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Piper Kerman Quotes
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Piper Eressea Kerman is an American writer who was indicted in 1998 on charges of felonious money-laundering activities and sentenced to 15 months' detention in a federal correctional facility, of which she eventually served 13. Her memoir of her prison experiences, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, was adapted into the critically acclaimed Netflix original comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.
Since leaving prison, Kerman has spoken widely about women in jail and about her own experiences there. She now works as a communication strategist for non-profit organizations.
“We were never friends. Not for a second. I loved you.”
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Is “deep medicine” the cure for our healthcare crisis?
In his new book on the subject, top doctor Eric Topol impressively captures the challenges—practical and ethical—surrounding the use of AI in healthcare.
Dr. Eric Topol [Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Klick Health]
By Amitha Kalaichandran M.D. 3 minute Read
To many doctors, Eric Topol is a machine. He’s a prolific researcher who publishes in high-impact journals like Nature and Science, leads the Scripps Research Institute, and is a well-respected cardiologist based in La Jolla, California. So, it’s particularly impressive (and quite ironic) that, through it all, Topol managed to write the definitive tome, Deep Medicine (Basic Books, 2019), on how robots–vis-a-vis artificial intelligence–are becoming incorporated into healthcare and what this means for the future of medicine.
Topol begins his book by making the case for AI through his own experience with a knee injury many years ago that left him with post-surgical complications. Had AI been available, he argues, the complication risks may have been elucidated earlier.
The following chapters take us on a journey through various scenarios—from a patient’s stroke that was misattributed to a heart defect to how physicians’ cognitive biases sometimes result in misdiagnoses–as well as summarizing the history of AI, which may have begun in 1936 with Alan Turing’s work. Topol even describes, in great detail, the journeys of various tech companies to develop wearables that include AI–the parallel attempts of AlivCor’s Kardia (wearable ECG) and the AppleWatch ECG for instance–as well as machine-learning algorithms intended to be incorporated in electronic health records. For a novice, either to medicine or computer science, Topol intricately details–through tables and charts–both the terminology used to describe AI in healthcare, and how it works.
It’s clear that Topol has done painstakingly extensive research, collating what’s likely every meaningful study on AI and healthcare, as well as each major global initiative, while incorporating insights from the most prominent tech and medicine influencers (of which Topol might count himself). Every time my inclination was to raise a counterpoint, on the next page Topol had beat me to it, bringing in research published even as recently as the end of 2018.
Arguably the most touching narrative was Topol’s description of his father-in-law, John, who succumbed to an unknown illness after a lengthy battle in the hospital. Topol wonders if AI may have helped both predict this illness, and the likelihood of recovery, making John’s last days a bit easier. In this regard, Topol lays out one of the controversial ethical dilemmas around AI in healthcare: its involvement in both predicting death and determining it. For example, as both Topol and a new paper argue, who might be blamed, given the medical industry’s predilection toward litigation, if the “robot” is incorrect in such a scenario?
While these questions are left for the reader to reflect upon, Topol makes a clear case for the role of AI in fields such as radiology and dermatology, where doctors in those specialties typically rely on pattern recognition and a methodical approach. Now even fields such as ophthalmology are benefiting from AI to detect eye disease such as diabetic retinopathy, which could have widespread implications for screening–particularly in under-resourced areas in the U.S. and globally. As well, in specialities such as cardiology or general internal medicine, AI may help physicians by functioning as a decision aid to both better personalize medicine and help doctors avoid cognitive errors in diagnostic decision-making.
Above all, Deep Medicine is timely and necessary. Over the last two weeks, Google launched, and subsequently canceled, plans to create an ethics committee dedicated to overseeing the ethics behind AI. And last Tuesday , the FDA posted a detailed plan about its intention to create regulations around the use of AI in health and medicine. In Canada, where I live, one of the biggest single investments in healthcare was recently made toward expanding research and development of AI.
In her 2017 book, Slow Medicine, another physician-writer, Victoria Sweet, described that medicine is desperately in need of returning back to a time when physicians spent more time with patients, focused on the whole picture, and experienced less burnout. In Deep Medicine, Topol makes the case for how, counterintuitively, AI may help provide doctors with this opportunity again, primarily through streamlining much of the repetitive work that occurs during patient visits while also personalizing care in a way that incorporates the risk and benefits for the individual patient using the best available evidence. Perhaps most crucially, Topol also convincingly makes the case AI should not, and at this time cannot, replace doctors; whether this is enough to soothe physician fears (and prod big tech to agree) remains to be seen.
Amitha Kalaichandran, M.H.S., M.D., is a resident physician based in Ottawa, Canada. Follow her on Twitter at @DrAmithaMD.
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About to make the biggest purchase of your life so far? Follow these 10 tips to be a savvy first-time homebuyer.
Marcie Geffner
(HSH)
Jul 20, 2014 at 12:30PM
First-time homebuyers are crucial to healthy housing markets because they enable existing homeowners to sell their current home and purchase another one. That means if you're thinking about buying a home, you're important -- someone who owns a home can't sell it without you.
With that in mind, here are 10 tips to help you achieve your goal of homeownership:
No. 1: Get prequalified. Sellers typically won't accept your offer unless it's all cash or you have a lender's letter saying you can get the financing you need to close the deal. Consequently, being prequalified for a loan is crucial, says Matt Phipps, a Realtor at Phipps Real Estate in Warwick, Rhode Island.
"You don't want to lose the house of your dreams because you weren't prequalified for the mortgage," Phipps says.
No. 2: Target your territory. Every town has pros and cons, but casting too wide a net can make you crazy, Phipps says. Decide where you want to live and focus on that area.
"Do some drive-bys and make sure you like the setting of the house before seeing the property," he suggests.
No. 3: Prioritize your preferences. Make a list of what's important to you and your family, whether it is location, condition, price or certain amenities, and be prepared to make sacrifices.
"You're not going to find the absolutely most perfect house," Phipps say. "If you get eight of 10 things you've prioritized, you've done very well."
No. 4: Know your budget. Rather than guessing how much you can borrow or how much your closing costs will be, discuss specific numbers with a reputable lender or broker.
"Meet with the lender and get an idea of exactly how much you're preapproved for," Phipps advises. "You want to have that conversation so you know where you stand."
No. 5: Be realistic. Shopping for a house that's more costly than your budget is likely to mean disappointment since most sellers receive multiple offers equal to or higher than their asking price, says Ken Pozek, a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty in Northville, Michigan. If you're preapproved for, say, $270,000, don't ask to see homes priced higher than that.
No. 6: Act fast. Homes are selling quickly in many areas due to limited inventory. That means you should check out any newly for-sale properties that interest you as soon as possible. If a house is listed Monday, don't wait until Saturday to see it, Pozek says. It could be sold by then.
No. 7: Don't play price games. Some first-time homebuyers try to sweeten their offer with a higher price, then recoup the money in seller-paid closing costs, repair credits or other concessions. Pozek says that's not smart because if the appraisal doesn't support that higher price, you won't be able to get your financing.
"It's hard to say, 'We'll give them more than asking, then ask for concessions,'" he explains.
No. 8: Pay closing costs. Asking the seller to pay your closing costs will weaken your offer and lessen your chances of success, says Jan Baron, a Realtor at Realty One Group in Temecula, California.
"All the sellers care about is their net. If you ask for 3 percent closing, that's 3 percent out of the seller's pocket," she says.
No. 9: Accept defects. The same logic applies to asking the seller to pay for repairs, unless you're applying for an FHAloan or VA loan.
"If it's an FHA or VA loan, you pretty much don't have a choice about asking for repairs if something is a safety concern, or if there are missing appliances, they have to have those replaced," says Baron. "But don't ask for the moon."
No. 10: Get educated. Being well-informed about the local housing market can give you an advantage over experienced buyers who are out of touch with the trends.
"First-time buyers are very savvy and sophisticated about what's going on," Baron says, "whereas someone who has been around a long time -- they think they know it all."
First-timers normally account for about 40 percent of home purchases, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), but only accounted for 38 percent in 2013. If you're wondering how you compare to other first-time homebuyers, here are some statistics from the NAR's 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:
Median age: 31
Median income: $64,400
Typical house size: 1,900 square feet
95 percent of first-time buyers financed their home purchase
The bottom line is that purchasing a house today is "challenging," to use Pozek's word, for first-timers. But don't be discouraged. Follow these tips and you'll have a greater chance of securing the home you want.
This article 10 Tips for First-time Homebuyers originally appeared on HSH.
You may also enjoy these financial articles:
Can I do a cash-out refinance with a low credit score?
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HSH.com has been a trusted source of mortgage data, trends, news and analysis since 1979. HSH’s market research, tools and commentary help homeowners, buyers and sellers make smart financial decisions.
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A Practical Guide To The Encryption Debate: A Failure Of Analysis Not Encryption
Kalev Leetaru Contributor
I write about the broad intersection of data and society.
A 1935 Enigma machine, used by Germans to encrypt messages during World War II, on display at the Computer History Museum (Tony Avelar/Bloomberg News)
Lost in all of the heated rhetoric and sensationalized headlines about the future of encryption over the past year is the pragmatic reality of what options are realistically possible and what might be their unintended impacts. Drawing from conversations with experts in government and the private sector, here’s a practical guide and primer to the realities of balancing law enforcement access with privacy and security in a globalized and encrypted world.
The encryption debate is far from new, having a complex public-private lineage stretching back nearly half a century as a tool initially created for military security that eventually evolved into one for public privacy, creating along the way stark tensions between governmental desire to surveil the world and commercial and citizen desire to privacy and protection.
Almost from its public debut, the notion of ordinary citizens having access to encryption technologies that could shield their communications from government access prompted considerable pushback from the intelligence community. The NSA’s reaction to the publication of the Diffee-Hellman algorithm was “apoplectic,” while just a few years later the British government allegedly pressured the A5/1 mobile encryption standard to use a weaker key to enable it to more easily eavesdrop on European citizens.
In the United States, encryption technology was originally classified as a “munition” under US law, requiring an export license and US government approval to distribute beyond American borders. Among earlier private sector adopters were the banking industry to secure wire transfers and other digital financial transactions. The relative paucity of consumer computing devices meant that export controls largely applied to the commercial industry rather than ordinary citizens. However, the rise of the personal computer in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and the rapidly growing internet spawned what became popularity known as the “crypto wars” in which governmental restrictions on access to encryption confronted the explosive globalization of consumer access.
The creation of the PGP encryption software and its subsequent global distribution via the nascent internet essentially took the genie out of the bottle, rapidly distributing strong secure encryption technology globally and making it impossible for the US Government to prevent access to foreign citizens. Continued attempts to rein in encryption access, through legal action against PGP, creation of the Clipper chip and key escrow technology, and active interference in the use of strong encryption in consumer products like web browsers eventually gave way to muted acceptance by the mid-1990’s, including Executive Order 13026.
At the same time, American law enforcement warned of dire consequences if encryption was allowed to continue unfettered, with FBI Director Louis Freeh warning encryption “will devastate our ability to fight crime and prevent terrorism … allow[ing] drug lords, spies, terrorists and even violent gangs to communicate about their crimes and their conspiracies with impunity.” Freeh repeated these warnings two years later, arguing against “the adoption of an encryption policy based solely on market forces” and requesting a “balanced encryption policy--one that meets the commercial needs of industry as well as the needs of the public for effective law enforcement.”
The September 11th attacks once again renewed the debate over civilian access to encryption, with intelligence agencies demanding backdoor access to encrypted communications. With the Edward Snowden disclosures, public sentiment led to rapid adoption of encryption by major websites and device manufacturers. The possibility that the recent Paris attacks were facilitated through encrypted communications have once again led to calls of weakening encryption to permit government spying.
The US Government has been far from alone in demanding access to encrypted communications. Earlier this summer the government of China sent a number of American technology companies a letter demanding that they make their products “secure and controllable” which was interpreted by many in the industry as potentially requiring offering the government a backdoor to access encrypted communications. Leveraging its ability to control access to a highly lucrative consumer base, China recently convinced IBM to allow it to review the source code to key IBM products.
India too has wielded its economic muscle to gain the upper hand in the encryption wars. By threatening to block Blackberry from doing business in India, the Indian government was able to force Blackberry to provide basic metadata interception to the government and in the past has claimed legal authority to force companies to decrypt Blackberry messages using their private keys. In September it even proposed a new law requiring users of encryption to store cleartext versions of their communications to provide upon request to law enforcement, though the proposal was ultimately withdrawn in the face of public outrage.
Yet, what are the realistic options that are actually available to the US Government to ban or weaken encryption and what might their inadvertent ramifications be?
Perhaps the greatest obstacle and Achilles' heel of the encryption debate is that the internet has become far more globalized since the crypto wars of the 1990’s. Encryption software is now widely accessible across the world, with a vibrant open source software community and legions of developers in other countries. This critically limits the potential impact of US legislation in that any potential laws that Congress could pass would affect only American use of encryption technology. Indeed, one of the encryption tools widely used by ISIS is a Russian-made package called Telegram, which would be unaffected by US restrictions, along with many of the other tools allegedly preferred by ISIS.
Assume for the moment that the US Government passed a law entirely outlawing the use of encryption within the United States. As a US law it would affect only the United States and its citizens, having no impact or reach to the rest of the world. Companies headquartered in the US like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple and others could be banned from using encryption, but their competitors abroad would face no such encumbrances. In fact, foreign competitors would likely tout their ability to offer secure communications as a key selling point.
Such an outright ban would likely have only minimal effect on terrorist communications, as many of the tools allegedly used by the major terror organizations are either based outside the US or based on widely available open source distributions. Al-Qaeda is known to have produced its own homebrew encryption package, while ISIS guides recommend against using Gmail, Facebook, and iOS and Android mobile platforms as-is. In short, banning encryption in the United States would have little impact on the communications of terrorists abroad, as they would simply shift over to platforms that support encryption.
Blocking encrypted communications at the ISP and mobile network level would be the only way to effectively enforce a ban on encrypted communications within the US, preventing unobservable communications into the country. Yet, in countries today that enforce constant surveillance of their citizens, people turn to coded communications to discuss banned topics. If encryption was entirely blocked, it is likely that criminal actors and terrorists would simply adopt coded communications that could be communicated innocuously over open channels. For example, discussions of violence and mass casualty events are just a part of the normal dialog of many collaborative gaming environments, making it impossible to distinguish between two teenagers playing a first person shooter game together and two terrorists coordinating the final details of an attack.
Permitting encryption, but requiring a government-accessible backdoor is also highly problematic. Any requirement that companies provide access to the US Government to surveil individuals abroad will almost certainly be met with the same demands by foreign governments. Indeed, this past March China noted that its demands for backdoor access to communications for counterterrorism surveillance were identical to those of the US Government. Past attempts such as the Clipper chip have revealed critical weaknesses in such key escrow approaches, while the rise of civilian access to cryptographic cracking capabilities formerly accessible only to governments means any attempt to weaken encryption is likely to lead to critical vulnerabilities of civilian infrastructure.
Perhaps most crucially, however, is that even if one could somehow entirely eliminate encryption worldwide, it would likely have little true impact on counter-terrorism. The greatest limitation of modern intelligence is not collection, but rather the inability to analyze all of the material that is already collected. For example, as with many previous attacks, emerging details of the Paris attacks suggest European intelligence agencies had collected many of the key indicators of the attack, but had simply failed to put them together.
Rather than encryption being the primary barrier to more effective counterterrorism response, it is the failure to analyze what is already being collected. Linguistic and cultural challenges pose perhaps the greatest challenges, especially in counterterrorism investigations. As one NSA analyst assigned to monitor Lashkar-e-Taiba noted, in spite of having access to a wide array of intercepted communications of key members of the terrorist organization, “most of it is in Arabic or Farsi, so I can’t make much of it.”
In short, even when encryption is not a barrier and communications are readily accessible, the lack of skilled linguists, unfamiliarity with cultural narratives, and emphasis on collection rather than analysis means little can be done with the intercepted material.
Putting this all together, the simple answer is that the genie is out of the bottle when it comes to the encryption debate. There is little US legislators can do to rein in global use of encryption that would affect terrorist use of the technology rather than American citizen use, since the platforms preferred by organizations like ISIS are often beyond the reach of US law. Attempts to create backdoors into American platforms have already been met with identical demands from foreign nations like China and India, who have already leveraged their enormous economic influence to extract considerable concessions from US companies. It is also unclear to what degree terrorists are even using American-based communications platforms that could be unlocked with new legislation.
Yet, even in a world without encryption, history has shown that the lack of focus on how to analyze all of the material being collected has often rendered it largely ineffective. In short, getting rid of encryption by passing a law is not a silver bullet that will magically prevent terrorism around the world – such a law would have little impact on terrorist communications that already fluidly react to US countermeasures, and the resulting deluge of data wouldn’t result in just more signal, it would result in an avalanche of noise that would drown out any potential new insights.
Kalev Leetaru
Based in Washington, DC, I founded my first internet startup the year after the Mosaic web browser debuted, while still in eighth grade, and have spent the last 20 years...
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South Africa Land Seizures Begin, Economic Decline Accelerates
Lorenzo Montanari Contributor
This post was co-authored with Philip Thompson, Property Rights Alliance’s Policy Analyst for Intellectual Property and International Trade
South Africa is suddenly facing a roadblock after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study the “land and farm seizures and expropriations and large scale killing of farmers.” The attention by the U.S. president might be unexpected, but the economic, moral, and political consequences now confronting South Africa’s leaders are not.
The Trump reaction is a direct consequence of the recent declaration from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to move forward on land reform by expropriation without compensation. “It has become patently clear that our people want the constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation, as demonstrated in public hearings”. In contrast, on July 22nd, even Cuban lawmakers unanimously passed 224 articles that reformed their socialist Constitution into a more pro-market framework where property rights are now better recognized and protected.
The defense of private property rights is fundamental to protecting personal liberties in any market-based economy as pointed out in Article 17 from the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa looks on during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The summit of emerging national economies runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The reason for President Trump’s interest in the matter is that in terms of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Trade Act (AGOA) , sub-Saharan African countries to be eligible for its benefits ,must be making continual progress towards establishing a market-based economy that protects private property rights, incorporates an open rules-based trading system, and minimizes government interference in the economy through measures such as price controls, subsidies, and government ownership of economic assets.
Immediately, the South African Rand dropped 1.9% and U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and possibly the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, are considering removing South Africa from the AGOA. Meanwhile, South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has been forced by corruption protests to return early from his London trip where he was seeking foreign investment.
Earlier this month, it was announced that South Africa plunged more than any other country in protecting property rights according to a recent report on Property Rights. South Africa dropped .652 points, more than double Ethiopia’s drop, the next biggest loser.
In addition, South Africa’s own Land and Agricultural Development Bank warned that a standard clause attached to its loans amounting to $2.8 billion requires it to repay everything immediately if the government begins expropriations without compensation—which would force it to default. An April report by the World Bank advised that weakening property rights and institutions were behind an increase in capital flight, social fragility, and pervasive corruption.
Ramaphosa campaigned on land reform, and in one of his first acts as president he initiated the process of having the Parliament amend the constitution to more clearly allow expropriation without compensation. In July, Ramaphosa announced an amendment was not needed, but it would be pursued anyway. In any case, it seems the land reform program has already begun as two game farms were given notices of an audit after the owners refused offers one tenth of their value. All expected economic consequences are coming true very quickly. Ramaphosa paints the issue as one of race-equity and creating equality of opportunity. He told the Financial Times “What [we] now want to do is to unlock the utilisation of our land by spreading it among our people — so that the land can be properly and usefully utilised for the majority of our people.” Except the facts tell a different story.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Seizing white owned farm land and redistributing it to Black farmers does not equate to equality of opportunity or ensure that it will be “properly and usefully utilized”. It is a government power grab that ensures the poor will become poorer as opportunities diminish.
His words mirror the late Hugo Chavez and current Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, who claimed expropriation of land from the rich and redistribution to the poor would yield greater prosperity and well-being. It has resulted in inflation above 40,000 percent, 87 percent of people living below the poverty land, massive food shortages, all despite that the country sits on top of the world’s largest oil reserves. Venezuelan economist Sary Levy-Cariente warns “since 2004 weakened property rights advanced a series of rural and urban land confiscations… and now is suffering from an extreme case of scarcity and hyperinflation.”
Black South Africans already have access to land restitution. The Restitution of Land Rights Act entitles all people and communities who had land forcibly taken from them to have it returned or to be given compensation. According to the World Bank, by 2016 more than 80 percent of claims were finalized, and 90 percent of the time claimants chose compensation. Simply, the government has missed its target to redistribute 30 percent of arable to land to black South Africans – because black South Africans don’t want it.
Public opinion in South Africa also disagree with pitting land reform as a central issue. The most recent Afrobarometer poll found only 1 percent (rounded up) agreed that land was one of the three “most important problems facing this country that the government should address.” By far, rural and urban dwellers, both men and women, agreed the most important problem was unemployment.
Mr. Ramaphosa refers to the same World Bank study mentioned earlier as evidence that his Soviet style land reform is necessary to heal social inequities. Yet, past the executive summary it states, “redistribution at present is not especially relevant to reducing poverty” and that “many redistributed farms fail, resulting in job losses and unproductive land.” It does say, however, that securing land tenure “is critical to strengthening property rights and fostering investment in the former homelands which are dominated by communal land.”
Land tenure, or the ability to prove ownership and utilize property rights, is the type of “land reform” South Africa needs. Here too there has been progress. The Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act of 1991, another apartheid era ending piece of legislation, transferred the ownership of municipality owned rental houses to their occupants at zero cost. Yet, the government made little effort to explain to the property owners their new rights or how to receive proper documentation.
There has been little change in the number of secure tenured households, which hovers at 53 percent. Without secure tenure properties are difficult to value in the marketplace, they can’t be used as collateral for loans, and ultimately serve as an invisible barrier to economic progress – these properties have dubbed “dead capital” by economist Hernando De Soto.
The Free Market Foundation, a South African think tank, estimates that if blacks across the country did receive the full legal ownership of their property at least $16.7 billion USD would be directly injected into the economy as nearly 5 million plots of “dead capital” would suddenly join the formal economy. That’s just the immediate economic result of stronger property rights. Mr. Ramaphosa would be delighted to know that there is no stronger correlation with property rights than the perception of corruption (a coefficient of .93). He has just initiated a corruption probe to investigate fraud and graft during of the former president, Jacob Zuma’s, government. Zuma himself has already been charged with 700 counts of corruption, money laundering, fraud and racketeering.
The next strongest correlation with robust property right protections is entrepreneurship- which attracts the type of big dollar, knowledge-intensive capital Mr. Ramaphosa was seeking during his last trip to London.
The South African government quickly responded to Trump’s tweet. They said he was misinformed, and that the program to seize land from whites and give to blacks would be done in a “careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation.” Perhaps it is possible and South Africa can succeed where Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, and other have failed.
Lorenzo Montanari
I am Director of International Programs and Affairs for Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington D.C. based advocacy and policy research group working for lower taxes and ...
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Weekend Box Office: 'Star Wars' Dips Under $1M, 'Deadpool' Tops 'Spider-Man 3, 'Zootopia' Near $600M
Scott Mendelson Senior Contributor
I cover the film industry.
'Zootopia' image courtesy of Walt Disney
In the holdover weekend news, Walt Disney’s Zootopia topped the box office for the third weekend in a row. The acclaimed/crowd-pleasing animated feature earned another $38 million, a drop of just 26% from last weekend. By the way, that is the second-biggest third weekend in history for a film that did not open at over $100m. It sits behind the $68m third weekend of Avatar and ahead of the $35m weekend three of Skyfall.
The film crossed the $200m mark domestically today, ending day 17 with $201m-and-counting. It has outearned Tangled in America and now sits behind Big Hero 6 ($222m) and Frozen ($400m) among remotely recent Walt Disney toons. At this point, it's leggier and stronger than Finding Nemo was at the end of its third weekend. Said Pixar classic had $191 million at the end of day 17 for what would be an eventual $339m run in the summer of 2003. I may eat my words, but this still feels like a $300 million+ grosser.
Ironically, the biggest obstacle in its path may be Disney having to concentrate on The Jungle Book on April 15th. Of course, if Zootopia is still going strong a month from now, that's a pretty great problem to have for any studio. The picture sits just below the $591.79m worldwide total for Tangled and next up is the $657m total of Big Hero 6. If it (and presumably Batman v Superman) does get to $300 million domestic, we will enter summer 2016 with a stunning three $300m+ domestic smash hits.
Regarding worldwide, it will end the weekend with $591.7 million global. I don't want to the hyperbolic pundit who screams "It's gonna top $1 billion!" but it is no longer outside the realm of plausibility with these obscene holds and absurd overseas numbers. It made $103m worldwide this weekend and Japan is still to come on April 23rd. It has already earned $173m in China alone.
10 Cloverfield Lane only dropping 50% on its second weekend is pretty darn good. The claustrophobic Mary Elizabeth Winstead/John Goodman thriller earned $12.5 million for the frame to bring its total to $45.18m. This Paramount/Viacom Inc. thriller is still playing just slightly leggier than Universal/Comcast Corp.'s The Visit, which means a $65m+ total is still in the cards. It's a nice little win for a studio that hasn't had much luck in 2016 thus far. Although it should be noted that The Big Short crossed the $70m mark at the domestic box office.
Deadpool earned another $8 million (-26%) for a new $340m domestic cume. That means it has passed the $336m domestic total of Spider-Man 3. Said Ryan Reynolds superhero action comedy is now the second-biggest non-sequel comic book/superhero movie (behind Spider-Man), the eighth-biggest superhero/comic book movie ever, and the sixth-biggest Marvel movie. That will probably be as high as it climbs on those lists, but look for it to top American Sniper ($350m) in a week or two to become the second-biggest R-rated movie ever in America.
London Has Fallen earned $6.89 million (-37%) on its third weekend for a new $50m 17-day domestic total. It’s not anywhere near Olympus Has Fallen, but it’ll top the $60m budget with overseas business left to fill in the gap and ensure Jupiter Has Fallen in a few years. Sadly everything else is under $3m for the weekend. Speaking of which, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot earned $2.8m (-40%) in its third weekend. That gives the Tina Fey war journalism dramedy a $19.276m 17-day cume.
The Perfect Match earned $1.9 million in its second weekend. That's a 56% drop and a $7.3m 10-day cume for the Paula Patton romantic comedy. Sony’s The Brothers Grimsby tumbled even harder on weekend two, dropping 58% on its second weekend ($1.4m) for a sad $5.912m ten-day cume. Rounding out the top ten is Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Revenant, which earned around $1.225m (-40%) on 935 screens for a new $181.16m domestic cume.
Gods of Egypt will earn $1.15 million on its fourth weekend (-55%), giving it a new $29.5m domestic cume as it tops $32m in China. The film has earned $98m overseas for a $128.2m global cume. Risen made around $1.12m (-51%) for a new $34.44m cume while The Young Messiah dropped 68% for a $1.048m second weekend and $5.36m cume.
My Name Is Doris expanded to 128 locations this weekend and earned around $1.013 million for a strong 7.9k per-location-average. That gives the Sally Fields vehicle a $1.131m domestic cume. Expect this Roadside Attractions release to stick around amid the March/April blockbusters. DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 earned around $997k (-42%) for a new $138m domestic cume. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will make its first under-$1m weekend with a $960k frame in 568 locations. It only took them 14 weeks. The sci-fi blockbuster sequel will end the frame with $932.38m.
And finally, after being kept in theaters over a month after its Blu-Ray release, Sony's Spectre was dragged, kicking, screaming, and howling in protest, across the $200 million mark. So, congrats Commander Bond, it only took 62 days to go from $199m to $200m.
Join me next weekend for The Disappointments Room, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, and, um... something else, I think?
comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR)
Scott Mendelson
I've studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an emphasis in box office analysis, for nearly 30 years. I have extensively written about all
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Governor Mike Huckabee Keynote Speaker at 2014 Hope Celebration!
Posted by marycrum on November 7, 2014 in Featured Posts, News
Governor Mike Huckabee was the keynote speaker for the annual Free Will Baptist Family Ministries’ Hope Center Celebration on Monday, Dec. 15,...
Governor Mike Huckabee was the keynote speaker for the annual Free Will Baptist Family Ministries’ Hope Center Celebration on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, at the General Morgan Inn in Greeneville, Tenn.
The Hope Center Celebration was chaired this year by Daniel Wolcott, president/CEO of Takoma Regional Hospital. Daniel and his wife Cynthia are long time supporters of the Hope Center. Takoma served as title sponsor for the evening along with Scott and Nikki Niswonger.
“This annual fundraising event allows the Hope Center to assist families in our community ensuring they and their children get a strong supportive start at life,” said Daniel Wolcott. “I have been an avid supporter of the Hope Center and am honored to serve as chairman. I continue to be impressed with the outreach and services they provide for at-risk children and their parents.”
“We are honored to have Daniel Wolcott chair our annual Hope Center Celebration again this year,” said Frank Woods, president and CEO of Free Will Baptist Family Ministries. “He has been instrumental to the success of this event for the past two years, and we are blessed to have his help again this year.”
The keynote speaker was the 44th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1996 until 2007. Huckabee was one of the longest serving governors in his state’s history, and only the fourth Republican elected to any statewide office since Reconstruction. He served longer than the other three Republican-elected officials combined. Huckabee left a legacy of tax cuts, job creation, the reconstruction of his state’s road system, K-16 education reform, and a nationally heralded and duplicated health initiative that focused on the less expensive approach of prevention than the costly big-government approach of intervention. His administration fought long-standing corruption in the state’s political machine, resulting in numerous indictments and convictions of powerful legislators and other elected officials.
Huckabee had been Lieutenant Governor for three years in July 1996 when his predecessor was forced to resign due to felony convictions. He was one of the youngest governors in the country at the time. He was elected to a full four-year term as governor in 1998, attracting the largest percentage of the vote ever received by a Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas, and was re-elected to another four-year term in November 2002.
Huckabee is a New York Times Bestselling author of 11 books, and his 12th is set for release in January of 2015. In his campaign for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, he finished second to John McCain. His political action committee, HuckPac has amassed a volunteer team with thousands of activists in all 50 states.
Governing magazine named him as one of its ‘Public Officials of the Year’ for 2005, and Time Magazine honored him as one of the five best governors in America. He has been honored by numerous organizations for his commitment to music education. He served as the chairman of the prestigious National Governors Association, as well as the Education Commission of the States, the Southern Governors Association, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission.
Huckabee, an avid musician since age 11, is a bass guitar player. He is often featured in the musical segment of his FOX TV show. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and music. He was named one of the 25 Most Influential People for Conservation by Outdoor Life magazine, and was named “Man of the Year” by the American Sportfishing Association in 1997. The former governor and his wife, Janet, live in Florida and still spend part of their time in Arkansas. They have three grown children: John Mark, David and Sarah and four grandchildren.
All proceeds from this event benefited the Hope Center, which operates entirely on donations. Last year the Hope Center provided care for over 450 families with a record of 109 babies born.
The Hope Center is a crisis pregnancy and resource center located in Greene County. It provides services to young people and families in need through its distribution of baby supplies, free parenting classes, free nutrition classes, free counseling and a 24-hour Hopeline. It also provides guidance by giving clients and their families a spiritual foundation and educational opportunities to help them be productive members of our community. The mission of the Hope Center is to seek to meet the physical, spiritual, moral, emotional, and social needs of the woman facing a crisis pregnancy.
“ From the time I was 7, camp at The Oaks was always the highlight of my year and helped me grow spiritually. ”
— Jamie, age 21
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Respawn spawning a 'Halo-killer?'
Analyst predicts Call of Duty creators will be entering ex-employer Activision's new partner Bungie's traditional sci-fi shooter territory.
By Tor Thorsen on June 8, 2011 at 5:11PM PDT
$18.67 on Walmart
Source: A recent television appearance by Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter.
What we heard: So far, 2010 has been a year of high drama for the game industry, much of which was generated by the split between Activision and a large portion of the staff of Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward. After studio cofounders Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired in March, over two dozen of their former employees (so far) followed them to their Electronic Arts-backed startup, Repsawn Entertainment. Then came the inevitable tit-for-tat lawsuits, followed by a legal complaint by current and ex-Infinity Warders seeking a whopping $150 million-$625 million.
Given its minimalist Web site and its founders' recalcitrance about their next project, speculation has been building about what Respawn and its ever-growing staff are up to. Now, Pachter has thrown his hat into the ring, predicting the suburban Los Angeles shop will take on Halo creator Bungie, which recently inked a 10-year exclusivity deal with Activision for its own mystery project.
"The one genre that hasn't been cloned a lot is the space shooter, so I'll make a prediction here. Respawn Entertainment, the ex-Infinity Ward guys--that's their next game," prognosticated the analyst. "They're gonna make a Halo-killer. They're gonna make a game that is going to compete in the space shooter genre."
The official story: Electronic Arts reps had not responded to inquiries as of press time.
Pachter predicts Zampella's new studio is cooking up a "Halo-killer."
Bogus or not bogus?: At this point, who knows? With Respawn going dark after touting its EA deal--and still solidifying its development team--it is still very early days. And, despite his clout, Pachter's prediction record is mixed. He thought US game sales would be up in May, but they were decidedly down. Then again, he also infamously taunted David Jaffe with cries of "Twisted Metal!" months before the reboot of the series was announced at Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Mobile)
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Author Benjamin Percy talks The Dead Lands
By SFX Staff 2015-03-27T23:00:00.85Z Feature
American author Benjamin Percy received rave reviews for his last novel, Red Moon, and now he’s back with a new novel inspired by the 19th Century expedition of Lewis and Clark. We caught up with the wordsmith to ask him a few questions.
How would you describe The Dead Lands?
I like to think of it as some cross-pollinated version of The Lord Of The Rings and Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. People will immediately peg it as a post-apocalyptic story, and it is, but more particularly it is a quest with elements of fantasy and horror laced into it.
A super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of our world. A walled-in St Louis –known as The Sanctuary – believes it is the last outpost of humanity, everything around it scorched by heat, mutated by radiation. But the water is running out and a rebellion is stirring, and when a rider emerges from the wastelands, there is hope for the future. She shares news of life beyond the wall, far to the west, where rain falls and towns rise. A group of rebels will follow her – with the hope of a new America – unsure whether they can trust her, but certain they will not survive if they remain. So there is the story of the quest (and their expedition’s pursuers), but there is also the story of the Sanctuary, and I cut back and forth between them to enhance suspense, each of the storylines tense and sizzling their way to detonation.
You can read The Dead Lands with no knowledge of the Lewis and Clark expedition, just as you can pick up Blood Meridian without recognizing its connection to Moby Dick just as you can watch The Lion King without appreciating it as a canonical cousin to Hamlet.
But yes, Lewis and Clark were a direct inspiration. I grew up in their shadow – in Oregon – and initially thought I might pursue a nonfiction project in which I would recreate their expedition. It would be a call for modern-day adventure, the lost spirit of exploration and discovery. Then my wife asked, “How long is that going to take exactly?” In the interest of being a better husband and father, I decided to make some stuff up instead.
Theirs is the greatest adventure story in American history. Some refer to it as our national poem. A band of men – led by a Native woman – embarked on a perilous journey across the unknown wonders and dangers of western America. Imagine the guts that would take, equivalent to blasting off to some far corner of the galaxy now. They were meant to map and explore, but their motivations were economic, scientific and political as well. My futurescape echoes their situation – a band of explorers setting off through the wasteland with the hope of reuniting the states – but of course no one should come to the novel hoping for a history lesson.
While your work has been acclaimed, this seems like a step up in terms of profile – are you daunted, excited, a bit of both?
Both. You hand in a book such a long time before it’s published, it’s easy to get caught up in other projects and forget about it. Things started to feel real about a month ago. That’s when the email from Stephen King popped up in my inbox. He generously offered up some words of support for The Dead Lands. Keep in mind that this is not only the holy grail of blurbs, but that he is – corny as this sounds – my hero. Once I confirmed that it wasn’t one of my friends pranking me, I had to go for a five-mile run, because my whole body felt run through with electricity, double-volted with excitement and fear. In a way, I haven’t stopped running since and I won’t stop running until long after the book drops in April.
It’s ridiculously difficult to get any attention in publishing, to make your book stand out among all the rest, and I feel lucky and grateful right now. The hope isn’t that people buy the book – it’s that people read the book, that they feel transported and moved to laughter and wonder and fear, that some magic carries over from the way I’ve splashed ink on paper.
Writers traditionally like a great library, but you seem in some sense more at home in the great outdoors, fair?
Just about every weekend, when I was growing up, we would throw rods and rifles and tents and shovels and pickaxes into the back of the truck, and then head off to the side of a mountain or the bottom of a canyon. Hiking, fishing, hunting, rock-hounding: this is how my parents passed the time. But we would also spend every evening sprawled out – around a campfire or around the woodstove in our living room – reading. And I’ve tried to maintain that balance. These days, unfortunately, I’m more of an avid indoorsman than outdoorsman, due to the demands of work and family, but as often as I can I’ll escape to a lake or a trail. It quiets my mind, which sometimes feels like a roiling ball of centipedes.
How hard was it to get started as a writer? You started in archaeology…
Fifth grade, I owned a fedora and a bullwhip. I made maps, dug holes in the woods, hunting for lost treasure. Later, I ended up going on several digs with museums and universities, but the Indiana Jones fantasy dissolved. I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself, so while all my college pals headed off to fancy New York internships, I escaped to the woods, working for Glacier National Park. It was there I began to keep a journal for the first time. Jotting down memories, poems, song fragments, story ideas. I was also writing love letters to a young woman who worked at the lodge. She said, “You should be a writer,” and I said, “Okay.” It felt right. I ended up marrying her and the page.
But yes, it was incredibly hard. It’s still incredibly hard. Not just honing my craft, but kicking down doors, getting my work published. Early on, I could have wallpapered my house with all the rejection letters sent my way. I put thousands of hours and pages into four novels that never saw the light of day. And that’s the standard of the trade. You read your brains out and write your brains out until one day – at last – a breakthrough.
How’s the adaptation of Red Moon going?
It’s being adapted by FOX TV as a series. Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) is co-writing it with me. And several others are now on board. As with anything in Hollywood, you never know if a project will actually go the distance until you’re watching it on the screen. The process has been thrilling and teeth-gnashingly frustrating. I’m crossing everything that can be crossed – fingers, legs, eyes – hoping.
How are you finding jumping between novels and the screen? Are they different disciplines?
I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. Jumping back and forth. I have three feature films in various stages of development. And now two TV shows: the Red Moon adaptation at FOX and an original crime series at Starz.
My mind is busy and the walls of my office are papered with ideas and blueprints and character sketches. I can write ten or twelve screenplays in the time it takes me to write one novel. This allows me to offload all of my stories. But it’s also not as creatively fulfilling. Because there are so many people involved in any Hollywood production, you have to make many compromises and the final product becomes a collective artifact rather than your own. Novels will remain my meat and potatoes, what sustain me imaginatively.
I’m also writing for comics. This started with a two-part Batman storyline for Detective Comics. Some doors opened after that. I can’t say anything yet… except that I’m a full-time superhero. The announcement should come some time in the spring. The comics universe feels like a much purer version of Hollywood, a far less complicated way to communicate a writer’s vision. The special effects budget is unlimited, the actors are always available and work for free. You’re collaborating with only the artist and an editor, so it’s quite intimate and pleasant. The progression of script to image takes only a few months. It’s a hell of a lot of fun.
I want to make clear that I’m not hanging out poolside in LA or rubbing elbows at cocktail parties in New York. I’m just sitting in the chair, working. And it’s the best kind of work, the kind that feels like play. I live in the snowbound Minnesota woods and spend eight hours a day at the keyboard and the rest with my family and I drive a used truck and drink in a pine-paneled dive bar with a big jar of pickled eggs behind the counter.
What next for you?
I’ve got another novel nearly done. I also have a craft book – called Thrill Me – that Graywolf Press will publish in 2016. It’s a series of essays that address the boundaries of literary and genre fiction with a special emphasis on the craft of suspense and momentum. I’m hoping to keep up my work as a screenwriter, but right now comics feel far more fun and rewarding and I may concentrate my energy more fully there.
Otherwise, I hope to be lucky enough to keep doing what I’m doing. Writing stories. Playing around in different mediums. Building worlds for others to escape to and return from changed.
Interview by Jonathan Wright
The Dead Lands is published by Hodder & Stoughton on 9 April and is reviewed in the current issue of SFX.
Benjamin Percy
The Dead Lands
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Stick it to The Man review
By Esmeralda Portillo 2014-06-02T18:10:39.152Z Review
Ray and the people he meets are delightful
though strange
The puzzles are as quirky as the characters that inhabit this world
The levels become more challenging as you progress
Aiming is a chore at every portion of the game
Theres no challenge to the platforming
Ray Doewood never asked for the power to read minds, he was fine with his mundane life as a hardhat tester. But when he’s ironically hit on the head on his way home one night, an alien fugitive decides Ray’s brain is the best place to take refuge. With a giant spaghetti arm sprouting from the top of his head, Ray uses his newfound abilities to evade government agents and solve puzzles, making Stick it to The Man a delightful environmental puzzle platformer that carefully blends the weird with the unexpected.
Ray’s adventures take place in a 2D papercraft world, but it’s not charming like LittleBigPlanet’s cardboard landscapes. If anything, the crude animations are occasionally distracting and will push some people away, but the art is fitting to the game’s dark humor. It’s not morally conflicting to steal the teeth of an old man to place them on a down-on-his-luck bachelor when everyone’s drawn so hideously.
Stick it to The Man’s humor is in its characters’ cheeky exchanges that often break the fourth wall, though the story only serves as a vehicle to move the game forward. The narrative is as straightforward and simple as cartoon plots can be, but the dialogue is keenly aware of that fact. Situations Ray finds himself in are all kinds of strange--at one point you’re tasked with placing a sticker on a man to get him pregnant after helping two zombies fall in love. As entertaining as the environmental puzzles can be, a majority of what's happening in the world seems out of place as far as the story goes. One level has Ray running around a circus. Why? It doesn’t matter; you get to watch a three-headed wrestler fight himself and the hilarity justifies its existence.
Grabbing and placing stickers, reading minds, and clinging to platforms requires proper aiming of Ray’s head-arm--unfortunately, that’s much more difficult than it should be. Aiming is a chore when there’s more than one object in a certain spot. The arm you use to aim is often wobbling in place, so it’s hard to decipher what it will cling to when you press the appropriate button. You can use the touchpad on the PlayStation 4 controller to hover over the desired target, but it’s uncomfortable in practice and just highlights how broken the aiming can be when more than one item is in the way. It’s particularly aggravating when you’re trying to grab a sticker in an enemy’s thought bubble only to accidentally swing right in front of a goon and get zapped for the mistake.
Stick it to The Man is challenging enough to keep the game from becoming dull, but rarely will it stump you--it just takes a lot of running around and completing one objective at a time to understand where all the pieces go. At times you’re tasked with combining stickers to create a set that fits into another puzzle, or using action stickers to make enemies fall asleep, but the underlying premise is always about reading someone’s psyche and finding the right sticker that matches their crazy thoughts.
The widths of the levels add some complexity to the puzzles, often tasking the player to remember the location of a character and their needs to return to later when you find the appropriate sticker. There is a map to reference where all the important objectives are, but markers are indistinguishable when grouped together. The maps serve the puzzle aspect of the game more than it does the platformer portion; platforming in Stick it to The Man doesn’t add much content or difficulty to the game because there are no consequences for failure.
After an enemy gets you in their crosshairs and zaps you, you spawn just a few inches away to try again. Moving up and down platforms is just about discovering the right thumbtack to cling to, which are very easy to find. The platforms break up the repetition of the puzzle solving, but with no depth or strategy necessary, the game offers no replayability.
You’d think having the ability to read minds would be a cool power, but it quickly becomes one of the more exasperating aspects of Stick it to The Man. When you hack into a person’s mind, the music shifts to a slow dreary tone while you listen to the person’s thoughts. You can speed up and slow down the voice for comedic effect or if you’re in a hurry. Hearing the erratic thoughts of the characters, which are all wonderfully voiced through the PS4 controller, is a delight, at first. It doesn’t take long before the reverberation of the controller’s speakers becomes annoying, and it manages to break some of the game’s immersion. There’s also the complication of making sure you’ve listened to a character’s thoughts fully. Should you back out before finishing that person’s thoughts, you may miss a thought bubble that’s harboring an important sticker within it.
Shortcomings aside, Stick it to The Man is an amusing, albeit short, experiment of the point-and-click variety. The puzzles balance challenging the player and complimenting the world its characters inhabit. The tongue-in-cheek banter between Ray and the strangers he encounters are always witty, and carefully teeter the line of appropriate and outlandish. If clever and bizarre is what you’re looking for, that’s exactly what you’ll get with Stick it to The Man.
Despite its awkward aiming and lackluster platforming, Stick it to The Man is a delightful puzzle game with a peculiar world worth exploring.
This game was reviewed on PS4.
Genre Platformer
Description Ray gets involved in an accident and wakes up with a purple arm sticking out of his head. Join
Platform PS4, Wii U
US censor rating Teen
Release date 6 May 2014 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Where is Burnt Hill?
Burnt Hill is located in the county of Berkshire, South East England, five miles north-east of the town of Thatcham, nine miles west of the major town of Reading, and 46 miles west of London. Burnt Hill lies four miles south of the Oxfordshire border. Burnt Hill falls within the unitary authority of West Berkshire. It is in the RG18 postcode district. The post town for Burnt Hill is Thatcham.
Burnt Hill on a map
Bounding box showing extent of Burnt Hill
Location of Burnt Hill within the UK
Which county is Burnt Hill in?
Burnt Hill is in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, the historic county of Berkshire, and the administrative county of West Berkshire.
Where is Burnt Hill in Berkshire?
Burnt Hill is situated roughly centrally between the southernmost and northernmost extremities of Berkshire, and roughly centrally between the easternmost and westernmost extremities of Berkshire.
Location of Burnt Hill within Berkshire
What is the postcode for Burnt Hill?
The nearest postcode to the centre of Burnt Hill is RG18 0NF.
Where is Burnt Hill in RG18?
Burnt Hill is situated roughly centrally between the southernmost and northernmost extremities of the RG18 postcode district, and towards the easternmost extremity of the RG18 postcode district.
Location of Burnt Hill within RG18
What is the post town for Burnt Hill?
The post town for Burnt Hill is Thatcham. Burnt Hill is in the RG18 postcode district, which corresponds to the post town of Thatcham.
What is the latitude and longitude of Burnt Hill?
The centre of Burnt Hill is located at position 51.46476° latitude and -1.18165° longitude.
What is the easting and northing of Burnt Hill?
The centre of Burnt Hill is located at the grid reference easting 456945 and northing 174294 within the British National Grid (OSGB36) system.
What are the nearest towns to Burnt Hill?
Position of Burnt Hill relative to nearby towns. Distance is measured from the centre of Burnt Hill to the centre of the town.
Burnt Hill is 5 miles north-east of Thatcham
Burnt Hill is 8 miles north-east of Newbury
Burnt Hill is 8 miles north of Tadley
Burnt Hill is 9 miles west of Reading
Burnt Hill is 10 miles south of Wallingford
Burnt Hill is 10 miles south of Didcot
Burnt Hill is 12 miles west of Woodley
Burnt Hill is 13 miles south-west of Henley-on-Thames
Burnt Hill is 14 miles south-east of Wantage
Burnt Hill is 14 miles north of Basingstoke
What are the nearest cities to Burnt Hill?
Position of Burnt Hill relative to nearby cities. Distance is measured from the centre of Burnt Hill to the centre of the city.
Burnt Hill is 20 miles south of Oxford
Burnt Hill is 28 miles north of Winchester
Burnt Hill is 38 miles north-east of Salisbury
Burnt Hill is 40 miles north of Southampton
Burnt Hill is 41 miles south-west of St Albans
Burnt Hill is 46 miles west of London
Burnt Hill is 46 miles west of City of Westminster
Burnt Hill is 46 miles north of Portsmouth
Burnt Hill is 47 miles north-west of Chichester
Burnt Hill is 47 miles west of City of London
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How Not to Turn a Book into a Movie
Bag End, as used in the Lord of the Rings films. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies recently released as an extended edition, my eleven-year-old and I thought it would be a good time to return to Middle Earth. In advance of the extended edition’s release, we watched, over several nights, all of the Lord of the Rings films, followed by the first two Hobbit movies. As we did, it started to occur to me that we might as well be watching the rise and fall of someone who once might have been considered the greatest director of modern times.
It’s no secret that the Hobbit movies are vastly inferior to the Lord of the Rings films. But where George Lucas’ prequel trilogy went from awful to almost passable, Jackson’s just declined ever further as they went on. The Return of the King won eleven Academy Awards—a feat matched only twice in the history of film—including best picture, best director and best screenplay. The Battle of the Five Armies was nominated for one, perhaps out of sympathy: best sound editing.
I recently saw an interview with Jackson, where he gave, if not an excuse, at least some insight into what happened. You see, the Hobbit movies were originally to be directed by Guillermo del Toro, who eventually left the project due to studio delays, having yet to film a single shot. Ultimately, Jackson was brought back on board as director, taking over del Toro’s work—but with no time offered to reconsider the script or shots. Essentially, the studios had given Jackson two years to not only film, edit and produce a set of three movies, but to also rewrite the script and hire an almost entirely new cast. By contrast, The Lord of the Rings films had four—with Jackson having been planning it for decades before.
Watching this degradation of what could have been a masterpiece has left me with some observations of what works when converting a book to a film, and conversely, some things that don’t.
Give the material the development time it deserves. Tolkien didn’t rush through The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings; in fact, The Lord of the Rings took almost twelve years to complete. The works represent a vivid imagination, but more importantly an incredible attention to detail. To this day, Tolkien sets the gold standard for world-building, and this was something Jackson instinctively understood with the first three films.
Respect the books’ pacing, but don’t drag it out. The Lord of the Rings novels are notoriously slow-paced, and filled with details that some might argue are extraneous to the main plot. When The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001, it managed to follow this slow pace superbly. It’s nearly forty minutes before the journey even begins, and by the time most movies would be ending, Fellowship has only just reached its midpoint. Yet for all of this, the story never gets dull, primarily because there was so much material for Jackson to draw on. The Hobbit is a shorter and simpler story; it didn’t need three films.
Removing and combining characters is fine; adding them is not. Perhaps the most egregious mistake Jackson made was in introducing characters that weren’t in the book—either by importing them from other works, or inventing them entirely. Whilst sadly The Hobbit is a somewhat female-less story, Tauriel’s inclusion in the movie was almost worse. As a female character she remains a token in an otherwise all-male cast, and shows a lack of respect to the original material in the thought that she could be on par, as it were, with Tolkien’s own characters. Worse still was Legolas—not only was he not in the original book, but he was utterly unnecessary as a character.
CGI is not everything. Whilst The Lord of the Rings films make heavy use of CGI (The Return of the King has nearly 1,500 computer-generated shots), they also make heavy use of practical special effects, including make-up, prosthetics and miniatures. Where Jackson excelled was in the deft combination of both. And while Gollum remains clearly CG, he was nonetheless convincing. The pale orc? Unnecessary. What made the orcs so believable in the first movies was their immediacy, the genuine presence of an actor that actually looked like that. And while Smaug is undoubtedly a masterpiece of digital technology, the other characters are not.
