pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 50
1.01M
| source
stringlengths 39
45
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.766975
| 0.766975
|
MoF provides tax guidance to Uber
Photo: Uber Vietnam
Finance Ministry issues decision detailing Uber's tax obligations.
by Hong Nhung
Uber riders at 300,000 in May-Jul
Toyota & Uber working together
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has recently requested the Netherlands-based Uber International Services Holding BV authorize its subsidiary, Uber Vietnam, or a third party to declare and pay taxes for its taxi transport services in Vietnam.
MoF has issued guidelines for tax collections to the Uber parent company, stating it must pay taxes as a foreign establishment that operates and earns income in Vietnam without having resident offices. The parent company must therefore authorize Uber Vietnam or another organization to fulfill tax payments due under contracts signed with enterprises and individuals in the transport business.
It is not able to pay value added tax (VAT) under the deduction method so MoF will apply the direct method on its total revenue.
Specifically, Uber will be charged value added tax on its sales at a rate of 3 per cent. Corporate income tax (CIT) on revenue is at 2 per cent.
The tax payable for drivers will be paid by the company at a rate of 3 per cent for VAT and 1.5 per cent for personal income tax on their earned income.
Uber Vietnam told VET on September 12 that it welcomes the progress being made in clarifying its taxation status and will comply with directions.
“This is clear evidence of cooperation between the government and private enterprises to reach a solution,” it wrote in response to questions from VET. “We are working closely with the government on specific guidelines for implementation.”
Uber collects all transport fares through card payments. Drivers use their own vehicles and receive 80 per cent of the fare while the remaining 20 per cent goes to Uber.
Tax authorities will not collect taxes directly from drivers, with the organization being authorized to declare and pay tax for Uber BV also representing drivers in tax declarations and payments.
The General Department of Taxation previously put forward an option whereby organizations and individuals doing business in transport services as Uber partners are responsible for withholding and paying taxes on behalf of Uber, according to the proportion in the sales sharing agreement. This option was not preferred by many financial experts.
Mr. Dinh Trong Thinh, a senior economist at the Vietnam Institute of Finance, proposed tax collections from Uber via money transfer from the company’s service users. “Tax authorities must work closely with banks in order to control transaction services and international payments and also need a developed information technology system,” he said.
Uber entered Vietnam in July 2014 and its tax status has remained controversial ever since.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line799
|
__label__wiki
| 0.593488
| 0.593488
|
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Dot G ft. Skales – Shaka Dance (Remix)
Dot G ft. Skales – Shaka Dance (Remix)
“Check out this new tune “Shaka Dance Remix” by Nigerian rising music act, Dot G featuring star singer/rapper, Skales”
Produced by Jaypizzle. Mixed & Mastered by Suka Sounds
ENJOY DOWNLOAD
Posted by YOUNG BLIZZY at 11:55 PM 1 comment:
Serena Williams named AP Female Athlete of the Year for the 4th time
Serena Williams was named the 2015 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the fourth time on Friday, December 25. A vote by U.S. editors and news directors saw the Tennis star collect 50 first-place votes and 352 points. Williams took to Instagram to thank her fans writing:
"Female athlete of the year from AP. Thank you. It's been an incredible year. I look forward to making more memorable memories next year. I love you all.
Posted by YOUNG BLIZZY at 10:45 PM No comments:
Labels: ARTISTS, CELEBRITY UPDATES
Shehu Garba writes on Buhari and his alleged involvement in the Dasuki arms deal scandal
In a piece title "BuhariGate, as the limit of obstructionist politics' Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, distanced President Buhari from the ongoing Dasuki $2.1 billion arms deal scandal. Read the incisive piece below...
As the war on corruption heightens, the political battle-line between the governing All Progressives Congress, APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has sharply been drawn
While leaders from both parties voice out their support for the clean-up of the country by ridding it of corruption, the National Working Committee of the PDP seems clearly to be working contrary to the anti-corruption rhetoric of their Board of Trustees. Their public communication organs have, in particular, become increasingly combative against the exercise. All that the President, leading the APC change orchestra is trying to do is to revamp a moribund nation with growth, jobs and recovered looted funds. Sadly, only a few, if any in Wadata House are treating the war against corruption as the extra-ordinary event which it is. Instead, when they speak up, they do so most ardently against it. In a clear demonstration of abstructist politics, they challenge the government in every move it makes, but fail to spell out alternative roadmaps to curbing the monstrous corruption that threatens to consume the country; they rush to condemn and dramatize even the smallest of measures which, given time and patience will manifest through positive outcomes.
Doing this gives the PDP the illusion of being an effective opposition party but taken in the context of national interest and the mood of the nation, it is doubtful it it is yielding anything beyond limited political returns. To most Nigerians, the cacophonous opposition is just a media spectacle to distract or mellow the President.
After an historic loss in an election to the opposition for the first time in the annals of this country’s political history, PDP has not looked inwards in any serious way to seek its revival. The first and major leap at reform ended disastrously when first, the party establishment rejected a well-timed apology tendered on its behalf for their past failures. Then, the leader of the reform movement got himself mired in allegations leading to court charges of the theft of billions of Naira voted for weapons purchase to fight terror in the North East. Chief Raymond Dokpesi's trial ( and Col. Dasuki's) is no doubt a serious blow to any prospects of a turn-around in the PDP.
The party did not seek democratize their internal organization, a major reason for their implosion leading to the loss of the election or began thinking innovatively about the challenges of modern day Nigeria, nor have they got a "Plan B" that is inviting to the voters.
It is this failure to reckon with, or look at the real issues confronting the party and the nation that led to their call for an investigation of President Buhari for having been supplied two jeeps by the erstwhile Jonathan administration after the personal bullet-proof jeep he owned was bombed by yet unknown assailants.
As the Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina said, issuance of the cars,soon after this incident was merely a face-saving move, intended to cover the government's failure to keep its duty to this particular former leader. The law, cited as the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (and other Ancillary Matters), entitles former Nigerian Presidents including General Muhammadu Buhari to “three vehicles to be bought by the Federal Government and liable to be replaced every four years”.
Cars are just a few in a litany of entitlements written in that law although it is contestable to say that General Buhari had been given his due entitlements by successive administrations as provided thereunder. Regime after regime treated him as if he was not a former Head of State.
General Abacha came on the saddle and wanted to throw everything at Buhari who, knowing his very nature declined virtually but his military pension. The military in particular treated him so badly that its leaders kept silent when the PDP charged that he didn't have WAEC papers. One shameless Army Records officer said that the former Head of State had no records at all under their system. General Buhari went without a full compliment of armed guards from the army he served at the highest level until the dastardly bomb attack on his convoy in April 2014. It was at this time that the Chief of Army Staff at that time thought it necessary to reinstate the armed convoy to protect him. When they brought the two cars within a few days of his being bombed, the staff of the General were merely informed that this was from the Federal Government in fulfillment of its obligation to him. Since this was an entitlement long-overdue, not minding that it came short of what was expected, there was absolutely nothing wrong on the part of the General for accepting that which was due to him.
This hashtag “#Buharigate” was intended as a counterpoise to "Dasukigate," the phenomenal corruption scheme by which money intended for weapons to fight terror was shared among PDP leaders. It was a fake intervention and a malicious propaganda against the president, obviously intended to detract from his enormously huge reputational capital, the basis on which the APC nation-wide victory was founded.
The #Buharigate failed to gain traction because was seen as an opposition overreach and a desperate attempt to tarnish his hard-earned name and nothing more. No serious blogger therefore paid a serious attention to it.
This baseless allegation that the President had benefitted from the diversion of money intended to fight insurgency under the former National Security Adviser equally underlines the cruel nature of today’s politics, that even the best personal examples cannot keep a leader from the tar brush of the opponent.
Apart from seeking to mellow the President, I suspect that the opposition had thought these attacks would revive the collapsed fortunes of the PDP while at the same time projecting their leaders as victims of persecution in the hands of the APC administration.
What however is encouraging in the country today is that Nigerians have thrown their full weight behind the war on corruption. This itself is an account the constructive nature of the government’s engagement against the vice and the determination with which it is being fought. Adding impetus and flavor is the frustration at the routionisation of corruption by the last administration and their inadequate and impotent efforts to curb and punish high-profile offenders.
My concluding augment is that President Buhari’s election and war against terrorism and corruption have become a template. In Niger, Chad and Ghana where there will be elections next year, opposition candidates are parading themselves as the “Buhari” of their own country.
President Buhari must have himself been embarrassed by calls, through newspaper articles, posters and banners in the course of his visits to these friendly countries, saying “we want Buhari type elections; we will wage Buhari-type anti-corruption war”. One Chadian political party published an advertorial asking their government to procure and issue permanent voters cards as well as the use of card readers in the coming election and if the funds were not available, “let us borrow from Nigeria” for the coming elections.
President Buhari was and is far, far away from, and remains untouched by the “Dasukigate”. “#Buharigate” is therefore a fraud and an unbecoming spectacle designed to tarnish the illustrious record of the President so as to mellow his anti-corruption drive. It failed because it was born out of desperation to gain sympathy by an opposition that can’t heal itself unless it comes to terms with the danger of corruption they thrived in, and the party's internal structures are overhauled and remade to meet the minimum requirements of a democratic organization.
Labels: E-NEWS
World's fattest man, Andres Moreno dies aged 38
Andres Moreno, who weighed 980lbs at his heaviest, passed away on the morning of Christmas Day Dec. 25th as he was being rushed to hospital from his home in Ciudad Obregón in Sonora, Mexico. He suffered a fatal heart attack in the ambulance and could not be revived
In a Statement released today, his publicist - Carmen Palacios said: 'Andres died at 8.30am on Christmas Day in an ambulance from a heart attack as he was taken from his house to San Jose Hospital.'
Fayose urges Nigerians to pray for Buhari, Says; Lai Mohammed should relocate to Borno or Yobe
Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has called on Nigerians to pray specially for President Mohammadu Buhari; saying; “The President needs God to give him the necessary wisdom to be able to find solution to the country’s economic and security problems.”
The governor also challenged the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to relocate to Sambisa in Borno State or Yobe and move around there without heavy military security if indeed he was sure that Boko Haram had been defeated.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said; “only God’s intervention can save Nigeria from the present economic and security problems as it is glaring that the man running the affairs of the country at the federal level does not have any answer to the problems.”
He said; “Even the Holy Bible said in James 1:5 that if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God and as it is, Nigerians must assist the President in asking for wisdom and understanding to tackle the country’s economic and security problems before Nigeria is further plunged into more woes with the federal government’s decision to borrow N2.2 Trillion, which translates to N6.066 billion per day to finance the 2016 Budget.” He described the Federal Government’s announced reduction of petrol pump price from N87 to N85 per litre as a continuation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government’s governance by deceit, saying; “Even secondary school students of economics know that you cannot deregulate and regulate at the same time.”
The governor said; “it is only in a confused and clueless economy that government will plan to spend more when revenue has reduced by more than 50 percent.” Governor Fayose, who maintained that petrol will not sell below N100 per litre in 2016, added that; “Even now that the price is N87 and subsidy is yet to be removed, Nigerians are buying at between N130 and N300 per litre. What will now happen when they remove subsidy and allow market forces to determine the price?”
The governor described claimed by the Information Minister that Boko Haram insurgents had been defeated as strange, saying; “Nigerians will only take the minister serious if he relocates to either Sambisa in Borno State or Yobe State and stay there till the end of March, next year without heavy military security.”
He said; “To show their level of confusion, two days after the Minister of Information declared that Boko Haram had been defeated, President Buhari said the government would persuade Boko Haram to abandon their fight. One then wonders how the same Boko Haram insurgents Lai Mohammed said were already defeated will have to be persuaded to abandon their fight.
“Interestingly, the same Boko Haram that Lai Mohammed said had been defeated reported attacked Kimba village in Gur ward of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State yesterday night. “Therefore, the Information Minister must show Nigerians how peaceful Borno and Yobe States have become after the defeat of Boko Haram by relocating to either Sambisa, Maiduguri or Yobe.”
Labels: CELEBRITY UPDATES, E-NEWS
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Toby Grey ft. Small Doctor – Laleyi (Remix)
Budding act – Toby Grey sure had a decent outing in 2015, she signs off with a remix of her street tailored single “Laleyi” featuring street-hop act Small Doctor
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Coptic – The Rising Stars Of GH (Vol. IV)
For the fourth year in a row, Coptic wishes us a Merry Christmas with the gift of music.
This ten-song album features emerging Ghanaian artists like Renner and Henry Lucas as well as established heavyweights like Edem and Kwaw Kese.
Coptic would like to thank all the artists that submitted music for consideration for the album and all those that recorded.
Album coordinated by Francis “Banks” Amissah
Download and enjoy!!
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:VJ Damyl ft Zayo – Take It
Bata Mi crooner, Vj Damyl yet again impresses with another wonderful song and this time gets Koga Studio’s first signee, Zayo on the track as they rep their roots “IJesha & Ibadan”. This is like an anthem cause it speaks well of where they were from as well as talking about how far the music has gone and where it can reach.
Listen, download and Enjoy DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Dika-C – Tailor (Prod. Dr Cliq)
Dika-C – Tailor (Prod. Dr Cliq)
“Ukoha Henry Onyedikachi A.K.A DIKA – C a native of Anambra State and talented rapper with a distinct style of delivering his lines different from the usual we already know .
DIKA – C is newly signed to Lyrix Records who saw this fresh talent and believe he has a stake in the music industry .
This song Tailor is definitely going to blow your mind as its different compared to the sounds we hear around town
DIKA – C is for sure an artiste you all should look out for in the coming days ahead.
Listen,Enjoy,Share and leave a comment DOWNLOAD AUDIO
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Morell – Everywhere I Go
Morell – Everywhere I Go
Morell seem to switch his style up with this groovy sukus and dance-floor shattering tune titled – ‘Everywhere I Go‘.
Nice tune guys, and what a great way for Morell to round up the year.
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Psalmurai ft. Tha Suspect x Trigmatic – Ayam Not Bae
Psalmurai ft. Tha Suspect x Trigmatic – Ayam Not Bae
“Samuel Usman Achema, better known by his stage name Psalmurai, is a Nigerian artist born in
Kaduna, raised in Lagos, an indigene of Kogi state. He began rapping when he was 19 years of age.
He and His Comic Book Drawing buddies started the Super group Kalifate, consisting of 6 Lethal
Emcees that later became 3 (AniMaurs, Da.Su.Ki & Psalmurai). They recorded and dropped 2 Albums
Psalmurai released his first official mixtape titled Grind Finale (the mixtape is better than your album)
Hosted by NOD in Dec. 2010. He is also known for His yearly Rap Ups.
His goal is to keep making good music and reaching as many ears as possible, staying relevant, and
consistent.
“I’m motivated by my humbled beginnings, inspired by Life and Its Creator. These are the things I rap
about, our daily struggles and Triumph as we become the People We were made to be.
CELEBRITY UPDATES:French Montana donates $1million given to him by Diddy
French Montana who is signed to Bad Boy Records got a huge bonus check of $1 million from Diddy as a bonus for a year's hard work and French in turn donated the money to a charity in the south Bronx he just started to help young children and schools. The recipient sent a shout out to French on social media.
DOWNLOAD MUSIC::Sukusu' by 'Mr Sweet' ft Solid Star
Nwabunwanne Ferdinand (2Sweet) is an Ivory coast based Nigerian artiste making waves in Nigeria, Ivory coast, Republic of Benin and Ghana. He has dropped popular singles previously like Brukutu and Energy. Mr 2Sweet comes in again with this evergreen song titled “Sukusu” featuring talented Nigerian Super star known for his great vocal skill and music versatility, “Solid Star” & Newly signed Sweet Entertaiment artist Toubey.
Indigenous Hot joint with a touch of french in it. this banger is Produced by Dr Cliq, Mixed and mastered by Brain. ENJOY
DOWNLOAD MUSIC::2Shotz – Playing Games ft. Sojay
2Shotz – Playing Games ft. Sojay
2Shotz dishes out a very subtle love tune titled – “Playing Games“.
Playing Games somehow purports to talk about his recent relationship predicament and sheds more light on the real circumstances surrounding it.
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Dice Ailes – Odun De
Dice Ailes – Odun De
“Chocolate City’s multi-talented singer, songwriter and rapper, Dice Ailes rounds up his rather impressive music year with a new single he titles ‘Odun De’, produced by the super talented Ckay.
Dice Ailes ‘Odun De’ is one highlife tune that will easily become an anthem for this Christmas and many more to come.
Download, listen, share and most of all have the happiest of holidays DOWNLOAD AUDIO
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Yemi Sax – Shakiti Bobo (Jazz Remix)
Just few hours after unleashing two dope singles of his fast selling JALTOS album, The Africa’s Sax Oracle and the Nigerian Sax King, Yemi Sax has churned out another master class single off the sophomore album and this time, a scintillating Sax remake of the mega hit “Shakiti Bobo” originally by Olamide Baddo.
This is dope! and as a matter of fact, it is Just A Little Twist Of Sax but with depth of creativeness and endowment. The album JALTOS (Just A Little Twist Of Sax) is also live on iTunes and other digital stores worldwide. Go cop the full album famz
VIDEO: Marriage Counsellor (Ep 2) | Flavour and Chidinma
Today, the #MarriageCounsellor takes on Nigerian superstars- Flavour and Chidinma in a bid to fix their dying love.
Findout how it all gets resolved in this funny yet captivating series! Remember to subscribe for more interesting episodes of The #MarraigeCounsellor.
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Oritse Femi – Nack Am
“Merry Christmas as I introduce my last hit single of the year 2015. I want to say a big thanks to u all for your love and support all through the year. May the good lord continue to bless us all.
GEOLIER ShowCase Saturday 18 January at the Buio Club, DJ FAITH
VIDEO: Marriage Counsellor (Ep 2) | Flavour and Ch...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Yemi Sax – Shakiti Bobo (Jazz Remix...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC::Sukusu' by 'Mr Sweet' ft Solid Sta...
CELEBRITY UPDATES:French Montana donates $1million...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Psalmurai ft. Tha Suspect x Trigmat...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Coptic – The Rising Stars Of GH (Vo...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Toby Grey ft. Small Doctor – Laleyi...
Fayose urges Nigerians to pray for Buhari, Says; L...
Shehu Garba writes on Buhari and his alleged invol...
Serena Williams named AP Female Athlete of the Yea...
DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Dot G ft. Skales – Shaka Dance (Rem...
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line803
|
__label__cc
| 0.508428
| 0.491572
|
In Up From Oppression, a collection of recollections tell what it was like to attend college during the age of racism. This revealing story provides personal perspectives on an issue usually addressed in outsider's terms.
June 6 - June 12, 1997
Paperboy!
Choose the topics you are interested in, pick the articles you want to read, and you'll get your own personal edition of some of the newspapers hosted here at Weekly Wire.
Hundreds of film reviews and thousands of links! Sort alphabetically or by publication, genre, director, or date. Check it out!
Got the newsgroup blues? Get away from the spammers, scammers, and rapid scrolling of Usenet groups and try our cozy, easy-to-use BBS instead. Start a debate, voice a concern, review a film, create a persona, tell a joke, pick a fight, tell a story, do what you like.
Besides the Film Vault, we carry multidinous archives that include various cities' Best Of editions, local music registers, album reviews, book reviews, and plenty more.
This is your one stop shop for communicating with Weekly Wire. From here you can email relevant staff contacts, check our latest press releases, jump in to our on-line community forum Talk Back, find answers to common question on our FAQ, and find general information about Weekly Wire and its online content partners.
As water resources become more strained in many cities due to overuse, Wasting Away's reporter tracks down the worst offenders and attempts to get in their waterlogged heads. In Homeless Help, a reporter examines a local homeless problem and asks, Will the cure be worse than the disease? (7 articles)
Captain Opinion: Why tobacco ads are a breath of fresh smoke.
Odds & Ends: On zucchini guns and naked soccer.
Thin Line: You've got the most litigious little baby face.
Both sides of the abortion debate are thoroughly mocked in Citizen Ruth, a "pro-laugh" comedy in which the only agenda, it seems, is entertainment. Also: Michael Richards, a.k.a. Kramer, passes the bar via pratfalls in Trial & Error, a cheery courtroom comedy also starring Jeff Daniels. (4 articles)
Christian rock? What the hell? That question and more are answered in Rocking God's House, an examination of the intricate, often conflicting forces behind the marketing and performance of religious rock and pop music. (8 articles)
Rainer returns to blues guitar in his post-cancer days
Steve Barta puts classical and jazz piano in a Brazilian blender
Finding humanity in our mechanized world is the subject of a playful multimedia art exhibit reviewed within. And two photography shows with diametrically opposed aesthetic purposes are carefully analyzed in Worlds Apart. (5 articles)
Locas, a contemporary novel by Yxta Maya Murray, powerfully dramatizes the lives of two gangbanging Los Angeles jefas. The Ends of the Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarcy forges new ground in the realm of travel writing. (6 articles)
Why nibble on Peanuts when you can gorge on Red Meat? (7 comics)
All the contributors to Weekly Wire, along with other AAN (Association of Alternative Newsweeklies) publications, can be read from this one easily accessible spot. Strongly recommended for bookmarking. (107 newspapers)
Weekly Alibi
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line805
|
__label__wiki
| 0.719683
| 0.719683
|
The odds don't look good for Bruce Babbitt's "Department of Ulterior." Read this special Weekly Wire / Phoenix NewTimes Xtra to see what we mean.
An investigative report unearths shady dealings at Bruce Babbitt's "Department of Ulterior"; a tribute page says goodbye to well-loved blues guitarist Rainer Ptacek; a Comics page features first-rate artwork from several underrated national cartoonists; National Public Radio chickens out by refusing to air a poem; and the Weekly Wire staff selects favorite articles from the first 10 issues.
Besides the Film Vault, we carry multitudinous archives that include various cities' Best Of editions, local music registers, album reviews, book reviews, and plenty more.
What's white and white and white all over? The press -- alternative and otherwise. For such an equality-conscious profession, where are the minorities? Plus: Students learn to ace the SAT; a "nurse" experiments with St. John's Wort; upset family members fight against mandatory drug-abuse sentencing; religious leaders duke it out over the meaning of Christmas; and an editorialist vents about automated speeding tickets. [13 articles]
Just because it's a vast wasteland doesn't mean it isn't fun. That's the consensus among journalists who summarize their favorite TV programs, characters, and theme songs from the medium's past 50 years. They also say bye-bye to "Beavis and Butt-head," hello to interactive TV news, and get lost to "The Real World." Plus: reviews of "Alien Resurrection," "Flubber," "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and more! [25 articles]
Rainer Pt�cek and Robert Palmer: They may be dead, but their music and inspiration live on. The same is true of Miles Davis, who has finally acquired the recognition he deserves. Other artists seeking recognition include New Age runaway Eliza Gilkyson, Lambchop, OR, Atari Teenage Riot, Dusty Springfield, Ann Tiley, and Salt-n-Pepa. Plus: What crawled up Garth Brooks' butt and died? [16 articles]
It was inevitable: now there are whole stores devoted to Christmas theme products. Why not skip 'em and consider purchasing stuff like Douglas Adams's new CD-ROM game instead? Or how about a nice pair of snowshoes? Just whatever you do, don't read these horoscopes; don't go to Delhi; and don't, repeat, don't try to order caviar on Death Row. Plus: theatre and arts reviews! [11 articles]
Will the real journalism please stand up? John McPhee's essays put the "new" back into New Journalism; Danny Schecter rails against suck-up reporting on TV and elsewhere; Dan Eldon packs a life's worth of art and travel journalism into 22 years; Dominick Dunne turns journalistic memoir writing into a form of novel; Stephen Duncombe examines the meaning of 'zines; and much more... [13 articles]
Come down from your Staggering Heights and get to the Red Meat of the matter with this swell set of cartoons that also includes Mueller, Eye of the Beholder, K. Rat, Random Shots, and La Cucaracha. [7 comics]
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line806
|
__label__cc
| 0.697128
| 0.302872
|
Mark Busby (3 articles)
From this archive page, you can build your own custom Mark Busby publication by checking the articles you wish to read and then pressing "give me my paper!" below. (For more details on using the checkboxes, please click here.) You can also run a keyword search of Mark Busby archives, or just click on any link to go directly to a given article.
Not really a book about taking trips along specific roads but another Proustian journey along the trails in Larry McMurtry's varied past. [08-07-00]
— Mark Busby, AUSTIN CHRONICLE
'The Gates of the Alamo' Reviewed
Mark Busby reviews Stephen Harrigan's "The Gates of the Alamo." [03-28-00]
A Joycean Riff of Race
Why Ellison never published his long-awaited second novel during his lifetime, and what that novel is like now that it's been published posthumously. [06-21-99]
From this archive page, you can build your own custom Mark Busby publication by checking the articles listed above that you wish to read and then pressing "give me my paper!" below. (For more details on building your custom publication, please click here.)
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line807
|
__label__cc
| 0.701837
| 0.298163
|
Whisky Classified at the Belgian International Whisky Festival in Gent, 16-17 February 2008
Discover the flavours of Scotch malt whiskies at this talk and tasting by David Wishart, author of "Whisky Geclassificeerd: Single Malts Kiezen op Smaak" and Whisky Analyst, a computer system for classifying single malt whiskies by flavour.
David will guide you through the history and romance of Scotch whisky, from the aqua vitae of the early monasteries, the alchemist's art of turning barley into medicine, and hedonistic uisge beatha of remote Scottish crofts.
Today, due to variable peating and cask selection and preparation, the flavour of malt whisky is more diverse than ever. David describes his unique classification of Scotch malt whiskies by flavour, with seven fine malts to taste (illustrated below - subject to confirmation). These span the range of flavours in the whisky spectrum, as described in his book "Whisky Classified".
He will also be publishing the third edition of Whisky Analyst, a computer system for profiling and classifying whiskies by flavour, using his unique scientific method. It includes an extended directory detailing 140 aged malts, special expressions and special wood finishes. It will be possible to purchase signed copies of "Whisky Classified", in English, or "Whisky Geclassificeerd" in Dutch, together with Whisky Analyst3 on CD-ROM. Further information here
Tutored tasting sponsored by Aberlour, BenRiach, Glendronach, Glenfarclas, Glengoyne, The Glenlivet French Oak, Highland Park, Macallan, Scapa, Smokehead and Tomintoul.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line808
|
__label__cc
| 0.681662
| 0.318338
|
Fixed subsidies may halve Indonesia’s 2015 fuel spending
An Indonesian employee fills a car with subsidized fuel at a petrol station in Jakarta, Indonesia. - EPA file photo
December 5, 2014 @ 6:45pm
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s spending on fuel subsidies might only be half the current budget figure for 2015, the finance minister said, if Southeast Asia’s largest economy introduces a fixed subsidy mechanism next year.
In his first major economic policy decision, President Joko Widodo last month raised subsidised gasoline and diesel prices by more than 30 per cent to help fund his reform agenda and tackle the country’s budget and current account deficits.
Indonesia currently sets domestic fuel prices below the market price, with the government subsidising the difference. The change would mean Indonesia could avoid ballooning subsidy spending when oil prices increase.
“Next year we will make a fixed subsidy, which will reflect fluctuations in international prices,” Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told reporters on Friday.
In the budget for 2015 proposed by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose term as president ended in October, spending on fuel subsidies was seen at 276 trillion rupiah (US$22.4 billion).
In January, President Joko Widodo is expected to submit proposed 2015 budget revisions to parliament, which is dominated by opposition parties.
The new system of fixed fuel subsidies could slash state spending on these by half to below 140 trillion rupiah (U$11.38 billion), Brodjonegoro said.
But a proposed subsidy cap of between 1,000 and 2,000 rupiah a litre still needs to be approved by the parliament.
Brodjonegoro said 2014’s fuel subsidy bill is expected to fall below this year’s budget target of 246 trillion rupiah as global fuel prices have fallen, but was still expected to top 200 trillion rupiah.
The move to a fixed fuel subsidy could also help narrow Indonesia’s current account deficit to between 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, the minister said, from 2.5-3.0 per cent previously.
But the new system could also add to inflation pressure due to fluctuating domestic fuel prices. Brodjonegoro estimated next year’s inflation rate could by 0.3-0.5 percentage points higher than the assumed 4.4 per cent in the current 2015 state budget.
Due to the hike in fuel prices in mid-November, the annual inflation rate for last month shot up to 6.23 percent from 4.83 per cent in October. - Reuters
Lopsided fuel subsidy
‘Fuel subsidy removal, positive for economy’
Fuel subsidy scheme likely to be implemented in 2H 2015
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line811
|
__label__wiki
| 0.521543
| 0.521543
|
Yale Club of New Hampshire
The Yale Club of New Hampshire welcomes all alumni and other Yale affiliates in the state to join us in fostering a peer community through volunteerism, cultural events, education and social interactions. Read more here about how you can participate.
The late Bill Henze's generosity to Yale
Yale Book Award
There aren't any events scheduled, but check back soon!
Yale Day of Service -- Portsmouth
Yalies in the Seacoast area are once again invited to participate in preparing and serving the evening meal at Cross Roads House in Portsmouth on May 13, 2017, starting around 2:00…
Yale Club of New Hampshire Annual Meeting
Please join us for the Club's annual meeting as Professor Charles Musser brings the history of cinema and new media together with the history of politicking in the United State…
Feb Club Emeritus
The Feb Club event starts with the Yale versus Dartmouth Women's Hockey Game at 3:00 PM. The Yale Club of N.H. has made available 20 tickets for the game. If you are interested…
Bill Henze '45W and his wife Gael. We were saddened to learn of his recent passing. In one of his final acts, Bill added to his gift to the Yale Club of New Hampshire, which en…
The Yale Book Award is a way for local Yale clubs to recognize high school students at the end of their junior year who have "outstanding personal character and intellectual promis…
Yale Publications
Here is everything you need to know about the Yale community in New Haven and life on campus. Click on read more for links. Yale Daily News Yale News…
Yale Club of New Hampshire scholarship
The Yale Club of New Hampshire annual scholarship will be awarded to Darlene Huard, 2016. The scholarship is funded by an endowment for this purpose from Bill Henze, ’45 WE, and …
Contact Our Group
yaleclubofnh@gmail.com
© 2020 Yale University Alumni Group
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line813
|
__label__wiki
| 0.791295
| 0.791295
|
What It's Like Growing Up In The Maldives?
Journalist and blogger Hilath Rasheed shares a Maldivian's thoughts in Facebook on “How is it like growing up in Male'/Maldives”:
From Ibrahim Lirar:
The most honest answer I can give now is that “it is scary and constricting”. Information was so tightly control until recently. Very few among us grew up really believing that we can be anything we want in the world and that any dream we dream can be made reality.
No, we where restricted, discouraged and oppressed, our society and family told us how to live our life, how far and dictated what we will achieve in our life. Our childhood dreams and ambitions were all squashed by the time we become adults. We lived in a tight box, all our thoughts and the whole of being was confined within that box.
This is what it is like for kids growing up until my generation in the Maldives.
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · googleplus · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious
Tags: Citizen Media Digital Activism English Governance Maldives Politics Protest Quick Reads South Asia Technology
PHOTOS: Humans Of South Asia
In 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton began photographing strangers on the streets of New York, asking them a few questions, and sharing their story online. After three years, he put together the Humans of New York (HONY) Facebook page, and as the project grew in popularity, professional and amateur photographers across the world began to replicate the idea with blogs and Facebook pages highlighting photos and stories of people from their regions.
Take a look at how Humans of New York has inspired photographers across South Asian countries.
Screenshot of the Humans of India Facebook Page
Since its start on June 1, 2012, the Humans of India Facebook page has attracted more than 108,700 followers and been shared by more than 17,800 people. Megha Majumder, the CEO of Humans of India Facebook page, explained in an interview to Mashable:
There's this word that I fell in love with a while back: sonder. It's the realization that every random passerby is living a life that is as vivid and intricate as your own, complete with their own thoughts, feelings and emotions. And to them, you're just a passing figure on the street, too. Sonder seized my awareness –- people were no longer just strangers
A decoration of the body, an enhancement of the soul ॐ. Photo by Humans of India. Used with permission.
“I'm pretty sure that love and light have something to do with each other. That's why Diwali's cool. Lots of love in the air.” Photo by Humans of India. Used with permission
Similar initiatives were taken on by projects like Humans Of Bangalore, Humans of Mumbai, Humans of New Delhi (1, 2), Humans of Hyderabad and Humans of Lucknow. Most of these pages accept crowdsourced submissions.
Screenshot of Humans of Bangalore page
Humans of Bangladesh is a crowdsourced project that has gained more than 2,050 followers since its start on July 19, 2012.
Screenshot of Humans of Bangladesh blog
There is also another new project, started in November 29, 2013, by Bangladeshi photographers also called Humans of Bangladesh, which is followed by more than 4,700 people.
Screenshot of Humans of Bangladesh by Bangladeshi photographers.
Also available is the Humans of Dhaka page.
The Humans of Maldives Facebook page was launched on August 10, 2013 and is followed by more than 2,300 people.
Screenshot from Humans of Maldives Facebook page
Inspired by Humans of New York, the Humans of Bhutan page began in September 2012 and has continued to expand its collection of photos one portrait at a time.
Screenshot of Humans of Bhutan webpage
The Humans of Nepal page, which began on June 7, 2013, celebrates the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of Nepal.
Screenshot from Humans of Nepal
The Humans of Pakistan page was launched in July 2012, and a similar Humans of Pakistan page started on August 22, 2013. The pages are followed by a few hundred people.
Screenshot of the Humans of Pakistan Facebook page
It seems that city pages are more popular, such as Humans of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (3,416 followers), Humans Of Kashmir (1,209 Followers), Humans of Sindh (3,521 followers), Humans of Lahore (7,057 followers), and Humans of Karachi (99,647 followers).
Sakina Gheewala. Photo courtesy Humans of New York and Humans of Karachi
Sakina Gheewala wrote a letter to Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton, which was featured in Humans of New York page, explaining how the project had touched her:
Dear Brandon,
My HONY book arrived in Pakistan today. Though it was five months late, it was my favorite birthday present of the year.
In a country where people fight for survival everyday, I'm one of the fortunate few whose biggest worry right now is getting through medical school. In my part of the world, people like me, no matter how much we try to deny it, live in a bubble. And our problems are called “first world problems.” Maybe it will surprise people to see a “Pakistani” so in touch with the Western World. To see something other than the hatred that the world seems to notice radiating from here. But in my little bubble here in Pakistan, I find inspiration in the stories shared on Humans of New York, because they depict more than what the common man perceives. Yes, Pakistan as a nation suffers more than the rest, we do have a billion and one problems, but HONY reminds me that above everything else we are individuals. That just how every Pakistani is not the same, neither is every American. It reminds me to love and respect everybody– something many people here tend to have forgotten. The pictures and stories on HONY almost always make me feel like anything is possible.
Tags: Bangladesh Bhutan Citizen Media Digital Activism English Good News Ideas India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Photography Photos South Asia Weblog
The State Of Freedom Of Religion in Maldives
The Maldives ranks high on the list of governments that restrict religious freedom. Maldivian citizens have to be Muslim and cannot practice any religion other than Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners cannot vote, worship publicly, obtain citizenship, and hold public positions.
Journalist Hilath Rasheed notes that Maldives perhaps will not be able to establish freedom of religion in the next 50 years until the mindset changes among the new generations of Maldivians.
Tags: Development Education English Governance Law Maldives Quick Reads Religion South Asia
PHOTOS: ‘Silent Protest’ Demands Elections in Maldives
There is both excitement and tension in the air as the Maldives gears up for presidential elections to be held on November 9. The country has gone through politically turbulent times recently as the first election to be held after the controversial transfer of power of February 2012 has been postponed on multiple occasions. On September 7, a first round of voting was held, only for the results to be annulled by the Supreme Court, which ruled that there were electoral irregularities. Another attempt to have the election on October 19 was cancelled at the last minute. The Elections Commission of the Maldives alleged that its work was obstructed by the police, a claim which the police denies.
After several months of intense campaigning, people have grown restless with prolonged delays in holding the election, even more so as politicians blamed one another for the hold-up. Even with the country's judiciary, executive and the parliament entangled in what appeared to be a looming constitutional crisis, the people's desire for a free and fair election has not been dampened.
Photographer Shaari documented a ‘Silent Protest’ held on October 21 calling for an election in the following series of photos (images used with permission):
Written by Saffah Faroog · comments (0)
Tags: Breaking News Elections English Governance History Maldives Photos Politics Protest South Asia Weblog
Maldives Presidential Votes Will Need A Second Round
88% of the 240,000 voters in Maldives voted last Saturday (7 September, 2013) to elect a president, hoping to end the long political turmoil. As Mohamed Nasheed, the first elected president of Maldives, who was ousted in a coup 20 months ago, couldn't secure a majority, the poll headed to runoff to be conducted later this month. Here is an Instagram photo by user nrachey:
Tags: Elections English Law Maldives Politics Quick Reads South Asia
Caring For The Migrant Workers in Maldives
Amira at Mindblur comments:
The population of the Maldives is a little over 300,000 people and we employee over 100,000 expatriate workers mainly in menial jobs in the construction industry, as housemaids, cleaners, helpers in various places, etc. This high proportion of the population would mean the Government should put a lot more importance on regulating the workforce and their welfare.
Tags: Economics & Business English Governance Human Rights Labor Maldives Quick Reads South Asia
Maldives Rape Victim's Flogging Sentence Touches Off Anti-Tourism Campaign
Global outrage is growing against a Maldives court's verdict announced on February 26, 2013 to flog a 15-year-old girl who was originally a victim of rape and sexual abuse. She now faces 100 lashes in public which will be administered when she turns 18.
More than one million people have signed a petition created by the campaign website Avaaz.org, urging Maldivian authorities to protect the girl and end the practice of flogging of women and children for sex outside marriage. The petition also threatens to hit at the country's tourism industry until President Mohamed Waheed acts.
The girl has been a victim of sexual abuse dating back to 2009 and consecutive governments have failed to protect her, according to a report by Minivan News.
The court sentenced her to 100 lashes and 8 months of house arrest for confessing to a separate case – not related to the rape – of consensual sex with a man. She was first taken for questioning in 2012 when a dead baby was found buried inside her family compound. Her stepfather has been charged with murdering her baby and child sexual abuse while her mother has been charged with concealing the sexual abuse.
Capital of Maldives, Male. Image by Ahmed Shuau. Copyright Demotix (30/10/2009)
The police are under fire for a rushed investigation without providing adequate counselling for the girl and obtaining a confession out of her for prosecution. The Prosecutor General's Office claimed that a confession of fornication left no choice for them but to press ahead with prosecution under Maldives’ laws. In January 2013, when charges were pressed against the girl, the government said it will review and correct laws that victimize minors and women who suffered sexual abuse.
Amnesty International immediately condemned the charges. Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Maldives Researcher, argued that suspected victims of rape and sexual abuse required counselling and support rather than facing prosecution.
When the Juvenile Court sentenced the girl in February, the news was covered by mainstream media outlets including BBC and CNN. Faced with prospect of international condemnation, the government pledged to review the case and appeal it in a superior court. The conservative religious Adhaalath Party supported the court's verdict.
The Prosecutor General's decision to use the confession of the girl as evidence against her in the prosecution has been heavily criticized.
#OperationEndherima
Following the sentence, Maldivian activists started using the hashtag #OperationEndherima on social media to mount a campaign to protect the girl and voice out against the injustices she was facing.
Twitter user AdduHaanee (@AdduHaanee) wrote:
@AdduHaanee: little girls shud be smiling, laughing & making lego brick houses. Not getting punished for crimes they did not commit #OperationEndherima
Ismail (@Ismaar1) encouraged others to stand up for the girl:
@Ismaar1: You don't have to be superhero to standup against injustice. Join #OperationEndherima Seeking justice is not a crime
Azaf Riza (@azaf_riza) lamented the situation:
@azaf_riza: We live in a patriarchal society run by morons..victim is further victimised and she will forever be labelled #OperationEndherima
Avaaz Petition
The issue has gained worldwide attention after the petition started on Avaaz on March 20, 2013 received one million signatures within three days.
Meanwhile, Maldivians are reacting online to Avaaz's petition and are continuing the local campaign #OperationEndherima as well.
On Twitter, Hamid Shafeeu (@shafeeu) wrote:
@shafeeu (Hamid Shafeeu): In three days One million people expressed their outrage at a raped child being flogged. One million people. #Shame #OperationEndherima
Nuvana (@Nuvana) called the girl's punishment “insane”:
@Nuvana: Any sane Maldivian would have to agree that punishing a rape victim in lieu of protection is inhumane and insane #OperationEndherima
xiena saeed (@dorinbakedbeans) tweets:
@dorinbakedbeans: hey @DrWaheedH the avaaz petition just reached 1 million mark. thats more than the 2012 tourists #operationendherima pic.twitter.com/hEUhTq7i4K
Avaaz is planning to run ads on travel magazines to pressure the government of Maldives to abolish flogging as a form of punishment. In a country that aimed for one million tourists in 2012 and narrowly missed that mark, the implications of a global campaign that could damage the tourism industry are huge. The Avaaz petition reads:
Tourism is the big earner for the Maldives elite, including government ministers. Let's build a million-strong petition to President Waheed this week, then threaten the islands’ reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until he steps in to save her and abolish this outrageous law.
Maleeh Jamal, the deputy minister of tourism, has said such a negative campaign will damage not only the tourism industry of Maldives but the country as a whole. Jamal's concerns are echoed by some Twitter users who feel opposition activists are using this issue to attack the government.
asoa (@asoa) wrote:
@asoa: @Nuvana 14 y/o Rihana, Sh. Bilehfahi was flogged during @MohamedNasheed office and @Velezinee at Judicial Service. #FuckOperationEndherimaa
#OperationEndherima has also been criticized for failing to highlight the issue of “Hoara” Ibrahim Rasheed, a senior official of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who is accused of having consensual sex with an underage girl and then later claiming to have married her.
asoa (@asoa) was critical on this point:
@asoa: @kudanai #OperationEndherima silent on Hoara Ibbe issue cos he is MDP. #FuckOperationEndherimaa
There are mixed reactions, both from Maldivians and foreigners, about Avaaz's plan on targeting the tourism industry. The publisher of tourism news website eTurboNews supports boycotting Maldives tourism.
Farah Faizal (@FarahDidi) wrote about the country's priorities:
@FarahDidi: #Maldives Tourism Ministry worried about negative effect of @Avaaz petition. But not worried about #flogging minors? http://sun.mv/english/10890
Some Maldivians feel that targeting the tourism industry is the only option left to force the authorities to review the gross injustices associated with the Maldives’ criminal justice system. However, there are others who feel that a negative tourism campaign will impact not only the politicians as Avaaz believes but the ordinary people of the Maldives who depend on the tourism industry for their livelihood. An estimated 30,000 Maldivians are employed by the tourism industry while thousands of others benefit indirectly from tourism through support services such as the supply of fish and vegetables, transport services and sales of souvenirs.
anonymous (@AnonQC), believed to be a Twitter handle of supporters based in Quebec of the hacker collective Anonymous, wrote that the campaign should specifically target certain tourism spots:
@AnonQC: @Avaaz A better idea would be to only boycott tycoon pro-#mvcoup resorts and promote ethical ones run by honest folks. #Maldives
The account added:
@AnonQC: @Avaaz, general boycott campaign against #Maldives tourism is a dumbfuck idea. Will hurt local folks who are already struggling w/ #mvcoup.
Some Maldivians are against the Avaaz campaign because they believe flogging is a punishment prescribed by Islamic Sharia.
Whistle Blower (@Whistleblovir) defended Sharia law:
@Whistleblovir: @avaaz @FarahDidi Don't spread bogus stories 4 yr political gain. Maldives implement law on those who actually commit adultery as per sharia
Ibrahim Mustafa (@imustho) wrote:
@imustho: Tomorrow if 1 million people make a petition on Avaaz do we have to change our constitution also to allow other religions in Maldives.
Tags: Citizen Media Digital Activism Feature Human Rights Maldives Protest South Asia Weblog Women & Gender Youth
Looking Back at 2012 in South Asia - Part II
Pakistan's dismal human rights record just gets worse, India's rising rape rates have sent the society into a flux, Bangladesh rejected Myanmar's Rohingya refugees, the regions relatively stable country - Maldives- saw a spiraling political crisis, and protests in post-war Sri Lanka against price hikes were met with police brutality.
It has been a rough year in South Asia. And we have been covering the bad and the good, all year at Global Voices. Here are some highlights from this year's coverage.
Plight of minorities
In Pakistan, we saw the rise of a new wave of terrorism unleashed on minorities. Many Shiites spanning from Karachi to Kohistan have been specifically targeted and killed. In the Balochistan province, where a separatist movement is gaining momentum, we saw extra judicial abductions of Baloch nationalists, separatists and leaders. This year targeted violence against the Shia minority Hazara community by outlawed militant groups also picked up in Balochistan. Additionally, we showed that physically and mentally challenged people in Pakistan are subjected to discrimination everyday.
The Hazara members were travelling by bus before the shooting attack occurred in Quetta. Image by RFE/RL RFE/RL, copyright Demotix (04/10/12).
In Bangladesh, after bouts of sectarian violence between the Rohingya and Rakhine in Western Myanmar, the government restricted the influx of Rohingya refugees crossing borders. An action many netizens opposed citing humanitarian reasons. Religious extremists in Bangladesh attacked Buddhist temples and households on charges a member of their community had desecrated the Quran. However many analysts saw the motives as political rather than communal.
Indigenous students hold placards at a protest rally in Dhaka against the attack on the indigenous people in Rangamati. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (24/9/2012)
In Sri Lanka, around 2,000 Buddhist monks and local residents staged a violent protest in Dambulla town in Sri Lanka demanding that a mosque along with a Hindu temple situated in an area designated as a Buddhist sacred zone be demolished.
In India, fighting between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers in the State of Assam killed at least 32 people and wounded many more. Social Media was blamed for fueling this unrest. In November, after an intercaste marriage fueled a 2,000 strong mob to attack three Dalit settlements in the Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu.
A number of working women had been abducted and raped in the city of Gurgaon, located within 30 kilometres of the Indian capital. The police response was to ask working women to stop working after 8pm to prevent rape incidents which has prompted a heated debate in social media. In May, Kolkata city formally joined the global SlutWalk movement to campaign to stop violence against women.
Rape in the Indian state of Haryana has also increased, with as many as 19 cases reported in one month. As a result of the rapes, women have been advised to avoid going to pubs, using mobile phones and wearing jeans.
Illustration by Samia Singh. CC BY-NC-ND 2.5
A 23 year-old woman was stripped, beaten and raped in a moving bus in South Delhi on December 16, 2012, stirring shock and outrage in India. Shocked at the brutality of the incident, Indians are asking for stricter laws and harsher punishments for violence against women. Stirred by this outrage, a group of activists in neighboring Nepal started protests demanding justice for Sita Rai, who was raped in Kathmandu.
In Pakistan, the blasphemy law has been the focus of a heated debate yet again, after a minor christian girl named Rimsha was accused of blasphemy and sent to jail.
“Eve teasing” has become a disease in Bangladeshi society because of the silence of the citizens. But one blogger stood against one such incident and asked fellow bloggers help in exposing the harassers.
Human Rights and protest
In Pakistan terrorist attacks and sectarian violence was commonplace. It became so overwhelming that we could only cover some bomb explosions and attacks on military bases. Karachi saw incessant sectarian violence which killed more than 300 people in three months.
People and Security officials gather at site after bomb blast near Imambargah Hyder-e-Karrar in Orangi Town in Karachi. Image by Owais Aslam Ali. Copyright Demotix (21/11/2012)
A number of human and women rights activists were targeted and attacked in Pakistan. Including in the list are Fareeda Kokikhel Afridi, a prominent and tireless rights activist, Ghazala Jawad, a charismatic Pashto singer, Malala Yosufzai, the female education activist and Mehzar, the youngest victim of violence against Shiites.
Also in Pakistan, an angry mob lynched an alleged Blasphemer and burnt him alive. The mob broke inside the jail, took the alleged blasphemer outside and burned him out in the open. The lives of 240,000 innocent children are at stake due to the recent ban on polio inoculation by the Taliban in the region of FATA. Recently, health workers administering polio vaccines were shot.
The brutal murder of a journalist couple in Bangladesh has shocked the nation and the inability of the authorities to nab the killers has enraged netizens. Bloggers marched for the Murdered Journalist Couple.
