yellow Protein (PYP) have been targets for pump-probe experiments. Clearly it is of strong strategic importance for European science to compete in this area. I have invested four years to develop the Green Fluorescent Protein as a new application, focussing on both time-resolved Laue diffraction as well as ultrafast vibrational and visible spectroscopy to characterise structural dynamics and to establish excited state absorption properties and reactivity for optical pulse profile optimisation for providing sufficient optical penetration. Here, I request European support for establi Project acronym SympatimmunObesity Project Sympathetic and immune mechanisms underlying obesity Researcher (PI) ANA DIAS NETO DOMINGOS JANSEN Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS4, ERC-2017-COG Summary The era of molecular genetics has enabled the mechanistic dissection of brain circuits as well as the immune system in spectacular ways. However, the molecular and cellular organization of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which innervates all known organs, is essentially unexplored. In an attempt to push this frontier, we have recently uncovered a direct physical functional connection between the SNS and the adipose tissue. Further, we found this neuro-adipose junction to drive lipolysis and fat mass reduction (1). In this proposal we aim to define the molecular mechanisms that link SNS neurons, the immune system and the adipose tissue. A major entry point is our recent discovery of a novel population of Sympathetic Associated Macrophages (SAMs) that suppress the output of SNS. We propose to unravel their contribution to obesity in rodents (Aim 1) and in humans (Aim 2). Another major objective of this proposal is to establish a functional and molecular neuronanatomical map of the SNS, which defines subpopulations of neurons that specifically innervate fat (Aim 3). To achieve this, we will build molecular genetics tools for rapid non-invasive optocoustic visualization and functional probing of SNS circuits. A molecular and realistic atlas of the SNS will allow us to systematically access the functional anatomy of one of the most elusive tissues of the mammalian body and will form a blueprint upon which our neuroimmune mechanistic studies can be build. Our identification of the fundamental biological mechanisms that govern the neuro-adipose junction will set the stage for a new anti-obesity therapy that would circumvent the challenge of drug delivery to the brain, i.e. by targeting an excitatory drug directly to SAMs or sympathetic inputs in adipose tissue. The era of molecular genetics has enabled the mechanistic dissection of brain circuits as well as the immune system in spectacular ways. However, the molecular and cellular organization of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which innervates all known organs, is essentially unexplored. In an attempt to push this frontier, we have recently uncovered a direct physical functional connection between the SNS and the adipose tissue. Further, we found this neuro-adipose junction to drive lipolysis and fat mass reduction (1). In this proposal we aim to define the molecular mechanisms that link SNS neurons, the immune system and the adipose tissue. A major entry point is our recent discovery of a novel population of Sympathetic Associated Macrophages (SAMs) that suppress the output of SNS. We propose to unravel their contribution to obesity in rodents (Aim 1) and in humans (Aim 2). Another major objective of this proposal is to establish a functional and molecular neuronanatomical map of the SNS, which defines subpopulations of neurons that specifically innervate fat (Aim 3). To achieve this, we will build molecular genetics tools for rapid non-invasive optocoustic visualization and functional probing of SNS circuits. A molecular and realistic atlas of the SNS will allow us to systematically access the functional anatomy of one of the most elusive tissues of the mammalian body and will form a blueprint upon which our neuroimmune mechanistic studies can be build. Our identification of the fundamental biological mechanisms that govern the neuro-adipose junction will set the stage for a new anti-obesity therapy that would circumvent the challenge of drug delivery to the brain, i.e. by targeting an excitatory drug directly to SAMs or sympathetic inputs in adipose tissue. Project acronym topDFT Project A topological approach to electron correlation in density-functional theories Researcher (PI) Andrew TEALE Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM Summary Density-functional theory (DFT) is the most widely used method to study the electronic structure of complex molecules, solids, and materials. Its use across chemistry, solid-state physics and materials science is a testament to its black-box nature and low cost. However, many important areas remain inaccessible to DFT simulations, including applications to strongly correlated materials and systems in electromagnetic fields. The topDFT project will deliver new conceptual approaches to design the next generation of density-functional methods. This will be achieved by pursuing three parallel strategies: i) Developing new strategies for the design of functionals ii) Implementing topological DFT, a new computational framework iii) Developing extended density-functional theories. A new approach to the exchange–correlation problem, based on a perspective from the kinetic energy of the electrons, will be developed – leading to new practical density-functional approximations (DFAs). A new framework for computation will be developed by combining techniques from topological electronic structure methods with DFT, allowing for the identification of correlation ‘hotspots’. This idea is chemically intuitive; electrons close together interact in a fundamentally different way to those far apart. Recognising these hotspots, and adapting dynamically to them, will lead to new DFAs with substantially greater accuracy. Extended-DFTs will open the way to study strongly correlated systems (e.g. high-Tc superconductors, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators) of importance in chemistry and materials science and magnetic systems (e.g. molecular magnets, spin glasses, spin frustrated systems) of importance in nano-science, advanced materials and spintronics applications. The topDFT project will have wide impact on areas including chemical synthesis, materials design and nano-science that underpin key areas such as manufacturing and medicine of benefit to all sections of society. Density-functional theory (DFT) is the most widely used method to study the electronic structure of complex molecules, solids, and materials. Its use across chemistry, solid-state physics and materials science is a testament to its black-box nature and low cost. However, many important areas remain inaccessible to DFT simulations, including applications to strongly correlated materials and systems in electromagnetic fields. The topDFT project will deliver new conceptual approaches to design the next generation of density-functional methods. This will be achieved by pursuing three parallel strategies: i) Developing new strategies for the design of functionals ii) Implementing topological DFT, a new computational framework iii) Developing extended density-functional theories. A new approach to the exchange–correlation problem, based on a perspective from the kinetic energy of the electrons, will be developed – leading to new practical density-functional approximations (DFAs). A new framework for computation will be developed by combining techniques from topological electronic structure methods with DFT, allowing for the identification of correlation ‘hotspots’. This idea is chemically intuitive; electrons close together interact in a fundamentally different way to those far apart. Recognising these hotspots, and adapting dynamically to them, will lead to new DFAs with substantially greater accuracy. Extended-DFTs will open the way to study strongly correlated systems (e.g. high-Tc superconductors, transition metal oxides, Mott insulators) of importance in chemistry and materials science and magnetic systems (e.g. molecular magnets, spin glasses, spin frustrated systems) of importance in nano-science, advanced materials and spintronics applications. The topDFT project will have wide impact on areas including chemical synthesis, materials design and nano-science that underpin key areas such as manufacturing and medicine of benefit to all sections of society. Project acronym UB-RASDisease Project The ubiquitin system in RAS-driven disease Researcher (PI) Anna SABLINA Host Institution (HI) VIB Summary The RAS pathway is the most frequently activated signaling node in human disease. Despite intensive efforts, effective therapeutic strategies for RAS-driven disease remain daunting. Elucidation of the mechanisms of RAS activation promises to lead toward novel therapeutic approaches to inhibit RAS activity, and may permit identification of patients who might benefit from RAS pathway inhibitors. Our preliminary studies show that reversible ubiquitylation controls RAS activity by altering its interaction network, thus representing a conceptually novel mechanism of RAS regulation. Our initial steps towards the understanding of the RAS ubiquitylation machinery have shown that positive regulators of RAS ubiquitylation are frequently mutated or down-regulated in RAS-driven diseases, whereas negative regulators are commonly up-regulated. These striking initial results suggest that dysregulation of RAS ubiquitylation may be an alternative mechanism that drives RAS activation in human disease. Here, we aim to elucidate the role of the ubiquitin system in RAS-driven disease. We will unravel the molecular machinery controlling RAS ubiquitylation and ascertain alterations of the identified machinery in RAS-driven disease. To assess the functional impact of these alterations, we will create genetically modified mouse models and CRISPR-engineered human cell models. We will employ cutting-edge proteomic approaches to determine how disease-associated dysregulation of RAS ubiquitylation perturbs RAS interactions and signalling. Using a synthetic biologic approach, we will obtain insights into mechanisms by which ubiquitylation modulates RAS interactions. It is significant that, in contrast to the majority of known RAS regulators, the ubiquitin enzymes are “druggable”, which implicates them as promising targets for inhibiting RAS activity. Thus, our studies could lead to new ways of defeating RAS-driven disease. The RAS pathway is the most frequently activated signaling node in human disease. Despite intensive efforts, effective therapeutic strategies for RAS-driven disease remain daunting. Elucidation of the mechanisms of RAS activation promises to lead toward novel therapeutic approaches to inhibit RAS activity, and may permit identification of patients who might benefit from RAS pathway inhibitors. Our preliminary studies show that reversible ubiquitylation controls RAS activity by altering its interaction network, thus representing a conceptually novel mechanism of RAS regulation. Our initial steps towards the understanding of the RAS ubiquitylation machinery have shown that positive regulators of RAS ubiquitylation are frequently mutated or down-regulated in RAS-driven diseases, whereas negative regulators are commonly up-regulated. These striking initial results suggest that dysregulation of RAS ubiquitylation may be an alternative mechanism that drives RAS activation in human disease. Here, we aim to elucidate the role of the ubiquitin system in RAS-driven disease. We will unravel the molecular machinery controlling RAS ubiquitylation and ascertain alterations of the identified machinery in RAS-driven disease. To assess the functional impact of these alterations, we will create genetically modified mouse models and CRISPR-engineered human cell models. We will employ cutting-edge proteomic approaches to determine how disease-associated dysregulation of RAS ubiquitylation perturbs RAS interactions and signalling. Using a synthetic biologic approach, we will obtain insights into mechanisms by which ubiquitylation modulates RAS interactions. It is significant that, in contrast to the majority of known RAS regulators, the ubiquitin enzymes are “druggable”, which implicates them as promising targets for inhibiting RAS activity. Thus, our studies could lead to new ways of defeating RAS-driven disease. Project acronym WFNQMC Project Development of a Novel Computational Toolbox for Stochastic Electronic Structure in Chemistry and Condensed Matter Researcher (PI) George Henry BOOTH Host Institution (HI) KING'S COLLEGE LONDON Summary Atomistic computational modelling is increasingly an integral component of almost all areas of chemistry, physics and materials science, especially as its predictive ability improves. However, not all systems are equal when it comes to the predictive capabilities of current methods, and many systems are too large or many-body effects too complex to be routinely tractable. The result is that the promise of ‘materials by design’, deduction of reaction pathways or routine simulation on a par with experimental accuracy has not in general come to fruition. This ambitious proposal aims to address this, with development of a suite of novel approaches to stochastically sample the wavefunction. Recent work by the PI has already made huge strides in this direction, with an emerging approach in quantum chemical space having remarkable success for accurate solutions of small problems. Here, we first propose a number of novel developments to order to extend this approach from a tool for small systems to a widespread disruptive technology, with application to a variety of challenging problems. This involves development of the scope, scaling, accuracy and capabilities of this sampling, including admitting time-dependent, spectral and relativistic extensions. Next, we aim to take the successful philosophy of this sampling and exploit its powerful approach in order to reformulate a number of well-established electronic structure tools. Allowing stochasticity has the potential to yield low-scaling formulations of these methods, able to naturally exploit inherent sparsity, and have a revolutionary impact on their use and success. This proposal is highly interdisciplinary, spanning a range of applications and techniques in quantum chemistry, condensed matter and materials science, brought together under the banner of exploiting inherent sparsity by establishing a new paradigm of stochastic tools for correlated electrons, with the opportunity for tremendous impact in a number of fields. Atomistic computational modelling is increasingly an integral component of almost all areas of chemistry, physics and materials science, especially as its predictive ability improves. However, not all systems are equal when it comes to the predictive capabilities of current methods, and many systems are too large or many-body effects too complex to be routinely tractable. The result is that the promise of ‘materials by design’, deduction of reaction pathways or routine simulation on a par with experimental accuracy has not in general come to fruition. This ambitious proposal aims to address this, with development of a suite of novel approaches to stochastically sample the wavefunction. Recent work by the PI has already made huge strides in this direction, with an emerging approach in quantum chemical space having remarkable success for accurate solutions of small problems. Here, we first propose a number of novel developments to order to extend this approach from a tool for small systems to a widespread disruptive technology, with application to a variety of challenging problems. This involves development of the scope, scaling, accuracy and capabilities of this sampling, including admitting time-dependent, spectral and relativistic extensions. Next, we aim to take the successful philosophy of this sampling and exploit its powerful approach in order to reformulate a number of well-established electronic structure tools. Allowing stochasticity has the potential to yield low-scaling formulations of these methods, able to naturally exploit inherent sparsity, and have a revolutionary impact on their use and success. This proposal is highly interdisciplinary, spanning a range of applications and techniques in quantum chemistry, condensed matter and materials science, brought together under the banner of exploiting inherent sparsity by establishing a new paradigm of stochastic tools for correlated electrons, with the opportunity for tremendous impact in a number of fields.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24527
__label__cc	0.625651	0.374349	Principal Vogel's textbook of macro and semimicro qualitative inorganic analysis Vogel's textbook of macro and semimicro qualitative inorganic analysis Arthur Israel Vogel Categories: Chemistry\\Inorganic Chemistry Edición: 5ed. Editorial: Longman Descarga (djvu, 4.72 MB) Biological Inorganic Chemistry: An Introduction Applied Pyrolysis Handbook Thomas P. Wampler Handbook of instrumental techniques for analytical chemistry Frank A. Settle VOGEL'S TEXTBOOK OF MACRO AND SEMIMICRO QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANAL YSIS Fifth Edition Revised by G. Svehla, Ph.D., D.Se., F.R.I.C. Reader in Analytical Chemistry, Queen's University, Belfast .... .111. Longman London and New York Longman Group Limited London Associated companies, branches and representatives throughout the world Published in the United States of America by Longman Inc., New York @ Longman Group Limited 1979 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner. First Published under the title 'A Text-book of Qualitative Chemical Analysis' 1937 Second Edition 1941 Reissue with Appendix 1943 Third Edition under the title 'A Text-book of Qualitative Chemical Analysis including Semimicro Qualitative Analysis' 1945 Fourth Edition under the title 'A Text-book of Macro and Semimicro Qualitative Inorganic Analysis' 1954 New Impression (with minor corrections) 1955 New Impression 1976 Fifth edition 1979 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Vogel, Arthur I. Vogel's Macro and semimicro qualitative inorganic analysis. First-3d ed. published under title: A text-book of qualitative chemical analysis; 4th ed. published under title: A text-book of macro and semi micro qualitative inorganic analysis. Includes index. 1. Chemistry, Analytic-Qualitative. 2. Chemistry, Inorganic. I. Svehla, G. II. Title. III. Title: Macro and semimicro qualitative inorganic analysis. QD81.V6 1978 544 77-8290 ISBN 0-582-44367-9 Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk CHAPTER I THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS 1 A. Chemical formulae and equations 1 1.1 Symbols of elements 1 1.2 Empirical formulae 1 1.3 Valency and oxidation number 3 1.4 Structural formulae 4 1.5 Chemical equations 5 B. Aqueous solutions of inorganic substances 6 1.6 Electrolytes and non-electrolytes 6 I. 7 Electrolysis, the nature of electrolytic conductance, ions 7 1.8 Some properties of aqueous solutions 9 1.9 The theory of electrolytic dissociation 9 1.10 Degree of dissociation. Strong and weak electrolytes 11 1.11 The independent migration of ions. Calculation of conductivities from ionic mobilities 15 1.12 Modem theory of strong electrolytes 17 1.13 Chemical equilibrium; the law of mass action 19 1.14 Activity and activity coefficients 22 C. Classical theory of acid-base reactions 25 1.15 Acids, bases, and salts 25 1.16 Acid-base dissociation equilibria. Strength of acids and bases 28 1.17 Experimental determination of the dissociation equilibrium constant. Ostwald's dilution law 33 1.18 The dissociation and ionic product of water 35 1.19 The hydrogen-ion exponent (PH) 36 1.20 Hydrolysis 39 1.21 Buffer solutions 48 1.22 The experimental determination of pH 53 D. The Br.nsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases 61 1.23 Definition of acids and bases 61 1.24 Protolysis of acids. Strength of acids and bases 1.25 Interpretation of other acid-base reactions with the Brensted-Lowry theory E. Precipitation reactions 1.26 Solubility of precipitates 1.27 Solubility product 1.28 Applications of the solubility product relation 1.29 Morphological structure and purity of precipitates 1.30 The colloidal state F. Complexation reactions 89 1.31 The formation of complexes 89 1.32 The stability of complexes 92 1.33 The application of complexes in qualitative inorganic analysis 96 1.34 The most important types of complexes applied in qualitative analysis 97 G. Oxidation-reduction reactions 100 1.35 Oxidation and reduction 100 1.36 Redox systems (half-cells) 101 1.37 Balancing oxidation-reduction equations 104 1.38 Important oxidizing and reducing agents 108 1.39 Redox reactions in galvanic cells 112 1.40 Electrode potentials 115 1.41 Oxidation-reduction potentials 119 1.42 Calculations based on the Nernst equation 124 1.43 Conclusions dra wn from the tables of oxidation-reduction potentials 126 1.44 Equilibrium constant of oxidation-reduction reactions 128 H. Solvent extraction 1.45 The distribution or partition law 1.46 The application of solvent extraction in qualitative analysis CHAPTER II EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES OF QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Dry reactions 11.3 Wet reactions 11.4 Semimicro apparatus and semimicro analytical operations 11.5 Micro apparatus and microanalytical operations 11.6 Spot test analysis CHAPTER III REACTIONS OF THE CATIONS Classification of cations (metal ions) into analytical groups Notes on the study of the reactions of ions 111.3 First group of cations: lead(II), mercury(I) and silver(I) 193 111.4 Lead, Pb (Ar: 207'2) 194 111.5 Mercury, Hg (Ar: 200'59) - Mercury(I) 199 . 111.6 Silver, Ag (Ar: 107'9) 204 111.7 Second group of cations: mercury(II), lead(II), bismuth(III), copper(II), cadmium(II), arsenic(lII) and (V), antimony(lII) and (V), tin(lI) and (IV) 208 111.8 Mercury, Hg (Ar: 200'59) - Mercury(lI) 209 111.9 Bismuth, Bi (Ar: 208'98) 212 111.10 Copper, Cu (Ar: 63'55) 215 111.11 Cadmium, Cd (Ar: 112'90) 221 111.12 Arsenic, As (Ar: 74'92) - Arsenic(lII) 223 111.13 Arsenic, As (Ar: 74'92) - Arsenic(V) 225 111.14 Special tests for small amounts of arsenic 228 111.15 Antimony, Sb (Ar: 121'75) - Antimony(lII) 231 111.16 Antimony, Sb (Ar: 121'75) - Antimony(V) 234 111.17 Special tests for small amounts of antimony 236 111.18 Tin, Sn (Ar: 118'69) - Tin(lI) 237 111.19 Tin, Sn (Ar: 118'69) - Tin(IV) 240 111.20 Third group of cations: iron(lI) and (III), aluminium, chromium(III), nickel, cobalt, manganese(lI) and zinc 241 111.21 Iron, Fe (Ar: 55'85) - Iron(II) 241 111.22 Iron, Fe (Ar: 55'85) - Iron(lII) 245 111.23 Aluminium, Al (Ar: 26'98) 250 111.24 Chromium, Cr (Ar: 51'996) - Chromium(lII) 254 111.25 Oxianions of group III metals: chromate and permanganate 259 111.26 Cobalt, Co (Ar: 58'93) 259 111.27 Nickel, Ni (Ar: 58.71) 264 111.28 Manganese, Mn (Ar: 54'938) - Manganese(lI) 268 111.29 Zinc, Zn (Ar: 63'58) 272 111.30 Fourth group of cations: barium, strontium, and calcium 277 111.31 Barium, Ba (Ar: 137'34) 278 111.32 Strontium, Sr (Ar: 87'62) 281 111.33 Calcium, Ca (Ar: 40'08) 282 111.34 Fifth group of cations: magnesium, sodium, potassium, and ammOnIum 285 111.35 Magnesium, Mg (Ar: 24. 