Sometimes, you don’t need to make the movie at all. This point could be a little contentious; I’m not necessarily suggesting that the Hobbit films would have been better off unmade. Still, for nearly twenty years Star Wars stood as a trilogy, and look what happened when Lucas decided to revisit it. As much as fans were clamoring for a Hobbit movie, it might have been better to leave them with the incredible legacy of the first three films, rather than foist something utterly underwhelming on them.
I’m not trying to say that the Hobbit films are awful; I actually rather enjoyed An Unexpected Journey. I thought it matched the pacing of the Lord of the Rings movies better. But The Desolation of Smaug was too concerned with fast-paced action shots, and The Battle of the Five Armies showed an over-reliance on special effects to try and drive the story. Ultimately, the movie are already made, and short of some major George Lucas-style tinkering, nothing can make them better than they are. They are, for better or worse, part of the Middle Earth film legacy. And we’ll have to enjoy them as they are, because we probably won’t ever get anything better.
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Labels: author, Chris, CM North
Featured Book: White Out by Amber Lea Easton #ASMS...
Review ~ LIFE: It Is What It Is by Lisa Sugarman
Review: The Beast and Me By D. S. Wrights
New Releases: December 2015
Interview with Jessie Rosen, author of DEAD RINGER...
Review: A Woof in Sheep's Clothing
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Here's why fewer teens are getting their driver's licenses
Getting behind the wheel used to be a major milestone. Today? Diver's licenses are on the decline among teens. Here, GL looks at the reasons teens aren't as driven to hit the road—and why you shouldn't exit this rite of passage.
When Emma P.* was 16, she was so busy with school, volleyball and extracurriculars that getting her driver’s license never even entered the picture.
“It wasn’t super urgent,” she says of going after the milestone. “I didn’t have the time to learn to drive, and my parents weren’t giving me a car.”
So Emma waited until she was 18 to get her license. But even now at 21, Emma still avoids driving because she’s so nervous behind the wheel. “You have to get comfortable driving alone,” Emma says. “I never really trusted myself enough to try.”
Emma represents a large number of teens who have opted out of getting a license in recent years. Once a rite of passage most kids wouldn’t dream of passing up, the percentage of teen drivers has plummeted over the past few decades. In fact, a recent study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that just about 25 percent of 16-year-olds had their license, down 47 percent from 1983. And while more teens do learn to drive later on, fewer of today’s high schoolers are getting behind the wheel.
Fear takes the wheel
So why are so many teens choosing to stay on the passenger side? Many are simply too scared to hit the road. According to a study by car insurance experts Zebra, one in four unlicensed teens is afraid to drive. In addition, the study shows that teen girls are more likely than
boys to admit that they thought driving was scary, and they were more likely to delay driving due to those concerns.
And it’s not like they don’t have anything real to worry about: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen drivers are nearly three times more likely to be in a serious crash than drivers age 20 or older. The cause of these crashes? Distracted driving, speed and simply being unfamiliar with the road.
Laura Morlok, a therapist based in Washington, D.C., points out that for some teens, getting their license gets wrapped up in the idea of growing up and going to college, which can cause anxiety about “not wanting to adult.” Others are worried about the financial impact of a car and insurance—either on their parents or even themselves if they need to work more to pay for gas.
Parents have plenty of fear, too, which may be contributing to the decrease in young drivers. And because they’re anxious about their kids driving, they are more willing to shuttle teens around to school, sports and other activities until they graduate from high school—or even later.
A lack of urgency
Another factor? The cost and time commitment required for behind-the-wheel training can be prohibitive for busy teens (some states require as many as 50 hours of driving time before you can get a license). Plus, with many teens connecting online, meeting up IRL is a lot less necessary than it was before the days of smartphones and social media.
Morlok says some teens don’t see many immediate benefits from getting their license. “If you’re anxious and there’s not a lot to gain, why are you going to do it?”
In high school, Ava R. never felt a sense of urgency when it came to learning to drive. “When I was 16, none of my friends had their licenses yet and my parents never mentioned anything about it,” she says. “I honestly didn’t even know what age I had to be to get it.”
Lasting impacts
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that a ton of teens are finding other ways to get around than driving themselves. But while the boost in carpooling and public transportation may be great for the environment, lacking a license until later in life can have a negative impact on job or school opportunities later.
Now 21, Ava finds that not being able to drive limits her options, both personally and professionally. She wishes she would’ve gotten her license back in high school, when she had more free time than she does now.
Emma also has seen drawbacks: When she tried to get a debit card, she didn’t have a valid ID, which meant she had to dash to the DMV that day to get a temporary card (which was harder to do, given that she couldn’t drive). And once you’re 18, you need an I.D. card or passport to fly on a plane or see an R-rated movie. And the list goes on and on.
Besides, experts say that the longer you wait to learn to drive, the harder it is to pick up the rules of the road. Think about it: If you wait until you’re older and out of the house, you lose easy access to parents and older siblings who would traditionally teach you the skills you need to get around safely.
Nix those nerves
So what to do if you’re among that 25 percent of teens who are scared of getting a license? It’s time to move past the fear. We get your stress, but it shouldn’t keep you from stepping up and learning to drive. Remember: Driving is a skill that takes time to master— and no one expects it to happen overnight. That’s why teens aren’t just handed keys to the car and told good luck; you have to ease into the role. You’ll take driver’s ed, you’ll practice driving with your parents and pro drivers, you’ll study for the test. It’s all buildingup to the big moment, which means there’s plenty of time before you’re accelerating solo up an on-ramp to a major highway.
“It’s OK to be nervous,” says Fabiola Paul, a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Enlightening Counseling & Educational Services. She points out that you get your learner’s permit first, and that has “learner” right there in the name.
And if you do hit a bump in the road in the process? Know that you’re not alone. It’s scary to think about getting into an accident— and you should be super cautious at all times—but also know that pretty much everyone will get into a fender bender at some point in their lives. Emma says when she had her permit she got into a minor accident that wasn’t her fault, but the other driver tried to blame her because she was such a new driver. “The whole thing scared me a lot. I stopped driving for a month,” she says. “That was one of the reasons it took me so long to get my full license.”
The therapists we talked to explained if you stop driving because of a scary incident, your body can create a “negative feedback loop.” Basically, you slide into the driver’s seat and feel anxious, remembering what happened in the past. Instead of pushing through the fear, you unbuckle, hop out of the car and feel a rush of relief. Your body starts to associate not driving with that “phew” feeling. And actually pushing the gas pedal is still wrapped up in that fearful anxiety.
Paul suggests getting over your fear by committing to one driving-related activity each day. Maybe you start out as a passenger. Then, you sit in the driver’s seat and get used to being in that position of power. Finally, you drive around, with your parent right next to you. “You can learn from your mistakes, while simply avoiding driving might create a phobia for you,” Paul points out.
The road to freedom
Victoria N., 18, was happy to get her license at 16, even though she admits to being nervous at first. “It gave me a sense of freedom and independence,” she says. “It also increased my awareness for the responsibility I was going to have as an adult.”
If you’re already prone to anxiety and are worrying about driving, or if you’re envisioning yourself crashing every time you even think about getting behind the wheel, consider talking with a parent, trusted adult or school counselor, who might be able to put you in touch with a pro to talk about your fears. Even if you were in an accident or witnessed a crash when you were a kid, you can get past those fears eventually. And then? The road will open up ahead of you. As Victoria puts it, “I probably would have regretted it if I had postponed the process.” Carpe drivem, girl.
This story originally appeared in the February/March 2019 issue of Girls' Life magazine.
POSTED IN LIFE, Tough Stuff
by Girls' Life | 3/26/2019
This app founder left home at 12—and now she's helping Gen Z reach their financial goals
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6 unexpected ways to bond with your bestie this summer
Times my anxiety got the best of me (and how I learned to deal)
Elevate your accessories with Ooly's Patch' em Patches.
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Insomnia and Turkey: An Unexpected Misadventure
Late August 2017
I looked around at the few dozen faces surrounding me. Some were old, others young, a few were in groups, while most seemed to be on their own. Not many were talking, as an ever-present fatigue had settled in, but those who were conversed in a variety of languages, all different than my own. However, despite our differences and backgrounds, we shared one thing in common. It was 11:00pm in a far removed corner of the the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul and we had all been stranded there for the same reason. Our story began in Terminal 1 of the JFK airport in New York more than 24 hours earlier and at the time, none of us could possibly have imagined the events that were about to ensue.
At first, everything was going so well. The traffic leading to the airport was minimal (an extreme rarity for JFK) and for the first time in my life, I was not stopped and frisked by security. Things were going so smooth, in fact, that I even reached my gate more than two hours early for my 7:00 flight. There was no mad dash, stress, or beads of sweat pouring down from my brow. I got to relax, download podcasts to listen to during my flight and enjoy one of the many snacks I had packed away. And on top of it all, my ultimate destination was Tbilisi, Georgia, one of my favorite cities in the world, just with a minor 90 minute layover in Istanbul. "Maybe this is good karma coming back to me after all the JFK horrors of the past," I foolishly thought to myself as I got in line to board the plane. Today, it seemed like nothing would go wrong, but unfortunately something would.
Something is different...
Just as I was about to line up to board the plane, an announcement sounded over a speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen," a crackly voice spoke in a lackluster monotone "We regret to inform you that the 7:00 flight to Istanbul has been delayed 30 minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience." I sat back down. Just 30 minutes, I thought. I've had worse. But, unfortunately the 30 minutes ended up being just over an hour, and I began to feel a bit nervous. Our new projected arrival was now 12:40 Istanbul, time just half an hour before my connecting flight was set to takeoff. My mind began to race.
"What happens if we're late and miss it? I couldn't be the only person this flight going to Tbilisi, could I? Would they hold the flight if there's a bunch of us?" Each of these thoughts played in my head on repeat like terrible, generic song lyrics. I tried to relax and listen to a podcast before attempting some shut-eye, but the unease of missing the flight kept me from fully dozing off. Nonetheless, after roughly nine hours of flying, we touched down on the runway in Istanbul almost exactly 30 minutes before my next flight. I sprung to action, ready to bolt off the plane to my next gate, but the fools sitting ahead in First and Business class decided to move exceptionally slow (presumably stopping to fan themselves with wads of hundreds while drinking the tears of the poor). By the time we were off, there was just 15 minutes left.
I weaved myself through my fellow travelers, determined to make my flight, but to my surprise, an airport security personnel stood there waiting for us with a sign that read 'Tbilisi'. "Tbilisi passengers, follow me. I take you to your gate." I instantly felt relieved. If this man was waiting for us, they ought to be holding the flight as well, so, alongside about 30 other passengers, we gathered around this short, mustached man and followed. Unfortunately for us, though, this man's sense of direction turned out to be as bad as mine after a night of a few drinks. Three different times, he led us the wrong way, only to backtrack and try again.
When we ultimately reached the gate, right exactly at the scheduled departure time of 1:10, I could tell something seemed off. The whole area was completely void of people and the doors to enter the plane were closed. "Oh well," the airport employee casually grumbled, "Looks like we missed it." WHAT! I ran over to the man, making myself as tall as possible so that I could tower over him.
"I'm supposed to arrive in Tbilisi before night! What the hell do I do now?" I kindly asked (just kidding about the kindly part).
"Check with the information center."
Fine. I ran off, following the signs, getting lost a little, before ultimately reaching the airport's information center. Already, a long line had formed, thus leaving me there to stand and wait. Slowly but steadily, the line creeped forward, all the while my head feeling like Mt. Vesuvius just prior to eruption. When I finally got the chance to speak to someone (nearly an hour later) I explained my situation.
"We can put you the next flight." The person at the counter replied. "It leaves at 1:00am, just about eleven hours from now...
The volcano has erupted
I was not going to settle for this. Compensation was in order, come hell or high water, and I was ready to fight tooth and nail for it. I shouted about how there was absolutely nothing that I could have done since one plane landed as the other took off and that I was now stuck in this airport for hours on end since I could't leave and enter without a visa. My nostrils were flaring as the fury of my sleep deprived state was kicking in.
Thankfully, it turned out the person didn't want to make a scene and quickly made an offer. If I was willing to spend the $30 it cost to get a Turkish visa, they would let me stay for free for a few hours at the airport hotel just across the street, thus making it possible for me to sleep some place other than a dirty floor surrounded by stressed out travelers. I agreed, filled out the necessary paper work, made my way through customs, and headed over to the hotel. Most of the people there were dressed well, clean and put together. I was none of the three but I didn't care. Fitting in was the least of my worries at this point.
After waiting for a significantly longer time than expected, the staff finally told me that my room was ready, so I hoisted my backpack and made my way up the stairs. The room seemed comfortable enough. Unlike the airport, there were no hordes of people or screaming families, so with regards to that, I was relieved. The downside was that I only had about two hours to sleep until I had to head back to the airport for the new flight. But this was my time to myself and it was up to me to make the most of it (meaning I flopped down on the mattress right away). Far too quickly, the alarm rang, rousing me back to reality. It was now time to return to Ataturk airport for round number two, thus bringing me back to the start of the story.
(SKIP FORWARD A FEW HOURS)
Finally, the airplane crew called us up and let us board the plane. Drifting in and out of present consciousness, I stumbled aboard and slumped like a corpse into my chair. It was now just past midnight, although time didn't really register to me anymore. Numbers didn't matter. Neither did the turbulence that ensued shortly after takeoff, nor the rather large man that complained loudly about the drink selection. The only thing of any importance was getting to a soft cozy bed (well, technically I would have settled for anything. Even a mound of dirt would feel soft and cozy by this point. I digress).
Finally, the plane landed. I would provide a more descriptive detail, but I wasn't cognitively processing my surroundings by this point. Somehow I stumbled through the doors and made it through customs, probably looking like a semi-tranquilized sloth. My watch read 3:45am, meaning that it was still just over 3 hours until the bus busses started. I was left with two options: either wait or risk death and take a taxi. Without hesitation, I chose to risk death. Approaching one of the drivers, I told him my location, quickly haggled down the price, and hopped into the cab.
If I could remember the ride, I would describe it now, but unfortunately (or fortunately), I cannot. All I know is that I made it to the hostel in one piece and immediately flopped down I on the bed I was given. No covers or bed sheets were used, for I had not the energy nor the will to put them on. The bed mat was good enough. Before I knew it, I drifted into a deep slumber, thus ending the days of travel.
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‘Phoenix Forgotten’: Trailer For UFO Found Footage Movie Produced By Ridley Scott Released
By The Movie God | @ | March 30th, 2017 at 10:00 pm
A trailer has been released for Phoenix Forgotten, a found footage flick produced by Alien and Blade Runner director Ridley Scott and his Scott Free Productions.
The movie follows a group of friends who set off to document some of the strange things happening after mysterious lights are spotted. It’s based on the real UFO sightings in the skies over Phoenix, Arizona back in 1997, known as the “Phoenix Lights.” The sightings involved two UFOs—one a massive V-shaped object moving across the sky silently, the other a set of lights which did not move—which were reported by thousands of people.
Continue below for more info and to check out the trailer.
Tags: Chelsea Lopez, Courtney Solomon, Florence Hartigan, Justin Barber, Justin Matthews, Luke Spencer Roberts, Mark Canton, Phoenix Forgotten, Ridley Scott, T.S. Nowlin, Wes Ball
‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Is Coming Soon To A Theater Near You!
By Waerloga69 | @ | August 4th, 2015 at 10:02 pm
I don’t know whether to be excited or frightened, but there is a new Dungeons & Dragons movie coming to the silver screen in the near future. I mean, after all, each of the previous films have been lackluster to say the least. Other than that Wrath Of The Dragon God one, which was only kind of myeh.
Now the big deal here is budget, because it looks like Warner Bros. and Hasbro have decided to take this one a bit more seriously than the last ones. There is an entire army of fans out there that are more than willing to shell out some hard-earned cash to see the movie they (we) have all been dreaming about.
Topics: Games, Movies, News
Tags: Allan Zeman, Brian Goldner, Courtney Solomon, David Leslie Johnson, DnD, Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, Hasbro, R.A. Salvatore, Roy Lee, Stephen Davis, Sweetpea Entertainment, Warner Brothers
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New Prado looks to join the Land Cruiser range soon
TOYOTA recently revealed the first details of the latest in a long line of iconic Land Cruisers. That’s right folks, the new Prado is on its way and it will be in South Africa sooner than you might think.
The Land Cruiser is an icon to millions of off-road enthusiasts and this tradition is set to continue thanks to a new Multi-terrain Select system. Toyota says this system makes it easier for skilled drivers to tackle difficult terrain, but it will also assist beginners to refine their off-road abilities.
There are five modes to select from and the system gives the driver guidance while automatically controlling power and braking inputs. The Multi-terrain Monitor also increases the driver’s awareness of the immediate surroundings and the intended path of the car.
The system is controlled via a colour display on the centre console, which - in addition to controlling all of the above - will also serve as an information display for the new angle gauge, traction-control operation at each wheel and differential-lock-operation screens.
The interior upgrades include new switchgear, trim fabrics and new interior colour schemes. The design of the second- and third-row seats has also been improved, so practicality won’t be an issue. Safety performance has been further enhanced through the addition of a Rear Cross Traffic Alert system.
The 3.0-litre diesel engine now complies with Euro5+ emissions regulations, but no output figures are available yet.
Posted on: 22:00 Mon, 26 August 2013
Schalk83
TulaBelle
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Russia has begun its biggest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union close to its border with China, mobilising 300,000 troops in a show of force that will include joint exercises with the Chinese army. China and Russia have staged joint drills before but not on such a large scale, and the Vostok-2018 (East-2018) exercise signals closer military ties as well as sending an unspoken reminder to Beijing that Moscow is able and ready to defend its sparsely populated far east. Vostok-2018 is taking place at a time of heightened tension between the West and Russia, and NATO has said it will monitor the exercise closely, as will the United States which has a strong military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia's Ministry of Defence broadcast images on Tuesday of military trucks being transported on trains, columns of tanks, armoured vehicles and warships on the move, and combat helicopters and fighter aircraft taking off. This activity was part of the first stage of the exercise, which runs until September 17, the ministry said in a statement. It involved deploying additional forces to Russia's far east and a naval build-up involving its Northern and Pacific fleets. The main aim was to check the military's readiness to move troops large distances, to test how closely infantry and naval forces co-operated, and to perfect command and control procedures. The location of the main training range for Vostok-2018 5000km east of Moscow, means it is likely to be watched closely by Japan, North and South Korea as well as by China and Mongolia, both of whose armies will take part in the manoeuvres later this week. Ruissian President Valdimir Putin, who is armed forces commander-in-chief, is expected to observe the exercises this week alongside Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is overseeing them. Shoigu has said they are the biggest since a Soviet military exercise, Zapad-81 (West-81) in 1981. Australian Associated Press
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/e1cd9d06-dc63-4a15-88f9-0ebefc41f7c2.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Russia in biggest war games since Cold War
Andrew Osborn
Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War in eastern Siberia.
Russia has begun its biggest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union close to its border with China, mobilising 300,000 troops in a show of force that will include joint exercises with the Chinese army.
China and Russia have staged joint drills before but not on such a large scale, and the Vostok-2018 (East-2018) exercise signals closer military ties as well as sending an unspoken reminder to Beijing that Moscow is able and ready to defend its sparsely populated far east.
Vostok-2018 is taking place at a time of heightened tension between the West and Russia, and NATO has said it will monitor the exercise closely, as will the United States which has a strong military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia's Ministry of Defence broadcast images on Tuesday of military trucks being transported on trains, columns of tanks, armoured vehicles and warships on the move, and combat helicopters and fighter aircraft taking off.
This activity was part of the first stage of the exercise, which runs until September 17, the ministry said in a statement. It involved deploying additional forces to Russia's far east and a naval build-up involving its Northern and Pacific fleets.
The main aim was to check the military's readiness to move troops large distances, to test how closely infantry and naval forces co-operated, and to perfect command and control procedures.
The location of the main training range for Vostok-2018 5000km east of Moscow, means it is likely to be watched closely by Japan, North and South Korea as well as by China and Mongolia, both of whose armies will take part in the manoeuvres later this week.
Ruissian President Valdimir Putin, who is armed forces commander-in-chief, is expected to observe the exercises this week alongside Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is overseeing them.
Shoigu has said they are the biggest since a Soviet military exercise, Zapad-81 (West-81) in 1981.
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- Globalo - https://www.globalo.com -
How to Deal With The UK after Brexit?
Leave camp eyeing UK-EU trade options
Posted By Tanya Pinto On July 6, 2016 @ 9:00 am
Well, the 23rd of June 2016 will go down in history and everyone knows why. The United Kingdom(UK) voted to leave the European Union, with a majority of 52% versus the 48% who voted to Remain.
No matter the outcome, #Brexit polls demonstrate how quickly half of any population can be convinced to vote against itself. Quite a lesson.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) June 23, 2016
How should the UK now proceed to ensure it does not get a raw deal when parting from the EU?
This question is quite obviously very complex, and to answer this question it is important to first delve deeper into the vote results. This graph is quite important:
This clearly demonstrates that there was a huge rift among voters across various ages.
Additionally, more differences were observed:
Oh "Never underestimate angry old white people. They show up at the polls." #brexit
— Merritt Krakowitzer (@mkrakowitzer) June 24, 2016
Voters were further divided by their level of education and geographical location. Those who had a higher level of education tended to vote for Remain. Scotland and London voted mostly in favour of remaining in the European Union, and the result of the overall vote has not gone down well with these places.
Post the referendum result:
British currency took a hit as the pound tumbled to its lowest value since 30 years, which startled many investors.
Prime Minister David Cameron has stepped down from his position, and did not formally launch the procedure to withdraw from the EU. This entails triggering article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This gives the UK two years from the day the article is formally triggered, in order to meet with EU leaders and formulate beneficial trade or labour agreements. If this is not decided within two years, the UK will be left without any agreements confirmed.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has announced his resignation, saying, ” I came into this struggle from business because I wanted us to be a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician.”
Cameron has left it to his successor to trigger the formal leaving process, as the one who does it will have a great economic, social and cultural responsibility to shoulder.
In such a volatile situation, what are the different options that the UK can consider after a majority of citizens have voted to leave the EU? We have listed various options, right from realistic strategies to hopeful solutions and explained their pros and cons:
Stay within single market: Despite a majority voting for Brexit, the UK could still manage to access the single market, by mutual agreement with the European Union. This would be similar to Switzerland’s position, as Switzerland is not technically part of the European Union but has an agreement allowing hassle-free trade within the single market. However, there is a huge catch here: any non-EU country that is allowed to access the single market is also bound to allow free movement of labour from the EU or EEA (European Economic Area). As immigration was the main issue that seemed to prompt the UK to leave the EU, this would be very challenging.
Develop solo trade agreements with countries around the world: The next option would be for the UK to go ahead and develop trade agreements with countries across the world. However, this is easier said than done. In April 2016, the US President Barack Obama had warned that the Brexit would put UK at the “back of the queue” to negotiate trade deals. However, now that the majority has voted, the US and Canada has assured that they are keen to develop competitive trade with the UK. However, as the UK relied on the EU to collectively negotiate trade deals, they lack trade negotiators who know how to go about the process. New Zealand has offered the UK top trade negotiators to aid with the post- Brexit trade deals, to the relief of British officials.
Secure EU citizens already living the UK to expect the same for British expats: Whatever the UK decides for trade, it is very important for the UK to ensure that EU citizens already living and working in the UK remain largely unaffected. This is because the absence of millions of migrant workers within a short period could affect businesses acutely, further destabilizing the economy. Secondly, this could lead to reciprocal action from other EU nations, who would cancel the living and working rights of UK workers and pensioners overnight, leaving them hapless. Therefore, the UK has to tread very carefully when dealing with EU migrants already within the UK.
And, some of the more dramatic possibilities:
Never trigger Article 50, the only formal way to start the leave process: Many are imagining the possibility that since no legal condition makes it compulsory for the referendum result to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, Brexit could be avoided by not triggering it at all. However, this would be a serious blow to democratic values, as a majority of British people have voted to leave the EU. However, EU stalwart and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has explained that it is not possible that the Article 50 is not triggered at all.
Members of Parliament vote against Brexit: The referendum results are not binding in any way, and the decision will finally be taken by Members of the British Parliament, who will have to vote to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which had been passed in order to allow the UK to join the EU. Technically, if the MPs now vote in majority against repealing the act, then the UK cannot yet leave the EU. The question remains, when this decision is thrown open for voting in the Parliament, what will really happen?
However, as the EU comprises several other countries, it is not the UK alone that can make decisions without cooperation from other nations. Will the other EU nations allow the UK to get a good deal from leaving the EU, especially since this has raised doubts about the European project? Here’s what European Union leaders say about the UK’s position in the EU now. At the Brussels Summit on 28th June 2016, leaders of the 27 countries in the EU informed UK’s David Cameron that UK would not get any special trade privileges as it is no more part of the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande emphasized that if the UK want full access to the EU market, they have to accept free movement.
As for the general public, they have several mixed yet passionate beliefs for or against the European Union.
People are Googling this after polls closed. #Brexit ?? https://t.co/lbUksETNWj
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) June 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/piecrust33/status/745849377852383232
Whatever the future holds for the UK, hopefully the country is able to bounce back again!
Image: Flickr
URL to article: https://www.globalo.com/happen-uk-brexit/
Copyright © 2016 Globalo. All rights reserved.
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9/11 Truth: Grand Jury Investigation of Collapse of WTC Twin Towers and Building Seven. Petition
Lawyers to Petition the US Department of Justice
By Andrew Kreig
OpEdNews 9 April 2018
Theme: Law and Justice, Media Disinformation, Terrorism
A federal grand jury should investigate the collapses of the World Trade Center Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks, as well as WTC 7, according to a petition that an expert lawyers group plans to file on April 10 in New York City’s federal court.
The 54-page petition and its 57 exhibits detail the evidence that explosives were used to destroy the WTC buildings during the attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The non-profit Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry demands that the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York convene and submit the evidence in the petition to a grand jury.
The petition’s executive summary and full text are posted on the Lawyers’ Committee website, as of April 9.
“The failure of our government to diligently investigate this disturbing evidence that has emerged over the past sixteen years regarding what occurred at the World Trade Center on 9/11,” commented Executive Director Mick Harrison, “has contributed to the erosion of trust in our institutions.”
The WTC at the top of this column illustrates “ejections” or “squibs marked by arrows that, according to the petition-filers, provide evidence of explosion. So does molten steel, they say, which most logically could come from thermite or thermate, not from airplane fuel. The photo below shows examples of molten steel.
Molten Substance, World Trade Center 2, just prior to collapse on September 11, 2001
(Image by YouTube, Ben Reisman) Permission Details DMCA
The lawyers, whose petition is supported by numerous 9/11 family members of victims and first responders, detailed evidence (see below) that they say requires a criminal investigation by prosecutors in the office led by Interim U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman.
President Trump and Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions in January named Berman to be the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Berman’s experience includes extensive work as a federal attorney, as well as two years as a law partner of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Giuliani became nationally famous, including selection as Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year,” for his visible role after 9/11. But he is known also for having authorized the removal and disposal of WTC steel debris in heavily guarded shipments to China.
Petitioners have scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday on the steps of New York’s City Hall in Manhattan. Those who want to add their names to the petition can sign up online here. New names will be displayed on the next filing, which will supplement the one filed this week.
Thermie and Thermate samples
(Image by Niels H. Harrit) Permission Details DMCA
First Major Criminal Probe
The petition seeks the first major criminal inquiry on the destruction of the Towers and WTC 7, which collapsed in near free-fall that afternoon even though it was not hit by any airplane. Official U.S. reports and the major media have blamed the attacks in New York and elsewhere on 19 airplane hijackers as well as overseas terrorists primarily linked to Al Qaeda.
The petition seeks a formal probe of the evidence, which it argues shows that pre-installed explosive devices caused the tower collapses, not two hijacked airplanes and related fires.
A grand jury can require document production and sworn statements by other suspects and witnesses.
Previous inquiries have generated considerable criticism. Former U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL), for example, has protested that The Senate-House Intelligence Committee Joint 9/11 Inquiry that he had co-chaired had been given an unrealistic deadline in 2002 that prevented completion of its work. Later, a 10-member national commission, known as The 9/11 Commission, issued a report in July 2004 that left many serious researchers and 9/11 victims’ family members complaining about many unanswered questions, especially after significant new evidence arose.
Civil litigation by victim’s families and others has been repeatedly stalled or otherwise sidetracked. Hurdles include sovereign immunity claims, lack of subpoena power, and settlements, which can prevent litigants from continuing to seek evidence.
The continuing importance of 9/11 issues and the strength of the accumulated evidence have prompted this editor to probe this topic in depth, most notably in a 2016 column “Experts Reject Planes, Fire As Cause For 9/11 WTC Collapses.” The column, timed for the 15th anniversary of the attacks, began:
“Technical experts are mounting major challenges to official U.S. government accounts of how three World Trade Center skyscrapers collapsed in near-freefall after the 9/11 attacks 15 years ago.”
That article included links to the major U.S. government reports on the 9/11 attacks, as well as to an article by Europhysics News “15 Years Later: On the physics of high-rise building collapses.” The Europhysics report challenged U.S. government findings that the skyscrapers collapsed because of fire. The four co-authors noted that no other skyscrapers in world history have ever collapsed from fire.
Instead, the authors cited evidence that the falls resembled the physics involved in controlled demolition. Architects and Engineers For 9-11 Truth (AE911Truth) said the article has been downloaded nearly 700,000 times since August 2016 and “continues to rack up over 2,000 reads per week, keeping it at the top of Europhysics News’ ‘Most read articles.'”
Many researchers are focusing especially on the little-known collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC7). That collapse is portrayed at the one-minute mark in the 40-minute C-SPAN video above featuring Richard Gage, AIA, the founder of AE911Truth. This spring his group announced that the 2014 interview on C-SPAN had reached one million views.
Regarding Building 7: The 47-story building, which was not hit by an airplane and was located north of WTC 1, collapsed in about 6.5 seconds in symmetrical fashion more than seven hours after the other buildings fell. The pattern so resembled controlled demolition that experts who have studied it are increasingly questioning the official causation, which U.S. authorities and the mainstream media ascribed only to the effects of jet fuel and office fires.
Strength of Evidence
More generally, these researchers have summarized studies by technical experts who have argued that the three steel-framed WTC towers could not have fallen in place because of airplane crashes and related fires. Professional critics of the official explanations of the buildings’ collapses include the now nearly three thousand licensed architects and engineers who are members of AE911Truth. Also, Ph.D. graduate students at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for years have conducted technical studies under the leadership of the chairman of its Department of Engineering and Mines, Dr. J. Leroy Hulsey, PE, SE, who reported on interim findings in a 2016 video.
The strength of the evidence for controlled demolition, the lack of official answers to questions from experts, and the strong, continuing public interest in all matters relating to 9/11 keeps these issues alive even as time passes. So do the direct results of the 9/11 attack, which include the freedom-robbing civil rights restrictions of the 2001 Patriot Act and the Global War on Terror. The latter has prompted the U.S.-NATO wars against forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, plus vast loss of life and spending elsewhere.
Last month, 9/11 victims’ family members won a key courtroom victory in their civil suit against the Saudi Arabian government. A New York federal judge allowed the families’ suit to move forward despite defendants’ claim of sovereign immunity.
Tuesday’s Grand Jury Petition
Regarding the April 10 submission to the U.S. attorney, the petitioners note the legal obligation of citizens and authorities alike to report and investigate evidence of crimes. They cite major lines of evidence supporting causation by controlled demolition:
Independent scientific laboratory analysis of WTC dust samples showing the presence of high-tech explosives and/or incendiaries in the form of thermite or thermate.
Expert analysis of seismic evidence that explosions occurred at the WTC towers on 9/11 prior to the airplane impacts on the WTC Towers, and prior to the building collapses.
Technical analysis of video evidence of the WTC building collapses.
Firefighter reports of explosions, and of seeing “molten iron like in a foundry.” The petition states that the presence of molten iron would require temperatures higher than jet fuel and building contents could create when burned, but consistent with use of the high tech explosive and incendiary thermite or thermate.
The presence of previously molten iron microspheres, which have been established by electron microscope analysis of WTC dust samples, by both government and independent scientists, is another phenomenon that would be scientifically impossible based on the burning of jet fuel and office contents alone.
Video and eyewitness testimony of the ejection during the collapse of WTC 1 and 2 of heavy steel elements laterally from the buildings which would not be possible from a gravity collapse.
Scientific analysis, eyewitness testimony, and government reports confirming sulfidation and high temperature corrosion of the steel found in the rubble after the collapse of the WTC towers and WTC 7, a phenomenon not expected in a jet fuel fire and gravity collapse but consistent with the use of thermate and high explosives.
After the Petition
Harrison, the executive director of the lawyers group, said that after the filing petitioners “intend to step back now for a reasonable time and be respectful of the confidential nature of Grand Jury proceedings, although we have offered to assist in the presentation of this evidence to a special grand jury.”
“We will report back to the public in due course,” Harrison continued, “as information becomes available, and in the meantime pursue, by other appropriate means, our mission of promoting transparency and accountability regarding 9/11 and addressing the many questions left unanswered by the 9/11 Commission report.”
These issues are likely to become heavily political if the past is any guide.
The website for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York lists the fight against international and domestic terrorism at the very top of the duties for its some 220 assistant U.S. attorneys responsible for all major criminal and civil litigation. The Southern District encompasses Manhattan, the Bronx and the Westchester region.
That office was led in the late 1980s by Giuliani, who went on to win election as New York’s mayor for two terms, ending at the end of December 2001. Giuliani has kept a high profile opposing terrorists since then, including a 2004 presidential candidacy and strong support for Trump’s 2016 campaign. Since 2016, Giuliani has led the counter-terrorism practice of the law firm Greenberg Traurig.
Berman (image on the right), the interim U.S. Attorney who will receive the attorneys’ petition signed by 9/11 family members, was a law partner of Giuliani’s from 2016 until his Trump appointment in January. Berman must win U.S. Senate confirmation to receive the prestigious appointment beyond interim status.
Prodded especially by family members of 9/11 victims, Congress has shown strong support in recent years for two major investigative initiatives strongly resisted by powerful forces that prefer to keep the 9/11 probes closed. One such victory was release of the so-called “28-pages” that had been suppressed from the 2002 Joint House-Senate Intelligence Commission Inquiry report. The released material documented suspicious pre-9/11 relationships by Saudi Arabian entities with some of the 19 accused airplane hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi nationals. The other victory was congressional passage in 2016 of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which narrowed the definition of sovereign immunity for civil court claims resulting from international terrorism.
Given the high U.S. political and geopolitical stakes, Tuesday’s petition tees up a remarkable, historic civic dialog on one of the most important events within the lifetime of most Americans.
In that spirit, the public as well as the media are invited to the press conference Tuesday on the steps of City Hall in lower Manhattan. Lawyers’ Committee Executive Director Harrison and other attorneys on the Committee’s board are also scheduled for discussion of the petition on several major radio programs, including “The Gary Null Show” at noon Eastern time on April 11 and Richard Hoagland’s “The Other Side of Midnight” at midnight Eastern time on April 14.
A grassroots organizing effort is underway also via the non-profit and non-partisan 9/11 Truth Action Project.
For anyone who worries that progress seems too slow on such issues as 9/11 accountability, the good news is that compelling 9/11 evidence is now in the right hands — the U.S. attorney’s office and yours, as members of the public.
Relevant documents can be easily accessed on the website of the Lawyers’ Committee.
Andrew Kreig is an investigative reporter, attorney, author, business strategist, radio host, and longtime non-profit executive based in Washington, DC. His most recent book is “Presidential Puppetry: Obama, Romney and Their Masters,” the first book about the Obama administration’s second term. The book grew out of his work leading the Justice Integrity Project, a non-partisan legal reform group that investigates official misconduct.
The original source of this article is OpEdNews
Copyright © Andrew Kreig, OpEdNews, 2018
Articles by: Andrew Kreig
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Bahrain: Washington and London Complicit in Crimes against Humanity Committed by Alkhalifa regime
By Bahrain Freedom Movement
Theme: Crimes against Humanity
He is only 18 months old, but he had to pay the ultimate price for being born in a country riddled with hate, repression and criminality of a regime that has adopted revenge as the main weapon against its opponents. The 18-months old Sayyed Hussain Sayyed Isa, from the town of Nabih Saleh, died as a result of inhaling excessive chemical gases fired on his home by the Alkhalifa security forces. The child developed complications in his lungs that led to gradual deterioration of his health until he succumbed to death. His parents were devastated, so were all Bahrainis and freedom-loving people who curse a world that tolerates such criminal regime.
Ali Al Mawali, 21, is still in a critical condition, fighting for his life one week after he had been shot by members of Alkhalifa death squads. Last Friday he was hit at close range with a rubber bullet straight into his head. He sustained serious brain damage and had to undergo two serious operations. He sustained a fractured skull that caused serious brain damage. As he lay unconscious the regime formally charged him with participation in unlicensed congregation. A young man who tried to save him was arrested. Sayyed Hadi Ibrahim was kidnapped from the scene and nothing was heard from him until few days later. He was taken to Alkhalifa court which ordered his detention for 15 days for taking part in anti-regime demonstrations. He has been subjected to severe torture at the Dry Dock torture centre.
On 25th June the US-based Human Rights First issued a statement to coincide with the International Day Against Torture stating that: As people around the globe mark the United Nations’ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture tomorrow, June 26, the Bahraini government will spend it prosecuting human rights lawyer Mohammed Al Tajer, who was tortured by the Bahrainis after he chose to represent and advocate for others abused by the country’s regime. “Putting a torture survivor on trial is certainly an odd way for the Bahrain authorities to mark the United Nations’ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “Mr. Al Tajer has defended many others prosecuted by the Bahraini government for their political views, admirable work that has made him a target for similar abuse.”
A Bahraini artist has been arrested and tortured by the Alkhalifa regime. Yasser Nasser was detained after taking part in a peaceful demonstration in Manama. Sayyed Yousuf Al Mahafdha, a senior human rights activist said on his twitter that the artist was taken to Manama police station and tortured by Timony and Yates men.
In a sign of hope that the international community has finally woken up to face the challenge of the Bahrainis human rights crisis, 27 countries have issued a comprehensive statement condemning the Alkhalifa regime for its brutal treatment of Bahrainis and demanding that it stopped serious violations of human rights. “We are particularly concerned about the consequences faced by those who protested for democratic change in a peaceful manner. We call upon the Bahraini government to fully respect their rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and especially to ensure the protection of Human Rights Defenders,” reads the two-page statement. It also expresses its desire for Bahrain to agree on a comprehensive cooperation plan with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, plus a permanent presence for an OHCHR office in Bahrain.
The statement, sponsored by Switzerland, has been signed by all EU members except Britain, and several Latin American countries. The USA and Arab countries refused to endorse it. It calls for the release of all political prisoners including the prominent leading figures such as Abdul Wahab Hussain, Hassan Mushaima and others. This is an international indictment of a regime that has relied heavily on the unwavering protection by UK and USA. Both have refused to sign the document.
Meanwhile, the revolutionary fervor in the country has continued with even more determination to pursue the goals of the people including the right to determine their destiny, write their constitution and elect their government. Every night at least 15 demonstrations have taken place in various parts of the country with participation from men and women. Chemical gases are used systematically not only against demonstrators but also people’s houses. More than 40 people have died as a result of inhaling these lethal gases.
Copyright © Bahrain Freedom Movement, Global Research, 2012
Articles by: Bahrain Freedom Movement
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One-House Budgets in Albany, NYCHA Hearings, & More: The Week Ahead in New York Politics, March 11
March 10, 2019 | by Ben Max & Ben Brachfeld
Monday marks exactly three weeks until the April 1 start of the new state fiscal year, by which time a new state budget is due. Negotiations among the two houses of the Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo have already heated up, with key policy and funding issues outstanding, and the two Democratic legislative majorities set to introduce their one-house budget resolutions on Monday.
There are four legislative session days again this week in Albany, so there will be public and private negotiations, posturing, and such. Key issues that need to be worked out include a variety of funding levels, including for local education aid, as well as marijuana legalization, congestion pricing, environmental policy, criminal justice and campaign finance reforms, and more. Most of those issues could be kicked to after the budget and continued in negotiations as the legislative session proceeds toward its June finish. Rent regulations are another issue that is likely to be left till after the budget. Mayor control of New York City schools and the cap on charter schools could be dealt with in the budget or after as well, not to mention a number of other policies like sports gambling.
This week we’re also waiting to see when exactly Jumaane Williams officially becomes New York City Public Advocate and how he starts his tenure in the citywide role.
The budget for the office is one smaller aspect of overall city budget negotiations. The City Council will continue this week its hearings on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s $92.2 billion preliminary budget plan. And the 2019 charter revision commission will continue its public hearings -- the commission is looking at the city’s budget process, the role of the public advocate, and much more.
De Blasio is due back on Monday from South Carolina, where he spent the weekend exploring a run for president, flying there after an appearance in Albany Friday, where he talked with Cuomo and legislators about top city priorities for the state budget and spoke at the kickoff reception for Somos weekend.
There's a lot happening this week - see our day-by-day rundown below.
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany.
The New York State Board of Regents will meet on Monday and Tuesday in Albany.
"On Monday, Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza will meet with students from P.S. 130 during their lunch period...Immediately after, the Mayor and Chancellor will host a press conference to make an announcement on school meals. This event is open press. There will be Q-and-A. Later, the Mayor will ride the subway from Chambers Street to 14th Street Station to talk with riders about congestion pricing and MTA reform. In the evening, the Mayor will appear live on NY1’s Inside City Hall."
The following City Council committees will hold preliminary budget hearings on Monday:
--Cultural Affairs at 10 a.m., regarding libraries and the Department of Cultural Affairs.
--Youth Services at 2 p.m., regarding the Department of Youth and Community Development.
Also at the City Council on Monday: the Committee on Public Housing will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing “examining NYCHA’s new agreement with HUD.”
“Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), joined by immigration advocates, will hold a press conference and community event on Monday, March 11th at 10:00 a.m. to speak out against the recent incident by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents that were spotted parked outside of a Washington Heights school and in violation of sensitive locations parameters.”
At 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall, “The New York Alliance Against the Legalization of Prostitution — a coalition of women’s rights organizations, direct service providers, faith-based community leaders, sex trade survivors, and concerned New Yorkers — will hold a press conference and rally to voice opposition to proposed legislation sponsored by New York State Senators Julia Salazar, Jessica Ramos and Brad Hoylman, and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried to decriminalize prostitution, including pimping and sex buying. The Alliance will discuss evidence that prostitution is not a victimless crime by looking at the inherent harms of the sex trade and the lifelong trauma and medical injuries it causes the people it exploits for profit. They will also present the effects of legalized/decriminalized prostitution in other jurisdictions and highlight what can happen if New York state gives the sex trade a green light to flourish. The group will present a progressive alternative to the legislators’ proposal and to current New York State prostitution laws: decriminalize only the people who are prostituted (partial decriminalization) and provide them with comprehensive services, including housing, medical care, trauma-informed counseling, education, job training, and a way to exit the sex trade should they wish to do so.”
At 11 a.m. Monday in Albany, "The Chairs of both the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees – Senator Todd Kaminsky and Assemblymember Steve Englebright – and the We Love New York coalition will hold a press conference...to respond to the disastrous potential precedent of an 2019-2020 Executive Budget proposal that would allow agencies to offload staffing costs onto the Environmental Protection Funding (EPF)."
At 11 a.m. Monday, “Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with community leaders and criminal justice experts, will make a major announcement.”
At 6 p.m. Monday, the 2019 Charter Revision Commission will hold its third “issues forum” at the Borough of Manhattan Community College to discuss potential charter revisions. This forum will focus on the city’s budgeting processes.
At 6 p.m. Monday, the state’s Census commission will hold the second of six public hearings to discuss the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census and the myriad related issues. The hearing will take place at Hostos Community College in the Bronx.
The following City Council committees will hold preliminary budget hearings on Tuesday:
--Governmental Operations at 10 a.m., regarding the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Law Department, the Board of Elections, the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, and community boards.
--Aging at 10 a.m., regarding the Department for the Aging.
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Correction will hold a public meeting at 125 Worth Street.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, there will be a debate among the seven candidates for Queens District Attorney at CUNY Law School. Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max and law professor Zephyr Teachout will moderate the debate, which is being co-sponsored by a long list of advocacy and community groups. [Read: 'We're in a New Era’: Inside the Crowded Race to Elect the Next Queens District Attorney and Reset the Borough’s Prosecutorial Agenda]
The City Council will hold a stated meeting on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Council Speaker Corey Johnson will host the usual pre-stated press conference at 12:30 p.m.
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Wednesday in Albany.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting at 120 Broadway.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, this week’s Max & Murphy program will air on WBAI radio, and will feature an interview with state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and a discussion of criminal justice reform issues with Tina Luongo, chief defender of the criminal practice at Legal Aid Society.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the MTA will host the second of four open houses for community members regarding the “revised” L-train project. This hearing will take place at the Williamsburg Northside School.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board will hold a public board meeting at the Van Dyke Community Center in Brownsville.
The following City Council committees will hold preliminary budget hearings on Thursday:
--Transportation at 9:30 a.m., regarding the MTA and New York City Transit, the Department of Transportation, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
--Criminal Justice at 10 a.m., regarding the Department of Probation, the Department of Correction, and the Board of Correction.
--Veterans at 2:30 p.m., regarding the Department of Veterans’ Services.
Also at the City Council on Thursday
--The Committees on Public Housing and Oversight will meet jointly at 11 a.m. for an oversight hearing “examining the DOI report on NYCHA mismanagement at the Throggs Neck Houses,” as well as to discuss proposed laws requiring agency heads to disclose false statements made in an official capacity by their agency and for DOI to report to the council on NYCHA employee overtime. The committees will also discuss a resolution calling on the state to pass a law requiring NYCHA to “conduct annual evaluations of agency property employees.”
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Thursday in Albany.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board will hold a board meeting at 100 Church Street.
The latest episode of the What’s The [Data] Point? podcast from Gotham Gazette and Citizens Budget Commission will tape and publish on Thursday, and will feature Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute discussing transit-related issues, including her evaluation of New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s recently-unveiled proposals for city takeover of the subways, a five-year “master plan for city streets,” and more, as well as her own recent study of congestion in the city. Find What’s The [Data] Point? wherever you get your podcasts, or look for it posted at the Gotham Gazette website on Thursday afternoon.
At 6 p.m. Monday, the 2019 Charter Revision Commission will hold its fourth “issues forum” at the Borough of Manhattan Community College to discuss potential charter revisions.
Mayor de Blasio may make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show at 10 a.m. Friday.
The following City Council committees will hold preliminary budget hearings on Friday:
--Economic Development at 10 a.m., regarding the Economic Development Corporation.
--Consumer Affairs at 11 a.m., regarding the Department of Consumer Affairs.
--Small Business at 1 p.m., regarding the Department of Small Business Services.
At 10 a.m. Friday, the Senate Standing Committee on New York City Education will meet at 250 Broadway in Manhattan for a public hearing regarding mayoral control of public schools.
At 2 p.m. Friday, the Senate Standing Committees on Corporations and Transportation and the Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation will meet jointly at Buffalo City Hall for a public hearing regarding the effectiveness of the state’s transit network in Buffalo.
At 2 p.m. Friday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will host a joint legislative hearing at Brooklyn Borough Hall to “examine NYC’s homeownership housing crisis.” He will be joined by Senators Velmanette Montgomery, Brad Hoylman, Kevin Parker, Robert Jackson, and Brian Benjamin, and Assemblymembers Tremaine Wright and Al Taylor.
by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
Tags: City Council
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Artist "Flemisch Radio Choir, Brussels Philharmonic & Casco Phil"
Flemisch Radio Choir, Brussels Philharmonic & Casco Phil
Label: Aluid Records
I Colori della Gioia
Biography Flemisch Radio Choir, Brussels Philharmonic & Casco Phil
Flemisch Radio Choir
The Vlaams Radio Koor (Flemish Radio Choir) was founded in 1937 by the Belgian public broadcaster of the day. Today it has become a choir of exceptionally high quality that counts both domestically and internationally among the top ensembles. The 24 professional singers rehearse under the baton of chief conductor Hervé Niquet in Studio 1 of the well-known Flagey building in Brussels, and perform throughout Flanders and Europe.
The Brussels Philharmonic
was founded in 1935 by the Belgian public broadcaster (NIR/INR). Over the years, the orchestra has performed with many top conductors and soloists. It enjoys an excellent reputation for performing premieres of new works and has collaborated with world-renowned composers such as Bartók, Stravinsky, Messiaen and Francesconi.
The orchestra’s historic home port is the Flagey building, where it rehearses and performs in Studio 4 – in acoustic terms one of the top concert halls in the world – and which serves as its home base for concerts in Brussels, Flanders and Europe.
Jan Van der Roost
was born in Duffel, Belgium, in 1956. At a very young age he was introduced to the prominent names in the concert band, fanfare band and brass band repertoire which inspired him to put something on paper himself. He studied trombone, music history and musical education at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven (Louvain). He continued his studies at the Royal Conservatoires of Ghent and Antwerp, where he qualified as a conductor and a composer.
Jan Van der Roost currently teaches at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven (Belgium), is special visiting professor at the Shobi Institute of Music in Tokyo, guest professor at the Nagoya University of Art and guest professor at Senzoku Gakuen in Kawasaki (Japan). Besides being a prolific composer he is also very much in demand as an adjudicator, lecturer, holder of clinics and guest conductor. His musical activities have taken place in more than 45 countries in four continents and his compositions have been performed and recorded around the world.
Early in 2001, a CD containing four of his works for chamber orchestra was released by EMI Classics and the Slovakian Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) recorded three of his compositions which were released on CD in early 2003 by the German label Valve-Hearts. In 2004, Phaedra Records produced another classical CD of his compositions, containing solo concertos for trumpet, guitar and horn. The famous Sofia Soloists (BG) recorded his Concerto Doppio on the Dutch label Aliud Records and the Polish Radio Choir released a CD containing his Contemplations for choir and organ in 2012. In 2013, the prestigious American label Parma Records released the CD Sirius, featuring the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra and containing three of his orchestral works. Many other prestigious professional ensembles such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Canada), the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (Venezuela), the Nippon Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra (Japan), the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, the Polish Radio Choir and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg (to name just a few) have performed and/or recorded his music. Early in 2014, his Sinfonia Hungarica and From Ancient Times were released on a NAXOS CD and in 2015 three more of his major works have been released on the same label: Spartacus, Poeme Montagnard and Sinfonietta, performed by the Philharmonic Winds Osakan of Japan, conducted by the composer.
His list of works covers a wide variety of genres and styles, including two oratorios, a children’s opera, a cantata, a symphony and some smaller works for symphony orchestra, a guitar concerto (dedicated to Joaquin Rodrigo), a concerto for trumpet and string orchestra (dedicated to and commissioned by the Norwegian virtuoso Ole Edvard Antonsen), a double concerto for two clarinets and string orchestra (dedicated to Walter and Anne Boeykens), a concerto for clarinet and symphony orchestra (commissioned by and dedicated to Eddy Vanoosthuyse), Images for alto saxophone and chamber orchestra, a lieder cycle for baritone and chamber orchestra, works for strings and chamber orchestra, chamber music, numerous brass band and concert band compositions (including Sinfonia Hungarica, a three-movement symphony for large concert band and Sinfonietta), choral music and instrumental solos. Many of these compositions have been broadcast on radio and TV in many countries and most of them have been recorded on CD by renowned performers. Jan Van der Roost exclusively composes commissioned works, with commissions coming from Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, the USA, Japan, Spain, France, Singapore, Austria, Canada, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Finland, Luxembourg, Hungary, Colombia, Croatia and England.