Indian Border Security Forces have killed more than 1,000 Bangladeshis in the last ten years. To protest the killings some bloggers called for a campaign to boycott Indian products and services on March 1, 2012 which got much support online.
Post-war Sri Lanka saw a turbulent economy with price hike and imposition of surcharges earlier this year, which provoked widespread protests. Netizens protested police brutality in enforcing law and order.
Screenshot of the video showing the protest of the evictees of the Omkareshwar Dam project
Opposing a dam, 51 residents of Ghongalgaon village of Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh launched a ‘Jal Satyagraha' protest, by standing neck deep inside the backwaters of Omkareshwar dam on Narmada river.
Power protests
As South Asia observed Earth Hour by turning off its non-essential lights for one hour, netizens argued whether that is an appropriate campaign to address climate change as millions of people in South Asia have no access to electricity.
Koodankulam Nuclear Plant, Tamil Nadu, India. Image by Flickr user Eunheui. CC BY-NC 2.0
Anti-nuclear activists and inhabitants of nearby villages in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India protested against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP). They want the plant to cease operations.
In Phulbari, Bangladesh, local communities have come together to raise their voices against the proposed Phulbari open pit coal mining project.
Political corridors
Maldives went in to deep political crisis as the police force and some military personnel revolted against the government in a follow-up to three weeks of protest by civilians. Mohamed Nasheed, the president of Maldives most famously known as a climate champion, was coerced to announced his resignation on February 7. The crisis took an ugly turn following his resignation as police brutally beat and injured his protesting supporters, who claimed the move was a coup that removed the island nation's first democratically elected president from power.
Soldiers who mutinied shake hands with public. Image by MUHA. Used with permission
In April in India, a well respected newspaper reported an attempted coup in the Indian capital. Everybody from the government to the common people dismissed the Indian Express front-page story. The Indian State Assembly Elections were one of the most talked about issues in the Indian blogosphere. We saw some interesting news such as draping of statues because they resembled a party symbol. In Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in the country saw an unexpected outcome that shocked everyone.
A religious union of 40 different parties by the name of Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) has emerged as the representative of Pakistan's extreme right-wing parties. In March, Karachi (Sindh) hosted a massive rally for the independence of Sindh from the Pakistani state which was organized by the Long-Live Sindh National Front (JSQM) under the leadership of Bashir Khan Qureshi. Pakistani netizens expressed their reactions on the sudden and untimely death of Bashir Khan Qureshi in the following month.
The Pakistani Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had been disqualified ever since April 26, when it gave the final ruling on a contempt case imprisoning him for a few seconds.
In the past decade hundreds of cinema halls have closed down in Bangladesh. A popular cartoon show dubbed in Hindi stirred debate in Bangladesh.
Signboard of the office. Screenshot from the video The Musalman
India's ‘The Musalman' is probably is the last handwritten newspaper in the world.
A new Indian TV talk show titled Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails) hosted by Bollywood actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan is debating taboo and sensational social issues which are engaging more and more Indians.
We took a walk down memory lane with netizens to pay tribute to Ghazal legend Mehdi Hasan from Pakistan, writer and director Humayun Ahmed of Bangladesh.
We also posted stories on the crowning of Miss Nepal 2012, celebrations of Bengali New Year Pahela Baisakh (first day of summer), Dhaka's Hay Festival, Karachi Literature Fest, a social campaign using street theatre in India called Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Pakistan's first Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.
Part I of this post took a deeper look at the rising role of social media in South Asia.
Tags: Arts & Culture Bangladesh Digital Activism English Governance Humanitarian Response India Maldives Nepal Pakistan South Asia Sri Lanka Weblog
Maldives: The Assassination of A Lawmaker
Buggee posts a photo story on the death of Dr Afraasheem Ali, a lawmaker of the Maldives Government qualition, who was stabbed to death outside his home.
Tags: English Governance Maldives South Asia Updates
Maldives: Independence Day Celebrations In Male
Buggee posts photos of the recently held official Independence Day celebrations of Maldives in the Galolhu Grounds of the capital Male.
Image courtesy Buggee Photography
Tags: Arts & Culture English Governance Maldives South Asia Updates
Vibrant Maldives Eid Celebrations - Despite the Political Wrangling
As Muslims throughout the world celebrated the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid Al-Fitr festival on 19 August, 2012, in the Maldives the celebrations were marred by controversy, with political and religious divisions overshadowing some of the joyful moments.
When the Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced that the morning Eid prayers in the capital city Malé were to be held in an open space, it created much controversy and debate. Eid prayers were previously held in mosques and some people viewed the decision to have it in an open space as a move by the present government and religious groups to consolidate power by abusing the country's religious identity.
Women gathered for Eid Al-Fitr prayers at a sports ground in Malé, Maldives. Image by Saffah Faroog. Copyright Demotix (19/8/2012)
Political turmoil
Maldivian society has gone through deep divisions recently after the first democratically-elected government, headed by President Mohamed Nasheed, lost power on February 7 when the president resigned following a police mutiny. The military were seen as sympathetic to the police and failed to curb the mutiny, while some soldiers joined the mutinying police, on a day of total chaos.
Nasheed's deputy Mohamed Waheed Hassan was sworn in as the new president. Since then Nasheed and his supporters have been declaring that he was ousted through a coup, being coerced to resign. The present government, which comprises of a loose coalition of various political parties, insist that they came to power legally through constitutional means.
Protests by supporters of Nasheed, demanding an election, have become frequent in the Maldives, with several protesters having been injured during heavy police crackdowns. The police have suffered injuries too as protesters turned violent. Several journalists, who tried to cover the protests, have been threatened and injured through actions of both police and protesters, and the country's media has suffered in the wake of the violence.
The role of Adhaalath Party, a political party based on religion as its main ideology, in building a momentum against Nasheed during his final days in power — marked by daily protests against the president's controversial detention of a judge and what some viewed as policies that undermined religion — has made it a bitter enemy of Nasheed's supporters.
Ironically, it was Nasheed himself who brought Adhaalath Party to the corridors of power, assigning it a cabinet portfolio when he picked his cabinet in November 2008. Adhaalath Party split with Nasheed only in his final months as president. His successor, President Waheed, has let the religious party regain its cabinet post, presumably as a reward for the party leaders' role in ending Nasheed's government.
When the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, headed by the Adhaalath Party, called for a large congregation to perform Eid prayers at an open space in the capital, the news was met with skepticism and hostility from citizens, who saw it as a publicity stunt to show numbers at the event and interpret it as support for the ruling government. Opposition supporters called for a boycott of the large congregation and instead for people to go to individual mosques for Eid prayers.
Huzam tweets:
AS USUAL PLEASE GO TO ISLAMIC CENTRE FOR EID PRAYERS TOMORROW! ACT AGAINST MISUSING RELIGION FOR POLITICAL GAIN!
However, some Maldivians felt that a religious event such as an Eid prayer need not be politicized by any of the political sides.
Azim Zahir tweets:
Accusing Adalat of politicizing Eid prayer, opposition equally politicized it by urging ppl to attend Islami Marukaz. How long can we go on?
Azim Zahir emphasizes:
Instrumentalization of religion is a vicious cycle driven by all sides on the political divide. Eid prayer is a clear case.
Eid outdoor prayers
On the morning of Eid Al-Fitr, a large crowd of approximately 10,000 people turned out for the congregation, held at a football ground in Malé. Among them were even some supporters of ousted president Nasheed, giving credence to the view that most people saw the event purely as a religious gathering, free from political undertones. President Waheed and other senior figures of the present government were seen joining the open air congregation.
As expected, Nasheed himself, along with some of his supporters, boycotted the congregation and instead attended the prayers at the capital's largest mosque.
The large congregation itself was remarkably peaceful, with Maldivians praying side by side with migrant workers from Bangladesh, who are normally subjected to ill treatment in their daily lives. A number of women also attended the Eid prayers.
Hassaan Rasheed tweets:
@Hadithoftheday Here in Maldives we prayed EID AL FITR in the largest ever congregation and it was amazing. pic.twitter.com/7Aq4fBop
A large congregation gathers for Eid prayers in Malé, Maldives. Image by niOS. Used with permission.
The congregation was free from political rhetoric and provided a rare moment of unity and diversity; however, there were fears that politicians would use such events to consolidate their power, under the guise of religion or the call for social harmony. There were discussions on Twitter as to whether the large congregation symbolized a boost of support for the present government and for the religious groups. User Two Dead Fish tweets:
I bet they will politicize and call the people who attended stadium as their supporters.
Some Twitter users pointed out that a large proportion of the people who attended the prayers were expatriates. EhJu tweets:
@2deadfish It's alright. At least half the people there can't vote in a Maldivian election.
Adhaalath Party celebrated the success of the congregation, with one leader claiming [div] that more than 35,000 people attended the prayers. However, this claim was rebuked by some social media users who presented evidence such as this photo which seemed to indicate that numbers were not as huge as some religious leaders claimed.
The controversy over the Eid prayer congregation shows how polarized the Maldivian society is today and how even an event such as an Eid prayer is not spared from political wrangling. Azim Zahir tweets:
Three ladies head to Stadium for prayer, another shouts at them: supporters of coup. How long can we sustain these tensions and dissonances?
Azim Zahir adds:
Ordinary Maldivians are caught up in the dilemmas of instrumentalization of even their Eid prayer. Such mental burdens in today's Maldives.
Enjoying Eid nevertheless
Despite the political wrangling, Malé residents still enjoyed various games and theatrical street performances to celebrate Eid, as documented by photographer Muha in the following photos (used with permission).
For a brief time, children and adults - depicting dheli maali, a black demon - reigned the streets and captured people's attention, sidelining politicians and religious leaders.
More photos are available in a photo essay posted in Bug's blog.
Tags: Citizen Media English Governance Maldives Photos Politics Religion South Asia Weblog
Maldives: Ask The People, Go For An Election
Maeed M. Zahir analyzes the current unstable political situation in Maldives after the incumbent resident Mohmaed Nasheed had been forced out of office last month. The blogger comments that Maldives now needs an election to get the people's verdict.
Tags: Elections English Governance Maldives Politics South Asia Updates
Maldives: Marred by Violence
The political crisis in the Maldives took an ugly turn Wednesday when the police brutally beat and injured supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Nasheed as they protested against what they claimed to be a coup that removed the island nation's first democratically elected president from power. In the riots that followed, Nasheed's supporters torched and destroyed a number of police stations, courts, local council offices and other public buildings. Scores of police officers were hurt in the violence too.
Earlier in the day, in a meeting of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the party which won the first multiparty election of the Maldives in 2008 and brought Nasheed to presidency, the deposed President announced that his resignation on Tuesday was coerced.
“We will come to power again,” Nasheed said. “We will never step back. I will not accept this coup and will bring justice to the Maldivians.”
Police charge teargas on protesters. Image by anonymous photographer, used with permission.
Nasheed and his supporters then marched through the capital Male' and faced a line of police behind shields near the island's main square, just next to military and police headquarters. The protesters threw bottles and stones at the police while the police fired teargas canisters into the crowd. The confrontation between the two sides ended in a brutal crackdown by police, leading to blood-soaked protesters being rushed to hospitals. Among those hurt were members of parliament and senior leaders of Nasheed's party.
FreedomWatchMV has posted this video of the confrontation between the security forces and protesters.
Another video shows police dragging an MP and Nasheed out of a shop after dispersing the crowd. Nasheed was released after a debate between the policemen about whether he should be arrested or not. This video shows a blood-soaked man narrating how the police beat him up.
Yameen blogs about the events that took place in Male':
There is a brutal, concerted effort by the runaway police department to crush protests by supporters of President Nasheed, following his release today.
I have personally witnessed the heavy handed tactics employed to combat MDP activists, energized by the release of President Nasheed earlier today after yesterday's coup d'etat that forced him to resign.
Tear gas was used indiscriminately on Orchid magu near the Supreme court building. Two people were beaten up and lay motionless on the street for a long time before they were dragged and shoved into an ambulance.
Then I saw a police jeep speeding into a crowd of protesters. A police jeep. Absolutely reprehensible.
Police brutality on protesters. Image by anonymous. used with permission.
Muju Naeem ponders if the Maldives has turned into a military dictatorship.
So if President Waheed did not give the order, then we can safely assume that the security forces were acting on their own. What this means is that we have incidentally slipped into a military/police dictatorship where the executive is there only in name only.
Maldives has become a police state.
Maldivian Twitter users have started using 3 hashtags to tell their story. Please follow;
1. #maldivespolicestate
2. #mvprotest
3. #mvcoup
Following the events in the capital, Nasheed's supporters responded by rioting in outer islands, setting police stations on fire, throwing stones at policemen on duty and burning down courts and several other public buildings. In a number of islands they drove the police out and seized the police stations.
Maldivians and foreigners are tweeting about the new wave of violence that has gripped the holiday haven.
foram divrania tweets:
@divrania: Peace to Maldives..ur too beautiful for politics and violence.
Nattu tweets:
@reallynattu: “@hisherm: I don't support any political parties. I support Maldives.” Including Me!
There is an eerie calm in the islands and the capital on Thursday as people remain tense about what could happen next. In a press conference, the commanders of the police and military assured that order will be restored and promised to investigate the previous day's violence.
Speaking to journalists at his residence, Nasheed said he was forced to resign by some military personnel as the country's police force mutinied against his rule. Calling for fresh elections, he vowed to come back to power and reassured that he has no intention of grabbing power through street riots. He also condemned the acts of violence his supporters had committed in various islands.
Tags: Breaking News English Governance Human Rights Maldives Politics Protest South Asia Weblog
South Asia in 2011: A Year Full Of Controversies & Protests
2011 was an eventful year for social media as people used many tools to organize protests, share frequent updates and news which had impacted our lives. We have seen people talking intensely in Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc about deaths of world-changing figures - from inventors to dictators and terrorists. The Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street protests became viral and the world was glued to the events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. South Asian countries also have seen use of social media to discuss about many controversies and protests. This year we saw more netizens using microblogging sites to share their opinions.
Controversies:
In January, Pakistani celebrity Veena Malik was accused by religious hardliners of immoral behavior as she took part in the Indian reality show Big Boss. Pakistani netizens stood divided amongst its conservative and liberal lines.
Veena Malik at Lux Style Awards. Image by Arun Reginald. CC-BY-SA-3.0
At the end of the year Veena Malik stirred up another controversy when FHM India, a male lifestyle magazine, published her nude picture on its cover page. Veena’s shoot with an ISI Tattoo on her arm sparked strong reactions from right, left and center in Pakistan and India.
On the other hand a Pakistani Islamic televangelist was also at the center-point of a controversy. A behind-the-scenes video depicted Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain, a notable religious scholar, uttering abuse and profanities as well as religious blasphemy.
In April the Sri Lankan government had condemned a 196 page leaked report on civilian casualties by an United Nations (UN) advisory panel, dismissing it as flawed and biased. Intense debate ensued in Twitter and Facebook.
In May the accidental death of a research scholar from Kerala, India sparked controversies about the privacy of women, privacy of a dead person and in general about the lingering male chauvinism in Keralan society.
A couple of Indian Ministers were drawn into controversy because of their statements. India's Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, angered the gay community and gay rights activists with his comments at a HIV/AIDS conference in New Delhi. Netizens condemned his take on homosexuality as “unnatural” and a “disease” that had come from the West. In December the Indian Union Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal asked Internet giants such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo to pre-screen derogatory, defamatory and inflammatory content about political leaders and religion and filter if objectionable. His words got a huge backlash from the netizens.
Wordle Image of the banned word list. Click on the image to enlarge.
In November, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) become the center of controversy when it sent a list of 586 Urdu and 1,109 English banned words and phrases to the mobile phone operators in the country to filter them.
The pregnant Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her impending child birth produced a media hype in India. Bangladeshi exile writer Taslima Nasrin was also drawn into controversy when she tweeted that she wished that Aishwarya would give birth to a girl child.
Actions have been taken by a Bangladeshi court against a teacher living abroad, as a consequence of his Facebook status.
Protests:
Anna Hazare addressing the people and media at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. Image by Sarika Gulati, copyright Demotix (08/04/2011).
In India, social media has been extensively used to power civil society's push for a proposed anti-corruption bill. The movement is being led from the front by a Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare, who continues to receive a huge amount of support in home and abroad - online and offline.
In November, India's Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar, was slapped on the face by a youth, who was apparently fed up of the growing inflation, corruption and graft cases in the country and decided to hit out at the Union Minister in protest. Netizens discussed the merits and demerits of this violent protest.
In Bangladesh, citizen media was a vital tool for the indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh who shared news about the ethnic clashes between Bengali settlers and indigenous people. These minorities have found a voice via blogs and Facebook when the mainstream media have been accused of ignoring the plights of the local aboriginal people. Later in the year many Bangladeshi indigenous people had taken the streets holding meetings, human chains and rallies, demanding constitutional recognition of their identity. Bloggers engaged in a debate on this issue.
Farzana Yasmin. Image courtesy Kowshik
In this region some of the protests were unprecedented and unique. In several South Asian countries Dowry is prohibited by law but is still widely and illegally practiced. A protest against dowry was much discusses and lauded in the social networks in Bangladesh. Farzana Yasmin sent ripples across the country by divorcing the bridegroom right after the wedding as her in-laws demanded a TV set, refrigerator, motorbike and a few more things as ‘gifts' from the bride's family in presence of the guests.
In Bangladesh capital Dhaka after a three-fold campaign via Blogs, Facebook and street protests authorities of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNC) were forced to sack and arrest a teacher accused of sexually molesting a student.
In July bloggers and online activists among other protesters were arrested while striking in protest of a recent Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between the Bangladesh government and United States energy giant ConocoPhillips for deep sea gas exploration.
A placard of the Occupy Dhaka Movement
This year in October Eight Bangladeshi migrant workers were beheaded in public in Saudi Arabia for being involved in the robbing a warehouse and killing of a security guard. Netizens were enraged by this horrific punishment and questioned the transparency of the trial.
The Occupy Wall street movement prompted a similar protest in Dhaka where people vowed to get themselves free from the two feuding, corrupt and occupier political alliances.
A recent venture by the Bangladesh government to takeover 25000acres of wetlands (Arial Beel) 60km South of the capital city of Dhaka, for a proposed International airport and satellite city led to protests and violence in the area. Netizens too, reacted strongly to the government debating the need for a new airport and the government was forced to back down on the airport project.
In Pakistan, the death of 24 Pakistani troops by friendly fire from NATO helicopters and fighter aircrafts in Pakistan sparked protests across the country.
Raymond Davis, an American diplomatic staff, is under investigation for the double murder of two Pakistani motorcyclists in Karachi, Pakistan. Following the US demand to release Davis, the protesters took to the streets in a country which already has increasing anti-US sentiments.
In Sri Lanka, clashes at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Sri Lanka between protesting workers and police claimed the life of an young worker and injured many workers and policemen. The debate on the social media on this issue sent a strong signal to the Sri Lankan government.
Protesting increase of commodity prices in Maldives. Image from Twitpic by Ahmed Nazim (@GraveBone).
For seven consecutive days, thousands of residents of Male, the capital of Maldives, have protested on busy streets and public spaces, expressing their dissatisfaction over soaring prices of consumer goods and economic mismanagement of the government. Madivian citizen journalists shared the updates of the protests.
Nepali Internet users were caught in disarray as the Internet Service Provider’s Association of Nepal (ISPAN) shut down its internet service as a mark of protest against the government's crackdown on ‘illegal VOIP call bypass'.
The South Asia authors team will continue to highlight and translate more citizen voices from across the region in 2012. You can get involved in the Global Voices community in multiple ways. Please do send us your suggestions and feedback. Wishing you a happy 2012.
Tags: Bangladesh Citizen Media Digital Activism English Governance Human Rights India Indigenous International Relations Maldives Media & Journalism Nepal Pakistan Politics Protest South Asia Sri Lanka War & Conflict Weblog
Maldives: Reactions To Defacing Of Monuments
Some SAARC countries have sent monuments to Maldives to celebrate the SAARC summit this year. Maldives' religious party Adhaalath had called for removal of these alleged idols. Sri Lankan blogger Indrajit Samarajiva shares his reactions on the desecration of the Sri Lankan and Pakistani monuments.
Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Tags: English Human Rights Maldives Politics Religion South Asia Sri Lanka Updates
Maldives: Discrimination Against The Foreign Labors
‘Legacy of Pain' is outraged by the attitude of the Male City Council who recently discussed the “nuisance and bother” of expatriate workers who gather on Fridays at the Republic Square in the Maldives capital.
Tags: English International Relations Labor Maldives South Asia Updates
Maldives: Quality Schools
Quality Schools is a blog of the Educational Supervision and Quality Improvement Division (ESQID) of the Ministry of Education in Maldives which disseminates suggestions and best practices for Maldivian schools to improve their quality of education.
Tags: Education English Maldives South Asia Updates
Maldives: Workshops On Citizen Journalism
The Maldives Project consists of a series of citizen journalism workshops on three islands in the Maldives during the period from June 15 to August 10, 2010. You can find all about them in their blog.
Tags: English Internet & Telecoms Maldives Media South Asia Technology Updates
Maldives: Privacy Act Required
How would you feel seeing your personal data divulged in a public website? Iru Veli highlights a few recent incidents of privacy breach of personal data of many Maldivians and stresses the need for a privacy act in the country.
Tags: English Human Rights Law Maldives South Asia Updates
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line817
|
__label__wiki
| 0.692319
| 0.692319
|
Search | Logout | Login | Register
ACLJ Profile Completion
Receive the latest news, updates, and contribution opportunities from ACLJ.
Victory Reports
About ACLJ
About Jordan
Get our Help
Global Human Rights Reports
Listen to Radio Shows
Find a radio station
News Media Requests
ListenExclusive Analysis: Senate Begins Impeachment Trial Today
Exclusive Analysis: Senate Begins Impeachment Trial Today
Persecuted Church
Pakistan Office Starts an Outreach Campaign to Provide Legal Aid to Poor Christian Communities Facing Persecution and Marginalization
Pakistan Office Starts an Outreach Campaign for Christians
By Shaheryar Gill15729694891341572969489134
The ACLJ’s affiliate, European Centre for Law and Justice’s (ECLJ) office in Pakistan, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), has started an Outreach and Awareness Campaign to reach out to the marginalized and poor Christian communities in Lahore and its surrounding rural areas.
Our goal is to reach out to the marginalized communities through religious and political leaders and social activists and inform them about their rights under Pakistani law. In that regard, the OLA plans to distribute awareness pamphlets that will include basic information about common legal issues regarding human rights abuses and societal discrimination and OLA’s work in that area.
As part of the campaign, on October 27, 2019, our team organized a speaking event at Naulakha Presbyterian Church in Lahore, which is one of the oldest and most prominent churches in Lahore. Our team shared some of our cases, highlighting some of the common human rights issues our communities face.
We are thankful to Rev. Majeed Abel, pastor of Naulakha Church, and his wonderful congregation for warmly welcoming our team and supporting the idea of outreach through informational pamphlets and short speaking sessions to our communities.
Our team also shared with the church that the OLA has represented over 80 clients in the Pakistani courts in the last nine years. Most of those cases have been concluded, included numerous victories, and about ten cases are still ongoing. These cases involve a wide range of issues, including, blasphemy, torture, rape, murder, violence, bonded labor, illegal occupation of churches and cemeteries, etc.
After the service, our team set up a table to distribute pamphlets containing information about OLA’s work and vision and some victories that we have achieved in the past years. The team also spoke with individual congregants and received very positive feedback.
We will continue to update you as we expand the campaign and successfully reach out to those in need.
Here are some of the victories we were able to share:
Pastor Karma Patras
One of the major victories we had at the OLA involved the case of Pastor Karma Patras. Pastor Karma was accused of committing blasphemy against Islam. During a funeral service, Pastor Karma gave a message on the topic of "sacrifice." One Muslim neighbor misunderstood what Pastor Karma had said about the sacrifice of Jesus. He thought Pastor Karma was comparing Eid-ul-Adha (the Eid of sacrifice) with the sacrifice of Jesus.
We argued that proper legal procedure was not followed in that case when the FIR was registered against Pastor Karma. We also facilitated a discussion between the Muslim neighbor and the pastor. As a result, the Muslim neighbor testified in the court that he misunderstood the message. He clarified that the pastor's message was not blasphemous, and that he had no grievance against him. After he testified we filed a petition to dismiss the case for lack of evidence. The court accepted the petition and acquitted the pastor.
People are often falsely accused of blasphemy due to personal disputes. But this was a case that involved misunderstanding about an actual religious statement. Our efforts in this case show that in such cases, our society must endeavor to resolve the disputes without going through long trials in courts.
Naeem Nazir
The term "chuhra" is not only a racial slur . . . , it has real practical implications for many Christians. One case in which the association of the term "churha" with Christians had far reaching implications was that of Naeem Nazir who applied for a job as an office assistant in a government school. Seeing that Naeem was a Christian, the Education Department automatically appointed him as a sweeper. Naeem complained about the discriminatory appointment, but the management told him to remain silent as he was a Christian and was appointed to the right position as a sweeper. We filed a constitutional petition in the Lahore High Court against the Department of Education, arguing that the appointment was based on unlawful religious and racial discrimination.
After a legal battle of six years, the court ordered the District Officer, the Deputy District Officer, and the legal advisor for the Education Department to immediately nullify Naeem's wrongful and discriminatory employment. The judge said that he would suspend all the officials who were involved in such discrimination if Naeem was not issued a new appointment letter as an office assistant. The officer for the Education Department requested that he be given some time, but the court refused. Within two days, Naeem received a new appointment letter explaining that he was being appointed as an office assistant.
Imran Masih
Most recently, the OLA represented Imran Masih, his wife, and three children who had been detained and forced to perform physical labor by two zamindar brothers at their farm and home for about four years. The zamindars even chained Imran and forced him and his family to work without compensation. One day the guard forgot to chain Imran and he escaped. Imran ran and walked for the entire night and reached a place of help in the morning. He was brought to our office. We filed a habeas corpus petition in the Lahore High Court to recover the rest of the family from the zamindar's detention. The court appointed a bailiff who raided the dera and found the family. The police broke the locks and took the family into their custody and presented them before the court. Hearing the conditions the family was kept in from the bailiff, the court set the family free. Through a sister organization, we helped Imran and his family start a new life in Lahore.
Help defend other persecuted Christians like these in Pakistan by taking action with us.
SignDonateShare
Defend Dying Christians in Pakistan
Read the full text of the petition
Persecuted Church Signatures
Make this a monthly tax-deductible gift.
As we aggressively fight in Pakistani courts to defend dying Christians, every gift (even $5) makes a difference. Donate today.
Click here to use a different card
Email Email Address is required.
Name First Name is required.
Country United StatesCanadaUnited Kingdom
-State-
Credit Card Credit Card Number is required.
Verification Code is required.
Date -Month-01 - January02 - February03 - March04 - April05 - May06 - June07 - July08 - August09 - September10 - October11 - November12 - December Expiration Month is required.
-Year-2020202120222023202420252026202720282029 Expiration Year is required.
If you are experiencing any issues with our donation form, please click here
If you are having technical difficulties with our donation processor, it may be overloaded at the moment. Please refresh or check our site again in a couple of hours as we work to resolve any issues. For any questions or to make a donation by phone, please call our Member Services department at 1-800-342-2255.
Our payment processor is overloaded at the moment. Please consider using PayPal to donate, or check our site again in a couple of hours as they work to resolve any issues. For any questions or to make a donation by phone, please call our Member Services department at 1-800-342-2255.
Encourage your friends to sign and donate by sharing this petition.
Thank you for making a donation!
Thank you for making your generous, tax-deductible gift to the American Center for Law and Justice. Your support is greatly appreciated. A confirmation of your gift will be emailed to you shortly. To learn how we manage the resources you provide, click here.
Anti-Christian Antagonists Move to Ban Dog Tag Bible Verses
By Jordan Sekulow1579191030687
Once again, the ACLJ is taking action to defend the faith of countless soldiers as an extreme, anti-Christian organization that constantly attacks faith in our military wants to bar them from displaying their faith on their dog tags alongside their respective Service insignias. Countless men and...
Planned Parenthood Breaks Own Record for Abortions in a Year
By Matthew Clark1579291182587
Planned Parenthood, which deceptively claims that abortions are only an infinitesimal part of its business, just set a record for the most abortions committed in a single year. Planned Parenthood’s 2018-2019 annual report shows that while nationally the abortion rate is at an all-time low , Planned...
What You Need to Know About the Death of Soleimani
By Wesley Smith1578088122044
President Trump ordered the attack on Major General Qassem Soleimani, a master terrorist and the head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on January 2nd. He was killed along with seven others as he arrived at the Baghdad Airport. Here are key facts about this man, who...
China Imprisons Another Christian Pastor Because of His Faith
Finally, the mainstream media has had no choice but to take notice of the persecution happening in China. A recent Time magazine article reported the arrest and closed-door conviction of Christian Pastor Wang Yi, the founder of Early Rain Covenant Church, who has been sentenced to 9 years in prison...
Turkey’s Persecution of Christians and Other Minorities
Last week I wrote about the atrocities committed by Turkey as it continues its invasion of northeastern Syria and its failure to keep the terms of the supposed ceasefire they pledged to the United States and the world. While Turkish and Russian troops in armored vehicles—purportedly to keep the...
Wrongfully Imprisoned Pastor Youcef Ends Hunger Strike
By CeCe Heil1572464503526
Wrongfully imprisoned Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has reportedly ended his three-week-long hunger strike in an Iranian prison. He was “protesting the regime's prohibition on his children’s ability to complete their education because they refuse to study Islam.” Pastor Youcef’s son Youeil was...
American Pastor Attending Conference in India Arrested
Pastor Bryan Nerren is a Christian Pastor in Tennessee. He is a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who also has a compassionate heart for others. He heads up the non-profit ministry Asian Children’s Education Fellowship, which has been training Sunday School teachers in India and Nepal for 17...
with Jay Sekulow
JaySekulow.comFacebookTwitteryoutubeRegent
with Jordan Sekulow
JordanSekulow.comFacebookTwitter
Want to work for the ACLJ?
ACLJ Careers Page
with the ACLJ
MEMBER SERVICES:
PETITION LINE:
JAY SEKULOW LIVE:
lines open Mon-Fri noon to 1pm EST
European Centre
Slavic Centre
African Centre
Be Heard Project
American Center for Law and Justice | Washington D.C. | Copyright © 2020, ACLJ | Privacy & Security Policy | Annual Report
The ACLJ is an organization dedicated to the defense of constitutional liberties secured by law.
American Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to engage legal, legislative and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy, education and litigation to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to us at P.O. Box 90555, Washington, DC 20090-0555.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line818
|
__label__wiki
| 0.959076
| 0.959076
|
The Art of Ruben Rosas
AComicWorld Art
© 2023 by RISING DRAGON. Proudly created with Wix.com
Web_Rocket_Scarface_SayHello
964819_381140901991670_158079871_o
Check Out Some of Our Favorite Photos from Our Recent Comic-Con and Art Show Events!
Ruben Rosas
Ruben Rosas is the artist behind all things AComicWorld Art. He is a talented free-lance artist who is inspired by pop culture and his desire to portray it the way he envisions it. He has been doing art as far back as he can remember, from his 30+ odd years of life. Graduating in 2003 from the Art Institute of Phoenix with a B.A. in Media Arts and illustration, he has been doing free-lance work for over 12 years. Over the past 2 years he has been a regular at Phoenix Comic Con and Tucson Comic Con to only name a few. Check out the events tab for upcoming comic conventions and art festival appearences you can find him at as he branches out in the SW corner of the U.S.
Find Ruben most Thursday nights
@ VillageFest the weekly street fair in Palm Springs!
Ruben's Bio
About AcomicWorld
Shop & Follow
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line819
|
__label__wiki
| 0.728368
| 0.728368
|
By Ethan Jakob Craft - 7 min 22 sec ago
By Jessica Wohl - 37 min 44 sec ago
Architectural Digest turns 100—and is getting younger by the minute
By Brian Braiker - 6 hours 6 min ago
Opinion: Ensuring that your customer experience lives up to your brand promise
By Chris Wallace - 1 day 3 hours ago
Jonathan Mak : Thanks, Steve
A work of art.
As news of Steve Jobs' death spread, a design, featuring the Apple Logo with Jobs' silhouette making up the "bite" starting popping up, on Facebook profiles and on commemorative memorabilia on eBay. The creator, a 19-year old Hong Kong designer and photographer, Jonathan Mak, had designed it initially when Jobs stepped down from the CEO post in August, using it to signify the tech visionary's long-lasting impact on the Apple brand and on the technology world. He reposted it when Jobs passed away. Since then, the teenager has received notes, well-wishes and seen his work explode on the web. He has even received a job offer. When he initially posted it, it seems like he wasn't aware of the effect it would have. "Posting designs like this one makes me paranoid, because I can't shake the feeling that it's not original," he wrote.
Jonathan Mak
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line823
|
__label__cc
| 0.644272
| 0.355728
|
Scouting March 21, 2015
Stars: Scouting the Enemy
This is Scott Valentine. Hi Scott Valentine! (Photo Credit: Christina Shapiro)
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig. The Milwaukee Admirals season long six-game road trip is finally and -mercifully- over. With the Admirals going 1-4-1-0 on that road trip a return to home ice out to be a sight for sore eyes.
~Rant~
I would really like to stress something on the Admirals before going into this very brief edition of Scouting the Enemy (we only just played these Texas folks a week ago). I don’t think the Admirals have played all that bad during the road trip. The power-play is something I certainly won’t attempt to defend. It’s woeful. Yet when it comes to five-on-five play I think the Admirals have performed very well. They’ve wanted badly to generate shots and have goaltenders working for their saves. On the road trip they outshot teams 188-172.
The problem there? Goaltenders who were up to the task with defenses forcing Admirals out of the garbage areas around the net that minimized follow-up opportunities. The result was the record above and a road trip scoreline of Admirals 13 – Opponents 23. At least that’s the “offensive” issue.
If there was any other issue that detracted from the solid play of the Admirals during the road trip it was the amount of mistakes that took place that led directly to goals. Let’s run those down in order of appearance as they took place on the six-game roadie: (1) Falling asleep defensively and allowing the Oklahoma City Barons to score fifty-three seconds after they had taken their first lead of the game to make it a two-goal lead. (2) Joe Piskula and Kevin Fiala botch defensive zone exit that instantly gets converted to a Barons goal. (3) Shorthanded goal allowed to the San Antonio Rampage for the game’s opening goal. (4) Taking a retaliation penalty, failed penalty kill clearance, and opening goal allowed off a Texas Stars power-play. (5) Another failed/soft defensive zone clearance that put the defense in scramble mode before allowing a quick goal. (6) Equalizing the Stars opening goal only to concede another goal fifty-nine seconds later. (7) Defensive brain lapse allowing Stars to score forty-nine seconds after scoring another goal. (8) Johan Alm falls asleep and allows Barons to nullify icing to score late to make it a one-goal game. (9) Taking a penalty with under four minutes remaining in a tied game.
Alright, that is a laundry list of bad. No doubt about that. But here is the counter. Those are all avoidable mistakes and they are all mistakes that need to be part of this team’s learning process. I much prefer the Admirals have a stretch as they’ve been on now than in the playoffs. There’s plenty to be ironed out but they are more niggling here and there lapses within games than major glaring unsolvable problems. Learn from the mistake. Get on with the game. Sights set on the next game. Simplicity is the Admirals greatest strength when they’ve been successful this season. The cure to their mistakes bug shouldn’t be any different.
~Short & Sweet~
The Texas Stars enter tonight’s game with a record of 30-18-13-1 (74 points). They are third in the West Division and, since we last played them, have leapfrogged the Admirals in the Western Conference standings. The Stars are sixth and the Admirals are seventh with a single point separating the two but the Ads having played an extra two-games at this point.
Since we last met the Stars have been rolling. They won 3-2 in a shootout over the Lake Erie Monsters and then secured a 3-0 road shutout in Rosemont over the Chicago Wolves. The Stars are currently on a six-game point streak and are 6-1-3-0 in their last ten games.
Expectations tonight? Will home ice cure some of the recent road woes or will the Stars keep bringing the pain like last weekend? How important is this homestand to restore confidence?
Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.
Late Power-Play Goal Sinks Admirals; lose 3-1
The Chatterbox, Vol. 74
One thought on “Stars: Scouting the Enemy”
Just happy to see Ford on the ice
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line824
|
__label__cc
| 0.66508
| 0.33492
|
Ex-Merrill Chicago Broker Charged with Stealing Millions to Pay Credit Card Debt
by Mason Braswell
Enforcement, News
Bank of America, Merrill Lynch
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged former Merrill Lynch broker Marcus Boggs with fraud for stealing more than $1.7 million from three of his clients to pay down credit card debt racked up to satisfy his “penchant for international travel.”
Boggs, 49, who had spent his entire 12-year brokerage career with Merrill in Chicago, made at least 200 wire transfers to his American Express account from the client accounts between 2016 and 2018, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois on Friday that cited his travel and stays at luxury hotels.
Boggs, who spent his entire 12-year career with Merrill prior to his discharge in December 2018, could not be reached for comment. He managed around $40 million in assets for 70 clients, according to the complaint.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority barred Boggs from the industry in January for failing to respond to requests for information in its follow-up investigation of the firing.
Merrill paid more than $5.6 million in settlements to the three clients this year, according to Boggs’ BrokerCheck record. It uncovered the alleged theft in November 2018, according to the SEC complaint.
Merrill is not named in the complaint, which identifies Boggs’ employer as a large New York-based financial services firm.
“We fired Mr. Boggs after an internal investigation found he stole client funds and made unauthorized transactions,” said Merrill spokesman Bill Halldin. “We promptly notified the appropriate authorities and have cooperated with their investigations.”
The settlements with Boggs’ clients preceded a $40 million payment that Merrill made in June to a billionaire customer of Boston broker Charles Kenahan over alleged churning. Kenahan, a prominent East Coast yacht racer, was discharged by Merrill last month and faces another customer claim for $42 million, according to his BrokerCheck history.
on Aug 26 2019, Ex-Bull says:
Even though it doesn’t appear that Merrill was implicated directly in this instance, they seem to have a disproportionate amount of these cases where very large production brokers can’t seem to resist the temptation to steal or misappropriate client funds for their own benefit. Eventually, this kind of publicity rubs off on everyone else in the firm as clients begin to question just what kind of people a firm is allowing to handle their money.
> Reply to Ex-Bull
on Aug 26 2019, Bill says:
$40mil AUM is barely ‘not-fired” at ML, not a large producer. The question is how did 200!!! wires go unnoticed.
> Reply to Bill
on Aug 28 2019, BigMoWillie says:
That is a great question. I used to work OPS in the other Chicago Merrill office and I can only guess that these wires were getting routed to the central site for approval. Back in the day, the in house OPS rep reviewed every wire transaction, now they only review certain types of wires and wires of higher dollar amounts. He was probably submitting them as verbal requests in amounts less than 50k each. Those get pushed right through.
> Reply to BigMoWillie
on Aug 26 2019, FormerWFA says:
I guess I don’t have a criminal mind. How does someone misappropriate funds by transferring from a client account to their personal account without someone catching it?
> Reply to FormerWFA
on Aug 26 2019, Kaluha C. says:
Dang Den of Thieves!!!!
> Reply to Kaluha C.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line826
|
__label__wiki
| 0.607101
| 0.607101
|
24/7 AOG Service
Dyno Test Cell
Trouble Free To TBO
Lycoming Accessories
Pratt & Whitney Accessories
Continental Accessories
Barry Controls
Precision Air Motive
Superior Air Parts
Overhauled
Re-Cored
It’s our mission to keep piston engine aircraft in the air. It’s our vision to build strong relationships with piston engine operators and engineers. Our outreach work helps us achieve our mission and vision by getting out there to spread the word.
Red Knight at Reno Air Races – An Aero Recip Engine
By John Pineau, MCP
Speed and power motivates Keith McMann, pilot and proud owner of The Red Knight, a wartime training aircraft scheduled to compete at this year’s Reno Air Races, September 10-14, 2008. In the same way McMann looks for even the slightest advantage while racing fifty feet above the ground at Reno, he looks for the same when it comes to gaining even the smallest power advantage, because power equates to speed, and speed, along with skill as a pilot, leads to victory. “There was a point where we made all the changes we could make on the airframe to increase the plane’s speed,” said McMann from his home in Delta, BC. “The next area of focus had to be the engine.”
The Red Knight’s engine was a stock Pratt & Whitney R1340. “We had always flown with a stock engine which needed to be improved. After hearing about Aero Recip I went to Winnipeg to check it out. I was impressed.”
While in the Manitoba capital, McMann met with Aero Recip President Alvin Gregorash who took him for a tour of the facility with a particular focus on their Dyno Test Cell. “I’ve been to a lot of engine facilities and haven’t seen a facility like the one in Winnipeg. It’s clean and professional, and the real difference is their ability to analyze engines.” According to McMann, the Dyno Test Cell and its computerized assessment system is like an engine doctor. “They can take a sick engine and tell you what’s wrong with it. I don’t know anyone who can Dyno big horsepower engines like they can. There are a lot of places that have test cells to prove that the engine is working right, but they don’t know what kind of power is coming out like Aero Recip does.”
Aero Recip’s attention to detail has McMann excited about this year’s race. As part of the plan to improve his R1340, Aero Recip carefully selected all nine pistons to ensure their weight was as close as possible. “Selecting pistons that weigh relatively the same creates balance in the engine which creates power,” McMann said. “The piston is just one area they focus on. The guys at Aero pay attention to detail because it’s detail that makes the difference in the end.”
Get 1 Free Case Of Phillips Oil With Every Engine Purchase
Mention This Web Special While Ordering To Redeem Free Case
PRE-OILING CONTINENTAL ENGINES
Customers often call regarding problems they are having pre-oiling Continental engines. While …
P 1.204.788.4765
F 1.204.786.2775
info@aerorecip.com
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE PROMOTIONS AND UPDATES FROM AERO RECIP
Copyright © 2020 Aero Recip | Privacy Policy
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line828
|
__label__wiki
| 0.997676
| 0.997676
|
FootballFootball
Leagues & CupsLeagues & Cups
Solbakken: Championship a 'brainless' league
Solskjaer happy with progress in Liverpool loss
Sorry, Mr Klopp, but the Afcon date change is best for African fans
11hColin Udoh
Former Wolves boss Stale Solbakken: Championship a 'brainless' league
Stale Solbakken has said he would not want to return to the Championship. Getty Images
Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Stale Solbakken has said he would never return to the Championship, describing the division as "brainless."
Solbakken, who spent six months in charge at Wolves in 2012-13 before being sacked after 30 games, is preparing his FC Copenhagen side to host Leicester in the Champions League on Wednesday.
He said: "I am one of the longest-serving [recent managers at Wolves]. I wouldn't do it again.
"It's a difficult league to manage in, when the crowd are managing many of the games and they want to see chances. I have seen so many brainless Championship games.''
Copenhagen are five points behind Group G leaders Leicester after a 1-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium last month and are aiming to stop the Foxes winning at Parken and reaching the round of 16.
Solbakken added: "When it is a home game we maybe have to risk something more than we did in some periods at their stadium.
"We controlled the game but maybe we had to risk something more. But their counter-attacking ability is such that our way of dealing with that has to be improved.
"We know we have had many historic nights in the Champions League -- we have beaten better teams than Leicester and lost to worse teams."
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line829
|
__label__wiki
| 0.642964
| 0.642964
|
De facto leader of occupied Georgian region invites Syrian President Bashar-al Assad to Tskhinvali
It has not been stated by the de facto Tskhinvali leadership whether Assad has accepted the invitation.Photo: AP.
Agenda.ge, 20 Apr 2018 - 12:56, Tbilisi,Georgia
The de facto leader of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region Anatoly Bibilov has invited Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the region in the wake of the US, UK and France joint strikes on Syria in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons.
De facto Tskhinvali, which is recognised only by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru as an independent country after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, claims that " the Ossetian people understand the feelings of the Syrian people, who have to live in war”.
The de facto leadership hopes that the Syrian people "will live in peace, and that financial support by Russia will also play a positive role for the welfare of Syrians.”
The wave of strikes against the Assad regime, which is supported by Russia, was labelled as the most significant attack against Assad's government by Western powers in seven years of the Syrian civil war.
Government Giorgi Margvelashvili Afghanistan Germany South Ossetia Abkhazia Music European Union Irakli Garibashvili Azerbaijan Georgian Wine Theatre Sport Display Tbilisi Flood United States China Turkey Exhibition Film Museum Prime Minister Elections Eu Nato Russia Georgian Prime Minister Batumi Parliament Georgia Ukraine Tourism National Bank Of Georgia Wine History Mikheil Saakashvili Giorgi Kvirikashvili Association Agreement Cinema Geostat President Occupation Us Art Tbilisi Festival Economy Tskhinvali Visa Liberalisation Defence
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line833
|
__label__wiki
| 0.680835
| 0.680835
|
Home Sports Tickets Football Tickets NFL Tickets Miami Dolphins Tickets
Miami Dolphins Tickets
Part of the AMC East, the Miami Dolphins are easily one of the NFL's best-known teams. Founded in 1966, this football team has been wowing fans for decades. While the Dolphins have been League and Conference Champs, they've only won the Super Bowl twice (1972 and 1973), so they're hungry for this ultimate football prize. Miami Dolfans are loyal and games are always exciting. You can get Miami Dolphins tickets to all games and root them on during the season as they face off against some of the NFL's toughest teams
The Dolphins: Football Miami Style!
When their aqua and coral colors are a-field the Dolphins know how to amaze football fans. Home games are held at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium and tickets for the upcoming season are available now. Many fans remember all the excitement of the Dan Marino era when he played with the Dolphins for seventeen seasons. Today's Dolphins are out to prove they've got the defense and offense to make it all the way to the Super Bowl Game. Under the coaching mantle of Adam Gase, the team has been building up its offense for a touchdown-filled season that is bound to entice throngs of fans to the stadium to catch live NFL football action in person!
Buy Miami Dolphins Tickets
When tickets go on sale for the season, be ready to get seats for the hottest games of the year whether home or away! Catch the Dolphins square off against the Jets or the Bears for a memorable football event! Root your favorite team to victory when you purchase NFL tickets. Show your support for the Dolphins and be sure to get tickets for a few games in the upcoming season. Organize a group ticket purchase and plan a football outing for your co-workers. You can also buy group tickets for an organization you are a member of or even for a big family get-together!
Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium has just seen a $500 million renovations, funded by team owner Stephen Ross. The most talked about new features include a canopy, that provides shade and protection from the rain for 92% of the fans, and four giant, HD jumbotrons at the top of each corner of the stadium. Utilize the new Uber Zone to avoid traffic or if you are driving yourself bring your Sunpass to pay for parking for convienience and big savings!!
Be sure to get your up-front Miami Dolphins tickets as soon as you look over the schedule and decide what games you want to see! Buying your tickets in advance allows you to get the seats you want for the games you don't want to miss. Head out to support the Dolphins onto victory and have a great time in the process!
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line834
|
__label__wiki
| 0.951035
| 0.951035
|
Tag "Aer Lingus"
Aer Lingus Welcomes Its First Factory Fresh Airbus A321LR
MIAMI — Irish Flag Carrier, Aer Lingus, took delivery of its first Airbus A321LR (EI-LRA • MSN 8887) this past weekend. The aircraft arrived in Dublin on a nonstop delivery
Aer Lingus Airbus A321LRs Delayed
LONDON – Irish Carrier Aer Lingus has announced that its Airbus A321LR aircraft have been delayed. This means that the carrier will now have to postpone the launch of its
New Aer Lingus Livery Visits New York (+Photos)
NEW YORK — Following the airline’s new livery reveal in Dublin on Thursday, Aer Lingus brought the first Airbus A330-300 with its new colors made to John F. Kennedy Airport in
Aer Lingus Reveals New Livery: Mixed Reactions (+Video)
LONDON — Ireland’s flag carrier, Aer Lingus, unveiled its new livery and corporate image at an event in Dublin, revealing a predominantly white scheme, getting rid of the green fuselage.