305) 285 111.36 Potassium, K (Ar: 39'098) 289 111.37 Sodium, Na (Ar: 22'99) 291 111.38 Ammonium, NH 4 (M r : 18'038) 293 CHAPTER IV REACTIONS OF THE ANIONS 297 IV.l Scheme of classification 297 IV.2 Carbonates, CO - 298 IV.3 Hydrogen carbonates, HC0 3 300 VII IV.4 IV.5 IV.6 IV.7 IV.8 IV.9 IV. 10 IV. 11 IV.12 IV.l3 IV.14 IV.15 IV.16 IV.17 IV.18 IV.19 IV.20 IV.21 IV.22 IV.23 IV.24 IV.25 IV.26 IV.27 IV.28 IV.29 IV.30 IV.31 IV.32 IV.33 IV.34 IV.35 IV.36 IV.37 IV.38 IV.39 IV.4O IV.41 IV.42 IV.43 IV.44 IV.45 Sulphites, SO - Thiosulphates, S20 - Sulphides, S2- Nitrites, N0 2 Cyanides, CN- Cyanates, CNO- Thiocyanates, SCN- Hexacyanoferrate(II) ions, [Fe(CN)6]4- Hexacyanoferrate(lII) ions, [Fe(CN)6]3- Hypochlorites, OCl- Chlorides, Cl- Bromides, Br- Iodides, 1- Fluorides, F- Nitrates, NO; Chlorates, CIO; Bromates, BrO; Iodates, 10; Perchlorates, CIO; Borates, BO -, B40 - , B0 2 Sulphates, SOi- Peroxodisulphates, S20 - Silicates, SiO - Hexafluorosilicates (silicofluorides), [SiF 6]2- Orthophosphates, PO - Pyrophosphates, P20 -, and metaphosphates, PO; Phosphites, HPO - Hypophosphites, H 2 P0 2 Arsenites, AsO - , and arsenates, AsO - Chromates, CrOi-, and dichromates, Cr20 - Permanganates, MnO; Acetates, CH 3 COO- Formates, HCOO- Oxalates, (COO) - Tartrates, C4H40 - Citrates, C6HsO - Salicylates, C 6 H 4 (OH).200- or C 7 H s O; Benzoates, C 6 H s COO- or C 7 H s 0 2 Succi nates, C 4 H 4 0i- Hydrogen peroxide, H 2 0 2 Dithionites, S20i- Special tests for mixtures of anions 301 305 308 310 313 316 317 319 322 323 325 327 329 332 334 337 339 340 342 343 346 349 350 353 354 358 358 360 361 361 364 366 368 369 371 374 376 377 378 379 382 383 CHAPTER V SYSTEMATIC QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS V.l Introduction V.2 Preliminary tests on non-metallic solid samples V.3 Preliminary tests on metal samples VA Preliminary tests on liquid samples (samples in solution) V.5 Preliminary tests on insoluble substances V.6 Dissolution of the sample V.7 Examination of the insoluble residue V.8 Separation of cations into groups V.9 Separation and identification of the Group I cations (silver group) V.IO Separation of Group II cations into Groups IIA and liB V. 11 Separation and identification of Group IIA cations V.l2 Separation and identification of Group liB cations V.13 Removal of interfering ions before the precipitation of the Group III cations V.l4 Separation and identification of Group iliA cations V.15 Separation and identification of Group 11m cations V.16 Separation and identification of Group IV cations V.17 Identification of Group V cations V.18 Preliminary tests for and separation of certain anions V.19 Confirmatory tests for anions CHAPTER VI SEMIMICRO QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS VI.1 VI.2 VIA VI. 5 VI.6 VI. 7 VI. 8 VI. 9 VI.10 VI.11 Introduction The study of reactions of cations and anions on the semimicro scale Systematic analysis on the semi micro scale. General considerations Preliminary tests on the semimicro scale Testing for anions in solution on the semimicro scale Confirmatory tests for anions on the semimicro scale Special tests for mixtures of anions on the semi micro scale Preparation of solution for cation testing on the semimicro scale Separation of cations into groups on the semimicro scale Separation and identification of Group I cations on the semimicro scale Separation of Groups IIA and liB and separation and identification of Group IIA cations on the semimicro scale Separation and identification of Group liB cations on the semimicro scale VI.13 Separation and identification of Group ilIA cations on the semimicro scale 488 VI.14 Separation and identification of Group 11m cations on the semimicro scale 489 VI.15 Separation and identification of Group IV cations on the semimicro scale 490 VI.16 Identification of Group V cations on the semimicro scale 492 VI.17 Modifications of separation procedures in the presence of interfering anions 493 VI.18 Separations by paper and thin layer chromatography. General introduction 495 VI.19 Apparatus and technique for chromatographic separations 497 VI.20 Procedures for selected chromatographic separations 500 CHAPTER VII REACTIONS OF SOME LESS COMMON IONS 507 VII.l Introduction 507 VII.2 Thallium, Tl (Ar: 204'34) - Thallium(I) 507 VII.3 Thallium, Tl (Ar: 204'34) - Thallium(lII) 509 VilA Tungsten, W (Ar: 183'85) - Tungstate 509 VII.5 Separation and identification of Group I cations in the presence of thallium and tungsten 511 VII.6 Molybdenum, Mo (Ar: 95'94) - Molybdate 511 VII.7 Gold, Au (Ar: 196'97) - Gold(lII) 514 VII.8 Platinum, Pt (Ar: 195'09) 516 VII.9 Palladium, Pd (Ar: 106'4) 518 VI 1.1 0 Selenium, Se (Ar: 78'96) - Selenites, SeO - 520 VI 1.1 1 Selenium, Se (Ar: 78'96) - Selenates, SeOi- 521 VII.12 Tellurium, Te (Ar: 127'60) - Tellurites, TeO - 522 VII.13 Tellurium, Te (Ar: 127'60) - Tellurates, TeOi- 523 VII.14 Separation and identification of Group II cations in the presence of molybdenum, gold, platinum, palladium, selenium, and tellurium 524 VII.15 Vanadium, V (Ar: 50'94) - Vanadate 527 VII. 16 Beryllium, Be (Ar: 9'01) 530 VII.l 7 Titanium, Ti (Ar: 47'90) - Titanium(IV) 532 VII.18 Zirconium, Zr (Ar: 91'22) 535 VII.19 Uranium, U (Ar: 238'03) 538 VII.20 Thorium, Th (Ar: 232'04) 540 VII.21 Cerium, Ce (Ar: 140'12) - Cerium(lII) 541 VII.22 Cerium, Ce (Ar: 140"12) - Cerium(IV) 542 VII.23 Separation of Group III cations in the presence of titanium, zirconium, thorium, uranium, cerium, vanadium, thallium, and molybdenum 544 VII.24 Lithium, Li (Ar: 6'94) 546 VII.25 The borax bead test in the presence of less common cations 548 x CHAPTER VIII AN ABBREVIATED COURSE OF QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS VIII. 1 VIII.2 VIII. 3 VillA VIII.5 VIII.6 VIII.7 VIII. 8 VIII. 9 Introduction Reactions of cations and anions Systematic analysis. General considerations Preliminary tests on solutions Testing for anions in solution Confirmatory tests for anions Special tests for mixtures of anions Separation and identification of cations in solution Modifications in the presence of anions of organic acids, fluoride, and phosphate IX APPEN DlX IX.l IX.2 IX.3 IXA IX.5 IX.6 IX.7 IX.8 Relative atomic masses of the elements Reagent solutions and gases Solid reagents Solubilities of salts and bases in water at 18°C Logarithms An tilo gari thIns Concentrated acids and bases Periodic table of the elements FROM PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION Experience of teaching qualitative analysis over a number of years to large numbers of students has provided the nucleus around which this book has been written. The ultimate object was to provide a text-book at moderate cost which can be employed by the student continuously throughout his study of the subject. It is the author's opinion that the theoretical basis of qualitative analysis, often neglected or very sparsely dealt with in the smaller texts, merits equally detailed treatment with the purely practical side; only in this way can the true spirit of qualitative analysis be acquired. The book accordingly opens with a long Chapter entitled 'The Theoretical Basis of Qualitative Analysis', in which most of the theoretical principles which find application in the science are discussed. The writer would be glad to hear from teachers and others of any errors which may have escaped his notice: any suggestions whereby the book can be improved will be welcomed. A. I. Vogel Woolwich Polytechnic London S.E.18 CHAPTER I THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS A. CHEMICAL FORMULAE AND EQUATIONS 1.1 SYMBOLS OF THE ELEMENTS To express the composition of substances and to describe the qualitative and quantitative changes, which occur during chemical reactions in a precise, short, and straightforward way we use chemical symbols and formulae. Following the recommendations of Berzelius (1811), the symbols of chemical elements are constructed by the first letter of their international (Latin) names with, in most cases, a second letter which occurs in the same name. The first letter is a capital one. Such symbols are: o (oxygen, oxygenium) H (hydrogen, hydrogenium), C (carbon, carbonium), Ca (calcium), Cd (cadmium), Cl (chlorine, chlorinum), Cr (chromium), Cu (copper, cuprum), N (nitrogen, nitrogenium), Na (sodium, natrium), K (potas- sium, kalium), etc. As well as being a qualitative reference to the element, the symbol is most useful in a quantitative context. It is generally accepted that the symbol of the element represents 1 atom of the element, or, in some more specific cases, 1 grammatom. Thus C represents 1 atom of the element carbon or may represent 1 grammatom (12'011 g) of carbon. In a similar way, 0 represents one atom of oxygen or one grammatom (15'9994 g) of oxygen, H represents one atom of hydrogen or 1 grammatom (1'0080 g) of hydrogen etc. Names, symbols, and relative atomic masses of the elements are given in Section IX.l. 1.2 EMPIRICAL FORMULAE To express the composition of materials whose molecules are made up of more atoms, empirical formulae are used. These are made up of the symbols of the elements of which the substance is formed. The number of atoms of a particular element in the molecule is written as a subscript after the symbol of the element (but 1 is never written as a subscript as the symbol of the element on its own represents one atom). Thus, the molecules of carbon dioxide is formed by one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, therefore its empirical formula is CO 2 , In the molecule of water two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom are present, therefore the empirical formula of water is H 2 0. In the molecule of hydrogen peroxide on the other hand there are two hydrogen and two oxygen atoms present, its empirical formula is therefore H 2 0 2 . Although there are no strict rules as to the order of symbols appearing in a formula, in the case of inorganic substances the symbol of the metal or that of hydrogen is generally written first followed by non-metals and finishing with oxygen. In the formulae of organic substances the generally accepted order is C, H, 0, N, S, P. 1.2 QUAL IT A TlVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS The determination of the empirical formula of a compound can be made experimentally, by determining the percentage amounts of elements present in the substance using the methods of quantitative chemical analysis. At the same time the relative molecular mass of the compound has to be measured as well. From these data the empirical formula can be determined by a simple calcu- lation. If, for some reason, it is impossible to determine the relative molecular mass the simplest (assumed) formula only can be calculated from the results of chemical analysis; the true formula might contain multiples of the atoms given in the assumed formula. If the empirical formula of a compound is known, we can draw several con- clusions about the physical and chemical characteristics of the substance. These are as follows: (a) From the empirical formula ofa compound we can see which elements the compound contains, and how many atoms of each element form the molecule of the compound. Thus, hydrochloric acid (HC1) contains hydrogen and chlorine; in its molecule one hydrogen and one chlorine atom are present. Sulphuric acid (H 2 S0 4 ) consists of hydrogen, sulphur, and oxygen; in its molecule two hydrogen, one sulphur, and four oxygen atoms are present etc. (b) From the empirical formula the relative molecular mass (molecular weight) can be determined simply by adding up the relative atomic masses (atomic weights) of the elements which constitute the compound. In this summation care must be taken that the relative atomic mass of a particular element is multiplied by the figure which shows the number of its atoms in the molecule. Thus, the relative molecular mass of hydrochloric acid (HC1) is calculated as follows: M r = 1'0080+35,453 = 36,4610 and that of sulphuric acid (H 2 S0 4 ) is M r = 2 x 1.0080 + 32'06 + 4 x 15.9994 = 98'0736 and so on. (c) Based on the empirical formula one can easily calculate the relative amounts of the elements present in the compound or the percentage composition of the substance. For such calculations the relative atomic masses of the elements in question must be used. Thus, in hydrochloric acid (HC1) the relative amounts of the hydrogen and chlorine are H : Cl = 1'0080: 35,453 = 1'0000: 35.172 and (as the relative molecular mass of hydrochloric acid is 36-461) it contains 1'008 100 x 36'461 = 2.76 per cent H 35'453 100 x _ 3 = 97'24 per cent Cl 6'461 Similarly, the relative amounts of the elements in sulphuric acid (H 2 S0 4 ) are H: S:O = 2 x 1,0080:32'06:4 x 15'9994 = 2'016: 32'06:63'9976 1: 15'903:31'745 THEORETICAL BASIS 1.3 and knowing that the relative molecular mass of sulphuric acid is 98'0763, we can calculate its percentage composition which is 2'0160 100 x 98,0736 = 2'06 per cent H 32'06 100 x 98'0736 = 32'69 per cent S and 63,9976 100 x 98'0736 = 65'25 per cent 0 and so on. (d) Finally, if the formula is known - which of course means that the relative molecular mass is available - we can calculate the volume of a known amount of a gaseous substance at a given temperature and pressure. If p is the pressure in atmospheres, T is the absolute temperature in degrees kelvins, M r is the relative molecular mass of the substance in g mol-I units and m is the weight of the gas in grams, the volume of the gas (v) is v = mRT t pMr where R is the gas constant, 0'0823 t atm K - 1 mol- I. (The gas here is con- sidered to be a perfect gas.) 1.3 VALENCY AND OXIDA nON NUMBER In the understanding of the composition of compounds and the structure of their molecules the concept of valency plays an important role. When looking at the empirical formulae of various substances the question arises: are there any rules as to the number of atoms which can form stable molecules? To understand this let us examine some simple compounds containing hydrogen. Such compounds are, for example, hydrogen chloride (HC1), hydrogen bromide (HBr), hydrogen iodide (HI), water (H 2 0), hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), ammonia (H 3 N), phosphine (H 3 P), methane (H 4 C), and silane (H 4 Si). By comparing these formulae one can see that one atom of some of the elements (like Cl, Br, and I) will bind one atom of hydrogen to form a stable compound, while others combine with two (0, S), three (N,P) or even four (C, Si). This number, which represents one of the most important chemical characteristics of the element, is called the valency. Thus, we can say that chlorine, bromine, and iodide are monovalent, oxygen and sulphur bivalent, nitrogen and phosphorus tervalent, carbon and silicon tetravalent elements and so on. Hydrogen itself is a monovalent element. From this it seems obvious that the valency of an element can be ascertained from the composition of its compound with hydrogen. Some of the elements, for example some of the metals, do not combine with hydrogen at all. The valency of such elements can therefore be determined only in an indirect way, by examining the composition of their compounds formed with chlorine or oxygen and finding out the number of hydrogen atoms these elements replace. Thus, from the formulae of magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium chloride (MgC1 2 ) we can conclude that magnesium is a bivalent metal, similarly from the composition of aluminium chloride (AIC1 3 ) or aluminium oxide (A1 2 0 3 ) it is obvious that aluminium is a tervalent metal etc. 1.4 QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS In conclusion we can say that the valency of an element is a number which expresses how many atoms of hydrogen or other atoms equivalent to hydrogen can unite with one atom of the element in question.. If necessary the valency of the element is denoted by a roman numeral following the symbol like Cl(I), Br(I), N(III) or as a superscript, like C1 1 , Brl, N llI , etc. Some elements, like hydrogen, oxygen, or the alkali metals, seem always to have the same valency in all of their compounds. Other elements however show different valencies; thus, for example, chlorine can be mono-, tri-, penta- or heptavalent in its compounds. It is true that compounds of the same element with different valencies show different physical and chemical characteristics. A deeper study of the composition of compounds and of the course of chemical reactions reveals that the classical concept of valency , as defined above, is not quite adequate to explain certain phenomena. Thus, for example, chlorine is monovalent both in hydrochloric acid (HC1) and in hypochlorous acid (HCIO), but the marked differences in the chemical behaviour of these two acids indicate that the status of chlorine in these substances is completely different. From the theory of chemical bondingt we know that when forming hydrochloric acid, a chlorine atom takes up an electron, thus acquiring one negative charge. On the other hand, if hypochlorous acid is formed, the chlorine atom releases an electron, becoming thus a species with one positive charge. As we know, the uptake or release of electrons corresponds to reduction or oxidation (cf. Section 1.35), we can therefore say that though chlorine is monovalent in these acids, its oxidation status is different. It is useful to define the concept of oxidation number and to use it instead of valency. The oxidation number is a number identical with the valency but with a sign, expressing the nature of the charge of the species in question when formed from the neutral atom. Thus, the oxidation number of chlorine in hydrochloric acid is - 1, while it is + 1 in hypochlorous acid. Similarly we can say that the oxidation number of chlorine in chlorous acid (HCI0 2 ) is + 3, in chloric acid (HCI0 3 ) is + 5, and in perchloric acid (HCI0 4 ) + 7. The concept of oxidation number will be used extensively in the present text. 1.4 STRUCTURAL FORMULAE Using the concept of valency the com- position of compounds can be expressed with structural formulae. Each valency of an element can be regarded as an arm or hook, through which chemical bonds are formed. Each valency can be represented by a single line drawn outwards from the symbol of the element, like H- Cl- 0= N =: C =: The structural formulae of compounds can be expressed with lines drawn between the atoms t like · Cf. Mellor's Modern Inorganic Chemistry, newly revised and ediled by G. D. Parkes, Longman 1967, p. 99 el f. t Cf. Mellor op. cil., p. 155 el f. t There are no reslriclions aboul Ihe direclion of Ihese lines (unless dilferenlialion has 10 be made belween slereochemical isomers). Nor is Ihere any reslriclion on Ihe dislances of aloms. Slruclural formulae musl Iherefore be regarded only as a slep in Ihe approximalion of Ihe Irue slruclure. A Ihree dimensional represenlalion wilh Irue direclions and proporlional dislances can mosl adequalely be made wilh molecular model kiIs. H I N /"- H H o ,f C '\ o H-CI H-O-H H I H-C-H I H Structural formulae will be used in this text only when necessary, mainly when dealing with organic reagents. A more detailed discussion of structural formulae will not be given here; beginners should study appropriate textbooks.. Readers should be reminded that the simple hexagon o (Oor@) represents the benzene ring. Benzene (C 6 H 6 ) can namely be described with the (simplified) ring formula in which double and single bonds are alternating (so-called conjugate bonds): H I H - ;::'<r- H H-(2 -H I H All the aromatic compounds contain the benzene ring. 1.5 CHEMICAL EQUATIONS Qualitative and quantitative relationships involved in a chemical reaction can most precisely be expressed in the form of chemical equations. These equations contain the formulae of the reacting substances on the left-hand side and the formulae of the products on the right- hand side. When writing chemical equations the following considerations must be kept in mind: (a) Because of the fact that the formulae of the reacting species are on the left-hand side and those of the products are on the right, the sides generally cannot be interchanged (in this sense chemical equations are not equivalent to mathematical equations). In the cases of equilibrium reactionst when the reaction may proceed in both directions, the double arrow (+2) sign should be used instead of the equal ( = ) or single arrow ( -+ ) sign. (b) The individual formulae, used in the chemical reactions, must be written correctly. (c) If more molecules (atoms or ions) of the same substance are involved in the reaction, an appropriate stoichiometric number has to be written in front of the formula. This number is a multiplication factor, which applies to all atoms in the formula. (Thus, for example 2Ca3(P04h means that we have 6 calcium, 4 phosphorus, and 16 oxygen atoms in the equation.) · Cf. Mellor's Modern Inorganic Chemistry, newly revised and edited by G. D. Parkes, Longman 1%7, p. 155. t Theoretically speaking, all reactions lead to an equilibrium. This equilibrium however may be shifted completely towards the formation of the products. (d) A chemical equation must be written in such a way that it fulfils the law of conservation of mass, which is strictly valid for all chemical reactions. This means, that the equation should be balanced by applying proper stoichio- metric numbers in such a way that the numbers of different individual atoms are the same on both sides. (e) If charged species (ions or electrons) are involved in the reaction, these charges must be clearly indicated (like Fe H or Fe + + +) and properly balanced; the sum of charges on the left-hand side must be equal to the sum of charges on the right-hand side. The electron, as a charged particle, will be denoted by e- in this text. As an example let us express the equation of the reaction between calcium hydroxide and phosphoric acid. Knowing that the products of such a reaction are calcium phosphate and water, we can write the formulae of the substances into the yet incomplete equation: Ca(OHh + H 3 P0 4 -+ CaiP0 4 h + H 2 0 (incomplete) (note that the sides of the equation cannot be interchanged, because the reaction will not proceed in the inverse direction). Now we try to balance the equation by applying suitable stoichiometric numbers: 3Ca(OH)2 + 2H 3 P0 4 = Ca3(P04h + 6H 2 0 It is advisable to check the equation by counting the numbers of individual atoms on both sides. Doing so we can see that there are 3 calcium, 2 phosphorus, 12 hydrogen and 14 oxygen atoms on both sides. It is useful to denote the physical state of the reaction partners. For this purpose the letters s, 1, and g are applied for solid, liquid, and gaseous substances respectively, while the notation aq is used for species dissolved in water. These letters are used in parenthesis after the formula, e.g. AgCl(s), H,-O(l), CO 2 (g), while the aq follows the formula simply, without parenthesis e.g. H 3 P0 4 aq. The systematic use of these notations is important only in thermodynamics, that is when the energetics of the reactions are examined. In the present text we shall use them in some cases. The formation of a precipitate will be denoted by a ! sign (indicating that the precipitate settles to the bottom of the solution) while the liberation of gases will be denoted by a i sign. If not otherwise stated, equations will refer to reactions proceeding in dilute aqueous solutions. Following those considerations discussed in Section 1.2., relative masses, mass balances, and volumes (of gaseous substances only) can be calculated on the basis of chemical equations. Such calculations are involved in all kinds of quantitative analyses based on chemical reactions. B. AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF INORGANIC SUBSTANCES 1.6 ELECTROLYTES AND NON-ELECTROLYTES Quantitative in- organic analysis is based mainly on the observation of chemical reactions carried out in aqueous solutions. Other solvents are rarely employed except for special tests or operations. It is therefore important to have a general knowledge of the characteristics of aqueous solutions of inorganic substances. A solution is the homogeneous product obtained when a substance (the solute) is dissolved in the solvent (water). Substances can be classified into two important groups according to their behaviour when an electric current is passed through their solution. In the first class there are those which conduct electric current; the solutions undergo chemical changes thereby. The second class is composed of materials which, when dissolved in water, do not conduct electricity and which remain unchanged. The former substances are termed electrolytes, and these include, with few exceptions, all inorganic sub- stances (like acids, bases, and salts); the latter are designated non-electrolytes, and are exemplified by such organic materials as cane sugar, mannose, glucose, glycerine, ethanol, and urea. It must be pointed out that a substance which behaves as an electrolyte in water, e.g. sodium chloride, may not yield a con- ducting solution in another solvent such as ether or hexane. In the molten state most electrolytes will conduct electricity. 