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Mustangs on roll entering playoffs
Mark Godi
STOCKTON - It's only fitting that the Delta College men's basketball team gets another shot at Hartnell after the season it has had.
The Mustangs open the California Community College Athletic Association Northern California Regional Champion-ships as the No. 15 seed and hosts No. 18 Hartnell at 7 p.m. today at Joe Blanchard Gymnasium. The winner plays at No. 2 Fresno City on Friday or Saturday.
Delta (13-12) opened the season with a 91-76 loss to the Panthers and limped into Big 8 Conference play at 3-8. The Mustangs turned their season around and are in the playoffs for the 17th year in a row.
"I really believe that our guys trusted our vision of what we are trying to do," Delta coach Rich Ressa said. "It took a lot of adjustment with guys who are new to the program, and it's a tribute to them."
Hartnell (13-14) made 12-of-17 shots from 3-point range against Delta in the first meeting. The Mustangs lost their next game, 70-66, to Feather River, which trailed by 16 points at halftime. Delta then lost to Merced 66-65 on a half-court buzzer beater.
The low point came when starting forward Dominique Barnes was dismissed from the team after a loss in the final preconference game. Barnes was third on the team in scoring. According to Ressa, Barnes "violated core values" during a loss on Dec. 30 at City College of San Francisco.
With the emergence of freshman forward Marcus Beaird out of Bear Creek High, the Mustangs won 10 of their last 14 games and finished tied for second place in the Big 8. Beaird went from scoring 4.5 points per game over the first 11 games to 15.1 points per game in conference play.
Beaird's smooth mid-range shot and rebounding forced opponents to take notice of someone other than leading scorer James Lake (16.5 points per game).
"So much has changed," Beaird said. "Teams used to have to focus all their attention on James, and now they have to worry about everyone else."
Unlike the first three games, the Mustangs came through at the end of their last three games. They beat Santa Rosa on a fast-break layup by Derrick Wofford with 2.5 seconds left, topped Cosumnes River on the road and held off Modesto at home. Delta came back from an early double-digit lead by the Pirates, who made seven 3-pointers in the first half.
Ressa appreciates what his team has accomplished, given he coached four years at Franklin High and was an assistant under Brian Katz at Delta for 11 years.
"I have never had a team do what this team has done," Ressa said. "It's amazing. I am very proud of the resiliency these kids have shown."
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse A Sports
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Evolution/Creationism. Bible themes and stories
Comparing origin stories: Genesis
1 & 2 vs. the theory of Evolution
Sponsored link.
How Christians and Jews view the creation story of Genesis 1.1 to 2.3:
Religious conservatives -- both Jewish and Christian -- generally believe that the Bible is inerrant, and that God directly inspired its authors. Thus, they believe that the creation story in Genesis must have been absolutely true, in its original or autograph copies: God formed the world, its life forms, and the rest of the universe in one continual act of creation. Conservatives have developed conflicting theories concerning the number of years in the past that creation happened; they range from 3615 BCE to the interval measured by scientists: 4.5 billion years. They also differ in their estimate of the time interval taken for the creation sequence to be finished; these range from six 24-hour days to billions of years. In those verses where Genesis conflicts with the theory of evolution, religious conservatives assume that the scientists must be wrong. Given sufficient time, they expect the scientists to see the light and discover the truth.
Religious liberals, Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, secularists, etc. generally reject the inerrancy and inspiration of the Bible. Most believe that the first creation story in Genesis is actually a re-written version of a Babylonian creation myth, which was composed many centuries before Genesis was first written down. They believe that the Theory of Evolution gives an accurate overall description of the development of species of life on Earth. Most also believe that the universe is on the order of 13 billion years of age, and that the earth coalesced about 4.5 billion years ago.
Sources of information:
Religious conservatives generally believe that the five books from Genesis to Deuteronomy -- the Pentateuch -- were written by Moses and that he was inspired by God to write the books without error. The first two chapters in Genesis, in their original or autograph version, thus provide a precise step-by-step account of God's creation process.
Religious liberals generally reject the belief that the Bible is inerrant and that its authors were directly inspired by God. Most liberal sources accept the Documentary Hypothesis: that the Pentateuch was written by a number of authors from four different traditions, who imported some material from Pagan sources in nearby cultures. They typically believe that there were three authors involved:
Genesis 1:1 to 2:3: This was written by an anonymous writer or group of writers from the 6th Century BCE, generally referred to as "P." He/they were of the priestly tradition. Most religious liberals believe that the first creation story in Genesis was based upon earlier Babylonian Pagan myths of origins.
Genesis 2:4a: This was written by an anonymous writer, called "R," a redactor who joined the writings of "P," "J" and two other writers or groups of writers into the present Pentateuch.
Genesis 2:4b to 2:15: This was written by "J," an anonymous writer or group of writers who lived in the sourthern kingdom of Judah, and wrote parts of the Pentateuch between 848 BCE (when King Jehoram gained power in Judah) and 722 BCE when the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, taking its people into exile. Some scholars date J to the 10th century BCE.
About the origins story in Genesis:
Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 describes the creation of the earth, its life forms, and the rest of the universe. it happened in six intervals of time, each defined by the Hebrew word "Yom." Conservative Christians differ on the precise meaning of "Yom," which is generally translated as "day." Various groups define "day" as representing:
A standard 24 hour day.
Indefinitely long intervals, perhaps hundreds of millions of years duration. All intervals are not necessarily of the same length.
A 24 hour day, but with the first and second day separated by a very long time interval.
About origins from the Theory of Evolution:
The Theory of Evolution normally describes the gradual change in species of plants and animals, starting with a very primitive single-celled life form, and ending -- at least currently -- with human beings. Humans and higher apes are believed to have had a common ancestor. For over a century, many supporters of creation science have often stated that promoters of Evolution believe that humans are descended from apes; however this is not true.
Radiometric measurements on rocks indicates that the Earth coalesced about 4.6 billion years ago. Fossil records of primitive live date back to about 3.5 billion years ago.
The sequence of creation in Genesis does contain some incompatibilities with the theory of evolution.
Light was listed as being created on day 1, but its primary source (the sun, planets, and stars) did not appear until day 4. Most creation scientists, who generally support the literal interpretation of this creation story, have a solution to this puzzle. Many say that light initially came from God, before he created the sun and stars.
The Genesis account states that birds were said to be created before other land animals. Paleontologists, who almost universally support the theory of evolution, point out that the fossil record shows the opposite order. Creation scientists discount this belief. Most regard the rock layers containing the fossil record as having been laid down during the flood of Noah; thus, the fossils do not represent the evolution of the species of animals and birds. They were laid down during a single year and include all of the species that existed at the time of the flood.
The most controversial debate over this creation story relates to its time span. Genesis 1 and 2 explain how Creation of Earth's life forms, the Earth itself, and the rest of the universe took six "days." Supporters of the theory of evolution find evidence for a universe that has been evolving for about 14 billion years.
Comparison of 1st creation story with the theory of evolution:
There are many discrepancies between the first creation story (derived from the Bible) and evolutionary theory (derived from astronomical observations, the fossil records, radiometric dating of rocks, etc.):
Item According to Genesis According to Evolution Theory
Source Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 Paleontologists, Biologists, Astronomers, Geologists, etc.
Sun Created after the world Present before world coalesces
Grass, land plants, trees Created before the sun Evolved after the sun
First forms of life Land plants Marine organisms
Birds Created before land animals Evolved from land animals
Fruit Trees Created before fish Evolved after fish
Initial diet of animals Restricted to plants Animals evolved as meat, plant eaters, and omnivores.
Age of the universe Less than 10,000 years About 14 billion years
Age of the Earth Less than 10,000 years About 4.5 billion years
Age of earliest life forms Less than 10,000 years About 3.5 billion years
Where humans came from From Adam who was created by God(s). Genesis 1:27 does not explain the method. Genesis 2:7 explains that Adam was made from dust, the ground, or soil (translations differ). Evolved; higher apes and Homo Sapiens share a common ancestor. Actually, any two species of life have a common ancestor, even humans and cabbages, or dogs and sharks.
The theory of evolution concludes that all life forms can be traced back to a primitive one-cell animal. Exactly how that simple animal developed out of non-living matter is beyond the scope of the theory evolution. The origins of life are the subject of a separate field of science, called: abiogenesis.
Comparisons between:
The Genesis & Babylonian creation stories
The two Genesis creation stories
References to creation beyond Genesis. Possible biblical references to evolution
Beliefs in the Earth's age: By old Earth creationists, young Earth creationists, & scientists
How religious conservatives and liberals interpret the Bible's creation stories
Interpretations of Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God...."
The second creation story (Genesis 2:4 to 2:25) on the length of time creation took.
H.C. Kee, et al, "The Cambridge Companion to the Bible", Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, (1997), Page 45 to 46
The age of the earth is about 4.6 billion years according to radiometric measurements accepted by almost all scientists; its age is less than 10 millennia according to most creation scientists; this is a ratio of 1:460,000.
A ream of 500 sheets of 20 lb. paper is close to 2" in thickness. Each sheet is about 0.004" thick. Thus the ratio of 51 yards to the thickness of one sheet of paper is the same as 4.6 billion years is to 10 millennia.
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Copyright © 1996 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2011-FEB-07
Author: B.A. Robinson
Go to the previous page, or return to the Evolution/Creation Science menu, or the Themes & topics in the Bible menu, or the Bible Story menu, or the Hebrew Scriptures menu, or the Christian Beliefs menu, or the "Truth in religion" menu, or choose:
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City Sightseeing Trier - Hop on Hop off
Trier is home to many old monuments and buildings and boasts a unique history in picturesque surroundings.
Trier is the birthplace of the influential philosopher and revolutionary Karl Marx. Take a City Sightseeing tour and discover the city’s rich history as you travel along the route. Hop off at the amphitheatre which dates all the way back to the second century. It is also one of the largest in the Roman Empire. Admire the ruins of the 20,000 capacity arena, which is still used today as a venue for the Antiquity Festival as well as open air concerts. Explore the vast cellar, which housed the prisoners and beasts before they were sent up to the arena and learn of the advanced technological achievements of the ancient Romans.
Take the bus tour to Karl-Marx-Haus, where the famous radical was born. The house was opened in 1947 and renovated in 1983 and houses exhibits on Marx's personal history, volumes of poetry, original letters and photographs with personal dedications. There is also the chance to witness a collection of rare first editions and international editions of Marx’s works, as well as displays on the development of socialism in the 19th century. Marvel at the Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate), a large Roman city gate which is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps and has been designated a World Heritage Site. At the south side of the Porta Nigra, remains of Roman columns line the last 100m of the street leading to the gate. Take a guided tour in summer months and admire the structure which remains almost untouched by the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon.
Hop off at the Barbarathermen (or The Barbara Baths) where a viewing platform allows for a fantastic overview of the entire system comprising the bath’s foundations, cellars and under-floor heating system. Take the bus tour to Zurlaubener Ufer, a charming district situated on the banks of the Moselle river. Take a river trip, admire the fishing boats and enjoy the rustic character of the Zurlauben bank. Take time out and relax in one of the riverside beer gardens. A number of the old fishermen’s houses have been converted into restaurants and pubs; the perfect place to finish your day.
To view the route map, please click here.
Please note that Routes/Maps are subject to change without notice. Any changes are beyond our control and no refunds will be offered. For the most up to date Route/Map please always enquire when in resort.
Season: April - October
Ticket Length: 1 Day
Start Point: Porta Nigra
First Tour: 10am
Last Tour: 5pm
Frequency: Every 30 minutes
Commentary: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Dutch.
Disabled access available.
You can start using your ticket within 3 months starting from the date specified on your voucher.
From £0pp
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It's hard to have a Father's Day without a father.
If my dad was still alive, he'd be 85 years old. And he'd still be as exasperating and silly as he always was.
My dad was a character. There are no two ways about it. I'll never know anyone like him, because there just isn't anyone like him.
The stuff that makes me me, I got mostly from my dad.
One of my earliest memories of my dad is sitting and watching him shave. He had that old-fashioned straight razor, and he'd be looking in the mirror and singing one of the latest tunes he'd heard on the radio. "Catch A Falling Star" was a favorite. I sat there like a star-struck fan, just watching my dad shave.......and sing.
My dad was always singing......or whistling. He was a great whistler.
In my early years, my dad was a farmer. He worked really hard, from before sunup to after sundown. But he'd always drive the tractor into the yard at lunchtime, so I'd be waiting in the yard by the house; waiting for him to drive in. And I'd run out to meet him. He'd scoop me up in his arms and carry me to the kitchen.
My dad had six kids, but in so many ways, I think I am the one most like him.
My dad was the eternal optimist. Even in light of hard evidence to the contrary, he always believed that things would work out okay. Or he just figured that it wasn't worth worrying about. That's me.
He lived for small pleasures. He found endless humor in the absurd. Problem was, if he found something funny, he just wouldn't let it go. And it would leave the rest of us scratching our heads, because we didn't quite "get" what was so funny.
Remember that commercial about the Roach Motel? "Roaches check in, but they don't check out"? For some reason, he just found that to be hilarious. And he'd endlessly quote it. I could postulate that it was because, after many years of farming, my mom and dad went into business by buying a motel, so maybe that was the connection. But I still don't really get why that was so funny.
But we'd all laugh, just because it was funny that he was laughing about it. Humor in the absurd.
By no means was life a bowl of cherries for my dad. First of all, he worked really hard. There wasn't much money in the early days, and my folks got by on credit, until the harvest came in.
So, he really appreciated the small moments. Picnics in the backyard; a can of Grain Belt. A pack of Belairs in his pocket.
And then there was the inherited disease. Alcoholism. It kind of ran rampant in my dad's family, and my dad was not immune.
It didn't really get bad until the late sixties. Leaving the farm and going into business was perhaps a financial boon, but not an emotional one. Left to his own devices (and unfortunately running a bar as part of the motel complex), my dad didn't want to make his patrons feel lonely, so he'd pour himself a tall glass of whatever they were having.
As one can imagine, one thing led to another, and life got bad. Lots of drama; lots of heartache.
Finally, in 1976, my dad owned up. He knew what he had to do, and although he was sort of led, kicking and screaming, he entered treatment for the third time and got his life back.
After that, he read his twelve-step book every day. He became a sponsor. I have my dad's twelve-step book. It's one of the few things I have that belonged to him.
For the rest of his life, he never took another drink. And life was still good. He still laughed about stupid stuff. He still got tickled by things that the rest of us didn't get.
My mom and dad sold the business and retired at a relatively young age. My dad took up gardening (a flash to the farming years). He complained about the rabbits eating his lettuce.
He sat in his blue recliner with his stained coffee mug, and watched Johnny Carson, and smoked, smoked, smoked his Belairs.
He'd been in a car accident (with a Model T? or a Model A? One of those models) just before he'd gotten married. His hearing was permanently damaged, so we all dealt with his mishearing, misunderstanding stuff all through the years, but it got progressively worse as time went on. He wore hearing aids, but they didn't help a whole lot.
The thing was, if he misheard something, he'd just make up something else. He'd come up with the most absurd interpretations of what someone had said; one just knew that he was messing with us.
"Richard, do you want more coffee?"
"Toffee? You know I can't eat toffee!"
It was like Emily Latella, and just as calculated.
When Alzheimer's settled over him like a soft blanket, he'd still sit in his recliner late at night, but now he'd carry on conversations with his imaginary friend, long after my mom had gone to bed for the night.
We came to visit and stayed overnight in the spare bedroom, and as I lay in bed, I could hear him talking in the living room. I fell asleep that night to the sound of my dad's voice. It felt gentle; soothing. Just like I was a little girl again.
After my dad passed away, I sat in my rocking chair on the weekends and played Ray Price over and over. It made me happy, because I felt that Dad was there with me, and telling me, in his gentle, soothing voice; "It's all right".
Soft rain was falling
When you said goodbye
Thunder and lightening
Filled my heart inside
A love born in heaven
Had suddenly died
And the soft rain was teardrops
For the angels all cried
Happy Father's Day to all you dads. And to all you daughters and sons.
Labels: dad, father's day, life
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David Letterman as he tells his story during a taping of his late-night show Thursday Oct. 1, 2009
Why aren't feminists mad at Letterman?
Conservative bloggers say the lack of outrage over the "Late Night" host's sex scandal is a case of lefty hypocrisy
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2009/10/05/letterman_6/
Tracy Clark-Flory
October 5, 2009 10:20PM (UTC)
As bloggers continue to feed at the trough that is the David Letterman sex scandal, a question has arisen: Where's the feminist outrage? After all, the man admitted to sleeping with female employees of the "Late Show" -- subordinates, presumably -- who may have been pressured or unfairly rewarded for their after-hours work, the argument goes. Why aren't we calling on CBS to give him the ax? Where are the rants about male privilege and sexual harassment in the workplace? For the most part, our inquisitors are conservatives who suspect another instance of liberal hypocrisy is at play -- remember, we did give the comedian a pass on Sarah Palin and her brood -- but it's a fair question.
The most obvious answer is that we've been too wrapped up in the other scandal of the moment, a case of child rape, to debate sex between two consenting adults. That really can't be emphasized enough -- because while there may be gray areas when it comes to sex in the workplace, child rape is a black-and-white matter, regardless of what certain Hollywood "liberals" claim. But, sure, let's take a break from that world of extremes.
As far as we know, Letterman's affairs with staffers were consensual. Workplace canoodling happens all the time, and so are young women frequently drawn to male superiors. Many find power imbalances to be very sexy -- and more power (or less, as it were) to 'em. There is nothing inherently wrong about a sexual relationship between two adults who are at different points in their careers. It would be awfully patronizing to suggest that women aren't capable of meaningfully consenting to sex with a workplace superior. That isn't to say I don't pass personal judgment on Letterman for sleeping with young women who were from the sounds of it at the starts of their careers -- oh, judgment abounds, believe me! But is it illegal, is it sexual harassment?
Well, Letterman's production company doesn't ban manager-employee relationships. It's possible that an employee agreed to sex without actually wanting to for fear of losing her job or missing an opportunity to quickly advance her career. It's also possible that other employees who did not have dalliances with the boss were passed up for promotions or other perks. Legal analyst Lisa Bloom explains on CBS' "Early Show Saturday Edition": "Somebody can come forward and say, 'The boss was sleeping with other employees, they got favors and advantages that I didn't get.' They got to appear on the show, perhaps, for example. Got additional payments for that." (On that note, Gawker reports that Letterman paid former assistant Stephanie Birkitt's way through law school.)
If all of those hypotheticals are true, then the "Late Show" has a legitimate claim of sexual harassment on its hands. The truth, though, is that we don't know who made the first move, if any of these employees felt pressured into sex or whether his lovers were professionally rewarded for their amorous overtime. We aren't even totally clear on which employees were involved! We simply don't know much of anything about these office affairs, except that they happened and that they were a royally bad idea. So, perhaps the final answer to the question posed by innumerable bloggers is that feminists don't yet know enough about Letterman's affairs to be outraged.
MORE FROM Tracy Clark-Flory • FOLLOW TracyClarkFlory • LIKE Tracy Clark-Flory
Broadsheet Feminism Sex
NSFW: The pool man to the stars
Netflix and a chilled fertility rate
NSFW: My BFF, his boyfriend and me
The high cost of sex
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Jason Mraz on his new musical chapter
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer declared Tuesday, August 19th Jason Mraz Day, during a presentation at the Mayor’s office.
(K.C. Alfred)
Armed with a new album and new collaborators, the four-woman Raining Jane, Grammy Award-winning San Diego troubadour starts world tour here Thursday
By George Varga
Jason Mraz knew the moment he heard Raining Jane perform eight years ago that his musical future would be intertwined with this accomplished band from Los Angeles.
The result of their now-blossoming collaboration is his inviting new album — the emphatically titled “Yes!” — and a world tour that begins here Thursday with a nearly sold-out three-night stand at the San Diego Civic Theatre. (Ticket information appears at the conclusion of this article.) The four-woman Raining Jane will open the show with a mini-set, then accompany multiple Grammy Award winner Mraz during his performance of new material and freshly rearranged old favorites.
Jason Mraz, "Love Someone"
“We met in September of 2006 at Redlands University, where we were both booked to play at a festival,” Mraz recalled of his first encounter with Raining Jane.
“I loved their attitude, how they connected with the audience and their musicianship. They just put on a killer show! Right after their set, I introduced myself and asked if they ever wanted to come over and collaborate. They said: ‘Yes’. ”
Mraz and Raining Jane began writing songs together in early 2007, and their musical chemistry was immediate. Subsequent informal collaborations planted the seeds for his new album.
“In the back of my mind, I thought we’d do an EP or a (side project) album of this special material we co-wrote,” Mraz said. “I never expected it to become such a main event. But in October of 2012, we got together, and then again the following February, and we had this writing session unlike anything we’d done. … I said: ‘Wow, this is unbelievable! This is a great album.’ ”
His record company, Atlantic, agreed. So did his astute manager, former top San Diego concert promoter Bill Silva, who also played a key early role in the careers of the bands blink-182 and Unwritten Law.
Over the past 16 years, Silva has helped transform Mraz from a promising young singer-songwriter into an international star. The Virginia-born troubadour has sold millions of albums, scored a Top 10 single — 2007’s “I’m Yours” (which spent a then-record-setting 76 weeks on the national Billboard charts) — and headlined the Hollywood Bowl, London’s massive O2 Arena and other major venues around the world.
Impressed by Mraz and Raining Jane’s songs, Silva and Atlantic promptly said yes to “Yes!”
The 14-song release is Mraz’s seventh major-label album. Its mostly acoustic instrumentation and shimmering, multiple-part vocal harmonies mark a new chapter for him.
In turn, he credits the energy and high artistic quality of Raining Jane — which features singer-percussionist Mona Tavakoli, singer-bassist Becky Gebhardt and singer-guitarists Mai Bloomfield and Chaska Potter — with re-energizing him. Raining Jane was formed in 1999, when its members were students at UCLA.
“For every album, I’ve put together a different band,” Mraz noted, speaking en route from his Oceanside home to a rehearsal with Raining Jane at downtown’s Spreckels Theatre.
“I’m used to reinventing myself, and this gives me the opportunity to reinvent in a more acoustic (music) style, where everyone is on instruments that resonate naturally. So, we have to think differently about our voices and the similarities and sounds of the instruments. We have to be very specific with our (individual) parts, because there are so few of us.
“The bonus is, Raining Jane are so locked in. They know their strengths. They know when someone needs to sit out and are very quick to establish a vocal blend, which is great for me. It’s also inspired me to work hard. … Whereas, with some of my other bands, it was like I had a ‘get out of jail’ card, because they were so big that I was required to do very little. Now, because there are so few of us, I’m called to play full-on again.”
The album's first song, "Rise," begins with a soft, subtle instrumental introduction before the vocals start. Is this understated opening designed to alert listeners to be still and attentive as the music gently washes over them?
"Yeah, that’s it, exactly," he said. "I knew I wanted to create some sort of intention for this record, right off the top. We stumbled on to that arrangement for 'Rise,' and that seemed to be the best one."
Likewise the album's 14 songs seem carefully sequenced to produce a specific musical and emotional arc.
"Indeed," Mraz affirmed. "The sequence is something I start, even when I'm writing and demoing (songs). And, as my demos accumulate, sequences evolve in my playlists. You think you’ve got it, and even when you're in the studio (recording), the sequence is always important. I try a lot of different things. Because I have four amazing collaborators (from Raining Jane), the final sequence on album was nailed down by Chaska (Potter).
"I knew how it would open and go. But the arc of the (musical) story really came together when we put the cover song, (the 1991 Boyz II Men hit) 'It's So hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.' It made sense of a sad song and gave us a middle point, almost a turning point or place of acceptance (on the album), so we could move on and get back to all the love."
In the snappy song "Everywhere," which Mraz co-wrote with Raining Jane, he sings such words as "molecules" and "subatomic."
While jazz-blues great Mose Allison's repertoire includes the slyly titled "Your Molecular Structure," pop songs that refer to molecules are few and far between. Was Mraz a science geek in high school?
He chuckled.
"I did enjoy science in high school," Mraz said.
"But I'd say the last couple of years I've been fascinated by a (1977 documentary) movie called ‘Powers of Ten’ by Charles and Ray Eames. In 'Powers of Ten,' you get to go out into the vast reaches of space and of the subatomic levels in our bodies. And I found out that, inside of us, at great depths, it looks exactly like the universe and the cosmos, and I've always been impressed by that. I'm turned on by what little I do know about subatomic physics. To me, it's parallel to metaphysical sciences, and I think it's weird and fascinating."
Mraz turned 37 in June. How has his music most evolved over the past decade?
“I think my motivation has changed,” he replied. “Ten years ago, I felt that the bigger the vocabulary and the more syllables packed into a song, the better — and the more chance it had of being entertaining. Through the years, as I sang those songs, I asked myself: ‘What do those songs mean?’ And, if I couldn’t figure it out, then the songs would get dropped.
“Nowadays, I find myself singing more simplified messages, even though a lot of the messages are the same and I try to be offbeat. I try and sing them in a way that almost sounds conversational. That’s the biggest (change). Technically, I feel I’m a more improved singer. Ten years ago, I smoked cigarettes and ate junk food, and that contributed to a different sound. So, I really strive for beauty nowadays.”
Jason Mraz’s San Diego debut
It was in 1999 that Jason Mraz made his musical debut here at Java Joe’s in Ocean Beach, but he remembers it as if only a week had passed.
Accompanied by his manager, ex-San Diego concert promoter Bill Silva, Mraz didn’t even have an instrument with him. He borrowed a blue, six-string Guild acoustic guitar from local music mainstay Carlos Olmeda, who was at Java Joe’s that evening. So was fellow singer-songwriter Gregory Page.
“That was an important night,” Mraz recalled.
“I was like: ‘Oh, man, I don’t want to do this!’ I kept my hat pulled over my eyes. It was after doing my one or two songs that I felt the significance; I noticed the audience was listening. And Gregory came up afterward, and said: ‘I’m playing here Saturday. Would you like to come down and open for me?’
“That’s when I knew I could have gigs in San Diego, that I could work here and that there was a home for me, a community, I still have the sign from Java Joe’s from the night I played with Gregory. It was scrawled in crayon: ‘Jason, 9 p.m.; Gregory, 9:30 p.m.’ Gregory and I are still very close friends.”
Gregory Page’s London debut
Mraz and the London-born Page are close friends, indeed. Page has recorded several albums at Mraz’s state-of-the-art Oceanside studio. And when Mraz headlined at London’s nearly 20,000-capacity 02 Arena in early 2013, he had Page open the concert.
“I love touring with Gregory and would love to do more of it,” Mraz said. “His being there at the 02 was, I believe, the first time he’d been in the U.K. since he moved (away) as a teenager. The audience at the O2 really listened to his gorgeous music. He was a tough act to follow. Gregory has been a huge inspiration for me.”
The admiration is mutual.
“I’ve opened for Jason in Australia and England, and it’s remarkable to see how his music connects with different cultures and people,” Page said. “His music is universal, and I’ve seen it firsthand in Melbourne and London. And, even in the largest venues, he still makes it feel as intimate as a Java Joe’s show.”
Jason Mraz, with very special guests Raining Jane
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown
Tickets: $47.50-$72.50
Online: ticketmaster.com
George Varga
Woodstock, 50 years later, a landmark festival and a cautionary tale
The template for Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and many other festivals, the 1969 Woodstock festival was a golden moment for youth culture and the beginning of corporate rock.
Woodstock: Keith Richards, Melissa Etheridge, Wynton Marsalis, Mastadon and more assess festival’s legacy
The 1969 music marathon was the mother of all rock festivals. We asked Billy Joel, Pete Townshend, Joan Baez, Jason Mraz and others to weigh in.
Natalia Lafourcade, a 12-time Grammy Award-winner, set for Escondido return
The Mexican singer-songwriter, who headlines the nearly 18,000-capacity Hollywood Bowl on July 21, will first play a more intimate concert at California Center for the Arts, Escondido, on July 18.
Paul McCartney brings surprise guest — Ringo Starr — to sold-out Dodger Stadium
What a Beatle wants, a Beatle generally gets, even when it may require a bit of harmless subterfuge, as proved to be the case Saturday during Paul McCartney’s sold-out final U.S. stop on his 2019 Freshen Up tour.
Singer R. Kelly has been arrested on federal charges accusing him of recruiting women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Dylan LeBlanc, at 29, steeped in ‘70s singer-songwriter traditions
The son of a veteran country-music songwriter, Dylan LeBlanc takes his cues from Neil Young, Tom Petty and other classic-rock greats.
Melissa Etheridge takes great pride in her music and in speaking (and being) out
The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and LGBTQ icon speaks candidly about her music, her career, coming out and her devotion to social causes
Trio Zadig to add to global flavor to 22nd annual iPalpiti Festival
France’s Trio Zadig will be in residence in Encinitas at the iPalpiti Festival classical-music festival, which will also feature young performers from 22 countries
Music therapy brings unity, hope to family with child on hospice
Ari Zaragoza wasn’t expected to survive the day she was born. Now at nine months, the Chula Vista baby is defying doctors’ expectations
That time Frank Zappa considered running for president with H. Ross Perot as his veep
Mother of invention: In 1991, music legend Frank Zappa was mulling an independent bid for the White House — and he wanted Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot to be his running mate.
Music innovator George Lewis and playwright Lauren Yee receive $275,000 Doris Duke Foundation Artists Awards
The award is one of the most prestigious arts honors in the United States. This year’s other winners include choreographers Donald Byrd and Michelle Ellsworth, playwright Marcus Gardley and Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and composer Teri Lynne Carrington.
Stevie Wonder tells London audience he’ll receive a kidney transplant
Stevie Wonder says he has a kidney donor and will take a break from performing before having the transplant in late September.
La Jolla Music Society will celebrate 51st year with biggest season ever
Now ensconced in its $82 million Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, the La Jolla Music Society’s 2019-20 season will feature top classical, jazz, dance, World Music artists and more
Singer Joss Stone says she was deported from Iran
Joss Stone says she was deported from Iran, causing her to fall short on her goal to perform in every country around the world.
Shawn Mendes headed to San Diego for sold-out concert
On Monday, he brings his sold-out Shawn Mendes: The Tour to Pechanga Arena San Diego, with fellow Canadian Alessia Cara
Doctors divided on meningitis B vaccine
They see benefits, but also worry about short safety and effectiveness track record
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Sharing secrets and success.
Your Story Matters!
My paternal grandmother was the bedrock of our family. Her powerful presence and love for family brought everyone together. I can remember spending most weekends with her and my grandfather in their two bedroom apartment downtown. Sounds cute, except the fact that we were usually 4-6 grandchildren trying to sleep on ONE double mattress bed pilled high (not so cute in practice but made for some great memories and belly laughs from falling off in the middle of the night). You see, my grandmother enjoyed having as many of her grandbabies over on the weekend as possible, even if it meant trying to keep up with all of us, as our overactive energy and excitement from being around “the cousins” were enough to make any grandmother want to send us home packing. But not her. My grandmother was a matriarch and anchor. To her, family was everything. And the stories this woman could tell! Before the internet, before Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all my grandmother (and most grandmother’s for that matter) had were stories. Stories of life back in Jamaica, of her mother who lived to see 105 years of age, of my parents before we were born. My grandmother had stories for days and would share them with anyone willing to listen. To this day, her stories continue to circulate in our family gatherings, as we reminisce on the impact she had on all of us. Those stories, memories of a matriarch who brought her whole family here to Canada from Jamaica and left a legacy is deeply rooted in who I am and where I come from.
Storytelling is one of the most powerful and unique experiences that bind humanity. Oral storytelling has been an ancient tradition in our culture and today has moved from the living room to online.
Now, our stories have global reach through our social media pages and online forums. We now create podcasts and vlogs to share our insights, experiences and stories with millions of people around the world. Though many still use word of mouth storytelling, online has become more accessible and influential in sharing our experiences. But for many, this new way of telling stories can feel intimidating. About two month ago, a producer at CBC Radio reached out to me about profiling my story on an upcoming project that would include the stories of Black women all across Canada. CBC wanted to profile women from around the country and hear their stories. They wanted to showcase the different professions, life experiences and perspectives of Black women looking to make a difference in Canada. As black women we’re often protective of our journey, and rightly so. From childhood experiences and traumas to our joys, fears and accomplishments, each story puts a face and voice to sometimes untold truths that hold so many memories both good and bad. For me, it meant sharing a part of my journey that for the most part I kept under raps. I didn’t want to “call anyone out” or “over share” and considered telling one of my more public stories, in hopes that it wouldn’t impact my image as a woman in business looking to advance her career.
You can listen to my story on CBC HERE.
But I learned 3 things from sharing that part of my story online:
1. I Cannot Change What Happened But I Can Help Move The Conversation Forward Though storytelling can be cathartic is so many ways, it also has the power to help others heal. Most of our stories aren’t new. The loss of a family member or loved one, overcoming obstacles and challenges, learning to navigate the world as a (fill in your nationality, race or ethnicity here). Though each of our experiences are uniquely ours, the bones of the stories themselves can be found all throughout history. What makes our experiences so special is the fact that it can be just what someone else needs to hear to feel like they are not alone. Like what they’re experiencing is not the end but a prelude to the amazing life they can look forward to living in front of them.
2. The More I Share, The More Distinct My Voice Becomes Your story is like your personal brand. The more people know about it, the better you will become at standing out in a crowd of millions online. Learning to share my story has helped me continue to define and refine my voice. It allows me the freedom of expression to “test the waters” and see which stories stick and which ones no longer need repeating. Telling my story helps build my reputation and credibility as someone who not only talks the talk but who has walked the walk. The more I share, the more opportunities I give myself to craft a distinct voice and message that has the power to help transform the lives of women all around the world.
3. My Story Matters It is so easy to get caught up in feelings around worthiness. As someone who has been working through this for most of my life, I know what it feels like to ask yourself “who really cares and does it really matter?” And I want to let you know that it does! Your story matters, more than you will ever realize in this very moment. It matters because your life matters. What you’ve been through matters and we all have a responsibility to make our voices heard. There is no reward for going through it alone. We are a people built on community. Through the highs and lows, community has always been the backbone of our civilization. Choosing to share your story is choosing to pass on the history of storytelling so that generations to come can be impacted by your voice and hopefully hear themselves too.
If you haven’t heard my story on CBC radio, listen to it HERE
Rashida can be contacted via Twitter @rashidageddes and/or via her website @ RashidaGeddes.com
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Joel Sokol
Groseclose 419
Ph.D. Operations Research (1999), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S. Applied Sciences in Engineering (1994), Rutgers University
B.A. Mathematics and Computer Science (1994), Rutgers University
Joel Sokol is a professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Director of Georgia Tech's interdisciplinary Master of Science in Analytics degree (on-campus and online).
His primary research interests are in sports analytics and applied operations research. He has worked with teams or leagues in all three of the major American sports. Dr. Sokol's LRMC method for predictive modeling of the NCAA basketball tournament is an industry leader, and his non-sports research has won the EURO Management Science Strategic Innovation Prize and been a finalist for the Cozzarelli Prize.
Dr. Sokol has also won recognition for his teaching and curriculum development from IIE and the NAE, held the Fouts Family Associate Professorship for a three-year term, and is the recipient of Georgia Tech's highest awards for teaching. He served two terms as INFORMS Vice President of Education, and is a past Chair and founding officer of the INFORMS section on sports operations research.
Dr. Sokol's Ph.D. in operations research is from MIT, and his bachelor's degrees in mathematics, computer science, and applied sciences in engineering are from Rutgers University.
Applied Operations Research
Data Engineering and Science
Master of Science in Analytics at Georgia Tech
Business Analytics Center
Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS)
Institute of Industrial Engineers
View Profile within ISyE website
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Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Musical Sorcery: Berlioz and Dukas | Classroom Resources
Maximiliano Martín
Principal Clarinet
Spanish Clarinettist and international soloist Maximiliano Martín is one of the most exciting and charismatic musicians of his generation. He combines his position of Principal Clarinet of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with solo, chamber music engagements and masterclasses all around the world.
Martin has made his debut as a soloist and chamber musician in many of the world's most prestigious venues including the BBC Proms Cadogan Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, Library of Congress in Washington, Mozart Hall in Seoul, Laeiszhalle Hamburg in Germany, Slovenian Philharmonic’s Hall in Ljubljana, Durban City Hall in South Africa, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Auditorio de Zaragoza, Auditorio de Tenerife and Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Highlights of the past years have included concertos with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Real Filarmonía de Galicia, Orquesta Filarmónica de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors such as Brüggen, Ticciati, Manze, Antonini, Swensen, Zacharias, Schuldt and González. He performs regularly with ensembles and artists such as London Conchord Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Doric and Casals String Quartets, Francois Leleux, Pekka Kuusisto, Alexander Janiczek, Llŷr Williams, Kris Bezuidenhout and Julian Milford. Martin also enjoys collaborations in festivales like the Edinburgh International Festival, East Neuk Festival, Paxton Chamber Music Festival, Oxford May Music Festival, Chichester Arts Festival, Stift Chamber Music Festival in Amsterdam, Festival de Música de Canarias and Stifts Konzerte in Austria.
His extensive discography includes Mozart and Weber Clarinet Concertos with SCO (LINN), Strauss Duet Concertino with Ticciati/Whelan (LINN), two recital discs Fantasia and Vibraciones del Alma (LINN), Divertimento SCO Wind Soloists (LINN), Beethoven Chamber Music for Winds (LINN), Messiaen's Quartet for the end of the Time with Hebrides Ensemble (LINN), Brahms Clarinet Sonatas with Julian Milford (CHR), Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets with the Badke Quartet (CHR) and two discs with London Conchord Ensemble, From Vienna (CHR) and St Petersburg (Orchid Classics), a Stephen Dodgson's chamber music disc with Karolos Ensemble (NAXOS) and Nigel Osborne’s Music disc with Hebrides Ensemble (DELPHIAN). Numerous broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 have included the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto, Copland Clarinet Concerto, Poulenc Sextet and Beethoven’s Quintet for Piano and Winds and Brahms Clarinet Trio and Quintet.
In May 2017 Maxi premiered a new Clarinet Concerto "Llanto" specially written for him and SCO by New Zealand composer Lyell Creswell to great critical acclaim. In February 2020 he will give the premiere of a new commissioned clarinet Concerto, Travesía, by Spanish composer Gustavo Trujillo.
Often invited as a guest principal clarinettist, Martin has frequently appeared with orchestras such as Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Orquesta de Cadaqués, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with conductors such as Abbado, Haitink, Colin Davis, Mackerras, Marriner, Krivine and Litton.
Martin is also active in the education field giving masterclasses in places like the Royal College of Music, Royal Northern School of Music, Conservatorio Superior de Canarias, UC Davis University in San Francisco (USA) and Malmo Academy of Music (Sweden). Martin is Visiting Clarinet Professor at the University of Kangnam in Seoul, South Korea.
He is one of the Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Festival of La Villa de La Orotava, held every year in his home town. Maximiliano Martín is a Buffet Crampon Artist and plays with Buffet Tosca Clarinets.
Born in La Orotava (Tenerife), he studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica in Tenerife, Barcelona School of Music and at the Royal College of Music in London where he held the prestigious Wilkins-Mackerras Scholarship, graduated with distinction and received the Frederick Thurston prize. His teachers have included Joan Enric Lluna, Richard Hosford and Robert Hill. Martin was a prizewinner in the Howarth Clarinet Competition of London and at the Bristol Chamber Music International Competition.
www.maximilianomartin.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BEE6NLoXM
Maximiliano's Chair is kindly supported by Stuart and Alison Paul
Are you interested in sponsoring a Chair? >
Rosie Staniforth
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© 2019 Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Registered Office: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 4 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB, Scotland
Company Registration Number: SC075079. A charity registered in Scotland No. SC015039.
Core Funded by:
Creative Learning Partner:
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Resources for States
Templates & Toolkits
State Login
Assisting states in their efforts to transform health and health care
State Efforts to Develop Medicaid Buy-In Programs
States are exploring strategies to strengthen coverage across the individual market and Medicaid. Find out where Medicaid buy-in programs are being actively developed or studied.
More States Looking to Section 1332 Waivers
In the absence of federal legislation, states are actively seeking tools to reform their health care systems. While 1115 waivers rightly get a lot of attention, because of their ability to reshape state Medicaid programs, the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1332 waivers continue to be a promising avenue for states to stabilize their health insurance marketplace. SHVS is tracking state activity and has many resources, including a template, for states interested in pursuing a Section 1332 waiver.
Jul 9, 2019 Webinars
SHVS Health Equity Through Managed Care Webinar Series
On Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET State Health and Value Strategies hosted the second webinar in a series on health equity through managed care organizations. The five-part series will assist states interested in addressing disparities in health outcomes among Medicaid managed care beneficiaries as a step towards achieving health equity. The second webinar, Health Equity and Medicaid Managed Care: Data Collection and Measurement, explored how states can use data collection and measurement to support their efforts to advance health equity in Medicaid managed care. During the webinar, experts from Bailit Health reviewed the data elements that states and managed care organizations can use to assess disparities and how to utilize demographic data to measure health disparities in Medicaid managed care. Participants heard directly from two states that are currently measuring and evaluating health disparities in their Medicaid managed care programs, and learned how they are using that information to advance health equity.
Click here to view webinar slides
Click here to view webinar recording
Jun 21, 2019 Webinars
HRA Regulations: State Implications and Responses
On Friday, June 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET State Health and Value Strategies hosted a webinar for state officials with technical experts to discuss the implications of the health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) rule and possible state responses. The webinar featured Jason Levitis, who led ACA implementation at the U.S. Treasury Department, as well as experts from Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms and from Manatt Health. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury released final regulations easing the rules governing HRA and other account-based, tax-preferred health care on June 13. The final rule represents the third of the three policy changes initiated by the October 12, 2017 Executive Order, which also called for easing the rules on short-term limited-duration coverage and association health plans. Like those changes, the HRA rule could have profound implications for health insurance markets, consumers, and Marketplaces. The rule is effective in 2020, which raises important considerations about Marketplace readiness and potential tax consequences for individuals.
Click here to access webinar slides
Click here to access webinar recording
© 2019 State Health and Value Strategies is a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Subscribe to periodic email updates.
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Do they really know the score?
The decisions of the official scorers are almost always a hit with the home team, but the visitors feel that they often err
By Jim Kaplan
It was the eighth inning of a game on April 16, and Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals was pitching a no-hitter when Philadelphia's Garry Maddox slashed a hard grounder into the hole between short and third. Third Baseman Ken Reitz moved a couple of steps to his left, reached down—and came up empty as the ball slid under his glove. Baseball's rule book states that in a borderline situation a call should go in the hitter's favor, but in the late innings of no-hitters the custom has been to lean toward the pitcher. Sure enough, to the delight of the Cardinals, official scorer Neal Russo of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch signaled an error. Forsch then went on to pitch the first no-hitter of the 1978 season, and Russo went on to hear plenty of criticism.
This year, as in all recent seasons, the official scorer, that virtually anonymous but pivotal figure in the press box, has been under intense scrutiny. And for good reason. Though most scorers do a decent job under difficult circumstances, enough have been guilty of misjudgments, incompetence and home-team favoritism to warrant concern. Responding to a wide-ranging SPORTS ILLUSTRATED survey, players and sportswriters—many of whom score games—cited scorers in most major league cities for "homerism." Moreover, there was an almost universal feeling that some change is needed in the way the game is scored.
This is not merely an in-house baseball matter. Although official scorers do not determine the outcome of games, they do have a significant effect on something of almost equal significance: baseball's precious statistics. In no sport are statistics as meaningful as in baseball, and scorers have the power to determine some of the most important statistics, such as batting and earned run averages and no-hit games.
Sometimes the scorers make these determinations with one eye on the uniforms. "I've been involved in five or six no-hit games," says infielder Dave Johnson of the Phillies, "and all of them were suspected of being helped by hometown scoring." Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau, official statistician of the National League, says, "There is great inconsistency. The most annoying things are plays that get called one way one time and another way another time. The criterion seems to be, 'I wanted to help this guy,' but that shouldn't be it at all. They should call them as they see them."
Bonny Victory
A BONNY VICTORY
Jack Nicklaus won his third British Open at what has come to be his native heath, Scotland's Royal and Ancient
SOMETIMES A GUY'S GOTTA SWOOP
And when that mood strikes, it's fly away now and train later for Leon Spinks, who is enjoying the heavyweight title in his own style as he prepares to meet Muhammad Ali in their September showdown in New Orleans
By Bruce Newman
THE LITTLE BIG MAN FOR THE PHILLIES
While teammates of greater stature slumped or sat, Shortstop Larry Bowa used his bat, glove and guts to take Philadelphia to the divisional lead
By Larry Keith
OFF TO OSHKOSH, BY COSH
A COW WON'T CARE
By Julia Lamb
Money In Sports: Part 2
FOR THE ATHLETE, HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Although team owners have the loot to pay today's large salaries, can sports or the players afford them?
By Ray Kennedy
THE WEEK (July 9-15)
By Kent Hannon
Gulp, it's the Tea Men!
Led by Mike Flanagan, the NASL's leading goal scorer, Boston beat the Cosmos twice and happily found itself, expansion club or no, in first place in its division
By Clive Gammon
The Zinger was a real humdinger
Over the Colorado mountains, across the valleys and into exhaustion, the cyclists found that eight days and 600 miles of agony aren't everybody's cup of tea
By Barry McDermott
A roundup of the week July 10-16
Edited by Jerry Kirshenbaum
Edited by John Papanek
In some cities they call them as if they didn't see them at all. In Philadelphia this spring the Phils' Richie Hebner hit a line drive to rightfield, Pittsburgh's Dave Parker ran in a few steps, reached for the ball at knee level and dropped it. The hometown scorer gave Hebner a single. In Los Angeles two Dodger grounders bobbled by Pittsburgh pitchers were called hits. During the same game Los Angeles' Tommy John leaped high off the mound for a bouncer. He failed to make the difficult play, but his pitching stats did not suffer—an error was called by the scorer. Even Russo, who was kept busy defending himself after his crucial call in the Forsch no-hitter, admits, "I think some tilting toward the home team happens almost everywhere. It's human nature. You've got to live with the players."
The confusion arises partly because scoring is not easy—even for the best scorers. Russo, 58, has spent two decades as a writer for the Post-Dispatch and is also a correspondent for The Sporting News and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. At 5'8" and 190 pounds, he will never be mistaken for an athlete, but he knows baseball inside out. Indeed, his intellectual credentials are unassailable. As an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, Russo would walk down the street constructing crossword puzzles in his mind in Latin, French and Italian. In his spare time he writes sports crosswords for publication. Nervous and fast talking, he skips glibly and knowledgeably from subject to subject. Yet after scoring nearly 800 games, he still finds the experience disquieting.
Sitting high in the press box at Busch Memorial Stadium for the 25 or so games he scores each year, Russo must instantly decide if a pitched ball bounced before skittering by the catcher. Wild pitch or passed ball? Did a ground ball take a bad hop before being juggled by an in-fielder? Hit or error? And Russo's decisions on plays in the distant outfield are made more difficult by Busch Stadium's carpeted playing surface. The synthetic turf tends to make balls take bizarre, high bounces and accelerate after they hit the ground. Under such conditions, time-honored criteria for determining outfield errors do not apply.
The scorer's decision-making is complicated by a factor called "a reasonable effort." Ken Brett lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning while pitching for the White Sox in 1976 when a scorer ruled that a roller Third Baseman Jorge Orta failed to field was a hit. The scorer determined that a reasonable effort by Orta had not produced an out, even though an extraordinary play might have. Not everyone agreed, least of all Brett. An average outfielder who drops a fly ball after a long run will not be charged with an error; a Fred Lynn, who routinely makes difficult running catches, will be. In his pivotal decision, Russo determined that Reitz, an excellent fielder, was nervous and uncertain because of the no-hit pressure and normally would have made the play easily. Hence the error.
Sometimes even the rule book causes problems. For instance, there is no stipulation on how to score a ball that drops between two or more befuddled fielders. The scorer is free to give one of the fielders an error or to credit the batter with a hit. Many scorers feel a new category—team error—should be created for these occasions, and the Baseball Writers' Association of America has been studying the matter.
A number of scorers admit they seek help. When in doubt they will consult other writers, players or umpires, or watch an instant replay if a TV set is available in the press box. "We have no TV monitor," says Russo, "but we do have a direct line to the dugout. I'll call down there on passed-ball situations. The Cardinals also have a former pro pitcher sitting behind home plate to chart pitches. I'll call him from time to time. We have 24 hours in which to change our calls, but I don't do that very often. If I did, I'd have the snipers and vultures on my tail."
It is the presence of snipers and vultures among the players that gives the scorers their worst headaches. Players are all too aware of the game's celebrated reversals. In 1917 Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns was given a no-hitter when an early-inning hit call was reversed. In 1952 Virgil Trucks got a no-hitter in the same manner. The most famous of the reversals that should have been made—but wasn't—came on a bobbled grounder in 1959. By calling the misplayed ball a hit, Los Angeles scorer Charlie Park deprived the Giants' Sam Jones of a no-hitter. Most of the 60,000 Angelenos in attendance booed. Afterward, Park was subjected to innumerable phone calls, interviews and letters from fans who suggested that he drop dead.
Players often feel the same way about scorers. When the writer who has displeased them enters the locker room for his postgame interviews, the vultures and snipers are waiting. They have refused to talk to writers, yelled at them and even attacked them. Cincinnati writer Earl Lawson was punched by Johnny Temple. When Bob Considine of the Washington Herald denied Senator First Baseman Joe Kuhel a hit, Kuhel invaded the press box and inexplicably took a swing at Shirley Povich of The Washington Post. Kuhel was fined $100. A fan sent him $50 with a note reading, "I'd have sent you the full $100, but you missed."
Incidents of that sort have decreased since National League President Chub Feeney warned against scorer-baiting in 1974, but restraint should not be mistaken for good feelings toward scorers. If anything, players watch their individual statistics—and, thus, the scorers—more closely than ever now that their contracts are filled with potentially lucrative incentive clauses. Al Oliver of the Rangers, Graig Nettles of the Yankees and Steve Yeager of the Dodgers have been involved in notable confrontations with scorers.
Even a seemingly favorable call can sometimes arouse players' wrath. Earlier this season a scorer gave Reggie Smith of the Dodgers a hit on a ground ball to second base. Were Smith and his teammates pleased? Hardly. They were livid because Joe Morgan of the rival Reds, who might have been given an error on the play, was in the process of setting a record for most consecutive errorless games for second basemen. Smith would have gladly dropped a point or two in average to make sure Morgan did not break the record.
These constant skirmishes erode a scorer's patience. Even Russo, who has enjoyed excellent rapport with players, came unglued during the ruckus over his Forsch call. Snapped Mike Schmidt of the Phils, "I think Bob Forsch deserves all the accolades that go with pitching a one-hitter." Now Russo wonders if scoring is worth the trouble. "I've been doing it all these years because I need the 50 bucks a game. But I've always thought of life as a never-ending Italian wedding reception. This doesn't fit in."
There are other, more technical reasons to change the present setup. "When I was on the disabled list last year," says Willie Stargell of the Pirates, "I saw a lot of games from the press box. What struck me was how every ball that was hit looked like an easy out. It doesn't look that way down on the field." The dugout, of course, is not a perfect vantage point, either. Some observers feel that a midpoint, perhaps behind home plate, would be an improvement over both the press box and dugout.
But taking the scorer out of the press box would take the press box out of the scorer. This question—whether the writers should be allowed to double as scorers—is at the heart of the debate over scoring.
Baseball is the only major sport in which writers score, and they have been on the job since before the turn of the century. Chosen by the local chapter chairman of the BBWAA, candidates for scoring are submitted to the league office. Those accepted are paid $50 a game. For this stipend they make scoring decisions—mostly wild pitch-passed ball and hit-error determinations—and submit a voluminous report on each game to the league office. Because they inevitably have hassles over scoring with the players they are covering for their newspapers, there would appear to be a conflict of interest. Furthermore, since they are paid by the league to score they may be reluctant to criticize the game itself. Beginning with The Washington Post 20 years ago, many metropolitan dailies have been prohibiting their beat men from scoring. Among the other papers which ban their baseball writers from scoring are The New York Times, News-day, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Minneapolis Star and the Minneapolis Tribune and all the major papers in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia.
"There's no conflict," says Jack Lang, secretary-treasurer of the BBWAA and a writer for the New York Daily News, which allows its reporters to score. "The teams aren't paying us. the leagues are. But it's true there are problems with the players. In the old days writers didn't go into the locker rooms. They preferred to pontificate from the press box. Now everyone interviews players."
Another writer-scorer who defends the system is Dick Dozer of the Chicago Tribune. "I doubt anyone could be as qualified as a baseball writer who sees 100 games a year," says Dozer. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer do. Generally, writers who score at home travel less than in the past. Some work for suburban or specialty papers that do not send them on the road at all; neither they nor writers in recent expansion cities qualify under the BBWAA regulation that a scorer must have seen 100 big league games three years running. The result, almost inevitably, is a dropoff in quality and performance.
But problems would persist even if all scorers were experienced journalists. Consider the symbiotic relationship between writer and player. Although many baseball reporters are objective journalists, they still must make their living by maintaining daily contact with players; these writers will write sharply critical stories—that is part of the job—but, understandably, they hardly need the headache of making controversial scoring decisions. And some reporters have taken to collaborating with players on books; others even refer to their cities' teams as "we."
The result of all this is homerism, which is almost as traditional in baseball as a box of Cracker Jack. On the last day of the 1945 season a New York Writer called an error on a ball hit by Snuffy Stirnweiss of the Yankees, who was battling Chicago's Tony Cuccinello for the hitting title. The call would have given the championship to Cuccinello, so the scorer reversed himself and Stirnweiss won. Certainly, not all of today's writers are homers, but even the best seem to suffer from too much generosity, which translates into hits instead of errors. Too often they score as fans, not officials.
One possible improvement would be the creation of a salaried "fifth umpire," an official scorer who would travel with the regular four-man crew and take his turn on the bases. The BBWAA and the umpires have suggested as much to the leagues. But while pro basketball has announced that it will spend $600,000 to employ a third referee for each game, baseball is reluctant to ante up $400,000 for improved scoring. Less expensive alternatives would be to train officials who travel to only three or four cities or remain in one. The decrease in the number of qualified and available scorers has already produced something like this in Milwaukee, where a retired writer does all the scoring.
Surely, any change that adds professionalism and subtracts bias would be welcome. If any area of baseball ought to be above suspicion, it is the game's vital statistics.
Bob Forsch of the Cardinals got to celebrate his no-hitter after a controversial call by Neal Russo (with cigar) of the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch."
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RLUK Joins the Directory of Open Access Journals
Home/RLUK news/RLUK Joins the Directory of Open Access Journals
RLUK is pleased to announce that it has become a consortial member of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) on behalf of all RLUK members. The DOAJ gives details of over 10,000 open access journals covering all areas of science, technology, medicine, social sciences and the humanities and allows article-level searching for almost 2 million open access articles.
‘From its launch in 2003 the Directory of Open Access Journals quickly became a vital resource for researchers, librarians and publishers’, said David Prosser, Executive Director of RLUK. ‘It has charted the explosive growth in open access journals and helped to raise standards in open access publishing. RLUK is very pleased to help support the vital work that the DOAJ does and to ensure that this invaluable tool remains an open and freely accessible resource’.
‘We are delighted to see RLUK joining DOAJ collectively’, said Lars Bjørnshauge, Managing Director of the DOAJ. ‘This is an important endorsement of the work we are doing, and will further our ability to develop the service and make DOAJ an even more important infrastructure service for open access’.
Top image courtesy of Queen Mary, University of London Library
Melanie Cheung2018-07-19T11:45:08+00:00June 22nd, 2015|RLUK news|Comments Off on RLUK Joins the Directory of Open Access Journals
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'Contractor downs tools, sewage continues to flow into Fish River' DA
Cradock - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape says it has reliably learnt that, less than a week after beginning work on the dysfunctional Cradock Waste Water Treatment Works, the contractor appointed by the Chris Hani District Municipality has downed tools.
"Last week, while at the site, I noted that a contractor was in the process of commencing with the much-needed work to bring the facility back online," said Retief Odendaal (MPL), DA Midlands Constituency Leader.
"Unfortunately, I have now been informed that the contractor has downed tools and vacated the site earlier this week.
"It is still unclear what the impasse is between the municipality and contractor, but this needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency, as every day that the Waste Water Treatment Works is offline, more raw untreated sewage is flowing into the Fish River."
Odendaal said that the discharge of raw sewage into a natural water resource is illegal in terms of the Constitution, the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998 and the National Water Act No. 36 of 1998.
"For this reason I have today [Friday] written to the Municipal Manager of the Chris Hani District Municipality to inform him that, should work not resume on site by 8am on Monday morning, I will be laying criminal charges against him and the municipality, as well as reporting the municipality to the Human Rights Commission."
Read the letter HERE
He added that he has also written to Minister of Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, informing her of the latest developments.
Odendaal said that the Democratic Alliance is committed to fight for a clean and healthy environment so that people are not poisoned by failing infrastructure.
"This collapsing ANC council, along with the officials, must be held fully accountable."
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Scott Patrick Green/Netflix
Netflix's 'Everything Sucks!' Teaser Trailer Is All About The '90s Nostalgia
Netflix is about to launch a new teen comedy called Everything Sucks! that's grounded firmly in the past. It revolves around the misfits of a high school in Boring, Oregon in 1996, focusing on two groups specifically: the A/V club kids (the geeks, if you will) and the drama club (presumably the freaks). Now the new teaser trailer for Netflix's Everything Sucks! gives fans their first look at the show, while leaning hard into the show's '90s nostalgia at the same time.
The trailer features the main cast sitting in class together while a substitute teacher hits play on a VHS. Helpful tidbits appear on screen like the pop up videos of yore, reminding viewers of today that everything was a little bit more difficult twenty years ago: you had to use white out to erase your mistakes ("When delete had to dry," the pop up helpfully interjects), manually X someone out of your photos instead of untagging, and cart around countless CDs to keep your Discman satisfied.
The '90s weren't that long ago, but the trailer for Everything Sucks! wants you to keep it mind that it was a very different time — one where the height of classroom comedy was spelling out BOOBS on your calculator. When the show debuts on February 16, it promises to be a real throwback.
Movie Trailers Source on YouTube
The quirky coming of age comedy will have ten half-hour episodes that chart the A/V club and drama club coming together to reach a common goal. According to Deadline, the two groups of outsiders "join forces to make a movie and endure the purgatory known as high school." That doesn't give much of a hint about who the characters are or what drives them, but it explains how everyone will be thrown together over the course of the first season. Peyton Kennedy and Jahi Winston star as two students named Kate Messner and Luke O'Neil, with their respective parents being played by Patch Darragh and Claudine Nako.
The show was created by Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan, and appears to be their first major foray into scripted series. Jones might be best known for writing and co-starring in the film Like Crazy, but he has also worked on several other films, both short and feature length. Mohan has written and directed several shorts, as well as the 2012 film Save the Date. ComingSoon.Net reported that Jones and Mohan took some inspiration from other coming of age shows that also revisited the past.
"Some of our favorite shows of all time — The Wonder Years, Happy Days, That 70s Show, Freaks and Geeks — looked back at bygone eras with 20 years of hindsight," Jones and Mohan said. "We think this is a great time to take a look back at high school and relive the fashion, music, and attitudes of the mid-90s the way we remember it. Not sensationalized, not watered down; but desperate, heartfelt, awkward, and exciting."
While referring to the '90s as a "bygone era" is distressing for those of us who lived through it, the show's setting might also make it resonate with audiences. At least that seems to be the hope of Netflix's Vice President of Original Content, Cindy Holland, who said, "We're looking forward to spending some time back in the '90s. Whether you were in A/V, drama, sports or band, we think everyone will find something to relate to in this coming of age story about the one thing that sucks above everything else — high school."
Luckily fans won't have to wait long to find out if Everything Sucks! captures their unique high school experience, because the premiere is only a few weeks away.
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World of Recast Light: The Wastes
The western half of the country of Styx is simply known as The Wastes, a desolate region of red earth, jagged black rocks, and mounds of trash. Bordered on the west by the ocean, the north by the Rodomontade Mountains, the east by the Forest of Infinite Horrors, and the south by the Empire, it’s about as out-of-the-way of a place as one could find.
Though flocks of dodos and pigeons populate the area, and the ocean provides plenty of fish, Styxians never consumed these beasts because they (the beasts, not the Styxians) feed off of nothing but garbage. The reason for this is that the early Styxians were forest dwellers, preferring to live high up in trees rather than low down (as all good goblins should). The Wastes were so dreadfully flat, and were rife with Styx-hating goblins using the place as a thoroughfare on their way to wreak havoc in the human countries, and were just generally not conducive to hunting, or living, or building a castle, all of which the early Styxians had set their mind on doing. They were perfect, however, for dumping trash, something which Styxians had loads of. Thus, over the centuries, the hills of garbage grew into mighty mountains, some of which are large enough to be seen from over the borders. They’re a bit of an eyesore, but most everyone inside the country of Styx lives on the other side of the forest of Infinite Horrors, where the trees block the view. The trash doesn’t bother them one bit.
As with any desolate location, weird legends concerning the place have cropped up over time. Some say that goblin ghosts haunt the garbage piles, still attached to those items they once cherished in life. Others claim to have seen spectral entities in the fog that evaporate into thin air when you get too close. Many people report a distinct feeling of being watched.
Peculiar tales are not limited to the flat expanse that comprises most of The Wastes, either. One goblin was traveling from Bombast when he lost his footing on a mountain trail, fell, and lost consciousness. When he finally came to, he was disoriented, but wandered through the crags at the base of the mountain, hoping to find some help. At daybreak, he stumbled upon a perfectly cultivated fruit orchard, ripe with the fall harvest. Beneath the trees, rings of succulent mushrooms and rows of plump vegetables grew. He had never seen such a display in his life, and certainly not in the barren Rodomontades. Stuffing his pockets with food, he started his journey once more, careful to mark the way back to this garden paradise by chiseling his initials into the rocks along the way.
When he finally made it to Styx Town, however, no one believed him. He insisted it was true and said he could prove it, so the next morning, he and his doubters set out towards the mountains. They saw his initials, just as he had claimed, but saw that they did not make a straight path but instead covered almost every rock on the mountain. He swore it wasn’t his doing, pointing out that these new marks looked to have been made by some tool he was unfamiliar with, and insisted that he could tell the difference. Now leading an increasingly skeptical band, he continued on, checking each set of initials, trying to spot which were his and which had appeared suddenly in the night. They continued like this for hours, even coming across a grove of trees at one point, though there was not one piece of fruit on their branches, nor any mushrooms or vegetables on the ground. The traveler had to concede that it would have taken over a hundred goblins to harvest an area this size in one night, and everyone else concluded that his original hallucination must have been due to his hitting his head in the fall. The group made their way home, taking many accidental wrong turns, but the traveler continued to look over his shoulder, hoping for some sign of the secretly bountiful Wastes.
Labels: Recast Light, World of Recast Light
Love and Chaos: The Third Duel to the Death
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You are here: Home / Blog / Bus Accidents / School Bus Safety: How A Recent Multi-Vehicle Bus Accident Highlights the...
School Bus Safety: How A Recent Multi-Vehicle Bus Accident Highlights the Danger of School Buses
October 3, 2018 /in Bus Accidents /by Jay Solnick
Over the past year, there have been multiple serious accidents involving school buses in the greater Philadelphia area. In early August 2018, a multi-vehicle crash involving a school bus took place on Roosevelt Boulevard in the Somerton section of Philadelphia. A week later, a school bus overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike near East Brunswick. And in May 2018, a school bus driver caused a fatal accident when he attempted to make a sudden u-turn in a highway, leading to the deaths of a 10-year-old student and a teacher after the bus hit a dump truck.
These are just some of the many school bus accidents that have occurred in the Philadelphia metro region in the past few months. Given the sheer size of buses, being involved in an accident with these vehicles can result in serious injuries and significant damages. If you have been hurt in an accident, you will need a skilled Philadelphia bus accident attorney to represent you and protect your interests.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Bus
While it seems as though bus accidents are happening almost constantly in our region, they are still fairly rare. Your child is far safer on a school bus than on almost any other form of transportation (about 70 times more likely to get to school safely by riding on a bus than by traveling by car). However, accidents can and do happen. In addition to a bus crashing into another vehicle, a sign or other object, children can be hurt when getting on or off the bus. They may also be hurt when they’re riding on the bus — such as by slipping and falling on the bus.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 128 people die every year in collisions involving school buses. Of those, only 4 to 6 fatalities are school-aged children riding on buses.
This includes people riding on the buses, bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers and passengers of other vehicles. There are also a number of non-fatal school bus accidents that lead to injuries, which can be serious — such as broken bones, cuts, head injuries and more.
You can encourage your kids to stay safe on the bus. One of the top causes of school bus accidents is driver distraction. With that in mind, teach your kids to behave on the bus, which includes staying in their seat, keeping their voices down, and never throwing items. You should also talk to your kids about being alert so that they can brace themselves should the driver lose control of the bus. Because most buses do not have seat belts, this is important in the event of a crash.
What Can You Do If You Are in an Accident with a School Bus
Accidents involving buses can lead to some of the most serious injuries imaginable. Given the size and weight of buses compared to passenger vehicles, many victims of Philadelphia bus accidents suffer grave injuries and require significant treatment and time off of work in order to recover.
If your child has been hurt on a school bus, or if you are in an accident with a school bus, you may want to file a claim against the school district, the bus company or other parties. However, under Pennsylvania law, there are special rules that must be followed if you want to file a claim against a government entity in Pennsylvania.
If a government employee injuries you while operating a motor vehicle, such as a school bus, you might be able to sue the agency for the injury. Although you generally have two years to file a lawsuit for personal injury claims in Pennsylvania, for claims against the government, there is a six-month statute of limitations. In other words, if you do not file a claim within six months, you are no longer able to recover for that injury.
