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Culture Entertainment
10 Professional Wrestler Who Reinvented Themselves
April 25 April 25 Versability 0 Comments Bob Backlund, Charles Wright, Dustin Runnels, Glenn Jacobs, Mark Calaway, Mick Foley, Paul Levesque, professional wrestling gimmicks, Rodney Anoa'i, Scott Hall, Windham Rotunda
Professional wrestling isn’t real, and you’re unlikely to see an American dream team of professionals competing in Olympic wrestling events.
Still, the theatrics of the professional wrestling world still draws in millions of fans every year for generations. Like video gaming, there are lessons that can be learned from professional wrestling.
These 10 wrestlers had to keep reinventing themselves in order to obtain and retain relevancy in professional wrestling. As a result, most of them reached the top of the sport and outlasted many of their peers.
Faces of Mick Foley
10. Mick Foley
Mick Foley was one of the first professional wrestlers allowed to break the fourth wall and actually embrace his many wrestling personas.
After stints in WCW, ECW, and various smaller wrestling promotions in the U.S. and Japan as Cactus Jack, he was rebranded into Mankind upon joining the WWF.
Cactus Jack was a hardcore wrestler known for enjoying pain, often putting his body at risk in extreme situations involving barbed wire, bats, explosions, fire, and death-defying leaps onto concrete.
Mankind became an even more insane extension on the character. Though WWF’s more family-friendly brand didn’t allow for him to take as many risks, he still managed to get involved in a variety of painful feuds, even becoming the first hardcore champion in any wrestling promotion.
It wasn’t long before childhood videos of Foley appeared, and he introduced another character, Dude Love, the third of what became known as the Three Faces of Foley.
Dude Love was a hippie persona Foley dreamed up as a kid and Foley switched back and forth between all three personas and his real name for the remainder of his time competing in the WWF.
After the WWF became the WWE in 2002, Foley made occasional returns to the brand, most often as himself, though in 2005, fans were even given an opportunity to vote online as to which persona he’d show up as in the ring.
The fans voted for Mankind.
Foley then wrestled as himself throughout the independent circuit, including RoH and TNA.
These days, Foley is widely recognized by wrestling fans as himself, and he even showed up on Wrestlemania 32 along with Shaun Michaels (real name Michael Higgenbottom) and Steve Austin (real name Steve Williams).
Faces of Glenn Jacobs
9. Glenn Jacobs
These days pretty much every wrestling fan knows Glenn Thomas Jacobs as Kane. It’s even his stage name in Hollywood.
Before he became the demon-spawned half brother of The Undertaker, however, Jacobs had a lot of gimmicks, many of them considered among the worst in professional wrestling.
In the indie circuit from 1992-1995, he had a variety of names, including Angus King, Doomsday, the Unabomb, and The Christmas Creature (the ugly green monster wrapped in garland with the candy-cane-striped arms in the bottom left of the picture above).
He entered the WWF in 1995 as Mike Unabomb, but soon found himself portraying Isaac Yankem, DDS, Jerry Lawler’s private dentist, hired to help rid the company of Bret Hart.
After Kevin Nash and Scott Hall jumped ship to WCW in 1996, Jacobs was rebranded as the new Diesel, Kevin Nash’s former gimmick.
Then in October 1997, Jacobs was again reintroduced as Kane, the long-lost half brother of The Undertaker and son of Paul Bearer.
One would’ve thought this, too, would be a temporary gimmick, but it’s stuck for nearly 20 years now, although the character has evolved over time.
In 2002, the mask was reduced and in 2003, it was completely removed before returning in 2011.
In 2013, an unmasked Kane bore a suit and became a part of Stephanie McMahon’s faction, The Authority. In 2015, both “Corporate” and “Demon” Kane became the norm, and fans embraced the dual-personality wielded by Jacobs.
Faces of Scott Hall
8.Scott Hall
When Scott Hall started out in the mid-80s, the world of professional wrestling was much different than it is today.
During his original stint with the NWA from 1984-85, Hall wrestled as Starship Coyote (the mustachioed man on the right in the above pic) as part of the tag team American Starship.
He then moved around the indie circuit and performed as a jobber for a while under his own name, though with different nicknames in front, like “Magnum” and “Big” Scott Hall.
Then, in 1991, he joined WCW (which was formerly part of NWA) and was given the gimmick of The Diamond Studd, a ladies man managed by Diamond Dallas Page.
In 1992, Hall joined the WWF and was rebranded as Razor Ramon, a Miami Cuban character modeled after Tony Montana in Scarface. Ramon oozed machismo and was known for his laid back Hispanic style, despite clearly not being of Latino descent.
Despite his popularity, Razor Ramon is a throwback to a (even more) racist time in wrestling in which minorities were often played by Caucasians.
Luckily in 1996, at the height of his gimmick’s popularity, Hall abandoned it to join the WCW and form the NWO at the height of the Monday night television wars between WCW and WWF.
Although he retained much of his Razor Ramon and Diamond Studd attitude, Hall only ever had to wrestle as himself from that point on, whether in the indie circuit, TNA, or his brief return to WWE, with the exception of occasional matches as Ramon.
Faces of Rodney Anoa’i
7. Rodney Anoa’i
Rodney Anoa’i is part of a large (in many ways) family of Samoan wrestlers. His uncles were The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, and he’s also related to Rikishi, Roman Reigns, Umaga, Dwayne Johnson, The Headshrinkers, and more.
When he started out, Anoa’i was part of The Wild Samoan stable, using variations of the name Kokina, such as Great Kokina and Kokina Maximus. This continued from 1985 through 1992 when he signed to the WWF.
Although he originally transferred to the promotion with Eddie Fatu (Rikishi), Samula Anoa’i, and Samu’s father Afa, Vince McMahon had a different path in mind for Rodney.
When Rodney Anoa’i debuted on WWF television in late 1992, he was known as Yokozuna, a sumo-style wrestler made to look very much Japanese, despite being neither Japanese nor a sumo wrestler.
He was billed as being Polynesian, but everything from his manager, Mr. Fuji (Japanese-American Harry Fuiwara) to his entrance music, actions, and style were all heavily influenced by Japanese culture.
Much like his cousin Leati Anoa’i (Reigns), Yokozuna was given a huge early push by McMahon, being quickly catapulted to champion status, defeating both Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan on separate occasions for the WWF Heavyweight Championship.
Unlike his Reigns, however, fans grew fonder of Yokozuna over time. The heel eventually became a face, and many wrestling analysts today are practically begging McMahon to shut Reigns up and assign him a mouthpiece like his cousin Rodney had.
After leaving the WWF in 1996, Anoa’i continued wrestling under the Yokozuna gimmick throughout the independent circuit until his death on October 23, 2000, at the age of 34.
Faces of Windham Rotunda
6. Windham Rotunda
Another man from a multi-generational wrestling family, Windham Rotunda is the son of Mike Rotunda (Irwin R Schyster/Michael Wallstreet), Grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, and nephew of Barry and Kendall Windham.
Starting off in FCW under the name Alex Rotundo in 2009, he soon changed his name to Duke while teaming with his real-life brother Taylor, who wrestled under the name Bo.
This Dukes of Hazard gimmick lasted until the WWE’s NXT competition, when Rotunda was rebranded as Husky Harris in 2010 and competed in the WWE as part of Nexus until 2011.
He then briefly donned a mask and competed as Axel Mulligan off-camera, while continuing to use the Husky Harris gimmick until 2012, when he debuted the Bray Wyatt persona as WWE rebranded FCW to NXT.
Growing a beard and adopting a look similar to failed WWF gimmick Waylon Mercy (portrayed by Scott Hall’s former Starship partner Dan Spivey), Wyatt is an evil cult leader that became an enigmatic figure in the WWE, with his Wyatt Family often involving themselves in attacks on major superstars’ matches.
In an era where many wrestlers struggle to differentiate themselves from the crowd, Rotunda’s Bray Wyatt character serves as a throwback to a forgotten era of wrestling, serving as a catalyst for a lot of crazy brawls and spawning the return of both Kane and The Undertaker in their demon forms.
Faces of Paul Levesque
5.Paul Levesque
Though he’s now known as Triple H, The Game, and one of the best in the business after marrying the boss’s daughter Stephanie McMahon and becoming a Vice President in the company, Paul Levesque took a long road to get there.
He started out in 1992 as Terra Ryzing in the IWF. Then he joined WCW in 1994 alternating between Terra Risin and Terror Rising. This gimmick was essentially just a Hollywood Blonde-style villain similar to Stunning Steve Austin and rather generic.
Midway through 1994, he was rebranded as a French aristocrat (though he doesn’t speak French and only employed a fake French accent) named Jean-Paul Levesque, who teamed with British aristocrat Lord Steven Regal.
In 1995, Levesque kept the aristocratic villain persona and joined the WWF as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, this time billed as hailing from Connecticut.
As Helmsley, Levesque personified everything we hate about the One Percent, arrogantly offering etiquette lessons to both wrestlers and fans.
However, Levesque was a member of the infamous backstage group known as The Kliq, which included Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Sean Waltman. Soon he partnered with Michaels, Chyna, and helped kick off the attitude era with Degeneration X in 1997.
As part of DX, Levesque dropped all the etiquette and joined Michaels, Joan Laurer (Chyna), and Rick Rood (Rick Rude) in shooting increasingly lewd and inappropriate promos. Shortening his name to Triple H, Levesque became a party animal until Chyna turned on him and joined The Corporation in 1999.
Soon Triple H also turned on DX and joined The Corporation as well, dubbing himself The Game, as Jim Ross referred to him as The Cerebral Assassin.
Levesque kept the same basic persona from this point out, while switching back and forth between corporate stooge heel and rebellious face.
Having control over much of the talent and creative decisions with his wife, Levesque has spent the better part of the last two decades on top of the WWE both on-screen and backstage.
Faces of Dustin Runnels
4. Dustin Runnels
Dustin Runnels’ father Virgil Runnels Jr. was known throughout the wrestling world as Dusty Rhodes, and he wanted to separate himself from his father’s shadow, so he did so by using his real name originally when wrestling in in the independent circuit and WCW from 1988-1990.
From 1990 to 1991, he started embracing his father’s wrestling legacy and joined the WWF as Dustin Rhodes, even teaming with his father before heading back to WCW.
From 1991-1995, he wrestled in WCW as The Natural Dustin Rhodes and was clearly attempting to use his father’s spotlight to catapult himself to stardom, with limited success.
Then in 1995, Runnels finally struck gold with one of the most bizarre gimmicks to ever succeed in wrestling – the sexually ambiguous Goldust.
As Goldust, Runnels painted his face gold, wore a gold wig, and donned a full-body gold suit, playing a creepy Academy Award come-to-life. He soon became one of the most popular WWF superstars until he departed the company in 1999 to join the WCW.
Toward the end of his initial WWF stint, he followed Prince’s lead and became The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust. During this period, he teamed with Luna Vachon in a variety of outlandish costumes.
Initially, Runnels was slated to join the WCW as the creepy, white-face-painted character Seven in the top left corner of the pic above, but the character was dropped almost immediately. During his first interview with WCW, Runnels trash-talked his Goldust gimmick, the Seven gimmick, and wrestling gimmicks in general before rebranding himself “The American Nightmare” and turning heel.
However, when WWE bought WCW in 2001, Runnels returned to the promotion as Goldust until 2003.
From 2003-2008, Runnels wrestled in the independent circuit mostly under his real name, though occasionally wrestling as Dusty Rhodes Jr. and variations of the Goldust name, such as Gold Dustin. He also briefly returned to WWE during this time as Goldust.
In 2007, he joined TNA as Dustin Rhodes and quickly discussed a split personality before debuting a second character named Black Reign.
He played both characters until his return to the WWE/ECW/NXT in 2009, once again as Goldust.
In 2013, Runnels teamed with his half-brother Cody Runnels, who was experiencing similar issues making a name for himself as Cody Rhodes until transforming himself into Stardust, an even weirder version of Goldust.
Faces of Charles Wright
3. Charles Wright
When he started out on the independent circuit in 1989, Charles Wright went by the name The Soultaker, a large, mohawked brawler before joining the WWF in 1991 as Sir Charles.
Then in 1992, Wright was rebranded as Papa Shango, a voodoo practitioner who would cast voodoo spells on his opponents while carrying a smokey skull to the ring and controlling the arena’s lights.
As Papa Shango, Wright was generally hated by fans, as he would use magic to make opponents vomit or bleed black blood from their skulls instead of doing much actual wrestling. Still, he retained the gimmick in the independent circuit for a year following his departure from the WWF in 1993.
In 1994, he returned to the WWF as Kama, The Supreme Fighting Machine. This gimmick was inspired by the rising popularity of the UFC, a mixed-martial arts league featuring real fights.
In 1997, the WWF filled with gangs, and Wright joined the Nation of Domination as Kama Mustafa, a Nation of Islam-inspired character.
By 1998, Wright split from the Nation and became his most popular character to date – The Godfather. As The Godfather, he became a pimp who came to the ring surrounded by a group of women he dubbed his ho train. He would often offer to pimp his hoes to hist opponents.
The Godfather was Owen Hart’s (as the Blue Blazer) scheduled opponent at Over the Edge in 1999 when Hart fell to his death during his entrance at the live pay-per-view.
Soon, the WWE expanded to UPN, and the Parents Television Council began criticizing much of the content, including Wright’s constant usage of hoes in his segments.
In 2001, Wright dropped The Godfather moniker and pimp act to instead don a collared shirt and tie to join the Right to Censor, a conservative group of wrestlers. He then became The Goodfather until 2002, when he briefly returned to The Godfather pimp gimmick and brought back the ho train.
From that point on, he only appeared on TV part-time, but stuck with The Godfather gimmick, occasionally even reviving Papa Shango.
Faces of Bob Backlund
2. Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund’s appearance didn’t change like everyone else’s on this list. He never changed his name either. Instead, he’s on this list for the intense personality change he infused into his gimmick.
From 1973-1983, Backlund was the classic American face wrestler, embodying the type of technical skill necessary at the time to be considered a champion.
He was a hero who didn’t rely on gimmicks, instead battling gimmicky wrestlers and easily showing them up…that is until new CEO Vince McMahon decided to rest the WWF’s future on the more charismatic star: Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan).
Backlund was criticized by wrestling analysts for being too clean cut and was ended up losing the WWF Heavyweight Championship to Hossein Vaziri, who was billed as the villainous Iron Sheik after his manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel. This setup Hogan’s win against the Sheik and a new era in professional wrestling.
In 1992, Backlund returned to the WWF for its transition from the Rock n Wrestling Connection Era to the Attitude Era. He remained on the mid-card until 1994, when he finally snapped.
Backlund began referring to himself as Mr. Backlund and turned what was once a boring lack of a gimmick into a gimmick in and of itself. He criticized everything about professional wrestling and maintained that he never lost his championship.
The nice-guy persona would gradually descend into madness, calm and normal one minute, and then suddenly snapping and holding opponents in his signature cross-faced chicken wing submission hold for long periods of time. When officials would finally pull him off, he would stare at his hands as though he couldn’t believe what he just did.
This new iteration of Backlund was like the most conservative and unyielding parent you can imagine, refusing to sign autographs for fans unless they could name all the US Presidents in chronological order.
By the end of 1994, Backlund regained the WWF Heavyweight Championship before dropping it 3 days later to Kevin Nash as Diesel in the shortest WWF title match in history.
Backlund continues this persona even today, often showing up randomly to either lecture fans, canvass for votes, or snap and torture random wrestlers and staff.
Faces of Mark Calaway
1. Mark Calaway
When Mark Calaway debuted in WCCW in 1984, he was known as Texas Red a no-nonsense ginger who dominated opponents with his sheer size.
In 1989 he debuted a new gimmick – The Master of Pain, a recently released inmate who spent five years in prison for killing two men in a fight. He also donned a mask and used the name The Punisher before joining the WCW as Mean Mark Callous.
The same year, he wrestled in Japan under the name Punisher Dice Morgan, which is the black-and-white photo above.
Each iteration had similarities in that he was portrayed as a no-nonsense and dark character. It wasn’t until he arrived in the WWF in 1990 that he finally found the name he’s known as today – The Undertaker.
Even as The Undertaker, though, Calaway has gone through several iterations, initially being billed as Kane the Undertaker and dressed as a mortician with Bruce Pritchard (Brother Love) as his manager.
Soon he dropped the Kane name and picked up William Moody (Paul Bearer) as his manager.
In 1994, Ted DiBiase briefly introduced a new Undertaker (Brian Lee), who became known as The Underfaker. When Calaway returned, the gray accents of his costume were replaced with purple, and his entrance theme had been remixed.
During this timeframe, Calaway started a locker room clique known as the Bone Street Krew, even tattooing BSK Pride on his stomach. The clique included Charles Wright, Rodney Anoa’i, Solofa Fatu Jr., Dennis Knight, Mark Canterbury, and Juan Rivera.
In 1997, The Undertaker went all black and in 1999, he began donning hoods and becoming a dark priest. Calaway would come to the ring with a group of hooded druids, known as The Ministry of Darkness, which came to include The Brood (a vampiric group), The Acolytes, Knight (Mideon), and Nelson Frazier, Jr. (Viscera).
By 2000, Calaway turned biker and transformed The Undertaker into a biker in what’s known as the American Bad Ass era. He would ride a motorcycle to the ring to Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock and sported typical biker gear.
In 2001, he cut his traditionally long hair short and began referring to himself as Big Evil.
From 2004-2011, Calaway returned to the demonic Undertaker persona (complete with long hair), though a modified version who now wore MMA gloves.
Calaway returned to the short haircut in 2011, though he still retains much of his deadman persona.
Thanks to The Undertaker persona, Mark Calaway is one of the most popular, most successful, most respected, and most recognized characters in the history of professional wrestling.
Brian Penny is a former Business Analyst and Operations Manager at Bank of America turned whistleblower, troll, and freelance writer. His work appears in High Times, Huffington Post, Fast Company, The Street, and Hardcore Droid.
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Dr. Brian Penny is a former Business Analyst and Operations Manager at Bank of America turned whistleblower, troll, and freelance writer. You can find his work in Cracked, High Times, HuffPost, Lifewire, Forbes, Fast Company, and dozens of other places, although much of it is no longer under his name. Dr. Penny loves annoying fake media.
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One Sweet App
Sugar Base
Sugar Timeline
Sugar: A Timeline
How did we allow sugar to become as common as air in our food supply,
while ignoring the question: what’s it doing to our health?
The answer lies in a secret PR campaign dating back to the 1970’s. For forty years, Big Sugar deflected all threats to its multi-billion dollar empire, while sweetening the world’s food supply. Scientists were sounding the alarm, but few were listening.
Today, we find ourselves with rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease at an all-time high, and science is looking at sugar again. The sugar industry dodged the bullet once.
Can they do it again?
This is the story of how the world was seduced one spoonful at a time,
and who’s doing what about it.
How much sugar do you need? None!
Just before World War II, sugar consumption is at 4 pounds a month per person. It’s the first food to be rationed in 1942, and the government goes on a campaign to teach us we don't actually need sugar in our diet. As a wartime measure, consumption is cut in half to 2 pounds a month per person.
The sugar research foundation is born
The American sugar industry gets nervous and puts together the Sugar Research Foundation. Its mission is to scientifically study the role of sugar in food and publicize its findings. The first research grant is awarded to Dr. Ancel Keys at the University of Minnesota: $36,000 to “study the metabolism in man of sugar.”
A president’s heart attack changes the world
Courtesy of The New Republican
President Dwight Eisenhower has a heart attack that puts heart disease in the hot seat. It triggers a worldwide search for the scientific cause of the growing health threat.
Dr. Ancel Keys says it’s fat
In the U.S., Dr. Ancel Keys (the first academic to get a grant from the Sugar Research Foundation) publishes the now controversial Seven Countries Study, defending the hypothesis that dietary fat is the leading cause of heart disease.
Dr. John Yudkin says it’s sugar
In England, Dr. John Yudkin is the first nutritional scientist to defend the hypothesis that sugar may be the leading cause of heart disease. In his now prophetic book, Pure, White, and Deadly, he writes:
After all, it is not only scientists who eat, and if eating sugar really is dangerous, then everyone should be told about it… Only time will tell how right or wrong I am.
The USDA says it’s sugar, too
Photo credit: Frank Lisciandro
Meanwhile, at the USDA, Dr. Sheldon Reiser, and his colleague, Dr. Judith Hallfrisch, are doing research in the lab on the effects of excessive sugar in the diet. They too start sounding the alarm.
As the science on sugar heats up, scary headlines appear in the media, making sensationalist claims that look an awful lot like the ones of today! These articles are more than 30 years apart.
Big sugar defends its star product
Worried about top scientists and the media making sugar the bad guy, the Sugar Association publishes ads in newspaper and magazines promoting sugar as a healthy nutrient. They appeal to a new demographic of women starting to diet, and pitch sugar as a way to keep that weight in check.
Sugar vs. Fat
The sugar debate heats up. Dr. Keys publically attacks Dr. Yudkin, saying his claims are “propaganda” and his “generalizations are simply erroneous.”
A Harvard doctor speaks for sugar
Dr. Fredrick Stare, founder of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health, becomes a spokesman for the Sugar Association. He appears on several media outlets defending sugar as a staple in the American diet.
It’s time for public relations
With science mounting and sales declining, the Sugar Association hires a public relations firm, Carl Byoir & Associates, to help allay the public’s fears about sugar. The first major action they take in the campaign is to commission a white paper, Sugar in the Diet of Man, edited by Dr. Fredrick Stare.
The fda seals the deal
The debate playing out in the public eye puts pressure on the FDA to officially review the health effects of sugar. But instead of going to sugar researchers for help, they go to the sugar industry for help, giving sugar a free pass.
Dr. Sheldon Reiser reacts to the ruling
We would like to voice our disappointment over the report on the health aspects of sucrose consumption issued by the Select Committee on GRAS substances… As we indicated in the material submitted to the public hearing held by the FDA, there is abundant evidence showing that dietary sucrose is one of the dietary factors responsible for obesity, diabetes and heart disease in this country… We strongly recommend that intake from all sources except fresh or processed fruit (without added sugar) be decreased by a minimum of 60%.
Letter to the Editor, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
A fancy award for big sugar
The warnings of sugar scientists are left ignored, and Big Sugar gets a pat on the back. Not long after the FDA ruling exonerates their star product, executives from the Sugar Association step up to a podium in Chicago and accept the Oscars of the PR world, the Silver Anvil Award. They are commended for excellence in “the forging of public opinion.”
The food industry can now put any amount of sugar in anything it likes.
The world goes low-fat
Once sugar gets a free pass, the low-fat craze takes the world by storm, and sugar consumption really takes off. By the early 1980’s, Americans are eating 10 pounds of it a month per person. At this time, 1 in 41 people have diabetes and rates are rising.
A life that’s long, but not long enough
In the year that sugar consumption hits an all-time high, the father of the case against sugar, Dr. John Yudkin, dies. His son, Michael Yudkin, reveals:
What worried him toward the end of his life was thinking about all the children who would be harmed if people didn’t pay heed to his research.
At the time of his death, soda companies are making enough sugary, fizzy drinks to fill every man, woman and child with 200 litres a year. He never lives long enough to know the impact his work would have.
A new scientist on the scene
Meanwhile, however, over in Switzerland, a young scientist studying what he thinks are the benefits of sugar finds the work of Dr. Sheldon Reiser. He makes a sharp left turn in his career that will soon pave the way for a big change.
Rates of disease skyrocket
By the turn of this century, rates of disease have skyrocketed. 171 million people have diabetes, and over 1/6th of the world’s population is overweight or obese.
A big fat lie?
Science journalist, Gary Taubes, kick starts a fresh debate with a controversial article and launches his career. What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie? is published to great fanfare in the New York Times Magazine.
The bitter truth goes viral
Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist just doing his job in California, blows the lid off the debate with a 90-minute biochemistry lecture that goes viral!
The united nations raises the stakes
The United Nations declares that non-communicable diseases - diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases - have overtaken infectious diseases as the world’s leading cause of death.
A man on the front lines
Dr. Lustig, now an international anti-sugar advocate, hits a nerve with his new book, Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Foods, Obesity and Disease.
A dentist turns detective
Cover Image: Courtesy of Mother Jones
Dentist turned detective, Cristin Kearns discovers secret documents that expose the PR campaign of the 1970’s and lays bare industry tactics. She reaches out to Gary Taubes, and together, they publish an exposé in Mother Jones magazine that sets her on a bold, new path. Her work catches the eye of Stan Glantz, the public health superstar who brought down tobacco with the Cigarette Papers in the 1990’s. Her life, and the sugar industry, will never be the same.
A reality check
Here in Canada, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff - doctor and social media darling - goes after the Health Check program for its stamp of approval on sugary products. It gets just under 100,000 views and the attention of the good people at the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
The first soda tax that works
Mexico enacts a controversial soda tax to combat the world’s highest obesity rate. Despite a media campaign launched by processed food companies to oppose the tax, the government persists and wins. Only a year later, soda purchases will have decreased by 12% compared to previous years.
An influential study gains traction
An influential study in JAMA Internal Medicine links added sugar intake to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality - more than 40 years after Dr. John Yudkin and Dr. Sheldon Reiser made similar scientific claims. But this time, the world is listening.
Rowing for sugar awareness
Two brave souls row from San Francisco to Hawaii to raise money for Dr. Lustig’s Institute for Responsible Nutrition, working to end food-related illness.
The first sugar guidelines in Canada
The Heart & Stroke Foundation makes a bold move. It cancels the Health Check program after 15 years, and releases the first position statement in Canada proposing that government set a limit to sugar consumption.
The dentist makes a serious dent
Dr. Cristin Kearns publishes her first paper on sugar industry influence as revealed in her treasure trove of discovered documents. Making waves, she’s poised to transform the sugar industry, just as was done with tobacco. Her findings are reported internationally, including in The Washington Post.
After two less successful attempts, the World Health Organization releases official guidelines on sugar intake. They recommend that free sugars make up no more than 10% of our daily diet, with a further suggestion to limit them to 5%. Applauded by scientists and nutritionists worldwide, and criticized by industry, it’s the most progressive move to date. The public now waits for governments to enact legislation that will support these recommendations.
It’s only just begun
The science on the negative health effects of sugar are coming together, awareness of industry influence is increasing and change is afoot, but actions taken by companies like Coca-Cola show that the fight forges on - like the one taken up by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.
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World Youth Day and the selfie
Many things can be said about the recent World Youth Day in Poland; the hospitality; the enthusiasm of the young people; Pope Francis and his electrifying smile, the depth of his message, his fall (which could happen to anyone); the Catholic impact on the Polish culture; the universal character of the Church and more.
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Next: My happy writing experiences
31st World Youth Day
In communion with World Youth Day
ZHOUZHI (SE): A Franciscan summer parish youth camp in Zhouzhi, Shaanxi province, chose Follow St. Francis and live the Jubilee as its theme. It ran from July 15 to 23 in the run up to the celebration of World Youth Day in Poland.
As the young Catholics prepared to be in spiritual communion with the hundreds of thousands in Krakow, the Franciscan community in the diocese organised a nine-day camp.
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Mini Youth Day in Manila
MANILA (UCAN): Hundreds of young people held their own World Youth Day in Parañaque on July 31 to coincide with the conclusion of the international gathering in Krakow, Poland.
“The pope may not be here to celebrate with us, but I can feel his presence through the camaraderie,” Hazel Daradar, an 18-year old student, said.
Daradar said hearing stories from those in Poland and former World Youth Day delegates has brought us to where they were.
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Syrian voice at Youth Day
KRAKOW (Agencies): Staying sane, let alone being happy in the face of non-stop death and violence that has become part of everyday life in the Middle East can be a bit of a challenge, but Rand Mittri, from the ravaged city of Aleppo in Syria, said in a testimony at World Youth Day in Krakow that she is able to face each day with joy.
Previous: Philippines pushes for return of death penalty
Beware paralysis of shame
KRAKÓW (SE): As over one million people pressed around the altar set up at Campus Misericordiae (Field of Mercy) for the closing Mass of World Youth Day on July 31, in stark contrast to the opening Mass on July 26 the sun shone its warmth on the grassy field and the heavens smiled on the cherished memories held in each heart.
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Next: What’s the cover up in mass executions?
World Youth Day remembers those who could not get there
ROME (SE): “We pray and appeal for young Christians who could not go to Poland. We want to show that we care about other young people who could not come to Poland because of war, persecution, hunger or other problems,” Ursula Adamowicz, the coordinator the City of Mercy booth at World Youth Day in Poland, said.
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Next: Saying no to everyday police torture
Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences
Pope’s message to Youth Day
VATICAN (SE): In greeting the estimated two million delegates to the 31st World Youth Day as they were gathering in Poland, Pope Francis said he is praying that their trip may be safe and that the hopes and expectations that they bring with them will be fulfilled.
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Next: World Youth Day remembers those who could not get there
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Review: Erik Della Penna – “New York Songs”
Posted by Justin Vellucci on December 13, 2019 December 13, 2019
It’s been a decade since New York City antique-garde duo Kill Henry Sugar – they of “cinematic gravitas,” quoth the Village Voice — released the beautific folk collection Hot Messiah. But, despite the lag in the discography department, Erik Della Penna, the band’s guitarist, has been keeping busy.
In 2013, he joined roots act Hazmat Modine as guitarist/co-vocalist/songwriter, a triple threat of sorts; a live LP and two LPs followed, including this year’s Box of Breath. In 2018, he offered a song for the film All These Small Moments. And, just this summer, Bay Street Theater in New York extended a run of Broadway classic Annie Get Your Gun on which Della Penna arranged music and orchestrated.
But before we get to the new Twenties – Della Penna already is pegged to accompany frequent collaborator Natalie Merchant in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in 2020 – Della Penna has a treat, a love letter, if you will, for his fans: an 11-track “solo” LP based on a recent NYC-themed European tour and his astute, even literary-minded observations of Gotham. (It’s available now online.)
I use quotes around “solo” because the LP, appropriately titled New York Songs, is largely culled from existing recordings from the Kill Henry Sugar library and prominently features percussionist Dean Sharenow. (The material is clipped, not re-recorded, Henry purists.) There’s “Yankee Talk,” Hot Messiah’s spare-yet-complex volk ballad on capitalism; the rousing history lesson “Tammany Hall,” off 2007’s Swing Back and Down; even the bouncy “Puerto Rican Day Parade.” (Sadly, this being about NY, Della Penna couldn’t include the gem “Mussolini,” a personal favorite off 2003’s Sell This Place.) There’s no doubt this is brilliant material – though who doubt that need to take a listen close – and it’s kinda fun to revisit it, fresh and out of context. Della Penna also gets his kicks out of some nifty new sequencing, starting with the 4/4 drum lead-in to “Long Ago” and ending, appropriately, with a song about leaving New York.
But the real gold Della Penna has mined here are three “new” songs, at least one of which he’s been kicking around Kill Henry Sugar live sets since 2013.
That aforementioned song, “Wonder Wheel,” has a lilting, lullaby-like effect to it that’s accentuated by Della Penna’s gauzy acoustic guitar and his deliciously deployed falsetto. (A horn, immaculately recorded, offers an interesting countermelody to Della Penna’s singing. Verdict’s out on whether the sparse, though fairly straight-forward percussion is provided by Sharenow.) The song that follows it also is new, the bluesy “High Rise,” which features yodeling, jaw-harp and Hammond organ to flesh out its tales of trying to live well in a cluttered cityscape.
The final song, though, is where Della Penna nails it. It’s a nugget of sharply understated roots-rock – think the dusty blues scales without the whammy-bar implications of “blues-rock” – where Della Penna offers observations about a woman who is “done with New York Town,” as well as him. (“She moved to Santa Fe/ She couldn’t stand the sound of sirens every day/she couldn’t stand the smell of the bourgeoisie/ can’t stand your town, mostly can’t stand me.”) An interesting piece of commentary on romantic disillusionment, it’s also a fitting fugue for flight, in this case the new homestead being located in New Mexico.
There are no bombastic revelations, no fireworks, contained herein, just the odd intimacy and immediacy for which Della Penna is known. On New York Songs, which he released following the “Evening In New York” tour with Rachelle Garniez, Della Penna plays the role of tour guide, stressing less the historical implications of his once- and future-antique-garde cohorts and more the nuances and shadows of the Big Apple. Yeah, there’s been no shortage of musicians offering their interpretations of North America’s de-facto cultural capital – obligatory Sinatra plug of “New York, New York” here – but Della Penna stakes his own claim to ownership. Though this is heavy on the archival stuff, it’s still pretty enlightening – and worth the download for the new songs alone. – Justin Vellucci, MusicTAP, Dec. 13, 2019
20092019acoustic guitarBig ApplebluesDean SharenowErik Della PennafolkFrank SinatraHot MessiahKill Henry SugarNatalie MerchantNEW YORKNEW YORK CITYNYCSwing Back and DownThe Legendary Erik Della PennaTwentiesvolk
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NBC Show Reviews
Short Review: Undateable (S2/E3)
This is the episode of Undateable I’ve been waiting for.
With the first episode as a re-fresher for viewers and episode two introducing Candace to the group (Bridget Mendler), this was the “Coming Out” episode. And it delivered. It was the best episode of the new season.
Remember when I said this show was about fun? Yeah, this episode was it. The lovely and ex-girlfriend of Justin last season, Nicki, returned to Detroit to announce her engagement. Of course, Justin doesn’t take this well. So Danny spends time getting Justin adjusted to this unfortunate change, and Justin keeps it together. Until Nicki’s fiancee states Nicki would have gone back to Justin had he followed her to Lansing at the end of last season. This. Causes. Mayhem. On the flip-plot, Burski (Rick Glassman) has been wanting to be with Leslie (Bianca Kajlich) since Day One of the series. But in a game of “What Would Burski Do To Bone Leslie”, he accidentally chooses “boning” Leslie even if he couldn’t see her ever again. Leslie gets upset he choose sex over their friendship, and uses the rest of the episode to torture him for his decision.
One of the few things I sincerely enjoy about this show is the writers taking something simple, and going out of their way to make it as socially awkward as possible. But while it may go overboard, it never truly feels like it is. It’s just part of the character’s DNA. Like when Justin meets Nikki for the first time since the breakup last season, Nicki says she probably shouldn’t have popped in. Justin reassures her, saying she can, of course, “pop” in. Then he overuses the word “pop”. And then…well, it’s better to just watch it. Did you watch it yet? If you did, you get it. But that’s just how Justin is. He gets nervous, then overly nervous, and then…awkward stupidity takes over. And that’s the beauty of it: that’s our buddy Justin. And we’re stuck with him.
I also like how each character knows each other so well now. Like how the team swooped in to “Save Justin“. Or how Leslie knows how to torture Burski. It’s the characters’ weird way of looking out for each other. Yes, it tends to be Danny (Chris D’Elia) having those moral moments with Justin. But the others have their moments too. Leslie teaches Bruski about respecting their friendship (deserving). Last episode, Brett and Candace learned about his worth in dating (by the way, episode 2 was a very solid episode, I just got super busy and by the time I was free, I was more inspired to write about episode 3). They are all undateable. Meaning they all have to make each other better, and shame the other when he or she strays. Or else you go to trial. Or a voice-over fight. You pick your poison. Just kidding. You don’t.
So at the end of the day, Undateable is truly back.
Ratings had Undateable doing well for episode 3 with NO new The Voice. So here’s to Undateable making it on NBC. And to 9 more seasons.
Oh, and they brought back the mini-monologue at the end of the intro! Life is complete!
Tagscomedy • entertainment • review • Undateable
0 comments on “Short Review: Undateable (S2/E3)”
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Allium stellatum
Nutt. ex Ker Gawl.
Hexonychia stellatum (Nutt. ex Ker Gawl.) Salisb.
Stelmesus stellatus (Nutt. ex Ker Gawl.) Raf.
Common Name: Prairie Onion
Drawing of the plant
Photograph by: Addisonia, vol. 20: t. 644 (1937) [M.E. Eaton]
Allium stellatum is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing 3 - 5 leaves 14 - 35cm long and a flowering scape 20 - 50cm tall from an underground bulb. The plant divides, forming in time a cluster of plants[
Flora of N. America
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is often grown as an ornamental in gardens.
Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[
Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man.
Cooper. M. and Johnson. A.
HMSO
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition
Fernald. M. L.
American Book Co.; New York
A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Central and eastern N. America - Saskatchewan to Ontario, south to Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee
Rocky prairies, slopes, shores and ridges[
]. Usually found on limestone soils[
Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
]. Often found on calcareous soils; at elevations from 300 - 2,200 metres[
Habit Bulb
Pollinators Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status Ornamental, Wild
An easily grown plant, it prefers a sunny position in a rich moist but well-drained soil[
Alliums. The Ornamental Onions.
Davies. D.
Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs.
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[
]. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants[
There is at least one named variety - 'Album' has white flowers[
Closely allied to Allium cernuum and to Allium textile[
Bulb - raw or cooked[
]. The bulbs are eaten by native north Americans[
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Facciola. S.
Kampong Publications
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. They are rather small, about 4cm tall and 15mm wide[
An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Dover Publications. New York.
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Leaves - raw or cooked.
Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
A sweetened decoction of the root has been taken, mainly by children, as a remedy for colds[
Native American Ethnobotany
Moerman. D.
Timber Press. Oregon.
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Although no other specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system[
Agroforestry Uses:
Allium species usually grow well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but they inhibit the growth of legumes[
Companion Plants.
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B.
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.
Riotte. L.
Garden Way, Vermont, USA.
Fairly good.
How to Enjoy your Weeds.
Hatfield. A. W.
Frederick Muller Ltd
]. They are, in general, bad companions for alfalfa - each species negatively affecting the other[
A - Z of Companion Planting.
Allardice.P.
Cassell Publishers Ltd.
A well produced and very readable book.
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[
Perennial Garden Plants
Thomas. G. S.
J. M. Dent & Sons, London.
0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the juice of most species in this genus (especially those with a strong onion or garlic smell) can be used as a moth repellent[
The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough.
Division in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2020-01-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Allium+stellatum>
Captcha: divide 6 by 2
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Oplan August Moon still on EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 11/16/2009
Oplan August Moon still on
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales was a natural choice for Gloria as a replacement for Gilberto Teodoro as defense secretary — but only if she has something up her sleeve prior to the elections next year...perhaps, even after poll day, should a failure of elections .... MORE
What’s up, Norbert?
Consumer expectations in 2010
Predictable moro-moro endings
Taliban guerrillas bring ‘Iraq tactics’ to Pakistan
‘Bora’
Boracay blight
Labels: Daily Tribune, EDITORIAL
What’s up, Norbert? FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 11/16/2009
While it is true that given only six more months in the Malacañang seat of power, and with presidential elections expected to bring in a brand new leadership, it is almost impossible for Gloria to attract new Cabinet members to fill in the posts vacated and to be vacated in a few weeks by her officials who will have to resign to run for an elective.... MORE
Labels: Daily Tribune, Ninez Cacho-Olivares
Consumer expectations in 2010 ZOOMING IN Rudy Romero 11/16/2009
Economists tell us that at this stage in the Philippine economy’s development consumption accounts for two thirds of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). That being the case, any attempt to forecast the economy’s performance in 2010 must of necessity be based on a reasonably accurate reading of consumer expectations for the 12-month period that will begin .... MORE
Labels: Daily Tribune, Rudy Romero
Predictable moro-moro endings DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 11/16/2009
Moro-moro is a unique Filipino theater genre for the show battles between Moors and Christians. It also perfectly describes the show staged last week between Gloria Arroyo and Hillary Clinton. With them, a bevy of supporting cast provided the backdrop: From the kidnap and beheading of a high school principal in Sulu, allegedly by Abu Sayyaf bandits, giving the “evil” characters, the bad guys, another opportunity to strike fear; to the kidnap of an Irish Catholic priest by unknown elements, prompting certain quarters to ask the country to pray for the “good” old clergyman — all these have culminated with the GRP-deemed “good” MILF helping secure the priest’s release in time for Clinton’s tête-à-tête with Arroyo, with news headlines ending the show with “Clinton to gov’t on MILF talks: Strike while iron is hot.”
Last Friday, we depicted this series of MILF-related incidents as a coordinated set-up for Clinton’s visit. Her real message: More “ap-peace-ment” talks that will cede the ARMM and some more, plus the entire Sulu Sea, to the MILF’s BangsaMoro Juridical Entity (BJE), as stipulated in the junked Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD). All the headlines about Clinton wanting to discuss “Ondoy” or clean elections are simply crap. She came to demand from Gloria the signing of the MoA-AD before the latter’s term ends. This new marching order, despite the huge backlash against it from the people and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), is intended to avoid any new administration from further hemming and hawing on the issue.
Gloria then would probably use this US impatience over Mindanao as an opportunity to stage a fait accompli for an extension of her stay in exchange for getting the MoA-AD through. Question is, will the AFP, as an institution tasked with preserving the nation’s territorial integrity, which has sacrificed literally tens of thousands of lives over the decades, yield to this? Well, in the event of a confusion in the elections run by a most incompetent and mentally dishonest Comelec, Gloria and the US might just succeed.
Meanwhile, the 2010 elections and the Comelec may be described more as a zarzuela rather than a moro-moro. The comic state-of-affairs in the Automated Elections System is as predictable as most other things that happen in our “democracy.” I am not impressed with Chairman Jose Melo because, despite the PR spin, he has absolutely no record of outstanding service. He has served the corrupt judicial system with nary a squeak of protest. Ferdinand Rafanan, too, has revealed himself a dreamer for promising a heavenly perfect automated election despite critiques from intelligent and honest skeptics. The Comelec is facing a massive debacle with the automated voting machines a month behind production schedule. All these, plus the “garbage-in-garbage-out” probabilities inherent in any computerized system, prove that I just can’t have faith in the 2010 polls.
Of course, I am still campaigning for President Joseph Estrada; but it’s more of my faith in him and his vision than in the electoral and political system that prevail. If there’s any political leader who has never tolerated moro-moro or zarzuela in governance, it is Estrada. He went out to tackle real life problems as mayor of San Juan by producing real tangible results: Resettlement and housing for squatters; computerized tax collection 20 years ahead of others; and paving roads without using excessive government funds (by tapping the people’s resourcefulness). As president, he seriously tackled the issues of food security, peace-and-order, the insurgency, as well as, other problems by brooking no hypocrisy. He moved to flush jueteng into the daylight and tried to end the “sovereign guarantees” that Big Business has long used to bleed the people dry.
Erap’s struggle is an uphill fight because the US Embassy and the domestic oligarchy are opposed to his return. The three-headed ABS-CBN-Inquirer-Ayala hydra, for sure, is out to derail his determination to protect the poor and middle class from endless power, water and other utility rate increases. Erap has no love lost for these oligarchs but there is one more thing he must add to his agenda: Fighting the “oily-gopoly” by initiating the re-nationalization of Petron or, at the minimum, setting up a new national oil company to deal with oil producing countries ready to supply cheap oil. Since Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez already offered such a deal in 1999, it’s time for us to take it up seriously.
Erap must continue campaigning — for, at any moment, something other than elections could happen. The Arroyo regime is always ready for a surprise; which is why Bono Adaza last Friday hinted as much about AFP elements preparing their own. Even Tribune columnist Tony Gat wrote that he’s still waiting for a revolution. And the mood is worldwide.
The US , in the wake of Obama’s failed “change,” is rife with talk of revolution. 2012, despite the apocalyptic themes attached to it, could be a turning point for a world hungry for a new beginning. As it opens its eyes to the lies of the prevailing world order after the Wall Street Ponzi scheme collapse, 9/11 and the Iraq-Afghan War, the Obama fraud, the MoA-AD et al., the end of the current US-Western hegemony here and around the world is now at hand. And this is no moro-moro.
(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulong Pilipinismo, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “The Fight Against the Oily-gopoly;” also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu- Laurel)
Labels: Daily Tribune, Herman Tiu Laurel
Oplan August Moon still on EDITORIAL Click to enl...
What’s up, Norbert? FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivare...
Consumer expectations in 2010 ZOOMING IN Rudy Rom...
Predictable moro-moro endings DIE HARD III Herman...
Taliban guerrillas bring ‘Iraq tactics’ to Pakista...
‘Bora’ HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 11/16/2009
Boracay blight SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 11/16/2...
Trump has 'very good' trade talks with Europe, keeps tariff threat on table - U.S. President Donald Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone on trade talks with Europe on Tuesday, but kept the threat of new car tariffs firmly on the...
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Thorny sovereignty issue
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Streetwise | BusinessWorld
It is quite easy for the Aquino government to arouse the people’s anger at China bullying in the South China Sea considering what appear to be clear encroachments on Philippine territorial waters and its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Couple this with the sense of frustration that the Aquino administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are undeniably militarily powerless in this recent confrontation over Chinese fishing poachers protected by no less than two Chinese warships, the inclination to run towards Uncle Sam and sic US might and firepower to make China turn tail appeals to many pundits, whether professional or of the barbershop variety.
And thoroughly misses the point. There is more to the conflict in the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal than an assertion of sovereignty arising from rival territorial claims.
This is not the first time tension rose over alleged incursions in the Kalayaan Islands which are also being claimed by the Vietnamese and Malaysians aside from the Chinese. But while the news would hog the headlines for a few days, not without a large dose of sensationalism about the risk of a military confrontation, there had never been such open clashes between Philippine and rival armed forces, with each side eventually stepping down, resorting instead to diplomatic protests until invariably the controversy simmers down and fades away..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/20/thorny-sovereignty-issue/
True justice FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/25/2012
True justice
Cojuangco-Aquinos no longer own Hacienda Lusita — not after the Supreme Court (SC), in a final landmark ruling, voted 8-6, to have some 4,000 hectares distributed to the farmer-workers of the hacienda, at the land values set in 1989, which would amount to some P40,000 per hectare or some P200 million — not the P1 million per hectare or P5 billion that the Cojuangco-Aquino clan wanted as compensation.
That is what can be finally called true justice to the farmers, who have been screwed by the Cojuangco-Aquinos for decades on end, first, when the clan’s then patriarch, Jose Cojuangco, bought the Luisita sugar plantation from Tabacalera — get this — on a behest loan, courtesy of Ninoy Aquino’s lobbying with then President Ramon Magsaysay not only for the Cojuangcos to buy the hacienda from Tabacalera but also to ensure that the then central bank and the GSIS would be guaranteeing an American bank for the clan’s loan and the sale amount asked for by Tabacalera.
Apart from this guarantee, the Cojuangcos reneged on the agreement with Tabacalera to distribute part of the hacienda land — after 10 years — to the farmer-workers..... MORE
US taxpayers shelling out billions for faulty weapons
The Pentagon has frittered away billions in taxpayer cash on not fully tested arms, a government watchdog report says. While the policy grants the military access to cutting-edge technology, the public can be left footing the bill for faulty weapons.
A report issued by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday shed light on the controversial policy of “concurrency” which approves untested weapons for production and use.
“While some concurrency is understandable, committing to product development before requirements are understood and technologies mature, or committing to production and fielding before development is complete, is a high-risk strategy that often results in performance shortfalls, unexpected cost increases, schedule delays and test problems,” said the report..... MORE
URL: http://rt.com/news/weapons-pentagon-report-waste-927/
Toddler Terrorist: TSA threatens lockdown over 4-year-old girl
The much-maligned Transport Security Authority (TSA) is once again in hot water after it accused an innocent four-year-old girl of attempted gun smuggling as she hugged her grandmother in the security zone.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Michelle Brademeyer describes the story of her family being detained as potential terrorists by the TSA on a flight out of Wichita, Kansas. The TSA is responsible for screening passengers as they board and disembark from planes.
Brademeyer was passing through security checks with her mother and her small daughter, Isabella. When the older lady triggered the metal detector, and was told to go for a pat-down, Isabella ran over to and briefly hugged her grandmother..... MORE
URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/tsa-us-girl-gun-869/
Death of 56-year old fisherman sparks more outrage against VFA, Balikatan
As long as the US military is treated ‘above the law’ by the government, their victims among the civilian populace will not be given justice.” – Bayan Muna-Southern Mindanao
In Zamboanga City, the progressive party-list Bayan Muna is calling for an independent inquiry into the death of a local fisherman killed by a speeding Boat manned by military forces of the United States. The group said the death of 56-year old Ahbam Juhurin, a local fisherman from Basilan should not be allowed to be swept under the rug.
Based on various media reports, US and Filipino troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were conducting maritime exercises in Baluk-baluk, an island near Hadji Muhtamad Municipality in Basilan Province on April 19. A Mark V Special Operations Craft was returning to Zamboanga City when it rammed Juhurin’s fishing boat around 7 p.m. that same day. The elderly fisherman was killed while his 26-year old son remains in critical condition as of this writing. Colonel Ricardo Visaya, commander of the 104th Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan said it was an accident and that no one is to blame.
VFA protects US troops from criminal prosecution
Ariel Casilao, Southern Mindanao Regional Coordinator of Bayan Muna, said it has only been days since the US – Philippine Balikatan Exercises formally started, but already a civilian has been killed. He said the blame should be placed at the door of the Aquino government and the militarist proponents of the Visiting forces Agreement (VFA).
“The US troops have immunity against prosecution from Philippine laws because of the VFA. They have committed heinous crimes against Filipinos and the Bangsamoro, but remain above prosecution. As long as the US military is treated ‘above the law’ by the government, their victims among the civilian populace will not be given justice,” he said..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/20/death-of-56-year-old-fisherman-sparks-more-outrage-against-vfa-balikatan/
Workers challenge Congress to set wage hikes
A week before May 1, as P125 wage hike proposal nears Congress approval, the labor secretary and regional wage boards suddenly realized there is a need indeed for a wage hike.
MANILA – A week before May 1 Labor Day celebration, influential Senator Chiz Escudero declared support for a P125 across-the-board legislated wage hike. He said fears that a significant wage hike will cause inflation to rise and companies to close down are unfounded. In speaking thus, Senator Chiz joins the likes of Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, a boxing icon and famous media personality, who has declared since last year his support for the substantial wage hike proposal.
Echoing the long-time criticisms of the labor groups of the apparent failure of the country’s regional wage boards, Escudero also criticized the wage boards for failing to give workers a “just wage.”
Some regional wage boards are currently deliberating on wage proposals submitted by moderate trade union groups. But so far, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has already dashed even the possibility that the said regional wage boards may break off from tradition and start granting wage hikes that are adjusted at least to regain lost purchasing power due to inflation. Even before the wage boards in the National Capital Region began holding public consultations, for example, Baldoz has announced that wage hikes may be granted but not higher than P21 ($0.49).
Escudero asserted the urgency of Congress stepping in to determine wages in the country.
The labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) immediately hailed last Friday Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s declaration of support for a P125 across-the-board legislated wage hike, saying the influential senator is a welcome addition to the ranks of legislators supporting the call. KMU hopes Escudero can draw in more supporters to the cause..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/24/workers-challenge-congress-to-set-wage-hikes/
Govt agrees to create Bangsamoro state
Tuesday, 24 April, 2012 Written by Joyce Pangco Panares
THE Aquino administration has finally agreed to create an autonomous Bangsamoro political entity for the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
In a deal signed by government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen and his MILF counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, both parties agreed that the new autonomous political entity will have a “ministerial form of government.
The powers to be reserved for the national government are as follows: defense and external security; foreign policy; common market and global trade; coinage and monetary policy; citizenship and naturalization; and postal service.
The power to enter into economic agreements, however, will be transferred to the new Bangsamoro entity..... MORE
Source: Manila Standard
URL: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/2012/04/24/govt-agrees-to-create-bangsamoro-state/
Noy, kin lose P5B hacienda plea By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012
AQUINO SC APPOINTEES SOUGHT REMAND OF COMPENSATION ISSUE TO PALACE
Noy, kin lose P5B hacienda plea
It’s final. Hacienda Luisita’s close to 5,000 hectares are to be distributed to the farmer-workers while the Cojuangco-Aquino family ends up with a compensation of a little less than P200 million, as against the family seeking a compensation of P5 billion for the hacienda.
True to form, President Aquino’s appointees, Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno, Estela Bernabe and Bienvenido Reyes voted to allow an agency under the control of Malacañang to determine the amount which the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) is to receive as compensation for placing the sugar estate under the government’s agrarian reform program.
They were however, outvoted by the majority justices..... MORE
SC blocks Comelec’s P1.8-B purchase of Smartmatic’s PCOS By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012
SC blocks Comelec’s P1.8-B purchase of Smartmatic’s PCOS
A restraining order was handed down by the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday, freezing the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s P 1.8 billion contract for the purchase of computers to be used for next year’s elections.
Speaking to reporters at the end of the high court’s summer session in Baguio City, Court administrator Midas Marquez said the tribunal consolidated the three separate petitions challenging the deal between the collegial body and the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) to buy 80,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
Marquez also said the High Court will hear the cases in oral argument in a special en banc session to be held on May 2..... MORE
Noy seeks China-savvy envoy 04/25/2012
Noy seeks China-savvy envoy
President Aquino is still scouting for a suitable replacement for erstwhile ambassador to China Domingo Lee and hinted that his search may end outside of the realm of career diplomats as he would need an envoy who would have extensive knowledge of and contacts within the Chinese system and community — and preferably with Chinese blood.
“We’re reviewing. The criteria is really different. It’s not basically just career,” said Aquino as the Philippines continued to rattle diplomatic sabres with China over the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
He underscored that the next ambassador to China should be “somebody who understands the nuances of Chinese culture, how their system works, has developed contacts left and right to be able to reach the opinion makers and those whose opinions really matter.”.... MORE
Palea OKs CA mediation, calls on PAL to reinstate workers 04/25/2012
Palea OKs CA mediation, calls on PAL to reinstate workers
The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (Palea) has submitted a manifestation to the Court of Appeals (CA) expressing its willingness to participate in mediation with the flag carrier’s new management to seek a settlement to the long-standing labor dispute.
“The new management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) should recognize that the solution to the flag carrier’s woes involves not only a refleeting of its aging aircraft but more so the reinstatement of its skilled regular workers,” said Gerry Rivera, Palea president..... MORE
NBI, PNP to probe Paranaque demolition By Benjamin Pulta and Gina Peralta-Elorde 04/25/2012
NBI, PNP to probe Paranaque demolition
By Benjamin Pulta and Gina Peralta-Elorde 04/25/2012
Probers from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been tasked to gather evidence for the possible filing of criminal and administrative charges against policemen who may have been involved in the violence that erupted during the demolition of a shanty colony in Silverio Compound in Paraaque City last Monday, an incident which left one person dead and 66 others injured.
Department of Justice (DoJ) Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III issued the order after residents accompanied by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casio sought the DoJs assistance in identifying the police authorities who participated in the demolition and in holding them accountable for the incident.
Baraan said charges of homicide with multiple physical injuries may be filed against the policemen should evidence warrant them..... MORE
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Home > India News
Priyanka asks partymen to focus on real issues
New Delhi, Nov 17 (TIWN) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has asked all the office bearers of AICC and state units to focus on real issues which concern public and get their support on the cause as the party is preparing for a massive rally in the capital on November 30.
A source present in the meeting said without taking the name of Ayodhya Verdict, she said, "the recent verdict has not been able to get attention of the public despite BJP''s effort, so the Congress should focus on the real issues that concern common man". The Congress met on Saturday to prepare for the rally which is likely to be attended by all the opposition leaders. The rally will largely focus on economic slowdown and rising unemployment. Accusing the Narendra Modi-led government of leading the country towards starvation, the Congress said that it will hold a mega rally in Delhi''s Ramlila Maidan on November 30 against the ''anti-people policies'' of the government.
According to party leaders, the rally will be addressed by the party''s interim Chief Sonia Gandhi, former party President Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the general secretaries, in-charges, secretaries, frontal organisation chiefs and the state unit chiefs, party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said, "We have decided to hold a mega rally against the anti-people policies of the government to highlight the people-oriented issues against the central government." Slamming the government over the issues of economic slowdown, agrarian distress, unemployment, Venugopal said, "We also discussed the leakage of NSSO report, food items and everything, it is very shocking." "There is a perception that this government is leading the country to a starvation like situation due to its bad policies," the Congress leader said. He asserted that the entire country was agitated and that is why the Congress'' protests were a success across the country as people''s sentiments are with the party now.
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Nigeria Has 4.5% PC Penetration – NBS
Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the country has a 4.5 percent personal computer (PC) penetration.
BusinessDay, a local newspaper, reported that the data was revealed in a survey recently conducted under the “Annual Socio-Economic Report: Access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT)” by the NBS and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Despite the significant growth experienced in the country’s telecom market which according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), currently has over 101 million active phone connections, the survey stated that over 95 percent of Nigerians lack access to a PC or the internet.
Based on the report, Nigeria which has a populace of over 160 million peoples, has a national average total internet access of 4.5 percent while actual PC ownership stands at 0.9 percent.
Omatek Computers and Zinox Technologies, are indigenous PC makers who have boost production levels but the cost price of the products remain considerably high for the majority of the population. In Nigeria, a PC with a current edition operating system could cost at least 50,000 naira ($320), a price out of reach for over 60 percent of the country living below the $2 per day poverty level.
The survey also revealed that the most widely-used ICT devices in the country are radios and mobile phones. According to report, Nigeria has a 4 million smart phone market size.
Image: Gaurdian.co.uk
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FOO FIGHTERS 20th Anniversary Print Art Print
Artist: Jermaine Rogers
Event/Show: SDCC : 2015
Venue: Jermaine Rogers
Jermaine was commissioned by the Foo Fighters to create a limited edition print for their 20th anniversary show at RFK Stadium in Washington DC on July 4th. To celebrate the event, the band opened a special 'Pop Up Shop' at Union Station in Washington, DC, where several limited edition FF items were made available. The poster was screen printed on white gallery stock and exclusively available at the Pop Up Shop. The signed and numbered edition of only 250 posters quickly sold out. Jermaine will now release his artist edition, available exclusively from JermaineRogers.com! This piece measures 26x20 inches and is printed on gallery cream stock. It is strictly limited to 100 pieces. Regarding the imagery, Jermaine resurrected the mysterious 'Harpies': the enigmatic creatures appeared on an earlier Foo Fighters x Jermaine Rogers poster, created nearly 10 years ago. Discussing this image, he says: 'The Harpies...the bird-men. They are known by many names in many cultures. The
Materials: Paper
Dimensions: 20.0" x 26.0"
Exclusive Release: SDCC : 2015
Numbered: Yes
On this Medium
Same Event/Show
401 Items: Jermaine Rogers
14424 Items: Screenprint
260 Items: SDCC : 2015
FOO FIGHTERS 20th Anni...
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Arundhati: 'An independent Kashmiri nation may be a flawed entity, but is independent India perfect?'
As a section of the political class and the media bays for her blood, author Arundhati Roy tells Shoma Chaudhury why her opinions do not amount to sedition.
Campaign starts to arrest Arundhati Roy for support for Azadi Kashmir
October 24, 2010 , Pioneer News Service
Serial sedition: Will Govt act this time?
Under pressure from the BJP to act against controversial Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy for her latest reiteration of Azadi for Kashmir, as the Congress-led UPA Government continues to weigh legal options, it turns out, social networking sites like the Facebook not only had the instant emergence of ‘Arrest Suzanna Arundhati Roy’ — like petitions no sooner than she made her opinion public a couple of years ago but also dished out the course of action.
The ‘arrest Roy’ petition on Facebook, addressed to the Government of India and the Prime Minister, demands arrest of the 49-year-old author-turned-political activist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 (amended in 2008).
“The offences listed under this law include any assertion or statement ‘which is intended, or supports any claim, to bring about, on any ground whatsoever, the cession of a part of the territory of India or the secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union, or which incites any individual or group of individuals to bring about such cession or secession’,” the petition points out to back its demand.
Roy’s remarks on Kashmir aren’t new. She has been there and done that on earlier occasions too, only to invite customary rebuttals like “Kashmir is and will remain an integral part of India”.
But often dubbed by critics as the ‘one-book-claim-to-fame’ author, Roy does seem to have perfected the art of hogging the limelight courting controversies with her opinions perceived by many as “anti-national” and a direct challenge to the law of the land. Be it her espousal of the cause of Kashmir’s azadi or her support to the Maoists; be it her terming as “unconstitutional” the Supreme Court’s death sentence to Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru or her assertion that the Mumbai terror attacks were not akin to US’ 9/11 and could not be seen in isolation.
Not surprising then that pro-Pakistan websites and organisations have more than lapped up Roy’s remarks. In fact, much before her latest statements on Kashmir they had already gone around to highlight her reported assertions about how “Pakistan will win hands down” in case of a referendum in Kashmir in an interview to David Barsamian, her co-author of Checkbook & Cruise Missile: Conversations with Arundhati Roy.
Her statement to an English daily in 2008, when she visited the troubled State, that “India needs azadi from Kashmir as much as Kashmir needs azadi from India”, too got circulated big time. Roy has been reiterating this assertion ever since.
“For the past 60 days or so, since about the end of June, the people of Kashmir have been free. Free in the most profound sense. They have shrugged off the terror of living their lives in the gun-sights of half-a-million heavily-armed soldiers in the most densely militarised zone in the world…. …Hadn’t anybody noticed that in Kashmir even minor protests about civic issues like water and electricity inevitably turned into demands for azadi?” Her opinion in an article in an English weekly magazine the same year saw responses ranging from demands for booking her on charges of sedition to praises of being bold enough to speak out her mind.
But that didn’t deter her from speaking aloud her mind, even on an issue as sensitive as the Mumbai terror attacks. “November isn’t September, 2008 isn’t 2001, Pakistan isn’t Afghanistan and India isn’t America…. The Mumbai attacks are only the most recent of a spate of terrorist attacks on Indian towns and cities this year. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Guwahati, Jaipur and Malegaon have all seen serial bomb blasts in which hundreds of ordinary people have been killed and wounded…”
“In much the same way as it did after the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2002 burning of the Sabarmati Express and the 2007 bombing of the Samjhauta Express, the Government of India announced that it has “incontrovertible” evidence that the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba backed by Pakistan’s ISI was behind the Mumbai strikes. According to the police and intelligence agencies the Lashkar operates in India through an organisation called the Indian Mujahideen. Two Indian nationals have been arrested in connection with the Mumbai attacks. So already the neat accusation against Pakistan is getting a little messy,” she wrote in her piece in UK’s Guardian newspaper.
If she justified the ‘war’ waged by the Maoists against the corporates wanting to have control over natural resources like minerals, water and forests, she termed the Operation Green Hunt against them as a ‘war’ by the Government to move tribal people to ensure the hundreds of “secret” MoUs the States of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal signed with the corporates translated into real money.
Her run-in with the Chhattisgarh police establishment too was much publicised. When asked why the State Government did not act against her, Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwaranjan said, “I don’t want to comment on a person who has been discredited across the nation. She had visited Chhattisgarh and went around meeting hardcore Maoists and their sympathisers in Dantewada and other places. She keeps on refuting her statements and we don’t want to give her that much importance.”
In 2006, Roy, who was jailed for a day for contempt of court in 2002, yet again took on the judiciary. She said the Supreme Court’s ruling that Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru must be hanged ‘to satisfy the collective will of the nation’ though there is no proof of his involvement is in itself “unconstitutional”.
With the latest controversy surfacing, whether the Government will or can act now remains to be seen.
News of Maoist resistance to Operation Green Hunt
Gulf Times, October 24, 2010
Patna: Security was tightened across the eastern state of Bihar yesterday after six policemen died in a blast triggered by suspected Maoist rebels, officials said. A hidden mine targeted a police vehicle over a small bridge in Bihar’s Sheohar district.
The blast came two days after a six-phase, month-long electoral process to choose the state legislative assembly began. The second phase will be held today, and security was increased across the state after the explosion, police said. “Combing operations were intensified,” Bihar’s additional director general of police P K Thakur said. “Security has been tightened to give a sense of confidence among people a day ahead of polls following the Maoist strike.”
The attack forced the Election Commission to change the poll timing in Sheohar district. Polling will now be held between 7am and 3pminstead of until 5pm.Bihar police chief Neelmani has urged voters not to panic. “I appeal to the voters to exercise their franchise without any fear...security forces will be available for their security and protection. I will request people to come out of their homes and reach polling stations,” Neelmani said. “There is no need to panic...the police will ensure violence-free polls,” he said. Police officials admit the threat of more Maoist violence looms large over the Bihar assembly polls.
The rebels had declared early this month they would intensify attacks to disrupt the elections.?Maoists violence was also reported from several others parts of the country.
An Intelligence Branch officer and an NGO worker were reportedly abducted by the Maoists from West Bengal’s Purulia district.
In Orissa, about 30 Maoists early yesterday blew up warehouse, police said. “The rebels blew up the warehouse at Niliguda village with land mines,” police officer Debashis Mishra said.
Meanwhile, life continued to remain paralysed in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist stronghold of Bastar region yesterday, the second and final day of shutdown by rebels, as buses did not ply and shops were closed. The shutdown had a strong impact in five districts of Bastar - Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur and Kanker as buses are off roads.
The rebels called the two-day shutdown to oppose a crackdown launched this month. Even the only passenger train that connects Kirandul town in Dantewada district to Andhra Pradesh has been restricted to Jagdalpur, fearing disturbances by Maoists. Reports coming in from Bastar also said that truckers are not willing to operate as the rebels had targeted them earlier.
Security has been further stepped up in Bastar where police say nearly 25,000sq km of its total 40,000sq km area is intensively mined by Maoists. “Security has always been in top gear in Bastar but surely some more bold steps have been taken to bolster security arrangements during the shutdown period in areas vulnerable to be attacked by the rebels,” Bastar range inspector general of police T J Longkumer said.
Government Says It Will Break the “Maoist Grip on $80 Billion Investments in India by 2013"
By Bibhudatta Pradhan and Santosh Kumar – Sep 17, 2010
India: Bihar police in no mood to fight the Naxals
Operation Green Hunt is in disarray. Bihar’s forces are in no mood to fight the Naxals
BY VK SHASHIKUMAR
Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 37, September 18, 2010
As India overhauls homeland security, U.S. firms vie for $billions in business
By Rama Lakshmi
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, September 18, 2010; 8:16 PM
NEW DELHI – At a sprawling exhibition hall in the capital, Indian military officers browsed displays of modern surveillance systems, sophisticated mine detectors, anti-hacking software and guns. They asked questions, took notes and scheduled meetings with company officials, setting in motion a major shopping spree.
In recent years, India has secured billion-dollar defense deals with U.S. companies to modernize its military. Now the country is overhauling its homeland security, and U.S. companies are again hoping to be first in line.
“As far as internal security goes, its strengthening and augmentation, there is going to be no dearth of money or resources,” Ajay Maken, India’s deputy home minister, said at the security conference this month.
After the terrorist attacks in Mumbai two years ago, authorities demanded better weapons and more sophisticated technology for police forces. Today, surveillance cameras, metal detectors, X-ray machines and bomb squads proliferate in airports, the Metro, malls, multiplexes and high-rises.
But analysts say the country’s arsenal of domestic security weapons remains woefully inadequate in the battle against terrorism, separatist violence and Maoist guerrillas.
To upgrade its arsenal, India should turn to a “country which is strategically a friend of India,” Maken said.
India and the United States have emerged as strong strategic allies since reaching a civilian nuclear accord that is likely to generate more than $100 billion worth of business. The two countries set up a counterterrorism cooperation initiative this year. Last month, Indian law enforcement and the FBI participated in a counterterrorism program that included sessions on improvised explosive devices and post-blast investigations.
“The two governments have outlined the ‘what’ of homeland security priority areas. The industry will now map the ‘how,’ said retired U.S. Adm. James Loy, a former deputy secretary of homeland security and commandant of the Coast Guard. “The American companies want to make a contribution in the areas of counterterrorism, police modernization, cyber-security and transport safety.”
Business opportunities for security companies over the next few years will be worth nearly $1.7 trillion, said Loy, who led a U.S. delegation to the conference this month.
Maken said India is also setting up a national intelligence database and modern crime tracking systems that prioritize cyber-security. “The more we are technologically advanced, the more is the threat of infiltration in our networking systems,” he said.
India’s internal security department has also bought long-range acoustic warning systems, sound guns and other devices from American companies.
In recent weeks, the country’s police and paramilitary forces have been widely criticized for firing at stone-throwing teenage protesters in the troubled Himalayan valley of Kashmir. About 85 protesters have been killed this summer.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed state police chiefs to find nonlethal means to control mobs. That opened up opportunities for companies such as Taser International, an Arizona-based firm that set up an office in India after the Mumbai attacks and attended the homeland security conference this month.
In August, paramilitary forces and the Kashmir police department decided to buy Tasers, and the state’s police officers are now learning how to use them. India’s national police training school and commando force have also bought Tasers this year for training.
“Earlier, our force had weapons that were meant to kill,” said P.M. Nair, inspector general of the Central Reserve Police Force. “But now we have introduced nonlethal weapons to deal with volatile situations in Kashmir or other demonstrations elsewhere in the country.”
78 Chhattisgarh cops evade duty in Maoist areas
IANS, Sep 25, 2010
RAIPUR: As many as 78 policemen in Chhattisgarh have been sent show cause notices for refusing to join postings in Maoist-hit areas of the state, a senior police official said Saturday.
The police headquarters here served notices to 33 inspector-rank officers and other police officers who refused to take postings citing health reasons, mostly diabetes and high blood pressure.
“The police department can’t afford such kind of gross indiscipline among jawans. The 78 policemen, who have been evading new postings, have been asked to explain within three days, otherwise we will take stern action,” Inspector General of Police (administration) Pawan Deo said.
The problem of state policemen refusing to take postings in the seven Maoist-infested districts has been rising every month, an official said, adding that new recruits were not joining their duties in such areas.
The worst-hit districts are Rajnandgaon and Surguja, besides five districts in the sprawling 40,000 sq km mineral-rich Bastar region – made up of Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kanker and Dantewaa. The region is known as the nerve centre of Maoist militancy.
Nearly 40,000 forces, including roughly half of them from paramilitary troopers, have been put in Bastar region to take on Maoists armed with rocket launchers, mortars and AK-47s.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6625169.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz10apRFVMQ
West Bengal: Stories of Unjust Arrests under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act
Chharadhar Mahato, leader of People's Committee against Police Atrocities in Lalgarh, arrested under UAPA
Satyarupa Jana: Prize Catch under UAPA
by Nisha Biswas
Indian Vanguard, September 25, 2010
On July 9, 2009 Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the Chief Minister of West Bengal assured his colleagues in State Assembly that the government would see that Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) is not misused.
He also informed the assembly that from the day of banning of Communist Party of India (Maoist) by the Centre and the imposition of UAPA in West Bengal (June 22, 2009) till that date, only 39 persons have been arrested by invoking this Act, out of which thirty were from West Midnapore, five from Bankura and four from Purulia. However, as his habit is, he did forget (intentionally?) to mention the first arrest of Gour Chakroborty, spokesperson of CPI(Maoist) on the day the Maoist party was banned by the Government of India, without giving him a chance to clarify his stand.
The exact number of persons arrested so far under this Act is not known but the estimate is that it is not less than a couple of hundreds. However, an RTI inquiry by APDR reveals that, till March 2010, only 30 persons have been arrested from West Midnapore under UAPA. The list begins with unbanned CPI(Maoist) party Spokesperson Gaur Chakroborty, activists Raja Sorkhel, Prasun Chatterjee, Bangla People’s March editor Swapan Dasgupta (who died in custody), PCPA spokesperson Chhtaradhar Mahato, treasurer Sukhashanti Baskey, and other high profile persons, including activists of democratic movement to people like Satyarupa Jana of Pankhai, Khejuri of East Medinipur.
Satyarupa belongs to the region, which happened to be the ruling party stronghold during Nandigram protest. She is such a politically naïve person that she never bothered to find out what is happening on the other side of Taikhali Bridge. Even today, she is at loss in explaining why so many from Nandigram were murdered. Her life of 48 years has been a struggle to make both ends meet – she has tried to educate her three sons and is proud of the fact that they are doing well and that one of her daughter-in-law is a para-teacher and the other one is doing her graduation. Hers is a normal conventional life of a little ambitious and industrious person who has taken risks and has almost never missed any opportunity of an extra earning. Satyarupa says that she did hear gun shots and the noise of bomb hurling, but has always tried to keep her family and self away from all these political chaos.
Today the same Satyarupa Jana is languishing in Midnapore Central jail since 24th May of this year and is accused of various offenses including waging and conspiring war against the state, collecting and keeping arms, sedition. Her “seizure list” includes a bag of arms used for killing the Trinamool Congrss Panchayat leader Nishikanta Mondal at Nandigram on September 22, 2009. She is booked under Sections 121/121A/122/123/124A/120B of Indian Penal Code, Sec 25/27 of Arms Act and also under section 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In Khejuri PS Case no. 65/10 dtd 14.05.2010 she is termed as a hard core Maoist; such a hard core Maoist who before her arrests had not heard the name of Mao or his ism.
Satyarupa is a perfect example of the misuse of a draconian Act to meet the agendas of political parties and their associates. So who is Satyarupa? Satyarupa is one who has never missed any chance of earning money for a better life. She has vended vegetables, fish, sold sarees in the weekly bazars. But she has always treaded the lawful and truthful ways and was never ever lured by illegal means. It was four or five years back when she first heard the name of Self – Help Groups and how it can improve one’s economic status. Being industrious, she was among the first few who took the training and made her own group naming it Ma Durga Self Help Group. Among the few groups that she formed one was named after revolutionary freedom fighter Matangini Hazra, who had been assassinated in front of Tamluk Police Station. Her group includes ex-panchayat President of CPI(M) and wife of ex-panchayat member belonging of Trinmool Congress. Including all colours, she had skillfully tried to avoid any political confrontation.
Problem started with the government instruction that the Supervisor of NREGA work will be amongst the presidents of the Self-Help Groups functioning in the locality. And there too we find that Satyarupa has already taken seven-day training in BDO office around March end. Therefore the work of renovation of B M School pond at Pankhai, Khejuri costing more than two Lakhs goes to her. Satyarupa, even today in Midnapore jail believes that truth prevails and that as long as her accounts are clear and that she is honest and sincere, she has nothing to be afraid off. She never felt the need to give any commission to any political group or person. This raised a huge discontent amongst the local leaders and their accomplices. They, therefore, tried to stop her work under NREGA and instructed local village people not to work in her projects. But, who can stop Satyarupa? She was growing big to bigger without any political patron. She recruited people from Bartala, a neighbouring village. Work started at 11am of May13, 2010 and the commotion started within three hours, i.e. around 2pm while she was going home for lunch. She was beaten up by the vested interests and was brought to Khejuri PS. She was interrogated there and when in the night, Lutfar Rehman and Somen Mondal of the same village, on the instruction of OC Atanu Santra went to the PS for her release, they too were arrested.
She and the other two were produced in Court on 15th May and police took them in custody for further investigation for ten days. In these ten days Satyarupa witnessed severe beating of Lutfar and Somen and was taken to Nandigram once. According to police in these ten days she helped them in locating a bag of arms used for killing Nishikant Mondal. She denies knowledge of any such bag and remembers the threat of OC Atanu Santra of Khejuri PS that they are going to put her in jail to rot for the rest of her life.
I met her in the only Female Ward of Midnapore Central Jail, where I too had to spend 43 days for waging and conspiring war against the State and sedition. Bengali writer Manik Mondal, school teacher Sri Kanishka Chowdhury and myself were arrested from Rameswarpur of Lalgarh on June15, 2010. All through the 43 days of my stay with her, I did not find her interested in politics, she never read newspaper and always asked me who are Maoists and who am I. She does not understand an iota of politics and her only worry is when will she be back with her family and the losses that she is incurring because of her detention. In Jail we were termed Maoists, I used to enjoy the special status and privileges associated with this word, whereas Satyarupa used to get very angry and had repeatedly complained to jail authorities and warned other inmates that if they do not stop calling her Maoist, she too will start calling them by their crimes for which they are arrested or convicted.
Obama’s pitch to India: Settle Kashmir and get UN Security Council seat
Times of India, September 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: Go for a Kashmir solution and help bring stability to the region for a ticket to UN Security Council membership and fulfilling your big power aspirations. That’s the broad message President Barack Obama will be bringing to New Delhi during his upcoming November visit to India, preparation for which are in full swing in Washington DC.
The Kashmir settlement-for-seat at high table idea (euphemism for UNSC membership) is being discussed animatedly in the highest levels of the US administration, according to a various sources. President Obama himself has decided to revive the process of a US push in this direction, albeit discreetly, because of New Delhi’s sensitivities.
Key administration officials are confirming that the UNSC issue will be on Obama’s agenda when he visits New Delhi. The US President is expected to announce an incremental American support to India’s candidature during his address to the joint session of India’s parliament, depending on New Delhi’s receptiveness to resolving the Kashmir tangle.
“[UNSC reforms] is something that is under discussion as we prepare for the President’s important visit,” US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake confirmed on Monday during a read-out of the meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Indian counterpart S.M.Krishna, saying the two had agreed the “President’s visit will be a defining moment in the history of our bilateral relations.”
The clearest insight into Obama’s thinking on the matter comes from Bob Woodward’s latest book “Obama’s War” in which top US policy makers are shown mulling on defusing the Kashmir situation as part of an exit strategy for US from the AfPak theater.
“Why can’t we have straightforward talks with India on why a stable Pakistan is crucial?” Obama is reported as musing at one meeting. “India is moving toward a higher place in its global posture. A stable Pakistan would help.” Implicit in the rumination is the idea that settling Kashmir would mollify Pakistan, where, US officials say, hardliners are using the unresolved issue as an excuse to breed an army of terrorists aimed at bleeding India.
But that is easier said than done, according to Bruce Riedel, author of the Obama administration’s Af-Pak strategy, who has canvassed the centrality of the Kashmir issue to peace and stability in the region. The spoiler to any settlement is the hardline Pakistani military and its jihadist proxies for whom attrition and confrontation with India is an article of faith.
In fact, the solution Washington has in mind (also proposed by Riedel) is likely more palatable to New Delhi than to Islamabad. It’s on the same lines of what Prime Minister Manmohan Singhand Pakistan’s deposed military leader Pervez Musharraf broadly agreed on before the latter was turfed out of office: The Line of Control would become the international border, but it would be a soft, permeable border, allowing Kashmiris on both sides to move back and forth. The rest – safeguards, procedures etc – is a matter of detail.
“President Obama’s strategy for dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan always needed a Kashmir component to succeed; that need is becoming more urgent and obvious now. His trip to India in November will be a key to addressing it,” Riedel said in a commentary this week.
“India cannot become a global power with a prosperous economy if its neighbor is a constant source of terror armed with the bomb. A sick Pakistan is not a good neighbor,” he added, echoing Obama’s words (Woodward’s book also suggests he influenced Obama’s thinking).
Virtually setting the agenda for Obama’s India visit, Riedel says Obama’s challenge is to quietly help Islamabad and New Delhi work behind the scenes to get back to the deal Musharraf and Singh negotiated. “He will have a chance to work this subtly when he visits India in November,” he writes.
But Riedel and other US policy makers portrayed in Woodward’s book also recognize that the biggest hurdle to a settlement is a hardline Pakistani military. While the civilian leadership in Pakistan would like to embrace the deal “it is unclear if the army chief, General Kayani, is on board.”
Woodward’s book shows that most top US officials, save Admiral Mike Mullen, believe Kayani to be a closet jihadi and a two-faced “liar” intent on perpetuating war with India. “I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m India-centric,” Kayani is quoted as telling US officials in one exchange.
Although three top cabinet principals from India — S.M.Krishna, A.K.Antony, and Pranab Mukherjee — are in the US this week and next, exchanges on the UNSC and Kashmir are said to be taking place directly between President Obama and Prime Minister Singh through trusted interlocutors such as National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, who is also in Washington DC this week.
Maoists appeal to Naga troops to defy orders in West Bengal
Nagaland Indian Reserve Battalion in transit
Hindustan Times, September 29, 2010
A top Maoist leader on Wednesday appealed to Naga troopers of the Indian Reserve Battalion [from the northeast state of Nagaland-ed] to defy orders and not take part in the ongoing security operations against the ultra left rebels in West Bengal’s Junglemahal region.
In an open letter to troopers of the Nagaland Indian Reserve Battalion – who are on duty in the mountainous terrain of Purulia district to fight the ultras, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) politburo member Kisanji asked them to “revolt against the orders to battle against the people, desist from pumping bullets into the bodies of your brothers and sisters and defy all orders to dispatch you from one place to another at the diktat and whims of superiors to kill people and get killed”.
“The government considers you as ambush expert Nagas who can easily kill and get killed in the battle zone of the Ayodhya Hills of Purulia district,” Kisanji observed.
Two companies of NIRB troopers were deployed in the Ayodhya Hills of Purulia district recently to flush out the ultra left rebels from the area as part of the anti-Maoists operations launched June 2009 in Junglemahal (forested Maoist-affected areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura).
Israel supplies 10,000 assault rifles to India for Operation Green Hunt
Israeli-made Tavor assault rifle
Times of India, October 1, 2010
Israeli arms give CRPF the edge in Jangalmahal
KOLKATA: The Army’s special forces were the first to receive them. It was then the turn of security personnel in J&K. Finally, CRPF personnel[Central Reserve Police Force paramilitary force] operating in Maoist-infested Lalgarh have got access to sophisticated weapons imported from Israel.
Senior officials believe that the 5.56mm Tavor guns, manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries Ltd (IWI), will give their men that much-needed edge over the guerrillas who use the terrain to their advantage. The INSAS, AK-47 or 7.62 mm SLR used by the CRPF till now have not proved to be too effective in close quarter battles (CQB). Indian ordnance factories have been trying to come up with an effective solution, but their latest products have not yet cleared field trials by the armed forces.
In 2009, Union home minister P Chidambaram cleared the procurement of 10,147 assault rifles from IWI in a `144-crore deal. The defence ministry had also imported similar weapons for use by its special forces.
“The INSAS is a good weapon for an infantry soldier. However, it is too cumbersome for personnel involved in counter-insurgency operations. The AK-47s are easier to carry, but are not accurate enough. The weapons imported from Israel are not only accurate and lightweight, they also have a rate of fire to match the AK-47s. They are ideally suited for the CQB environment when personnel have only a spilt second to react,” an official said.
Fitted with special sights, it doesn’t take long to aim the Israeli guns before firing. Unlike the AK-47s and SLRs, these weapons use 5.56mm ammunition, similar to the INSAS. Platoons no longer have to carry different types of ammunition.
“These are ambidextrous weapons that can be used with both hands. They have integral reflex sights that allows a jawan to aim with both eyes open. They are good for both day and night operations,” the official said.
According to experts in the defence ministry, the Israeli weapons are unlike anything that have been used by Indian troops. These are the only weapons that have the characteristic ‘Bull Pup’ design. This design makes these weapons extremely useful for special forces and troops involved in counter-insurgency the world over.
“Unlike weapons used by Indian forces so far, these guns have their magazines behind the trigger. As a result, the centre of gravity is to the rear and the barrels point upward even when the weapons are not in use. In case of emergency, it is far easier to bring the barrel down and fire the weapons. In other rifles, the barrels have a tendency to point downward,” an Army officer involved in the training of special forces said.
Maoists tell freed Chhattisgarh policemen to quit their jobs
After twelve nerve-wracking days, the Chhattisgarh police held a press conference in Raipur to confirm the safe return of Sukluram Bhagat, Narendra Khosle, Subhash Patra and B. Toppo who were abducted by the Maoists.
On September 19, seven policemen were captured by the Maoists as they travelled between Bhopalpatnam and Bhadrakali in the forests of Bijapur district.
While the corpses of three policemen were found the next day, the fate of the remaining four remained uncertain till late on Thursday night when they arrived at a police camp in Dantewada district.
A pregnant woman, Kursam Jyoti who was travelling with her brother Krishna Erpa, was also reported missing. Police said Ms. Jyoti was freed a few days ago and she had returned to her village.
Police sources said one of the conditions set for the release was that all the four men would resign from the police service. It is understood that four local television journalists escorted the men back to safety.
At his press conference, Director General of Police Vishwarajan sought to dispel some of the confusion surrounding the hostage crisis.
Clarifying that the freed policemen were yet to be debriefed after their ordeal, Mr. Vishwaranjan said the Maoist demands suggested that the men had been abducted by lower-level cadres, thereby complicating hostage negotiations. Maoist posters recovered in Bijapur demanded that the police call off Operation Green Hunt, withdraw Central paramilitary forces from Chhattisgarh, release unnamed Maoist leaders and stop police atrocities on villagers in Bijapur. The police said the lack of specificity made it impossible to meet these demands.
Mr. Vishwarajan’s observations were supported by information gleaned from Maoist sources.
In a telephone conversation on September 26, CPI (Maoist) spokesperson Gudsa Usendi told this correspondent that he had not received any information regarding the kidnapping, implying that top Maoist leadership was also struggling to ascertain the events surrounding the kidnapping.
Mr. Usendi said that the monsoon and poor cellular connectivity had made it difficult to keep track of the events in Bijapur, but felt that the men would be released soon.
The men were finally released after nearly two weeks of search operations, background conversations between the police and Maoists using the local press as mediators and public appeals by the families of the abducted policemen, Chief Minister Raman Singh, Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao, the Chhattisgarh chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties and social activist Swami Agnivesh.
Getting Difficult for India to Control Manipur
Maoists call for bandh against new Bastar ‘peace’ campaign
Joseph John, Tue Oct 12 2010
Raipur : Outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) has given a call for a 48 hour ‘Dandakaranya’ bandh from September 22, demanding disbanding of Bastar’s newly formed “Shanti Sangharsh Morcha”, alleging that it was a new avatar of “fascist Salwa Judum” — the anti-Naxalite campaign which was launched in June 2005.
The Maoist call for a two day bandh came after a group of tribals, who met on Gandhi Jayanti day in Bijapur district, formed ‘Dandakaranya Shanti Sangharsh Morcha” for launching a ‘non-violent’ people’s campaign to restore peace in the strife-torn Bastar region.
