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International Notes
February 14, 2003 5:39 AM CDT By Evelina Alarcon
Communist & workers parties say: No war!
Over 60 communist and workers parties from around the world, including the CPUSA, have joined in signing an Appeal against the Aggressive War on Iraq, initiated by the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia.
The appeal, timed to coincide with this weekend’s worldwide anti-war demonstrations, takes note of the unprecedentedly broad mobilization of world opinion calling for a diplomatic, peaceful settlement. The statement urges “an even more massive mobilization of the people,” and an intensified anti-war campaign in the workplaces, the trade unions, the media and the legislative arena. It calls on other countries not to provide the Bush administration with military support or facilities to attack Iraq.
“The war will result in huge losses among the Iraqi people, who have already suffered severe hardships as a result of years of embargo, air strikes and Saddam Hussein’s regime,” the parties said. “Aggression against Iraq, which is based on the new U.S. doctrine of ‘preemptive’ strikes, threatens to destabilize the whole region and bring grave consequences for human civilization as a whole,” the appeal warns.
“It poses a huge threat to international peace and the system of international law and creates a precedent for other arbitrary acts of aggression,” the parties added.
Greece: Dozens of cities to hold anti-war rallies
Thousands of marchers are filling the streets of Athens today as anti war protesters march to the Greek parliament and the U.S. Embassy. The rally is organized by the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace, with support of Action-Thessoloniki 2003, Youth Action for Peace, Balkan Anti-NATO Center, trade unions, students’ associations, women’s organizations and others.
At the same time, demonstrations will take place in dozens of cities across the country. Protesters will demand the Greek government withdraw its support for war against Iraq, and immediately stop providing any facilities or forces for such action.
The Piraeus branches of the peace organizations are planning to greet NATO’s Mediterranean naval force when it anchors at the port from Feb. 19-24. “When the NATO ships reach Piraeus … once again our people will demonstrate that murderers are not welcome in the country’s biggest port,” organizers said.
Germany: Rumsfeld’s relatives reject war stance
Donald Rumsfeld’s German relatives said this week they oppose the U.S. Defense Secretary’s drive to war against Iraq. The Rumsfelds of Bremen suburb, Weyhe-Sudweyhe, who had greeted their long-lost cousin warmly when he visited them a quarter-century ago while U.S. Ambassador to NATO, told the British newspaper The Telegraph their views have changed.
“We think it is dreadful that Donald Rumsfeld is out there pushing for a war against Iraq,” said Karin Cecere (nee Rumsfeld), 59. “We are embarrassed to be related to him.”
Her 85-year-old mother, Margrete Rumsfeld, added, “We don’t have much to do with him any more. Nowadays he’s just the American defense secretary to us, but for God’s sake, he’d better not start a war.”
Australia: Senate censures gov’t over troops
In a 33 to 31 vote last week, the Australian Senate last week censured the federal government for deploying troops to the Persian Gulf, declaring no confidence in Prime Minister John Howard.
The unprecedented Senate action – the first such move in over a century – included insistence that the UN be involved in disarming Iraq.
Greens Senator Bob Brown said the motion arose from the prime minister’s decision to send 2,000 defense personnel without backing from parliament or the Australian people, or a request from the UN. Said Australian Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett, “The Senate has backed our troops and the United Nations, while delivering a rebuke to the government.”
Lebanon: Union leader warns vs. war
Ibrahim Qweidar, director-general of the Arab Labor Organization, told Beirut’s al-Mustaqbal newspaper last week that a war on Iraq would have direct psychological, social and economic impact on the whole Arab region.
“The economic impact will be terrible and will not only affect Iraq’s neighbors but also will expand from Morocco to Bahrain,” Qweidar said. “The Gulf region will witness great economic problems and there will be stagnation in the oil sector as never seen before.”
Qweidar said economic development programs would be affected and tourism – the main revenue source for many Arab countries including Lebanon – will suffer great losses.
“If the war (on Iraq) lasts a month, it will undoubtedly negatively affect the whole Arab region for the 10 coming years,” he added.
International Notes are compiled by Marilyn Bechtel, international secretary of the Communist Party USA. She can be reached at cpusainternat@mindspring.com
Evelina Alarcon
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Two Accidents, But Inseparable Injuries
Say you’re injured in a car accident that’s not your fault. Then, before you’re fully recovered, you suffer the misfortune of getting re-injured in another accident, where you’re also not to blame. Do you have to sue both defendants and have two trials – at double the cost?
No, not if your injuries are “indivisible,” decided the BC Court of Appeal in a recent case.
The plaintiff was a 26-year-old waitress whose car was rear-ended in March, 2006 by the defendant while she was stopped at a red light. She felt pain in the back of her head and neck and felt extremely shaky immediately after the crash. She took a week off work and went to a walk-in medical clinic twice during that week, where she was prescribed Tylenol 3 and physiotherapy. She subsequently attended three physiotherapy sessions and 35 chiropractic treatments. In November, 2007, she started her lawsuit against the defendant
Then, in July, 2008, a pick-up truck backed into her while she was sitting in her parked car in a parking lot. Again, she was not at fault. At this time, she was about 80% recovered from the first accident, but the second accident aggravated the soft tissue injuries she suffered in the first accident and basically set her back to square one in terms of her recovery. Her doctor testified that her injuries after the second accident were similiar to those she suffered in the first.
The trial judge first concluded that the plaintiff’s injuries in the second accident were “indivisible” from the injuries in the first (she essentially suffered the same injuries in the same area). He then considered prior case law and BC’s Negligence Act, which says that if two or more people are responsible for a loss or injury, they are both liable for the whole amount.
Ultimately, the judge decided that the defendant was liable to pay 100% of the damages awarded to the plaintiff flowing from both accidents – which was $30,000 for her pain and suffering plus some $1,800 for lost income and chiropractic and other expenses.
The defendant appealed, arguing that she should only have to pay for the portion of the plaintiff’s injuries that she caused (which she claimed was about 60% of the total damage award).
But the Court of Appeal disagreed and sided with the trial judge. The defendant and the second at-fault driver both caused and contributed to the plaintiff’s soft tissue injuries, which were not separable. So the defendant was fully liable to pay 100% of the plaintiff’s compensation.
Now, the defendant was free to pursue the second motorist to sort out who was responsible for what portion of the plaintiff’s injuries and recover the portion that the second motorist caused. But the defendant had to pay the plaintiff the total judgment.
The situation would be different if you suffered different injuries in two different accidents. If driver A injures your arm in one accident and then driver B injures your leg in a subsequent accident, these would not be indivisible injuries, and each driver would only be responsible for the injury they caused.
But it’s not uncommon to suffer the same or similiar soft-tissue whiplash injury in a second car crash. In such a case, it’s good news for the injured person that each defendant is fully liable for the damages caused by both accidents.
« When Does An Accident “CAUSE” An Injury?
Strange Injury Nets Large Payments »
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The Anglican Diocese of Perth has confirmed it will join the National Redress Scheme.
The diocese has previously expressed its support for an independent National Redress Scheme in line with recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Anglican Diocese of Perth supports the General Synod Standing Committee’s call for the scheme, as legislated, to be truly survivor-focused and consistent with the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
The Anglican Diocese of Perth has been working with the other dioceses and organisations of the Anglican Church of Australia to establish a point of contact for the National Redress Scheme, which is in the process of being established.
The diocese introduced its own formal Redress Scheme in 2004 (Pastoral Care and Assistance Process) and has been working with survivors to provide redress in recognition for the harm that has been done. This includes monetary payments, access to counselling and psychological care and a direct personal response in the form of an apology.
Click on the following link to find out more about the National Redress Scheme.
Apology - Monday 22 October 2018
See here for more information on The Anglican Diocese of Perth pathways.
If the abuse is current, please contact:
Child Abuse Unit on 9428 1500;
WA Police on 131 444;
Your local Police Station
If you require immediate intervention, please choose the following options:
Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) 9340 1828 or 1800 199 888;
Lifeline 13 11 14;
The Samaritans on 9381 5725;
Kids Help Line (24hr) on 1800 55 1800;
Crisis Care on 9223 1111 (Perth) or 1800 199 008 (for callers outside Perth)
Complaints Process
A detailed explanation and the Policy for responding to and managing complaints of sexual abuse and misconduct is available from the Director of Professional Standards.
ChurchSafe
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https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Midland-High-production-offers-humor-adventure-10417186.php
'Peter and the Starcatcher' production offers humor, adventure
Niky House, for the Daily News
Updated 11:12 am EDT, Thursday, October 27, 2016
Zion Lange, left, and Nick Alfano rehearse a scene in the Midland High School's production of "Peter and the Starcatcher" during rehearsal Monday evening.
Photo: Steven Simpkins/Midland Daily News/Steven Simpkins/Midland Daily News
Treasure trunks, shipwrecks, adventure and lots of laughter. That is what Megan Applegate, English and drama teacher at Midland High School, said audiences can expect when they venture out to see “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
The Tony Award-winning show, a prequel to “Peter Pan,” starts Thursday night at Bullock Creek High School Auditorium.
Zion Lange, a sophomore at Midland High, plays the role of a pirate captain, Black Stache.
“Black Stache is the main antagonist,” Lange said. “I like the fact that you get to be something that you’re not; I get to be the bad guy and have fun doing it.”
Audiences will get a good laugh, he assures.
Black Stache and another character, Smee, ramp up the comedy.
Junior Gloria Heye plays Smee, the captain’s first mate.
“Smee is a funny character,” she said. “Black Stache and I are the dynamic duo.”
Heye recently performed as the lead cheerleader in the Teenage Musicals Inc. production of “High School Musical.”
Em Thomas, also a junior, plays Molly Aster.
“She is a beautiful role,” she said. “She’s so strong, not the usual female protagonist; she’s not weak and not dependent on anyone but herself.”
Most recently Thomas played Pilar in Pit and Balcony’s production of “Legally Blonde.” She also played Christine in Midland High’s performance of “Phantom of the Opera.”
Molly Aster’s “rough edges,” and propensity to act like a “13-year-old bossy pants,” add to the play’s charm.
“The audience can expect to laugh and fall in love with every character on stage,” she said.
LaVale Walker, a sophomore, plays Prentiss.
“Prentiss is really sarcastic and kind of rude,” Walker said. “It’s really fun to play that role.”
Walker’s past performances include DeLacey in the Midland Center for the Arts production of “Frankenstein.”
One of his favorite parts of the show is the story scene.
“Telling the story of sleeping beauty,” he said. “It’s a fun scene, going back and forth with Molly, and the banter.”
Sophomore Nick Alfano plays Peter Pan.
“I get to do a lot of things I’ve never gotten to do before,” Alfano said. “Like running into the house… and a stage kiss.”
Alfano’s past performances also include “Frankenstein,” and Midland High’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
“It is self-reflective theatre, that is to say, it admits that it is a play and is really focused on the aspect of storytelling,” Applegate said of the production. “My favorite part about this play is the way that the story is told. The characters are larger than life and they interact with the audience.”
There will be more theater to look forward to from Midland High in 2017.
“Our next production will be a one-act version of ‘The Crucible,’ with a public performance on Feb. 9 at Bullock Creek High School,” Applegate said. “Our spring musical will be ‘Shrek,’ April 20–22 at Bullock Creek High School.”
Remaining cast members in “Peter and the Starcatcher” are Maddy Arnold, Emma Brown, Zee Brown, Kennedy Danner, Ethan Dotson, Sarah Evans, Caroline Jasin, Abigail Krohn, Annie Laforet, Madeline Morgan, Fletcher Nowak, Allison Smith, Nathan Tata, Shaley Travis, Sami Williams and Haven Young.
Chorus roles include Paige Anderson, Kelly Craig, David Manges, Hannah Pennington, Noam Pretzer, Summer Stephen, Gabriella Thompson, Jaclyn Varnes, Sarah Wandor and JP Zaremba.
The musical play is based on the book, “Peter and the Starcatchers,” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The play is written by Rick Elice and the music is by Wayne Barker.
“Peter and the Starcatcher” will be performed at 7 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday at the Bullock Creek High School Auditorium. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students, and are available at the door.
Applegate also mentioned a dessert reception immediately following the show, “to meet the cast and further support the arts in our schools and community.”
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Alumni meetings dive deep into recovery experience
Oxford Treatment Center residents and alumni listen as Amy Woodward, CADC, speaks at Oxford Treatment Center’s May Alumni meeting which focused on parenting in recovery.
Topical programs focus on a specific life skill each month
It’s the first Friday of the month and more than 15 people have gathered for Oxford Treatment Center’s Alumni meeting. The topic: Being a parent when you’re in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.
The meeting begins with a reflection on each participant’s relationship with their children. The stories are hard, but the group listens intently and each member thanks another for sharing.
For Ashley*, this spring marks the first time she has been clean and able to see her children in years. She cries as she discusses the future of her relationship with her children. “I do have hope today,” she says, “whereas I did not before.”
If love was enough, none of us would be here.
Throughout the conversation is a common theme: “I love my children with all my heart. So why could I not stop using drugs for them?”
“If love was enough, none of us would be here,” said Amy Woodward, CADC, a clinical consultant and co-director of Oxford Treatment Center’s programming for alumni. In facilitating the May meeting, she affirmed to the group the nature of drug and alcohol addiction as a disease.
“If love alone could give us the power to stop using, there would be no such thing as addiction,” she said. “The love we have for our families can propel us take the first step to get help. But it’s very difficult as a parent to realize you may have to step away from your family for a while, to get a strong start in recovery and become the healthy parent you want to be.”
Supporting people as they navigate the many challenges of early recovery has been the goal as Oxford Treatment Center redesigned its programs for alumni this winter. Rather than offering generalized support, monthly alumni meetings are now focused around a theme.
Monthly Alumni meetings at Oxford Treatment Center now focus on practical themes for life in recovery. For 2019, meeting topics have included money management (March), health and fitness (April) and parenting in recovery (May). The June Alumni meeting will focus on how to have fun while in recovery.
Brian Whisenant, director of community relations and a co-director of alumni programs, said the shift has made meetings more beneficial for alumni and kept more people involved.
“We want people who attend these meetings to be able to leave with something that can improve their everyday life,” Whisenant said. “We’ve already had talks on money management and health and fitness. Even topics such as how to have fun in recovery invite lots of sharing and practical takeaways.”
In focusing on health and fitness during the month of April, Whisenant brought in a caterer to make a healthy meal and show participants how to do that on a limited budget. That gathering also focused on exercise and the importance of going to a doctor in addition to maintaining mental health.
“I look at the needs of the recovery community, and then we find ways to address them through this programming,” Whisenant said. “I also look at what would’ve helped me in early recovery and bring those discussions to these alumni meetings.”
Even topics like parenting can prove engaging for a broader group than one might think. At the May meeting, John* shared that he does not have children — but that, in recovery, he can now imagine a future with a family.
“I could not even think about having anyone else around me before,” he said. “But now, I hope to have a wife, to have kids one day.”
Ben*, who is continuing in outpatient treatment while living at Oxford Treatment Center’s Resolutions campus, spent most of the meeting listening quietly before revealing how much the discussion had impacted him.
“I want to share with everyone I just found out that I am going to be a dad,” he told the group, which responded with cheers. “You all have given me hope. I know that part of making myself into a better dad is to be here, building my recovery.”
Next month’s topic will be on having fun in recovery and will be held at Oxford Treatment Center’s Resolutions campus on June 7. To learn about upcoming events, follow Oxford Treatment Center on social media.
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Instagram Wants Photos To Be Seen Beyond 10-hour Window
Traditionally, shared photos on Instagram are only visible in the home stream in a 10-hour window, but still accessible by clicking on a user’s profile.
In case you haven’t heard, Facebook acquired Instagram, the free photo-sharing app, for apparently $1 billion earlier this spring. For those unfamiliar with Instagram, the app allows users to take or upload photos, apply effect filters, then share on a variety of social media profiles, including its own. Much like Facebook, Instagram’s social network allows users to like or comment on shared photos, but photos are only visible on the home stream during a 10-hour window.
In the few months since the acquisition, Instagram developers have been working rigorously to launch new product ideas. According to a recent article by Barry Neild, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom announced that with the addition of new features to help organize photos, the app will be evolving. In the article, “Instagram Wants Photos to be Seen Beyond 10-Hour Window,” Systrom says, “the company plans to introduce channels to organize the flow of images and help users find the best ones.” Systrom continues, “he wants to expand the software to go beyond the ’10-hour’ time frame viewed by most users.” By making photos visible longer, Systrom believes it will help users “see into the past.” But, do users really want to see into the past of their friends or is it just an avenue for more advertising? Providing more photos for users to browse through, could increase their time on the app. This means there could be more opportunities for generating revenue with advertising. As time goes on, it will be interesting to see if Facebook begins to implement more of their advertising strategies and privacy policies.
Read an excerpt from the article.
Systrom said Instagram’s success lay in its ability to help people communicate visually and express themselves to a wider audience in new, creative ways. “If it’s an honest, genuine photo, it will go far,” he said.
But he admitted there was considerable room for improvement. He said the company plans to introduce “channels” to organize the flow of images and help users find the best ones.
“I think we need to do a better job of creating these channels and silos that allow people to learn new things about the world,” he said. “We have the content — it’s about exploring it.”
To escape the sense that Instagram’s feed is merely a snapshot of the past few hours, Systrom said his developers are working to find better ways to curate older content.
Parallel Interactive is a digital marketing agency, San Diego-based, with a team of experts to help connect social media to your full-stack digital marketing strategy. Contact us to get started.
By Steven SaarsCategory: Marketing Trends, Social Media
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In Cody, Cheney reflects on 9/11
“9/11’s one of those days that everybody remembers,” Cheney told those in attendance. “Everybody pretty well knows where they were at that time, whether it was home, going to school or going to work. [It was] such a dramatic event that it …
Martin Kimmet, chairman of the Park County Republican Party (left), introduces former Vice President Dick Cheney as U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice president’s daughter, looks on at the party’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Cody on Friday night.
Tribune photo by Mike Buhler
Former Vice President Dick Cheney reflected on a long political career while headlining the Park County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Cody. But one day stood out above all others: Sept. 11, 2001.
“9/11’s one of those days that everybody remembers,” Cheney told those in attendance. “Everybody pretty well knows where they were at that time, whether it was home, going to school or going to work. [It was] such a dramatic event that it had an impact on all of us.”
Cheney was in his office in the West Wing of the White House when he found out that two airplanes hit the World Trade Center towers in New York.
“After I’d been there for a short period of time, people started to gather in my office,” he said. “Condi Rice, the National Security Adviser, came in and Josh Bolten, who later became Chief of Staff, came in. We had eight to 10 people there and all of a sudden, the door burst open and it was one of my Secret Service agents. He came around behind my desk, put his right hand on the back of my belt and his left hand on my left shoulder, lifted me out of the chair and propelled me out of the office — obviously something they’d practiced.”
After a third airplane hit the Pentagon, the vice president later heard that another airplane was headed for the White House.
“This officer came in and said, ‘Sir, we have a plane headed for Crown [the White House] at a high rate of speed. Are we authorized to take it out?’” Cheney said. “And I said, ‘Yes.’ He stepped out, came back in and asked again — he wanted to make certain he heard it properly — and I said, ‘Yes.’”
That airplane turned out to be Flight 93, where the passengers fought back against hijackers and forced the plane to crash in rural Pennsylvania. Dick Cheney described what the passengers did as “one of the most courageous acts I can imagine.”
Ironically, the former vice president took part in Continuity of Government training as a Wyoming Congressman in the 1980s, which prepared for a much worse event than 9/11.
“As bad as the events of 9/11 were, some of us had practiced exercises for far more dangerous and difficult circumstances — an all-out Soviet nuclear attack on the United States,” Vice President Cheney said. “That [training] helped — that training kicked in that morning for those of us that had been involved in the program.”
Vice President Cheney told attendees at the dinner that 9/11 represented a turning point in how he and then-President George W. Bush dealt with terrorism in America.
“The situation that we had to recognize, that hadn’t been recognized before, was that this was not a law-enforcement problem,” Cheney said. “Before that, we’d always treated terrorist attacks as a law-enforcement problem — send the FBI on them, they’d get the bad guys and put them on trial. We lost more people there than we lost at Pearl Harbor; 2,400 at Pearl Harbor and we lost 3,000 that morning on 9/11.
“The president believed very deeply, as I did, that this was an act of war ... and that we were justified in using all the means at our disposal in order to go find and take out whoever had been responsible — it turned out to be Bin Laden — but also to do everything we could to prevent any further attacks.”
About 240 people attended Friday’s sold-out dinner at the Holiday Inn, including U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and several statewide Republican political candidates. The event raised $40,000 for the county GOP.
“The Cheney family is amazing,” said Denise Shirley, who serves as the state committeewoman for the Park County Republican Party and helped organize the dinner. “They have deep roots in Wyoming. They visit Park County frequently and Congresswoman Liz Cheney is doing an exceptional job for the great state of Wyoming.”
Shirley said she was honored to have the Cheneys at the Lincoln Day Dinner.
“When he [Vice President Cheney] spoke about 9/11, it brought back so many emotions,” Shirley said. “It was a reminder of a time when there were true heroes that saved so many lives by sacrificing their own. It was a reminder that at that point in time we were not Republicans, Democrats or independents; we were just Americans moving through the biggest tragedy of our lifetime.”
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Home » Interview: Ken Scott
more... Artists • Studio Legends
Interview: Ken Scott
Mitch Gallagher
Producer Ken Scott works hard at the mixing board circa 1968 while working on the Beatles’ White Album at Abbey Road Studios. Photo courtesy of Ken Scott
It almost sounds like a feel-good Hollywood movie: A young man gets hired by Abbey Road Studios at age 16. After moving up through the ranks, his first session as an assistant engineer is A Hard Day’s Night by an English group known as The Beatles. That same young man’s debut session as first engineer is Magical Mystery Tour. He then works on the White Album and subsequently goes on to record seminal albums with the biggest artists from the ’60s, ’70s, ‘80s, and beyond—Jeff Beck, Dixie Dregs, Supertramp, Elton John, Missing Persons, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Tubes, Stanley Clarke, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Pink Floyd, Devo, Lou Reed, Kansas, Billy Cobham, David Bowie, and many, many more. Definitely a dream career, yet also the true-life story of record producer/ recording engineer, Ken Scott.
Along the way, Scott worked with a who’s who of guitarists: Beck, Steve Morse, John McLaughlin, Tommy Bolin, Mick Ronson, David Gilmour, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, just to name a few, as well as legendary drummers (Rod Morgenstein, Ringo Starr, Terry Bozzio), and bass players (Clarke, Andy West, Patrick O’Hearn). Along the way he earned a CLIO Award for recording “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” and two Grammy nominations, but has yet to win a Grammy.
Scott remains a vital force in the industry today, recording and producing, as well as releasing a virtual drum library, Epik Drums—A Ken Scott Collection, featuring five stellar drummers from his past, as well as Epik Drums EDU, a DVD set documenting his approach to recording and mixing drums. His latest effort is his just-released autobiography, Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust. Ken generously gave Premier Guitar an extended interview in the middle of a long day of book promotion, discussing how he approaches making music as a producer, and, of course, his approach to recording all those killer guitarists.
You actually started your career at Abbey Road Studios at age 16?
That is absolutely correct, yeah.
How did you land that job?
Someone upstairs was looking after me! I got fed up with school. One Friday evening I wrote letters to about 10 places. All those letters were mailed on Saturday; I heard back from EMI [parent company of Abbey Road] on Tuesday, had an interview on Wednesday, and was accepted on Friday. I left school that day and started at Abbey Road the following Monday. Like I say, someone upstairs was looking after me. [Laughs.]
What was your first job there?
Tape library—just getting tapes, checking in tapes, and making sure they were in the right cutting room or studio.
How did you move from that into the engineering side of things?
Via second [assistant] engineering, doing that for a few years. My very first session as a second engineer was on side two of A Hard Day’s Night and I carried on with them [The Beatles] all the way through to Rubber Soul. Then I was promoted to mastering—disc cutting. EMI felt it was better to learn the final product before you worked on the “easy” side of it. So you could never become an engineer without knowing the problems that may ensue if you don’t give the cutter a good tape. After doing that for a few years, I got the phone call to move downstairs as an engineer. After sitting next to one of the other engineers for two weeks—just watching what was going on—I got to push up the faders on my very own first session, which happened to be Magical Mystery Tour.
Working with The Beatles had to be tremendously exciting.
Are you kidding? They were the biggest band in the world at that moment in time. Nothing bigger … it was terrifying! To put it bluntly, I was shitting myself the entire session. [Laughs.]
Obviously it worked out okay.
Well, they’d been to an outside studio and recorded a version of “Your Mother Should Know,” and Paul wanted to try a new arrangement on it. So we were re-recording “Your Mother Should Know.” The arrangement didn’t work, so luckily anything I did mess up, it didn’t matter anyway.
Working with them as a training engineer was incredible because you couldn’t really do too much wrong with The Beatles. You had the perfect set up for experimenting to find mics you liked. It wasn’t a typical three-hour session where you had an orchestra and you had to do two songs in a three-hour session—where you had the pressure, so you had to get it right from the get-go. With The Beatles, they were spending ages. They loved experimentation, so that gave you the freedom to try things. And also, if I wanted to try mic X on piano, which no one ever used, and I wanted to try it in a totally different place from anywhere other people mic the piano, and I pulled up the fader and it sounded like crap—nothing like a piano—The Beatles would turn around and say, “Wow, that doesn’t sound anything like a piano, we love it, keep it!” They didn’t want things to sound normal, so it was a perfect learning experience for me.
Why did you become a producer?
It was a combination of two things: Engineering was becoming too easy. I’d almost reached the point where I’d seen some of the other engineers at Abbey Road, where they could literally set up the board, all of the EQ and everything on the mics before the musicians even came in or they pulled up faders. You get into habits of how you record things, what works for you. I was reaching that point.
There was that, plus something that a lot of engineers eventually go through … you’ll be sitting there next to the producer and suddenly you’ll have this idea. You tell the producer. He looks at you and pushes the talkback button and tells the artist, “You know what, we’re going to try this.” And the artist says, “Yeah, okay.” Then, if it works, the producer takes the credit. If it doesn’t work, “Oh well, that was only Ken’s idea anyway. I didn’t think it would work, but I thought I’d give him a chance.”
That was happening more and more. I wanted more artistic say.
Ken Scott cutting acetate in the studio. Photo courtesy of EMI Archives
What is the difference between an engineer and a producer?
If you look at it from the film sense, the recording engineer is the director of photography and the record producer is the director. [The producer is] there to pull the performances out of the artists. They’re there to help with the arrangements. The producer can be a shrink, he can be a dictator, he can be your BFF. He has to be a million different things. But ultimately, the way I look at my gig, it’s to get the best performance out of the artist in the way the artist wants it put across. There are a lot of producers out there that go in, “It’s my way or the highway” kind of thing, and they finish up with it being more of the producer’s record than it is the artist’s.
Do you go into a project with an end in mind? Do you know what it will sound like before you even start?
To a point. Not wholly. I don’t like to do too much pre-production. I’ve found that if you go in with a set idea of how something has to be, something can change in the studio. You do the song fractionally faster or the sound is slightly different from when you were in pre-production, and a guitar part suddenly won’t work. If you’re fixated on that guitar part or whatever it is, you’re going to waste a lot of time trying to get back exactly what you had in pre-production—and it might never work. So as long as the basic arrangement is there going into the studio, that’s it for me. I have a certain idea of what it’s going to be like … it’s probably 50/50. I know 50 percent of what we’re heading for, but leave the other 50 percent up for grabs once we’re in the studio.
Ken Scott's Top Recording Tips
Here’s a short list of Scott’s own tried-and-true guidelines for making better recordings:
Legendary recording engineer and producer Ken Scott recently put pen to paper for the biography, Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust.
1. Make decisions as you record. Don’t wait until mixdown. According to Scott, “No one likes to make a decision, and it’s not just in music—it’s in life it seems. Everyone is second-guessing themselves. How many times have you been to the supermarket and you’ll walk past a guy with a cell phone to his ear: ‘Yes, honey, I know, but there are 10 different kinds of baked beans. Which kind is it I’m supposed to get?’ It’s just baked beans, come on. So you make a mistake, she’s not going to kill you for it. Make a bloody decision!”
2. Listen to many different musical genres and try to learn as much as possible from each. Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s nice to have a total picture of where you are headed, but leave the final destination open to improv and creative discretion.
3. Your idea of sound should be constantly changing. “That’s how you grow,” Scott says. “A band like The Beatles, they were changing constantly. As they learned more and more, they would make things change. They would take the audience with them, and that’s how they managed to come up with such incredible stuff—they were always learning and they always wanted something to be different.”
4. Make recordings with the gear you have. Great recordings can be made with any level of equipment if the sources and performances are great.
5. Invest in good monitors and learn how they sound. Everything starts with being able to hear your tracks accurately.
6. Play out live as much as possible and learn from the audiences’ response to your performance. You’re bound to benefit from being exposed to other perspectives.
7. Pare down performances to the essentials. Focus on making the best song, don’t fixate on the individual parts to the point of losing the forest for the trees.
8. Go into recording sessions with an end in mind. Don’t worry about having every detail mapped out, but a good arrangement and a vision for the final result will make for a much more productive and successful session.
Mitch Gallagher's latest book is Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound. He is the former Editor in Chief of EQ magazine. In addition to being a writer, he is a freelance recording engineer/producer/mastering engineer, teaches music business and audio recording at Indiana University/Purdue University, and is Sweetwater’s Editorial Director. mitchgallagher.com.
Recent Articles by Mitch Gallagher
Guitar Tracks: Getting Down to Mixing
Guitar Tracks: More Track Cleaning
Guitar Tracks: Cleaning a Mix
Guitar Tracks: Building a Mix
Studio Legends: Andrew Scheps
Interview: Ken Scott, Part 1: Recording with The Beatles & Inside the Studio
Interview: Ken Scott, Part 2: Musicians’ Questions About Recording with the Beatles
Interview: HBC's Scott Henderson and Jeff Berlin
Rig Rundown - Dropkick Murphys' Ken Casey, Tim Brennan & Jeff DaRosa
Builder Profile: Ken Parker Archtops
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Teen shot in arm while sitting in front of…
Teen shot in arm while sitting in front of Fontana home
A teenager was shot in the arm Tuesday while he was sitting in the front yard of a Fontana home.
The victim and his 18-year-old cousin were outside about 4:40 p.m. in the 9200 block of Live Oak Avenue when a car pulled up , said San Bernardino County sheriff’s Sgt. Sarkis Ohannessian, with the Fontana station.
A man got out of the vehicle, which was only described as a maroon compact, and fired at the two people, striking the younger victim in the arm.
The teen was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Ohannessian said.
Sequoia Middle School, which is within two to three blocks of the shooting, was not in session, officials said, and there were no children in the area.
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Near-offense-less USC upset by Washington State
SportsCollege Sports
USC’s Devon Kennard #42 heads up field after scooping up a Washington State fumble in the 2nd quarter at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Saturday, September 7, 2013. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)
PUBLISHED: September 7, 2013 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 1, 2017 at 4:04 am
When Washington State receiver De’Von Flournoy squirted free from the crowd and turned a short pass into a 49-yard gain, a sense of foreboding that had been building all night in the Coliseum became palpable.
The Cougars turned that anomaly into a 41-yard tie-breaking field goal by Andrew Furney with 3:03 left and all they had to do was wait for USC’s offense to finish the job.
Damante Horton’s second interception of the game, this time with 2:18 left, ensured Washington State’s 10-7 victory over USC in the Pac-12 opener.
Horton picked off both of USC’s embattled quarterbacks, both times on an out pattern to the left. It was Cody Kessler at the end of the first half, and Horton returned that one 70 yards for a touchdown.
It was Max Wittek at the end, and what was left of the crowd directed their ire at head coach Lane Kiffin. “Fire Kiffin!” the chat went.
“We should have won that game just by not turning the ball over, handing them seven points,” Kiffin said, adding that yes, he heard the crowd.
“You can’t worry about that. It is what it is,” he said. “I think I heard it before the game started, so I’m getting used to it.
“When you don’t win and you don’t play well, of course it falls on the head coach. That’s part of the job. We obviously weren’t prepared well enough on offense.”
Apparently, USC’s offensive performance in the opener in Hawaii was merely an aberration.
Now, it’s everybody panic.
Through the first half, whatever steps Kiffin made to move the Trojans forward included a lot of sidestepping., or at least passes from sideline to sideline.
Kessler got the starting nod over Wittek again and scored on a 4-yard run, then gave back the advantage with the pick-6 and the Trojans (1-1, 0-1) are in trouble only two games into the season.
USC finished with 193 yards of offense, with the quarterbacks combining to pass for 54 yards. They did that with a combined 11 completions in 21 attempts.
USC’s six-play, 22-yard scoring drive in the second quarter was the high mark of the half with its average of 3.7 yards per play. That brought the average to that point up to 3.5 yards per play.
Groans were audible during the play when Kessler passed laterally to Marqise Lee on third-and-2. The play went for a loss of a yard, initiating the first round of serious booing from the restless crowd.
Just before Kessler dared to throw a pass beyond the line of scrimmage, a simple out in the direction of Nelson Agholar, USC had amassed 64 total yards in 25 plays.
Kessler, bull-rushed by defensive tackle Kalafitone Pole, let his pass fly and Damante Horton stepped in front of Agholar to return the interception 70 yards for the tying score with 27 seconds left in the second quarter.
Never mind that while USC’s defense was stopping Washington State on the previous drive, the Trojans called timeout in order to have time for the offense to get more points on the board. Mission accomplished.
USC finished with 73 yards in the first half, averaging 2.5 yards per play. Kessler completed 8 of 13 passes for 41 yards.
Just as in the Hawaii game, Wittek didn’t see the field in the first half so it remains difficult to pinpoint the struggles. Is the offensive line so leaky that Kiffin doesn’t want to leave a quarterback vulnerable while searching downfield for a receiver?
Or are the quarterbacks not to be trusted to try to exploit a young defense?
“The way the game was going, they were turning the ball over, we were playing great defense, it just didn’t seem in our best interest to put that quarterback back there and let the balls get tipped and turn the ball over,” Kiffin said. “In the 2-minute situation there at the end of the first half we do go to passing game and we give them seven points. It’s the total difference in the game.”
The debate rages, but the results are undeniable. USC went 0-for-6 in the first half trying to convert a third down and were 3-for-13 in the game.
Wittek started the third quarter, a series earlier than he saw the field in Hawaii. His handoffs must have been more crisp than those of Kessler, because running back Tre Madden ran for 23 yards on the next two carries. Madden finished with 151 yards on 32 carries.
Meanwhile, USC’s defense was feasting on junior quarterback Connor Halliday, who threw two interceptions, first on a blind throw into the end zone that Torin Harris picked off, the next off his back foot that Dion Bailey snatched.
The Trojans also had a sack-fumble caused by George Uko. Devon Kennard returned the fumble 14 yards — straight ahead — to set up USC’s scoring drive.
But even with the three turnovers, USC couldn’t take advantage. Their final four drives of the first half covered a total of 13 plays and advanced the ball 27 yards.
Wittek’s first drive covered 60 yards in nine plays but ended when the Cougars blocked a 32-yard field goal try by Andre Heidari.
It got worse later when Heidari missed a 43-yard try that would have broken the 7-7 deadlock.
“If we make the two special teams plays when we needed to make them, it’s a different story,” Kiffin said.
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California lures four TV shows from out of…
California lures four TV shows from out of state with tax credits
Television productions moving moving to California from out of state that are eligible to receive tax credits for doing so are, clockwise from top left, “The Affair” (Showtime), “The OA” (Netflix), “Legion” (FX), and “Lucifer” (Fox).
By Bob Strauss | rstrauss@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: March 17, 2017 at 3:35 pm | UPDATED: September 1, 2017 at 12:15 pm
A record four television series are relocating to California from other jurisdictions thanks to the latest allocation of the state’s production tax credits, the California Film Commission announced Friday.
Fox’s “Lucifer” and FX’s acclaimed “Legion” are coming down from Vancouver, while Showtime’s “The Affair” and Netflix’s “The OA” will move west from New York. Eleven other shows were also approved in this round of incentive allocations, the last in the second year of California’s so-called 2.0 program, designed to attract such series and larger-budget movie productions.
“We’re wrapping up year-two of Program 2.0 on a very high note with a record number of relocating TV series,” CFC Executive Director Amy Lemisch said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “The tax credit program is working as intended to reaffirm California’s status as the preferred choice for film and TV production.”
“Today’s announcement means that in the first three months of this year, the tax credit program is responsible for creating more than 8,400 good-paying, below-the-line jobs in California,” added state Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima), who authored the $330 million-per-year 2.0 bill and recently introduced legislation to fund more entertainment job-training programs. “The tax credit is working, and California is winning the fight against runaway production.”
The CFC estimates the $99.2 million tax credits reserved for the latest 15 qualifying shows will generate $620 million worth of in-state spending, $235 million of which will cover over 4,400 crew and cast member jobs.
Among other shows approved in this round are five new series: “Here, Now,” “Law & Order: True Crime,” “Messiah,” “Sharp Objects” and an untitled project from Seth MacFarlane — plus two renewed series that are already in the program, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Snowfall.” Four pilots also qualified for the incentives this go-round.
Seven of the 15 shows also plan to at least partially shoot outside the 30 Mile Zone around Hollywood. That allows for an additional 5 percent tax credit on those days and is an effort on the CFC’s part to spread the wealth throughout the state.
Though “Lucifer” is one of those, shooting in the town where the series is set is the real added bonus for the fantasy production.
“Los Angeles is a key character in ‘Lucifer,’ with the storylines revolving around iconic locations in Hollywood and Southern California,” co-showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson said in the CFC release, “so we are thrilled that the California incentive now makes it competitive to base the show in the L. A. area.”
With the four new additions, 2.0 has brought a total of 11 TV series from out-of-state locations to California.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to say the California Film Commission has reserved $99.2 million in tax credits
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor celebrates 10 years of scares with a $10 one-day-only deal
Conservatives against liberty: Ron Paul
Long Beach City College recognized for its energy and sustainability
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss has been covering film at the L.A. Daily News since 1989. He wouldn't say the movies have gotten worse in that time, but they do keep getting harder to love. Fortunately, he still loves them.
Follow Bob Strauss @bscritic
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Mark R. von Sternberg
Catholic Charities Community Services/Archdiocese of New York
Senior Attorney, Immigrant & Refugee Services
Mark R. von Sternberg is a Senior Attorney with Catholic Charities Community Services/Archdiocese of New York where he concentrates on litigation before the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Mr. von Sternberg serves as an adjunct faculty member at Pace University School of Law where he teaches general immigration and comparative refugee law; he is also an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University School of Law where he teaches an immigrant and refugee rights clinic. Mr. von Sternberg received a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1973 and an LL.M. degree (in International Legal Studies) from New York University School of Law in 1984. He has lectured at law schools and at professional associations regarding immigration matters and has written extensively, particularly in the areas of refugee law, international humanitarian law, and human rights. Mr. von Sternberg is the author of an internationally recognized treatise regarding the refugee definition as applied in the United States and Canada. In 2002, he received the American Immigration Lawyers Association Pro Bono Award. Mr. von Sternberg is a former chair of the American Bar Association’s Immigration and Naturalization Committee and of the New York City Bar Association’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee. Mr. von Sternberg has served as an active participant in significant international conferences regarding asylum such as the Refugee Rights and Realities Conference in Nottingham, England and, more recently (September 2012), the UNHCR's Expert Roundtable on "International Protection for Persons Fleeing Armed Conflict and Other Situations of Violence" in Cape Town, South Africa.
51st Annual Immigration and Naturalization Institute
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Checkout lines: Soon a matter of nostalgia?
July 10, 2019 July 11, 2019 - Analysis
Not so far in the future, a parent is going to mention grocery checkout lines, and the child is going to say, “What are those?”
So says a recent report on the grocery industry by CRBE Research. Despite increased competition from online delivery services over the next few years, grocery retail stores aren’t going to vanish. But checkout lines will. “Within the next decade, checkout lines will disappear,” the report tells us.
The first and most obvious reason: nobody likes checkout lines, although they take up enough of our time. One estimate says Americans spend 37 billion hours a year in checkout lines—that’s 118 hours per person, or nearly five days out of everyone’s year.
Retailers don’t like checkout lines either, and they’re going to like them even less in coming years. Rising labor costs mean that each cashier is going to cost the employer extra dollars per hour. This will keep up the pressure to reduce the number of employees. Improving technologies like smart-scan systems will enable them to do so.
Other factors are pushing in the same direction. After all, the space taken up by cash registers and lines doesn’t generate a lot of revenue. That space could be devoted to space for products, or to shelves for click-and-collect.
What’s going to take the place of the old model? Mobile apps, for one thing. AmazonGo stores, recently opened in San Francisco and New York, are one harbinger of the future.
Amazon boasts a “Just Walk Out” technology: customers download the AmazonGo app on their smartphones, scan items, and are automatically charged after exiting. If you buy ready-made meals, you can warm them in microwave ovens located just outside the store.
For more conventional retailers, online orders are also expected to increase. Those who still want to shop from aisle to aisle may have the option of smart shopping carts, with built-in scanners and credit card swipers.
From the produce point of view, these trends are likely to push further in the direction of prepackaging (carts with built-in weighing scales aren’t likely to come soon, if at all). There will also no doubt be more unit sales, with labeling of individual items. In Europe, the supermarket chain Spar Austria has taken this concept one step further, announcing that it will label mangos with laser engraving rather than with plastic stickers.
Shoppers may find freed-up retail space used in somewhat unfamiliar ways. The CBRE report says the strongest growth in the industry will occur in nontraditional and specialty formats. Consumers will see more large-format stores (warehouse clubs and supercenters) as well as small-format stores, including health-food stores and ethnic markets.
Trader Joe’s—definitely a nontraditional store—was voted number one chain in 2018, for the second year in a row, according to Dunnhumby’s Retail Preference Index. Standard retailers like Kroger or Albertson’s will continue to see growth, according to the CBRE report, though at a slow and steady rate.
Last in line
In the meantime, Ryan H. Buell, an associate professor of service management at the Harvard Business School, has some insights about how to keep customers happy (or at any rate tranquil) while waiting. If people hate standing in line, they really hate being last in line. Buell did a recent study with some fascinating results.
Observing customers over a five-hour period at a grocery, Buell observed, “These were relatively short lines, but what was surprising was how much jockeying for position there was.” Of 71 customers who switched positions, 67 were last in line. He also noticed that customers were much more likely to walk out if they were the last in line.
“If you are the service provider,” Buell points out, “that’s not good for you either. You’ve got a customer walking out the door.”
It would seem to be a law of nature that someone is always going to be last in line. So what are retailers to do?
“Showing customers the work that’s being done to serve them can cause them to mind waiting less and value the service more,” Buell says.
Comparisons also help. People waiting with call centers are less unhappy when, for example, they’re told that they’re the fifth out of seven callers rather than that they’re just fifth. Retailers can post average wait times for a given point in the day so people are comparing themselves to a whole rather than to the other people that are just waiting.
That may work for the time being, but if the CRBE report is right in saying that checkout lines will be a thing of the past, they probably won’t be a big object of nostalgia.
Tagged analysis, retail
Richard Smoley is Editor with Blue Book Services Inc.
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Mouli Cohen on the Year in Philanthropy-Driven News
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Mouli Cohen reflects on a year of philanthropy.
Mouli Cohen
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 5, 2010
Mouli Cohen, Founder and Chairman of Voltage Capital, spoke today about his views on the year 2009 in philanthropy.
This has been an extraordinary year for the creation of new-media organizations and web sites, the entrepreneur and philanthropist mentions to us in an interview Thursday afternoon.
“A big reason is the money that foundations and wealthy individuals are investing. Thousands of community news sites have been launched, and most of the prominent ones are nonprofits,” Cohen said. “Just in the last month or so we’ve seen launch announcements about the Bay Area News Project, the Texas Tribune, and the Chicago News Co-operative.”
But community news sites are only one of the arenas in which nonprofits are rapidly filling the news vacuum. ProPublica (With $10 million a year from the Sandler family) is leading the revival of investigative reporting, and it’s hardly alone. State and regional investigative reporting nonprofits have emerged in New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, California and Washington State; more are in the works.
Cohen also noted the fact that nonprofits of a different sort – universities and their journalism schools – are also gearing up. “In California, UC-Berkeley journalism students are joining forces with the Bay Area News Project. At the University of Southern California, more than 100 students working on the news site Neon Tommy are producing journalism that serves Greater Los Angeles, not just the campus” he said.
When asked if he believed that these nonprofit news sectors would continue, Mouli Cohen said almost certainly, at least in the short term. “The primary factor that caused it – public concern about the hollowing of mainstream media – isn’t likely to end soon. Moreover, these projects have been successful innovation experiments, demonstrating that news organizations much smaller than the daily newspaper can produce news that has value and impact.”
About Mouli Cohen
Mr. Cohen is a successful entrepreneur who has founded and developed successful ventures in the biotechnology, high technology, digital media and entertainment sectors. He has balanced his success in business with extensive philanthropic activities. Over the years he has supported children's charities, food programs, medical research, and the arts as well as education projects both in the US and abroad.
Mouli Cohen Mouli Cohen Mouli Cohen
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Deadline Today for WA Initiative Requiring Voter Approval for Tax Increases
WV House Passes State Opportunity-Zone Tax Breaks Despite Questions
New CA Budget Moves Closer to Universal Health Coverage
Proposed MI House Budget Slashes Public Transit
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New Mexico Celebrates Latino Conservation Week
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New Mexico Still Not on Its Financial Feet
PHOTO: Sally Gallosa participated with other retirees and members of labor and environmental groups, protesting sequestration cuts in the public and private sector at a time when the New Mexico economy is weak. Courtesy: Miles Conway, Communications AFSCME Council 18.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A newly published report about the condition of workers in New Mexico shows that the Land of Enchantment has yet to emerge from the Great Recession. The state has lost well over 42,000 jobs since December 2007.
The report's author is Gerard Bradley, senior researcher and policy analyst, New Mexico Voices for Children. He warned that the state may be jumping from the frying pan into the flames.
"This year, we decided to double down. Now, we're going to cut corporate income taxes massively, and the policy makers are expecting that to contribute to the growth of the New Mexico economy."
Bradley said it will not. The state is in a "jobs depression," he said, with one of the weakest economies in the nation. He added that New Mexico Voices for Children urges investing in the workforce, health care and the welfare of children as the way to improve the state's economy going forward.
Carter Bundy, political and legislative director for New Mexico, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), said some decisions made by New Mexico legislators this year ran counter to improving the state's financial future, particularly in creating a solid workforce.
"The idea that we're going to start contracting out our education system to virtual, online education instead of having in-person educators, the lack of serious investment in early childhood education - these are the kinds of things that ensure that New Mexico will continue to stay behind," he said.
Among the best things citizens can do to turn New Mexico's economic future in a positive direction are to provide good nutrition and education for children, Bundy said, especially from birth until the age of 5.
There must be room for everyone in a healthy economy, he added.
"The governor's philosophy that we only help the rich doesn't translate into economic success anywhere. You need some wealthy people, but you also have to make sure that people who work for a living have adequate revenue, so they can turn around and spend money in the economy and can feed their family."
The report is available at www.nmvoices.org.
Renee Blake, Public News Service - NM
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Colombia closer to winning titles - Pekerman
Colombia's bronze-medal finish at the Copa America Centenario was satisfying for coach Jose Pekerman, who believes his team are edging closer to silverware.
Colombia's bronze-medal finish at the Copa America Centenario was satisfying for coach Jose Pekerman, who believes the South Americans are edging closer to silverware.
Carlos Bacca's 31st-minute goal gave Colombia a 1-0 victory over hosts the United States in Saturday's third-place play-off in Phoenix.
Bacca's sliced effort just past the half-hour mark was enough as Colombia recorded their best performance at the Copa America since they won the tournament in 2001 - their only international triumph.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Pekerman said: "Being on the podium is good. Ratify the mentality that the group has.
"The more times we can get to these stages, the closer we are to win titles.
"It is very positive growth of the boys."
Colombia missed out on a spot in Sunday's final after losing 2-0 to defending champions Chile.
FIFA's third-ranked team, Colombia, won their opening matches against USA and Paraguay before surrendering top spot in Group A following a loss to Costa Rica, though they rebounded in the quarter-finals by prevailing over Peru in a shoot-out.
"They have to understand what international competition is about and the balance," Pekerman said.
"We are in the play-offs and have seen the ups and downs of the different teams."
Author: Omnisports Source: omnisports
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James Madison University Map
The apartments are used mostly for student housing, and James Madison University sent out an alert shortly after 12:30 p.m. warning students to avoid the area and asking those living in the complex to.
James Madison University Map Mediumthumb Pdf Stunning Jmu Map is just one of the many collections of Sample Resume Reference that we have on this website. We have a lot of Sample Resume Template or Cover Letter Template and any other things concerning in this website. We’re not just providing info about , but , you can get a lot more reference to create your Resume and Cover Letter.
Rozalynn Klaas of the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin- Madison provided cartography for the maps included here. and Jim Francis at the Michigan DNR; James Thompson,
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which offered one of the world’s best genetics programs. A few classes taught by renowned geneticist James Crow were all it took for him to find his true calling.
But this fall’s map—there are more than 30 races on the ballot—has put. Zephyr Teachout, who ultimately lost out to her fellow Democrat Letitia James, launched her campaign in June in front of.
There are 4 ways to get from George Mason University to James Madison University by bus, car, plane or taxi. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio’s travel planner.
The $15,000-per-vendor operating fee was negotiated by the mayor’s office, and the money — as well as the dollar-a-day fee — will be used for “bicycle and pedestrian initiatives,” according to James.
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) –Thanksgiving break just got a little sweeter for one high school senior. Cave Spring’s quarterback Jacob Knight announced on Twitter Monday his committment to James.
Rust Belt Focus The president and his allies talk optimistically about expanding the electoral map to states he lost in 2016. a professor of American politics at the University of Wisconsin in.
Political Parties In The Usa Dec 11, 2018. Like Nader, Brana isn't content merely to expose the corruption of the dismal dollar Democrats—a party that late political scientist Sheldon. OTHER P2012 RESOURCES: New Hampshire Political Library – This site contains just about anything you could ever want to know about the influential New Hampshire Presidential primary — including a directory
She attended Hall High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Pembroke College (now Brown University) in 1950.
Virginia’s Largest Public Research University. With 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students Mason.
Sign in to James Madison University. Using. James Madison University. ArcGIS. Enter your ArcGIS organization’s URL below.maps.arcgis.com < Back Continue. Username Password. Keep me signed in. Esri publishes a set of ready-to-use maps and apps that are available as part of ArcGIS. ArcGIS is a mapping platform that enables you to create.
CHEVY CHASE, Md., Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — BRMi is partnering with James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to create a student learning path for the technology known as robotic.
James Madison University. Welcome to James Madison University, home of the JMU Dukes! The University can be found in the heart of the scenic Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg, Virginia. If you are coming from the north take I-81 South until exit 245 and then follow the posted signs.
And community events that keep you connected with friends. All make The James the premier student housing choice at The University of Wisconsin. Get the lifestyle you want with our fully furnished UW Madison apartments with private bedroom and bathroom floor plan options, 24-hour, state-of-the-art fitness center and Academic Success Center!
That idea is spreading. With less fanfare, a similar deal was recently signed between James Madison University and the language-learning company Rosetta Stone. The public university in Virginia will.
May 21, 2019 · Based on the Emmy Award-winning 1970s’ Saturday morning cartoon series, this pop culture phenomenon that taught topics like history, grammar and math through clever, catchy tunes, comes to the musical stage!
Actor James Darren — can you tell me what was his latest. McDaniel came to the Quincy Public Library in 2015 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a master’s degree in.
Ellis Island Oral History Project “Germ City” is also the inaugural exhibition of “Contagious Cities,” an international project. Island where people were treated for tuberculosis: We have a bronchoscope used to study people’s lungs. Political Parties In The Usa Dec 11, 2018. Like Nader, Brana isn't content merely to expose the corruption of the dismal dollar Democrats—a party that late
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WAVY) — A Harrisonburg man turned himself in to police on Tuesday after hitting and critically injuring a James Madison University student from Williamsburg. On August 24, Jared.
A federal appeals court has upheld, for a second time, the legality of James Madison University’s decision five years ago to eliminate 10 athletic teams to bring gender balance to its sports programs.
Mr. Butch, whose real name was Harold Madison. During the 1980s, Kenmore Square fell into disrepair. By the 1990s, even the Red Sox were threatening to leave. But the 2002 opening of the Hotel.
I’ve turned down opportunities at the FBS level, and I did it because I believe in James Madison University." James Madison athletic director Jeff Bourne calls Houston "a perfect fit" for the school.
Map art print including James Madison University campus located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Map art print including James Madison University campus located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. JMU street map.
Local towns near James Madison University. This is a list of smaller local towns that surround James Madison University. If you’re planning a road trip or exploring the local area, make sure you check out some of these places to get a feel for the surrounding community.
James Madison University (JMU) * * School Info James Madison University (JMU) has 173 departments in Course Hero with 11,329 documents and 87 answered questions. Harrisonburg, Virginia
James Madison University (also known as JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938, in honor of President James Madison.
and D.C. areas — Aly Broecker is one them. She’s originally from Ashburn, Va., and is now a sophomore interdisciplinary liberal studies major at James Madison University. She’s one of the many.
an American music folklorist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “He loved bluegrass, he loved country, he loved hillbilly, he loved Western swing and he loved rockabilly, and he recorded all.
James Madison University reports that all students in apartment 1083 have been accounted for, but they’re asking any students who live in apartments 1073, 1083, and 1093 of Lois Lane to check in with.
(Harrisonburg Fire Department image) HARRISONBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Everyone was safely evacuated from a massive fire at an apartment complex near James Madison University in Harrisonburg on Thursday.
“It’s going to be wide open, with multiple lanes,” said James Zogby, a DNC member and Sanders ally. strongest candidate,” Sanders told an audience at George Washington University on Tuesday night.
Aug 06, 2014 · Aerial footage of my alma mater – James Madison University. How is your experience when you want to find a video you have already watched on YouTube?
Alexander Hamilton Intro Song Nov 4, 2016. It's a collection of remixes and covers of songs from Hamilton, scrappy and hungry Alexander Hamilton acquires a loyal crew and shouts his dreams to. No John Trumbull (Intro) – The Roots; My Shot (Rise Up Remix) – The. He wrote the book, music and lyrics and played the lead on Broadway.
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Home » News (Print edition)
Arts & Entertainment News (Print edition)
Articles on this page are from the print version of the newspaper. Access to the full article is restricted to subscribers only.
Q and A with controversial film director Larry Clark
By Amanda Halm
October 5 2011 Edition
Photo: Thomas Shahan Wikipedia Creative Common
On September 21, the Quebec City Film Festival rolled into town. With it, the divisive director Larry Clark, who is responsible for Kids – an early 90s film about a group of Manhattan-based skateboarders, Bully, Wassup Rockers, and Ken Park, a film so provocative it is very rarely shown in North America.
Gregory Charles at Quebec International of Sacred Music
By Marie White
September 14 2011 Edition
Photo: Photo: Gregory Charles productions
"I am the most passionate person about music ever!" says Gregory Charles, who will host the Special 15th
Anniversary Concert for the Quebec International of Sacred Music on September 15.
Arts and Entertainment - August 31, 2011
August 31 2011 Edition
August 26 to September 17 - Quebec Celtic Festival is underway!. There will be a kiosk in Place Laurier where you can pick up a complete program and buy tickets for certain special events. Visit festivalceltique.com for complete details of the various activities and musical presentations.
By Shirley Nadeau
August 17 to 28 - Expo Quebec at Expo City. Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the biggest agricultural fair in Eastern Canada. Fun and games for kids and adults, concerts, sand sculptures, plus all the agricultural exhibits – beef and dairy cattle, horses, sheep, goats and smaller animals.
Arts and Entertainment for August 10, 2011
August 11 to 14 – 5th Annual Levis Jazz Etcetera Festival – 100% outdoor concerts – 100% FREE! For the official opening on Thursday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m., internationally acclaimed Quebec jazzman Oliver Jones and his trio will share the stage with Les Violons du Roy, under the direction of Jean-Marie Zeitouni.
Over 100,000 fans pack the Plains for Metallica
July 20 2011 Edition
Photo: Jay Ouellet
Over 100,000 fans gorged the Plains of Abraham on July 16 for a supershow that included Dance Larry Dance, guitarist Joe Satriani and Metallica.
For years, music lovers have been requesting that Metallica, a heavy metal band, perform at Summer Fest. Single-day passes for Saturday’s show sold out in a few days, a testament to the group’s strong Quebec following.
August 18 to 21 at 8:00 p.m. – Concerts at the Edwin Bélanger Kiosk on the Plains of Abraham. Bring your own chair or blanket. FREE. Schedule as follows:
- Thursday, August 18 - Adam Karch – A happy blend of acoustic folk and blues, Adam Karch’s performance will charm you as the tunes come alive on his guitar.
MatièreS à création exhibit turns forgotten scraps into colourful art
Recovery is the theme of MatièreS à création, a new exhibition displayed as part of AutocART, a project that puts the work of burgeoning artists on a bus and drives to public squares and schools. The AutocART bus appeared at the Garden St. Roch on June 27 and will turn up again at 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Saturday, July 16 at Cartier Brébeuf.
Cathedral Summer Concerts Begin
By Submitted by Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
July 6 2011 Edition
Last Thursday, the Parish of Quebec inaugurated a new summer concert series at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The series of concerts has been put together by Béatrice Cadrin, Cathedral Choir Director, and showcases talent from the Quebec City region. The concerts have been made possible with the financial assistance of Desjardins, Caisse populaire de Québec.
Arts and Entertainment for June 29, 2011
June 29 2011 Edition
June 25 - August 7, (3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. performances) – La mélodie du bonheur, (version française of The Sound of Music) presented by Juste pour rire sur scène, at the Salle Albert Rousseau, 2410 chemin Sainte-Foy. Over 35 actors, singers and dancers on stage. Tickets $88 to $103. Reservations (418) 659-6710.
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Top QIMR Berghofer researcher to head new national brain cancer taskforce
Professor Adele Green AC has been appointed to lead a new national advisory body established to improve quality of life for patients with brain cancer.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced today that Professor Green, who is the head of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s Cancer and Population Studies Group, would head the newly formed Australian Brain Cancer Mission Strategic Advisory Group.
Professor Green’s appointment as an independent chair was in recognition of her significant and outstanding contributions to medical research.
The advisory body will work with Cancer Australia to provide strategic advice and guidance on defeating brain cancer, with a focus on doubling survival rates and improving quality of life for patients over the next decade.
QIMR Berghofer director and CEO, Professor Frank Gannon, said Professor Green would bring a depth of experience to the challenge of tackling brain cancer.
He said she was a world leader in research into cancer prevention, in particular skin cancer, as well as a former Queensland Australian of the Year.
“Professor Green is an outstanding appointment to the new advisory group,” he said.
“It is fantastic to see a top researcher from QIMR Berghofer leading the way to find a national solution to the deadly and debilitating burden of brain cancer.”
The Australian Brain Cancer Mission Strategic Advisory Group comprises brain cancer patients, clinicians, researchers, co-investors and industry representatives, and a member of the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Australian Medical Research Advisory Board.
The new body will also provide advice on emerging national and international issues and identify and advise on opportunities to maximise investment within the scope of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission’s strategic goals.
Mr Hunt announced the creation of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission in October last year, pledging $50 million to the scheme under the Medical Research Future Fund.
It is a partnership between the Australian government, philanthropists, researchers and clinicians, patients and their families, with the Minderoo Foundation committing $10 million and the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation committing $20 million to support its work.
Professor Green has previously been chairwoman and a member of multiple committees at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), including the IARC Scientific Council.
More genetic evidence of what puts people at risk of breast and other cancers
Mental health and ageing forum
First sod turned for SSMRC
QIMR Berghofer recognises community support
Scientists seeking Australian volunteers for groundbreaking genetics of depression study
Researcher awarded Queensland International Fellowship
World-first study proves daily sunscreen prevents skin ageing
Sunbeds cause cancer
Contract signed for Smart State Medical Research Centre
Emma Whitelaw awarded Jubilee Medal
Dr Sarah Medland a Tall Poppy
Cancer and Indigenous Queenslanders
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Quicken Loans Inc. and Sister Company Quizzle Named Detroit Free Press’ ‘Top Workplace in Michigan’ for second consecutive year
Fathead, One Reverse Mortgage, Title Source also Named as Top Workplaces
Detroit, Mich. – Nov. 14, 2011 – Quicken Loans Inc. and its sister company Quizzle LLC, two Detroit-based companies committed to transforming downtown Detroit into a vibrant place to live, work and play, today announced they ranked #1 in the Detroit Free Press ‘Top Workplaces in Michigan’ list for the second consecutive year.
Quicken Loans is the nation’s largest online home lender and a top-five retail mortgage lender.
Quizzle is a free online tool that helps consumers better understand their credit and improve their financial situation.
Sister companies Fathead LLC, the leading brand in sports and entertainment graphic products; One Reverse Mortgage LLC, the nation’s second largest retail provider of reverse-only mortgage home loans; and affiliate Title Source, one of the largest independent title agencies in the country, were also named top workplaces by the Free Press.
The companies’ offices in downtown Detroit’s Compuware Building and Chase Tower feature an energy rarely found in typical traditional office spaces. Scratch and sniff wallpaper, large Fathead graphics, ping pong tables, video games and a basketball court add to the creative and engaging environment.
Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies were recognized for their team member mentoring and professional development, community service volunteer opportunities, and a culture that promotes excellence and innovation.
“What makes Quicken Loans such an amazing place to work is the more than 4,000 committed team members who come to the office each day looking for ways to improve our company and the experience we deliver to our clients,” said Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson. “It is more than just fun perks that make the difference, it is about creating an atmosphere of curiosity and collaboration that inspires our team members to create the tools that make us successful.”
Workplace Dynamics partnered with the Detroit Free Press to conduct extensive surveys of team members on topics ranging from workplace diversity to respect and compensation. The surveys were used to select the companies appearing on the “Top Workplaces” list.
“It is rewarding to be recognized for what we do and how we do it,” said Todd Albery, CEO of Quizzle, a company that began as a project inside Quicken Loans and recently marked its two-year anniversary. “We are excited to be part of the growing movement to bring innovative companies, and workplaces, to the heart of Detroit.”
In August 2010, Quicken Loans, Quizzle, Fathead and One Reverse Mortgage moved 1,700 team members to downtown Detroit. An additional 1,500 team members moved to the city’s Chase Tower last month, and another 1,000 are expected to move to Detroit by early 2012.
Quicken Loans and its family of companies are currently hiring several hundred new team members, ranging from mortgage bankers to technology professionals.
About Rock Holdings Inc:
Rock Holdings Inc., is the parent company for several financial services related businesses and employs more than 4,000 team members. These client-focused and technologically-driven companies include Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online home lender and One Reverse Mortgage unit, the fastest growing reverse mortgage lender in America; Title Source, a nationwide leader of title insurance, property valuations and settlement services; Quicken Loans Mortgage Services (QLMS), a mortgage origination platform servicing community banks and credit unions across the country; In-House Realty, the preferred real estate partner of Quicken Loans that matches clients with trusted real estate agents in all 50 states; and, Quizzle.com, the online innovator and website where consumers manage their home, money and credit. Rock Holdings Inc., also recently moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit.
About Quicken Loans Inc:
Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and among the five largest overall retail home lenders in the United States. The company closed a record $29 billion in retail home loan volume across all 50 states in 2010, and closed its 1 millionth loan. Quicken Loans generates loan production from five web centers located in Detroit, Ohio and Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. “QuickenLoans.com” has been named “Best of the Web” by Forbes and Money magazines. The company also has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of the country’s “100 Best Companies To Work For” eight consecutive years, ranking as high as #2, and named in the Top-15 of Computerworld magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work In Technology” for seven years in a row. Quicken Loans has also ranked #1 in the Detroit Free Press’ ‘Top Workplaces’ list the last two years. In August 2010, the company moved its headquarters and 1,700 of its 3,700 full-time team members to downtown Detroit, and in October 2011 moved an additional 1,500 team members to the city. For more information about Quicken Loans, visit www.quickenloans.com.
About Quizzle LLC:
Quizzle.com is a website that gives consumers a complete understanding of their credit so they can make better financial decisions. Located in Detroit, Quizzle began as a project inside of Quicken Loans and spun off into its own company in September 2009. At Quizzle, consumers can access helpful tools and information for free, including a credit report and score, home value estimate, neighborhood reports, home loan recommendations and a personal budget planner. In addition, Quizzle provides paid services to help consumers improve & protect their credit while managing their debt. Quizzle ranked #1 in the Detroit Free Press’ ‘Top Workplaces of 2010’ List. For more information, visit www.quizzle.com.
About Fathead LLC:
Fathead LLC is the Real.Big. brand of officially licensed sports and entertainment graphic products. Fathead gives fans the opportunity to bring their favorite passion or inspiration to life. Fathead wall graphics include the flagship “Real.Big.” the life-size, high definition wall graphics of professional athletes, animated heroes, entertainment characters, team helmets, stadiums and logos. Fathead products also feature Fathead Customs, available in Mounted Canvas and patented Vinyl with a choice of classic Fathead die-cut or mural style. Fathead recently launched Art and Décor graphics comprised of contemporary, photographic and fine art by SM/ART. Fathead Corporate Solutions provides unique signage and décor alternatives for companies seeking flexible and creative marketing solutions by utilizing Fathead innovation to create any shape, size or design for visually stimulating, high impact results. Fathead is manufactured in the USA and based in Detroit, Michigan. Fathead carries thousands of images and maintains over 400 license agreements with leading consumer brands across many industries and professional sports leagues. For more information, visit www.fathead.com.
About One Reverse Mortgage LLC:
One Reverse Mortgage LLC is the largest reverse-only mortgage lender in America and second largest retail provider of reverse mortgage home loans. The company’s specialized products focus on allowing homeowners, 62 years and older, the opportunity to convert some of the equity in their homes into tax-free cash flow without having to make any monthly payments on the “cash out loan” proceeds until the homeowner either moves from the home, sells the home or becomes deceased, in which case the home is then sold and the principal and interest owed on the loan is repaid from the sale proceeds. One Reverse Mortgage was founded in 2001 and operates in 48 states across the U.S. One Reverse Mortgage is a Quicken Loans company, which means it has a combined 33 years of mortgage experience. For more details, visit: www.onereversemortgage.com.
About Title Source Inc:
Title Source Inc. is one of the nation’s leading providers of title insurance, property valuations and settlement services. Title Source is an authorized agent of the highest rated title insurers in the industry. Five of the top 15 Fortune 100 companies trust Title Source with their business. Title Source is the preferred provider to four of the top five residential mortgage institutions, as well as smaller community-based lenders. Title Source is based in Troy, Michigan and retains regional service centers in Arkansas, California, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. Title Source ranked 15th in the Detroit Free Press’ ‘Top Workplaces of 2010’ List. For more information, please visit www.titlesource.com
Quicken Loans Joins Stewart-Haas Racing
J.D. Power and Associates Ranks Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. Highest U.S. Home Lender for Customer Satisfaction for 2nd Consecutive Year
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10 Point Plan for a Secular Australia
Australia has traditionally been wary of mixing religion and politics. Unlike the UK and many European countries, Australia has no established church; unlike the US, there has been little pressure on political candidates to profess their religious credentials. The number of Australians explicitly rejecting religious affiliation has grown from just 4% in 1901 to nearly a third (30%) in 2016.