Aer Lingus Grows In Cork: New Routes To Nice, Dubrovnik
LONDON – Ireland’s Cork Airport continues to grow. Following Air France’s capacity increase on its nonstop Paris route, national carrier
Aer Lingus Announces New Flights To Minneapolis, Montreal
LONDON – Irish flag carrier, Aer Lingus has announced two all-new routes to North America—Minneapolis (MSP), and Montréal (YUL) starting in
Seattle Welcomes Aer Lingus: Inaugural Flight From Dublin (+Photos)
SEATTLE — Bagpipes roared across the ramp near gate A12 Friday evening as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) welcomed its newest
Aer Lingus to Launch Philadelphia and Seattle Routes
MIAMI — Aer Lingus announced two new flights from its hub in Dublin. The first service is scheduled on March 25
Op-Ed: The Unstoppable Growth of the International Airlines Group (IAG)
LONDON — International Airlines Group (IAG) have been a rapidly growing airline group that has evolved over the past seven
Ryanair to Take on IALPA in Christmas Pilot Strikes
MIAMI – Ryanair has announced they received notice from the Aer Lingus pilots union (IALPA) of a 24-hour strike that
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line836
|
__label__cc
| 0.596151
| 0.403849
|
Read Taming the Lone Wolff Online
Authors: Janice Maynard
Tags: #Contemporary, #Romance, #Contemporary Romance
Taming the Lone Wolff (3 page)
BOOK: Taming the Lone Wolff
As they watched, a white-and-navy helicopter hovered overhead. They could clearly see the man who hung out one door, camera in hand. Despite the precariousness of his position, the daring photographer shot for several moments before saying something to the pilot. The vessel rose, made a wide circle and hovered again with similar results.
Winnie blinked back tears of helpless rage. “Can’t someone arrest them? Isn’t this illegal? Damn it, damn it, damn it. I hate this.”
arkin shared her disgust. He touched her arm briefly, hoping to convey his concern and empathy. “Unfortunately, they aren’t breaking any laws. But all he’s getting is shots of buildings. Someone can write a story about your house, but with no photos of
you,
it won’t make much of a wave in the gossip rags.”
He felt Winnie’s distress in the fine tremor that quaked through her slight frame. “I keep thinking they’ll go away, but they don’t. That’s why I have to leave for a while.” Her voice rose at the end, telling him that the stress of the past few weeks was reaching a breaking point.
“Your leaving is easy,” he said, ushering her inside. With a sophisticated lens, someone could snap a decent picture even through the screen. But no need to court problems now. “You said you want me to take you away. I know a place so secure that no one will have a hope of getting near you.”
She banged a pot on the stove with enough force to let him know she was still fighting mad. The soup she poured from a glass container was homemade if he didn’t miss his guess. “Where?” She glanced at him, a frown marring her finely etched features.
“Wolff Mountain.”
The lid to the pot clattered onto the counter before she retrieved it and placed it with exaggerated care on the warming soup. “I’ve read about your family. They don’t like outsiders mucking around in their business.”
“It’s my home. I can invite whomever I want. And I happen to know that no place within five hundred miles is as secure. I’ll take you there, stay a couple of nights to get you settled and then you can consider the next few weeks a vacation in a mountain resort.”
She wiped her hands on a dish towel and leaned back against the cabinet, her smile wry. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It makes perfect sense,” he insisted. “Far more sense than finding an out-of-the-way location and paying round-the-clock staff to guard you. My sister, Annalise, is having a birthday party for her husband on Saturday. So I was planning on going to Wolff Mountain anyway. We’ll circulate to the press a story that you’re vacationing in St. Barts. The paparazzi will head south, and your house will be free of harassment. The story is bound to blow over while you’re gone, and soon it will be safe for you to go back home, particularly with the added security my people will have installed.”
“You came up with that plan in the last hour?” She cocked her head, studying him as if she were trying to see inside his head.
“The best plans are simple.”
“It’s not simple at all. Tell me, Larkin. Am I the type of woman you usually take home for a visit?”
She had him there. His typical encounters consisted of mutually satisfying sex with older women who weren’t likely to want anything from him. Not married women. Never that. But women who were devoted to their careers and didn’t want to put a lot of time into a relationship. In other words, female versions of himself. He opened her refrigerator. “You got any beer?”
“Answer me,” she said.
He found an imported ale and popped the cap with the opener she handed him. “I think, with your permission, we’ll tell my family the truth. I’ve never taken a woman to Wolff Mountain, so I don’t want them getting any mistaken ideas. We have an abundance of newlyweds in my family. They are all nauseatingly happy. I’d prefer not to be the subject of speculation.”
“I’d think that seeing all of your family content and settled would encourage you to follow suit.”
“Not gonna happen.” He took a long slug of his drink and sighed with appreciation. Nothing like an ice-cold beer on a hot day. When Winnie continued to stare at him in silence, he pulled a chair from the kitchen table, turned it around and sat down, arms resting on the curved wooden back. “I don’t want to have to take care of anyone or anything but myself. Now that Annalise is Sam’s problem, I choose not to answer to any woman. I’m a selfish bastard, I guess. But I like being footloose and fancy-free. Nobody looking to me for support, emotional or otherwise.”
“And yet you spend your days taking care of people.”
“That’s different. That’s my job.”
Winnie didn’t seem convinced. But she’d get the picture soon enough. Larkin was a lone Wolff.
She frowned at him. “I have the money to pay for a safe house
for round-the-clock security. I see no need to inconvenience your family.”
“I don’t believe in wasting money. Besides, with you at Wolff Mountain, I’ll have no qualms about your safety. There’s plenty to do. You won’t be bored.”
“I’m seldom bored. But this arrangement seems awkwardly personal.”
“It’s not ideal. I don’t like blurring the lines between my job and my personal life. But in this instance the benefits outweigh the negatives. Setting up a safe house anywhere would take a significant amount of time—time you don’t have. To get you out of the situation immediately means going somewhere that’s already secure. Plus, my family’s home is close enough to yours that we could get you back quickly in case of emergencies.”
Even as he spoke, warning bells sounded in his head. It was disconcerting to realize how easily he dismissed them. Would he have made the same decision if his client was less appealing? The answer was one he didn’t want to face.
While she puttered around, putting soup in bowls, slicing bread and setting the table, he studied her. Though she was slight and graceful, she projected an air of capability that he had to admire. Lots of people wrote checks to save the world. Winnie walked the walk. He normally went for tall, leggy brunettes. Yet somehow, in one oddly unsettling morning, he had discovered that petite blondes with crazy hair and cat eyes had the ability to get under his skin.
He’d tried his best not to stare at her breasts, even if they did play an erotic game of peekaboo. It wouldn’t do for him to develop a “thing” for a client. When he took her to Wolff Mountain, the reason would be business. Her safety. Nothing more. He enjoyed her company, and the thought of spending time with her for a couple of days was not unappealing. But he wouldn’t let himself get involved beyond that.
Larkin had learned a painful lesson early in life. You could try to protect those you loved, but sometimes trying wasn’t enough. Too many failures in that arena had convinced him that he didn’t want a woman in his life on any kind of permanent basis. It was a smart decision, and one he stood by, even today. Winnie was entertaining and stimulating. She would make a suitable “plus one” for the party. Beyond that, they were nothing more than business associates making the best of a bad situation. Despite his undeniable attraction, he refused to have a temporary fling with a client.
Much like her looks, her cooking was unusual and satisfying. The shrimp gumbo she served him was unexpectedly hot as hell. As he choked and washed down his discomfort with a glass of water, she grinned. “Guess I should have warned you.”
“You did that on purpose.”
“You don’t like it?” The mischievous look was unrepentant.
“Of course I like it. But now I’m forewarned.”
“Never underestimate Winnie Bellamy.”
He could tell that his dry comment pleased her.
She glanced at her watch. “As fun as this is, I’ve got things to do.”
“I’m hurt.”
“Be serious. Tell me what I need to know.”
He stood and rolled his shoulders. “Give me an hour to make my phone calls and get one of my teams out here while I run back into the city and pack a bag.”
“Pack a bag?” Her befuddled look amused him.
“I’m staying here until we leave for Wolff Mountain. Three nights. Think you can handle that?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m sure it’s not necessary for the head of Leland Security to stay on-site.”
“You’re paying me five hundred grand,” he said laconically. “That bumps you to the top of the list.”
“I’m sorry if I insulted you.”
The mix of moss-green and muted-gold in her eyes mesmerized him. Despite her homespun attire, Winnie was alluring, seductive…perhaps most of all because he was fairly certain she had no clue how her looks affected the opposite sex. He thought her sideways glance was penitent, but then again, it might have been unconsciously sexual in nature.
Once more, he was perturbed by the way his body tightened and his throat dried. He understood the mechanics of attraction. But it had never been an issue in a work setting. Which meant that he was treading unfamiliar ground. The uncertainty of his own responses put him on edge.
“We’re good,” he said gruffly. “I’ll sit on the porch while I’m using the phone. I don’t want to disturb you.”
Winnie’s gaze settled on his mouth, skipped down to his chest and dropped to the floor. “Make yourself at home,” she said, turning away to gather dishes and tidy up. “I won’t even know you’re here.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
The old childhood taunt rattled around in Winnie’s brain as she tried to tackle her usual afternoon chores. She had quite a few phone calls to make, as well. Not to mention preparing a room for her unexpected guest.
Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. She was used to living alone. Her staff came and went as needed. Mrs. Cross, her housekeeper and cook, normally worked nine-to-five, but she had the day off for a doctor’s appointment. In her absence, Winnie wandered the upstairs hall trying to select a room for Larkin.
It wasn’t an easy task. If she put him next door to her suite, he might get the wrong idea. But if she gave him quarters in the opposite wing, it could make her look like a prudish virgin, not to mention negating his ability to protect her.
In the end, she compromised—across the hall from her bedroom and two doors down. It was a masculine room done in shades of navy and umber. The king-size bed would accommodate his long frame, and the deep whirlpool tub in the luxurious bathroom was big enough for two people.
When her breath hitched in her throat, she knew she was in trouble. She would
develop a crush on Larkin Wolff. What a laughable idea. She was a lousy judge of men’s motives, and she would rather run naked through a hailstorm before ever hinting at an interest in him. Though at times today the air had seemed thick and heavy with awareness, it was surely all on her side. Larkin Wolff was a professional, a remarkably handsome man in his prime. He could have any woman he wanted.
Winnie had neither the arsenal of feminine wiles nor the sexual confidence to see if the odd, quivery sensations she had experienced in his presence were one-sided. She was buying Larkin’s expertise in security. Her life had been turned upside down by that stupid article, and she was determined to right it.
All I want from Larkin is protection.
She repeated it over and over in her head, making sure she understood the score.
But when the doorbell rang at six o’clock, her thighs quivered, her breathing grew choppy and reality smacked her in the face. She was lying, especially to herself. Larkin Wolff would protect her and her charges from outside danger. But the absolute worst threat had already breached her defenses.
She was in sexual quicksand and sinking fast. Pasting on a smile as fake as a three-dollar bill, she swung open the door. “Back so soon?”
Larkin was hot, hungry and irritated with himself. He’d spent the past several hours trying to concentrate on business while at the same time spinning fantasies that involved a naked Winnie Bellamy in his bed. It was ludicrous. He’d like to blame the aberration on the heat or the fact that he’d broken his cardinal rule about drinking on the job and had a beer at lunch. Unfortunately, the temperature was still comfortably in the low eighties, and the alcohol content of the ale was minuscule.
So where did that leave him? He’d worked hard to keep his business life impersonal and his private life completely separate from business. As a security professional, he prided himself on protecting the weak, the innocent and, sometimes, the naive. Occasionally, he protected the powerful, if the price was right. But never, ever did he allow a client to break through his emotional firewalls. He was a man who liked his own company, and he didn’t
anyone. More importantly, he didn’t want
to need him…at least anyone who wasn’t paying for his services.
Winnie, he could already tell, was going to pose a problem. He found himself making exceptions to hard-and-fast rules—going over and above what she had hired him to do—and he wasn’t sure he could stop himself. Installing her in the bosom of his family made sense on paper. But the reality was far murkier. Would he have done this for anyone else?
When she opened the door, it was all he could do not to stare. She had showered recently. Her damp hair, twisted in a knot on top of her head, smelled of honeysuckle. He sucked in a sharp breath.
Down, boy.
The overalls were gone, but now she wore soft, faded jeans that hugged her trim legs, along with a white T-shirt that read Take a Book to Bed.
The image of his new employer tucked beneath the covers wearing who knows what sent his libido tumbling into an entirely inappropriate free fall. He cleared his throat, feeling heat creep up his neck. “I’m back.”
She surveyed the small duffel bag at his feet. “So you are. Come in.”
As he stepped into the cool foyer, he handed her a sack filled with paper cartons. “Chinese takeout. I hope that’s okay. You said your housekeeper had the day off.”
She grabbed the offering and inhaled. “Are you kidding? Ambrosia of the gods. I love living in the country, but the lack of fast food is a definite drawback at times. Come on into the kitchen. And by the way, you get points for paying attention. Most men I know would have missed that entirely.”
“It’s my job to notice details.” Like the way her lacy bra barely concealed pert nipples pressing against thin fabric.
He dropped his bag at the foot of the stairs and followed her into the kitchen like a puppy dog sniffing for a treat. Her feet were bare. Though he had appreciated the sexy gold sandals, her naked toes with raspberry polish were equally alluring.
Phoenix by Cecilia London
Blue Boy 1: Bullet by Garrett Leigh
Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman
Easy Silence by Beth Rinyu
The Scrubs by Simon Janus
Daisy and Dancer by Kelly McKain
Holiday Havoc by Terri Reed
EMP 1500 MILES FROM HOME by Mike Whitworth
A Lie About My Father by John Burnside
The Rattle-Rat by Janwillem Van De Wetering
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line838
|
__label__cc
| 0.733051
| 0.266949
|
The Unexpected Quality Your Next Sales Enablement Leader Needs
By Dave Lichtman
Question: What are the best two words a VP of Sales can hear from his or her sales enablement leader?
Answer: “I disagree.”
Seem strange to you? It’s absolutely true, and here’s why.
Historically, when it came to sales and sales enablement/training working together, you had two very different archetypes:
Vice President of Sales: A hard-charging, type-A, six-cups-of-coffee-before-10am executive with impressive VP of Sales hair. Doles out orders like a cantankerous drill sergeant.
Head of Training: An over-eager professional who wants to do good work and make the sales team successful. Works tirelessly to deliver solid programs and works many late nights with little recognition. Hasn’t made it to the 6 pm Pilates class in 3 quarters due to a never-ending to-do list. Has a hard time saying “no” — especially to the VP of Sales.
What happens when you mix these two personalities together? Far too often, enablement professionals are far too deferential or even timid around sales leadership.
You want me to shadow every new AE’s first meeting? You got it! Redo the sales kickoff agenda two days before the event? No problem!
And therein lies the unhealthy dynamic which leads to poor decisions and inevitable failure. Heads of sales need leaders, not lapdogs, as internal partners.
That relationship dynamic should be a relic of the past. Sales leaders today should demand a head of enablement who has the respect, gravitas, and stature to disagree with them because healthy debate and disagreement challenges both people to execute better.
Through my conversations with 300+ sales enablement professionals, the most successful and effective ones (at any level) are confident enough in their viewpoints to push back and ask challenging questions of senior leaders. When there are differing opinions, they (respectfully) fight for theirs.
When I speak to candidates who have failed, been fired, or in an untenable situation, 90% of the time it’s due to a poor relationship (or lack of any relationship) with their head of sales.
What can you do with this information?
If you’re a sales leader and you think you have an unhealthy dynamic with your enablement/training leader, let the person know that you expect them to speak up and encourage them to disagree with you. If you are genuinely encouraging of this and they still cannot find their voice, you may want to make a change.
If you’re an enablement professional and you have a seat at the table, have an opinion – always. It should be a well-reasoned one and your own. You will be wrong sometimes, and that’s okay. Remember: it’s better to be occasionally wrong than to always be “Switzerland.”
If you’re hiring a sales enablement leader, consider asking some version of the questions below of your candidates. Work hard to gauge the strength of their character. If you’re mid-way through the interview and you hear the words “I disagree,” congratulations — you just might have found your next sales enablement leader.
What’s an example of a time when you disagreed with your head of sales? What was the issue and how did you navigate the disagreement?
How have you established a dynamic with a head of sales to have a balanced flow of ideas and opinions?
When should you defer to a head of sales and when should you push back?
Author, Dave Lichtman, is CEO and Founder of Enablematch
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line846
|
__label__cc
| 0.554112
| 0.445888
|
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1970s → 1974 → July 1974 → 31 July 1974 → Commons Sitting → SCOTLAND
Offshore Oil (Norway)
HC Deb 31 July 1974 vol 878 cc788-90 788
§ 16. Mr. Gordon Wilson
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will pay an official visit to Norway to examine their planning laws in respect of offshore oil development.
§ Mr. William Ross
My hon. Friend the Minister of State visited Norway from 3rd to 6th June when he had general discussion with the Norwegian Government Petroleum Directorate, with Statoil, the Government oil company, and with the local authority in Stavanger, and had the 789 opportunity to see at first hand and discuss the working of the Norwegian planning system as it affects oil.
§ Mr. Wilson
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply. Does he not accept that two of the secrets of the success of the Norwegian oil development have been, first, the ability to take quick decisions in relation to planning matters and, secondly, to gear the rate of exploration to maximising Norwegian involvement in the industrial opportunities while conserving the interests of the environment and the economy of Norway?
§ Mr. Ross
It is not always entirely fair to make comparisons, because the economic circumstances, consumption of energy of all kinds, are very different. The hon. Gentleman is quite right about the speed of decision. He will be aware, of course, that it is very dangerous to make that kind of statement, because in Norway no public inquiry system is involved. If that system were denied the people of Scotland, I do not doubt that the hon. Gentleman would be the first to complain about it.
§ Mr. Dalyell
Will the Secretary of State invite some senior Norwegian Ministers here so that they may learn at first hand about some of the advantages that we have in these procedures? Is it not a case of seeing fields to be rather greener on the other side of the North Sea? There are quite a number of Norwegians who think that we do many of these things rather better than they do in Norway.
There is something to be gained by having a look at other people's planning procedures, but we must not forget that the situation is entirely different. The Norwegians are fortunate in having available deep water at places where population, infrastructure and other facilities already exist. For instance, in Stavanger one can have platform building of a kind which would create difficulties in Scotland because of the limited number of places available so far. So we should be careful about that.
We appreciate, too, that recently a greater measure of central control has been instituted in Norway because of concern about the environment and because of concern to ensure maximum development in areas where infrastructure and population now exist.
§ Mr. Sproat
Will the right hon. Gentleman accept that I entirely agree with him about the need to emphasise the total difference between United Kingdom requirements and those of Norway—a difference between 8 million tons of oil a year and 100 million tons of oil a year? Will he further recognise that Norwegian planning procedures are not so very much in front of ours? It was only a few months ago that the Norwegians instituted designated sites for oil development, and I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will publish those in the autumn of this year. Further, will he utterly reject the Norwegian plan of setting up Statoil, and reject the British parallel of the British National Oil Corporation? Since his hon. Friend asked for suggestions for helping the infrastructure, will he spend on infrastructure the £2,000 million that he says he is going to spend on the BNOC?
It is about time the hon. Gentleman made up his mind. One minute he castigates us about the British National Oil Corporation and the next he asks that it be sited in Aberdeen.
Back to House Building
Forward to Hotels (Fire Precautions)
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line851
|
__label__wiki
| 0.606838
| 0.606838
|
O’rigin office building
Silvio d’Ascia Architecture
Immeuble de bureaux O’rigin
Silvio d’Ascia Architecture as Architects
© Takuji Shimmura View Gallery
Genuine gateway to the “Quai Vert,” the district’s pedestrian axis, the project interprets the development logic of a new urban district of the railway station. Thus, it serves to weave a coherent urban fabric and continuity of bearing points on a human scale between the historic city center and this new neighborhood.
This link between past and future of the city of Nancy was broken in the post-war years with the construction of massive Housing Estates which today stand between the historic center and the railway network.
The project’s urban identity is expressed through a building that unifies and connects four volumes, of varying height and stereometry, enabling its optimal adaptation to the shape of the city block. The building’s monolithic and mineral look clad in light beige limestone, fits into the mineral and homogeneous quality of the context of the urban fabric of the historic city center.
The timeless simplicity and minimalism of the façades resemble the urban landscapes of the idealized cities painted by Giorgio De Chirico, and architect Aldo Rossi’s urban collages. This building’s source inspiration is drawn from the local architecture, one of stone, composed of solids and voids and following a strict principle of orthogonality.
A desire for formal simplicity, ordinary and original vocabulary
These four distinct volumes, genuine functional blocks, are separated from each other by the presence of vertical ground to top gaps dedicated to transition and access areas on each level, and spaced by the strict and obsessional organization of the rectangular windows soaring upward whose main purpose is to create simple voids in the stone. The minimalist approach, the rational geometry of the openings in the walls and the volumetric distribution of the program, aims to imbue this building with an iconic quality.
Share or Add O’rigin office building to your Collections
SAN MAMES STADIUM
San Mamés, 48013 Bilbao, Biscay, Spain - Build completed in 2014
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line860
|
__label__cc
| 0.665819
| 0.334181
|
KHERSON SINGLES TOUR
View Tour Schedule for Kherson
A Singles Tour to Kherson Ukraine is a wonderful opportunity to visit a beautiful historic city, while at the same time meet hundreds of beautiful, sincere and marriage-minded Ukraine women. Kherson women are famous for their beauty, tenderness and charm.
Kherson Ukraine sometimes know as the City of Brides is the third stop on the Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson Singles Tour. The story is told that at one time Peter the Great had a large military force stationed in this Black Sea area and to keep his officers happy a recruiting call went out across Russia for the most beautiful single women to be sent to the Kherson/Nikolaev area as brides for officers. This rich and diverse genetic pool of the most attractive Russian women is still evident in the area today.
The city stands on the right bank of the River Dnieper near its mouth on the Black Sea. Take the hand of a beautiful Kherson women and stroll the tree lined streets of Kherson Ukriane.
Kherson is 450 km southeast of Kiev, 100 km west of Odessa and the Black Sea, and 300 km from Crimea, located on a coast of the river of Dnieper in the southern part of Ukraine, It is one of ten largest cities in Ukraine.
There are over 400,000 persons in Kherson with a majority of women. These include the women from many different countries, mainly Ukrainian and Russian, but also Jewish, Bulgarian, Korean, Germans. The city was founded in 1778 by Count Potyomkin, as a center of shipbuilding and became the main location of shipbuilding for the Russian Fleet at the Black sea.
Kherson is also unique by its nature and climate which is formed by the Southern steppes of the Ukraine and the warmth of the Black sea.
Kherson's natural beauty attracts many tourists who come here for yachting, fishing and the beauty of the Dnieper River. There are also several concert halls, night clubs, and restaurants where you can enjoy the company of these beautiful Ukraine women.
Kherson became the first Russian naval base and shipyard on the Black Sea although its growth was checked by the rise of Odessa and the removal (in 1794) of the naval base to Nikolaev.
By the late 19th century Kherson was an important export center. The dredging of a deepwater canal along an arm of the Dnieper to the sea in 1901 further stimulated Kherson's growth as a port. The city's importance was enhanced still more with the building of the Dniprohes power station in 1932 and the development of navigation on the Dnieper.
Please join us in meeting and making the acquaintance of these beautiful Ukraine women in Kherson the city of brides. A Singles Tour supported by our Kherson Marriage Agency is a great chance to meet the beautiful Russian or Ukrainian woman of your dreams!
Accommodations in Nikolaev, Kherson and the 5-star Odessa Hotel
One hotel area and city orientation tour
Discover why more Singles Tour clients place their trust in A Foreign Affair each and every year than any other tour agency!
Now have all your Singles Tour questions answered by one of our Tour Representatives 7 days a week, from 9AM to 9PM MST, by calling our Tour Info line at (602) 553-8178
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line869
|
__label__cc
| 0.631596
| 0.368404
|
Tag: speak
Democracy and Struggle for Definition
December 31, 2014 Anton Tarasenko1 Comment
Common definitions happen to be useful in research. Instead of arguing what “democracy” means, economists agree on the same definition and move on to important things, for example, the relationships between democracy and economic growth:
Acemoglu et al., “Democracy Does Cause Growth.”
So, you study relationships between specific “democracy” (usually Polity IV) and specific “growth” (real GDP per capita). No problem in studying another democracy and another growth. But until economists conquer the world and turn everyone into an economist, very few heads are working on the issue right now. And these heads have to focus on very specific definitions, like the Polity IV components of “democracy”:
Competitiveness of Executive Recruitment
Openness of Executive Recruitment
Constraint on Chief Executive
Competitiveness of Political Participation
This makes communication with the public difficult, though. For one reason, the public understands “democracy” differently. The great source for making a representative public definition of “democracy” is the World Values Survey (WVS). The survey reaches thousands of respondents in 52 countries, and since 1995, asks questions about democracy. Specifically, it asks to “tell me for each of the following things how essential you think it is as a characteristic of democracy,” and offers nine scales. Summary stats of these scales (min 1 — not an essential characteristic; max 10 — an essential characteristic):
Definition of democracy given by the WVS respondents
The first row is the answer to the question how good democracy is for the respondent’s political system (min 1 — “Very good”; max 4 — “Very bad”). The rest of the variables are the components of democracy as defined by 74,000 people from 52 countries. You can think of the respective means (third column) as weights each variable has in the public definition of democracy. The standard deviations aren’t huge, which implies some consensus across many people.
These components seemingly have little in common with the Polity IV’s definition. To make sure, let’s compare the Polity IV index of political regimes with question V141 from the WVS, which asks “how democratically is this country being governed today.” A scale ‘from 1 to 10, where 1 means that it is “not at all democratic” and 10 means that it is “completely democratic.”’ Hence, I compare two things: the respondent’s opinion about the state of democracy (as she understands the concept) in her country and Polity IV’s expert’s opinion about the state of democracy (as defined by Polity IV) in the same country.
Democracies described by the public in the WVS and by experts in the Polity IV dataset have almost nothing in common:
Though the regression line is not horizontal and the relationship is significant at 0.01, R² is just 14%. Not what you may expect from two things with the same name.
This nerdy fact is important because results in the social sciences are relevant only for concepts as they’ve been defined in the social sciences. If your definition X is different from my definition X, then my investigations of X are useless to you. If someone thinks that “democracy” is when “the army takes over when government is incompetent” (row six in the table) then this democracy does not cause economic growth that the first figure shows. In fact, the authors of the figure describe in detail how they constructed the measure of democracy that is relevant for growth.
Of course, when it comes to elections and policy making, economists become as humble as dentists. That is, not even dentists, but also physicians know how to fix the economy—contrary to what economists think on the same matter. In addition, there’s no organized communication between people and researchers. When the public is so poorly informed about actual research, the difference in definitions—of which “democracy” is just one example—seem unimportant. It is, to an extent. But whenever serious research makes it into the media, it’s better to doublecheck the words.
Inflation-Hunt
The inflation fear appears here and there, but mostly around government initiatives. One problem with this fear is: regardless of how you measure it, there’s no inflation in government initiatives. Economists spend a lot of time in the media repeating this.
But “inflation” is not even a public concern. You won’t find it in polls or, for instance, Google Search trends:
In fact, “inflation” is a problem in just one place:
Ok, in two places. Wall Street made traffic for NYC. Meanwhile, elsewhere:
Employment does remain a top problem in public polls for long. You might expect the media to keep the public updated on this, but:
NYT Chronicle
The New York Times devotes about the same attention to inflation as to unemployment, despite unemployment being a much bigger concern.
What comes after ignoring both public and experts? Correlation in the tail of the plot is suggestive:
And anyone who disagrees is a witch!
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line875
|
__label__cc
| 0.746531
| 0.253469
|
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017
8:15-9:15 am, Theater 2, Learning Center
Thermo Fisher Scientific: Essential tools for fluorescent imaging, labeling, and detection
Presenter: Oggie Golub, PhD
The combination of light microscopy and fluorescent reporters offers an unparalleled view into the structure and function of intact cells. Invitrogen™ Molecular Probes™ reagents have been at the cutting edge of fluorescent reporter development for over four decades. In this seminar, we will review our portfolio of long-proven tools and protocols that have enabled researchers to confidently create publication quality cell images on the first attempt. Whether you’re new to cell imaging, or an experienced researcher wanting to use your imaging platform at its fullest potential, join us to learn about the latest innovations in fluorescence microscopy including high throughput imaging platforms, as well as reagents that reduce background fluorescence, amplify fluorescent signal output, prevent photobleaching , and improve spatial resolution of 3D samples.
9:30-10:30 am, Theater 2, Learning Center
Hybrigenics Corp: Efficient selection of single-domain antibodies from a naïve synthetic library using phage display and exhaustive yeast two-hybrid screening
Presenter: Petra Tafelmeyer
High-affinity single-domain antibodies, like VHH, represent indispensable tools for research and clinical applications. To access VHH without Llama immunization, we have built a fully synthetic humanized naïve Llama VHH library containing 3x10exp9 antibodies, based on a unique scaffold with random complementary determining regions (CDRs). We have set up a new platform for phage display selection of VHH and successfully selected antibodies against a variety of antigens from large proteins to haptens, soluble proteins and receptors directly selected from cell surface expression. A combination with subsequent exhaustive yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening allows to further favor the selection of intrabodies – antibodies working inside living cells. We will exemplify the use of this library and our platform capabilities focusing on GFP, USP7 and Tau proteins as targets
10:45 am-11:45 am, Theater 1, Learning Center
GE Healthcare: Learn how GE’s DeltaVision microscopes can help your lab secure more funding
Presenters: Leanna Ferrand/Trisha Koenke
Securing future funding is on every researcher’s mind these days. Combined with the need to publish quickly and be confident in your findings – you either need to create more hours in a day or find a way to be more efficient with the resources you have. See how GE’s latest DeltaVision microscopes are revolutionizing lab productivity by providing reliable, accurate results faster than ever! This goes far beyond any technical specification sheet – it must also be usable by every level of researcher from novice to expert as well as stable, easy to maintain and capable of scaling with your research. Learn how the DeltaVision’s widefield deconvolution technology can advance your research among most cell biology applications, including live-cell imaging and high-throughput screening
10:45-11:45 am, Theater 2, Learning Center
BioLegend: Bone cell differentiation and bone cancer
Presenter: Mohar Chattopadhyay
Osteoclasts and osteoblasts are specialized bone cells that are responsible for bone formation, repair, maintenance, and bone remodeling. Osteoclasts are derived from the monocyte/macrophage hematopoietic lineage, whereas osteoblasts arise from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Several cytokines and growth factors, including Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappaB Ligand (RANKL), Sonic Hedgehog family of proteins, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), play critical roles in bone cell differentiation from precursor cells. Bone homeostasis depends on the strict balance between the bone formation activity of osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts. Any imbalance in this system can result in various bone diseases. As both primary bone tumors, such as osteosarcoma, and secondary tumors (metastases), can develop in the bone, it is therefore also necessary to understand the biology in malignant bone environment. Here we present our portfolio, validation methods, and data exploring bone cell differentiation and bone cancer using several assays, such as primary bone marrow cell differentiation to macrophages and further differentiation into osteoclasts using RANKL, osteoblast differentiation, cancer cell invasion, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), magnetic cell separation, and target-ligand inhibition bioassays, among others. We also explored intra-cellular signaling pathways and mitochondrial dysfunction in osteosarcoma cells
12:00-12:45 pm, Theater 1, Learning Center
Carl Zeiss Microcopy, LLC: Robust label free cell proliferation measurement with Celldiscoverer 7 and machine learning based image processing
Presenter: Dr. Christoph Moehl
Level: Advanced
Label-free cell proliferation assays based on contrast imaging can be easily applied on an automated microscopy setup to test toxicity of compounds. No additional assay development steps such as reporter-systems or stably transfected cell models need to be established and the same assay approach can be introduced for several cell models with low effort. However, the image analysis of transmitted light contrast images is much more demanding than simple intensity thresholding, which is often sufficient for fluorescent micrographs. Here we present a robust workflow for cell proliferation measurements where images are taken at large scale with the Zeiss Celldiscoverer 7 and subsequently analyzed with big data analysis techniques based on supervised machine learning.
Bruker Corporation: Harnessing the power of super-resolution single molecule localization microscopy with the Vutara 352: labeling and imaging strategies
Presenter: Manasa V. Gudheti, PhD
Single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) has made a significant impact in the field of biology by enabling a 10-fold enhancement in resolution. Key factors in achieving this enhanced resolution is to optimally label and image the specimen. Numerous labeling strategies exist to tag structures in cells, bacteria, virus, tissue sections, C. elegans and Drosophila to make the best use of SMLM. Examples include DNA- and Oligo-Paint, antibody/nanobody labeling with organic dyes, Halo and SNAP-tag dyes, and photo-switchable fluorescent proteins. Choosing a sub-optimal labeling method for a given biological sample will result in loss of achievable resolution. Once a specimen has been optimally labeled and imaged, the acquired localization data can then be readily quantified via statistical analysis to test experimental hypotheses.
1:00-1:45 pm, Theater 1, Learning Center
Carl Zeiss Microcopy, LLC: Investigation of live cell dynamics with the Airyscan imaging technology
Presenter: Dr. B. Christoffer Lagerholm
The Airyscan technology, which combines confocal imaging with a 0.2 AU pinhole, deconvolution, and pixel-reassignment in order to enhance both the spatial resolution and signal-to-noise-ratio, was recently developed to cover the gap between conventional confocal and super-resolution microscopy. Here, we present comparative results of the performance of the Airyscan technology by imaging of a variety of reference and biological specimens. These results show that the spatial resolution of Airyscan images, processed at default deconvolution settings, are similar to confocal images with a 0.2 AU pinhole setting but with significantly improved signal-to-noise-ratio. Our results also show that further resolution gains, up to a point, are possible by careful manipulation of the deconvolution settings. Finally, we show applications demonstrating the Airyscan imaging compatibility with live cell applications.
Bitplane-Imaris: 3D and 4D microscopy image analysis in cell biology – Imaris technology for analysis of large, complex datasets and visualization of multimodal images (e.g. fluorescence, EM, transmitted light)
Presenter: Meredith Price
This session will focus on the improved technology for automated 3D/4D analysis of large microscopy images (100s GBs) and analysis tools for cell biologists including segmentation of cells, tissues or organs, tracking with cell division detection and system dynamics. Relevant applications include the following: tissue assembly and morphogenesis, nuclear organization, cell interactions, microtubule dynamics, neurobiology and cell migration. New possibilities for simultaneous visualization of multimodal images, including correlative light and electron microscopy, transmitted light or phase contrast will also be showcased.
Allen Institute for Cell Science: The Allen Institute for Cell Science – resources to empower your research
Presenter: Allen Institute for Cell Science
We will introduce you to the publicly available data, tools, observations, methods, and cell lines produced by the Allen Institute for Cell Science. Learn about our legacy collection of endogenous fluorescently tagged human induced pluripotent stem cell lines highlighting key structures within the cell. See examples of, and how to navigate, our large, high replicate 3D image data sets showing the subcellular localization of each of these tagged structures, and hear about our microscopy pipeline. We will discuss instrumentation, automation, quality control, and 3D segmentations using the recently released CellProfiler 3.0. These data are integrated using deep neural networks to generate unified, integrated cell models. Take a guided tour through our website (http://www.allencell.org) and find out how our work can help you.
Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Scientific™ Amira Software© for Cell Biology, a new solution for interactive visualization and advanced analysis of 3D/4D image data
Presenter: Trevor Lancon
Processing and analyzing experimental data to understand living cells and their processes can represent a unique challenge. During this talk we will present Amira Software for Cell Biology, which provides a comprehensive array of tools for the flexible and accurate analysis of time series data of cellular processes. Attendees will be able to discover the new tools and workflows for cell and particle tracking and analysis, filament tracing and editing, CLEM workflows, out-of-core volume management now supporting Bio-Formats, and also the flexible data import and new Python integration. Don’t miss our talk!
GORYO Chemical, Inc.: Fluorescent probes for intra and extracellular biology
Presenter: Raj Singh, PhD
Fluorescent probes are an essential suite of reagents to probe and elucidate extracellular as well as intracellular processes in biology. A number of unique, highly specific reactive oxygen species (ROS) probes, metallo detectors, acid sensors and enzymatic fluors for glycobiology as well as proteases differentiated from existing probes through a single cleavage to liberate maximum fluorescence will be presented. A series of silicon rhodamine based fluors for super resolution live cell imaging under physiological conditions in microscopy, as well as the corresponding highly photostable fluorescent (Stella Fluor TM) derivatives that have been adapted as labels for cell permeable as well as impermeable applications such as flow cytometry will be described, in particular next generation Ca sensing probes that do not need detergents for permeablization.
Horizon Discovery: Gene edited cell models for target validation or disease modeling: the application of gene modulation and modification
Presenter: Daniella Steel
Horizon is at the forefront of gene editing and has a decade of executing over 2,000 gene editing projects, in more than 70 cell lines to provide customer focused solutions. Horizon builds human cell models to broaden the understanding of basic biological pathways, as well as gain knowledge of genetic drivers of diseases and targets for drug discovery. Here we will discuss the application of the latest techniques of gene modulation and modification including 1) an introduction to CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, 2) important considerations to take when initiating your gene engineering project, 3) applications of CRISPR-Cas9 cell models, and 4) introduction and applications of CRISPRa and CRISPRi.
PerkinElmer: Simple cell-based TR-FRET assays for protein phosphorylation, cell signaling, and biomarker detection
Presenter: Roger Bosse, Ph.D. PerkinElmer
Protein phosphorylation is a critical process involved in cell signal transduction. Studies of protein phosphorylation in cells enable the elucidation of complex signaling pathways involved in the progression of many diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, immune diseases, and metabolic diseases. LANCE® Ultra TR-FRET cellular phosphoprotein detection kits provide physiologically-relevant, homogeneous mix-and-read cell signaling and cellular phosophorylation assays that can be measured on the vast majority of plate readers without the need for specially-engineered cell lines. LANCE TR-FRET assays are simple, fast, and easy to optimize in cellular or biochemical formats.
Leica Microsystems Inc.: Visualizing the complexity of life with advanced imaging techniques
Presenter: Jochen Sieber, PhD
Biology is complex and fluorescence microscopy is an important research tool in revealing the details within this complexity. The more insights we gain, the more questions emerge. Two common approaches in unraveling the complexities of biological processes are: 1) resolving relevant structures, and 2) tracking those structures over time. Another emerging trend is functional imaging, which aims to elucidate the function of molecules – not just their localization and abundance. Innovative new imaging solutions using the versatile TCS SP8 confocal platform are featured in this talk. The topics will span discussions of deep intravital multiphoton imaging with the TCS SP8 DIVE´s 4Tune detector and super-resolution imaging through confocal-based and STED methods.
Infinitesimal LLC: A new paradigm in single-cell transfection and gene editing
Presenter: Vincent Lemaitre
Infinitesimal’s NanoFountain Probe Electroporation (NFP-ETM) system for single-cell transfection consists of a robotic arm, with 3-degrees of motion, a microfluidic probe, custom electronics, and software for automated transfection of individual cells. The system is mounted to the body of an inverted fluorescent microscope and interfaced to a PC. By integrating a user interface, the software-controlled robotic arm, and a proprietary cell contact detection algorithm, a “Point-Click-Transfect” paradigm was achieved. Using this system, a library of biomolecules, proteins and nucleic acids were delivered into different adhering cell types such as immortalized and primary cells, e.g., human stem cells, with high efficiency and cell viability. In this presentation we will highlight the NFP-ETM system advantages in applications such as gene editing and cell line generation.
Lipotype GmbH: Lipotype Shotgun Lipidomics technology for comprehensive, high-throughput lipid analysis
Presenter: Dr. Michal Surma
Lipids have been neglected in the ongoing omics revolution. One reason has been the difficulty to comprehensively analyze lipid compositions of different samples – ranging from organs to organelles and bodily fluids – in a true high-throughput mode. Lipotype introduced a mass spectrometry-based approach providing fully quantitative results characterized by high precision and exhaustive lipid coverage. It allows for efficient and convenient analysis of large sample sets, increasing the statistical power of studies and paving the way for making lipidomics a routine tool in biological and clinical research. The successful application of this technology is exemplified by various published studies.
MiniPCR: Genes in space and on Earth too: DNA technology for all
Presenter: Sebastian Kraves, PhD
For decades the tools of modern biology and DNA analysis have remained inaccessible outside of high-end labs. miniPCR develops technology to close this gap, making DNA experimentation accessible to researchers, educators, and extreme locations such as the International Space Station or the Amazon rainforest. In this session we will share the history of miniPCR development and its deployment in various contexts including truffle farming, on-the-ground Ebola diagnosis, and DNA sequencing in space. These examples illustrate how PCR and gel electrophoresis can now be accessed with increased ease and efficiency by researchers, biotechnologists and DNA curious individuals around the globe.
NanoSurface Biomedical: Biomimetic cell culture platforms for enhancing cell biology studies
Presenter: Nicholas Geisse, PhD
Cells maintained in vitro typically exhibit disordered cytoskeletal structures and random orientations. This disordered development can produce aberrant functional profiles and limit the utility of such in vitro models, producing non-predictive data with only limited relevance to in vivo mammalian cell function. Here we demonstrate that extracellular matrix-inspired substrate nanotopography drastically improves the structural and functional development of differentiated cells. Specifically, we show how NanoSurface culture platforms can be utilized to study the effect of cell-nanotopography interactions on adhesion, signaling, polarity, migration, and differentiation in the context of cancer biology, as well as regulation of epithelial wound healing, cardiovascular function, and stem cell biology. This talk will cover a broad range of applications and discuss results achieved from analysis of over twenty adherent cell types.
3i (Intelligent Imaging Innovations): Living Cell Imaging: Revolutionize Your Research with 3i LightSheet Microscopy
Presenter: Boyd Butler, M.D., Ph.D.
3i (Intelligent Imaging Innovations) pioneers the development and commercialization of a full portfolio of light sheet systems from Lattice LightSheet’s excellent spatiotemporal resolution with minimal photodamage to Cleared Tiling LightSheet’s ability to image whole cleared brains in hours not days. Lattice LightSheet is unparalleled in its ability to achieve both excellent spatial and temporal resolution in cellular samples. Marianas LightSheet offers the ability to image a wide range of specimens with traditional sample preparation and photomanipulation capabilities. Tiling LightSheet images multicellular specimens with high speed and subcellular spatial resolution. Cleared Tiling LightSheet achieves high resolution and unprecedented acquisition speed in large cleared specimens. With these technologies, 3i can provide a complete end-to-end solution for all researchers with either specific or broad imaging needs.
MilliporeSigma: New advances in microfluidic control of cellular microenvironment with uninterrupted imaging allows for highly controllable, long-term, more in vivo-like cell culture studies
Presenter: Victor Yeh
Performing live-cell experiments within microfluidic chambers greatly extends the precision and biological relevance of in vitro cell culture studies. One major challenge for long-term in vitro culture is controlling and manipulating micro-environmental parameters like temperature and gas composition, without disturbing the culture or impeding optical access to the cells. This workshop will cover the advantages of microfluidic cell culture and live-cell microscopy, and will review cell culture considerations, microfluidic design and fabrication requirements, and integration of microfluidic systems with microscopy for optimum visualization of live cells. Microfluidics applications in fields ranging from bacterial biofilms to tumor metastasis, followed by an introduction to recent microfluidic device designs will also be covered. The workshop will finish with open discussion of applications and future directions of the technology.
Thermo Fisher Scientific: Are Your Cells Thriving? Variation in Incubation Parameters Affect Cell Growth
Presenter: Mary Kay Bates, Senior Global Cell Culture Specialist
In the 21st century, we know more about cell growth than ever before. The cell culture incubator should not only provide ideal conditions for cell health, but also help to limit variables in your experiments that can jeopardize results. These considerations are especially critical with sensitive cells including primary cells, stem cells and 3D cultures. This presentation will:
• Discuss the different parameters controlled by the incubator and how each affects cells on a physiological level.
• Provide data demonstrating that incubator conditions vary significantly by design.
• Offer tips to maximize cell health in your existing incubator and what to look for in your next.
Photometrics: Maximizing sensitivity and signal to noise in scientific imaging
Presenter: Rachit Mohindra
Progress in life science research has benefited from image sensor innovation. This is no more apparent than in scientific CMOS cameras that are the established workhorse solution. Combined with new breakthroughs in computational imaging and signal processing, scientific cameras can move from image capture devices to assisting in selecting and processing important data. A vision for how this is realized is presented. This includes application in super-resolution microscopy and improving signal-to-noise ratios in very low light imaging which is typical of live-cell microscopy. EMCCD sensors previously defined the peak of sensitivity. Today back-side illuminated CMOS sensors are available and poised to eliminate tradeoffs between frame rate, field-of-view and sensitivity. This presentation includes camera performance comparisons and how to select a camera for fluorescence microscopy methods.
Wiley: Want people to read your paper? Optimize your chances with the Wiley Researcher Academy
Presenter: Andrew Moore
Many people click on but don’t read an article; others don’t even find it. Many sound articles don’t even reach peer review. Which factors influence the success of your manuscript, from submission to publication and final readership recognition? What are editors and reviewers looking for? Did you know that you’re addressing different readerships from submission to publication? How do search engines work, how do editors help authors “optimize” their articles for findability? How has the Internet changed the writing challenge for authors? Increase your understanding of scientific communication, and benefit from insights that you are unlikely to get elsewhere. Opportunity after the talk to learn more about writing and editorial at the Wiley booth.
SVI Huygens Software: Restoring light-microscopy images with the SVI-Huygens deconvolution software
Presenter: Dr. Giulia De Luca
While analyzing light-microscopy images, you might miss the small features of the sample because the resolution of the microscope is too low or because the images are noisy. This talk will describe how the SVI-Huygens deconvolution software increases more than 2-times the image resolution and more than 10-times the contrast, for a more reliable data visualization and analysis. Join this talk to know how Huygens is: -Comprehensive, addressing drift, chromatic aberration and crosstalk and including visualization and analysis options; -Fast, with its GPU-accelerated algorithms; -Flexible, for beginners with the automatic Deconvolution Express and for advanced users with the Deconvolution wizard, Scripting and Batch processing; -Up-to-date, with the new multi-tile Stitcher wizard and the new Light-sheet Fusion and deconvolution. Info and test: info@svi.nl.
Nikon Instruments Inc.: Regulation of microtubule-based motility
Presenter: Samara Reck-Peterson, PhD|
In eukaryotic cells, cytoplasmic dynein-1 is essential for long-distance transport of many cargos and can be regulated to perform multiple molecular functions. One essential dynein regulator is Lis1, mutations in which cause the neurodevelopmental disease lissencephaly. I will present our discovery, and the mechanism by which, Lis1 regulates dynein in two distinct and opposing ways. Under some conditions Lis1 causes dynein to tightly bind to its microtubule track, while in other cases it weakens dynein’s microtubule interaction. This work, which uses a combination of single-molecule imaging, in vitro reconstitution and cryo-electron microscopy, provides a new model for how Lis1 can regulate dynein to perform multiple molecular functions.
MilliporeSigma: Winning westerns: proven strategies to optimize your western blots
Presenter: Jun Park, PhD
Does western blotting give you more trouble than expected? Do you feel like your precious samples are being wasted on bad westerns? Join us and find out how you can improve your western blots! In this seminar, you will learn general guidelines for performing and troubleshooting your westerns, such as: choice of different blotting membranes, parameters affecting blotting efficiency, conditions for optimizing your immunodetection, and information on SNAP I.D. 2.0: a faster way to perform immunodetection. As the inventors of PVDF Immobilon® membranes, MilliporeSigma knows how informative a good western can be. Bring your research questions to get the most out of this session.
Cellecta, Inc.: Targeted RNA expression profiling for biomarker discovery in complex samples
Presenter: Paul Diehl, PhD
New rapid and robust transcriptome-based methods for cellular characterization of the tumor microenvironment and biomarker discovery are required to improve prognosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases. However, challenges with current approaches for the above applications include high sample requirements, poor sensitivity, low dynamic range, and limited throughput. To address these limitations, we have developed the Driver-Map targeted RNA expression profiling assay using a genome-wide set of 19,000 validated primer pairs that leverages the sensitivity of multiplex RT-PCR with the throughput and digital readout depth of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). We present the performance of the assay for immunophenotyping of immune cells in whole blood samples from sepsis patients and assess the immune responses to complex immunomodulatory stimuli in ex vivo mode.