1.7 ELECTROLYSIS, THE NATURE OF ELECTROLYTIC CONDUC- TANCE, IONS Chemically pure water practically does not conduct electricity, ifhowever, as already stated, acids, bases, or salts are dissolved in it, the result- ant solution not only conducts the electric current, but undergoes chemical changes as well. The whole process is called electrolysis. Phenomena occurring during electrolysis can be studied in the electrolysis cell shown in Fig. 1.1. The electrolyte solution is placed in a vessel, into which Source of current (battery) I1 I 1I1 1 1 + =-; -rp-=- - -: - - + _ _ - \:!T_ - -- -- - - -- ; - - - - -- - + - - -G)-: - - -8- - - - Fig I.1 two solid conductors (e.g. metals), the so called electrodes, are immersed. With the aid of a battery (or another d.c. source) a potential difference is applied between the two electrodes. The electrode with the negative charge in the electrolysis cell is called the cathode, while that with the positive charge is termed the anode.. · It must be emphasized that the terms cathode and anode correspond to the negative and positive electrodes respectively only in electrolysis cells. According to Faraday's nomenclature, cathode is the electrode where cations lose their charge, while anions do the same on the anode. Consequently, in a battery (like the Daniell-cell) the anode is the negative and the cathode is the positive electrode. The chemical change occurring-during the course of electrolysis is observable on or in the vicinity of the electrodes. In many cases such a change is a simple decomposition. If for example a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid is elec- trolysed (between platinum electrodes), hydrogen gas is liberated on the cathode and chlorine on the anode; the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the solution decreases. It is easy to demonstrate that electrolysis is always accompanied by the transport of material in an electrolysis cell. If for example the blue solution of copper sulphate and the orange solution of potassium dichromate are mixed in equimolar concentrations, a brownish solution is obtained. This solution can be placed in a U-shaped electrolysis cell and topped up with a colourless layer of dilute sulphuric acid on each side (Fig. 1.2). If this solution is then electrolysed, the hitherto colourless solution next to the cathode slowly becomes blue, while H 2 S0 4 H 2 SO 4 Blue (Cu 2") Orange ( Cr 2 0 ) 2-) Brown (CUS0 4 + K2Cr20) Fig. 1.2 the solution next to the anode becomes orange. As the blue colour is associated with copper and the orange with dichromate, it can be said that copper moves towards the cathode and dichromate towards the anode during the electrolysis. As such a movement can be achieved solely by electrolysis, it is obvious that those particles which move towards one of the electrodes must be charged and that this charge must be opposite to that of the electrode towards which they move. The migration of such particles is a result of the electrostatic attraction force, which is created when switching on the current. Thus the particles of hydrogen or copper, which move towards the cathode, must be positively charged, while those of chlorine or dichromate must be negatively charged. Faraday termed the charged particles in the electrolyte ions; the positively and negatively charged ions were called cations and anions respectively. It can be stated generally that solutions of electrolytes do not contain neutral molecules dispersed among the molecules of the solvent, as solutions of non-electrolytes do, but they are composed of ions. Cations and anions are present in equivalent amounts and are dispersed evenly in the solution among the molecules of the solvent; macroscopic portions of the solution therefore appear to be electro- statically neutral in all cases. THEORETICAL BASIS 1.8/9 1.8 SOME PROPERTIES OF AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS It has been found experimentally that equimolecular quantities of non-electrolytes, dissolved in the same weight of solvent, will acquire identical osmotic pressures, and have the same effect upon the lowering of vapour pressure, the depression of the freezing point, and the elevation of the boiling point. Using water as a solvent, 1 mole of a non-electrolyte when dissolved in 1000 g of water lowers, for example, the freezing point of water by l'86°C and elevates its boiling point by 0'52°C. On such a basis it is possible to determine the relative molecular mass of soluble non-electrolyte substances experimentally. When a non-electrolyte is dissolved in water, its molecules will be present as individual particles in the solution. Consequently, we can say that equal numbers of particles, present in the same amount of solution, will show identical osmotic pressure, lowering of vapour pressure, depression of the freezing point, or elevation of the boiling point. Thus, by measuring the above quantities, the number of particles present in the solution can be determined. When electrolyte solutions are subjected to such measurements, abnormal results are obtained. When substances like sodium chloride or magnesium sulphate are examined, the depression of freezing point or the elevation of boiling point is about twice that calculated from the relative molecular mass, with calcium chloride or sodium sulphate these quantities are three times those expected. Keeping in mind what has been said above, we can say that the number of particles in the solution of sodium chloride or magnesium sulphate is twice the number of molecules present, while in the case of calcium chloride or sodium sulphate there are three particles present for each molecule. 1.9 THE THEORY OF ELECTROLYTIC DISSOCIATION In Sections 1.7 and 1.8 two, seemingly independent, experimental facts were described. These are that electric current is conducted by the migration of charged particles in the solution of electrolytes, and that in solutions of electrolyte substances the number of particles are 2,3 . . . etc. times greater than the number of molecules dissolved. To explain these facts, Arrhenius put forward his theory of electrolytic dissociation (1887). According to 'this theory, the molecules of electrolytes, when dissolved in water, dissociate into charged atoms or groups of atoms, which are in fact the ions which conduct the current in electrolytes by migration. This dissociation is a reversible process; the degree of dissociation varies with the degree of dilution_ At very great dilutions the dissociation is practically complete for all electrolytes. The electrolytic dissociation (ionization) of compounds may therefore be represented by the reaction equations: NaCl +2 Na+ +Cl- MgS0 4 +2 Mg H +SOi- CaC1 2 +2 Ca H +2Cl- Na2S04 +2 2Na+ +soi- Ions carry positive or negative charges. Since the solution is electrically neutral, the total number of positive charges must be equal to the total number of negative charges in a solution. The number of charges carried by an ion is equal to the valency of the atom or radical. The explanation of the abnormal results obtained when measuring the depression of freezing point or elevation of boiling point is straightforward on the basis of the theory of electrolytic dissociation. In the case of sodium chloride and magnesium sulphate the measured values are twice as great as those calcu- lated from the relative molecular mass, because both substances yield two ions per molecule when dissociated. Similarly, the depression of freezing point or elevation of boiling point of calcium chloride or sodium sulphate solutions are three times as great as of an equimolar solution of a non-electrolyte, because these substances yield three ions from each molecule when dissociating. The phenomenon of electrolysis also receives a simple explanation on the basis of the theory of electrolytic dissociation. The conductance of electrolyte solutions is due to the fact that ions (charged particles) are present in the solution, which, when switching on the current, will start to migrate towards the electrode with opposite charge, owing to electrostatic forces. In the case of hydrochloric acid we have hydrogen and chloride ions in the solution: HCl +2 H+ +Cl- and it is obvious that hydrogen ions will migrate towards the cathode, while chloride ions will move towards the anode. In the solution, mentioned earlier, containing copper sulphate and potassium dichromate we have the blue copper(II) ions and the orange dichromate ions present, besides the colourless potassium and sulphate ions: CUS04 +2 Cu H +soi- K 2 Cr 2 0 7 +2 2K+ +Cr 2 0i- and this is why copper ions (together with potassium ions) moved towards the negatively charged cathode, while dichromate ions (as well as sulphate ions) moved towards the positively charged anode. Those changes occurring on the electrodes during electrolysis can also be explained easily on the basis of the theory of electrolytic dissociation. Returning to the example of the electrolysis of hydrochloric acid, where, as said before, hydrogen ions migrate towards the cathode and chloride ions towards the anode, the electrode processes are as follows: hydrogen ions, when arriving at the cathode first take up an electron to form a neutral hydrogen atom: H++e--+H Pairs of hydrogen atoms will then form hydrogen molecules, which are dis- charged in the form of hydrogen gas: 2H -+ H 2 (g) On the anode the chloride ions release electrons, forming chlorine atoms: Cl- -+ Cl+e- which again will form chlorine molecules: 2Cl -+ C1 2 (g) and are discharged in the form of chlorine gas. The electrons are taken up by the anode, and travel through the electric circuit to the cathode, where they are then taken up by hydrogen ions. THEORETICAL BASIS 1.10 The phenomena of electrolysis are not always as simple as discussed in connection with hydrochloric acid, but it is always true that electrons are taken up by ions on the cathode and electrons are released by ions on the anode. It is not necessarily the cation or anion of the dissolved substance, which reacts on the electrodes, even though these ions carry the electrical current by migration. In aqueous solutions very small amounts of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are always present due to the slight dissociation of water (cf. Sections 1.18 and 1.24): H 2 0 p H+ +OH- The ions of the dissolved substance and hydrogen as well as hydroxyl ions compete for discharge on the electrodes, and the successful ion is the one which needs the least energy for discharge. Using electrochemical terms we can say that under given circumstances the ion which requires a lower negative electrode potential will be discharged first on the cathode, while the one that requires a lower positive potential will be discharged on the anode. The discharge of hydroxyl ions on the anode results in the formation of oxygen gas: 40H- -+ 4e- +2H 2 0+0 2 (g) The competition of various ions at the electrodes for discharge may lead to various combinations. If for example sodium sulphate is electrolysed (with platinum electrodes), neither sodium nor sulphate ions (Na2S04 p 2Na+ +SOi-) will be discharged, but hydrogen and hydroxyl ions; the result of the electrolysis therefore is the formation of hydrogen gas on the cathode and oxygen on the anode. As hydrogen ions are removed from the vicinity of the cathode, the hydroxyl-ion concentration will surpass that of the hydrogen ions, making this part of the solution alkaline. The opposite happens around the anode, where hydrogen ions will be in excess and the solution there becomes acidic. When after the electrolysis the solution is mixed, it again becomes neutral. When electro lysing sodium chloride (NaCl p Na + + Cl-) under similar circumstances, hydrogen and chloride ions are discharged in the form of hydrogen and chlorine gas on the cathode and anode respectively. Sodium and hydroxyl ions are left behind, and the whole solution becomes alkaline. Finally, if copper sulphate (CuS0 4 p Cu H + SOi-) is electro lysed under the same circumstances, copper and hydroxyl ions will be discharged, the cathode being coated with a layer of copper metal, while oxygen gas is liberated on the anode. Hydrogen and sulphate ions are left behind in the solution, making the latter acidic. In later parts of the present text we shall see that the uptake of electrons always means reduction, while the release of electrons is associated with oxidation. Briefly therefore we can say that during the course of electrolysis reduction takes place on the cathode, while oxidation occurs on the anode. This rule is true for any kind of electrochemical process, e.g. the same is true for the operation of electromotive cells (batteries). 1.10 DEGREE OF DISSOCIA nON. STRONG AND WEAK ELEC- TROLYTES When discussing the theory of electrolytic dissociation, it was stated that it is a reversible process and its extent varies with concentration (and also with other physical properties, like temperature). The degree of dissociation (IX) is equal to the fraction of the molecules which actually dissociate. 1.10 QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS rx= number of dissociated molecules total number of molecules The value of rx may vary within 0 and 1. If rx = 0, no dissociation takes place, while if rx = 1 dissociation is complete. The degree of dissociation can be determined by various experimental methods. The cryoscopic and ebullioscopic techniques are based on the measurement of the depression of the freezing point and the elevation of the boiling point respectively. As mentioned before, the experimental values of these were found to be higher than the theoretical ones. The ratio of these (obs) . =1 (theor) is closely associated with the number of particles present in the solution. The value i (called van't Hoff's coefficient) gives the average number of particles formed from one molecule; as this is an average number, i is not an integer. It is always greater than unity. This number can easily be associated with the degree of dissociation. Let us consider an electrolyte which when dissociated gives rise to the formation of n ions per molecule. If 1 mole of this electrolyte is dissolved, and the degree of dissociation is rx, we can calculate the total number of particles (ions plus undissociated molecules) in the following way: the number of ions (per molecule) will be nrx, while the number of undissociated molecules 1 - rx. The sum of these is equal to i, the van't Hoff coefficient: i = nrx + 1 - rx = 1 + (n - l)rx from which the degree of dissociation can be expressed as i-l rx=- n-l Thus, by calculating i from experimental data, rx can be computed easily. An important method of determining the degree of dissociation is based on the measurement of the conductivity of the electrolyte in question (conductivity method). This method is associated with the fact that the electric current is carried by the ions present in the solution; their relative number, which is closely connected to the degree of dissociation, will determine the conductivity of the solution. Conductivity itself is a derived quantity, as it cannot be measured as such. To determine conductivity one has to measure the specific resistance (resistivity) of the solution. This can be done by placing the solution in a cube- like cell of 1 em side, two parallel faces of which are made of a conductor (platinum).. This cell can then be connected as the unknown resistance in a Wheatstone-bridge circuit, which is fed by a perfectly symmetrical (sinusoidal) alternating current at low voltage. Direct current would cause changes in the concentration of the solution owing to electrolysis. The specific resistance, p, is expressed in Q em units. The reciprocal of the specific resistance is termed · It is not in fact necessary to use such a particular cell for the measurements; any cell of constant dimensions is suitable, provided that its 'cell constant' has been determined by a calibration pro- cedure, using an electrolyte (e.g. potassium chloride solution), with a known specific resistance. specific conductance or conductivity, K, and is expressed in a-I cm- I units. For electrolytic solutions it is customary to define the quantity called molar conductivity, A. The latter is the conductance of a solution which contains 1 mole of the solute between two electrodes of indefinite size, 1 cm apart. The specific conductance and molar conductivity are connected by the relation: A =KV = c where V is the volume of the solution in cm 3 (ml), containing 1 mole of the solute, c is the concentration in mol cm - 3. The molar conductivity is expressed in cm 2 a-I mol-I units. Kohlrausch discovered, in the last century, that the molar conductivity of aqueous solutions of electrolytes increases with dilution, and reaches a limiting value at very great dilutions. The increase of molar conductivity, in line with the Arrhenius theory, results from the increasing degree of dissociation; the limiting value corresponds to complete dissociation. This limiting value of the molar conductivity is denoted here by Ao (the notation A<XJ is also used), while its value at a concentration c will be denoted by Ac. The degree of dissociation can be expressed as the ratio of these two molar conductivities Ac r:J.=- Ao for the given concentration (c) of the electrolyte. The variation of molar conductivity with concentration for a number of electrolytes is shown in Table 1.1. Because the conductance of solutions varies with temperature (at higher temperatures the conductance becomes higher), the temperature at which these conductances are measured must be given. Values shown on Table I.l were measured at 25°C. It can be seen from this table that while the variation of molar conductivity of some solutions with Table 1.1 Molar conductivities of electrolytes at 25"C in cm 2 rr J mor J units CODceDtratioa Electrolyte mol r- I KCI NaCI HCI NaOH KOH CH 3 COONa CH 3 COOH ->0( = Ao) 150'1 126'2 423'7 260'9 283.9 91.3 388,6 00001 149'2 125-3 0-0002 104,0 0'0005 148'3 124'3 422,2 246.5 270'1 89,4 64,5 0001 147'5 123.5 421'1 244'7 268-2 88'7 48,7 0'002 146-5 122.2 419'2 242.5 266'2 87-7 35'2 0'005 144,2 119.8 414'9 238'8 262,1 85'7 22-8 0-01 141'6 117.8 410-5 234'5 258,9 83,7 16'2 concentration is slight for most of the electrolytes listed, there is a strong dependence on concentration in the case of acetic acid. The difference in be- haviour can be seen better from Fig. 1.3, where molar conductivities are plotted as functions of concentration, using a logarithmic scale for the latter to provide a wider range for illustration. The five substances selected for illustration repre- sent five different groups of inorganic compounds, within each of which there is little variation, e.g. the curve for nitric acid would run very close to the curve 500 o e HCI (strong acids) CH 3 COOH (weak acids) KOH (strong bases) NH 4 0H (weak bases) KCI (salts) 100 10- 1 10- 2 10- 3 10- 4 10- 5 10- 6 10- 7 10- 8 c/moJ. I-I of hydrochloric acid. But if we think in terms of degrees of dissociation, we can see that there are only two groups showing different behaviour. The first group, made up of strong acids, strong bases, and salts (including those of weak acids and weak bases), is termed strong electrolytes. (These dissociate almost com- pletely even at relatively low degrees of dilution 0'01 M solutions), and there is little variation in the degree of dissociation at further dilution. On the other hand, weak electrolytes (weak acids and weak bases) start to dissociate only at very low concentrations, and the variation in the degree of dissociation is considerable at this lower concentration range. The two methods, the cryoscopic and ebullioscopic techniques on one hand and the conductivity method on the other hand, yield strikingly similar values for the degree of dissociation, despite the substantially different principles in- volved in the two types of measurements. Some representative results are shown in Table 1.2. It can be noted that agreement is particularly good for dilute solutions of binary electrolytes (KC1). The more concentrated the solutions, the more considerable the differences. Table 1.3 shows the degree of dissociation of Table 1.2 Degree of dissociation of electrolytes, calculated from freezing point and conductivity measurements Substance Conceatration (J(from (J(from No. of Ions molC I freezIng conductivl ty for one point molecule, n KCI 0.01 0.946 0,943 2 0.02 0.915 0.924 0,05 0'890 0'891 0.10 0.862 0,864 BaCI 2 0.001 0.949 0,959 3 0.01 0,903 0'886 0'10 0'798 0,754 K 2 S0 4 0'001 0,939 0'957 3 0'01 0'887 0'873 0'10 0'748 0.716 K 3 [Fe(CNM 0,001 0,946 0'930 4 0'01 0,865 0'822 0'10 0'715 14 Table 1.3 Degree of dissociation of electro- lytes in O'lM aqueous solutions Hydrochloric (H + , CI-) Nitric (H+, NO;) Sulphuric (H+, HSO;) Phosphoric (H+, H 2 PO;) Hydrofluoric (H+, F-) Acetic (H+, CH 3 .COO-) Carbonic (H+, HCO;) Hydrosulphuric (H+, HS-) Hydrocyanic (H+, CN-) Boric (H+, H 2 BO;) 0'92 0.92 0.61 0'28 0'085 0.013 0'0017 0'()()()7 O. ()()() I O.()()() I Potassium chloride (K +, CI-) Sodium chloride (Na + , CI-) Potassium ni trate (K + , CI:;) Silver nitrate (Ag+, N0 3 ) Sodium acetate (Na+, CH 3 .COO-) Barium chloride (Ba H , 2CI-) Potassium sulphate (2K +, SO -) Sodium carbonate (2Na + , CO -) Zinc sulphate (Zn H , SO -) Copper sulphate (Cu H , SO -) Mercuric chloride (HgH, 2CI-) Mercuric cyanide (HgH, 2CN-) 0'86 0'86 0'82 0'82 0'80 0'75 0'73 0'70 0'40 0'39 <0.01 very small Sodium hydroxide (Na+, OH-) 0'91 Potassium hydroxide (K +, OH-) 0.91 Barium hydroxide (Ba H , 20H-) 0'81 Ammonia (NH;, OH-) 0'013 a number of electrolytes in O'lM concentrations. From these values we can easily decide whether a particular substance is a strong or a weak electrolyte. 1.11 THE INDEPENDENT MIGRATION OF IONS. CALCULATION OF CONDUCTIVITIES FROM IONIC MOBILITIES For strong elec- trolytes the limiting value of the molar conductivity, Ao, may be determined by extending the measurements to low concentrations and then extrapolating the graph of conductivity against concentration to zero concentration. For weak electrolytes, such as acetic acid and ammonia, this method cannot be employed, since the dissociation is far from complete at the lowest concentrations at which measurements can be conveniently made ('" 1O-4 M ). It is however possible to calculate these limiting conductances on the basis of the law of independent migration of ions. As a result of prolonged and careful study of the conductance of salt solutions down to low concentrations, Kohlrausch found that the difference in molar conductivities of pairs of salts, containing similar anions and always the same two cations, is constant and independent of the nature of the anion. He found for example that the following differences of limiting molar conductivities (measured at 18°C in cm 2 0-1 mol- 1 units) Ao(KC1) - Ao(NaCl) = 130,1-109,0 = 21.1 A o (KN0 3 )-A o (NaN0 3 ) = 126,3-105,3 = 21'0 are very nearly equal. From these and similar results, Kohlrausch drew the conclusion that the molar conductivity of an electrolyte is made up as the sum of the conductivities of the component ions. Mathematically this can be ex pressed as Ao = A +A(; where A and A(; are the limiting molar conductivities or mobilities of the cation and anion respectively. The ionic mobilities are computed from values of Ao with the aid of transference numbers. These represent the current carried by the cation and anion respectively, and can be determined experimentally from the difference of concentration of electrolytes between the bulk of the solution and parts of the solution close to the cathode and anode.. Thus, for example, the transference number of chloride ion in a potassium chloride solution was found to be 0'503, while that of potassium is 0,497 (the sum of transference numbers for one particular electrolyte is by definition equal to one). The limiting value of the molar conductivity of potassium chloride solution (at 18°C) is 130'1 cm 2 0-1 mol-I. Thus the mobility of the potassium ion is A (K +) = 0'497 x 130.1 = 64'6 cm 2 0-1 mol- 1 and that of the chloride ion is A(;(Cl-) = 0'503 x 130.1 = 65'5cm 2 a- 1 mol- 1 Table 1.4 Limiting ionic mobilities at )SOC and 25°C in cm 2 rr J mol- J units 18"C 25°C H+ 317.0 OH- 174.0 H+ 348,0 OH- 210'8 Na+ 43'5 CI- 65'5 Na+ 49,8 CI- 76,4 K+ 64,6 NO:; 61'8 K+ 73-4 10:; 42.0 Ag+ 54'4 Br- 67,7 Ag+ 61.9 CH 3 COO- 40,6 1/2 Ca H 52.2 r 66.1 1/2 Sr H 51.7 F- 46,8 1/2 Ba H 55'0 CIO:; 55,0 1/2 Pb H 61'6 10:; 34,0 1/2 Cd H 46'5 CH 3 COO- 32.5 1/2 Zn H 46,0 1/2 SOl- 68,3 1/2 Cu H 45'9 1/2 (COOW 61.1 A selected number of ionic mobilities at 18°C and 25°C is shown in Table 104. This table may be utilized for the calculation of the limiting molar conductivities of any electrolytes made up of the ions listed. Thus, for acetic acid at 25°C A o (CH 3 COOH) = A (H+)+A(;(CH3COO-) = 348'0+40'6 = 388'6 cm 2 0-1 mol-I · For a more delailed discussion oflransference numbers lexlbooks of physical chemislry should be consulled (cf.: Waller J. Moore's Physical Chemistry. 41h edn., Longman 1966, p. 333 el f). The degree of dissociation can be calculated from the relation Ac a=- Ao where Ac is the molar conductivity at the concentration c; this can be measured experimentally. 1.12 MODERN THEORY OF STRONG ELECTROLYTES The theory of electrolytic dissociation can be used to explain a great number of phenomena which are important in inorganic qualitative analysis. The theory, as put forward by Arrhenius, can be applied without much alteration as far as weak electrolytes are concerned but as further evidence - particularly of the structure of matter in the solid state - emerged, it became less and less adequate for strong electrolytes. It became clear that substances which are classified as strong electrolytes are made up of ions even in the solid (crystalline) form. In a crystal of sodium chloride, for example, there are no sodium chloride molecules present, (such molecules exist only in the sodium chloride vapour). The crystal is built up of sodium and chloride ions, arranged in a cubic lattice, one sodium ion being CI- Na+ / uO (:) t+\c:J f)V(!)V(3 nt] . 0o 6_Q0 0 n w A G (d) \.UG)\V surrounded always by six chloride atoms and vice versa (see Fig. IAa). As the ions are there in the solid state, it is incorrect to suggest that at dissolution 'molecules' di sociate into ions. The dissolution of an ionic crystal in water is a physical process. It has been proved that in the water molecule the two hydrogen and the oxygen atoms are arranged in a triangle with a distance of 0,0958 nm between the centres of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and with an angle of 106 0 between the directions of the two hydrogen atoms (cf. Fig. IAb). Because of this arrange- ment, that side of the water molecule containing the hydrogen atoms, becomes electrostatically positive, while the opposite end, where the oxygen atom is, becomes negative. Thus, the water molecule has a dipole character. If an ionic crystal is placed in water, these dipoles will orientate around the ions present in the outer layer of the lattice. Electrostatic force will tend to pull these ions away from the crystal (see Fig. IAc). When an ion has been removed from the lattice, a symmetrical sphere of water molecules will orientate around it, and the whole hydrated ion with its sphere of water molecules will be taken away from the crystal by thermal motion. A new ion will thus be exposed to the action of water molecules, and slowly the whole crystal will dissolve. It can be stated therefore that in the solution of a strong electrolyte there are only (hydrated) ions present; in other words, 'dissociation' is complete. When accepting this model for the dissolution of strong electrolytes, further problems have to be faced. As was said in the previous section, the theory of electrolytic dissociation was in excellent agreement with the fact that the molar conductivity of strong electrolytes varies considerably with concentration at higher concentrations (cf. Fig. 1.3). This fact does not seem to be in accordance with the theory outlined above. As the number of ions is constant if a certain amount of electrolyte is dissolved, irrespective of its concentration, one would expect that the molar conductivity of such solutions would be constant. It was not until 1923 that Debye and Hiickel, (followed by Onsager in 1925) tried to interpret these phenomena with their famous interionic attraction theory. This theory was elaborated in a quantitative way and led to a number of important discoveries in solution chemistry. For a fuller treatment textbooks of physical chemistry should be consulted.. In the present text the theory is outlined only to the extent necessary for the better understanding of phenomena occurring in qualitative inorganic analysis. The Debye-Hiickel-Onsager theory accepts the fact that in solutions of strong electrolytes ionization is complete. When at rest, i.e. when there is no electrical potential difference applied on the electrodes, each ion is surrounded by a symmetric 'atmosphere' of ions of the opposite charge. When a potential difference is applied, the ions start to migrate towards the electrode with the opposite charge, owing to electrostatic forces. The migration of an individual ion is however far from being free of obstacles. According to the theory there are two discernible causes to which the retardation of ions can be attributed. The first of these is called the electrophoretic effect, and originates from the fact that the ion under consideration has to move against a stream of ions of the opposite charge moving towards the other electrode. As said before, these ions carry a large number of associated water (or solvent) molecules, and the friction be- tween these hydrated (solvated) ions retards their migration. The higher the · cr. Walter J. Moore's Physical Chemistry. 