Because many school districts have contracts with private companies to handle their transportation needs, your Philadelphia bus accident attorney will need to evaluate the proper way of handling this type of case. A lawyer who understands the complexities of these cases will make sure that your claim is filed on time and that all responsible parties are identified in the suit, from the school district or other governmental agency to the bus company or another third party.
Work with an Experienced Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney
Solnick & Associates is dedicated to helping our clients get the compensation that they deserve for their injuries. With nearly 30 years of combined experience assisting victims of all types of accidents, including Philadelphia bus crashes, we know what it takes to help our clients move forward after an injury. Initial consultations are always free. Contact us today to set up an appointment with a seasoned Philadelphia bus accident attorney.
Is the Commercial Driver Shortage Creating Danger on our Roads?
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Professor Hawking Selects NeoSpeech
FREMONT, Calif. - NeoSpeech, a provider of speech technologies for hand-held, desktop and network applications, announced astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has selected and is using NeoSpeech's text-to-speech engine, VoiceText, as his new voice. VoiceText is integrated into Hawking's communicator, E Z Keys, enabling him to clearly communicate with the outside world.
"As a scientist and lecturer, it is imperative that Professor Hawking presents his findings in a clear and concise manner," said Tom Pelly, Hawking's technical assistant. "Professor Hawking was very impressed by NeoSpeech's speech synthesizer, as it was by far the most natural-sounding and realistic of all of the off-the-shelf software voices that he has heard. This technology can help ensure that his vocals match his research in terms of credibility and believability."
Hawking, a scientist, professor and author, suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a degenerative motor neuron illness. While the disease has not affected Hawking's intellectual capacity, it has robbed him of many physical abilities. He can only move two fingers on his right hand and he is unable to speak, making his computer with voice synthesizer essential for communication.
Hawking has a computer screen mounted on the arm of his wheel chair, which runs communicator software. The software enables him to press a switch in his hand to create words and sentences easily and intuitively. Once he has built up a sentence, he sends it to NeoSpeech's VoiceText speech synthesizer, which turns it into speech. The technology enables Hawking to communicate, including writing scientific books and papers and giving lectures.
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Spiros Politis
For the purpose of this agreement “the Agency” and “the Advertiser” shall where the context so admits include their respective assignees, sub-licensees and successors in title. In cases where the Photographer’s client is a direct client (i.e. with no agency or intermediary), all references in this agreement to both “the Agency” and “the Advertiser” shall be interpreted as references to the Photographer’s client.
“Photographs” means all photographic material furnished by the Photographer, whether digital files, transparencies, negatives, prints or any other type of physical or electronic material.
“Commission Estimate” means the Photographer’s pro forma document identifying charges and fees to be paid by the Agency.
“Licence to Use” means the Photographer’s pro forma licence on the “Commission Estimate”.
“Photographer” shall mean Spiros Politis.
The entire copyright in the Photographs is retained by the Photographer at all times throughout the world.
OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS
Title to all Photographs remains the property of the Photographer. When the Licence to Use the material has expired the Photographs must be returned to the Photographer in good condition within 30 days.
The Licence to Use comes into effect from the date of payment of the relevant invoice(s). No use may be made of the Photographs before payment in full of the relevant invoice(s) without the Photographer’s express permission. Any permission which may be given for prior use will automatically be revoked if full payment is not made by the due date or if the Agency is put into receivership or liquidation. The Licence only applies to the advertiser and product as stated on the front of the form and its benefit shall not be assigned to any third party without the Photographer’s permission. Accordingly, even where any form of ‘all media’ Licence is granted, the photographer’s permission must be obtained before any use of the Photographs for other purposes eg use in relation to another product or sublicensing through a photolibrary. Permission to use the Photographs for purposes outside the terms of the Licence will normally be granted upon payment of a further fee, which must be mutually agreed (and paid in full) before such further use. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all further Licences in respect of the Photographs will be subject to these terms and conditions.
The Agency and Advertiser will be authorised to publish the Photographs to the exclusion of all other persons including the Photographer. However, the Photographer retains the right in all cases to use the Photographs in any manner at any time and in any part of the world for the purposes of advertising or otherwise promoting his/her work. After the exclusivity period indicated in the Licence to Use the Photographer shall be entitled to use the Photographs for any purposes.
CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
The photographer will keep confidential and will not disclose to any third parties or make use of material or information communicated to him/her in confidence for the purposes of the photography, save as may be reasonably necessary to enable the Photographer to carry out his/her obligations in relation to the commission.
The Photographer agrees to indemnify the Agency and the Advertiser against all expenses, damages, claims and legal costs arising out of any failure by the Photographer to obtain any clearances for which he/she was responsible in respect of third party copyright works, trade marks, designs or other intellectual property. The Photographer shall only be responsible for obtaining such clearances if this has been expressly agreed before the shoot. In all other cases the Agency shall be responsible for obtaining such clearances and will indemnify the Photographer against all expenses, damages, claims and legal costs arising out of any failure to obtain such clearances.
Payment by the Agency will be made for the commissioned work within Thirty (30) days of the issue of the relevant invoice(s) save in relation to any advance identified in the Commission Estimate which is required in cleared funds prior to the commencement of any work by the Photographer. In the event of cancellation of the commission prior to the commencement of the works by the Photographer the contingency fee identified in the Commission Estimate shall be become payable immediately.
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Where extra expenses or time are incurred by the Photographer as a result of alterations to the original brief by the Agency or the Advertiser, or otherwise at their request, the Agency shall give approval to and be liable to pay such extra expenses or fees at the Photographer’s normal rate to the Photographer in addition to the expenses originally agreed or estimated.
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If the box on the estimate and the licence marked “Right to a Credit” has been ticked the Photographer’s name will be printed on or in reasonable proximity to all published reproductions of the Photograph(s). By ticking the box overleaf the Photographer also asserts his/her statutory right to be identified in the circumstances set out in Sections 77-79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or any amendment or re-enactment thereof.
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Save for the purposes of reproduction for the licensed use(s), the Photographs may not be stored in any form of electronic medium without the written permission of the Photographer. Manipulation of the image may only take place with the permission of the Photographer.
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of England & Wales
SUPPLY TO THIRD PARTIES
The rights given in this agreement only apply to the Agency or named advertiser as stated in the Licence to Use.
The Photographer does not undertake to archive or store electronic images for any period longer than six months from the date of origination unless specific arrangements have been agreed, for which a charge may be made.
These Terms and Conditions shall not be varied except by agreement in writing.
NOTE : For more information on the commissioning of photography refer to Beyond the Lens produced by the AOP and the links enclosed below:
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terms and conditions © 2019 Spiros Politis. All rights reserved. design stirtingale
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Wed 13th March
Barcelona 5 1 Lyon FT
Bay Munich 1 3 Liverpool FT
Results March 2019
Champions League - 1st KO Rnd
Bayern Munich vs Liverpool
8:00pm Wednesday 13th March
Allianz Arena (Att: 68145)
Bay Munich (1) 1
J Matip (39 og)
Liverpool (3) 3
S Mané (26, 84),V van Dijk (69)
Bay Munich vs Liverpool
Champions League 1st KO Rnd 8:00pm Wednesday 13th March Allianz Arena (Att: 68145)
Bayern Munich 1-3 Liverpool (Agg: 1-3): Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk secure last-16 win
Liverpool join Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham in Champions League quarter-finals; draw on Friday
By James Walker-Roberts
Last Updated: 14/03/19 6:39am
Sadio Mane celebrates after his exquisite first goal
Sadio Mane scored twice as Liverpool advanced into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over a toothless Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
Following a goalless draw in the first leg at Anfield, Mane put Liverpool ahead with a brilliantly-taken goal in the 26th minute at the Allianz Arena.
When is the QF/SF draw?
Who will win the Champions League?
How Van Dijk inspired Liverpool
Bayern hit back late in the first half when Serge Gnabry's cross was deflected in by Joel Matip but Van Dijk headed in from a corner in the 69th minute and Mane scored a late third to end Bayern's hopes.
Bayern Munich: Neuer (5), Rafinha (5), Sule (5), Hummels (5), Alaba (6), Thiago (5), Martinez (6), Ribery (5), Rodriguez (5), Gnabry (6), Lewandowski (5)
Subs: Coman (5), Goretzka (5), Sanches (5)
Liverpool: Alisson (6), Alexander-Arnold (7), Matip (7), Van Dijk (8), Robertson (7), Milner (7), Wijnaldum (7), Henderson (5), Mane (8), Firmino (6), Salah (6)
Subs: Fabinho (7), Lallana (5), Origi (5)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane
Liverpool join Premier League rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham in the quarter-finals, with all four sides able to face each other in Friday's draw. It is the first time that four English teams are in the quarter-finals since 2008/09.
Liverpool had lost their previous four away games in the Champions League, but they produced a controlled performance to overcome Bayern, who managed only two shots on target, both in the first half.
Jordan Henderson hobbled off in the 13th minute at the Allianz Arena
While Jurgen Klopp's side were not at their fluent best throughout, they never looked too troubled and next turn their attentions back to their Premier League title challenge on Sunday as they face Fulham, live on Sky Sports.
After a cagey opening, in which Jordan Henderson went off with an ankle injury, Liverpool took the lead thanks to a fantastic goal from Mane.
Mane expertly controlled a long pass, swivelled around Manuel Neuer on the edge of the area and then finished with a chipped shot into the far corner.
The home fans urged Bayern to respond, but the hosts lacked a cutting edge in attack.
It was a surprise when they equalised in the 39th minute, with Gnabry getting behind Andy Robertson down the right side and putting in a cross that Matip turned into his own net.
Virgil van Dijk's header put the tie beyond Bayern Munich
Liverpool made two changes from their win over Burnley as James Milner and Jordan Henderson replaced Adam Lallana and Fabinho. Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Muller were both missing for Bayern, who recalled David Alaba and Franck Ribery.
Chances remained at a premium in a scrappy second half.
Neuer saved a shot from Mohamed Salah and Gnabry slid a cross through the six-yard box that was just ahead of Robert Lewandowski.
Otherwise neither team really threatened until Van Dijk rose highest at a corner and headed into the net to put Liverpool ahead again.
The goal deflated Bayern and they never looked like getting back into the tie even before Mane finished from Salah's cross in the 84th minute.
Liverpool comfortably held out in the closing stages, although Robertson was booked in injury-time and will now miss the first leg of the quarter-final.
Great European away performance from @LFC especially 2nd half. 1st big statement of 2019 & hopefully that momentum now pushes the Reds close to both PL & CL! #BAYLIV
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) March 13, 2019
Opta stats
Liverpool's progression means four English sides will play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2018-19, the first time the competition has seen as many since 2008-09 (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United).
Bayern Munich have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign, when they also fell out at this stage to Italian side Inter Milan.
Since the start of last season, no player has provided more Champions League assists than Liverpool's James Milner (10).
Sadio Mane's brace means he has now scored seven away goals in the Champions League for Liverpool, more than any other player for the club in the history of the competition (including European Cup).
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has scored 69% of his Champions League goals in the knockout stages of the competition (9/13); of players with at least 10 goals, only Ivica Olic (7/10 - 70%) has a higher such percentage in Champions League history.
Joel Matip is only the fourth Liverpool player to score an own goal in the Champions League after Sami Hyypia (2007), John Arne Riise (2008) and James Milner (2018).
Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer became just the sixth goalkeeper to play in 100 Champions League matches after Iker Casillas, Gianlugi Buffon, Petr Cech, Victor Valdes and Olivier Kahn.
Tim Sherwood tells The Debate Liverpool can take momentum into their title challenge from their 3-1 win in Bayern Munich to seal a Champions League quarter-final spot.
Man of the match - Sadio Mane
With two goals in Munich, Mane has now scored more away goals in the European Cup/Champions League than any other player. His first goal to give Liverpool the advantage in the tie was superb as he controlled a long pass and finished into the far corner. He didn't get many other openings, but made sure of victory with his second goal.
The managers
Jurgen Klopp: "Scoring three here is really difficult, that's massive, and a big step for us. We will see what we can do with it, but it's a fantastic sign. I love it. We set a mark for LFC with this wonderful club that we really are back on the landscape of top international football.
"We all think that's where this club belongs and tonight we proved it at least a bit. I am really happy about the result and the fact we are through."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his side are back on the international football landscape following their 3-1 win against Bayern Munich
Pundit reaction - Phil Thompson
"What did the result say? It says they want to progress - they don't want to give it up to go for the Premier League title.
"If City made a statement last night against Schalke, this was a massive statement against a side going for the title. Maybe Bayern aren't the team that they were but this was a top-class performance. Sadio Mane is in a rich vein of form. He was brilliant.
Klopp: Back where we belong
VOTE: Who will win CL?
Liverpool travel to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. They then face Tottenham after the international break on Sunday, March 31, live on Sky Sports.
The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals takes place on Friday.
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Home / Articles / 2018 / The Smart Industry 50: Class of 2018
Business intelligence / Business Strategist / Conference Content / Operational Strategist / Technology Strategist
The Smart Industry 50: Class of 2018
Fifty individuals helping to advance their organizations’ digital transformations.
By Keith Larson, Smart Industry Editor in Chief
The Smart Industry 50 program was created in 2016 to recognize and honor individuals across industry who were making a difference in their organizations’ pursuit and embrace of digital transformation. Nominations for this year’s class of 2018 were solicited from the readers of Smart Industry, from past recipients of this recognition, and from more than 20 editors across the Putman Media family of industry publications—journalists and engineers who have developed deep relationships with the various vertical niches and functional swaths that their communities of readers represent.
The full list of our fifty honorees is spread across the pages that follow, along with more in-depth profiles of many of them. We hope you find their personal stories as inspiring as we do, and join us in congratulating them on their accomplishments.
A PASSION FOR PROCESS
AGCO’s Peggy Gulick took an interesting path to her current role as director of digital transformation for the global leader in agricultural equipment and solutions. She started out studying English and art, but ended up in information technology. From there, she landed a job not in IT architecture or application development, but in the midst of an SAP deployment. It was there that she found her passion wasn’t for IT itself but for the processes that IT was created to support. “Studying processes and making them more efficient—I loved it,” she says.
A series of roles in IT and process followed, including global business process responsibility for Pure Fishing, a sporting goods manufacturer. “When I came to AGCO, it was a new position that merged the IT and lean teams,” she says. And now, with a new responsibility for global digital transformation, she’s working to spread the culture she helped develop at the company’s Jackson, Minn., facility across the company’s more than 40 manufacturing locations around the globe.
“We are extremely proud of the ‘informed reality’ tools we’ve developed for our assembly lines,” says Gulick of the company’s pioneering use of (Google) Glass hands-free headsets to convey electronic work instructions to operators who spend their days on a low volume, highly custom product mix. “Our assembly line is rolling four to six tractors a day—none of them the same,” Gulick explains. The wearable tools offer value immediately, Gulick says, crediting them for allowing faster training, the smoother introduction of process changes, and the ability to flag quality issues at the point of execution. “We use these technologies every day in production, making employees excel in all they do.”
But if the technology implementations are leading edge, the real secret to AGCO’s success is its focus on skilled workers. “It’s how we acclimate and embrace them,” Gulick says. “The successful application of new technologies is all about the adaptive culture we’re building. And once the culture transitions, our technology folks won’t be moving fast enough,” she predicts. “People who visit our Jackson facility find the projects are brilliant, but come away saying, ‘Wow, what a culture.’”
NEXT-GEN PROCESS TECHNOLOGIST
With responsibility for driving the implementation of new technology within Dow’s manufacturing organization, Billy Bardin is among those digital innovators who today are defining the future of process technology.
Dow Chemical’s Bill B. Bardin believes that digitalization and the IIoT represent a new generation of process technology advancement, much like the pneumatics that gave way to distributed control systems several decades ago.
According to Bardin, “Digitalization and the IIoT represent a new generation of process technology advancement, much like the pneumatics that gave way to distributed control systems several decades ago. The difference is that 35 to 40 years ago we were automating manual processes with new control technology, but with today’s digital and data science capabilities, we are in the position to advance process technology even further to deliver operational performance and products previously unconceived as well.”
Bardin’s no stranger to seeking out faster, more efficient ways to effect positive change in the organization, having helped steer the company’s efforts to bring the pharmaceutical industry’s “high throughput” research methodologies to the commercialization of new catalysts and materials. Advances that in the years since have yielded significant results not only in profitability but in energy savings and sustainable operations, too.
Looking forward, Dow promises to build an increasingly Digital Dow, with a digital thread across the company’s entire value chain. “The fun part of my job is setting us up for successful value delivery in the near-term, while establishing a path for the next 20-30 years that optimizes our manufacturing assets, data, and connectivity,” says Bardin.
From a production perspective, increasingly data-driven decision-making, together with plant optimization in real-time, top his future predictions list. His crystal ball also indicates the increased use of smarter, low-cost sensors and robotics—both of which promise to increase productivity and worker safety. Think sensors that can not only eliminate or reduce operator rounds but serve as an effective and reliable means for assessing potential equipment failures, and robots that can eliminate the need for hazardous and time-consuming confined-space-entry practices. “If they can use robotics for exploration of Mars,” Bardin says, “we can do it here, too.”
DIGITAL BLACK BELT
A master black belt in the Lean Six Sigma methodology, Carlos Ruiz learned early on in his career that new systems and process will only deliver results when people are at the center of the plan.
Over his career, Ruiz has successfully applied these principles in a series of increasingly responsible
A master black belt in the Lean Six Sigma methodology, Carlos Ruiz learned early on in his career that new systems and process will only deliver results when people are at the center of the plan. Today, he’s tasked with leading the manufacturing arm of global cosmetics powerhouse L’Oreal to be more consumer-centric: “We need the technology, systems and the mindset to respond more quickly to customer demand.”
positions in industries ranging from automotive to packaging to consumer packaged goods. Today, he’s responsible for manufacturing engineering and operational excellence in North America for L’Oreal, the global cosmetics powerhouse.
It’s hard to imagine a manufacturing industry more impacted by society’s digital transformation, or the extremes of “batch size one” mass customization. In the US, the company already manages over 1,200 new product launches annually, and Ruiz foresees a future in which the company must become ever more agile—able to pivot quickly to capitalize on a celebrity social-media mention of a nail polish shade, or to match an individual consumer’s skin tone (perhaps conveyed through a smartphone app) with custom foundation delivered in time for tonight’s cocktail party.
“Our mission is to accelerate transformation of manufacturing to be more consumer-centric,” Ruiz says. “We need the technology, systems and the mindset to respond more quickly to customer demand.”
Guided by the vision of Industry 4.0, the company’s digitalization effort started in earnest some 18 months ago, and North America has taken the lead across all global operations, Ruiz says. “We needed to augment our suppliers and vendors to keep the pace with the change, so our engineering team started co-developing the agile lines that will deliver the results needed by our business. At same time, we’re focusing on upskilling and training as a key objective. Our employees will be equipped with new capabilities and mindsets to embrace the new world of manufacturing.”
PATTERN WHISPERER
Speak even briefly to Jolene Baker about her work, and two things come clear quickly. First, she lives and breathes data; she’s passionate about rooting out patterns and the insights they reveal.
“Every bit of data is telling you something,” says Jolene Baker, senior manufacturing intelligence specialist for integrator and consulting firm LSI Logical Systems. “Data can come from instruments, humans, paper, nerves—many places,” she says. “Projects start with data and the people who give it to you—people’s interpretation of that data is important as well. That’s where I start.”
Success, however, comes for her when those insights can be used to effect positive change in the world—for example, by helping front-line workers to eliminate redundant, non-productive tasks, or using quality data as an early indicator of environmental issues for an oil & gas producer. She’s particularly invested in a project she’s working on now called WaterSMART with the Bureau of Reclamation and OSIsoft to build a community of water data stakeholders in the Western U.S. The goal of the project is a better understanding of water usage patterns and, ultimately, the coordination of more effective conservation efforts.
“Every bit of data is telling you something,” says Baker, who currently serves as senior manufacturing intelligence specialist for integrator and consulting firm LSI Logical Systems. “Data can come from instruments, humans, paper, nerves—many places,” she says. “Projects start with data and the people who give it to you—people’s interpretation of that data is important as well. That’s where I start.”
In the realm of data science, she sees the practice becoming easier in the not-too-distant future, so that the tools and insights they can glean are available to a broader range of people and industries. “If the market stays hungry for data, digital experts will continue to build tools that efficiently capture and simplify data analysis,” she says.
“There will be a logical meshing and compression of all the intelligent moving parts. Like in any other new technology, eventually there are fewer hoops, fewer components, and it becomes a new normal,” she says. “Pattern recognition will be an easy-to-do, every day activity.”
FOUNDATION BUILDER
Jay Gnuse came of age with the personal computer, turning a college gig tutoring staff at local construction company Chief Industries on the use of the popular Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet into a career that grew with the IT needs of the Grand Island, Nebraska-based company.
Founded in 1954, Chief Industries today boasts seven global divisions whose businesses range from
As agricultural equipment maker and construction contractor Chief Industries “turns to digital” to continue its expansion, it’ll also turn to IT Director Jay Gnuse to provide a resilient technology foundation and the new, digital tools it will need to further streamline logistics and distribution.
building agricultural processing equipment and storage facilities to operating ethanol plants. The number of computers Gnuse manages also has grown in the intervening years—from those first two IBM PCs to more than 850 today.
Throughout his time at Chief—as IS manager then IT director—Gnuse always sought to build cost-effective digital systems that reliably supported the growing company’s business objectives. Under his IT leadership, Chief Industries recently served as beta testers of enterprise software from its ERP provider, but he’s most proud of the strong, creative and fiscally responsible team he’s built. “We do a good job of satisfying user needs while keeping costs down,” Gnuse says.
But that’s starting to change as the company “looks to digital” not only to support current business processes but to enable further growth and efficiency gains. For example, much of his team’s recent efforts have been directed to modernizing and securing the company’s digital infrastructure in preparation for the future, an effort for which Cisco Systems recently awarded them a Technology Innovation Award for “improving business through digital transformation.”
“The shop floor is looking to automate, to make operations more efficient,” Gnuse adds. Imagine, if you will, thousands of construction components destined for multiple sites that have to be loaded onto trucks and timed to arrive at the right site at the right time—over projects that last weeks or months. “Logistics and parts tracking, likely using RFID, is what we’ll be working on soon.”
CLOUD OR BUST
From the start of his career at automotive Tier 1 supplier Dana Inc., Allen Blackmore was thrust into the world of manufacturing software and data analytics, where he soon earned a reputation for being able to stand up applications that could begin delivering value quickly. “Not all systems have to be huge,” Blackmore says. “You often have the opportunity to make an impact in a short time.” That reputation served Blackmore well, when the CIO of First Solar was looking to build a team to support the rapid scale-up of production at the photovoltaic systems supplier in the mid-2000s.
First Solar’s Allen Blackmore has worked diligently to move all of the company’s manufacturing data into the cloud to facilitate advanced analytics on manufacturing processes. The rest of the company’s data is next: “The next evolution for us is a data lake where we can bring in unstructured data. The cloud allows a new scale of analytics that is impossible with on-premise solutions.”
In his time at Dana and in his 12 ensuing years at First Solar, Blackmore has never seen himself as part of the IT cubicle culture. Rather, he sees his role as working closely with other parts of the business to educate them on what digital technology can do—and helping them to make it happen. “I love what I do,” Blackmore says. “I consider myself successful when I help others understand what’s possible, when I see that light bulb go off.”
Recently he’s worked to move all of the company’s manufacturing data into the cloud to facilitate advanced analytics on manufacturing processes. The next step is getting the rest of company’s data onto that same platform—sales, finance, everything. “As First Solar matures, the next evolution for us is a data lake where we can bring in unstructured data. The cloud allows a new scale of analytics that is impossible with on-premise solutions,” Blackmore says.
Blackmore’s clearly bullish on the power of analytics and on cloud technology, comparing the cloud to a puzzle that can be put together in multiple ways for value or cost advantages. The cloud may even be the ultimate solution to IT/OT convergence issues, he says. “Industry can collect data directly to the cloud,” he notes. “What if it took on 100% of the data? Security and performance are important attributes, of course, but what if OT gave up control?”
THE NON-INCREMENTALIST
Even as a newly minted chemical engineering grad, Steve Bitar saw his mission in life as finding better ways to do things. “I wanted to see step changes, not incremental gains—all I wanted to do was innovation,” he says. And when he learned that one of the new computers they had onsite at the Mobil refinery in Paulsboro, N.J., could be used move valves, he was hooked.
But this was the early 1980s, and some of the control applications he had been developing on the side ran up against a supervisor who—unbeknownst to him—had promised the refinery manager that the computers would not be used for control. Management came around in the end, but not before Bitar feared for his job. “It almost went terribly wrong,” Bitar says. Since that time, he’s worked at 13 different plant locations in the ExxonMobil organization and has learned that in conservative industries like oil refining, you have to be careful with respect to innovation. “Too much and you make people nervous.”
It was fitting, then, that Bitar ultimately found a home in ExxonMobil’s Research and Engineering organization, where he’s had a freer rein to “find ways of doing cool things that no one has done before.” He cites an early multivariable control application where a new model development methodology dramatically reduced the time required to build a model—largely because they moved as many as nine variables at a time, rather than the tradition one-at-a-time approach. “It took four business days rather than two weeks of 24x7 effort,” Bitar says. “I’m always amazed when we can do things better, faster and cheaper. I’ve always found enough pockets of innovation to keep me happy.”
But Bitar’s biggest innovation likely remains ahead of him. Starting in 2012, he took up the company’s initiative to figure out a way to make modernization, migration and lifecycle management of the company’s fleet of distributed control systems (DCS) a less painful proposition. That initiative resulted in the Open Process Automation Forum, an industry-wide initiative designed to develop a more open architecture that would ultimately allow the continuous evolution of on-process control systems technology—without the need for extensive, multi-year updates. “We’ll upgrade as a matter of course,” Bitar predicts, “adding compute as needed and unlocking innovation along the way.”
THE EDGE OF TRANSFORMATION
Ask Irene Petrick and Faith McCreary about the work they do at Intel, and it’s easy to see how the duo found each other “at the edge of transformation,” studying the factors that influence how readily industrial organizations embrace digital technologies—and what can be done to ease that transformation’s disruptiveness for the individuals involved.
Petrick and McCreary bring complementary perspectives and experiences to the task, which perhaps explains why their collaboration has been as productive as it has. The pair recently published the results of a six-month joint research project in which they examined the role-based differences likely to influence acceptance of IIoT technologies, obstacles to change for both manufacturing workers and leaders, and leadership strategies for accelerating the transition to the intelligent factory of Industry 4.0. (The two presented the results of that study at the Smart Industry 2018 conference.)
A human factors engineer by training, McCreary’s study of mathematical modeling—“I loved the patterns”—ultimately brought her to NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab, where she worked on the human side of deep space navigation. Then it was on industrial and systems engineering, where she studied how technology is introduced into organizations. She’s currently a principal engineer and user experience researcher in Intel’s Internet of Things group.
Petrick took a similarly circuitous path to her current role as director of industrial innovation in the company’s IoT group. She started in business and economics, but she wasn’t quite satisfied with how the models used in these fields often require one to “assume away reality” in order to make them work. She then turned to industry where she studied manufacturing strategy from both technology and business perspectives with a focus on innovation. A stint in academia including a broad range of industry collaborations led to a project for Intel, “and when they asked me to stay, I said ‘yes,’” Petrick says.
Both McCreary and Petrick are fascinated by the opportunity to better understand the complex landscape that characterizes the digital transformation of industry. “You can’t look at one aspect and understand what’s happening,” says Petrick. “It’s technology, people and the environment in which they meet.”
Clearly, factories of tomorrow will be more autonomous than they are today, and McCreary and Petrick are seeking to help companies understand where their operations fit in the spectrum of future possibilities—and how they can best get there.
“It’s very satisfying to do research that is both interesting and useful,” adds McCreary. “And we’re finding that sweet spot.”
CAPTIVE VENTURE CAPITALIST
How does a large, multinational company tap into and leverage the creative ideas of its people when its more than 83,000 employees are spread across more than 40 countries around the globe?
“We often say we don’t have technology problems, we have awareness problems.” BAE Systems’ John Kelly has led the development of Empower Innovation, a digital platform to coordinate and encourage innovation across the organization’s 83,000 employees regardless of role or geography, and to evaluate and nurture the most promising ideas.
If you’re BAE Systems, you tap John Kelly to build a digital platform to coordinate and encourage innovation across the organization regardless of role or geography, and to evaluate and nurture the most promising ideas. Called “Empower Innovation,” the organization Kelly today directs is equal parts crowd-sourced idea management system and internal venture capital fund. “Our mission is to engage our workforce to solve problems and to develop new capabilities,” he says.
Empower Innovation was created in large part to make more accessible the often isolated pockets of expertise common to any large organization, Kelly explains. “We often say we don’t have technology problems, we have awareness problems.”
Kelly spent ten years at the U.S. Dept. of Defense before joining BAE Systems 15 years ago, and has spent much of that entire time focused on the rapid development of complex, innovative systems. One notable initiative that came out of the company’s Empower Innovation process is the development and scale-up of mixed (augmented) and virtual reality systems that are easier and more efficient to develop and use.
The company partnered with PTC and Microsoft to develop “guided work instructions” to both bring operators up to speed quickly, and to assist them during actual assembly operations of complex battery systems. “Training time is down 40%, and assembly time is down 50%,” Kelly says of efficiencies gained using the mixed reality tools. The company also has used mixed reality in critical design reviews with clients to help them understand complex issues quickly, and full virtual reality in the design of factory-floor layouts. “We’ve saved significant time and money,” Kelly says.
Currently, BAE Systems is working to link the guided work instructions that its operators use on the floor all the way back to its CAD/CAM systems, so that when a design change is made it’s propagated all the way down the chain. Consider that as many as 5,000 individual components may be involved in one finished product’s assembly, and this task reveals itself as clearly nontrivial. “The ‘PDF on glass’ is the standard today,” Kelly adds, “but now we’re aiming to create a living, breathing link from the digital to the physical.”
Kelly also believes that the sort of information-sharing that BAE Systems is aiming to facilitate among its employees will someday soon take the shape of public, “flat-earth” access to domain expertise wherever it exists around the world. Competitive advantage will shift from large companies and academic institutions, with specialized know-how well publicized and well shared around the world, enabled by a global high-speed data fabric. “The winners will be organizations that can best understand customer needs and rapidly compose solutions.”
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
Graduating from college into the teeth of the oil price shock and early 1990s recession that dampened job prospects in his native Texas, Jeff N. Smith took a flyer: he moved to the Big Apple and soon was swept up in the burgeoning tech boom—first working for publications covering this exciting new frontier, then for a series of tech start-ups.
The one key constant in his early career was change itself, Smith says—a willingness to embark on
Jeff Smith prides himself on his ability to digest risk in order to place a claim on the future. That outlook has led him from a start-up exchange for carbon credits to now steering the IoT fortunes of Parker Hannifin, the 100-year-old maker of industrial components that go into machines ranging from submarines to spaceships. He’s educating the company’s 150 divisions and more than 300 companies on the financial and technical realities of digital transformation.
uncertain paths and to build from the ground up, often from scratch. “I’ve always been willing to digest risk in order to place a claim on the future.”
Indeed, Smith found that nursing a new business concept from idea to reality—then finding customers who could benefit from that new offering—was particularly fulfilling and satisfying. He points to a smart grid technology solution that he helped take all the way from whiteboard to deployment at hundreds of locations across four continents. “It’s really made a difference in their lives,” Smith says.
That passion is serving Smith well in his current role as business development lead for Parker Hannifin’s central IoT team. In that position, he’s responsible for helping the $12 billion component manufacturer discover how the new world of connected products and services can be applied to the seven groups, 150 divisions and more than 300 diverse companies that make up the Parker Hannifin organization.
“This year, Parker Hannifin celebrates a hundred years of making components that go into other companies’ products—from submarines to spaceships,” Smith notes. “We have some plants running 24/7 to meet demand, which can make it hard to treat the IIoT a priority. To have meaningful conversations, I have to boil the IIoT down into its primary colors—the what and the why of the IIoT.”
BUILDER OF THE IOT WORKFORCE
Trent Salvaggio has a uniquely broad perspective on the Internet of Things. As executive director of the IoT Talent Consortium, he leads the non-profit consortium of industry, government and academic organizations in its effort to “inspire, create and grow the organizations and workforces needed to drive IoT-enabled digital transformation across every sector.”
Before joining the IoT Talent Consortium, Salvaggio led an array of commercial digital transformation efforts ranging from outsourcing logistics to payroll processing. In each case, what was needed was “execution on initiatives across widespread, diverse organizations with multiple cultures,” Salvaggio says. “The common theme in my experience is bringing together teams—finding out who has the right skills, who has the right education and bringing them together.”
In his current role, Salvaggio is working to coordinate the efforts of academia, industry and government across a variety of verticals, each of which is at different stage with a different set of problems—from smart cities to smart healthcare to smart factories. “Keeping up with change across such a broad swath of society is a real challenge,” Salvaggio confesses. “Often, a big challenge is not knowing what we don’t know.”
One of his key tasks lies in understanding and predicting the future of jobs and work, and one thing’s for sure: it’s not in repetitive tasks, Salvaggio says. “Digital transformation is being driven by human ingenuity.” The future won’t be about specialists, but about generalists who can work as part of a team. “It’s time to look at everything, challenge everything,” he says. “Success will be a different type of worker.”
Salvaggio is particularly proud of the work the IoT Talent Consortium has done in the realm of education, such as helping MIT to develop its Internet of Things curriculum. Plenty of work remains, however, as indicated by the ongoing disparity between academia assessments (high) and employer assessments (low) of graduating student preparedness.
And while the challenges are daunting, Salvaggio’s excited to be able to positively impact workforce preparedness on such a large scale. “I’ve got the best job in the world,” he says.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST-IN-TRAINING
Alan Amling, who today serves as vice president of corporate strategy for UPS, exemplifies the life-long learner. A 26-year employee of the global leader in logistics, he’s now back in graduate school, seeking to help UPS remain as innovative and relevant in today’s increasingly digital economy as it has been for the first 111 years of its existence.
“My dissertation is exploring threat recognition in incumbent firms—the process of moving from knowledge to action,” Amling says. “My aim is to expand the boundaries of the disruptive innovation theory of Clayton Christensen—who is on my dissertation committee—and provide guidance to UPS and other companies hoping to avoid their own ‘Kodak Moment.’ I’m two and a half years into that journey and going through the most intense learning period of my life.”
Amling is also corporate strategy lead for the company’s Additive Manufacturing Initiative, a capability he sees as key to staying ahead of the digital curve. “Recently, I also began leading UPS Ventures where we’re investing in innovative companies that can help UPS fill capability gaps in a changing and dynamic global marketplace.”
Amling graduated college (for the first time!) with a double major in business and psychology, but after a few years at forest-products company Weyerhauser realized he would need to augment these softer skills with the hard skills of finance, economics and operations to advance. After completing his MBA, he thought he would join a marketing-focused company like P&G or Nestle, but interviewed and took a job with UPS when they came to campus. “I moved from an industrial engineering group to the marketing strategy group at the corporate office, and begged to join a special assignment team looking at how the internet would impact commerce….and it was off to the races!”
“Professionally, I’m very focused on helping UPS make the jump from the industrial economy to the digital economy, from a supplier-centric supply chain to a consumer-centric supply chain, and from ‘the tightest ship in the shipping industry’ to one that is also highly adaptable and agile.”
But that path forward is anything but clear, says Amling, referencing a recent dissertation discussion with Christensen. “He told me that it would be a great contribution if I could help companies see that the most important information to their future survival is the information that has not been created yet,” Amling says. “Consequently, my prediction is that today’s method of looking at the past to predict the future will be, well, a thing of the past.
“I like the analogy that the industrial economy is like playing chess and the digital economy is more like mixed martial arts. If you expect the right hook based on past experience, you open yourself up to being kicked in the head. Being highly agile and adaptable will rule the day.”
Alan Amling, UPS—VP Corporate Strategy
Jolene Baker, LSI Logistical Systems—Senior Manufacturing Intelligence Specialist
Billy B. Bardin, The Dow Chemical Company—Global Operations Technology Director
From his early days crunching revenue forecasts for big-budget Hollywood films, Parag Vaish has long practiced making disciplined, de-risked decisions based on limited information. Today he’s in charge of consumers’ digital relationship with the Tesla brand, including their electric cars and home energy solutions—and helping to advance the company’s mission to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Dean Bartles, University of New Hampshire—Director, John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center
Crystal Bettinger, Westar Energy—Supervisor of Predictive Maintenance
Steve Bitar, ExxonMobil Research & Engineering—R&D Program Manager
Allen Blackmore, First Solar—Solutions Architect, Business Intelligence
Randal “Scott” Carter, Georgia-Pacific—VP Automation Innovation
Sanjay Choubey, Briggs + Stratton—Global Digital Strategy & Transformation Leader
Ted Colbert, Boeing—CIO, SVP IT & Data Analytics
Neil Crockett, Rolls-Royce Group—Chief Digital Officer
Paul Daugherty, Accenture—Chief Technology & Innovation Officer
Thomas Doney, Nestle Development Center—Expert Engineer
Michael Dudzic, ArcelorMittal Dofasco—General Manager, Industrial Automation
Jim Fowler, VP & Group CIO—GE
Newell Franks, Burr OAK Tool—Chairman, CEO
Tom Gaasenbeek likes to say he is “always up to something.” For example, he came to the early realization in 1994 that all machine tools should be connected to the internet, and celebrates November 11, 2000, as the day the world settled on XML as the standard way to do just that. Among his industry contributions is his work on the OMAC XML effort that ultimately led to MTConnect, the increasingly accepted standard now being used to allow machine tools to participate in the Industrial Internet of Things.
Tom Gaasenbeek, Nexas Networks—CEO
Dan Gamota, Jabil—VP Engineering & Technology Services
Jay Gnuse, Chief Industries—Information Technology Director
Jens Gralfs, Airbus Group—VP Research & Technology
Matt Griffiths, Stanley Black + Decker Industrial—CIO
Peggy Gulick, AGCO—Director, Digital Transformation, Global Manufacturing
Edith Harmon-Weiss, New Balance—VP Manufacturing Innovation
Ahmed Hashmi, BP—Global Head, Upstream Technology
Chris Heck, Duke Energy—CIO
Julie Holstad, Southern Company—Engineering Manager, Data Acquisition & Cyber Security
Michael Hurley, Flint Hills Resources—CIO
Brian Hurst, Exelon Utilities—Chief Analytics Officer
John Kelly, BAE Systems—Director of Empower Innovation
Don Kinard, Lockheed Martin—Senior Fellow
Greg Leveille, ConocoPhillips—CTO
Since leaving business school in the 1993, Altimeter’s Charlene Li has felt most at home in the midst of digital transformation. So much so, that she wrote the book. Look for "The Disruptor’s Agenda: How to Create a Strategy for Breakthrough Growth" at bookstores and online coming in February 2019.
Charlene Li, Altimeter—Principal Analyst
Dale Malony, Honda of America—OT & Asset Monitoring Leader
Faith McCreary, Intel—Principal Engineer & User Experience Researcher
Laura Merling, UTC—Chief Digital Officer
Rolf Paeper, Ingersoll Rand—VP Digital Solutions
Irene Petrick, Intel—Director Industrial Innovation, IoT Group
Allison Radecki, Beam Suntory—CIO
Chris Renken, Constellation Brands—VP Manufacturing Systems
Gavin Rennick, Schlumberger—President, Software Integrated Solutions
Carlos Ruiz, L’Oreal—Senior Vice President, Manufacturing North America
Trent Salvaggio, IoT Talent Consortium—Executive Director
Vivek Sankaran, Frito-Lay North America—President, COO
Didier Sassereau, Gebo Cermex—Product Manager
Narinder Singh is leading the efforts of global agribusiness leader Olam International to define the strategic roadmap for manufacturing operations and procurement that will deliver Olam’s vision to be “the most differentiated and valuable global agri-business by 2040.” Across the company, he is working with diverse, multifunctional teams—including both “digital dinosaurs” and Millenials—to evaluate those transformations that are most important to the company’s future, anticipate digital disruption to get benefits of early mover status, and establish a digital culture for the future.
Narinder Pal Singh, OLAM International—VP Engineering
Jeff Smith, Parker Hannifin—IoT Business Development
Yves Gorat Stommel, Evonik—Director, Business Development & Innovation
Derek Travella, Monsanto—Reliability Systems Lead
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Burton News
Burton Town Centre
Popular Beacon pub in Burton temporarily closes but should open within 'a few weeks'
A fire ripped through the Tutbury Road location in 2008 leading to a massive refurbishment
Ben WaldronTrainee Reporter
16:43, 1 MAY 2018
Updated 16:57, 1 MAY 2018
A popular Burton pub which fought back from a huge blaze causing £600,000 of damage has closed its doors again - but is set to re-open "within weeks."
The Beacon in Tutbury Road, has been run by Star Pubs and Bars since August 2017, when the group took over the business from Punch Taverns.
A spokesman for Star Pubs and Bars, the leased pub side of Heineken UK, confirmed the Beacon had closed 'at some point in the last week,' but should reopen within "next few weeks."
The pub group said: "Unfortunately, through circumstances beyond our control, Beacon Hotel in Burton has closed temporarily until a new licensee can be appointed.
The Beacon in 2016
"We hope to be able to reopen it in the next few weeks, subject to finding an operator to take it on. We'd like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by its temporary closure."
One well-known former landlord of the Beacon was Councillor Simon Gaskin, the current Mayor of East Staffordshire. who was at the pub for more than 30 years, taking over from his father Tony and mother. He finally left in March 2013.
During his time in charge, the building was ravaged by a fire which caused it to close for around eight months between March and November 2008.
The blaze was believed to have been caused by a faulty light fitting, and dramatic pictures showed how flames ripped through the roof of the building.
Services respond to the fire in 2008
The total cost of the damage was estimated at around £600,000, and the Beacon eventually reopened following a major refurbishment. Councilllor Gaskin chose not to comment on the closure of the pub at the time.
One victim of the closure is Burton Folk Club, who have warned members that they will no longer be meeting at the Beacon, but will instead now gather at The Albion, in Shobnall Road.
Organiser of the club, Geoff Noble said: "We were very sorry to leave the Beacon and would like to thank Keith and all his staff for hosting us.
Green King pub duo to take on London Marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support
"We are most fortunate to have found this excellent venue at such short notice and look forward to settling in for the remainder of the season and hopefully for the foreseeable future.
"What has not changed is the warm welcome and excellent entertainment that we shall continue to offer."
The Folk Club will now be based at the Evershed Suite at The Albion, where around 70 people can be accommodated.
Their first get-together at the new venue will be on Friday, May 4, with the visit of American folk singer, Jeff Warner. Admission is priced at £10, with doors opening at 7.30pm, for an 8pm start.
Chesterfield Arms in Bretby officially reopens after major revamp - and will be serving a tasty carvery
Mr Noble confirmed that they are unsure of the whole situation and are not making any commitments in terms of moving the folk club back to the Beacon once it reopens.
Known as a base for Burton members of the Derby County Supporters Club, it was reopened following the blaze by the Burton Mayor at the time, Liz Staples and Rams football legend, Roger Davies.
The pub has a series of six linked rooms inside, with sitting rooms and lounge areas. It also has a separate function room, family room and garden complete with children's play area at the rear of the premises.
East Staffordshire Borough Council
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Home News AY Young pivots Battery Tour to music festival benefitting those without power
AY Young pivots Battery Tour to music festival benefitting those without power
By: Tommy Felts and Bobby Burch- May 17, 2018
AY Young, Battery Tour
With an ear-to-ear grin and his infectious laugh, AY Young admits he’s perhaps an unlikely rapper.
Back from taking a shot at stardom in California, the Kansas City-born Eagle Scout-turned-college basketball player-turned performer is plugging into the entrepreneur community in hopes of more efficiently powering the Battery Tour.
“We’re essentially using the universal language of music to solve universal problems,” Young said of the venture, through which he recently graduated from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac program.
The vision is to translate the Battery Tour — Young’s street corner social music movement — into a self-sustained music festival from which net proceeds can be used to purchase solar-powered batteries that can be sent to those in need, he said.
“There’s over a billion people who don’t have access to electricity — or maybe they have access, but only for a certain amount of time,” Young said. “Then you have disasters; we still have 800,000 people in Puerto Rico without power.”
Battery Tour already has found a tech partner in Conner Hazelrigg, Young said. Hazelrigg’s startup, 17° 73° Innovation Co., produces the Sunshine Box, a portable solar-charging station that can charge 10 devices at a time.
The Battery Tour endeavor could lend itself well to a nonprofit model, Young said, noting the financial uncertainty of the entertainment business. He’s still working through the structure alongside partner Christen Barber, who acts as executive director and handles much of the day-to-day operations, he said.
And they’ve received no shortage of advice.
“Everybody wants to tell you what to do with what you’ve made,” Young said, laughing.
Keep reading after the video.
Changing charging stations
Homeschooled for most of his childhood, Young didn’t discover music until he was about 16, he said.
The street performer’s creativity began with poetry — some of which was inspired by the divided Kansas City he observed around him.
“I thought it was weird that you could be [in a poorer neighborhood at] 39th and Troost, and then you drive a couple of blocks and there’s nice houses, then the Country Club Plaza — and it’s sudden. It’s ridiculous,” Young said. “But that divide that was there eight or nine years ago is starting to disappear. It’s a lot different now.”
His first song, “Stick This Thing in Your Pocket,” began as a poem spoken over the strumming of his brother AJ Young’s guitar.
“I guess that was rap,” he said. “I didn’t really know at the time because my parents didn’t let me listen to rap. We mostly listened to Christian music — I mean, I was in the church six days a week. So, it’s weird to say, but I was 15 or 16 and I didn’t even know what rap was.”
Young’s parents were civic and neighborhood advocates, helping to found the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association, he said.
“I learned so much independently by watching my dad, who was an entrepreneur, make his own construction company very successful,” Young said. “Watching my parents add value to the community in Kansas City has put me where I am today.”
After graduating from Lincoln Prep High School, he played guard for the University of Kansas City-Missouri basketball team. But while athletics taught him about about hard work and how to “put 10,000 hours into your craft,” it wasn’t his passion.
Young (as “AY Musik”) and his brother auditioned for the FOX TV show “X-Factor” in 2012, earning screen time with such music heavyweights as L.A. Reid, Simon Cowell and Britney Spears. They even received four “yes” votes from the judges, further affirming Young’s belief that his future would be grounded in music, he said.
“After the show, I wanted to say ‘Hey!’ to the world,” Young said. “I wanted people hear my music. I wanted to make an impact with music as the vehicle.”
The music video for his song “Say Hey” was filmed at locations across Kansas City.
But the gigs didn’t follow. Young couldn’t get in front of booking agents because he wasn’t yet established enough, he said. Pop-up performances on curbside venues seemed the best available option, Young said.
“Walking around, you might see somebody playing the guitar on the street corner, but I’m not a guitar player. I was mainly a rapper then,” he said, noting the challenges. “Plus, when you’re talking about performing somewhere like the Riot Room, you’re talking about a big sound system, It has to sound right. But how do you do that without electricity?”
Figuring out how to power a concert anywhere sparked the earliest incarnation of the Battery Tour — aptly named because the shows themselves were juiced independently of an established venue.
First performing on the Country Club Plaza, which earlier in his life helped inspire his poetry, Young’s shows quickly evolved. As he gained popularity, he realized he couldn’t fill the entire lineup with just his rap. Collaborators joined the spotlight.
“It became a mix of dance party, open mic night, and a concert,” he said. “I was doing a show every day to eat and live, charge my batteries and go to the next city or state. And it just turned into a movement — not being selfish with anything, collaborating with visual artists, collaborating with live painters, collaborating with musicians, whoever wanted the platform.”
The Battery Tour helped Young gain the exposure he needed. He opened for such artists as Shaggy, T-Pain, Wiz Khalifa and Aaron Carter — and he’s set to do the same for Wyclef Jean Aug. 24 at Crossroads KC at Grinders, Young said.
Performing about 230 shows in 2017, he even was in the midst of developing a pilot in California for Netflix, he said. The show would have followed Young and the Battery Tour from concert to concert, but the deal fell apart because of internal strife within his team, he said.
“I fell flat on my face with having the wrong people around me when I was close to attaining that success,” Young said.
What some would call a failure became an opportunity to pivot the Battery Tour’s mission, he said. Returning to Kansas City, Young embraced the idea of making a community-driven impact with his concerts.
“At the end of the day, I do just love music and want to be able to do it freely, whether there’s money involved or not,” he said.
Young has partnered brands with H3 Enterprises, whose co-founder Roy Scott encountered a similar brush with quick national success that also slipped away too soon.
“We hit it off immediately,” Young said. “His story really resonated with me.”
Scott has become a mentor, he said, along with H3 co-founder Reggie Gray, Landon Young at Give VC, Sally Williams at UMKC, and entrepreneurial consultant Jill Meyer.
“I’m really getting plugged into entrepreneurial resources — even just understanding what an entrepreneur is — and trying to figure out how to keep Batter Tour going,” he said.
Tags: Battery TourAY YoungAaron YoungAY MusikAJ YoungSally WilliamsH3Healthy Hip HopFastTracRoy ScottH3 EnterprisesReggie GrayH3TVSunshine Box17° 73° Innovation Co.Conner HazelriggLandon YoungKauffman FoundationJill MeyerEwing Marion Kauffman Foundation
More jobs than job seekers? SnapIT-led tech partnership trains next wave of workers
Truck-sharing startup Bungii expands into another huge market
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Stites & Harbison's John Famularo Inducted into UK College of Law Hall of Fame
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC
LEXINGTON, Ky.—The University of Kentucky College of Law recently inducted Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney John Famularo to its Hall of Fame for 2015. Inclusion in the Hall of Fame is the highest honor one can receive from the College of Law. Famularo was inducted during the Kentucky Bar Association annual convention held at the Lexington Convention Center on June 17.
Nominees for the Hall of Fame must meet specific criteria with final selections made by the Board of Directors of the Law Alumni Association. To qualify, nominees must have earned their J.D. not less than 10 years prior to consideration or have taught at the College of Law not less than 20 years prior to consideration. The top candidates have reached the pinnacle of success in their field and remained at that level long enough to show perseverance, have had their success and contributions recognized by their peers and/or have demonstrated a significant positive influence on the College of Law.
Famularo is a Member (Partner) of Stites & Harbison based in Lexington. He has been an active trial lawyer for more than 30 years. He successfully argued the boundary dispute case of Ohio v. Kentucky before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973, and has successfully secured verdicts in more than 100 trials in a wide range of cases. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), an honor reserved for only the top 1% of trial lawyers in America. He has been active in ACTL, including serving as a Regent and State Chair. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Kentucky Bar Association. His practice is primarily in defense of pharmaceutical companies, product liability matters, class action defense and complex litigation. He has served as Chief Judge of the 22nd Judicial District in Lexington and is General Counsel for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington.
Since earning his J.D. from UK, Famularo has kept strong ties to the university. He has served as an adjunct law professor and is a University of Kentucky Fellow.
Litigation & Appeals Antitrust, Consumer Protection & Attorney General Defense Appellate Advocacy Class Action, Mass Action & Multi-District Litigation Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Litigation Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith & Regulatory Litigation Professional Liability Litigation Environmental Litigation Equine Practice
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Swansong reunion at Hua Yi school's Margaret Drive site
Former Hua Yi students (from left, back, standing) Tan Kok Boon, 45, and Kenny Sim, 44; (second row) Anston Tan, 39; Wang Xiang Qin (wearing a tie), 52, and Cai Yiren, 49; (on the ground) Michael Chia, 43, Huang Qing Yuan (in stripes), 68, and Benny Lee, 53, at the field of the former campus in Margaret Drive that will be the stage for the concert on March 29. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
http://str.sg/Cdg
Alumni organising concert at old school field before area is redeveloped
Melody Zaccheus
Heritage and Community Correspondent
melodyz@sph.com.sg
An abandoned track and field once used by Hua Yi Government Chinese Middle School will be the stage for a reunion concert for staff and students past and present before the area is redeveloped.
Around 2,000 people will fill the concrete seats on March 29 at the site, tucked away in a forgotten corner of Queenstown.
The two-hour-long concert will feature alumni such as veteran singers Huang Qing Yuan and Wu Gan, and former TV host Wang Xiang Qin.
The concert will be the swansong for the field at 801, Margaret Drive. The area and its surroundings will be replaced largely by residential development under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's masterplan. A spokesman said the timeline has yet to finalised.
The field is the last sign of the old school, which operated from 1958 to 1982 before moving to Jurong. The campus next door was demolished in 2012.
The impending development galvanised former students to set up an alumni society in 2012. The group is organising the concert - one last bash to celebrate the "end of an era", said vice-president Michael Chia, 43.
"We started the society with about a dozen members who wanted to champion and capture the school's legacy and history - before the developer's axe swung into action," said Mr Chia, a lawyer.
Hua Yi school was established in 1956 by Chinese philanthropists and clan leaders at an interim site. It moved to Margaret Drive in 1957, building a reputation as a premier Chinese school for its excellence in academics, Chinese arts and sports.
With growing intake, it moved from Margaret Drive to Depot Road in the early 1980s and became an English-medium school. In 2000, it moved again, to its current premises in Jurong West Street 42.
Mr Anston Tan, 39, the alumni society's secretary and a director of an engineering company, told The Straits Times: "The school's 22,000 graduates, from three different campuses, have three distinct cultures. We organised the reunion to get everyone together as one Hua Yi and to showcase the school's history to the current batch of students."
The reunion concert tickets are $35 each, with proceeds going to help defray the cost of the approximately $100,000 event.
Only 100 tickets are left. They can be bought by calling 9222-0329 until March 21.
There will also be a photography exhibition featuring old and new images collected from past and present students across the school's 58-year history.
The society will also launch a scholarship in honour of the late principal Huang Shu Fen, who served from 1964 to 1972, at the concert.
Details are still being worked out but it is aimed at current Hua Yi Secondary School students who excel. It is starting with a seed fund of $10,000.
Former students said they look forward to returning to the campus and reliving their carefree student days amid an area that is changing fast.
Many changes have swept the estate. Landmarks such as the Margaret Drive hawker centre and Queenstown cinema and bowling centre, which they frequented, have been demolished.
Former student Tan Kok Boon, 45, the director of a private investigation firm who is the alumni society's assistant treasurer, told The Straits Times that the school field is where many of them left their footprints. "If we don't do something to remember the school, we will regret it when it's gone."
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Tuesday's World Events — Posted on May 10, 2011
SAMOA – Samoa to shift back west of international dateline
APIA – The South Pacific island nation of Samoa announced plans Monday to jump forward in time by one day by switching to the west side of the international dateline – 119 years after it moved the other way in a bid to boost its trade and economy.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi cited the same reasons for shifting back, saying moving forward a day will make doing business with key partners Australia and New Zealand “far, far easier and more convenient.”
The move will see the independent Polynesian nation share the same date and a similar time as its Pacific neighbors, including Australia and New Zealand.
Samoa and neighboring American Samoa lied west of the international dateline until 1892, when a U.S. business trader convinced both to switch to the east, moving back to the previous day’s date. Samoa has long marketed itself as the last place on earth to see the sun each day.
“A local trader lobbied successfully for the change as it was convenient for trading ships from Europe and the United States that were servicing Samoa at the time,” Tuilaepa said in a statement. “But our trading partners have dramatically changed since, and today we do a lot more business with New Zealand and Australia, China and Pacific Rim countries such as Singapore.”
Tuilaepa said Samoa is currently losing out on two working days a week doing business with New Zealand and Australia.
“While it’s Friday here, it’s Saturday in New Zealand, and when we’re at church Sunday, they’re already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane,” he said.
The shift will put the dateline between Samoa and American Samoa, a U.S. territory, but Tuilaepa said that would create “exciting tourism opportunities.”
ISRAEL – Israel celebrates its 63rd Independence Day
JERUSALEM – Israel’s somber memorial day [beginning at sundown May 8th and ending at sundown May 9th] for fallen soldiers gave way to Independence Day celebrations [beginning at sundown May 9th and ending at sundown May 10th] at nightfall on Monday…
At Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel’s national cemetery, Israelis kindled 12 huge torches to signify the start of the holiday marking Israel’s 63rd birthday. Soldiers marched in formation, and fireworks lit up skies across the nation on a mild spring evening. …..
Cities and towns set up outdoor stages for singers and dance troupes to provide entertainment late into the night.
In contrast to Memorial Day, when Israelis visit to cemeteries and share tales of survivors and sad recollections of wartime losses, Independence Day is a joyful celebration when people flock to picnics, parties and hikes in natural reserves….
Military bases were opening for visits, and the Israeli air force planned flybys over much of the country as part of the festivities.
The grouping of mournful Memorial Day with Independence Day celebrations is intentional, to show the link between the costly wars Israel has fought and the establishment and survival of the Jewish state.
The state was founded on May 14, 1948, when the British mandate over Palestine ended. (see “Background” below)
Israel celebrates its Independence Day according to the Hebrew calendar. Palestinians, in contrast, mark the occasion with a day of mourning, calling the creation of Israel “al-Naqba,” Arabic for catastrophe…
RUSSIA – Russia marks Victory Day with vast parade
MOSCOW – Tens of thousands of…soldiers marched…across Red Square Monday in Russia’s annual Victory Day display of military might, while President Dmitry Medvedev said the country is committed to peace and global stability.
The parade, marking the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II, is the centerpiece of Russia’s most solemn secular holiday, both commemorating the Soviet Union’s enormous sacrifices in the war and asserting the potency of its modern military.
The 20,000 troops who strode in precision formation through the vast square outside the Kremlin were followed by more than 100 pieces of mobile military hardware, from armored personnel carriers to…Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile launchers. It concluded with a squadron of helicopters carrying flags over the square but, unusually for recent years, did not include warplanes.
Although Russian armed forces suffered from severe funding shortages and morale problems in the early years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the parade put forth the image of a spit-and-polish and vigorous military, with an emphasis on discipline and precision. The parade announcer even praised the “maximal synchronization” with which the cars carrying Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Moscow Military District commander Col.-Gen. Valery Gerasimov approached each other in the center of the square.
Medvedev told the crowd, which included many war veterans festooned with medals and ribbons, that restoring the military would continue. …..
“Today Russia firmly upholds the principles of peaceful cooperation, consistently advocates for a security system and contributes to the overall effort to maintain global stability in the world,” he said in the speech from a tribune set up in front of the Lenin Mausoleum.
The mausoleum, the focal point of the square, was hidden behind an elaborate scrim painted to mark the holiday, reflecting the symbolic delicacy of commemorating a victory achieved by the Soviet regime that is now largely discredited. Some of the marching military units carried period flags bearing the Communist hammer-and-sickle emblem.
(The news briefs above are from wire reports and staff reports posted at: the San Diego Union-Tribune’s signonsandiego.com on May 8th and 9th.)
a) location/the countries that share its borders
b) the religious breakdown of the population
d) the chief of state (and head of government if different) [If monarch or dictator, since what date has he/she ruled? – include name of heir apparent for monarch]e) the population
[Find the answers at the CIA World FactBook website. For each country, answers can be found under the “Geography” “People” and “Government” headings. Go to worldatlas.com for a list of continents.]
2. For Samoa:
b) For what reason has the Samoan government decided to make this change?
3. For Israel:
b) Why does Israel celebrate Independence Day immediately after Memorial Day?
b) The surrender of Nazi Germany is celebrated as Victory Day on May 9th in Russia. What do we call the day the Nazis surrendered, commemorated by Western powers including the U.S. on May 8th?
ISRAEL: Memorial Day/Independence Day:
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) is the day on which Israel honors its fallen servicemen and women.
National memorial services are held in the presence of Israel’s top leadership and military personnel.
The day opens with a siren the preceding evening at 8:00 pm, given that in the Hebrew calendar system, the day begins at sunset.
The siren is heard all over the country and lasts for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything (including driving, which stops highways) and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect.
Many religious Jews say prayers for the souls of the fallen soldiers at this time.
The official ceremony to mark the opening of the day takes place at the Western Wall, and the flag of Israel is lowered to half staff.
A two-minute siren is heard at 11:00 the following morning, which marks the opening of the official memorial ceremonies and private remembrance gatherings at each cemetery where soldiers are buried.
The day officially draws to a close between 7-8 p.m. in the official ceremony of Israel Independence Day on Mount Herzl, when the flag of Israel is returned to full staff.
Scheduling Yom Hazikaron right before Yom Ha-Atzma’ut is intended to remind people of the price paid for independence and of what was achieved with the soldiers’ sacrifice.
This transition shows the importance of this day among Israelis, most of whom have served in the armed forces or have a connection with people who were killed during their military service. (from wikipedia)
HISTORY OF ISRAEL: (from the U.S. State Department website at state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm#profile)
The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was preceded by more than 50 years of efforts to establish a sovereign state as a homeland for Jews.
These efforts were initiated by Theodore Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, and were given added impetus by the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which asserted the British Government’s support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
In the years following World War I, Palestine became a British Mandate and Jewish immigration steadily increased, as did violence between Palestine’s Jewish and Arab communities.
Mounting British efforts to restrict this immigration were countered by international support for Jewish national aspirations following the near-extermination of European Jewry by the Nazis during World War II.
This support led to the 1947 UN partition plan, which would have divided Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under UN administration.
On May 14, 1948, soon after the British quit Palestine, the State of Israel was proclaimed and was immediately invaded by armies from neighboring Arab states, which rejected the UN partition plan.
This conflict, Israel’s War of Independence, was concluded by armistice agreements between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria in 1949 and resulted in a 50% increase in Israeli territory.
SAMOA: Read about the international dateline at worldatlas.com.
RUSSIA: Watch a news video of Russia’s 2011 Victory Day parade below:
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Top post Swiss aid chief to become US ambassador
This content was published on November 13, 2013 3:32 PM Nov 13, 2013 - 15:32
Martin Dahinden has been head of SDC since 2008
Martin Dahinden, head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), has been appointed ambassador to the United States. His move had been widely expected.
He takes over the post from Manuel Sager, who has been appointed Head of the SDC Cooperation with Eastern Europe division in Bern, the government announced on Wednesday.
Born in 1955, Dahinden has been head of the SDC since 2008. His previous post was at the helm of the foreign ministry’s Corporate Management section. From 2000 to 2004 he had been director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.
He joined the diplomatic service in 1987. During his career, he has held posts in Geneva, Paris, Nigeria and New York.
The SDC, which had a budget of CHF1.8 billion ($2 billion) in 2012, is currently undergoing some change. The Swiss foreign ministry plans to merge SDC offices with its embassies to improve the coordination of Swiss activities abroad, it was announced in August.
Dahinden’s new job – which had already been reported by the Swiss media in October - came as part of a string of appointments for 2014. Also going to new posts are Beat Nobs, currently Head of the Asia and Pacific Division of the foreign ministry’s Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern, who will be ambassador to Canada and Jean-Jacques de Dardel, currently Head of Mission in Paris, who will head up the embassy in China.
On Thursday the job vacancy for SDC director was officially posted by the foreign ministry. It is looking for a “cosmopolitan and dynamic personality” who has the power of persuasion and the ability to assert him or herself. The candidate should also have plenty of relevant experience, but also know the workings of the federal administration, the job advert said.
Swiss embassy in Washington
SDC: Martin Dahinden
Government statement on new ambassadors for 2014
Swiss aid chief to become US ambassador Nov 13, 2013 - 15:32 Martin Dahinden, head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), has been appointed ambassador to the United States. His move had been widely expected. He takes over the post from Manuel Sager, who has been appointed Head of the SDC Cooperation with Eastern Europe division in Bern, the government announced on Wednesday. Born in 1955, Dahinden has been head of the SDC since 2008. His previous post was at the helm of the foreign ministry’s Corporate Management section. From 2000 to 2004 he had been director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. He joined the diplomatic service in 1987. During his career, he has held posts in Geneva, Paris, Nigeria and New York. The SDC, which had a budget of CHF1.8 billion ($2 billion) in 2012, is currently undergoing some change. The Swiss foreign ministry plans to merge SDC offices with its embassies to improve the coordination of Swiss activities abroad, it was announced in August. Dahinden’s new job – which had already been reported by the Swiss media in October - came as part of a string of appointments for 2014. Also going to new posts are Beat Nobs, currently Head of the Asia and Pacific Division of the foreign ministry’s Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern, who will be ambassador to Canada and Jean-Jacques de Dardel, currently Head of Mission in Paris, who will head up the embassy in China. On Thursday the job vacancy for SDC director was officially posted by the foreign ministry. It is looking for a “cosmopolitan and dynamic personality” who has the power of persuasion and the ability to assert him or herself. The candidate should also have plenty of relevant experience, but also know the workings of the federal administration, the job advert said.
Foreign policy Concerns over embassy-aid merger plans
The Swiss foreign ministry plans to merge the offices of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with its embassies. Some experts ...
Aid debate Finding the right goals and motives for aid
What should development aid achieve? Is the goal changing from poverty reduction to stemming migration? The effectiveness and significance of the ...
By Jean-Michel Berthoud
Humanitarian challenges "We need new ways of working on the ground"
With one crisis following another, Switzerland wants aid workers to have access to victims from all sides. But Martin Dahinden, head of the Swiss ...
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McCain clinches Republican nomination
After encouraging students to participate in early voting last week, one student political group still had work to do Tuesday.
About 12 volunteers from the TCU Students for Barack Obama walked to Paschal High School on Tuesday to encourage people who voted during the day to return in the evening to participate in party caucuses.
It is the first time in a long time that the long-ignored evening caucuses have mattered for Texans.
After a weekend that had Democratic frontrunners almost tied in the polls, the Democratic race remained too close to call for most of the evening. Major TV networks projected that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton won Texas. Clinton also won a crucial victory in Ohio and won Rhode Island earlier in the night after Illinois Sen. Barack Obama overwhelmingly took Vermont.
Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. won all four states decisively, earning more than enough delegates to clinch his party’s nomination. McCain’s only remaining rival, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, bowed out of the race early in the night in Irving and vowed to support McCain for the presidency.
Of all Texas voters, about 66 percent voted Democrat in the primaries, with Hillary Clinton holding a 51-46 lead at about 1:30 a.m. with 85 percent of districts reporting. McCain held a 51-37 lead statewide at that time with 90 percent of districts reporting. In Tarrant County, Clinton posted a 51-45 lead over Obama with all districts reporting while McCain held a 47-42 lead.
The Youth Vote
Trey Flowers, a 2007 graduate, said he came back to TCU from his home state of Tennessee, where he worked with the Obama campaign in Nashville, to raise awareness among students.
“There are a whole range of issues we face as college students,” Flowers said. “If we don’t send a leader to Washington with the courage to stand up for us, then the issues we face today are going to turn into insurmountable problems down the road.”
Marley Clements, a sophomore premajor and co-coordinator for TCU Students for Barack Obama, said college students would be the most affected by the results of the election because the problems the president would deal with during his or her term would be the problems of their generation, such as the Iraq war and health care.
Megan O’Brien, a junior art history major, said it was important for her to make her opinion known.
“I don’t want to be involved in that generalization that young people are apathetic, because that does not describe me at all,” O’Brien said.
Party Divide
More than 1,200 citizens from four precincts voted in Tuesday’s primary elections at Paschal, with the Democratic Party reporting about 785 voters, and the Republicans attracting about 432, according to each party’s election judge. That difference was indicative of a statewide trend, with 65 percent of Texans attending Democratic primaries.
Stormy Lovett, an election judge for the Democratic Party, said many young voters showed, and the black and Hispanic turnout Tuesday was higher than she saw at last year’s local election.
“As far as the Democratic side, it’s been quite moving, and I’ve been voting for 20 years,” Lovett said. “The red state ain’t red anymore – it’s purple.”
Following the closing of the polling stations, more than 400 people filed into the school auditorium for the Democrat caucus at Paschal, while about 30 gathered in a classroom for the Republicans across the hall.
Greg Hughes, another Obama precinct captain, said the caucus at Paschal determined 17 delegates to go to the state convention. Of the 228 state delegates for the Democratic Party, 126 delegates were decided by primary votes and 67 were determined by caucus results.
Texas accounts for 140 Republican delegates, 96 of which are determined by primary vote. Three delegates are assigned to each of the state’s 32 congressional districts for a total of 96 delegates.
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In unstable times, the brain reduces cell production to help cope
News Aug 24, 2016
People who experience job loss, divorce, death of a loved one or any number of life's upheavals often adopt coping mechanisms to make the situation less traumatic.
While these strategies manifest as behaviors, a Princeton University and National Institutes of Health (NIH, US) study suggests that our response to stressful situations originates from structural changes in our brain that allow us to adapt to turmoil.
See Also: Specific gene linked to adult growth of brain cells, learning and memory
A study conducted with adult rats showed that the brains of animals faced with disruptions in their social hierarchy produced far fewer new neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for certain types of memory and stress regulation. Rats exhibiting this lack of brain-cell growth, neurogenesis, reacted to the surrounding upheaval by favoring the company of familiar rats over that of unknown rats, according to a paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
The research is among the first to show that adult neurogenesis—or the lack thereof—has an active role in shaping social behavior and adaptation, said first author Maya Opendak, who received her PhD in neuroscience from Princeton in 2015 and conducted the research as a graduate student. The preference for familiar rats may be an adaptive behavior triggered by the reduction in neuron production, she said.
"Adult-born neurons are thought to have a role in responding to novelty, and the hippocampus participates in resolving conflicts between different goals for use in decision-making," said Opendak, who is now a postdoctoral research fellow of child and adolescent psychology at the New York University School of Medicine.
"Data from this study suggest that the reward of social novelty may be altered," she said. "Indeed, sticking with a known partner rather than approaching a stranger may be beneficial in some circumstances."
The findings also show that behavioral responses to instability may be more measured than scientists have come to expect, explained senior author Elizabeth Gould, Princeton's Dorman T. Warren Professor of Psychology and department chair. Gould and her co-authors were surprised that the disrupted rats did not display any of the stereotypical signs of mental distress such as anxiety or memory loss, she said.
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"Even in the face of what appears to be a very disruptive situation, there was not a negative pathological response but a change that could be viewed as adaptive and beneficial," said Gould, who also is a professor of neuroscience in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI).
"We thought the animals would be more anxious, but we were making our prediction based on all the bias in the field that social disruption is always negative," she said. "This research highlights the fact that organisms, including humans, are typically resilient in response to disruption and social instability."
Co-authors on the paper include: Lily Offit, who received her bachelor's degree in psychology and neuroscience from Princeton in 2015 and is now a research assistant at Columbia University Medical Center; Patrick Monari, a research specialist in PNI; Timothy Schoenfeld, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who received his PhD in psychology and neuroscience from Princeton in 2012; Anup Sonti, an NIH researcher; and Heather Cameron, an NIH principal investigator of neuroplasticity.
The study is unusual for mimicking the true social structure of rats, Gould said. Rats live in structured societies that contain a single dominant male. The researchers placed rats into several groups consisting of four males and two females in to a large enclosure known as a visible burrow system. They then monitored the groups until the dominant rat in each one emerged and was identified. After a few days, the alpha rats of two communities were swapped, which reignited the contest for dominance in each group.
Learn More: Single brain cells reveal genes controlling formation, development
The rats from disrupted hierarchies displayed their preference for familiar fellows six weeks after those turbulent times, during which time neurogenesis had decreased by 50 percent, Opendak said. (Any neurons generated during the time of instability would take four to six weeks to be incorporated into the hippocampus' circuitry, she said).
When the researchers chemically restored adult neurogenesis in these rats, however, the animals' interest in unknown rats returned to pre-disruption levels. At the same time, the researchers inhibited neuron growth in "naïve" transgenic rats that had not experienced social disruption. They found that the mere cessation of neurogenesis produced the same results as social disruption, particularly a preference for spending time with familiar rats.
"These results show that the reduction in new neurons is directly responsible for social behavior, something that hasn't been shown before," Gould said. The exact mechanism behind how lower neuron growth led to the behavior change is not yet clear, she said.
Bruce McEwen, professor of neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University, said that the research is a "major step forward" in efforts to explore the role of the dentate gyrus—a part of the hippocampus—in social behavior and antidepressant efficacy.
"The ventral dentate gyrus, where they found these effects, is now implicated in mood-related behaviors and the response to antidepressants," said McEwen, who is familiar with the research but had no role in it.
"The connection to social behavior shown here is an important addition because social withdrawal is a key aspect of depression in humans, and the anterior hippocampus in humans is the homolog of the ventral hippocampus in rodents," McEwen said. "Although there is no 'animal model' of human depression, the individual behaviors such as social avoidance, and brain changes such as neurogenesis, have been very useful in elucidating brain mechanisms in human depression."
At this point, the extent to which the exact mechanism and behavioral changes the researchers observed in the rats would apply to humans is unknown, Gould and Opendak said. The study's overall conclusion, however, that social disruption and instability lead to neurological changes that help us to better cope is likely universal, they said.
"Most people do experience some disruption in their lives, and resilience is the most typical response," Gould said. "After all, if organisms always responded to stress with depression and anxiety, it's unlikely early humans would have made it because life in the wild is very stressful."
Related: Newborn neurons in the adult brain may help us adapt to the environment
"For people who are exposed to social disruption frequently, our animal model suggests that these life events may be accompanied by long-term changes in brain function and social behavior," Opendak said. "Although we hope that our findings may guide research on the mechanisms of resilience in humans, it is important as always to exercise caution when extrapolating these data across species."
Note: Material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Princeton University Original reporting by: Morgan Kelly
Opendak M et al. Lasting Adaptations in Social Behavior Produced by Social Disruption and Inhibition of Adult Neurogenesis. Journal of Neuroscience, Published June 29 2016. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4435-15.2016
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Lyriel
(AFM Records)
The first impression that Lyriel’s Leverage makes on the listener is a little deceiving. After listening to the title track, which is the first real song on the record, I thought they were a pretty good Lacuna Coil knock-off with some traditional metal leanings. Heard it before, I thought, but I’m glad I pushed forward.
With the next track, “Parting,” my meh turned into something a little more interested. It opens with a djentish guitar riff, then a violin rises up over that and gets things kicked into a rollicking folk metal tune. It pulled me deeper into the record to “Voices in My Head” and its driving main riff. There’s a little bit of folk in the song, and the pre-chorus is interesting, but the key to it is that tough, thrashing riff that kicks it off and comes back after the choruses with some dark whispers and an occasional growl over it. It’s a powerful bit that’s sure to have you banging your head along.
The following ballad, “The Road Not Taken,” is a stark contrast to “Voices in My Head,” just a soft guitar and a melancholy vocal from Jessica Thierjung. “White Lily” brings in some symphonic elements, but the chorus brings back the Lacuna Coil comparisons. Or maybe it’s just Thierjung’s voice, which is in some ways similar to Cristina Scabbia on a few of these choruses – but that’s not a bad thing at all.
The symphonic elements come out more on “Aus der Tiefe,” and the soft, dark “Wenn die Engel Fallen,” while the folk and symphonic get blended on “Side by Side,” which brings back some of the more interesting melodies, at least on the verses. Sadly, the album closes where it began, with one of the more pedestrian numbers in “Repentance.”
Thierjung has a great voice, and the band is solid, but they have a tendency, especially on the choruses, to fall back into some pretty standard goth/power metal melodies. I’d like to see them be as creative on there as they are in other parts of the songs. They should also drop the straight songs and mix in more of the folk elements. That’s where they’re at their best. Though I’m unfamiliar with the band’s earlier work, it’s my understanding that it’s much heavier on the folk metal. I may have to explore those records, because I like what I hear of it here.
I walked away from Leverage loving a few of the songs, but with an overall sense that there’s a lot of untapped potential in Lyriel. At times, they seemed to be reining the songs in a little and pulling them back toward a more standard sound. They shouldn’t. Just cut loose with the folk stuff and let it go where it goes.
Find more articles with 2012, AFM Records, Fred Phillips, Lyriel, Review
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Mati: the wife I pushed over the edge
Happier days: Marco and Mati's wedding
By Marco Pierre White
12:01AM BST 30 Jul 2006
From the day I opened Harveys in january 1987 to the final days of 1992, I resisted the urge to date attractive women on my payroll. That was one of my rules. I broke it for Mati, the Spanish bar manager at my next restaurant, the Canteen.
Mati Conejero was olive-skinned and beautiful. My first two wives - Alex McArthur and Lisa Butcher - had both been English, but I much prefer the Latin look, and I thought her stunning. My initial seduction technique with Mati did not involve conversation. At the end of evening service I would sit at the bar, flicking matches and rolled-up pieces of paper at her. It really annoyed her, but I figured that at the end of the night, when she came to sweep the floor, she would be forced to think about me.
Our relationship was cemented in early January 1993, as we sat alone in the Canteen in the early hours. Mati suddenly stood up, climbed over the table and kissed me. We spent the night together and then I gave her the keys to my flat. In December 1993, Luciano was born. He would be followed by Marco and Mirabelle.
At work, the pace remained relentless; we had little life outside the kitchen. One day I was walking with Luciano and Marco along Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge when we saw a mob of paparazzi taking pictures of a woman. It was Madonna. The next day I got a call from Madonna's assistant, asking me if I would like to join the icon for afternoon tea. We have been friends ever since.
When I finished tea with Madonna I went back to the kitchen, where the phone rang. It was Mati: 'I've been trying to get hold of you. Where have you been?' 'I've just had tea with Madonna.' I said, casually. She said, 'You've had tea with Madonna while I've been going round the supermarket with the kids!' Then the line went dead. Mati didn't talk to me for three days. She broke her vow of silence by saying, 'What was she like, then?'
Marco: my story
My theatre of cruelty
Estranged wife accused of vandalising TV chef's car
In 1995 I was awarded three Michelin stars at the restaurant Marco Pierre White at the Hyde Park Hotel - the first British chef to be so honoured. I went on to run the Mirabelle and The Oak Room at the Meridien Hotel. But by 1999 I'd had enough. After 21 years of cheffing, I made up my mind that I wanted freedom.
I had sacrificed everything to be in a kitchen, locked away from the outside world. Mati was the one who suggested I hand the stars back to Michelin. She said: 'You're not happy and you haven't been for some time. If it is all about the pressure of having the stars, then why don't you get rid of them?' I did.
Mati and I had known each other for eight years. We had never seriously discussed marriage because my life was work, work, work. One night we were at Mirabelle having dinner with Michael Winner, the film director, when he raised the subject. I had retired from the kitchen partly to spend more time with Mati and the kids - marriage was the right step to take. I didn't propose, as such, but we ended the meal as husband-and-wife-to-be, and married in a glitzy ceremony at the Belvedere on April 7, 2000.
It was a quarrel. Or at least that's how it started. We were driving home from Frankie's in Knightsbridge - the restaurant I opened with the jockey Frankie Dettori in 2004 - and before I knew it, the row had turned into something quite fierce that involved the police and led to me being banged up in a cell for 14 hours. The truth of the matter is I didn't hit Mati that day in January 2005; she hit me. And I certainly don't blame her for doing so.
I had been in Frankie's all day and night and Mati had joined me for dinner before we both climbed into the Range Rover and headed back to Holland Park. Somewhere between the restaurant and home, Mati decided to mention Robin Saunders…
Until 2002, I had nothing to do with the business side of my restaurants. Then, one day in Drones Club, which I had opened with my friend Piers Adams, I met this highly intelligent, high-flying City banker called Robin Saunders. Robin told me about business deals.
'What would you do in my position?' she'd ask, and then listen intently as I tackled her deals with my mathematical brain. I was flattered. From time to time I would pop into Drones and we'd have a cup of tea. As these little chats continued, Robin started to make me think I was capable of running a business.
Robin had told me that her father was quite ill, and sent me a text message one summer morning in 2003. It said something like, 'Hi, Marco, just got off the phone to my father. Nightmare. Love to have a coffee.'
Robin was clearly looking for a listener, though that is not how Mati deciphered the words when she scrolled through my messages. There were other messages from Robin, which amounted to no more than text flirting. Mati concluded that Robin and I were having an affair.
A furious Mati typed a message into my phone: 'Marco Pierre White has left his wife and three children for Robin Saunders.' And then - ping - she sent the message to my entire list of contacts. Can you imagine it? Among the contacts were a handful of journalists who must have been overjoyed. 'I've only ever had a f---ing cup of tea with the woman,' I told Mati as the phone calls started coming in. Needless to say, the press lapped it up.
The evening we were driving home from Frankie's, I got another bash from the Saunders stick. 'Why don't you go and live with Robin Saunders?' said Mati, or something like that. Back home, she wouldn't let it drop.
Usually when Mati is trying to provoke me I close down. But for some reason, on this particular night, I found myself saying something cruel and utterly untrue. 'I am only with you because of the kids,' I told Mati. They were wicked words and ones that sent her over the edge.
She lifted a lamp from the bedside table and threw it at me. Next, I felt a stabbing pain in my bollocks - it was her knee - then she lunged forward and tried to scratch my face. I had had enough. Grabbing her by the arms, I pushed her back onto the bed, holding her down and telling her, 'Calm down, Mati. Calm down.'
When she finally stopped flailing I climbed off the bed and watched TV in the drawing-room, and a few minutes later Mati came in and said, 'I want you to leave the house.' When I refused, she called the police.
Mati eventually withdrew her allegations of assault, and after 14 hours in Notting Hill nick, I returned home, depressed. Mati was there, but I don't remember talking to her. Within hours, we were being doorstepped by reporters. I wanted to kill the rumours that our marriage was over because it certainly wasn't. I said to Mati that we should go for dinner at Frankie's. When we arrived, I put my arm around Mati and flashbulbs exploded.
'Fiery Marco is arrested after his wife calls 999', ran the headline in the Daily Mail, with a strapline, 'Riddle of the row that went too far at celebrity chef's £3 million home'. The implication was that I was a wife-beater. The story was all the more piquant because a fortnight earlier I had given an interview calling Mati 'a very special, very rare person', but also saying, 'Mati feels that, by the time I get home, I've given myself to everybody else. I'm exhausted and there's little left for her…'
© Marco Pierre White and James Steen 2006. Extracted by Zoe Brennan from White Slave by Marco Pierre White, published by Orion on August 23. Available for £18 (rrp £20) plus £1.25 p&p from Telegraph Books (0870 428 4115)
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Turner Prize
Richard Dorment
Alastair Sooke
Colin Gleadell
Art Features
Marcel Duchamp: His influence is still everywhere in contemporary art
Was Marcel Duchamp’s game-changing art, from oils to signed urinals, really the product of a vast and rigorous intellect? Mark Hudson is not so sure.
Duchamp in 1952
By Mark Hudson
I’m watching a flickery, tantalisingly brief video-clip of Marcel Duchamp being interviewed in 1966 for BBC Two’s Late Night Line-Up, by Joan Bakewell. It has the feel of an unlikely encounter: on the one hand, the archetypal dollybird intellectual, who is still very much with us; on the other, the so-called Father of Conceptual Art who had produced his most famous work back in 1917. Yet there he is, two years before his death, hatchet-faced but supremely affable, dragging occasionally on a cigar, explaining himself in disarmingly simple terms and in excellent English.
When the clip cuts out, after just over a minute, what sticks in the mind is a comment he makes just before the screen goes blank: “Artists often do things without knowing why they do them,” he says. “I never ask myself why…” Then he’s gone.
He never asks why? You might be forgiven for thinking that conceptual art would be all about asking why. But then very little about Duchamp – one of the most enigmatic figures in the history of art – is as you’d expect it to be.
If Picasso was considered the defining artist of the age for most of the 20th century, the Spaniard has been relegated over the past couple of decades to the role of a mere precursor to the man who, proverbially, changed the world by signing a urinal and calling it art. Duchamp’s Fountain of 1917 – a china urinal laid on its back and signed R Mutt – has taken on the iconic status once reserved for creations of the order of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. It has become the work that removed art to the cerebral realm from the physical – or the “retinal” as Duchamp liked to call it – enabling Minimalism, Conceptualism, Performance Art and just about every other significant development of the past half century. It is the work, in short, that got art where it is today.
A new exhibition at the Barbican, in London, looks at Duchamp’s influence on and interactions with four key post-war American figures: composer John Cage, choreographer Merce Cunningham and artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. But what of Duchamp himself? While he’s universally characterised as the arch-conceptualist, does that label do justice to what Duchamp did or who he was?
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“I was expecting this very rarefied French intellectual,” says Duchamp’s biographer, Calvin Tomkins, of his first meeting with the artist in New York in 1959. “But he seemed more American than French in his willingness to talk about any subject on any level. A lot of my questions must have seemed ridiculous to him, but he turned everything I said into something amusing. For him the conversation was a game. He turned everything he did into a form of play.”
Born in Normandy in 1887, Duchamp was one of seven children of a well-off and eminently respectable civil servant, four of whom became artists. Though they remained less well-known, his elder brothers Gaston and Raymond – who worked under the names Jacques Villon and Raymond Duchamp-Villon – found a degree of success developing the Post-Impressionist and Cubist ideas they encountered early in their careers; the younger Duchamp, who joined them in Paris in 1904, worked through the major modes of the early 20th century – Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism – in quick succession.
“They aimed for fame,” Duchamp later said of his brothers. “I had no aim. I just wanted to be left alone to do what I liked.” While Duchamp is associated with Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism, he never aligned himself with any one group. Arriving in Paris at the height of the early Modernist ferment, Duchamp knew everyone, and formed friendships with Francis Picabia, Man Ray, André Breton and many others. Yet Duchamp’s radiant amiability had about it, in Tomkins’s words, “a touch of opacity” – it kept people at a distance.
Duchamp aspired to a kind of sublime detachment – what he called “the beauty of indifference”. But doesn’t an insistence on indifference so often mask its opposite? In his biography Tomkins suggests that Duchamp’s compulsion to debunk art with a capital A and his lifelong aversion to retinal art – which appeals principally to the eye – may have been inspired by something as banal as his early rejection by the esteemed Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
“He had a number of resentments in relation to his early career,” says Tomkins. “This indifference was something he grew into in reaction to that. For him it was a positive thing, because it meant he could let things go.”
It was a quality that extended into his art. If Duchamp wasn’t interested in “asking why” in the sense of investigating his own motives, he was equally oblivious to history, social issues, the way the world looks and just about everything else art has traditionally been about. “Rather than ask why, his art asks how,” says Duchamp scholar Paul B Franklin. “It’s about intellectual process. He described his art as a game between I and me – between subject and object, the initiator and the receiver.” And this game extends to the relationship between artist and viewer.
“The creative act is not performed by the artist alone,” Duchamp maintained. “The spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting [it] and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.”
Duchamp’s best known painting, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, an ingenious, if slightly mechanical amalgam of cubism and Futurism, was one of the causes célèbres of the Armory Show, the exhibition that gave America its first scandalised exposure to Modernism in 1913. Little known in Europe, Duchamp arrived in New York, aged 26, to find himself a celebrity.
America was to feature prominently in his life. He moved several times between Paris and New York before settling in Greenwich Village in 1942, becoming an American citizen in 1955. In America he felt freer, he claimed, less burdened by tradition. No less important was his 40-year relationship with the millionaire collectors Walter and Louise Arensberg, who were to acquire 85 per cent of his admittedly tiny output.
Having achieved a degree of success through painting, Duchamp abandoned it. The first of the “readymades” – objects he transformed into art through the simple act of choosing them – a bottle rack, appeared in 1914. The supposedly world-changing Fountain didn’t appear until three years later. It was never officially exhibited, and after being photographed for posterity by the modern art promoter Alfred Stieglitz, the work was thrown out with the rubbish.
Duchamp’s real preoccupation at this time was the work he considered his magnum opus, the dauntingly opaque The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even – aka The Large Glass, an obtusely symbolic arrangement of variously insect-like and mechanical forms, sandwiched between two monumental sheets of glass. Representing the never-consummated courtship of a Queen Bee-like bride and her platoon of bachelor drones, the work has given rise to a whole forest of interpretations. The artist’s own notes, invoking the transmission of semen-like fluids and gases between different elements in the work, only served further to obscure matters.
One of the most discussed works of the 20th century, which exists none the less in a category all its own, The Large Glass was abandoned by Duchamp in 1923, after eight years of work, as “definitively unfinished”. When it was shattered in transit in 1926, Duchamp patiently repaired it, claiming the skeins of spiderweb cracks only improved the work.
Having said all he had to say and not wanting to repeat himself, Duchamp gave up art in 1923, in favour of playing chess, and for most of the rest of his life wasn’t considered a practising artist. He was, however, assembling one major final installation in his cramped New York studio: Etant Donnés, a peephole into a meticulously realised life-size landscape with a naked woman, which occupied him from 1946 to 1966.
But that wasn’t much to show for 20 years of work. In interviews, Duchamp would sigh when recalling the effort his early paintings had cost him. Could it be that his desire to remove art from the retinal to the cerebral was inspired less by a passionate interest in the phenomenology of the object than by, well, laziness?
“He fully admitted his laziness,” says Franklin. “He enjoyed thinking, smoking, playing chess, talking with friends. He liked working too, but when it suited him, and at his own rhythm.”
And in some respects, Duchamp was hardly a conceptual artist at all. “Certainly he was as concerned with the idea as the result,” says Franklin. “But at the same time he loved working with his hands. He had a 19th-century enjoyment of craftsmanship. When he started making his Boîte-en-Valise (a collection of reproductions and replicas) in 1935, he could have used rapid modern printing techniques, but he insisted on using hand-coloured stencils, simply because he loved the process. It ended up taking six years.”
By the late Fifties, Duchamp was an almost forgotten figure, subsisting very modestly in New York, giving chess lessons and advising art collectors for small remittances, in the company of his second wife Teeny, the last of a string of companionable but detached relationships.
The emergence of a new generation of American artists who acknowledged him as an important forebear – Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns – boosted his reputation, while his first retrospective in 1963 (which took place, significantly, not in Paris, but in Pasadena), created an unstoppable momentum of interest around his name, which built into the “Marcel Duchamp” phenomenon we know today.
Duchamp’s transcendent cool – his fondness for the flip but magnificent gesture (“I’m not an artist, I’m a breather,” he told one French critic), his insistence on maintaining his artistic freedom even at the cost of not producing anything – perfectly suited the mood of the baby boomer era. He became a kind of hip grandfather figure to the international avant garde, a role he maintained even after his death in 1968.
Yet if Duchamp’s influence is still everywhere in contemporary art, you can’t help feeling there are whole dimensions of his work that remain little understood.
“He had the capacity to entrance you with just his presence,” says Tomkins. “But I always felt there was a lot about him that I would never know and nobody else would either. You could say the same about his work. The Large Glass has been endlessly analysed, but there’s something inscrutable at the base of it, that no one’s ever fully got to grips with – and I’m not sure it’s possible to.”
Did Duchamp himself fully understand what he was doing?
“Who knows? He was always one step ahead of the rest of us, that’s for sure.”
The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns is at Barbican Art Gallery, London EC2, from Feb 14 until June 9. Details: barbican.org.uk
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Olympics News
Mathura Nagendra: opening ceremony gatecrasher sorry for 'error of judgment'
An Indian women, Madhura Nagendra, who gatecrashed the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony has apologised for her "error of judgment" during the athletes' parade.
By Andrew Hough
The 26 year-old, an Indian student studying in Britain, admitted it was a "mistake" to lead her country's 50-strong team during the parade of nations.
She provoked a huge backlash in her native country in the wake of last week's ceremony after she appeared smiling next to India's confused flag-bearer Sushil Kumar, a freestyle wrestler.
While the team were resplendent in blue blazers, yellow turbans and saris, her outfit of a casual red jacket and jeans contrasted starkly.
The bizarre incident was also subject of an official protest from India's Olympic delegation, who described the move as a security breach and an affront to their athletes.
Despite initially claiming she was just following orders, the keen amateur dancer apologised today for her "error of judgment" and "mistake" but denied she had been a security threat.
Olympic ceremony gatecrasher was an Indian student who claims she was told to lead out her nation
London 2012 Olympics: anger as volunteers 'cash in' on opening ceremony
Shami Chakrabarti had doubts over flag honour
Miss Nagendra, one of 10,000 volunteers taking part in Danny Boyle's £27 million extravaganza, admitted she had become overexcited and spontaneously joined in the parade.
"In an error of judgment I resulted in walking with the Indian contingent," she said outside her home in Bangalore, south India.
"Of course I have realised my mistake. I have not breached security which was stated earlier in the media. I have not trespassed, I have not gatecrashed.
"I'm part of the casting committee. Yes, I have hurt the sentiment of my people. I understand it was a mistake and I apologise for the same."
She added: "I understand that I've hurt people's feelings. From my heart, I regret it."
Miss Nagendra, who is studying management at the London School of Business and Finance after a passing a degree in communications from Christ College in Bangalore, admitted was "taken aback" by the scale of public criticism.
She became known as "the woman in red" because of the colour of her top and was subject of angry criticism on social networking sites.
She said she had entered the cast after "rounds of audition" and did not walk into the stadium "off the streets".
"I actually didn't know till I came back," she added to India's NDTV channel.
"I'm a proud woman of India with a lot of enthusiasm and with a lot of power and I was taken aback seeing all the comments.
"I hope this will be forgiven."
She added: "It was chaos. A lot of people were around. It was a huge event as we all know."
"Thousands of people were walking and they were involved and I was blinded. As a result there was an error in judgment, which resulted in this."
Her father has defended her actions and said it was all a misunderstanding as she was told by the organisers to lead out the team.
KL Nagendra, a local businessman, said his daughter was picked for the performance by Boyle, the show creator.
But the acting chef-de-mission of India's Olympic delegation, Muralidharan Raja, said she had "embarrassed us in front of the world" and "hogged all the limelight".
"She had no business to walk in with the Indian contingent," he said.
"We have taken strong exception to this. The march past is for the athletes and officials attached to the contingent."
Lord Coe, the London 2012 chairman, has confirmed her as a cast member who posed no security threat because she had already been screened by officials as she was a participant.
He dismissed the controversy as her getting "slightly over excited".
"She should not have been in the opening ceremony but don't run away with the idea that she sort of walk in off the street to be able to do that, she hadn't," he said.
India is fielding 81 athletes at the London Games.
How about that? »
London 2012 »
Andrew Hough »
In Olympics News
Athletes' parade in pictures
Crowds watch the parade
The 50 best images from the sporting highlights of 2012
50 best images
Simmonds at the double
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ডায়মন্ড ডীল
Diamonds are loved by all but, when it comes to ডায়মন্ড ডীল one easily forgets the real diamonds. This is an amazing online game that gives the players mind-blowing rewards and an amazing and enticing gameplay. This online scratch card game is a must try.
বিকাশকারী সম্পর্কে
ডায়মন্ড ডীল is an exciting online game developed by none other than Gamevy. This online gaming firm is a pro when it comes to producing the finest and most amazing online casino games. Like all the other games developed by Gamevy, ডায়মন্ড ডীল also is a treat for the online casino lovers.
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ডায়মন্ড ডীল is an immensely engaging and entertaining scratch card game. With lots of big rewards, this scratch card game is one of the most sought after games of all times. The fast rushing game offers a truly entertaining and adventurous time to the players. The player can end up winning a whopping sum of £1,000,000.
The graphics of this slot game are like an eye candy. The theme, the design and the graphics of this online game are designed so brilliantly that they give the player a feel that he is playing a typical lottery or a bingo game. The user interface of this scratch card game is also very easy to use. The simple gameplay and the big rewards make it a must play.
To win the massive reward, all that a player needs to do is to show 10 diamonds in a row but, without losing the lives or bringing down the current prize’s value. First and foremost, the player needs to zero on the amount he wishes to play with. He will be provided 6 betting options; the more the amount, the more the jackpot. The jackpot amounts are: £100,000 for £1; £200,000 for £2; £300,000 for £3; £400,000 for £4; £500,000 for £5; and £1,000,000 for £10.
The player will see 50 boxes on the grid but, the diamonds are present in only 10 of them. If the player picks an empty box, he loses 1 out of 4 lives. Losing all four in a row will snatch the entire prize from the player.
The “Quick Pick” option searches everything and set the slot game for you. After hitting this button, a box will open in front of the player. If the player finds a gem inside the box, the slot game will stop and a sum of money is credited to the player. To resume, the player has to hit the button again. The game goes on until and unless the player finds a diamond. Once the player gets the diamond, it will act as the “Cash Out” feature. ডায়মন্ড ডীল offers the player full liberty to cash out any time they want with the reward they have won.
রায়
ডায়মন্ড ডীল is full of diamonds, a lot of money and big entertainment. Who doesn’t love dealing with diamonds and especially if big bumper rewards are guaranteed
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The Farr Side: Grammy highlights are numerous
“It was a ladies night and the feeling’s right - oh, what a night.”
Those iconic words from Kool & The Gang could be used to describe the telecast of the 61st Grammy Awards. It definitely was a night for female performers.
First, I have to give major props to Alicia Keys for hosting the Grammys. The 15-time Grammy winner did an exceptional job. The audience seemed delighted with her enthusiasm and charm.
Now, on to the performances. The Grammys have gone from being a time-honored tradition to more of a live television concert event. I love this about the Grammys, but I’d still like to see more of the awards handed out during the telecast instead of Googling the winners later.
Camila Cabello opened the show her latin-flavored Grammy-nominated song, “Havana.” She was joined onstage with an entourage of dancers and rappers and also singer Ricky Martin. Martin seemed fitting to accompany Cabello as it was 20 years ago now that he became of superstar with his Grammy debut. Unfortunately, Cabello went home empty-handed.
Performances by Kacey Musgraves and Janelle Monae blew me away. Musgrave’s performed the subtle “Rainbow,” while Monae electrified with “Pynk.” Monae danced like I’ve never seen her do before, almost channeling Prince and Michael Jackson. At one point, she even moonwalked across the stage.
H.E.R. is an artist with whom I wasn’t entirely familiar, but it didn’t take me long to want to know more. Her performance of “Hard Place” was stellar. The same can be said for Brandi Carlile and her performance of “The Joke.”
By that point in the show, I was on my phone filling my Amazon shopping cart. I’m still old-school and want the actual albums.
Diana Ross was a welcome surprise on the Grammy stage. The singer was there to celebrate her 75th birthday. She is such a class act.
The Grammys also paid homage to Dolly Parton, who was named Music Cares “Person Of The Year.” Parton was joined onstage by Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Maren Morris and Little Big Town for a medley of her hits.
Lady Gaga performed her mega-hit “Shallow,” without duet partner Bradley Cooper. She also took home three Grammys, including Best Performance Duo/Group, but was shut out for Record and Song of the Year honors. That went to Childish Gambino for “This Is America.”
If I had to question anything, it would be why Jennifer Lopez was chosen to honor Motown’s 60th anniversary. I like J-Lo, but Diana Ross was in the house. Not to mention all the other Motown acts still touring and performing to this day. Why Lopez?
Congratulations to Musgraves for earning the night’s top honor. Her album, “Golden Hour,” was named Album Of The Year.
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19-year-old caught on Snapchat setting man’s pants on fire, Texas police say
By Roberto Villalpando rvillalpando@statesman.com
A 19-year-old Austin, Texas, woman is accused of setting an acquaintance’s pants on fire and recording it herself on Snapchat, according to court documents.
Lilly Elizabeth Sanchez is charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, in connection with the Jan. 2 incident, an arrest affidavit filed Wednesday said.
The acquaintance told investigators that he had gotten into a minivan with other people at a friend’s house. On a trip to a gas station, he fell asleep in the back row of seats but woke up to find his pants on fire and saw Sanchez recording him with her cell phone and sitting in the bucket seat in front of him, holding a yellow lighter, the affidavit said.
He put out the flames, which left “a burn mark the size of a baseball on his left leg,” the affidavit said. He later learned that he sustained third-degree burns and nerve damage, and sought treatment at a burn center in Temple, the document said. He later had two surgeries, which included skin grafting, investigators said.
The acquaintance showed investigators a video of the incident that a friend had recorded from a Snapchat post by “Lilly Sosa,” according to the affidavit. The video showed Sanchez using the lighter to set the acquaintance’s pants on fire, while she and others in the minivan are heard laughing, the document said.
When investigators interviewed Sanchez, the affidavit said, she initially said the victim had set himself on fire but changed her answer when told that investigators had the video. She later told them “she thought it would be funny to set (his) pants on fire to see if it would wake him up.” She also admitted to investigators that she posted the video to Snapchat, according to the affidavit.
A judge had set bail for Sanchez at $15,000 and ordered her to stay away from the victim, according to court documents. She was not listed in the Travis County Jail on Thursday, online records show.
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Artists Maurice Utrillo
French Painter
Movements and Styles: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism
Born: Dec. 26, 1883 - Paris, France
Died: Nov. 5, 1955 - Dax, France
"On a particularly boring day, I had a clever but unfortunate inspiration. I seized a piece of cardboard, some tubes of tint and petroleum base - since I lacked real oil - and, confronting a typical Montmartre street corner, I suddenly found myself a practitioner of this difficult and thankless art of painting."
Summary of Maurice Utrillo
Maurice Utrillo's life could not have been more bohemian. A romantic concept, la vie bohème was for many people who lived such an existence in Paris of the late-19th and early-20th century far less dazzling in reality. Born to the former circus acrobat turned artist's model and eventually avant garde artist, Suzanne Valadon (she was only 18 at the time) Utrillo never knew who his father was. It was rumored that it could have been anyone from Puvis de Chavannes to Renoir to a young and little known painter named Boissy.
When he was 21, Utrillo took up painting at the encouragement of his mother, who had learned to paint while posing for artists like Morisot, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir and Degas and had become a skillful artist in her own right. Eventually, the two shared a studio in Montmartre. At age 22, he sold his first painting and by 1909 he was exhibiting his work at the prestigious Salon d'Automne. By 1910, he had achieved considerable critical acclaim, having developed a style of landscape painting that combined features of Post-Impressionism and Cubism. His landscapes and cityscapes earned him lucrative sales and national notoriety, including the Cross of the Legion of Honor from the French government in 1928. Despite having been shunned by the French artistic establishment during much of his career, he is considered one of the pioneers of The School of Paris, the pre-World War I, modern artistic movement characterized by experimentation and pluralism.
The first couple of decades of the 20th century were tumultuous and formative: Modern Art took form in Paris, which was a sort of cultural laboratory for creative types. Utrillo was associated with a group of notoriously decadent artists known of as "Les Maudits" - "The Cursed Ones" - along with his mother, Suzanne Valadon, Chaim Soutine, and Amadeo Modigliani.
Utrillo's most frequent subjects were buildings in the Paris neighborhood of Montmartre, well known as a refuge for the city's bohemian types - artists, writers, poets, and the like. Some of his favorite haunts such as the Lapin Agile, where he was likely to encounter more established artists like Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec, are represented numerous times with only slight variations from canvas to canvas.
The quintessential struggling artist and also taking a cue from avant garde innovators like Picasso and Degas, Utrillo often used unusual if not everyday materials like cardboard in place of more expensive canvas to produce his paintings. Unlike his idols and mentors, however, Utrillo was virtually untrained and his greatest achievement must surely have been adapting his unrefined technique to successive avant garde styles - Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism - to attain considerable critical and financial success.
Maurice Utrillo Artist Overview Page:
This is a mini-page that we designed for artists that are harder (or maybe impossible) to find detailed information on. If you would like us to put in a significant effort to build more information into this page, please comment. Thank you
Important Art by Maurice Utrillo
The below artworks are the most important by Maurice Utrillo - that both overview the major creative periods, and highlight the greatest achievements by the artist.
La Butte Pinson (1905-8)
Artwork description & Analysis: In 1896, when Utrillo was a young teenager and already struggling with alcoholism and getting into trouble in wild, bohemian Paris, he moved to a house on la Butte Pinson, a hill in the suburb of Montmagny along with his mother, stepfather, and maternal grandmother. It was in Montmagny where he first began painting, creating a series of works between 1905 and 1908 that were evidence of his natural abilities as he was largely untrained artistically.
In this painting, which demonstrates the profound, lingering influence of Impressionism with its softened brushwork, including the blurred lines and hazy light, Utrillo places leafless trees in the foreground between the viewer and the colorful huts in the distance. The huts are the bright spots in a winter scene featuring mostly cloudy skies - there's just a hint of light blue in the upper right corner - and a snow-covered ground. The graceful movement of the tree branches, which lighten as they reach the sky, draw the eye upward.
Oil on card glued on wood - Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris
Notre Dame Cathedral (1909)
Artwork description & Analysis: By the age of 25, Utrillo had begun experimenting with more complex motifs. Once again, the influence of Impressionism - particularly Monet's cathedrals - is revealed in his work. In 1895, Monet's Rouen Cathedral series had been displayed at the gallery of Paul Durand-Ruel in Paris and he is very likely to have seen it.
In this unfinished work, Utrillo only vaguely describes the elaborate architectural sculpture on the facade of Paris's famous landmark - from statues of saints and royalty to the scenes represented in the half circles over each portal - that is such a recognizable feature of the front of the famous cathedral. Instead, he obscures most details, preferring instead to describe the effects of light in keeping with the most fundamental goal of Impressionism. The only spot of warmth in the picture aside from the slightly yellow masonry not cast in blue shadow, are the brown-orange doors of the famous cathedral, particularly those of the middle portal, which creates a sense of balance and symmetry or, rather, reaffirms the overt symmetry of the structure.
With this work, Utrillo also makes a break with Impressionism in a major way: whereas Impressionist works, while somewhat obscuring of details, still provided the viewer with a sense of depth, of three-dimensionality. In contrast, Utrillo's cathedral facade reads as nearly flat and made up of solid forms connected to one another by trails of color, not unlike the way Cézanne constructed landscapes using roughly geometric forms fit together on the picture plane.
Oil on card - Musée de l'Orangerie
Le Place du Tertre (c. 1910)
Artwork description & Analysis: This painting features a view of a deserted Place du Tertre, a usually lively public square at the top of the hill of Montmartre. According to the Tate Museum, Utrillo probably did not stand in the square and compose this painting, although you are likely to see artists doing that very thing if you visit the Place du Tertre either today or 100 years ago. Instead, it is likely that this composition was based on a picture of the square Utrillo saw on a postcard, although, admits the Tate "none has so far been traced that shows exactly the same view." It is known, however, that the artist based many compositions on postcard images, particularly as he grew older and less inclined to go out in public. By 1909, Utrillo's alcoholism had begun to take a serious toll on his health. Combined with serious depression, the ill effects forced him into a sanitorium frequently. When not hospitalized, he was often watched over by a family member either in his studio or in a hotel room. Either way, he was not capable of going out and drawing or painting.
That began the practice of Utrillo working from postcards rather than on site. His mother and stepfather, Valadon's second husband, would bring the artist postcards so that he could continue painting, which provided a welcome distraction from his agony. Indeed, a painting Utrillo produced nearly twenty years after he painted this one is similar to the extent that both must surely have been based on the same mysterious original image. According to the Tate Museum, "Certain minor differences suggest that Utrillo made a few compositional adjustments in painting the present work, for example by widening the low building second from left, so that it almost blocks off the side street, but in the later version followed his model more literally."
This picture features bright colors muted only by the winter light, not unlike those seen in the earlier work from Montmagny. Further and quite symbolically, these are the colors of a slightly worn, lustreless, cold, and seedy Montmartre, the site of, basically, of the artist's ongoing deterioration. The image is not without cheer, but it is quite subdued.
Evidently, this and several other of Utrillo's works were signed by his mother, Suzanne Valadon, rather than the artist himself. This was because his major patron, the collector Louis Labaude, disliked having Utrillo's haphazard signature on the paintings he acquired and insisted Valadon sign them instead.
Oil on canvas - Tate Museum
More Maurice Utrillo Artwork and Analysis:
Content compiled and written by The Art Story Contributors
First published on 24 Mar 2017. Updated and modified regularly.
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Trump's Promise to Jail Clinton Is a Threat to American Democracy
A candidate who accepted the nomination to chants of “Lock her up!” crosses a dangerous line.
Yoni Appelbaum
Rick Wilking / Reuters
“If I win,” Donald Trump threatened Hillary Clinton during Sunday night’s debate, “I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation.” And he left no ambiguity as to the intended result. “People have been, their lives have been destroyed for doing one fifth of what you have done. And it's a disgrace.”
“You know,” Clinton later responded, “It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.” Trump couldn’t resist. “Because you would be in jail,” he broke in.
This is not how special prosecutors work. There are a number of legal mechanisms for the appointment of special counsel by the attorney general, all designed to allow for investigations of executive-branch officials free from the threat of political interference. Trump proposed the opposite: directing his attorney general to appoint a prosecutor to go after a political rival who he’s publicly said should “be in jail.”
This is not how the presidency works. When Richard Nixon tried to interfere in an ongoing investigation, Attorney General Elliott Richardson resigned. And even if Trump could find a more malleable attorney general, and discard precedent, he’d still lack the power to jail Clinton unilaterally. Presidents are not in charge of the law, but of its faithful execution.
This is also not how democracies work. Elected officials do not jail their foes. The Constitution specifically prohibits bills of attainder—legislation designed to punish individuals, thereby circumventing the judicial process—to bar despotic rulers from persecuting their opponents. The jailing of political opponents is a feature of repressive dictatorships, not vibrant democracies.
But it is fully in keeping with how Trump’s campaign has worked. He accepted the nomination in Cleveland in July. The defining chant of that convention was not, “Make America Great Again.” It was “Lock Her Up!”
And on Sunday, that’s exactly what Trump vowed to do.
On the convention floor in Cleveland, I wandered over to the New York seats. Here were the delegates from Trump’s home state, who’d also been represented in the Senate by his Democratic opponent. I wanted them to explain to me what the chant meant to them. Did they literally wish to put Clinton behind bars?
“She’s mean and nasty,” said Tony Scannapieco, the Republican chair of New York’s Putnam County. “She’s a crook. She should be locked up.” David DiPietro, a state assemblyman from Erie County, had also joined the chant. He felt that she’d intimidated FBI Director James Comey into not pursuing charges. He “didn’t want to be found dead,” DiPietro said. “It’s as simple as that.” Bill Reilich, the town supervisor of Greece, New York, was equally emphatic. “99.9 percent of the people are law abiding citizens, and they know that if they break the law there will be consequences,” he said.
Not every delegate I tracked down felt the same.
Josh Filler, a delegate from Maine, told me the chant was “a euphemism for ‘hold her accountable,’” and was frustrated that the media insisted on taking it literally. The chant, explained North Carolina delegate Rion Choate, was just a way to “say that she’s wrong for the country; that she’s not been honest.” Like a lot of the delegates with whom I spoke, he was upset by FBI Director James Comey’s press conference, which he felt had short-circuited the process. “I think that Director Comey should have let due process of law proceed,” he told me.
Many were angry at what they perceived as a double standard, one that led to ordinary Americans being punished for rules a privileged elite could casually flout. Outside, at a protest, I met Donald Philip Larson, the Republican nominee in Ohio’s 9th congressional district. He told me he’d been a communications officer on a fast frigate; if he’d brought home classified communications as Hillary had done, he said, he’d have landed in jail. “I think it’s very dangerous when someone running for president is held to a different set of rules,” said Kyle Kilgore, a 22-year-old delegate from Virginia.
Wes Nakagiri walked around the convention floor in an orange prison jumpsuit, wearing a Hillary Clinton mask. (Actually, the Michigan delegate told me, it was sold as a ‘female presidential candidate’ mask, but Hillary’s features were unmistakable.) “Hillary has trouble with the truth,” he said. “I’m sure everyone here knows; I’m not sure everyone in America knows what she did.” He, too, was chanting “Lock her up,” but he mused that it might be “better for Trump that she’s not locked up,” because her continued freedom illustrated a system rigged in favor of insiders.
The streets around the convention hall were lined with T-shirt vendors. Sales were generally disappointing. One of the rare hot items featured a knock-off of the Clinton campaign logo, and the words: “Hillary for Prison, 2016.”
Watch closely at any Trump rally. You’ll find it sprinkled through the crowd.
This sort of rhetoric is hardly without precedent. Nineteenth-century American politics was a rough-and-tumble affair, with speakers frequently employing rhetoric that might shock contemporary audiences. And the rhetoric was often a prelude to violence. Brawls and duels were not uncommon, and lynchings not unheard of.
In more recent decades, impassioned partisans have called for the use of criminal sanctions, or even violence, against their political opponents. In 1993, readers of National Review found an ad offering anti-Clinton bumper stickers: “Impeach him hell—get a rope.” In the wake of the Iraq War, many on the left and the libertarian right suggested that George W. Bush be charged with war crimes. At a Sarah Palin rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in October of 2008, a Scranton Times-Tribune reporter heard a man shout, “Kill him!” (The Secret Service investigated the report, interviewing 20 witnesses, but was unable to corroborate it.)
On occasion, such rhetorical attacks have seemed to inspire actual violence. There were 5,000 “Wanted for Treason” flyers distributed in Dallas ahead of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
But such episodes remain exceptional. They are generally the province of activists, not candidates, who cross these lines at their political peril. When Sharron Angle suggested that fixing Congress might require “Second Amendment remedies” in 2010, it helped sink her congressional campaign.
In this, as in so much else, Trump has proven exceptional. In August, he mused aloud before a crowd in Wilmington, North Carolina:
Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people—maybe there is, I don’t know.
However he meant it, many heard it as an implicit threat of violence; that firearms could be used to oppose Clinton and the judges she’d appoint.
There was irony in the location. It was in Wilmington, in 1898, that a mob of armed white men exercised their Second Amendment rights to deprive thousands their fellow Americans of their own constitutional rights, and some—perhaps as few as nine, perhaps as many as 300—of their lives.
The Wilmington insurrection was a coup d’etat. The officials of a mixed-race government were attacked by the political foes they had defeated at the ballot box. The mayor, board of aldermen, and police chief were forced to resign at gunpoint. More than a thousand black residents fled the city. The mob rampaged through Wilmington—burning, beating, and killing—intent on restoring white supremacy.
It succeeded. The example of Wilmington helped enshrine Jim Crow throughout the South. An embattled minority had managed, through violence and intimidation, to roll back the social and demographic changes it loathed.
It seems unlikely that Trump knew any of this history when he casually suggested that guns might provide an answer to losing an election, much as it seems unlikely that he was acquainted with the workings of the Department of Justice before he casually asserted he’d direct the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor.
But if it’s history that Trump does not know, it’s history with which American voters might profitably acquaint themselves before November. The smooth functioning of American democracy rests on the acceptance of established norms. When they are violated, whether deliberately or out of careless disregard, the results can be catastrophic—and sometimes, bloody.
This is not a nation immune from political violence. To the contrary. Its political history is sanguinary. To the extent that elections today are peaceful and orderly, it is because earlier generations witnessed the alternatives, and fought hard to secure the legitimacy of the democratic process, and to contain political conflicts so that they would not expand to become violent conflicts.
Whichever party loses in November will need to find a way to accept the results, even if its members have convinced themselves during the heat of the campaign that the election of their opponent portends the dissolution of the Republic. And the members of whichever party prevails will need to resist the impulse to avenge themselves for the attacks they’ve endured, the outrages they’ve suffered over the course of a long and bruising campaign.
On Sunday night, Donald Trump showed again that he has failed to grasp this essential lesson. He’s running out of time to learn it.
Yoni Appelbaum is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he oversees the Ideas section.
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Thailand: Defeat the looming reactionary Coup D’état!
Mobilize the Working Class and Poor Peasants as an independent force against the “Yellow Shirts”, Army Command and Monarchy!
Statement of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 4.12.2013, www.thecommunists.net
1. Thailand’s main opposition force, the misnamed Democrat Party, is organizing reactionary demonstrations aimed at overthrowing the government. These so-called “Yellow Shirts” are stirring up an atmosphere which could lead to another military coup d’état. The Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT) considers these demonstrations as a reactionary maneuver by the traditional political elite of Thailand. The working class and the poor peasants must organize mass counter-mobilizations without giving any political support and confidence in the government of Yingluck Shinawatra. To overcome the social and political misery, the working class must build an independent workers party based on a revolutionary program which leads the popular masses towards social revolution.
2. Since mid-November, the “Yellow Shirts,” led by former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban, have organized demonstrations and tried to storm government buildings. The Democrat Party is the traditional representative of the reactionary political elite which is composed of the army command, the upper echelons of the state bureaucracy, the majority of Thai’s big business and – as their figurehead – King Bhumibol. It is a neoliberal, royalist, big business party which has its main support base amongst the urban middle class of Bangkok. While it has participated in the government many times, it has usually gained this position via the regularly occuring coup d’état’s and interference from the military, and has never won a parliamentary election.
3. The reactionary demonstrations of the “Yellow Shirts” have the obvious tacit approval of the army command and the king. This is why the police and army offer only lukewarm resistance against the attempts of the “Yellow Shirts” to storm government buildings.
4. What triggered the current escalation by the “Yellow Shirts” were two bills initiated by the Yingluck government. The first was an amendment to the constitution which was imposed by the army command in 2007. It would have allowed that all senators be elected while, under the military constitution, half of them are appointed. However, while the bill was adopted by a majority in parliament, the military-appointed Constitutional Court ruled that parliament could not amend the constitution! Revolutionary communists are consistent democrats; therefore we recognize the importance of issues concerning democracy, and consider a senate elected in bourgeois-democratic elections more democratic than a senate which is half-appointed by the political elite.
5. The second bill introduced by the Yingluck government is an amnesty bill. In itself, this bill included disastrous concessions to the old elite. It offered amnesty not only to convicted activists of the popular protest movement as well as the deposed and exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (brother of the current prime minister), but also to the army command and Democrat Party leaders Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban. The latter were responsible for the military coup d’état in 2006, as well as the massacre against the “Red Shirts” protests in 2010. Hence the bill was justifiably opposed by the militant sectors of the “Red Shirts” who have the support of the urban working class as well as the rural poor peasantry. However, the traditional elite were enraged by the possibility of the return of the exiled former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Albeit the Yingluck government withdrew the bill after wide protests, the reactionary “Yellow Shirts” movement attempts to utilize the political crisis in order to finish off the government and to reconstitute a government which is closely controlled by the army command and the majority faction of big business.
6. If the Democrat Party and the “Yellow Shirts” succeed in their attempts to overthrow the government, this will strengthen the grip of the traditional elite on political life, reduce democratic rights, and encourage an intensification of the attacks against the working class and the poor peasantry. This is why it is urgent to mobilize the working class and the poor peasants for the defeat of the reactionary “Yellow Shirts.” Such an independent mass mobilization would create favorable conditions to break both workers and peasants away from the bourgeois leadership of the Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra and their bourgeois populist Pheu Thai Party and to fight against their government.
7. However the decisive problem currently is the continuing political subordination of the working class and the poor peasants under the Thaksin leadership. Thaksin is a multi-millionaire and wants to build a “modern” capitalist Thailand. The Pheu Thai Party leadership has no intention to abolish the monarchy or to substantially cut down the powerful position of the army command, the military-imposed constitutional court, etc., not to speak of implementing any meaningful social reforms. In fact its whole policy in the past years has demonstrated that it is willing to compromise with the traditional elite, and it attempts to demobilize its workers and peasants supporters as much as possible. Thus the Pheu Thai Party is a bourgeois-populist party which represents a minority faction of the capitalist class but which, however, has to rely on the support of the workers and peasants in order to hold power.
8. Nevertheless Thaksin and his party are despised by the elite because it is a party whose strength is based on the support of the masses of workers and peasants who have repeatedly intervened in the political life of Thailand during the last decade by militant mass mobilizations. Thaksin’s party (initially called Thai Rak Thai party) won the majority of votes in the 2001 elections, as the first party outside the traditional establishment. Thaksin achieved this by promising social and democratic reforms for which he could rally mass support amongst the working class and the poor peasantry. With this support base, he was reelected in 2005. However, after the Democratic Party failed to drive him out by parliamentary elections, the military staged a coup d’état in 2006 and deposed Thaksin. The army command banned his party and Thaksin was forced into exile. After this, the army command imposed an extraordinarily undemocratic constitution. Nevertheless, the next elections, held in December 2007, were won by the Phak Palang Prachachon (People's Power Party) which, in fact, acted as the reincarnation of Thaksin’s banned party. This, however, did not prevent the army command from deposing the PPP government a few months later, and banning the party. It was only through such blatant interference of the military that the Democratic (!) Party could reenter the government. This provoked a new series of militant mass protests in March-May 2010, when hundreds of thousands of workers and peasants occupied parts of Bangkok, and heroically fought off the army and police. The army sent in its soldiers, backed by armored personnel carriers, and fired at the protestors with live ammunition. Altogether, during these weeks, at least 85 people were killed and 1,378 wounded. When the reactionary government was forced to hold general election on July 3, 2011, again the Pheu Thai Party, led by Yingluck Shinawatra (Thaksin’s sister), won an outright majority. This short overview demonstrates that the current mobilizations of the “Yellow Shirts” are a continuation of the repeated attempts of the old establishment to prevent any government which is not under its complete control.
9. As we have said, the main problem is the political subordination of the workers and peasants in the “Red Shirts” movement to Thaksin’s leadership. At the moment, a central challenge is to fight against the ambitions of the reactionary army command, the “Yellow Shirts,”the King, etc., to smash the limited democratic achievements and launch another coup d’état. Such a struggle necessitates the mass mobilization and militant organizing of the workers and peasants who have been demobilized by the bourgeois Yingluck government, since the latter is hoping for another compromise with the army command. Such a struggle will include temporary blocs and united front actions with the “Red Shirts” movement, and even with those in the bourgeois-populist Pheu Thai Party who are willing to mobilize on the streets against the coup d’état.
10. The goal must be to split the working class away from the Thaksin leadership and to organize them in an independent workers’ party. The RCIT believes that such a party must raise the program of permanent revolution, i.e., the intermeshing of the democratic and socialist revolutions, which will lead to an armed uprising of the workers and poor peasants in order to overthrow capitalism and build a workers’ and peasants’ republic.
11. Such a program must include the struggle for a democratic revolution. An important part of this will be the abolishment of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic, as well as a struggle against the powerful position of the army command and its constitutional court. It should also unconditionally support the right of national self-determination for the Muslim people of Patani (the three southernmost provinces of the country which the Thai state created after it destroyed the Patani sultanate.) The majority of the populations in these provinces are Malay Muslims, with their own language and culture, and who are fighting against the central Thai state.
12. Against the reactionary constitution and the permanently-rigged process of writing and amending the constitution, authentic socialists have to fight for a Revolutionary Constitutional Assembly. Such an assembly must not be controlled by the reactionary ruling class. It must be the outcome of a mass uprising. It must be controlled by armed mass organizations of the workers and peasants, and its delegates must be controlled and recallable by their voters. The assembly’s only purpose would be to draw up a new constitution. In such an assembly, Socialists have to argue for the program of a workers and peasants republic.
13. A revolutionary program also has to include the expropriation of big business and the nationalization of the banks, as well as place the large industrial and service enterprises under workers’ control. It also must nationalize the media under workers’ control. Such a revolutionary workers’ party could rally the poor peasants for a program that expropriates the big landowners and foments an agrarian revolution. However, in doing so, it must patiently explain to the workers and poor peasants that sustainable democratic reform and social improvement can only be achieved if the working class takes power and creates a government of workers and poor peasants, based on councils and popular militias of armed masses. Its purpose must be to build the dictatorship of the proletariat, which would suppress the old ruling class and ensure freedom for the popular masses.
14. Such a revolutionary workers party must be built from the beginning, in conjunction with the efforts to create a new World Party of Socialist Revolution which, in our opinion, will be the Fifth Workers’ International. The RCIT looks forward to discussing these matters and collaborating with revolutionaries in Thailand and Asia, in order to advance the formation of such a revolutionary organization.
International Secretariat of the RCIT
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BBC leads the way for broadcasters closing gender pay gap
April 4 2019, 1.24pm
Embargoed to 0001 Wednesday January 23 File photo dated 21/12/2018 of the logo on BBC’s Broadcasting House in London. Women at the BBC continue to be paid “far less” than men for the same work, a report into equal pay at the broadcaster has said.
The BBC has the smallest gender pay gap among the UK’s main broadcasters, figures show.
The corporation has also closed its gap by more percentage points than any of its rivals.
The median hourly pay for women at the BBC in 2018 was 7.6% lower than men’s – down from 9.3% in 2017.
(PA Graphics)
The gap is lower than that reported by fellow broadcasters ITV, Sky, ITN and Channel 4.
It is also below the figure for Channel 5 – the only one of the UK’s main broadcasters to report a year-on-year increase.
The gender pay gap is the difference between the average hourly wage of men and women working in the organisation.
It is not the same as equal pay, where companies are required by law to pay men and women doing the same job the same salary.
BBC director-general Tony Hall has set a target to close the corporation’s pay gap by the end of 2020.
Tony Hall (Ben Stansall/PA)
Lord Hall described the target as “a really tough challenge”, but said it was “the right response to an issue which has gone on for too long”.
Channel 4 reported the largest gap of the UK’s main broadcasters. In 2018 women’s hourly pay was 23.3% lower than men’s, down slightly from 24.2% the previous year.
Chief executive Alex Mahon admitted there is “much to do in order to bring our gender pay gap to an acceptable level”.
She has set a target for a 50:50 gender balance in C4’s top 100 earners by 2023.
“This is where we believe we can make the most impact and I am pleased that the number of women in our top 100 earners has already increased to 41 in 2018, up from 34 in 2017,” she said.
The broadcaster said it was “pleased” that its gap had reduced, adding: “Our gender pay gap exists because of the make-up of our workforce, with more men than women working in the most senior or highly paid roles at ITV, and more women than men in lower paying roles.”
BBC 7.6%
ITV 11%
Channel 4 23.3%
Sky 17.3%
ITN 18.1%
At ITV, the gap has fallen slightly from 11.9% to 11%.
In contrast, Channel 5 reported an increase in the size of its gender pay gap, from 2.1% in 2017 to 12.7% in 2018.
Viacom, which owns Channel 5, said: “We are disappointed that our gender pay gap increased in the latest tax year, rather than narrowing as we had intended; if anything, the results have sharpened Viacom’s resolve to achieve gender pay parity across our UK workforce.”
ITN and Sky reported pay gaps that were barely changed.
Women’s median hourly pay at ITN in 2018 was 18.1% below men’s, compared with 18.2% in 2017.
ITN said it was committed to halve the gender pay gap and see women occupy half of the 20 highest earning roles by 2022, with a third in position by 2020.
Chief executive John Hardie said: “When we published our initial gender pay gap report we set ourselves tough targets to tackle an issue that is reflected across all industry and society. We have already made good progress, but this is just the start of a journey to which ITN is fully committed.”
Sky reported a gap of 17.3% for 2018, down from 17.5%.
Sky Television said: “Like many big organisations we have more men than women in senior, digital and technology roles and this is what is driving our gap. It’s by achieving gender parity in these areas that we’ll close our gender pay gap.”
All companies and public bodies with 250 employees or more are required to publish their median and mean gender pay gap figures.
The deadline for public sector employers is March 30, while for private and voluntary sector employers the deadline is April 4.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the median pay gap among all UK employees in 2018 was 17.9%.
UK’s ethnicity pay gap revealed for first time
Rapinoe wants pay talk in women’s football to ‘move to the next step’
No 10: BBC must explain why star pay is up after free licences for over-75s cut
BBC criticised over pay rises as latest salaries are revealed
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Where Kiefer Is King
Congo’s Army of Jack Bauers
The hero of the television series ‘24’ is the most popular person in war-torn Congo—and local tough guys are taking his name as their own.
Nina Strochlic
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast
GOMA, Congo—Food is scarce, running water almost unheard of, and the number of paved roads can be counted on one hand. But there’s one thing the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has no shortage of: Jack Bauers.
There’s a Jack Bauer to help recover your stolen phone; a Jack Bauer to foil market bombings; and the Jack Bauer who sets up interviews with rebel fighters and then smuggles you across the battle’s frontlines.
In Goma, the provincial capital in eastern Congo, two decades of war have eroded the roads; the buildings are crumbling, along with any hope for peace and stability. There’s little faith in the far-away national government to halt the violence that has long plagued the country. Instead, many believe that what the Congo really needs is its own Jack Bauer.
Jack Bauer and I meet for the first time at a decrepit downtown roundabout where a sign emblazoned in French, proclaiming “Justice” “Peace” “Work,” hangs below a roaring leopard head. Bauer has just arrested a man he believes to be a leader of a well-known rebel group, and asks to reschedule our meeting so he can deliver the prisoner to his superiors.
This Jack Bauer is one of the most famous military captains in the area, but no one seems to know his real name. “I just call him Jack,” multiple people tell me.
The next day, we meet again on the porch of an expensive hotel in Goma. The sun is bright after the recent rainy season, and Bauer’s eyes are hidden behind large shades. Smoking a cigarette and sipping ginger juice, he reveals his name is Jean Bidel Bukasa. The drink’s virility properties may be overkill—the 36-year-old local celebrity already has five children from four different women.
The American spy show 24—in which hero Jack Bauer foils nefarious plots to destroy the world, one day at a time—is ubiquitous in eastern Congo. Reruns of 24 air on the restaurant televisions not playing soccer matches. On the streets, murals of Kiefer Sutherland cover movie store facades. And the series’ terrorist-fighting protagonist, hellbent on halting plots to destroy his country, has spawned countless local imitators.
“People love 24 because Congo has been through a lot of things and they think we need someone who can react as Jack Bauer,” Bukasa explains. With no faith in the government or international community, some Congolese have taken the country’s security into their own hands. He’s is one of the numerous men in Goma who has adopted the name of the swashbuckling agent.
“It really inspired me,” he says. “It shows me, as a security guy, how I can save my country, how I can protect my country from attacks and assist its citizens.”
Over the past 20 years, the Congo has survived two foreign-backed wars, an onslaught of outsiders exploiting its vast natural resources, and an explosion of armed rebel groups who continue to stir up trouble in the restive east. An estimated 5 million people have died due to this conflict.
It’s a country where assassinations, disappearances, and corruption are the norm, and not even the most far-fetched conspiracy theories like the over-the-top plotlines of 24 are implausible.
So, an army of Jack Bauers has stepped in to save their country. Bukasa believes it’s been left to him and his brothers-in-arms to fight Congo’s wars. Orphaned, he joined the army at age 16 and climbed to the rank of captain in the intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2005, a rebel group called CNDP had begun a rise to power. As Bukasa tells it, the insurgents sent militiamen to his home to kill him. Exits out of Goma had been shut down, but he managed a daring escape and smuggled himself 150 miles away to a safer city. By the time he arrived, his shocked senior officers had presumed him dead. Impressed, they anointed him Jack Bauer. “It was a dream come true to hear them call me that,” he recalls.
Since then, Bukasa says, he’s become the go-to guy for impossible missions. He recently snuck himself into territory of the notorious FDLR rebels—remnants of the Rwandan genocide perpetrators who’ve been hiding out in Congo’s jungles for 20 years—to retrieve the body of a military commander who’d been killed.
“When this ideology of Jack Bauer comes to me it’s like taking drugs,” he says, showing photos of the corpse on his oversized tablet-phone. “I have no fear.”
Now, Bukasa uses the techniques he’s picked up from the show to capture the region’s most wanted criminals. “If I’m planning an operation I have to watch 24 to study,” he says. He declines to reveal what exactly those inspired moves are, though gives a foreboding hint: “I think Jack Bauer is someone who doesn’t really respect the law, he can do anything and then he’ll think later.”Bukasa continues flipping through photos. There’s a group of four men whom he says raped a woman. A robber who evaded capture for years. Some of these pictures he posts on Facebook, which he says is necessary to let people know who the bad guys are.