Andor Technology: Practical reasons to consider Dragonfly as your next confocal solution
Presenter: Dr. Mark Browne
Dragonfly is a high performance multi-modal imaging platform. In this sesion, we focus on Dragonfly’s multi-point scanning confocal imaging performance and compare it to single point scanning, which has become the dominant technology over the last 30 years. We show that Dragonfly exceeds or matches the performance of point scanners in all important aspects. As life science research accelerates and demands greater throughput for deeper study, we suggest the community should consider this new and powerful platform wherever there is a need for fast, sensitive, high resolution confocal imaging. Further benefits to your research include greater productivity, extended spectral range, and accurate quantifiable results. From large samples, such as zebrafish and organoids, to single cells or yeast and bacteria, Dragonfly makes no compromises for the best quality image.
Berkeley Lights: Smaller is better: isolating and assaying single cells in a nanofluidic chip
Presenter: Mark White, PhD
Smaller is better because it’s faster. Automating biological processes at nano volumes significantly shortens time to results, precisely captures multiple data points on each cell, and scales by screening thousands of single cells at one time. Berkeley Lights’ proprietary OptoSelect™ technology enables precise manipulation of cells, including T cells and B cells, using low-intensity light. For the first time, individual cells can be selectively isolated, cultured, assayed, and exported. Selected cells can also be processed for nucleic acid isolation for further genomic studies. Examples will be shared of identification of cells of interest, assay versatility, and the capture of cell to cell interaction.
NemaMetrix Inc.: Functional analysis of disease genes in in vivo systems
Presenters: Dr. Kathryn McCormick and Dr. Chris Hopkins
The age of genomic and precision medicine is revolutionizing medical practices, but it is also revealing gaps in our knowledge of the genetics of disease. Each individual’s genome harbors a significant number of unique alleles that may impact the individual’s health in unpredictable ways. These are the clinical Variants of Uncertain (or Unknown) Significance (VUS). Assigning a functional status to identified alleles, whether benign or pathogenic, is a significant problem. New advances in genome engineering and phenotypic assessment are making it possible to go confidently from identification of a novel patient allele to a ClinVar assignment of variant activity with speed and ease using in vivo functional data. We will show a typical workflow for disease variant analysis, focusing on Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease genetics.
Nanolive SA: A marker-free technology to analyze living cell’s internal structure and organelles in 3D, at high temporal and spatial resolution
Presenter: Dr. Yann Cotte
Holographic-tomographic microscopy is an emerging and powerful new imaging approach that will revolutionize 3D live cell imaging. It allows researchers to characterize cells, organelles and cell dynamics by refractive index variations, with truly no phototoxicity. The 3D Cell Explorer offers a versatile platform for in vitro live cell imaging. It acquires every second a complete 3D image of cells (bacteria, yeast, protozoa, mammalian) and tissues, combined with cellular environment control and fluorescence imaging. Long-term (for weeks) time-lapse imaging enables users to perform continuous quantification of single cells. New hardware and software features offer a complete solution from cellular environment control, over non-invasive 3D image acquisition to post-processing analysis and will be announced in world premiere!
Oxford Nanoimaging Ltd.: The Nanoimager: a desktop super-resolution microscope with d-STORM/PALM and SIM functionality
Presenter: Ben Owen
The Nanoimager, the world’s first desktop super-resolution microscope, this year introduces a game-changing development. As first released at ASCB, the Nanoimager from ONI now boasts structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and localization microscopy (d-STORM/PALM) in one desktop device at an astounding new price-point. This talk will discuss the Nanoimager capabilities from super-resolution imaging to single-molecule tracking and single-molecule FRET. The Nanoimager provides unrivaled stability and performance: it is proven in a range of key applications, from tracking exosomes in cells and solution, to visualizing the endocytic process with exceptional resolution. This talk will discuss key features of the Nanoimager that are relevant for cell biologists, provide the first look at the Nanoimager confocal/SIM upgrade and highlight some exciting recent results.
Leica Microsystems Inc.: Multimodal imaging: the next evolution in advanced live cell research
Presenter: Oliver Schlicker, PhD
Learn how the DMi8 S advanced imaging system from Leica Microsystems enables in-depth analysis of complex dynamic intracellular interactions. Utilizing enhanced hardware and software modules helps drive discoveries into the missing links in your research. Learn how to combine modalities like TIRF, super-resolution, FRAP, photo activation, photo switching, ablation and optogenics into one experiment to gain insight into dynamic processes. This new live cell imaging platform gives you the toolbox to stay on the cutting edge of research by allowing you to see more, see faster and see the hidden.
Ananda Devices: The future of cell culture models: how microfluidic platforms can increase reproducibility and efficiency of cellular assays
Presenter: Dr. Margaret Magdesian
Drug development is slow, expensive and inefficient. Over 60% of biological research cannot be reproduced and scientists still use outdated cell culture models to test new drugs. Major scientific breakthroughs rely on robust cell cultures, reproducible experiments and reliable results. Ananda Devices (www.AnandaDevices.com) bring cell cultures to the 21st century. We offer unique microfluidic devices that enable scientists to reproduce the in vivo environment in vitro. Ananda Devices enable up to 50% faster and more reproducible data analysis in neuroscience, cancer, immunological and iPSC research. We help scientists achieve significant and high-quality results faster.
AS ONE International, Inc.: AS ONE International, Inc.
Presenter: Hiro Masumoto
Established in January 2017, AS ONE International, Inc. is committed to bringing innovative life science technologies from around the world into the hands of every researcher to accelerate discoveries in the areas of molecular and cell biology. With our strong networking in Japan and other markets, we offer unique research instruments and reagents, such as microgravity cell culture device Gravite®, specific proteins and antibodies for DNA 3R research, peptide microarrays for epitope mapping and disease studies, and other innovative research tools for studying cancer, metabolism, neuroscience, stem cell biology, immunology, and signal transduction. AS ONE International is actively seeking potential collaborations to accelerate the growth of the company and its partners.
Aurox Ltd.: Aurox Clarity LFC: your personal laser free confocal
Presenter: Phillipa Timmins
Based in Oxfordshire, UK, Aurox Ltd. was established to commercialize and build upon pioneering work from the Scanning Optical Microscopy Group at the University of Oxford. The Clarity LFC Laser Free Confocal unit from Aurox is based on a unique design of spinning disc with a grid-like structured illumination pattern. The system provides laser free confocal imaging, setting a new benchmark in price/performance ratio in the field of confocal microscopy. Come along to learn more about the technology and to see how it might complement your research.
Presenter: Nanolive SA
Holographic-tomographic microscopy is an emerging and powerful new imaging approach that will revolutionize 3D live cell imaging. It allows researchers to characterize cells, organelles and cell dynamics by refractive index variations, with truly no phototoxicity. The 3D Cell Explorer offers a versatile platform for in vitro live cell imaging. It acquires every second a complete 3D image of cells (bacteria, yeast, protozoa, mammalian) and tissues, combined with cellular environment control and fluorescence imaging. Long-term (for weeks) time-lapse imaging enables users to perform continuous quantification of single cells. New hardware and software features offer a complete solution from cellular environment control, over non-invasive 3D image acquisition to post-processing analysis and will be announced in world première!
TESCAN USA, INC.: QPI as a tool for a label-free viability assay with cell death classification
Presenter: Jan Balvan
According to NCCD, a dead cell can be considered a cell which underwent a permanent loss of the barrier function of the plasma membrane or the breakdown into discrete fragments. Quantitative phase imaging is an emerging field of microscopy aimed at studying weakly scattering and absorbing specimens. Integrated phase shift through a cell is proportional to its dry mass, which enables studying cell mass growth or cell mass loss associated with the cell death. Here we are introducing a novel QPI-based method to detect the changes of cell mass in time. This method allows the measurement of viability of cell populations on the basis of the cellular manipulation with its dry mass.
Semrock (a Division of Idex Health & Science): Striving to meet the new challenges in fluorescence microscopy
Presenters: Peter Brunt* and Prashant Prabhat
This talk reviews the latest developments in fluorescence filters and fluorescence microscopy techniques. With the implementation of super-resolution and multi-photon techniques becoming increasingly commonplace, it is important for filter technologies, which remain at the core of these techniques, to expand and adapt. Both in terms of spectral response and in their physical properties, filters must now account for far more than in original epi-fluorescence techniques and we aim to explore these changes. We will also explore tools that allow users to identify solutions and optimize their experiments. These include SearchLight, an online spectral plotting and analysis tool and MyLight, a powerful means of viewing spectral design responses. *AVR Optics, – Semrock’s distributor for educational institutions and government research labs in US & Canada\
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.: New tools for CRISPR gene-editing in cell models and primary blood cells
Presenter: Xavier J. de Mollerat du Jeu
The development of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform enables the rapid generation of new genetically modified cell models, as well as providing new potential therapeutic treatments. Optimized electroporation and chemical transfection workflows will be presented for efficient co-delivery of Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein complexes made from a next generation TrueCut™ Cas9 Protein v2 with synthetic TrueGuide™ sgRNAs, along with ssDNA templates to perform Homology Directed Repair. Data demonstrating efficient gene-editing in multiple loci across a wide range of cell lines, including traditionally, difficult to manipulate cells such as human iPSC and primary T-cells will be presented. Scientists interested in gene-editing to create primary, pluripotent and cancer cell models for basic research, drug discovery and translational medicine will discover how these new tools can accelerate their research programs.
MilliporeSigma: Quantifying cell biology through high-speed single-cell imaging and analysis
Presenter: Dr. Darin Fogg
This seminar will focus on theory and applications of Amnis imaging cytometry, a unique technology capable of capturing multiple images of single cells at rates of thousands of events per second. Combining the speed and objectivity of flow cytometry with the detailed imagery of microscopy, the ImageStream and FlowSight enable quantitative analysis of cell size and shape, and of fluorescence intensity, texture, location, and co-location. Specific cell biology applications described will be quantification of nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation of molecules, phagocytosis and internalization, autophagy, cell-cell interactions, and characterization of extracellular vesicles.
ACEA Biosciences, Inc.: Development of Diverse Cancer Immunotherapeutics Using Real-Time Impedance-Based Potency Assays
Presenters: Dr. Adam Snook & Dr. Mike Overstreet
This talk will consist of two separate parts, featuring the following: Adam Snook, Ph.D. (Thomas Jefferson University), “Development of GUCY2C-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer” and Mike Overstreet, Ph.D. (MedImmune), “Development of Antigen-specific Human Tumor Cell Killing Assays for Testing of Immunotherapeutic Agents”
A key theme for this combined talk will be the development of in vitro models which display maximal physiological relevance, where T cell stimulus more accurately reflects what is encountered in vivo. The ability of impedance assays to track immune cell-mediated killing in a label-free manner at low effector to target ratios and over very long assay windows, which assess serial killing capacity, will also be discussed.
Bruker Corporation: Bruker LUXENDO light-sheet microscopes: pure live imaging across scales
Presenter: Dane Maxfield
Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy has become a state-of-the-art imaging method to address a wide variety of biological questions. Featuring extremely low phototoxicity, high-speed image acquisition, and large penetration depth, it allows long-term 3D imaging of large and delicate samples. Fast subcellular processes and interactions can be observed in the comprehensive organ, organoid or organism context. Different samples require different conditions. The LUXENDO product line reflects this fact: the MuVi-SPIM is a horizontal setup designed to image large volumes very fast using two-sided illumination and detection without the need for rotation. The InVi-SPIM is the first inverted light-sheet microscope and is optimized for long-term 3D imaging of delicate samples with full environmental control. The QuVi-SPIM is an upright setup for quantitative systems cell and neurobiology.
BD Biosciences: New generation dyes as powerful tools to visualize cell biology in vivo
Presenter: Robert Balderas and Dr. Gustavo Menezes
The advent of brighter and more stable dyes has catalyzed a major breakthrough in our understanding in cell biology. Caveats that usually precluded the visualization of cells in their in vivo habitat have been superseded by the availability of new dyes and polymers, and their enhanced and stable brightness allows the identification of rare cell populations in living organisms. In this talk, we will discuss the rationale and techniques behind the utilization of fluorescence-conjugated antibodies and polymers to perform confocal intravital microscopy of different organs. This allows the visualization in high definition of both tissue architecture and cell populations during health and disease, allowing not only a three-dimensional appreciation of cell-cell interaction, but also dynamic investigation using movie acquisition for long periods. For research use only.
Bio-Rad Laboratories: Decoding quantitative western blotting
Presenters: Dr. Poulomi Acharya and Dr. Thomas Berkelman
In the last 40 years, western blotting has become an essential and ubiquitous method for protein and molecular biology research. In the last several years, there have been growing concerns from the scientific community about lack of reproducibility of published data mainly attributed to inconsistent antibody performance. Due to this reproducibility crisis, there is an increasing need for better-qualified, validated reagents and imaging technologies to improve data quality. In this talk we will discuss method optimization, data analysis best practices, and new advancements in technology and reagents that can make western blot data more reproducible and quantitative.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line878
|
__label__wiki
| 0.534288
| 0.534288
|
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class comparison
E 200 Expression E 200 D Expression E 200 Exclusive E 200 D Exclusive E 350 d
S 560 S 650
₹ 2.15 Crore
Compare Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Trying to figure out which of these cars to buy? Compare the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class on CarandBike to make an informed buying decision as to which car to buy in 2020. This comparison has been carried out on the basis of prices, engine specifications, mileage, and features of these cars.
The ex-showroom, New Delhi price of the Petrol Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts at ₹ 68.09 Lakh and goes up to ₹ 72.81 Lakh for the fully-loaded Petrol model. The base Diesel version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class costs ₹ 69.27 Lakh, whereas the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Diesel top-end costs ₹ 86.64 Lakh. On the other hand, the price of the base Petrol version of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class starts at ₹ 2.27 Crore and goes up to Rs. ₹ 3.19 Crore for range topping Petrol model.
As for the claimed fuel efficiency, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class base Petrol engine returns 12 kmpl, whereas the base diesel returns 14 kmpl. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class base Petrol returns 7 kmpl.
In the powertrain department, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets 194 bhp Petrol engine and 2 Diesel 197, 255 bhp engines, whereas the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class comes in 2 Petrol 620, 463 bhp engines.
BS 6 Compliant 2.0-litre, Four-cylinder M 264 Motor
6.0-litre V8 Petrol Engine
463 bhp@5250-5500 rpm
Tubeless Radial
Tubeless, Radial
AGILITY CONTROL
AIRMATIC Suspension
7.20 Kmpl
Cornering Brake Control (CBC)
Remote Control Parking
4-Zone Climate Control
Tilt & Telescopic
5th Gen Mercedes-Benz E-Class Review: The New Segment Benchmark
By Siddharth Vinayak Patankar
The absolute bestselling model for Mercedes-Benz in India, the E-Class has so far accounted for 34% of sales in the company's over 2 decade history in India. Read More
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Review
Here's our exclusive review of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class luxury sedan. We test the range topping S 650 - not your average car and not even your average chauffeur driven one. But yes, most... Read More
Related Comparison of Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Jaguar XF
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Audi A3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs BMW i8
Mercedes-Benz GLC Vs Audi A6
Mercedes-Benz GLC Vs Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs BMW X3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Vs Land Rover Range Rover Velar
E 200 Expression
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line881
|
__label__cc
| 0.70857
| 0.29143
|
Does making melancholy art make you sadder?
May 10, 2016 10:49 PM Subscribe
I put away my pencils, paints, and Wacom tablet a couple years ago due to intense depression. The work wasn't going well and I had nothing to say. I'm still intensely depressed and I still have nothing to say, but I decided to waste a few hours with some portrait sketches yesterday. But everything I make wants to be sad, and I'm not sure that sadness art is good for me.
Before I gave up on all creative endeavors, I was making truly vapid sci-fi/fantasy character art or intensely sad (and wholly uninteresting or original) portraits with some fantastical elements. Fast forward to Christmas when I got some premium coloring books as part of the adult coloring craze. I dusted off my Polychromos and Prismas and started coloring. I'm the weirdo who does light sources, shading, complementary color schemes, all that. No flat fields of color for me. And I was enjoying putting color on paper and the freedom of not having to come up with my own subjects. But over time I found myself frustrated with anatomical errors and poor perspective, low quality paper, that sort of thing. I'm still coloring, but I decided it was time to dig up the Wacom to see if I could remember how to paint in Photoshop. But less than 24 hours later I feel dejected.
See, when I am in control of the subject, I just want to make sad things. Gone are the brilliant peacock and jewel-toned color schemes on display in my coloring books. It's all half-finished monochromatic value studies of depressed looking young women with no bodies, and no other subject seems to inspire me. I can't tell if it's worth my time to keep making these things. I'm not progressing, I'm too depressed to learn how to do anything else, and while I get some satisfaction out of spending hours painting melancholy women with unusual hair, I'm not sure that it's a useful experience. And, last but not least to someone with low self-esteem who is obsessively hypercritical, there are other artists (Jennifer Healey, Marco Mazzoni) who do beautiful melancholia much better than I do. So the subject isn't even interesting or unique and I am comparatively terrible at it. I didn't even bother uploading any of the works I was doing before I quit because they'd just be poor knockoffs of people who do it better.
Some people will tell me to try different subjects, and it's a valid point. But before I quit art a couple years ago I tried out the mixed media journaling thing. Unfortunately, the whole intended message behind the process feels inauthentic to me. I can finish a 2 page spread that has some positive message in fancy lettering, but I hate it when I'm done and I feel like I'm doing it for someone else. But I'm also not sure that journals and digital sketchbooks filled to the brim with depression and hopelessness aren't self-reinforcing in some way.
So I do nothing. Except color in frustrating coloring books with terrible paper and anatomical nonsense that seems like it would be at home in Vogue. Sorry for the long ramble, but I guess I'm looking for some thoughts on whether making depressing art is self-reinforcing and any ideas or suggestions people have for improving my experience with painting. I miss my hobby and I don't like being in this rut where I can't start anything due to depression and concerns about my chosen subjects and I can't finish anything due to perfectionism, low self-esteem, and crippling self-doubt. (Yes, I've read Art & Fear.)
posted by xyzzy to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (26 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
Not sure exactly what the question is. But I have a suggestion. (It's a loooong time since I art-ed.)
Embrace the sadness. Your specific type. And create art for a character that is experiencing that sad. Feel the sad and make the art for them. So your art reflects the sadness but doesn't absorb the sadness. And when another day your sadness has a different cloak on, make art to fit a character that wears that cloak. If you can imagine the art you would make for someone who was very cold and wet...perhaps pictures of refuge and warmth with water around it...that's what you would do with the sad. Does that make sense? Not a cheery "Here's a happy clown to cheer away the blues!!!!" kind of expression. But a picture made for, not of, the sad.
posted by taff at 11:00 PM on May 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
Some people will tell me to try different subjects, and it's a valid point. But before I quit art a couple years ago I tried out the mixed media journaling thing.
There's quite a leap between these two sentences. I'm not sure why you think different subjects == mixed media journaling. It sounds like a cognitive distortion to me.
I'd suggest forcing the issue of different subjects. Go to life drawing sessions or go draw or paint buildings or strangers at cafes. And get away from the computer! It sounds a little like the absolute freedom of the computer is allowing your brain to travel down the same paths over and over. The constraints of the coloring books proved valuable — go find other constraints.
posted by wemayfreeze at 11:09 PM on May 10, 2016 [6 favorites]
Here's another perspective on that: you've gotten quite good at drawing melancholy women (this is objectively true, your brain's disgust for your work notwithstanding), but you're frustrated because they're still not good enough for you and also your brain has attached a ton of negative associations to the work.
New subjects, blank slate. Youre not going to be amazing at it because you're new to it. It's not a Thing that needs to be in the World, it's you trying some new stuff for your own satisfaction. What does your brain have to say about your neighbors house or that one tree at the park or 2 minute sketches of naked people? Well probably lots of negative stuff still, but it'll be different and might give you the tools to start navigating the negativity.
This is the depression. Making sad art isn't going to make your depression change any more than making happy art will. Making art whatsoever might be a great way to start finding an approach to treat your depression, though.
I know it's incredibly frustrating to hear this.
But from my own lifelong experience with the interplay of depression, perfectionism, and artistic drive, the idea that sad art can make an artist sadder is a bunch of hooey. It's just that the purpose of art - to communicate something to the viewer - is effective, and when a not-depressed person sees that sad disassociated hopeless art? They freak out because whaaat is that what it's like in your head? Yes, yes it is, and the freak out really doesn't help me feel good about trying to communicate that, you know? And sometimes that freaked out person can be yourself! And then it's a whole cycle. But the sad art isn't really making yourself more depressed, it's the depression warping your own response to your work. If you can treat the depression, the sad art can get reframed as processing and practice and keeping something going in the face of a serious illness.
From your ask history it appears that you have a lot of experience with illness and pain in many respects. I think it's completely valid to express your experiences visually and to find yourself revisiting the same kind of subjects and mediums all the time. It's how you react to your own work that needs to change. True, this is a topic that's been done by numerous artists at a very high level. But they're not you and you are not them, and nothing you make will ever be made by anyone else. So don't compare yourself to them, and when you catch yourself doing so, try to redirect those thoughts. Depression responds strongly to routine. If drawing doesn't physically hurt you, just doing some every day can be a great boon to reframing negative thought patterns. You can look at your sketchbook and instead of saying "look at this derivative crap" you can say "I stuck to my guns and drew in this every day for a month! look how much more confident my linework is in the more recent pages."
If you're able, drawing the same stuff in different physical locations can help more naturally snap you out of a rut, subject and style-wise. Can you draw in a coffee shop, or in a park, or just in a different room of your house? Libraries, the houses and yards of friends, even bars if you're comfortable in them. Museums of course are fantastic places to draw, too. You can practice drawing from life, but don't pressure yourself unless there's a really arresting subject. Just draw what you normally would, but while you're in a different place, and be open to that changing the content of your art over time.
I think it's a good sign that you're trying something that's given you pleasure in the past. Treating depression is not hopeless. There is a path for everyone.
posted by Mizu at 11:22 PM on May 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
I was enjoying putting color on paper and the freedom of not having to come up with my own subjects. But over time I found myself frustrated with anatomical errors and poor perspective, low quality paper, that sort of thing.
I have the opposite problem: I am intimidated by too good coloring books so I go back to Zoe de las Cases' super wobbly lines or Johanna Basford. But there are artist quality coloring sheets, Floribunda by Leila Duly if you like botanicals or anything published by Pepin Press.
posted by sukeban at 11:25 PM on May 10, 2016
Each piece isn't gonna be a masterpiece — Picasso made 50,000 ARTS and how many of them do you know, ya know? Someone's always gonna do it better.
Why does your experience have to be useful, joyful, inspiring, interesting, unique or authentic?
Fuck that. Make bad, terrible work that's vapid, repetitive, overblown, underthunk and totally depressing.
The only important thing is to do. Draw the picture, make the work.
If you keep going long enough, eventually you'll dig yourself out of one hole into a new one. And that's progress.
Take any hook and grapple with it.
posted by fritillary at 11:29 PM on May 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'd like to answer longer but I've got to get to bed. Do you have an iPhone? Come join me on Sktchy app. It's been extremely helpful for my depression and advancement as an artist. Great community and great resource for portraits. I love that work you posted, would love to see more. Let me know if you join.
posted by Rikocolin at 12:17 AM on May 11, 2016
You've seen this, probably, but leaving it here just in case.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:18 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Another useful Ted talk that I sent to someone just the other day - Elizabeth Gilbert on how to try and stop your creativity making you depressed.
It boils down to the idea that it's useful not to think of your creative expression as something that comes from within you, that's within your control (and thus becoming depressed when it doesn't do your bidding), and seeing it instead as something extrinsic, which may or may not decide to visit you.
Don't know if it will help your particular quandary, but in combination with some CBT on some of the cognitive distortions alluded to above it might.
FWIW, I think that piece you linked to is beautiful and am green with envy at your talent.
posted by penguin pie at 12:37 AM on May 11, 2016
Far from making depression worse, making miserable art is a good way to express yourself and vent the bad stuff. Art therapy is a thing, you know! The one example you provide is very interesting and well-executed, and I could easily imagine it in a gallery show. It would be a real shame to waste talent like that, not making art. But if you feel like you're stuck in a rut, there are all kinds of things you can do to get out of it! Try illustrating a scene from your favorite book. Paint an abstract, or take something totally abstract and try to give it shape. Paint one of your dreams. Try creating a comics page. Try painting in another style completely, using colors you would never use. Sculpt. Make puppets. Put on a show!
Try drawing coloring books that look like you think coloring books should look, and then put them online for people to color. Or draw the coloring books, then put them away for a few months, dig them out and color them yourself.
Anyway. It sounds like you're chronically depressed, and the depression is sapping the enjoyment from your art-making. Make treating your depression the priority. Maybe making sad art can be a part of feeling better, or maybe you can learn to have fun with art. But do keep making art.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:45 AM on May 11, 2016
Making sad art will not help your depression. If it's not cathartic, it's just what it is.
That said...YOUR ART IS AMAZING OMG
Keep drawing melancholy women. I know many artists who have made a career out of this (Audrey Kawasaki, I'm looking at you. . . ). Keep going with it. If you want to push your art, do Mucha inspired framing, do crazy abstract backgrounds. Your skill at portraiture is impressive, and something to be proud of.
Do more. Make more. For many of us, art is something that just happens, regardless of external circumstance. It's not a way out or a path to anything. It's like breathing. Make what you feel when the muse moves within you, and try not to judge it to harshly.
Art doesn't have to have a positive message. Sometimes it doesn't have to have a message, you can just make it because it feels right. It doesn't have to be a therapy tool. You have talent. Please keep going with your art.
Don't believe everything you think.
posted by ananci at 1:59 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
I think with drawing expressions we sometimes mirror and emote what we're drawing. For someone predisposed to depression this is a particular trap you may want avoid sometimes, if you see it happening; which means exercising mindfulness of your emotions, CBT-style.
Some science may back me up on this, primate mirror neurons and stuff.
I don't know if this is happens in this case or if it is you engaging in toxic self-talk when the art isn't yet going where you want it to go. You might want to work on this in a deliberate and mindful way, perhaps with a counselor.
The coloring books encourage a zen-ish flow state and the monkey mind stops chattering. But in some cases when we make art we're noodling in our comfort zone and we are later frustrated by it.
But I'm also not sure that journals and digital sketchbooks filled to the brim with depression and hopelessness aren't self-reinforcing in some way.
It sounds like it; rather than only expressing an emotion one can rebroadcast like a speaker and microphone feedback loop, and your journals can do that. And parallel with this is toxic self-talk because you're frustrated that the art isn't yet going where you want it to go.
So the subject isn't even interesting or unique and I am comparatively terrible at it.
The piece you showed us had merit.
Prudhon kept doing monochromatic academics studies, as did Ingres, Davide, and Bargue. Jennifer Healey and Marco Mazzoni have not strip-mined the subject or approach. There are still meaningful and moving pieces to be done there.
Try doing master copies from the Charles Bargue book (context) or Prudhon, or Michealangelo's red chalk pieces, probably after the Bargue book.
And maybe work on other emotions, like vengeance, erotic ectasy, and so on.
The Charles Bargue plates are tough. But fair. And will work your art muscles and move you forward.
And putting down tone for an academic finish is a lot like the adult coloring books.
You may want to find a local atelier that can give you some instruction in sight-size measurement and comparative measurement.
And, crucially, working in the academic process one knows where the next step is so one don't stew in one's own juices when the work isn't going where one wants it to go. It's still fucking hard, but instead of a raw cliff face it's a cliff face where you have climbing gear and a guide.
Joining a lifedrawing session would be different but would be also good, and would broaden your focus in a good way.
Some people will tell me to try different subjects, and it's a valid point.
Yes. But no. Brightly colored affirmations and so on, no. Blegh.
Instead something like Gerrit van Honthorst’s The Laughing Violinist or that Portrait of Henry VIII, or so on.
Ludwig Deutsch's Orientalist Paintings of Moorish Chiefs.
Either do mastercopies or some pieces with some element of color or ornament or warmth in it somewhere; not just only melancholy faces.
Or Japanese woodblock prints of ravens or other birds with some spot of color in them, or Kabuki actors swordfighting.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:22 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Join the French Girls app community if you can ( https://www.frenchgirlsapp.com there may be similar rival apps or services on iPad or other platforms out there too, of course check them out too ) . Many or most are in the community just for fun and are not talented or even skilled artists. You clearly are very skilled and talented , so you could take commissions. But the main benefit is drawing other people creatively and getting the satisfaction of their feedback PLUS also offering yourself as a portrait subject to others in the social network for their positive creative interpretation
posted by Bwithh at 2:54 AM on May 11, 2016
Would you rather be making art? Is melancholy material the only stuff that leaps off the page for you? You can always try happier subjects, but why force yourself to do that right now, just on principle? Make what you want to make.
posted by teponaztli at 3:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Here to agree that it's not true that sad art can make you sadder, and in fact you may be giving a precious gift to potential future consumers of your art. Feeling that someone else has felt the way you feel can be a powerful experience to someone in depression or trauma, and art is a window like nothing else into someone else's experience.
posted by greenish at 3:22 AM on May 11, 2016
Yes, making art that is representational of my sad / despairing feelings does tend to reinforce the feelings because I concebtrate on them and the nuances for hours at a time. I tend to work on representational art, partly because of this. My feeling art was very creative and innovative, but so communicative (back to me) that i was not worthwhile and life not worth living that i doubt i will ever do that sort of art again, because i get nothing good from it, not even catharsis. Just reinforcement. I am really that ugly and unloveable to other people (not accurate). Maybe my art won't ever have that visceral connection for others but, thinking about it, the times people have really engaged with about my art was never when i was overtly releasing my emotions. I have had people who otherwise wouldn't, rave about a painting of a boat or a flower. They say it's because of what i put in it, but i don't think it is.
Back on topic. Making good art takes my mind off of melancholy. Deliberately expressing melancholy feelings through art intensifues them for me.
posted by b33j at 5:07 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm glad I didnt read other answers first - their eloquence would have changed what i said, though it is true for me.
posted by b33j at 5:10 AM on May 11, 2016
My art is very, very different from yours (I draw cartoon animals), but my philosophy when I was getting back int drawing after quitting for many years was that anything that came out of my pen, regardless of subject or quality, was good. Not necessarily good in an aesthetic sense, but good in that they contained ideas for future work, or were they were practice, or just in the sense that I actually sat down and put pen to paper and that mattered more than the drawing itself. What I see when I see your drawing is your hand and mind working together to figure out a way to grapple with your depression - it's the act of doing it, rather than the subject matter, that counts. I'd keep drawing whatever you seem to be able to draw.
posted by heurtebise at 5:25 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Mizu: "This is the depression. Making sad art isn't going to make your depression change any more than making happy art will. Making art whatsoever might be a great way to start finding an approach to treat your depression, though. "
Yuuuuuuuuuuup. Mizu's whole answer is excellent. Get some professional treatment for your depression and you will be able to feel better about creating even the most depressing art.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:35 AM on May 11, 2016
Try Doodle or Die. If you like it, pay the $16 or whatever to get a larger color palette and the ability to replay your drawings. The great thing about it is that it has an endless number of absurd subjects for you to draw, you can take as much or as little time as you like, the quality distinctly doesn't matter (not that you'd have any issues with quality, but it's nice to have no pressure), and it's just an excellent piano-tuning exercise, so to speak. That's where I go when I feel up to practicing. It's also always interesting to approach every subject on there with a signature style—so "crab on the beach" becomes "super sad melancholy crab on the rocky shore." I would love to see work like that, personally!
posted by limeonaire at 6:42 AM on May 11, 2016
When I was a fine artist/painter, the sadness/depression would turn into a downward spiral with painting. I painted darkly and would get drawn in to the subject matter. But the subject matter was already examining the dark inside of my mind, so it became an issue of the chicken or the egg. Ultimately, it was all a focus on the darkness. A darkness which I loved. When both the depression and the painting hooked me, it was like a drug, as being able to express the depression with art was validating my depression, which felt good on one hand, but would keep me hyper focused on it on the other.
When I addressed my depression, that art went away. And I miss it. I do. But the cost was just too high.
So my answer is yes, the art can suck you in to the sadness.
posted by Vaike at 7:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Art is my career and your work is gorgeous in a grabby-hands I-wish-I-could-do-that-style way. So for what that's worth... remember that drawing is like sandwich-making, and a lot of the time it's tastier when it's someone else's.
Could it be that sad work is cathartic work? Can it be that you're feeling and purging the emotions, vs. cultivating them? That might be a way not to 'solve' depression but let go of the accumulated emotional detritus that's cluttered up your interior attic.
It also might be like Vaike says, getting sucked into that dark mirror. Only you can say which.
The thing with making art is, we start out having fun, but as we progress we get really tied up with self-critique. Of course that serves a purpose, but you're trying to reclaim the pure joy and imagination-adventure you had when you were five and had brand new pencils/crayons and a pristine pad of paper.
It took me a couple years after school to clear away all the 'what I'm supposed to be doing' and find the 'why I do it in the first place' again.
Now I make it a regular practice of self-care to do creative stuff totally unrelated to the sort of thing I do for work. Stuff it's okay to suck at! I consider the distinction as making things, not pictures of things. I've got enough natural talent that it's generally rewarding to muck around with, but it's fun not work, so I can stay in the off-leash mindset without slipping into the work-critique mindset.
So for me, I play with color and texture, which opens me up to stuff like textile and fiber work, stained glass, lampwork, mosaic, sculpture of all sorts. No wacom! No photoshop! No realism! Just candy-rich colors you want to lick, textures your fingers can't resist, and surfaces that interact so irresistibly with light and shadow that it makes your imagination kindle and crackle again.
It's okay to play, you've got to play. It's soul nutrition. It sounds to me like you want to play but all you've got for toys is your job-tools. Even if art's not your job, you've still got a boss voice about it that's hectoring you. That voice is not your buddy right now.
Later on when you're feeling like you want to seek out challenges, find a life drawing session. It's absolutely the best way to strengthen your skills. And it makes you love what you see, and to me, that feeling makes my interior world much more inhospitable to depression.
posted by Fantods at 7:40 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I love that picture you linked. I think you should just do what you do and not hector yourself overmuch about what you're doing.
I also think you should read the relevant chapter of Huckleberry Finn, not that it has anything useful to say because I don't think Twain knew what he was talking about in re creative melancholy, but simply because it's a totally unfair and nevertheless hilarious caricature. Maybe you will be like me and want to defend Ermaline, or whatever her name was, from Huck/Twain and from Twain's illustrators, none of whom had any patience or any generosity. Emmeline Grangerford, right. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/76/76-h/76-h.htm Can you scare up any righteous anger for Emmeline? Then maybe you can get angry enough to defend yourself, who after all is making some awesome stuff that people really like, against yourself, who does not think it is good enough.
If you're still worried about it making you sadder, what if now and then you bust out a good thick fresh spotless sheet of luscious paper and make some big colorful slashes on it, just to wreck it and to clear your palate? Just make color go on paper. Don't try to make it do or be anything.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2016
Honestly, yeah, drawing pictures of beautiful women from your imagination IS kind of boring. Why don't you take that subject-matter inclination and do things like draw some portraits from life, or play with different color palettes, or literally any other technical variation on the theme?
I'm thinking of a friend of mine that had a show fairly recently; most of the paintings were studies of a skull. Kind of boring and cliché, but when there were literally a hundred of them in all different colors completely covering a giant wall, it had a much better effect.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 10:09 AM on May 11, 2016
As you can see people have different takes on this. I am extremely annoyed by upbeat anything when I'm depressed, and it makes me feel worse. Melancholy things make me feel more level, it that makes sense.
I love the picture you posted. But that's not important. I don't see how forcing yourself to make art that feels inauthentic and you have no real feeling for does anyone any good. Right now you seem weighing whether it's better to make art that you don't think is perfect, or not make art at all.
Someone will always do something better than you do. And there is no subjective "better". It's not a contest, and you can't win. If you thought no one in the world did a particular thing better than you what would you even be aiming for? If you did think you were the best in world then it would be time to find something else to do.
posted by bongo_x at 12:42 PM on May 11, 2016
There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that doing sad things makes you sadder, yes. Eg listening to sad music, writing sad thoughts etc. Sadness is contagious, as it were, and begets more sadness. Thinking about sadness makes you more sad. This research is decades old and not controversial.
A more useful question for you, though, I think is: "does this act of drawing make me sad? I am drawing sadness, yes, but is this activity itself a sad one?is it helping me, or hindering me?"
Do you feel it's a similar vibe to putting on a really sad album and just moping out? If so, maybe not a helpful activity for you. But it doesn't necessarily sound that way to me from what you've said.
The research is about doing things that make you sad, not about engaging with themes of sadness per se. It sounds like a fine distinction, but it's an important one, and may help you in your decision.
posted by smoke at 4:35 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
« Older How do I find a good group home/sober house in the... | Questions about Medicaid in Illinois Newer »
Camping out on a plateau I've built for myself. August 26, 2014
Returning to writing and painting after a long... April 20, 2014
Major Depressive Disorder and Imaginative Fiction February 3, 2014
How Do I Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Art School? March 19, 2013
And remember: external forces are never to blame. March 9, 2013
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line884
|
__label__cc
| 0.570204
| 0.429796
|
Home»ADOT News»ADOT projects invest in US 60 corridor east of the Phoenix area
ADOT projects invest in US 60 corridor east of the Phoenix area
PHOENIX ‒ Several projects that are underway or planned during 2016 will significantly upgrade US 60 from Superior to Globe.
In all, the Arizona Department of Transportation has committed nearly $50 million to projects in the corridor, including the addition of a passing lane and wider shoulders as the highway climbs east from Superior, five miles of new divided highway, rockfall mitigation, bridge work and drainage improvements.
As progress continues, including an upcoming project to replace lighting in the Queen Creek Tunnel, motorists traveling between Superior and Globe should plan ahead and be prepared for intermittent closures.
Two improvement projects are currently underway, and a third will start later this month:
A project started in August 2015 is adding a two-mile westbound passing lane between mileposts 231 and 233, widening the shoulder in Devil’s Canyon (mileposts 233-234), improving a bridge at Waterfall Canyon (milepost 229) and making drainage improvements west of Miami (milepost 242). Blasting operations for this project have required occasional closures, usually lasting up to 90 minutes, and these are expected to be needed through the end of April with crews more than halfway through excavating 108,000 cubic yards of earth.
ADOT is widening five miles of US 60 just west of and through Superior, a project that when completed in 2017 will convert the last two-lane stretch between Phoenix and Superior to four-lane divided highway. This work will require some traffic restrictions later this year.
This month, ADOT will add LED lighting to improve visibility in the quarter-mile-long Queen Creek Tunnel, which was built in 1952, as well as new conduit and wiring.
In 2015, ADOT completed a rockfall-mitigation project along mileposts 228-229, where crews removed loose boulders along a rocky and steep section of highway adjacent to the Queen Creek Tunnel.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information System at az511.gov or call 511.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line899
|
__label__cc
| 0.663003
| 0.336997
|
Home»ADOT Blog»ADOT seeks public comment for passenger rail, bus study connecting Phoenix, Tucson
ADOT seeks public comment for passenger rail, bus study connecting Phoenix, Tucson
In fall 2011 ADOT launched a study examining the feasibility of a passenger rail line or express bus service between Phoenix and Tucson.
At that time, ADOT asked for the public’s input regarding rail and other transportation alternatives between these two metropolitan areas. (You might remember this blog post or this one?)
ADOT received a lot of comments (3,075 to be exact) and was able to move forward by identifying six potential rail alternatives and one express bus alternative. These are routes that could link Phoenix and Tucson, while meeting demands for future growth and travel options along one of the busiest interstate corridors in Arizona.
A new opportunity to voice your opinion…
ADOT is again calling on the public to provide input. We want to know what you think of the seven alternatives that have been selected for further study.
To get this feedback, ADOT is participating in a series of community events in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties to reach out to community members and get ideas and opinions on the seven options. The public can also participate by taking an online survey. The public comment period runs through Dec. 15.
Along with the seven potential alignments, ADOT is studying sites for station locations. The alignments include system hubs located near downtown Phoenix and downtown Tucson, and each includes extensions beyond the system hubs that would link to the west Phoenix metropolitan area, as well as Tucson International Airport.
Based on the technical analysis and the public input received this fall, ADOT will then narrow the seven alternatives down to two or three final options in early 2013. Once the study ends in late 2013, ADOT is expected to select a locally preferred alternative.
Should the study conclude that a passenger rail line or bus service is feasible between Phoenix and Tucson, ADOT would complete further planning and environmental studies and development activities prior to construction of any segment in the corridor.
There is currently no funding identified to build a passenger rail line. ADOT will work with the public, stakeholders and policymakers to identify a funding source, should the project move forward.
Passenger Rail Study
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line900
|
__label__cc
| 0.699763
| 0.300237
|
COUPON: Save $5 Off Burien Actors Theatre’s ‘The Christmas Spirit,’ which continues through Dec. 22
« Deadline to donate to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Realty Diaper Drive is Dec. 13
Northwest Associated Arts ‘Christmas Sounds in Burien’ concert will be Dec. 14 & 15 »
Burien Actors Theatre’s production of “The Christmas Spirit” continues through Dec. 22, 2019, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Sadly, this looks like it will be BAT’s final production in its home of 40 years at the Burien Community Annex, which the City of Burien abruptly announced that it will be closing on Jan. 31, 2020 – read our previous coverage here.
BAT’s production, written by Frederick Stroppel, features specialty drinks themed to the show and plenty of free on-site parking.
When Death arrives to whisk Julia Dowling into the afterlife, Julia instead fast-talks him into a nonexistent Christmas party. As Julia scrambles to bring her estranged family together on Christmas Day, old resentments surface, new connections are made, and even Death feels the magic of the Christmas spirit.
The show contains a little adult language, including the “G”, “J”, “F” and “D” words. BAT’s policy is to inform audiences of content but to let parents, guardians and teachers make decisions that they feel are appropriate for the youth and teens in their care.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 4th Ave. SW in Burien.
Ticket prices range from $7 to $25. Student tickets are $10. Enjoy opening weekend deals: Tickets on opening night, Nov. 29, include free admission to the opening night party. Only on Saturday, Nov. 30, which is BAT’s Lucky 13 Saturday, all tickets are just $13. Only on Sunday, Dec. 1, which is BAT’s Seven Buck Sunday, admission is just $7.
For tickets, special deals or other information, go to www.burienactorstheatre.org or call 206-242-5180.
The Christmas Spirit is sponsored by 4Culture and Pickled & Preserved.
THE CAST, DIRECTOR AND DESIGNERS
Director Taylor Davis directs the talented cast of Dale Bower (Bernie), Dawn Brazel (Rosemary), Patricia Haines-Ainsworth (Julia), Eric Hartley (Father John), Phillip Keiman (Jack/Death), Kpojo Kparyea (Melissa), Marc “Mok” Moser (Paul), Devin Rodger (Beth) and Chap Wolff (Matthew). Heather Bernadette is the show’s stage manager.
The creative team for the show is: Albie Clementi, set; Dave Baldwin, lighting; Cyndi Baumgardner, props and set dressing; Eric Dickman, sound; Elizabeth Kaye, dialect coach; Jae Hee Kim, costumes, and Monica Ravitch, scenic painting.
ABOUT BURIEN ACTORS THEATRE
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Actors Theatre is a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.
BAT gives audiences an intriguing and invigorating theatre experience with unusual and fantastical productions they can’t stream online or see anywhere else. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.
BAT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.
Here’s the remaining performances:
Friday, December 13, 2019: 8:00 PM Purchase
Saturday, December 14, 2019: 8:00 PM Purchase
Sunday, December 15, 2019: 2:00 PM Purchase
TICKETS & $5 OFF COUPON
Click this exclusive Coupon below, then Print to Save $5 Off:
Get your tickets online here: Christmas Spirit – tickets, buy your tickets in person at Pickled & Preserved, enjoy dinner and a show with Frankies B-Town Bistro, send an email request to [email protected], or if you are willing to risk being turned away due to a sellout, just show up before the show!
Photos courtesy Michael Brunk:
From left to right, Father John (Eric Hartley) and Rosemary (Dawn Brazel) have a strange moment with Jack/Death (Phillip Keiman).
Paul Dowling (Marc “Mok” Moser) sings a heartfelt song he has composed in the Burien Actors Theatre comedy The Christmas Spirit.
Melissa (Kpojo Kparyea) and Matthew (Chap Wolff) share a touching moment in the Burien Actors Theatre comedy The Christmas Spirit.
COUPON: Save $5 Off Burien Actors Theatre's 'The Christmas Spirit,' which continues through Dec. 22
Burien Actors Theatre's production of "The Christmas Spirit" continues through Dec. 22, 2019, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sun
Event Type: Event
Performer: Person
Burien Actors Theatre
14501 4th Ave SW
Burien, WA 98166 United States + Google Map
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line901
|
__label__wiki
| 0.549718
| 0.549718
|
Giant Tortoise And Baby Cow Who Lost Its Leg Become Best Friends, Do Everything Together
Do you believe in friendship at first sight? If you don’t, we are here to prove you are wrong. Sorry.
It might be rare, but when found, it surely ignites life.
The main characters of our story today are two unlikely friends, an African spurred tortoise Leonardo, and a calf called Simon.
In 2013, Leonardo was rescued from a Bangkok zoo after its closure. He quickly got used to his new life of freedom there, after his horrible experience, but little did he know that things were about to take an even better turn.
Three years later, Simon arrived at the WFFT Rescue Center after a serious leg injury.
While he was grazing with his mother, he got caught in a tangle of vines, and part of his hind leg had fallen off. Yet, to help him walk, WFFT Vet Team then created a prosthetic leg for him.
“We decided to house him temporarily in a large open field enclosure within the WFFT Rescue Center where he could recover from his ordeal. We had then planned to move him into a field where we house two other rescued cows.”
This was the same field where Simon was recovering, and when the two animals saw each other, they instantly became friends!
According to WFFT:
“To the surprise of us all Simon the cow has formed a strong bond with the large tortoise Leonardo. They are often seen following each other around, sharing meals and resting together. We hope this unusual friendship continues to flourish.”
The staff at the sanctuary claim the two companions enjoy their friendship and are simply inseparable.
Some of the major goals of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) include rescuing captive wild animals and rehabilitating them providing veterinary help to animals, educating local people to appreciate and protect wildlife, and campaign against all forms of animal abuse and exploitation.
raisedvibrations.org
www.wfft.org
www.holidogtimes.com
Man Builds A Stick Library For Every Dog At The Park
About 800 Strangers – Christians, Jews, And Muslims – Sing ‘One Love’ By Bob Marley
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line904
|
__label__wiki
| 0.552233
| 0.552233
|
Who is Beth Smith? Know About Her Relationship and Many More
By Merina Maharjan February 20, 2019
Quick Facts of
Are you one of the fans of Beth or you just want to know about her after things started popping on your browser? Today we are going to talk about Beth Smith‘s personal life. You may know about her husband Duane Lee Chapman but she also had a few affairs that you may not know about. Are you curious about her past relationships? Then read the whole article.
Who is Beth Smith?
Beth Smith is an American television personality, reality star, and a producer. Further, she is also mostly known for being Duane Lee Chapman’s lawfully wedded wife.
Also Read: Who is David Eigenberg? Know more about Personal and Professional life
She is well-known for starring in a TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter. Even more, she has produced some hit movies such as Dog and Beth: On the Hunt and Dog: The Family Speaks.
Beth Smith’s Short Bio & Wiki
Beth Smith was born on 29th of October 1967 in Denver, Colorado, the USA with the sun sign Scorpio. Also, her birth name is Alice Elizabeth Smith which was later converted to Garry Smith, a former professional baseball league player for Kansas City Athletics and a housewife mother whose identity still isn’t revealed by Beth.
Beth Smith’s Relationship & Affairs
If you follow Dog the Bounty Hunter then you may already know that Beth is a married woman. She is currently having a good relationship with Duane Lee Chapman who is an American bounty hunter and former bail bondsman.
Their love story is too interesting to know. They were in a relationship from a very long time before getting married. However, they haven’t shared how they met each other to their fans. After spending some years together, they got married in 2006, May 20 at Hilton hotel on Waikoloa Village in Hawaii.
As a fact, the 51-year-old, Beth Smith is the fifth wife of the 66-year-old, Chapman. The couple has a total of two children together, Bonnie Joanne Chapman and Garry Chapman. Besides them, Beth had a daughter named Cecily who was, at the time of their marriage was adopted by Duane. In addition, she has a son named Dominic Davis.
Beth Smith Was Diagnosed With Cancer
No relationship is ever perfect, but if people work on it together, they can overcome any hurdle that life puts in front of them. For example, Beth Chapman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017. The news was revealed by her husband in a reality TV show Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives which aired on November 27, 2017.