4th edn., Longman 1966, p. 359 et r. concentration, the nearer are these ions to each other and the more pronounced is this effect. The second, the asymmetry or (relaxation) effect, is the result of the breakdown of the symmetrical atmosphere of oppositely charged ions around the ion in question. As soon as the ion starts to move towards the particular electrode, it leaves, the centre of the sphere of its ionic atmosphere, leaving behind more ions belonging to the original sphere. For a while at least an unsymmetrical distribution of ions will develop, those ions, which are 'left behind' will electrostatically attract the ion in question. As this force is exerted in just the opposite direction to that of motion, the migration of the ion is slowed down. This effect is the more pronounced the more concentrated the solution. If the electric circuit is broken, it takes some time for the arrange- ment of ions to become symmetrical again (in other words, for relaxation to be complete), and this time, called the time of relaxation, can be expressed mathematically as the function of measurable parameters of the solution. It is inversely proportional to the concentration. The change of conductivity with dilution is therefore not attributed to changes in the degree of dissociation, as suggested by Arrhenius, but to the variation of the inter ionic forces outlined above. The molar conductivity, at a concentration c, can be expressed by the (simplified) equation: Ac = Ao-(A+BAo)jc where Ao is the limiting value of the molar conductivity at zero concentration. A and B are constants (for a particular ion in a particular solvent at constant temperature) and correspond to the asymmetry and electrophoretic effects respectively. The great merits of the Debye-Hiickel-Onsager theory can be judged from the fact that both A and B can be expressed with measurable para- meters of the solution and with some natural constants, and that conductivities calculated with this equation agree well with the experimental values, especially if concentrations are not too high. The ratio Acl Ao in the modem theory of strong electrolytes, based on complete ionization, no longer gives the degree of dissociation r:J. for a strong electrolyte (for which it should be equal to unity); it is more proper therefore to call it the conductivity coefficient or conductance ratio. It does give the approximate degree of dissociation for weak electrolytes, but even here there are interionic forces contributing towards a lessening of the conductivity, and a correction may be applied with the aid of the Debye-Hiickel-Onsager theory. 1.13 CHEMICAL EQUILmRIUM; THE LAW OF MASS ACTION One of the most important facts about chemical reactions is that all chemical reactions are reversible. Whenever a chemical reaction is initiated, reaction products are starting to build up, and these in turn will react with each other starting a reverse reaction. After a while a dynamic equilibrium is reached; that is as many mole- cules (or ions) of each substance are decomposed as are formed in unit time. In some cases this equilibrium is almost completely on the side of formation of one or another substance, and the reaction thus seems to proceed until it becomes complete. In other cases it might be the experimenter's task to create the circumstances under which the reaction, which otherwise would reach an equilibrium, will become complete. This is often the case in quantitative analysis. The conditions of chemical equilibrium can most easily be derived from the 1.13 QUALIT A TlVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS law of mass action.. This law was stated originally by Guldberg and Waage in 1867 in the following form: the velocity of a chemical reaction at constant temperature is proportional to the product of the concentrations of the reacting substances. Let us consider first a simple reversible reaction at constant temperature: A+B +2 C+D The velocity with which A and B react is proportional to their concentrations, or VI = k l x [A] x [B] where k I is a constant known as the rate constant and the square brackets indicate the molar concentration of the substance enclosed within the brackets. Similarly, the velocity with which the reverse process occurs is given by V 2 = k 2 X [C] x [0] At equilibrium the velocities of the reverse and forward reactions are equal (the equilibrium is a dynamic and not a static one) and therefore VI = V 2 k l x[A]x[B] = k2x[C]x[D] By rearranging we can write [C]x[D] k i [A] x [B] = k 2 = K K is the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Its value is independent of the concentrations of the species involved; it varies slightly with temperature and pressure. The expression may be generalized for more complex reactions. For a reversible reaction represented by the equation vAA+vBB+vcC+ ... +2 vLL+vMM+vNN where V A' VB . . . etc. are the stoichiometric numbers of the reaction, the equi- librium constant can be expressed as: [L]"L x [M]"M x [N]"N . . . K= [A]"A x [B]"B x [C]"c . . . Expressed in words: When equilibrium is reached in a reversible reaction at constant temperature and pressure, the product of the molecular concentrations of the resultants (the substances on the right-hand side of the equation), divided by the product of the molecular concentrations of the reactants (the substances on the left-hand side of the equation), each concentration being raised to the power equal to the number of species of that substance taking part in the reaction, is constant. · 11 musl be emphasized Ihallhe condiIions of chemical equilibrium can be derived and explained mosl exactly on the basis of thermodynamics, that is wiIhout involving reaction rates at all. Text- books of physical chemistry will of course contain the thermodynamical interpretation (cf. W. J. Moore's Physical Chemistry. 4th edn., Longman 1966, p. 167 et f.) The expression for the equilibrium constant given above gives us the clue to the problem one often comes across in qualitative analysis: what to do in order to make a reaction complete, in other words, to shift a chemical equilibrium in a desired direction. To examine this problem, let us consider the reaction of arsenate ions with iodide. If solutions of sodium arsenate, potassium iodide, and hydrochloric acid are mixed, the solution turns yellow or brown, owing to the formation of iodine. The reaction proceeds between the various ions present, arsenite ions and water being formed simultaneously, and can be expressed with the equation AsO -+2I-+2H+ p AsO -+I2+H20 Sodium, potassium, and chloride ions, added with the reagents, do not take part in the reaction, and are therefore not included in the equation. This reaction is reversible and leads to an equilibrium. Applying the law of mass action, we can express the equilibrium constant of the reaction as [AsO -] x [1 2 ] x [H 2 0] K = [AsO -] X [1-]2 x [H+]2 Let us suppose we want to reduce all the arsenate to arsenite, that is we want to shift the equilibrium towards the right-hand side of the equation. We can do this in several ways. If we add for example more hydrochloric acid to the solution, we can observe that the yellowish-brown colour deepens, that is more iodine is formed. The explanation of this is obvious from the expression for the equi- librium constant. When adding hydrochloric acid, we increased the hydrogen- ion concentration of the solution; thus increasing the denominator in the expression for the equilibrium constant. The equilibrium constant must remain constant, and therefore the numerator of the expression must increase as well. This can be achieved only by the increase of the individual concentrations in the numerator, which means that more arsenite, iodine, and water must be formed. In turn this means that the equilibrium has shifted towards the right- hand side. The same will happen if we add more potassium iodide to the solution. There are other ways however to achieve the same object. We can for example remove the iodine formed during the reaction by evaporation or by extraction in water-immiscible solvent. In this case the numerator of the expression decreases, and in order to keep K constant, the denominator must decrease also. This again means that more reactants are used up (and more products are formed). Generally, we can say that a chemical equilibrium at constant temperature and pressure can be shifted towards the formation of the products either by adding more reactants, or by removing one of the products from the (homogeneous) equilibrium system. In terms of reactions used in qualitative analysis this means either the addition of reagents in excess, or the removal of reaction products from the solution phase, by some means such as precipitation, t:vaporation, or extraction. From the argument above it follows that opposite action will shift the equi- librium in the opposite direction. Thus, for example, adding more iodine to the equilibrium system, or removing some of the hydrogen ions with a buffer, or removing iodide ions by precipitating them with lead nitrate in the form of lead iodide will shift the equilibrium towards the formation of arsenate. A different way of shifting equilibria towards one or another direction is based on the fact that the equilibrium constant depends on temperature and, at least in some cases, on pressure. Heating is often applied when performing qualitative analyses, though mainly in order to speed up the reactions (that is to influence kinetics) rather than to influence the conditions of equilibrium. In some cases cooling to low temperatures may achieve the object. For example, the equilibrium constant of the reaction Pb H +21- +2 PbI 2 (s) varies with temperature in such a way that at lower temperatures the formation of lead iodide is favoured. Thus, if we want to precipitate iodide quantitatively with lead, besides adding the reagent in excess, we should perform the reaction in the cold. The equilibrium of those reactions in solutions in which some of the reactants or products are gases, may be influenced by varying the pressure above the solution. Calcium carbonate precipitate for example can be dissolved by introducing carbon dioxide gas in a closed vessel until the pressure in the vessel increases to a few atmospheres, when the equilibrium CaC0 3 (s)+C0 2 (g)+H 2 0 +2 Ca H +2HCO; shifts towards the formation of calcium hydrogen carbonate. For the same reason, hydrogen sulphide gas is more effective if added at a slightly increased pressure, than when bubbled through a solution in an open vessel. If, on the other hand, the product of the reaction is a gas, the equilibrium can be shifted easily towards the formation of the products by removing the gas at a reduced pressure. 1.14 ACTIVITY AND ACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS In our deduction of the law of mass action we used the concentrations of species as variables, and deduced that the value of the equilibrium constant is independent of the con- centrations themselves. More thorough investigations however showed that this statement is only approximately true for dilute solutions (the approximation being the better, the more dilute are the solutions), and in more concentrated solutions it is not correct at all. Similar discrepancies arise when other thermo- dynamic quantities, notably electrode potentials or chemical free energies are dealt with. To overcome these difficulties, and still to retain the simple expres- sions derived for such quantities, G. N. Lewis introduced a new thermodynamic quantity, termed activity, which when applied instead of concentrations in these thermodynamic functions, provides an exact fit with experimental results. This uantity has the same dimensions as concentration. The activity, a A , ofa species A is proportional to its actual concentration [A], and can be expressed as a A = fAx [A] Here fA is the activity coefficient, a dimensionless quantity, which varies with concentration. For the simple equilibrium reaction, mentioned in Section 1.13 A+B +2 C+D the equilibrium constant can be expressed more precisely as _ a c x aD _ fc[C] xfD[D] _ fc xfD [C] x [0] K--- --x aAxa U fA[A]xfu[B] fAxfu [A]x[B] Activities, and thus activity coefficients, must be raised to appropriate powers, just like concentrations, if the stoichiometric numbers differ from 1. Thus, for the general reversible reaction, dealt with in Section 1.13: vAA+voB+vcC+ ... P vLL+vMM+vNN+ ... the equilibrium constant should be expressed more precisely as a VL x a VM x a VN x '" K= L M N a A x a B x a c x ... (fL[L ])"L x (fM[M])"M X (fN[N])"N X = (fA[A])"A X (fo[B])"B x (fc[C)"c x = f L xf M xf N X ... x [L]"L x [M]"M x [N]"N X f A xf B xf c x ... [A]"A x [B]"B x [C]"c x The activity coefficient varies with concentration. This variation is rather complex; the activity coefficient of a particular ion being dependent upon the concentration of all ionic species present in the solution. As a measure of the latter, Lewis and Randall (1921) introduced the quantity called ionic strength, I, and defined it as the half sum of the products of the concentration of each ion multiplied by the square of its charge. With mathematical symbols this can be expressed as I = ! CiZ where C i is the concentration of the ith component, and Zi is its charge. Thus, if a solution is 0.1 molar for nitric acid and 0'2 molar for barium nitrate, the concentrations of each ion being Cw = O. 1 mol £ - 1 COaH = 0.2 mol £ - 1 C N 0 3 = 0,3 mol £-1 and the charges ZH+ = 1 ZOa2+ = 2 ZN03 = 1 for the same ions respectively, the ionic strength of the solution will be I = t(cwz + + C Oa 2 + Z aH + CN03Z 03) = t(0'1 x 1 +0'2 x 4+0'3 xl) = 0,6 The correlation between activity coefficient and ionic strength can be deduced from the quantitative relationships of the Debye-Huckel-Onsager theory. Without giving details of this deduction* it is interesting to quote the final result: log}; = -0'43e 3 N 2 100 3T3 x z jI In this expression e is the charge of the electron, N the Avogadro constant, R the gas constant, Po the density of the solvent, t: the dielectric constant of the solvent, · For details textbooks of physical chemistry should be consulted. Cf. W. J. Moore's Physical Chemistry. 4th edn., Longman 1966, p. 354 et f. 1.14 QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS and T the absolute temperature. Though the expression is rather complicated, it is worth noting that it contains natural constants and some easily measurable physical quantities. This shows the great merit of the Debye-Hiickel-Onsager theory: it is able to provide a quantitative picture of the characteristics of electrolyte solutions. Inserting the adequate values of constants and physical quantities for dilute aqueous solutions at room temperatures (T = 298K) the expression can be Table 1.5 Mean activity coefficients of various electrolytes Molar 0.001 0'01 0,05 0.1 0.2 0'5 1.0 2'0 coacentration HCI 0,966 0,904 0'830 0'796 0,767 0'758 0'809 1.01 HBr 0,966 0,906 0,838 0,805 0'782 0'790 0'871 1.17 HN0 3 0.965 0'902 0'823 0.785 0'748 0'715 0'720 0,78 HI03 0,96 0'86 0'69 0'58 0'46 0.29 0'19 0'10 H 2 SO 4 0'830 0'544 0,340 0'265 0.209 0'154 0'130 0'12 NaOH 0'82 0,73 0'69 0,68 0'70 KOH 0.90 0.82 0,80 0,73 0,76 0,89 Ba(OHh 0.712 0.526 0'443 0'370 AgN0 3 0,90 0'79 0'72 0,64 0'51 0'40 0.28 AI(N0 3 h 0'20 0'16 0'14 0'19 0.45 BaCI 2 0'88 0,72 0'56 0'49 0.44 0.39 0,39 0.44 Ba(N0 3 h 0'88 0'71 0'52 0'43 0,34 CaCI 2 0,89 0,73 0,57 0'52 0'48 0'52 0'71 Ca(N0 3 h 0,88 0.71 0,54 0'48 0.42 0,38 0'35 0,35 CdCI 2 0,76 0'47 0'28 0'21 0'15 0'09 0,06 CdS0 4 0,73 0'40 0.21 0'17 0'11 0'07 0,05 0.04 CuCI 2 0,89 0'72 0'58 0'52 0'47 0'42 0'43 0'51 CUS04 0'74 0.41 0.21 0.16 0'11 0,07 0.05 FeCI 2 0,89 0'75 0.62 0'58 0,55 0,59 0'67 KF 0'93 0'88 0,85 0.81 0'74 0.71 0'70 KCI 0,965 0'901 0'815 0'769 0.719 0'651 0'606 0'576 KBr 0'%5 0,903 0.822 0'777 0'728 0.665 0.625 0.602 KI 0,965 0'905 0'84 0'80 0,76 0.71 0'68 0'69 KCI0 3 0,967 0'907 0.813 0'755 KCI0 4 0.965 0'895 0,788 K 2 S0 4 0'89 0'71 0.52 0,43 0'36 K 4 Fe(CN)6 0.19 0'14 0'11 0,67 LiBr 0,966 0,909 0'842 0'810 0,784 0,783 0,848 1'06 Mg(N0 3 h 0,88 0.71 0,55 0'51 0'46 0.44 0,50 0,69 MgS04 0'40 0.22 0'18 0'13 0,09 0,06 0,05 NH 4 CI 0.96 0'88 0'79 0,74 0.69 0.62 0'57 NH4Br 0,96 0,87 0.78 0'73 0,68 0.62 0'57 NH41 0.96 0'89 0'80 0,76 0'71 0'65 0,60 NH 4 N0 3 0'96 0,88 0'78 0'73 0'66 0'56 0'47 (NH 4 hS04 0,87 0,67 0'48 0'40 0.32 0.22 0'16 NaF 0.90 0'81 0,75 0.69 0.62 NaCI 0,966 0,904 0'823 0'780 0'730 0,68 0'66 0'67 NaBr 0,966 0.914 0,844 0'800 0,740 0'695 0'686 0'734 NaI 0.97 0.91 0'86 0'83 0.81 0,78 0'80 0.95 NaN0 3 0.966 0'90 0.82 0,77 0,70 0'62 0'55 0,48 Na2S04 0'89 0'71 0,53 0'45 0,36 0'27 0'20 NaCI0 4 0,97 0'90 0'82 0'77 0'72 0'64 0'58 Pb(N0 3 h 0,88 0,69 0'46 0,37 0'27 0'17 0'11 ZnCI 2 0,88 0'71 0'56 0'50 0'45 0'38 0'33 ZnS04 0'70 0,39 0'15 0'11 0.07 0,05 0'04 24 simplified to log}; = -0'509z jI F or the mean activity coefficient of a salt the ex pression logf = -0'509z+=-jI is valid, where z + and =- are the charges of the cation and anion respectively. The expression is applicable to solutions of low ionic strengths (up to 1 = 0'01) in the strictest sense. A number of mean activity coefficients are collected in Table 1.5. Activity coefficients generally first decrease with increasing concentrations, then, after passing through a minimum, rise again, often exceeding the value 1. This is illustrated well on the diagrams of Fig. 1.5 where activity coefficients of some electrolyte solutions are plotted against the square root of concentration. HC) f ),7 ),6 ),5 )-4 ).3 ).2 ).) ),0 0,9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 o NaC) e 1/2 f ),5 ),4 )'3 ),2 ).) ).0 0.9 0,8 0,7 0,6 0,5 0,4 0.3 0,2 0,) 0 0 CaC) 2 ),0 e l/ 2 Fig. 1.5 Activity coefficients of non-ionized molecules do not differ appreciably from unity. In dilute solutions of weak electrolytes the differences between activities and concentrations (calculated from the degree of dissociation) is negligible. From all that has been said about activity and activity coefficients, it is apparent that whenever precise results are to be expected, activities should be used when expressing equilibrium constants or other thermodynamic functions. In the present text however we shall be using simply concentrations. For the dilute solutions of strong and weak electrolytes that are mainly used in quali- tative analysis, errors introduced into calculations are not considerable. C. CLASSICAL THEORY OF ACID-BASE REACTIONS 1.15 ACIDS, BASES, AND SALTS Inorganic substances can be classified into three important groups: acids, bases, and salts. An acid is most simply defined as a substance which, when dissolved in water, undergoes dissociation with the formation of hydrogen ions as the only positive ions. Some acids and their dissociation products are as follows: HCl +2 H+ +Cl- hydrochloric acid chloride ion HN0 3 +2 H+ + NO; nitric acid nitrate ion CH 3 COOH +2 H+ +CH 3 COO- acetic acid acetate ion Actually, hydrogen ions (protons) do not exist in aqueous solutions. Each proton combines with one water molecule by coordination with a free pair of electrons on the oxygen of water, and hydronium ions are formed: H+ +H 2 0 -+ H 3 0+ The existence of hydronium ions, both in solutions and in the solid state has been proved by modem experimental methods. The above dissociation reactions should therefore be expressed as the reaction of the acids with water: HC1+H 2 0 +2 H 3 0+ +Cl- HN0 3 +H 2 0 +2 H 3 0+ + NO; CH 3 COOH+H 2 0 +2 H 3 0+ +CH 3 COO- For the sake of simplicity however we shall denote the hydronium ion by H+ and call it hydrogen ion in the present text. All the acids mentioned so far produce one hydrogen ion per molecule when dissociating; these are termed monobasic acids. Other monobasic acids are: perchloric acid (HCl0 4 ), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydriodic acid (HI) etc. Polybasic acids dissociate in more steps, yielding more than one hydrogen ion per molecule, Sulphuric acid is a dibasic acid and dissociates in two steps: H 2 S0 4 +2 H+ + HS0 4 HSO; +2 H+ +soi- yielding hydrogen sulphate ions and sulphate ions after the first and second step respectively. Phosphoric acid is tribasic: H 3 P0 4 p H+ + H 2 PO; H 2 PO; +2 H+ + HPOi- HPOi- +2 H+ +PO - The ions formed after the first, second, and third dissociation step, are termed dihydrogen phosphate, (mono)hydrogen phosphate, and phosphate ions respectively. The degree of dissociation differs from acid to acid. Strong acids dissociate almost completely at medium dilutions (cf. Section 1.10), these are therefore strong electrolytes. Strong acids are: hydrochloric, nitric, perchloric acid, etc. Sulphuric acid is a strong acid as far as the first dissociation step is concerned, but the degree of dissociation in the second step is smaller. Weak acids dissociate only slightly at medium or even low concentrations (at which, for example, they are applied as analytical reagents). Weak acids are therefore weak electrolytes. Acetic acid is a typical weak acid; other weak acids are boric acid (H 3 B0 3 ), even as regards the first dissociation step, carbonic acid (H 2 C0 3 ) etc. Phosphoric acid can be termed as a medium strong acid on the basis of the degree of the first dissociation; the degree of the second dissociation is smaller, and smallest is that of the third dissociation. There is however, no sharp division between these classes. As we will see later (cf. Section 1.16) it is possible to express the strength of acids and bases quantitatively. A base can be most simply defined as a substance which, when dissolved in water, undergoes dissociation with the formation of hydroxyl ions as the only negative ions. Soluble metal hydroxides, like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide are almost completely dissociated in dilute aqueous solutions: NaOH p Na+ +OH- KOH p K+ +OH- These are therefore strong bases. Aqueous ammonia solution, on the other hand, is a weak base. When dissolved in water, ammonia forms ammonium hydroxide, which dissociates to ammonium and hydroxide ions: NH 3 +H 2 0 p NH 4 0H p NH1+0H- It is however more correct to write the reaction as NH 3 +H 2 0 p NH1+0H- Strong bases are therefore strong electrolytes, while weak bases are weak electrolytes. There is however no sharp division between these classes, and, as in the case of acids, it is possible to express the strength of bases quantitatively. According to the historic definition, salts are the products of reactions between acids and bases. Such processes are called neutralization reactions. This definition is correct in the sense that if equivalent amounts of pure acids and bases are mixed, and the solution is evaporated, a crystalline substance remains, which has the characteristics neither of an acid nor of a base. These substances were termed salts by the early chemists. If reaction equations are expressed as the interaction of molecules, HC1+NaOH -+ NaCl+H 2 0 acid base salt the formation of the salt seems to be the result of a genuine chemical process. In fact however this explanation is incorrect. We know that both the (strong) acid and the (strong) base as well as the salt (cf. Section 1.10) are almost com- pletely dissociated in the solution, viz. HCl p H+ +Cl- NaOH p Na+ +OH- NaCl p Na+ +Cl- while the water, also formed in the process, is almost completely undissociated. It is more correct therefore to express the neutralization reaction as the chemical combination of ions: H+ +Cl- +Na+ +OH- -+ Na+ +Cl- +H 2 0 In this equation, Na+ and Cl- ions appear on both sides. As nothing has there- fore happened to these ions, the equation can be simplified to H+ +OH- -+ H 2 0 showing that the essence of any acid-base reaction (in aqueous solution) is the formation of water. This is indicated by the fact, among others, that the heat of neutralization is approximately the same (56'9 kJ) for the reaction of one mole of any monovalent strong acid and base. The salt in the solid state is built up of ions, arranged in a regular pattern in the crystal lattice. Sodium chloride, for instance, is built up of sodium ions and chloride ions so arranged that each ion is surrounded symmetrically by six ions of the opposite sign; the crystal lattice is held together by electrostatic forces due to the charges of the ions (cf. Fig. 104). Amphoteric substances, or ampholytes, are able to engage in neutralization reactions both with acids and bases (more precisely, both with hydrogen and hydroxyl ions). Aluminium hydroxide, for example, reacts with strong acids, when it dissolves and aluminium ions are formed: Al(OHh(s)+3H+ -+ A1 3 + +3H 2 0 In this reaction aluminium hydroxide acts as a base. On the other hand, aluminium hydroxide can also be dissolved in sodium hydroxide: Al(OHh(s)+OH- -+ [Al(OH)4]- when tetrahydroxoaluminate ions are formed. In this reaction aluminium hydroxide behaves as an acid. The amphoteric behaviour of certain metal hydroxides is often utilized in qualitative inorganic analysis, notably in the separation of the cations of the third group. 