Historically Australia has been burnt by sectarian strife, particularly animosity between Protestants and Catholics. So bitter was this enmity that it led to the breakup of the Labor Party in the 1950s, and to Federal funding of a separate Catholic education system to keep the peace.
Of more recent times, evangelical Protestants have been fighting back. Taking a cue from other countries, they have been taking advantage of government-mandated “Special Religious Instruction” in government schools. Parents have been faced with an invidious choice: expose their children to explicit proselytising, or risk their social isolation by withdrawing them.
The influence of religion in politics is increasing. Even a supposedly atheist Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, gave in to religious lobbying and directed hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for religious chaplains in schools. In Tony Abbott, we had a Prime Minister heavily influenced by the most divisive Catholic activist in Australian history, BA Santamaria. And the conservative right within the Coalition government is unashamedly flexing its political muscles.
It’s time to return Australia to its secular roots. As former High Court judge and RSA Patron Michael Kirby has said, “The principle of secularism is one of the greatest developments in human rights in the world. We must safeguard and protect it, for it can come under threat in contemporary Australia.”[1]
Australians deserve a liberal, pluralistic and secular Australia.
Government policies should be based on inquiry, evidence, and reason, not religious beliefs. Everyone should be free to follow their own religious or non-religious worldview, provided that doing so does not harm or unnecessarily restrict others.
We therefore call for the following:
1. A secular, pluralistic and democratic Australia
Government policies should be based on evidence, reason and compassion, and protect the human rights of all Australians.
Everyone should be free to choose and hold their own religious or non-religious worldviews, provided they do not impose such views on others, and provided practices associated with such worldviews do no harm.
2. Clear separation between religion and the State
All Australian constitutions should be reformed to ensure clear separation between religion and the State, and all references to God removed.
Parliamentary prayers and religious references in statutory oaths should be removed.
No laws made by parliaments nor decisions of executive government should privilege or promote religion.
3. ‘One law for all’, with no recognition of parallel legal systems
Religious institutions should not be permitted to exempt themselves from the law of the land. Canon law must not take precedence over Australian law.
Sharia courts should not be officially recognised.
There should be mandatory reporting by religious functionaries of actual or suspected child abuse.
4. Religious organisations subject to the same laws as other organisations
The ‘advancement of religion’ should be removed from the statutory definition of charity, and religious organisations should not enjoy automatic tax exempt status.
Religious organisations should be subject to anti-discrimination laws in employment and service provision.
Government funding to religious organisations such as schools and hospitals should be subject to rigorous accountability to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws and the absence of proselytising.
5. Children not to suffer because of the religious views of their parents
Decisions about children’s healthcare should be based on evidence-based medicine, not the religious worldviews of their parents.
No organisation, whether religious or not, should be allowed to restrict children’s education or to isolate them within closed communities.
6. Education to be strictly secular, not promoting any particular religion
National and state curricula should include the study of a range of religious and non-religious worldviews, taught by professionally trained teachers.
Government resources should not be used to support particular religious views, programs of religious instruction, or the employment of religious functionaries in educational settings.
7. No discrimination on the basis of a person’s sex, sexuality or gender identity
Australian governments should not impose a religious bias on the definition of marriage, or on the right to adopt.
8. Freedom of reproductive choice, with no religious interference
Termination of pregnancy should be decriminalised in all States and Territories.
Governments should make access to evidence-based sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare services universally available.
Age-appropriate sex and relationships education should be included in national and state curricula.
9. Healthcare available to all regardless of the religious views of the provider
Public hospitals must not be allowed to restrict treatment on the basis of religious worldviews.
Private hospitals must not refuse emergency treatment on the basis of religious worldviews.
10. Guaranteed control over one's own body, free from religious interference, when facing the end of life
‘Advance directives’ should be given legal force.
Physician-assisted suicide, with appropriate safeguards, should be decriminalised.
Governments should fund non-religious palliative care services.
[1] The Hon, Michael Kirby AC CMG, In Praise of Secular Education, December 2009.
For the rationale behind each of these policy stances, see here.
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Dynamics of Bigotry
By Chip Berlet, on November 8, 2000
About Chip Berlet
Portions of this essay first appeared on the PRA website in a section called “Too Close for Comfort” as studies that were later incorporated into the book Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons, (New York, Guilford Press, 2000). For more information go to: http://www.rightwingpopulism.us/
Conspiracism
1. Scapegoating
Scapegoating as Ideological Weapon
A key ideological weapon of the US political right is scapegoating, especially in the form of conspiracist theories.1)This paper is adapted from the manuscript and working papers for Too Close for Comfort, by Chip Berlet & Matthew N. Lyons. Many of the themes and ideas expressed in this paper are the result of our joint work. The speech presented at the symposium was based on this paper. Yet scapegoating is not a marginal activity limited to the political right.2)Holly Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995); Mike A. Males, The Scapegoat Generation: America’s War on Adolescents; (Monroe, ME, Common Courage Press, 1996 To Reclaim a Legacy of Diversity: Analyzing the `Political Correctness’ Debates in Higher Education, (Washington, DC: National Council for Research on Women, 1993); and Ellen Messer-Davidow “Manufacturing the Attack on Liberalized Higher Education,” Social Text, Fall 1993, pp. 40-80.
Scapegoating of immigrants and welfare recipients is used regularly by mainstream politicians to attract votes. This dynamic has a long history in the US, with the scapegoated targets being selected opportunistically-Reds, Anarchists, Jews, Catholics, Freemasons, all the way back to witches in Salem. Periodic waves of state repression are justified through conspiracist scapegoating that claims networks of subversives are poised to undermine the government. Right wing populist movements mobilize the middle class by claiming a conspiracy from above by secret elites and from below by a parasitic underclass. On the far right are the scapegoating themes of collectivist New World Order plots and Jewish banking conspiracies.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the US has been exporting its media-intensive election model, which favors style over substance, argument over debate, slogans over issues. This election model facilitates the success of not only those politicians that can raise the most funds, but also demagogues willing to use scapegoating as an ideological weapon. While scapegoating in the US is primarily the territory of the political right including Republicans, some Democratic Party politicians pander to the tendency, and even a few on the left adopt scapegoating out of ignorance, desperation, or an appalling absence of morality.
Dehumanization and Demonization
To understand scapegoating we must consider how we identify and perceive our enemies. A first step is marginalization, the processes whereby targeted individuals or groups are pictured (in the sense of being framed) as outside the circle of wholesome mainstream society. The next step is objectification or dehumanization, the process of negatively labeling a person or group of people so they become perceived more as objects rather than real people. Dehumanization often is associated with the belief that a particular group of people are inferior or threatening. The final step is demonization, the person or group is seen as totally malevolent, sinful, and evil. It is easier to rationalize stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and even violence against those who are dehumanized or demonized.
Demonization fuels dualism-a form of binary thinking that divides the world into good versus evil with no middle ground tolerated. Dualism allows no acknowledgment of complexity, nuance, or ambiguity in debates; and promotes hostility toward those who suggest coexistence, toleration, pragmatism, compromise, or mediation.
Aho observes that our notions of the enemy “in our everyday life world,” is that the “enemy’s presence in our midst is a pathology of the social organism serious enough to require the most far-reaching remedies: quarantine, political excision, or, to use a particularly revealing, expression, liquidation and expulsion.”3)James A. Aho, This Thing of Darkness: A Sociology of the Enemy, (Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press, 1994). “A Phenomenology of the Enemy,” pp. 107-121.
The ritualized transference and expulsion of evil is a familiar theme across centuries and cultures.4)Sir James George Frazier, The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, Abridged, (New York: MacMillan, 1922), pp. 624-686. for a comprehensive treatment of the process and social function of scapegoating in historic persecution texts of myth and religion, see: René Girard, The Scapegoat, (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. In western culture the term “scapegoat” can be traced to an early Judaic ritual described in the book of Leviticus in the Bible. As Gordon W. Allport explains:
“On the Day of Atonement a live goat was chosen by lot. The high priest, robed in linen garments, laid both his hands on the goat’s head, and confessed over it the iniquities of the children of Israel. The sins of the people thus symbolically transferred to the beast, it was taken out into the wilderness and let go. The people felt purged, and for the time being, guiltless.”5)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 244.
The term scapegoat, however, has evolved to mean “anyone who must bear the responsibility symbolically or concretely for the sins of others,” Richard Landes explains. “Psychologically, the tendency to find scapegoats is a result of the common defense mechanism of denial through projection.”6)Landes, “Scapegoating,” Encyclopedia of Social History, Peter N. Stearn, ed., (New York: Garland Pub. Inc., 1994), p. 659. Neumann has argued against using the term scapegoating when discussing conspiracist movements, but we support the Landes’ definition; Franz Neumann, “Anxiety in Politics,” in Richard O. Curry and Thomas M. Brown, eds., Conspiracy: The Fear of Subversion in American History, (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972), p. 255. This mechanism is a powerful and effective psychic defense despite its destructive effects on a society.7)Eli Sagan, The Honey and the Hemlock: Democracy and Paranoia in Ancient Athens and Modern America, (New York: Basic Books, 1991), p. 370.
Scapegoating has two main versions:
Personal Misconduct ==> Guilt ==> Displacement Toward Scapegoat
Frustration ==> Aggression ==> Displacement Toward Scapegoat8)Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, p. 350.
The actual process is complex.9)The socio-psychological concepts regarding anger, frustration, and aggression depend on a chain of research that includes, among others: John Dollard, L. Doob, N. E. Miller, O.H. Mowrer, and R. R. Sears, Frustration and Aggression, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1939); Theodor W. Adorno, et al., The Authoritarian Personality (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, (Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954), Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind, (New York: Basic Books, 1960). Frustration does not always lead to aggression, and the aggression can be directed in a rational way towards constructively overcoming the obstacle creating the frustration.10)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, pp. 348-353.
One cannot, however, take the psychological model and directly apply it to a sociological model.11)For an interesting approach linking Jungian psychology to interventions against scapegoating in dysfunctional small organizations and groups, see Arthur D. Colman, Up From Scapegoating: Awakening Consciousness in Groups, (Wilmette, IL: Chiron, 1995). As psychiatrist Susan Fisher explains, the mechanism of scapegoating within a family-a well-studied phenomena-does not necessarily work the same way as the scapegoating of groups on a societal level where “the scapegoated group serves more as a metaphor,”12)Conversation with Susan M. Fisher, M. D. clinical professor of psychiatry of Univ. of Chicago Medical School and Faculty, Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, (1997).
Scapegoating by large groups and social movements is not an indication of mass mental dysfunction, even though there may be psychological issues involved, and even though some of the individuals involved may suffer from a variety of psychological problems.13)Michael Billig, Fascists: A Social Psychological View of the National Front, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978), pp. 313-316. Recent research on the subject suggests the phenomena is more complicated than commonly pictured, involving several personality types and multiple psychological processes.14)See discussions in Jaroslav KrejÍ, “Neo-Fascism-West and East,” in Luciano Cheles, Ronnie Ferguson, and Michalina Vaughan, eds. The Far Right in Western and Eastern Europe, 2~nd edition, (New York: Longman Publishing, 1995), pp. 2-3; David Norman Smith; “The Social Construction of Enemies: Jews and the Representation of Evil,” Sociological Theory, 14:3, Nov. 1996, pp. 203-240; Billig, Fascists, pp. 296-350; Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996); pp. 163-339. An excellent review of the psycho-social aspects of authoritarianism and the Frankfurt school theories is in Social Though & Research, 1998, 21:1&2.
Herman Sinaiko observes that “The most decent and modest communities have people in their midst who are prone to scapegoating and who see the world as run by conspiracies. A healthy community is organized in a way that controls them and suppresses their tendencies. When a community is in crisis, the standards and control mechanisms are weakened, and these people step forward and find their voice and an audience.”15)Conversation with Herman Sinaiko, Professor of Humanities, University of Chicago, (1997).
Eli Sagan argues that what he calls the “paranoidia” of greed and domination exemplified by “fascist and totalitarian regimes of this century” is present in less extreme forms in many societies. “The normal, expectable expressions–imperialism, racism, sexism, aggressive warfare–are compatible with the democratic societies that have existed so far.”16)Sagan, The Honey and the Hemlock, p. 363.
There are many definitions for the term scapegoating when used to describe the process on a societal level, and it can be difficult to unravel the overlapping processes of scapegoating, stereotyping, and demonizing.17)Correspondence with analyst Mary Rupert. In this book we use the term scapegoating to describe the social process whereby hostility and aggression of an angry and frustrated group are directed away from a rational explanation of a conflict and projected onto targets demonized by irrational claims of wrongdoing, so that the scapegoat bears the blame for causing the conflict, while the scapegoaters feel a sense of innocence and increased unity. We will call it scapegoating whether or not the conflict is real or imaginary, the grievances are legitimate or illegitimate, or the target is wholly innocent or partially culpable.18)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, pp. 243-260.
When every person in a scapegoated group is accused of sharing the same negative trait, the processes of prejudice and stereotyping are involved. For our overall thesis to make sense, we need to defend this definition in some detail. We expect that as new research emerges, more nuanced and useful descriptions and definitions will evolve.
Scapegoating relies on the creation of a dichotomy between “us” and “them,” pitting the familiar “in group” against the alien “out group.”19)Ibid., pp. 29-67. By scapegoating our fabricated enemy “other” we not only create ourselves as heroes, but also define and enhance group cohesion, the identity of the “us.”20)Colman, Up From Scapegoating, pp. 7-10.In times when the core identity of a society is imperiled–when we have trouble figuring out who “we” are–the demand for enemy scapegoats is increased. The scapegoat thus serves a dual purpose by both representing the evil “them” and simultaneously illuminating, solidifying, and sanctifying the good “us.”21)Girard, Scapegoat, pp. 43-44, 49-56, 66-73, 84-87, 100-101, 177-178. A spirited discussion with faculty at Bucks County Community College helped frame these ideas, especially in pointing out Girard’s discussion of the collective demonization of the scapegoat as building in-group social cohesion. Girard’s central focus is his thesis that the Gospels retell persecution myths from the perspective of the victim, and thus provide an opportunity to turn away from collective violence against scapegoats. A practical application of Girard’s work to reduce tensions in Northern Ireland was explained by Jean Horstman at a 1997 study group sponsored by the Center for Millennial Studies.>As Landes explains, “In some cases the first steps toward social cohesion may be built upon such rituals” of scapegoating.22)Landes, “Scapegoating,” Encyclopedia of Social History, p. 659.”And this is exactly the wondrous, if unconscious, outcome of the objectification of evil,” explains Aho. “The casting out of evil onto you not only renders you my enemy; it also accomplishes my own innocence. To paraphrase [Nietzsche]…In manufacturing an evil one against whom to battle heroically, I fabricate a good one, myself.”23)Aho, This Thing of Darkness, pp. 115-116.
Girard argues that “the effect of the scapegoat is to reverse the relationship between persecutors and their victims.”24)Girard, Scapegoat, p. 44. When persons in scapegoated groups are attacked, they are often described as having brought on the attack themselves because of the wretched behavior ascribed to them as part of the enemy group.25)Lise Noël, Intolerance, A General Survey, (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s Univeristy Press, 1994), p. 129-144.They deserved what they got. Scapegoating evokes hatred rather than anger. “[T]he hater is sure the fault lies in the object of hate,” notes Allport.26)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, pp. 363-364.
When unresolved anger over conflict turns toward frustration and bitterness, scapegoating is a common result. As Ruth Benedict observed, “Desperate [people] easily seize upon some scapegoat to sacrifice to their unhappiness; it is a kind of magic by which they feel for the moment that they have laid [down] the misery that has been tormenting them.”27)Ruth Benedict, Race: Science and Politics, (New York: The Viking Press, 1961), p. 151.
As Benedict points out, “We all know what the galling frictions are in the world today: nationalistic rivalries, desperate defense of the status quo by the haves, desperate attacks by the have-nots, poverty, unemployment, and war.” Benedict observes that “Whenever one group…is discriminated against before the law or in equal claims to life, liberty, and jobs, there will always be powerful interests to capitalize on this fact and to divert violence from those responsible for these conditions into channels where it is relatively safe to allow.”28)Benedict, Race, pp. 150-151, 153.
Persons that scapegoat are often reluctant to attack the actual causes of their grievances for a number of reasons. It is less dangerous to blame scapegoats that are weaker and thus less able to defend themselves. Moreover, it is not popular to attack groups that are powerful, respected, or have high status. Marginalized groups that have little public support make better scapegoats because more people are willing to join the blame game against such groups.
While scapegoats are often less powerful and more marginalized than the actual sources of conflict, this is not always the case.29)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 351. Throughout history are examples of scapegoats with high status, including gods.30)Frazier, The Golden Bough, pp. 667-668, 680-686.In this dynamic, scapegoating serves the status quo and protects those in power from criticism.31)Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt, Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed, (New York: Plenum Press, 1996), pp. 234-235.
We can even be secretly jealous of the scapegoats we publicly loathe. Scapegoats can be seen to possess qualities that are admired, either openly or secretly, such as cunning, power, or sexual prowess. These coveted yet denied qualities are also projected onto the scapegoat.32)Conversation with Susan M. Fisher, M.D., 1997.
Constructing the Enemy as Scapegoat
Scapegoats are often selected on the basis of pre-existing prejudices in a society.33)The relationships among prejudice, discrimination, and scapegoating are complex and by no means straightforward. Prejudice (the negative attitude) often preceeds discrimination (the negative act), but not always. Persons can discriminate without prejudice and be prejudiced without discriminating. McLemore, Racial and Etnic Relations, pp. 107-159. Allport observed how prejudiced people constantly search for “members of the disliked out-group….It is important to the prejudiced person to learn the cues” whereby the enemy can be identified.34)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 133. Visibility is an issue–obvious visible factors such as skin color make identification of the out-group easier–but it is not the only factor. When the out-group lacks an obvious physical characteristic, there is still a need to identify the out-group member for the in-group member. If “illegal” immigrants are the scapegoat, then the scapegoaters must have a mechanism to locate and label them so they can be scapegoated. Thus scapegoating promotes tracking and investigation. It is the label, not the actual behavior or physical attribute that counts the most for the prejudiced person engaged in scapegoating.
How scapegoats are selected is a complicated process that deserves much more research attention. While scapegoats are often chosen from groups experiencing prejudice, and prejudiced persons who scapegoat tend to chose their scapegoats from those they are prejudiced against, scapegoating as a tendency occurs among both persons high in prejudice and persons low in prejudice.35) Ibid., p.351. Prejudice does seem to appear often among persons with less education, but there are significant numbers of persons with high educational achievement who display alarming prejudices. Some early discussions of prejudice and scapegoating erroneously suggested they were primarily a problem of unsophistication, a primitive cognitive style,36)Selnick and Steinberg, The Tenacity of Prejudice, (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), pp. 135-169. or a “low level of social and intellectual culture”37)Frazer, The Golden Bough, p. 624.Later studies, however, demonstrated that scapegoating respects no boundaries of education, power, or wealth. The scapegoating of immigrants and welfare recipients by mainstream politicians in both the Republican and Democratic parties in the mid 1990s is a good example.38)Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995).
Scapegoating has real consequences on both a societal and individual level, especially in terms of dominance and oppression.
Early explanations of the Nazi genocide suggested that prejudice, scapegoating, participation in right wing movements, and willingness to commit brutality were directly linked to a particular authoritarian personality structure.39)Theodor W. Adorno, Else Frenkel-Brunswick, Daniel J. Levinson, R. Nevitt Sanford, The Authoritarian Personality (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Bruno Bettelheim and Morris Janowitz, The Dynamics of Prejudice, (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Norman W. Ackerman and Marie Jahoda, Anti-Semitism and Emotional Disorder, (New York: Harper & Row, 1950). This concept has been widely refuted. This is not to suggest that there are not authoritarian personalities, but to recognize that authoritarian personalities, like prejudice and scapegoating, can appear across the political spectrum.40)Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996), pp. 319-325.Furthermore, persons who test as having relatively non-authoritarian personalities can sometimes be manipulated into acts of brutality by authority figures.
The Milgram psychology studies involved subjects told by an authority figure that they were administering painful electric shocks to a third person. However, Milgram’s original conclusions–that what he was observing was primarily the force of obedience–have been challenged by those who argue that other factors were involved. That average persons are capable of great brutality is not in question. The circumstances of such behavior, however, are complex, and involve the personality type, the trust given to the authority figure, peer approval, denial, the belief the acts are legal, and the view of the target as criminal, evil, or deserving of punishment.41)An excellent, albeit opinionated, review of these issues is in Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) pp 375-415. A good summary of the social science through 1964 is Bernard Berelson & Gary A. Steiner, Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings, (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964), pp. 493-525; see Hans Askenasy, Are We All Nazis? (Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart, 1978), for an accessible introductory discussion of the claim that most “normal” people, rather than just “authoritarian” personalities, can be manipulated into acts of brutality by authority figures. For a second round of theories, see James W. Vander Zanden, The Social Experience: An Introduction to Sociology, (New York: Random House, 1988), pp. 264-266. While the claims of a psychological basis for right-wing group membership or that conservative or reactionary individuals were all prejudiced bigots were faulty, the evolving theories of frustrated feelings and aggression being projected towards scapegoats are sound. S. Dale McLemore, Racial and Ethnic Relations in America, second edition, (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1983 (1980), pp. 115-119; Peter I. Rose, They and We: Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States, second edition, (New York: Random House, 1974), p. 118-119. For a new psychological interpretation of the authoritarian personality and its role in politics, see Michael A. Milburn and Sheree D. Conrad, The Politics of Denial, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1996). Some persons resist engaging in brutality regardless of the sanctions threatened by an authority figure.
Many older studies of prejudice had a “tendency to collapse distinctions between types of prejudice…” observed Elisabeth Young-Bruehl.42)Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, p. 23. They assumed “that a nationalism and racism, an ethnocentric prejudice and an ideology of desire, can be dynamically the same…” Furthermore, she observes “there is a tendency to approach prejudice either psychologically or sociologically without consideration for the interplay of psychological and sociological factors.”43)Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, p. 460.
Individuals, organized groups, and mass movements often choose their enemy to consciously or unconsciously defend privilege or seek domination. Explicit ideologies of domination–husbands must control their wives, Christians are ordained to run the country, White people are superior–can gain widespread public acceptance in overt conscious campaigns, but in a way where the demonizing aspect of scapegoating rationalizes the underlying, and sometimes unconscious, desire to dominate. Popular movements that use demonization and scapegoating undercut attempts to extend democracy and diversity because of the ability of these movements to mobilize large numbers of persons, in part because the scapegoating disguises the underlying prejudice, oppression, or supremacy.
Ideologically-driven movement leaders (and opportunist mainstream politicians) cynically use demonization and scapegoating as a tactic to mobilize mass support from constituencies that are less conscious of the underlying ideology. In this way movement participants can objectively promote ideologies while denying that they are racist, sexist, homophobic, or antisemitic. Scapegoats need to be constructed with available materials that cobble together historic events, current issues, common myths, and popular prejudices. Conflict can generate scapegoating involving prejudice, but conflict does not cause prejudice, it unleashes and focuses pre-existing prejudice.44)Leonard Zeskind, “Some Ideas on Conspiracy Theories for a New Historic Period,” in Ward, Conspiracies, pp. 23-24. When conflict is not present, there still can be widespread prejudice.
Scapegoating provides a simple explanation for complex problems, and promises a simple and quick solution. Scapegoating is a binary macro-analytic model–good versus evil, us versus them. Acting out against the scapegoat is more immediately gratifying than the much more difficult process of addressing the complex economic or social problems institutionally embedded in the society. One again this is a complex dynamic. Girard points out, “The borderline between rational discrimination and arbitrary persecution is sometimes difficult to trace.”45)Girard, Scapegoat, p. 19.
Scapegoating in Society
The targeting of a scapegoated individual or group as the constructed enemy plays out in the political and social arena, often reflecting real social, political, ideological, cultural, or economic power struggles.46)Noël, Intolerance, pp. 149-164, Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, pp. 353-365.
Hannah Arendt, in discussing the rise of antisemitism, suggested that “an ideology which has to persuade and mobilize people cannot choose its victim arbitrarily.” Arendt argued against the idea of the scapegoat in mass society as wholly unconnected to the historic political, social, and economic context in which they became “the victim of modern terror;” even though scapegoats are clearly “chosen regardless of what they may or may not have done.” It is therefore imperative to study what is happening in a society when scapegoating’s patent falsehoods and forgeries are believed by large numbers of people.47) Hannah Arendt, “Antisemitism,” The Origins of Totalitarianism, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973 (1951), pp. 3-10. We believe our tying of scapegoating to actual conflict resolves Arendt’s objection to the traditional use of the term. Arendt’s work is eclectic, and we draw from her cautiously. An excellent summary and critique of Arendt’s broader work is by Margaret Canovan, The Political Thought of Hannah Arendt, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974). “Persecution of powerless or power-losing groups may not be a very pleasant spectacle, but it does not spring from human meanness alone,” wrote Arendt. “Only wealth without power or aloofness without a policy are felt to be parasitical, useless, revolting….”48)Ibid., p. 5.
An example of structural and contextual influences on scapegoating is revealed when different ethnic groups move into a similar social and economic role where they often experience similar types of scapegoating. Shopkeepers who run small stores in impoverished communities are scapegoated as parasites whether they are Jews, Arabs, Asians or any ethnicity other than that of the majority in the neighborhood. Shopkeepers appear to be absorbing wealth while they have little actual power. Shopkeepers do not control the economic decisions that resulted in the high unemployment and lack of resources in the neighborhood, but they are literally “in the face” of the local residents who can directly express their anger at the store owner–the relatively weak yet (incrementally) wealthier next rung up on the economic ladder.49)Selnick and Steinberg, The Tenacity of Prejudice, pp. 130-131. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. described this as “the familiar pattern of clientelistic hostility toward the neighborhood vendor or landlord,” noting that such hostility was a worldwide experience, directed for instance at “the Indians of East Africa and the Chinese of Southeast Asia.”50)Henry Louis Gates, Jr., “Black Demagogues and Psuedo-Scholars,” op-ed, The New York Times, 7/20/92.
Despite the reality of a conflict, the attributes of the scapegoated group are falsely described to enhance its evil status and accomplish the objectification and demonization of its members. Allport speaks of scapegoating as having “a large region where the conflict is fanciful and unrealistic, animated by borrowed emotion, distorted by rash judgment and intensified by stereotype.”51)Allport, Prejudice, p. 255. There are many examples:
The influx of Catholic immigrants into the United States did indeed objectively challenge Protestant hegemony and created economic and social turbulence. But Catholics were demonized as agents of the Papist antichrist. Some rumored that Catholics were digging a tunnel to Rome so the Pope could secretly come to the United States to seize power. This was, to say the least, subjective and false.
Liberals are often targets of religious Right campaigns against modern curriculum reform and multicultural education. Many liberals want children taught to think critically, question authority, and respect diverse viewpoints–concepts that sometimes offend orthodox cultural conservatives or fundamentalist Christians. Yet liberals are demonized in some Christian right texts as secular humanist agents of Satan conspiring to brainwash children in a plot dating back to the 1800s.
A genocidal neonazi is reflecting a specific ideology of White supremacy in which the primary targets–people of color, Jews, gays and lesbians, communists–are an actual enemy because these groups do indeed stymie the idealized monocultural hegemony desired by the neonazi. Yet the mere fact of their presence is insufficient, they must be demonized as involved in heinous attacks against the self-proclaimed true torch bearers of civilization.
Even though the scapegoated groups in these examples play a role in a real conflict, they are innocent of the fabricated charges used to mobilize mass support against them. A scapegoat, therefore, is created by the irrational nature of its construction as the embodiment of evil, not by its relative participation in actual activities that create conflict.52)David Norman Smith; “The Social Construction of Enemies: Jews and the Representation of Evil,” Sociological Theory, 14:3, Nov. 1996, pp. 203-240.
Demonization and scapegoating can be a response to demonization and scapegoating. Groups can exchange irrational allegations simultaneously in a series of escalating charges and countercharges; this is common during wars. During the Gulf War, the Bush administration demonized and scapegoated Saddam Hussein, who demonized and scapegoated the Bush administration.53)Gerard calls this the “mimetic” response where two groups mimic the other in constructing scapegoating allegations. Some US antiwar activists demonized and scapegoated secret elites–Arabs, Israelis, Jews, CIA agents, and oil magnates–for launching the war as part of a conflict over who would control the New World Order. All of these forces undoubtedly played some role in the war, but not in the mechanical and omnipotent way imagined by those making the irrational assertions.
Scapegoating, no matter what its political viewpoint, is a dangerous process to allow to flourish. “Larger social units may target an entire group for victimization, and particularly when gathered as in crowds, burst into collective violence against them,” warns Landes.54)Landes, Encyclopedia of Social History, “Scapegoating,” p. 659. Scapegoating hastens the move from passive prejudice to active discrimination.55)Levin and McDevitt, Hate Crimes, pp. 33-63There can be a cascading effect–from verbal attacks to violence.56)Allport, Prejudice, pp. 57-59.
If we are to be victorious against the loathsome enemy, we are told to learn “a bitter lesson…[t]he only way to fight the devil is with his own weapons.”57)Aho, This Thing of Darkness, p. 111. So we fight the enemy by any means necessary. Demonization and scapegoating beg the question of why the evildoers are not simply killed. The issue is not whether scapegoating as mass phenomena generate a propensity for violence, but how soon will the violence appear, and how brutal and extensive will the violence be before the demonization is repudiated by the larger society? If scapegoating in a society are allowed to develop unchallenged, eventually some person or group will decide that the most efficient solution to the problems faced by the society is the elimination of the scapegoats.58)Goldhagen, Hitler’s Willing Executioners, pp. 416-454. Goldhagen argues that the commonplace bigotry, demonization, and scapegoating of Jews throughout German society was the central factor in the willingness of ordinary Germans to participate in the genocide. Christopher Browning, who studied the same unit of German wartime killers as Goldhagen, concluded that bureaucratic conformity was the central factor. (Christopher Browing, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (New York: HarperCollins, 1992). This intentionalist v. functionalist dichotomy, like many academic feuds, is more useful for practical applications in a synthesized form that balances arguments from both camps. Sadly enough, either way, the victims still are brutalized and murdered. For a thoughtful review of the issues, see Adam Shatz, “Browning’s Version,” Lingua Franca, February 1997, pp 48-57.
The Role of the Demagogue
In periods of rapid societal transformation, increased status is awarded to those persons most willing to excoriate the scapegoats and expose them as evil conspirators, even though the claims of these demagogues are fabrications. As Allport writes, “Demagogues play up false issues to divert public attention from true issues.”59)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 410. Successful demagogues usually have great personal charisma and appear supremely self-confident and knowledgeable…yet some demagogues can come across as accessible and friendly. Demagogues are usually seen as fitting the category of “The True Believer” delineated by Eric Hoffer.60)Eric Hoffer, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (New York, Harper, 1951). Few dissident organizers actually fit the definition of being a demagogue, even though centrist/extremist theory casts them in the role. That the term and concept of demagoguery has been abused, however, does not negate the reality of demagoguery as one style of organizing.61)A fascinating perspective on the manipulative nature of demagogues can be found in Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad, The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power, (Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd., 1993).
Demagogues often scapegoat groups that suffer widespread prejudice. “Not all [demagogues] select the alleged misconduct of minority groups as their false issue–but a great many do so,” observes Allport.62)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 410. Demagogues serve as “inspirational agitators” who mobilize a mass following of persons “who may adopt the program [of the demagogue] for reasons of cultural conditioning or conformity or of occupational and economic opportunism,” writes Frederick Cople Jaher in a discussion of antisemitism.63)Frederick Cople Jaher, A Scapegoat in the New Wilderness: The Origins and Rise of Anti- Semitism in America, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994), pp. 13-14.Unpackaging the relationships between ideological demagogic leaders and their followers, who may be motivated by a variety of reasons, is an important step in analyzing any populist movement that uses scapegoating. Several factors must coalesce for demagogues to activate mass populist scapegoating. As Robert S. Robins and Jerrold M. Post, M.D. explain:
The would-be leader propagating a paranoid theme is a time of tranquillity will appeal only to a small audience. Even in a time of stress such an appeal will fail if the leader lacks conventional political skills. But when the politically skillful leader or propagandist with a persuasive paranoid message calls to an overwhelmed society, the conditions are ripe for a violent and widespread response.64)Robert S. Robins and Jerrold M. Post, M.D. Political Paranoia: The Psychopolitics of Hatred, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997), p. 301.
Conspiracist demagogues create for themselves a special status as gatekeepers to secret knowledge, a form of Gnosticism in which they are the high priests. Demagogues uses a variety of emotionally-manipulative propaganda tactics to convince an audience that their assertions have merit. They frequently use standard techniques of the propagandist, and use logical fallacies to assert connections between persons, groups, and events that may not be related at all.65)Books explaining the logical fallacies can be found in most libraries. An excellent and comprehensive online reference on fallacious arguments by Dr. Michael C. Labossiere can be found at <http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/>. A vivid and humorous exposé of illogical demagoguery is Ray Perkins, Jr., Logic and Mr. Limbaugh, (Chicago: Open Court, 1995). Some of the illogical and invalid arguments violate the historic rules of logic including the false ideas that sequence implies causation, association implies guilt, congruence in one aspect implies congruence in all aspects, and that simultaneous action implies prior planning.
Conspiracists often argue their case by producing a tremendous volume of data, then make sweeping generalizations that imply connections that have not been logically demonstrated.66)Hofstadter, Paranoid Style, p. 37; Johnson, Architects, 23-25, 27. All conspiracist theories start with a grain of truth around which is wrapped an attractive luminescent pearl of fiction which distracts attention away from the irrational leaps of conclusion. “Pat Buchanan in his 1996 presidential campaign raised real issues such as the negative effects of NAFTA,” explains Holly Sklar, “but he blamed a mix of real and false causes to suit his demagogic ends.”67)Interview with Holly Sklar, 1996.
Gates gives another example based on an antisemitic book, The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, published by the Nation of Islam:
[T]he book massively misrepresents the historical record, largely through a process of cunningly selective quotation of often reputable sources. But its authors could be confident that few of its readers would go to the trouble of actually hunting down the works cited. For if readers actually did so, they might discover a rather different picture.
Conspiracist demagogues as orators portray as wisdom what is, in essence, parlor tricks of memorization lubricated with fallacies of logic. While this is a form of charlatanism, it is frequently unconscious. Interviews with numerous conspiracists reveals that even when shown that their logic is flawed, they dismiss the proof as a trick or irrelevant.68)The author has been conducting these interviews since 1969.
Demagoguery facilitates the projection required for scapegoating. As Allport puts it:
Demagoguery invites the externalization of hatred and anxiety, it is an institutional aid to projection; it justifies tabloid thinking, stereotyping, and the conviction that the world is made up of swindlers…There is no middle ground…the ultimate objective is vague, still the need for definiteness is met by the rule, `Follow the Leader.'69)Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 418.
Demagogues may spark movements with relative independence, but their ultimate goal is usually some form of totalitarian control. Totalitarianism is an organizational form characterized by rigid centralized control of all aspects of a person’s life by an autocratic leader or hierarchy. A totalitarian movement is correctly defined by its style, structure and methods, not by its stated or apparent ideology.70)Arendt, Origins of Totalitarianism, pp. 470. Arendt described Hitler’s Nazi government and Stalin’s communist government as totalitarian, but rejected the claim that all fascist or communist governments or movements attained totalitarian status.
Arendt discusses how totalitarian movements are built around a central fiction of a powerful conspiracy, (in the case of the Nazis, a conspiracy of Jews which dominated the world) that requires a secretive counter-conspiracy be organized.71)Ibid., pp. 354, 362, 364. Totalitarian groups organize the counter-conspiracy in a hierarchical manner which mimics the levels of membership and rituals of social and religious secret societies.72)Ibid., pp. 371-373.
The process whereby a movement’s sympathizers serve as mediators for translating otherwise unacceptable messages into public discourse plays an important role in demonization. Arendt suggests most people get their first glimpse of a totalitarian movement through its front organizations:
The sympathizers, who are to all appearances still innocuous fellow-citizens in a nontotalitarian society, can hardly be called single-minded fanatics; through them, the movements make their fantastic lies more generally acceptable, can spread their propaganda in milder, more respectable forms, until the whole atmosphere is poisoned with totalitarian elements which are hardly recognizable as such but appear to be normal political reactions or opinions.73)Ibid., p. 367.
The concept of the totalitarian group has been abused in several ways. First is the abuse of describing a group that is not truly totalitarian as a “cult.” While there are totalitarian groups that use deceptive recruiting practices and psychologically-manipulative techniques to enforce loyalty, not every new religion or exotic spiritual or political group is a cult.74)For a cautious approach, see Steven Hassan, Combatting Cult Mind Control, (Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1988) Some fundamentalist Christian groups that warn about cults use the term loosely, and often are stigmatizing religious views that they find unacceptable. Second, the term “front group” is often used to discredit an organization seen as subversive or dangerous by persons who are using guilt-by-association as an acceptable standard of proof. Third, labeling a group totalitarian or a front group is a convenient way to weaken or destroy a political adversary, even when the charge is known to be false. The label “front group” was widely used by anticommunists during the McCarthy period to demonize liberals and radicals as tools of Moscow-based subversion. Nevertheless, the basic concept of totalitarianism should not be discarded because of these abuses.
Under totalitarianism the end game of demonization and scapegoating is genocide. Hitler may well have been a lunatic, but the vast majority of Germans who allowed him to rule, and tolerated or espoused scapegoating conspiracist theories about Jews and other alleged parasitic subversives, were not suffering from mass psychosis. The “banality of evil”, as Hannah Arendt observed, is that ordinary people are willing–even eager–participants in brutality and mass murder justified by prejudice and conspiracist scapegoating in the larger society.75)Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, (New York: Penguin Books, 1963), pp. 37-45, 51-53, 131-132, 135-145, 183-184, 286-290, 293-298. Totalitarian movements and governments raise the stakes for these processes.
Lawrence L. Langer raises the inescapable issue regarding the Nazi genocide:
The widespread absence of remorse among the accused in postwar trials indicates that we may need…to accept the possibility of a regimen of behavior that simply dismisses conscience as an operative moral factor. The notion of the power to kill, or to authorize killing of others, as a personally fulfilling activity is not appealing to our civilized sensibilities; even more threatening is the idea that this is not necessarily a pathological condition, but an expression of impulses as native to our selves as love and compassion.76)Lawrence L. Langer, Admitting the Holocaust: Collected Essays, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 182.
So we all must face history without flinching, and take responsibility for the present, knowing that the fault lies not in the stars, but in our selves.77)With appropriate credits to the Facing History and Ourselves curricula and William Shakespeare.
2. Conspiracism
It is very effective to mobilize mass support against a scapegoated enemy by claiming that the enemy is part of a vast insidious conspiracy against the common good. The conspiracist worldview sees secret plots by tiny cabals of evildoers as the major motor powering important historical events; makes irrational leaps of logic in analyzing factual evidence in order to “prove” connections, blames social conflicts on demonized scapegoats, and constructs a closed metaphysical worldview that is highly resistant to criticism.78)Although they often disagree with my conclusions, my thinking on conspiracism has been shaped by comments and critiques from S. L. Gardiner, Loretta Ross, and Leonard Zeskind.
When conspiracist scapegoating occurs, the results can devastate a society, disrupting rational political discourse and creating targets who are harassed and even murdered. Dismissing the conspiracism often found in right-wing populism as irrational extremism, lunatic hysteria, or marginalized radicalism does little to challenge these movements, fails to deal with concrete conflicts and underlying institutional issues, invites government repression, and sacrifices the early targets of the scapegoaters on the altar of denial. An effective response requires a more complex analysis.
The Dynamics of Conspiracism
The dynamic of conspiracist scapegoating is remarkably predictable. Persons who claim special knowledge of a plot warn their fellow citizens about a treacherous subversive conspiracy to attack the common good. What’s more, the conspiracists announce, the plans are nearing completion, so that swift and decisive action is needed to foil the sinister plot. In different historical periods, the names of the scapegoated villains change, but the essentials of this conspiracist worldview remain the same.79)Higham, Strangers, pp. 3-11; Hofstadter, Paranoid Style, pp. 3-40; Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xv-xviii; Bennett, Party of Fear, pp. 1-16; George Johnson, Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics, (Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1983), pp. 17-30.
George Johnson explained that “conspiratorial fantasies are not simply an expression of inchoate fear. There is a shape, an architecture, to the paranoia.” Johnson came up with five rules common to the conspiracist worldview in the United States:80)George Johnson, “The Conspiracy That Never Ends,” The New York Times, 4/30/95, Sec. 4; p. 5. The full text of Johnson’s rules is longer and far more erudite and entertaining.
“The conspirators are internationalist in their sympathies.
“[N]othing is ever discarded. Right-wing mail order bookstores still sell the Protocols of the Elders of Zion…[and] Proofs of a Conspiracy [from the late 1700’s].
“Seeming enemies are actually secret friends. Through the lens of the conspiracy theorists, capitalists and Communists work hand in hand.
“The takeover by the international godless government will be ignited by the collapse of the economic system.
“It’s all spelled out in the Bible. For those with a fundamentalist bent, the New World Order or One World Government is none other than the international kingdom of the Antichrist, described in the Book of Revelation.
Conspiracism can occur as a characteristic of mass movements, between sectors in an intra-elite power struggle, or as a justification for state agencies to engage in repressive actions. Conspiracist scapegoating is woven deeply into US culture and the process appears not just on the political right but in center and left constituencies as well.81)On Christian right fears of a liberal secular humanist conspiracy, see Chip Berlet and Margaret Quigley, “Theocracy & White Supremacy: Behind the Culture War to Restore Traditional Values,” chapter in Eyes Right! Challenging the Right Wing Backlash, Chip Berlet, ed. (Boston, South End Press, 1995) p. 60–61; On growing right/left conspiracism, see Michael Kelly, “The Road to Paranoia,” The New Yorker, June 19, 1995, pp. 60–70; Janet Biehl, ”Militia Fever: The Fallacy of “Neither Left nor Right,” Green Perspectives, A Social Ecology Publication, Number 37, April 1996; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not!,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, Jan., 1992, pp. 17–19; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not, Again,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, May,. 1992, pp. 86–88. There is an entrenched network of conspiracy-mongering information outlets spreading dubious stories about public and private figures and institutions. They use media such as printed matter, the internet, fax trees, radio programs, videotapes and audiotapes.82)Kintz & Lesage, Culture, Media, and the Religious Right. Detailed articles on the general theme of right-wing media can be found in Afterimage (Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY), special issue on “Fundamentalist Media,” 22:7&8, Feb./March 1995; and Extra! (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), special issue on “The Right-Wing Media Machine,” March/April 1995. Jim Danky and John Cherney, “Beyond Limbaugh: The Hard Right’s Publishing Spectrum,” Reference Services Review, Spring 1996, pp. 43-56. For radio conspiracism, see Leslie Jorgensen, “AM Armies,” pp. 20–22 and Larry Smith, “Hate Talk,” p. 23, Extra! March/April 1995; Marc Cooper, “The Paranoid Style,” The Nation, April 10, 1995, pp. 486–492; William H. Freivogel, “Talking Tough On 300 Radio Stations, Chuck Harder’s Show Airs Conspiracy Theories,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, May 10, 1995, p. 5B; David McHugh and Nancy Costello, “Radio host off the air; militia chief may be out,” Detroit Free Press, 4/29/95, p. 6A; Far Right Radio Review online at <http://www.clark.net/pub/cwilkins/rfpi/frwr.html>. For Internet, see: Devin Burghardt, “Cyberh@te: A Reappraisal,” The Dignity Report (Coalition for Human Dignity), Fall, 1996, pp. 12–16.
Conspiracism as Scapegoating
One can argue on a metaphoric level that when demonization, scapegoating, and paranoid-sounding conspiracist allegations permeate a society it is a sign of societal distress and dysfunction, but this is a sociological–not a psychological–diagnosis. Societal outbreaks of conspiracism are a distinct form of scapegoating in the political arena rather than an outcome of a paranoid psychological pathology. In conspiracist discourse, the supposed conspirators serve as scapegoats for the actual conflict within the society.83)Davis, The Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xiv-xv, 1.
There are certainly mentally-unbalanced individuals who promote paranoid-sounding conspiracist theories, however it is simplistic to contend that these suspicious and often anti-social individuals periodically join together to form large mass movements around shared goals. It is also naive to argue that power elites or government agencies are populated by clinically paranoid leaders who see subversion behind all social change and therefore unilaterally activate the repressive agencies of the state. Conspiracist scapegoating certainly involves psychological processes, but it has an objective reality as a useful social and political mechanism in actual power struggles throughout US history.
By blaming a small group of individuals for vast crimes or simple evil, conspiracism serves to divert attention from the institutional locus of power that drives systemic oppression, injustice and exploitation.
As explained by Frank P. Mintz:
Conspiracism serves the needs of diverse political and social groups in America and elsewhere. It identifies elites, blames them for economic and social catastrophes, and assumes that things will be better once popular action can remove them from positions of power.”84)Mintz, Liberty Lobby, p. 199.
Right wing conspiracist scapegoating not only identifies and blames elites, but also identifies and blames alleged subversives and parasites from groups that have relatively lower social or economic status. This is the classic producerist stance. Conspiracist allegation can also be used to attack the status quo by outsider elite factions seeking power.
Conspiracist scapegoating is not a process found only on the fringes of society among so-called extremists. Richard O. Curry and Thomas M. Brown, in their anthology, Conspiracy, stress that “It is extremely important to note that fears of conspiracy are not confined to charlatans, crackpots, and the disaffected. Anticonspiratorial rhetoric has been a factor in major-party politics throughout most of our history.85)Curry & Brown, eds., “Introduction,” Conspiracy, p. x.
When scapegoating appears in the form of a conspiracist theory, it follows the same trajectory as other forms of scapegoating. As is typical of scapegoating, the choice of alleged conspirators often reflects pre-existing sentiments and prejudices already ingrained in the larger society. When persons with a conspiracist worldview are prejudiced, the allegations of a subversive conspiracy are often linked to the groups seen as inferior or threatening, resulting in allegations of a Jewish banking conspiracy, vast conspiracies of Arab terrorists, or plots by militant Blacks to pillage and burn suburban communities. Persons alleging subversive conspiracies can span the political spectrum, but in this country the largest number of such persons appear to have intersected at some point with militant ultraconservative and far right groups. This is true whether the conspiracist is in the private sector or employed by the government.
Conspiracism and Apocalypticism
In Western culture, conspiracist narratives are significantly influenced by metaphors from Biblical apocalyptic prophesy. Stephen O’Leary in Arguing the Apocalypse contends that the process of demonization is central to all forms of conspiracist thinking.86)O’Leary, Arguing the Apocalypse, pp. 20-60. Leonard Zeskind argues it is impossible to analyze the contemporary political right, without understanding the “all-powerful cosmology of diabolical evil.”87)Zeskind, “Some Ideas on Conspiracy Theories,” p. 16; see also, pp. 11, 13-15, 16-17.To Zeskind, conspiracy theories are “essentially theologically constructed views of events. Conspiracy theories are renderings of a metaphysical devil which is trans-historical, omnipotent, and destructive of God’s will on earth. This is true even for conspiracy theories in which there is not an explicit religious target.”88)Ibid., 13-14.
S. L. Gardner points out that many current “conspiracy theories directed against the government are part of a rhetorical strategy genuinely intended to undermine state power and government authority,” but this occurs in a “metaphysical context” in which “those in control are implicated in a Manichean struggle of absolute good against absolute evil. That they are the agents of the devil is proved by the very fact that they control a corrupt system.”89)S. L. Gardiner, “Social Movements, Conspiracy Theories and Economic Determinism: A Response to Chip Berlet,” in Ward, Conspiracies, p. 83. The fear of a subversive conspiracy to create a collectivist “one world government” is rooted in this religious apocalyptic view, but now spans a continuum of beliefs from religious to secular.
The narrative of most conspiracist thinking is that the government is controlled by a relatively small secret elite. This fits the general paradigm of scapegoating because despite the actual size of the government and the power of the state, the conspiracists picture a handful of secret elites manipulating behind the scenes–a tiny cabal who would be no match for the sovereign “We The People” mobilized against them.
Conspiracism and countersubversion manifest themselves in degrees. “It might be possible, given sufficient time and patience,” writes David Brion Davis, “to rank movements of countersubversion on a scale of relative realism and fantasy,”90)Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, p. xiv. The distance from reality and logic the conspiracist analysis drifts can range from modest to maniacal.
Conspiracism and Countersubversion
When conspiracism becomes a mass phenomenon, persons seeking to protect the nation from the alleged conspiracy of subversives gnawing away at the entrails of the society form counter movements-thus the term countersubversion.
David Brion Davis noted that movements to counter the “threat of conspiratorial subversion acquired new meaning in a nation born in revolution and based on the sovereignty of the people,” and that in the US,” crusades against subversion have never been the monopoly of a single social class or ideology, but have been readily appropriated by highly diverse groups.”91)Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xv-xvi.
Frank Donner perceived an institutionalized culture of countersubversion in the United States “marked by a distinct pathology: conspiracy theory, moralism, nativism, and suppressiveness.”92)Donner, Age, p. 10. This countersubversion hysteria is linked to government attempts to disrupt and crush dissident social movements in the United States.93) In addition to discussions of repression in Bennett, Levin, Donner, Higham, Preston, and Rogin, see also Robert J. Goldstein, Political Repression in Modern America, 1870 to Present, 2nd edition, (Rochester VT: Schenkman Books, Inc. , 1978); Athan Theoharis, Spying on Americans: Political Surveillance from Hoover to the Huston Plan, (Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press, 1978); Kenneth O’Reilly, Hoover and the Unamericans: The FBI, HUAC and the Red Menace, (Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press, 1983); Athan G. Theoharis and John Stuart Cox, The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition, (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988); Ward Churchill & Jim Vander Wall. Agents of Repression: The FBI’s Secret Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement, (Boston: South End Press, 1988); Kenneth O’Reilly, `Racial Matters:’ The FBI’s Secret File on Black America, 1960-1972, (New York: Free Press, 1988); Ward Churchill & Jim Vander Wall. COINTELPRO Papers: Documents from the FBI’s Secret Wars Against Dissent in the United States, (Boston: South End Press, 1989). Conspiracists in the government and private sector periodically create a “countersubversive” apparatus as a response to dissent. The FBI’s counterintelligence program of illegally spying on and disrupting dissidents from the 1950s to the 1970s, dubbed COINTELPRO, is an example of an operational conspiracy ironically based on a conspiracist worldview that suspected widespread subversion by leftists.
Davis points out that:
genuine conspiracies have seldom been as dangerous or as powerful as have movements of countersubversion. The exposer of conspiracies necessarily adopts a victimized, self-righteous tone which masks his own meaner interests as well as his share of responsibility for a given conflict. Accusations of conspiracy conceal or justify one’s own provocative acts and thus contribute to individual or national self-deception. Still worse, they lead to overreactions, particularly to degrees of suppressive violence which normally would not be tolerated.94)Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, p. 361.
The most influential conspiracist theory in the US during the twentieth century was the fear of the Red Menace. Donner argued that the unstated yet actual primary goal of surveillance and political intelligence gathering by state agencies and their countersubversive allies is not amassing evidence of illegal activity for criminal prosecutions, but punishing critics of the status quo or the state in order to undermine movements for social change.
A major tool used to justify the anti-democratic activities of the intelligence establishment is propaganda designed to create fear of a menace by an alien outsider. The timeless myth of the enemy “other” assuages ethnocentrist hungers with servings of fresh scapegoats. As Donner noted: “In a period of social and economic change during which traditional institutions are under the greatest strain, the need for the myth is especially strong as a means of transferring blame, an outlet for the despair [people] face when normal channels of protest and change are closed.”95)Donner, Age, p. 11.
Conspiracism and Social Conflict
Conspiracism needs a conflict to flourish–some indigestion in the body politic for which the conspiracist seeks causation so that blame can be affixed. As Davis observes sympathetically, most countersubversives “were responding to highly disturbing events; their perceptions, even when wild distortions of reality, were not necessarily unreasonable interpretations of available information.”96)Donner, Age, p. 11. The interpretations, however, were inaccurate, frequently hysterical, and created havoc.
Since conspiracist thinking flourishes during periods of political, economic, or cultural transformation, Davis observed that “[c]ollective beliefs in conspiracy have usually embodied or given expression to genuine social conflict.”97)Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, p. xiv. Davis identified four primary categories of persons who join conspiracist countersubversive movements:
Persons who are “defenders of threatened establishments;”
Persons being displaced, “put in new positions of dependency,” or facing oppression;
Persons with “anxieties over social or cultural change;” and,
Persons who see “foreign revolution or tyrannical reaction,” and who search for “domestic counterparts on the assumption that fires may be avoided if one looks for flying sparks.”
When people are mobilizing in defense of disproportionate privilege and power, they often devise rationalizations that divert attention from their underlying self interest. Scapegoating in the form of conspiracist scapegoating can provide the needed protective coloration. No matter what the form, Conspiracist rhetoric in mass movements emerges as a response to concrete power struggles.
Although the specific allegations about the plots and plans by the alleged conspirators frequently are complex–even Byzantine–the ultimate model is still simple: the good people must expose and stop the bad people, and then conflict will end, grievances will be resolved, and everything will be just fine. Conspiracist thinking is thus an action-oriented worldview which holds out to believers the possibility of change. As Kathleen M. Blee has observed through interviews with women in White racist groups, “Conspiracy theories not only teach that the world is divided into an empowered “them” and a less powerful “us” but also suggest a strategy by which the “us” (ordinary people, the non-conspirators) can challenge and even usurp the authority of the currently-powerful.”98)Kathleen M. Blee, “Engendering Conspiracy: Women in Rightist Theories and Movements,” in in Eric Ward, ed., Conspiracies: Real Greivances, Paranoia, and Mass Movements, (Seattle: Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment [Peanut Butter Publishing], 1996). Thus conspiracist scapegoating fills a need for explanations among the adherents by providing a simple model of good versus evil in which the victory over evil is at least possible.
Conspiracism and “Secret Elites”
Just like in other forms of scapegoating, conspiracists sometimes target people who in fact have significant power and culpability in a given conflict–Wall Street power brokers, corporate magnates, banking industry executives, politicians, government officials–but conspiracists portray these forces in caricature that obscures a rational assessment of their wrongdoing. It is not individual people who have the actual power, but the roles they occupy in social, political, and economic institutions. There are undeniably powerful individuals, but when they die, their power does not evaporate, it redistributes itself to other individuals in similar roles, and to individuals that scramble to inherit the role just vacated.
No single power bloc, company, family, or individual in a complex modern society wields absolute control, even though there are always systems of control. Wall Street stock brokers are not outsiders deforming an otherwise happy system. As Holly Sklar argues, “the government is manipulated by various elites, often behind the scenes, but these elites are not a tiny secret cabal with omniscience and omnipotence.”99)Interview with author Holly Sklar, 1997. There is no secret team…the elites that exist are anything but secret. The government and the economy are not alien forces superimposed over an otherwise equitable and freedom loving society.
As Matthew N. Lyons points out, “Scapegoating is not only about who is targeted, but also about who is not targeted, and what systems and structures are not being challenged by focusing on the scapegoat.”100)Interview with Matthew N. Lyons, 1997. For example, the Federal Reserve is a powerful institution that has made many decisions that primarily benefit the wealthy and corporate interests. William Greider’s book Secrets of the Temple describes the Federal Reserve as a significant institution of modern corporate capitalism with bipartisan support. He shows how the legislation traces back to demands by populists to smooth out boom and bust cycles and rapidly fluctuating credit rates that especially victimized farmers. Grieder also discusses the long history of the debate over the wisdom of a central banking system, and how the legislation creating the Federal Reserve was passed in 1913 after a lengthy public debate. There is no antisemitism or conspiracist scapegoating in the text of the Greider book.101)Some of the titles are insensitive to stereotyped language.
Compare this sober analysis to the works of G. Edward Griffin, Martin Larson, Antony C. Sutton, or Eustace Mullins.102)G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, (]]]xxxxxx]]], 1995); Martin Larson, The Federal Reserve and our Manipulated Dollar, (Old Greenwich, CT: Devin-Adair, 1975); Antony C. Sutton, The War on Gold, (Seal Beach, CA: ’76 Press, 1977); Eustace Mullins, The World Order: Our Secret Rulers, second edition, (Staunton, VA: Ezra Pound Institute of Civilization, 1992); Eustace Mullins, Mullins on the Federal Reserve, (New York: Kaspar and Horton, 1952). They portray the Federal Reserve as the mechanism by which a tiny evil elite covertly manipulate the economy. They trace its creation to a cabal who met secretly on Georgia’s Jekyll Island and then somehow snuck the legislation through Congress overnight. Anyone with a library card can disprove this malarkey simply by reading microfilmed newspaper accounts of the contentious public debate over the legislation.
Sutton and Larson overemphasize the role of bankers who are Jewish, revealing mild antisemitic stereotyping. Mullins is a strident bigot who actually has two bodies of work. In one set of texts Mullins avoids overt antisemitic language while discussing his conspiracist theory of the Federal Reserve and the alleged role of forces tied to the Rothschild banking family. These texts involve implicit antisemitic stereotyping that is easily missed (sadly) by an average reader unaware of the history of conspiracist antisemitism and its use of coded language and references.103)One book mixes the themes: Eustace Mullins, The Federal Reserve Conspiracy, second edition, (Union, NJ: Christian Educational Association, 1954). In another set of texts Mullins displays grotesque antisemitism.104)See, for example, Eustace Mullins, The Secret Holocaust (Word of Christ Mission); see also listings on Mullins in Robert Singerman, Antisemitic Propaganda: An Annotated Bibliography and Research Guide, (New York: Garland Publishing, 1982), including, Eustace Mullins, The Biological Jew, (Staunton, VA: Faith and Service Books, ca. 1968); Eustace Mullins, “Jews Mass Poison American Children, Women’s Voice (Chicago), June 1955, p. 11; Eustace Mullins, Impeach Eisenhower! (Chicago, Women’s Voice, ca. 1955). Mullins uses his critique of the Federal Reserve to lure people toward his other works where his economic analysis is revealed to be based on naked hatred of Jews.
All the authors in this conspiracist genre suggest alien forces use the Federal Reserve to impose their secret agenda on an unwitting population, an analysis that ignores systemic and institutional factors and personalizes the issue in the classic conspiracist paradigm.
The romanticized vision of US society is mirrored in mainstream conservative criticism of liberalism as well. As Himmelstein notes, “The core assumption” of post-WWII conservatism “is the belief that American society on all levels has an organic order–harmonious, beneficent, and self-regulating–disturbed only by misguided ideas and policies, especially those propagated by a liberal elite in the government, the media, and the universities.”
Conspiracism as Parody of Institutional Analysis
The conspiracist analysis of history has become uncoupled from a logical train of thought. . .it is a non-rational belief system that manifests itself in degrees. Conspiracism blames individualized and subjective forces for economic and social problems rather than analyzing conflict in terms of systems and structures of power. Conspiracist allegations, therefore, interfere with a serious progressive analysis–an analysis that challenges the objective institutionalized systems of oppression and power, and seeks a radical transformation of the status quo. Bruce Cumings, put it like this:
But if conspiracies exist, they rarely move history; they make a difference at the margins from time to time, but with the unforeseen consequences of a logic outside the control of their authors: and this is what is wrong with “conspiracy theory.” History is moved by the broad forces and large structures of human collectivities.105)Bruce Cumings, The Origins of the Korean War, vol. 2, The Roaring of the Cataract 1947-1950 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1990), p. 767.
Many authors who reject centrist/extremist theory use power structure research, a systemic methodology that looks at the role of significant institutions, social class, and power blocs in a society. Power structure research has been used by several generations of progressive authors including C. Wright Mills, G. William Domhoff, and Holly Sklar.106)C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite, New York: Oxford University Press, 1956. G. William Domhoff, The Powers That Be: Processes of Ruling Class Domination in America, (New York: Vintage Books, 1979, (1978); Domhoff, Who Rules America Now: A View for the `80’s, (New York: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 1986, (1983); Holly Sklar, ed., Trilateralism: The Trilateral Commission and Elite Planning for World Management, (Boston: South End Press, 1980); Sklar, Reagan, Trilateralism and the Neoliberals: Containment and Intervention in the 1980s, (Boston: South End Press (Pamphlet No. 4), 1986); Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995). Some mainstream social scientists, especially those enamored of centrist/extremist theory, have unfairly dismissed radical left critiques of US society as conspiracy theories.107)For example, David Brion Davis includes articles by progressive investigative reporter George Seldes and radical Black power advocates Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton in his collection of conspiracist writings, David Brion Davis, ed., The Fear of Conspiracy: Images of Un-American Subversion from the Revolution to the Present, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1971).
Power structure research is not inherently conspiracist, but conspiracist pseudo-radical parodies of power structure research abound. Examples include right-wing populist critics such as Gary Allen, Antony Sutton, Bo Gritz, Craig Hulet, and Eustace Mullins. Left-wing populist critics include David Emory, John Judge, and Danny Sheehan of the Christic Institute. Conspiracism tarnishes the artistic work of filmmaker Oliver Stone. A recent book by the respected left analyst Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths, contains a very problematic defense of conspiracism.108)Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths: Reflections on Politics, Media, Ideology, Conspiracy, Ethnic Life and Class Power, (San Fransisco: City Lights, 1996.) There are also a plethora of practitioners who have drawn from both the left and the right such as Daniel Brandt and the late Ace Hayes.
Conspiracism blames individualized and subjective forces for economic and social problems rather than analyzing conflict in terms of systems and structures of power.109)Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not!,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, Jan., 1992, pp. 17-19; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not, Again,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, May,. 1992, pp. 86-88. Conspiracist allegations, therefore, interfere with a serious progressive analysis–an analysis that challenges the objective institutionalized systems of oppression and power, and seeks a radical transformation of the status quo.
The subjectivist view of conspiracist critics of the status quo is a parody of serious research. As Lyons observes, “To claim, for instance, that the Rockefellers control the world, takes multiple interconnections and complex influences and reduces them to mechanical wire pulling.”110)Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort. As one report critical of right-wing populist conspiracism suggested:
There is a vast gulf between the simplistic yet dangerous rhetoric of elite cabals, Jewish conspiracies and the omnipotence of “international finance” and a thoughtful analysis of the deep divisions and inequities in our society.111)Jonathan Mozzochi and L. Events Rhinegard, Rambo, Gnomes and the New World Order: The Emerging Politics of Populism, (Portland, OR: Coalition for Human Dignity, 1991), p. 1.
Separating real conspiracies from the exaggerated, non-rational, fictional, lunatic, or deliberately fabricated variety is a problem faced by serious researchers, and journalists. For progressive activists, differentiating between the progressive power structure research and the pseudo-radical allegations of conspiracism is a prerequisite for rebuilding a left analysis of social and political problems.
The Political Assumptions of Conspiracism
by Matthew N. Lyons
Radical politics and social analysis have been so effectively marginalized in the US that much of what passes for radicalism is actually liberal reformism with a radical-looking veneer. To claim a link between liberalism and conspiracism may sound paradoxical, because of the conventional centrist/extremist assumption that conspiracist thinking is a marginal, “pathological” viewpoint shared mainly by people at both extremes of the political spectrum. Centrist/extremist theory’s equation of the “paranoid right” and “paranoid left” obscures the extent to which much conspiracist thinking is grounded in mainstream political assumptions.
Consider a message sent through a computer bulletin board for progressive political activists. Following an excerpt from a Kennedy assassination book, which attributed JFK’s killing to “the Secret Team–or The Club, as others call it…composed of some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the United States,” the subscriber who posted the excerpt commented,
We, the American people, are too apathetic to participate in our own democracy and consequently, we have forfeited our power, guided by our principles, in exchange for an oligarchy ruled by greedy, evil men–men who are neurotic in their insatiable lust for wealth and power….And George Bush is just the tip of the iceberg.
Scratch the “radical” surface of this statement and you find liberal content. No analysis of the social order, but rather an attack on the “neurotic” and “greedy, evil men” above and the “apathetic” people below. If only we could get motivated and throw out that special interest group, “The Club,” democracy would function properly.
This perspective resembles that of the Christic Institute with its emphasis on the illegal nature of the Iran-Contra network and its appeals to “restore” American democracy. This perspective may also be compared with liberal versions of the “Zionist Lobby” explanation for the United States’ massive subsidy of Israel. Supposedly the Lobby’s access to campaign funds and media influence has held members of Congress hostage for years. Not only does this argument exaggerate and conflate the power of assorted Jewish and pro-Israel lobbying groups, and play into antisemitic stereotypes about “dual loyalist” Jews pulling strings behind the scenes, but it also lets the US government off the hook for its own aggressive foreign policies, by portraying it as the victim of external “alien” pressure.
All of these perspectives assume inaccurately that (a) the US political system contains a democratic “essence” blocked by outside forces, and (b) oppression is basically a matter of subjective actions by individuals or groups, not objective structures of power. These assumptions are not marginal, “paranoid” beliefs-they are ordinary, mainstream beliefs that reflect the individualism, historical denial, and patriotic illusions of mainstream liberal thought.
To a large degree, the left is vulnerable to conspiracist thinking to the extent that it remains trapped in such faulty mainstream assumptions.
Conspiracism and Right-Wing Populism
by Chip Berlet
Conspiracism often accompanies various forms of populism, and Canovan notes that “the image of a few evil men conspiring in secret against the people can certainly be found in the thinking of the U.S. People’s Party, Huey Long, McCarthy, and others.”112)Canovan, Populism, p. 296. Criticism of conspiracism, however, does not imply that there are not real conspiracies, criminal or otherwise. There certainly are real conspiracies throughout history. As Canovan argues:
“[o]ne should bear in mind that not all forms or cases of populism involve conspiracy theories, and that such theories are not always false. The railroad kings and Wall Street bankers hated by the U.S. Populists, the New Orleans Ring that Huey Long attacked, and the political bosses whom the Progressives sought to unseat–all these were indeed small groups of men wielding secret and irresponsible power.113)Canovan, Populism, p. 296.
The US political scene is littered with examples of illegal political, corporate, and government conspiracies such as Watergate, the Iran/Contra scandal, and the systematic looting of the savings and loan industry.
The dilemma for the left is that right-wing populist organizers weave these systemic and institutional failures into a conspiracist narrative that blames “secret elites.” In a lengthy article on snowballing conspiracism in The New Yorker, Michael Kelly called this “fusion paranoia.”114)Michael Kelly, “The Road to Paranoia,” The New Yorker, June 19, 1995, pp. 60-70. With the rise of “info-tainment” news programs and talk shows, hard right conspiracism, especially about alleged government misconduct, jumps into the corporate media with increasing regularity.115)Kelly, in his New Yorker article, writes of this seepage phenomenon from alternative to mainstream in terms of conspiracist anti-government allegations. As Kelly observes,” It is not remarkable that accusations of abuse of power should be leveled against Presidents-particularly in light of Vietnam, Watergate, and Iran-Contra. But now, in the age of fusion paranoia, there is no longer any distinction made between credible charges and utterly unfounded slanders.”