He pulls up a picture of what appears to be a decapitated head. He says it was taken of one of the victims of a recent rebel attack on the city’s airport. “The security in Goma is horrific,” he says. “If I told you I could change everything I’d be lying to you. My goal is just to see good changes.”
The conflict has slowed, but there’s no forgetting the carnage in battle-weary Goma. Aid-branded Land Cruisers—belonging to Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, and UNHCR—form humanitarian parades through the unpaved streets and pull into walled compounds with armed guards and watchtowers.
In response to the violence, the United Nations installed the headquarters of its largest and most expensive United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, in Goma. Its operations are tucked away in temporary container offices behind blue gates, though its presence dominates the city of 1 million. Shiny white UN trucks and tanks are around every corner, but with a mandate that prohibited offensive action until recently, its presence is widely thought to be ineffective. On the weekends, soldiers and civilian UN employees, flush with hardship income, dine at expensive restaurants and cruise the disco ball-filled clubs. They’re popularly known as the “tourist army.”
“These people are jokers,” Bukasa says. “They’re just here for a picnic, really. They’re not doing anything.”
Bukasa is not just a military captain, but a boxer, self-proclaimed dandy, and aspiring actor with three movies under his belt. He shows off a clip from a recent film on his phone where he’s a rebel boss drinking whiskey and plotting the kidnapping of the American ambassador. In the credits, he’s listed as “Jack Bauer.”
He also mentors other aspiring Jack Bauers, instructing them to be honest, not greedy, and willing to sacrifice to help the country’s most vulnerable people. “Those who are named Jack Bauer they have to show they’re really Jack Bauer because we need their help,” he says.
If the wannabes get too reckless, Bukasa puts them in their place. When he was sent on a remote mission, another member of his department took the nickname for himself. Furious, Bukasa complained to his superiors back to headquarters, who assured him it wouldn’t last. “They’re just mirroring me,” he says of the others. “They’re not really Jack Bauer, they’re faking.”
The other Jack Bauers don’t agree.
“There are other people who call themselves Jack Bauer but when they see me they can’t call themselves Jack Bauer again,” says Anderson Kombomayo. The 28-year-old intelligence captain is Bukasa’s counterpart in the police force. He shows up to our meeting in a camo shirt, MONUSCO branded across the chest. On his bicep is a tattooed dinosaur with his first name arched above in capital letters. On his chest, he says, he plans to tattoo a picture of Jack Bauer’s face.
After the 2012 insurgency by a Rwandan-backed rebel group called M23, Kombomayo was tasked with retrieving more than 1,500 criminals who’d escaped from Goma’s central prison. For his successes, the police department bestowed on him the ultimate honor: “You are going to be the Jack Bauer of our department,” they told him.
“I learn the moves of Jack Bauer like a cause,” Kombomayo says. For two hours per day, he’ll watch episodes on his phone, studying them intently. When he’s off the clock, he binge watches. “I must get it in my mind and it must stay,” he says.Perhaps no one has watched 24 with as much dedication as Caleb Kabanda.
Kabanda got his first glimpse of the show at a neighbor’s house over a decade ago. When an electricity outage forced a break in the viewing session he hoped on a motorbike and rode immediately to the market to purchase the first four seasons. For three days and two nights he watched without sleeping. Now he’s seen the entire series five times over.
“If you want, I can tell you the plot of every season,” he offers over a glass of red wine at a lakefront restaurant in Goma. He’s forgotten, perhaps, that six months prior, in the course of three-hour trek in the jungle, he recounted 24’s most important plot points to me, season by season.
When Kabanda calls himself Jack Bauer he breaks into a distinctive smile, revealing a gap of four missing front teeth, but the source of his nickname is no laughing matter.
Since Congo’s first civil war broke out in 1996, Kabanda has worked with foreign journalists as a fixer—a hybrid translator, security expert, and logistical coordinator. Today, the 38-year-old’s services are used by the biggest media organizations and visiting dignitaries, including Ben Affleck, who runs the Eastern Congo Initiative. His job has put him at the frontlines of the country’s rebellions, sent him deep into militia territory, and given him an endurance to rival the on-screen terrorist hunter.
“Only Jack Bauer makes the impossible things possible,” Kabanda says of his fixing talents. At that moment, the impossible task is getting a New York Times journalist with visa problems past the country’s notoriously difficult border crossing. Kabanda describes his exploits in between string-pulling calls to high-ranking ministers.
Kabanda got his nickname in 2008 by an impressed Washington Post journalist whom he’d helped out of dangerous scrapes, including an arrest. “I saved her from many terrorist attacks,” he says. She called him Jack Bauer and he called her Madame President, referring to the female leader of the show.
With Kabanda’s catchphrase, “I will fix it” —sometimes sprinkled with “It’s handled,” in homage to the problem-solving Olivia Pope of Scandal—his adopted name doesn’t feel too far-fetched.
While the journalist-assisting Jack Bauer does his part to bring the plight of the Congo to the world’s attention, he believes there’s a greater role for 24 in his country.
“Most Congolese watch thinking that if our president watched this show he could help the Congolese people,” Kabanda says. “But he doesn’t even watch 24.”
A visit by the real Jack Bauer would do what the president cannot, Kabanda believes. Kiefer Sutherland in the flesh could be the most effective form of intervention yet.
“All Congolese know that if he comes he will save the Congo,” Kabanda says. “Oh my God—he’s the most popular person in the Congo. More popular than any actor or president. If he gives a message on the radio to armed groups and says, ‘I give you one week to surrender your weapons,’ I’m telling you, all these groups will stop fighting.”
During his 2013 visit, Anthony Bourdain suggested a similar solution: “The State Dept. should send Kiefer Sutherland as special envoy to Congo. Most admired man here. By far. #JackBauer,” he tweeted. Sutherland declined to comment, but Kabanda asked that his invitation to visit the Congo be conveyed in this article.
In a seemingly neverending conflict, where nearly every form of diplomacy has been disappointing, Jack Bauer is the man for the job.
“Congo should not be suffering the way we’re suffering,” Kabanda says. “Congolese should not be living the life we’re living. Congo could be the paradise of the world if we had a good president and a Jack Bauer.” Then he adds, modestly: “Not the way I am—I am just a little Jack Bauer, trying to get the world interested in my country."
The International Women's Media Foundation supported Nina Strochlic's reporting from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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US General receives high Croatian decoration
By HINA Apr 24, 2019
Published in Croatia
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Tuesday decorated US General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of US EUCOM, with the Order of Prince Trpimir with Ribbon and Star for his exceptional contribution to promoting the international reputation of Croatia and its Armed Forces, the President's Office said in a press release.
On the occasion of the decoration-awarding ceremony, the president praised General Scaparrotti as a sensible and devoted ally and a proven friend of Croatia.
NATO has been additionally fortified under his command as has the strategic partnership between Croatia and the USA, which is one of the foundations of Croatia's defence system, Grabar-Kitarovic underlined.
U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti assumed duties as Commander of European Command and as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe in late spring of 2016. He graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point. He has commanded forces during operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Zaire/Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Liberia, the U.S. Department of Defense website notes.
Little girl that has shown how big is the heart of Croatia gets her first medical results – and they are great! Unemployment rate falls to 9.5 percent in Croatia
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Peer Reviewed Articles On Diversity In The Workplace
Full size image On average, around 60% of our authors are voluntarily opting in to publishing the peer review history of their paper. We believe that this is a very encouraging result, given also the.
Nov 27, 2017. Information and library resources on diversity in the workplace, Peer Reviewed Process: When an article is submitted to a scholarly journal,
Plants, People, Planet will publish peer-reviewed articles, opinion and review that focuses on. London), seven ways for plant scientists to protect the planet’s plant diversity by Peter Raven.
As Peer. work can be better supported. Peer reviewers are the backbone of the scientific literature, vetting papers for technical validity and guiding authors in strengthening their conclusions and.
Includes articles about cultures of work-life balance, work-life satisfaction, career-life balance for women of color; and international faculty. Measurement and Assessment in Campus Climate Research. Special issue of APA’s Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 1, No. 4, December 2008.
An important ongoing discussion concerns giving peer reviewers better recognition for their effort, since they, in almost any cases, take on this important and time-consuming task without any rewards.
This paper explores the various ways in which a diverse workforce may contribute to. In this paper, I review diversity and the theoretical concepts related to.
a peer coaching service for women, said “one of the challenging things of intersectionality is that being black is one aspect. I’m also a straight person who isn’t worried about bringing a partner to.
Hugh Ross Debate With Evolutionists The Austrian Jewish composer, born in 1874, invented the twelve-tone method, a musical structure that underpinned many of the 20th century’s most significant classical music achievements — and many of. MODERATORS: CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer will moderate the debates. And similar to the second GOP debate — which the news channel also hosted — CNN
Josh Greenberg's article on diversity in the workplace for The Multicultural. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Frank Dobbin, Harvard University.
It is widely known among academics that the current peer. result, journals are finding it harder and harder to find qualified reviewers, and those who accept the request tend to prioritize their.
Improving Cross Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: A Look at Women and Cultures Globalization, Leadership and Decision Making Ingrid Fray *. Peer Reviewed Journals. Make the best use of Scientific Research and information from our 700 + peer reviewed, Open Access Journals.
MULTIGENERATIONAL DIVERSITY IN THE ACADEMIC WORPLACE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE. This spirit also extends to their preference for flexible work schedules, teamwork, diversity, prompt feedback, casual attire, a fun _ work environment with.
Scientists depend on the proper evaluation of research that creates the foundation for future work. review process may promote accountability among reviewers. A peer reviewer whose dated comments.
workforce and in pragmatic research regarding diversity. This research thematically. Key literature has been reviewed to provide a foundation for the research.
Dec 7, 2016. The Scientific Workforce Diversity (SWD) Office leads NIH's effort to. the diversity of thought that comes with a diverse scientific workforce.
Diversity and Inclusion at the Work Place: A Review of Research and Perspectives Introduction Having a diverse workforce is increasingly being recognized as instrumental in improving the firm‟s performance, and also an imperative that organizations can no longer choose to ignore. It is well
Companies that exhibit gender and ethnic diversity are, respectively, 15 percent and 35 percent more likely to outperform those that don’t, according to a global management consulting firm.
From Vision to Implementation – Instituting Your Diversity Process. Many organizations make the case for diversity, obtain senior management support, publish their mission and vision statements and then must deliver on their diversity strategies. In this latest issue of Bridges located on pages 4 and 5, PRISM’s President & CEO,
Browse Journals & Books; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal Volume List. Issue(s) available: 76 – from Volume 29 Issue 1, to Volume 38 Issue 4. Critical perspectives on work, diversity and inequalities. Women in Management Review International Perspectives on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Social Sciences Full Text is the basic index for finding articles in the social sciences. SSI indexes over 550 of the core, English language journals in social science disciplines including sociology and social work, public administration, political science, public welfare, and urban studies. It indexes many journals back to 1982 and, beginning with 1995, includes many full-text articles.
Promoting workplace diversity has many bottom line benefits. But you. Ask employees for referrals, since they will have peers in the industry or know qualified.
Virtual Half-Day Conference – Diversity in Peer Review: Improving the Author. Press, American Chemical Society, the Workplace Equity Project, and Research.
seed the ground for increased diversity in the peer review process and bring more inclusivity to our evaluation of manuscripts. We have no doubt that ultimately this can only enhance the quality of.
Jan 22, 2018. The diversity and inclusion revolution: Eight powerful truths Deloitte Review, issue 22. Read Deloitte Review, issue 22. and delivered shareholder returns in the top quartile of its global airline peers and the ASX100. In this article, we draw upon the findings of seven major research studies that cut into.
they have the most impact on groups in the work place and socicty (Loden and Rosener, 1991). The secondary dimensions include educational back ground, geographic location, income, marital status, religious beliefs and work experience. Thesesecond ary dimensions of diversity affect our self-esteem and self-definition. Numerous studies have estab
People tend to make stereotypical judgments about others, leading to discriminatory practices that limit the full participation of members of some demographic groups in important social institutions (e.g., workplaces, schools, universities, sport). Further, people from these underrepresented groups are often mistreated within these institutions, resulting in stress, poor mental and physical.
Organisms Used In Bioremediation Tiny micro-organisms literally “eat” away at hydrocarbons. and zero risk goals in the shipping industry, it makes sense to use cost-effective, quality, proven bioremediation products in everyday. From: Microbial Biodegradation and Bioremediation, 2014. Thus, anaerobic bacteria should be used for bioremediation exclusively in bioreactors; herein, the. They designed an experiment to determine whether bioremediation, which
He’s pushing for more diversity in the journals’ editorial pool — for gender, nationality and underrepresented minorities. It’s also helpful to remember that suggesting people for peer review isn’t.
tolerate work as long as it is fun (Karp et al., 2002). They are entrepreneurial (The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association Office of Diversity, 2006), pragmatic (Niemiec, 2002), and creative (The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association Office of.
Jul 28, 2015. Peer-reviewed. Where workforce diversity has been resistant to change, there are often many factors. Williams KY, O'Reilly CA (1998) Demography and diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research.
Yesterday I signed an open letter on behalf of all PLOS journals. the work. This is especially critical for early career researchers to be able to demonstrate their varied contributions to their.
Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and. (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to. require organizations to review their management practices.
It’s not a slam-dunk argument against open peer review at journals, though. You are not obliged to do a peer review if you have concerns. I’m openly criticizing people’s work – and even behavior – all.
Ending Harassment at Work Requires an Intersectional Approach. Research: When People See More Women at the Top, They're Less Concerned About.
Aug 1, 2018. For a selection of earlier research on this topic, see: Catalyst, Why. When a workforce reflects the racial/ethnic diversity of its consumer base, attributes and goals with their peers, organizations best increase the odds. “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation,” Harvard Business Review (December 2013).
The department also conducted an external review of the department. financial and supervisory work, the judge said.
A good peer reviewer. position to produce work that their own reviewers will smile upon," he wrote. At least one graduate student agreed. A commenter named Lelia, a fifth-year linguistics student.
To celebrate peer review week, we’re highlighting how important equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI. regardless of background. While journal articles are important, we also value and reward.
research on diversity–organizational culture linkage, its effect on diversity openness, Keywords diversity management, workplace diversity, discrimination, stereotype, inclusiveness. by thorough review by a panel of 10 HR professionals from. (3.99); encouraging peers to be open and forming positive relationships.
ISSN 2422-846X An International Peer-reviewed Journal. With the earlier years , organizations take workforce diversity seriously otherwise there was no.
Workforce diversity means similarities and differences among employees in terms of. the literature and various research papers, concluded that workforce diversity is. “Need for Cross- Cultural Management” HRM Review ICFAI University Press. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Symbiosis Institute of.
Gad Saad Islamic Invention Saad al-Hilli and his wife, Iqbal, from Surrey, were shot dead in the French Alps in September 2012, along with Mrs al-Hilli’s mother and a French cyclist. Zeena and Zainab al-Hilli, who were four and. Hugh Ross Debate With Evolutionists The Austrian Jewish composer, born in 1874, invented the twelve-tone method, a musical structure that
Apr 25, 2012. Diversity management is a process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of.
I happen to love it, especially peer review! I (occasionally. which excludes some type of novel work. Reviewers have widely varying ideas about these criteria, which still results in a lot of.
What does being accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal mean? Does it mean the science is correct, the effect is real and that physics is broken? Consider that peer-reviewed journals.
An article about what it’s like to work in Digital at the Guardian wouldn. e.g. soon after hack days they usually feature the best hacks. We formally review performance every quarter, with plenty.
It includes research from Harvard, McKinsey, Gallup, and peer reviewed studies for you to lay out how your business could be reaching new levels of productivity.
May 17, 2019 · Peer Reviewed Articles Peer-reviewed articles are often referred to as the "gold standard" of scholarly journal writing since they have been carefully vetted before publication. Rather than relying on journal editors to decide if an article should be included in the publication, the article is sent to experts ("peers") in the field who review the piece and determine if it should be included in the journal.
in scholarly recognition and in citations of published work. But one of the most important measures of professional academic success was not covered in the symposium: the number of articles one.
Boots Chemist Offer Of The Week This warrants a closer look at both Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) and Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD).CVS Health, another competitor in the retail pharmacy space. punished Rite Aid’s stock for the. News Amazon may open a new chain of “urban grocery stores” comes as drugstore giant Walgreens Boots Alliance is expanding its e-commerce. “plans to
we currently hold four editor or associate editor positions in journals and book series. However, we are also actively published authors and know first-hand the impact of hurtful and unsubstantiated.
This research explains how managers can lead and manage diverse teams. Further. O. Henry, A.J. EvansCritical review of literature on workforce diversity.
Oceanographer Job Opportunity Canada Boots Chemist Offer Of The Week This warrants a closer look at both Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) and Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD).CVS Health, another competitor in the retail pharmacy space. punished Rite Aid’s stock for the. News Amazon may open a new chain of “urban grocery stores” comes as drugstore giant Walgreens Boots Alliance
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Ecology I Need Lyrics
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The Wag
We Carry On
Merry Christmas from the Wag
Returning Traveler
Soundtrack to a Silent Movie
Ordinary Day
Photo by Mike Catalano
Events at: The Middletown Library
Apologies, but no events were found for the requested venue.
The Wag’s 3rd Friday at Espresso Joe’s on 7/19/19 at 7:00 pm
The Wag at The Beatles vs. Stones show on 7/20/19 at 6:30 pm
The Wag at the Soulsational Wellness and Music Festival on 7/27/19 at 11:15 am
The Wag at the Bradley Beach Gazebo Concert Series on 7/29/19 at 6:00 pm
The Wag at The Stone Pony – With Summer Stage Headliners: Ben Folds & The Violent Femmes on 8/2/19 at 5:30 pm
The Wag – “Everybody Said” (Official Music Video)
The Wag’s music video for “Everybody Said” was selected by The Jersey City Popup Film Festival and The Garden State Film Festival!
The Wag’s music video for “Everybody Said” was selected by The Garden State Film Festival!
The Wag – “Feels Like Christmas” (Official Music Video)
The Wag – “Your Eyes” (Official Music Video)
The Wag’s 2017 Japan Tour Promo Video!
About The Wag
Got songs? Got harmonies? Got fun and unbridled enthusiasm? Then you’ve got The Wag! Hailing from the Bayshore area of New Jersey, this 4-piece unit has been entertaining and moving audiences for 20 years but still sounds as fresh as it did on day one! With 4 alternating lead vocalists, catchy melodies, and sophisticated harmonies, they will take you on a journey of pop rock delight!
Learn more about The Wag!
“If the Beatles and the Cowsills got it on backstage at Ed Sullivan, The Wag would totally be their love child.” -Wil Wheaton (Actor, Author)
Remembering our brother, friend, and drummer of 14 years, Brian Mowery.
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– All the World’s history, at your fingertips –
Arabia 500 BCE
Arabia, a region of flourishing civilization and desert nomads.
What's happening in
The camel has been domesticated, and trade routes now cross the great deserts of Arabia
Trade caravans bring precious spices across the desert from southern Arabia.
Arabian civilization reaches a height of prosperity.
The civilization of southern Arabia is in decline.
The civilization of southern Arabia has declined, along with the great desert trade routes.
Arabia has become the springboard for dramatic conquests under the banner of a new religion, Islam.
Arabia is home to Islamic sects seen as dangerous by the orthodox Muslims.
Yemen has been a centre of trade and Islamic culture.
The Ottoman empire is the dominant power within the Arabian peninsula.
The first Saudi kingdom has appeared in Arabia.
The first Saudi kingdom has been crushed, but a second one has appeared.
The second Saudi kingdom has fallen.
A third, much larger, Saudi kingdom has appeared.
Oil is bringing vast new wealth to the Arabian kingdoms.
The region experienced a huge shock when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
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500BC Middle East
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What is happening in Arabia in 500BCE
The peninsula is home to Arab nomads, living a life which would be recognizable to modern Bedouin. The exception to this is in the south, with its settled kingdoms and cities. These well-organized states, the most notable of which is the kingdom of Saba, are home to a civilization which is dependent upon large-scale irrigation to sustain its agriculture. They also benefit from the production of frankincense and myrrh, highly prized throughout the ancient world for their fragrance and preservative qualities.
Next map: Arabia 200 BCE
What is happening in Arabia in 1000BCE
Up until around this date, most of Arabia has been entirely uninhabited. Nomadic groups live on the margins, where grasslands allow their herds of sheep and goats to graze, but the barren interior has not allowed any peoples to establish a foothold.
At around this time, however, the camel is domesticated. These hardy animals allow nomads to travel long distances in the desert. Trade routes across the Arabian peninsular begin to be pioneered, and oases begin to be populated. The classic “bedouin” lifestyle begins to take shape.
Perhaps related to these developments, a new civilization is emerging in south west Arabia, based on large-scale irrigation systems which bring the dry but fertile soil of the region to life.
The kingdoms of southern Arabia have continued to flourish. The well-organized irrigation systems, crucial to the agriculture of the region and the economic well-being of the population, are kept in good repair and continue to expand. The trade in frankincense and myrrh also continues to expand. Towns have also appeared further north, along the trade routes heading north to Mesopotamia and Syria. The nomadic tribes of the desert profit from this trade through dues levied on the caravans.
Next map: Arabia 30 BCE
What is happening in Arabia in 30BCE
The kingdoms of southern Arabia continue to thrive as their cities take a central part in the expanding incense trade. Indeed, this period probably sees the height of southern Arabian prosperity in ancient times, with the irrigation systems at its most productive and the overland trade in myrrh and frankincense at its most flourishing. Greek and Roman traders are in direct contact with the producers of south Arabia, as they are with the trading cities further north, where the Nabatean kingdom rules. The material culture of the region is increasingly influenced by classical Mediterranean models, and it is at this period that the beautiful city of Petra, in modern Jordan, is adorned with its marvellous rock-carved temples, which are some of the most outstanding examples of Hellenistic architecture.
In the Arabian interior the nomadic tribes continue to profit from the trading caravans passing through their lands.
Next map: Arabia 200 CE
What is happening in Arabia in 200CE
During the first century CE Greek sailors pioneered the Indian Ocean trade routes, using the Monsoon winds to take their sailing ships to and from the subcontinent. Abundant archaeological evidence in India points to the extent of this trade. Unfortunately for the towns and kingdoms of southern Arabia, the Greek merchant ships could by-pass the southern Arabian kingdoms in a way that camel caravans could not, and as this maritime trade gathers pace, the slower and more expensive overland routes have declined. With the decline of the overland trade has come a decline in the fortunes of the southern Arabian kingdoms as well as the desert nomads. These latter are now occupying large areas of previously fertile farmland as the centuries-old irrigation systems become degraded. In the north, the Nabatean kingdom has been annexed to the Roman empire.
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The control of the lucrative maritime trade is now in the hands of the kingdom of Axum, in modern Ethiopian, and the southern Arabian civilization has declined with the fall off in overland traffic up the peninsula. The once-extensive irrigation systems have become badly degraded, with sometimes calamitous effects: there is evidence for dam collapses and destructive floods affecting some of the most populous centres of population. Nomadic herders now graze their flocks where once was fertile agriculture.
The decline in the overland trade seems to have led to a rise in warfare between the nomadic tribes of the interior. Commerce has not completely disappeared from the peninsula, however. Some towns in western Arabia continue to be centres of trade. One such is the town of Mecca, which, with its enormous black stone, regarded with religious awe by the pagan tribes, is also a centre of pilgrimage. To the north, both large empires, Roman and Persian, pay Arab rulers – the Ghazanids for Rome and the Lakhmids for Persia – to act as buffer-states between the desert nomads and the settled areas of the empires.
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The Arab buffer states of the Ghazanids and the Lakhmids both fell foul of suspicions of treachery by their respective patrons, the Byzantine and Persian emperors. This had the effect of making the borders of the two empires open to attack by nomadic Arab tribes.
Meanwhile the preaching of a prophet called Muhammad in the towns of Mecca and Medina brought about a religious revolution. It gave rise to a new religion, Islam, and led to the great Arab conquests of the mid-7th century which created a huge new empire, the Caliphate.
In the wake of these conquests, many Arabs migrated, either as individual families or as whole tribes, to the conquered lands, where they would contribute to the process of Arabization and Islamization. Arabia itself, however, lost its central political importance when Damascus, in Syria, became the seat of the Caliphate. Mecca and Medina remained the most holy cities of the Islamic world, and major centres of pilgrimage. Successive caliphs lavished new mosques and monuments on them.
Arabia soon became a haven for branches of Islam considered heretical by orthodox Muslims. The first of these were the Ibadites, who believed that the caliph should be elected. One of their leaders took control of Oman and rules there with the title of Imam.
Next map: Arabia 979
From 870, Yemen became virtually independent under a line of hereditary governors. These gave way to a succession of independent dynasties ruling in that area, often more than one at the same time and representing different sects. These only loosely acknowledged the overlordship of the caliph, if at all.
Mecca and Medina have also come under the control of local dynasts, the Alid family – whose dominance will last for a thousand years. At times they will be forced to accept the overlordship of one distant power or another, but the local affairs of these cities will be in their hands.
As for the Bedouin tribes in the interior, they have effectively resumed their age-old independence, fighting one another for control of water holes, oases and trade routes. Many have become adherence of a radical Islamic sect called the Qarmatians. These believe that all Muslims – whether nomads, merchants, farmers or officials – should live as equals, an ideology that fits well with the nomadic lifestyle. In 930 they attack Mecca itself.
Next map: Arabia 1215
What is happening in Arabia in 1215CE
The military power of the Qarmatian tribes was suppressed by local Sunni tribes in the late 11th century. The Bedouin peoples of the desert retain their de facto independence from all external authority, however.
The Ayyubids of Egypt invaded Yemen in 1173 and established their dominance there.
Oman was ruled by the Seljuqs for about a century, but has been independent since c.1154. The country is now ruled by a succession of Imams, at the head of a loose confederation of tribes. Coastal Oman has become a major centre of the Indian Ocean trade. Omani sailors and merchants routinely voyage to India and East Africa, and even as far as South East Asia. In all these places they are active in spreading their Muslim faith, which thus spreads far beyond its Middle Eastern homeland.
An Ayyubid governor of Yemen established his independence in 1229, and founded the Rasulid dynasty. The Rasulids were active patrons of Islamic art and learning, and under them Yemen became a major centre of Muslim culture. Their stable rule encouraged trade to pass through Yemen, and it prospered as a result. However, by the mid-15th century the Rasulids have fallen into decline, and Yemen has come under the overlordship of the Mamluqs.
The decline of Yemen has led to to the resurgence of Oman as the Arabian centre of the Indian Ocean trade.
In the Hejaz, the region of Mecca and Medina, the ruling Alid family have also come under the control of the Mamluqs.
In 1517, the Ottomans had come in from the west, bringing the Hejaz, with the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, under their control (though leaving local rulers, such as the Ali dynasty in the Hejaz, largely free to govern as their liked). This inaugurated a period of prosperity for the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, protected as they were by the Ottoman empire and with imperial patronage lavished on them. Yemen also came under Ottoman rule, but the latter were driven out in 1635.
The Portuguese were active in the Gulf from the start of the 16th century, capturing Hormuz and Muscat in 1507, and Bahrain in 1521. After the Ottomans had conquered Iraq in the 1530s, they too became began operations in the Gulf. Coming into conflict with the Portuguese, they ousted from Bahrain in 1602. The Portuguese were also expelled from Muscat by a local religious movement, whose leader founded the Yarubid dynasty of Oman. The Omanis then harried Portuguese shipping and bases along the east coast of Africa, considerably weakening their power.
Oman won control of the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa as far as Zanzibar. However, internal instability led to a Persian invasion in 1737, and Omani maritime influence dwindled. The Omanis drove the Persians out again in 1749, under the leadership of Ahmad ibn Sa’id, who established the Sa’id dynasty.
The 18th century has seen other small states appearing along the Gulf coast, often by clans moving to the coast from the interior: Kuwait (1756), which has become a thriving trading community, Qatar (1766) and Bahrain (1783). Other small Arab sheikdoms along the Gulf coast have a long tradition of piracy, and this area has became known as the “Pirate coast” to Europeans.
Other European merchants and sailors have begun operating around the coast of Arabia. The British East India Company is especially active, and has began entering into commercial treaties with coastal sheikhs.
The interior of the Arabian peninsula has seen the foundation of the Wahhabi movement, in the mid-18th century. This sect espouses a radical conservative version of Islam. Its founder forged a close alliance with a minor chiefly family called the Sauds, and together they have won an extensive kingdom in central Arabia.
In 1806 the Wahhabi movement, headed by the Saud family, captured Mecca. This prompted Muhammed Ali, the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, to invade the Arabian peninsula in strength. He recaptured Mecca, drove the Wahhabis back into the desert, captured their capital of Riyadh, and executed the Saudi leader. In 1824, however, another Saudi leader recaptured Riyadh and founded a new Wahhabi kingdom.
The British naval ships have clashed increasingly with Arab pirates in the Gulf. To combat this nuisance, and also to promote their commercial interests, the British extended their influence along the Gulf coast by signing treaties with the ruling sheiks, including Bahrain in 1820 and the Qawasim emirs in 1835. Meanwhile, Oman, now united and stable under its Sa’id sultans, has reasserted its control over its East African dependencies, as far south as Zanzibar.
The Saudi-led Wahhabi kingdom soon descended into chaos in fratricidal fighting within the ruling family, allowing another family, the al-Rasheeds, to rise to power. These captured the Saudi capital of Riyadh, and conquered a large in northern Arabia.
In Yemen, the British captured the port of Aden in 1839, as a base from which to protect shipping from pirates. The British have also persuaded the Ottomans and the Gulf sheikdoms to help them suppress the Indian Ocean slave trade. With a view to this, as well as to combat piracy and promote trade, the British have entered into more, and tighter, treaty relationships with the coastal sheikdoms of the Gulf. Since 1861 the sheikdom of Bahrain has been a British protectorate.
In 1856 the Omani empire was divided between two brothers, with one ruling from Zanzibar, on the East African coast, and other ruling from Oman. In Oman, the ruling family’s preoccupation with maritime interests had loosened their ties with the inland tribes, and these became increasingly restive. The ruling family forged close links with the British, who have supported them in their attempts to control the interior of the country.
In northern Arabia, the al-Rasheeds became pre-occupied by a struggle with the sheikdom of Kuwait, and this allowed the Saudis to recapture their old capital, Riyadh, and much of their earlier territory.
In the 1880’s, having tightened their control over Iraq, Ottoman forces conquered down into the Arabian peninsula, as far as south as Qatar. Threats to bring Kuwait under direct rule by Ottoman officials caused the small state to cultivate close ties with Britain. In 1892, a group of small emirates further south along the Gulf coast became protectorates of British, and became known as the Trucial States.
In Oman, continuing friction between the coastal ruling class and the interior tribes has been ended (for the time being) by a peace agreement, brokered by the British. This has confirmed the sultan’s sovereignty over the entire country, but given the inland tribes a large measure of autonomy.
Since the opening of the Suez Canal, the British port of Aden has acquired much greater strategic importance, both as a naval base (the British navy uses it as a coaling station) and as a trading port. The British have safeguarded Aden’s security through alliances with local Yemeni rulers.
With the outbreak of World War 1, Kuwait became a British protectorate, to safeguard it from an Ottoman invasion. The Hejaz drove the Ottomans out, with British support (notably under “Lawrence of Arabia”); and the Saudis fought the pro-Ottoman al-Rasheeds. In the years after the war, the Saudis occupied all of what would become Saudi Arabia. The combination of tact and toughness which Ibn Saud, the Saudi king, displayed towards both the Bedouin clans and the sophisticated urban elites of the Hejaz cities, established his enormous kingdom on firm foundations.
The region has experienced decades of peace and stability. In the 1930’s the discovery of vast deposits of oil, exploited by American and British companies, brought new levels of prosperity; in some cases, sleepy little emirates became wealthy modern states in the space of one generation.
An insurrection in Oman, by the tribes of the interior (1954-60), was put down with British help.
The British staged a withdrawal from the region in the 1960’s and early 70’s: Kuwait (1961), Aden (1967), and Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial States, now the United Arab Emirates (1970-1).
Revenues from the oil industry, already vast, greatly increased after 1974, when the oil-producing countries renegotiated the oil price after the West’s support for Israel. The industry has brought in hundreds of thousands of workers from all over the world, but particularly from South Asia.
In Oman, the traditional hostility between interior and coast led to another revolt in the early 1960’s. The sultan was able to put this down with support from his neighbours.
The region experienced a huge shock when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. The Iraqis were ejected by a massive international invasion, led by the USA and Saudi Arabia, launched from bases in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Despite the shock, the Iraqi invasion no more than interrupted economic progress. However, a threat to the stability of several Gulf states remains: the majority of their populations are Shi’ites, whereas their rulers are Sunnis. With the rise of a militant Shi’ite Iran after 1979 this has made this religious divide a source of anxiety.
Dig Deeper...
History of Arabia
What else is happening in the rest of the world...
Middle East history 500BCE
A succession of great empires - the Assyrian, the Babylonian, and now the Persian - have dominated the Middle East for the past few centuries
Africa history 500BCE
Bantu farmers from West Africa are beginning to spread out across the continent
India and South Asia history 500BCE
The return of urban civilization to ancient India has been followed by a creative period in its history, with the great world religion of Buddhism being founded
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 500BCE
The philosopher Confucius, whose teachings will influence millions of people down to the present day, lives at this time
Middle East history 1000BCE
Invasions have devastated the old centres of civilization, but important new developments, such as the use of iron, the appearance of the alphabet and the rise of Israel, with its monotheistic religion, have taken place
Europe history 1000BCE
Major population movements in Europe have caused widespread upheaval, and the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations have vanished
Africa history 1000BCE
Farming and cattle herding is spreading in western and central Africa
India and South Asia history 1000BCE
In this dark age of ancient indian history the Aryan people are laying the foundations of future Indian civilization
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1000BCE
Ancient Chinese civilization expands under the Zhou dynasty, which will be the longest-lasting dynasty in China's history
The conquests of Alexander the Great have reshaped the map of the Middle East, and Greek-speaking kingdoms, founded by Alexander's generals, now cover the region
Europe history 200BCE
The Celts still dominate much of Europe, but a new power, Rome, is on the rise and is now the leading power in the western Mediterranean
Trade routes across the Sahara desert are being pioneered, while, to the south, Bantu farmers continue their swift expansion across the continent
The history of ancient India has seen the great Mauryan empire cover much of the subcontinent
Middle East history 30BCE
The Middle East is now divided between the Roman and Parthian empires
Europe history 30BCE
The Roman empire now rules much of Europe
Africa history 30BCE
North Africa is now part of the Roman empire, while in central Africa the Bantu expansion continues
India and South Asia history 30BCE
The Mauryan empire has vanished, and ancient India sees a new chapter in its history with invasions from Central Asia
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 30BCE
Under the Han dynasty, ancient Chinese civilization has expanded both its territory and its influence
Middle East history 200CE
One small part of the region, Judaea, has given birth to the new religion of Christianity, but has also seen the dispersal of the Jewish people from their homeland
Europe history 200CE
The Roman Empire has given much of Europe two centuries of peace and prosperity
Africa history 200CE
All of North Africa is now part of the Roman empire, while to the south the Bantu migration continues
India and South Asia history 200CE
The Kushana empire of ancient India is important to world history as a centre for the spread of Buddhism
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 200CE
The Han dynasty of China has dominated much of ancient East Asia for a long period of history - but not for much longer
history CE
At this phase in its history China is weak and divided, but its influence continues to spread through ancient East Asia, in Korea, Japan and Vietnam
South East Asia history 500CE
Indian civilization exerts a deep influence upon the kingdoms and peoples of South East Asia
South America history 500CE
Large chiefdoms have emerged in Amazonia
North America history 500CE
The Hopewell culture has vanished
Medieval Europe is beginning to emerge from the wreckage of the Ancient World.
The Middle East has been conquered by Arab armies under the banners of a new religion, Islam
At this stage in India's history, powerful regional kingdoms divide the subcontinent
China is now united and powerful under the great Tang dynasty, one of the most glorious in its history, and exerts a huge influence on Japan and Korea
Wealthy kingdoms are emerging in West Africa
The Tiwanaku and Wari empires now dominate the highlands of Peru
West African kingdoms flourish
Old kingdoms are disappearing and new ones emerging
Oceania history 979CE
Long-distance voyages remain a part of the Polynesian way of life
The Chimu empire has appeared on the Pacific coast
The Mayan civilization is now in decline, while the Mississippian culture is rising
India and South Asia history 1215CE
India has entered a new phase in its history as Muslim states establish themselves over much of the north.
East Asia: China, Korea, Japan history 1215CE
In this period of East Asia's history great technological advances occur, both in China and Korea
Africa history 1215CE
The expansion of trade in West Africa is leading to the rise of new kingdoms
Oceania history 1215CE
Polynesian colonists discover New Zealand
South America history 1215CE
The Chimu empire is now the leading state in the Pacific-Andean region
North America history 1215CE
The Toltec empire has vanished, and the Mexica people have appeared in history
Europe history 1215CE
European feudalism is at its height
South East Asia history 1215CE
The Khmer empire is at the height of its power, and the great temple of Angkor Wat has been built
Middle East history 1215CE
Islam has by now become the majority religion in the Middle East
The Middle East has been ruled by a succession of conquerors from central Asia
New kingdoms are emerging in different parts of Africa
Easter Island statues getting larger!
The history of the region has been dominated by the rise and fall of the Mongol empire, but Ming dynasty China is now at the centre of a tributary system spanning East Asia
The old feudal order and is beginning to give way to early modern Europe
The history of India has entered a new phase with the dominance of Muslim-ruled states throughout most of the subcontinent.
The Inca empire has begun its expansion
Muslim merchants have established a network of small sultanates in the region
The Aztecs are now building their empire in Central America
The Ottoman empire now dominates most of the Middle east
The Mughal empire now rules much of the sub-continent, marking a high point in the history of Indian civilization
In China, the Qing dynasty rules, and Japan and Korea have experienced one of the most destructive wars in East Asian history
Europeans are beginning to make their presence felt in this region
The first European sailors have now appeared in Oceania
Large numbers of Africans are being taken to the Americas as slaves
North America is now being colonized by Europeans
The Spanish and Portuguese now control much of South America
The Atlantic Slave Trade is at its height, and having a destructive impact on wide areas of the African interior
The first permanent European settlement has been established in Oceania, in south-west Australia, which has been claimed for the British empire
This is the last glorious phase of East Asia's history before it feels the West's impact, and Qing dynasty China dominates the region with its tributary system
The foundations for worldwide scientific and military dominance are being laid in the struggles between European nations
The Middle East experiences political weakness in both the Ottoman empire and Iran
India has entered a new chapter in its history with the expansion of the British empire in the subcontinent
Dutch commercial and political influence now spreads far and wide throughout the islands and coasts of South East Asia
The USA is now an independent nation
The Spanish and Portuguese empires rule most of South America between them
The British are acquiring more territories in the region
The USA has purchased a vast territory from the French
The countries of South America have won their independence from Spain and Portugal
European explorers have visited the interior of Africa
The Pacific islands are falling under European control
East Asian history has taken a radically new direction as Western powers force open the doors of China and Jappan to trade and missionary activity
Nationalism and industrialization continue to transform Europe
The Ottoman empire has tightened its grip on much of the Middle East
The history of British India almost ended in a great rebellion, but the British were able to regain control
European power is growing in South East Asia
The USA almost tore itself apart in civil war
Foreign investment is pouring into some South American countries
European nations now rule much of the world, but their rivalries are now leading them into the First World War
The British and French are increasingly active in the Middle East
The history of the British empire in India reaches its height - but it will shortly come to an end
The European powers have shared out most of South East Asia amongst themselves
Brazil, Argentina and Chile are growing wealthy
Canada and the USA have experienced huge industrial expansion
Japan has successfully modernized, and has gained international status at the expense of China and Korea
All the Pacific islands have fallen under foreign control
The European powers have divided almost the whole of Africa up between them
Europe has experienced two devastating world wars, and is now divided between East and West
The Cold War has had a major impact on the Middle East
The long history of India and South Asia has entered a new chapter with the replacement of the British empire by independent republics
The countries of South East Asia have become independent from their Western masters
Eva Peron wins the hearts of Argentinians
China, Japan and Korea have all experienced some of the most turbulent times in their entire history, as great wars have swept through East Asia
Many Pacific islands were caught up in the fierce fighting of World War 2
The European nations are starting to withdraw from the empires in Africa
Many new independent nations now dot the Pacific Ocean
All European powers have withdrawn from their empires in Africa
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Air pollution ages lungs, increases risk of pulmonary disease: study
Jean-Benoit Legault / The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Exposure to air pollution accelerates lung aging and increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, new research suggests.
Dr. Dany Doiron and his colleagues studied the exposure of more than 300,000 people in Europe to particulate matter, fine particles and nitrogen dioxide — substances that come mainly from emissions by cars and factories.
"We know that lung function normally declines as we age, but our study suggests that air pollution may contribute to the aging process and adds to the evidence that breathing in polluted air harms the lungs," said Doiron, a researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.
"We were surprised at the size of the association — so for each annual average exposure increase of five micrograms per cubic metre of fine particulates in the air that participants were exposed to at home, the associated reductions in lung functions were similar to the effect of two years of aging."
Researchers considered a number of factors that could impact the health of their subjects' lungs including age, sex, body mass index, income, education, employment, smoking and their exposure to second-hand smoke.
Such particulates are so thin that they can lodge deep in the lungs and contribute to chronic diseases. The World Health Organization recommends average annual concentrations of not more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air.
There was a 52 per cent increase in the odds of COPD for each five-micrograms-per-cubic-metre increase of fine particulate exposure, Doiron said.
COPD is a long-term condition linked to reduced lung function that causes inflammation in the lungs and a narrowing of airways making it difficult to breath. The study said it's the third leading cause of death in the world and the numbers are expected to rise over the next decade.
Those from less affluent backgrounds seemed particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.
The study found the impact of pollution on lung function was twice as high among less fortunate participants, and their risk of COPD was three times greater.
"This is probably due to a number of factors, including a greater number of respiratory infections in children, poor housing and indoor air quality, and other conditions," he said.
Those results are all the more concerning as the air quality was not measured in highly polluted cities like Delhi, Beijing or Jakarta.
"There have been significant reductions in lung function even at relatively low concentrations of ... fine particles," said Doiron.
"Our results underline the importance of taking more action to fight against air pollution in our cities."
The study on European populations was one of the largest to date to examine the associations between air pollution exposure, lung function and COPD and gave researchers the statistical power to make the associations more precisely, Doiron said.
"It was over 10 times larger than previous studies in terms of numbers of individuals involved on European populations," he added.
The findings of the study were published this week in the European Respiratory Journal.
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Hina Alam / The Canadian Press
The baleen is visible on a North Atlantic right whale as it feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass .on March 28, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Michael Dwyer
One of the endangered, entangled North Atlantic right whales is partially free.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said in a news release that on Thursday, "for the first time in several days," the weather conditions were favourable for searching and attempting to rescue the three North Atlantic right whales that were entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off Miscou Island, New Brunswick.
The department said the whale known as number 4423 was seen during a surveillance flight by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration around 10 a.m., and the Campobello Whale Rescue Team then began disentanglement operations, successfully removing gear that was keeping the whale from using its tail when diving.
Attempts to remove additional gear had to be paused when it got dark.
Number 4423 was first seen entangled on July 4 east of Miscou Island, N.B., and is believed to have been snarled before entering Canadian waters, with initial reports indicating it could be a whale first sighted in April entangled in U.S. waters.
This whale was spotted by the Canadian Coast Guard with a rope around its tail and thought to be dragging something heavy.
Surveillance flights continued to search for the two others entangled right whales that were recently observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Whale number 4440 has been spotted several times since it was initially seen entangled on June 29, but a disentanglement operation has not been possible, while the third entangled whale first spotted on July 4 by a Transport Canada surveillance flight east of the Gaspe Peninsula, Que., has not yet been identified.
A search and rescue attempt for these entangled whales was hampered Wednesday because of bad weather.
The search and rescue operations involve several organizations and people including on-water support from fishery officers, as well as a research vessel from the New England Aquarium.
Joe Gaydos with the SeaDoc Society out of the University of California, Davis, said these search and rescue efforts is another example where extreme measures to help individual animals in such a small population can benefit not only those individuals but also the long survival of this endangered population.
The department said locating these three right whales is a challenging task because they spend a significant amount of time under water, making it difficult to observe them from the air.
Martin Haulena, head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, said earlier disentanglement techniques can be successful if they can get to the whales although the process is dangerous, complicated and weather dependant.
In the last few weeks, six whales have died in Canadian waters and necropsies showed that three of the deaths were due to vessel strikes.
A federal study said the measures taken to prevent the animals from being hit by ships and getting caught in fishing gear may not be enough to keep them from being hurt or killed in Atlantic waters.
Several measures have been implemented by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect these animals, including increasing surveillance, expanding slowdown zones and changing the rules that trigger fishing shutdowns.
The whales number only about 400.
Gaydos however said the department's "multi-pronged approach" is spot on.
"Long term solutions to reduce entanglement like the static zone and changes in fishing gear confirmation are essential," Gaydos said.
"Short term heroic efforts like disentanglement are essential to give the new management efforts time to work."
Pedro Arrais review: Z-car a welcome return for BMW
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Introducing Rome
To say that Rome is a historic city would be something of an understatement. It's hard to express in words the wonder instilled by the monuments and structures dating back to antiquity – it’s a city that needs to be experienced in the flesh. The piazzas are the most striking landmarks of the city - they’re the heart of Rome, with ornate fountains and statues bringing them to life. The city itself is like an open-air museum, but don’t let that stop you visiting Rome’s archaeology and art museums, cathedrals and churches. And of course you have to try the food at every opportunity. As your vision and imagination are captured by the sights before you, your taste buds will be equally enraptured. It’s this feast for the senses which make Rome an unforgettable experience.
Rome is known for:
History and Art Entertainment and Shopping Romantic Culinary Urban
Frosinone (90 km)
Latina (73 km)
Rieti (80 km)
L, F, C
Rome airport information
From Fiumicino - Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) it's 30 km to the city center with the Trenitalia train service on the FL1 line. The Leonardo Express leaves every half hour, with the journey to Roma Termini train station taking around 30 minutes. FL1 trains leave every 15 minutes and go to other stations in Rome. It costs 14 euros to take the Leonardo Express.
There are taxi stands at terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 from Fiumicino Airport. The journey to the city center from the airport costs around 50 euros.
Average taxi price: 50 euros
Use the free car rental reservation service with special discounts offered by Avis and Budget to Turkish Airlines passengers. Take advantage of the opportunity to earn Miles and the entitlement to free cancelation/refunds.
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Home About About us
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
UNFPA Supports:
Reproductive health care for women and youth in more than 150 countries – which are home to more than 80 per cent of the world’s population
The health of pregnant women, especially the 1 million who face life-threatening complications each month
Reliable access to modern contraceptives sufficient to benefit 20 million women a year
Training of thousands of health workers to help ensure at least 90 per cent of all childbirths are supervised by skilled attendants
Prevention of gender-based violence, which affects 1 in 3 women
Abandonment of female genital mutilation, which harms 3 million girls annually
Prevention of teen pregnancies, complications of which are the leading cause of death for girls 15-19 years old
Efforts to end child marriage, which could affect an estimated 70 million girls over the next 5 years
Delivery of safe birth supplies, dignity kits and other life-saving materials to survivors of conflict and natural disaster
Censuses, data collection and analyses, which are essential for development planning
UNFPA is formally named the United Nations Population Fund. The organization was created in 1969, the same year the United Nations General Assembly declared “parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.”
UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services – including voluntary family planning, maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.
Since UNFPA started its work, the world has seen progress: The number and rate of women dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth has been halved. Families are healthier. Young people are more connected and empowered than ever before.
But too many are still left behind. More than 760 million people are mired in extreme poverty. Sexual and reproductive health problems are a leading cause of death and disability for women in the developing world. Young people bear the highest risks of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. Many millions of girls face the prospect of child marriage and other harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM).
Much more needs to be done to ensure a world in which all individuals can exercise their basic human rights, including those that relate to the most intimate and fundamental aspects of life.
In 2018, UNFPA launched efforts to achieve three transformative results, ambitions that promise to change the world for every man, woman and young person:
Ending unmet need for family planning
Family planning is central to women’s empowerment and sustainable development. Today, more than 300 million women in developing countries are using contraception, but more than 214 million women who want to plan their births do not have access to modern family planning.
UNFPA works with governments and partners to promote universal access to quality, integrated sexual and reproductive health services. UNFPA also promotes comprehensive sexuality education and youth leadership, which empower young people to exercise autonomy, choice and participation with regard to their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Ending preventable maternal death
Everyone has the right to health, including women and mothers. Since 1990, maternal mortality has declined by 44 per cent. Still, some 830 women and adolescent girls die each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 99 per cent of these deaths occur in developing countries – more than half in fragile and humanitarian settings.
UNFPA partners with governments and others to strengthen health systems, train health workers, educate midwives and improve access to the full range of reproductive health.
As the struggle for gender equality continues, violence against women and girls remains a global pandemic. One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. And approximately one in four girls in the developing world is married before age 18.
UNFPA works to prevent and respond to gender-based violence through its work with policymakers, justice systems, health systems and humanitarian partners. UNFPA also focuses on eliminating harmful practices, including FGM and child marriage, and helps to engage men and boys to advance gender equality.
Updated January 2018
https://www.unfpa.org/node/61
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Keywords: architects (116 Results)
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Page:123456
The Ascent of Globalisation
Harry Blustein
Manchester University Press
10.7228/manchester/9781784992897.001.0001
Political Science, Democratization
The ascent of globalisation captures the sweeping drama of postwar globalisation through intimate portraits of twenty of its key architects. These profiles provide insights into what inspired these ... More
The ascent of globalisation captures the sweeping drama of postwar globalisation through intimate portraits of twenty of its key architects. These profiles provide insights into what inspired these pioneers of globalisation — the beliefs they each imbibed in their youth, the formative experiences that shaped their ideas and their contributions to the global architecture. Engaging anecdotes and telling personal details, many of which have never been told, enliven each of the stories, as well as the behind-the-scenes dramas that accompanied the creation of institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, UN and World Trade Organization and the informal governance structures that are part of the postwar global architecture. Their legacies are critically examined, both their successes and their disappointments: a global financial system that is fragile and unstable; an international trading system that is unfair; the unintended consequences of largely unregulated transnational capital; and dysfunction that plagues institutions like the European Union and the United Nations. The book ends by examining what implications the flawed architecture may have for the future of globalisation.Less
The ascent of globalisation captures the sweeping drama of postwar globalisation through intimate portraits of twenty of its key architects. These profiles provide insights into what inspired these pioneers of globalisation — the beliefs they each imbibed in their youth, the formative experiences that shaped their ideas and their contributions to the global architecture. Engaging anecdotes and telling personal details, many of which have never been told, enliven each of the stories, as well as the behind-the-scenes dramas that accompanied the creation of institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, UN and World Trade Organization and the informal governance structures that are part of the postwar global architecture. Their legacies are critically examined, both their successes and their disappointments: a global financial system that is fragile and unstable; an international trading system that is unfair; the unintended consequences of largely unregulated transnational capital; and dysfunction that plagues institutions like the European Union and the United Nations. The book ends by examining what implications the flawed architecture may have for the future of globalisation.
Keywords: Postwar globalisation, Institutional architecture, History, Key architects, Liberal international order, Neoliberal global order, Human face of globalisation
Postsecular Faith: Toward a Religion of Service
Fred Dallmayr
in Integral Pluralism: Beyond Culture Wars
University Press of Kentucky
10.5810/kentucky/9780813125718.003.0004
Political Science, International Relations and Politics
William James presented his Gifford Lectures on The Varieties of Religious Experience in Edinburgh in 1901–1902. As concrete states of mind, made up of a feeling plus a specific sort of object, ... More
William James presented his Gifford Lectures on The Varieties of Religious Experience in Edinburgh in 1901–1902. As concrete states of mind, made up of a feeling plus a specific sort of object, religious emotions are psychic entities distinguishable from other concrete emotions—although there is no ground to assume a uniform sense of religious emotion. To the extent it persisted, religious belief—rather than finding the sacred in the world—now construed it as a transcendent principle, relegating God to the role of a distant “designer” or architect of the world.Less
Postsecular Faith : Toward a Religion of Service
William James presented his Gifford Lectures on The Varieties of Religious Experience in Edinburgh in 1901–1902. As concrete states of mind, made up of a feeling plus a specific sort of object, religious emotions are psychic entities distinguishable from other concrete emotions—although there is no ground to assume a uniform sense of religious emotion. To the extent it persisted, religious belief—rather than finding the sacred in the world—now construed it as a transcendent principle, relegating God to the role of a distant “designer” or architect of the world.
Keywords: Edinburgh, psychic, emotions, distant designer, architect
The Status of the Artist
T. C. W. BLANNING
in The Culture of Power and the Power of Culture: Old Regime Europe 1660–1789
History, European Early Modern History, Cultural History
This chapter describes the pole position enjoyed by creative artists, such as painters, architects, musicians, and actors and actresses, during a time, around the 17th century, when culture placed a ... More
This chapter describes the pole position enjoyed by creative artists, such as painters, architects, musicians, and actors and actresses, during a time, around the 17th century, when culture placed a high value on visual representation. The development of individualism in the Italian Renaissance and the sharp competition among patrons lifted painters and architects out of the anonymity and handicrafts status of the guild tradition. This chapter also examines the salaries and lifestyles of these artists, particularly of the musicians Haydn, Mozart, Frederick, and Lully. The ideal situation during this period — and indeed any other period — was for a patron to combine munificence with respect and for the artist to feel comfortable with the demands placed on him. Lastly, this chapter notes that during this period, the courtly absolutist culture which had reached its apogee with Louis XIV’s Versailles seemed to have run out of steam.Less
This chapter describes the pole position enjoyed by creative artists, such as painters, architects, musicians, and actors and actresses, during a time, around the 17th century, when culture placed a high value on visual representation. The development of individualism in the Italian Renaissance and the sharp competition among patrons lifted painters and architects out of the anonymity and handicrafts status of the guild tradition. This chapter also examines the salaries and lifestyles of these artists, particularly of the musicians Haydn, Mozart, Frederick, and Lully. The ideal situation during this period — and indeed any other period — was for a patron to combine munificence with respect and for the artist to feel comfortable with the demands placed on him. Lastly, this chapter notes that during this period, the courtly absolutist culture which had reached its apogee with Louis XIV’s Versailles seemed to have run out of steam.
Keywords: artists, painters, architects, musicians, actors and actresses, Italian Renaissance, guild tradition
Victor Chapman, Head of Shipbuilding Branch, Board of Trade, Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Secretary to the Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee
Anthony Slaven and Hugh Murphy (eds)
in Crossing the Bar: An Oral History of the British Shipbuilding, Ship Repairing and Marine Engine-Building Industries in the Age of Decline, 1956-1990
Liverpool University Press
10.5949/liverpool/9781927869017.003.0040
History, Maritime History
Interview with Victor Chapman, Head of Shipbuilding Branch, Board of Trade, Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Secretary to the Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee. Details The ... More
Interview with Victor Chapman, Head of Shipbuilding Branch, Board of Trade, Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Secretary to the Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.Less
Interview with Victor Chapman, Head of Shipbuilding Branch, Board of Trade, Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Secretary to the Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.
Keywords: British Shipbuilders Plc, Naval Architects, Maritime Labour, Shipowning, British Shipyards, International Shipping, Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, History of Trade Unions, British Shipping
Cliff Baylis, Under Secretary (Shipbuilding) Ministry of Technology, Director, Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association
Interview with Cliff Baylis, Under Secretary (Shipbuilding) Ministry of Technology, Director, Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding ... More
Interview with Cliff Baylis, Under Secretary (Shipbuilding) Ministry of Technology, Director, Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.Less
Interview with Cliff Baylis, Under Secretary (Shipbuilding) Ministry of Technology, Director, Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.
Barry Barker, Director, Shipbuilding Industry Board
Interview with Barry Barker, Director, Shipbuilding Industry Board. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.
Vivian Marchant, Head of Shipbuilding Division, Department of Industry
Interview with Vivian Marchant, Head of Shipbuilding Division, Department of Industry. Details The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry.
Venetian Influences: The Earl of Manchester, 1662–1722
Helen Jacobsen
in Luxury and Power: The Material World of the Stuart Diplomat, 1660-1714
History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Cultural History
Charles Montagu, fourth earl and later first duke of Manchester, displayed a connoisseurship that was shaped and informed by his experiences as a diplomat. He was a follower of French fashion, but ... More
Charles Montagu, fourth earl and later first duke of Manchester, displayed a connoisseurship that was shaped and informed by his experiences as a diplomat. He was a follower of French fashion, but his cultural patronage also included Italian artists, architects, upholsterers, and cabinet-makers, and he proved himself to be a fervent patron of Italian music. Many of Manchester’s Italian purchases and commissions pre-date the more widespread shift that occurred in the second decade of the eighteenth century, when sections of the British social and political elite turned to Italy rather than France for cultural superiority; this makes Manchester’s relatively early Italian patronage significant. Were his choices connected to the Whig/Tory argument? This chapter looks closely at his patronage of architecture, painting, music, furniture, and textiles and finds that his artistic consumption was informed by an appreciation for talent and novelty, political ambition and pragmatism, and, above all, opportunity.Less
Venetian Influences : The Earl of Manchester, 1662–1722
Charles Montagu, fourth earl and later first duke of Manchester, displayed a connoisseurship that was shaped and informed by his experiences as a diplomat. He was a follower of French fashion, but his cultural patronage also included Italian artists, architects, upholsterers, and cabinet-makers, and he proved himself to be a fervent patron of Italian music. Many of Manchester’s Italian purchases and commissions pre-date the more widespread shift that occurred in the second decade of the eighteenth century, when sections of the British social and political elite turned to Italy rather than France for cultural superiority; this makes Manchester’s relatively early Italian patronage significant. Were his choices connected to the Whig/Tory argument? This chapter looks closely at his patronage of architecture, painting, music, furniture, and textiles and finds that his artistic consumption was informed by an appreciation for talent and novelty, political ambition and pragmatism, and, above all, opportunity.
Keywords: connoisseurship, diplomat, French fashion, cultural patronage, Italian artists, architects, upholsterers, music, painting, textiles, architecture, consumption, Whig, Tory
Oxford Architecture, 1800–1914 *
Peter Howell
in The History of the University of Oxford: Volume VII: Nineteenth-Century Oxford, Part 2
History, British and Irish Modern History
During the 19th and early 20th century, Oxford University was fortunate to have plentiful money to hire first-rate architects. It may seem more surprising that academic bodies, not generally reckoned ... More
During the 19th and early 20th century, Oxford University was fortunate to have plentiful money to hire first-rate architects. It may seem more surprising that academic bodies, not generally reckoned to be the most satisfactory clients, should so often have been such enthusiastic patrons, but it will be seen that this was indeed the case, and the buoyant confidence of the architects met its match in the informed and trusting support of the clients. The extensive and distinguished Georgian building campaigns which had, as Sir Howard Colvin points out, ‘put Oxford for the first time since the Reformation in the forefront of English architecture’, were largely over by the last quarter of the 18th century, and the first quarter of the 19th century was equally quiet. The only major project was the construction of new premises for Magdalen Hall in Catte Street. The buildings were designed by William Garbett, who had dealings with Magdalen as Surveyor to Winchester Cathedral; despite this, they were in a handsome classical style.Less
During the 19th and early 20th century, Oxford University was fortunate to have plentiful money to hire first-rate architects. It may seem more surprising that academic bodies, not generally reckoned to be the most satisfactory clients, should so often have been such enthusiastic patrons, but it will be seen that this was indeed the case, and the buoyant confidence of the architects met its match in the informed and trusting support of the clients. The extensive and distinguished Georgian building campaigns which had, as Sir Howard Colvin points out, ‘put Oxford for the first time since the Reformation in the forefront of English architecture’, were largely over by the last quarter of the 18th century, and the first quarter of the 19th century was equally quiet. The only major project was the construction of new premises for Magdalen Hall in Catte Street. The buildings were designed by William Garbett, who had dealings with Magdalen as Surveyor to Winchester Cathedral; despite this, they were in a handsome classical style.
Keywords: Oxford University, architecture, buildings, William Garbett, construction, Tractarianism, architects, Gothic
Ubiquitous Display: The Earl of Strafford, 1672–1739
By contrast with the other four men in these case studies, the earl of Strafford was never an arbiter of taste and was concerned only with following the latest fashions. Yet paradoxically it was by ... More
By contrast with the other four men in these case studies, the earl of Strafford was never an arbiter of taste and was concerned only with following the latest fashions. Yet paradoxically it was by emulating prevailing styles in personal and material display rather than by creating them that he looked to manage his identity as a successful diplomat, and his career demonstrates the increasing importance of the material world in diplomatic life. By 1700 a diplomat’s overseas residence had become an important locus of display, and not just his carriages, plate, and dress but also his furniture, pictures, and furnishings fulfilled a significant role in ambassadorial etiquette. Strafford patronized architects, cabinet-makers, silversmiths, artists, upholsterers, and decorative painters to ensure that his position as a senior minister was clearly evidenced by his material world – to both the English social elite and to his foreign diplomatic colleagues.Less
Ubiquitous Display : The Earl of Strafford, 1672–1739
By contrast with the other four men in these case studies, the earl of Strafford was never an arbiter of taste and was concerned only with following the latest fashions. Yet paradoxically it was by emulating prevailing styles in personal and material display rather than by creating them that he looked to manage his identity as a successful diplomat, and his career demonstrates the increasing importance of the material world in diplomatic life. By 1700 a diplomat’s overseas residence had become an important locus of display, and not just his carriages, plate, and dress but also his furniture, pictures, and furnishings fulfilled a significant role in ambassadorial etiquette. Strafford patronized architects, cabinet-makers, silversmiths, artists, upholsterers, and decorative painters to ensure that his position as a senior minister was clearly evidenced by his material world – to both the English social elite and to his foreign diplomatic colleagues.
Keywords: follower, fashion, identity, diplomat, residence, plate, furniture, pictures, furnishings, architects, cabinet-makers, silversmiths, artists, upholsterers, decorative painters, material world, social elite
Sir Eric Yarrow, Chairman, Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun
Interview with Sir Eric Yarrow, Chairman, Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
Bob Easton, Managing Director, Yarrow Shipbuilders
Interview with Bob Easton, Managing Director, Yarrow Shipbuilders. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
Professor John Rorke, Technical Assistant to the Engineering Director, Stephen, Linthouse, Engineering Director, Denny Brothers, Dumbarton, Chairman, Brown Brothers, Edinburgh, Vice Principal, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh
Interview with Professor John Rorke, Technical Assistant to the Engineering Director, Stephen, Linthouse, Engineering Director, Denny Brothers, Dumbarton, Chairman, Brown Brothers, Edinburgh, Vice ... More
Interview with Professor John Rorke, Technical Assistant to the Engineering Director, Stephen, Linthouse, Engineering Director, Denny Brothers, Dumbarton, Chairman, Brown Brothers, Edinburgh, Vice Principal, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.Less
Interview with Professor John Rorke, Technical Assistant to the Engineering Director, Stephen, Linthouse, Engineering Director, Denny Brothers, Dumbarton, Chairman, Brown Brothers, Edinburgh, Vice Principal, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
Dr. John Brown, John Brown and Company, Clydebank
Interview with Dr. John Brown, John Brown and Company, Clydebank. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
J.F. Starks, Royal Dockyards, John Brown and UCS
Interview with J.F. Starks, Royal Dockyards, John Brown and UCS. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
Anthony Hepper, Chairman, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
Interview with Anthony Hepper, Chairman, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
Harry Osborne, Civil Engineer
Interview with Harry Osborne, Civil Engineer. Details experience working on the Upper Clyde.
G.H.R. Towers, Managing Director, John Redhead and Sons, South Shields
Interview with G.H.R. Towers, Managing Director, John Redhead and Sons, South Shields. Details experience working on the The Tyne.
Peter Milne, Managing Director, Swan Hunter, and Board Member of British Shipbuilders
Interview with Peter Milne, Managing Director, Swan Hunter, and Board Member of British Shipbuilders. Details experience working on the Tyne.
P.D. Christie, Managing Director, Swan Hunter
Interview with P.D. Christie, Managing Director, Swan Hunter. Details experience working on the Tyne.