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Apartment/Ottawa/Sandy Hill
A Major Development in Sandy Hill (The Major Apartments, Besserer Street, 1937)
The Major Apartments came to Sandy Hill in 1937, but only two of the three were new construction. Image: Google Maps.
With all of the beautiful and interesting heritage properties that stand in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood, it’s somewhat interesting that the apartments above are (a) the first buildings that I really remember loving in the neighbourhood, and (b) still among my favourite. In a setting filled with delightful institutional architecture and numerous Victwardian houses, for some, it would be a wonder that a small handful of 1930s apartments are what have stuck in my mind.
175, 177, and 179 Wilbrod were known collectively as the Major Apartments and were (mostly) constructed in 1937. From what I can tell, with three buildings, they make for the second of Ottawa’s cluster apartment developments, only following Wolf Shenkman’s six-building project at Gladstone and Metcalfe.
175 Wilbrod, the apartments. Image: Google Maps.
177 Wilbrod, the new-build triplex. Image: Google Maps.
179 Wilbrod, the large home reformed. Image: Google Maps.
In December 1936, Major Investments Limited purchased the duplex at 507-509 Cumberland from l’Association Catholique Feminine for $8,000. The duplex was home to Le Foyer, a Catholic social services organization and home for young women. The property came with generous lot at the rear.1 “To Provide A Home For Working Girls,” Ottawa Journal, February 18, 1911, 5; Jules Tremblay, Le Foyer: la charité en action (Ottawa, 1920); “To Turn Residence Of S.N. Parent Into a Home For Girls,” Ottawa Journal, August 20, 1929, 2; “$3,042,719 Value 1,005 Transfers During Year,” Ottawa Journal, January 1, 1937, 2.
I don’t currently have the burning need for yet another subscription, so rather than 509 Cumberland, here is Le Foyer’s nifty seal. Source: Jules Tremblay, Le Foyer: la charité en action (Ottawa, 1920).
Major Investments did not waste much time and began its marketing quickly. In January 1937, the Journal reported that plans were being put together for a new apartment at the corner of Cumberland and Wilbrod streets. The paper reported that there were other homes on the lot (namely 507-509 Cumberland) and that they were to be demolished as soon as possible. The architect designing the new fireproof apartment was Henry J. Morin, by then of the newly-formed Roper & Morin. Work was expected to start in the spring.2 “New Apartments for Sandy Hill,” Ottawa Journal, January 25, 1937, 12. At the same time as Morin had been drawing up his plans, Major Investments also purchased the adjacent lot and house at 179 Wilbrod from Marie L. Dubé for $5,000.3 “75 Property Transfers During January,” Ottawa Journal, February 3, 1937, 15. The price of the lot with a fifty foot frontage was later reported to be $7,500.4 “Buys Duke Hotel For $28,000,” Ottawa Journal, April 12, 1937, 12.
With the spring approaching, Major prepared its call for tenders to construct the apartments. The building was expected to contain 15 units and cost $70,000. As the Depression that was wearing on, an announcement like that was most definitely welcome. Work was expected to begin during the middle of April. The 15-unit building was to have a steel frame, and be constructed of brick and cinder block.5 “Start Work Soon On Apartment,” Ottawa Journal, March 30, 1937, 12.
In their glory. Image: Goad’s Atlas, Volume 2 (1956): 214-2.
In the meantime, Major changed its plans and had Morin draft plans for a small apartment with two triplexes.6 “To Erect Triplexes And Apartment House,” Ottawa Journal, May 28, 1937, 26. After a few more weeks of decision-making and amendments, tenders were finally called for the project. Instead of the single building announced in March, the project would contain an 11-unit apartment, a newly-constructed triplex, and rather than demolish 179 Wilbrod, the plans now called for the conversion of the large home into the second triplex on the property.7 “Plans Provide For 17 Suites,” Ottawa Journal, June 4, 1937, 10. The contract to construct the two new buildings was awarded to the very busy Ross-Meagher and the conversion of 179 to Monette Construction. Total cost of the project was expected to come in at $73,000.8 “Ross-Meagher Company Gets Apartment Job,” Ottawa Journal, June 15, 1937, 12. The building permit for the new construction was issued for $65,000.9”Two Buildings Cost $65,000,” Ottawa Journal, June 18, 1937, 13. Later accounting valued the two new apartments at $65,000 and the conversion at $7,000, for a total of $72,000. See “$564,200 In Construction For Six Months,” Ottawa Journal, July 5, 1937, 3.
The Major Apartments were ready for November. Source: Ottawa Journal, November 27, 1937, 13.
Construction (and conversion) of the apartments ran through the summer and they were ready by the Christmas season of that year. The advertised features were much like one would expect in an apartment of the time: being “fireproof”, double-glazed windows, tiled baths, electric appliances abound, it was all present. In spite of the full-page ad in the local papers during the season, there were only two units available.10Ottawa Journal, November 27, 1937, 13.
To nearly anybody in Ottawa during those years the name of Major Investments would be familiar. As the real estate and development arm of the Major family’s grocery distribution empire, Major Investments ensured that the family’s mark was made on the city. S.J. Major himself passed away in 1903,11 “Funeral of Late S.J. Major,” Ottawa Journal, June 9, 1903, 1; “The Will of the Late S.J. Major,” Ottawa Journal, July 3, 1903, 1. but the firm was passed into his widow Marie’s more than capable hands, and subsequently into his son’s. Under Marie’s leadership, the firm expanded quickly. It soon outgrew its quarters at 10 York street and moved down to its new headquarters at 126 York.12 “S.J. Major, Ltd., Had Ottawa Start in 1889,” Ottawa Journal, November 14, 1923, 27.
New headquarters. Source: Ottawa Journal, April 29, 1914, 29.
Part of the S.J. Major success was beer distribution. Source: Ottawa Journal, April 24, 10.
This Bud’s for you. Source: Ottawa Journal, September 15, 1915, 11.
In 1919, her eldest son, Ascanio, took the helm.13Ibid. Growth of the firm only continued and in 1925, S.J. Major merged with the rapidly-growing National Grocers and Ascanio (or A.J. as he was better known) became a director at the large distributor.14 “Companies In New Merger Announced,” Ottawa Journal, August 15, 1925, 4; “Ottawa’s Representative,” Ottawa Journal, August 22, 1925, 18.
Of the adapted 179 Wilbrod? There is much more to research, but most significantly it was the home of Lucien Dubé, who was the superintendent of the House of Commons. Dubé passed away at 70 in 1912 and his widow Victoria remained in the home until her death at 83 in 1928. It was the children, lead by daughter Louise, who sold the home to Major Investments.15 “Lucien Dube Passed Away,” Ottawa Journal, November 21, 1912, 2; “Mrs. Lucien Dube Here Many Years,” Ottawa Journal, January 8, 1930, 2.
It was George M. Jarvis who lost his parrot in 1894. Image: Ottawa Journal, July 10, 1894, 7.
From what I can tell, the home itself dates back to at least 1878, but this will require much more research. It appears that 179 was reformed into a condominium in 1985.
Seems pretty similar. Source: Goad’s Atlas (1878), 28.
Source: Goad’s Atlas (1912), 28.
1. ↥ “To Provide A Home For Working Girls,” Ottawa Journal, February 18, 1911, 5; Jules Tremblay, Le Foyer: la charité en action (Ottawa, 1920); “To Turn Residence Of S.N. Parent Into a Home For Girls,” Ottawa Journal, August 20, 1929, 2; “$3,042,719 Value 1,005 Transfers During Year,” Ottawa Journal, January 1, 1937, 2.
2. ↥ “New Apartments for Sandy Hill,” Ottawa Journal, January 25, 1937, 12.
3. ↥ “75 Property Transfers During January,” Ottawa Journal, February 3, 1937, 15.
4. ↥ “Buys Duke Hotel For $28,000,” Ottawa Journal, April 12, 1937, 12.
5. ↥ “Start Work Soon On Apartment,” Ottawa Journal, March 30, 1937, 12.
6. ↥ “To Erect Triplexes And Apartment House,” Ottawa Journal, May 28, 1937, 26.
7. ↥ “Plans Provide For 17 Suites,” Ottawa Journal, June 4, 1937, 10.
8. ↥ “Ross-Meagher Company Gets Apartment Job,” Ottawa Journal, June 15, 1937, 12.
9. ↥ ”Two Buildings Cost $65,000,” Ottawa Journal, June 18, 1937, 13. Later accounting valued the two new apartments at $65,000 and the conversion at $7,000, for a total of $72,000. See “$564,200 In Construction For Six Months,” Ottawa Journal, July 5, 1937, 3.
10. ↥ Ottawa Journal, November 27, 1937, 13.
11. ↥ “Funeral of Late S.J. Major,” Ottawa Journal, June 9, 1903, 1; “The Will of the Late S.J. Major,” Ottawa Journal, July 3, 1903, 1.
12. ↥ “S.J. Major, Ltd., Had Ottawa Start in 1889,” Ottawa Journal, November 14, 1923, 27.
13. ↥ Ibid.
14. ↥ “Companies In New Merger Announced,” Ottawa Journal, August 15, 1925, 4; “Ottawa’s Representative,” Ottawa Journal, August 22, 1925, 18.
15. ↥ “Lucien Dube Passed Away,” Ottawa Journal, November 21, 1912, 2; “Mrs. Lucien Dube Here Many Years,” Ottawa Journal, January 8, 1930, 2.
The View From Up Here (The Highlands on St. Laurent, 1970-73)
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Report: Fulham will demand £9m for Liverpool target Harvey Elliott
Liverpool reportedly want to sign Harvey Elliott from Fulham in the summer transfer window.
According to The Sunday People (print edition, page 51, July 14, 2019), Fulham will demand £9 million as transfer fee from Liverpool for Harvey Elliott.
It has been reported that the attacking midfielder will sign a youth contract with Liverpool, as he cannot put pen to paper on a professional deal with the Reds until he turns 17 in April.
Fulham and Liverpool have reportedly failed to come to an agreement over the fee, which will be decided by a tribunal, with the Cottagers to demand £9m.
Bargain fee?
Elliott is only 16 years of age, and the £9m fee does sound a lot for someone who made his Premier League debut only in May, but in the long run, that could prove to be a bargain.
The 16-year-old attacking midfielder is very promising and has a lot of talent, and playing in the Liverpool youth system and working with first-team manager Jurgen Klopp from time to time will also help him develop and progress as a footballer.
Register for LIVERPOOL team updates
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The AETC Capitol Region Telehealth "Power Podcast" series allows you to listen to experts in the field from your computer or mobile device. Designed for the busy professional, you can learn about cultural competence in the treatment of HIV/AIDS from your office or "On-The-Go."
Drug-Drug Interactions with Antiretrovirals in Patients who are HIV Positive and Co-Infected with TB and HCV, Part 2 - HCV Focus: VIDEO Podcast
Click here to view the slides
Biographic Information for Keith Crawford, RPH, PhD
Dr. Keith Crawford is currently the Assistant Chief of Public Health Research for the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. In this capacity, he oversees clinical and implementation science research projects in conjunction with the PEPFAR initiative (President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief) in four African countries. He is also on faculty at Howard University College of Medicine in the Department of Pharmacology.
He has previously worked as a research associate in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD., where he was engaged in HIV clinical research through the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest federally-funded system supporting HIV research in the world.
Dr. Crawford received a BS in biology from Cornell University and a BS in Pharmacy from Temple University. He completed a residency in Clinical Pharmacy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. He then earned a Ph.D. degree in pharmacology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda MD. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in microbial genetics and biochemistry in the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology in the Natl. Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the NIH.
Dr. Crawford has published research in leading journals such as Cancer Research, AIDS, Journal of The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (JAIDS), Lancet infectious Diseases and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses He reviews submitted manuscripts for the journals AIDS and JAIDS. He also has many years experience as a clinical pharmacist specializing in pharmacotherapy of infectious diseases. Working with infectious disease physicians and other clinicians, he uses his expertise to assist in initiating and monitoring antiretroviral therapy, interpretation of HIV drug resistance tests and designing salvage regimens, minimizing risks of drug-drug interactions and drug side-effects and maximizing patient adherence.
He has served as the Clinical Director of the National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center (NMAETC) and the Pennsylvania Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education and Training Center at Howard University. He serves as a consultant for the Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration in the District of Columbia and Prince Georges County, Maryland. He is also a consultant with the National Association of Addiction Professionals (NADAAC) and has developed training modules on the pharmacotherapy of substance abuse.
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Akhilesh Pandey M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Center for Individualized Medicine
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Founder and Director, Institute of Bioinformatics
E-Mail: pandey.akhilesh@mayo.edu
Dr. Akhilesh Pandey obtained his medical degree from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and completed his residency in Pathology at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, U.S.A. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S.A. in Molecular Biology. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Harvey Lodish at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, U.S.A., where he used computational and molecular biology tools to clone and characterize a novel cytokine receptor. Later, as a Visiting Scientist in the group of Prof. Matthias Mann at the University of Southern Denmark, he developed the SILAC method for quantitative proteomics. He served as a Professor for 16 years at the McKusick- Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine and the Departments of Biological Chemistry, Oncology and Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
He is currently a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and the Center for Individualized Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where he oversees a systems biology laboratory. In proteomics, he has pioneered methods for quantitative proteomics, analysis of post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions and proteogenomics. His interests are in developing novel assays for clinical diagnostics and in using systems biology approaches to study a variety of human diseases ranging from cancer and infectious diseases to inherited genetic disorders.
Dr. Pandey has received numerous prestigious awards including the Discovery in Proteomic Sciences Award by the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO). He was named a Margdarshi Fellow by the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance under which he has established a Center for Molecular Medicine at NIMHANS in Bangalore. He serves as an Editorial Board member of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, Proteomics and Journal of Clinical Investigation and as an Associate Editor of Clinical Proteomics.
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'Billy Lynn' Star Joe Alwyn Joins Emma Stone in 'The Favourite' (Exclusive)
12:25 PM PST 3/3/2017 by Rebecca Ford
Rachel Weisz and Nicholas Hoult also star in the 'Lobster' helmer's film.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk star Joe Alwyn will join newly minted Oscar winner Emma Stone in The Favourite.
The period drama, directed by The Lobster helmer Yorgos Lanthimos, also will star Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult and Olivia Colman. It is set during the reign of Queen Anne (Colman), the last monarch of the House of Stuart, and centers on a love triangle and power struggle among the women of Queen Anne's court.
Alwyn will play Masham, the love interest of Emma Stone's servant character, who uses him to advance her position in court.
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara wrote the script for the project, which is produced by Ceci Dempsey of Scarlet Films and Element Pictures' Ed Guiney and Lee Magiday (who produced The Lobster).
A graduate of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Alwyn has become a quickly rising star after Ang Lee cast him as the titular character in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (before the film, he had never acted in front of professional cameras). He starred in the 2016 film opposite Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart and Vin Diesel. The British actor will soon be seen in The Sense of an Ending with Charlotte Rampling. He’s repped by CAA and Independent Talent Group in the U.K.
Rebecca Ford
Rebecca.Ford@thr.com beccamford
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Last Edited: April 11, 2012 at 4:28 PM
The title is a variation of the film Boys Don’t Cry.
Peter flirts with a beautiful woman on the road, ala National Lampoon’s Vacation.
“Bat Out of Hell” by Meatloaf is referenced with the Super Devil’s motorcycle picture.
The Jesus encounter is the shower is a scene from Witness.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is jabbed at with her new sitcom, Now It’s Just Getting Sad.
Kirsten Dunst and Sarah Jessica Parker are made fun of for their appearance.
Auditions include Seamus singing “Great Balls of Fire” and Herbert performing “I Know What Boys Like”.
Meg is seen in a spoof of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America advertisements.
Britney Spears is brought up due to her relationship with Kevin Federline.
Chuck Norris is seen punching someone through his beard.
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are both continually poked fun at throughout the latter half of the episode due to their unpopularity with the general public.
A man is shown playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, with a mule proclaiming Kevin Bacon never starred in Footloose.
Chris flashes George W. Bush’s underwear at his school buddies, a nod to Sixteen Candles.
Gilbert Gottfried appears as a loudmouth horse.
Enrico Pallazzo, a character from the Naked Gun films, is referenced.
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Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Reversed in Lab
About 1.5 million people died of tuberculosis (TB) in 2017, making it the most lethal infectious disease worldwide. A growing rise in drug-resistant TB is a major obstacle to successfully treating the illness...
NIH-Supported Study Reveals a Novel Indicator of Influenza Immunity
A study of influenza virus transmission in Nicaraguan households reveals new insights into the type of immune responses that may be protective against influenza virus infection, report investigators. The findings could help scientists design more...
A Common Skin Bacterium Puts Children With Severe Eczema at Higher Risk of Food Allergy
In a new study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, scientists from King's College London have found that young children with severe eczema infected with Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacterium, are at a higher risk of...
International Team Identifies Potential Therapeutic Target for Sepsis
An international collaboration led by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified a potential new therapeutic target for sepsis, a life-threatening disease that can quickly spread through the body damaging organs...
U.S. Measles Cases in First Five Months of 2019 Surpass Total Cases for Any Year Since 1992
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting 971 cases of measles in the United States thus far in 2019. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994, when 963 cases were reported for the...
LSU Health Research Finds New RX Target for Common STD
Research led by Ashok Aiyar, PhD, associate professor of microbiology, immunology and parasitology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a target that may lead to the development of new treatments for the most common...
Manuka Honey May Kill Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in Cystic Fibrosis Infections
Manuka honey could provide the key to a breakthrough treatment for cystic fibrosis patients following preliminary work by experts at Swansea University...
Scientists Develop New Treatment Option for Multidrug-Resistant Infections
A new study, published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and conducted by a University of Liverpool led research consortium, has helped develop a new treatment option for some multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections...
Factors Associated With Healthcare Workers’ Fears of Occupationally-Acquired Tuberculosis
Fear of tuberculosis (TB) infection is rooted in historical and social memories of the disease, marked by stigma, segregation and exclusion. Healthcare workers (HCWs) face these same fears today, and even seek to hide their TB status when infected...
Fewer Than 60 Percent of Young Women Diagnosed With STIs in EDs Fill Prescriptions
Fewer than 60 percent of young women diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the emergency department fill prescriptions for antimicrobial therapy to treat these conditions, according to a research letter published online May 28...
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Zillow CEO: 'less tolerant of mediocrity and more demanding' of team
by Paul Hagey Staff Writer
Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff says he’s gotten “less tolerant of mediocrity and more demanding” as he has become a more experienced manager, in a Q-and-A interview with The New York Times about his management style.
Rascoff, who revealed that his mother was a real estate agent in New York City and he often sleeps just four hours a night, drives his team hard, but no one works harder than him, he told the Times. “I maintain a pace that is intense. That sets the tone for the rest of the company.”
Two other valuable lessons he’s learned as a manager? Hire people smarter than you and act quickly when you know deep down that someone’s not the best person for a job.
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How to Invest with Confidence
Explore The Guide
Stock Market Basics
Stock Market Definition
Primary and Secondary Markets
How to Buy/Sell Stocks
How Stock Investing Works
What Owning a Stock Means
The Basics of Order Types
Position Sizing
Executing Trades
When to Sell a Stock
Income, Value, Growth Stocks
Investing vs. Trading
Investing and Trading Differences
Stocks vs. ETFs
Stocks vs. Mutual Funds
ETFs vs. Mutual Funds
Bonds & Fixed Income
Bond Yield Definition
Basic Bond Characteristics
How to Buy a Bond
Bond Risks
Options & Futures
Options vs. Futures
Essential Options Trading
Managing a Portfolio
Understanding Risk Tolerance
Measuring Investment Returns
Essentials of Analyzing Stocks
Evaluating Company Financials
Investopedia Investing
Reviewed by Adam Hayes
The Issuers of Bonds
Characteristics of Bonds
Categories of Bonds
Varieties of Bonds
Pricing Bonds
Inverse to Interest Rates
Yield-to-Maturity (YTM)
Real World Bond Example
A bond is a fixed income instrument that represents a loan made by an investor to a borrower (typically corporate or governmental). A bond could be thought of as an I.O.U. between the lender and borrower that includes the details of the loan and its payments. Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states, and sovereign governments to finance projects and operations. Owners of bonds are debtholders, or creditors, of the issuer. Bond details include the end date when the principal of the loan is due to be paid to the bond owner and usually includes the terms for variable or fixed interest payments made by the borrower.
Governments (at all levels) and corporations commonly use bonds in order to borrow money. Governments need to fund roads, schools, dams or other infrastructure. The sudden expense of war may also demand the need to raise funds.
Similarly, corporations will often borrow to grow their business, to buy property and equipment, to undertake profitable projects, for research and development or to hire employees. The problem that large organizations run into is that they typically need far more money than the average bank can provide. Bonds provide a solution by allowing many individual investors to assume the role of the lender. Indeed, public debt markets let thousands of investors each lend a portion of the capital needed. Moreover, markets allow lenders to sell their bonds to other investors or to buy bonds from other individuals—long after the original issuing organization raised capital.
Bonds are units of corporate debt issued by companies and securitized as tradeable assets.
A bond is referred to as a fixed income instrument since bonds traditionally paid a fixed interest rate (coupon) to debtholders. Variable or floating interest rates are also now quite common.
Bond prices are inversely correlated with interest rates: when rates go up, bond prices fall and vice-versa.
Bonds have maturity dates at which point the principal amount must be paid back in full or risk default.
Bonds are commonly referred to as fixed income securities and are one of three asset classes individual investors are usually familiar with, along with stocks (equities) and cash equivalents. Many corporate and government bonds are publicly traded; others are traded only over-the-counter (OTC) or privately between the borrower and lender.
When companies or other entities need to raise money to finance new projects, maintain ongoing operations, or refinance existing debts, they may issue bonds directly to investors. The borrower (issuer) issues a bond that includes the terms of the loan, interest payments that will be made, and the time at which the loaned funds (bond principal) must be paid back (maturity date). The interest payment (the coupon) is part of the return that bondholders earn for loaning their funds to the issuer. The interest rate that determines the payment is called the coupon rate.
The initial price of most bonds is typically set at par, usually $100 or $1,000 face value per individual bond. The actual market price of a bond depends on a number of factors: the credit quality of the issuer, the length of time until expiration, and the coupon rate compared to the general interest rate environment at the time. The face value of the bond is what will be paid back to the borrower once the bond matures.
Most bonds can be sold by the initial bondholder to other investors after they have been issued. In other words, a bond investor does not have to hold a bond all the way through to its maturity date. It is also common for bonds to be repurchased by the borrower if interest rates decline, or if the borrower’s credit has improved, and it can reissue new bonds at a lower cost.
Most bonds share some common basic characteristics including:
Face value is the money amount the bond will be worth at maturity; it is also the reference amount the bond issuer uses when calculating interest payments. For example, say an investor purchases a bond at a premium $1,090 and another investor buys the same bond later when it is trading at a discount for $980. When the bond matures, both investors will receive the $1,000 face value of the bond.
The coupon rate is the rate of interest the bond issuer will pay on the face value of the bond, expressed as a percentage. For example, a 5% coupon rate means that bondholders will receive 5% x $1000 face value = $50 every year.
Coupon dates are the dates on which the bond issuer will make interest payments. Payments can be made in any interval, but the standard is semiannual payments.
The maturity date is the date on which the bond will mature and the bond issuer will pay the bondholder the face value of the bond.
The issue price is the price at which the bond issuer originally sells the bonds.
Two features of a bond—credit quality and time to maturity—are the principal determinants of a bond's coupon rate. If the issuer has a poor credit rating, the risk of default is greater, and these bonds pay more interest. Bonds that have a very long maturity date also usually pay a higher interest rate. This higher compensation is because the bondholder is more exposed to interest rate and inflation risks for an extended period.
Credit ratings for a company and its bonds are generated by credit rating agencies like Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch Ratings. The very highest quality bonds are called “investment grade” and include debt issued by the U.S. government and very stable companies, like many utilities. Bonds that are not considered investment grade, but are not in default, are called “high yield” or “junk” bonds. These bonds have a higher risk of default in the future and investors demand a higher coupon payment to compensate them for that risk.
Bonds and bond portfolios will rise or fall in value as interest rates change. The sensitivity to changes in the interest rate environment is called “duration”. The use of the term duration in this context can be confusing to new bond investors because it does not refer to the length of time the bond has before maturity. Instead, duration describes how much a bond’s price will rise or fall with a change in interest rates.
The rate of change of a bond’s or bond portfolio’s sensitivity to interest rates (duration) is called “convexity”. These factors are difficult to calculate, and the analysis required is usually done by professionals.
There are four primary categories of bonds sold in the markets. However, you may also see foreign bonds issued by corporations and governments on some platforms.
Corporate bonds are issued by companies. Companies issue bonds rather than seek bank loans for debt financing in many cases because bond markets offer more favorable terms and lower interest rates.
Municipal bonds are issued by states and municipalities. Some municipal bonds offer tax-free coupon income for investors.
Government bonds such as those issued by the U.S. Treasury. Bonds issued by the Treasury with a year or less to maturity are called “Bills”; bonds issued with 1 – 10 years to maturity are called “notes”; and bonds issued with more than 10 years to maturity are called “bonds”. The entire category of bonds issued by a government treasury is often collectively referred to as "treasuries." Government bonds issued by national governments may be referred to as sovereign debt.
Agency bonds are those issued by government-affiliated organizations such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
The bonds available for investors come in many different varieties. They can be separated by the rate or type of interest or coupon payment, being recalled by the issuer, or have other attributes.
Zero-coupon bonds do not pay coupon payments and instead are issued at a discount to their par value that will generate a return once the bondholder is paid the full face value when the bond matures. U.S. Treasury bills are a zero-coupon bond. For example, the U.S. Treasury sold 26-week bills with $100 face value for $98.78 on October 18th, 2018. That equates to a total annual yield of 2.479% once the bondholder is repaid the entire $100 at the maturity date.
Convertible bonds are debt instruments with an embedded option that allows bondholders to convert their debt into stock (equity) at some point, depending on certain conditions like the share price. For example, imagine a company that needs to borrow $1 million to fund a new project. They could borrow by issuing bonds with a 12% coupon that matures in 10 years. However, if they knew that there were some investors willing to buy bonds with an 8% coupon that allowed them to convert the bond into stock if the stock’s price rose above a certain value, they might prefer to issue those.
The convertible bond may the best solution for the company because they would have lower interest payments while the project was in its early stages. If the investors converted their bonds, the other shareholders would be diluted, but the company would not have to pay any more interest or the principal of the bond.
The investors who purchased a convertible bond may think this is a great solution because they can profit from the upside in the stock if the project is successful. They are taking more risk by accepting a lower coupon payment, but the potential reward if the bonds are converted could make that trade-off acceptable.
Callable bonds also have an embedded option but it is different than what is found in a convertible bond. A callable bond is one that can be “called” back by the company before it matures. Assume that a company has borrowed $1 million by issuing bonds with a 10% coupon that mature in 10 years. If interest rates decline (or the company’s credit rating improves) in year 5 when the company could borrow for 8%, they will call or buy the bonds back from the bondholders for the principal amount and reissue new bonds at a lower coupon rate.
A callable bond is riskier for the bond buyer because the bond is more likely to be called when it is rising in value. Remember, when interest rates are falling, bond prices rise. Because of this, callable bonds are not as valuable as bonds that aren’t callable with the same maturity, credit rating, and coupon rate.
A Puttable bond allows the bondholders to put or sell the bond back to the company before it has matured. This is valuable for investors who are worried that a bond may fall in value, or if they think interest rates will rise and they want to get their principal back before the bond falls in value.
The bond issuer may include a put option in the bond that benefits the bondholders in return for a lower coupon rate or just to induce the bond sellers to make the initial loan. A puttable bond usually trades at a higher value than a bond without a put option but with the same credit rating, maturity, and coupon rate because it is more valuable to the bondholders.
The possible combinations of embedded puts, calls, and convertibility rights in a bond are endless and each one is unique. There isn’t a strict standard for each of these rights and some bonds will contain more than one kind of “option” which can make comparisons difficult. Generally, individual investors rely on bond professionals to select individual bonds or bond funds that meet their investing goals.
The market prices bonds based on their particular characteristics. A bond's price changes on a daily basis, just like that of any other publicly-traded security, where supply and demand in any given moment determine that observed price. But there is a logic to how bonds are valued. Up to this point, we've talked about bonds as if every investor holds them to maturity. It's true that if you do this you're guaranteed to get your principal back plus interest; however, a bond does not have to be held to maturity. At any time, a bondholder can sell their bonds in the open market, where the price can fluctuate, sometimes dramatically.
The price of a bond changes in response to changes in interest rates in the economy. This is due to the fact that for a fixed-rate bond, the issuer has promised to pay a coupon based on the face value of the bond – so for a $1,000 par, 10% annual coupon bond, the issuer will pay the bondholder $100 each year.
Say that prevailing interest rates are also 10% at the time that this bond is issued, as determined by the rate on a short-term government bond. An investor would be indifferent investing in the corporate bond or the government bond since both would return $100. However, imagine a little while later, that the economy has taken a turn for the worse and interest rates dropped to 5%. Now, the investor can only receive $50 from the government bond, but would still receive $100 from the corporate bond.
This difference makes the corporate bond much more attractive. So, investors in the market will bid up to the price of the bond until it trades at a premium that equalizes the prevailing interest rate environment—in this case, the bond will trade at a price of $2,000 so that the $100 coupon represents 5%. Likewise, if interest rates soared to 15%, then an investor could make $150 from the government bond and would not pay $1,000 to earn just $100. This bond would be sold until it reached a price that equalized the yields, in this case to a price of $666.67.
This is why the famous statement that a bond’s price varies inversely with interest rates works. When interest rates go up, bond prices fall in order to have the effect of equalizing the interest rate on the bond with prevailing rates, and vice versa.
Another way of illustrating this concept is to consider what the yield on our bond would be given a price change, instead of given an interest rate change. For example, if the price were to go down from $1,000 to $800, then the yield goes up to 12.5%. This happens because you are getting the same guaranteed $100 on an asset that is worth $800 ($100/$800). Conversely, if the bond goes up in price to $1,200, the yield shrinks to 8.33% ($100/$1,200).
The yield-to-maturity (YTM) of a bond is another way of considering a bond’s price. YTM is the total return anticipated on a bond if the bond is held until the end of its lifetime. Yield to maturity is considered a long-term bond yield but is expressed as an annual rate. In other words, it is the internal rate of return of an investment in a bond if the investor holds the bond until maturity and if all payments are made as scheduled. YTM is a complex calculation but is quite useful as a concept evaluating the attractiveness of one bond relative to other bonds of different coupon and maturity in the market. The formula for YTM involves solving for the interest rate in the following equation, which is no easy task, and therefore most bond investors interested in YTM will use a computer:
YTM. Investopedia
We can also measure the anticipated changes in bond prices given a change in interest rates with a measure knows as the duration of a bond. Duration is expressed in units of the number of years since it originally referred to zero-coupon bonds, whose duration is its maturity.
For practical purposes, however, duration represents the price change in a bond given a 1% change in interest rates. We call this second, more practical definition the modified duration of a bond.
The duration can be calculated to determine the price sensitivity to interest rate changes of a single bond, or for a portfolio of many bonds. In general, bonds with long maturities, and also bonds with low coupons have the greatest sensitivity to interest rate changes. A bond’s duration is not a linear risk measure, meaning that as prices and rates change, the duration itself changes, and convexity measures this relationship.
A bond represents a promise by a borrower to pay a lender their principal and usually interest on a loan. Bonds are issued by governments, municipalities, and corporations. The interest rate (coupon rate), principal amount and maturities will vary from one bond to the next in order to meet the goals of the bond issuer (borrower) and the bond buyer (lender). Most bonds issued by companies include options that can increase or decrease their value and can make comparisons difficult for non-professionals. Bonds can be bought or sold before they mature, and many are publicly listed and can be traded with a broker.
While governments issue many bonds, corporate bonds can be purchased from brokerages. If you're interested in this investment, you'll need to pick a broker. You can take a look at Investopedia's list of the best online stock brokers to get an idea of which brokers best fit your needs.
Because fixed-rate coupon bonds will pay the same percentage of its face value over time, the market price of the bond will fluctuate as that coupon becomes more or less attractive compared to the prevailing interest rates.
Imagine a bond that was issued with a coupon rate of 5% and a $1,000 par value. The bondholder will be paid $50 in interest income annually (most bond coupons are split in half and paid semiannually.) As long as nothing else changes in the interest rate environment, the price of the bond should remain at its par value.
However, if interest rates begin to decline and similar bonds are now issued with a 4% coupon, the original bond has become more valuable. Investors who want a higher coupon rate will have to pay extra for the bond in order to entice the original owner to sell. The increased price will bring the bond’s total yield down to 4% for new investors because they will have to pay an amount above par value to purchase the bond.
On the other hand, if interest rates rise and the coupon rate for bonds like this one rise to 6%, the 5% coupon is no longer attractive. The bond’s price will decrease and begin selling at a discount compared to the par value until its effective return is 6%.
The bond market tends to move inversely with interest rates because bonds will trade at a discount when interest rates are rising and at a premium when interest rates are falling.
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HomeBlogAccounting and FinanceYou’re About to Be Designated: Where Do You Go?
You’re About to Be Designated: Where Do You Go?
By Stephen Lecker, Toronto Financial Recruiter
You’ve put in those years of studying and writing exams. Now the time has finally come. You are about to get your accounting designation. For many accountants in this position, you’ve spent so much time working toward getting your CA, CGA, CMA, or CPA that you haven’t really thought a lot about what comes next.
Where do you go from here? Do you want to work in public accounting? What about corporate accounting? Your next move can have a big impact on your career moving forward.
If you continue to enjoy crunching numbers and working with financial statements on a daily basis, then you should have no problem finding a suitable career path. However, there are many professionals who, upon receiving their designation, take a step back and question their next step. Many people get burned out working long hours and studying for designation exams.
We’ve put together three career paths worth considering once you’ve been designated and become a full-fledged member of the accounting profession:
Forecasting, Planning, Analysis
Working on projecting what may happen next year instead of what happened last year is a nice change for many professionals. Being able to use your expertise to create financial models, performing analysis, and creating budgets is attractive to many newly designated accounting professionals. However, the one drawback of this career is there are fewer opportunities, making these positions highly competitive.
These positions are commonly available in large corporations such as banks. This allows you to get into a big company and helps you get your bearings in the industry. These positions also provide you with the opportunity to learn the operations side of things, opening the door for a number of career paths in the future.
This is a popular career option for accountants. While the actual job may vary from company to company, you’ll spend your time performing external financial reports for stakeholders. If you like the more technical side of accounting, this is a career path worth considering.
More Information About Accounting Careers
Still not sure which accounting career path is best for you? Check out these blog posts by our finance and accounting recruiters about the pros and cons of working in public and private accounting:
Pros and Cons of Public vs. Private Accounting Jobs
Public vs. Corporate Accounting: What’s the Best Choice for You?
5 Reasons Why You Should Work in Public Accounting
IQ PARTNERS is an Executive Search & Recruitment firm supporting clients across the country. We help companies hire better, hire less & retain more. We have specialist teams of recruiters in Technology (IT), Accounting and Finance, Consumer Goods, eCommerce and Retail, Financial Services and Insurance, Startup, B2B and Industrial, Operations and HR, Professional Services and Legal, Media, Digital and Marketing, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, Emerging Technology and Telecom, and Sales. IQ PARTNERS has its head office in Toronto and operates internationally via Aravati Global Search Network. Click here to view current job openings and to register with us.
Stephen Lecker
Stephen is a Sr. Director and Practice Lead in the Accounting and Finance group. In 2011 Stephen purchased The London Group, and over the next several years built a small team and became a go-to recruiter for several mid-sized accounting firms. In 2016 the London Group merged with IQ PARTNERS, allowing Stephen to grow his accounting and finance recruitment practice under the umbrella of IQ PARTNERS.
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Brazilian Elections and the Future of the BRICS
Guilherme Casarões
| 05 October 2018
The BRICS group – composed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – is one of the most eloquent symbols of a changing global order. Since its creation in 2006, the BRICS became a political platform for emerging powers to push for a more multipolar world. This became even more evident in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, as the BRICS began to demand specific reforms of institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
In Brazil, the BRICS was seen as one of the pillars of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s ambitious foreign policy project. It served three major purposes. First, the BRICS reinforced Brazil’s identity as a rising power, not only in terms of economic growth, but also of political influence beyond South America. Second, the BRICS was a catalyst to stronger trade relations with emerging economies, notably with Russia and India. Third, the bloc gave Brazil a “safe space” where it could relate with China as diplomatic equals. That was particularly important as China quickly established itself as Brazil’s – and Latin America’s – main trade partner.
In the years that immediately followed the global financial crisis, the BRICS did not live up to its initial promise. As attempts at reforming the IMF were blocked by Western powers, the BRICS countries fell short of devising a common agenda for global governance reform. One of the few significant landmarks was South Africa’s admission in the group at the Sanya Summit in 2011.
Xi Jinping’s rise to power in China, in 2013, transformed the intra-BRICS relationship in important ways. With all other BRICS countries facing political, economic, and geopolitical setbacks, China took the lead and used the bloc to advance its own long-term goals, which included the creation of a development bank (which became known as the New Development Bank, NDB) and the establishment of a foreign exchange reserve swap mechanism, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement. Both initiatives were launched at the Fortaleza Summit in 2014, a year that marked the political rebirth of the BRICS.
Two years on, president Dilma Rousseff’s ousting came as a significant blow to the group. Her vice-president, Michel Temer, took over to change the course of most policies identified with the PT, including some basic foreign policy guidelines. While Temer never expressed reservations with the bloc, his foreign minister, José Serra, a longtime opponent of Lula and Rousseff, showed no interest in nurturing relations with the BRICS partners. China was the obvious exception, thanks to Brazil’s growing dependency on Chinese commodity imports.
As Brazil’s emerging power narrative was thrown to the sidelines, the Temer administration reinforced the country’s bid to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). For analysts and policymakers, the choice between BRICS and OECD membership was a mutually exclusive one. More than just a strategic decision, it was ultimately about Brazil’s international identity: while the BRICS reinforced Brazilian ties with the Global South as a rising global power, the OECD would restore Brazil’s belonging into the West, as a middle power who competed with other regional players, such as Argentina and Colombia, for Washington’s loyalty and support.
As elections approach, the choice is still up for grabs. The two favorite candidates to qualify for the runoff, Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad, have opposed views on the BRICS. Bolsonaro’s foreign policy platform is anti-globalist at heart: while not outspokenly protectionist, he suggests that Brazil must engage in the global cultural battle to restore the Judeo-Christian tradition by aligning with specific countries as the United States, Israel, and Italy – whose current leaders are, unsurprisingly, staunch conservatives.
Also, Bolsonaro has openly criticized China as part of his anti-communist rhetoric. Last year, he took a campaign trip to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, spurring an immediate response by Chinese authorities. Given that the candidate is strongly supported by the agrobusiness sector, he will have to reconsider the confrontation stance on China, or run the risk of losing Brazil’s key trade partner.
Haddad, on his part, draws his foreign policy platform on the alleged success of Lula’s diplomatic and trade strategies. Renewed relations with the BRICS countries appear as the key to Brazil’s “more proactive attitude” on the global stage. The PT’s platform also underlines the importance that Brazil hosts the Contingent Reserve Arrangement and fosters the New Development Bank. However, there is no specific mention of the role of China (or, for that matter, of any other BRICS country) toward Brazil’s development.
One might wonder that Haddad desires to keep Lula’s exact same pattern of relationship with the emerging powers of the Global South. It nonetheless seems very unlikely that today’s Brazil, torn apart by political polarization, social unrest, and economic recession will be able to creatively find ways to strengthen trade or political ties with these countries. Not only has Brazil changed, but also the world around it: while Russia, India, and South Africa are progressively more concerned with their own surroundings, China does not seem to be willing to invest as much in the BRICS initiative as in the past.
Ciro Gomes and Geraldo Alckmin, who are respectively ranked third and fourth in the polls, also speak about the importance of the BRICS, but in quite different ways. The former is a leftist candidate who waves the flags of sovereignty and autonomy. He sees the grouping as “one of the best instruments Brazil has to revise the current global order”. On the other hand, Gomes desires to reset relations with China, making sure that the Chinese government will only increase its presence in our territory if it helps Brazil advance its industrial production and technological development.
Often considered a moderate and a liberal, Geraldo Alckmin offers a foreign policy platform centered on trade liberalization and integration in the global value chains. The BRICS appears as just one of the many groups Brazil should engage in, together with the financial G-20, the IBSA Forum, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries. Contrary to Chinese interests, he suggests that Brazil should join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, intensify trade with Japan, and keep the bid to join the OECD.
Judging by the most recent polls, which place Bolsonaro and Haddad in the second round, there is a fifty-fifty chance of a “Braxit” from the BRICS. If the former gets elected, he will probably abandon the group – either symbolically or officially – on the grounds of a renewed relationship with the West and of a Sino-phobic rhetoric. If the PT candidate wins, the BRICS will return as the centerpiece of Brazil’s global strategy. Whoever gets chosen, though, will probably preside over a divided and unruly country, to whom foreign policy is far from being a priority.
Brazil's Elections: A Political Crossroads
When Populism Meets Nationalism
Alberto Martinelli
G20 at the Time of Trade War
Rodolfo Helg
Carlo Cattaneo University
A Brazilian Paradox
Emiliano Guanella
Polarized, Radicalized, Uncertain: Brazil and the Price of Corruption
Roberta S. Braga
Associate Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council
What Next for Brazil's Economy?
Monica de Bolle
Director, Johns Hopkins SAIS Latin American Studies Program
Brics Brazil Latin America trade
Professor in comparative politics, Fundação Getulio Vargas
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MainAll NewsTechnology & HealthWaking Up to Life
Waking Up to Life
'Now I have something to wake up to"; how one woman plucked her life from the jaws of tragedy with help from Efrat.
Baby (illustration)
In a series of articles about the “Efrat” organization, Arutz Sheva presents a number of personal stories and anecdotes relating the group's life-saving activities. This week’s article centers on Sigal, a long-time bachelorette who had given up hope of ever becoming a wife and mother.
“I was single for many years. I never thought that at the age of 31, I would at last succeed in finding the man of my dreams and becoming his wife,” Sigal said.
An acquaintance had approached Sigal at a family event and had pointed out a young man interested in getting to know her. Sigal recalls being surprised at the off-the-cuff offer, but decided to take the leap and meet the man in question. He was a new Oleh, an immigrant to Israel from France, and had two children from a previous marriage still living abroad with their mother. They hit it off right away.
“When I found out I was pregnant, we immediately decided to marry,” Sigal recounted, but she saud that immediately after deciding to wed, she began to feel as if her new fiancée began to distance himself from her. “He began to tell me about the problems he was experiencing with his ex-wife, and about the money she was extorting from him.
“At a certain stage, he just up and left me. I found myself all alone. My world imploded around me; I went into crisis mode, panicking, as I didn't know how I could succeed in raising my unborn child on my own. I felt that life was being cruel to me, and I did not want to bring a child into such a cruel, torturous world.”
At the suggestion of a friend, Sigal decided to turn to the “Efrat” organization. She later proclaimed that doing so was one of the smartest steps she has taken in her life thus far.
“The ‘Efrat’ organization was the light at the end of the tunnel for me,” Sigal joyfully stated. “I slowly grew to understand what the true essence of life is. After years of living alone with a deep sense of disappointment and lack of meaning, I essentially learned that this pregnancy was a gift that would bestow newfound meaning unto my life.”
Sigal learned that she would no longer be alone. She would have someone to care for, someone to worry about, someone who would return love and would fill her life with meaning.
Throughout the pregnancy, an “Efrat” organization volunteer guided Sigal. She was attentive to her needs and took the time and care to encourage her at every given opportunity.
Today, Sigal is the mother to a three-month-old baby girl. After giving birth, Sigal received deliveries from “Efrat,” chock-full of all the new-baby necessities: a crib, stroller, baby bath, clothing, and more.
“I don’t think that I could ever succeed in thanking ‘Efrat’ enough for helping me continue with this pregnancy. Thanks to ‘Efrat’ I have a reason to wake up in the morning,” Sigal declared.
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Download High Res Photo Here
Kelly Willis is Back Being Blue, to take a color-coded cue from the title of her seventh album. It’s a shade she wears well, though long-patient fans might just say: You had us at back. They’ll take a new Willis record in whatever hue it comes, now that it’s been 11 years since her last solo release, 2007’s Translated from Love. The Austin-based singer/songwriter has hardly been MIA in the intervening years, having recorded and toured as part of a duo with Bruce Robison. But she’s setting the duet Mm.Oo. aside for do-it-alone mode, at least as far as the spotlight is concerned. (Robison hovers just outside it this time, as producer.). Hers is a solo voice again, but it’s not necessarily sotto voce: This is an album of songs about lonesomeness that also happens to be a cracklingly good time.
Willis wrote six of the 10 tracks on Back Being Blue by herself, the first time she’s penned that big a portion of one of her albums without outside assists. That doesn’t mean she’s gone into deeply confessional territory for her “Blue” period.
Lyrically, “it’s not an extremely personal record,” she says, downright cheerfully. There may be profundity within, but what Willis was really after was a sense of playfulness. “I wanted to make a fun, interesting record that leans on the influences that first inspired me to make music,” she says. “I don’t think of it as even being so much about my vocals as an album about vibe.” Explaining, “The important thing to me was to take these songs and to get them just right musically. And in my mind, I was thinking of where maybe Skeeter Davis meets Rockpile, or Marshall Crenshaw meets the Louvin Brothers.”
Who wouldn’t want to hang out at either of those intersections? Not ignoring the fact that in Willis’ world, as the album title might augur, high times and heartache are inextricably tied, “I guess the songs I write can be more sad than I think they are,” she admits with a laugh. “The lyrics are always sad in country music. I mean, we sometimes wonder why people hire us to do weddings. We’re like, ‘Really? You wanted this? Well, okay!’ But the music, more than ever, I think, is very fun.”
The title song, which brings a slight R&B vibe to her trademark country, was key in setting the tone. “When I wrote ‘Back Being Blue,’ I felt like I made a discovery,” she says. “Up until writing that song, my songs were all feeling a little bit wordy and complicated and personal, and they just weren’t clicking. Then I wrote that one, I just felt like, oh!––what I need to do is try to simplify, and write these stories in a way that feels like you’re not quite sure what era they were written in.”
She makes it sound like a fresh epiphany, but some might say that sending the hands of the clock spinning––in a word: timelessness––has always been a hallmark of her career. As the New York Times wrote, “Kelly Willis looks back to country music before Nashville embraced power ballads and cute happily-ever-after songs. She has an old-fashioned country voice with a twang, a breathy quaver, a break or a throaty sob whenever she needs one… Whether she was wishing for comfort, admitting to a bruised heart, yielding to illicit romance or trying to say goodbye, her voice was modest and true, illuminating the delicate tension and pain in every line.” No Depression noted that her music transcends throwback appeal: “There’s no point in being nostalgic for the generic delineations of the past. We are in the present. That’s where Kelly Willis lives. And it’s there that she sings, as keenly and movingly as any singer in the country or pop or rock present.” Rolling Stone zeroed in on the eternality of her tone: “Willis’ Okie soprano still crackles like no other, and her control and phrasing make it more devastating than ever.”
The native Okie-ness Rolling Stone noticed in her honeyed voice is tempered by a whole lot of Texas. Romance and music brought her to Austin while she was in her late teens, fronting a celebrated but short-lived rockabilly band, Radio Ranch. Famed singer/songwriter Nancy Griffith took a shine to her voice and recommended Willis to producer Tony Brown, one of the titans of Nashville country, who signed her to a deal with MCA. Her three major -label albums yielded plenty of critical acclaim, with enough media attention that she even found herself representing for Texas on People magazine’s annual “50 most beautiful people” list. But, not for the first or last time, mainstream radio didn’t quite know what to make of a youthful neo-traditionalist who appeared to have been transported from a less trendy era.
Then came the album that set the template for the second act of this American life: the 1999 Rykodisc release What I Deserve, her debut as an independent artist in all senses of the term.
“I feel like I’ve never really quite fit into any one group,” Willis says. “I wasn’t really country enough to fit in with the Nashville mainstream, and I didn’t quite fit in with that alt-country stuff, either. But What I Deserve was a huge turning point, because that was the first time I was able to just do my record my way, and the first time I had really grown as an artist and was writing more songs and aware of how to get my ideas across musically. I also looked at that as potentially being my last record. I felt kind of washed up, which was a really strange place to be as a 25-year-old. But to accomplish that record and have it be so well -received gave me a lot of confidence. From then on, I knew I could continue to be a musician, and whatever it was going to look like, I was gonna make it up as I go along, and there could be real satisfaction in that.”
There were personal and creative detours to come. Easy (2002) and Translated by Love (2007) generated equal love from fans, the press, and fellow musicians. Meanwhile, motherhood competed for her attention, to put it mildly. “I had four babies in the space of five years. As challenging as work/family balance became, it led to a pleasing mid-career wrinkle when she backed into a side career with Robison, who conveniently happened to be not just her spouse but her creative and popular equal in the Americana world. A series of annual Christmas shows led to a holiday album, which led to two non-seasonal duo projects, Cheater’s Game (2013) and Our Year (2014).
“We could feel this excitement and electricity at our performances together,” Willis says, “and so we finally just started doing that, even though we’d been keeping it at arm’s length, professionally. We just couldn’t deny it, and so we just decided to take a chance that it wouldn’t destroy our marriage,” she laughs. “But now it’s really important to both of us to get out there and do our own thing.”
So what did Willis do when it came time to reassert her artistic independence with Back Being Blue? Hire Robison as producer. “As I was going through the process, I realized he understood what I was trying to do, and that nobody cared more about how it turned out than he did. I didn’t have a bigger fan out there in the world.”
Choosing Robison as her producer, ironically, made for a long commute to work each day as she was recording the album, since Robison’s studio, the Bunker, is on a rustic five-acre plot with a fishing hole 40 minutes south of Austin. But it was worth the daily drive, she figures: “It’s kind of its own vibe out there, and you can hear it, I think, in the recordings. It feels old school to me. It’s got a real reverb chamber, and we did it on analog tape with an old board;” — old enough that “ the tape machine broke down six times while we were recording, but he’s got a guy he talks to up in Nashville that walks him through fixing it every time.”
That analog mentality filters into “Modern World,” one of the few songs on the album less about single-gal dilemmas and more about where Willis is now. “I can’t put my phone down,” she admits. “I’m trying to keep it away from my kids, but I’m not able to keep it away from myself. When we used to not have the stuff, we were forced to be more engaged. I was thinking I wanted to write about that, but I wanted to write about that in maybe the Louvin Brothers would have written about it.” “Freewheeling” is about how “everybody wishes they could let go of their anxiety or some of those old, comfortable pains that won’t go away. And I think we always look around and see other people that seem to be able to handle everything much easier.”
Sources for the four outside songs range from Rodney Crowell, who recommended that Willis cut “We’ll Do It for Love Next Time” (from his 2003 album “Fate’s Right Hand”),. to Skeeter Davis, whose “I’m a Lover (Not a Fighter)” is the one pick you could pinpoint as being tied to a place in time, thanks to its lyrical reference to Cassius Clay. “We were trying to come up with other, more contemporary rhymes that might work there, like ‘Sugar Ray,’ but ultimately I liked the dated reference.”