This confusion of left and right populism also occurs in Europe with magazines such as Lobster in England. The subject is discussed in detail in the book Ecofascism: Lessons from the German Experience by Janet Biehl & Peter Staudenmaier.116)Janet Biehl & Peter Staudenmaier, Ecofascism: Lessons from the German Experience, (Edinburgh: AK Press, 1995).
The US now exports globalist neocorporatism-a world economy controlled by corporate interests-as the hegemonic model that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. However, not all critics of globalist neocorporatism champion democracy and equality. We must be careful to draw a distinction between critiques that extend economic and social justice, and those that claim economic privilege for middle class consumers at the expense of social justice. Outsider factions composed of business and financial sectors with common goals regularly seek to displace the sectors in control of political and economic power in the US. A common tactic in this endless power struggle is to use populist rhetoric and anti-elite scapegoating to attract constituencies in the middle class and working class.
Some of the forces in the US that oppose neocorporatist globalism are outsider factions of business nationalists who favor protectionist trade policies and oppose international cooperation in foreign policy. In the past, business nationalism has also been the main sector in the US from which emerged campaigns promoting union-busting, White supremacist segregationism, the Red Scares, anti-immigrant xenophobia, and allegations of Jewish banking conspiracies.117)“Whiteness” is an ethnic identity, not a race or skin color, thus I capitalize “White.” When populist consumer groups such as those led by Ralph Nader forged uncritical alliances with outsider faction of business nationalists to rally against GATT and NAFTA, the anti-elite rhetoric of right wing populism quickly emerged.
Why is this a problem? Because the conspiracist scapegoating typical of right wing populism masks a history of xenophobia and repressive authoritarianism on behalf of the majority. Right wing populist movements in the US have used scapegoating allegations of wrongdoing to rationalize White supremacy, antisemitism, and patriarchal heterosexism.118)By spelling antisemitism without a capital “S” or dash, I seek to recognize and respect the historic term while rejecting the false implicit idea that Jews are a race.
The main scapegoats of right wing populism are people of color, especially Blacks. Attention is diverted from the White supremacist roots by using coded language to frame the issue in terms of welfare, immigration, tax, or education policies.119)Amy Elizabeth Ansell, New Right, New Racism: Race and Reaction in the United States and Britain, (New York, NYU Press, 1997) pp. 49-73; Anna Marie Smith, New Right Discourse on Race & Sexuality, (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 18-70. Women, gay men and lesbians, youth, students, and environmentalists are also frequently scapegoated.120)People can be straight, gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual-this is descriptive rather than an ethnic reference; but when referring to an ethnic identity, movement, or specific organization, I will refer to Gayness, Lesbian identity, the Gay and Lesbian Rights movement, the Lesbian Avengers group, and the Digital Queers group.
The removal of the obvious anti-communist underpinnings assisted left wing conspiracists in creating a parody of the fundamentalist/libertarian conspiracist critiques. Left wing conspiracists strip away the underlying religious fundamentalism, antisemitism, and economic social Darwinism, and peddle the repackaged product like carnival snake oil salesmen to unsuspecting sectors of the left. Those on the left who only see the antielitist aspects of right-wing populism and claim they are praiseworthy are playing with fire. This is a time for progressives to be wary of attempts by the political right to woo the left.121)Tarso Luís Ramos, “Feint to the Left: The Growing Popularity of Populism,” Portland Alliance, (Oregon), Dec. 1991, pp. 13, 18; Chip Berlet “Friendly Fascists,” The Progressive, June 1992; Berlet, Right Woos Left: Populist Party, LaRouchian, and Other Neo- fascist Overtures to Progressives and Why They Must Be Rejected. (Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates, 1990, (revised 1994). As one anti-racist group warned:
“Left analysts and activists like Alexander Cockburn who are attracted to one or another point put forward by militia-led groups about “freedom,” such as the Fully Informed Jury Association . . .need to be aware of the poison pill of racism and anti-semitism covered by that sugar coating.”122)People Against Racist Terror (PART) Turning the Tide, (“a quarterly journal of anti-racist activism, research and education,”), Summer 1995 Volume 8 #2; Chip Berlet & Matthew N. Lyons, “Militia Nation,” The Progressive, June 1995, pp. 22-25.
Doug Henwood, editor of Left Business Observer in New York, has commented on the resurgence of fascist ideas around the world. Henwood cited Karl Polanyi’s, The Great Transformation, which listed symptoms for a country infected with fascism, including “the spread of irrationalist philosophies, racialist esthetics, anticapitalist demagogy, heterodox currency views, criticism of the party system, widespread disparagement of the `regime,’ or whatever was the name given to the existing democratic set-up.” Henwood writes that “the list is a good description of the political scene in much of the world today-the denunciation of Coca-Cola capitalism by German skinheads, chanted between attacks on Turks and Mozambicans; the racist welfare-baiting of our own demagogues; and ubiquitous, vague, and nihilistic denunciations of `the system’ that offer little hope for transformation.”
Radio host David Barsamian who produces the syndicated Alternative Radio interview series from Boulder, Colorado warns that personalities who harp on conspiracies are providing entertaining confusion rather than helping people focus clearly on complex issues. He says progressives should not fall for “left guruism” where sensational anti-government theories are accepted without any independent critical analysis.
Barsamian feels some on the left have been “mesmerized by the flawless dramatic presentation” of people such as Daniel Sheehan of the Christic Institute. This demagoguery distracted attention from the “substance of the allegations which don’t all check out.” This created a climate-even a demand-for elaborate conspiracy theories to flourish. Barsamian acknowledges “we all are longing for simple comforting explanations, but by focusing on The Secret Team, or the Medellin Cartel, we ignore the institutions that keep producing the problems.”
There are differences between US and European right wing populism. Matthew N. Lyons says the following:
“Unlike the European countries, capitalism [in the US] did not emerge from feudal society, but rather was imposed abruptly through a special kind of mass colonial conquest. . .primarily the rule of White nationalism,”
“In the US the populist vision of cross-class unity is related to the dominant US ideology of classlessness, social mobility, and liberalism in general, but populism tends to break with political orthodoxy by circumventing normal channels and attacking established leadership groups, at least rhetorically.”
“White nationalism has meant (a) the absence of feudal remnants and the pervasiveness of liberal capitalist doctrines and institutions, and (b) a racial caste system that made working-class Euro-Americans part of a socially privileged White collective. 123)Matthew N. Lyons, woking paper for Too Close for Comfort.
Progressive conspiracism is an oxymoron. Rejecting the conspiracist analytical model is a vital step in challenging both right-wing populism and fascism. It is important to see anti-elite conspiracism and scapegoating as not merely destructive of a progressive analysis but also as specific techniques used by fascist political movements to provide a radical-sounding left cover for a rightist attack on the status quo. Far from being an aberration or a mere tactical maneuver by rightists, pseudo-radicalism is a distinctive, central feature of fascist and proto-fascist political movements. This is why the early stages of a potentially-fascist movement are often described as seeming to incorporate both leftwing and rightwing ideas.
In the best of times, conspiracism is a pointless diversion of focus and waste of energy. Conspiracism promotes scapegoating as a way of thinking; and since scapegoating in the US is rooted in racism, antisemitism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia, conspiracism promotes bigotry. In periods of social or economic crisis, populist conspiracism facilitates the spread of fascist and para-fascist social movements because they too rely on demagogic scapegoating and conspiracist theories as an organizing tool. Radical-sounding conspiracist critiques of the status quo are the wedge that fascism uses to penetrate and recruit from the left.
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Conspiracism is a narrative form of scapegoating that portrays an enemy as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good. Conspiracism assigns tiny cabals of evildoers a superhuman power to control events, frames social conflict as part of a transcendent struggle between Good and Evil, and makes leaps of logic, such as guilt by association, in analyzing evidence. Conspiracists often employ common fallacies of logic in analyzing factual evidence to assert connections, causality, and intent that are frequently unlikely or nonexistent. As a distinct narrative form of scapegoating, conspiracism uses demonization to justify constructing the scapegoats as wholly evil while reconstructing the scapegoater as a hero.
Conspiracism as a Flawed Worldview
Conspiracy theory as a theory of power, then, is an ideological misrecognition of power relations, articulated to but neither defining nor defined by populism, interpellating believers as “the people” opposed to a relatively secret, elite “power bloc.” Yet such a definition does not exhaust conspiracy theory’s significance in contemporary politics and culture; as with populism, the interpellation of “the people” opposed to the “power bloc” plays a crucial role in any movement for social change. Moreover, as I have argued, just because overarching conspiracy theories are wrong does not mean they are not on to something. Specifically, they ideologically address real structural inequities, and constitute a response to a withering civil society and the concentration of the ownership of the means of production, which together leave the political subject without the ability to be recognized or to signify in the public realm.
-Mark Fenster,Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999).
Every major traumatic event in U.S. history generates a new round of speculation about conspiracies. The tendency to explain all major world events as primarily the product of a conspiracy is called conspiracism.
Conspiracism can be used to critique the current regime or an excuse to defend the current regime against critics. David Brion Davis noted that “crusades against subversion have never been the monopoly of a single social class or ideology, but have been readily appropriated by highly diverse groups.” When the government and its allies use conspiracism to justify political repression of dissidents, it is called “countersubversion.”
Frank Donner perceived an institutionalized culture of countersubversion in the United States “marked by a distinct pathology: conspiracy theory, moralism, nativism, and suppressiveness.” The article Repression & Ideology explains how conspiracism works when it is part of a campaign against dissidents.
Conspiracism as part of an anti-regime populist movement works in a different fashion. Populist conspiracism sees secret plots by tiny cabals of evildoers as the major motor powering important historical events. Conspiracism tries to figure out how power is exercised in society, but ends up oversimplifying the complexites of modern society by blaming societal problems on manipulation by a handful of evil individuals.
This is not an analysis that accurately evaluates the systems, structures and institutions of modern society. As such, conspiracism is neither investigative reporting, which seeks to expose actual conspiracies through careful research; nor is it power structure research, which seeks to accurately analyze the distribution of power and privilege in a society. Sadly, some sincere people who seek social and economic justice are attracted to conspiracism. Overwhelmingly, however, conspiracism in the U.S. is the central historic narrative of right-wing populism.
The conspiracist blames societal or individual problems on what turns out to be a demonized scapegoat. Conspiracism is a narrative form of scapegoating that portrays an enemy as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good. Conspiracism assigns tiny cabals of evildoers a superhuman power to control events, frames social conflict as part of a transcendent struggle between Good and Evil, and makes leaps of logic, such as guilt by association, in analyzing evidence.
Conspiracists often employ common fallacies of logic in analyzing factual evidence to assert connections, causality, and intent that are frequently unlikely or nonexistent. As a distinct narrative form of scapegoating, conspiracism uses demonization to justify constructing the scapegoats as wholly evil while reconstructing the scapegoater as a hero.
The current wave of conspiracism has two main historic sources, irrational fears of a freemason conspiracy and irrational fears of a Jewish conspiracy. There are many purveyors of the conspiracist worldview and the belief structure is surprisingly widespread. Conspiracist ideas are promoted by several right-wing institutions, the John Birch Society, the Liberty Lobby, and the Lyndon LaRouche networks. These groups are examples of right-wing populism in which conspiracist narratives such as producerism are common.
In Western culture, conspiracist scapegoating is rooted in apocalyptic fears and millennial expectations. Sometimes conspiracism is secularized and adopted by portions of the political left. It is interesting to note that on both the left and the right (as well as the center) there are critics of the apocalyptic style and flawed methodology of conspiracism.
In highlighting conspiracist allegation as a form of scapegoating, it is important to remember the following:
All conspiracist theories start with a grain of truth, which is then transmogrified with hyperbole and filtered through pre-existing myth and prejudice.
People who believe conspiracist allegations sometimes act on those irrational beliefs, which has concrete consequences in the real world.
Conspiracist thinking and scapegoating are symptoms, not causes, of underlying societal frictions, and as such are perilous to ignore.
Scapegoating and conspiracist allegations are tools that can be used by cynical leaders to mobilize a mass following.
Supremacist and fascist organizers use conspiracist theories as a relatively less-threatening entry point in making contact with potential recruits.
Even when conspiracist theories do not center on Jews, people of color, or other scapegoated groups, they create an environment where racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of prejudice and oppression can flourish.
Conspiracist Episodes in the U.S. 1797-2001
Conspiracism is a particular narrative form of scapegoating that frames the enemy as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good, while it valorizes the scapegoater as a hero for sounding the alarm. Like other forms of scapegoating, conspiracism often, though not always, targets oppressed or stigmatized groups. In many cases, conspiracism uses coded language to mask ethnic or racial bigotry, for example, attacking the Federal Reserve in ways that evoke common stereotypes about “Jewish bankers.
Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons.
Right–Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort.
New York: Guilford Press, 2000, p. 9.
1797–1800 Freemasons/Illuminati ( Europe).
1798–1802 Freemasons/Illuminati ( U.S.).
1820–1844 AntiMasonry (Early Nativism).
1834–1860 Catholic Immigrants (Nativism–Know Nothings).
1830–1866 Slave Power Conspiracy
1873–1905 Plutocrats and Bankers (“The Octopus”).
1903–1920 Jews (Protocols— Russia).
1919–1935 The International Jew (Protocols— Britain & U.S.).
1919–1925 Anarchists and Bolsheviks.
1932–1946 Bankers, Liberal Collectivists, Reds, and Jews.
1940–1950 Reds and the End Times.
1950–1960 Liberal Internationalists & Reds.
1958–1968 Civil Rights Conspiracy..
1963–1970 Assassination Conspiracy Theories.
1960–1980 Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll.
1970–1990 Secret Elites.
1975–Secular Humanism: Feminists and Homosexuals
1986–1990 Secret Team.
1990–New World Order.
2001-Post 9-11 Cheney/Bush Neocon Terror Complicity.
2001-Post 9-11 Cheney/Bush Neocon Mossad/Zionists/Jews Terror Complicity.
2001-Post 9-11 Islamic Menace, Cultural Barbarism, “Clash of Civilizations.”
Post 9/11 Conspiracism
The horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 quickly drew a range of responses from the U.S. political right, and became the subject of widespread conspiracist speculation. There has been a generic type of anti-government conspiracy theory, and those that incorporate antisemitic allegations as well. Political Research Associates began collecting examples of this phenomenon shortly after the attacks. Other media have carried stories as well. Some of these theories are from the political right, others claim to be from the left, others represent a fusion of left and right viewpoints. Some critics of the left have dubbed serious political arguments as conspiracism, and a sensible response has been issued by the WSWS website.
Generic Conspiracism
A common generic conspiracy theory suggested that the failure of the U.S. government to scramble jet interceptor aircraft in time to shoot down the hijacked planes was somehow evidence that the government was aware of the attack and did nothing to stop it; or that the government itself staged the attack to justify aggressive militarism and domestic repression. One theory claimed that the planes were controlled by remote devices. Another claimed that all the buildings were actually destroyed by bombs hidden inside the structures, and one variation asserted that no plane hit the Pentagon at all.
9/11 Conspiracism and the Left
Questions about government failures to prevent 9/11 gained renewed attention when the major corporate media reported that Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) gave a March 25 interview on radio station KPFA in Berkeley, CA where she suggested, according to AP, that “Bush administration officials may have ignored advance warning of the Sept. 11 attacks and their political allies have profited from the war on terrorism.”
McKinney, a five-term House member from Atlanta, is a progressive African-American woman with a history of speaking out for social and economic justice. The central theme of McKinney’s argument, which her office reiterated later, was that there needed to be a thorough investigation of the events of 9/11. This was not the first time McKinney has asked tough questions about 9/11. In fact, in a press release dated September 21, 2001, McKinney asked for an investigation into why the government did not take seriously warnings about an impending attack.
Certainly McKinney’s call for vigorous investigation of how the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks went undetected by US intelligence is more than justified. The possibility of a terrorist attack on the U.S. by networks linked to militant Islamic fundamentalists had been discussed in both general and specific terms in anti-terrorism materials published prior to 9/11. The government had access to these warnings and appears to have had other private warnings as well. The safeguards failed. This deserves investigation and penalties. Neither seem forthcoming.
Increased spending on military hardware, covert action, and the devices and services to implement increased government surveillance of domestic dissidents authorized after 9/11 has undoubtedly been a financial bonanza to many businesses run by allies of the Bush administration. None of this is good news.
What is at issue with the more speculative allegations is the question of prior knowledge, and the logical fallacy that the sequence of events implies some causation. The government failing to heed warnings, or Bush allies reaping windfall profits after 9/11, does not prove that there was a conscious plan for the government to ignore warnings of terrorism or, as some have claimed, to actually stage the attacks as part of a U.S. government covert operation. Why have such conspiracist claims circulated so widely?
McKinney’s comments on KPFA were extended in an essay posted on the Internet: “Thoughts on our War Against Terrorism.” In this essay McKinney’s speculation about government wrongdoing unfortunately extends beyond the available evidence:
“Those engaged in unusual stock trades immediately before September 11 knew enough to make millions of dollars from United and American airlines, certain insurance and brokerage firms’ stocks. What did this Administration know, and when did it know it about the events of September 11? Who else knew and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered?”
This statement implies actions or inactions based on prior warnings that remain unproven. It is important, however, to place McKinney’s comments in context. She was speaking to a progressive audience on a radio station where there is an ongoing vigorous debate about allegations of government conspiracy relating to 911. Her call for an investigation played a moderating role in this debate.
There are concrete reasons why people of color, especially Black people, as well as progressives in general, would want a serious investigation into allegations of conspiracies involving government officials. There is a history of government repression in the U.S. involving conspiracies that is well known to people of color and the left. A few better-known examples include:
The Tuskegee incident where Black men were not informed they were not being treated for venereal disease as part of an experiment.
The FBI Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) operations in the late 1960s and early 1970s where several deaths of Black activists are directly attributable to conspiracies involving FBI agents. Specific projects were launched to discredit, disrupt, and destroy the New Left, the antiwar movement, the organizing of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and several Black nationalist groups.
The Iran-Contra scandal which exposed an elaborate conspiracy involving public and private groups conducting covert operations to sidestep Congressional mandates concerning U.S. intervention in Nicaragua.
Bill Weinberg, editor of the online WW3 Report, sums up the attitude of many on the left about all governments when he writes:“It is the position of WW3 REPORT that after the 1898 explosion of the battleship Maine, the 1933 Reichstag Fire, the 1939 bogus Polish “invasion” of Germany, and the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, it is irresponsible not to consider the possibility that elements of the CIA and/or Bush administration had a hand in the events of Sept. 11.”But Weinberg warns about going too far down this path:”However, it is equally irresponsible to accept this as a foregone conclusion, and twist every fact to fit it. WW3 REPORT remains committed to the idea that there is no higher principle to serve than the truth, and that serving this principle requires unflinching courage, unrestrained inquiry and unsleeping rigor.” [read more by Weinberg]The Right has selectively highlighted government abuses to which it objects, and, aided by a constant drumbeat of Hollywood films depicting these abuses with dramatic flare intended to increase ticket sales, has helped create an environment in which any conspiracy seems plausible. According to Robert Alan Goldberg, in his book Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in America:”Media merchandisers legitimize conspiracy thinking and give it broad appeal. Their images remain in the public mind, forever shaping new experiences into consistent patterns. Government authorities also support the conspiracist case by echoing the fear of subversion or offering proof of collusion by abusing power or betraying the people’s trust.”In essence, conspiracism is an American tradition.” [p. 260]Increased government secrecy since 9/11 has fed further suspicion and increased conspiracism, suggesting that an open and thorough Congressional investigation would be an antidote to burgeoning conspiracism.
The suggestion of government foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks has been accelerated by claims made by Michael C. Ruppert, a former police officer who runs an anti-CIA website: From the Wilderness (copvcia.com). Ruppert has been featured on KPFA, the same Pacifica station on which McKinney made her comments. Ruppert claims to work closely with McKinney, and her remarks echoed the claims of Ruppert whose theories have gained considerable attention since 9/11.
Nation columnist David Corn criticized Ruppert in a March 1, 2002 essay on Alternet, “When 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Go Bad.” According to Corn:
I won’t argue that the U.S. government does not engage in brutal, murderous skulduggery from time to time. But the notion that the U.S. government either detected the attacks but allowed them to occur, or, worse, conspired to kill thousands of Americans to launch a war-for-oil in Afghanistan is absurd.”Corn singled out Ruppert as a major source of this allegation.
Bill Weinberg, David Corn, and columnist Norman Solomon all have written sharp criticisms of Ruppert. Solomon sent a letter to KPFA questioning the decision to give Ruppert so much airtime. When Ruppert complained this was censorship, Solomon wrote a follow-up response. All of these criticisms along with responses by Ruppert and his allies have now circulated publicly on the Internet. Ruppert is very aggressive in defending his views. Criticisms of Ruppert’s conspiracism that I made several months ago prompted a threat of a lawsuit by Ruppert (See earlier Berlet statement).
I oppose censorship, but editorial judgment by radio station editors is not censorship. The issue is whether or not Ruppert’s claims are worth airing. That is an editorial judgment. Along with Weinberg, Corn, and Solomon, I think Ruppert steps over the line into conspiracist allegations that fall short of journalistic standards of evidence and proof. Airing the views of personable conspiracists has been a problem before on various Pacifica radio stations. The case of Craig Hulet during the Gulf War is an example, as is the more recent example of Jim Marrs. All of these figures make assertions that do not stand up to close scrutiny.
It’s not censorship for there be some basic standards for airing material. Otherwise, anyone who criticizes the government should be aired on Pacifica stations. Does that make sense?
Michael C. Ruppert is a tougher call. He calls himself a “truth seeker,” rejecting the idea that his theories are rooted in right-wing lore, and seeks open alliance with the left. Ruppert, however, makes sweeping claims that cannot be verified at a time when there is some much verifiable wrongdoing by the government and corporations that the outcome, no matter how unintentional, is that Ruppert’s allegations serve to distract from serious progressive opposition to the status quo and sometimes even discredit it.
Norman Solomon warned KPFA about the dangers of conspiracism:
…such programming, when it is “successful,” encourages people to fixate on the specter of a diabolical few plotters rather than on the profoundly harmful realities of ongoing structural, institutional, systemic factors. When logic becomes secondary to flashy claims, and when assertions unsupported by evidence become touted as hard-edged fact, any temporary “sizzle” hardly compensates for the longer-term damage done to the station’s standards. A key question remains: Aren’t the well-documented crimes of the U.S. government and huge corporations enough to merit our ongoing outrage, focused attention and activism?
Antisemitic Conspiracism
Another group of conspiracy theories that flourished after 9/11 involved various forms of antisemitism. In most of these theories there were false assumption conflating Jewish religion and ethnicity, Israel, Zionism, and the current Israeli government. Sometimes the assertion was that Jews controlled U.S. foreign policy, while in other cases there were outright claims that the Israeli intelligence service Mossad had staged the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. One widespread rumor claimed that 4,000 Jews had been warned to not report to work at the World Trade Center, and argued that this was proof that Israel was behind the attacks. Many of the pages that carried antisemitic conspiracism concerning 9/11 have now vanished.
3. Populism
Rethinking Populism
Basic to developing new analytical frameworks for studying neofascism is the need to rethink the definition of populism.124) Margaret Canovan, Populism (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981); Michael Kazin, The Populist Persuasion: An American History. (New York: Basic Books, 1995). In the late 1800’s in the US an agrarian-based popular mass revolt swept much of the country. Historian Lawrence Goodwyn described this original Populist movement in the US as “the flowering of the largest democratic mass movement in American history.”125)Lawrence Goodwyn, The Populist Moment: A Short History of the Agrarian Revolt in America, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978), p. vii.This and other romanticized views see populist movements as inherently progressive and democratizing. It is as overly optimistic as the view of populism by centrist/extremist theory (as postulated by Bell, Lipset, Raab, and others) is overly pessimistic.126)Canovan, Populism, pp. 51, 294. Centrist/extremist theory was popularized by a series of books, including The New American Right, first published in 1955, later revised and expanded as: Daniel Bell, ed., The Radical Right: The New American Right-Expanded and Updated, (Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964); and Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab, The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970, (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1970), with a second edition appearing in 1978.As Margaret Canovan observed in her book, Populism, “like its rivals, Goodwyn’s interpretation has a political ax to grind.”127)Canovan, Populism, p. 51.
Canovan defined two main branches of populism worldwide-agrarian and political-and mapped out seven disparate sub-categories.128)Ibid., pp. 13, 128-138
Agrarian populism:
Commodity farmer movements with radical economic agendas such as the US People’s Party of the late 1800’s.
Subsistence peasant movements such as the East European Green Rising,
Intellectuals who wistfully romanticize hard-working farmers and peasants and build radical agrarian movements like the Russian narodniki.
Political populism:
Populist democracy, including calls for more political participation, including the use of the popular referendum.
Politicians’ populism marked by non-ideological appeals for “the people” to build a unified coalition.
Reactionary populism such as the White backlash harvested by George Wallace,
Populist dictatorship such as that established by Peron in Argentina.
Populist democracy is championed by progressives from the LaFollettes of Wisconsin to Jesse Jackson. Politicians’ populism, reactionary populism, and populist dictatorship are antidemocratic forms of right wing populism characterized in various combinations in the 1990s by Ross Perot, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, and David Duke…four straight White Christian men trying to ride the same horse.
Canovan notes that there are “a great many interconnections” among the seven forms of populism, and that “[m]any actual phenomena-perhaps most-belong in more than one category,” She adds that “given the contradictions” between some of the categories, “none ever could satisfy all the conditions at once.”129)Ibid., p. 289. Combinations can vary. Populism in the US “combined farmers’ radicalism and populist democracy.”130)Ibid., p. 293.There are only two universal elements; Canovan’s study shows that all forms of populism “involve some kind of exaltation of and appeal to `the people,’ and all are in one sense or another antielitist.”131)Ibid., p. 294.
In his book The Populist Persuasion Michael Kazin traces “two different but not exclusive strains of vision and protest” in the original US Populist movement: the revivalist “pietistic impulse issuing from the Protestant Reformation;” and the “secular faith of the Enlightenment, the belief that ordinary people could think and act rationally, more rationally, in fact, than their ancestral overlords.”132)Kazin, The Populist Persuasion, pp. 10-11.
Kazin argues that populism is “a persistent yet mutable style of political rhetoric with roots deep in the nineteenth century.” His view compliments Canovan’s typology. These and other even-handed assessments of populism see that it can move to the left or right. It can be tolerant or intolerant. It can promote civil discourse and political participation or promote scapegoating, demagoguery, and conspiracism.133)Canovan, Populism, pp. 293-295. Populism can oppose the status quo and challenge elites to promote change, or support the status quo to defend “the people” against a perceived threat by elites or subversive outsiders.
The late 19th-century US populist movement had many praiseworthy features. As Lyons notes, “It promoted forms of mass democratic participation; popularized anti-monopolism and trust-busting sentiments, put the brakes on the greediest corporate pillagers and the concentration of economic power; demanded accountability of elected officials; formed cooperatives that promoted humane working relationships and economic justice; and set the stage for substantial reforms in the economic system.”134)Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort Kazin suggests that “when a new breed of inclusive grassroots movements does arise, intellectuals should contribute their time, their money, and their passion for justice. They should work to stress the harmonious, hopeful, and pragmatic aspects of populist language and to disparage the meaner ones….”135)Kazin, The Populist Persuasion, p. 284.
At the same time it is important to acknowledge that US populism drew. themes from several historic currents with potentially negative consequences, including:136)This list is a compilation of points made previously by Canovan and Kazin, as well as John Higham, Strangers in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism 1860-1925 (New York: Atheneum, 1972); Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” in The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965); and David H. Bennett, The Party of Fear: The American Far Right from Nativism to the Militia Movement, (New York: Vintage Books, revised 1995, (1988).
Producerism-the idea that the real Americans are hard-working people who create goods and wealth while fighting against parasites at the top and bottom of society who pick our pocket…sometimes promoting scapegoating and the blurring of issues of class and economic justice, and with a history of assuming proper citizenship is defined by White males;
Anti-elitism-a suspicion of politicians, powerful people, the wealthy, and high culture…sometimes leading to conspiracist allegations about control of the world by secret elites, especially the scapegoating of Jews as sinister and powerful manipulators of the economy or media;
Anti-intellectualism-a distrust of those pointy headed professors in their Ivory Towers…sometimes undercutting rational debate by discarding logic and factual evidence in favor of following the emotional appeals of demagogues;
Majoritarianism-the notion that the will of the majority of people has absolute primacy in matters of governance…sacrificing rights for minorities, especially people of color;
Moralism-evangelical-style campaigns rooted in Protestant revivalism… sometimes leading to authoritarian and theocratic attempts to impose orthodoxy, especially relating to gender.
Americanism-a form of patriotic nationalism…often promoting ethnocentric, nativist, or xenophobic fears that immigrants bring alien ideas and customs that are toxic to our culture.
The resurgent right-wing forms of populism borrow from these traditions.
Right-Wing Populism
The danger of right-wing populist mass movements is that they have a potential to gravitate toward authoritarian or reactionary demands as their anger increases, and demagogues encourage scapegoating and conspiracism.137)Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, pp. 410-424.
Producerism is often confused with progressive politics because of the anti-elite rhetoric, however progressive analysis targets systems and institutions while Producerism sees evil individual actors and generally targets scapegoats. According to Lyons, when right-wing populists feel squeezed between the powerful and the powerless:
They often mobilize to defend their limited privilege and fend off oppression from above, while at the same time attacking those below them on the socio-economic ladder to retain a status that at least keeps them off the bottom. In this way they are simultaneously buttressing some oppressive power relationships and systems of social control while seeking to overturn others. In practice it is important to note that attacks against those below tend to be much stronger and more substantive than the attacks on those above, which often tend to be mainly rhetorical.138)Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort.
The attacks on those below are shaped by ethnocentric systems of oppression in which people of color, ethnic and religious minorities, and immigrants are often targeted as the intrusive outsider threatening “the people.” Canovan laid out the basic themes of authoritarian and reactionary populism:
…a charismatic leader, using the tactics of politicians’ populism to go past the politicians and intellectual elite and appeal to the reactionary sentiments of the populace, often buttressing his claim to speak for the people by the use of referendums. When populism is attributed to right-wing figures-Hitler, de Gaulle, Codreanu, Father Coughlin-this is what the word conjures up.139)Canovan, Populism, p. 292.
Yet ostensibly left forms of populism can also involve demagoguery and fascist sympathies. Canovan explains that revolutionary populism involves the:
[R]omanticization of the people by intellectuals who turn against elitism and technological progress, who idealize the poor…assume that “the people” are united, reject ordinary politics in favor of spontaneous popular revolution, but are inclined to accept the claims of charismatic leaders that they represent the masses. This syndrome…can be found in some of the less elitist of the intellectuals who sympathized with fascism in its early stages.140)Ibid., pp. 292-293.
Two versions of right wing populism have emerged in both the US and Europe: one centered around “get the government off my back” economic libertarianism coupled with a rejection of mainstream political parties (more attractive to the upper middle class and small entrepreneurs); the other based on xenophobia and ethnocentric nationalism (more attractive to the lower middle class and wage workers).141)Hans-Georg Betz, Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe, New York: St. Martins Press, 1994, pp. 106-108, 174; “America’s New Populism,” Business Week, cover story, March 13, 1995.
These different constituencies unite behind candidates that attack the current regime since both constituencies identify an intrusive government as the cause of their grievances. As Lyons has observed:
In the US the populist vision of cross-class unity is related to the dominant US ideology of classlessness, social mobility, and liberalism in general, but populism tends to break with political orthodoxy by circumventing normal channels and attacking established leadership groups, at least rhetorically.142)Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort.
Right-wing populist movements can cause serious damage to a society even if a significant fascist movement does not coalesce because they often popularize xenophobia, authoritarianism, scapegoating, and conspiracism. This can legitimize acts of discrimination, or even violence. Scapegoating has already become mainstream in US political/electoral circles, and it has both economic and social roots.
Right wing populism pulls political systems to the right as politicians pick up scapegoating as a tool to build electoral constituencies.
Lucy A. Williams has studied the welfare debate in the US and concludes as follows:
“The development of a right-wing populist movement, based on fear and nostalgia [which] led to the scapegoating of welfare recipients as the cause of all economic and social woes. Race and gender played central roles in the promotion of the stereotype of the unworthy welfare recipient. The Right used welfare as a wedge issue, an issue which could pry voters away from their traditional allegiances.”143)Lucy A. Williams, “The Right’s Attack on Aid to Families with Dependent Children,” The Public Eye, Vol. X, Nos. 3 & 4, Fall/Winter 1996, p. 18.
And Jean Hardisty has observed, “Several different forms of prejudice can now be advocated under the guise of populism.”144)Jean V. Hardisty, “The Resurgent Right: Why Now?” The Public Eye, Fall/Winter 1995, pp. 1-13.
Right wing populism can also open the door for revolutionary right-wing movements such as fascism to recruit from the reformist populist movements by arguing that more drastic action is needed.
What is Right-Wing Populism?
by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons
Adapted and condensed from the Introduction to Right-Wing Populism in America:
Canovan argues: all forms of populism “involve some kind of exaltation of and appeal to ´the people,´ and all are in one sense or another antielitist.”145)Canovan, Margaret. 1981. Populism, pp. 289, 293, 294; Canovan notes that there are “a great many interconnections” among her seven forms of populism, and that “many phenomena—perhaps most—belong in more than one category.” She adds that “given the contradictions” between some of the categories, “none could ever satisfy all the conditions at once.” We take these two elements—celebration of “the people” plus some form of antielitism—as a working definition of populism.
A populist movement—as opposed, for example, to one-shot populist appeals in an election campaign—uses populist themes to mobilize a mass constituency as a sustained political or social force. Our discussion of populism will focus mainly on populist movements.
Michael Kazin calls populism a style of organizing.146)Kazin, Michael. 1995. The Populist Persuasion: An American History. See also Harrison, Trevor. (1995). Of Passionate Intensity: Right-Wing Populism and the Reform Party of Canada. Populist movements can be on the right, the left, or in the center. They can be egalitarian or authoritarian, and can rely on decentralized networks or a charismatic leader. They can advocate new social and political relations or romanticize the past.
Especially important for our purposes, populist movements can promote forms of antielitism that target either genuine structures of oppression or scapegoats alleged to be part of a secret conspiracy. And they can define “the people” in ways that are inclusive and challenge traditional hierarchies, or in ways that silence or demonize oppressed groups.
Repressive Populism and Right-Wing Populism
We use the term repressive populist movement to describe a populist movement that combines antielite scapegoating (discussed below) with efforts to maintain or intensify systems of social privilege and power. Repressive populist movements are fueled in large part by people’s grievances against their own oppression but they deflect popular discontent away from positive social change by targeting only small sections of the elite or groups falsely identified with the elite, and especially by channeling most anger against oppressed or marginalized groups that offer more vulnerable targets.
Right-wing populist movements are a subset of repressive populist movements. A right-wing populist movement, as we use the term, is a repressive populist movement motivated or defined centrally by a backlash against liberation movements, social reform, or revolution. This does not mean that right-wing populism’s goals are only defensive or reactive, but rather that its growth is fueled in a central way by fears of the Left and its political gains.
The first U.S. populist movement we would unequivocally describe as right wing was the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan, which was a counterrevolutionary backlash against the overthrow of slavery and Black people’s mass mobilization and empowerment in the post-Civil War South. Earlier repressive populist movements paved the way for right-wing populism, but did not have this same backlash quality as a central feature.
MINI-BIBLIOGRAPHY: RIGHT-WING POPULISM
Berlet, Chip and Matthew N. Lyons. 2000. Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort. New York: Guilford Press.
Betz, Hans-Georg and Stefan Immerfall, eds. 1998. The New Politics of the Right: Neo-Populist Parties and Movements in Established Democracies . New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Betz, Hans-Georg. 1994. Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe , New York : St. Martins Press,.
Canovan, Margaret. 1981. Populism. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Carter, Dan T. 1995. The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics . New York: Simon and Schuster.
Frank, Thomas. What’s the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America. New York : Henry Holt.
Hardisty, Jean V. 1999. Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence from the John Birch Society to the Promise Keepers. Boston: Beacon Press.
Kazin, Michael. 1995. The Populist Persuasion: An American History . New York: Basic Books.
Kintz, Linda. 1997. Between Jesus and the Market: The Emotions that Matter in Right-Wing America. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.
Laclau, Ernesto. 1977. Politics and Ideology in Marxist Theory: Capitalism, Fascism, Populism. London: NLB/Atlantic Highlands Humanities Press.
Stock, Catherine McNicol. 1996. Rural Radicals: Righteous Rage in the American Grain, Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
Populism as Core Element of Fascism
Fascism parasitizes other ideologies, includes many internal tensions and contradictions, and has chameleon-like adaptations based on the specific historic symbols, icons, slogans, traditions, myths, and heroes of the society it wishes to mobilize. In addition, fascism as a social movement often acts dramatically different from fascism once it holds state power. When holding state power, fascism tends to be rigidly hierarchical, authoritarian, and elitist. As a social movement fascism employs populist appeals against the current regime and promises a dramatic and quick transformation of the status quo.
Right-wing populism can act as both a precursor and a building block of fascism, with anti-elitist conspiracism and ethnocentric scapegoating as shared elements.147)Betty Dobratz, and Stephanie Shanks-Meile, “The Contemporary Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party: A Comparison to American Populism at the Turn of the Century,” Humanity and Society (1988), pp. 20-50.; Victor C. Ferkiss, “Populist Influences on American Fascism,” Western Political Quarterly (1957), pp. 350-373.The dynamic of right-wing populism interacting with and facilitating fascism in interwar Germany was chronicled by Peter Fritzsche in Rehearsals for Fascism: Populism and Political Mobilization in Weimar Germany. Fritzsche showed that distressed middle-class populists in Weimar launched bitter attacks against both the government and big business.148)Peter Fritzsche, Rehearsals for Fascism: Populism and Political Mobilization in Weimar Germany.(New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), pp. 149-150.This populist surge was later exploited by the Nazis which parasitized the forms and themes of the populists and moved their constituencies far to the right through ideological appeals involving demagoguery, scapegoating, and conspiracism.149)Ibid., pp. 230-236.
The Nazis expressed the populist yearnings of middle-class constituents and at the same time advocated a strong and resolutely anti-Marxist mobilization….Against “unnaturally” divisive parties and querulous organized interest groups, National Socialists cast themselves as representatives of the commonweal, of an allegedly betrayed and neglected German public….[b]reaking social barriers of status and caste, and celebrating at least rhetorically the populist ideal of the people’s community…150)Ibid., pp. 233-235
This populist rhetoric of the Nazis, focused the pre-existing “resentments of ordinary middle-class Germans against the bourgeois `establishment’ and against economic and political privilege, and by promising the resolution of these resentments in a forward-looking, technologically capable volkisch `utopia,'” according to Fritzsche.151)Ibid., p. 234.
As Umberto Eco explains, however, the populist rhetoric of fascism is selective and illusive:
…individuals as individuals have no rights, and the People is conceived as a quality, a monolithic entity expressing the Common Will. Since no large quantity of human beings can have a common will, the Leader pretends to be their interpreter. Having lost their power of delegation, citizens do not act; they are only called on to play the role of the People. Thus the People is a theatrical fiction….There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People….Wherever a politician casts doubt on the legitimacy of a parliament because it no longer represents the Voice of the People, we can smell…Fascism.”152)Umberto Eco, “Ur-Fascism” [Eternal Fascism], New York Review of Books, June 22, 1995.
Fritzsche observed that “German fascism would have been inconceivable without the profound transformation” of mainstream electoral politics in the 1920’s “which saw the dissolution of traditional party allegiances.”153)Fritzsche, Rehearsals, p. 233.He also argued that the Nazis, while an electorally-focused movement, had more in common rhetorically and stylistically with middle class reform movements than backwards looking reactionary movements.154)Ibid., p. 235.So the Nazis as a movement appeared to provide for radical social change while actually moving its constituency to the right.
“White nationalism has meant (a) the absence of feudal remnants and the pervasiveness of liberal capitalist doctrines and institutions, and (b) a racial caste system that made working-class Euro-Americans part of a socially privileged White collective.155)Matthew N. Lyons, working paper for Too Close for Comfort.
The success of fascist movements in attracting members from reformist populist constituencies is due to many complex overlapping factors, but key factors are certainly the depth of the economic and social crisis and transformation of, and the degree of anger and frustration of those who see their demands not being met. Desperate people turn to desperate solutions.156)Kevin Phillips, “The Politics of Frustration,” The New York Times Magazine, April 12, 1992, p. 38, 40-42.
4. Propaganda & Deception
Flaws of Logic, Fallacies of Debate
Investigative reporting and progressive research took a detour during the probe of the Iran-Contra affair. Because the executive branch was engaged in a coverup, and Congress refused to demand a full accounting, speculation about conspiracies blossomed. There certainly are conspiracies afoot in the halls of government and private industry. Documenting illegal conspiracies is routinely accomplished by prosecutors who present their evidence to a judge or jury. The burden of proof can be high, as it should be in a democracy. Journalists frequently document conspiracies, and their published or broadcast charges can be tested against standards of journalistic ethics and sometimes in court in cases of alleged libel and slander.
Coverage of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories in recent years, however, routinely violated common journalistic practices regarding second sourcing. A theory that cannot be documented, or for which there is only one source of questionable credibility, is a rumor…not investigative journalism.
With so much political and journalistic confusion it is useful to remember that academia has produced a long list of useful tools and techniques to evaluate the logical and conceptual validity of any argument regardless of political content or viewpoint.
Useful rational standards by which to judge the merits of any statement or theory are easily found in textbooks on debate, rhetoric, argument, and logic.157)Books explaining the logical fallacies can be found in most libraries. An excellent and comprehensive online reference on fallacious arguments by Dr. Michael C. Labossiere can be found at <http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/>. A vivid and humorous exposé of illogical demagoguery is Ray Perkins, Jr., Logic and Mr. Limbaugh, (Chicago: Open Court, 1995). These books discuss which techniques of argumentation are not valid because they fail to follow the rules of logic. There are many common fallacious techniques or inadequate proofs:
Raising the volume, increasing the stridency, or stressing the emotionalism of an argument does not improve its validity. This is called argument by exhortation. It is often a form of demagoguery, bullying or emotional manipulation.
Sequence does not imply causation. If Joan is elected to the board of directors of a bank on May 1, and Raul gets a loan on July 26, further evidence is needed to prove a direct or causal connection. Sequence can be a piece of a puzzle, but other causal links need to be further investigated.
Congruence in one or more elements does not establish congruence in all elements. Gloria Steinem and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick are both intelligent, assertive women accomplished in political activism and persuasive rhetoric. To assume they therefore also agree politically would be ludicrous. If milk is white and powdered chalk is white, would you drink a glass of powdered chalk?
Association does not imply agreement, hence the phrase “guilt by association”has a pejorative meaning. Association proves association; it suggests further questions are appropriate, and demonstrates the parameters of networks, coalitions, and personal moral distinctions, nothing more. Tracking association can lead to further investigation that produces useful evidence, but a database is not an analysis and a spiderweb chart is not an argument. The connections may be meaningful, random, or related to an activity unrelated to the one being probed.
Participation in an activity, or presence at an event, does not imply control.
Similarity in activity does not imply joint activity and joint activity does not imply congruent motivation. When a person serves in an official advisory role or acts in a position of responsibility within a group, however, the burden of proof shifts to favor a presumption that such a person is not a mere member or associate, but probably embraces a considerable portion of the sentiments expressed by the group. Still, even members of boards of directors will distance themselves from a particular stance adopted by a group they oversee, and therefore it is not legitimate to assume automatically that they personally hold a view expressed by the group or other board members. It is legitimate to assert that they need to distance themselves publicly from a particular organizational position if they wish to disassociate themselves from it.
Anecdotes alone are not conclusive evidence. Anecdotes are used to illustrate a thesis, not to prove it. A good story-teller can certainly be mesmerizing-consider Ronald Reagan-but if skill in story-telling and acting is the criteria for political leadership, Ossie Davis would have been president, not Ronald Reagan. This anecdote illustrates that anecdotes alone are not conclusive evidence, even though most progressives would think that Davis would have been a kindler, gentler president than Reagan or Bush.
Techniques of the Propagandist
In 1923 Edward L. Bernays wrote the book Crystallizing Public Opinion and later, in 1928, the text Propaganda, considered seminal works in the field. “There is propaganda and what I call impropaganda,” said the 98-year-old Bernays impishly, a few years prior to his death. Propaganda originally meant promoting any idea or item, but took on its current pejorative sense following the extensive use of sinister propaganda for malicious goals during World War I and World War II. While all persuasion uses the techniques of traditional propaganda, what Bernays calls “impropaganda”is “using propaganda techniques not in accordance with good sense, good faith, or good morals…methods not consistent with the American pattern of behavior based on Judeo-Christian ethics.” Bernays, who is called the “father of public relations,”is worried about the increased use of “impropaganda”in political campaigns and has spoken out against it. “Politicians who use techniques like these lose the faith of the people,” says Bernays.
In 1936 Boston merchant Edward Filene helped establish the short-lived Institute for Propaganda Analysis which sought to educate Americans to recognize propaganda techniques. Alfred McClung Lee, Institute director from 1940-42, and his wife Elizabeth Briant Lee, co-authors of The Fine Art of Propaganda, Social Problems in America, recently wrote an article in the periodical Propaganda Reviewin which they suggested educating the public about propaganda techniques was an urgent priority. The Lees also discussed the Institute’s symbols for the seven hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist:
Name Calling: hanging a bad label on an idea, symbolized by a hand turning thumbs down;
Card Stacking: selective use of facts or outright falsehoods, symbolized by an ace of spades, a card signifying treachery;
Band Wagon: a claim that everyone like us thinks this way, symbolized by a marching bandleader’s hat and baton;
Testimonial: the association of a respected or hated person with an idea, symbolized by a seal and ribbon stamp of approval;
Plain Folks: a technique whereby the idea and its proponents are linked to “people just like you and me,” symbolized by an old shoe;
Transfer: an assertion of a connection between something valued or hated and the idea or commodity being discussed, symbolized by a smiling Greek theater mask; and
Glittering Generality: an association of something with a “virtue word” to gain approval without examining the evidence; symbolized by a sparkling gem.
The Institute’s last newsletter reflected that “in modern society an element of propaganda is present in a large portion of human affairs…people need to be able to recognize this element even when it is serving `good’ ends.”
1. ↑ This paper is adapted from the manuscript and working papers for Too Close for Comfort, by Chip Berlet & Matthew N. Lyons. Many of the themes and ideas expressed in this paper are the result of our joint work. The speech presented at the symposium was based on this paper.
2. ↑ Holly Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995); Mike A. Males, The Scapegoat Generation: America’s War on Adolescents; (Monroe, ME, Common Courage Press, 1996 To Reclaim a Legacy of Diversity: Analyzing the `Political Correctness’ Debates in Higher Education, (Washington, DC: National Council for Research on Women, 1993); and Ellen Messer-Davidow “Manufacturing the Attack on Liberalized Higher Education,” Social Text, Fall 1993, pp. 40-80.
3. ↑ James A. Aho, This Thing of Darkness: A Sociology of the Enemy, (Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press, 1994). “A Phenomenology of the Enemy,” pp. 107-121.
4. ↑ Sir James George Frazier, The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, Abridged, (New York: MacMillan, 1922), pp. 624-686. for a comprehensive treatment of the process and social function of scapegoating in historic persecution texts of myth and religion, see: René Girard, The Scapegoat, (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.
5. ↑ Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 244.
6. ↑ Landes, “Scapegoating,” Encyclopedia of Social History, Peter N. Stearn, ed., (New York: Garland Pub. Inc., 1994), p. 659. Neumann has argued against using the term scapegoating when discussing conspiracist movements, but we support the Landes’ definition; Franz Neumann, “Anxiety in Politics,” in Richard O. Curry and Thomas M. Brown, eds., Conspiracy: The Fear of Subversion in American History, (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972), p. 255.
7. ↑ Eli Sagan, The Honey and the Hemlock: Democracy and Paranoia in Ancient Athens and Modern America, (New York: Basic Books, 1991), p. 370.
8. ↑ Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, p. 350.
9. ↑ The socio-psychological concepts regarding anger, frustration, and aggression depend on a chain of research that includes, among others: John Dollard, L. Doob, N. E. Miller, O.H. Mowrer, and R. R. Sears, Frustration and Aggression, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1939); Theodor W. Adorno, et al., The Authoritarian Personality (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, (Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954), Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind, (New York: Basic Books, 1960).
10. ↑ Allport, Nature of Prejudice, pp. 348-353.
11. ↑ For an interesting approach linking Jungian psychology to interventions against scapegoating in dysfunctional small organizations and groups, see Arthur D. Colman, Up From Scapegoating: Awakening Consciousness in Groups, (Wilmette, IL: Chiron, 1995).
12. ↑ Conversation with Susan M. Fisher, M. D. clinical professor of psychiatry of Univ. of Chicago Medical School and Faculty, Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, (1997).
13. ↑ Michael Billig, Fascists: A Social Psychological View of the National Front, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978), pp. 313-316.
14. ↑ See discussions in Jaroslav KrejÍ, “Neo-Fascism-West and East,” in Luciano Cheles, Ronnie Ferguson, and Michalina Vaughan, eds. The Far Right in Western and Eastern Europe, 2~nd edition, (New York: Longman Publishing, 1995), pp. 2-3; David Norman Smith; “The Social Construction of Enemies: Jews and the Representation of Evil,” Sociological Theory, 14:3, Nov. 1996, pp. 203-240; Billig, Fascists, pp. 296-350; Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996); pp. 163-339. An excellent review of the psycho-social aspects of authoritarianism and the Frankfurt school theories is in Social Though & Research, 1998, 21:1&2.
15. ↑ Conversation with Herman Sinaiko, Professor of Humanities, University of Chicago, (1997).
16. ↑ Sagan, The Honey and the Hemlock, p. 363.
17. ↑ Correspondence with analyst Mary Rupert.
19. ↑ Ibid., pp. 29-67.
20. ↑ Colman, Up From Scapegoating, pp. 7-10.
21. ↑ Girard, Scapegoat, pp. 43-44, 49-56, 66-73, 84-87, 100-101, 177-178. A spirited discussion with faculty at Bucks County Community College helped frame these ideas, especially in pointing out Girard’s discussion of the collective demonization of the scapegoat as building in-group social cohesion. Girard’s central focus is his thesis that the Gospels retell persecution myths from the perspective of the victim, and thus provide an opportunity to turn away from collective violence against scapegoats. A practical application of Girard’s work to reduce tensions in Northern Ireland was explained by Jean Horstman at a 1997 study group sponsored by the Center for Millennial Studies.
22. ↑ Landes, “Scapegoating,” Encyclopedia of Social History, p. 659.
23. ↑ Aho, This Thing of Darkness, pp. 115-116.
24. ↑ Girard, Scapegoat, p. 44.
25. ↑ Lise Noël, Intolerance, A General Survey, (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s Univeristy Press, 1994), p. 129-144.
27. ↑ Ruth Benedict, Race: Science and Politics, (New York: The Viking Press, 1961), p. 151.
28. ↑ Benedict, Race, pp. 150-151, 153.
29. ↑ Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 351.
30. ↑ Frazier, The Golden Bough, pp. 667-668, 680-686.
31. ↑ Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt, Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed, (New York: Plenum Press, 1996), pp. 234-235.
32. ↑ Conversation with Susan M. Fisher, M.D., 1997.
33. ↑ The relationships among prejudice, discrimination, and scapegoating are complex and by no means straightforward. Prejudice (the negative attitude) often preceeds discrimination (the negative act), but not always. Persons can discriminate without prejudice and be prejudiced without discriminating. McLemore, Racial and Etnic Relations, pp. 107-159.
35. ↑ Ibid., p.351.
36. ↑ Selnick and Steinberg, The Tenacity of Prejudice, (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), pp. 135-169.
37. ↑ Frazer, The Golden Bough, p. 624.
38. ↑ Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995).
39. ↑ Theodor W. Adorno, Else Frenkel-Brunswick, Daniel J. Levinson, R. Nevitt Sanford, The Authoritarian Personality (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Bruno Bettelheim and Morris Janowitz, The Dynamics of Prejudice, (New York: Harper & Row, 1950); Norman W. Ackerman and Marie Jahoda, Anti-Semitism and Emotional Disorder, (New York: Harper & Row, 1950).
40. ↑ Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996), pp. 319-325.
41. ↑ An excellent, albeit opinionated, review of these issues is in Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) pp 375-415. A good summary of the social science through 1964 is Bernard Berelson & Gary A. Steiner, Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings, (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964), pp. 493-525; see Hans Askenasy, Are We All Nazis? (Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart, 1978), for an accessible introductory discussion of the claim that most “normal” people, rather than just “authoritarian” personalities, can be manipulated into acts of brutality by authority figures. For a second round of theories, see James W. Vander Zanden, The Social Experience: An Introduction to Sociology, (New York: Random House, 1988), pp. 264-266. While the claims of a psychological basis for right-wing group membership or that conservative or reactionary individuals were all prejudiced bigots were faulty, the evolving theories of frustrated feelings and aggression being projected towards scapegoats are sound. S. Dale McLemore, Racial and Ethnic Relations in America, second edition, (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1983 (1980), pp. 115-119; Peter I. Rose, They and We: Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States, second edition, (New York: Random House, 1974), p. 118-119. For a new psychological interpretation of the authoritarian personality and its role in politics, see Michael A. Milburn and Sheree D. Conrad, The Politics of Denial, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1996).
42. ↑ Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, p. 23.
43. ↑ Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, p. 460.
44. ↑ Leonard Zeskind, “Some Ideas on Conspiracy Theories for a New Historic Period,” in Ward, Conspiracies, pp. 23-24.
46. ↑ Noël, Intolerance, pp. 149-164, Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices, pp. 353-365.
47. ↑ Hannah Arendt, “Antisemitism,” The Origins of Totalitarianism, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973 (1951), pp. 3-10. We believe our tying of scapegoating to actual conflict resolves Arendt’s objection to the traditional use of the term. Arendt’s work is eclectic, and we draw from her cautiously. An excellent summary and critique of Arendt’s broader work is by Margaret Canovan, The Political Thought of Hannah Arendt, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974).
48. ↑ Ibid., p. 5.
49. ↑ Selnick and Steinberg, The Tenacity of Prejudice, pp. 130-131.
50. ↑ Henry Louis Gates, Jr., “Black Demagogues and Psuedo-Scholars,” op-ed, The New York Times, 7/20/92.
51. ↑ Allport, Prejudice, p. 255.
52. ↑ David Norman Smith; “The Social Construction of Enemies: Jews and the Representation of Evil,” Sociological Theory, 14:3, Nov. 1996, pp. 203-240.
53. ↑ Gerard calls this the “mimetic” response where two groups mimic the other in constructing scapegoating allegations.
54. ↑ Landes, Encyclopedia of Social History, “Scapegoating,” p. 659.
55. ↑ Levin and McDevitt, Hate Crimes, pp. 33-63
56. ↑ Allport, Prejudice, pp. 57-59.
57. ↑ Aho, This Thing of Darkness, p. 111.
58. ↑ Goldhagen, Hitler’s Willing Executioners, pp. 416-454. Goldhagen argues that the commonplace bigotry, demonization, and scapegoating of Jews throughout German society was the central factor in the willingness of ordinary Germans to participate in the genocide. Christopher Browning, who studied the same unit of German wartime killers as Goldhagen, concluded that bureaucratic conformity was the central factor. (Christopher Browing, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (New York: HarperCollins, 1992). This intentionalist v. functionalist dichotomy, like many academic feuds, is more useful for practical applications in a synthesized form that balances arguments from both camps. Sadly enough, either way, the victims still are brutalized and murdered. For a thoughtful review of the issues, see Adam Shatz, “Browning’s Version,” Lingua Franca, February 1997, pp 48-57.
59, 62. ↑ Allport, Nature of Prejudice, p. 410.
60. ↑ Eric Hoffer, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (New York, Harper, 1951).
61. ↑ A fascinating perspective on the manipulative nature of demagogues can be found in Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad, The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power, (Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd., 1993).
63. ↑ Frederick Cople Jaher, A Scapegoat in the New Wilderness: The Origins and Rise of Anti- Semitism in America, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994), pp. 13-14.
64. ↑ Robert S. Robins and Jerrold M. Post, M.D. Political Paranoia: The Psychopolitics of Hatred, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997), p. 301.
65, 157. ↑ Books explaining the logical fallacies can be found in most libraries. An excellent and comprehensive online reference on fallacious arguments by Dr. Michael C. Labossiere can be found at <http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/>. A vivid and humorous exposé of illogical demagoguery is Ray Perkins, Jr., Logic and Mr. Limbaugh, (Chicago: Open Court, 1995).
66. ↑ Hofstadter, Paranoid Style, p. 37; Johnson, Architects, 23-25, 27.
67. ↑ Interview with Holly Sklar, 1996.
68. ↑ The author has been conducting these interviews since 1969.
70. ↑ Arendt, Origins of Totalitarianism, pp. 470. Arendt described Hitler’s Nazi government and Stalin’s communist government as totalitarian, but rejected the claim that all fascist or communist governments or movements attained totalitarian status.
71. ↑ Ibid., pp. 354, 362, 364.
72. ↑ Ibid., pp. 371-373.
73. ↑ Ibid., p. 367.
74. ↑ For a cautious approach, see Steven Hassan, Combatting Cult Mind Control, (Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1988
75. ↑ Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, (New York: Penguin Books, 1963), pp. 37-45, 51-53, 131-132, 135-145, 183-184, 286-290, 293-298.
76. ↑ Lawrence L. Langer, Admitting the Holocaust: Collected Essays, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 182.
77. ↑ With appropriate credits to the Facing History and Ourselves curricula and William Shakespeare.
78. ↑ Although they often disagree with my conclusions, my thinking on conspiracism has been shaped by comments and critiques from S. L. Gardiner, Loretta Ross, and Leonard Zeskind.
79. ↑ Higham, Strangers, pp. 3-11; Hofstadter, Paranoid Style, pp. 3-40; Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xv-xviii; Bennett, Party of Fear, pp. 1-16; George Johnson, Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics, (Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1983), pp. 17-30.
80. ↑ George Johnson, “The Conspiracy That Never Ends,” The New York Times, 4/30/95, Sec. 4; p. 5. The full text of Johnson’s rules is longer and far more erudite and entertaining.
81. ↑ On Christian right fears of a liberal secular humanist conspiracy, see Chip Berlet and Margaret Quigley, “Theocracy & White Supremacy: Behind the Culture War to Restore Traditional Values,” chapter in Eyes Right! Challenging the Right Wing Backlash, Chip Berlet, ed. (Boston, South End Press, 1995) p. 60–61; On growing right/left conspiracism, see Michael Kelly, “The Road to Paranoia,” The New Yorker, June 19, 1995, pp. 60–70; Janet Biehl, ”Militia Fever: The Fallacy of “Neither Left nor Right,” Green Perspectives, A Social Ecology Publication, Number 37, April 1996; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not!,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, Jan., 1992, pp. 17–19; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not, Again,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, May,. 1992, pp. 86–88.
82. ↑ Kintz & Lesage, Culture, Media, and the Religious Right. Detailed articles on the general theme of right-wing media can be found in Afterimage (Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY), special issue on “Fundamentalist Media,” 22:7&8, Feb./March 1995; and Extra! (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), special issue on “The Right-Wing Media Machine,” March/April 1995. Jim Danky and John Cherney, “Beyond Limbaugh: The Hard Right’s Publishing Spectrum,” Reference Services Review, Spring 1996, pp. 43-56. For radio conspiracism, see Leslie Jorgensen, “AM Armies,” pp. 20–22 and Larry Smith, “Hate Talk,” p. 23, Extra! March/April 1995; Marc Cooper, “The Paranoid Style,” The Nation, April 10, 1995, pp. 486–492; William H. Freivogel, “Talking Tough On 300 Radio Stations, Chuck Harder’s Show Airs Conspiracy Theories,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, May 10, 1995, p. 5B; David McHugh and Nancy Costello, “Radio host off the air; militia chief may be out,” Detroit Free Press, 4/29/95, p. 6A; Far Right Radio Review online at <http://www.clark.net/pub/cwilkins/rfpi/frwr.html>. For Internet, see: Devin Burghardt, “Cyberh@te: A Reappraisal,” The Dignity Report (Coalition for Human Dignity), Fall, 1996, pp. 12–16.
83. ↑ Davis, The Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xiv-xv, 1.
84. ↑ Mintz, Liberty Lobby, p. 199.
85. ↑ Curry & Brown, eds., “Introduction,” Conspiracy, p. x.
86. ↑ O’Leary, Arguing the Apocalypse, pp. 20-60.
87. ↑ Zeskind, “Some Ideas on Conspiracy Theories,” p. 16; see also, pp. 11, 13-15, 16-17.
88. ↑ Ibid., 13-14.
89. ↑ S. L. Gardiner, “Social Movements, Conspiracy Theories and Economic Determinism: A Response to Chip Berlet,” in Ward, Conspiracies, p. 83.
90, 97. ↑ Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, p. xiv.
91. ↑ Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, pp. xv-xvi.
92. ↑ Donner, Age, p. 10.
93. ↑ In addition to discussions of repression in Bennett, Levin, Donner, Higham, Preston, and Rogin, see also Robert J. Goldstein, Political Repression in Modern America, 1870 to Present, 2nd edition, (Rochester VT: Schenkman Books, Inc. , 1978); Athan Theoharis, Spying on Americans: Political Surveillance from Hoover to the Huston Plan, (Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press, 1978); Kenneth O’Reilly, Hoover and the Unamericans: The FBI, HUAC and the Red Menace, (Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press, 1983); Athan G. Theoharis and John Stuart Cox, The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition, (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988); Ward Churchill & Jim Vander Wall. Agents of Repression: The FBI’s Secret Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement, (Boston: South End Press, 1988); Kenneth O’Reilly, `Racial Matters:’ The FBI’s Secret File on Black America, 1960-1972, (New York: Free Press, 1988); Ward Churchill & Jim Vander Wall. COINTELPRO Papers: Documents from the FBI’s Secret Wars Against Dissent in the United States, (Boston: South End Press, 1989).
94. ↑ Davis, Fear of Conspiracy, p. 361.
98. ↑ Kathleen M. Blee, “Engendering Conspiracy: Women in Rightist Theories and Movements,” in in Eric Ward, ed., Conspiracies: Real Greivances, Paranoia, and Mass Movements, (Seattle: Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment [Peanut Butter Publishing], 1996).
99. ↑ Interview with author Holly Sklar, 1997.
100. ↑ Interview with Matthew N. Lyons, 1997.
101. ↑ Some of the titles are insensitive to stereotyped language.
102. ↑ G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, (]]]xxxxxx]]], 1995); Martin Larson, The Federal Reserve and our Manipulated Dollar, (Old Greenwich, CT: Devin-Adair, 1975); Antony C. Sutton, The War on Gold, (Seal Beach, CA: ’76 Press, 1977); Eustace Mullins, The World Order: Our Secret Rulers, second edition, (Staunton, VA: Ezra Pound Institute of Civilization, 1992); Eustace Mullins, Mullins on the Federal Reserve, (New York: Kaspar and Horton, 1952).
103. ↑ One book mixes the themes: Eustace Mullins, The Federal Reserve Conspiracy, second edition, (Union, NJ: Christian Educational Association, 1954).
104. ↑ See, for example, Eustace Mullins, The Secret Holocaust (Word of Christ Mission); see also listings on Mullins in Robert Singerman, Antisemitic Propaganda: An Annotated Bibliography and Research Guide, (New York: Garland Publishing, 1982), including, Eustace Mullins, The Biological Jew, (Staunton, VA: Faith and Service Books, ca. 1968); Eustace Mullins, “Jews Mass Poison American Children, Women’s Voice (Chicago), June 1955, p. 11; Eustace Mullins, Impeach Eisenhower! (Chicago, Women’s Voice, ca. 1955).
105. ↑ Bruce Cumings, The Origins of the Korean War, vol. 2, The Roaring of the Cataract 1947-1950 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1990), p. 767.
106. ↑ C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite, New York: Oxford University Press, 1956. G. William Domhoff, The Powers That Be: Processes of Ruling Class Domination in America, (New York: Vintage Books, 1979, (1978); Domhoff, Who Rules America Now: A View for the `80’s, (New York: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 1986, (1983); Holly Sklar, ed., Trilateralism: The Trilateral Commission and Elite Planning for World Management, (Boston: South End Press, 1980); Sklar, Reagan, Trilateralism and the Neoliberals: Containment and Intervention in the 1980s, (Boston: South End Press (Pamphlet No. 4), 1986); Sklar, Chaos or Community: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics, (Boston: South End Press, 1995).
107. ↑ For example, David Brion Davis includes articles by progressive investigative reporter George Seldes and radical Black power advocates Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton in his collection of conspiracist writings, David Brion Davis, ed., The Fear of Conspiracy: Images of Un-American Subversion from the Revolution to the Present, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1971).
108. ↑ Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths: Reflections on Politics, Media, Ideology, Conspiracy, Ethnic Life and Class Power, (San Fransisco: City Lights, 1996.
109. ↑ Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not!,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, Jan., 1992, pp. 17-19; Michael Albert, “Conspiracy?…Not, Again,” Venting Spleen column, Z Magazine, May,. 1992, pp. 86-88.
110, 138, 142. ↑ Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort.
111. ↑ Jonathan Mozzochi and L. Events Rhinegard, Rambo, Gnomes and the New World Order: The Emerging Politics of Populism, (Portland, OR: Coalition for Human Dignity, 1991), p. 1.
112, 113. ↑ Canovan, Populism, p. 296.
114. ↑ Michael Kelly, “The Road to Paranoia,” The New Yorker, June 19, 1995, pp. 60-70.
115. ↑ Kelly, in his New Yorker article, writes of this seepage phenomenon from alternative to mainstream in terms of conspiracist anti-government allegations.
116. ↑ Janet Biehl & Peter Staudenmaier, Ecofascism: Lessons from the German Experience, (Edinburgh: AK Press, 1995).
117. ↑ “Whiteness” is an ethnic identity, not a race or skin color, thus I capitalize “White.”
118. ↑ By spelling antisemitism without a capital “S” or dash, I seek to recognize and respect the historic term while rejecting the false implicit idea that Jews are a race.
119. ↑ Amy Elizabeth Ansell, New Right, New Racism: Race and Reaction in the United States and Britain, (New York, NYU Press, 1997) pp. 49-73; Anna Marie Smith, New Right Discourse on Race & Sexuality, (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 18-70.
120. ↑ People can be straight, gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual-this is descriptive rather than an ethnic reference; but when referring to an ethnic identity, movement, or specific organization, I will refer to Gayness, Lesbian identity, the Gay and Lesbian Rights movement, the Lesbian Avengers group, and the Digital Queers group.