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URA encourages innovative ideas among young people to foster special characteristics of Central and Western District
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) joined hands with the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), both under the Vocational Training Council (VTC), for the second year to co-organise the Innovative Design Competition 2018/19. The competition aims to encourage tertiary students to apply their knowledge into practice while bringing about local characters and smart-living elements to the Central and Western District through creative designs. The Final Adjudication cum Award Ceremony was held on 5 July (Friday). Having considered the rich historical characteristics of the Central and Western District, the competition this year aimed to promote the understanding of the district’s local development and living culture among tertiary students whi
Tender awarded for development of URA’s Hang On Street Redevelopment Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Tuesday) announced that the contract for the development of Hang On Street Redevelopment Project (the Project) in Kwun Tong has been awarded to Gainplace Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lai Sun Development Company Limited. The tender amount offered by Gainplace Limited is HK$883 million, which is the highest among the tender submissions received by the URA for this project. The URA earlier invited 37 property developers to submit tenders for the Project following an expression of interest exercise. The URA received a total of 18 tenders from these 37 property developers when the submission of tender closed on 10 April 2019. After careful deliberation, the URA Board considered that the tender offer made by Gainplace Limited has met the
URA and TWGHs’ 2nd Young Leaders Programme nurtures future leaders to promote urban renewal through creativity
The 2nd Young Leaders Programme jointly organised by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) for TWGHs’ secondary school students has concluded with success. Students from six participating schools have adopted the insights they gained from the Programme to initiate creative proposals in promoting urban renewal, enhancing living environment of old districts while strengthening local characteristics. The 10-month Young Leaders Programme was kicked off in June last year. The URA organised a series of activities including workshops, tours and school talks in order to develop the young people’s skills in leadership, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and project management while encouraging them to make concerted efforts in promoting urban re
URA welcomes appointments to the URA Board
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) welcomes the Government's appointment of the Honourable Chow Chung-kong as the Chairman of the URA Board for a term of three years, effective 1 May 2019, as well as the other new appointments and re-appointments to the URA Board. Commenting on the appointment, Mr Chow said, "I feel privileged to be appointed Chairman of the URA. The URA is an important institution charged with the responsibility to improve the standard of housing and the built environment of Hong Kong through urban regeneration. I look forward to working with fellow members of the Board, URA colleagues and our many stakeholders in the community to enhance the quality of living, particularly for those in older districts of Hong Kong.” The URA also expresses its gr
18 tenders received for development of URA’s Hang On Street Redevelopment Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) received a total of 18 tenders for the Hang On Street Redevelopment Project (the Project) in Kwun Tong when the invitation for submission of tender closed today (Wednesday). A tender review panel (TRP) under the URA Board will consider the tenders received and make recommendation to the URA Board for its decision on the award of the development of the Project. The URA earlier invited interested developers to submit Expressions of Interest for the Project. After careful consideration of the Expressions of Interest received, the TRP invited 37 property developers to submit tender. The Project, which covers a site area of 789.7 square metres, was commenced on 7 November 2014 under the third round of the URA’s Demand-led Redevelopment Projects (Pilot
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Vrhnika, the town of Ivan Cankar
Cankar's Statue
Cankar is sitting and pondering in the city center of Vrhnika for more then eight decades now ... How did this happen?
You can here many anecdotes about Ivan Cankar. This one is about his statue situated in the city center of Vrhnika … Cankar, in the company of friends and acquaintances said: ‘’When they build me a statue, I want them to build it in a way so it portraits me sitting down; I do not like to stand. ‘’ And really, by choosing the work of Ivo Jurkovič people of Vrhnika fulfilled the wish of the greatest Slovenian writer and playwright.
Shortly after Cankar’s death, in January 1919, a Committee was established in order to organize and monitor the built of a memorial to the famous compatriot. In the decade of preparations for the realization of this task the committee turned for help to Slovene emigrants in America. They responded and in Detroit they set up a committee to collect contributions for the statue. As the numerous American Slovenes wanted to attend the unveiling of the statue, the Committee decided that the opening ceremony will take place in the summer of 1930th.
It was decided that the statue should be situated at the site by ‘The new road’ (today the road is called ‘Tržaška’) next to the Agricultural Loan Bank (today the municipal building). In Cankar’s youth this was a place where the family ‘Jelovšek’ stored wooden logs (‘Mesarjeve klade’) and the young Ivan Cankar played with his childhood friends.
10 Slovenian sculptors attended the competition to design the statue. At the end the Committee decided to use the work by sculptor Ivo Jurkovič entitled ‘The Thinker’. They explained that this draft was the most pleasing to the people of Vrhnika as it resembled the actual Cankar’s image the most.
A number of ceremonies accompanied the unveiling of the statue and the memorial plaque on the house (Cankar Memorial House). A crowd of people from near and far attended the unveiling and these ceremonies. A great number of American Slovene traveled from America to Vrhnika just to witness all of this. Cultural events took place on the 9th of August, but the most festive and ceremonial was the Sunday, 10 August 1930.
Cankar Memorial House
Cankar's Year 2018
Cankar's School Under the Bridge
Cankar Boyhood Trail
Taste of Cankar's period
Cankar's Cup of Coffee
Ivan Cankar Library
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Cybersecurity Firm Finjan (FNJN) Files Complaint Against Qualys (QLYS) for Patent Infringement!
Dec 05, 2018 by John Heerdink in News & Commentary View Disclaimer
Established over 20 years ago, Palo Alto-based, Finjan (Nasdaq: FNJN) is a globally recognized leader in cybersecurity. Finjan’s inventions are embedded within a strong portfolio of patents focusing on software and hardware technologies capable of proactively detecting previously unknown and emerging threats on a real-time, behavior-based basis. Finjan continues to grow through investments in innovation, strategic acquisitions, and partnerships promoting economic advancement and job creation.
Today, Finjan announced that — after three years of “good faith efforts” to resolve a patent dispute with Qualys, Inc. ( “Qualys”) (NasdaqGM: QLYS) — its subsidiary Finjan, Inc. (“Finjan”) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Qualys, a Delaware corporation with headquarters in Foster City, California, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Finjan filed the Complaint (Case No. 3:18-cv-07229), on November 29, 2018, and alleges that Qualys’ products and services infringed and are continuing to infringe at least seven of Finjan’s U.S. patents. Specifically, Finjan asserts that Qualys’ Malware Detection Systems (MDS), Web Application Firewall (WAF), Web Application Scanner (WAS), and Vulnerability (VM) solutions, including Qualys Cloud Platform products, infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 6,154,844; 6,965,968; 7,418,731; 7,975,305; 8,141,154; 8,225,408; and 8,677,494 (collectively “the Asserted Patents”). Finjan is seeking, among other things, a jury trial, past damages not less than a reasonable royalty, enhanced damages for willful, wanton and deliberate infringement, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs for infringement of each of the Asserted Patents. Additionally, Finjan is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief against Qualys and those in privity with them, from infringing and inducing the infringement of the ‘968, ‘731, ‘305, ‘154, and ‘408 Patents.
Finjan has pending infringement lawsuits and appeals against Palo Alto Networks (PANW); ESET and its affiliates; Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO); SonicWall, Inc.; Bitdefender and its affiliates; Juniper Networks; Zscaler, Inc.; Check Point (CHKP) and its affiliates; Rapid7, Inc. and Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) relating to, collectively, more than 20 patents in the Finjan portfolio. The court dockets for the foregoing cases are publicly available on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) website, www.pacer.gov, which is operated by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Finjan won a significant settlement against Symantec (SYMC) earlier in 2018 where one of SYMC’s units have agreed to pay $65 million with a possibility of up to $45 million more.
Finjan Files a Complaint Against Qualys for Patent Infringement in the Northern District of California
EAST PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 03, 2018 — Finjan Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNJN), a cybersecurity company, today announced that — after three years of good faith efforts to…
Healthcare/Biotech Walgreen Growing Kaleo Partnership Amid National Shortage Of Allergy Shots
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VIZ MEDIA CELEBRATES ONE PIECE, THE WORLD’S TOP SELLING MANGA SERIES, WITH A FREE DIGITAL ONE PIECE RETROSPECTIVE
The High Seas Pirate Adventure By Eiichiro Oda Has More Than 345 Million Copies In Print Worldwide
San Francisco, CA, November 21, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, announces a free gift to fans and users of its VIZManga.com digital manga website and VIZ Manga App with the release of the ONE PIECE RETROSPECTIVE. The new digital edition celebrates an important milestone, as ONE PIECE has become the world’s top selling manga series of all time with over 345 million copies in print.
The special digital retrospective for the pirate adventure series created by Eiichiro Oda will be given as a free premium to all currently registered VIZ Manga.com and VIZ Manga App users, as well as to new members that sign up between November 21st and 27h. Fans can sign up at VIZManga.com and also explore ONE PIECE volumes available for digital download through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, and Android-powered smart phones and tablets (including Kindle Fire).
The ONE PIECE Digital Retrospective features five exclusive, full color art spreads, as well as a comprehensive collection of covers for all 69 ONE PIECE volumes. The edition also features a personal interview with creator Eiichiro Oda and one-shot STRONG WORLD, the manga short where fans will find out what the world of ONE PIECE looked like over 20 years ago in a time before Luffy was even born. The ONE PIECE Digital Retrospective will only be available digitally for fans for a limited time.
“ONE PIECE has achieved something very significant and the sales milestone speaks to the strong international appeal of the enduring characters and gripping story that Eiichiro Oda created that are universally loved in multiple countries by millions of fans of all ages,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor-in-Chief, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “The continuing spread of digital technology will bring these action packed high-seas adventures to even more readers. We’d like to thank the legions of ONE PIECE readers and VIZ Manga users and also interest new ones with this special ONE PIECE Digital Retrospective.”
Readers are invited to catch the latest ONE PIECE manga chapters, released in English on the same day as their Japanese counterpart, in the pages of VIZ Media’s digital WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP digital manga magazine. ONE PIECE anime episodes also currently air in North America on Adult Swim’s Toonami as well as on VIZAnime, VIZ Media’s own free website for streaming anime content, and other outlets including FUNimation.com, HULU.com, and OnePieceOfficial.com.
As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to stretch like rubber. The only drawback? He'll never be able to swim again – a serious handicap for an aspiring sea dog! Years later, Luffy sets off on his quest to find the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world...
ONE PIECE creator Eiichiro Oda began his manga career at the age of 17, when his one-shot cowboy manga, Wanted!, won second place in the coveted Tezuka manga awards. Oda went on to work as an assistant to some of the biggest manga artists in the industry, including Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), before winning the Hop Step Award for new manga artists. His pirate adventure ONE PIECE, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, has become one of the most popular manga in Japan and the rest of the world.
The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform, registered users are able to use one account to access their purchased titles across more devices than ever. The platform features a massive library of the most popular manga series in the world, with over 1,700 volumes across more than 170 different series. All manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application starting from $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) each.
For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.
Download the free VIZ Manga App for your Android and iOS devices at www.VIZ.com/apps.
Jane Lui
jane.lui@viz.com
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Denmark Festival of Voice 2nd – 4t
You may or may not have heard of the Denmark Festival of Voice. But we’d love to hear your voices!
The Denmark Festival of Voice is about all things voice. Last year we celebrated massed voices with a record 18 community choirs, including two interstate guest choirs. This year we’re featuring two guest international a cappella ensembles, both specialists in traditional polyphony, both traversing sacred and working song (from Pankisi Valley, Georgia and a tiny Italian mountain village) but will also have a line-up of choirs, small groups, quartets, singer-songwriters and spoken word performers.
The festival covers the range between those who are squeaky-voiced croakers who come for the joy of singing together through to those whose life calling it is to use their voice(s) to offer joy, meaning and beauty… we don’t discriminate between the freshest new voices and those who are deeply polished – all are welcome. We have a range of venues which are matched with differing performers: quiet and intimate, lively and out on the streets, quirky and in the festival club. Venues range from the deeply resonant performer’s favourite in the church, through to my personal favourite in the wooden RSL hall and my new second-favourite venue which premiered last year in the courtyard of an outdoor café. Choirs and groups perform to ticketed audiences, to one another and to the people of the streets – all are equally valued in the spirit of community, singing and festivity…. Likewise all genres are welcome: The festival travels from classical to popular, from folk to experimental, from barbershop to rap…. with VOICE being the uniting principal.
If you’d like to be part of our festival this year, please jot me an email as soon as possible (and by March 15th) – the program will close for late entries on March 17th. We have an application form if you’d like to access it here:
http://denmarkfestivalofvoice.com.au/performers-application-2017/ or send me an email or give me a call for more information.
And if your choir or group are not able to come as a whole this year, please consider coming down to experience the 2017 Festival. If you’d like to stay up to date with what’s happening, you can join the e-newsletter on the festival website: www.denmarkfestivalofvoice.com.au
Hope to hear you soon!
Vivienne Robertson
Denmark Arts & Denmark Festival of Voice
www.denmarkfestivalofvoice.com.au
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| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.thehastingscenter.org/a-first-rate-oversight-and-other-problems-with-studies-of-medical-residents-work-hours/\nA FIRST-rate Oversight, and Other Problems with Studies of Medical Residents’ Work Hours\nBy Nicole Chiota-McCollum\nThe rigors of medical and surgical training require long hours dedicated to providing clinical care. While long hours are necessary to obtain the experience to eventually practice independently, performing too many hours of continuous duty promotes fatigue, which can result in medical errors, adverse patient outcomes, and risks of personal harm for trainees.\nGiven these concerns, in 2003 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the private accrediting organization that oversees American graduate medical education programs, imposed limits for the first time on resident physician work hours. One key requirement was that resident physicians’ work shifts be limited to no more than 30 hours of continuous patient care duty. However, many patient safety advocates argued that the 2003 ACGME requirements fell short in preventing fatigue-related harms to both resident physicians and their patients.\nIn 2008, at the request of Congress, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report outlining the increased risks of work shifts up to 30 hours in duration for trainees–including increased risks of motor vehicle accidents, exposure to blood-borne pathogens (for example, from needle sticks), and depression—and the risks to their patients as a result of medical errors. The IOM report recommended that trainee work shifts, regardless of level of training, be limited to no more than 16 consecutive hours of patient care duty, after which a protected sleep period of at least five hours was recommended. As a result, in 2011 the ACGME imposed additional restrictions to limit trainee duty hours. According to the current requirements, first-year trainees are limited to performing no more than 16 continuous duty hours; upper level residents are limited to 28-hour shifts, during which “strategic napping” is encouraged. To comply with these duty hour restrictions, many programs had to adopt new models to provide patient care, with shifts requiring multiple handovers of patient care between trainees.\nThere has been increasing concern that the duty hour restrictions have adversely affected the educational experience of trainees by limiting the continuity of care they provide, and that they introduced a different source of medical errors due to the handovers of care. There has not been consistent evidence that shorter continuous duty hours for trainees translates into safer patient care by reducing fatigue, yet there is rising concern that shorter shifts are compromising the trainees’ educational experience. As a result, there has been interest in comparing patient outcomes and resident satisfaction resulting from the two different approaches to scheduling trainees’ duty hours.\nThe FIRST trial has attempted to provide this comparison. The trial was conducted at 117 general surgery residency programs across the country. Each participating residency program, and by extension the trainees in the program, was randomly assigned to either the control arm that conformed to the current duty hour restrictions as imposed by the ACGME or to an experimental arm that allowed a flexible duty hour schedule, permitting shifts of unlimited duration. As such, the surgical patients of participating hospitals were also randomly assigned to be cared for by resident physicians of varying duty hour schedules.\nThe ACGME provided funding for the study and granted a waiver to all participating programs assigned to the experimental arm, allowing flexible schedules that did not comply with the current ACGME limits on consecutive work hours; programs in the experimental arm were still required to adhere to a maximum duty limit of 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period. The study groups were compared with respect to patient outcomes, including the rates of 30-day postoperative death or serious illness, and resident outcomes, namely a self-reported level of satisfaction with the overall quality of resident education and well-being.\nThe FIRST trial has been criticized as unethical by the advocacy group Public Citizen, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), and the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare for inadequate protection of the human subjects involved in the study. The protections of the Common Rule require that risks to human research subjects are minimized; that the potential benefits to the subjects, if any, and of the knowledge expected to be gained by the study outweigh the risks posed to the research subjects; and that subjects provide informed consent prior to participation. In the case of the FIRST trial, however, the institutional review board (IRB) office of the lead institution, Northwestern University, determined that the trial was not human subjects research. The lead investigators therefore advised participating institutions, “we do not believe local IRB approvals are needed. . .” Thus, the standard protections for human subjects participating in research were not extended at some, and perhaps all, participating institutions (information that has not been made public). Herein lies a first-rate oversight and regulatory failure.\nThe investigators have claimed in their IRB form for determining whether a project involves human subjects research that “the project is limited to the use of existing and/or prospectively collected coded private information . . .” and that “the private information . . . were/are not collected specifically for the currently proposed research project through an interaction or intervention with living individuals.” The investigators adhere to the position that since the intervention occurred at the level of the residency program, and the outcomes data collected was confined to mining a de-identified, validated database of surgical outcomes and the anonymous responses of a nationally administered resident survey, that no interaction or intervention with individuals occurred. It is an intriguing premise, but flawed in the dehumanization of the subjects randomized by their association with the program.\nThe practice environment for the 4,330 residents and the care environment for the 138,691 patients involved were most certainly manipulated for research purposes; therefore the residents and patients were subject to the intervention of a systematic investigation and, in fact, were human subjects. While the study was not funded by federal entities, as Public Citizen’s Michael Carome describes, “the FIRST trial almost certainly was conducted at institutions that extend their OHRP-approved Federalwide Assurances (FWAs) to all research, regardless of funding.” The subjects of the trial therefore should have been protected under the Common Rule.\nPublic Citizen and AMSA contend that in assigning trainees to flexible duty hour schedules that were allowed to approximate “the old way” of 28-plus hours of continuous duty, the FIRST trial placed the trainees, particularly first-year residents in the intervention arm, at an unacceptable increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, occupational injury, and depression. Because the investigators were tracking patient safety outcomes, it can be assumed that the flexible-duty hours intervention had the potential to pose more than minimal risk to patient subjects. Yet the subjects of the trial, including both trainees and their patients whose outcomes were tracked, were not provided the opportunity to consent or withdraw from the study due to the “cluster randomization” procedure affecting all of the trainees and patients within a particular center.\nIn the ongoing iCOMPARE study, a similarly designed trial investigating flexible duty hours among internal medicine residency programs, the designated lead IRB at the University of Pennsylvania recognized the study as human subjects research, but determined that informed consent of both resident and patient subjects could be waived. The Penn IRB found that “iCOMPARE could not practicably be carried out without the waiver . . .” given the cluster randomization design. As with the FIRST trial, Public Citizen and AMSA have criticized iCOMPARE as unethical due to the risks posed to the subjects, and also have alleged inappropriate application of the waiver of informed consent requirements.\nThe FIRST trial investigators were transparent in their expectation (see “expected results”) that the study would demonstrate no difference in outcome between groups, and thus provide support for a movement to return to more flexible duty hour schedules with longer shifts. The investigators’ agenda, however, may have compromised the scientific validity of the study. The design of the intervention arm allowed for significant variability in implementing the experimental schedule, even allowing the “intervention group” to structure a schedule similar to the control group’s ACGME compliant schedule, and thus reducing the probability of finding a difference between groups. Indeed, the “Flexible-Policy Group” in the trial is reported to be “100% adherent” to the policy of allowing interns’ duty hours to exceed 16 hours, however no data regarding the actual length of time residents worked is provided. The questionable study design, lack of informed consent process, and exposure of subjects to increased personal risk are all problematic from an ethical perspective.\nI imagine that institutions justified their participation in the FIRST trial without IRB approval by invoking what I shall call a “regulatory misconception.” Graduate medical education trainees are an inherently vulnerable population, with limited autonomy under the best of conditions. Trainees must conform to the standards of the program in which they are enrolled. They often have little to no control over their schedules or prescribed curriculum, which are regulated and standardized by the ACGME. Thus, when the ACGME waived the typical duty hour restrictions and provided funding for the trial, there was an appearance of a regulatory approval by the body whose primary role is “assessing and advancing the quality of residents’ education” (ACGME mission statement), despite the lack of regulatory approval by a body providing research oversight.\nThe FIRST trial attempted to answer an important question. With a paucity of evidence that duty hour restrictions have improved patient care, and with continued concern that the educational environment has been harmed by the same restrictions, the educational community needs a rigorous investigation of different paradigms to maximize both resident education and patient safety. It is only through high quality, evidence based research that we can move forward with meaningful educational reform. But we must recognize such research endeavors as human subjects research, and in so doing, promote the safety and autonomy of the subjects. The FIRST trial failed in this regard and we must not allow it to set a dangerous precedent of regulatory failure for research within medical education. We owe this to our trainees, our profession, and above all, to the patients we serve.\nNicole Chiota-McCollum, MD is a vascular neurology fellow at the University of Virginia.\nPublished in: Clinical Trials and Human Subjects Research"
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Louis Colaianni
lcolaianni@sbcglobal.net
Louis Colaianni is internationally recognized for his work in Voice, Speech and Phonetics. His unique approach to phonetics and stage accents is used by dozens of theatre schools. For fifteen years he has taught Voice and Speech in the nationally ranked Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Colaianni has also served on the faculties of Trinity Repertory Theatre/Conservatory, (Ann Bogart, Artistic Director); Hunter College; The New Actors Workshop; American Conservatory Theatre; University of California; Ohio University; Dartmouth College; University of Pittsburgh and University of South Carolina. For fifteen seasons, Colaianni has been Voice, Speech and Text Coach at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, formerly, the Missouri Repertory Theatre. He was also Voice/Speech/Text Coach at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Born in Paterson New Jersey in 1959, Colaianni trained as an actor at The Boston Conservatory. He studied voice with Kristin Linklater and became a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher in 1987. He is the author of The Joy of Phonetics and Accents (Drama Publishers, 1994), Shakespeare’s Names: A New Pronouncing Dictionary (Drama Publishers, 1999) How to Speak Shakespeare, with Cal Pritner, (Santa Monica Press, 2001), and Bringing Speech to Life with Claudia Anderson (Joy Press, 2002), a companion workbook to The Joy of Phonetics and Accents.
Colaianni served as Associate Editor of The Voice and Speech Review, a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal (Applause Books), and as Missouri Editor for the International Dialects of English Archive. As an actor, he toured the U.S. with Shakespeare & Company, and appeared at various regional theatres, the American Shakespeare Theatre, and the New York Shakespeare Festival. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, The Screen Actors Guild, The Association for Theatre in Higher Education, The Voice and Speech Trainers Association and The Educational Theatre Association. His biography appears in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
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Cohen expected to claim lying, racism and cheating by Trump
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, speaks with the media as he departs after testifying before a closed door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and MICHAEL R. SISAK | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is expected to give a behind-the-scenes account of what he will claim is Trump’s lying, racism and cheating, and possibly even criminal conduct, when he testifies publicly before a House committee Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Cohen is expected to provide what he will claim is evidence, in the form of documents, of Trump’s conduct, said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential testimony.
Trump’s former personal “fixer” arrived on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to begin three days of congressional appearances, starting with a closed-door interview with the Senate intelligence committee. The public won’t have a chance to hear from him until Wednesday, when he testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. He will go behind closed doors again when he talks to the House intelligence committee on Thursday.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement Tuesday it was “laughable that anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies.”
One Republican House member did more than just question Cohen’s credibility. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz tweeted Tuesday that the world is “about to learn a lot” about Cohen and suggested he should talk to his wife before his testimony.
Gaetz, a Trump ally, is not a member of the committee that will question Cohen. He did not offer any evidence. Still, the tweet was extraordinary because his remarks appear to be threatening or intimidating a witness.
“We’re witness testing, not witness tampering,” Gaetz told reporters. “When witnesses come before Congress their truthfulness and veracity are in question and we have the opportunity to test them.”
Lawmakers are alternately suspicious of Cohen — who is set to serve prison time for lying to the House and Senate intelligence committees in 2017 — and eager to hear what he has to say after he turned on his longtime boss. Senators on the intelligence panel attended
Tuesday’s private meeting, a departure from the committee’s usual practice, where witness interviews are conducted by staff only.
Sen. Mark Warner, the intelligence panel’s top Democrat, suggested Cohen had provided important information.
“Two years ago when this investigation started I said it may be the most important thing I am involved in in my public life in the Senate, and nothing I’ve heard today dissuades me from that view,” Warner said after returning to the interview from a Senate vote.
The Senate intelligence committee chairman, Richard Burr, told The Associated Press that senators would have staff ask questions but would be in the room to observe. He said no topics would be off limits and Cohen, a close confidant of Trump for many years, “should expect to get any question from anywhere about anything.”
Burr said committee members know a lot more than they did when they first interviewed Cohen, who later pleaded guilty to lying to the committees about abandoning a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow in January 2016. Cohen has since acknowledged he continued pursuing the project for months after that.
Burr suggested his committee would take steps to ensure Cohen was telling the truth.
“I’m sure there will be some questions we know the answers to, so we’ll test him to see whether in fact he’ll be truthful this time,” Burr said.
Cohen’s testimony is among the most anticipated since the House and Senate started investigating the Trump campaign’s Russia ties two years ago. In addition to lying to
Congress, Cohen pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance violations for his involvement in payments to two women who allege they had affairs with Trump.
Federal prosecutors in New York have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign.
Trump denies the allegations and says that Cohen lied to get a lighter sentence.
Cohen, who is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May, was officially disbarred Tuesday. By pleading guilty, a New York court ruled, Cohen automatically lost his eligibility to practice law.
The person with knowledge of what Cohen intends to tell Congress said he will provide information about Trump’s financial statements that he will claim shows Trump deflated assets to pay lower taxes on golf courses; will provide details of the Daniels payment and claim that Trump organized a cover-up by pretending Cohen would be repaid; and claim that Trump talked to him and asked him questions about the Trump Moscow project throughout 2016.
He is also expected to discuss what he knows about a meeting between Trump campaign associates and a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower before the 2016 election, a matter that is of particular interest to special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional investigators.
Cohen is only expected to discuss matters related to Russia in the closed-door interviews with the intelligence committees, as House Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings has said he doesn’t want to interfere with Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and links to Trump’s campaign.
Members of the Oversight panel are expected to ask questions about the campaign finance violations, Trump’s business practices and compliance with tax laws and “the accuracy of the president’s public statements,” according to a memo laying out the scope of that hearing. The hearing’s scope does not include Russia.
Cohen’s week of interviews comes as House Democrats open multiple investigations into Trump’s ties to Russia and conflict-of-interest issues within the administration. House Republicans in the last Congress investigated whether Trump’s campaign coordinated with Russia, but ended that probe over Democratic objections, saying there was no evidence it did so. The Senate’s Russia investigation is ongoing.
Cohen had been scheduled to speak to the three committees earlier this month, but rescheduled all of those appearances for different reasons. He said he needed to recover from surgery and also was concerned about what he considered to be threats to his family from Trump and the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The House intelligence committee chairman, Adam Schiff, postponed Cohen’s appearance before that committee, saying it was “in the interests of the investigation,” with no additional details.
Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed from Washington.
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DPS investigating fatal crash near Edinburg
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a two-vehicle accident that left two people dead, according to a news release. (Courtesy photo)
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a two-vehicle accident that left two people dead, according to a news release.
The crash happened at approximately 5:25 a.m. Friday on Farm-to-Market Road 1925 east of Cesar Chavez Road near Edinburg, killing Reynaldo Cardoza and Jose Garza, according to the news release.
A Chevrolet Suburban drive by Cardoza, 53, was traveling eastbound on the wrong side of FM 1925 when he collided head-on with a Chevrolet pickup driven by Garza, who was with his 13-year-old niece. Both men died at the scene, while the girl was taken to Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg. The release states the girl was not in critical condition.
Cardoza was a resident of Edinburg, and Garza, 56, resided in Edcouch.
The crash remains under investigation.
This story has been updated with Garza’s residence.
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Jake Joyner: Leesville’s Tarantino
Posted By: Alex Stewart, Online Editor 2010-11 March 15, 2011
Jake Joyner, senior, is most widely known for his tackles on the Leesville Road football team’s D-line. What many people do not know about him, however, is his passion for filmmaking.
Joyner intends to major in Film Studies at UNC-Wilmington, a university in the middle of the country’s third-largest film production center. He has already accumulated experience creating several amateur short movies starring friends as well as participating on Leesville’s news team.
Joyner’s reasons for pursuing film studies are simple. “I’m a really creative person. I hate writing and I can’t really draw and I’m not really a good actor, so I make movies,” he explained.
“I love Quentin Tarantino films because they’re really weird,” he said. Joyner cites Tarantino’s films as his inspiration for his short films. His most recent movie, “The Fight,” is Joyner’s proudest production. “It’s probably the sickest movie I’ve ever made. I’ve gotten calls in the middle of the night from friends telling me how good it was,” he said.
His favorite part of the moviemaking process is editing. Editing, he says, is what makes a movie great. “You can have good acting but bad editing, and it would be a bad movie,” he explained, “but if you have bad acting and good editing, it would be an OK movie,” he said with a laugh.
Next year at UNC-W, Joyner looks forward to learning about films and critiquing them. “The cool thing about Wilmington is that they have tons of internships in New York and LA,” he explained.
After college, he hopes to move to Los Angeles and work his way up in the movie business. He knows he will start off at the lowest level, likely a director’s assistant. “I’m going to be serving coffee for a couple of years,” he said resignedly. He likes to dream big, though.
“I want to direct a forty-million-dollar movie,” he said of his dream job.
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Alumni return to visit teachers, students
Most seniors greatly anticipate the day they may leave Leesville Road High School and never come back, but some alumni continue to return even after…
Shelley Jackson’s skin project
High Level Spanish Classes Prove Rewarding
A Tour of Downtown Raleigh
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Ellis says not 'arrogance' scoping out World Cup final hotel
By The News · 03 of July 2019 01:38:23
AP Photo,, No available, United States coach Jill Ellis at the end of the Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Spain and US at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Monday, June 24, 2019. US beat Spain 2-1. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
LYON, France (AP) — The United States has already scoped out the hotel the team could stay in for the Women’s World Cup final, even while it’s occupied by semifinal opponent England.
The defending champions on Tuesday play England in Lyon, which is being used for both semifinals and the final.
American team staff went to the hotel while England was out at a practice session Sunday.
U.S. coach Jill Ellis says the hotel visit wasn’t “arrogance” but “that’s planning and preparation for our staff.”
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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India's ASHA workers: The backbone of primary healthcare in the country’s 6,00,000 villages
For many villages where hospitals aren't accessible easily, 860,000 ASHAs across the country are the only ray of hope in providing medical assistance.
An ASHA worker interacting with villagers.
By Bhavana Akella
In a country where quality healthcare remains a privilege of the rich and influential, a silent army of women, clad in pink sarees, work tirelessly and selflessly to make basic healthcare facilities accessible to those who live on the margins of the growing Indian economy, particularly in the country's vast rural hinterland.
Barely getting time to sleep as calls for help keep coming round the clock, this pink army -- as they are popularly known -- is the backbone of the primary healthcare in India's 600,000 villages, providing a connect between the community and the inadequate public health system.
These are the trained female community health activists -- called Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) -- under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the Indian government.
Instrumental in bringing down the infant mortality rate from over 50 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 (when ASHA was launched) to 34 deaths in 2016, these women provide information to people in rural areas about health, sanitation and nutrition; conduct ante-natal and post-natal checkups; assist women during their deliveries, deliver polio vaccines and conduct health surveys.
With many of them mothers themselves, they often take along their children to the clinics at unearthly hours because they can't leave them behind at home.
Clad in the trademark pink saree, her work uniform, state health worker Godavari Anil Rathore, 23, a resident of Kalaburgi, Karnataka, about 623 km north of state capital Bengaluru, is one of the youngest employed as an ASHA.
"When I was a kid, I remember how my aunt had a baby and lost it just within two months. The baby had contracted malaria after she was born, and my aunt couldn't bear the pain," Rathore told IANS.
"It's an unimaginable pain not to be able to save your own baby, which is one of the reasons why I decided I should help women," she said.
Rathore has helped over 100 women in her district in delivering healthy babies over the last three years that she has been working as an ASHA.
"It makes me extremely happy looking at women living in the remotest parts of the country with not much money to focus on their health giving birth to healthy children.
"Even though it means that we work an average of 12 hours each day, taking health surveys, carrying out polio drives, assisting pregnant women from the district I live in -- right from medical checkups during pregnancy, to the delivery, then getting the baby all the vaccinations, and in the end receiving only about Rs 1,500 for a month."
Rathore said that every woman she works with "becomes family to me, even if they need me at 3 a. m., I'm there."
For many Indian villages where hospitals aren't accessible easily, 860,000 ASHAs across the country (according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2014) are the only ray of hope in providing medical assistance to thousands of people, and have been working extensively on eliminating polio and malnutrition among infants.
Making sacrifices every day to build a healthier society, these women find it hard to even make ends meet, earning a paltry sum for their services.
Over 15,000 ASHAs from Karnataka staged a protest last month at Freedom Park in the heart of the city for a better remuneration from the state so that they could live with dignity.
Rathore, like many other ASHAs, barely sleeps, as calls for help keep coming in from pregnant women round the clock, after a long day of delivering polio vaccines or conducting health surveys. Many a time, she can't leave her two-year-old girl, Lakshmi, behind at home and takes her along.
"Sometimes, I feel I'm raising my child within clinics with my husband not being at home all the time. But I am glad she's growing up learning to be empathetic, knowing that as humans we must be able to help one another without any hesitation," said Rathore with a smile.
ASHAs take pride that they've managed to get their communities talking about health and hygiene.
"We are overwhelmed to see people in villages pay attention to sanitation and building their toilets and purifying their water, which they earlier didn't care much for. These are very important when we talk about health," Rathore explained.
With every right to quit their difficult job, the women say they continue on because the power to be a part of the birth of a healthy life is unparalleled.
Geetha, ASHA worker, Ballari district, Karnataka
Geetha B, 31, from Ballari district, has been an ASHA for nine years now. A mother of two boys, she takes the responsibility of overseeing the health needs of over 1,500 people in Hariginadone village in Ballari district seriously.
"My vision is always towards making the village a better place. I would have assisted at least 300 women in these nine years in their pregnancies and now I see the kids going to school within the village, children I would have helped while growing up to be healthy. It fills me with happiness each time."
"Pregnancy comes with a hope for every family. Our job satisfaction comes from seeing their dreams come true, in helping India's next generation grow up healthy."
A mother of five children, 35-year-old Nagomi K. from Raichur district, about 400 km to the north of Bengaluru, has seen ASHAs help in transforming the villages in the district over the past 12 years that they have been working.
"In many villages, the women are blamed if something happens to the baby. They have to live with guilt that it was their fault that the baby was born prematurely," Nagomi told IANS.
With their constant visits to the villagers' homes for checkups, men also tend to learn from them about their wives' health, which doesn't happen in healthcare centres, where the men are just asked to wait in the waiting rooms, she said.
"Even though many don't recognise the work we do, we are trying to act as bridges involving both man and a woman when it comes to a pregnancy, and having villagers lead better lives in general with better health."
Geetha and Varalakshmi, ASHAs from Ballari, study the baby's weight
"A lot of times I assist women who cannot even afford a strip of medicine. That's when I give them whatever money I have so that the health of the community is never compromised," Nagomi said.
As Karnataka State ASHA Workers' Association Secretary D. Nagalakshmi puts it, "These women are the lifelines for our country in letting those who cannot access medical help get every kind of support. They must be credited with raising a majority of India's next generation."
Each of the 37,000 ASHAs in Karnataka are working despite severe hardships and have some moving stories to tell, but they don't hesitate to make any sacrifice in building a healthier country, she said.
India ranks 131 among 188 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) 2016 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). India was placed behind countries like Gabon (109), Egypt (111), Indonesia (113), South Africa (119) and Iraq (121) among others. The government is working towards improving this rating by creating competition between states to perform better on key social indicators like infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and life expectancy.
(This feature is part of a special series that seeks to bring unique and extraordinary stories of ordinary people, groups and communities from across a diverse, plural and inclusive India and has been made possible by a collaboration between IANS and the Frank Islam Foundation. Bhavana Akella can be contacted at bhavana.a@ians.in)
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Radical Urban Politics
The documentary “Cities on Speed – Bogota Change” tells the story of how two anti-traditional politicians: Antanas Mockus and Enrique Peñalosa changed a city that was considered one of the worst ones in the world, due to corruption and insecurity.
In 1995, Mockus, a mathematician and philosopher became mayor of Bogota for a first term without having any political experience. Through radical urban ideas he turned Bogota into an “experiment in political theory.” By implementing drastic and eccentric political programs, like putting 420 mimes in the street to help enforce traffic rules and making news appearances dressed in spandex and a cape, he educated the citizens of Bogota, in a way that the city transformed itself.
Three years later, Peñalosa became mayor of Bogota and executed his own unorthodox political methods. He used urban design strategies to increase equality. By recovering sidewalks, creating new public space and improving public transit and schools the city was transformed not only physically but equitably since it affected a majority of its citizens.
You can find the six-part documentary on YouTube. It's worth seeing.
posted Friday, July 30, 2010 0 comments
Review of ‘City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the Twenty-First Century’
The 21st Century will be an urban century. This prophetic assertion underlines the moment, sometime at the end of 2009, when the balance of the global human population shifted from rural locations to urban centers. Far from the shrinking cities of the developed world, the stage for this transformative act has been the developing world, where an agglomeration of circumstances — the great migration to Chinese cities, the growing importance of African metropolises, the thriving economies of Latin American nations and India — underscore the veracity of this prediction. The 21st Century will be the century of cities driving the modernization of emerging nations.
City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the Twenty-First Century (Princeton Architectural Press, 2010) seizes this moment of urban transformation to propose a principle-driven prescription for sustainable urbanism. This highly readable, accessible and elegantly illustrated volume offers a collection of urban design best practices, arguing for both the universality and value of sustainable urbanism. With the goal of “creating cities that become mega-tools enabling millions of people to live in harmony with their environment,” the publication aims to capture the zeitgeist of millennial urbanity.
City Building is also a record of the impressive portfolio of multi-national design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The firm’s projects, in their diverse scales and executions, mark an illustrious professional trajectory characterized by global recognition and reach. From Bahrain’s National Plan to London’s Canary Wharf, from DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue to Chicago’s Millennium Plaza, the emphasis on quality, diversity and scalability that has defined SOM’s global footprint over the past 40 years leaves a profound impression in the world and the reader’s imagination.
The book structures the argument for the principle-driven sustainable city around nine axioms: sustainability, accessibility, diversity, open space, compatibility, incentives, adaptability, density and identity. Each principle is exemplified through a selection of project types, ranging from mega-projects to design acupuncture, and illustrated with conceptual graphics and project renderings. SOM’s emblematic projects serve as case studies for the application of these principles. A collection of images, plates, renderings, vignettes and free-hand drawings offers some of the most compelling pages in the book, as text and figure combine to perform analysis and exposition. City Building becomes a handbook for representation as the reader bears witness to SOM’s signature representational clarity as a distinctive graphic language.
City Building is a useful contribution to best-practices literature on urban design and planning. Yet its particular approach invites critical interrogations not only for the vision of a twenty-first century urbanism but also for the genre it exemplifies: the professional monograph.
The book offers a cursory discussion regarding the potential of applying “best-practice” techniques in international contexts. The complex process of urbanization in emerging nations – through the intersections of policies, design, planning, and infrastructure - depends on a set of social, economic and political relations with deep place-based particularities. Instead, the book’s argument for a principle-driven sustainable urbanism bases its normative position on standard methods and technocratic dialogues produced in the studios of a multi-national firm aimed at packaging a product. City Building does deal with specificity, but in broad principles addressing identity through built form and natural environment. Thus, a discussion on the degree to which professional vernaculars may use, misuse or re-apply best practice based on local expediencies remains unexplored.
City Building also provokes reflection on the production of urban design knowledge and its branding. What is the legitimacy of the manual for practice when it also functions as a promotional monograph? In essence, City Building follows the same argumentative line (and similar emphasis on sustainability) as leading monographs in the discipline of urban design, which deploy professional techniques as prescriptive principle-oriented solutions. Like Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature, The Landscape Urbanism Reader and the Smart Growth Manual, this monograph claims the expertise of good city form not only in the name of the twenty-first century city but also in the name of the expert, its firm and its particular brand of place-making.
Such branding exercises cause the genre of the professional monograph – as the place-making best practice – to reach a point of exhaustion. No doubt international design firms play a powerful role as consulting experts around the world, but in the metropolises of emerging nations, experts may encounter “urbanisms” that conflict with the normative approaches of best practices. For example, how can the urban design “best practice” deal with the realities of informal settlements? What are the implications of governance, participatory politics and land tenure contestations within the “best practice” framework of urban morphology?
Certainly, the 21st century will be about the value of sustainable urbanism. Nevertheless, this impending reality may also suggest a new ethic of professional design practice. This ethic may not be about the application of principles or the pursuit of megaprojects but rather the recognition of everyday actions within office culture or street life as sources of information and inspiration. Such ethos may involve sustainable notions of equity and open source technologies or practices. Arguably, we are entering a time when sustainability is defined by provisional or flexible arrangements between clients and employees, between products and producers, between ideas of individual and collective ownership. How can the “best practice” be reshaped to address what lies beyond the image of the master plan and the normative authority of the expert to address contingent realities on the ground?
City Building articulates an argument for a principle-driven newer urbanism deftly and clearly. Yet with its record of exemplary projects, its lessons in graphic representation and its principles for sustainable urbanism, it also provokes a deeper observation: beyond the prescription of the best practice lies the possibility to rethink the professional values, goals and methods that will shape the twenty-first century city.
Credits: Image of the City Building cover from Princeton Architectural Press.
Departures, Supermarkets and Public Toilets
One of the pleasures of traveling lies in observing how urban cultures other than your own tackle common problems of the daily minutiae. With just a dash of inclination for thoughtful design, commonplace objects in city life can be tweaked to solve for local circumstances.
At the TGV station connected to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, the announcement boards are arched and displayed at an angle for ease of reading - anxious travelers standing before the long list of departures don't have to strain their necks quite as much, and departure information in a high-traffic port-of-call can be more densely communicated in vertical format whilst preserving floorspace:
Those of us who live in the supermarket bi-culture of carried baskets vs. unwieldy pushcarts can celebrate the delightful ingenuity that marries the compact benefits of the basket with the convenience and degrees of freedom of the pushcart. At the small local supermarkets in Copenhagen, this hybrid model may seem like a no-brainer; it is nonetheless not a ubiquitously adopted concept in many other cities around the world:
On the streets of Paris, public restroom terminals that cycle through automated states make for a cleaner and more comfortable experience. A visitor would approach the terminal, glance at the the state-panel by the side of the restroom to find out if a restroom is available, press a button to open the sliding door, enter to use the facilities, choose a flush strength to conserve water, and exit the restroom. The restroom will then go into a cleaning state before indicating on the state-panel that it is ready and available for use.
This end-to-end experience minimized unnecessary hand contact with surfaces (hence more sanitary), and allowed for such structures to be built across Paris without the city municipality worrying about mobilizing an army of support staff to clean the restrooms regularly.
And of course, one can never underestimate the value of clear, universally comprehensible infographics in public spaces, especially in anticipating situations of crisis. The following, as seen in an elevator in Marseille, is a nice example:
Credits: Photos by Min Li Chan.
posted Thursday, July 29, 2010 3 comments
Guns in the City
by Alex Schafran
The men with cowboy hats and guns on their hips are not in a bar in Texas, but in a Starbucks in Pinole, California, 22 miles from San Francisco. They are members of East Bay Open Carry, one of a number of intertwined grassroots groups which have popped up in California to promote the currently existing right of citizens to carry unloaded firearms in public.
Unlike previous iterations of America's long standing fight over guns - think Bowling for Columbine meets Charleston Heston's "cold, dead hands" - this one is particularly urban. It is not about owning guns or shooting guns, but about carrying them where everyone can see them. And about getting together with your fellow advocates to make a political point in a public - often at a Starbucks, that potent symbol of blue state urbanism reconstituted for suburban consumption.
While their agenda spans gun-related issues across the board, their "movement" comes at the time when the US Supreme court has been actively striking down city-sponsored laws aimed at curbing handgun use in cities - first Washington, D.C, and more recently, Chicago. At a time when cities like my Oakland struggle with an epidemic of gun violence, their argument is that carrying guns out in public helps deter violence.
The sad irony is that the Open Carry movement was born in the wake of a 1967 reform of the California gun laws which outlawed the carrying of loaded weapons in public, but left the door open for the carrying unloaded weapons. The reform came not at the urging of the anti-gun lobby, but from the pen of then-Governor Ronald Reagan, in response to the armed march on Sacramento by the Black Panthers. The Panthers had armed themselves in response to violence in Oakland - at the hands of the Oakland Police.
If the historical irony seems lost on many of the organizers, the potent symbol of urban and suburban displays of guns is not. But it is not their love of firearms which scares me, nor their theories of crime prevention. What frightens me as an urbanite and a progressive is their explicit links to the populist right in America, both its current incarnation in the Tea Parties and the older versions like the John Birch Society. As I sat quietly in the back of a Tea Party meeting this evening, listening to the Open Carry advocates make their case for an hour, it was hard to ignore the potent anti-Obama rhetoric, the language of conspiracy and anti-liberal foment, the anti-immigrant sentiment and the fetishization of Arizona. (In between calls to move to Arizona was one to boycott pro-immigrant and anti-gun San Francisco)
Joe Bageant, who grew up in the West Virginia hills where one would expect pro-gun politics, argues that we need to leave folks their guns so we can focus on more important issues like healthcare and social justice. Even though the logic seems a good one, it becomes hard to implement when you sense that the guy next to you in line at the Starbucks with a holstered Glock might also think your president is not an American, national health care is a conspiracy, and Arizona is a model of democracy.
Credits: Photo of men with guns from the East Bay Open Carry page on Facebook. Photo of the Black Panthers from Marginal Revolution. Photo of the East Contra Costa Tea Party sign by Alex Schafran.
posted Wednesday, July 28, 2010 15 comments
A Cycling Revolution
Two new initiatives aimed at furthering an alternative and ecologically minded means of transportation — bicycling — are set to transform daily commutes and short journeys within London. On July 30, a cycle hire scheme consisting of 6,000 bicycles for public use at 400 docking stations aims at building on the successful Vélib' Parisian model. In addition a new "Cycle Superhighway" has already established two wide cycle lanes stretching from the fringes of London to the centre, and will establish 10 additional routes by 2015. While the Superhighway is aimed at easing the daily commute for those already owning bicycles, the cycle hire scheme attracts those without bicycles to rent them for short journeys from one docking station to another, easing congestion on other means of transport.
A new cycle docking station on Bishopsgate — one of 400 completed recently in Central London.
While it will be interesting to judge the success of the cycle hire scheme several months after its implementation, there is recent speculation that it may not live up to its precedents. This kind of analysis fits into a wider framework of noting the elements that global cities share in common, as well as articulating the specifics of what they do not. While lessons in transportation and urban development can certainly be circulated between different cities and urban contexts, putting a finger on the unique cultural habits, patterns of movement, and motivations in your city is what defines a truly appropriate project. How does an intangible idea become adapted to tangible form in a new context?
Furthermore, I am eager to see the parallel growth, and potential conflict, of cycling cultures in London. The recent rise of cycling cafés in vibrant and creative neighbourhoods is part of an emergent cycling revolution that ties into an embedded and associated culture of music, art, and food. While such bars and cafés were made possible by a critical mass of people within this subculture, the cycle hire scheme represents a top-down intervention that hopes to adjust the transportation habits of the general urban population. Unfortunately, the only current cultural association with this scheme is the large name of the sponsor, Barclays, written over the rear wheel. Will it be able to generate, through widespread use and social integration, its own identity and culture as a London institution?
Credits: Photos by Andrew Wade.
posted Monday, July 26, 2010 1 comments
Cities and Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. Permaculture is one of the activities that UN-HABITAT’s Cities and Climate Change Initiative is implementing in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, with support from Cuba’s Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity. Through a pilot permaculture project, the programme is promoting resilient communities in the face of highly probable future food and energy crises and the collapse of water and sanitation services due to Climate Change in the city of Esmeraldas. The project tries to mimic Nature and its ecological cycle with the following components: urban agriculture and healthy food, rainwater harvesting, water recycling, solid waste recycling, and dry toilets.
One if the most interesting features of the permaculture project is its pilot character, which aims at generating a new culture through long-term practice and self-built demonstrations. The first activities of this project were on urban agriculture, through which people from a poor neighbourhood learned to produce their own food in an organic manner and using only local seeds (avoiding dependency from large seed companies).
Now that people had their own well developed orchard, some months later, the project is helping those who volunteer to build their own dry toilet, which will be the source of natural fertilizers for their orchards. The first step in this task has been ensuring that people understand and are motivated with the permaculture cycle and the specific benefits of having a dry toilet instead of a flush toilet. One benefit, for instance, is that they will not be dependent on the city’s water services, which are already deficient and highly vulnerable to climate events. The project helps (purchasing material and providing technical assistance) only those who demonstrate enough motivation, and the toilet construction is done by the person with help from her/his neighbours.
Once the toilet is functioning, it will take about a year before seeing results, which is the time it takes for the storage and decomposition of the faeces. Urine, which is collected separately, will be used to balance the chemicals in the production of manure (either vegetal or faecal). Then comes the public event in which the family opens the toilet chamber and collects the manure, demonstrating in front of their neighbours that it is safe and odourless. Then the project offers more help to those motivated by the event.
It is very important that dry toilets are built through such slow process and integrated into the permaculture cycle. In too many cases, NGOs and development agencies build all dry toilets at once because they want to show quick project results. Almost all of those toilets built in this manner become storage spaces or are simply abandoned, because of the lack of motivation and knowledge about its adequate use.
Dry toilets and permaculture can also be integrated into multi-story buildings, with examples in diverse places such as Germany and Ethiopia. Orchards can be placed on rooftops and backyards, and faeces and urine can be collected in centralized devices for decomposition and recycling. You can find interesting articles and presentations of experiences in different countries in the Dry Toilet 2009 Conference organized by Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland.
Credits: Images of organic orchards, seeds barter and dry toilets from Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity.
posted Sunday, July 25, 2010 0 comments
Gender and Water, Part Three
The water and sanitation (watsan) sector is traditionally seen as an engineering issue. Due to this narrow approach, projects too often do not meet the specific needs of the population or collapse shortly after they begin to operate. In many cases poor communities are simply excluded from watsan investments. The reasons for not meeting such needs, collapsing or being excluded is that infrastructure projects are planned, designed and constructed without an adequate participation of stakeholders, and governments and watsan operators are far from being capable of guaranteeing an adequate service provision. In short, investments are most likely to fail if the governance of the sector is not adequately addressed.
A local facilitator speaks with members of her community. Source: Jordi Sánchez-Cuenca
An intrinsic challenge to this approach is that governance of the watsan sector does not end at the community level. Poor communities and households are themselves weak in their governance: a few male usually dominate, imposing unfair roles and burdens to their household and community. The result of this, also due to the common understanding that engineering is a men’s discipline, is that women and children are not considered in decision making processes, from the household and the community to the professional and institutional levels. This situation demands a watsan approach that is intrinsically and explicitly gender sensitive. Indeed, there cannot be democratic governance and institutional strengthening without challenging unequal gender relations. This is particularly important in the watsan sector, but the approach can be extrapolated to any sector.
In order to mainstream gender in the watsan programme I am working in, we have selected sixteen women from the provinces and six national government staff who will participate in a capacity building workshop at the beginning of august.
You can find out more about these women and the programme’s gender strategy in CoLab Radio.
Pamphlet Architecture 32
The last day to submit proposals for Pamphlet Architecture 32 is coming soon. Pamphlet Architecture is an architectural writing competition that allows people to share their ideas, designs and theories in simple booklets for the chance of publication by Princeton Architectural Press. It has become famous, in part, for featuring early writing by Stephen Holl, Lebbeus Woods, and Zaha Hadid. This year's theme is resilience. As explained on the Pamphlet Architecture website:
By addressing the capacity to cope, the ability to bounce back, and the mitigation and management of risk, proposals are welcome that showcase a fresh understanding of the possibilities and opportunities of resilience in architecture, from the large to the small scale.
The registration deadline is August 2nd. The cost is $50, or $25 for students. There's a great collection of past pamphlet covers on flickr. I like the way there's almost no barrier to entry. It gives people a chance to reach a wider audience through a respected publisher and invigorate the field of architectural writing.
I'd like to write about web-based architectural exchange — possibly a repository for urban development proposals that includes design collaboration, fund raising and political mobilization. This could help connect designers with local communities and provide a way of raising money and support. If anyone is interested in working on something like that, please contact me any time (first and last name at gmail).
Credits: Image of Robert McCarter's winning pamphlet, Building Machines (1987), from Pamphlet Architecture on flickr.
posted Saturday, July 24, 2010 0 comments
Creating Hope: South Africa After the World Cup
What promotes economic development in a city, or even a country? Can a soccer stadium revitalize a neighborhood? Can a soccer tournament help a city grow? What impact will the World Cup have on the growth of South Africa?
Most people agree that it is too soon to tell. There have been reports on the impact of preparing for the World Cup – since preparations began four years ago, they have contributed .5% and 2.2% to South African GDP and has created more than 300,000 jobs (2.7% contribution to employment, and some estimate job creation numbers as high as 700,000). There were articles about the economic impact on the GDP and the opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs, throughout the 9 host cities, in newspapers around the world. South Africa, and the 9 host cities, will benefit from the infrastructure projects such as improved highways and high-speed trains and foreign investment has increased. The social impact has been striking; as Thabo Mbeki said a few weeks ago, “This successful World Cup is a statement to ourselves that we have the capacity to change.” The 2010 World Cup involved 32 nations in 64 games and 10 new or renovated stadiums. There were many concerns leading up to the games, but South Africa successfully hosted the tournament with virtually no off-the-field issues (other than the debate over the vuvuzelas). While it won’t be clear for a while what the long-term impact of the World Cup is for South Africa and its cities, most agree that it had a strong social impact, bringing together a nation that has been divided for much of its history. As Mandela said in 1996, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”
However, the country faces many challenges, including widespread poverty, high unemployment, which was more than 25% in 2010, and government debt now accounts for approximately 30% of GDP. High rates of crime and HIV/AIDS threaten the social stability of the country. Many raised objections to the cost of the tournament, and questioned whether the country could have spent the money more effectively on its people. Examples from around the world have shown that stadiums do not promote development in their surrounding neighborhoods. Rob Hughes, in the New York Times, asked the questions: Did crime just take a month long vacation? Or was reporting of it just less prevalent? And will the country be better off, worse off or just the same after the circus moves out?”
Credits: Image 1 of Children pursue the ball during a soccer game on June 23, 2009 in Erasmia, South Africa. from (Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images), available at lolliptop.com. Image 2 of Soccer City.
Iconic Architecture, Ethics and Politics in Mallorca
Just before elections in Spring 2007, Jaume Matas, the the right-wing Popular Party's ex-president of the Balearic Islands Government, announced that the Valencian stararchitect Santiago Calatrava would build a new Opera Palace in Palma worth one hundred million euros. With claims that the ‘emblematic’ Opera Palace would ‘de-seasonalise’ tourism on the island, Calatrava was paid 1.2 million euros for the pre-project presentation design – money paid out of taxpayers’ pockets, where the hidden agenda of gaining votes was lost on few.
While some criticism was made at the time, it exploded a few weeks ago when it emerged that Calatrava designed the project in 1989 for Zurich, to be built on Lake Lucerne, as a submission for a competition to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation. Judging by the models of the two projects – the Swiss and the Mallorcan – the only difference is in functionality and an extra: in Zurich, the building was imagined to float on the lake and its use would be versatile, while in Palma the structure was envisaged to emerge from the ocean, would house an opera and had an additional commercial and recreational zone.
While I have no problem with reusing existing architectural concepts and designs, which is the reality of many projects around the world, my concern is with the (lack of) ethics in this situation. In June 2007, Calatrava stated that the Opera House ‘is a gift for citizens’ and said that the ‘only driving force’ that led him to design the structure was his ‘profound affection and great respect’ for Palma. Yet in an issue dedicated to Calatrava in 1992 reviewing his main designs to date, the prestigious international architecture magazine El Croquis noted of Zurich’s concrete pavilion, in what appears to be Calatrava’s words: ‘our intention was to establish a dialogue between a fine harmonic form made of modern materials and the most beautiful mountain and lake landscapes in the centre of Switzerland’. Landscapes very different to the hot and humid Mediterranean of Mallorca. Apart from not recognising the real genesis of the project, the Valencian architect made off with 1.2 million euros for a three-minute video and a model of the proposed iconic Opera House (the latter with its own 80,000 euro price tag). No plans were presented – and none actually exist.
Yet both sides are at fault here. Although it was unclear who determined the price tag and deliverables, it was both paid and accepted. Matas and those governing with him were clearly lured in by the appeal of a stararchitect and an iconic structure in an attempt to bring some flash and awe to bolster their party’s position in the upcoming elections. As Matas is currently charged with twelve (yes, 12) offenses related to corruption – six of which are embezzlement of public funds – the judge trying his case is now also looking for possible irregularities in the payment to Calatrava. But this is all taken in stride here, where scandals around urban development are nothing new, as I will discuss in my next post.
Credits: Photo of the Opera House model from DiariodeMallorca.es.
posted Wednesday, July 21, 2010 2 comments
Slowly Dissolving the Relevance of Planning in the U.K.
A review of recent international headlines has shown that certain governments have accompanied enormous bank bailouts with lengthily lists of public spending cuts. The recurring days and months of economic catastrophe have been followed by the era of frantic recovery. Governments around the world have approached the path to fiscal rehabilitation differently, employing alternative methodologies and strategies with the common goal of stabilizing both local and international economies.
Canada has tactically aimed major stimulus packages at public recreation and infrastructure improvement projects, and boosted higher education research funding to some of the highest levels ever recorded, attracting some of the world’s foremost researchers in the sciences and technology. This has come at the expense of other services, such as healthcare and a scandalous overhaul of the national census.
While many countries continue to struggle with the volatility of EU markets, European governments have been forced to make some of the toughest decisions, which ultimately aim to salvage what’s left of a crumbling Euro in an increasingly unstable region. The sirens have started to go off in the UK as the new Coalition Government has launched a national assault on spending, canceling the national census, slashing research funding for universities while paving the way for fee increases, cutting education funding, decommissioning and disbanding regional agencies, and cutting out the “fluff” of the National Health System. One of the hardest hit areas, an industry that is generally charged with facilitating economic growth, improving regional stability and living standards, is the public side of the development sector.
Shortly after the delivery of the first budget in June 2010, Ann Skippers, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), issued an emergency statement to its members, condemning the cuts that would see 25% of the funding for government departments responsible for planning and infrastructure provisions wiped off the national funding slate. Agencies such as Communities and Local Government, Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Transport each face a 25% cut in funding, while the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant system is to be completely abandoned.
The budget also announced go-ahead plans to abolish Regional Development Agencies, those that are responsible for overseeing planning and development at the regional level, and stated that Local Enterprise Partnerships would replace these agencies, primarily within English cities. This comes as a jab to many of the ‘have-not’ regions of the UK, many of which are situated outside of England.
Although budget cuts may be necessary in times such at these, the RTPI questions a strategy that dissolves the very institutions that are regularly responsible for working through many of the challenges that the UK is currently facing. For the first time since the Thatcher era, clouds indisputably cover the future of Planning in the UK.
Credits: Images of London from J.A. Alcaide. Image of Canadian Science Leadership Exhibition from cstmweb.
posted Tuesday, July 20, 2010 0 comments
This past weekend, six San Francisco museums welcomed visitors free of charge courtesy of Target. At the Museum of Modern Art, the open-door policy transformed the galleries' typical contemplative stillness to an informal, even irreverent experience. There was no shushing, and the guards had their hands full convincing parents that white stacked cubes were not a jungle gym. A life-sized gold statue of Michael Jackson with a monkey drew more attention than the museum's centerpiece Matisse. Purists may have been miffed, but the open flow from street to museum made the collections accessible not only by removing fees but by allowing a light, quotidian experience of art.
Credits: Photos by Katia Savchuk.
Free Repair
For two years, artist Roland Roos has been travelling around Europe and making repairs on displaced or damaged things in public spaces. These unsolicited repairs ranged from replacing small details to structural reconstruction. To cover the cost of materials and labor, Roos took before and after pictures (which he calls unicums) and sells the prints at the average cost of repair. A functional but poetic public art project, some of these unicums are quite beautiful as well. Free Repair officially ended in April 2010.
Credits: Image of unicums from RolandRoos.net.
Assorted Link #12
Public Art Installation Project Competition: Taipei, Taiwan
The Reverse Commute
Parametric urbanism
The image of a man you do not see
Anti-Design Festival call for entries
Al-Mahatta International Artists Workshop, Palestine
Becoming a Transportation Planner
In the halls of planning academe, there are few divides as potent as that between the transport folks and everyone else. This is not to say that there is a big love fest between designers, housers, enviros, GIS junkies, economistas, ad nauseum; simply that the gulf between the transport world and everyone else is a tad larger. Perhaps it is their superior numbers - there is still money in transport research, and they have more students - or that the engineering emphasis creates a cultural and methodological divide. UC Berkeley offers an introductory undergrad class in transport - but not in housing, or land use, or community development. Always one to enjoy a good jab, I have never shied away from discussing the divide with friends in the mode choice world - never could I imagine that I would one day become one.
Life in the exurbs has changed all that. It is impossible to either live in or write about eastern Contra Costa County without becoming an amateur transportation planner. If the default conversation in many places is the weather, in East County, it is traffic. Or more accurately, the various transport projects designed to hopefully dig this metropolitan cul-de-sac, home to a quarter of a million souls, out of some of the worst traffic this side of Bangkok.
In classic American style, we allowed the communities of East County to grow exponentially over the course of the past three decades - with the city of Brentwood taking the cake as the fastest growing city in California for a few years back in the boom times of the 1990's - without the transportation infrastructure needed to connect its residents to the job- and education-rich areas on the other side of the hill. They have no BART train, the region's primary attempt at intraregional rail, or even that birthright of the American suburb, a piece of the vaunted Eisenhower interstate highway system.
How this happened is a book-length rather than a blog-length story, but the blame surely spreads far and wide, from the halls of Washington and Sacramento to the growth- and massive-truck-loving residents and politicians of the local cities and towns, from regional transportation agencies to Contra Costa power brokers, from exclusionary inner-ring suburbs to greedy developers. It was also not created overnight - the gridlock and isolation of this mini-region wedged between the Bay Area, the Central Valley and the Sacramento delta took two generations to create.
Out of this quagmire comes a billion dollar multimodal two-step, a simultaneous freeway widening and BART extension that will double the width of State Route 4 to 8 lanes and add train service down the median strip. At the recent groundbreaking for the Route 4 portion of the project, the only point of contention was whether the project was 30 years too late or 50 years too late.
Despite the promise of new trains and less traffic, local residents have not yet broken out the confetti, and not simply because the local economy is so bad that nobody can afford it. There is widespread skepticism that either project will be completed, or completed on time - the current estimates are 2015 for both projects. There is a deep history here - initial BART extension planning called for trains all the way to Brentwood, but the extension fell apart after Union Pacific broke off negotiations, leaving residents with a 10-mile extension that leaves out almost half of the population of the region. Conventional BART (what residents call "real" BART) was deemed too expensive, so rather than the wide gauge electric trains the system is famous for, BART is building eBART, a diesel extension that will require a transfer before getting to the current endpoint of the system at Pittsburg/Bay Point.
More importantly, East County residents have been paying property taxes for BART ever since Bay Area residents voted to tax themselves to build it - in 1962. For 47 years, they have waited, as growth turned small industrial towns and even smaller farm towns into an ocean of suburbia for the region's middle and working classes. As the foreclosure crisis and catastrophic declines in property values leave families underwater and cities like Antioch poised on the brink of bankruptcy, the possibility of new transportation infrastructure represents an important beacon of hope. Yet current proposals from BART call for trains which leave too late to get commuters to work and stop too early to integrate residents into the cultural and political life of the region, and which are set to cost more than $2.00 just to get from one end of the extension to the beginning of the regular system. It is unclear whether the current anger is enough to push BART towards better hours and fares, or even whether the decades late and many dollars short investments will be enough to make true mobility possible in East County; but it is certainly enough to turn one curmudgeonly urbanist into a transport guy.
Credits: Image of traffic from team pittsburg, image of truck Alex Schafran. Map of eBART from sf.streetsblog.org. Video of eBART from BART on YouTube.
The Red Sun Pavilion
This evening architect Jean Nouvel introduced his first completed building in the UK, the 2010 Serpentine Pavilion. Each summer the Serpentine Gallery commissions a prominent architect to design and build a temporary structure in Hyde Park in just six months. The immediacy, transience and accessibility of the project make it a playground of experimentation and a powerful means of activating this quiet green space in London. Nouvel's concept of playfulness caused him to introduce ping pong tables, a cinema screen, and tables for chess and backgammon as well as screens and fabrics used as light filters and shelter - all in the same shade of deep red. Can similar guidelines of immediacy, transience and accessibility be applied in other contexts as a way of catalysing transformation of the urban realm?
Credits: Images of the 2010 Serpentine Pavilion from Andrew Wade.
Studio Mumbai’s In-Between Architecture
This summer the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is hosting an exhibition - Architects Build Small Spaces, which showcases built works by architects at full scale within the museum space. Especially provocative is Studio Mumbai's installation - In-between Architecture, which they describe here:
This project examines the unauthorised architecture of Mumbai. Precisely modelled on dwellings crammed into a narrow urban corridor behind the Studio Mumbai offices, it presents an architectural 'cast' or a sliver of space that is home to a family of eight.
These unauthorised settlements constitute more than half the city's built landscape, yet they are ignored in the official surveys of the urban footprint. Though seen as parasitic, they offer intelligent design solutions in a city where space is scarce and land values are escalating. As well as shelter, they provide spaces for refuge, contemplation and worship.
The Studio Mumbai structure does not seek to replicate these dwellings in a literal manner. Instead, it proposes to distil the poetic qualities of these agile living spaces, their order, calm and dignity.
The installation was designed and built outside the Studio Mumbai offices before being disassembled, shipped to London, and reassembled in the V&A Museum, where it will remain through the end of August. The video below documents some of the initial construction in Mumbai.
Perhaps this is representative of a larger shift in architectural knowledge production. First, it questions the correlation between legal planning authorisation and positive design solutions. Even though the work models an unauthorised, tight space that houses a family of eight, it does so in a way that doesn't condemn this informal way of building but rather praises its positive qualities and ingenuity. Whether this type of building is legal or not has no bearing on its capacity to meet the needs of its residents. Is it possible to recalibrate planning authorities to promote resource-driven architecture?
Secondly, it reverses the traditional direction of architectural information, bringing Mumbai's informal housing to London not as an object of a remote and enticing culture but as a lesson on the efficient and elegant use of space. The methods of design and building in Mumbai are being communicated and valued in the developed world.
Finally, it uses the architectural product as a means to critique the legal, official and planned way of building in Mumbai. Why does the institutionalised process of planning omit over half of the city's built environment? How can the informal and illegal be in the majority without being able to rewrite issues of land use, planning and design to address their needs and aspirations?