“Maoists will be observing a 48 hour DK bandh on September 22 and 23 to protest against the newly formed organization as it is a new avatar of Salwa Judum”, CPI (Maoist) Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee spokesman Gudsa Usendi said in a communiqué sent to the media in Bastar.
The so-called Dandakaranya region — which the rebels term as “DK” state — forms part of forest areas of Bastar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Maoists claim it as their ‘Liberated zone’ while the the civil administration’s consider it as areas dominated by the rebels.
The initiative for a new peace campaign began last month when a group of people, including a few of those who were associated with the Salwa Judum, met at Karkeli village and decided to formulate strategies to take the campaign ahead for establishing peace in the area. Later, they met again at Kutroo village in Bijapur district on October 2 and resolved to work for peace without carrying any weapons by following the Gandhian path of non-violence.
Salwa Judum, which began as a small protest from Karkeli village in Bijapur district on June 2005, had turned into frenzy in South Bastar, once the cherished zone of the Maoists. The movement, which the state government described as a spontaneous peoples campaign against the Naxalites, spread far and wide and turned the entire South Bastar into a battle field. The Naxalites unleashed attacks on Salwa Judum cadres, who went on a prowl against Maoist sympathizers, and the conflict led to police and Para-military forces swarming the region.
Maoist call for two day bandh against the newly formed Dandakaranya Shanti Sangharsh Samiti is being seen as an attempt to thwart the possibility of new campaign spreading into the remote areas where the rebels have their base.
10 injured in police firing in Assam
Guwahati, Oct 12 : At least 10 protesters were injured in police firing incident in Assam’s Kamrup (Rural) district on Tuesday, officials said.
According to report, thousands of people from Garo and other communities had gathered to form a human chain for their various demands at Santipur area under Boko police station in the district.
When the police intervened, the protesters came forward to break the police barricade and damaged the police vehicles. A circle officer and a police official were injured.
Police used canes and tear gas to control the situation and later opened fire on the mob, in which at least 10 protesters were injured. The injured were taken to Rangia civil hospital.
http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-61603.html
Maoists’ new tactics to counter Operation Green Hunt
Naxals’ new ploy: first blast, then bullets
NAGPUR: The lull in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district, ever since 17 cops were killed in Laheri in October 2009, was left shattered by the recent incidents of blasts in which seven security personnel were killed, nine others were left injured and four civilians, including three students of Sawargaon ashramshala, died in a blast on Friday morning.
Though guns rattled in a few exchanges in the jungle and the elimination of police informers by the rebels kept the security personnel busy so far, this year witnessed the first major jolt being delivered by the Naxals at Perimili on Monday, when they killed four cops in a blast. They followed up by injuring eight C60 commandos on the following day at Mirkal around 13 km away from Perimili.
The recent incidents are leaving clear indications that the rebels seem to be more inclined to first trigger the blast and then fire upon the panicked cops. This ploy was adopted by the rebels after sensing that security forces can now be difficult to tame in gun battles, especially after the reinforcement provided by the central government in the form of paramilitary forces.
Shifting from the preference of intense gunfight, as manifested by the rebels in 2009, the Naxals seem to have made a deviation in their strategy in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh to counter central government’s so-called Operation Green Hunt launched to flush out the rebels from the hinterlands.
Even the security agencies were aware of the paradigm shift in the rebel strategy. Intelligence agencies, it is learnt, had also alerted the cops about the new strategy.
The Naxals wanted to curtail the movements of the security deployment in the affected regions. They started planting mines under roads and waiting in ambush. Generally a large posse of cops wanted to attack the Naxals after the debacles of 2009. The rebels switched to landmines to cripple the movements of the cops in the jungles.
“They aim to take the security forces by surprise with altered techniques of attacks. Their guerrilla warfare is so unpredictable that the paramilitary forces falling easy preys to the Naxals,” said source from intelligence agency.
The year 2009 had witnessed unprecedented violence as Naxals, killing more than 51 cops. They had merged their several dalams to form a consolidated military dalam, often bringing reinforcement of fighter guerrillas from Chhattisgarh and Abujhmarh to ensure that cops were outnumbered by many in such encounters.
Changing tactics after the launch of Operation Green Hunt, rebels have started planting landmines this year. “The aim is to trigger more casualties with lesser manpower. Once the blast takes the cops by surprise and leaves them injured, rebels fire on the victims to increase the toll and also to curtail the chances of launching the counter,” said an experienced official.
Maoists expand political and military operations in West Bengal
Maoist road blockade in Lalgarh area of West Bengal. Naxals spread wings, more Bengal districts want LWE-affected status
Express News Service, October 15, 2010
Kolkata: The Left Front may be claiming success in the anti-Maoist operations in Junglemahal but an internal government report indicates that the ultras who till now had been confined to Junglemahal — Purulia, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas — have spread to other nearby districts.
The police and local administrations of Birbhum, Nadia and Murshidabad districts have submitted a report to the state home department requesting that some police stations in their districts should be brought under the ambit of Left Wing Extremism-affected area considering the increased activities of the Maoists there.
According to the reports submitted by the state police to state home department, eight police stations in Nadia, six police stations in Birbhum and three police stations in Murshidabad have seen increased Maoist activities in recent months.
“The reports and the recommendations have been submitted to us and we have forwarded it to the state home department. After scrutinizing the facts, the report will be sent to the Centre for approval from the state home department,” said Surajit Kar Pura Kayestha, IG (Law and Order).
Police sources said Dubrajpur and Khairashol police stations in Birbhum district, which have been mentioned as Maoist-affected areas, had always been a safe haven for the Maoists. “Several senior Maoists leaders, including Kalpana Ruidas, were arrested from the area,” said a senior police officer.
The report accessed by The Indian Express further states that the Maoists have formed a regional committee in Nadia and an area committee in Jalangi. There are over 30 members in the area committee. “The Maoists started setting up their base in the area after forming an outfit called Mazdoor Krishak Sangram Samity, which works like a frontal organisation of the Maoists much akin to the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) in West Midnapore,” said a senior police officer.
“As per the information we have gathered till now, the area committee is led by Prasanta Das alias Raja, a resident of Kotwali,” the officer added.
“Das is the key person in the area who is strengthening the cadre’s base in Murshidabad and Nadia districts. They have started spreading their influence in the colleges of the district,” the officer said.
Forced Evictions Skyrocket due to Commonwealth Games
Results of India's urban "beautification" campaign for the Commonwealth Games
Housing and Land Rights Network
Forced Evictions due to Commonwealth Games Violate Human Rights, Contribute to a Permanent Negative Social Legacy
The preparations for Delhi’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) have witnessed a range of human rights violations of the city’s working poor, including the homeless, beggars, street vendors, and construction workers. The process has also been marred by financial mismanagement, embezzlement of public funds, and lack of accountability. One of the least reported violations, however, has been the forced eviction and demolition of the homes of thousands of Delhi’s residents. These evictions have taken place for various reasons ranging from constructing stadiums, building parking lots, widening roads, city ‘beautification,’ and clearing of streets on grounds of ‘security.’
Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has been involved in a study on forced evictions carried out due to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. HLRN estimates that at least 250,000 people in Delhi have lost their homes as a direct result of the Games since 2004. A table of some of the demolished sites is included below.
While the study is still ongoing, preliminary findings from a few sites reveal the following characteristics of forced evictions:
1. Failure to provide notice and reason for the demolition; due process not followed
In majority of the cases, authorities did not provide a notice for the demolition. The only exceptions were Dargah Bhure Shah Camp, Viklang Basti, and Madrasi Camp (notice pasted two days before the demolition). The usual trend has been of police threatening people to vacate the area on the evening before the demolition. People of the settlement near Shiv Mandir, Sewa Nagar, were very vocal about the fact that they had not been informed about the demolition. Said Ms. Ishwar Kali, “If they had to break our homes, at least they could have told us.” People from various sites reported that their homes were destroyed while they were away.
The Bengali Camp demolition took place on January 13, 2009, when people were celebrating the winter festival of ‘Lohri.’
2. Use of force and large police presence during the demolition
All slums demolitions took place in the presence of a large police force. Approximately 200 police personnel were present for the Dargah Bhure Shah Camp demolition, 100 at Madrasi Camp, 100-150 for the demolition of 25 jhuggis (homes) in the Sai Baba Camp, and two police buses, eight bulldozers and 8-10 fire brigades for the Gadia Lohar Basti demolition. While women police officials were present during the demolitions, they generally just stood and watched.
3. Injury and adverse effects on health
At Shaheed Arjun Das Camp in East Kidwai Nagar, a woman delivered a baby girl early in the morning, a few hours before the demolition began on January 13, 2009. On seeing the bulldozers she lost consciousness for four hours and could not even be taken to a hospital. The shock of the demolition has left Kamla, aged 40, from the settlement near Shiv Mandir, Sewa Nagar, permanently paralysed on her left side. People in Bengali Camp reported that there was a stampede like situation once the demolition started. An old woman fell to the ground and someone dragged a cylinder over her, and was miraculously saved.
aMost people from the demolished camps reported that the frequency of illness, especially among children, increased after the demolition. Poor sanitation, lack of access to medical facilities, and living in the open, contributes to the spread of illnesses like fever, cough, and cold, and diseases such as pneumonia, malaria and dengue.
4. Loss and destruction of possessions
Evicted people from all sites expressed their frustration at not being able to salvage their possessions. Women from Bengali Camp mentioned that children’s milk was confiscated, while a woman from Shaheed Arjun Das Camp said that even the food they were cooking got buried under the rubble. A disturbing fact is that whatever possessions people managed to save, including cooking vessels, were later confiscated by officials. Satyadeen Maurya of Sai Baba Camp recounts how all his belongings were crushed under the bulldozer. Dargah Bhure Shah Camp was the only settlement where people reported that they had managed to save their possessions.
5. Children adversely affected
The psychological impacts on children who lose their homes and witness a demolition, are severe and long-lasting. Several children have been forced to drop out of school. Many have lost a year because the demolitions happened immediately before or during examination time. Pyarelal’s son lost an entire school year as the Dargah Bhure Shah Camp demolition took place on May 14, 2007, during school exams.
6. Death of persons
Two homeless persons lost their lives at the Pusa Road Roundabout when the MCD demolished their night shelter during the peak of Delhi’s winter on December 24, 2009. Investigations at various sites have revealed suicidal tendencies and some deaths amongst displaced communities due to adverse living conditions and the lack of any housing. At Bengali Camp, residents mentioned two lives being lost to dengue.
7. Loss of livelihood and income
For most of the affected, demolition of homes also means a loss of livelihood opportunities. Several families of the Sai Baba Camp are now entirely dependent on the temple for their meals. “I have not been able to earn one rupee after the demolition” said Bajrang from Sai Baba Camp. Many others have reported a marked decrease in income. A woman at the Gadia Lohar Basti reported a drop in income from Rs. 100-200 (before the eviction) to Rs. 20-30 per day. Pyarelal of Dargah Bhure Shah Camp owns a barber shop. He said that while previously he earned between Rs. 400 to Rs. 1000 in a day, after the demolition, the maximum he has earned in a day is Rs. 400.
Demolitions also result in temporary loss of wages for the evicted. Women of the Madrasi Camp who work as domestic help in nearby areas said they lost wages for two-three months when they were living on the streets. Wage labourers find it impossible to go to work when their possessions are lying in the open, as they fear theft. Evicted families at all sites reported a marked increase in expenses on healthcare, travelling and rent.
It is not just homes but also small shops and other enterprises that have been destroyed for the Games. Daily wage earners, vendors and other informal sector workers across Delhi have lost their livelihoods. The police beat Shekhar, 14, from Sai Baba Camp when he tried to sell flowers near the Sai Baba temple. Authorities demolished around 70 shops in the vicinity of the Gadia Lohar Basti and 10-12 shops in Kotla Pilanji Gaon, adjacent to the Thyagaraja Stadium. Weekly markets have been prohibited and other markets such as the one in Sarojini Nagar have also been cleared of vendors for the duration of the Games.
8. No compensation or resettlement provided in all cases but one
No compensation or resettlement has been provided at any of the sites surveyed. The only exception was the Dargah Bhure Shah Camp, where plots have been allotted in Savda Ghewra to around 80-85 of the 115 families who lost their homes. While the High Court of Delhi has ordered relocation for the families at Gadia Lohar Basti, they have still not received any form of rehabilitation. People of the demolished Shaheed Arjun Das Camp have survived by putting plastic sheets over the broken walls of what was once their home. But every morning they have to remove the plastic sheets, as they are afraid the police will destroy them.
9. Violation of national and international human rights law
All the above characteristics of forced evictions carried out in the run up to the CWG indicate a violation of a range of national and international legal instruments, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. They also contravene the UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement, which stipulate that evictions must not take place in inclement weather, at night, during festivals or religious holidays, prior to elections or during or just prior to school examinations. The UN Guidelines call for States to ensure that no one is subject to direct or indiscriminate attacks or other acts of violence and also mandate just compensation and sufficient alternative accommodation, or restitution when feasible, to be provided immediately upon the eviction.1
The forced eviction and demolition of people’s homes without due process also violates the Indian constitution. The Supreme Court of India has held that the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right emanating from the right to life. The High Court of Delhi in its February 13, 2010 judgement in the case Sudama Singh and others v. Government of Delhi and others, clearly calls for the protection of the right to adequate housing, minimising of evictions, and adequate rehabilitation.
Forced evictions, as affirmed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1993, constitute a gross violation of human rights, including the right to adequate housing. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights encourages State Parties to ensure that “legislative and other measures are adequate to prevent, and if appropriate punish, forced evictions carried out without appropriate safeguards by private persons or bodies.”
The Delhi authorities responsible for forced evictions have violated people’s entitlements to security of tenure and freedom from forced evictions; access to, and benefit from public goods and services; information, capacity and capacity building; participation and self-expression; rights to resettlement and adequate compensation for violations and losses; and physical security and privacy. All are elements of the human right to adequate housing as recognized in international law.
While the attention of the media has been centred on lack of preparedness, organizational glitches and financial scandals related to the CWG, the more severe impacts of the Games have largely been ignored. Attention needs to be drawn to the serious human rights violations, especially of construction workers who have been denied minimum wages and decent working conditions, of the homeless and ‘beggars’ who have been arrested, detained and forcefully banished from the city, of women and children who have been trafficked, of over 300,000 street vendors who have been denied their right to work and are going hungry, and of slum dwellers who have been evicted for the Games.2 These abuses have contributed to the creation of a permanent negative social legacy of the Games, in contradiction to the claims of benefits and false notion of ‘national pride’ that the organisers constantly harp on.
· Immediate compensation to be provided to all evicted families for loss of their homes, possessions and livelihoods.
· Compensation to be paid to all those who suffered injuries or adverse health impacts.
· Compensation to be paid to families whose members lost their lives as a result of the forced eviction.
· Adequate rehabilitation to be provided to all evicted families, in accordance with international human rights standards, including the UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement and judgements of the High Court of Delhi, in particular the Sudama Singh case.
· Improvement of living conditions in existing resettlement sites, including provision of basic services, infrastructure, healthcare, education and transport.
1 The Guidelines are available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/housing/docs/guidelines_en.pdf. 2 See HLRN press release on human rights violations at: http://www.hic-sarp.org/documents/Press_Release_12_August_2010.pdf.
· Restoration of educational facilities for evicted children, including provision of school books, uniforms and other material destroyed during the eviction.
· Expansion of ongoing investigations by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Enforcement Directorate, Central Vigilance Commission, and Parliament, to include human rights violations.
· Prosecution of all officials who are found guilty.
· Study and audit of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the Games.
· Moratorium on evictions in Delhi, including of the 44 settlements that have been listed for demolition after the Games.
The dazzling opening and expected closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games and India’s commendable sporting performance cannot in any way erase the gravity of human rights violations committed by the state and central government in the preparation of the event. The government must accept responsibility for the intense suffering of Delhi’s poor due to the Games, and provide compensation, restitution and rehabilitation at the earliest. The legacy plan of the Games must focus on restoring social justice to the thousands of evicted families, as well as the homeless, beggars, street vendors and construction workers who have witnessed the worst violations of their human rights in the name of the Games. The state must ensure the protection of the human rights of the city’s working poor and marginalised populations. India’s stark socio-economic reality should have precluded the government from bidding for the Commonwealth Games. Given the inability to deal with the colossal costs and consequences of mega events, as demonstrated in the case of the CWG, the country must under no circumstances bid for the Olympics or other such events.
LIST OF SOME SITES DEMOLISHED DUE TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Name of Area and Location
Date and Time of Demolition
Purported Reason for Demolition
Number of Homes Destroyed
Camp behind Badrinath Temple (opposite Thyagaraj Sports Complex)
January 13, 2009 – mid day
- coveringofnallah(drain) and ‘beautification’
- ‘security’reasons
No notice provided
Bengali Camp
(East Kidwai Nagar)
January 13, 2009 – in the morning
approximately 200
Dargah Bhure Shah Camp
(Nizamuddin East, near Railway Station)
May 14, 2007 – around 8 AM
o constructionofBarapullah elevated corridor
A formal notice was put up at a temple in the complex in February , 2007
Shaheed Arjun Das Camp
(informally also known as Jhansi Camp, East Kidwai Nagar)
- coveringofnallah(drain) and beautification
300 – 350 jhuggis (homes)
Gadia Lohar Basti
(near Thyagaraj Stadium)
12.30 – 1 pm
- to widen the road and build an underpass connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with Thyagaraja Stadium
18 jhuggis (homes)
Indira Gandhi Camp
(New Khanna Market, Lodhi Colony)
- to widen the road to build an underpass connecting Thyagaraj Sports Complex to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
- ‘beautification’ purposes
100 jhuggis that lined the road and some small shops
No formal written notice provided. The police instead gave a verbal warning of the impending demolition the night before
JJ Camp, Prem Nagar
- to widen the road to build an underpass
- beautification purposes
Madrasi Camp, Jangpura B
- laying of electric wire for construction of Barapullah elevated corridor
One notice was put up in the camp site. However, children in the slum tore up the notice before anyone had a chance to read it
Camp near Shiv Mandir in Sewa Nagar
Prabhu Market
(Lodhi Colony)
around 10 am – 11am
- to build a parking lot and link road to connect Thyagaraj Sports Complex to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
No formal notice given. The police instead gave a verbal warning that there might be a demolition
Prabhu Market Extension
(Lodhi Colony, near Railway Crossing)
10 -11am
Sai Baba Camp
(Lodhi Road)
21 June 2010, 11 am
- beautification purposes – security reasons
25 (although MCD in court says that it destroyed only 13 homes)
Two days before the demolition police gave a verbal warning
Viklang Basti
(near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
- tobuildaparkinglotand link road to connect Thyagaraj Sports Complex to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Notice given 3 months in advance
Night shelter at Pusa Round Roundabout (Rachna Golchakkar)
- ‘beautification’–togrow grass on the roundabout
Yamuna Pushta
April – June 2004
- to clear the banks of the Yamuna river
35,000 families
4 – 5 days notice
HLRN’s report – The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons? and subsequent press releases are available at: www.hic-sarp.org.
For more information and to schedule visits to sites contact:
Shivani Chaudhry (9818 205234), Shalini Mishra (99586 25344), Miloon Kothari (98106 42122)
Housing and Land Rights Network, A-1 Nizamuddin East, Lower Ground Floor, New Delhi – 110 013, (011-2435-1053), info@hic-sarp.org, www.hic-sarp.org
Kashmir: 35 day Pallhalan siege ends
Indian troops at work in Kashmir
‘Wounded village’ heaves sigh of relief
Asem Mohiuddin
Pallhalan, Oct 17: With an end to the 35-day siege in the form of curfews, Pallhalan village of Bandipora district of North Kashmir finally woke up Sunday to a comparatively freer atmosphere and residents quickly went about their normal chores.
However, as one descends into this hamlet of over 60,000 population through a diversion from the Srinagar-Baramulla highway, graffiti and slogans on the walls point to the intensity of confrontation between the government forces and locals during the past over four months of unrest in Kashmir.
One of the most volatile areas of unrest, Pallhalan registered several deaths to the Kashmir unrest. The ‘war of words’ in the form of painted sloganeering on the walls and shop-shutters has both the sides: youth writing ‘pro-freedom’ and ‘anti-India’ slogans and next to these artistically scribbled ‘we want India’ by the uniformed men.
The walls and shop-shutters are galore with this ‘written’ confrontation, besides the more injuring stone-pelting and the fatal bullets. Someone wrote ‘I am Indian’, but countered by an ‘I am Geelani man’. At the same time, ‘I love my Pallhalan’ has been erased and replaced with ‘I love my India’ or ‘Jai Hind’, and so on.
This correspondent was a new face to them in a 35-day closed fortress. “It has been a long time we saw someone openly coming down to this village from the main road. Receiving guests are a forgotten thing for us. But, thank God, the siege was finally lifted,” says Ghualm Mohiuddin, a local. However, he is quick to add, “Don’t (authorities) again impose curfew.”
But once in the village interiors, every soul seems to be wounded and recalling horror of the past four months of unrest. For instance, this villager in his late sixties, sitting outside his shabby house, narrates the horrendous tale of alleged harassment by the paramilitary CRPF.
“One month back I was at home with my two young sons. All of a sudden I witnessed some commotion, followed by heavy teargas shelling and aerial firing. In the meantime, some troops barged into our house and started searching. My elder son (18) hid himself in the bathroom but the younger one (14) preferred to sit with me. The troopers picked him from my side and began thrashing him. They did not even tell me the reason for their unwarranted action. He suffered a fracture in the arm. When it was my turn, an Army official however came to my rescue and asked them not to hit me,” the elderly villager, pleading anonymity, recalls. The injured boy did not stay in the village after the thrashing and soon fled to his maternal uncle’s house out of fear.
Next door stays another boy who is bed-ridden. Amir Ahmad (16) received a bullet in his leg on Shab-e-Qadr, the day four people fell to the firing by forces. Amir was off to the mosque for prayers when he met this fate. Worse, he was disheartened when he came to know that his cousin had succumbed to his injuries the same day in forces’ firing. Amir has no sensation in the right leg and doctor’s reports suggest that his injury has little chances of recovery.
The family of six survives on the meagre earnings of Amir’s old father Ghulam Ahmad, a carpet weaver and Amir was the lone hope for the future.
Across the lane is another wounded family. Nayeem Ahmad (22), the victim of same day’s troops’ action, who runs a grocery shop at Main Chowk, received two bullets in abdomen and arm.
“There were protests on the road followed by stone pelting and clashes. The troops resorted to firing and everybody ran for his life. But I got two bullets in abdomen and arm. The troops did not allow ambulance to SDH Pattan which is only three kilometers away. Later I was taken to Sumbal SDH, around 13 kms away. Thank God, I survived although I had heavy blood loss,” Nayeem recalls.
However, his brother, Ansarul-Haq was not so lucky. Pursuing his PG in English from Kashmir University, he met the inevitable after a week of coming out of Aetkaf during holy Ramdan. Nayeem said on September 18, Ansarul Haq was in mosque to offer Zuhar prayers when troops allegedly fired upon the people. According to him he received bullet in the head and died on the spot.
Locals say since last two months over two hundred youth have fled the village to evade their arrest.
Deputy Inspector General Police, North Range, Muneer Ahmad Khan said that all those wanted will be arrested and the deployment of troops in Main Chowk is to avoid blockade of Baramulla-Srinagar highway by protesters.
“All those who disturbed public order and indulged in stone-pelting are wanted and will be arrested. The deployment on highway is to prevent the closure of road by protesters,” Khan said.
Orissa, India: Government enquiry committee finds that POSCO steel project is illegal
[POSCO is a US-South Korean steel company that has plans to build a multi-billion dollar steel plant and port at Jagatsingpur in the state of Orissa.-ed.]
Countercurrents, October 18, 2010
By Abhay Sahoo
Today, three of the four members of the committee set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests confirmed that the POSCO project is illegal and that all of its clearances were obtained by breaking the law. The Committee has also found that the project has potentially very dangerous impacts on issues like water, air pollution, and the coastline, and none of this was ever properly evaluated. After a detailed discussion of the huge number of criminal actions by the company and the Orissa government, the Committee says (in the conclusion of the report):
“The POSCO project is an example of how a mirage of “development” can be used in an attempt to bypass the law. Such attempts, if allowed to succeed, will result in neither development nor environmental protection, but merely in profiteering. This will cause immeasurable harm to the nation and to the rule of law and justice in our society.”
We particularly draw attention to the fact that the majority found that:
• The Orissa government and the Central government have violated the Forest Rights Act and tried to grab forest land that belongs to the people. This is the second official committee that has reached this conclusion.
• The project could cause environmental devastation particularly in regard to water, air pollution, coastal damage, danger of industrial disasters in case of cyclones, etc., all of which was ignored by the government.
• POSCO suppressed facts and tried to get around the requirements of law.
• The environmental, forest and coastal regulation clearances obtained by the project were all illegal and should all be revoked.
• The forest clearance can only be given subject to the recognition of rights and the consent of the gram sabha under the Forest Rights Act.
Those who keep talking of the POSCO project as one of “national importance” should answer these questions: would any other country in the world tolerate such violations of their law? Would South Korea tolerate an Indian company grabbing their land, breaking their laws and threatening to cause an environmental disaster? Is this what development means – robbing thousands of their lands and threatening lakhs with water shortage and other catastrophes?
As for the dissenting report of Ms. Meena Gupta, her position reflects her own interests. She was the Secretary that granted the environment clearance, and asking her to review it is like asking a thief to don a police uniform. Naturally she has said that all the clearances should continue. Her report is full of distortions, such as claiming that there are only 700 families in the area (when over 4,000 will lose their lands and/or homes). She tries to cover up crimes by saying that it does not matter if the law was broken; all that is required is to impose some additional “conditions.”
We call upon the Central government to heed the voice of the people and the findings of the majority report, withdraw all clearances and cancel this unjust, illegal and brutal project.
Abhay Sahoo, Chairperson, PPSS , POSCO PRATIRODH SANGRAM SAMITI
PCPA backs claim of massacre by Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres
KOLKATA: The Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), on Thursday welcomed Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's demand for a CBI probe into the 'mass killings' at Jhargram villages by armed CPM cadres. PCPA even said they would help the probe team if needed.
PCPA spokesman Joydev Mahato said this in response to Mamata's claims that armed CPM cadres in police uniform carried out a Nandigram-style operation in the outskirts of Jhargram to capture several villages between September 25 and 27.
A few days ago, PCPA had made the same allegation when joint forces raided Chheraboni and Bandarboni villages of Binpur. A CRPF jawan and a suspected Maoist were killed during that raid. Police claimed that the raid was conducted to nab top Maoist leader Sashadhar Mahato who was reportedly camping there. The PCPA, however, denied the police statement.
"Guarded by joint forces, CPM cadres opened fire on unarmed villagers and killed at least 10 people, including Khokon Mahato, whose body was recovered. The CPM cadres ransacked several villages and forced villagers to flee,'' said Mahato.
PCPA called a 48-hour strike in Jangalmahal to protest the incident. And Mamata's statement has endorsed the same allegation.
On Thursday, the PCPA spokesman said, "We are happy that Mamata Banerjee has raised the issue and demanded a probe. If she comes to Jangalmahal, we will help her find out the truth. People will tell her how armed cadres of CPM are capturing villages. PCPA is even ready to help if any probe team arrives here."
Joydev Mahato alleged that CPM is continuing its armed operation in other parts of Jangalmahal. Two women, Basanti Murmu and Ghurmoni Mandi, sustained injuries and several others are missing from some villages in Binpur, alleged PCPA. In protest against this CPM-led violence, PCPA has decided to observe October 2 as Black Day. Chief Minister Budhhadeb Bhattacharjee is scheduled to visit Midnapore on that day.
The PCPA found Mamata's comment handy to justify its stance. "For long we have been saying the same thing," said Mahato.
Jhargram SP Praveen Tripathi refused to comment on the issue. CPM, however, came down heavily on Mamata. "It now becomes clear that Trinamool has a nexus with the Maoists. As the Maoists and their frontal organisation PCPA are cornered by the resistance of common people and joint forces, Mamata is trying to make the situation more complicated," said Dahareswar Sen, CPM district committee member in Midnapore. All her allegations are baseless, he said.
Read more: PCPA backs ‘massacre’ claim - The Times of Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/-PCPA-backs-massacre-claim/articleshow/6654799.cms#ixzz133Vtqqhy
In 72 hour operation in Jharkhand, forces fail to nab Maoist leaders
Manohar Lal, Times of India, Sep 28, 2010
RANCHI: Security forces encircled jungle training camps in Jharkhand where some of the top Maoist commanders were present with scores of combatants, engaging the red cadres in a fierce 72-hour encounter.
While the four Maoist central committee members — CPI-Maoist No. 2 Kishanda alias Prashant Bose, head of Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa zone Kishanji, Aravind of Bihar and Mahesh of Assam — reportedly conducting the war training, slipped through the extensive dragnet, security forces on Monday claimed they had killed 10 Naxalites in the dense Saranda forests during the first major anti-Maoist operation in the state.
A CoBRA jawan, Jaimal Singh and two Jharkhand Police constables — Jehangir Khan and Rajeev Ranjan — were killed in the encounter while CRPF assistant commandant Nitish Kumar was injured, said Jharkhand DGP Neyaz Ahmad. Only one body of a dead Maoist combatant had so far been located.
Although success eluded the forces, the operation demonstrated new levels of coordination between the different arms involved in anti- Naxal operations and a better degree of intelligence gathering. Such operations, clearly aimed at maiming the top leadership, would impede the Naxal surge and prevent them from launching attacks involving hundreds of combatants with impunity.
The joint operation was launched following information that Maoists were training since this month at Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district. Senior Maoist leaders had been visiting the camp to train recruits and hold meetings with the cadre.
Around 2,000 security personnel from state police, CRPF and CoBRA forces surrounded a 500 sq km swath of sal forests and closed in on the camps on Saturday night. About a fortnight back, West Bengal police had received a tip-off that Kishenji would come to Jharkhand's Ghatshila railway station. But that trail went cold.
During the operation, two training camps near Ratamati and Norda villages were destroyed. But senior Maoist leaders managed to escape.
A cache of arms, including a country made .303 rifles, a double barrel gun, six grenades, four landmines, four mortar bombs, one claymore mine, packets of explosives, jungle warfare training documents, solar panels, generator sets, UPS, tarpaulin and war fatigues were seized from the camps. The security personnel missed Kishenji narrowly, said sources. They had managed to trap him during the stand-off. But, the forces ran out of rations and had to withdraw, said sources. Forces returned to their base camps at Kiriburu and Manoharpur on Monday as they were exhausted fighting in a difficult terrain.
Dispossession of the Adivasis of Jharkhand
By Stan Swamy
05 August, 2010, Sanhati.com
1. The sad story of impoverishment of the Adivasi [the tribal people of India]: A few examples will suffice. Gladson Dungdung is a young human rights activist and writer. His family had 20 acres of fertile land in Simdega district, Jharkhand . It was forcibly acquired by the govt for the construction of a dam at a terribly low rate. The compensation for the 20 acres fertile land the family got was Rs. 11,000. Even by minimal standards, it should have been at least Rs. 20 Iakhs. This is just one example among many many such deprivations. Is this not deliberate impoverishment of a people ?
2. The Suvernrekha Project in Chandil, Jharkhand, displaced 120 villages and alienated 43,500 acres of land from the Adivasi, Moolvasi communities. A rehabilitation package was worked out 27 years ago. But it has not been implemented in about half of the villages. Yet people of these villages have lost every thing they had. To add insult to injury, the project management wants to close the radial gates of the dam which will inundate 44 villages awaiting rehabilitation Is this not a deliberate act of deprivation of a people?
3. Heavy Electricals Company (HEC) in Ranchi displaced 12,990 families and alienated 9,200 acres of land from Adivasi, Moolvasi communities. Of this, about 2000 acres of acquired land has been lying idle during half a century. This surplus land should as per law be returned to the original land owners. But the govt is giving it for real estate housing for the well-to-do. Is this not a deliberate violation of the legal rights of a people?
4. During the past five decades, about 17 lakh of Adivasis & Moolvasis [1.7 million people] have been displaced and about 24 lakh acres of their land has been alienated from them at minimal compensation. Of the displaced, only 25% have been resettled. The remaining 75% have been neatly forgotten. This whole process of dispossession took place without any rehabilitation policy in place. Is this not a deliberate dispossession of a people ?
5. The sad story of annihilation of the Adivasi: Now big giants in the form of national & multinational companies are landing in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa like devouring lions to capture huge tracts of Adivasi /Moolvasi land in view of looting the mineral riches. Over 100 MoUs between the govt and respective companies have been signed in Jharkhand alone, threatening the take over of 1,04,000 acres of land. There is no estimate of how many hundreds of villages, how many thousands of families, how many lakhs of persons will be displaced. All this is done without any reference to the gram sabhas which is a requirement as per the PESA Act. Is this not a calculated move by the ruling capitalist class to further impoverish the Adivasi / Moolvasi
people ?
6. Having been pushed to the wall during all these decades, the Adivasi/ Moolvasi people have reached a stage when they cannot be pushed any more. They have decided to take their life back into their hands. Clear Resistance Movements are emerging through which they have begun to tell one and all that they will not part with any of their land to any company. Consequently, big companies demanding big chunks of land have not been able to open shop in Jharkhand. A clear assertion of people’s power.
7. And this is what the capitalist ruling class, the Indian govt, the corporate houses, the urban middle class, the bureaucracy cannot tolerate. They cannot understand how and why the poor Adivasi / Moolvasi farmers can defy the mighty power of the state and the powerful corporate houses. So they have compelled the Indian Govt to declare Operation Green Hunt against the Adivasi and the Moolvasi. It is actually a hunt for the green fields and green forests of the tribal region of central India, because it is beneath the green fields and green forests lay a treasure of minerals of all kinds. And the corporates want to loot them by all means. This is the last straw on the camel’s back, after which the tribals of central India will be wiped out of existence. Is this not a malicious move against the Indigenous People of India?
8. Now, how to go about doing this act of annihilation? It has to be done in a cleverly manipulated way so that the general usually unthinking majority of the population can be carried along so that the act of extermination does seem justified. Terrorism, extremism, Maoism, Naxalism and the urgent need to counter them is continuously splashed in electronic & print media and the general unthinking public accepts the state’s action of annihilation as legitimate. The stage is now set for the drama of finishing off the extremists by pouring in thousands of para-military forces equipped with sophisticated weapons especially in those areas where there is an abundant stock of minerals.
9. The villages inside jungles or adjoining jungles are occupied by these mercenary forces. School buildings are occupied thus putting an end to rural children’s education and by the same action stopping the mid-day meal to the children for most of whom that is the only full meal they get to eat. All the young men in these villages become suspects; they are picked up, abused, tortured, arrested in the garb of being ‘naxalites’. Young women wearing salwar-kamiz clothes are abused as being aides of naxalites and ordered to wear saries or school uniform. Grown up men are also beaten up because they do not give the expected answer to the queries of the occupying forces. People are not allowed to have small meetings by themselves as also not allowed to travel out of their villages. Women and children are prevented from going into the jungle to collect minor forest produce. For the first time in tribal history, the village bazaars are closing down because people cannot bring forest produce to buy and sell. The whole village is tense and a sense of fear prevails.
10. How long will the people live in such an atmosphere? The sad fact is that poverty is deepening in rural tribal areas. Added to this is the fact that monsoon has failed last two years, and a people who survive on mono-monsoon-crop have nothing to eat. Hunger and malnutrition is a stark reality. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) done recently by Oxford University points out that the eight central Indian states have more poor people than all the sub-saharan African countries put together. Its estimate of poverty in India is: 81% of Scheduled Tribes, 66% of Scheduled Castes, 58% of Other Backward Castes are poor as per the measures of MPI. Why doesn’t the govt do some thing about this rather than hunting the hungry Adivasi people in the name of ‘naxalites’?
11. Finally, the police and CRPF are indiscriminately using The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) picking up young men from inside buses, from inside their houses, from village bazaars. Most often one does not know where these young men are taken and what happens to them. The judicial process of producing arrested persons before a magistrate within 24 hours has been dispensed with . The tribal areas of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa wear the look of ‘police state’. The electronic and press media are playing to tune of the govt. A frightful situation indeed. At the same time, the laws which are in favour of the Adivasi/ Moolvasi, such as The Panchayats (extension to Scheduled Areas) 1996, The Forest Rights of Scheduled Castes and other traditional forest dwellers Act, 2006, are not implemented. So the principle seems to be “starve them, shoot them and finish them”! What is awaiting the Adivasi and Moolvasi People of central India in the near and distant future is difficult to predict. One thing is certain: the corporates, the capitalist ruling class, the Indian State, the urban middle class want to see the end of the Indigenous People of India.
Chhattisgarh to Step Up Offensive against Maoists
Sify News, October 12 2010
Raipur, Chhattisgarh has decided to step up the offensive against Maoist guerrillas.
The offensive against the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) had slackened since July as the security forces found it difficult to operate in the thick jungles that serve as Maoist hideouts.
‘After a let up during monsoon, we will now step up the offensive in Maoist pockets,’ an official at the police headquarters told IANS.
Chhattisgarh’s 40,000 sq km Bastar region, a long-time stronghold of the Maoists, is ringed by landmines placed by the guerrillas to prevent the movement of security forces.
The official said that roughly 40,000 personnel drawn from the state police and paramilitary forces including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed in the five districts of Bastar region.
These include Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur and Kanker.
The state police force will also intensify operations in parts of Mahasamund and Raipur districts where rebels have made inroads in recent months.
Maoists have a presence in 13 of state’s 18 districts, with a dominating presence in seven.
Officials say roughly 2,100 people have been killed in Maoist violence in the state since it was born in November 2000.
PCPA calls 48 hour bandh in Janglemahal area
United News of India, September 27, 2010
PCPA Bandh Hits Life
Jhargram, Sept. 27 -- PCPA activists raised blockade on State Highway nine at six places between Lodhasuli and Jhargram on the second day today of their 48-hour bandh in the Junglemahal areas. Official sources said the activists blocked the highway by felling trees. These were removed by the security forces in the morning.
The bandh paralysed life in the Junglemahal areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts for the second consecutive day. The People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) was protesting alleged atrocities against innocent villagers by the combined forces.
Roads wore a deserted looks, while shops and business establishments kept their shutter down. Educational institutions remained shut and attendence in government offices was thin. Despite the threat by the PCPA that they would target railways, train services were normal.
SDO Jhargram C Murugan said, ''Life has been paralysed in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts. No untoward incident, however, has been reported so far.''
Incidentally, a Maoist and a CRPF jawan lost their lives in an encounter on Saturday.
CRPF to Remain in Lalgarh
Sify News, 2010-10-20
CRPF Director General K. Vijay Kumar has said the Para- military forces will remain in Lalgarh and operations against Maoists will be intensified if necessary in West Bengal.
Talking to reporters after meeting force's local commanders and senior Bengal police officers here on Tuesday, Kumar said: "The operations against the Maoists would continue and the central forces would remain. If necessary, the operations will be intensified".
He further said: "I visited Lalgarh and Midnapore to assess the ground-level situation and see how effective the co-ordination was between the CRPF and the state police. The understanding among the forces is good. We looked at ways to take it forward."
Meanwhile, Chief secretary Samar Ghosh Ghosh said the State government was ready to allot 10 acres of land for the eastern zone headquarters of the CRPF at Jyoti Basu Nagar.
He also said the State government was going to allot 120 acres to the CRPF for setting up its operational hub. At present, the CRPF's operational hub for eastern zone is located at Jamshedpur.
"We kept aside a few plots of land for NSG hub, and we will give one of them to the CRPF," Ghosh added.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked for the withdrawal of the para-military forces from Naxal affected areas of West Bengal (ANI)
Call for Convention on Kashmir
COMMITTEE FOR THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
VENUE: LTG AUDITORIUM, COPERNICUS MARG, MANDI HOUSE, NEW DELHI
DATE: 21-10-2010, THURSDAY TIME: 2PM-8PM
Forum for Promoting lnclusive Growth, 18-19 October, 2010
Development -- Maladies and Remedies National Seminar
18 and 19 October 2010 - 11 AM 6 PM
Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC)
40, Lodhi Estate, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi - 110003
On 18 October, and;
Speakers Hall, Constitutional Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
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601A WAIVER
OTHER WAIVERS
VIDEO FAQ's
601 Waiver Lawyers
The New I-601A Provisional Waivers
You can get legal status if you entered Illegally and
Married a U.S. Citizen or a Green Card Holder.
Even if you were ordered deported!!!
You can be granted a waiver for your unlawful status
BEFORE you leave for the consular interview and return in about 3 weeks.
Hundreds of cases approved!
In the U.S. there are spouses and children of U.S. citizens (immediate relatives) and legal residents who are in the United States are not eligible to apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status while in the United States due to their illegal entry. Under prior law, these immediate relatives must travel abroad to obtain an immigrant visa from the Department of State (DOS) to return to the United States to request admission as an LPR (Lawful Permanent Resident), and, must request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a waiver of inadmissibility as a result of their unlawful presence in the United States.
Without such a waiver the applicant would not be able to return to the U.S. for a period of not less than 3 years. In other words, under the prior regulations, these immediate relatives and spouse and child of a Lawful Permanent resident cannot apply for the waiver in the United Sates and would not receive their Green Card until after their immigrant visa interviews abroad. As a result of their unlawful presence in the U.S., these relatives had to remain outside of the United States, separated from their spouses, parents, or children, while USCIS adjudicates their waiver applications. In some cases, waiver application processing took well over one year, prolonging the separation of these immediate relatives from their U.S. citizen spouses, parents, and children.
The new provisional unlawful presence waiver (I-601A) process facilitates the issuance of immigrant visa for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and spouse and children of Lawful Permanent Residents, who are otherwise admissible to the United States except for the 3-year and 10-year unlawful presence bars, which are triggered upon departure from the United States.
The waiver process allows eligible immediate relatives to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver while they are still in the United States and before they leave to attend their immigrant visa interview abroad.
Once abroad the process take only 3 weeks. You may remain in your country for up to 4 weeks to visit family and take care of business.
Entering the U.S. is simple and about 30 days later you receive the Green Card in the mail.
Aliens in removal (deportation) proceedings
Aliens in removal proceedings are allowed to participate in this new provisional unlawful presence waiver process if their removal proceedings are administratively closed and have not been re-calendared at the time of filing the Form I-601A. Aliens whose removal proceedings are terminated or dismissed are covered in the general population of aliens who are eligible to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver. Note that if you failed to appear and received an in absentia order of removal, then you will need to make a motion to reopen your case, before you can apply for the 601A waiver.
Aliens who have already been ordered deported or removed.
If you have been ordered Deported or Removed, you will also qualify. However you will need to apply for 2 different waivers, one for being ordered deported (I-212) and the other for having remained in the U.S. illegally. (I-601A)
Apsan Law Offices, LLC. for
a Consultation at
601A waiver success story
Um caso bem sucedido de um perdon I-601A - Advogado de Imigração Dr. Moisés Apsan -
Moises Apsan-éxito con dispensa I-601 I-601A Waiver Approved
dispensa 601A, I-601A, I-601, Moises Apsan, Moses Apsan
I-601A waivers/ Programa de dispensa provisória I-601A
Outro cliente satisfeito _Another Happy I-601A client
Happy client returning from the interview at the U.S. Consulate - I- 601A waiver
Happy client returning from an immigration interview at the U.S. consulate in Brazil
Another happy client returning from abroad after approval of an I-601A waiver
Very happy 601A client
Same Sex Fiancee Visa
Deportation Reopened and gets Green Card
601A Waiver Approved
601 Waiver with a Twist
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Consulta sobre el Perdón 601A.
Marca-se uma Consulta sobre o perdão 601A
Schedule Consultation with a 601 Waiver Lawyer
Os Perdões Provisórios I-601A
Advogado Moises Apsan Conseguiu Centenas de I-601A Dispensas em 2015
Illegal in the U.S.? The 3 and 10 Year Bar to Re-Entry - The I-601 Waiver
I-601A Provisional Waivers can help you get legal status in the US
Vídeos de Dr. Moises sobre Imigração, Divórcio e Falência
Cuando es que la exencion 601A (perdon) no se puede usar para corregir poblemas de inmigracion
Quem é o Dr. Moises?
Apsan Law Offices, LLC. practices in the areas of Immigration & Citizenship throughout the United States. The office concentrates on obtaining waivers for their immigration clients and has successfully obtained hundreds of 601A waivers.
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Head Office Location
Level 3, 183 North Quay,
admin@acfa.com.au
accounts@acfa.com.au
GPO 608, Brisbane, QLD 4001
Growers mount fight of their lives to keep profits transparent
Home Growers mount fight of their lives to keep profits transparent
Canegrowers & ACFA Media Release
CANEGROWERS and ACFA have issued the strongest possible warning to the miller of close to half of Australia’s sugar that it must consider the future viability of growers, as news that it plans to break away from QSL and set up its own marketing arm ripples across the industry.
The groups representing over 80% of Australia’s sugarcane growers have united for what they say will be the biggest campaign in the sugarcane industry’s history; to gain legal title over growers’ share of sugar beyond the farm gate – an imperative which they say is mission-critical for grower confidence and profitability.
“The end game is ensuring that the majority of Australia’s sugar continues to be channelled through the industry owned marketer QSL,” says CANEGROWERS Chairman Paul Schembri. Australian Cane Farmers Association Chairman, Don Murday adds that QSL is owned by the industry and it works because growers and millers have unrivalled transparency in how the profits of the sugar are made and distributed. “A large corporate entity is not constitutionally required to afford growers this transparency,” he says. “QSL operates in the best interests of growers and millers together.”
The constitution of QSL sets down that it will maximise the profits to both growers and millers, and because it is owned half-half by growers and millers, both groups get unrivalled transparency by the bulk of Australia’s sugar being marketed through the export-desk.
CANEGROWERS and ACFA say when floods, cyclones or disease debilitate production in any given year, the mills are quick to call on growers to stump up two-thirds of any losses – recognising that this is their economic interest in the sugar beyond the farm gate.
“The mills can’t have it both ways. Their position changes to suit themselves. In one breath they expect growers to cough up two-thirds of any losses – that’s millions of dollars – and in the next breath they turn around and say growers have no ownership and no rights,” says Mr Schembri.
“It is of upmost importance that this two-thirds ownership is legally recognised so that growers are assured that they get maximum benefit from their two-thirds share in good times and bad,” he says.
Mr Murday says that for Australia’s 6000 cane growers, that means keeping the industry-owned marketer QSL in play.
The growing fraternity says that as the largest sugar miller, processing some 14 million tonnes of cane each year, Wilmar is in a monopoly position and has a corporate responsibility to not act in an anti-competitive manner.
“Up until now we have had assurances from Wilmar that they would remain with QSL – it had been a condition of their entry to the market by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) – but now that time is up, growers need more than year-on-year assurances. They need rock tight legal ownership over their share,” says Mr Schembri.
“Let’s not forget that growers not only have two thirds financial interest in Australia’s $2 billion crop but they also have ownership over some $11 billion in assets needed to grow the crop,” says Mr Murday. “That’s a big investment which should not be overlooked.”
CANEGROWERS and ACFA say this has the potential to affect all growers. “We don’t want any one company to be in a monopoly position over Australia’s sugar. A strong future for growers and millers involves maintaining their body, QSL, to market – at the very least – the two-thirds economic interest in sugar held by the growers,” CANEGROWERS and ACFA said unequivocally today.
April 7, 2014 / Media
Amanda Sheppard
QSL Update
Australia’s largest sugar miller Wilmar to head back to negotiating table with cane growers
New Queensland Government throws support behind Smartcane BMP
New superintendent proud to support the sugar industry | The Weekly Times
Electricity pricing to have implications at election – Queensland Farmers’ Federation
QSL UPDATE WEEK ENDING 28.02.14
Sugar Marketing Inquiry
Cane train derailment at Ingham causes crushing stoppage
ACFA E-Newsletter
Bringing industry news to you
Qld farmers brace for new anti-agriculture reef laws | North Queensland Register
Farm safety: Workplace rife with dangers | The Weekly Times
New research to deliver outcomes for Australian sugarcane growers and millers | SRA
App ushers in new era for Qld cane growers | QSL
Drought fund welcome but climate change recognition still needed | Farmers For Climate Action
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Queensland farmers are bracing themselves for the latest onslaught of ...
Farms are some of the most dangerous workplaces in Australia.
Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has announced the investment in seven ...
Queensland cane growers can now easily manage their sugar pricing ...
Farmers for Climate Action is calling for a fully-funded and ...
Water monitoring helps protect wetlands | NQ Dry Tropics
Preventing runoff makes good business sense for cane farmers in ...
Report identifies opportunities and challenges for diversifying sugarcane revenue streams | SRA
A new report commissioned by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has ...
Mossman Mill returned to the community | North Queensland Register
Cane growers have regained control of the Mossman Mill, becoming ...
Isis Central Sugar Mill expand Gayndah cane trial | Queensland Country Life
A feasability study of cane crops in non-coastal areas around ...
Sweet opportunity to enter a trade | Industry Queensland
Wilmar Sugar Australia has launched the recruitment drive for its ...
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Woodstock Organic Concepts
Home of the SmartZag©
Back to WOC website, click here.
for Woodstock Organic Concepts website, click here.
What is branding? (or: the lazy KY)
What is branding?
Branding is the act of burning a letter-based design onto the side of livestock with a hot iron stamp.
It’s also the creation of an important, intellectual and emotional connection between a product or service and the consumer who may use it.
But let's stick to the cattle kind of branding for a while, because our pal Jim from Missouri explained it to us not too long ago and it seemed to present a lot of useful parallels for the modern day concept of "consumer" branding. Both leave indelible marks, both require a certain amount of skill to do just right, are easy to do wrong, and can be incredibly useful to protect or create profits.
Behold below an instructional image from the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association "Texas Brand Registration" page on "How to design a brand".
Front and center in this lovely chart we can find the Woodstock Organic Concepts rule #1 for creating a consumer brand: keep it simple. Complication equals confusion and let's not forget the words of the infamous cattleman Oscar Wilde, who said: "to define is to limit". The more we define the brand with needless complexities, the more we have defined it into a narrow corner. Pigeonholed our cow, so to speak. Not a good idea. Simplicity in the branding will allow for complexity in the messaging later, if that's really what we need.
Now let's look at the painting below: "The lazy K Y", by Charles Marion Russell. Look closely and you'll see a brand on the steer. The "K" is on its side so it's called a "lazy K" and the "Y" is to the right or below it so it's read second. The brand is, as the title of the painting says: the lazy KY.
This brand, the lazy K Y, happens to be a really good brand. Why do you think? Here's what Jim from Missouri told us:
Well, for starters, it nicely embodies rule #1: it's simple -- a "K" on its side and a "Y". Not complicated in the least. Secondly, the letters are not easily transformed into different letters by the addition of lines. Here's what we mean . . . take the letter "F" for example, burned onto the side of a hypothetical cow. A cattle rustler could, with the simple addition of a short arced line, transform the "F" into a "P". A branding design flaw. A vulnerability. In the same way, an "I" could be easily turned into a "T" or a "V" into a Lazy "A". (an upside down "A"). Not good at all, but it brings us to . . .
Branding rule #2: make it ownable for you and not ownable by your competition. Now this is a great rule but there are a lot of ways to do it. One way is to cultivate your brand's honest eccentricities, i.e., what is it that your brand has that your competition does not. Kent cigarettes famous "Micronite filter" from the Mad Men days or Ivory soap's "99 44/100% pure", which is still in use today. No competitive brand can make those claims, as opposed to, say, Nike sportswear company's claim "Just do it." Those 3 words, so well-owned by Nike, could actually be used by lots of different companies: "Weight watchers . . . Just do it!", your local car wash or bowling alley, and "Trojan" to name a few. It's just not inherently ownable. BUT!!! Nike has spent a gadjillion dollars connecting those words and the thoughts behind them to their company. And now they really and truly own that sentiment. So that's another way to own it: burn it into people's heads with repetition on a large scale.
So back to the lazy K Y, it's a brand identity that could be put on anything: a cow, a horse, a barn, a ring, a t-shirt, a print ad. It's versatile. Which brings us to branding rule #3: it should work everywhere -- in all media and for every story your company needs to tell. The brand part is the umbrella under which all your communications can comfortably fit. If you're Volvo and you need to introduce consumers to a new car, you can tell them about the engine and the suspension and the chassis and the interior and you can discuss how all those important elements add to the overall safety of the vehicle, that is, you can discuss them all under the umbrella of "safety".
But the branding here goes both ways: the micro feeds the macro and vice versa. The details support the umbrella, which in turn shades the details. It's what we here at Woodstock Organic Concepts have dubbed a "reinforcing branding loop": the details validate the overarching brand idea which validates the details and so on ad infinitum. And ad nauseum, too: it works in all media: print, radio, tv, web, outdoor, etc. WHEN it's executed just right.
Another strength of the lazy K Y brand is that when it's executed, it's not likely to become confusing. Just suppose you're burning that brand onto your cow and you hold the iron in place a little too long or maybe the cow's hide is wet and the lines you intended spread out and fill in in ways you didn't intend. Well, in the case of the KY, those lines are not likely to touch, so they're not likely to be confusing. They radiate out from their centers and are easily recognizable. Which brings us to branding rule #4: make it clear. This will help you to avoid creating confusion in the minds of consumers when things go well and even when things don't. You can probably guess by now why the lazy QO might be confusing. Beware of traps like that.
To review: simple, ownable, versatile and clear. These are the elements of good branding. (As we've identified so far.) Piece of cake. Now let's look at some examples. In the marketing arena, not the livestock arena. Who are the companies that elicit an immediate visceral reaction just when you hear their name or see their logo? -- Apple. Volvo. Nike. Starbucks. Google. To name a few. Not surprisingly these companies, these brands, beyond creating an emotional connection, have backed it up with an intellectual underpinning: smart, safe, striving, delicious, helpful (respectively). This combination of appeal to both emotion and intellect creates the simplest, most versatile, clearest, and most ownable branding.
It's something that every company, big or small, should have to help them communicate most effectively with their clients. It's the difference between generic and premium. Between "that'll do" and "I've gotta have it". It's the difference between a product and a brand.
Branding, as the landing page of our site puts it, is the speciality of Woodstock Organic Concepts: "helping clients to better understand and leverage their inherent strengths in an increasingly competitive marketplace." Let us help you create your brand. It's what we do.
Posted by norm magnusson at 11:32 AM
Labels: brand essence, branding, nike, norm magnusson, volvo, what is branding, woodstock organic concepts
norm magnusson October 21, 2012 at 6:13 AM
I used to think of branding as the story a product could tell over and over again in numerous different ways. Lately, I've been thinking of it more as the character who tells that story. The brand as Sheherazade, who makes the story great and the story as the messaging that makes the brand great.
Years ago I dreamed of starting a company that would make art and advertising and essays and whatever other cool stuff struck my fancy, from political campaigns to social engagement to product design.
This is that.
Call for any:
mossmag@aol.com
Free signs
Decorating nature
Norm Magnusson's funism site
The I-75 Project
On this site stood - lower Manhattan
Craig McCord's The People Who Feed Us
Constant okayness?
Pascal Baes
Send your email marketing between 8 and 9!
Woodstock Film Festival
Email creative case study
norm magnusson
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Ted makes no bones about it
… which means to state a fact in a way that allows no doubt or objection (you know like teachers do!!) … funnily enough this saying originated right here in 15th century Engerland. Its original meaning was one of great dissatisfaction of having found bones in something you were eating which meant that you couldn’t swallow it without first dealing to the bone (potentially hidden) or encountering some substantial difficulty in continuing to breathe if you did swallow said object. History seems to have a lot to do with the fact that a dis-proportionally large number of Britons will not eat fish on the bone, usually sighting a nasty encounter with a bone that “nearly killed them” when they were “abroad” somewhere.
Whatever … moving on to today’s subject … Mackerel. Once a member of the “fish you can eat without thinking you are endangering a species” list it has recently been downgraded to “eat occasionally” status. Why? Well apparently mackerel are now to be found a long way from their traditional ocean occupation areas. Why? In pursuit of their traditional food sources like smaller fish (naturally as is the way of the food chain) crustaceans, and squid who are all moving to cooler waters nearer the north and south poles as global warming kicks in, and here they are being over fished outside of any quota systems that apply in their usual hangouts.
Mackerel are a rather extensive family of fish from large to small, with loads and loads of relatives. Their name means marked, spotted, or striped and they are indeed a fish that punches above its weight in the good looking stakes … unlike the ugly and very expensive Dover Sole or the oddly ginga and very pasty version of a fish, Rouget. They all like the tough guy in their family too, the King Mackerel, not such a giant but on the edge of being classified a game fish because it can swim at up to 10 kilometres an hour … I dare anyone to try that all day every day …
Mackerel is extremely versatile and is equally good whether eaten hot or cold, and a gazillion tons of it are canned every year. It’s delicious simply pan fried, is exceedingly popular smoked or peppered, and makes a very moreish pate. Hence it’s a great addition to any picnic basket … like the ones that are being dusted off all over the UK today for picnics in honour of the Queen’s official 90th birthday …
What does the pope eat......very funny!
William Kendall said...
Admittedly sea food does not agree with me in any form!
Mackerel . . . funny, I eat a lot of fish, but can't say that I have eaten mackerel.
allinlondon.co.uk
cartoon museum
gay London
ian visits - one off unique events
london unravelled- great walks
london.gov.uk/
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londontourist.org/
secret london walks
suggest me
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ukguide.org/london/museum
viewlondon.co.uk/
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Londoners Worth A Visit
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London reconnections
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City Daily Photo Blogs
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Nowhere Is a Place
The long-awaited reissue of McFadden’s classic novel about a young woman on a journey of self-discovery.
The first title from The Armory, a new high-quality urban noir imprint edited by Kenji Jasper.
The debut novel from the award-winning Ghanaian-born Jamaican poet.
More Black Interest »
In the meantime, revisit Abdoh's photoessay, "The Road to Tel Afar," @GuernicaMag: https://t.co/uDywjLfsjk 02:12:33 PM January 17, 2020 from Twitter Web App in reply to AkashicBooks ReplyRetweetFavorite
We're honored to be publishing Abdoh's OUT OF MESOPOTAMIA in September 2020. Informed by firsthand experience in I… https://t.co/57hqHPaGZd 02:12:33 PM January 17, 2020 from Twitter Web App in reply to AkashicBooks ReplyRetweetFavorite
"In the cafes, on social media, in universities & on the street, average Iranians as well as state officials are to… https://t.co/cbCR5z5omw 02:12:33 PM January 17, 2020 from Twitter Web App ReplyRetweetFavorite
@akashicbooks
“The Shit Machine” (or “ShitMo”) by Nkoski Ife Bandele
Soulside: Washington, DC, 1986–1989
Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers
The long-awaited reissue of the sequel to Amiri Baraka’s seminal work, BLUES PEOPLE, and latest selection in the AkashiClassics Renegade Reprint Series. This collection of essays by Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones includes a new introduction by the author and Q&A by Calvin Reid.
Bandits & Bibles: Convict Literature in Nineteenth-Century America
What was life like for the gangs of New York and others thrown into the nineteenth-century slammer?
To Funk and Die in LA
Ex-bodyguard D Hunter is swept into the City of Angels on a dark mission to find his mysterious grandfather’s killer.
Akashic Books is pleased to announce LyricPop, A New Picture Book Series Presenting Your Favorite Song Lyrics, Launching in June 2020
Ben Orki’s new novel The Freedom Artist is receiving fantastic advance praise!
Ryan O’Callaghan on CBS This Morning with Gayle King!
A TALL HISTORY OF SUGAR Receives Glowing NEW YORK TIMES Review!
“A Publishing Factory Grows in Brooklyn”
Akashic Noir Series featured in CHESTNUT HILL LOCAL
More Akashic Insider »
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Key Developments in Energy Harvesting System
Energy Harvesting System Market and its Key Opportunities and Challenges
The Energy Harvesting System Market is estimated to grow from USD 0.4 billion in 2017 to USD 0.6 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% during the forecast period, as per a report by MarketsandMarkets.
How ocean energy harvesting presents an opportunity?
In motion energy harvesting, the motion of waves is converted into electric energy. Commercial ships can reduce their usage of power through fossil fuels by using energy harvesting system. WITT Energy (UK) developed a device that can transform wave motion from any direction into electricity. In 2013, this research attracted the Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s innovation agency, which offered around USD 2, 97,306 development grant to WITT Energy (UK).
Download Free Sample Pages @
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=734
Moreover, many ocean-based autonomous battery-operated sensors and buoys are combined with solar power. The ambient ocean wave energy can be harvested as an alternative source of power for the low-power devices. The current research on ocean energy harvesting is expected to increase the power production for high-voltage supply. As this technology is capable of harvesting huge amounts of power, many companies such as Ocean Harvesting Technologies AB (Sweden) and Electro Standards Laboratories (US) are showing a keen interest in energy harvesting system.
Why standardization of communication protocols is a challenge?
In the energy harvesting system, standardization of communication protocols helps companies develop devices with less analytical efforts. In wireless electronics, the communication protocol is the crucial factor that connects devices with each other. The standardized protocol is important for both components and for the complete system. Various companies follow their compliance for communication; for example, devices from EnOcean follow the ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X international standard and devices from Linear Technology follow the EC6158, EDDL (IEC61804-3), and IEEE802.15.4 standards.
The difference in communication protocols majorly hinders the growth of companies working in isolation, such as Linear Technology (US) or hinders the new entrants enter the market.
Home Automation System Market by Protocol and Technology (Network and Wireless), Product (Lighting, Security and Access Control, HVAC and Entertainment Control), Software and Algorithm (Behavioral and Proactive), and Geography – Global Forecast to 2022
http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/home-automation-control-systems-market-469.html
Wireless Sensor Network Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Sensor Type, Connectivity Type, End-user Industry (Building Automation, Wearable Devices, Healthcare, Automotive & Transportation, Industrial), and Region – Global Forecast to 2023
http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/wireless-sensor-networks-market-445.html
Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/energy-harvesting-market-734.html
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Going through internet withdrawls
I'm in internet limbo. My in-laws don't have a wireless router and I don't want to sit and tie up their computer all day like a rude guest.
I'm going bananas! I need a fix!!!! I need those bits and bytes and whatnots (especially the whatnots!).
My boys, sitting at home, are probably laughing at my situation. They're home with laptops and desktops and tablets and smart phones. My phone couldn't be any dumber. All it does is dial numbers!
Technology is both a blessing and a curse. I'm living the "curse" part right now.
Labels: WTF
Speaking of getting fired...
Yesterday I wrote about Steven Screamin' A. Smith losing his gig as the Fox Sports Radio morning drive host. Today I wish to write about a different individual losing a different type of job.
The Pharisee reported on Monday that the Caput a Palos, AKA TxBluesMan, AKA Sgt. Gregory Prickett, AKA The Prickette (pictured at left), has left the employ of UNT-Dallas. It is unknown at this time if he jumped or was pushed. Regardless of how or why, he is no longer employed by UNT.
I'm an empathetic person at heart, so I have a certain feeling of sadness for the Caput a Palos. There is nothing more damaging to a man's self esteem than the loss of his employment. Most of us feel somewhat defined by our occupation ("I'm a doctor", or "I'm a lawyer", or "I'm a glorified mall cop", for example).
That stated, I have to admit to a certain schadenfruede over the news. After all, Mr. Bigshot has wrongfully maligned me and blogger friends of mine with the vilest of accusations, and did so under cover of anonymity. That his cover has been blown and his shady acts of cowardice exposed is a satisfaction ranking right up there with a 49ers Super Bowl victory for me.
When The Prickette was outed, he lashed out against those most prominent in the exposure of his identity by filing a bogus lawsuit against them. The Pharisee reported on Tuesday that the lawsuit is effectively kaput. Given that it was strictly an intimidation ploy by The Prickette all along, Hugh has filed a criminal complaint against him. It seems that in Texas -- and pretty much nowhere else -- it is a felony crime to engage in Barratry - the act or practice of bringing legal action solely to harass. The complaint also details The Prickette's harassment of Hugh's daughter, an innocent bystander in this particular pissing contest.
Hey, if this is a pissing contest, has Hugh succeeded in making it halfway up the 30' pole (as compared to The Prickette's measly 2 feet)? I always suspected that The Prickette was a little...uh...lacking...in the man-plumbing department.
I hear that every time a cop gets fired a member of NWA gets his wings. Could be. All I know is there's one less goon out there busting teeth today than there was last week at this time.
Labels: crime , fail , law fetishists , legal issues , Modern Pharisee , NWA was right , schadenfreude , self-important people , The Prickette , tool
One and done
It was just over one year ago that the programming geniuses at Fox Sports Radio fired long-time morning host Steve Czaban and crew. My thoughts on the matter were, shall we say, not positive.
I simply couldn't believe that FSR would drop a successful morning drive show and replace it with Steven Screamin' A. Smith. It was beyond counter-intuitive to me. Smith's act had gotten tired at ESPN, being that it is a one-pony trick: express an opinion, and express it more loudly than those with whom you disagree. WHY would FSR think that he would succeed as a morning drive host?
Apparently the Screamin' A. Smith show was...how shall I put this?...somewhat less than successful.
"Zack and Jack" will take over morning drive from 6-9 a.m. on WOFX-AM (980). The show replaces the "Stephen A. Smith Show." Smith will be moving into the roll of NBA analyst for all of Fox Sports Radio's shows. Smith's last show is Dec. 31.
One year. One solitary year. Yeah........how'd that work out for you, FSR?
Naturally, Czaban wasn't exactly crying about this development. And who could blame him? His show ran 7 years at FSR. Seven. Now he's back on morning drive with Sporting News Radio, which XM has FINALLY added to their lineup, albeit on channel 242, WAAAAAAY out past the traffic report stations.
No matter. The story has a happy ending.
FSR dumped a popular host in search of....what exactly? That lucrative Black urban professional demographic (approximately 1% of the population)? That lucrative Black urban 18-34 demographic (approximately 4% of the population)?
In return they got one lousy year of Screamin' A., affiliate cancellations, and yet another lineup change. Meanwhile, Czaban is right back in prime time, better than ever.
Suck on it, FSR.
Labels: fail , incompetence , irony , radio , schadenfreude , Steve Czaban
Neutral? Hardly.
The lame duck (with heavy emphasis on the "lame") Congress is trying to force through all manner of ill-conceived legislation. Gays in the military. The DREAM act. The START treaty.
But that stuff is merely a distraction. There's something more sinister afoot than any of that. Matt Drudge is posting one, after another, after another, after another, link to stories that identify a threat far more dangerous to our freedoms than anything else in the news right now.
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on Dec. 21 on whether to adopt regulations that ban the blocking of lawful traffic but allow Internet service providers to ration Web traffic on their networks.
So? What's the big deal? This is.
The fixers here are pursuing something called "net neutrality," which will change the way certain Internet providers pay for privileged rights to the Web and charge their customers accordingly. "Net neutrality" sounds good to anyone not paying attention, but it must be accomplished by a seizure of authority to do so, a seizure not by Congress (which would be scary enough), but by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Here's the skinny. The Internet is currently the last bastion of freedom. It exists, for the most part, free from interference from government or regulators. It is the one place where an American citizen can still speak his or her mind unfiltered.
While the Internet is pooh-poohed as being frivolous and "experts" insist that it is not subject to the protections in place for Big Media (the BM for short), the fact is that a number of extremely important news stories, including Matt Drudge's breaking of the Monica Lewinsky story, have had as their mode of conveyance the "frivolous" Internet.
An authoritarian government seeks to restrict freedom of the press at all costs. Ours is becoming increasingly authoritarian. The BM is already working under the thumb of government regulation. They are also tied to corporate masters whose survival hinges on government's selective picking of winners and losers. The BM is no threat to the government. The Internet is.
If you understand government, you'll understand that the FCC won't be content with setting "fairness" rules. They'll also want to regulate content. Politically charged speech would most surely be restricted ("We have to stamp out hate speech!"). The writings of this particular blogger, fond of referring to the past two Presidents as King George the Dim and Il Duce, would most certainly fall under their definition of hate speech.
But, hey. You go right on sweating gays in the military, the DREAM act, and the START treaty. Nothing to see here. Move along now.
Labels: Bush , Fairness Doctrine , Free Speech , Freedom , government , media , Obama , stridency
This item speaks for itself.
A 33-year-old man who was part of a crew renovating an apartment on Milwaukee's west side was killed Tuesday when he was struck by a refrigerator his co-workers threw from the building, a Milwaukee police spokeswoman said.
Initial reports indicated the refrigerator fell from a fourth-floor porch to the ground, where the man was struck.
Labels: Horrible and ironic ways to die , WTF
Weekend wrapup: a tale of two weekends
After last week's spanking by the Green Bay Packers (34-16, and it wasn't as close as the score would indicate), I was ready to sign off for the season. After all, who wants to hear me bitch about my mediocre, under-achieving team?
Then Sunday the heavens opened and all was right with the world again. The 49ers delivered a beatdown on the hated Seahawks (40-21, and it wasn't as close as the score would indicate).
Sadly, "...and it wasn't as close as the score would indicate" has become the modus operandi for the 49ers for the past 4 games. Blown out by Tampa Bay. Dominated the Cardinals our bitch. Humiliated by the Packers. Dominated the Seabags.
Alex Smith made his triumphal return to the starting lineup, and, although his numbers weren't spectacular (255 yards passing), he threw for 3 touchdowns and didn't turn the ball over at all.
Matt Hasselsuck lived up to the name, throwing 4 picks and losing a fumble. One interception was in the end zone, killing a productive drive. One interception was a pick-six.
So, at 5-8, the 49ers are still alive in the abysmal NFC Worst. The Seabags loss, coupled with the Rams humiliating loss to the Saints, puts the 49ers one game out of first place in the Worst. Fortune smiles: the 49ers have only one really tough game left, in San Diego on Thursday. The 49ers could conceivably go 7-9 (which I predicted two weeks ago as being their final record) and win the division. OY!
I'm not sure if I'm happy about this or not. Winning a Division title with a losing record (and then, in all likelihood, getting pummeled by a real playoff team) isn't what I had in mind for this year. I thought we'd be so much better than that.
There's another aspect to this. The team most likely to be left on the outside looking in as the 49ers enter the playoffs with their losing record is Tampa Bay. Youngest son is a die-hard Bucs fan. I hate seeing his team sitting at home for the post season with a significantly better record (and significantly better chance of advancing) than my boys.
In the immortal words of Dennis Leary, "Life isn't fair. Get a f***ing helmet".
Labels: 49ers , incompetence , WTF
Put up or shut up
The small-L libertarian has for years sat on the sidelines when it comes to our ability to actually effect change in Washington. That has effectively changed.
After years of blocking him from a leadership position, Mr.Paul’s fellow Republicans have named him chairman of the House subcommittee on domestic monetary policy, which oversees the Federal Reserve as well as the currency and the valuation of the dollar.
Finally! This is awesome news. But, as Vox Day so adroitly noted in his WorldNetDaily column published today, getting the position means it's "put up or shut up" time.
Ron Paul, sound money champion and author of "End the Fed," has been named chairman of the House subcommittee for monetary policy.
Note to Paul: I am your biggest fan at WorldNetDaily, but put up or shut up time has now officially arrived. There is no time for meandering lectures on the theoretical advantages of a gold standard or esoteric soliloquies regarding the correct definition of money. The American people just want the facts about their money and where it has gone. They need the facts. And then they need action.
He's absolutely right. It's one thing to "talk the talk", something we small-L libertarians have been limited to in the past. Now he has to "walk the walk".
I have the utmost faith that Representative Paul is up to the task. Where I have my doubts is with the Team Elephant leadership. Will they allow him to do the things he needs to do -- like, for instance, a complete audit -- in order to bring the Fed to task for their crimes against the U.S. economy? Lest you think I'm being over-the-top hysterical in referring to "crimes", let me remind you that the U.S. Dollar has lost 96% of its buying power since the Fed came into being. If that's not a crime, tell me what is?
Go to town, Dr. Paul. Slay the dragon.
Labels: Federal Reserve , Republican , Ron Paul
A change in talk radio?
I don't normally listen to Quinn and Rose in the morning. Oh, sure, I used to on occasion, if for no other reason than for confirmation of the latest "conservative" talking points and for their histrionics about "the most importantest election ever!", whichever election it might be.
But this morning Mike Church went to commercial and The Sports Junkies were in a commercial break as well, so I tuned in Q-n-R. What a surprise! Rose (of course it wasn't Quinn!) was waxing wroth against a dangerous man. And it wasn't Il Duce!
Rose read from an article written some months ago by WorldNetDaily founder Joseph Farah. The last sentence of the article reads,
There is perhaps no more dangerous man in America today than Mitt Romney. If he succeeds Obama, it will be the final nail in the coffin of American liberty. You've been duly warned.
That Farah, a man of principles, would say this about Mitt Romney is not unexpected. Farah isn't one of those "vote for the guy with the 'R' after his name or we'll all die!" pseudo-conservatives. He sees the Elephants for what they are.
But for Rose to read his article -- and agree with it wholeheartedly -- is something of a "man bites dog" moment.
Is there something happening out there in Talk Radio land? Have the blathering heads seen the writing on the wall and started distancing themselves from the Rockefellerite elitists of Team Elephant?
It's too soon to say for sure. But I, for one, hope that, like the old folk song says, "the times they are a changin'".
Labels: elitists , irony , media , Obama , politicians , Republican , Romney , The Unexpected
Shady Marketing
Hat tip to xfloggingkylex for passing on this story.
If you read tech news today, expect to see a story making the rounds concerning a "consumer poll" rating the iPad versus the Galaxy Tab. According to the report, an "overwhelming majority" of consumers prefer Apple's tablet over its nearest Android competitor -- a whopping 85 percent of those queried felt the iPad had a higher perceived value than the Tab. Sounds shocking, right? Except there's one small problem. The "survey" (and really, you have to use the term loosely here) consisted of 65 people. Let's just say that again: 65 respondents. That's problem number one.
Problem number two is that the survey was conducted by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who is not only using a bizarre and somewhat useless metric like "perceived value" to judge these devices, but is also known for wildly miscalculating sales numbers and expectations for Apple products. In fact, Gene Munster should probably be close to the top of the most wanted list for irresponsible analysts. Some of his famous misses? Take the wildly speculative report that Apple would sell 5.6m iPads in 2010 (a baseless prediction which he quickly reassessed to more reasonable digits... the day after the device's launch), or the prediction that Apple would build its own search engine (so far so good!), and of course, Gene's news that Apple will have an HDTV on the market by 2011. Did we mention the $1,000 AAPL stock price call? No? Okay.
So this latest report, in which Gene apparently just polled the families living on his block, seems beyond disingenuous. The margin of error on a group of 65 people is so high that it makes the results of the iPad vs. Galaxy Tab study all but meaningless, and further demonstrates the insidious, dangerous power of some analysts and their fantasy football stock manipulations. The moral of the story? Next time you see the names Gene and Munster in the same sentence, don't just take the news with a grain of salt -- use the whole shaker.
Let's set the stage here, shall we?
Apple fan-boy "analyst" makes outrageous claim.
So-called "tech news" magazines run with it - without questioning either the claim or the source of the claim.
Did I miss anything?
Just remember to always keep that shaker of salt handy. Because pretty much everything you read these days requires it.
Labels: media , tool , unethical , WTF
Weekend Wrapup: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good: The 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals their bitch by a score of 27-6 Monday night. The game wasn't as close as the score would indicate. Had Troy Smith played even marginally well, this could have been a 44-6 blowout.
The 49ers are now just one game out of first place in the putrid NFC West. Un. Freaking. Believable.
The Bad: The 49ers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 21-0 the week before. The game wasn't as close as the score would indicate. The 49ers best offensive penetration into Bucs territory was to the 33 yard line, and that resulted in a punt.
Hideous. Truly hideous.
The Ugly: Could we have a moment of silence for the loss of 40% of the 49ers offense? Frank Gore, the best player on the entire team, with the possible exception of Patrick Willis, is out for the season with a broken hip. At the time Gore went down with his injury, he was personally accountable for over 40% of all yardage gained by the 49ers offense. This was, BTW, the fourth season in the last five that Gore has contributed at that level. Only Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown had been at that level of productivity with greater frequency. Last I heard, those three used to be pretty good. Now that monster productivity is gone.
Yes, Brian Westbrook did a stellar job of filling in Monday night, rushing for over 130 yards. But Westbrook has a lot of miles on his odometer, and a history of concussions. Not much of a confidence builder, that.
Prognosis: The 49ers will probably finish at 7-9 this year, second in the West behind the suddenly mediocre St. Louis Rams (trust me - in the West, mediocre is king). Troy Smith has come back to earth and revealed just why the Ravens gave up on him. He's a stellar backup quarterback. He's not a reliable starter.
In the immortal words of fans everywhere: wait 'til next year!
Labels: 49ers
Law (?) and Order (?!?!?!?) - Caput Penitus Culus Edition
I have to admit that when it comes to the legal system I'm a fish out of water. The terminology. The prosaic phraseology. The BS preambles with their legal buzzwords ("hereinafter referred to as The Plaintiff", "party of the first part", etc.). The BS Latin and Latinate words and phrases ("pro se", "ad litem", "dominum dictum", "ex nihilo", etc.). Truth is, it's a foreign world to me.
But there are certain legal concepts I understand completely. 'Hot check' is one of them. And 'hot check' is the latest development in the sorry case of Mall Cop a Palos v. Bloggers.
When all the legal challenges to bloggers over one being classified as a “Rent-A-Cop” came out, the first place checked was the court records.
Still there today, as you can see in the image below, were the records indicating that an employee of the University of North Texas, a Gregory J. PRICKett, had evidently obtained the services of Natalie Malonis to file and PAY the fees necessary to get the process started.
Now that you’ve seen the financial records which started the ball rolling, along with a couple more payments made by Gregory J. PRICKett to keep it headed just where he hopes it will help him the most, let’s move on to the latest under the “Events & Orders of the Court” in those records from the District Civil Court in Texass.
Ooh! Tell me more!
10/27/2010 HOT CHECK
Natalie Malonis, Attorney At Law – Refer to Acct Dept x7260
Oh how the mighty have fallen! Attorney Natalie Malonis, once a featured "expert" on the Nancy Grace Show, has now been reduced to passing bad checks on behalf of her partner in calumny, Sgt. Gregory Prickett, pictured at top, hereinafter referred to as The Prickette, a known hostis humani generis (you like that, pretend lawyer asshole?).
I don't need to remind you of the enmity I (and frankly, all people possessed of human decency) have toward the foul pretend lawyer behind Coram Non Judice, ah, excuse me, Caput Penitus Culus. That he and his particeps criminis, Ms. Malonis, have been exposed and put in a position where they are on the defensive is extraordinarily gratifying. That Ms. Malonis is reduced to passing bad checks in the shadow of accusations that she "misappropriated" child support payments intended for a client is absolutely....priceless.
By their fruits ye shall know them. I smell rotten apples. And Noxzema. And mall cop.
Labels: amusing , blogs , F'ing lawyers , law fetishists , legal issues , schadenfreude , The Prickette
The 'Liberal Gene'
So much of what passes for 'science' these days is total crap. Total. Crap. This study is no different.
Researchers have determined that genetics could matter when it comes to some adults' political leanings.
According to scientists at UC San Diego and Harvard University, "ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4." That and how many friends you had during high school.
"That and how many friends you had during high school." This is what passes for science in 21st century America.
While I focused in on the quack science of the study, the commenters had a field day with the idea of a "liberal gene". Here is a sampling of the comments.
So, we now have scientific proof that liberalism is a birth defect?
I knew it! I knew they were born F'd up!
That explains their total lack of logical thinking, they can't help themselves. Probably explains why they're so needy too.
Does this discovery bring us closer to a cure?
Labels: amusing , leftists , science
Weekend update: "We want Carr!" "We want Carr!" "We....oops."
Memo to all of those alleged 49ers fans chanting "We want Carr!" during rough stretches of the past two games prior to this weekend: Be careful what you wish for.
Sunday the 49ers lost to the woeful Carolina Panthers 23-20. And David MF'ing Carr was a big reason why.
Carr was 5-13 for 67 yards (Wait...did he actually complete FIVE passes? Funny, I don't remember that). He also threw a back-breaking interception to set up Carolina's winning field goal. He missed receivers high. He missed receivers low. He completely sucked.
What was Carr even doing in the game? He was in there because Alex Smith got hurt when rookie tackle Anthony Davis executed a perfect "Ole!" non-block on the Carolina DE, who immediately lit up Smith and landed on him hard, injuring his left shoulder.
The 49er Faithful fair weather fans fell for the oldest fantasy in the book. They believed that everything was the starting QB's fault, and all would be right with the world if only the backup QB were inserted in his place.
Well, all is definitely NOT right with the world.
I'm not blaming Carr, understand. There's more than enough blame to go around, all around.
It's time to clean house on this poorly coached, underachieving team.
Who needs to go? Head Coach Mike Singletary. Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky. Alleged Cornerback Nate Clemons.
Why Clemons? Because, even though he had a sack and made a couple of slick plays, he is ALWAYS out of position and ALWAYS gambling for the pick (and getting burned as a result). He sucks. Clemons has to go.
Why Manusky? The defense keeps making the same mistakes, over and over. The color commentator noted that every team in the league is coaching its backs to bounce running plays to the outside against the 49ers when the middle is clogged, because there'll be no outside contain. He's absolutely right. And it's been that way all season. The one thing a 3-4 defense should ALWAYS do well is outside contain. But the 49ers outside linebackers are never at home. Never. That's the blame of coaching. Manusky has to go.
Why Singletary? This one breaks my heart, because I absolutely LOVE Mike Singletary. I love everything about him. That is, everything about him except his attention to detail and his complete inability to either manage the clock or make in-game adjustments. Sorry, Coach. I love ya. But Singletary has to go.
Who stays, and why? Offensive Coordinator Mike Johnson, Quarterback Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, and Linebacker Patrick Willis. The last two are obvious: Willis is all-world in a confused and poorly coached defense. Gore is all-world in an offense that has trouble getting out of its own way.
So how do Alex Smith and Mike Johnson make this list?
For the first time since Norv Turner in 2006, Smith has an Offensive Coordinator who's worth a shit. And that's why Mike Johnson stays. He has taken what was a predictable and uninspired offense and turned it on its ear. The color commentator from Sunday's game marveled at how the 49ers would come out in an "obvious" passing formation and run, in an "obvious" running formation and pass. The offense has been extremely effective in spurts, and Johnson is the reason why. Considering he has had 4 weeks to make-over Jimmy Raye's gawdawful excuse for an offense, what he has done is spectacular and deserves being rewarded.
Alex Smith's turnovers are down the past few weeks because he's not being put in bad spots where turnovers are practically inevitable. And he's shown so many flashes of brilliance this season that he's just GOT to get one more chance.
This season is over. It really sucks to be in 2004-mode when I started the season in 2002-mode (the last time the 49ers won their division).
Thank God hockey season has started. Go Caps!
Hype and vaporware - welcome to The Cloud
If you watch NFL football on Sunday - and you know I do - then you've seen the BS Microsoft ad where the condescending shrew/wife/mom creates a wonderful family photograph by invoking the power of "The Cloud". I can't watch this commercial without my head exploding.
I am an applications programmer who for the past decade and change have been working in environments that are just "one-off" from the bleeding edge of technology. I am usually aware of what's coming a good 6 months before it hits the "real" marketplace, as it's been bandied about in tech journals, various conferences, etc. Some of the hyped products make the grade, some don't.
I've been hearing about "The Cloud" for over 2 years now. I'm sick of it. It's what we in the industry call "vaporware". Vaporware is just what it sounds like -- over-hyped, wonderful-sounding futuristic does-it-all software that doesn't really exist. I think you get the concept.
I did a quick Google search on "Cloud real or hype". All of the returned links referred to how "The Cloud" was on the verge of moving beyond hype, how it was over-hyped, etc. Here's a sampling.
Cloud computing moving behind hype to real-world use
Keeping it real: Cloud hype in the IT Industry
Toning down the hype and getting real
The promise is real, but the hype is extreme
I think you get the idea. It's a big steaming pile of hype, with a smidgen of bombast lumped in for good measure.
Memo to Micros**t: knock it off! No more commercials hyping "The Cloud" until there is one...and, no, the one on the flow diagram marked "a miracle happens here" is NOT the "cloud" I'm talking about.
Labels: asshat , computers , Microsoft , propaganda , tool
Great idea enforced via coercion
Coercion. It's the statist way.
First, let me back up and set the table for the topic of this post. Anyone who has lived in California for an extended period of time -- like, say, the 20 years I lived there off and on from 1967-1987 -- knows that when it comes to rainfall, there are only two seasonal variations: drought, and OMG flooding.
Unfortunately, it seems that drought happens way to often, resulting in water rationing.
I've long thought that the way toilets are designed is inherently flawed. One flush fits all. But why does it have to be that way? Couldn't you have a lesser flush for No. 1, and a greater flush for No. 2? Wouldn't that make more sense? Wouldn't that be a great way to conserve water in those drought years?
It turns out that some inventive type has come up with a commode that meets that exact criteria. But in New York City, letting the market introduce this wonderful innovation into common use just won't do. No, NYC is going to use government's favorite (only?) tool and force its use.
Under a law passed by the City Council today, new toilets will have to be high water efficient or "dual-flush," which allow users to choose between a high pressure flush for solid waste, and a low-pressure flush for liquid.
The law, which significantly changes the city plumbing code starting July 2012, applies the same strict water efficiency standards to plumbing fixtures like showerheads, urinals and sink faucets.