Willis is hardly ashamed of looking backward for touchstones. “With this record I was trying to go with the styles of music that have really impacted my life, especially when I moved to Austin as a teenager, and make it country-sounding like Austin used to sound,” she says.
“Nick Lowe was a real north star for me on this record. ––Llike, ‘What would do Nick Lowe do?’ He was able to write modern songs that were like old songs—––that had a cool soul/R&B/Buddy Holly kind of a thing that had sounds from that early rock and roll era—––but that felt really fresh and exciting and now. I just love the A-B-C’s of rock and roll. Before everybody had to start piling on different things to make it sound different, it had all been done. With this record I was trying to go with the styles of music that have really impacted my life, especially when I moved to Austin as a teenager, and make it country-sounding like Austin used to sound.”
Nick Lowe may be Willis’ north star, but she’s been around just long enough to be a beacon for some acolytes of her own. That’s true even with appreciative fans from upstream in the generational river, like outlaw-era legend Ray Wylie Hubbard, who recently tweeted, “Kelly, you are the gold standard that I compare other artists to,” tTo which Kelly replied that she would put that in her bio.
“I know I’ve been around through many different phases of my genre of music. Whether it was the New Traditionalist, or Alt. Country or Americana. I ought to be able to write a book about it all. But in spite of my long career, I still think of myself as a teenager! I still feel like the underdog who’s trying to find her way”
That Willis still feels like that scrappy young comer, six albums and four kids later, is good news for anyone about to take a shine to the only slightly broken-hearted-feeling spunk of the new album. Blue definitely continues to be her color, but more than anything, she’s back feeling new.
Download Bio Here
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A 60-footpiece of wire is strung between the top of a tower and the ground, making a 30-60-90 triangle. How far from the center of the base of the tower is the wire attached to the ground?How high is the tower?
(The center of the base would be the point where the 90 degrees is)
asked by Lucas
just did it that way in your previous post
Reiny
A wire is stretched from the ground to the top of an antenna tower. The wire is 20 feet long. The height of the tower is 4 feet greater than the distance from the tower's base to the end of the wire.Find the height of the tower.
asked by jennifer on September 27, 2008
A tower is supported by a guy wire from the top of the tower to the ground 16 ft from its base. The wire makes an angle of 62 with the ground. The length of the wire is a. 30.09 ft b. 18.12 ft c. 28.41 ft d. 34.08 ft
asked by Val on August 12, 2011
A wire is stretched from the ground to the top of an antenna tower. The wire is 20 feet long. The height of the tower is 4 feet greater than the distance from the tower's base to the end of the wire. Find the height of the tower.
A support wire runs from the top of a tower to the ground. If the tower is 1200 feet tall and the wire is attached to the ground 500 feet away from the tower, how long is the support wire?
asked by Marissa on November 20, 2013
Another question is a guy wire stretches from the top of an antenna tower to a point on level ground 18 feet from the base of the tower. The angle between the wire and the ground is 63 degrees. How high is the tower? So I said the
asked by Ms. Suzie on March 2, 2009
A vertical tower is supported by guy wires anchored at a point on the ground. The longer wire is attached to the top of the tower and makes an angle of 53 with the ground. The shorter wire makes an angle of 21 with the ground. The
asked by Melia on November 17, 2012
A wire from the top of a TV tower makes an angle of 49.5 with the ground and touches the ground 225 feet from the base of the tower. How high is the tower?
asked by Chantal on March 24, 2010
A communications tower is located at the top of a steep hill, as shown in the figure below. The angle of inclination of the hill is 68°. A guy wire is to be attached to the top of the tower and to the ground, 150 meters downhill
asked by Evan Ramseur on April 7, 2018
Precalc
A tower is supported by a guy wire 610 ft long. If the wire makes an angle of 69 degrees with respect to the ground and the distance from the point where the wire is attached to the ground and the tower is 125 feet. a) State if
asked by Mickey on January 20, 2013
A communications tower is located at the top of a steep hill, as shown. The angle of inclination of the hill is 58°. A guy wire is to be attached to the top of the tower and to the ground, 50 m downhill from the base of the
asked by Liz on October 1, 2014
A guy wire is attached to a tower at a point that is 5.5m above the ground. The angle between the wire and the level ground is 56 degrees. How far from the base of the tower is the wire anchored to the ground, to the nearest tenth
asked by liya on June 4, 2014
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Carter County Highway Department
Sinking Creek Bridge to be named for Mike and Sara Sellers
John Thompson • Jul 9, 2019 at 10:58 PM
ELIZABETHTON — Two of Elizabethton’s most respected noncommissioned officers will be honored in a bridge dedication ceremony at Sinking Creek Baptist Church on Saturday, July 27, at 2 p.m.
Chief Master Sgts. Mike and Sara Sellers will have the dedication done by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The couple met in the Air Force and each completed 30-year careers.
After their retirement from the military, they became active in civilian life, participating in a activities both in Carter County and on the state and national stage. Mike died in 2017.
Mike continued to wear a uniform after his retirement. He joined the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, rising to the rank of chief deputy. He then served as interim sheriff.
Sara was active in local politics and served in state level Republican Party leadership until she stepped down last year. She has also been active for many years as a speaker at local Carter County events, especially with veterans’ topics.
The Carter County United Veterans Council invited her to serve as speaker for the annual Veterans Day programs put on at Carter County schools, a job she held for nearly two decades, telling a generation of high school students about the meaning of the day.
Sara also held high-level appointments in the national government. She served as a member of the Department of Defense Advisory Council on Women in the Service. She later served as a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission, where she traveled throughout the world to inspect American cemeteries for military personnel killed in foreign wars.
Charles Von Cannon, chairman of the Carter County Highway Department, said plans for the ceremony are incomplete at this time. He said the ceremony will take place in the sanctuary of the church and then the sign baring the name of Mike and Sara Sellers will be unveiled.
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Email Vcard
Mercer University, 1980, summa cum laude
Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, J.D., 1983, cum laude
Member of the Bankruptcy and Equine sections of the State Bar of Georgia
Member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers
Georgia Supreme Court
Georgia Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia
Cater C. Thompson has been with Jones Cork, LLP since 1983. Ms. Thompson has a general practice concentrated in the area of creditors’ rights, including bankruptcy and foreclosure, probate, business law, and public finance. She has extensive experience handling judicial tax foreclosure and has served as a special master in quiet title actions. Ms. Thompson has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and underwriter’s counsel for various public school districts, as well as water and sewer, development and hospital authorities.
Ms. Thompson has been named to the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™, and has received a peer review rating Martindale- Hubbell® rating of AV – Preeminent. During law school, Ms. Thompson was a member of the Mercer Law Review and Phi Delta Phi.
Ms. Thompson serves as general counsel and ex-officio member of the Boards of Trustees of the Methodist Home of the South Georgia Conference, Inc. and the Foundation for the Methodist Home of the South Georgia Conference. She has served in many leadership roles at Macon’s Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, including past chair of the Administrative Board, and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the finance committee. She is also on the Board of the Wesley Foundation of Macon, and the SunTrust Bank, Middle Georgia advisory board.
« H. J. Strickland, Jr.Steve L. Wilson »
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US-USD
The birth of our style
From a dream
to a business
In 1978, Luigi Lardini was 18 years old and had one dream, a dream that was deeply inspired by the Italian tradition of tailoring. In pursuing this dream of elegance, it gained innovation over time, as well as the help of his family.
With the support of his siblings Andrea and Lorena, and the aid of his father, together they opened a small atelier where they made outerwear. The atelier became a home, where the passion of the Lardini family honed a blend of tradition, a love of beauty and a hunger for something new and modern – in short, something that would pique the interest of the biggest names in fashion. This was the beginning of Lardini’s dream, which would eventually develop into its own company.
From a business to success
Within just a few years, the biggest names in international fashion joined his customer list. During this time, his younger sister Annarita joined the business, and together the Lardini family built the company through continuing investment throughout the region and making a name for themselves. Doors began to open, technology became more innovative and production grew until it reached what became the greatest challenge.
in 1998, Lardini launched their first men’s collection under the brand.
Today, Lardini’s unmistakable collections showcase a variety of tastes and styles that cater to a range of people, thus creating a name synonymous with traditional tailoring, a passion for beauty and a constant eye on the future.
Keeping it in
The Lardini family has always been the heart and driving force of innovation behind the company. The motto ‘All for one, one for all’, has been its strength from the beginning.
Today, a new generation that was raised with a love for fabric and the expert hands of a tailor has taken their place at the helm of the company to guide it into the future.
It is a young generation that, in addition to its passion for the traditional craftsmanship of Le Marche region, carries with it the know-how gained through interaction with the most important players in the world of Italian and global fashion, a constant push toward research and innovation, and new vision.
It draws upon fresh and ambitious sources of inspiration to improve processes and translate the unmistakable Lardini style into modern, unique and made-to-measure designs for the men and women of today.
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Researchers develop vaccine to possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease
by: Jeannie Nguyen
As of now, a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease does not exist, but researchers at the University of New Mexico believe they have found a way to prevent it.
“I really wanted to take this as a challenge to see if we could develop any sort of treatment,” says researcher Kiran Bhaskar.
Bhaskar has been passionate about studying Alzheimer’s Disease for the last decade. As an associate professor for UNM’s Health and Sciences Department, he says the search for a cure started with an idea in 2013. “I would say it took about five years or so to get from where the idea generated and get the fully functioning working vaccine,” he says.
Bhaskar and his team started to test the vaccine on mice. “We used a group of mice that have Alzheimer’s Disease, and we injected them over a series of injections,” says Nicole Maphis.
PhD student Nicole Maphis says the vaccine was created to target a specific protein that’s commonly found in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s. “What we chose to pursue was a specific region of tau, as you saw pathological tau the red structures, that are common in Alzheimers Disease. We wanted to make a vaccine against that,” says Maphis.
Maphis was pleased to see the results. “These antibodies seem to have cleared pathological tau. Pathological tau is one of the components of these tangles that we find in the brains of patients with Alzheimers Disease,” she says.
The mice were then given a series of maze-like tests. The mice that received the vaccine performed a lot better than those that hadn’t.
Despite that, Maphis and Bhaskar say this isn’t a complete success just yet. Being able to get the vaccine to people will not only take a few more years, but can cost up to a billion dollars. “We got to make sure that we have a clinical version of the vaccine so that we can test in people,” Bhaskar says.
In order to test just a small group would cost the Health Sciences Department $2 million. Right now, Maphis and Bhaskar are looking for partnerships to help them get their goal of getting a clinical grade vaccine.
Once they develop a vaccine that’s safe for humans, they will have to submit it to the FDA for approval. That might take another five years.
UPDATE: One dead in train and pedestrian incident
Emergency crews are the scene of a accident involving a train and a pedestrian.
A KSNT photographer on the scene confirms the incident involves a fatality.
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C Spire Suddenly Endorses Sprint/T-Mobile Deal, but Altice Still Opposes It
Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies
The proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile took yet another unexpected turn Wednesday when Altice USA voiced its full-throated opposition to the transaction despite new conditions proposed by the chairman of the FCC specifically designed to appease the cable operator.
"Altice explained that the proposed commitments offer nothing new to Altice," the operator wrote in a new filing to the FCC. Indeed, the company said none of the new commitments offered by Sprint, T-Mobile and the FCC "address Altice's concern about the anticompetitive impact of the merger on the wholesale market."
"Further, T-Mobile's commitment to negotiate what appears to Altice to be a full infrastructure Mobile Virtual Network Operator ('iMVNO') agreement with the 'to be identified' buyer of Boost Mobile within a specific time period is an important new development," Altice wrote, referring to new conditions around the merger that would force the combined company -- dubbed New T-Mobile -- to sell Sprint's Boost Mobile prepaid business and then offer the buyer cheap wholesale access to new T-Mobile's network. "The fact that T-Mobile felt the need to make an explicit commitment to negotiate a competitive wholesale agreement confirms Altice's concern that absent specific commitments to do so, New T-Mobile will not offer competitive wholesale agreements in a post-merger world."
Concluded the cable company: "Altice continues to believe that the merger, even with the newly proposed commitments by T-Mobile, should be denied given the harm to the wholesale market that will result from the merger."
C Spire's flip-flop
Altice USA's continued opposition to the transaction stands in sharp contrast to regional telecom company C Spire, which apparently had a change of heart and now supports the deal.
"Our advocacy was limited to a narrow set of issues, and we are no longer concerned that those issues should prevent the transaction from being approved," said Ben Moncrief, vice president of government relations for C Spire, in a statement to Light Reading.
C Spire -- a longtime and vocal opponent of the merger on the grounds that it would reduce the number of suitable wireless network roaming partners -- was a founding member of the 4Competition Coalition, an organization specifically devoted to opposing the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. Other prominent members of the organization -- which are still listed on the association's website -- include Dish Network, the Communication Workers of America union and public-interest group Common Cause. A spokesman for the 4Competition Coalition declined to comment on the topic.
Altice USA's continued opposition to the proposed merger of Sprint and T-Mobile is particularly interesting given reports that the company is weeks away from the launch of a new wireless service powered by Sprint's LTE network. According to a new report, Altice USA plans to offer monthly services as low as $20 a month, far undercutting its cable rivals in the mobile space as well as Sprint's own prices.
Better than a soap opera
Although many had thought that the FCC would ultimately move against the proposed transaction between Sprint and T-Mobile, the agency's chairman made a surprise announcement earlier this month by agreeing to support the merger with a number of new conditions. Among them was a an agreement that New T-Mobile retain Sprint's existing MVNO deal with Altice USA, and that it would also commit to "engage in good faith negotiations to expand the existing Sprint/Altice agreement to the New T-Mobile 5G network."
However, none of the conditions included mention of roaming agreements for companies like C Spire.
Perhaps the biggest condition outlined by the FCC this month was that the combined company sell Sprint's Boost Mobile prepaid business. According to a report from Reuters, prepaid company Q Link Wireless is teaming with some private equity backers to place a bid for Boost for as much as $3 billion.
The report added that FreedomPop's Stephen Stokols is separately advising a private equity group that is also preparing a bid for Boost.
And Peter Adderton -- the founder of Boost Mobile who sold the US business to Nextel in 2004, which was later acquired by Sprint -- is also working to form a bid for Boost.
"Off to NYC now the real work begins... :)" Adderton tweeted this week.
The US Department of Justice hasn't yet said how it might rule on the proposed Sprint/T-Mobile merger.
— Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano
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https://www.littlethings.com/swallows-bobby-pin/
Toddler Feels Abdominal Pain For Months, Then Mentions He Swallowed A Bobby Pin
by Emerald Pellot
Emerald Pellot graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a degree in Writing & Popular Culture. She worked as Senior Editor of College Candy for 2 years, covering feminism, popular culture, and college life before joining LittleThings in 2015. Based in New York City, Emerald covers a wide range of topics from human interest pieces to celebrity news.
It was all so strange. A 4-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after experiencing pain in his upper abdomen for a month.
The boy admitted to his parents and doctors that he had swallowed a bobby pin weeks before.
The boy had previously been diagnosed with a urinary tract infection but his condition did not improve. He began to get fevers and chills. Doctors believed the bobby pin would pass through his system. However, when an X-ray was conducted they discovered the bobby pin was lodged in his kidney and had begun to rust.
“Children actually start exploring the world using their mouth as soon as they are able to pick up objects,” said Dr. Yasmin Abdulaziz Yousef, who treated the boy.
“We have treated a few patients with complications due to swallowed disk batteries as well, but I have never encountered a foreign object that perforates the bowel and gets lodged in the kidney in my practice before,” Dr. Yousef said.
The doctor surgically removed the pin and the boy was able to recover without any other issues. While Dr. Yousef said it is practically impossible to prevent toddlers from exploring the world via their mouths, they can keep small objects away from them.
“Toys that have small parts cannot be given to children under the age of 3,” Yousef said.”Toys operated by disc batteries have to have a battery cover that is screwed in place.”
He says that if a child appears to be choking or wheezing for no reason, parents should seek medical attention since it’s possible they may have swallowed or inhaled an object.
Please SHARE this story with your family and friends on Facebook!
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Love: Amour
Amour is one of those films you go to because you have to, it's a strange responsibility and one you suspect you owe yourself, but you're not sure why. To desire to see Amour, I think, to actually show up when you know, deeply, what's in store and have no illusions to the contrary, is a form of emotional masochism. Then again, I've long been of the opinion that just about all of Austrian director Michael Haneke's films dabble in a masochist aesthetic. His films are the sort that deny you the ability to passively watch. Resistance is futile in a Haneke film; you will be absorbed. You will be turned, addressed, and trapped inside what's often a cold, strangely frightening depiction of the world. Funny Games, The Piano Teacher, and The White Ribbon all have managed this is particular ways, but none hit as wrenching a note as Amour. It's a film as strikingly beautiful as it is painful, a relentless gut punch that makes you see stars and keeps pummeling you until you're beaten into a weirdly transcendent submission. I hated and loved it, feared it and cried through it*, desperately wanted it to end as soon as it began, spent the hours after seeing it feeling like a fatalistic pile of crap...and yet I must insist you subject yourself to this torment immediately.
Amour is the ultimate downer, yes, there are no two ways around that. Haneke's film does not mince words, and its presentation is entirely straightforward: this is a story of love and death, of what love looks like when carried through to death. The set-up is one that filled me with dread from the outset, and if you can make it through the film without wanting to put an end to the future or reminiscing about lost relatives, you may want to find a therapist as soon as possible. In the film, Haneke boxes us into a luxe Parisian apartment and confines us there. We open confronted with the fact of impending decay, aware that this is what will happen, and from there are taken through the sad progression of events leading to the macabre ritual of the opening scene. This small world is inhabited by Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant), an elderly couple surrounded by the totems of a life lived together. During breakfast one morning Anne freezes, completely unresponsive, only to snap back torturous minutes later with no memory of the incident. It's the first ring in an inevitable downward spiral; a process so deeply affecting because it's so familiar. Over the course of the film we will watch as Georges struggles to take care of Anne, as Anne becomes imprisoned by her body, and as their daughter (Isabelle Huppert) flails helplessly at the periphery, not capable of understanding just what's happening in her parents' house. The horror of Amour is that it is what happens, that it happens to everyone. The beauty of it is in the presentation.
Amour possesses a placid assurance, a strange calm which -when broken- resonates with a power unlike just about any damn thing out there. There's not a hint of melodrama here, no sentimentality, nothing to latch on to for support or which will allow you to remind yourself it's "only a movie." The score is absent, silent, and music is used only to evoke memory. Anne was a piano teacher, after all, and the silence that follows the loss of that skill weighs down oppressively over each room of the apartment. Haneke shows us something that feels unbearably real. This is an inside glimpse at what it's like to be heartbroken over and over and over again, to feel helpless as death comes rushing on. You will grow to care for these people. You will understand these characters in ways you did not think possible. Emmanuelle Riva delivers an extraordinary physical performance, a regression almost unbearable to watch. She has a face that will make you tear up at the thought of it once you've seen the film, and the fight she shows us could be considered an act of cruelty against those unprepared. Riva, perhaps coincidentally, starred some 50-years ago in what I've previously listed as my favorite sad movie, Hiroshima Mon Amour. She sold it there just as she sells it now, and as bleak romantic leading ladies go, she's certainly been under-appreciated. Here, though, it's the realistic purity of Anne's relationship with Georges that convinces us, and Jean-Louis Trintignant has been snubbed for the Academy Award nomination, certainly. Riva gets the brunt work, but Trintignant has to hold it together. We can gauge Anne's condition through Georges; watch as daily routines become increasingly disrupted, see as contentedness gives way to fear, fear to concern, to hope, to frustration, anger, bitterness, and acceptance. Amour is a thing of terrible beauty. A hypnotic, frightening monster, but a gentle one. Though it may be at your own peril, watch this film. You won't soon forget it.
*Note: consider that I don't usually cry in movies, and was recently called heartless for rolling my eyes about Les Mis. Prepare to bawl.
**Additional note: no joke, there were only one or two 'groups' of people in the screening. Everyone else in the theater came alone. Why? Because you absolutely will not want to talk to people after this ends. Also, you are probably going to be doing some struggling.
Labels: 2012 Movies, Amour, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Love, Michael Haneke
Under 250: Beyond the Black Rainbow
At this point it's been a few weeks since I excitedly realized Beyond the Black Rainbow awaited me on Netflix. After taking in the hallucinatory quality of the starkly beautiful opening sequences with multiple, texted exclamation points, the rest of the film plodded on to ultimately disappoint. Visually, Black Rainbow is a stunner. The film seems to exist, in a way, as eye candy for those seeking a rehash of the B-movies inspired by the aesthetics of spartan Kubrickian science fiction. It's a hazy drugged-out experience that moves in slow motion to synthesizers and which lures in one half of its audience purely because of the clarity of its aesthetics and the other part because they've just took a bong hit and are looking to have a deep philosophical discussion on something that may not have real philosophical meaning at all. The film is set in a rather nightmarish version of 1983 where a girl is held captive and mute by a quietly deranged scientist at a 'commune' called Arboria. It's a flimsy, flimsy plot built off of mind games and psychological torture, and the film plays out like a contained, dead-end version of 2001 (minus the cosmos); hypnotic, but uspeakably boring. It's the first effort of director Panos Cosmatos, and I'd like to give it the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it's that film school concept that just had to be shot before moving forward, maybe it's the THX 1138 that comes before the storm. Cosmatos has potential (and a great eye), but after a captivating beginning, it slowly unravels to leave the viewer unsatisfied.
Labels: 2012 Movies, Beyond the Black Rainbow, Squalor, Under 250
Like: Rust and Bone
It's a bad sign, I think, when the emotional intensity of a scene in a serious drama gets a major boost from a Katy Perry song. It's not much better when a film pulls in a sudden poignant voice-over to attempt to deliver its final blow. It's a far worse sign, perhaps, when a drama requires truly far-fetched, criminally underused plot elements to differentiate itself. Rust and Bone is a film guilty on both counts. It aspires to devastating realism, seems to want to put forth a lovely poetic thesis on the qualities of the human soul, and while it finds several beautiful small moments, they never seem to collide with the intensity or resonance Jacques Audiard desires. I left Rust and Bone exhausted and bored, frustrated by the ways the film seemed to think it was constructing something meaningful out of the deliberately evasive. Audiard's work has left me cold before, and it's possible I'm just not a fan of his style of storytelling, but Rust and Bone had enough strong moments and impulses towards plotting to make the sketchy bits seem comparatively minor while the exact details felt so over-the-top arbitrary that the seemingly raw emotions depicted fell utterly flat.
Marion Cotillard puts in a strong but underwhelming performance as Stephanie, a killer whale trainer who loses her legs in, yes, a freak killer whale accident. She's the more interesting character, frankly, but the film is unevenly more devoted to the tediously pathetic lifestyle of Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a shitty vagrant father turned bouncer turned big box store security guard turned underground kickboxing champ. Ali meets Stephanie at a club when she still has her legs, he helps her out, and for some reason she decides to call him up in her depressive funk post-amputation. From there, the film attempts to balance the curious crashing intersection of the lives of these two characters, odd because they've seemingly forced themselves together. It was unclear to me at any given point why they persisted in any one direction. Love isn't the answer, or at least not the whole answer, and those who choose to refer to Rust and Bone as a romance are simplifying its narrative in the extreme. So, they force themselves together. Ali helps Stephanie, and these scenes of their connection have the most power. Stephanie grows as a person, we can see her character coming to terms with her situation, opening herself for the possibility of a new life, and this is largely thanks to Cotillard's abilities as an actress. Stephanie shows us what it is she gets from Ali. The ways in which he is a distraction, a safe haven, and a possible love interest. There are really lovely moments in which we see the way he takes time to bring her to the beach, to place her in the water and allow her freedom without pity. There are equally lovely moments in which they awkwardly engage each other sexually, and we can see something change in Cotillard's face.
That said, while Stephanie pulls focus, her story is an accidental entanglement in a very messy Ali-centric story. Rust and Bone is based on the work of writer Craig Davidson, and while I don't believe I've read Davidson's work it seems very possible that the fictions are filtered through male protagonists and Stephanie was never meant to dominate quite so much. So, while Stephanie grows, we are subjected to weird subplots mentioning the mother of Ali's child using her son for drug smuggling, the relationship between Ali and his grocery cashier sister, the ways in which Ali is an immature and negligent father, the illegal surveillance operation he finds himself involved in, his violent tendencies and life on the kickboxing circuit, his attempts to go pro, and an irritating sequence involving a stupid decision on a frozen pond. If that sounds like a lot, it really is. Ultimately, while the pieces are too sloppy, too matter of fact and humorless for us to fully embrace this half-strange world of kick-boxers, amputee whale trainers, and grocery store spies. The more it piled on, the more cloying and silly it seemed, which is a shame. There are very real elements here, very beautiful, assured performances and moments of cinematographic brilliance, but ultimately the film is a jumble of broken bones that never heals the way it should.
EDIT: 1/13: After reading back over my own review I decided that while I didn't find the film nearly as brilliant or interesting as many others, my commentary generally veered further towards a 'like' than a squalor. So, I've upgraded the film's general ranking slightly.
Labels: 2012 Movies, 2013 movies, marion cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Rust and Bone
Love: The Impossible
After the release and domination of Precious, 30 Rock built a plot thread around the outrageous Tracy Jordan receiving Oscar recognition after starring in an emotionally overwhelming fictional film called Hard to Watch: Based on the Novel "Stone Cold Bummer" by Manipulate. It's a small joke that I've thought of multiple times in the couple years since, and The Impossible is the latest entry in a line of 'hard to watch' films gunning for statuettes. Whether you succumb or not, you will feel the urge to cry during The Impossible. You will feel it multiple times throughout the entirety of the film. Chances are you will want to look away from the screen, you will feel some painful little rock growing in the pit of your stomach, you will suck in air and grit your teeth at the depictions of physical pain on screen, you will be riveted and trapped by the film's peculiar brand of hope-addled misery. You should be. The simple truth is that while The Impossible is flawed in a very specific, detrimental way, it's also a tremendously capable and deeply effective film you're not likely to forget. It's a 'true story' that - while oddly focused- does manage to personalize a much larger tragedy and make it accessible to the viewer half a world away.
The Impossible is a story from the Indian Ocean tsunami that hit the coastlines of several Asian countries in 2004. As you may recall, it was a devastating event, one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, with staggering death tolls climbing past a quarter of a million and a wake of incalculable destruction. Countless people lost everything, but The Impossible focuses wholly on the experiences of one family of tourists and is based on the first-person account of the real-life Maria Belón. Belón's family has been Anglicized here, their surname changed, their skin and hair washed out in shades of blonde to be headed up by picture-perfect proxies in the shape of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. We watch in horror as this everyday family unit travels to Thailand for the Christmas holiday only to be torn apart, physically ravaged, and left searching and suffering for their missing pieces. It's a harrowing journey, and one that flirts as dangerously with uplifting, maudlin melodrama as you might expect. What's impressive, though, is how thoroughly The Impossible commits to the depiction of struggle, and how the film blends genres we often assume are disparate to build something that is powerful in spite of its narrow focus. Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona previously directed The Orphanage, and it's no logical leap to say that The Impossible is just a horror movie of a different kind. It's a disaster-action-horror-family drama film that subjects the actors and the viewer to surprisingly extreme depictions of turmoil in the name, perhaps, of showing you just how bad things can be.
The actors walk and limp about for much of the film looking as though they were extras escaped from Hostel or Saw; bloodied, wounded, mottled with painted textures and sunburns that will make you flinch when you see them. As Maria, Naomi Watts delivers a fascinating, physically demanding performance. We are made privy to Maria's direct experience of the tsunami, we ride the waves with her, are plunged beneath the rising water, thrown against sharp metal detritus, into drifting trees, cars, and walls. The sequence is impressive in its intensity and truly frightening, and Watts makes us believe every second of it. As her eldest son Lucas, Tom Holland also delivers a convincing, strong performance as a child struggling to stay strong through we see in every glimpse that he is terrified, that he does not know what he will do from second to second. While the film has several really phenomenal visual moments, the acting is what makes The Impossible possible. Watts, Holland, and McGregor turn in brilliantly controlled performances with superficial material that walks a fine line between the repellent and the saccharine. They have gone in search of a way to make the true events have a biting edge that reads as emotionally rich instead of simply manipulative.
I appreciated their efforts, and though the outcome is ultimately predictable, I was repeatedly surprised by the way the film subverted the action genre to create tension and suspense where there would otherwise only be waiting and sadness. Of course, the film is flawed in a way I found ethically confusing. As I mentioned already, The Impossible reads as a Hollywood whitewashing of a global catastrophe. While Belón's story is a gripping account, it seems strange to me to focus not only on a family who remains together, but also on a family who is capable of escape and who can leave the ravaged coast behind as mere memory. Yes, their story is amazing. They're tremendously lucky and, thankfully, driven as a unit. They are the sort of people who can, I suppose, teach us something about that old 'strength of the human spirit' chestnut. To its credit, too, I believe that what The Impossible ultimately offers is an insight into tragedy. We are shown what it's like to live through this, the chaos and heart ache breaking out while we're watching coverage from our couch, and we are left to imagine what it would be like to have that happen. But, The Impossible is too populated with tourists, a little too interested in one family's misfortune to show us the lives of the people left to deal with the fallout.
Labels: 2012 Movies, ewan mcgregor, Love, Naomi Watts, The Impossible, Wilde.Dash
85th Annual Academy Award Nominations
It wouldn't be the Oscars without a film I'm dead set against in the running. This year, Les Miserables has accumulated a few too many for my liking, undoubtedly earned after the same trail of tears that allowed Extremely Loud to sneak into the Best Picture category last year. I won't complain too much, though, as the nomination is offset by the films I generally expected to find, and recognition has been given to several unexpected (and deserving folks). Frankly, I'm of the opinion that it was a largely mediocre film year. Sure, there were quite a few solid dramas, but very little that seemed visionary or tremendously exciting. In general, the directors and actors we expect good things from followed through on our expectations, and there was much to like but not enough (in my opinion) to love. Lincoln, for example, is the big winner here. Spielberg's film leads the pack with 12 nominations, with Life of Pi trailing just behind at 11. Pleasant surprises include big love for Amour and the tiny, interesting (but a bit overrated) Beasts of the Southern Wild. The snubs? No Best Picture or Director nods for the critically adored and beautiful Moonrise Kingdom and The Master, no director nods for Tarantino or Bigelow, a shut out on John Hawkes and Marion Cotillard, and Leo is ignored again.
Ah well, time for me to go tally up my League points. We'll see what happens when the Oscar telecast airs on February 24.
The full list of nominees is after the jump.
Labels: Award Season, News, Oscars
The 35 Most Anticipated Films of 2013 pt. 2
16. Only Lovers Left Alive (TBA)
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, John Hurt
One-Sentence Reason: Though Michael Fassbender was replaced by the Loki, Tilda Swinton as a vampire cannot be ignored.
17. Twelve Years a Slave (TBA)
Directed By: Steve McQueen
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender,
Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Quvenzhane Wallis
One-Sentence Reason: McQueen and Fassbender join forces again,
this time with a period setting and a massive cast.
18. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (10/4)
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, etc.
One-Sentence Reason: That still is from the first Sin City, let's all admire its terrible noir beauty.
19. Labor Day (TBA)
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Starring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Tobey Maguire, James Van Der Beek
One-Sentence Reason: I trust Reitman to deliver a tonally unique comedy.
20. Side Effects (2/8)
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, Jude Law
One-Sentence Reason: The thriller is supposed to be Soderbergh's last theatrical film.
Let's hope that's not true.
21. Man of Steel (6/14)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Diane Lane
One-Sentence Reason: Well, with Snyder at the helm it's at least bound to be a visual stunner, right?
22. The Wolf of Wall Street (TBA)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey
One-Sentence Reason: Scorsese and DiCaprio make a run for another set of Oscar noms.
23. Kick-Ass 2 (6/28)
Directed By: Jeff Wadlow
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Jon Leguizamo
One-Sentence Reason: If only to see how they'll deal with a now even more precocious Chloe Moretz.
24. Snowpiercer (TBA)
Directed By: Joon Ho-Bong
Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Alison Pill
One-Sentence Reason: The emerging concept art is promising, as is the mix of people involved.
25. Anchorman: The Legend Continues (12/20)
Directed By: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig, Christina Applegate
One-Sentence Reason: I love lamp.
26. I'm So Excited (TBA)
Directed By: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Paz Vega, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas
One-Sentence Reason: The teaser trailer suggests the colorful, comedic, campy Almodovar of old.
27. Now You See Me (6/7)
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Michael Caine
One-Sentence Reason: Magician Robin Hood bank robbers and why is Jesse Eisenberg's hair so shaggy?
28. Before Midnight (TBA)
Directed By: Richard Linklater
Starring: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
One-Sentence Reason: The closing of a trilogy, the end of a long conversation.
29. Pacific Rim (7/13)
Directed By: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman
One-Sentence Reason: A big, heaping lump of scrap metal that could be a new Avatar or the next Battleship.
30. The Grandmaster
Directed By: Wong Kar Wai
Starring: Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang
One-Sentence Reason: Because we've waited long enough already,
anything will be better than My Blueberry Nights.
31. Spring Breakers (3/5)
Directed By: Harmony Korine
Starring: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens
One-Sentence Reason: Because if Korine is on the scene, it should be a disturbing kind of trash.
32. Elysium (8/13)
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster
One-Sentence Reason: What happens when District 9 director Blomkamp actually has a budget?
34. The World's End (10/13)
Directed By: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
One-Sentence Reason: The three aforementioned guys, together again.
35. Mood Indigo (TBA)
Directed By: Michel Gondry
Starring: Audrey Tautou
One-Sentence Reason: Delightfully quirky Gondry makes a romance
with the woman who played the delightfully quirky Amelie.
Honorable Mentions/Givens: Iron Man 3, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine
Labels: 2013 movies, lists, most anticipated movies
1. The Great Gatsby (5/23)
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire
One-Sentence Reason: It was on the list last year, and Baz Luhrmann
knows how to make a big, glittering, old Hollywood spectacle.
2. The Place Beyond the Pines (3/29)
Directed By: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta
One-Sentence Reason: An atmospheric looking crime saga with Gosling in
badass mode and a Suicide song in the trailer ("Che"): hell yes.
3. Stoker (3/1)
Directed By: Chan-Wook Park
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode
One-Sentence Reason: Chan Wook-Park hasn't let us down yet,
and his English language debut looks nothing but ferocious.
4. To the Wonder (4/12)
Directed By:Terrence Malick
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Olga Kurylenko
One-Sentence Reason: Because I'm still talking about Tree of Life like it came out yesterday.
5. Nymphomaniac (TBA)
Directed By: Lars Von Trier
Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe, Shia LaBeouf
One-Sentence Reason: Admit it, even if you hate Von Trier, you want to know how he's going to pull this sex-addled story off.
6. Ginger & Rosa (3/15)
Directed By: Sally Potter
Starring: Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Annette Bening, Christina Hendricks
One-Sentence Reason: Sally Potter's style, 1960's London milieu.
7. This is the End (6/14)
Directed By: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd,
Emma Watson, Jason Segel, Michael Cera, etc
One-Sentence Reason: A meta-fiction starring a bromantic all-star line-up and
brought to you by the very two men who lived Superbad.
8. Only God Forgives (TBA)
Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas
One-Sentence Reason: Gosling reunites with his Drive director,
moves to Bangkok, kickboxes.
9. The Bling Ring (TBA)
Directed By: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga
One-Sentence Reason: Perhaps the most face-value story-driven film
Coppola has worked on since The Virgin Suicides, it will be interesting
to see how she handles hacker teenagers.
10. Star Trek: Into Darkness (5/23)
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch
One-Sentence Reason: We all just want to live long and prosper.
11. The Zero Theorem (TBA)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Whishaw, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, David Thewlis
One-Sentence Reason: A Gilliam film is always a gamble, but his imagination
is one worth taking a chance on.
12. Inside Llewyn Davis (2/13?)
Directed By: The Coen Brothers
Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman
One-Sentence Reason: The Coens take on the 1960's folk music scene,
continue their relationship with the family Flynn and cast the dude from Tron: Legacy.
13. Gravity (10/18)
Directed By: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: George Cooney, Sandra Bullock
One-Sentence Reason: At this point? Because the anticipation
has been building for about two years.
14. Monsters University (6/21)
Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Starring: (voices of) Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
One-Sentence Reason: I love a movie that uses college as a setting,
I love a Pixar film, I love monsters. Done.
15. Her (TBA)
Directed By: Spike Jonze
Starring: Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Joaquin Phoenix, Samantha Morton
One-Sentence Reason: There aren't nearly enough feature length films
from this idiosyncratic director.
The Essentials #3: The Passion of Joan of Arc
Mixtape: The 100 Tracks of 2012
Love: Zero Dark Thirty
Versatile Blogger + Very Inspiring Blogger Awards
Like: Les Miserables
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Love: The Place Beyond the Pines
I've heard that James Franco's assessment of The Place Beyond the Pines begins with an appreciation of Ryan Gosling that borders on the homoerotic. What does not make sense to me, of course, is not that Franco's essay exists, but that there are writings on Derek Cianfrance's film that do not make it their business to focus, however obsessively, on Gosling's presence. We open, after all, on a shot of Handsome Luke's abs and progress, from there, through a cinematic fun fair of effortless, curious, hyper-masculinity. The Place Beyond the Pines is a movie about fathers and sons unlike any I have seen before, a grave meditative triptych in which the only mistake may be introducing a bleached-out Gosling too soon, and obscuring him in later chapters. Cianfrance directed Gosling previously in the beautiful Blue Valentine, and here he is wise enough to channel the magnetism that the actor brought to his role in Drive. If it sounds like I'm just another Gosling fan girl, I'd beg to differ. In the opening sequences, Gosling is objectified by Cianfrance's camera, transformed once again into a silent, dangerous thing that dares you to cross it and demands you fix your gaze upon strange sections of its painted surface. As Luke, he is a sort of stomped upon angel, a scuzzy, trashed-up daredevil who grapples, like the Driver, with good intentions and his very particular set of skills.
In barely legible, bolt-fractured type, HEART THROB stretches across Luke's clavicle, wrapped around his neck in a way that reads ironically and, yes, like an unbearable burden. Luke, or Gosling, is strangled by his objecthood, laid bare by the camera and, relentlessly, chased through the film. Luke is the first character we come to know, and the film's first moral quandary. The Place Beyond the Pines is engaged in a long history of real, American drama. It's a ponderous film, oddly paced and interested in outsiders, isolated spaces, and struggles against nature. There's something of the claustrophobic western to it, an inverted version of the battles waged in Monument Valley, where the sins of fathers leave bloody tracks along the paths of their sons. Our outlaw is the wandering Luke, a motocross carnie who rides into Schenectady only to encounter a girl he once left behind, a diner waitress named Romina (Eva Mendes). Romina has given birth to a son, Luke's son, and though she does not want him to be involved (or perhaps even to know), Luke wants to provide for his boy. He is interested, we quickly learn, in giving his son a stable home using whatever means necessary.
As it tends to in films, the whatever it takes quickly leads towards a life of crime. Luke robs banks, and eventually, this bankrobbing leads to a relay-style hand-off of the film's narrative limelight to a man on the other side of the law, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a do-gooder cop with a son the same age. If Cooper already proved that he's a capable dramatic actor with Silver Linings Playbook, his role here confirms that that was no mere fluke. Where Gosling works in part because he's got a silent swagger to rival Steve McQueen, Cooper has the impossible job of trying to steal the story from an electrifying presence. That's a tough, tough job, and to his credit, the guy does an admirable job making Avery into a wholly dimensional, struggling lawman. Without spoiling anything, allow me to simply say that the encounter between Luke and Avery is memorable, and it is one that trickles down to impact, in alarmingly complicated ways, the pre-destined paths of their boys in adolescence, where Cianfrance switches focus once again (to Emory Cohen and Dane DeHaan).
Yes, The Place Beyond the Pines is, sneakily, sort of three films all at once. This accounts for its lengthy run time, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, is what's great about the film even as it's what's absolutely terrible about it. Cianfrance is taking very real structural risks throughout, here, and though the film is looped, bridged, and tied together into one very neat, clean narrative package, it's tough not to acknowledge that the second half of the film drags in ways that the Luke sequences do not. We move from a quick burning crime story, a world with guns, motorbikes, chase sequences, and creeping darkness, to the stories that follow the inevitable happily never after. Cianfrance's problem, of course, is that crime pays too well when pitted against real human drama. As savory as the storytelling is in the later sequences (though sometimes melodramatic), it can't compare to the rush of those earlier, Suicide-scored rides. Of course, a too good beginning is far from the worst problem a film can have, and all things considered, The Place Beyond the Pines has the makings of a very strong, lasting piece of American cinema. Cianfrance strikes a curious balance between the film's sprawling formal ambitions and its very personal, very intimate nature. We get to know the characters not merely through dialogue and action, but via landscapes, lingering shots, and the film's hauntingly atmospheric score. We switch vantages, we change stories, we move across decades, but we always, always, come back to the same split seconds.
Labels: 2013 movies, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Love, Ryan Gosling, The Place Beyond the Pines
Squasher88 April 12, 2013 at 1:47 PM
Very well-written review. Good job!
I'm also a fan of this film, particularly Gosling's performance and the cinematography. T
The diviseness of the reactions have been very interesting to read. I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that Gosling's section is so awesome that to some, the film faltered after that.
Wilde.Dash April 15, 2013 at 12:09 AM
I tend to agree. It's a tough act to follow!
Alex Withrow April 16, 2013 at 12:40 PM
Excellent review. I saw this flick over the weekend and it has yet to hint at escaping my mind. I love how you commented on the structural risks it took - I couldn't agree more with you there. Risky indeed, but it all worked for me. Loved it.
Wilde.Dash April 27, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Definitely impressed, looking forward to seeing what a second viewing does for the narrative.
A very nice review here! I'm pretty much in agreement with everything you said as well which is nice :)
I thought that this was at times and extremely brave film, it threatened to disconnect from the audience at several points. Most obviously I suppose when the focus shifts towards Cooper.
Thanks! Yeah, we're definitely in agreement there, Cianfrance really risks the audience's connection with the material. I clearly found it productive, will have to check out your write-up!
Love: Oblivion
Love: To the Wonder
Love: Trance
RIP Roger Ebert
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Phoning home? Ily reimagines the landline as smarter and easier to use
Ily’s home phone enables video calls, text messaging and photo sharing.
(Ily)
By Tracey Lien
Ilan Abehassera had a communication problem. As a father of three young children who traveled a lot, it was hard for him to stay in touch with his family.
He could call the home telephone, but then he could speak to only one family member at a time. He could FaceTime with his wife, but again, it was hard to speak to multiple people at once. He could even use a service like Skype or Google Hangouts, but his wife would have to be around to turn on various devices for his kids, who were too young to have access to the home computer or iPad.
Abehassera was able to make all these pieces of technology work for himself, but wouldn’t it be great, he thought, if the home phone were just a little more advanced? Or if online technology like Skype and Google Hangouts were just a little more accessible?
“I thought this would be important, especially for grandparents who often don’t live close, and on average they’ll FaceTime with their grandchildren once every four weeks just because parents need to be available to operate those devices and schedule those calls,” Abehassera said.
So he came up with Ily, a new phone his New York City company Insensi designed and recently made available for preorder for $199.
On the outside, Ily looks like a thick tablet. There’s a screen, and to the left, there’s a speaker. On the inside, it’s a Wi-Fi-enabled device made specifically for video and voice calls, text messaging, sharing photos and even playing music. And despite resembling an iPad, Abehassera hopes it will be easy enough for everyone from his toddler to his grandmother to use.
For the more tech-savvy, Ily has a free app, similar to Skype, that lets people cross-communicate between an Ily phone and a smartphone (or from smartphone to smartphone).
For the less tech-savvy, the Ily phone has a big touchscreen with only a handful of apps and functions. There’s no web-browsing capability, so parents don’t have to worry about their kids accessing the Internet. And for traditional landline phone calls, Ily charges $15/month for a Voice Over IP (VOIP) plan that lets users make local and international calls.
Ily’s main sources of revenue will come from phone calls and monthly VOIP plans. The company also plans to offer add-ons such as a handset peripheral and a smart pen so people can draw on the tablet without using their finger.
The company is in talks to sell the phone at retailers.
Twitter: @traceylien
Tracey Lien
Tracey Lien covered Silicon Valley and the technology industry for The Times’ business section before leaving in 2018 to pursue her MFA at the University of Kansas.
Disneyland is tracking guests and generating big profits doing it
In the heat of the summer blockbuster season, Walt Disney Co. is taking over theaters with releases such as “Toy Story 4” and live-action versions of “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.”
Uber and Lyft drivers swarm Sacramento as lawmakers advance gig workers’ rights bill
On many mornings, Minda Aguhob, a Harvard-educated data scientist who started driving for Uber and Lyft five years ago as she struggled to find a job, opens her Uber app around 6 o’clock, hoping to hear the familiar ping of a ride request from her first passenger of the day.
The power of Google and Amazon looms over tech IPOs
After a years-long drought, a wave of technology start-ups — Uber, Lyft, Pinterest and more — are going public, evidence that the sector is thriving.
How Jony Ive, Apple’s design guru, planned his own obsolescence
Jonathan Ive led Apple’s product design for decades, from the Technicolor iMac that revived the company’s fortunes in the late ’90s to the softly minimalist iPhone that turned Apple into one of the world’s largest companies.
Trump’s next tweet could come with a warning label
President Trump’s next tweet might come with a warning label.
Mark Zuckerberg to regulators: We need your help to protect elections
As public trust in Facebook’s ability to wield its power responsibly has fractured in the face of a series of privacy breaches and other scandals, the company has been facing fresh calls for regulation from numerous quarters of the federal government.
Wayfair sells beds to furnish border camps. Its employees are walking out in protest
Employees of the online furniture retailer Wayfair are planning a walkout on Wednesday to protest the company’s sale of more than $200,000 in bedroom furniture to a detention center for migrant children in Texas.
Treat workers as employees? Uber, Lyft and others are scrambling for a compromise
Faced with a looming threat to their way of doing business, Uber, Lyft and other major on-demand companies are trying something they’ve historically been reluctant to do: seeking compromise.
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May 31, 2017 |Language of the Law, Original Intent, original methods originalism, Original Public Meaning
Original Methods Originalism Part II: The Convergence Thesis and the Language of the Law Thesis
by Mike Rappaport|Leave a Comment
In my last post I discussed the basic idea of original methods originalism and the different versions of that interpretive approach. Here I want to note a very significant implication of Original Methods Originalism: the possible convergence of original intent and original public meaning. I then want to discuss another aspect of original methods – the view that the Constitution is written in the language of the law and therefore should be interpreted as a legal document.
The Convergence Thesis
The different versions of original methods discussed in my prior post also have important implications for how originalism is conducted. For many years, there has been a significant theoretical disagreement between the original public meaning and original intent approaches. After all, they look for different things (public meaning versus intent). Original methods, however, may cause this theoretical difference to evaporate. This would be a significant result, as it would unify the approaches, leading to a convergence of original public meaning and original intent (as well as originalist positivism, if it also convergences, as we believe).
The reason that original public meaning and original intent converge is that they both ask the interpreter to apply the interpretive rules that would be conventionally applied to documents of that kind. Under original public meaning, those rules would be applied by a knowledgeable and reasonable speaker. Under original intent, a group of authors would have expected and intended those rules to be applied to their language.
The Language of the Law Thesis
So far, in describing original methods I have merely said that interpreters should apply the original interpretive rules – the interpretive rules that would have been deemed applicable to a document of that kind. Here, though, there is an important sub-thesis that affects what interpretive rules are applicable.
The language of the law thesis holds that the Constitution was written in the language of the law – the technical language that lawyers use in communicating about the law. That language is an overlay on ordinary English – adding a large number of technical terms and a set of legal interpretive rules (that are either part of the language or the context of the communication). Thus, if one accepts that the Constitution is written in the language of the law, then one should apply the legal interpretive rules that were applicable to it. This includes a host of legal interpretive rules, such as the rule of lenity, the rule that repeals are disfavored, the rule about how to interpret preambles, and the absurdity rule. It also includes many legal or technical terms that are not part of ordinary language.
The language of the law thesis stands in opposition to the ordinary language view – that the Constitution is written in ordinary language. Under this approach, it is difficult to interpret terms in the Constitution as being technical, especially terms that have both a technical and ordinary meaning. In my view, this view is inconsistent with how originalist scholars practice originalism, since such scholars often seek legal or technical meanings. Under the ordinary language view, legal interpretive rules would also not be employed.
Mike Rappaport
Professor Rappaport is Darling Foundation Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, where he also serves as the Director of the Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism. Professor Rappaport is the author of numerous law review articles in journals such as the Yale Law Journal, the Virginia Law Review, the Georgetown Law Review, and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. His book, Originalism and the Good Constitution, which is coauthored with John McGinnis, was published by the Harvard University Press in 2013. Professor Rappaport is a graduate of the Yale Law School, where he received a JD and a DCL (Law and Political Theory).
What about Franklin?
Constitutional Restoration: A DIY Project
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Delaware Code > Title 10 > Chapter 81 > § 8141
Delaware Code Title 10 Sec. 8141 – Limitation on agricultural operations nuisance suits
(a) For the purposes of this section, agricultural operations and its appurtenances means an operation for the purpose of:
(1) Cultivation of land;
(2) Production of agricultural crops;
(3) Raising of poultry;
(4) Production of eggs;
(5) Production of milk and milk products, including but not limited to ice cream, cheese and butter;
(6) Production of fruit or other horticultural crops including but not limited to Christmas trees and forestry;
(7) Production of livestock, including pasturage;
(8) Production of bees and their products;
(9) Production and raising of horses of all types and descriptions or other equine activity for the purpose of profit;
(10) The operation of a roadside farmer’s stand, or a farmer’s cart in which not less than 50% of the products sold at the stand or cart are directly from the agricultural operation;
(11) Grain elevators, bins, feed mills, silos, and seed cleaners; and
(12) Transportation of an agricultural product to or from a market storage area, or to or from any agricultural-related infrastructure as identified in paragraph (a)(11) of this section.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 10 Sec. 8141
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 4307
Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 4307
(b) This section does not apply to:
(1) An agricultural operation that does not conform to federal, state or local health or zoning requirements;
(2) A federal, state or local agency when enforcing air, water quality or other environmental standards under federal, state or local law; or
(3) An agricultural operation that is conducted in a negligent or improper manner.
(c) No agricultural operation or any of its appurtenances shall be or become a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in or about the locality thereof after the same has been in operation for more than 1 year if the operation or the change did not constitute a nuisance from the date the agricultural operation began or the date the change in the operation began.
(d) Subsection (c) of this section shall not affect or defeat the right of any person, firm or corporation to recover damages for any injury or damages sustained by them on account of any pollution of, or change in condition of, the waters of any stream or on account of any overflow onto lands of any such person, firm or corporation.
(e) Any and all ordinances of any unit of local government now in effect or hereafter adopted that would make the operation of any such agricultural operation or its appurtenances a nuisance or providing for abatement thereof as a nuisance in the circumstances set forth in this section and shall be null and void; however, this section shall not apply whenever a nuisance results from the failure to conduct the operation in a manner consistent with good agricultural practice as defined in § 1401 of Title 3 or when there has been a significant change in the operation itself.