Credits: Images of "In-between Architecture" installation from Andrew Wade. Video of off-site construction from Vimeo.
Gender and Water, Part Two
I’m currently working in an international development programme called “Governance of the Water and Sanitation Sector in Ecuador within the Framework of the MDG.” In the coming months I'll be focusing my work in mainstreaming gender in the programme, with the aim of institutionalizing the impacts achieved in that respect.
In my first post on this issue I described the relationship between gender and water and sanitation, and how important is dealing with gender relations when trying to sort out water and sanitation deficiencies. For those interested, I'll be writing in both Polis and MIT’s CoLab Radio about this experience, which I believe will be quite interesting and innovative.
Just to give you an introduction, we started the process of mainstreaming gender with the identification of women in the four provinces we are working in who are committed and active in their localities in promoting equal gender relations. We intend to make them key allies in the programme's implementation.
In my next post I’ll be describing some of the women that will be helping us in mainstreaming gender in the programme, and how I expect them to make a difference in the water and sanitation sector through the programme.
You can find out more about gender and water in the following links:
• UN Water
• UN Water For Life Decade
• Gender and Water Alliance
Credits: Image from the United Nations.
Three Questions: Dawn Biehler on Pests and Public Health
As part of the Polis Three Questions series, we present a conversation with Dr. Dawn Biehler of the UMBC Department of Geography and Environmental Systems. Her research covers intersections between public health, environmental justice, historical geography, housing, interspecies interaction, and political ecology in urban environments. Dawn worked with William Cronon on her doctoral studies, focusing on the political and ecological history of pests in cities. More information on her work can be found here.
Thank you for speaking with us, Dawn. Your work shows a very original perspective on public health and environmental justice in cities. How did you become interested in urban health issues?
I grew up on a farm and became passionate about wildlife conservation at a young age, so it took some powerful people and experiences to wrest my attention away from rural and wilderness concerns. Not that I don't care about these any more, but I'm now very much focused on urban environments. The most powerful person was definitely Dr. Craig Wilder, an urban history professor whom I met as an undergrad. Dr. Wilder often made the point in his classes that for decades affluent do-gooders had been trying to help city kids escape to farms, suburbs and nature parks during the summer, but few of those do-gooders ever tried to empower urban communities to improve the environments they lived in every day.
This struck a chord with me — perhaps because I was inclined to become that kind of do-gooder — and led me to a couple of powerful experiences: after college I worked for two small community organizations dedication to urban food and housing. I met city residents who were struggling to make their neighborhoods and homes healthy places to live. Yet, all too often, I saw that those communities were blamed for poor health. I resolved to learn the stories of city-dwellers and lay health activists, how they were treated by the state, businesses, health professionals, and the like.
What led you to focus on domestic pests and other interspecies interactions?
This is where my farm upbringing stuck with me. I was always fascinated by the fact that my parents lovingly nurtured some animals — our pets and livestock, and the many injured wild birds that my dad brought home to nurse back to health — but cursed and even killed others that were detrimental to our crops. I realized later that farms and cities are not all that different from one another when it comes to animals. Namely, landscapes that are dramatically transformed by humans tend to encourage other species to flourish as well — the creatures we call pests. These creatures are then detrimental to the very reasons for those landscapes to exist — to produce crops or to sustain healthy communities. Of course, it's not the animals' fault; it just so happens that they have adapted to the niches we create.
“Pests connect us with our neighbors through their transgressions of spatial boundaries. Pest populations do not respect property lines — in some situations, they don't even respect walls, sometimes not even our bodies. Therefore they can help us recognize that the home is not merely an isolated, modern, private space, but deeply linked with nature and the rest of the city.”
In cities, our garbage, the vegetation we plant, our buildings, all of these features that we create stimulate particular ecological responses in the animal populations we live with. The animals in turn elicit particular responses among residents, activists, the state, businesses. They are fleshy manifestations of urban social inequality: the neglect of garbage and housing in some neighborhoods versus others that are well-served by garbage collection and housing investment, this is one important factor in pest distribution and ecology. Furthermore, pests connect us with our neighbors through their transgressions of spatial boundaries. Pest populations do not respect property lines — in some situations, they don't even respect walls, sometimes not even our bodies. Therefore they can help us recognize that the home is not merely an isolated, modern, private space, but deeply linked with nature and the rest of the city. They are often the routes by which poor environmental conditions become embodied — for example, studies have connected poor housing conditions with severe German cockroach infestation, and severe infestation with asthma problems in children. This all is not to say, of course, that pests are good things and we should like them; rather, their existence and distribution tells us something about our society, if we are willing to think about them.
“This all is not to say, of course, that pests are good things and we should like them; rather, their existence and distribution tells us something about our society, if we are willing to think about them.”
Through your research, have you come across any groups doing promising work to bring about healthy and socially just urban environments?
There are a lot of groups that say, we have to educate the public, especially poor communities, about the environment so that they can make good decisions about their health. But too many organizations stop there, and I find that to be a half-measure and really disrespectful to communities. My historical research has turned up a lot of urban environmental campaigns that focus on education without making fundamental changes to the way the state or businesses operate in those communities. That puts all of the burden upon regular folks to change themselves, and such projects have rarely been sustainable.
The organizations that have truly impressed me are those that either arose through grassroots citizen action, or else involve the community at the most basic levels of program development and implementation. This way, the community's knowledge about environmental health problems gets incorporated into everything the group does. These groups tend to work for systemic change while also reaching out to residents. One group that has impressed me very positively is Environmental Health Watch in Cleveland. Healthy housing is one of their main campaigns, and at the same time as they alert residents to hazards like mold, lead, and pests and pesticides in their homes, they are also working to hold local government and businesses accountable. They are also helping make physicians into advocates for healthy homes and urban environments by showing them that many health conditions are related to the environment, and that the environment needs to be part of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
“This way, the community's knowledge about environmental health problems gets incorporated into everything the group does. These groups tend to work for systemic change while also reaching out to residents.”
I'll just mention a couple more groups that I find really exciting, both of them in New York. West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) works on environmental justice issues at many scales. They have convened a Climate Justice conference but, when I last talked with someone from that group, they were also working on a very narrowly-targeted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) pilot project on a couple of blocks where businesses were disposing of their garbage improperly, leading to serious problems with rats, mice, roaches, and the like. IPM is a pest control approach that stresses systemic environmental change and either no pesticides or very low-toxicity pesticides. Residents were very involved, sharing their knowledge about problem areas with garbage and pests. WE ACT has also been involved in a lawsuit against EPA that charged the agency had done too little to protect children from rodenticides and other pesticides. WE ACT's leader, Peggy Shepard, also helped show that it took a long time for banned pesticides to be removed from convenience store shelves in the neighborhood.
The other New York group, Little Sisters of the Assumption, provides health services in East Harlem. One staffer there, Ray Lopez, has been recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with a Community Health Leader Award. He got a lot of media attention in New York for his work helping families manage bedbug problems with IPM, but he works on a range of healthy housing issues. He visits families' homes to help them learn how to manage pests and other health hazards, and at the same time has been very effective in pressuring landlords, housing staff, inspectors, contractors, and the like to improve the housing environment. I think families realized that he was genuinely listening to them when they described their problems — say, no one will come fix that pipe and it is attracting roaches, or the garbage collector has been skipping our building — and was using that information to demand real changes from more powerful stakeholders. Why should a family invest time in the rather laborious tasks of IPM if something else beyond their control will continue to attract pests anyway? But when they see that someone is listening and making sure they have a voice in how housing is managed, then they have every reason to do their part.
Thank you for answering our questions. We wish you the very best with your work.
Credits: Photo of project buildings from Hip Hop Beats 800. Drawing of rats from NPR. Photo of Deepti KC from WE ACT.
Fortress Cities as the World’s Powerful Come to Town
As large-scale protests have become the norm during summits where the world’s most powerful gather, such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), G8/G20, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and so forth, it is becoming commonplace to see the cities where such events are hosted retrofitted into fortified bastions, in theory to protect delegates and ensure meetings are ‘unaffected’ by dissenters left outside. This went to serious extremes during the recent G20 meeting in what many dubbed ‘Fortress Toronto’, where over $1 billion was spent on a security makeover for the city, marking the most expensive three days in Canada’s history.
A six plus kilometre long, three metre high ‘security’ fence was built around most of downtown Toronto and large swaths of the city’s core looked like a police state, with an estimated deployment of over 19,000 security personnel, nearly five times the number at the G20 in Pittsburgh last year, according to Democracy Now. And ironically enough, SNC-Lavalin – Canada’s largest engineering company and one of the world’s biggest engineering, construction and infrastructure management firms, known to supply bullets to the US military and as a significant private contractor in Afghanistan – was awarded the contract for the conceptualisation and construction of the security infrastructure throughout downtown Toronto.
The parallels between citadel-like / hyper-securitised city and the exclusive, elite participation inside the barriers during such summits is lost on no one. While the countries in the G20 make up 85% of global gross domestic product (GDP), generate 85% of world’s climate change-related emissions and hold two-thirds of the world’s population, the elite of these places call the shots through a completely non-transparent, non-participatory process, while the other 170 nations of the world have no place at the table. As long as this unjust, inequitable and unsustainable system continues as is, dissent will rage on and the elite will no doubt continue to fortify the city when the powerful come to town.
Credits: June 2010 Toronto Resist G8/G20 poster from the Toronto Community Mobilization Network. Video from AlJazeera English as posted on YouTube 24 June, 2010. Map of Fortress Toronto from the National Post.
‘Doing Business with the Poor’
Last month, CIVICUS highlighted a notable UNDP report that profiled 50 examples of business models that successfully integrated the poor. “Creating Value For All: Strategies for Doing Business with the Poor” looked at businesses across the globe that constructively involved poor people as clients, customers, producers, employees or business owners. “Successful” models were those that could be profitable for poor people and that promoted human development.
The report ran through a typical list of challenges to the economic inclusion of low-income populations – much of what keeps people poor in the first place (limited market information; ineffective regulatory environments; inadequate physical infrastructure; missing knowledge and skills; restricted access to financial products and services).
More interestingly, the report took the case studies and distilled strategies that successful business models used to get past the constraints:
• Adapting products and processes (e.g., developing intuitive software for computer-illiterate Chinese farmers)
• Investing in removing constraints (e.g., investing in dairy facilities for Mauritanian herders to address inadequate infrastructure)
• Leveraging strengths (e.g., tapping social networks for micro-credit schemes)
• Combining capabilities and resources with other organizations (e.g. CEMEX in Mexico partnering with Mexican consulates in U.S. cities to do market research)
• Engaging in policy dialogue with governments (e.g. Filipino entrepreneur convincing the government to study possible uses for discarded coconut husks)
These case studies seem like win-win situations, and it is refreshing to see examples of models that are working rather than focusing on seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
The report is based on this principle: “The value of including in functioning markets the billions of people that are now shut out of them can hardly be overestimated. Such value will accrue to business, to the poor and to society at large.”
Does this economic ideal hold up? Do the poor really end up as winners in all of these models? Can the poor win by being integrated into existing markets? How can they avoid being co-opted?
Credits: Images from the UNDP.
2010 Public Art Year in Review
Americans for the Arts has just announced their 2010 Public Art Year in Review, which recognizes and honors a selection of the year's best public art works. Curators Helen Lessick and Fred Wilson has chosen 40 public art pieces (pdf), representing projects from 29 cities and 15 states in the United States and Canada, from over 300 entries. Steve Power's Love Letters, Maya Lin's What is Missing, the collaborative research and residency Waterways, and Matthew Farley's Frozen Assets are standouts amongst this year's winners.
Credits: Image of Matthew Farley's Frozen Assets from University of Kansas News.
David Byrne on the Perfect City
"The perfect city isn't static. It's evolving and ever changing, and its laws and structure allow that to happen. Neighborhoods change, clubs close and others open, yuppies move in and move out—as long as there is a mix of some sort, then business districts and neighborhoods stay healthy even if they're not what they once were. My perfect city isn't fixed, it doesn't actually exist, and I like it that way."
David Byrne, from "A Talking Head Dreams of a Perfect City," in the Wall Street Journal, 2009
Credits: Image of New Orleans from National Geographic, via WSJ.
Review of ‘City Building: Nine Planning Principles...
Iconic Architecture, Ethics and Politics in Mallor...
Slowly Dissolving the Relevance of Planning in the...
Three Questions: Dawn Biehler on Pests and Public ...
Fortress Cities as the World’s Powerful Come to To...
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Trump to make prime-time address, visit U.S.-Mexico border amid shutdown stalemate
By Felicia Sonmez Josh DawseyThe Washington Post
Paul Farhi
Mon., Jan. 7, 2019timer7 min. read
WASHINGTON—U. S. President Donald Trump is ramping up his efforts to make a public case for his border wall as the partial government shutdown is now in its third week, planning a prime-time address Tuesday night and a visit to the border Thursday.
Trump announced the news of the presidential address in a Monday tweet.
“I am pleased to inform you that I will Address the Nation on the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border,” he said. “Tuesday night at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.”
Earlier Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced that Trump will travel to the border with Mexico on Thursday.
“President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis,” she said. “More details will be announced soon.”
The presidential speech and visit come amid the partial government shutdown and Trump’s insistence that any funding bill to reopen federal agencies include $5.7 billion (U.S.) for his border wall.
Debate around Trump’s wall obscures many other issues at the border
Human feces, trash piling up in U.S. national parks as shutdown rolls on
Trump scrambles to keep border wall campaign promise as shutdown looms
They also come three weeks ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address, scheduled for Jan. 29.
As of 7 p.m. EST on Monday, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Fox News and Fox Business Network had confirmed that they would carry Trump’s speech, which was expected to run about eight minutes long. The Fox broadcast network did not respond to a request for comment.
In a joint statement Monday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said Democrats deserved airtime as well to rebut the president’s message.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” they said.
Ahead of Trump’s speech from the Oval Office, Vice President Pence and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will meet with House Republicans on Capitol Hill early Tuesday evening to discuss the border situation, according to two House GOP aides.
Pence told reporters Monday that Trump has invited Democrats back to the White House this week for further talks.
“Our position is very simply this: There is a humanitarian and national security crisis at the southern border,” Pence said during a briefing in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. He added that the White House has “been negotiating to open the government and address that border crisis” as well as “taking steps to mitigate the effects of the shutdown.”
Some Democrats responded to the news of Trump’s address with concern that he would mislead the American people about the situation at the border.
“I expect the president to lie to the American people,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N. Y.) said. “Why do I expect this? Because he has been lying to the American people.”
Nadler was part of a delegation of Democratic lawmakers who toured a Border Patrol facility in Alamogordo, N.M., on Monday to investigate the death of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, the second child to die in December after being apprehended crossing the border illegally.
Trump made his first visit to the border as president 10 months ago. During that trip, Trump toured 30-foot-tall steel and concrete prototypes of the border wall in California and strongly condemned jurisdictions that offer “sanctuary” to undocumented immigrants.
The White House did not immediately release details Monday on the site of Trump’s planned visit. But the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice that airspace in the McAllen, Texas, vicinity would be restricted Thursday due to a “VIP movement.”
The border city of 142,000 people is home to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility where migrants who have crossed illegally into the country have been detained. First lady Melania Trump also visited a shelter for migrant children in McAllen in June.
Trump and congressional Democrats remain at an impasse on crafting a deal to reopen the government, which is in its 17th day of a partial shutdown. Democrats, who retook control of the House last week, have passed measures that would fund the federal agencies affected, but Trump has balked at any legislation that does not meet his demand for border wall funding.
Tuesday’s speech shapes up as both a policy issue and a political stunt — an attempt by the president to persuade the public that his vision of a border wall trumps Democratic opposition to it.
As such, the White House’s request for airtime is more problematic than other kinds of presidential addresses, such as a response to a national defence emergency, an economic crisis or the annual State of the Union speech. The networks also have to balance their obligation to inform viewers about current affairs versus their desire not to pre-empt lucrative prime-time entertainment programs for the speech.
In fact, the broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — didn’t show President Barack Obama’s immigration speech in November 2014, when he outlined changes in immigration policy. That speech was delivered during a “sweeps” month, in which ratings for prime-time programs are used to set future ad prices.
While the broadcast networks typically carry presidential addresses, there is no requirement or regulation compelling them to do so. “This isn’t state television,” in which authorities control the airwaves, said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a veteran communications attorney at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Nor are the networks’ hundreds of affiliated local stations required to air programs distributed by their network partners. On the other hand, they can choose to air a presidential speech even if their affiliated network isn’t airing it.
A spokesperson for the National Association of Broadcasters, which represents local stations, said “traditionally and typically” networks and stations will carry a presidential address “since we are committed to our role as first informers.”
As the new Congress convened, Pence called House Republicans last week and urged them to vote against Democratic measures that would have reopened the government without wall funding. Tuesday’s meeting comes ahead of votes that Pelosi has planned on a piecemeal reopening of the government, beginning with the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.
This week’s votes will put Republicans in a particularly challenging spot, as they will spotlight the issue of whether millions of Americans get their tax refund checks.
In a sign that the Trump administration is worried about a potential public backlash on the issue, the White House decided Monday that it is legally permissible to process tax returns during the shutdown, reversing past IRS policy.
Yet talks between the White House and congressional aides over the weekend showed no signs of a breakthrough, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain furloughed.
Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said in an appearance on MSNBC on Monday afternoon that federal employees “have really been kicked into the middle of a political fight that they didn’t create and that they don’t have the authority to try and resolve.”
“This has gone way too far,” added Reardon, whose union represents 150,000 members at 33 federal agencies and departments. “Get these people back to work and get them paid.”
Trump said Sunday that he understood the predicament facing federal workers who are not receiving their paychecks.
“I can relate, and I’m sure the people who are on the receiving end will make adjustments; they always do,” he told reporters outside the White House. He also claimed that “many of those people agree with what I’m doing”: refusing to reopen the government without obtaining funding for the wall, one of his signature campaign promises.
With the effects of the partial shutdown rippling across the country, acting White House budget director Russell Vought sent a letter to congressional leaders Sunday detailing the administration’s demands.
The letter called for $5.7 billion “for construction of a steel barrier for the Southwest border” but also proposed “an additional $800 million to address urgent humanitarian needs” and unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the border.
In a tweet Sunday night, Trump sought to put a positive spin on the ongoing negotiations, describing them as “productive” and declaring that “we are now planning a Steel Barrier rather than concrete.”
But a Democratic official said no progress was made over the weekend, in large part because the White House has not been forthcoming about how the money would be used or why the request is for so much more than the administration sought only a few months ago.
Trump has said in recent days that he might seek to unilaterally secure border wall funding by declaring a national emergency, a move that experts say would be of questionable legality.
Pelosi, sharply criticized Trump on Sunday for raising that possibility, suggesting in an interview with CBS News that the president “would like to not only close government, build a wall, but also abolish Congress so the only voice that mattered was his own.”
Mexico, Donald Trump
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What Is Love? - York Mediale
Holy Trinity Church, York, North Yorkshire
30th September 2018 - 6th October 2018
What is Love? tells the story of a young couple, Jack and Amelia, while they work in different countries. When they begin to neglect their relationship, AI detects the problem and steps in to help.
Set in the near future, in a world where Artificial Intelligence is commonplace within our daily lives, What is Love? tells the story of an ambitious young couple, Jack and Amelia, while they work apart in different countries. When they begin to neglect their relationship, AI detects the problem and steps in to help.
Onlookers are invited into the narrative as Jack and Amelia’s mediated life unfolds before their eyes and ‘fate’ takes hold.
Powered by The Cutting Room, an Object Based Media tool developed by Davy Smith, What Is Love? premieres a new breed of storytelling, algorithmically tailored to each viewer.
No two voices or vantage points need be the same, as edit decisions are controlled in real time. Technology responds to the audience in terms of length, depth of interest, location, personal preferences, lifestyle, age and more.
Considered to be the future of broadcasting by the BBC, this technology has been developed by Digital Creativity Labs at the University of York and BBC R&D.
Exclusively for York Mediale, the partnership commissioned Symbolism Studios to create What Is Love? in the first public airing of this new technology.
https://www.yorkmediale.com/
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High tech Newport building now home to IBM, BT, Nokia and others
21st November, 2018
A Newport building owned by Welsh Government is now home to some of the World’s biggest and best tech companies, Economy Secretary Ken Skates has confirmed today.
The 750,000 sq ft building in Newport was initially specifically built for wafer fabrication production. Its specialist nature meant it was a very difficult property to let or sell which resulted in it remaining empty for many years.
However ten years ago Welsh Government entered into an agreement for lease with Next Generation Data to develop the building into a data centre – an innovative solution which has proven to be immensely successful, with companies such as BT, IBM and Nokia now working at the site.
Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:
“This building is a real success story for both NGD and Welsh Government, having turned an unlettable building into something really quite special and economically successful.
Working alongside Next Generation Data, this is now the site of a state of the art data centre which offers the capabilities and flexibility to meet the specific needs of its customers with great space, power and cooling capacities. For customers, big and small, this means the site offer optimum scale economies, expansive customer facilities and great capacity for growth.
To now see it home to some of the finest tech and IT providers in the world, with more in the pipeline, is fantastic and bodes incredibly well as we look to ensure our economy is equipped with the technology and innovation needed to ensure our continued growth and prosperity.”
Next Generation Data provides solutions for clients requiring cloud hosting, private data halls or colocation. It caters for large organisations that require bespoke data halls constructed to the highest standards, through to smaller requirements for pre-built co-location. The NGD site is a highly secure data centre which is future proofed as a result of the modular construction model used.
As Europe’s largest facility, NGD has incredible growth potential and its flexible approach allows it to build to almost any design.
Justin Jenkins, NGD’s Managing Director, said:
“NGD has always benefited from the support of the Welsh Government right from the start of our business 10 years ago when we acquired our current site, a former semiconductor plant. Over the years NGD has invested millions of pounds – with over £40 Million just this year – into transforming the facility into Europe’s largest data centre, successfully attracting some of the world’s largest companies into the region.
At the same time, we provide employment as well as regular work for hundreds of contractors while also serving the IT needs of a growing number of fast growing local businesses.”
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About WIIS
WIIS Team
WIIS Honor Roll
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Join WIIS
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Women In International Security (WIIS) is the premier organization in the world dedicated to advancing the leadership and professional development of women in the field of international peace and security. WIIS (pronounced “wise”) sponsors leadership training, mentoring, and networking programs as well as substantive events focused on current policy problems. WIIS also supports research projects and policy engagement initiatives on critical international security issues, including the nexus between gender and security.
Core Values and Characteristics
WIIS defines international security broadly, inclusive of a range of disciplines such as conflict resolution and human rights, but focuses on the intersection or nexus of these issues with security.
WIIS bridges the divides among: issues (traditional security and human security); generations of women; and sectors (academic, practitioner, and policymaker).
WIIS educates and inspires women at all stages of their careers – the multigenerational aspect of its network is one of WIIS’ greatest strengths.
WIIS builds local, national and global communities that empower women in many different countries.
WIIS encourages the active civic engagement of women and men who understand the importance of inclusive and diverse participation in peace and security.
WIIS is non-profit and non-partisan. WIIS advocates for women’s inclusion and leadership in the peace and security fields but does not lobby on specific pieces of legislation.
WIIS provides valuable services and resources to build a global network of women in these fields and increases the number and visibility of women across sectors and around the world.
The Importance of WIIS
Since the founding of WIIS in 1987, women have advanced to increasingly important roles in the field of international security. There are new and expanding opportunities for women’s participation globally, as women are present in greater numbers in foreign and defense affairs and now occupy important positions in governments around the world. In recent years, the international community has recognized the important contributions of women to peace and security and has made commitments to include women in peace and security decision-making at all levels. But equal representation of women is not yet a reality, especially at senior levels of policymaking.
Women comprise less than 30 percent of senior leadership positions. Entry into the profession is not necessarily translating into advancement into leadership positions in key peace and security institutions.
The lack of female representation in decision-making positions means that the international community is missing the diversity of expertise and perspectives that are desperately needed in this field. WIIS recognizes that all women do not share the same opinions about how to address the world’s security problems. But women often share common experiences and challenges as women, and they often share common, valuable approaches to leadership roles. WIIS’ research demonstrates that women in these positions of authority often share consultative, inclusive, and collaborative leadership styles. The contributions that women have made and could potentially make to international peace and security are just beginning to be recognized. WIIS is working to ensure that recognition translates into leadership opportunities for women around the world.
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WIIS has members–women and men—in 47 countries on 6 continents WIIS members work in international organizations, government, NGOs, think tanks, universities, corporations, and media outlets around the world.
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Valley of Saints: Science in Troubled Waters
Enjoy a special festival screening of the beautiful new film Valley of Saints, winner of the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation prize awarded at Sundance for feature films focusing on science or technology.
An alluring young scientist returns to her exotic but troubled homeland of Kashmir and profoundly changes the life of the boatman who becomes her guide. The film is followed by a lively discussion exploring how science can help protect natural resources, enrich our connection to the environment, strengthen communities—and even begin to heal conflict zones. This intimate screening is a chance to experience a deeply moving union of science, society and story.
This program is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of its Public Understanding of Science and Technology initiative.
Presented in collaboration with the Museum of the Moving Image.
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Bill BlakemoreNews Correspondent
Bill Blakemore became a reporter for ABC News 46 years ago, covering a wide variety of stories. He spearheaded ABC’s coverage of global warming, traveling from the tropics to polar regions to report on its impacts, dangers, and possible remedies.
Musa SyeedDirector, Writer
Musa Syeed is a writer and director. His first feature, Valley of Saints won the World Cinema: Dramatic Audience Award and the Alfred P. Sloan Film Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film will have a theatrical release later this summer. He previously co-produced the award-winning documentaries, Bronx Princess and A Son’s Sacrifice.
Richard MatthewEnvironment, Conflict, and Peacebuilding Specialist
Richard Matthew is a professor in the schools of social ecology and social science at the University of California at Irvine, and founding director of the Center for Unconventional Security Affairs.
Mohan K. WaliEcologist
Mohan K. Wali is Professor Emeritus in the school of environment and natural resources (SENR) at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. At OSU since 1990, he served as director both of SENR, and of the OSU’s multi-college environmental science graduate program. He was also a professor in the John Glenn school of public affairs.
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MCI to Raise $68.5 Million From Sale of Canadian Ranch
Nick BakerDow Jones Newswires
MCI said it has reached an agreement to sell a Canadian ranch seized from its previous chief executive, Bernard J. Ebbers, in its bid to recover some of the $400 million he owed the company when ousted last year.
This comes two weeks after the company, formerly known as WorldCom, said Mr. Ebbers didn't make the first loan payment of $25 million due April 29, putting him in default.
MCI...
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The Enforcer
Michael Geraghty's Job Is to Make Sure the Net Is a Safe Place -- for Children, for Businesses, for Consumers
Thomas E. Weber
Updated Dec. 8, 1997 12:01 am ET
TRENTON, N.J. -- State Police Detective Michael T. Geraghty carries a badge, a gun and another piece of hardware he considers indispensable: a sleek, black notebook computer that can dial in to the Internet.
"That's my workhorse," says Detective Geraghty, head of the State Police's High Technology Crime and Investigations Support Unit. "It goes with me everywhere. It's my most productive tool."
Like...
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Exclusive: Snowden says Petraeus disclosed ‘far more highly classified’ secrets ‘than I ever did’
Chief Investigative Correspondent
Yahoo News• December 4, 2016
Come back to Yahoo News on Monday to watch the full clip of Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric’s exclusive interview with Edward Snowden.
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric, Edward Snowden says that former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus — who is under consideration to become President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state — disclosed “information that was far more highly classified than I ever did” and yet never “spent a single day in jail.”
The fugitive former National Security Agency contractor told Couric that Petraeus’s case is evidence that “We have a two-tiered system of justice in the United States, where people who are either well-connected to government or they have access to an incredible amount of resources get very light punishments.”
Snowden’s comments came in an exclusive interview with Couric in Moscow at a crucial moment for him. His lawyers in the United States, fearing that a Trump administration will take an unyielding hard line against him, are seeking either to get him a last-minute pardon from President Obama or to negotiate a plea bargain that would allow him to return to the country without spending a significant amount of time in federal prison for disclosing tens of thousands of classified government documents.
Related: In exile, Edward Snowden rakes in speaking fees while hoping for pardon
Asked by Couric what sort of plea bargain he might accept, Snowden, who is charged with multiple felonies for theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, argued that there were cases “where the government goes, ‘This person was acting in good faith. They were trying to do right by the American people. But they did break the law.’ No charges are ever brought, or they’re brought very minimally.”
Snowden did not cite any examples, but he immediately brought up Petraeus. “Perhaps the best-known case in recent history here is Gen. Petraeus — who shared information that was far more highly classified than I ever did with journalists,” he said. “And he shared this information not with the public for their benefit, but with his biographer and lover for personal benefit — conversations that had information, detailed information, about military special-access programs, that’s classified above top secret, conversations with the president and so on.”
Slideshow: Katie Couric interviews Edward Snowden: A look behind the scenes >>>
“When the government came after him, they charged him with a misdemeanor,” Snowden continued. “He never spent a single day in jail, despite the type of classified information he exposed.”
Snowden’s remarks about Petraeus are likely to infuriate the retired four-star general’s supporters in Congress and elsewhere. Petraeus did plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in April 2015 for mishandling classified information, receiving two years’ probation and a $100,000 fine. Court documents in the case show that he turned over a black book of highly classified “code word” documents — including the identity of covert officers and notes of National Security Council meetings — to Paula Broadwell, a biographer with whom he was having an affair.
But the “factual basis” for his plea also states that he retrieved the information from Broadwell three days later. Government officials have said that Broadwell, who was never charged, didn’t use the information in her book about Petraeus and that none of the information he disclosed to her was ever made public. (Petraeus made that same point in an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” While acknowledging that he “made a false statement” to the FBI about his disclosure to Broadwell, he added that “the FBI in the agreement acknowledged that nothing that was in my journals that I shared — certainly improperly — ended up in the biography or made it out to the public. I think that’s a fairly significant point.”)
Snowden, by contrast, disclosed tens of thousands of highly classified NSA documents to multiple journalists, who published them and caused what U.S. intelligence officials have consistently said was harm to national security, in part by making it more difficult for the NSA to intercept the communications of terrorist groups. The “damage done to our national security is profound,” said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, after the panel released a three-page executive summary of a report on Snowden in September. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., the chair of the panel’s subcommittee on the NSA and cybersecurity, added: “His actions harmed our relationships around the world, endangered American soldiers in war zones, and reduced our allies’ collective ability to prevent terrorist attacks.”
Snowden, in his interview, also cited Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as an example of “two-tiered” justice. In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee in March 2013, Clapper denied to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that the NSA was collecting information on U.S. citizens — a claim that was later disproved by the release of one of the classified documents that Snowden disclosed.
“When we had the most senior intelligence official in the United States, Gen. James Clapper, who lied to the American people and all of Congress on camera, under oath, in the Senate, in a famous exchange with Ron Wyden, he wasn’t even charged,” Snowden said. “But giving false testimony to Congress under oath, as he did, is a felony. It’s typically punished by three to five years in prison.”
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'I THINK IT WAS MY FIRST HEADED GOAL' - HARRY CORNICK
George Galpin
Yeovil winger Harry Cornick says the point gained against League Two champions Northampton was a good one, after he scored an uncharacteristic header!
The wideman, who has spent the season at Huish Park on loan from Premier League newboys AFC Bournemouth, managed to outjump Cobblers’ keeper Adam Smith to give Darren Way’s men an early lead.
Although Northampton equalized through Nicky Adams with ten minutes of the first half left, Cornick was left happy with his goal even if it wasn’t quite how he normally scores them!
“We've been working on that in training,” said the winger, “I'm not the best with my headers and I always get a bit of stick by the gaffer and Terry for not being able to head it!
“I think it is my first headed goal professionally; I scored one in non-league and I was mobbed by everyone, no one thought I could head it! Today I just stuck my head in; it bounced off me and went in so I'm buzzing with the goal today.
“It's a good result against the league champions and you can see why they're there, they played well. But the first ten minutes we came out of the blocks flying, we got the ball and played our football. We deserved a point and maybe more.”
Cornick’s loan spell in Somerset has been a successful one, with the 21-year-old making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals whilst in the green and white hoops.
And the winger says he’ll take back to the Vitality Stadium in the summer what he has learned from the senior pros in the Yeovil squad.
“It's been unreal, the lads here have been brilliant for me,” said Cornick.
“The experienced guys have always been there for me, both Kevin Dawson and Wardy have been great with me; they've all helped me understand what it's like to be play professional football for a whole season.
“I'm thankful for Paul Sturrock for bringing me here, and under Darren Way I think I've improved massively, so I can go back to Bournemouth and show them how much I've improved.”
The wideman signed a new two-year-deal at Bournemouth this week off the back of his performances at however concede that the physical nature on the training ground was something that he had to get used to!
“I've been working to get a new deal at Bournemouth.
“I'm delighted to sign it, and they've been watching me here and hopefully I've been impressing so it's nice to know I'm wanted there. It's been a really good week for me!
“In training I do get fouled a lot, they don't really give fouls here! I've had to get used to that. It's physical in this league but I've enjoyed every bit of it."
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A struggle in perspective
Click through the headlines in this issue of Windpower Monthly and you'd be forgiven for thinking that here is an industry struggling to survive. France's new market framework is a disaster; Australia is refusing to extend its green power mandate; Europe is not meeting its targets for renewables; US wind development is at a standstill; amendments to wind laws in Germany and Spain are bad news; Britain is not delivering new wind megawatts fast enough -- and UK wind is being subjected to what looks like a media hate campaign to boot (page 36).
So why don't we all give up and go home? The answer to that question also lies in this issue. Just look again. While in Europe renewables in general are not doing as well as expected, wind is recognised as a huge success story. In the United States alone there are more megawatts in serious planning than at any other time in wind's history. A single province in Canada is evaluating bids for 1000 MW of wind. Brazil has picked suppliers for another 1000 MW. Australia has at least that volume in the works and even Britain is achieving impressive growth rates, not least because of its no-messing approach to offshore development.
What's more, the lessons of the past have already taught us that what we see today is the tip of the iceberg. Go back ten years to 1994. Global installed wind power capacity was 3200 MW -- that's a lot less than half the new capacity added last year. In a report from that year, Perspective 2004, the Danish wind industry projected that global wind power capacity would increase to 13,000 MW by 2004, or, if things went really well, to 20,000 MW. Today the world receives electricity from 40,000 MW of wind plant. The report's prediction for Denmark in 1994 was 930 MW by 2004. Denmark today has 3100 MW.
Projections of thousands of megawatts were dizzying numbers ten years ago, laughed at by the conventional power sector and ridiculed by opponents. The industry's predictions today are taken a lot more seriously, at least by the power sector. At wind's current 26% growth rate, it is on track to reach 200 GW by 2010. That's just six years away. Even if only 120 GW is achieved, it is a serious volume of generation. No wonder the electricity supply industry is pressing politicians about who is to pay for upgrades to transmission lines. Transmission, or rather lack of it, is now a serious barrier in all of wind's major markets. Political recognition of the problem and regulatory action to solve it is of paramount importance.
That takes us back to wind power's non-stop struggle. The speed at which wind power has grown has consistently outpaced the ability of existing infrastructures to adapt to its needs. Whether it be building permit systems, grid upgrades, electricity pricing structures or simply the public's acceptance of a highly visible new technology on the doorstep, the wind industry finds itself doing battle. But just because wind is growing fast should not be seen as a reason for slowing it down. What better proof of the fundamental good sense of wind power, both technically and economically, than its success beyond all expectations in a world with most of the odds stacked against it?
For wind to win its battles requires the support of politicians. Without their understanding of the issues, there will be no changes to the rules that prevent infrastructures adapting to new demands. The fact that the conventional power industry is now taking wind power seriously seems to be helping politicians get the message. At state level in both the United States and Australia, wind power has a growing number of keen political supporters. A strong initiative by the Governors of America's Western states is aimed at solving the transmission problem and could end up saving consumers billions (page 33). In the state of South Australia, energy minister Patrick Conlon is furious at the lack of action from Australian prime minister John Howard: "Mr Howard is yesterday's man setting up for The Day After Tomorrow," Conlon stormed last month (page 28). Even in the tiny Netherlands, provincial level support can work wonders, as in Flevoland (page 25).
British irony
Perhaps of greatest significance is the considerable level of political support in Great Britain -- and at national government level. Top British politicians are regularly seen pushing for action on climate change on the world stage. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw just told Americans that failure to tackle global warming carries the greater economic cost. In French newspaper, Le Monde, he described it as "unquestionably the major challenge facing humanity." Meantime at home, the government's Renewables Obligation has created a market of serious potential for wind power.
The sad irony of Britain, however, is that while its wind development is set to catch up with the progress made in leaps and bounds elsewhere in the past decade, media and press coverage appears stuck in a time warp. Another report circulating in the same era as Denmark's Perspective 2004 was Down on the Windfarm, published by an English alternative technology group in1993. Its cover was made up of a collage of press clippings: Question Mark Over Wind Farm Mania; Wind Farms Generate Storm; Councils Pull the Plug on Wind Farms; and more in that vein. They could have been written yesterday. For the British Wind Energy Association, hosting its annual conference this month, it seems that one struggle has only just started.
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Home » Obituaries » Keith Borgert, 86
Keith Borgert, 86
F. Keith Borgert, age 86, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly Sunday morning, May 19, 2019.
He was born June 14, 1932, in Kalamazoo, the only child of the late Vern and Catharine (Fetch) Borgert.
Keith was a lifelong Nottawa Township resident. At age 16, he graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1949. While at Sturgis High School, he was a standout member of the baseball team.
On March 1, 1953, he married Doris Knauss at West Mendon Church.
In 1992, he retired from Citizens State Bank/BankOne in Sturgis, following 27 years of dedicated employment. Keith was a prominent banker while continuing the operation of the family farm and was in his tractor working the fields just last week. Keith was a savvy investor, constantly following the stock market.
Keith was a member of Nottawa United Methodist Church, life member of B.P.O. Elks #1381, Farm Bureau and Sturgis Kiwanis Club. He was very dedicated and active with Nottawa Community School from its inception, serving on the school board for more than 40 years. He enjoyed old Western movies, following the Detroit Tigers and was known to frequent casinos from time to time. He enjoyed helping others. Each year, he grew sweet corn that he donated to several area agencies, including Sturgis Salvation Amy and his church, along with many friends. Keith had many interests and involvements, but what he truly cherished was time with his entire family. His grandchildren always held a special place in his heart and, although he was a busy man, he seemed to always have time for each one of them.
Keith is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 66 years, Doris; three daughters, Cathy (Sandy) Miller, Cindy Borgert and Sue (Thomas) Roach, all of Sturgis; a son, Keith L. (Danyelle) Borgert of Sturgis; a son-in-law, Scott Macfarlane of Schoolcraft; seven grandchildren, Alex Keith Borgert, Blake Roach, Koal Roach, Suzan Roach, Morgan Macfarlane, Scotty Macfarlane and Maeve Macfarlane; and a cousin: Mitzi Thornton of Burr Oak.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Sheila Macfarlane; and a cousin, Larry Thornton.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Hackman Chapel of Hackman Family Funeral Homes, 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Pastor Sandy Miller of Nottawa United Methodist Church will officiate. A graveside committal will follow the service at the Lakeside Cemetery in Colon.
A gathering of friends and family to share a meal and celebrate and honor the life of F. Keith Borgert will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at Nottawa Community School, 26438 M-86, Sturgis.
The family suggests those wishing to make a memorial donation in Mr. Borgert’s memory consider Nottawa United Methodist Church, 25838 M-86, Nottawa, MI 49075; or Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
His obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhomes.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.
Lydia Bontrager, 94
Lydia Mae Bontrager, age 94, of Centreville, passed away Sunday morning, July 14, 2019, at …
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The New Ships
New Zealand > NZ Fiction
Author: Kate Duignan
Peter Collie is adrift in the wake of his wife's death. His attempts to understand the turn his life has taken lead him back to the past, to dismaying events on an Amsterdam houseboat in the seventies, returning to New Zealand and meeting Moira, an amateur painter who carried secrets of her own, and to a trip to Europe years later with his family. An unexpected revelation forces Peter to navigate anew his roles as a husband, father and son. Set in Wellington after the fall of the Twin Towers, and traversing London, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, The New Ships is a mesmerising book of blood-ties that stretch across borders. A novel of acute moral choices, it is a rich and compelling meditation on what it means to act, or to fail to act.
Finalist for the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize - 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
Kate Duignan's first novel, Breakwater (2001), was published by Victoria University Press. She has published in Landfall and Sport, and has been anthologised in The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Short Stories (2009) and The Auckland University Press Anthology of New Zealand Literature (2012). Kate received the Louis Johnson New Writer's Bursary in 2002, and held the Robert Burns Fellowship at Otago University in 2004. Kate lives in the Aro Valley, Wellington, with her partner and children.
Publisher : Victoria University Press
Imprint : Victoria University Press
BIC subject : F
Author : Kate Duignan
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2018 Speaking Faculty
Patient, Survivor, and Amputee
Steve Allegretto, CPA, MPH
Vice President, Value Innovation and Shared Value Partnerships
Yale New Haven Health System
Yin Aphinyanaphongs, MD, PhD
Director, Clinical Predictive Analytics
David Chou
Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Officer
Children's Mercy Hospital
Director, Healthcare Research
Crystal Dugger
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Sarah Cannon Research Institute, HCA Healthcare
Aymen Elfiky, MD, MSc, MBA
Attending Physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Nancye R. Feistritzer, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Vice President Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Lauren Ford, FACHE
Operations Manager, Patient Flow Center
Christi French, PhD
Bill Gillis
Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization
Berny Gould, RN, MNA
Senior Director, Quality, Hospital Oversight and Equitable Care, National Health Plan and Hospital Quality
Alison Greco
Director of User Experience Design and Research
HealthSparq
Healthstat, Inc
Danyal Ibrahim, MD
Chief Data and Analytics Officer
Trinity Health of New England
Jannienne Jones Verse, MBA
Vice President, Brand Management
Bipin Karunakaran
Vice President, Data
Megan King
Director, Patient Experience
Melissa Kupiec
Steward Health Care System
Jodi Larson, MD
Chief Quality and Experience Officer
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Juan Lopera
Vice President of Marketing, Public Plans
Corporate Business Diversity Officer
Tufts Health Plan
Mark Michalski, MD
MGH & BWH Center for Clinical Data Science
Deborah Pesanka, MS, BSN, RN
Senior improvement Specialist, Patient Experience
Jonathan Podolsky
VP Strategy and Service Design
Mad*Pow
Karl Poterack, MD
Medical Director of Applied Clinical Informatics
Chad Ritenour, MD
Vasee Sivasegaran
Corporate Director of IS Infrastructure
Penn Medicine
Kumar Subramaniam
Executive Director, Population Health Anlaytics
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Manu Tandon
Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President
Kurt Waltenbaugh
On April 15, 2013, what is referred to as Marathon Monday in Boston, Heather Abbott of Newport, RI set out on an annual tradition with six friends. They would attend the Red Sox game, followed by a walk over to the finish line to watch the runners. Abbott would never have dreamed this day would change her life forever.
Abbott was struck by shrapnel from the second of the two bombs, severely injuring her left foot. Strangers Matt Chatham, former New England Patriots lineman, and his wife, Erin, carried her to safety.
After three surgeries in four days, Abbott was faced with an agonizing decision – should she try and save her left foot or amputate her leg below the knee. With the help of other amputees, and the support from thousands around the country, Abbott made the difficult decision, at the age of 38, to live her life as an amputee.
Her recovery, as it is for many, was a journey through pain, anger, optimism, challenge and resilience. A significant part of her recovery was her support network – the friends, family and strangers who sent her well-wishes, the fellow amputees who helped her transition and the custom prostheses that allowed her to live her life as before.
Through insurance and donations, Abbott was given four different prosthetic legs. Just months after the bombing, she was living independently and resuming the activities she loves, including stand up paddle boarding, running and wearing high heels. Abbott has remained a model of strength and resilience and is determined to help other victims of limb loss. She is a certified Peer Counselor for the American Amputee Coalition and is helping other amputees adjust to their “new normal,” as others helped her. By starting the Heather Abbott Foundation, she has another chance to continue to pay it forward for all amputees. Heather Abbott has recently been awarded the following: the 2014 Orthopedic Association’s Spirit of an Active Lifestyle Award, an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Framingham State University in 2015, the Stonehill College President’s Excellence Award in 2015 and the 2015 Providence Business News Woman to Watch.
Steve Allegretto
Steve Allegretto is the Vice President, Value Innovation and Shared Value Partnerships; and, Co-Director of the Sparq Center for Value Innovation at Yale New Haven Health, a $4.5B health system with over 24,000 employees located primarily in Connecticut. He has been at Yale-New Haven Hospital/Yale New Haven Health for close to 32 years, serving in a variety of financial and operational roles. He is a certified public accountant with an undergraduate degree in economics from Fairfield University and a master’s degree in public health from Yale University. He has had various teaching responsibilities at Yale School of Medicine’s Epidemiology and Public Health Program, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University and currently is an adjunct professor at Fairfield University developing an undergraduate program focused on healthcare financial management linked to patient value.
Steve has a deep interest in demonstrating how the actual application of integrated clinical, operational and financial data drives actual improvement in patient care quality and cost while generating opportunities for value innovation and venture creation
Yin Aphinyanaphongs
Yin Aphinyanaphongs is an MD/ PhD in the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Delivery Science at NYU Langone Medical Center. Academically, he is an assistant professor and his lab focuses on novel applications of machine learning to clinical problems and research and infrastructure regarding model deployment and maintenance. He is also the Director of the Clinical Informatics Training program and designs curricula for training clinical data scientists to meet the needs of future employers. Operationally, he is the Director of Clinical Predictive Analytics. In this role, he leads a Predictive Analytics Unit composed of data scientists and engineers that build, evaluate, benchmark, and deploy predictive algorithms into the clinical enterprise.
David Chou is the Vice President / Chief Information & Digital Officer for Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Children’s Mercy is the only free-standing children's hospital between St. Louis and Denver and provide comprehensive care for patients from birth to 21. They are consistently ranked among the leading children's hospitals in the nation and were the first hospital in Missouri or Kansas to earn the prestigious Magnet designation for excellence in patient care from the American Nurses Credentialing Center
Prior to Children’s Mercy David held the CIO position at University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state’s only academic health science center. David also served as senior director of IT operations at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and CIO at AHMC Healthcare in California. His work has been recognized by several publications, and he has been interviewed by a number of media outlets. David is also one of the most mentioned CIOs on social media, and is an active member of both CHIME and HIMSS.
Inspired by his own experience as a patient for 20 years recovering from a traumatic childhood accident, Paul Clark devoted his professional life to healthcare, currently serving as Director of Healthcare Research for Digital Reasoning. He is responsible for leading the application of Digital Reasoning’s artificial intelligence technologies to creating solutions in healthcare.
Previously, Paul served as Vice President of Research & Education at The Health Management Academy leading the research agenda and educational development for C-Suite executives of America’s leading health systems.
At Press Ganey, Paul originated the position and development of patient satisfaction improvement solutions as Director of Knowledge Management, where he led a team of researchers conducting quantitative and qualitative research to determine best practices for improving health care quality.
Paul’s extensive research includes two books, two book chapters, over a dozen peer-reviewed original research articles and hundreds of conference presentations.
Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Public Administration in Science and Technology Policy from George Mason University, a Master of Arts in Bioethics and Healthcare Policy from the Loyola University Chicago, and a Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Crystal Dugger serves as vice president of clinical operations where she is responsible for developing the solid tumor and nurse navigation programs for Sarah Cannon, the global cancer institute of HCA. Dugger has a rich background in oncology health. She created comprehensive breast centers, developed and implemented oncology services lines, and served as an oncology nurse. She received her Masters of Science in Business Administration in Healthcare from Western Governors University and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Technological University. She is the volunteer chairman for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and the women's chair for the East Tennessee Region Tennessee Cancer Coalition.
Aymen Elfiky
As a medical oncologist in a time of rapidly evolving technologies, social interactions, and industry offerings that are reshaping the healthcare economy, Dr. Elfiky has been playing leading roles in objective value-driven initiatives, including greenfield care delivery services development, healthcare operations optimization, data/digital infrastructure development, and analytics-based practice augmentation. He advises local, national, and international organizations and committees working to engineer modern, interconnected health systems motivated by genuine patient-centric healthcare delivery.
Leveraging his clinical experiences and assessments across the care continuum, Dr. Elfiky is also focused on collaborative efforts developing innovative care models delivering adaptive, analytics- and AI-based insights to both patients and providers at critical points-of-care. In parallel, as a physician-entrepreneur, he devotes time to advising digital health startups in the areas of mHealth, telehealth, and medical devices.
Nancye R. Feistritzer
Chief Nursing Officer for 733-bed Magnet designated hospital specializing in the care of the adult patient. US News and World Report Top Hospital and top ranked Vizient University Hospital in quality outcomes. Patient volume incudes more than 24,000 inpatients and 80,000 outpatients. Accountable for 44 bed Emory Wesley Woods psychiatric hospital specializing in geriatric and adult mood disorders. Responsible for professional nursing practice for all EUH sites where nursing is practiced. Responsible for 1300 staff within the Department of Nursing. EUH serves as the primary site for clinical practicums for Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing work collaboratively with other Emory Healthcare Nursing leaders and the School of Nursing to advance nursing practice.
Selected Accomplishments: Led the nursing professional practice response for care of the first repatriated American citizens with Ebola Virus Disease. Development and execution of vision and strategic nursing plan across Emory University Hospital Developed with System Chief Nursing Informatics Officer the Nursing Informatics Education Coordinator to bring current clinical expertise to the role of nursing informaticists. Developed and serve as executive sponsor for EUH Patient Flow Center and MD Analytics. Actively engaged and lead design of 230 bed tower expansion for EUH. Executive co-leader for Operational Readiness Team. 2016 Magnet Nurse of the Year/Exemplary Professional Practice awarded to Emory University Hospital.
Lauren Ford
Lauren Ford, FACHE, is Operations Manager of the Patient Flow Center at Emory University Hospital, a 579–bed Magnet designated hospital specializing in the care of the adult patient. Currently providing leadership in patient flow, process improvement, and predictive analytics, she has over 8 years of healthcare administration experience spanning surgery, hospital operations, and business. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she is also LEAN Black Belt certified by the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers.
Lauren has led the selection and implementation of a predictive analytics platform at Emory University Hospital, including oversight of data integration for multiple electronic records and validation of metrics creation. Lauren is the knowledge expert for predictive analytics, supporting multidisciplinary groups integrating real-time actions into existing workflows. She is actively engaged in aligning the use of analytics with the execution of a strategic operating model throughout Emory University Hospital.
Christi French
Christi French serves as senior data scientist for Digital Reasoning – a technology company building software that understands human communication, context and meaning to create value at enterprise scale. She serves as a senior member of Digital Reasoning’s Applied Machine Learning group, leads the healthcare data science team, and manages junior data scientists. As lead healthcare data scientist, Dr. French is responsible for leading the data science efforts in projects that drive healthcare solutions, and uses her combination of oncology knowledge and data science skills to communicate between the technical team and business stakeholders to ensure those solutions are effective.
In this role, she is responsible for the data science and machine learning models comprising Digital Reasoning’s AI-powered oncology solution, in production at over 150 facilities nationwide analyzing millions of patient records.
Dr. French received her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University, where she specialized in using bioinformatics to identify novel proteins associated with cancer aggressiveness. She earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina.
Active in the data science community, Dr. French was a finalist for the 2018 Data Scientist of the Year award with the Nashville Technology Council. Outside of the office, Dr. French enjoys being outdoors, cooking, krav maga and spending time with her family.
Bill Gillis is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization (BIDCO), a value-based physician and hospital network and Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in Westwood, Massachusetts.
In his role as CIO, Bill leads health information technology innovations that support BIDCO’s network of 2,500 physicians, including 600 PCPs, and eight hospitals in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care.
Bill has worked in health care IT for more than twenty years and specializes in electronic health records (EHR) and Health Information Exchange (HIE) interoperability strategies, technologies and deployments. Working directly with John Halamka, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Bill led the team that deployed the first ambulatory EHR system for BIDMC affiliates in 1997.
In 2007, Bill led the BIDCO team that architected and deployed what is believed to be the first cloud-based EHR offering in the country, enabling significant Triple-Aim improvements that helped the organization achieve ranking as the #1 performing Pioneer ACO in Massachusetts and #3 nationally in 2013, as well as the top-performing ACO in quality reporting in 2015. He is currently on the technical subcommittee for the Massachusetts Health Information Exchange (MAHIway).
Bill has shared best practices with the health care industry through numerous published articles and public presentations, including the 2015 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, CXO Think Tank, BIOMEDevice, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) ACO Learning Collaborative. He has also delivered speeches for Harvard Medical School, Boston University, and Suffolk University. In the spring of 2018, Bill will be a featured speaker at the prestigious Becker’s Hospital Review Annual Meeting.
Along with his esteemed HIT accomplishments, Bill has competed in several international motorsports events such as the Daytona 200, Isle of Man TT, Baja 1000 and the Bonneville Speed Trails. He also works with several nonprofit organizations whose mission is to improve health care in developing countries through the use of technology.
Bill holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering.
Berny Gould
Berny is the National Senior Director at Kaiser Permanente and is responsible for Quality, Hospital Oversight and Equitable Care. Within the Department of Care and Service Quality, Berny is responsible for the implementation and oversight of national programs to promote health equity and reduce clinical outcomes in health disparities. She also partners across the Kaiser program working on the quality and hospital oversight program, assisting the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospitals Board of Director's Quality Health ImprovementCommittee in its fiduciary responsibilities, as well as coordinating Kaiser’s annual National Quality Conference. Prior to this role, Berny was the Assistant Administrator for Quality & Compliance at Kaiser Foundation Hospital—Fresno Medical Center. Before joining Kaiser Permanente she held the position of Nurse Executive and Quality Leader. She has her Masters in Nursing Administration and participated in the Disparities Leadership Program offered by Massachusetts General Hospital.
As a passionate advocate, I use our customers' voices to influence strategy and tactics, transforming our organization to deliver responsive, personal and meaningful customer experiences across all touch points. Using a variety of research methods, I guide my team to truly understand and appreciate our customers' needs. My doctorate in psychology and organizational behavior and background in usability provides a unique lens to translate research insights into business outcomes, deftly influencing policies, programs, communication, and leaders' perspectives. The voice of the customer and continuous feedback programs I built are turning our organization toward an outside-in, customer-first culture.
Danyal Ibrahim
Jannienne Jones Verse
Jannienne Jones Verse is Vice President Brand Management with Geisinger. Focused on the build of innovative and metrics-based brand initiatives, Jones Verse’s work crosses the disciplines of marketing, advertising, media planning and buying, design, digital engagement, research and business operations. She walks the path of servant leadership, blending her passion for elevating teams to new levels of success with years of experience in brand architecture, technology and strategy.
Jones Verse began her career in corporate communications, evolving into strategic marketing with retail technology leader AT&T. She aligned operations across three states, increasing AT&T’s footprint in those markets by 64% during her tenure. Jones Verse then propelled international software giant Reynolds & Reynolds to next level B2B integrated marketing, with sales campaigns exceeding quarterly goals by the millions. In the healthcare arena, she leveraged talents in consumer journey mapping and community engagement strategies for Premier Health and Vidant Health.
Jones Verse holds many professional distinctions, among them being named one of the nation’s most talented marketing professionals and 2017 honoree as a Most Powerful & Influential Woman of Pennsylvania. Recognition for outstanding excellence in medical advertising and noted as an Emerging Executive Leader for exceptional business acumen are additional accomplishments. Jones Verse currently serves as Co-Chair for Geisinger’s Employee Resource Group BOLD (Black Outreach and Leadership Development). Additionally, she is a dedicated member of the board with the National Diversity Council and holds board membership with the YMCA in her home community. When asked of her greatest accomplishments, Jones Verse states family, and the ability to positively impact others. She views it an esteemed honor to serve as a youth mentor, develop youth leadership programs, and to share her insights and experiences via lectureship with university students, professionals and others. Designing and facilitating personal brand workshops, as well as blogging on the topic, are also areas of concentration and joy.
The Buckeye State native lived her formative years abroad. She earned academic awards and a Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications at Wright State University. Jones Verse also achieved a Master’s in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration, Summa Cum Laude, at the University of Phoenix. She lives in Central PA, and enjoys time with her family, creative projects and travel.
Speaking at these upcoming events:
6th Annual Hospital Marketing and Communications Track
September 23 - 24, 2019 • Boston, MA
6th Annual Patient Experience and Engagement Track
11th Annual Health Plan Consumer Experience and Retention Track
Stars and Quality Improvement Measures Track
As Vice President of Data Management, Informatics at Geisinger, Bipin ensures the development and maintenance of the enterprise data platforms, including the big data platform for the healthcare system. With over 20+ years of software management and digital innovation experience, Bipin is an energetic, senior-level technology executive with the ability to lead and motivate a team to high performance. Bipin holds expertise in growing and building technology teams, defining technology vision, strategic planning, managing application development and flawless application launch. In addition, Bipin holds expertise in onshore-offshore and multi- location development and is experienced in full cycle SDLC, both - Agile and traditional waterfall. Bipin is a proven expert in interpreting and applying cutting-edge technologies in building enterprise scale solutions.
Megan is the Director of Patient Experience for Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. She has her Master’s from Drexel University and was among the first to receive her CPXP, the certification for patient experience professionals. With a background and understanding including community practice, university health, and inpatient, she has led collaborative practices to improve employee and patient experience. She is a member of the Geisinger speaker’s bureau, and a national speaker for patient experience.
Melissa is extremely passionate about the experience that patients, families and staff receive. As Director of Patient Experience for Steward Health Care, she oversees corporate initiatives to drive quality, safety and patient experience within Steward’s hospitals and collaborates with Steward’s ambulatory practices to enhance the patient’s entire journey.
Alongside her experienced team, Melissa works closely with Steward’s Northeast Region of 9 hospitals where they are using qualitative and quantitative data to sustain compassionate communication techniques, hardwire bedside rounding and enhance employee engagement. Nationally, Melissa is helping to develop the Patient Experience strategy for Steward’s recently acquired 25 community hospitals under the direction of the Chief Medical Officer.
Before working with hospitals, Melissa joined Steward in 2015 working as a Performance Improvement Advisor for Steward Health Care Network where she helped drive outcomes and achieve some of the largest increases in key patient experience domains for the Network’s ambulatory practices. For more than a decade, Melissa’s career has consisted of roles in performance improvement, operations and marketing. She lives in Lakeville, MA with her husband and two girls, ages 7 and 3.
Jodi Larson
Janet (Jodi) Larson, M.D. is the Chief Quality and Experience Officer (CQXO) at NWH and is part of the Strategic Leadership Team. She has oversight of Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s quality, safety, performance improvement, patient outcomes, accreditation activities, Medical Staff office, and experience/service excellence for our patients, their families, and NWH employees. The CQXO serves as a change agent at the center of driving service culture transformation and unifying quality, safety and experience strategies to improve care delivery. Prior to that, Dr. Larson had been serving as the Acting Associate Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Larson works clinically as a hospitalist on the adult medicine inpatient service.
Juan is responsible for company-wide diversity efforts to identify and implement strategies to grow Tufts Health Plan's presence in diverse communities, comprising members, providers, brokers, employers, employees and vendors. Previously, Juan was the company's director of health care services where he led various strategic initiatives, including medical cost management and provider contracting strategy and analytics. Prior to joining Tufts Health Plan in 2010, Juan held management positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield and Deloitte Consulting. He serves on several boards including The State of Massachusetts Latino Advisory Commission, The Dimock Center Foundation Board, The Boston Foundation Latino Legacy Fund, ALPFA Boston's Corporate Advisory Board, the State of Massachusetts Health Information Technology Council and Quality Interactions Corporate Advisory Board. Juan's leadership has not gone unnoticed as he has received several recognitions including the 2017 Boston College John A. Dinneen, S.J., Alumni Community Service Award, 2017 Get Konnected's 50 Most Influential People of Color in Health Care, 2016 El Planeta's Powermeter: Most Influential People for the Hispanic Community, 2015 Boston Business Journal's 40 Under 40, 2015 Whittier Street Health Center's Men's Health Champion, ALPFA's National 2013 Most Promising Business Professional and the 2011 Medical Law Report's Rx for Excellence Leader in Quality. Juan earned a B.S. from the School of Management at Boston College. He is originally from Medellin, Colombia and resides in Waltham, MA.
Mark Michalski
Mark H. Michalski, MD, is the Executive Director of the MGH & BWH Center for Clinical Data Science, which is focused on the application and translation of novel machine learning techniques into clinical practice. Previous to this role, Dr. Michalski held leadership and operational roles at early-stage companies in the medical software and device domain, including Butterfly Network and Hyperfine Research. Dr. Michalski held additional strategic roles in healthcare-focused efforts at Google and Genentech. Dr. Michalski completed his radiology residency training as a Holman Fellow at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He graduated with a degree in Cybernetics from the University of California at Los Angeles with multiple honors and received his medical degree from Stanford University.
Deborah Pesanka
Deborah Pesanka is a Senior Corporate Improvement Specialist for the Clinical Improvement Department at the Wolff Center at UPMC. Since January 2007, she has served as an internal consulting resource for quality, safety and process improvement in enterprise-wide initiatives. Deborah assesses operations and processes in a comprehensive current state analysis and leads interprofessional teams in the development of clinical outcomes that drive quality patient outcomes, optimize patient experiences and reduce resource utilization.
Deborah began her career as a critical care nurse in the cardiothoracic ICU at UPMC Mercy Hospital. With an early interest in improvement of care delivery, she moved into a newly- created cardiac outcomes management role. Deborah was in nursing leadership for many years and this operational role drove her passion for patient safety. Clinical expertise and project management experience came together in the 2004 development of a new in-patient cardiac surgical service line.
Deborah graduated from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in 1989 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Carlow University in 1993. She obtained her Masters of Science in Management and Technology from Carlow University in 2001. She holds a green belt in Six Sigma methodology and teaches quality courses across UPMC. Deborah has presented both nationally and internationally on quality.
Jonathan Podolsky started his career as an architect, designing hospitals, clinical facilities and community spaces. A passion to design what people experience in these spaces, drove Jonathan to become a service designer in 2005 when the practice was new and methodology rapidly evolving. Over the next 13 years Jonathan helped introduce and evolve the practice of service design at multiple companies, eventually leading Experience Strategy and Service Design at Mad*Pow. Jonathan is an occasional contributor to Service Design Magazine and has taught Service Designclasses at Tufts University and Mass College of Art.
Karl Poterack
Dr. Poterack is board certified in Anesthesiology and Clinical Informatics. He practices anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, and is the Medical Director of Applied Clinical Informatics for the Mayo Enterprise. He also serves as Vice Chair of Mayo’s Clinical Systems Oversight Committee. He is active in AMIA’s Maintenance of Certification Subcommittee, the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Electronic Media and Information Technology Committee, and the HIMSS Physician Committee. Dr. Poterack also teaches medical students, residents and fellows in the operating room at Mayo Hospital, and has developed informatics rotations for medical students in the Mayo Clinical School of Medicine. His current research interests include the use of wearable devices, EHR usability, and Patient Safety/Human Factors Engineering.
Chad Ritenour
Dr. Chad W. M. Ritenour is currently Chair of the ACGME Review Committee for Urology. He is also the Chief Medical Officer for Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and provides executive operational oversight for Perioperative Services, Cardiac Services, Radiology and Pharmacy in the hospital. He is the Vice Chair of Education and Faculty Affairs and Professor in the Department of Urology at Emory University School of Medicine. He teaches widely in both undergraduate and graduate medical education in his role as Residency Program Director and has published multiple original and review articles in the medical literature. As Director of the Division of Men’s Health/Infertility and General Urology, he has worked to develop efficient care processes, including use of video-assisted consents for the urologic patient. He previously served as Interim Chairman for the Emory Department of Urology in 2010-2013.
Dr. Ritenour attended the University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar and subsequently received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia before completing his urological surgery training at Emory University. In 2010, he served as a Fellow in the American Urological Association-Japanese Urological Association Academic Exchange Program. He was also a Fellow in the Woodruff Leadership Academy (2005).
Vasee Sivasegaran is the Corporate Director of IS Infrastructure at Penn Medicine. He has over 23 years of IT experience and has been featured in articles in Healthcare Business Insights in which he discusses impact on Technology Infrastructure during mergers and acquisitions and Positioning Organizational IS Infrastructure to ensure future business success. He holds a MBA in Management Information Systems from Villanova University. He is a thought leader in the infrastructure area, especially in managing Enterprise Architecture, Database Operations, Mobility and Platform Engineering, Networking, Telephony, IT Security, Cloud Computing, Disaster Recovery, IT Audit and Compliance, Core Infrastructure Applications, and Data Center Operations functions.
Manu serves as the Chief Information Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliated Academic Medical Center. In his current role, he is responsible for all IT matters pertaining to the Academic Medical Center and all the enterprise infrastructure solutions for the BIDMC System. He founded and directs BIDMC's "Center for IT Exploration" which works to adopt innovative analytics, mobile, cloud and AI/ML solutions to enhance the experience of BIDMC's providers, patients and staff. Before joining BIDMC in 2014, Manu served as the Secretariat CIO for Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services where he led the state’s largest IT public portfolio. Manu played a key role in the development of Massachusetts' first statewide Health Information Exchange known as "Mass HIWay" which has now delivered over 200 Million healthcare transactions since its inception. Manu was recognized by Computer World magazine as one of the top "100 Premier IT Leaders” in the world and by New England HIMSS as "The CIO of the Year for 2014". Manu has an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, an MBA from Boston University and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School.