The package of water conservation bills also requires water fountains have separate spouts for drinking and for filling water containers; commercial buildings install alarms and sub-meters to detect water leaks; and limits the use of "once-through" cooling systems, such as those used to cool ice-making machines, walk-in coolers and older medical x-ray and laser equipment.
OMG. Is there anything else you want to throw in there? Like, how many gallons of urine an individual is allowed to produce per week?
Council member James Oddo sums up what should be every freedom loving American's reaction to this government overreach.
When does it stop? Does it stop when we micromanage every minute facet of our lives?
Great question. When DOES it stop? At what point do the sheeple wake from their torpor and ask that question?
God only knows.
Labels: bad law , coercion , Der Staat , government , stridency , WTF
Finally off the schneid
It wasn't pretty. No, the fact is it was just about as ugly as a win can be. It took 6 weeks, but the 49ers are finally off the schneid. Final score: 17-9.
That it was the woeful Raiders, at home, and we trailed for the first 44 minutes and change of the game is an indicator of just how ugly it was.
This was, however, the first game in which the 49ers had zero turnovers this year. Yes, you read that right.
Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns in the second half after a woeful 2 of 11 start. Frank Gore got back on track, rushing for 149 years, including a spectacular 64 yard run to set up the second touchdown. Even Michael Crabtree contributed, making an easy catch look difficult in snagging Alex Smith's pass for the first 49ers touchdown. Jerry Rice would have made that catch in his sleep and made it look easy as can be. But Terrell Owens would have dropped it, so at least Crabtree has the fact he caught it to fall back on.
The one negative of the game (besides Alex Smith playing like ass for the first 25 minutes of the game) was the officiating. More on that follows.
I look at the remainder of the 49ers schedule and can't help but think: there's no one on tap who scares me. San Diego? Child please! They lost to the Raiders and the Rams in back-to-back weeks. Speaking of the Rams, we have them twice, plus our bitch, the Cardinals, twice. (Bill Bidwell owns the Cardinals 363 days per year. The 49ers own them the other two).
We have the Seahawks again...but they're quite a bit less threatening away from their Stadium of Doom. There's Denver in London. But beyond that? Nobody scary.
Jed York could be right...we might just win the division after all. I might just have to start drinking that Kool Aid again after all...
Officiating has been quite consistent this year...consistently dreadful. It's not just the 49ers getting jobbed. I sat and watched the Saints commit holding on at least a dozen plays against the Buccaneers on Sunday with nary a flag in sight. I saw a Saints tackler dive into the knees of a receiver, injuring the guy. No flag for unnecessary roughness. It's atrocious.
In the past two games, 49ers opponents have not been called for holding. Not once. Never mind that I've seen defensive lineman change directions, in ways not humanly possible without being held, at least a dozen times. Not one flag.
Okay, I can see the Eagles, a team with a reputation for playing clean, getting some slack from the zebras. But the Raiders? The effing RAIDERS?!?!?!?!? The most penalized team in the history of pro football? Child, please!
I haven't figured out why this is happening. Is it the new positioning of the Umpire in the offensive backfield instead of behind the linebackers? Maybe the Umpire -- usually the official who watches for and calls holding -- just can't see what's going on in there from that position.
Or maybe the referees just suck this year. Yeah, I think that's the answer.
How else can you explain the intentional grounding penalty called the play prior to the 49ers first touchdown? The rule, as I understand it, is that it's grounding if the quarterback throws the ball away in an effort to avoid a sack and there is no eligible receiver in the vicinity of where the ball was thrown. So how does Alex Smith get called for grounding when (a) there was no threat of a sack, and (b) there WAS a receiver in the vicinity? Granted, he would have had to be 13 feet tall to have caught it, but he WAS in the vicinity!
I may have set a world's record for dropping F bombs in the aftermath of that play. I'm still salty about it two days later. Talk about incompetence!
I can't believe the way this season has played out. Teams that were supposed to be awesome (49ers, Chargers) suck. Teams that were supposed to be dreadful (Bucs, Chiefs) are in the mix. The more I watch NFL football, the more I realize that I haven't a clue.
Posted by Vulture at 8:44 AM ... |
Labels: 49ers , dropping bombs , incompetence , NFL , WTF
The OC attacks
For the most part, I respond to comments in the {expletive-deleted} Echo comments. But when there is a comment requiring too much response for just a comment, or a comment that really sticks in my craw, I reply with a blog post.
This comment met both criteria. It was in response to my comment that we are "living in Atlas Shrugged".
You're living in Atlas Shrugged, which was the vision of a lunatic who has as much insight into living human beings as Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man". To be a consistent Randian you need to have as much contempt for Christianity as for Socialism. Of course it was all that "Good Samaritan" and "Golden Rule" crap that she particularly hated. Is that part of your Christianity?
If you can back up your claims with anything besides wordplay and overuse of the word "literally", that might hold some interest . As it is, you remind me of the "merry pranksters" of the 60s/70s with their "radical" "underground newspapers" with everyone they opposed dressed up as Nazis. I like you in many ways -- primarily when you talk to me directly; not so much when you're preaching, but I gotta speak the truth as I see it.
Don't put words in my mouth. I was neither preaching, nor espousing the incoherent, contradictory, and, frankly, sophomoric epistemology of Ayn Rand. When I said that we are "living in Atlas Shrugged", I meant the world portrayed by Rand in the novel. In the book, the government and industry were run by looters -- looters who raped the productive by pushing legislation in the interest of "fairness", etc.
The world we live in has looters pushing legislation "for the children", "to save the planet", "to make us safe from terrorism", "to make health care affordable for everyone", "because they're too big to fail". The end result of all of these legislative "responses" to "crisis" is the same as those portrayed in Rand's novel.
Wealth is confiscated from the productive.
Government amasses more power over all facets of our lives.
Our personal liberties are lost.
You cannot deny this - not if you're paying attention, not if you're being honest and not disingenuous.
You believe in AGW - hey, how 'bout that? I don't. ALL proposed "solutions" to AGW involve confiscation of wealth. That and nothing more.
You're free to continue your misplaced "faith". I see AGW for what it is: the hijacking of science to promote an agenda that centralizes government power, redistributes wealth (mostly to crony capitalists), and destroys individual freedoms.
Labels: Big Warming , comments , Fascism , global warming zealots , government , health care , science
I wonder what FLDS Texas thinks of this
That sound you hear is the concussion wave from a dozen heads exploding over at FLDS Texas upon reading this.
President Barack Obama's polygamist half brother in Kenya has married a woman who is more than 30 years younger than him.
Hmmm. I didn't know there were FLDS living in Kenya [/sarcasm].
Where's your outrage and indignation NOW, bigots? Or is it okay in Kenya, or when the offending party is related to the President?
I'd go over there and comment on it myself.......but they've banned me from posting comments there. Whus the matta, bigots? Skerd?
Labels: bigotry , comments , FLDS , irony , Obama
Is it Echo....?
Yesterday I received an email notification from Echo, my current -- and soon to be ex -- comments provider/software/PITA. The email said I had a comment from {Person X}, and included the comment content.
However, when I went out to reply to the comment, I found it wasn't there. Okay, figure I, it's probably just a lag between the time the comment hit Echo and the time that the blog widget refreshes to get the most current comments.
I waited. And waited. And waited some more.
The comment never showed!
So my question is...is it Echo "swallowing" the comment because I refuse to convert to their pay-for-play service? Or did {Person X} delete the comment...maybe have second thoughts?
Echo wants me to convert to their pay-for-play service. To quote a great American, "NFW". Echo, to put it succinctly, sucks. It makes the native Blogger comments service seem awesome by comparison. Why in the name of all that is right with the world would I PAY MONEY to receive the same shit service and use the same POS user interface I have now?
Query to my fellow bloggers out there. Is there a comments service out there you use and recommend? Don't suggest CoComment -- it absolutely refuses to acknowledge my "ownership" of TVL.
I don't care what it takes -- even if I have to pay for someone else's service -- Echo is coming down. I've had it.
Man, I miss Haloscan!
P.S. Message to {Person X} -- thank you so much for your kind comments. Encouragement is always much appreciated.
Labels: comments , features , Haloscan , TVL , WTF
Real scientists and AGW
Hat tip to bingbing for this one.
It is of course, the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it, that has corrupted so many scientists, and has carried APS before it like a rogue wave. It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist. Anyone who has the faintest doubt that this is so should force himself to read the ClimateGate documents, which lay it bare. (Montford’s book organizes the facts very well.) I don’t believe that any real physicist, nay scientist, can read that stuff without revulsion. I would almost make that revulsion a definition of the word scientist.
So what has the APS, as an organization, done in the face of this challenge? It has accepted the corruption as the norm, and gone along with it.
Who's that saying those heretical things about Mother Gaia and the blessed religion of AGW? Some clown in the employ of Big Oil? Some flat-earth-know-nothing?
Nope. It's Professor Emeritus Hal Lewis of the American Physical Society. A physicist. A REAL scientist, not some IPCC quack.
Remember this the next time someone tells you "the science is settled".
Labels: Big Warming , global warming zealots , science
Weekend wrapup - yet another meltdown
Will the real Alex Smith please stand up? No, really - PLEASE!
Is Alex Smith a clownish turnover machine? Or is he a bona fide potential top-tier NFL quarterback?
Sunday night, he was both.
The Niners lost 27-24 to the Iggles in a game where flashes of brilliance collided face first with the worst sort of ineptitude.
Five turnovers. Five. Five MF'ing turnovers!!!!! Holy Joe Montana!
For his part, Alex Smith was responsible for 3 of the five -- one a cover-your-eyes backpedal resulting in a fumble returned for a touchdown -- with the usually reliable Frank Gore accounting for the other two. I love Frank Gore, but he has a propensity for serial fumbling. If he fumbles once in a game, look out -- another is sure to follow.
Alex Smith was nearly booed out of the building, and nearly benched. Then he proceeded to run off an amazing sequence of plays where he could do no wrong, bringing the Niners from two touchdowns behind to 3 points behind. Of course, he ended this amazing sequence with yet another turnover. *sigh*
There was a Michael Crabtree sighting Sunday night - he had his first 100 yard receiving day of his career and a really pretty touchdown grab. But he's still a turd in my book. With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, he made a catch and run for a first down, then jumped up and started celebrating. Hey, asshat! Know the situation! Inside of two minutes with time ticking away is NOT the time to showboat. Tool!
The team is now 0-5. You're smoking crack if you think a playoff appearance is in the cards this year.
I think I'm gonna be ill.
Labels: 49ers , asshat , tool , WTF
Law (?) and Order (?!?!?!?) - Caput Penitus Culus ...
Weekend update: "We want Carr!" "We want Carr!" "...
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President Trump and other geo-political oddities, by Scott Humor
21513 Views November 21, 2016 55 Comments SITREPs Scott
Donald Trump has won the presidential election despite polls that indicating that Hillary Clinton was favored. One popular explanation for this is that some people were too afraid to admit to pollsters that they supported Trump — what’s being called the “shy Trump” phenomenon. A review of the evidence, however, suggests that probably isn’t why the polls got Trump wrong.
“Shy Trump voters started to come out of the woodwork during the course of the election,” said Matthew Oczkowski, director of product for Cambridge Analytica.
The bottom line is that Trump did better than the polls predicted, but he didn’t do so in a pattern consistent with a “shy Trump” effect. It’s more likely that the polls underestimated Trump for more conventional reasons, such as underestimating the size of the Republican base or failing to capture how that base coalesced at the end of the campaign.
Another explanation of the “Trump phenomenon” that is being pushed by the liberal media is that “white Americans” somehow decided to unite against the growing threat of a “rule of minorities.”
White Republicans are coming home to Donald Trump, at just the right time.
Another, less ethnically divisive explanation is that “people who decided late” suddenly woke up at 11th hour and went to the voting polls. The same WP also claims that “it certainly looks like an electorate that truly appeared poised to elect Clinton decided to go for Trump at the 11th hour instead.”
Even the Global Research followed this route, claiming that it was the FBI that sealed the loss of election for Mrs. Clinton.”
Well, the role of the US intelligence community in the Trump winning is huge. But, I will write about this later.
I am going to tell you exactly how Trump won
First, let’s take a look at the FiveThirtyEight election forecast, which is a tool to create a fake reality to screw with people’s minds and to threw them mentally off base:
Who will win presidency?
Chances of winning
Hillary Clinton – 71.2%
Trump – 28.6%
Electoral votes
Hillary Clinton 302.2
Donald Trump 235.0
Let’s also look at the following…
It’s a just one random conversation I happened to come across on Twitter
The conversation is between Andrea Chalupa and her followers. I remember Ms. Chalupa since 2014, when she became a face of a short lived online campaign called “Digital Maidan.” Back then she was described as “a co-founder of Digital Maidan, an online movement that made the Ukrainian protest the number 1 trending topic on Twitter worldwide.”
They has several “campaigns” including calling for online attacks personally on President Putin. They also have several calls to spread hateful. Russophobic messages. The extent of their messages were as such that they should be considered Nazi-inspired and racialized.
At the time, Ms. Chalupa was listed as a contributing editor for the Vanity Fair and other magazines from the Condé Nast corporation.
It was beyond me how a seemingly respectable luxury goods and lifestyle corporation as Condé Nast was willing to attach its name to the open racist, Russophobic and fascist publication as the ‘Digital Maidan” and its “co-founder” Andrea Chalupa. However, it might not be that surprising considering that the Huffington Post, a publication promoting the fervent hate towards Russian people also lists Ms. Chalupa as their author.
Today Mr. Chalupa is still stomping for Mrs. Clinton and demanding the violation of the US Constitution.
We have not been talking nearly enough about the damaging influence of so-called “ethnic Ukrainians” residing in the US, on US international and domestic policies. I use the term “so-called” because according to the family histories available online the majority of them are actually the descendants of the those followers of 18th century Talmudism born on the territory of the Western Russia (Malorossia) and Poland. If you can prove otherwise, I encourage you to do so.
But, back to our sheep.
A twitter account called Miss Ervilha, who uses an image of a human skull as its identifier, tweets to Ms. Chalupa and others:
“While there is still time, the Obama White House must protect the American people from the FBI/far-right coup and Russia.”
– How exactly are you proposing they do this?
– Look at this: Dr. Jill Stein was at a dinner state funded in Russia celebrating the 10th anniversary of a RT TV channel. (1/2)
– Do you think it’s the entire FBI? You have the Bush appointees, Rudy bunch and then the WH establishment?
– It’s mostly the NY FBI office, old buddies with Giulianni
– This Flynn guy was also on the payroll of Turkey according to @maddow:/
– We were told that the FBI was divided and many didn’t agree w/ what Comey did. So at least, some are decent.”
This conversation went on and on. I saved some screenshots, of course.
So, in essence the explanations of why Trump won are as follow:
Russia made people vote for him
“Shy Trump” phenomenon. In other words, people were ashamed to admit that they were his supports. “Shy trump” is promoting the idea that the fight against the Globalist agenda is something sinful and shameful.
11th hour sleepy voters coming from woodwork.
FBI plot
“White Americans” revolting against Obama’s policies.
A phenomenon of the “Missing candidate.” The idea that Mrs. Clinton was a wrong candidate for the Democratic party. Trump’s electoral victory can be viewed as a purely technical glitch, caused by the problem of the Missing Candidate.
All of the above is nonsense. Oblique and wrapped in trendy terms, but nonsense nevertheless
Being a lifelong Republican, I seldom show up for the party meetings despite of all you can drink wine and all you can eat cheese cubes. I only go to find out what’s going on and for whom to vote in upcoming elections, whom the republicans endorse for Senate and as a presidential candidate.
If you have never been to the GOP meetings, here is the very realistic video
Last year, before the party primarily, I went to the meeting and asked the chairman of our local chapter of the GOP whom the Republican party endorses as a potential candidate for president. In short, we had six republicans running.
The moment I asked him whom to endorse something weird happened. He grabbed my sleeve, pulled me aside from the crowd, looked around, making sure that no one could hear us and whispered: “Officially we don’t endorse any candidates this election. Unofficially, the party recommends to vote for Trump. Only don’t tell anyone. This is our secret strategy. We don’t want democrats to know that. And also we don’t want some republicans to know that. This election we won’t have any lawn signs. We don’t want to attract their attention to the Trump candidacy. Let’s them think that he is a fringe candidate and that he is not endorsed by the party. I know that you’re going to do the right thing, so vote for Trump, but don’t tell anyone. The party leaders are talking to every republican personally.”
This strategic line was kept throughout the election cycle. Several times after this conversation I’ve heard people asking about what candidate GOP was endorsing, The answer was always, “we don’t endorse anyone this election, but if you want to talk about this let’s talk after the meeting.”
How was this even possible that millions of republicans kept this in secret. Yes. The presidential election of 2016 has become an illustration of unity in face of overwhelming adversity. The mood on the meetings was reserved. People felt like they were in fight for their lives. The republicans en masse understood that Trump and people behind him was the only chance to take country back from the globalists occupation. Some, the readers of the Saker, wikileaks, ZeroHedge and InfoWars, knew that it was the only chance to prevent the world war.
From my talks with our chairman, I gathered that if the republicans disclosed how desperately the country needed Trump to win, then the liberal attack could be absolutely overwhelming.
Pretending that Trump was just this weird figure that spent his own money for the campaign sure helped to detract their attention. This is how it came to be that the GOP members got so united in their secrecy that no one would leak this strategy to the liberal media.
After Donald Trump won the Republican primarily by a landslide and was nominated as a candidate to run for office, every time I showed up to meetings, I heard our chairman announcing with a “great sadness” that yet another republican party apparatchik deserted the party and went to the dark side
They claimed that they disagree with the Trump candidacy. They also said that he didn’t represent them. On top of this, some high ranking Republicans went and denounced their party affiliation in public. They called it “a huge mistake” to support Trump. It was almost like they were made to publicly pledge the elegance to someone or something else.
The same process took part in Europe where politicians by their own free will or by design, make loud derogatory statement about Trump. The members of Kiev junta were particularly loud in their attacks on Trump. Needless to say, they have been working hard removing their anti-Trump statements from their social media accounts.
Corporate media fully desecrated itself.
That’s how it came to be that Trump doesn’t own anything to anyone for the exception of his voters and his outspoken supporters like Wikileaks and Infowars. Also, I can tell this with great certainty, that Trump wasn’t just endorsed by the intelligence community, by FBI in particular. The intelligence community developed a multiyear plan that needed to be executed in a great secrecy, in order not to attract too much fight against the candidate. It was FBI who leaked “Hilary’s emails” to wikileaks. As for the “Russian involvement” in this… What took place reminds me a very similar plan to get rid of the liberals in power that earlier took place in Russia.
It’s almost like the Russian intelligence community shared with FBI not just information on terrorism, but also the practical information on how to design an election campaign for a candidate that would accomplish two objectives: let the candidate for a president to fly under the liberal media radar, and to bring him to victory at the same time. An election campaign that was very much not in an usual American style. One thing is certain, without the victory of Putin, there would be no Trump’s victory.
More SITREP links:
Interview of Michael T. Flynn, retired United States Army lieutenant general, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
Retired Marine Corps general James Mattis, seen as front-runner for defense secretary post, also insisted the US pays a price in Middle East for its support of Israel
Kissinger on Trump: ‘He has absolutely no baggage‘, by Jeremy Lott, Ryan Lovelace
Clinton campaign blames FBI director for loss to Trump
Clinton blames Comey letters for defeat
The Many Internet Explanations for the Rise of Donald Trump, by John Bonazzo
Liberal Democrats: “Tom Nichols, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College (and Jeopardy champion) wrote a Daily Beast column in January about how media elites created Trump by “(shutting) down any political expression from Americans with whom they disagree.” According to Nichols, political correctness has “taken a flamethrower to the public space and annihilated its center.” Writing on Mother Jones, Kevin Drum agreed that “we liberals do tend to yell racism a little more often than we should. And we do tend to suggest that anyone who likes guns or Jesus is a rube.”
Donald Trump To Bring Adviser With Russia Ties To Classified Briefing. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn will join Trump at Wednesday’s top-secret session.
Trump names Orthodox Christian as White House chief of staff
Insider: FBI Gave Emails To WikiLeaks To Prevent ‘Clinton Coup’
See how the liberals are preparing to demand the cancellation of the election results, here is the very clearly propaganda that has been assembled by the Esquire magazine. “How Russia Pulled Off the Biggest Election Hack in U.S. History.” This piece in essence dismisses GOP and 50% of American voters as “Putin’s agents.” The liberals and neocons are preparing the ground to demand the annulment of the election results on the premise that trump is endorsed by Russia, in favor of the candidate who was endorsed by Soros. He is not a US citizen, btw.
The Kincannon Show @kincannon_show: CNN reporter tells me Hillary became physically violent towards Robby Mook and John Podesta around midnight; had to be briefly restrained.
Federal Spy Guy @FederalSpyGuy 20h20 hours ago: podesta told her she had to address her followers she (drunk as a skunk) (allegedly) said: “fuck them – you do it”
Anti-Trump Fake Protests Austin Chicago Soros Hoax Riots Exposed Busses
Anti trump protests buses in Chicago
More geo-political oddities
No occupied nation, except for Russia, was ever able to liberate itself. Every occupied country always needed outside help for liberation. Now, the countries around the world like Germany, France, Greece, Bulgaria, Syria, the US, and even South Korea and others are trying to liberate themselves with the help of Russia.
Who helped Russia? I think that when Russia was falling into abyss in the 90s, she was helped by the powers from above which expressed themselves though the Russia’s intelligence community and the return of the nation to the Orthodox Church. The same principle, more or less, we can see in other countries.
Putin: Russia and the Orthodox Christianity are inseparable
Poll: 84% of Ukrainians Want Vladimir Putin as Their President …
Why wouldn’t they? 84% of people in Ukraine are Russians
Poll: 84% of Ukrainians Want Vladimir Putin as Their Presidenthttps://t.co/XMNKKDrJ71
Why wouldn't they? 84% of ppl in Ukraine are Russians
— Scott's Humor (@ScottsHumor) November 19, 2016
A Brave New Third World of Europe
Markel won’t win oncoming elections. Germany will become Russia’s ally
Trump Rejects Neocon Turncoats
Rabbi Zemel said he wouldn’t preach politics. Then Trump won, and he gave his sermon in tears. by Julie Zauzmer
“I want to learn about civil disobedience. I think we’re at a point where we may have to.” Zemel said. But on the political front, he plans to lead his sinagogue congregation in direct action against the Trump administration.
банальная мыховая хвостоверть – кожный президент США становится
"первым еврейским президентом США". pic.twitter.com/NeltI9TMnH
— Renard (@renardrote) November 20, 2016
It’s glorious to watch Baby Boomers see their ideology of betrayal be rejected. Donald Sutherland grovels and apologizes for being a “fucking white male.”
Donald Sutherland grovels and apologizes for being a fucking white male. https://t.co/d0oPsRv3ea
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) November 15, 2016
Sarkozy eliminated in 1st round of French center-right presidential primaries – provisional results
Merkel nach Sibirien & Putin nach Berlin
“Därför angår Ukraina oss alla” Ukraine is a problem that we together had created
Ulf Bjerén states that Crimea wasn’t annexed, but democratically re-united with Russia
Follow me on twitter for more updates
My very interesting book is on sale for low price of $2.99
Donald Trump. sitrep
Elections in the USA
Anonymous on November 21, 2016 · at 1:20 am EST/EDT
That Donald Sutherland, you know he’s an actor, do you think he would simply take money and say that? Some one like Soros can proly find any amount of Hollywood types to say whatever Soros asks, for a fee.
S113 on November 21, 2016 · at 9:25 pm EST/EDT
Writer John Rappoport (nomorefakenews.com) explains how movie stars don’t need to be threatened with physical harm to make them knuckle under. Either they play along, or they don’t work.
Here, he addresses this pertaining to medical concerns:
“Medical truth cancelled due to Hollywood”
Your link isn’t working. Mod
Thanks, Mod! Maybe this one?
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/medical-truth-canceled-due-to-hollywood/
Nightingale on November 21, 2016 · at 2:27 am EST/EDT
Wow! I’m speechless. I need to read it again. This is, once again – quality. Breathtaking angle on what really transpired in the latest election…I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!
It’s interesting to see everyone project their (very different) ideas of who and what Donald Trump is. It will be interesting to see what the man does when he is in power.
Anonymous on November 22, 2016 · at 12:03 pm EST/EDT
Will he be “in power”? He, like any other before him since Kennedy, will be told what to do.
vot tak on November 21, 2016 · at 3:22 am EST/EDT
Putin Says Trump Won’t Hurt Pacific Trade, Campaign Rhetoric Not ‘Real Politics’
https://sputniknews.com/world/201611211047654481-putin-addresses-new-US-regime-APEC/
Putin seems upbeat.
fullback84 on November 21, 2016 · at 4:39 am EST/EDT
I saw Trump coming a mile away. The reason why Republicans rallied to Trump and tolerated him initially was his jabs at Obama, but boy, did they not know what they were getting into until it was too late. Outspoken against the neocon wars (Iraq, Libya, Syria), and an economic nationalist, Trump was everything but a traditional Republican! And most of all, he was against a new cold war, and anyone with any sense at all would have to agree with that no matter what party one identifies with.
He was a runaway train that couldn’t be stopped. I don’t see a secret conspiracy for a Trump presidency at all. The party establishment hated him then and they can’t stand him now.
Student on November 21, 2016 · at 4:49 am EST/EDT
Thank you for the report Scott.
I do not think you included the possibility that the election was rigged as reported by a few sources online. I am not entirely sure about everything said on the Vetereans Today website, but they have been pushing the line that Trump is a proxy for the Israelis. I am not knowledgeable enough to know whether voting machines can be rigged to cancel millions of votes or the mechanics of denying black and latino Americans their votes but there are some compelling arguments.
My viewpoint with my limited information is that none of these people can be trusted and the whole political dance is a theatre to distract us, the masses, so they can continue to move forward with their varied agenda.
Mestre on November 22, 2016 · at 12:06 pm EST/EDT
I noticed an interesting coincidence with the names of the Digital Maidan misses: Chalupa and Ervilha. It so happens that “Chalupa” is a Portuguese slang word for crazy (nuts), and “Ervilha” means pea, combined you come up with “peanuts”, traditionally known as monkeys’ food. Food for thought?
@ Student
Your comment is that of a teacher. The election circus is still doing its rounds and turns, the clowns are out to keep the customers entertained and the ringmaster is putting the inaugural show puppets in line to bring the year-long comedy to its finale. Like the Roman, the American circus works and keeps the plebes happy for another four years.
He still has the codes and given the level of pride suffusing every aspect of his being one cannot put aside the chance his brain may snap and he reach out his hand to press the button on the devices that end time.
RayB on November 21, 2016 · at 10:41 am EST/EDT
Wow, if that’s how pessimistically and doomsday gloomy you think and feel normally, I’d hate to hear what you’d have to say on a really dark day when your feeling down and depressed.
Cheer up mate, at least Donald having his fat finger on the black box’s red thermonuclear launch button has got to be a bit better then having clinically criminally insane psychopath Hillary’s hysterical spastic finger pressing down on it. Don’t ya think EH? : )
Carmel by the Sea on November 22, 2016 · at 2:45 am EST/EDT
And you rather have a violent psychopath’s finger on the red button.
To make it worse Helligula is physically very ill and not fit for any job.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Do9qGrmowds
Lee on November 21, 2016 · at 5:49 am EST/EDT
Spiral on November 21, 2016 · at 6:58 am EST/EDT
I do think that the following article:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/was-the-us-election-stolen-yet-again/5557930
is substantially true. Statistical arguments for the exit polls appear sound and the almost total secrecy behind software used to (mis)calculate or (mis)allocate votes shows that vote
counting process is beyond any kind of checking procedure and is firmly in the hands of deep state, as has been since at least 2000.
So, given that the election was rigged (and Trump jokingly said as much – ‘he will accept election result as long as it is in his favor’ – thus telling everyone that he knew rigging was going on), one can then argue about the real reasons behind the deep state decision to throw Hillary under the bus. Or , perhaps, save Hillary and ultimately sacrifice Trump.
The motivation of deep state is not a mystery: attainment of “full spectrum dominance” , i.e. total power, and fear of not being able to get it. And fear that they will never be able to get it. And fear that they will be exposed and brought to trial for premeditated mass murder and destruction of whole countries. It is hard to guess which fear is dominant or the degree of pathology of current deep statesman as they are not well known. But we can get some glimpses from their surface representatives who frequently tend to reflect it.
Regards, Spiral
@ spiral
If what you are saying and your article here is correct and true, then Trump is going to have to quickly transform himself into another Hillary Clinton, (wear a dress or at least a pant suit), go to war with Russia & China and carry out all of the neocons globalist neo liberal economic trade policies she’s espoused, all while hoping that existing GLBT rights and laws are enough to protect him from her suing the pants (or maybe panties) off of him for plagiarism and fraud.
I just don’t know anymore what’s true or false, guess stranger things have happened and we’ll just have to wait and see, what or who the real Donald Trump actually turns out to be.
Anonymous on November 21, 2016 · at 1:15 pm EST/EDT
Actually, what you are saying is that Trump knew too much – and the neoliberals had no choice but to accept him. In other words, he somehow blackmailed them. Sooooo, he does NOT have to bend to their wishes.
Suzanne Majo De Kuyper on November 21, 2016 · at 7:51 am EST/EDT
The plan to defend the former US system may work while the US owned IMF impoverishes US citizens…..even more.
Soros is gone to Canada to protect himself, his Clinton Machine, pretend he cares.
-That was an online poll. Putin is actually intensely hated in Ukraine,
Uncle Bob 1 on November 21, 2016 · at 8:47 am EST/EDT
That would depend on the part of Ukraine you are in. And since almost everyday the Ukie’s accuse “someone” of working for Putin. He must have a lot of support,even from those you’d never suspect. I think they were even accusing the Right Sector and Azov of being Putin agents a week or so ago.
JJ on November 21, 2016 · at 10:54 am EST/EDT
talking about liberation??
my mother in law spoke to her sister in law in Kharkiv–getting colder there-it is coming down to a life choice of either food or heat, —–if you have work—still a huge problem considering how many have lost jobs. There might have been an attempt at a 3rd Maidan last week/week before—–today Ukraine marks the Maidan anniversary today but not checked news whether there are “celebrations”……
so my query is, the only way for peoples in ukraine to survive is to have a russian style 1917 revolution , cos if you are not an oligarch, or surviving by being a member of military or groups like Azov,or a criminal, or in black market, what other options are there, bearing in mind the so called”conditional” offer of EU visa free travel where a days hotel bill in Eu is a months ukrainian salary, and does EU want 20million ukrainians coming west when tens of thousands are heading into russia, and there probably isn’t much more money coming from IMF and associates?
http://www.anna-news.info/node/68283
link there to Oliver Stone film re Ukraine……
To break off relations with Russia, curtailed relations with the CIS countries received “Garbuz” from the European Union and the losing patrons Democrats from the USA, Poroshenko like a drowning man at a straw clung to China’s proposal to create a Kiev free trade zone, as well as to include Ukraine in the project “Silk Road “.
However, it seems that Beijing quickly see through all the primitive tricks its Ukrainian partners and either refused to cooperate with them, or will take them into such a tight rein, so that will not find it.
After all, the Chinese, they are: pragmatic, sophisticated, persistent, and when it is necessary and very hard. The Ukrainians will not have time to look and how to prove his former laborers on the land at the new masters of China. And then, as they say, no options for the ravaged country and mediocre.”
Ukrainian leadership threatened to raise the price of Russian gas transit through its territory on the 4 billion dollars a year. With this statement was made by the commercial director of “Naftogaz” Yuri Vitrenko. He also claims that the Russians will have to pay “tens of billions of dollars of compensation,” to reduce the price on gas to pay every year for more than 4 billion and “not interfere with the integration of Ukraine into the European market.”
A mug, sorry, will not crack? And such statements stands the country bankrupt, which it is necessary to think about how to survive, not to be rude to the great neighbor. Moreover, all this is happening against the background of permanent scandal about the “Nord Stream” gas pipeline and other directed to bypass Ukraine. Instead of trying to find a common language with Russia, Ukraine is even more aggravates the situation, requiring support from the Europeans. They say, “it is also a serious test for Europe: it will deliver in the first place the fear of revenge and Russian commercial interests or give preference to its fundamental values”, – urged on the same Yuri Vitrenko.
There is no doubt that Europe, in the end, give preference to their fundamental commercial value.”
Canada extends training to ukr military
“Fruitful” was a visit to Canada Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine Ivan Klympush-Tsintsadze. She met with the Canadian Minister of Defence Hargitay Sadzhanom and reached agreement with him on the need to extend Canada’s military assistance to Ukraine. After March 31, 2017 is the deadline for the host Canadian military trainers, preparing Ukrainian troops to the war in the East.
In addition, mutual understanding was reached on the conclusion of a military agreement between the defense ministries of Ukraine and Canada. This Agreement, as stated by herself Klympush-Tsintsadze, is required to access the Ukrainian military to the Canadian market weapons.
Ukrainian representatives scour the globe in search of weapons. Probably because they are going to continue to observe the Minsk agreements.”
Contrary to the assertions of the Polish leadership in the love of Ukraine promises to be her guide in Europe, concrete action in Poland say just the opposite. It’s not even that the Polish extremists at their rallies harness Ukrainian flags, beating the Ukrainians. And not even the fact that Poland claims for restitution in Ukraine. It is about the so-called domestic nationalism has deep roots in the Polish media.
This is evidenced by struck-through plate with the image of black and red pigs prohibiting the entry “Bandera pigs” in the offices of the Polish clinics. The increasing popularity acquire mats at entrance doors, also the color banner UPA.
At the same time the Poles did not make a difference between the Ukrainians in general, and in particular Bandera. On the one hand, the result of the fact that Ukraine itself recognized leaders of the OUN-UPA for its national heroes, on the other – a manifestation of the resurrected old Polish attitudes towards Ukrainians as a nation of the lowest order.”
“With this appeal at a press conference in Kiev, the director of the Agency of Social Communications Sergey Belashko. He directly asked the Ukrainian media did not call the current regime in Kiev “of our power.”
Here is described the current Ukrainian authorities Expert:
“What would be a reality they do not have, but would still tell that this triumphal” Peremoga “civilized world with us, the economy,” gas station “torn to pieces under the weight of sanctions, Putin’s regime only three months, the price of oil will be $ 10 . Do not believe it – it’s all lies and propaganda. It is not our government – is anti-people and anti-Ukrainian power that lies, steals, kills, robs and so on. And every time you repeat the phrase “our power” in relation to these bastards, you identify with them, strengthen them and prolongiruete agony of the regime. Do not be accomplices! “.
“After the revolution, the dignity of the majority of Ukrainians dissatisfied with life in the country. Therefore, they are already beginning to go to rallies. Since February, the country will begin mass protests. How it will end, it is difficult to predict. Many people were in the war, survived the Maidan, – said Ukrainian political analyst Viktor Nebozhenko. People every day becomes more and more difficult to live on the fault of the current government. Therefore rallies in Kiev and across the country will continue. Spring start the active phase of protests in major cities of Ukraine. On the streets will go not only to pensioners and state employees, and students. ”
According to the expert in Kiev, the government try to prevent mass protests by all means and point will be to negotiate with the protesters as it recently reached an agreement with trade union leaders, who refused to take part in a mass rally in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities are afraid of protests, according to Nebozhenko. This is evidenced by the fact that just a few hours before recent protests administration of President satisfy the claims of depositors of the bank “St. Michael”, promising them a return of deposits.”
Ukraine is a house of cards
This convinced the director of the Fund’s humanitarian strategies of Ukraine Mikhail Pavlov. According to him, the President of Ukraine Poroshenko frankly weak, and not professional, local apparent insubordination Kiev and arbitrariness, decay power for real.
Literally: “Everyone can see the weakness of the president, no matter how they strutted. Everyone can see how much he was weak on his home field – international. With him is only the “president” of Kyrgyzstan spoke, by and large. And draw conclusions. Look what is happening in the regions. If the opposition – “orange” or “white-blue – easily change the start of heads of regional councils, initiates a lot of questions, all contrary opinions coming from Bankova. That’s it – the disintegration of power … In this trend is not good for the country. ”
“The head of the Kiev Information-Analytical Center “Third sector,” Andrei Zolotarev said that the Ukrainian government has created for itself a big problem, the United States intervened in the political process. US President-elect Donald Trump does not forget such things. As fond of saying at the time, another American President John F. Kennedy: “Farewell to his enemies, but never forget them.” And Trump has no habit of complaining about the memory.
“He has one postulates that if you leave it as it is the person who created your problem, it will create you problems in the future. A Trump in the course of the campaign we’ve created a very serious problem. In fact, our NABU intervened in the election campaign in the United States, initiating a scandal that led to the resignation of the head of staff of Trump. The scandal lasted for more than two weeks – said Zolotarev. – Such scandals have greatly disrupt the election campaign. Without a trace it does not pass. Trump does not care about delirium, who wrote Avakov, Gerashchenko or Shkiryak in his Facebook. For him, they are – politically lice, he just does not see at close range. But what was done by the hands of the presidential team, hands NABU – these things are not forgiven. I think again and again with Peter Alekseevich stupid attack on Manafort goes around comes around. ”
Recall that the President of Ukraine Poroshenko was involved in the scandal around the spin doctor in the US presidential candidate Donald Trump – Paul Manafort. In the media, a host of publications, showing that he allegedly received illegal cash from the Party of Regions at the time was an adviser to the ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. After this scandal Manafort Trump left the headquarters. The aim of the scandal was to weaken the position of Donald Trump’s presidential election in the United States.”
“According to the agenda of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine Gennady Moskal questioning on charges of crimes during the Revolution of dignity appointed on 5 December 2016.
– In this regard, I do not understand the claim that expressed in my address Head of Investigation Department of the GPU Sergey Gorbatyuk, – said chairman of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Gennady Moskal. – Mr. Gorbatyuk appears daily on television, going from one channel to the other and says that all is lost, because there is no Moskal. So my question is – and when he does his own investigation? Where criminal proceedings results flagrant crimes in Ukraine euromaidan period? Who was detained? To finally announced the verdict? After three years have passed since the tragic events! Temporary Commission of Inquiry Verkhovna Rada (FAC), which I chaired, as a people’s deputy, in April 2014 transferred its materials to the Prosecutor General. The results of SSC were broken up into 24 episodes, in 22 there are clear conclusions, and on 2, we have found no evidence, was the offense. There are very simple scenes to investigate, they may be brought to court even freshman Faculty of Law. For example, to stop the subway stations on January 18, 2014. Kiev subway in the history stopped twice – the first time during the war, and the second time during euromaidan. I give below the corresponding report FAC – for a long time it should be condemned by the guilty, but in fact has not yet been done. That probably should finally take over the work, and not to go on television and say that did not come Moskal, so the investigation stopped.
I was called in for questioning in the arson of the house of trade unions on February 19, 2014. A detailed report on this crime FAC sent to the GPU more May 15, 2014 Everything is clearly painted, are given specific names of the security forces, which at the time of transmission of the report to the Prosecutor General VSK still in the Ukraine. And one of them was detained and condemned? No one! Reporting to Mr. Gorbatyuk that I, unlike him personally on Independence from beginning to end, the unions do not singeing himself barely escaped from there on February 19. A burned house still stands in the center of Kiev, as a symbol of inactivity investigation. December 5, I’ll come in for questioning, but please report to the public at least some of the real results of the investigation. Otherwise, the third anniversary of Maidan will begin to publish ECC materials that will show that the investigation actually did nothing.
The main thing is that Mr. Gorbatyuk not interested in factual material on the arson of the house of trade unions, he wants me to be “surrendered” their sources of information. However, the report that, firstly, the MP (and I led the FAC is in this status) according to the law has the right not to reveal sources of information. And secondly, none of the operative never pass the people who give him inside information. And if you pass the – a penny the price it!
I repeat, I demand to FAC gave answers to all questions about the crimes during euromaidan. And if there is still no result, then the question to the investigation. I recall that Mr. Gorbatyuk in 2004, inspired by investigating a criminal case against opposition leader David Zhvania, in 2011, under the direct leadership of Renat Kuzmin led the criminal case against Yulia Tymoshenko, and during euromaidan worked in the Prosecutor General Pshonka. So may need to bring a claim, why until now none of the perpetrators convicted and not to me?”
note Pro has been questioned over Maidan……..
“During 2016 foreign instructors at the training centers were trained 718 instructors to training centers and military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the former (instructors tactical, fire, engineering, technical and medical training).
In addition, in 2014 the former Armed Forces of Ukraine acts Training Center NCO. The main focus of his work is to conduct courses of instructors for training centers on the level of “basic”, “increase”, “academic” and the preparation of petty officers (NCO) of the composition for the training centers, military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – instructors tactical, fire training, driving, fighting the survival of the system-Nazi fighters.
From 2014 to November 2016 the Center trained 287 sergeants, instructors for the training centers and military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the introduction of advanced systems of training NCOs and taking into account the experience of NATO countries (election of new forms and methods to ensure quality training of sergeants, instructors).
Currently being prepared – 60 persons and is scheduled before the end of 2016 another 60 people. Thus until the end of 2016. Training Center NCO sergeants will be prepared 407 trainers.”
all anna-news is google translate.
Ukraine has come to the third anniversary of the beginning of the Euromaidan protests in a difficult situation. The coup-installed government pledged to accelerate Kiev’s integration into the European Union and has made numerous attempts to intensify ties with the EU. However, no visible progress has been made so far.
Kiev and Brussels have not agreed a visa-free regime while a joint free-trade area has not been beneficial for Ukrainian people and businesses. Experts suggest that Brussels delaying the decision on visas for Ukraine is not a sign of souring ties between Brussels and Kiev. Instead, it is related to the political situation within the European Union. © SPUTNIK/ ILIYA PITALEV Yanukovych’s Lawyer to Demand Ex-Ukraine President Public Questioning on 2014 Kiev Clashes Many analysts believe that sooner or later the EU will introduce a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens. However, Ukrainians are unlikely to take advantage of this move due to the economic crisis in the country. In the first months after President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted, the new government led by President Petro Poroshenko intensified ties between Kiev and Brussels, including signing the association deal, establishing a free-trade area and starting negotiations on removing visas for Ukrainian citizens. Kiev was drifting towards the EU amid cutting off ties with Russia. After his inauguration in 2014, Poroshenko pledged that by 2020 Ukraine will implement the necessary reforms in compliance with EU norms and submit an application for EU membership. However, almost three years have passed since then, but no significant progress has been made. EU Has Reasons to Delay Ukraine Visa Liberalization © SPUTNIK/ NATALIA SELIVERSTOVA Ukraine Told They’ll Get EU Visa-Free Agreement…But Only Pending More Talks Ukraine launched visa liberalization with Europe back in 2008. In 2005, Kiev unilaterally introduced a visa-free regime for EU citizens. Since 2014, Kiev strengthened efforts to comply with Brussels’ demands for visa liberalization. Finally, in December 2015, the European Commission officially confirmed that Kiev had implemented the required reforms and recommended considering a visa-free regime between Brussels and Kiev. However, a year later, Brussels has not yet made the decision on the issue. Inaction by the European partners has placed Poroshenko in a difficult situation. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly extended supposed deadlines for visa liberalization. The current deadline is November 24, when the next scheduled Ukraine-EU summit will be held in Brussels. “Ukraine has fulfilled all 144 requirements on visa liberalization and met all the criteria. I hope that Brussels will show solidarity with Kiev and recognize these achievements by granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine by November 24,” Poroshenko said. © SPUTNIK/ PAVEL PALAMARCHUK Council of EU Supports Visa Liberalization for Ukraine – Press Release According to European officials, the main reason behind the delay is the need to coordinate the mechanism to suspend a visa-free regime with third parties in the event of a migrant influx. The final decision is due to be made by the European Parliament and the EU Council which issued a preliminary approval last week. However, Brussels keeps away from setting any precise terms. Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Hughes Mingarelli underscored that “this will happen in the coming future, not within 5-15 years.” Currently, there are no hidden reasons why Brussels is delaying visa liberalization for Ukraine, said Mikhail Pogrebinskiy, head of the Kiev-based Center for Political and Conflict Studies. “I don’t think this situation stems from Brussels’ attitude towards Kiev. In fact, it has not changed over the past two years. Now, European officials have no illusions about the Maidan coup. But they know about corruption in Ukraine and other problems. But I think that the delay of visa liberalization is related to the inner problems of the bloc, including the migrant crisis,” Pogrebinskiy told RIA Novosti. At the same time, the expert expressed hope that finally the EU will introduce a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens, but it will be useless to most Ukrainians. “The point is that this visa-free regime will be limited. For those who want to travel to Europe there is no problem getting a visa because those people usually have money. But tens of thousands of Ukrainians want to go to work in the EU. But Brussels never promised to make this possible,” Pogrebinskiy explained. Kiev’s Integration in Europe is Limited Another hurdle in Ukraine’s path to the European family comes from the Netherlands. In November 2015, all 28 EU country members ratified the association agreement between Kiev and Brussels. However, in April 2016, the Netherlands held a referendum in which the majority voted against the deal with Ukraine. As a result, the Dutch government suspended the ratification of the agreement and began to look for a compromise scenario. © AFP 2016/ BART MAAT / ANP Thanks for Not Coming: Dutch Gov’t May Need Assurance Against Ukraine Joining EU Now, the final decision must be made by the Dutch government. On December 15, the government is expected to submit its position on the problem to the parliament. Kiev has serious concerns that the Netherlands will not confirm the ratification. According to Ukrainian expert on international affairs Oleg Voloshin, the situation over the Ukrainian association deal in the Netherlands is related to the parliamentarian elections in the country next year. “The current Dutch government led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte has to take into account the will of the people because next year Rutte will face the election and he doesn’t want to lose public support,” Voloshin told RIA Novosti. © FLICKR/ VIKTOR KOVALENKO Kiev Feels ‘Humiliated, Betrayed’ as Dutch, EU Stall Association, Visa-Free Travel He also underscored that even if the Netherlands does not ratify the deal the main part of the agreement, the free-trade area, will remain in force. According to the analyst, the main problem for Ukraine is that its European integration is limited to only the association deal and a visa-free regime. Brussels is not considering full-fledged EU membership status for Kiev. “The problem is that the entire Ukrainian national strategy is built around a worthless idea. Moldova’s case shows that a free-trade area and an association deal with the EU cannot change the situation in the country for the better,” Voloshin said. “Ukraine’s membership in the EU will never happen. This means that Ukraine will not became an EU country member thus it will never have access to European financial funds, like such countries as Romania, Bulgaria and Poland,” he added. Free-Trade Area and its Restrictions © FLICKR/ KIT LOGAN Canadian Parliament to Consider Free Trade Deal With Kiev A free-trade area with the European Union was the third pillar of Ukraine’s integration policy after the Maidan coup. The government expected that once a free-trade was established Ukraine would be flooded with cheap imported products and Ukrainian-made goods would get easy access to the European market. The EU-Ukraine free-trade area was finally launched in 2016, and now the first statistics data reveal that not all the expectations came true. According to the Ukrainian State Statistics Agency, in the first nine months of 2016, exports of Ukrainian products to the EU increased insignificantly against the same period last year, by 4.4 percent (to $9.7 billion). European imports to Ukraine increased by 7.3 percent, to $12 billion. Compared to data from 2014, Ukrainian exports to Europe have seriously decreased. In the first nine months of 2014, Ukraine exported to Europe goods and services worth $13.4 billion. What is more, Ukraine continues to lose positions in the Russian market. In the first nine months of 2016, Ukrainian exports to Russia dropped by 30 percent, to $2.5 billion, against the same period last year. Russia imports to Ukraine decreased by 34.3 percent, to $3.6 billion. © AP PHOTO/ ANDY WONG China Proposes Establishing Free Trade Zone With Ukraine – Ambassador Ukrainian producers complain that European quotas within the free-trade deal restrain exports because they are too small. Ukrainian economic expert Alexander Okhrimenko underscored that quotas are trade benefits but trade should not be limited only to quotas. “The size of European quotas is not a problem. Some of them are not even used by Ukrainian companies. The actual problem is that Ukrainian companies are not ready to produce goods meeting the EU’s high quality standards,” the expert pointed out. His assumption was echoed by executive director of the International Fund Blazer Oleg Ustenko. “The European market has a great capacity of over $15 trillion. But in order to enter this market, Ukraine needs to invest in its manufacturers. Competitive products should meet two main demands. It should be high-quality and sell at a competitive price. As for quality, Ukrainian products are far from European standards,” Ustenko told RIA Novosti.
Read more: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201611211047661756-ukraine-eu-integration/
JJ on November 21, 2016 · at 12:36 pm EST/EDT
Donetsk Live // RLS.tv // anti-maidan.com
one hour ago
Rostislav Ishchenko
Maidan as the habit of non-violent change of government will no longer
Rostislav Ishchenko, browser MIA “Russia today”
The third anniversary of the second Maidan Kiev met sluggish protests defrauded investors and startled (amounts in platёzhkah for utilities) citizens. Special numbers, organization and determination are not observed.
Ukrainian riot police near the building of the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv. Archival Photo
© AFP 2016 / Yury Kirnichny
Kiev meets the third anniversary of “euromaidan” under the threat of terrorist attacks
, however, the government is afraid of the protesters more than initially feared Yanukovych protesters in November-December 2013. The words “the third Maidan” are in the air, screaming with newspaper pages, TV screens, on the Internet. This was whispering in the kitchen, from that warns the SBU, its willingness to suppress statements by armed force some supporters say Poroshenko, not directly related to the security forces.
© RIA Novosti. Stringer
Go to the photo bank
rally contributors from the National Bank of Ukraine in Kiev
Is it possible to “third Maidan” and that fear in Kiev?
I think, “the third Maidan” is not possible. In Kiev, certainly for a long time it prepared a coup d’etat, which is now once again trying to implement one of the numerous political groups, led by Tymoshenko. The rest of the frozen ready to jump at the last moment from behind Tymoshenko and privatize its victory, or (if Poroshenko be able to resist this time) to pretend about anything that is not thought.
Each winner Maidan – a coup. But not everyone who won a coup – Maidan. That is why I have been saying for two years that another coup in Kiev already matured at a time when President Poroshenko took the oath, and in the summer of 2014 may occur at any time. But it can not happen in the form of Maidan.
The fact that now everyone is waiting for Kiev, “the third Maidan”, explains the feature of the human psyche. The man is always waiting for what has already happened, and rarely able to capture changes in the situation, making the former more impossible.
Yanukovych in 2013 is well prepared for the Maidan in the form in which it saw in 2004-2005 and prepared just to sit out the opposition. He could not imagine that the maidan he will move to storm the government back and, eventually, will expel it from Bankova, from Kiev, from Mezhyhirya and out of the country.
Similarly, Poroshenko, his supporters, his opponents and most observers believe that a new coup in Kiev will take roughly the same shape as the “second maidan” (2013-2014 years). But this is impossible.
© RIA Novosti. Andrew Stenin
Jump image, the
Tent of the opposition camp on Independence Square in Kiev. February 2014
protest Technology
To begin with, we note that the Maidan technology involves, among other things, mandatory external support for the protest. In this case, the outer support performances against Poroshenko impossible.
Russia, the EU and the US play on the Ukrainian field. All of them for various reasons, are not interested in destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. In the world there are issues more important Ukrainian and resources from all non-rubber. Ukrainian problem prefer to postpone for later.
The situation in Kiev. Archival photo
third anniversary of “euromaidan”: Ukrainians do not feel the taste of rapprochement with the EU
Meanwhile, the overthrow of Poroshenko and destabilization of the situation in the country require to solve it here and now. . This is despite the fact that no one knows how to solve it, even a single approach is not worked out
why in Moscow, Brussels and Washington understand that if the performance happens, the chances to hold on to Poroshenko, almost none. Therefore, they try not to force events, and even the little things help Poroshenko. That the US via the IMF one billion dollars just settle on poverty, the Russian gas in Genichesk submits, the EU will inform its readiness to provide “quasi-visa-free” mode. Rebels external forces to maintain just will not, though, and troops to help Poroshenko not send.
Independence Square in Kiev. February 2014
Readiness power to resist
Thus, external intervention is possible. But external support any maidan (the “color revolution”) is not important in itself, but as an integral part of the puzzle. Maidan – a non-violent revolution. External interference blocks the actions of the authorities to suppress its use of force. This is its role. Where external intervention is ineffective, it turns out not maidan and Tiananmen. Or softer Belarusian variant. Overthrow a non-violent way to resist the power can not be finished.
Agitation shield political party opposition bloc. Archival photo
© RIA Novosti. Aleksandr Maksimenko
“opposition bloc” has estimated the number of victims of repression in Ukraine
By the way, not only the successful overclocking technology. Technology sittings out Maidan, which pierced Yanukovych, was previously successfully applied in Hungary. In Budapest, the protesters more than six months have protested outside the parliament building. Government calmly wait until they get tired and will disperse.
The fact that the Ukrainian government is ready to resist, including by armed, no doubt. It is about this many times openly stated. The fact that external forces will not put pressure on Poroshenko, claiming non-use of force, and there is no doubt. Publicly endorse his actions will not be, but also to judge as well.
This means that the non-violent revolution, what is the maidan in Kyiv is not a priori possible. Poroshenko a year trying to convince the authorities to give a constitutional way, agreeing on early elections to the parliament, and then the president. Poroshenko refuses. There is no reason to believe that he will change his position. So, the change of power in Kiev is possible only through armed.
However, we must remember that millions of barrels of military weapons in the past three years, went to the country and settled in the hands of the population. That is the fact of the overthrow of Poroshenko is hardly able to stop resisting his supporters, as well as to guarantee the failure of the coup winners from the explanation of the relationship between them.
Leonid Kuchma arrived in the Prosecutor General of Ukraine
© RIA Novosti. Grigoriy Vasilenko
Kuchma urged Ukrainian politicians to prevent new Maidan
In fact, we are dealing with a civil war beginning in territory of Ukraine, controlled by Kiev. Moreover, this phase of the civil war, losing the ideological character (which was the first stage, localized in the Donbass). War of the choice of the future flows in the war for resources necessary for survival in the present.
It can be called whatever you like, but not the Maidan. The term “third maidan” is used Kiev propagandists to potential putschists could get the support of the capital’s residents, accustomed to the fact that the maidan -. It is good, and I think it is almost legitimate way power shift
End of an era color revolutions
Finally I want to note that the considered local Ukrainian case reflects global trends. Color revolutions have exhausted themselves and are hardly possible in the future.
Firstly, global players are too busy with existing problems, to get involved in long-term, resource-intensive struggle on organizing non-violent revolution. Moreover, the card for a long time open, simulate innocence to “spontaneous popular demonstrations” makes no sense. If necessary, a simple traditional military or a coup which is cheaper and more efficient.
Second, poor countries with unstable power already cleaned and destroyed. In other countries the authorities have studied the orange technology and learned to resist them.
The camp of supporters of European integration of Ukraine on Independence Square in Kiev. Archival photo
© RIA Novosti. Alexey Kudenko
Go to the image bank
in Kiev expected 66 thousand participants on the occasion of protests anniversary promotions
Thirdly, the worldwide opposition to liberal globalization and traditional values have gone so far, the parties have reached such bitterness that neither as a whole nor in the particular case to say it is impossible for a non-violent revolution. Violence will be applied necessarily, the question will be only for one will be able to place the responsibility for the blood spilled first.
So we are entering a new geopolitical era, without the color revolutions and, it seems, without Ukraine.
https://ria.ru/analytics /20161121/1481794938.html
Independence as a habit: a non-violent change of power will no longer turn
bit more
GOMEL, November 21. /TASS/. Moscow is preparing to develop cooperation on Ukraine with the future US administration on the mutually acceptable conditions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS on Monday.
The diplomat recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump a week ago. The Russian leader congratulated Trump on his victory noting “readiness to build partner dialogue with the new administration on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference into each other’s domestic affairs,” the Kremlin press service said.
Kiev says it’s ready to cooperate with US president-elect Trump
Political analyst believes Trump victory will estrange Ukraine from US
Expert says Trump’s victory may trigger snap presidential election in Ukraine
“Now we continue contacting with the current administration,” the diplomat said. “We are also already preparing to develop cooperation on Ukraine on the mutually acceptable conditions with US President-elect Donald Trump,” he said.
Trump was elected the 45th US President on November 8. He will take the Oath of Office on January 20.
It is inadvisable now to hold bilateral contacts of Moscow and Washington on settling the Ukrainian crisis, Karasin added.
Now it inadvisable to speak about bilateral contacts of Russia and the US on Ukraine,” the diplomat said. “Now the work is underway at the level of assistants to the leaders of the Normandy format countries. This includes exchanging various projects and phone conversations,” he said.
http://tass.com/politics/913639
Scott on November 21, 2016 · at 1:14 pm EST/EDT
I can see that you work for anna-news. I want to ask you for a personal favor to stop affiliating my materials with this anti Russian publication.
I recall asking you to stop posting links to anna-news links before, and you just ignore me.
Just one look at the description of this fake news producer tell you that they insist to be located in Abkhazia, Georgia, even so Abkhazia has been independent from the EU and US occupation since 2008.
Abkhazian Network News Agency is an Abkhazian news agency. Wikipedia
Headquarters: Abkhazia, Georgia
Founder: Marat Musin
Founded: July 18, 2011
Furthermore, what you are posting here is completely off topic. Their articles are under copyright. You’re copying their articles and posting them here on thesaker in violation of the fair copyright use.
It’s almost like you’re setting us up for ” a copyright infringement” claims.
Please, limit your comments to your own ideas and opinions ONLY.
But, JJ is posting from several sources, not only Anna news, but Sputnik, Tass, and so on, in fact, he was thanked several times by the Saker´s staff by his hard work recruiting such a bunch of information….before this was not considered off-topic, although always was…Anyway, I do not wonder, since others fall in disgrace before, especially after challenging any of your views, and perhaps, expresing any support for those fallen in discgrace may imply a “dead sentence”?
Although, seeing your reference to “Baby Boomers” give me a clue to from where could come the unability to bear criticism….since there are “certain organizations” spreading their message here also, as if this blog was their personal “gazette”, which have a strange hatred for “Baby Boomers” too, among quite other weird things, and do not allow criticism by ferocious attacks and menacing always with lawsuits, having achieved that only one or two courageous write something criticising them.
Thus, I am a bit confused about what is allowed to post here and what not, and I am starting feeling that everyone here in this blog who has its own section goes in its own, perhaps being the same Saker unaware of all this, since, for example, The Saker posted the other day the same video about a flashmob on the “Spring in Zaporozhie” song that you posted days before, so one can only conclude that it is as if there is a blog with some sub-blogs inside, or what? or it is lack of coordination?
All this only add to the confusion of messages broadcasted since time ago.
JJ on November 21, 2016 · at 4:34 pm EST/EDT
just absolutely great Scott-an” important”day re Maidan-I usually get thanked for keeping people up to date as best I can, yet no other one in the “senior’ list of contributors seems much interested in posting about the situation there and re Donbass…..you yourself have posted an item re ukraine above which has introduced the topic of ukraine…..I don’t get criticised re putting up the articles from syrian perspective for example…………..note Anna-news was personally thanked by the government of Syria and recognised for its contributions to reporting about the situation there, the only news agency that has been so ……….freedom of the ability to comment on an open forum you are now withdrawing from me? You are welcome to post any article with no comment facility if you wish.But treat us all equally.
JJ and Anonymous
I absolutely treat people with equal respect. I would ask anyone else promoting anna-news and Mr. Musin to stop doing this.
RE: Anonymous on November 21, 2016 • at 2:15 pm UTC “But, JJ is posting from several sources, not only Anna news”
I specifically asked JJ do not post anything from Anna News here.
Furthermore, I asked do not copy and paste entire articles from copyrighted sources.
In what way I disrespected you, JJ?
vot tak on November 22, 2016 · at 12:10 am EST/EDT
Abkhazia is not in Georgia, it is an independent state.
Redbaron07 on November 22, 2016 · at 4:31 am EST/EDT
Well stated Scott…..i find it very annoying of whole reams of comments posted on here, which are not related to the article.
Even worse that it’s in broken English which is very hard to understand.
Scott, I don’t understand. JJ is a valuable contributor. I came to the blog shortly after Maidan. We were all studying Ukraine och Saker allowed off topic comments about the country. JJ and others kept me up to date.
One day he was almost alone and the blog changed. You say the civil war was set up and I don’t get it. You were probably inspired by Cat Motya. Now you tell JJ to stop quoting Anna News. He does not work for Anna News. He does not speak Russian and uses google translate. He serves us with his time.
Has Saker given you the right to issue orders like that? How do you think JJ reacts even if you only stated your opinion? I think JJ has provided you with links for your sitreps.
When Ukraine faded away from the blog to some extent I was puzzled. There is still shooting, is that not worth reporting more about? People die or are wounded.
Now I wonder if we must ask in advance which news sources we are allowed to quote. Even if you only stated your opinion. I hope JJ keeps on reporting and I have yet to see anything from Anna News that makes me suspicious. Saker liked the site when it was new.
“When Ukraine faded away from the blog to some extent I was puzzled. There is still shooting, is that not worth reporting more about? “.
What you do not understand in that eletoral campaigns start months before election day?
If you are a regular reader I think you can conclude, as well as some of us, not US or Five Eyes people, that the password is “Put America first”, not in vain it was a slogan from The Donald´s campaign….
Your comment is nonsensical. Why should I put America first? I am not an American and not an Englishspeaker. My interest is Europe and Russia. I haven’t even bothered to visit an englishspeaking country. I study the disaster from afar. I know a litte about Russia and my favourite westeuropean countries and I am very worried about the crises in Ukraine.
It was a sarcastic comment, but, obviously, since no English speaker (nor am I), you have not got it.
Never mind… I was trying to agree widely with your post.
Nussiminen on November 22, 2016 · at 9:19 pm EST/EDT
Just wanted to say that I’m in full agreement with Scott regarding JJ’s submissions, the latter bordering on plain spamming. Blog posts which comprise links and, preferably, some short summary outlining the links’ contents are all right, but buckloads of five-screeners consisting of horrendous, machine-translated gibberish from dubious sources most certainly are not. At the very least, JJ should take the time to read through these word salads to render them into something more digestible and, for Heaven’s sake, do some synopsizing.
Ok everyone lets close this conversation down. Its getting personal and off-topic. Thanks. Mod
Thanks Scott Humor: Your analyses is encouraging to hear. Hope it’s all true and your not just pulling our leg and humoring (excuse the pun) us on here EH!… Ray ; )
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency is openly warning that Russia and China are out to steal the country’s most prized secrets.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which rarely identifies security threats by name, makes the frank statement in briefing notes prepared for service director Michel Coulombe.
“Canada’s spy agency is openly warning that Russia and China are out to steal the country’s most prized secrets.”
Dash it all, those russkies and chicoms got hold of our secret maple syrup process. Where is Dudley Do Right when we need him? It’s our darkest hour.
A.T. on November 21, 2016 · at 12:24 pm EST/EDT
That’s an interesting analysis. Hahahahaha its like the Russians really were in on it (at least on an advisory capacity) with the American loyalists. Explains a lot.
I hope all those guys planned for the Electoral College beyond just winning the EC at the polls; they have to win at the EC vote itself.
“Hilary won the popular vote” is the meme to beat.
http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/hillary-won-popular-vote-is-powerful-elite-meme-though-apparently-untrue/
It shouldn’t be very hard. Hilary’s vote fraud is being documented.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/24630-vote-fraud-monitoring-group-says-three-million-noncitizens-voted-in-presidential-election
However, the counter, that Trump supporters also rigged, is being led by one reporter sponsored by the Rolling Stone. They’ll have a hard time overcoming the highly discrediting stupidity of the Purple Insurrectionist temper tantrums.
http://www.gregpalast.com/election-stolen-heres/
All eyes on the Electoral College vote Dec. 19.. Then we know for sure who won the Nov. 8 election.
During the conversation, Putin and Trump “not only agreed to assess the current unsatisfactory state of bilateral relations, but also spoke in favor of active joint work to normalize relations and aim for constructive cooperation on a wide range of issues. The call emphasized in particular the importance of creating a solid foundation of bilateral ties through the development of trade and economic relations.
MIldly interesting video from Graham Phillips, showing the contemptuous attitude toward civilian casualaties from Ukrainian shelling, as Ukrainian and British intelligence officers in OSCE uniforms scorn him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI-URxcJSz4
Glad you are back, Scott. A very astute analysis.
US Lawmaker Gabbard Discussed With Donald Trump Daesh, Syrian War
https://sputniknews.com/us/201611211047686604-gabbard-trump-daesh-syria/
“President-elect Trump asked me to meet with him about our current policies regarding Syria, our fight against terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS [Islamic State], as well as other foreign policy challenges we face.”
The congresswoman said she relayed to Trump her concerns about the escalating fighting in Syria, and the problems a no fly zone would create for the Syrian people and the United States.
“For years, the issue of ending interventionist, regime change warfare has been one of my top priorities,” Gabbard noted.”
No doubt Gabbard, a dem, is one of those (gasp!) liberals that israel’s bum bandit broadcast service (pindo con. talk radio) has been warning us all about. I wonder how the c-sucks will take the news trump talked with “the enemy” about ending american support for one of israel’s most important terrorist campaigns?
More seriously, though, I think this is positive indication that trump plans to stick to his pre election word about Syria, and perhaps will reign in american involvement in other places.
Ex-Admiral: US Shredding Nuclear Deal With Iran ‘Would Be a Mistake’
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201611211047686726-us-shredding-iran-deal-mistake/
“The retired Navy admiral, who headed the Joint Chiefs under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said the United States has seen enough wars in the Middle East, and he urged the new administration to look at the Iran agreement “very carefully.”
“I think tearing the deal up would be a mistake,” Mullen told attendees at the Washington Ideas Roundtable organized by the Aspen Institute.
Mullen added that he has not seen any proposed alternative to the deal, which was signed in July 2015.”
People are tired of fighting wars for the israelis.
Merkel nach Sibirien; Putin nach Berlin!
Bitte: Ein solches Subjekt braucht Sibirien gar nicht. Ich hätte lieber diesen Abschaum in Tschernobyl eingesperrt sehen — für ein Scheißland wie Ukraine würde bestimmt ihre Gegenwart eine sehr große Ehre, glaube ich.
Poor Merkel BTW if it’s true that Putin’s approval ratings in Ukraine are catching up with Russia. Can’t the Euro-trash do anything right?
Indeed, there is mounting anger and disgust brewing everywhere. The Zionazis are clearly sensing the danger, and rightly so since they are not exactly improving the outlook for their NWO tyranny. Most notably, blaming Putin for everything they honestly don’t like (and also whatever they pretend they don’t like) could be backfiring with a vengeance as more and more people feel that they’ve just had enough. Ulf Bjerén’s letter to the editor on fascist Ukraine is spot on, trashing the MSM narrative mercilessly. He’s accordingly greeted by lies and slanders as due retribution.
Carmel by the Sea on November 21, 2016 · at 11:32 pm EST/EDT
Dear Poster,
I hope you are willing to fill out President -Elect Administration Survey. Mr. Trump wants your opinion on who would be best to fill these Administration positions. Forward to all whom you consider ethical & moral human beings.
President Elect Administration SURVEY
https://gop.com/survey/cabinet-survey/
” Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called The Children of God”.
— Jesus Christ, Son of God
Trump to Issue Executive Order on Day One of Presidency to Withdraw US From TPP
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611221047690451-trump-executive-order-tpp/
So he has been busy… ;D
Bravo3 on November 22, 2016 · at 12:58 am EST/EDT
Nothing more pathetic than a self-hating, groveling white man. Embarrased for the dude, frankly.
Thank you Scott. It was such an enjoyable read! I had to read it a few times. It was a ” chocolate ice cream” of a report.
I am stunned ( in a good way) that the future Chief of Staff is an Orthodox Christian.
Praise be to God!
Erebus on November 22, 2016 · at 4:10 am EST/EDT
After reading the section beginning with “Being a lifelong Republican…” and ending with “… there would be no Trump’s victory.”, I’m wondering whether I should feel entertained, or let my jaw start slackening in the face of an unbelievably audacious conspiracy.
Scott, help me out here.
THORAX on November 22, 2016 · at 4:23 am EST/EDT
To the Saker Community: I love how we try to drill down to roots of our common human experience. I am an active Republican from Ohio. I attended the same type of meetings as the author. I missed the vibe he witnessed. Establishment Party officials either lined up against Trump or were afraid to speak up because of our Governor Kasich’s Presidential War Machine. However, as the early Spring progressed most of the rank and file members started to publically jump on board the Trump Train forcing the Establishment Folks to at least acquiesce. Some actually jumped in the locomotive car! And we rolled right over our loser governor who is politically finished in our state. The Trump Phenomena is real and it is world wide. Screw the Globalists elites wherever they are!
I’m curious if any of those aipac owned critters had anything positive to say about the current Russian nation and made a serious effort about those views.
“Tel aviv, we have a problem…”
US Democrat Tulsi Gabbard May Join Trump’s Cabinet
https://sputniknews.com/us/201611221047695634-us-trump-gabbard-syria/
“Gabbard, a former supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ primaries campaign who has often been at odds with the party line, is being considered by Trump’s transition team for posts such as the secretary of state, the secretary of defense and the UN ambassador, the ABC News channel reported late on Monday, citing a senior official from the incoming president’s team.
The meeting was described highly positively by the Trump team source, with Trump viewing Gabbard as “very impressive,” according to the channel.
Gabbard served as the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee until she resigned in order to support Sanders in the primary race for the Democratic presidential nomination. She is known for staunchly opposing interventionism and being in favor of keeping the embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad in power. She has also voiced opposition to gun control and advocates for stricter refugee policies.
The congresswoman has previously slammed current US President Barack Obama’s policies on Syria as “illegal,” stating that Obama’s goal of removing Assad puts him in league with terrorists such as Daesh terrorist group outlawed in the United State and Russia, among other countries.”
It seems that a philosopher predicted all this in 1998:
https://twitter.com/raulovtweet/status/797435784454410240/photo/1
Yes, you have not but to see that the hunt-time over women has been opened, by testing the contempt and long date resentment ( more or less explicit ) they have for women, all those who are postulated to be in charge in his administration and those who most support The Donald.
Bizantura on November 22, 2016 · at 3:32 pm EST/EDT
Very nice story but I don’t buy it.
Collectivism sounds good until lots of people experience total poverty with nothing left but living on the streets with exactly nothing. Reality made them vote Trump.
Parasites like “self fulfilling prophecies” which they help along by legally and unlegally means. They broke the golden 70/30 rule = 70% reality and 30% lies. They went too 100% lies for 2 decades and got away with it.
Now they can’t see reality for what it is, utter hardship and poverty for all but the 1% parasites.
They still propagate “collectivism” and yes there are the brainwashed that won’t/can’t wake up and sadly enough those are mostly the young adults.
When you are at the bottom scraping it is not hard to look around you and see the rubble all around you with your fellow scrapers and no work to turn to because it doesn’t exist any more.
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Non-linear analysis of pile groups under general loading conditions
Basile, Francesco (1999) Non-linear analysis of pile groups under general loading conditions. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.
Download (17MB) | Preview
A computer program (called PGROUPN) has been developed for the non-linear analysis of pile groups subjected to any combination of vertical loads, horizontal loads and moments. The code is based on a complete boundary element approach and may be regarded as a generic descendant of the program PGROUP (Banerjee & Driscoll, 1976) which has been extended in order to make the analysis numerically efficient for practical problems and to include the effects of soil nonlinearity by means of a stepwise linear incremental procedure. One of the main advantages of a non-linear analysis system over a linear elastic approach is that it has the desirable effect of demonstrating a reduction of the corner loads in larger groups in both the vertical and horizontal senses. This observation is of basic importance in practice because it offers the prospect of tangible improvements in design procedures and potential saving of materials. The non-linear analysis put forward in this thesis may be applied to large pile groups embedded in cohesive soil, specifically fully saturated clay under undrained conditions. The soil is modelled as an elastic-perfectly plastic material, which is assumed to behave linearly elastic at small strain levels, but fails when the stresses at the pile-soil interface reach certain limiting values. The analysis only requires the definition of three soil parameters whose physical meanings are clear, ie the (initial tangent) Young’s modulus Es, the Poisson’s ratio vs and the undrained shear strength Cu. This represents a significant advantage over more common load-transfer approaches which are based on either empirical parameters or the results of full-scale pile load tests. The validity and accuracy of the proposed PGROUPN solution have been verified by comparison with alternative numerical analysis for single piles and pile groups subjected to axial and lateral loads. Benchmark solutions in the linear and non-linear range are presented, and the critical question of estimation of soil parameters is addressed. Finally, two published case histories are described which demonstrate the applicability of the method to practical problems.
College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
Wheeler, Prof. S.J.
Angi Shields
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Home > Videos > Post Content
Write The Vision Radio with Host Minister Celeste Kelley, Guest Singer JUNE ROCHELLE (5598 hits)
June has graced the stage with the legendary Diana Ross and Celine Dion at Indiana's Verizon Center and opened for Yolanda Adams in Huntsville, AL; debuted on Billboard Charts at 37, (currently charting at #21 in Euro) featured in the Hollywood Insider of the Los Angeles Times, in Ebony Magazine (sharing the page with Tyler Perry's Madea and Oprah) in the Sounding Off section, on MTV online, in Jet Magazine, in Blues and Soul Magazine (in that same issue is Ciara, Macy Gray, Neo Justine Timberlake, etc), in the Historic Indianapolis Recorder, in BRE Magazine (sharing the page with Forest Whitaker and Tyler Perry) and featured as CD pick of the week on Access Hollywood.
As an actress she had a leading role as Anna Gordy Gaye, the wife of the legendary singer Marvin Gaye, in the national hit stage play "The Life Story of Marvin Gaye" where she received rave reviews.
Her music is in high demand in the UK and the US. She has won the coveted En Sound Entertainment Best Female Vocalist of the Year award.
Wednesday, January 28th 2009 at 6:35PM
Monday Morning, 15-Minute, PRAYER BLASTS!!
SISTAH Talk E-Magazine Opportunity! Writers and Free Ad Space...
Power and Purpose: Experience New Wine
Suport At-Risk Teens, Teenage Mothers and Homeless Teens! SISTAH TEEN BOWLING BLAST...
Power and Purpose: THE POWER OF GOD'S LOVE
Power and Purpose: GRATEFUL POWER
Faith & Finances Business Networking and Credit Repair
15-Minute Prayer Blast!
Forward This Video Entry!
Created By The SISTAHS Ministry and Powered By ConnectPlatform.com Copyright © 2013
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Tap the channel catfish night bite for epic action now
Daytime catfish fishing is a straightforward affair well suited to relaxing afternoons on the riverbank. Brushed by the sun, the soothing landscape around you creates an idyllic backdrop against which to wait for the occasional cat to take the bait.
It's a different scene once darkness falls.
As familiar landmarks evaporate in the gloom, primal instincts heighten your senses to levels rarely experienced in everyday life. Hungry catfish further fuel the adrenaline rush as they strap on the feedbag with a vengeance, breaking the nocturnal silence with the sweet sounds of screaming drags and thrashing fish that are sure to drown out the occasional bumps in the night.
Few anglers know the dark shadows drill like Phil King. Nearly four decades of plying the iconic Tennessee River near Pickwick Dam has taught the veteran guide much about connecting clients with cats of all stripes.
A decorated competitor in national tournaments, King has been crowned world champion in prestigious events including the Cabela's King Kat Classic, and is a three-time winner in Big Cat Quest Championships. He was also the first angler to break the 100-pound barrier in a modern-day catfish competition, with a 103.10-pound blue behemoth.
King's night court docket, however, often centers on reeling in oodles of eater-size channel cats in the 5- to 10-pound range—with a fair number of larger fish thrown in the mix to keep everyone on their toes.
"Channel cats feed aggressively at night," he says. "And they're perfect targets for easy-to-fish dipbait programs." Indeed, even first-time cat fans can arm themselves for battle with relatively little fuss or muss, and follow King's proven plan of attack to enjoy epic catches.
In fact, one of his favorite channel cat routines is happening right now on rivers across the southern tier of Cat Country, and it promises to hold water well into winter. "Channel cats move into shallow, current-washed shoals to feed at night throughout the fall, and I've caught them shallow into December," he says. "Once winter sets in, the same tactics still produce fish. You just need to focus on a bit slacker water."
Here's how it works. A medium- to medium-heavy-power casting outfit is the backbone of King's system. He favors 9- to 10-foot rods for bank fishing, but says 8-footers are fine when afloat. "Long rods are key for smooth, long-range casts that help you cover more water from shore," he explains. "In a boat, you can always let out more anchor rope to extend your reach."
Cat rods abound, but luminescent options such as Berkley's Glowstiks are top choices. The sturdy rods feature light-absorbing, glow-in-the-dark E-glass blanks, plus the added illumination of an internal, battery-operated LED. "A glowing rod simplifies strike detection and helps avoid nighttime tangles," says King. "And you can always turn on the LED for additional lighting."
When tying rigs and unhooking cats, King relies on the convenient radiance of a Berkley Angler's Head Lamp. "Hands-free lighting is a huge help when wrangling rigs and fish," he explains.
Though his quarry averages under 10 pounds, King's line choices trend toward the stout side of the spectrum. "When rigging rods for flatheads and blues as well as channel cats, I often spool with 80-pound Trilene Braid," he says, noting that beefy monofilament such as 40-pound-test Berkley Trilene Big Cat is a fine choice for anglers who target mainly channels.
"Big Cat has great shock strength and abrasion resistance," he says. "Plus, it fluoresces in black light, so it's easy to see at night."
At the business end of the line, King adds a Berkley DipWorm. Pre-rigged on 20-pound Berkley Big Game with a size 6 treble hook, the tube-style body sports ribs and cups to hold bait better than traditional designs. "It's easy to use with a slip-sinker or three-way weighting system," he says. "Current governs sinker size, which typically ranges from three to six ounces. The main thing is keeping the bait in one place—not allowing it to roll downriver with the flow."
King sweetens DipWorms with a sticky, scent-saturated prepared bait. His go-to is Berkley PowerBait PowerDip. The product of extensive lab and field research, PowerDip dissolves at just the right rate to lure catfish in before the flavor fades. "It's available in blood and cheese formulations, and I always bring both flavors, because channel cats often prefer one over the other," he says. "Experiment with each kind on different lines until the fish tell you what's on the menu for the night."
To boost his odds of success, King targets high-percentage areas. "Incoming creeks are hotspots," he says. "Fish the upper and lower points of entry into the main river, as well as the slower water right at the mouth. Typically these are hard-bottom areas with sand or gravel, often spiced up with woody cover."
Gravel shoals at the head of islands are also prime lies, as are river bends. "Both inside and outside bends can be good," says King. "Especially those with chunk rock that offers current breaks for catfish to sit behind."
Once in position, King fires out as many lines as the law allows, covering different depths to determine where peak feeding activity is occurring. He counsels patience once lines are set. "Usually five to 15 minutes is enough time to get bit," he says. "But I wait half an hour, to give all the catfish in range of the scent trail time to move up and take the bait." Lacking takers in the 30-minute time frame, he repositions baits 75 feet downstream, to take advantage of the first set's scent trail.
Often, though, strikes are fast and furious. "There's no mistaking a channel cat bite," King grins. He warns against executing an eye-crossing hookset at the first sign of a nibble, however. "Channel catfish like to taste the bait before moving off with it," he explains. "Once the rod loads up or the fish takes line from a bait-runner reel, they've typically hooked themselves, especially on a treble. If you try setting the hook, you might actually rip it out of the fish's mouth or break the line."
By simply reeling down and putting pressure on the fish, then continuing to take in line, you're well on your way to boating or banking a feisty channel catfish. And if you follow King's strategies to the letter, chances are the fight will only be the first of many such nocturnal battles waged against these delicious ghosts of the darkness.
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15th birthday - a sellout concert
Our choir looking colourful and full of 15th birthday cheer
Our choir celebrated its 15th year of performing for Brisbane audiences with a sell-out anniversary concert at the Metropolitan Motor Inn in Spring Hill on 15 June 2013.
'This is an important birthday for our Choir and it was terrific to be able to perform once again for our supporters, family and friends,’ said Karin Cheyne, Choir President. ‘We were joined in our birthday concert by local band and friend of the Choir, Eurotone Crisis.’
Karin Cheyne has been with our Choir since its early days in 1998 when it was first supported through a Brisbane City Council grant.
'There are only a handful of original members, including our musical director, Marina Aboody Thacker,’ said Karin Cheyne. ‘Last year she was joined by co-musical director Tim Smetham. With a constant stream of new members over the past 15 years, our Choir has moved from strength to strength.’
Our choir has members who all identify as and are proud to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex.
‘We are a community choir and one of the groups in Queensland championing the rights of GLBTI people,’ said Ms. Cheyne. ‘It is more important than ever we remind our community and government leaders of the tremendous value of a diverse, inclusive and accepting society.’
In 2011, our choir led a project bringing together 12 other choirs across Queensland to record a CD, ‘Songs for Queensland’, which raised $8,000 for flood and cyclone relief.
Our choir not only performs in Brisbane but across the State and has toured to southern capitals and, in 2010, to New Zealand.
‘Next month, we will be in Hobart to sing with other GLBTI choirs from across
Australia at the Out and Loud festival, which will form part of Tasmania’s Festival of Voices,’ said Ms. Cheyne. ‘The biggest tour yet for the Choir will be in mid 2014 when we travel to Ireland and the UK to perform in Europe’s largest gay choral festival, Various Voices.’
For more information about joining the choir, visit here or contact us.
Photo: Rick Ng
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German data Artisans being acquired by Alibaba Group
As an extension of their continued partnership with data Artisans since 2016, Alibaba has decided to acquire the German big data pioneer. The Chinese giant is reportedly acquiring data Artisans for $103 million.
Alibaba and data Artisans have worked together since the last two years to build up the Apache Flink software which is capable of processing huge amounts of data. The software which has a big open source community around had the backing of Alibaba since 2016. The move from Alibaba will further deepen the partnership between the companies.
In a blog post, data Artisans wrote “Moving forward together, data Artisans and Alibaba will not only continue, but accelerate contributions to Apache Flink and open source Big Data. As a first step, Alibaba announced their commitment to contribute their in-house developments around Flink — Blink — to the open source community.” The Flink community is bound to get a major boost post the acquisition with Alibaba onboard in a greater capacity.
data Artisans was founded in 2014 by the original creators of Apache Flink and is an open source data processing enterprise platform. Their dA platform seamlessly unifies real-time event-driven applications and real-time analytics. Their enterprise customers include the likes of ING, Netflix, and Uber.
Seattle-based Xnor.ai acquired by Apple
German Premier Football League to use AWS
S2 Systems acquired by Cloudflare
Healthgrades has acquired Evariant
Armis acquired by Insight Partners in a $1.1 billion acquisition
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citybooks
About citybooks
Home > Authors > Peter Terrin
Peter Terrin about Turnhout
The Truth of the Matter
De ware toedracht
Dear Christophe, I think I have a good idea. It hit me suddenly, as these things often do, suddenly and fully-...
Peter Terrin (1968) is a unique voice in contemporary Flemish literature. His first collection De Code (The Code) appeared in 1998. After his first novel Kras (Scratch), published in 2001, his breakthrough came with Blanco (2003), which was nominated for the AKO prize for literature. A second nomination for the same prize followed for his collected stories De Bijeneters (The Bee-Eaters) (2006).
The outstanding novel De bewaker (The Guard), reached the Gouden Uil and AKO long lists, and the shortlist for the Libris Literatuurprijs 2010. The book eventually won the European Union Prize For Literature. Leading publishers in thirteen countries have purchased the translation rights, and the book will appear in English, French, Italian and Hebrew, amongst other languages. The master of ominous detail previously wrote the Radiobook For the Sake of Peace for deBuren. His most recent novel Post Mortem (2012, De Arbeiderspers) won the AKO literatuurprijs.
For citybooks Peter Terrin spent two weeks in Turnhout. The resulting citybook will be published online in the autumn of 2012.
Name of recipient
Fri 18 Jan 2019 Experiencing languages with citybooks
Mon 27 Mar 2017 citybooks | The second tour of greats
Mon 20 Mar 2017 citybooks | The tour of hometown authors
Mon 13 Mar 2017 citybooks | The first historical tour
Wed 21 Sep 2016 Summer Translation Project: From Pink to Grey
Copyright © citybooks 2020. All rights reserved.