Another bend in the Road yet not the End of the Road . #faith #love #stayhumblepray
A post shared by Beth Chapman (@mrsdog4real) on Nov 29, 2018 at 3:54pm PST
Luckily, Beth underwent a 13-hour long surgery to remove a tumor from her throat. They followed up on the aftermath in September 2017 and shared it with the viewers too.
Smith’s spouse has been very supportive at the time of the battle with cancer that let her to recovery.
Beth Smith’s Children
Beth has four children Cecily Champman, Garry Champman, Bonnie Champman, and Dominic Davis. Garry and Bonnie are from Duane Lee and Cecily and Davis are from Keith A.Barmore.
However, she is also a stepmother of other 8 children from her current husband’s past relationships named Leland Chapman, Lyssa Chapman, Duane Lee Chapman, II, Wesley Chapman, James Chapman, Christopher Hecht, Barbara-Katie “B.K.” Chapman, Tucker Dee Chapman, Zebediah Duane, and Nichola Chapman.
. My first great grand baby he’s adorable and he’s precious and he came 5 weeks early to meet me 🐳. @dakotadog808 Nothing more beautiful or inspiring than the birth of a new baby A new Generation Of Chapman’s you will be an amazing father I’m very proud of you 🐬🍼congratulations @lelandbchapman on the birth of your first Grand baby . it just gets better @wgnamerica @dogsmostwantedtvshow #dogsmostwanted
A post shared by Beth Chapman (@mrsdog4real) on Jan 25, 2019 at 9:13pm PST
Recently, she became a great grandmother for the first time. It was the grandson of Leland.
Beth Smith’s Rumors & Controversies
Yes! As a wife to a bounty hunter, Beth hasn’t lived far from controversies. She has caught media attention time and again for both good and bad reasons. Beth was diagnosed with throat cancer and was hospitalized in November 2018. She was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer. Still, her cancer is not recovered. Only, we can do for her, pray to recover soon.
Let’s talk about Beth and Daune’s bad rumors, in the year 1990, Duane cheated his former wife Tawny Marie Champman with Beth. Even more shocking news was that Smith’s husband was in a relationship with Debbi White and did suicide after she saw some scandals of Duane. Beth was in a news for her nude picture in the Playboy magazine and it went viral on the internet.
Later, this talk ends up after it was found photoshopped. Beth and her husband Duane Chapman were sued for $30 million by Charles Fisher who claimed that his life was ruined by appearing on their show.
Also Read: Who is Paula Throckmorton Married to? Know About her Husband and Many More
It’s not always a controversy that has driven the duo, she and her husband recently shared their life experience in a church which lived up to be an inspirational story and was a trending search in the mid of 2018.
Beth Smith’s Net Worth
Being a famous American TV show producer and actress, Beth Smith has amassed quite a bank balance in a huge number.
Beth Smith’s Total Assets in Figure
One of the recurring name in American TV reality show is Beth Smith who has a net value of $2 million approximately.
On the other hand, her husband, Duane Chapman has accumulated a property valued up to $6 million from his long career as an actor. Being a wife, Beth rightfully rejoices the combined net worth of her husband.
Beth SmithDog and Beth: On the HuntDog: The Family SpeaksDuane ChapmanKansas City Athletic
Author Merina Maharjan
Rita Garcia Husband, Age, Net Worth, Salary, Wiki & Bio
Lisa Lerer Bio, Salary, Net Worth, Married & Husband
Megan Wallace Cunningham Bio, Husband, Career, Children & Net Worth
Andrew Lazar Bio, Married, Wife, Children & Net Worth
Jill Martin
Deborah Snyder
Shaunie O’Neal
Anthony Hickox
Dan Cadan
Holly Frazier
Pat Sajak
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line908
|
__label__wiki
| 0.846162
| 0.846162
|
Henri Belolo, Co-Creator Of Village People, Dead At 82
Village People Singer, Victor Willis, Called Belolo A “Mentor”
Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff
Henri Belolo, a music producer who co-created the Village People, has passed away at the age of 82. Belolo passed away on Saturday August 3rd. A private funeral was held in Paris over the weekend according to Village People singer, Victor Willis.
In loving memory of Henri Belolo, founder of Scorpio Music and pioneer of dance music.
1936 - 2019 pic.twitter.com/xh0ZZqFkG4
— Scorpio Music (@scorpio_music) August 5, 2019
In a statement made by Victor Willis, the Village People singer said, “I am devastated by the untimely death of Henri Belolo who was my former producer, mentor and co-creator of Village People.” The singer confirmed there will be a public memorial at a later date, even though a private funeral was already held in Paris.
Video of Village People - YMCA (Original Promo) (1978) (HD)
Born in 1936, Henri Belolo began his music career as a DJ, before moving to the US from Paris, and starting Scorpio Music in 1976. In 1977, Belolo created the Village People along with fellow producer, Jacques Morali. The Village People are most known for their hit song, “YMCA.” Belolo leaves an impressive resume that helped form the disco genre.
Via NME
Henri Belolo
Scorpio Music
Victor Willis
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line911
|
__label__wiki
| 0.76956
| 0.76956
|
Cleveland's New Rock Alternative
ALT 99.1 - Cleveland's New Rock Alternative
News Traffic Weather School Closings
Calendar iHeart Deals
Contact Get the iHeartRadio App On-Air Schedule Advertise With Us Careers Submit Your PSA iHeartMedia Communities
Advertise on ALT 99.1, Get Results
Jason Carr
Indians First Baseman Carlos Santana Wins Silver Slugger Award
Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana is adding to his trophy case after winning a Silver Slugger award on Thursday.
Silver Sluggers are given annually to the best hitter at each position in both leagues, as determined by a vote of players and coaches.
Santana earned the award for a season that saw him achieve career-highs in batting average, walks, on-base percentage, and runs batted in.
Santana ended the season with 34 home runs, 93 RBIs, 108 walks, 110 runs scored, a 281 batting average, and a selection to the A.L. All-Star team as the starting first baseman.
Want to know more about Jason Carr? Get their official bio, social pages & articles on ALT99.1 Read more
WMMS Public Inspection File
WMMS Political File
Advertise with ALT 99.1, Get Results
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line912
|
__label__cc
| 0.677393
| 0.322607
|
Who is WomensNet?
Free Grant Tips
What’s the Amber Grant?
Vote on Past Recipients
WomensNet News
5 Lessons I Learned During My First Year in Business
That first year in business is one of the hardest. You’re learning how to sell your products and services while simultaneously figuring out how to build a business. It’s a lot like flying a plane while you build it, as the saying goes.
The good news is that the vast majority of small businesses do survive their first year. In fact, a resounding 79.8% were still in business after Year 1, according to the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. That’s not to say surviving and thriving are easy. That first year provides many opportunities for growth.
So if you think back to the biggest and most important lessons you learned that first year as a business owner, what would they be? Or as you’re creating the foundations for your business during your own first year, what have you learned so far?
We asked dozens of women entrepreneurs that question and distilled their answers down to the five we thought were the most insightful. You surely had your own five biggest lessons, and they may be completely different from this list. But as you continue to grow your venture, these may be lessons you need to learn now.
The people you hire at the start may not be able to grow with you. Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls marketing consulting firm, learned that lesson the hard way, she says. Her mistake that first year was “not getting rid of weak people earlier…I spent more time managing them than finding new customers.” Loyalty is what led her to hold onto them even when they were no longer the best choice for the roles they were in.
“As soon as I let them go, the culture got stronger and the bar higher,” she says. Hire slowly and fire quickly is now her mantra.
Prioritize what skills you should learn, rent, or buy. Juli Lassow, founder and principal of JHL Solutions retail business consulting and management firm, strongly advises assessing your areas of strength so you can build your business around your “superpowers.” Then “focus on what needs you can’t meet today and quickly decide how you’ll want to address the gaps,” says Lassow. She sees the options as learning the skill yourself, such as the basics of social media; outsourcing tasks to an expert, such as if you need a website designed and don’t see yourself needing that skill regularly; or buying tools or systems that will help you solve issues or fill a need.
“For technical areas of expertise, such as legal or accounting services, I would highly encourage that you prioritize your funds to hire an expert. The upfront investment will help you build a stronger foundation and save you money in the long run,” says Lassow.
Set boundaries for yourself. “The first six months are tough because there is no groundwork to build off of,” says Ashley Lim, founder and CEO of Mansa Tea, a handcrafted aged tea company. You have to do everything from scratch, for the first time. “From product planning to supply chain management to marketing, there is so much on your plate and not enough time,” Lim says. Feeling overwhelmed is common and possibly preventable, by taking breaks, setting limits on what you expect of yourself each day, and being willing to hand off tasks that you don’t personally need to tackle, such as bookkeeping, ordering supplies, or creating online content.
Saloni Doshi, CEO of EcoEnclose, a sustainable shipping supplies company, avoids overwhelm by mapping out her priorities each month. “Then each week, I plan how much time I’d like to spend on each one. It’s a great way to make sure you’re organized, hitting your goals, and making time for the things that matter,” Doshi says.
Test your product, again, and again, and again. Lori Cheek, founder and CEO of Cheekd, a Bluetooth mobile dating app, learned from not testing her website before earning major publicity. “When we got covered in the New York Times nearly five years ago, we got site traffic from all over the world until Cheekd crashed,” Cheek says. Once back up, the company started getting orders from customers nationwide. “It was the biggest day in the history of Cheekd,” she confirms.
But her jubilation turned to frustration when she discovered that the company’s web developer had toggled a button “off” to prevent customer credit card data from being captured and saved. That was problematic since Cheekd’s business model is based on a recurring subscription model that requires credit card data to be stored. She estimates the company lost on the order of $30,000 from hundreds of orders that couldn’t be renewed. Her takeaway? Test everything to make sure it works as you expect before launching.
Communicate consistently with your customers. The number one reason that customers stop doing business with you is perceived indifference. According to the Peppers & Rogers Group, 60% of customers stop buying from you because they that they think you don’t care about them. How can you combat that? Be in touch. Send friendly emails to see how they’re doing, connect on social media, send out a newsletter, pick up the phone. Do all you can to show you care about your customers’ well-being as individuals, and not just people who spend money with you.
Alex Tran, a deals and lifestyle blogger at Schimiggy, quickly discovered that online customers appreciate talking to a live human. About 13% of her customers are repeat buyers, she says, who “do more than just purchase. They interact with me on social media and through my blog and I’ve become friends with many!”
That first year is tough, but as time goes on, you should be proud of all you’ve accomplished—the connections you’ve made, skills you’ve developed, network you’ve established, and recognition you’ve received as a result of your idea and your efforts.
Your second year in business may not be easier, but it will definitely be different, full of new ideas, customers, and experiences you can continue to learn from.
Apply right now by telling us your story. No lengthy, complicated forms.
Our judges pick an Amber Grant winner each month.
One of our 12 monthly winners will be awarded our $25,000 Amber Grant at the end of 2020.
WomensNet featured in Inside Business 360 for "Best Grants for Women Entrepreneurs"
687 Lee Road, Suite 208
Rochester NY 14606
View Monthly Finalists
Meet Past Recipients
Find Grants
© 2020 Amber Foundation all rights reserved | Website design:
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line915
|
__label__cc
| 0.703384
| 0.296616
|
Home > Politics > RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM: Kavanaugh Caught Serving Food To Homeless
RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM: Kavanaugh Caught Serving Food To Homeless
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an alarming show of religious extremism and complete disregard for the separation of church and state, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was spotted by news reporters serving food to the homeless.
Kavanaugh performed the frightening display of religious devotion alongside an organized group of radicalized Catholics, whose extremist mission appears to be helping the needy. Local news crews leaped out of the bushes and caught him in the act, asking him, “What do you have to say for yourself, BIGOT?”
“It is disturbing that a SCOTUS nominee can so flagrantly practice his faith in the public sphere without fear of reprisal,” read an opinion piece published on Politico. “We want justices who don’t have an inherent bias for lifting up the poor and enacting mercy and, well, you know—justice.”
The writer went on to compare the Catholic judge’s actions to “something out of The Handmaid’s Tale,” stating that if the United States doesn’t start vetting judges for extremist positions like being a member of one of the world’s largest religions, “we will soon be living in a theonomy.”
At publishing time, Politico had uncovered damning evidence that Kavanaugh likes baseball, Chevrolet, and apple pie.
Huffington Post Criticizes Thai Navy SEALs For Displaying 'Toxic Masculinity' During Daring Cave Rescue
Study: Average American Now Complains More In A Week Than People Living Through The Black Plague Did Their Entire Lives
Marianne Williamson Not Sure What She's Doing Up Here With All These Crazy People
Opinion: Trump Is Doing The Right Thing, But He’s Doing It As Trump, Which Means It’s Still Bad
Trump Wins 31st Consecutive 'Employee Of The Month' Award At White House
Trump Announces Hedge Of Protection In Lieu Of Border Wall
Elizabeth Warren Proposes Replacing Government-Created Problem With New, Bigger Government-Created Problem
Congress Claims Situation In Syria Is Bad But Not Bad Enough For Them To Actually Declare War
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line916
|
__label__cc
| 0.713138
| 0.286862
|
Arduino BLINK Blueprints Sented by Jacob
Arduino BLINK Blueprints
Key Features Learn to control TV backlighting using an IR remote Get introduced to sound visualization so you are able to use sound-controlled LEDs Build an exciting persistence of vision wand
Arduino is an open-source prototyping platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino has been used in thousands of different projects and applications by a wide range of programmers and artists, and their contributions have added up to an incredible amount of accessible knowledge that can be of great help to novices and experts alike.
Want to build exciting LED projects with Arduino? This book will be your companion to bring out the creative genius in you. To begin with, you will get introduced to the maker movement and the open source hardware development Arduino boards. You will then move on to develop a mood lamp and a remote-controlled TV backlight. As you progress through the book, you will develop an LED cube and will learn to use sound visualization to develop a sound-controlled LED Christmas tree. You will then move on to build a persistence of vision wand.
At the end of each chapter, you'll see some common problems, their solutions, and some workarounds.
Set up Arduino boards to run a basic Hello World' program
Develop a mood lamp and expand it to become an LED night lamp
Control TV backlight color and intensity using an IR remote
Develop an IR-controlled 4*4 LED cube
Use sound visualization to develop a sound-controlled LED Christmas tree
See a fun way to create interesting long exposure photographs and light displays using persistence of vision (POV) wands
Samarth Shah is a software engineer by profession and maker by heart. He leads maker activities at Pune Makers and heads Infosys Robotics Club. He loves building creative/innovative prototypes using the latest hardware/sensors (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Kinect, Leap Motion, and many more) and software. He has given talks at various national and international conferences. He has authored a book on Raspberry Pi entitled Learning Raspberry Pi, Packt Publishing. During the day, he works on various data visualization techniques and UI frameworks. At night, he does blogging, reading, writing, and many more things. You can read more about him at http://samarthshah.com.
Utsav Shah is an instrumentation engineer who loves to work on the latest hardware as well as software technologies. He has been featured on India's leading website http://yourstory.in and Ahmedabad Mirror (Times Group) for his research work on "Converting sign language into speech" using a Leap Motion controller. Apart from his regular work at Infosys Limited, he manages activities of Infosys Robotics Club. In his leisure time, he loves to read books and work on cutting-edge technologies.
Arduino Computer Vision Programming
Arduino For Dummies
Arduino Development Cookbook
Arduino and LEGO Projects
Arduino Wearables
Arduino For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Coding the Arduino: Building Fun Programs, Games, and Electronic Projects (Technology in Action)
C Programming for Arduino
Arduino Electronics Blueprints
Arduino Essentials
Arduino Workshop
Building Arduino PLCs
Beginning Android ADK with Arduino
The Arduino controlled by eForth
Arduino Networking
Arduino, 2nd Edition
Arduino Playground
Arduino Programming with .NET and Sketch
Arduino Wearable Projects
Samarth Shah
Utsav Shah
An Interactive Approach to Writing Essays and Research Reports in Psychology (Black & White) Sented by Michael
JAN Hello, Android
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line922
|
__label__cc
| 0.507709
| 0.492291
|
Joseph Lee Anderson
Nonton Film Harriet Online Subs Indonesia
Watch Streaming Movies Harriet Online
Download Movies Film Harriet Subs Indonesia
Nonton Film Harriet Online Subs Indonesia 2019 6.5
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history. Written byFocus Features watch streaming Harriet full movies, nonton online film Harriet subs indo
Directors : Kasi Lemmons
Stars : Clarke Peters, Cynthia Erivo, Henry Hunter Hall, Joe Alwyn, Joseph Lee Anderson, Leslie Odom Jr., Nick Basta, Omar J. Dorsey, Tim Guinee, Vanessa Bell Calloway
6.5 IMDB Rating 13118 Views
Frozen II 2019
Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Stars: Alfred Molina, Evan Rachel Wood, Idina Menzel, Jason Ritter, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, Martha Plimpton, Rachel Matthews, Sterling K. Brown
An Indian soldier is assigned a mission to eliminate his former mentor, who has gone rogue.
Director: Siddharth Anand
Stars: Anupriya Goenka, Ashutosh Rana, Dipannita Sharma, Hrithik Roshan, Mashhoor Amrohi, Sanjeev Vatsa, Soni Razdan, Tiger Shroff, Vaani Kapoor, Yash Raaj Singh
Si Manis Jembatan Ancol 2019
Terrifying legends has spread out. The appearance of Maryam as the ghost has been seen for so many times, at the old bridge or in the other place. She spread terrors for revenge.
Director: Anggy Umbara
Stars: Ananta Rispo, Anyun Cadel, Arief Didu, Arifin Putra, Egy Fedly, Indah Permatasari, Ozy Syahputra, Randy Pangalila, Ruth Permatasari, Tomy Babap
Deadpool 2016
A wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal but ugly, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.
Stars: Ayzee, Brianna Hildebrand, Ed Skrein, Karan Soni, Kyle Cassie, Michael Benyaer, Ryan Reynolds, Stefan Kapicic, Style Dayne, Taylor Hickson
Good Newwz 2019
Two couples with the same surnames pursue in-vitro fertilization and wait for their upcoming babies. Trouble ensues when they find that the sperms of each couple have been mixed with each other.
Director: Raj Mehta
Stars: Adil Hussain, Akshay Kumar, Anjana Sukhani, Diljit Dosanjh, Gulshan Grover, Kareena Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Tanmay Dhanania, Tisca Chopra, Yukta Mookhey
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line930
|
__label__wiki
| 0.856943
| 0.856943
|
From: Enzymatic degradation of sulfite-pulped softwoods and the role of LPMOs
Saccharification of Avicel PH-101 under aerobic (blue bars) or anaerobic (red bars) conditions in the presence or absence of 1 mM ascorbic acid (±AscA). The left panels show glucan conversion (as a percentage of theoretical glucan conversion) and the right panels show the concentration of Glc4gemGlc, at two time points. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out with Cellic® CTec3 (a, b) and Celluclast®:Novozym 188 (mixed at 5:1 ratio, w/w) (c, d) at 8 mg/g glucan total protein loading, using reaction mixtures containing 5% DM in 50 mM sodium acetate pH 5.0 that were incubated at 50 °C. The data points represent the average value of three independent experiments with one technical replicate per experiment. The error bars represent standard deviations of the three independent experiments. The statistical significance of differences in the 48-h saccharification yields was analyzed using two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test (95% confidence interval) and is indicated as follows: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line932
|
__label__wiki
| 0.562093
| 0.562093
|
Sons of Kemet is the iconoclastic mix of tenor sax, tuba and double drums. On this third studio album, they bring a genre defying approach which celebrates the restless exploration of identity within the Caribbean diaspora within the U.K. ‘Your Queen is a Reptile’ was recorded in london with a host of guests spanning the breadth of the UK scene including jungle legend Congo Natty and poet Joshua Idehen.
Find Out More Play Video
Receive our monthly newsletter – OFFCUTS – a collection of artwork, news and upcoming events we're excited about.
By entering your email below, you agree to receive occasional news and updates from Brainchild.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line945
|
__label__cc
| 0.543462
| 0.456538
|
Roadside Nature Tours through the Okanagan
A Guide to British Columbia's Wine Country
Richard Cannings
The Okanagan attracts thousands of visitors each year to enjoy its beaches and wine, but more and more people are discovering its natural beauty. With desert sands and deep lakes, towering rock cliffs and rich benchlands, cold mountain forests and hot grasslands, the Okanagan has an ecological diversity unequalled in Canada.
Roadside Nature Tours through the Okanagan opens with an introduction to the region’s biodiversity, climate, geology, and human history, setting the stage for the route descriptions that follow. Richard Cannings then takes us on twenty-one tours through the valley, from the arid benchlands of Osoyoos to the snowy forests east of Vernon. The routes vary from main highways to quiet roads, and along each one we’re introduced to the animals, plants, and bedrock that create this national treasure. Each route also has a focal topic, ranging from owls to salmon and rattlesnakes to rock rabbits.
Reisen und Abenteuer
Mehr Bücher von Richard Cannings
The New B.C. Roadside Naturalist
Birdfinding in British Columbia
Geology of British Columbia
An Enchantment of Birds
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line948
|
__label__cc
| 0.726011
| 0.273989
|
Live Long And . . .
What I Learned Along the Way
William Shatner & David Fisher
Star Trek legend and veteran author William Shatner discusses the meaning of life, finding value in work, and living well whatever your age.
"I have always felt," William Shatner says early in his newest memoir, that "like the great comedian George Burns, who lived to 100, I couldn’t die as long as I was booked." And Shatner is always booked.
Still, a brief health scare in 2016 forced him to take stock. After mulling over the lessons he's learned, the places he's been, and all the miracles and strange occurrences he's witnessed over the course of an enduring career in Hollywood and on the stage, he arrived at one simple rule for living a long and good life: don't die.
It's the only one-size-fits-all advice, Shatner argues in Live Long and..:What I Learned Along the Way, because everyone has a unique life—but, to help us all out, he's more than willing to share stories from his unique life. With a combination of pithy humor and thoughtful vulnerability, Shatner lays out his journey from childhood to peak stardom and all the bumps in the road. (Sometimes the literal road, as in the case of his 2,400-mile motorcycle trip across the country with a bike that didn't function.)
William Shatner is one of our most beloved entertainers, and he intends never to stop entertaining. His funny, provocative, and poignant reflections offer an unforgettable read about a remarkable man.
rokinrev , 09/04/2018
Very Shatner
“With age supposedly comes wisdom. I read that a long time ago. But I am now deep into my eightiess and I can with some sadness admit that I know very little. I have gained only enough wisdom to dismiss the belief that wisdom comes with aging. With aging, mostly, comes aches and pains.”
William Shatner is 86 years old. He figures between Star Trek and Priceline, he’s easily recognized by 4 generations... not to mention his award winning Twilight Zone episode. This book is in a “very Shatner” voice, rambling at times, it he does impart wisdom, sadness and joy along with a lot of really great first person insight. You can “hear” his voice and feel his passion.
Yes, it is a bit stream of consciousness but when you’re 86, that should be celebrated, not dissed. Highly recommended. 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley and it has not affected my opinion]
#NetGalley
More Books by William Shatner & David Fisher
Up Till Now
TekWar
Star Trek: Captain's Blood
Captain's Glory
Shatner Rules
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line950
|
__label__cc
| 0.639749
| 0.360251
|
Murder on Book Row
Joseph D'Agnese
She sells books, eats well, and has a very large brain. Criminals fear her.
Meet Beatrice Valentine, a larger-than-life bookshop owner with a penchant for three things in abundance—delicious Italian food, vino, and murder. For decades she has sold used and rare books from her stylish-but-cluttered domain on New York City's legendary Book Row.
But when the eccentric antiques-and-books dealer next door is found dead, it's time to put down the cannoli and get to work. Aided by her long-suffering private eye nephew, corpulent Aunt Bea launches an investigation using her irrepressible talents for snooping, meddling, and outthinking the police. Pitted against Aunt Bea's brilliant deductions, murderers don't stand a chance.
Murder on Book Row is the first in a delightful series of light-hearted whodunnits set in a world of rare books and abundant snacks.
Written by a winner of the Derringer Award for Short Mystery Fiction.
If you like charming puzzle mysteries, witty banter, and fiendishly clever solutions, you'll love getting to know the Book Lady.
Get Murder on Book Row today and delve into a page-turning case that's one for the books!
Nutgraf Productions, LLC
More Books by Joseph D'Agnese
Signing Their Lives Away
The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed
The Underground Culinary Tour
Stuff Every American Should Know
Signing Their Rights Away
Sorceress Kringle: The Woman Who Became Santa Claus
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line951
|
__label__cc
| 0.698661
| 0.301339
|
Policy & Ideas
Search through our articles
Home > Economics > Debt Bomb Britain
Debt Bomb Britain
By John S Warren
Be under no illusion, even the Conservative and Labour parties do not believe they are offering a choice to the electorate in the 2015 General Election. What they are offering is a political ‘price fix’ orchestrated by the Westminster Cartel. In the Scottish Referendum the British State inadvertently showed its real face: and in the 2015 election it will be ’Better Together’ yet again; a multi-party system offering the same Government under different names; fronted by a theatrical pantomime diversion of a Parliament, which has the sole purpose of disguising from the electorate the real nature of the political Cartel that has sold them short.
At the core of all this theatrical, over-dramatised, storm-in-a-teacup, puffed-up pointlessness, intended only to produce the public illusion of a political “contest“ between Labour and Conservative in 2015, is the critical matter of the UK “Deficit”. The Deficit is the centre of the election campaign; to all intents and purposes, it is the campaign.
Conservative and Labour are desperate (despairing?) in their anxiety to persuade the electorate that there are real, wide differences between their approaches to tackling the “Deficit”. In fact the actual differences between Labour and Conservative in their approach to the “Deficit”, relative to the real scale of the problem, are insignificant. We are usefully reminded about the real nature of the political sleight-of-hand to which Cameron, Clegg, Osborne and Alexander have resorted in presenting their efforts at Deficit reduction; not by appeal to allegedly independent economists, think-tanks, media commentators, or any of the rest of the conventional paraphernalia that calculatingly adds so little to public understanding; but simply by reading John Redwood’s Blog (1st October, 2014):
“Under the Coalition the level of state bank indebtedness has been curbed substantially. This has been almost entirely offset by continuing increases in state borrowings to pay for public spending. On the narrower definition of state borrowing excluding banks the total has risen from £956bn in March 2010 to £1432 bn in August 2014, an increase of £476 bn. This puts the idea of public sector austerity into perspective. The Coalition has continued borrowing at a similar rate to Labour’s increases, though the Coalition is gradually bringing down the rate of increase in the borrowing”.
In the present and recent past there is no difference between Labour and Conservative over the non-management of the “Deficit” (as to the future, party political ‘promises’ cannot be cashed for value). What Labour and Conservative are actually arguing over is the rate of increase in borrowing under their trivially different regimes; which under scrutiny quickly collapses into a form of metaphysical esotericism: microscopic nit-picking over small oscillations around a deficit trend line neither side can control, and a problem that neither party has shown any capacity to solve.
Both parties will continue to operate a system of brutal social welfare spending austerity, flavoured by vacuous rhetorical gestures towards whatever last vestiges of the electorate remain sufficiently credulous or gullible to fall for the seduction of snake-oil salesmen; you can be sure these will be mere gestures, moving the “Deficit” trend line a few microns one way or the other to please the constiuency of mindless right-or-left ideologues, but austerity will be combined with a fiscal policy that, we should carefully note; is intended to fail to achieve anything at all (they will argue ideologically over nominal tax rates that are effective as tax rates almost exclusively in the case of the almost defenceless ‘paye’ contributor, but in corporate terms are largely decorative, and in wider international economic terms, effectively meaningless).
When Redwood offers the observation that, “the level of state bank indebtedness has been curbed substantially”, what he fails to mention is that large private sector banking losses have been transferred, permanently, to the public sector by the neo-conservative apologists for unregulated free-enterprise, and added to what he terms “public borrowings”; the National Debt (the public sector). It seems that in Britain the word “free” in “free enterprise” is there to ensure that in banking at least the profits and assets remain “private”, while the inconvenient losses and liabilities are despatched smoothly and seamlessly to the “public”; typically represented by the defenceless ‘paye’ taxpayer.
Turning now to the reality behind the mere knockabout politics of the Conservative or Labour ‘spin’ on the “Deficit”, it is worth remembering that the “Deficit” is only one part of the deep, unsustainable problem now facing the British economy; an unsustainable problem that will unravel alarmingly as interest rates rise (as they will, like nemesis), and perhaps with disconcerting speed as matters unfold; but the trite politics of the “Deficit” is all you are going to be offered in 2015. Originally, if you wearily care to recall, the “Deficit” was to be eradicated within one Parliament (by 2015), but while Parliaments and Governments come and go, the “Deficit” alone remains intact, and the date of its elimination drifts ever forward, into a perpetually receding medium-term future (think of it like a receding hair-line; and the economic fashionista George Osborne as offering a comb-over as the solution).
Behind the “Deficit”, and lying in wait for us all, is the yet bigger problem of the UK National Debt; which has not yet peaked, nor the date that peak will be reached, reliably forecast; indeed the date when we finally discover just how big the biggest problem Britain will face – the “Debt” itself – in turn, continually recedes from view. The “Debt” thus carries another, problematic moving problem that Conservative and Labour are disinclined to discuss; but for Britain today and for the British people, a problem that can only turn for the worse. The underlying problem is the rate of interest to be paid on Britain’s “Debt” Mountain; interest rates can scarcely move lower — even theoretically; if they did, we would almost certainly have simply moved into another kind of crisis, serious deflation; the proverbial fire replacing the current, warming frying pan.
So what is the cost of servicing the UK “Debt“ Mountain? Labour and Conservative politicians do not like to discuss longer term interest rate prospects, it is too difficult; however bad the problem of controlling the “Deficit” becomes, it is much easier to produce phoney arguments over political management of the “Deficit”, than discussing how on earth we are going to fund Britain’s “Debt”, long term and in a much more realistic higher-interest rate environment than the current ‘management’ of the inherently unmanageable allows. Remember, this is the all-seeing, all-wise “markets”; this is how (allegedly, they work – well, at least when they are not actually being rigged), and eventually they follow their own logic. There are no good outcomes.
Even in 2014 interest paid on the UK Debt Mountain (that in turn has not yet peaked), had reached around £1Billion per week; that is £52 Billion per year. Unfortunately even this level of funding relies on interest rates remaining at historically exceptionally, unsustainably, low levels; interest rates, it must be stressed, over which Britain has very little control long term, whatever British governments or the Bank of England opine; low interest rates that, even at £1Billion per week, have quite fortuitously served the UK rather too well, because of the peculiar circumstances following on the international financial turbulence in the wake of the Crash. This position is not ‘normal’, and it will not last. Indeed, “Low” scarcely does justice to current base-interest rates that are near zero and historically atypical.
Assuming we return to more conventional levels of interest rates in the world, then UK interest payments on the “Debt” will inevitably rise, quite probably exponentially. We may then be looking at UK interest payments on the final mountain of “Debt”, whatever that total; that is far higher than £52Billion per annum. Even at relatively modest, stable interest rates, and allowing for timing adjustments for holding the total Debt for a full year; we may reasonably extrapolate interest payments of double, treble or even quadruple current levels of payment, as represented by the mid-2014 £52Billion per annum. What we are looking at may be interest costs for Britain, long-term of, say (?) £100Billion or higher; perhaps even £200Billion per annum in adverse circumstances?
What British Government Budgets will be cut then? Rather, the question will be, what Budgets will survive? In these circumstances how are we ever going to pay, not just the interest; but repay the “Debt” itself? Labour and Conservative have not even contemplated how the problem of the “Debt” capital repayment schedule is to be addressed, or worse still (but more likely), refinanced.
What kind of future does this outcome promise for Britain, or for that matter, its Parliament? Perhaps this is why such disparate sources as the ‘Guardian’ or ‘Spectator’ have suddenly taken to circulating the latest Westminster Cartel General Election 2015 wheeze; a National Government. The Labour and Conservative answer to the problem is simply to make the long-standing, implicit, lack of political choice of government in Britain, finally, explicit. There is only one government in Britain, whoever wins the election.
Who would notice the difference? What difference?
UK Debt
Westminster Cartel
Leave a Reply to Darien Cancel reply
david steel says:
what is the solution ? What would a clued up party offer as a choice?
ifyoutoleratethisthen says:
The short answer – Money issued debt free and claiming more of the profit on money creation could be solutions!
The longer answer – The article highlights the rise of public debt as a symptom of spending money one does not have, a lack of public funds. However what many political parties have not realised is that 1) Most of the money supply is created by private banks as a debt out of nothing.
The Bank of England have said that ‘Commercial banks are the creators of deposit
money…rather than banks lending out deposits that are placed with them – the act
of lending creates deposits-the reverse of the sequence typically described in
textbooks.’ – 97% of the amount currently in circulation (p15)
And that: ‘Just as taking out a new loan creates money, the repayment of bank loans
destroys money.’(p16) (All banks keep from this flow is the interest)
‘Money creation in the modern economy’ Quarterly Bulletin 2014 Q1 http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Documents/quarterlybulletin/2014/qb14q1.pdf
So the status quo means if you want more money in the economy than you also have
more debt. Money issued debt free could be a solution. The English and Welsh Greens are the only party to have this idea in their policies as far as I am aware.
‘EC663 The existing banking system has failed and is no longer fit for purpose.
The Green Party believes that the power to create money must be removed from
private banks. The supply of our national currency must be fully restored to
democratic and public control so that it can be issued free of debt and directed
to environmentally and socially beneficial areas such as renewable energy,
social housing, or support for community businesses.’
http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/ec.html
2) This money is currently finite – it is created and destroyed. We could at least try
to recycle it in the public interest! The Treasury already receives the profits on creating notes and coins…’How are the costs of printing banknotes met?
NCS members purchase new banknotes from the Bank at face value. The Bank invests
this money in interest bearing assets, such as UK government bonds. The Bank
deducts the costs of printing banknotes from the income on these assets, and the
balance is returned to HM Treasury. This income is known as seigniorage. Total
seigniorage in 2012-13 was £592 million, of which £75 million was spent on
printing and issuing banknotes, with the remaining £517 million paid to HM
Treasury.’ http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/about/faqs.aspx
Les Wilson says:
I have been watching this for some time, it is all smoke and mirrors, and just one of the biggest reasons that Westminster was so panic stricken by the thought of Indy. There were of course many other reasons, but the overall TOTAL debt is inescapable as it is untenable.Scotland would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The UK is going to crash, perhaps the biggest crash ever, it will badly effect everyone across the UK, Property prices, investments, Banks and big business, as well as everything and everyone below that level.
Indy was our chance to escape, which in my view is that we were cheated out of it by the lies and deception
of the British Elite State. Woe betide us all, now that it is too late. ( expect the meltdown between 2015 and 2017.) Timing depends on how long they can hide the truth, before it blows up on them, and us.
FlimFlamMan says:
The only illusion here is the idea that UK government deficits or debt are any sort of problem in and of themselves.
As a state with currency sovereignty – the UK government issues its own non-convertible currency and therefore does not need to acquire it from elsewhere before spending – the UK faces only real constraints, not financial ones. It can purchase whatever is available for sale in its currency. If it tries to spend more than that inflation will accelerate.
That’s the constraint; the capacity of the economy, globally, to produce real goods and services that are for sale in sterling. Is the UK bumping up against that constraint? A look at unemployment and inflation numbers will give you the answer.
When the financial sector came close to destroying itself after years or fraud, who was it that bailed them out? Was it tax payers? No; tax takings didn’t rise, they fell. Was it the mythical ‘markets’, controllers of all money – so we’re told? No; the financial institutions that make up ‘the markets’ were the very people being bailed out. They didn’t bail themselves out.
So where did all the money the government ‘borrowed’ come from? It came from the currency issuer, which in the case of the UK – and the US and Japan and China and Australia etc. – IS the government. The same government we’re told cannot afford decent levels of public spending because of ‘the markets’.
Interest on sovereign debt is irrelevant if the country in question is genuinely sovereign, if it has its own floating, non-convertible currency and the debt is issued in that same currency. The UK could simply stop issuing debt at all, with just some changes in the law. Not changes in mathematics, or accounting, or economics. Just in the rules we set for ourselves.
“We’ve run out of money”. “Oooh, but look at the debt”. It’s all neoliberal nonsense – which the neoliberals ignore when it’s their friends in the banks that need the spending – and as long as progressives and/or nationalists continue to buy into it there will be no progress.
John S Warren says:
Thank you for the comment. Around 30% of UK Gilts are Overseas holdings, and that has held fairly steady since the Credit Crunch; this implies we have significantly raised our indebtedness to Overseas holders. It is true that the Bank of England rapidly raised its stake to circa 25%+ from around 2009 (from zero) but the long-term consequences of the Bank of England activities post-Crunch remain to be seen. On the other hand other holdings of Gilts by UK investors are notably declining; not perhaps an encouraging sign.
You observe that sovereign debt is irrelevant “if the country in question is genuinely sovereign”. First, presumably you believe that the UK is genuinely sovereign. Second, I think I would require a definition of your term “genuinely sovereign”; its precise meaning. You may well have an interesting take on this, but prima facie I would not have thought the UK offered itself as a paradigm.
John, thanks for your response.
Foreign holdings of UK government debt may have risen, but it is what is held that matters, not who is holding it. If UK debt is denominated in sterling – which the vast majority of it is – then the UK government can never lose the ability to make debt payments. The recipient of those payments makes zero difference.
UK debt is in sterling.
Interest payments on that debt are in sterling.
Who issues sterling?
It is impossible for a government, any government, to “run out of money” which it itself issues, provided the currency is non-convertible. Sterling is non-convertible; it comes with no promise to convert to gold or silver or some other currency.
So yes, the UK is genuinely sovereign, at least when it comes to currency and government debt. I mentioned the conditions which determine that, but I can expand on them.
1) Country in question must issue its own currency. This means that at the most basic level the government of said country does not need to acquire currency from elsewhere before it can spend.
2) Country in question must let that currency float in currency markets. In other words: no pegs. This means that the government does not need to acquire foreign currency in order to defend the peg. For recent examples of how this fails for countries like the UK, with sustained external deficits, look at Argentina, or closer to home with the UK’s attempt to join the ERM. This must be extended to forbid promising conversion to precious metals or other commodities. No gold standards.
3) Country in question must issue debt, if any, in the currency it also issues. This means the government has no need to acquire foreign currency in order to honour its debt obligations.
The, hopefully obvious, theme here is that anything which leaves the government dependant on acquiring either foreign currency or commodities before it can either spend or sustainably issue debt is verboten.
None of this means that governments can spend without limit, it merely means it must respect real limits, such as the presence of workers looking for jobs, or goods and services offered for sale. Deciding where that spending should go is where politics comes in.
Do we want more hospitals or more aircraft carriers? We have the money for both – our government is the issuer – but do we have the aluminium, the capacity to produce electronic equipment, the personnel, the graduates? Those are the real constraints.
I do not think your answer addresses the point regarding “genuine sovereignty”. We are seriously deficient in what you term the “capacities”, or “real constraints”. We are a trading nation with a trade imbalance, a chronic balance of payments problem and a seriously unbalanced economy that is over dependent on the finance sector. I think your argument on ‘currency sovereignty’ is an elegant abstraction; and you posit the UK as what I might term a kind of economic ‘solipsist’; but we are the last country to fulfil the necessary criteria. The real economic constraints impinge on us and therefore this seriously impinges on the financial/debt framework and the policy freedom of the Bank of England or the UK government.
I’m talking about genuine sovereignty when it comes to currency and related matters, such as government debt.
Is the UK ‘fully sovereign’ in everything? Our government’s willingness to follow the US into imperialist adventures says no, but I’m not talking about that.
In general I agree with your assessment of the British economy, its lack of manufacturing capacity and its massively oversized financial sector. Most of what the financial sector does should be outlawed.
Addressing those lacks though would be much easier if we understood what our real capacities and limits are. Government debt, in and of itself, is a fictional limit.
We don’t have a balance of payments ‘problem’, we have a balance of payments deficit. Foreigners are willing to send us cars and phones and computers in return for sterling, which we create out of thin air. Where is the problem? It might be a problem in the future, if they decided to stop sending us stuff. But if that became the case, or if you genuinely think it’s already a problem, how does pretending we’ve run out of money help us fix it?
We have plenty of real problems, such as entrenched unemployment, falling real wages and rampant inequality. How does pretending we’ve run out of money help us fix any of it?
5th January 2015 at 10:27 pm
I shall return to what you said in your first intervention: “The … … theme here is that anything which leaves the government dependent on acquiring either foreign currency or commodities before it can either spend or sustainably issue debt is verboten.” A fair point, but I do not think it describes the reality of the British economy, and the dependence on imports illustrates the point that British ‘sovereignty’, even as you define it, is an illusion.
Foreign holders of sterling or “foreigners …. … willing to send us cars and phones and computers in return for sterling” are not satisfied because they are paid in sterling, but accept sterling because it is transferable into another currency at a given, acceptable price. These are “real constraints” that affect the issue of sterling. Indeed QE, for reasons that I suspect are still not fully known but are perhaps associated with the peculiarities of the Credit Crunch and the bank balance sheets (to say nothing of zero hour contracts or the end of the third labour ‘price wave’), has not induced serious inflation in Britain. That is a minor miracle.
Perhaps your thesis would fit 19th century USA very well; perhaps you can offer more modern examples, but I do not believe it fits the facts of the British economy. Incidentally, I do not claim we will “run out of money”. I claim only that we will run out of credibility, but in Britain’s case that is more fundamental. Economics is 99% psychology. What lies beyond that failure of credibility in the wider world is, I suspect, to become a target of weakness and exploitation by the markets: interest rate volatility, contagion, inflation or other nasty surprises.
That’s why one of the conditions I listed is that governments have to let their currencies float. If you institute a peg you have to defend it, and a country with an external deficit can’t do that. Witness the ERM mess. Float the currency.
What price will the currency trade at? That depends on the state of the economy, the level of spending, and whether or not that spending exceeds the capacity of the economy. The inflation limit. See my 23:46 reply to MBC.
QE is no mystery or miracle, it didn’t cause inflation because it didn’t increase spending. It nudged people out of holding government bonds and into stocks and commodities, helping nobody other than the usual suspects in the financial sector.
19th century US isn’t an example since they were constrained by the gold standard for a good chunk of that time, I’d have to look up how long. Modern examples include pretty much every country outside the eurozone. It doesn’t apply to euro countries because they don’t have their own currencies.
When the crisis hit and eurozone bond yields went through the roof, why didn’t UK or US yields do likewise? Currency sovereignty. Eurozone yields didn’t fall until the ECB, the currency sovereign for the Euro, finally stepped in.
So we’re back to the inflation limit I talked about, which is a real limit determined by the capacity of the economy.
Freia says:
I didn’t understand what you meant by ‘the UK faces only real constraints, not financial ones’. What is a ‘real constraint’ if not a financial one?
Real constraints are physical; the amount of raw materials available, energy, people, machine tools, the ability to use the above without wrecking our environment. These things can be increased over time, but not instantly.
Money is different; the issuer of a currency can create it at will, instantly. We can actually run out of the things that form real constraints, but if we choose to we can always create whatever money we need, collectively, as represented by our governments.
Alistair Davidson says:
Spot on. This is understood by far too few people.
Thanks. You’re right of course, and that lack of understanding leaves progressive and left thinkers and activists fighting against their own interests, while the neoliberals soil themselves laughing.
indywisdom says:
Although you say the illusion is that “deficits or debt are any sort of problem in and of themselves”, surely that’s a bit like saying a ship that lets in water isn’t a problem “in and of itself”. i.e. – true but kind of irrelevant given that there are no historical examples where endless money printing hasn’t sunk the economy and destroyed the currency along with it.
Lets just watch and see what happens to Japan. They’re now well on the way to exploring your theory and we’ll all have a ringside seat in discovering what the scope of “in and of themselves” turns out to be exactly.
The point of saying “in and of itself” is that deficits are not inherently bad. Is a £90 billion deficit bad? You can’t asnwer that question just by looking at the deficit.
Is the spending associated with that deficit driving inflation? If it is then it’s bad, if it isn’t then it’s not.
If it’s okay now will it still be okay next year? That depends on what the economy is doing next year.
Just looking at the deficit tells us nothing useful.
Yes, we can watch Japan. Their government debt and deficits have dwarfed UK levels for 20 years now, and according to neoliberals Japan has been months away from disaster for every one of those 20 years.
I think you have presented a thought-provoking and well-defended case (on several fronts, with several commenters at once!). I disagree with you on British “currency sovereignty” because I do not believe the currency and the “real constraints” on the economy can be separated, except theoretically (I am not sure how far we are apart on this matter). The City is also a complicating factor in Britain. In addition, some of the effects that you appear to see as causal, seem to me contingent.
Thinking again of “sovereignty”, I do not believe that interest rates in the US will diverge from interest rates in the UK. If, or rather when, interest rates rise in the US I would expect the UK to follow, probably quite closely. I would be interested in your thoughts.
On QE you are right that a switch was made into the stock market, where there was, incidentally price inflation as a result. I also think there were many unexpected ‘contingencies’ about QE; not least its failure to stimulate the real economy. I give the BofE the credit in believing they had the real economy in mind at the outset. But then, the results may have been inflationary …. ….
I trust all that does not seem peevish, as I have much enjoyed tonight’s discussion. Thank you.
Why does this remind me of John Law?
Thanks for your positive comment, I’ve enjoyed the discussion too.
We may not be too far apart. The problem with the capacity provided by currency sovereignty actually being used is, as you say, The City. Or neoliberalism more widely.
This is why I was a supporter of Scottish independence. An independent Scotland had the chance to escape the neoliberal consensus that dominates the UK, to make the changes necessary to create a fairer society. I can’t see those changes happening in the UK, at least not without a huge external shock, either another crash or a positive example of what’s possible.
Might SYRIZA or Podemos provide a positive shock? Not with their current policies, but who knows how things will develop.
Going back to my first comment, UK government debt is not problem in terms of the government’s ability to service it, but it is a problem in that the Westminster/City nexus use it to scare people. If progressives and the left continue to buy into the scare story we’ll make no progress.
If you or anyone else wants a deeper look at what I’ve been talking about, and from actual economists, I’d suggest doing some reading on MMT, Modern Monetary Theory. People like Bill Mitchell, Randy Wray, and Staphanie Kelton.
Mitchell:
bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/
Kelton and Wray (and others):
neweconomicperspectives.org
I would like to thank yourself and a John S Warren for your debate on this blog, it has been very informative and has answered many question I had regarding the currency debate from the referendum.
I always thought that using sterling was a mistake and as an independent country it would be best to have our own currency, issuing and spending its own money with no need to go cap in hand to BofE and free of the constraints that this would place on our economy.
I believe if the YES campaign had debated the currency issue better and raised and explained the issued involved such as yourself and John have, then a lot more people would have had a better grasp of the problems and allayed many of the fears they had.
lawrenceab says:
I agree with Lawrence. I have long thought the most astute solution to the currency stand-off (which was predictable) would have been for the SNP Govt to have cut a very discreet deal with Norway – to be revealed and used as Plan B if forced by events.
The Krone is a rock solid currency and the Norwegian Central Bank highly-regarded. International markets would have no problem at all with a Scots currency tied for a longish interim period to the Krone. Any currency agreement, whether full fledged or partial, of course implies fiscal constraints and so a certain lack of sovereignty. But far better cede some sovereignty to a mid-sized well run neighbourly oil-producer that has sympathy for social democratic fiscal policies, than to a totally unsympathetic neo-liberal regime down south.
You might say that the Norwegians would have balked at this for fear of upsetting London. Possible, but I am not sure. With the right sweeteners, such a tie-up might have attractions: for the Norwegian energy sector (it would be worth extending privileges to them) and for both sides in building up an oil fund where Norway has world-class asset management expertise.
Desperate stuff
Frank M says:
Thank you for this John.
The paragraph which sticks out for me is:
Perhaps this explains why the Westminster cartel is so blind to the tax evasion of the multinationals and large companies. The rich live on the pickings and the “public” take care of the “inconvenient losses”.
nickweechblog says:
sums it up for me Frank. John’s article is extremely bleak news. What’s the point in voting at all?
Derick fae Yell says:
What’s the point of voting? Because the lifeboat of Scottish Independence is still in the davits, ready for use. The trick will be to get it free before it is dragged down by Titanic UK as she founders
Modern liferafts go down with the ship, and then automatically release at a certain depth. I fear the UK will have to sink, before we can float free. If you have property, sell it before the crash.