71 Del. Laws, c. 462, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 376, §§ 2, 3.;
Chapter 81 Contents
Delaware Code > Title 10 > Chapter 40 - Tort Claims Act
Delaware Code > Title 10 > Chapter 81 - Personal Actions
Delaware Code > Title 25 > Chapter 15 - Tort Liability of Property Owners
Hawaii Revised Statutes > Chapter 663 - Tort Actions
Idaho Code > Title 6 > Chapter 8 - Actions for Negligence
Idaho Code > Title 6 > Chapter 9 - Tort Claims Against Governmental Entities
Iowa Code > Chapter 669 - State Tort Claims
Iowa Code > Chapter 670 - Tort Liability of Governmental Subdivisions
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14 Sec. 8101 - Title
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14 Sec. 8102 - Definitions
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14 Sec. 8103 - Immunity from suit
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14 Sec. 8104-A - Exceptions to immunity
Maine Revised Statutes Title 14 Sec. 8104-B - Immunity notwithstanding waiver
New Hampshire Revised Statutes > Chapter 507-B - Bodily Injury Actions Against Governmental Units
New Hampshire Revised Statutes > Chapter 507-F - Alcoholic Beverage Licensee Liability
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Destination: Pachamama Wholefoods, Brunswick VIC
In a nutshell: Pachamama is a wholefoods store that combines a zero waste approach with a solid foundation of meaningful community engagement
Custodians: Christopher Anderson and Danielle Dimarti
Changing/saving the world from one little shop: Chris (left) and Danielle (right), pictured here with author, Jessie Alice (centre), are the owners of Pachamama Wholefoods, a little shop with a big heart located in Brunswick, Victoria.
Hi there, Chris. Let me ask: how did you get here?
Chris: The journey started when we were living in a share house. We witnessed just how much food was wasted and, to be honest, how disorganised the fridge was. We’d go buy a bunch of stuff, throw it in the fridge, and be running two fridges between six people. You know the feeling of not being sure if it’s your onion, right? So you leave the onion and then the onion sits there, never gets claimed, and goes to waste. That’s when I realised that food waste wasn’t a simple issue; it was a network of complex problems. It’s an information issue, an organisation issue, and a lifestyle issue. We’re even developing an app to help with a solution too! More on that at some point in the near future, we promise.
And how about you, Danielle?
Danielle: I studied International Development and I guess was always interested in how to “fix the world’s problems”. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after university, but then, one day, I realised that food was the answer. If you grow food properly, you can encourage a zero-waste approach that helps people re-attribute value to their food. Since that realisation, it’s been a journey to where we are today with Pachamama. We realised that a shop like this would be an ideal testing platform for our theories and approaches to curbing food waste. We weren’t wrong.
What do you see are key aspects of the relationship between food and food waste?
C: So few people perceive there to be any value in food anymore. We’re trying to change that. It’s not just about coming in and purchasing food to eat; we’re talking about the community vibe where you bring people together, you look at what food’s worth, and what it can do for the community you’re working with. At the moment, because of the widespread devaluation of food, it simply goes in the bin; often, people don’t care what they waste, especially in households on a day-to-day basis.
In a nutshell, the concept of zero waste is important. We advocate for closing the cycle of what we produce and what we eat, and what goes back into the system. At the moment, the system’s just not working and there’s a big gap in the loop. The food just goes and sits in the earth where it doesn’t get used correctly.
D: Food has always been important to us, but the level of importance has increased as we’ve become more consciously aware of what’s happening more broadly. That’s a process that we’ve both been going through in life. We realise the value of everything and how important the thinking behind Pachamama is to the Brunswick community, and potentially to many other communities in Australia, and across the world.
Tell us more about your setup. How do you operate the business?
C: Before we bought the business, we actually shopped here at Pachamama and became interested in what the previous owners were doing with their food waste. They did have a guy that was taking their compost but he stopped… so we started! We bought four massive compost bins and were processing it at our place. The compost even takes human hair now!
D: With the composting side of things up-and-running, we wanted to make a community event of it too; involve kids, involve the community, include education… so we did. Two small families showed up for the first one — it was a start, anyway! We showed them what medicinal properties the plants have, and ran them through the basics of composting and soil education. The workshops are our favourite thing to do. We love getting out there and chatting with our wonderful community of fellow compost lovers!
How do you manage waste at Pachamama these days?
C: When things in the shop spoil and it’s an item that can’t necessarily go in the compost, we tend to give it away so it can be used otherwise. Some people use it as food for their pets, others cook it into a new meal. Bread is the hardest one: if you don’t sell it on the day, you can sell it on the next day but after that it’s done. And often it’s still good; it might just need a new life as a bread and butter pudding! If there’s anything leftover after that, to be honest, we’d just eat it until we were sick rather than throw it in the bin. I actually feel ill when I throw things in the bin; I’m rather my body be the composter than have it sitting in that [the bin]!
Tell us about a big, ambitious goal you have for Pachamama.
D: We want it to change the world. And that’s not even an exaggeration. We want to focus on the community here in Brunswick and really make a big deal of the ‘closed loop system’ so that there’s no food waste at our end, and no food waste in Brunswick’s households. We want to test that approach here, in this context, then take it more broadly. Essentially, we want to create a hyperlocal food system wherein if anything happened outside of Brunswick, our community would still survive. Learning via this approach is the only way to create a sustainable community food system.
Pachamama’s recipe for success:
Buy Less
Tags whole foods, shop, shopping, retail, zero waste, closed loop, compost, Sustainability, Field Trip, Field Trips, Buy Less, Fruit & Vegetable, Produce
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Morris Funeral Home
304 Merrimon Avenue
Sunday, Jun. 2, 2019
Monday, Jun. 3, 2019
227 Cumberland Ave
More Obituaries for Anna Xenakis
Anna Xenakis
Asheville - Anna Xenakis, of Asheville, North Carolina, passed away on May 30, 2019, after a short illness. A native of Chios, Greece, Anna was the beloved mother of Hope Xenakis (Ray), Betsy Xenakis, Xenoula Maria Easton (Brian), and Frances Earnhardt, and much adored Yiayia to granddaughter, Alexandra Easton. She is preceded in death by her husband of over 45 years, Stelios Xenakis; her parents, Athanasios and Fotini Karthasi; her sisters, Maria and Vasilia Karthasi; her brother Kyriakos Karthasi; her brother-in-law, John Xenakis and her sister-in-law, Georgia Xenakis; along with her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law in Greece.
Her parents survived the horrific population exchange of Greeks in the Greek part of Cesme, Turkey, and settled in Chios. Anna is survived by several beloved nieces and nephews, living in Asheville, including the Arakas family, New York and Greece, as well as a first cousin she spoke to every month without fail from Adelaide, Australia and sister-in-law, Evangelia Karthasi.
Immigrating in the late 1950's, Anna assisted her husband, Stelios, at his first restaurant in Biltmore Village, The Plaza Café. He then opened Johnny O's Sandwich Shoppe on Battery Park Avenue in Asheville in the 1970's. Anna was a long standing member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Asheville, as well as a member of the Philoptochos Society. She volunteered tirelessly helping bake Greek delicacies for church bake sales and festivals.
Anna never met a stranger and loved to show them her affection through her kind deeds and delicious treats. Despite a language barrier, she managed to have friendships with neighbors, customers from Johnny O's, and everyone she ran across. Her warm personality and keen sense of humor will be deeply missed by all.
The family will be receiving friends at Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Ave., on Sunday, June 2, 2019 starting at 5:00pm followed by a Trisagion service at 5:50pm. The funeral service will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 227 Cumberland Ave., at 11:00am on Monday, June 3, 2019. Both services will be officiated by Father Michael Diavatis. Following the burial service at Ashelawn Gardens, a Makaria luncheon will be held at the Tony and Helen Morris Hellenic Cultural Center.
In lieu of flowers, a donation made be made to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Foundation or Church, 227 Cumberland Ave., Asheville, NC 28801.
Morris Funeral Home is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent through the website, www.morrisfamilycare.com
Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times from June 1 to June 3, 2019
"I was saddened to hear of Kyria Anna's passing, was hoping..."
"I was saddened to hear of Kyria Anna's passing was hoping..."
Send Me a Planning Guide
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Scholarly Collaboration & Partners
Student Opportunities & Internships
Cultural Heritage and Informatics Initiative
College of Social Science
Cultural Heritage & Informatics Initiative
Support Our Mission!
Matrix, the Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University, is an international leader in digital humanities that advances critical understanding and open access to knowledge through application of humanities technologies for teaching, research, and outreach. Humanities technology unites the humanists quest for deeper understanding of humanity with the tools and methods of computer science, engineering, and information and library sciences. Matrix researchers work at these intersections to advance a wide variety of interdisciplinary projects.
At MSU, Matrix works with partners across disciplines to build globally-networked resources and services that give life to the metaphor of "matrix": an interconnected environment that supports the development of new tools, ideas, and applications of interdisciplinary research. Matrix also partners with external organizations such as museums, libraries, and archives to digitize collections of cultural resources significant for public access and education. Currently, Matrix houses major digital library repositories including the African Online Digital Library (AODL), Detroit Public Television’s American Black Journal video archives, Historical Voices, Quilt Index and What America Ate. Matrix is committed to collaborating with developing countries and partners with limited resources, and we use inexpensive hardware and open-source software, combined with training for sustained use of such resources, to facilitate this.
Matrix’s work is funded by Michigan State University and by external funding from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U. S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of State Office of Citizen’s Exchange, USAID, and the Ford and Andrew W. Mellon foundations. We welcome your support of our ongoing work.
As scholars, publishers, and teachers, we are both producers and consumers of digital objects, and we are committed to the free flow of ideas and to respect for intellectual property. Guided by basic scholarly and humanist values of excellence, education, access, and inclusiveness, and conducted according to proven, collaborative, scientific methods and principles, Matrix aims to be one of the top humanities technology centers in the world. To this end, the mission of Matrix is... ...to serve as a catalyst for and incubator of the emerging fields and disciplines resulting from the integration of the humanities with information technologies.
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A German former TV star and singer, Daniel Kueblboeck, has gone missing from a cruise to Canada and may have gone overboard, the cruise operator says. Aida Cruises says there is reason to believe that the celebrity, who first became well-known as a contestant in Germany's version of Pop Idol in 2003, jumped into the sea on Sunday morning. "That is our suspicion," said spokesman Hansjoerg Kunze. Aida said the ship was stopped and returned to the spot off the coast of Newfoundland where Kueblboeck was believed to have entered the water. The 33-year-old, who tried but failed to be chosen as Germany's Eurovision entry in 2014, was travelling on the vessel in a private capacity, as one of about 2200 passengers on their way to Newfoundland from the northern German port city of Hamburg. The incident occurred about 100 nautical miles (about 185 kilometres) north of the city of St John's on Newfoundland. The water temperature was recorded at about 10.5 degrees Celsius. Kueblboeck's management company could not be reached for comment. The Canadian coastguard confirmed on Sunday that it was using a surveillance plane and helicopter to search the cold Labrador Sea. Two other cruise ships also helped with the search. Kueblboeck, born in Bavarian Hutthurm, made his last big television appearance in the eighth season of the show Let's Dance in 2015 and was studying to be an actor at the European Theatre Institute Berlin. Australian Associated Press
September 10 2018 - 4:20AM
German celebrity missing on Canada cruise
Markus Klemm
A German former TV star and singer, Daniel Kueblboeck, has gone missing from a cruise to Canada and may have gone overboard, the cruise operator says.
Aida Cruises says there is reason to believe that the celebrity, who first became well-known as a contestant in Germany's version of Pop Idol in 2003, jumped into the sea on Sunday morning.
"That is our suspicion," said spokesman Hansjoerg Kunze.
Aida said the ship was stopped and returned to the spot off the coast of Newfoundland where Kueblboeck was believed to have entered the water.
The 33-year-old, who tried but failed to be chosen as Germany's Eurovision entry in 2014, was travelling on the vessel in a private capacity, as one of about 2200 passengers on their way to Newfoundland from the northern German port city of Hamburg.
The incident occurred about 100 nautical miles (about 185 kilometres) north of the city of St John's on Newfoundland. The water temperature was recorded at about 10.5 degrees Celsius.
Kueblboeck's management company could not be reached for comment.
The Canadian coastguard confirmed on Sunday that it was using a surveillance plane and helicopter to search the cold Labrador Sea. Two other cruise ships also helped with the search.
Kueblboeck, born in Bavarian Hutthurm, made his last big television appearance in the eighth season of the show Let's Dance in 2015 and was studying to be an actor at the European Theatre Institute Berlin.
2019 NAIDOC Week Deadly Moonlight Ball | Photos
Unique music-media mash up at Settlers Tavern
Visiting artist captivated by connection to nature
Rotary recognises dedicated community members
South West women sought for new dance project
Augusta-Margaret River Mail
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DJ and Production Gear
Spotlight: Music Video Production on a Budget
Making video is costly and time consuming. Here are a few tips to making it when you don't have tons of money.
via Pixabay
The idea of making a music video appeals to most up-and-coming musicians and the independent labels backing them. However, for the majority, the cost and labor-intensive nature of music video production is a bit outside their budget. Furthermore, the pressure to create something exceptionally noteworthy is intense, given the nature of the music video medium, which is ultimately a marketing device as much as it is a form of artistic expression. In other words, to get a worthy return-on-investment for a music video, the music has to be great (a given) and the video has to be interesting and unique.
Fortunately for musicians and producers, it’s possible to put together a decent music video on a budget. Here’s how:
Proper Preparation:
Tapping Resources:
Everyone you know whether they are involved with music and video has a network all their own you don’t know about. Point is, ask for help, deals, lessons, etc. You need to expand your network so you might be able to find aid in some of the production needs or editing or equipment all by asking for help and putting out feelers. Sites like LinkedIn can show you mutual connections so try and find friends of friends who work professionally in any part of the process you cannot handle. Maybe that person would love a side gig and could become a lasting partnership.
Cinematic Technique:
Whether hiring someone to make the video or doing the camerawork yourself, it’s imperative for whoever is behind the camera to know what he or she is doing. The rule of thirds, the 180-degree rule, and visual storytelling are just some of the essential concepts the person making the video needs to understand before getting started.
Cost-Effective Suggestions:
When we think of music videos, we tend to think of live-action performances. However, what about making it an animation video? Better yet, why not opt for a whiteboard animation video? It’s a style typically reserved for marketing, but as previously mentioned, music videos are really just a stylized form of marketing, so why not? It’s cheaper than hiring half a dozen actors and twice as many production staff and has the potential to stand out as something different. Furthermore, there’s far more freedom in terms of imagination when it comes to animation video versus live-action.
Guerilla Filmmaking:
Let's say you have your heart set on a live-action music video to go with your awesome track. Fair enough. Now it’s time to think of ways to pull it off on a low budget. The key to cost-effective live-action music video production is to do so guerilla-style: shooting without worrying about permits, closing down streets, etc. Just get out there with a camera and the aforementioned cinematic techniques and start recording. Choose places with interesting or otherwise appropriate backdrops for the desired tone.
Online Hiring and Collaboration:
This is an obvious one, use free tools and software that are available to you. When you are collaborating with people or looking for freelancers to help, find them online and work with them in free ways like google drive. Be it a free platform or one covered by a cybersecurity provider, your private and massive online files can be shared internally and kept safe during and after development. You can end up saving a lot of money be leveraging sites like Fiverr or UpWork to pay people less and get specialized help. Leverage all the tools and programs you can, whether it is using google’s products or another platform there are ways to have a teamwork approach from across the world.
Post-Production:
MacBook Pro and Final Cut Pro:
If you’re an EDM artist or producer, we’re going to go ahead and assume that you own a MacBook Pro computer. If you do, you’re halfway there in terms of what you need for the post-production process of shooting a music video. The second half comes down to getting a copy of Final Cut Pro. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be the latest and greatest version to date and therefore can probably be bought at a discount
Once the video is edited together, it’s time to let it loose for people to watch. 30 years ago this involved getting onto MTV, but these days it’s all about YouTube (and to a lesser extent, Vimeo). Fortunately for musicians on a budget, putting a video onto these platforms is free, and they represent the top-tier of online video platforms in terms of viewing. Simply create a YouTube Channel, which you should already have, and publish the music video. Launch a modest but respectable social media marketing campaign to get the word out, and let the magic unfold.
To be honest, there’s a lot more to making a great music video than what we could fit into this article. However, the information provided is plenty for getting started. The rest is nothing you can’t learn, so what are you waiting for?
3 Great Multipurpose Headphones For Every Budget
By Magnetic
Artist Advice Column: Things To Know Before Pressing Vinyl
By SoStereo
Watch Justice's Sexual "Pleasure" Music Video
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Solo skiers reach South Pole in race for Antarctic first
PUBLISHED: December 14, 2018 at 8:49 am | UPDATED: December 27, 2018 at 5:28 am
Categories: Environment & Science, Latest Headlines, News
Both of the men who are racing to become the first to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported have reached the South Pole.
Colin O’Brady hit the milestone on Wednesday and Lou Rudd on Thursday.
The men are in their 42nd day of a journey expected to take about 70 days. They started on Nov. 3 at Messner, at the edge of the Robbe Ice Shelf, and are aiming to finish at the Ross Ice Shelf. The full trek is about 935 miles.
They are skiing, pulling large sleds loaded with all their supplies for the trip — about 350 pounds at the start. They have been covering about 12 miles a day.
Rudd, 49, is a captain in the British army. He has Antarctic expedition experience, and he had announced in April his intention to go for the solo/unsupported first.
The October announcement of the same goal by O’Brady came as a surprise. The 33-year-old American is a triathlete and alpinist but a relative novice to polar trekking.
The men are following the shortest sanctioned route that is considered shore-to-shore of the Antarctic continent. From the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf they traveled almost 600 miles to the pole, then will angle back toward the Ross Ice Shelf.
Rudd had been a friend of Henry Worsley, another British army officer who in 2016 had completed 900 miles of an unsupported traverse when he called for a rescue. Suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, he died of organ failure before he made it home.
Follow the treks:
Lou Rudd’s expedition
Colin O’Brady’s expedition
View more on The Mercury News
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Moreland Middle School Boys’ Soccer Teams Win League Championship
Both the Moreland Middle School (MMS) Junior Varsity and Varsity Boys’ Soccer teams won the West Valley Athletic League (WVAL) Championship on April 4, 2018.
San Jose, April 19, 2018: Moreland School District announced that both the Moreland Middle School (MMS) Junior Varsity and Varsity Boys’ Soccer teams won the West Valley Athletic League (WVAL) Championship on April 4, 2018.
With 13 teams in the WVAL, the Junior Varsity team, led by Coach Ricky Martin, defeated Campbell Middle School 2-1, playing at Anderson Elementary School. This is the second year in a row that MMS’ Junior Varsity team led an undefeated season and claimed the Championship. MMS’ Varsity team, led by Moreland Middle School teacher Chase Rollings, beat out Monroe Middle School with a score of 0-0, winning on penalty kicks.
Athletics are an integral part of Moreland’s whole body, well-rounded education. For more information on Sports in Moreland (SiM), the Moreland Education Foundation (MEF) committee that helps support the after-school sports program in the Moreland School District, visit www.mefhome.org/sports-in-moreland/.
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Elizabeth Castle
Liberation Square
Statue of the Toad
St. Helier/Jersery
Discover excursions in St. Helier
The Deep Blue Waters of the English Channel
Saint Helier is found on the island of Jersey, the largest in the English Channel and is one of the twelve parishes and capital of the city that takes its name from Saint Helier, an ascetic hermit who lived on the island in the 6th century.
On your MSC cruise, you will have the chance to explore this extravagant place full of charm, history and culture.
Until the end of the 18th century, Saint Helier consisted mainly of a series of houses, shops and warehouses that stretched along the coastal dunes on either side of the church and adjacent market. Today, many places in this beautiful city have been formally listed as special interest sites by the Jersey Department of Planning and Environment.
One of these is Elizabeth Castle, a dark stone castle located on an islet at the end of the bay where Saint Helier is located. The current building is named after Elizabeth I, who was Queen of England in the 16th century when the castle was built.
The focal point of the city is Liberation Square, built in 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jersey. At the center of the square is a monument in remembrance of the end of the German occupation at the conclusion of the Second World War. There is a large statue in the middle of a fountain depicting a group of citizens holding a flag of the United Kingdom blowing in the wind. To the north of the square is Hotel Pomme D'Or, which was used by the Nazis as their headquarters during the occupation.
One of the most curious features of Saint Helier is a statue of a toad. The island is actually the only one in the Channel that boasts a species of indigenous toad, a British variety that is unique and different from those present in the rest of England, given protected status and monitored to ensure its survival.
The United Kingdom is not just one country but four – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – and a multitude of cultural identities: God forbid you should call a Scot or a Welshman English for example.
Don’t miss the true London experience during your holiday to the United Kingdom; the capital is the one place that features on everyone’s itinerary.
Brighton and Canterbury offer contrasting diversions – the former a lively seaside resort, the latter one of Britain’s finest medieval cities.
The southwest of England holds the rugged moorlands of Devon, the rocky coastline of Cornwall, and the historic spa city of Bath, while the chief attractions of central England are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Further north, the former industrial cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle are lively, rejuvenated places, and York has splendid historical treasures, but the landscape, especially the uplands of the Lake District, is the biggest magnet.
The finest of Scotland’s lochs, glens and peaks, and the magnificent scenery of the West Coast islands, can be reached easily from Glasgow and Edinburgh – the latter perhaps Britain’s most attractive urban landscape. Finally, a cruise to the United Kingdom isn’t complete without a stop in Northern Ireland with its capital city Belfast and the spectacular Giant’s Causeway.
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Bi-State Development – Making an Impact for More Than 65 Years
By Matthew Hibbard
We’re celebrating a special milestone today. On this day in 1950, President Harry S. Truman signed an interstate compact between Missouri and Illinois and formally established the Bi-State Development Agency.
Now doing business as Bi-State Development (BSD), our organization is probably best known for operating Metro, the region’s public transportation system. But if you look closely, you’ll see that BSD has done so much more for the bi-state region, and is poised for accomplishing even greater things in the years to come.
For more than 65 years, BSD has worked with regional partners to take on challenges and develop solutions that have made our region even stronger. The interstate compact signed into law 65 years ago gives us broad powers to cross local, county and state boundaries to drive economic development on both sides of the Mississippi River
From highway planning and pollution reduction studies, to marketing and operating the Gateway Arch or managing the region’s new freight district, BSD has played an integral role in the region’s growth since it was first established. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the last six and a half decades:
One of BSD’s very first actions was to conduct an Interstate Highway Study for the bi-state region. That study became a model for the rest of the nation.
Four years later, BSD was asked to look into sewer problems in St. Louis County. That study led to the creation of a new agency responsible for meeting the sewer needs of the St. Louis metropolitan area – the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.
In 1962, BSD forged a partnership with the National Park Service to construct the Gateway Arch tram system. BSD financed the trams that take visitors to the top of the Arch, and has been operating them since they opened in 1967. Today, BSD also manages the sales and marketing for the Gateway Arch, and its Revenue Collection and Ticketing Center, and also owns and operates the Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer riverboats as well as bike rentals and helicopter sightseeing tours on the riverfront.
BSD got into the public transportation business in 1963, more than 14 years after the organization was established. At that time, public transportation was a hodgepodge of 15 struggling bus companies. The region’s leaders turned to BSD for a better, cohesive transportation future, and in 1963, BSD acquired all 15 private transit firms and began operating the first regional transit system, known today as Metro.
The region turned to BSD again one year later, when it was looking for a reliever airport for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. So BSD took to the skies and purchased the Parks Metropolitan Airport in Cahokia/Sauget, Ill., in 1964. Today, it’s known as St. Louis Downtown Airport and it contributes nearly $600 million in economic benefits to the region. You may be surprised to learn that it is the second busiest airport in the St. Louis region and the third busiest in Illinois.
BSD isn’t just in the people-moving business. We were selected to establish and lead the new Regional Freight District to optimize and coordinate freight movement for eight counties in Missouri and Illinois. It is estimated that the new freight district will support 230,000 jobs. In addition, BSD has created the Bi-State Development Research Institute, a new enterprise that provides leaders with the information they need to make smarter decisions on the future of growth and development in the region.
It’s been an exciting 65 plus years. But the future is even more exciting. With this deep expertise in planning and implementation and a long history of innovation and regional collaboration, BSD will continue to leverage all of that experience into real solutions for regional challenges. The best is yet to come.
To learn more about Bi-State Development visit us at bistatedev.org
View all posts by Matthew Hibbard
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View cart “Bald Mountain: Graham Lakes Trail PDF Map” has been added to your cart.
Woods, ridges, small lakes
Bald Mountain Recreation Area has 15 miles of trails divide between the North Unit and the South Unit and the crown jewel of the system is the 3.6-mile loop around Graham Lakes. Officially its labeled the Orange Loop but its commonly referred to as the Graham Lakes Trail. The loop was originally built in 1983 as a Nordic trail because the hilly unit seemed like a natural one for cross-country skiing with its numerous long, downhill runs. But this lake-studded area also attracted the attention of hikers and eventually mountain bikers.There is no actual Bald Mountain here, or anywhere else in the state recreation area, but the trail does ascend a number of ridges and hills, climbing 60 fee ...
Bald Mountain Recreation Area has 15 miles of trails divide between the North Unit and the South Unit and the crown jewel of the system is the 3.6-mile loop around Graham Lakes. Officially it’s labeled the Orange Loop but it’s commonly referred to as the Graham Lakes Trail. The loop was originally built in 1983 as a Nordic trail because the hilly unit seemed like a natural one for cross-country skiing with its numerous long, downhill runs. But this lake-studded area also attracted the attention of hikers and eventually mountain bikers.
There is no actual "Bald Mountain" here, or anywhere else in the state recreation area, but the trail does ascend a number of ridges and hills, climbing 60 feet at one point, to several scenic overlooks of lakes and leaving you feel invigorated at the end of the hike. In spring, patches of wildflowers abound near the wetlands; in the autumn, the ponds are highlighted by the fall colors of hardwood trees. Mountain bikers begin appearing in early May and their numbers peak during the summer and on fall weekends
At the East Graham Lake a large wooden display sign and post No. 18 marks where the trail crosses the road to the DNR access site and parking area. The trail is numbered in a clockwise direction thus heading west you quickly pass post No. 19, marking the junction of the Green Connector, a half-mile spur that crosses Harmon road to the White Loop. In 0.4 mile from the start you reach post No. 9, where the Yellow Connector hops across Harmon Road to reach the White Loop within a 100 yards.
Graham Lakes Trail continues north where it descends to the remnants of an old two track to West Graham Lake and climbs the best hill of the day. On the way up, you pass a view of Shoe Lake and then breakout at a clearing where there is a bench and a view of West Graham Lake and many of the surrounding ridges you'll walked over on the backside of the loop. You then descend to skirt Harmon Road and cross an impressive wooden bridge over a stream that flows between Shoe and West Graham lakes.
Graham Lakes Trail swings away from the stream, climbs another hill and 1.1 miles from the start reaches post No. 10 at the north end of Harmon Road, coming within view of one of the few private homes seen along the way, a rather amazing fact for this rapidly developing region of Oakland County. You leave the post hiking in a northeast direction and enter a pine plantation whose trees are in perfect rows and tower above a bench. From here it’s only 0.2 mile until you arrive at the end of Prince Lake, 1.5 miles from the start. Occasionally you’ll see anglers on the water targeting panfish and largemouth bass as the lake has a boat launch on its west end.
Graham Lakes Trail now swings to a more easterly direction and soon passes a view of Duck Lake, a marshy pond that is surrounded by cattails and deadheads. Post No. 12 is reached 1.9 miles from the start and marks where a skiers' bypass has been built. A bench has been placed here as the hill serves as an overlook with Duck Pond to the north and the surrounding hills to the west.
The bypass quickly rejoins the main trail at post No. 13 and the next quarter mile is mostly downhill to post No. 14, where you pass another view of Duck Pond and then bottom out at a marshy where there may or may not be a sluggish creek. Graham Lakes Trail quickly leaves the wetland as it steadily climbs a long hill to reach post No. 15, within a 0.3 mile. The post and map serves as a trailhead for a parking area off Lake George Road. Follow the trail as it swings south (right) and follows a steady route downhill, losing 50 feet by the time it arrives at post no. 16, marking a spur from Predmore Road.
You’re now less than a mile from the access site. More hills follow until you bottom out at a large wooden bridge over a stream that flows from marshy Dorn Lake, a gathering spot for waterfowl in spring and fall, to East Graham Lake to the north. The bridge makes a nice place to enjoy the wetland scenery. Within a half mile or 3.6 miles from the start of your trek you return to your vehicle.
The park’s main day-use area are the picnic and swimming facilities around Lower and Upper Trout lakes. The area is reached from M-24 and contains a beach, bathhouse and picnic area on Lower Trout Lake and additional picnic tables, grills and shelters that can be rented on Upper Trout Lake. Bald Mountain also features a pair of 20-bunk rustic cabins reached from Harmon Road in the north unit. The cabins, a short walk from the parking area, are within 100 yards of each other in a wooded area overlooking Tamarack Lake. Nearby is the White Loop trail.
The park is open year round and a vehicle permit or annual state park pass is required to enter.
Bald Mountain is 7 miles north of Pontiac and can be reached from I-75 by departing north on M-24 (exit 81). Turn east onto Greenshield Road to reach the park headquarters.
North Unit trails are located east of Lake Orion. From I-75, depart north onto M-24 (exit 81) and in seven miles turn east onto Clarkston Road. Follow the scenic dirt road as it jogs across Paint Creek and pass Orion Road. Turn north (left) on Adams Road and then east (right) on Stoney Creek Road briefly and then north (left) on Harmon Road which leads into the park. There are four trailheads and parking areas to the loop, including one at the end of Harmon Road, another near the corner of Predmore and Lake George Road, and a third further north on Lake George Road.. The trailhead is a half mile north on Harmon.
Call the park at 248-693-6767 or stop at the office located at 1330 E. Greenshield Rd. For a cabin reservation contact Michigan State Park Central Reservations (800-447-2757; www.midnrreservations.com).
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Revealed: Which sex gets more stressed over “every key life event”
And the research shows it is women who suffer more stress than men in their lives.
Published: 06:00 Sunday 19 March 2017
New research has determined which sex gets more stressed over “every key life event” - from losing their smartphone to Brexit.
The greatest difference between the sexes showed women are far more fearful of terrorism than men while the narrowest gap was over the birth of the first child.
The Physiological Society spoke to 2,000 Britons to discover the difference in the way the men and women react to the tensions of modern life and the impact on health.
The report ‘Stress In Modern Britain’ published by the Society showed London was the area most stressed about Brexit, but the controversial issue also had the greatest variety of responses.
Respondents were given 18 different life events, and asked to grade them on a scale of 0-10, with 0 meaning “not at all stressful”, and 10 meaning “Very stressful”.
People living in London and Scotland were most likely to get wound up about “the process of leaving the European Union” than those in Wales and most of the rest of England.
Those with degrees were almost more upset about leaving Europe than people with just GCSEs or A-Levels.
Not surprisingly, the most stressful event was the death of a spouse/relative with an average score of 9.43 out of 10, closely followed by fears of imprisonment, with an average score of 9.15.
The end of a long term relationship or losing a job, both scoring 8.47, appears to be less stressful than being flooded which scored 8.89.
But after terrorism the greatest differences between the sexes were over being seriously ill, moving house and money problems.
Becoming a parent was the issue the genders had the most similar rating towards, with particular prominence among those aged 25-34.
Scotland was found to be the the most stressed area in the UK, with the South East of England the least stressed.
The study also revealed stress levels increase with age, most notably over concerns over long-term problems such as illness or imprisonment.
However, an exception to this trend was over the loss of a smartphone, which was a more prominent cause of stress for younger respondents.
Overall, the most common responses concerned driving: car breakdowns, traffic, busy motorways, road rage, or being the passenger of a careless driver all featured.
One person replied writing “Being driven by my wife. This is a serious comment.”
Next on the list was work-related stresses, particularly job applications and
Another set of common responses described caring for aged, ill, or disabled people. Illness and loss of pets also featured commonly, showing that those close to us need
not be human to cause emotional effects.
Some answers revealed concerns over more trivial matters such as “family arguments at Christmas” or “the scrutiny of social media”.
The Physiological Society conducted the study to raise awareness of the effect of stress and its impact on health.
During stress, the body responds by releasing hormones into the blood stream, which affects the heart as well as digestive and immune systems.
Frequent and prolonged stress can cause long term physiological problems in the body.
Dr Lucy Donaldson, Chair of The Physiological Society’s Policy Committee, said: “The modern world brings with it stresses we would not have imagined 50 years ago, such as social media and smartphones.
“It was striking that for every single event in this study, from money problems to Brexit, women reported greater stress levels than men.
“This could have a real impact on women’s health.
“While many people are aware of the effect of stress on mental well-being, it is also important to consider the impact on the body’s systems.
“Your brain, nervous and hormonal systems react to stress and it affects your heart, immune system and gastrointestinal system.
“When stress is prolonged, these effects on the whole body can result in illnesses such as ulcers or increased risk of heart attack.”
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Multiplayer Game Modes : Co-Op
Cooperative play means you and a buddy can play together to achieve a goal. Typically, you're playing the single player portion of a game, but with a buddy to help.
Co-Op is part of the Multiplayer Game Modes category.
You are currently viewing games for all platforms that are marked as Multiplayer Game Modes : Co-Op. Games for other platforms are also tracked by this attribute. You can restrict the list of games below to any of the following platforms:
All Platforms, 3DO, Amiga, Android, APF MP1000/Imagination Machine, Arcade, Arcadia 2001, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, BeOS, BlackBerry, Blu-ray Disc Player, Browser, Commodore 64, CreatiVision, Dedicated console, Dedicated handheld, DOS, Dreamcast, DVD Player, Epoch Cassette Vision, Fire OS, FRED/COSMAC, Game.Com, GameCube, GameStick, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, Genesis, HD DVD Player, Intellivision, iPad, iPhone, Jaguar, J2ME, Linux, Macintosh, Mainframe, MOS Technology 6502, Motorola 6800, N-Gage (service), N-Gage, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color, NES, New Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 64, Newton, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, OS/2, Ouya, PC-FX, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Pokémon Mini, PSP, PS Vita, SD-200/270/290, SEGA 32X, SEGA CD, Sharp X68000, SEGA Master System, SEGA Saturn, SNES, Spectravideo, Terminal, Tizen, Tomahawk F1, TurboGrafx-16, TurboGrafx CD, tvOS, Wii, Wii U, webOS, Windows, Windows 3.x, Windows Apps, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone, WonderSwan, WonderSwan Color, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xerox Alto
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# - k
Soulcalibur: Legends 2007 Namco Bandai Games America Inc., Namco Bandai Games Europe SAS
Soul Sacrifice 2013 Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
Soul Sacrifice: Delta 2014 Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
Soulstar 1994 Core Design Inc., Core Design Ltd., Tec Toy Indústria de Brinquedos S.A., Victor Entertainment Inc.
The Soul 1998 KOGA Publishing
South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play! 2009 Microsoft Game Studios
Soviet Lunapark VR 2018 Mundfish LLC
Spac3 Invaders Extr3me 2008 Degica Co., Ltd, Square Enix Ltd, Square Enix, Inc., Taito Corporation
Space Bastards 1996
Space Battle 1979 Mattel Electronics, Microsoft Game Studios
Space Channel 5: Part 2 2002 SEGA Corporation, SEGA of America, Inc.
Space Hulk 2013 Full Control ApS, Funbox Media Ltd., Hoplite Research, LLC
Space Invaders 1999 Activision (UK) Limited, Activision, Inc., Activision Publishing, Inc.
Space Invaders 1978 Atari Corporation, Atari, Inc., Midway Mfg. Co., Inversiones Recreativas, S. A., Polyvox, Sears, Roebuck and Co., SEGA Enterprises, Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sidam, Taito America Corporation, Taito Corporation, Universe Affiliated International, Inc., WiZ
Space Jam 1996 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., Acclaim Japan, Ltd.
Spacelords 2017 Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L.
Space Raiders 2002 Mastiff, LLC, Taito Corporation
Space Siege 2008 SEGA Europe Ltd., SEGA of America, Inc.
Spaceteam 2012
Space Trader 2007 Akella, HermitWorks Entertainment Corporation, Meridian4, Inc.
Spare Parts 2011 Electronic Arts, Inc.
Spark Man 1989 SunA Co.
Spawn: In the Demon's Hand 2000 Capcom Co., Ltd., Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Spec Ops II: Green Berets 1999 Ripcord Games, TalonSoft, Inc.
Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the Way - Pro Pack 1998 Ripcord Games
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County should be proud of ceremony...
Editor: I had the honor of being at Staff Sgt. Christopher Scott’s memorial service on Friday, July 30, at General Butler State Resort Park. The ceremony was a wonderful tribute to this man and the sacrifices he made for his family and country. The speakers were very sincere about the life of Sgt. Scott, both personal and military-wi
Chaining dogs should be banned
Editor: I would like to see a ban on having dogs chained. In Carrollton and Carroll County there is no law or ordinance that protects dogs from being chained up 24/7. Chaining is the cruelest punishment for social animals such as dogs that need exercise, affection and companionship. Many communities are beginning to pass laws banning dog cha
Thanks extended for support at bake...
Editor: I would like to thank everyone who came to the bake sale for Sgt. Chris Stout, and also thank you Worthville Fire Department for letting us hold the sale at the firehouse. Marty Gividen Assistant Chief Worthville Volunteer Fire Deparment
Congregation thanks Kinman for his...
Editor: Herb Kinman steps up and saves the day once again. The congregation of the Worthville Christian Church would like to thank him for all that he does for the community never asking for anything in return. Pamela Jo Yeary Chairperson Worthville Christian Church
Utility’s rate increases...
Editor: Shelby Energy Cooperative has filed a request to increase rates as much as 15 percent on top of an additional 6 percent rate increase from East Kentucky Power, Shelby Energy’s power supplier. I believe Shelby Energy has created a veil of secrecy about our cooperative’s operation and management that causes the member-customer to pay more money for less service.
July 2 Senior Carnival was a great...
Editor: The Senior Carnival was a great success Friday, July 2. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of local businesses and individuals. We would like to take the time to recognize those who made the carnival possible: Rand insurance, Hometown Pizza, Bray’s Orchard, Niles Bray’s Fruit Stand, All the Buzz Barber Shop, Tracey and Greg Heveline, Fra
Routines are crucial to one&...
Recently, I heard of a study that says people who multi-task don’t really get better at it over time – they actually lose their ability to concentrate. I don’t doubt the accuracy of this finding. My job requires me to multi-task all the time; I’m constantly switching from editing to writing to laying out pages, all the while trying to keep organized to make
Open county pageants offer girls...
Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to clear a few things up. Contrary to popular belief, a beauty pageant is much more than parading around in a bathing suit. Simply put, it’s about making friends, making memories, enhancing public speaking and people skills, increasing self-confidence and instilling a dream and a goal into
Tribute is offered to local &...
Editor: To a great fallen hero, Christopher Stout, I would like to say thanks for your sacrifice, dedication, honor and duty to our great country and the state of Kentucky. Because of great soldiers like you, we have this freedom of speech and religion to worship the only true God. We will miss you greatly and our prayers will be with your wonderful wife, children and family.
Sadly, Miss Trimble, runners-up...
I know some people will bristle at this, but I have to be honest – I’m not really a fan of beauty pageants. Though I’ve heard arguments to the contrary, I feel they exploit young women. To me, anytime you base winning a scholarship – or any prize – on how good a girl looks in a bathing suit, she is being objectified. I feel that even more strong
Special Olympics thrives with...
Editor: Carroll County Special Olympics has had a very successful 2009-2010 sports season. In the fall, we participated in bowling, both at regional and state level. In January, we went to Perfect North Slopes for Winter Games, competing in alpine skiing and snowshoeing. A basketball team with Carroll and Gallatin County athletes, coached
Sometimes it's fun to be a...
When I was a very young reporter living in Fairfield County, Conn., I was able to get together with a good friend I’d met a few years earlier when we were both students at Ohio University in Athens. Penny lived in New York City, and I had always envied her. She was very sophisticated and cosmopolitan, compared to me – a small-town girl from Northwest Ohio. NYC was
Sheriff appreciates support for camp
Editor: I would like to say a big THANK YOU to the following for helping us take seven boys from our community to the Kentucky Sheriffs Boys and Girls Ranch last week: Earl Floyd Ford-Jason Stephenson and Kinman Chevrolet-Herb Kinman thank you for providing vans to transport the children to and from camp last week. Without support an
CCHS Class of 2000 holding August...
Editor: The Carroll County High School Class of 2000 will hold its 10-year reunion on August 14, 2010, at the Carrollton Armory. We are currently seeking information and addresses for any classmates who are not on Facebook. Please e-mail CCHSPanthers2000@gmail.com, call 502.632.1926, or contact a member of the committee for more information about the reunion.&nbs
Caption should have been more...
Editor: This is in regard to the piece put in the paper for the Trimble County Youth League. (See Page 6, June 23, 2010, issue.) In my opinion, this [league] is just for fun and a learning experience for years to come. It’s not that they lost. This is about having fun and learning the fundamentals of the sport. The parents yelling and
Main Street thanks all who helped...
Editor: The Carrollton Main Street Program would like to thank all those who helped to make Carroll County’s Ohio River Sweep 2010 a success. In spite of stormy weather and the condition of the river, approximately 100 volunteers participated in this year’s event. Special thanks to the following for th
Former Miss Carroll County thanks...
Dear Editor, I would like to start my letter by telling you all a little story about how becoming Miss Carroll County has always been a dream of mine. In 1995 I was crowned Little Miss Carroll Co., and at 5 years old I told the emcee my adult dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher and a lawyer, at the time this goal seemed easy, because accord
Class reunion planned for 1969-72
Editor Attention Carroll County Graduates of the following classes: 1969, 1970, 1971, & 1972, an invitation was sent to you earlier this year to invite you to a Multi Reunion. If for some reason you did not receive this invitation or you just haven’t responded & would like to attend, please respond as soon as possi
Relay is wonderful, family-oriented...
I just finished the article on Relay for Life. Good job, Trimble County! I want to say thank you to the organizers of this event for a wonderful experience. If you want to spend quality time with your family and friends, form a team and join Relay; while giving to others, you receive so much more. “The Klunkers for a Kure” would like to thank the community businesses,
In the heat of summer, hell hath...
Apparently, hell has frozen over. For the life of me, I don’t have an opinion on anything local today. Huh. Anyone who knows me even a little should find that surprising. I guess that’s summer in rural Kentucky. Not a lot of controversy, now that the Primary Election is out of the way. But, we still have plenty of things coming up, in terms of activities. First is R
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The Lost Ethic of Fraser Robinson
By Rich Lowry
About Rich Lowry
Follow Rich Lowry on Twitter
Fraser and Marian Robinson with their children Craig and Michelle
Michelle Obama’s father is a virtuous relic of a bygone era.
After all the oratory at both political conventions, one line stands out. It was from Michelle Obama, talking about her late father, Fraser Robinson, and his insistence on paying his small portion of her college-tuition bills on time. “You see, for my dad,” she said, “that’s what it meant to be a man.”
In one moving sentence, she opened a vista on a life of self-sacrifice. The narrative arc of her rendition of his life bent upward, and understandably so. He was a working-class father who raised two Princeton University graduates. But she could just as easily have invoked a sense of the country’s loss.
Because we don’t really make Fraser Robinsons anymore. He was a high-school-educated man who married and stayed married, who worked and kept working despite considerable adversity. Whatever his relative lack of education and skills, he was a hero of character, shaped by mores that have been eroding for decades.
#ad#According to Michelle’s convention speech and to published accounts, her father was a pump operator at the city water plant in Chicago. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a young man, and still got up to work every day. The first lady described how she watched him “grab his walker, prop himself against the sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.” When he came home, he’d reach down to lift one leg after another to make it up the stairs and greet his kids.
It’s difficult to imagine a more affecting depiction of everyday dutifulness than that. With his wife of 31 years, Marian, Robinson built a family deeply invested in his children’s future.
Too few men in his position now do the same. The 2010 study “When Marriage Disappears,” a publication of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and the Institute for American Values, tells the story. In the 1970s, 73 percent of adults with a high-school degree or some college were in intact first marriages. In the 2000s, 45 percent were. In the 1970s, 50 percent of blacks at that level of education were in intact first marriages. In the 2000s, 33 percent were.
As recently as 1982, just 13 percent of births to people with this level of education were out-of-wedlock. In the late 2000s, 44 percent were. Among blacks with a high-school degree or some college, the figure was 75 percent.
Males with a high-school education have been dropping out of the labor force for decades. One flip side is a drastic increase in the rolls of Social Security Disability Insurance, despite better medical care and less-strenuous jobs. Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute points out that many of the additions are for vague conditions like mood disorders. Forty years ago, Fraser Robinson left for work in pain every day — walking on two canes — and now a small army of his fellow Americans schemes to get paid for doing nothing.
Through his faithfulness, Fraser Robinson gave Michelle and her brother an incalculable gift. “The parental characteristics that employers value and are willing to pay for, such as skills, diligence, honesty, good health, and reliability, also improve children’s life chances, independent of their effect on parents’ income,” Susan Mayer writes in her book What Money Can’t Buy.
“Children of parents with these attributes do well even when their parents do not have much income.”
The tectonic plates of the culture and economy shifted since the 1960s to squeeze the likes of Fraser Robinson, at the same time the government has been subsidizing a version of the family — single-mother households — that makes him superfluous. The new norm that dispenses with duty-bound fathers is not good for families, and it is not good for men.
Michelle Obama powerfully described her father’s pride. For him, to be a man was to be responsible, day after day. His quotidian courage was her windfall; that it is becoming increasingly rare is our tragedy.
— Rich Lowry is the editor of National Review. He can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@nationalreview.com. © 2012 King Features Syndicate
Rich Lowry is the editor of National Review. He can be reached via email: comments.lowry@nationalreview.com. @richlowry
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Hearing aids may hold potential to cut older adults’ hospital or ER visits
Hearing aids cost thousands of dollars, and insurance almost never covers them. But they may hold the potential to cut older adults' visits to the hospital or emergency room, according to a new study.
That could mean lower costs in the long run, though more research is needed to see if this is true. The study arrives at a time when discussion about adding Medicare coverage for hearing aids is rising.
In the new paper in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, a team from the University of Michigan reports what they found after examining data from 1,336 adults ages 65 to 85 who reported they had severe hearing loss.
Strikingly, the researchers found that only 45 percent of those in the study actually use a hearing aid – despite having serious difficulty hearing. The rate is lower still among those with low incomes or less education, those who are African American or Hispanic, and those who live in Southern U.S.
After the researchers factored out those differences, they found that older adults who had a hearing aid were less likely to have gone to the hospital or emergency room in the last year. The difference was about two percentage points – not a major difference but large enough to be significant.
In addition, those who had been hospitalized and had a hearing aid had shorter stays than those who didn't have a hearing aid – averaging a half of a day less in the hospital.
On the other hand, those with hearing aids had a higher probability (by four percentage points) of having an office-based visit to a physician in the past year. They also had more such visits than those without hearing aids. Office-based visits are much less costly than emergency visits and hospital stays.
Impact despite lack of coverage
The association of hearing aid use with lower use of costly types of care is especially striking given the lack of insurance coverage for the devices, the authors say. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions among those over age 65.
"Traditional Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids at all, Medicare Advantage plans may cover them but often ask members to share the cost at a high level, and only about half of states offer some Medicaid coverage for the lowest-income patients," says Elham Mahmoudi, Ph.D., M.B.A., lead author of the new study and a health economist in the Department of Family Medicine at the U-M Medical School. "As the debate over expanding coverage continues, we hope this research and our future work will help inform the discussion."
The findings, based on self-reported accounts of a single year of health care use, don't show a cost savings overall for those who have invested in a hearing aid. That is unlikely to be visible in a cross-section of data such as this, Mahmoudi notes.
In fact, those with hearing aids reported spending about $325 more out of their own pockets than those without, and said their health care costs were about $1,125 more overall, compared with those who had hearing loss but no hearing aids. The total Medicare spending reported by both groups was about the same.
"Hearing aids cost an average of $2,000 to $7,000, so the fact that overall annual health care costs for those with hearing aids were not that much higher is an important point on its own," says Mahmoudi, who is a member of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.
The new study is based on self-reported health care use and costs, gathered through the Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey conducted by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
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The data also included self-reported health conditions. The fact that people who had hearing aids were also less likely to have chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure may have had something to do with these chances of using costlier services, according to an editorial commenting on the new paper. Or, this difference may indicate that hearing aids are allowing individuals to lead more active and healthy lives. But the data used in the study don't allow the researchers to tell that for sure.
To get a different and long-term look at the same issue, Mahmoudi and her colleagues are already studying five years' worth of private insurance data provided by IHPI, and anonymous data from patients treated at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center.
By looking at documented costs and health care use over multiple years, they hope to look at whether hearing aids might be cost-effective – in other words, whether the initial spending on a device actually pays off in lower costs from other forms of health care for the same patient.
Mahmoudi's own experience with her father's hearing loss, and the experience of two of her co-authors informed the study. Michael M. McKee, M.D., M.P.H. and Family Medicine chair Philip Zazove, M.D., also worked on the study; both have hearing loss and use cochlear implants.
Mahmoudi's father, who is in his 80s, didn't use a hearing aid to offset his hearing loss until Mahmoudi helped him navigate the process of getting a hearing exam, and getting the hearing aid fitted and adjusted. The expense, and the need for several office visits to adjust the device's settings, make getting a hearing aid a complex undertaking.
But, she notes, other studies have found hearing loss can cause adults to feel isolated, make them less likely to communicate effectively with family and health providers both in and out of the hospital, and is associated with worse overall health.
A 2016 National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report looked at hearing-related technologies for adults of all ages, and concluded that changes to the coverage and regulation of hearing aids should be made.
The panel's recommendations helped lead to a 2017 law instructing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to develop guidelines that will allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter. The FDA hearing aid website provides current information, but the agency now has less than three years to develop and launch guidelines. No matter what, over-the-counter hearing aids are likely to be best for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
In the meantime, the U-M team will continue to study the impact of hearing aids on patients' live and health.
"This is the first study to show an association between hearing aid use and how older people use the health care system," says Mahmoudi. "If we look over a longer period, it may be that the cost of the hearing aid may be covered by the difference in use of health care. That remains to be seen. But hearing loss is something that a lot of people experience, and it can be overcome in most cases. So cost effectiveness may be only one way to measure whether insurance coverage for hearing aids is the right thing to do."
https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/rounds/hearing-aids-linked-to-fewer-hospital-and-er-visits-by-older-adults
Posted in: Device / Technology News | Medical Research News | Healthcare News
Tags: Blood, Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Education, Health Care, Healthcare, Hearing Loss, High Blood Pressure, Hospital, Implants, Medicaid, Medical School, Medicare, Medicine, Neck, Otolaryngology, Research, Surgery
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Campaign 2020 February 28, 2019
Report: Beto O’Rourke Likely to Run for President
EL PASO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 06: U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) concedes the race while addressing a 'thank you' party on Election Day at Southwest University Park November 06, 2018 in El Paso, Texas. O'Rourke lost to incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
If a report in today’s Dallas Morning News proves correct, the 2020 Democratic presidential field will get even more crowded than it already is.
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) appears ready to join the race.
The Morning News quotes “people close” to O’Rourke as saying he has “decided not to run for U.S. Senate next year … and will likely announce a campaign for president soon.”