Webdesign Wijs
design marie merle
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Full Comparison chart
The Registry of Hereditary Auto-inflammatory Disorders Mutations
http://fmf.igh.cnrs.fr/ISSAID/infevers
The Diagnostic Score for Periodic Fever - Online diagnostic tool, resources, and flow chart for pediatricians to use.
https://www.printo.it/periodicfever/index.asp
Moderated online international patient and medical community, including communities for CAPS, TRAPS, FMF, and Behçets–a NORD and EURORDIS initiative. (The Autoinflammatory Alliance is a moderator for some of these communities.)
https://www.rareconnect.org
PRINTO information on pediatric rheumatologic diseases (including many autoinflammatory diseases).
http://www.printo.it/pediatric-rheumatology
The American College of Rheumatology site has a search for a rheumatologist feature and helpful disease information.
http://www.rheumatology.org
The International Society of Systemic Auto-Inflammatory Diseases
http://fmf.igh.cnrs.fr/ISSAID
The EUROFEVER Registry for Autoinflammatory Diseases
http://www.printo.it/eurofever/eurofever_registry.asp
La Unidad de Enfermedades Autoinflamatorias (disease information in Spanish): Enfermedades hereditarias
http://www.autoinflamatorias.com/pacientes/?page_id=391
The French Centre de Référence des Maladies Auto-inflammatoires
http://asso.orpha.net/CEREMAI/CEREMAI.html
Translational Autoinflammatory Disease Section at NIAMS at the NIH
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Research/Ongoing_Research/Branch_Lab/Pediatric_Translational_Research/tads.asp
The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
http://www.genenames.org
Club Rheumatismes et Inflammation Image Library and other resources
http://www.cri-net.com/base_image/default.asp
Interactive Dermatology Atlas
http://www.dermatlas.net
The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA)
https://www.carragroup.org
Sterol & Isoprenoid Research Consortium
http://rarediseasesnetwork.epi.usf.edu/stair
American Behçets Disease Association
http://www.behcets.com
National Organization for Rare Disorders has a helpful rare disease database
http://rarediseases.org
Rare Diseases Europe has a lot of information for patients at:
http://www.eurordis.org
Genetics Home Reference–a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center:Pediatric Rheumatology Division
http://www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Health%20Services/Medicine/Pediatrics/Childrens%20Subspecialty/Rheumatology/SitePages/Home.aspx
FMF Arthritis Vasculitis and Orphan disease Research in Paediatric Rheumatology (FAVOR)–a not for profit, NGO international research network.
http://www.favor.org.tr/paediatric-rheumatology
Single Hub and Access Point for Pediatric Rheumatology in Europe (SHARE Consortium). This link is to an abstract about this initiative. We have linked some of the SHARE articles to the corresponding diseases, and will add them as references as they become available.
http://www.ped-rheum.com/content/11/1/5
SaidSupport.org–The Autoinflammatory Alliance blog for discussing all things involving awareness, advocacy, care and thriving with SAID.
http://www.saidsupport.org
Our Autoinflammatory Alliance official website. More information, the PDF version of this chart, the CAPS medical guidebook, and other materials are on the site.
http://www.autoinflammatory.org
Genetics Testing Registry (GTR) - Search here for any genetic test that can be done at laboratories worldwide.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/
PubMed: The US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Dermatology Online Image Atlas - DermIS Dermatology Information System
http://www.dermis.net/dermisroot/en/home/index.htm
Autoinflammatie.nl–a website created by Dr Anna Simon, MD PhD and Dr Karin Mulders-Manders, MD from the Nijmegen Center for Immunodeficiency and Autoinflammation (NCIA)–Radboud Nijmegen Mniversity Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
http://www.autoinflammatie.nl/ENG/
Copyright © 2020 Autoinflammatory Alliance. All rights reserved.
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Stand back: democracy is MPs' business, not yours
The Greens put their finger on the deepest flaw in the Electoral Finance Bill: that the poachers are playing gamekeepers. The MPs think they own your elections.
Next year the Prime Minister, assuming the Queen’s prerogative, will play cat and mouse with the date of your election.
She did once express interest in a fixed term for Parliament, as in, for example, Germany and New South Wales, two systems ours resembles. New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also favours a fixed term. But she tied it to extending the present three-year maximum to four years, which New South Wales has (and Rudd wants) but which voters here have decisively rejected twice in the past 40 years.
In the debate on the Electoral Finance Bill every MP claims to be protecting the public interest in a free and fair democracy. Actually, almost all are protecting their patches.
That includes small parties, which often pretend to be above partisanship. Remember that small parties, including the Greens, opposed you deciding MMP’s future when it was reviewed after the 1999 election.
Most MPs don’t like referendums. They think it interferes with their role as your representatives. Once you have delegated your authority to them at an election, you may make submissions (connoting “submissive”) but not decisions. Their reason: only they can understand the complex world we live in and make laws accordingly.
These wise people wrote into the original draft of the Electoral Finance Bill a clause so bizarre that one wonders if someone from Suva or Harare (or Saturn) drafted it. It labelled as an election advertisement “any form of words or graphics” you produced which could “reasonably be regarded as … taking a position on a proposition with which 1 or more parties or 1 or more candidates is associated”.
How such a neutron bomb clause got past the cabinet’s legislation and policy committees beggars imagination. The price for the government has been a public drubbing.
The strife over the bill reinforces the verity of the old adage that hard cases make bad law, or, as the Prime Minister misstated it in relation to the “terrorism” raids, single cases make bad law.
The “case” that triggered the bill was the National party’s connivance in 2005 with the Exclusive Brethren who made clandestine attacks on the Labour and Green parties.
Those parties were outraged — and outrage was justified. Free speech needs to be open speech. The National-Brethren shenanigans debased free speech. It also debased religion by transgressing the ten commandments but that is another story.
There was bound to be a response. In fact, a response was required. It is time you knew better who is paying which piper in your elections.
But instead of a democratic scalpel the government wielded an autocratic jackhammer.
The bizarre clause has gone. But the preceding one, dealing with material that “can reasonably be regarded as … encouraging or persuading voters to vote or not to vote for a type of party or a type of candidate … whether or not the name of a party or … candidate is stated”, remains. That seems to catch many websites and much else. And a new clause drastically widens the meaning of “publish”.
The Electoral Commission says there is much in this blunderbuss of a bill that will invite messy litigation.
The Minister of Justice, steeped in the legal learning of the dental clinic, says the “law of commonsense” will apply.
There is, of course, no such law. Commonsense and legality are not easy bedfellows. Had the Crown solicitor run a commonsense check on its advice to the police on the terrorism raids, the police wouldn’t have got into their pickle. Had the Crown Law Office run the same check on its opinion to the Auditor-General in 2005, the anomalies in his grandstanding on election spending could have been avoided and a measured process developed to stop the rorts.
And were the minister’s jerry-built jurisprudence to be applied to the new law, it would offend the Attorney-General. It would invite judges to stand back from the letter of the law as legislated and be “active” or “creative” — or at least “generously interpretative” — when dealing with cases that arise from the legislation.
In fact, judges sometimes do just that when the law is muddled. But that is what the Attorney-General inveighed against when he was smarting from the Appeal Court’s 2003 foreshore/seabed judgment. Forked tongues, too, make bad law.
The government is promising amendments, one substantive and many technical. National, out to recover its money advantage, is promising repeal when it next leads a government.
But wouldn’t it be better that you, not self-interested MPs, decide? Hearken to the Greens. They said election finance should go to a randomly selected citizen’s assembly, as done in some other countries.
Other options include a royal commission or a beefed-up Electoral Commission. Any would be more a proper custodian of the law of elections than dogfighting MPs.
Posted on November 27, 2007 Author Colin JamesCategories NZ Herald
Previous Previous post: Work to do for NZ to Rudd along with Oz
Next Next post: Labour, Peters and Maori radicals
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Added on May 30, 2012 collapseboard Andrew Falkous , Falco , Future Of The Left , Ian Cohen , Music criticism , Pitchfork , The Plot Against Common Sense
How to respond to a Pitchfork review
By Andrew Falkous
Editor’s note: I was tipped off to this on Facebook by one of our contributors:
How to respond to a Pitchfork review 101. In this lesson, Falco from Future Of The Left destroys Pitchfork’s Ian Cohen.
Lucid, informed, motivated … I wish more music critics were like this. The following is reprinted with permission.
Here’s a link to the original Pitchfork review.
based on a novel of the same name
A pre-script – rebuttals of unfavourable album reviews are lame, self-serving and immature – this one is no different. Cries of bias, confusion and vanilla lack of taste are every day and I care for them not a fuck. But sometimes, one-times, a man may feel compelled to stand up (or sit, in my case) against what he feels is a great injustice and exhibit his right to reply – well, this is my time and I hope it’s not my last because, to be quite honest, I’ve really enjoyed it. Please read whilst accepting the implicit understanding that any forum-based comments of the nature of ‘if you can’t take the criticism then don’t release the record’ are even more passé than this piece itself which is to say – very passé indeed.
Dear Mr.Cohen
Many things occurred to me on reading your review of the new future of the left record ‘the plot against common sense’ and I would like to take this opportunity to debate with you some of the points you raise in the piece, although of course by ‘debate’ I mean ‘shut up and listen to me’.
According to the opening line of your review I am ‘something of a hero to you’. I would almost be flattered by this sentence if it were not for the level of qualification obliquely provided by the use of ‘something’ but will choose to skip over the ham-fisted arse-kissing of your opening and move on to deal with some of the more pertinent matters of the day.
Allow me to efuckidate in an easy-to-understand fuck-by-point manner –
As we approach the bottom of your first paragraph you refer to the ‘corporate slick production on future of the left’s third album’ (*1) – a question, my dear friend – would this be the kind of corporate slickness you get through recording an album in 16 days (using the same methods as ever) over a six month period in studio downtime and friend-financed to the tune of £2,000 (whilst we work in temporary jobs and with credit, when available, to support our habit) or instead the kind of corporate-slickness (since, as tone indicates, we’re using the term pejoratively) a person could get from writing for a site which has run the adverts of a variety of corporations, big and small, for many years? I may not be wearing my eyeglasses at this particular moment, but I can definitely see a lovely shiny one sitting atop your review at this very moment.
Oh … it has moving pictorials and everything – quite lovely!
It must indeed be tough to attempt to write from the perspective of the anti-corporate outsider when you are, apart from the mastering engineer (Sean, who did a really good job) probably (*2) the first person involved in the whole process of making and releasing the album to get paid because of it’s existence. Following your lead, I’m going to let that one ‘sink in’.
Now we’ve summed up, albeit with a tenuous nod to reality, the sound of the album, it’s probably time to move onto the other aesthetic signifiers of the record in order to establish our burgeoning theorem more thoroughly …
‘… what about the cover and the goddamn title of The Plot Against Common Sense? What in god’s name is the author of “Fuck This Band” doing stealing ideas from unpublished John Stossel books?’
I can only assume that ‘John Stossel’ is the kind of peculiarly North American reference that pervades the reviews which sit about websites of this type, acting as smug and impenetrable signifiers of absolutely nothing at all. I, the ‘author’, googled ‘Mr Stossel’ and can find no absolute evidence of a monopoly of commonsense on his part let alone any indication that he and I could agree that the term has any unified or even loosely defined meaning. I do, however, detect the ascribing to us of the safe, conservative values which are exhibited far more freely within your own work and again, applaud you for attempting to deal with your complicity and guilt in such a public forum.
As for the cover, well, there’s a penguin on it you stupid cunt.
In short(ish) – it is of incredible interest to me and, indeed, surprise to find out that ‘polymers are forever’ is about plastic surgery (it isn’t – it’s about the environmental/marine impact of plastic waste, in a customarily indirect way) that ‘anchor’ is in some way an unfair fight visited upon Alcoholics Anonymous (it isn’t, although you got the word ‘alcohol’ right (*3) and that ‘a guide to men’, is ‘another song about pagan orgies’ (wrong again, although I can understand the mere use of the word ‘orgy’ setting off your second grade arousal/memory triggers). Admittedly ‘sorry dad, I was late for the riots’ IS a song about trustafarian rioters, those fucking rotters, and is a pretty bloody funny Half Man Half Biscuit tribute at that, replete with lyrics that apparently haven’t so much gone over your head as clean through it. One out of four correct is a pretty bad return for a writer on a website with so much conscious sway over the opinions of thousands of people – a simple email may have disabused you of some of these assumptions though perhaps would have only led you to other ‘facts’ on which to hang your naked bones.
On ‘robocop 4 – fuck off robocop’ (incidentally, for the cynical and/or interested reader I post a live video recorded at a guitar shop of the song near the end of this response, complete with full lyrics) we will simply have to agree to disagree. However, if it is truly amongst the worst songs of the year then I am a giant bat and Pitchfork a cave into which I will shit golden effigies of your face.
Sorry – too much ginger beer.
In twelve years of releasing records I have only twice felt compelled to respond, privately in those cases, and was reasonably set on a similarly benign course until two bells (figuratively speaking) resonated in the heart of the sodden internet. Firstly, obviously satisfied with the ebb and cod-ebb of your piece you tweeted a link to the review. In fine repose you sat, and introduced ‘I suppose the problem is that most touring funk bands had to get sober’. Well, I see you that and raise you ‘I suppose the problem is that Ian Cohen is effectively reviewing an album from ten years ago by a band that no longer exists. His burning nostalgia for a lost teenage love has been replaced by an uncontrollable hatred for her and her new, happy life even though she went to college (Masters in Ancient History, specialising in the early to mid Roman Republic) and grew into those tits like you wouldn’t believe. In fact, he hates her so hard (yet helplessly) that he once applied for a Visa card in her name, badly, in order to somehow affect her credit rating and thus deny her the home she had dreamed about for so many years’.
Secondly, and rather more importantly, I was browsing a forum I occasionally visit today, a one filled with gen-u-ine music fans, the kind who wouldn’t be easily swayed by invective, praise or otherwise, when I came upon the following quote in a discussion of this review –
‘Still looking forward to the album, but some of those lyrics he quotes are pretty shocking. Pitchfork in well written review shocker.’
Influence laid bare, I think. A comment made in good(ish) faith on the basis of two whole quoted lines and several calamitous misinterpretations, which you’ll remember that we covered in an earlier, simple module. The opposite of the truth – a construct on which to hang a glib hypothesis. I can honestly say that, whatever you think of the music, that the lyrics on ‘the plot against common sense’ are the best I’ve written (and yes – in either band) by a factor of FUCK LOADS(*4). And Ian, I don’t address that last sentence to you, I address it to anybody with the good grace and faith to describe themselves as a ‘fan’ in as much as they trust that we love our band and know exactly what we are doing even when it doesn’t tally exactly with their tastes.
Sadly, (or not as the case may be) I suppose that this group of people does not include you but, hey, we both need to be comfortable with this. I am – are you? It’s like we’ve reached the end of a line, you and I … a line we walked together when I never even knew that you existed. I’m sorry. I hope you find solace in the ten-year anniversary re-release.
Andrew Falkous
ps. In reference to a couple of songs you say that I can ‘barely muster the effort’, implying, I suppose, that my heart really isn’t in the whole enterprise. Let me assure you, in the strongest possible terms, that it is.
pps. Oh, and I’m sorry that you feel so much regret for buying those Bad Religion records – that’s too bad. Still when the relevance of this tragic tale to our new album crops up, give me a shout, yeah?
ppps. Robocop 4 link up. Lyrics follow below notes.
(*1) always in lower case, mrsupernumberonefan.
(*2) I use the word ‘probably’ because I only assume that you are paid for your work, such as it is.
(*3) and who in the name of clunking fuck chooses Alcoholics Annonymous as a target? You really must try harder if you want to set me up as your ‘lunkhead’. Try and write more realistic characters, for a start.
(*4) don’t be scared to embrace the jargon, kids.
robocop 4 – fuck off robocop
jaws?
jaws2?
more jaws?
or jaws rebooted?
please – let’s take a second to think about a future
and bliss
of eight year old boys who only crave explosions
being eight
they have an excuse –
they are eight!
and giant robots cannot distract them from their fate
middle aged men on a movie date
committed to mortal shame
NO-ONE DIED!
in fact- they left improved
if Michael Bay wants a bigger house, let’s help him
where you from?
where you been?
he said –
I went to Cannes once and and really did not have much
being French
they talk too much
and all those pages of subtitles kept getting stuck
1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 3
pirates of the caribbean 47
johnny depp stars as the robot pirate
who (loses) his wife in a game of poker
and tries to win her back with hilarious consequences
at least Harry Potter has a proper story
in the sense that the characters crave an ending
if (only) to release poor Billy Corgan
from his role as the titular character’s nemesis
robocop 4 is in pre-production
like robocop 3 wasn’t bad enough
and George Lucas won’t be kicking his heels
til he makes some money from Howard the Duck
i hope the projectionist likes his action
motion tracked and medicated
(the first director died)
by collapseboard
25 Responses to How to respond to a Pitchfork review
wha May 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Ceil May 31, 2012 at 3:46 am
I’m not sure what’s so “gold” about his response. He’s just pissed off that it got a mediocre review. If Pitchfork had written a 9.2 review of the album and labeled it “best new music,” I doubt Andrew Falkous would have said a word of protest against Pitchfork, but would happily hope to see the positive review pay off in higher album sales.
And given how much this site (and Mr. True) demands respect for the work of music “critics” I don’t get this constant animosity here to any and all things Pitchfork. It’s like you’re saying “critics do important work — except for Pitchfork which has gotten too powerful and influential so we are required to hate that site.” I’ve seen as much pretentious, pompous, vicious criticism here as at Pitchfork or anywhere else. And of course some very good music writing here and at Pitchfork, too.
Everett True May 31, 2012 at 6:08 am
I resent the implication that musicians, or critics, shouldn’t be allowed to answer back to critics, or musicians.
Art, and criticism, is not a one-way flow.
Conan Neutron May 31, 2012 at 6:42 am
Masterful stuff.
How is Pitchfork considered a viable critical resource again?
Oh right, it’s just music writing.
Writing that gets it wrong more than not and champions the worst shit.
For the record: Robocop 4 is a great song. Thought so from the first I heard it.
Princess Stomper May 31, 2012 at 6:49 am
@ Ceil – I’ve seen musicians whinge about positive reviews if they’re ill-informed.
You’re not required to hate Pitchfork because it’s big and influential. You’re required to hate it because it’s the music-mag equivalent of The Sun: powerful and influential poisonous rubbish.
Look at its top albums of the 2000s list … Interpol (inoffensively bland), Kanye West (overhyped and mediocre), LCD Soundsystem (not terrible, but hardly noteworthy), Sufjan Stevens (the somnambulant frumpy knitwear phase, not the gloriously whacked-out psychedelic phase), Animal Collective (*shakes head*), The White Stripes (a pub tribute band who got lucky), The Strokes (that’s in your top 10 of the decade? Are you fucking kidding me?), Arcade Fire (I did actually try to like them – mostly to annoy ET – but couldn’t find a single song I enjoyed right the way through), and Radiohead’s Kid A.
Pitchfork’s number one album of the entire decade is the one album by Radiohead that I can’t stand to listen to. I paid £17 for it on the day of release. I played it three or four times but gave up, feeling cheated. It’s absolute bollocks. There’s one good song and even that isn’t that good. Apparently it’s enjoyable if you listen to the album while stoned, but I refuse to applaud an album that requires me to alter my state in order to appreciate it. A good album will alter my state for me.
Pretentious, pompous, vicious criticism is fine by me – but ignorance is offensive. I’ll take your word for it that there’s some good word use on Pitchfork, but when they literally don’t know good music when they hear it, I can’t take them seriously enough to appreciate it.
Dzz May 31, 2012 at 8:23 am
Think of Falkous’ response as similar to a comment reply from an angry band/fan/random stranger. It’s perfectly fine to to do that on sites like here and Mess and Noise and a thousand other music blogs or magazine, but you can’t do that at Pitchfork. So fuck them.
Scott Creney May 31, 2012 at 9:05 am
I would like to say that I agree with everyone, including Ceil. I think Ian Cohen’s entitled to his opinion. And so is Andrew Falkous. And so am I. And so are you. I’ve read stuff I thought was good/bad/lame on P4K, and I’ve read the same on this site. I think because P4K is SO influential, and wields such a disproportionate amount of power, it deserves to be monitored more closely than say middleboopmag.com. But even that’s just my personal opinion regarding power & playing fields.
No one should ever have to keep silent when they feel compelled to say something. All ideas are welcome in the arena.
Of course having said all that, I always find it fascinating when people who feel they were unfairly attacked in a review respond by attacking the writer personally.
Critic: I don’t like your new album because of X,Y, and Z.
Artist (or fan): Well you’re a stupid cunt. (as Falkous calls Cohen)
Princess Stomper May 31, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Hey, as artist meltdowns go, it was at least lucid and entertaining. I mean, on a scale of that to this?
(And no, I wouldn’t call it a “meltdown” so much as an explosion of snark)
Daniel June 1, 2012 at 2:21 am
P4k should be criticized. Critics should be criticized. It’s a fucking artform. Their symphonies have a comments thread. You can leave a reply.
CB reviewers go to the mat for their opinion. Criticism (like music) is a dialog between the present, the past, the living and dead, the tasteful and tasteless. Even when the argument sounds like a Magnus Lindberg piece, it’s worth having.
Bashing P4k is like bashing the Borg from Star Trek. It’s an undemocratic entity devoid of personality, wrapped in a drab gray cube, quantifying artistic expression in an algorithm.
I see nothing exceptional about Falkous’ response. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would like to issue a rebuttle to p4k’s reviews.
the voice of weeding. June 1, 2012 at 10:46 am
the reason that the anti-pitchfork wailings –think: of montreal, stars, father john misty, etc– have grown so persistent are that it’s simple economics and viability.
a ‘best new music’ review is a guarantee of imminent exposure and opportunities; you are bound to be booked on a host of outdoor rock festivals (see: laneway) based solely on that. i often wonder where girls would be without their string of 9.whatevers; to me they seem very, very forgettable and not particularly good.
a withering criticism, on the other hand, can bury a band. so, in turn, musicians have the fates of their careers, in many ways, in the hands of one entity.
but having the grist of the debate be ‘one man’s opinion’ and having the response be directed solely at the writer doesn’t seem quite right for pitchfork; all those scores are a collective decision as thought out as most company’s third-quarter projections. father john misty addressing them as “supercomputer” seemed much more in the spirit of it.
Ceil June 1, 2012 at 11:49 pm
I never said Andrew Falkous didn’t have a right to express his opinion. Of course he does. I just didn’t view his response as “gold.” I get the impression from his comment that he only likes “positive feedback,” and over-reacts to anything the least bit negative. His response struck me as more of a temper tantrum than anything. But that’s just my opinion, I don’t know the man.
I’m not convinced Pitchfork would be improved by allowing comments. In my experience working for Web sites, those with small traffic usually attract “good” commenters who might be acerbic or silly but usually offer constructive, thoughtful comments, and respect other people’s opinions. But the moment any site gets “popular” and starts to generate heavy traffic, the proportion of thoughtful commenters to trolls becomes 1 to 10. Look at AV Club comments, for example. The vast majority of comments on any column on AV Club are not worth reading. But that site allows a wealth of stupid, sexist, racist, juvenile comments not because they are so into a free exchange of views but because they want the traffic.
I think it would be interesting if Pitchfork — given its obvious and enormous influence on the marketplace — would publish a “counter-review” of albums, especially when it gives something a particularly high or particularly low rating. The counter-review could be written by the artist or by another critic. That would be a valuable exchange.
But I don’t think allowing 300 comments on every Pitchfork review — 60% of which would be “Andrew Falkous RULES” or “Andrew Falkous SUCKS” and another 30% of which would be jokes like “shouldn’t his name be spelled Andrew Fuck-Us” — adds much to the debate.
Erika June 2, 2012 at 12:14 am
I disagree, Ceil, about allowing comments on Pitchfork. There is no reason comments couldn’t be moderated, just as they are on CB. If you look at Pitchfork’s facebook page, there are comments, and I’d say they are worthy. Many, however, are critical of the reviews or reviewers and sometimes the publication itself.
Sometimes I think there is a backlash to the way the internet flattens hierarchies and allows the unwashed masses a voice. The backlash comes in the form of refusing to give those voices a platform, and refusing to respond to them when they are heard. To my mind, a website that regularly posts content and opinion, but will not post reader comments, is the epitome of Internet-age arrogance.
laura June 2, 2012 at 5:36 am
Well, that’s a much better result than the time The Airborne Toxic Event tried it. I really like the last FOTL record and now I’m more excited to actually to buy their new record than before (or at least to buy it sooner), so mission accomplished.
Personally, my only objection to the whole telling-off-the-reviewer business is that it suggests the problem with P4K is that they are too mean and negative to bands. Exactly the opposite is true. P4K are a thoroughly gutless organization who approve of just about everything (their average score is about a 7/10 for chrissakes) except for the 50 or so bands on their shit list who typically get passed off to the reviewers (Ian Cohen is one) who specialize in writing funny withering reviews (the scores of which, of course, have been pre-decided by the committee but whatevs).
P4K knows perfectly well that it can damage bands, especially young bands, by putting them on the shit list and so the (few, strategic) negative reviews all have this very explicit undertone of “you’re displeasing us… that’s very dangerous, just sayin'” and I can absolutely see why that tone pissed off Falkous. The other grating thing (besides P4K’s obvious bitterness toward bands it didn’t “discover”) is that the very-few-and-far-between negative reviews usually come wrapped up in a “this album captures THE PROBLEM with modern pop/folk/etc.” as if the artist in question epitomizes an epidemic of bad music. Of course, Pitchfork’s own scoring system, in which only a few select losers aren’t worth at least 6.5 out of 10, suggests that no such epidemic exists or, if so, P4K is not going to risk anything to tell us about since it would mean angering a large group of fans and decreasing page views. Safer to throw the occasional spitball at the smaller nerds on the playground.
I also agree they have pretty bad taste in music but that’s a more subjective criticism.
Princess Stomper June 2, 2012 at 5:45 am
My friend posted two amusingly appropriate links on Facebook earlier:
Journalist Robert Webb on idiotic feedback:
Why did I read this stuff? Because it was a centimetre’s scroll down from the thing I’d spent a day trying to make perfect. Surely this week they were going to get it. This week I would please all the people. Saying to some writers “Just don’t read it” is like putting a bottle of vodka in front of an alcoholic and saying, “Just don’t drink it.”
Suggestions for “banned words” for user comments on Torygraph site:
ConDemNation: Funny for half an hour in May 2010
sheeple: see ConDemNation, but change date to 1997
eco-Nazis, eco-fascists, PC Nazis: Godwin!
troll: This has a specific meaning – someone who is deliberately trying to offend or aggravate. Not just someone who disagrees
I’m thinking our own list would start with “hipster”.
The comments above are pretty spot on both ways, though I don’t think it’s the lack of feedback that’s the problem with P4K. It’s that they’re the Stock Aitken Waterman of websites – the McDonalds, the Primark – a cold, cynical lowest-common-denominator catering to the basest of needs. It’s the ultimate commodification of music, to have it packaged up neatly into eight-point-four-out-of-ten – all of it bland but tasteful, like an Ikea catalogue or one of those awful concrete cubes they have on house programmes furnished like a tacky hotel room and lauded as the epitome of desirability. There’s no fucking character. What’s bad about Pitchfork – what’s really, really offensive is that they’re regarded as tastemakers and people buy this cheap, plastic “alternative” music with an instant badge of credibility, like Miley fucking Cyrus in a Husker Du t-shirt.
Future of the Left might be a whimsical folly, but at least they’re the real deal. Not some MDF shoebox with quarter-sized furniture that will keel over before you’ve had a chance to move your eight-hundred-pound chrome wastebin into the black granite kitchen. Pitchfork hate them? Fuck it – they should be proud.
Drew June 2, 2012 at 6:31 am
Why do I have this image of Princess Stomper, fists raised in the air, shouting with rage: “Pitchfork is EVIL! Evil I say!! It must be stopped. Bwah ha hah!”?
Personally I think Pitchfork has some excellent reviews and some poor reviews, just like any other music site I’ve ever visited. And I don’t see Pitchfork’s power as any different from that of a Christgau or of Rolling Stone or of NME — at their peak 30 or 40 years ago. In fact, you could argue that a bad review at RS and NME was far more damaging to people’s careers back then (than a weak Pitchfork reviews is now) at a time when people actually bought CD’s and there was far more money at stake.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa261/NCM2007/Misc/KeyboardBash.gif
Yeah, but it would be like if the NME was full of the most insipid, weak and unoriginal … wait. What was I saying?
Derek June 4, 2012 at 10:55 pm
@Ceil – I don´t think that it’s actually the case that Falkous is simply responding to criticism per se, more that he feels some of the points Cohen made (or the basis for his judgement) were misinformed / factually inaccurate / garbled nonsense, such as the comment about production values (and the implied slight contained within). On the one point where Cohen truly simply expresses an opinion – the robocop song – Falkous is happy to say we just have to agree to disagree. I can see why such uninformed criticism pisses artists off – it goes beyond saying “i don’t like it” to subscribing a whole set of values to an album or song which simply aren’t there, and yet people may take as gospel.
Regarding Pitchfork generally, i think they do have some informed, intelligent reviews – the problem is, too many of their writers (of which Cohen is by far the worst culprit) are way too fond of their own voice and arch smugness, giving reviews which are at least 500 words too long and packed full of aren’t-i-in-the-know, arcane, too-cool-for-school references – such as the John Stossel reference. And as Princess Stomper alludes to, the general tone of it all is to curate what it means to be a fan, what people should be listening to in order to be down with the cool kids. They are involved in the ultimate “what’s on your iPod?” game, snidely looking down their nose at (ie everyone else) who doesn’t share their immaculate taste.
I think artists are right to call them out on this. I mean, just look at the line in their review that Father John Misty took exception to – “The arrangements entertain a rhythmic stiffness that sticks strictly to the beat, without any syncopation to suggest the messy experiences Tillman’s lyrics evoke” – hackery at it’s worse. Ever noticed that, since it went all corporate slick, they seem very reluctant to judge second and third albums on their merits? With a few notably exceptions, scores head south for follow ups – they don’t award a “Best Music”, it has to be NEW i.e. we found it first.
I also find it interesting that they generally have a policy of only printing reviews once the album is actually available to the public, sometimes days later. I’ve always wondered why.
Chigboy June 5, 2012 at 12:38 am
Pitchfork is simply “Revenge Of The Nerds” reviewing, a chance for the unpopular and alienated to finally kick sand back in the face of all those high school bullies and scream “I AM IMPORTANT!” It’s their redemption for the all the abuse they took as misunderstood loners and for liking obscure and alternative music. They have arrived at the top of their particular tree, and they ain’t gonna let the jocks and the cheerleaders forget it. That sneering, smug tone, their obsession with white, middle-class, college guitar indie…not for nothing have plimsoles, thick rimmed glasses, and terrible haircuts become the epitome of hipster chic. Hell, look at how they review festivals now – http://pitchfork.com/news/46720-photos-primavera-sound-2012-portraits-and-candids/ – hanging out with the bands backstage, photos from the side of the stage, lazing in artists’ hotel rooms….how self-indulgent, obnoxious, and utterly irrelevant to whether the bands, and the festival in general, were any good. It’s all about insider access, power, and influence, and stopped being about the music some time ago. “The slave begins by demanding justice and ends by wanting to wear a crown.”
Joseph Kyle June 6, 2012 at 3:19 am
“Hey, look at me, this is one of the year’s most important releases, and I haven’t even listened to almost all of it, and what I did listen to was very hard for me to listen to!”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16664-reverberations-tape-electronic-music-1961-1970/
Joseph Kyle June 14, 2012 at 5:08 am
So, Everett, what do you think of their take on the Dexys record?
Everett True June 14, 2012 at 1:16 pm
reads more like a 9.2 to me.
Michael Hinojosa July 13, 2012 at 1:05 pm
First sentence after the first paragraph: “As it turns out, those fears aren’t fully realized on The Plot Against Common Sense, though they are definitely warranted.”
I’m I the only one that sees this?
Jason Adolf September 27, 2012 at 1:09 am
I’ve been reading pitchfork for years and even remember when they had an old school message board. The tone has gotten even more negative in recent times and that is a shame. The Future of the Left’s new record IS one of the best things Falkous has ever been involved with. I found this thread by trying to figure out who this reviewer is and why he was comparing James Iha to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart in his recent review of the new James Iha record (he mis-interprets lyrics and generally trashes the record for reasons that do not really make sense). All that negative energy will catch up to Pitchfork / Mr. Cohen.
Pingback: Nada Mucho » “Volume is a Sexy Crutch,” a Q&A with Future of the Left’s Andy Falkous
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Commonwealth Governance Commonwealth Governance South Africa
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Welcome to South Africa
His Excellency Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma
President of South Africa
I am extending the warmest of welcomes from the South African portal of the Commonwealth of Nations website.
From its inception, to its role in lobbying against institutionalised racism in our country, the Commonwealth and South Africa have a long historical association. Over the years these historical ties have been cemented by common interests, values and principles.
Today, as one of the larger contributors to the Secretariat, South Africa works in a spirit of co-operation, partnership and understanding with fellow members. Being a large contributor also brings responsibilities and South Africa endeavors to use this status to influence the debates of the Councils and meetings of the Commonwealth to focus on the plight of the poorest and most underdeveloped amongst us. All our actions must always consider how we will contribute in a direct and meaningful way to the improvement of the lives of our people.
The urgency of the times, as the world grapples with the impact of the global financial and economic crises; issues of good governance, democracy and human development; and an environmental future more precarious than at any time in human history, seems to have fashioned a more genuine, cooperative and purposeful dispensation towards international partnerships and alliances. With a focus on education, health and job creation, also constituting some key priorities of the South African Government, the Commonwealth is ideally placed to assist with addressing the needs South Africa and other member states in this regard.
Consequently South Africa will continue to use multilateral relations to take forward the goals of eradicating global poverty, strengthening peace and security and promoting democracy. To this end, the Commonwealth holds tremendous relevance in today’s environment and is seen as necessary for forging mutual understanding and building relationships particularly in this new dispensation.
With the Commonwealth’s membership extending to two members of the G8, five of the G20, twelve of the Islamic Conference, over half of the G77 and NAM, as well as members of the EU, AU, SADC and ASEAN, the Commonwealth is uniquely placed to drive the renewal of the global governance architecture, which remains a key pillar in our nation’s foreign policy.
Whilst Governments have a role to play in fostering change, we will not meet our goals on development and democracy without civil society: the vast number of Commonwealth associations – impressive in the scope of their activities, are vital instruments that together with the work of the Commonwealth Foundation is important in respect of people-to-people links.
Mindful that the Commonwealth of Nations accounts for 30% of the world’s population and 25% percent of the worlds international trade, South Africa firmly believes the structures and institutions of the Commonwealth have an important role in fostering cooperation and partnership between business and government, between developed and emerging markets, between the rich and poor and the powerful and most vulnerable.
As we look to the future of the association, we remain conscientious that constant change, constant renewal and constant-re-evaluation are fundamental in today’s precarious world.
Solely by remaining relevant to the challenges and opportunities of the modern world and recognising that the solutions to our greatest challenges have to be collective through the formation of partnerships between the public, private sector and civil society can the Commonwealth be effective.
To this end, South Africa believes that the work of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to increase the impact, strengthen the network and raise the profile of the association is a positive step in ensuring its relevance.
We remain confident, that the Commonwealth of Nations can provide an ideal foundation for a better world that we seek to build.
This website must serve as a gateway to the Commonwealth’s multifaceted role in creating a better life for present and future generations.
MR JACOB GEDLEYIHLEKISA ZUMA
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
source: http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/country/africa/south_africa/
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ABOUT ATENEO
Ateneo Graduate School of Business
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Application period to Ateneo Law School ongoing
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9 Ateneans are World Series bound!
Paul Daza & Nana Guzman from online news reports; Photos by Nana Guzman
Representing the Philippines, ILLAM (International Little League Association of Manila) topped the 16-under division of the Asia Pacific regional baseball championship in Saipan last June 29, and will advance to the Senior League Baseball World Series in Easley, South Carolina from July 29 to August 5, 2017. Nine of ILLAM’s players are from the Ateneo Junior High School and Ateneo Senior High School. From left to right in the above photo, they are Marcel Guzman (La Storta/10-Ferreres), Zeke Laygo (La Storta/10- Ferreres), Emilio Perez (Montserrat/10- Morse), Yuan de la Rosa (La Storta/10-Garnier), Nathan Carpio (12-Ogilvie), Matti Salazar (12- Kibe), Miguel Alvaro (12- Beyzym), Aloi Tuprio (11- Fontoura), and Xavi Bautista (12- Anchieta). The team is coached by Ateneo Coaches Randy Dizer, Adriane Bernardo and Pepe Jose.
The other World Series-bound ILLAM players are from Manila Waldorf School, Everest International School, and International School of Manila.
ILLAM won the right to represent the Asia-Pacific because of its 3-1 record in the eliminations. PH was supposed to play against Guam in the Senior League finals, but the game was ultimately suspended because of bad weather. The Philippines won the right to represent the region because its 3-1 eliminations record topped Guam’s 2-2 record.
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Nickles, McCracken Record Double-Digit Kills in Losing Effort
Medaille (N.Y.)
Medaille (N.Y.) (2-6) 25 23 25 25 3
Nazareth (5-1) 25 25 21 25 3
B: Courtney McCracken - 4
D: Jaelin Rios - 19
SA: Kirsten Jutte - 3
K: Bailey Salemi - 19
B: 5 Players (#4, #5, #8, #10, #13) - 1
D: Jennifer Stebbins - 25
SA: Bailey Salemi - 2
K: Kirsten Nickles - 14
K: Cady Messmer - 12
B: Delaney Martin - 4
D: 2 Players (#5, #13) - 13
SA: N/A
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Capital University volleyball team suffered a pair of defeats on day two of the Golden Flyer Invitational, held at Nazareth College. The senior duo of Courtney McCracken and Kirsten Nickles posted double-digit kill counts despite a pair of 3-1 losses to Nazareth and Medaille College.
CAPITAL 1, NAZARETH 3
Capital started on a strong note taking the hosts, Nazareth, to an 18-18 tie late in the first set. However, a trio of errors by Capital created a three-point advantage heading into the homestretch, which also was the margin the Flyers won by.
The Crusaders came back in the second and held a 21-19 lead late in the set, but a Capital service error set a rally in motion for Nazareth. The Flyers went on a 6-1 run to end the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
An early advantage was kept throughout the course of the third set, leading to Capital's lone win in the match, but the hosts were quick to return the favor and dealt Cap a 25-17 defeat to clinch the match.
Courtney McCracken (Newark, Ohio/Newark Catholic) and Kirsten Nickles (Loudonville, Ohio) each finished with a double-double despite the loss. McCracken finished with 10 kills and 12 digs, while Nickles ended with a team-high 14 kills and 12 digs. That marked McCracken's fourth straight double-double. Freshman Kirsten Jutte (Fort Recovery, Ohio) finished with 33 assists and four service aces.
CAPITAL 1, MEDAILLE 3
Three different Cap players finished with 10 or more kills in a contest in which they were beaten by Medaille in four sets (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17).
McCracken led the team offensively with 15 kills and posted another double-double effort, accompanying that with 11 digs on the defensive side. She also finished with three block assists and one solo block.
Junior Becca Kapavik (Johnstown, Ohio) joined Nickles in double-digit kills, each finishing with 10.
Jutte set a new career high with 42 assists in the loss, and also included nine digs and three service aces.
In all three sets that Capital dropped, the Crusaders found themselves trailing and fighting from behind but unable to overcome the deficit. The loss left Cap winless in three matches over the weekend and drops their overall record to 3-7 on the season.
Kirsten Nickles was selected to represent Capital on the All-Tournament Team after her performance over the three-match stretch. Twice, Nickles posted 10 or more kills and hit .235 or better. She ended the weekend with 32 kills, 24 digs, and posted a double-double against host Nazareth.
Cap will take the week to prepare for its upcoming tournament at The College of Wooster. The Purple and White will compete in the Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic, and open against the University of Pitt at Bradford at 5:30 p.m. They will also play host Wooster that night at 7:30 p.m.
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Chaotic Shiny is a generator site aimed at people who write, game, or live in fantasy worlds of their own creation. Grappling with writer's block? Need a character on the fly? Party just walked into a tavern and you want it to be a little more exciting than normal? Want to flesh out a setting with some detailed religions? Chaotic Shiny is the site for you.
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If you sign up now, you'll get Trader Tables and Terror Tables, .pdfs full of dice tables in the style of Tavern Tables. You'll also get the Sijara chapter from Martial Flavor for free!
3/31/19: This is not an early April Fools' joke: there is a new generator! The Small Inventory Generator generates the kind of item inventory that you might find on a peasant, guard, merchant, or other ordinary NPC that the party is searching. No blatantly magical artifacts or enchanted weapons. Just everyday items, some of them more potentially suspicious than others.
10/30/18: Gearing up for NaNoWriMo? You can get a 50% discount on the Writer Tools Generator Pack with the discount code "Writer2018" over at the Chaotic Shiny Productions store. Check out some of the other generator packs while you're there!
7/28/17: I'm aware of the issues with the PHP-based generators (the ones with dropdown menus) and I'm working on a fix. Thanks to everyone to let me know!
Update: All fixed! My host upgraded my version of PHP without telling me and some of my code didn't work in the new version. Everything should be fixed now.
11/16/16: Real life continues to interfere, but I haven't forgotten you! If you ever wanted to try out one of the paid generator packs, now is the time! For one week only, they're on sale for 99 cents each. Just use the code "NaNo2016" in your cart. It works on any generator pack in the store.
10/30/15: I'm not dead! I know it's been nearly a year, but I haven't abandoned the site! I've just had a lot of life stuff going on and I've been spending a lot of time on my leatherwork. But I have something new for all of you! A free standalone Character Generator that has a character portrait and a brief description of a variety of medieval fantasy characters. Happy NaNo!
10/31/14: Happy Halloween! No new generator today, but the new NaNoWriMo Calendar is out, helping you stay on track with your word count with options like "no writing on weeekends." It's now more flexible than ever, keeping you on track not just for this November but for any month in the future! Also, there's a sale over at Chaotic Shiny Productions in honor of NaNoWriMo: until the end of November, use the code NaNo2014 to get 50% off any orders of two or more products. It's like buy-one-get-one-free but with an extra 50% off for everything else! If there's any generator packs you've been thinking about trying out, now's the time.
7/14/14: Whew! It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't died, and I have made an Armor Generator to round out your weapon-laden treasure hoards. As for where I went, the newsletter subscribers got the long answer. The short answer is that I have a full time job and a lot going on and while I have no plans to let the site die, I doubt I will be able to update it quite as often as I used to. So don't despair; I plan on more generators. Just probably not every two weeks the way I used to be able to. Oh, and I also make leather armor now, which is taking up a bit of time.
In unrelated but also time-consuming news, the Tavern Cards from my Kickstarter are publicly available! The backers all seemed to like them. Generate a tavern complete with random events and colorful NPCs, and then use the cards to play poker while you're there.
11/15/13: By request, the Noble Generator gives you noble names and titles and occasionally epithets.
Also, wow, we're halfway through NaNoWriMo! Do you know what that means? It means the "halfway through NaNo half off" sale at Chaotic Shiny Productions! Use the discount code NaNo2013CB to get 50% off the Character Builder Generator Pack, and NaNo2013WT to get 50% off Writer Tools. The best time to buy generators is before the start of NaNo, but the second-best time is now.
And since I love NaNo so much, this year I'm also offering a special prize to people who finish! This will only be available via the newsletter, though, so you'd better sign up before the end of NaNo if you want to be eligible.
7/12/13: It's been a while, huh? Don't worry - I haven't vanished, and I have a whole bunch of new stuff for you! First off, the Attitude Generator helps you instantly determine how NPCs feel about the characters. The Magic Pack is a combination of some of the most popular magic-related generators, and last but not least, the Face Generator is a free graphical generator that generates, well, faces.
3/17/13: The KickStarter kept me very busy, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about making generators. Enjoy the deeply silly Fallacy Generator! And if you want something a little less silly, my card-deck-related travels for the KickStarter also led to the creation of the Rune Cards, a deck of playing cards that helps you learn the runes (and looks cool).
1/17/13: Chaotic Shiny is running its first KickStarter! Tavern Cards are a gorgeous full-color deck version of the venerable and popular Tavern Generator. Use them to randomly generate a tavern - complete with name and patrons - or just use them to play poker. There's even quite a few cards that make good NPC portraits. It won't be running long, so go check it out and grab a deck while you can!
11/16/12: There's a new freebie up on Chaotic Shiny Productions, the Random Compass. For times when you want to know where the noise is coming from, which way the thief ran, or where the nearest town is.
10/13/12: A bit of a wait, but I hope it's worth it, as I have three exciting things to announce.
First, the Random3 Encounter Contest is over and you can see all the entries here! Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered.
Second, the long-awaited Writer Tools Generator Pack is now available over at Chaotic Shiny Productions! Whether you're stuck in a rut, looking for inspiration, in need of motivation, or just want to have some fun, Writer Tools has something for you.
And last but not least, a new very silly generator, the Political Buzzword Generator / Indy Band Namer. Enjoy!
8/18/12: Two exciting updates for the Random3 Encounter Contest! One, due to popular request there is now an option for writers: use three random generators to inspire a short vignette, and send that in as your entry. Two, we now have awesome sponsors! In addition to free stuff from Chaotic Shiny Productions, you also have the chance of winning gift cards or a free canvas from Banners on the Cheap (and check out their new RPG maps category), or some very cool mini accessories courtesy of Stuffer Shack, whose fantastic blog you should check out while you're there. So what are you waiting for? Check out the sponsors, then enter the contest!
8/5/12: At long last, Chaotic Shiny's 100th generator is released: the deeply silly RPG Drinking Game Generator. And in celebration of hitting 100 generators, the Random3 Encounter Contest has begun! Create a random encounter using three random generators, send it in, win cool prizes.
And as if that were not enough cool stuff, the RuneSpinner is the newest freebie over at Chaotic Shiny Production. Go check it out!
4/29/12: I missed a month, and so I'm making up for it with two new generators: the Rune Generator and the RPG Class Generator. Add some variety to your magical languages and fortune-telling, or get inspired for that new RPG you're working on. The RPG Class gen also works great for character concepts for point-buy systems that don't have classes to start with.
Also, I should have done this long ago: Stuffer Shack, the incredibly awesome RPG Blog / place to buy really cool stuff, is now linked on the links page. Tourq has really cool steal-able blog stuff, actual physical products that can make your game better, as well as fun contests and lots of nifty links. Next time you're pining away waiting for me to create more generators, go there and read the blog.
2/25/12: One of the most-requested generators, the Meal Generator, finally exists. I wasn't sure I could do it without most of everything sounding disgusting, but it seems to have worked. And if anyone tries any of the recipes, let me know how it works out!
There's also a free standalone version of the opinion gen available now over at Chaotic Shiny Productions if you want to get a taste of what the paid generator packs are like.
1/11/12: Adding to the small but growing collection of sci-fi gens is the Planet Generator. A mix of scientific terminology and descriptive phrases, it's helpful for whenever your ship has popped out of a wormhole into an unexplored system. There's also the free Problem Mini-Gen over at Chaotic Shiny Productions. It's a small standalone mini-generator. I've also changed the [Productions] link up to to say [Store] and link to the Store page upon realizing that most of you have no idea I sell things.
12/7/11: Hello everyone! Survive NaNo? Here's what's quite likely the last gen of this year: the Magical Component Generator. Also, go check out Chaotic Shiny Productions for something new and different.
10/28/11: It's almost that time of the year again! No, not Halloween; NaNoWriMo. I've updated the NaNo Motivator with some all new outcomes for this year, plus the Free NaNo Calendar App over at Chaotic Shiny Productions got a 2011 update. But that's not the most exciting news.
Do you write stories or run games? Do those stories or games have characters in them? Then the Character Builder Generator Pack is for you. It generates characters, names, physical appearances, motives, opinions, family connections, and more.
9/24/11: Adding to the small but growing collection of modern generators, the Car Generator is a must for anyone with James Bond in their game. Also makes normal cars if for some reason that's useful to you.
9/10/11: The first new silly gen in a while, the Whitewolf Game Generator. Comes up with names in the form of "Noun the Something."
9/2/11: A very simple but powerful gen, the Motive Generator does just what it says. Generate overarching motives for characters, or just explain why they're up to their latest shenanigans. Meanwhile, over at Chaotic Shiny Productions, check out Arcane Cultures: Cailleath for free! If you like it, consider buying the newly released Arcane Cultures: the Valok. Both products are systemless - that's right, non-4e players are finally getting some .pdf love. Go check it out!
7/29/11: Announcing the Portal Contest. The rules are simple: Create a portal with the portal gen, then email it to me along with 1) a drawing of the portal, 2) a couple paragraphs of description / plot hooks / other shenanigans relating to the portal, or 3) both. Repeat as desired. Contest ends Aug 9. At the end of the contest I will randomly draw winners (the number depends on how many people enter) to receive a free City Builder Generator Pack. Multiple entries still only get you one entry in the drawing, as while I love encouraging creativity, I hate math. Depending on how many people enter, I might put together a free pdf of entries, so by entering you consent to having your work in that. Now go make some portals!
P.S. You know who knew about this contest ahead of time? Newsletter subscribers. Just saying.
7/26/11: Introducing the Portal Generator, for all your plane-hopping, dark-ritual-preventing, dimension-shifting adventures. Also, there's a shiny new free thing over at Chaotic Shiny Productions.
7/22/11: I've got a new gen on the way, but while you're waiting go check out RanGen, a new generator site with some pretty cool gens.
6/29/11: A long wait than usual, but hopefully the new gen is worth it: the Holiday Generator! And check out Chaotic Shiny Productions for the newest genpack, the City Builder Generator Pack. The all-new Rumor Generator alone should be worth the price of the genpack.
4/23/11: For all those who got excited for all the wrong reasons when they heard about the magic gen comes the answer to their problem - the Magic Trick Generator.
3/17/11: Holy unexpected hiatus, Batman! What's going on? Well, a full time job and a full time social life. But fear not, a new generator at long last - the Magic Generator! It's something I've been wanting to do for a very long time, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Meanwhile, over at Chaotic Shiny Productions, the similarly magical Arcane Flavor was just released! Go buy it.
2/19/11: There's an interview with me up at Game Knight Reviews if you want to hear a bit about what's behind the magic. And if you feel like I've dropped off the internet in the last month and a half - you're right! I feel like that too! But don't feel too abandoned; I have a bunch of cool stuff in the works, and the next generator should be done soon.
12/30/10: Happy New Year! As your present, here's two new generators: the much-suggested and long-awaited Prophecy Generator and the inspirational Cultural Mix Generator. Also added a new generator site to the Links page, The Writer's Square.
12/1/10: Happy Hannukah, and congrats to those who won NaNoWriMo! This generator is a bit late for this year, but might come in handy next year: the Inspiration Finder helps you find inspiration in the world around you.
10/28/10: There are two holidays in a row this week: Halloween, and the start of National Novel Writing Month. I've decided to help you celebrate both! Over at Chaotic Shiny Productions there's the Zombie Generator Portable which combines the zombie gen with randomly created zombie images - and it's free. For those of you doing NaNo there's the NaNo Calendar 2010 that calculates how many words you should write each day based on goal and system (equal every day, equal minus weekends, reward system, etc). And of course, the NaNoWriMo Motivator got its annual update with all-new motivation. Enjoy!
10/16/10: Another awesome suggestion from the Suggestion Contest, the Poem Generator is the flipside of the Writing Exercise gen. Generates topics, genres rhyme schemes, and more. Also, updated the Bazaar Generator based on some great suggestions - now allows for historical vs fantasy, multiple shop owners, and different shop types.
9/23/10: Based on a suggestion, the Weather Forecast Generator tells you what the weather's going to be like in the surrounding area for the next few days or weeks. Also, there's a survey going on over at Chaotic Shiny Productions about which generator packs people want to see next. Planning on buying a generator pack? Check out the survey. Also at Chaotic Shiny Productions, free stuff.
8/29/10: One of the many great suggestions from the Suggestions Contest, the Historical Event Generator is a distant cousin to the Event Generator in the just-released Kingdom Builder Generator Pack II. Comes up with dates for disasters, the rise and fall of individuals and buildings, surpluses and shortages, and more.
8/5/10: Not quite back to my usual two-gens-a-month schedule, but slowly clawing out enough free time to get back to it. Here's one of my most extensive generators yet: the Modern Name Gen uses name data compiled from the census. That's thousands of names, from the common to the rare.
Also, check out the Suggestions Contest going on at Chaotic Shiny Productions right now!
7/6/10: Thanks to an awesome fan, Chaotic Shiny now has an official Facebook fan page! And to help kick it off, I'm donating a prize for its first contest: write a 55 word story based on inspiration from the Tarot gen. If you're on facebook, go check out the fan page, then enter the contest! And speaking of contests, I've added the Monster Contest and Paradox Recycler (newsletter only) contest compilations to the Misc Resources page.
6/26/10: Whew, that was a long break! I'm typing this now from sunny California, so you know my cross-country move was a success. I come back from my hiatus with an awesome new generator, the Tarot Card Generator. I've wanted to do a tarot gen for a long time, but never could quite get it right. I wanted one that blew all the other tarot gens out there out of the water. I think I succeeded - let me know if you agree.
5/9/10: A new silly generator, the Academic Field Generator comes up with disciplines like "Thaumaturgical Hydrocryptology," "Atypical Philosophy," and "Observational Archetypes."
By the way, there may be a brief interruption in service (ie email answering and new generators) as I graduate college, move across the country and start a new job.
4/19/10: A much-requested gen, the Place Name Generator comes up with things like "Scaletorn Grasslands" and "Gravefire Heights" as well as nonsense names. I wonder what's going on in Meatshield Mire?
Also, a new freebie for you over at Chaotic Shiny Productions to celebrate the release of the Treasure Hoard Generator Pack.
Also also, you writerly types might want to enter Nevermet Press's Monster Mashup Contest. Write a 300-word description of the monster, win great prizes and the chance to see your name in print. Everyone who enters gets a coupon regardless, so why not give it a try?
4/10/10: Based on several suggestions, the Zoomorph Generator. Creates animal-human mixes like the ancient Egyptian gods or harpies and centaurs, plus even more exotic ones with parts from many animals. Create specific individuals or generic descriptions of entire species.
By the way, there's a pretty cool mini-contest going on in the newsletter right now. You've missed your chance for this one if you haven't already signed up, but don't worry - I run mini-contests pretty regularly, so go ahead and sign up.
Also check out the new freebie over at Chaotic Shiny Productions.
3/26/10: A fun new free standalone mini-generator, the Damager rolls dice for you, then describes your attack. It's a tiny .exe file (no installation required!) that should work wherever .NET does: Windows, and Macs and *nix boxes running emulators like Mono or Wine. Go check it out!
3/16/10: A little late for pi day, the Spaceship Generator gives you names, ID codes, and stats for space ships. Now you've got someplace to put all those spare parts.
2/25/10: I really don't have enough sci-fi generators, do I? Based on a suggestion, the Futuristic Spare Part Generator lets you tell the mechanic to repair the triple kith nucleus of the laser grappler, and make sure the ionic phase gauntlet is in full working order. And gods help you if the delta redundant binding in the secondary shielding grid fails you in the middle of a battle.
2/16/10: For all you art lovers and art looters, here's the Art Object Generator. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and what have you. Decorate the duke's summer room, stock a dragon's horde, or figure out what's up for auction.
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Our View: Corn Fest fee to park is fair
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The scenario: A festival is held each year which draws some, but not all, of a city’s residents and a number of out-of-town visitors. The city provides, among other things, a location for the festival and police and emergency personnel in case something goes wrong. The emergency personnel are paid out of their departments’ budgets, which tough financial times have stretched as far as they will go.
The question: Who should pay for those costs? The people who attend the festival or every taxpayer in the city, whether they attend or not?
That, essentially, is the question before the DeKalb City Council as it ponders a proposal to charge a $5 weekend parking fee at Corn Fest. The $5 fee would cover Saturday and Sunday at the festival. Friday parking would be free.
For those unwilling to pay the fee, a free shuttle service would be provided from several locations around the city. People could park for free, ride the shuttle to and from the festival and, as a bonus, not have to deal with the hassle of parking at the event.
Admission to the festival will remain free, as would all of the entertainment except that provided by outside vendors, such as food and carnival rides.
And 20 percent of the revenue collected from the parking fees would go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of DeKalb County, a nonprofit organization that strives to improve the lives and futures of at-risk kids. Big Brothers Big Sisters is providing the volunteers to help park cars.
While we understand public resistance to paying something that has always been free, in all, this is not a bad proposal. It creates a mechanism by which the users pay for the costs of the festival, not the taxpayers. It supports a local charity. Five dollars for a weekend of parking is not exorbitant, and if you want to take a stand against it, there is still a free parking option via the shuttle.
Times are tough and festivals are not free to put on. At this time when there has been clamor for government to cut wasteful spending, charging a nominal fee to park at what is still a free festival seems to be a reasonable move.
Copyright © 2020 Daily Chronicle. All rights reserved. Published in DeKalb, Illinois, USA, by Shaw Media.
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BAGHDAD: Iraq loses $ 10 million a month because of Iran
by claud39 on Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:55 am
http://economy-news.net/content.php?id=15564
[size=24]Economy News Baghdad:[/size]
[size=24]For the second month in a row, the Iraqi market is subjected to painful blows, according to officials and traders, as a result of the escalation of smuggling of goods across the Iranian border, pointing out that these goods include food, medicines, fabrics and electrical devices, and are often expired and sold at very low prices.[/size]
[size=24]According to Iraqi officials, the health and security authorities have launched large campaigns to control and destroy contraband, but the task is difficult because of the establishment of factories and laboratories that change the date of validity of these materials or put new stickers on them.[/size]
[size=24]Iraq is associated with Iran with a land border of more than 1,300 kilometers, starting from Diyala to the east through the Kurdistan region of Iraq to the north and Basra to the south. Sulaymaniyah, Diyala, Wasit and Basra are the most vulnerable cities of Iraq because of the wide open areas between the two countries, controlling her.[/size]
[size=24]An Iraqi official told the newspaper "The New Arab" and was briefed by "Economy News" that his country is sending a delegation to Tehran to discuss the smuggling and control of the networks operating in this area, which carry daily tons of tons of goods to Iraq, In Iraq.[/size]
[size=24]The official pointed to the lack of control operations by the ministries of health, environment and border crossings, as well as the presence of traders working to introduce the damaged materials and medicines to the country.[/size]
[size=24]Ali al-Yasiri, a member of the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce, estimated that Iraq is suffering from smuggling from Iran about 10 million dollars a month, pointing out that the state, traders and citizens are losing.[/size]
[size=24]Al-Yasiri said: "The issue has gone further and now the intervention of the shop to buy a commodity is found at the price of the first thousand dinars and the other five hundred dinars, and when you ask why they say this to you customs and the second without customs to enter through smuggling," pointing out that the smuggling increased after the US sanctions on Iran.[/size]
[size=24]The Iraqi Ministry of Health has destroyed 10 shipments of foodstuffs, poultry and meat in the last few days, citing the fact that they were not valid, while they were seized in the markets and the date of manufacture and origin in some of them was manipulated.[/size]
[size=24]"Expired food or medicine or unauthorized origin threatens the health and lives of citizens and the entire society," said Fares al-Birfkani, a member of the Health and Environment Committee of the Iraqi parliament. "There should be legislation that would impose penalties on those who introduce drugs and foods that are expired, Unknown".[/size]
[size=24]Al-Birfkani said in a statement to the "New Arab" to the need to activate the Ministry of the Interior oversight role through the inspection services and border crossings.[/size]
[size=24]Security experts point out that the control of border posts by some parties has hampered the work of regulatory institutions and limited their applicability to the laws.[/size]
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Cultural Exploration
Samoa Shrugged
During the last World Cup I was teaching summer school in Oakland, and the many of the games conflicted with my teaching schedule. So I recorded them on the DVR, much to my roommates’ annoyance. 6 hours of soccer every day takes up a lot of memory; add that to my other two staples, Jeopardy! and The Daily Show, and I was suddenly a memory hog. Was it my fault for being into the World Cup, or were my roommates out of touch with the world?
From what I’ve seen, Samoa would side with the roommates. Samoa does not have World Cup fever.
First I need to draw a line here. I have Samoan friends who are very excited about the World Cup. One was all too tickled when it almost looked like New Zealand was going to make it out of group play into the bracket. Another posted a Facebook comment admitting she had a tough time following the competition because she’s been too busy ogling the players (It was a bluff. She was the one who broke the news about New Zealand not making it.). Clearly there is a sub-culture of young urbanites who are emotionally invested in the World Cup. But it seems like the rest of the country’s interest is fleeting. Sounds like America, doesn’t it?
I admit, my host family’s TV was part of the allure of visiting the village this past weekend. TV1 has agreed to show all 64 matches, which seems like a lot until you consider matches air at 12:30, 3:00, or 7:30 a.m.—not exactly prime time. When I asked my family the night before if we could watch US/Ghana, they seemed baffled as to why such a match would be shown on Samoan TV, but they agreed to let me watch anyway.
It’s a little strange because living in America, I always felt we were in some soccer bubble; as though everyone else in the world cared, and we just couldn’t find it within ourselves. When I signed up for the Peace Corp I had this romantic notion of finally witnessing the supposed madness that America can’t seem to catch. Yeah, that didn’t happen.
On the other hand, as with other World Cups, I have been impressed with the people who rise to the occasion. I always thought Maengi was cool, but since she’s been consistently going to bed right after dinner in order to wake up for nearly every game, my respect is at a new level. Hell, she keeps a packet of papers next to her couch so she can track the tournament.
The one thing that felt cool about watching TV in the village was the tentative reception pulled in by the makeshift antenna. With the fuzzy picture and the snow coming in and out, often during important moments in the game, I felt both the isolation of south-island Samoa as well as the global connectedness that every World Cup spectator feels.
Go Portugal!
I hope you’re well. Pictures below.
Male prefects receiving their new shiny ID badges.
More ID photos this morning. This was clearly an outtake. I like this because it looks like the girl on the right has so much contempt for the girl on the left.
I was working on the introductory slideshow for Group 83, and I needed a picture of a male teacher in typical teaching clothes. So I turned the camera on myself. That kid in the background was only too happy to jump into the frame.
Posted by Matthew at 8:00 PM
I have the fever. I'd also say the U.S. is definitely getting more engaged for this Cup than last. There weren't people screaming outside/car horns going off when the U.S beat Algeria, but there were many people watching at 7 am
P.S. - I'd like to see a new country win the World Cup. Rooting for a Ghana/Netherlands vs. Spain final.
Hi. I'm Matt.
email me here
PC Samoa Blogs
Nancy 83
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Kyle 82's Samoan Youth Empowerment Initiative
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Lili 82
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Rachael 83
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Koa 81
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Lindsey 83
Joey 81
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October 8 to Date
Currently Reading: Bel Canto Ann Patchett
On Hold: The Spy Who Came In from the Cold John LeCarré
On Hold: White Teeth Zadie Smith
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The Prodigal Host Son
Badges?! We Don't Need No...
Odds and Ends Thursday 57
No Good Deed...
A Buggéd Life
I Love a Parade
Too Little Too Late?
No One Knows What to Do with Themselves
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Browse All Previews »
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By Daniel Acaba ( Sep 6, 2017 )
Even for an early access / game preview title this game is intensely unstable. It's hard to recommend it as anything other than a quick look at the game via free trials. While there is an intense amount of potential to the game, the engine itself is just far too unstable to be worth shelling out your hard earned money. Read More.
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Not only is Watch Dogs clearly a technical marvel just days before it's release, it also seems to have completely nailed the meta experience and tone of the game. When a small 15 minute demo offers so many ways to tackle objectives, we can only imagine how much freedom players will have in this enormous cyberpunk world when the game is finally unleashed on PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on May 27, 2014. Read More.
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Honestly it’s kind of hard to really talk about TESO since its name is so indicative of what it is – an online version of any other Elder Scrolls game. While it may be set far in the past it controls much like any of the modern games with the one concession of the other players in the world. There have been gameplay tweaks but the whole thing is just so familiar and comfortable to any fan of the series that it just feels like home. Read More.
Talisman Digital Edition Preview (PC)
By Daniel Acaba ( Nov 24, 2013 )
All of this is captured neatly by the digital edition. It plays smoothly even on fairly weak laptops which helps this games appeal even more by making it portable. While it might lose some of the charms by losing the ability to move your pieces around on your own all of the convenience captured right here really makes it worth owning. Read More.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Preview (PS4)
By Andrew Sztein ( Oct 28, 2013 )
Ubisoft is on the verge of releasing the latest chapter in their immensely popular Assassin's Creed series, and we were made privy to an impressive hands on demo of the game's PlayStation 4 version at a preview event at the Amsterdam Brewery on Toronto's beautiful waterfront on October 22, 2013. Read More.
Dark Souls II Beta Gameplay Journal (PS3)
By Daniel Acaba ( Oct 13, 2013 )
The first time you play a new game in the Dark Souls series you’re immediately going to feel like you’re in over your head. This is doubly true when there’s no instruction manual or strategy guide to pore over. You’re just going to have to figure this old the old fashioned way boys and girls! Luckily this is a game series where anyone who plays it is expecting to die plenty more times. Read More.
Air Conflicts: Vietnam Preview (X360)
By Shawn Snider ( Aug 25, 2013 )
The multiplayer is definitely going to be the highlight of Air Conflicts: Vietnam, but the key to its ultimate success will be a large enough community to sustain a good number of rotating matches and varying opponents. Read More.
Rise of Venice Preview (PC)
When Ascaron fell into bankruptcy several years ago following the delayed release of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, fans were left wondering what would become of their many popular franchises. Among them, the wonderful Port Royale and Patrician games were a trading fanatic's dream. Thankfully Kalypso Media picked up both the licenses for these franchises, and formed a relationship with new developer Gaming Minds who acquired much of the talent behind those fantastic games. Read More.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Preview (X360)
By Andrew Sztein ( Aug 9, 2013 )
While I personally really enjoyed the shift in tone and direction that Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell series took with the most recent installment in Conviction, a lot of people lamented the shift away from hardcore stealth mechanics towards an action packed equivalent of a Jason Bourne film starring Sam Fisher. With the mixed reactions, Ubisoft certainly seems to be taking a kitchen sink approach to the latest Splinter Cell title, aiming to please those looking for the careful modern ninja gameplay of the original trilogy with the rollercoaster action of Conviction. Read More.
E3 2013: Call of Duty: Ghosts Impressions (X360)
By Chris Moore ( Jul 24, 2013 )
Call of Duty: Ghosts will breathe new life into the campaign. Read More.
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A Female Doctor Brutally Persecuted for Three Years
Dr. Wang Yuchuan, female, 29, a doctor of internal medicine in Zhaogezhuang Mining Hospital of Kailuan Medical Treatments Corporation in Tanshan City, Hebei Province<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
On February 21, 2000, Dr.Wang went to Beijing to appeal for an end of persecution of Falun Gong. While in Beijing, police arrested and sent her to the Guye Distric Detention Center in Tangshan City, Hebei Province. During her detention, Dr. Wang twice, went on hunger strikes to protest her wrongful incarceration and unjust treatment. In order to force her to renounce Falun Gong, the police sent her to the Mental and Drug Rehab Department in Ankang Hospital. Dr. Wang was forcibly injected with unknown drugs. She had continued her hunger strike at the hospital, so the hospital staff began to force-feed her. A feeding tube was lodged into her trachea; she suffered tremendous pain and almost suffocated to death.
On April 25, 2001, Dr. Wang was sent to Tangshan Law Education School, which is actually Textile University's psychiatric brainwashing center. There, practitioners were confined in a room with steel security mesh covered windows. Practitioners were prohibited from speaking to each other, and were forced to watch brainwashing videos that slandered Falun Gong.
On August 7, 2001, the vice chief of the Zhao Mine Public Security Office sent Dr. Wang to the First Labor Camp in the Kaiping District of Tangshan City. Dr. Wang was tortured through the following methods: long term sleep deprivation, prohibition of toilet use, forced standing for extended time periods, forced to remain in a squatting position for a long time, severe beatings, face slapping, as well as mental and verbal abuse.
Dr. Wang was repeatedly forced to stand in one spot without moving from dusk to dawn. From the time she first arrived at the labor camp through to the end of August, she was seldom allowed to sleep. Wei Tao, an enforcer from the labor camp's office, tried his best to "transform" Dr. Wang for a whole night to no avail. The next morning he continually slapped Dr. Wang’s face for the entire morning until it was swollen and completely disfigured. He also shocked her with an electric baton. Her family members were denied visitation rights.
When Ms. Wang was refused to use the toilet, she commenced yet another hunger strike.
On February 21, 2002, Dr. Wang’s forced-labor term was completed; the labor camp would not release her though. After 24 days of a hunger strike to demand her release, the police started using a feeding tube to force-feed her and gave her medical injections against her will.
On June 1, 2002, Dr. Wang was finally released from the labor camp. However upon her release, Dr. Wang’s work unit sent her directly to the brainwashing class in Tangshan Law Education School. There, Dr. Wang went on hunger strikes many times to demand her immediate release, one lasting 20 days. The supervisors in her work unit also sent doctors and nurses to administer forced injections of nerve debilitating drugs. Dr. Wang sent many letters to supervisors both in her work unit and to the Tangshan City Committee to demand her basic human rights, but she never received one response.
type=Case, Torture; type=Case, Women; type=Labor Camp, First Labor Camp in Kaiping District; type=Detention Center, Guye District Detention Center; location=Hebei, Tangshan
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Flower Crowns and Revolutionaries
Review: Kinky Boots Tour! (Durham, NC)
For my birthday present, I asked my parents for tickets to the Kinky Boots tour because I absolutely love the show and the guy playing Charlie Price currently is an alum from my university. I was lucky enough to see Kinky Boots this summer on Broadway (read my review here), but I think that the tour is every bit as good!
The tour is an impressive recreation of the Broadway show, if not even better. I was particularly impressed by Aaron Walpole as Don and Tiffany Engen as Lauren. Tiffany's "The History of Wrong Guys" had the audience laughing the entire time, but she managed to infuse her performance with humanity too. I definitely could relate to her Lauren.
J. Harrison Ghee was incredible as Lola in his singing, acting, and dancing. His "Land of Lola" was absolutely stunning (if only I could dance like he can!), but his "Hold Me In Your Heart" made me and much of the audience cry. Lola's humor isn't something that just any actor can pull off, but he certainly did. As he's from Fayetteville (not far from the DPAC theater), the audience went a bit crazy at the line "I'm from just down the road."
One of the main reasons that I wanted to see the tour was to see Adam Kaplan as Charlie Price. Adam graduated from Elon University a few years before I started there and I was able to see him in the ensemble of Newsies a few years back.
Adam was lovely as Charlie Price, a character that's a bit difficult at times to make likable. Adam seemed much younger than most Charlie Prices I've seen, which I think added to the character's vulnerability. Not only were Adam's vocals amazing, but his acting showed Charlie's struggles with himself and his father so well.
My sister, Hannah, with Adam
Me with Adam!
I was lucky enough to get to chat with Adam at stage door and he was very sweet. We had a lovely chat about Elon...and how happy he was to get to go to Cookout while here in North Carolina!
If the Kinky Boots tour is coming anywhere near you, definitely go see it! It has an important message that everyone should hear and it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Labels: theater
Review: Six the Musical Album
RATING: ★★★★ When I first heard about a musical about Henry VIII's six wives, I was skeptical. As someone who loves Tudor history...
Review: The Lightning Thief, US Tour
RATING: ★★★★ If only The Lightning Thief musical had come out when I was in middle school and obsessed with the Percy Jackson series. ...
Review: Biltmore Estate's 'A Vanderbilt House Party'
Ever since I was a little girl, my family has been visiting the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. My mom likes to tell storie...
"Little Women" and Me: A Love Letter to Jo March and Greta Gerwig
I recently returned home from an advanced press screening of "Little Women." (This will luckily prevent the inevitable fight wi...
Summer Favorites!
Let the Weekly Vlogs Begin!
My Goals for Senior Year
© Flower Crowns and Revolutionaries
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http://appserver-1f09cc4e/content/georgia-state-house-passes-bill-nullify-obamacare
Georgia State House Passes Bill to Nullify ObamaCare
Georgia Defies Obamacare
By Jackie Bodnar
FreedomWorks activists across Georgia celebrate as the bill moves to the State Senate
Washington, DC- FreedomWorks activists across the state of Georgia celebrate this week after the Georgia State House passed a bill that effectively nullifies ObamaCare. The bill, H.B. 707 passed with an overwhelming 115-59 majority and travels now to the State Senate, where a solid Republican majority should be able to pass the bill.
The legislation effectively nullifies ObamaCare by stopping state and local officials from assisting in the law’s implementation in any way. This would stop Medicaid expansion in the state, stop the health insurance exchange, and would make it very difficult for the Obama Administration to force Georgians into the one-size-fits-all federal program.
FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe commented, “The passage of this ObamaCare nullification bill would not have been successful without the relentless efforts of grassroots activists across Georgia. They’re the ones that insisted their legislators listen and pass this bill. If and when the bill passes the State Senate, Georgia will be a model for other states who want to effectively push back against the federal health care takeover.”
FreedomWorks joined the efforts of grassroots groups like Georgians for Healthcare Freedom, setting up action alerts that drove hundreds of individual calls to legislators demanding they take a stand against ObamaCare.
FreedomWorks is a grassroots service center to a community of over 6 million activists who believe in individual liberty and constitutionally-limited government. For more information, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Jackie Bodnar at JBodnar@FreedomWorks.org.
Tags ObamaCare, nullification, Georgia
binkyone66
how is this great what about the homeless in Georgia such as myself. I have been looking for a job for 6 months now and have not been able to find one and I have a very serious health issue which needs treatment and the avaiablelity of medicade to the low income was my only change for care so is the states way of telling me since I am homeless I am worthless and don't deserve health care. Great way to raise your children isn't it.
That is awesome! I pray more states will follow
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Violent Crime Dropped in 2018 to the Second-Lowest Point Since 1991
The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released its annual crime statistics report. There hasn’t been much media coverage of the report, but it does show the violent crime rate in 2018 was at its second-lowest point since this particular crime metric peaked in 1991. Generally, crime rates fell across the board compared to 2017.
"http:\/\/www.freedomworks.org\/content\/coalition-letter-georgia-gov-brian-kemp-georgia-council-criminal-justice-reform?social=facebook_share"
Coalition Letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform
FreedomWorks sent a coalition letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urging him to support the reauthorization of the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform. The text of the letter and signers are below and a PDF of the letter can be found here.
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FreedomWorks' Member of the Month for March 2019: Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.)
FreedomWorks is proud to honor Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) as our member of the month for March of 2019. Rep. Hice serves the people of Georgia’s Tenth Congressional District, which encompasses most of the territory between Atlanta and Augusta. Rep. Hice was first elected in the 2014 midterm elections.
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Heli-One helps the Royal Norwegian Air Force bring people home safely
June 4, 2013 – Stavanger, Norway
Heli-One, the world’s largest independent provider of helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services, is helping the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) bring more people home safely by installing capability-enhancing modifications to its Sea King fleet.
Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera systems are essential on search and rescue (SAR) missions, helping to find people using body heat signals. After a successful trial – where Heli-One fitted two Sea Kings with Wescam MX10 FLIR cameras and high definition displays – the system is now being installed in four more aircraft.
“With this state-of-the-art system, Air Force crews can more easily find people in distress – especially at sea – and bring them home safely,” said Lars Landsnes, Managing Director Europe, Heli-One.
“We’re proud to support the Royal Norwegian Air Force in their efforts to save lives.”
Mr. Landsnes said the relationship between RNoAF and Heli-One’s expert engineers and technicians, who provide specialist support and installations, now spans 25 years.
Heli-One has extensive experience supporting customers across the SAR sector – from Lufttransport AS’s air ambulance service to the Icelandic Coast Guard’s fleet of Super Puma AS332L1s.
No. 330 Squadron of the RNoAF is a dedicated air ambulance and SAR unit providing services to Norway’s civilian population. The unit operates 12 Westland Sea King Mk43B helicopters from six bases in Norway.
The cameras are externally mounted Wescam MX10 FLIR cameras with Curtis Wright HD display systems for day and night operations.
About Heli-One
Heli-One is based in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and has MRO operations in Delta; Stavanger, Norway; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Rzeszow, Poland. Heli-One is part of CHC Helicopter, the world’s largest helicopter services company, which, in addition to MRO services, provides transportation to offshore oil and gas platforms and ships and search-and-rescue agencies. CHC is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and operates more than 240 aircraft in about 30 countries around the world.
To find out more about some of the modifications and upgrades Heli-One can provide for SAR customers, browse Heli-One’s Modifications Catalogue at www.heli-one.ca/mods
Melinda de Boer
Director, Communications - Europe, Africa, Euro-Asia
Melinda.deBoer@chc.ca
© 2019 Heli-One, a division of CHC Helicopter
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October 16, 2019 / book reviews, bookish
Mini-reviews: Well Met + The Paris Orphan + The Liars of Mariposa Island
Well Met by Jen DeLuca
pub 9/3/19 by Berkley
Women's Fiction - Romance
Received ARC from pub for review
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars | I'm a sucker for hate-to-love relationships abut having one of my favorite romantic tropes set against the background of a Renaissance Faire took it to a whole other level. Emily relocates to Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help out her sister and somehow gets roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire with her niece. From day one, she butts heads with Simon, a schoolteacher and one of the main organizers of the faire (it's a family business of sorts). But something changes between them when they don their costumes and get into characters. They begin to realize and fight what we already know – that they have a ton of chemistry! Whether they were flirting, bickering or just getting real with one another, I enjoyed all of their interactions. But it was about more than just the romance. It was also about these two individuals figuring out what they wanted. For Emily, it's family, stability, friendship and something of her own – which she feels like she has in Willow Creek. And even though the book is told from her perspective, Simon and his personal ties to the faire play a big role too and I enjoyed his story just as much. Overall, I was very impressed by this author's debut novel and I'm excited to see what she does next.
The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester
pub 9/3/19 by Forever Romance
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars | I sincerely hope Natasha Lester never stops writing historical novels set in Paris. She has this way of making her stories immediately compelling and expertly weaving between timelines, and this was no exception. First you have American model, Jessica May, who arrives in Europe during the 1950s to cover the war as a photojournalist for Vogue and as you can imagine, experiencing all sorts of truly horrible, sexist behavior. She perseveres through tenacity and with the support of friends, such as Captain Dan and a little orphan girl named Victorine. My favorite parts of the book were easily the moments that described her war photography, who and what she saw, and the brewing romance with Captain Dan. In the present, you have D'Arcy Hallworth who arrives in France to curate a collection of famous wartime photos by a reclusive artist but in the process, she ends up uncovering long-kept secrets about her own life and herm other Victorine that change her forever. Her story was interesting but as you can imagine, Jessica May was truly the star of this book. I will say that I did have a few reservations though, mainly around the many subplots. The war in itself and Jessica May's struggles for equality were huge arcs but the author continued to throw in so many (and IMHO, unnecessary) twists and turns that I couldn't help likening it to a soap opera. I would've liked to see certain things edited out and a more cathartic ending. It's still an excellent book though but these reservations kept it from replacing The Paris Seamstress as my favorite.
The Liars of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Mathieu
pub 9/17/19 by Roaring Brook Press
Young Adult - Contemporary
⭐⭐ 2 stars | This is my fifth Jennifer Mathieu book and honestly, the first one that's fell flat for me. It alternates between three characters: siblings Elena and Joaquin set during the summer of 1986 and then their mother's perspective set in the past during the time she fled Cuba to come to the United States as a teenager. For Elena, the only reprieve she gets from her mother's controlling ways is during the summer when she can babysit for the rich and perfect Callahans. When she meets a boy that summer though, it's a huge moment for her as she quickly for him and begins rebelling in order to see him. But I just didn't care for her or the relationship at all. This was an ongoing problem for me throughout the book because I also didn't care for their mother's story or her character either. I don't think we're meant to like her but she felt so one-dimensional and again, maybe that was the intent but it didn't work for me. Joaquin's story was the only one that got any sort of sympathy from me because both women in his family took him for granted and I didn't blame him for wanting to escape. Ultimately, even though the writing made the book a quick read and the plot did manage to surprise me a couple times, I just didn't enjoy reading it.
Alexa S. November 14, 2019 at 10:41 AM
Boo about the Jennifer Mathieu book falling flat for you! But yay for the other two being good reads. I adored Well Met, and thought it was super fun to read and swoon over. And I really need to read a Natasha Lester book already!
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Touring the most Popular Circuit In India
Golden Triangle of India is one of the most popular Tour Circuit of India covering the three of the beautiful, amazing and incredible cities of India. The tour starts from New Delhi, Indian Capital. Present New Delhi is a modern metropolitan city which accommodates people from different parts of country with different languages, culture and religion. Not only because its capital city of India, because of its rich historical and cultural preservation, Delhi has been a must visit place while you are in India.
Another place of highlight of this tour is Agra. Because of the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and also a lasting tribute to love and lovers beyond time, Agra has a different charm. Beside Taj Mahal, Agra has a rich tradition of handicraft and culture.
The final highlight of the Golden Triangle is Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, which is very colourful and also known as pink city as this city is color washed with pink to create the impression similar to the red standstone of the mughal city.
Arrive New Delhi. Transfer to Hotel.
Full day sightseeing tour of Delhi.
Drive New Delhi / Jaipur (258 kms)
Drive Jaipur / Agra (240 kms)
Sightseeing tour of Agra
Drive Agra / New Delhi (210 kms) & Departure
Extension Tour to Khajurao and Varanasi
Agra / Jhansi (by train) / Orchha / Khajuraho
Fly Khajuraho / Varanasi
Sightseeing tour of Varanasi
Fly Varanasi / Delhi & Depart
On arrival in New Delhi meet and greet by our representative in Indian traditional with garlanding and escorted to Hotel. O/N Hotel.
After morning breakfast proceed for sightseeing tour of old and New Delhi. The tour starts from Old Delhi visiting The Raj Ghat, Red Fort & Jama Masjid. Time permitting visit Chadni Chowk, local market etc. After this proceed to New Delhi visiting imposing India Gate, The President House, Qutub Minar, tallest stone tower in India and the Red Fort. O/N Hotel.
After morning breakfast proceed to Jaipur, also known as Pink City. check in to hotel for refreshment. Proceed to Amer Fort built in 16th century and enjoy the ride on Elephant back. After this pass through HawaMahal, followed by city sightseeing of Jaipur visiting – City Palace, which used to be the residence of the erstwhile Rajput rulers. Visit Jantar Mantar which is one of the 5 observatories built by the former ruler of Amber, Jai Singh. It is the largest of all. Also visit GovindDevji Temple, which is supposed to be the most popular temple of Jaipur, dedicated o Lord Krishna. Evening visit Birla temple.
Morning drive to Agra, en-route visiting Fatehpur Sikri (Old Deserted town of Mughal Dynasty) Jama Masjid, The Buland Darwaza, Palace of Jodha Bai, Birbal Bhawan & PanchMahal. Upon arrival, check in to Hotel.
Early morning visit Taj Mahal the most beautiful symbol of love and one of the world’s wonders. Visiting this site in the morning will allow you to see the glow of Taj Mahal in the changing light of rising Sun. Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz. After breakfast continue visiting Agra Fort built by the great Emperor Akbar and Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb.
After breakfast drive back to New Delhi and transfer to airport for onward journey with great memory.
Morning after breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to railway station to catch the Bhopal Shatabdi train for Jhansi at 0817 hrs / 1048 hrs. Upon arrival meet and greet by our representative at railway station and drive to Khajuraho. Enroute visit Orchhafort. Its worth visiting fort as there are many temples within the fort area. Visit to Ram Raja, Chaturbhuj and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Later, drive to Khajuraho and check-in to hotel.
After breakfast check-out from the hotel and start sightseeing tour of beautiful temples and sculpture of Khajuraho. Visit the Tantric and Jain Temples. The erotic and intricately carved poses of the Khajuraho temples leave you dumbfound and amazed. Later transfer to the airport to board the flight to Varanasi. On arrival transfer to hotel.
Varanasi is a holy city and seems to be oldest existing city in the world. Early wake up and drive to River Ganges to view the sunrise boating on river Ganges. Later proceed for half day guided sightseeing tour of Varanasi. The excursion includes the Bharat Mata temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Vishwanath temple and Ghats. In the evening enjoy the Ganga Aarti (worship of Holy Ganges). Overnight hotel.
After breakfast, check-out from the hotel and transfer to airport to catch the flight to back to Delhi. On arrival, transfer to International airport for your flight to onward destination.
1. Accommodation sharing twin at Hotel in New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra as per itinerary on Bed & Breakfast basis.
2. Airport transfers in New Delhi.
3. Transportation as per itinerary by private AC Vehicle.
4. Guided sightseeing tours as per itinerary with English speaking guide and applicable entrance fees
1. International flights to / from New Delhi.
2. India entry visa fees.
3. Lunch and dinner while in New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.
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"Hive Empire isn't a company, it's a way of life."
Hive Empire Pty Ltd is the holding company of finder.com.au - one of Australia's biggest comparison websites. finder.com.au helps people find, compare and apply for better products such as credit cards, home loans, savings accounts and life insurance, as well as save money with shopping discount coupon codes.
Hive Empire is the company name present on legal documents such as the ACL and AFSL. It is also the company name which appears on billing and account documents for all finance related issues, including invoicing and payroll.
Head over to our ‘About Us’ page if you’d like to learn more about finder.com.au or check our job board for any open positions.
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Disclaimer - Hive Empire Pty Ltd (trading as Finder.com.au, ABN: 18 118 785 121) provides factual information, general advice and services on financial products as a Corporate Authorised Representative (432664) of Advice Evolution Pty Ltd AFSL 342880. Please refer to our FSG. We also provide general advice on credit products under our own Credit Licence ACL 385509. Please refer to our Credit Guide for more information. We can also provide you with general advice and factual information on about a range of other products, services and providers. We are also a Corporate Authorised Representative of Countrywide Tolstrup Financial Services Group Pty Ltd. ABN 51 586 953 292 AFSL 244436 for the provision of online travel insurance.
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Registered Office of Hive Empire Pty Ltd: Level 10, 99 York St, Sydney NSW 2000
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Viral story about 'married couple who found out they were twins through IVF' said to be fake
A viral story about a couple who found out they were twins when they went for IVF treatments seem to be fabricated according to the Mirror UK. The article was published by the 'Mississippi Herald' on Thursday and was soon picked up by news and social media outlets around the world. The article claimed a man and a woman found out they were biological twins after a routine DNA test at a fertility clinic.
at April 17, 2017 No comments:
MBGN 2010, Afoma Fiona-Iredu is expecting her first child, see baby bump photos
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2010, Fiona Amuzie-Irede is expecting her first baby with her husband. She got married traditionally on Dec. 30th 2015 in her village in Idemili North LGA of Anambra state. and had a white wedding the following year. More photos after the cut...
at April 17, 2017 1 comment:
Why would anyone do this to a child?