1.16 ACID-BASE DISSOCIA nON EQUILIBRIA. STRENGTH OF ACIDS AND BASES The dissociation of an acid (or a base) is a reversible process to which the law of mass action can be applied. The dissociation of acetic acid, for example, yields hydrogen and acetate ions: CH 3 COOH p CH 3 COO- + H+ Applying the law of mass action to this reversible process, we can express the equilibrium constant as [H+] [CH 3 COO-] K = [CH 3 COOH] The constant K is termed the dissociation equilibrium constant or simply the dissociation constant. Its value for acetic acid is 1.76 x 10-5 at 25°C. In general, if the dissociation of a monobasic acid HA takes place according to the equilibrium HA p H++A- the dissociation equilibrium constant can be expressed as [H+] x [A-] K = [HA] The stronger the acid, the more it dissociates, hence the greater is the value of K, the dissociation equilibrium constant. Dibasic acids dissociate in two steps, and both dissociation equilibria can be characterized by separate dissociation equilibrium constants. The dissociation of the dibasic acid H 2 A can be represented by the following two equilibria: H 2 A p H++HA- HA- p H+ +A 2 - Applying the law of mass action to these processes we can express the two dissociation equilibrium constants as [H+] x [HA -] [H 2 A] [H+] X [A 2 -] K 2 = [HA-] KJ and K 2 are termed first and second dissociation equilibrium constants respectively. It must be noted that Kl > K 2 , that is the first dissociation step is always more complete than the second. A tribasic acid H3A dissociates in three steps: H3A p H+ +H 2 A- H 2 A- p H++HA 2 - HA 2 - P H+ +A 3 - and the three dissociation equilibrium constants are [H+] [H 2 A] KJ = [H3 A ] , [H+] [HA 2 -] K 2 = [H2A -] [H+][A 3 -] K3 = [HA 2 -] for the first, second, and third steps respectively. It must again be noted that KJ > K 2 > K 3 , that is the first dissociation step is the most complete, while the third is the least complete. Similar considerations can be applied to bases. Ammonium hydroxide (i.e. the aqueous solution of ammonia) dissociates according to the equation: NH 4 0H p NH1 +OH- K = [NH1] x [OH-] [NH 4 0H] The actual value of this dissociation constant is 1'79 x 10-5 (at 25°C). Generally, if a monovalent base BOH* dissociates as BOH +2 [B+] + [OH-] the dissociation equilibrium constant can be expressed as [B+] x [OH-] K = [BOH] It can be said again that the stronger the base the better it dissociates, and there- fore the larger the value of the dissociation equilibrium constant. The exponent of the dissociation equilibrium constant, called pK, is defined by the equations I pK = -log K = log- K Its value is often quoted instead of that of K. The usefulness of pK will become apparent when dealing with the hydrogen-ion exponent or pH. We saw already that the value of the dissociation constant is correlated with the degree of dissociation, and so with the strength of the acid or base. The degree of dissociation depends on the concentration, and therefore it cannot be used to characterize the strength of the acid or base without stating the circumstances under which it is measured. The value of the dissociation equilibrium constant, on the other hand, is independent of the concentration (more precisely of the activity) of the acid, and therefore provides the most adequate quantitative measure of the strength of the acid or base. A selected list of K and pK values is given in Table 1.6. Accurate values for strong acids do not appear in the table, because their dissociation constants are so large that they cannot be measured reliably. The values of dissociation constants can be used with advantage when calculating the concentrations of various species (notably the hydrogen-ion concentration) in the solution. A few examples of such calculations are given below: Example 1 Calculate the hydrogen-ion concentration in a O'OlM solution of acetic acid. The dissociation of acetic acid takes place according to the equilibrium: CH 3 COOH +2 H+ +CH 3 COO- the dissociation equilibrium constant being K [H+] x [CH 3 COO-] = 1'75 X 10-s = [CH 3 COOH] · Organic amines behave like monovalent weak bases. Their behaviour can be explained along similar lines as the basic character of ammonia. The general formula of a monoamine is R-NH 2 (where R is a monovalent organic radical), showing that one hydrogen of the ammonia is replaced by the radical R. When dissolved in water, amines hydrolyse and dissociate as RNH 2 +H 2 0 <:! RNH 3 0H;:t RNHj +OH- and the law of mass action can be applied to this dissociation just like for that of ammonia. For more detailed account see I. L. Finar's Organic Chemistry, Vol. J. The Fundamental Principles. 5th edn., Longman 1967, p. 343 et f. THEORETICAL BASIS 1.16 Table 1.6 Dissociation constants of acids and bases Acid °C Dissociation K pK step Monobasic acids HCI 25 _107 --7 HBr 25 _109 --9 HI 25 - 3 x 10 9 - - 9.48 HF 25 6,7 x 10- 4 3'17 HCN 18 4,79 x 10- 10 3-32 HCNO 25 2.2 x 10- 4 3-66 HCNS 25 1.42 x 10- 1 0,85 HCIO 15 3'2 x IO- s 7.49 HCI0 2 25 4,9 x 10- 3 2.31 HIO 25 2xlO- 10 9,70 HN0 2 20 7 X 10- 4 3'15 HN0 3 30 22 -1,34 CH 3 COOH 20 1'75xlO- 5 4,76 HCOOH 20 1'77xlO- 4 3,75 CH 2 CI-COOH 20 1'39xlO- 3 2-86 CHCI 2 -COOH 25 5.1 x 10- 2 1.29 C 6 H 5 OH 20 1'05 x 10- 10 9'98 C 6 H 5 COOH 20 6'24 x 10- 5 4.20 C 2 H 5 COOH 20 1.34x 10- 5 4,87 Dibasic acids H 2 C0 3 25 I 4.31 x 10- 7 6'37 25 2 5'6IxlO- 11 10.25 H 2 S 20 I 9.1 X IO- s 7'04 20 2 1'2x 10- 15 14.92 H 2 S0 3 18 I 1.66 x 10- 2 1.78 18 2 1'02x 10- 2 1.99 H 2 SO 4 20 I -4xlO- 1 0,4 2 1'27xlO- 2 1'9 (COOHh 20 I 2'4xlO- 2 1.62 20 2 5,4 x 10- 5 4.27 C 4 H 6 0 6 20 I 9'04 x 10- 4 3,04 (tartaric acid) 2 4.25 x 10- 5 4,37 Tribasic acids H 3 As0 4 18 I 5.62 x 10- 3 2.25 18 2 1'70xlO- 7 6,77 18 3 2.95 x 10- 12 11'53 H 3 B0 3 20 I 5.27 X 10- 10 9.28 20 2 1.8 X 10- 13 12.74 20 3 1.6 x 10- 14 13-80 H 3 P0 4 20 I 7'46 x 10- 3 2'13 20 2 6'12xlO-s 7.21 20 3 4.8xlO- 13 12.32 C 6 H s 0 7 20 I 7.21 X 10- 4 3'14 (citric acid) 20 2 1.70 x 10- 5 4,77 20 3 4,09 x 10- 5 4.39 1.16 QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS Table 1.6 Dissociation constants of acids and bases AcId °C DIssocIatIon K pK step Bases NaOH 25 I -4 -0.60 LiOH 25 I 6.65 x 10- 1 0'18 NH 4 0H 20 I 1'7IxlO- s 4,77 Ca(OHh 25 I 4 x 10- 2 1'40 25 2 3'74 x 10- 3 2.43 Mg(OHh 25 2 2.6 x 10- 3 2.58 CH 3 -NH 2 20 I 4, 17 x 10- 4 3,38 (CH 3 h N H 20 I 5,69 x 10- 4 3.24 (CH 3 h N 20 I 5,75 x 10- s 4.24 C 2 H s -NH 2 20 I 3.02 X 10- 4 3.52 (C 2 H s h N H 25 I 8,57 x 10- 4 3'07 (C 2 H s h ==N 25 I 5,6 x 10- 4 3.25 C 6 H S-NH2 20 I 4x 10- 10 9-40 (aniline) CsHsN 20 I . 15 x 10- 9 8,94 (pyridine) C 9 H 7 N 20 5.9 x 10- 10 9.23 ( quinoline) Neglecting the small amounts of hydrogen ions originating from the dissociation of water (cf. Section 1.18), we can say that all hydrogen ions originate from the dissociation of acetic acid. Hence the hydrogen-ion concentration is equal to the concentration of acetate ions: [H+] = [CH 3 COO-] Some of the acetic acid in the solution will remain undissociated, while some molecules dissociate. The total concentration c (O'OlM) of the acid is therefore the sum of the concentration of undissociated acetic acid and that of acetate ions: c = [CH 3 COOH] + [CH 3 COO-] = 0'01 These equations can be combined into [H+]2 K = c - [H +] Rearranging and expr essing [H +] we obtain [H+] = -K+JK2+4cK 2 Inserting K = 1'75 x 10- 5 and c = 0'01 we have [H+] = -1'75 x 1O- 5 +J3'06 x 10- 1 °+ 7 x 10- 7 = 4'10 X 10- 4 molt-I 2 (The second root of equation (i) with a minus sign in front of the square root leads to a negative concentration value, which has no physical meaning.) From this example we can see that in a O'OlM solution of acetic acid only about 4 % of the molecules are dissociated. Example 2 Calculate the concentrations of the ions HS- and S2- in a saturated solution of hydrogen sulphide. A saturated aqueous solution of hydrogen sulphide (at 20°C and 1 atm pressure) is about O'lM, (the precise figure is 0'1075 mol r 1). The dissociation constants of hydrogen sulphide are KI = [H+] x [HS-] = 8,73 x 10-7 [H 2 S] K = [H+] x [S2-] = 3'63 X 10-12 2 [HS-] (for 20°C). As the second dissociation constant is very small, the value of [S2-] is exceedingly small. Thus only the first ionization step may be taken into consideration, when the correlation [H+] = [HS-] holds. Because of the small degree of even the first ionization, the total con- centration (0'1 mol t - I) can be regarded as equal to the concentration of undissociated hydrogen sulphide: [H 2 S] = 0.1 (iv) Combining equations (i), (iii), and (iv) we have [HS-] = .) K 1 [H 2 S] = .) 8'73 X 10- 7 x 0.1 = 2.95 x 10- 4 and the combination of (ii) and (iii) yields the value of [S2-]: [ HS- ] [ S2- ] = K - = K = 3'63 X 10- 12 2 [H + ] 2 If one multiplies equations (i) and (ii) together and transposes [ S2- ] = 3'17x1O- 18 [H+]2 one finds that the concentration of sulphide ions is inversely proportional to the square of hydrogen-ion concentration. Thus, by adjusting the hydrogen-ion concentration by adding an acid or a base to a solution, the concentration of sulphide ions can be adjusted to a predetermined, preferential value. This principle is used in the separation of metal ions of the 2nd and 3rd groups. 1.17 EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE DISSOCIATION EQUILmRIUM CONSTANT. OSTWALD'S DILUTION LAW The dis- sociation equilibrium constant and the degree of dissociation at a given con-. centration are interlinked. To find this correlation let us consider the dissociation of a weak monobasic acid. The dissociation reaction can be written as HA p H++A- with the dissociation equilibrium constant The total concentration of the (undissociated plus dissociated) acid is c, thus the correlation c = [HA] + [A -] holds. The degree of dissociation is rx. The concentration of hydrogen ions and that of the dissociated anion will be equal, and can be expressed as [H +] = [A -] = crx Combining equations (i), (ii), and (iii) we can write K = crx x c = crx 2 c - crx 1 - rx or, using the notation V for the dilution of the solution 1 V=- c (in t mol- 1 units) the equilibrium constant can be written as rx 2 K= V(l- rx) If c or V is known and rx is determined by one of the experimental methods mentioned in Section 1.10, K can be calculated by these equations. These equations are often referred to as Ostwald's dilution law, as they express the correlation between dilution and the degree of dissociation. As the latter is proportional to the molar conductivity of the solution, the above correlation describes the particular shapes of the conductivity curves shown in Fig. 1.3. The way in which dissociation constants are obtained from experimental data is illustrated in Table 1.7, in which the dissociation equilibrium constant of acetic acid is computed from molar conductivities. The average value Table 1.7 Calculation of the dissociation equilibrium constant of acetic acid from measured values of molar conductivity Concentratioa A (J( K X 10 5 X 10 5 1'873 102.5 0.264 1.78 5'160 65'95 0'170 1.76 9-400 50,60 0.130 1.83 24.78 31.94 0,080 1'82 38'86 25'78 0,066 1.83 56,74 21.48 0.055 1,84 68.71 19'58 0,050 1'84 92'16 16'99 0,044 1.84 112'2 15'41 0,040 1'84 0 388'6 34 (1'82 x 10- 5) of the equilibrium constant agrees well with the true value (1'78 x 10- 5 at 25°C). 1.18 THE DISSOCIATION AND IONIC PRODUCT OF WATER Kohlrausch and Heidweiller (1894) found, after careful experimental studies, that the purest water possesses a small, but definite conductance. Water must therefore be slightly ionized in accordance with the dissociation equilibrium: H 2 0 +2 H+ + OH- Applying the law of mass action to this dissociation, we can express the equilibrium constant as [H+] x [OH-] K = [H 2 0] From the experimental values obtained for the conductance of water the value of K can be determined; this was found to be 1'82 x 10- 16 at 25°C. This low value indicates that the degree of dissociation is negligible; all the water can therefore in practice be regarded as undissociated. Thus the concentration of water (relative molecular mass = 18) is constant, and can be expressed as [H 2 0] = 1000 = 55'6 mol r l 18 We can therefore collect the constants to one side of the equation and can write Kw = [H+] x [OH-] = 1'82 x 10- 16 x 55'6 = 1'01 x 10- 14 (at 25°C) the new constant, Kw is called the ionic product of water. Its value is dependent Table 1.8 The Ionic product of water at various temperatures Temperature Kw x 10 14 Temperature Kw x 10 14 (0C) (0C) 0 0.12 35 2.09 5 0'19 40 2.92 10 0.29 45 4.02 15 0'45 50 5'48 20 0'68 55 7,30 25 1.01 60 9.62 30 1.47 on temperature (cf. Table 1.8); for room temperature the value Kw = 10- 14 is generally accepted and used. The importance of the ionic product of water lies in the fact that its value can be regarded as constant not only in pure water, but also in diluted aqueous solutions, such as occur in the course of qualitative inorganic analysis. This means that if, for example, an acid is dissolved in water, (which, when dis- sociating, produces hydrogen ions), the concentration of hydrogen ions can increase only at the expense of hydroxyl-ion concentration. If, on the other hand, a base is dissolved, the hydroxyl-ion concentration increases and hydrogen-ion concentration decreases. We can define the term neutral solution more precisely along these lines. A solution is neutral if it contains equal concentrations of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions; that is if [H+] = [OH-] In a neutral solution therefore [H+] = [OH-] = .JK:, = 10- 7 mol r J In an acid solution the hydrogen-ion concentration exceeds this value, while in an alkaline solution the reverse is true. Thus in an acid solution [H+] > [OH-] and [H+] > 10- 7 in an alkaline solutio	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24529
__label__wiki	0.794565	0.794565	Breaking Down Burghley: The Comprehensive Form Guide ← Thursday News & Notes from Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) Day One at Burghley: Top of the Morning for Townend → By Tilly Berendt on Aug 30, 2018 2:42 am - 1,937 views Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Nico Morgan Media. Burghley is well and truly upon us, and with it, an entry list packed to the rafters with human and equine talent. Some you may be more than passingly familiar with — we challenge you to find anyone who hasn’t heard Oliver Townend‘s name this year — while others might be new faces to you. But never fear, EN readers — we’ve put together a handy guide to every single pair competing this week, so you’ll never be short of fun facts or pointless pub quiz knowledge as you imbibe all the action in Lincolnshire. Buckle up, chums, because it’s time for War and Peace: Burghley edition. Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules at Kentucky 2018. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 1. Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Ghareeb x Cavalier Royal). Owned by Tom Joule. Oliver Townend is certainly one of the world’s lazier event riders, and is usually only spotted rocking up to a couple of big-league events each season with one horse, making a bit of a holiday of it and frequenting the riders’ parties in the evening to unwind after a stressful day spent doing sweet bugger-all. We kid, obviously. #TurboTownend pilots so many horses around so many events that it actually gives us the basis for a rather solid whiplash claim when we’re trying to report on his whereabouts. His Burghley campaign this year is classic Townend: he’s entered five horses, of which he can ride three, and with the WEG exclusion plaster freshly ripped off, you’d be a braver person than us to bet against him. The World Number One has been drawn first a plethora of times at Badminton — something he has been vocal about in past — so the pathfinder position at Burghley might feel like salt in the wound, but Townend isn’t one to dwell on being dealt a bad hand. Instead, he’ll use it to fuel his already roaring fire, unpack the hidden questions on the new-look course, and plan a no-holds-barred coup later on in the day. Number one out of the start box is bad-boy-come-good MHS King Joules. If Townend’s string were old Hollywood stars, ‘Jay’ would be Marlon Brando circa A Streetcar Named Desire – all bulging muscle and alpha-male charisma, but prone to bouts of questionable behaviour and a lil’ bit punchy. Originally piloted by Mary King, who found him ‘disappointingly strong and unruly across country‘, he was then sent to Townend’s good friend Andrew Nicholson, who set to work reforming the talented black gelding. Now? Well, he’s formidable on his day – just look at his Kentucky performance this year to see why Townend perseveres. He was seventh there, adding just a characteristic pole to his 31.3 dressage score, and he’s dipped as low as 23.9 in a three-star this year, at Gatcombe’s Open British Championship. He was fifth after dressage last week at Blair, pulling a rail in the showjumping before being withdrawn, along with all of Townend’s Burghley entries. This will be his third career four-star and second attempt at Burghley: he retired across the country in 2016. Mark Todd and NZB Campino. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 7. Mark Todd and NZB Campino – NEW ZEALAND 16.3hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Contendro x Pinkus). Owned by Sir Peter Vela. ‘Kinky’, as he’s known at home (yes, please do imagine Toddy saying the word ‘kinky’ with a straight face) is a bit of left-field entry at Burghley this year. He’s an undeniable talent, don’t get us wrong — he was part of the bronze medal-winning New Zealand team at the London Olympics in 2012, and he’s been fourth (Badminton, 2017), fifth(Luhmuehlen, 2015), ninth (Burghley, 2016) and tenth (Pau, 2015) at four-stars, too. But 2018 just hasn’t been his year: he’s only been out four times since his retirement on course at Pau last year, and in both his international starts this year (Barbury’s ERM leg in July and this month’s British Open Championship at Gatcombe) he’s been withdrawn before cross-country. So that makes two runs — at Intermediate. Granted, he’s done well in both — he was second at Upton House in July, and won at Keysoe last week — but last year we saw him complete just two OI runs post-Badminton, and his Pau certainly wasn’t a result to write home about. But Toddy knows exactly what he’s doing, and he knows this horse incredibly well, too — we’ll either see him win the whole bloody thing, just to prove us wrong, or he’ll be using Burghley as a way to get his own eye in over a big track before he takes young gun MacLaren to Tryon next month. 8. Nana Dalton and Elite Syncopation – GREAT BRITAIN 17.1hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Golden Bash x Stan the Man). Owned by Sheila Jones. Nine years ago, ‘Bug’ reared up and fell over, breaking his withers and requiring surgery to remove the damaged peaks of four vertebrae. The next year, he finished a Novice-level event with what looked like a nasty overreach — in fact, he’d torn his tendon sheath right out of his pastern. Though he was operated on that evening, he developed a terrible infection in the area two weeks later, and his prognosis looked dire. But with plenty of TLC and careful rehabilitation, he recovered, and was cautiously produced to three-star. Then, it became clear that his breathing wasn’t quite up to scratch, and he had a wind operation in the winter of 2014. Since then, he’s jumped clear around Saumur and Burghley, before sitting the 2016 season out to recuperate from some minor tendon damage. Last year, he headed to Burghley once again, but Dalton felt that his breathing wasn’t quite right on course, and so she opted to retire and send him for another operation over the winter. While Bug and Dalton are unlikely to challenge the leaders, they’ll be aiming for a steady clear in this, their first international run of 2018. For Dalton, who has fought so hard to keep her best friend healthy and happy, that would mean as much as a win — and, though he’s now fifteen, Bug is allegedly feeling the best he ever has. 10. Simon Grieve and Douglas – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Ard Douglas x Cavalier). Owned by Vicki Irlam. 32nd here last year on his four-star debut, Douglas has been piloted by a fair share of top-level riders in his career. He was produced to Intermediate by Emilie Chandler, before Oliver Townend took over the ride in 2012. He took him to Blenheim’s 8/9 year-old CIC3* and Boekelo CCI3* that year, managing clear cross-country runs but uninspiring dressage scores at both. The following season, they tidied up the presentation and won Ballindenisk CIC3* before picking up fourth place in Chatsworth’s CIC3, before taking the rest of 2015 off. In 2016, Sam Ecroyd picked up the ride for one Novice run, from which the horse was withdrawn before cross-country, and then Grieve had his first run on the horse, picking up 23rd place in an Open Novice at Smiths Lawn. Izzy Taylor took the ride for two runs, and then all went quiet on the western front. In 2017, Grieve took Douglas on in earnest, totting up four clear cross-country runs at three-star and one at four-star, though only managing to break into the top twenty once, at Chatsworth. This year, they’ve dropped their average dressage mark by a couple of points, finishing tenth at Chatsworth CIC3 and sixteenth in the British Open Championship, as well as running clear around Bramham’s tough CCI3* track. They won’t trouble the top, but another clear around Burghley, and another winter shaving off those crucial marks in the ring, could serve them very well in their spring campaign. Tim Price and Bango at Kentucky in 2016. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 11. Tim Price and Bango – NEW ZEALAND 16.2hh, twelve-year-old gelding (Garrison Royal x Don Tristan). Owned by The Numero Uno Syndicate. “Uno doesn’t really mention it much these days, but he comes from a pretty basic Irish bog, and clearly spent his early days flogging through the swamp-like mud to forage for food,” says Tim and Jonelle’s delightfully descriptive website. “This left him with a fantastic ability to go cross country in the worst of conditions, and since he spent a fair amount of time in thick fog as a baby, unable to see his mother across the field, he also doesn’t mind being left on his own in the slightest.” We didn’t get to see much of Bango last season, as he was out of action from April onwards, but this seems to be a summer for Price’s comeback kings to make their mark. ‘Uno’ isn’t short of experience – he made his four-star debut at Luhmuehlen in 2015, where he finished 15th, and he completed Burghley the following autumn, finishing 21st despite clocking up 20 penalties across the country. This year, he’s not done much — a Novice run and two Open Intermediates frame an eighth-place finish at Ireland’s Camphire CIC3* — so we probably won’t see him outpace Price’s second ride, Ringwood Sky Boy. It’s likely that Burghley is a litmus test for the twelve-year-old, who may well be a serious competitive entity again next season. Louise Harwood and Mr Potts at Burghley 2017. Photo courtesy of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. 12. Louise Harwood and Mr Potts – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Old Leighlin x Roma Diamond Skip). Owned by the rider. This will be a thirteenth four-star run for Harwood and her homebred Mr Potts, whose best result at the level came in 2014, when they were twelfth at Burghley. This year, he’s had a characteristically busy season: the pair contested Badminton, but retired on course, instead jumping around Bramham’s CIC3* in June for thirteenth place. They had an odd 20 penalties in an OI at Upton House last month, but jumped clear around Aston-le-Walls’ Advanced for 6th place a couple of weeks later. Expect a mid-30s first-phase score, and a slow — but hopefully clear — second phase. They’re perfectly capable of tackling the tough track at Burghley, but occasionally have issues on course, and they’re likely to pull a couple of rails on Sunday, so while they won’t trouble the leaders, they could finish comfortably in the middle of the pack. Andrew Nicholson and Jet Set. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 15. Andrew Nicholson and Jet Set IV – NEW ZEALAND 16.