121. ↑ Tarso Luís Ramos, “Feint to the Left: The Growing Popularity of Populism,” Portland Alliance, (Oregon), Dec. 1991, pp. 13, 18; Chip Berlet “Friendly Fascists,” The Progressive, June 1992; Berlet, Right Woos Left: Populist Party, LaRouchian, and Other Neo- fascist Overtures to Progressives and Why They Must Be Rejected. (Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates, 1990, (revised 1994).
122. ↑ People Against Racist Terror (PART) Turning the Tide, (“a quarterly journal of anti-racist activism, research and education,”), Summer 1995 Volume 8 #2; Chip Berlet & Matthew N. Lyons, “Militia Nation,” The Progressive, June 1995, pp. 22-25.
123. ↑ Matthew N. Lyons, woking paper for Too Close for Comfort.
124. ↑ Margaret Canovan, Populism (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981); Michael Kazin, The Populist Persuasion: An American History. (New York: Basic Books, 1995).
125. ↑ Lawrence Goodwyn, The Populist Moment: A Short History of the Agrarian Revolt in America, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978), p. vii.
126. ↑ Canovan, Populism, pp. 51, 294. Centrist/extremist theory was popularized by a series of books, including The New American Right, first published in 1955, later revised and expanded as: Daniel Bell, ed., The Radical Right: The New American Right-Expanded and Updated, (Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964); and Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab, The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970, (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1970), with a second edition appearing in 1978.
127. ↑ Canovan, Populism, p. 51.
128. ↑ Ibid., pp. 13, 128-138
129. ↑ Ibid., p. 289.
132. ↑ Kazin, The Populist Persuasion, pp. 10-11.
133. ↑ Canovan, Populism, pp. 293-295.
134. ↑ Matthew N. Lyons, working draft of chapter segment in Berlet & Lyons, Too Close for Comfort
135. ↑ Kazin, The Populist Persuasion, p. 284.
136. ↑ This list is a compilation of points made previously by Canovan and Kazin, as well as John Higham, Strangers in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism 1860-1925 (New York: Atheneum, 1972); Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” in The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965); and David H. Bennett, The Party of Fear: The American Far Right from Nativism to the Militia Movement, (New York: Vintage Books, revised 1995, (1988).
137. ↑ Gordon W. Allport, Nature of Prejudice, Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, pp. 410-424.
139. ↑ Canovan, Populism, p. 292.
140. ↑ Ibid., pp. 292-293.
141. ↑ Hans-Georg Betz, Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe, New York: St. Martins Press, 1994, pp. 106-108, 174; “America’s New Populism,” Business Week, cover story, March 13, 1995.
143. ↑ Lucy A. Williams, “The Right’s Attack on Aid to Families with Dependent Children,” The Public Eye, Vol. X, Nos. 3 & 4, Fall/Winter 1996, p. 18.
144. ↑ Jean V. Hardisty, “The Resurgent Right: Why Now?” The Public Eye, Fall/Winter 1995, pp. 1-13.
145. ↑ Canovan, Margaret. 1981. Populism, pp. 289, 293, 294; Canovan notes that there are “a great many interconnections” among her seven forms of populism, and that “many phenomena—perhaps most—belong in more than one category.” She adds that “given the contradictions” between some of the categories, “none could ever satisfy all the conditions at once.”
146. ↑ Kazin, Michael. 1995. The Populist Persuasion: An American History. See also Harrison, Trevor. (1995). Of Passionate Intensity: Right-Wing Populism and the Reform Party of Canada.
147. ↑ Betty Dobratz, and Stephanie Shanks-Meile, “The Contemporary Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party: A Comparison to American Populism at the Turn of the Century,” Humanity and Society (1988), pp. 20-50.; Victor C. Ferkiss, “Populist Influences on American Fascism,” Western Political Quarterly (1957), pp. 350-373.
148. ↑ Peter Fritzsche, Rehearsals for Fascism: Populism and Political Mobilization in Weimar Germany.(New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), pp. 149-150.
150. ↑ Ibid., pp. 233-235
152. ↑ Umberto Eco, “Ur-Fascism” [Eternal Fascism], New York Review of Books, June 22, 1995.
153. ↑ Fritzsche, Rehearsals, p. 233.
155. ↑ Matthew N. Lyons, working paper for Too Close for Comfort.
156. ↑ Kevin Phillips, “The Politics of Frustration,” The New York Times Magazine, April 12, 1992, p. 38, 40-42.
Chip Berlet is a former senior analyst at Political Research Associates. He authored Eyes Right! and Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort (with Matthew N. Lyons) and is a frequent contributor to Talk2Action and Huffington Post.
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"Qingsongchou" - World's Largest Donation-based Crowdfunding Platform for Serious Illness Campaigns with more than CNY 32 Billion Fund Raised
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 11, 2019 / Recently, China's largest crowdfunding platform for people with major disease - Qingsongchou - announced that its users have exceeded 600 million, and the total amount of funds raised exceeded 32 billion Yuan. This means that the Qingsongchou,launched in 2014, has led the competitors in terms of business presence in the industry, and become the largest healthcare platform in the world.
The "Serious illness crowdfunding" model can effectively meet the need of poor families to raise funds when they face serious illnesses. Gofundme, which is like the Qingsongchou in the first echelon of the industry, was established in 2010. It currently has more than 50 million donors and raised nearly $5 billion. The development of the Qingsongchou relies on China's vast markets and in-depth presence in the grassroots market to complete the global expansion that so far brings it with 600 million users and the largest fundraising amount globally.
The success of Qingsongchou lies not only in the company's innovation and exploration, but also in China's rapid development of the mobile Internet that makes donations simpler, easier and more transparent that leads the trend of "fingertip public welfare" in China.
It is known by far that after the Qingsongchou, the company will also innovate and establish a core healthcare matrix based on the market demand, including: Qingsongchou, Easy to Mutual Help, Easy to Insurance, Easy to Healthcare, and Easy to Public Welfare, to broaden its presence in the pan-healthcare field and realize the concept of health protection and value maximization.
Nowadays, while the Qingsongchou takes China's public healthcare as its business breakthrough that subverted the traditional medical assistance, it has also completed the expansion into Southeast Asia, Indonesia and other regions, and has occupied an unshakable leading position in the healthcare funding industry. Besides, it is worth mentioning that along with Chinese famous brands such as Xiaomi, it uses the 'Chinese style' approach to solve healthcare and daily life problems in more regions in the world.
Qingsongchou@gmail.com
SOURCE: Qingsongchou
https://www.accesswire.com/551606/Qingsongchou--Worlds-Largest-Donation-based-Crowdfunding-Platform-for-Serious-Illness-Campaigns-with-more-than-CNY-32-Billion-Fund-Raised
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Story from Fashion
"A Moment of Innocence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf (on dvd). It's about Makhmalbaf, an Iranian-Islamic militant as a teen who stabbed a policeman and went to jail. Decades later he becomes a famous filmmaker, and then a man comes up to him and says, "I'm the cop you stabbed. I want to be in one of your movies." They made a film about what happened, and this is it. It's stunning. I love Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika (cd), a really fun glam-pop singer with a beautiful Freddy Mercury-inspired voice. It's all the rage in the UK right now. Then there's my Nashville movie poster from Poland (from a New York store called Posterati). It's my favorite new purchase."
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"A Moment of Innocence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf (on dvd). It's about Makhmalbaf, an Iranian-Islamic militant as a teen who stabbed a policeman and went to jail. Decades later he becomes a famous filmmaker, and then a man comes up to him and says, "I'm the cop you stabbed. I want to be in one of your movies." They made a film about what happened, and this is it. It's stunning. I love Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika (cd), a really fun..."
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Abilene man to spend the rest of his life in prison after murder conviction Monday
Charles Edward Newman, 38, was handed a life sentence Tuesday after he was found guilty Monday of killing Kendra Keppler
Abilene man to spend the rest of his life in prison after murder conviction Monday Charles Edward Newman, 38, was handed a life sentence Tuesday after he was found guilty Monday of killing Kendra Keppler Check out this story on reporternews.com: https://www.reporternews.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/23/charles-edward-newman-life-sentence-abilene-man-murder-kendra-keppler/1741895002/
Timothy Chipp and Laura Gutschke, Abilene Reporter-News Published 2:50 p.m. CT Oct. 23, 2018
An Abilene man was found guilty of shooting a woman in the head. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Charles Edward Newman, 38, was found guilty of murder and tampering with evidence on Monday, according to a 350th District Court representative.
More: Bullet matched to gun in Abilene murder trial of Charles Edward Newman
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Sentencing began Tuesday and jurors were deliberating late Tuesday morning. His sentence was handed down at about 2:30 p.m.
Newman was found to have shot 27-year-old Kendra Keppler in her residence on or around May 18, 2016.
He was also determined to have sold the murder weapon in exchange for drugs, a tampering with evidence charge.
In addition to the life sentence for murder, he was assessed a $10,000 fine. Newman also received two 60-year sentences and two $8,000 fines for tampering.
When asked by Judge Thomas Wheeler if he planned to appeal, Newman indicated he would.
Read or Share this story: https://www.reporternews.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/23/charles-edward-newman-life-sentence-abilene-man-murder-kendra-keppler/1741895002/
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See all stories from issue #242, May/June 2014
Get great stories in 'Teen Success Library'
Me and My Anger
My fists landed me at Rikers
D. Perry
I’ve always had a short temper. I remember the first time I got out of control. I was 6 and I was mad at my cousin because he wouldn’t walk me to Dunkin’ Donuts, and I was too young to go alone. I pushed him off a fire hydrant and he fell onto the concrete sidewalk and cut his head and had to get stitches. I also remember throwing an apple at my kindergarten teacher although I don’t recall why. But I didn’t get into a lot of fights until I got to middle school.
I think my chaotic life shortened my temper even more. I had to live in different cities, and I was separated from two of my sisters a bunch of times. Then, when I was 12, I found out the woman I thought was my mother was actually my cousin, and that my real mom was in prison. Maybe I wouldn’t have been as upset if my cousin hadn’t lied to me all those years. Didn’t she think I deserved to know the truth? I felt full of rage all the time. I had so much anger and anxiety inside of me and I didn’t know how to release it. I often wondered why all of this was happening to me.
By the time I was 14 I was in fights a lot and I was suspended twice. Usually it was over stupid stuff such as not liking a look someone gave me. I provoked people. Once I was arguing with a boy on the school bus. When I insulted his mother, he started choking me and we fought.
Rage Against the Authority
In 9th grade I got into a fight with my math teacher. She always joked around. Sometimes she overdid it and teased in a mean way. She made a few negative remarks about my mom.
“And your mother died of a heart attack because you stressed her out,” I said.
I know this probably wasn’t such a wonderful thing to say to her but I couldn’t help it.
She came over to my desk and grabbed my purse and make-up bag and emptied everything onto the floor. She didn’t know it but that’s probably one of the worst things you can do to me; my make-up is my life.
I cleaned up everything and put it back in my bag.
“Now I’m going to violate your personal space for violating mine,” I said.
I walked up to her desk and I tried to reach for her bag and she pushed my hands away, so I spit in her face. Then I threw my juice bottle at her and laughed.
At the moment I felt good doing everything that I did to her because I thought she deserved it. I got suspended for 30 days and was sent to a suspension site, which is a separate school that kids go to when they really act out. I felt like a prisoner without any rights or say. The food tasted like scraps from a dumpster. You’re not allowed to bring pens, food, or cosmetics. When I did, I was yelled at. Being yelled at for wanting to have these harmless things with me didn’t feel right.
My anger would just build each day and then I would snap. Fighting and beating up people seemed like the only way I could be stress-free. Seeing people hurt and feeling the pain that I felt was a wonderful thing to me. At this time in my life, I wanted everyone to see my pain and also feel their own pain.
At the same time, I knew what I did was wrong. I felt horrible after I had fights. But I kept doing it anyway.
Provoked and Violent
Over the next two years, I got sent to suspension sites two more times. But it wasn’t until I landed in jail that I finally figured out that I needed help.
One day in school, I was walking in the hallway with two of my friends on the way to lunch. A girl named Sarah started staring at me and whispering to her friends about me. She was tall, light skinned, and had long black hair. I did my best to ignore her even though she kept at it. This went on for three weeks.
Until one day I came to school in one of my worst moods; construction problems on the subway had made me 30 minutes late and I was starving from not eating breakfast. Even though I knew it was wrong, I texted my friends asking them to cut our next period so I could go to the lunchroom. I felt like a homeless person that sits on the sidewalk looking for some food or spare change—that’s how hungry I was.
As I began to eat, Sarah walked in and started laughing and staring at me again. “I swear I do not like that girl. She thinks she’s better than everybody,” she said.
I was already pissed off so I walked over to her and said, “Listen: I’ve really just been holding back and ignoring you for these past few weeks but now I’ve had enough. I want to fight.”
image by YC-Art Dept
She looked surprised. “What are we fighting for? I just don’t like you. There’s no good reason to fight and get kicked out of school,” she said. At that moment I didn’t care. I was too angry. After three weeks of taunting she had pushed me too far. I felt like the only way to get her to shut up was to beat her up.
The school safeties came over and asked me nicely to get out of the young lady’s face and to sit down, so I did. But I still planned to fight her and I told my two friends to go over to Sarah and tell her that. She said real loud, “I’m not scared of anybody, so if you just touch me then we’re fighting.” That’s what I wanted to hear.
After lunch, she was leaning against the lockers with her friends, laughing and looking at me just like she’d been doing all these weeks. I methodically took off my boots, then my socks and placed them in my bag, and I asked one of my friends to hold it. While Sarah was still laughing at me, I punched her in her face really hard and she just stood there beginning to cry.
A student came over to me and pulled me away from her. I was yelling, “Get off me and let me fight!” I broke out and ran back up to Sarah. I pushed her hard and she flew to the floor. One of her friends saw her lying there and they began to hit me. Then my two friends jumped in. I was so angry that I fought the cops and school safeties, anybody who attempted to touch me.
Part way through the fighting it hit me that I was doing something really wrong and I wished I could go back and change everything. But another side of me thought, “You’re already in trouble and if you don’t finish what you started this girl’s going to keep bothering you.” So at the time, getting kicked out of school didn’t matter to me. Beating her up made me feel like I was solving the problem. It also made me feel in control of everything.
My two friends and I were arrested and I was sent to a juvenile jail at Rikers for three weeks. I did a lot of thinking there.
Reflection at Rikers
Sometimes I’d think: I’m just going to drop out and get a GED. I thought about staying home and just giving up on everything. Throughout these two years, I had fallen behind in my grades, and I’d missed a lot of school. I felt like a complete failure. I’d moved in with my mom, who’d been released from prison, but it was hard for her to find a job and we argued a lot so I still felt angry all the time.
Whenever I’d fight I’d just do what my emotions told me to do without thinking first. With Sarah, I should have been the bigger person and gone to the principal and had mediation with her.
I also thought about how well some of my other friends were doing. They had jobs and were in college. I knew I needed to stay in high school and finish. Getting a diploma with my name on it would be the best feeling and a goal I knew I could accomplish.
I also like my freedom and I knew I didn’t want to ever end up in a suspension site or locked up again. I like to be able to eat, bathe, sleep, use the bathroom, talk, clean, and watch television when I want to. In Rikers, I had no freedom whatsoever.
I also thought about how I was getting older, and I had to stop fighting. I had to learn to handle my anger in different ways. I realized I needed help.
When I got out, I got help from my caseworker at the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). She connected me with a therapist so I could work on managing my anger, as well as a psychiatrist so I could take medication. At first I didn’t click with the therapist but I stuck with her and now I see her every other week. It’s working out well.
Focusing on My Future
After Rikers, I was sent to a suspension site for six months. Now I’m at a new high school and next year I’ll graduate. I’m glad I didn’t just quit and get my GED because I want to be a special victims detective. You need a high school and college degree for that. Dropping out or getting a GED would have left me feeling that I could have accomplished more.
Life at home is still difficult. I still get angry. But now I have other ways to deal with it. When I’m upset with someone I’ll try to talk to them about it in a polite way. If it turns into an argument everyone still gets their point across without physically fighting.
Just recently one of my ex-friends and I had an argument, and she told me to come over to her house and fight. The old me wouldn’t have thought it through. I would have gone to her house, beaten her up, and possibly landed back at Rikers. The new me just killed her with kindness. She didn’t know how to respond and didn’t want to fight anymore. That made me feel in control. The fight was over something stupid anyway. It usually is.
Another technique that works for me is doing something that I know will calm me down. I’ll take deep breaths, take a warm bubble bath, listen to music, turn off my cell phone, or take a nap until I feel the anger pass. I haven’t gotten into any trouble since I started using these strategies and I feel like a new person.
This is all a work-in-progress. Sometimes when I feel pushed by someone I cry because I want to hit the person and cause a lot of damage. But instead I think twice about the consequences. It can be hard because some people try to push me to handle things the negative way. But I believe in myself and that I can change for the better
I realized that I need to grow up, finish high school, get a job, help my mother with bills, take care of myself, go to college and most importantly, walk away from any negative situation.
(NYC-2014-05-03)
Depression, Anger, Sadness: Teens Write About Facing Difficult Emotions
In Too Deep: Teens Write About Gangs
Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them
Leader's Guide to Real Stories, Real Teens
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Posted by Guide to Retirement Living SourceBook on 03/25/2015
Friends and Neighbors - White Horse Village
Good friends are hard to find. Great friends who are also neighbors are even rarer. The residents of White Horse Village have found both—hundreds of them—at their full service retirement community in Newtown Square, Pa.
The friendships at White Horse Village started even before the residents moved in nearly a quarter of a century ago. Now, as the residents celebrate the community’s 25th anniversary, they are immensely proud of the intimate atmosphere they helped to build. Helping to establish the warm and welcoming community were several charter families—including the Madsens and the Allens.
Paul and Shirley Madsen were among the first residents to sign up for White Horse Village shortly after construction started in 1989. After joining the community, the Madsens immediately started volunteering.
Paul was asked to help form the White Horse VillageResidents Association. He eagerly accepted the challenge and helped to lay the groundwork for the high-level of resident involvement seen today in all aspects of community life. In March of 1990, he was elected to the Council and served for five years, including three successive one-year terms as president. One of his most notable accomplishments was helping to establish the Resident Reserve Fund; today, the fund includes more than $1.5 million to assist residents in need.
While her husband was helping to establish the community’s leadership, Shirley and her fellow volunteers focused on welcoming new residents. “We started immediately with the welcoming committee, and whenever someone moved in, we would make sure they had a meal delivered,” she said.
Shirley was also one of the original members of the Village Singers, the community’s highly acclaimed chorus. Today, the group is directed by residents who are retired professional musicians. They create challenging programs for both the novice and advanced singers.
“In the early days, we just had fun and never really thought about the quality of the music,” recalled Shirley. “It is an entirely different group now, still fun, but very professional and accomplished.”
One of the primary hallmarks of White Horse Village was present from its earliest days—and never even required a committee: the community’s friendly atmosphere. “I have always been amazed by the friendliness of everyone here—not only the residents, but also all the staff members,” Shirley noted. “This entire campus is just such a friendly place.”
The Allens had a similar experience. Phil and Betty Allen are also charter residents of White Horse Village, and they have never regretted their decision to move to what was then a community under construction.
“We have been so happy here. It is, without a doubt, one of the friendliest places on earth,” said Betty. “I just hope it goes on forever and ever.”
Phil and Betty were also instrumental in helping to build the close-knit community, and became actively involved in a variety of activities before they moved. Phil worked with several other residents to establish and outfit the community’s Woodshop, which continues to be a popular activity among current residents.
Meanwhile, Betty helped to establish the Harvester’s Garden, a large garden plot that is home to a wide array of flowers, as well as seasonal vegetables and herbs. Betty and her fellow gardeners raise flowers and create both fresh and dried arrangements that are displayed throughout White Horse Village.
The garden has grown immensely. “This year, I raised about 100 baby plants from seeds,” Betty said. However, she now realizes how naive the original gardeners were when they started. “We must have been very optimistic because we decided to name it the Harvesters Garden before we had even planted anything,” she laughed as she recalled.
While Betty has seen her garden and her community grow over the years, watching the friendships grow has been the most rewarding.
“The friendliness is the most important aspect of this community,” she said. “Even 25 years later, we are still so active and involved.”
Shirley agreed. “It makes me angry when people think that we came to White Horse Village to die. We came here to live, and we have lived so well.”
Whether they are charter residents or new additions, White Horse Village’s residents all benefit from the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of a community that has a proud history and an exciting future. In the last 25 years, the community has grown and changed to better meet the needs of the area’s active seniors—but one thing will never change: new friends and neighbors are always welcome.
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Casino Plans Sprout In US As States Seek Revenue
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2012/01/14/casino_plans_sprout_in_us_as_states_seek_revenue_2/
January 14, 2012 10:18PM (UTC)
NEW YORK (AP) — A Malaysian company's plan to build a $4 billion convention center and big-time casino on the outskirts of New York City could be the biggest shot fired yet in a tourism arms race that has seen a growing number of Eastern states embrace gambling as a way to lure visitors and drum up revenue.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that he would work with the Genting Group, one of the world's largest and most successful gambling companies, to transform the storied, but sleepy, Aqueduct horse track into a megaplex that would eventually include the nation's largest convention center, 3,000 hotel rooms, and a major expansion of a casino that began operating at the site in October.
The proposal came less than two months after once-puritanical Massachusetts passed a law allowing up to three resort casinos, plus a slot machine parlor, at locations around the state.
Ohio is poised to see its first commercial casinos open this year, after voters approved up to four gambling halls in 2009. Maryland's first casino opened last year, with more on the way. Pennsylvania's first casinos opened in 2006, and already the state is threatening to surpass Atlantic City as the nation's second-largest gambling market.
And in Florida, lawmakers are hotly debating a whopper of a bill that would allow up to three multibillion-dollar casinos, plus additional slot machines at dog and horse tracks. Genting appears confident the law will pass. It has already spent around $450 million to acquire waterfront property in Miami, where it wants to build a $3.8 billion complex that would include a casino, dozens of restaurants and a shopping mall.
States have embraced casinos, after years of trepidation about their societal costs, for two simple reasons: a promise of a rich new revenue source, plus the possibility of stimulating tourism.
"They are faced with tough decisions. They are in recession ... And we pay taxes far over and above normal taxes," said Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association.
Last week alone, Genting's new gambling parlor at Aqueduct, now limited to 4,500 video slot machines and another 500 electronic table games, made nearly $13 million — putting the "racino" on pace to make $676 million per year, with 44 percent of that take going to a state education fund.
And that total is nothing compared to the $1.4 to $2 billion per year Genting predicts it would bring in at the huge complex it is planning in Miami.
Some experts, however, have questioned whether revenue bonanzas that large are realistic, and say states should be cautious about giving up too much to lure these projects. Competition for a limited pool of gambling and tourism dollars is already fierce, and recent years haven't been kind to casinos.
Nevada's larger casinos lost $4 billion in 2011, according to a report released this month by the state's Gaming Control Board, as the state continued to feel the effects of the global economic slump.
As gambling options have increased in the East, revenue has slid substantially at the pair of Indian tribe-owned casinos in Connecticut and declined by a dramatic 30 percent in Atlantic City, which has lost customers in droves to the new casinos in nearby Philadelphia, according to David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
That trend could deepen with the introduction of big-time gambling in New York and Massachusetts, and in the end result in a situation where few people need to travel to gamble.
And that could mean that the tourism promise of the casinos largely goes unfulfilled, as the gambling tables and slot machines are played predominantly by locals taking revenue from other parts of the economy, rather than out-of-state visitors bringing in new dollars, said the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington D.C. research group that advocates for progressive tax codes.
"Gambling may simply shift money from one tax to another, limiting the net gain to the state," it said. "Consumers spend more money on gambling activities, they will spend less money on other items, such as recreation and even basic needs."
Gambling resorts, most notably Las Vegas, have responded to tougher competition by trying to make themselves into destinations for visitors of all stripes, offering concerts, theater, museums, zoos, restaurants and other attractions.
Genting appears to be planning a variation on that model for New York.
The company and the project's champion, Cuomo, have heralded it first and foremost for the planned convention center, which they have boasted will be the nation's largest.
Genting has insisted it will go ahead with construction of the center even if the state doesn't pass the constitutional amendment needed to fully legalize the type of casino it wishes to operate at the site, with table games run by human dealers rather than the electronic machines.
"I can't be clearer about this: This project, this convention center, is in no way predicated on the legalization of table gambling in New York," said Stefan Friedman, a publicist for the company. "We think there is a real opportunity here."
The company has, however, asked for permission to expand its current casino operation as part of the deal. It also wants to alter its revenue-sharing deal so it can take home a bigger slice of the profits.
There are some skeptics. The convention center the company wishes to build will be a 45-minute taxi ride from Manhattan, or an hour or longer by train. It will be located in a residential area where there are now no restaurants, shops or sites of interest, aside from nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Convention centers across the country have been losing money for many years, and suffering from attendance declines even while going ahead with expansion projects.
"I would consider that a very risky business proposition," said Heywood Sanders, a professor of public administration at the University of Texas who is a leading critic of using taxpayer money to build convention centers.
He noted that the nation's biggest convention center, Chicago's McCormick Place, has seen attendance drop steadily in recent years, despite several expansions and costly upgrades. The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau reported that 2 million people attended events at the center in 2010, compared to 3 million in 2001. Convention delegates dropped to 890,000 from 1.3 million over that same decade.
Cuomo himself noted in a letter to New York legislators this week that many convention centers lose money, and he expressed doubt over the wisdom of using public money to pay for such facilities, saying it was "debatable" that they generate enough new tourism to validate the investment.
But he noted that, in this case, the building would be privately funded and operated.
"The state is not building anything. We are not spending public money on a convention center. Genting, a private entity, will take the risk of economic success," he said.
That argument rang true with Kathryn Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, an influential group of business leaders.
"There is only upside for the city and state," she said. "We have very little to lose by encouraging them."
As in Florida, Genting appears to be betting big that the state will eventually eliminate legal hurdles to expanded gambling. It paid $380 million up-front for the right to operate at Aqueduct for 30 years, and said it is prepared to spend billions of dollars constructing convention and exhibition space, as well as a theater and 1,000 hotel rooms, even without the gambling expansion it desires.
Clearly, Friedman said, the company doesn't believe the East Coast is saturated with either casinos or convention centers.
That said, it isn't necessarily keen for more competition. As part of its negotiations with the state, he said, the company is discussing a possible grant of exclusivity that could prevent another casino from opening "right in our backyard."
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Cory Booker announces 2020 presidential bid
“I believe we can build a country where no one is forgotten,” New Jersey Democratic senator says
Herb Jackson
From front-runner to also-ran: Looking back on the Dean ‘scream’ FAA administrator defends decisions on Boeing 737 Max Asked about gas tax, Chao says ‘nothing is off the table’
Sen. Cory Booker’s announcement of a presidential run was long expected. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photos)
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker launched his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Friday, telling supporters he wants to be a uniting force in an increasingly divided country.
“We are better when we help each other,” the former Newark mayor said in a video emailed to supporters and released on Twitter, where he has 4.1 million followers.
“I believe we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind. … Together, we will channel our common pain back into our common purpose. Together, America, we will rise,” he said.
A senator since 2013, Booker enters an already crowded Democratic field that is sure to get even more jammed. Candidates who have already announced bids or exploratory committees include Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Kamala Harris of California; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii; former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
Booker’s announcement was expected: He’s traveled the country over the past two years, campaigning for Democrats in more than two dozen states, including early-voting Iowa and New Hampshire and perennial battlegrounds Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The trips helped him bank favors with candidates and build his brand with party regulars as he posed for endless selfies and delivered fiery speeches at party fundraising dinners. The executive director of Virginia’s state Democratic Party told NorthJersey.com in June that only Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton drew more people than Booker to the party’s annual dinner.
Also watch: ‘You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people,’ Booker says
With the help of others, Booker notched a partial victory on one of his top priorities in the Senate in December when President Donald Trump signed a bill to roll back mandatory minimum prison sentences for some drug crimes and allow those sentenced under old laws to file for release.
Other priorities include environmental justice, which is a commitment to ensuring the poor aren’t subjected to pollution. Booker cited that issue in signing on to the proposed “Green New Deal,” advocated by freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
But Booker’s celebrity also made him a target of attacks and ridicule, especially after he compared himself to the Thracian gladiator Spartacus after fellow Democrats came to his support at a confirmation hearing last year for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. A conservative group’s call for Booker to face discipline from the Senate Ethics Committee for releasing confidential Kavanaugh emails was dismissed in Dec. 12.
While he apparently sees it as a selling point, Booker’s response to attacks could disappoint Democrats looking for a nominee to be as aggressive as President Donald Trump.
After Booker delivered a speech to the 2016 Democratic National Convention that, like Friday’s video, also featured “We will rise” as a rallying call, Trump tweeted that Democrats have no future if they turn to Booker because “I know more about Cory than he knows about himself.”
Asked about veiled threat on CNN, Booker said, “ I love Donald Trump. I don’t want to answer his hate with hate. I’m going to answer it with love. I’m not going to answer his darkness with darkness. I love him. I know his kids, I know his family. They’re good, the children especially, good people.”
Booker does not mention Trump by name in his 2½-minute video announcement Friday. But a list of changes he said he wanted to work to build concluded with wanting a country “where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame.”
Trump’s tweet could have been a reference to Booker being single, a rarity for presidential nominees in the modern era. Asked about that and some opponents’ attempts in the past to use his status to question his sexuality, Booker told The Philadelphia Inquirer in December, “I’m heterosexual.”
Booker, 49, is the son of IBM executives who, with the help of fair housing activists, broke the race barrier to buy a home in an upscale North Jersey suburb. He frequently describes himself and his brother growing up as “a couple raisins in a tub of vanilla ice cream.”
Booker planned to follow up his video announcement, apparently timed for the start of Black History Month, by calling in to broadcasts aimed at black and Latino audiences. Later Friday, he planned to appear on ABC’s “The View,” with his mother in the audience.
An all-American football player in high school, Booker passed up Notre Dame and Duke to take a scholarship to play at Stanford. After graduating, he went Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and then got a law degree from Yale before moving into public housing in one of Newark’s poorest neighborhoods to work as a community activist.
After winning a seat on the city council, he challenged a veteran mayor who was one of the state’s most powerful Democrats. Booker lost, but a documentary about the campaign was nominated for an Academy Award, and Booker became a darling of liberal celebrities, especially after he easily won the next mayoral race.
Booker’s rise to the top of New Jersey politics was partly due to his ability to attract support from celebrities and Wall Street financiers with deep pockets.
But it also had a downside. As a surrogate speaker for Obama’s 2012 campaign, Booker had to walk back remarks he made on Meet the Press when he used the word “nauseating” to describe Democratic attacks on Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s work at a venture capital firm.
In recent years, Booker has worked to bolster his credentials with the party’s most liberal wing.
He unveiled a plan to combat income inequality that would have the government put up to $1,000 in a savings account for every child when they are born and supplement it with annual payments of up to $2,000. He also co-sponsored a bill with Warren, Gillibrand, Harris and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would make everyone eligible for Medicare.
Elected to a one-year unexpired term following the death of Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg in 2013 and re-elected in 2014, Booker’s Senate term is up in 2020. New Jersey changed its election laws in November allowing someone to run on state ballots for both senator and president.
Topics: 2020 democrats elections includephoto nationwide politics presidential-race senate Barack Obama Bernie Sanders california Campaign Finance Campaigns celebrities conservatives Cory Booker democrats Donald J. Trump Elections Elizabeth Warren Ethics Executive Branch Florida hawaii Indiana Iowa John Delaney Kirsten Gillibrand Maryland Massachusetts media Medicare Michigan new hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Republicans Senate Supreme Court Tulsi Gabbard POLI
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July 24, 2014 12:45PM ET
Hear an Unreleased James Brown Performance From ‘Get on Up’ – Premiere
The soul legend recorded this version of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” in April 1966
Gilles Petard/Redferns
A year after the James Brown singles “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” reached the top spot on the R&B charts, the funk and soul legend returned to Number One with his somewhat tongue-in-cheek ode to the fairer sex, the ballad “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” According to legend, the song was inspired by a conversation Brown had with his girlfriend at the time, Betty Jean Newsome, who received songwriting credit when the 45 was released in April 1966. The song’s influence has resonated in the decades since its release, as musicians ranging form Van Morrison to Christina Aguilera have covered it.
James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The month Brown first issued the single — its title was a play on the 1963 movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World — he gave it a searing, soulful performance at Tampa, Florida’s Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory. His rendition of the song at that concert, which was recorded on April 23rd, 1966, will be heard again – along with a performance of his first single, “Please Please Please,” recorded at that same show – on the soundtrack of the biopic Get on Up when it hits theaters August 1st.
The film stars Chadwick Boseman, who played Jackie Robinson in 42, as the Godfather of Soul, and its cast features Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Jill Scott, Octavia Spencer and Mick Jagger, one of its producers. The soundtrack, however, features music by the real deal, collecting standout studio and live versions of his many hits. It also contains five tunes with new music production and arrangements done by production team the Underdogs.
The Get on Up soundtrack is due out July 29th and is available for preorder via Amazon.
In This Article: James Brown
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Home Music Music Features
November 8, 2018 8:00AM ET
Florence Welch on Sobriety, Embracing Loneliness and Loving Patti Smith
As she tours in support of her new album, ‘High as Hope,’ the singer reflects on her emotional journey so far
Florence Welch discusses Florence and the Machine's new album, 'High as Hope,' as well as sobriety, embracing loneliness and Patti Smith.
Vincent Haycock
It’s the day before Florence Welch embarks on the North American leg of her current tour, and she’s making the most of her time in Vancouver. This morning, strangely, she went to a museum exhibit that was all about cabins. “I grew up with a Little House on the Prairie fetish,” she explains with an embarrassed laugh. “I was obsessed. I lived in South London, so there were no prairies. I had a little dress, and I remember laying a ‘river’ of towels down and my bunk bed was the log cabin. My mother was like, ‘What are you doing?'” She laughs harder.
In conversation, Welch is much more lighthearted than she is in song. The lyrics of her latest Florence and the Machine album — the ornate and intimate pop opus, High as Hope — read like diary entries. In its 10 songs, she tackles eating disorders, meeting people on ecstasy and finding the middle ground between happiness and depression. But off the mic, the auburn-haired 32-year-old, speaks in a lilting soprano, laughs plenty and has an endearing self-effacing quality that you might not expect from a multiplatinum artist. She’s four years sober, she’s managing her social anxiety as best she can and she considers herself strong even when her lyrics suggest otherwise.
How Florence Welch Gets Comfortable Enough to Step Onstage
The Liberation of Florence Welch: 'It Was Humbling to Be Heartbroken'
Florence Welch Blesses Her Flock, Exerts Power Over Masses at Thrilling Show
She even thinks she could make a go of cabin life. “I could if I had my phone,” she says, laughing. “I think the whole point is that you don’t have a phone, but weirdly I did have an ex-boyfriend who was like, ‘I think that you would be pretty good at survival. You have a weird dogged determination.’ I’m afraid of lots of things. When it comes to actually being really scared, I have a strange bravery.”
What are your biggest fears?
I’m afraid of flying. There have been so many kind stewardesses who have held my hand during turbulence, and I had to write them letters just to say, “Thank you.” And when I get back from tour, I can be a bit agoraphobic. When you allow yourself to be that vulnerable in front of so many people, it then becomes this weird thing of just walking out on the street and one person looking at you becomes this extreme thing you can’t handle. I can get a little bit edgy about going out, which makes me a super fun person to date [laughs].
Did you feel that way before you were famous?
That oversensitivity definitely was there. I don’t think it was helpful for a super-sensitive person to become famous. I’m always saying to my manager, “I just don’t want to get any more famous than this. OK?” She’s like, “It’s not gonna happen now if it hasn’t happened already.”
How do you handle obsessive fans?
I’ve had kids come to my house, but they’re always really sweet and wearing a Florence shirt and a fringy jacket. At first, I’m like, “Ugh, dude. Maybe this isn’t OK.” They want to talk about art history or whatever. I try to explain, “I love you and I appreciate the passion, but I need to work, and I need a safe space to just sit and write and think. I don’t think you’re gonna murder me, so do you want to have this book?” And I end up giving them a book.
How would you describe your mood when you’re working?
A lot of it happens on the move, ’cause I travel so much. It’s like looking out a window and thinking about when I’m really sad or feel bereft about something. I get a strange wave of existential angst. It’s so big I have to call my mom and dad and be like, “What does it all mean? I don’t understand.” And they’re actually so used to be now they’re like, “You need to lighten up.” Also, my dad is like, “That is being human. You don’t understand. This is what it is.” I was like, “Ugh, you’re not being helpful.”
You recently got a tattoo that says, “Always Lonely.” Why would you want that on your body?
Oh, ’cause I was super sad. Mixing High as Hope was a really lonely time in my life. I was in New York, and I had just gone through a breakup — one of those sad ones where it’s not very dramatic: You’re trying to do what’s best for both of you. You’re just getting on with stuff, which is oddly lonely in itself. I was thinking about the end of this relationship and “Why do I feel like the album comes first before everything? Are you perpetuating your own loneliness?” The closest relationship I’ve had for my whole life is with my music. Also, I guess, I thought it was funny.
On High as Hope’s “Hunger,” you sing, “At 17, I started to starve myself.” Did your family support you writing about your eating disorder?
My sister was like, “What are you doing? Are you OK? You haven’t spoken about this even with Mom, and you’ve put it in a pop song? What’s wrong with you?” I was like, “Yeah, I don’t know what I’m doing.” But it opened up a lot of stuff in my family that was good in the end. I did sit down and talk it through with my mom. But it’s funny: With English people, you have the talk and then everyone just carries on, just like, “OK, that’s dealt with. We put that in the drawer and we go on.”
At what age do you feel you were done with the eating disorder?
It’s not an overnight thing. It’s funny ’cause it’s one of the most insidious things you can have. I have a healthy relationship with my body now more than I ever did before, but it took me a long time. And it stays with you in really weird ways. So it’s hard to say, “When did you overcome it?” Because you would have overcome some of the behavior a long time ago but the head stuff, it takes a while. It comes back in really strange ways, which I was looking at in this record. It’s very hard to accept love. If you’ve been denying yourself nourishment in some way, you also have a tendency to deny yourself emotional nourishment.
You’re sober now. When is the last time you had a drink?
February the 2nd, four years ago. Being an extreme drinker was a huge part of my identity. Music and alcohol are sort of my first two loves. When I stopped, there was this sense that I was letting some ghost of rock history down that I just couldn’t cope anymore. It was monumental. It wasn’t like, “I want to be healthy and I need a change of pace.” It was like, “I’m going to die. I need to stop.”
Did a doctor tell you that?
Lots of people told me I needed to stop [laughs]. One time, I told a friend I went to this spa, this retreat, and this lady in a white coat told me I should stop drinking. And she was like, “Was that a doctor?” I was like, “I thought it was a spa.” [Laughs]. But with quitting, I could have maybe carried on physically, but psychologically, drinking and drugs made me really depressed. I got so tired of how repetitive the hangovers felt. Once you’ve gone into the zone where it’s just tiring and you’re not having fun anymore, it was beyond me.
So it was a realization.
Kind of a realization but also sheer exhaustion. I’d been on tour since [2009’s] Lungs, straight through to [2011’s] Ceremonials. I finally took a year off to relax and it was not relaxing because I didn’t have any reason to stop drinking. It was the most un-relaxing year of all time. Also, I was in a deep, romantic obsession with somebody who was really sane who wanted nothing to do with me. I had always been with people who were just up for my madness, and then someone was like, “I’m not up for this.” I’m like, “Why?! Why?!” Like drunk and yelling, and they’re like, “This. Because of this!” That experience was everything that went into [2015’s] How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. It was like Dante’s Inferno and Purgatory. It was really bad.
What’s your biggest indulgence now?
Vintage clothes, books and I drink so much coffee.
Are you good at getting rid of old books?
Yeah. Do you do the thing where you go to people’s houses and go straight to their bookshelves and secretly, silently judge them on their book choices? I have such a fear of somebody doing that to me, so I keep mine really well curated.
You have a song on your new album called “Patricia,” about Patti Smith, and you call her your “North Star.” Why is that?
When I was making High as Hope, I was thinking about how to live creatively without chaos. Her writing was like a blueprint. She seems to bring such reverence to the act of living that I find so inspiring. I could just read her write about her morning coffee for pages.
I bumped into her at Omen in New York. I’m so obsessed with her; I already know that she loves that restaurant, so that’s why I go there. I saw her and was like, “Oh, my God. Now I’m literally stalking this woman. I had this sense of shame, like, “It’s too real.” But the song had just come out, and she’d sent me a really nice message. She was so kind and sweet. She has this luminous beauty. She’s like an angel, and she took my hand and I just felt so shy. She was like, “I feel like I know you already.” I felt like the kid who came to my house one time. I was like, “Oh, this is super real now. This is real.” It was magical.
In This Article: Florence and the Machine, Florence Welch
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Earl Hamner, Jr.
Born in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, Earl Hamner, Jr., is an award-winning author, screenplay writer, and producer of several well-known teleplays and television series. He got his big break writing episodes for The Twilight Zone, including the popular "You Drive." His most well-known television series is The Waltons, which is based on his best-selling stories Spencer’s Mountain and The Homecoming. Both novels were inspired by his own childhood.
Featured Books By Author
The Homecoming
Years after the events of Spencer’s Mountain, Clay Spencer—Clay-Boy’s father—fails to return home on Christmas Eve. Leaving his worried family to keep watch at the homestead, Clay-Boy takes to the snowy Virginia hills in search of his father. Along the way, he meets an irate deer, a threatening county sheriff, a congregation of African-American churchgoers, and two elderly women who happen to be bootleggers. The story of Clay-Boy’s search for his father is told with warmth and intensity.
Along with its prequel, Spencer’s Mountain, The Homecoming was the inspiration for the popular television show The Waltons, which starred Richard Thomas, Andrew Duggan, and Patricia Neal, and ran for nine years between 1972 and 1981. Over fifty years after its publication, this novel still has the power to move and inspire.
Spencer's Mountain
High up on a mountain, young Clay-Boy Spencer joins his father and eight uncles to hunt the mythical white deer. What he finds on the mountainside changes his life—and marks him for a special destiny. Years later, Clay-Boy is the first in his family to get the chance to go to college; but success as an adult is much more complicated and bittersweet than the legendary success of Clay-Boy’s childhood quest.
A heartwarming novel of love, family, and hope, Spencer’s Mountain inspired the popular television show The Waltons, which starred Richard Thomas, Andrew Duggan, and Patricia Neal, and ran for nine years between 1972 and 1981. More than fifty years after its publication, this novel still has the power to inspire and move readers all over the world.
Earl Hamner Jr. Bestsellers: Spencer’s Mountain, The Homecoming
From the award-winning author, screenplay writer, and producer of several well-known teleplays and television series Earl Hamner Jr comes heartwarming stories of love, family, and hope that inspired the popular television show The Waltons.
Spencer’s Mountain: High up on a mountain, young Clay-Boy Spencer joins his father and eight uncles to hunt the mythical white deer. What he finds on the mountainside changes his life—and marks him for a special destiny.
The Homecoming: Years after the events of Spencer’s Mountain, Clay Spencer—Clay-Boy’s father—fails to return home on Christmas Eve. Leaving his worried family, Clay-Boy takes to the snowy Virginia hills in search of his father in a Christmas story told with warmth and power.
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Plaza Substation
The Los Angeles Railway Company was formed in 1895 “to succeed to the property and franchises” of the bankrupt Los Angeles Consolidated Railway. The new company began immediately the electrification of the earlier company’s cable lines. This was the beginning of the expansion and modernization of the system. Three years later the company was completely reorganized and enlarged to include a number of other smaller street railway companies. At this time, Henry E. Huntington became involved in street railway operations in Southern California, serving as the new company’s first president.
During the first decade of the 20th century, Hunting-ton was the major force in building a first class transit system in Los Angeles. The expansion of Huntington’s transit systems, which also included the Pacific Electric Railway, created the need for increasing sources of electrical power. A number of new substations were built at this time to meet the growing needs of electrical rail transportation. The Plaza Substation was one of the power producing facilities built during this period of rapid expansion of Southern California’s electric railway systems.
By 1904 the company had two electrical power substations in operation: the University Substation (1903) and the Huron Substation (1903-04). These two substations, however, were not able to keep up with the power demands of the rapidly expanding transit system. In December of 1903, the Los Angeles,Railway Company purchased a parcel of property on Olvera Street just north of the Plaza from Mrs. Luisa Olvera de Forbes. Construction of the Plaza Substation followed on this site. The precise date of construction is not known, although the operation of the substation can be documented for 1906. Construction, therefore, occurred sometime between December of 1903 and 1906. The style was similar to other electrical railway facilities being constructed during the same period, generally following the “Mission lines of architecture”.
In 1906 two 1000 kw motor generators were installed, followed in 1907 by a third of similar output. In 1920, two rotary converters, each with a capacity of 1500 kw, were installed. The Plaza Substation served the power production needs of much of the downtown area’s streetcars, and was the largest power producer of the Los Angeles Railway Company’s substations. By the time electric streetcar service ended in Los Angeles in March of 1963, the Plaza Substation had been phased out and its machinery removed.
The Plaza Substation is an important landmark in the history of transportation in Los Angeles. It is one of the last four remaining substations of the original fourteen built by the Los Angeles Railway Company, and is the only substation remaining in the central city. It is presently facing an uncertain future; it does not meet present seismic code requirements, and has been proposed for demolition.
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Human Race: Hope springs
Anorexia stole her teenage years, but Hope Virgo fought hard to overcome her demons and rediscover the joy of running
By Georgia Scarr
Dan Ross
As a bright young woman and a published author, and with a 3:26 marathon under her belt, it’s hard to imagine 26-year-old Hope Virgo as she was nine years ago: living on a psychiatric ward battling the eating disorder that had ravaged her mind and body to the point where her heart almost stopped.
At the age of 13, struggling to deal with an often tumultuous family life and a traumatic relationship, Hope began limiting her food intake and skipping meals. ‘I stopped eating as a way to cope with how I was feeling,’ she says. This soon developed into anorexia.
A keen young athlete, Hope’s free time had always been filled with extracurricular sports – she enjoyed cross-country, hockey and netball after school – but as her illness got worse, exercise began to take on a sinister role in her life, becoming a method of self-control. ‘I ended up missing a lot of school because I couldn’t be bothered; I wanted to exercise instead. Pretty much every Friday afternoon I’d miss school and go to the gym.’
Hope’s obsession with controlling her diet and over-exercising blocked out the painful emotions she was experiencing. However, her struggles didn’t go unnoticed by her family, who became increasingly concerned about her eating habits and behaviour. ‘Most family mealtimes would end up with a massive argument,’ she recalls. ‘It had a big impact on my younger brother, as my mum would ask him to make sure I’d eaten breakfast. He’d often get annoyed with me and then we’d argue about that.’
Related: Running, eating disorders and energy deficiency
‘It was a very unhappy time. Not eating made me feel better and I enjoyed the feeling as the weight dropped off, but it was always short-lived, as it never felt like enough. Anorexia made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and I got trapped in a cycle that lasted through my teenage years.’
Finally, Hope’s school and family convinced her to attend outpatient treatment with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. But she found ways to trick them into thinking she had gained weight while she continued to lose it. One week, they caught her out. ‘My mum got really strict with monitoring me after that, so I resorted to making myself sick after the meals she was making me eat.’
In November 2007, matters were taken out of her hands. After collapsing on several occasions, the 17-year-old was given an electrocardiogram (ECG), which confirmed that her heart was severely damaged. The next day, she was admitted to an adolescent psychiatric ward, where she spent the next year. With the ward’s strict rules around eating, Hope gained weight quickly. However, her mental recovery took much longer. ‘My weight went up really quickly but the mental stuff doesn’t change that fast. For the first few weeks I felt rubbish all the time but I realised that I had to do something to change it. I had to learn to talk about how I was feeling.'
Related: How to talk to a runner about eating disorders
Eight months into her stay, there were signs of improvement and Hope was allowed to run again. ‘I’d go out for a 20-minute run twice a week with one of the nurses. They taught me about the dangers of overexercise and encouraged me to exercise with a more balanced approach.’
It worked – and since she was discharged, Hope has continued to reconnect with the joy of running. ‘I don’t do it to burn calories anymore, I do it because I enjoy it,’ she says. ‘Part of it is about being on my own and just switching off from everything.’
Hope ran the London Marathon in 2011; she finished in four hours and raised more than £1,000 for mental health charity Mind. But it wasn’t until 2015, when she ran the Brighton Marathon, that everything clicked into place. ‘I trained really well for it and was eating properly. I was aiming for 3:45, but finished in 3:26. As I neared the finish I tried to say to my boyfriend, who was watching, “Oh my god, I’m going to do under 3:30,” and he shouted, “Just run!”’
Hope now feels able to use a watch to measure pace and distance – something she couldn’t trust herself to do a few years ago without getting obsessed, pushing herself too hard. She has written a book – Stand Tall, Little Girl – about her experiences with anorexia. ‘I got frustrated because people talk about mental health in such a negative way,’ she says. ‘They get trapped in the idea that you can’t recover – you’re always going to be living with it. I still have bad days, but I manage it now and I know what to do stay well. I want to share my story to show others that you can get better.’
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Two confirmed dead in rollover
John V. Ciani
Apr 27, 2011 at 12:01 AM Jul 1, 2012 at 5:10 AM
Two people were confirmed dead at the scene, and a 27-year-old Arlington, Texas woman suffered major injuries Tuesday night when their tanker truck rolled over on Highway 395 near Trona Road just south of Johannesburg.
California Highway Patrol Outreach Officer Ed Smith said the 49-year-old driver from Long Beach and a female passenger were driving a 2001 Volvo belonging to Force One Transportation north on Highway 395. The woman was found dead in the open desert, and the driver was trapped in the cab.
The driver reportedly lost control, ran off the road, and overturned.
Smith said the tanker was carrying used motor oil, and 2,000 and 2,500 gallons were spilled.
A second passenger, Nannette Barnes was transported to Loma Linda Hospital by Mercy Air.
The San Bernardino County Coroner has not released the names of the decedents.
San Bernardino County Fire Department Engine and Patrol 57 from Trona responded. Liberty Ambulance and Kern County Fire Department Engines 75 and 77 assisted.
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Rock Sound Issue 173 Featuring Fall Out Boy Is Out Now!
Rock Sound 27 March 2013 at 16.17
Want a reason to love today?
Click here to order a copy of the issue RIGHT NOW or hit this link for the digital edition, available instantly!
After the initial excitement of their return it's now crunch time for Fall Out Boy as they prepare to release their eagerly anticipated album 'Save Rock And Roll'. We joined them on their trip around Europe to bring you the true story of what life is really like inside one of the most influential bands in the world.
Elsewhere in this issue we've got interviews with Don Broco, Killswitch Engage, Deez Nuts, The Story So Far, Bleed From Within, Emmure and We Are The In Crowd. Trivium give us a rundown of what we can expect from their upcoming album, The Blackout go all ninja as they take on their fans, we get caught in a mosh with The Ghost Inside, Bury Tomorrow, Stray From The Path and Landscapes during the Rock Sound Impericon Exposure Tour, plus we induct The Bronx into our Hall of Fame.
The new albums by Bring Me The Horizon, Paramore, Alkaline Trio, Frank Turner and Transit get reviewed, we bring you our Soundwave Festival highlights, plus we rate Deftones, Set It Off, Cancer Bats, Kvelertak and The Joy Formidable live.
And because we're so nice to you all, we're also throwing in a FREE CD with 15 killer tracks, plus six posters including Asking Alexandria, Paramore, Of Mice & Men, Sleeping With Sirens, Mallory Knox and Architects!
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Salmon Arm Silverbacks
101 things to do in the Shuswap
Vacation Shuswap
This image released by Sony Pictures shows Jake Gyllenhaal, left, and Tom Holland in a scene from “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” (Jay Maidment/Columbia Pictures/Sony via AP)
The opening gave Sony Pictures one of its best weeks ever
Jul. 7, 2019 1:30 p.m.
It pays to have one of the biggest lead-ins ever.
“Spider-Man: Far From Home,” the first Marvel movie after “Avengers: Endgame,” swung past any franchise fatigue to dominate the July Fourth holiday weekend, raking in an estimated $185.1 million since opening Tuesday and earning $93.6 million from Friday to Sunday in North American theatres.
The opening gave Sony Pictures one of its best weeks ever. “Far From Home,” which opened overseas before landing in the U.S., has grossed $580 million worldwide in 10 days of release.
It also came with an assist from Disney’s Marvel Studios, which has partnered with Sony on this and its last two “Spider-Man” releases: 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and last year’s animated spinoff “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
Though “Far From Home” fell short of the $117 million Friday to Sunday domestic opening of “Homecoming,” its unconventional Tuesday opening paid off. The film’s $39.3 million opening day set a record for any movie on a Tuesday.
A Parker original. #SpiderManFarFromHome 🕷️ pic.twitter.com/DndaiCouNg
— Spider-Man: Far From Home (@SpiderManMovie) July 7, 2019
To help whet the appetites of Marvel fans — and to approach the record $2.79 billion gross of “Avatar” — Disney re-released “Endgame” in theatres the weekend ahead of “Far From Home.”
Part of the draw of the film, starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, was seeing the first installment in a new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (“Endgame” still narrowly trails “Avatar,” unadjusted for inflation, with $2.77 billion.)
The strong performance of “Far From Home,” which cost approximately $160 million to produce, along with the sustained interest in holdovers like “Toy Story 4,” ”Yesterday,” ”Annabelle Comes Home” and “Aladdin,” helped the industry knock down the deficit compared with this time last year about a percentage point.
Due in part to a number of underperforming sequels including “Godzilla: King of Monsters” and “Men in Black International,” the year is running 8.4% behind last year. But Marvel has been immune to the ups and downs of sequel making — it’s behind the year’s top two films: “Endgame” and “Captain Marvel.”
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, thinks “Far From Home” may have turned the tide.
“This movie was exactly the shot in the arm the summer needed, emotionally and spiritually if not financially,” said Dergarabedian, who noted the weekend overall was roughly equal to the same timeframe last year. “The whole notion of franchise fatigue, while true in some cases, is not in all. When movies aren’t great, that’s when people get fatigued.”
Perhaps just as cheering for the industry is how well a number of films are holding.
After two weeks atop the box office, “Toy Story 4” slid a modest 43% to second place, with $34.3 million. It has now taken in $650 million globally. Universal Pictures’ Beatles-themed romantic comedy “Yesterday” dropped only 37 per cent in its second weekend, with $10.8 million.
The Warner Bros. “Conjuring” spinoff sequel “Annabelle Comes Home” snagged $10.8 million in its second weekend. And Disney’s “Aladdin,” with $7.6 million in its seventh week of release, has accumulated $921.7 million worldwide.
Just behind those films was Ari Aster’s sun-dappled horror tale “Midsommar,” starring Florence Pugh, drawing $6.6 million over the weekend and $10.9 million since opening Wednesday. The debut was well shy of the $13.6 million opening of Aster’s first-feature sensation “Hereditary,” starring Toni Collette, which became A24’s highest grossing film, with $79.3 million worldwide.
A24 nevertheless hailed the results for “Midsommar,” saying “it firmly cements Aster as one of the most exciting new directors to come around in a long while.”
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore.
Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” $93.6 million ($238 million international).
2. “Toy Story 4,” $34.3 million ($43.1 million international).
3. “Yesterday,” $10.8 million ($7.9 million international).
4. “Annabelle Comes Home,” $10.8 million ($20.4 million international).
5. “Aladdin,” $7.6 million ($16.2 million international).
6. “Midsommar,” $6.6 million ($761,000 international).
7. “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” $4.8 million ($22.4 million international).
8. “Men in Black International,” $3.6 million ($3.7 million international).
9. “Avengers: Endgame,” $3.1 million ($1.3 million international).
10. “Rocketman,” $2.8 million ($1.5 million international)
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Comscore.
1. “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” $238 million.
2. “The White Storm 2: Drug Lords,” $59.7 million.
3. “Toy Story 4,” $43.1 million.
4. “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” $22.4 million
5. “Annabelle Comes Home,” $20.4 million.
6. “Aladdin,” $16.2 million.
7. “Yesterday,” $7.9 million.
8. “Spirited Away,” $4.1 million.
9. “Men in Black International,” $3.7 million.
10. “Pig Man: Happy Pig Year,” $3.1 million.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
Ashes of late actress Margot Kidder return to Yellowknife
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Editorial: Stokes' lateness reprimand hits home
Nov 8, 2018 at 9:07 PM Nov 9, 2018 at 6:49 AM
To be excused from court, one must provide good reason, whether summoned as a defendant, witness, juror or counsel.
Chatham County residents were left to wonder earlier this week if judges weren’t held to the same standard. The Georgia Supreme Court’s public reprimand of Recorder’s Court Chief Judge Tammy Stokes for her “habitual tardiness” and “excessive absenteeism” seemed a slap on the wrist.
In Stokes’ case, the soft treatment is somewhat justified given extenuating family circumstances.
Stokes’ spotty record of showing up late or missing court completely is due in part to her mother’s health. She suffers from Alzheimer’s, and Judge Stokes has been her mother’s primary caregiver since 2011. The past two years, during which Stokes missed 74 days of work, her mom’s condition deteriorated significantly, eventually forcing Stokes to place her mother in an assisted living facility.
“My mom is my life,” Stokes said Thursday. “Before she got to the point where she couldn’t walk safely, everywhere I went, she went, even to work at the courthouse. Since then and until she went into the facility, even though I had a full-time caregiver for her, emergencies would arise, things would happen. It was a difficult situation.”
And for that, Judge Stokes deserves the public's understanding.
At the same time, though, the public deserves Stokes' full commitment going forward.
Recorder's Court has been and remains dysfunctional under Stokes' leadership. This isn't the first time the Georgia Supreme Court has reviewed Stokes' performance, and other government bodies have scrutinized her as well. The City of Savannah commissioned a probe of the Recorder's Court in 2016, the results of which drew the ire of her peers in Superior Court and even led the Georgia General Assembly to pass legislation that allowed for the stripping of her administrative responsibilities.
Stokes also chose to pursue an anti-defamation lawsuit related to the city investigation, litigation that contributed to her tardiness, as cited in the Georgia Supreme Court reprimand. Stokes confirmed as much, but also noted the suit has been settled and is no longer keeping her from fulfilling her duties on the bench.
In other words, with her mother in a care facility and the lawsuit settlement, Stokes has no reason to miss court on a frequent basis. And she says she won’t.
We’ll hold her to that, as Recorder’s Court plays a vital yet underappreciated role in the judicial system. Recorder’s Court is the chamber of first appearance for anyone charged with a crime in Chatham County. This includes traffic violations and other minor offenses.
Stokes and her jurist peers, Harris Odell Jr. and Claire Cornwell-Williams, are the ones who decide if a case has merit and, if so, refer it to a superior court for trial or a grand jury for indictments. The Chatham County Recorder’s Court holds more than 10,000 hearings a year.
Stokes must preside over more of those going forward, and do so on time. She and the rest of her black-robed peers should be held to the same standards as the rest of us.
Correction: The late Thomas P. Saffold, who owned the Whitemarsh Island land once home to an airfield and now the site of Islands High School and until recently the Frank G. Murray Community Center, lived in the Beaulieu neighborhood of Savannah. Additionally, the county acquired his Whitemarsh Island property via eminent domain following his death. Taxes on the property were current and paid at the time, according to a family member. A column published Oct. 10 on the community center's move from the former Saffold site to Wilmington Island contained incorrect information.
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Education System in Botswana
School/Level
Primary Primary School 1–7 6–13 7 Education System: 7-3-2 (7 years of primary, 3 years of junior secondary and 2 years of senior secondary education) Duration of compulsory education: 10 years Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)
Secondary Junior Secondary Education 8–10 13 3 Junior Certificate Examination (JCE)
Secondary Senior Secondary Education 11–12 15–17 2 Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Examination (BGCSE)
Vocational Vocational Education in Teaching or Nursing 3
Tertiary Bachelor 4–5 University of Botswana
Tertiary Master 2
Tertiary Doctorate (PhD) 3–4
Education in Botswana is free for the first 10 years, which completes the cycle through middle school. The first 7 years of this are at primary school, where the pupil-teacher ratio is approximately 13 to 1.The medium of education is Setswana for the 1st 4 years, thereafter English.
Middle Education
Progression to middle school is no longer contingent on a pupil passing their primary school leaving examination. At the end of their form 3 year though, students must sit for their compulsory junior secondary examination. If they pass then they may study further. In either event they may also go to work, because their compulsory education program is complete.
Secondary school, where the pupil teacher ratio has dropped to 24 to 1 takes 2 more years. It culminates in the senior secondary examination, which is a pre-requisite for tertiary education of any kind.
The Botswana Training Authority regulates the standard of vocational training across the entire spectrum, in order to promote the development of an integrated system that's accessible to all.
There are a variety of tertiary education institutions in Botswana, including colleges of accounting and agriculture, and institutes of administration, commerce, and health sciences.
Chief among these is the University of Botswana opened in 1964. It has over 17,000 students spread across its faculties of business, education, engineering & technology, humanities, science, and social sciences. Programs include certificates, and bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.
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SciAccess
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You can email us at sciaccess2019@gmail.com or fill out the form below to get in touch.
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Anna Voelker
Conference Director
Anna Voelker is the Astronomy Accessibility Program Coordinator at The Ohio State University and the Chair of the Astronomers Without Borders Accessibility and Inclusion Working Group. She is organizing SciAccess thanks to the support of The Ohio State University President’s Prize, an award that she received in 2018. Anna is passionate about accessibility and educational equity. She is thrilled to use SciAccess as an opportunity to promote disability inclusion and diversity in the STEM fields. Previously, Anna was a visiting fellow at the International Astronomical Union's Office of Astronomy for Development, headquartered at the South African Astronomical Observatory. She is also a Brooke Owens Fellow and has worked at a variety of space science institutions, including NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Kennedy Space Center, the Space Telescope Science Institute, and the Aerospace Corporation.
Hariz Faesol
Hariz Faesol is an undergraduate senior at OSU Max M. Fisher College of Business, specializing in Economics. Born and raised in Ipoh, Malaysia, Hariz has been actively involved in promoting the education and career opportunities for students in the U.S. He is the former Finance Director for East Coast Presidential Council and the current Finance Director (North America chapter) for International Council of Malaysian Scholars & Associates. In college, he has been involved with several leadership programs and was one of 31 students selected to be in the school's first summer Dean's Leadership Academy. Currently, he is one of 24 cohort members in Global Leadership Initiative, serving in the Human Rights group under Office of International Affairs.
Tanvi Brar
Tanvi Brar is a first-year, undergraduate student at The Ohio State University. She is pursuing a major in biochemistry, with hopes of attending medical school in the future. She is originally from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, and graduated from Beechwood High School. Apart from working with SciAccess, she is also involved with the Honors Community Council, ENCompass, and conducts research in the OSU Medical Center.
Professor John Beacom
Professor John Beacom is an internationally known researcher in physics and astronomy, a popular teacher of introductory courses, and a leader in bringing the excitement of science to the public. He is the faculty advisor for Anna Voelker and her SciAccess work through the Ohio State President’s Prize. At Ohio State, he is College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor, Henry L. Cox Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, and Director of the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP). John is a longtime, active proponent of increasing public appreciation of science as well as broadening the participation of underrepresented groups, through both his own work and his institutional roles. His 2015 TEDx OSU talk can be found here.
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Balloon Telescope Searches for Universe's Baby Stars
New maps of galactic magnetic fields will enhance the study of stellar birth
By Sarah Lewin, SPACE.com on March 5, 2017
Thousands of newborn stars fill the Orion nebula, a nearby stellar nursery. New surveys by balloon-borne telescopes are revealing the process of stellar birth in unprecedented detail. Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech
After riding the circular Antarctic air currents for 11 days, the BLAST balloon telescope ran into a slight problem: It failed to detach from its parachute after landing, so it was dragged about 125 miles (200 kilometers) across Antarctica, its pieces flying off along the way, until it was lost and unrecoverable in a crevasse field.
Luckily for the researchers, one of the pieces that flew off, a foot-long pressure vessel, still held the experiment's hard drives. The hard-won data was safe once the research team spotted its white case against the Antarctic snow.
"It was actually the most successful BLAST flight to that date," Laura Fissel, a researcher at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, said at the American Astronomical Society's winter meeting in January. [Hubble Telescope Spies Amazing Star Factory]
Despite the rough landing, the telescope had taken detailed measurements of interstellar dust. Fissel wasn't on the BLAST team at the time, but she worked on the telescope's successor, BLAST-Pol, which was built from pieces that were knocked off during BLAST's wild ride across the snowscape.
BLAST, which is short for Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope, investigated the rate of star formation in both far-off galaxies and our own Milky Way. The researchers spotted intricate filaments of gas and dust, as well as dense clumps that could someday collapse into stars. But some of the clumps in the Milky Way seem to persist longer than expected without collapsing, resulting in a lower star-forming rate than expected. For a follow-up, the researchers decided to investigate whether the magnetic fields weaving through those interstellar clouds could be keeping them from crunching down.
BLAST-Pol ("Pol" is short for "Polarimeter") and the upcoming BLAST-TNG (short for "The Next Generation") aim to survey the dusty star-forming regions of the galaxy, to map the magnetic fields that formed there and help scientists understand the fields' impact on star birth.
"We were trying to study the magnetic fields in our galaxy and, in particular, in regions of our galaxy that are forming stars," Fissel told Space.com. "The magnetic field, if it's strong enough, can actually affect how the [star-forming] gas collapses and condenses, and in some cases, when it's really strong, it can actually provide support against gravity." That could explain why the dense areas seemed to linger longer than expected without collapsing and forming stars, she said.
"The problem is, how do you observe a magnetic field in a distant part of our galaxy? We can't send a compass there," Fissel said.
Going up!
The first hot-air-balloon flight to have passengers lifted off in 1783; it carried a sheep, a rooster and a duck up through the atmosphere. A human flew in a hot-air balloon that same year. As balloons reached higher and higher, scientists saw a tantalizing realm to study. But humans couldn't survive long in the thin and cold air of such high altitudes, so people turned to automated instruments. Early weather balloons, for instance, carried instruments called meteorgraphs that recorded temperature, pressure and humidity as they rose toward the stratosphere.
Balloon technology provides a great opportunity for astronauts who want to study the cosmos as well: Typically, the Earth's atmosphere distorts much of the light that passes through it, absorbing some wavelengths and blurring objects as it moves. Being higher up reduces that distortion. Today, technology has advanced enough that a balloon can not only carry and support a telescope like BLAST three times as high as a commercial plane flies, but aim it with extreme precision automatically, so that researchers can take detailed measurements of the universe.