This viral photo of a child who was made to recreate the crucifixion of Christ has been making the rounds on the Internet. This is in no way funny. Whoever did this to this child should be ashamed!
Nicki Minaj wishes her fans a Happy Easter with topless photos
Nicky Minaj shared topless photos to her fans to celebrate Easter. She shared the photos with the caption "Happy Easter 🎀 We shootin! 🎥Awww made ya look 👅". More photos after the cut..
Snapchat CEO under fire after he brands India a poor country, several Indians unistall the app
Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel's is under fire after he explains disinterest in expanding the business to "poor countries" like India. After he made that statement, the rating of the popular app dropped to a "single star" from an apparent "five star" on the App Store. Seeveral users have also unistalled the app. US-based news website Variety on Saturday quoted Snapchat’s former employee Anthony Pompliano as saying that Spiegel in September 2015 told him that:
13 Christians killed in fresh Southern Kaduna attack (Graphic Photos)
Easter Sunday turned bloody when unknown gunmen reportedly attacked Asso community in Jema'a Local Government Area in Kaduna on Easter eve, leaving 13 Christians dead. Details of the attack remain unknown but it's believed to be part of the Southern Kaduna violence involving the Fulani Herdsmen and local farming communities, which so far have left over 200 people dead in past attacks.
Facebook responds after Cleveland murder suspect shares video of senseless murder on Facebook Live
Facebook has issued a statement after a Facebook Live video of a Cleveland man, Steve Stephens, 37, showing a fatal shooting of a 74 year old man was uploaded onto its site. Cleveland Police say that Steve Stephens broadcast the killing of an old man who was later identified as 74 year old, Robert Goodwin Sr. on Sunday evening and is the ongoing target of a manhunt
The video has since been taken down and Stephens' account removed from the site.
Vietnamese Customs officers seize $270k worth of Rhino horns smuggled from Africa (Photo)
Vietnamese Custom officers have confiscated five kilograms of rhino horns worth nearly $270,000 at Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the rhino horns were found in the luggage belonging to a Vietnamese woman and a man who have been arrested.
Gorgeous photos of baby Luna at Kim Kardashian's Easter party
Singer, John Legend and wife, Chrissy Teigen shared these lovely photos of baby Luna celebrating Easter at Kim Kardashian's home. More photos after the cut...
'Fate of the Furious' becomes the biggest global box office opening movie ever
On Sunday, "The Fate of the Furious" became the biggest global opening movie in history. According to Universal Pictures. the eighth film in the popular "Fast and Furious" franchise raced to an estimated $532.5 million box office opening around the world this weekend. That total beats the global record held by Disney's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which made $529 million worldwide its opening weekend in 2015.
Governor Yari to Emir of Kano: Riding Rolls Royce does not show you as one fighting for the poor
Zamfara State Governor Abdu-laziz Yari has described the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, as an enemy of Islam, accusing him of playing to the gallery and not practicing what he preaches.
It will be recalled that the monarch had criticized the Governor over his statement attributing the outbreak of Meningitis to God's punishment for fornication.
Governor Yari, in a statement released by his Special Adviser ((Public Enlightenment and Communication), Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, accused the traditional ruler of hypocrisy by living a flamboyant lifestyle despite the palpable poverty, epidemics, maternal mortality and social vices in Northern Nigeria.
Chacha Eke-Faani's snap back game is on point (Photos)
Chacha Eke-Faani welcomed her second daughter with her director husband three months and some weeks ago and now she's got her body back. The actress looks really trim in these lovely photos. Another photo after the cut...
Everton bans 'The Sun' over article on Ross Barkley that compared his grandfather to a gorilla
English Premiership side, Everton banned the Sun "from all areas of its operation" after the newspaper published "appalling and indefensible" allegations about Ross Barkley and the people of Liverpool. The article, written by columnist Kelvin MacKenzie, appeared on Friday.
MacKenzie was suspended after comparing the midfielder, whose grandfather was born in Nigeria, to a "gorilla".
Nigerian man wanted by FBI for $5 million fraud
The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information directly leading to the arrest of a 32-year-old Nigerian man Kelechi Declan James, for allegedly scamming victim of more than $5 million.
A statement on FBI website says its "agents are looking for the public’s assistance in locating Kelechi Declan James. He has federal criminal charges against him from an investigation by FBI New York’s Cyber Crime Task Force."
Kim Kardashian shares beautiful Easter photos with her husband, Kanye West and kids
Mother of two and business entrepreneur, Kim Kardashian shared these beautiful Easter photos of herself, her husband, Kanye West and kids, North and Saint West.
Abuja Airport Runway ready 248-hours ahead of deadline – FAAN
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, would be ready today, April 17, two days ahead of the deadline. Engr. Saleh Dunoma the Managing Director of FAAN said “we will be ready April 17 but we are leaving the remaining two days for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). We have written to them and they will come and do the preliminary inspection.
Lol. Best man seen dozing during a wedding ceremony
The Bachelor party must have been lit!
Dream Kardashian is so cute!
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna's daughter, Dream Kardashian is so cute in her Easter outfit.
Beyoncé shows off her baby bump in new photo
As he shared on Facebook.
Queen Bey who's currently pregnant with twins showed off her baby bump as she posed with her childhood friend, Kelly Rowland and her mum, Tina Lawson to celebrate Easter.
Lol. See what Nigerians are now searching for on online stores
It seems whistle-blowing has become the most lucrative occupation now and Nigerians have jumped on the trend and are already making jokes about it. Seye Kuyinu shared this screenshot which is most likely photo-shopped but it's still very hilarious. He captioned it: "You think me I came to count bridge in Lagos"
Check out the product description for the whistle though. "Best for Ikoyi Snitching". Lol
'You're the definition of a backbone - Sound Sultan celebrates wife's' birthday
Today, Nigerian singer Sound Sultans wife Farida is a year older. He celebrate her birthday by taking her to see the Fela Broadwat concert in Lagos as he wrote sweet words on social media to appreiciate her love.
This photo of the President Trump and his wife, Melania, has been making the rounds on the internet, with some users tweeting about the perceived 'lack of chemistry' between the US president and his wife, while others insinuated that president Trump was trying rip off her thumb. Lol
Tekno and Lola Rae hang out together, share new photos
Ever since news broke about their secret romantic relationship, Tekno and Lola Rae are no longer in hiding or trying to cover up their tracks, but have rather been flaunting themselves on social media. More photos after the cut...
Graphic Photos: Gunmen kill journalist in Bayelsa State
Unidentified gunmen on Sunday killed a journalist, Famous Giobaro, in his residence at INEC Road, Kpasia in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
Giobaro, until his death was a a staff of state owned Bayelsa Radio Corporation, Glory FM 97.1 Yenagoa. A witness said the gunmen stormed his apartment at about 5 a.m on Sunday, April 16, where they had stiff resistance from the late journalist who barricaded the door as they tried to forcefully gain entrance into his house.
The EPL doesn't get any sweeter! Twitter reacts after Chelsea's loss to Man U
Chelsea didn't only lose 2-0 to Man U today, they broke a wonderful record as today was the first time since September 2007 that the club failed to muster a single shot on target in a premier league game. Such was Manchester United's brilliance and masterclass act on the day! The title race is now wide open with only four points separating Chelsea from Tottenham with over a month of football still to go.
FFK and wife dedicate their son at COZA Church
Femi Fani Kayode and his partner Precious Chikwendu dedicated their son, Aragorn yesterday at the Coza Church in Abuja yesterday. He shared the photo above and wrote:
EPL title race back on! As Man U beat Chelsea 2-0 at Old Trafford!! (match analysis/photos)
Tottenham fans at the end of today's match between Man U and Chelsea must have taken their dogs for a walk after a Marcus Rashford inspired side defeated Premier league leaders Chelsea 2-0 at Old Trafford, meaning Tottenham in second place are now 4 points behind Chelsea at the summit of the table.
Ogun State Police arrest man who chained his wife to generator from night till next morning (photo)
The Ogun State Police have arrested a 37-year old man, Ifeanyi Ajaero, for allegedly beating his wife before chaining her to a generator from night till morning.
The suspect Ifeanyi Ajaero chained his 28-year-old wife identified as Obiageli to the generator on the night of Friday, 14th April till the next morning, Saturday 15th April, 2017.
Photos: Actress Juliet Mgborukwe gets brand new BMW as a birthday/Easter present from her hubby
Actress and former Soundcity presenter, Juliet Mgborukwe, showed off this brand new BMW SUV she got from her hubby, Chima, as her 30th birthday/Easter gift.
Juliet and Chima got married in 2011, separated in 2012 just months after their wedding but thankfully got back again together in 2014.
Photos: Woman hacks her one-year-old nephew to death, seriously injures another
A one-year old boy was killed and his five year old brother hospitalized after their aunt attacked them with a machete in Nyamonema village, Kisii County, Kenya on Wednesday, April 12th.
The woman attacked the two siblings as they played outside their grandmother’s house. She allegedly slashed the minors several times, killing the younger one on the spot and seriously injuring the older sibling.
EFCC recovered N13bn cash and APC Govt of the more you look, the less you see- Gov Ayo Fayose
Saturday, it was made public that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) claimed ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi,
Lagos. This, to my mind is one cover-up too many and this federal government seeming plot to protect the original owner of both the money and the apartment where it was found has further shown that the anti-corruption fight is political, selective and therefore a ruse.
Video: Angry youths attack House of Reps member & a Senator in Katsina state
Angry youths in Katsina state yesterday used stones, shoes, chairs and other objects to attack Senator Abu Ibrahim representing Katsina south and a member representing Bakori/Danja in the house of representatives, Amiru Tukur, at a political event organised by the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC).
See the EPL table after this weekend's round of matches (photo)
Oops! It's getting dangerously tough for Chelsea. See the full table standings below.
Where 'bastard money' came from...lol
Lol...abi o!
'If I have a second chance at marriage, I'll keep it lowkey' - Teebillz
For the first time since his marriage with Tiwa Savage broke down, Teebillz spoke publicly about the marriage and what he would have done differently.
Yesterday, Teebillz was invited by his mentor and life coach, Lanre Olusola to speak as a panelist at Mind the Gap X, a love and relationship class for single, married and divorced people. At the event, Teebillz was quoted saying,
Whistle-blower policy: Looters now burying stolen funds in backyards, deep forests, cemeteries - Lai Mohammed
The Federal Government has hailed its whistle-blower policy, which has led to the recovery of looted funds in many currencies that may otherwise not have been discovered, describing it as an effective tool of fighting corruption in Nigeria.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the policy has also shown the depth of support among Nigerians for the fight against corruption.
Samuel Eto'o pays surprise visit to Tony Elumelu, presents him a signed jersey (photos)
After visiting Peter of P-Square and his family at their Ikoyi home yesterday, Cameroonian footballer, Samuel Eto'o paid a surprise visit to Nigerian billionaire, Tony Elumelu at his residence, where he gave him a signed jersey.
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Misc Publishers
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My Slabbed Comics
Outcast #1
Image Comics - June 2014
Key Issue Notes
First appearance of Kyle Barnes
First appearance of Allison Barnes
First appearance of Amber Barnes
First appearance of Megan Holt
First appearance of Reverend Anderson
Outcast is a supernatural horror comic from Image Comics, and was created by none other than writer Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, and artist Paul Azaceta. Outcast is yet another Kirkman scripted comic that's headed to the small screen. Season one will premiere on Cinemax on June 3, and because of the upcoming show, Outcast #1 has seen a huge boost in demand.
Our tortured hero, Kyle Barnes, has been plagued with demonic possession his whole life. At a young age, his mother, Sarah, became possessed and started beating him. With the help of Reverend Anderson, the demon was exorcised but Sarah was left in a comatose state.
Because Kyle's mother was now in a coma, he went into the foster care. The family that took him in were the parents of Megan Holt. With a little persuasion from Megan, they decided to adopt him and raise him as their own son. Megan would eventually become possessed too, but not in this issue.
When Kyle got older, he married Allison Barnes. Eventually, like most married couples do, they had a baby, Amber. Can you guess what happens to them? Yup, you guessed it, possessed...both of 'em. This time, Kyle tries to exorcise them without any help from Reverend Anderson. The exorcism worked, but it left Allison with several wounds, making it look like Kyle was a wife beater. She now has a restraining order against him and lives in Charleston with Amber. For some reason, everyone Kyle is close to becomes possessed by demons, now he lives a lonely desolate life to protect his friends and family.
There was a lot of hype over this comic before it came out so Image printed a lot of copies. Outcast #1 had an estimated print run of 71,788. It's not like they printed 500,000 or a million copies, but this comic is in no way rare, scarce, or hard to find. In fact it's in the top 15 most printed comics for the month that it was released. However, even with the high print run, it seems that there weren't enough copies in their first printing, because there were 4 more printings after that. In total, Outcast went all the way to a fifth printing. Talk about a huge demand for this book. I don't have any numbers on any of the other printings, but that doesn't really concern me. For this post, I'm only concerned about first print copies. Be aware, many of the covers of printings two through five look exactly like or very similar to the cover of the first print. Be sure to pay attention to which one you're looking at.
CGC Census
There are a couple of things that surprised me when I was looking over the CGC census. One was that there weren zero copies graded over a 9.8. For a book this recent, it seems like there should be a few 9.9 copies, maybe even a 10. The other was at just how many 9.8 copies there were. To date, CGC has 3,146 copies in their census. Of those, 2,638 are graded a respectable 9.8. Wowza! Needless to say, there is no shortage of high grade copies of Outcast #1 out there for you to buy if you were looking for one. 9.6 copies are far more scarce than 9.8's. There are only a fraction of 9.6's compared to 9.8 copies. In fact, there are only 375 9.6 copies listed in their census at this time.
Values for Outcast #1 on GoCollect
This comic has seen a lot of action in terms of sales lately, but with so many high grade copies, there hasn't been a dramatic increase in value. According go goCollect, the latest sales for high grade 9.8 copies are just a hair under the $100 mark. If you're looking for a more affordable option, the latest sales for 9.6 copies are currently selling for under $40, but that's probably not a good option considering how many copies are graded higher than that. There are a few sales for copies graded lower that a 9.6, but honestly, the prices are so low, they're not really worth mentioning.
With the new T.V. series coming soon, you can probably expect to see values for this comic rise slightly, but don't buy it expecting it to be the next Walking Dead #1. With the amount of copies out there, that's probably not going to happen. But, if you're looking for a short term investment, this could be one to snag and flip it for some quick cash, but only if you act soon.
Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect
Posted by Graded Key Comics at 9:31:00 AM
Labels: 1st appearance of Allison Bar, 1st appearance of Kyle Barnes, 1st appearance of Megan Holt, 1st appearance of Reverend Anderson, Cinemax, Outcast 1, Outcast TV show, Paul Azaceta, Robert Kirkman
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134
Iron Fist #14
X-Men #4
NYX #3
Uncanny X-Men #297 Pressman Gold Edition - CBCS 9....
Preacher #1
Werewolf by Night #32
Superboy #68 - CGC 5.0
Caliber Presents #1
Spawn #1
Tales of Suspense #39
The Walking Dead #100
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The Night Flight Orchestra release music video for first single “Divinyls”
Submitted by newseditor on Fri, 01/03/2020 - 18:07
Swedish classic rock/AOR supergroup The Night Flight Orchestra are set to take off with the release of their intergalactic new album “Aeromantic” on February 28th, 2020, via Nuclear Blast.
“More drama” is the name of the game - and the band delivers a dose of class in the form of the official music video for the first single “Divinyls”, directed by René U Valdes of Bravo Bravo Films. Get a sonic impression of their promised “Aeromantic” experience below.
Read more about The Night Flight Orchestra release music video for first single “Divinyls”
Submitted by thanos on Sun, 12/22/2019 - 15:41
Hi Paul, I’m glad to get the chance to talk with you again about the new album “Zokusho”. Once again you’ve nailed it! The new album rocks big time dude! Congrats!
P: Thank you. We did the best we could with the time we had to write and record it. I think both Bruno and I put a lot of pressure on ourselves to write an album that we could be proud of, and stand on its own separate from the first release.
Read more about The Defiants
The Night Flight Orchestra announces March 2020 European Headlining Tour
Submitted by newseditor on Tue, 12/10/2019 - 14:08
Some bands enter new decades with caution. Nervously they traipse around aimlessly, having whispered band meetings discussing the zeitgeist, and how it might affect the planning of their next career move.
Read more about The Night Flight Orchestra announces March 2020 European Headlining Tour
The Night Flight Orchestra releases music video for new single “Cabin Pressure Drops”
Swedish classic rock/AOR. supergroup The Night Flight Orchestra have released a brand new music video for the new single “Cabin Pressure Drops”.
Watch the official video below. Purchase & stream the single here.
Read more about The Night Flight Orchestra releases music video for new single “Cabin Pressure Drops”
Kissin’ Dynamite and The Baseballs present music video for new single “Cadillac Maniac”
Hard Rock and fifties Rock‘n’Roll in one song? Can this even work? Of course it can! With their collaboration song, “Cadillac Maniac”, Kissin’ Dynamite and The Baseballs deliver the stunning proof that even in 2019 it’s possible to create a bold and surprising musical fusion that manages to impress with its sheer refreshing otherness. But how did the spectacular collaboration come about?
Read more about Kissin’ Dynamite and The Baseballs present music video for new single “Cadillac Maniac”
The Defiants - Zokusho
Truly I was hoping for a second album by The Defiants, but as time was passing by I thought that this was probably a one-time album. Thankfully, I was proven wrong and after three years the guys are back with their sophomore release, which is called “Zokusho”. This time the guys, Paul Laine (vocals), Bruno Ravel (bass guitar, guitar, keyboards), Rob Marcello (lead guitar), also have Steve West (Danger Danger) on drums.
Read more about The Defiants - Zokusho
Cats In Space
Submitted by rockavlon on Mon, 09/02/2019 - 01:33
Hi, Greg… congrats on “Daytrip to Narnia” – it’s has been chosen as the “Album of the Month” on Grande Rock! Great job dude once again!
G: Hi there guys! That’s awesome news, thank you so much for the support!
So, how are things out there in space?
Read more about Cats In Space
The Defiants to release new studio album “Zokusho” on September 13th 2019
The Defiants are back with their sophomore album, “Zokusho” on September 13th, 2019, via Frontiers Music srl.
The band has released the first single and video for “Fallin’ for You” - watch it below.
Read more about The Defiants to release new studio album “Zokusho” on September 13th 2019
The Night Flight Orchestra releases music video for new single “Satellite”
Submitted by newseditor on Mon, 06/17/2019 - 16:23
Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup The Night Flight Orchestra have released their brand new single, “Satellite”.
Watch the official music video for “Satellite” below.
Commented the band:
Read more about The Night Flight Orchestra releases music video for new single “Satellite”
First Signal - Line of Fire
Out of all the various projects that Frontiers has “devised” by having the various vocalists on their roster sing in tunes composed and recorded by a variety of talent they also have on tap, First Signal was meant to feature and display the considerable talents of Harem Scarem’s Harry Hess. The Canadian has always done a top notch job, but also the project itself has never become “a burden” other than one of joy.
Read more about First Signal - Line of Fire
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Will Smith and Martin Lawrence talk about 'Bad Boys'Michael Chaney
Nicolas Cage: 'Marriage Story should be required viewing for anyone thinking of divorce'
‘Finding Dory’ Will Feature A Transgender Character
After the recent rumors that Disney-Pixar’s Finding Dory might have a lesbian couple, Ellen DeGeneres, who voices the forgetful, blue fish Dory, revealed that while the film might not have a distinct lesbian character, it does have a confirmed transgender character.
In an interview with USA Today, DeGeneres spoke about the character, saying that it’s a “Sting-Ray that’s becoming Sting-Rhonda, so there’s a trans-sting in the movie.”
DeGeneres wasn’t sure if the rumored lesbian couple shown in the recent trailer were actually gay, but joked, “One woman has a very bad short haircut, which I find very offensive. If that’s the definition of a gay woman, then how dare you? Just because someone has a short, bad haircut doesn’t mean she’s gay. [She just has a] bad hairdresser. So I don’t know that that’s the case.”
Of course, DeGeneres is 100% for the idea of representing the LGBTQ community in Finding Dory. In a press conference, the daytime talk show host said, “I think everything that we see in the media – whether it’s television or film or anything you see – should represent everything that’s happening in the world. I think everybody that is in the world should be seen and represented.”
Finding Dory’s string ray will be the first openly transgender Disney-Pixar character. While Disney has never featured a transgender character before, there are rumors that Pleakley, an alien in the film Lilo And Stitch who identifies as a male but wears women’s clothing, is trans.
Finding Dory hits theaters on June 17.
More about 'Finding Dory'...
New 'Finding Dory' Trailer Shows What May Be Disney-Pixar's First Lesbian Couple
15 'Finding Nemo' Facts That Will Keep You Swimming
How Well Do You Remember 'Finding Nemo'?
Watch The Stars Walk The Blue Carpet For 'Finding Dory' World Premiere
#Disney-Pixar
#EllenDeGeneres
#FindingDory
by Mariel Loveland
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Music distraction - its efficacy in management of anxious pediatric dental patients
N Marwah1, AR Prabhakar2, OS Raju2
1 Department of Pedodontics, Government Dental College, Rohtak., India
2 Department of Pedodontics, Bapuji Dental College, Davangere., India
N Marwah
20/849, D.L.F Colony, Rohtak,Haryana - 124001
Managing the anxiety of pediatric dental patient has long been the purview of dentists over many years. Various techniques have been used with moderate and variant success rates over the last few years. The main aim of this study was to ascertain if music distraction is an effective means of managing anxiety in pediatric dental patients. Forty children aged between 4 and 8 years were selected for the study. The assessment of anxiety was done using Venham's picture test, Venham's anxiety rating scale, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation during different treatment visits. The values were statistically analyzed and it was concluded that audio distraction did decrease the anxiety level in pediatric dental patients, but not to a very significant level.
Keywords: Music distraction, Anxiety
Marwah N, Prabhakar A R, Raju O S. Music distraction - its efficacy in management of anxious pediatric dental patients. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2005;23:168-70
Marwah N, Prabhakar A R, Raju O S. Music distraction - its efficacy in management of anxious pediatric dental patients. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent [serial online] 2005 [cited 2020 Jan 21];23:168-70. Available from: http://www.jisppd.com/text.asp?2005/23/4/168/19003
Managing the behavior and anxiety of a child so as to become a co-operative patient is critical to the success of dental treatment. Although, traditional techniques may be successful, the attitude of parents and dental professionals towards these techniques is changing.[1] This is the reason why new nonaversive techniques, which are more effective and more acceptable to the parents, are being used. Audio distraction is one such nonaversive technique in which patient listens to music during the dental procedure. Because of its success in medical settings[2] and in adult dental patients[3] many dentists believe that this technique may be successful in management of pediatric dental patients.
Most of the studies that have been done are on 7 years or older children. There is need to check the distraction techniques in patients of younger age group who exhibit more disruptive behavior and dental anxiety. There is also a need to measure the physiological response that could be indicative of anxiety levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of music distraction in managing the anxious pediatric dental patients.
Aims and objectives of this study were to:
1.Ascertain if music distraction is an effective means of managing anxious pediatric dental patients.
2.Ascertain type of music that is most helpful in reduction of anxiety.
Forty children aged between 4 and 8 years with no previous dental experience were selected for the study. No physically or mentally handicapped children were included in the study. Consent was obtained from the parents prior to the inclusion of the children in the study. Each child had four dental visits, first was the screening visit followed by three treatment visits. The purpose of the screening visit was to check the baseline values of all the parameters for the patient. Oral prophylaxis was done in second visit followed by cavity preparation and restoration in the third visit and extraction of the decayed teeth in the last visit.
The children were randomly divided in to two groups. First group was control group (group A) and the second group was music group. This music group was further divided equally in to two subgroups viz. instrumental music group (group B) and nursery rhymes music group (group C). The choice of the type of music depended upon the patient's selection. The patients in the music group listened to the selected audio presentation through headphones throughout the treatment during all the visits.
Child's anxiety level in each visit was assessed using a combination of four measures that is Venham's picture test,[4] Venham's anxiety rating scale,[4] pulse rate and oxygen saturation. Pulse rate and oxygen saturation were measured using pulse oximeter.[5] These attained values were statistically analyzed using one factor An analysis of variance (anova) and Mann-Whitney test. [Table - 1]
Self-reported measure of anxiety: Venham's picture test was administered two times to each patient during one visit; once prior to treatment and once after the treatment. anova was completed analyzing the pre and post treatment values for the three groups. There was no significant difference between the three groups but the Venham's scores in each group during different visits were strongly co-related.
Anxiety measures: Venham's anxiety rating scale was used to measure the anxiety during all the visits. A significant difference ( P < 0.05) was observed between the anxiety ratings among groups B and C that is between instrumental music group and nursery rhyme group, the anxiety being more in later [Figure - 1].
Pulse rate: pulse oximeter was used to evaluate pulse rate during all the four visits. The values of pulse rate were more in the control group (group A) when compared to any of the music groups (groups B and C) but the differences were not statistically significant. A statistically significant ( P < 0.05) difference was seen between the pulse rates in groups B and C that is between instrumental music group and nursery rhyme group, the anxiety being more in later [Figure - 2].
Oxygen saturation: pulse oximeter was used to evaluate oxygen saturation during all the four visits. The values of oxygen saturation showed minimal variations during all the visits for all the groups and the results were not statistically significant [Figure - 3].
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of music distraction in management of anxious pediatric dental patients.
Venham's picture test, which is used in this study, is the most reliable measure of self-reported anxiety in children.[6] Venham's anxiety rating scale is also an effective means of assessing anxiety in children.[6] Since, pulse rate is a direct measure of physiologic arousal and its increase is attributed to stress during dental procedure and therefore pulse rate is an index of patience response to dental stimuli.[5]
The observations from this study indicated that Venham's picture test gave statistically inconclusive results, but the picture test was a very effective measure of the emotional state of the child at the chair side. This observation was similar to the earlier observations made by Venham et al. in 1977 and Alwin et al in 1991.
The observations from this study indicate that pulse rate in the music groups especially in the instrumental music group was lower as compared to the control group thereby confirming the physiologic relaxation aspect of music. This indicates that audio distraction did result in reduction of anxiety in pediatric dental patients although the effect was not much significant. These results are consistent with several previous studies that also found the music distraction technique of use.[7],[8] In contrast our results contradicted a few studies that showed no effect of music distraction.[9],[10]
It is possible that our results differ because of different methods and techniques, which we have used. The choice of music in our study was left to the patient as indicated by Klein and Winkelstein[11] because playing familiar songs will help child gain control over the unpleasant stimulus and give them a feeling of being in the familiar environment, whereas in other studies the choice of music was not given to the child. The music presentation in our study was used for the entire procedure whereas it was used only for a few minutes in other studies.
Reduction in anxiety can be attributed to two reasons. First, a child listening to music will tend to close his eyes to concentrate on the audio presentation thereby screening out the sight of dental treatment.[8] Second, the sound of music will eliminate unpleasant dental sounds like the sound of hand piece[12] and these two advantages coupled with the effect of music will provide relaxation[12] and allow the dentist to effectively manage the anxious patient.
Although, we do confer that music did reduce anxiety to some extent but not very significantly. Music distraction may be helpful as an adjunct along with other techniques therefore further research needs to be done in this field using other nonaversive techniques and newer strategies should be devised to manage anxious pediatric dental patient.
Following conclusions were drawn from the study:
1.Audio distraction technique did decrease the anxiety level in the pediatric patients although not to a very significant level.
2.Instrumental music was the music of choice.
3.Despite lack of any relief from pain the patients had an overwhelming positive response to the music presentation and wanted to hear it at their subsequent visits.
1. Lawrence SM, Mc Tigue DJ, Wilson S, Odom JG, Waggoner WF, Fields HW. Parental attitude towards behavior management techniques used in pediatric dentistry. Pediatr Dent 1991;13:151-5.
2. White JM. State of the science of music interventions. Critical care and perioperative practice. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am 2000;12:219-25.
3. Seyrek SK, Corah NL, Pace LF. Comparison of three distraction techniques in reducing stress in dental patients. JADA 1984;108:327-9.
4. Venham L, Bengston D, Cipes M. Children's response to sequential dental visits. J Dent Res 1977;56:454-9.
5. Yelderman M, William N. Evaluation of pulse oximetry. Eur J Anaesthesiol 1983;59:349-52.
6. Newton JD, Buck DJ. Anxiety and pain measures in dentistry. JADA 2000;131:1449-57.
7. Ingersoll BD, Nash DA, Gamber C. The use of contingent audio taped material with pediatric dental patients. JADA 1984;109:717-9.
8. Corah NL, Gale EN, Illig SJ. The use of relaxation and distraction to reduce psychological stress during dental procedures. JADA 1979;98:390-4.
9. Parkin SF. The effect of ambient music upon the reactions of children undergoing dental treatment. ASDC J Dent Child 1981;48:430-2.
10. Aitkin JC, Wilson S, Coury D, Moursi AM. Effect of music distraction on pain, anxiety and behavior in pediatric dental patients. Pediatr Dent 2002;24:114-8.
11. Klein SA, Winkelstein ML. Enhancing pediatric health care with music. J Ped Health Care 1996;10:74-81.
12. Baghdadi ZD. Evaluation of audio analgesia for restorative care in children treated using EDA J Clin Ped Dent 2000;25:9-12.
[Figure - 1], [Figure - 2], [Figure - 3]
[Table - 1]
1 Effect of audiovisual distraction with 3D video glasses on dental anxiety of children experiencing administration of local analgesia: a randomised clinical trial
S. Nuvvula,S. Alahari,R. Kamatham,R. R. Challa
European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry. 2014;
2 Mastocytosis: oral implications of a rare disease : Oral implications of mastocytosis
T. A. Rama, I. Côrte-Real, P. S. Gomes, L. Escribano, M. H. Fernandes
Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine. 2010; : no
[VIEW] | [DOI]
3 Can Indian classical instrumental music reduce pain felt during venepuncture?
Balan, R., Bavdekar, S.B., Jadhav, S.
Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2009; 76(5): 469-473
Rajiv Balan,Sandeep B. Bavdekar,Sandhya Jadhav
The Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2009; 76(5): 469
Marwah N
Prabhakar A R
Raju O S
Music distraction
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Obituary: James “Jim” Rowland
Jim Rowland, 75, passed away on Nov. 21, 2019 at the Thunderbird Retirement Home in Glendale, Arizona. He suffered from COPD related issues. Jim graduated from Junction City High School as Valedictorian in 1962. Later he attended Kansas State University and received a degree in Mathematics. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Jim worked as a Vice-President at Bank of America in San Francisco. He had positions in Software Development in California, Nevada, and Arizona. He was an avid duplicate bridge player and won tournaments at the regional level. He was a much sought after partner. Jim was affable, had a quick wit, and enlivened many a conversation with friends and family. He was preceded in death by his wife Susan and his parents Bill and Louise Rowland. His brother Ron of Kansas City survives him. Jim’s ashes will be entered in the Rowland family plot in Pleasant Hill, Missouri.
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System and method to magnetically actuate a capsule endoscopic robot for diagnosis and treatment
Sitti, M., Yim, S.
May 2016, US Patent 9,445,711 (patent)
Present invention describes a swallowable device with a soft, compliant exterior, whose shape can be changed through the use of magnetic fields, and which can be locomoted in a rolling motion through magnetic control from the exterior of the patient. The present invention could be used for a variety of medical applications inside the GI tract including but not limited to drug delivery, biopsy, heat cauterization, pH sensing, biochemical sensing, micro-surgery, and active imaging.
pi Sitti, M., Yim, S. System and method to magnetically actuate a capsule endoscopic robot for diagnosis and treatment May 2016, US Patent 9,445,711 (patent)
Remotely addressable magnetic composite micro-actuators
Sitti, M., Diller, E., Miyashita, S.
Febuary 2016, US Patent App. 15/018,008 (patent)
The present invention describes methods to fabricate actuators that can be remotely controlled in an addressable manner, and methods to provide remote control such micro-actuators. The actuators are composites of two permanent magnet materials, one of which is has high coercivity, and the other of which switches magnetization direction by applied fields. By switching the second material's magnetization direction, the two magnets either work together or cancel each other, resulting in distinct “on” and “off” behavior of the devices. The device can be switched “on” or “off” remotely using a field pulse of short duration.
pi Sitti, M., Diller, E., Miyashita, S. Remotely addressable magnetic composite micro-actuators Febuary 2016, US Patent App. 15/018,008 (patent)
Febuary 2016, US Patent 9,281,112 (patent)
pi Sitti, M., Diller, E., Miyashita, S. Remotely addressable magnetic composite micro-actuators Febuary 2016, US Patent 9,281,112 (patent)
Method for encapsulating a nanostructure, coated nanostructure and use of a coated nanostructure
Jeong, H. H., Lee, T. C., Fischer, P.
Google Patents, 2016, WO Patent App. PCT/EP2016/056,377 (patent)
The present invention relates to a method for encapsulating a nanostructure, the method comprising the steps of: -providing a substrate; -forming a plug composed of plug material at said substrate; -forming a nanostructure (on or) at said plug; -forming a shell composed of at least one shell material on external surfaces of the nanostructure, with the at least one shell material covering said nanostructure and at least some of the plug material,whereby the shell and the plug encapsulate the nanostructure. The invention further relates to a coated nanostructure and to the use of a coated nanostructure.
pf Jeong, H. H., Lee, T. C., Fischer, P. Method for encapsulating a nanostructure, coated nanostructure and use of a coated nanostructure Google Patents, 2016, WO Patent App. PCT/EP2016/056,377 (patent)
Reaction graph kernels for discovering missing enzymes in the plant secondary metabolism
Saigo, H., Hattori, M., Tsuda, K.
NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning in Computational Biology, December 2007 (talk)
Secondary metabolic pathway in plant is important for finding druggable candidate enzymes. However, there are many enzymes whose functions are still undiscovered especially in organism-specific metabolic pathways. We propose reaction graph kernels for automatically assigning the EC numbers to unknown enzymatic reactions in a metabolic network. Experiments are carried out on KEGG/REACTION database and our method successfully predicted the first three digits of the EC number with 83% accuracy.We also exhaustively predicted missing enzymatic functions in the plant secondary metabolism pathways, and evaluated our results in biochemical validity.
ei Saigo, H., Hattori, M., Tsuda, K. Reaction graph kernels for discovering missing enzymes in the plant secondary metabolism NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning in Computational Biology, December 2007 (talk)
Positional Oligomer Importance Matrices
Sonnenburg, S., Zien, A., Philips, P., Rätsch, G.
At the heart of many important bioinformatics problems, such as gene finding and function prediction, is the classification of biological sequences, above all of DNA and proteins. In many cases, the most accurate classifiers are obtained by training SVMs with complex sequence kernels, for instance for transcription starts or splice sites. However, an often criticized downside of SVMs with complex kernels is that it is very hard for humans to understand the learned decision rules and to derive biological insights from them. To close this gap, we introduce the concept of positional oligomer importance matrices (POIMs) and develop an efficient algorithm for their computation. We demonstrate how they overcome the limitations of sequence logos, and how they can be used to find relevant motifs for different biological phenomena in a straight-forward way. Note that the concept of POIMs is not limited to interpreting SVMs, but is applicable to general k−mer based scoring systems.
ei Sonnenburg, S., Zien, A., Philips, P., Rätsch, G. Positional Oligomer Importance Matrices NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning in Computational Biology, December 2007 (talk)
Schweikert, G., Zeller, G., Weigel, D., Schölkopf, B., Rätsch, G.
ei Schweikert, G., Zeller, G., Weigel, D., Schölkopf, B., Rätsch, G. Machine Learning Algorithms for Polymorphism Detection NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning in Computational Biology, December 2007 (talk)
An Automated Combination of Kernels for Predicting Protein Subcellular Localization
Zien, A., Ong, C.
Protein subcellular localization is a crucial ingredient to many important inferences about cellular processes, including prediction of protein function and protein interactions.We propose a new class of protein sequence kernels which considers all motifs including motifs with gaps. This class of kernels allows the inclusion of pairwise amino acid distances into their computation. We utilize an extension of the multiclass support vector machine (SVM)method which directly solves protein subcellular localization without resorting to the common approach of splitting the problem into several binary classification problems. To automatically search over families of possible amino acid motifs, we optimize over multiple kernels at the same time. We compare our automated approach to four other predictors on three different datasets, and show that we perform better than the current state of the art. Furthermore, our method provides some insights as to which features are most useful for determining subcellular localization, which are in agreement with biological reasoning.
ei Zien, A., Ong, C. An Automated Combination of Kernels for Predicting Protein Subcellular Localization NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning in Computational Biology, December 2007 (talk)
Challenges in Brain-Computer Interface Development: Induction, Measurement, Decoding, Integration
Invited keynote talk at the launch of BrainGain, the Dutch BCI research consortium, November 2007 (talk)
I‘ll present a perspective on Brain-Computer Interface development from T{\"u}bingen. Some of the benefits promised by BCI technology lie in the near foreseeable future, and some further away. Our motivation is to make BCI technology feasible for the people who could benefit from what it has to offer soon: namely, people in the "completely locked-in" state. I‘ll mention some of the challenges of working with this user group, and explain the specific directions they have motivated us to take in developing experimental methods, algorithms, and software.
ei Hill, NJ. Challenges in Brain-Computer Interface Development: Induction, Measurement, Decoding, Integration Invited keynote talk at the launch of BrainGain, the Dutch BCI research consortium, November 2007 (talk)
Policy Learning for Robotics
14th International Conference on Neural Information Processing (ICONIP), November 2007 (talk)
ei Peters, J. Policy Learning for Robotics 14th International Conference on Neural Information Processing (ICONIP), November 2007 (talk)
Hilbert Space Representations of Probability Distributions
2nd Workshop on Machine Learning and Optimization at the ISM, October 2007 (talk)
Many problems in unsupervised learning require the analysis of features of probability distributions. At the most fundamental level, we might wish to determine whether two distributions are the same, based on samples from each - this is known as the two-sample or homogeneity problem. We use kernel methods to address this problem, by mapping probability distributions to elements in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Given a sufficiently rich RKHS, these representations are unique: thus comparing feature space representations allows us to compare distributions without ambiguity. Applications include testing whether cancer subtypes are distinguishable on the basis of DNA microarray data, and whether low frequency oscillations measured at an electrode in the cortex have a different distribution during a neural spike. A more difficult problem is to discover whether two random variables drawn from a joint distribution are independent. It turns out that any dependence between pairs of random variables can be encoded in a cross-covariance operator between appropriate RKHS representations of the variables, and we may test independence by looking at a norm of the operator. We demonstrate this independence test by establishing dependence between an English text and its French translation, as opposed to French text on the same topic but otherwise unrelated. Finally, we show that this operator norm is itself a difference in feature means.
ei Gretton, A. Hilbert Space Representations of Probability Distributions 2nd Workshop on Machine Learning and Optimization at the ISM, October 2007 (talk)
Regression with Intervals
Kashima, H., Yamazaki, K., Saigo, H., Inokuchi, A.
International Workshop on Data-Mining and Statistical Science (DMSS2007), October 2007, JSAI Incentive Award. Talk was given by Hisashi Kashima. (talk)
ei Kashima, H., Yamazaki, K., Saigo, H., Inokuchi, A. Regression with Intervals International Workshop on Data-Mining and Statistical Science (DMSS2007), October 2007, JSAI Incentive Award. Talk was given by Hisashi Kashima. (talk)
MR-Based PET Attenuation Correction: Method and Validation
Hofmann, M., Steinke, F., Scheel, V., Brady, M., Schölkopf, B., Pichler, B.
Joint Molecular Imaging Conference, September 2007 (talk)
PET/MR combines the high soft tissue contrast of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the functional information of Positron Emission Tomography (PET). For quantitative PET information, correction of tissue photon attenuation is mandatory. Usually in conventional PET, the attenuation map is obtained from a transmission scan, which uses a rotating source, or from the CT scan in case of combined PET/CT. In the case of a PET/MR scanner, there is insufficient space for the rotating source and ideally one would want to calculate the attenuation map from the MR image instead. Since MR images provide information about proton density of the different tissue types, it is not trivial to use this data for PET attenuation correction. We present a method for predicting the PET attenuation map from a given the MR image, using a combination of atlas-registration and recognition of local patterns. Using "leave one out cross validation" we show on a database of 16 MR-CT image pairs that our method reliably allows estimating the CT image from the MR image. Subsequently, as in PET/CT, the PET attenuation map can be predicted from the CT image. On an additional dataset of MR/CT/PET triplets we quantitatively validate that our approach allows PET quantification with an error that is smaller than what would be clinically significant. We demonstrate our approach on T1-weighted human brain scans. However, the presented methods are more general and current research focuses on applying the established methods to human whole body PET/MRI applications.
ei Hofmann, M., Steinke, F., Scheel, V., Brady, M., Schölkopf, B., Pichler, B. MR-Based PET Attenuation Correction: Method and Validation Joint Molecular Imaging Conference, September 2007 (talk)
Bayesian methods for NMR structure determination
29th Annual Discussion Meeting: Magnetic Resonance in Biophysical Chemistry, September 2007 (talk)
ei Habeck, M. Bayesian methods for NMR structure determination 29th Annual Discussion Meeting: Magnetic Resonance in Biophysical Chemistry, September 2007 (talk)
Collaborative Filtering via Ensembles of Matrix Factorizations
Wu, M.
KDD Cup and Workshop, August 2007 (talk)
ei Wu, M. Collaborative Filtering via Ensembles of Matrix Factorizations KDD Cup and Workshop, August 2007 (talk)
Thinking Out Loud: Research and Development of Brain Computer Interfaces
Invited keynote talk at the Max Planck Society‘s PhDNet Workshop., July 2007 (talk)
My principal interest is in applying machine-learning methods to the development of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). This involves the classification of a user‘s intentions or mental states, or regression against some continuous intentional control signal, using brain signals obtained for example by EEG, ECoG or MEG. The long-term aim is to develop systems that a completely paralysed person (such as someone suffering from advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) could use to communicate. Such systems have the potential to improve the lives of many people who would be otherwise completely unable to communicate, but they are still very much in the research and development stages.
ei Hill, NJ. Thinking Out Loud: Research and Development of Brain Computer Interfaces Invited keynote talk at the Max Planck Society‘s PhDNet Workshop., July 2007 (talk)
Local Learning Algorithms for Transductive Classification, Clustering and Data Projection
Yahoo Inc., July 2007 (talk)
ei Wu, M. Local Learning Algorithms for Transductive Classification, Clustering and Data Projection Yahoo Inc., July 2007 (talk)
Dirichlet Process Mixtures of Factor Analysers
Fifth Workshop on Bayesian Inference in Stochastic Processes (BSP5), June 2007 (talk)
Mixture of factor analysers (MFA) is a well-known model that combines the dimensionality reduction technique of Factor Analysis (FA) with mixture modeling. The key issue in MFA is deciding on the latent dimension and the number of mixture components to be used. The Bayesian treatment of MFA has been considered by Beal and Ghahramani (2000) using variational approximation and by Fokoué and Titterington (2003) using birth-and death Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). Here, we present the nonparametric MFA model utilizing a Dirichlet process (DP) prior on the component parameters (that is, the factor loading matrix and the mean vector of each component) and describe an MCMC scheme for inference. The clustering property of the DP provides automatic selection of the number of mixture components. The latent dimensionality of each component is inferred by automatic relevance determination (ARD). Identifying the action potentials of individual neurons from extracellular recordings, known as spike sorting, is a challenging clustering problem. We apply our model for clustering the waveforms recorded from the cortex of a macaque monkey.
ei Görür, D., Rasmussen, C. Dirichlet Process Mixtures of Factor Analysers Fifth Workshop on Bayesian Inference in Stochastic Processes (BSP5), June 2007 (talk)
New BCI approaches: Selective Attention to Auditory and Tactile Stimulus Streams
Hill, N., Raths, C.
Invited talk at the PASCAL Workshop on Methods of Data Analysis in Computational Neuroscience and Brain Computer Interfaces, June 2007 (talk)
When considering Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) development for patients in the most severely paralysed states, there is considerable motivation to move away from BCI systems based on either motor cortex activity, or on visual stimuli. Together these account for most of current BCI research. I present the results of our recent exploration of new auditory- and tactile-stimulus-driven BCIs. The talk includes a tutorial on the construction and interpretation of classifiers which extract spatio-temporal features from event-related potential data. The effects and implications of whitening are discussed, and preliminary results on the effectiveness of a low-rank constraint (Tomioka and Aihara 2007) are shown.
ei Hill, N., Raths, C. New BCI approaches: Selective Attention to Auditory and Tactile Stimulus Streams Invited talk at the PASCAL Workshop on Methods of Data Analysis in Computational Neuroscience and Brain Computer Interfaces, June 2007 (talk)
Towards Motor Skill Learning in Robotics
Interactive Robot Learning - RSS workshop, June 2007 (talk)
ei Peters, J. Towards Motor Skill Learning in Robotics Interactive Robot Learning - RSS workshop, June 2007 (talk)
Transductive Support Vector Machines for Structured Variables
Zien, A., Brefeld, U., Scheffer, T.
International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), June 2007 (talk)
We study the problem of learning kernel machines transductively for structured output variables. Transductive learning can be reduced to combinatorial optimization problems over all possible labelings of the unlabeled data. In order to scale transductive learning to structured variables, we transform the corresponding non-convex, combinatorial, constrained optimization problems into continuous, unconstrained optimization problems. The discrete optimization parameters are eliminated and the resulting differentiable problems can be optimized efficiently. We study the effectiveness of the generalized TSVM on multiclass classification and label-sequence learning problems empirically.
PDF PDF Web [BibTex]
ei Zien, A., Brefeld, U., Scheffer, T. Transductive Support Vector Machines for Structured Variables International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), June 2007 (talk)
Impact of target-to-target interval on classification performance in the P300 speller
Martens, S., Hill, J., Farquhar, J., Schölkopf, B.
Scientific Meeting "Applied Neuroscience for Healthy Brain Function", May 2007 (talk)
ei Martens, S., Hill, J., Farquhar, J., Schölkopf, B. Impact of target-to-target interval on classification performance in the P300 speller Scientific Meeting "Applied Neuroscience for Healthy Brain Function", May 2007 (talk)
New Margin- and Evidence-Based Approaches for EEG Signal Classification
Hill, N., Farquhar, J.
Invited talk at the FaSor Jahressymposium, February 2007 (talk)
ei Hill, N., Farquhar, J. New Margin- and Evidence-Based Approaches for EEG Signal Classification Invited talk at the FaSor Jahressymposium, February 2007 (talk)
ei Zhou, D. How to learn from very few examples? October 2004 (talk)
ei Zhou, D. Discrete vs. Continuous: Two Sides of Machine Learning October 2004 (talk)
ei Eichhorn, J. Grundlagen von Support Vector Maschinen und Anwendungen in der Bildverarbeitung September 2004 (talk)
ei Zhou, D. Riemannian Geometry on Graphs and its Application to Ranking and Classification June 2004 (talk)
ei Zhou, D. Learning from Labeled and Unlabeled Data: Semi-supervised Learning and Ranking January 2004 (talk)
ei Bousquet, O. Introduction to Category Theory Internal Seminar, January 2004 (talk)
ei Bousquet, O. Advanced Statistical Learning Theory Machine Learning Summer School, 2004 (talk)
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Editor's Note Getting the Hang of the Game In Plain View When God's Wrath Visits: The Science of Earthquakes Feature CUHK Health Ambassadors to Xi'an Viva Voce Prof. Jiang Liwen Letters to a Young Executive Letter 10: Bowing Out Milestones Five Distinguished Persons Conferred Honorary Fellowships Mr. Choi Park-lai Mr. Lau Chor-tak Dr. Li Wai-tat Walton Mr. Yau Ying-sum William Dr. Yu Yui-chiu Colleges United College Annual Workshop Departments Public Policy Experts Contribute to Better Fire-fighting Alumni CUHK Entrepreneur Day 2015 Honours CUHK Receives Eight Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards OIA Website Wins International Award Bei Dao Awarded Swedish Prize Surgery Professor Receives Prestigious Award Lectures Public Lecture on Ethics and Animals Forums Public Forum on Housing Problems in Hong Kong Medical CUHK Researcher Invents Ankle Robot to Rehabilitate Stroke Patients Announcements Investment Returns of Staff Superannuation Scheme CU Link Card Centre Relocated Swimming Pool Reopens Thirteen Research Projects Receive Grants Newly Onboard 4/2015 5/2015
Letter 10: Bowing Out
Your last letter has dropped a small pebble into this quiet backwater of a retiree's life. No apologies, please. You don't owe me one, nor to anyone or any institution. No, I would not ask you to re-consider your option. I can only congratulate you.
What gives one greater pleasure than seeing a young man of your talent and abilities availing himself of an opportunity to check out other pastures? A place of higher learning is a vast terrain, but even such an expansive terroir has its bounds and fringes for people with your ambition and justifiable pride. You must feel that now is the time to bow out, to move on and up.
In one of his movingly meditative essays, 'On the Level', Julian Barnes wrote:
Groundlings, we can sometimes reach as far as the gods. Some soar with art, others with religion; most with love.
I'd say executives like us soar with our labour, our professionalism.
And don't look at it as finality. Don't think you are done with the University. You have a long work-life ahead of you. There are still many acts to be written. Who knows if its denouement wouldn't fall where it all began in the first place? My first job was with this University and, after a short period of foraging in unfamiliar sectors and foreign territories, I came back full circle and dutifully served out my tenure here. Some of my best friends were made on this campus—colleagues and ex-colleagues who have gone on to become life-long friends and pension-age company.
I know you must be filled with that post-resignation honeymoon feeling now. Enjoy it, and take stock of what you have done and seen here. As the cliché goes, this is the beginning of an end and the end of a beginning. Standing at the end of the platform enables you to see more clearly the landscape in and around the station, and much much beyond. Slotting in the last piece of the jigsaw, or drawing a line through the last dots, gives you an understanding of the larger picture, which is probably the most valuable parting gift you'd receive. Groundlings that we are, we cannot but contemplate the closures at different stages of our life's journey. Such reflections would give us a sense of and a structure to our experience in the months and years that have gone by. Closure will not only give us meaning but meaningfulness.
Another kind of closure is never far from the mind of a recluse, or a retiree, the two being often one and the same. One is not sure if turning the next corner would usher in a new vista or.... There's this foreboding for oneself. There's this foreboding for ones one cares for. But, oh, sorry for such dark thoughts! Of course, a bright new vista is your rightful destination.I apologize.
I have nothing but the fondest valedictory thoughts for you.
Prof. Jiang Liwen
Prof. Jiang Liwen shares his 'work-hard, play-hard' attitude with Newsletter readers.
Viva Voce / Thus Spake... / Ten Questions for...
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Hundreds gather to watch Blue Angels flyover at Naval Air Station Pensacola (photos)
PENSACOLA, Florida -- Several hundred visitors turned out at the National Museum of Naval Aviation Saturday to watch a flyover by the Blue Angels over Veterans Day weekend, as the Navy's famous Flight Demonstration Squadron marked the end of its sequester-shortened 2013 season.
The Blue Angels performed a Delta Flat Pass and a Pitch-up Break maneuver over the museum's parking lot, but the brief flyover was a far cry from the full air show or practice that usually delights crowds across the nation during air shows and at the museum every Tuesday and Thursday during the show season.
The Blue Angels performed only two air shows this year before the budget cuts known as the sequester forced the Navy to cancel 33 scheduled shows, including the Homecoming show at Naval Air Station Pensacola, which would have been Nov. 1-2. The Blue Angels will leave soon for their winter training facility in El Centro, Calif.
Despite the brevity of Saturday's flyover, the people gathered at the museum were just happy to see the Blues take to the sky again. David Sampson, a former Navy pilot living in Pensacola, was in the crowd with his wife Brenda.
"We look forward to any opportunity to watch the Blues fly and with them being curtailed this year, myself along with a lot of other people seem to be very happy to see them go again," Sampson said.
"You can never see the Blue Angels too many times," said Howard Rundell, a retired Navy pilot who is now a tour guide at the museum.
Rundell led an afternoon tour of museum that he wrapped up in time to see the flyover just after 2 p.m.
While many in the crowd have seen the Blues dozens of times or more, there were a few first-timers as well.
One of those was Mike Williams, Sr. of Beaumont, Texas. Williams witnessed the flyover with his son Mike Williams, Jr., who just graduated from the Navy's Air Crew Candidate School at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The NACCS is the only path for enlisted Navy personnel to become pilots.
Mike Williams, Jr. is preparing to ship off to California for the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) School and hopes to eventually fly F/A-18s himself.
Scroll through the gallery for photos from the flyover and the crowd gathered to watch it at the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Story and Photo Gallery: http://blog.al.com
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30 Years Ago: The Best of 1988
Home > Features > 30 Years Ago: The Best of 1988
1988 was the year in which Australia celebrated its “Bicentennial” – actually 200 years since white settlement – and the Iron Curtain began to crumble as the seeds of Perestroika were sown in the Soviet bloc. The first Internet link across the Atlantic was established and Home and Away began infiltrating TV. Hair metal was still at a peak, with Bon Jovi on their way to becoming the biggest rock band in the world as Iron Maiden continued their dominance of metal. But not for long…
IRON MAIDEN: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Created when the band was at the height of their commercial and creative power, Maiden’s seventh album refined the progressive elements hinted at on its predecessor and added actual keyboards to their sound for the first time. While not the complete concept it is often given to be, the main theme of clairvoyance runs throughout, and marked the end of Maiden’s near-decade long dominance of the world metal scene. With the departure of Adrian Smith 18 months later, things would never be quite the same again.
QUEENSRŸCHE: Operation:Mindcrime
With its astute socio-political observations manifesting as a complex, intellectual lyrical storyline, Operation:Mindcrime remains a hallmark for all subsequent concept albums, metal or otherwise. Geoff Tate’s vocal prowess, the band’s astonishing chops and talent for arrangement and story-telling and the solid production values all combined to create one of 80s metal’s most luminous, and timeless, masterpieces.
BON JOVI: New Jersey
After finding commercial success with the party rock classic Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi surpassed records with the follow up, smashing into the #1 spot in eight countries and putting five tracks into the US Top 5. Just as slick but more musically adventurous than previous outings, New Jersey showed Bon Jovi to be more than a one trick pony and turned them into the biggest rock band in the world.
JANE’S ADDICTION: Nothing’s Shocking
Jane’s Addiction’s major label debut introduced the wider world to the band’s strange-sounding, cutting edge alternative heavy rock. Mired in internal disputes, Nothing’s Shocking nonetheless set a benchmark for experimental rock that would influence a wealth of new bands heading into the next decade.
LIVING COLOUR: Vivid
New Yorkers Living Colour proved as chromatic as their name and as cosmopolitan as their city. Vivid was an explosion of hard rock guitar virtuosity crossed with funk, soul, rap and jazz and a sharp social conscience that made for an incredible rock debut. An innovative and original piece of work that continues to resonate and paved the way for further cross-over experiments, not all as successful as Vivid.
SLAYER: South of Heaven
In the wake of the insurmountable blitzkrieg of Reign in Blood, Slayer decided to go for atmosphere over speed on album number four. Slowing down did nothing to diminish the impact of their super heavy thrash, on South of Heaven the foursome continued to sound just as menacing as ever even as they exhibited new depth and character in their relentless assault.
METALLICA: …And Justice For All
Still reeling from the tragedy of Cliff Burton’s death, Metallica’s audacious 1988 double album was over-long and under produced but gave them the major commercial breakthrough they were looking for and won them a Grammy nomination in the newly-created Best Metal Performance category. Their hearts weren’t really in it, and a shift in style was soon to follow.
DEATH: Leprosy
A darker album than the debut and recorded with a complete line-up, Leprosy merely added a coat of polish to Death’s coarse extremity, tightening up the songwriting while still exhibiting the wild arrangements of the album before and paving the way for a plethora of extreme underground acts who were just starting to make their mark.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today
The Suicidals’ third full length saw the thrash metal elements of their style take over from their earlier hardcore tendencies. The addition of Mike Clark as second guitarist heavied up the band’s sound, Mike Muir’s socially aware commentary was in full flower and their patented crossover was at the peak of its development.
HOBBS’ ANGEL OF DEATH: Hobbs’ Angel of Death
Melbourne thrash pioneers took their European style sound straight to the source, delivering this album through Germany’s famed Steamhammer label before even doing a show in their homeland. A prime slice of early thrash metal menace, Hobbs’ debut is still revered both here and overseas by metal aficionados today.
Categories: Features Author by Brian GiffinPosted on September 23, 2018 Bands: Bon Jovi, Death, Hobbs Angel of Death, Iron Maiden, Jane's Addiction, Living Colour, Metallica, Queensrÿche, Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies Tags: Alternative rock, Classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy metal, Progressive metal, Rock, Thrash metal
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ARCHIVES: Select Month July 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002
Librariana
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Slice o' Life
Pictures Archives
Portrait of a Blogger as a Little Girl
I'm about four years old in this picture.
Yours, &c., LC at 05:00 PM | Pictures | TrackBack (0)
Spring Forward Night
Me, Mike, Carol at the Krispy Kreme on Ponce, 2004.
One-eyed Cat
Cy, short for Cyclopes, a kitten born with only viagra jelly one eye and no nose, is shown in this photo provided by its owner in Redmond, Oregon, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005. The kitten, a ragdoll breed, which died after living for one day, was one of two in the litter. Its sibling was born normal and healthy. (AP Photo/Traci Allen)
via Yahoo! News
Is Nothing Sacred?
Why must innocent gummy bears buy viagra jelly be abused in such a manner? I suspect, however, that the site mentioned is not devoted to gummy porn.
Bitter Fruit
Photo essay covering funerals for those killed in Iraq by Paul Fusco, Magnum Photographer. [via deano]
If you're so gung-ho for this war, then get order viagra jelly your ass over there and help finish this thing. Unless you think dying for no reason isn't worth dying for. The reason we went in - a bogus reason - is not the reason we're still there. The original reason we were given for going to war has everything to do with why somebody leaked the identity of a CIA operative when her husband wrote an op-ed column in the New York Times challenging the White House's claim [addendum: made via a report from the British government] of yellowcake uranium.
We have a volunteer army, it's argued. A volunteer viagra jelly online army is better to have than a conscripted one. Well how much of a volunteer are you if the military is the only option for you to escape poverty, if you don't have the option of going to college? How much of a volunteer are you if it's illegal for you to quit the military once you join?
If the draft was reinstated, then people would take this war more seriously. Then people would realize they have something at stake, if they or their children actually had to fight in this war, or any other war. Then people might realize what sacrifice for the sake of your country really means. Things seem different when your own life is at stake.
Sure, people would go to Canada or some other country claiming asylum or conscientious objection. The wealthy and well-connected would find ways to escape their buy viagra jelly obligations. (Chickenhawk Cheney skipped Vietnam because he had "other priorities.") Fine - somewhere it will be on record and the press can expose them and challenge them on why they were exempted from fulfilling their duty as citizens.
As an aside, I find myself increasing angry with the New York Times and the case of Judith Miller. Miller isn't a saint protecting the freedom of the press. She's an irresponsible, reckless journalist who allowed herself to be used by sources to drum up justification for this war. She's damaged the field of journalism and she's damaging the credibility of the NYT (at least in the eyes of those who don't already view the NYT as part of that liberal media, a liberal media owned by such prominent liberals like Rupert Murdoch). She ought to be fired, not allowed to take viagra jelly a leave of absence and then resign to "pursue other interests." Fire her ass, and let her try to explain that her work and her practices weren't dishonest and fraudulent.
Yours, &c., LC at 12:33 PM | Pictures , Politics | TrackBack (0)
Librarians Love Lucy Liu
(click on image for larger version)
I spotted this Intel ad today on the homepage of the New York Times. Naturally I was curious. Apparently this is part of a new ad campaign.
Let's check against the stereotype. Glasses. Check. Cardigan. Check. Clunky shoes (which I like actually, they look kinda cool). Check. Yeah she's cute, but she's not the viagra jelly online ravishing creature seated on her lap, as indicated by her rapt expression.
Yours, &c., LC at 11:59 AM | Librariana , Pictures | TrackBack (0)
Devil Cat
(Click on image for a larger version)
Alison is a sweet wee bit of cat really, even though this cameraphone image would try to persuade you otherwise. Alison belonged to Mike; she's now lovingly order viagra jelly cared for by Stephanie. (Thanks for letting me post this, Steph.)
In other feline news, the cat who discovered the bowl of food on the back porch back when Tabitha had her little adventure now comes around regularly, demanding her share of something to eat. She(?) is a large grey longhair, with a collar but no tag.
Yeah, I caved in. She was extremely skittish in the beginning but now expects affectionate pats along with some vittles.
One of my neighbor's cats. She's not roaming outside these days, since it's cold. But when she's out and about she likes to come around to my back porch and demand some attention. She's a wee thing really underneath all that fur.
Yours, &c., LC at 03:28 AM | Pictures | TrackBack (0)
Brought to you by the letter U and the numeral 2
(Click on the thumbnails for larger images)
At the cafe the other night, one of the staff overheard me telling my friends about the banner. He joined in our conversation and said how he might allow for this possible interpretation of U2 if it weren't for their being so obsessed with their rock god image, especially Bono with his giant sunglasses.
Thank you, Paul F., for my bright yellow bag.
Yours, &c., LC at 12:14 AM | Pictures | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Cracknip
This is my other cat, Ginger, enjoying her new toy. The woman I bought this from fills her cat toys with Canadian catnip - some pretty strong stuff!
East Atlanta, 6:27 pm
Yours, &c., LC at 06:27 PM | Pictures | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Catblogging
Apparently posting cat pictures on Fridays has been all the rage, but I didn't know it. Now that NYT has covered it, bloggers have probably moved on. But since I have nothing useful to say about current events right now, here is a picture of my cat Tabitha.
On Fridays, Bloggers Sometimes Retract Their Claws [NYT] [Bugmenot]
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The Artists Lounge
BEST WEEKND EVER: THE RISE OF ALTERNATIVE RnB
Shynell Blanson Love Letters Alternative r&b, art dealer chic, billboard awards, drake, Kaleidoscope, LaMay Day, Luther Vandross, miguel, Prince, R&B, rnb, Shynell Blanson, teddy pendergrass, the weeknd, wildheart
Did you hear about the Weeknd’s billboard sweep this past Sunday? Well, with eight wins he’s not making it easy for any of his fellow musicians! 2016 wasn’t the first time rhythm & blues had pushed mainstream boundaries; legendary artists such as Curtis Mayfield, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross to iconic artists who continuously crossed genres such as Prince and Missy Elliott managed to get some of the most mind-bending sounds of their respective generations on the radio. Inspiring musicians to make R&B their vehicle for sonic exploration and they demanded attention. Artist such as the Weeknd with his nightmarish seductions; Solange Knowles, Miguel’s laid back perspective on music , Frank Ocean, Stacey Barthe, Blood Orange’s stylish retro dance-pop and many other artist; darkly crystalline RnB – inflected electronic music. Some of these musicians were arriving through traditional RnB channels (usually the black performers) and others through traditional indie-rock outlets (usually the white ones). They were unknowing co-conspirators, not a unified movement. That’s partly why this wave of R&B innovations felt so big: Black musicians were experimenting with traditionally white sounds at the same time white musicians were experimenting with traditionally black sounds, all of them blurring together to create alternative RnB.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Recording Artist Miguel performs songs from his new album “Wildheart” at Hollywood And Highland Center on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
Let’s compare and contrast two of the biggest artist in alternative RnB. After years ghost-writing and waiting inthe background, Miguel hopped onto the scene in 2010 and has since then undertaken something like an image revamp, improving his overall output at the same time. The Weeknd blossomed into fame in early 2011 on a hipster horse-powered frenzy of hype mostly down to the brilliant “House of Balloons” mixtape and a little bit of sponsorship from fellow Canadian homie Drake. Undoubtedly, both great artists in their own right but make no mistake; both artist aren’t making it easy for each other and with RnB slowly dying these two artist are definitely giving RnB more and more life!
Although both artist circle near the same subject matter, Miguel; having toed the contemporary RnB line for a year as he broke out, has become more experimental with the “Art Dealer Chic” EP series and then dropped the AMAZING “Kaleidoscope” followed up by “Wildheart” showcasing his clear growth and gradual improvement, however the Weeknd must be doing something right hence his eight wins. In conclusion alternative RnB can be perceived in so many amazing aspects but please believe it’s NOT all the same.
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Home News Trump signs bill restoring funding for Black colleges
Morris Turner, Wee Pals comic strip creator, dies
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Morris “Morrie” Turner, the creator of the “Wee Pals” comic strip and the first African American cartoonist to be syndicated nationally, has died. He was 90.
Family spokesman David Bellard says the Oakland, Calif.-born Turner died peacefully at a hospital in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday.
Turner developed the humorous, ethnically diverse comic strip about a group of buddies, “Wee Pals,” in 1965 at the urging of his mentor, Charles Schulz. Schulz created the widely popular Peanuts comic strip.
Turner’s strip was also known for its “Soul Corner” that often recognized historical black figures.
In 2003, Turner was recognized by the National Cartoonist Society for his work.
Bellard said Turner was surrounded by family members when he passed away. Services are pending.
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Made in Off
Zener ESP
Train your mind! Can you tell which is the next letter?
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Made in Off is an attempt to offer the best technology to meet all people, regardless of the technical resources they have and where they are. Seeking, with this, to make them aware of the importance to the world and all its inhabitants, be they animals or plants, leading them to the responsibility we have in preserving this planet, which has so cordially welcomed our species and gives us shelter, Some (of us) to attack and usurp their meager resources. In this attempt to live in peace with nature, we have good and clean technology as the main way to reach a truce and, perhaps, to restore the balance we have lost in the last centuries and, gradually, to be welcomed back as good guests, returning To be welcome among our fellow-travelers of existence. Therefore, having this goal in mind, we return our efforts, mainly, to Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality at the beginning, to attend to our individual users, so, one by one, we can gradually gather a whole capable…
Franse de Castro
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he started working at a motorcycle workshop at the age of ten, and at fourteen he started writing pocket books with police stories, and especially Far West.
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He collaborated with several city newspapers in the interior of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) as correspondent, editor, illustrator and even comic artist. Being the author of the character "The Papagaio Filossofo Dólar", that was adopted in some institutions of basic education and superior, like a University of São Paulo (Brazil).
Although a dilettante, he graduated in History, but has already worked in a wide range of subjects, from computer science, electromechanics and biochemistry to civil construction. That is, he has already chopped wood and grazed pastures.
montchristo
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Like many other Web sites, www.madeinoff.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date / time stamp, referring / exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
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By accessing and / or using applications and games montChristo, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Privacy Policy, including the possible collection and processing of your personal information (as defined below);
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The montChristo in sí, does not collect any information from its users, as well as a persistent user identifier and any other personal information.
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Even “The Critic,” which is a burlesque and depends for its effect not upon plot and character but upon the sheer wit of the dialogue and the absurdity of the situations—even “The Critic” continues to be presented both the irony of young goodman brown at private theatricals and upon the public stage, and seldom fails to amuse. Figs. 67 and 68, p. 141, throw considerable light on the subject in the case of the insect. Hamilton Fyfe, a book of two hundred and fifty pages, with a bibliography, reviews his plays seriatim . Such are nearly the contents of the work of M. Gildas had an army of seventy thousand men; Mascezel had but five thousand, and did not think he could without rashness attempt to compete with an enemy so powerful and so far superior in the number of his forces. The stroke made by the left arm is equal to a quarter of a circle, that made by the right arm to half a circle. [161] P. By this means the air gcse essay questions beneath the wings is vigorously seized during the And compare of contrast essay creation two stories down stroke, while that above it is avoided during the ecofeminism in india up stroke. Globalisation and liberalisation essay Further, Their said Majesties have agreed that the subjects of both nations shall have the liberty of frequenting the said port whenever they wish and of constructing there temporary buildings to accommodate them during their residence on such occasions. Franklin Press. Mfa creative writing rankings low residency 146.
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But we are not competent judges, what is the proper way of acting, in order the most effectually to accomplish this end.[128] Therefore our ignorance is an answer to objections against the conduct of Providence, in permitting irregularities, as black stereotypes seeming contradictory to this end. The Dissertations which accompany this work will, it is hoped, not be found misplaced nor altogether uninteresting. [63] The ammonia hepatizata is prepared by passing a stream of hepatic gas through the aqua ammoniæ. Between the straight longitudinal muscles, therefore, arranged in dorsal and ventral, and right and left lateral sets, and those which run in a more or less transverse direction, and between the simple joint whose motion is confined to one plane and the ball-and-socket joints whose movements are universal, every degree of obliquity is found in the direction of the muscles, and every possible modification in the disposition of the articular the ethnic equality surfaces. 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The word wind , whether it signifies to move research paper topics for american literature round , or air the ethnic equality in motion , has the same spelling ; it exhibits no distinction to the eye of a silent reader; and yet its meaning is never mistaken. "Well, young man," said he, rising, with a queer grin on his face," what are you sent here for? The Gospel Dispensations. During the three following seasons a river essay in tamil ghg substantial Spanish settlement was formed, and, using this as a center, exploring expeditions examined the neighboring coast.[453] The British commissioner for carrying out the convention was Captain Vancouver. AN ANGLO-NORMAN SONG. Thou wilt go -- He will go , are my (the speaker's) present predictions that the persons mentioned will do a future action; or perhaps more properly, a declaration of their inclination or intention. This is a matter of observation. Annos inviolata et integra sine putredine conserventur. The land once supposed ap sample essay to be worthless, and to so sick redeem the ethnic equality which even in part from its ancient barrenness, has required years on years of toil and privation, turns out to be a veritable treasure-house of the ethnic equality natural resources, a self-sustaining empire; and in periods of strife and turmoil, when war rocks the world, it is probably the safest place beneath the sun. Now this is quite another thing from carrying a witch to the sabbath through the air, which the the ethnic equality author asserts is beyond the power of the demon; it is attributing to this malicious spirit a kind of almightiness and immensity. His notions concerning the characters of this company were somewhat vague; but he was stirred with an ambition to create some such character, too. This has the effect of directing the under or ventral concave surface of the wing upwards and backwards , the most effective stroke being delivered in a downward and backward direction. There are a few instances in which good authors have considered news as a plural; as "From all regions where the best news are made."----B. The woman went on again, and she met a butcher. The first time these act upon the imagination of the pretended victim of vampirism they do not produce their entire effect, and not only dispose his mind to be more vividly struck by them; that also does not fail to happen, and to produce the effect which would naturally follow. He was saying (much to the delight of the house) when I became one of the audience, that he would "not regard this as the time or the occasion for him to comment upon the childhood development essay lid on liquor." A bit later in the course of his answer to the question he had propounded, "Shall We Abolish the Inevitable," he got an especially good hand when he remarked: [27] the ethnic equality sword. A right behavior under that trial; recollecting ourselves so as to consider it in the view, quality of good student essay in which religion teaches us to consider it, as from the hand of God, receiving it as what he appoints, or thinks proper to permit, in his world and under his government; this will habituate the mind to a dutiful submission. The beautiful ballad of the Nut-brown maid might have been more immediately in his recollection, many parts of this scene having a very strong resemblance to it. Equality ethnic the.
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TRATTORIA DI BERNARDONE
SBDC @ San Juan Community College
Mario Bernardon opened Bernardones’ Family Pizzeria on West Main, Farmington in 2008. Bernardones’ grew so quickly and became so popular, that the parking lot could not hold all of its customers. With that in mind, Mario started plans for an expanded location on East Main with even more dinner selections. Mario and his family proudly make their own pasta and sauces, pizza dough, sausage, meatballs, and gelato.
Trattoria di Bernardone became a true reality after eight years of planning and modifying the design plans. The result is a welcoming restaurant, where one can experience great food in a rustic and charming setting that feels like an Italian villa. Everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients; no effort is spared in preparing their food. Preparing dishes in a traditional way allows their customers to experience the most authentic flavors of Italy. The whole family all have roles in making the restaurant a success. Mario and Laura also are of service to others and provide meals through Catholic Charities. Mario still hopes to expand his location to include a full service bar, two banquet rooms and an outdoor piazza that were in his original design.
Running a success restaurant doesn’t leave a whole lot of extra time on your hands, but that doesn’t bother the Bernardones, they love their work and their lives in Farmington, New Mexico. Mario and his wife Laura have accomplished their dream, working together with their nine homeschooled children and operating a family restaurant serving great food with love. Mario summed it up by saying. “It’s a ministry for us, reaching out to Farmington and sharing what we’ve been given, not because we’re great people, but because we’ve been blessed a lot!”
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Dover, Arkansas Moving Forward with “Pit Bull” Ban
Jul 23rd, 2013
The Dover, Arkansas City Council is moving ahead with their breed-specific ordinance proposal to ban all “breeds” of “pit bull” at their next meeting August 6 at Dover City Hall, 6 p.m. As noted in a prior post about Dover’s BSL proposal, Dover’s “pit bull” ban would include American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Bull Terriers (which isn’t a breed, at least not according to the AKC who registers them), and American Bulldogs. Does it not follow that if the ordinance has to define four breeds as if they were one that statistics on “pit bulls” might be massively skewed and therefore meaningless? In other words, there is no such “breed” as a pit bull” and in fact, the slang term “pit bull” can encompass any number of breeds. To put that anther way, “pit bull” can be anything they want it to be.
Nor does BSL make the community safer as Dover’s City Councilmen have said:
“I get that it’s a controversial issue,” [Mayor Pat] Johnson said. “But we’ve had a couple of incidents involving pit bulls in the past, and it’s just a matter of time before there is another one. I feel that we’re better off doing something about it now rather than later, because I’d hate for something to happen and then have to deal with it.”
Alderman Roger Lee said he stands against any action which takes freedom away from the people, but at some point, decisions have to be made for the betterment and safety of a community.
“The safety of the people of Dover is my primary concern,” Lee said. “I don’t hold anything against pit bulls or their owners, but the statistics speak for themselves. I feel that by moving forward with this decision that we have to put these rules in place.”
Dover Marshal Rodney Pfeifer said from a security standpoint, pit bulls are one of the biggest issues in his city that needs to be addressed.
“I’m in agreement with the push to ban pit bulls,” Pfiefer said. “It’s not anything against the breed. I don’t have anything personal against them, and in reality, pit bulls do get a lot of bad publicity, but regardless, it is still an issue of public safety.”
Gosh, it’s almost as if someone coached them to keep saying the word “safety” over and over. First, as already noted, “pit bull” is not a breed, and when you define at least four actual breeds, their mixes, and lookalikes as so-called “pit bulls,” statistics are skewed and therefore completely worthless. So, yes Mr. Lee, statistics absolutely do lie.
Second, BSL has proven ineffective, unenforceable, and unconstitutional nationwide resulting in its repeal in many areas, which is why it offers nothing but a false sense of security and does not keep communities safer. For instance, Annapolis, Missouri repealed their breed ban in July 2013 when they saw it was unfairly targeting responsible owners, and Osawatomie, Kansas repealed their two-decades long breed ban on June 5, 2013, after one of their residents proved that a dog the city had deemed a “pit bull” was actually a Boxer mix.
Likewise, Toledo, Ohio’s BSL was ruled unconstitutional in January 2010 as it went well beyond the purview of state law and violated home-rule doctrine. Additionally it was determined that Toledo’s Animal Control Officer could not properly identify what was a “pit bull” based on their own ordinance. The Ohio legislature then went on to remove the archaic dangerous dog designation for “pit bulls” in 2012.
Also, on March 9, 2011, Midwest City, Oklahoma was ordered to stop enforcing their “pit bull” ban as it was ruled unconstitutional. Rockville Centre, New York also repealed their BSL July 23, 2010, citing its unconstitutionality, and Topeka, Kansas repealed their BSL September 28, 2010, citing its ineffectiveness.
These BSL repeals illustrate perfectly how and why BSL doesn’t work: It’s unconstitutional, it’s ineffective, and it’s unjust, seeing as how many Animal Control Officers cannot even tell what is and is not a “pit bull” as defined by their own ordinances. Indeed, making proper breed determinations is a considerable problem with any breed-specific provision — whether a ban or breed-specific restrictions — particularly with mixed breeds or breeds that have the same appearance as the restricted breeds. It is difficult even for experts to properly determine breed at times, especially with mixed breeds, which is why such bans/restrictions have been found to be a violation of due process afforded every American under the 14th amendment.
For example, in the 2004 case of Margolius v. The City of Denver, it was shown that Mr. Margolius’ due process rights were violated when Denver’s own Animal Control Officers could not discern what was and was not a “pit bull” as defined by their own ordinance. Denver violated dog owners’ due process rights again when The Denver Daily News reported that in January 2011 (and in 2009) Denver’s Animal Control officers could not tell the difference between a Boxer mix and what Denver’s ordinance defined as a “pit bull.” The findings in these cases are a wake-up call for those who claim that Denver’s “pit bull” ban has been successful.
A well-enforced leash law for all dogs, a non-breed-specific dangerous dog (owner) law which places the responsibility squarely on the owner with escalating fines and penalties, and adequate Animal Control personnel are more than enough to police irresponsible dog owners no matter what the breed. The Dover, Arkansas City Council will discuss their “pit bull” ban proposal at their next meeting, August 6 at Dover City Hall, 6 p.m.
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BSL unconstitutional
No such breed as pit bull
Pit Bull Ban
One Response to “Dover, Arkansas Moving Forward with “Pit Bull” Ban”
By the way, following is an excerpt from The Denver Daily News article I cited in the above post. The DDN article is no longer available on the Internet:
http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=11758
More innocent dogs targeted?
Judge rules that city mislabeled another innocent dog as a pit bull
Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer
Denver animal control officers mislabeled another dog as a pit bull, raising additional questions over the department’s credibility when handling the lives of both the dogs themselves and the families they come from.
An administrative-law judge this month ruled that animal control officers mislabeled a 10-month-old boxer-mix puppy as a pit bull.
Despite being identified by three independent animal control officers as being a pit bull, the administrative-law judge heard testimony from experts stating otherwise, and ruled that the animal control officers had mislabeled the dog.
In Denver, where pit bulls are illegal, mislabeling a dog as a member of the targeted breed can mean death for the dog, or at the very least being banned from the city.
The incident unraveled on Jan. 3 when Mufasia, the boxer-mix, escaped from his owners’ yard on South Sheridan in south Denver. Mufasia ended up at a nearby school playground where he was playing with children.
Animal control officers were called about the loose dog, and he was impounded.
Mufasia was not wearing tags, but his owners, Amee Blauwkamp and Robert Atencio, started calling around to local shelters. None of the shelters seemed to have him, not even the Denver Animal Shelter on Jason Street.
But to their surprise, when a relative went down to the shelter, Mufasia was in fact there.
In the 48 hours while Mufasia was at the shelter, he was identified as a pit bull, despite the owners pointing out that when he received his vaccinations, the dog was never identified as a pit bull. Both Blauwkamp and Atencio say they wouldn’t have adopted the dog had it been a pit bull, well aware that the breed is banned in Denver.
But animal control officials maintained that Mufasia was a pit bull. The owners had two choices: let animal control officers kill the dog, or release him to a friend outside the city. They chose the latter.
Blauwkamp says she asked animal control officers what her options were, but was never told that there was an appeals process. She found that out after contacting the Wheat Ridge-based Animal Law Center, who ended up representing Blauwkamp and Atencio during the appeals process.
During the Feb. 2 hearing, testimony was presented by two experts, an American Kennel Club judge and a United Kennel Club judge, who both agreed that Mufasia was not a pit bull. The judge agreed that there was not conclusive evidence suggesting that the dog was a pit bull.
Blauwkamp and Atencio learned on Friday of the ruling, and Mufasia is now back home in Denver.
The incident mirrors a situation in 2009 when Denver animal control officers misidentified another boxer-mix, Dexter, as a pit bull, according to the ruling in that case.
Such misidentifications raise concerns over whether innocent dogs are being killed or banned in Denver…
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Tag Archive > Katsuya Kakunaka
Japan’s Independent Leagues 2014
Patrick » 09 February 2014 » In international baseball, something else » 13 Comments
Despite the steady decline in traffic to this site during it’s two years of idleness, one page that has attracted a steady stream of visitors is Ryo Shinkawa’s 2009 post on Japan’s independent leagues. Since that post is nearly five years old, I thought I’d attempt to come up with an update. I got a big helping hand from Brandon Mann, who spent the 2013 season with the Shinano Grandserows of the BC League and took the time to answer some questions about his experiences there. Thank you Brandon for your input.
Indy ball got its start in Japan in 2005, when former Seibu Lions star Hiromichi Ishige founded the four-team Shikoku Island League. The league did well enough to spawn an imitator in the Hokuriku region, the Baseball Challenge League (BC League), which started play in 2007. A third league, the Kansai Independent Baseball League, operated from 2008 to 2013, and has been supplanted by the Baseball First League, which is scheduled to play its first season this year.
The Indy leagues have become a source of talent for NPB, though a rather meagre one compared to amateur baseball and MLB and it’s affiliated minor leagues. 2012 Pacific League batting champion Katsuya Kakunaka stands out as far and away the most successful NPB player to have gotten his start in the Indy leagues, but his success seems more directly attributable to development as a pro. Kakunaka spent one year in the Island League, where he batted .253.
Some foreign players have used the Indy leagues as a path to NPB, to some success. Over the last few seasons, Francisco Caraballo, Alex Maestri and Steve Hammond signed with Orix; Edison Barrios signed with Softbank; and Chris Carter played in the BC League to prove he was healthy, which worked well enough to get him a return engagement with Seibu. Of the five players mentioned here, only Barrios lacked experience playing at 1A or above. Maestri has fared the best, and is going into his third season with the Buffaloes.
More interestingly, at least to me as an observer, is the number of players the Indy league teams have imported from non-traditional baseball countries. Some notable examples: the BC League’s Gunma Diamond Pegasus had French players Frederic Hanvi and Felix Brown, Nepal’s Iswor Thapa spent a couple seasons in the Kansai League, and last year Kagawa of the Island League signed Burmese lefty Zaw Zaw Oo. None of these players fared well, but that’s almost not important. Just the fact that they were there is something, enough to be a tiny step forward in baseball’s growth in Asia.
This post wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the fact that Tomo Ohka reinvented himself as a knuckleballer in the BC League, which led to a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. Ohka isn’t alone in: Brandon Mann parlayed his tenure with the Grandserows into a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Red Sox and Indians have signed Japanese Indy ball prospects in the last year. So over the last five years, Japan’s Indy leagues have definitely cemented their place in the global baseball community.
That’s about where my insight into Japan’s Indy leagues ends, so I asked Brandon about his experiences.
NPB Tracker: How do American/foreign players hook on with Indy League teams?
Brandon Mann: In my situation I asked my agent if he could get me on an Indy team there. After getting released by the Nationals all i wanted was to be back in Japan. Some of my friends who have played there did a BC league tryout in California.
(ed. note: I found American tryout information for the Shikoku Island League here and the BC League here. Both tryouts have already happened, but it gives you an idea of what to expect for next year. The BC League is having a tryout in Gunma Prefecture on February 15.)
NT: I read years ago that the top pay for the Island League was about JPY 200,000 ($2000) per month. Is that accurate for the BC League?
BM: I can’t speak for Japanese players, but I was making $2,500 with incentives each month. My American teammates were making around 1,000 a month.
(ed. note: I spent some time looking into this, and found that Island League pays from JPY 100,000 to JPY 400,000 per month, and the BC League seems to start around JPY 150,000 per month, plus another JPY 50,000 in bonuses.)
NT: What is the level of play? How does it compare to US Indy ball or NPB’s ni-gun level?
BM: This is a question I get asked all the time. It’s hard to explain the level of play, because for me it was probably my worse year of my career statistically speaking. I usually explain it like this. Indy ball in the states or ni-gun NPB has much better players but the BC is more intense. Those players want it more than anyone I’ve ever played with. Baseball is truly life to these players.
NT: What are the living accommodations like?
BM: The team provided all of us foreigners with two bedroom apartments that we shared. It was about a 15 minute walk to the field which we would walk everyday. There was a Aeon across the street and that was about it for eating.
NT: Is there much of an NPB/MLB scouting presence at BC League games?
BM: I think that I saw a Boston Red Sox and a Texas rangers scout once last season. As with NPB there would be scouts depending on who was pitching usually. The coaches would tell me when they were there for me. To give an idea, most games there would be no scouts, and then we had 8-9 scouts at some games.
NT: Was it fun?
BM: Making no money, hanging banners up before every game, doing my own laundry, walking to the field and back ever day, and making no money? I loved every second of it to be honest. I absolutely love Japan and it was excited to experience a new part of life in Japan. Last season helped me to get signed with my current team and it honestly gave me a work ethic I never knew I could have.
Tags: Alex Maestri, Brandon Mann, Chris Carter, Edison Barrios, Felix Brown, Francisco Caraballo, Frederic Hanvi, Hiromichi Ishige, Iswor Thapa, Katsuki Matayoshi, Katsuya Kakunaka, Steve Hammond, Tomo Ohka, Zaw Zaw Oo
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Kennedy Ryan's My True Love Gave to Me Holiday Blitz and Giveaway
Enjoy a bonus Christmas scene from Cam's POV from When You Were Mine
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Cam slipped into Ms. Kris’s hospital room. He’d meant to come on his lunch break, but things had gotten hectic at the office. Now it was after five o’clock, and he probably wouldn’t have much time before Walsh showed up. He stopped just inside, shocked at how small and drawn she looked against the sterile white hospital sheets. Pain wrapped around his heart like a stubborn vine, squeezing out what little peace he’d had.
He remembered what life had been like before he’d met this incredible woman. The memory of that life haunted him, sometimes dogging him into his sleep, nightmare and memory inextricably woven.