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Nordico). Owned by Deborah Sellar. Last year at Blenheim, Nicholson described Jet Set as “an out-and-out four-star horse – there’s no doubt about it.” He was certainly responsible for the fairytale ending to Nicholson’s 2015 saga, taking the win in Bramham’s CCI3* in 2016. Owned by the Sellars, who have been long-time supporters of Nicholson’s — they also own former top horses Nereo and Quimbo — Jet Set then went on to take top-fifteen placings in CIC3* classes at Barbury and Hartpury, but was out for much of the following year. On his comeback international at Blenheim ERM last year he finished 15th, before heading to the infamously tricky Pau. Like so many top competitors, Nicholson and Jet Set left Pau empty-handed, after Nicholson was unseated on his way to the final stretch of the course. Jet Set is yet another horse on the entries list to have had a sparse season – he came out at Belton at the beginning of the year and jumped two clear rounds at Belton, finishing 41st in an enormous CIC3* section after a below-par dressage score of 40.4 and 15.2 time penalties put him out of contention. Then he ran well in an Advanced in July and an OI in August, before heading to Wellington Advanced over the weekend to run the first two phases. If he can manage a first-phase score of 30 or just below, we could see him make some headway through the week — but he’ll need to improve significantly on that Belton score and get back to the numbers he’s produced in previous seasons. Caroline Powell and On The Brash. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 17. Caroline Powell and On The Brash – NEW ZEALAND 16.3hh, twelve-year-old gelding (Mise Eire x Diamond Clover). Owned by Sarah Tobey and Sue Smiley. Formerly ridden by Australia’s Sam Griffiths, On The Brash is another horse who fell victim to the Curse of Pau last season. That was his four-star debut, and perhaps something of a shock after an 11th place finish at Bramham CCI3* and sixth at Blair Castle CIC3* foretold rather better things. This season started off slightly shaky, as the pair picked up twenty penalties across the country at Belton CIC3, but they’ve been on the up and up since, jumping clear around Badminton for 29th place and finishing 15th in a CIC3 at Barbury. The horse’s dressage is his weak point — he averages a mid-to-high 30s mark — and the duo are yet to make the time in any national or international run. It’s possible, particularly since we lost the multiplier, to make colossal moves up the leaderboard after a substandard dressage — but to do so, Powell and On The Brash will need to find the sweet spot on the accelerator. And then? He’ll almost certainly leave the poles up on Sunday — Powell has done a marvellous job improving his showjumping. 18. Camille Lejeune and Tahina Des Isles – FRANCE 17hh, eleven-year-old mare (Calvados x Elan De La Cour). Owned by Virginie Jorissen and rider. Tahina Des Isles made her four-star debut earlier this season, finishing 14th at Luhmuehlen after an international personal best of 29.6 was slightly hampered by 18.8 time penalties and two rails down. They had just 2.4 time penalties around the CICO3* at Haras du Pin a couple of weeks ago, although this time, their dressage crept into the 30s and they were 24th. Lejeune has competed at four-star twice before that, both with R’Du Temps Bliniere – they were 19th at Pau in 2015 and 26th at Badminton the following year. Expect a low 30s dressage, 20 or so time penalties, and a rail on the final day for a middle-of-the-road, but educational, finish. First-timers Hector Payne and Dynasty. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 20. Hector Payne and Dynasty – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, ten-year-old gelding (Whitesnake x Calvados). Owned by Judith and Jeremy Skinner and Margie and David Hall. Originally ridden by William Fox-Pitt, ‘Raffles’ went to his then-stable jockey Hector Payne in 2016, following the fall at Le Lion d’Angers that saw Fox-Pitt out of action for the early part of the season. They managed two top-five placings in two-stars that year, culminating in a clear cross-country and completion in the Blenheim 8/9 year-old CIC3. Last season, they finished 11th in Bramham’s U25 CCI3, finishing the season with 12th in Burgham CIC3* in July. Then, they wasted no time getting back into the swing of things this year, producing a good fifth-place finish in the two-star at Floors before enjoying three clear rounds at three-star. The best result of these was in the CCI3* at Tattersalls, wherein they finished on their dressage score of 35.3 to come eighth. This will be a first-time four-star for both horse and rider, so a score of 35-37 and a steady clear will be the goal. Next year, they can use their newfound experience to push for the time. 21. Andrew James and Cool Chica – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Chicago Z x Calipa Z). Owned by rider. Yes, you read that right – poor old Cool Chica is not, in fact, a chica at all. But who needs gender binaries when you’re about to head to your first four-star? James and Cool Chica have had two three-star completions this season, opting to withdraw before cross country at Chatsworth, and retiring mid-round at Burgham. At Belton and Hartpury CIC3* they jumped clear cross country rounds. Burghley will be an educational experience for them; a projected low-40s dressage will preclude them from being competitive, but Burghley is a long old course, and it’s remarkable what you can discover about yourself and the horse you’re sitting on while you’re out there. Both horse and rider will come back wiser for the trip — and that can only lead to bigger things in the future. Harry Dzenis and Xam. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 23. Harry Dzenis and Xam – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, seventeen-year-old gelding (Java Tiger). Owned by The Xam Partnership. This will be a third four-star in 2018 alone for Dzenis and the stalwart Xam, with whom he has competed at this level since 2014. This year, they started — though didn’t complete — Badminton, and then went on to finish 13th at Luhmuehlen. Then, Xam came back from his break to finish in the same place in the CIC3* British Open Championship at Gatcombe. Generally, Burghley is a happier hunting ground for this pair than the other Big B – they’ve never picked up a cross country jumping penalty here, and have completed three out of four times. In 2015, they withdrew after the dressage. If they can produce a mid-30s score, bearing in mind that they managed a 32.1 at Gatcombe, they could be well on their way to their best-ever four-star result — currently 11th at Burghley in 2017. Ginny Thompson and Star Nouveau, right, pose in front of Badminton House earlier this year with their fellow Kiwis Andy Daines and Spring Panorama, who will head to Pau. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 24. Ginny Thompson and Star Nouveau – NEW ZEALAND 16.3hh, fourteen-year-old mare (Goldstar x Fiesta Star). Owned by Elaine Butterworth, Anthony Quirk, and the rider. Thompson and Star Nouveau finished eighth in their first four-star at Adelaide last year, before 26-year-old Thompson sold her entire string and business back home to be based with fellow Kiwi Blyth Tait in the UK for two years. They contested Badminton this spring, finishing in 40th place after a broken pin and 22 showjumping penalties knocked them down the order. But they were relatively speedy — they only clocked up 15.6 time penalties on the Saturday, which shows that there’s plenty more to come if they can polish the first and third phases. With access to top-class facilities and competitions, it’ll be exciting to see how much they’ve done so this summer. The duo has completed three international competitions since Badminton, with promising progress shown – they’ve dropped their three-star dressage score by a couple of marks, but their showjumping will likely still be a blot on their copybook this week, unless they can copy their fellow countrymen Jonelle Price and Classic Moet, and pull out a rare clear at the moment it counts most. Ludwig Svennerstal and Stinger. Photo by Jenni Autry. 25. Ludwig Svennerstal and Stinger – SWEDEN 16.1hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Spender S x On A Pedestal xx). Owned by Skanegarder AB. Sweden’s finest export since flatpack furniture and meatballs of questionable origin, Svennerstal has been named — predictably — on his country’s team for the forthcoming World Equestrian Games. In fact, he’s been named on two horses – El Kazir SP and this one, the delightful Stinger. Stinger is a fairly inexperienced horse for his age — he only made the move up to three-star in the middle of the 2017 season. In fact, he only started eventing at all in 2016, debuting in a Novice [Prelim] at Cholmondeley Castle (it’s pronounced ‘Chumly’) and finishing fifth. Svennerstal first sat on the horse earlier that year as a catch ride at Falsterbo Hunting, the Swedish show’s Eventers Grand Prix class, but previously, the gelding had contested 1.30m showjumping classes. His precocious talent was enough to propel him from his eventing debut to three-star in eleven months, and his biggest result to date came earlier this month, when he finished third in the British Open Championship at Gatcombe, adding just 6.8 time to his 28.7 dressage. With all that said, we’ve not seen him produce the goods yet in a CCI3* – he had an unfortunate 20 penalties and three rails at Bramham last year, and retired on course at Vairano at the start of this season. He redeemed himself at Tattersalls, jumping clear cross country but pulling four rails to finish 25th. This is a horse who can jump — the pieces of the puzzle just need to be pulled together before we start to really see what he’s capable of. Could be a dark horse this week. 27. Austin O’Connor and Lucky Contender – IRELAND 16.2hh, ten-year-old gelding (Chacoa x King Luther). Owned by Wendie Foster. O’Connor’s up-and-coming stable star made the move up to three-star at the tail end of last season, jumping clear around Blenheim’s 8/9 year-old CIC3* and Millstreet’s CIC3, too. This season, he’s had three CIC3 runs and a CCI3, too, and has jumped clear around them all — in fact, he hasn’t had a cross country jumping penalty in two years. He nearly managed an FOD in Bramham’s CCI3, but for one pesky pole — his only international rail this year. He’ll need to play catch-up with what will likely be a mid-to-upper 30s dressage, but he should be very interesting to watch around his first four-star. 28. Rebecca Gibbs and De Beers Dilettante – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (De Beer x Belfort). Owned by Sarah Bliss. Gibbs took over the ride on her top horse in 2014, at which point he’d been produced to two-star by Jason Hobbs and then lightly campaigned by owner Sarah Bliss in under-18 classes. Since then, they’ve had plenty of clear cross country rounds at three-stars, but are yet to showjump clear at the level. Their best result came last year at Camphire, when they finished 14th in the CIC3, but they recorded a personal best this season at Bramham, posting a 29.3 in the CIC3 and finishing 21st after adding rails and time. This is the horse’s four-star debut, and Gibbs is unlikely to push him — but he’s a good jumping horse and a clear round is well within their capabilities. This could be the week that makes the world sit up and take notice of this pair. Imogen Murray and Ivar Gooden. Image courtesy of Tim Wilkinson. 29. Imogen Murray and Ivar Gooden – GREAT BRITAIN 17hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Young Convinced x Coevers Diamond Boy). Owned by Aivar Ward and MS Team. Charles was one of only two horses to jump clear around both Badminton and Burghley in 2017, a fact made all the more impressive when you realise that it was his first season at the level. They also made their Nations Cup debut at Haras du Pin, finishing in 10th place and best of the Brits. He’s quick — he added just 10.8 time penalties at Burghley — and he’s reliable, with cross country clears all the way back to 2016. He looked very impressive when finishing in 11th place at Belton’s CIC3* with the second-fastest time of the day on a course that saw no one make the optimum. At Badminton this year we saw both Murray and Charles really come into their own, adding just 4.8 time penalties and a rail to finish in 11th place after a colossal climb up the leaderboard. They then had an uncharacteristic 20 penalties at both Barbury and Aachen, but went clear and finished on their dressage score of 37.8 at Haras du Pin. Dressage will be their weak point, but jumping shouldn’t, if Aachen and Barbury were just blips. Don’t take your eyes off these two — this could be the week we finally see them slip into the top ten. 30. Julie Tew and Simply Sox – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Don Tristan x Kildalton Son). Owned by Brian and Vicky Tew. It’ll be third time lucky for Tew and Simply Sox, who made their four-star debut at Pau in 2015 but were eliminated for a rider fall across the country. This year, they tackled Luhmuehlen after a season out, and finished 23rd with 20 jumping penalties in the second phase. But they’re not inexperienced — they’ve been competing consistently at three-star since 2012, with fifteen completions under their belts. Their best result was eleventh at Belton this year, in a jam-packed CIC3. They’ll deliver a mid-30s dressage and will certainly add time on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a rail or two, but a clear round on Saturday is within their capabilities. Austria’s Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Cosma. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 31. Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Cosma – AUSTRIA 16.3hh, nine-year-old mare (Canterbury x Ferman). Owned by the rider. It’s not often we have a rider representing Austria, and Khoddam-Hazrati is a really interesting one to follow. She’s entirely self-taught, for one thing, and she’s had Cosma since the mare was a yearling, having bought her because she rode her full brother. This is the pair’s first four-star, and they balance competing in top-level eventing with tackling international showjumping courses, too. They’ve got eight cross-country clears at three-star to their name — including one at the notoriously tough Strzegom Europeans — but they retired on course in their last international at Jardy and in their outing before that, at June’s Strzegom CICO3, they were eliminated in the dressage. Ordinarily, though, they will produce a low-to-mid 40s test, and a cross country performance that errs on the slower side, followed by a reasonable chance of a clear showjumping round. Burghley will mark a big step up for both horse and rider, but they showed what they’re capable of at Strzegom last year — they could yet astonish us all. Piggy French and Vanir Kamira make light work of Belton. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 32. Piggy French and Vanir Kamira – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old mare (Camiro de Haar Z x Dixi). Owned by Trevor Dickens. You want to talk about real threats for the title for a moment? This exceptional mare is certainly one of them. Second here last year — by less than two points — she then started her season with a second-place finish in the insanely competitive Grantham Cup CIC3* at Belton. A tumble at Badminton marred her 2018 record somewhat, but she merrily skipped around Hartpury’s CIC3* this month, adding just 2 time penalties to finish eighth. Previously piloted by Paul Tapner, ‘Tilly’ is one of those horses we talk about with real veneration, despite the fact that she’s not yet had a major win. In this way, she’s a lot like Jonelle Price’s ‘supahmeah’ Classic Moet, who, until this spring, had cruised her way into living legend status without a title to back it up. We can’t help but think that it’s only a matter of time before this indomitable mare follows in Molly’s footsteps and takes a real big one. Of course, there’s the little matter of that competition in Tryon — French is heading there after Burghley with Quarrycrest Echo, and she may well be on team orders to keep herself in one piece and not take any of the risks that usually help win four-stars. But French is cool, calm, and exceptionally clever over solid fences — perhaps she’ll find a way to tick all the boxes this week. 33. Hazel Towers and Simply Clover – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, thirteen-year-old mare (Farney Clover). Owned by the rider. Burghley — and four-star — first-timer Towers and her plucky mare jumped clear around Chatsworth CIC3* and Bramham CCI3* this year, putting an early season blip at Belton CIC3* well behind them. Towers won Blair CCI3* last year aboard her other top horse, Simply Smart, who was due to contest Burghley as well, but was withdrawn due to a minor injury. Towers made the leap into riding full-time just eighteen months ago — a good result this weekend could make her a real name to watch, and that Blair result proves she has it in her. The pair’s dressage will probably stop them from being particularly competitive here, though they posted a mid-30s score at Bramham, and if they go quick and clear we could certainly see them climb. Pascal Leroy and Minos de Petra. Photo by Jenni Autry. 34. Pascal Leroy and Minos de Petra – FRANCE 17hh, eighteen-year-old gelding (Sioux de Baugy x Garitchou). Owned by Laurie Leroy and the rider. In 2014, Leroy and the stalwart Minos de Petra finished fifth at Badminton — their best result at the level. They’ve represented France at the last two WEGs, too, so they’re not short on experience, though they’ve never quite replicated their form at the fateful Badminton. This will be their fifth Burghley — the competition hasn’t been a particularly happy hunting ground for them, and they’ve only actually completed once, in 2015 when they finished in 17th place. Still, they’ve had good clear rounds at Vairano CCI3* and Houghton CICO3* earlier in the year, and they popped around a CCI2* at Haras du Pin a couple of weeks ago as a final prep run, so they should be feeling confident and ready to add another Burghley completion to their extensive record. Harry Meade and Away Cruising. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 35. Harry Meade and Away Cruising – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Cruise On x Able Albert). Owned by Charlotte Opperman. Spot made the step up to four-star last year, with promising results at Luhmühlen (14th, clear within the time) and Burghley (15th, clear with time penalties). A small blip saw him add 20 penalties to his record in the CIC3* at Gatcombe, but this is his first mistake on course at an international since his very first one-star back in 2013. Otherwise, he has a 90% clear rate across the country at internationals. He’s not naturally quick — although his Luhmühlen result proved that he can make time — and his showjumping is his weak link, averaging three poles, but Harry is a meticulous rider and trainer and will constantly be analysing and solving the problem. He show jumped clear in Belton’s CIC3, proving that hard work pays dividends, and ran well, albeit slowly, across the country. His Badminton performance, too, was very promising — he finished sixteenth, adding just 12 time penalties and seven showjumping penalties to his 33.5 dressage. A good result here — and perhaps just one or two poles — should come as no surprise. 36. Michael Ryan and Dunlough Striker – IRELAND 17.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Maltstriker x Beau Royal). Owned by Carol Henry. Dunlough Striker is one of the tallest horses in the field and Ryan, who made his way into eventing from his early background hunting with the Scarteen, is well equipped to manoeuvre him around Burghley’s formidable track. They’ve got a great record at three-star — they won Millstreet’s CCI3 in 2016, and have only ever faltered across the country once at this level, at the European Championships at Strzegom last year. Their four-star record, however, isn’t quite as immaculate — they are yet to post a clear round at the level, adding a twenty at Badminton in 2017 and clocking up 50 for missing a flag at Luhmuehlen this summer. They ran a CIC2* a week ago in preparation — with any luck, Dunlough Striker will be feeling confident and full of himself coming into Saturday’s major test. Sarah Bullimore and Reve Du Rouet. Photo by Libby Law. 37. Sarah Bullimore and Reve du Rouet – GREAT BRITAIN 17hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Balou du Rouet x Oscar de Revel). Owned by Brett Bullimore and Susan and Christopher Gillespie. Reve du Rouet gave Sarah her best result of a stonking three-way takeover of Pau at the end of last season, but his success hasn’t come easy. She’s wryly referred to herself as a ‘battered wife’ when speaking about the gelding, who has proven tense and reactive to a fault in high-pressure situations, bolting in the dressage arena at Badminton two years ago and demolishing showjumps when he becomes overwrought. Sarah has been endlessly patient with the talented horse where many other riders may have given up, and her reward was second place in France, missing the win by the narrowest margin of a tenth of a point. He added just 2.4 time penalties on a day when fast rounds were few and far between, and he never once looked taxed. On the other hand, at Badminton this year, he was 18th, his 22.8 time penalties scuppering his chances of a much higher placing. A 20 at Aachen was redeemed by a clear round in the CICO3* at Haras du Pin earlier this month, but we’ve yet to see anything like the Reve du Rouet of late 2017 so far this season. It’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde situation here — if Good Reve du Rouet comes out to play, Sarah could slip in the back door and quietly win the whole thing. If Naughty Reve du Rouet rolls out of bed, however, she may put her hand up on Saturday. Keep your eye on them, if for nothing else but a demonstration of remarkably tactful riding. 38. Tom Rowland and Possible Mission – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Temple Clover x Ricardo Z). Owned by Robin Patrick. Possible Mission has had four three-star runs this season – three at CICs and one at a CCI, and he’s been clear across the country every time. However, he’s had at least two poles on each occasion, and his dressage flits around the low-to-mid 30s, so they won’t be here to be competitive. Rather, they’ll be aiming to gain experience and a confident completion in what is only the rider’s second four-star. 39. Willa Newton and Chance Remark – GREAT BRITAIN 17hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Actinium x Farney Clover). Owned by Peter Thomas and Feena Machin. Newton and Chance Remark completed Burghley last year, finishing 35th after problems on the cross-country. They redeemed themselves with fifth at Luhmühlen this year, adding just 1.2 time penalties and a rail to their very good dressage score of 28.7. ‘Austen’ has since had a quiet couple of months, partly due to Newton breaking her collarbone over the summer, but he had an effortless pop around Somerford’s CIC2* a week ago in preparation for this week’s main event. Don’t discount this pair — even if they don’t pull a top placing out of the bag this week, they’re certainly a duo to keep an eye on. Georgie Spence and Wii Limbo. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 40. Georgie Spence and Wii Limbo – GREAT BRITAIN 16hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Highline x Landwind II). Owned by Lucy Fleming, Samantha Wilson, Suzanne Doggett, and Russell Spence. ‘Woody’ was bought by Spence as a three-year-old, and she’s produced him all the way through the grades. This will be their sixth four-star together — their best result at the level was 12th here in 2015. Spence set up a racing-style syndicate the same year to maintain the horse’s upper-level campaign, and since then, she’s enjoyed contesting some of the world’s biggest competitions. They’re perfectly capable of going sub-30 in the dressage, as evidenced at Badminton earlier this year, where they scored a 28.9, and they’re consistent and reliable in the showjumping. It’s Saturday that will be the question — on a good day, they’ll make the cross-country look easy and add 15 or so time faults, but it’s not a guarantee. 41. Sam Ecroyd and Master Douglas – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, twelve-year-old gelding (Ard Vdl Douglas x Aldatus Z). Owned by Vicki Irlam. At just 21-years-old, Ecroyd is the youngest competitor here this year, and makes his four-star debut aboard the horse with whom he was third in Bramham’s CCIU253* earlier this summer. In fact, it was only upon the completion of Bramham that the idea of aiming for Burghley even entered his head. Prior to that excellent result, though, Ringo had had a sparse two years – he only competed once in 2017 after a minor injury sidelined him for the season, and at his first event of 2018, he and Ecroyd fell. So Bramham showed something interesting and crucial about the gelding, who was produced to three-star before Ecroyd took over the ride — it showed that he doesn’t take mistakes personally, and that he’s tough and unflappable when things go a bit pear-shaped. That’s a promising combination in a competition like Burghley. Ecroyd claims that his goal for the week is simply not to make a fool of himself, but with a mid-30s first-phase mark and a steady clear across country, he could do better than that. Once they get to the final phase, it’s plain sailing — Master Douglas is an exceptional showjumper. 42. Polly Stockton and Mister Maccondy – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Accondy x Lord David S). Owned by Ann and Hugh Lawson. Mac was bred by his owners, and loves two things in life more than anything else — food, and muddy going. With the epic deluge of late in the UK, he could have a bit of luck with the latter — the ground at Burghley is phenomenal at the moment, but some more rain and half a day of galloping, jumping horses could certainly tear it up a bit. Originally produced by Ruth Edge, Mac then spent three seasons with Jodie Stokes before going to Stockton at the beginning of 2017. That season, they finished tenth in the CIC3* classes at Chatsworth and Blair Castle, as well as eighth at Ballindenisk CCI3. This year, they’ve been seventh in a CIC3 section at Chatsworth and 17th at Mallow CIC3. This will be their first four-star together, and it’ll make for interesting watching — that continued success at Chatsworth suggests that Mac is capable of going fast, which is a notorious necessity over that track, and though their mid-to-high 30s score won’t see them in contention after the first phase, they ought to climb on Saturday. They’ll have a rail or two on Sunday, but that won’t dim the shine if they make it home without cross-country jumping penalties. 