There is always a point in voting nickweechblog. Don’t lose heart and keep your focus.
The UK is crumbling and it is only a matter of time. We have a strong and growing collective will in dear old Alba, which is gathering force every day.
It is merely a question of whether our sovereignty comes before or after the complete collapse of the UK. I hope it comes before.
Had we been independent from the 19th September, we would be sitting in a much fairer place, with the cancer having been cut out. However, we still have work to do and the GE is the next stage.
eflnotes says:
the cost of servicing the debt is pretty good for UK no? should we not be buying into the “debt bomb”narrative, is not increasing debt bt one way to generate deman in the economy?
johnmcgurk66 says:
We can go over these topics time and time again but the best cure is to work together to put an end to the situation once and for all . And to ensure the people that voted NO the last time are with us this time .
This is, indeed, what is required John.
Gaining Independence for Scotland means that we would control ALL our affairs and would also be accountable for ALL our affairs from then on. We can then FREELY choose the direction in which we move and move well away from neo-liberalism. The debate above has been extremely helpful, dignified and thoughtful.
As FlimFlamMan says, “Real constraints are physical; the amount of raw materials available, energy, people, machine tools, the ability to use the above without wrecking our environment. These things can be increased over time, but not instantly.”i
Increasing our productivity becomes important and I believe we have enormous talent and resources in this country to build up our manufacturing again.
I also believe that we have the best, and most admired, politicians, such as Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond, Patrick Harvey, John Swinney etc, who have positive ratings and the ability to lead with compassion and judgement. They do believe that actions speak louder than words, something that the Unionist parties do not and have demonstrated admirably.
work forever says:
“You might have to work forever: The honest reality about Social Security and retirement”
http://www.salon.com/2015/01/03/you_might_have_to_work_forever_the_honest_reality_about_social_security_and_retirement/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
Airconditioned says:
This article is spot on.
Obfuscation, as always, seems to be the name of the game in the run up to the general election. Endless rubbish about ‘tightening belts’ and ‘we’re all in this together’ will no doubt be spouted over the next few months.
It sounds extremely bleak. What can Alec Salmond actually do to help??
Scott Egner says:
The main problem with here is the rise of private debt. As the UK doesn’t really make or export anything anymore it has relied on personal credit as a way to expand the economy and the supply of fiat currency. As we saw in 2008, the recklessness of the city of London fraternity who were actually at the centre of the crisis (anything goes in London) walked away wealthier whilst the tax-payer footed the bill and now faces austerity.
Unperturbed by a private debt crisis the govt are again encouraging individuals into even more debt via help-to-buy schemes etc all whilst incomes fall. This is how the uk economy is growing -by an increase in private debt. It’s ironic that unionist politicians rub their hands with glee as the price of oil drops, in their claim that scotland didn’t have a viable economy whilst the UK reaches a level of leverage second only to japan.
There is no interest rate reduction to fall back on this time (it didn’t help the last time anyway), and will probably see further QE and continued exponential expansion of the currency. Fiat currencies don’t tend to last more than a few generations for this very reason.
wealth is never destroyed – it is merely transferred – and the city of London establishment will win again.
Bothy Basher says:
We all speak of political democracy but much less of economic democracy. Capitalism destroys economic democracy in that those with the most wealth in the end, control our lives. We don’t have a voice.
We know we’ve been stitched up to pay the debts of banks, allowed by politicians, but there seems to be nothing we can do. In the past we could have happily shot some of them -many of them. Pour encourager les autres.
Can anyone tell me please, when a country borrows money, (billions, trillions) where does it come from?
Who is the lender?
Where does the lender get its money from?
If a country defaults on a debt, who sanctions it, and how?
I will offer two links that provide summary information. http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/wordpress/docs/BriefGuide_020511.pdf
Office of Budget Responsibility provides some basic facts and is reasonably up-to-date. It does not provide information on who holds the debt (typically Gilts, but also Treasury Bills and other securities). For a chart and summary of UK debt holders see:
http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/1407/economics/who-owns-government-debt/
On defaults I suggest Miiler, Tomz and Wright:
tl-res.com/macro/papers/Wright%20paper.pdf
A little ‘cobbled together’ in haste, but hope it helps.
Does it not just print a big wad?
tartanfever says:
I noticed the other day the Tories declaring they have halved the deficit. It’s an utter lie, and it’s going completely unchallenged in the press.
The last year of Labour saw the deficit at £160bn (including bank bailouts)
When the Tories came in, they decided to withdraw any bank bailouts from the calculation, and in the years since the deficit has gone from £120bn to £114bn to £107bn.
They now claim, with the help of the Institute of Fiscal Studies help that this years deficit is £90bn – as reported by the BBC at the beginning of December 2014. As the fiscal year runs from March to March, it was stunning to see the BBC let this go unchallenged on their main news programmes.
How can anyone make a claim to this years deficit only 8 months into it ?
Of course, it happens every year. Mid winter the claims of deficit reduction are made loud and clear yet when the official figures come out at the end of April, we see yet again how wrong they got it but the upwardly revised figures never seem to get quite the coverage that their low estimate counterparts received a few months earlier.
This year being an election year the April figures will not be published before hand, you can guarantee that.
So when you hear the claims that we are ‘half way through deficit reduction’ it’s absolute rubbish. In reality the cuts have reduced borrowing by around 10%, to achieve the rest is now impossible without destroying the entire welfare state and health system because as John points out, tax receipts despite apparent increases in employment are actually decreasing. The same can be said of business taxes, they to are falling.
The only way currently to reduce the deficit is by cutting public services, and if this is the scenario we have ahead of us, then what you have seen so far is a mere drop in the ocean to the utter decimation that lies ahead if Osbourne wants to zero the deficit in a few years.
Channel 4 have fact checked the Conservative one -the following is a Guardian summary (who are fact checking everyone) – links below 🙂
-1.75m more people in work – here the Tories have compared the most recent figures (August to October 2014) to the quarter before they came to power (February to April 2010) rather than the quarter in which they came to power (May to July 2010). This adds an extra 277,000 jobs to the total.
-760,000 more businesses – here the Tories have used the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) statistical release on business populations from last November. The problem with these is is that they include the self-employed not paying VAT or corporation tax, which means that 707,200 of the 760,000 businesses they are referencing have zero employees.
-Jonathan Portes..points out that the Tories’ original economic plan was to eliminate rather than halve the deficit by 2015. In other words, their campaign for 2015 is boasting about a target they did not manage to meet.
G – http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/jan/05/general-election-posters-2015-factchecked-in-full
Ch4 – http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-tories-sums-correctly/19765
-For the deficit there’s this from the ONS – ‘Figure 1 illustrates that the public sector net borrowing excluding public sector banks (PSNB ex) was £75.8 billion for the financial year-to-date (April to November) 2014/15, while the full year OBR forecast for 2014/15 is £91.3 billion.’
ONS – http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/public-sector-finances/november-2014/stb-nov-2014.html#tab-3–Net-debt-and-borrowing-compared-with-OBR-forecast
If you read the “common weal”we have one possible solution is to make sure large companies pay a fair share of tax on their world income.
MBC says:
A government can borrow money in various ways.
It can borrow from its own central bank, here, the Bank of England.
It can literally print money in its own currency – quantitative easing.
It can also raise money by issuing government bonds, which are known as gilts, or ‘gilt-edged securities’ because the bits of paper certificates issued by the Bank of England were once gilt edged. I’m not sure if just anybody can buy these bonds, if for instance Chinese businessmen and Russian oligarchs can by UK bonds, or even the Chinese government. But I think that might be the case? A gilt is regarded as a good security; it is as safe as the government is. Ordinary people can buy gilts; you are basically lending your money to the government. Pension funds like to buy gilts.
A government can also borrow money from the World Bank, the IMF, the European Central Bank, etc. But this sort of external borrowing seems to be frowned on; when Callaghan negotiated a loan from the IMF in the 1970s there was horror and shame. When a government borrows money from external agencies like that, it is tied to the conditions they impose on the loan. African countries get hammered. It is subject to the interest rate they set. During the indyref when it was alleged that HMG wouldn’t be sharing the £ with us in a currency union, it meant that an indy Scottish government was going to have to borrow money to meet its deficit through one of these sources, and it was alleged that we would pay a higher rate of interest for that because we were an unknown quantity. Each country has a credit rating. AAA is the top rating. The lower your rating the more interest you pay. Economic and financial experts advise these international money markets on the rating of a country. There are various ratings agencies, e.g., Standard and Poors.
As to where do lenders get their money from? From anybody that has money to invest.
The deficit is the difference between what we spend in public revenues and what we raise in public revenues. If we don’t raise enough in taxes to pay for our public expenditure, why do we not raise taxes?
Also, why can’t public expenditure be reduced without resorting to cuts? For instance, rents. The biggest element of public expenditure is on welfare, and a very large part of this is housing benefit, or credits to working people who do not earn enough to live on – a large part of their costs being their housing costs because rents are so high, especially in London. Why is the public purse subsidising private landlords by this means? Why not tax rents at such a level that it either generates enough revenue to pay for housing benefits or ‘encourages’ private landlords to lower their rents to an affordable level below the tax threshold so that low wage earners no longer need top ups from the public purse? And why not force employers to pay a living wage?
All of these measures would reduce public expenditure and thus the deficit.
When we had public affordable housing, rents were kept low, which in a way, was a general subsidy to the whole economy, employers and employees alike, and people were happier and more secure.
Brian Stobie says:
Bothy Basher,
All the UK money in the world is, and was, created out of thin air by either the government (Central Bank), or by the high-street private companies we call banks.
The government/Central Bank can and does create money without debt to anyone. However all the money produced by banks is only created when they give a loan (such as a mortgage), so it is debt, that must be paid back to the bank eventually (neglecting defaults, etc).
There is effectively no control by the government on bank-created money, apart from setting the base interest rate, which is a weak or ineffective lever, so the ‘boom and bust’ cycles are mostly caused by too much or too little bank lending, not by government policies.
So-called ‘borrowing’ is the selling of government bonds. The holders of these bonds don’t want cash, they would rather have bonds, which are completely safe and give a guaranteed return, unlike cash. The process of ‘borrowing’ by a government is an attempt to keep the money supply constant in the belief it will prevent inflation. Yet the banks are allowed to expand and contract the money supply at will. How does that work?
Government ‘debt’ is not what people think it is. There is not an army of government bond owners out there clamouring for their cash back. The cash owners are usually queuing up to buy safe UK bonds instead.
The government Central Bank (i.e. the Bank of England) can create debt-free money at any time to purchase anything that is for sale for UK pounds, no borrowing of its own currency is necessary for this. For example Quantitative Easing was simply the Central Bank creating money out of thin air to buy back government bonds from those who wished for cash at the time.
The UK (or any government that issues its own currency) can always pay its ‘debts’ if they are in UK pounds.
Default would be by the political choice of the government, not by necessity.
It should be clear from the above that the desire of the Coalition to ‘reduce the defecit’ and ‘pay back the debt’ is either massive macro-economic ignorance (unlikely) or simply a means to justify destroying or privatising the welfare state for ideological reasons by comparing the macro-economy of the UK to a household that has to borrow money from a bank, and pay it back. Lies.
Having difficulty understanding how the government can just create money out of thin air. Why would it bother taxing anybody in that case? Can you explain?
In order to create demand for the currency.
I could create a new currency right now, but would anyone want to use it? Well, given how nutty people are going over bitcoin and the like, maybe they would. I can’t guarantee it though.
Governments can guarantee people will want to use their currency by levying taxes in that same currency; people will want the currency so they can pay their taxes. Given that base level of demand, use of the currency will expand because some base level of ‘value’ has been created by that tax-driven demand.
Sorry, appreciate your replies but none of this makes any sense. Money is wealth and wealth has to be based on something physical at the end of the day, either it’s gold bars, or its manufactured goods, or its food, or it’s minerals or it’s oil. You can’t just create money out of thin air. Not real, actual, money.
It would be helpful if you could provide some concrete examples of how, physically, you create money out of thin air.
Nothing to apologise for.
I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be able to adequately deal with the concept of wealth in a blog comment. Thomas Piketty just wrote a chunky book that deals with the subject and the result is patchy at best.
Money isn’t wealth, it’s a token. A token which can be used to represent wealth, to acquire wealth, even to enable the creation of wealth.
We’re dealing with massively complex economies here, and worse than that we’re talking about the complexities and irrationality of human behaviour, so I’ll warn you right now that what I’m about to type will be wrong. It’ll be less wrong than the usual neoliberal tosh though.
Taxes drive the demand for currency. Once that base demand is established, people will be willing to transact with one-another using that currency because they want to acquire it themselves, and because they know others will want to acquire it.
So now the currency has a more general usefulness; it can be used not only to pay taxes but for transactions within the private sector.
But how much is it worth? This is the human behaviour bit; dragons and whatnot.
On the surface it’s simple: too much spending will exceed the capacity of the economy to produce goods and services, you get accelerating inflation, and the value of the currency goes down.
The opposite is true as well, too little spending – a currency that is in short supply in other words – will produce a higher value, and may even turn into outright deflation. The austerity – too little spending – in the eurozone is a good example of this. So you get a higher value to the currency but at the expense of a decimated economy.
Push that too far though and the dire state of the economy can end up reducing capacity to the extent that deflation flips into inflation. At what point will that happen? Who knows. Not me.
So money can be said to have something backing it, even modern fiat currencies. It’s not a direct promise to convert to gold though. Modern currencies are backed, in some sense at least, by the state of the economy in which they are used. That backing is indirect and fuzzy, and can be counter-intuitive, as with the ‘strong’ euro.
Create enough though, and you can enable new wealth creation. He’s another way of thinking about the token thing: money represents relationships. Rather than the real relationship, in a single location and point in time, that is needed to barter your chickens for your neighbour’s buckets, you can create temporary relationships spread over distance and time.
You want a new cellphone from Taiwan? Barter is going to suck, but money enables you to take part in a temporary relationship with people thousands of kilometres away who you don’t know and will never meet. The money which changes hands when you buy that phone connects you with the people who made it, sold it, imported it and so on.
So, as I said, create enough money and you can create new wealth, you can enable new relationships which would not otherwise exist, and create real goods and services in the process. This means that, contrary to what many will say, simply creating and spending more money won’t necessarily cause accelerating inflation. If the capacity is there, or can be added, it will instead grow the economy.
As for physical examples, most money in circulation is digital. Get a loan at a high-street bank and they will tap some keys, mark new amounts on balance sheets detailing the assets and liabilities involved, and bingo, you have enough money for the new car. They didn’t ‘get’ that money from anywhere, the act of making the loan creates it.
Mr T says:
You & me probably don’t agree on much, but the view on here that somehow there is no downside to creating money out of thin air is daft, and I think that we’re in agreement on that.
Like you say – why would the government bother taxing anybody. Or borrowing money from the markets and paying it back at a cost?
logiemink says:
You’ll be shocked to learn I agree with just about everything you wrote.
The one exception is that even government issued currency is debt in that governments promise to accept it in payment of taxes and other levies. It clearly is used more widely, but in the first instance currency is a universal, anonymous tax credit.
Bonds then add a promise to pay interest, in more tax credits.
Sorry, none of this makes any sense.
‘Government issued currency is debt in that governments promise to accept it (what, the currency, or the debt? Do you mean foreign governments? And that they accept our currency or they accept our debt?) in payment of tax and other levies’.
How can ?foreign governments use ‘it’ (our currency, or our debt) in payment of tax and other levies? Do you mean TO pay tax and other levies?
Not getting a clear identification of subject-object-verb or their interaction here.
No, I don’t mean foreign governments. The question was why do governments levy taxes when they can create money out of thin air. The answer is governments do this in order to drive demand for the currency they issue
Using the UK as an example, the UK government promises to accept UK currency, issued by the same UK government, in payment of taxes.
So currency is a debt in that sense; the government which issues it also promises to accept it back in payment of taxes.
So yes, TO pay tax. Editable comments would be nice.
Are you saying that the one and a half trillion of debt is irrelevant and if so why is it costing aprox.fifty five billion a year to service it?Sorry its hard getting my head round this and i’m also trying to convince my idiot no voting brother to think agian.
Finally to the heart of the matter in your last comment but one.
Money has no value of itself – it is merely a means of exchange. It is, of course, a brilliant idea and makes our very complicated interdependent society possible but it’s ‘value’ is dependent entirely on trust.
Unfortunately we have long since got to the stage where we confuse money with things that have real worth, which boil down to the resources around us and our own effort and ingenuity (to the extent that some involved in finance seem to consider their form of employment to be more important than that of those who ‘plough the fields and scatter’).
Billionaires know this fine well and do not keep their wealth in the form of currency (and what they do keep ‘liquid’ will undoubtedly be in various currencies) – instead they ‘buy’ things that have real value – land, property, energy and water supplies etc.
Fair enough, you might say, only it isn’t. This means that those who happen to have money at the right time can ‘buy’ on the cheap many things that the rest of us laboured to produce – e.g. in Greece and Spain at present. They can then use the money made or raised from collateral to acquire more things of real value.
I haven’t read Mr Piketty’s book but I gather he says much the same – that wealth attracts wealth.
But it’s worse than the ‘ownership’ of mere things. Those who attain wealth also have power, the means of control – and they use it.
I seem to recall that Rupert Murdoch once said in the 80’s that, by the year 2000 there would be 10 people in control of the world’s media, and he wanted to be one of them. I think that anybody who says something like that and has the slightest chance of making it happen should be locked up for their own good – it wouldn’t do the rest of us any harm either.
And to get back to the good old UK – some here have been, in recent times, looking down on the people of Greece and Spain as indolent Mediterranean types living above their means. But we were way ahead of them. The country that produced the greatest empire ever known had to go cap in hand to the IMF in 1975 and, as I remember, the only reason we were bailed out by the high priests on semi-reasonable terms was because, you guessed it, the oil was just coming on stream.
So, will it be Rule Britannia or five Chinese crackers – now that’s the question.
It’s irrelevant as far as the government’s ability to service it, to issue new debt, and to run continued deficits. It’s not irrelevant to the private sector because that debt is the net saving of the private sector, or more accurately the non-government sector. See my 22:37 reply to tartanfever.
I agree with everything you write, except this:
The UK didn’t need the IMF bailout, but the government of the time seemed to think it was still operating under the constraints of the Gold Exchange Standard that was part of the Bretton Woods agreement. The GES collapsed in ’71 and was officially ended in ’73 though. Either that or they were suffering some other incompetence.
This is key, and it’s getting worse.
Hi FFM –
‘Either that or they were suffering some other incompetence.’ was more the point I was making with the attitude towards Greece and Spain.
And then there was the complete debacle of our very short immersion in the ERM.
The point being that you don’t become financially omniscient just by being part of the UK government or, indeed, because you went to the right school. The UK government and those from the playing fields have proved on various occasions to be just as incompetent as many others around the world.
But you wouldn’t have thought so from their invented disaster scenarios for an independent Scotland – I can’t remember how far ahead they decided they could predict, maybe as much as 50 years at one point. Pity they couldn’t predict a couple of years ahead when they took us into the ERM.
If it only hurt when I laugh, that would be a bonus.
This may be a very naive question…..but I would much appreciate a response. If the public purse has been used to bail out the banks, then surely there must have been an agreement to repay this borrowing from the public sector to the public sector. What were the terms and conditions of this bailout and when can we expect this to be repaid? If not, why not?
There are no limitations on repayment of the bailout. Darling didn’t demand a damn thing when the banks came begging — he didn’t even tell them that any publicly owned bank would see it’s bonuses stopped.
The plan is to sell the publicly held shares at a price that will see as much of the bail out repaid (I can’t remember the price threshold, I think it’s about £5 a share when they were bailed out with £45bn in 2008/9). However, if Osbourne keeps up his track record (Royal Mail) the shares will be sold of dirt cheap so his city friends can buy millions of them at knock down rates.
RBS is currently trading at £3.70 a share, which if they were sold now would see the tax payer lose £10bn.
So in a nutshell, the shares will be sold off when they hit £5 (which will be years away)
Thanks to those who answered above on some economic/democratic questions I asked. I have much to think on, and will do. Others too I hope. It does indeed sound like much ‘smoke and mirrors’ except that I have to pay the price – and you too.
Meantime, Brian has put his finger on an issue barely touched on by our ”free press”, which is the destruction of our common wealth, our welfare state under the cover of austerity on a debt that the population did not incur. The good people (our parents) who created our social benefits like the NHS which we all collectively produce would be so ashamed of us in our feeble acceptance of being robbed. If the robbers were more accountable in an independent Scots Parliament we could take their names and eliminate them. (ok a bit of fantasy here – it’s not individuals but a system).
This economic sleight of hand needs the help of the media in shifting consciousness and I have to say it has been done very well. Many ordinary wealth producing people now see the ‘need’ for austerity. Turkeys supporting Xmas comes to mind..We are guarantors for a debt we didn’t sign up for.
Willing lambs to the slaughter, we are ourselves ‘sic a parcel o’ rogues in a nation’.
Big Jock says:
The current situation can be described as servicing the debt ,rather than reducing it. Its no different to the individual with the visa borrowings greater than the annual salary. Sure he can spend all his income paying the interest and keeping the wolves from the door. But eventually a few unexpected things will happen. The man will find that he has no nest egg for unexpected bills. He will then be forced to take higher interest loans. So there will be debt on debt and eventually bust. That’s where the UK is at the moment. We are one crisis away from bust and its inevitable not probable.
Except my visa bill isn’t denominated in a currency I issue, while the UK government’s ‘visa bill’ is denominated in the same currency that the UK government issues.
I have to acquire currency to pay bills, the UK government, like all sovereign governments, doesn’t.
There is real wealth. And there is fiat money. The two are only connected by a thread called ‘confidence’. A government can print all the fiat money it wants, but if the markets lose confidence that the connection between virtual and real weath exists (even to a small degree), the money cannot purchase external goods. In short: Weimar.
Darien says:
30+ SNP MP’s = Scots majority = Independence. Tick-Tock.
Of course it does Darien. The SNP are wise enough not to suggest this pre election. Neither will they declare independence with a majority at Westminster. Independence will just happen due to a combination of unique factors making it inevitable. However it will take a few years of weak coalition government at Westminster before it finally happens. They will chuck in the towel with Scotland in 2017!
The biggest threat here is the power given to private banks to create new money. This unrestricted power allowed them to triple house prices in just 15 years. The worrying thing is that nothing has changed. They are still unregulated and to make matters worse the tax payer, through schemes is helping to re-inflate the housing bubble – the UK’s only growth indicator.
Our wealth is being drained away through monetary policy (ZIRP) and it’s hard to see any separation now between the city of London, BoE, and uk government (whether that be labour or Tory).
I believe in Scotland we should seriously be looking at alternative ways of trading outside the currency and at least gaining some monetary independence from this pro-cyclical nightmare. It doesn’t necessarily mean looking at bitcoin and the like. Perhaps something more akin to the ‘WIR’ economic cooperative in Switzerland…
http://p2pfoundation.net/WIR_Economic_Circle_Cooperative
I understand that Film Flam. But there is such a thing called defaulting on debt! Even large countries like the UK can fall into this position. Remember the UK scurrying to the IMF in the 70s? We have seen Eire and Iceland getting into trouble recently for overstretching. That’s where the EU comes in to bail them out. The difference is that Eires debt is not historic like the UK. The UK has debt going back to the 40s which is incredible for an oil nation! The debt has grown every year since then. Eventually some things got to give. We are staring down the barell of a gun. Osborne has increased the debt not lessened it. At the same time the austerity has held back growth with the intention of being frugle and reducing debt. If both have failed that leaves the UK in a dangerous position. The debt cannot be massaged forever. What happened in Detroit is coming to the UK and soon.
Yes, I remember ’76. It was completely unnecessary. I can only assume that the government at the time thought they were still operating under the Gold Exchange Standard.
No government can be forced to default if it:
issues its own non-convertible (fiat) currency
lets that currency float
issues debt in that same currency
Default was a genuine risk with Ireland, and the other Euro countries, precisely because they gave up their own currencies. Iceland had other problems, like rampant criminality in its financial sector (sounds familiar), but default wasn’t one.
Bernicia says:
Hi Flim Flam, I’ve been following your arguement which is very interesting and clearly well informed. It could just be me not understanding, but what your are putting forward seems very similar to Monetarism? Use the amount of money in the system to stimulate growth and that’s about it? (i think I may be wrong but is this what you are trying to lay out? Except my apologies in advance if not).
As for sovereignty, debt issued/ borrowed only in sterling? What about the existing sovereign debt held in other currencies? How do you service it while running a deficit? Or do you default – others do and have going back to the Spanish in the 1500s, Argentia more recently I suppose? As John Warren pointed out the Uk is already interconnected?
And he’s right that both Labour and Cons primary aim in office will be to reduce the defecit and hopefully return to surplus (the debt of course remains and will be slowly chipped away at indefinately). He’s wrong that there is little difference in how to do this IMO. Which I shall come back to in order to annoy the SNP, those dastardly Labour crowd (lol).
The UK economy, the value of Sterling, the real consequence of the debt (you are right theoretically that is imaginary (all debt is) but it is made ‘real’ preisely because these things aren’t sovereign but measured against other economies/ currencies. They only have value and meaning through interdependence. To do what you’e proposing (to retreat from the global market UK or Scotland – if I’m correctly reading you?) would only be possible if the UK/ Scotland could manage an entirely self sustaining econ? Which it can’t. Government spending is subject to borrowing and only to borrow internally in Sterling?
I agree with your point that QE is fine when it comes to saving banks (but that was mainly to protect investors/ pensions/ savings and a wider 1920’s style banking collapse.) but not for other purposes. liquidity and all that. The fear of inflation and hyperinflation/ printing money is hypocritical.
No apologies needed.
Monetarism was all about managing the economy by controlling the amount of money in circulation, via changes to interest rate charged by central banks. This is the interest paid by commercial banks on loans made by the central bank, not interest paid on government bonds.
It didn’t work, because it was based on the just plain wrong Quantity Theory of Money, and because – even if the base theory weren’t wrong – its ‘control’ mechanism was flawed. Interest rates are really only effective in one direction, which gives us the expression “pushing on a string”. This is one form of wider monetary policy, ie monkeying around with various interest rates in order to produce some desired result. It’s haphazard and fuzzy; the string doesn’t go where you push it.
Fiscal policy – direct government spending and taxation – is far more effective since it is direct, and can be directED* to the regions, industries etc. that really need it.
What I’ve been talking about, and what MMT talks about, is the fact that for currency sovereigns spending can exceed taxation indefinitely with no inherent risk. The risk is not from a deficit, risk comes from excessive spending; spending beyond the capacity of the economy to respond produces accelerating inflation, whether or not that spending is accompanied by a government deficit.
Is inflation in the UK accelerating? No, it’s been dropping for several years, and is now worryingly close to deflation territory. So we’re not spending too much, and we could actually use a bit more inflation.
So Monetarism was about targeting interest rates in the belief that they would change the money supply, in the belief that that in turn would change the economy.
What I’m saying, and what MMT says, is don’t target the money supply at all, and certainly don’t target deficits. Target the things that we actually care about, like jobs, good health care and education, transport, and everything else.
If we decide we want more of those things, and we have the resources – raw materials, people, energy – to provide them then we can always ‘afford’ them because our government can never run out of money. If we can do it we can afford it, that’s the base message. If we can’t do it but we try anyway then that’s excessive spending and we get accelerating inflation.
This comment is getting long already, so if you want tome details on how to avoid inflation with this approach I’d recommend reading Bill Mitchell’s work on the Job Guarantee.
Once you’ve done all that, and the private sector and all the other countries we trade with have decided on their spending and saving, the deficit – or surplus – that the UK government ends up running is what you’re left with. It’s a residual; it changes according to what every one of the 55 odd million economically active people in the UK spends and saves, plus the same for all the countries we trade with.
This is why governments tend to fail in their efforts to hit deficit or surplus targets; they don’t control it in the first place. If private saving goes up, the deficit goes up, if imports go up, the deficit goes up.
It’s like trying to make your car cleaner by adding dirt to the water that comes off it when you clean it. No, do a better job of cleaning the car and you’ll get dirtier water, and you’ll actually get a cleaner car. The amount of dirt in the water is a residual, it doesn’t matter. What matters is a clean car. What if next week you clean the car just as well but less dirt comes off in the water? Does that matter? No, it just means the car wasn’t as dirty that week. Don’t target the residual.
Well this is getting pretty long and I really only covered your first question. I have some things to do so I’ll respond to your other points later.
* Are there formatting controls for comments that I’m not seeing? Pretend that ED is bolded or italicised.
Flim Flam Man:
‘The risk is not from a deficit, risk comes from excessive spending; ‘
How is this true ? As John clearly points out, that deficit, or debt, which compounds every year has interest attached to it which does have to be paid. Currently that is £1bn a week. That figure has to be accounted for in our spending.
Okay, lets try a shorter response to your other questions.
Issuing debt denominated in a currency you don’t also issue is bad, it violates rule number three. The UK government’s issuing of yuan bonds was boneheaded, but fortunately the amounts involved are tiny. Servicing it means acquiring yuan, which isn’t a problem if it stops here. If it continues though, then the larger the amounts the greater the risk of default at some point down the line.
What I’m proposing, a recognition of the actual capacities and constraints the UK faces, doesn’t mean disconnecting from global trade. What I’m saying really boils down to the fact that the UK government can increase spending right now without causing accelerating inflation.
That increased spending would almost certainly increase the deficit, at least at first, but then later as the economy grew and tax takings increased the deficit might shrink. Either way it doesn’t matter, what matters is ending involuntary unemployment and creating a more just society in general, and avoiding inflation. Target the spending, not the residual deficit.
The UK, or an independent Scotland with its own currency, or Greece with its own currency back for that matter, would also continue to trade internationally, and as part of that trade currency would also trade – rule number two: float the currency.
“The fear of inflation and hyperinflation/ printing money is hypocritical.”
Yes, with bells on. Inflation is a risk, but not where we are and not with even a large increase in spending. The UK government ‘printed’ like mad when the banks needed it, but ‘printing’ to eliminate food banks? Not so much.
tartanfever
The debt is denominated in sterling.
The interest payments are in sterling.
The UK government.
Can the UK government run out of something which it creates from thin air?
No. So the UK can never lose the ability to service that debt. It *could* lose the ability to service debt denominated in currencies it doesn’t issue, so it needs to stop with the boneheaded ideas like issuing debt in yuan.
That accumulated debt, and the deficits that created it, only exist because people here and overseas want to net save in sterling. We hear constantly about ‘balancing the books’. Well, the books always balance, but that means if one party is ‘up’ then some other party must be ‘down’.
The non-government sector of the economy – meaning the combination of the UK private sector and the rest of the world – consistently net saves in sterling. They do not spend all of the sterling they receive in income.
One side is up, so the other side, the UK government, must be down. If people reduce their net saving in sterling then the deficit will shrink or disappear.
Through all this that either does or might happen, the UK government remains the issuer of sterling and can never run out.
I apologise for being off the point here, but I am writing this as I have tried on a number of occasions to leave replies to comments on ‘Wings over Scotland’, without any success whatsoever. So I am hoping that a ‘Wings’ person will read this and take note.
It is great to have Bella, where you get lots of great debate and information from articles, but you can also easily reply and see your comment immediately. Many thanks to Bella Caledonia. This is very much appreciated. I wish I could also take part on ‘Wings’. Sadly, I cannot.
bellacaledonia says:
Glad to have you, thanks.
macart763 says:
Better Togetherness will start any day now.
Pooling and sharing, safety in numbers and shared government, secure futures for pensions, NHS, work orders for the Clyde… etc
Any day now.
Assynt15 says:
A lot of interesting to-ing and fro-ing between John S Warren and FlimFlamMan most of it way beyond my limited knowledge of economics. On the source of wealth I would have thought that ultimately it is derived from out planet and its crucial distance from the sun. Our wealth is basically a series of freebies which we can use and leverage. All of our food, agriculture and farming derives from these sources. All of our heat comes from the sun or from secondary sources such as wood, coal, oil and renewables provided by the planet. Everything we have ever made , whether in bronze, iron or plastic, comes from the earth.
Dr Ew says:
I’ve followed this discussion with interests. John Warren and FlimFlam have very helpfully articulating the situation and some possible scenarios in a way our Fourth Estate has failed to do. Why? Not because they do not have staff who understand the workings of currency issues, national debt and City trading, far from it; I can only conclude they have no interest in keeping the public informed or holding bankers to account via our elected representatives.
And there’s the rub. All the points about QE are very informative but more explanatory than analytical. The GPEW have indeed proposed the very sensible policy of limiting currency issue rights to Government – echoed by the Scottish Greens in their Independence paper which argued for us to move towards a Scottish currency – but the banks and the City would not tolerate this, and therein lies problem: They own our politicians. Labour, LibDem and especially the Tories are wholly reliant on large donations from individuals and institutions who could not countenance that power being phased out. It’s the same reason there has been no real regulatory reform of the City, why gargantuan criminal frauds continue to flourish and go unpunished, why the taxpayer will never see anything remotely close to full repayment of the bailouts and why virtually all of the QE money has benefitted the same individuals and institutions who channel financial support to parties and offer sinecures and myriad other inducements to MPs and ministers of every stripe.
As I’ve mentioned on previous posts, the Remembrancer – I know, he sounds like a Dr Who villain – is the only unelected representative entitled to sit in the House of Commons. His role is to represent the interests of the City of London in all Parliamentary debates, not by speaking publicly but by influencing behind the scenes. With a network of powerful and wealthy connections throughout the financial world, he can always find some extremely tempting reasons to persuade key people to vote / not vote / amend / philibuster on any bill the City does not like, or indeed bend the ear of Government ministers who might require advice on developing policy or indeed just some friendly personal guidance on their post-ministerial career and pension options. The office of the Remembrancer dates back to 1571 and the incumbent is one Paul Double. Yes, I know that makes him sound like a conspiracy theory all on his own.
In short, Westminster is institutionally and irredeemably corrupt. Any concept of “economic democracy”, which someone above mentioned, is impossible when the very citadel of our rights is in fact in thrall to the City of London. (The same is true of Washington and Wall Street, possibly even more so.)
There are many, many reasons Scottish independence would be a great thing for the peoples of this nation, but creating the opportunity to establish more accountable, transparent and democratic political institutions and systems entirely free of Westminster is chief among them.
Regular readers of Bella threads may notice I’ve posted similar contributions recently but I thought it was important to repeat some of these for context as to why Scottish independence is so frightening to Westminster and the CIty. Yes it would be a dimunition of the UK’s standing in the world, yes unpredictable political reprecussions would ensue and yes there would be unprecedented upheaval in the seat of Power but the most pressing worry is more far acute than any of that and is between the lines in the exchanges between John Warren and FlimFlamMan: Scottish Independence would precipitate a debt crisis.
Deficit and debt are linked; essentially we borrow the difference between tax revenues and actual spend. UK credit rating, gilts and QE capacity would have been critically diminished at a time when the country is gorssly overextended, especially If Scotland removed its share of the gold and other assets. This was the very point the SNP predicated its “sensible” proposal to share the pound. Osbourne, Balls et al calculated – correctly – that facing down Salmond on this knowing he could not get away with threats and the very question would generate doubt amongst the public and undermine the SNP’s economic case for independence. In truth they could never have followed through. UK gilts would have traded down rapidly and its credit rating summarily downgraded. Printing money would have been severely constrained, if not impossible for all the reasons FlimFlam set out as making it viable at present – such a significant percentage of future tax receipts flowing to Scotland rather than the Treasury would undermine confidence in the pound which, in any case, may have had a surfeit flowing through the UK economy were Scotland to peg elsewhere or launch its own currency, which would have come sooner or later.
It is for all these reasons I don’t believe Scottish independence will be won easily. Some contributors seem to believe electing (say) 30 SNP MPs and winning another majority at Holyrood 2016 will see a declaration or another referendum sooner rather than later. Maybe there will be a referendum on Europe and the English Right will open the EU exit door. Perhaps. Maybe electoral success for Syriza and Podemos will change the goalposts, challenging the instrinsic neo-liberalism of the EU just as TTIP is agreed and generating anti-EU feeling amongst the Left here and elsewhere. Would Scotland vote for independence outside the EU? Would we have the cojones to start our own currency? Would we be dragged down by the foundering rUK debt before we got a chance?
Whatever scenario, the CIty will not cede control of Scotland without a vicious, nasty fight. Too much is at stake for the players, and not just those at the table.
John Souter says:
You have hit the nail square on and driven it home.
The fact is the financial casino game is complicated by design to serve the purpose of the few who play and gain by it.
Were it not so, the crises of 2007-8 would have seen the retail side of banking recapitalised while the investment side was placed in moratorium until such time as the ‘investments’ true values were assessed.
Wealth must depend on product and the only products produced by the middle men of markets is to distort the true values of those products which, in the finance game generally boils down to swindling the consumers.
Good analysis, but isn’t this also one of the strongest arguement against Indy. Wasn’t this dissmised as ‘scaremongering’ Deutche Bank et al, claiming independence would precipitate a debt crisis/ capital flight from both Scotland and rUK. Scotland’s share of the debt (independently approximated at 10.5 Billion, only servicable dependent on tax reciepts from North Sea oil, which we now know would never add up + capital/ investment leaving Scotland due to the uncertainty on returns?) If there was a debt crisis in rUk due to loss of tax revenue/ confidence in the pound, higher borrowing costs etc. Then this would have also devastated an indy Scotland whether it used it’s own currency or the pound. And it goes back to the fundamental currency question and the spurious notion that countries without there own central bank are not really fiscally independent and therefore the country is not really independent. And CU without pol Union leads to divergence and ultimately crisis for the smaller partner in the CU if they forge their own policy path too different from the monetary policy of the shared currency e.g) Greece, Germany/ Portugal Germany etc. This was and remains the intractable problem for independence. And it isn’t going away any time soon.
The other side to this analysis is that the city could care less about Scotland and would arguably be freer if completely devolved from the rUK (there are those on the right who argue this.) The city doesn’t rely on tax receipts but on the profits made by being the worlds largest trader forum in currency/ stocks/ bonds/ shares and so on. The tax receipts for the Uk are enormous. The problem isn’t the city per say but how it works. We will always need banks and creditors, but the question is how to regulate them for the benefit of all. Gordon Brown was right, this can only be done internationally.
Incidently to Flim Flam, in October the UK were the first country in the world to issue bonds in Reminbi (Chinese) in expectation that the currecny will become tradable soon? If this happens then it’s likely that Cina will have to float the value of the currency rather than keeping it low. This should be good news for UK/ Scottish exporters. But it is further interdependence and the dangers are enormous given the lack of transparency/ capital flows/ dodgy borrowing and coruption in China. They Yuan as one of the world’s main currency reserves? mmmmm.
‘The tax receipts for the Uk are enormous.’
Not enough to cover our increasing debt however.
I managed to miss this yesterday.
As a currency sovereign, credit ratings are meaningless to the UK, which helps explain why bond yields went down rather than up after the UK’s downgrade. It’s the same story with downgrades for Japan and the US. Currency sovereigns – provided they follow the three rules – pay precisely as much debt interest as they allow ‘markets’ to get away with, and not a jot more.
Currency sovereigns have no need to issue bonds at all in fact. Their continued existence is down to a combination of factors: habit carried over from the gold standard, preventing an undershoot on the target overnight interest rate – also achieved by offering interest on reserves – by mopping up excess reserves, and because financial institutions and wealthy individuals have grown attached to the guaranteed risk free income.
The UK does not, in short, face any conceivable debt crisis. If the three rules are followed then there is no mechanism for a debt crisis.
A danger that the UK does, and rUK might, face is not a debt crisis, but a “failure to understand debt” crisis. Another crash while the economy is still fragile would clearly be damaging, and Scottish independence would have consequences. Independence would undoubtedly lead to a drop in sterling, though not one that would be bound to lead to crisis.
Bad government responses to those events, driven by incompetence, could be disastrous. Perhaps along similar lines to those you lay out, perhaps in ways similar to what we see in the eurozone.
In another comment – it’s too late for two replies – you say the UK government will sooner or later need World Bank support. This simply isn’t true, provided the UK government sticks to the three rules. I know that doesn’t answer the competence question, but I don’t have an answer to that one.
So no fundamental debt crisis worries: I agree with you in that if the goal is to oppose Scottish independence there is absolutely zero justification for that goal to be found in the state of [r]UK government finances.
“In short, the UK is unsustainable – socially, politically and financially.”
This is true, provided the “financially” part only applies to private sector finances.
Chilling stuff Dr Ew.
I am shocked but not surprised at all this.
Reading that sent a cold chill down my spine and i dont even live in the uk.
Referencing the remembrancer and the city of London, I can thoroughly recommend the book ‘Treasure Islands’ by Nicholas Shaxson.
The final chapter of the book looks at the City Of London and it’s relationship with the rest of the country. Quite fascinating….
Also worth noting that the houses of lords and commons are modelled on the chambers of the city of London. It is one of the oldest local authorities in the world.
@ John Warren…
The contention is that there is no difference between Labour policy and the Conservatives. In one respect you are spot on, they will both seek to reduce the deficit, limit borrowing and pursue austerity measures to make savings. But the devil is in the detail.
1) Conservatives – reduce borrowing to cut public spending by 25 billion, cut public services, shrink the state to 1930’s level, cut corporation tax, cut highest rate income tax to stimulate growth and spending, with the rationale of having a government surplus in all areas of spending within the next term. – Austerity writ large and devastating for the worst off/ social cohesion etc.
2) Labour – reduce borrowing similarly to reduce deficit..but also scraping corporate tax reduction, investing in targeted public projects to increase employment and tax receipts, underwrite private investment in business lending to stimulate econ, increase tax for highest earners, including a banking levey (poss), Mansion tax, re structuring the deficit over a longer term, and possibly measured QE or other fiscal stimulous to kick start growth.
It doesn’t seem like a huge difference but it really is. The tax and spend mix is really important. Although yes depressingly, a deficit pushing 100 billion is unsustainable so will have to be cut somehow.
But to Indy people out there. I was never sure how the a similar deficit (presuming everything else was agreed CU etc) would have been reduced differently/ cuts in public services/ in Scotland? It was never really spelt out in a realistic way (maybe I missed it)? Feel free to splap me down and prove me wrong and bring me over to the brightside!
This is why I firmaly believe the next election rather than being irrelevant is crucial. The Tories must be stopped.
Thank you. It doesn’t seem like a huge difference because it isn’t. Your huge differences are in macroeconomic terms microns. It is all PR fluff and spin. Some of the items you list will never happen, others will have little material effect; some will be designed not to have the effects ‘intended’. It is ‘pass the parcel’. Nothing really important or controversial is even addressed. This is all a managed ‘ritual dance’.
Westminster is a Cartel. It services Westminster and London (especially the City of London), which is bleeding the whole of Britain dry. The Credit Crunch and the aftermath should provide all the evidence you require; if in doubt, read Gordon Brown’s extraordinary Mansion House speeches in praise of a City that was, a the very same time, laying the economy waste – year after year after year. Allow me to contradict neoliberal conventional wisdom peddled by, among others, the Labour Party: nobody forecast the Credit Crunch. False; indeed utterly false. Hyman Minsky predicted it, gave it the name “Credit Crunch”, and described in detail the precise form of financial catastrophe to come ( see the Financial Instability Hypothesis); Minsky died in 1994; his only surprise would have been that it took so long. If he could see the current mess I am confident he would be predicting another one will be a along in only a little while. I suspect George Soros is of a like mind.
Following the Catastrophe, in the US, the Federal Regulatory authorities have issued fines and penalties that are far higher than in the UK (by a multiple of around 50 times); but far, far too many US Federal fines were applied against banks who were actually operating in London. It is shameful: See for example, the ‘London Whale’. Why did this happen? Because business moved to London in the decade up to 2008, because of stricter regulation in Wall Street; regulation in London was far, far slacker. You do not actually think it is talent and genius that oiled the ‘success’ of the City?!
Furthermore, the new City regulatory system, replacing the hapless non-regulation of New Labour and Old Tory, is still wholly inadequate; do not take my word for it; it was the published opinion of the man tasked with designing it, Sir John Vickers; his proposals were changed, largely through City lobbying, and he appears to have washed his hands of it all.
Meanwhile do not look to rUK to make a sea-change that will transform the politics of Britain. Frankly, such a proposition is risible. It has not happened, it is not happening now, and it will not happen. Could the North of England, or the West of England, or the Midlands (or the great cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool) stand up to London, and stand up for decency and fairness, even for themselves? Yes. Politically, have they done so in the last thirty years? No. Do they now? No. Will they in 2015? No. It will not happen. Newcastle, perhaps representing the most deprived, the most cheated part of England, was given an opportunity to establish an Assembly that would at least provide a focus and forum to fight its corner against the scandal that is London; the Liberal proposal after the last GE was rejected wholesale in a referendum. Whether through inertia, gullibility, despair,or worst of all, deference (who knows); nobody in rUK stands up to London. Fact. This is obvious and incontrovertible. Forget it.
At the same time the political ‘centre’ in Britain now (excluding Scotland) is roughly mainstream-Thatcherism, as understood by Thatcher. Indeed Thatcher would never have dreamt of proposing or attempting what is now mainstream – in the Labour Party (remember Johann Lamont and ‘something for nothing’?). People forget that Thatcher was more impressed by Blair than her own John Major.
John S Warren,
I think this is a very good point. The policies of the mainstream parties are purely window dressing. At the very foundation of our society is the creation and control of money and is in the hands of the city. Labour relinquished its opposition to the city of London during john smith’s prawn cocktail offensive in the 90s, such was the desire of labour to gain power.
From then on the city has called the shots and the vast majority of politicians have let them get on with it, whilst enjoying the fringe benefits.
I’m a fan of steve keen and his work on Minsky, yet frustratingly people like him, who actually predicted the financial crisis, are frozen out.
Not so far apart; I agree with every word of this comment.
One of Minsky’s students, Randy Wray, is one of the MMT scholars I mentioned, a group who managed to correctly predict the 2008 crash, the pathetic nature of the following recovery, and the continuing Euro disaster.
One of them, Stephanie Kelton, has even been appointed as the chief economist for the senate budget committee in the US, for the minority side. Movement perhaps.
I know, I followed your link. I have long, long been an admirer of the great neo-Keynesian Hyman Minsky. He even made the notorious Ponzi (Madoff circa 1929 – there is nothing new) famous, all over again! Everybody – and I mean EVERYBODY – should read Minsky; some of his trenchant, beautiful papers are available free (pdf) on the Web. Read the Financial Instability Hypothesis!
@ John,
I take your point, and share the frustration with the lack of solid regulation, (and incidently there’s a great BBC radio prog ‘why Minsky matters’ which lays it out clearly – Krugman also has a great talk). The seeds of the next crash being in the good times and so on, stability leads to instabilty not due to asymetric shocks necessarliy but own internal causal logic, ponzi lending on the assumption that asset values will always rise etc. I accept all this. What I still don’t get is how an indy Scot would be so fundamentally different given the structure of the econ? Your analysis is well considered but it fails to propose an alternative (unless I’m mistaken)? Is it that an indy Scot would be less reliant on financial services/ city therefore less exposed to the the incentive to constantly increase lending for profit, tax receipts for government, bankers bonuses, house of cards debt pyramids? Essentially a restructuring of the econ?
Changing the financial system through regulation is possible asis a revertion to Keynsism (but as I’ve mentined before really needs to be international – a global independent regulatory body. The kind of thing Keynes put forward at Bretton Woods.)
And I also disagree with you on the North of England. (I’m half Scot, half Geordie) There is huge interest in regional devolution. This as far as I can see (and not just cos I have cousins in South Sheilds) and would serve the central belt of Scotland better. I’ve mentioned this before also, but the key seems to think beyond the ridgid structures of the nation to overlapping forms of sovereignty. Devolve power to the cities. A centralised Scotland would just lead to more of the same.
And in the light of the system not changing in the near future (until another ref) you say it doesn’t make a huge difference. I’m sorry, but it really does to the people on the sharp end. Why cut front line vital services when you can raise tax on houses over 2 mill in London? Similalry corp tax reduction or the closing of tax loop holes?
And you say now rUk is mainstream Thatcher. But not Scotland? Have you looked at SNP policy? Or would Scotland, just by virtue of Indy be radically different to every other country in Europe with regards to eonomic policy? If so how? ANd do the figures and the crowding out of any other voice on the Yes side, must take the SNP whip etc, the massive rise in membership not vindicate those who voted no becasue they didn’t want a low reg/ low tax government in competition with a much larger low re/ low tax governmentto the south?