Kurt is a serial entrepreneur who has built successful analytic solutions, products and companies in the healthcare, retail, manufacturing, education/credentialing and fundraising industries. His previous companies were sold to Oracle and Pearson Education. Most recently, Kurt was responsible for Product Strategy at Optum, Inc. (UnitedHealth), building data analytic businesses for the Provider, Payer and Employer markets.
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With new system, InterContinental takes the guesswork out of hotel pricing
InterContinental's new system allows it to forecast demand for rooms in 4,400 hotels across the globe -- and price them accordingly. Here's how.
By Andrew Nusca | June 3, 2010 -- 03:41 GMT (20:41 PDT) | Topic: Innovation
The price of a hotel room is always a game of cat and mouse -- a minute-by-minute game of roulette based on several factors.
How many rooms have been sold?
Is it high or low season?
Are there any unusual events in town?
What's the vacancy rate for the hotel down the block?
In February, the InterContinental Hotels Group attempted to take the guesswork out of hotel room prices by launching a new system that allows it to forecast global demand and conduct price sensitivity modeling.
Called a "price optimization module," the system is the secret sauce behind the prices of IHG's more than 4,400 hotels across the globe, from its namesake chain to Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites hotels.
Instead of using demand predictions, the proprietary module's modeling process allows it to continuously balance rates, occupancy and guest pricing preferences. It was developed with the help of revenue management expert Bob Cross of Revenue Analytics.
I spoke with IHG chief marketing officer Eric Pearson and revenue and core development director Peter Tyrell to see how the new system, now rolling out to the company's hotels, will stabilize the market and help the company's bottom line.
SP: Price management: how hard is it?
EP: At the end of the day, rooms are perishable. How do you set the right price for the right customer at the right time in the right channel? It's important to optimize that price for that customer. That room might be priced differently.
PERFORM, our revenue management system, allows our hotels to make sure that they're maximizing that price for that day for that customer.
The hotel industry in general has not been as progressive as other industries -- including retail -- in terms of sophistication and pricing. They do a lot of trial-and-error. The advent of the Internet has created incredible transparency, which has created a lot more challenge. In the old days, you could have different prices in a magazine and a newspaper. Now, you publicly show your rates. Having sensible and rational rates is more important.
So now, if you're willing to pay in advance, we may offer a discount, because you're giving something up. The old days was very much call around, trial-and-error.
In today's world, it's all about leveraging technology. Leveraging all the historical information about the booking behavior of that hotel. It's all about understanding what's on the books -- we call it the pace -- and that goes into algorithms and calculates on the fly whether you should be selling at a discount or not. We call it yield management, and it's a constant game of trying to optimize what rates are showing.
The problem has been that up until last year, the actual price itself was largely arbitrarily set by the property -- garbage in, garbage out. We embarked on a multi-year project that literally recommends the actual price that the hotel should be setting. It, on a real-time basis, takes all the historical information, future booking information, daily competitive information, the sensitivity for that location at that time of year and spits out a recommendation for that particular hotel for that particular day.
We began rolling it out in September of last year. Six hundred hotels worldwide are on board with another 2,000 this year, at a rate of about 200 per month.
SP: How does the economic downturn factor into pricing?
EP: Hotels are making better pricing decisions based on the stabilized [economic climate]. The key thing is now, you start seeing the benefit of the system -- the system is averaging anywhere from a two to three percent improvement. It's all about managing the demand.
You're talking tens of millions of dollars of benefit. And it's not just the rate, either -- it may be getting more people staying, perhaps because you were pricing too high for an event.
It's a good benefit for franchisees because they're managing their revenue directly. It's good for customers because they have better tools.
We're the largest hotel company in the world -- over 4,400 around the world, with 600,000 rooms in the system. Obviously you have scale benefits. We do in-source a lot, and we do outsource. We've had a lot of industry firsts -- the whole platform is very proprietary, it's our secret sauce.
I would imagine that our competitors are probably going to do similar things. But we're already working on the next enhancement.
SP: Peter, what are the challenges on the back end?
PT: We very much pride ourselves on doing things in-house, with thought leadership [in the industry]. We built it with a core team of 30 developers and resources working together over a two-year period. Big Java developers, back-end and front-end Oracle. Just a massive amount of information. Over half a million rate changes every day.
We had to make a system to use in all of our [operating] countries in 80 languages around the world, with all of their bandwidth problems. On the front end? Flex-flash technologies, very visual, very graphical.
When they apply a change, that information is passed along to the system -- it's all integrated.
SP: How does that affect the user experience?
EP: We sell up to eleven months in advance. It's 500,000 rate changes daily, because the system is changing every day. It's real-time calculating the impact of an event, in the future. The system is dynamically optimizing real time across our portfolio of hotels.
It's all about trying to simplify what is very complex modeling out back. It's not one-size-fits-all. By and large, we're getting really good adoption on our recommendation. You have to have pretty good telecommunications because you're sending and receiving data real-time.
Pricing optimization is just a module on the platform.
In our industry, you can now get publicly-available data feeds. The systems that a travel agent would use, those companies have access to every single hotel's retail rates.
In our business, you have two large types of travelers: business and leisure. Transient or people that come in a group, like a wedding or event. Most of our action happens in transient right now.
SP: What kind of infrastructure handles all that action?
PT: We actually have multiple data centers. We have a data center here in Atlanta with big racks of EMC systems.
EP: We have a call center call coming in Japan, and we could re-route that to an agent's desk anywhere in the world in real-time, say, Salt Lake City. Multiple live, hot centers balance the traffic load. We can dynamically route traffic.
PT: You make a call from anywhere in the world, a 1-800 number, we pick that traffic right out of the cloud, and depending on who you are, where you are and where it needs to go, we'll take that traffic and send it to the call center, and add information you've provided in the call to it.
EP: We use Genesis and our partner is AT&T in that. We have a database of our agents, what languages they know, etc. So if you call from France, we can route you to an agent in Salt Lake City who happens to be a BYU student who's French.
SP: It's fascinating how you're leveraging your global footprint to meet technical challenges.
EP: What's interesting about the travel agency is that it's global -- global local.
It's all our ability for us to target you. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all. It's all about precision marketing -- delivering the right message at the right time and now, at the right price.
How do you stretch your dollars further, driving revenue and performance?
The ROI on marketing has gone up tenfold by being specific and precise. It's about having the right insight on a real-time basis, all driven by our CRM platforms and our revenue-management platforms.
We measure success by the return on our marketing dollars and by new demand.
I think the hotel industry is not nearly as mature as in other industries, in sharing and making our offers more personalized to our guests.
Think about Amazon -- when you're on Amazon's site, you have an incredible, specific experience. They've done a brilliant job of harnessing this massive data and provide real-time dynamic offers that don't feel like they're pushing that in my face. You could see that cascade to mobile devices and in-room experiences. It's not invasive or intrusive.
The hotel industry is in its infancy in terms of really getting to that level: the hotel of the future .
More from Andrew Nusca
Can you crowdsource a sales team? Yes.
For BYOD, gaining control is about letting go
It's been five crazy years. I'm out, scout
These last four years have been wild. Here's to another four
Visa's vision for the future of payments is password-free
A combination of technologies and collaboration from everyone involved to enable a password-free payments experience.
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GPL Tox – Non-Metal Chemical Profile
Every day, we are exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals through products like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, packaged foods, household products, and environmental pollution. As we have become more exposed to chemical-laden products and to toxic chemicals in food, air, and water, we have been confronted with an accelerating rate of chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical sensitivity, autism spectrum disorders, ADD/AD(H)D, autoimmune disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
GPL Tox - Non-Metal Chemical Profile quantity
Categories: Functional Medicine Test, Great Plains Lab, Toxin-Exposure
Because exposure to environmental pollutants has been linked to many chronic diseases, The Great Plains Laboratory has created GPL-TOX, a toxic non-metal chemical profile that screens for the presence of 172 different toxic chemicals including organophosphate pesticides, phthalates, benzene, xylene, vinyl chloride, pyrethroid insecticides, acrylamide, perchlorate, diphenyl phosphate, ethylene oxide, acrylonitrile, and more. This profile also includes Tiglylglycine (TG), a marker for mitochondrial disorders resulting from mutations of mitochondrial DNA. These mutations can be caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, infections, inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies.
ADVANTAGES OF THE GPL-TOX PROFILE
GPL-TOX screens for 172 different environmental pollutants using 18 different metabolites, all from a single urine sample.
GPL-TOX uses the power of advanced mass spectrometry (MS/MS), which is necessary to detect lower levels of certain genetic, mitochondrial, and toxic chemical markers that conventional mass spectrometry often misses.
GPL-TOX also includes Tiglylglycine, a marker for mitochondrial damage, which is often seen in chronic toxic chemical exposure.
GPL-TOX pairs perfectly with our Organic Acids Test (OAT) and our Glyphosate Test in the Enviro-TOX Panel. This panel offers you comprehensive testing to assess exposure to common environmental toxins and the damage that can be caused by this exposure, all at a great value, and all from one urine sample.
William Shaw, Ph.D., Director of The Great Plains Laboratory is board-certified in both clinical chemistry and toxicology by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS TESTED BY GPL-TOX
Perhaps the most widespread group of toxic chemicals found in our environment. Phthalates are commonly found in after shave lotions, aspirin, cosmetics, detergents, foods microwaved with plastic covers, oral pharmaceutical drugs, intravenous products prepared in plastic bags, hair sprays, insecticides, insect repellents, nail polish, nail polish remover, skin care products, adhesives, explosives, lacquer, janitorial products, perfumes, paper coatings, printing inks, safety glass, and varnishes. Phthalates have been implicated in reproductive damage, depressed leukocyte function, and cancer. Phthalates have also been found to impede blood coagulation, lower testosterone, and alter sexual development in children. Low levels of phthalates can feminize the male brain of the fetus, while high levels can hyper-masculinize the developing male brain.
Vinyl chloride is an intermediate in the synthesis of several commercial chemicals, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Exposure to vinyl chloride may cause central nervous system depression, nausea, headache, dizziness, liver damage, degenerative bone changes, thrombocytopenia, enlargement of the spleen, and death.
Benzene is an organic solvent that is widespread in the environment. Benzene is a by-product of all sources of combustion, including cigarette smoke, and is released by outgassing from synthetic materials, and is a pollutant released by numerous industrial processes. Benzene is an extremely toxic chemical that is mutagenic and carcinogenic. High exposures to benzene cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lack of coordination, central nervous system depression, and death. It can also cause hematological abnormalities.
Pyrethrins are widely used as insecticides. Exposure during pregnancy doubles the likelihood of autism. Pyrethrins may affect neurological development, disrupt hormones, induce cancer, and suppress the immune system.
Xylenes
Xylenes (dimethylbenzenes) are solvents found not only in common products such as paints, lacquers, pesticides, cleaning fluids, fuel and exhaust fumes, but also in perfumes and insect repellents. Xylenes are oxidized in the liver and bound to glycine before eliminated in urine. High xylene levels may be due to the use of certain perfumes and insect repellents. High exposures to xylene create an increase in oxidative stress, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, central nervous system depression, and death. Occupational exposure is often found in pathology laboratories where xylene is used for tissue processing.
Styrene is used in the manufacturing of plastics, in building materials, and is found in car exhaust fumes. Polystyrene and its copolymers are widely used as food-packaging materials. The ability of styrene monomer to leach from polystyrene packaging to food has been reported. Occupational exposure due to inhalation of large amounts of styrene adversely impacts the central nervous system, causes concentration problems, muscle weakness, tiredness and nausea, and irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat.
Organophosphates
Organophosphates are one of the most toxic groups of substances used throughout the world. They are often used as biochemical weapons and terrorist agents, but are most commonly used in pesticide formulations. Organophospates are inhibitors of cholinesterase enzymes, leading to overstimulation of nerve cells, causing sweating, salivation, diarrhea, abnormal behavior, including aggression and depression. Children exposed to organophosphates have more than twice the risk of developing pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), an autism spectrum disorder. A study done in the San Francisco Bay area found that in California agricultural areas, children born to mothers living within 500 meters of fields where organochlorine pesticides were used were more than 6 times more likely to develop autism than children whose mothers did not live near such fields. ASD risk increased with the poundage of organochlorines applied and decreased with distance from field sites. Maternal organophosphate exposure has been associated with various adverse outcomes including having shorter pregnancies and children with impaired reflexes.
MTBE and ETBE
MTBE and ETBE are gasoline additives used to improve octane ratings. Exposure to these compounds is most likely due to groundwater contamination, and inhalation or skin exposure to gasoline or its vapors and exhaust fumes. MTBE has been demonstrated to cause hepatic, kidney, and central nervous system toxicity, peripheral neurotoxicity, and cancer in animals. Since the metabolites of these compounds are the same, ETBE may be similarly toxic.
2, 4-Dicholorophenoxyacetic (2,4-D)
A very common herbicide that was a part of Agent Orange, used by the United States during the Vietnam War to increase visibility for war planes, by destroying plant undergrowth and crops. It is most commonly used in agriculture on genetically modified foods, and as a weed killer for lawns. Exposure to 2, 4-D via skin or oral ingestion is associated with neuritis, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy, stupor, seizures, brain damage, and impaired reflexes. 2, 4-D is a known endocrine disruptor, and can block hormone distribution and cause glandular breakdown.
Diphenyl Phosphate
This is a metabolite of the organophosphate flame retardant triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), which is used in plastics, electronic equipment, nail polish, and resins. TPHP can cause endocrine disruption. Studies have also linked TPHP to reproductive and developmental problems.
Acrylamide can polymerize to form polyacrylamide. Polyacrylamide is used in many industrial processes such as plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, nail polish, dyes, and treatment of drinking water. Food and cigarette smoke are also two major sources of exposure. Acrylamide has been found in foods like potato chips, French fries, and many others such as asparagus, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, beef, eggs, and fish. Asparagine, which is found in these foods can produce acrylamide when cooked at high temperature in the presence of sugars. High levels of acrylamide can elevate a patient’s risk of cancer. In addition, acrylamide is known to cause neurological damage.
Perchlorate
This chemical is used in the production of rocket fuel, missiles, fireworks, flares, explosives, fertilizers, and bleach. Studies show that perchlorate is often found in water supplies. Many food sources are also contaminated with perchlorate. Perchlorate can disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones. The EPA has also labeled perchlorate a likely human carcinogen. Patients that are high in perchlorate can use a reverse osmosis water treatment system to remove the chemical from their water supply.
1,3 Butadiene
This is a chemical made from the processing of petroleum. It is often a colorless gas with a mild gasoline-like odor. Most of this chemical is used in the production of synthetic rubber. 1,3 Butadiene is a known carcinogen and has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Individuals that come into contact with rubber, such as car tires, could absorb 1,3 Butadiene through the skin. The increased use of old tires in the production of crumb rubber playgrounds and athletic fields is quite troubling because children and athletes may be exposed to toxic chemicals this way.
Propylene Oxide
This chemical is used in the production of plastics and is used as a fumigant. Propylene oxide is used to make polyester resins for textile and construction industries. It is also used in the preparation of lubricants, surfactants, and oil demulsifiers. It has also been used as a food additive, an herbicide, a microbicide, an insecticide, a fungicide, and a miticide. Propylene oxide is a probable human carcinogen.
1-Bromopropane (1-BP)
1-Bromopropane is an organic solvent used for metal cleaning, foam gluing, and dry cleaning. Studies have shown that 1-BP is a neurotoxin as well as a reproductive toxin. Research indicates that exposure to 1-BP can cause sensory and motor deficits. Chronic exposure can lead to decreased cognitive function and impairment of the central nervous system. Acute exposure can lead to headaches.
Ethylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide is used in many different industries including agrochemicals detergents, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Ethylene oxide is also used as a sterilizing agent on rubber, plastics, and electronics. Chronic exposure to ethylene oxide has been determined to be mutagenic to humans. Multiple agencies have reported it as a carcinogen. Studies of people exposed to ethylene oxide show an increased incidence of breast cancer and leukemia. Caution is needed with ethylene oxide because it is odorless at toxic levels.
Acrylonitrile
Acrylonitrile is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is used in the production of acrylic fibers, resins, and rubber. Use of any of these products could lead to exposure to acrylonitrile. Smoking tobacco and cigarettes is another potential exposure. Exposure to acrylonitrile can lead to headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and chest pains. The European Union has classified acrylonitrile as a carcinogen.
GPL-TOX IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING DISORDERS:
Amyotrophic Lacteroclerosis (ALS)
Attention deficit (ADD)
Attention deficit with hyperactivity (ADHD)
Developmental disorder
Mitochondria disorder
Occupational exposures
Tic disorders
MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERS
The GPL-TOX profile tests for Tiglylglycine (TG), one of the most specific markers for mitochondrial disorders resulting from mutations of mitochondrial DNA. These mutations can result from exposure to toxic chemicals, infections, inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies. Mitochondria are important in all cells in the body, but are especially important to organs that utilize large amounts of energy, such as the muscles, heart, and brain. The mitochondria also have several other important functions in the cell, including steroid synthesis, calcium regulation, free radical production, and the induction of apoptosis or programmed cell death, all of which are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous disorders. The marker used in the GPL-TOX profile indicates mitochondrial dysfunction by monitoring a metabolite that is elevated in mitochondrial deficiency of cofactors such as NAD+, flavin-containing coenzymes, and Coenzyme Q10. Disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction include autism, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.
METABOLITES OF POLLUTANTS TESTED BY GPL-TOX
2-Methylhippuric Acid (2MHA), 3-Methylhippuric Acid (3MHA), 4-Methylhippuric Acid (4MHA)
These are metabolites of xylenes, solvents found in paints, lacquers, cleaning agents, pesticides, and gasoline. Exposure to xylenes generates methylhippuric acid isomers. Avoid/reduce exposure to these substances.
N-acetyl phenyl cysteine (NAP)
NAP is a metabolite of benzene. Benzene is a solvent that is widespread in the environment. It is found in cigarette smoke and gasoline, and is a byproduct of all types of combustion, including motor vehicle exhaust. Treatment consists of removing sources of exposure.
Phenylglyoxylic Acid (PGO)
Exposure to environmental styrene may slightly increase phenylglyoxylic and mandelic acid. Reduce exposure by eliminating the use of plastic and styrofoam containers for cooking, reheating, eating or drinking. Elimination of styrene can be accelerated by supplementing with glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC).
2-Hydroxyisobutyric Acid (2HIB)
2-Hydroxyisobutyric acid is formed endogenously as a product of branched-chain amino acid degradation and ketogenesis. This compound is also the major metabolite of gasoline octane enhancers such as MTBE and ETBE. Elevated levels indicate environmental exposure and very high values have been reported in genetic disorders.
Monoethyl Phthalate (MEP)
MEP from diethyl phthalate is the most abundant phthalate metabolite found in urine. Diethyl phthalate is used in plastic products. Elevated values indicate exposure from various possible sources. Elimination of phthalates may be accelerated by sauna treatment.
Dimethylphosphate (DMP) & Diethylphosphate (DEP)
DMP and DEP are major metabolites of many organophosphate pesticides. Reduce exposure by eating organic foods and avoiding use of pesticides in your home or garden. Living near agricultural areas or golf courses and areas regularly sprayed with pesticides will increase exposure. Elimination of organophosphates can be accelerated by sauna treatment.
3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid (3PBA)
3-Phenoxybenzoic acid is a metabolite of pyrethroid insecticides. Elimination can be accelerated by sauna treatment.
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D)
2,4-D was an ingredient in Agent Orange, and is most commonly used in agriculture of genetically modified foods, and as a weed killer for lawns. Reduce exposure by eating organic foods and avoiding use of pesticides in your home or garden.
Tiglylglycine (TG)
TG is a marker for mitochondrial dysfunction. Mutations of mitochondria DNA may result from exposure to toxic chemicals, infections, inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies.
N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-cysteine
NAE is a metabolite of acrylamide, which is detoxified through a two-step process. First acrylamide is metabolized by the cytochrome P450s. Second it is conjugated to glutathione in order to make it more water soluble. Acrylamide is used in many industrial processes such as plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, nail polish, dyes, and treatment of drinking water. High levels of acrylamide can elevate a patient’s risk of cancer and cause neurological damage. Supplementation with glutathione can assist in the elimination of this compound.
Perchlorate is used in the production of rocket fuel, missiles, fireworks, flares, explosives, fertilizers, and bleach. Studies show that perchlorate is often found to contaminate water supplies and food sources. It can disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones. The EPA has also labeled perchlorate a likely human carcinogen. Patients that are high in perchlorate can use a reverse osmosis water treatment system to remove perchlorate.
N-Acetyl (3,4-Dihydroxybutyl) Cysteine (NABD)
NADB is a metabolite of 1,3 butadiene, which is evident of exposure to synthetic rubber such as tires. 1,3 butadiene is a known carcinogen and has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Individuals that come into contact with rubber, such as car tires, could absorb 1,3 butadiene through the skin.
N-Acetyl (2,Hydroxypropl) Cysteine (NAHP)
NAHP is a metabolite of propylene oxide which is used in the production of plastics and as a fumigant. It is also used in the preparation of lubricants, surfactants, and oil demulsifiers and as a food additive, an herbicide, a microbicide, an insecticide, a fungicide, and a miticide. Propylene oxide is a probable human carcinogen.
N-Acetyl (Propyl) Cysteine (NAPR)
NAPR is a metabolite of 1-bromopropane. Chronic exposure can lead to decreased cognitive function and impairment of the central nervous system. Acute exposure can lead to headaches.
2-Hydroxyethyl Mercapturic Acid (HEMA)
HEMA is a metabolite of ethylene oxide, which is used in the production of agrochemicals, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Chronic exposure to ethylene oxide has been determined to be mutagenic to humans. HEMA is also a metabolite of vinyl chloride and halopropane, which are used in many commercial chemical processes such as foam glueing, dry cleaning, and in the production of solvents. Supplementation with glutathione should assist in the detoxification process of these chemicals.
N-Acetyl (2-Cyanoethyl) Cysteine (NACE)
NACE is a metabolite of acrylonitrile, which is used in the production of acrylic fibers, resins, and rubber. Acrylonitrile is metabolized by the cytochrome P450s and then conjugated to glutathione. Supplementation with glutathione should assist in the detoxification of acrylonitrile.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DETOXIFICATION OF CHEMICALS
If you or a patient has had a GPL-TOX profile and/or a Glyphosate test run and found moderate-high levels of any compounds, there are things you can do to help your body eliminate the toxins and to prevent future exposures. The first steps to reducing the amount of toxins presently in the body are to switch to eating only organic food and drinking water that has common toxins, including pesticides filtered out. Most conventional food crops are exposed to larger and larger doses of pesticides and herbicides, and by switching to organic you will prevent exposure to hundreds of these toxicants. Many of these chemicals have also contaminated our water supplies. Installing a high-quality water filtration system in the home that eliminates them is important to do and there are several options available.
The next step to avoiding future exposures is to change the products you use on a daily basis – from food and beverage containers to beauty and cleaning products. Instead of using plastic water bottles and food containers, switch to glass or metal. Never microwave food in plastic or styrofoam containers and do not drink hot beverages from plastic or styrofoam cups. Make sure your shampoo, soaps, lotions, and other beauty products are free of phthalates. Use cleaning products made from natural ingredients or make your own at home.
To eliminate toxins from the body, we highly recommend exercise and the use of saunas, especially infrared sauna therapy to rid many chemicals through sweat. Infrared sauna is superior to conventional sauna because it reaches deeper into the body, increasing the circulation in the blood vessels, and causing the body to start to releasing many of the chemicals stored in body fat.
There are two supplements that are particularly useful in helping the body detoxify. The first is glutathione, or its precursor N-acetyl cysteine. Glutathione is one of the most common molecules used by the body to eliminate toxic chemicals. If you are constantly exposed to toxicants your stores of glutathione could be depleted. The second supplement is vitamin B3 (niacin). Some may not enjoy the flushing that can happen when taking niacin, however, this flushing is from the blood vessels dilating, which is useful in the detoxification process. If sensitive to the flushing, start with the lowest recommended dose and work up from there.
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Foo Fighters Boot Stage Crasher With Humor, Plus News on Megadeth, Smashing Pumpkins + More
Chad Childers
Kathy Flynn, WickedGoddessPhotography.com
In addition to the big stories we covered today, Wire-to-Wire provides you with some of the other key rock and metal news items from Jan. 22, 2018:
- How do you handle a stagecrasher? Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl did so with a little bit of humor and compassion during a show in Perth, Australia Saturday night (Jan. 20). In the video here, the band's performance of "Everlong" gets interrupted by a fan who jumped up on the catwalk, rushed the stage and hugged Dave Grohl. After asking the man's name, he then told the fan to "get the fuck off my stage" as the crowd cheered the reaction. Grohl then dedicated the rest of the song to the fan.
- Megadeth are celebrating their 35th Anniversary with a wealth of special releases, exclusive merch, one-of-a-kind events and other opportunities for fans throughout 2018. Kicking things off today, the band has made available a new video for "Lying in State" for members of their Cyber Army. You can get a membership here. “When I started Megadeth, I didn’t imagine myself living for 35 years, let alone my band reaching this incredible milestone,” says Dave Mustaine. “Thanks to almost everyone I’ve met, worked and played with these last three and a half decades.” Fans can also look for Mustaine saluting the band's 35th anniversary on his weekly radio show via Gimme Radio.
- The studio is bustling these days for Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who shared a couple of Instagram photos of his 2-year-old son Augustus Juppiter Corgan getting in on the fun. Watch the adorable shots of the little one getting involved with the drumming and preparing for a career as a producer.
- Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Anti-Inaugural Ball, Los Angeles venue The Teragram Ballroom posted backstage video footage of Chris Cornell hanging with his Audioslave bandmates and discussing his desire to reunite for more work together. Take a look here.
- Septicflesh, Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, Thy Antichrist, Seeker and more will take part in the 2018 Fort Worth Metal Fest. See the full lineup for the March 17 show at the Rail Club at this location.
- Kaleo have announced their first North American dates of 2018. The group have booked five Canadian dates and one U.S. show for late June / early July, starting June 23 in Vancouver. See the stops here and look for tickets going on sale this Friday (Jan. 26).
- Saxon have unleashed a new lyric video for "They Played Rock and Roll." It'll be obvious from the first look that the song was inspired by the band's close relationship with Motorhead over the years. "The song tells the story of Saxon's very first tour in 1979 with Motorhead. I want people to get a flavor for what it was like in the U.K. in 79/90 for Saxon and Motorhead at the start of the '80s musical revolution," says frontman Biff Byford. Watch the video here. The song is featured on Saxon's Thunderbolt album.
- Kataklysm have inked a co-management deal with Hard Impact Music and FM Music Management. The move comes as the band are preparing to release their next studio album, Meditations, via Nuclear Blast in June.
- Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd will be present Feb. 2 at large scale display of his fine art prints at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas. The display is located toward the front of the Joint entrance and will remain there throughout 2018. Incubus will be playing shows at The Joint on Feb. 2 and 3.
- Looks like Burton C. Bell is back at work on new Ascension of the Watchers music. The musician posted video of a jam session that can be viewed here.
- Bobaflex will hit the road later this month to kick off their "Lights Out" tour. The newly announced shows will carry them into late February. The trek launches Jan. 25 in Fayetteville, N.C. See all of their dates here.
- Joe Perry will take part in a in-store album signing at Newberry Comics in his hometown of Boston this Thursday (Jan. 25). Perry just released Sweetzerland Manifesto and will be on hand starting at 6PM ET.
- Kamelot have revealed that their next studio album will be titled The Shadow Theory. The disc is expected this spring through Napalm Records. Look for the band on tour stateside starting in mid-April, with European dates to follow in mid-July. See all their stops here.
- Cavo will release a special edition of their Bridges album on Feb. 23, complete with an alternate version of the song "Champagne." Pre-orders are being taken here.
- The Dollyrots will hit the road for the "Rah! Rah! Radical Tour" this March, kicking off a month-long run March 8 in Anderson, Ind. See all of the stops here and look for a new limited edition 7" featuring the track "Get Radical," which is their own unique take on Rancid's 'Ruby Soho." Pre-orders are being taken here.
Loudwire Rock News
Source: Foo Fighters Boot Stage Crasher With Humor, Plus News on Megadeth, Smashing Pumpkins + More
Filed Under: Bobaflex, Brandon Boyd, cavo, Foo Fighters, Megadeth, Smashing Pumpkins
Categories: Concerts, Metal, News, Rock, Videos
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Rookie RB Mason inactive for Rams,
By - Associated Press - Sunday, September 7, 2014
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Rookie running back Tre Mason is a healthy scratch for the St. Louis Rams against the Minnesota Vikings.
There are no surprises on either team’s list of players who will sit out Sunday’s opener. Rookie E.J. Gaines is at cornerback for the Rams in place of Trumaine Johnson, previously ruled out and expected to miss a month with a knee injury.
Defensive end Everson Griffen starts for the Vikings after being listed as questionable due to illness.
Cornerback Maurice Alexander and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, both rookies, also will not dress Sunday. Mason was a third-round pick, Alexander a fourth and Westbrooks, who was not drafted, outplayed Michael Sam for a backup spot on the Rams’ defensive unit.
AP NFL websites: https://www.pro32.ap.org and https://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Florida school shooting: Giffords slams politicians, says 'we chose this fate'
Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in 2011, said politicians' inaction on guns led to incidents like the shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Florida school shooting: Giffords slams politicians, says 'we chose this fate' Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in 2011, said politicians' inaction on guns led to incidents like the shooting in Parkland, Florida. Check out this story on wausaudailyherald.com: http://azc.cc/2Hhodwr
Richard Ruelas, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 8:09 p.m. CT Feb. 14, 2018 | Updated 1:32 p.m. CT Feb. 16, 2018
A former student went on a shooting rampage at a Florida high school, leaving 17 dead while panicked students barricaded themselves inside classrooms and frantic parents raced to the scene. USA TODAY
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, with husband Mark Kelly, continues to speak out against mass shootings. On Feb. 14, 2018, she took politicians to task for their inaction on guns.(Photo: David Wallace/The Republic)
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was gravely wounded in the 2011 Tucson-area shooting that left six people dead, criticized political inaction on guns in the wake of the mass shooting at a Florida high school Wednesday.
"Every day we fail to take action, we chose this fate," Giffords wrote on Twitter. "We tolerate politicians who fail to acknowledge this crisis and vote against our safety. We let our gun violence epidemic continue day after deadly day."
Authorities said that 17 people were killed in Wednesday's shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school. The gunman, a former student, was taken into custody.
'Pursue the moral necessity of peace'
Giffords, who became an advocate for gun control after retiring from Congress, said incidents like Wednesday's shooting create fear, but, she wrote, "our fear cannot compare to what our innocent children felt as the gunshots rang out, bullets flew through the halls of their school, and their teachers and classmates were gunned down."
The accounts from today's school shooting in Parkland, Florida strike fear into all Americans. Is it safe to send our kids to school? Are we safe in our homes and communities?
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) February 15, 2018
Giffords, who was partly paralyzed from the 2011 shooting and still struggles with speech, wrote that the nation needs to "summon the courage to fight against this fear."
"We must find the courage to imagine a country where these massacres do not occur," she wrote. "Our leaders must find the courage to escape the confines of their politics & pursue the moral necessity of peace & safety."
MORE: Florida school shooting is the 6th to injure students this year
Giffords said that Americans cannot wall themselves off from gun violence; nor, she said, is the solution found in "the deadly cycle of arming ourselves against each other."
"Defenders of the status quo — advocates of the gun industry & the politicians paid to defend it — will tell you that events like these are virtual acts of nature, products of mental illness or bad parenting, beyond our ability to control," she wrote. "This couldn't be further from the truth."
Giffords was shot by Jared Loughner during an informal meet-and-greet at a Safeway store just outside Tucson city limits in January 2011.
The 2011 Gabby Giffords shooting near Tucson
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 4, 2015, about bipartisan legislation on gun safety. Giffords was shot in the head during a 2011 rampage in Arizona that left six people dead and a dozen others wounded. Associated Press
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords speaks with her husband Mark Kelly during a news conference as they call for Congress and the Senate to provide stricter gun control in the United States on March 6, 2013, in Tucson. Giffords and Kelly were joined by survivors of the Tucson shooting outside the Safeway grocery store. Getty Images
Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, a former NASA astronaut, converse at their home in Tucson on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. Giffords and Kelly founded "Americans for Responsible Solutions", a non-profit lobbying organization working on gun control issues. Giffords was shot and severely wounded during a political event in Tucson on Jan. 8, 2011. Six people died in the shooting. David Wallace/The Republic
JANUARY 2012: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband retired Navy captain Mark Kelly attend a vigil at University of Arizona in Tucson marking the one-year anniversary of the Tucson shootings in which six people were killed. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
President Barack Obama hugs retiring Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as the president arrives to deliver his State of the Union address on Jan. 24, 2012, in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 8, 2011, Giffords was a victim of a shooting near Tucson. AFP/Getty Images
JANUARY 2012: Jesus Perez came with his mom to pay respect at the site where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's and others were shot in January 2011 at a Safeway near Tucson. Nick Oza/The Republic
Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., center, appears on the floor of the House of Representatives Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, in Washington. Giffords was on the floor for the first time since her shooting earlier this year, attending a vote on the debt standoff compromise. Asso
Six crosses sit accross the street of a Safeway in Tucson where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and 6 others were gunned down. Carlos Chavez/The Republic
Personal items remain untouched in the Capitol Hill office of fprmer Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in Washington. Giffords survived a Jan. 8, 2011 gunshot to the head, but has yet to return to her office full time. Gannett
Leroy Wood hugs Sherrie Brown, a Safeway employee, outside Safeway on the one year anniversary of the Tucson Shootings. Brown was there a year ago during the Tucson Shootings and still finds it difficult. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
President Barack Obama signs the Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act of 2012 as former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly look on in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 10, 2012, in Washington, DC. The bill was the last piece of legislation on which Giffords voted before she resigned in January, a year after she sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Getty Images
JANUARY 2012: People raise their glow sticks during a vigil at the University of Arizona in Tucson, marking the one-year anniversary of the shootings at the Safeway near Tucson. David Wallace/The Republic
The Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead lays east of Tucson. Zimmerman was Giffords' community outreach director and one of six killed in the 2011 shooting. Mark Henle/The Republic
A bust of the late Judge John Roll is in the lobby of the John M. Roll U.S. Courthouse in Yuma. Roll was among six people who died in front of the Tucson grocery store after stopping by to greet Rep. Gabby Giffords on Jan. 8, 2011. Charlie Leight/The Republic
Mourners line the road to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, the site of Christina Taylor Green's funeral in Tucson in January 2011. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Jared Loughner was sentenced to seven life sentences. Pima County Sheriff' Office
JANUARY 2012: Matt McLear of Tucson looks at a memorial of flowers and crosses across the street from Safeway near Tucson where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot. Carlos Chavez/The Republic
Ron Barber, in pain from gunshot wounds, is consoled by his wife Nancy at his home in Tucson two weeks after the shooting in which U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot. Nick Oza/The Republic
The paper "chain of expression" brought into the Together We Thrive Tucson & America event on University of Arizona campus. The service was for the victims of a mass shooting at a Safeway near Tucson in which U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot. The Republic
People in the University of Arizona stadium listen to President Obama speak in January 2011 about the mass shooting at a Safeway where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot. The Arizona Republic
President Barack Obama greets Astronaut Mark Kelly, U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords' husband, at a memorial event in the wake of a shooting that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed U.S. District Judge John Roll and five others. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
People stand hand over heart during the National Anthem in the University of Arizona stadium Wednesday when it was used for overflow seating for a service for the victims of the January 2011 mass shooting at a Safeway near Tucson. The Republic
A photo of Christina-Taylor Green at the home of Suzi Hileman in Tucson on Thursday, January 20, 2011. The 9- year old was one of six killed in the Tucson shooting massacre. The Republic
Dorothy Morris was one of six killed in the 2011 shooting in Tucson. The Republic
Phyllis Schneck was one of six killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting. One of Schneck's hobbies was puzzles. Nick Oza/The Republic
Dorwan Stoddard, right, was one of six killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting. The Republic
Flowers, candles, notes and other remembrances mark the spot in early February 2011 where the massacre took place outside a Safeway north of Tucson nearly a month earlier. NickOza/The Republic
Dr. Gerard Francisco, physiatrist and chief medical officer of TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX, talks about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords progress after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head during an assassination attempt while she was meeting with constituents. The Arizona Republic
Mark Kelly shows how his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, patted his face. Dr. Peter Rhee (left) and Kelly took questions from the media at the University Medical Center on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, after Giffords was shot. The Republic
Law-enforcement authorities converge on the scene of the deadly shooting near Tucson in January 2011. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was injured. The Republic
FBI agents and Tucson-area law enforcement officers scour the parking lot of the Safeway at Oracle and Ina Roads near Tucson looking for evidence two days after a mass shooting at the Safeway in January 2011. The Republic
The scene of the shooting in January 2001 at the Safeway just outside Tucson. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was injured. Mark Henle/The Republic
Officers secure the scene of a shooting outside a Safeway store Jan. 8, 2011, in Tucson. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was was shot in the head. The Republic
FBI agents and Tucson-area law enforcement officers scour the parking lot of the Safeway at Oracle and Ina Roads near Tucson looking for evidence Monday two days after a mass shooting at the Safeway where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot. The Republic
FBI agents and Tucson-area law enforcement officers scour the parking lot of the Safeway at Oracle and Ina Roads near Tucson looking for evidence two days after a mass shooting at the Safeway in January 2011. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was injured. The Republic
Emergency personnel and vehicles in the shopping center parking lot were photographed following the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting by Jared Loughner in Tucson. FBI
FBI agents and Tucson-area law enforcement officers scour the parking lot of the Safeway at Oracle and Ina Roads near Tucson looking for evidence in January 2011, two days after a mass shooting that injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The Republic
Officers secure the scene of a shooting outside a Safeway store Jan. 8, 2011, in Tucson. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. The Republic
Copies of notes and drawings recovered in the parking lot following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
Blood on the floor of Walgreens store in the shopping center following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
A knife recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
Jared Loughner's gray sweatshirt was among the items recovered on Jan. 8, 2011 after the shooting near Tucson. FBI
Boxes of 9mm pistol ammunition were recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
Boxes of 9mm pistol ammunition and a backpack were recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
Backpack containing gun ammunition recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting. FBI
The first page of a book with writings from Jared Loughner in blue ink was recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting. It states "Goodbye - Jared Lee Loughner, XOXO January 8th 1:54 p.m." FBI
Crime scene at the front the grocery store where the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting occurred near Tucson. FBI
Sales receipt for the Glock 19 9mm pistol recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
A bullet hole in the front window of the Safeway grocery store where the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting occurred near Tucson. FBI
Envelope with Jared Loughner's signature, "Are the first 2 shells out of my gun" and "I planned ahead and my assassination - Jared Loughner - Giffords" written in black marker was recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting. FBI
Weapon used by Jared Loughner during the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting outside a grocery store near Tucson. FBI
A Glock pistol recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting by Jared Lee Loughner near Tucson that left Rep. Gabby Giffords injured. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Regal R15LC gun lock safety instructions with Jared Lougner's writing in blue ink was recovered following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting near Tucson. FBI
Aerial image of crime scene where the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting by Jared Lee Loughner occurred near Tucson. FBI
Jared Loughner being escorted to the police car by police officers following the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting outside a grocery store near Tucson. (Photo redactions made by FBI) FBI
Deputies restrain Jared Loughner in 2011 after the Gabby Giffords shooting at a Safeway near Tucson. (Photo redactions made by FBI) FBI
Loughner went on to shoot and kill six people, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl. He also wounded 12 other people. Bystanders tackled him and wrestled him to the ground when he stopped to reload.
Loughner was found guilty and was sentenced to life in a federal prison.
Giffords' gun-control advocacy
Giffords stepped down from her congressional seat in 2012, about a year after the shooting. She and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, started the group Americans for Responsible Solutions in January 2013.
In 2016, that advocacy group adopted the last name of its co-founder: Giffords.
According to its website, the group has helped pass more than 200 gun laws in 45 states and Washington, D.C. But its calls for federal legislation requiring a universal background check for firearms purchases have gone unheeded by Congress.
Gabrielle Giffords, first elected to represent the southern Arizona district in November 2006, becoming the third woman from Arizona to be sent to Congress, and has habitually sent press releases and tweets regarding gun control.
After President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address in January, she criticized him for mentioning the problem of mass shootings but not offering any policy changes to curb it.
“Mr. President, stop ignoring the unacceptable and devastating rate of gun violence in this country,” she wrote, “and take responsibility for enacting solutions.”
At least 17 dead in school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
A police officer helps direct traffic as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students begin arriving for their first day of school since the shooting on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. ANDREA MELENDEZ/USA TODAY NETWORK
A crossing guard hugs a student as he walks to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the first day of school since the shooting on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. ANDREA MELENDEZ/USA TODAY NETWORK
Police officers line up outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to welcome the students back to on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. This is the official first day of school since the shooting on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. ANDREA MELENDEZ/ USA TODAY NETWORK
Returning faculty and administration at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fla., are taken on a walk around the fenced-off freshman building where the Feb. 16, shooting took place, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Today marked the first day back for teachers at the school. JOE CAVARETTA, AP
A small group of parents and neighbors welcome returning faculty and administrators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fla., Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Today marked the first day back for teachers at the school. JOE CAVARETTA, AP
People visit a makeshift memorial in front of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in, Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 20, 2018. CRISTOBAL HERRERA, EPA-EFE
Julia Salomone, 18, front row left, Lindsey Salomone, 15, front row right, Jose Iglesias, 17, second row left, and Isabelle Robinson, 17, second row right, student survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and faculty were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday, talk on their bus between Parkland, Fla., and Tallahassee, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018, to rally outside the state capitol and talk to legislators about gun control reform. Gerald Herbert, AP
Mourners leave the funeral of Peter Wang, 15, who was a JROTC cadet, at Kraeer Funeral home on Feb. 20, 2018 in Coral Springs, Florida. Wang was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School along with 16 other people. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Alex Wang holds a picture of his brother, Peter Wang, a victim in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, after his brother's funeral on Feb. 20, 2018, at Kraeer Funeral Home in Coral Springs, Fla. Taimy Alvarez, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, via AP
Tom Carmo, father of survivor Ethan Rocha, hugs student Joey Cordova, as students from Stoneman Douglas High School board buses in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018. Gerald Herbert, AP
Tyra Hemans, 19, who survived the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, waits to board a bus in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018. The students plan to hold a rally Wednesday in hopes that it will put pressure on the state's Republican-controlled Legislature to consider a sweeping package of gun-control laws, something some GOP lawmakers said Monday they would consider. Gerald Herbert, AP
Madyson Kravitz, 16, right, and Melanie Weber, 16, students who survived the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, wait to board buses in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018. Gerald Herbert, AP
Students who survived the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School,along with survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting, cheer before the students board a bus in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 20, 2018, to rally outside the state capitol and talk to legislators about gun control reform. Gerald Herbert, AP
Sheryl Acquarola, a 16-year-old junior from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is overcome with emotion in the east gallery of the House of Representatives after the representatives voted not to hear a bill banning assault rifles and large capacity magazines. Acquarola was one of the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 dead, who were in Tallahassee on Feb. 20, 2018 to meet with Florida lawmakers. Mark Wallheiser, AP
Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and other students from Broward County, Fla. high schools listen to Sen. Bobby Powell in his office at the Florida Capital in Tallahassee, Fla., Feb 20, 2018. Mark Wallheiser, AP
Rep. Bobby DuBose thanks the survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and other students from Broward County, Fla. high schools for coming to see him at the Florida Capital in Tallahassee, Fla., Feb 20, 2018. Mark Wallheiser, AP
Mourners react as they leave the funeral services for slain Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Carmen Schentrup on Feb. 20, 2018, at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Coral Springs, Fla. Joe Cavaretta, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, via AP
Cinthia Rios helps Jasmine Battifora, 6, light her candle during a candlelight vigil at Betti Stradling Park in Coral Springs, Fla. The Florida PTA organized a statewide candlelight vigil to remember and honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Community members hold hands and surround a memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Alice Simon, right, helps Nancy Brodzki light her candle during a candlelight vigil at Betti Stradling Park in Coral Springs, Fla. The Florida PTA organized a statewide candlelight vigil to remember and honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
People visit a makeshift memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Police arrested and charged 19 year old former student Nikolas Cruz for the February 14 shooting that killed 17 people. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Ashley Boul, right, and Joel Robinson, who is an alumni of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visit a makeshift memorial in front of the school on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Max Bromberg hugs his brother Samuel Bromberg, both of whom graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as they visit a makeshift memorial in front of the school on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Cindy Sotelo, right, cries with her daughter, Jessica Malone, an alumna of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as they visit a makeshift memorial in front of the school on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Nekhi Charlemagne writes a message on a cross in a makeshift memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Thomas Mirisola and his mother Michele Mirisola visit a makeshift memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
People visit a makeshift memorial setup in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 19, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Mourners hug as they leave the funeral of Alaina Petty, in Coral Springs, Fla. on Feb. 19, 2018. Petty was a victim of Wednesday's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Gerald Herbert, AP
Sara Smith, left, and her daughter Karina Smith visit a makeshift memorial on Feb. 19, 2018 outside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and faculty were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday, in Parkland, Fla. Gerald Herbert, AP
An investigator climbs to the roof of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 19, 2018. Gerald Herbert, AP
The flag draped coffin of Alaina Petty is taken out after her funeral at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Feb. 19, 2018 in Coral Springs, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Camila Valladares, 9, and brother Miguel Piacquadio, 25, light a candle at a memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018, in response to a shooting at the high school Wednesday that took 17 lives. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
People visit a makeshift memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 18, 2108, where 17 students and faculty were killed in Wednesday's mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. Gerald Herbert, AP
Pall bearers carry the casket of Scott Beigel after his funeral in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018. Beigel, a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, was killed along with 16 others in a mass shooting at the school on Wednesday. Nikolas Cruz, a former student, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. Gerald Herbert, AP
Community members hold hands at a memorial outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
Bryan and Amber Gruzenksy place flowers on crosses with their son Joshua, 14, outside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday. Gerald Herbert, AP
Hadley Sorensen, 16, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, is comforted by her mother Stacy Sorensen at a makeshift memorial outside the school in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018. Gerald Herbert, AP
Isabella Vanderlaat, 15, and Gabriella Benzeken 15, both students of Scott Beigel, the 35-year-old geography teacher who was killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, attend the funeral service at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018. Charles Trainor Jr, Miami Herald, via AP
A memorial outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., is seen on Feb. 18, 2018. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
Emma Gonzalez, 18, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, cries as she hugs a supporter of the #NeverAgain movement at North Community Park on Feb. 18, 2018. Gonzalez became a viral sensation after videos of her impassioned speech at an anti-gun rally in Fort Lauderdale flooded social media. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
People hug outside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 18, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Flowers are placed near unretrieved bicycles outside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting. Authorities opened the streets around the school, which had been closed since the shootings. Nikolas Cruz, a former student, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. Gerald Herbert, AP
Mourners arrive at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs at Heron Bay in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018, for the funeral service of Alex Schachter, 14, who was one of the 17 victims of the Parkland mass shooting. Matias J. Ocner, Miami Herald, via AP
Mimi Milton receives a hug after a church service dedicated to the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting, at the First Church of Coral Springs, on Feb. 18, 2018, in Coral Springs, Fla. Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Noelia Negreira carries heart shaped balloons as she walks past the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 18, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Maria Cristina and Vincent Collazo pray at the fence near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb.18, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A student retrieves his bicycle that was left behind after mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on Feb. 18, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Donna Biederman, bottom right, gets emotional while listening to speeches during a gun control rally in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Feb. 17, 2018. Students, community members, elected officials and gun control advocates gathered together to call for common sense gun laws and firearm safety legislation in the wake of the school shooting that left 17 people dead and 15 others injured this past Wednesday in Parkland, Fla. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez reacts during her speech at a rally for gun control at the Broward County Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on February 17, 2018. A student survivor of the Parkland school shooting called out President Donald Trump on Saturday over his ties to the powerful National Rifle Association, in a poignant address to an anti-gun rally in Florida. "To every politician taking donations from the NRA, shame on you!" said Emma Gonzalez, assailing Trump over the multi-million-dollar support his campaign received from the gun lobby -- and prompting the crowd to chant in turn: 'Shame on you!' Rhona Wise, AFP/Getty Images
Taylor Green, 19, from right, Victoria Mejia, 15, Ashley Laurent, 20, and Ashley Hernandez, 16, get emotional while listening to speeches during a gun control rally in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Feb. 17, 2018. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Alessandra Mondolfi wears statement jewelry, which she designed and created herself, during a gun control rally in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Feb. 17, 2018. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Protesters hold signs at a rally for gun control at the Broward County Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on February 17, 2018. Rhona Wise, AFP/Getty Images
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Cameron Kasky speaks at a rally for gun control at the Broward County Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Feb. 17, 2018. Rhona Wise, AFP/Getty Images
The soccer teammates of Alyssa Alhadeff listen to the live stream of her mother as she speaks about her daughter and gun violence. Alyssa Alhadeff, 15, was one of the 17 victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland,Fla. The practice at Pines Trail Park offers an outlet for the team, said Laurie Thomas, coach of the Parkland Soccer Club. Andrew West, The News-Press via USA TODAY Network
Sad scenes of remembrances are still playing out at the Parkland amphitheater on Feb. 17, 2018. Crosses have been set up to honor those killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Andrew West, The News-Press via USA TODAY Network
Ana Paula Lopez (L) is hugged by Cathy Kuhns during a protest against guns on Feb. 17, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A woman becomes emotional while visiting a temporary memorial at Pine Trails Park on Feb. 17, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Thilaka Sritharan (L) whose daughter was in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when 17 people were killed is hugged by Lauren Duck during a protest against guns on Feb. 17, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Miami Hurricanes players wears wear 'Praying for Stoneman Douglas' T-shirts before an NCAA college basketball game against Syracuse Orange. Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports
Candles glow at a memorial site to honor 17 people who were killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on Feb. 17, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Four young children approach a vigil post at Park Trails Park in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 16, 2018. C.M. Guerrero, The Miami Herald via AP
Lisa McCrary-Tokes, a resident of Parkland says a prayer at each of the crosses that were erected at the Parkland, Fl, Amphitheatre on Friday. McCrary-Tokes lost a daughter to gun violence in Ohio last year and another daughter graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year. "You can't feel safe anywhere in this country," she said. ANDREW WEST, The News-Press via USA TODAY Network
South Broward High School senior Sophia Villiers-Furze, center, protests with her classmates in front of their school on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018 in response to a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. DOROTHY EDWARDS, Naples Daily News via USA TODAY Network
A candlelight vigil draws thousands to the Pine Trails Park amphitheater to mourn a day after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Mandatory XAVIER MASCARENAS, TCPalm via USA TODAY NETWORK
Zachary Valdes, 13, attends a candlelight vigil with his family at the Pine Trails Park amphitheater to mourn a day after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Valdes was at neighboring Westglades Middle School when the two campuses went on lockdown. XAVIER MASCARENAS, TCPalm via USA TODAY NETWORK
A candlelight vigil draws thousands to the Pine Trails Park amphitheater to mourn a day after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. XAVIER MASCARENAS, TCPalm via USA TODAY NETWORK
People attending a candlelight vigil at Parkland Amphitheater mourn the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. ANDREW WEST, The News-Press, via USA TODAY NET
Brayden Meddaugh, 7, and his mother, Stefanie Mion, both of Deerfield Beach, pay their respects at a small makeshift memorial under the Sawgrass Expressway across from the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast News via USA TODAY NETWORK
A small makeshift memorial is seen under the Sawgrass Expressway across from the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Freshman Nyallah Penn cries during a prayer circle after a vigil at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 15, 2018. The vigil was held after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday in Parkland, Fla., that took 17 lives. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
Dustin Singh, left, and Jason Price hang flowers alongside a makeshift memorial where 17 crosses hang on a fence outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Singh and Price both graduated from the high school. Nicole Raucheisen, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETW
Juniors Staci Esterman, right, and Jaclyn Corin hug after a vigil at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 15, 2018. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News, via USA TODAY NETWORK
Kevin Siegelbaum, a special education teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, leans in to pray on Feb. 15, 2018, in Parkland, Fla., during a community vigil at Pine Trails Park for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Brynn Anderson, AP
Marla Eveillard, 14, cries as she hugs friends before the start of a vigil at the Parkland Baptist Church, for the victims of Wednesday's shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 15, 2018. Gerald Herbert, AP
Austin Burden, 17, cries on the shoulder of a friend after a vigil at the Parkland Baptist Church, for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla. Gerald Herbert, AP
Milan Hamm, right, 17, joins hundreds of community members at a prayer vigil in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 5, 2018. Members of the community gathered for a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. GIORGIO VIERA, EPA-EFE
Friends embrace in tears at the Parkridge Church in Coral Springs before the start of a community prayer vigil for Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims, Feb. 15, 2018. ERIC HASERT, USA TODAY NETWORK
Attendees react at a prayer vigil for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the Parkland Baptist Church, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Attendees comfort each other at a prayer vigil for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the Parkland Baptist Church, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Emmy Halulko, 13, (left) and her sister Evie, 5, both of Coral Springs stopped to pet Jacob, a Lutheran Church Charities comfort dog while at the Parkridge Church in Coral Springs for a community prayer vigil for all the shooting victims at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. "Awful" Emmy said about the shooting before breaking down in tears, acknowledging she knew several people at the school, Feb. 15, 2018 Eric Hasert, USA TODAY NETWORK
Kristi Gilroy hugs a young woman at a police check point near the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman yesterday, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES
Sheree Spaulding stands with her 15-year-old son, Justin who is a 9th grader at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman yesterday, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Police arrested the suspect after a short manhunt, and have identified him as 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz. MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES
Sheree Spaulding walks with her 15-year-old son, Justin Spauling, who is a 9th grader at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman yesterday, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES
Police control a road near the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman yesterday, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. Police arrested the suspect after a short manhunt, and have identified him as 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz. MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES
Law enforcement officers block off the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Kristi Gilroy hugs a young woman as a police officer tries to clear a closed road at a police checkpoint near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman Feb. 15, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. Police arrested the suspect after a short manhunt and have identified him as 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz. MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES
Dr. Louis Yogel, chief of staff, right, address the media during a press briefing outside of Broward Health Medical Center. Dr. Benny Menendez, chief of emergency medicine, left, listens. Dorothy Edwards/Naples Daily News
Dr. Benny Menendez, chief of emergency medicine, addresses the media during a press briefing outside of Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla, Wednesday. Dorothy Edwards/Naples Daily News
Families reunite after a mass shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast Newspapers via USA TODAY NETWORK
Max Charles, second from right, 14, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., speaks to members of the media after being picked up by family members at a nearby hotel, in Coral Springs, Fla. A former student opened fire at the Florida high school Wednesday, killing more than a dozen people and sending scores of students fleeing into the streets in the nation's deadliest school shooting since a gunman attacked an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Wilfredo Lee, AP
People wait outside the main entrance of Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. due to the hospital being on lockdown after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Dorothy Edwards, Naples Daily News via USA Today
Sheree Spaulding hugs her son, Justin, 15, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland, Fla., as she speaks to members of the media after picking up her son at a nearby hotel, Wednesday, in Coral Springs, Fla. Wilfredo Lee, AP
Jorge Zapata,16, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School hugss his mother, Lavinia Zapata, after a mass shooting earlier in the day at the school. “I was just really incredibly, indescribably happy to see him, because you never know,” Lavinia said. XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast Newspapers via USA TODAY NETWORK
Dalila Ladero, 16, of Coral Springs, Fla. stands near friends after being reunited with her mother at University Drive and Holmberg Road in Parkland. "When all that happened, I wasn't in my class, I just started following people...I was just seeing everyone screaming and crying and I didn't know what was happening," she said. "I was calm, I just started praying." XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast Newspapers via USA Today Network
Students wait outside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. XAVIER MASCARENAS, Treasure Coast Newspapers via USA Today Network
Trauma surgeon Dr. Igor Nichiporenko (C) and director for emergency medicine Dr. Evan Boyar (R) address the media outside the Broward Health Emergency facility where victims were taken following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Miami, Wednesday. MICHELE EVE SANDBERG, AFP/Getty Images
A student reacts as she talks to a television reporter following a school shooting. MICHELE EVE SANDBERG, AFP/Getty Images
Students react at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following a school shooting. MICHELE EVE SANDBERG, AFP/Getty Images
People react at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following a school shooting. MICHELE EVE SANDBERG, AFP/Getty Images
Students run with their hands in the air following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Students released from a lockdown walk away following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
A young woman gets a hug outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AMY BETH BENNETT, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Medical personnel tend to a victim following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Police officers ride in the back of a pick up truck as they tend to a victim following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
A parent talks on cellphone waiting for news after a reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOEL AUERBACH, AP
Students wait to be picked up after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. WILFREDO LEE, AP
People hug following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. WILFREDO LEE, AP
A member of the Broward County Sheriff's Office stands watch at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOEL AUERBACH, AP
Students released from a lockdown embrace following following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Fire rescue vehicles arrive at Stoneman Douglas High School. JOHN MCCALL, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
People are brought out of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after a shooting in Parkland, Fla. Feb 14, 2018 South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Getty Images
People are brought out of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after a shooting. JOE RAEDLE, Getty Images
The campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after a shooting that reportedly killed and injured multiple people. JOE RAEDLE, Getty Images
Parents wait for news after a report of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. JOEL AUERBACH, AP
A law enforcement officer tells anxious family members to move back. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Anxious family members wait for information on students in Parkland, Fla. WILFREDO LEE, AP
A student shows a law enforcement officer his phone. WILFREDO LEE, AP
A law enforcement officer talks with students outside of the school. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Family members embrace after a student walked out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Anxious family members watch a rescue vehicle pass by in Parkland, Fla. WILFREDO LEE, AP
Family members wait for news of students after a school shooting. WILFREDO LEE, AP
In this frame grab from video from WPLG-TV, students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., evacuate the school following a shooting. WPLG-TV via AP
In this frame grab from WPLG-TV, emergency personnel wheel an injured person from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., following a shooting WPLG-TV via AP
Roberts: After Florida school shooting, here's what will happen
Giffords calls for stronger gun laws after Kentucky school shooting
Intern, surgeon who helped save Giffords lead gun law push in Arizona Legislature
Tucson dedicates memorial site for victims of shooting that wounded Gabrielle Giffords
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The Anime room will be Room 221
Friday, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Anime Conji Presents: Anime for Hard SF Fans Who Don’t Watch Anime
If all you know about anime is that it involves giant robots and annoyingly cute teenagers, come take another look — there’s a lot of science fiction anime that’s well-written, beautifully directed, and even tries to get the science right. Learn about what’s out there and then watch a selection of the best, including The Wings of Honnêamise, East of Eden, and Time of Eve.
Presented by Richie Edquid of our sister convention Anime Conji.
Saturday, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Anime Conji Presents: Transhuman Themes in Anime
Cyborgs, genetic engineering, and posthuman intelligences: anime that explores the limitations of humanity, how to overcome them, and what it means to be human at that point. Learn about what’s out there and then watch a selection of the best, including Ghost in the Shell, Guyver, and Ergo Proxy.
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The Governor General's Children's Text Winners
View all Canadian Children's Awards book lists; This list was last updated on 10/8/2014Edit
The Governor General's Literary Awards – known affectionately as “the GGs” – were first awarded in 1936. The GGs were initiated by Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan), a prolific writer himself who published more than 100 works in his lifetime. Each year, the Governor General's Literary Awards honour the best in Canadian literature. As Canada's national literary awards, the GGs represent the rich diversity of Canadian literature. Some 1,600 books are submitted each year from English and French-language publishers representing authors, translators and illustrators from across Canada, in seven categories: Fiction, Poetry, Drama,
Galahad Schwartz
by: Morgan Nyberg
Young Galahad lives in the South American jungle, where he plays with snakes and crocodiles. His parents are adventurers and Nobel Prize-winning authors. But when they fail to return from an expedition in their hot-air balloon Galahad must leave the jungle to live with his grandfather in a North American slum. In this alien and fascinating world he encounters both evil and magic. Join Galahad and the other main characters - his street-musician grandfather; blind and wheelchair-bound Wheels; Slim, who owns a tattoo parlour - as they confront the power-hungry exterminator, Creetch, who has invented a spray that makes people disappear. Boo the city's mayor, who would rather juggle on television than face the threat of Creetch. Cheer for the unlikely army of cockroaches, flies and pigeons who fight for our hero in his darkest hour. "In this warm and graceful story, the author achieves an artful blend of the mythological and the earthly." From the citation for the Governor General's Literary Awards (Canada)
The Third Magic
by: Welwyn Wilton Katz
Fifteen-year-old Morgan Lefevre is mistaken for one of her ancestors while visiting Tintagel, King Arthur's birthplace in England. In this vivid and innovative interpretation of the King Arthur legend, she is summoned through time to the alien world of Nwm. With her only companion, the boy Arduu, she is caught between the opposing cruelties of the two Magics, the Circle, and the Line, who have been fighting one another over the centuries and across many worlds. When Morgan and Arduu gain possession of an ancient sword of the Third Magic, Earth itself is drawn into the struggle. Times and worlds merge as Morgan is brought face to face with her own destiny. The Third Magic will appeal to young readers of fantasy and mythology. An exciting new cover rejuvenates the earlier edition.
by: Diana Wieler
A.J. Brandiosa becomes the bad boy of the Cyclone hockey team, and learns that his best friend is gay, as he tries to cope with his own sexuality during his senior year in high school.
by: Michael Bedard
Certain that the apartment he and his mother have rented is haunted, Cass discovers that Mr. Magnus, the landlord, who is the object of much fear in the neighborhood, is hiding a dark evil. Reprint. AB.
Pick-Up Sticks
by: Sarah Ellis
Thirteen-year-old Polly loves life with her single-parent mom (a stained-glass artist), her quirky best friend Vanessa (who has a crush on their English teacher), and her endearing neighbor Ernie Protheroe (who collects postal codes and TV theme songs). But when the house they live in is sold, Polly's perfect life seems to vanish overnight. Her mom doesn't have much luck finding them an affordable place to live. And Polly is beginning to think that having a father and a conventional lifestyle wouldn't be such a bad idea. As an interim solution, Polly goes to stay with her affluent relatives. But Uncle Roger turns out to be crass and chilly, his wife is self-indulgent, and their daughter, Polly's teenage cousin, is on a shoplifting spree. With humor and compassion, Sarah Ellis portrays adolescent enlightenment, as Polly discovers that like the child's game of pick-up sticks, each part of life touches every other and cannot be disturbed without affecting the whole.
Hero of Lesser Causes
by: Julie Johnston
World War II has just been won, and everything seems possible to young Keely Connor. She sees herself as a hero on a white charger, able to conquer the world, even though in reality her charger is Lola, the placid horse that lives in the field behind her house.
One fateful summer day her brother Patrick is stricken with polio. Here is an enemy Keely cannot conquer. With all the will in the world, she cannot pass on to Patrick her zest or her energy or her own good health. Keely's battle to save Patrick has become one of the classics of Canadian children's literature and, in translations, around the world. This beautifully redesigned edition will capture the hearts of a whole new generation of readers.
Some of the Kinder Planets
by: Tim Wynne-Jones
Cluny wants to publish a magazine for people with funny names, while Fletcher pastes the names of all the places he wants to visit on his body, in this funny collection of nine wacky short stories. Reprint. SLJ. AB. H.
Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me
“If you don't want your heart broken, don't let on you have one.”
Sara Moone is an expert on broken hearts. She is a foster child who has been bounced from home to home, but now she is almost sixteen and can not live in the system forever. She vows that she will live in a cold, white place where nobody can hurt her again.
But there is one more placement in store for Sara. She is sent to live with the Huddlestons on their sheep farm. There, despite herself, Sara learns that there is no escape from love. It has a way of catching you off guard, even when you try to turn your back.
When it was published in 1994, Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me won every major children's book award in Canada. Since then it has appeared in countries around the world. Its story of love and longing strikes a universal chord.
A Grand piano dangling from a helicopter over the desolate wilderness:to Burl Crow, on the run from his father, it offers a glimps of something rich and strange, a sign of a world beyond his own.
Burl finds himself following the piano's trajectory until, cold, wet and starving, he emerges from the bush onto an isolated lake to hear music -- piano music, unlike any he's ever heard.
It's here he meets Nathaniel Orlando Gow, the Maestro, standing on the deck of a remote cabin, conducting as if he were surrounded by an orchestra rather than a forest and lake. In just one day his eccentric genius changes Burl's life forever -- opening him up to a world her never imagined, one he will fight to keep, even if it means telling the biggest lie of his life.
by: Paul Yee
Left behind in China by her father, who has gone to North America to find work, Choon-yi has made her living by selling her paintings in the market. When her father writes one day and asks her to join him, she joyously sets off, only to discover that he has been killed. Choon-yi sees the railway and the giant train engines that her father died for, and she is filled with an urge to paint them. But her work disappoints her until a ghostly presence beckons her to board the train where she meets the ghosts of the men who died building the railway. Will Choon-yi find a way to make peace with her father's death? Ghostly, magical, and redeeming, this masterful tale is superbly illustrated by Harvey Chan.
Awake and Dreaming
by: Kit Pearson
Theo and her young, irresponsible mother seem trapped in their miserable, poverty-stricken life. Theo dreams of belonging to a “real” family, and her dream seems to come true when she is mysteriously adopted by the large, warm Kaldor family.
But as time passes, the magic of Theo's new life begins to fade, and soon she finds herself back with her mother. Were the Kaldors real or just a dream? And who is the shadowy figure who haunts Theo's thoughts?