O’Rourke has not yet confirmed this.. In what the Morning News called an “exclusive statement,” O’Rourke said he and his wife, Amy, “have made a decision about how we can best serve our country. We are excited to share it with everyone soon.”
The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Beto O'Rourke has decided *against* a Senate run and will mount a 2020 presidential campaign soon.https://t.co/8KBqVNzFOE
— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) February 27, 2019
Assuming he does make a run for the White House, O’Rourke will have to move soon; he must develop a campaign organization, raise substantial funds and get out in front of voters.
The first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses (the state’s version of a primary) are less than a year away, set to begin Feb. 3, 2020.
O’Rourke did well in a Des Moines Register poll in December, trailing only former Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT).
But since then, University of Iowa political scientist Tim Hagle told the Morning News, “It seems like his star was fading … because he’s not in the news.”
Former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk told the Morning News that O’Rourke has a real shot at the nomination.
“It’s anybody’s game,” he said. “He’s got to put on his big-boy pants and get in there and fight.”
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Politico: Former fighter pilot launches Senate challenge against McConnell
CNN: Tom Steyer officially announces presidential bid
The Hill: Swalwell drops out of presidential primary
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6:30 p.m. Marquette at Butler, FS1
7 p.m. Nebraska at Penn State, BTN
7 p.m. Ohio at Kent State CBSSN
7 p.m. VCU at Dayton, ESPN2
8:30 p.m. Providence at DePaul, FS1
3 a.m. (Saturday) Big Bash League, Sydney Sixers vs. Sydney Thunder, NBCSN
5 a.m. European PGA Tour, South African Open, second round, at Gauteng, South Africa (same-day tape), TGC
7 a.m. European PGA Tour, South African Open, second round, at Gauteng, South Africa, TGC
1:30 p.m. Champions Tour, Diamond Resorts Invitational, first round, at Orlando, Fla., TGC
7 p.m. PGA Tour, Sony Open, second round, at Honolulu, TGC
11 p.m. European Tour/Asian Tour, Eurasia Cup, second round, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, TGC
8 p.m. Golden State at Milwaukee, ESPN
10:30 p.m. Houston at Phoenix, ESPN
7:30 p.m. Washington at Carolina, FSCR, WCMC 99.9
2:30 p.m. Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich, FS1
7 p.m. Arena Pro Swim Series, Day 1, at Austin, Texas, NBCSN
8:30 p.m. Skiing, USSA Freestyle International: Men's and Women's Moguls, at Deer Valley, Utah (same-day tape), NBCSN
9:30 p.m. Skiing, USSA U.S. Grand Prix: Men's and Women's Freestyle Halfpipe, at Snowmass, Colo. (same-day tape), NBCSN
11 p.m. Snowboarding: USSA U.S. Grand Prix: Slopestyle, at Snowmass, Colo. (same-day tape), NBCSN
8 p.m. High school, Naismith HoopHall Classic, Chino Hills (Calif.) vs. Spartanburg Day (S.C.), at Springfield, Mass., ESPN
11 a.m. St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island, ESPNU
Noon Wake Forest at Duke, WRAL, WITN-D2, ACC Network Extra, WDNC 620, 99.3, 96.5
Noon Purdue at Minnesota, ESPN2, WCLY 95.7, 1550, WCMC-HD3
Noon Kansas State at Kansas, ESPN
Noon Michigan at Michigan State, WRAZ, WFXI
Noon Georgetown at Seton Hall, FS1
12:30 p.m. La Salle at Duquesne, NBCSN
1 p.m. Florida at Mississippi, WNCN, WNCT
1 p.m. TCU at Oklahoma, ESPNU
1 p.m. UConn at Tulane, ESPNEWS
1 p.m. South Carolina at Georgia, SEC
2 p.m. Syracuse at Florida State, WRAL, WITN-D2
2 p.m. Memphis at Temple, CBSSN
2 p.m. West Virginia at Texas Tech, ESPN
2 p.m. Oregon at Arizona, ESPN2
2 p.m. Creighton at Xavier, WRAZ WFXI
2:30 p.m. Saint Louis at George Mason, NBCSN
3 p.m. Miami at Clemson, ESPNU
3 p.m. Baylor at Iowa State, ESPNEWS
3:30 p.m. Auburn at Mississippi State, SEC
4 p.m. Colorado St. at Wyoming, CBSSN
4 p.m. Kentucky at Vanderbilt, ESPN
4 p.m. Virginia Tech at Louisville, ESPN2
4:30 p.m. George Washington at Richmond, NBCSN
5 p.m. Texas at Oklahoma State, ESPNEWS
6 p.m. Illinois St. at S. Illinois, CBSSN
6 p.m. North Carolina at Notre Dame, ESPN
6 p.m. Missouri at Arkansas, ESPN2
6 p.m. Texas A&M at Tennessee, SEC
7 p.m. Cincinnati at South Florida, ESPNEWS
7:30 p.m. Wichita State at Tulsa, ESPNU
8 p.m. Valparaiso at N. Iowa, ESPN2
8 p.m. Villanova at St. John's, FOX BUSINESS
8:30 p.m. Alabama at LSU, SEC
9:30 p.m. Gonzaga at San Francisco, ESPNU
10 p.m. San Diego State at Boise State, ESPN2
COLLEGE MEN’S TENNIS
12:30 p.m. Duke at Arizona State, PAC-12 Network
COLLEGE SWIMMING
11 a.m. Penn State at North Carolina, ACC Network Extra
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Noon Ohio State at Indiana, BTN
Noon Duquesne at George Washington, CBSSN
2 p.m. Minnesota at Rutgers, BTN
2 p.m. Oklahoma State at Kansas State, FSCR
4 p.m. Purdue at Iowa, BTN
5 p.m. TCU at West Virginia, FSCR
5 a.m. European PGA Tour, South African Open, third round, at Gauteng, South Africa, TGC
11:30 a.m. Web.com Tour, Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, first round, at Great Exuma, Bahamas, TGC
1:30 p.m. Champions Tour, Diamond Resorts Invitational, second round, at Orlando, Fla., TGC
7 p.m. PGA Tour, Sony Open, third round, at Honolulu, TGC
11 p.m. European Tour/Asian Tour, Eurasia Cup, final round, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, TGC
8 p.m. AMA Monster Energy Supercross, at Houston, FS1
4:35 p.m. NFC Divisional playoff, Atlanta at Philadelphia, WRAL, WITN, WCMC 99.9
8:15 p.m. AFC Divisional playoff, Tennessee at New England, WNCN, WNCT, WCMC 99.9
9:30 a.m. Bundesliga, Werder Bremen vs. Hoffenheim, FS1
9:30 a.m. Bundesliga, Augsburg vs. Hamburg, FS2
10 a.m. Premier League, Chelsea vs. Leicester City, NBCSN
12:20 p.m. Bundesliga, Leipzig vs. Schalke, FS2
12:30 p.m. Premier League, Tottenham vs. Everton, WRAL, WITN
Midnight (Sunday) Arena Pro Swim Series, Day 2, at Austin, Texas (same-day tape), NBCSN
10 p.m. FIS World Cup, Women's Downhill, at Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria (same-day tape), NBCSN
11 p.m. FIS World Cup, Men's Downhill, at Wengen, Switzerland.(same-day tape), NBCSN
2:30 p.m. Skiing: USAA Freestyle International Aerials, at Deer Valley, Utah (same-day tape), WRAL, WITN
2 a.m. (Sunday) Luge: FIL World Cup: Women's Singles, at Oberhof, Germany (same-day tape), NBCSN
Boxer in the fight of his life
Beer in the stands for the first time at ACC Tournament
Sports On the Air
Jan. 21: TV and Radio
Today’s sports events on television and radio. Schedule subject to change.
MORE SPORTS ON THE AIR
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All Things Omnichannel – Join the Inner Circle
by Michelle Melland
It seems like the “adoption of omnichannel” has appeared on all of the annual industry prediction lists for at least the last four years. And I predict it will appear on those lists for at least four more. This is because omnichannel isn’t a quick win, passing fad. It’s typically a multi-year business strategy that requires a significant investment of resources, time and money. In a study by ContactBabel, only 15% of companies surveyed said they were able to deliver an omnichannel experience. This was up only three points from two years prior. Clearly, it’s an evolution, not a revolution.
The barriers to delivering true omnichannel support can be significant. Data, technology and organizational buy-in can all pose challenges. That’s why our new whitepaper, “The Inner Circle Guide to Omnichannel,” is so important. We partnered with ContactBabel to deliver to you a tool that is loaded with statistics, tips and thought provoking content about all things omnichannel.
Here’s an example that will hit home with anyone who has ever been tasked with developing a business case for omnichannel. Estimating the expenses for the business case is typically straightforward. Estimating the tangible benefits, not so much. You have to make educated assumptions about reducing costs and increasing revenue. Not only is it hard to develop the numerical assumptions (like increasing customer retention by X%), but sometimes it’s tough to even come up with the categories of benefits.
“The Inner Circle Guide to Omnichannel” can help get you started by suggesting several categories of benefits to include in the business case for omnichannel. Here are some ideas from the Proving ROI section of the whitepaper:
Increasing revenue, by:
Increasing upsell/cross-sell due to fewer customers abandoning their transactions
Increasing customer lifetime value
Increasing customer loyalty and retention
Decreasing costs, by:
Reducing calls by offering more effective self-service
Reducing call lengths by populating relevant information from other channels on the agent desktop
Reducing calls by improving first call resolution rates
The business case for omnichannel might be the single most important tool that you can use to get everyone on board with this initiative. Our whitepaper will help you make it as thorough as possible.
But that isn’t all this whitepaper contains. There are also sections on customer and business drivers for omnichannel, analysis of key elements about individual channels, barriers to omnichannel, and getting omnichannel right. ContactBabel has put on their thinking caps in order to provide you with statistics about diverse topics ranging from projections about channel useage to customer preferences by age to average cost per contact by channel. You’ll find the information to be insightful and enlightening.
Whether you’re an omnichannel veteran or just getting started, there is something in this whitepaper for you. Download your complimentary copy now.
Michelle Melland
Michelle Melland is a freelance writer and Former VP, Client Services at USA800 with more than 18 years of professional experience, focused primarily on identifying, prioritizing, selecting and implementing appropriate business technology and solutions. She has a BA from the University of Notre Dame, a MBA from the University of Kansas and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. She currently uses her freelance writing skills and knowledge of contact centers to write insightful pieces about the industry.
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Lawsuit targets Jersey City’s ‘blatantly illegal’ chain store limits
Updated Apr 9, 2019 ; Posted Apr 9, 2019
The owner of 8 Erie St., which includes the restaurant Talde, wants the chain store restrictions declared unconstitutional.
By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal
Jersey City’s four-year-old limits on Downtown chain stores are facing a legal challenge from the owner of an Erie Street building who claims the restrictions are a “blatantly illegal scheme” that have kept him from attracting a major retail tenant.
Developer Alfonso Carrino’s 8 Erie St. JC LLC filed the seven-count lawsuit in federal court on Friday, saying the chain store restrictions were nothing more than a “publicity stunt” to help Mayor Steve Fulop attract support from voters in parts of the state hostile to large corporations. The limits were first enacted in 2015, when Fulop was still eyeing a run for governor.
The restrictions apply in portions of the Downtown but do not affect large swaths of the Hudson River waterfront, including Newport. Carrino alleges in his lawsuit those areas were carved out because the city knew major developers like LeFrak and Mack-Cali would mount a legal challenge.
The lawsuit, which targets the city, the council, the planning board and the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, represents the second major threat to the city’s chain store ban. In 2017 Fulop, who by then had halted his nascent gubernatorial campaign, asked the council to repeal the restrictions, saying they may not survive a legal challenge. The council voted to keep them in place.
The lawsuit says the chain store restrictions violate the commerce and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, state zoning laws, the doctrine of fundamental fairness and more. It wants the two ordinances that created the restrictions thrown out.
“There is no place for officials to use their control over the levers of government to prop up their own personal campaign prospects for higher office, at the expense of those who worked tirelessly to improve economic growth in the city,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Joseph Fiorenzo, said in a statement. “We are confident that the legal system will reject the egregious, politically motivated actions of the city, taken at the direction of the mayor, as detailed in the complaint, and that the ordinances will be found invalid.”
Asked to comment, city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said, “The goal of the ordinance was to protect the small Jersey City business owners that have invested in the city for decades against the big chain stores that now want to try and muscle out some of these small retailers. We will continue to fight for Jersey City small businesses.”
Carrino’s Erie Street property is located at the corner of Bay Street, a few blocks from the Grove Street PATH station and on the edge of the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza. Formerly home to a telephone company switching station and then the Jersey City Police Department, it now includes apartments and a restaurant, Talde, which opened with considerable buzz in 2015 because of the involvement of “Top Chef” competitor Dale Talde. Numerous eateries have opened and then quickly closed in the building’s second retail space.
Carrino was tapped by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency in 2012 to redevelop the property, which Carrino says turned into a nearly $9 million investment. There were extra costs because the site is located in a historic district, the lawsuits says.
At about the time the building was ready to be occupied, the lawsuit says, Fulop "hurriedly forced new legislation through the City Council:” the chain-store restrictions. The rules limit chains to a maximum of 30 percent of ground-floor commercial space in Downtown redevelopment zones, like the one that includes Carrino’s building.
The chain store rules changed the terms of Carrino’s deal with the JCRA solely for Fulop’s political benefit, the lawsuit alleges.
The curious case of Jersey City’s Krispy Kreme gets a mention in the complaint. The doughnut chain opened on Marin Boulevard in 2017 inside the zone where chain stores are restricted. The city argued that because the company identifies it as a “factory” location — meaning it makes doughnuts for smaller Krispy Kreme locations — it doesn’t count as a chain under the city’s rules.
“The defendants have selectively enforced the formula business restriction for their own benefit and to plaintiff’s detriment,” the lawsuit says.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
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Jeff Bell to face Cory Booker after winning Republican U.S. Senate primary
GOP U.S. Senate primary candidate Jeff Bell
Gallery: GOP U.S. Senate primary candidate Jeff Bell
By Matt Friedman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
TRENTON — Jeff Bell tonight won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate for the second time.
The first time that happened, disco was king.
The conservative policy wonk and former Ronald Reagan speechwriter squeaked out a victory in the four-way Republican primary, edging Freehold IT professional Richard Pezzullo, West Orange businessman Brian Goldberg and Ramapo College finance professor Murray Sabrin.
COMPLETE ELECTION COVERAGE
"I feel good," Bell said.
Bell's victory came 36 years after he shocked New Jersey Republicans by unseating longtime U.S. Sen. Clifford Case in the primary. He lost the general election to Democrat Bill Bradley and another attempt at the Republican Senate nomination in 1982.
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Bell had 41,274 votes to Pezzullo’s 36,909. The race was called by The Associated Press just after 11 p.m.
However, Pezzullo tonight said he would not concede.
"There are provisional, mail-in, and military ballots still to count in many counties," he said in a statement. "As a veteran myself, I want those ballots counted, and based on the results in the few counties that have released those numbers, the election is still yet to be decided."
In a telephone interview before the race was called, Bell said the tight battle "reminds me of the first primary I was in."
Both Bell and Pezzullo said they looked forward to taking on Booker in November.
"The Republican Party is a major party in New Jersey," Bell said. "It won the last gubernatorial race by 22 percentage points. So anything can happen."
"Last year, (Booker) had all the advantages. He was a celebrity and he had tremendous fund-raising capabilities and he only (won by) 12 percent of the vote," said Pezzullo. "This year he has to deal with the fact he has supported every failed program of the Obama administration and every failed Democratic program. The Republicans are coming off a massive win with their governor and they’d like to take their country back."
But calling the Republican nominee an underdog would be an understatement.
Booker has nearly $3 million in campaign cash on hand, while the latest reports available show Bell raising about $90,335 for his primary campaign, including a $30,000 loan from himself. Pezzullo took in barely more than $6,210.
“If you had told me in advance that I would spend $90,000 on voter contact, I would have said for someone who’s been absent for 30 years, that’s not going to be enough,” Bell said.
New Jerseyans haven’t elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since Case in 1972 — the man Bell beat six years later.
And Booker polls well.
"Unless Cory Booker has plans to strangle a man with his bare hands or something like that, (the Republcian candidate) doesn’t have a chance," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
There had been some talk among Republicans of fielding a tough challenge to Booker in November.
In last year’s special election for the seat following the death of Democrat Frank Lautenberg, Booker beat Republican Steve Lonegan by a healthy margin, but not as wide as many thought it should have been given the state’s Democratic tilt.
But over the winter, top tier potential Republican candidates like state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union), Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) and state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren) announced they wouldn’t run. The party then turned to a not-well-known assemblyman who at least held elected office: Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerset). He also declined.
So instead, Republicans were left with four candidates who normally would be at the fringes of a GOP primary.
Murray said while New Jerseyans sometimes elect Republican governors, the state’s voters are far more hesitant to pick send a Republican for the U.S. Senate.
"There are a lot of moderate and independent voters that may be fiscally conservative but don’t like the message that’s come out of the Republican Party over the past couple of decades, the focus on social issues like abortion," Murray said. "And New Jersey, just by the fact that we’re so densely populated and diverse, kind of has a knee jerk reaction against social conservatism."
Bell, 70, moved to Virginia in 1983 and stayed there until this year, when he rented an apartment in Leonia. He most recently worked as director of policy at the conservative American Principles Project.
Bell said he ran to make sure the public hears about two issues: returning the dollar to the gold standard and do away with the Federal Reserve’s policy of charging no interest on federal government debt.
That message, Bell said, resonated with everyday voters more than political insiders.
"I think a lot of people who predicted I wouldn’t win, which was virtually everybody, underestimated the difference between party activists — the type of people who are on the county committees – and the typical voters," Bell said. "The typical voters were very open to the message I had in this race. I got a lot of resonance on it."
• 5 things we learned from Tuesday's primary elections
• NJ Republican primary to take on Booker is fight between little-knowns and unknowns
• More Politics
FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER POLITICS: TWITTER • FACEBOOK • GOOGLE+
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Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Back to Cast
Played by Sara Bareilles
Actor Bio
An acclaimed recording artist, songwriter, Broadway star and six-time Grammy nominee who has described her sound as "piano-based pop soul," Sara Bareilles has sold more than 9 million singles/downloads and 1 million albums. She has released five studio albums, with 2010's "Kaleidoscope Heart" reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Her next album, "The Blessed Unrest," rose to No. 2.
Her 2007 single "Love Song," from the album "Little Voice," is Bareilles' highest-charting release and reached quadruple-platinum status. "Brave," from "The Blessed Unrest," was a triple-platinum hit.
Bareilles wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway musical "Waitress." She was nominated for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Original Score and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.
As a stage actress, Bareilles has played lead character Jenna Hunterson in "Waitress" on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and starred as Ariel in the 2016 production of "The Little Mermaid" at the Hollywood Bowl.
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14 people rescued from ice on the Bay of Green Bay
By: NBC26 Staff
14 anglers rescued from ice on the Bay of Green Bay
BROWN COUNTY, Wis. — 14 people were rescued while ice fishing on the Bay of Green Bay.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office responded Tuesday morning to a call of ice fisherman stranded on the water out from Volk's Landing which is located on Edgewater Beach Road. This is a small town park/boat landing in the Town of Scott.
A news release from the Sheriff's Office says the ice was reported to be shifting out from shore and had a 50 foot crack opening that quickly became a half mile wide.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office used an air boat to bring the stranded people to shore. The Sheriff's Office says it took two trips to get everyone to safety. The Sheriff's Office says all parties refused medical treatment.
Bayside Ice recovery is assisting the fisherman with retrieving their fishing gear from the ice.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone to check the ice conditions prior to venturing out on the ice. Due to the warm weather ice conditions can deteriorate rapidly.
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About Half of the Texas Church Shooting Victims Were Children
Mourners at a candlelight vigil for victims of a mass shooting at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday.Darren Abate / AP
Nov. 6, 2017, 3:01 PM UTC / Updated Nov. 7, 2017, 1:14 AM UTC
By Gabe Gutierrez, Mariana Atencio, Elizabeth Chuck, Rima Abdelkader and Shamar Walters
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas — About half of the victims killed in the worst mass shooting inside a house of worship in U.S. history were children, including one who was only a year old, Texas officials said Monday.
Twenty-six people were shot dead during the Sunday massacre at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small, tight-knit town about 30 miles outside of San Antonio. Of them, 12 to 14 were kids, according to Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt.
Gallery: Two Dozen Parishioners Killed in Texas Church Shooting
Some of those children were members of a family that saw three generations — eight members of their extended family, plus an unborn child — all killed within minutes.
Texas Church Shooting: Half of the 26 Victims Were Children, Officials Say
Nov. 6, 201702:39
"We're having a hard time," Joe Holcombe, who lost children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, told NBC News.
The rampage was the largest mass shooting in Texas history. In addition to the dead, 20 people were injured, said Freeman Martin, regional director of the state Department of Public Safety.
Martin said that the youngest victim was 18 months old and that the eldest was 77 years old. Authorities had previously said the victims were ages 5 to 72, but Martin clarified that those were the ages of hospitalized victims.
Related: Who Is Devin Kelley, the Texas Church Shooter?
Harrowing details of the massacre were starting to emerge Monday. Freeman said 23 people died inside the church, two died outside the church and one died at the hospital. Six of the injured were listed as stable or had been released, four were in serious condition and 10 were in critical condition, he said.
Authorities haven't yet confirmed the victims' identities.
Holcombe said his son, Bryan Holcombe, an associate pastor, was walking up to lead the church in prayer on Sunday when the shots rang out.
Crystal and John Holcombe were attending the church in Sutherland, Springs, Texas, with their children when a gunman opened fire. Crystal was killed, but John survived. Their son Phillip, left, survived, but Greg was killed.via Facebook
Bryan and his wife, Karla, were killed, Joe Holcombe said. So was their son Marc Daniel Holcombe.
Marc Daniel, who went by "Danny," had an infant daughter named Noah, just over a year old. She was also killed.
Another son of Bryan and Karla, John Holcombe, was grazed by shrapnel but survived. His wife, Crystal — pregnant and due in April — didn't.
Crystal had five children. Three of them, Emily, Megan and Greg, died. The two others survived.
When asked how he's coping with the loss of Bryan, Joe Holcombe responded that he'll see him in heaven.
"He's gone home," the elder Holcombe said, smiling. "We'll be together again for a long time."
Annabelle Pomeroy, the daughter of Pastor Frank Pomeroy, was killed in the Texas church shooting.via Facebook
Sherri Pomeroy, the wife of First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy, said that she and her husband were both out of town at the time of the shooting but that their 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, was killed.
Reading a statement to reporters, Sherri Pomeroy said the "one thing that gives me a sliver of encouragement" was that Annabelle was surrounded by the church family she was so close with.
Pastor's Wife: Daughter Died With 'Church family She Loved Fiercely'
"Our church was not comprised of members or parishioners. We were a very close family. We ate together, we laughed together, we cried together, and we worshiped together," she said. "Now most of our church family is gone, our building is probably beyond repair. ... As senseless as this tragedy was, our sweet Belle would not have been able to deal with losing so much family yesterday."
Others relatives told NBC News that a woman named Joann Ward and her two daughters also died in the church.
Joann Ward and her daughters, Brook, center, and Emily, were killed in the church attack.via Facebook
"My sister was the best mom. She would do anything for her babies. She would do anything for her family, period. She had the biggest heart," said Kelly Lookingbill, Ward's sister. "This hurts so much for all of us. Joann was a wonderful giving person, and she was taken from us way too soon."
The suspect, Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, of neighboring Comal County, began firing outside the church around 11:20 a.m. local time with an assault-type rifle and then continued shooting inside, officials said. He died of a gunshot wound after residents confronted him and pursued him in a car, they added. It wasn't clear whether he died from a self-inflicted shot or from a gunshot fired by one of the residents.
Related: Texas Church Shooting: Good Samaritan Says Stepping In Was 'Right Thing' to Do
The gunman may have been looking for his mother-in-law when he arrived at the church, investigators said Monday.
Martin said the shooting wasn't racially or religious motivated.
Church Shooter May Have Been Related to Worshippers, Sheriff Says
"The suspect's mother-in-law attended this church. She had received threatening texts from him. We can't go into details," he said.
Gabe Gutierrez and Mariana Atencio reported from Sutherland Springs. Elizabeth Chuck and Rima Abdelkader reported from New York.
Gabe Gutierrez
Gabe Gutierrez is an NBC News Correspondent based in Atlanta, Georgia. He reports for all platforms of NBC News, including "TODAY," “NBC Nightly News," MSNBC and NBCNews.com.
Mariana Atencio
Elizabeth Chuck
Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News.
Rima Abdelkader
Rima Abdelkader is a reporter and producer for NBC News, covering national and international news.
Shamar Walters
Shamar Walters is a New York City-based journalist for NBC News. The American University graduate previously spent time at Dateline NBC, ESPN's Around the Horn, Reservoir Films and WAMU.
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Fourth of July: DC's Schedule of Events, Parades, 'A Salute to America' and More
Independence Day festivities in Washington, D.C., kick off at 11:45 a.m. with a parade on Constitution Avenue
Published Jun 26, 2019 at 2:11 PM | Updated at 9:45 PM EDT on Jul 4, 2019
Police Prepare for Trump's Fourth of July Celebration on National Mall
//www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Police-Plan-for-Different-Fourth-of-July-Celebration_Washington-DC-512077992.html
Police Prepare for Trump's July 4th Celebration on Mall
Every year's Fourth of July celebration is "all hands on deck" for U.S. Park Police. But the changes to this year's celebrations mean that there's a lot more going on - and a few more layers of security. News4's Cory Smith has the story. (Published Monday, July 1, 2019)
Much of the National Mall will be gated off on July 4, accessible via six access points
Expect security for "A Salute to America" at the Lincoln Memorial and "A Capitol Fourth" on the West Lawn of the Capitol
Washington, D.C.'s, fireworks are set to go off at 9:07 p.m. from West Potomac Park
The Fourth of July in Washington, D.C., is always a spectacular affair with a parade down Constitution Avenue, concerts, fireworks and more.
This year, spectators can also expect a tribute to the military, complete with flyovers and demonstrations and an appearance by President Trump at the Lincoln Memorial.
For Your Weekend: What to Do in DC for the Fourth of July
Here's the rundown of the major festivities on the National Mall.
National Mall Secure Area Opens
A swath of the National Mall will be gated off for security reasons, but the public can enter through secure access points starting at 10 a.m.
The secure area encompasses the area from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument and surrounding the Tidal Basin.
Even if you just want to pass by a memorial, you'll need to enter through an access point. Here's a full list of access points.
Weapons, alcohol, glass and some other things are prohibited. Here's a full list.
You'll need to go through secure access points to visit some areas of the National Mall on July 4, 2019.
Photo credit: NPS
National Independence Day Parade
11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Constitution Avenue NW from 7th Street NW to 17th Street NW
Would it be the Fourth of July without drum corps, marching bands, dancers and giant ballons? The National Independence Day Parade has all the patriotic fixings, and it's free to attend.
Arrive early and head to the end of the route for a better chance to beat the crowds.
"A Salute to America"
Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Event goes 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The Lincoln Memorial
President Donald Trump's pet project in the capital's Fourth festivities is "A Salute to America," which honors the armed forces. Expect music, military demonstrations and more, the National Park Service says.
The Blue Angels, Air Force 1 and aircraft from all five branches of the military will conduct flyovers.
President Trump will also deliver a speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Tickets are required to get close to the president's address and those must be acquired through the White House.
The U.S. Army Band, U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team and the Old Guard Fire and Drum corps are a few scheduled participants.
You'll need to enter the secure area to attend this event, and expect the tightest security restrictions near "A Salute to America". Large bags, coolers, canned drinks, iPads and tablets will not be allowed.
The area closest to the memorial will be reserved for ticket holders, but there will be standing room open to the public near part of the Reflecting Pool.
"A Capitol Fourth"
West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
Carole King, Vanessa Williams, Colbie Caillat and Vanessa Carlton just a few perfomers set to take the stage in honor of America's 243rd birthday. John Stamos will host "A Capitol Fourth" and even the Sesame Street Muppets will make a special apperance.
The concert is free and open to the public. General Admission gates usually open at 3 p.m., organizers say. You'll have to pass through security to enter. Food and drink are allowed, but alcohol is prohibited.
9:07 p.m. and 9:22 p.m.
Launch Site: Lincoln Memorial and West Potomac Park
This fireworks display is being hyped as one of the biggest the nation's capital has ever seen. West Potomac Park will close to the public so two companies reportedly can join forces for a pyrotechnic blowout visible from much of D.C. and Northern Virginia. Taxpayers won't be footing the bill on this display, though: the companies have said they're donating their fireworks to set a record for the biggest show.
More About the Fourth of July in D.C.
See Road Closures, Public Access Points for DC's Fourth of July Celebrations
Your DC-Area Fourth of July Fireworks Finder: DC, Maryland, Virginia
A Capitol Fourth Lineup Features Carole King and Host John Stamos
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About N-CAMP
Who is N-Camp for?
Pilot Communities
Modules & Pilot Projects
Registration for Researchers
Registration for Participants
Communities across Nunavut continue to face challenges when it comes to developing economic opportunities and becoming fully active participants in the conservation of their natural resources. The Nunavut Community Aquatic Monitoring Program, or N-CAMP, was created to respond to these challenges.
Due to the potential economic and social benefits of N-CAMP, the program has received overwhelming support from a wide variety of stakeholders, including both individuals and members of private and public institutions. The program was welcomed by the partner communities of Coral Harbour, Igloolik and Kugluktuk, as demonstrated by the support of hamlet council members, local Hunter and Trapper Organisations, Inuit Associations, and interested community members.
Among the institutions supporting N-CAMP are federal and territorial government departments, consulting agencies, and universities and researchers both in Nunavut and in other parts of Canada. N-CAMP contributes to government initiatives to build and strengthen Nunavut communities as well as to develop economic opportunities, thus it has the support of institutions devoted to similar goals. The program has and will continue to pursue partnerships with individuals and institutions to support these common objectives. Such support includes, for example, the sharing of equipment and space needed for the project, volunteering and sharing expertise, and readiness to serve on the steering committee of the pilot project.
Among the supporters of N-CAMP are:
Hunter and Trapper Organizations (HTO)
Local HTOs have been enthusiastic supporters of N-CAMP, and they represent a significant partnership between the program and the communities that are participating in the Pilot Project. Through the HTOs the program will collect important input and local knowledge concerning the Nunavut’s natural resources.
Nunavut Research Institute (NRI)
NRI has conducted aquatic monitoring studies in the past that have contributed to what we know about the marine environment of Nunavut, and it is able to offer levels of expertise and logistical support to N-CAMP..
The college has established an Environmental Technology Program in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet. Students from these programs are potential participants in N-CAMP, and discussions are in progress to try to allow students who take part in N-CAMP to receive credit towards their college diplomas.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans is the federal department that oversees all fisheries in Canada. The data collected through N-CAMP will be shared with this department, and, by establishing a reliable framework for monitoring fish stocks and water quality, it will contribute to efforts to create and expand commercial fisheries in Nunavut.
N-Camp contributes to wider efforts to monitor water quality throughout Canada such as the Canadian Aquatic Bio-monitoring Network, or CABIN, supported by Environment Canada. N-Camp can contribute to the goals of this program by improving the quality of data available concerning the Nunavut environment.
Several institutions also have written in support of N-CAMP. These include:
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada;
Canadian Rivers Institute – University of New Brunswick;
Nunavut Wildlife Management Board;
Nunavut Research Institute;
Municipality of Igloolik;
Aiviit Hunter and Trappers Organisation, Coral Harbour;
Government of Nunavut, Department of Economic Development and Transportation;
Kitikmeot Inuit Association
Department of Environment, Fisheries and Sealing Division Box 1000 Station 1310 Iqaluit, Nunavut, XOA OHO
The project is funded and directed by the Government of Nunavut, Fisheries and Sealing division, but is being developed in partnership with other organizations including:
Igloolik, Kugluktuk, and Coral Harbour communities
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Environmental consulting firms
Researchers and universities
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Leila Kamgar
Leila Kamgar is the Outreach Advisor for the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. In this role she leads a team focused on external outreach and advancing strategic partnerships that will enrich how the United States prepares American diplomats for future challenges.
Leila previously served in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs where she led U.S.-EU strategic engagement efforts and programmatic efforts related to immigration, minority rights, LGBT issues, women’s issues, youth issues and social entrepreneurship across Europe. Leila has served at several U.S. embassies overseas – as an Economic Officer in Morocco, Political Officer in Greece and Cultural Affairs Officer in Hungary. She first joined the State Department as a Presidential Management Fellow working on countering violent extremism in Europe.
Leila holds a BA in Political Science and Communications from UCLA, a Certificate in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford and an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE). She speaks French and Spanish and is studying Persian.
Bina Hussein
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Back to Webinars
Community Health Needs Assessments: Aligning Hospital Investments and Public Health Outcomes
posted on Wed, Mar 26 2014 12:00 am by The Network for Public Health Law
View/download the slides.
Wednesday, March 26 at 2 - 3:30 p.m. (ET).
In this webinar, Molly Berkery from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Law Program and Professor Mary Crossley from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, will discuss the new community health needs assessment (CHNA) requirements for charitable 501(c)(3) hospitals. Ms. Berkery will provide an overview of the CHNA legal framework and discuss the CDC’s resources for implementing the CHNA process. Professor Crossley will describe strategies for moving from the assessment stage to broader population health initiatives, with an emphasis on health department and hospital collaboration, and highlight how such community investments can provide a solid return on investment for hospitals in a changing health care environment.
The webinar will conclude with case studies highlighting the challenges and opportunities inherent in any CHNA program, and a Q&A session with attendees.
Corey Davis, J.D., M.S.P.H., Staff Attorney, National Health Law Program and Network for Public Health Law Southeastern Region
Molly Berkery, J.D., M.P.H., Senior Attorney, CDC, Public Health Law Program
Mary Crossley, J.D., Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Scholar in Residence, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Track the origins of community benefit requirements at the state and national levels
Review CHNA regulatory standards and effective compliance strategies
Explore case studies that highlight successful community partnerships and means of assessing community interventions
This webinar is offered by the Network for Public Health Law and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Law Program.
The mark “CDC” is owned by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and is used with permission. Use of this logo is not an endorsement by HHS or CDC of any particular product, service, or enterprise.
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Latics land loanee
Korey Smith flies Canaries nest
Latics have signed midfield man Korey Smith on a one month emergency loan from Barclays Premier League club Norwich City.
Smith, who will wear the No 23 shirt, steps straight into the squad for tomorrow's home npower League One match against AFC Bournemouth subject to Football League and Premier League clearance.
Latics have acted quickly to replace club captain Dean Furman who yesterday joined Doncaster Rovers on loan.
The 22-year-old Smith, who can also play right back, has already made a total of 104 career appearances for the Canaries and during loan spells at Barnsley and Yeovil.
Smith made his debut for Norwich City in April 2009 and featured regularly in the team which won the npower League One title in 2009/10.
In the first half of last season, Smith was also regular in the side which went on to win promotion to the Premier League.
Smith spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley and was also loaned to Yeovil between September/December 2012.
He has made 73 first-team appearances for the Canaries, 12 for Barnsley and 19 for Yeovil.
Look out on the official website later for an exclusive interview with Smith who is pictured being welcomed to Boundary Park by Caretaker Manager Tony Philliskirk.
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Trade Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2016; Second Reading
See the whole debate « Previous speaker Next speaker »
John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source
I rise to speak in support of the Trade Legislation Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2016. The bill amends the Export Market Development Grants Act 1997 giving effect to several key recommendations from the 2015 review of the Export Market Development Grants scheme. Further, it improves the operation of the EMDG Act 1997, delivering savings that better align the scheme closer to its budget.
The bill makes a number of common-sense cost savings to what is a very important Australian government financial assistance program. It provides support, by way of reimbursement of eligible export promotional expenditure, to Australian small- and medium-sized businesses that want to begin exporting or grow their exports. Eligible exporters can access up to eight grants. These grants do not need to be in consecutive years; exporters can pick the years that they access the scheme, so that they can maximise the benefits that the scheme delivers. The design of the scheme recognises that developing export markets takes time.
In Calare there have been a number of great business taking advantage of, and benefiting from, this scheme. Angus Barrett Saddlery specialises in leather tanning, fur dressing and leather product manufacturing. Angus Barrett has been doing leather work and selling his handmade goods since 1986, when he was just a boy. Angus worked across Australia on farms and cattle stations and in mines and drilling camps and finally decided to settle in Orange. In 2000 Angus registered his business and started manufacturing his saddlery goods part time. In 2005 Angus purchased his first manufacturing premises and committed full time to his craft. In 2007 he undertook his first big research and development trip, travelling to the USA to enhance his saddlery skills and manufacturing techniques and to source modern machinery. Angus studied under two very experienced and talented saddlers: Randy Severe in Oregon, USA, and Joey Jemison in Texas, USA—and, having a daughter and a son-in-law involved in the horse industry in Texas, USA, I can tell you that is where the horse industry resides.
Angus is a prime example of how Calare residents and other Australians can look outside the box and to other industries for new ideas and manufacturing techniques that have helped grow his business. Angus and his wife, Sarah, continue to look for innovative ways of continuing his craft, taking his second research and development trip to Europe and the UK in 2012. His forward thinking and ability to learn from the international community have seen his business grow from a small tool box to an industry-leading business. I had the pleasure of opening his business in its modern premises a few years ago, and he has really done well. In fact, on his trips—I think it was on his trips—I think he was the first person to try cutting leather with a very modern air and sand type cutter, which does an amazing job despite actually being designed for other articles.
Other recipients in Calare include Emirates Hotels (Australia), who own and operate the award winning Wolgan Valley resort; Innotec Building Systems from Orange; Orange's Pixc Co. Pty Ltd, an internet publisher and broadcaster; Madrez Wine services, who sell the fantastic cool-climate wines being made in the Calare electorate—mind you, there are a lot of fantastic cool-climate wine producers in Orange and Calare, and I can attest to that; and Bathurst's Tru-Flo pumping, who specialise in pump and compressor manufacturing.
The bill ensures continuity of the scheme and certainty for exporters. The EMDG Act currently contains a definition of a grant year up to 30 June 2016. The bill amends the definition of a grant year so that the scheme can continue beyond this date. It also removes the requirement that a review be conducted for the specific purpose of making a recommendation about the continuity of the scheme. The scheme will still be regularly reviewed, and the amendment sets a date for the next review, with later reviews to be completed and reports given to the minister by dates determined by the minister.
In a place like Calare, we are not paper shufflers. We are not hanging around waiting for something to happen. The people of Calare are doers. They dig things up. They make things. They grow things. They create energy. We export the products of forestry, mining and agriculture in all its varied forms, whether it is horticulture, meat or wool. It is a truly wonderful part of the world, and it is the engine room of the state and one of the engine rooms of Australia.
That is why the trade situation is just so vital to it. Without trade, Australia is done for, and I guess any legislation which encourages innovation by emerging businesses or people who have never tried being involved in overseas trade or the expansion of current trade is just magnificent for regional Australia and our part of the world in particular. Of course, we have such possibilities.
I cannot underline enough the importance of this sort of legislation, which provides assistance to someone like Angus Barrett, who was running around a property a few years ago and is now a serious businessperson with serious export opportunities. Over the last year or so, we have concluded a lot of trade deals. In fact, Andrew Robb, when he was still the trade minister, was planning to come out to our electorate next month, which has kind of gone by the wayside. Our businesses have nothing against Steven Ciobo, who has now taken over the reins as Minister for Trade and Investment, but they want the new envoy, the man who was there and who did it all, to come out and explain to them what their opportunities are, and certainly we will be working towards that point. This is just another part of making not just regional Australia but the whole of Australia totally competitive, with all those businesses taking the opportunities that exist now or that can exist in the future and most certainly will exist in the future.
See this speech in context
Log in or join to post a public comment.
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Is alcohol really good for your health?
Events, News & Media > OPHA News > Is alcohol really good for your health?
There is no shortage of news stories promoting the benefits of alcohol consumption, such as a recent article claiming that “a glass of red wine is the equivalent of an hour at the gym” (Sitch, 2016). The health community for many years believed that moderate alcohol consumption provides some health benefits to certain types of people. But is this really true?
According to a 2016 study on the relationship between alcohol and all-cause mortality, low-levels of alcohol consumption may not have the same protective effect on health as what was once thought.
In their meta-analysis of 87 studies, Stockwell, Zhao, Panwar, Roemer, Naimi, & Chikritzhs (2016) suggest that the classic J-shaped curve, where low-volume drinkers experience lower-risk for all-cause mortality than people who abstain from alcohol, may be a product of poor quality methodologies in study design. Many of the studies on the association between alcohol and all-cause mortality included former and occasional drinkers in the abstainer categories. In the case of former drinkers, individuals in these categories are typically biased towards ill-health. People who age and/or become unwell are more likely to quit or substantially reduce their alcohol consumption. As a result, individuals in the abstainer category are more likely to have poor health from the outset. So when researchers compared the risk of death between these individuals and those who are classified as low-volume drinkers, low-volume drinkers appeared to have reduced risk (Stockwell et al., 2016).
When Stockwell and colleagues (2016) adjusted for abstainer bias and other study characteristics that could potentially influence the association between alcohol and all-cause mortality, they found that low-levels of alcohol consumption had no protective effect and the pattern of association between alcohol and mortality is more likely to be linear than J-shaped. Put more simply, the more alcohol an individual consumes, the higher their risk for all-cause mortality.
While some researchers question the methodology of Stockwell et al.’s study, it does provide some insight into why some studies have found protective effects of alcohol that are highly unlikely – like the association between low-levels of alcohol consumption and reduced risk for alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Rehm et al. 2010), and reduced risk for developmental disorders among infants born from low-volume drinking mothers (Kelly et al., 2009).
While low-levels of alcohol consumption may not reduce a person’s risk for all-cause mortality, what about the overall relationship between alcohol and health? For the most part, alcohol has a negative impact on health and is a risk factor for various conditions (Butt, Beirness, Gliksman, Paradis, & Stockwell, 2011). For example, there is increasing evidence of the relationship between alcohol and cancer. With as little as one drink per day, an individual increases their risk of developing cancer of the breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, larynx, liver, mouth and pharynx (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse [CCSA], 2014).
However, research does suggest that there are some health benefits of low-levels of alcohol consumption for some health conditions among distinct population groups– namely diabetes and some forms of heart disease for individuals over 45 years of age (CCSA, 2013). Unfortunately, these benefits are often misinterpreted to apply to all age groups and are often thought of in isolation from the increased risk for other health conditions, or all-cause mortality. Given that many people underestimate the amount of alcohol they consume, it is also likely that an individual’s perceived benefit is inaccurate (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2016).
Clearly there is a complex relationship between alcohol and health. It is no wonder the public is genuinely confused about the benefits and harms of moderate alcohol consumption. The message isn’t always clear even among and between health professionals and there are a lot of important nuances that get missed when communicating the message. There is a need for more clear and consistent, evidence-based messaging to help people understand that even at moderate levels, the alcohol they consume can increase their risk for various health conditions and have a negative impact on their health.
Butt, P., Beirness, D., Gliksman, L., Paradis, C., & Stockwell, T. (2011). Alcohol and health in Canada: A summary of evidence and guidelines for low risk drinking. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. (2013). Canada’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from: http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/2012-FAQs-Canada-Low-Risk-Alcohol-Drinking-Guidelines-en.pdf
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. (2014). Cancer and alcohol. Retrieved from: http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Cancer-and-Alcohol-Summary-2014-en.pdf
Kelly, Y., Sacker, A., Gray, R., Kelly, J., Wolke, D., & Quigley, M. A. (2009). Light drinking in pregnancy, a risk for behavioural problems and cognitive deficits at 3 years of age? International Journal of Epidemiology, 38, 129–140. doi:10.1093/ije/dyn230.
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2016). The chief public health officer's report on the state of public health in Canada, 2015: alcohol consumption in Canada. Ottawa, ON: PHAC.
Rehm, J., Taylor, B., Mohapatra, S., Irving, H., Baliunas, D., Patra, J., & Roerecke, M. (2010). Alcohol as a risk factor for liver cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug and Alcohol Review, 29,437–445. doi:10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00153.x.
Sitch, D.M. (2016, January 8). A glass of red wine is the new equivalent to an hour at the gym says new study. Huffpost United Kingdom. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/08/a-glass-of-red-wine-is-the-equivalent-to-an-hour-at-the-gym-says-new-study_n_7317240.html
Stockwell, T., Zhao, J., Panwar, S. Roemer, A., Naimi, T., & Chikritzhs, T. (2016). Do “moderate” drinkers have reduced mortality risk? A systematic review and meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 77(2), 185–198. doi:10.15288/jsad.2016.77.185
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Opinion|Doctors and torture: First, do no harm
Doctors and torture: First, do no harm
Alan A. Stone DEC. 16, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — There is good reason to believe that psychologists and psychiatrists have been involved in the cruel interrogations that have taken place in Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere in the war against terrorism. Both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association have therefore made clear that it is unethical for members of their profession - whether in the military or not - to participate in torture. But that ethical injunction has little force unless there is a clear definition of what constitutes torture.
Are prolonged isolation, sexual humiliation, sleep deprivation, forced nudity, growling guard dogs, sensory deprivation, and strobe lights psychological torture? And what about using coercive methods based on psychiatric evaluations that reveal a detainee's fears and anxieties? Or having a behavioral science consultation team hidden behind a one-way mirror guiding interrogators on how best to exploit the vulnerabilities of a detainee?
According to the Physicians for Human Rights, all of these measures, which they describe as "systematic psychological torture," have been used at Guantánamo Bay with the participation of psychologists, psychiatrists and other physicians. But until Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's statement in Kiev last week, the American government's position was that none of these measures could be defined as torture or was forbidden by American law.
The now notorious Justice Department Bybee memorandum prepared in 2002 for Counsel to the President Alberto Gonzales had declared that acts of interrogators "may be cruel, inhumane or degrading" but still not torture. The department set the bar for torture so high that almost any cruel measure would be permissible under U.S. law. The memorandum's definition of the level of severe pain that had to be met for torture sounded particularly strange to physicians - pain "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function or even death." Even more extreme was the definition of psychological torture requiring that the torturer "intended to cause prolonged mental harm." Under this interpretation the interrogators could escape liability by saying that none of them specifically intended to cause the prolonged mental harms that detainees have apparently suffered.
In January, Gonzales, by then nominee for attorney general, explained why the lines had been drawn this way. He stated that torture was forbidden but that interrogation involving cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment was not forbidden if it took place outside the United States and American citizens were not the victims - tailor-made for Guantánamo Bay and the CIA. This was the Justice Department's interpretation of the international treaty ratified in 1994, called the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhumane and Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Defenders of the administration have said their critics have confused torture with cruel and inhumane treatment. But if there was confusion, it was because most Americans had no idea that their government had adopted such an appalling legal interpretation of torture and permitted everything else that took place at Guantánamo.
The White House's belated agreement with Senator John McCain over a law that would specifically ban cruel or inhumane treatment of terror suspects anywhere in the world holds the promise of remedying these abuses. But soon after the deal was announced, the attorney general was already hedging on the definition of torture in an interview on CNN.
Rice seems to have joined those of us who are appalled by what has been the administration's manipulation of the law. In Kiev last week, she broke ranks and said that the ban on "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment applies . .. both in the United States and around the world." One can only hope that Rice really is articulating a new Bush administration position and that the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association will both issue new guidelines emphasizing that it is unethical to participate in any interrogation involving torture.
What American law and American psychiatrists and psychologists need to do now is to reassert our basic norms of decent and ethical conduct, which seem to have collapsed in our response to 9/11.
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Americas|Hard Times in Venezuela Breed Malaria as Desperate Flock to Mines
Carlos Raphael, right, and his crew in July, mining for gold at the Cuatro Muertos, or Four Dead Men, an illegal mine near Las Claritas, Venezuela, that is 15 stories deep.CreditCreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
Hard Times in Venezuela Breed Malaria as Desperate Flock to Mines
Many turn to panning for black-market gold in the watery pits of mines, where mosquitoes infect them. Once they return home to recover, the disease spreads.
By Nicholas Casey
THE ALBINO MINE, Venezuela — The 12th time Reinaldo Balocha got malaria, he hardly rested at all. With the fever still rattling his body, he threw a pick ax over his shoulder and got back to work — smashing stones in an illegal gold mine.
As a computer technician from a big city, Mr. Balocha was ill-suited for the mines, his soft hands used to working keyboards, not the earth. But Venezuela’s economy collapsed on so many levels that inflation had obliterated his salary, along with his hopes of preserving a middle-class life.
So, like tens of thousands of other people from across the country, Mr. Balocha came to these open, swampy mines scattered across the jungle, looking for a future. Here, waiters, office workers, taxi drivers, college graduates and even civil servants on vacation from their government jobs are out panning for black-market gold, all under the watchful eyes of an armed group that taxes them and threatens to tie them to posts if they disobey.
It is a society turned upside down, a place where educated people abandon once-comfortable jobs in the city for dangerous, backbreaking work in muddy pits, desperate to make ends meet. And it comes with a steep price: Malaria, long driven to the fringes of the country, is festering in the mines and back with a vengeance.
Venezuela was the first nation in the world to be certified by the World Health Organization for eradicating malaria in its most populated areas, beating the United States and other developed countries to that milestone in 1961.
It was a huge accomplishment for a small nation, one that helped pave Venezuela’s development as an oil power and fueled hopes that a model to stamp out malaria across the globe was at hand. Since then, the world has dedicated enormous amounts of time and money to beating back the disease, with deaths plummeting by 60 percent in places with malaria in recent years, according to the W.H.O.
But in Venezuela, the clock is running backward.
The country’s economic turmoil has brought malaria back, sweeping the disease out of the remote jungle areas where it quietly persisted and spreading it around the nation at levels not seen in Venezuela for 75 years, medical experts say.
It all starts with the mines. With the economy in tatters, at least 70,000 people from all walks of life have been streaming into this mining region over the past year, said Jorge Moreno, a leading mosquito expert in Venezuela. As they hunt for gold in watery pits, the perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes that spread the disease, they are catching malaria by the tens of thousands.
Ana María Padrón with her two sons, who were fighting malaria, in May at their home in El Dique.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
Then, with the disease in their blood, they return home to Venezuela’s cities. But because of the economic collapse, there is often no medicine and little fumigation to prevent mosquitoes there from biting them and passing malaria to others, sickening tens of thousands more people and leaving entire towns desperate for help.
The economic breakdown has “triggered a great migration in Venezuela, and right behind it is the spread of malaria,” said Dr. Moreno, a researcher at a state-run laboratory in the mining region. “With this breakdown comes a disease that is cooked in the same pot.”
Once out of the mines, malaria spreads quickly. Five hours away in Ciudad Guayana, a rusting former industrial boomtown where many are now jobless and have taken to wildcatting in the mines, a crowd of 300 people packed the waiting room of a clinic in May. All had symptoms of the disease: fevers, icy chills and uncontrollable tremors.
There were no lights because the government had cut power to save electricity. There were no medicines because the Health Ministry had not delivered any. Health workers administered blood tests with their bare hands because they were out of gloves.
Maribel Supero clutched her 23-year-old son as he trembled, unable to speak. José Castro held his 18-month-old daughter as she screamed. Griselda Bello, who works at the clinic, waved her hands helplessly and told yet another patient to hold on a bit longer.
The pills had run out. There was nothing she could do.