But a good article anyway and the theory is spot on. Just the practicality (how to change things) which I struggle with.
Thank you for the kind words. It seems to me that you began close to some kind of analytical agreement, but by the end of your comment, you seemed simply to have gone back to where you began. You “take my point”? Forgive me, I am not convinced that you have. Somehow you at least seem, perhaps unconsciously, to be attempting to reconcile neo-liberalism almost as a kind of law of nature, with your underlying (unreconciled?) political values; in spite of evidence that there is an incommensurability. I hope that does not seem impertinent.
I am baffled by the command to ‘devolve to the Cities’ and the supposed NEE enthusiasm for this when it is quite clear that Newcastle very recently rejected it comprehensively. That is the reality. There is no great demand for this in rUK. It does not exist. I regret to say that such a demand for devolution is not something that can be picked up overnight as an enthusiasm, or a fashion in the expectation of results in anyone’s foreseeable future; it requires time, commitment, endurance and substance. Scotland has a long, long history in ‘home rule’ or devolution, long before 1979; right back to 1914 (to venture no further); and a long history of disappointment. It has taken a prodigious effort to produce Holyrood. None of these factors apply in rUK. Your ‘city’ model seems to me to echo a kind of regionalism being peddled by Labour because it serves the vested political interests of the enfeebled Labour Party, especially in Scotland; where the last strongholds of its archaic political patronage and power hold sway in certain fossilised local authorities. These are the very last places I would look or expect to find ‘the future’; or even tokens of hope. Such ideas are also typical Westminster Cartel; choose something that is politically safe and not too lively; divide, keep the units small, easily manageable politically, and with a little patronage rule authoritatively from Westminster.
Ironically the only city with proven devolved power in rUK is London, and the result has been to hand power to Boris Johnson; no surprise – QED.
“Changing the financial system through regulation is possible as is a reversion to Keynesianism”. In Westminster? In Britain in 2015? What happened to “I take your point”? This is the opposite of my point. You have offered not so much as a scintilla of evidence for your optimism. Nothing. Absolutely nothing; because there is none.
It is flattering to be commended for ‘theory’, but it misses the point. Most of the time I am pointing to inputs and outcomes; the bit in the middle, the theory, you may treat as a black-box. The regularities are between the inputs and outcomes, and that is all you may rely on (this is Hume, not Popper). the inputs and outcomes are real; the ‘theory’ is neither here nor there. I do not see anything ‘real’ in your analysis; there is only theory, or dreams.
You repeated Gordon Brown’s internationalist cri de coeur. Bretton Woods, NOW? Sorry to repeat myself; it isn’t going to happen! At this point, going through your comments I began to think you have to be aiming for a kind of breezy whimsy. I had to pinch myself; the observation seemed so, well, naive. Neo-conservatism has destroyed all such consensus since Reagan and Thatcher came to power. It is dead: stone dead. The presiding genius of the political culture that could even imagine a Bretton Woods was the great Roosevelt administration (although he was dead). So I shall offer a quote from a speech of Roosevelt’s given in 1936. I think it demonstrates just how far our world has detached itself from such ideas:
“For twelve years this Nation was afflicted with hear-nothing, see-nothing, do-nothing Government. The Nation looked to Government but the Government looked away. Nine mocking years with the golden calf and three long years of the scourge! Nine crazy years at the ticker and three long years in the breadlines! Nine mad years of mirage and three long years of despair! Powerful influences strive today to restore that kind of government with its doctrine that that Government is best which is most indifferent.”
He couldn’t be referring to us, could he?
You are looking for answers, or is it a rabbit out of the hat? In either case I do not have them. To repeat the old joke; if I was looking for a way out, I certainly would not start from here. But I shall say this; the status quo does not work; Britain has shown no capacity to solve the problems it has largely inflicted on itself. Westminster is a Cartel. The city of London is out of control , has ruined us once, and will do it again. Constitutionally Britain is incapable of radically changing its constitution. These are the facts. I know where that takes me, but we must all form our own judgement.
Thank you for you robust contributions.
Not impertinent at all if a touch patronising (please don’t assume to know my reconciled or unreconciled political values). Perhaps I have missed the point. Your position seems to be, neolib orthodoxy is here to stay without challenge on a Uk/ international level. You’ve looked into you crystal ball and decided this? But yet you seem to exempt an indy Scotland from this analysis? As I asked before why? It is totally inconsistent with your arguement. – like most yes people there is no answer just empty ‘impossibilist’ rhetoric and a finger pointed elsewhere. Also…
Going back to ‘there not being a scintilla of evidence’ to suggest any other organisational method other than the neolib orthodoxy – this is just confirmation bias. There doesn’t need to be any evidence , paradigms shift unexpecdedly, usually out of crisis – I can imagine you sitting in Berlin in 1988 going, show me the evidence of the collapse of communism, or in 1979 – there is no evidence to suggest anything other than the postwar consensus – in South Africa in early 1990’s, no point trying because Apartheid is here to stay – France 1789 etc, China 1911, 1948, 1978, etc etc. But if you want evidence that the global economic system is not utterly static, Bretton Woods in itself is evidence, the end of Bretton Woods and fixed price control, prior to that the gold standard, the shift from mercantilism to free trade etc etc etc….there is not evidence to suggest reform is impossible either! You’ve read Hume and Popper, then you surely know the pseudo science of social prediction/ inductive logic/ falsification.
The same goes for the city regions notion and over lapping sovereignty – So what if it was once rejected a few years ago in England? So there will be no next indy ref on this basis? And your analysis is too wrapped up in contemporary partisanship and selective evidence and bad history…Scotland has a long history of home rule, civic autonomy also has, perhaps greater…remember Rome, Athenes, the Hansiatic league? Hamburg today is still efffectively an autonomous entity, as is Chicago or Shanghai or Mumbai, or Barcelona, or Buenos Airies, or Sao Paulo or Bogota or the Cantons of Switzerland as were the great Victorian boroughs of Manchester/ Glasgow/ Leeds in ‘real’ terms in the 18th and 19th centuries before centralisation (especially Thatcher)…just look at the beautiful civic buildings/ infrastrucutre in these cities built with local revenue sources (the wealth of course due to Empire but the functioning well due to appropriate scale and local needs) The centralised nation state is not some ‘Natural’ norm! You want real power to irradicate poverty/ regenerate the econ then this is a much more efficacious way to organise things than another monster parliament in Holyrood at war with a monster parliament in London (the point is to look where power best fits and devolve and spread it while maintaining the vital links and chanels.) Get over this nationalistic dogma!
‘the inputs and outcomes are real; the ‘theory’ is neither here nor there. I do not see anything ‘real’ in your analysis; there is only theory, or dreams.’……Aye so let’s follow that. It IS the case that Scotland voted No to indy but it OUGHT to be the case they voted Yes? Where’s the ‘real’ in that?
‘Ironically the only city with proven devolved power in rUK is London, and the result has been to hand power to Boris Johnson; no surprise – QED.’….and Ken Livingston???? again more lazy confirmation bias.
‘The city of London is out of control , has ruined us once, and will do it again. Constitutionally Britain is incapable of radically changing its constitution. These are the facts.’ …..No they really really really aren’t facts, just a selective prognosis. (please go back and re read Popper on the poverty of historicism).
Oh and while we’re indulging in all the intellectual masterbation, there is a very real choice that will effect the lives of millions. It may not destroy the neolib consensus but to the thousands who will go hungry or end up homeless if the Tories get in it really matters.
For your reference
…http://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jun/10/localgovernment.localgovernment
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/lord-heseltine-more-devolution-cities-8344696
Oh, dear! I therefore apologise without qualification not for impertinence, but for being patronising; that at least was certainly not my intention. I think I may reasonably infer, however that you are very annoyed, and I think it colours your argument. There, I think that is me off to rather a good start …. I feel I may now be on something of a ‘roll’.
Clearly you have moved a long way from “I take your point” yesterday, if you recall; to a critique today in which I am “too wrapped up in contemporary partisanship and selective evidence and bad history”, through my “empty ‘impossibilist’ rhetoric” and “nationalist dogma”, to my “lazy confirmation bias”. So, I take it you are coming off the fence; I assume this is a confirmation that I was right yesterday; you didn’t actually ‘take my point’ after all? That will be a ‘No’ then?
May I at least defend myself from some of your other criticisms? I do not claim that you, or whomsoever, cannot challenge ‘neoliberal orthodoxy’; I would merely point out that there is no politically significant, substantive challenge to neoliberal orthodoxy today in Britain anywhere, and it is certainly not to be found in the Labour Party. At the same time, I have never said or implied anything about the “centralised nation state” being the “‘Natural’ norm”; anywhere. I do not know where you found that curious proposition; could it be somewhere else? Gosh; I do not think I have a doppleganger; after your critique, who would bother? Oh, and as a matter of fact (this is a fact about me so I think it is allowed) I am not even a nationalist; and I do not think that I gave the impression that I was a nationalist anywhere either. I think you may have just decided I was a nationalist. It must be something to do with my lazy confirmation bias. I can see I should do something about that.
You did, I think, invite me to give “answers”; which I refrained from providing. At the time, I thought I was being quite astute. It shows what I know. I made no claim to have answers, but it seems that you decided that I had provided them anyway. That’s me cooked. It is all to do with my empty impossibilist rhetoric. I must do something about that.
I do not have a crystal ball either; nor do I claim to possess one. I am just the poor wretch who relies on evidence. You remember “evidence”? That’s the stuff which you decided is superfluous: “There doesn’t need to be any evidence”. I thought it was poor old me who needed the crystal ball? If we are wandering off down that track incidentally, could I suggest that horoscopes might work, they were highly thought of in the 17th century? Eh, maybe not. Okay, something else I must do something about.
I am becoming a little confused by all this; especially the bit that sounded like philosophy without evidence. No, I am definitely lost. I will be deriving ‘ought’ from ‘is’ next. I think I will just go and lie down in a darkened room and hope a paradigm shift passes over me to some beneficial effect. I will just finish by saying that I am genuinely pleased to see the passion you have for philosophy (please – this is not condescension); but dare I just quickly add that I do not think Popper’s philosophy of science has stood the test of time: oops, maybe not; I think I will nip off smartly to that darkened room now ….. while the going is good! I also have a lot of doing something about something, to do. No, don’t say, It will come back to me.
Many apologies,but I was only responding to what you wrote, I assumed too much… ( and I do take your point clearly now, I just don’t agree with it.)
Basically, all your saying is that in todays Britain there is no challenge to the neo liberal orthodoxy not Labour, not anywhere and there is no substantive difference between labour and Tories and that we have a very large debt problembto use the cliche is a’time bomb’? – that’s it, that the sum of an entire article?….why bother even posting it? Sorry I initially credited it wih more depth and exporation. I was mistaken.
By the way Uk debt today is 63% of GDP as opposed to 200% in the 1950’s, – the problem isn’t debt, but type of debt and growth, the short term deficit and GDP ratio (which you fail to mention completely). There are multiple ways the current situation can be analysed (please don’t dress up opinion as fact.)
If you don’t want to be misunderstood then try to be more factually correct….
You wrote..
1) ‘I would merely point out that there is no politically significant, substantive challenge to neoliberal orthodoxy today in Britain anywhere, and it is certainly not to be found in the Labour Party.’
Nonsense.. unless your definition of Neoliberalism is different to mine. I think you are confusing it/ lumping it in with neo classical/ Liberal economics? and using the term incorrectly as catch all for all free market based economics? The nebulous populist notion of neoliberalism that seems to mean everything other than command control. Neoliberism is not the same as austerity and cutting public expenditure and having to have an unavoidable tight fiscal policy.
Labour policy in 2015….
e.g)
Is banning Zero hours contracts Neoliberal?
Or is creating europe wide social banking networks and cooperating on EU banking and competition legislation to underpin more stable long term social markets Neoliberal? – the tories of course want further dereg.
Or for example the breaking up of banks to make them acountable and ‘not too big to fail’, or the development of a regional/ national investment bank network for long term social investment to cut out the speculative short term max profit lending for business? Neoliberal? Really?
Or setting out an energy price freeze to try and break up the energy cartel? How is this neoliberal?
Stopping a further cut in corp tax – Neoliberal?
Tax breaks for employers that pay the living wage? Neoliberal?
I could go on….
The point is before making sweeping withering generalisations try to look at the detail. The policy agenda and party philosophy is actually quite different to New Labour…why Tony Blair has spoken out in the press recently.
2) Forget it.You wrote…..’Newcastle, perhaps representing the most deprived, the most cheated part of England, was given an opportunity to establish an Assembly that would at least provide a focus and forum to fight its corner against the scandal that is London; the Liberal proposal after the last GE was rejected wholesale in a referendum. Whether through inertia, gullibility, despair,or worst of all, deference (who knows); nobody in rUK stands up to London. Fact. This is obvious and incontrovertible.
It wasn’t a Liberal proposal it was actually a Wet Tory proposal in the 80’s as I pointed out. Then it was championed by Prescot in another form, then again by Lord Adonis (labour peer) and more recently again by Hesltine. Both Labour and Cons are set to devolve powers, including fiscal ones poss????
3) ‘Constitutionally Britain is incapable of radically changing its constitution. These are the facts.’
They are not facts, it is an opinion! so devolution never happened, EVEL isn’t happening? Anglo Irish treaty, the Indy ref had there been a Yes vote??? The Good Friday agreement was a pretty big constitutional change- no? The Greater London authority? The up comming ref on AV if Labour win??? Universal sufferage etc etc?? The removal of hereditry peers in the Lords? The European Convention on Human rights (and the Tory plan to get rid of it) The creation of a independent supreme court to replace the Privy Council??? Freedom of information act?
None of these things are significant? And again why assume there can be no further change?
4)You wrote
‘At the same time the political ‘centre’ in Britain now (excluding Scotland) is roughly mainstream-Thatcherism, as understood by Thatcher. Indeed Thatcher would never have dreamt of proposing or attempting what is now mainstream – in the Labour Party?’
And you are not a nationalist? really? I would say it was a fair assumption given that Scotland and the SNP are exempt from this…and again where is the evidence you’re so keen on to back this assertion up?
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/british-debt-history/?_r=0
http://www.businessinsider.com/krugman-compares-uk-and-us-national-debt-2012-11?IR=T
http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/01/government-debt
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8d71907c-88b5-11e1-a526-00144feab49a.html#axzz3OC06JgCE
a few more alternative opinions.
Well, I am glad you have moved on from annoyance; but perhaps choosing fury as the alternative comes as a disappointment, at least to me.
Allow me to run quickly through your four main points.
At least we have established your fundamental position. The Labour Party has the policies and answers to everything. Why didn’t I think of that? But I think I’ll pass anyway.
The proposals for devolution in Newcastle comprehensively rejected by the electorate were in response not just to the Liberals who sponsored the referendum, but was really the result of Labour, Conservatives (Wet) or even that new hero of the Left, Heseltine. So, it was basically a concerted Westminster Cartel effort? And it still failed badly.
Two points. I think you are conflating devolution with fundamental constitutional change; and before you launch a tirade, I put my case on this matter on 23rd December here on Bella Caledonia: ‘On Colonialism and Lesser Britain’. I think I will let that stand as my position.
It seems that when I say that I am not a Nationalist, according to you this is not a decision that is in my gift. It appears that you are now the final arbiter on the matter. Allow me please to be quite clear. There is nothing in what I think I quite carefully write that entails nationalism. If you do not accept this, could I suggest that you consider whether or not you have brought in some presuppositions to the application of your critical faculties. If I was to apply the kind of presuppositions that you have gratuitously applied to me, then I would say that you are an idealogue. Perhaps you are not, but in any case I am not. I am an anti-idealogue. I am as close to being a Pyrrhonist as practical reality allows.
Should you perhaps check with Labour HQ, because I understand EVEL is not popular there (at least Gordon Brown disapproves); so you may wish to air-brush that, but what do I know? I am also glad to see that “evidence” has made something of a comeback with you overnight (hey, it is quite difficult to keep up with a fast-changing situation), but I think I will now return to my darkened room.
Oops! My pre-numbering failed. I really ought to stay in that darkened room! I shall try again:
1) At least we have established your fundamental position. The Labour Party has the policies and answers to everything. Why didn’t I think of that? But I think I’ll pass anyway.
2) The proposals for devolution in Newcastle comprehensively rejected by the electorate were in response not just to the Liberals who sponsored the referendum, but was really the result of Labour, Conservatives (Wet) or even that new hero of the Left, Heseltine. So, it was basically a concerted Westminster Cartel effort? And it still failed badly.
3) Two points. I think you are conflating devolution with fundamental constitutional change; and before you launch a tirade, I put my case on this matter on 23rd December here on Bella Caledonia: ‘On Colonialism and Lesser Britain’. I think I will let that stand as my position.
4) It seems that when I say that I am not a Nationalist, according to you this is not a decision that is in my gift. It appears that you are now the final arbiter on the matter. Allow me please to be quite clear. There is nothing in what I think I quite carefully write that entails nationalism. If you do not accept this, could I suggest that you consider whether or not you have brought in some presuppositions to the application of your critical faculties. If I was to apply the kind of presuppositions that you have gratuitously applied to me, then I would say that you are an idealogue. Perhaps you are not, but in any case I am not. I am an anti-idealogue. I am as close to being a Pyrrhonist as practical reality allows.
Should you perhaps check with Labour HQ, because I understand EVEL is not popular there (at least Gordon Brown disapproves); so you may wish to air-brush that, but what do I know? I am also glad to see that “evidence” has made something of a comeback with you overnight (hey, it is quite difficult to keep up with a fast-changing situation), but I think I will definitely now return to my darkened room.
JBS says:
Bernicia, I can hardly write this for laughing. I just love it when you unbuckle and go off into one of your disjointed rants. Carry on!
Right last time to clarify/ and smugness and absoltue certainty is very worthy of ire. As is repeatedly stating ‘fact’ after assertions that are no such thing.
I apologise for conversing on multiple levels. When you mentioned Hume (about your ‘black box’ and the theory) I assumed you were also thinking in a deeper way. On this basis I critiqued your article/ responses which repeatedly used (although not all the time fair enough) definitive terms like ‘will’ rather than ‘might’ or ‘likely’ or ‘possibly’ to make assertions about future behaviour. You also make a firm assertion to know the exact circumstances of the future/ and future behaviour based on the present and past evidence (selectively) and seem intolerant of other available evidence.
It’s a vexed proposition, but evidence is both simultaneously necessary and utterly superfluous.
The point is that you can construct an argument/ position in a dialectical way, a narrative that convincingly suggests a probability – but you cannot maintain absolute certainty/ nor should you dismiss other narratives that suggest other probabilities. It isn’t a zero sum game.
e.g) This is why when Fukayma in his first article (not the book) ‘The end of History’ he added a question mark. 25 years later we now know that, although his narrative was sound and very convincing, based on solid evidence, it was utterly inadequate.
Evidence is fine for suggesting a probable outcome, but not for asserting a ‘fact’ as you repetedly maintain…there are no immutable laws in social science/ economics. It is mostly guess work/ psychology/ shaping and influencing psychology. You cannot say for certain that into the next parliament, circumstances, ‘a black swan’ moment, to use the more contempory Nassim Taleb association, or that policy choices/ options will automatically remain as they are. (on this score you are an ideologue, not at all open. Your certainty that there is no real difference in UK Politcs is far too narrow, despite the narrative being convincing, your parameters are too constrained IMO)…given the unpredictable nature of the world and the current termoil much is very possible – e.g) who is to say the Chinese with their massive reserves won’t start buying up European debt (which they alrady are) in order to sustain their flagging export /manufacturing growth? – a broke Britain is no good for anyone. Or that the price of oil won’t slip further and totally change the debt to GDP ratio? Things that simply cannot be known and are beyond the available ‘evidence’. – any paradigm has to remain open.
And as others pointed out FlimFlam in particular (I completely missunderstood him/ her at first but the point was a very intelligent one) that the the space you claim is so narrow is actually quite open. For example the ratio of debt held in Sterling or foreign currency. If in the former, you can simply write it off by printing more money (without excessive inflation as is the recieved wisdom). This view point is gaining traction in governments form the US to ECB, to Germany. Why not the UK?
And finally the evidence you do use to construct your narrative on certian things is often simply wrong. The reimagining of the civic autonomy within a loser state is highly discussed…all over the world, including the the UK. Glasgow recently won a bid for 1.2 billion from the core city regions. There are multiple think tanks devising the best plan for city region devolution as we speak. – one of the reasons I voted No in the ref was that Glasgow would have been isolated from the networks it depends on in the north of England which stands the best chance of poverty irradication. The prevailing thinking is that a) social cohesion is best managed on as human a scale as possible. Simply put if you want wealth redistribution then do it on a level where people associate with one another and feel kinship. This is basic psychology. The nation (UK/ Scotland etc) is necessary at a macro level but lets face it, wealthy Aberdonians couldn’t give a fuck about someone living in Easterhouse. The ref result was telling in this regard.
If your not a nationalist then I apologise for pidgeoning you, but from my experience of this site, your previous articles, you come across as one, and may I add without offending too much, quite dogmatic in your thoughts. The usual unreconstructed hobby horses..the British state as a Empire/ colonial narrative, Yawn. The Westminster Cartel, Yawn. It’s just a bit tiresome and not particularly interesting.
Apolgies again for any offence but critcism is the cost of debate.
Apologies not required, no offence is taken. Criticism is indeed essential to debate.
From fury to boredom; I suppose that is progress of a kind, I should probably be flattered; and indeed suddenly it is open-ness and probabilities; the sun has got its hat on. I must have been parked in a parallel universe for the last thirty years, because I haven’t seen anything like that in British politics since Margaret Thatcher came to power. I am also trying to remember where all the ‘open-ness and probabilities’ were in the Better Together campaign? No, wrong universe again.The Scottish electorate, however may well have taken a probabilistic view in producing the result; I suspect some overvalued the weighting they gave the robustness of the British state, but that will no doubt change over time; as a matter of high probability.
Frankly I had not noticed much evidence of open-ness and probabilism in your posts; ad-hominem attacks, hectoring, constant outrage, the attempt to score points rather than engage, the gratuitous assertion of authority; but not much open-ness or probabilism. If that is what you are now proposing then that would be interesting, but you will forgive my scepticism; it is a habit.
I wonder if this new, generous, open view of the world extends to independence, or the SNP or their supporters?
I must also candidly admit that I find it just a little difficult to reconcile this Damascene conversion with your conventional form of debate. Of course I can be wrong; but here are a three examples that are fairly typical of your standard form of argument, as guidance on my scepticism:
1) You wrote “I take your point” (January 7, 2015 • 01:06). I think a fair interpretation of this conventional phrase would be that you agreed with the point I had made. When reminded of this a little later your response was: “I do take your point clearly now, I just don’t agree with it” (January 8, 2015 • 01:45). I have no idea what this means. So all I can think to ask is; where did you take my point?
2) Your answer to my claim that in something you had written, you had not offered “a scintilla of evidence” (January 7, 2015 • 03:06), came the triumphant reply “There doesn’t need to be any evidence” (January 7, 2015 • 17:19).
3) Under pressure (perhaps to save on time, prolixity, or is it just thought?), you typically resort to sweeping appeals to big philosophical themes, but without any attempt at philosophical rigour:
In the discussion over “evidence” above we are presumably supposed to believe that your sudden and terse reference to the proposition that “paradigms shift unexpectedly, usually out of crisis” stands as a universal proof that mere “evidence” is redundant.
Similarly, I think we are supposed to believe that my claim that it is a ‘fact’ that “The City of London is out of control” may be summarily disabused not by an examination of the disputed ‘facts’ (such as the Vickers report), but by mere reference to Popper’s ‘The Poverty of Historicism’ (and that really is the sum and substance of the philosophical content): a work written about the Popperian concept of ‘Historicism’ relating principally to the methodology of the physical and social sciences; which somewhat unsurprisingly never mentions the City of London, or has anything to say about its regulation.
Open-ness? Probablities? I look forward to seeing it in action.
mmmm, you don’t like being challenged, I guess that’s the safety of sites like Bella, everyone agrees with you.
Haven’t had this much fun in a while!
I’ve addressed nothing substantive in relation to Vicker’s and banking regualtion? I refer you back to the policy differences between Labour and Conservatives. The Labour proposals are quite substantive, the all important ‘ring fencing’ of the invesment and savings arm, plus measures to break the cartels, plus new ‘public investment’ only national and regional banking networks? And rules on capital holdings?
You article ends ‘who would notice the difference?’ many who won’t loose their savings and pensions as a consequence if the invesment side of banks start arsing up again. Plus the banks who would be left to go under by the government.
As for Popper? I guessing you haven’t actually read much/ nor critiques? The logic/ systemics he lays out could perfectly fit your analysis of the certainty of the impending Debt Bomb? – It also may not reference the ‘city of london’ directly, why would it? but it is vital in understanding risk, and the connection between thinking and reality. It’s an old philosophical tradition and one to be taken seriouly. (and if this is the sum philosophical content of the arguement perhpas that’s because it is fundamental and needs little else?)
This is what I was referencing. You should have a read, it’s very good. (if not perfect)
The Alchemy of Finance, Open Society: Reforming Global Capitalism, The Age of Fallibility, and The Crash of 2008 and What It Means.
George Soros…(Or does this not have any relevance?)
“While I was reading Popper I was also studying economic theory and I was struck by the contradiction between Popper’s emphasis on imperfect understanding and the theory of perfect competition in economics which postulated perfect knowledge. This led me to start questioning the assumptions of economic theory. These were the two major theoretical inspirations of my philosophy. It is also deeply rooted in my personal history.
All this has changed as a result of the financial crisis of 2008. My conceptual framework enabled me both to anticipate the crisis and to deal with it when it finally struck. It has also enabled me to explain and predict events better than most others. This has changed my own evaluation and that of many others. My philosophy is no longer a personal matter; it deserves to be taken seriously as a possible contribution to our understanding of reality.”
‘The human uncertainty principle I am talking about is much more specific and stringent than the subjective skepticism that pervades Cartesian philosophy. It gives us objective reasons to believe that our perceptions and expectations are—or at least may be—wrong.’
“people’s understanding is inherently imperfect because they are part of reality and a part cannot fully comprehend the whole. In calling our understanding imperfect, I mean that it is incomplete and, in ways that cannot be precisely defined, distorted.”
Your turn…lol (cue…withering ennui!)
Hi again Bernica!
Thanks very much for compliment of my analysis. I’d like to respond to your point to explain why I believe the potential for Independence to create financial market waves that might cast the (r)UK into a debt crisis is no good reason for opposing Scottish sovereignty:
– The thrust of the original article and subsequent thread is that the UK finances are in a dangerously precarious position. To make matters worse, the two main political parties’ actions and declared policy intentions are not just failing to address matters but actually exacerbating the situation. My particular point above was that they are pursuing this suicidal course because they are ultimately doing the bidding of their paymasters in the City – they have very little option given the structure of their party finances and the UK political institutions. To a large extent the Palace of Westminster is a creation of the City of London and it knows no other way (see Scott Enger’s comment above).
– Because of this another crash is coming, except this time it will be bigger and nastier than 2008 because the City’s criminality has gone unchecked and its continued regulatory laxity has seen Wall Street insitutions migrate much of their business to London – i.e. The Square Mile is bigger now. That means the US won’t take as hard a hit but the UK will feel the impact much more acutely. Also the UK – ultimately taxpayers – will have to dig even deeper to compensate the casino banking addicts with no hope of this or the 2008 bailout ever coming back to the Exchequer. This time some banks may actually fail, and though this may ulimately be a good thing in the short to medium term the UK economy stuffed. Public spending will be slashed to (say) pre-War levels, maybe even pre-World War One levels.
– Meanwhile the Government will have no real option but to print money like it’s going out fashion which, in a sense, it will. Sterling’s international value will plummet. Political unrest will follow a decimated and vulnerable economy that will struggle to borrow anything because interest rates will rise and UK gilts will be devalued. Sooner or later the UK will look to the World Bank for support, and the consequences will not be pretty.
The point is all of this and possibly worse will happen if Scotland remains. Who knows what could trigger it? Greek default, a major Eurozone recession, UK exit from the EU, another war or two, or maybe just the cumulative effect of the City’s shenanigans – who knows? Scottish independence is only one of many possible scenarios that could tip the UK into debt crisis. But whether we’re there or not… it is coming.
So should Scotland sacrifice its opportunity to forge a new future when the best we can hope for is to prolong the UK agony? Indeed, events since last September would make it less of shock to world markets and the Bank of England, with proper contingencies actually developed this time. The currency bluff wouldn’t work again – the Yes camp (if I can call its future self that) would be far more robust in setting out the alternatives: Exclude us and we’ll set up our own; include us and we’ll help create ballast to counterbalance the bloated London beast. Financiers outwith London would get behind that too – many other economies look on at London and the UK in horror. I’d still advocate our having clearly stated contingencies to peg outwith sterling and be working towards lauching our own currency in 5-10 years.
Also, Scotland’s managed and reasonable severance from UK political control would also help facilitate movements for substantial democratic reform to the rUK, perhaps something along the lines of a network of city assemblies you advocated before. There would never be a better opportunity. As things stand there is virtually no appetite for any such reform at present but Scotland’s independence would, I believe, give real impetus to the moribund Democratic Left in England.
In short, the UK is unsustainable – socially, politically and financially. I suppose it’s just conceivable there might emerge a genuinely federal solution might hold it together as a longer-term entity – something truly radical, balanced and representative not Gordon Brown’s fag packet scribblings and ‘The Vow’ – but I fear the requirement for the present elites to cede so much power make this highly unlikely. Our masters are good at screwing us but are too arrogant to countenance power being given away; it has to be wrested from them. Independence is one significant way to do just that – take power, not just hope the powerful will be reasonable. While they have power they won’t. Ever.
And if you can take all that on board, then you can understand why many, many people on the Democratic Left throughout the UK agree that, ultimately, Scottish Independence may well be the best hope for ALL the ordinary people who dwell in these islands.
Again, well put and I shall mull it over!
You have put your argument over very well and i’m in complete agreement.I have family through marraige a brother with family who all live in the south and the south west.They all live in their own bubble disconnected from the realities of their “fellow countrymen” in the north.They are mainly devoid of any idea what is going on or have any understanding of the mess the uk is really in and to be honest they probably dont really care.We are clearly not “in it together” or “pullng and sharing”we are on our own and the quicker we realise this the quicker we acheive independence.
Sometimes after considering the arguments you then have to follow your heart and your instincts,life is also about taking risks(obviously considered ones).The time is fast approaching when we have to be brave and take control of our own destiny.(hope the spelling is ok,i have been living in France for a number of years and the spelling has deteriorated)
My spelling is certainly not my strong point.
I am only interested in the issues: period. I shall therefore put a final case to you.
The eminent criminal and regulatory litigator David Corker wrote in 2012 about the Serious Fraud Offices’s likely problems in prosecuting matters that could arise from the LIBOR scandal (yes, that was the scandal that came before the Forex scandal and – oh, so many other financial scandals) and our appropriate expectations:
“The SFO has a difficult task ahead in deciding whether the criminal law can be used to sanction this latest outburst of financial misconduct. The greatest deterrent is the threat of imprisonment; corporate fines may fail to offset benefits and provide a far weaker impulse to directors not to choose the opportunity to mis-sell a product or form a cartel. But criminal litigation can take years to resolve and often turns out to have a disappointing and ineffectual outcome. The SFO therefore should tread very carefully; and make sure that, before it decides to bite on LIBOR, it has the necessary sharp teeth. The truth is that the criminal law is not equipped to prosecute the conduct revealed by the LIBOR investigation and what will inevitably follow is a call for a new offence to fill the gap; thus rather belatedly shutting the stable door” (source: D Corker, New Law Journal, ‘Manipulating LIBOR….’, 27th July, 2012 ).
“The greatest deterrent is the threat of imprisonment” should be carved in stone over the entrance to the FCA. Of course it isn’t; and there is no new offence. How many have gone to prison in the UK? I can think of one (yes, 1), off the top of my head.
In the United States they view all such matters quite differently. People go to prison in the United States. In the US Anti-Trust Laws have always played a more prominent part in the very idea of ‘free enterprise’ (this has never been the case in Britain) and are used to curb recalcitrant behaviour; nevertheless Connor and Landes ‘Cartels as Rational Business Strategy: Crime Pays’ argue that to be fully effective, “the average level of U.S. anti-cartel sanctions should be quintupled” (source: Cardozo Law Review; 2012, Vol.38, p.428). In defence of the US, the authorities there have imposed much more severe fines than British regulators in the post-Credit Crunch debacle. Since the Credit Crunch, legal settlements in the US had totalled over $100bn by March, 2014; compare that with the FCA/FSA piffling £2.4bn (about 3% of US fines!); and before critics protest at the difference in scale between the US and UK economies, London and Wall Street are much closer together in terms of world financial-centre scale (as the City is quickest of all to claim); $3-4 trillion is constantly washing/cycling through London in the Forex market alone, and that bald fact, combined with the City’s wide claim to be the ‘world’s leading financial centre’ is part of the problem: the UK, the UK economy, and certainly the UK tax-payers, unlike the US, are already far, far out of their depth in a globalised trading world in which Gross World Product is (loosely) estimated at $87 trillion (source: WorldFactbook): especially when the UK taxpayers may find themselves left standing as the only ‘lender of last resort’ for the folly of others.
Take one step back and look at the ‘bigger picture’ on regulators, on fines and on banks. In the US there is dissatisfaction, even with a tougher regime than is found in the UK. Anat Admati of Stanford University speaks plainly about the broader ‘fines’ issue that perhaps also echoes Connor and Landes’ tough stance:
“The fines can be viewed as [a] ‘cost of doing business’. They don’t get at the heart of the problem, and aren’t effective to change behaviour, because the strong incentives by individuals within the banks to keep engaging in the same practices remain in place”. [source 1=”FT.com” 2=”25th” 3=”March,” 4=”2014.” 5=”Richard” 6=”McGregor” 7=”and” 8=”Aaron” 9=”Stanley.” 10=”‘Banks” 11=”pay” 12=”out” 13=”$100bn” 14=”in” 15=”US” 16=”fines’;” 17=”quoting” 18=”Admati,” 19=”AR.” 20=”http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/802ae15c-9b50-11e3-946b-00144feab7de.html#axzz3Gape1XPb” language=”:”][/source]
Where institutions are concerned the fines penalise investors, shareholders (including the government, where bailed-out institutions are involved, to say nothing of staff) or customers as much, or more than those who may be thought primarily or at least more directly responsible. We have, for example, seen very little attempt to require the repayment or forestalling of bonuses. We may compare the indulgent if not wanton British approach to bonuses, with William Dudley, President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, whom, in a speech to Brooklyn College on 7th March, 2014 offered the following test of a bank having made progress in correcting industry lapses: “Not having to plead guilty to felony charges or being assessed large fines is a good start.”
Dudley understands the investment banking world well. He was a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs and joined the New York Federal Reserve in 2007. In his Brooklyn College speech he stressed that failure could not be explained away by glib prescriptions: “I reject the narrative that the current state of affairs is simply the result of the actions of isolated rogue traders or a few bad actors within these firms”. He advocated a long-term deferred debt bonus scheme to prevent the pernicious effects on the industry of large cash bonuses. “Assume instead that a sizeable portion of the fine is now paid for out of the firm’s deferred debt compensation, with only the remaining balance paid for by shareholders”. In the event of a fine by regulators, “senior management and the material risk-takers would forfeit their performance bond”.
Dudley describes a much tougher, less forgiving perspective in New York than obtains in London. Much is made of ‘time-zones’ to explain the success of the City of London; but this ‘success’ is also explained by its historic lax regulation, conveniently byzantine tax system manipulated by skilled tax-consultants, the largest portfolio of tax-haven dependencies in the whole world, and a very louche culture sold to the world as ‘open-for-business’.
Take this anonymous but candid view of London as it was immediately before the Crash, which was provided on WallStreetOasis.com (posted 13th October, 2014) by an American attracted to work in the City, 2004-8 because of contemporary US impositions on doing business which:
“turned off my firm at the time’s desire to do anything in the US public markets because it seemed like they wanted too many people involved in it to sign their lives away if some junior accountant or auditor flubbed a number the CFO was going to prison so there was very little market for IPO’s on the smaller side. London kept its rules relaxed and the AIM market at the time (I work in lower to middle market PE type of stuff) was exploding and we were investing, putting some lipstick on the pig and making exits in no time on AIM.”
I will not waste my time discussing the failure of Vickers, you already have all the answers; you just do not seem able to articulate a convincing case. Most remarkable of all after the worst crash since 1929; there are still siren voices of neo-conservatism who believe that the greatest problem facing business in Britain is over-regulation. I do not exclude the Labour Party from that criticism; talk, as they say is cheap and with regard to the City the Labour Party – and its apologists – has always talked big and walked small. It still does. Your list of ‘solutions’ is risible.
Fin. Switch off the lights on your way out of this thread.
Click…into darkness…what’s Neo Conservatism got to do with it? And what IS the alternative then? An independent Scotland…equally as risible?
The doorbell rings. Who can it be? Delivery for Bernicia! A Cap and Bells. High-quality, long-lasting.
“…what’s Neo Conservatism got to do with it?”
A Labour party which refuses to undo the Coalition’s accelerated marketisation and privatisation of the NHS, a process which was started by Labour. A Labour party which has no meaningful response to inequality; inequality which grew during its last period in government. A Labour party which is committed to cutting public spending by just as much as the Conservatives.
They claim they’ll be nicer about it, and they’ll tinker around the edges with other policies, but by buying into neoliberal myths – whether they believe them or not – about the efficiency of markets, the creation of money, and the ‘danger’ of deficits they continue to head in the wrong direction right from the outset.
“And what IS the alternative then?”
A political party and movement which understands and articulates the real capacities and constraints that modern states operate within, and which works within them to support and enhance the fundamental well-being of all its citizens. This simply does not describe the Labour party, nor any other party operating in Britain.
“An independent Scotland…equally as risible?”
Independence at least held the realistic possibility of change for the better. The public engagement needed to peacefully reshape the political system was being generated by the independence discussion, but clearly it turned out to be neither wide nor deep enough. Whatever that possibility was though it was not risible.
Horselover Fat says:
Reblogged this on My Little Underground and commented:
This week saw the launch of all the parties campaigns for the general election in May and the paucity of intelligent debate is overwhelming as Tory and Labour argue endlessly about the deficit, debt and who exactly can be ‘tougher’ on the economy than the other.
Frankly it shows just how similar both parties are that £20 billion worth of spending is being treated as some sort of massive turning point for a campaign that’s still got months to run.
For most of us we’re just getting back to work after the Christmas and New Year break so much of this is already tiresome for a lot of us, but it’s worth shaking out the cobwebs and read this article from Bella Caledonia as it says what many of us know about both parties, and the fact these arguments about debt hide a number of lies from both parties.
I made a contribution earlier about wealth really having its source in the earth, the planet we live on. I got interrupted and didn’t manage to finish the point but now I can come back in.
I would like to see an Economics that is more tied to Ecology and resources, that is more grounded, and more comprehensible to the layman. I would also like to see an Economics that acknowledges the consequences and side effects of the last 200 hundred years of exponential growth ie. pollution, over population, austerity. FlimFlam is right to mention ‘constraints’ and environmental wreckage. The wreckage continues apace – it is in fact an emergency. We are currently emitting 6 Hiroshima bombs worth of heat energy into the atmosphere every second, we have passed the 400ppm CO2 level, and the polar ice caps are melting at a rate of 500 cubic kilometres each year. We are heading very rapidly towards complete environmental collapse. This won’t just ‘constrain’ growth, consumption and debt it will bring them to a violent halt. The default to end all defaults.
With humanity back in the Stone Age we’ll have a whole new perspective on wealth and, if I’m around, I suppose I’ll have the Economics I’m looking for.
Assynt 15,
Quite simply our debt based money system demands infinite growth. Allowing private institutions to create money at a cost of interest places demand on energy and the environment.
Paying down debt faster than it’s created crashes the system, so it must always grow.
Have you read much on Ecological Economics? Herman Daly, Tim Jackson, New Economics Foundation et al..tackling the money created as debt/lack of seigniorage issue is certainly a key part of a post growth/degrowth economics. This book/short film may be of interest ‘Enough is Enough’ http://steadystate.org/discover/enough-is-enough/ Jackson and other researchers work – http://www.sustainablelifestyles.ac.uk/news Given all the more emphasis by Prof Kevin Anderson highlighting that the rate of GHG reductions required in Western nations is ‘incompatible with economic growth’ http://kevinanderson.info/blog/avoiding-dangerous-climate-change-demands-de-growth-strategies-from-wealthier-nations/
Thanks for that. Will check those out.
for me Michael Hudson is on button
Now I must away and read Minsky!
Justin Kenrick says:
Blimey – what a brilliant set of discussions, esp the FFM and JSW exchanges – I particularly loved FFM’s:
“I’ll warn you right now that what I’m about to type will be wrong. It’ll be less wrong than the usual neoliberal tosh though.”
They tell us of those moments and places in history where ideas were struggled with and new thinking, new understandings of who we are and how the world could be, emerged. This is so clearly one of those moments and one of those places. Through the extraordinarily ordinary of questioning, or relationship and of daring to take action, we remake the world.
Why thank you, feel free to use that one if you like it. And I hope you’re right about the time we’re living in.
Pingback: Azuri Fae Caledonia Fae Book 2 | Book4Download.Com
Keep our Journalism Independent
We don’t take any advertising, we don’t hide behind a pay wall and we don’t keep harassing you for crowd-funding. We’re entirely dependent on our readers to support us.
Don’t miss a single article. Enter your email address to subscribe for free here and receive Bella direct to your inbox.
bellasletters@yahoo.co.uk
Website proudly designed and developed by Starbit Digital
© Bella Caledonia 2020
Our new website is here and we're keen to hear any feedback
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line953
|
__label__wiki
| 0.556618
| 0.556618
|
Weekly tech news roundup for May 15
By Missy Kellor on May 15, 2015 in Online Life
Google’s self-driving cars are leaving the test track
The automated cars will be hitting REAL roads in Mountain View, Calif. this summer…with a few caveats. First, there will safety drivers in the cars and second, they’re “capped at a neighborhood-friendly 25mph.” Google points out that they’ll be using the same system used in their Lexus fleet that has been “self-driving about 10,000 a week.” Translation: don’t panic!
Living concrete heals itself
A professor from the University of Technology in the Netherlands, named Henk Jonkers, has invented something super amazing: concrete that can heal its own cracks. No, for real! He’s developed “bioconcrete” with bacteria in it, When the concrete gets wet, the bacteria is able to uses materials in his special mix to restore the damaged areas. Seriously, how cool is THAT? CNN has a video.
Geek news: Tron lightcycle sells for $77K
This isn’t an actual REAL lightcycle we’re talking about. It’s a full scale replica of a Tron lightcycle. Although it works as a motorcycle (sorry, it doesn’t emit a beam of solid light), but it’s never been out on the road…and it sold this week at Sotheby’s for $77,000. You’ve gotta admit, it looks awesome!
Garmin’s latest wearable finally includes heart tracking
Late to the party Garmin has finally added a tracker with heart-rate monitoring. The Forerunner 225 running watch has a sensor built in, plus step counting, data sharing with your smartphone and an accelerometer. Engadget says it should ship no later than June for $300.
The Genie turns ingredient pods into real food
It’s being likened to a StarTrek food replicator that can serve up dinner in seconds. The Genie is about the same size as a coffee machine. But, instead of brewing your favorite beverage, the Genie makes meals using pods of dehydrated ingredients. You select the pod you want to make, put it in the Genie, use the app to control it, and viola! Food comes out 30 seconds later. There are no preservatives in the pods but they have a shelf life of 1-2 years. Reuters has a video and you can see it in action!
Get your Candy Crush on with Windows 10
The news is that Microsoft is going to automatically install your favorite game with is new operating system. Candy Crush Saga will join Solitare, Minesweeper and Hearts if you switch to Windows 10 during the launch. Some are loving this, some are horrified and calling it “crapware.”
Startup of the week: the Lily, world’s first throwable, drone camera
Okay, if you watch this video, even if you’re not a fan of drones, you’ll want one. For $499 special early pricing, you can have a Lily of your very own.
Facebook rolls out Instant Articles
The stories will come from nine major publications but they’ll be hosted on Facebook servers so they load fast. Facebook says it takes about 8 seconds for an article to load, but Instant Articles will be instant. The stories will come from The New York Times, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, National Geographic, NBC News, The Guardian, BBC News, and two German publications, Bild and Der Spiegel. This will roll out to iOS users first, with Android coming soon.
Tweet these emojis, save endangered animals
If you sign up by retweeting, money will go to saving endangered animals.
United paying to find security flaws
Like other major companies, United has started a bounty program to pay techy folks who find security flaws in their systems. Only they’re not paying cash money—they’re paying miles. In fact they’ll pay out one million miles if you can find and prove a remote code execution. The question is whether there will be lots of blackout days to use them :-).
Spaceship graveyard in the middle of the ocean
Ever wonder where space station bits and satellite pieces go to die? It ends up, many – as in 161—are on the ocean floor. They’re all in one spot that’s furthest from any land (Antarctica is a mere 2,700 miles away). Gizmodo has the interesting story about the cemetery and what all is down there sleeping amongst the fishes.
Candy Crush Windows 10, food replicator, Forerunner 225, Garmin running watch, Genie, Google self-driving car, Lily throwable drone camera, self-healing concrete, spaceship graveyard, Tron lightcycle, United security flaws, WWF emjois
Cheap Tunes Tuesday: Guns N’ Roses
Protect your electronics from lightning
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line967
|
__label__cc
| 0.726529
| 0.273471
|
Silversphere, Inc.
Technology that cares.
About Tel-Tron
Emergency Call – Life Safety
Staff Notification
Customer Success and Support
← “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. “
Technology Makes Top Ten Senior Living Trends for 2011 →
A National Standard for Emergency Call Systems (It’s on the way!)
January 21, 2011 by Rick Dawson, CTO 1 Comment
In any Assisted or Independent Living community, the emergency call system is a significant link in the delivery of Life Safety for the residents. When help is needed, the expectation is that the emergency call system will reliably summon that help.
Despite this importance, however, emergency call systems are often treated pretty casually. Many think the various systems available on the market are all alike; they are not. Many assume that any system on the market must meet a nationally recognized standard; not so – there is no such standard – not today.
Nurse call systems for hospitals and nursing homes have had the ANSI/UL 1069 standard for many years. There are significant differences between application of nurse call and emergency call systems, however; applying a standard for nurse call to a residential property, such as Assisted Living or Independent Living, simply does not work well.
The standard for Assisted and Independent Living is coming, though. After almost seven years of work, a final draft of ANSI/UL 2560 has been posted on an internal UL web site for comment by members of the panel that will vote upon its adoption and other stake holders. Depending on the comments received, it will most likely be voted upon and adopted in early 2011.
The new 2560 standard covers hard wired and wireless emergency call systems. It requires minimum coverage of fixed call stations, allows portable devices (pendants) and specifies the maximum time from when an alarm is placed until it is reported. Generally, calls can be canceled only at the point from which they originated. (With certain exceptions, the call cannot be canceled from the desk.) All devices must be self testing and troubles must be reported within specified times. The standard requires backup power and obligates the manufacturer to state how long the backup power will last. It also requires that a battery powered device report a low battery and will continue to work for at least seven days after the low battery report.
The standard is very inclusive in terms of requirements. It provides no special advantage for any one manufacturer; most current manufacturers should be able to comply with only minor revisions to their products, if any. The standard also provides for future innovation by covering only the core life safety system. Ancillary features which were not envisioned by the standard can be added to the system provided they do not interfere with the operation of the core system.
This all started back in 2003 when Tel-Tron and a handful of other manufacturers formed the Emergency Call Systems Association (ECSA). The intent was to publish a consensus standard that would detail the minimum standards for an emergency call system. With no staff and no budget, the attempt never really got off the ground.
Then, in 2005, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) picked up the ball. NEMA’s “Health Care Communications Group” expanded its role and became the “Health Care Communications and Emergency Call Systems Group.” Many of the companies from the by then disbanded ECSA were represented and the effort for a national standard resumed. A task group was formed to draft a standard and both NEMA and UL agreed to provide staff support.