43. Kirsty Short and Cossan Lad – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Carnival Bouncer). Owned by Amy Burbage and the rider. Kirsty and Bouncer will contest their third Burghley in this, their tenth season together. They’ve completed several other four-stars — Pau, and Luhmuehlen — and completed their first Badminton this year, finishing 48th. Their record at this level is patchy – their dressage average is 48.5 (72.8 in the old scoring), they’ve only completed one four-star with a clear cross-country round, and they usually have a handful of rails down – but Kirsty knows the horse well and has campaigned him exclusively at this level since 2015, citing his recurrent 20 penalties as the result of exuberance rather than disingenuousness. They won’t run here to be competitive but rather to enjoy themselves, with each top-level completion giving Kirsty more experience to pass along to her string of Monart-sourced youngsters. 45. Sarah Pickard and Polo Striker – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Maltstriker x MacMillion). Owned by the rider. Pickard and Polo Striker are yet another of our four-star debutantes this week, and riding at Burghley has been a long-held dream for 24-year-old Pickard. She works part-time in an office and buys, produces, and sells youngsters to fund her competitive dreams with ‘Connor’, who she bought out of the back of Horse&Hound magazine as a five-year-old. He wasn’t an easy youngster — in fact, he was a bit of a rogue, but a season of hunting helped to fix many of his issues. The pair has jumped clear around Bramham CCIU253 twice, finishing 12th earlier this year, and has four CIC3* clears to their name, too. They’ve had a couple of issues this year too, though — Pickard took a tumble at Barbury CIC3* in July, and they were eliminated for accumulated refusals in April at Belton CIC3. This is unlike the horse — cross country is ordinarily his strongest phase. A circa 40 dressage score and an educational completion will set this pair up for competitive runs in the future. Andrea Baxter and Indy 500. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 46. Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 – USA 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old mare (Cromwell x Spend a Buck). Owned by the rider. The first of three US combinations to tackle Burghley this year, Baxter and Indy 500 had an annoying fall early in the course last year, in which Baxter landed on her feet none the worse for wear, but kicking herself for getting the approach wrong. Until then, they’d looked every inch the Burghley competitors — and their reroute to Blenheim CCI3 proved it. A disappointing dressage score had them in 81st place after the first phase, but two strong jumping rounds propelled them up the leaderboard to finish in 25th place. They’ve completed Kentucky CCI4* twice, both times with cross-country jumping penalties, so they’ll be back at Burghley with the hope of finally nailing down the Saturday result they both know they’re capable of. Baxter has produced this horse from a four-year-old, and they know one another exceptionally well — hopefully their 3rd place finish at Rebecca Farm CCI3* last month has given them the eleventh-hour confidence boost to go out and get the job done. A fun fact about Indy 500 — she was bred to race, but never made it to the track, because the farm she was bred on was liquidated by its owner. That owner? None other than Alex Trebek — the host of Jeopardy. What is a questionable financial decision? 47. Nicholas Lucey and Proud Courage – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Courage II x Coolmore Panther). Owned by the rider. Lucey and Proud Courage intended Burghley to be their first four-star completion back in 2016, but they were eliminated for accumulated refusals. They got the job done at Luhmühlen the following year, though, finishing 32nd after having just one issue over the cross-country course. They’ve been clear all year so far in 2018, with good, solid runs at Bramham’s CCIU253* and Haras du Pin CIC3* earlier this month, so they’ll be aiming to complete this time and further their education. Tom Crisp and Coolys Luxury at Badminton. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 48. Tom Crisp and Coolys Luxury – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Olympic Lux x Glen Bar). Owned by The Luxury Syndicate. Retained firefights Crisp and Coolys Luxury have completed Burghley three times, finishing 11th in 2014 and 17th last year. They were 19th at Badminton this year, and have had a run around Haras du Pin CIC3* a couple of weeks ago in preparation for this week. With course form, plenty of experience, and the newfound ability to score around the 30 mark in the first phase, they should be in the top twenty easily this week — but we may even see them finally take a place in the top ten. In a sad twist of fate, Crisp’s yard burnt down while he was away at Luhmühlen earlier this year — but his fellow firefighters were on the scene straight away, trying to contain the blaze. Fortunately, no people or horses were injured, but Crisp, who watched his stables burn down via FaceTime, lost quite enough in the blaze. A good result here would be a suitable redemption to his up-and-down 2018. Ciaran Glynn and November Night. Photo courtesy of Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 49. Ciaran Glynn and November Night – IRELAND 16.2hh, twelve-year-old mare (Bonnie Prince x Flagmount King). Owned by Susanna Francke and Peter Cole. Ciaran and November Night completed Badminton last year, finishing in 36th place with a slow clear round. They then went on to finish 8th and 4th in the CIC3* at Camphire and Millstreet, respectively, and 10th in the CCI3* at Blenheim. The Irish mare has gone clear cross country in 22 of her 24 international starts, so is well primed to take on the Burghley track. Their Belton CIC3* performance was confident, if slow, but their 39.6 dressage was higher than they’re capable of. They then finished 25th at Badminton, 7th at Mallow CIC3* on a 31.7 dressage, and 3rd at Camphire CIC3. Consider them a dark horse for a jolly good placing. 50. Ben Hobday and Harelaw Wizard – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Endoli x Brockloch Magnificent). Owned by Charles Robson. Harelaw Wizard is a new ride for Hobday, but he rather resembles the popular rider’s recently retired ‘V8 supercob’ Mr Mulry. Like Mulry, he’s a big, solid type, with dinner plate feet — but Hobday doesn’t seem to struggle with these types, despite not being particularly tall himself. Produced to four-star by Emily Parker, Harelaw Wizard completed Pau last year, finishing 29th with a clear, if slow, cross country. This year, he’s completed four internationals with Hobday, never adding any cross country jumping penalties, but not going quite fast enough to be ultra-competitive. This run will be about cementing the new partnership — they should finish middle of the pack on a mid-to-high 30s dressage, and they’ll likely run slowly on Saturday, rather than gunning for speed. 51. Emily Prangnell and DHI Beaunesse – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, twelve-year-old mare (Vittorio). Owned by Dennis Prangnell and the rider. This will be the fifteenth international run for Prangnell and DHI Beaunesse, who picked up their first cross country penalties since 2015 in their last international run at Burgham CIC3. Other than that blip, they’ve had five good results at the level, with their best being third place in Bramham’s CCIU253* in 2016. DHI Beaunesse sat out the 2017 season and came back to produce a clear around Bramham’s CIC3* in June. This will be a big step up for the pair, who will, perhaps, be wishing they could have had another international run to help them forget about Burgham, but sometimes mistakes can sharpen a horse and rider up, and they’ve certainly been consistent in the most influential phase. Their dressage will be mid-to-high 30s, and they’re unlikely to have a clear round over the poles, but if they take on the course with their communication with one another finely-tuned, they should jump around and learn plenty. Cooley SRS and Oliver Townend. Photo by Nico Morgan Media. 53. Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Ramiro B x Kiltealy Spring). Owned by Angela Hislop. Cooley SRS is one of the week’s hot favourites, and rightly so — he was second at Badminton this year on his four-star debut, just missing out on clinching the Grand Slam for Townend. He’s also been to the European Championships, though he didn’t complete — he was withdrawn at the second horse inspection, but remarkably, he only added 1.2 time penalties across the country despite two issues on course. In the twelve months prior, he completed six internationals, never once leaving the top ten. He also won on his CCI3* debut at Ballindenisk in 2015, finishing on his dressage score of 29.5 (revised). This horse is very solid in the first phase, and should produce a mid-20s test. He’s quick and careful, and can be aimed at the time. He’s fairly reliable on the final day, and jumped clear at Badminton the day after the toughest cross country of his life. He’s the only one of Townend’s super-talented young trio who hasn’t won a four-star — yet. Tina Cook and Star Witness. Photo by Samantha Clark. 56. Tina Cook and Star Witness – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Witness Box x Glacial Storm). Owned by Jim Chromiak, Bridget Biddlecombe, Shaun Lawson, and Nicholas Embiricos. Seventh, tenth, and eighth in the last three iterations of this event, Star Witness is incredibly reliable at the top level. He was also seventh at Badminton in 2016, and he hasn’t actually run an international below four-star since 2015. He’s a horse who stands to benefit from the revised scoring system this year — his low-30s dressage won’t make him a first-phase leader, but he’s very, very good at finishing on that score, or certainly close to it. He went to Luhmühlen this year, but was withdrawn, so he’s a bit short of match practice — his last completion was in an OI at Tweseldown way back in March. Ordinarily, he’d be a bit of a favourite this week, but Cook’s fractured season (not at all aided by a badly dislocated shoulder at the beginning of the season) takes some of the bookies’ pressure off the pair. An interesting fact about Star Witness: he’s got kissing spines, which is well-managed by Cook and her team. Where there’s a will, there’s most certainly a way. Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 58. Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby – USA 17hh, twelve-year-old gelding (Guy Cavalier x Rafael). Owned by the rider. Heard and Barnaby tackled their first Burghley last season, but their dream came to an early end when they fell at the Leaf Pit. But the Irish Sport Horse, who Heard found in Ireland as a six-year-old, is certainly capable across the country — he’s completed Kentucky CCI4* three times, finishing thirteenth in 2017. This year, they had a bit of a wobble, picking up 20 jumping and 20 time penalties to finish 29th, but they jumped clear around the Plains’ CICO3* last month. This time, they’ll be looking to put their Burghley demons to bed — and Barnaby, who is a strong, keen horse in the second phase, should do exactly that. 59. Esib Power and Soladoun – IRELAND 16.1hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Madoun x Solicitor). Owned by Lynne and Kerri Lyons and the rider. Born to a racing family, Power is a serious contender who sometimes flies rather under the radar. Not content with simply eventing at the highest level, she also showjumps internationally, tackling enormous tracks like the Hickstead Derby regularly. Soladoun is an undeniable talent, but his 2018 season leaves us in some doubt — he contested a CIC2* at Barbury and the ERM CIC3* at Blair Castle, but was withdrawn before cross country in both competitions. His last international completion was at Blenheim CCI3* last year, where he picked up an unfortunate 20 penalties. Earlier that year, he managed a seventh place finish at Chatsworth CIC3, so he’s capable — but he may not be a natural competitor at this level, or at least, not yet. This is his first four-star, so it’ll be interesting to see if it brings out a hidden lionheart or backs him off entirely. Ashley Edmond and Triple Chance II. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 60. Ashley Edmond and Triple Chance II – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Lan Garth Triple x Joli Wajfi). Owned by Bridget Heal and the rider. Ashley and Triple Chance moved up to four-star at Pau last year, finishing in 36th place with a 61.5 dressage, a slow clear round across the country, and four rails on the final day. Their best result together was in the U25 CCI3 at Bramham in June, where they came in 7th place. They’ll be aiming to break the sub-40 barrier, which is well within their capabilities — they posted a 38 at Hartpury’s CIC3, and a 44 at Badminton earlier this year. Now that they’ve got one of the Big Bs under their belts — and with a clear round, too — they can focus on honing their performance. Lydia Hannon and My Royal Touch. Photo courtesy of Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 62. Lydia Hannon and My Royal Touch – GREAT BRITAIN 16hh, fourteen-year-old mare (Touchdown x Cavalier Royale). Owned by Christopher Harris. Lydia was thrilled to sneak into the top 20 in her Badminton debut with My Royal Touch last year. The pair were clear inside the time in Blenheim’s CCI3 at the end of the season, and now that they know they’re capable of tackling a track of this level, we may seem them pick up the pace. They were slow at Badminton earlier this year — 36 time penalties, and then four rails on the final day, saw them finish 41st, but they had suffered from a similarly tricky start to the season as many of their competitors. That sort of hurdle becomes twice as hard to circumvent when you’re relatively inexperienced at the level. Your pub quiz breeding fact: My Royal Touch shares a sire (Touchdown) with former winner Paulank Brockagh. Alex Bragg and Zagreb. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters. 63. Alex Bragg and Zagreb – GREAT BRITAIN 17.2hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Perion x Nagano). Owned by Sally Ellicott. Bragg and Zagreb are favoured pin-up boys of the eventing circuit, and with good reason — they’re both super-talented as well as being nice to look at. Zagreb put in a stunning performance at his first trip to Badminton last year, posting a 44.6 in the first phase and adding just 14.4 in the second to become one of the real crowd favourites going into the final day. It wasn’t to be, however, and Zagreb was held for re-inspection at the final trot-up. Alex made the tough, but absolutely correct, call to withdraw the horse and save him for another day. The decision paid dividends, and Zagreb’s final five international runs of the season each earned him top ten placings, including 8th place at Aachen’s Nations Cup, third place in the Gatcombe leg of the ERM, 8th place at the Blenheim leg, and 5th place at Pau. This spring, they finished 36th at Badminton after a knocked pin and 40 time penalties pushed them out of contention, but a win at Jardy’s ERM leg proved that they belong on top. They’ve attempted Burghley once before — in 2016, when they were eliminated across the country — but they’ll be aiming for more than just a completion this week. They can be very competitive, and they ought to be here. 66. Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Porter Rhodes x Flagmount King). Owned by the rider. This will be the four-star debut for Funnell’s own horse. He’s had a few interesting results — he was twelfth at Tattersalls CCI3* in May, and eighth in Barbury’s CIC3* last year — but he’s not yet shown us a truly dazzling performance. He could be a slow-burner — we have little reason to believe that Funnell would enter a horse at Burghley without some belief in his ability — so we’ll be keeping a close eye on him this week. He’s unlikely to be competitive, but his entry offers us the chance to learn by watching — as we did when watching Oliver Townend pilot the precocious Cooley Master Class around Kentucky this spring. Emilie Chandler and Coopers Law at Badminton. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 67. Emilie Chandler and Coopers Law – GREAT BRITAIN 17hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Mill Law x Kildalton Gold). Owned by Nicola Dickson and Sally Williams. Emilie and Spider had a career-best result at Pau at the end of last season, finishing in 14th place and up from 52nd after the first phase. Prior to that, we hadn’t really seen them since Burghley in 2015, where they finished 21st. Spider is in his element on the cross country, but struggles with tension and occasional improvisation in the first phase. Nonetheless, they finished a very respectable 20th in their Badminton debut this spring, producing a 27.9 dressage and adding 16.4 time penalties across the country. It was their final phase that let them down — they had four rails, where we normally expect one or two, and could have finished much higher without them. But Chandler has worked wonders on Spider’s dressage — she may have done the same with his showjumping since the spring. Cedric Lyard and Qatar du Puech Rouget at Badminton. Photo courtesy of Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 68. Cedric Lyard and Qatar du Puech Rouget – FRANCE Fifteen-year-old gelding (Defi d’Armenti x Arpad II). Owned by Alain Chevalier. Cedric has been a longtime member of the French front, and Qatar du Puech Rouget will be contesting his fifth four-star here. His first was Pau in 2016, where he finished in 18th place, before contesting Badminton last year. The pair retired on course, but bounced back to finish 5th in the CIC3* at Jardy. They then went to the Europeans, where they ran into difficulties on course. A confidence-building run at Ligniers CCI2* set them up well for Pau. There, they were the only combination to finish on their dressage score — a feat that was enough to propel them from 27th after the first phase to a third-place finish. The horse does well over tight, technical courses but is perhaps less established over big, bold courses such as Burghley. Cedric will have to use the horse’s manoeuvrability to his advantage, rather than letting it back him off the big, galloping track here. He’ll be hoping to redeem himself — and the horse — after an unfortunate 20 penalties at Badminton earlier this year. Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon at Malmö. Photo by Julia Rau. 70. Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon – GERMANY 17hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Heraldik xx x Kronenkranich xx). Owned by Dr Manfred Giensch and Anne-Katrin Butt. Three-time Olympian Dibowski has completed six four-stars with this horse, finishing second at Pau in 2014 and third at Luhmühlen in 2012. They attempted Burghley in 2013, but retired on course — but their impressive form on the continent suggests that the time is right for another go-round. They’ve completed four three-stars this year, with four clear cross country rounds and top five placings at Strzegom and Sopot. Their showjumping performance is, in fact, the biggest question mark — they often have multiple rails, and at Luhmühlen last year, they retired in this phase. Nonetheless, they’re a very strong shout for the foreign offensive. Abigail Boulton and Tilston Tic Toc. Photo by Samantha Clark. 71. Abigail Boulton and Tilston Tic Toc – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Quebec x Calypso I). Owned by Lucy Boulton. Boulton and Ben first came to Burghley in 2015, when Boulton was just 20. They finished 47th after a very slow but clear cross country, earning the best under 25 prize. They came back in 2016, but didn’t manage a clear on that occasion — they completed with a 20 on their record. They rerouted to Pau that year, where Boulton fell, but they had three clear rounds out of four starts at three-star in 2017, including a 15th place finish at Bramham CCIU253. They haven’t had any international runs this year, but have had a few quiet, clear OI and Advanced trips. This should be a quiet, sensible run for them, with the aim of a ‘proper’ competitive outing in the spring. Lissa and Hollyfield II at Pau 2017. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 72. Lissa Green and Hollyfield II – AUSTRALIA 16hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Quite Easy x Nocturne 877). Owned by The Viqueen Syndicate. In her second four-star riding for Australia, Green pilots top horse Hollyfield II. The 14-year-old gelding is relatively inexperienced, having made the move-up to three-star in 2016, but Green rates the horse as a serious talent for the future and has made educational experiences her aim when running the horse. He was impressive around much of Pau’s course last year before Green opted to retire him due to brake failure near the end of the track, but it was Badminton this spring where he showed what he really has to offer. He jumped a stonking clear around Eric Winter’s tough track, adding 31.2 time penalties, but leaving Green and her team excited for the future. Oli then had a quiet run for third place around Barbury’s CIC2, before contesting Hartpury CIC3* earlier this month for a slow clear and 49th place. Now that Oli knows his own ability, we’d love to see what he produces when he’s moved up a gear — the raw talent is certainly there. 73. Matt Heath and The Lion – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Ricardo Z x Nad Elshiba). Owned by Emma Clarke, Clare Davis, and the rider. The Lion went to Burghley last year, but Heath took a tumble on course, ending their week early. It was their first cross-country blip since 2015 — incidentally, that one happened here too, and they were eliminated at Badminton earlier that year as well. In 2014 they completed with a clear round, finishing 22nd, and they completed in 2013, too — albeit with a 20 across the country. This year, they haven’t had any international runs, but they have had two good Advanced trips — they finished 11th in the Advanced at the Festival of British Eventing, and 2nd in July’s Aston-le-Walls Advanced. Not a competitive threat, but if they can produce a clear round here, they could build upon it in the spring. Dan Jocelyn and Dassett Cool Touch. Photo courtesy of Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 74. Dan Jocelyn and Dassett Cool Touch – NEW ZEALAND 16.2hh, twelve-year-old gelding (Van Dantzig x Secret Touch). Owned by Therese Miller. Jocelyn and Dassett Cool Touch finished thirteenth here in 2016, following it up with a clear round at Badminton the following spring. They picked up twenty penalties across the country at Badminton this year, but they then went on to Gatcombe earlier this month and finished twelfth in the CIC3. This is a classic dark horse combination — the moment you discount them, they’ll rise like a pair of phoenixes and throw down the gauntlet. In all fairness, we’d like to see that again this week. 75. Gubby Leech and Xavier – GREAT BRITAIN 16.1hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Clover Echo x Crusing). Owned by Antoinette Denham Harding. Leech climbed his way up the career ladder working first with Harry Meade, and later with Pippa and William Funnell. Now, he’s based on his own yard in Salisbury’s eventing mecca. He and Xavier have completed Burghley twice before, in 2016 and 2017, but they’ve had a cheeky 20 on cross-country each time. They’ve jumped clear around Bramham CCI3 and Hartpury CIC3* on their way to Burghley this year, but they’ll have to dig deep to put the pieces of the puzzle together this weekend. They can get a circa-30 dressage score, as they proved at Bramham, but the showjumping is hit-or-miss. Oh, and his first name? It’s actually Daniel. We haven’t a clue where Gubby comes from, but we’re making it our mission to find out. Michael Owen and Bradley Law. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 76. Michael Owen and Bradeley Law – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Mill Law). Owned by Jane Jennings. This will be Bradeley Law’s third attempt at the level — he was eliminated in his four-star debut at Badminton in 2016, but finished 35th earlier this year. We’ve only seen him on the international stage once since then — at Burgham CIC3* in July, where they finished 65th on a clear, but slow, cross-country, two rails, and a disappointing dressage of 56.5. They can be ten points lower than this. Fun fact: Michael Owen produced Ludwig Svennerstal’s King Bob to four-star before the Swede took the reins. 