Cam noticed for the first time the simple Christmas decorations someone, probably Jo, had put up. A small tree on the bedside table. A few white lights suspended over Ms. Kris’s hospital bed. A large poinsettia in the corner. The festive touches couldn’t dispel the sense of inevitability hovering in the room like an unwanted visitor.
Cam sat down and pulled out his sketchpad. He hated to see her this way; her light dimmed and, based on the news Kerris had broken to him about hospice, soon to be extinguished. He settled himself at the foot of her bed, careful not to disturb her. He propped the sketchpad on his knees, filling the blank page with the picture his mind’s eye stored of her at her most glorious. Her dark hair spilling around her shoulders, and the lovely skin pulled with taut vitality over the regal bones of her face. Her wide mouth spread into an infectious grin. She stirred, stilling his charcoal pencil and drawing his attention.
“Hi, beautiful.” He tossed the pad to the floor and crawled up to her end of the bed, lying down on top of the covers in her outstretched arms.
He closed his eyes, burrowing his nose into her neck, searching for her smell. Beneath the stench of illness, antiseptic and approaching death, it was still there. He inhaled, content to be held right here as his mother had never held him. Kristeene taught him what a mother should be, and though she’d always called him her second son, he never believed it. Been afraid or unable to accept it. When you have a son like Walsh Bennett, why would you want a worthless piece of shit like him? He’d never envied Walsh’s money or the compounded power that came with the Walsh and Bennett names. He’d envied this, though. He’d secretly coveted this goddess who had given birth to Walsh.
Entitled bastard had everything, had this, handed to him as an accident of birth, and now he wanted his wife.
“Kerris came to see me today,” Kristeene whispered, making Cam wonder if he’d fumed so much he had spoken aloud, or if Kisteene’s maternal clairvoyance kicked in as it had so many times before.
“She told me.”
“She’s so special, Cam.” Ms. Kris ran her hand over the almost shoulder length dark hair he’d left hanging loosely around his neck today.
“Yep.” Cam leaned into the gentle stroke like he had since he was thirteen years old.
“Did she tell you I’m going home tomorrow?” Ms. Kris fixed her gaze on the emotion he knew must be soaking his eyes.
“Ms. Kris, I can’t-I don’t know what I’ll do if you…”
“There’s no ‘if’, baby.” A trembling, skeletal hand traced the arch of his brows. “It’s gonna happen. This is my last Christmas. I’m dying.”
And inside of him, something was dying, too. Something that, early on, had been whipped into a mass of self-contempt, shame and rage, huddled in a corner when he’d first met this woman. It had healed and come to life under her compassion, love and acceptance. Cam was afraid it would die with her.
“I have a peace about it,” Kristeene said.
The denial rattled like a bell in his brain and shook his heart, but he wasn’t going to lay his shit on her; the fact that he couldn’t deal with a death she already seemed resigned to.
“How can you have peace about death?” His voice sounded hushed and solemn in his own ears.
“I believe in an afterlife, Cam. In Heaven, and I believe that’s where I’ll be. And I know that I’m leaving this earth with a clear heart. I didn’t do everything I wanted, but I did a lot. I paid attention to the things that were most important.”
She allowed a small silence to bathe them in contemplation before adding, “And I’ve forgiven.”
Cam stiffened, turning his head to consider her with narrowed eyes. Even sick and near death, she was cagey. There was no way Jo hadn’t told her something about what happened with Kerris and Walsh. She would have been curious about why they were never together when they visited; why they avoided each other like hand, foot and mouth disease.
“Forgiveness isn’t always an option, Ms. Kris.” He broke the words up into bite-size pieces in his mouth.
“When it’s your time, not forgiving isn’t an option. You only ask yourself why. Why would I hang onto that?’”
“I know exactly what I’m holding onto and why.” Cam slipped off the bed, scooping up his sketchpad and thrusting it under his arm, his movements jerky.
“You’ll have to forgive Walsh, Cam.” Kristeene’s breath hitched with the effort it took to pull herself up on her elbows.
“You don’t know what he’s done.” Cam glared at his Chuck Taylors, the black and white blurring with the rage wetting his eyes.
“He kissed Kerris,” Kristeene said, her voice heavy with sympathy.
Cam returned her steady gaze.
“And you think I should forgive him?”
“I think you have to. He and Jo are all the family you’ve got.”
“No, I’ve got Kerris.” Cam knifed the air with one long, slim hand. “And no one, not even your perfect son, will take her away from me.”
“Did you marry her even suspecting a little bit that there were feelings between them?” Kristeene probed and poked around the thing Cam had barely admitted to himself.
Cam glanced at Kristeene, a battered angel, earthbound and more vulnerable, but more fierce, than he’d ever seen her.
“You think I have cancer,” she said. “You just keep holding onto unforgiveness. It’ll eat away at you from the inside. It’ll spread to everything good in your life and destroy it. Including your marriage.”
“He shouldn’t have kissed her.” The lean lines of his body petrified into stone with no outlet for his hostility. “He had no right.”
“No, he had no right. He was wrong, and I’m sure if they could take it back, they would. But they can’t, Cam. And you can let that one moment haunt and destroy your marriage and cost you the best friend you’ve ever had, or you can let it go and move on. Knowing they won’t hurt you like that again. Knowing it was a mistake.”
“I’m not ready for that.” His fingers clawed into twitchy balls at his side, aching to squeeze Walsh’s throat. “I keep seeing them together in my head, and I can’t stand to look at him.”
“You don’t hold her responsible at all?” Kristeene raised the skin where her eyebrows used to rest before radiation left it smooth and naked like a baby’s.
“I know Kerris and I know Walsh. I know who made the first move; who initiated this. He’s been in love—” he cut himself off, turning away to face the window.
“So you did know.”
“I’d have to be blind not to know he felt something for her. At first I assumed he just wanted to screw her like most guys, but then I realized it was more than that.”
“More like what you felt for her?” Kristeene pressed. “And you were afraid, if given time, she’d choose him?”
“Who wouldn’t choose him?” Cam pressed his forehead against the coolness of the window glass. “He could have anyone. She was for me. You know? And I had to lock that down.”
“Seems like an honest conversation would have saved us all a lot of trouble.” Kristeene slurred her words behind him. “But since that didn’t happen, we are where we are. We can’t stay here, Cam.”
“I don’t know where else to go.” Cam laid his clutched fist against the window pane. “I can’t give her up, but I can’t forget. And I can’t forgive Walsh, but I feel like somebody cut my right hand off.”
Met with silence, Cam turned to watch Kristeene, who had dropped off practically mid-sentence into a drug-induced slumber. Had he tired her out? What would he do when she wasn’t around to talk him off ledges?
Jump.
He leaned over her now-still form. He noticed goose bumps on her thin arms and tucked the sheets around her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed the silk scarf covering her slick scalp. “Mom.”
He’d only dared to imagine calling her that, even though she called him son. The sweet rush of feeling almost brought him to his knees by her bed in a weeping, snotty, begging, incoherent pool of grief. He tightened his mouth, staving it off for now, though he saw it coming like a tsunami, and him its helpless shore.
Cam left Kristeene’s room, running his hands over his face in a quick, impatient motion. He bushed away the last of his tears. He glanced at his watch, surprised to see he’d been with Kristeene for more than an hour. He pulled up short on his way to the elevator. Walsh was headed toward him, tall and lean in his gray suit, a preoccupied frown darkening his expression. Cam was prepared to walk right past him, refusing to entertain Kristeene’s admonition to forgive.
I ain’t forgiving shit.
Walsh had other ideas, stepping directly into Cam’s path.
“How was she?” Walsh bypassed the small talk.
“Resting.” Cam addressed his response to some point over Walsh’s shoulder. He tried to step around Walsh, only to find him blocking his way again.
“Step the hell back, Bennett.” Cam spiked the glare he gave Walsh.
“We have to talk about this,” Walsh said, obviously unafraid of Cam’s malevolent regard, unfazed by the barely checked threat clearly written in his fighter’s stance.
“What should we talk about, Walsh? The fact that you want to fuck my wife?” Cam’s voice was a low blow.
“It was a mistake.” Walsh made a quick sweep of their surroundings, looking at the few people waiting in the reception area. “We got emotional talking about Haiti. She was comforting me and it just went there. It won’t happen again.”
“You won’t get the chance again. What part of staying out of our life don’t you understand?”
“The part where you and I aren’t brothers anymore,” Walsh snapped back, fire in his eyes and words. “Dude, you’re not going to throw away years of friendship over one kiss.”
“One kiss. You think I was born yesterday.”
“What?” Cam saw caution creep into Walsh’s eyes.
Cam leaned forward, all aggressive, outraged male. Teeth bared.
“You love her.”
Walsh looked back at him, weariness in every line of his face; written in his eyes. And Cam could see that he was tired of the lies; tired of denying what was in his heart.
“Yeah, I love her,” Walsh said. “But we can figure this out. I’d never do anything about it.”
“Asshole.” Cam brushed past him and prowled toward the elevators. “You already did.”
♥READ THE SERIES♥
Find my Reviews for When You Were Mine and Loving You Always
Book 1 - When You Are Mine
Book 2 - Loving You Always
Pre-Order Book 3 - Be Mine Forever
It is My Personal Opinion that you should read them in order!! I know Cam's view was withheld throughout Books 1 and 2 so you get a fresh experience in Book 2 so it CAN be read alone.
**READER REWARDS!** Kennedy wants to reward readers who spread the word! We are building a team of readers who will shout about BE MINE FOREVER. In exchange for your voice, we'll give ARCs of the book, gift cards and other prizes. Sign up HERE if you'd like more information or to be involved!
A Holiday Greeting From Kennedy Ryan....
Kennedy Ryan writes contemporary romance and women's fiction. She always give her characters their happily ever after, but loves to make them work for it! It's a long road to love, so sit back and enjoy the ride. In an alternative universe and under her government issue name, Tina Dula, she is a wife to the love of her life, mom to a special, beautiful son, and a friend to those living with autism through her foundation Myles-A-Part, serving Georgia families. Her writings on Autism have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, and she has been featured on the Montel Williams Show, NPR, Headline News and others. She is donating a portion of her proceeds to her own foundation and to her charitable partner, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). Her interview series MOMMIES DO THE MOST AMAZING THINGS is featured each month in Modern Mom.
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Home LATEST MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says he is quitting federal cabinet over ‘unfulfilled...
MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says he is quitting federal cabinet over ‘unfulfilled promises’
KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Sunday announced his decision to leave the federal cabinet over “unfulfilled promises” on part of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
“We had promised the government to help with the formation of the government and we held our end of the deal. However, none of the promises made to us have seen any progress,” Siddiqui said while addressing a press conference in Karachi along with senior Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders in Karachi.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to remain a part of the federal cabinet as questions are being raised upon my presence in the cabinet,” he explained.
Speaking about the agreement with the government, the MQM-P convener told the media that two agreements were made with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one in Bani Gala, the other in the Bahadurabad, in the presence of Jahangir Tareen.
Siddiqui said that they [MQM-P] had supported the federal government in every difficult phase but “injustice was still being done with Sindh”.
In response to a question regarding the ending of its alliance with the government, Siddiqui said, “We did not ask for the law ministry neither did we propose Farogh Naseem’s name. The two names that we had proposed for the ministry did not include [Farogh] Naseem’s name. The government had selected his [Farogh Naseem] name on its own.”
Siddiqui denied that his decision had anything to do with the recent proposal of provincial ministries by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Siddiqui in exchange for MQM-P’s help in toppling the government.
“This has nothing to do with PPP’s offer,” Siddiqui said.
Last month the PPP chairman had offered MQM-P provincial ministries if it helped “topple the government.”
Bilawal had said, addressing the MQM-P. “The PPP will support the toppling of PTI rule”.
“The economic situation is dangerous and the PTI government is making policies that go against the [interests of] poverty-stricken people,” he said.
“We are ready to give you the same number of ministries in Sindh,”
Talking about Karachi, Bilawal said that the city “is very important” and acknowledged that, “we need to give basic rights to the Karachiites”.
He had also blamed the PTI for the ongoing gas crisis in Sindh and accused it of “stealing gas”.
‘Govt has not received Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s resignation’
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that “Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has not sent his resignation to the federal cabinet.”
“A committee headed by federal minister Asad Umar will meet MQM-P leaders tomorrow and try to address their grievances,” she told Geo News, adding that “MQM is our coalition partner and will remain so.”
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to informed sources, has tasked Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and other party officials in Sindh to meet MQM-P leaders.
The prime minister is said to be in agreement with MQM-P’s concerns, deeming their grievances “legit” and vowing that the promises made to them will be “fulfilled”.
The prime minister, as per sources, said that he was aware of Karachi’s importance as an “economic hub” and vowed not to ignore it.
Previous articleIRGC head briefs Iranian parliament on Soleimani killing: report
Next articleFormer Prime Minister AJK Sardar Atiq-ur-Rehman has said that there is need to raise the Kashmir issue at the international forums
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Blackberry Northfield Campus
This project is a Greenfield Development of a 36 acre Technology Park for a local global leader in wireless innovation.
The service infrastructure involves the construction of a fully accessible road system with the necessary services to provide full and reliable support to the facilities. The power transmission is a full dual service network providing the required reliability factor. Fibre optic service is complete as are gas, water and sewer.
Four buildings providing 750,000 s.f. of multi-faceted office and support space have been completed. To accommodate the densification of the site 3 parking structures have been constructed adding 1450 vehicle spaces.
To support the fast track project delivery the building structures are structural steel frame with composite metal deck. The distinctive architectural design is maintained by a careful blend of precast, glazed curtain wall and brick veneer.
The facilities incorporate access floor systems to provide full flexibility contributing to a "Plug and Play" environment. The multi-use buildings are all fully supported with suitable levels of redundancy and building systems that are sustainable and adjustable to varied uses.
This project is expected to achieve Certification by the LEED® Canada Green Building Rating System.
Robertson Simmons Architect, MTE Consulting, Sandwell Consulting Engineers Ltd., Roth & Associates, The Mitchell Partnership, Mulvey & Banani
673,000 sq.ft.
Grand Innovations - 96 Grand Ave S.
TextNow
Victoria Road Recreation Centre
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Britney Spears entertainment legends music music videos pop music pop stars Video
VIDEO: Britney Spears' World Premiere Of Her 'Perfume' Music Video
A Screen Shot of Britney Spears in her music video for latest single off of the "Britney Jean" album, 'Perfume.' W...
Jonathan Valdez Reply 12/10/2013
http://www.orangejuiceandbiscuits.com/2013/12/video-britney-spears-world-premiere-of.html
A Screen Shot of Britney Spears in her music video for latest single off of the "Britney Jean" album, 'Perfume.'
When Britney said that her latest album "Britney Jean" was going to be for her hardcore and true fans she really meant it! Everything that she has done so far with this album is pure Britney magic! Today OJ&B's Queen released the video for her second single from "Britney Jean," 'Perfume,' directed by Joseph Kahn. Kahn is also known for directing Britney's iconic video for 'Toxic' as well as her video for 'Womanizer.'
Britney looks sensationally flawless in this video and is giving us that dreamy and moody Sadney acting that she gave us in previous videos like 'Lucky,' 'Sometimes,' 'From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart' and 'Everytime.'
Britney even took to Twitter to tell her Army of fans that she "Had to dig deep and really play with some acting chops for this one!"
Had to dig deep and really play with some acting chops for this one!
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) December 8, 2013
I think that the video goes perfectly with the song. Britney looks hot in her underwear and flannel shirt as she lays with on screen boyfriend and "Womanizer" played by model Alexander Kjellevik.
One of my favorite scenes has to be when we see Britney driving because I don't think we have seen Brit Brit emotionally drive a vehicle since 'Stonger,' one of her best videos ever (THAT CHAIR CHOREO)!
Something tells me that the scene where Britney drives by the gas station and sees her Boo Love with another woman will hit close to home for many many guys and gals out there.
Screenshots of Britney emotionally driving and singing after seeing her Boo with another girl at the gas station while looking gorgeous.
Check out the video for 'Perfume' and let me know what you think in the comments below! I hope you continue to enjoy Britmas 2013 as much as I am!!
Britney Spears, entertainment, legends, music, music videos, pop music, pop stars, Video
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Peter W
About Peter W
Peter W reacted to a post in a topic: (Avanceret!) Skridttæller app December 15, 2012
window of opportunity. Min diætist siger.....
Peter W replied to Gizmo1980's topic in Vægttab
Før den udemærkede diætist udstyres med klaphat - kunne man så forestille sig at hendes ræsonnement var noget i retnining af: 1. 'Hård træning' er dette tilfælde 10-12rm i de store basis øvelser med kort pause 45-60 sec. dette burde via den inducerde mælke syre give en markant øgning af væksthormone (Kraemer) og derfor en øget fedtforbrænding. 2. Forhøjet væksthormon ses mindst 30min. efter endt træning.(Fry) 3. Intagelse af kulhydrate og/eller protein vil inducere et insulin response som sænke væksthormon niveauet. 4. Talsmænd for disse ideer er bla. Hatfield og DiPasquale og tildels Poliquin hvorimod Thibaudeau er mere skeptisk. PW
The Scientist and the Stairmaster
Peter W posted a topic in Vægttab
Kilde : http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/ Uddrag fra Gary Taubes nye bog : Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease - Knop 2007 The Scientist and the Stairmaster Why most of us believe that exercise makes us thinner—and why we're wrong. • By Gary Taube Let us begin with a short quiz: a few questions to ponder during the 30 (or 60 or 90) minutes a day you spend burning off excess calories at the gym, or perhaps while feeling guilty because you’re not so engaged. If lean people are more physically active than fat people—one fact in the often-murky science of weight control that’s been established beyond reasonable doubt— does that mean that working out will make a fat person lean? Does it mean that sitting around will make a lean person fat? How about a mathematical variation on these questions: Let’s say we go to the gym and burn off 3,500 calories every week—that’s 700 calories a session, five times a week. Since a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories, does that mean we’ll be a pound slimmer for every week we exercise? And will we continue to slim down at this pace for as long as we continue to exercise? For most of us, fear of flab is the reason we exercise, the motivation that drives us to the gym. It’s also why public-health authorities have taken to encouraging ever more exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. If we’re fat or fatter than ideal, we work out. Burn calories. Expend energy. Still fat? Burn more. The dietary guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for instance, now recommend that we engage in up to 60 minutes daily of “moderate to vigorous intensity” physical activity just to maintain weight—that is, keep us from fattening further. Considering the ubiquity of the message, the hold it has on our lives, and the elegant simplicity of the notion—burn calories, lose weight—wouldn’t it be nice to believe it were true? The catch is that science suggests it’s not, and so the answer to all of the above quiz questions is “no.” Just last month, the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine published joint guidelines for physical activity and health. They suggested that 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week is necessary to “promote and maintain health.” What they didn’t say, though, was that more physical activity will lead us to lose weight. Indeed, the best they could say about the relationship between fat and exercise was this: “It is reasonable to assume that persons with relatively high daily energy expenditures would be less likely to gain weight over time, compared with those who have low energy expenditures. So far, data to support this hypothesis are not particularly compelling.” In other words, despite half a century of efforts to prove otherwise, scientists still can’t say that exercise will help keep off the pounds. The 30 minutes recommended by the AHA-ACSM report is a departure from the recent guidelines of other authoritative organizations—the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the International Association for the Study of Obesity—both of which, like the USDA, have recommended that we exercise for up to 60 minutes a day to avoid what the USDA calls “unhealthy weight gain.” But the reason for this 60-minute recommendation is precisely that so little evidence exists to support the notion that exercising less has any effect. The report that these experts cite most often as grounds for their assessments was published in 2000 by two Finnish researchers who surveyed all the relevant research on exercise and weight of the previous twenty years. Yet the Finnish report, the most scientifically rigorous review of the evidence to date, can hardly be said to have cleared up the matter. When the Finnish investigators looked at the results of the dozen best-constructed experimental trials that addressed weight maintenance—that is, successful dieters who were trying to keep off the pounds they had shed—they found that everyone regains weight. And depending on the type of trial, exercise would either decrease the rate of that gain (by 3.2 ounces per month) or increase its rate (by 1.8 ounces). As the Finns themselves concluded, with characteristic understatement, the relationship between exercise and weight is “more complex” than they might otherwise have imagined. This is not to say that there aren’t excellent reasons to be physically active, as these reports invariably point out. We might just enjoy exercise. We may increase our overall fitness; we may live longer, perhaps by reducing our risk of heart disease or diabetes; we’ll probably feel better about ourselves. (Of course, this may be purely a cultural phenomenon. It’s hard to imagine that the French, for instance, would improve their self-esteem by spending more time at the gym.) But there’s no reason to think that we will lose any significant amount of weight, and little reason to think we will prevent ourselves from gaining it. • Next: The post-workout hormone that is actually feeding your fat cells The one thing that might be said about exercise with certainty is that it tends to makes us hungry. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. Burn more calories and the odds are very good that we’ll consume more as well. And this simple fact alone might explain both the scientific evidence and a nation’s worth of sorely disappointing anecdotal experience. It’s difficult to get health authorities to talk about the disconnect between their official recommendations and the scientific evidence that underlies it because they want to encourage us to exercise, even if their primary reason for doing so is highly debatable. Steve Blair, for instance, a University of South Carolina exercise scientist and a co-author of the AHA-ACSM guidelines, says he was “short, fat, and bald” when he started running in his thirties and he is short, fatter, and balder now, at age 68. In the intervening years, he estimates, he has run close to 80,000 miles and gained about 30 pounds. When I asked Blair whether he thought he might be leaner had he run even more, he had to think about it. “I don’t see how I could have been more active,” he said. “Thirty years ago, I was running 50 miles a week. I had no time to do more. But if I could have gone out over the last couple of decades for two to three hours a day, maybe I would not have gained this weight.” And maybe he would have anyway. If we trust the AHA-ACSM report he co-authored, there is little reason to believe that the amount he runs makes any difference. Nonetheless, Blair personally believes he would be fatter still if he hadn’t been running. Why? There was a time when virtually no one believed exercise would help a person lose weight. Until the sixties, clinicians who treated obese and overweight patients dismissed the notion as naïve. When Russell Wilder, an obesity and diabetes specialist at the Mayo Clinic, lectured on obesity in 1932, he said his fat patients tended to lose more weight with bed rest, “while unusually strenuous physical exercise slows the rate of loss.” The problem, as he and his contemporaries saw it, is that light exercise burns an insignificant number of calories, amounts that are undone by comparatively effortless changes in diet. In 1942, Louis Newburgh of the University of Michigan calculated that a 250-pound man expends only three calories climbing a flight of stairs—the equivalent of depriving himself of a quarter-teaspoon of sugar or a hundredth of an ounce of butter. “He will have to climb twenty flights of stairs to rid himself of the energy contained in one slice of bread!” Newburgh observed. So why not skip the stairs, skip the bread, and call it a day? More-strenuous exercise, these physicians further argued, doesn’t help matters—because it works up an appetite. “Vigorous muscle exercise usually results in immediate demand for a large meal,” noted Hugo Rony of Northwestern University in his 1940 textbook, Obesity and Leanness. “Consistently high or low energy expenditures result in consistently high or low levels of appetite. Thus men doing heavy physical work spontaneously eat more than men engaged in sedentary occupations. Statistics show that the average daily caloric intake of lumberjacks is more than 5,000 calories, while that of tailors is only about 2,500 calories. Persons who change their occupation from light to heavy work or vice versa soon develop corresponding changes in their appetite.” If a tailor becomes a lumberjack and, by doing so, takes to eating like one, why assume that the same won’t happen, albeit on a lesser scale, to an overweight tailor who decides to work out like a lumberjack for an hour a day? Credit for why we came to believe otherwise goes to one man, Jean Mayer, who began his career at Harvard in the early fifties, went on to become the most influential nutritionist in the country, and then, for sixteen years, served as president of Tufts University (where there is now a Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging). As an authority on human weight regulation, Mayer was among the very first of a new breed, a type that has since come to dominate the field. His predecessors—Wilder, Rony, Newburgh, and others—had all been physicians who worked closely with obese and overweight patients. Mayer was not. His training was in physiological chemistry; he had obtained a doctorate at Yale with a dissertation on the interrelationship of vitamins A and C in rats. In the ensuing decades, he would publish hundreds of papers on different aspects of nutrition, including why we get fat, but he never had to reduce obese patients as part of his clinical obligation, and so his hypotheses were less fettered by anecdotal or real-life experience. As early as 1953, after just a few years of research on laboratory mice, Mayer began extolling the virtues of exercise for weight control. By 1959, the New York Times was crediting him with having “debunked [the] popular theories” that exercise played little role in weight control. Mayer knew that the obese often eat no more than the lean and occasionally even less. This seemed to exclude gluttony as a cause of their weight gain, which meant that these fat people had to be less physically active. Otherwise, how could they take in more calories than they expend and so become fat? • Next: Does exercise stimulate your appetite? Through the sixties, Mayer documented the relationship between inactivity and the overweight. He noted that fat high-school girls ate “several hundred calories less” than lean classmates. “The laws of thermodynamics were, however, not flouted by this finding,” he wrote, because the obese girls expended less energy than the lean: They were much less active; they spent four times as many hours watching television. Mayer also studied infants. “The striking phenomenon is that the fatter babies were quiet, placid babies that had moderate intake,” Mayer reported, “whereas the babies who had the highest intake tended to be very thin babies, cried a lot, moved a lot, and became very tense.” Thus, Mayer concluded, “some individuals are born very quiet, inactive, and placid and with moderate intake get fat, and some individuals from the very beginning are very active and do not get particularly fat even with high intakes.” It was Mayer who pioneered the now-ubiquitous practice of implicating sedentary living as the “most important factor” leading to obesity and the chronic diseases that accompany it. Modern Americans, said Mayer, were inert compared with their “pioneer forebears” who were “constantly engaged in hard physical labor.” Every modern convenience, by this logic, from power windows to the electric toothbrush, only serves to minimize the calories we expend. “The development of obesity,” Mayer wrote in 1968, “is to a large extent the result of the lack of foresight of a civilization which spends tens of billions annually on cars, but is unwilling to include a swimming pool and tennis courts in the plans of every high school.” Mayer’s hypothesis always had shortcomings, but they were ignored for the same reasons they still are—who wants to openly question the idea that physical activity is a panacea? The first issue is a logical one: That conclusion that the fatter we are, the more sedentary we’re likely to be is actually a correlation; it tells us nothing about what is cause and what is effect. “It is a common observation,” noted Rony in 1941, “that many obese persons are lazy, i.e., show decreased impulse to muscle activity. This may be, in part, an effect that excess weight would have on the activity impulse of any normal person.” Equally possible is that obesity and physical inactivity are both symptoms of the same underlying cause. This logical problem was then obscured by Mayer’s all-out attack on the role of hunger. Mayer acknowledged that exercise could make us hungrier, but he said it wasn’t necessarily the case. This was the heart of Mayer’s message—a purported loophole in the relationship between appetite and physical activity. “If exercise is decreased below a certain point, food intake no longer decreases,” said Mayer. “In other words, walking one half-hour a day may be equivalent to only four slices of bread, but if you don’t walk the half-hour, you still want to eat the four slices.” Mayer based this conclusion on two (and only two) of his own studies from the mid-fifties. The first purported to demonstrate that laboratory rats exercised for a few hours every day will eat less than rats that don’t exercise at all. But this would never be replicated. In more recent experiments, the more rats run the more rats eat; weights remain unchanged. And when rats are retired from these exercise programs, they eat more than ever and gain weight with age more rapidly than rats that were allowed to remain sedentary. With hamsters and gerbils, exercise increases body weight and body-fat percentage. So exercising makes these particular rodents fatter, not leaner. Mayer’s second study was an assessment of the diet, physical activity, and weights of workers and merchants at a mill in West Bengal, India. This article is still cited—by the Institute of Medicine, for instance—as perhaps the only existing evidence that physical activity and appetite do not necessarily go hand in hand. But it, too, has never been replicated, despite (or perhaps because of) a half-century of improvements in methods of assessing diet and energy expenditure in humans. It helped that Mayer promoted his pro-exercise message with a fervor akin to a moral crusade. In 1966, Mayer was the primary author of a U.S. Public Health Service report advocating increased physical activity along with diet as the best way to lose weight. In 1969, Mayer chaired Richard Nixon’s White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health. “The successful treatment of obesity must involve far-reaching changes in lifestyle,” the conference report concludes. “These changes include alterations of dietary patterns and patterns of physical activity.” In 1972, Mayer began writing a syndicated newspaper column on nutrition: Exercise, Mayer now wrote, sounding suspiciously like a diet doctor selling a patent claim, will make “weight melt away faster,” and “contrary to popular belief, exercise won’t stimulate your appetite.” • Next: The "exercise explosion" grips America. Our culture of physical exercise began only in the late sixties, coincident with Mayer’s crusade, which explains why our parents might not have been quite so devoted to the idea of spending their leisure time perspiring profusely. In 1977, the New York Times was covering the “exercise explosion” that had come about because the conventional wisdom of the sixties that exercise was “bad for you” had been transformed into the “new conventional wisdom—that strenuous exercise is good for you.” When the Washington Post estimated in 1980 that 100 million Americans were partaking in the “new fitness revolution”—coincident with the start of the current obesity epidemic—it also noted that most of them “would have been derided as ‘health nuts’" only a decade earlier. Meanwhile, the evidence simply never came around to support Mayer’s hypothesis, even though our beliefs did. My favorite study of the effect of physical activity on weight loss was published in 1989 by a team of Danish researchers. Over the course of eighteen months the Danes trained nonathletes to run a marathon. At the end of this training period, the eighteen men in the study had lost an average of five pounds of body fat. As for the nine women subjects, the Danes reported, “no change in body composition was observed.” That same year, F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, then director of the St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital Obesity Research Center in New York, reviewed the studies on exercise and weight, and his conclusion was identical to that of the Finnish review’s eleven years later: “Decreases, increases, and no changes in body weight and body composition have been observed,” Pi-Sunyer reported. Granted, all this still doesn’t explain why we bought into Mayer’s idea that we could exercise more and not compensate by eating more. One simple reason is that the health reporters bought it, and we were reading their articles, not the research literature itself. In 1977, for instance, the National Institutes of Health hosted its second conference on obesity and weight control. “The importance of exercise in weight control is less than might be believed,” the assembled experts concluded, “because increases in energy expenditure due to exercise also tend to increase food consumption, and it is not possible to predict whether the increased caloric output will be outweighed by the greater food intake.” That same year, The New York Times Magazine reported that there was “now strong evidence that regular exercise can and does result in substantial and—so long as the exercise is continued—permanent weight loss.” By 1990, a year after Pi-Sunyer’s pessimistic assessment of the evidence, Newsweek was declaring exercise an “essential” element of any weight-loss program, and the Times had stated that on those infrequent occasions “when exercise isn’t enough” to lose weight, “you must also make sure you don’t overeat.” As for the authorities themselves, the primary factor fueling their belief in the weight-maintaining benefits of exercise was their natural reluctance to acknowledge otherwise. Although one couldn’t help but be “underwhelmed by” the evidence, as Mayer’s student Judith Stern, a UC Davis nutritionist, wrote in 1986, it would be “shortsighted” to say that exercise was ineffective because it meant ignoring the possible contributions of exercise to the prevention of obesity and to the maintenance of weight loss that might be induced by diet. These, of course, had never been demonstrated either, but they hadn’t been ruled out. This faith-based philosophy came to dominate scientific discussions on exercise and weight, but it couldn’t be reconciled with the simple notion that appetite and calories consumed will increase with an increase in physical activity. Hence, the idea of working up an appetite was jettisoned. Clinicians, researchers, exercise physiologists, even personal trainers at the local gym took to thinking and talking about hunger as though it were a phenomenon exclusive to the brain, a question of willpower (whatever that is), not the natural consequence of a body trying to replenish itself with energy. Ultimately, the relationship between physical activity and fatness comes down to the question of cause and effect. Is Lance Armstrong excessively lean because he burns off a few thousand calories a day cycling, or is he driven to expend that energy because his body is constitutionally set against storing calories as fat? If his fat tissue is resistant to accumulating calories, his body has little choice but to burn them as quickly as possible: what Rony and his contemporaries called the “activity impulse”—a physiological drive, not a conscious one. His body is telling him to get on his bike and ride, not his mind. Those of us who run to fat would have the opposite problem. Our fat tissue wants to store calories, leaving our muscles with a relative dearth of energy to burn. It’s not willpower we lack, but fuel. For the last 60 years, researchers studying obesity and weight regulation have insisted on treating the human body as a thermodynamic black box: Calories go in one side, they come out the other, and the difference (calories in minus calories out) ends up as either more or less fat. The fat tissue, in this thermodynamic model, has nothing to say in the matter. Thus the official recommendations to eat less and exercise more and assuredly you’ll get thinner. (Or at least not fatter.) And in the strict sense this is true—you can starve a human, or a rat, and he will indeed lose weight—but that misses the point. Humans, rats, and all living organisms are ruled by biology, not thermodynamics. When we deprive ourselves of food, we get hungry. When we push ourselves physically, we get tired. Our bodies, like all living organisms, have evolved a fantastically complex web of feedback loops. These physiological mechanisms serve fundamentally to work against the inevitable pull of thermodynamics (which is entropy, a.k.a. death) and so make life possible. The necessary condition of life, as the great French physiologist Claude Bernard noted 140 years ago, is to keep the internal environment of an organism stable and conducive to life, regardless of what’s happening on the outside. This is what the Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon, in the thirties, called homeostasis—or the “wisdom of the body,” as he put it. “Somehow the unstable stuff of which we are composed,” Cannon wrote, “had learned the trick of maintaining stability.” • Next: How fat affects our ability to lose weight. The key is that among the many things regulated in this homeostatic system—along with blood pressure and blood sugar, body temperature, respiration, etc.—is the amount of fat we carry. From this biological or homeostatic perspective, lean people are not those who have the willpower to exercise more and eat less. They are people whose bodies are programmed to send the calories they consume to the muscles to be burned rather than to the fat tissue to be stored—the Lance Armstrongs of the world. The rest of us tend to go the other way, shunting off calories to fat tissue, where they accumulate to excess. This shunting of calories toward fat cells to be stored or toward the muscles to be burned is a phenomenon known as fuel partitioning. The job of determining how fuels (glucose and fatty acids) will be used, whether we will store them as fat or burn them for energy, is carried out primarily by the hormone insulin in concert with an enzyme known technically as lipoprotein lipase—LPL, for short. (Sex hormones also interact with LPL, which is why men and women fatten differently.) In the eighties, biochemists and physiologists worked out how LPL responds to exercise. They found that during a workout, LPL activity increases in muscle tissue, and so our muscle cells suck up fatty acids to use for fuel. Then, when we’re done exercising, LPL activity in the muscle tissue tapers off and LPL activity in our fat tissue spikes, pulling calories into fat cells. This works to return to the fat cells any fat they might have had to surrender—homeostasis, in other words. The more rigorous the exercise, and the more fat lost from our fat tissue, the greater the subsequent increase in LPL activity in the fat cells. Thus, post-workout, we get hungry: Our fat tissue is devoting itself to restoring calories as fat, depriving other tissues and organs of the fuel they need and triggering a compensatory impulse to eat. The feeling of hunger is the brain’s way of trying to satisfy the demands of the body. Just as sweating makes us thirsty, burning off calories makes us hungry. This research has never been controversial. It’s simply been considered irrelevant by authorities, all too often lean, who have been dead set on blaming fatness on some combination of gluttony, sloth, and perhaps a little genetic predisposition thrown in on the side. But contemplating the means by which we might lose weight without considering the hormonal regulation of fat tissue is like wondering why children grow taller without considering the role of growth hormones. Or, for that matter, like trying to explain the record-breaking triumphs of modern athletes—Barry Bonds, say—and never considering the possibility that steroid hormones (or human growth hormone or insulin) might be involved. If it’s biology, and not a lack of willpower, that explains why exercise fails so many of us as a weight-loss tool, then we can still find reason for optimism. Since insulin is the primary hormone affecting the activity of LPL on our cells, it’s not surprising that insulin is the primary regulator of how fat we get. “Fat is mobilized [from fat tissue] when insulin secretion diminishes,” the American Medical Association Council on Foods and Nutrition explained back in 1974, before this fact, too, was deemed irrelevant to the question of why we gain weight or the means to lose it. Because insulin determines fat accumulation, it’s quite possible that we get fat not because we eat too much or exercise too little but because we secrete too much insulin or because our insulin levels remain elevated far longer than might be ideal. To be sure, this is the same logic that leads to other unconventional ideas. As it turns out, it’s carbohydrates—particularly easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars—that primarily stimulate insulin secretion. “Carbohydrates is driving insulin is driving fat,” as George Cahill Jr., a retired Harvard professor of medicine and expert on insulin, recently phrased it for me. So maybe if we eat fewer carbohydrates—in particular the easily digestible simple carbohydrates and sugars—we might lose considerable fat or at least not gain any more, whether we exercise or not. This would explain the slew of recent clinical trials demonstrating that dieters who restrict carbohydrates but not calories invariably lose more weight than dieters who restrict calories but not necessarily carbohydrates. Put simply, it’s quite possible that the foods—potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, pastries, sweets, soda, and beer—that our parents always thought were fattening (back when the medical specialists treating obesity believed that exercise made us hungry) really are fattening. And so if we avoid these foods specifically, we may find our weights more in line with our desires. As for those people who insist that exercise has been the key to their weight-loss programs, the one thing we’d have to wonder is whether they changed their diets as well. Rare is the person who decides the time has come to lose weight and doesn’t also decide perhaps it’s time to eat fewer sweets, drink less beer, switch to diet soda, and maybe curtail the kind of carb-rich snacks—the potato chips and the candy bars—that might be singularly responsible for driving up their insulin and so their fat. For the rest of us, it may be time to take a scientific or biological view of our excesses rather than a biblical one. The benefits of exercise include the joys of virtuousness. I worked out today, therefore I can eat fattening foods to my heart’s content. But maybe the causality is reversed here too. Maybe it’s because we eat foods that fatten us that the workout becomes a necessity, the best we can do in the battle against our own fat tissue. Kilde : http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/ PW
Derfor bliver vi fede!
Peter W replied to Christian B's topic in Vægttab
En mening om sukker - som parameter for overvægt. PW Fra:www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79272.php Diet Or Exercise? New Study Finds Sugar Is Important In Obesity, UK 10 Aug 2007 Scientists at the Medical Research Council have found that eating more sugar is associated with obesity. Although this may seem obvious, previous studies, which relied on self-reporting of diet, had not shown that this was the case. But researchers from the Medical Research Council and University of Cambridge looking into the links between diet and cancer have developed a new way of objectively measuring sugar consumption. This is important in establishing the cause of the UK's epidemic of obesity: lack of exercise or over-eating. The team developed a new way of objectively measuring sugar consumption. Their findings about how much sugar overweight people consume are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Until now it had been very difficult to assess food intake, particularly sugar consumption, in large populations. Data from surveys seemed to show that as weight and body mass index increased, people underestimated their total food intake, including the amount of sugar they ate. The team has developed a new urine test which allows them to work out how much sugar large numbers of people are eating for the first time. They measure the levels of urinary sucrose and fructose (two types of sugar) in spot urine samples. Using data from hundreds of volunteers from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC) study, researchers have combined information from diet self-reporting with data from the urine and blood samples. They found that obese people underestimated the amount of sugar they consumed, while overestimating the amount of vitamin C they took in each day. Professor Sheila Bingham, who led the study said: "The spot urine and blood tests established that obese people consume more sugar and less vitamin C than their thinner counterparts, but this did not show up when asked. Although obese people may have a less active lifestyle than people of normal weight, reports about what they ate were less accurate than those from their normal weight counterparts." The 20% of people tested who consumed the least sugar ate about 76g per day but the 20% who ate the most took in an average 207g, nearly three times as much. Professor Bingham, from the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit and EPIC study continued: "These results show what many have suspected for some time: obese people are not able to tell us what they actually eat. If we are to tackle the scourge of obesity, both exercise and diet need to be taken into account." 1. Publication details Epidemiologic assessment of sugars consumption using biomarkers: comparisons of obese and nonobese individuals in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer Norfolk. Sheila Bingham, Robert Luben, Ailsa Welch, Natasa Tasevska, Nick Wareham and Kay Tee Khaw. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 16(8) August 2007. 2. Definitions Sucrose and fructose are types of sugar. Sucrose is mostly found in table sugar, sugar used in cooking, preserves, cakes, biscuits, confectionary and soft drinks, while fructose is found in fruit and fruit products. 3. Medical Research Council The Medical Research Council is dedicated to improving human health through excellent science. It invests on behalf of the UK taxpayer. Its work ranges from molecular level science to public health research, carried out in universities, hospitals and a network of its own units and institutes. The MRC liaises with the Health Departments, the National Health Service and industry to take account of the public's needs. The results have led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical science and benefited the health and wealth of millions of people in the UK and around the world. http://www.mrc.ac.uk Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79272.php
Endorfinjunkie på genoptræning
Peter W replied to CoqRouge's topic in Online Logbog
Hr. Endofinjunkie Vedrørende deres achillessener. Mon det kunne være en problematik i denne i retning! Et uskønt link (http://www.fysio.no/content/download/22492/201817/file/Hoksrud_Ultrasound-Guided%20Sclerosis%20of%20Neovessels%20in%20Painful%20Chronic%20Patellar_AJSM2006.pdf) PW
Beregning af kondital på forsvarets basiskrav?
Peter W replied to MichaelEbeltoft's topic in Konditionstræning
-789 Det er et direkte citat fra bogen - men Poul-Erik Paulev bruger Walt & Wyndham til at estimere Max-VO2 for en atlet der løber 20km på en time -Ebeltoft Et forsigtigt forsøg på at anvende – Walt & Wyndham TBW=84KG (Ebeltoft) V =11,25km/t (3000m/16min) Indsættes i Walt & Wyndham VO2=3,56l/m dvs. det koster netto 3,56l/m at løbe 3000m på 16min. Veltrænede Ebeltoft kan løbe på 97% af Max-VO2 3,56l/m/0,97=3,67l/m dvs. Ebeltoft skal (mindst) have Max-VO2 3,67l/m eller 43,7ml/kg PW
Walt & Wyndham: VO2=-0,419+0,03257xTBW+0,000117xTBWXVxV VO2=iltoptagelse TBW=total legmesvægt i kg V =løbehastighed km/time estimat for atleter der løber på flad bane i længere tid. Kilde: Paul-Erik Paulev - Løb for den trænede - men gør det afslappet (1979) PW
Ville der ske noget hvis Lance stoppede med motion
Peter W replied to søren's topic in Konditionstræning
Mon ikke en atlet af Armstrong's format bør lave en kontrolleret "nedtrapning" af træningen. Jeg synes at huske, måske forkert, at Hans-Henrik Ørsted efter at være stoppet træning led af opsvulmede underben. Efter nogen tid fandt man ud af, at opsvulmningen skyldtes, at kroppen stadig producerede oxidative enzymer til "200km på cykel om dagen". Måske nogen af Boardets cykel-experter kan be-/afkræfte dette. PW
Bill Stars Programmer
Peter W replied to websam's topic in Styrketræning
Til inspiration : Special Treat: A Program from Bill Starr Thanks to Mike Rinaldi for helping me track down Mr. Starr. I wrote him a letter, ordered a copy of "Defying Gravity". He autographed the book, was very helpful with my questions and send me a copy of the following program. Hopkins Football 2000 Summer Lifting: Upperclassmen by Bill Starr Monday (Heavy Day) Squats 5 x 5; 1 x 8 (back-off set) Bench Press: Change your routine every week. Always do three sets of five as warm-ups then do three sets of heavier triples, doubles or singles. Some weeks you might want to find a work weight and do it for 3-5 sets of five. Do one or two back-off sets of eight Back Work: Alternate deadlifts with power clean and clean high pulls every other week. Change up the reps on the deadlifts each time you do them. Do five sets of five, two sets of five, followed by three sets of 3, or four sets of eight. Work five sets of five on the power cleans, then do four sets of three on the clean high pull. You should be doing fifty more pounds on the high pull on your very first set than you used for your last power clean and aim at using 100 more pounds on your final set. Auxiliary Work: Incline Dumbbells: Change these around also. One week do three sets of twelve or fifteen, then another do two sets of twenty. Do NOT do any less than 10 reps however. Tuesday (Light Day) Power Snatches: Two sets of five, then four to five sets of three. As long as you are maintaining goof form, you can do extra sets but when the form gets sloppy, move on to the high pulls. (Note from Coach Margraff—“make sure you know what you are doing with this lift. Incoming freshman are not to attempt this lift until they are properly taught the technique here at Hopkins by Bill Starr) Snatch Grip High Pulls: Five sets of three, again trying to handle at least 100 pounds more on your final set over what you power snatched for your last set Overhead Press: Change the set and rep sequence like you did on the bench press. Until you get your form down, do five sets of five. An excellent formula to improve this lift is to do three sets of five as warm-ups, then select a work weight and do five sets of three. Follow these with one back-off set of eight. If you make all your sets, move the weight up five pounds the next week. Stay with the strict presses until you are able to handle 200 x 3, then you can add in some push presses. But the strict presses are more beneficial until you reach that strength level. Baby Cows: Start doing three to five sets of thirty reps and if possible alternate the standing and seated calf machines. Chin-ups: Do four sets of all you can do. Try to add at least one rep, total, to each workout and these will steadily move up. Wednesday (Light Day) Squats: Five sets of five, using 50 lbs less than you did on Monday or do Front Squats, three sets of five followed by three sets of heavier threes Good Mornings: Four sets of eight. Remember you want to keep your top set of eight at 50% of your best squat Incline Bench: Follow the guidelines set down for the bench press on Monday. Change the routine weekly but always look for a PR Dips: One set without weight, then start adding resistance for three or four more sets. Do eights, fives and threes. In order for dips to help your other lifts, you have to move past 100 for reps Beach Work: Do two or three sets for your triceps and biceps, but don’t get nuts on these for you are already doing lots for you upper arms and adding in too much will not help, but hurt. For the triceps: straight-arm pullover or pushdowns on the lat machine are good. Any type of curling is useful for the biceps and some reverse curls are beneficial for forearm development. Keep the reps high, twenties, fifteens, and never less than ten Friday (Medium Day) Squats: Three sets of five followed by two sets of threes and one back-off set of eight. Try to move your triple up five to ten pounds each week and come back the following Monday and do that same weight for five reps. Hang Cleans: These are optional. If you think you need more work on your power clean form, do three or four sets of five before doing your shrugs. Always do these before shrugging. Shrugs: Five to six sets of five. Alternate the Hawaiian kind with the “in the rack” type, if possible Bench Press:Four sets of eight followed by two sets of doubles Close-grip Bench Press OR Overhead Press: Do NOT do both!! You can alternate these every other week. On the close-grips, do three or four sets of eight. On the overhead presses, do five sets of five Beach Work: Optional. If you have some energy left over at this stage of the week, you can add in more curls, triceps or chins. But don’t overdo it or you will be shot for Monday. ALL WORKOUTS: Abdominal Work: Include ab work at every workout. In fact you can do something for your abs every day. Be sure to hit the high and low portions of your midsection every time. High reps are better than multiple sets of lower reps. Stretching: Spend time stretching after each workout. It is also a good idea to start doing some stretching during the workout in-between sets. Leg Machines: If you have them available, utilize the leg machines at least twice a week. Leg extension, leg curl and adductor for two sets of twenty. PW
mælk..
Peter W replied to Lasse T's topic in Ernæring
Hvis din boss er en voksen mand 45-50år+ kunne lægens råd være en opfordring til at reducere calcium indtaget. Et studie fra Havard viste, at mænd med det største calcium(mælk) indtag havde størst risiko for prostata cancer. PW
Vægtløftere vs. sprintere??
Peter W replied to a topic in Styrketræning
Weightlifters faster than Sprinters...research? PW
Kan det lade sig gøre?
Peter W replied to Spinx's topic in Styrketræning
Spinx : Måske kan du hente inspiration i Christian Thibaudeau's 8 Weeks to a Record Bench. (ttp://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=1BDE72F586548152C1B85D8E5859318B.titan?id=539885) PW
Hvad siger i til det her?
Peter W replied to Zoater's topic in Ernæring
Stubbe : Gå til (http://transfedt.dk/Sitemap.htm) nederst (http://transfedt.dk/Slangetaemmer.dk.htm) her et 'CV' for hr. Jan Petersen PW
Træn på 4 minutter!
Peter W replied to jsc's topic in Styrketræning
jcs: Jeg er næsten også sikker på, at metoden oprindeligt er tiltænkt sprinttræning JA - hurtigløb¨på skøjter PW
Væggtræning i udholdenheds idrætter
Peter W replied to Quantanamo's topic in Styrketræning
Fra Schweiz om svømning (http://www.svl.ch/svlimmat_ratind.html) Om styrketræning i svømning (http://www.svl.ch/Kraft/) Bemærk Jean-Pierre Egger's lille indlæg (http://www.svl.ch/Kraft/KrafttrainingSchwimmer.pdf) PW
Bænk vs skulderpres
Poliquin: If you serratus anterior is weak it is normally also reflected by a poor performance in the military press exercise. You should be able to military press 70% of your bench press performance. (www.charlespoliquin.net/ articles/the-lost-poliquin-files-page2.html) PW
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By Jake Merch
Nobody will argue with you when you say that the singularity is imminent. Sure, you might be standing on a milk crate on a corner downtown, using a makeshift megaphone made out of newspaper you pulled out of a trashcan to preach. And sure, to most people that might wreak of insanity. Yet, that does not make the points you're barking invalid. It just makes them louder. And it makes people avoid eye contact with you, although that is a sign of autism spectrum disorder.
The singularity-- the moment when machines become more intelligent than humans-- is coming folks. That seems impossible, right? Surely there is no indicator of human idiocy. There's not a troll running for president tricking people into voting for him through hypnotically terrible hair and hate speech lifted directly from Adolf Hitler (a notorious jerk). Clearly, we are maintaining a superior level of intelligence. The kind of smarts it takes to respond to mass pollution and the change in climate that it causes. Or at least we have the brains to deny it all because it's easier and there's so many dating competition shows to watch and blog about.
What should we do if the singularity dawns? We do what humans always do when confronted: we get racist, then violent. Racism is the heat source that boils into violence. That violence could even be throwing boiling water in the face of our enemy. Usually it's a bit more hamburgery than that, but there are no rules when it comes to violence.
I have come up with a few racist things we can call robots: clink clanks and bleep bloops. And when you see a group of clink clanks clattering down the street, you can nudge your buddy with your elbow and say, "Looks like the circuit's in town." That's just a jump off point. As the bleep bloop overlords over take humanity with their cold metal fists, we will surely get more desperate and therefore more racist. Yet, you cannot get to that level of racism until you are truly under the threat of oppression. Like how cops must feel when they see a black teen eating ice cream at an honor society meeting.
Feel free to leave a comment telling how you would be racist toward a robot.
4/07/2016JakeJake, racism, robots1 comment
"Afrobot American't" would be my go-to.
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What type of fuel is your classic Italian beauty running on?
Ever buy the lowest grade of gasoline because it’s less expensive? The initial hit to your wallet might be easier, but depending on what you drive, it could be pricier in the long run.
Shell made that point recently in Times Square in New York, which was transformed into a mock gas station to launch the new V-Power Nitro+ grade of premium fuel. Available now at all Shell stations across Canada, it replaces the previous V-Power premium fuel.
“Of the cars sold in 2013, the engine manufacturers recommend premium for 40 per cent (of them),” says Istvan Kapitany, executive vice-president of Shell retail. “The cars are getting more sophisticated and efficient, and they require a better-quality fuel in terms of octane.”
At 91 octane, the new Nitro+ has the same rating as the V-Power it replaces, but also includes a new additive package that the company says will reduce engine gunk, corrosion, and wear. It also contains no ethanol.
Engines contain pistons, which move up and down to turn a central crankshaft. That shaft’s spinning motion eventually turns the wheels, similar to the way your legs drive a bicycle forward. Power is created when a spark plug ignites fuel vapour in the combustion chamber and the resulting energy forces the piston down. Because the combustion chamber is hot, fuel can sometimes spontaneously ignite before the spark plug fires, creating pre-ignition or engine knock, named for the knocking or pinging sound it makes.
The higher the level of octane in the fuel—indicated by the numbers 87, 89, or 91 that you see at the station—the less likely it is to pre-ignite. Any engine can safely use premium fuel, but it is often required in performance cars, which are more prone to pre-ignition because of their higher compression.
On older cars, engine knock can potentially cause serious damage. Newer vehicles have knock sensors, which adjust the spark plugs’ firing time when necessary to avoid engine injury. When this happens, the vehicle can be sluggish and will use more fuel, potentially wiping out any initial savings at the pump.
Octane is a molecule in the fuel, its concentration determined during the refining process. Gasoline companies then add proprietary mixtures of additives, including detergents and, in the case of Nitro+, a wear protectant.
“It puts a coating on the metal surface that slows the wear between the mechanical moving parts,” says Joe Russo, a Shell fuel scientist. “The coating lasts as long as you continue to use this fuel. If you switch to something else, that coating will come off.”
Russo says the fuel helps protect against corrosion by isolating the small amount of water that gets into gasoline through condensation in the tank, and also removes gunk. This is the oily black carbon that builds up on the valves that let air and fuel into the engine. If there’s enough of it, it can cause such problems as hard starting, dirtier emissions, or poorer fuel economy. Shell claims its new fuel will remove 60 per cent of engine gunk with the first tank, and “if you continually use it, you will get zero deposits,” Russo says.
The company is aggressively marketing the new fuel because gas is a grudge purchase: you buy it because you need it, not because you’re itching to put something new in your car. Kapitany says only 30 per cent of drivers who need premium fuel are loyal to a brand, and even these customers will use another if they can’t find a station nearby. In addition to showcasing Ferrari at the Times Square event — the company supplies fuel to the Italian automaker’s Formula One cars — Shell has announced a partnership with BMW, which endorses the V-Power Nitro+ for its line of M performance vehicles, and has supplied one hundred 3 Series cars for Shell-branded giveaways in Canada and the U.S.
The New York event also marked the beginning of a test run with a Dodge Charger, specially modified so that half its V8 engine runs on Shell’s fuel, and the other half on competitors’ premium fuels. When it arrives in Los Angeles, it’ll be torn down and examined to compare wear and dirt on each side.
Kapitany says that all of Shell’s fuel grades contain the additive package for gunk, corrosion and wear protection, but that the 91-octane Nitro+ has the largest quantity of it. “It’s the top product and we’re trying to make it better than the competitors’ premium,” he says.
By: Jil McIntosh Special to the Star, Published on Thu Jul 09 2015
← The 1968 to 1985 Fiat 124 Spider – The Affordable Way to Drive Italian…for Now!
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Váltás normál nézetre
Youth performances
Erkel Theatre
Eiffel Art Studios
OperaTour
Nyelvválasztó / Language selector
2020. January 09.
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb comes to Budapest
Ero the Joker, a comic opera by Jakov Gotovac and Death in Venice, a dance performance by Valentina Turcu can be seen at the Erkel Theatre on 21 and 23 January 2020. The guest performances of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb are organised under the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
New Year's greeting from Szabolcs Nagypál
Theologian Szabolcs Nagypál greeted the audience of Erkel Theatre at the New Year's concert of the Hungarian State Opera.
Händel and Mozart's Messiah at the Hungarian State Opera
For the first time in its history, the Hungarian State Opera produces a staged version of Hädel's masterpiece. Mozart's revised version directed by Ferenc Anger premieres on 20 December 2019 at the Erkel Theatre. Soloists of the four Christmas performances are Rita Rácz, Atala Schöck, István Horváth and Krisztián Cser. The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra is conducted by Gergely Kesselyák.
The Hungarian State Opera announces the French Muse Season 2020/21
19 premieres, including two world and three Hungarian premieres, are featured in the 2020/21 thematic season of the Hungarian State Opera dedicated to the French Muse. After a hiatus of decades, Les contes d'Hoffmann, La fille du régiment and Flammes de Paris will return to the repertoire, but new productions of Carmen and Andrea Chénier. The second test run of the Eiffel Art Studios, the new venue of the Opera will begin on 7 February 2020.
Jakov Gotovac: Ero, the Joker (Ero s onoga svijeta)
Opera in three parts, in Croatian with Hungarian and English surtitles – guest performance by the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Thomas Mann / Gustav Mahler / Valentina Turcu: Death in Venice
Ballet performance in one part – guest performance by the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Opera House closed for restoration
The Opera House in Budapest is currently undergoing extensive restoration and modernisation. Until its reopening in 2021, our performances can be seen at the Erkel Theatre, the second venue of the Hungarian State Opera.
Leonid Lavrovsky / Adolphe Adam: Giselle
Balett in two acts
Performances at the Erkel Theatre
Amilcare Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Opera in two parts, four acts, in Italian, with Hungarian and English surtitles
Pongrác Kacsóh: John the Valiant
Singspiel in three parts, in Hungarian, with Hungarian and English surtitles
French Muse Season – 2020/21
In the 2020/2021 season, the Hungarian State Opera once again concentrates on the opera tradition of a certain nation. We have already had German, Italian and Hungarian themed seasons, now it is time for the French Muse Season. In recent years, works by several French composers – including Massenet, Offenbach, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns – found their way into the repertoire as well as with operas such as Les Huguenots based on French history. These will all return to our stages and most of the new opera and ballet productions will also focus on French culture along with the numerous galas, symphonic concerts and guest performances.
Ballet evening in three acts
Auditions, Vacancies
Friends of Opera
Registration for event
Title: Questions, questions - why like this and not some other way?
Location Eiffel Art Studios – Bánffy Stage
Time: April 18, 2019, 7 p.m.
Registration for this event is closed because it is fully booked up.
Tickets Tickets
Ticket information Ticket information
Billy Elliot - The Musical
Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci
Dialogues des Carmélites (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
Die Fledermaus (The Bat)
Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow)
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
Hunyadi László
John the Valiant
La bohème 2.0
La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West)
La fille mal gardée
Le nozze di Figaro
L'italiana in Algeri
L’oca del Cairo, ossia Lo sposo deluso (The Goose of Cairo or The Deluded Bridegroom)
Porgy and Bess®
Saint Matthew Passion
Siegfried-idyll / Chrysanthemums
Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
The Karamazovs
company opera
Company children's chorus
Company Ballet Institute
company choir
company orchestra
company ballet
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Schooly D Not Happy To Find His Lyrics Inside Norwegian Psycho Killer’s 1,500 Page Rant
Deep inside Anders Breivik’s 1,400 page ‘manifesto’, “2083: A European Declaration of Independence,” in between all the raging Islamophobia, pathological nativism, and bomb-making instructions, the man who killed 77 innocent, unarmed people in cold blood, warns readers of the negative effect that gangsta rap lyrics have on society. In section 2.67 of the PDF version, Breivik includes a slightly bastardized version of John P McWhorter‘s 2003 anti-rap diatribe How Hip-Hop Holds Blacks Back, which singles out a few of the most sensational lines from Schooly D’s proto-gangsta rap “PSK What Does It Mean?” to illustrate the toxicity of hip-hop:
Copped my pistols, jumped into the ride
Got at the bar, copped some flack
Copped some cheeba-cheeba, it wasn’t wack
Got to the place, and who did I see
A sucker-ass nigga tryin to sound like me
Put my pistol up against his head
I said, “Sucker-ass nigga, I should shoot you dead”
What is not included are the lines that come after, where Schooly decides to put down the gun and pick up the microphone:
A thought ran across my educated mind
Said, man, Schoolly D ain’t doin no time
Grabbed the microphone and I started to talk
Sucker-ass nigga, man, he started to walk
Which Schooly tries to point out in interviews with the City Paper and NBC PHILADLEPHIA. He plans to release a formal statement Monday morning, according to his publicist. If we were in his shoes we would say this: I am not interested in lectures about the negative effect of rap lyrics on society from mass murderers. Period. End of story.
« SH*T MY UNCLE SAYS: Tea Party Is A Boehner Killer
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: Another Teen Mob Rampages In Center City, Beating And Robbing People »
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Radio Connex
Subscribe | 21 Jan 2020
For more on radio and music business news. | Click on RNMBiz
Review | 05 Jan 2018 15:22 | By RnMTeam
'Tere Bina' more of music, less of Shreya
MUMBAI: The soulful Bollywood playback singer, Shreya Ghoshal releases her first single of 2018 Tere Bina. The single that created a buzz in the city with its teaser release has already crossed four thousand views.
Hindi singles are usually lyrical, but Tere Bina is more about music. The single is more of music than lyrics. The composition and lyrics are in Thumri, one of the common genre of semi-classical music which is romantic or devotional in nature.
Shot at beautiful locations in the North, the video comprises of certain attractive long shots, which will make you go wow. The location has been well utilised with sceneries, one would love gazing at. Featuring the singer in the video single, the entire single is a candid one with close shots of the beautiful singer highlighting her pretty eyes and creative fingers.
Sung by the melody queen, the single is composed and arranged by Deepak Pandit who also had a role in Ghoshal’s 2017 single Dhadkane Azad Hain.
Sadly the song video is not about Shreya’s beautiful voice. One will enjoy the song only with its video, but it will fail to build a connection. Tere Bina can be well utilised as a background score for a film.
This is single is targeted to the audience with love and passion for classical and semi-classical music as the instruments used in the single play an important role in taking it to the next level.
Check the song below:
Shreya Ghoshal Tere Bina Thumri Dhadkane Azad Hain Deepak Pandit
Reviews | 16 Jul 2016
Album Review: Rustom's soundtrack lives up to the hype; well..almost
MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar and Ileana D'Cruz starrer ‘Rustom’, a film based on real life story of a naval officer KM Nanavati not just has an interesting storyline to narrate, but also an appealing album. The jukebox of Rustom is out and it is a beautiful one.
Reviews | 27 Feb 2016
'Rehnuma': Rocky Handsome's soulful connection
MUMBAI: John Abraham along with Shruti Haasan will be seen in their upcoming thriller movie 'Rocky Handsome' shortly.
Reviews | 08 Aug 2015
Gogavale Brothers deliver fabulous music for 'Brothers'
Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez starrer ‘Brothers’, is one of the most anticipated movies of 2015. And the quality music of this film just adds to the hype around the remake of the 2011 Hollywood film ‘Warrior’. Gogavale Brothers Ajay-Atul have composed the music of the film. The duo had worked with producer Karan Johar in 2012’s ‘Agneepath’- the film that is remembered for its popular tracks like ‘Chikni Chameli’ and ‘Abhi Mujh Main Kahin’ among others. Their latest offering starts with ‘Brothers Anthem’.
Reviews | 26 May 2015
Mithoon, Jeet Gannguli and Ami Mishra team up for the melodious album of 'Hamari Adhuri Kahani'
Mohit Suri, Mithoon and Jeet Gannguli have teamed up for 'Hamari Adhuri Kahani', which features Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao in lead roles. As the film is based on Mahesh Bhatt's parents, it is written by Bhatt himself. Within a couple of days of its release, the title track 'Hamari Adhuri Kahani' had more than a million views on YouTube. Radioandmusic.com brings to you the music review of the album.
Piku: Anupam Roy makes a 'soul'ful Bollywood debut as music composer
With a stellar cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan, and a rather unconventional storyline, ‘Piku’ has quite the anticipation surrounding it. With this film, Bengali singer/songwriter Anupam Roy makes his Bollywood debut as a music composer. In addition to composing the tracks for the film, Roy has also composed the score, lent his vocals and written the songs.
RnM Biz
Sole DXB abuzz with OML's take on the Levi's tailor shop
MUMBAI: Dubai’s Design District concluded its annual celebration of culture, fashion, music and cread more
Hungama launches 'Hungama Kids' - An infotainment destination for kids, parents and teachers
MUMBAI: Hungama, India’s leading digital entertainment company today launched Hungama Kids, a plaread more
SAREGAMA creates brand extension of Carvaan
MUMBAI: Saregama, India’s oldest music label and youngest movie studio, launched Carvaan in 2017read more
Dolby Technologies Power Academy Award Nominees Including "1917," "The Irishman," "Joker," "Little Women," "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood," and More
MUMBAI: Dolby Laboratories congratulates this year’s Academy Award nominees who have used Dolby read more
MY FM celebrates Javed Akhtar's 75th Birthday
MUMBAI: MY FM- the radio arm of DB Corp ltd honors Javed Akhtar on account of his special birth read more
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MUMBAI: Setting his intentions for the new decade, Archie Hamilton steps up for his debut BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix which aired on 18 January. The...read more
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MUMBAI: Recipient of Indias second-highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan, Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj is a force to reckon with in...read more
Tomorrow Is Lost announce new album Therapy out March 13, and new "Wildchild" music video
MUMBAI: United Kingdom NWOCR / alternative-metal rockers Tomorrow Is Lost will release their new full-length album entitled Therapy on March 13, 2020...read more
EPIC FAM JAM Celebrates India’s Viral Internet Sensations
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Progressive Bull Moose Party
Mastering the Power of Grit: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools from the Heroes of Tenacity, Resilience, and Guts
Mastering the Power of Grit: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools from the Heroes of Perseverance, Resilience, and Guts
Have you had enough yet? Ready to admit that the Democratic and Republican parties are both rotten to the core?
Buy this new book by Johnny Welch and support the new Progressive Bull Moose Party. “A portion of the proceeds of this book will go toward helping to launch the new Progressive Bull Moose Party.”
Mastering the Power of Grit: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools from the Heroes of Perseverance, Resilience, and Guts .
“A smart, insightful synthesis of the leading elements of grit—grounded in telling tales from the heroes of history—Mastering the Power of Grit reveals the timeless lessons learned from the legends of perseverance, resilience, hardiness, and guts, and the corresponding strategies, tactics, tips and tools you can use to master the power of grit to achieve your own most daring dreams and goals today.”
Are you tired of failing to achieve your dreams and goals? Do you want more out of life? Much more?
Learn How to Master the Power of Grit
Grit is the great game changer on the road to personal transformation, high-achievement, excellence and success. Virtually all of the great hustlers and heroes of history have been marked by grit—from the builders and captains of industry to the leaders and masters of political power, from the great social activists and revolutionary leaders, to today’s leading inventors, athletes, artists and entrepreneurs.
The message of these celebrated exemplars of perseverance, resilience, and guts spans boundaries and echoes across time: If you are not achieving your dreams and goals, there is still hope. What you need is a new strategy, new tactics and tools, a new mindset for success.
Discover the Secrets of the Superstars of Success
We all want more out of life. Yet, there are some people who are getting things done—remarkable things—on a regular and consistent basis. This has always been the case. Throughout history we can see that some people—people who do not necessarily have any greater natural talent, intelligence or capacity—are able to make things happen and get things done. Sometimes the most ordinary individuals, from the most obscure backgrounds, facing any number of seemingly insurmountable obstacles are able to soar to the greatest heights of society. What is it about these people? What is their secret? What do they know, think or do that escapes the notice of the vast majority?
Master the Strategies, Tactics and Tools of the Legends of Grit
Drawing on his graduate school training at Harvard and San Diego State, as well as his training and experience as a qualitative researcher in the Adult Learning and Leadership doctoral program at Columbia, where he now teaches, Welch reveals the most critical patterns and themes that surface in the research of those who mastered the power of grit—champions and heroes who stand as timeless exemplars of perseverance, resilience, optimism, and guts—men and women like Theodore Roosevelt, Ben Franklin, and FDR…leaders like Lincoln, Oprah, Arnold…and so many more…Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Disney, Reagan, and JFK.
In Mastering the Power of Grit you will:
Discover the secret weapon of the great American hustlers and heroes of history.
Understand how to master the power of grit and its seven essential elements.
Learn Lincoln’s secrets for overcoming obstacles, resistance, rejection and defeat.
Explore Roosevelt’s system for becoming exceptional at whatever you determine to do.
Gain the wisdom and timeless lessons learned from the stories of the superstars of success.
Leverage the surprising insights the legends reveal about what you need to succeed.
Master the strategies, tactics and tools distilled from the celebrated champions of grit.
With the wisdom and insight of this indispensable book as your guide, you will discover the transformational power of grit. You will learn how to develop the most critical elements of grit—all distilled from the illustrious legends, the hustlers and heroes and superstars of success—including the key characteristics, competencies, and skills you need to achieve your own daring dreams and goals.
Begin your journey now. Get your copy on Amazon . And begin Mastering the Power of Grit today!
Support the Bull Moose! Spread the Word!
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The Disillusioned Generation and the Progressive Bull Moose Party →
New Progressive Bull Moose Party T-Shirt Design
The New Progressive Bull Moose Party Shirt Designs are Here
The Disillusioned Generation and the Progressive Bull Moose Party
Progressive Bull Moose Party–Call to Arms: Confronting the Plutocrats’ Propaganda War on the Middle Class
Progressive Bull Moose Party Mission
Our mission is to return political and economic power to the American people. By raising money and running candidates under our own banner—the Progressive Bull Moose Party—we aim to end the era of big money, big corporate-controlled government—rule by the super rich—and return power to the people.
Progressive Bull Moose Party Posts
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Check out the new shirt design. If you want to…
Progressive Bull Moose Party Address
Progressive Bull Moose Party, 1111 Hornblend Street, Suite 3, San Diego, California 92109
Phone:Skype: BullMoose2020
E-mail:info@progressivebullmoose.party
Website:http://www.progressivebullmoose.party
© 2015-2018 Progressive Bull Moose Party. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Progressive Bull Moose Party.
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News From Spain
Revolt Library >> Anarchism >> News From Spain
Editor : Charlotte Wilson
(1854 - 1944) : Charlotte M. Wilson was an English Fabian and anarchist who co-founded Freedom newspaper in 1886 with Peter Kropotkin, and edited, published, and largely financed it during its first decade. She remained editor of Freedom until 1895.
Born Charlotte Mary Martin, she was the daughter of a well-to-do physician, Robert Spencer Martin. She was educated at Newnham College at Cambridge University. She married Arthur Wilson, a stockbroker, and the couple moved to London. Charlotte Wilson joined the Fabian Society in 1884 and soon joined its Executive Committee. At the same time she founded an informal political study group for 'advanced' thinkers, known as the Hampstead Historic Club (also known as the Karl Marx Society or The Proudhon Society). This met in her former early 17th century farmhouse, called Wyldes, on the edge of Hampstead Heath. No records of the club survive but there are references to it in the memoirs of several of those who attended. In her history of Wyldes Mrs Wilson records the names of some of those who visited the house, most of whom are known to have been present at Club meetings. They included Sidney Webb, George Bernard Shaw, Sydney Olivier, Annie Besant, Graham W... (From : Wikipedia.org.)
suffragette (1)
feminist (13)
anarchist (288)
proudhonian (3)
Photo by Marta Nimeva Nimeviene,
CC BY License
(From our Collectivist Anarchist Correspondent in Barcelona.)
As I have spoken in my preceding letters of the Anarchist movement in Spain, I will now say something about the middle-class political situation. We are now living under the regime of the Liberal Monarchy. Sagasta, ex-Minister of the Provisional Government of the Revolution of September 1868, ex-Minister of King Amadeo, ex-Minister of the Republic which survived after the coup d'Etat of January 3, 1874 and prepared the way for the Monarchical Restoration, has been Prime Minister since the death of Alfonso XII. He remains in power, partly because he knew how to elaborate a program of Democratic Monarchy which includes universal suffrage and solves small difficulties while continually postponing the more important ones, and partly because of the attachment of the Regent who understands that her only means of remaining Queen is to keep in sympathy with the Liberals.
Our politicians are characterized by an unlimited passion for enrichment. All parties - from the "traditionalists" who sigh after the medieval times, to the Federalists who dream of a universal federation of republics, are guided by a longing for personal power and constitute so many sects, the prominent man of each considering himself the pontiff. Under such conditions politics is simply a means of satisfying personal ambition, and the Opposition - Reactionary as well as Radical - is moved by the most miserable trifles. The consequences of this are the complete neglect of all the public services; an immense deficit, never covered even by ruinous loans; a national debt capable of absorbing the whole of the wealth of the nation; the paralyzing of all branches of production; numerous cases of bankruptcy - and emigration to the extent of depopulating our - villages and cities, thousands and thousands of workmen leaving for Brazil or La Plata. To give you an idea of the state of affairs, it is sufficient to say that during the last four months no less than 580 land owners in Granada, the richest province of fertile Andalucia, have been evicted by the State for arrears of taxes. The blackest despair has taken hold of our best educated men who exclaim "Spain is dying! Dying is the nation which starves its workers!" While the anger of the masses finds expression in burning manufactories, granaries, earn-fields and forests, with terrible frequency. Such is our situation. The nation lives in misery and loses its. old faith in religion, law and authority. Anarchism is welcome, as it holds out the hope of regeneration.
The enclosed program of a Socialist competition [our Barcelona comrades have offered prizes, chiefly books, for the best essays on certain questions relating to Anarchist thought] will show you bow we work for the scientific elaboration of Anarchist principles.
An Anarchist Communist paper, La Revolucion Social, has just appeared in Barcelona, which will certainly contribute to the triumph of truth and justice. Fortunato Serantoni, Calle de, Magallanes, 53, Barcelona, is the publisher.
In a coming Lumber of El Productor we propose to discuss the ideas in your article, "Is Communism Just?" Two of the contributors to El Productor recently made all excursion into the province of Valencia and held meetings at Valencia, Alcira and Alcoy. It was a triumph for our ideas. In Valencia they spoke in the ball of the Federalist Republicans, but neither there nor anywhere else has anybody came to contradict them. Another excursion of the same kind will soon follow.
Freedom: A Journal of Anarchist Socialism
Vol. 3 -- No. 35,
Source: http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/journals/freedom/freedom3_35.html
From : AnarchyArchives
October 01, 1889 :
News From Spain -- Publication.
April 22, 2018 ; 4:31:07 PM (America/Los_Angeles) :
July 17, 2019 ; 6:19:40 PM (America/Los_Angeles) :
sagasta (1)
alfonso (1)
program (35)
amadeo (1)
el productor (3)
province (22)
just (252)
middle-class (31)
ex-minister (1)
movement (232)
minister (24)
federation (52)
monarchy (26)
monarchical (4)
sects (1)
federalists (2)
democratic (79)
regime (32)
reactionary (22)
traditionalists (1)
provisional (10)
republics (12)
pontiff (1)
New York Street Vendors
Nietzsche’s Responsibility for the War
Need Of Translating Ideals Into Life, The, by Alexander Berkman
Negro, The, by Lucy Parsons
Neither Democrats, nor Dictators: Anarchists, by Errico Malatesta
New Banking System, A, by Lysander Spooner
New Declaration of Independence, A, by Emma Goldman
New Hope, The, by Voltairine De Cleyre
New Labour Exchange, The, by Charlotte Wilson
New Life, by Ricardo Flores Magón
New York Letter, by Lucy Parsons
New York Street Vendors, by Lucy Parsons
Nietzsche’s Responsibility for the War, by Benjamin R. Tucker
Nightmare of Money, The, by Charlotte Wilson
Nihilism, by Voline
No Treason I, by Lysander Spooner
No Treason II, by Lysander Spooner
No Treason VI, by Lysander Spooner
North-Western Spindrift on the Ethics of Majority Rule, by Charlotte Wilson
Note To The Article "Individualism And Anarchism" By Adamas, by Errico Malatesta
Notes by Albert Meltzer, by Albert Meltzer
Notes on Anarchism, by Noam Chomsky
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Money Making Forum
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Moderator Moderator
Ibde electronic trading in the market, Iraq Stock Exchange
Held on Sunday 19/4/2009 the first meetings of the electronic trading market in the Iraq Stock Exchange. Systems as a grand ceremony attended by Mr. Ali Alaak the representative of the presence of Prime Minister and Chairman of the Securities, the Board of Governors in the Iraq Stock Exchange. Announced the start of the first meetings of electronic trading on the five companies, including three hotels and a bank.
Initiated the meeting at ten in the morning and ended at the second session and the afternoon half of the circulation of shares of three banks are Bank of Mansour Bank and Commercial Bank of Ashur, the number of shares traded (950000) worth of shares (1460000) through the implementation of JD 15 an electronic contract. It should be noted that the percentage rise in share prices Aalmtdaolp had reached 18% compared to the previous meeting prior to this Aacharkat stop and transfer to electronic trading.
The market will work on the transfer of all 91 companies of the company gradually over the next few months.
Electronic trading will be held every Sunday and the meetings of the hand circulation on Tuesday and Thursday of each week, while the inclusion of all companies in the near Aalmstqubl.
Director Commissioner
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate_t#
Iraq's stock exchange goes electric
In Iraq, the stock exchange has switched to electronic trading. The Baghdad exchange began its work on Sunday morning by listing shares in five local companies. Many of the traders, who until now have worked with notes written on large white boards, were puzzled by the new system. However, the chaos this caused on the trading floor failed to prevent prices from climbing sharply. By the end of the morning's trading, they had risen 20 percent.
The Iraqi exchange recovered strongly last year, after coming to a virtual standstill in the wake of the US invasion in 2003. The resulting violence in the country then made it virtually impossible for the traders to conduct their business. The hottest stocks at the moment are banks and hotel chains.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/...-goes-electric
Iraq's Stock Exchange goes electronic
The Iraq Stock Exchange flipped the switch Sunday on electronic trading, raising hopes that a faster exchange will attract more local and foreign investment needed to boost Iraq's cash-strapped economy.
The stock exchange chief, Abdul-Razaq al-Saadi, said the switch from paper to electronic trading will speed up the process from nearly two weeks to only a few minutes.
"Electronic trading will expand the investment and trading base and also increase confidence and bring new investors," al-Saadi told reporters.
For now, only five companies -- three banks and two hotels -- have been listed to trade electronically, while others will be added in two to three months, al-Saadi said.
"We've been dreaming of electronic trading since the market was established," he said. "It is a historic and happy event that will help the Iraqi economy."
Promoted by U.S. authorities, the independent ISX opened in June 2004 to replace the defunct Saddam Hussein-era Baghdad Stock Exchange, which was established in 1993.
At first, it saw brisk trading -- $10 million changed hands daily -- but business tapered off as violence spiked and affluent Iraqis fled to neighboring countries.
Ninety-one companies are now trading on the ISX, led by banking and hotel sectors. Other companies on the exchange come from the investment, insurance, industry, tourism, agriculture and transportation sectors.
Last year's index rose to 58.36 points from 34.59 points the previous year with trading volume at about $270 million and a daily trading of about $1.95 million. Foreigners' share in 2008 trading was about $21.5 million.
Until now, brokers on the Iraqi exchange tracked trading activity with colored markers on white bulletin boards instead of computers. It took traders about two weeks to sell shares due to paperwork.
The first to start electronic trading Sunday was broker Waseem Youhana al-Jazrawi, who bought 200,000 shares of al-Mansour bank for a lump sum of $265 -- all from behind his computer screen on the trading floor.
Others were not as fast to pick up on the computerized system and preferred to wait.
"I've decided not to buy or sell anything today," said trader Mohammed Ibrahim, 75, standing in front of the 46-inch trading screen. He cautiously complained that the "letters are small and it's all in English" and suggested the Arabic alphabet also be used.
Iraq sits on the world's third-largest oil reserves. But decades of wars and sanctions have battered the country's oil industry, hindering its ability to quickly increase production.
Iraq has escaped much of the world's banking crisis because it has limited trading, but plunging oil prices have hurt its economy. Oil accounts for about 95 percent of Iraq's revenue and the figures for the first three months of the year show it plunged about 57.6 percent, compared with the same period in 2008.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Iraqs-...5680.html?.v=1
the circulation of the Stock Exchange Electronic
By yesterday, the Iraqi market for securities have been launched for the first time, circulation Alaketrni first phase, which involved the contribution of the five companies are Ashur International Bank and Commercial Bank and Bank Al-Mansour and the Ishtar Sheraton Hotel and Al-Mansour Melia hotel in this pilot will attempt to introduce the orders for the sale and purchase of shares traded on the TSE in accordance with mail, which represent a qualitative leap for the work of the stock market and the availability of an effort to smooth the movement of stock and deal brokers and traders on the Stock Exchange and Bergm the importance of this shift in the work of the market they seem shy and cautious and in the form below to announce the management of the grounds for the market to make the process of electronic trading in the form of these phases and how careful
Give us at the time of trading in the market indicators of significant progress in the number of shares and prices, as recorded during the sessions last week, the highest circulation of the roof by more than 33 billion shares worth over 84 billion dinars, as well as another indicator representing the sale of 31 billion shares worth 80 billion dinars due to the Bank United Gulf Bank in Baghdad to the Kuwaiti Burgan Bank and with the consent of the Central Bank of Iraq and development that occurs within the very stock market will undoubtedly active in the movement of economic opportunities and create a promising investment and attract Arab and foreign companies to enter the stock market and its contribution to the sale and purchase of shares in the market is active, this movement coincided with the entry deal to electronic trading, a feature necessary to attract companies to deal in the Iraqi market for securities because of the deal provided that conditions conducive to the high ceiling of shares traded and he can also work to increase the number of trading sessions during the week, and Mayaksh of positive returns on the work of both the banking sector public and private, one of the features necessary for the economy in the process of transformation and growth and strive for integration with the economies of the world and is certainly an active market and represents one of the most effective platform for the recovery of the economy and development is taking place between the patient and financial sectors, the productivity of the economy recovering Maalmna stock market recovery, which is the most important indicators of the economy balanced.
http://209.85.229.132/translate_c?hl...HB1M-LfF47osoA
During the opening electronic trading in the stock market .. Alaak: a package of laws for the Government to give effect to the investment law
A secretary-general of the Council of Ministers Dr. Ali Alaak on a set of laws and ratified by the Council of Ministers in order to activate investment law.
The Alaak of (term) while attending the opening ceremony of trading in the market Alaketrni Iraq Stock Exchange on Sunday: that Iraq was looking forward to the stage of the seriousness of the Iraqi economy to revive and make it overcome the imbalances, as well as orientation to the creation of economic institutions capable of carrying the burden of responsibility for the advancement of the Iraqi economy.
Alaak pointed to Iraq's participation in a high-level delegation of the investment conference to be held in London later this month, stressing the importance of promoting many of the projects and the need to enter the investment companies to invest in Iraq after the improvement of security conditions in most Mnazq Iraq.
It should be noted that the market for the Iraq Stock Exchange begins electronic trading for the first time in its history at the time of the move back of a qualitative change in the operation of the market to attract investments in Iraq.
http://209.85.229.132/translate_c?hl...wp00z1krw1UkvA
(15) held in the first Iraqi electronic trading in the stock market
Iraq has carried out a market for the Stock Exchange today (15) held in the first Iraqi electronic trading of shares in three of the five companies have been transferred to electronic trading.
A source in the economic market reporter that the company that carried out by the Bank contracts are Almansoor have been implemented (13) was held for the benefit of a commercial bank a decade has also implemented a decade for the company and the size of the UNESCO Tadawuly was (1.460 , 000) million dinars, or the total volume amounted to (100%).
http://209.85.229.132/translate_c?hl...Ju_HL1yyriUKSQ
deliberate market securities (950,000) thousand shares electronically
Iraq has seen a market for the Stock Exchange trading day (950.000) shares a room with electronic trading.
An official source in the market for the reporter that the companies that have been traded Only have the right to engage in electronic trading, and has five of the companies (96) companies that were deposited with the contracts have been traded, a number of shares of the Bank amounted to Almansoor (500000) and by the Commercial Bank of Iraq (26.320) thousand shares Bank by the UNESCO (2000) a share, on a volume of financial support for these companies (100%).
http://209.85.229.132/translate_c?hl...eswDKZ1nP3eZKg
Iraq's stock exchange launched electronic trading on Sunday, listing shares in five local companies to start with but dreaming of bigger things to come.
Many brokers used to trading via whiteboards and pens were puzzled by the transformation, scratching their heads in confusion as once familiar company names were replaced by codes.
"I know it's essential to turn to technology, but it's difficult for us to catch on in just one day. They should teach us how to use these digital screens, otherwise we will lose our money," complained broker Akram Bahnam, 55.
The chaos did not prevent some investors from posting a tidy profit -- the shares in one of the first five companies listed electronically, Al-Mansour Bank, rose 20 percent in the first two hours of trade.
"It's a great feeling to see the Iraqi stock market enter the era of technology," said Taha Abdul-Salam, the head of the exchange. "It's a promising sign to see the price of the shares of one bank up 20 percent in the first electronic trading."
Abdul-Salam said a total of 91 companies were currently listed in Baghdad and all of them would be trading electronically within three months.
The Iraqi stock exchange enjoyed a bumper year in 2008, after almost fading into oblivion during the years of sectarian bloodshed that followed the 2003 US-led invasion.
Militia attacks and bombings made going to work too dangerous for brokers and investors. But the violence has begun to fade and trade on the bourse these days is brisk. Hotels and banks tend to be the hottest stocks.
Stock exchange official Abdul Razzaq al-Saadi said electronic trading would fuel the market and make it possible for foreign investors to place bets from afar.
"Electronic trading will boost confidence in the Iraqi economy. More foreign traders will enter the market in the near future," he said, adding foreign investment in the exchange reached 24 billion Iraqi dinars, or around $20 million, in 2008.
"As security improves and we switch to electronic trading, we expect many Gulf and foreign companies to make huge investments in this country," Saadi said. - Reuters
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/news...M&artid=159895
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Asaf Romirowsky
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Arab tragedy self-inflicted
by Asaf Romirowsky
http://www.romirowsky.com/11730/arab-tragedy-self-inflicted
In the Israeli collective memory Holocaust Commemoration Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day embody the story of the creation of the modern State of Israel. These three days represent the modern Jewish experience and the mantra propagated by the founding fathers - From Holocaust to Independence - connoting the concept of the enduring Jewish spirit of survival and the promise of Never Again.