BLAST-Pol weighed about 4,000 lbs. (1,800 kilograms), with a big, aluminum frame acting as the balloon's gondola and cradling the telescope. The frame attached to the rest of the balloon by steel suspension cables that connected to a pivot, allowing the entire thing to turn to aim the telescope. Suspended on an inner frame, the telescope's mirrors collected light and aimed it into a cooling chamber called a cryostat that housed the telescope's sensors; the low temperature prevented false-positive infrared measurements due to heat.
To determine from afar how a star-forming region is magnetized during its flights, BLAST-Pol relied on a fact scientists already knew: Dust grains in deep space tend to line up with a magnetic field over time, which affects the light they give off. Some of that light is polarized, which means its electric field vibrates along a specific orientation. The balloon telescope was able to measure that polarized light and use it to work out the complex lines of the cloud's magnetic field.
"Only a few percent of the light is polarized; it's very, very weak," Fissel said. "But because our telescope operates above the atmosphere, we can observe over a really large range of colors — we can basically get lots and lots of light — and we can use that to make really sensitive maps of polarization. And then we use those to trace out the magnetic fields in these star-forming regions." [Whole Life Cycle of Stars Revealed in New Image]
The European Space Agency's Planck space observatory, which operated from 2009 to 2013, has scanned the sky to build a map of the Milky Way'sentire magnetic field, and some ground-based telescopes have mapped part of it, too. But BLAST's maps, while narrower, are much more detailed than other maps for the individual star-forming regions it examines, Fissel said.
"One of the things we hope to do is combine our data with the data from Planck, and hopefully also follow up our observations on the telescope, so that we can trace magnetic fields from the largest scales in our galaxy all the way down to clumps of gas that are forming individual or a few stars," she said.
The magnetic fields that the BLAST-Pol team found in nearby star-forming regions are very different from the well-ordered lines often pictured looping around a bar magnet, or even the slightly gnarly, but relatively focused, linesgenerated by Earth. Instead, the researchers found a lot of detailed whorls and bends, including strange, sharp changes in the field's direction that could be caused by gas flows with different magnetic fields colliding but don't seem to occur in the densest parts of the clouds.
The changes also could be distortions resulting from BLAST-Pol's view from near Earth; it sees the magnetic field in only two dimensions (horizontal and vertical) across the sky. The field likely curves every which way through the clouds of gas, and scientists on Earth wouldn't be able to see the parts pointed toward or away from Earth.
BLAST-Pol's successor, BLAST-TNG, will kick things up a notch. When it rises in December 2017, it will spend 28 days in the air, mapping interstellar dust in incredible detail. It will do so at least 10 times as fast as BLAST-Pol could, at about six times higher resolution. The entire thing will weigh 5,000 lbs., with a telescope and gondola hanging from a balloon about 1.5 times the length of a football field. (The balloon is only partially inflated when it begins to rise, and expands by a factor of 200 as the atmospheric pressure around it decreases.) Like BLAST-Pol, BLAST-TNG will be able to rotate the entire telescope to scan the sky, and its sensitive detectors will be kept near absolute zero (minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 273.15 degrees Celsius) so that they can be as sensitive as possible to infrared light, which is generated by heat. It will gather so much data that the team is offering a quarter of the observation time to other groups to investigate their own features.
BLAST-TNG's primary mirror is so large — 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) — that it won't fit in an ordinary truck. As such, it won't be put together with the rest of the telescope until an integration at the NASA Balloon Facility in Texas this July, Fissel said.
"With a new telescope, we'll be able to look at many more clouds, but we'll also have the sensitivity that we can start looking [to] more diffuse clouds of gas and dust in our galaxy, which might someday compress down to forming these clouds where stars form," Fissel said. "We're studying how these star-forming clouds are actually created."
This insight into the precursors of star-forming clouds, where hints of stars are encoded in denser patches of interstellar dust, will help researchers understand how a magnetic field develops and, in turn, shapes the development of the forming stars. And it will all be done from a seat 24 miles (38.5 km) above Earth.
Telescopes May Ride Giant Balloons to Better See the Stars
Photos: Herschel Space Observatory's Amazing Infrared Images
Extreme Living: Scientists at the End of the Earth
Copyright 2017 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sarah Lewin
"Farout!" Newfound Object Is the Farthest Solar System Body Ever Spotted
Look Up! Gleaming Geminid Meteor Shower of 2018 Peaks Tonight
NASA Astronauts Could Fly to Moon-Orbiting Station by 2024, Pence Says
NASA Picks First Private Landers for Lunar Science
18 Small New Worlds Found in Old Planet-Hunting Data
Go from Quantum to Cosmic
Scientific American Space & Physics is a roundup of the most important stories about the universe and beyond
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Home Blog #FactsFriday: The History of Air Jordan - the first one.
#FactsFriday: The History of Air Jordan - the first one.
Air Jordans have been a complex part of the sneaker game since they were first introduced back in 1985. Whether it was the Jordan 1 getting banned, Michael Jordan dunking from the foul line in the Jordan 2, or making us believe he could fly in the classic Air Jordan 3, our memories our filled with Air Jordan history.
But even when Michael was captivating crowds with his athletic performances his sneakers didn’t always fly off the shelves. Getting a pair of Jordans during his active career was much easier than grabbing a pair now. The selling out of every release is relatively new to the history of Jordans. With the new generation of sneakerheads and the craze about Jordans over the past few years, there is often an argument that some of the buyers never even saw Jordan in flight or know anything about the history of Air Jordans—we got you.
In this new series of posts we will be focusing on each Air Jordan release and taking you back in time to understand the true history you’re wearing on your feet. We figured the first post should focus on the all-time favourite – the Air Jordan 1.
Following its initial run in the 80s, the Air Jordan 1 jump started the retro era in 1994, following Jordan's retirement from basketball. The shoe returned again in 2001, including the introduction of a Jumpman branded mid-top. It wasn't until 2008 that Jordan Brand started re-releasing the Jordan 1 with its original high cut.
Designer Peter Moore was given the task of coming up with the first Air Jordan silhouette. The Air Jordan 1 featured the Nike Swoosh on the mid panel and a newly designed wings logo on the upper ankle. The first Air Jordan was similar in design to other popular Nike models released in the 1980s such as the Air Force 1, Terminator and Dunk. The Air Jordan 1 also featured a Nike Air unit for heel cushioning, padded foam ankle collars for additional protection and a toe overlay for added lockdown.
Nike Designer - Peter Moore
Although the Air Jordan 1 lacked technology, the colours and cultural meaning set the sneaker industry on its ear. The Air Jordan 1 paved the way for colourful basketball sneakers. It transformed the way people looked at athletic shoes. During the 1985 NBA season, Michael wore the Air Jordan 1, which retailed for about $65 - at the time, the most expensive basketball shoe on the market. The Air Jordan 1 Black/Red colourway was actually banned by the NBA because of rules regarding shoe colours; Jordan was fined $5,000 for every game he wore them (Nike gladly footed the bill, as the fines created even more buzz around the Air Jordan 1).
Jordan's rookie campaign resulted in an All-Star appearance, Rookie of the Year honours and leading the Bulls to the playoffs after a four-year absence. Michael wore the Air Jordan 1 Red/White/Black as he scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in the 1986 playoffs. Although the Bulls ended up losing to the Larry Bird-led Celtics, Michael showed that he was one of the bright young stars in the NBA.
Air Jordan 1 "Banned" Commercial
The Air Jordan 9 Low Pantone
#FactsFriday - Jeremy Scott x adidas
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Home > Success Stories > Tom Billigen
Tom Billigen
As a young technician, Tom Billigen was filmed for a recruitment video about the power equipment industry. Working on an engine, he looked into the camera and said, “Some of my friends have jobs, but this is a career.” He was right — and it’s been a very good career so far.
“I’m only 36, but I’ve got almost 21 years’ experience in this industry already,” he adds. As training manager at Briggs & Stratton Corp. in Milwaukee, Billigen understands both the education side and the corporate perspective on needing to fill the technician pipeline.
“We have a lot of turnover on technicians,” he says. “They’re getting up in age where they’re retiring. So, there is a huge void in technicians to work on the products we have and continued effort to get young people to consider this career.”
On the corporate side, Billigen focuses on dealer technicians, providing hands-on and online training for the nearly 15,000 Briggs & Stratton locations worldwide. On the education side, he also oversees training for technical educators.
“We offer up to six classes throughout the summer for new instructors, giving them a crash course in everything they need to know about small engines and how to teach it,” he explains.
Billigen meets the nation’s top Power Equipment Technology students at the SkillsUSA Championships. As chairman of the contest technical committee, he is both a strategist and a problem solver. Committee members plan in February for the June event, developing the testing curriculum for 10 work stations. “We had 53 competitors last year, and they rotated stations every half hour,” he says.
For Billigen, involved since 2004, the competition is a family affair. His wife, Megan (pictured with him), attends to handle contest logistics, scoring and paperwork. “I fell in love with the SkillsUSA program and what it does for students,” she says. Married eight years, the couple has two young daughters.
Tom Billigen says the best technicians have good math skills, can read and understand technical manuals and know computers. His advice is simple: “Gain as much knowledge as you can, wherever you can. Working with a local dealership is your best opportunity.”
He keeps SkillsUSA in front of dealers at events, opening lines of communication between the top three contestants’ schools and nearby Briggs & Stratton locations.
“SkillsUSA is our best avenue for helping dealers recognize that there are skilled workers right in their backyard,” Billigen says. “We see the top students every year and try to consider where we can fit them into our organization.”
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All Advice People Employers Jobs
Amy Hood, Microsoft's new chief finanical officer
Microsoft appoints Amy Hood as its first female CFO
by Tina Costanza
Microsoft has promoted Amy Hood, the CFO of its US$24.1bn business division, to CFO of the entire company, making her Microsoft’s first female chief financial officer and the highest-ranking woman at the software giant.
Hood steps into her new role immediately, taking over from departing CFO Peter Klein.
Klein will remain at Microsoft until the end of June to ensure a smooth transition, after which time he plans to travel and spend time with family.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive officer, said Hood (41) brings the right talents and experiences to the role as Microsoft continues to strengthen its focus on devices and services.
“She has been an instrumental leader in the Microsoft business division, helping lead the transition to services with Office 365 and delivering strong financial and operational management throughout her time on the business,” Ballmer said.
Hood, who joined Microsoft in December 2002, has been involved in the strategy development and overall execution of the company’s successful acquisitions of Skype and Yammer.
She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University.
Women Invent Tomorrow is Silicon Republic’s year-long campaign to champion the role of women in science, technology, engineering and maths
In-Depth: Appointments, Women Invent
Related: leadership, Microsoft
Tina Costanza came to Ireland from Canada, where she had held senior editorial positions at daily newspapers in Ottawa and Toronto. When she wasn’t saving dangling participles or managing production at Siliconrepublic.com, she was training for 10K races or satisfying a craving for scones. She left the company in April 2015 in order to return to her native Canada.
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It’s Not About Free Money
by Staff, Spaulding Law
How many times have we heard someone say (or said yourself): “If I only had a million bucks” or “You can marry more in 10 minutes than you can make in a lifetime.”
Americans (and likely Canadians, Europeans, South Americans and even those in Japan, Taiwan and as far away as Australia) are obsessed with money. “Show me the monaaaaaay!” blasts the famous line from Hollywood.
Nick Saban as the head coach of National Champion Alabama makes roughly $6 million a year, which is $500,000 a month. Today, the slightly above-average NBA player will sign a five-year contract for $70 million, which is more than $1.1 million a month; and yet—you and me--we don’t even bat an eye that someone else earns that kind of money for mere entertainment. Harrison Ford was paid a cool $25 million for the latest Star Wars episode and who knows what Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) was paid for his wordless, expressionless, end of movie cameo.
Last week the world stopped and stared as 3 “lucky” individuals who “won” an unprecedented Power Ball lottery and split roughly $1.6 billion dollars, for buying a $2 ticket. That is roughly $500 million dollars each! The moment was so compelling that hoards flocked into one of the towns where a winning ticket was sold, and the store clerk who merely sold the ticket became an instant celebrity--his store won $1 million.
Money, money, money--is our society drunken on money or what?
Think of the old blockbuster “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” starring Gene Wilder. The storyline captivated our imagination because anyone who purchased a chocolate bar, could win a lifetime supply of chocolate (and as we know, much more for Charlie) and (in the movie) the world went completely crazy buying up chocolate bars, hoping to find one of the tickets. But the story presented a deeper message, a message that has lost its steam today, but which contrasts our current obsession with “free” or “easy” money, and no one who saw the movie and cheered for Charlie, will likely forget that message.
“Actions are the seed of fate. Seeds grow into destiny” said former United States President Harry S. Truman.
“Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice” said Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company and a man who knew both failure and unimaginable fortune.
“Skill to do comes of doing” said the timeless Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Society today, adults and children alike, need more understanding of Charlie’s factory-factor and less fascination with sensationalized salaries and “free” funds. Really, where did that $1.6 billion Power Ball for 3 “lucky” winners come from? Well, as far as we can tell, it came from the pockets of people who, on the slimmest of chances, bought roughly 900 million tickets (which is roughly 3 times the US population), and almost every single person walked away empty, without even a small chunk of chocolate. And they did it because they wanted something they had not earned. Dietitians discuss empty calories—well, that is like empty spending and empty living.
Charlie bought something he enjoyed, chocolate, and in so doing, he won a ticket, however, his actions won him the opportunity of a lifetime. The message could not contrast more with the message of the Power Ball and its fuel: the crazed craving of money without action or effort. Ultimately, it was not luck that made the difference for Charlie. It was action, amplified by attitude, not a winning golden ticket; and what did it get him? A great life for him and his family. Clearly, the point is that regardless of a ticket, Charlie would have had a golden life because of who he was and what he valued.
At the end of the day, a successful life is not about the money. Chop your own wood. Develop skill through doing. And “earn your own way.” It’s unlikely that Power Ball lotteries and free money will buy happiness.
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20 April 1987 Correlation Between The Performance And Metrology Of Glancing-Incidence Synchrotron-Radiation Mirrors Containing Millimeter-Wavelength Shape Errors
P. Z. Takacs; R. C. Hewitt; E. L. Church
P. Z. Takacs,1 R. C. Hewitt,2 E. L. Church3
1Brookhaven National Laboratory (United States)
2Exxon Corporation (United States)
3USA ARDEC (United States)
Proceedings Volume 0749, Metrology: Figure and Finish; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.939850
Event: OE LASE'87 and EO Imaging Symposium, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, United States
This paper concerns the properties of a set of ellipsoidal x-ray mirrors manufactured for use at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven. The objective is to compare the results of functional tests made at x-ray wavelengths and at glancing incidence with predictions based on laboratory measurements of their surface shapes made with a Wyko profiling microscope. The functional tests of the fully-illuminated mirrors indicated unacceptable image widths of roughly 300 μrad. Subaperture tests involving 1.5-mm-long segments of the mirror surface gave images which consisted of 2 to 5 sharp sub-images with separations of 17 - 50 μrad and individual widths comparable with the measurement point-spread function. Profile measurements indicated that the surfaces had a strong periodic ripple with an rms amplitude of about 85 Angstroms and a period of about 1.7 millimeters. When these ripple parameters are fed into the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral we pre-dict that the idealized image should break up into fine structure consisting of approximately 7 lines, uniformly spaced 17 pm apart; in excellent agreement with the results of the subaperture functional tests. The wash-out of the sub-image fine structure in the case of the fully-illuminated mirrors is attributed to the presence of longer-wavelength surface errors than are included within the bandwidth of the Wyko measurements. The present analysis is unusual in that it involves the prediction of the effects of shape errors with amplitudes which lie between the smooth-surface limit, where the intensity in the image plane is a mapping of the power spectral density of the error, and the rough-surface limit, where it is a mapping of its slope distribution function.
P. Z. Takacs, R. C. Hewitt, and E. L. Church "Correlation Between The Performance And Metrology Of Glancing-Incidence Synchrotron-Radiation Mirrors Containing Millimeter-Wavelength Shape Errors", Proc. SPIE 0749, Metrology: Figure and Finish, (20 April 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.939850
Synchrotrons
Metrology tool for fast measurement of patterned sapphire substrate used...
Fabrication Of An 8 1 Ellipsoidal Mirror For A Synchrotron...
Proceedings of SPIE (April 19 1987)
Schwarzschild Microscopes For X-UV Laser Plasmas Imaging
Proceedings of SPIE (November 26 1989)
Infrared microspectroscopy with synchrotron radiation
X-ray optics for beamlines at Diamond Light Source
Error budgeting as applied to the design of the International...
Role of sampling errors in the specification of x ray...
P. Z. Takacs, R. C. Hewitt, E. L. Church, "Correlation Between The Performance And Metrology Of Glancing-Incidence Synchrotron-Radiation Mirrors Containing Millimeter-Wavelength Shape Errors," Proc. SPIE 0749, Metrology: Figure and Finish, (20 April 1987);
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OPINION: Why we need to burn woods to save them
By Angie Carl and Ann Colley | For Star News Media
Mar 23, 2018 at 2:00 AM Mar 23, 2018 at 8:21 AM
It is one of nature’s greatest ironies: Many of our forests need fire to thrive. Without regular fires, forests degenerate, plants and wildlife suffer, and dense vegetation builds up that can fuel large wildfires.
Native Americans regularly set fire to the land in order to refresh it. But that practice was lost over centuries of settlement and development, not to mention one of the most successful public service campaigns ever: Smokey Bear’s “Remember! Only YOU can prevent forest fires!”
Today, we know better. America’s forests – their trees, understory plant life and wildlife – need to be burned on a regular basis to regenerate and stay healthy. In fact, some of our most beautiful forests and endangered plants and wildlife will perish without regular fires.
Ironically, it was partly because of Smokey Bear’s success that the 2017 fire season was so catastrophic, with 10,000 wildfires burning 8.4 million acres from Florida to the Pacific Northwest. Years of fire suppression helped build up dangerous amounts of underbrush and debris that fueled monstrous wildfires that swept across entire landscapes and burned out of control for weeks. Dozens of people were killed, and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed.
These days, safety officials know that you must fight fire with fire. And conservationists know that fire is essential to maintaining healthy forests – not just the trees, but the ecosystems they sustain. And that’s why they embrace “controlled burns” that are deliberately set, meticulously planned, and carefully controlled to burn specific forested areas under strict conditions.
Controlled burns are managed by teams of fire professionals who map out the area they want to burn, then ignite a fire and direct the burning so that it occurs in a well-defined area; after the area is burned, the workers extinguish the blaze. Local media and neighbors of the burn are notified beforehand, and the entire process is run by a Burn Boss and coordinated with local fire and safety officials. The burns are conducted only when wind, humidity, temperature and other weather conditions will permit a safe, controllable fire.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has used controlled burns in North Carolina for 25 years as a management tool to improve forest health. This year, it will conduct or assist with 200 burns on 50,000 acres.
These burns are necessary for the survival of many plant and animal species that depend on regularly occurring fires, which clear underbrush allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. In North Carolina, carnivorous Venus flytraps and the federally endangered red cockaded woodpecker, the Sandhills lily (scientific name: Lilium pyrophilum, or literally “fire-loving lily”) and Saint Francis’ Satyr, one of the world’s rarest butterflies, all need fire to thrive.
Many of TNC’s controlled burns are planned to help restore the state’s longleaf pine forests, which support one of the world’s most diverse and imperiled ecosystems, home to more than 600 different plants and animals. The United States used to have more than 90 million acres of longleaf pines stretching from Texas to Virginia. At its low point a few years ago, only about 3 million acres remained. Today, thanks to a concerted recovery effort, longleaf pine acreage has rebounded to 4.7 million acres, which certainly ranks as one of America’s greatest conservation success stories, though the last chapter has not been written.
These controlled fires do not actually burn the longleaf pines, which grow to be about 100 feet high, because their bark is extremely resilient, and fire moves quickly through the impenetrable jungle of accumulated bushes and shrubs and small hardwood tress that crowd the forest floor. Soon afterward, the forest returns to its natural habitat as an open pine savannah, where white-tail deer, bobwhite quail and turkeys freely roam amid natural grasses. Ideally, this cycle of fire and rejuvenation should occur every 2-5 years.
While local and state government agencies in North Carolina are deeply involved in controlled burning, about 60 percent of the state’s longleaf pines are located on privately-owned land, so many of TNC’s efforts are geared toward deepening public-private partnerships.
The Orton Foundation, for instance, manages burns on about half of its 11,000 acres every year and also helps fund controlled burn programs by TNC and another key partner, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). This demonstrates the collaborative, consensus-driven approach to controlled burning that exists among public and private partners at all levels of government.
Smokey Bear was right – uncontrolled wildfires are extremely dangerous and costly. But for many plants and animals, fire is something they cannot live without, if the fires are properly managed to keep forests healthy.
Angie Carl has managed about 170 controlled burns as the Southeast Coastal Plain Burn Boss for The Nature Conservancy. Ann Colley is executive director and vice president of The Orton Foundation, an affiliate of the Moore Charitable Foundation.
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Home News US veterans-turned-founders find natural transition, freedom in life as entrepreneurs
US veterans-turned-founders find natural transition, freedom in life as entrepreneurs
By: Rashi Shrivastava, reporter- July 04, 2019
Glen Dakan, Liquify Group, Prestio
Military service offers parallels to entrepreneurships — whether engaged in battle or a boardroom, said Andrew Belt.
“One of the things that has always helped me in operating my business is my ability to analyze the environment and be vigilant,” said Belt, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and serial entrepreneur behind Lenexa-based property services firm Vettera and the telecounseling and health startup aloe.
Andrew Belt, Vetterra, aloe
While now worlds away from the combat zone in Liberia, military skills — including diverse cultural and economic touch points — prove useful when veterans-turned-founders trade internationally on the global business playground, Belt said.
“There’s something unique about American freedom and a lot of it has to do with the ability of our entrepreneurs to produce, penetrate and participate in the economic engine world wide,” added Belt, whose previous firm, ValVets, an appraisal management company based in the Kansas City area, sold to a Canadian public company in 2016.
When his career dipped into the banking industry, he noticed chaos in the form of shifting regulations of valuation and a mortgage industry that was falling apart, he said. It was the right time to enter the market, Belt said.
He’d dealt with disruption firsthand before, he said.
“We were in a city called An Nasiriyah in Iraq, and we were in the middle of a firefight realizing that a 2,000-pound bomb was going to be dropped on our position,” he said. “It required some really quick thinking and the ability to separate out the real problem from all the chaos.”
Another perk of building a business after military service: the worldwide network of bonds and connections available to many veteran founders, said Glen Dakan, who served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot for 11 years before transitioning into the Navy Reserve.
“You form connections with people that you meet in other countries, you get an understanding on how the government works or what industry is popular there,” said Dakan, co-founder of Liquify Group, an online shopping website for used office equipment.
In India, China and the Middle East, Dakan saw a huge demand for rare equipment that businesses are looking to sell — either because they’re going out of business or simply no longer have use for it, he said.
Dakan, who is also the founder of Prestio, an online car dealership firm, sold a car to a friend in the Middle East in 2016.
“So I have a friend who lives in Baghdad, and he’s in the medical community and we’re looking at how we might be able to help furnish his lab with equipment out there,” said Dakan.
More than being a profitable endeavor, international business is about human connection, said Dakan. After living in Iraq for two years, he developed an affinity for the country and its people, he said.
“It’s the idea of fulfilling a need and giving a new technology access to place that now has money, and is trying to restabilize. I want them to do well,” said Dakan contrasting the experience of reading the news and being physically immersed in a country’s culture.
Luke Wade, KC Crew
The military teaches discipline, structure and organizations, all of which are integral for entrepreneurs, said Luke A Wade, founder of KC Crew Rec Sports and Special Events.
Wade, who celebrated his 21st birthday overseas while deployed to Iraq, joined the Army National Guard when he was 17. Seven years ago, when Wade was looking for a place downtown where he could play out his love for sports with his friends, he created KC Crew.
“Most businesses can’t run without some sort of structure, whether that’s the budget forecasting or a system of who’s in charge, and who’s following rules and orders. The military is very well known for its structure,” he said. “So I think it’s a natural transition for anyone who has been in the military to move into an entrepreneur role.”
Col. Miguel Howe, George W. Bush Institute
About 14 percent of all veterans become entrepreneurs, said Col. Miguel Howe, putting the transition into numbers. Howe served in the U.S. Army for more than 24 years and had the opportunity to visit 43 countries, he said.
“At the end of the day, entrepreneurship rewards effort,” said Howe, a fellow at the George W. Bush Institute who recently spoke in Kansas City. “As of 2018, there are 2.5 million small businesses owned by military veterans, which generate over 1.1 trillion in receipts.”
Building the economy and supporting veteran entrepreneurs go hand in hand, said Howe.
“The same types of qualities and traits that made them successful in the military, align perfectly in terms of starting a business. Whether that is skill, character, values or the work ethic that is required in military service, those equip them to succeed as an entrepreneur as well,” Howe said.
This story was produced through a collaboration between Missouri Business Alert and Startland News.
Tags: George W. Bush InstituteVetterraMiguel HoweLiquify GroupAloeAndrew BeltPrestioKC CrewLuke WadeGlen Dakan
Startup synergy: Native Hemp Co opening retail store in former downtown MADE flagship store
People’s Choice startup Bar K Dog Bar planning new locations across the Midwest (and beyond)
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Home / Criminal Law / What is Court Martial? Court Martial Process Explained
What is Court Martial? Court Martial Process Explained
What is Court Martial?
Court Martial process applies to the military courts in the United Kingdom which are governed by the Armed Forces Act 2006. This system replaced the previous systems and applies to the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force, with jurisdiction over all members of the UK armed forces as well as civilians subject to service discipline.
Commanding officers can deal with most offences of the armed forces against service law through a summary hearing. These offences must be minor and committed by someone below the rank of:
Commander in the Navy
Lieutenant Colonel in the Army or Royal Marines
Wing Commander in the RAF.
Minor offences include:
Being AWOL
Malingering
Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order
Ill-treating subordinates
Offences against civilian law, such as theft, assault, criminal damage, careless driving
The types of offences which can’t be dealt with by summary hearing include assisting the enemy, misconduct on operations, mutiny and desertion. However, a person charged with a minor offence has the right to choose trial by Court Martial instead of a summary hearing. However, of this is the case, the offender cannot be given a punishment greater than the maximum available to the Commanding Officer.
Court Martial Process
Any offence against service law can be tried by the Court Martial – this includes criminal offences under the law of England and Wales. The procedure is comparable to that of the Crown Court and is presided over by a judge advocate and board of three to seven officers and warrant officers. The judge advocate decides on matters of law, practice and procedure. The board makes findings of guilt or innocence by a majority vote. The judge advocate and board cooperate to deliberate on sentencing.
The Court Martial can impose punishments including:
Imprisonment in a civilian prison
Detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester
Dismissal from the armed services
An unlimited fine
The procedure changes somewhat if it is a civilian being tried as the board comprises civilian members, who do not participate in sentencing, as the judge advocate sentences alone. The Court Martial can impose punishments on a civilian including:
A fine
Court Martial can be appealed at the Court Martial Appeal Court which was founded in 1951.
For more information on the Court Martial, visit our Court Martial page or contact our team of experienced barristers.
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Singer Rihanna shocks in a bare-all dress as she is crowned Fashion Icon at fashion's Oscars
Model Karlie Kloss attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Solange attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Geoffrey Beene lifetime achievement award recipient Tom Ford attends the winners walk during the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Olivia Palermo and Lisa Axelson attend the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Di Mondo attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Actress Blake Lively arrives for the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Lincoln Center in New York on June 2, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP
Model Heidi Klum arrives for the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Lincoln Center in New York on June 2, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Musician Jennifer Hudson attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Actress Marion Cotillard attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Rihanna attends the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Rihanna speaks onstage at the 2014 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards (CFDA) at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. -- PHOTO: AFP
Jun 3, 2014, 4:33 pm SGT
http://str.sg/FFy
NEW YORK - All eyes were on Rihanna at the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards in New York on Monday - and it was not just because she was honoured with a Fashion Icon Of The Year award.
The singer was mainly skin under a see-through dress made of 216,000 Swarovski crystals.
It was yet another of her raunchy outfits created by Adam Selman, who works with her stylist Mel Ottenberg.
The 26-year-old pop star was saved from complete nudity by a pair of nude G-string underwear she wore under the fishnet slip dress and a pink stole on her shoulders.
She teamed the completely backless gown with gloves and a sparkly head scarf, creating a look that channelled famed jazz-age dancer Josephine Baker.
That certainly got people noticing.
Before the ceremony, designer Zac Posen described Rihanna as a fashion risk-taker.
"She takes risks and she marches to her own drum and she knows what she likes," he told The Associated Press in an interview. "It's been an incredible journey."
Rihanna's use of shock value, he said, "has kept her current and balanced how classically beautiful she is".
Accepting her award from Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the Barbados-born Rihanna told the crowd: "I grew up on a really small island and I didn't have a lot of access to fashion. But as far as I can remember, fashion has always been a defence mechanism. I remember thinking 'she can beat me but not my outfit'."
"I can compensate for all of my weaknesses with fashion," she said, adding, "There are rules, but rules are meant to be broken."
The Fashion Icon award is "given to an individual whose style has made a significant impact on popular culture on an international stage".
Previous award recipients have included Lady Gaga, Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman and Johnny Depp.
Other standouts at the event, dubbed fashion's Oscars, included actresses Lupita Nyong'o and Blake Lively.
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Streetcars & Cable Cars
Browse the store
Trolley Tours
Historic Streetcars
Rider Information / Map
Rider Information & Map
The F-Market & Wharves historic streetcar line and the city’s three cable car lines are owned and operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), a service of SFMTA. Market Street Railway provides this information for your convenience only. The latest official route and fare information can be found on Muni’s website.
F-line, E-line and Cable Car Route Map
Click on the map thumbnail at left to view Market Street Railway’s map of San Francisco’s historic rail lines, the F-Market & Wharves and E-Embarcadero streetcar lines and the world-famous cable car lines: the Powell-Hyde line, the Powell-Mason line, and the California Street line. (Note: the map is currently being updated to reflect regular service now in effect on the E-line)
Also included is Muni’s 39-Coit Tower motor coach line, which connects with the F-line (transfers accepted) and runs between Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf and Coit Tower at the top of Telegraph Hill.
Download printable map ( PDF )
E-Embarcadero and F-Market & Wharves Historic Streetcar Lines
The F-line runs along Market Street, San Francisco’s main street, from the Castro District past Civic Center, and through the shopping and financial districts to the famous Ferry Building, where it turns north along The Embarcadero and runs to the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. The F-line runs 365 days a year from before 6:00 a.m. until after 1 a.m. Streetcars are scheduled to run as frequently as every six minutes during daylight hours and 10-15 minutes early morning and late evening.
Current F-line schedule from 511.org
The E-line shares the F-line tracks and stops between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building, then continues south on The Embarcadero to the Giants’ ballpark and the Caltrain Peninsula trains at Fourth and King Streets. The E-line runs daily from 10 a.m until 6 p.m.
Current E-line schedule from 511.org
Please have your exact cash fare or valid ticket/pass/transfer ready before boarding. (Muni streetcar and bus operators carry no change.) Deposit cash fares into the farebox near the boarding door. Show transfers and passes to the operator. Transfers are issued only when boarding, good for 90 minutes. Transfers may not be used on cable cars, but may be used on Muni Metro and bus lines.
Adult streetcar fare
Youth/Disabled/Senior streetcar fare (ages 5-18 and 65+, valid ID required)
Children under 5 years of age ride free
Discounts are available on these fares by purchasing a Clipper Card or using the Muni Mobile App. If you’re a resident or a visitor planning multiple rides, these are definitely worth it.
About 20 different streetcars from Muni’s vintage fleet operate each day. The specific streetcars on the street at a given time varies according to maintenance requirements and weather. You can see which exact cars are on the E- and F-lines right now on this map. In general, the PCC streetcars run at all hours of service; the Milan trams until around 9 p.m., and the oldest, one-of-a-kind streetcars on special occasions only (although our non-profit is working to change that.
Cable Car lines
The cable car lines operate 365 days a year from 6:30 a.m. until just after midnight. Cable cars are scheduled to operate every 6-15 minutes, depending on the time of day.
Cable car tickets and one-day Cable Car Passes are sold on board cable cars by the conductors. Conductors can make change for up to $20. No transfers are accepted or issued on cable cars.
Basic cable car fare for all riders
$7.00 each way (After 9 pm and before 7 am, disabled and 65+ can ride for $3.00)
Children under 5 ride free
If you plan to make an intermediate stop, or ride round-trip, the one-day Cable Car Pass is a good choice in comparison to a single-ride fare. However, a Muni Passport may be a better deal than the one-day Cable Car Pass if you also plan to ride other Muni vehicles, such as the F-line historic streetcars, bus and Muni Metro lines.
Single and Multi-day Passes
Muni offers a choice of passports good for unlimited rides on cable cars, historic streetcars, and all other Muni services (including the Muni Metro subway under Market Street and all bus lines except for special event service). One-day passes may be purchased on board cable cars (but not streetcars). Current prices: 1-Day, $21; 3-day, $32; 7-day, $42. These may not be your best value unless you are planning multiple cable car rides during the given period.
You can purchase these passes at our San Francisco Railway Museum, 77 Steuart Street, between Market and Mission (at the F-line Steuart Street stop), Tuesday-Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For more sales locations and additional information on Muni passes, go to Muni sales information and locations on the website of Muni’s parent, SFMTA.
Muni Information: (415) 701-2311
CityPass offers the same benefits as a 7-day Muni passport, plus admission tickets to several major San Francisco attractions including the Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), California Academy of Science and deYoung Museum.
We have compiled all the best rider tips and information about San Francisco’s historic streetcars and cable cars in our pocket-sized book, ON TRACK, available at our San Francisco Railway Museum or here in our online store.
In summary, the best advice we can give visitors wishing to ride the cable cars or streetcars is this: timing is everything.
The earlier in the morning you can get to the cable car terminals, the faster you’ll get aboard. If you’re staying in the Union Square or general downtown area, try to get to Powell and Market Streets no later than 8:30 a.m. for a ride to the Wharf. When you arrive at the Wharf, stop for a cup of coffee or a quiet walk along the water if the attractions you want to visit aren’t open yet. Same concept in reverse if you’re staying near the Wharf.
During peak periods, including most summer days between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., you can often wait an hour or longer in line at the turntables for a ride on the Powell Street lines. And while there is a cable car stop at virtually every corner along the route, during peak periods, the Powell lines are usually filled to capacity or very close to it as they leave the terminal, which means they are forced to pass up riders waiting at stops along the way.
Another alternative, especially for those without kids in tow, is riding after 8 or 9 p.m. Lines are often non-existent at this hour and you can get right on board.
One more cable car alternative: if the passenger queues at the Powell terminals are hopelessly long, and you don’t care about the cable car’s destination, take an F-line streetcar to the Drumm Street stop. (Ask the operator for the stop for the California Street cable car.) The cable car terminal is right there, and there are hardly ever crowds. You won’t go around curves on the California line, but you’ll get a nice ride without a long wait.
Remember, the cable car lines do not issue or accept transfers, so if you get off a cable car along the route, you will have to pay a second fare to continue your journey. (By contrast, the F-line vintage streetcars, besides having a much lower fare, issue and accept transfers, so you can hop on and off anywhere during the 90-minute validity period of the transfer. In particular, we invite you to take a break at the halfway point of the F-line and visit our free San Francisco Railway Museum at the Steuart Street stop, across The Embarcadero from the Ferry Building.)
The F-line streetcars rarely have long lines at the terminals. However, because the F-line is used by thousands of residents and workers as well as visitors, hopping on and off all along the six-mile route, the vintage streetcars can get crowded at any hour of the day or night at certain points along the line, especially near Pier 39 headed toward downtown, and near the Ferry Building.
To get the most enjoyment out of your F-line streetcar ride, especially in June, July, and August, pick one of the least crowded times to ride, generally right after morning rush hour (8:30 to 9:30 a.m.), mid afternoons (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.), or early evenings (7 p.m to 9 p.m.). The E-Embarcadero is rarely crowded, except around game time at the Giants’ ballpark, and you get a very pleasant ride the length of the waterfront.
One more tip: since both the Powell cable lines and the F-line link the Union Square area to Fisherman’s Wharf, take the cable car in one direction and the F-line in the other. You’ll see more of the city, avoid another wait at the turntable, and (if you’re paying cash fares) save a few bucks, too.
Oh, and though it pains us to say it, San Francisco, like any big city, has pickpockets. If you’re on a crowded streetcar or cable car, keep a close watch on your valuables.
Leave something behind? If you think you left something on a Muni vehicle, call Muni Lost & Found by calling (415) 701-2311. Market Street Railway does not operate the cable cars or streetcars and cannot offer assistance with lost items.
Copyright 2019 Market Street Railway. All Rights Reserved.
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Why Don’t Christians Help . . . Christians?
Thursday's Editorial — Posted on April 21, 2011
(by Dennis Prager, NationalReview.com) – In 1969, at the age of 21, I was sent to the Soviet Union. I was a young American Jew who spoke Hebrew and Russian and who practiced Judaism. My task was to bring Jewish religious items into the Soviet Union, and the names of Jews who wished to leave the Soviet Union out of that country. Upon returning to the United States, I became the national spokesman for the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, one of the most effective organizations for Soviet Jews in the world.
As such, I spoke before synagogues of every denomination, Hadassah groups, Jewish federations, Jewish groups on college campuses. If there was a Jewish organization, it cared about the plight of Soviet Jews. For decades, virtually every synagogue in America had a “Save Soviet Jewry” sign in front of it.
Over time, the plight of the Soviet Jews awakened me to the plight of all Soviet dissidents, whether secular ones – such as that great man, the physicist Andrei Sakharov – or Christian.
The latter were particularly persecuted. Though my work was with Soviet Jewry, I had no trouble acknowledging that Soviet Christians often had it worse. Few Soviet Jews were killed or locked away in dungeon-like conditions by the Soviet authorities, but Soviet Christians were.
At some point in my early years, it dawned on me that I had not seen a single church with a “Save Soviet Christians” sign. Even more amazingly, I encountered Christian clergy – Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox – at every one of the scores of Soviet Jewry rallies at which I spoke. But while these wonderful Christians were outspoken on behalf of Soviet Jews, they were nearly all silent regarding – or even simply ignorant of – the dire plight of Soviet Christians.
Making matters worse, the world’s most famous Christian evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham, went to the Soviet Union in 1982, and in his talk at a church told Christians to obey the authorities – the same authorities who were rounding up Christian dissidents inside and outside the very church at which Graham spoke. As columnist George Will wrote at the time:
The Washington Post reports that when Graham spoke in two churches, both “were heavily guarded, with police sealing off all roads leading to them. Hundreds of KGB security agents . . . were in the congregation.” Graham told one congregation that God “gives you the power to be a better worker, a more loyal citizen because in Romans 13 we are told to obey the authorities.” How is that for a message from America? Graham is America’s most famous Christian. Solzhenitsyn is Russia’s. The contrast is instructive.
This history is repeating itself.
In the Muslim world, Christians are being murdered, churches are being torched, entire ancient Christian communities – the Iraqi and Palestinian, for example – are disappearing. And, again, 2 billion Christians react with silence. There are some Christian groups active on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world. They do important work, and are often the primary source of information on persecuted Christians. But they would be the first to acknowledge that the Christian world is overwhelmingly silent when it comes to the persecution of Christians in the Muslim world.
This is true despite the fact that the most powerful Christian in the world, Pope Benedict XVI, has not been silent. For example, on January 10, in his annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, he spoke of “the Christian communities in [the Middle East] which suffer greatly because of their fidelity to Christ and the Church . . . the attacks which brought death, grief and dismay among the Christians of Iraq .”
He appealed directly to the Muslim world: “To the Muslim religious leaders I renew my heartfelt appeal that their Christian fellow-citizens be able to live in security.”
He continued: “In Egypt, too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. . . . Regarding the states of the Arabian Peninsula, where numerous Christian immigrant workers live, I hope that the Catholic Church will be able to establish suitable pastoral structures.”
He wasn’t done: “Particular mention must be made of the law against blasphemy in Pakistan: I once more encourage the leaders of that country to take the necessary steps to abrogate that law.”
And even more: “Violence against Christians does not spare Africa. Attacks on places of worship in Nigeria during the very celebrations marking the birth of Christ are another sad proof of this.”
Again, eight days earlier, the pope announced: “Yesterday morning we learned with sorrow the news of the serious attack on the Christian Coptic community in Alexandria, Egypt. This despicable act of death – like the current trend of setting bombs close to the homes of Christians in Iraq to force them to leave – offends God and the whole of humanity.”
But aside from the Pope and some activist groups, the Christian world is as silent today as it was when Christians were imprisoned and killed in the Soviet Union.
It is time to change this pattern. Christians should organize an international day or week of solidarity for persecuted Christians in the Muslim world. And not only Christians should attend these hopefully large events. Jews and Muslims should also be in attendance, and their representatives should speak. Jews should because it is right and because of all Christians did for Soviet Jewry and do for Israel; and Muslims should because it is right and because nothing would protect the good name of Muslims like joining non-Muslims in voicing solidarity with the many Christian victims of persecution in Muslim countries.
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. He may be contacted through his website, dennisprager.com.
Originally published April 19, 2011. Reprinted here on April 21, 2011, for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from National Review. Visit the website at NationalReview.com.
1. What is main idea of Dennis Prager’s commentary?
2. What do you think of Mr. Prager’s suggestion that Christians organize an international day or week of solidarity for persecuted Christians in the Muslim world? Explain your answer.
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Tag: TV
NBC brings back Heroes from the dead with mini-series titled Heroes Reborn
Nathalie Caron
Tag: Heroes
Tag: Heroes Reborn
Tag: Tim Kring
Yep, looks like it’s time to save the cheerleader again, because Heroes is coming back!
This rather surprising news came this past Saturday, when NBC issued a press release stating that Heroes was coming back from the grave as a 13-episode standalone story arc entitled Heroes Reborn -- a good four years after the canceled show last aired back in 2010.
Tim Kring (creator of Heroes) is back in the saddle, but hopefully this time he won’t let the show go down the drain (we still have carnival-filled nightmares from time to time about season four).
Perhaps getting Bryan Fuller on board would be a good idea, as some of the best stuff Heroes produced was when he was there, but Fuller’s busy doing Hannibal. Though, to be fair, both shows are on NBC. Perhaps something can be arranged?
Below is the NBC press release that has sent Heroes fans into a frenzy this past weekend:
NEW EVENT MINISERIES ‘HEROES REBORN’ COMES TO NBC IN 2015 Tim Kring to Executive Produce 13 New Episodes of Groundbreaking Series ‘Heroes’ UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Feb. 22, 2014 — NBC is bringing back its conquering “Heroes.”
An iconic series that still commands a rabid fan base, “Heroes” will return to the network in 2015 as an event miniseries with original creator and executive producer Tim Kring at the helm, it was announced today by NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke.
NBC has ordered 13 episodes for a new stand-alone story arc entitled “Heroes Reborn,” with all details of storylines and characters being kept under wraps.
“The enormous impact ‘Heroes’ had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening,” said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. “Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another installment. We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept. Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”
The original series chronicled the life-changing stories of a series of unrelated ordinary people who discovered they had superhuman abilities. As the saga unfolded, they learned they were part of a grand plan that brought them together to change the world.
With the return of “Heroes Reborn,” NBC will launch a digital series prior to the 2015 premiere that will introduce the characters and new storylines. This leveraging of social media is a way for fans to re-engage with what was one for the true pioneers in multiplatform storytelling.
#HeroesReborn
The iconic sci-fi series, which ran on NBC from 2006-10 and was an immediate hit, ranked as television’s #1 new drama with an average audience of 14.5 million viewers during its initial season. The show was Golden Globe-nominated in its first year of eligibility for best drama series; it won the BAFTA Award for best international series, the AFI Award, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Award, two People’s Choice Awards and the Television Critics Association Award for Program of the Year.
“Heroes” remains one of the best-selling TV series on DVD of all time with more than 10 million units sold
Heck, we’re all in for original cast members popping back in for Heroes Reborn (though fresh blood and new characters is what Heroes Reborn desperately needs to revitalize the franchise). In fact, we’d love to have Zachary Quinto back as Sylar, but a lot of the original cast members are nowadays busy with other shows: For example, Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli -- who was the heart of the show) has just been cast as the lead in ABC's alien drama series The Visitors, so we’re not entirely sure about any of the original cast coming on board Heroes Reborn full time. Cameo appearances are more likely for most of the original Heroes actors, but who knows? We could be wrong about it.
Still, we've got to admit, this new habit of reviving canceled series seems to be catching on like wildfire, and is rather thrilling. Heroes had -- and still has -- a rabid fanbase. Perhaps NBC finally realized the sci-fi series still had potential thanks to them? Perhaps Tim Kring did one heck of a pitch? Whatever the reasons, we're cool with it.
Anywho ... what do you guys think of this surprising news? Are you excited about Heroes Reborn? Which character would you like to see return, and which ones do you hope will stay forgotten? Will you be tuning in come 2015?
(via Spoiler TV)
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TAC Reviews...The Rise and Fall of Assassin's Creed
When I first created this site it was my intention to do full and complete reviews of any games or shows that I have played. The review below is of the first game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise but as time has gone on it has become obvious that it is sometimes difficult to say new things about games or shows that are pretty similar to one another.
Now in certain circumstances I will look at each addition to a series, the Dead Space games spring to mind, but that is not becoming the norm simply because there are so many franchises out there which spawn game after game after game that I don’t have the time or the inclination to play them all. That is basically what happened with Assassin’s Creed. I played the first game, then II, Brotherhood and Revelations but started to lose interest in the franchise after that.
I have done a full review of Assassin’s Creed and after that is the article which shares it’s title with this section in which I take a look at what happened to the franchise as the games continued.
So below is:
The Rise and Fall of Assassin’s Creed
If you have played the other games and I am in fact mistaken in my opinion then feel free to let me know, and who knows I might take your advice and check them out for myself.
TAC Reviews...Assassin's Creed
Not surprisingly this is first installment in the questionably historically accurate Assassin's Creed franchise. It stars demoted assassin Altair as he hunts down and assassinates various historical figures.
Now I understand that by today's standards the ability to go anywhere and climb pretty much anything is the norm, however, it was games like Assassin's Creed that really started the whole see-as-far-as-you-can sandbox game.
This game franchise gives you, the player, the ability to sneak around stealth killing people and living those assassination fantasies that come so naturally to us all...or do they just come naturally to me??
Probably best not to answer that question - anyway, moving on...
Here is the premise of all the Assassin's Creed games, you take the role of a protagonist in the future who is in a machine that allows a chap called Desmond to relive the genetic memories of an ancestor (don’t ask how that works), so you spend most of the game playing as Altair an assassin so that Desmond (in the future) can learn something relevant which may help him in the future...clear?? Excellent.
Even though it began in 2007, Assassin’s Creed franchise is still going strong and whilst it has had its ups and downs, generally it continues to delight fans of the free roaming and assassin genre. Well, when I say fans, I mean of course me. So for this review let’s check out the first of the Assassin’s Creed series...er...Assassin’s Creed. The game was developed by Eidos, the team behind the Hitman series and it seems that they have taken key elements from that series and put them in a new setting which gives a far greater freedom to the player than previous games.
The Jerusalem setting has been very carefully designed, with the scenery being viewed simultaneously as you swivel the camera. This was one of the first next-gen games which showed you everything surrounding you, instead of it popping-up as you get nearer and vanishing when you were far away. All of the major cities of the Holy land are an easy horse ride away from one another but such things are just minor details and that historically inaccurate fact should not get in the way of enjoying the game.
You can go almost anywhere, Altair can climb buildings with an ease which would put Spiderman to shame; there are many ways of hiding in plain sight. You can blend in with robed monks wandering the holy land, or hide in haystacks or rooftop gardens. The reason for this is that you have the chance of rescuing innocent civilians or picking pockets in order to gain more information about your target. There are added advantages of helping out the little people getting picked on by unsympathetic guards, if you rescue them successfully, mobs of vigilantes start roaming the streets. They trip over guards and anyone chasing you which gives you an opportunity to get out of their line of sight and hide.
On the downside, the missions revolve around Altair trying to redeem himself for breaking the Creed, the rules that he, and his fellow assassins, are supposed to live by. He gets sent to a section of Jerusalem and has the option of doing side-missions before being allowed a shot at the target. Regrettably this is where the game gets a little repetitive because even the most skilled assassin seems unable to creep up to the target and kill them in a way which doesn’t alert every guard in the Holy land. You will probably find yourself charging through the streets like a madman with your sword in hand trying to kill a man running for his life with all your careful years of training to be a stealthy assassin disappearing as you slice your way through armies of guards before running your target down.
Altair also cannot swim as this causes the machine Desmond is in to break down so treat water like the “floor is lava” and do not go anywhere near it or you will have to reload a checkpoint.
The other real negative is the voice-overs. After spending so much time making the movements of the characters flow seamlessly, and creating a magnificent environment, admittedly with deadly water that you cannot go near, to play in, you would think that Eidos would also have spent as much time with the voice-overs. Now Altair and those in his Creed are all fine, but the game really loses points with the extra voices. Beggars in particular only have two lines which they repeat over and over as they attempt to get money from you as you wander around, this gets very irritating very quickly, still on the plus side you can always kill them if they wind you up enough. You will lose points off your own health bar if you take an innocent life, but honestly, sometimes it is worth it.
So the final verdict is this a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down?? Honestly, by today’s standards when there are tonnes of free roaming games, and characters can perch atop high places and see for miles this game will seem incredibly dated, however, it is because of games like this that now we do have games where you can perch on top of things and see for miles.
Assassin’s Creed therefore gets a Thumbs Up for, in my humble opinion, helping to pioneer a genre.
6/10 – Yes it has dated in the last 7 years but it is still a good game and worth playing although just don’t bother to try and figure out exactly what is going on.
One of the first reviews for this site was of Assassin’s Creed, and depending on when you are reading this, that review will either be in the TAC Reviews…Games section or above this article. Now at the time I had played the first game, enjoyed it and proceeded to play through Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations. Each game added stuff and each game seemed to expand the world of the assassins that little bit more.
The second game introduced new series protagonist Ezio Alditore de Firenze, a young man who learns of his family’s legacy when his father, and brothers are murdered by Templars. In my opinion Ezio was a more interesting protagonist that Altair simply because he was learning how to become an assassin and we learned with him. He mastered his skills over the course of the game eventually becoming a Master Assassin. The backdrop to Ezio’s life was Renaissance Italy and he crossed paths with non-other than Leonardo Da Vinci who invented a lot of the tools that made Ezio a more skilled assassin. Whether the game makers were always intending to make more games centred around Ezio I don’t know, but it seems likely as in the final battle Ezio chooses not to kill the man responsible for basically all the bad happening across Italy during the game.
Coupled with the weak ending, the game was also not without some niggles, at Ezio’s home base you could reopen stores and collect feathers for your mother…I know highly exciting stuff…but these served as little side things to do if you wanted to do them. It also gave you something to do with the money that you gathered as you played through.
Keen to see more of Ezio’s life (and judging by the lame ending of the last game) Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood also featured Ezio. This time a little older and following a crushing defeat at the hands of his enemies (you know the one he should have killed at the end of II) he is forced to relocate to Rome and build his own assassin order.
To that end it became possible in this game to recruit others to join your order and level them up. This could be done by calling them to your aid during battles, or alternatively, by sending them out on missions all over the world. The harder the mission the more xp they would earn and the faster they would level up, but the greater the risk to them. I did get cocky a couple of times and as a result sometimes my assassins didn’t always come back. I quickly learned that the best way to level them up was to send low-level assassins on missions with higher levels, if the mission had a 100% success rate your assassins would always return so the recruits could level up faster. I remember thinking at the time it was a bit of a shame the missions weren’t more tailored to different assassin’s strengths. For example the mission in which your assassin had to seduce someone in order to get closest to their target, it didn’t matter if you sent a man or a woman to do it, nor did it matter if you sent Prince Charming or Quasimodo. If the stats said 100% they would succeed. The benefit of sending out recruits is to earn money but also to have a team of Master Assassins at your beck and call whenever you need them. Like I said they could leap into to battle at your side or rain down a storm of arrows that would kill any guard in the area who had the nerve to look at you funny.
The game was good fun and was the best I’d played because you were playing Ezio in his prime. It also seemed to open up a lot faster than II because I like to go off and unlock everything I possibly can as quickly as I can so I get to use upgrades during the game. However, there were areas locked out until later in the game which were annoying but were locked for story reasons which is fair enough I guess.
The rebuilding mini-game was also built upon in Brotherhood with Ezio able to buy and restore various shops, but also historical landmarks too. There is not real point to restoring landmarks other than the liberation of Rome and you do it to spend the money you’ve earned during the game.
Another issue was that once you sell something in a shop you cannot get it back, in order to unlock the final piece of the game’s best armour you need two Shrunken Heads, one you find early in the game and another in an Assassin’s vault (or something like that). Thing is if you don’t know you need it for the armour and sell one of them then there is no way to get it back again which means you cannot get the armour. Which meant that you did need to be a bit more careful with selling items you collected from chests.
Of the Assassin’s Creed games Brotherhood was the one I played the most because it was my favourite.
We once again joined Ezio, now much older in Revelations where he is on the trail of Altair who has some great secret that Ezio needs to find…that is kind-of it from what I can recall. This time you are in Constantinople and once again Ezio has lost all of his equipment and needs to unlock new tools but perhaps by this time I was starting to get a little bored of the Assassin’s Creed games.
The backdrop of all of these games was that Desmond Miles was looking through the memories of his ancestors in order to learn something of use in the present, he got to go out and about a bit in Brotherhood but is in a coma by Revelations. Apparently the only way to preserve his mind is to delve into Ezio’s life once again but the Desmond sections were always a tad dull that took you away from the more interesting core game as you’d much rather be playing as Ezio.
I finished the game and it did link the Assassins through the ages together which was good.
The adventures of Ezio were obviously popular enough for Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection to get a PS4 release, as of yet I haven’t played them on that console, but sooner or later I might pick them up.
Like I said Revelations wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be, the recruitment of people to become assassins and the mission you could send them on had gotten more complicated. There was also a siege mode that involved waves of Templars attacking strongholds and you having to do a tower defence game to stop them. This addition could be stopped if you placed a Master Assassin at each stronghold so not having to do this new feature is considered a reward.
I did intend to play Assassin’s Creed III but for one reason or another I did not get round to it. I heard that it was actually pretty shit. It was set around the American Revolution or Civil War (I forget which) with Conner (?) I think that was his name somehow having everything to do with the success of the side the Assassins were on.
Can you tell I have very little knowledge of this game??
Basically in the end I did not bother with it and the general consensus from many fans of the franchise was that it had peaked with Ezio’s adventures and the game makers were grasping at straws to keep the games going.
Apparently Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag was really good, with you getting to roam the seas during a Pirates of the Caribbean style adventure. From what I’ve heard you got to go whaling, dive for buried treasure, have ship-to-ship battles and upgrade your vessel. It sounded really interesting but for whatever reason I haven’t picked it up. I think it is partially because I like to play games in order so I know what is happening, and as I cannot be asked to play through III that may be why I haven’t got IV yet. I don’t know.
Anyway after Black Flag we had Assassin’s Creed Rogue then Assassin’s Creed Unity before moving to Victorian England in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate in which you can play as a woman for the first time in the franchise’s canon. These three games I know very little about and I have no intention of playing through them nor the most recent game Assassin’s Creed Origins. Hell until I did a quick internet search I had completely forgotten that Rogue and Unity even existed which demonstrates how little an impact they had on my attention span.
For a franchise that went from strength to strength from Assassin’s Creed to Brotherhood it miss-stepped a little with Revelations then wandered off a cliff with Assassin’s Creed III. Before managing to get things back on track with Black Flag before dropping off again with Rogue, Unity, Syndicate and Origins.
Personally I assumed that Desmond Miles framing device was going to actually give way to a game in which we played as Desmond in a modern world, but that didn’t happen. From what I understand Desmond died in Assassin’s Creed III to be replaced with a nameless protagonist so what was the point of including him?? Yes, Desmond had the personality of a piece of wood but as the games went on he seemed to be learning the skills to make him a Master Assassin allowing him to take centre stage in a game of his own. Unfortunately it seems that idea was scrapped in favour of just making game, after game, after game in order to keep the franchise going as long as possible. But that will be the nail in its coffin. There is no purpose to these games aside from messing around in different historical eras and obviously keeping them going to make more money.
I might pick up Black Flag at some point but for me the Assassin’s Creed games have lost the spark that made them so much fun to play. Ezio was a great character and his back drop of parkour through Renaissance Italy was a joy, however as things have gone on the games seem to have gotten weaker. They are punctuated by the occasional good game like Black Flag but on the whole they just exist to keep a franchise that needs to die going.
I might play Black Flag in the future but for the moment I have completely lost interest in this franchise because the games just seem to be mediocre now when they used to be really good fun.
Perhaps I shouldn't give the games a Thumb rating because I haven't played, now the majority, of the Assassin's Creed games. For the ones I have played I would have given them a Thumbs Up, but considering that the later games are apparently not very good I would have likely given them a Thumbs Down. I think I will give the overall Assassin's Creed games my meh rating and leave my Thumb Horizontal for the entire franchise.
5/10 – Again maybe I couldn’t give the franchise a rating without having played all of the games it has to offer, however, it seems that for every good game in this franchise there seem to be at least a couple that are mediocre at best. The games that centered around Ezio were my favourite of the franchise, but I lost interest in them after the settings changed and the protagonists became less interesting. I might play Black Flag at some point but for the moment I have got other games that I am going to play through first.
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Posted on February 22, 2019 by Sunbury News
Spectacle amid poverty
Staff & Wire Reports
A manual laborer pulls a cart of hay as men drive past on a motorcycle, near the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Kano, northern Nigeria Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Nigeria's main opposition party charged Thursday that the election commission has kept more than 1 million ghost voters on the national register, raising fears of vote rigging ahead of Saturday's presidential election. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
A customer, right, buys fruit from a street seller by the side of the road at a busy intersection near Nyanya, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Nigeria is due to hold general elections on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The face of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is seen on a campaign poster fixed to the pillars of a highway bridge near Nyanya, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Nigeria is due to hold general elections on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
In Nigeria, election spectacle at odds with rampant poverty
By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
RUGA SETTLEMENT, Nigeria (AP) — It’s hard to find a campaign poster in this threadbare settlement on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital, where thousands live in makeshift structures of tarpaulin and sticks of timber.
From his little grocery shop, 65-year-old Jafar Ali awaits the moment a presidential contender will visit Ruga. He isn’t hopeful.
“Of all the funds that have been spent, not even one naira has come into my hands,” Ali said, referring to the Nigerian currency that is equal to about a quarter of one U.S. cent.
“We have been hearing that a lot of money is being shared,” he added, referring to the cash the top candidates hand out to draw crowds to their rallies and the no-interest loans the government has been distributing before the vote.
“All we ask God is to give us a leader who will remember us one day and come here,” Ali said.
On the eve of Nigeria’s election on Saturday, the spectacle of campaign expenditure is at odds with the rampant poverty afflicting many. The lack of campaigning in this impoverished area contrasts with the election-time bustle of downtown Abuja, where the capital’s tree-lined streets are adorned with colorful posters of presidential candidates and where their followers are ferried in buses to boisterous events.
It also highlights the frustration many of Nigeria’s poor feel amid an election campaign said to be one of the country’s most expensive ever as incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari tries to shake off the challenge of his billionaire rival, Atiku Abubakar.
Although there are legal limits to how much a presidential candidate can spend — one billion naira, or about $2.7 million — the campaigns of Buhari and Abubakar are widely believed to have spent far in excess of that, often with the support of groups that donate huge amounts of cash as well as gifts.
In one notable case, a group in northeastern Adamawa state that’s loyal to Nuhu Ribadu, once revered as an anti-corruption activist until he threw his support behind the ruling party, donated 40 vehicles to the campaign to re-elect Buhari last month. That donation raised eyebrows because it is well over the donation limit of 1 million naira.
Buhari, who ruled briefly as a military dictator in the 1980s, was voted into power in 2015 with promises to fight corruption, boost the economy and end the deadly insurgency of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.
Many Nigerians say he has failed on all three counts, citing an ineffective war on graft that appears to target opponents, persistent insecurity in the northern part of the country, and an anemic economy that is struggling to attract foreign investment.
In addition to his lackluster performance, the 76-year-old Buhari has spent months out of the country for medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Unemployment in Africa’s most populous nation of 190 million was over 23 percent in the third quarter of 2018, up from 8.2 percent when Buhari took office, official figures show. Nigeria was in a recession for five months until early 2017, according to the International Monetary Fund, after the price of crude oil plunged to less than $30 a barrel in 2016.
Although Nigeria remains Africa’s top oil producer, more than half of the country’s total revenue goes toward servicing the public debt, according to the Brookings Institution, which reported last year that Nigeria had overtaken India as the country with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty.
Whoever wins Saturday’s election will have to contend with a plethora of economic challenges that have left many Nigerians despairing, and often angry, with the government in Abuja. Despite its oil wealth, Nigeria’s per capita income was $1,968 in 2017, according to the World Bank. There is an unresolved labor dispute over the minimum wage, which currently stands at 18,000 naira (about $50) per month.
Abubakar, a successful businessman and former vice president who is contesting the presidency for the fourth time, has seized on the wave of popular discontent with a vow to “get Nigeria working again.”
For some Nigerians, the idea of their country as weak and uncertain is annoying.
“We the masses are suffering in this country. What we are seeing is negative change,” said Emmanuel Chimezie, 29, who said he hasn’t found a job since graduating from college in 2015.
“Nigeria has a lot of potential, but how to harness it is a big problem in this country. We need a good leader who can diversify the economy, not depending on oil, oil, oil.”
Inflation rates pushing up the prices of food staples such as rice should convince the government to invest heavily in agriculture, he added.
“Buhari has to go,” said Eze Onyekpere, who runs the Abuja-based Center for Social Justice. “If the masses don’t sack him, then they should stop complaining.”
Campaign rallies, he added, have become “places for vulgar abuse” and rarely focus on bread-and-butter issues, mirroring how the candidates would govern.
Critics point out that the high cost of running campaigns fuels official corruption as elected officials bid to recover their costs once in office.
“None of their manifestos speak directly to the needs of people,” said Idayat Hassan, director of the Abuja-based civic group Center for Democracy and Development. “Politics is not the same as service to the people. If it were service to the people, they would not invest so much. It would not look like a do-or-die thing.”
Similar concerns were raised last year in a report by the Chatham House think tank, which noted that Nigeria’s two main parties are indistinguishable and both “function as patronage-fueled coalitions of fractious elite networks” whose goal is to get power and the associated financial rewards.
Some locals agree.
“In Nigeria, politics has become an investment,” said Wole Adeoye, an unemployed college graduate in the commercial capital, Lagos. “The losers lose all their money and the winners become rich overnight.”
Associated Press writer Sam Olukoya in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
Why poor storage and handling are to blame for Uganda’s poor quality seed
Author: Nathan Fiala, Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut
Disclosure statement: The authors received funding from the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the Northern Uganda-Transforming the Economy through Climate-Smart Agribusiness Development Market Development (NU-TEC MD) to run this study.
Partners: University of Connecticut provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.
The quality of purchased seeds, such as maize, groundnuts and others, is a major concern in Uganda.
Evidence from recent studies indicates that farmers all over the country have been slow to adopt improved seeds, such as those that protect against drought. Farmers prefer to use seeds they’ve saved from the last season; these are generally of poor quality and don’t protect against weather problems. This suggests that, for Uganda’s farmers, the cost of improved seeds – which are more expensive than home-saved seeds – outweighs any of the benefits.
Farmers are also concerned about the quality of agricultural inputs like fertiliser, seeds and pesticides. They worry about the potential for these to be adulterated and contaminated. For example, a recent study found that a bag of fertiliser picked at random had only half of the nitrogen content it should. This meant there was little value to using it. The authors also looked at yields from improved maize seeds and discovered a similar situation.
One reason that’s widely cited for low yields is deliberate adulteration of seeds by sellers along the supply chain. The assumption is that sellers deliberately introduce grains or even stones into bags of seed to increase the weight. When the farmer uses these seeds, most don’t germinate. However, no one has ever identified adulteration – it’s simply assumed this is what is causing the problem.
This means that agricultural policy has tended to focus on certification of seeds, including labelling at the source, e-verification and requiring bags that are not easy to open until the farmer has them. But little effort has been made to improve the quality control of the seed supply chain as a whole, including transportation networks and storage at the end seller.
Uganda’s certification and oversight of seeds has proven inadequate for ensuring that farmers obtain good quality inputs. Neither seed companies nor input shops are well regulated and market failures have emerged, meaning that the access to optimal quality seeds is still very limited.
Our project expands on the recent work of researchers looking at the quality of agricultural inputs in Africa. To diagnose where quality issues crop up in Uganda, we explored 21 varieties of maize across the supply chain. What we found is that quality, rather than genetic purity, appears to be the main problem. The results are consistent with mishandling and poor storage of seeds.
What our tests found
To collect a representative sample of seeds – as if an actual farmer would have purchased those seeds – we employed a mystery shopper approach. A well-trained team of enumerators self-identified as farmers and purchased seeds from a census of companies at all levels of the supply chain, across three districts in northern Uganda and the capital, Kampala.
The seed samples were then sent to testing facilities in Uganda for purity and performance examination. To identify how genetically similar the seeds were to each other (or in other words, to screen if any seed was adulterated or contaminated) the sample of seeds was shipped to a laboratory in Australia to test for genetic purity.
Seeds were tested on three main indicators. First were DNA tests for genetic purity. Second was a physical test for the percentage of the seed containing stones, dirt, or sand. Last came germination tests – defined as the percentage of seeds that can germinate normally under standard conditions. Vigour tests determined the percentage of seeds able to germinate under suboptimal conditions and after storage while moisture tests determine how much water has gotten into the seeds, which leads to lower quality germination.
We did not find evidence of serious seed adulteration by sellers. Instead, we find high levels of seed genetic and physical purity across all levels of the supply chain. Seed samples collected are genetically very similar to each other and on average presented good physical purity (above 99%), or good content of pure seeds (and absence of inert matter or dirt, sand, stones, sticks, and stems.
Poor handling
Results from tests of vigour and moisture content, combined with high levels of DNA similarity, lead us to believe that the causes of low quality are most likely due to poor management in the downstream levels of the supply chain (wholesalers and retailers) that create poor storage conditions.
Monitoring mechanisms, collective action by stakeholders, and further exploration on seeds during storage and transportation are key for better seeds. Although rules are in place, few resources are available for regulators, meaning that currently seed monitoring is almost non-existent.
On top of seed certification, implementing complementary mechanisms, such as regular quality control inspections, is key.
Future evidence is needed
A note of caution is needed for these results. We were only able to trace the supply chain of maize in one year, and across three districts (plus Kampala). The results are potentially limited in their application to other crops, years and districts. We are also limited in our sample size as we were only able to collect 120 samples in total.
A replication of this proof of concept is needed in different regions, seasons, and years to confirm the absence of counterfeit seeds more broadly. We also recommend further studies on the practices and conditions during seed storage and transportation. Future evidence is needed to determine conclusively what is driving low quality seeds in Uganda.