“Come back tomorrow at 10 a.m.,” she said.
“My God,” the patient said. “Someone might die by then.”
“Indeed, they might,” she said.
In the nearby town of Pozo Verde, residents said malaria had swept in after miners began returning home sick, the government fumigators having vanished two years ago. Now, the public high school has become an incubating ground of its own: A quarter of its 400 students have contracted malaria since November.
“You would think we would do something — a cordon, a quarantine,” said Arebalo Enríquez, the principal of the school, who contracted malaria, as did his wife, mother and seven other members of his family.
Officially, the spread of malaria in Venezuela has become a state secret. The government has not published epidemiological reports on the disease in the past year, and it says there is no crisis.
In Ciudad Guayana, hundreds of people, all with symptoms of malaria, overflowed a clinic in May.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
But the most recent internal figures, obtained by The New York Times from Venezuelan doctors involved in compiling it, confirms a surge is underway.
In the first six months of the year, malaria cases rose 72 percent, to a total of 125,000, according to the figures. The disease cut a wide path through the country, with cases present in more than half of its 23 states. And among the malaria strains present here is Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most fatal form of the disease.
“It is a situation of national shame,” said Dr. José Oletta, a former Venezuelan health minister who lives in the capital, Caracas, where malaria cases are now appearing, too. “I was seeing this kind of thing when I was a medical student a half-century ago. It hurts me. The disease had disappeared.”
In El Dique, a rural town where malaria was largely unknown until two years ago, Juana García, 66, sat outside her home, newly widowed since her husband fell ill with the disease and died. She hardly spoke or moved from her chair.
“She will keep fighting,” said her daughter Ana María Padrón.
Inside Ms. Padrón’s adobe home, her two sons were fighting malaria, too. Almost like clockwork, their fevers began in the morning: at 8 a.m. for Omar, who is 8; at 11 for Aristides, who is 7. The family has found no medicine. The boys have only painkillers.
“We pray,” their mother said.
Lure of the Mines
The illegal mines spill out over dozens of miles, leaving a pockmarked stretch of earth where the jungle gives way to countless craters and scars.
Some are no more than tiny pools where two men sift the mud with pans, like a scene from the California goldfields more than a century ago. Others drain wide marshes with tangled networks of tubes and pumps. In another spot, hundreds of wildcatters had dug out a gaping maw of red and white soil. It sinks 15 stories deep and runs the length of a football field. They call it Cuatro Muertos, or Four Dead Men.
It was not supposed to be this way. The gold reserves were once controlled by a Canadian company before President Hugo Chávez expropriated them and pledged to use their profits to fund his Socialist-style revolution.
But the expropriation followed the pattern of mismanagement and neglect that many others did during the Chávez era. The state eventually abandoned the territory around the mine, and the potentially lucrative profits. Wildcatters have moved in, and so have the armed groups that now call themselves the law here.
Soraya Rodríguez’s ear was pricked during a blood test for malaria at a clinic in Tumeremo.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
But at least there is food.
As the country convulses from food shortages and riots, as hungry mobs ransack grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries, the mining town of Las Claritas, only a short drive from the mines, lives in a state of relative plenty.
Restaurants offer full menus. Street markets are packed with fruit. Pickups drive by loaded with pumpkins. In a country where soap is in short supply, a dozen brands are on sale in a Chinese-owned grocery store, where seven models of flat-screen televisions are also available. Miners dish out fat wads of their gold earnings in cash, which run through a bill-counting machine.
The promise of a different Venezuela — one where there is ample food and work that pays enough — led Yudani González to abandon a program to become a preschool teacher in Ciudad Bolívar, the provincial capital, where unemployment is rampant. Instead, she headed to a ramshackle jungle camp, where she cooks for miners with one hand and cares for her two young children with the other.
“Here, you can get ahead,” Ms. González said, washing her 1-year-old daughter in a plastic bucket on the counter as she cooked.
Danneris Flores, a government employee moonlighting as a mining camp cook, sat nearby. She is an administrative assistant in a state-run health clinic, but Venezuela’s currency has tumbled so far that her salary amounts to only about $1 a day at the current street value.
So she asked for a vacation — and used it to work for a couple of weeks at the mines.
Her brother-in-law, who works for the state oil company, Pdvsa, does the same thing. In a short stint at the mines, Ms. Flores said she could earn twice her monthly wages. She counted the days until she would be home to see her three children, whom she had left after “closing my eyes and making my heart small.”
“I never imagined that I would work in a mine,” she said to Ms. González as they served a meal. “Before, people thought of going to school.”
A miner walked in to greet the women and said he had recently watched someone collapse and die of malaria on her way to a market. Ms. González said she had come down with it four times herself. Her 4-year-old, she said, has had it three times.
“They charge you two grams of gold for medicine,” she said. “You pay what they ask.”
Not everyone can find medication, even with gold earnings.
At a Ciudad Guayana clinic, slides with blood samples from patients with malaria symptoms.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
José Yoel Castillo stumbled to the doorstep of the malaria clinic in Las Claritas, carried on the shoulders of two relatives as he convulsed and was unable to speak.
He had been making a living in the town of Caicara del Orinoco, driving passengers on the back of a motorcycle. But an armed gang took the vehicle, and Mr. Castillo could not afford a new one.
So he came to the mines. He quickly found work and money — even malaria medication the first time he became ill. But when the symptoms came a second time, he could not find treatment anywhere.
“Some people can just keep working through it,” said his brother-in-law, Alejandro López. “But others can’t.”
Even with money in their pockets, the miners know the dangers of going back home.
Josué Guevara, 20, gave up last November on his university studies in industrial engineering in a city about 10 hours away. He once pictured himself as a manager at the state-owned aluminum company, Alcasa. But his family members who worked there could barely afford food, he said.
“Now I have other goals,” he said, standing at the edge of the Cuatro Muertos mines, where he lives and works today.
Using gasoline and other chemicals to extract the gold, Mr. Guevara earned 500,000 bolívars — around $500 at black-market exchange rates, about 33 times the country’s minimum wage — during a lucky two-week stretch. But when he got malaria this spring, he did what many miners do: He returned to his hometown to recover, bringing the disease with him.
“Everything has its risks,” he said.
On the other side of the vast pit, Pedro Pérez, 38, sat in a structure made of tree poles and tarp where he sleeps with 10 other miners. He tested positive for malaria twice in March. The third time he fell ill, he did not bother to get tested.
“I was lying here and I felt the same symptoms,” he said.
He, too, went back home — to the provincial capital, Ciudad Bolívar, where his mother eventually caught malaria, as well.
Maribel Supero clutched her son, an illegal gold miner who had been sick with malaria for 21 days.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
“It’s coming from us,” Mr. Pérez said.
Mr. Pérez remembered his life before he came to the mines last fall: He was a supervisor at a state-owned metal refinery, he said.
He owned a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house and a 2005 Ford Focus. He and his wife, a lawyer, once jetted off on last-minute getaways to Isla Margarita, a tropical island off the north coast of Venezuela.
Yet even before he lost his job last year and was unable to find another, Venezuela’s plummeting currency had whittled his salary down to about $26 a month. He eventually left home for the mine.
“I am still not used to washing myself every day in a river of dirty water,” he said. “I thought I had a good life.”
A few weeks ago, his wife came to Las Claritas to buy the food and soap she could not find in Ciudad Bolívar. The couple spent three nights together in a miner’s hostel. After she left, Mr. Pérez felt the strains on their marriage.
“‘I know it’s hard for you,’ I tell her, ‘but we have to accept this new reality,’” he said.
Back in Las Claritas, at a table in a dark brothel that smelled of alcohol, sat Angélica, a young woman with long black hair whose parents do not know she has turned to prostitution to make her living.
She left the eastern city of Maturín three months ago when riots erupted because food had gone scarce.
“Before, you waited in line for hours, but you got something,” said Angélica, who did not give her last name, ashamed of her work. “But now there is nothing there.”
Today she earns the equivalent of $40 when a miner wants to spend the night with her. More often, the money comes in increments of $8, when a customer wants to have sex and leave a short time later.
The Albino Mine in May. With the economy in tatters, thousands are streaming into this region.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
At times, she said, it may be a stranger who is trembling with fever, unable to perform because of malaria. Other times, it is the owner of one of the Chinese grocery stores. The men come from all corners of the country.
“The most difficult part of this life is being with someone who you do not love,” she said.
A Resurgence Ignored
Venezuela rose only after malaria declined.
It was the 1920s and another resource had set off a bonanza — the black gold of oil, discovered in massive supply.
But a vast malaria hot zone, then two-thirds of Venezuela, stood between the country and its riches. The deadly scenes were later immortalized in “Dead Homes,” a 1955 Venezuelan novel about the rural epidemics of malaria and the waves of migration to the country’s oil fields.
Freeing the country of malaria became pivotal to Venezuela’s development, said Dr. Oletta, the former health minister.
“Only once malaria was gone, roads could come, industry,” he said. “This was a sick country, and when it got well, things changed.”
That transformative effort was led by Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldón, the former health minister who began one of the world’s first large-scale efforts to eradicate malaria and who became a national hero during his age.
Teams across the Venezuelan countryside built irrigation ditches to drain pools of standing water, distributed quinine and constructed cinder block homes in rural areas so that mosquitoes had fewer places to breed. Dr. Gabaldón founded a research center in the city of Maracay, outside of Caracas and itself a malaria zone at the time, to broaden the mission and train officials from Latin America and Africa.
But it was his use of insecticides — initially DDT, then other substances — that began to turn the tide. The walls of nearly every rural home in the country were sprayed, a technique that killed mosquitoes when they landed to rest. Fumigators would leave an envelope showing the date they would return.
Carlos Freydel said he has had malaria 60 times during the nine years he has worked illegally mining for gold.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
By 1949, malaria deaths had fallen drastically: to nine per 100,000 people from 300.
By the time Mr. Chávez assumed the presidency 50 years later and began to carry out his Socialist-inspired vision for Venezuela, the regimented system of Dr. Gabaldón had long faded, though malaria still appeared to be confined to a few rural areas. But the restructuring of the economy under Mr. Chávez and his followers, including a growing dependence on oil revenue and a system of currency controls restricting American dollars, would eventually change that.
In 2014 and 2015, as oil prices collapsed and the government scrambled for money to pay for goods, services and imports, there were long shortages of chloroquine and primaquine, two drugs used for Plasmodium vivax, the most prevalent malaria parasite in the Americas.
By 2016, doctors said there were shortages of nearly all anti-malaria drugs, most notably a drug cocktail for the deadly falciparum strain that costs just several dollars for a full round of treatment. Though debilitating and even fatal, malaria is easily treatable with the proper medication.
Dr. Leopoldo Villegas, an international malaria expert in Bangkok, said the government also relied on outdated methods like outdoor fogging with insecticides, which had unproven effects on adult mosquitoes that transmit malaria. And because it was not publishing epidemiological reports of new malaria cases or deaths, it was unclear how much medicine was needed each year.
“This is an emergency, this is an outbreak, and it’s not being dealt with by the government this way,” Dr. Villegas said, adding that the Venezuelan government had repeatedly denied the extent of malaria’s resurgence to international organizations that could help prevent its spread.
Gustavo Bretas, a Brazilian malaria expert, said that Venezuela once trained people throughout the region in malaria prevention. But Venezuela’s inability to contain its own outbreak means that it now plays the opposite role: It poses a threat to the countries around it, particularly Brazil, where there are also illegal gold mines.
“It’s starting to spill over into neighboring countries,” he said, adding that the lack of government statistics made the extent of the problem hard to assess.
Venezuela’s Health Ministry did not respond to requests for an interview, including a letter delivered to its offices.
Oscar Noya now works in Dr. Gabaldón’s old laboratory in Caracas under a picture of his mentor in a suit and bow tie. On a recent day, malaria patients once again sat on the steps, most having arrived from the mines. Fifteen had come on a recent morning; 12 of them tested positive for the disease.
The watery pits of the mines, perfect mosquito breeding grounds, are spreading malaria to miners.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
Dr. Noya tries to make do without many vital drugs, like artesunate, listed by the W.H.O. as an essential medicine for the treatment of severe cases of falciparum malaria. He has only three vials of it left. He needs six to treat a single patient with a serious case.
One recent night, a gang entered one of his malaria laboratories and stole the computers, one of about 20 attacks this year against the Tropical Medical Institute where he works, Dr. Noya said. He wonders if the groups are aligned with the government.
“We believe this is no more than intimidation because we’re not quiet and we won’t be quiet,” he said, referring to public advocacy about malaria and the spread of other diseases.
Dr. Noya put away his vials of artesunate as more patients gathered outside. He looked up with an air of desperation. “Dr. Gabaldón would have died of a heart attack if he’d seen what is happening,” he said.
Order Outside the Law
Despite the constant churn of workers from across Venezuela, there is a clear order to the mines.
It is enforced by an armed group known as the Union.
One of the Union’s bosses came to the mines years ago to work as a dentist. He still does. But the squads of patrolmen on motorbikes who dominate this place are the real source of his wealth and power. He sports gold chains, two gold teeth — and brass knuckles made of gold.
After the government abandoned them, the mines soon grew again, this time at an unruly pace as wildcatters plowed into the forest, creating pools of stagnant water and a population of easy prey for the mosquitoes that breed in them, paving the way for the explosion of malaria.
Sitting on his patio, the boss, who declined to be named because he could be arrested by the government, took pride in what he said was the Union’s ability to fill in for the vacuum left by the state. Yes, he acknowledged, the punishments the group meted out could be gruesome, like shooting off a man’s hand when he stole, or tying others to posts at the entrance of town with a sign detailing the offense committed.
But he argued that the discipline kept crime in the camps low and allowed miners to go about their business in peace — another aspect of life that has steadily eroded in Venezuela’s dangerous cities.
The leader of the armed group known as “the Union” showed his brass knuckles made of gold.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
“To get justice from the police is a joke,” he said. “You have to get your own justice.”
Eduardo Medina agreed. A former pharmacist, he said he had left the drugstore where he worked in the state of Zulia a year ago to start mining because he saw the economic crisis spread and law and order slip away.
“At any time, you might go out and someone would put a pistol in your face for your phone, or knife your mother,” Mr. Medina said in his tent. “Crime is under control here. They charge us, but they solve the problems, too.”
But the appearance of calm is deceiving. Storms rage in other places where rivals vie for control of the mines. In March, at least 17 miners were killed in what the authorities believed was one such dispute.
Mr. Medina, on a break, looked down into the pit where his fellow miners labored.
“At any moment, you can be killed in Zulia,” he said. “But you can be killed here, too.”
For all the challenges of keeping order, the boss said, malaria was even harder.
“On malaria, we are screwed,” he said.
The task of monitoring the disease seems to have been delegated to people like a state health employee named Miguel Martínez, who sat at a lonely post a short walk from a brothel near the mines, examining blood samples from miners. Under his microscope, a dye had stained the malaria parasite a dark purple. The log beside him showed that half of the patients who had visited him that day had tested positive for malaria.
Like many health workers in this country, Mr. Martínez was exasperated.
“Just as there are no rice and beans in this country, there are no medicines,” he said.
Evening approached at the mine, the time when the Anopheles mosquito begins to feed. Dusk settled over a clapboard Pentecostal church, where parishioners speak in tongues, and past a red-and-blue circus tent promising alcohol and a strip tease.
Under a tarp, five men hammered away at a vein of quartz, which they would grind down and sift for gold. Others waded up to their shoulders in pools laden with heavy metals like mercury, angling tubes to pump the mud. Tropical birds flew in the distance.
Cuatro Muertos. When miners return home to Venezuela’s cities to recover from malaria, there is often no medicine.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times
“Is the malaria really coming from the miners?” asked Aníbal Flores, 28, a miner who sleeps in a hammock between two poles beside the mine. “But where else can we go to make money? The city? There is no food there.”
Lately, many Venezuelans have taken matters into their own hands.
Five hours away in the newly infected town of El Dique, residents were collecting 100 bolívars from each household to hire a fumigator to come spray their homes.
In the mine, where malaria tests are sometimes unavailable, miners said they had developed an exam of their own: Drink two bottles of beer. If a sharp pain is felt afterward in the liver, where the parasites reside, then the patient has malaria, the test goes. Health officials said the measure was futile.
Still, Mr. Balocha, the former computer technician who works in the Albino Mine, lives by it. Miners call it an “artisanal test.”
He was sick once again, waiting for medicine at a chain-link fence on the edge of a clinic. He recalled the words of his uncle, who phoned him a year ago when Mr. Balocha found his salary as a computer technician to be worthless in the city of Valencia.
“There is money here,” said the uncle, who was mining then. “You have to know how to find it.”
Mr. Balocha started as a “palero,” a stone breaker, getting the smallest cut of the take. But it was still more than what his salary bought in the city after inflation had whittled it away, he said.
He recalled the first time he got malaria, too, the “chills like you were lying down between two blocks of ice.”
“The first time you get malaria is the ugliest,” Mr. Balocha said. “You can’t control the tremors. You feel like you will die. You feel like you are a zombie.”
But he would become a millionaire here, he joked, and one day he would head to Europe — with a Latin American woman, he added — far from the mines, the malaria and the Union.
He sighed, looking up at the sky.
“In the mine, happiness is only temporary,” he said.
Follow Nicholas Casey on Twitter @caseysjournal.
Patricia Torres and Clavel Rangel contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Seeking Gold, Getting Malaria. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Napier lawyer fined for dangerous driving
Editorial: David Parker's waterway plan needs more clarity
9 May, 2018 5:00am 3 minutes to read
The simple action that could halve NZ's staggering road toll
9 May, 2018 5:00am
Senior firefighter Jim McLean says advances in equipment and vehicle design should mean fewer people die in crashes.
By: Carla Penman
A senior firefighter believes one simple action immediately after a serious car crash could halve the country's road toll.
Jim McLean, who's been with the Fire Service - now Fire and Emergency New Zealand - since 1972, says half of all people who died in car accidents die because as they are unconscious their tongue blocks the airway.
"And the simple action of lifting their head and tilting it back to open the airway would, I understand, save 50 per cent of everyone who dies in a road accident at the moment," he says.
By the end of April this year, 133 people had died on New Zealand roads, up from 124 at the same time last year.
For Road Safety Week this week, the Herald has spoken to five emergency services staff, who collectively have more than 120 years' experience in their fields and have attended at least 600 fatal crashes.
McLean, who has been in charge of the Silverdale Pump Rescue Tender for more than four decades, says he's attended numerous serious car crashes in that time.
At a guess, he says he's been called to about 100 fatal crashes.
"I can still remember the very first time I went to a serious accident where there was a baby in a baby seat and it was in the time when they were not common," he says.
"I remember looking at the beautiful little plastic seat and how elegantly [it] had protected the baby in the middle of all that carnage."
More recently, McLean can recall a disappointing fatal crash he reponded to while at Henderson station.
"A young lady driving at high speed had crashed head-on into a truck on the wrong side of the road. And I had heard the crash at the station and thought it was only a couple of hundred metres away but it was actually 2km away.
"And she was killed instantly. And she was very seriously trapped and police wanted us to remove the body and we did that because of the public area it was."
He says some of the most personally traumatic incidents that he's been called to however, were either fires or industrial accidents.
"For the most part, I think for motor vehicle incidents our equipment means we are able to do something in almost every circumstance."
He points to the advances in vehicle design over the years which should mean fewer people die in an accident.
"Now tilt steering wheels are there, not for the convenience of drivers but because when you push hard on the front of that in an accident the steering column folds up nicely and steers the wheel away from the passenger."
McLean says he travels to Europe now and again, where he has friends who work in the fire service in Germany, France and Switzerland.
"In Germany, I stay on stations and go to calls with them, which I find particularly interesting given the speeds on the autobahn," he says.
He says that gives him the perspective to say that generally speaking, New Zealand is doing well.
NEW ZEALAND'S ROAD TOLL:
• 134 people had died as of May 4, 2018, compared to 127 at the same time last year
• 40 females have died compared to 29 at the same time last year, while 94 males have died compared to 98 at the same time last year
• 118 fatal crashes have taken place, compared to 116 at the same time last year
• There are more over 60 year olds who have died than any other age group, with 38 fatalities so far. There were 18 deaths among those aged 20-24 and 30 deaths among those aged 25-39
• March is the worst month so far this year with 41 deaths. January is the next worst with 36 deaths.
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Yearbook Science Technology and Society 2019
Science communication: 5 keywords
Record High Confidence in Swedish Universities, by Vetenskap & Allmänhet
SHARPER PROJECT: Sharing Passion for Evidences and Resilience
Young people science, technology and the future: the results of the 2017 Observa-PRISTEM Bocconi survey
HomeContribution
By Segreteria Observa on 3 June 2018 Contribution
What do teenagers think of science and technology? What are their interests and their school experiences? How do they imagine their future as workers?
This contribution presents the results of a recent study that focuses on the attitudes and orientations of teenagers regarding science and technology, with a particular attention to how they perceive their future, verifying the way opinions and trends evolve.
The relationship between adolescents and science has been studied for several years and many investigations have looked into the motivations, skills and the most effective teaching strategies to foster a better relationship between the younger generations and science.
The “Giovani, Scienza e Tecnologia” (Youth, Science and Technology) survey, promoted and coordinated by Observa and PRISTEM Bocconi in spring 2017, was carried out using various series of questions from the international ROSE (Relevance Of Science Education) survey, devoted to studying the orientation of students towards science and technology. The survey had also been carried out in 2014, so it was possible to detect any changes in the attitudes and behaviours of students, also in a comparative perspective with other countries.
Students are increasingly interested primarily in health issues as regards specific diseases, but also in first aid activities, as shown in Table 1. Considering the first 10 items from a list of 26, females show a greater attention to health. Between 2014 and 2017 there is growing interest in the search for unknown phenomena and the environment, while the interest in sexually transmitted diseases decreases.
Table 1 The main scientific interests of Italian adolescents (average values, on a scale 1-4). The arrows next to the total average values show the difference in position with respect to the 2014 “Giovani, Scienza e Tecnologia” survey.
Males are mostly interested in technology, astronomy, agriculture and personal health, while females show greater attention to public health, the care and the meaning of life and scientific knowledge in general. Compared to 2014, we see in males an increased attention to health issues. Taking into account geographical areas, the students from Southern Italy show an increased interest in technology, agriculture and nutrition, public health and the meaning of life. These orientations have grown considerably compared to 2014.
With regard to cultural environment, we remark that in families with a higher cultural background there is a greater interest in scientific knowledge and astronomy.
Studying science in school is significantly appreciated by students. However, the survey makes it evident that they distinguish between expectations and what is actually learned and usable thanks to science lessons.
We notice that, over time, there is a growing satisfaction with reference to the importance, development of curiosity and usefulness of science in school. This fact suggests a reflection on the practical implications of scientific and technological activities carried out in the classroom, with particular reference to the need expressed by many educational guidelines to use the IBSE (Inquiry-Based Science Education) approach and the laboratory practices related to it . In this regard, the survey shows that eight schools out of ten have a laboratory but it is regularly used, on the average, in only 17% of cases. The schools in North-Western and Central Italy are the ones that use it more frequently (29% and 25%).
Students were also asked to express their orientation towards a career to be embraced within science and technology. We notice a general increase in preferences: nearly two out of ten students imagine a future as scientists. Figure 1 shows that the number of female students who intend to pursue a career as scientists has almost doubled, while the proportion of males has only slightly increased: from 9 to 10.7%.
Fig. 1 Intention to become scientists (2014: no. = 3436; 2017: no. = 2021)
The majority of those who think of becoming scientists live in the North and belong to families with a higher cultural level.
The preferences change significantly if we turn to professional careers (Fig. 2), in particular in the technological industry. In this case the percentages of interest are significantly higher, with a reversal of the trend: the proportion of males decreases over time, while the interest of females increases.
Fig. 2 Intention to work in the field of technology (2014: no. = 3436; 2017: no. = 2022)
Students were asked to give their views on various aspects regarding the usefulness, development and impact of scientific activities. Their positions are clear, even though there are some differences compared to 2014 survey data.
Firstly, there is still confidence in the ability of science to eradicate the most lethal diseases, albeit with a slight decrease, while the idea that scientific activities contribute to a better future increases.
There is a special sensitivity to environmental issues, for which an active participation with visible actions is claimed.
Confidence in science is expressed with some distinctions and articulations. We find a decrease in the proportion of students critical in three regards: science threatens the environment, it changes our lives too quickly and it will eliminate poverty and hunger from the world. We find a starker judgment against scientific institutions about these themes, but the concern that science could threaten fundamental values such as human life and the family is in the last position.
As regards scientists, judgment is more elaborate. While on the one hand their objectivity is acknowledged and there is a good level of confidence, on the other hand doubts are manifested about the ability to always offer sure answers.
A more analytical examination through statistical analysis enables us to distinguish three thematic areas, verifying the relationship with some independent variables: territorial area, gender, cultural belonging.
As regards the usefulness of science, we remark that it is especially appreciated by males who live in the North and belong to families with a higher cultural level.
The second area allows us to verify the preferences about the objectivity of scientists. In this case it is mainly the males who live in Southern Italy and from families with a lower cultural level who support the objectivity of scientists’ work.
As for the opinions on the negative effects of scientific activities, those who express the most concern are male residents in Centre and South, who live in households with a cultural level below average.
The data presented show interesting effects of science and technology on the adolescents’ attitudes. A framework full of insights emerges, thanks to territorial and cultural factors that signal different ways of understanding scientific results and activities.
Over time, a positive attitude towards science is growing, especially for activities related to health and knowledge. There are still significant differences between male and female interests, especially in the area of health and care, although in both the sensitivity for scientific inquiry increases.
This growing interest is linked to a good appreciation of school activities, which in part make it possible to design one’s own future, although they do not always favour a tangible fallout in everyday life. The most significant new element regards the growing desire of teenage girls to become scientists: from 2014 to 2017 the percentage has doubled and is now in line with that of males. As regards professions in technology, the situation is different: we see here a decline of interest in males and an increase in females.
On the whole, we see a positive view of science in various areas: knowledge, environment and development. This is not blind faith, considering that students recognise the limits of scientific activity, in the sense that it cannot give definite answers to all the problems it addresses.
In short, science and technology are central to the interests of teenagers and offer them questions and opportunities useful for dealing with the present and planning the future. Students show a strong familiarity with various scientific fields, exhibiting curiosity and critical spirit and preferring a useful and thoughtful science rather than an all-powerful science that pays little attention to the effects of its activities.
Italian version of the article and references is available at this link: http://rdcu.be/Givt
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19 October 2011 A Regola d’Arte 2011: alla riscoperta del saper fare (en)
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13 April 2011 Ridere con la scienza (en)
12 April 2011 Chi l’ha detto? (en)
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A picture is worth a thousand words. The Communication and Public Relations (CPR) Division encourages the OIST community to share with the rest of the world some of the exciting things happening at the university and on the island. To do this, CPR has created OIST's Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, and Instagram accounts. Flickr is an image and video sharing site on the Internet, which allows the OIST community to store and share photos with the world. Instagram is a social media platform, which allows OIST to share aspects of daily life, as well as the look and feel of the campus, to prospective students, staff and the general public.
Usage and Ownership
Flicker, YouTube, and Vimeo
The Communication and Public Relations (CPR) Division is responsible for selecting, uploading, and archiving all photos and videos to the OIST Flickr, YouTube, and Vimeo accounts for the purpose of highlighting research, education, and activities happening at the university, as well as its buildings and landscape.
By submitting photos and videos to the CPR Division, members of the OIST community implicitly agree that the university has a right to use any photos submitted for the OIST website, mobile site, social media platforms, and any other public relations materials including brochures and posters.
In addition, by submitting photos and video to the CPR Division, members of the OIST community are giving OIST full usage and responsibility for photos uploaded on the OIST Flickr page.
Photos on OIST websites and Flickr are available for download for anyone to use, but upon usage, please cite “Photo: OIST”.
The Communication and Public Relations (CPR) Division is responsible, in collaboration with the Dean of the Graduate School Office, for selecting, uploading, and editing all photos and videos, along with associated captions, to the OIST Instagram account for the purpose of highlighting research, education, and other university activities happening on and off campus, university buildings, the landscape, and life in Okinawa.
When OIST members provide photos and videos, with their explicit agreement, the university has the right to use any of these photos and videos for the OIST Instagram by giving the contributors credit in the caption of each photo and video.
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PSEG, seeking $300M nuclear subsidy, defends keeping ratepayer watchdog in the dark
The state's ratepayer advocate, who is skeptical of the subsidy, is adamant that she get access to financial information, an idea the company rejects.
PSEG, seeking $300M nuclear subsidy, defends keeping ratepayer watchdog in the dark The state's ratepayer advocate, who is skeptical of the subsidy, is adamant that she get access to financial information, an idea the company rejects. Check out this story on northjersey.com: https://njersy.co/2nRUIbY
Nicholas Pugliese, State House Bureau, @nickpugz Published 7:06 p.m. ET Feb. 7, 2018 | Updated 7:41 p.m. ET Feb. 7, 2018
Plans for a second brewery in Hackensack, Korean Karaoke in Palisades Park and a conversation with Record baseball writers Matt Ehalt and Pete Caldera - all in "7 things to know in New Jersey on Fat Thursday." John C. Ensslin
The Hope Creek reactor at the Salem Nuclear Generating Complex in Lower Alloways Creek.(Photo: File photo)
As Public Service Enterprise Group presses lawmakers for a nuclear subsidy that could siphon $300 million a year from New Jersey residents, the company is hoping to shield its financial information from the state’s advocate for ratepayers, who is skeptical of the proposal.
PSEG CEO Ralph Izzo said in a meeting with The Record’s editorial board on Wednesday that Stefanie Brand, who as director of the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel is charged with representing consumers when utility rates are being fixed, should be not be part of any proceedings by state regulators to determine whether a subsidy is necessary.
The reason, he said, is that the PSEG subsidiary that would benefit from a subsidy is unregulated under state law and the rate counsel’s authority extends only to regulated utilities, such as Public Service Electric & Gas, which delivers electricity and gas to millions of households throughout New Jersey.
PSEG Chairman and CEO Ralph Izzo in Woodland Park during an editorial board meeting with The Record on Feb. 7, 2018. (Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com)
“She wants us to be a competitive service provider while she treats us as a regulated entity,” Izzo said of Brand. “And those two worlds don’t comport to each other.”
But Brand said she would fight for access to PSEG’s books and that her office has clear authority to participate in any process to determine the need for a nuclear subsidy.
“Mr. Izzo can’t have it both ways,” Brand said in a statement Wednesday. “He can’t hide his books behind deregulation and then seek added profits through regulated rates. We can only wonder why he is so anxious to keep out of the process those who represent the interests of consumers who ultimately will have to foot the bill.”
The exchange is a sign of the heightened tensions surrounding a measure pending in the Legislature, S-877, that was originally designed to keep PSEG’s two nuclear generating stations in Salem County operational and has since expanded to include new fees to promote solar and wind power.
READ MORE: NJ lawmakers revive nuclear subsidy plan that could raise $300M for PSEG
READ MORE: Legislative committees back PSEG rate hike to aid nuclear power
The nuclear subsidy alone could cost the average household about $30 to $40 a year while hitting commercial customers and other large electricity users much harder.
Izzo has said the stations, which generate roughly a third of the electricity used in New Jersey and support about 6,000 jobs, would close without the subsidy. Should that happen, he has said, prices would rise sharply and the lost capacity would be replaced by fossil-fuel-fired power generation, degrading air quality in New Jersey and contributing to global climate change.
The Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants, on Artificial Island on Delaware Bay, produce enough power for about 3 million homes. PSEG is planning a new reactor there, to be called Salem 4, on land to be acquired from the Army Corps of Engineers. (Photo: Asbury Park Press file photo)
But the bill has spawned a small army of critics, uniting an unlikely opposition force that now includes groups ranging from the Sierra Club and AARP to the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, which represents pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers. Brand and a monitor for PJM Interconnection, the organization that operates the power grid in New Jersey and 12 other Eastern and Midwestern states, have also testified against the measure.
Foremost among their concerns is that PSEG has not demonstrated a need for subsidies to keep its nuclear plants up and running, pointing to Izzo’s past statements that the plants would be profitable for the next two years.
Izzo confirmed Wednesday that the plants are projected to be profitable this year and break even next year, but he said they are projected to start losing money in 2020. In addition, he said the plants made $47 million in 2015 but lost $74 million in 2016 and $47 million last year.
“That’s if you look at the plants in the rear-view mirror on a fully allocated basis,” he said. “We can’t run them that way. They will not continue to run.”
Opponents have also criticized the process set up under the bill to determine whether the subsidies are needed as insufficiently stringent and transparent. Under the most recent version of the bill, which is expected to be amended further, the state Board of Public Utilities would be tasked with reviewing PSEG’s financial information and has the final say over whether to approve a subsidy.
The Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations in Lower Alloways Creek, New Jersey, is shown on Aug. 9, 2012. (Photo: Gary Emeigh / GARY EMEIGH/THE NEWS JOURNAL)
But the bill says no other state official, Brand included, can see that information unless it is first approved by the board and the attorney general.
To Izzo, that’s an appropriate arrangement.
“There’s literally a $750,000 application fee in the bill,” he said. “The BPU can hire consultants and experts to review our financial condition, and if they believe the plants are not going to close, not a penny flows to us.”
He added of Brand: “If the state wants her involved, the language allows her to be involved. If the state doesn’t need her, then she shouldn’t be a part of it."
When asked if he thinks Brand deserves to see the financial information, Izzo said: "No, I don't. No, because she wants to turn this into a rate case."
"If the Board of Public Utilities and the attorney general determines that she should [review the company's financial information] ... then that's fine," Izzo continued.
But Brand said in her statement Wednesday that Izzo’s “effort to insert the attorney general and BPU into the decision of whether we can participate is unprecedented and contrary to our statutory authority.”
“Why would you have a study like this without somebody in there representing the other side or the people who are going to pay for it?” she also said in an interview earlier this week. “Our whole system is based on sort of the concept that you have an adversarial system that brings out the best facts for the fact finder. So they need us there to help create the record for the BPU.”
A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy declined to comment Wednesday on whether the Division of Rate Counsel should have a role in the review process.
A spokesman for Senate President Stephen Sweeney, the Democratic sponsor of the legislation whose district includes the nuclear plants in question, also declined to comment.
“I’ll just point out that the bill is still a work in progress,” spokesman Richard McGrath said.
Email: pugliese@northjersey.com
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Eliza Scidmore’s Faithful Pursuit Of a Dream
Image of Eliza Scidmore
Courtesy Washingtoniana Division, D.C. Public Library
Multitudes of winter-weary Washingtonians and visitors flock to the Tidal Basin each spring hoping to see the famed Japanese cherry trees in all of their blossoming beauty. Many know that the original trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 symbolizing international friendship.
Fewer know that the trees are also a testament to one woman's persistence and the value of never giving up on a dream.
In 1885, 29-year old Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore returned to the United States following her first visit to Japan, where her brother George worked for the US Consular Service. While there, she developed a great appreciation for the Japanese people, culture, and the beauty of the Japanese flowering cherry trees. She brought back with her a desire to introduce the beauty of Japanese cherry blossoms to the American people.
Upon returning to Washington, DC and resuming her life as an author, travel writer, newspaper correspondent, and photographer, Scidmore began promoting her idea of planting flowering cherry trees in Potomac Park on land recently reclaimed from the Potomac River. As she explained in a 1928 newspaper article in the Washington Sunday Star, "...since they had to plant something in that great stretch of raw, reclaimed ground by the river bank, since they had to hide those old dump heaps with something, they might as well plant the most beautiful thing in the world—the Japanese cherry tree."
Over the next 24 years, she presented her idea to every Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, but her pleas were met with little interest.
One superintendent turned down her request, expressing concern that policemen would have to be in the park day and night when the cherries were ripe to keep boys from climbing the trees and breaking the branches. When she explained that the types of trees she was proposing produced only blossoms, not cherries, she recalled receiving the following response: "What! No cherries! No cherries! Huff! What good is that sort of cherry tree?” (The trees do produce a small inedible dark cherry sometimes eaten by birds.)
Scidmore recalled that her requests "were of no avail, no matter how fervent, long or often repeated to successive indifferent and obdurate S.P.B.G.s (Superintendents of Public Buildings and Grounds)."
During the later years of her efforts, Department of Agriculture Plant Explorer David Fairchild began experimenting with and advocating for the introduction of Japanese flowering cherry trees in the United States. Following the successful planting of several varieties on his personal property in Chevy Chase, MD and in the neighboring area, he began promoting the idea of planting Japanese flowering cherry trees along avenues in the nation’s capital. His efforts included supplying cherry trees to children to plant in Washington, DC schoolyards on Arbor Day in 1908.
On the day preceding the event, Scidmore talked with Fairchild about her dream of planting Japanese cherry trees on the newly reclaimed land of Potomac Park. Fairchild expressed enthusiasm for her idea, and invited Scidmore to attend the lecture he would be presenting at the conclusion of the Arbor Day event. At this event, he publicly promoted the idea of planting cherry trees along the Speedway (a popular roadway in Potomac Park, in the area of present day Independence Avenue.)
Both Scidmore and Fairchild began working on plans to acquire trees for the park. At the White House, First Lady Helen Taft was working on plans to beautify this area.
Fairchild offered to import Japanese cherry trees for the project.
Scidmore developed a plan to solicit annual subscriptions of one dollar from travelers who had personally experienced the beauty of the trees. She hoped to then be able to donate 100 trees each year, so that after ten years, "there would be a great showing in Potomac Park--a rosy tunnel of interlaced branches, a veritable Mukojima along the river's bank." She then sent a note to First Lady Taft, requesting her approval for the plan and assistance in acquiring the trees.
At long last, Scidmore experienced success. Two days after sending her note, she received a positive response from the First Lady. Not only did Taft like the idea, she immediately made arrangements to acquire some cherry trees for Potomac Park. The First Lady had spent time in Japan where she had experienced firsthand the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
The day after Taft's letter was written, noted Japanese chemist Dr. Jokichi Takamine learned of the plan to acquire cherry trees for America's capital city. He was in Washington, DC at the time with New York's Japanese consul general Kokichi Mizuno. Takamine asked Mizuno to inquire whether Mrs. Taft would accept a gift of 2,000 trees for the city. The consul general liked the idea and suggested donating the trees in the name of Tokyo. Takamine generously agreed, and Mrs. Taft accepted the offer.
The cherry trees were shipped across the ocean to Seattle and arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1910. A major setback occurred when U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors discovered that the trees were diseased and infested with insects. Following thorough inspections, USDA officials advised that the trees be burned to prevent harm to native plants.
Such an awkward situation was handled most graciously by Japanese officials. Not deterred, Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki and other officials quickly made arrangements for a new gift of 3,020 trees. Twelve varieties of trees (of which Yoshino was the predominant variety) were prepared and carefully monitored to ensure that they were free of diseases and insects, before being shipped to the United States. After arriving in Washington, DC in March of 1912, the trees were successfully planted along the Tidal Basin and in other areas of Potomac Park and the city.
Fewer than 100 of these original trees survive today among the nearly 4,000 cherry trees growing in West and East Potomac Parks, on the Washington Monument grounds, and in several other park locations.
Today, these trees stand not only as a powerful symbol of friendship between nations, but as an inspiring reminder of the difference one person can make by faithfully pursuing a dream.
Tags: National Mall and Memorial Parks cherry blossoms Women's History Eliza Scidmore women and the environment
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Devils Postpile
National Monument California
Rainbow trout may have been present in the Middle Fork San Joaquin up to the base of Rainbow Falls before the arrival of Euro-Americans, but the falls would have blocked the migration of fish farther upstream. Miners and settlers began planting trout fingerlings in higher elevation lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada in the mid-1800s, but the more remote and lightly used areas were slower to receive fish populations. Trout may not have been planted in the Middle Fork above Rainbow Falls until the early 1900s.
Eventually, however, residents occasionally planted rainbow, brook, golden, and brown trout in the river and local lakes and streams to satisfy the growing demand. In the 1930s, when the area had become accessible to automobile traffic, the California Department of Fish and Game began regular stocking of the Middle Fork San Joaquin River. When responsibility for managing Devils Postpile National Monument passed from the US Forest Service to the National Park Service in 1934, fishing was the primary reason that visitors came to the area. About 50 fishermen visited the monument daily during the summer, utilizing five or six overnight camps.
By the 1950s, fishing demand often exceeded the fish supplied by the state's stocking program. Improvements in spinning reel technology made it easy to cast bait or lures for trout, and state fish and game officials struggled to keep pace with increased fishing pressure on the Middle Fork and area lakes. Surveys showed that at least half of all visitors in the Middle Fork Valley were there to fish. By the mid-1960s, the river was being stocked with 17,000 to 20,000 fingerling trout each summer and had become one of the most popular fishing destinations in the Eastern Sierra.
In his 1969 critique of management policies at Devils Postpile, Yosemite's Assistant Chief Park Naturalist William Jones noted that with existing facilities being "used at or beyond capacity," it was "the height of absurdity to attract more users through an intensive fish management program." While the Forest Service continued to view trout stocking as an important component of recreational management, the Park Service gradually took a more skeptical view. As early as 1921, the Ecological Society of America began opposing introduction of nonnative species in national parks, and in the late 1920s and 1930s, biologists both inside and outside the agency recognized the threat that introduced species posed for native fish. Still, many parks continued hatchery programs and nonnative fish planting well into the 1970s. Fish stocking in Devils Postpile ended in 1971.
Even though fish are no longer stocked within the monument boundary, trout are stocked upstream on Forest Service land. In addition to the stocked fish, there is a successful breeding population which continues to attract fishermen to the valley. In the 1980s and 1990s, fly-fishing magazines and guidebooks promoted the Middle Fork where it passed through the monument as one of the few streams where a fly fisher could experience a "grand slam"—catching rainbow, brown, golden, and brook trout.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
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Memorial Parkway DC, MD, VA
Arlington Memorial Bridge & Avenue
"Before us is the broad and beautiful river, separating two of the original thirteen States, which a late President [Andrew Jackson]... desired to span with arches of ever-enduring granite, symbolical of the firmly established union of the North and the South." —Secretary of State Daniel Webster, 1851
Aerial Shot of Memorial Bridge
NPS Photo
More than 80 years after these words were spoken and 65 years after the end of Civil War, which threatened the "firmly established union," Arlington Memorial Bridge opened to traffic on May 6, 1932. Currently, the bridge is undergoing a major rehabilitation. To learn more about that, you can visit go.nps.gov/memorialbridge.
Symbolically, the bridge was designed to show the strength of a united nation by joining a memorial on the north side of the Potomac River (the Lincoln Memorial) with one on the south (Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial). Memorial Bridge and Avenue also connect the nation's capital to Arlington National Cemetery, where thousands who died fighting to preserve democratic government were laid to rest.
Construction of the bridge began in 1926, and ended in 1931. Arlington Memorial Bridge, Memorial Avenue, and the grand entrance to Arlington National Cemetery were dedicated on January 16, 1932. However, the bridge was not fully opened to traffic until May 6, 1932. The firm of McKim, Mead, and White served as the bridge's architects.
Architectural elements like granite facing; formal, neoclassical design; sculptures of eagles and vases; and bas relief bison, poppies, and oak leaves invoke national strength and unity. Seven memorials were installed along Memorial Avenue: the first in 1961 and the last in 2001.
Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue provide a ceremonial entrance to Washington, DC from Virginia. Designed to be an "Avenue of Heroes," it is lined with monuments and memorials to such diverse figures as Admiral Byrd, the Seabees, Valor, and Sacrifice.
The Arlington Memorial Bridge crosses the Potomac River at Washington, D.C. The bridge was first proposed in 1886 however, it went unbuilt until 1932. Today, Memorial Bridge symbolically links North and South in its alignment between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial.
Visit Arlington Memorial Bridge
A walk or bicycle ride across Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue is a scenic route from the Lincoln Memorial to the Women in Military Service for America Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
To request a ranger-led program at Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue please call 703‑235-1530.
Hours & Seasons
Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue is open year round, 24 hours a day.
Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue stretches between Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
On Foot or by Bicycle
From the Mount Vernon Trail, follow a signed route uphill. Please use caution at the crosswalks. Drivers on the roads around Memorial Circle are often lost and distracted by merging lanes and entrance and exit ramps.
From Washington, DC, Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue can be reached from the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Constitution Avenue, 23rd Street Northwest, Ohio Drive, and Independence Avenue.
From Virginia, Arlington Memorial Bridge and Avenue can be reached from the George Washington Memorial Parkway, VA-110, and VA-27.
Parking is available along the ramp that extends from Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway to the Lincoln Memorial. Parking is also available for a fee at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Arlington National Cemetery station is located on Memorial Avenue.
Restrooms, water fountains, and trash cans are located in the Arlington National Cemetery visitor center and at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.
A 10-ton load limit for Arlington Memorial Bridge remains in effect until a full rehabilitation is complete. Vehicles in Class 6 (beverage trucks, school buses, etc.), Class 7 (city transit buses, medium semi tractors, etc.) and Class 8 (tour buses, heavy semi tractors, etc.) are prohibited from traveling on the bridge.
Bicycles are allowed on Arlington Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue, but not inside Arlington National Cemetery.
Commercial activities and activities by organized groups, including wreath laying ceremonies and organized runs, walks, and rides, require a permit. For information about permits please call 703‑289-2513.
For a complete list of rules, please read the Laws & Policies.
Rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge
On December 1, 2017, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that the $227 million rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge had been fully funded. The rehabilition of the bridge began in the spring of 2018. To learn more about this project and to stay up to date with the latest information about this project, please visit go.nps.gov/memorialbridge.
Planning for the Rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge
The rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge is one of the National Park Service’s (NPS) top priorities and one of the largest transportation projects in NPS history. For the past six years, the NPS has been making emergency, yet temporary, repairs to the bridge while planning a full rehabilitation. In February 2016, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) informed the NPS that despite these emergency repairs, without a complete rehabilitation, the continued and accelerated deterioration of the concrete deck would require a full bridge closure in 2021.
Designed as a memorial symbolizing reunification of the North and South after the Civil War, Arlington Memorial Bridge links the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, in Arlington, Va. The bridge also serves as the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, our nation’s most hallowed ground and the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their family members.
Plan Forward
The NPS has been notified by Members of Congress that the Department of Transportation has recommended a $90 million FASTLANE grant award for the Arlington Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project. USDOT grant recommendations are subject to a congressional review period before official notification. As part of the FASTLANE grant award, the NPS is still required to secure a percentage of matching funds.
The $90 million grant is a huge boost to the rehabilitation project, but a substantial investment from the NPS Federal Lands Transportation Program allocation will still be required; causing other NPS transportation projects to be deferred.
This summer, the NPS and USPP will begin a 10-ton load limit education campaign, followed by targeted enforcement. The NPS will install additional load limit signs, place variable message boards near the bridge, contact step-on tour guides and bus drivers near Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, and conduct additional outreach to the tourism industry.
At the recommendation of FHWA bridge engineers, the 10-ton load limit on Arlington Memorial Bridge will remain in effect until a full rehabilitation is complete. Vehicles in Class 6 (trucks, school buses, etc.), Class 7 (city transit buses, tour buses, refuse trucks, etc.) and Class 8 (truck tractor, sleeper cabs, etc.) are prohibited from traveling on the bridge.
During a routine biennial inspection in 2009, FHWA discovered considerable deterioration in the sidewalk deck. As a result, the FHWA increased bridge inspections from biennial to annual. In 2014, deterioration of the bridge had reached a critical level, requiring semiannual inspections of the entire bridge and bimonthly inspections of the main support beams, called trunnion posts. The increased inspections of the bridge cost the NPS $425,000 per year.
To preserve the historic integrity of the bridge, prevent a full closure and provide a safe means of transportation for everyone using Arlington Memorial Bridge—whether they drive, walk, jog or bike—the NPS has invested more than $9 million in emergency repairs since 2010.
In 2017, another multi-million dollar temporary repair project will begin to extend the life of the trunnion posts, which are the primary posts stabilizing the center span of the bridge. However, without rehabilitation, the bridge will be still be required to close to all traffic in 2021 due to continued deck deterioration.
Year Temporary Emergency Repairs Cost ($)
2010 Sidewalk Rehabilitation 597,255
2012 Environmental Assessment, Planning, Design 3,370,963
2012 Bridge Roadway, Load-Bearing Columns, Stringers 1,319,205
2015 Bridge Roadway, Load-Bearing Columns, Support Beams, Stringers 4,022,365
2017 Trunnion Posts Est. 5,000,000
Since 2009 when significant deterioration was discovered during a routine FHWA inspection, the NPS has conducted outreach to raise awareness of and support for rehabilitating Arlington Memorial Bridge. This outreach has included conversations, meetings, and bridge tours with elected officials, members of the Virginia and District Departments of Transportation partner agencies, and press.
Regional Impact
Arlington Memorial Bridge is a key component of the Greater Washington Area transportation network, with an estimated 68,000 vehicles from Virginia (58 percent), Washington, D.C (21 percent), Maryland (14 percent) and out of town visitors (7 percent) crossing the bridge daily. The bridge is also designated as an emergency evacuation route for the nation’s capital..
According to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, the result of a full bridge closure would directly impact the three nearby Potomac River bridges: 14th Street Bridge, Roosevelt Bridge and Key Bridge, which already carry more than 400,000 vehicles daily. The planning board estimates a full Arlington Memorial Bridge closure could result in a 22 percent increase in traffic congestion levels along the Potomac River corridor. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says a full bridge closure would have a negative economic impact on the region to the tune of $74.5 million/year in traffic delay costs alone.
As the NPS continues its longstanding commitment to keep Arlington Memorial Bridge open and safe, other critical regional transportation projects have been postponed, including Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Fort Davis Drive, and Fort Dupont Drive. These projects, which are not new, are victims of diverting transportation funds to conduct emergency repairs on Arlington Memorial Bridge, and continue to lack the funds for repairs they desperately need.
The NPS is continuing outreach and is pursuing every available funding option to complete the required rehabilitation project.
George Washington Memorial Parkway Headquarters
700 George Washington Memorial Parkway
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Home › legislature
Tell your legislators NO driver licenses for illegal aliens! Stop HB 2015!
A bill giving illegal aliens Oregon driver licenses has just been introduced in the Legislature. House Bill 2015 would give illegal aliens state-issued PHOTO ID, in the form of an official Oregon driver license. Every reference to LEGAL presence or citizenship would be stripped from the driver license process we all go through.
We encourage everyone to call your state senator and representative and tell them to vote NO on Measure HB 2015.
It's easy to contact your Senator and Representative in Salem. Click here to find out who your legislators are and how to reach them: http://www.oregonir.org/how-contact-oregon-state-legislators.
Oregon legislators can refer a bill directly to citizens to vote on it. While we oppose HB 2015 on the merits, at the very least, the Oregon legislature should allow a referral vote by citizens.
Proponents call the bill the Equal Access to Roads Act. The official title is: “Relating to documents issued by the Department of Transportation; declaring an emergency.”
Chief sponsors of HB 2015 are: Rep. Hernandez, Alonso Leon, Sen. Manning Jr., Rep. McLain, Sen. Roblan. Regular sponsors are: Representative Barker, Boshart Davis, Bynum, Clem, Doherty, Evans, Fahey, Gorsek, Greenlick, Helm, Holvey, Keny-Guyer, Kotek, Lively, Marsh, Meek, Mitchell, Nathanson, Neron, Nosse, Piluso, Power, Prusak, Rayfield, Reardon, Salinas, Sanchez, Schouten, Smith G, Smith Warner, Sollman, Wilde, Williams, Williamson, Witt, Senator Beyer, Fagan, Frederick, Gelser, Wagner.