The Hollow Tree
by: Janet Lunn
It is 1777, and Phoebe is thrown headlong into the turmoil of war when her beloved cousin is hanged as a British spy. When she finds his secret message to the British general, she decides to deliver it herself to Fort Ticonderoga. She has never been away from her small village, and knows nothing about survival in the wilderness, or dealing with warring Patriots and Tories. She's going to need help to survive . . . but whose?
"A tense, atmospheric story . . . Brings to life this important chapter in American history." (Booklist )
A Screaming Kind Of Day
by: Rachna Gilmore
Winner of the 1999 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature - Text
"This wonderful book is a carefully composed collection of moments during one of those days when parents experience exasperation. Rachna Gilmore, a talented author,magically captures a child's overbrimming love of life and irrepressible spirit of mischief and rebellion. This is not abook with a message; rather, it is a sweet story told in exquisite fashion. A Screaming Kind of Day is an engaging, "singing in the rain" book which children will love to read."
— Jury Statement, 1999 Governor General's Literary Awards, Children's Literature Text.
Looking for X
by: Deborah Ellis
Smart and independent, 11-year-old Khyber lives with her mom, Tammy, a former stripper, and her autistic twin brothers in a poor Toronto neighborhood. Though she doesn't have a lot in common with her classmates, Khyber does have wonderfully eccentric friends: Valerie, Toronto's meanest waitress, and X, a homeless woman in hiding from the secret police.” Despite having to deal with pompous social workers who make her mother cry and ignorant kids who make remarks about her brothers, Khyber manages to enjoy herself, poring over atlases, planning exotic journeys, and taking peanut butter sandwiches to X. But when Tammy decides to move her sons to a group home for proper care, Khyber's world starts to crumble. She fights with her mom and then gets expelled from school. To make matters worse, X suddenly disappears. Khyber sets out to find her in a wild all-night odyssey of self-discovery.
by: Arthur Slade
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW DISAPPEARS one day on a walk into Horshoe, a dust bowl farm town in Depression-era Saskatchewan. Other children go missing just as a strange man named Abram Harsich appears in town. He dazzles the townspeople with the promises of a rainmaking machine. Only Matthew's older brother Robert seems to be able to resist Abram's spell, and to discover what happened to Matthew and the others.
“A remarkably effective sense of atmosphere.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“Choose it for science-fiction fans who are ready for something a little different.”—School Library Journal, Starred
“Beautifully written novel . . . strong character development, an authentic setting, and some genuinely spooky moments.”—VOYA, Starred
A Governor General's Award for Children's Literature
An ALA Best Books for Young Adults
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl
by: Martha Brooks
It would have been the easiest and the best thing, Noreen thought, to just get back in the truck and take off. But she couldn't think of where to go. In fact, she couldn't think at all.
by: Glen Huser
Travis lives in a trailer park outside a small prairie town with his aunt, uncle, and a pack of rowdy little cousins. His mother, a country-and-western singer, is on the road a lot; his father is long gone. When things get crazy at his place he can always go visit his best friend, Chantelle, a smart disabled girl. Travis doesn't mind being poor and having strange relatives. But he knows he's different from his junior high classmates in other ways, too. He loves to sew and play with puppets. He wants to become a professional puppeteer. These interests make Travis a ripe target for Shon and his friends, the school bullies. As ninth grade graduation approaches and Travis and his friends (including Shon's girlfriend) create a puppet production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the taunts and schoolyard ambushes escalate until Shon's anger, jealousy, and prejudice erupt in violence.
This touching story of the trials and tribulations of adolescence resonates with young adult readers.
by: Kenneth Oppel
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface.
The Crazy Man
by: Pamela Porter
It is 1965, and 12-year-old Emaline, living on a wheat farm, must deal with a family that is falling apart. When her dog, Prince, chases a hare into the path of the tractor, she chases after him, and her father accidentally runs over her leg, leaving her with a long convalescence and a permanent disability. Even worse, from Emaline's point of view, is that in his grief and guilt, her father shoots Prince and leaves Emaline and her mother on their own.
Despite the neighbors' disapproval, Emaline's mother hires Angus, a patient from the local mental hospital, to work their fields. Angus is a red-haired giant whom the local children tease and call "the gorilla." Though the small town's prejudice creates a cloud of suspicion around Angus that nearly results in tragedy, he just may hold the key to Emaline's coming to grips with her injury and the loss of her father.
Pirate's Passage
by: William Gilkerson
Off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1952, fierce winds force a small boat into port. The boat's pilot, the eccentric Captain Charles Johnson, takes up residence at the small inn run by Jim and his mother. With each day, the captain's presence becomes more valuable to the family as they struggle to keep the inn open for business—and his background becomes more mysterious as Jim discovers how much he knows about the lives and battles of the old-time pirates.
Who is this man whose compelling stories bring to life in such detail the day-to-day experience of sailing on a pirate ship? And how can he possibly know so much about how it feels to grow up among the Vikings; about how Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth plotted their victories; about the loves of Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen of Ireland?
by: John Ibbitson
Will Ben ever escape the Landing? The hardscrabble farm on the shores of Lake Muskoka can't generate a living, so Ben's Uncle Henry sells goods and gas to cottagers from the dock known as Cooks Landing. It had never been much of a living and since the Depression hit, it's even less.
Ben's thinking a lot these days, and it's making him miserable. He's thinking about how unfair it is that his uncle only cares about work. He's thinking about what he really wants to do: play the violin. These days, he's lucky to snatch the odd bit of practice between chores, playing to the chickens in the henhouse.
A new job fixing up the grand old cottage on nearby Pine Island seems at first to be just one more thing to keep Ben away from his violin. After he meets the island's owner, Ben changes his mind. Ruth Chapman is a cultured and wealthy woman from New York who introduces Ben to an unfamiliar, liberating world. After Ben plays violin for Ruth and her admiring friends, it only makes him more desperate to flee. Then, during a stormy night on Lake Muskoka, everything changes.
by: Caroline Pignat
Governor General's Literary Award winner 2009
CLA Children's Book of the Year Award shortlist, 2009
Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People 2009 finalist
Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards shortlist, 2010
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009"Starred Choice
Pennsylvania School Library Association Top 40 Fiction, 2009
Red Maple Book Award nominee 2010
Rocky Mountain Book Award Shortlist, 2011
Kit Byrne's family is a strong one, but their strength and unity are being severely tested, as life becomes more and more desperate in 19th century rural Ireland. Lord Fraser is the wealthy landowner, from which the Byrne's and many other families rent their lands. When the potato blight hits, the farmers can no longer make their payments much less produce food for themselves, and the cruel system has no mercy as Lord Fraser wields an iron fist, driving families from their homes and burning their cottages.
Kit's dreams are now dashed as her family experiences a series of tragedies, and as she undergoes a daunting event that tears her away from her family. With her father dead, she must fight for survival and help her ailing mother and siblings escape Ireland for good.
This story is a glimpse into the tragic events of the Great Hunger, the famine that devastated Ireland, forcing thousands of impoverished families to seek better livelihoods outside of their homeland.
Fishtailing
by: Wendy Phillips
release date: Oct 01, 2010
Teen violence, bullying and the burning quest to fit in are presented in the poems of four unforgettable high school students: Natalie, Kyle, Tricia, Miguel. Their stories unfold in this explosive new book told in free verse. A story of teen angst like no other, it is based on fictional characters but is rooted in the realities of the teen experience.
When Natalie moves to a new high school she befriends three unwitting victims into her spider-web of manipulations, lies and deceit. Through the poetry and assignments of an English class we glimpse the world of the four teens. Natalie, whose alcoholic parents, years of neglect and ultimate rape by her father's friend has shaped her into a cruel and manipulative teen; Tricia, dealing with her blended family, is drawn into Natalies' forbidden world of partying and rebellion; Kyle, a would-be musician is in love with Tricia and Miguel who lusts for Natalie while hiding the secrets of his family.
The story weaves us through their poetry, their lives and culminates at a party where the four lives fishtail out of control. English class will never be the same.
From Then to Now
by: Christopher Moore
Just 50,000 years ago, our hunter-gatherer ancestors ventured off the African savannah and into the wider world. Now, our technology reaches far out into the cosmos. How did we get to where we are today?
With lively text and colorful illustrations, From Then to Now explains how individual societies struggled to find their own paths, despite war, disease, slavery, natural disasters, and the relentless growth of human knowledge. From Hammurabi to Henry Ford, from Incan couriers to the Internet, from the Taj Mahal to the Eiffel Tower, from Marco Polo to Martin Luther King, from Cleopatra to Catherine the Great, from boiled haggis to fried tarantulas – this is no less than the story of humanity. It's the story of how we grew apart over all those years of migration and division, and how – as we recognize our common heritage and our often mixed ancestry – we can come together.
An index, maps, and notes make this a must-have reference, as well as a delight to read and to discuss. From Then to Now is bound to create a generation of history buffs!
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
by: Susin Nielsen
Darker than her previous novels, Susin peoples this novel about the ultimate cost of bullying with a cast of fabulous characters, dark humour, and a lovable, difficult protagonist struggling to come to terms with the horrible crime his brother has committed.
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US mail bomb suspect pleads not guilty in New York
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A Florida man accused of sending 16 pipe bombs last month to critics of President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday in US federal court in New York to all counts.
Cesar Sayoc, 56, is an avowed Trump supporter and registered Republican. He could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on all counts, according to federal prosecutors.
Sayoc's targets ranged from former president Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden to Trump's presidential rival Hillary Clinton, actor Robert De Niro and billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
None of the bombs exploded and most were not delivered to their intended recipient.
US federal judge Jed Rakoff set a trial start date of July 15, 2019.
The charges against Sayoc include five counts of use of a weapon of mass destruction, five counts of interstate transportation of explosives, and five counts of threatening interstate communications.
Allegedly included with the bombs was a print-out or photograph of his intended victim marked with a red X.
Sayoc was also charged five times with illegal use of mail, five times with carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony and five times with use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Sayoc, who has a criminal history and lived in a white truck plastered with pro-Trump and anti-Democrat stickers, was arrested in Florida five days after the first device was discovered in Soros's upstate New York mailbox, following a massive manhunt.
The episode heightened political tensions in the lead-up to the November 6 US midterm elections, which saw Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives while Republicans retained control of the Senate.
Police found Sayoc's fingerprints and DNA on the packages.
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Group Captain A. P. CHAMBERLAIN
(Copied from the Locking Review Vol. 1 No. 5 1959)
Group Captain Chamberlain joined the Royal Air Force on 7th October, 1933, and was posted to No. 9 (Bomber) Squadron. He served with this Squadron until October, 1938, and then attended the Imperial College of Science and Technology for a period of three years. In May, 1941, he went to the United States of America and served on the British Air Commission in Washington until January, 1942. He then returned to England and was posted to H. Q. Air Defence of Great Britain. In September, 1944, he was posted to Austria, and was attached first to the Control Commission and then to the Air Division Control Commission, where he served until August 1946. From this post he was sent to Italy, where he was a member of the Air Headquarters Staff. On the 1st October, 1952, he returned to England and went to H. Q. Flying Training Command in the capacity of Command Engineering Officer. He served on Flying Training Command until December, 1955, and then returned overseas to H. Q. (Unit) 3 Group, stationed in. Germany with 2nd T. A. F., where he assumed the post of S. P. S. O. After two years in Germany he was posted to R. A. F. Locking, and on the 21st April, 1958, assumed command of the station. He is leaving Locking to fill the post of Deputy Director of Works Study at Air Ministry, and will take up this position on 25th May this year.
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Co-op housing goes beyond the commune
Matthew Teitelbaum September 22 1980
Co-op housing goes beyond the commune Matthew Teitelbaum September 22 1980
Matthew Teitelbaum
Two years ago, secretary Betty Sayman’s biggest concern as a single parent was to find a welcoming community for her teen-age son—a real home instead of their unsatisfactory space in a 14-storey Toronto apartment building. “It was cold and uninviting,” she recalls. “There was no sense of responsibility, no involvement, no caring. It was little more than a place to eat and sleep.” Like many Canadians on low or fixed incomes, she had given up on the dream of owning a house. But she was stumped. How could a sense of belonging and commitment be built into a few temporarily possessed rooms in yet another anonymous apartment complex? In desperation, Sayman reached out for an alternative she knew little about—and became one of 67 members of Toronto’s Dentonia Park housing project. Now she takes special pleasure in having found her own answer to the housing crisis—co-operatively.
Sayman is one of an increasing number of Canadians who, as partners in residential communities where homes are owned, managed and often even built by the co-op as a whole, are embracing in the more urgent ’80s what in the ’60s seemed a mere fad. Pushed by dwindling housing alternatives and pulled by new government aid programs, co-op housing is nosing into the
mainstream. In just under two years, the number of co-op housing units in Canada has almost doubled, not incidentally at a time when house prices continue to rise. By year’s end, about 14,000 units in close to 200 projects across the country will be home for roughly 60,000 Canadians.
Though the co-op movement is strongest in urban areas and therefore almost nonexistent in Atlantic Canada, its growth has been slow but steady since the first government-supported continuing co-op, Winnipeg’s Willow P, irk, was opened in 1965. “The co-oper-
ative community is like a small village,” says Chris Smith, president of Toronto’s Lantana Non-profit Homes. “You give up a certain amount of privacy but gain a wide support network.” While coop members come from a wide range of backgrounds, many are lower-middle income and most are former apartment dwellers embittered by tales of short-term eviction and mercilessly increasing rents. Most co-op dwellers take particular pride in denying land developers and landlords their predatory profits, a satisfaction highlighted in a recent Ontario survey: co-op housing payments, including utilities, increase by only 4.5 per cent each year.
But if the special rewards of co-op living are not paid for in money, members point out that costs are reduced through their commitment of off-hours work time to co-op upkeep. In Betty Sayman’s project, for example, members cleaned the construction site every weekend, saving the time of skilled tradesmen and thousands of dollars in the process. In the day-to-day operations of all co-ops, members concern themselves with everything from landscaping to setting budget priorities.
If there is a drawback in the system, it stems from its very strength: the
democratic process. Unlike homeowners, members can easily find themselves on the losing side of an issue and have little choice but to breathe deeply and forget it. As well, some people have trouble with the inevitable cliquishness and gossip within the community. But co-op converts explain that they find the chattiness a sign of neighborly concern. Says Sayman fondly, “We even got to know members before we moved in.” This comforting version of the extended family meets the special needs of groups particularly dissatisfied with conventional housing choices. Single
parents are pleased to find an environment that is genuinely supportive of their children. Says Linda Strong, a project co-ordinator with Vancouver’s Columbia Housing advisory service: “I have friends and companions who share my experience—I feel finally that I have real emotional support.” Five cooperatives for newly arrived immigrants have been established in the past two years, and a 30-unit co-operative for women is being organized in Toronto. In many projects, prospective members are involved in the planning of their co-op, which allows for special consideration. Joyce Hubley of Ottawa had a terrible time finding adequate living arrangements for herself and her three children when she was confined to a wheelchair five years ago. She moved with relief into Ottawa’s l’Auberge coop for the handicapped when it opened two years ago. “I got tired of sitting around watching the dust gather,” she says. “There were things I couldn’t do, shelves I couldn’t reach. Now I’m pretty well self-sufficient—almost everything is at arm’s length.”
In the past two years, housing ministries at the federal and provincial levels have come to realize that co-operative projects deserve solid government encouragement. Says Bob Garrod, a director at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): “Co-ops are a way to put affordable low-cost housing on the market.” In his view, it diffuses the government-as-landlord stigma associated with public housing projects. In May of 1978, CMHC unveiled its present stimulative co-op program, fully guaranteeing mortgages that coop associations negotiate with private moneylenders. Under the direction of government-sponsored co-operative housing resource groups, these co-op associations are formed to choose land, contract out various construction jobs and guide their project to completion. Monthly interest is then dropped from the market rate to just two per cent for three years, after which it is increased gradually until the mortgage is paid off. Although expenses run anywhere from five to 15 per cent below comparable housing on the open market, provincial subsidy programs are also available.
While enthusiasts expect that co-op growth will continue, many outsiders still consider co-operative communities a mystical holdover from the ’60s— great for the young and carefree but not a very serious way to live. Co-op converts recognize that their gargantuan challenge is to convince the skeptical that they really are no different—that they too want a home of their own. Says Betty Sayman: “This is my secure place for my old age and I almost missed out on it because I thought co-ops were communes.”
A voice out of time
September 1980 By Roy MacGregor
AN EXERCISE IN FAILURE
Profile: George McMullen
A feel for the past
September 1980 By Claire Gerus
Festival of Festivals
September 1980 By Marsha Boulton
This Canada
History defrosting
September 1980 By Peter Carlyle-Gordge
A question of taste
PRIVATE LIVES AND OPEN POLITICS
STRONG FAMILY TIES
January 1988 By CHRIS WOOD
Shaking a leg for fitness
March 1981 By John Faustmann
Blank ballots in a full history
May 1980 By Matthew Teitelbaum
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Coolers heat the market
VICTOR DWYER March 21 1988
Coolers heat the market VICTOR DWYER March 21 1988
They are light and fizzy, sweet and fruity and they come in such cutely named flavors as “berry berry” and “frosty peach.” And in the seven years since coolers first entered the North American market, sales of the bubbly blends of wine, beer, spirits, fruit flavors and carbonated water have grown faster than any other kind of alcoholic beverage. As the spritzy cocktails exploded in popularity, they reshaped the industry and fuelled a cutthroat market-share battle. But cooler sales are now levelling off, and some industry insiders question whether or not there are still significant profits to be made in that oncemushrooming sector. Said Peter Knox, marketing manager for T. G. Bright and Co. Ltd. of Niagara Falls, Ont.: “The big guys are spending tremendously. Whoever can afford to shout the loudest will get the biggest market share.”
When wine coolers first appeared in California in 1981, both U.S. and Canadian wine sales were sluggish, and, for health reasons, there was a general trend away from alcohol of all kinds. In fact, alcohol consumption has dropped by almost 25 per cent in Canada over the past five years. Indeed, consumption of hard liquor has declined at the same time as the cooler market has boomed. Wine-based cooler sales more than doubled each year since 1981, and in 1987 the sale of wine-, beerand spirit-based coolers exceeded $2 billion in North America. As a result, most major vintners, brewers and distillers on the continent have entered the compe-
tition. Distilling giant The Seagram Co. Ltd. of Montreal spent more than $50 million on advertising to become the industry pace-setter with sales of $350 million in 1987. And some analysts say that competition is so intense that some cooler producers are forgoing profits now in an attempt to hold onto to their market share.
Coolers were invented by two California surfing friends, one a frustrated beer salesman, the other a commodities trader. In 1981 Michael Crete and Stuart Bewley began bottling a
home-made citrus-andwine concoction that Crete had developed in college during the 1970s. Their drink was so popular among their friends that they formed a company to distribute it. And in just three years their California Coolernamed to convey lightness and refreshmentgenerated sales of $100 million.
Crete and Bewley’s invention was timely, especially because of the continent’s ebbing alcohol sales. As well, the Canadian wine industry’s problems were compounded by high federal taxes and competition from cheap European wines. In 1983 the profits of such major vintners as Bright’s and Andrés Wines Ltd. of Winona, Ont., fell by 10 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, while across the country sales of all domestic wine dropped by 14 per cent. As a result, some concerned Canadian vintners carefully watched the launch and success of California Cooler, and in 1984 Mississauga, Ont.-based Ridout Wines Ltd. decided to cash in with what company officials named Canada Cooler. It was an immediate hit and is still the most popular wine-based cooler in Canada, with sales of more than $3 million in 1987. Since 1984 the trade in wine-, beerand spirit-based coolers in Canada has grown to include 16 companies—10 vintners, three distillers and three breweries—marketing 50 different cooler brands.
In the United States, where the sector’s growth was even more spectacular, there has been a dramatic consolidation. Five companies now sell 75 per cent of all coolers, and Seagram and the giant Gallo Wine Co. of California generate 50 per cent of all sales.
Many analysts say that they believe the cooler market in Canada and the United States has now peaked, and that a fierce struggle for market share is taking place. In fact, in the United States, cooler sales increased by 12 per cent in 1987 after jumping by 66 per cent in the previous year. And in Canada, industry spokesmen are predicting that sales will level off by 1989. As a result, only those firms with strong financial and marketing muscle will be able to hold their own or increase their market shares. In
fact, cooler manufacturers are now spending four times as much on advertising a case of coolers as they do on a case of wine, and they are spending seven times as much on cooler advertising as on beer promotions. According to Impact, an industry marketing magazine based in New York City, U.S. cooler-makers spent almost $200 million advertising their products last year, with Gallo and Seagram spending between $50 million and $65 million each.
Seagram has led the pack in North America. Its Canadian sales of all coolers —both wineand spiritbased—reached $15.5 million last year, giving the firm a commanding 27 per cent of the $57.4-million national market. And its operations in the United States have 24 per cent of that country’s $2-billion cooler mar-
ket. As well, the cooler revolution has offset declining sales in some of Seagram’s hard-liquor brands. Sales of its once-popular 7 Crown rye whisky dropped by almost 10 per cent in 1986, while six of its top 10 brands of spirits slipped by an average of 36 per cent over the past decade.
Coolers also play another key role in Seagram’s long-term strategy. Last week the huge company agreed to purchase Tropicana Products Inc., one of the largest fruit-juice companies in the United States, for $1.5 billion. Company officials in Toronto say that the coolers have become so popular
that curious consumers actually go on to sample Seagram’s more traditional product line. Said Rudi Tomiczek, project manager for Seagram in Toronto: “Our coolers can provide a direct spinoff to our hard spirits. Drinkers start with a Seagram’s cooler, but in a few years they may be drinking V.O. or Captain’s Rum.”
As well, coolers, especially spiritbased coolers, get a break from the high taxes and the strict advertising regulations that apply to the Canadian alcohol industry. In 1987 the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ruled that spirit-based coolers could be advertised on television because their alcoholic content is less than six per cent, compared to hard liquor’s 40 per cent. Meanwhile, taxes on the premixed coolers are about one-third as high as
the routine 120 per cent on spirits.
Seagram’s success in the United States and Canada reveals as much about the volatile and trend-driven cooler market as it does about Seagram’s aggressive marketing strategy. According to Patricia Clarke, managing editor of the Ontario-based trade publication Beverage Alcohol Reporter, Seagram’s decision to promote different coolers in diverse markets reflects the company’s willingness to promote whatever will most appeal to young, trend-seeking consumers. Added Clarke: “Seagram’s has been concerned with one thing only: who is ahead of them and how to get past that player.”
At the same time, Seagram’s introduction of new cooler flavors, including wild berry and peach, has become popular with consumers who had become bored with the original citrusflavored wine-based coolers. In fact, in Ontario, Seagram’s Wildberry Vodka Cooler accounts for 30 per cent of all coolers in the province.
Other firms in the industry quickly reacted to Seagram’s advances. To keep pace, last year Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. of Windsor, Ont., purchased sixth-ranked Calvin Cooler, and last December Corby Distilleries Ltd. of Montreal countered by purchasing McGuinness Distillers Ltd. of Toronto, including its line of coolers, for $45 million. Said Corby vice-president Jacques Langevin: “With the market the way it is, we are delighted to get coolers into our portfolio.”
Despite the cost of getting into the already-crowded cooler market, two of the continent’s major brewers recently decided to involve themselves. Milwaukee-based Miller Brewing Co., the world’s second-largest brewer, spent $53 million last September to launch its Matilda Bay cooler. For its part, Montreal-based Molson Breweries of Canada Ltd. introduced Durango, a malt-based cooler, into Canada last fall. So far, the brewers’ coolers have not sold well, but officials at Miller Brewing remain optimistic. Said company spokesman Beverly Jurkowski: “Sure, some people are saying we got in too late but they are wrong, and we’ll prove they are wrong this summer.”
Despite that optimism, some industry experts are questioning the wisdom of such late entries. Said Seagram’s Tomiczek: “In Canada, at least, our studies have shown that all the companies are in. If you are not in by now, don’t bother trying to get in.” Still, with so much at stake, many companies appear to be willing to take the risks involved in getting in on the hot new cooler war.
VICTOR DWYER
NOSTALGIA TRIPS
From Dixie to the Rust Belt
March 1988 By MARCI McDONALD
TWENTY YEARS AFTER
THE MAGIC OF A REARVIW MIRROR
March 1988 By BOB LEVIN
Vancouver’s rock’n’roll explosion
March 1988 By NICHOLAS JENNINGS
Glitter in the desert
March 1988 By D'ARCY JENISH
Trapped in a fish war
September 1988 By MICHAEL ROSE
Financial flight plans
September 1988 By JOHN DALY
Tough times for a 200-year-old dream
September 1988 By BRIGID JANSSEN
March 1996 By VICTOR DWYER
SMALL-SCREEN MONSTERS
Prime-time sparks
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Top-level description 07 - Future Tasks of the Alliance - “Harmel Report”
AC/261-N/1..Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note informing of a change in the date and time of the next meeting. (20 March 1967) BIL 1
Part of 06 - Future Tasks of the Alliance - “Harmel Report”
AC/261-N/13(Revised). Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Provision of Additional Texts. Reports of the four sub-groups in the AC/261 series sent to certain delegations from F.C. Menne, Deputy Executive Secretary. (16 November 1967) ENG+FRE
AC/261-N/13. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Provision of additional texts. Reports of the four sub-groups in the AC/261 series sent to certain delegations from F.C. Menne, Deputy Executive Secretary. (2 November 1967) ENG+ FRE 1
AC/261-N/2..Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note informing delegations of the times at which the first meetings of the four sub-groups will be held. (31 March 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/3. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Reminder for members of Sub-group 3 that its first meeting would be held 13th April 1967. (7 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/4 (Revised) Addendum. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note on the Canadian changes to the composition of the four sub-groups. (12 May 1967) ENG 1
AC/261-N/4 (Revised). Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note on the composition of the four sub-groups. (17 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/4. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note on the composition of the four sub-groups. (12 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/5. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note from the Secretary informing the representatives of a change to upcoming meeting times. (14 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/6. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note by the Secretary of the Special Group on the composition of the four sub-groups (14 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/7. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note from the Secretary distributing additional documentation for Sub-group 2. (28 April 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/8. Special Group on the Future Task of the Alliance. Note listing meetings on 18, 19 and 23 May 1967 of the Special Group, Rapporteurs and Sub-Groups for the two weeks following Whitsun. (12 May 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-N/9. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note detailing changes in the Secretaries of sub-groups 1 and 2. (16 May 1967) BIL 1
AC/261-R. Statement by Canadian Representative (November 1967). ENG+FRE 1
AC/261-WP(67)1. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Note containing a declaration by the Secretary General during the first meeting of the group regarding preparation for the next meeting (9 March 1967) FRE 1
AC/261/D/23. Special Group on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. Progress report by the rapporteurs of Sub-group 1. (18 May 1967) ENG 1
APH(67)150. Reply from Mr. Hockaday, acting ASG for Economics and Finance, to the American Delegation’s date proposal for next meeting. (30 May 1967) ENG 1
APH/67/102. Memorandum from A. P. Hockaday, raising the question as to whether “external” help should be sought to implement the resolution on the Future Tasks of the Alliance. (19 April 1967) ENG 1
APH/67/168. A.P. Hockaday’s note for rapporteur sub-group 3 Mr. Kohler on the report of Sub-group 3. (8 June 1967) ENG 1
APH/67/280. Mr. Hockaday’s summary on the meeting held in Washington from 21-22 September. (26 September 1967) ENG 1
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Showing posts with label Veer Movie Wallpaper. Show all posts
Veer Movie Wallpaper Biography
The story was written by Salman Khan twenty years ago[8], who described it as his dream project.[9] At that time, Khan planned to direct the film himself and cast Sanjay Dutt in the lead role.[10] Veer is also partly based on the Russian novel Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol.[4] For his role as Veer, Salman Khan went on a special diet and worked out with a personal trainer.[11] For her role as a 19th century princess, Zarine Khan put on eight kilos of extra weight.[12]
Principal photography for Veer began on 1 December 2008. Portions of the film were originally scheduled to be shot at the College of Engineering and the Agricultural College in Pune, but due to the swine flu outbreak the locations were moved to Mumbai.[13] Other location shooting took place in Jaipur and Bikaner. Location shooting at Amber Fort in Jaipur was also interrupted when several onlookers were injured and the Rajasthan High Court ordered a halt to filming. A case was filed against Anil Sharma accusing the film crew of damaging the fort, violating several conservation laws and causing the structure's 500-year-old roof to collapse.[14] The crew finished their shoot after paying Rs. 20 lakh in damages.
Veer Film Promotion
Zarine Khan At The Veer Promotion
Labels: Veer Movie Wallpaper
Veer (Hindi: वीर) is a 2010 Hindi film directed by Anil Sharma, and starring Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan, Jackie Shroff and Zarine Khan.[3] The film, written by Salman Khan, set during the 1825 Pindari movement of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the British.
Veer was released on 22 January 2010.[4] It received a mainly negative critical reception and was declared a average performer at the Indian box office.Veer Pratap Singh (Salman Khan) is a Pindari Prince and the son of the great Pindari warrior, Prithvi Singh (Mithun Chakraborty), who was known for his great battles to free India from British rule. Veer wishes to continue his father's legacy by leading a movement of Pindaris against the British in order to free both the Rajasthani Kingdom of Madhavghar and the rest of India from the great colonial power. Veer receives the help of his younger brother, Punya Singh (Sohail Khan) in gathering together an army. However Veer finds opposition from the King of Madhavghar, Gyanendra Singh (Jackie Shroff), who sees Veer as a threat to Madhavghar and his rule and orders for Veer to be killed. Veer and Punya along with their supporters go into hiding within the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, while Singh makes an alliance with the British Governor of Rajasthan, James Fraser (Tim James Lawrence), saying that Madhavghar will support the British in crushing the Pindari movement and eliminating Veer.
Salaam Aaya Song - Veer
Surili Akhiyon Wale Hq Veer Full Music Video
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Commercial water harvesting
Letters — 20 September 2013 — by Charles Leslie, Jr.
A resource that we get plenty of, annually, and could be harvested and exported – RAIN WATER. Rainwater harvesting is a technique used for collecting, storing, and using rainwater for human consumption, landscape irrigation, farm irrigation and other uses. The rainwater is collected from various hard surfaces such as roof tops and/or other types of manmade above ground hard surfaces. This ancient practice is currently growing in popularity throughout the world due to interest in reducing the consumption of potable water and the inherent qualities of rainwater.
Rainwater harvesting advantages:
• Makes use of a natural resource and reduces flooding, storm water runoff, erosion, and contamination of surface water with pesticides, sediment, metals, and fertilizers.
• Reduces the need for imported water. In our case, we have plenty that we can export to those countries that are importing water.
• Excellent source of water for landscape irrigation, with no chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine, and no dissolved salts and minerals from the soil.
• Home systems can be relatively simple to install and operate and may reduce your water bill.
• Promotes both water and energy conservation.
• No filtration system required for landscape irrigation.
RATIONALE: Belize’s weather is characterized by two seasons: a rainy and a dry season. Most of the year’s rainfall occurs during the period June to November, that is, the rainy season. It is noted that the transition from dry to the rainy is very sharp. Annual rainfall ranges from 60 inches (1524mm) in the north to 160 inches (4064mm) in the south. Except for the southern regions, the rainfall is variable from year to year.
The onset of the rainy season begins in early May in Toledo (where the annual rainfall is highest), progressing north to the Stann Creek, Belize, Cayo and Orange Walk District in late May, followed by Corozal District in early June. In essence, Belize has been uniquely endowed with substantial surface and groundwater resources. A dependable tropical/subtropical rainfall pattern in the Northwest Caribbean region replenishes the freshwater resource after extended dry periods, which are often induced by recurrent atmospheric /oceanic phenomena such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and feedback mechanisms associated with climate change.
CHALLENGES: There seems to be several challenges with which Belize is faced with our water resources management. One of the primary challenges is the lack of coordinated and comprehensive policies and institutions. Demand on water resources is growing as the population increases, new economic opportunities are created, and the agriculture sector expands. This increased demand is placing new threats on the quality and quantity of freshwater resources. Other constant challenges for management entities are the constant threat of floods from tropical storms and hurricanes. The Belize National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is charged with flood management as they occur and Belize Water Service Ltd. (BWSL) is the water and sewage utility for the country, but it is unclear what institution has responsibility for storm water infrastructures.
PRAGMATISM: The Government of Belize should explore the incentives of commercial water harvesting. A portion of the infrastructure already exists – people’s roofs. Setting up large commercial catchment centers coupled with private roofs, especially in the South, may be beneficial for the entire country, and may also assist homeowners with an annual financial return, which could stimulate local further investment in this and other areas. This initiative would also potentially invite foreign investment. As an exported natural resource, this will translate into another source of money flowing into Belize and potentially increasing our Terms of Trade (TOT).
Water harvesting initiatives are on the rise all over the world, Example: In Texas, incentives are offered to encourage the purchase of rainwater harvesting equipment, with up to $40,000 in rebates available to businesses that install collection systems. Meanwhile, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona, installation of catchment systems on some new buildings is a legal requirement.
In conclusion, a nation-wide water harvesting initiative may accomplish many positive socioeconomic benefits for our country and people.
Charles Leslie, Jr.
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2014, Open Road Films, 115 min, USA, Dir: Jon Favreau
Writer-director Jon Favreau stars in this delicious comedy as chef Carl Casper, whose efforts to launch a restaurant in Los Angeles crash and burn. Returning to his native Miami, Carl hopes to bury the hatchet with his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara) and reclaim his spatula as proprietor of El Jefe Cubanos - a food truck he is determined to drive back to L.A. Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman and John Leguizamo are among the all-star cast.
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Sacrifice and Softball
Posted by Emily Proud
A college athlete knows what the word, “sacrifice,” means.
Whether it’s sacrificing time, sleep or participating in different activities, a college athlete has a good concept of sacrifice.
For a Belmont softball player, sacrifice is second nature.
Sophomore third-baseman Jess Andree has made the ultimate sacrifice in pre-enlisting to the army.
“Growing up I always knew it would be something cool to do with my life and make that commitment to serve my country,” said Andree.
Commitment is something Andree has learned through her lifelong journey playing softball.
“I’ve always had an idea of what I want to do, so I think that just kind of helped make the commitment easier and it’s not a question for me. I know I want to do it,” she said.
She started playing the game back when she was 9 years old and watching her older brother play baseball.
“I wanted to be like him, so I said I’ll play softball. That’s close, so I just started playing it and kind of fell in love with the game,” said Andree.
Andree experienced a very male-heavy childhood, always playing with the neighborhood boys and her brother’s friends. So she learned from an early age how to be tough and hold her own.
When she wasn’t playing around with the guys, she was out on the diamond perfecting her skill. The physical aspect of the game and workouts to prepare for competition translates to the battlefield, she said.
Now, Andree is not headed off to war quite yet. As of right now, she is considered on reserve until she graduates from Belmont.
Currently, she is part of the Reserve Officer Training Corps or ROTC program at Vanderbilt which entails workouts in the morning three days a week and class two times per week.
This is on top of her softball commitment and full course load at Belmont.
And there’s still the chance she could get called up to serve at any moment.
“I don’t think about it because it’s not very likely, but I think if it were to happen, I think I’d be O.K.,” said Andree.
In the meantime, Andree is focused on being as prepared as possible for her plan to enter the medical corps in the Army after finishing school. Through her preparations, she’s finding a lot of connections between her ROTC training and softball.
“Just last week I was talking to one my assistant coaches about how there’s so many lessons that we go over in class with ROTC that goes with athletics and softball,” she said.
Specifically, when it comes to teamwork.
“Last week our lesson was teamwork versus group work. How groups are more focused on the self, while teams are more focused on the whole,” said Andree. “I was like, ‘wow, that’s really applicable because a lot of teams will play as a group as more selfish and they don’t succeed so it’s kind of interesting to apply it to everything.’”
Although she’s taking classes for ROTC, she credits softball with teaching her a lot of valuable lessons.
“I think it’s helped me thus far to develop as a leader. Just knowing to take charge and when to do stuff and when to let other people take charge.”
Andree plans to take on a leadership role in the military, so she is thankful she has the ability to experience a team atmosphere through college softball.
“I’m going to be an officer, so I will be leading other people, a team of people, so I think it’s nice to go through a team environment and seeing how that works,” she said.
Although she is just a sophomore, Andree is already recognizing leadership qualities in herself and in her teammates who support her choice to pre-enlist.
“I think all of them have told me at some point that they would not be able to do it, and I they think it’s really cool that I do it,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to have their support.”
Although there’s an outpour of support from her teammates, Andree wasn’t sure how her family would react to her decision.
“I was nervous to tell my dad about it, and I didn’t think he would be on board with it because I’m his little girl. He doesn’t want me going off to war,” said Andree.
Luckily, she was wrong.
“My dad actually really surprised me,” said Andree. “He’s been nothing but supportive.”
With the support of her teammates and family, Andree is excited about the future. Although she has two years left, she is highly anticipating her assignment.
“Who knows where I’m going to end up, which is really scary for a lot of people, but I think it’s kind of cool to think about,” she said. “I could end up pretty much anywhere.”
Every day for Andree is one step closer to her dream of making the ultimate sacrifice.
Although it’s scary and unknown, there is no doubt in Andree’s mind this is meant to happen.
“It just feels like what I should be doing.”
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Hollingsworth leads softball’s offense after injury
VIDEO: Bruin Blitz Feb. 19-25
VIDEO: Bruin Blitz Episode 11 Feb. 4-Feb. 11
VIDEO: Bruin Blitz Episode 10 Jan. 29-Feb. 3
Nordista Freeze hosts Fourth of July pool party. https://t.co/6i02ZO8lNC https://t.co/fK6tYq8beJ
Four of Nashville’s leading mayoral candidates took the stage at Belmont’s McAfee Concert Hall for a heated debate… https://t.co/YSVyZlTBqZ
This year's Nashville Pride celebrated how far LGBT right have come, and what the community hopes for in the coming… https://t.co/xFMFXXkFCP
Follow @belmontvision
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Popular former player returns as new boss
27th November 2018 |Club News |
Home / First Team News / Popular former player returns as new boss
Welcome back to Homelands, Tommy!
The experienced and highly regarded Tommy Warrilow has made an emotional return to Homelands as the new manager of Ashford United.
Warrilow, who served Ashford Town with distinction as a player, has managed Tonbridge Angels, Cray Wanderers and Thamesmead Town during his successful career in the dugout but says the opportunity to return to Homelands was one he wanted to take: “The chance to manage Ashford was too good to turn down. The club is well respected within non-league circles and I truly believe that some exciting times are ahead with the project the club has in place to build on and off the field.
“As soon as the club contacted me, I spoke to Gary Alexander to discuss the situation and I feel comfortable moving forward. I would like to thank Don Crosbie and the board of directors for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to building on the position we are in currently and hope to challenge for promotion at the end of the season.”
Warrilow won promotion to National League South from the Ryman Premier Division during a seven year reign with Tonbridge Angels.
He then went on to manage Cray Wanderers, where he enjoyed further success. Following his appointment in January 2015, he pulled off the great escape, masterminding 10 wins in a row to avoid relegation.
Ashford United chairman Derek Pestridge is clearly delighted to welcome Warrilow back to the club: “On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Tommy for agreeing to succeed Gary Alexander as our new manager.
“Tommy is a popular figure, dating back to the Ashford Town days. His name has come up in the past and the demise of Thamesmead Town has allowed us to move quickly to secure his services because many other clubs have also been interested in his services.
“Tommy is impressed by the club’s long-term plans for the future. He will be working with the same budget as Gary and like all supporters, I’m excited to see him back at Homelands.
“Tommy has vast experience, a large network of contacts, and, more importantly, is a very respected figure in Kent football circles.”
Warrilow, a UEFA B licenced coach, played for Millwall and Torquay United professionally as well as abroad in Australia and Finland during his playing career. In Non-League, the former central defender turned out for Crawley Town, Maidstone United, Canterbury City, Gravesend & Northfleet, Tonbridge Angels, Hythe Town, Sittingbourne, Ashford Town, Dartford, Folkestone and Cray Wanderers.
During his two seasons as a player with Ashford Town, in 1995/96 and 1996/97, Tommy made a total of 90 appearances, scoring 17 goals. During the 1995/96 season, he was a key part of the team that finished as runners-up and earned promotion to the Dr Martens Premier League.
Warrilow was also an influential part of the Ashford Town team that enjoyed famous FA Cup runs under manager Neil Cugley. During the 1995/96 season, the club reached the first round proper before losing to Bognor Regis in a replay. The following season saw the Nuts & Bolts reach the second round, before losing at Watford.
Warrilow, who takes charge with immediate effect, will be assisted by his long-term number two Alex O’Brien.
Welcome back, Tommy!
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Seo Kang-joon (born Lee Seung-hwan on October 12, 1993) is a South Korean actor and singer who is a member of the group 5urprise. He gained recognition
Park Seo-joon (born Park Yong-gyu on December 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas Kill Me, Heal
The Third Charm
South Korean television series directed by Pyo Min-soo and starring Seo Kang-joon and Esom. It explores the real side of relationships between couples
first ever actor group, which consists of five actors: Seo Kang-joon, Gong Myung, Yoo Il, Kang Tae-oh and Lee Tae-hwan. 5urprise was launched by talent
Something About Us (TV series)
is an upcoming 2019 romance South Korean television series starring Seo Kang-joon. It is based on the popular webtoon of the same title by Lee Yun-ji
Retrieved August 18, 2018. "Kang-joon, Seung-yeon open era of 'AI love story'". Kpop Herald. November 29, 2017. "Seo Kang-joon, Gong Seung-yeon to ask 'Are
Watcher (TV series)
WATCHER) is a South Korean television series starring Han Suk-kyu, Seo Kang-joon and Kim Hyun-joo. It currently airs on OCN every Saturday and Sunday
Splendid Politics
television series starring Cha Seung-won, Lee Yeon-hee, Kim Jaewon, Seo Kang-joon, Han Joo-wan and Jo Sung-ha. It aired on MBC from April 13 to September
Cheese in the Trap (TV series)
a South Korean television series starring Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Seo Kang-joon and Lee Sung-kyung. It aired on the cable network tvN on Mondays and
Entourage (South Korean TV series)
RR: Anturaji) is a South Korean television series starring Cho Jin-woong, Seo Kang-joon, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Jung-min and Lee Dong-hwi. It is a black comedy
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Home Uncategorised Toronto Based Painter John Adams – “Capturing the Moment”
Toronto Based Painter John Adams – “Capturing the Moment”
written by admin April 19, 2016
Throughout the decades, the term “movie” has been referred to as the big screen, the silver screen, widescreen, film or cinema and has often denoted a shared amount of time with a shared audience; a shared experience that has the potential to populate the popular imagination beyond a viral internet YouTube moment.
Toronto-based painter John Abrams has been “capturing the moment” of classic film through his paintings for the past decade or so, referencing glamour and drama through iconic performers and staged settings which have, over time, become part of our shared collective consciousness. Films such as Godard’s 1960 classic “Breathless”, starring Jean Seberg, or the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 “Rear Window” starring Grace Kelly and James Stewart or more recently the 1992 “Orlando” film, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf and starring film performer Tilda Swinton, have all become part of the Abrams paint palette.
click here to view video – Seeing Seberg
Through his paintings, Abrams suspends the motion of the film, allowing viewers to reflect on classic cinematic images that remain part of our societal landscape. In reviewing his solo exhibition at McMaster University in 2008, Heidi Kellett states that the paintings translate the film images, in order to “interrogate not only the state of figurative painting, but also the tendency of popular culture to absorb and transcribe film into the realm of everyday life”.
In his interview with writer RM Vaughan for the National Post, Abrams insists, “painting needs to have a conversation with film and video, because film is the dominant visual media of our time. ” The artist states further that his approach to painting “ allows me to communicate to the viewer in a common vocabulary and offers a point of entry into the ongoing dialogues that make up contemporary culture.”
John Abrams holds an MFA from York University and is an associate of the Ontario College of Art and Design. A founding and current member of Loop Gallery in Toronto, where he shows on a regular basis, the artist is represented by Boltax Gallery in New York and Evans Contemporary in Peterborough.
Abrams’ work is represented in many important permanent collections including the National Gallery of Canada and Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Art Gallery of Windsor, McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, McDonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Oshawa, University of Toronto Art Centre [UTAC], Doris McCarthy Art Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art [MOCCA], Toronto, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Memorial University, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College Art Gallery, Corner Brook, NFL, the O’Hare Airport, Chicago, and numerous corporate and private collections in Canada, the United States and Europe.
For more detail visit the artist’s website: http://johnabramscontemporaryart.com/.
Toronto Based Painter John Adams – “Capturing the Moment” was last modified: April 19th, 2016 by admin
Why This Painting Costs $1000
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ArtBomb’s Canadian Art Box!
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Bibles "Hidden Behind Registration Counter"
An atheist checked into a hotel the other day and found themselves gripped by fear---and indignation.
Yes, they have filed a complaint. And may file a lawsuit.
"We atheists and agnostics do not appreciate paying high prices for lodging, only to find Gideon Bibles in our hotel rooms, sometimes prominently displayed, knowing they contain instructions, for instance, to kill 'infidels' and 'blasphemers', among other primitive and dangerous teachings," says Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) co-president Dan Barker.
The hotel, or lodge, is owned by the University of Wisconsin. The Bibles had been given to the hotel by the Gideons, whose mission is to give away Bibles.
The Bibles have now been removed, but the University and the atheists may have a problem with this particular prohibition.
The FFRF attorney has also said, "As you may know, the mission of the Gideons is to 'win the lost to Christ'. The Gideons' efforts to proselytize have frequently brought about conflict with non-religious persons from minority faiths."
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker would know a great deal about the wonderful work of the Gideons. Barker himself was an evangelical minister before deciding he was an atheist.
The complaint says the offended lodge guest "encountered" a Bible in their room.
Todd Starnes with Fox News says, "Oh horror! The unidentified guest was apparently terrified by the presence of the Holy Bible and with trembling fingers contacted FFRF."
Starnes says, "It's quite astonishing that a group of educated individuals are so frightened by the Good Book. There's really nothing to be afraid of. There have been no confirmed reports of conversions through osmosis. It's not like the atheists and agnostics are going to spontaneously combust upon reading the book of John."
Well, you say, if the hotel or lodge is owned by the University of Wisconsin, then the Bibles must be removed---separation of church and state. Right?
Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Institute, told Starnes the University is actually engaging in "unlawful viewpoint discrimination and demonstrating complete hostility toward religious freedom."
He says, "They are treating the Bible like it is contraband. The law is clear, once the university allowed the Gideons to place the Bibles, the University cannot now ban the Bibles because of their religious message."
So where are the Bibles now? Did they dispose of them---incinerate them?
Starnes asked the University what they did with them. They told him they are "hidden behind the hotel's registration counter."
I suppose that could be considered the ultimate act of hiding your "light" under a bushel. But this scheme to snuff out the light may well run into some legal challenges.
Clearly these folks do not represent more than a very, very small segment of our society. However, they are continuing to demand, with results, the removal of Bibles and any other Christian symbols and references from any and all properties considered "government property."
Oh how we've "evolved."
George Washington felt the Bible was so important to the future success and prosperity of this nation he placed his hand on the Bible when he was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
He also said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
I suspect that statement would terrify an atheist.
Noah Webster, considered by most to be the father of what we know as public education, also felt the Bible shouldn't be hidden behind the registration counter. He said, "Education is useless without the Bible."
President Harry Truman, a Democrat, said, "The fundamental basis of our nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for any body except the State."
What are we thinking?
Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Informed. Be Prayerful. Be Pro-Active. Be Blessed.
"will end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for any body except the State"... Let's listen to the State of the Union address today and see where we are at, and where we are going.
Had the same situation right here in Washington this last year at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lynnwood. When I went to find the Bible in the drawer it was no where to be seen. I called the front desk to inquire and was told that in keeping with Hilton branding the Bibles had been removed from the rooms but that they would be happy to deliver one to me. As a Gold Hilton member I had never seen this before, so I asked to speak to the manager. He said that it was not his responsibility and deferred me back to the housekeeping manager. She told me that it was her decision and that she was protecting the Bibles from children writing in them! When I told her that the Bibles were supplied at no charge by the Gideons, and that they are happy to replace Bibles when they are damaged, she insisted that they would be available on request but not in the rooms. Two employees who had witnessed my conversations came up to me independently, thanking me for speaking up and being gracious about it. I have contacted Hilton corporate and they have responded with fairly generic messages about valued customers and all that. The point being, this is happening here in our state, and if we all graciously complain and make our voices heard, we will make a difference. I have let Hilton know that I am moving my business to another chain.
Hilton can't afford to chase away all the Christians. Their high margin porn revenue would drop to zero.
Joel 9:36 AM, January 28, 2014
I suspect a lawsuit would be laughed out of court. As Starnes pointed out, nobody has suffered any actual harm from being in proximity to the Bibles.
I hope the judges have the sense to tell the Atheists that they should take their burden to the cross instead of putting in on the backs of everyone else, because it simply isn't fair.
Anonymous 11:55 PM, January 31, 2014
Every Atheist has the right to practice their religion unhindered even if there are Bibles all around them.
Such activities might include :
1. Ignoring them.
2. Pretending God doesn't exist.
3. Denial of truth.
4. Choosing not to hear.
5. Deciding not to see the things God has done for his glory and our salvation.
6. Even deciding not to take a breath of fresh air, that they might not feel his great love for us.
Yes, they may freely practice their beliefs even with Bibles in every hotel room.
The real problem as I see it is the hotel managers and such that would give into anything they want.
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National Parks and Wildlife Service.
SITE NAME: NORTH BULL ISLAND SPA
SITE CODE: 004006
This site covers all of the inner part of north Dublin Bay, with the seaward boundary extending from the Bull Wall lighthouse across to Drumleck Point at Howth Head. The North Bull Island sand spit is a relatively recent depositional feature, formed as a result of improvements to Dublin Port during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is almost 5km long and 1 km wide and runs parallel to the coast between Clontarf and Sutton. Part of the interior of the island has been converted to golf courses.
A well-developed and dynamic dune system stretches along the seaward side of the island. Various types of dunes occur, from fixed dune grassland to pioneer communities on foredunes. Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) is dominant on the outer dune ridges. Species of the fixed dunes include Wild Pansy (Viola ricolor), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) and, in places, the scarce Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). A feature of the dune system is a large dune slack with a rich flora, usually referred to as the 'Alder Marsh' because of the presence of Alder (Alnus glutinosa) trees. The water table is very near the surface and is only slightly brackish. Sea Rush (Juncus maritimus) is the dominant species, with Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) being frequent. The orchid flora is notably diverse in this area.
Saltmarsh extends along the length of the landward side of the island and provides the main roost site for wintering birds in Dublin Bay. On the lower marsh, Glasswort {Salicornia europaea), Common Saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia maritima), Annual Seablite (Suaeda maritima) and Greater Sea-spurrey (Spergularia media) are the main species. Higher up in the middle marsh Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima), Sea Aster (Aster tripolium), Sea Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) and Thrift (Armeria maritima) appear. Above the mark of the normal high tide, species such as Common Scurvygrass (Cochlearia officinalis) and Sea Milkwort (Glaux maritima) are found, while on the extreme upper marsh, Sea Rush and Saltmarsh Rush (Juncus gerardi) are dominant.
The island shelters two intertidal lagoons which are divided by a solid causeway. These lagoons provide the main feeding grounds for the wintering waterfowl. The sediments of the lagoons are mainly sands with a small and varying mixture of silt and clay. Tasselweed (Ruppia maritima) and small amounts of Eelgrass (Zostera spp.) are found in the lagoons. Common Cord-grass (Spartina anglica) occurs in places. Green algal mats (Enteromorpha spp., Ulva lactuca) are a feature of the flats during summer. These sediments have a rich macro-invertebrate fauna, with high densities of Lugworm (Arenicola marina) and Ragworm (Hediste diversicolor). Mussels (Mytilus edulis) occur in places, along with bivalves such as Cerastoderma edule, Macoma balthica and Scrobicularia plana. The small gastropod Hydrobia ulvae occurs in high densities in places, while the crustaceans Corophium volutator and Carcinus maenas are common. The sediments on the seaward side of North Bull Island are mostly sands and support species such as Lugworm and the Sand Mason (Lanice conchilega). The site includes a substantial area of the shallow marine bay waters.
The site is a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the E.U. Birds Directive, of special conservation interest for the following species: Light-bellied Brent Goose, Shelduck, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and Black-headed Gull. The site is also of special conservation interest for holding an assemblage of over 20,000 wintering waterbirds. The E.U. Birds Directive pays particular attention to wetlands and, as these form part of this SPA, the site and its associated waterbirds are of special conservation interest for Wetland & Waterbirds.
The North Bull Island SPA is of international importance for waterfowl on the basis that it regularly supports in excess of 20,000 waterfowl. It also qualifies for international importance as the numbers of three species exceed the international threshold - Light-bellied Brent Goose (1,548), Black-tailed Godwit (367) and Bar-tailed Godwit (1,529) (all waterfowl figures given are average maxima for the five winters 1995/96 to 1999/00). The site is the top site in the country for both of these species. A further 14 species have populations of national importance - Shelduck (1,259), Teal (953), Pintail (233), Shoveler (141), Oystercatcher (1,784), Ringed Plover (139), Golden Plover (1,741), Grey Plover (517), Knot (2,623), Sanderling (141), Dunlin (3,926), Curlew (937), Redshank (1,431) and Turnstone (157). The populations of Pintail and Knot are of particular note as they comprise more than 10% of the respective national totals. Species such as Grey Heron, Cormorant, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser and Greenshank are regular in winter in numbers of regional or local importance. Gulls are a feature of the site during winter, especially Black-headed Gull (2,196). Common Gull (332) and Herring Gull (331) also occur here. While some of the birds also frequent South Dublin Bay and the River Tolka Estuary for feeding and/or roosting purposes, the majority remain within the site for much of the winter. The wintering bird populations have been monitored more or less continuously since the late 1960s and the site is now surveyed each winter as part of the larger Dublin Bay complex.
The North Bull Island SPA is a regular site for passage waders, especially Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. These are mostly observed in single figures in autumn but occasionally in spring or winter.
The site formerly had an important colony of Little Tern but breeding has not occurred in recent years. Several pairs of Ringed Plover breed, along with Shelduck in some years. Breeding passerines include Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat and Reed Bunting. The island is a regular wintering site for Short-eared Owl, with up to 5 present in some winters.
The site has five Red Data Book vascular plant species, four rare bryophyte species, and is nationally important for three insect species. The rare liverwort, Petalophyllum ralfsii, was first recorded from the North Bull Island in 1874 and its presence here has recently been re-confirmed. This species is of high conservation value as it is listed on Annex II of the E.U. Habitats Directive. A well-known population of Irish Hare is resident on the island
The main landuses of this site are amenity activities and nature conservation. The North Bull Island is one of the main recreational beaches in Co. Dublin and is used throughout the year. Two separate Statutory Nature Reserves cover much of the island east of the Bull Wall and the surrounding intertidal flats. North Bull Island is also a Wildfowl Sanctuary, a Ramsar Convention site, a Biogenetic Reserve, a Biosphere Reserve and a Special Area Amenity Order site. Much of the SPA is also a candidate Special Area of Conservation. The site is used regularly for educational purposes and there is a manned interpretative centre on the island.
The North Bull Island SPA is an excellent example of an estuarine complex and is one of the top sites in Ireland for wintering waterfowl. It is of international importance on account of both the total number of waterfowl and the individual populations of Light-bellied Brent Goose, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit that use it. Also of significance is the regular presence of several species that are listed on Annex I of the E.U. Birds Directive, notably Golden Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit, but also Ruff and Short-eared Owl.
NPWS 22.5.2008
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Small North Country Towns In Crux Of State Tax Fight With Big Implications
Robert Blechl
Caledonian Record
Municipalities across N.H., including many in the North Country, are finding themselves at the center of a tax dispute that has put state agencies at odds and could impact how utility property in the state is assessed in the future.
At stake for small towns are millions of dollars in tax revenue.
On Wednesday, an attorney representing several of the towns, including Littleton, wrote the N.H. Supreme Court with concerns about the N.H. attorney general’s intent to file an amicus, or friend of the court, brief for what she said would be on behalf of the N.H. Department of Revenue Administration and in support of the tax abatement appeals of the two utilities against scores of municipalities.
In March, attorneys for towns being sued by Eversource Energy and the N.H. Electric Cooperative learned the attorney general’s office would be getting involved in the case that went to the N.H. Supreme Court after the two utilities appealed a July 2015 decision by the N.H. Board of Tax and Land Appeals that casts doubt on their appraisal methodology.
For their local utility property assessments, Eversource and NHEC seek to use the DRA’s 83-F formula, the unit method of valuation that sets the utilities’ share of the statewide property tax, specifically their contribution to the state education tax.
Through the DRA formula, the two utilities seek to cut their local utility assessments, and property taxes, by one-half to two-thirds.
The municipalities, however, argue the DRA method is for a different tax and does not reflect the true market value of the utility properties, but Eversource and NHEC are still trying to use it to drive their assessments below fair market value.
In its decision, the BTLA agreed with the towns and concluded the appraisals provided by NHEC and Eversource - that include the DRA utility appraisals - do “not result in credible opinions of market value.”
In her Wednesday motion to the state’s high court, Whitelaw argues the DRA should not be allowed to use a N.H. Supreme Court rule exception to file a brief in the case to respond to the BTLA decision regarding DRA procedures or address its “notion of the potential political impact the decision may have on the DRA’s own statutory responsibilities and/or the municipalities’ decisions to utilize the DRA reports for local assessing purposes.”
Whitelaw said the DRA’s apparent interest is to counter the BTLA decision “in an effort to rehabilitate itself and its employee in the eyes of the public; this is not an appropriate use of an amicus brief and is a waste of the court’s and the parties’ time and resources.”
DRA utility appraiser Scott Dickman has testified against the towns’ direct interest in the litigation, she said, and “the DRA is now deliberately inserting itself into the appeal for the stated reason that the BTLA’s decision was less than flattering of Mr. Dickman’s testimony and the DRA’s procedures.”
The DRA is statutorily charged with establishing equalization ratios used for both county and local taxation purposes, and the agency provides assessing assistance to municipalities and works with them to set their tax rates.
Whitelaw said, “The Legislature did not intend for the relationship between the municipalities and the DRA to be adversarial.”
About one-third of N.H. municipalities use the DRA’s utility valuation for local property assessments instead of retaining their own appraiser.
While the case began as a tax abatement fight between towns and the two utilities, DRA representatives have since expressed concerns about the impact a court decision could have on the validity of the DRA equalization process for the roughly 30 to 35 percent of N.H. municipalities that use the DRA method.
In March, Whitelaw wrote N.H. Attorney General Joseph Foster to express concerns that the NHAG involvement is tantamount to the NHAG joining the utilities’ efforts to overturn the BTLA’s decisions in 109 tax abatement appeals, many first filed in 2011 and 2012 and each year thereafter.
For the past four years, many towns, some having spent tens of thousands of dollars fighting the lawsuits and hiring appraisal experts, argue the case is about tax fairness.
Utility properties in many small towns make up a large chunk of the towns’ tax base, and to the extent the utilities are successful in their tax abatement appeals, it will increase the taxes of other taxpayers. In some smaller towns, such as Landaff, utility property is essentially the only commercial property.
In Littleton alone, Eversource is seeking to reduce its total assessment of about $22 million to $11 million.
Eversource is suing about one-third of N.H.’s municipalities, most small towns and many in the North Country, including Littleton, Bath, Haverhill, Lancaster, Dalton, Northumberland, Whitefield, Landaff, Stark, Stratford, and Stewartstown.
NHEC’s tax abatement appeals, filed at both the BTLA and superior court, are against towns that include Bath, Colebrook, Haverhill, Landaff, Littleton, and Monroe.
Stephan Hamilton, director of the DRA’s Municipal and Property Division, has declined to talk about the case as has NHAG Assistant Attorney General Laura Lombardi, who is representing the DRA.
Oral arguments before the N.H. Supreme Court could be heard in early 2017.
Small North Country Towns In Crux Of State Tax Fig...
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« From Eternity to Book Club: Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen Hawking: Beware the Alien Menace! »
The Red Edge
By Sean Carroll | April 22, 2010 4:33 pm
We had a great time last night at a panel discussion on extrasolar planets, right here at my very own institution of Caltech, sponsored by our very own Discover magazine, and hosted by our very own Bad Astronomer. The panelists included Gibor Basri, John Johnson, Sara Seager, and Tori Hoehler. They did a great job at getting across the most important message: this is a field that has taken a tremendous leap forward in the past ten years, and is poised to make comparable strides in the years to come. A lot of the excitement right now centers on the Kepler satellite, which is on track to find hundreds of extrasolar planets. You can get an idea of recent progress from a graph of extrasolar planets discovered over the years.
From the perspective of the person on the street, planets are pretty cool — but life on other planets is what’s really cool. (Or would be, if we found it.) And frankly, it’s not even the prospect of life that gets people going; it’s the idea of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Tori mentioned that he was slightly surprised, some years ago when there was a report (later discredited) that we had found evidence for life on meteorites from Antarctica, that people didn’t make a big deal out of it — it was exciting, but not Earth-shattering. I suspect that microbes, no matter where they’re from, aren’t going to shatter most people’s Earths; that will take some sort of greeting, friendly or otherwise.
Still, it’s amazing what has been done, and the prospects for doing more are pretty breathtaking. Here’s one idea that I find pretty clever: searching for the Red Edge. You know how plants appear to be really bright in infrared photographs? That’s because they reflect a lot of infrared light, but tend to absorb regular visible red light. In a spectrum, where we decompose the reflected light into different wavelengths, this phenomenon shows up as a sharp “edge” as you go from infrared (on the right here) to red light. The idea would be that something similar should happen even for very different kinds of life — so if you found a planet whose spectrum featured the red edge, that would be a promising place to hope for finding life.
I have no way of judging how feasible this technique really is — in particular, I’m always skeptical of claims that rely on alien forms of life resembling ours in any way. (The authors do emphasize that an extraterrestrial red edge might not be at the same wavelength as ours.) But I like it because it relies on an underlying truth of which I am quite fond — the fact that life relies on the increase of entropy. The specific wavelengths at which different kinds of life might reflect light can undoubtedly be very different from biosphere to biosphere; but what won’t change is the general idea that a planet full of life will re-radiate energy with a much higher entropy than what it absorbs. That’s the deep principle underlying the red edge; plants absorb visible light, and radiate at longer wavelengths with higher entropy. If we eventually find life on other planets, I’d personally be pleased if entropy were at the bottom of it all.
CATEGORIZED UNDER: Science
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In fight against hunger, Pope says ‘beautiful words’ must lead to collective action
Vatican City, Oct 16, 2018 / 05:00 pm (CNA).- Feeding the hungry requires combined action and political will to provide real help for the poor, Pope Francis has said. In an Oct. 16 letter marking World Food Day, Pope Francis said that words needed become actions in the effort … Continue reading
Catholic U. professor leads response to French President’s remark on large families
Washington D.C., Oct 16, 2018 / 04:30 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Following a comment by President Emmanuel Macron, in which he expressed skepticism that any well-educated woman would decide to have many children, women with large families have been using the “#PostcardsForMacron” hashtag to send the French president pictures of their … Continue reading
‘We need to show young people what holiness looks like’ Gomez tells synod
Vatican City, Oct 16, 2018 / 04:30 pm (CNA).- Young people should look to the “saints of our times,” as models of holiness, Archbishop José Gomez told the Synod of Bishops on Tuesday. The Archbishop of Los Angeles highlighted the example of the seven recently canonized saints in his speech … Continue reading
Radical feminists attack church and town hall in Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct 16, 2018 / 03:30 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Radical feminists firebombed a town hall and spray painted a Catholic Church in Argentina. The series of attacks came during a women’s conference held in the Patagonia region this past weekend. The conference was the 33rd National Women’s Encounter … Continue reading
Forty years later, Polish bishops revisit election of Pope John Paul II
Warsaw, Poland, Oct 16, 2018 / 02:30 pm (CNA).- The Polish bishops’ conference is celebrating the anniversary of the election of St. John Paul II. October 16 marks 40 years since Cardinal Karol Wojtyla’s rise to the throne of St. Peter. Archbishop Józef Michalik of Przemyśl, who was the … Continue reading
Archdiocese confirms apparent murder of Mexican priest
Tijuana, Mexico, Oct 16, 2018 / 01:30 pm (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Tijuana in northern Mexico has confirmed the death of Fr. Ímar Arturo Orta, who was allegedly murdered on Oct. 12. According to local press, the priest had been missing for three days when his body was found … Continue reading
Brazilian bishop says basic synod theme is how to pass on the faith
Vatican City, Oct 16, 2018 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- Brazilian Archbishop Jaime Spengler said Tuesday he believes the question at the foundation of the Synod of Bishops’ debates so far has been how to pass the Catholic faith on to young people, specifically in the face of the challenges posed … Continue reading
Saginaw bishop dies after battle with lung cancer
Saginaw, Mich., Oct 16, 2018 / 11:37 am (CNA).- Bishop Joseph Cistone died in his home Tuesday morning, the Diocese of Saginaw has reported. Local officials told reporters they received a 911 call from the bishop’s home Tuesday morning, adding that first-responders found the bishop dead upon their arrival. The … Continue reading
A synod summary from the Polish synod fathers – Oct 16
Vatican City, Oct 16, 2018 / 11:30 am (CNA).- The synod of bishops on young people, the faith, and vocational discernment is being held at the Vatican Oct. 3-28. CNA plans to provide a brief daily summary of the sessions, provided by the synodal fathers from Poland. Please find below … Continue reading
Jesuit superior says pope is not the ‘chief’ of the Church- What did he mean?
Vatican City, Oct 16, 2018 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Fr. Arturo Sosa Abascal, superior general of the Jesuits, said in an interview Monday that Pope Francis consciously calls himself the Bishop of Rome, instead of using grander titles. “Very frequently we forget that the pope is not the chief of … Continue reading
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