If the results we obtained can be generalised, it is possible they could significantly change the way policy makers approach the issue of low quality seeds in Uganda. If adulteration is not the problem, but instead storage and transportation are the major constraints to quality, money currently being spent on certification processes could be better spent. Future work will need to confirm this interpretation is in fact true.
Vatican’s envoy to France facing ‘sexual aggression’ probe
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
PARIS (AP) — The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into alleged “sexual aggression” by Catholic archbishop Luigi Ventura, the Vatican’s envoy to France, according to French officials.
Confirming a report published by Le Monde newspaper on Friday, a judicial official and a spokesman at the Paris mayor’s office said the police investigation targeting the apostolic nuncio came after a young male city employee claimed he was sexually molested inside the French capital’s town hall.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to be named in media reports.
The Vatican said it found out about the investigation from media reports, adding that “the Holy See is awaiting the conclusions of the inquiry.”
Ventura, who has been holding the post within the Holy See’s global diplomatic corps since 2009, is suspected of having groped the buttocks of a young male employee at the Paris City Hall three times during a ceremony on Jan. 17.
Paris City Hall’s press office told The Associated Press that the victim is a man in his 30s working for the town hall’s international relations department. He was in charge of welcoming guests at the ceremony.
“He caressed and fondled his buttocks several times in front of witnesses,” a spokesman at the City Hall told The Associated Press. “Our employee was very surprised and did not know what to do.”
According to the spokesman, Ventura touched the employee three times over a period of about an hour before the young man left the ceremony after reporting the incidents to his superiors. The spokesman said Ventura didn’t apologize.
Ventura, who was born in northern Italy near the city of Brescia, turned 74 in December. He was ordained in June 1969 and elevated to bishop’s rank in March 1995. He was appointed nuncio to France in September 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, a position regarded as a crowning achievement of a Vatican diplomatic career.
After serving as nuncio to Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Niger, he then held the position in Chile and Canada before landing the French post.
When he turns 75 in December 2019, he will be required, as all bishops are at that age under Vatican rules, to submit his resignation to Pope Francis, who can either accept it or let him stay on a little longer.
Ventura is the third Vatican diplomat accused of sexual wrongdoing. In June last year, the Vatican tribunal convicted Monsignor Carlo Capella of possession and distribution of child pornography and sentenced him to five years in prison. In 2013, the Vatican charged its then-ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Monsignor Jozef Wesolowski, with sexually abusing young boys. Wesolowski was defrocked by the Vatican’s church court, but he died before the Vatican’s criminal trial got underway.
Frances D’Emilio and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
The ‘real’ St. Valentine was no patron of love
Author: Lisa Bitel, Professor of History & Religion, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Disclosure statement: Lisa Bitel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Partners: University of Southern California — Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.
On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can tell you that at the root of our modern holiday is a beautiful fiction. St. Valentine was no lover or patron of love.
Valentine’s Day, in fact, originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing on Valentine’s Day?
Early origins of St. Valentine
Ancient sources reveal that there were several St. Valentines who died on Feb. 14. Two of them were executed during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus in 269-270 A.D., at a time when persecution of Christians was common.
How do we know this? Because, an order of Belgian monks spent three centuries collecting evidence for the lives of saints from manuscript archives around the known world.
They were called Bollandists after Jean Bolland, a Jesuit scholar who began publishing the massive 68-folio volumes of “Acta Sanctorum,” or “Lives of the Saints,” beginning in 1643.
Since then, successive generations of monks continued the work until the last volume was published in 1940. The Brothers dug up every scrap of information about every saint on the liturgical calendar and printed the texts arranged according to the saint’s feast day.
The Valentine martyrs
The volume encompassing Feb. 14 contains the stories of a handful of “Valentini,” including the earliest three of whom died in the third century.
The earliest Valentinus is said to have died in Africa, along with 24 soldiers. Unfortunately, even the Bollandists could not find any more information about him. As the monks knew, sometimes all that the saints left behind was a name and day of death.
We know only a little more about the other two Valentines.
According to a late medieval legend reprinted in the “Acta,” which was accompanied by Bollandist critique about its historical value, a Roman priest named Valentinus was arrested during the reign of Emperor Gothicus and put into the custody of an aristocrat named Asterius.
As the story goes, Asterius made the mistake of letting the preacher talk. Father Valentinus went on and on about Christ leading pagans out of the shadow of darkness and into the light of truth and salvation. Asterius made a bargain with Valentinus: If the Christian could cure Asterius’s foster-daughter of blindness, he would convert. Valentinus put his hands over the girl’s eyes and chanted:
“Lord Jesus Christ, en-lighten your handmaid, because you are God, the True Light.”
Easy as that. The child could see, according to the medieval legend. Asterius and his whole family were baptized. Unfortunately, when Emperor Gothicus heard the news, he ordered them all to be executed. But Valentinus was the only one to be beheaded. A pious widow, though, made off with his body and had it buried at the site of his martyrdom on the Via Flaminia, the ancient highway stretching from Rome to present-day Rimini. Later, a chapel was built over the saint’s remains.
St. Valentine was not a romantic
The third third-century Valentinus was a bishop of Terni in the province of Umbria, Italy.
According to his equally dodgy legend, Terni’s bishop got into a situation like the other Valentinus by debating a potential convert and afterward healing his son. The rest of story is quite similar as well: He too, was beheaded on the orders of Emperor Gothicus and his body buried along the Via Flaminia.
It is likely, as the Bollandists suggested, that there weren’t actually two decapitated Valentines, but that two different versions of one saint’s legend appeared in both Rome and Terni.
Nonetheless, African, Roman or Umbrian, none of the Valentines seems to have been a romantic.
Indeed, medieval legends, repeated in modern media, had St. Valentine performing Christian marriage rituals or passing notes between Christian lovers jailed by Gothicus. Still other stories romantically involved him with the blind girl whom he allegedly healed. Yet none of these medieval tales had any basis in third-century history, as the Bollandists pointed out.
In any case, historical veracity did not count for much with medieval Christians. What they cared about were stories of miracles and martyrdoms, and the physical remains or relics of the saint. To be sure, many different churches and monasteries around medieval Europe claimed to have bits of a St. Valentinus’ skull in their treasuries.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, for example, still displays a whole skull. According to the Bollandists, other churches across Europe also claim to own slivers and bits of one or the other St. Valentinus’ body: For example, San Anton Church in Madrid, Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Prague, Saint Mary’s Assumption in Chelmno, Poland, as well as churches in Malta, Birmingham, Glasgow, and on the Greek isle of Lesbos, among others.
For believers, relics of the martyrs signified the saints’ continuing their invisible presence among communities of pious Christians. In 11th-century Brittany, for instance, one bishop used what was purported to be Valentine’s head to halt fires, prevent epidemics, and cure all sorts of illnesses, including demonic possession.
As far as we know, though, the saint’s bones did nothing special for lovers.
Unlikely pagan origins
Many scholars have deconstructed Valentine and his day in books, articles and blog postings. Some suggest that the modern holiday is a Christian cover-up of the more ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia in mid-February.
Lupercalia originated as a ritual in a rural masculine cult involving the sacrifice of goats and dogs and evolved later into an urban carnival. During the festivities half-naked young men ran through the streets of Rome, streaking people with thongs cut from the skins of newly killed goats. Pregnant women thought it brought them healthy babies. In 496 A.D., however, Pope Gelasius supposedly denounced the rowdy festival.
Still, there is no evidence that the pope purposely replaced Lupercalia with the more sedate cult of the martyred St. Valentine or any other Christian celebration.
Chaucer and the love birds
The love connection probably appeared more than a thousand years after the martyrs’ death, when Geoffrey Chaucer, author of “The Canterbury Tales” decreed the February feast of St. Valentinus to the mating of birds. He wrote in his “Parlement of Foules”:
“For this was on seynt Volantynys day. Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”
It seems that, in Chaucer’s day, English birds paired off to produce eggs in February. Soon, nature-minded European nobility began sending love notes during bird-mating season. For example, the French Duke of Orléans, who spent some years as a prisoner in the Tower of London, wrote to his wife in February 1415 that he was “already sick of love” (by which he meant lovesick.) And he called her his “very gentle Valentine.”
English audiences embraced the idea of February mating. Shakespeare’s lovestruck Ophelia spoke of herself as Hamlet’s Valentine.
In the following centuries, Englishmen and women began using Feb. 14 as an excuse to pen verses to their love objects. Industrialization made it easier with mass-produced illustrated cards adorned with smarmy poetry. Then along came Cadbury, Hershey’s, and other chocolate manufacturers marketing sweets for one’s sweetheart on Valentine’s Day.
Today, shops everywhere in England and the U.S. decorate their windows with hearts and banners proclaiming the annual Day of Love. Merchants stock their shelves with candy, jewelry and Cupid-related trinkets begging “Be My Valentine.” For most lovers, this request does not require beheading.
Invisible Valentines
It seems that the erstwhile saint behind the holiday of love remains as elusive as love itself. Still, as St. Augustine, the great fifth-century theologian and philosopher argued in his treatise on “Faith in Invisible Things,” someone does not have to be standing before our eyes for us to love them.
And much like love itself, St. Valentine and his reputation as the patron saint of love are not matters of verifiable history, but of faith.
A manual laborer pulls a cart of hay as men drive past on a motorcycle, near the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Kano, northern Nigeria Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Nigeria’s main opposition party charged Thursday that the election commission has kept more than 1 million ghost voters on the national register, raising fears of vote rigging ahead of Saturday’s presidential election. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
https://www.sunburynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2019/02/web1_122329957-2120e6d2646d48f3a3515a67d48fcb26.jpgA manual laborer pulls a cart of hay as men drive past on a motorcycle, near the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Kano, northern Nigeria Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Nigeria’s main opposition party charged Thursday that the election commission has kept more than 1 million ghost voters on the national register, raising fears of vote rigging ahead of Saturday’s presidential election. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
https://www.sunburynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2019/02/web1_122329957-78fb744aedaf49098dcd0a83ceefd409.jpgA customer, right, buys fruit from a street seller by the side of the road at a busy intersection near Nyanya, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Nigeria is due to hold general elections on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
https://www.sunburynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2019/02/web1_122329957-0a456982cfd243bcab6c56d0584b0469.jpgThe face of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is seen on a campaign poster fixed to the pillars of a highway bridge near Nyanya, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Nigeria is due to hold general elections on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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Searching for balance
By Bruce Newton
Chaz Mostert is hunting for balance and it’s got nothing to do with the leg he broke in that tumultuous Bathurst accident last October.
Instead, it’s the handling balance of his Supercheap Auto Racing Ford Falcon FG X that has him mystified after two difficult V8 Supercars championship SuperSprints in Tasmania and at Phillip Island.
The issue has him concerned heading to the next championship event at one of his favourite tracks, Barbagallo Raceway in Western Australia, where he made his main game debut with a top 10 finish for Dick Johnson Racing in 2013, won his first race for Ford Performance Racing (now PRA) in 2014 and his first two ARMOR ALL Pole Positons in 2015.
“Perth has always been a good track for our team and our cars,” the 24-year old told v8supercars.com. “We have had good results there.
“But coming out of Phillip Island and Tassie I am not as confident as what I would like to be going there. We will see how we roll out there. We will be working hard back at the workshop for sure.”
While understandably reticent to discuss the specific issues he is having with the FG X, Mostert confirmed the car was behaving very differently to what he remembered back in the second half of 2015 when he was on a hot streak of wins, podiums and pole positions and challenging team-mate Mark Winterbottom for the driver’s championship.
Counting Bathurst where he broke his left leg and wrist and damaged his left knee in that monster Friday shunt, Mostert missed the last five events of the season and eventually dropped to 11th in the championship results. However, he still claimed the ARMOR ALL Pole Award despite missing the last 12 qualifying sessions.
“I am just trying to find my feet at the moment, I am probably not as comfortable with the car this year as I was last year,” he conceded.
“It is something we just have to work out what we have done over the five or six months that I was out of it and just work out how it got to there.
“There is a number of things. There is a bit of missed balance at the moment which is the biggest thing. We used to have the opposite, now we have something totally different. So we have just got to work that out.”
While the championship started promisingly at the Clipsal 500 for Mostert – despite a crash – with two front row starts and a podium, at Symmons Plains he qualified 11-6 and turned that into 10-5 finishes.
He felt the car was better at Phillip Island, but after starting from the front row on Saturday he was robbed of a podium finish when the front right tyre blew on the last lap. On Sunday he qualified only 14th and was spun to dead last on the opening lap, before fighting back to eighth thanks to good race-pace and strategy.
After all that he now runs 16th in the drivers’ championship.
“For me, I raced the car as hard as I could out there,” he said post-Phillip Island. “It was a shame to be turned around on the first lap but definitely this was a stronger round for us than what Tassie was, so I think I’ve just got to find out what’s going on in the car more than anything.
“Those guys who had those last couple of rounds at the end of last year probably have a little bit on me just trying to work out my car.”
Mostert conceded limited testing days and lack of fresh tyres would make it extremely difficult to sort out his issues quickly. It also didn’t help that moving homes to the Rod Nash Racing Racing Entitlements Contract (REC) also meant he had access to former team-mate David Reynolds’ 2015 tyre bank rather than his own allocation left over from last year.
“Even when you are allowed to test you haven’t got any tyres to do anything so it is kind of pointless. I have Dave Reynolds’ tyre bank from last year and it’s even hurting me at rounds because I don’t know exactly where to go with the car at the start of the round.
“So it’s hard and even during your test days you run on old rubber as well.”
The good news in all this is that Mostert is pleased with his recovery from the Bathurst shunt, especially enjoying the warmer weather now that he has relocated back to Queensland.
“The body is mint, so each day it gets better and better,” he said. “Cold weather plays around with ligaments and stuff, so that’s why I Iimp around when I am in Tassie and Melbourne.
“But when I go back to the Gold Coast I don’t even have a limp. So everything in the car feels good – the ergonomics and all that – and nothing is hurting my leg.
“I am just loving being in the race car, so if I could just drive everywhere I’d do that.”
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Cory Musgrave Announces Run for State Representative in the 109th District
Musgrave running to lower taxes, create jobs, protect the unborn, and preserve 2nd Amendment rights
Citing his commitment to the sanctity of human life, the 2nd Amendment and his opposition to tax increases, Cory Musgrave today is officially announcing his intention to run for State Representative
in the 109th District.
“Illinois is financially and morally bankrupt,” Musgrave said. “This past spring, the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved the most extreme pro-abortion legislation of any state in the country. The Governor and his allies in the House and the Senate are working overtime to make Illinois into the California of the Midwest. As State Representative in the 109th District, I will fight to restore
common-sense conservative values at the state level.”
Musgrave was born in Fairfield, IL and is a graduate of Fairfield Community High School. He is a Frontier Community College graduate and he also attended Southwest Assembly of God University. He is currently enrolled at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School in a Master of Arts in Rural Ministries program. He currently serves senior Pastor at New Beginnings Church in Fairfield.
State Representative Darren Bailey, who is now running for the Illinois State Senate, is endorsing Musgrave.
“We don’t need a place holder representing us in Springfield,” Bailey said. “What we need is someone who is going to lead and going to represent our values. Cory Musgrave is the leader we need. I am
looking forward to working with Cory in Springfield.”
Musgrave is pro-life. He supports the 2nd Amendment. He opposes tax increases and he will oppose the radical environmental policies that are hurting the oil and gas industry in Southeast Illinois.
“Voters in the 109th District can rest assured that I will not bend when it comes to my core principles and values,” Musgrave said. “I will be true to my convictions. My principles are not currency to be
abandoned for the highest campaign contributor.”
Musgrave grew up working in the family-owned business, the Musgrave Autobody Repair Shop in Fairfield.
“I know the challenges small business owners face in this state because I lived it with my family for many years,” Musgrave said. “The tax increases, the $15 minimum wage law coupled with the lack of any business reforms have made it tough for businesses to survive in Illinois. As a result, Illinois continues to lose population. We are likely losing at least one – possibly two – Congressional seats in the upcoming Census. The Democrat majority’s addiction to high taxes, over regulation and out-of-control spending at the State level are wrecking our state. We must change course if we have any hope of restoring Illinois.”
Musgrave currently serves as the President of Geff School District 14. He also is the President of the Fairfield Ministerial Alliance. He has recently worked with the Wayne County Opioid Coalition to help combat addiction in our community. He and his wife Jana have five children, two of whom were adopted from China.
Musgrave is running as a Republican. The Primary Election is March 17, 2020.
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Hidden History: Face jugs of Edgefield County
by: Dee Griffin
Posted: Jan 15, 2019 / 10:51 AM CST / Updated: Jan 15, 2019 / 10:52 AM CST
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Now calm and serene, the Savannah River was once a bustling, active route for importing and exporting goods in the River Region. It’s proud past also includes a perilous period that changed lives and later influenced a segment of art culture.
“The slave trade had been abolished in 1807 and really took effect in 1808. But, this was 50 years later in December 1858,” explained Edgefield County Historian Tonya Guy.
About 400 slaves were brought to Georgia on a schooner called “The Wanderer.” Small boats were hired to take slaves up the Savannah River. 200 were taken through the dark, murky water of Horseshoe Creek and into Edgefield County, South Carolina.
“There are newspaper accounts talking about how intelligent they were, how quickly they learned when they came here and started working on different plantations. They were skilled laborers,” said Guy.
Although ripped from their country with an uncertain future, the slaves would not let go of a piece of their past. While working for local pottery manufacturers, they created “face jugs.”
“They’re very rudimentary. They’re very crude. They’re very small,” said Guy. “It’s believed that they practiced the voodoo religion. So, they believed that they could talk to ancestors through the face vessels.”
While no one can put a price on the service of slaves, collectors are paying high dollar to get a piece of their work. They’ve sold for up to $25,000 at auctions.
Although they are long gone, face jugs of slaves from The Wanderer serve as a glaring reminder of perseverance that will never be forgotten.
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The Royal’s New Rules: Backsliding in Bahrain
The Al Khalifas of Bahrain, the Sunni family which has lorded over the Shia-majority population since 1783, has a long history of thwarting revolutionary uprisings. They’ve recently added five new tactics to their repertoire.
By Amy Austin Holmes
The Al Khalifas of Bahrain, the Sunni family which has lorded over the Shia-majority population since 1783, has a long history of thwarting revolutionary uprisings. They’ve recently added five new tactics to their repertoire. My own experience with their new strategy happened on January 29, when I landed at the airport in Manama. Although wary of the fact that a number of journalists, NGOs, European MPs, and activists had been denied entry into Bahrain, I thought I was low profile enough to get in. Other than speaking about Bahrain at a few small academic conferences, I didn’t think I had done anything to earn a spot on anyone’s blacklist. And thanks to the glacially slow nature of academic publishing, my research on Bahrain had not yet appeared in print. I found it therefore all the more disconcerting when I was denied entry and instead put on a flight to Qatar for “security reasons.” When I attempted to protest the decision, telling them that I was allowed in during my last visit, I was simply told: “Everyone knows about your last trip.” While nation-states have the right to decide who may or may not cross their borders, the government of Bahrain has been systematically denying access to virtually any outside observers.
This policy of shutting out even potential critics points to one of the contradictory features of Al-Khalifa rule: the paradoxical co-existence of power and weakness. On the one hand the royal family is threatened by the most popularly supported uprising in the Arab Spring. But so far, the Al Khalifas have succeeded in keeping down what may be the best-organized opposition movement in the region. And it has powerful external backers including the United States and Saudi Arabia – and yet it is hard to avoid the impression that it also suffers from a massive insecurity complex if it thinks someone like myself is troublesome enough to keep out. Are the Al Khalifas secure in their thrones? Or are they counting their days in power?
When the youth of Bahrain declared they would march on the royal palace, Riyadh and Washington seem to have agreed things had gotten out of hand. But when Gulf Cooperation Council troops intervened in mid-March 2011, the revolutionary uprising did not end. It changed tack. Hence the un-success of Bahrain’s Arab Spring cannot be fully explained by the Saudi intervention and American appeasement alone. External powers have certainly played their part, but the Al Khalifas played their part as well.
The royal family recently initiated a new “dialogue” to create the impression that they are engaging the opposition and responding to their demands. This is in part in response to U.S. officials who insist that the main problem in Bahrain is precisely the lack of such dialogue—rather than larger structural problems or power relations.
But after 20 hours of talks spread out over 5 sessions, the participants in the tripartite dialogue (the regime, the loyalists, and the opposition) have yet to agree on an agenda. While these talks about talk may be important, it is necessary to step back and consider how the Al Khalifas have empowered themselves and weakened the opposition through structural changes in the configuration of power. This means that any opposition movement – regardless of its tactics, ideology, or willingness to talk to the regime – is less likely to achieve a true democratic breakthrough than the opposition forces in the 1970s.
Bahrain has backslided. And it is not because the opposition is small or divided. It is rather, I argue, because the regime has maneuvered to ensure that, whatever the outcome of the current dialogue, the ruling family will continue to rule.
1. Paralyzing the parliament: After 27 years without a parliament (1975-2002), Bahrain’s Amir, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, decided it was time to overhaul the country’s image. This was a contradictory two-pronged strategy which included holding parliamentary elections in 2002, but also re-naming himself King and his country a Kingdom. However, the current bicameral parliament is less democratic now than its unicameral predecessor in the 1970s. The appointed upper house known as the Shura Council effectively acts as a ‘safety valve’ for the regime, in case the elected lower house should show its teeth. Secondly, the parliament is consultative—not legislative. It has not drafted a single law in the past 10 years, because it is not allowed to do so, but can only draft proposals. Drafting laws is now the purview of the government.
2. Empowering the King: Under the previous constitution, the King (then still called the Amir) exercised power through his ministers. Under the new constitution, the King exercises power both directly and through his ministers. In the 1970s, the ruler had to get the approval of parliament in order to declare a state of emergency. The new constitution has relieved him of that obligation.
3. Monopolizing the ministries: Previously, the Council of Ministers, or cabinet, had been more or less evenly divided, with one-third from the ruling family, one-third Sunnis, and one-third Shias. Now, approximately half of the cabinet ministers are chosen from amongst the Al Khalifas. The most important portfolios, including the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Interior, and the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs, are now all domains of the ruling family.
4. Disenfranchising the people: In many ways the majority Shia population is more disenfranchised than before. Knowing that their powerbase was tiny, the Al Khalifas began a program of “importing Sunnis” from neighboring countries in the 1990s who were given citizenship and then hired to work in the military and security forces, from which the Shias are still excluded. In the last two years, the discrimination of the Shias has become much broader and extends to areas where they were previously able to find employment. It has become common to ask job candidates about their religious affiliation.
5. Shutting out the world: Since the beginning of the 2011 uprising, the government began a policy of shutting out not only high-profile journalists or critics of the regime, but anyone who is under suspicion of even potentially raising a critical voice. Bahrain Watch has documented over 200 cases of individuals who were denied entry. Their website features an interactive timeline of the past two years and various reports, including one that describes my experience as a “particularly serious case.”
Of course, the regime’s counter-revolutionary strategy is more complex than this. The royals employ a variety of other tactics to maintain their hold on power, including: imprisoning opposition leaders, the use of torture, dispersal of protests, systematic tear gassing of Shia villages even when protests are not taking place, and the gerrymandering of electoral districts. And then there is Khalifa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, the longest-serving unelected prime minister in the world. He has been in office since the country gained independence in 1971 and heads the camp of hardliners within the family. But these are challenges that the opposition has had to deal with for many years. By contrast, the five issues discussed above have been highlighted because they represent relatively new tactics on the part of the regime. And because they have redefined the structures of power. These are, in short, the new rules of the game: the parliament is weaker, the King is stronger, the Shias are disenfranchised, the ministries have been monopolized by the ruling family, and outside observers are systematically shut out.
But still, the game is not over. During the nine hours at the Manama airport, before I was ‘deported,’ I tried multiple times to demand some explanation from the uniformed officials as to why I was denied entry. Their repertoire of answers ranged from “no” to “I don’t know”. Finally, I changed the topic and asked why they had a picture of Gamal Abdel Nasser as their screensaver on their office computer. With a barely detectable half-smile he said, “Nasser was a good leader.”
Amy Austin Holmes is an assistant professor of sociology at the American University in Cairo. She is the director of the 2012 film Imperial Outposts: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Presence in Turkey. She has contributed to Mobilization, the Baltimore Sun, and Ahram Online.
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Bottom Line: Tehran’s military doctrine seeks to deter a conventionally superior foe, the United States, from entering its territorial waters or borders through the threat of asymmetric retaliation. But with the expansion of Iran’s maritime reach – alongside their success in various proxy conflicts – Tehran’s efforts could have lasting ...
Friction Ahead: Tehran Faces Enemies Foreign & Domestic in 2018
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look ahead at key national security issues. Intelligence veteran and Iran hand Norman Roule sketches out where we are now in the Mideast and Gulf region, and what he sees ahead for Tehran. On the state of the Middle ...
Trump Stops Short of Pulling Out of Iran Deal
President Donald Trump on Friday announced he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal and vowed to terminate the agreement if its “many serious flaws” are not tackled. “We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror, and the very real threat ...
Tougher Line on Iran Could ‘Fatally Undermine’ Fight Against ISIS
President Donald Trump’s threatened de-certification of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement is sure to damage not just the deal itself, but the ultimate credibility of the United States. But his reported plan to declare Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group would pose an ever more troubling risk: plunging ...
Could Trump’s Hardline on Iran Do More Harm than Good?
The White House is expected to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group as part of the White House’s tough new tact on Tehran, according to multiple news reports—but experts say doing so could worsen regional conflicts. This week, President Donald Trump will announce the designation as part of a ...
Hezbollah Calls the Shots in Iran’s Syria Policy
President Donald Trump is reportedly about to extend a terrorism designation to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety. The IRGC is both the dominant force inside Iran and the instrument through which the Islamic Republic projects power abroad. Operating throughout the region, the IRGC is deeply entrenched ...
Hope and Change, Iranian Style
On the surface, the Iranian election was an impressive display of hope trumping cynicism. Over 70 percent of the population turned out with more than half saying yes to President Hasan Rouhani’s moderate policies and giving a strong rebuke to hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, the preferred candidate of Iranian Supreme Leader ...
In the Strait of Hormuz, Little has Changed with Iran
When the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in July 2015, you might have been forgiven for thinking that U.S. relations with Iran were on the path to stability. Although many U.S. sanctions remain in place and Iran still has difficulty accessing ...
Pushing the Boundaries
Iran’s supreme leader implemented a dramatic overhaul of Iranian military leadership in June 2016, and in so doing, effectively consolidated control of the Iranian military into the hands of a small network of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders. This same network of IRGC commanders have been the driving ...
The Risk of Miscalculation
According to U.S. Navy officials, confrontations between American and Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf have risen by roughly 50 percent. This despite the fact that the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal with Iran, which lifted nuclear sanctions on the country, was implemented in January 2016. ...
How Much Should We Fear Iranian Cyber Proxies?
July 21, 2016 November 6, 2017
Most analysts have been impressed, and increasingly concerned, with the rapid improvement of Iran’s cyber capabilities. Tehran undoubtedly focuses the bulk of its cyber investment in defending itself from cyberattack, as well as being able to better monitor and manage its own people. That mission is a clear priority in ...
IRGC: Iran's Power Player
April 28, 2016 November 6, 2017
On April 15, Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian political and military officials regarding the two countries’ strategies in Syria and the delivery of Russia’s S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran. Despite an international ban that prohibits Soleimani from legally ...
The Linchpin for Regional Ambitions and Security
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is an ideological military force that, since its creation, has been involved in virtually every facet of Iranian politics, society, and economics. Although far from monolithic in their views, most senior Guard commanders retain a revolutionary outlook infused with religion and nationalism. They use ...
The Guardian of the Revolution
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed shortly after the 1979 revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed Shah Reza Pahlavi. According to the Iranian Constitution, the IRGC is the ‘guardian of the Revolution’ from internal and external threats and reports directly to the Supreme Leader. The IRGC quickly established its ...
Experts on National Security
The Cipher Brief © 2018
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Who's to Blame?
Poll: Women Say They Are Leaning In
A new poll by the Center for American Progress and Elle magazine pushes back against the notion that women are holding themselves back in the office.
Hero/Getty
Why aren’t there more women leaders? Do women hold themselves back? Or is there something more intangible going on in the workplace? A new survey commissioned by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and Elle magazine pushes back against the notion that women are to blame, finding that more than half of the women interviewed say they speak up frequently in meetings, and “only 14 percent of mothers think their bosses give them less responsibility out of concern that they’re too busy with their families.”
Participants in the survey were 1,200 randomly selected working individuals between 25 and 54, equally divided between men and women. It was conducted in May, soon after Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, made the case that women were their own worst enemies, and weren’t supportive of other women. “Women report they are leaning in and staying forward, and they’re seeking raises and promotions,” says Robbie Myers, Elle’s editor in chief.
Yet one of the results that the magazine highlights is that 53 percent of women have never asked for a raise. That seems like a lot, but put in perspective, the survey found 40 percent of men haven’t stepped up to that challenge either. The weak economy might be a factor.
One finding with potential political implications is widespread support for paid maternity leave, even among Republicans. The numbers are off the charts: Republicans (83 percent), Democrats (89 percent), men (80 percent), and women (87 percent). The Family Leave Act, vetoed twice by President George H.W. Bush before President Clinton signed it into law, requires that businesses with more than 50 employees offer maternity leave—but doesn’t stipulate that it be paid.
Offsetting the mostly positive data for women is what Center for American Progress president Neera Tanden calls a “shocking and negative” finding that one in three respondents who hold leadership positions, regardless of their gender, admitted that they think one of the reasons women don’t occupy top jobs in business is because they aren’t “tough enough,” a label that continues to stick despite ample evidence to the contrary. The “massive stereotyping,” says Tanden, “shows why we have such a leadership lag. Women are described more negatively, and people are comfortable saying these things out loud.”
Males are more likely to be thought of as “aggressive” while females are “polite”; female leaders are “compassionate” and “perfectionists,” while male leaders are more “bossy” and “stressed”; females are more likely “easy to work with,” while males are more likely to be “emotional.” That last one stands out since women once owned the adjective “emotional.” Perhaps this is progress of a sort if men’s emotions are now fair game.
Among the findings highlighted in the September issue of Elle, on the newsstands this week, is that 63 percent of men now share with women the burden of guilt about not spending time with family. Even more interesting, 50 percent of the men surveyed said they left work incomplete in order to deal with a family matter. Only 34 percent of women admitted to doing that. “Maybe women are getting their work done,” says Myers, who points out men are 232 percent more likely than women to be called lazy.
Put another way, women have been juggling work and family for so long that maybe they’re just better at multitasking. That’s probably what most women would say if asked about efficiency.
More men than women are leaders, but men are considered more difficult to work with—not necessarily for. Income is the most important factor for both men and women when it comes to work, but women are more likely to agree that their income is “essential.”
These gender disparities are evident throughout the survey, but one area where everyone agrees is whether women are scrutinized in the workplace more harshly than men. Both men and women agreed that was true. “There is more equity between men and women in what they say they want,” says Myers. A job outside the home with flexibility to work at home tops the list. “But both men and women feel women overall aren’t judged fairly in terms of our capabilities.”
The implications of that perception permeate the workplace every day, and while men and women agree that “some progress” has been made in the last 10 years, women, especially older women (45–54) are less likely to think there’s been “a lot of progress.” For businesses and politicians looking to advance family-friendly policies, there is plenty of room to maneuver, and a surprising amount of common ground to score points with both women and men.
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Remains Identified of Adopted Teen Killed in NorCal Cliff Crash
California Highway Patrol
Police say human remains found along a Northern California beach have been identified as those of one of six adopted children presumed dead last spring after a woman intentionally drove the family's SUV off a cliff, The Associated Press reports. The Mendocino County sheriff’s department said the remains were identified as those of 16-year-old Hannah Hart after her biological mother contacted the police department from Alabama. Authorities found the remains shortly after the Mar. 26 car crash. Police believe the teen's adoptive mother, Jennifer Hart, was drunk when she purposefully drove her car off California’s Highway 1 about 150 miles north of San Francisco. Hannah, six other children aged 12 through 19, and Jennifer's wife were reportedly found with large amounts of a drowsiness-inducing drug in their systems. Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the crash. The remains of 15-year-old Devonte Hart have not yet been found, and he remains the only child left unaccounted for.
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1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Program mixes music with medicine
(09/30/14 10:09pm)
Among New Hampshire’s impassive woods and within sight of Dartmouth’s drowsy Green, the country zest of some of Nashville’s finest hits twanged and rang out in the upper level of the Hopkins Center for the Arts on Tuesday evening. Transporting his songs from the glitz of radio hits that made them famous, singer-songwriter Rivers Rutherford ripped and crooned his songs, popularized by country icons Brooks and Dunn. Without the flamboyant pretenses of a groomed superstar, Rutherford struck a small, intimate crowd with a candor and rawness that his pop staples rarely see.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/program-mixes-music-with-medicine
Howe’s Little Free Libraries Draw Positive Feedback
(09/30/14 7:00am)
Those of you who weren’t on campus in the summer may have noticed an extra dose of cute in Hanover – the Howe Library installed two Little Free Libraries over 14X. These structures invite passersby to “Take a book, leave a book,” offering a small break from a hectic day. The first Little Free Library was unveiled in front of Hanover’s Town Hall on Aug, 11 and the second, between the Hanover Inn and the Hop, was installed earlier this month.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/blog/dartbeat/2014/09/howes-little-free-libraries-draw-positive-feedback
Student Spotlight: Emma Orme '15
(09/29/14 8:19pm)
As musical director of the Rockapellas, co-president of the Glee Club and an actress in many of Dartmouth’s main stage and student-run productions, Emma Orme ’15 is a familiar face around campus. The theater major and French minor is immersed in the arts inside and outside of the classroom.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/student-spotlight-emma-orme-15
Resident artist creates works in mixed media
As the lights of the Hood Museum auditorium slowly brightened, applause swelled through the intimate setting. A beam of light focused on one woman, dressed in all black, who stood at the front of the room.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/resident-arist-creates-works-in-mixed-media
‘Twins’ shows family at rock bottom
The sad clown character originated in 17th-century France with Pierrot, a tragically naïve lover. An emblem for the lonely sufferer and struggling artist, the character appeared on Europe’s stage for three centuries.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/twins-shows-family-at-rock-bottom
‘Fallapalooza’ draws students outside
Lured by music, free T-shirts and gorgeous weather, students congregated on Gold Coast lawn for the Programming Board’s “Fallapalooza” concert on Friday evening. Student band The Euphemisms opened with a set influenced by funk, reggae and alternative rock, while professional acts Grizfolk, Oh Honey and RDGLDGRN played a mix of alternative rock and indie pop.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/fallapalooza-draws-students-outside
Jan Seidler Ramirez ’73 curates National Sept. 11 Museum
Jan Seidler Ramirez ’73 is chief curator and director of collections for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. An American studies scholar, she has curated, researched and managed major collections in Boston and New York for the past 30 years. The Memorial Museum, which opened in May, recently celebrated its millionth visitor.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/seidler-ramirez-73-curates-national-sept-11-museum
Series explores use of long takes in eight films
Though the apartment overlooks the Manhattan skyline, the cocktail party feels airless. The guests wonder aloud, just where is David Kentley?
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/series-explores-use-of-long-takes-in-eight-films
Jazz artists visit classes before concert
Jumping straight from tuning to playing, bassist John Clayton treated an audience of a dozen students, music professors and community members to an original movement spliced with excerpts of a Koussevitzky concerto during his recent Hop Garage performance.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/jazz-artists-visit-classes-before-concert
‘Robin Hood’ to tackle economic injustice
Two actors, 25 cardboard boxes and an audience bursting with imagination: these are the ingredients for a new spin on the classic tale of “The Adventures Robin Hood,” featuring the beloved outlaw who robbed from the rich to give to the poor.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/robin-hood-to-tackle-economic-injustice
Sturm '13 creates multimedia rotunda installation
At the entrance of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, six figures line the perimeter of the Barrows Rotunda. One wears a flannel shirt, another a light blue North Face jacket. Their arms, thin strips of wood, are outstretched, forming a barrier between onlookers and the conglomeration of cameras, cables and other assorted materials in the display’s center. The rotunda will display “Big Brother Watched This Summer: Raise Your Hands,” a multimedia installation by Matt Sturm ’13, from Sept. 19 to Oct. 20.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/sturm-13-creates-multimedia-rotunda-displa
Marie Chouinard brings Surrealist art to life through dance
Figures donned in black dance with extraordinary energy to heavy drum beats on screens speckled through the halls of the Hopkins Center for the Arts. The clips preview the upcoming visit of the Compagnie Marie Chouinard, a premier dance troupe from Montreal. A convergence of artistic media and efforts, the performance, pre-show talk and dance master class will bring to life India ink drawings of surrealist artist and poet Henri Michaux.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/marie-chouinard-brings-surrealist-art-to-life-through-dance
Local poetry event encourages political, social change
Each year, 100 Thousand Poets for Change chooses a day when poets, musicians and artists from around the world gather at local events to share poetry and their passion for social, political and environmental change. This year’s events will take place on Saturday at locations spread across 450 cities and about 100 countries.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/local-poetry-event-encourages-political-social-change
Alexander Stockton ’15 discusses upcoming feature film
Alexander Stockton ’15 planned what he wanted to accomplish at Dartmouth even before he set foot on campus. As a junior in high school, the McAllen, Texas resident knew he wanted to study and produce feature-length films. And he has stuck to that plan.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/alexander-stockton-15-discusses-upcoming-feature-film
‘Wild’ thrives on emotion, grit
Imagine hiking for the first time, with a backpack equaling you in weight, being afraid of the wilderness and leaving your home behind. This sounds like the worst Dartmouth Outing Club first-year trip ever, or the premise of Jean-Marc Vallée’s latest film, “Wild” (2014). If there was a theme at last year’s Telluride Film Festival, it was the survival tale, captured in big hits like “All Is Lost,” “Gravity” and “Tracks.” Adapting Cheryl Strayed’s national bestselling autobiography “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” Vallée rides this wave of survivalist success.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/wild-thrives-on-emotion-grit
Beyond the Bubble: Art in the Digital Age
The 21st century has left many living through their electronics rather than in real time. Since the Internet is now a person’s go-to advisor on most matters, why not take the physical world of art to the digital?
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/beyond-the-bubble-art-in-the-digital-age
Artist Jesse Meyer to lead hands-on parchment making workshop
Feeling nostalgic for 2nd century B.C.? Wondering on what material the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights were written? Look no further than Baker Library’s Book Arts Workshop, where Jesse Meyer, founder of parchment making business Pergamena, will lead a hands-on parchment making event, “Skins to Draw On,” tomorrow.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/artist-jesse-meyer-to-lead-hands-on-parchment-making-workshop
Hop’s 29th Telluride at Dartmouth series to begin this weekend
Beginning tomorrow, the Hopkins Center for the Arts will celebrate the 29th anniversary of its Telluride at Dartmouth program. Six films from the annual festival, now in its 41st year, will travel to Hanover for the event.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/hops-29th-telluride-at-dartmouth-series-to-begin-this-weekend
Ancient war entreats modern audiences
The Hopkins Center kicks off its “World War I Reconsidered” series this evening with “An Iliad,” a one-person dramatic reading based on Homer’s epic poem. “An Iliad” is one of several works that will mark the Great War’s centennial anniversary and prompt audiences to consider the war in new ways.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/ancient-war-entreats-modern-audiences
Northern Stage nears shovel-ready for theater
The leaves may be dusted with golden brown, but staff members at the Northern Stage theater company in White River Junction are preparing for a different kind of scenery change. Having outgrown its current venue, the Briggs Opera House, the theater launched a $9 million fundraising campaign in February and plans to begin construction on a new space in October.
https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/09/northern-stage-nears-shovel-ready-for-theater
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Prince William, Kate Middleton Reject Benedict Cumberbatch’s Gay Rights Plea
“The Imitation Game” star sought the royals’ backing on petition asking U.K. to pardon homosexuals convicted under anti-gay laws as Alan Turing was
Todd Cunningham | February 1, 2015 @ 11:38 AM Last Updated: February 1, 2015 @ 1:13 PM
Getty Images/The Weinstein Company
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is using his role in “The Imitation Game” to fight for gay rights in the U.K., but on Sunday Prince William and Kate Middleton turned down his request for help, according to The Independent.
Cumberbatch plays pioneering World War II code breaker Alan Turing in the film, which has earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Actor. Turing was a pioneering computer scientist who was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 for being gay, and took his own life two years later. In 2009, an “unequivocal apology” for Turing’s appalling treatment was issued by then prime minister Gordon Brown.
Cumberbatch signed an open letter petitioning the U.K. government to give the same apology that Turing received to some 49,000 others who were similarly convicted. The petition has been signed by nearly 90,000 supporters.
Also Read: The ‘Imitation’ Shame: Is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Awards Hopeful Hiding In The Closet?
After the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rejected Cumberbatch’s plea for support, a spokesperson said that as it was a government matter, they would make no comment.
“The UK’s homophobic laws made the lives of generations of gay and bisexual men intolerable,” the petition said.
“It is up to young leaders of today including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to acknowledge this mark on our history and not allow it to stand.
Also Read: Blake Shelton Thinks Benedict Cumberbatch Is a Nonsense Phrase (Video)
“We call upon Her Majesty’s Government to begin a discussion about the possibility of a pardoning all the men, alive or deceased, who like Alan Turing, were convicted.”
The letter is also signed by Morten Tyldum, director of “The Imitation Game” and Turing’s niece, Rachel Barnes.
‘The Imitation Game’ Wins Scripter Award for Adapted Screenplay
By Steve Pond | January 31, 2015 @ 10:09 PM
‘Transparent,’ ‘The Imitation Game,’ ‘Dear White People’ Among GLAAD Media Award Nominees
By Greg Gilman | January 21, 2015 @ 6:52 AM
Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, LGBT Activists Celebrate Alan Turing in ‘The Imitation Game’ (Video)
By Alicia Banks | January 8, 2015 @ 8:07 AM
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Exeter university student sparks new Stonehenge theory
A REVOLUTIONARY new idea on the movement of big monument stones like those at Stonehenge has been put forward by an archaeology student at the University of Exeter.
While an undergraduate, Andrew Young saw a correlation between standing stone circles in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and a concentration of carved stone balls, which may have been used to help transport the big stones by functioning like ball bearings.
Young discovered that many of the late Neolithic stone balls had a diameter within a millimetre of each other, which he felt indicated they would have been used together in some way rather than individually.
By plotting on a map where the carved balls were found, he realised they were all within the vicinity of Neolithic monuments known as recumbent stone circles.
These stone circle monuments in Aberdeenshire share an equivalent form to Stonehenge, yet with some much larger stones.
To test his theory Young built a model using small wooden balls which were placed in a grooved pieces of wood moulding, similar to a railway track but with a groove rather than a rail.
The balls were spread apart and a mirror image of the track was placed on top supporting a wood platform.
He then placed concrete slabs on the tracks, to replicate a heavy weight.
Young said: “I then sat on top of the slabs to add extra weight. The true test was when a colleague used his index finger to move me forward, a mere push and the slabs and I shot forward with great ease.
“This proved the balls could move large heavy objects and could be a viable explanation of how giant stones were moved, especially in relation to where the stone balls were originally found.”
A further experiment on a much larger scale was arranged with the financial assistance of Gemini Productions and WGBH, Boston for NOVA, an American documentary TV programme.
They were focusing on Stonehenge and wanted to see if a team of archaeology students directed by Professor Bruce Bradley, a lead archaeologist at the University of Exeter could build and test a life size model using wood that might reflect how massive stones could have been moved across the landscape.
Previous experiments, which others have carried out to move large stones had not been particularly effective.
The building of a hardened surface to roll logs on and the trench experiments only moved the stone with great effort and if they had been moved in this way the hardened surface or trench would show up in the archaeological record, however these have not been found.
In the large scale experiment, green wood was used for cost purposes. Neolithic people would have had access to much better materials, such as cured oak, which is extremely tough and was in abundance due to the great forests at the time.
They also had the technical ability to cut long timber planks, known through archaeological evidence of planks used as a way of creating tracks for people to walk on through bogs.
The experiment used hand shaped granite spheres as well as wooden spheres.
Professor Bradley said: “Our experiment had to go for the much cheaper option of green wood, which is relatively soft, however, we successfully moved extremely heavy weights at a pace.
“The demonstration indicated that big stones could have been moved using this ball bearing system with roughly ten oxen and may have been able to transport stones up to ten miles per day.
“This method also has no lasting impact on the landscape, as the tracks with the ball bearings are moved along leap-frogging each other as the tracks get moved up the line.”
He added: “It demonstrates that the concept works. It does not prove that Neolithic people used this method, but it was and is possible.
“This is a radical new departure, because previous ideas were not particularly effective in transporting large stones and left unanswered questions about the archaeological record they would have left behind.”
The next stage in the project is to collaborate with the engineering experts at the University who can calculate the loads which could be transported using various combinations of variables such as hard wood and U-shaped grooves.
This will provide the mathematical evidence to see how much force would be needed to get the stone moving and to keep it moving.
This will enable the project team to gain an even greater understanding of how stones may have been transported across huge distances and even up hills.
The ultimate goal is for a full-scale experiment in Aberdeenshire using more authentic materials, stone balls and a team of oxen.
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High Court judge to hear details of Harry’s settlement with news agency
The Duke of Sussex (Andrew Matthews/PA)
A High Court judge is to hear details of the Duke of Sussex’s settlement with a news agency which took pictures of his Cotswolds home from a helicopter.
Mr Justice Warby is expected to hear a statement in open court at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Thursday in relation to Harry’s privacy and data protection complaints against Splash News and Picture Agency.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
At a hearing earlier in May, the court heard that photographs which showed “the living area, dining area and bedroom” of the property had “very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke” and his wife Meghan, who “felt they were no longer able to live at the property”.
Giving permission for the statement on Harry’s behalf to be read in open court, Senior Master Barbara Fontaine ruled that “the evidence supports the position” that the photographs in question “did undermine in a serious way the safety and security of the applicant and his wife”.
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Thursday Network By-Laws
Spirit of Service 2019
Executive Leadership Council
President: Kristin Shymoniak
Contact: president@thursdaynetwork.org
A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Kristin Shymoniak is the President of the Thursday Network, the young professionals auxiliary of the Greater Washington Urban League. Kristin has dedicated her life to serving her community. Some of her community activism efforts include being the coordinator Empowerment Academy, an after-school program for middle school students in the Greater Washington area that focuses on empowering students through lessons on health, education, activism, and social justice; developing and spearheading a food pantry to feed local families; and coordinating a male mentoring program for at risk youth in Rockville, Maryland. Kristin also coordinates the Young Blacks Give Back which is a month-long community service and fundraising initiative for young Black professionals and high school students.
In addition to being a community leader, Kristin is an educator. She received her Masters degree in Special Education with a specialization in autism from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently an elementary lead special education teacher in Arlington, Virginia. Kristin is the 2017 AASA and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Women in School Leadership Award recipient. While on summer intersession, Kristin teaches in Montego Bay, Jamaica and conducts professional development training for school personnel on how to implement best practices when working with students with special needs.
Vice President: Genaro Stewart
Contact: vicepresident@thursdaynetwork.org
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Genaro Stewart is the Vice President of the Thursday Network, the young professionals auxiliary of the Greater Washington Urban League. Professionally, he serves as a senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this capacity he provides advisory counsel to the White House, Pentagon and National Security Council concerning national security policy considerations and emerging international geopolitical issues. Genaro has also served as a visiting lecturer at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island and as a graduate-level course advisor at Duke University. Prior to relocating to Washington, D.C. he spent a considerable amount of time working abroad in over 20 countries ranging from Afghanistan to the stunning and scenic geography of East Africa.
When Genaro is not engaged in international affairs, he is very passionate about young male mentorship and professional development. He previously served as Personal and Professional Development committee chair and is an active participant in the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington’s Leadership Academy. His selfless service isn’t limited to his community but he is also a U.S. Navy veteran. Genaro’s extensive leadership experience is a welcomed addition to our executive board, and he is excited to serve and broaden relations in his role as VP.
Treasurer: Joseph Kitchen
Contact: treasurer@thursdaynetwork.org
Born in Southern California, Joseph grew up in the Central Valley raised by his mother. He is an educator, community organizer and Democratic activist who got his start in community building organizing peers at his junior high school around school violence. Because of his activism, Joseph became one of the youngest members of one of the City of Fresno's planning advisory committees in the Third District.
For more than a decade he has worked in communities all over DC and the Maryland suburbs as well as Baltimore to improve the lives of young people. Joseph currently serves as an administrator and on the leadership team at a private all-girls school in Anacostia. Outside of the classroom, Joseph founded the Young Black Educators (YBE), a network of teachers, administrators and other education advocates committed to recruiting and retaining other young people of color to the classroom. He is also a Vice President of the Young Education Professional of DC. Joseph is also very involved in his community having served as a member of the NAACP’s Executive Committee in California and Prince George’s County, MD. He was a founding member of the New Leaders Council of Maryland and served on the National Diversity Committee. In 2009 Joseph became the first African American in over a decade and first openly gay person ever to be elected President of the Young Democrats of Maryland.
Joseph was appointed Treasurer of the Thursday Network in August of 2018 and elected to a full term in September 2018. Before his appointment, Joseph was a very active member of the Membership Committee. An ordained Baptist minister Joseph resides in Fairmount Heights, MD. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.
Parliamentarian: Courtney Coffey
Contact: parliamentarian@thursdaynetwork.org
Courtney Coffey is a servant-leader dedicated to creating personal, community, and system-wide change that ensures equitable access to optimal health and wellness for all. She currently is a Senior Program Associate with the Department of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, where she serves as the Practicum Director for Health Promotion and Public Health Communication and Marketing students and coordinates the department’s doctoral programs.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Courtney is a 12-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and currently serves as Treasurer of the Xi Zeta Omega chapter in Washington, DC. She is on the Board of Directors of the Ivy Foundation of Washington, DC, a 501(c)(3) organization established by the members of Xi Zeta Omega Chapter. She is also a member of Kingdom Fellowship African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Courtney earned her MPH in Health Promotion from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and her BS in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tulane University. In her spare time, she enjoys concerts, swimming, and exploring the District’s culinary scene.
Secretary: Melissa Gomes
Contact: secretary@thursdaynetwork.org
Melissa Gomes was born and raised in Rhode Island and is a first generation Cape Verdean American. Her family originates from the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. She has obtained degrees from the University of Rhode Island as well as Michigan State University. She currently works as a Student Support Staff Team Coordinator at a charter school in Southeast DC and is responsible for facilitating the intervention process for students who have academic, behavior and attendance concerns.
She has a passion for working with youth and community service but also expresses interest in animal welfare. In addition to volunteering with Thursday Network, she has spent the past 5 years as a Pet Therapy Volunteer with her poodle, Hershey. She also volunteers with different organizations feeding the homeless and assisting the elderly. She joined Thursday Network in September 2016 and was honored with the Member of the Month award within 6 weeks of joining the organization. In July 2017 she was honored with the Distinguished Young Professional award by the NULYP. Most recently in September 2017 she was recognized by Thursday Network as their Volunteer of the Year.
Melissa has a tremendous love of sports and competition. She currently plays football and volleyball recreationally but has also played kickball, basketball and field hockey. She has also coached middle school girls in basketball and volleyball. In her spare time, she also likes to dance and has learned kizomba, salsa, bachata, merengue, Detroit ballroom and Chicago Style Stepping. She also enjoys solo international trips.
Civic Engagement Chair: Vincent Evans
Contact: civic@thursdaynetwork.org
Vincent Evans has served as special assistant to U.S. Representative Al Lawson of Florida since January 2017. Prior to his appointment, he served as the chief aide to a City Commissioner in Tallahassee, Florida. He began his political career working as deputy campaign manager for a state senate candidate in Jacksonville. In 2011, he went on to work as a legislative analyst in the Florida Senate Minority (Democratic) Office. He was assigned to cover the regulated industries, military affairs & domestic security, higher education, and appropriations committee in this role. Later, he worked as political director for a Democratic congressional candidate in North Florida in 2012 and field organizer for a gubernatorial candidate in 2014. Prior to his joining the Office of Mayor and City Commission, Evans worked as a policy and rules research assistant with a cabinet level state agency. There he was tasked with the formulation and coordination of the rule making process, providing technical assistance, and preparing policy memorandums. Evans, the recipient of the 2014 Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals award for public service has for the past three years served as chair of the Emerging Leaders Summit on behalf of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators. He’s an alumnus of the Young People For (YP4) fellowship program. He was recognized in 2010 by the Lumina Foundation Lessons magazine for his policy advocacy. A Jacksonville native, Evans received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the Florida A&M University.
Community Service Programs Chair: Chalon Jones
Contact: csprograms@thursdaynetwork.org
Chalon Jones is a current community servant and up and coming thought leader with almost a decade in the field of urban education. She is passionate about discussing and uncovering disparities within the educational outcomes of underrepresented students. Chalon’s passion for supporting her community started in middle school when she volunteered at a childcare center for young children that were experiencing homelessness. She continues her support by creating community service programming for Thursday Network that will improve outcomes for people in need. In her current role she leads special education instruction for Rocketship Public Schools in DC. Chalon plays a critical role in developing and managing instruction that supports diverse learners. Chalon is also a current doctoral student focusing on Leadership and Learning in Organizations at the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
Community Service Events Chair: Chadwick Morgan
Contact: csevents@thursdaynetwork.org
Chadwick Morgan currently serves as the Community Service Events Chair for Thursday Network. He is a native of Queens, New York and the son of Beverley Morgan. His Jamaican heritage has been instrumental in cultivating a need to contribute his time, talent, and treasure to assisting those amongst us in society who do not have platforms and/or the means to advocate for themselves. This passion influenced his decision to join the Public Health Associate Program Fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2014 to 2016. His host site for the fellowship was Richmond City Health DIstrict (RCHD) in Richmond, Virginia. During his time as a fellow, he managed two sexual transmitted infection clinics at local colleges where he counseled, tested, and coordinated care for students. Additionally, he contributed to evaluation of the pilot for the community health worker program which RCHD was executing in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University Health System.
His experiences as a CDC fellow birthed a desire to learn and contribute to the creation and execution of health systems transformation. At the conclusion of the fellowship, he moved to Washington, DC to work at the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Health Care Analyst. There, he had the opportunity to contribute to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Office of Minority Health's Health Equity Innovation Incubator project. In addition, he worked on performance measures which aim to increase the quality of care provided to members of health insurance plans. In April of 2018, he assumed a Public Health Analyst role at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, within CMS. In this role, he is the project officer for the states of Ohio and Michigan, where he monitors and advises them on how to spend the federal dollars they have been awarded to transform their health care systems. He is also a member of the Quality Innovation Council which advises on the quality strategy used within all the Center’s health care models. This experience has affirmed that one of his purposes in life will be to use his talents to create health systems that are more equitable, accountable, efficient, & productive.
Chadwick received his Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2011 and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management in 2013 from the University at Albany, SUNY. He is a proud member of the Beta Pi Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
Fund Development: Angeline Jefferson
Contact: funddevelopment@thursdaynetwork.org
A New Orleans Native, Angeline moved to Washington DC to attend Howard University. While at Howard, Angeline was very involved in the business school, serving on the student council executive board, and on the board for her business fraternity, the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi. In 2014, she received a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in Marketing.
Angeline has found her passion in the non-profit sector. She currently works for local non-profit, Mary’s Center, as a key member of their Development department. Angeline is responsible for the logistics for key fundraising events, including Taste of Adams Morgan and their annual gala. She hopes to bring her experience in fundraising and event planning to Thursday Network.
She is very excited about her role as the Fund Development Chair and the opportunity to help The Movement in the growth and development of the African American community.
Membership Chair: Natasha Johnstone
Contact: membership@thursdaynetwork.org
Natasha Johnstone hails from Scotch Plains, NJ. Natasha is a graduate of Howard University and received her Bachelors in Administration of Justice with a minor in Sociology in 2010. Currently she is the Membership Coordinator for Jack and Jill of America, Inc., where she provides member expertise to 238 chapter and leadership on the National, Regional, and Chapter levels. In her free time she is an avid binge watcher, enjoys concerts and musicals, and loves mixology and culinary arts.
Personal & Professional Development Chair: Christina Hardaway
Contact: ppd@thursdaynetwork.org
Christina Hardaway is the chair of the Personal and Professional Development Committee and a member of Thursday Network since January 2017. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Christina has been a member of the U.S. Foreign Service since 2011, serving tours in Mexico, the Netherlands, and domestically in the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Christina holds a Master’s in Public Administration as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Syracuse University. Christina received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Emory University. Christina enjoys traveling and the arts.
Public Relations Marketing Chair: Brittany Cummings
Contact: pr@thursdaynetwork.org
Brittany Cummings is an expert in communications strategy and content marketing. She recently launched Left Brain Creation, a boutique public relations, marketing and content creation agency. Previously she served as Senior Manager of Consumer Public Relations at Marriott International, and before that she was Senior Media Strategist at Weber Shandwick, one of the world's largest communication firms. During that time she was honored with PR Week’s Rising Stars Under 30 Award. Her agency and consulting clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofit organizations to universities. Her work has involved events featuring everyone from Lena Waithe to Julianne Moore and Nate Berkus, to the former heads of the RNC and DNC, to President Barack Obama. Her work has taken her across the nation, with clients from San Francisco to New York to D.C to Miami.
Brittany is passionate about advocacy and social justice, having volunteered with the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta and now with the National Urban League Young Professionals in Washington, D.C. At Weber she led media strategy for several issues-based campaigns, and at Marriott helped lead the launch of the company’s newest purpose-driven marketing campaign, Beyond Barriers. Brittany began her career as a journalist, producing at CNN for nearly five years. She earned bachelor’s degrees in both Journalism and Political Science from Georgia State University, as well a New Media Studies certificate from the George Washington University. She was born in Sacramento, California but considers herself an Atlanta native, having spent the majority of her life there. She lived in New York City from late 2013 to early 2017, before relocating to Washington D.C.
Public Relations Digital Media Chair: Candice Helton
Contact: prmedia@thursdaynetwork.org
Candice Helton is Louisiana native, and currently serves as the Public Affairs (PA) Specialist to the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Candice began her federal service at the Department as an intern at an early age, she will have served a decade in government in 2019. As a PA Specialist, she covers a multitude of equities to ensure her bureau maintains internal and external relationships with academics, think tanks, NGOs, and other government organizations. She coordinates speaking engagements, develops press releases and communications plans, oversees websites and verified social media accounts. In the past year she’s successfully organized and spearheaded several speaking engagements with universities and think tanks in Washington, DC, Denver, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois.
Her passion for communications overlaps with her volunteer commitments. She is the Communications Director for Be Great DC, a community-based organization that highlights, supports, and curates philanthropic and service-oriented events catered to assist various nonprofits in Washington, D.C. Candice is an active member of Thursday Network, young professional auxiliary to the Greater Washington Urban League. She serves on two committees, Community Service and Public Relations. She is a proud Ronald McDonald House Charities volunteer, as well as a member of Washington Women in Public Relations and Toastmasters Public Speaking Club.
Candice received her M.A. in Strategic Communication and Public Relations from Trinity Washington University and her B.S. in Mass Communication from Winston-Salem State University. While expanding her network she plans to continue her career in the field of communications in Washington.
Social & Cultural Chair: Chyna Grant
Contact: social@thursdaynetwork.org
Chyna Grant is on a journey to collaborate, curate, and inspire. As the Social and Cultural Chair her hope is to trigger transformative ideas and collaborations among members and the community. Helping to create events that enables us to elevate the community through experiential learning and collaborations.
A Chicago native, she currently serves as a Brand and Communication Manager focused on U.S. and global branding and event production. Chyna spent much of her career in marketing as an account manager and business event planner for non-profits. As a former Corporate Citizenship Manager, she was instrumental in the company’s diverse markets and outreach efforts that contributed to the development and advancement of communities in the Chicagoland area. She has established a solid reputation for assessing challenges through campaigns, creating solutions, and laying the groundwork to attract new customers. Collaborating with more than 110 partners, Chyna helped to strengthen relationships with customers and organizations through a number of signature events and programming.
The ISU grad’s passion for life is to help others achieve their goals, whether it’s through mentorship, consulting or, event planning. If she’s not out entertaining friends, you’ll find her scrolling through Pinterest for “do-it-yourself” projects, volunteering, or helping new home-buyers as an Interior Aesthetic Consultant.
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General Body Meetings occur on the 4th Thursdays of the month at 6:30p.
Founded in 1992, Thursday Network is comprised of over 200 young professionals committed to serving the Washington Metropolitan area through community programs and partnership that address the Empowerment Goals of the National Urban League. The mission of TN is to provide a forum for young adults, ages 21 – 40, to focus their energies on community service, professional development, and political involvement.
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Union wants an end to exclusion of students with special needs
Lindsay Kines , Jeff Bell / Times Colonist
B.C. Teachers' Federation president Glen Hansman: “A staffing shortage is not the fault of parents, it’s not the fault of the kids and there has to be better solutions put in place than sending students home.”
Photograph By Arlen Redekop
The union representing B.C. teachers wants a moratorium on the practice of excluding students with special needs from schools due to staff shortages.
Glen Hansman, president of the B.C. Teachers Federation, said the union has been pushing Education Minister Rob Fleming on the issue for months without success.
Students with special needs told to stay home, miss school
Parents fear for future of Victor students with special needs
“It’s not OK,” Hansman said in an interview. “That should not be happening whatsoever.
“A staffing shortage is not the fault of parents, it’s not the fault of the kids and there has to be better solutions put in place than sending students home.”
Hansman was responding to a report that students with special needs are being asked to miss school due to a shortage of educational assistants in the Greater Victoria School District. One mother told the Times Colonist that she was called at 8:30 a.m. one day last week and asked to keep her six-year-old son with autism at home from View Royal Elementary because the school was short of EAs and had no backups.
Fleming expressed concern about the situation Wednesday, but stopped short of promising action to end the practice.
“In British Columbia, every child should be able to attend school each and every day, no matter what their learning abilities are or what kind of additional needs they may have,” he said.
“So it concerns me when you hear that that’s not happening in an instance here in Victoria or somewhere else in the province.”
But Fleming said it’s the responsibility of school districts as the employer to make sure that schools are properly staffed and to recruit additional people if needed.
“That’s their job to make those calls,” he said, adding that the number of educational assistants in the province has increased by 1,000 over the past 18 months.
Fleming and the Greater Victoria district both said that it’s rare for children with special needs to miss school because of staff shortages. But advocates disagree, saying it’s a common and widespread problem in districts across the province.
Karen De Long, director of inclusive education at Inclusion B.C., said the group’s four advocates are inundated with requests for help from people whose children are being excluded from school.
“They’re all getting these calls,” she said. “The same ones. ‘My child is only allowed in school for an hour a day etc., because they don’t have the supports.’
“It’s certainly not rare. Not at all rare. It takes up most of our advocacy.”
The BCEdAccess Society, which began tracking exclusion last fall, recorded 228 reports of exclusion in 35 of 60 districts in just the first few weeks of the school year.
Tracy Humphreys, the chairwoman and founder of the society, said the EA shortage deserves more attention. She said EAs should be given full-time instead of part-time hours, as well as professional development and preparation time.
“Right now, you have EAs who have to work two or three jobs to make enough money to make a living, so it’s problematic and I don’t see a lot of movement to resolve the issue,” she said.
Fleming said the Greater Victoria School District has been hiring additional educational assistants.
“I think 35 just since November,” he said. “So they’re doing a good job adding new special education resources into District 61. Our ministry is certainly supporting that all around the province.”
lkines@timescolonist.com
jwbell@timescolonist.com
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'Dancing With the Stars' alum Julianne Hough takes steps to find self-acceptance
Julianne Hough may look effortlessly confident on 'Dancing With the Stars,' but she's only recently learned to fully accept herself.
Dec. 28, 2017, 6:11 PM UTC / Source: TODAY
By Ethan Sacks
Dancer-turned-actress Julianne Hough has always seemed to have all the right moves on the dance floor, but she was less sure of her footing off it.
The 29-year-old "Dancing With the Stars" mainstay told Redbook in the magazine's new cover profile that she's forcing her self out of her comfort zone "in order to change” and grow into herself. The newlywed credits some of that new outlook to her husband, former Washington Capitals center Brooks Laich.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdP7ukVFT2F
For example, she stopped obsessing over gaining weight — even when she did just that to bulk up to play fitness pioneer Betty Weider in the biopic, "Bigger."
"You know, I’m not perfect," Hough told Redbook. "When Brooks and I first started dating and we would take a picture, he would show it to me and I’d be like, 'Oh, God, let’s take it again.'
"He once said, 'Every time you look at a photo, you put it down right away instead of seeing the good in it.' So now when I see a picture, even if I don’t like it, I try to find something positive."
Hough opened up to TODAY earlier this year about her body confidence issues with an honesty and vulnerability that made her a 2017 TODAY style hero.
Julianne Hough on loving herself for who she is
In her Redbook interview, Hough added that she's "a thousand percent" more self-accepting than she was before. That's important to the "Footloose" and "Rock of Ages" star, because her first go-around in Hollywood wasn't completely glamorous.
"I was very self-accepting growing up, then something switched in middle school," Hough revealed. "I would compare myself to everyone...and later I did a film where I basically was told I was fat every day, yet I was the skinniest I’d ever been.
"Now, when I’m self-conscious, I’ll do something completely crazy or goofy to get out of my own head— something fun that reminds me of the freedom I felt as a kid before all that happened."
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Chiesi Turkey
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals
Chiesi Turkey was awarded the Top Employers Turkey and Top Employers Europe certification.
8 other countries
Headquartered in Parma, Italy Chiesi Group is an international research-focused Healthcare group, with over 80 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Chiesi started to operate in Turkey in 2007, and since then presents its R&D based, innovative drugs in the respiratory therapeutics, specialist medicine and rare diseases areas to better serve the quality of people health all over the country. Its R&D centres in Italy, France, USA, UK, Denmark and Sweden integrate their efforts to advance Chiesi's pre-clinical, clinical and registration programs. Chiesi employs over 5,000 people all over the world. For more information please visit www.chiesi.com and www.chiesi.com.tr
Number of active countries: 1
Our comprehensive independent research revealed that Chiesi Turkey provides exceptional employee conditions, nurtures and develops talent throughout all levels of the organisation and has demonstrated its leadership status in the HR environment, always striving to optimise its employment practices and to develop its employees.
How was Chiesi Turkey certified
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Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires Alternatives
Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires is also known as Shin Sangokumusou 6. It is an Action-Adventure, Role-playing, Hack and Slash, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei Games. The story of the game is based on Chinese novel of Romance of the Three Kingdoms… read more
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49 Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires Alternatives & Similar Games
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Lunia is a Fantasy-based, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing and Browser-based video game created by Allm and published by Ijji. The game features exciting storyline with the fast-paced real-time combat system. It offers lots of character classes, at the start of the game the player can create or choose his character with given classes and get into the game world.