Yet the resilience of Jewish-Israeli survival has been overshadowed by the false Arab-Palestinian notion of being "occupied" and "robbed" from their true destiny. Consequently, Israel is the "oppressor "and Palestinian nomenclature demands that the "occupation" remains the root cause of all problems, from social and economic woes to terrorism.
For the anti-Israel community, these days have embodied the Palestinian-Arab narrative, which argues that Israel had a "master plan" to evict the Arabs of Palestine by any means necessary and rob them of their land. Furthermore, the Holocaust in their view was the only reason the State of Israel came to fruition in the aftermath of World War II.
The recurring mantra found in Arab historiography hence maintains a hypersensitive focus on discrimination and inequality. Generally, Arab scholars tend to ignore the huge corpus of materials found in the archives on the war and zoom in on what are legitimate or illegitimate claims, using UN resolutions as the be all and end all.
Arab inferiority complex
The fact of the matter is that the Zionist movement had strived towards a Jewish nation-state years before the rise of the Third Reich and had a consistent presence in the land for thousands of years. By 1939 the Zionist enterprise had all the making of statehood already in place. As Middle East Historian Kenneth Stein details in his book on the subject The land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939, "an analysis of Jewish land acquisition and Arab land sales makes it seem quite evident that a formidable Jewish national territory was necessary and was already present in Palestine in 1939."
Arab rejectionism and the ongoing attempt to write and rewrite the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict has become a common tool amongst Palestinian sympathizers, and especially the Jewish ones among them. For these reasons Israel's establishment has been defined as the Nakba Day, that is, the catastrophe of the Jewish state's formation and the realization amongst the Arabs of Palestine that their Arab brethren betrayed them and left them stateless.
Fast forward to 1967. The miraculous military success of the Six-Day War left the Arab world feeling weaker and more vulnerable, and as such, Naksa Day was inaugurated to mark the setback felt by the Arabs and Palestinians in achieving their goal - defeating Israel. This has prompted the Palestinians and sympathizers to insist that they are stateless not because of their own decisions, but rather, because the West and Israel are to blame for all their troubles.
The internal Palestinian conviction chooses to ignore the fact that the so-called Palestinian catastrophe is a self-inflicted one. It is much easier to pose as a victim, especially as part of a more general Arab inferiority complex, and to exploit the mentality of victimhood than to take responsibility for one's own actions.
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Don't Confuse Me With Facts. It's Always About the "Occupation"
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Raincross Square
Exploring the past, present and future of downtown Riverside, California
Raincross Square > News > mall
Riverside Auto Center nearing 50 years
Author: RXSQ
Latest News, Mid-Century
Billed as the “World’s First Auto Center,” the 1965 opening of the Riverside Auto Center transformed the car-buying landscape in America, if not the world. What began in the late 1950s as a bold vision among three local car dealers – George Reade Sr. (Chevrolet), Charles W. “Bud” Dutton Sr. (Cadillac/Oldsmobile), and Julian Adrian “Red” Moss Sr. (Dodge) – to…
Nordstrom Rack set to open at Riverside Plaza
City News, Latest News, Regional News, Then & Now
Six months after being announced, the Riverside Plaza store of Nordstrom Rack is nearing its April 3rd opening date. The sibling of the high-end retailer will take up residence within a portion of the former Harris/Gottschalks/Forever 21 building, taking up a reported 45,000 sq. ft. on the ground level. The 3-story building underwent an extensive remodel over the past year…
Updates, new stores coming to Riverside Plaza
City News, Latest News, Regional News
(UPDATE, Aug. 27: Thanks to commenter Matthew, we’ve added new images showing the exterior changes being made to the former Harris’ building. Note the designs, however, have changed somewhat from what is depicted within the images — namely, the reversing of the exterior escalator.) Construction has been underway for the past several months retrofitting the former Harris’/Gottschalks/Forever 21 department store…
Out & About: Discover Riverside
Historic, Latest News, Out & About
Ever wanted to peek inside Riverside’s historic Fox Theater? The recently renovated Municipal Auditorium? The red sandstone Universalist Church? Or maybe the former Rouse Department Store (now UCR/Culver Center of the Arts)? This Saturday (10/13), you will get your chance during a day-long event — “Discover Riverside” — presented by the AIAIC (American Institute of Architects – Inland California chapter)….
Forever 21 completes move — and makeover — at Galleria at Tyler
City News, Latest News, Then & Now
Following 5 years of vacancy — and several months of renovation work — the former Broadway / Macy’s department store at Riverside’s Galleria at Tyler mall is once again occupied. Last weekend, the doors to the distinctive building reopened as Forever 21 relocated its smaller inline mall store into the much larger pad located at the north end of the…
Work begins on vacant Broadway at Galleria at Tyler
After nearly 5 years of being vacant, renovation work has begun on the former Broadway/Macy’s department store at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside. Unofficial reports have clothing retailer Forever 21 relocating from a smaller store elsewhere in the mall into the much larger, 3-story building. Opening with the then-Tyler Mall in 1970, the 164,000 sq. ft. store for The…
Riverside’s Galleria at Tyler mall turns 40
City News, Regional News, Then & Now
In a fanfare of Spanish fashioned pageantry, Riverside’s new Tyler Mall will be trumpeted to a formal opening tomorrow morning, the 64-acre shopping center adding $40 million stature to the city’s retail sphere. It is the first mall-under-roof in the city. That’s how the local newspaper — The Press-Enterprise — described the city’s new retail mecca 40 years ago in…
Local malls holding their own
On the heels of the worst holiday shopping season since 1969, the nation’s retail landscape is likely headed for moderate changes as weak and battered retailers file for bankruptcy protection, close stores and/or shut down entirely. The transformation could see shoppers, both nationally and locally, greeted in the coming months with more than a few empty storefronts lining the halls…
Out & About – 02/23/2008
Trips to local malls this weekend brought evidence of renovation and change at two of the region’s largest shopping centers. First up, a quick stop at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside saw the removal of the center’s original 1991 sign, itself a replacement for the 1970 sign*. With the recent additions to the mall of an AMC theater complex…
‘North Village’ opens at Galleria
City News, Then & Now
After several years without a multiplex theater, Riverside’s Galleria at Tyler mall is once again lighting up the big screen following last weekend’s opening of the AMC Tyler 16. As part of the mall’s “North Village” expansion, the AMC theater replaces the center’s original UA Theater that was cleared to make way for a free-standing Barnes & Noble in 2001….
2 Comments on Riverside Auto Center nearing 50 years
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RXSQ on Forever 21 completes move — and makeover — at Galleria at Tyler
Steven on Forever 21 completes move — and makeover — at Galleria at Tyler
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Shawn on Riverside Auto Center nearing 50 years
Rob Taylor on Updates, new stores coming to Riverside Plaza
Then & Now – Galleria at Tyler: Part Two
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Rationalist Judaism
Exploring the legacy of the rationalist Rishonim (medieval Torah scholars), and various other notes, by Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin, director of The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh
Hanging Corpses and Decomposing Faces
Rabbi Zucker's comments deserve a separate post, firstly because they are substantive, and secondly because he signed his name to them! Here is the first part.
Rabbi Zucker wrote:
I certainly agree that ALL the evidence needs to be weighed. Let us examine the "image of God" issue as Rashi presents it regarding a decomposing body. In order to do so, let us turn to the famous "killelas HaShem taluiy" prohibition against leaving the hanging corpse overnight. The Tosefta in Sanhedrin (9:7) explains that this is because people seeing the body hanging for a prolonged period will associate it with "God's image" and that is a degradation to HaShem. Now, the Rambam, the Ramban, and all the other staunch incorporealists learned that Tosefta as well. Clearly, they understood the Tosefta as teaching that the body is a reflection of the idea of tzellem Elokim, not that it is literally the image of God. Further, please see the gemara in Mo'ed Kattan 15b, which states that an aveil must turn over his bed, because HaShem gave us His image, and we overturned it with our sins. Again, the body is represented as the image of God, and the Rambam learned this gemara as well, as did the Ramban (who quotes it verbatim in his Toras HaAdam). Clearly, these incorporealists learned the gemara as stating that the body of man reflects the idea of tzellem Elokim, not that the body itself is the image of God literally. That being the case, could it not very well be the case -- is it not entirely possible -- that Rashi learned the same way? When he speaks about the decomposing body as losing its characteristic of tzellem Elokim, can it not mean that once the body is unrecognizable as such, it no longer reflects the idea of tzellem Elokim?
I do not agree that Rambam, Ramban etc. understood the Tosefta being based on the idea that the body is a (physical) reflection of the idea of tzellem Elokim. Where do we see any such idea in their writings? That’s the kind of idea that you see in later mekuballim, not in Ramban and certainly not Rambam. There is a much simpler explanation of their understanding. The body HOUSES man’s intellect. That is why it is degrading to see it hanging. Or see the explanation of Rabbi Meir Abulafia that I quoted in the essay. He explains that the reference is to “the form of man’s intellect,” which is modeled after that of God. But Rashi, in that case, simply states that man is “likewise made in the form (dyukno) of his Creator.” Yes, you can fit in one of the above explanations, but you would be fitting it in, not drawing it out.
But in the case of the mourner overturning his bed, we have a much more powerful case. You say that “Clearly, these incorporealists learned the gemara as stating that the body of man reflects the idea of tzellem Elokim.” That is not true at all. They presumably simply explained it to mean that man overturned i.e. corrupted his (non-corporeal) image of God, i.e. his bechirah (or however you want to explain tzelem Elokim), thereby bringing mortality upon himself, and the mourner commemorates that by overturning his bed. But Rashi specifically states that the mourner, by overturning the bed, is commemorating the facial decomposition of the dead, not commemorating man’s corruption of his bechirah. Now, you can insert an extra stage and say that the facial decomposition itself simply reflects the corruption of the bechirah, but that would not only be a classic case of ikkar chassar min hasefer, it would also make Rashi’s statement entirely pointless. It would not be necessary at all to mention the physical decomposition, one can simply say that a dead person has lost his bechirah! So this Rashi does indeed provide a strong argument that Rashi believed in a corporeal God. One can "wriggle out of it," but that is certainly the implication.
The differences between Rambam and Ramban and how they use the tosefta is dealt with fully in
Yair Lorberbaum. Image of God, Halakhah and Aggadah. Tel Aviv: Schocken Publishing House, 2004.
yaakov
Rabbi Zucker July 28, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Again, I thank Rabbi Slifkin for his thought-through response, and again I apologize for not being clearer in my earlier post.
With regard to the Tosefta in Sanhedrin (9:7): the Tosefta states, "this is analogous to identical twin brothers, one of whom was a king and one of whom was a robber. After a while the robber was captured and hanged. All the passersby who saw him said that it appears as though the king is being hanged...therefore it is stated 'Ki Killelas Elokim Taluiy.'" The literal meaning of this Tosefta is that man's physical image is identical with that of HaShem. The Tosefta is an unimpeachable source -- for the Rambam and the Ramban, along with everyone else. How did THEY learn this Tosefta? When I wrote earlier that they understood it as the body of man being a "reflection of the idea of tzellem Elokim," I meant that the image of man, as a unique creature, is associated with the concept of tzellem Elokim, and it is that association that causes the prohibition of prolonged hanging. Rashi's statement about the prohibition that "man is likewise made in the form of his Creator" is nothing more than a paraphrase of the Tosefta, a Tosefta that can clearly be interpreted as being consistent with incorporealism just as the Rambam and Ramban maintain. Thus, Rashi's paraphrase of that very Tosefta proves nothing with regard to corporealism.
Now let us turn to the aveil's bed. The gemara in Mo'ed Kattan (15b) states, "an aveil is obligated to turn over his bed, as Bar Kappara taught, 'I have placed demmus diyyukni (my image) within them, and in their sins they overturned it; therefore let them overturn their beds on account of that.'" Again, how did the Rambam and the Ramban learn that gemara? As before: the image of man, as a unique creature, is associated with the concept of tzellem Elokim, and it is that association that obligates the aveil to overturn the bed in which is imprinted the image of man (which is why today we cover our mirrors).
How did Rashi learn the gemara? In explaining the concept of the "overturned demmus deyyukan" He stated (in the critical edition of Rashi on Mo'ed Kattan), "pannav hafukhos e-mishtannos." We know that Rashi understands the concept of "demmus deyyukan" to mean the face (see Rashi on Chullin 91b) -- so that here, Rashi is merely explaining what it means that man, in his sins, has overturned the demmus deyyukan -- man's sins cause his own mortality resulting in man's image, which is associated with the concept of tzellem Elokim, (just as the Rambam and Ramban understood) to disintegrate. Rashi focused on the face because this is the essential feature of man's unique image (demmus deyyukan). To reflect this entire idea, we are enjoined to overturn our beds in connection with man's death.
Is this not a valid, logical possibility as to what Rashi means? Can Rashi reasonably be interpreted this way, consistent with the Rambam's and Ramban's understanding of the gemara, if we were to assume that he was an incorporealist, just as the literal interpretation is reasonable IF WE WERE TO ASSUME that he was a corporealist? If both are logical possibilities that depend upon assumptions, then neither one is a proof as to Rashi's corporealism or incorporealism. And so we are left with finding clear evidence...
In that regard, I await a response regarding what I think is clear evidence as to Rashi's incorporealism from his commentary on Yeshayahu, and I await an explanation as to why the Machzor Vitry case is "reasonable but not dispositive."
Natan Slifkin July 28, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Rabbi Zucker, you are quite right that the straightforward meaning of this Tosefta is that man's physical image is identical with that of HaShem. And that is exactly why R. Meir Abulafia and Ben Ish Chai take pains to explain that it is not to be understood in its straightforward manner. Not only does Rashi not offer any such reinterpretation; he even adds the word dyukno which makes it sound even more like he is referring to a physical similarity.
With the aveil's bed, you are making Rambam/Ramban's hypothetical approach needlessly complicated. There is no need to invoke the physical image of man. Mortality signifies sin; sin is a corruption of tzelem Elokim. How is the face the "essential feature of man's unique image (demmus deyyukan)"? On the contrary; it is a distracting, irrelevant part of it.
Yes, you can "fit in" your reading. But it is much more difficult. To put it another way: If one had NO PRIOR VIEW regarding Rashi's position on corporeality, one would certainly take this Rashi to be teaching us that man is made in the physical resemblance of God.
(comments to the Yeshayah issue and Vitri will be in separate posts. I want to keep the discussion threads distinct, for clarity.)
Yaakov - I don't have access to Lorberbaum's book until I return to Israel next month. Can you summarize what he says about Rambam and Ramban's approach to the Tosefta?
Rabbi Slifkin,
I did not state that the "straightforward" meaning of the Tosefta is that man's image is identical with that of HaShem -- I said that the "literal" meaning is that man's image.... There is a difference. To an incorporealist, a metaphor may be very straightforward but not at all literal. When Rashi adds the word "deyyukan" he is doing nothing more than using Chazal's language for the description of the "face of man" -- the "star" of the metaphor (if one interprets the Tosefta metaphorically). Could not the Rambam and the Ramban be equally comfortable with the term "deyyukan" applied to the Tosefta? Of course they could -- it is Chazal's language which they interpret metaphorically. Thus to say that Rashi added the term to emphasize his corporealist idea is true ONLY if you have preconceived notion that Rashi is a corporealist. The use of the term itself -- something that the Rambam and Ramban could equally use -- proves nothing with regard to Rashi.
You asked about the use of the face as the "essential feature of man's unique image (demmus deyyukan)," claiming that it is irrelevant and distracting. Not so at all! Again, please see Rashi on Chullin 91b who states that the demmus deyyukan refers to the face of man. Thus, when the gemara said that the aveil overturns his bed because through his sin he overturned the demmus deyyukan, Rashi must explain in what sense the face of man is "overturned" via his sins. It is thus that he defines "overturned" as disintegrating. The explanation fits smoothly and beautifully; it can easily be understood to be metaphorical, just as the Rambam's and Ramban's approach is.
I do not think that this is "fitting something in" to Rashi at all. Your implied "yardstick" question is a very good one, i.e., "If one had no prior view regarding Rashi's position on corporeality, how would one interpret this Rashi?" I would say -- yes, if ALL that one knew of Rashi was this one comment, then one would take it literally, and conclude that Rashi is a corporealist. Just like if ALL that one knew of the Rambam was the one comment of Hilkhos Ma'aseh HaKorbanos 4:11, that "one who sacrifices an 'olah must have in mind that the burning is designated to produce a smell that will be pleasant to HaShem," one would conclude that the Rambam was a corporealist. The one statement on its own doesn't prove anything since it can logically be interpreted literally or metaphorically. We KNOW clearly how to interpret the Rambam's statement based upon what he says elsewhere. The question now is how to interpret Rashi's statement based upon what he says elsewhere. Each form of interpretation for the statement on its own, literal or metaphorical, cannot be a proof for its own approach, so we must look outside that statement for clear proof. And so, let me turn the question around to you -- if we knew clearly from another source in Rashi that he was an incorporealist, would we then view his statement about demmus deyyukan concerning an aveil as a problem? Is it not the case that we would merely say that it is a metaphor, exactly in the same sense as the Rambam or Ramban would profess? If so, then it is not a proof for Rashi's corporealism whatsoever. And thus, I turn again to what I believe ARE clear proofs...the Rashi in Yeshayahu and the Machzor Vitry.
Natan Slifkin July 28, 2009 at 11:04 PM
The use of the term itself -- something that the Rambam and Ramban could equally use -- proves nothing with regard to Rashi.
They COULD use it - but they wouldn't. Not without explaining it. It does not conclusively prove Rashi's position - but I think it does lean towards a direction. Still, I understand your position.
Could not the Rambam and the Ramban be equally comfortable with the term "deyyukan" applied to the Tosefta?
Frankly, I don't think that Rambam would have been comfortable with it at all. I think that this and similar Aggadatas are exactly what Raavad had in mind with his famous comment, and probably also what lie behind R. Yeshayah de Trani's statement about Chazal.
...if ALL that one knew of Rashi was this one comment, then one would take it literally, and conclude that Rashi is a corporealist. Just like if ALL that one knew of the Rambam was the one comment of Hilkhos Ma'aseh HaKorbanos 4:11...
There's quite a difference. Rambam's position is made abundantly, emphatically clear, again and again and again. With Rashi, you are relying on a single comment in Yeshayah (which I will address in a separate post; I believe that you are misunderstanding it), against all his comments elsewhere, and against the background of Northern France where, we are told by several authorities, belief in corporealism was rampant.
Rabbi Zucker July 28, 2009 at 11:30 PM
You wrote, "They [the Rambam and the Ramban] COULD use it [the term demmus deyyukan] - but they wouldn't. Not without explaining it." But in fact, the Ramban, a verified incorporealist DID use the term without explaining it in his Toras HaAdam on aveilus, on the issue of overturning the bed. This is because he was quoting Chazal, who explicitly used the term in the gemara Mo'ed Kattan. This point also negates your next argument, "Frankly, I don't think that Rambam would have been comfortable with it [the term demmus deyyukan] at all." Was the Rambam "uncomfortable" with this gemara? In fact, he was very comfortable with the gemara, understanding it metaphorically.
You further wrote, "With Rashi, you are relying on a single comment in Yeshayah (which I will address in a separate post; I believe that you are misunderstanding it), against all his comments elsewhere, and against the background of Northern France where, we are told by several authorities, belief in corporealism was rampant."
I have 3 responses to this point: [1] If my understanding of the Rashi in Yeshayahu is correct, then all I need is one single comment to prove the point. [2] The Rashi in Yeshayahu does not stand up against ALL HIS COMMENTS ELSEWHERE -- in fact NOWHERE does Rashi say he is a corporealist. There are no "all his comments" -- only quotes and paraphrases from Chazal, the same Chazals that the Rambam and Ramban learned as well. And of course "all his comments" by definition cannot include all the places that Rashi "should" have said something but didn't. So the one clear quote from Yeshayahu is not standing up against anything else. Further, the fact that corporealism MAY have "rampant" in Northern France does not mean that it was rampant among the rabbonim and rebbeim of Northern France. And EVEN IF THAT WERE TRUE (for which there is NO evidence), what has that got to do with Rashi's views? [3] Lastly, please don't forget about the "Machzor Vitry argument" which, to my mind, is just as powerful as the Yeshayahu argument.
I would like to add that I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to clarify and discuss these issues in the forum that you have graciously provided.
Alex July 29, 2009 at 12:29 AM
May I ask if the Isaiah verse that R' Zucker pointed out (and its similar Devarim verse) were verses that you originally considered and then rejected from your essay, or simply ones you missed.
Natan Slifkin July 29, 2009 at 1:41 AM
I searched the DBS database for Ramban in Toras HaAdam and I couldn't find it, can you give the reference? In any case, I well accept that confirmed incorporealists can interpret that term in accordance with the incorporealist view, and can parrot it from the Gemara without elaboration. But the term itself does lean towards corporealism, and all other things being equal, it reflects such a view. So I agree that if you have evidence from elsewhere that Rashi was not a corporealist, then his commentary to this Gemara is not a problem. But if we are trying to draw an overall picture without a preconceived notion, then this cite does provide a small leaning in the corporealist direction.
You say that RambaM was very comfortable with this Gemara - can you give a reference? (or did you mean to write RambaN?)
Now to your three points:
[1] If my understanding of the Rashi in Yeshayahu is correct, then all I need is one single comment to prove the point.
If the Rashi in Yeshayahu is 100% evidence, then of course it is 100% evidence. If, however, it is simply a strong argument in the direction of incorporealism, then it has to be weighed against arguments in the other direction. (I plan to argue that it is not even an argument at all.)
[2] The Rashi in Yeshayahu does not stand up against ALL HIS COMMENTS ELSEWHERE -- in fact NOWHERE does Rashi say he is a corporealist. There are no "all his comments" -- only quotes and paraphrases from Chazal, the same Chazals that the Rambam and Ramban learned as well. And of course "all his comments" by definition cannot include all the places that Rashi "should" have said something but didn't. So the one clear quote from Yeshayahu is not standing up against anything else.
I disagree. Again, if the comment in Yeshayah is 100% incontrovertible, then we have no choice but to accept that this was Rashi's view - in which case we will be left with a question as to the pattern that I pointed out in the essay of why Rashi stresses dibra Torah in some types of descriptions but not in others. But if the comment in YEshayah is anything less than 100%, then we are back to weighing things up. And the fact that Rashi stresses dibra Torah in some types of descriptions but not in basic corporeal descriptions is an argument - not 100% proof, but an argument - in favor of his being a corporealist.
Further, the fact that corporealism MAY have "rampant" in Northern France does not mean that it was rampant among the rabbonim and rebbeim of Northern France. And EVEN IF THAT WERE TRUE (for which there is NO evidence), what has that got to do with Rashi's views?
Why do you say "MAY"? We have explicit testimony in this regard from several Rishonim, and no testimony to the contrary whatsoever. The testimony concerns Torah scholars, not regular folk. And this has a lot to do with Rashi's views - number one, it makes it more likely that he too was of this view, and number two, if he were not of this view, we would expect him to be concerned with uprooting it.
[3] Lastly, please don't forget about the "Machzor Vitry argument" which, to my mind, is just as powerful as the Yeshayahu argument.
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten it. I am just trying to keep the elements separate.
Alex - I missed them when I wrote my essay. I made it clear that I have not seen every comment of Rashi, and I was explicitly opening myself up to the possibility of even one citation being brought that would completely overturn things. However, I don't think that that Rashi does that at all. I have nearly finished writing my post on it.
Phil July 29, 2009 at 2:21 AM
From a few comments back: "Not only does Rashi not offer any such reinterpretation; he even adds the word dyukno which makes it sound even more like he is referring to a physical similarity."
I'm confused. On p. 87 (near the top) of your essay, you write that the dyukn(i) argument is a weak one.
alex July 29, 2009 at 2:22 AM
Just a random thought from the essay: "For
example, in one place the Talmud discusses the Torah scroll seen by
Zechariah in a prophetic vision, which it describes as measuring forty
by twenty cubits.18 In light of the fact that the Talmud proceeds to
explain how this scroll was many times greater than the universe, Rashi
explains that the cubits of which it speaks are God’s cubits. This
is clearly the intent of the
Talmud, as it makes its calculation based on
a verse describing God’s hand as spanning the world. It is thus
claimed that Rashi is viewing God as being of gigantic human form."
FWIW, just the notion of "many times greater than the universe" is an illogical statement. Size doesn't apply outside the universe.
A weak indication, especially taken on their own, but something nonetheless. I plan to write a post on the idea of convergence of evidence in general.
Lorberbaum shows that the image of God in tannaitic literature has an iconic sense. The human body is an extension of the divine form. Thus, every human would be an extension of the divine presence. However, if his thesis is meant to explain the meaning of zelem, then it also sheds light on God's intention in Gen. 1:26 --God's decision to make humankind in God's image. According to Lorberbaum's suggestion, God's presence is being extended to every human individual.
Hence for Maimonides, the intellect is Divine, while for Nahmanides there is a kabbalistic soul - somewhat midpoint between Maimonides and Rashi.
You can find more on the web to last until you return to Israel.
You want to email Yair Lorborbaum.
I am sure he will respond fully and graciously.
The Ramban in Toras HaAdam can be found in Chavel's Hebrew edition of the Kisvei Ramban volume 2, page 183.
It is, of course, difficult to respond to a claim that the Rashi in Yeshayahu is "not even an argument at all" vis-a-vis Rashi's incorporealism until I see what your reasoning is with regard to that issue (a reasoning, I trust, that deals with the texts of the Rashi in Yeshayahu and the Machzor Vitry on their own terms, absent any preconceived notions); so I await reading your future post on this, as well as on the Machzor Vitry argument. (I do find the statement about "not even an argument at all" to be a little bit amusing, given your reaction to a similar comment made to you in the early posts on the previous thread in this blog).
As far as the argument that you have advanced about Rashi's silence in certain places, I must concur with an earlier post -- that of Levi Notick -- who noted that this is hardly "evidence." One can come up with varied explanations as to why Rashi was silent where he was. It is difficult to "read Rashi's mind" as to why he was silent, and to project that it must be because he was a corporealist is, to my mind, highly subjective and speculative at best, even without my two arguments. Of course, when weighed against the two arguments that I have advanced, if they are correct, then the speculation disappears at any rate.
You had written earlier "...against the background of Northern France where, we are told by several authorities, belief in corporealism was rampant," and "the testimony concerns Torah scholars, not regular folk." Please let me know the source(s) for this testimony --that corporealism was "rampant" amongst the "Torah scholars" -- not the regular folk, not the "yeshivaleit novices" but the Torah scholars.
On this issue, you mentioned that if this were true, it makes it more likely that Rashi was of this view as well. Really? Why is that so? Further, you said that if corporealism was rampant among the Torah scholars in northern France and if Rashi was indeed an incorporealist, then "we would expect him to be concerned with uprooting it." As far as I know, the meforshim of greater Ashkenaz and France hardly ever, if at all, used their commentaries as a forum for polemics. In addition, we do not have writings of theirs in the forms of "Kol Korei"s, exhortations, "maqqalahs", etc., the way that we do have from chakhmei Sefarad. This may be because the chakhmei Ashkenaz generally did not write such works, or because the works that they may have written in these forms were lost. In either case, the idea that the absence of such a work by Rashi indicates that he was a corporealist is, I think, at best unconvincing.
As we face another Tish'a BeAv, please allow me the opportunity to wish all of us true nechamah, with the wish that all together as one we are zokheh to "see" the return of the shekhinah to Tzion.
One can come up with varied explanations as to why Rashi was silent where he was.
Yes, one can, but there are explanations that are more straightforward and explanations that are less straightforward. It is possible that Rashi wrote comments here too but they were edited out of his manuscript by a student with an agenda. It is possible that Rashi wanted people to have a corporeal image of God. One can come up with any number of possibilities, but some are more poshut than others. If Rashi takes pains in many places to stress that the pasuk is not literal, but does not do so in any case of corporeal descriptions, the most straightforward explanation is that he does indeed consider that the Torah is being literal in those cases.
Please let me know the source(s) for this testimony --that corporealism was "rampant" amongst the "Torah scholars" -- not the regular folk, not the "yeshivaleit novices" but the Torah scholars.
R. Yeshayah de Trani, Ramban, and all the sources quoted in Marc Shapiro's chapter on this topic.
On this issue, you mentioned that if this were true, it makes it more likely that Rashi was of this view as well. Really? Why is that so?
I don't understand the question. If the majority of Torah scholars in a place are of opinion x, then the odds of any given Torah scholar in that place being of opinion x are high.
Further, you said that if corporealism was rampant among the Torah scholars in northern France and if Rashi was indeed an incorporealist, then "we would expect him to be concerned with uprooting it." As far as I know, the meforshim of greater Ashkenaz and France hardly ever, if at all, used their commentaries as a forum for polemics.
I'm not talking about polemics. Rashi in many places stresses that pesukim should not be interpreted literally. Several people have suggested here that Rashi didn't need to be concerned that people would be interpreting corporeal descriptions of God literally. I am pointing out that it would be very much a concern.
I hope to get to the pasuk in Yeshayah today, iy"h! (I'm in LA, I have a long time until the fast begins.)
Oops, I forgot to mention the most important source, R. Shmuel ben Mordechai of Marseilles, he says that the majority of Torah scholars in northern France believed in a corporeal God.
I had a little bit of time before getting ready for the ta'anis, and so I went through every single source (in their originals) on this issue as quoted by Shapiro in his chapter 3 -- which you reference in your post -- with the exception of two sources (I don't have those two in my collection of books nor in any data base that I have). After looking through this thoroughly, I believe that you (unknowingly) grossly misrepresented the claim that corporealism was "rampant among the Torah scholars of northern France." The famous Ra'avad on Hilkhos Teshuvah 3:7 speaks of "kammah gedolim..." not "harbeih gedolim..." How many is "kammah"? It literally translates as "a number" or "a few" -- not "many." Similarly, the ibn Ezra that Shapiro cited on Shemos 33:21 speaks of "chakhmei doreinu" -- how many is that? Ten? A thousand? Two prominent ones? Sources such as HaEmmunah HaRammah speak of masses of UNEDUCATED, IGNORANT people who were corporealists. The Ramban in his letter addressed to chakhmei Tzorfas (Chavel, Kisvei Ramban I:345)said that he heard a rumor from people that the addressees (how many people was he writing to? I do not believe we have an answer to that) rejected the Rambam's Sefer HaMadda' because of the issue of incoporeality. The Ramban then proceeds to say that all of the chakhamim of Sefarad and of BAVEL, from antiquity, accepted incorporeality. So the Ramban's letter points to "rampant corporeality by the scholars of France" based upon a RUMOR, with an unknown number of addressees? Similarly, the writing of Ri de Trani do not contain any reference to numbers of people. It is true that R. Moshe Taku, R. Shlomo Simchah of Troyes, and R. Yosef Ashkenzi were themselves corporealists. So if we include them with the "kammah"s and the unspecified numbers mentioned by the others, how many do we have? Ten? Fifty? Who knows? This is the "rampant corporealism among the scholars"? It is critical to look up the sources first hand!
Further, your wrote, "If Rashi takes pains in many places to stress that the pasuk is not literal, but does not do so in ANY case of corporeal descriptions..." ANY? I believe that Levi Notick's article cites some cases where Rashi DOES clarify a non-literal interpretation of anthropomorphic terms contained in some pessukim. It seems to me that your argument is that Rashi should have done so in ALL cases. The argument, to my mind -- as I have mentioned -- seems rather weak.
You also wrote, "I don't understand the question. If the majority of Torah scholars in a place are of opinion x, then the odds of any given Torah scholar in that place being of opinion x are high." Please forgive me -- I just don't understand your response. What is the cause-and-effect relationship between "a majority of Torah scholars in a place" and "the high odds of a given Torah scholar in that place maintaining their opinion." Ma'asim shebekhol yom throughout all of history challenge that rather large assumption.
Again, the argument for Rashi's corporealism from the fact that he didn't write a "kol koreih" against those who maintained corporealism, is, to my mind, exceptionally weak. That is akin to arguing that the Torah itself CLEARLY maintains corporealism since it never addresses the issue in an outright, unequivocal passuk. If that were true, then the Rambam, Ramban, etc. would have little to say, and yet that is clearly not the case. Further, I reiterate that Rashi DID address the issue outright, in his commentary on Yeshayahu.
Again, warm wishes for a meaningful ta'anis.
What do you think the literate Jewish population of France was to begin with? This is the medieval period we are talking about. It was a relatively small population.
And, as I pointed out, R. Shmuel ben Mordechai of Marseilles says that the MAJORITY of Torah SCHOLARS in northern France believed in a corporeal God.
I believe that Levi Notick's article cites some cases where Rashi DOES clarify a non-literal interpretation of anthropomorphic terms contained in some pessukim.
I cited those myself, and they reinforce my point. Rashi takes pains to clarify non-literal interpretations of CERTAIN TYPES of anthropomorphic terms, but never those referring to physical form.
What is the cause-and-effect relationship between "a majority of Torah scholars in a place" and "the high odds of a given Torah scholar in that place maintaining their opinion."
Basic math. If 63.5% of Torah scholars in a place believe something, then there is a 63.5% chance that any given scholar believes something.
Again, the argument for Rashi's corporealism from the fact that he didn't write a "kol koreih" against those who maintained corporealism, is, to my mind, exceptionally weak.
Again, that is a misrepresentation of my argument. The argument (under consideration, aside from the others) is that Rashi takes pains to clarify non-literal interpretations of CERTAIN TYPES of anthropomorphic terms, but never those referring to physical form.
Thank you for your quick response. Could you please let me know exactly where to find the R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai of Marseilles source? I would like to look it up in the original, given the (unknowing) misrepresentation about the degree of "rampant" from the other sources, as delineated in my previous post. As to what you wrote, "What do you think the literate Jewish population of France was to begin with? This is the medieval period we are talking about. It was a relatively small population." So then, is "ten rabbis" indeed "rampant"?
As to what you wrote, "Rashi takes pains to clarify non-literal interpretations of CERTAIN TYPES of anthropomorphic terms, but never those referring to physical form." What about Levi Notick's citation of the 2 Rashis in Shemos 33, dealing with HaShem's "hand"?
Finally, with regard to my question "what has the view of other rabbis to do with Rashi's view" you wrote, "Basic math. If 63.5% of Torah scholars in a place believe something, then there is a 63.5% chance that any given scholar believes something." I am somewhat surprised at the notion of using statistical assessments to arrive at a conclusion about the hashkafah of a Rishon (or anyone, for that matter).
Again, Kol Tuv!
Could you please let me know exactly where to find the R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai of Marseilles source? I would like to look it up in the original,
I got the reference from R. Kanarfogel's article. I don't have anything with me here in the US.
given the (unknowing) misrepresentation about the degree of "rampant" from the other sources, as delineated in my previous post.
Just to clarify that I maintain, based on the cumulative testimonies from all these Rishonim, that it can indeed be called rampant.
So then, is "ten rabbis" indeed "rampant"?
I don't know. It would depend on how many rabbis there are to begin with. But a description of "the majority" does indeed mean rampant!
What about Levi Notick's citation of the 2 Rashis in Shemos 33, dealing with HaShem's "hand"?
I addressed those in my essay. Levi apparently did not understand what I wrote.
I am somewhat surprised at the notion of using statistical assessments to arrive at a conclusion about the hashkafah of a Rishon (or anyone, for that matter).
Why? It's not arriving at a conclusion as to the absolute hashkafah, but rather as to the likelihood of a hashkafah. If 38% of the people in your town are Republicans, then there is a 38% chance that you are a Republican!
MosheZ July 29, 2009 at 9:24 PM
Rabbi Zucker -- please write an article on the topic. It is clear that your position is at least as compelling as Rabbi Slifkins -- so it is important that his view does not go unchallenged -- & not only on this blog.
In any case Rabbi Slifkins argument is almost getting silly. I do not believe that ANYONE objective after reading all the evidence could possibly say anything more than "It is possible that Rashi was a Corporealist." And now "there is a statistical possibility" that he was. But that is hardly the basis for an article. But once he wrote one you should respond.
I like Rabbi Slifkins work -- but don't really have a scientific background. I hope his published books are really not as weak as this article & I hope his not backing down from the ban is not just his stubborn streak seen here.
Moshe Z - Are you aware that everyone considers themselves to be objective?
Thank you for pointing me to Rabbi Kanarfogel's article as the source for the quote from R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai of Marseilles. Rabbi Kanarfogel is my next door neighbor, so I had a wonderful discussion about the whole issue with him this afternoon. He pointed out a number of very interesting issues to me:
[1] Very little is known at all about R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai, although it is known that he is not one of the leading provencal leaders. [2] While R. Shemuel does say that "rov chakhmei Tzorfat magshimim..." it is Rabbi Kanarfogel's clear understanding from a close reading of the entire manuscript that R. Shemuel, himself an incorporealist, was stating that according to the strict standards of negative theology, a majority of provencal rabbis wind up being classified as corporealists, NOT that they themselves claim to be such by stating that HaShem has a form. (One can be a corporealist, for example, if one maintains that HaShem has emotions, etc.). R. Kanarfogel mentioned to me that he is going to clarify this issue, along with the notion that in his opinion it is NOT the case that great numbers of the provencal rabbis were corporealists, in the next book that he is in the process of writing. [3] In a separate footnote of the article that Rabbi Kanarfogel wrote, from which you took the quote for R. Shemuel, Rabbi Kanarfogel cited a letter from a little-known provencal incorporealist who was addressing a corporealist, and the author complained, why can't you be more like your forebear Rashi who was an incorporealist?
Is this not enough to shut down the whole argument? A provencal Rabbi is testifying to the fact that Rashi was an incorporealist! At any event, to use R. Shemuel as a source that the majority of provencal rabbis were corporealists is an (unknowing) distortion of great proportion, from my discussion with the very author who studied the manuscript closely and from whose work you took the quote.
I understand your saying that "Levi didn't understand what I wrote." Can it not also be said with equal validity that you didn't understand what Levi wrote?
I must confess that I just do not understand what you are saying about statistics and Chazal's hashkafos. Would you say that if a rabbi lives in a city where the majority of rabbis believe that a certain person is a navi, then until we can ascertain with clarity what that rabbi holds we should assume that he also holds the man to be a navi? Should we not simply say that we don't know at all what he holds, despite what others may hold, until we find out?
Lastly, I just saw that you posted on the Yeshayahu issue, but alas, that will have to wait until Friday. Again, have a meaningful fast.
MosheZ,
The time, energy, and resources involved in writing publicly in a serious way about such a serious issue that is omeid be-rumo shel 'olam, is more than I have right now. But I think you are correct -- someone should write the article that you suggest.
Thank you for clarifying matters. In light of this, there is no evidence that a majority of French rabbis were full corporealists. Neither, might I add, to my knowledge, is there evidence that the majority were not coporealists.
Regarding the claim by a Provencal rabbi that Rashi was not a corporealist - it depends on who made it and on what basis. Of course there are many who claim that Rashi opposed corporealism, based on assuming from his numerous statements about "dibra Torah..." that he opposed all forms of corporealism.
Regarding Levi - I will address his letter in a separate post. He apparently misunderstood what I was saying about kinuy vs. dibra Torah.
Would you say that if a rabbi lives in a city where the majority of rabbis believe that a certain person is a navi, then until we can ascertain with clarity what that rabbi holds we should assume that he also holds the man to be a navi?
You have picked an example of a belief that we are instinctively against. But that is already taking sides. Furthermore, I do not say that "we should assume that the person is of that belief" but rather that it is likely that he is of that belief.
Suppose, in a frum town in Israel, 70% of people support Agudah, and 30% support Degel. For any given person, without knowing anything further about them, is there not a 70% chance that they are a Degel supporter?
Tzelem July 30, 2009 at 2:01 AM
Coy question of the day:
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word:
"Someone who is a priori _______ to the idea that Rashi was corporealist
will devise rejoinders to all these arguments."
A. opposed
B. committed
Clever! But it's not quite like that. Everyone has biases; but people with religious biases are much less likely to evaluate evidence objectively. Some people are religiously/ emotionally distressed at the thought that Rashi was a corporealist, but nobody is religiously/ emotionally distressed at the thought that Rashi was not a corporealist!
When I pointed out that Rabbi Kanarfogel's article made reference to a provencal rabbi who explicitly stated that Rashi was an incorporealist, you responded, "Regarding the claim by a Provencal rabbi that Rashi was not a corporealist - it depends on who made it and on what basis." Now, I totally understand the need to investigate the "on what basis" part of your response. Context and meaning are everything. I do, however, have a question about the "who made it" part of your response.
You cited R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai of Marseilles as your main source to advance the argument that since most of chakhmei Tzorfas were corporealists (a claim that has since been proven false from the clarification by Rabbi Kanarfogel as noted in the earlier posts), therefore we should expect Rashi to be a corporealist as well (still an argument that I do not comprehend, but let's leave that). Did you investigate the same "who made it" issue with regard to R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai as you propose we should do with the statement of the provencal rabbi? If you had investigated R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai, you would have concluded, as Rabbi Kanarfogel pointed out -- both he and the provencal rabbi were equally relatively unknown, and both were not of the leading provencal leaders. There is precious little, if anything at all, to distinguish one from the other in terms of their "reliability" or "authoritativeness." So if you had investigated R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai, you would have concluded that the provencal rabbi is just as reliable or unreliable a source as he was. If, on the other hand, you did not check the issue of "who he was" for R. Shemuel ben Mordekhai who, you thought, was advancing a basis to argue for Rashi's corporealism, and you do insist upon a check of "who he was" for the provencal rabbi who is advancing a basis for Rashi's incorporealism, is that not a double standard? Does that not smack of a preconceived notion and assumption regarding Rashi's position on corporealism?
Please help me out here!
Rabbi Zucker, to say that a specific person, Rashi, was not a corporealist, needs a more authoritative source than to say that rabbis in the town in general were corporealists. This in the same way as I would be more reliable in general saying about how many people in my town vote Gimmel, than in saying what a particular person votes, unless I had specific knowledge of that person beyond others. So if this person was someone who knew Rashi beyond his commentaries that we all have, his testimony would be extremely significant, and would even outweigh any testimony regarding people in France in general. But not if his knowledge is simply from Rashi's commentary.
There are two points in your comment that seem inaccurate.
most of chakhmei Tzorfas were corporealists (a claim that has since been proven false from the clarification by Rabbi Kanarfogel
He said it was false, or he said that we cannot prove it was true, since he was talking about a stricter definition of corporealism? I thought it was the latter. There's a difference.
therefore we should expect Rashi to be a corporealist as well (still an argument that I do not comprehend, but let's leave that)
It bothers me intensely that you do not comprehend this. Do you not agree that in a town where 70% are charedi and 30% are dati, if we are considering any given person, then without any other data we would say that there is a 70% chance that he is charedi? How can you possibly dispute this?
You are, of course, correct that there is a difference between something being false and something not being proven to be true. I made my comment because, as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Rabbi Kanarfogel indicated to me that in his forthcoming book he intends to show though a number of primary sources, some printed and some in manuscript, that the majority of the provencal rabbininc leadership were incorporealists. I guess we'll just have to wait...
I am sorry that my non-comprehension of your "majority" argument bothers you (although in terms of our overall discussion at this point, the issue is moot). Let me try to illustrate with a halakhic analogy -- on the one hand we have the issue of "kol de-parush mi-rubbah parush" and on the other hand we have the issue of "kol kavu'a ke-mechtza al mechtza dammi." You are looking at Rashi's hashkafah based upon his colleagues in terms of the former; I am looking at it in terms of the latter. Kol de-parush holds true only in the case of a ta'arovess; Rashi's views along with those of his colleagues are not, to my mind, a ta'arovess. Each one stands alone.
Would you agree that in a town where 70% are charedi and 30% are dati, if we are considering any given person, then without any other data we would say that there is a 70% chance that he is charedi?
Your question skirts the issue. Is Rashi's view on Torah part of a ta'arovess with the views of other rishonim? Or does it stand alone, as does the view of each individual? Please explain the basis of viewing it as a ta'arovess.
I don't see how to translate the issue of ta'aroves/ stand alone to the topic of hashkafos.
I think that my question is very much to the point. Would you agree that in a town where 70% are charedi and 30% are dati, if we are considering any given person, then without any other data we would say that there is a 70% chance that he is charedi?
You wrote, "I don't see how to translate the issue of ta'aroves/ stand alone to the topic of hashkafos." And this is exactly my point. In your 70% - 30% question, I would need to know: what is the issue at hand? Are we deciding on the character of the group as a whole for the purpose of giving food stamps to the group? Then, it is a GROUP issue, and yes, it is a "ta'arovess" -- so I would say that the unknown should be grouped with the 70%. If you are asking about the "level" (whatever that means) of hasmodah of a particular unknown individual, then he is not part of a mixture -- he is his own gavra, and thus - ke-mechtza al mechtza.
Are you serious? So you would say that for any given individual, there is only a 50-50 chance that he is charedi, even if 90% are charedi? I find it astounding to believe that in real life, you would really think that way.
Thanks for your response. I find it equally astounding that you would apply statistical assessments to determine a particular individual's hashkafah. What can I say? We are mutually astounding and astounded!
And, yes, I am serious.
Natan Slifkin August 1, 2009 at 3:00 AM
As I keep saying, not to conclusively determine a person's position, but rather to talk about the likelihood of his holding a position.
I think that our dispute here may be fundamental to our other disputes. Maybe I'll do a post on it and encourage others to contribute their thoughts.
Rabbi Zucker August 2, 2009 at 5:27 AM
I don't think that this issue is at all "fundamental" to our other disputes, and I think that at this point we ought to return to the basic issue at hand -- Rashi's view on corporealism, as I stated more fully in my last comment of this evening on your "Seeing No Image" thread.
I just don't think that you are being honest with yourself. If you hear that a certain person lives in Bnei Brak, you don't assume that they are probably charedi? That's inconceivable to me.
Rabbi Zucker August 2, 2009 at 3:28 PM
I believe that your argument is highly specious. The reason that one would assume that a person living in Bnei Brak is a chareidi is not per se because 90% of the people in Bnei Brak are chareidi; it is because Bnie Brak is a community that is known to attract chareidim who want to live in close proximity to other chareidim, forming a like community. Now, are you claiming (in your prior mistaken assumption that the majority of rabbis in northern France were corporealists) that the rabbis of northern France chose to move and live there in order to live in a like community of corporealists? If so, then would be a valid comparison to the Bnei Brak case. But I would first like to see any evidence that rabbis flocked together in northern France in order to be in a like community of corporealists.
Natan Slifkin August 2, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Yours is not the reason why I would say that someone living in Bnei Brak is likely charedi. It has nothing to do with why people move to the town. It is simply due to the statistics. We can remove your alleged factor and it would still hold true. In a town were 90% of people are Republicans, would you not say that there is a 90% chance that any given person is a Republican?
You have asked this question now three times (to my recollection). I have answered it three times, though clearly not to your satisfaction. Would you ask the same question repeatedly to the tanna'im of the gemara about a case of "kavu'a from a rove which is nevertheless considered by the gemara as kemchtza al mechtza"? You do not like my answer, which is based upon the logic of the halakhic system. I suppose you can keep repeating the question, but I don't see a purpose in that. As I suggested, let's get back to the core issue -- Rashi's opinion about corporealism.
No, because I accept that halachah has its own system of reaching conclusions - the classic example is tannur shel Achnai. But we are talking about reaching historical truth, not paskening halachah.
I must stress once again, the point is moot once you have admitted the mistake about your original claim that the majority of French rabbis were corporealists. Nevertheless, I see that you feel the need for some reason to revisit this now-irrelevant issue repeatedly. I have sent the following e-mail to two professors of statistics, one at Columbia, the other at Harvard. It may be a while until I get a response, but when I do, I will share it verbatim:
"Dear Professor: I have a question about the application of statistical assessments; I hope you can help me. I greatly appreciate your guidance, time, and effort in this matter. A friend of mine has made the following claim, and I would like to know if it holds true from a statistical point of view. Five hundred years ago there were 1,000 bona fide philosophers who live in a certain community. Seven hundred of them are known to maintain philosophical position X. Two hundred ninety nine of them are known to maintain philosophical position Y. Currently, the position of the last, unknown philosopher, whose view on X or Y is not discernable from his writings, is being investigated. My friend maintains that the current scholarly community logically must assume that the unknown scholar in fact maintained philosophical position X, until proven otherwise, since that was the majority view. He claims that there is a 70% chance that position X was his view, and that until we know for certain otherwise, this must be our assumption. Again, I appreciate if you could let me know your view about this at your earliest convenience. Thanks so much."
Rabbi Zucker, I don't know why you haven't noticed my clarifications. You represent my position as "and that until we know for certain otherwise, this must be our assumption." I have repeatedly pointed out that it is not that our assumption is that the person holds position X; rather, our assumption is that there is a 70% likelihood that the person holds position X.
And if there is a 70% chance that he holds position X, should we not therefore assume that that's what he held? Or is the "70% likelihood" irrelevant to what we should be assuming? What is your point of saying that there is a 70% likelihood that that was his position if not to say that we should therefore assume that he held position X? And from you last comment should I assume that you think my question to the professors is not relevant to our (side) discussion now?
We assume that there is a 70% likelihood that it is his position! And therefore one who believes that it is not his position has to produce some kind of evidence if he wants us to think that there is not a 70% chance that it is his position.
Your question to the professors is only relevant if you disagree with this.
I am sorry -- I do not understand what you are talking about. Rashi, in fact, was either a 100% corporealist or a 100% incorporealist. He was not a 70% corporealist. Now, I understand the notion that since 70% of the people around him were corporealists, therefore the scales are tipped toward our saying that he was a 100% corporealist (a notion that I maintain is absolutely false, and is the question that I posed to the statistics professors -- but it is a notion that I can at least understand). I do not, however, understand what it means that there is a 70% chance that he was a corporealist without it translating to what our assumption should be about his 100% view.
Correct, Rashi was either a 100% corporealist or a 100% incorporealist. But before bringing evidence either way, we can say that the statistical chance of his being one way or the other relates to the community to which he belonged. The ramifications are as to who has the burden of proof.
EXACTLY. And thus my question to the professors as written is absolutely relevant.
Mark D August 5, 2009 at 3:55 AM
It is worth noting that the Ramban in his letter to the french Rabbis, on the page immediately after (in the chavel version) his noting the rumor of belief in corporeality in france, he quotes many incorporealists in order to prove that Judaism maintains an incorporealist position. One of his quotes speaks openly about God's face and its comparison to man's face, again this quote is by a clear incorporealist. Hence the argument that Rashi's talking about Man's face being a reflection of God's "face" showing that he thinks God has a body is not a valid argument.
That wasn't the argument.
Mark D August 5, 2009 at 8:55 PM
your argument was "
I do not agree that Rambam, Ramban etc. understood the Tosefta being based on the idea that the body is a (physical) reflection of the idea of tzellem Elokim. Where do we see any such idea in their writings? That’s the kind of idea that you see in later mekuballim, not in Ramban and certainly not Rambam."
I quoted the Ramban to disprove your claim. How is it not relevant? I apologize again for not quoting it, I saw it in shul on Shabbat and do not have access to a copy, for anyone who wants to look it up it is on the page after he addresses the corporealists in france.
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Rabbi Slifkin's Books
The Torah-Science Controversy
Sources on Chazal and Science
The Sun's Path At Night
The Evolution of the Kezayis
Shiluach HaKein: The Transformation of a Mitzvah
What Can One Do For Someone Who Has Passed Away?
Wrestling with Demons
Netilat Yadayim: Ritual of Crisis or Dedication? (PDF)
Mezuzah: Protective Amulet or Religious Symbol? (PDF)
The Question of the Kidneys' Counsel
Sod Hashem Liyreyav
Messianic Wonders and Skeptical Rationalists (PDF)
The Economics of Torah Scholarship
The Novelty of Orthodoxy
The Making of Haredim
Defining Rationalism
Drawing the Line: Is Rationalism Futile?
Corporealism Redux, part I
Seeing No Image
Was Rashi A Corporealist?
Rav Aviner on Dinosaurs
Los Angeles Lecture
Kanno'im at Wikipedia
Tylenol and Timtum
Rambam on Reasons for Mitzvos
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About SENSO
How to go to the event?
About Aix-en-Provence
Increase your visibility
Senso conference
SENSO 2017:
The fifth edition of the “Sensors, Energy harvesting, wireless Network and Smart Objects” workshop was held on November 15th to 17th, 2017.
High level keynote speakers as well as invited speakers shared their expertise in the field : Vardan Galstyan - University of Brescia (Italy), Olivier Le Neel - STMicroelectronics (Singapore), Christophe Lethien - IEMN / RS2E / Université de Lille / IMT (France), Yair Ein-Eli, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Israel).
And many other experts shared their latest advances in the domain: CEA Tech, EMSE-CMP, Feeligreen, IM2NP-Aix-Marseille University, IMT Atlantique Brest, INL Lyon, Irlinx, LaMCoS/INSA Lyon, LMSM, Pole SCS, Polytech’Lab, STMicroelectronics, Trusted Objects, University of Grenoble Alpes, University of Lyon, University of Tours….
To have a look at the 2017 edition programme, please click here.
To see photos from SENSO 2017, please click here.
The fourth edition of the “Sensors, Energy harvesting, wireless Network and Smart Objects” workshop was held on November 16th to 18th, 2016.
Worldwide specialists in the domain came to share their experience:
@Health, CEATech – DPACA, CNRS Aix –Marseille University, Ecole Centrale de Lyon Ampère Laboratory, EMSE – CMP, Eu Research Department Aix –Marseille University, GEMALTO, IM2NP Aix-Marseille University, IM2NP - University of Toulon, I-TEN, Inside Secure, Institute of Analytical Sciences, JLM Innovation GmbH, LAAS, Nawa Technologies, Physioglove, Polytech Nice, Prove&Run, SIGFOX, Traxens, University of Lyon INSA-LYON LGEF, University of Pisa, University of Rome, University Rovira i Virgili MINOS-EMAS, University of the West of England.
The third edition of the “Sensors, Energy harvesting, wireless Network and Smart Objects” workshop was held on October 14th to 16th, 2015.
Aix-Marseille University, Alpwise, Bouygues Telecom, Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica (IMB-CNM-CSIC), CMP-EMSE, CNES,CNRS/LAAS, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - EPFL, EcoLogicSense, ETHZ, Gemalto, Grenoble INP/LCIS, Hydrao, IM2NP, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL), Insight SIP, Ionosys, Laboratoire ESYCOM, NEOWAVE, Sigfox, Sunpartner, Tagsys, Terradona SAS, University of Genoa, University of Lyon, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
The “Sensors, Energy harvesting, wireless Network and Smart Objects”, former PACO conference, was held from October 22nd to 24th, 2014. The workshop proposed more than 35 presentations and about fifteen posters on the sensors, the energy supply, the wireless networks and the intelligent objects.
30 companies and 36 laboratories and research centers, of about ten countries (Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan…) took part in the workshop.
The keynote speaker, Nitish V. THAKOR, National University of Singapore (Singapore) opened the conference.
Didactic presentations on the Internet of Things and on Energy Harvesting, were delivered by Nando BASILE, STMicroelectronics (France) and Guillaume GIRARDIN, Yole Développement (France), gave a speech on the market prospects and challenges of the IoT.
ASE Group, CEA-Leti , CINTRA UMI CNRS/NTU/THALES , Cityzen Sciences, CNRS/Université de Grenoble - G2Elab , Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne/Centre SPIN, EnOcean, ETH Icube, IM2NP- Aix-Marseille Université,IMS Laboratoire, Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement , LAAS, LIRMM - Université de Montpellier, LoginPeople, NawaTechnologies, Semtech, STMicroelectronics , Telecom Bretagne, Université de Cantabria, Université de Lyon, Université de Rennes , Université de Saint-Etienne, Institut de Physique Chimie - Université de Tübingen , Université de Verone, XLIM, Yole Développement
To see photos from SENSO 2014, click here
PACO 2013:
The first edition of the “Power Autonomous Communicating Objects” workshop was held on October 24th & 25th, 2013. The presentations were really appreciated by the participants.
Arveni, Canova Tech, CEA-Leti, List et Liten, Enocean, Entr’ouvert, ESIEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM), Hotblock on Board, IMEC and Holst Center, LAAS Toulouse, LEAT, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, LIP6, Orange, Oridao, SCS Cluster, STMicroelectronics, Tagsys, Texas Instruments, Thalès Communication, Thalès Research and Technology, Université de Genève
To see photos from PACO 2013, click here
Event supported by:
Copyright 2013 Sensors Energy harvesting wireless Network & Smart Objects
PimentRouge.fr
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WEDDINGS - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Bridesmaids Pre-Wedding Photography by PIMODI at Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage Areas, dressed by Alisha & Lace Singapore, Flowers by Angel Florist.
Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Bridesmaids Pre-Wedding Photography
Marina Bay - Gardens by the Bay & Marina Barrage Areas
Photography by PIMODI
Wedding Bridal Flowers by Angel Florist
Wedding Gown by Alisha & Lace Singapore
Yay! Its less than 2 weeks to my wedding! In preparation for my wedding, I needed to choose my bridesmaids! How do your choose your bridesmaids when you have so many friends? Well, you can't just simply choose your closest and best-est friends! You can't just choose the prettiest of your friends, just to make your picture look good. You can't just random pick! A lot of thought is put into choosing your sisters.
Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Singapore Wedding Video at The Fullerton Hotel
Singapore Jewel Changi Airport - The Rain Vortex
(World's Largest Indoor Rain Waterfall)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b8q9jRXZjE&feature=youtu.be
Filmed and Edited by Istudio - Ian Kok
http://www.istudio.com.my/iStudio/Home.html
Wedding Gown - Alisha & Lace Singapore
Groom Suit - The Old Fashion House
The Singapore Rain Vortex is an indoor waterfall in Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore which was opened on 17 April 2019. It is the world's largest indoor waterfall at 40 metres in height and surrounded by a four-storey terraced forest. The waterfall and Jewel complex was designed by Moshe Safdie.
Sneak Peek Video of Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Penang Wedding
Video taken beautifully by KEZMAX Productions
https://www.kezmax.com.my/
Song - Rewrite The Stars - The Greatest Showman Movie
You need to ensure that you know that these friends are well organized and personally responsible enough to assist in the preparation of your wedding well. You need to choose girlfriends who are willing to take time off from their busy schedule to help you on your special day. You need sisters who are able and willing to take annual leave from their busy jobs to help you out.
At the end of the day, when you are busy preparing and putting on make up and doing your bridal hair, you want to know that your bridesmaids are ensuring that the gate crash is all ready and prepared with lots of fun and laughter. When you are preparing for your wedding banquet, your sisters are the ones who will ensure that all the decorations, wedding photo albums, guest lists, reception hall and ballroom, is well supervised and prepared in the tip top condition to welcome your guests.
Gate Crash Preparation
You need fun and creative sisters, who knows you and your groom well enough to do something special and meaningful for your gate crash. Planning the games and preparing the gate crash would take up lots of time and effort too.
I chose 8 beautiful, charming and well organized friends to be my bridesmaids.
My gorgeous bridesmaids are Janice Leong, Jasmin Natalie Lee, Nicole Elizabeth Chee, Sufi Law, Eri Yingli, Rachel Ho, Angeline Yeh and Linnda Chung.
Why did I choose 8 girls?
Well, the Chinese loves lucky number 8.
Number 8 has long been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture. With pronunciation of 'Ba' in Chinese, no. 8 sounds similar to the word 'Fa', which means to make a fortune. It contains meanings of prosperity, success and high social status too, so all business men favor it very much.
8 is the luckiest number in Chinese culture because 八 sounds like 發 (fa), which means “wealth”, “fortune”, and “prosper” in Chinese. Multiples of eight are even better, as 88 bears a resemblance to 囍 (shuāng xǐ), or “double happiness”.
What other number is good for Chinese Culture?
6 is also considered a good number.
Lucky Numbers in Chinese: SIX – 六 Liù
Number 6 in Chinese sounds similar to 流 liú which means “to flow” and 溜 liū which means smooth or slick in Chinese. When six is paired together numerous times to make 66, 666 or 6666 etc these are actually considered very lucky numbers.
I was really glad that they could make it. I would like to thank my girls, who are putting lots of time and effort to join me in this joyous moment in my life. It is the most important day for a woman's adult life. The day she leaves her parents officially, and move into another house hold unit.
These photos were taken by PIMODI - ALEX and CHRIS
www.Pimodi.com
https://issuu.com/pimodi
Pimodi Photography is a Singapore based Professional Commercial Photographer Team specialize in Concept, Design, Styling, Shoot and Process for Corporate Parties Event, Pre-Wedding, Actual Day Wedding, Fashion Editorial Lookbook Model Portfolio Portrait, eCommerce Product, Food Photography and Retouching Service.
If you’re thinking of being photographed or you think that our style of work are what you are looking for, please don’t hesitate to email us for more detail and discussion.
https://pimodi.com | aloha@pimodi.com
Marina Barrage Singapore
8 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018951
We parked our cars at Satay By the Bay. Then we walked a little bit to the open grass space near marina barrage area. There's also another car park at Marina Barrage itself. It is really convenient.
Gardens By the Bay Park
18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
We did not go into the special domes. We just went around the Park area which is open for public. There are really nice ponds with lotus and beautiful plants in them. This particular bride is just right beside Satay by the Bay hawker centre. You can easily spot this bridge when you are having your dinner or supper at the hawker itself.
As walking a little bit into the Park, you can spot many different beautiful status around the park. This part is really just amazing. We managed to take some pictures with Marina Bay Sands building in the backdrop. Lucky us! We had so much fun!
A big thank you to ANGELFLORIST for their beautiful flowers..
www.AngelFlorist.com
Wedding Bridal Bouquets - http://www.angelflorist.com/category/jjjja/aj/af.html
These are some examples of their gorgeous wedding bridal flowers.
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Winner of the 1.0 - Carat Diamond Lucky Draw 2018 sponsored by Fonder Diamond Private Limited www.fonderdiamond.sg
Direct Lucky Draw URL Link - http://www.angelflorist.com/luckydraw2019.html
Sara Shantelle Lim's Wedding Gown is by Alisha & Lace Singapore
https://www.alisha.com.sg/
PRE-WEDDING PHOTOSHOOT Wedding Gown & Suit
Wedding Gown - Alisha & Lace Singapore @alisha_lace.sg
Groom's Suit - The Old Fashion House SG @theoldfashionhouse_sg @TOFHSG
https://www.facebook.com/TOFHSG/
Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Pre Wedding Video taken in Prague Czech in June 2019
Wedding Video filmed by Vitali Frozen, edited by Sara Shantelle Lim.
YouTube Song - Beautiful In White by Shane Filan
Bridal Wedding Gown by Alisha & Lace Singapore
Groom Suit by The Old Fashion House
Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Wedding Video Taken in Prague
READ ABOUT DR VT & SARA SHANTELLE LIM'S ENTIRE WEDDING HERE!
http://www.sgsisters.com/search/label/Weddings
Posted by The Singaporean Sisters at 23:39 No comments:
Labels: Angelflorist, crazy rich asians, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Pimodi Photography, Sara Shantelle Lim's Wedding, sgbride, sgbrides, Singapore Wedding Flowers, Singapore Weddings, Weddings
WEDDINGS - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Pre-wedding Photography + Wedding Video Taken in Czech Republic Prague - Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Church of our Lady before Tyn, Old Town Square, Powder Tower, Wedding Gown by Alisha & Lace Singapore.
Weddings - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Pre-wedding Photography + Wedding Video
in Czech Republic Prague - https://www.prague.eu/en
Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral,
Church of our Lady before Tyn, Old Town Square, Powder Tower
Wedding Gown by Alisha & Lace Singapore & Suit by The Old Fashion House
Destination Photographer & Video - Vitali Frozen
Wedding Video filmed by Vitali Frozen, edited by Ian from Istudio
YouTube Song - Perfect Ed Sheeran (Cover by Travis Atreo & Matt Bloyd)
I know that I've just taken some Pre Wedding Photos in Portugal Porto in March 2019. Now I am taking another pre wedding photos in Czech, Prague. The reason was purely because, I have not taken my Pre Wedding Video.
I love European Gothic architecture, so of course, I could not miss out taking a wedding video in Europe too. Hence, I traveled to Europe again in less than half a year, just to visit Prague and to take more wedding photos and most importantly a wedding video.
Below are some important info about Prague as a country, and also info about the places of interest that I've been to for these beautiful wedding photography.
PRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BY VITALI FROZEN
Prague Astronomical Clock
Staroměstské nám. 1, 110 00 Josefov, Czechia
https://www.prague.eu/cs/objekt/mista/188/staromestska-radnice-s-orlojem
The Prague Astronomical Clock, or Prague Orloj, is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still operating.
What does the Prague Astronomical Clock do?
Unsurprisingly, in order to provide this level of functionality, its mechanism is split into several distinct parts. The first, and most striking, is its impressive and beautifully ornate astronomical dial. This represents the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and other various astronomical details.
How old is the astronomical clock in Prague?
The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, dates back to 1410 when it was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, then later a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Charles University. The first recorded mention of the clock was on 9 October 1410.
How often does the Prague clock chime?
Every hour, on the hour, crowds gather beneath the Old Town Hall Tower to watch the Astronomical Clock in action. Despite a slightly underwhelming performance that takes only 45 seconds, the clock is one of Europe's best-known tourist attractions, and a 'must-see' for visitors to Prague.
Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
Staroměstské nám., 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia
http://www.tyn.cz/cz/
The Church of Mother of God before Týn, often translated as Church of Our Lady before Týn, is a gothic church and a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic. It has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.
Prague Old Town Hall
Staroměstské nám. 1/3, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia
In the centre of the Old Town Square, the Jan Hus Memorial dominates, reminding all Prague residents and visitors of one of the most significant and world-renowned Czech historical figures.
What is the main square in Prague called?
There are three main squares in Prague. The two most famous are Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square, which are located on one side of the river.
When was Old Town Prague built?
The Old Town is among the oldest and by far, the most beautiful district in the Czech Capital of Prague. The core of the historical center is Old Town Square, which started as a marketplace in the 10th century and has been the site for many political and cultural events that have shaped the history of Prague.
What is the main street in Prague?
Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic.
Statue of Emperor Charles IV
near the Charles Bridge in Prague
Statue of Charles IV., the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, is situated at the Knights of the Cross Square near the Charles Bridge. It is one of the most important neo-Gothic statues in Central Europe.
Emperor Charles IV.
Charles IV., often called Pater patriae (father of the country), was an important personality of the medieval Europe. He made Prague the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and he had many buildings built in the city. He also founded the oldest university in Central Europe – the Charles University – in 1348. Many places and buildings in Prague and in the whole country bear his name: the Charles Bridge, the Charles Square, and others. His monument was made on the occasion of 500 th anniversary of the Charles University in 1848.
Monument in front of the Charles Bridge
The bronze Charles IV. Monument was designed by Arnost J. Hähnel. The statue itself is about 4 metres high and it stands on a pedestal of the same height. Charles IV. has a sword in one hand and a foundation charter of the university in the other hand.
The pedestal is adorned with allegories of four faculties: faculty of theology, medicine, law and philosophy. There are statues of four important personalities of Charles IV.´s era at the corners of the monument: Arnost of Pardubice (the first Prague archbishop), Jan Ocko of Vlasim (the successive Prague archbishop), Benes of Kolovraty (he accompanied Charles IV. on his way to Rome for coronation) and Matthias of Arras (the first builder of the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle).
The Charles IV. Monument was revealed in 1849, because there were fights around it in 1848 and the statue had to be encased to be protected from damage.
Prague Charles Bridge
Karlův most, 110 00 Praha 1, Czechia
Over Vltava River
Charles Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century.
Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town (Malá Strana).
How many statues are on the Charles Bridge?
30 statues
There are 30 statues mounted to the balustrade of Charles Bridge in Prague. They form two rows, one on each side.
Why is Charles Bridge famous?
As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau) until 1841, Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.
Why are statues on Charles Bridge Black?
Sandstone deteriorates over time due to pollution in the air, acid rain and constant contact with tourists. The stone is originally light tan but turns black over time in an urban environment. All of the sculptures on the bridge are made of sandstone except for the statue of St. John Nepomuk.
How long is Charles Bridge?
What river does the Charles Bridge Cross?
Prague Vltava River
The Vltava is the longest river within the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and finally merging with the Elbe at Mělník. It is commonly referred to as the "Czech national river".
Vltava is a river which flows through the Czech Republic and its capital city, Prague.
Where does the Vltava river flow?
It flows first southeast, then north across Bohemia, and empties into the Elbe (Czech: Labe) River at Mělník, 18 miles (29 km) north of Prague. Prague and České Budějovice are on the Vltava. At České Budějovice, in the river's middle basin, is an extensive lake region.
Hradčany, 119 08 Prague 1, Czechia
https://www.hrad.cz/
Prague Castle is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia.
A great way to squeeze the best bits of the castle, including the Old Royal Palace and the Vladislav Hall, into a busy Prague itinerary is to participate in a 3.5-hour Prague Castle Walking Tour.
What is Prague Castle used for?
Originally it used to be the residence of princes and kings of Bohemia, since 1918 it is the seat of the president. Prague Castle has been our most significant national cultural and historical monument; it is a symbol of the development of the Czech state lasting for more than a thousand years.
Is Prague Castle free?
In short, the public courtyards and gardens that are close to Prague Castle are free to visit, but you will have to purchase a ticket to visit many of the sites within Prague Castle. In addition, Golden Lane is free to access after closing time, but you won't be able to access the houses.
Can you go inside the Prague Castle?
While it's free to roam the castle grounds, there IS a Prague Castle entrance fee if you want to visit the various buildings on the complex.
How long do you need at Prague Castle?
You should allow 2-3 hours at minimum for visiting Prague Castle. However, if you find that you want to follow the audio tour, seeing the Prague Castle Complex may take longer.
Is there a royal family in Prague?
“Prague Castle was one of 19 residences owned by the royal family. In the language of the court, it was referred to as Administration, building of residence for the royal family when they were present in Prague or in the Kingdom of Bohemia.
How many rooms does the Prague Castle have?
The Prague Castle is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Wallenstein Palace, for one, is home to the Czech Senate and includes 26 houses and six gardens.
What is the famous castle in Prague?
Prague Castle. Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad; [ˈpraʃskiː ˈɦrat]) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic, dating from the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia.
What circuit is Prague Castle?
At more than 77,000 square metres it is the largest working Castle complex in the world. The beauty of Prague Castle is in the continuity of the architecture.
Who is the president of Prague?
The current president is Miloš Zeman, in office since 8 March 2013.
Prague Castle - Kohl's Fountain
The Powder Tower
nám. Republiky 5, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia
http://www.muzeumprahy.cz/prasna-brana/
The Powder Tower or Powder Gate is a Gothic tower in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the original city gates. It separates the Old Town from the New Town.
Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it's known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.
Is Prague expensive?
The good news is, Prague prices haven't really gotten worse. While the Czech city is more expensive than the rest of the country by 50-100%, it's still a great value compared to many other European capitals. ... The city of a million residents was host to nearly eight million visitors last year.
Do they speak English in Prague?
English in Prague
In Prague, a great number of native citizens speak English at least a bit. Of course, knowledge of the English language gets better with higher education, however older people in the Czech Republic quite often do not speak English at all.
What country is Prague in?
What kind of money do they use in Prague?
Czech Crowns
The currency in Prague is the Czech Crown (CZK). Czech banknotes are issued in the following denominations: 100/200/500/1000/2000/5000. Some hotels, shops and restaurants accept Euros as well, but many only take Czech Crowns.
Why is Prague called the Golden City?
This name was given to the city during the reign of the Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, when the towers of Prague Castle were covered in gold. Another theory is that Prague was called 'Golden' during the reign of Rudolf II who employed alchemists to turn ordinary metals into gold.
Is Prague a rich city?
Prague is EU's sixth-richest district. The Czech capital Prague came in sixth place in a Eurostat ranking of regional GDP per capita, however it was beaten by Bratislava, Slovakia, which was fifth. Overall, Inner London-West was highest. ... Prague purchasing power was at 178, or 78 percent above the average.
Is it better to use euros or koruna in Prague?
The approximate value of 100 CZK is 4 EUR/5 USD. As the official currency, the Czech crown is the best and often the only possible currency to use when paying. Although the Czech Republic is part of the European Union, the euro is not widely accepted here.
Wedding Video filmed by Vitali Frozen, edited by Sara Shantelle Lim
Weddings - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Pre-wedding Photography
Destination Photographer - Vitali Frozen
READ MORE ABOUT DR VT & SARA SHANTELLE LIM'S PORTUGAL PORTO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY HERE
- CLICK HERE -
Portugal Porto Wedding Photography Part 1 - Bolsa Palace
http://www.sgsisters.com/2019/06/weddings-doctor-teng-sara-shantelle.html
Portugal Porto Wedding Photography Part 2 - Porto Catherdral
http://www.sgsisters.com/2019/07/weddings-doctor-victor-teng-sara.html
Portugal Porto Wedding Photography Part 3 - Carmo & Carmelitas Churches
http://www.sgsisters.com/2019/07/weddings-doctor-victor-teng-sara_9.html
Portugal Porto Wedding Photography Part 4 - Porto Luis Bridge + Porto Lighthouse
http://www.sgsisters.com/2019/07/weddings-doctor-vt-sara-shantelle-lims.html
Read about Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's ROM in Singapore
at 2 Michelin Stars - Shisen Hanten at Mandarin Orchard Hotel
Their Cartier Wedding Rings, Flowers by Royal Blooms, Wedding Cakes from WeddingCakes.SG
PRE WEDDING PHOTOS TAKEN IN PORTUGAL
Wedding Photos Taken by Award Winning Photographer
Destination Photograhper - Vitali Frozen - Flew down from Prague
https://frozen-photo.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/vitali.frozen
VITALI FROZEN
AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER
from Prague
WEDDING DESTINATION PHOTOGRAPHER
Vitali Frozen - www.frozen-photo.com
+375295083020 +420775434825 +79261871573
frozen_photo@mail.ru
Sara Shantelle Lim's Birthday featured on 98.7FM Radio Singapore
Video filmed by Billy from Vzuall Studio Productions
YouTube Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0BGjVEEec&feature=youtu.be
Labels: alisha and lace, alisha and lace singapore, crazyrichasians, prague, Sara Shantelle Lim, Sara Shantelle Lim's Wedding, sgbride, Singapore Weddings, the old fashion house, Travel, Wedding Photographers, Weddings
Location: Staroměstské nám. 1, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město, Czechia
WEDDINGS - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Bridesmaid...
WEDDINGS - Dr VT & Sara Shantelle Lim's Pre-weddin...
Weddings - Dato Dr Teng Family & The Lim Family ha...
Travel - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to Sydney & Ca...
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Tuesday January 21, 2020 / 26 , Jumada al-ula , 1441
Home Sports
Doping casts shadow over Putin's hopes for sporting prestige
In this file photograph taken on Dec. 5, 2017, a supporter waves a Russian flag in front of the logo of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at their headquarters in Pully near Lausanne. In Russia, where criticism of the authorities can lead to dire consequences, the head of the country's anti-doping agency Yury Ganus has openly accused officials of tampering with data handed to the global watchdog. — AFP
MOSCOW — A proposed four-year doping ban on Russian athletes would deal a huge new blow to President Vladimir Putin's efforts to use sport to boost national prestige and his own reputation.
But experts say the Russian leader could also turn the ban to his advantage — by portraying it as a politically motivated attempt by the West to once again humiliate the country at the expense of athletes.
The executive committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency will meet in Lausanne on Dec. 9 to consider a recommendation for the ban, which would exclude Russians from major sports events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
A WADA review panel has accused Moscow of falsifying laboratory data handed over to investigators as part of a probe into the doping allegations that have plagued Russia for years.
In power for nearly 20 years, Putin has made sport and healthy living a cornerstone of his popularity and is regularly shown on state television taking part in judo matches or on the ice for hockey games.
His government poured enormous resources into Russia's hosting of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics — the first Olympics in Russia since 1980 — but the Games were tainted by claims of widespread, state-sponsored doping.
Russian athletes faced a series of bans over the next few years and were forced to participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games as neutral competitors.
Redemption seemed on the way with Russia's successful hosting of the 2018 football World Cup, and the reinstatement the same year of its RUSADA anti-doping body.
But if the allegations of tampering with laboratory data are true, Russian authorities have managed to re-ignite the scandal, observers say.
"I fear that we're headed for catastrophe, everything was done too cynically and grossly," Sergei Medvedev, a professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, wrote in Facebook post.
The avid sports enthusiast compared the doping scandal to Russia's handling of the assassination attempt of defector Sergei Skripal in England and its denials of supplying separatists in eastern Ukraine with the missile that shot down flight MH17.
In both instances Russia shifted blame with vehement denials and finger-pointing.
But in this case, Medvedev said, Russia will not get away "with a smirk from Putin" and a generation of Russian athletes could be prevented from pursuing their dreams.
Sports commentators were hard on Russian authorities in the wake of the potential ban being announced, with many blaming criminal investigators who were responsible for handling the data.
"I am sure our officials will never recognize that they have disgraced themselves and will never ask for forgiveness," sports commentator Alexei Durnovo told AFP.
"We will never know the names" of those responsible, he added.
Popular sports commentator Vasily Utkin even urged athletes to sue Russian authorities, who he said "were genetically linked to the security services".
At the same time, analysts said the crisis was unlikely to seriously affect Putin's personal popularity.
Denis Volkov, deputy director at pollster Levada, said authorities and state-controlled media would bill the ban as a new move by the West to humiliate Russia — and that the majority of Russians would accept that line.
"The authorities will use this to their advantage," Volkov told AFP. "All of this will be interpreted in the sense of the West always against Russia."
The question will be whether Russia's athletes buy it.
Maria Lasitskene, a three-time world high jump champion, has already warned she would quit Russia and train elsewhere so as not to miss the Tokyo Olympics.
Along with hurdler Sergey Shubenkov and pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova, the 26-year-old missed the Rio Olympics in 2016 because of the doping scandal.
"I do not intend to miss a second Olympics in a row because of some strange people who cannot do their job honestly," Lasitskene has said on Instagram.
Russian rugby star Vasily Artemyev said the country's athletes have been "betrayed".
The Russian men's rugby sevens team is already out of contention for the Tokyo Games but the women's team is still hoping to qualify.
Artemyev, who became a darling of the Rugby World Cup in Japan this year, said Russia needed to dismantle its current sport management model and build a new one from scratch.
"We have to look each other in the eye and develop a new strategic plan," he told AFP. "We need a new face for Russian sport and it should be sincere."— AFP
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GSFWC still waiting to see if it will be AWSA CAP entity
Written by silvercitydailypress on January 7, 2015
By BENJAMIN FISHER
Daily Press Staff
The Gila/ San Francisco Water Commission is still waiting for an answer to whether it will be made the entity in control of the proposed Gila River diversion, the New Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona Project as part of the Arizona Water Settlements Act. The GSFWC has sent two letters to the ISC as resolutions voicing its intent to be the CAP entity.
The GSFWC is made up of representatives from Grant, Luna and Catron counties, the city of Deming, the village of Santa Clara, and various soil and water conservation districts and agricultural, mainly ranching, interest groups in the southwestern region of New Mexico. GSFWC chair Anthony Gutierrez — Grant County planning director and the county’s representative onthe commission — has said that Congress included language in the AWSA that states the GSFWC should be the CAP entity. Gutierrez has said that the GSFWC is the direct descendant of an earlier stakeholders group that helped the ISC develop a regional water plan and consider possible uses of the $ 68 million for water projects allotted by the AWSA.
That group was called the Southwest New Mexico Water Planning Group. The language Gutierrez has repeatedly referred to, section 212 ( i), actually reads: “… a State of New Mexico Fund established and administered by the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission. Withdrawals from the New Mexico Unit Fund shall be for the purpose of paying costs of the New Mexico Unit or other
GSFWC Page 11
From Page 1
water utilization alternatives to meet water supply demands in the Southwest Water Planning Region of New Mexico, as determined by the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission in consultation with the Southwest New Mexico Water Study Group or its successor, including costs associated withplanning and environmental compliance activities and environmental mitigation and restoration.’
There are significant differences between the SWNMWPG and the GSFWC, however; premier among those is the lack of representation from conservation interest groups and the presence of multiple agricultural interest groups. The Gila Basin Irrigation Commission, for instance, had no part in the original planning group, while groups like the Gila Conservation Coalition were involved throughout the planning.
ISC Deputy Director Craig Roepke said that assigning the “operating agency’ for the New Mexico Unit is one of the first things the ISC must do in 2015. The agency would be able to take complete control over the planning, analysis and/or construction of the diversion and storage of up to 14,000 acrefeet of Gila River water. Gutierrez believes that with no other comprehensive group already organized, his is the most obvious option. He said the GSFWC intends to take responsibility for all aspects of the project if selected.
Benjamin Fisher may be reached at bfisher@silver citydailypress.net.
Varela murder trial is delayed
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Journal of Applied Oral Science
Print version ISSN 1678-7757On-line version ISSN 1678-7765
J. Appl. Oral Sci. vol.24 no.5 Bauru Sept./Oct. 2016
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-775720160092
Porosity of temporary denture soft liners containing antifungal agents
Jozely Francisca Mello Lima1
Janaína Gomes Maciel1
Juliana Hotta1
Ana Carolina Pero Vizoto2
Heitor Marques Honório3
Vanessa Migliorini Urban4
Karin Hermana Neppelenbroek1
1Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Departamento de Prótese, Bauru, SP, Brasil
2Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara, Departamento de Materiais Odontológicos e Prótese, Araraquara, SP, Brasil
3Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Departamento de Odontopediatria, Ortodontia e Saúde Coletiva, Bauru, SP, Brasil
4Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Departamento de Odontologia, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil
Incorporation of antifungals in temporary denture soft liners has been recommended for denture stomatitis treatment; however, it may affect their properties.
To evaluate the porosity of a tissue conditioner (Softone) and a temporary resilient liner (Trusoft) modified by minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antifungal agents for Candida albicans biofilm.
The porosity was measured by water absorption, based on exclusion of the plasticizer effect. Initially, it was determined by sorption isotherms that the adequate storage solution for specimens (65×10×3.3 mm) of both materials was 50% anhydrous calcium chloride (S50). Then, the porosity factor (PF) was calculated for the study groups (n=10) formed by specimens without (control) or with drug incorporation at MICs (nystatin: Ny-0.032 g, chlorhexidine diacetate: Chx-0.064 g, or ketoconazole: Ke-0.128 g each per gram of soft liner powder) after storage in distilled water or S50 for 24 h, seven and 14 d. Data were statistically analyzed by 4-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=.05).
Ke resulted in no significant changes in PF for both liners in water over 14 days (p>0.05). Compared with the controls, Softone and Trusoft PFs were increased at 14-day water immersion only after addition of Ny and Chx, and Chx, respectively (p<0.05). Both materials showed no significant changes in PF in up to 14 days of S50 immersion, compared with the controls (p>0.05). In all experimental conditions, Softone and Trusoft PFs were significantly lower when immersed in S50 compared with distilled water (p<0.05).
The addition of antifungals at MICs resulted in no harmful effects for the porosity of both temporary soft liners in different periods of water immersion, except for Chx and Ny in Softone and Chx in Trusoft at 14 days. No deleterious effect was observed for the porosity of both soft liners modified by the drugs at MICs over 14 days of S50 immersion.
Keywords: Denture stomatitis; Denture liners; Porosity; Anti-infective agents
Denture stomatitis (DS), an oral lesion found in approximately 65% of removable denture wearers, has been associated with multiple etiologic factors13. The systemic factors include physical impairment, allergies, age, gender, tobacco, endocrinopathies, nutritional deficiencies, wide spectrum antibiotics, immunosuppressants, antineoplastic therapies, and immune system disorders13. Also, local factors associated with the dentures have been considered determinant in the development or maintenance of DS, especially the following: presence of biofilm22, local trauma caused by the dentures, mainly old and ill-fitting dentures13, hyposalivation13, continuous utilization of dentures9,13,22, and decreased salivary pH13. Despite the multifactorial etiology, the involvement of Candida species, with emphasis to Candida albicans, is considered the main factor related to the establishment and persistence of DS13.
Considering the relevant role played by local factors and the Candida infection in DS, the incorporation of antimicrobial agents in temporary soft denture liners has been suggested26,27. The resilient materials modified by drugs may act as a potential therapy for DS treatment for several reasons: 1) the contact between the prosthetic biofilm and infected tissues is eliminated, preventing reinfection through the denture base; 2) different from conventional topical antifungals, the gradual release of antimicrobials through the liners is able to achieve an effective therapeutic concentration in infected sites, even under the diluent effects of saliva/swallowing and tongue movements; 3) therapy is based on utilization of the relined denture, eliminating the necessity of patient compliance; 4) relining with the soft material allows readaptation of the denture base to supporting tissues, minimizing the tissue trauma that worsens the infection and provides comfort to the patient; 5) the period of utilization of a denture relined with a short-term resilient liner is short, similar to the period of treatment with conventional topical antifungal (14 days), with the advantage of recovering the injured tissues and preventing accumulation of biofilm until denture replacement or relining with long-term materials26,27.
Conversely, the modification of temporary soft liners by drugs at commercially available concentrations may affect their structural, physical, and mechanical properties1,26,28–30, which may impair the clinical performance of these materials during their lifespan. Aiming to maintain the properties of modified materials, a previous study6 aimed to determine drug concentrations lower than those commercially available, yet simultaneously effective for fungal inhibition. Over 14 days, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) able to inactivate the C. albicans biofilm (SC5314) in temporary soft liners analyzed (Trusoft and Softone) were achieved with nystatin (polyene antifungal antibiotic), chlorhexidine diacetate (broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent), and ketoconazole (azole antifungal drug)6. However, the effects of the addition of these drugs MICs on the properties of modified resilient liners are still unknown.