Your call or email in opposition to this bill is encouraged. If your elected officials don't hear from you - they think you agree with their support of HB 2015. It only takes a moment to call or email - do it today!
Background -- In 2014 Oregonians overwhelmingly defeated Measure 88 - a similar driver license bill - by a whopping two to one margin. In the 2014 election, 35 of Oregon's 36 counties voted against driver licenses for illegal aliens. The bad bill, through a citizens Veto Referendum, was defeated in all five of Oregon's congressional districts. A majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents voted against issuing driver licenses to illegal aliens.
Now proponents of HB 2015 want to overrule the majority! Don’t let them!
This Saturday, Feb. 16 - OFIR membership meeting
The election is over and, unfortuantely, Measure 105 was soundly defeated. We'll review those election results.
Now, it's time to re-set the OFIR sails, strengthen our resolve and move on.
The immigration issue is front and center - so much is happening here in Oregon and all across the country!
The Oregon Legislature is now in session and things are changing daily on the national scene, as well.
You are invited to share your ideas about what OFIR might focus on, moving forward.
Bring your ideas to the meeting and let's talk. There's lots of work to do!
Are you an OFIR member that would like to be considered for a position on our OFIR Board? New ideas, new perspectives and new energy are always welcome.
Plan to join us -
THIS Saturday, Feb. 16th from 2 – 4pm at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn across the from Costco, in Salem.
If you have any questions, please call 503.435.0141
Information on candidates' immigration positions available now
For several years now, in election seasons, OFIR has provided information on Oregon candidates’ positions on immigration issues. See the Elections section in Immigration Topics.
For 2018, OFIR has posted an Overview of the General Election which includes pertinent information.
Collection of information on candidates’ immigration positions is becoming easier now since the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Survey has begun including several good questions on immigration policy in its compilations of candidate positions on a variety of current issues.
NumbersUSA also collects information on Congressional candidates’ positions, and with its large database of incumbents’ voting records on immigration issues, NumbersUSA is a valuable source for voters to know about. Their current listing for Oregon can be viewed here.
With immigration so much in the news today, it’s advisable to check the views of candidates in one’s voting district. If you don’t find any public information on their views, that’s useful to know also, because candidates should be well-versed on immigration issues to serve their constituents adequately now. A reluctance to state their positions publicly is a red caution flag for voters.
“Immigration has risen to the top of the list when Americans are asked to name the most important problem facing the nation …”, according to a new Gallup poll.
Voters can email their candidates and ask them, please, to reply to the Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Survey questions on immigration which are posted here. Email addresses for candidates are usually on the candidates’ websites, and the OAAVEP survey includes link to candidate websites in most cases. If you have a problem contacting candidates in your voting districts, you can email OFIR and we’ll send you contact information.
If you wish, you can cite these references to your candidates:
1. FAIR has issued a good report specifically about what states and local governments can do to help immigration enforcement; see it here. The full report is a pdf document: https://fairus.org/sites/default/files/2017-08/2016_State_and_Local_Agenda.pdf
2. A CIS analyst presented testimony to Congress summing up current needs very well; view her report, “Restoring enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws,” here.
3. Informative discussions of what constitutes good immigration policy are available on the websites of NumbersUSA, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), Center for Immigration Studies.
IRLI Files Brief in U.S. Supreme Court in Support of Arizona's Right to Refuse Benefits to Illegal Aliens
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) filed a friend-of-the-court brief (attached here) in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the State of Arizona which was sued by an illegal alien pressure group to force the state into granting eligibility for driver's licenses to millions of illegal aliens falling under the Obama Administration's lawless Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In the case of Brewer v. Arizona Dream Act Coalition (Civil Action No. 16-1180), Arizona is asking the Supreme Court to hear the case and reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit which ruled last year that Arizona's policy is preempted by federal law.
In its brief, IRLI argued that the Ninth Circuit erred because the Supremacy Clause makes "laws" supreme, not executive branch deferral of the enforcement of such laws, such as DACA. Second, IRLI argued that the court erred by relying on the false proposition that the Executive Branch, on its own authority, has the power to alter or redraft the terms of the statutes it is charged with enforcing. Lastly, IRLI argued that the court erred by finding that Arizona created its own immigration categories by treating DACA beneficiaries differently than special applicants for Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status. The latter enjoy a statutory pathway to citizenship, albeit an uncertain one, unlike DACA recipients who have no such statutory path and are simply unlawfully present.
Dale L. Wilcox, IRLI's Executive Director, commented, "The Ninth Circuit's decision that Obama's controversial DACA policy can preempt Arizona's driver's license rules violates basic preemption and federalism principles." Wilcox further commented, "In its brief, IRLI urges the Supreme Court to hear the case to clarify that the Executive Branch acting outside of congressional intent cannot preempt state law. We will continue the fight for federalism and states' rights and defend the rule of law."
OFIR VP calls on citizens to help stop "emergency clause" abuse
Posted by Cynthia Kendoll on Mon, 02/29/2016
OFIR Vice President Richard LaMountain, in a recent letter in the Beaverton Valley Times, urges citizens to sign an initiative petition that would put a measure on the ballot to end the overuse and downright abuse of the "emergency clause".
Used most frequently to stop citizen's from overturning, via a citizen's veto referendum, legislation they feel is harmful to the state, the "emergency clause" has now become the norm in ramming through controversial legislation.
Learn more at: nofakeemergencies.com
United Way helps fill financial needs for Latino school health program
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories about United Way-funded agencies and the people they serve. United Way of Lane County is in the midst of its annual fall fundraising campaign.
University of Oregon freshman Karla Mercado, 18, leaned back in a couch at North Eugene High School.
“Financially, it has always been a struggle,” she said. “Because of this program, I had one less worry growing up.”
Mercado is speaking about the Soy Sano/I Am Healthy program, a service at the health centers at North Eugene and Churchill high schools. The Eugene School District program has provided everything from medical checkups and immunizations to dental and vision help, mostly free of charge to Mercado, who grew up in Eugene and attended North Eugene .
Motivated in part by her experience at the clinic, Mercado now is taking classes at the University of Oregon to pursue a career in education. And she’s paying for her education in part by working at St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, the nonprofit human services organization.
Soy Sano targets a special population in Lane County: Latino youth who lack U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status — and therefore cannot get government-funded health insurance. It also serves other young people who do not have or do not qualify for public health insurance.
Mercado knows what it’s like to lack health insurance. She previously was an illegal immigrant; her status is now legal under a federal temporary permit program, and she is officially allowed to work.
The Soy Sano/I Am Healthy program began in 2010, paid for by a two-year pilot grant from the Oregon Legislature. With the backing of several local groups, the agency managed to keep its doors open even after the original grant funding ended in 2012.
The funding is part of a broader, ongoing push by lawmakers to provide more help to illegal immigrants, especially youth who were brought into the United States illegally by their also-illegal parents.
In 2013, the Legislature approved a bill allowing some young illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates — as opposed to the much-higher out-of-state rates — at Oregon’s public universities.
In 2014, lawmakers approved giving Oregon drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants, although voters statewide overwhelmingly overturned that change in November 2014. In this year’s legislative session, lawmakers opened some state-funded college scholarships to illegal immigrants.
In its first year of operation, Soy Sano/I Am Healthy helped provide comprehensive health services to 1,250 low-income children in Lane County who were born outside the United States, are in the country illegally and do not qualify for public health insurance, according to Eugene School-Based Health Center data.
The Oregon Center for Public Policy estimates there are 17,600 illegal immigrant children statewide.
Soy Sano has found that during the past couple of years, because of the expansion of the publicly funded Oregon Health Plan under the federal Affordable Care Act, fewer legal residents need the program’s help. But many hundreds of illegal immigrant children continue to lack insurance.
The program served 710 young clients in the 12 months ending in June.
Covering the children
The Affordable Care Act has not had much effect on health services for illegal immigrants because, according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy, federally funded insurance programs such as the Oregon Health Plan do not cover illegal immigrants, except in medical emergencies.
That leaves the families of illegal immigrants with the option of buying private health insurance, which is not subsidized and often expensive. Oregon is unlike Washington state, New York and Illinois, all of which provide government-funded health insurance to illegal immigrant children within their states.
With the help of United Way of Lane County, other funding sources and community-donated resources, Soy Sano has reached its fifth year of operation, surviving even in a financially unstable climate.
“For many of these students, it’s very difficult,” said Beto Montes, the program’s bicultural outreach worker. “You come in from another country not knowing the language, the culture or the school system.”
Montes, 34 and bilingual, initially came into the United States from Mexico legally in 1990, when he was 9. He began attending the Eugene School District in fourth grade, and he received citizenship six years later because of his residency.
Montes attended the UO. He is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling at Northwest Christian University in Eugene.
Montes said his priority is providing a bridge between Latino parents and children and the school district. Two students Montes work with, 18-year-olds Luis and Romero, are prime examples.
The Register-Guard is withholding their last names to protect their privacy. They lack legal immigration status. Both came to the United States with their parents from Mexico as illegal immigrants.
“I haven’t been able to find any other health sources,” said Luis in Spanish, his words translated into English by Montes. Luis, who has younger siblings in Eugene schools, said Soy Sano has been a big help in his transition to living Eugene.
Romero agreed, noting he’s been able to use the program for basic health checkups.
UO student Mercado said she’s been inspired by the program.
“Even if I go somewhere else, I want to be a health activist,” she said.
Mercado originally was an illegal immigrant. But she received a renewable 2-year work visa through the federal Deferred Action Through Childhood Arrivals program, which is open to illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States before turning 16, who are 30 or younger and have lived within the country for the past five years, and who are attending school or serving in the military.
The health-care challenges facing illegal-immigrant children often go unnoticed in the broader community, said Maxine Proskurowski, the school district’s health service program manager.
“The community doesn’t see a need because these kids don’t show up at (health care providers),” said Proskurowski, noting that many illegal immigrant families don’t go to local health providers because they lack the money or insurance to cover the care.
When the Soy Sano program initially started, it received $40,920 from the Legislature in each of its first two years. That helped pay for nurse time; two part-time bilingual, bicultural outreach workers; and a portion of the coordinator’s salary.
The program was coordinated through the Community Health Centers of Lane County, the Eugene School District’s School-Based Health Centers, and Glenwood-based Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon.
Opening the doors
After grant funds ran out, United Way, the Eugene Education Fund, the Springfield-based PacificSource Foundation and several community outreach services stepped in to make up the difference.
Oregon Health Authority, the state’s health care department, also increased funding to the health centers. And the state office of Mental Health and Addictions awarded a grant to Lane County Behavioral Health to help cover the districts’ uninsured students.
Since 2013, United Way has provided $12,500 a year to the Eugene School District’s school-based health centers, and it promised an additional $10,000 directly to the Soy Sano program through January 2017.
“United Way has really opened the doors for us to get outside funding,” Proskurowski said. The strict application requirements and competitive process that United Way uses to choose grant recipients often encourages other grant and donor services to then financially support or donate resources to Soy Sano.
United Way “have been champions for us,” she said.
Adding dental care
Soy Sano’s clients now receive dental services through the Assistance League’s Children Dental Center at Churchill High as well as the Lane Community College Dental Hygiene Program.
“It’s a collaborative effort,” said Sharon Hagen, a dental hygiene instructor for LCC. The college receives $7,000 yearly from United Way to help cover dental checkups, mainly for illegal immigrants, and the college donates the rest of its dental services time.
Hagen said in the last school year, the program recorded 87 dental cleanings for Eugene School District students with Latino surnames. “The children in greatest need are the Hispanic children,” Hagen said.
Funding always has been touch and go.
In 2012, the Eugene district’s health centers fell behind in eligibility for state funding due in part to a lack of compliance with several new state health care mandates for record-keeping and reporting. The centers ultimately lost both state funding and funding from the school district, which had covered 80 percent of the centers’ operating costs.
Two of the centers closed, but local money has provided enough to keep the two remaining centers open. Proskurowski said the continuance of special programs such as Soy Sano hinges on school-based centers remaining open.
“The reality is, if we don’t get funding by June, the days are numbered for these (centers),” Proskurowski said.
Oregon Legislature
Feds say WA drivers licenses won’t be good enough for airport security
Soon, Washington residents may need a passport or other federally issued identification to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings because Washington-issued licenses won’t be acceptable.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told the state this week that standard driver licenses and identification cards will have to comply with federal rules requiring proof of U.S. residency or citizenship in order to be valid for federal purposes, according to the Associated Press.
The Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID program already requires states to ask for proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency for state-issued identification that would be acceptable to get into federal buildings. The same also will be required — perhaps as soon as next year — to use state-issued identification for airport security lines.
Most states do not issue drivers licenses without proof of residency or citizenship. Washington and New Mexico are the only states that issue standard driver’s licenses and identification cards regardless of U.S. residency or citizenship status. Other states, including California, issue drivers licenses to people without documentation, but the licenses and identification cards indicate that the identification card is not valid for federal purposes.
Washington had an extension to comply with the REAL ID law. But this week, the Department of Homeland Security declined to continue to Washington’s extension and gave the state three months to comply, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier this year, the Washington Department of Licensing developed a proposal that would have continued to allow undocumented immigrant drivers to get standard licenses and expanded the state’s existing Enhanced ID program. But the proposal died in the 2015 legislative session.
In 2007, the Washington state legislature passed a bill opposing the federal REAL ID mandates.
Missouri GOP overrides veto of scholarship ban for students brought into country illegally
JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri House voted 114-37 to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill banning the state-funded A+ Scholarship from being awarded to undocumented immigrants.
The Missouri Senate voted to override the veto earlier in the day, so the bill becomes law.
UPDATED AT 6:40 p.m.
JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Senate voted to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill banning the state-funded A+ Scholarship from being awarded to undocumented immigrants.
The bill now moves to the House, where 108 Republicans voted in favor when the bill originally passed earlier this year. That’s one shy of a two-thirds majority, although 11 Republicans were absent and did not vote.
At issue are students who qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. It was created by President Barack Obama in 2012 to stop the deportation of children brought to the country illegally by their parents.
Because these students were brought to the U.S. as young children and are undocumented through no fault of their own, DACA allows them to legally live, work and study in the U.S. It does not, however, create a path to citizenship.
In response to the federal government’s action, the Missouri Department of Higher Education established a rule last year stating that because the students were now lawfully present in the U.S., they were eligible for the A+ Scholarship.
As long as the students have attended a Missouri high school for three years and graduated with a 2.5 GPA, a 95 percent attendance record and 50 hours of tutoring or mentoring, they qualify for the state-funded scholarship.
Supporters of the bill say it’s unfair for students who are in the country illegally to receive the scholarship when money for the program is tight.
“I am protecting the citizens and permanent residents of this state right now,” said Sen. Gary Romine, a Farmington Republican who sponsored the bill.
Opponents say these students were brought to the U.S. as young children and are in the country illegally through no fault of their own. The students in question kept their grades up, volunteered in their community and stayed out of trouble, advocates say, most while learning English as a second language.
“Why are we punishing children for a fault of their parents?” said Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a St. Louis Democrat.
Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a University City Democrat whose district includes the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, said the Legislature’s priorities are out of whack.
”People are dying in my district every day,” she said, “and we’re arguing about who gets a scholarship?”
The House is expected to take up the bill tonight.
What will it take to stop the arrogance?
Posted by Cynthia Kendoll on Wed, 02/26/2014
Just when we think many of those in the Oregon Legislature can't get any more arrogant - they surprise us and play the "pathetic" trump card.
Example: HB 4054A - a new bill designed to re-write the ballot language of the veto refernedum on SB 833.
Read OFIR President Cynthia Kendoll's guest opinion published in the Oregonian. We encourage you to post a comment, as well.
Driver card referendum: Oregon Legislature could rewrite ballot title
SALEM -- The Oregon Legislature could rewrite the title of a contentious measure on the November ballot asking voters whether to grant driver cards to residents who can’t prove they’re in the state legally.
Legislative leaders will likely decide in the next week or so whether to take that step, said Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson, D-Portland, and other sources....
Three groups have challenged the ballot title and other parts of the measure before the Oregon Supreme Court, but legislators may try to step in before their 35-day session ends. Opponents say the Legislature shouldn’t interfere...
Cynthia Kendoll, president of Oregonians For Immigration Reform, which gathered signatures to send the issue to voters, accused lawmakers of overstepping.
“Just when it looks like we might be successful with this, these legislators are kind of pulling a desperate move to see if they can’t rewrite the rules of the game,” she said. “I don’t think the people who wrote and passed the law should be the people writing the ballot title.”...
Oregon legislation
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U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA proposes $129,500 penalty against utility contractor for seven safety violations at Rome, Ga., trenching site
Region 4 News Release: 07-1427-ATL (254)
Contact: Dan Fuqua Michael Wald
U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA proposes $58,800 in fines against Gainesville, Ga.-based Dutton Grading for safety violations at Atlanta site
ATLANTA -- John Romines, which does business as S.A.M. Grading & Pipeline Inc., faces $129,500 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for several alleged safety violations.
OSHA's inspection occurred after a building inspector notified the agency about safety hazards at a Rome, Ga., trenching site and the company's owner ignored his requests to correct them. The inspector, who had attended an OSHA multi-day course on trenching and excavation, was familiar with the agency's requirements for sloping, shoring and benching.
"This employer failed to heed the building inspector's warnings and continued to expose employees to trenching hazards," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office. "Trenching remains one of the most hazardous jobs in construction, and employers who ignore OSHA's regulations can expect significant penalties."
Three willful violations, with proposed penalties of $115,500, were issued for not providing a safe means of egress from a trench, not keeping material at least two feet from the trench edge, and exposing employees to potential cave-in hazards. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer has shown an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The company also was issued four serious safety violations, with proposed penalties of $14,000, for not properly training employees, not requiring employees to wear head protection, not using fall protection while using a work board over a deep trench, and not protecting employees from being struck by large rocks.
The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to contest them and the proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by staff from OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office, 2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250, Smyrna, Ga.; telephone (770) 984-8700.
OSHA operates a vigorous enforcement program, conducting more than 38,000 inspections last year and exceeding its inspection goals in each of the last seven years. In fiscal year 2006, OSHA found nearly 84,000 violations of its standards and regulations.
U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
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Booking for this event is not available This event has already taken place or temporarily unavailable for booking.
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TUESDAY, 7 MAY 2019 11:30
NEWCASTLE RACECOURSE
Newcastle & Hunter Hall of Fame
The Newcastle and Hunter Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours outstanding achievements in the Thoroughbred Industry emanating from the Newcastle and Hunter Regions.
There are four categories within the Hall of Fame:
Horses:
Any horse trained and competing out of Broadmeadow and/or Cessnock Racecourses which is considered a product of the Newcastle and/or Hunter Regions sand which has excelled at the highest level including:
An exceptional influence on the Newcastle and/or Australian Thoroughbred Industry whilst racing;
Made a significant contribution to the breeding industry after retiring from racing;
Horses are not ineligible if they are still racing, excel overseas, or because of age, sex, number of race starts, or ownership.
Any trainer who has been licensed by a principal club in Australia and domiciled in the Newcastle and/or Hunter Regions and;
Made an outstanding contribution to enhancing the Newcastle and/or Australian Thoroughbred Industry;
Consistently achieved results at the highest level, or in trainers’ premierships;
Excelled in horse husbandry, nurturing apprentices and promoting the Industry.
Candidates may be either active or retired trainers.
Jockeys:
Any jockey who has been licensed by a principal club in Australia and domiciled in the Newcastle and/or Hunter Regions and;
Made an outstanding contribution to enhancing the Newcastle or Australian Thoroughbred Industry;
Consistently achieved results at the highest level, or in jockeys’ premierships;
Excelled in race riding and promoting the Industry.
Candidates may be either active or retired jockeys
Associates:
Any person, other than persons eligible for the trainers’ and jockeys’ categories who have made an outstanding contribution to the Newcastle and/or Australian Thoroughbred Industry. This category includes;
Breeders, -owners, administrators, media, bookmakers and anyone else who has made an outstanding contribution to the Newcastle or Australian Thoroughbred Industry.
Candidates may still be active in their profession and need not reside in Australia or be Australian.
Darling Street
Broadmeadow NSW
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You are at:Home»News»Airport»Canberra Airport unveils designs for international departures lounge
Canberra Airport unveils designs for international departures lounge
By Helen Norman on April 28, 2016 Airport, Construction & Architecture, Lounge
Canberra Airport in Australia has unveiled designs for an A$18m (US$13.7m) international departures lounge and arrivals hall that will open to passengers on September 21, 2016.
Speaking at the unveiling on April 27, Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said, “What you are seeing today is so much more than just revealing some interiors. For us, and Australia’s national capital, it is a step closer to the realization of a dream that has been 18 years in the making. It is the final critical piece of the spectacular evolution from little more than a shed in a sheep paddock we bought in 1998, where they used to cart the rubbish out the front door, to allowing international visitors direct access to Australia’s national capital, and putting Canberra firmly on the world map.
“The space set aside will be integrated seamlessly with the existing airport infrastructure and transformed into a gateway truly befitting our national capital. I’ve said it before, but we simply cannot overstate the impact that international flights have on this city and this region. Canberra is truly the airport for the whole of the southern part of New South Wales, and will become the international airport of choice for a large proportion of people who live immediately south and west of Sydney. It will be easier, more cost-effective and quicker to fly internationally from Canberra.”
According to Byron, the design of the new lounge is akin to the quality and standard expected from airline club lounges and will feature the “best of design, furnishings and amenities”.
The interiors for the 29,600ft² departure lounge and 25,800ft² arrivals hall have been designed by Guida Moseley Brown Architects, who designed the airport terminal, and local firm Construction Control will build the project with 120 jobs created during construction.
Guida Moseley Brown described the architecture for the new departure lounge and arrival hall as building upon “the dynamic quality of the existing terminal’s main hall, incorporating folding ceiling panels and skylights to create a generous, contemporary and light filled space.” The Canberra-based firm added, “The design’s sculptural quality celebrates the beauty of aviation technology and the dynamic atmosphere of contemporary travel”.
The departure lounge will have capacity for up to one million international passengers per year and will include state-of-the-art business and media lounges, private meeting rooms, an expansive bar and café dining area,
and a variety of different seating and meeting areas, ranging from formal business oriented spaces to relaxed social and private spaces. The use of innovative seating modules will provide visitors with a sense of privacy and intimacy, while providing the power
and data connections required by the
modern traveler.
“We will have new food and beverage facilities in the international departures area and we recently closed a tender for the operation of duty-free shopping,” said Byron. “We are working closely with the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Office of Transport Security toward the implementation of customs, quarantine and immigration facilities. We have delivered the best domestic terminal facility in the country, and will deliver the best international terminal to match it.”
The first international flight will be with Singapore Airlines and it will arrive in Canberra from Singapore on September 21 at 8.50am before departing for Wellington, New Zealand, at 10.15am.
To see more images of the new design, click here.
Vienna breaks ground on terminal revamp
Split expands passenger terminal
German airport managers in CO2 commitment
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The Plight of Florida Panthers
February 12, 2019 | Melissa Gaskill | @melissagaskill
Florida panthers need space and in a state of busy roads and sprawling development, finding that space grows harder every day.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
These endangered animals, with a population estimated at between 120 and 230, prowl less than 5 percent of their historic range. The wild cats suffer from isolation, loss of habitat – and roadkill. A male panther’s hunting and breeding territory typically covers 200 square miles, a female’s home range, 75 square miles. That equals a lot of wandering and much crossing of roads. In 2018, vehicles killed at least 25 Florida panthers and in 2017, at least 24.
A team including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of Transportation and other partners have long worked to reduce these numbers. Beginning in the 1980s, with the creation of Interstate 75 running east-west between Naples and Ft. Lauderdale, the partners began installing wildlife crossings, typically passages under bridges with barrier fencing to direct animals away from the road and to the passages. Currently, a total of 60 wildlife crossings or bridges and fencing installed in key areas, mostly along I-75 and the north-south State Road 29, have sharply reduced panther mortalities nearby. The team has identified five hotspots – stretches of road where nine or more panthers have been killed – in need of additional crossings.
“They have a pretty solid protocol for where to put crossings,” said Wendy Mathews, conservation projects manager for The Nature Conservancy in Florida. But a critical element, she added, is providing corridors for the cats to travel between protected habitat. The organization has helped secure corridors and habitat for panthers in Okaloacoochee Slough, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and, most recently, near the Caloosahatchee River, currently the northern limit of panther territory.
Mathews points out that crossings have been documented as successful, at least when properly designed and placed. Researchers who analyzed dozens of studies around the world found that fences, with or without crossings, reduced roadkill of large mammals by 83 percent. Animal detection systems, which flash lights to warn motorists when an animal trips a light beam on the roadside, are less expensive but also less effective, reducing large mammal deaths by 57 percent. Drivers also may become habituated over time to these systems.
The roadkill problem is hardly unique to panthers; according to the Federal Highway Administration, an estimated one million to two million collisions between cars and large animals, such as deer or moose, occur each year in the US. That doesn’t count small animals such as raccoons, armadillos and skunks, and at least one study suggests the actual number may be six times greater when taking into account removal of roadkill by scavengers. In the US, vehicle collisions are a serious threat for at least 20 endangered or threatened species in addition to the panthers.
For the species to continue to recover, Florida panthers need to not only survive crossing roads, but also must establish breeding populations north of the Caloosahatchee. A mother and kittens appeared north of the river in early 2017, the first such sighting in more than 40 years, and TNC is working to cobble together protected landscapes and connections stretching from the river into central and northern Florida.
Any cats heading north face another formidable obstacle, though: Interstate 4. To help them overcome it, wildlife crossings need to move north as well.
panthersurban environment
Melissa Gaskill | @melissagaskill
Melissa Gaskill is a freelance science writer based in Austin, Texas. Her work has appeared in Nature Conservancy Magazine, Scientific American, The New York Times, Alert Diver, Men’s Journal and many other publications.
The Current State of Coral Reefs
When Light Becomes Pollution
What to Watch: July
Nature in Red, White & Blue
How to Notice Nature This Summer
© 2019 WNET. All rights reserved.
PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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Michael Philippe
Michael Philippe serves as the CEO of The Keli Network, which he co-founded with Robin Rabban and Swann Maizil. In 2016, Michael Philippe left France to run The Keli Network from its headquarters in New York City. Michael Philippe has a Master’s degree from ESCP Europe, winning the school’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship award in 2009.
December 15, 2017 The Rise of Social-First Publishers
A new category of publishers has arrived: "social-first" publishers or "distributed" publishers. These content creators, like Tasty, NowThis, and Gamology (a gaming brand under my company Keli Network) are changing the scope of publishing. They create content designed for, and exclusively distributed on, social media. With a mix of creativity and foresight they are reshaping…
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Breitling’s association with cycling can be traced back more than sixty years. From the early 1950s, the brand provided its timekeeping services to the most highly regarded competitions in the world, including the Giro d’Italia, the Milan–San Remo, the Tour de Lombardie, the Tour de France, the Tour de Belgique, the Flèche Wallonne, and the Volta a Portugal.
Breitling keeps time
Breitling worked with some of the sports true legends. One was Italian Fausto Coppi, “Il Campionissimo”. The world champion of world champions won the Tour de France twice and the Giro d’Italia five times. In fact, in 1948 and 1952, he won both races, a pair of victories known as the “Grand Boucle”. Breitling also worked with his fiercest rival, Gino Bartali, who won the Tour de France twice and the Giro d’Italia three times. Now, to celebrate its return to the world of top-level competitive cycling, Breitling is proud to be working with Q36.5 and its extreme vision of the future of cycling clothing. We invite you to create your own mission wearing state-of-the-industry kit from Q36.5’s Breitling Collection.
Our Breitling collection
Jerseys, men
Jersey Short Sleeve G1 Breitling
Bib shorts, men
Salopette Miles Gregarius Breitling
Jackets, men
Vest L1 Essential Breitling
accessories, men, women
Summer Cap L1 Breitling
gloves, men, women
Summer Glove L1 Breitling
men, Socks, women
Compression Breitling Socks
Breitling brands ™ and models are internationally registered by Breitling SA.
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A Thrilling Novel of a War that Never Was
By Robert Conroy
Category: Historical Fiction | Military Fiction
Dec 30, 2003 | 416 Pages
The year is 1901. Germany’s navy is the second largest in the world; their army, the most powerful. But with the exception of a small piece of Africa and a few minor islands in the Pacific, Germany is without an empire. Kaiser Wilhelm II demands that the United States surrender its newly acquired territories: Guam, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines. President McKinley indignantly refuses, so with the honor and economic future of the Reich at stake, the Kaiser launches an invasion of the United States, striking first on Long Island.
Now the Americans, with their army largely disbanded, must defend the homeland. When McKinley suffers a fatal heart attack, the new commander in chief, Theodore Roosevelt, rallies to the cause, along with Confederate general James Longstreet. From the burning of Manhattan to the climactic Battle of Danbury, American forces face Europe’s most potent war machine in a blazing contest of will against strength.
Also by Robert Conroy
See all books by Robert Conroy
About Robert Conroy
Robert Conroy was a business and economic history teacher who lived in Detroit. His alternate-history novels include 1901, 1862, 1945, 1942, and Red Inferno: 1945. He died in 2014.
Published by Presidio Press
Dec 30, 2003 | 416 Pages | 4-3/16 x 6-7/8 | ISBN 9780891418436
Dec 30, 2003 | 416 Pages | ISBN 9780345472045
People Who Read 1901 Also Read
“FASCINATING . . . A page-turner. The plot is skillfully crafted. Its style is clear, crisp, and bold.”
“IMAGINATIVE AND ENTERTAINING.”
“PACKED WITH ACTION.”
“The yarn is likely to please both military history and alternate history buffs. . . . The writing . . . keeps us turning the pages.”
“An intriguing blend of historical fact and fiction.”
“A solid what-if historical . . . Cleverly conceived.”
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Archive of some of the major projects that the Port of Coos Bay has successfully completed.
The Port has completed many capital improvement projects throughout its history. This is an archive of some major projects that the Port has taken on and successfully completed. For more information on projects, click here.
Coos Bay Swing Span Bridge Project
May 31, 2019 / Port of Coos Bay Coos Bay
The Coos Bay Swing Span bridge has now been successfully opened to rail traffic. The completion of this repair project has re-established connectivity from the North Spit to Coos Bay. Maintaining rail connectivity is vital to support movement of trade, help shippers remain competitive, support jobs along the line, and foster future business opportunities.
May 31, 2019 / Port of Coos Bay Coos Bay/ /Source
Swing Span, CBRL, Bridges
CBRL Timber Bridge Rehabilitation Project
The Coos Bay Rail Line traverses 121 bridges between the interchange in Eugene and end of line in Coquille. Timber bridges make up the multitude of these bridge structures, many of which cross waterways. These bridges require constant maintenance and upgrades in order to ensure good working order. The work for this Project includes the repair and/or rehabilitation to over thirty timber bridge structures along the Coos Bay Rail Line (CBRL), located in western Lane, western Douglas, and Coos Counties.
May 31, 2019 / Port of Coos Bay Coos Bay/
timber bridge, railroad, capital improvement
2005 Railroad Bridge Rehabilitation Phase 2
In February 2005, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay completed Phase I of a long-planned rail bridge rehabilitation. Total project costs for engineering and construction was approximately $6.73 million, with funding from the federal government through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, the Coos County (North Bay) Urban Renewal Agency and the Regional Investment Board. Phase I consisted of repair and replacement of structural steel components, rebuilding of a support pier and installation of a new fendering system for two piers.
Project Completed: The Port applied for $12.7 million in Tiger III transportation grant funding for the Coos Bay Rail Bridge Rehabilitation Project and successfully obtained this grant. Phase II added additional structural steel repair and replacement, application of a protective coating system and other work as needed.
Port of Coos Bay Coos Bay
Rail Line Acquisition and Rehabilitation
On September 21, 2007, rail service on the Coos Bay rail line, then owned and operated by the Central Oregon & Pacific (CORP) Railroad was embargoed from Vaughn in Lane County to the North Spit of lower Coos Bay. The closure impacted Georgia-Pacific and several other rail shippers in the region. Additionally, CORP discontinued service on rail spurs serving Roseburg Forest Products in Coquille, Southport Forest Products on the North Spit, and American Bridge on Bolon Island near Reedsport. CORP cited safety concerns in three tunnels on the line as the primary reason for the embargo, and later commented and confirmed that the line also had a backlog of deferred maintenance. The loss of freight rail service forced commodity shippers on the line to shift to trucking at much higher costs.
The Port, acting in the best interests of the south coast communities and companies served by the rail line, took action at the direction of the Port’s Board of Commissioners and moved ahead with acquisition of the rail line through a Feeder Line Application (FLA) action before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Financing of the acquisition was supported by a loan package administered by the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department. At the time the FLA was filed, CORP also sought abandonment of the Coos Bay line. Granting of abandonment action could have resulted in loss of the rail corridor between Eugene and Coos County.
The Port finalized the acquisition of the 111 miles of the CORP Coos Bay rail line in March 2009, and immediately applied for federal stimulus funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Port was successful in acquiring a $2.5 million grant award, which was used for high-priority tunnel rehabilitation. That work was completed in fall 2010. Port staff pursued additional federal and state funding for continued rehabilitation of the Coos Bay line.
In August 2010, the Oregon Transportation Commission awarded the Port $7.8 million through the ConnectOregon III program for repairs to the rail line’s three swing bridges and upgrades for trestles. The Port also was successful in obtaining a $13.5 million Tiger II Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant in October 2010. The funds have allowed the Port to rehabilitate rail, ties, ballast and other track components with the goal of having freight trains travel at efficient speeds between 25 and 40 mph. Finally, the Port will be using an estimated $528,000 from the Oregon Department of Transportation to fund replacement of signal electronics at seven mainline crossings to improve safety.
Coos Bay rail line re-opens
The Port re-opened the first 111 miles of rail line between Eugene and North Bend in October 2011. It then restored service to the final 23 miles of line from North Bend to Coquille in April 2013.
The Port has contracted with ARG Trans, a shortline railroad operator, to provide service along the entire 134-mile rail line, including Coos Bay's North Spit, connecting regional manufacturers to the nation's rail system at Eugene. The operating name for the rail line is Coos Bay Rail Link, with a reporting mark of CBR. Since the line re-opened, CBR has served 13 customers moving inbound and outbound wood products, steel, aggregate, mineral ore and dairy feed.
Continuation of freight rail service on the Coos Bay rail line is essential for future diversification of the cargoes moving through the Coos Bay harbor and for support of existing and future industrial operations and corresponding job retention and creation in the south coast region.
2010 TransPacific Parkway Realignment
During the planning and engineering of the North Spit Rail Spur a realignment of TransPacific Parkway was designed as a follow up to the completion of the rail project. This will provide highway access to non-served industrial lands along the Parkway and create a safer rail crossing for road users. The realignment will combine two road/rail crossings into a single signalized crossing and create safer intersection access for visitors to the southern portion of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, as well as to nearby industrial sites.
Financing for the project is grant funds from the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA:LU) and the Oregon Transportation Investment Act III (OTIA III) passed during the 2005 legislative session.
Port staff worked through the mitigation needs with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Port received all permits and right-of-way documents. The construction maintenance agreement from Union Pacific (UP) was completed. ODOT gave final approval. Construction bids were advertised January 2010, with bid opening February 4, 2010. Knife River was awarded the $1.1 million bid. Construction was completed in fall 2010. A requirement of the project was to conduct wetland mitigation on the East Bay. Information on this sub-project can be accessed by clicking here.
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Whittier charity gives away $15,000 in…
Whittier charity gives away $15,000 in scholarships to local students
By Sandra T. Molina | smolina@scng.com | San Gabriel Valley Tribune
PUBLISHED: May 31, 2012 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 1, 2017 at 4:50 am
WHITTIER – The National Charity League, Whittier Chapter, recently presented $15,000 in scholarships to 10 graduating seniors.
The young women from La Habra, La Mirada, La Serna, Sonora, Whittier, Pioneer, Whittier Christian and Wilson high schools were each given $1,500.
“This year the committee was extremely impressed with the caliber of applicants,” said scholarship committee Chairwoman Carol Minasian. “These young women not only excelled academically, but also took leadership roles at their schools and contributed many hours to the community.”
National Charity League, Inc. is a nonprofit organization of mothers and daughters committed to serving the community.
The philanthropic organization is focused on community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members are required to serve a minimum of 30 hours each year.
The Whittier Chapter of NCL hosts an annual benefit to raise funds to support local organizations and college scholarships to young women in their service area.
Recipients of the scholarship were selected based on a number of criteria, but with an emphasis on their volunteer work for the community.
The following are the recipients, their high schools and the college they will be attending:
Amanda Bishop: Sonora High School – Biola University
Kristen Brydon: La Serna – Cal State Long Beach
Christine Chang: Wilson – University of the Pacific
Jordan Yoshihara: Whittier Christian – UC San Diego
Kara Blasier: Sonora – University of Redlands
Danielle Kolschefski: La Habra – UC San Diego
Isabel Macias: Whittier – UC Berkeley
Leoby Valenzuela: La Mirada – Cerritos College
Kerinda Frith: Pioneer – UC Riverside
Jennifer Shedden: La Habra – UC Riverside.
sandra.molina@sgvn.com
$200 million sale final for Boeing C-17 site, now owned by Goodman Group
Alleged gang hangout with jail cells demolished
Woman found dying from gunshot in downtown Long Beach
Sandra T. Molina
Sandra Molina is a native Southern Californian, the oldest of three children raised by a single mom who named her after Dodgers great Sandy Koufax. She grew up in Monterey Park, but was schooled in Tarzana, through busing, and East Los Angeles. She is a proud alumna of Garfield High School in East Los Angeles; Rio Hondo College in Whittier; and Cal State University at Long Beach, where she earned a BA degree in English Literature. She began a career as a freelance writer and photographer in the San Gabriel Valley in 1997, in addition to being a writer/photographer for GoGirlsMusic.com as its Los Angeles correspondent. She has been a reporter with the San Gabriel Valley News Group since 2007 writing features, breaking news, entertainment, sports and crime. Outside of the newsroom, she enjoys music, reading, going to the beach and spending time with family and friends.
Follow Sandra T. Molina @MolinaSGVN
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School of Education, Health & Human Services
Our nutrition program prepares you for careers in clinical dietetics, nutrition counseling, community health, food service management, fitness and wellness and related areas. Our program meets the accreditation requirements set forth by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is needed to pursue certifications as registered dietitian-nutritionist (RD or RDN) or dietetic technician, registered (DTR or DTRN).
Prepare for a Career in Nutrition & Dietetics
Learn how to help people use food and nutrition to promote health and well-being, as well as manage disease and optimize quality of life.
Our program provides you with a strong foundation in sciences, technology and information literacy. It includes many of the science courses required by most medical programs. By completing additional course work you can combine this major with a pre-medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapist, physician’s assistant or pre-pharmacy program.
Located in a small city surrounded by Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, there are numerous locations within walking distance for experiential learning opportunities.
The Nutrition Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) accreditation agency. This means that our graduates are qualified to take the nationwide registration examination for dietetic technicians, or to apply for dietetic internships, which is the next step in becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — www.eatright.org
US Food and Drug Administration — http://www.fda.gov/
The International Food Information Council — https://www.foodinsight.org/
Mayo Clinic Nutrition Center — www.mayohealth.org/
New Government nutrition guidelines My Plate — www.choosemyplate.gov
Food related website — www.epicurious.com
United States Department of Agriculture — www.usda.gov
USDA National Agricultural Library, Food and Nutrition Information Center — http://fnic.nal.usda.gov
Food Facts and Food Composition Resources — http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-composition
US Dietary Guidelines — http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/dietary-guidance/dietary-reference-intakes
Dietary Supplements — http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
The American Diabetes Association — www.diabetes.org
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine — http://nccam.nih.gov/
National Institute of Health — www.nih.gov/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/
National Heart Association — http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
National Eating Disorders Association — http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
American Cancer Society — http://www.cancer.org/
American College of Sports Medicine — http://www.acsm.org/
World Health Organization — www.who.int/en
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Nutrition Program is a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
"The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), formerly known as the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as registered dietitians (RD) or dietetic technicians, registered (DTR). ACEND serves and protects students and the public by assuring the quality and continued improvement of nutrition and dietetics education programs."
Phone: 312-899-0040, ext. 5400 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000 Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
www.eatright.org
Nutrition Student Handbook
Student Nutrition Association
Nutrition Major
Nutrition Minor
Food & Farming Minor
Jorunn Gran-Henriksen MS, RD, CDNChair of Nutrition102A Hawkins Hall101 Broad StreetPlattsburgh, NY 12901Phone: 518-564-4355Fax: 518-564-3100[email protected]
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Home Toxic Tort The Rule of Requirement: Supreme Court Adopts New Standard for Manufacturer’s Duty to Warn in Maritime Law
The Rule of Requirement: Supreme Court Adopts New Standard for Manufacturer’s Duty to Warn in Maritime Law
By Malerie Ma Roddy & Jill Berry on May 14, 2019
Posted in Chemicals, Court Rulings/Decisions, Toxic Tort
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Air & Liquid Systems Corp., et al. v. Devries, 139 S. Ct. 986 (2019), a maritime tort law case in which plaintiffs alleged that asbestos exposure during their Navy service caused them to develop cancer. The Supreme Court held that, in the maritime context, a manufacturer has a duty to warn not only of the manufacturer’s own products, but also of third-party products that are later added to the manufacturer’s product.
The decision set out a three-part rule. First, a product manufacturer has a duty to warn users of a third-party part when the manufacturer’s product requires that part be incorporated for the original product to work. Second, the manufacturer must also know or have reason to know that the later-incorporated part is dangerous. Finally, the manufacturer must have no reason to believe that the end users would know of the danger from the third-party product.
While the Court’s decision appears to provide a bright-line rule for products that require the integration of a potentially dangerous part, the decision also raises a number of questions including: 1) how courts should balance the costs of requiring warnings by different entities in the manufacturing chain, 2) how they should address the danger that overwarning consumers will lead to their disregarding warnings, and 3) if courts should consider whether plaintiffs will actually be able to recover monetary damages from potential defendants when assessing who has a duty to warn.
The plaintiffs represented Navy veterans who alleged that they developed cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos on Navy ships and in naval shipyards.[1] The plaintiffs sued various equipment manufacturers even though those manufacturers’ products did not contain asbestos. Instead, asbestos-containing parts made by third parties were added by the Navy to the equipment manufacturers’ products. The plaintiffs also named the parts manufacturers as defendants, though those entities were bankrupt.[2]
At trial, the equipment manufacturers successfully argued the “bare metal defense”— that they should not be liable for third-party asbestos-containing parts that they did not make, sell, or distribute. On appeal, the Third Circuit vacated the summary judgment decision and remanded for a new trial. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to resolve a circuit split as to when product liability defendants may be held liable for injuries caused by products the defendant manufacturers did not make, sell, or distribute.
With Justice Kavanaugh writing for the majority, the Court established a three-part test requiring manufacturers to warn of later-incorporated third-party products when the original product requires the third-party product to function. In Air & Liquid Systems Corp., the specific products at-issue were pumps, blowers, and turbines for Navy ships that required asbestos insulation and other asbestos parts in order to function.
Typically, courts applied one of three approaches to determine whether a manufacturer had a duty to warn of later-incorporated parts. The “foreseeability approach” is a plaintiff-friendly approach that requires manufacturers to warn if it was foreseeable that the later-incorporated part would be used with the original part, regardless of whether the third-party part was required for the product to function. The bare metal defense is a defense-friendly approach that limits a manufacturer’s duty to warn to the manufacturer’s product — “the bare metal” — itself. The third approach requires manufacturers to warn when the manufacturer’s product requires a third-party product to be incorporated and the manufacturer “knows or has reason to know that the integrated product is likely to be dangerous for its intended uses.”[3]
The Supreme Court adopted a middle-of-the-road approach but not one that courts have typically applied. The Court reasoned that requiring a manufacturer to warn of dangerous third-party products that were required to be integrated with the manufacturer’s product was a logical extension of the baseline rule requiring manufacturers to warn of their own dangerous products because in both situations, the manufacturer is the entity that understands the potential danger of the product(s).
Two additional factors informed the Court’s decision. First, the Court highlighted the fact that Navy service members may require special protection because they are engaged in hazardous work. Second, the Court emphasized that plaintiffs could recover only from a limited number of entities because plaintiffs had not sued the Navy and the third-party manufacturers had gone bankrupt.
Weighing the Costs
On its face, the Air & Liquid Systems Corp. opinion is limited to the maritime law context, but the opinion and dissent raise several issues that arise in non-maritime cases.
For example, the majority opinion determined that the product manufacturers were in a better position to bear the costs of additional warnings rather than the third-party part manufacturers because product manufacturers already have certain duties to warn. As the dissent noted, however, this reasoning forces product manufacturers “to internalize the full cost of any injuries caused by inadequate warnings,”[4] not only based on their own products but for third-party product manufacturers as well. It also may disincentivize parts manufacturers from making more fulsome warnings because they may rely on the product manufacturers to do so.
Further, requiring product manufacturers to warn about other manufacturers’ products also may increase consumer fatigue about warnings in general. As the dissent points out, with additional warnings on product labels, the overall effect may make “consumers less sure about which [warnings] to take seriously and more likely to disregard them all.”[5]
Finally, the Court emphasized the particular facts of this case and the inability of the plaintiffs — who alleged that they were injured as part of their service to our country — to recover from anyone except the product manufacturers. While the facts of this case were unique, the Court’s reasoning places an additional cost on product manufacturers to anticipate a future duty to warn when they manufactured their products many decades ago.
[1] Air & Liquid Systems Corp., et al. v. Devries, 139 S. Ct. 986, 991 (2019).
[2] Id. at 992.
Tags: asbestos, manufacturing, Regulations, Supreme Court
Malerie Ma Roddy
Malerie practices civil litigation and defends clients against class action claims.
She counsels clients in the juvenile products, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer home goods industries. Working on cases throughout the country in state and federal court, Malerie’s broad experience includes multidistrict civil litigation and governmental investigations. She also advises clients at all stages of product development and sales.
Read more about Malerie Ma Roddy
The (Mobile) Hazards of Employer Take-Home Liability
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CPSC Issues Final Rule on Phthalates in Toys and Child Care Products
No Delay for Proposition 65 Listing of Glyphosate
Talc Talk – One of These Things (Verdicts) Is Not Like the Others
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IDW Announces Launch of Second True Blood Comic Book Collection
Based on the hit HBO show created by Alan Ball, IDW's True Blood comics collection offers an all-new adventure with Sookie, Bill, Eric and the rest of the Bon Temps crew, co-written by True Blood actor Michael McMillian ("Rev. Steve Newlin"). Available in print and in digital, Tuesday, October 11th.
True Blood: Tainted Love, co-written by Michael McMillian, cover by J. Scott Campbell
“Truebies now have two great stories to enjoy, both of which offer new adventures for the Bon Temps crew.” - Alan Ball
San Diego, CA ( (PRWEB) October 07, 2011
IDW Publishing, in conjunction with HBO, is pleased to announce the launch of the second hardcover True Blood comic collection, TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE, available in comic and book stores throughout North America on Tuesday, October 11, 2011. This compilation of all six issues from the second series of the mega-hit comics offers an all-new story co-written by True Blood star Michael McMillian and comics fan-favorite Marc Andreyko. The collection features bonus content, including a cover gallery.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the continued success of the comics and are excited that the release of the comic collection will make the series even more accessible to fans,” stated show creator Alan Ball. “Truebies now have two great stories to enjoy, both of which offer new adventures for the Bon Temps crew.”
Following on the success of the New York Times best-selling first comic collection, TRUE BLOOD: ALL TOGETHER NOW, this second edition channels the same erotically-charged romance, wry humor, intriguing mystery and suspense the show has become known for into a brand new story that treats readers to new insights of their favorite characters. In TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE, Jessica is exposed to contaminated bottles of Tru Blood, causing the lovely vampire to go berserk. It’s up to Sookie, Bill, Eric and the rest of the Bon Temps gang to figure out who (or what) is behind the bad Blood. Plus, Reverend Newlin is back and as always in the world of True Blood, things are not as they seem.
“Not only is Steve Newlin back, but TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE sees the first comic appearance of many fan-favorite characters from the show,” said McMillian, who plays Fellowship of the Sun leader Reverend Steve Newlin on the show. “Marc and I worked hard to make our story arc feel like a mini-season of True Blood. Hopefully it will help viewers with their withdrawal while they wait for the next season.”
Developed with show creator Alan Ball, actor McMillian and Andreyko crafted this twisted tale. Joining McMillian and Andreyko is artist Joe Corroney, who brings this latest head-turning series to life. Superstar artist J. Scott Campbell provides the cover.
In addition to the print editions, the comic collection and individual comics are available digitally through Apple’s App Store in the new True Blood Comics app, which features every TRUE BLOOD comic in one place, including the first two issues of the new French Quarter series. The digital version of the compilation is also available in Apple’s iBook Store, and many TRUE BLOOD comics are available in the Sony Digital Comics store.
TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE ($24.99, 160 pages, hard cover, full color) is now available in stores. Diamond order code JUL11 0370; ISBN 978-1-61377-019-1.
TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE ($11.99) is available in Apple’s iBook Store.
TRUE BLOOD: ALL TOGETHER NOW ($24.99, 160 pages, hard cover, full color) is now available in stores. Diamond order code DEC10 0370; ISBN 978-1-60010-868-6.
The entire TRUE BLOOD COMICS COLLECTION is available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch through the Apple App Store.
TRUE BLOOD comics are available for the Sony PSP through the Sony Digital Comics store.
About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.
IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.
About HBO Licensing & Retail
HBO Licensing & Retail officially licenses the HBO® brand for the development and merchandising of innovative product lines inspired by the network’s award-winning programming. With products created around classic series like the The Sopranos® and Sex and the City® to current hits like True Blood®. True Blood products include the luxury handbag line Hammitt for True Blood, tarte for True Blood makeup collection, the Tru Blood Beverage in the original glass and new plastic bottle, a high-end headphone line V-MODA for True Blood as well as fashion apparel, jewelry, glassware, digital and CD soundtracks. Merchandise can be purchased in retail stores nationwide, at http://store.hbo.com, and at the groundbreaking HBO retail hub, the HBO Shop®, located at 42nd and 6th Avenue in New York City. HBO Licensing & Retail products are also sold internationally across Europe, Asia and Australia.
© 2011 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. HBO and related service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.
Apple, the Apple logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Content purchased from the iTunes Store is for personal lawful use only. Don’t steal music.
AnnaMaria White
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1.1.2011 TV Appearances
Video: Drake Rocks Into the New Year
While Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj were ringing in 2011 with Carson Daly, Drake repped for his Young Money fam by performing on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Clad in a leather jacket with fur collar, an unshaven Drizzy set the New Year’s party in motion with “Show Me a Good Time” and “Fancy,” on which he was accompanied by a violinist.
Drizzy plans to follow-up a banner 2010 by releasing his sophomore album Take Care later this year.
Video: Willow Smith Performs on ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
Willow Smith blasted into the new year on a giant boombox to perform her ubiquitous hit "Whip My Hair" during …
Video: Jennifer Hudson Is ‘Feeling Good’ on New Year’s Eve
Jennifer Hudson was feeling and looking good during her appearance on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." …
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