Avabel Online
Avabel Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing video game developed and published by Asobimo Inc. The game takes place in the 3D game world where the deadly force of evil attack on the world and try to rule on it, the player aim is to save his world with the help of other online players.
Loong Craft
Loong Craft is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing video game developed and published by Ujoy. The game is based on China Three Kingdom background in which the player can build his city, raise his heroes, train his military troops and challenge players across the world.
Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed
Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed is an Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash, Single and Online Multiplayer video game developed by Nexon Company. The game puts the player into the role of one of fifty legendary characters who starts his adventure against the deadly demon creature in order to the universe.
Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is an Action-Adventure, Role-playing, Tactical, Combat, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Bedlam Games and published by Atari. The game takes place in the fictional environment named as Forgotten Realms and offers a mix of third-person, tactical, combat, quests and exploration elements.
Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires is an Action-Adventure, Role-playing, Hack and Slash, a Fast-paced and Single-player video game by Koei Tecmo Games Co. It is the lasted installment of the Empires series in which the ultimate task of the player is to conquer ancient China using both strategy and battle against the thousands of warrior.
Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire
Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing video game developed and published by ArenaNet. It is another expansion pack of the video game of Guild Wars 2 that was released on 22 September 2017 on Microsoft Windows and iOS platforms.
Ragnarok Online 2 is Free to play MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game) video game developed and published by Gravity Interactive. The game takes place in the beautiful and dangerous world of Midgard that is inspired by Norse mythology.
City of Heroes Freedom
City of Heroes Freedom is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing video game developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSOFT. In this game, the player created super-powered characters that could team-up with others characters to complete series of missions and battle against criminals belonging to the multiple gangs in the fictional Paragon City.
More About Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires
Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires is also known as Shin Sangokumusou 6. It is an Action-Adventure, Role-playing, Hack and Slash, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei Games. The story of the game is based on Chinese novel of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There are eighteen playable characters in the game, and each character of the game offers different weapon, appearance, and fighting behavior. According to the gameplay, the player can choose his character and get into the game world that is full of powerful enemy creatures. The game offers a third-person view with an open-world environment that allows the player to move in all the direction freely, explore the given, collect resources and defeat all the enemy creatures to progress. Each complete mission will provide rewards which the player can use to upgrade his character. Unlockable new characters, massively fantasy environment, lots of upgrades, epic boss battle and different mode these are core features of the game. Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires offers enhanced game mechanics, immersive and quite addictive gameplay, content rich story plot and beautiful visual details.
3D Combat Exploration Fantasy Multiplayer NPC Open World Quest Single Player Skill
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Geneva motor show kicks off
Having been around since 1905, the Salon International de l'Auto, more popularly known as the Geneva Motor Show, is arguably the oldest of its kind in the world.
Like Switzerland's renowned neutrality, the Geneva Auto Show serves as a neutral ground for automakers from around the world and isn't focused on any particular area - it covers the entire gamut of the automotive industry, from production cars to design concepts, and even accessories.
But in today's economically-trying times, when other auto shows are either looking to cut costs even canceling shows altogether, the Geneva Motor Show has become the most important international venue for the industry. As much as 62 vehicles are making their debut on its stage.
With its location at the heart of Western Europe, it's not surprising that many European manufacturers and tuning brands are using the motor show to increase people's awareness of their product offerings - from mass-produced cars like Audi's A5 Cabriolet to Bugatti's one-off Veyron Bleu Centenaire to Rolls-Royce's 200EX concept to Brabus' high powered-treatment of Mercedes' G V12 S Biturbo G-wagen.
The Japanese are also represented in the Geneva Motor Show with Honda unveiling its S2000 Ultimate Edition; Nissan, its quirky Qazana crossover concept; and Toyota, its strictly European mini-MPV Verso.
Korea's automakers aren't to be missed as Hyundai and Kia unveil their HED-6 and No.3 concept cars, respectively.
Design and engineering houses have always used the Geneva Motor Show as the stage to reveal some of their own design exercises, and this year proves no different with EDAG's Light Car and IDEA's ERA making their debut in the show.
Low-volume manufacturers are also showing off their latest models. The list of launches include the F1-inspired Fioravanti LF1, Gumpert's even faster Apollo Speed, Wiesmann's classic coupe-derived MF4-S, to newcomer Perana's Z-One.
This year's motor show also highlights the world's increasing demand for fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles, from Bentley's E85 alcohol-burning Continental Supersports, Kia's Cee'd Hybrid, Mitsubishi's fun-and-friendly iMiEV Sports Air concept, to Italdesign Giugiaro's Namir hybrid supercar.
The Geneva Motor Show is open to the public from March 5 to 15.
Bank sets stage for car financing fair
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Positive Media
Transforming the World One Listener at a Time.
»Networks Guests
www.Biocognitive.com
Dr. Mario Martinez
Dr. Mario E. Martinez is an internationally recognized clinical neuro-psychologist who is pioneering a new form of healing that he explores in his new book The MindBody Code: How to Change the Beliefs that Limit Your Health, Longevity and Success.
His unique approach, anchored in science, arose because he wanted to know why his patients werent improving. Despite using all the tools employed in traditional treatment techniques, the results left him pondering that there must be something more.
Thus, he embarked on a quest to find the missing element. Early on, he was mentored by George Solomon, UCLA professor of psychiatry, who who invented the term psycho-immunology. Dr. Martinez searched the world for clues--as a scientist, a doctor and a researcher--as to why treatment and relief for so many failed.
But out of his inquiry, in 1998, he developed his theory of Bio-cognitive Science, based on research that demonstrates how thoughts and their biological expression are integrally connected to one's cultural history. Academic science continues to divide mind and body, as well as ignores the influence cultural contexts have on the process of health, illness and aging. But in Dr. Martinez' pioneering work, he integrates research in psycho-neuro-immunology, neuroscience, and cultural anthropology to conceptualize and address the causes of health, the learning of illness, and the biocultural ingredients of longevity. The result is a formula that unlocks The MindBody Codeimproving health, enabling change and even prolonging life.
Our Syndication
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© 2019 The Dr. Pat Show Network™ & Transformation Talk Radio Network™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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HISTORY OF WINSTON-SALEM, NC
Here is a plethora of history surrounding Winston-Salem, NC. The city can be viewed as a novel when it comes to things to do: each page and chapter is full of rich history and excitement.
In the first chapter of Winston-Salem, you will find it was written well before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The city and its rich history dates back to even before the birth of our nation. The town dates back to 1753 when the Moravians settled in North Carolina on acreage called the Wachovia Tract. The Moravians were German-speaking Protestants who had established this first colonial town in Carolina's Piedmont, and specifically in an area known as Bethabara Park. From here, the Moravians settled Salem, which means peace in their native language, as a trading center. They envisioned building a thriving market town where entrepreneurs excel. Soon after the settlement in 1766, the town had thriving businesses in tannery, mills, bakery, pottery, brickyard, brewery, clothing, slaughterhouse, and furniture making.
As the industrial revolution evolved, 20th-century businesses, to include Hanes and RJ Reynolds shaped the Winston-Salem business climate. The booming economy created significant wealth for the city creating for the endowments of charitable foundations and fine art institutions. The continuing economic growth further fueled the entrepreneurship that still resides in the city's business culture. Today, Winston-Salem's economy has evolved from being manufacture-based to medicine, technology, and finance.
The City Today
The city continues to diversity both economically and culturally. With a spirited and firm commitment to the arts and sciences, Winston-Salem excels in both cultural and scientific institutional excellence. The city is truly a city of entrepreneurial innovation and modern arts. At the center of all of this is Wake Forest University. Wake Forest is nationally recognized as a university of distinction both from an arts and a science perspective.
In recent years, the city has migrated from tobacco/textiles to an information/technology economy. This is evident in the growing medical, research and development, and financial institution growth in the area. Winston-Salem is home to these fine medical facilities: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, including North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Brenner Children's Hospital & Health Services, Forsyth Medical Center, Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, and Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine. The cities financial industry is centered around BB&T: Corporate headquarters and Wells Fargo (previously Wachovia): Regional headquarters. Information technologies companies with a major presence in the include: Direct TV, Dish Network, Ai Solutions, and GeedQuad Web Design.
Today, Winston-Salem is a thriving cultural and economic southeastern US city. With excellent schools, both at the secondary, primary, high school, and post-high school levels, the city is poised to continue its growth along both lines. Recreationally, Winston-Salem enjoys a mild year-around climate making for excellent opportunities in all seasons. Further, state of State of North Carolina offers even more diverse economic and recreation opportunities for the citizens of Winston-Salem. All in all, this charming southern city enjoys everything much larger cities have yet at a much slower speed.
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The Wire - Press Releases
Imation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 Financial Results
OAKDALE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) today released financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014.
Q4 and Full Year Overview
For Q4 2014, Imation reported net revenue of $197.0 million, down 15.4 percent from Q4 2013. Operating loss from continuing operations totaled $12.1 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in Q4 2014, including special charges of $2.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share. This compares to operating income from continuing operations of $21.1 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, in Q4 2013, which included special benefits of $9.5 million, or $0.22 per diluted share. Operating results in Q4 2013 also benefited from a reversal of an accrual of $9.4 million for copyright levies as a result of a favorable court ruling in France. The Company had a cash balance of $114.6 million as of December 31, 2014, and generated positive operating cash flows during the fourth quarter.
For the full year 2014, revenue was $729.5 million, down 15.3 percent from 2013, and operating loss from continuing operations was $104.1 million, or $2.74 diluted loss per share. Special charges for the full year were $53.6 million. Excluding these special charges, 2014 operating loss from continuing operations would have been $50.5 million, and diluted loss per share from continuing operations would have been $1.43 (See Tables Five and Six for non-GAAP measures).
Imation’s CEO Mark Lucas commented, “In 2014, we continued to execute our strategic transformation and to invest in our business to facilitate our return to revenue growth. The transformation has been a multi-year process designed to establish Imation as a global leader in data storage and security. During the fourth quarter we continued to see positive sales momentum in our Storage and Security portfolio with both sequential and year-over-year growth in our IronKeyTM mobile security products and our NexsanTM hybrid storage solutions. We will continue to further strengthen our TSS business unit to fuel profitable growth over the long term.”
The Company’s consumer and commercial storage media revenues continued their expected secular decline in Q4 2014. However, within CSA, Audio and Accessories revenue grew 17.4 percent over Q4 2013 and within TSS, Storage and Security Solutions revenue grew 10.1 percent over Q4 2013.
Business Segment Overview
Lucas said, “Further penetrating higher growth markets where we can bring our enterprise class commercial storage solutions to customers remains a top priority. In mobile security, our IronKey products stand poised to benefit from the growing demand for BYOD (bring your own device) solutions.
“In our storage solutions business, we continued to gain traction with the global rollout of the Assureon® product family and the successful launch of the NST 4000, as well as growing demand for our storage solutions in a number of key industry verticals, including media & entertainment, healthcare, and video surveillance.
“In our consumer business, Imation’s legacy products continue to generate meaningful cash flow and we continue to introduce new Audio and Accessories products which had another strong quarter of growth. We introduced the LINKTM Power Drive, our first mobile storage product that provides additional storage and power for iOS compatible devices. The new additions to our product portfolio have been well received since debuting earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show,” concluded Lucas.
Detailed Q4 2014 Analysis
The following financial results are for continuing operations for the current and prior periods unless otherwise indicated. See Tables Five and Six for a description of non-GAAP financial measures.
Net revenue for Q4 2014 was $197.0 million, down 15.4 percent from Q4 2013. Foreign currency exchange rates negatively impacted Q4 2014 revenue by 4 percent compared to Q4 2013.
Gross margin for Q4 2014 was 20.1 percent, down 3.7 percentage points from 23.8 percent in Q4 2013. CSA gross margin was 21.1 percent, down from 28.0 percent in Q4 2013. CSA gross margin in Q4 2013 benefited from a reversal of an accrual of $9.4 million, or 7.2 percent, for copyright levies as a result of a favorable court ruling in France. TSS gross margin was 18.9 percent, up from 18.2 percent in Q4 2013 due to the Storage and Security product portfolio.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A)expenses in Q4 2014 were $44.5 million, up $5.0 million due mainly to additional investments in Imation’s Storage and Security portfolio compared with Q4 2013 levels of $39.5 million. During the quarter the Company continued to focus on cost reductions in its legacy businesses while strategically investing in its Storage and Security Solutions to accelerate growth. Over the last three years Imation’s legacy media operating expenses have been reduced by over $100 million.
Research and development (R&D) expenses in Q4 2014 were $5.1 million, up $1.0 million from $4.1 million in Q4 2013, which reflects the Company’s increased investment in higher margin projects in Storage and Security Solutions. Imation continued to invest in new product development in its priority businesses and has aggressively reduced R&D expense associated with legacy media products.
Special charges in Q4 2014were $2.1 million compared to $9.5 million of income in Q4 2013, primarily related to a $9.8 million gain on the sale of land in Q4 2013 at a previously closed facility (See Tables Five and Six for non-GAAP measures).
Operating loss from continuing operations was $12.1 million in Q4 2014 compared with operating income of $21.1 million in Q4 2013. Excluding the impact of the special items described above, adjusted operating loss from continuing operations would have been $10.0 million in Q4 2014 compared with an adjusted operating gain from continuing operations of $11.6 million in Q4 2013. Operating results in Q4 2013 benefited from a reversal of an accrual of $9.4 million for copyright levies as a result of a favorable court ruling in France.
Income tax expense was $1.3 million in Q4 2014 compared with an income tax expense of $1.9 million in Q4 2013. The expense in Q4 2014 is primarily due to the mix of taxable income by country. The Company maintains a valuation allowance related to its U.S. deferred tax assets and, therefore, no tax provision or benefit was recorded related to its U.S. results in either period.
Discontinued operations in Q4 2014 were breakeven compared with a loss of $2.5 million in Q4 2013. Discontinued operations include both the results of the XtremeMac™ and Memorex™ consumer electronics businesses which were sold.
Loss per diluted share from continuing operations was $0.35 in Q4 2014 compared with earnings from continuing operations per diluted share of $0.47 in Q4 2013. Excluding the impact of the special items described above, loss per diluted share from continuing operations would have been $0.30 in Q4 2014 compared with earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of $0.25 in Q4 2013 (See Tables Five and Six for non-GAAP measures).
Cash and cash equivalents balance was $114.6 million as of December 31, 2014, up $3.9 million during the quarter. The Company had positive operating cash flows during Q4 2014.
Full Year Summary
For the full year ended December 31, 2014, Imation reported net revenue of $729.5 million, down 15.3 percent compared with 2013, an operating loss of $104.1 million, including special charges of $53.6 million, and a diluted loss per share of $2.74 from continuing operations. Excluding special charges, the operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2014 would have been $50.5 million and diluted loss per share would have been $1.43 from continuing operations. For the year ended December 31, 2013, Imation reported net revenue of $860.8 million, an operating loss of $20.1 million, and a diluted loss per share of $0.60 from continuing operations. Excluding special charges, the operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2013 would have been $8.6 million and diluted loss per share would have been $0.37 from continuing operations (See Tables Five and Six for non-GAAP measures).
Webcast and Replay Information
A teleconference is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Central Time today, February 10, 2015, and will be available on the Internet on a listen-only basis at www.ir.imation.com or www.streetevents.com. The Company's quarterly financial results and strategic transformation will be discussed.
A taped replay of the teleconference will be available beginning at 12:30 p.m. Central Time on February 10, 2015, until 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 19, 2015, by dialing 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406 (conference ID 78578483). All remarks made during the teleconference will be current at the time of the teleconference and the replay will not be updated to reflect any subsequent developments.
Description of Tables
Table One - Consolidated Statements of Operations
Table Two - Consolidated Balance Sheets
Table Three - Supplemental Segment and Product Information
Table Four - Additional Information
Table Five - Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Table Six - Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP financial measurements (adjusted gross margin, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per diluted share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA) are provided as a supplement and should not be construed as an alternative to any GAAP measure of performance or liquidity (see Tables Five and Six). Management believes this will assist investors in making an evaluation of Imation's performance and to assist in understanding the impact of certain items on Imation’s actual results of operations when compared to prior periods. Management understands that there are material limitations on the use of non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP measures are not substitutes for GAAP measures for the purpose of analyzing financial performance. These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for measures prepared in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. This information should not be construed as an alternative to the reported results, which have been determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
About Imation Corp.
Imation (NYSE: IMN) is a global data storage and data security company. Our products and solutions help organizations and individuals store, manage and protect their digital content. Imation’s Storage and Security portfolio includes Nexsan high-density, archive and solid-state optimized unified hybrid storage solutions; IronKeymobile security solutions that address the needs of professionals for secure data transport and mobile workspaces; and consumer storage solutions, audio products and accessories sold under the Imation, Memorex and TDK Life on Record brands. Imation reaches customers in more than 100 countries through a powerful global distribution network. For more information, visit www.imation.com.
Risk and Uncertainties
Certain information contained in this press release which does not relate to historical financial information may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results in the future to differ materially from our historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. We wish to caution investors not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. Risk factors include various factors set forth from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the following: Our ability to successfully implement our strategy; our ability to grow our business in new products with profitable margins and the rate of revenue decline for certain existing products; our ability to meet future revenue growth, gross margins and earnings targets; the ability to quickly develop, source, introduce and deliver differentiated and innovative products; our potential dependence on third parties for new product introductions or technologies in order to introduce our own new products; our ability to successfully implement restructuring plans; foreign currency fluctuations; the ready availability and price of energy and key raw materials or critical components including the effects of natural disasters and our ability to pass along raw materials price increases to our customers; continuing uncertainty in global and regional economic conditions; our ability to identify, value, integrate and realize the expected benefits from any acquisition which has occurred or may occur in connection with our strategy; the possibility that our goodwill and intangible assets or any goodwill or intangible assets that we acquire may become impaired; the ability of our security products to withstand cyber-attacks; changes in European law or practice related to the imposition or collectability of optical levies; the seasonality and volatility of the markets in which we operate; significant changes in discount rates and other assumptions used in the valuation of our pension plans; changes in tax laws, regulations and results of inspections by various tax authorities; our ability to successfully defend our intellectual property rights and the ability or willingness of our suppliers to provide adequate protection against third party intellectual property or product liability claims; the outcome of any pending or future litigation and patent disputes; ability to access financing to achieve strategic objectives and growth due to changes in the capital and credit markets; limitations in our operations that could arise from compliance with the debt covenants in our credit facilities; our ability to retain key employees; increased compliance with changing laws and regulations potentially affecting our operating results; failure to adequately protect our information systems from cyber-attacks; and the volatility of our stock price due to our results or market trends.
The results presented herein are preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision until the Company files its annual results with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K.
Nexsan, Memorex, PC on a Stick and IronKey are trademarks of Imation Corp. TDK Life on Record is used under a trademark license from TDK Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Imation Corp.
Scott Robinson, 651-704-4311
srobinson@imation.com
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Sprint Reports Highest First Quarter Postpaid Phone Net Additions in Nine Years1, Lowest Ever Postpaid Phone Churn, and Postpaid Net Port Positive Against All Three National Carriers with First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2016 Results
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Thursday, November 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India
CHANDIGARH INDEX
C H A N D I G A R H S T O R I E S
Division among traders over today’s bandh
Chandigarh, November 20
On the eve of the proposed Chandigarh bandh tomorrow there is a division of sorts between traders, who are owners of property, and the tenants.
Joining the issue of the recent amendment to the East Punjab Rent Restriction Act, 1949, the UT Villages Property Owners Association today asked the traders' associations that they should not join the Chandigarh bandh called by the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal.
The president of the association, Mr Amit Tayal, said tenants as well as owners were part of the traders' associations and they would support the bandh call. Mr Tayal appealed to the traders' associations not to indulge in the controversy. The purpose of the traders' associations was to protect the rights of the traders and their prosperity and it should go with its own goal, he added.
Meanwhile, the Sabzi Mandi Shop Owners Welfare Society held a meeting today and decided that they would not join the bandh proposed by the Beopar Mandal. A statement signed by about 25 members of the society said they would open their shops during the bandh.
Mrs Bhajan Kaur and Mrs Nirmal Kaur, two women leaders of the Chandigarh Tenants Federation, ended their indefinite fast when the Mayor, Mrs Lalit Joshi, offered them a glass of juice. A list of demands was submitted to the Mayor.
The main demands were to make the necessary amendments in the notification to protect the tenants from eviction. The federation had said that the commercial and industrial property be kept out of the purview of the rent Act and also to raise the slab from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000. The new notification be implemented from the date it came into being and not be imposed on previously rented out property. Besides this, the federation said let fair rent be assessed by the rent controller.
The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal claimed that the bandh would be total and it had the support of the Chandigarh Chemists Association; the Sector 22-B Traders Welfare Association; the Chandigarh Paint Association; the traders of the Mani Majra market; and all rehri and booth markets of Chandigarh. A delegation of the mandal also met the SSP, Mr Parag Jain, and apprised him of the situation.
Meanwhile, several traders in Sectors 17, 22 and on Madhya Marg, who are owners of the property, have alleged that they were being pressurised by the traders who are tenants to support the bandh call. Mr Ajay Grover, who owns a shop in Sector 7, said he had posted private security outside his shop due to this pressure.
A LEGAL VIEW
Landlords versus tenants in Chandigarh
M.L. Sarin
“Our businesses will be ruined”, “We will be rendered homeless” are some of the fears expressed by tenants on the issuance of the notification by the Chandigarh Administration directing that the provisions of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction (Extension to Chandigarh) Act “shall not apply to buildings and rented lands whose monthly rent exceeds Rs 1,500 w.e.f November 7, 2002. The ensuing debate — at social gatherings or in the Press — reveals the general lack of understanding of the reasons for the enactment of rent laws and the true impact of granting an exemption. While landlords and tenants threaten to take their battle to the streets hoping to pressure the government by adopting an agitational approach, I would make an endeavour to explain the legal ramifications of the notification.
The rent laws
The East Punjab Rent Restriction Act, 1949, (the Punjab Rent Act) was a copy of the Madras Buildings (Lease and Rent) Control Act, 1946, framed to achieve the objective of “...restricting the increase of rent of certain premises situated within the limits of the urban areas and the protection of tenants against the malafide attempts by their landlords to procure their eviction....” The legislatures had hoped that with the improvement in the housing sector, the law would be reviewed after a decade or two.
The immediate effect of the enforcement of the Punjab Rent Act was to put an embargo on the arbitrary increase of rent by the landlords. The concept of fair rent was introduced. To fix such fair rent, the Rent Controller was required to first assess the “basic rent” which was the rent for a similar building or rented premises in 1939. Fair rent was calculated by allowing a 37.5 per cent to 100 per cent increase in the same. It would be an under statement to say the fair rent thus fixed was highly unrealistic and did not by any means reflect the market rent of the building. Most readers will be surprised to learn that no change in the provision has been made in the last more than half a century.
Section 13 of the Act prescribed a few grounds, one of which had to be established, before any tenant could be evicted by a landlord from the rented premises. The grounds included non-payment of rent, subletting, change of user, material impairment, the tenant being a nuisance to the neighbour or the tenant having ceased to occupy the building for a continuous period of more than four months.
In each of the grounds some act of commission or omission on the part of the tenant had to be pleaded and proved before the landlord could recover possession of his property. Only two grounds i.e personal necessity and the building become unsafe and unfit for human habitation gave the landlord right to repossession without attributing a fault to the tenant.
The procedure to be followed by the Rent Controller was supposed to be a summary. As time passed, tenants realised that the grounds for eviction were extremely difficult, almost impossible, to prove; proceedings consumed considerable time and evictions were heard to get. Thus, tenants felt that they had a right to continue eternally by paying rent at the old rate. After all, they had the sanction of law.
Inflation and the spiralling prices of immovable property were not adequately attended to by the State Legislature by making necessary amendments in the Punjab Rent Act so as to make it realistic.
Rent Act in city
The city beautiful did not have any rent legislation till the early seventies. Prior to the extension of the Rent Act to Chandigarh, a tenant did not feel threatened by arbitrary eviction and landlords did not feel uncomfortable in leasing out their properties. Even after the extension of the Punjab Act to Chandigarh, all new buildings were exempted from its operation for 5 years from the date of completion.
The constitutional vires of Section 3 of the Rent Act empowering the government to grant exemption as well as the exemption notification were upheld by the Supreme Court in the case of Punjab Tin Supply Company versus the Central Government (1984 HRR 228). The experience of the last 30 years shows that there have been no arbitrary evictions during the five years exemption period. On the contrary, the landlord and tenants co-existed peacefully during this period.
The tenancies in Chandigarh had to face other problems peculiar to the city. No fair rent could be fixed as Chandigarh was not in existence in 1939; thus no basic rent could be assessed. Thus, one of the two objectives sought to be achieved by the enforcement of the Rent Act had failed. It is a matter of fact that thousands of petitions for fixation of fair rent were filed in the seventies but all were adjourned sinedie to await the suitable amendment of the Rent Act providing suitable criteria for the fixation of fair rent in Chandigarh. None has come in the last three decades.
Similar laws have been updated in England and even other states in India to make the provisions of fixation of fair or standard rent linkable to the price index. Perhaps Chandigarh is not important enough for the Parliament to attend to.
National housing policy
The archaic rent control legislation in many states in the country had resulted in a freeze on rents, very low return on investment and difficulty in resuming possession leading to adversely affecting investment in the housing sector. At the same time, the government was opening the economy to the world. A number of expert bodies had suggested reform in rent legislation so as to evenly balance the interests of landlords and tenants.
Ultimately a policy paper was considered in the Chief Ministers Conference held in New Delhi on March 7, 1992 which lead to what can be termed as a “National Housing Policy” and the framing of a Model Rent Control law by the Central Government. This exercise was done by the government even though rent control is a state subject in an endeavour to bring about uniformity in rent restriction in the country.
One of the clauses in the National Housing Policy had recommended grant of exemption to residential and non-residential premises carrying more than a specified rental value ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per month. The exemption limit was to be linked with the population of the urban area. It was further suggested that the exemption limit should be revised every 3 years. Scores of other recommendations were made. While doing so the Delhi experience was heavily relied upon where buildings fetching a rent above Rs 3,500 per month had been exempted from the operation of the Delhi Rent Act in 1988.
Similar notifications, granting exemptions, have been issued in the past. Andhra Pradesh exempted all buildings commanding a rent above Rs 100 per month in 1983, while Delhi introduced the change in 1988. Cases from both states have been decided upon the Supreme Court which opined that the tenant of such a premises loses protection immediately on the issuance of the notification of exemption. (See JT 1995 (4) SC 187)
However, that does not imply that tenants of exempted tenancies will be ousted instantaneously. We are governed by the Rule of Law which insures that even a trespasser cannot be dispossessed except in due course of law. A tenant, not protected by the Rent Act, can be evicted by filing a suit for possession in a court of competent jurisdiction which will be tried like any other civil suit and subject to the same rights of appeal and second appeal.
Is the notification not just?
Every citizen expects all laws to be just and fair. Justice B.N. Kirpal speaking for the court in Malpe Vishwanath Acharaya versus the state of Maharashtra JT 1997(1) SC 311 observed that: “In so far as social legislation, like the Rent Control Act is concerned, the law must strike a balance between rival interests and it should try to be just at all. The law ought not to be unjust to one and give a disproportionate benefit or protection to another section of the society. When there is shortage of accommodation it is desirable, nay, necessary that some protection should be given to tenants to ensure that they are not exploited.
At the same time such a law has to be revised periodically so as to ensure that a disproportionately larger benefit than the one which was intended is not given to tenants.”
He further went on to opine that “When enacting socially progressive legislation the need is greater to approach the problem from a holistic perspective and not to have a narrow or short-sighted parochial approach. Giving greater than due emphasis to a vocal section of society results not merely in the miscarriage of justice but in the abdication of responsibility of the legislative authority.”
The issuance of the notification on November 7, 2002 in Chandigarh has subtly achieved that. The administration seems to have followed the guidelines laid down 10 years ago in the National Housing Policy and appears to have been guided by the dictum of the Supreme Court. While both parties may shout from the roof tops and bring pressure to bear on the administration to expand or reduce the exemption limit, we must all bear in mind that a tenant is always a tenant — he does not become the owner of the tenanted premises. The periodical review of rent legislation in larger national interest is a must. In the case of Chandigarh the administration has done just that — struck a wonderful balance between landlords and tenants.
One can only says: “Bravo Lt Gen Jacob”, “Bravo — Chandigarh Administration”.
The writer, a senior advocate, is a co-author of Rent Restrictions in Punjab, Haryana, HP and Chandigarh.
READERS WRITE
Tenancy laws: a judicious view
It would be prudent to take a judicious view of the arbitrary unpopular changes brought about in the tenancy laws. Initially when the change was announced, it was stated that the intention was to boost urban land development which meant housing.
Whereas the withdrawal of the Rent Control Act is applicable equally to both residential and commercial properties, it is easy to change a house; just shift from one place to another. But for commercial properties, it is altogether a different ball game. To set up a business, you require large-scale investment. A landlord provides you only four walls and a roof, but you have to do the rest, though business does not pick up from day one.
Initially, it is ‘chati’, then ‘hati’ and if luck works it could turn into ‘khatti’. It takes years for one to promote a product, build goodwill and establish a business. In many cases, a tenant invests many times more than the landlord. Every business has a number of employees whose livelihood rests on it. The business community in Chandigarh had it tough over the years. Initially it was a new market, hardly any buyers, then the days of the terrorism and now the recession.
To add to our woes, the Chandigarh Administration acted very secretively on November 7, 2002, by bringing about this draconian change in the rent law. To the business community, it meant explosion of a nuclear bomb with wide ramifications. Not only it meant closure of their business but complete ruin, their investment, rendering thousands jobless and depriving of their personal livelihood. Under the existing laws, you cannot even sack a chaprasi but here in one go, the Administration threw thousands of people on the streets.
The whole exercise has been done in a very surreptitious manner. Even the 20 days’ period of inviting objections has been circumvented. We function in a democracy where decisions are to be taken by consensus and in the larger interest of the people. The Administration does not care for its people. Even when the move has drawn large-scale resentment, no corrective action appears to be in sight. There are statements in newspapers that courts will be sympathetic towards the tenants. But the courts only interpret the law; they do not act on compassion or mercy.
Some possible solutions to end the ongoing impasse are: Apply the changed rules to new hirings; separate the law for residential and commercial properties; since the intention was to boost housing, set a future date (say 5 to 7 years hence) to come out of the Rent Control Act; and as for the commercial properties, the Rent Control Act should continue to apply to the existing tenancies. The change, if at all brought about, should be made applicable after 20 years period and, that too, in a gradual manner.
The registration fee for long-term leases is too high. It starts with 1.5 per cent and goes up to 12 per cent for leases from 16 to 99 years. Who has huge funds to give in one go? If one had, he may well have owned the building. For the smooth conduct of business, the Administration should encourage long-duration agreements for a nominal charge. In any case, it should not be more than 0.5 per cent.
The Administration could draw up a fair rent on the basis of the value of land, the cost of construction and the vintage of the tenancy. After ascertaining this rent, if the tenant is paying equal or prepared to pay such amount, his tenancy should be allowed to continue.
Capt MOHAN BIR SINGH
President, Sector 17-D,
Traders’ Association
Traders’ organisations in Chandigarh have mounted pressure on the authorities to withdraw the proposed amendment in the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949. They may have a point if some of the tenants are paying rents higher than the current market rate. The fact, however, is that in a majority of cases these rents have been abnormally low for decades. If ever there was an increase, it was marginal. The result: rented properties, on an average, are fetching no more than an equivalent of 1-1/2 per cent annually, while even the reduced bank rates on deposits are three to four times higher than this.
The expenses, incurred by landlords on the maintenance of premises, are an additional burden. Consider the plight of those owners who have invested their lifetime savings in such properties so that they can have some income after retirement. They are entirely at the mercy of their tenants. The proposed amendment has come as a great relief to them. It may also be worthwhile to consider a further amendment to the Act, stipulating purchase of such rented properties by the tenants on payment of a suitable compensation as has been the case with the tenancies of the agricultural land. Alternatively, there should be a provision for renegotiation of the rent deeds annually on the basis of the current market rate. The proposed amendment shall contribute a great deal in promoting expansion of the business activity.
DILBIR KAUR
SAS Nagar
Those opposing changes in the Rent Act are the ones who have been thriving under the protection of imbalanced, tenant-friendly Act during the past five decades. The Act, which is enforced for protection of poor tenants, is being exploited by affluent traders and tenants.
Even though incomes rose by leaps and bounds both for salaried class and traders, they refuse to enhance the rents once fixed. While the rupee value has declined progressively, the property value has increased manifold. When unethical tenants, paying frozen rents, could not use the rented property for themselves, passed it on to others by charging ‘pagree’. The tenants signed agreements and lease deeds prescribing annual and periodical increase in rent and handing over vacant possession after the agreed period only to grab the property. They refuse either to increase the rent or vacate the premises under the protection of the Rent Act.
The poor, so-called landlords, curse themselves for having rented out their properties. They could not get their properties vacated even for their genuine needs.
Those opposing changes to the category of tenants who want to deprive the owners of their legitimate right to survive are adopting unethical and devious methods under the garb of democracy. They should realise that weaker sections of society remain fully protected even now.
JITENDER SINGH
In 1976, I had opted to do business from a dwelling for a monthly rent of Rs 2000. My father, a government employee, invested all his earnings, including a triple storeyed house, two plots, GP funds, retiral benefits and other savings, and we started living in the rented house for the sake of family business. As it was not possible to earn even Rs 100 a day, I could not employ any employee. As a result, my brothers could not study beyond matriculation and my father was forced to encash a portion of his pension to save the business from failure and defamation. My marriage was delayed.
With investment and reinvestment of my father’s benefits, we, three brothers, tried to improve our financial position in mid-90s. But even today, our four families, along with those of our workers, continue to depend upon this shop.
If we knew that we would be evicted on some ground in future, we would not have invested all our resources. We would have devised ways and means to make a fast buck to become landlords ourselves. The reputation and value of the market would not have been the same as leading to this situation. But without any legal binding, we have been increasing the rent regularly. We treated our customer as our God and acted as true and faithful traders.
GURJIT SINGH
Kiran cinema manager shot at
Struggling for life in GMCH
In a daring shootout, two unidentified youths shot at the manager of Kiran Cinema and Jagat Cinema, Mr Harjinder Singh, outside his house in Sector 21-D here tonight as he returned home from work. A seriously wounded, Harjinder Singh (52), is battling for his life at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.
The identity of the youths or their mode of escape is yet to be ascertained. As per the statement, Mr Harjinder Singh gave to the police he had parked his car and was walking to open the iron gate of his house when two youths called out to him saying ‘‘ uncle eek minute gall sunoo.’’ ( Uncle please listen to us for a minute).
Two unidentified youths shot at Harjinder Singh outside his house at 9 pm and escape.
How they managed to escape is yet not clear.
Harjinder Singh is battling for his life in GMCH, Sector 32.
Harjinder Singh was managing the two cinema halls, Kiran and Jagat, owned by Patiala-based millionaire, Lala Charan Dass.
As Harjinder Singh turned around to look at the youths, they took out a gun and shot at him. The bullet hit him on the right side of his chest .
The SSP, Mr Parag Jain, who reached the GMCH said prima facie it was a case in which the youth had come for a specific target. The youth had not come with the motive of robbery as they did not take away anything.
The wife of the cinema manager, told the police that she heard her husband cry out : ‘‘ maar ditta ’’ and ran out to see him lying in pool of blood. Initially the family thought the noise was due to some crackers. The police so far had no eye witnesses who could tell about the description of the youths. The entire case would rest upon Harjinder Singh’s recollection of events.
The neighbours also rushed out and brought the injured Harjinder to the GMCH. Initially doctors wanted him to shift to the PGI but later changed their opinion. A surgery to remove the bullet would be carried out after midnight. Senior doctors of the GMCH’s Surgery Department were called to see the situation for themselves.
Relatives of Harjinder said he had no enmity with anyone. Well placed sources in the police department told the Tribune that Harjinder may have come in contact with several kind of persons during his course of work, especially in the film industry.
Both the cinemas are owned by Patiala-based millionaire, Lala Charan Dass, but the cinemas have been managed entirely by Harjinder Singh in the past decade or so. He has been working in various companies of the Lala Charan Dass since his youth. He was at one time working in Kanpur also.
RBI to take action against Amway, 5 others
The Chandigarh Administration and the Reserve Bank of India, today warned members of the public from investing in private non-banking finance companies which do not have permits to operate. The Joint Secretary, Finance, Chandigarh Administration, Mr Dalip Kumar, said action would also be initiated against six companies which are direct-selling companies.
DON’T BANK UPON THEM
Only nine companies under Category A ( which can accept deposits and also give loans) are legal.
79 companies under category B ( which can disburse loans but cannot accept deposits) are legal.
Action to be taken against six direct-marketing companies within one week.
Chandigarh Administration warns — do not invest in illegal companies.
There are 76 companies under category A and 111 companies under category B which are illegal.
Complaints can be lodged with the RBI at fax number 0172-722087 or phone number 0172-713817 or email address: spnegi@rbi.org.in
These six companies are : Golden Trust Finance Services; Onlinejobs.com; Amway India Enterprises; Japan Life India; Best Internet Services and Cosecs.
Issuing a awareness notice to members of the public the Chandigarh Administration said it had been informed by Reserve Bank of India that 76 NBFCs in category ‘A’, 111 NBFCs in category ‘B’ and 2 NBFCs in category ‘C’ could not transact business of non-banking financial institution. The registration of these companies had been rejected by the RBI.
Their applications for issue of certificate of registration had been rejected by the RBI under the provisions of the Act
These rejected companies had also been prohibited from acceptance/renewal of public deposits. The RBI was keeping a close watch on the activities of the companies, assured Mr S.P. Negi, Deputy General Manager, RBI.
The companies had been asked to close shop within three years from the date of rejection. When asked three years was long time for these companies to keep on fleecing innocents, the RBI official said ‘‘ We are keeping a watch on their deposits and it will be ensured that depositors get their money back’’.
The Administration today said in this connection, public was informed that no non-banking financial company shall commence and carry on the business on non-banking financial institution without interalia obtaining a certificate of registration from by the Reserve Bank of India. Carrying on such unauthorised business of non-banking financial institution in contravention of the provisions of the RBI Act was punishable with imprisonment which shall not be less than one year but may extend to five years and with a fine which shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh but may extend to Rs 5 lakh.
Some of these companies were engaged in fraudulent activities by alluring people by offering them high rate of interest and other incentives both in cash and kind in violation of the RBI Act, 1934. Anybody depositing money with such unauthorised companies, would do so at their own risk.
The public should also verify whether the company in question has obtained a certificate of registration from Reserve Bank of India and whether it is entitled to carry on the business of non-banking financial institution, the Joint Secretary Finance said.
EVENING OPDs IN PGI
Resident docs adamant on their stand
With the resident doctors being firm on their stand of not shouldering the responsibility of running the evening OPDs at the PGI, there is uncertainty over the start of the facility from December 2.
Even as a delegation of the resident doctors is camping in Delhi to discuss the issue with the Union Health Minister, Ms Shatrughan Sinha, an urgent governing body meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors held late last night decided not to join the evening OPDs, which are scheduled to start from December 2. “Over 400 members of the association who attended the meeting resolved that even if the minister refused to oblige them, they would not attend the evening OPDs,” said one of the senior resident doctors. Since Mr Sinha, was unable to return to Delhi, their representatives were likely to meet him tomorrow, he said.
The resident doctors are likely to meet the Union Health Secretary, Mr S.K. Naik , who will be visiting the city on November 22 , to apprise him of their problems regarding the issue.
Meanwhile, the resident doctors from the six disciplines of medicine, surgery, eye, ENT, gynaecology and paediatrics have been delegated evening OPD duties by the respective heads of departments. Out of a total of 780 resident doctors working at the PGI, almost 350 from these six clinical disciplines have been given their duty timings for the evening OPDs. Representatives of the resident doctors today handed over a copy of the decisions taken by them to the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma.
“In view of the current strength of resident doctors and the work load on us, it would not be possible for us to provide quality services to the patients, though we will continue to perform other duties assigned to us,” said one of the resident doctors while conveying the decisions taken at the last night meeting.
Being apprehensive that the evening OPDs, instead of running for two hours would continue till 10 pm they said they were not averse to medical officers and house surgeons being recruited for running evening OPDs. They said with no screening of patients, the PGI which was supposed to provide tertiary care to patients would be reduced to a primary health centre.
The doctors said it was impossible for them to join evening OPDs as they were already under stress.” A study conducted four months ago had indicated that as compared to 13 per cent prevalence of tuberculosis, it was 26 per cent amongst the residents doctors, who were stressed and overburdened with work,” they said. Apart from this during the past four years, four resident doctors had attempted suicides, resulting in the death of two, they said.
They claimed that as a result of the heavy workload, almost 40 per cent of them were suffering from one or the other health hazard like depression, adjustment disorders, suicidal tendencies and tuberculosis.
Under such circumstances it was simply not possible for us to take any further workload, even if it was the wish of the Union Health Minister, they remarked.
B.Ed through correspondence for city, Punjab students
Panjab University has opened admission to the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) course through correspondence to all students from Punjab and Chandigarh.
Prof Ujjagar Singh Sehgal, chairman, today said the university had made “ partial modification” to the earlier press releases and even the university advertisements that mentioned that admissions were open to students from areas falling under the jurisdiction of Panjab University, including Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar and Ferozepore districts besides Chandigarh.
“Applications have been invited from the candidates who are currently working as regular teachers in recognised schools located in Punjab and Chandigarh who are eligible as per the National Council for Technical Education(NCTE) norms.
The last date for submitting applications is December 2,” he said.
Professor Sehgal said, “Since the area of Department of Correspondence Studies suited students from far-off places as well, it was found to be a fit case to allow students from other parts of Punjab to apply for the courses.
It is, however, clarified that the teaching experience being shown by applicants should be from recognised schools only.
The university has till date received about 470 applications and about 400 students have been allowed admissions. There is a provision to allow admission to 500 students, he added.
The issue of allowing students from all over the state has been cleared by the university syndicate. Professor Sehgal said when other universities, including Kurukshetra and Annamalai Universities, had opened their centres in the city itself, why Panjab University could not deliberate upon extending its area of influence.
A research scholar said, “As a degree from PU has a great value than a degree from any other institutions, the students will be better placed in employment arena.”
Paper leak: Director Health quizzed
Chitleen K Sethi
SAS Nagar, November 20
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has questioned the Director, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Dr D.P.S. Sandhu, who is also the President of the Punjab Nurses Registration Council, in the alleged question paper leak case of the council here.
ILLS IN NURSING PANEL
The Punjab Nurses Registration Council, SAS Nagar, was involved in leakage of question papers last year also. Some of the heads of private nursing training Institutes were apparently had the knowledge of the question papers days before the examinations were to take place. A departmental inquiry was also conducted in the case.
Sources in the Vigilance Bureau said that Dr Sandhu had been questioned for more than eight hours in the past one week and the bureau was looking into the possibility of his involvement. When contacted Mr Surinder Singh, SP Vigilance, confirmed that Dr Sandhu had been questioned in the case since he was said to have had close links with one of the main accused. Dr Sandhu, when contacted, however, stated that his questioning was a part of the routine followed by the Vigilance Department in such cases.
According to information provided by Vigilance Bureau officials, the papers were sold for Rs 20,000 each, a day before the examination was scheduled to be held on October 24 at 11 centers across North India, including centers at Srinagar and New Delhi. A vernacular daily had published the question paper the day the examination was to be held.
Sources also said that the council Registrar, Ms Aruna Chabbra, had also given her statement to the Vigilance Bureau but it varied considerably from the one filed by her immediately after the incident to the departmental inquiry officer, Dr Sukhdev Singh, Deputy Director Health Services. Meanwhile, the departmental inquiry report too had been handed over to Vigilance Bureau officials.
The Registrar, according to sources, had now put the blame squarely on the two employees, Mr Gurpal Singh Kang, Examination Superintendent and Mr Charanjit Singh, the two main accused in the case. Sources pointed out that Kang had accompanied the Registrar to the printing press from where the papers were published and allegedly retrieved the question paper from the computer’s recycle bin after the Registrar had got them deleted. However, in the statement recorded earlier, the Registrar had stated that following information that the October 24 question paper had been leaked, she had ordered the cancellation of all three papers scheduled to be held on October 24, 25, and 26. But since these examinations had been conducted despite her telephonic orders to cancel these, she suspected that the Srinagar examiner was responsible for leaking the papers. Ms Chabbra had also in that statement given a clean chit to the seven of the council employees involved directly in the process of getting the question papers typed, printed and stored. These included Mr Gurpal Singh Kang. When contacted Ms Chabbra confirmed that she had recorded her statements with Vigilance Bureau officials.
The other accused in the case, Mr Charanjit Singh, had in a press conference held last week, alleged involvement of Mr Charanjit Singh Walia, president of the Punjab Nursing Training Institutes Association and a former minister of Health, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, in the case. The case comes up for hearing tomorrow at a Ropar court.
Pilgrim’s progress to Nada Sahib
Raja Jaikrishan
Tuesday, Gurpurb noon, time to hog and catch up with sleep. Instead, I am on way to Nada Sahib, near here, with the sardarni next door on the bridge over the Ghaggar.
The awesome sight of multiple, long-winding streams of devotees in various vehicles and rivulets of pedestrian pilgrims was forbidding for a car journey.
I counted the virtues of pilgrimage on foot to the charming sardarni. She spiked each with words: “Just move on.” We made some progress in the first gear. I pointed to cars parked along the roadside. The sardarni would have none of it. She kept on chanting “move on”.
And here we were moving by inches. The sight of a constable signalling stop, slow and go to pilgrims restored my sagging faith in the rule of law. At the first quarter of the gurdwara road the car was sandwiched by vehicles and devotees. The signs of exasperation brought creases on the sardarni’s forehead.
I looked at the watch, then at the milling crowd, then at the entrapment of the car. My rumbling stomach entreated me to go ahead. We slammed the car doors.
A push from behind brought us amid the devotees raising clouds of dust. We made it to the gurdwara named after Nada, who gave shelter to Guru Gobind Singh. She touched the kikar tree outside the sanctum sanatorium. She offered the Rs 31-prasad to the bhaiji standing near the holy tree. I copied her all along. Both of us bent together before the holy book.
Both wind and a push from devotees blew away the kerchief from my head. As I began to fold it, the sardarni admonished: “Keep the head covered.” Reluctantly, I obeyed.
It was time for langar. Devotees, most of them better clad than us, sat crosslegged on a serpentine dust-laden mat. Sevadars brought thalis for us. A devotee served laddoos and jalebis. As we waited for dal, roti and achar — the prasad, kavishars and dhadhis sang in the praise of Guru Nanak who dropped rituals and went for the spirit.
Keeping my head covered, I tried to understand the verses. But didn’t go far as devotees compelled my attention for they oozed prosperity from under their fineries.
The head covered with red chunni, a milky faced svelte girl served prasad (chapatis). We received the prasad in our cupped hands.
As we neared the car, a Punjab minister drove in. I smirked at the satire narrated by the kavishar 10 minutes ago.
It went like this. Once a minister returned home with a child who got separated from his parents at a function presided over by him. He boasted his good deed to his wife. She began to wail: “Wahe Guru! Help me. My husband doesn’t recognise even our own Pappu.”
Power blinds, demigods! Are you listening?
UT secretariat, DC office get OFC link
A hi-tech optic fibre cable (OFC) link between the UT Secretariat, Sector 9, and the DC Office, Sector 17 was inaugurated this morning by the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen. J.F.R. Jacob, (retd.), by talking to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. M. Ramsekhar through video conferencing via the OFC link. This is yet another step towards making the project of ‘‘ e-governance’’ work in the right direction.
OTHER DEPTS TO FOLLOW SUIT
As part of its e-governance initiatives, the Chandigarh Administration would soon connect various electricity and water collection centres through the network provided by private companies. The Municipal Corporation building is also to be connected shortly.
With the setting up of the OFC link, data voice and video exchange would be possible between the two buildings. The OFC link is a part of the wired city network which has been set up as part of the IT Policy and e-governance initiatives of the Chandigarh Administration. The technical expertise for the link-up has been provided by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) led by the State Informatics Officer (SIO), Mr Ajay Rampal. The routers and other end-user equipment at both the buildings have also been provided by the NIC.
Practically, this facility means that the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the estate officer besides holding several other public dealing portfolios, will be able to convey to the secretaries his decisions or take quick action. As of now, if some thing important has to be discussed the DC has to go all the way to Sector 9. With this link the senior officers can interact with the DC any time. The DC is also the nodal officer for implementing various schemes and thus the link is even more crucial .
The OFC link has been provided by the HFCL Limited as part of the agreement signed with the Chandigarh Administration. The HFCL has provided a broadband cable set up which offers two MBPS on its network. The network provides flexibility to meet upscale requirements. Other buildings of the Chandigarh Administration will also be connected through the OFC. These would include the SDMs’ offices, Director Transport’s office and the Treasury.
The Adviser to the Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda; the Finance Secretary and Secretary, Information Technology; Mr. Karan A. Singh; the Chief Engineer, Mr Puranjit Singh; the Chief Architect, Ms Renu Saigal, the Joint Secretary Finance, Mr Dilip Kumar and the Director, Information Technology, Mr Vivek Atray were also present on the occasion.
Panel to ‘activate’ BSNL connections
Overwhelming response to the cellular service of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has created a piquant situation for the officials. Though they are trying to activate the connections of the subscribers within the stipulated time period of 72 hours, but the connections of about 300 applicants have so far not been activated due to the non-verification of their addresses, out of about 4,000 connections released so far.
Now, the BSNL has decided to form a high-level committee to deal with such cases, where the subscribers had not properly filled their application forms, and their connections could not be activated in time, said Mr Sanjay Aggarwal, DGM, BSNL, here today.
However, a section of the subscribers alleged that the BSNL had splashed big time advertisements in the newspapers: ‘Greet your near and dear on Gurpurb, by using the cellular services of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) — the country-wide cellular service’ — but the children are laughing at them for booking the connections as they were yet to here the ring of their new connections.
They are cursing their luck for depositing the security with the BSNL for the much advertised CellOne and the Excel cellular service. Mr R.N. Aggarwal, an aggrieved subscriber, said the officials had failed to release the connections, despite making tall promises during the press conferences that connections would be released within 24-72 hours. But most of the customers are now running from pillar to post to get their connections activated.
Ms S.R. Verma, who had applied for the CellOne Connection on November 11, the first day of booking, is still awaiting the activation of her connection. She says, “Though my name has not appeared in the ‘Objection List,’ notified by the department, but my connection has not been activated yet.” Her husband lamented that he had even met Mr R.C.Vaish, Principal General Manager, BSNL, in this regard, but without any result.
BSNL officials admitted that they were facing problems in the verification of addresses of the applicants, but due to the non-cooperative attitude of some of the employees the process had been delayed, resulting in inconvenience to the subscribers.
Mr S.S. Sibia, another subscriber, however, alleged that his name had been included in the objection list on the ground that he had not deposited a bill in time. The insiders in the BSNL disclosed that in the first stage the BSNL officials had activated the connections of their own mobiles, in the second phase connections of mediapersons and other near and dear ones were activated. The common person was the last preference for them.
However, Mr Aggarwal, DGM, BSNL, claimed that the high-powered committee would look into the complaints and the matter would soon be resolved.
Police to enforce use of carriage way
Monica Sharma
Encouraged by the “success” of their strategy to carve out separate lanes for cycles and rickshaws on a busy sector-dividing road, the Chandigarh Police, besides other authorities, has now decided to enforce the use of carriage way by cycles and rickshaws on other roads also.
Earlier, the police had adopted several measures in an attempt to cut down traffic congestion and other related problems on the road dividing Sector 22 and 23. The road was widened but the problem had persisted. “Finally, decision to carve separate lanes for the slow moving traffic was taken,” says a senior Chandigarh Police officer. “The strategy worked. The commuters, all of a sudden, found themselves free to move about”.
He adds: “Now, another decision to forcefully ask the slow moving traffic to use the carriage way, besides the cycle tracks, on other roads also has been taken. This, we believe, will go a long way in reducing the number of accidents involving slow traffic”.
Giving details, he asserts: “Policemen on duty had been asking cyclists and rickshaw-pullers to use the slow carriage way on the Madhya Marg and other such roads. Still they managed to sneak past and cross the median in several cases. Now we will come down heavily on them”.
The decision to “forcefully” ask cyclists and rickshaw-pullers to use the slow carriage way is significant as, according to sources in the police department, they were the ones sustaining injuries in a large number of accident cases.
Sources in the police department confirm that rickshaw-pullers were, otherwise, also directly or indirectly involved in a substantial number of road accidents taking place everyday in the city, particularly on the Madhya Marg. Though exact data is not available, unofficial studies conducted by the Chandigarh Police reveal that out of 546 accidents in 1999, a handsome number was caused due to negligence of rickshaw-pullers.
In 2000, as many as 550 accidents, including about 115 fatal, took place. Sources believe that the “involvement of rickshaw-pullers in at least some of them could not be ruled out”.
Giving details, another senior police officer asserts: “Migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, having poor road sense, hire rickshaws at cheap rates and cut across roads without giving indication causing freak accidents.”
Bank’s silver jubilee function
Bank of Rajasthan Ltd., which had suffered accumulated losses of Rs 157 crore during 1995-99, has achieved a profit of Rs 40.31 crore during 2001-02. It has decided to increase the number of branches in this region, apart from Rajasthan, Mr P.K. Tayal, chairman of bank, said here today.
He was speaking at the inauguration function of the silver jubilee celebrations of the bank. He said the bank would sponsor all the development activities in Rajasthan and one in Punjab. Rajasthan Governor Anshuman Singh, who was the chief guest on this occasion, urged the banking sector to shift its focus from cities and urban areas to rural areas. He felt that apart from the profit motive, the private sector banks had also a social responsibility to serve the cause of the rural sector.
Among others, Mr Ashwani Sekhri, Minister of Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Industry, was also available on this occasion.
IT employees resent contract work
The local branch of the Income Tax Employees Federation has condemned the authorities for hiring outsiders and private agencies for computer work related to receipt and processing of returns.
Mr Asha Nand Sharma, branch secretary of the Chandigarh branch, in a press note issued here yesterday lamented that though group ‘C’ employees had not refused to work on computers, the work was given to outside agencies. The federation urged the authorities to review the decision.
The members have resolved to oppose the move through all legal means. Mr Sharma said no member of the association would issue any refund till the authenticity of the certificate was certified in writing by the Range Additional or Joint Commissioner, Income Tax, because some of the employees had been implicated in bogus refund cases.
Cooperative week celebrations conclude
The All-India Cooperative Week celebrations, organised by the Regional Institute of Cooperative Management, concluded here today.
In his keynote address, Mr Vikramjit Sharma, Regional Director of the NCDC, stressed upon the need for a professional approach in the cooperatives and said that only a competent management system would be able to lead the cooperatives towards its goals.
Transparency in accounts and other such decisions would associate more and more people with the Cooperative Sector.
Later, Mr B.S. Rohila, spokesman for the Regional Institute of Cooperative Management expressed his gratitude to the guest for gracing the occasion.
Water connection camp
Mullanpur-Garibdas, November 20
An ‘on-the-spot water connection camp’ will be held on the Government Tubewell premises, Mullanpur Garibdas village from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm tomorrow. The camp is being organised by the Punjab Public Health Department in collaboration with Puri Trust (UK), Mullanpur and the Youth Welfare, Sports and Health Club, Mullanpur.
Water connections will be given to all needy people of Mullanpur, Ferozepur, Bhorngian, Slamatpur, Rasulpur, Ranimajra, Ratwara, Painpur and Sainimajra villages. They will have to pay the security charges. Yellow card holders shall be required to pay only 50 per cent of the security amount.
Sec 47 resident wins Esteem
M.K. Sohan of Sector 47-C, Harpreet Kaur of Sector 47 D and Gaurav Chopra of Sector 15 won Esteem, Alto and Wagon-R cars, respectively, tonight in draw of lots in the 20-day Sector 17 shopping festival that concluded this evening.
As many as 86 prizes including cars, fridges, TVs, washing machines, music systems and VCDs were offered by the council on coupons given in lieu of purchases made by the buyers.
Around 121 shopkeepers participating in the festival are estimated to have done business in crores during the period with around 1.5 lakh coupons being issued during the period.
Two held for outraging modesty of women
The police has arrested two persons in different cases allegedly for attempting to outrage modesty of women. Both the accused trespassed in the respective houses of the women and also threatened them.
Rakesh Kumar of Dadu Majra Colony allegedly trespassed into the house of a woman in the colony yesterday and tried to outrage her modesty. In the second incident, Rajinder Singh of Buterla village committed the same crime in the house of a fellow woman resident last evening.
Theft cases
During the past 24 hours, the police has registered at least four cases of thefts including three vehicle thefts from different parts of the city.
A Bajaj Chetak scooter (PB65B 1948) of Mr Ashok Kumar, a resident of SAS Nagar, was allegedly stolen from Sector 24 yesterday. Mr Gurbachan Singh, a resident of Sector 41, also reported with the police that his Bajaj Chetak scooter was stolen from his residence on November 12. Someone has reportedly stolen Maruti Zen car (CH03 5091) of Ms Kiran Bala, a resident of Sector 47. The car was said to be stolen from her residence on the night intervening November 18 and 19.
In another case, Mr Abrar Ahmed, a resident of SBS Colony, Sector 49, reported with the police that a gold locket, a gold ear top, silver jewellery and Rs 15000 were stolen from his house on November 14.
Two held for assault
The police has arrested Ravinder Singh and Harwinder Singh, both residents of Faidan village, allegedly for assaulting an ASI Davinder Singh near Sector 46 Gurdwara here yesterday. The accused have been booked under Sections 186, 332, 323, 353 and 34 of the IPC.
Crushed to death
Zirakpur, November 20
Hindraj, a resident of Ambala cantonment, was crushed to death by a car on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway here yesterday.
According to the police, Mr Hindraj was on foot when the car (PB-65-1280) hit and sped away leaving him motionless. A case of negligent driving has been registered against the car driver at Lohgarh police post.
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HOME › Bookshop › Biography › AN AUTHOR ON TRIAL
An Author on Trial
The Story of a Forgotten Writer
by Luciano Iorio
In 1939, the Italian writer Giuseppe Jorio (1902 - 1995) enjoyed great success with his debut novel, La Morte di un Uomo (Death of a Man), but, soon after the war, his career was ruined when he was prosecuted, subjected to five trials in six years, and found guilty of having written an obscene novel, Il Fuoco del Mondo (The Fire of the World). He was the first writer in post-war Italy to receive such a conviction, and the only one to receive a prison sentence.
In An Author on Trial, his son, Luciano Iorio, reveals for the first time how bigoted judges, in alignment with the illiberal and aggressive censorship policies ‘in defence of decency’ adopted by the ruling Christian Democracy party, openly fuelled by the Vatican, were determined to make an example of Giuseppe Jorio - even if that meant to misapply the law.
With the help of family letters and his father’s diaries, Luciano Iorio also tells the dramatic events in his father’s life which inspired the novel. He describes the difficult times in which the novel was written, the enormous strain of the five trials, and their effect on his father’s work, life and family. Particular attention is given to the father-son relationship, which was painfully shaped by the events that took place before and after the novel was written.
The book makes also a strong case for Giuseppe Jorio to be remembered as a valid and unique voice in twentieth-century Italian literature, and not purely as the author of the condemned and never published Il Fuoco del Mondo.
Female First
That's Books
What a wonderfully enthralling and compelling read this book turned out to be. Although short in length the book has a number of thought provoking themes, the central one being injustice. It shows how it arose and the devastating effect that the events described here had both professionally and personally on someone's life and those around them. Leading on from this is the need to put things right by rectifying the wrongdoings of the past. Written by his son, this is an account of how Italian writer Giuseppe Jorio who's debut novel La Morte di un Uomo (Death of a Man) achieved literary success would fall foul of the new post war reality of an alignment of political and social conservatism between the newly formed Christian Democratic Party, a cowered judiciary and the still powerful and all invasive Vatican.
After five trials over six years in which we learn of the full absurdity of the existing law and its misappropriation to enable the required verdict to be achieved, Jorio becomes the first Italian post war writer to receive a conviction and the only one to be awarded a prison sentence for the act of having written an obscene novel. Il Fuoco del Mondo (The Fire of the World) which derives from Jorio's deeply personal experiences is unbelievably still banned in Italy today. There are no obscenities to be found in the book and its treatment becomes even more absurd when one considers that at that time Lady Lady Chatterley's Lover was available in Italy being categorised as a work of art but the publication of the full unexpurgated version would be banned in the UK until after its trail in the ludicrously late date of 1960 showing that it was not just in Italy where the State tried to uphold its version of morality,
This book took his son Luciano five years to research and write and is based largely on his father's diaries and family letters that came into his possession several years after.his father's death. The book not only deals with how Jorio would never be able to recover from the trauma of the trials and the subsequent rejection by publishers of his later work but it looks most poignantly at the relationship between a father and his son and how events would cause a somewhat strained and distant connection between them. Luciano ends the book with the hope that he will find a university in the UK who would be willingly to accept the donation of his father's published and unpublished books with their accompanying material. In addition I'm thinking would it not perhaps be a good idea if there is indeed enough interest in An Author on Trial for its publisher to consider and finally publish Il Fuoco del Mondo. I for one would be interested to read this and other of Giuseppe Jorio's works. A fascinating book which I would recommend to all those who are interested in the need to maintain artistic freedom.
by G Heard
After five trials over six years in which we learn of the full absurdity of the existing law and its misappropriation to enable the required verdict to be achieved, Jorio becomes the first Italian post war writer to receive a conviction and the only one to be awarded a prison sentence for the act of having written an obscene novel. Il Fuoco del Mondo (The Fire of the World) which derives from Jorio's deeply personal experiences is unbelievably still banned in Italy today. There are no obscenities to be found in the book and its treatment becomes even more absurd when one considers that at that time Lady Chatterley's Lover was available in Italy being categorised as a work of art but the publication of the full unexpurgated version would be banned in the UK until after its trail in the ludicrously late date of 1960 showing that it was not just in Italy where the State tried to uphold its version of morality,
by G
Though highly regarded for his first book, Italian writer Giuseppe Jorio, became entangled with the country's dubious morality law with his second book Il Fuoco del Mondo during the fascist period and was put on trail, claiming the book was obscene. The multiple trails and the subsequent infamy cost him his literary career, sunk his other books into oblivion, affected his creative ability and eventually ended his marriage. Now, decades after his death, his son Luciano Iorio tries to reconstruct the life of a man who may be perhaps one of the most misunderstood figures in modern Italian literature. Extracted from his journals and his own memories, Luciano Iorio constructs a narrative that is at once illuminating, fast paced and touching. It's a short book and the author only briefly touches on similar cases of other books having banned during his father's period and hence it's not a study on stifling of freedom of expression and literature. Yet, it works effectively as a very personal biography of an author who deserved a better career but fell for the bigoted hypocrisy of a vague judiciary that allowed the translations of other books in similar vein to thrive in the Italina market, thereby exercising gross injustice. I enjoyed the book immensely.
by Prathap
What an interesting book! I’d never heard of Italian author Giuseppe Jorio (1902-1995) before, and I hazard a guess that not many other readers will have either. He had great success with his first novel, Death of a Man, in 1939 and looked set for a rewarding career. But his next novel, The Fire of the World, was considered obscene, and he was prosecuted and convicted, even spending time in prison, the only writer in post-war Italy to do so. In this well-written and well-researched account of his father’s life and work, his son Luciano Iorio explores exactly what happened, and why, and examines in detail the prosecution and trial and the devastating effect it had on his father’s life and career. Not only is the book fascinating from a personal and literary point of view, it also explores the politics of post-war Italy, and I really learned a great deal from it. Raising wider concerns about censorship and bigotry, the book is a thoughtful, intelligent and insightful exploration of this forgotten writer and the place and time he lived in.
A must read! Superbly written and well researched. It shows how long injustices in the "justice" system have been going on.
by January
Also by Luciano Iorio / Related Books
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by Reg Thompson
Post War Boy: Memoirs of a Baby Boomer
by Trevor Cherrett
by Yemi Elegunde
The Lewis and Jones Expedition
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Aitch: A Life in Colour
by Jill King
An Australian's Story
by Robert V. McIntosh
The Long Apprenticeship
by David Pierce
Making Pandemonium
by Nadeem Masood
A Life's Tales
by Joseph Hucknall
Monkeys in my Garden
by Valerie Pixley
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Bernie Sanders is FDR's unimaginative echo
George Will: Bernie Sanders is FDR's unimaginative echo
That the Democrats' two evenings of dueling oratory snippets this week are called "debates" validates Finley Peter Dunne's prediction that "when we Americans are through with the English language, it will look as if it had been run over by a musical comedy."
Already a linguistic casualty of the campaign is the noun "socialism." So, quickly, before Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign sinks, like darling Clementine, beneath the foaming brine, consider his struggle to convince Americans that socialism deserves to be the wave of their future.
One European explanation of America's puzzling (to many European intellectuals) resistance to socialism was given in 1906 by the German economist Werner Sombart: "All the socialist utopias came to nothing on roast beef and apple pie." Recently, however, Sanders delivered a Washington speech explaining, in effect, that socialism is as American as a piece of frozen apple pie with a slice of processed cheese.
Doing so, however, he demonstrated that socialism is a classification that no longer classifies.
Sanders' socialism turns out to be a tweaked New Deal. He began, of course, by saying that the nation is in "a defining and pivotal moment." Speechwriters actually get paid for such bromides; capitalist America remains a land of opportunity even for the untalented. What Sanders then offered as forward-looking socialism was a warmed-over version of what President Franklin Roosevelt advocated 75 years ago.
In his 1944 State of the Union address, FDR called for "rights" to "useful" jobs, "good" education, "adequate" food and clothing and recreation, a "decent" living for farmers, a "decent" home, "adequate" medical care, "adequate" protection in old age. Details, such as how to define the adjectives and how to pay for what the nouns denote, were for another day. Sanders' agenda for "completion" of FDR's New Deal is a right to a "decent" job, "quality" health care, "complete" education, "affordable" housing, a "clean" environment, a "secure" retirement. Details later.
Sanders says "what I mean by democratic socialism" is "economic rights are human rights." Really. That's it. FDR said "necessitous men are not free men," implying that government can and should remove necessity from the human story. Sanders, FDR's unimaginative echo, presumably agrees.
Sanders loathes billionaires and loves Sweden, which has more billionaires per capita than America has. Economist Deirdre McCloskey, writing in National Review, notes that "none of Sweden's manufacturing or extractive industries has even been socialized." And "when Saab Autos began its descent into bankruptcy," the government let it go, unlike the U.S government bailing out GM and Chrysler (for a second time) after 2008. McCloskey quotes a Swedish diplomat: "In many fields, we have more private ownership compared to other European countries, and to America.
About 80% of all new schools are privately run, as are the railroads and the subway system."