Among the several properties that must be analyzed in a polymer, porosity presents great relevance, also from a clinical standpoint, since this is a complex phenomenon of multifactorial origin that may even weaken denture bases23. Microporosities present on denture surfaces may also facilitate the adhesion and proliferation of microorganisms, interfering with the mechanical and chemical procedures for denture cleaning24. Resilient materials are considered more susceptible to microbial adhesion than thermo-polymerized acrylic resins, since they present higher capacity to interact with microorganisms because of their surface texture and physicochemical affinity with such materials24.
The presence of pores on denture base materials is an undesirable characteristic and thus it has been evaluated by several methods, including analysis of the association of porosity with the volume of water absorbed by the polymer8. Despite the importance of the plasticizer effect of water on the clinical performance of acrylic denture base materials, this factor has not been considered in related studies, which also employed only water storage to evaluate the porosity of specimens8. An adequate analysis of porosity requires a method of water sorption that takes into account the elimination of the plasticizer effect of water in the polymer structure. The storage of acrylic resin in salt-saturated aqueous solutions, which allows variation of water activity, provides an estimate of the solution in which the plasticizer effect of water would not occur (optimal water activity)25. Considering these aspects, a method for evaluation of porosity by water sorption based on determination of an adequate storage solution (S) of denture base resins has been recently validated23. Through this method it was observed that, in distilled water, the plasticizer effect was not eliminated, and the optimal storage solution varied according to the type of denture base resin employed, yet it did not vary according to the specimen shape for the same material23.
The effect of addition of drugs on the porosity of temporary soft liners is not known, which is relevant, since this modification has proven to be effective for inhibition of C. albicans biofilm, the main pathogen involved in DS. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of incorporation of antifungals at MICs on the porosity of short-time resilient liners during their lifespan, employing the method using water sorption based on determination of the optimal storage solution, in which the plasticizing effect was excluded. The null hypothesis investigated was that the addition of drugs would not adversely affect the porosity of temporary liner after different storage periods in distilled water or optimal storage solution determined for each material.
Determination of optimal storage solution (S)
Rectangular specimens (65×10×3.3 mm) were achieved according to specification #1567 of the International Organization for Standardization17, using a stainless steel metallic mold. The ISO standard for denture base resins was selected because there is no specification on the dimensions of specimens for analysis of porosity of resilient liners. Also, no method has been defined by ISO for evaluation of porosity in this type of material.
Initially, to determine the S of each material, a total of 80 non-modified specimens (without drug) were achieved, being 40 for temporary resilient liner Trusoft (Bosworth Company, Skokie, IL, USA) and 40 for the tissue conditioner Softone (Bosworth Company, Skokie, IL, USA). To achieve each specimen, the material was proportioned and mixed following the manufacturer's instructions and poured in a stainless steel mold (65×10×3.3 mm), positioned between two glass slides until plasticization (6-7 min).
After processing, the specimens were dried in a vacuum desiccator at 37±0.5°C and were subjected to desorption. They were weighed daily in a digital analytical balance (UMark 210 A, BEL Engineering, Monza, MI, Italy) until a constant mass was obtained, indicating a state of equilibrium. Specimen mass was considered stable when the difference between the mean of each evaluation period was lower than 0.0002 g over 24 h23. Recording of these weights allowed achievement of the respective temporal curves of desorption. After the state of equilibrium was established, 10 specimens of each material were individually immersed in one of the different solutions corresponding to the different values of water activity: anhydrous calcium chloride solutions at 25%, 50%, 75%, and distilled water. The specimens were kept at 37±0.5°C, removed from the solutions daily, carefully dried with absorbent paper and weighed until the state of equilibrium was reached, as previously described.
To determine an S for each material, based on exclusion of the plasticizing effect, sorption isotherms were obtained. On these isotherms (y-axis: water absorption; x-axis: storage solution), the region where a positive deviation of the curve was observed indicates the presence of the plasticizing effect of water on the material25.
For both resilient materials and regardless of the storage solution, the periods of water desorption and absorption were eight and nine days, respectively. The mean values of equilibrium water uptake were used to obtain the sorption isotherms to determine S. The optimal storage solution for porosity evaluation of both soft liners was anhydrous calcium chloride solution at 50% (S50).
Calculation of the porosity factor (PF)
After determination of S50 for the materials Trusoft and Softone, specimens were achieved for measurement of the porosity factor (PF). These specimens were fabricated following the same protocol described above for specimens employed for determination of S, yet modified or not by the following drugs: nystatin-Ny (Pharma Nostra Comercial Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil), chlorhexidine diacetate-Chx (Acros Organics, New Jersey, NJ, USA), and ketoconazole-Ke (Galena Química e Farmacêutica Ltda., Campinas, SP, Brazil). The drugs were used in powder form to allow easy incorporation into the soft liner powder6,29.
During specimen fabrication, the drugs were added to the soft liner powders at MICs for C. albicans biofilm (0.032 g for Ny, 0.064 g for Chx, and 0.128 g for Ke per g of resilient material powder)6. The liquid was added to the powder (material and drug) and mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions. A control group without addition of drugs was obtained for both materials. The same procedures described for weighing until achievement of dry mass stabilization were performed. Then, after equilibrium, the specimens were immersed for 24 h, seven and 14 days6,28 in S50 or pure distilled water for calculation of PF. Ten repetitions were performed for each experimental condition, adding up to 160 specimens. The PF was calculated based on studies that evaluated porosity by water sorption8,23. Two weighing stages were thus performed: initial weighing was obtained for the dried specimen, and final weighing for the wet specimen, after storage in S50 and also for the condition of storage in distilled water. Since this analysis of porosity is based on the Archimedes' Principle, in each experimental condition (dried specimen and wet specimen), an additional weighing was performed for the specimen immediately immersed in water. The PF was calculated based on the following arithmetic equations8,23.
Where: Vd= dried specimen volume; md= mass of dried specimen in air; md'= mass of dried specimen in water; ρw= density of water; Vs= volume of the specimen saturated with water; ms= mass of saturated specimen in air and ms'= mass of saturated specimen in water. In the first and second equations, the volumes were determined, using the following known values obtained by weights and the ρw= 1000 Kg/m3.
Since the same specimens were analyzed at each storage period (24 h, seven and 14 days), PF data were statistically analyzed by 4-way repeated measures ANOVA (“material,” “drug,” “solution”, and “time”) followed by Tukey's test (α=0.05).
Table 1 presents the mean values and standard deviations of PF (%) and the statistical significance for all experimental conditions analyzed.
Table 1 Porosity factor means (%) ± standard deviations for the experimental conditions
Mean±SD
Ct 24 h 1.3056±0.6263 j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q
water Ct 7 d 2.3636±0.7355 o,p,q
Ct 14 d 5.4969±1.1767 r
Ny 24 h 1.0245±0.7547 h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
water Ny 7 d 2.8333±0.9002 p,q,r
Softone Ny 14 d 8.5627±0.8821 s
Chx 24 h 1.3321±0.6453 k,n,o,p,q
water Chx 7 d 1.5467±3.4518 l,m,n,o,p,q
Chx 14 d 11.5219±2.0875 t
Ke 24 h 1.6519±1.0175 m,n,o,p,q
water Ke 7 d 2.7116±0.7885 p,q
Ke 14 d 5.1151±1.3841 r
Ct 24 h 0.2857±0.1101 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
water Ct 7 d 0.4307±0.2023 f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Ct 14 d 1.4310±0.8509 j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q
Ny 24 h -0.9898±0.8831 d,e,f,g,h,i
water Ny 7 d -1.8326±0.8159 b,c,d,e,f,g
Trusoft Ny 14 d -0.0185±0.3211 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Chx 24 h 1.7215±1.1011 m,n,o,p,q
water Chx 7 d -0.3818±1.0176 d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,o
Chx 14 d 6.1581±0.6295 r,s
Ke 24 h 0.9929±0.8091 h,l,m,n,o,p,q
water Ke 7 d -1.2857±0.7547 c,d,e,f,g,i,j,k
Ke 14 d 1.6355±0.4346 l,m,n,o,p,q
Ct 24 h 0.5918±0.4720 g,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
S50 Ct 7 d -1.4705±1.0535 c,d,e,f, h,i
Ct 14 d 0.0872±0.0998 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Ny 24 h -0.0746±0.0531 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o
S50 Ny 7 d -2.9376± 1.6410 b,c,d
Softone Ny 14 d -1.1049±0.9633 c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l
Chx 24 h 0.3866±0.3692 f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
S50 Chx 7 d -3.0844±1.6763 b,c,d
Chx 14 d -1.1004±0.9661 c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l
Ke 24 h 0.1614±0.1554 f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
S50 Ke 7 d -2.4322±1.0137 b,c,d,e
Ke 14 d -0.8200±0.6757 d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m
Ct 24 h -0.0789±0.0143 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o
S50 Ct 7 d -0.5098±0.1510 d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n
Ct 14 d 0.5663±0.1914 f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Ny 24 h -1.5900±0.3926 c,d,e,f
S50 Ny 7 d -1.9904±0.4427 a,b,c,d,e
Trusoft Ny 14 d -0.7907±0.3912 d,e,f,g,h
S50 Chx 7 d -0.3440±0.1395 d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,o
Chx 14 d 1.9363±1.2703 n,p,q
Ke 24 h -0.11 00±0.1033 e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o
S50 Ke 7 d -1.7586±1.0185 c,d,e,f,g
Ke 14 d 1.0845±0.8091 h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q
Vertically, different lower case letters indicate significant differences between the experimental conditions (solution, drug, and time) (P<0.05)
The results of ANOVA demonstrated statistically significant differences between resilient materials, between drugs incorporated in the materials, between evaluation periods, between storage solutions of specimens, and between all possible interactions of all factors (2 by 2, 3 by 3, and all to each other) (p<0.05).
Comparison between groups modified by drugs in each evaluation period showed that, compared with the control, the addition of Ke did not cause significant change in the PF for Softone immersed in water up to 14 days (p>0.05). Concerning the control, modification by Ny and Chx caused significant increase in the PF of Softone at 14 days of water immersion (p<0.05), and this difference was not observed in periods of 24 h and seven days (p>0.05) (Table 1). Regardless of the addition of drugs, water immersion for 14 days caused increase in the PF of Softone in relation to periods of 24 h and seven days (p<0.05), which were not different from each other (p>0.05) (Table 1).
For Trusoft immersed in water, comparison between groups modified by drugs and the control in each evaluation period did not show significant difference for the means of PF (p>0.05), except for the addition of Chx at 14 days, in which a significant increase in mean values was observed (p<0.05) (Table 1). Water immersion did not cause significant change in the PF for Trusoft without modification (control) or modified by Ke or Ny up to 14 days (p>0.05). The addition of Chx caused significant increase in the PF of Trusoft in water for 14 days (p<0.05) compared with periods of 24 h and seven days, which were significantly similar to each other (p>0.05).
In each S50 immersion period, the addition of drugs in Softone did not cause significant change in PF in relation to the control (p>0.05). Regardless of the addition of drugs, immersion in S50 for seven days caused reduction in the PF of Softone compared with the 24-h period (p<0.05). There was no difference between the mean values of PF (Table 1) in comparisons between periods of seven and 14 days, and 24 h and 14 days for all study groups of Softone immersed in S50 (p>0.05).
Table 1 demonstrates that, when Trusoft was immersed in S50, the addition of drugs did not cause significant change in the PF compared with the control for each evaluation period (p>0.05). In control groups and in the groups modified by Ny and Ke, immersion in S50 did not cause significant change in the PF for Trusoft during 14 days (p>0.05). There was significant increase in the PF of Trusoft modified by addition of Chx in 14 days of immersion in S50 compared with the 7-day period (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the mean values of PF in periods of 24 h and 14 days (p>0.05). In other words, the porosity of Trusoft at study completion was not altered by Chx in relation to the initial period, which in turn was not different from the control.
Considering the factor “material” in isolation, it was observed that Softone presented significantly higher mean percent PF than Trusoft (p<0.05). For the isolated factor “drug”, the addition of Ny in both materials promoted significantly lower mean percent PF in relation to the other drugs and controls (p<0.05). The control did not present significant difference compared with groups modified by Ke and Chx (p>0.05), which were different from each other (p<0.05), with higher mean PF values for the latter. Considering the isolated factor “solution”, significant reduction in the PF was possible when the materials were immersed in S50 compared with water immersion (p<0.05).
Since one objective of temporary resilient liners in the treatment of denture stomatitis is to remove the contact between the contaminated surface in the denture base and infected tissues, it would be ideal to prevent the biofilm formation on them during their lifespan. Because of their greater porosity, temporary materials are easily permeated in depth by nutritive substances present in the oral environment, acting as an incubator for microbial colonization, including Candida species24. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of addition of antifungals effective for inhibition of C. albicans biofilm on the porosity of temporary resilient liners. The null hypothesis was partially accepted, given that the antifungals in most experimental conditions did not adversely affect the porosity of the two short-term resilient liners.
The porosity of acrylic denture base resins has been mainly investigated by naked eye or microscopic analysis31,32 and by a method that employs the volume of water absorbed by the material8,23. The porosity of temporary acrylic-based soft liners has been scored by microscopic analysis15,16,21, a limited method that evaluates the pores only superficially, even when specimens are sectioned2. This property is related to the structure of the solid material and is expressed in the presence of empty spaces (pores), i.e., the ratio of free volume inside the polymer. Within this context, a method able to calculate the porosity measuring the specimen mass before and after water immersion is more precise because it evaluates the specimen as a whole2. In aqueous medium, the acrylic resin undergoes water sorption by a primary diffusion mechanism; therefore, part of this water occupies spaces present in the material structure and the other part is absorbed, occupying the true pores2.
Ideally, a resilient liner should have insoluble components and low water sorption11,19. However, during their lifespan, these materials are immersed in saliva, foods, water, and hygiene solutions7,19,21. Since this exposure to the aqueous medium concomitantly causes water sorption and loss of plasticizers and other soluble components14, the performance and longevity of temporary acrylic-based soft liners depends on the equilibrium of these two mechanisms4.
In the present study, compared with the controls, the addition of drugs did not significantly change the percent PF of both temporary soft liners in the different periods of immersion in water or S50, except for Chx and Ny in Softone and Chx in Trusoft at 14 days in water. Also, the analysis of the isolated factor “drug” demonstrated that the addition of Ny promoted the lowest mean percent values of PF for both materials in relation to other drugs and controls. The processes of water sorption and lixiviation of components are influenced by the level of diffusion of antifungals through the polymer channels, which in turn depends on the temperature and means of extraction as well as on the molecular weight, particle size, and distribution, solubility and concentration of the drug5,29. The level of diffusion of molecules of a drug through a polymer matrix is increased with reduction in its molecular weight5. Ke and Chx presented similar molecular weights (531.44 and 625.56 g/mol, respectively), yet lower than Ny (926.11 g/mol). Among the tested antifungals, Chx has the highest water solubility (19 mg/mL), followed by Ny and Ke, which are nearly insoluble in water (4 and 0.017 g/mL, respectively). The low drug solubility in water allows its slow release from the polymer matrix5, yielding constant and effective levels for sustained therapies. It has been demonstrated, by a scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis, that Ny incorporated to a tissue conditioner displayed small particles (10-50 μm) with random shapes and sizes, yet more uniformly distributed compared with Ke and Chx29. The SEM-EDS analysis also showed that Ke specimens presented small spherical particles (10-25 μm) with slight distribution throughout the tissue conditioner matrix. However, Chx specimens exhibited irregular particles up to approximately 50 μm in size randomly dispersed within the matrix. Concerning the concentrations of drugs tested in temporary soft liners in this study, Ny presented the lowest MIC (0.032 g/g), followed by Chx (0.064 g/g) and Ke (0.128 g/g)6. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that low MIC, low solubility in water, high molecular weight, and uniform distribution of Ny in the polymer matrix resulted in less formation of empty spaces inside the temporary resilient liners tested, consequently with lower percent PF compared with the other drugs. The favorable results obtained by Ke may be attributed to its small round particles and relative insolubility in water. Finally, the higher solubility of Chx in water and its greater and irregular particles randomly dispersed may have contributed to the increased porosity of Softone and Trusoft at 14 days of water immersion.
Regardless of the addition of drugs, at 14 days of water immersion, there was an increase in the PF of Softone compared with periods of 24 h and seven days, which were similar to each other. Concerning the Trusoft, except when modified by Chx, no significant change in the PF was observed for up to 14 days. Moreover, Softone presented higher mean percent PF compared with Trusoft, regardless of the addition of drugs and storage solution. These results may be assigned to differences in the composition and concentrations of components present in these soft liners. The manufacturer of both short-term resilient materials tested in this study does not specify the composition nor the concentration of plasticizers present in the liquids. According to the literature, Softone and Trusoft are composed of the same polymer (polyethyl methacrylate), which is dissolved in a mixture of phthalate and ethanol plasticizer16. Also, both resilient materials present the same powder-liquid ratio6. However, it is expected that Softone, as a tissue conditioner, presents greater quantity of plasticizer and alcohol than Trusoft, which is a temporary resilient liner. Clinically, tissue conditioners as Softone should be ideally used for 3-4 days, and their utilization is not recommended for longer than 14 days16, which corresponds to the mean lifespan of a temporary resilient liner such as Trusoft26,27. According to the manufacturer, because of the low concentration of plasticizers in Trusoft, this material may be clinically used for up to 30 days. Even though both materials present phthalate plasticizers, the liquid of Softone contains dibutyl phthalate and butyl benzoate, while Trusoft contains alkyl phthalate16. The molecular weight of dibutyl phthalate present in Softone (194.19 g/mol) is lower than observed for alkyl phthalate of Trusoft (334.44g/mol), and its ethanol concentration (8.3% in volume) is probably higher16. It has been reported that the concentration of low molecular weight plasticizer (phthalate) present in Softone is quickly reduced, with greater changes in the first three days, causing loss in its surface integrity12. It was demonstrated that ethyl alcohol present in tissue conditioners is completely lixiviated after 24 h of water storage at 37°C. In the first moment, the lixiviation of ethanol is greater than the loss of plasticizer18. Even though the tissue conditioners present high initial softness, the fast loss of ethanol and plasticizer results in significant increase in hardness28, limiting the lifespan of these materials to a relatively short period. These differences between temporary soft liners analyzed are helpful to explain the stability of porosity of Trusoft in water throughout the immersion period, and the lower percent values of PF in relation to Softone in the different experimental conditions. Also, the increased porosity of Softone after seven days reinforces that its lifespan should ideally be limited to one week.
The present results demonstrated that, when temporary resilient liners were immersed in optimal solution (S50), the addition of drugs did not change the PF in relation to the control for each evaluation period. Also, there was significant reduction in the mean percent PF of short-term soft liners immersed in S50 in relation to immersion in distilled water. The acrylic resilient materials are known by their slow water absorption over time, due to the polar properties of polymer molecules. These materials do not reach a stage of equilibrium of water absorption even after long periods (up to 6 years)7, thus it is difficult to characterize them according to the classic theory of diffusion, as observed for rigid denture base acrylic resins4. It is well established in the literature that water absorption causes slight expansion in the polymerized bulk and simultaneously interferes with the entanglement of the polymeric chain, acting as a plasticizer, which alters the physical characteristics of the material20. The water absorption of an acrylic resin has been mainly assigned to the hydrophilicity of the polymer, a characteristic that increases according to its number of hydrocarbon groups. Higher level of water absorption has been observed in relation to the lixiviation of components in polyethyl methacrylate materials compared with other polymers such as poly (n-butyl methacrylate)19. Some studies also demonstrated that acrylic-based resilient liners present higher values of water sorption than solubility10,11,19. In addition to hydrophilicity, other factors related to the polymer, such as density of the matrix and porosity, may interfere with the degree of water absorption. Different from acrylic resins with high degree of polymerization, resilient materials as those tested in this study present low density matrix due to the smaller entanglement of polymeric chains that, despite the increased flexibility, results in greater water diffusion inside it4. Simultaneously, the manipulation of acrylic polymers and plasticizers may lead to incorporation of air bubbles, with consequent formation of micropores inside the matrix, facilitating the water sorption4. All these findings demonstrate that the primary mechanism involved in sorption is water absorption. Notwithstanding, this property also involves the mechanism of adsorption, whose degree refers to the formation of hydrogen bridges between the water and carboxyl groups, even esterified, being dependent on the chemical composition of the polymer7, which is polyethyl methacrylate for both materials analyzed in this study. Considering the great water absorption observed for these polyethyl methacrylate materials, this study employed a method for evaluation of porosity excluding the plasticizer effect of water23. Thus, this property was analyzed not only in relation to immersion in distilled water, but also in an optimal storage solution (S50), previously determined for each temporary resilient material. The storage of acrylic resin in salt-saturated aqueous solutions, such as S50, which allows variation of water activity, allows to estimate the solution in which the plasticizer effect of water would not act (optimal water activity)25. It has been demonstrated that the speed of water entry was faster when the materials were stored in distilled water. This highlights the fact that the polymer structure is plasticized by water, yielding spaces between polymeric chains, thus facilitating water entry3. This may explain the lower mean percent PF for resilient materials tested when immersed in S50 compared with distilled water. Exclusion of the plasticizer effect of water may also be related to the fact that, when the materials were immersed in S50, there was no change in PF by the addition of drugs. These results suggest that the porosity values can be unrealistic when acrylic-based materials are stored in distilled water, which reinforces the need of specimen storage in adequate solution.
Within the in vitro conditions analyzed in this study, Ny presents the advantage of lowest MIC among all drugs analyzed and also exhibited the smallest percent PF for both temporary resilient liners, thus it may represent a promising protocol for DS treatment. Ny presents the widest spectrum among the antifungals available, being considered as fungicidal. Even though Ke did not alter the porosity of materials tested, the wide antifungal action of Ny associated with a MIC four times lower than Ke are important aspects to be considered when selecting the antifungal for modification of soft liners. However, the prosthetic biofilm is complex and is formed not only by fungi, but also bacteria, which favors the adhesion of fungal cells to the internal surfaces of dentures by co-aggregation22. Thus, despite the favorable results observed in this study for Ny and Ke, the addition of Chx to MIC in temporary liners and tissue conditioners should be considered in future studies on alternative therapies for DS treatment for several reasons, including: 1) this drug presents wide spectrum antimicrobial action, reaching bacteria and fungi present in the prosthetic biofilm; 2) Chx presents significant substantivity, resulting in effectiveness in longer evaluation periods16; 3) slight changes in the physical and mechanical properties, as observed for Chx in 14 days of water immersion in this study, do not lead to contraindication of the addition of drugs in temporary soft liners, since these are used for short periods28; 4) when the materials were immersed in the optimal solution, there was no significant change in the porosity of soft liners modified by Chx up to 14 days.
The results of the present in vitro study should be carefully extrapolated to the clinical setting, considering the following restrictions: a) only one trademark of each type of material (tissue conditioner and temporary resilient liner) was evaluated; b) though more objective for the evaluation of porosity, the water sorption method used in this study is limited because it does not offer detailed information on the dimensions and locations of pores within the material33; c) clinically, the resilient liners may be subjected to additional stresses such as thermal changes, pH variations and deformation by the occlusal load; d) immersion in distilled water or other solutions do not reproduce the magnitude and rate of changes clinically observed in the properties; e) the loss of compounds that may lixiviate occurs faster because of the oral environment, feeding and hygiene methods adopted by the patient14. Therefore, final evaluation of the performance of modified resilient materials can only be determined by clinical studies in vivo.
Within the methodological limitations of this in vitro study and according to the results obtained, it was concluded that:
The addition of drugs did not significantly change the porosity of both temporary soft liners in the different periods of water immersion, except for Chx and Ny in Softone and Chx in Trusoft at 14 days;
The porosity of short-term resilient liners was not significantly altered by the addition of drugs in up to 14 days of immersion in the optimal storage solution;
In the present experimental conditions, the Softone presented higher porosity compared with Trusoft;
Among the drugs analyzed, the addition of Ny promoted significantly lower porosity for both temporary soft liners.
This study was supported by FAPESP - São Paulo Research Foundation (grants 2012/11074-2 and 2013/10400-6).
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31- Wolfaardt JF, Cleaton-Jones P, Fatti P. The occurrence of porosity in a heat-cured poly (methyl methacrylate) denture base resin. J Prosthet Dent. 1986;55:393-400. [ Links ]
32- Yannikakis S, Zissis A, Polyzois G, Andreopoulos A. Evaluation of porosity in microwave-processed acrylic resin using a photographic method. J Prosthet Dent. 2002;87:613-9. [ Links ]
Received: February 19, 2016; Revised: April 01, 2016; Accepted: April 04, 2016
Corresponding address: Karin Hermana Neppelenbroek - Al. Octávio Pinheiro Brisola, 9-75 - Bauru - SP – 17012-901 - Brazil - Phone: +55 14 3235 8245 - Fax: +55 14 3235 8277 - e-mail: khnepp@yahoo.com.br
Serviço de Biblioteca e Documentação FOB-USP
Al. Dr. Octávio Pinheiro Brisolla 9-75
17012-901 Bauru SP Brasil
jaos@usp.br
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You are at:Home»Rangers»Edinburgh City powerless to resist Spartans
Edinburgh City powerless to resist Spartans
By Guest Writer on May 5, 2011 Rangers
The Spartans retained the South Challenge Cup Final at Tynecastle to maintain their stranglehold on the East of Scotland Football League – they hold all the trophies they are eligible to compete in and won the league title with five games to spare.
After Edinburgh City eventually overcame Heston Rovers in the semi-finals there was a great deal of interest in this final as it featured two of the most established teams in the league, add into the mix that Edinburgh City are one of the few teams to take points off Spartans this season and there was a suspicion that there could be an upset on the cards. However, this victory was never in doubt after Spartans sneaked ahead.
Dean Hoskins was the first to test Andrew Stobie in the Edinburgh City goal with a curling cross from the touchline that was dipping under the City bar before Stobie frantically back-peddled to tip the ball over the bar. It wasn’t long before City did fall behind though, gifting Spartans two free headers in the box, Chris Townsley powering the initial header from the edge of the area towards goal before OMAR KADAR delicately flicked the ball past Stobie to give Spartans the lead after 16 minutes that they never surrendered.
Edinburgh City did have their chances to peg Spartans back though, Robbie Ross missing the best of them after outpacing the Spartans into the box a bad touch took the ball wide and his shot across the goal was comfortably palmed away by Chris Flockhart. Ross Macnamara also went close for City with an acrobatic effort but Flockhart reacted quick enough to beat the ball high over the bar.
Shortly after that tough the game was over as a contest 10 minutes before half time. O’Donnell firing the ball across the 6 yard line only to find it blocked by the arm of Ruaridh Scott, referee Stephen Finnie pointed immediately to the spot but the award looked harsh on Scott who was falling down as the ball hit him. Regardless, GAVIN MALIN emphatically converted the penalty kick into the keeper’s top left hand corner.
After the break Spartans continued to dominate and went 3-0 up after 58 minutes. Ross Archibald sliding a low cross through the City defence to find OMAR KADAR completely unmarked in the 6 yard box who easily converted past Stobie. Kadar could have had a cup final hat-trick but after jinking past Macnamara and Scott he was thwarted by a low stop from Stobie.
After conceding the third goal City heads certainly went down and Robbie Ross picked up a petulant booking, Jack Beesley sticking the ball between his legs only for Ross to slide in on him from behind. Ross was immediately hauled off by the City coaching staff and they rallied after that to create a few late chances. However, the last word was to go to Andrew Stobie in the City goal who saved a late penalty from Ross Archibald after Donal Henretty was hauled down. It was a great save from the young keeper on loan from East Fife who had to dive at full stretch to palm it away.
On the day Spartans were by far the better team, certainly worthy of the win and City co-manager Gary Jardine admitted as much after the match despite grumbling about the award of the award of the first penalty. This was the third season in a row that Spartans have won the South Challenge Cup and their co-manager Mickey Lawson was clearly delighted after winning the most prestigious cup on offer saying “Our name’s on the trophy – and it’s staying on it!”
Written by David Mackay
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TALENT MUSIC
HOMEWHO WE AREEDUCATIONEDUCATIONAL PROGRAMSMASTERCLASSESANNUAL COURSEARTIST MASTERPOST-GRADUATE MASTERMASTERS MEETINGSPROFESSORSCELLOClaudio BohrquezLaszlo FenyoKonstantin HeidrichCLARINETFabio di CsolaDenitsa LaffchievaFLUTEJulien BeaudimentGiovanni GandolfoSarah LouvionAdam WalkerHORNChristian-Friedrich DallmannOBOERoy CarterJrme GuichardPIANODmitri AlexeevStefan ArnoldPaolo BaglieriMichel BeroffAndrea BonattaMilana ChernyavskaRuben DalibaltayanAndreas FrlichPavel GililovBernd GoetzkeIlaria LoatelliMassimiliano MainolfiAnna MalikovaPter NagyNoriko OgawaPiotr PalecznyPhilippe RaskinPascal RogJacques RouvierIlja SchepsWolfram Schmitt-LeonardyWojciech SwitalaJan Jiracek von ArnimArkadi ZenziperDina YoffeTROMBONEAbbie ConantTRUMPETGabriele CassoneFrits DamrowFrancesco TamiatiVIOLATomoko AkasakaThomas RieblAlexander ZemtsovVIOLINRemus AzoiteiPavel BermanOlivier CharlierBoris GarlitskyErvis GegaMark GothoniYuzuko HorigomeSilvia MarcoviciKlaidi SahatciChristoph SchickedanzRoman SimovicMaria SolozobovaTeodora SorokowTomasz TomaszewskiIngolf TurbanVOICELinda CampanellaAlessandro CorbelliMariella DeviaBarbara FrittoliWolfgang HolzmairYvonne NaefOlga RomankoRULES AND APPLICATIONPAST MASTERCLASSESPRIZES & AWARDSMASTERS ORCHESTRAConcert Season 2014-2015Concert Season 2015-2016Concert Season 2016-2017Concert Season 2017-2018Concert Season 2018-2019Concert Season 2019-2020FESTIVALCONTACT
FLUTE PROFESSORS
After holding the position of principal flute of the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, Julien Beaudiment is today principal flute of the Orchestre de l'Opera National de Lyon conducted by Kazushi Ono and professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon. He has also held the same position with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Great Britain. It is currently the only french musician to have held this position in a British Orchestra and one of the too few to do the same in an American Orchestra.
Originally from La Rochelle and Bordeaux, he crossed the English channel at the age of 18 to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Paul Edmund-Davies and Averil Williams. He subsequently entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de music de Paris, where he won the first prize of flute and chamber music in the class of Sophie Cherrier, Vincent Lucas, and Michel Moraguès for chamber music.
He learned from great flautists such as Maxence Larrieu, Jacques Zoon, Joshua Smith, Ransom Wilson, Vicens Prats and Benoît Fromanger.
His years in London and Los Angeles will have permanently marked and influenced his life both personally and musically.
His solo career is developing rapidly out of the Conservatoire de Paris. He plays as a soloist at major international concert halls as well as at renowned festivals, such as the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Khumo Art Hall and the Art Center in Seoul, the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and the Tokyo Casals Hall, the Philharmonie in Essen, the Ljubljana philharmonic hall, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels , the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Opéra National de Lyon, the Opéra National de Montpellier, the Bilbao Opera, the Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts, the Chicago Symphony Center, the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, the Albert Long Hall in Istanbul, accompanied by the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon, the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy, the Orchestre Symphonique de Cannes, the Stuttgart Kammerorchester, the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie am Rhein, the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Gangnam Philharmonic, the Chicago Philharmonic...
From the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, passing threw the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Royal Albert Hall in London, he plays in the most beautiful halls in the world with the Orchestra Simon Bolivar of Venezuela, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields , the Hallé Orchestra, the Beijing Opera Orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Paris, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, the NDR Orchestra in Hamburg, under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, Esa Pekka Salonen, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, Edo de Waart , Vladimir Jurovski, Kirill Petrenko, Evelino Pido, Robin Ticciati, Charles Dutoit, Semyon Bychkov, Christian Zacharias, James Conlon, Sir Roger Norrington, William Christie, Philippe Jordan, Ivan Fischer, Louis Langrée, Thierry Fischer, Emmanuel Krivine, Manfred Honeck, Thomas Hengelbrocht, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin, Susanna Maliki... and musicians such as Joshua Bell, Murray Perahia and Itzhak Perlman, as well as the composers John Adams, Peter Eötvös, Matthias Pintscher , and the Hollywood star John Williams.
A Chamber music enthusiast, he is a prize winner of the international competition of Barcelona for duo sonata with the pianist Laetitia Bougnol. He also performs next to musicians such as Lawrence Foster, Emil Tabakov, Karl Heinz Steffens, Jonathan Stockhammer, Enrico Onofri of Il Giardino Armonico, Stefano Montanari, Antal Szallai, Eric Crambe, Guillaume Sutre, Sarah Nemtanu, Raphaël Oleg, Françoise Gnéri, Tasso Adamopoulos, Hartmut Rhode, Adrien Boisseau, Fabrice Pierre, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Anaïs Gaudemard, Christine Icart, Isabelle Moretti, Kyung Hee Sutre, Lluis Claret, Richard Hardwood , Jérôme Pernoo, Raphael Christian, Hervé Nkaoua, Florent Boffard Simon Zain, Didier Puntos, Roberte Mamou, Denis Pascal, Célimène Daudet, Ishiro Nodaira, Jean-François Zygel, Oliver Triendl, Ariane Jacob, the jazzman Antoine Hervé, the members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio, the Psophos and Diotima quartets, the flutists Philippe Bernold, Michel Moraguès, Sophie Cherrier, Maxence Larrieu and Rachel Brown.
He has accompanied the choreographers Régine Chopinot and Benjamin Millepied playing Bach as a soloist, and expanded its activities by recording at Abbey Road in London with the pop star Sarah Brightman, in South Korea for the national Korean TV KBS, or in the studio during his American years in Los Angeles for the series "Doctor Who" and "Battle Star Galaktica", as well as working with the actors Seth Macfarlane and Julie Andrews, the pop stars John Legend, Antony and the Johnsons, and Ruben Blades.
Teaching occupies a prominent place in his agenda. After having been the artistic deputy of José Daniel Castellon's flute class at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne in Switzerland, it is today the teacher of the flute class of the Cnsm in Lyon, where he succeeded his illustrious predecessors, Philippe Bernold and Maxence Larrieu.
He is also a visiting professor at the Pole Supérieur de Musique de Bordeaux, as well at the "Talent Music Masters" of Brescia in Italy.
He teaches every summer at the Nice International Summer Academy in France, as well as at the Orford Music Academy in Canada, the Cagliari International Music Academy in Italy and at the San Francisco Flute festival, and at numerous masterclasses throughout the world, in North America (Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, Vanderbilt University, Manhattan School and Juilliard School in New York, Montreal University...) in Europe (Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Ljubljana Conservatory, Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Valencia, Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Granada in Spain, the Haute École de Musique de Genève, the Daniel Baremboim foundation in Seville...), and Asia (conservatories and universities in Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok, Beijing Central Conservatory and Shanghai Music Academy...).
Julien gives an important place in his life as an Ambassador of the "Kidney Foundation" and as a "Board member" of "Music Beyond" American association based in New York to train and support young musicians in Africa.
CLASSES 2018 - 2019
COMING CONCERTS
JULIEN BEAUDIMENT
professor for the programs:
Annual Course, Artistic Master, Post-Graduate Master
Principal flute of the Lyon National Opera House.
Former principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon
2nd - 4th of December 2018
1st - 4th of March 2019
15th - 17th of April 2019
8th - 10th of June 2019
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SRoC: Slightly Right of Centre
Watching over the pipes ... and other wonkish digital-policy-based musings
On Twitter: @JamesFirth and @s_r_o_c (post feed)
Got a tip? tip@sroc.eu
Twitter and public interest
In the furore over injunctions (often super-, sometimes hyper-) one thing as struck me a absolutely wrong. The fact that a single judge, sat considering evidence presented by expensive lawyers, is capable of ruling over what information is and what isn't in the public interest.
Reliable news outlets are now reporting Cabinet will meet to consider its options; reportedly including measures to regulate, read: censor, social websites such as Twitter.
I use the word censorship deliberately and considerately. Imagine for instance the recent revelations of stars alleged to hold injunctions. The injunctions were issued by a UK court, with UK jurisdiction. Consider the possibility that these revelations were posted by an overseas Twitter user.
Can a UK court force Twitter to remove such posts? I very much think a US-based company would consider this an attack on US constitution first amendment rights to free speech.
So what's the alternative? UK government could attempt to order such posts freely available to view overseas to be censored from UK viewing, one way or another. Either with the co-operation of the service provider, or via some other net filtering system.
Both these thoughts horrify me, especially since we're defending a solitary judge's ability to judge public interest balance against the public's natural ability to pass on items of interest, and filter news not of interest.
Don't blame the message-passing service
I see public opinion currently being whipped by the tabloid press in support of press freedom, but more measured tones from quality dailies and broadcast news outlets.
This time I sit with the tabloids.
Asking ordinary people to consider how they'd feel if their privacy was invaded on Twitter is somewhat moot, since it deliberately conflates personal privacy with a very specific problem of widespread publication; applicable, in the most part, only to celebrities.
Don't believe me? Think Twitter can carry a rumour (true or false) about an ordinary citizen to millions or people?
As someone who's spent the last 18 months analysing how to spread information via the social web, as well as a local politician trying to disseminate community news, I assure you it's hard enough to get 30 people to view a picture or read a blog about something I feel is of interest.
So you have my blessing. I won't sue. Tweet about me and some imaginary dalliance with two ladies of the night. It won't go viral. It might get a retweet or 2 - if it's of interest to the reader.
And that if my point about public interest. The social web is not designed as a broadcast tool, where one person can transmit a message and millions will consume that message.
Some users have amassed a following large enough to make it a personal broadcast tool, but those named high-profile individuals are clearly identified, residents of a particular given country and clearly subject to national laws of privacy and libel.
But the medium itself is largely asynchronous - each participant can transmit and receive messages. And messages get relayed by others (retweeted) when they are of interest. Twitter is itself a judge of public interest.
Whatever the flaws in the social internet, and granted I accept it will have its own pitfalls, it has to be a better judge of public interest than a solitary cloistered judge considering arguments presented by way of a well-paid firm of solicitors representing the interest of the right and powerful.
@JamesFirth
Follow-up reading:
Net censorship isn't technically feasible - I don't need to defend porn to fight the UK net filtering proposals
It's a jurisdictional nightmare - The Elastic Jurisdiction
Social web restores democracy of information - Trust filters and viral messaging antibodies in social networks: part one - vapour shields, and a brief history of comms
Posted by James Firth at 09:20
Madame Arcati 11 May 2011 at 10:32
I might respect newspaper hostility to super-injunctions a little more if knew their commercial interest was not a principal factor.
I think twitter is a judge of what the public are interested in not what is in the public interest - very different concepts. I'm not sure how feasible or desirable twitter censorship would be however if your twitter feed has mass readership surely you should be subject to the same law as other media? Also a you say no one is interested in my private life so it's fine for me but why should someone be entitled to less privacy just because lots of people know who they are?
James Firth 11 May 2011 at 15:24
Hi Nicola, I think public interest and what the public are interested in are intrinsically related.
Notwithstanding obvious ethical/moral boundaries (ie some small sections of the public may be interested in detail clearly way beyond what is acceptable) the level of interest generated from the public is dependent on the level of public influence any given individual has.
We all have a natural and healthy interest in the lives of those who influence us.
This is genuine public interest, as individuals want to be sure they are influenced by people who represent the values they believe in.
Celebrities making money in the public eye do pay a privacy price for their influence - ie. the ability for a celebrity to persuade the public to choose one brand of football boot or brand of soft drink above another. US law recognises this, and I believe UK law should do.
Like it or not, celebrities are in a position of power over others. If we look up to someone, we want to know if these people act in a way that would affect their influence over us.
(Obviously similar applies to politicians, but this is well documented).
The jist of my argument is that Twitter allows information to spread widely if enough people pass-on the message. It's a public interest filter. If people enough people choose not to relay tittle tattle, it won't be widely propagated.
James Firth
But just how far does the definition of celebrity stretch. I agree that people who court media attention for profit lose some of their right to privacy but should the same apply to people who are good at writing, acting or even football and so become well known because of it. Also I think the motives you assign to people are far too high minded. Most of them just enjoy a bit of salacious gossip much as they enjoy gossip about their colleagues and social acquaintances. I also suspect there is a element of jealousy in it where celebrities are concerned. This is very far from the public interest. While a judge deciding may not be ideal (although as both sides can afford expensive lawyers at least its fair) I think its better than gossip mongers or papers who stand to make a profit from the story deciding.
Hi Nicola, I prefer to think of influence rather than celebrity. There is no hard formula, which is why it's a seemingly impossible are in which to legislate.
But what twitter brings, and no I don't think this is high minded; but, yes, this is highly assumptive - no-one knows either way - but I think a big mesh like Twitter will work naturally to propagate information about influential people in a way it won't for less influential types.
Yes, each individual is engaging in gossip, and it's a damned shame this question is arising around sex and not something more substantive, but together the collective will of the people is to share some information and discard others.
Some messages go viral, some don't. Incidentally, I've seen only one person in my network naming the Twitter account publishing the alleged injunctions. Just one (that I caught). From a network of nearly a 1000!
But the crux of my argument is that surely what we're seeing is better than a solitary judge, especially since I'm defending not the tabloids or even the "quality" dailies but the massive plurality of reporting brought about by bloggers. I don't know a single blogger who would be prepared to pay £1,000 - never mind the reported minimum £20,000 it costs to challenge an injunction.
If money talks, new media outlets will struggle to emerge, and the old media will rule. That said, I really believe a more democratised medium like Twitter will be moderated by the natural behaviours of the range of participants, and not prove to be the privacy disaster some are forecasting.
Comments will be accepted so long as they're on-topic, do not include gratuitous language and do not include personal attacks or libellous assertions.
Comments are the views of the commentator and not necessarily the view of the blog owner.
Comments on newer posts are not normally pre-moderated and the blog owner cannot be held responsible for comments made by 3rd parties.
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Undoubtedly, there are few things more banal than leftists, oftentimes themselves (failed) members of the petite bourgeoisie, complaining about the bourgeoise (i.e. non-poor white heterosexual gentiles), but when approached by the right person in the right context, it can sometimes be accomplished in a successful manner that does not inspire one to blow their brains out. Indeed, utilizing his own aged aunt in the leading role where she essentially plays herself in a performance that is clearly largely improvised, Berlin-based auteur Rosa von Praunheim (City of Lost Souls, Anita: Dances of Vice) was able to create a satire of the boobeoise with his first feature-length narrative film Die Bettwurst (1971) aka The Bolsters, a campy and culturally cynical work that playfully assaults the so-called institution of marriage in its devastatingly dopey and kitschy depiction of an ostensible ‘romance’ between a woman well into her middle-age and an emotionally hysterical, high-strung, and flamingly faggy 30-year-old homosexual. An assault on both the bourgeoisie and closet cocksuckers disguised as a campy no-budget sitcom with next to no plot, Die Bettwurst is somewhat ‘gentle’ for a Rosa von Praunheim film as it features next to nil nudity, gross-out scenarios, sexual perversion, or blatant poof agitprop as it was made before the director declared his war against heterosexuality with the celluloid manifesto It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives (1971). Starring von Praunheim’s real-life aunt Luzi Kryn—a slightly chubby chipmunk-like woman who loves attention and hates men—playing herself in a rather ridiculous performance where she constantly looks directly at the camera to make sure it is following her every move, as well as gigolo-turned-actor Dietmar Kracht, who died under mysterious conditions in 1976 after downing a bottle of whisky and jumping in a lake, Die Bettwurst features one of the most pleasantly annoying odd couples of cinema history as a sort of platinum blonde Bonnie and Clyde of bad bourgeois bad taste in what amounts to the director’s hetero-hating thoughts on marriage. Featuring the aesthetic and melodramatic prowess of an odiously outmoded 1970s soap opera had it been directed by John Waters’ kraut cousin, Die Bettwurst is ultimately a rare celluloid critique of marriage and the middleclass that has a certain hokey humanity to it that reminds viewers how futile it is for certain homosexuals to understand heterosexual marriage and monogamy, as if suffering from a sort of spiritual autism. Directed by a man who once admitted a sense of relief when his auteur archenemy Rainer Werner Fassbinder—the master of naked Teutonic melodrama and alpha-auteur of the Geman New Wave—overdosed in 1982, Die Bettwurst signaled the arrival of German New Wave's closest thing to a queer Troma-like exploitation filmmaker.
As a single middleclass woman well into her middle-age years who lives a rather sedentary and passionless existence incessantly hiding herself in her apartment and striking vogue poses for no one but herself, Luzi Kryn’s favorite pastime is complaining about petty problems, including three ‘problems’ (wrong color, wrong spelling of maiden name, and wrong font style) regarding a gravestone that she bought for her deceased mother, one of the few people she had to talk to in life and someone she certainly modeled her own mundane life after. One day while strutting like a gay peacock down a shipyard in all black, including black leather, blatantly gay Teutonic twink Dietmar Kracht runs into mature floozy Luzi, who immediately berates him for being so careless as to drop money on the ground, arrogantly describing the stranger as “grossly negligent.” Before they both know it, the two ‘fall in love’ at first sight, telling each other their life stories. Dietmar confesses he has always lost things since he was a young child due to his ‘terrible nervousness,’ but luckily he is a kleptomaniac so anything he loses he makes up for in the end. Originally from Mannheim, Dietmar sounds like a flaming Boris Becker and discusses his personal history to Luzi as if every moment of it was nothing short of a trying tragedy. Losing his mother at the mere age of 15 over 15 years ago in the Netherlands from uterine cancer, Dietmar finds a sort of ‘mother’ figure in Luzi, who can relate as her own mommy just died. More important, Dietmar, as a hyper homo of the pathologically narcissistic and absurdly superficial sort, loves Luzi’s platinum hair, telling her, “You have hair like my mother. And like me,” but, of course, the little lady loves wearing wigs as demonstrated by the fact that she is sporting a different one in every single scene of Die Bettwurst.
Growing up in the Red Light district of Mannheim where he cavorted with criminal hoodlums and wanton whores, Dietmar, who has really screwed up teeth that give a pretty good idea of the poverty his life has been plagued with and a rather scrawny physique despite his propensity for showing it off via short shorts, decided to make his escape to the Northern German city Kiel, which proved to be a good investment as that is where me he met Luzi, a mature middle-class woman old enough and desperate enough to accept a proletarian poof as her beloved boy toy. A hysterical and histrionic woman who proves to be a constant source of unintentional humor, Luzi has no problem admitting she hates men as she stabbed one of her ex-boyfriends and caused another to attempt suicide, but luckily Dietmar has changed that and vice versa. Typically having to find refuge in sluts from the red district due to the fact that bourgeois girls would literally sneer at him due to his 'common' background, Dietmar finally finds ‘true love’ and happiness in Luzi and learns to become a productive member of the TV-worshiping, shopping-loving lower middle-class. In a rather absurd ‘love scene’ of the heavy petting puffery-ridden sort, Dietmar confess his love for Luzi’s breasts, eyes, hair, ‘everything’ and how he would kill himself without her, which the little lady loves hearing. Naturally, Luzi wallows in the attention, thus confirming their imaginary status as soulmates. After having what is assumedly hot and steamy coitus, Dietmar confess his past life as a petty criminal, how he spent time in prison, which scared him straight, and his fear that his old friends are looking for him, but Luzi promises to protect him in her bourgeois dreamworld where no bad guy could possibly appear. Luzi ultimately teaches Dietmar how to live the proper middle-class life, which includes warm and sensual showers, passionate vacuuming, gardening, cooking, watching every color TV program (“theater of late”), celebrating Christmas gift-giving with a plastic tree, and dancing at subpar restaurants. Unfortunately, trouble arrives in paradise when Dietmar’s old mafia comrades kidnap Luzi, but the heroic boyfriend wastes no time (aside from a bit of crying, panting, and stammering) in hunting down the goons and shooting one of them with a gun on a beach, thus saving his beloved lover as a neurotic knight in shining armor. In the end, after being absurdly helped by one of the mafia hoodlums into a small plane, Dietmar and Luzi flee for paradise.
Taking its name from a sausage-shaped neck pillow—an unflattering symbol of mundane middleclass comfort if there ever was one—that Luzi gives Dietmar for Christmas, Die Bettwurst is a cynical camp anti-celebration of the kraut bourgeois that, somewhat paradoxically, manages to give a soul, albeit a superlatively schlocky one, to the seemingly soulless, which auteur Rosa von Praunheim would ultimately do in a much different context for homos, hustlers, homely hags, and other human rabble with his subsequent films. Die Bettwurst was followed by one official sequel, Die Berliner Bettwurst (1975), which also starred Luzi Kryn and Dietmar Kracht, but considering the latter of whom died in a mysterious drowning accident, what could have evolved into a full on sitcom considering both of the film's popularity, ultimately died prematurely. Although, it should be noted that in von Praunheim’s ‘erotic’ campy cannibal-themed short Can I Be Your Bratwurst, Please? (1999), the director’s aunt Luzi Kryn would reprise her role as the absurdly annoying woman who demands that men (most specifically, gay porn star Jeff Stryker) worship her. In terms of kraut cinema and cultural history, Die Bettwurst is assuredly a sad sign of how Teutonic cinema has degenerated since F.W. Murnau, himself a homosexual, and Leni Riefenstahl because, while the former two promoted German culture and traditions, Rosa von Praunheim's film mocks Aryan culture, particularly that of the middleclass, into oblivion, ultimately portraying the gay lifestyle and even prostitution as preferable to bourgeois life. Though, to be fair, von Praunheim would later berate middle-age bourgeois faggots in his agitprop work It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives (1971), portraying them as pernicious parasites who take in young twinks and glamor them with their wealth and knowledge of culture. The closeted gay character played by Dietmar Kracht of Die Bettwurst is basically summed up in the following quote from the documentary, “As the gays are being despised by the square as ill and inferior, they try to become more square to remove their guilty feeling with an excess of bourgois virtues. They are politically passive and act conservative in gratitude for not being beaten to death. Gays are ashamed of their sexual orientation, for they were told for centuries what hogs they are. Therefore they escape from that horrible reality into the romantic world of kitsch and ideals. Their dreams are dreams of clossies, dreams about a man, at whose side they are being released from the adversities of every day life into a world that only consists of love and romance. Not the homosexuals are perverse, but the situation, in which they have to live in.” Of course, whatever situation von Praunheim may be in, he will always be perverse and his first feature Die Bettwurst demonstrates that he is a fellow who finds ordinary lifestyles perverse, thus the film acts as a sort of window into the homo soul where traditions like Christmas and strolls in the park are treated with the utmost malice, which is certainly more respectable and honest than mainstreaming propaganda faggot trash like Will & Grace.
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Two Take to the Skies
World of Warplanes has been my primary source for aerial combat. I like it's selection of planes, and the attention to detail and customization I expect from Wargaming. I've been hearing a lot about War Thunder, the aerial combat game from Gaijin Entertainment (War Thunder will eventually offer tanks and warships as well). After some research on the title, I decided to check it out.
War Thunder is currently in open beta, so the content available isn't necessarily indicative of the final product. That said, I like a lot of the features currently available in War Thunder. There is a larger variety of planes available, from early fighters, iconic planes of WWII, early jets and large bombers. I especially like being able to fly bombers like the B-17.
By comparison, World of Warplanes has fewer available aircraft, and no dedicated bombers. The absence of easily recognizable planes like the B-24, B-17 and JU-88 is discouraging. World of Warplanes may lack the breadth of planes that War Thunder maintains, but they more than make up for it in depth. World of Warplanes individual aircraft are more deeply customizable. Each aircraft has it's own tech tree of interchangeable parts (chassis, engine and armaments), allowing the player to tailor each plane to play style and performance criteria. War Thunder offers a blanket series of upgrades to each plane. Every plane has the same upgrade options, the only differences depending on ordnance capacity and number of turrets or guns on board.
While the overall flight controls are similar in both titles, War Thunders individual planes currently have less detailed flight models. Two different variants of plane in one tech tree may have identical attributes, but one will cost more to purchase. World of Warplanes offers more transparency in this matter. Each flight model is well documented, and upgrades to individual planes can be felt in the planes performance.
In the area of realism, both titles have their own strengths. War Thunder allows players to participate in full scale historical battles, has fully rendered cockpits for many of its planes, and offers a "full realism" control mode option that dramatically increases the difficulty of flying the aircraft. Word of Warplanes seems a little more tailored to a pick up and play sort of scheme. Each plane's stats are boiled down to numeric ratings. Behind the scenes though, numerous characteristics of each part account for the change in stats. A new engine takes into account weight, power, durability, even changes in weight distribution along the aircraft.
Both of these games offer a great experience for casual players and hardcore flight enthusiasts. War Thunder offers smooth controls (even with mouse and keyboard) and a wide variety of planes. World of Warplanes gives me tense, close quarters air combat and detailed customization. Best of all, both are free to play. I recommend giving them both a go if you're at all interested in aerial combat.
Labels: Air combat, free to play, Gaijin Entertainment, MMO, War Thunder, Wargaming.net, World of Warplanes
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Weekend Pages
Weekend PDF Archive
What's on: The Bahamas
BSFN
Tribune PDF edition
Tribune PDF archive
Home Buyers' Guide
Tribune Classifieds
'Grease' Economy By Ceasing Non-Resident B$ Loan Restrictions
As of Monday, February 5, 2018
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Central Bank has been urged to "revisit" restrictions on Bahamian dollar lending to non-residents as a way to "grease" the economy and release $1.8 billion in excess banking liquidity.
James Smith, a former finance minister and Central Bank governor, told Tribune Business this was one method through which the monetary policy regulator could address a major impediment to job creation and economic growth.
Backing the Central Bank's decision to "investigate policies to promote a soft landing in terms of easing system liquidity", Mr Smith said that - if successful - it could break "a vicious circle" that has held the Bahamian economy in a no growth/high unemployment grip for nearly a decade.
He explained that the banking system's $1.8 billion surplus liquidity mountain often escaped the attention of policymakers, yet it represented potential oxygen for Bahamian businesses to invest in job-creating expansion and growth.
"That's a real, I think, problem for economic growth that is seemingly not getting the attention it deserves," Mr Smith told Tribune Business, adding that attention typically focused on other fiscal and monetary indicators, government and private sector spending and unemployment.
"Underneath all of that is the Government and private sector have to have continued access to funding, and the banking sector - which holds all the savings in the country - has been bitten by the recession and is reluctant to lend at the pace of a decade ago," the 2002-2007 finance minister said.
"They're only targeting 'A' class customers who are over-qualified, meaning they are sluggish and reluctant to lend.... Now you have the productive sector; small, medium and large businesses, who are probably not getting the overdraft facilities to expand and create jobs."
Excess liquidity in the Bahamian commercial banking system represents assets that are available for lending purposes, but for which the banks can find no borrowers who meet their qualifying criteria.
The banks' reduced risk appetite following the 2008-2009 recession, and aversion to lending to anyone other than those able to provide 100 per cent collateral or meet their strict approval conditions, has resulted in the Bahamian economy's productive sector - the mortgage market and business community - being starved of debt capital financing.
And the growing excess liquidity was exacerbated by the Government's recent $750 million foreign currency bond issue, a portion of which was used to pay-off Bahamian dollar-denominated debt. This increased the banking industry's surplus asset pile by nearly $300 million.
"I was wondering why we were staying in the recession so long," Mr Smith said. "Even though tourism is not doing well, it's not doing badly. We've got the same level of visitors and expenditure.
"I suspect it's the failure to stimulate the economy by the failure to provide the grease that gets things going; money flowing from bank to productive sector. The Central Bank is right to focus on it, but what type of policies will come into effect?"
The former governor suggested the Central Bank could seek to ease the liquidity pressure by permitting non-resident foreigners who owned Bahamian real estate to borrow in local currency - something that has been restricted or denied in the past.
"They might want to revisit that," Mr Smith told Tribune Business, explaining that this could also boost the external reserves and foreign currency earnings if non-resident borrowers serviced their Bahamian dollar loans from abroad.
"You're killing two birds with one step; reducing liquidity and bringing in foreign currency," he explained. "You want to increase aggregate demand, which has been reduced by high unemployment rates."
With commercial banks having identified the Bahamas as posing "a high level of risk", Mr Smith added: "If we're going to do anything, we have to mitigate that risk to make them feel freer to issue loans.
"They need to sit down with the banks to compensate them fairly around the risk and, in an economy like ours, see how we deal with it." He also pointed to the pressure placed on bank profit levels, compared to what they earned pre-recession, as a result of the non-performing loan situation.
With the Minnis administration having announced a revised housing programme, the former finance minister suggested it may have to mitigate risk through providing guarantees if the commercial banks remain reluctant to lend.
"It's a vicious circle where it's impacting on itself," Mr Smith told Tribune Business of the excess liquidity problems. "There are very few loans, high liquidity, a shortage of productivity and therefore a shortage of labour needed for that, resulting in high unemployment and an economy that appears to be at a standstill and shrinking. You've got to kind of stimulate it where you remove some of the barriers."
Governor urges 'new ways' for unlocking $1.8bn liquidity pile
Central Bank missed $2bn liquidity head-off
$750m bond 'prolongs savers' punishment'
Surplus bank funds breach $2bn barrier
CREDIT BUREAU TO CURB 'FINANCIAL IRRESPONSIBILITY'
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Hartlepool, A689 bridge
Written by Rich Mackin - 05 Jan 2015
A busy road bridge over the Durham coast line, adjacent to Hartlepool station. A set of steps on the south side of the bridge lead down to the railway station itself, while offering a further vantage point.
The principal passenger operator is Northern, with an hourly service between Newcastle and Nunthorpe usually worked by Class 142s, with the occasional Class 156s. Grand Central HSTs and Class 180s also pass by, along with regular freight services, predominantly GBRf and Freightliner coal trains with a semi-regular DRS nuclear flask working between Sellafield and Hartlepool power station. Other passenger and freight operators can be diverted around the coast on occasion.
The road is just off Hartlepool town centre, close to Hartlepool's railway station. Due to the frequency of road traffic, a set of lights should be used when crossing. Care should be taken after dark.
The road the bridge is the A689. It runs through the centre of Hartlepool and can easily be reached from the north and south.
Hartlepool, A689 bridge map co-ordinates
Two large supermarkets - Asda and Morrisons - are just a couple of minutes' walking distance from the bridge. Hartlepool station has a small car park, but you will have to pay to use it.
The bridge is a short walk from Hartlepool station itself - when leaving the station, turn right and you should see the steps leading up to the bridge just beyond the seldom-used bus shelters.
There are toilets and cafes at the nearby Morrisons and Asda supermarkets, the latter of which is open 24 hours (except Sundays). Hartlepool Marina is a few minutes' walk away, which has plenty of places to eat.
Travelodge and Premier Inn both have hotels at Hartlepool Marina, a short walk from the bridge.
Hartlepool, A689 bridge general view map
Hartlepool, A689 bridge close up map
North East Gen
On both sides of the bridge, the line curves, so a good angle can be found at most times of the day. Allow for some time to cross the bridge itself, as this is best done using the traffic lights at the south-west end.
General views - All photographs © Rich Mackin unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west
Fig 2 - Looking south east
This is Trainspot [TS1267]
A mile
Hartlepool, Newburn Bridge
Grangetown Box, Teeside
Middlesborough Station
Middlesborough, Cargo Fleet
Middlesborough, South Bank Station
Middlesbrough, South Bank
Tees Yard
Thornaby Station
Warrenby, Coatham Marsh
Blue House Crossing
Boldon Flats
Browney
Cragg Hall, Carlin How
Darlington Bank Top
Darlington, South Junction
Dawdon
Plasworth
Saltburn by the Sea - Riding School
Sunderland Station
Yarm Station
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Armchair Investors
Property Women
WOW Action Takers
WOW Virtual Members
Lorna Willis
Property Developer & Strategist
Personal & Business Summary
35 years of experience in Property Development
Corporate Advisor, strategist & negotiator for mergers & acquisitions
Qualified Architectural Designer & Interior Designer
Winner of National Design Awards
Accredited and accepted by National Establishments including the Building Practitioners Board; Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Interviewed and quoted for 2UE Radio Sydney and The Financial Review Melbourne
Owner, Operator, Managing Director, CEO of several successful start-up companies in Victoria and Qld.
Founder of the WOW Property Women, with an expanding network currently at 153 Members for the Sunshine Coast
Member of the Girl Torque Motor Bike Club
Mother of 4 daughters and Grandi to 9 grandchildren – some who are on the other side of the world.
With a background of over 35 years in property, Lorna’s vast and varied experience has been the catalyst in establishing the WOW Group.
Previously an Architectural Designer gaining the experience from a vast variety of projects worked on for clients; Lorna stepped out from her business to pursue property developing on a fulltime basis in 2004. Since then her passion for property has been targeted towards commercial and larger sized developments, directing the Victorian based projects from Town Planning right through to completion.
Lorna has designed a wide range of her own personal projects including ‘change of use’, amalgamations, demolitions/alterations/additions, subdivisions, over-55 villages and commercial precincts. Completed many property acquisitions of different zones, including 219 Acres of farm land. Met with the surveyors, engineers, and town planners on site. Got dirty covered in mud & cement in the trenches; put on the tools and worked alongside the trades; all the while pushing to get the next Development Approvals through Councils & Building Approvals in place. As projects successively got larger, the necessary upgrade of vital skills such as project management, stakeholder communications and relationship building continued to evolve. Financially engineering, delivering complex property deals – even when the banks say NO! became a solution focused work of art.
In 2010 Lorna also completed The Australian Institute of Directors Course in Melbourne and in 2011 the MBE Corporate Advisory and Capital Raising Course in Sydney.
Since moving to the Sunshine Coast in 2013, Lorna has assisted other developers such as Mark Kratzmann & Don Moffatt, by being instrumental in the strategic planning to obtain funding for a variety of projects. Lorna also takes the opportunity where possible, to sign on as an Arm Chair Developers/Investors in these carefully selected projects, to personally diversify and leverage returns. Several other members of the WOW Property Women have also chosen to follow suit as Arm Chair Developers/Investors.
Having taken the time to now establish her own trusted professional team on the Sunshine Coast, Lorna draws on her past experiences and expertise to mastermind and deliver projects in conjunction with her associated parties; to collaborate and create a high standard of finished excellence.
P.O. Box 609, Buderim 4556 Qld.
Copyright WOW Property Women 2018
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The Astronomerssouth
Related Tags: Origins Science Creation evolution astronomy physics god Bible Genesis atheism Darwin Dr. Danny Faulkner PhD university of south Carolina Lancaster college Christian Christianity Professor student school coast to am 2011 west east side rap spirituality immigration california border angeles power Records gold mexico
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Videos with tag south
Origins - Science: The Whole Story with Dr. Danny Faulkner
Christian Influence Upon Science Danny R. Faulkner Biographical info: Danny R. Faulkner has a B.S. in math from Bob Jones University, an M.S. in physics from Clemson University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy from Indiana University. Dr. Faulkner has been on the faculty of the University of South Carolina, Lancaster, since 1986, where he holds the rank of professor and teaches astronomy and physics. His research interests include stellar astronomy, especially binary stars. He has been published in the Astronomical Journal, Astrophysical Journal, the Publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. Creationist Astronomer Ph.D. and M.A. in Astronomy, Indiana University M.S. in Physics from Clemson University B.S. in Math from Bob Jones University Professor at the University of South Carolina, Lancaster (physics and astronomy) Associate Professor of Astronomy at the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School Published more than two dozen papers in various astronomy and astrophysics journals Dr. Faulkner's webpage at the University of South Carolina-Lancaster: http://usclancaster.sc.edu/faculty/faulkner/ Chair, Division of Math, Science, Nursing & Public Health Professor of Astronomy/Physics For more Origins episodes, go here: http://www.ctvn.org/programs-origins.asp
Origins science creation evolution astronomy physics God Bible Genesis atheism darwin Dr. Danny Faulkner PhD University of South Carolina Lancaster college Christian Christianity professor student school
Channels: Stellar astronomy
Added: 2850 days ago by deek
Coast To Coast AM - 1.6.2011 - 1/4 - Destructive Earth / Vet Health Issues
MP3 http://www.4shared.com/file/oKHoayf3/Coast_To_Coast_AM_-_162011_-_P.html Guests: Peter Ward, Joyce Riley Planetary Science: In the first half of Wednesday's show, Professor Peter Ward discussed his studies of planetary science, Earth, and its turbulent changes, as well as alien worlds. Sea level has risen 15 ft. in the last 100 hundred years, and this brings on a rise in temperatures as the oceans expand. If this continues, the next generations will be saddled with the costs of building massive sea walls in order to protect cities and infrastructure, he commented. Life on Earth began about 3.7 billion years ago, and was probably initiated through panspermia, via bacteria on meteorites from Mars, he said. "We are Martians, as far I'm concerned," Ward said, citing the work of Joseph Kirschvink at Cal Tech who noted that ribose (the backbone of RNA) comes from a desert environment, which Earth did not have back then. Ward advocated for space exploration to Saturn's moon Titan, which would be easier to land on because it has an atmosphere. Titan might contain long-chain silicon life forms, he theorized. He reported that biologist Craig Venter has produced an "alien," by tinkering with the genetic code of a bacterium. He believes Venter has entered into a dangerous arena, as such creations might eventually be weaponized. Vet Health Issues: In the latter half of the show, nurse Joyce Riley shared an update on the health problems of Gulf War vets. A lot of US soldiers in Iraq were exposed to emissions from a sulfur mine, and troops in both Afghanistan & Iraq lived near burn pits used to dispose of items like electronics and military equipment. Many of these soldiers are now suffering from respiratory ailments, she reported (related article). Riley recommended detoxification through food and diet for vets exposed to a variety of chemicals and conditions. "Hundreds of thousands of our military have been experimented upon, compromised, made ill, and died. Then they tell them that it's PTSD-- whether it is or not, that's always what they're told, which is so unfair to the troops and their families," she declaimed.
Coast To AM 2011 west east side rap south spirituality coast immigration california border angeles power records gold mexico
Channels: Planetary science
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TICKERS: CCB, FMS; FCSMF; FKC, KNL, NGC; NGPHF, SYR
2014 Graphite Outlook: Price Rebound, Supply Shift and New End Uses
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Mining Report (1/14/14)
China's recent halting of flake graphite production in Pingdu, Shandong, made headlines, and has many investors wondering how supply may shift. Simon Moores, manager of Industrial Minerals Data, tells The Mining Report that he sees an interesting dynamic unfolding in the graphite space over the next five years. As buyers for steel and battery markets compete for limited graphite supplies, the winners will be companies that can deliver the best, tailor-made products. In the meantime, offtake agreements are signaling a new confidence in the sector.
The Mining Report: Simon, China is putting mining on the back burner while it cleans up damage done to the environment by mining and other industrial work. Graphite processing facilities, including those in Shandong Province, have halted flake graphite production. Will that affect prices?
Simon Moores: For sure. We expect the immediate price impact will be minimal. Typically, graphite mining stops during the winter in China, so most international buying already happened in the autumn.
Inside China, we've heard that some producers are raising their list prices, taking advantage of the story. The key will be whether those prices stick when buying begins again after the Chinese spring festival in late January/early February. At that point, I anticipate a price reaction.
TMR: It's estimated that China controls 70% of the world's graphite production. Is its grasp on the graphite business loosening?
SM: China's macro policies, certainly on environmental responsibility (including the use of natural resources and improving air quality), are leading to a crackdown on the mining industry. Halting graphite mining, as we've seen in Pingdu, is a perfect example of that.
As a result, we could easily see some shift of supply. The temporary closures in Pingdu could be enough to scare buyers into looking elsewhere. That's already happening. Major graphite buyers are looking all over the world for new sources. If the Pingdu restrictions extend into Heilongjiang Province, buyers could move—not just look—to sources outside of China for the first time since the 1980s.
TMR: In your May 2013 interview, you suggested that prices for flake graphite had bottomed. What happened to the price for standard-grade graphite over the latter half of 2013?
SM: Prices remained flat. We saw slight decreases, but ultimately the trend was flat. We expect to see price improvement in Q1/14 or Q2/14 because of the supply-demand situation. If that's the case, we'll know that the second half of H2/12 was the bottom, but there's been no upturn yet to confirm that.
"The offtake deal with China gives Focus Graphite Inc. an advantage now over other players."
TMR: What's your price outlook for 2014 and into 2015 for flake graphite, plus-80 mesh, 94–97% carbon?
SM: This year we expect some improvement, maybe to $1,400-1,500/ton. Should that momentum carry into 2015, prices could improve further, to $1,600-1,800/ton. We don't expect to see the huge increases we saw back in 2010-2011. That was a unique situation.
TMR: What's the biggest wildcard facing the graphite space this year?
SM: On the supply side, it's still China. On the demand side, the wild card is demand from a new sector and that's batteries.
TMR: What should get investors excited and involved in graphite in 2014?
SM: The fundamentals haven't changed since the price spike and exploration boom of 2010-2011. The key elements are China's dominance, China's mining regulation plans and the emergence of new markets.
I would look at refractories versus batteries. Manufacturers of refractories are trying to get higher quality graphite. Battery manufactures are competing for the same grade—large flake, higher purity graphite. Most of the mines around the world can't supply sufficient volumes. That presents a great opportunity for anyone trying to build a new mine.
TMR: Readers of The Mining Report are mostly familiar with small-cap graphite explorers and developers. In that sector, what makes a good graphite project?
SM: It's a balancing act. It comes down to the product the project can produce, who would want to buy it and how economical the resource is. Grade is important. Typically, higher purity in the ground translates directly into a more economical resource. Flake size is also key, because buyers are demanding larger flake (plus-80 mesh and higher) and higher purity (95%, 96%, 97% and 98% C).
The size of the resource is somewhat less important from end user and industry perspectives. After all, industry consumes a maximum of 450,000 tons per year, in a good year. But I can understand that an investor would want to see large, confirmed resources for long-term business plans.
TMR: The first offtake deal has been signed with a junior graphite developer in Canada, Focus Graphite Inc. (FMS:TSX.V). Does that deal legitimize graphite juniors by giving them a role in the bigger picture?
SM: It legitimizes some of them. The deal was a vote of confidence in the exploration sector. It showed the world that the exploration and development sector have some very good projects and can create a product the market wants and needs.
The Focus Graphite deal covered nearly 100% of the company's planned production, including fines. Fines are usually a very difficult product to ship because they're always in excess supply and are of lower quality carbon. There's less of a market for fines and it has more product competition.
What stood out for me in the Focus Graphite deal is that it came from China. It shows the big buyers in China are looking elsewhere for new supplies. I thought that was the big takeaway, not just for Focus Graphite, but for the whole exploration sector. Focus showed its willingness to work with China as a customer, not necessarily as a competitor.
I think if the exploration industry starts to see China as a market—an opportunity, rather than a threat—more progress would be made.
TMR: How much of an advantage does the offtake deal give Focus over other players in similar positions?
SM: It's an advantage now, because Focus was the first to announce and it shows a serious, large-scale partner in China. Only one other company has had an offtake since, and that's Kibaran Resources Ltd. (KNL:ASX) with a Europe-based trader.
TMR: Do you think we will see other, similar deals?
SM: We could, yes. A lot of buyers want to get long-term supply. A lot of players are waiting to get the best deal, whether that means buying a project outright or signing offtake agreements.
TMR: Across the mining space, but particularly in the graphite space, a number of companies are running low on cash. Do you expect any mergers of survival?
SM: I expect the biggest and the best projects will survive. The top companies, the ones you read about, have the best projects. The smaller ones will have to look at merging or folding if they can't get funding.
As I've said before, some in the industry—both producers and buyers—are waiting for a good time to buy a project. It doesn't have to be a leading project, which could be quite expensive. It could be a smaller project. They're just waiting for a good deal. So I expect to see some activity in 2014.
TMR: Does Industrial Minerals Data keep track of companies' cash on hand and the burn rates?
SM: No, we focus on collecting prices and supply-and-demand figures. We track the industry, not individual companies.
TMR: What was the funding scene for the industry in 2013?
SM: Clearly, it was a difficult year for funding. One financing that stood out was Syrah Resources Ltd.'s (ASX: SYR) raising AU$35 million (AU$35M) for its project in Mozambique. I know how difficult it was for all the other projects in the industry, so that was an achievement. It was a big step toward actually building a mine.
TMR: Were there other events that got your attention? I'm thinking of the Sri Lankan government opening up to graphite mining, for example.
SM: Sri Lanka did open up exploration throughout the year by loosening legislation to welcome foreign investment. Many more companies are active there now and they tend to be Australian. The nature of Sri Lanka's graphite means, in volume terms, it will remain a niche.
TMR: What about the efforts of a research team trying to develop condoms made of latex graphene? Is that possible?
SM: Only theoretically. You can be the first to try it. I won't.
TMR: So, batteries and steel will remain the primary demand drivers for graphite?
SM: Yes, definitely. Steel refractories will remain the staple for a long time, but the potential for explosive growth will come from batteries. If you have a big market from steel plus big growth percentages coming from batteries—and everyone is competing for the same raw material—it could create an interesting dynamic over the next five years.
TMR: In terms of company news, does any company stand out for doing something different from its competitors?
SM: It was a quiet year in terms of stories. Juniors battled it out on a few fronts, especially the carbon purity stakes of the end product.
The battlegrounds now are over resource size, purity and upgrading the size of reserves.
For example, Canada Carbon Inc. (CCB:TSX.V) has a vein graphite deposit in North America and it has one of the more original approaches. It's one of the smaller companies, but the company's niche approach is refreshing and more suited to the graphite industry outside of China.
TMR: Do you prefer a vein deposit to other types of deposits?
SM: Not really; it depends on the market you're going for.
Canada Carbon is going for a niche, not to take on the whole market. The company is thinking sensibly about alternatives. It doesn't plan to produce more than 10,000 tons a year.
TMR: Northern Graphite Corporation (NGC:TSX.V; NGPHF:OTCQX) was once the darling of the sector. Its share price had a good run, but has since come off quite a bit. Why?
SM: Northern Graphite did a great job of getting out ahead in the race, publishing a lot of information first. It led the industry in that perspective. Obviously, as more projects come on-stream, there is more competition. If you stick your neck out, some people will have a go at you and other people will respect that. That's just the hazard of leading the pack, as Northern Graphite did.
Investors should be considering all the serious graphite companies, and that includes Northern Graphite.
TMR: What's next for graphite investors?
SM: You never quite know in this space, but I think the worst is over. I think we'll see improvement in 2014 for everyone in the graphite industry. The fundamentals haven't changed since the boom of 2011: China still dominates. New supply is needed for high-tech markets, which are competing with the traditional steel refractories. No new mines have been built since the 1980s.
Add on to that the diminishing supply, given the new situation in Pingdu, China. Supply, especially for large-flake, high-purity grades, is tighter. Premium products—large-flake, plus-80 and bigger, at purity levels of 95–99% carbon—will be in demand.
We should see some price improvement as well. Usually, when prices improve, that sentiment translates to the rest of the industry. That gets reflected in the investment arena. If that happens, it should encourage more people to return to graphite investing, because the fundamentals are pretty clear.
TMR: In addition to the high-purity producers, what about companies that can provide a value-added product?
SM: This is important. The industry needs value-added products that are hot and fresh out of the kitchen.
But for the pure mining companies, that will be difficult to achieve. Producing spherical graphite, for example, is effectively a second business requiring more capital.
From the raw material perspective, it's not just about purity. It's really about the large flake and the purity together. If you look at the plus-45 mesh or higher—the next step down from plus-80—in conjunction with purity in the 95-99% ranges—that product will be in demand. We've actually seen a shortage of some of these higher grades in a market where not many people are buying.
TMR: Have management teams in the graphite space adjusted their business models to be more accommodating to the market?
SM: Beginning last year, they started listening more to industry. The responsible companies were asking people what they actually wanted. It's nearly all about processing technology to get the true value. Companies that follow that route aren't just making flake graphite; they're making spherical graphite for batteries. That is a big investment, and also a significant step forward.
TMR: I have to ask about the graphene-graphite debate. Has this industry made progress in developing graphene made from mined graphite?
SM: To be honest, not much. The exploration sector has done most of the legwork on this and has made some inroads, but it's still a young industry. It's still risky to say you can make all graphene from flake graphite because there are so many different production routes. It remains a theoretical product without a market.
It's not necessarily the best company in scientific terms that wins in these things. It's whoever makes the market inroads now. The graphite-to-graphene companies out there now—Grafoid Inc. (private) would be a good example—are doing the work and creating the market. If those companies are linked to flake graphite projects, that's a plus for this side of the industry.
TMR: In that case, is Focus providing a model for others to follow?
SM: I think Focus is concentrating on the processing and the technical aspects of it. In the end, it doesn't matter too much where you get your raw material; it's about the processing technology that you develop.
I said a few years back that those that hold the technology cards will lead the pack and I still believe that.
TMR: In effect, if you could provide a steady consistent supply of graphene, there will be markets for it. Without the steady supply, there are no markets for graphene. It's a chicken-and-the-egg situation.
SM: Definitely. That's why the graphene supply side is pushing to create a market. Some companies are working with paint manufacturers, plastics manufacturers. The first step is discussion between graphene companies and end users about how to use it. You can create a graphene powder, but how do you get it into the end product? How will it improve that product? By how much? What will it cost? Will their customers buy it? Someone will get there eventually, but these things take time.
TMR: And we'll be here to talk about it. Simon, thanks for your time and your insights.
Simon Moores is manager of Industrial Minerals Data, a business that sets prices for natural graphite and fluorspar industries from offices in London and Shanghai. He has been reporting on, researching and analyzing the non-metallic minerals sector since 2006, when he joined London-based publishing and research house Industrial Minerals. He has specialist knowledge in critical and strategic minerals including graphite, lithium, rare earths and titanium. He led the research and publication of the market study, "The Natural Graphite Report 2012: Data, Analysis and Forecast for the Next Five Years." He has chaired conferences and given keynote presentations around the world. He has also been interviewed by international press including the London Times regarding Chinese control on world graphite production, and The New York Times with regard to rare earths after breaking the story that China blocked exports to Japan in 2009.
Want to read more Mining Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.
1) Brian Sylvester conducted this interview for The Mining Report and provides services to The Mining Report as an independent contractor. He or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Mining Report: Northern Graphite Corporation and Focus Graphite Inc. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services or as sponsorship payment.
3) Simon Moores: I or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I personally am or my family is paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this interview. Comments and opinions expressed are my own comments and opinions. I had the opportunity to review the interview for accuracy as of the date of the interview and am responsible for the content of the interview.
4) Interviews are edited for clarity. Streetwise Reports does not make editorial comments or change experts' statements without their consent.
5) The interview does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer.
6) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned and may make purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise.
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Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin
Kathriona Devereux
Jonathan McCrea
Sky-watchers are in store for a once-in-a-lifetime meteor storm when the Earth passes through the tail of a comet. Astronomers are predicting that up to 1,000 shooting stars an hour could rain down on Earth hour as our planet passes through debris from Comet 209P/LINEAR this week.
The head of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore, has urged the public to get outside tomorrow night, Friday 23rd May, to try to catch a glimpse of the celestial fireworks that will fly from dusk till dawn.
“Imagine a thousand shooting stars per hour. It could be one every five to 10 seconds. It could be really spectacular,” he said. “Shooting stars are very rare and most people accidentally see one once every few years. If they go out for five to 10 minutes on that particular night they could see more than an astronomer sees in a lifetime. It is a very big event cosmically.”
For more click here or visit astronomy.ie
4 dame lane
stags head
New scientific discoveries are happening all the time, fascinating developments which will change the future of the human race. But how often are you given the chance to really understand how these discoveries are made and what they mean?
The Pint of Science festival 2014 will see some of Ireland’s best scientific researchers hit pubs in Dublin and Cork to discuss their latest findings. This is your chance to get face-to-face with the people involved in carrying out current research! You can listen to them talk, join in games and quizzes, or just enjoy a chat over a pint. Find out what’s really going on in our bodies, our minds, in technology and much more!
Check out www.pintofscience.ie for more details!
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Cork Young Scientists are Persons of Month
Congratulations to UCD Professor Barry Smyth – SFI Researcher of the Year 2014
Science Foundation Ireland
Teagasc
The Science Squad
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Town of Three Hills, Alberta
232 Main Street 403.443.5822 Email Us
A Development Permit is needed for most new construction or changes of use to an existing property. Development permits within the Town of Three Hills are governed by the Municipal Government Act (Part 17 – Division 5 Land Use) and the Land Use Bylaw 1398-17, whereby the Development Officer or Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) is authorized as the development authority as per Bylaw 1404-17.
Section 624 of the Municipal Government Act requires a municipality to designate a development authority to exercise development powers and perform duties on behalf of the municipality. The Town of Three Hills Bylaw 1405-17 establishes the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) as this development authority. It is the Development Officer’s responsibility to review development proposals on behalf of the Town and make a recommendation to the MPC.
Before any construction can begin on a site, an application must be provided to the Development Officer for a Development Permit. This ensures that the proposed structure or use conforms to the applicable regulations outlined in the Land Use Bylaw 1398-17 for that site. Uses identified in each land use District are grouped into two development classifications to reflect the impacts or intensity of the proposed development or use:
Permitted Uses: are those that are considered to be the most appropriate for lands subject to a particular District. Section 642 (1) of the Municipal Government Act identifies that if a development permit application is made for a permitted use in a District, and if the proposed development conforms to all of the applicable regulations of the Land Use Bylaw, the Development Authority must issue the permit to the applicant.
Discretionary Uses: are those that may be considered appropriate on a particular site; however, depending on the nature of the application, and the type of development surrounding the site in question, a discretionary use may be deemed inappropriate for that site by the Development Authority, and the permit may not be approved. Section 642 (2) of the Act indicates that a municipality may issue a permit to an applicant for a discretionary use however it is not obliged to approve the development.
Development Permit Process
Development Notifications
Development & Planning Rates & Fees
Development Decisions
Land Use Rezoning
Municipal Grant Opportunities
Requests for Proposals and Tenders
Want to Stay Up to Date with the Town of Three Hills?
Town of Three Hills
232 Main Street, PO Box 610
Three Hills, Alberta T0M 2A0
Home Town Hall Living Business Visiting
Facebook Twitter web.forms@threehills.ca
Copyright © 2020 Town of Three Hills, Alberta
Website by: Municipal Websites
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Best Western Rewards Named Top Loyalty Program by U.S. News and World Report
Bangkok (Thailand) – August 8, 2019 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts celebrates the continued success of its industry-leading loyalty program, Best Western Rewards, which has earned a top five ranking in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotel Rewards Programs list. This marks the seventh consecutive year that BWR has received this coveted recognition, honoring the tremendous value it brings to the program’s members.
“It is an honor to see BWR recognized by U.S. News & World Report for the seventh year,” said Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We are committed to providing travelers with a rich rewards program that delivers real value. As part of this commitment we are constantly evolving the program, offering new redemption options and superior benefits to our members. We are proud to see that these enhancements are delivering the perks that today’s travelers are looking for.”
This recognition is the latest example of BWHR’s revamped BWR program, which has earned its position as a leading innovator in the industry. BWR’s tagline – Go.Get.Rewarded.® – demonstrates BWHR’s commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience through a simplified, meaningful and rapid rewards program. As part of the program’s ongoing refresh, BWR members can enjoy more benefits than ever, including:
Top-Ranked, Rich Rewards
BWHR is committed to providing travelers with one of the richest rewards programs in the industry, with enhanced point earning opportunities and perks. BWHR is the only major hotel chain to offer a loyalty program whose rewards points do not expire due to account inactivity, and members can now earn gift cards redeemable with popular shopping, entertainment, gas, and airline partners. BWR members earn points with each stay that can be redeemed for free nights at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide, with no blackout dates. Members also have access to special rates of up to 10 percent off every night.
Instant Enrollment, Instant Rewards
As part of the BWR refresh, members are given instant rewards and gratification on every stay. Additionally, the Status Match…No Catch® program allows members to instantly have their status matched with other hotel loyalty programs upon enrollment.
Elite Members, Elite Rewards
In addition to enjoying the perks and benefits of BWR, elite members also receive elite rewards. Upon arrival elite members are given a choice of a “Thank You” gift or bonus points. A digital membership card enables BWR members to easily access their membership number, point balance, current tier level and exclusive deals and offers. These new benefits let travelers maximize their stays across all Best Western brands.
BWR has emerged as an award-winning powerhouse in recent years, and this seventh consecutive recognition by U.S. News & World Report is a welcomed addition to the brand’s award winning track record.
U.S. News & World Report identifies the top hotel rewards programs each year using a methodology that weighs five components: network size, property diversity, geographic coverage, added benefits and ease of earning a free night. In total, 15 of the most prominent hotel loyalty programs were evaluated for the 2019-20 rankings. This year’s full list can be found at
For more information or to become a BWR member, please visit BestWesternRewards.com
For more information on Best Western Hotels & Resorts, please visit BestWestern.com.
About Best Western Hotels and Resorts
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of approximately 4,500 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide‡. Best Western offers 16 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market. Best Western branded hotels include Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, Vīb®, GLō®, Aiden®, Sadie®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature Collection®. Through recent acquisition, Best Western now also offers WorldHotels® Luxury, WorldHotels Elite and WorldHotels Distinctive brands. Completing its portfolio, Best Western offers SureStay®, SureStay Plus®, and SureStay Collection® franchises**. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-midscale and midscale hotel brands respectively for two consecutive years, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won 10 consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 60 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in breakfast (food and beverage category) in the J.D. Power 2018 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first for midscale; and second for upper midscale. Nearly 40 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
**All Best Western, WorldHotels and SureStay branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
Katie Ray
Katie.Ray@BestWestern.com
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