81. Richard Jones and Alfies Clover – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Tajraasi x Clover Hill). Owned by Sandra Martin, Dinah Saunders, and the rider. Everyone loves a comeback kid, and good-humoured Jones has, perhaps, one of the more unusual comeback stories in this year’s field. Last year, he and Alfies Clover were on track to achieve the best result of Jones’ career in the CCI3* at Bramham, where they posted a 52.5 (35 in new scoring) and one of the top cross-country rounds of the weekend to sit in 11th place going into the final phase. After their round, however, disaster struck – Jones slipped while stepping out of the living area of his lorry and caught his wedding ring on the way down. He ended up losing his finger. But he’s not stopped easily – this is a man who, the year prior, had to have a foot completely rebuilt – and we saw the pair at Burghley a mere three months later. They finished in 22nd place, despite the constant pain and lack of grip in Jones’ left hand. That was the 11-year-old gelding’s first four-star, and Jones’ first since 2014. The pair retired across the country at Badminton this spring after clocking up 20 penalties, but they then went on to put their Bramham demons firmly to bed — they finished 7th in the CCI3, adding nothing to their 31.9 dressage. They then posted a 33.9 at Burgham CIC3 last month, slipping to 30th place after an uncharacteristic three poles. If Jones can pull out the result he did at Burghley last year under the circumstances, he’s certainly capable of even better this week. Buck Davidson and Park Trader. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 82. Buck Davidson and Park Trader – USA 16.3hh, sixteen-year-old gelding (Master Imp x Highland King). Owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal. Kobe has had a number of good results, including 2nd at 2013’s Fair Hill CCI3, and was named as reserve for the 2014 WEG — but we’re yet to see a big win from the talented Irish gelding. This will be his seventh four-star, though he’s only had two clears at the level. One of those earned him twelfth place at Kentucky in 2014, leading to that selection — though he was withdrawn from contention that summer after a bout of tendonitis. A clear round here will be the name of the game for Davidson and Kobe, and if they manage it, it’ll be their first international clear of the season — they picked up 20 penalties at Kentucky and The Plains CICO3 this year. Ben Way and Galley Light. Photo by Nico Morgan Photography. 83. Ben Way and Galley Light – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Turtle Island x Be My Native). Owned by Elisabeth Collins and the rider. Way balances life as as a property professional with running a top-level eventing yard with partner Sarah Way. This will be his seventh four-star with Galley Light — their best result was 12th at Badminton in 2016. They had a good run around Camphire CCI3* last month for tenth place, but otherwise, it’s been a quiet season — they had a gap without competition from May until July. They know the course here now, though they haven’t got an entirely blemish-free record — but they should be able to produce the goods this week and deliver another clear. Whether it’ll be enough to be competitive, with a mid-30s dressage, a healthy helping of time, and a requisite rail, remains to be seen. 85. Katie Preston and Templar Justice – GREAT BRITAIN 15.2hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Weston Justice x Welton Crackerjack). Owned by the rider. Preston combines her eventing career with a demanding job as a vet, but manages to find the balance — she and small but mighty TJ finished 18th at Luhmühlen this year, jumping a stonking clear round very nearly inside the time to complete their first four-star on a great note. Their showjumping performance let them down there, as it has a few times — they pulled six rails in Germany. They’re very reliable across the country though, and haven’t picked up any jumping penalties in this phase since 2016. They should have a great time around Captain Mark Phillips’ imposing course, though they’ll start with a high-30s dressage and finish with poles. We’re most interested to see how they stack up against the optimum time — Luhmühlen proved they can be very nippy indeed. 86. Polly Jackson Griffin and Papillon – GREAT BRITAIN 16hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Parforce x Asti Spumante). Owned by the rider. Jackson Griffin is one half of the dynamic duo behind the lavish Monart sale in Ireland, and her string of Monart-prefixed horses demonstrates that she really does believe in the talented horses she puts her efforts behind. This one is obviously an exception — but he’s been a great upper-level mount for his rider, who has jumped around three four-stars with him in recent years. They’re yet to nail a clear at the level, though — and this will be a first international run for the pair in 2018. They ran here in 2014, though they retired on course and rerouted to Blenheim’s CCI3, where they sailed round clear. Last year, they picked up a 20 at Luhmühlen, but then finished 11th in Blair Castle’s WEG. They’ll deliver a mid-30s dressage, and, we hope, a first clear at the level. Warren Lamperd and Silvia. Photo by Nico Morgan Media. 89. Warren Lamperd and Silvia – AUSTRALIA 16.1hh, seventeen-year-old mare (Lancer II x Amigo). Owned by the rider. The horse that coined the phrase ‘doing a Silvia’ – that is, um, banking a fence and making it look like that’s how it ought to be done – is back. Bossy, as she’s known at home, is well known for being game and gutsy, and she proved her adaptability last year at Burghley when she made light, if creative, work of the Dairy Mound combination. They finished in 31st place after adding rather too many time penalties and poles to threaten the top 20, but Bossy is a classic cross-country competitor. With street smarts come personality quirks, and Bossy displays plenty of those at home – impossible to contain in a paddock, she’s allowed to roam free-range around Warren’s Berkshire base and choose the best grazing spots. An unbroken broodmare until the age of six, she spent more of her formative training putting Warren on the floor than learning to contain her enthusiasm, but his patience has paid off, and he’ll leave the start box on a partner he can trust. The pair will post a score that hovers around 50-51 (33-34), and although they’ll rack up time penalties, they’ll likely go clear – their blip at Badminton, in which they both took a tumble, was their first international cross-country jumping penalty since 2014. Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody at Badminton. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors. 92. Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody – NEW ZEALAND 17hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Cascaletto St Gyvan Z x Lombardo). Owned by Niki Ryan and Dr Elizabeth Donald. ‘Raps’ really came into his own this year, stepping up from several good results at three-star in 2017 (including third at Saumur CCI3, fourth in the British Open Championships, and ninth at Blenheim’s ERM) to complete his first Badminton exceptionally stylishly. He produced a very competitive 23.4 dressage, added just ten time penalties across the country, and pulled an annoying rail on the final day to finish sixth — but we get the feeling there’s even more in there. Raps’ four-star debut came at Pau last year, where he clocked up 20 penalties to come 25th. Still, at that Pau, completion alone was absolutely not a given — and his Badminton performance shows the sort of course he excels over, which appears to be those that allow him to get into a forward rhythm, tackle some enormous, bold fences, and then snap to attention for a smattering of very technical combinations. Pau has the technicality, but none of the scope for galloping. Burghley should suit him, and he’s on good form — he clocked up a top-fifteen finish at Aachen last month, and had an easy, confidence-boosting run at Somerford CIC2* for seventh place earlier this month. The baby fangirl in us all is desperate for a Toddy victory at a four-star — and this horse, under the right circumstances, could certainly deliver. Nana Dalton and Absolut Opposition. Photo by Samantha Clark. 93. Nana Dalton and Absolut Opposition – GREAT BRITAIN 17.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Fleetwater Opposition x Ruffo). Owned by Miley’s Friends and the rider. Dalton has known Miley since he was born, as she used to compete his mother. From day one, she adored his “natural swagger and character”, and set up a syndicate to buy him as a two-year-old. He found life as an eventer easy, and completed Badminton when he was a ten-year-old. He then missed the majority of the 2016 season due to a mystery lameness that worsened and worsened, despite clear MRIs, scans, and X-rays. When one of the syndicate members suggested the horse ought to be euthanised, Dalton decided to scrabble together the funds to purchase the horse herself and secure his — at that time — questionable future. She managed it, and turned him away to let his body heal itself. It did, and he came back in time to head to Pau in 2017, where he picked up 20 penalties across the country but completed the event. This year, he finished 30th at Badminton, producing a very good test for 28.2, adding 20.4 time penalties on Saturday, and pulling five rails on Sunday. He can usually be counted on for a handful of poles — though Badminton was his record most — so he likely won’t be a super-competitive entity here, but should produce another good clear. Bill Levett and Improvise. Photo by Nico Morgan. 94. Bill Levett and Improvise – AUSTRALIA 16.1hh, fourteen-year-old gelding (Master Imp x Diamond Wood). Owned by Elisabeth Murdoch. Womble was originally produced by Chris King, and Levett took the reins back in 2010. Since then, they’ve had seven four-star runs — their best result came at Burghley in 2014, where they were sixth. They returned last year, but withdrew before the final phase, and their 2018 form hasn’t been quite as consistent as we’re used to — they’ve only had two clear cross country rounds out of six international starts. The horse sat out the 2017 season, so it may be that he’s been getting his confidence back up, but while both horse and rider are very capable of another top-ten finish, it might be more likely to come in 2019. 95. Simon Grieve and Drumbilla Metro – GREAT BRITAIN 15.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Metropole x Touchdown). Owned by Catherine O’Connor, Merna Merrett, and the rider. Grieve will be riding for his seventh and eighth Burghley completions this week, and the petite Drumbilla Metro, who gave him his first Badminton completion this spring, should, in theory, step up to the plate. Unfortunately, the horse hasn’t had an ideal season — he’s only had two runs since Badminton, once around an Advanced at Aston, where he finished 15th, and once at the CICO3* at Haras du Pin earlier this month, where the pair were eliminated for a rider fall. Without time for one more confidence-building run, these are less-than-ideal circumstances — but Grieve has two rides here, and hopefully a good trip around the course earlier in the day will set him up to pilot Drumbilla Metro to his autumn redemption song. Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy. Photo by Nico Morgan Media. 96. Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy – NEW ZEALAND 16.3hh, fifteen-year-old gelding (Courage II x Sky Boy). Owned by Verenna Allen and the rider. The more eagle-eyed among you may have spotted a trend — the impressive stallion Courage II sired a remarkable proportion of this year’s Burghley entries, including last year’s winner, Ballaghmor Class. The marvellous Oz is another one of those horses who is achingly close to a big win — he came second here in 2015, fourth in 2016, fifth last year, and he’s been fifteenth, ninth, and twelfth at Badminton. He’s ultra-capable in the first phase, scoring 25.8 at Badminton earlier this season, and he’s proven over the track here, with the ability to go very close to the optimum time at four-star. In fact, he’s won the William Miflin trophy at Badminton twice for being the closest to the time. Unfortunately, if anything stops him from winning this week, it’ll be the showjumping — he’s just as likely to have two down as he is to go clear. The Prices take their top horses for a mass exodus to Spain’s showjumping Sunshine Tour every winter, so hopefully we’ll see that effort pay off this weekend, and Tim can catch up with his wife Jonelle’s incredible season. 97. Louise Harwood and Balladeer Miller Man – GREAT BRITAIN 16.3hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Stormhill Miller x Porter Rhodes). Owned by Alli Haynes. Harwood is known for piloting her homebreds around the upper levels, but Balladeer Miller Man bucks the trend. He was bought as a four-year-old from Ireland, but nonetheless, he grew and grew to fit in with diminutive Harwood’s stable full of oversized stars. This will be the horse’s first four-star — he jumped clear around Bramham CCI3* in June and was 12th at Camphire CCI3* last month. Expect a dressage mark that hovers around the 40 area, a smattering of final-phase rails, but hopefully another clear round to finish off his immaculate season. Swallow Springs and Andrew Nicholson. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 98. Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs – NEW ZEALAND 16.2hh, ten-year-old gelding (Chillout x Cult Hero). Owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon. Nicholson’s striking grey has been quietly impressive for the past few seasons, and now that his ultra-famous stablemate has retired, his time has come to shine. He finished third in 2016’s iteration of the prestigious 8/9 year-old CIC3* at Blenheim, following it up with 2nd and 5th at Barbury and Chatsworth CIC3* in 2017. He then finished 9th in Blenheim’s CCI3, and his performance this season hasn’t been any less promising — he was second in Bramham’s tough CCI3 in June, leading one well-intentioned but somewhat misguided reporter to ask, “is this one likely to be your WEG horse, then?” “Oh, yes, he’s got WEG written all over him,” replied Nicholson with a twinkle in his eye. “I expect they’ll be beating my door down to get us on the team.” #topbantz Nicholson aside, this horse really is a true talent, and one that the rider thinks a huge amount of. Burghley has been the plan all season, and although his showjumping can be a tad unreliable, Bramham proved that the horse can add very, very little to his good dressage score when it counts. Expect Nicholson to pilot this four-star debutante competitively — a top ten finish, at least, would come as no surprise. Ireland’s Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello. Photo by Tilly Berendt. 100. Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello – IRELAND 16hh, seventeen-year-old gelding (Ricardo Z x Ring of Ford). Owned by Alison Schmutz, Andrew Tinkler, and Jill Andrews. Third on the reserve list for the Irish team, Sportsfield Othello instead makes his way to Lincolnshire to tackle his second of the Big Bs this year. He had a very good Badminton this year, finishing in 13th place for the second consecutive year after a steady climb up the leaderboard through the week. They added just 6.4 time penalties — impressive, when you consider how tough the time was to get this year — and dropped two rails on the final day, scuppering their chances of creeping into the top ten. Franky has had two quiet international entries since then — he finished third at Mallow CIC3* in June, adding just 3.2 time across the weekend, and then ran Camphire as a combined test at the end of July. This will be the horse’s second attempt at Burghley — they withdrew after dressage in 2015, so we’ve not yet had the chance to see how the track suits him. But his Badminton form adds up — he can do big, he can do bold, he can push it on and reel it back, and he should be an exciting candidate this week. Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. 106. Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, thirteen-year-old gelding (Ramiro B x Master Imp). Owned by Angela Hislop. Oh Coolio, how you dazzled us this spring. How you proved some of us so spectacularly wrong when we speculated that perhaps you were too fragile to be a four-star horse. How wonderfully and visibly you learned and matured around the Kentucky cross-country course to finish the competition not only the victor, but twice the horse you were when you started. Nevertheless, do we think you’re going to Burghley? Unlikely — Townend has two known entities up his sleeve in Ballaghmor Class and MHS King Joules, and we rather fancy stablemate Cooley SRS as the third option — but then, the plan was likely never to aim you at Burghley, anyway. Coolio led after dressage in Blair Castle’s CIC3, but it was always the plan to withdraw him, so we can forgive him the three time penalties he picked up as he skipped around the showjumping course. If we don’t see him this week, it’ll be interesting to see where he’s aimed next — Pau would possibly not suit the horse, but a last-minute entry to Blenheim could be on the cards. 107. Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class – GREAT BRITAIN 16.2hh, eleven-year-old gelding (Courage II). Owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop, and Val Ryan. Ultra-talented but ultra-sharp and tricky, Thomas went from flying completely under the radar to winning Burghley practically with his eyes shut last year. Of Townend’s entries, this one is the dead cert — he’ll be hoping for a repeat performance of last year to prove a few points this week. What’s perhaps most exciting about Thomas is that even after he won here last year, Townend admitted that the horse was still ‘babyish’ in many ways — the dressage wasn’t yet quite established, and the atmosphere in the main arena had the ability to slightly pull his focus off his job. His jumping style, too, was still green — he jumped big to make up for the fact that he hadn’t yet learned to jump economically. But discovering your capabilities over a course like Burghley, and then taking the winter holidays to mull over all you’ve learned, is the making of a tempestuous talent like Thomas. He was fifth at Badminton this spring after that astonishing 20.8 dressage test, proving that the first phase is very much established now. He looked to tire on cross-country — leading to, perhaps, one of the bigger talking points of the first half of the season — but looked fresh and well on the final day, unfortunately pulling two rails to drop out of contention. Townend took a tumble from him at Aachen, but they regrouped and won Burgham CIC3 the following week, lest anyone murmur that they’d lost their touch. They were then part of Townend’s total domination of Blair Castle CIC3* last weekend. This is a very, very safe bet for a top placing, and if nothing else, we can’t wait to see the difference in Thomas over all three phases. The development of a young horse like this is very nearly as exciting as the major victories — we just hope he’s stopped lawn-darting the grooms across the gallops. Burghley Links: Website, Entries, Timetable, Start Times & Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram Categories Eventing Nation Top Stories Tags Burghley	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24535
__label__wiki	0.700475	0.700475	shpiel (idea) by fiddler Thu Jan 10 2002 at 22:02:45 Shpiel is Yiddish, and literally means 'play'. While the meaning and associations of the word have changed significantly, the it can still be commonly heard with its original meaning in the context of Purim, the Feast of Lots. Amongst the myriad of customs and observances associated with this Jewish holiday, the Purim shpiel is a tradition which extends back into Talmudic times. Initially a morality play re-enacting the humiliation, defeat, and hanging of Haman and his ten sons over 2,500 years ago, the Purim shpiel has evolved into a kind of performance art. Funny plays are performed which may or may not tell the story of Purim, but usually satirize community affairs, current events, or well-known figures. Children most frequently perform Purim shpiels in their school. The modern use of the word shpiel, however, has strayed far from its roots. It now refers to any presentation, performance, or seemingly rehearsed verbal expression. It has dismissive or humorous overtones, implying cliche, repetition, predictability, comic presentation, cheap antics and salesmanship, or flashy over-production. Some examples: "I think they'll hire me. They listened to my little shpiel, and it seemed to go over well." "The vacuum cleaner salesman came by today and gave me this whole shpiel about dust-mites. What a goniff." "I went to City Hall about getting a license for the delicatessen and bagel shop, but they gave me this long shpiel and then said to come back Monday." "You want a pony for your birthday? What chutzpah! How long have you been rehearsing this shpiel?" « Yiddish » Tem42X 1 C! spiel Goniff Chutzpah Lies, damn lies, and statistics Haman Purim Schnook Spiegel RMI morality play schlemiel Talmudic Yiddish play Jehovah's Witnesses Jewish I had a brother, once I come to you, defenses down Tips for having sex in an elevator Temporary: Monday	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24537
__label__wiki	0.973026	0.973026	I'm told Mashaba thought I'd end his mayoralty - Zille Herman Mashaba said the DA he signed up for was not the one that came out of the weekend Federal Council meeting where former leader Zille was elected. Democratic Alliance Federal Council chair Helen Zille. Picture: 702 Helen Zille Herman Mashaba Eyewitness News \| 77 days ago CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) newly appointed federal chair Helen Zille said Herman Mashaba’s resignation was regrettable. The Johannesburg mayor will leave office on 27 November. Mashaba said the DA he signed up for was not the one that came out of the weekend Federal Council meeting where former leader Zille was elected. Zille was elected after James Selfe stepped down. He held the position for 19 years. “I am gravely concerned that the DA I signed up to is no longer the DA that has emerged out of this weekend’s federal council,” said Mashaba. Zille said she was not sure why Mashaba decided to resign. “I don’t know why he’s resigned. My understanding from some people was that he thought that I would bring to an end his mayoralty in Johannesburg. So, I am told. I am not sure if this is true that he wanted to resign before his government was taken out.” LISTEN: Why is Helen Zille back? Last week, in an interview on 702 with Aubrey Masango, ahead of the FedCo meeting, Mashaba said he would resign if the party was to be taken over by what he called right-wing elements. DA leader Mmusi Maimane said he wanted Mashaba to stay on. Mashaba said it was a tough decision. "I’ve given this decision considerable thought. I’ve been tortured by the circumstances that led me to this moment. It’s not in my nature to quit anything in life." WATCH: FULL SPEECH - Herman Mashaba resigns as Joburg Mayor Tshwane council meeting suspended after altercation between councillors DA: Makgoba’s appointment as Eskom interim board chair questionable	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24538
__label__cc	0.561328	0.438672	No More Princess Of Wales! Kate Middleton Might Reject Princess Diana's Title Just Like Camilla Did, Expert Claims When Camilla Parker Bowles married Prince Charles, she gained a lot in her life, including a few royal titles. Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall but, legally, she could have been called the Princess of Wales. A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse) on Jul 17, 2019 at 3:20am PDT However, she has never been referred to as such because she wished not to use the title previously held by Princess Diana. A post shared by Princess Diana Forever (@princess.diana.forever) on Sep 19, 2019 at 3:00pm PDT Why? Reports say Camilla did it out of respect for her husband’s former wife. But there is a high chance the Duchess of Cambridge will refuse to take the title as well. Kate might opt not to pay a special tribute to Diana When Prince William inherits the British throne, his wife Kate can expect to receive more royal titles. As Prince Charles’ eldest son advances on the succession line, he will be given the title Prince of Wales but Kate might refuse to be called his Princess. A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Sep 19, 2019 at 10:18am PDT At the moment, Kate is the Duchess of Cambridge but she might never be called the Princess of Wales. Royal expert Imogen Llyod-Webber explained: At some moment, William is going to become Prince of Wales. At that moment there’s the question, is Kate going to choose to be called Princess of Wales? Llyod-Webber believes Kate will opt to become the next Duchess of Cornwall or choose the title Duchess of Rothesay or Countess of Chester. A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Jul 10, 2019 at 1:27am PDT Even though it would have been a sweet tribute to Princess Diana, Kate might never choose to be called the Princess of Wales for the same reason as Duchess Camilla did – out of respect. A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse) on Jun 18, 2019 at 12:07pm PDT When Prince Charles becomes the King, his wife Camilla will get an upgraded title of Queen Consort or Princess Consort. A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse) on Sep 5, 2019 at 11:57am PDT However, when William becomes King, there is no doubt that Kate will be Queen Consort. Those royal titles can be quite complicating, can’t they?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line24546

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