The morning after Sanders' speech, The New York Times reported something momentous: "Democratic socialism has become a major force in American political life." This is amazing, considering that it was never more than a negligible force when capitalism seemed to be in a perhaps terminal crisis: In 1932, three years into the Depression, with the unemployment rate at 23.6% and the GDP 25.7% smaller than in 1929, as this column previously noted, the Socialist Party's presidential candidate, Norman Thomas, received fewer votes (884,885) than its 1920 candidate Eugene Debs received (913,693) while he was imprisoned by President Woodrow Wilson's administration.
A young adult — a member of the demographic supposedly most sympathetic to socialism — who attended Sanders' exegesis of socialism told the Times: "In America we embrace a lot of socialist policies already, like public education and parks." This understanding of socialism as any government provision of public goods puts Horace Mann (1796-1859), an advocate of public education, and Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), designer of New York City's Central Park, in the socialist pantheon with their contemporaries Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Many young people who supposedly are making socialism a "major force" think it is sociability: everyone being nice to everyone.
Sen. Elizabeth ("I have a plan for that") Warren, D-Mass., who describes herself as a "capitalist to my bones," is a more authentic socialist than Sanders because she has more granular plans for government power (aka politics) to supplant market forces in the allocation of wealth and opportunity.
So she, even more than the other participants in this week's Democrats' presidential scrums, would as president give the nation a helpful, if inadvertent, tutorial about this axiom: If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com.
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OBS-Oxbridge Business School
Oxbridge Business School
By Nabendu Saha
Campus of Oxbridge Business School is spread over a 6.5-acre. Oxbridge Business School of Business Administration was ranked one amongst Top 10 Private B-School in India in a survey by Wall Street Journal, USA. The Institute offers a two year Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in following disciplines- Marketing management, financial management, Computer management, Production and Materials management, Human Resource management, International Business management, and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) course. It is a full time three years degree programme.
Oxbridge Business School has a rich infrastructure with all the latest facilities. The campus consists of a Central Library which has over 10,000 books, reports, and journals, periodicals, CDs and video cassettes. Separate in-campus hostels for boys and girls with all the necessary amenities, An Auditorium which is used to host national and international events. A Health Care Centre, which has an on-call doctor. The institute has a multi-cuisine Canteen and Mess which offer plenty of options in dining.
The campus also has a Recreational Centre, and a well-equipped Gymnasium to help students relax and rejuvenate. In Addition to these, throughout the length of the course many guest lectures are held at the campus to motivate and guide students for better career. The Institute also provides extensive training to students as part of its placement cell to sharpen interview and presentation skills of students and help students through placement process. Oxbridge Business School has collaborated with many multi-national companies for campus recruitment.
Campus News & Events
Know what’s going: Inside news by its students.
Know Events
Know the upcoming events and other happenings by college students.
Campus Gossip
Latest buzz & soft stories by the students.
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Jennifer Lopez to celebrate 50th birthday with U.S. tour
Jennifer Lopez (R), pictured with Alex Rodriguez, shared plans for her "It's My Party" summer tour. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Jennifer Lopez (L) and Alex Rodriguez attend the New York premiere of "Second Act" on December 12. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Jennifer Lopez performs during the Direct TV Now "Super Saturday Night" show on February 3, 2018. File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lopez will celebrate her 50th birthday by touring the U.S.
The singer and actress, who turns 50 years old July 24, shared plans for her It's My Party summer tour during Wednesday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
"My birthday's in July and so this summer I decided I wanted to do something big for my birthday, since it is a big birthday," Lopez told host Ellen DeGeneres. "I'm going on a U.S. tour! It's called It's My Party."
"We're going to celebrate! We're only doing I think 25, 28 shows," she added. "It'll be all throughout June and July."
Lopez also shared a story about how her boyfriend, former New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez, surprised her with a consultation with Fixer Upper alum Joanna Gaines for their two-year anniversary as a couple.
"I'm obsessed with Fixer Upper," the star said. "We actually got a little fixer upper next to the water ... I was like, 'Wouldn't it be amazing to have [Joanna] do it for us?' Because she doesn't do anything outside Waco."
"Come our anniversary ... He opens up FaceTime and it's Joanna Gaines," she recalled. "I'm looking at him and I was like, 'Oh, you listen to me. Like, I love you. Like you are so amazing.' It really blew me away."
Lopez and Rodriguez attended the Grammy Awards together Sunday. Lopez joined host Alicia Keys, former first lady Michelle Obama and other women onstage to discuss the power of music during the awards show.
Grammys: Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez talk the power of music 'Tolkien': Nicholas Hoult tells a story in first trailer Richard Gere is a dad again at age 69 Black Pink to embark on first North American tour
Cosplayers attend Supercon in Miami
Thomas Lennon creates, plans to star in 'Winos' sitcom
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Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme opens for application starting from 29 March
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Development Bureau for the launch of the Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme (LIMSS). The first round of application for the LIMSS will start this Friday (29 March 2019) and close on 31 July 2019. The Chief Executive announced in the 2018 Policy Address the launching of a $2.5-billion LIMSS to facilitate building owners to expedite lift modernisation with a view to enhancing the safety level of aged lifts and further safeguarding public safety. Making reference to the on-going “Operation Building Bright 2.0 Scheme” and “Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme”, the Government and the URA encourage building owners in need to expedite planning and launching of lift modernisation works through
Random assignment of priority numbers completed URA to vet applications for “Starter Homes” Pilot Project in late March
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Thursday) conducted a random assignment of priority numbers (random assignment) for its “Starter Homes” (SH) Pilot Project, named “eResidence”. All 20,878 applications were randomly assigned a priority number. The random assignment was jointly officiated by the Chairman of the Kowloon City District Council, Mr Pun Kwok-wah, and the Director (Property & Land) of URA, Mr Bruchi Nam Chi-kwong. A total of ten numbers were each drawn by Mr. Pun and Mr. Nam to form a ten-digit seed number which was input into a computer programme for randomly assignment of priority numbers to applicants. The entire process was witnessed by Mr Libra Fung of Lui & Mak Certified Public Accountants. The list of assigned priority numbers has been uploaded to the eReside
URA to conduct random assignment of priority numbers for “Starter Homes” Pilot Project on 14 March
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will conduct a random assignment of priority numbers (random assignment) tomorrow (Thursday) for a total of 20,878 applications for its “Starter Homes” (SH) Pilot Project, named “eResidence”. The list of assigned priority numbers will be uploaded to the eResidence’s website (www.eresidence.hk) later on the same day, where a search function is available to enable applicants to check their assigned priority number by entering their application number. Having considered the views of the Hong Kong Housing Society, the URA has developed a computer programme with rigorous formulae to randomly assign a priority number to each applicant on an equal and fair basis. The random assignment programme and the procedure have been audited by professional independent
Invitation to Tender for Development of URA’s Hang On Street Redevelopment Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) invites a total of 37 property developers to tender for the development of the Hang On Street Redevelopment Project (the Project) in Kwun Tong. The URA will provide the relevant tender documents to the invited property developers, based on which they can submit tenders for the development. All tender submissions should reach the URA Headquarters at 26/F COSCO Tower, 183 Queen’s Road Central, by 12:00 noon on 10 April 2019 (Wednesday). Any submission of the tender received after the specified closing time mentioned above will not be accepted. The tender review panel will consider the tenders received and then make recommendation to the URA Board for its decision on the award of the development of the Project. The Project, which cov
URA’s Wing Kwong Street/Sung On Street project: Authorisation by the Secretary for Development
The Secretary for Development (SDEV) has authorised the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to proceed with the Wing Kwong Street/Sung On Street Development Project in Kowloon City, which is published in the Gazette today (Friday). Commenced earlier on 22 June 2018, the project was implemented by way of a development project in accordance with the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance (URAO), and had received a written objection and comments during the following two-month publication period. The URA had deliberated on the objection and submitted the project to SDEV for consideration on 20 November 2018 in accordance with the URAO. SDEV has duly considered the URA’s submission, the unwithdrawn objection, URA’s deliberations on the objection as well as URA’s assessment on the likely effect of the
URA adopts planning-led approach in a redevelopment project to connect old and new districts
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) commences the statutory planning procedures of the Kai Tak Road/Sa Po Road Development Scheme (KC-015) in Kowloon City with an aim to renew the older part of the district by adopting a “planning-led” approach in redevelopment. Through restructuring and re-planning, the project will complement the Government’s Kai Tak Development and emerge as a connecting point between the old and new districts in Kowloon City and Kai Tak Development Area. In addition, the project will address the shortage of parking spaces in the vicinity of the project area by incorporating a public car park in the project to help alleviate the problem, thereby creating more planning benefits to the community. At a media briefing to announce the KC-015 project, Direct
38 Expressions of Interest received for URA’s Hang On Street Redevelopment Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) received a total of 38 Expressions of Interest for the development of the Hang On Street Redevelopment Project (the Project) in Kwun Tong when the invitation for submission of Expressions of Interest closed today (Monday). A tender review panel under the URA Board will shortlist the qualified developers from the submissions, taking into consideration their development experience and financial capability to undertake the development in accordance with the shortlisting criteria set by the tender review panel. The URA will soon invite the shortlisted developers to submit tenders for the development of the Project based on the principal tender terms approved by the URA Board. The Project, which covers a site area of 789.7 square metres, was commenced on
Invitation for Expressions of Interest for Development of URA’s Hang On Street Redevelopment Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will invite interested developers to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the development of the Hang On Street Redevelopment Project (the Project) in Kwun Tong tomorrow (Friday). The Project, which covers a site area of 789.7 square metres, was commenced on 7 November 2014 under the third round of the URA’s Demand-led Redevelopment Projects (Pilot Scheme). Upon completion, it will provide a maximum total gross floor area of about 6,660 square metres. The successful developer will be required to construct the new development in compliance with the standard and quality requirements, the environmentally sustainable provisions and smart provisions set out in the development agreement of the Project with the aim of creating a sustainable living envi
The URA’s Community Service Partnership Scheme joins hands with young people to care for families in old districts
Partnering with six tertiary institutions and social service organisations, the Community Service Partnership Scheme (CSPS) of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has completed a series of volunteer programmes in the 2018/19 academic year under the theme of environmental protection and sustainable development, benefitting the physical and mental well-being of some underprivileged families. A joint effort by the URA, tertiary students and district service organisations, CSPS is an ongoing volunteer programme dedicated to serve the needy residents in the old districts. In response to the residents’ needs, CSPS has extended its service to other districts and operated at a larger scale this year. Organised for the second time, this year’s “Upcycling Programme” covered not only the Central an
Positive response with over 20,800 applications received for URA’s “Starter Homes” Pilot Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has received more than 20,800 applications for its “Starter Homes” (SH) Pilot Project, named “eResidence” and comprising a total of 450 SH units, when the submission of application closed at 7pm on 23 January 2019. About 90% of the applications were submitted online. Since the commencement of applications for the SH project on 3 January 2019, more than 14,000 visitors viewed the show flat, while the enquiry service hotline centre received over 4,200 enquiries, among which 67% was about the eligibility criteria. 64% of the applications are single-person applicants and 36% are family applicants with majority having a household size of two. Applications from two-member families accounted for 23% of the total number of applications. Regarding the age
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Flu widespread in 36 states, CDC reports
Cold weather and a potentially less effective flu vaccine could be contributing to the early spike.
Flu widespread in 36 states, CDC reports Cold weather and a potentially less effective flu vaccine could be contributing to the early spike. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2CiKbj1
USA Today NetworkRachel Ohm, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel Published 12:15 p.m. ET Dec. 29, 2017 | Updated 5:19 p.m. ET Dec. 29, 2017
Flu changes each year, but the need for a vaccine doesn't. Wochit
A University of Tennessee senior nursing student, Jordan Gause, administers a free flu shot Sept.16, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn.(Photo: Andrew Capps, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel)
Outbreaks of influenza are getting an early start this year in part because of cold weather gripping much of the USA and low efficacy associated with this year's flu vaccine.
It's still too early to say whether this winter will be a bad season for the flu, but epidemiologists in 36 states already have reported widespread influenza activity to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in data released Friday. Twenty-one of those states show a high number of cases.
"It's just one of those years where the CDC is seeing that this strain of flu is only somewhat covered by the vaccine that was given this year," said Jennifer Radtke, manager for infection prevention at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. "They're seeing that it's anywhere from 10% to 33% effective, so any time there’s a mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating strain of the flu, you’re going to see more cases."
► Dec. 12: Does he have 'man flu'? One researcher claims it's for real
► Dec. 5: Flu season has arrived and it could be a bad one
► Nov. 22: Essentia fires about 50 workers for refusing to get flu shot
Peak flu activity in the U.S. usually occurs around February.
Vaccine effectiveness varies from year to year though recent studies show that a flu shot typically reduces the risk of illness by 40% to 60% among the overall population when the circulating virus is matched closely to the vaccine virus, according to the CDC.
“It's not uncommon to see (flu) this time of year. But we've had cold Decembers before and not had flu.”
Jennifer Radtke, University of Tennessee Medical Center
Because only a certain percentage of people with flu symptoms go to hospitals and get tested, it can be challenging to track the actual number of people affected, Radtke said. False negative results for flu tests are also common, so it’s likely the number of people with the flu is much higher.
From the start of the flu season, which begins in October and lasts until May, Arizona has reported a nearly ninefold increase in the number of cases compared with the same period last year, according to the state Department of Health Services.
"It's not uncommon to see (flu) this time of year," said Radtke in Knoxville. "But we've had cold Decembers before and not had flu."
Flu symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, cough and a sore throat. The illness typically passes within a few days but can be especially dangerous to the very young, the very old, pregnant women and those with respiratory problems.
Influenza can develop into pneumonia, an infection that causes the lungs' air sacs to become inflamed and fill with fluid.
Deaths already have occurred in some states this flu season. Among them:
• In Arizona, the state is reporting one death of a child in its latest tally; however, an otherwise healthy 20-year-old mother of two in Phoenix died Nov. 28, one day after being diagnosed, CBS News reported.
• In California, at least 10 people younger than 65 have died, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. An 11th death occurred Thursday. The state does not track flu-related deaths among those 65 and older.
• In Delaware, a 47-year-old man with underlying health problems and an 83-year-old woman have died, state health officials said.
• In North Carolina, 12 people, including a child, have died.
• In South Carolina, seven have died. All were age 65 or older.
Getting a flu shot now is still one way to combat the virus even though it can't promise total immunity, health officials say.
More insurers fully cover the cost, and pharmacists in all states now can administer the vaccinations, according to the American Pharmacists Association trade group.
"People are able to come in to the pharmacy — especially a 24-hour pharmacy like this one where you can come in at literally any time — and be in and out usually within 15 minutes," said Jason Lind, a Walgreens pharmacist in St. Cloud, Minn.
► Nov. 1: Getting the flu can wreak havoc on your finances
► Oct. 26: What Australia's bad flu season might mean for us
Also to keep the germs at bay, wash or sanitize your hands frequently, especially if you're touching shared surfaces such as shopping carts in public places; clean faucet and toilet handles frequently at home to reduce transmission of the virus within your family; cover your mouth when coughing; stay home when you're sick; stay away from sick people; and avoid touching your face.
It also pays to stay well rested and hydrated so if you do come in contact with a flu virus, your body is prepared to fight it off.
If you're already feeling ill, get to a doctor as quickly as possible.
► Oct. 24: U.S. vaccine panel to discuss waning effectiveness, new shots
► Oct. 17: 7 ways to meet the costs of cold and flu season
Antiviral prescription drugs such as Tamiflu can lessen the severity of influenza for people who have had flu symptoms for two days or fewer and prevent complications such as pneumonia. But they also can have side effects, so a flu shot while you're well should be your first choice.
“It can take up to two weeks to build full immunity to the flu after you are vaccinated," said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. "So I encourage everyone who has not yet had a flu shot to get one today before the holidays.”
Contributing: Megan Janetsky, The Arizona Republic; Joe Szydlowski, The Salinas Californian; Maddy Lauria, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal; Liv Osby, The Greenville (S.C.) News; Andrew Fraser, St. Cloud (Minn.) Times; The Associated Press. Follow Rachel Ohm on Twitter: @rachel_ohm
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2CiKbj1
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U.S. Energy Association Mourns Death of Former FERC Chairman Kevin McIntyre
USEA chief says McIntyre was kind, sharp and grounded
Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Energy Association mourns the death of Kevin McIntyre, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission who passed away Wednesday.
In a statement, USEA Executive Director Barry Worthington said:
"We are saddened by the loss of Former FERC Chairman Kevin McIntyre, and we send our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.
Kevin McIntyre became FERC Chairman in 2017, and he showed strong leadership from start to finish.
His sense was keen, his perspective grounded. And he knew how to communicate the realities of the complexities of the electric market.Our economy rests on our energy industry. Having sound regulation is critical. Kevin McIntyre understood this principle.
Though his tenure was relatively short, Kevin McIntyre made an impact. In his first few weeks as chairman, he was faced with the Energy Department’s grid resilience plan, which divided industry at FERC’s doorstep. But Chairman McIntyre, without favoritism or discrimination, simply said DOE didn’t need FERC and that the regulator could be kept out of the process until necessary.
During his tenure as chairman, Kevin McIntyre kicked off a review of FERC’s 1999 pipeline approval process in his quest to find the best way to transport a growing supply of natural gas to load centers. And understanding the new energy landscape of abundance, Chairman McIntyre began streamlining the review process to site and construct LNG import and export terminals.
Chairman McIntyre relinquished his position in October 2017, but he stayed on the commission until he passed away, leaving FERC with a legacy of commitment and a palpable absence."
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Ancient Rhetoric
By Habinek, Thomas
A new and original anthology that introduces the use of rhetoric in the classical world, from Aristotle to Cicero and beyond
Classical rhetoric is one of the earliest versions of what is today known as media studies. It was absolutely crucial to life in the ancient world, whether in the courtroom, the legislature, or on ceremonial occasions, and was described as either the art of persuasion or the art of speaking well. This anthology brings together all the most important ancient writings on rhetoric, including works by Cicero, Aristotle, Quintilian, and Philostratus. Ranging across such themes as memory, persuasion, delivery, and style, it provides a fascinating introduction to classical rhetoric and will be an invaluable sourcebook for students of the ancient world.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Thomas Habinek is Professor of Classics at University of Southern California. His most recent books include The World of Roman Song: From Ritualized Speech to Social Order and Ancient Rhetoric and Oratory. He is an editor of the journal Classical Antiquity and editor of the book series Classics and Contemporary Thought.
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Levin Report
Kushner Cos. Claims Jared Is a Victim of “Harassment”
Jared Kushner, Former Teflon Princeling, Suffers Worst Day Yet
Emily Jane Fox
Jared Kushner’s Most Unexpected Photo Ops
Russia Isn’t the Only Country with Its Hooks in Jared Kushner
A new report shows that a top Trump fund-raiser received millions from an adviser to the U.A.E.
Kushner photographed alongside Nikki Haley at the UN during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, February 20, 2018.By Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images.
Last week, we learned that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan were ostensibly fighting to claim credit for who had more influence over First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner. That news came on the heels of reports that at least four foreign governments had privately discussed how to take advantage of the presidential adviser’s treasure trove of financial entanglements and complete lack of political experience. And now, it’s emerged that Ivanka’s husband isn’t the only Trumpworld member the Middle East has so adroitly attempted to wrap around its finger. The Associated Press reports that Elliott Broidy, a top fund-raiser for Donald Trump, was wired $2.5 million last April by George Nader, an adviser to the United Arab Emirates who currently works for Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and who, incidentally, is serving as a cooperating witness for Robert Mueller. That money, according to reports, was intended to “bankroll an effort to persuade the U.S. to take a hard line against Qatar, a longtime American ally but now a bitter adversary of the U.A.E.” And it seems to have worked!
According to the A.P., just one month after Broidy received the wire transfer, he sponsored a conference highlighting Qatar’s alleged ties to Islamic extremism. At the event, Republican Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would be introducing legislation that would label Qatar as a terrorist-supporting state. Two months after Royce introduced the bill, Broidy reportedly contributed $5,400 to his campaign, the maximum allowed by law, and part of the near $600,000 Broidy has donated to G.O.P. members of Congress and Republican political committees since he began pushing legislation singling out Qatar.
Per a New York Times report published last week, the relationship between Nader and Broidy goes back more than a year, with “hundreds of pages of correspondence” including “e-mails, business proposals, and contracts” outlining Nader’s influence campaign over the Republican operative. In a statement, however, Broidy said he’s been going after militant groups for years, and that there’s absolutely nothing to see here. “I’ve both raised money for, and contributed my own money to, efforts by think tanks to bring the facts into the open, since Qatar is spreading millions of dollars around Washington to whitewash its image as a terror-sponsoring state,” he told the A.P. “I’ve also spoken to like-minded members of Congress, like Royce, about how to make sure Qatar’s lobbying money does not blind lawmakers to the facts about its record in supporting terrorist groups.” A spokesperson for Royce said that his boss had long been a critic of the “destabilizing role of extremist elements in Qatar.”
Currently, Mueller’s team is looking into a pair of meetings held around the time of Trump’s inauguration that were attended by both Nader and bin Zayed. One took place at Trump Tower in December 2016 and, shockingly, included young Kushner, as well as then chief strategist Steve Bannon. Another, held a month later, took place on the remote island of Seychelles and involved Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of a Kremlin-connected sovereign wealth fund. The special counsel’s line of inquiry suggests that he’s taking a long, hard look at the influence of foreign money in the Trump administration, and at whether bin Salman’s depiction of Kushner as “in his pocket” rings true—an allegation Kushner’s team has called “obviously false and ridiculous.”
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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY AND DVD COMBO PACKS FOR THE KINETIC ANIME ACTION THRILLER “K”
A Case of Mistaken Identity Embroils An Easygoing Teenager In A Deadly War Between Seven Infamous And Bloodthirsty Clans
San Francisco, CA, November 20, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, thrills fans as it announces the release of the psychological anime action thriller – K – as a special Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, as well as a standard DVD edition, on February 25th, 2014.
The acclaimed 13-episode series is rated TV-MAand will be offered as a special 4-Disc limited edition Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with an MSRP of $69.99 US/CAN. The set also includes a full-color 80 page premium art booklet containing individual episode synopses, character profiles, poster art, translated song lyrics, an exclusive KANAME☆ K cosplay photo gallery, and much more! The standard edition 2-disc DVD set will be offered at an MSRP $44.88 US/CAN.
K introduces viewers to Shiro, an easygoing teenager content with just being a student – until his seemingly perfect life is suddenly halted when a bloodthirsty clan, glowing red with fire, attempts to kill him in the streets. Unbeknownst to Shiro, he is suspected of murdering a member of their clan and will need a miracle to escape their vengeance. Miraculously, a young man named Kuroh Yatogami swings in and aids Shiro in his getaway, only to reveal afterward he's also after Shiro's life. Now a hunted man, Shiro will have to evade the clans of seven powerful kings and desperately try to prove his innocence – before it’s too late!
An extensive collection of bonus material makes this K release a must-see for anime fans. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will come packaged in a luxurious collectible specialty print chipboard box holding the art booklet and disc case. Limited Edition combo pack extra features include: VIZ Presents an Interview with KANAME☆, an insightful segment with one of Japan’s most popular professional cosplayers during his first-ever U.S. guest appearance to celebrate the debut of K at Anime Expo in Los Angeles in 2013; a KANAME☆ as Fushimi Photo Gallery; special K Day Events and convention highlights from Anime Expo including the VIZ Media K panel with cast, staff and special guests; exclusive English cast and crew interviews; the series’ original Japanese and English trailers; and clean opening and ending segments (with English translated and subtitled options), next episode previews and more.
K was developed by GoHands, the noted studio that also created the cyberpunk anime film series, Mardock Scramble, and the enigmatic writers’ collective, GoRA Project. VIZ Media premiered K in North America on its VIZAnime.com streaming service on the same day as the Japanese broadcast debut and the series continues to grow in popularity in rotation on the company’s Neon Alley 24/7 anime channel.
“Filled with gorgeous imagery, attractive characters and an engaging story from GoRa and GoHands, K became a viewer favorite during its simulcast premiere and subsequent runs on Neon Alley,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “With such a fantastic fan response, we're pleased to have K be our first Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo pack title. With such beautiful packaging and loads of extras, we hope fans will become as excited about this upcoming release as we are!"
For more information on K and other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit www.VIZAnime.com.
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Don Becker
Executive Vice President, Real Estate Development & Strategic Projects
Don Becker, Executive Vice President of Real Estate Development and Strategic Projects, began working with the Vikings organization in January, 2007 on the new stadium initiative, working side-by-side with the Vikings ownership and executive team on identifying the best location, best design and overseeing first-class quality construction to build U.S. Bank Stadium.
Serving as Project Executive for the stadium project, Don coordinated all design and construction activities for the new stadium, which went on to be awarded the International Stadium Project of the Year by Stadium Business in 2017.
Becker supported the key executives working on the project financing, sales and marketing initiatives, entitlements and sponsorships, branding and signage, transportation improvements, legal agreements and other stadium-related projects. Don worked hand-in-hand with Kevin Warren, Steve Poppen, Steve LaCroix and Lester Bagley as they managed these initiatives, and in partnering with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis on the stadium project. Becker also worked with the executive team and ownership on the initiative to bring the Super Bowl to U.S. Bank Stadium in 2018.
After completing U.S. Bank Stadium, Don worked with the Vikings executive team and the Wilf Family in securing the land and completing the design and construction of Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the practice facility and headquarters for the Minnesota Vikings. Don also worked on the design and construction of the mixed-use development at the 200 acre Viking Lakes campus, including a medical office building and Training Haus for Twin Cities Orthopedics, and the Viking Lakes Innovation Center . A 4-star upscale hotel is currently under construction on the campus, and 1,000 units of residential apartments are planned to start construction by the end of 2019. Don is also leading the development of the residential project at 240 Park Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.
Becker is also a principal and project executive for Garden Homes Development LLC based in Short Hills, NJ and Skylines Developers LLC in New York, NY. In his role with Garden Homes, he works with members of the Wilf Family and other team members in designing and constructing mixed-use development projects in Manhattan.
Don graduated from Pace University with a BBA in accounting and MBA in taxation and finance and has a JD degree from Rutgers Law School and an LLM degree from New York University School of Law. Becker and wife, Julie, reside in New Jersey and have 3 children, Anna, Caroline and Daniel.
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Dolores C. (Gerbus) Maylott
NORTH GRAFTON � Dolores C. (Gerbus) Maylott, 80, of Hollywood Drive, died Friday, May 17, 2013, in her home, with her son by her side. She was predeceased by her husband of 33 years, Edward F. Maylott who died in 1999; her sister, Jane Zakar; and her nephew, Paul Zakar. She is survived by her son, Paul A. Maylott of North Grafton; her nephew, David Zakar of Worcester; her niece, Janet Zakar of Worcester; and her grandniece, Cynthia Wnukowski of Worcester. She was born in Worcester, the daughter of the late Felix M. and Beatrice (Kuzborskiutie) Gerbus, and lived in Worcester before moving to North Grafton in 1967.
Mrs. Maylott retired from Mechanics National Bank in Worcester, where she worked for many years. Later, she worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Matthew Panagiotu in Worcester and volunteered at Hahnemann Hospital in Worcester. Mrs. Maylott was a member of St. John's Church in Worcester. She enjoyed arranging flowers, shopping, and going to the hairdresser. She was a devoted mother who loved caring for her home and family.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the visiting nurses from UMass Medical Center, especially Peggy Dymek, and K's Ambulance Service for their exceptional care of Dolores over the past several years. Thank you would also like to thank all of the doctors and their office staff who helped and supported Dolores over the years.
A funeral will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, from Paradis Funeral Home, 357 Main St., Oxford, followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. John's Church, 44 Temple St., Worcester. Burial will follow at Notre Dame Cemetery in Worcester. Calling hours are Tuesday, May 21, 2013, from 6-9 p.m. at the funeral home. www.paradisfuneralhome.com
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Nikki Haley's First Name Is Not Nicole and Other Fun Facts Now That She's Leaving the Trump Administration
Filed to: Her First name is Nikki but her name ain't NicoleFiled to: Her First name is Nikki but her name ain't Nicole
Her First name is Nikki but her name ain't Nicole
UN Ambassador
President Donald Trump announces that he has accepted the resignation of Nikki Haley as US Ambassador to the United Nations, in the Oval Office on October 9, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Trump said that Haley will leave her post by the end of the year.
Photo: Mark Wilson (Getty Images)
Nikki Haley was the White House Nicki Minaj.
I learned last Thursday that Nicki Minaj’s real first name is not Nicole. It’s actually Onika. Nikki Haley’s real first name also isn’t Nicole, either; it’s actually Nimrata.
On Tuesday, the president announced to widespread panic and utter shock to absolutely no one that Nimrata “Nikki” Haley, was abandoning her post as United States ambassador to the United Nations, which is second only to being an elementary school student council president, and right above vice-president of the safety patrol.
Seriously what does the U.N. ambassador do?
Aside from serving as the U.S. representative to the U.N., here are some other interesting facts about Haley:
Although most people assume she is white or biracial, Nimrata’s parents both emigrated from India.
Her father taught at Voorhees College, a Historically black college in South Carolina.
Haley grew up in Bamberg, SC, a town that is 57 percent black, according to Data USA.
When she was 5, Haley’s parents entered her in a beauty contest that crowned a black winner and a white winner. Since she was neither black or white, she was disqualified.
She once served on board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, a SC town that is 60 percent black.
Since taking the position as the international hall monitor, Nimrod Nimrata Haley has only made news for being an absolute ass. In May she defended Israel during violence in Gaza and walked out of Security Council meeting when Palestine began speaking. This was after she threatened members of the UN not to condemn Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem
“The United States is by far the single largest contributor to the United Nations,” she said before the vote, adding that “our participation in the U.N. produces great good for the world,” ABC News reports.
She also joined the fray during the Grammys, earlier this year, after several stars including Hillary Clinton, read lines from Michael Wolff’s book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. “Nickname is Nikki but my name ain’t Nicole” tweeted that the awards show spoiled “great music with trash.”
President Trump hailed Nikki as she sat next to him in the Oval Office noting that she was “fantastic person” who has “done an incredible job” and said he would gladly welcome her back into his administration down the line.
“She’s done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job together. We’ve solved a lot of problems and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems,” Trump said.
“She told me probably six months ago, ‘You know maybe at end of the year — at the end of the two year period — but by the end of the year I want to take a little time off, I want to take a break,’” he added, CNN reports.
He also noted that she attended all of those boring UN meetings (minus the one she walked out of) and looked stately and attentive, which is about 97 percent of the job.
Trump continued to praise her as “somebody that gets it” which is Trump-speak for someone who kisses his untanned ass.
“We’re all happy for you in one way, but we hate to lose — hopefully you’ll be coming back at some point but in a different capacity. You can have your pick,” Trump said as Haley smiled broadly.
Yes, since Haley was grossly under qualified for this position, with absolutely no international political experience. However, it must be noted that she appeared to be able to stay awake during meetings. If Betsy DeVos can run education, Haley can literally do anything.
Haley said “it has been an honor of a lifetime” serving as UN ambassador, CNN reports. She then added that it’s time for someone else to set in these boring ass meetings.
“There’s no personal reason,” she said, explaining her rationale for departing. “It’s very important for government officials to understand when it’s time to step aside.”
“I want to make sure this administration, this president, has the strongest person to fight,” she said.
She praised Trump’s foreign policy, saying “the US is respected.”
“Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do,” she said.
In a bizarre moment, Nikki, whose first name is not Nicole, praised senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
“Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands,” she said. What the fuck does that even mean? Also, what if Jared had a Rain-Man-like genius that we really didn’t understand.
Also, Haley is not looking to run for president so don’t even ask her. Because she surely is not seeking the White House in 2020. And since no one mentioned her running for the White House, literally no one asked her about her political aspirations, Nikki found it pertinent to mention that she is not—definitely isn’t—seeking the White House in 2020.
“No, I am not running for 2020,” Haley said.
“I can promise you what I’ll be doing is campaigning for this one,” Haley said.
Fuck all of this.
Senior Editor @ The Root, boxes outside my weight class, when they go low, you go lower.
Recent from Stephen A. Crockett Jr.
President Trump to the Fab Freshman of Congress: Go Back to Your Country
Here’s How Much Trump’s Golf Trips Have Cost Taxpayers
R. Kelly’s Girlfriends Kicked Out of Trump Tower Chicago
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Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were completely dysfunctional
Washington Post (ws.washingtonpost@postmedia.com)
Published: Apr 19 at 1:25 p.m.
Updated: Apr 19 at 1:55 p.m.
Members of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young are: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young.
Imagine a production of “Hamlet” with three Hamlets. Or four or two: No one is certain who will show up when, not even the actors themselves. Now move the action from a castle in Denmark to a recording studio in Los Angeles, and instead of fratricide and revenge, let king-size egos drive the drama, boosted by a mountain of cocaine and an ocean of alcohol. Give each Hamlet a dozen Ophelias, even a wife or two from time to time, and encourage swapping.
Now you have a sense of what it was like to witness the rise, fall, resurrection and multi-car pileup that was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the folk-rock supergroup that shaped and were shaped by 1960s and ’70s counterculture while propelling millions of music lovers to near-orgasmic levels of joy, and almost killing themselves (and each other) along the way. David Browne’s “Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock’s Greatest Supergroup” is for music lovers, but it should also be required reading for students of group dynamics. Bands implode all the time, but it’s rare for one to operate so dysfunctionally over five decades while also spawning so many imitators, influencing so many musicians and producing so much memorable music, including such hits as “Teach Your Children” and “Ohio.” Veteran journalist Browne is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and has written books on the Grateful Dead and the Beatles, among others. It’s clear that he is a huge fan of these guys, which means that he likes them a lot more than they liked each other.
The story begins on Feb. 14, 1968, at Hollywood’s legendary Whisky a Go Go, where the Hollies were playing. At the center of the so-called hippie riots two years earlier, the club often booked grittier acts like the Doors and Frank Zappa, yet here were five young men from Manchester, England, including guitarist and singer Graham Nash, pumping out such frothy tunes as “Bus Stop” and “Look Through Any Window.”
In the audience were Nancy Sinatra, Cass Elliott of the Mamas and Papas, and other pop music royalty, including David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Crosby had just been fired by the Byrds, and Stills wasn’t sure whether his band, Buffalo Springfield, even existed anymore. On the sidewalk after the show, the two musicians waxed eloquent on Nash’s performance and wondered aloud whether he might be the bridge to a new and better band. According to one account of the evening, Crosby said, “Maybe we can steal him.”
It wasn’t long before the three men were touring together and recording for Atlantic Records. But something was missing, which was why Atlantic co-founder and president Ahmet Ertegun suggested that they fill out their sound by bringing in Stills’ old Buffalo Springfield bandmate Neil Young. As with many of their momentous decisions, this one turned out to be both the best and the worst choice: Young’s prolific songwriting and distinctive countertenor gave the band an extra dimension, but his abundant ego added volatility to a group dynamic that was already strained.
Young was a veritable fountain of songs – he wrote “about three of ’em a day,” Crosby told one concert crowd. And whereas the others, notably Stills, often insisted on having things their way in the studio, Young was a master of persuasion using aw-shucks diplomacy. “Neil has this way of acting like a bumbling kid, awkward and talking in half sentences,” said producer Bill Halverson. “He fumbled his way into tricking them. It was masterful. He knew exactly what he was doing.” Perhaps because he was so successful in his solo career, though, Young never really seemed to belong to the group, sometimes even failing to show up when he was on the bill.
Then there were the drugs, which seemed as ubiquitous as oxygen. Browne describes a jam with the Grateful Dead during which someone put a stash of cocaine in drummer Mickey Hart’s tom-tom. When Hart brought his stick down, the flakes flew up and then fell like snow, with everyone sniffing them on the way down. Crosby came so close to losing his life while freebasing cocaine that the band hired a minder to keep him from overdoing it. This bodyguard had had the same job with John Belushi, who had died of an overdose a few months earlier. “Great reference,” Crosby said when the two men were introduced.
Stills provided Browne with a darkly comedic metaphor that best describes the interactions of the four musicians at the band’s peak. It was “a four-way street,” he recalled, “four horses pulling in different directions. Which is the method they used to use for executions.” Of course, that just led to more songs: “We externalized everything,” Crosby said, and that meant duking it out lyrically. As Browne writes, “one could compile an entire album of the barbed tunes they wrote about each other.”
One of the group’s employees estimates that they broke up eight times during his tenure alone, yet somehow they managed to keep getting back together. And even though Crosby underwent a liver transplant in 1994, all four are active today. Does this mean we’ll see them together onstage again? Nash stated in an interview not long ago that the band was offered $100 million to go on tour. But that’s not going to happen, he said, for one simple reason: “We don’t like each other.”
As Crosby told Browne, though, “It’s always been strange. It never wasn’t strange.” At this point, perhaps the strangest thing of all would be not for these four irascible geniuses to reunite, but for them to fail to.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
Singer R. Kelly faces bail hearing over sex trafficking allegations
AstraZeneca's Farxiga fails to get U.S. approval for Type-1 diabetes
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Patrick Vieira interview
Patrick Vieira: I’m ready for Arsenal, or any side in Europe
Steve Brenner, New York
April 26 2018, 12:00am, The Times
Vieira first joined Arsenal in 1996 and spent nine years at the club as a playerDavid Davies/PA Wire
Patrick Vieira is open to the opportunity of returning to Arsenal after the end of Arsène Wenger’s 22-year reign.
The Frenchman, who is managing New York City in MLS, admitted that it would be difficult to leave his role within the City Football Group, but he said he was ready to coach in Europe.
Vieira has enjoyed success with New York City FC in MLSMichael Stewart/Getty Images
Vieira has worked for CFG since 2013, first as a reserve team and academy coach in Manchester before moving to the United States. He sees his immediate future in New York but, with a three-year deal signed in November 2015 set to expire before the end of this year, Vieira would not dismiss the chance of going back to Arsenal, where he became an international star under Wenger.
Mikel Arteta, another…
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Gap year spent in the army
Sent to Trinity College Cambridge
Manchester Grammar School's a very, sort of, a traditional school – had clear objectives – and although the maths master himself was an Oxford man, he was regarded… the best students were sent to Trinity and the next best students were sent to St John's and there was a kind of clear pecking order. He more or less determined who would apply where and somebody wouldn't be sent to Oxford.
It was quite clear in the school's mind where you send your pupils to maximise their prospects of getting in and so on. So once I suppose I'd been at school for a while it was clear to the maths teacher that I was amongst the abler ones in the class, I was put in the group that were sent into Trinity. Decided for me. I wouldn't have known, you know, at that stage, which… what colleges were what, really. My father might have given a bit of advice, but he wasn't a Cambridge man. He'd heard about Trinity, I suppose, but it was the school that determined them, and the maths master knew his job and he sent his best pupils to Trinity and that was it.
Title: Sent to Trinity College Cambridge
Tags: Manchester Grammar School, Trinity College, Cambridge
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Government publishes Finance Bill 2019-20 draft legislation
The government has published draft legislation for Finance Bill 2019-20.
One of the primary objectives included in the draft legislation is to 'update tax policies for the digital age'. The legislation outlines that, from April 2020, large digital firms will be required to pay a new Digital Services Tax (DST). The DST will apply a 2% tax to the revenues of certain digital businesses.
Commenting on plans for the new DST, Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'The UK has always sought to lead in finding an international solution to taxing the digital economy. This targeted and proportionate DST is designed to keep our tax system in this area both fair and competitive, pending a longer-term international settlement.'
Additionally, the draft legislation also provides further details on the extension of off-payroll working rules to the private sector. The extension will take effect from April 2020, and will 'ensure that two people working side-by-side in a similar role for the same employer pay the same employment taxes'.
Provisions to combat tax abuse using company insolvencies are also included in the draft legislation. According to the government, the measure aims to 'tackle the small minority of taxpayers who artificially and unfairly seek to reduce their tax bill through the misuse of the insolvency of companies'.
Consultations on the draft legislation are set to close on 5 September 2019.
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Washington Nationals Analysis
Why did anyone ask about Bryce Harper not running out a double play? Optics, mostly.
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
By Chelsea Janes
Chelsea Janes
Reporter covering the 2020 presidential campaign
NEW YORK — The first thing Bryce Harper wanted to get straight — when approached at his locker before Saturday afternoon’s game against the Mets — was that Dave Martinez didn’t initiate the conversation about running out a double play ball Friday night, reporters did.
“Why?” he asked, curious as to why anyone would bring that point up to his manager at all. He was so surprised by the question that he asked for clarification about which play was being talked about. After he hit a fifth-inning groundball 108 mph to shortstop Amed Rosario, who picked it up for what became a no-doubt double play, Harper took a few steps toward first before he stopped running. The outcome of the play didn’t change because he did.
But Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez called out Harper for a lack of effort on the air. This underachieving team held a players-only meeting 10 days ago to remind themselves to, among other things, start scratching and clawing. Harper has not had the kind of season his résumé suggests he should, at least not in terms of all-around production. In fairness to Harper, he is tied for fourth in the majors in homers and has walked more than anyone in the National League. Still, whatever one makes of batting average, his has plummeted to a point worth noting — particularly with runners in scoring position. He entered Saturday hitting .220 in those situations. His career average is .268.
So why did anyone bring up that play? Optics, mostly. It looked like his frustration got the best of him and prevented him from meeting the traditional standards of baseball hustle for a team that needs to fight for every inch right now — or, at the absolute least, needs to look like it is fighting for every inch.
“Is it [frustration]?” Harper said, presented with a pared-down version of that analysis. “Or is it that I hit a ball 108 miles per hour and walked out of the box?”
[Bryce Harper loves Nats fans, Italian food — and his D.C.-themed All-Star Game cleats]
Harper gets nitpicked like few others in the game. Sean Doolittle once said he doesn’t think anyone can relate to the kind of scrutiny Harper faces. Ryan Madson said he was surprised at Harper when he came here, having heard the unflattering narrative that sometimes circulates around him. He said he now tries to tell anyone who asks about how respectful Harper has been to him, a veteran. Harper is not villainous, as many think he is, and is far quieter than most would expect. He jokes with teammates now and then. He praises his manager when asked about him. He is short when answering questions about himself — even the positive ones — but expounds upon answers about teammates.
But answers like the one he gave about not running — “… after I hit the ball 108 miles per hour?” — stir perceptions.
Harper ended the conversation shortly after that answer, simply saying, “I’m done.”
When those outside the baseball clubhouse discuss violations of unwritten baseball rules such as this, they risk making something out of nothing, of creating a problem where players do not see one.
No one in the Nationals clubhouse brought up the play, though no one besides Harper and his manager was asked. Generally speaking, players notice those things, even if they do not say them. But exactly how many people noticed (or cared, or even thought about) Harper’s play remains unclear.
Dave Martinez acknowledged Harper didn’t run the ball out like he would like him to, and he said he spoke to him Saturday but wouldn’t disclose the details of that conversation; it’s between him and Harper.
“Here’s a kid who’s all about winning. He wants to win. That’s all he cares about,” Martinez said. “Look, regardless of his average, he’s got 23 homers and 53 RBI. I believe he’s going to hit 40 and drive in 100. He plays hard. He really does. One little thing happens and it gets blown out of proportion.”
“I’m a big fan of Bryce. I love the kid because of what he brings every day,” Martinez added. “I never have to ask him. He always wants to play. I try to give him days off and nope, he says, ‘I’m playing,’ he wants to help us win. He’s a good kid. That’s all I can say. He’s a good kid.”
Martinez has not shied away from criticizing players when he felt it was warranted. He expressed his displeasure with Pedro Severino’s bat flip in a blowout last week and did not filter his feelings for reporters. He was blunt about Gio Gonzalez’s Jekyll-and-Hyde ways. He genuinely did not seem to think the Harper groundball was a big deal and admitted he had forgotten about it by the time reporters came to his office Saturday.
Harper has always been a different animal, one treated carefully by the organization that raised him. Mike Rizzo will defend Harper until the end and stormed to his defense when an unnamed executive called him a “losing player” in a recent report. Martinez always goes out of his way to defend him, too.
But this team is surrounded by questions about effort and underachievement, a team trying to spin itself forward as its public narrative spins sideways. The play didn’t change because Harper didn’t run. The Nationals are not .500 merely because Harper is struggling. The whole thing amounts to bad optics, whatever those are worth, and another unflattering chapter in a season that has seen more than this team would have hoped. Harper is back in the lineup Saturday. The whole thing is behind the Nationals — to the extent that it was ever in front of them — Martinez said. But the questions linger for Harper and the Nationals, who are still struggling to find the answers.
Read more on the Nationals:
Nationals fall below .500 again as Austin Voth scuffles in his major league debut
Max Scherzer wasn’t predestined for baseball greatness but has a hard-earned Hall of Fame case
Sean Doolittle has steadied himself, and the Nationals’ bullpen
His workload — and ERA — both up, Kelvin Herrera adjusts to life as a National
How D.C.’s All-Star Game logo came together: ‘It very much tells the story of the city’
Trea Turner makes the leap to become one of baseball’s best defensive shortstops
Chelsea Janes Chelsea Janes is covering the 2020 presidential campaign. She was The Washington Post's beat writer for the Washington Nationals from 2014 to 2018 and was a sports intern for The Post in 2013. Follow
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Couple filmed themselves raping babies as young as 8-months-old
Posted: Nov 4, 2018 / 09:44 AM EST / Updated: Nov 4, 2018 / 09:44 AM EST
A Texas couple is facing decades behind bars after admitting to child pornography charges, Newsweek.com reports.
Christopher Almaguer, 26, and his wife Sarah Rashelle Almaguer, 27, both of Killeen, each pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of production of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say the couple admitted to filming and uploading “sexually explicit videos of themselves sexually assaulting children as young as 8-months-old.” They were arrested in February of this year.
Investigators said 25 possible victims were identified who were minors ranging from ages 8-months-old to 14-years-old.
A judge is expected to sentence the Almaguers on January 29, 2019. They each face between 15 years to 30 years for each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
More National/World Stories
BISHOP, Calif. (AP) — The woman who went missing from a remote campground in California's White Mountains after she says she was confronted by a man with a knife spoke about being reunited with her family.
Sheryl Powell described the man as a burley, bald "big guy" with tanned skin during an appearance Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. The 60-year-old Powell says she was told to do what he said and he would refrain from using the knife on her and her dog.
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Home > Conference News > Biggest non-OPEC oil producers look to Abu Dhabi for new business
Biggest non-OPEC oil producers look to Abu Dhabi for new business
ABU DHABI -- Leading companies from the largest oil producing region outside OPEC, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), will be increasing their presence at this year’s Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), targeting the event as a hub for global deal-makers.
Two of Russia’s biggest oil and gas companies – Lukoil and Gazprom – have each confirmed substantial exhibition areas, with CEOs and other top-level decision makers leading their company delegations and taking part in strategic conference panels. They will be the biggest names among more than 30 Russian companies attending, many of them hosted at a Russian pavilion covering almost 600 m2 of exhibition floorspace – almost six times the size of last year’s 105-m2 pavilion.
They will be joined by resource owners from other CIS members, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, as well as by oilfield services companies from the region. Based in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, they will be using ADIPEC as a gateway to international expansion.
“Russia is among the top 10 countries of the world in terms of oil reserves, and this has supported the growth of a highly sophisticated petroleum industry, from exploration and production, through to oilfield technology and services, transit, refining, distribution, and sales,” said Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov. “Russian companies are now actively expanding their international operations, and ADIPEC offers them access to global partnerships, including for new resources, new markets, and new investment.”
Alongside the big oil and gas producers, other well-known industry names attending ADIPEC include SCADTech, Revalve (PKTBA in Russia), Intra, Transneft Diascan, OZNA, GazNefteMash, and PTPA. The Skolkovo innovation, science and technology cluster, based just outside Moscow will also be an exhibitor.
Stretching from the edge of Europe, into Central Asia, and across Siberia into the Russian Far East, oil and gas projects in the CIS area have already attracted substantial investment from multinationals. Alongside the Western oil majors and supermajors, the region features a strong presence from other parts of Asia. Companies working in the region include Petronas from Malaysia, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Korea National Oil Corporation, and ITOCHU and INPEX from Japan.
As the industry moves beyond resource extraction, local NOCs and private oil companies are using their assets to move deeper into midstream and downstream sectors, as well as expanding beyond their borders.
Russia’s three largest operators lead this transformation. Rosneft, Lukoil and Gazprom now hold exploration, production and processing operations across the CIS and beyond, from Latin America to the North Sea, and from Africa to India and Southeast Asia. They have made significant investments in the MENA region, including in Iraq, Egypt and Libya, and are negotiating for projects in other countries. Lukoil has expressed interest in Abu Dhabi’s offshore leases when these are extended from 2018.
“ADIPEC is an essential destination for global oil and gas companies, so it makes sense that the big companies from the CIS come here,” said Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, Al Yasat CEO and ADIPEC 2017 chairman.
“We are located at the heart of the world’s most important oil and gas suppliers, so the biggest international customers, service companies, and investors, all come to ADIPEC, and they all bring their most senior people. We have a very strong presence from Asian markets, from India to China. ADIPEC is an opportunity to reach all of these of these markets and find new partners around the globe. Most importantly, the people who network at ADIPEC are the decision makers and they are here to do business.”
For companies from the CIS, partnerships to be found in Abu Dhabi can help drive the next evolution of their global business. While mainly driven by economic factors, diplomatic and political concerns are also motivating Russian businesses to look away from the United States or European Union. Cooperation with Asian partners, and with China in particular, is the most immediate priority.
China’s ambitious ‘New Silk Road’ project will improve trade links through Central Asia, with massive investment in new East-West land transport corridors passing through China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, as well as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. The plan aims to revive the importance of historic overland links between East Asia and Europe, while also improving cross-border trade and investment between countries along the route.
For petroleum industries, new pipelines currently under construction between Russia and China are projected to add an extra 15 million tonnes of oil and 38 Bcm of natural gas into the Chinese market per year. They are being built by ADIPEC-sponsor, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). CNPC has oil and gas operations in all the main CIS producer nations, across the Middle East, and both North and Sub-Saharan Africa among its global operations, involved in production, oilfield services, and construction.
“Business and trade links across the region are extremely dynamic, and oil and gas businesses are highly interconnected,” said Christopher Hudson, President – Global Energy at dmg events. “When you look at recent deals, CNPC has signed a group of agreements with both Rosneft and Gazprom this year, covering upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. That’s why ADIPEC is so important. It provides a time and place each year where the giants of oil and gas come together, whether they are the established supermajors of the West or the emerging powers of the East.”
To be held under the theme ‘Forging Ties, Driving Growth’, ADIPEC 2017 is expected to host more than 10,000 delegates, 2,200 exhibiting companies, 900 speakers, and in excess 100,000 visitors from 135 countries.
ADIPEC will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from Nov. 13-16, 2017.
Decommissioning in Shetland expands with the arrival of more North Sea structures (7/15)
Hurricane Barry halts large portion of GOM oil output (7/15)
EU to cut flow of funds to Turkey as drilling spat heats up (7/14)
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The buses that went to war evoked in new novel by Chichester author
Phil Hewitt
A couple of years ago there was the play. But the novel came first and now the novel is in print.
Carol Godsmark is the author of All Change, a historical tale born of her fascination with the hundreds of red London buses which went to the western front during the First World War.
Carol, who lives in Chichester and is in charge of PR and marketing for the Chichester Cinema at New Park, said: “I saw an article in the London Evening Standard in 2013 about the money awarded by the lottery, I think, quite a considerable sum to restore one of the iconic red double-decker buses that went to war.
“I found it really fascinating, this untold story of World War One that nobody knew about. I asked people if they had ever heard of it, but no one seemed to know about these buses, more than a thousand that were taken from the streets of London from August 1914 onwards.
“Once they got to France, they were painted khaki, and they served several purposes in the war. One was for troop transport. One was for carrying POWs and also as an ambulance and some were also made into pigeon lofts. And they did make a difference to the war.”
She delved further into the story to see if it merited a novel and decided that it did: “I did a year’s research at the Imperial War Museum and also at the London Transport Museum and I also saw the bus which had been restored and it looked magnificent. But tiny! The soldiers would have had to go sideways up the steps to get to the top in their boots and with the ridiculous amount of equipment they had to carry.”
The novel which emerged is the tale of Ted, a middle-aged bus driver, tempted to go off on the promise that the war would be over by Christmas: “He signs up because he wants a big adventure in his life.”
But Carol also explores the home front, in chapters which alternate between the two: “I was talking to Greg Mosse, the MA tutor at West Dean, about the history that I had found out and he said ‘Let’s write a play together’, and it became Number 60 to the Somme which was presented in 2015 in Chichester and Bognor. But the play became a completely-different story and bears no resemblance to the novel apart from the historical details.
“By then I had written the first draft of the book and I was figuring out that what I didn’t want to do was to write purely from the war point of view. There are so many books out there already that cover that admirably. I also wanted to look at what happened to the women during the war, and the natural way to do that was to follow what happened to Ted’s wife and daughter, Norah and Ruby. Ruby is on the cusp of womanhood as the war breaks out. I wanted to look at how Norah, the older woman, adjusts to life without Ted and how Ruby adjusts to having more freedom in her life. I wanted to look at how their lives changed forever and then had to change back again.”
All Change –in both paperback and hardback – is available online and in store from Waterstones and also from Amazon. It is published by New Generation Publishing, with illustrations by Hugh Ribbans.
https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-and-comedy/chris-ramsey-promises-laughter-night-in-worthing-1-8653476
https://www.chichester.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-and-comedy/downton-abbey-star-would-love-to-play-home-city-chichester-stage-1-8654098
https://www.chichester.co.uk/whats-on/music/brighton-and-portsmouth-dates-for-genesis-legend-1-8654091
New Worthing theatre group tackles The Wonderful World of Dissocia
https://www.chichester.co.uk/whats-on/music/art-school-girlfriend-heads-for-southsea-festival-date-1-8653443
https://www.chichester.co.uk/whats-on/arts/half-term-and-halloween-fun-from-the-national-trust-in-sussex-1-8653396
https://www.chichester.co.uk/whats-on/music/monarchy-promise-the-majesty-of-queen-with-all-the-classic-hits-1-8653464
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Yesterday's Goliath, Today's David
Barnes & Noble's positioning itself as the plucky underdog to its giant competitor Amazon.com is a complete role reversal from the mid-1990s.
Robert Spector
'Goliath, meet David," reads the headline of Barnes & Noble's print ad for its latest version of the Nook e-book reader, which is pictured next to Amazon.com's Kindle.
B&N's positioning itself as the plucky underdog to its giant competitor in Seattle represents a complete role reversal from the mid-1990s, when Amazon (which launched in July 1995) was attracting media attention, a growing army of customers, and multimillions in venture capital.
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Economics & Policy
Brand Talk
Chazen Global Insights
Columbia Bizcast
Columbia Business
Ideas at Work
Lang: Upload
Private Equity's Philosopher
Robert F. Smith ’94, founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, finds value in the people and places that are most often ignored.
Benjamin Reeves
Robert F. Smith '94
Matthew Septimus
“Is there a fish there or not? If you see him, how do you get him to come up? Of course, the beautiful part is, once you catch him, you release him so you can do it again.”
When Robert F. Smith ’94, founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, is on the phone, which seems like almost every free minute of the day, he is constantly moving, pacing, and searching out the unexplored corners of the room like a bloodhound following a trail. Rather than the restlessness of a distractible person, this is a relentless search for newness, value, and meaning. By and large, Smith has found value in the people and places that are most often ignored.
The son of two teachers (both of whom held PhDs), Smith had the background to become an academic, and to this day his interests run wide and deep, and conversations with him often take a turn toward the philosophical.
When Smith started at Columbia Business School, after earning several patents as a chemical engineer, he never intended to go into finance (he had originally enrolled in Columbia’s joint JD/MBA program, but he fell out of love with the legal profession after a summer spent “with the lawyers at Philip Morris”). He didn’t think he liked finance, but after more than 100 conversations and interviews with people in the industry, he decided that the only business he really enjoyed was mergers and acquisitions. “With the exception of warfare, [M&A] is how assets are transferred on this planet,” Smith says.
Shortly after graduation and some prompting by John Utendahl ’82, now the vice chairman at Deutsche Bank Americas, Smith was working for Goldman Sachs. He chose Goldman, he says, for its teamwork-oriented, learning-based culture. Smith became Goldman’s first M&A banker in the newly emergent tech epicenter, Silicon Valley, and he oversaw mergers and acquisitions at tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, eBay, Hewlett Packard, and Yahoo! Inc.
“At that time, technology for us [Goldman Sachs] was the defense companies—Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin—a little company we took public called Microsoft, and another little company called IBM, right?” Smith explains. “We had a few folks out on the left coast who were competing, but mainly in the corporate finance business, the IPO business. We didn’t have anyone on the ground focused on technology as an M&A banker in San Francisco.”
For many, being one of the first investment bankers to wade into the steaming morass of Silicon Valley in the 1990s would have been the high point of a career, but Smith was just getting started. The tech bubble burst in 2000 as companies with sky-high valuations but poor execution went bankrupt. But for Smith, tech was still golden.
While working for Goldman in San Francisco, Smith advised companies like Apple, “where we kicked out the board and invited Steve Jobs to rejoin the company.” Apple, of course, went on to become the most valuable company in the world.
Rather than being lured in by the siren call of dot-coms, Smith saw an opportunity in enterprise software companies, and in 2000 he launched Vista Equity Partners. Smith created Vista with the goal of unlocking the nascent value of enterprise software companies by using a “Six Sigma,” or “systematic,” approach. “These software companies were truly value plays, from my perspective,” Smith explains. But only “if you actually knew how to change the operations of those businesses.”
Smith credits his Columbia education, in part, with the success of Vista’s model of buying and then investing heavily in often-overlooked enterprise software companies. “You think about Warren Buffett and Henry Kravis, and to a great extent, Columbia seems to mint a whole bunch of people who understand value investing and go about it in a different way,” he says.
Vista now manages over $14 billion in equity capital commitments with a portfolio of more than 30 companies, which employ over 30,000 people. Since its foundation, Vista has overseen more than 160 completed transactions, representing over $35.6 billion in transaction value. The company has had zero losses in buyouts and has consistently performed in the upper echelons of private equity firms worldwide.
Transformational Impact
Staying in tech wasn’t the only way that Smith followed his own path. Whereas the standard operating procedure for private equity firms is to purchase struggling companies and cut costs until they can return them to profitability — or load them up with cheap debt before shutting them down in the worst scenarios — Vista focuses on building highly profitable companies by investing in them. “We exclusively focus on enterprise software and are re-facing private equity from being transactional to being patient and transformational,” Smith says. “We also believe that we have built a model of private equity for scale and longevity based on our people, processes, and infrastructure.”
In practice, this means that Vista invests heavily in tried-and-true processes, and, most importantly, focuses on hiring top-notch, hungry talent. Smith looks at new portfolio companies and new talent in the same way: as value investments, a familiar concept for any graduate of Columbia Business School. Potential employees who may not have had access to the same opportunities as more conventional hires are good investments — they work hard, are exceedingly loyal, and are driven to perform above and beyond expectations. Likewise, Smith looks for enterprise software companies that have good fundamentals but are perhaps weak in their execution.
When Vista acquires a company, it immediately begins implementing a series of Vista Standard Operating Procedures — “VSOPs” in the firm’s lingo. “We have applied VSOPs again and again successfully in software companies, no matter what sector they are in — from energy to healthcare,” Smith says. “We capture what we have learned and transfer skills and know-how to our companies and, through a systemic approach, leverage our investment team, Vista Consulting Group, and our portfolio managers.”
Vista also imbues each company with a meritocratic approach to human resources, which may be Smith’s greatest achievement.
“I understood at an early age the importance of excelling and merit-based rewards,” Smith says. “I often remind my children of the three words that resonated with me in my early years, in college, at Goldman Sachs, and when I made the decision to go out on my own: you are enough.” Smith says this deceptively simple phrase has guided him “and countless others to reach our own, and in fact our collective, potential.”
In practice, Smith’s philosophy is an unusual amalgamation of laissez-faire survival of the fittest and a progressive desire to open up opportunities for the disadvantaged in the world. In essence it means that anyone, if their talents are correctly identified and they are given the right opportunities, can achieve what they want in life.
Vista Equity Partners forces its companies to incorporate this philosophy into their corporate practices. The company uses a finely tuned aptitude test—the origins of which date back decades to a questionnaire originally developed by IBM—to “assess technical and social skills and problem-solving abilities and determine fit within specific job functions at a software company,” Smith explains.
Vista only hires people who score well on the test but also takes into account their emotional intelligence quotient and leadership abilities. The aptitude test allows Vista to identify potential employees who have the capacity to be highly successful. This means that a stunning résumé or a degree from an Ivy League institution is less valuable in the hiring process than a high score on the test.
In one instance, Vista hired an ex-archaeologist based on her test score, and she went on to manage 50 people after only 18 months on the job. “We have taken a former roofer and converted him into one of our best software salesmen. We took a Domino’s Pizza manager, gave her a boot camp training experience, and now she leads the training for the whole company,” Smith says. In another case, a shelf stocker at Walmart blew the top off the test and was offered a job in Vista’s systems group. Vista gave him a salary 28 percent higher than what he originally asked for.
“He went back to Florida where he lived, packed up his wife and his cat, and drove,” Smith recalled. “Showed up on Monday. He lives across the street now from the headquarters organization. I’ll guarantee you 10 years from now he’ll still be working for us.”
In another instance, a mailroom employee at MicroEdge — a Vista portfolio company — took the test, scored highly, and was moved into a quality assurance role. Four years later, he is now reporting directly to the company’s chief technology officer. “He’s the second most senior person in our software development organization. Probably is going to be a rock star as a CTO in a Vista company some day,” Kristin Nimsger, CEO of MicroEdge, said during a recent Columbia Business School panel.
“We look for people with the drive to succeed, and then we promote them,” Smith says. The meritocratic nature of Vista’s hiring process is what makes the company successful and its platform scalable, according to Smith. “I want the smartest people on the planet. If you look at our Vista companies, they come in all shapes and forms. They come from different schools. The fact of the matter is, they didn’t get into Ivy League schools. Not all of them have that opportunity,” Smith explained during a recent panel at Columbia Business School.
If you train people “and you give them that opportunity to really transform their lives, they’re appreciative,” says Smith. “And it actually helps stabilize the communities in which they live, which is where your companies exist, and it cultivates that whole meritocracy element. Part of what we should do, if we are successful people, is provide opportunities for other people and our economy. This just comes from living in a community. And a community can be your family, your neighborhood, the city, the state, the country you live in. You do have an obligation, in my mind, to provide an opportunity for people to use whatever skills and talent that they have or even desire.”
Smith cultivates this meritocratic, team-based corporate culture at Vista and its portfolio companies, and as part of that he encourages all of his employees, managers, and business units to practice what he calls the “life-boat test.” This is as simple and efficient a test as the process of natural selection, and it is designed to help people identify strengths and weaknesses in their teams.
“Here’s how this works: our ship goes down. We’re all in a life boat, and we’ve got 11 people on it.” When Smith explains the lifeboat test, he pauses dramatically at this point. “Who’s the first one you throw overboard? Who’s the second? Who’s the third?” The lifeboat is meant to be analogous to the fact that for a company to survive and thrive, everyone must be trying to exceed the expectations of their peers.
Deep, Broad Focus
Smith has said that although leading Vista is his dream job, in another universe he could have been in public service. “I enjoy what I call the process of collaborative solutions and coming up with elegant solutions to complex problems,” he says.
In 2010, Smith founded Project Realize, which enables Vista to strengthen and “adopt” companies that are committed to serving their communities. Vista supplies an “executive on loan” to help implement some of its VSOPs within each adopted company. “Business should create real, sustainable value,” Smith says. “I believe that business is uniquely able to find solutions that deliver social good and profits at the same time — that is our mandate.”
In his own career, as one of the few African Americans at the top of the rarified world of private equity, he feels that at times he had to work harder to gain people’s respect. The challenges Smith has faced over the years may influence why he seems to be constantly wrestling with enormous philanthropic and civic urges. Smith sits on the board of Carnegie Hall, is the chairman of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and is a trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. He is a member of the Leadership Circle for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC.
Smith says that while it would be “wonderful” to believe that government and philanthropy will help “level the playing field in terms of educational opportunity,” a “person who is born in North Carolina, who doesn’t have access to a great school in a rural county . . . should have access to great opportunities if they are smart and they really want to work hard.” And nobody works harder than Smith.
But when he does take a break, Smith likes to fly fish. “Fly fishing gives you a chance to actually get out and commune with nature,” he says. “One of the things that people don’t do enough of is think — actually just think. We’re all so busy. Even now, you and I are on the phone, but of course, I’ve got e-mails coming in and Blackberries buzzing and iPhones ringing, and so we end up in this reactionary-type environment every day.”
Fly fishing helps Smith become “more mindful, more thoughtful,” he says. “It makes you slow down and actually focus. You have to focus on everything that you’re doing, seconds at a time.”
When he talks about fishing, you can almost hear Smith’s thoughts matching pace with the river. He references Norman Maclean, the author of A River Runs Through It, when trying to explain why he fly fishes. “I think it’s those times when clarity comes, when you have a chance to kind of calm your mind and calm your spirit so you can actually think deeply about the problems you’re facing and how to solve them.”
Smith encourages his executives at Vista to think in this way and recommends that they each take half a day every week “to stay home and just think,” although he warns that this does not mean staying home to do “your honey-do list or anything of that sort.” This kind of deliberate thinking helps create sustainable solutions to business problems, he says.
Yet Smith fishes for another reason as well — simply to become a part of nature. “You’re standing in the water, and you have the water flowing around you. If you think about it, all life on this planet comes from water, and now you’re kind of connected to that water. You’re standing in it. Your feet are on the ground. You feel it rushing around your legs, and over time, you just become fully connected and grounded and centered in that whole experience. “I find that to be quite euphoric,” Smith adds. “It takes you to a place and transports your mind and transports your body in such a way that things become a little better focused.”
Fast Forward: Russ Carson ’67
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| 0.434515
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Bodegas Muga Reserva (375ML half-bottle) 2002
Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain
W&S91
Try the 2014 Vintage 17 99
Quantity Select 1 Ships Today123456789101112131415161718
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo, and Graciano." Estate bottled. Unfiltered." The vineyards are planted on a mix of calcareous clay, and clay with iron soils. This is the only winery left in Spain that uses only oak throughout the entire vinification process, which is very traditional and artesanal. They have their own cooperage and import the oak directly from the United States and France.
Bodegas Muga is a family firm founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga and Aurora Caño. The first wines were made in an underground cellar, until in 1968 they decided to set up their own winery in a beautiful old 19th-century town-house situated in the city of Haro. The Bodegas Muga outstanding feature is that it always uses the finest materials, combining tradition with the latest advances in winemaking so as always to give its wines the very best quality without losing authenticity. Indeed, it is the only wine cellar in Spain which employs its own master cooper and coopers, who make all the vats for the cellar as well as the oak casks. The winery remains true to traditional winemaking methods such as racking the casks by gravity and fining the wine with fresh egg whites. Bodegas Muga has succeeded in combining the purest family tradition with an updated vision of the future which has allowed them to preserve their own personality and character.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.
EBW1324.4_2002 Item# 87289
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