Like all ANSI standards, 2560 represents a consensus of manufacturers, users, regulatory agencies, and National Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) and other stake holders. By rule, and to avoid building standards around parochial interests, manufacturers are a small minority of representation on a Standards Technical Panel (STP). In the case of this standard, the STP consists of 17 members, only 5 of whom are product manufacturers.
A white paper on the proposed standard has been prepared by NEMA and is available here http://www.nema.org/stds/sbp1.cfm. (The document is free, but NEMA is not immune from bureaucracy, so you need to create an account to download it.) In some areas, the white paper was predictive, and there are some discrepancies between it and the draft standard, but it still provides a good overview of the standard.
Once the standard has been adopted, it will take some time for manufactures to demonstrate compliance to an NRTL and become “listed.” Our industry is moving towards the time when owners, developers, and managers of Senior Living communities will have a trusted third-party evaluation of the emergency call systems they are considering for purchase.
Tel-Tron has always been dedicated to lifting the reputation and quality of our industry. A national standard is one way to do that. Our Brian Dawson was founder and president of the original ECSA. Brian is also a member of the Hospital Communications and Emergency Call Systems Group at NEMA. I chair the Technical Committee of that group, was a member of the task group that created the original draft of the standard, and wrote the NEMA white paper. I am also a member of the UL1069 STP (to which this standard has been assigned) and chair the task group charged with handling ANSI/UL 2560.
As the senior living industry continues to mature, the time for this standard has come. Resident safety is too important a topic – from both the humanity and legal points of view – to take a chance on a product that cannot meet minimum standards. Most manufacturers and suppliers of emergency call systems provide quality and reliable products. There are exceptions, however, and this new 2560 standard will allow communities to purchase compliant products with confidence.
Filed under Before You Buy, Emergency Call - Life Safety, Technology Tagged with Assisted Living, Certification, compliance, emergency call system, Nurse Call, wireless emergency call system
One Response to A National Standard for Emergency Call Systems (It’s on the way!)
Pingback: Technology Makes Top Ten Senior Living Trends for 2011 « Tel-Tron Technologies Corporation
Stay Smart! Enter your email here.
Tel-Tron
More Stuff You Should Know
Home Health Technology: New Chapter of Growth for Tel-Tron
Resolutions For Your Senior Living Community
A Home for the Holidays: 5 Ways to Honor the Holidays in an Assisted Living Residence
The Value of Independence in Senior Living
Dignity Can’t Exist Without Independence
E-Call Systems are Boring
We’ve got you covered – an equipment replacement plan that works
Troubleshooting 101: Solving Tel-Tron Problems Pragmatically
We’re Willing to Go the Distance to Grow With Our Partners
Meet Quality Assurance Engineer Ed Otero
Tel-Tron Project Management: A Behind the Scenes Look at a Team Devoted to Your System, Satisfaction and Success
ALFA 2012: Sharing Inspiring Stories of Dignity and Respect in Aging
The Latest From ALFA
Just for Google…..
ALFA Assisted Living Auditrak battery replacement bed checks business Certification cloud computing Cloud Reporting compliance computer Consultant customer service Dignity ECall Emergency Call emergency call system employee engineering incontinence Independence Independent living Installation life safety Linkedin made in america made in the usa Mesh Mitigation motivation Network Nurse Call nurse call system Nursing home operators partnership PC pendant product project management purpose quality real time data referrals Regulatory Compliance Reporting resident Resident Safety Risk Management rounds safety sales Senior Health Senior Living senior living operators seniors sms Software as a service solution Staff Notification Subcontractor technical support Technology Tel-Tron teltron testing training troubleshooting Turnkey validation warranty Wireless wireless emergency call system wireless nurse call system Zigbee
The Thought Leaders
Buddy Krug, VP Engineering
Kaleb Scharmahorn
Kevin Manley
Malcolm Graham
Melinda Dawson, Controller
Cheyenne Gillingham, Technical Support Manger
Rick Dawson, CTO
rlingold
Samantha Staup - Project Coordinator
Damon Lamb, Technical Support Analyst
Todd Hudgins
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line968
|
__label__wiki
| 0.599891
| 0.599891
|
3-Year-Old Boy Receives Hundreds Of Sweet Birthday Cards In The Mail During Battle With Leukemia
By LittleThings
A little boy just had a magical third birthday despite battling leukemia.
Freddie, who has Down syndrome, was diagnosed with leukemia in January.
He has completed four rounds of chemotherapy since then, and he has a long road ahead of him. His treatment is expected to last at least two more years, Inside Edition reports.
But Freddie just turned 3 years old, and his mom, Joanne Taylor, wanted to make it special. So she requested birthday cards earlier in the month.
The little survivor received hundreds of birthday cards in the mail in time for the big day. He has been so inundated with mail that Joanne had to set up a special mailing address just for well-wishers:
Pack & Mail, Attn: Team Freddie,
1608 Camp Road,
Charleston, South Carolina, 29412.
“Freddie is loving all these presents and cards!!” Joanne wrote on his Facebook page, Team Freddie.
Photo: YouTube/Inside Edition
Freddie loves reading with his mom, including the paper, his lab work, and all of those birthday cards.
“So we open the cards and read them together,” she explained to WCSC-TV.
Even better, Freddie got to go home for a few days for his birthday before starting his fifth round of chemo. It was his first time sleeping in his own bed in weeks.
“It feels good to be home,” Joanne said.
Plus, Freddie got a fire truck escort to take him home.
Learn more in this video.
This story originally appeared at LittleThings.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line969
|
__label__cc
| 0.610691
| 0.389309
|
Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6PA
Hatch House
£1200 - £3000 for Venue Hire
Hatch House is a family home set in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside and is an idyllic and romantic location for weddings and civil ceremonies with three licensed areas in the house and grounds.
Grade I/II Listed Building
Country Life described Hatch House as the "quintessence of perfection." Set in an elevated position with uninterrupted views across the Vale of Wardour, Hatch House provides a private and unique location for a wedding. Hatch House, owned by Sir Henry and Lady Rumbold, is a privately owned family home and consists of the remains of a 17th century manor house, the former home of the Hyde family (Anne Hyde was the mother of Queens Anne & Mary). The house was partly burnt down in the 18th century and then bought in the 1840s by the Bennet family, from whom the Rumbolds are descended. The Bennets resurrected the house in 1908, employing the romantic Arts & Crafts architect, Detmar Blow, who had been commissioned to work on several grand houses locally. Armorial gates lead into a lofty lime avenue, which sweeps down to the house and garden and is the perfect entrance for the wedding couple and their guests to arrive at Hatch House. The house’s theatrical facade faces the exquisite 17th century walled Dutch Garden, formed by two tiers of lawn framed by herbaceous borders and incredible views across the countryside. The gardens are encased by gracefully aged stone walls and clipped hedges, which create a series of rooms. There are three licensed areas for weddings and civil ceremonies, in the dining room and hall within the house and in the Pavilion at the centre of the walled garden. Marquees can be erected on the lawns and are particularly popular within the Dutch Garden itself where there is plenty of room for seated receptions followed by dancing and creates a very intimate setting. Lady Rumbold refers to this garden as the "best room in the house." At Hatch House there is the choice to use the venue for the whole ceremony and reception or just reception if a church service is preferred. Whichever you choose your guests will enjoy the celebrations at Hatch House. We look forward to meeting you.
Personal Message from the Manager
Name of Wedding Contact: Holly
We enjoy having a friendly relationship with couples getting married at Hatch. We are always there to help them with support and advice, before and during their wedding. We like to make the bride and her family feel welcome and at home.
West Hatch, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6PA, England
The A303 takes you through a beautiful landscape, past historic Stonehenge.
A303 Warminster
Press & Awards (1)
Country Life, BBC Homes & Antiques, Salisbury Life and as a film set
Preferred Supplier List
Describe the best wedding that happened at your venue?
A gloriously sunny summer's day and one of the most beautiful weddings, it was a tremendously happy occasion, lovely family and guests who partied until late. It was romantic and memorable and we loved the fact that the bride's sister, a wedding cake maker, baked this fabulous chocolate cake and another friend did the flowers. Meticulous planning, wonderful decoration in the marquee, it was how you imagine an English wedding to be.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Don't invite too many guests: 125 is max.
What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?
The bride arriving in full regalia from the church in a landrover, driven by her new husband!
Describe your venue in 5 adjectives.
Romantic, private, peaceful, unique, idyllic
Where’s the best photo spot at your venue?
In the 17th Century Dutch Walled Garden but one is spoilt for choice.
Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at your venue?
Not that we can mention.
What’s your favourite canapé?
Smoked salmon on buttered thinly sliced artisan rye bread, with black pepper, lemon juice and a dollop of sour cream.
What’s your favourite midnight treat?
Caviar or scrambled eggs - don't make me decide.
What is your venue's most unique feature?
The theatrical architecture in its rural setting with stunning views over the historic Vale of Wardour.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
The setting and the personal attention we give and then the wonderful thank yous from our couples after their wedding.
#scenicviews
#historic
#intimate
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line975
|
__label__cc
| 0.617472
| 0.382528
|
Best Diamond Cuts for Earrings
Earrings are ancient forms of jewelry. Men and women of different cultures throughout history have worn it. The earliest form of stud earrings were used in ancient Egypt. The modern diamond stud earrings only appeared during the 19th century, and it has stayed all throughout until today. Diamond stud earrings are one of the most popular forms of jewelry because they give off a classic, clean and refined look favored by many men and women.
When buying diamond earrings the two most important characteristics you must pay attention to is the cut’s quality grade and the cut’s shape.
Cut quality is important for a reason – a high grade quality means a more proportional cut. The better the proportions of a diamond, the greater ability it has to retain and reflect light, which results to higher brilliance. Generally, the larger and more visible your diamond stone is, the more important it becomes for the cut to be of high quality. Most retailers use “Excellent,” “Very Good,” “Fair,” and “Poor” as terms to describe cut quality. Of course, the better the cut quality, the higher the price.
Diamond stones in earrings are relatively small, so you shouldn’t obsess about having the highest cut quality. They are not as noticeable as diamond rings, so it’s not worth buying a very high-quality cut for diamond earrings (unless you’re rich and you want it as part of your collection).
When buying diamond earrings, just make sure that you pick one with a good enough brilliance to not look dark and drab.
Cut shape
Diamond cuts can also be classified according to shape. You can find a variety of diamond stud earrings in different shapes. Each shape has its own unique charm and appeal. Here are the popular diamond cut shapes for earrings:
1. Round cut
Round cut is the most popular diamond cut, whether for a ring or for an earring. Round cut has the maximum brilliance among diamond shapes, with all else being equal. It has the most sparkle for a colorless diamond, making it the most popular choice for diamond studs. Round cut diamonds can complement thinner faces better.
2. Oval cut
The oval cut is a bit similar to the round cut, but longer. It also offers much brilliance like the round cut. Oval cut gives an impression of length, so it’s great for thinner faces.
3. Marquise cut
The marquise cut looks like a football. It’s like oval, but with two pointy ends that enhances the impression of length even more. The sharp points are usually well-protected by the earring setting to prevent chipping and protect the wearer from getting hurt.
4. Heart shaped cut
As the name suggests, this cut is shaped like a heart. It’s a shape preferred by buyers because of the fun and pretty shape itself, not because of how it complements the face.
5. Pear shaped cut
The pear shaped cut looks like a teardrop – with an oval end and a pointy end. It’s a mashup of the oval cut and the marquise cut. The diamond looks bigger on this earring cut.
6. Princess cut
The princess cut, like the round shape, was designed to show as much brilliance as possible. This cut is sometimes called “modified brilliant.” This is for people who wants a diamond with a lot of sparkle but doesn’t want round or oval shapes. This cut is suitable for broad faces.
7. Cushion cut
The cushion cut has a rectangular shape, but its corners are rounded instead of sharp. Though this cut is considered rectangular, the rounded edges make it look like a rounded square. This may suit thinner faces than broader faces.
8. Emerald cut
If you prefer a rectangular-shaped stone for your diamond earrings, the emerald cut is a good choice. Keep in mind that the emerald cut is not designed to maximize sparkle so expect it to be less brilliant than round or a princess cut stone.
9. Asscher cut
The Asscher cut is a square-shaped stone that looks like emerald cut, but this one has four equal sides. It’s preferable for people who likes the look of emerald cut but doesn’t want a rectangular stone.
10. Radiant cut
The radiant cut is rectangular, just like the emerald cut. What differs it from the emerald cut is that it has more cuts to enhance brilliance. Radiant cut is a sparklier version of an emerald cut stone.
11. Trilliant cut
Also known as trillion cut, the trilliant cut is the most commonly sold triangular diamond cut. It has all three sides that are equal in length, but they can also vary. This cut can come with either pointed or rounded ends. If you’re choosing trillion cut diamond earrings with sharp ends, make sure it’s well-protected by the setting.
Tips for choosing a diamond cut for earrings
When choosing a diamond shape, consider the shape of your face. Typically, the rounded and oval shapes are more suitable for thinner faces, while rectangular and long shapes like marquise and the pear-shape works best for complementing a broader face.
The cut quality is the most important aspect of the diamond because it translates to how much sparkle and brilliance the diamond will display. It’s best to choose something that will sparkle even with longer viewing distances. The round shape, princess cut and cushion cut works best when considering brilliance.
But since stud earrings are not as noticeable as other jewelry like necklace and bracelets, it makes sense if you will prioritize carat weight (or diamond size) when shopping for a pair of stud earrings. The carat size should be as big as your budget allows.
If you are concerned with budget but you want the best looking diamond possible, the color of the diamond must be kept in the G-I range. The most colorless and rarest diamonds belong to grade D and the diamonds with the most yellowish or brownish hue is grade Z. The clarity must be kept in the VS2-SI2 ranges, or very slightly included to slightly included. This is just a practical tip, but your personal preferences will matter most. If you have the money and you are in the market to buy a color D diamond with an IF clarity rating, then who’s to say you are wrong? The most important consideration when it comes to diamond earrings is still the cut quality.
Claddagh rings are traditional Irish rings that represent love, loyalty, …
Introduction to Claddagh Rings
Engagement rings and wedding rings are the most popular types …
Are Promise Rings Still Given?
Non-Diamond Engagement Rings She’ll Love
Signs You May Need Hypoallergenic Jewelry
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line976
|
__label__cc
| 0.703853
| 0.296147
|
Re-Encoding Your DVDs
Like Donald Knuth, I think much of the current multicore hype is overrated.
The machine I use today has dual processors. I get to use them both only when I'm running two independent jobs at the same time; that's nice, but it happens only a few minutes every week. If I had four processors, or eight, or more, I still wouldn't be any better off, considering the kind of work I do -- even though I'm using my computer almost every day during most of the day. So why should I be so happy about the future that hardware vendors promise? They think a magic bullet will come along to make multicores speed up my kind of work; I think it's a pipe dream. (No -- that's the wrong metaphor! "Pipelines" actually work for me, but threads don't. Maybe the word I want is "bubble.")
Despite that, I've acknowledged all along there are certain narrow tasks that the proliferation of CPU cores will make dramatically faster. And one of my very favorite tasks in that niche is encoding your DVD collection.
I bought my first DVD about 10 years ago. At the time, they were a technical marvel:
8.5 Gigabytes per side
720 x 480 MPEG-2 video at 30 frames per second
Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Digital Theater System (DTS) digital multichannel sound
Today, those specs are rapidly becoming pedestrian in the face of high definition cable, broadcast, and Blu-Ray discs. A few of the video sharing websites offer something perilously close to DVD quality already.
I say the DVD is the new MP3. We're going to start tossing these things around like candy.
Unlike audio CDs, DVDs are already compressed digital data. You could extract the files from the DVD as-is, and play them back to your heart's content. No re-encoding required. But like The Six Million Dollar Man, we can rebuild them better than they were before. Video codecs have advanced tremendously since the heady days of MPEG-2. These new codecs take a lot more playback horsepower than MPEG-2, but offer comparable quality in about one-fourth the size. We can turn our digital DVDs into better digital DVDs through superior computer science.
But if you thought the playback performance demands of these new codecs were severe, wait until you see the encoding performance demands. It's only in the last year or two that typical CPUs could encode new-fangled MPEG-4 or VC1 at anything even approaching real time. But now, with extremely fast dual cores trickling all the way down to the mainstream, and quad-core CPUs carving out a decent share for themselves-- the average user could potentially rip and encode a typical DVD in less than 30 minutes. Per a recent H.264 benchmark dataset analysis, you can statistically expect to halve your encode time when going from 2 to 4 cores.. and almost do it again when you go from 4 to 8!
It helps, too, that there's great free software like Handbrake which makes it easy to harness that embarassment of desktop CPU power to encode your DVDs.
Yes, there are an intimidating number of knobs and dials to potentially tweak here, but what I like about handbrake is that I largely don't have to. There are some logical presets on the right (clipped out of the screenshot for size, unfortunately) which will get you headed in the right direction: AppleTV, iPod, Film, Xbox 360, and so forth. I do set a handful of variables, like the overall bitrate -- I prefer something between 900 and 1200 -- and whether I need to deinterlace the source. But I mostly let Handbrake use its "auto" defaults, and get excellent results. If you're curious about the details, there's a well-written description of many of the Handbrake settings.
I had the most luck with the H.264 codec, which is aggressively multithreaded. I achieved 30-40 fps on my modest new power efficient dual-core HTPC processor, and upwards of 100 fps on my overclocked 4 GHz dual-core. Fortunately, Handbrake supports a batch encode mode, so you can queue up a bunch of jobs to run overnight.
I was particularly excited to find that I can pass the digital audio directly through using the "AC3" setting for the audio encoder. That means, when playing these files back on a home theater PC, the digital audio arrives at your receiver in exactly the same way it would from a DVD, with a few minor adjustments in ffdshow. There is no audio degradation or conversion whatsoever! As something of an audiophile, I suffered mightily through many a re-encoded DVD that was downmixed to plain vanilla stereo over the years, so this is a huge step forward in my book.
So, in summary -- nearly the same digital video quality, exactly the same digital audio quality, all wrapped up in a single file less than a quarter of the original size of the DVD. Seriously, I get chills. It's geek nirvana. What's not to love about encoding your DVD collection? It's also a perfect use of those four CPU cores, which would otherwise lay idle 99% of the time.
Take, for example, one of my favorite movies, Idiocracy. I used Handbrake to convert this DVD from a set of files totalling 4.15 GB to a single 995 MB file, at almost no quality loss. See for yourself.
Still image captured from original DVD:
Still image captured from H.264 encoded video of DVD:
The above still was used in an earlier post, A World of Endless Advertising. I love being able to grab a movie file over the network and quickly get the exact still I need for a blog post. Yes, there is a tiny loss of fidelity -- particularly in the chair shadows on the bottom left, and the grain of the wall texture at the upper left. But I'm willing to live with that compromise if it means I don't have to pull ginormous 8 GB ISO images files over the network.
Why re-encode DVDs you already own? For convenience, mostly -- so you can watch them on your mobile devices, on your PCs, laptops, and anything else that vaguely resembles a computer in your home. Might as well put all those CPU horses to proper use. A re-encoded DVD is so much more flexible than those physical hunks of round, reflective plastic.
The Mainstreaming of GPS
The Great Dub-Dub-Dub Debate
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line994
|
__label__cc
| 0.705694
| 0.294306
|
Winter has its Perks
December 20, 2008 Molly Leave a comment
Of Ice and Eyes of Mary
December 20, 2008 Molly
Ice covered our region about a week ago and our community is still recovering. We lost power over the weekend, while half our town lost power for a week. At the farm, the electricity was gone only long enough to give us a deep appreciation for hot water and offer us some peaceful time cooking food on our wood stove and playing lots of Scrabble. The power outage was a lot less fun for most of the people in our town. Everyone down by the Connecticut River had to drain their pipes, move the contents of their freezers out into the snow, haul water from the river to feed their livestock, and take refuge in hotels or homes with power.
For all its challenges, it was a crisis in which people took care of each other and the power companies worked twenty four seven to get things going again. Everyone pitched in with kindness. It made me wonder whether this same generosity will rule the day with the other crises we face as a country right now.
This week the husband of one of the Green Hope staffers was let go from his work with no advanced notice. He came in to his job and was told to pack up his work station and go.
My own husband, Jim, was told that after fifteen years teaching sixth grade social studies and English, he would be teaching seventh and eighth grade math and science next year as a way to lower the school budget. I could walk you though the reasons given for this decision, but think I will dwell on other aspects of this situation.
Jim is very passionate about how important it is for sixth graders to have a world separate from seventh and eighth graders. It gives these twelve year olds one more year to be kids, before being blasted by all the peer pressures of an American teen. This new plan will see his sixth grade program swept into a sixth through eighth grade pod with him no longer teaching any sixth graders.
He worked for fifteen years to create a sixth grade program that includes such highlights as a curriculum based wilderness program in the White Mountains, a social studies curriculum dovetailing with books read for English, and class scheduling with long class periods to take his students deep into the creative projects he has developed over the years. Today for example, he has his kids involved in a very elaborate treasure hunt based on the constitution. With his fellow sixth grader teacher, he has created a sixth grade year where kids ask to have “working lunches†so they can keep on discussing Lois Lowry’s “The Giverâ€.
In the new configuration the sixth graders lose the White mountain trip, all read alouds, long class periods, recess, and Jim.
This is a personal loss for Jim as well. He is passionate about sixth grade and social studies. Fifteen years ago, after a stint in the much more lucrative field of hospital administration, Jim chose to return to classroom teaching, specifically the sixth grade classroom.
As he looks down the barrel of a whole new life, he knows that not only does he have to come up with four new curriculums for next year in subjects he has never taught, but he will have only three years to pass the science “Leave No Child Behind†praxis test in order to keep teaching the new curriculum he has been given. The praxis science test for a seventh and eighth grade science teacher is a test for 7th-12th grade certification and requires an expertise in all the materials taught in high school chemistry, physics, and biology.
Jim has never taught any of these subjects and has not studied them in thirty years. While several years ago he boned up on his calculus to get 7-12 certification in math, he does not feel any grade school teacher he knows could pass the “Leave No Child Behind†science test and does not expect to pass it himself. This means he can plan on teaching new subjects for three years, before needing to find a new job. And this is a man who has been in the classroom for twenty three years!
Besides needing to let off steam here, my point is broader than our specific troubles. In the days to come, it looks like this sort of sea change is going to sweep over a lot of lives. There are going to be opportunities for all of us to act and react from our most generous centered selves instead of our most fear driven ones.
In light of the economy and the way education in New Hampshire is almost entirely funded on property taxes, Jim and his fellow teachers expected reductions in staffing and other changes to come to their school. But they had hoped that they would be given the chance to brainstorm with each other and with administrators and school board members before changes were made. This did not happen. There was no communication or dialog before the changes were mandated.
Retroactively, they have asked to be given a chance to come up with some different staffing configurations that fit the budgetary constraints, but better protect the programs. I hope that this will be allowed to happen.
All this has me sipping a big glass of water with Eyes of Mary Flower Essence in it. I can get pretty fired up about who did what to whom, but I realize that my only option is to calm down, focus on how I can listen to Jim without pushing my own solution on him, and think how I can practice what I preach in my own life as CEO of Green Hope Farm.
Interestingly enough, it was Eyes of Mary that was the Flower that we chose to represent the Green Hope Farm Collection of Flower Essences. Eyes of Mary Flower Essence is all about seeing everything in overview, loving with detachment, and supporting people amidst their trials and tribulations without trying to “fix†things. I am leaning on Eyes of Mary right now to help me understand that the situation Jim is in serves his journey, even if, right now, the situation just makes me mad.
It’s a two pronged thing. I want to try not to act from any fear driven place in me that keeps a negative chain reaction going. I want to try and live from the same sort of generous place that prevailed in people in our town this week as neighbor helped neighbor when the lights went out.
I also want to try to remember how much I have learned from situations that are just like this situation Jim faces. I need to remember that this circumstance is giving him an opportunity to learn something his soul wants to learn more than his soul cares about job security. To take his teaching life into his own hands and stand up for himself and all he believes in is an opportunity for him to see his own courage in action. I don’t have to fix anything, just bear witness with love.
I had a funny dream last night. I was at a library sitting with a young mother and baby. The baby was just a few weeks old but tremendously strong with sparkling blue eyes and a presence that filled the room. She was the new wisdom in a room of old wisdom. In the dream, we knew that something way out to sea had been taken and for some reason we decided to send the baby out to sea to reclaim what had been taken. We set the baby up with a big motorboat. Quite a lot of attention was paid to getting her the right outboard engine for the boat, and then we sent her off, confident that she was the one for the job.
I feel this way about this time. We can’t go forward with the tired old wisdom and tools of patriarchy and expect anything to be different. What’s broken can’t be fixed by the culture that broke it. But the dream left me feeling encouraged. The new paradigm of the sacred feminine has been born. She may be young but she’s feisty, talented, and ready to roll. We’ve got the equipment to support her expedition. And she has already head off to sea to reclaim what was once lost. That’s all very good news.
Projects on many Fronts
Yesterday morning, as a gale force wind blew snow in all directions, I found myself out on top of a pile of a hundred bales of hay trying to rope down a couple of tarps to keep the hay dry. It was a good moment for me, because it represented the first time I had gone at some crazy farm job without hovering family members afraid I might flip over another wheelbarrow. For some reason, this made me think you all might think that I was quiet on the blog because of lingering arm issues.
The actual reason for fewer blogs is that I have had my nose buried in the Green Hope Farm Flower Essence Guide rewrite all fall, and when I lift my head from this, it is because I am working with Jessica, our new staff goddess, on designing new labels for all our Flower Essence collections.
The Guide rewrite is drawing to a close. I expect to get the document to the printer in early January. Information about all the collections is going in under the one roof of this book. The St. John Flower Essences, ALL the Irish Flower Essences, the new Camino Flower Essences and ALL the Desert Flower Essences will be included, as well as all the other collections that have long resided within its pages.
Opening a box from us won’t be quite the flurry of loose papers it has been in the last few years and hopefully the more compact literature in the book will mean less trees going into our materials.
Lots of the graphics in the Guide book will reflect Jessica’s work on our logos. We will mark each page of the Flower Essence description section of the Guide with the appropriate logo. We hope this will help everyone know where they are in the document. In general, I think it is going to be an easier guide to navigate ( yes, I know that is not hard to imagine). Jess has even talked me into things like putting the different collections in alphabetical order! As she simultaneously works with Ben to rebuild the web site, and bring order to my right brain guidebook, its hard not to miss how much better organized and easier to understand EVERYTHING is going to be thanks to Jessica.
Right now, I am going through the guidebook to proofread my revisions. It’s always a great moment when I feel that a rewritten definition of an Essence expresses the Flower Essence’s strength and glory better than my last attempt- and there are lots of revisions that I feel are wonderful improvements, mostly because I have found some ways to cut to the chase.
Sometimes as I revise, the Angels and Elementals bring me to tears with insights new to me. Yesterday for example, I was proofreading the Irish definitions and mentioned to the Irish Elementals that it was hard to miss their loving focus on the disenfranchised. They answered my musings with words that I quickly copied down to put in the Guide,
“ We do focus on helping the dismissed, disempowered, invisible, and downtrodden. Finding ourselves similarly ignored has been our lot in the post industrial world. Consequently, we bring particular empathy and support to those of you who find yourselves in similar straits. Our Flower Essence gifts reflect our reaching across the silence that has too long divided us from each other, to find again our kinship and communion in a natural world held in high esteem. Once human and elemental alike were a cherished part of all that. Once this was the greatness of this land. May such times live again.â€
I also thought you might like another sneak peak at some of the new labels.
You have seen the Desert collection label before on the blog. It is a Claret Cup Cactus, a wonderful desert mandala in its own right. I love how the whole label echoes the colors of the deserts of the southwest. The center of the Flower is green and this seemed so wonderfully symbolic of the Desert Essences that bring everything back towards healing.
To the right is our Irish label. We tried many Irish Flowers before arriving at this label. Our attempts with Sea Campion were particularly earnest, but never led to anything that worked. When we tried Wild Fuschia, we loved the way it gave us an opportunity to bring in green, but not in a heavy handed way. We also love Wild Fuschia’s obvious joyfulness, as this is the way we feel about this collection.
Next comes the Camino label. This one took a lot of time and went through many revisions. We wanted to indicate the metaphor of the trail as the spiritual journey we ALL walk whether we get to the Camino in Spain or not. We found that when we designed a label that had the trail moving straight from foreground to horizon as it did during so much of Lizzy’s walk, there was a bleak quality to the image. Playing with the path dipping in and out of sight suggested the adventure of life much better. We also added the moon, stars, and the tower of a building in the background to deepen the image. The building in particular is meant to suggest how much of a role human community plays in our spiritual journeys and how this, along with the eternal verities, is a focus of these Essences.
Next to the Camino label is our label for the St. John collection. This was a hard label to do. We found that a lot of the Flowers we tried looked cliche. A bodacious babe sipping a pina colada while on spring break in Fort Lauderdale wasn’t quite the image we wanted to suggest. Eventually we settled on Madagascar Periwinkle for the Flower. We loved the way the colors of the whole label felt like tropical St. John and we felt that the power of this Flower Essence was a good representative for this great collection.
We decided to play around with our Animal Wellness Collection label while keeping it pretty close to the original. We tried various colors schemes, but chose this one as the freshest. Jessica had hope to make the dog look like her black lab, Brody, but when we made the dog black, it was impossible to see the face on the dog. Brody will just have to star in some other publication of ours!
The last label I have to share today ( there are actually four more, but I don’t have the right files to load them here) is the label for the Venus Garden Collection. This is a label of such incredible nuance thanks to Jess’s meticulous work on all the petals. The Flower is our much loved Mehera White Marigold. We think the label is elegant enough for this elegant powerhouse of a collection and of course, there is no Flower equal to Mehera!
Right now we wait for press proofs on these labels. We expect to have them aboard and in use at the beginning of January. We sent label queen Lynn home yesterday with the admonition to REST YOUR HANDS! She is going to be very busy come the new year!
Jess has built all these files in a format that means we can enlarge these labels to enormous banner size without pixilation- yet another phrase I never thought I would write- Anyways, we have had so many years of problems with labels, it is positively thrilling to have ones that I am confident will not give the printer nightmares!
Can’t wait to share all these and more with you dear people!
Everyone’s Life Needs a Sound Track
December 3, 2008 Molly Leave a comment
Long, long ago, my alter ego Rhino played a vital part in this blog. We saw him on safari in Africa. We saw him in Munich wrapped in a futbol scarf. We saw him frolicking in the turquoise seas of the Caribbean. But with Rhino, it wasn’t just about the jet setting. We also saw him fish the local goldfish watering holes and sun on the back porch like a normal rhino. Sometimes, we even got a candid as he relaxed between takes of his hit TV show, “It’s All About the Dishes”
But how many times can a sit com writer come up with a fresh script about a Rhino that does dishes? After just six episodes, Rhino’s TV show was cancelled by the Dish network and Rhino found himself back on the shelf, understandably a bit sulky that his fifteen minutes of fame was apparently up.
Recently though, his people came by with some new concepts. His press rep told me Rhino’s show had been picked up for another season. It had been retooled with a new, sexier name, “In the Suds.” A reborn Rhino was ready to re-negotiate a deal with me to be featured in the blog again.
Everything was set for Rhino’s return to blog fame when a major problem arose. With adult children and their friends filling the household over the long Thanksgiving break, Rhino watched a bit too much reality TV. I think it was maybe during a new episode of “The Hills” when Rhino set forth his deal breaker. He wants a soundtrack for his work on the blog. It wasn’t enough that his TV show had its own score. He wanted the music of undiscovered hip young bands for the blog soundtrack as well, and wouldn’t hear me out about how I hadn’t a clue how to discover hip new undiscovered bands.
We seemed, once more, at a stalemate.
But then, Thanksgiving dinner happened. Is there any meal more about dishes than Thanksgiving dinner? It was a perfect storm of greasy turkey pans, mash potato crusted bowls and epic stacks of dinner plates, desert plates, glasses, silverware, pots and pans. Rhino found his best self in that moment. He rolled up his sleeves and started washing, without a camera crew and without a sound track.
He did have some standards. Photo ops with him began only after the dishes were clean.
Here Rhino watches from out of sight as the turkey is transfered from one dish to another and then another. We felt it was important to keep the flame burning on the Thanksgiving theme of endless dishes as well as keep the stakes high for Rhino’s success at the post meal sink.
Ben out and out taunts Rhino with the challenge of the turkey roasting pan.
Several hundred dishes later, Rhino shows why his career as a soap and water star lives on.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line998
|
__label__cc
| 0.733284
| 0.266716
|
An Introduction to Identity with LastPass
By Matthew Dubie January 2, 2020 Product Updates No Comments
The more connected your business becomes, the more you may be struggling to manage user access in a simple way. From the networks employees connect through to the apps they download and the websites they visit, managing user access is more complex than ever – and the stakes are higher.
That’s why central management of user identities is critical to an efficient, secure business – it’s foundational to the work employees do every day. But what exactly is a user identity, and what’s the best way to go about managing user access company-wide?
What is identity?
An identity is you. It’s an employee and the attributes of that employee in the workplace. A user identity is what connects an employee to the resources needed to get their work done.
In the workplace, that also means establishing someone’s status with the company – as an employee, contractor, etc – and what resources they should have access to, based on their role.
Essentially, an identity is used to connect someone to the right resources from the right devices at the right time, so they can work securely and efficiently.
Why identity matters
Central, secure management of user identities is instrumental to your business. Without knowing who needs access to what, or even what they already have access to, plus a lack of automation in provisioning and facilitating that user access, your business will suffer from inefficiencies that slow people down and insecurities that expose the company to a data breach. Both can impact your bottom line.
When identities and user access aren’t managed holistically, employees may be given too much access and too many privileges, exposing you to insider threats and allowing outside attacks to escalate quickly. IT lacks a single source of truth to manage identity with integrated visibility across all their users. When you can’t tie actions to individuals, you’re left without accountability – and no insight into Shadow IT across the organization. Passwords continue to plague employees and put the business at risk – especially when privileged accounts are mismanaged.
In summary, poorly managed identities can drain a business’s resources and expose the company to a data breach, while centrally controlling user access with an identity solution can improve the employee experience, boost productivity, and better safeguard the business from cyberthreats.
Finding the right identity solution
The complexity of identity challenges demands a comprehensive solution that is straightforward for IT to implement, and simple for employees to adopt and use.
The best identity solution gives IT more visibility into what users are accessing and how they’re behaving, as well as more control to ensure access is appropriate and secure. By integrating with the infrastructure a business already has in place, an identity solution should simplify day-to-day management and user provisioning.
To remove password-related obstacles, a solution that combines Single Sign-On (SSO) and Enterprise Password Management (EPM) gives users a frictionless way to access the tools they need to do their work. SSO connects employees to applications with one set of login credentials, while EPM captures, stores, and fills passwords for all form-based web logins and facilitates secure password sharing. When combined, they provide employees a passwordless work experience.
The addition of Multifactor Authentication (MFA) adds extra security by verifying a user before granting access to an account or authorizing an action. MFA eliminates the inherent weaknesses of passwords, without slowing down employees.
By unifying access and authentication together into one holistic identity solution, you’ll gain a complete view of every access point and user action. You’ll reduce the time IT spends on password resets, account lockouts, and day-to-day user management, while minimizing or eliminating the overhead of outdated, resource-intensive technologies. The savings in time, money, and resources add up – all while strengthening security organization-wide and streamlining the employee workflow.
Ready to take the next step? Learn more about how LastPass Identity can help solve your organization’s most pressing identity challenges.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1000
|
__label__cc
| 0.670922
| 0.329078
|
The death of deference and beyond
CGE Vol.13 No.3 March 2007
Consider the following recent history:
Ontario Premier-designate Dalton McGuinty, being shown the cabinet room for the first time, has to request that Powerpoint facilities be provided. Ten months later, Premier McGuinty has to request that ministers and central agency staff turn off their BlackBerries in cabinet meetings.
Justice Gomery restricts the dissemination of testimony at some hearings of his Commission of Inquiry. He is circumvented, with impunity, by a Minnesota-based website.
MP Garth Turner is expelled from the Conservative caucus for using his blog to post confidential information and criticize the party.
Bloggers criticize Liberal MP Sarmite Bulte for aligning herself too closely with the entertainment industry position on copyright. She subsequently loses her safe Toronto seat in the 2006 election.
Information technology facilitates immediacy (Dalton McGuinty’s problem), transparency (Justice Gomery’s problem), free agency (Garth Turner’s gain, Stephen Harper’s problem), and mobilization (Sarmite Bulte’s problem). All are part of a transformation of government and politics that is leading to many such surprises and anomalies.
Put more broadly, not only is information technology responsible for the deaths of time and distance, but also of deference. It’s a demise that challenges fundamental operating assumptions in both politics and government.
The new book Digital State at the Leading Edge, charts, and explains, how IT is changing government and politics. Because transformation never happens overnight, the book is based on longitudinal research from 2000 to 2005 on the impact of IT on, and the management of IT in, the federal and Ontario governments – two jurisdictions widely considered to be at the leading edge. It also includes comparative chapters on the US and UK governments.
The transformation we track is not in the essence of politics (seeking office and exercising power) or government (implementing policy and delivering service), but rather in how these activities are understood and performed.
What are the drivers?
Our book identifies the following four drivers of change:
Channel Choice: The electronic channel has emerged as an alternative to traditional channels for service delivery and political participation. We, as users of services, or as citizens participating in the political process and in policy development, choose among the channels available. Our choices are affected by channel availability and characteristics, which government determines on the basis of both economic considerations (comparative channel cost) and political calculations (visibility to constituents).
IT-enabled integration: IT can break down traditional political and bureaucratic departmentalism by integrating frontline service (for example, on government-wide portals or call centres), support services (for example, government-wide administrative applications), and policy development.
Procurement markets: The application of IT requires procurement of hardware, software, systems and expertise. The characteristics of procurement markets influence government decisions about internal production versus outsourcing; government’s effectiveness as project manager determines whether or not IT systems will deliver promised efficiencies and service improvements.
Digital Leadership: Transformation, especially for governments at the leading edge, is not inevitable, but rather the result of public servants and politicians who “get it” convincing their colleagues to put the technology in place. That is why Digital State at the Leading Edge incorporates a set of profiles of digital leaders in politics, the senior public service, and at the frontlines.
So what’s changed?
The answer is a lot, especially if we look back to our study’s starting point of 2000. The public service has become a fully electronic workplace in terms of the availability and use of IT, and now the political world has caught up: we surveyed federal MPs and Ontario MLAs and over 90% now use their email daily. While few Canadians use party websites as their main source of political information during election campaigns, these websites have become the main medium of communication between the parties and the media. The internet has also become a key forum for political debate, partially through blogging, and partially as the best place for finding, posting, and disseminating information damaging to one’s opponents. Five years ago, government departments were hesitant to get involved in online consultation; they have now overcome their reluctance, have made the electronic channel available for virtually every consultation, and have created online consultation portals.
On the service side, the online channel has now become the overwhelmingly predominant channel for making government information available, and an increasing proportion of users of transactional services are choosing the online channel when it is provided. Finally, the number of integrated service delivery initiatives is growing steadily, and the shape of government is starting to reflect the new emphasis on IT-enabled integration. Ontario’s Ministry of Government Services, which combines integrated frontline service (ServiceOntario), integrated support service (Ontario Shared Services), the IT organization, and the human resources organization is the most ambitious venture in this area, and the harbinger of things to come.
But is it a transformation?
In our view, these changes do represent a transformation, though not the kind heralded by management consultants and the IT industry, namely a vast reduction in the cost of government. Overhead, the cost of running the government, accounts for only 20% of public spending, and the increased use of IT affects only a portion of that 20%. While the per unit cost of online service is substantially lower than the per unit cost of traditional channels, putting services online requires investments in major projects, which often experience substantial cost overruns (for example, the federal government’s Firearms Registry and Secure Channel). The transformation is due to other key factors:
increased transparency – as governments put more information online, citizens demand more information be put online, and then citizens begin searching and manipulating the information to inform their participation in the political and policy-making processes;
the heightened immediacy of political and bureaucratic life, now BlackBerry driven, and the greater accessibility of politicians and public servants to a public that now expects them to respond quickly;
the restructuring of the public sector workforce through substitution of IT capital for relatively untrained (for example, clerical and secretarial) labour and the growing importance of IT workers in particular and knowledge workers in general; and
the advent of organizational restructuring as a result of the establishment of integrated service delivery and support organizations.
So what can you do about it?
Digital State at the Leading Edge concludes with practical advice to a variety of public sector players concerned with the application of IT to their w
Best Practice Do government organizations need a CDO? July 6, 2016
Change Management On the cusp of a dramatic, generational change December 11, 2017
Change Management First Nations reconciliation: Building trust and understanding May 7, 2012
Accountability Nearly half of enterprise firms lag in digital transformation May 29, 2017
Change Management Generational differences? May 7, 2012
Susan Anzolin
AI for business decision-making and change management
In the show today, J. Richard Jones talks with Dean McKeown,...
Key government trends to be discussed at CGE Summit
Leadership, service delivery, change management, performance measurement, big data, transparency, digital...
Mastering change
The “Magic Loogie” scene is vintage Seinfeld. It is a pastiche...
Welcome to the fall edition of CGE. Since our last issue,...
It’s time to demystify the use of AI in government or risk losing it altogether
We risk missing out on the potential “Artificial Intelligence” has to...
Sustaining Progress
In the 5th century BC, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem....
From Policy Maker to Change Maker
From research to policy implementation, Canadian public servants possess the knowledge...
We all ask why governments fail, often spectacularly, to carry out...
Digital Reinvention addresses citizens expectation
Citizens are embracing technology as it rapidly changes. The experience that...
Smart City strategies
Federal efforts to increase the use of data to inform and...
Enterprise Automation is up for a spin
Emerging technologies are getting faster and smarter. Cognitive capabilities, robotics and...
TechGov Executive Leadership Forum announces Michael Wernick as Keynote Speaker
Canadian Government Executive is honoured to have Michael Wernick, Clerk of...
On the cusp of a dramatic, generational change
On a recent visit to Ottawa, I had the opportunity to...
TechGov Forum: How can your agency unlock value from its digital assets?
Does your organization have a very narrow view of what digital...
TechGov Forum: How network analysis can benefit government agencies
With businesses and government agencies increasingly operating in a highly information-based...
TechGov: Showcasing technological advancements
Canadian Government Executive media through its upcoming TechGov event is providing the...
The answer my friends is blowin’ in the wind … BOB...
Nearly half of enterprise firms lag in digital transformation
There’s no shortage of organizations claiming to have a digital transformation...
024 | Review of December’s hot stories, and Managing 5 Generations in the workforce!
Laskey Hart guest hosts CGE Radio this week with a summary...
Innovation, accountability and deliverology
Rules and accountability are helpful in developing and standardizing processes but...
Millennials not solution to boomers’ healthcare cost
It’s a common notion that young workers born in the mid-1990s...
Going forward: CFOs share their strategies for advancement
In order to find out which strategies and priorities CFOs are...
Finding focus in the chaos
As populations grow and age, the demand for services increases. As...
Adobe migrates 11 million pages to new government Web site
Computer software company Adobe, has migrated more than 11 million pages...
IoT projects face long delays: Gartner
Here’s some bad news for organizations contemplating projects that have something...
Top-secret military communication centre to be relocated for $400M datacentre project
The facility of a top-secret military communications group in Borden, Ontario...
Are big data users leaving behind Hadoop?
As the adoption rate of big data technologies among Canadian companies...
Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee Report on the Public Service Embraces the Value of Project Management
By Craig Killough In March of this year, the Prime Minister’s Advisory...
Be an inspiring leader, use EQ
Written by Roxanne Descôteaux When I first became a manager over...
The leader’s checklist
Every four years, on average, Canadians elect a government from among...
Is there a need for lean in the public sector?
It’s no secret that LEAN has demonstrated great success in the...
Is change management in the public sector really different?
There have been a great number of change initiatives in the...
A season to fear
If you ask any municipal Chief Administrative Office (CAO) across Canada...
Life, space and buildings: CSE’s organizational transformation
Change is difficult. The psychology of loss aversion means we are...
Lessons from the field: How changemakers get things done
After serving in the public service for 24 years, Norman shares...
Lessons of adopting an enterprise approach
The federal government, through Shared Services Canada, is focusing on integrating...
New ways needed to lead through change
The Centre for Creative Leadership has published a paper called Public...
Defence renewal: Seeking a better way of doing business
“Finding efficiencies” might be an overused cliché, but allied defence forces...
Are you overwhelmed by your to-do list? Does so much of...
Mergers and successful transitions
The idea of a merger of DFAIT and CIDA is not...
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: What management challenges do you face?
If your internal planning and reporting systems seem “archaic,” how do...
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: Seven skills for managing massive change
Strange as it may seem, a majority of us would opt...
Honouring change leadership
What characterizes successful change management? Six leaders and leadership teams will...
Assessing tomorrow’s strategic leaders
The British Columbia Public Service is vying for talent in an...
Managing change in the modern public service
In times of change, middle managers make the difference. Sandwiched between...
13 issues to watch
Once again, Policy Horizons Canada has prepared exclusively for CGE a...
Coaching your project to gold
Like an athletic coach, an independent project reviewer understands what it...
Wouters recognized for visionary leadership
In October, Wayne Wouters, Clerk of the Privy Council, received CAPAM’s...
Ten years of contributing to public sector excellence
As young public servants, members of the national Federal Youth Network...
Managing in a new frontier
Canada’s North is at the forefront of unprecedented change and the...
Alice through the Looking Glass …
Public sector reform can be like falling down a rabbit hole...
The Transformation Journey
Transforming Government for the Future...
Documenting Ontario’s transformational journey
CGE Vol.13 No.4 April 2007 “On any journey, it is important...
Solving Canada’s talent needs
CGE Vol.13 No.4 April 2007 How will Canada keep on top...
Melding with our machines
CGE Vol.13 No.2 February 2007 So you think you’ve got it...
CGE Vol.13 No.3 March 2007 Consider the following recent history: Ontario...
Learning outside the box
CGE Vol.13 No.6 June 2007 Learning and development are best achieved...
Peter Harder: Reflections
CGE Vol.13 No.5 May 2007 Peter Harder retired recently. He served...
Faire don de confiance
CGE Vol.13 No.5 May 2007 Karen Ellis est vice-présidente de la...
A New Paradigm
CGE Vol.13 No.3 March 2007 Many leaders view change as an...
Alberta embraces shared vision and values
CGE Vol.13 No.2 February 2007 The 2005 centennial celebration of the...
New relationship: Reconciling Aboriginal rights
CGE Vol. 14 No.5 May 2008 Crown relations with First Nations...
Multi-tasking toward mediocrity?
A strange paradox has emerged in the quest for Gov 2.0....
Mobility and government: How to MEET the challenge
While the focus in recent years has been on Web 2.0...
Team tools for cultural change
How can an organization work seven times faster when it knows...
La transformation : plus qu’une décision au sommet
À titre d’employée de la fonction publique de l’Ontario (FPO), j’ai...
Transformation: More than an executive decision
As an employee of the Ontario Public Service, I’ve been looking...
Beyond election 2011: A ten-point plan for public service renewal
The 2011 federal election has focused on policy and leadership. But...
La chasse aux travailleurs talentueux – ou comment devenir un employeur de choix
À l’instar de nombreux autres employeurs, la fonction publique de l’Ontario...
Talent wars: How to become an employer of choice
Like many employers, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has a sizeable...
Pushing the boundaries of terra incognita: Anticipate, explore, experiment
Unless you have been working in a silo, it is obvious...
Les gestionnaires en devenir de la génération Y
Le problème actuel n’est pas seulement le départ à la retraite...
Preparing the Gen Y managers
It’s not just that executives are about to retire – it’s...
Le conseiller intègre, une espèce en voie d’extinction?
Au cours des derniers mois, de nombreux fonctionnaires fédéraux ont dépoussiéré...
Recruiting the best and the brightest
CGE Vol.13 No.9 November 2007 Most observers will be acutely aware...
The Next Big Step: Creating and pursuing a clear vision of the future
CGE Vol.13 No.8 October 2007 The biggest challenge facing government executives...
Applied Wikinomics
CGE Vol.13 No.7 September 2007 Julius Caesar left us with one...
Don’t trust anyone over thirty, Jerry Rubin pronounced in 1967. Jerry,...
Principles, drivers and the little picture
Wondering why it sometimes seems so blankety-blank hard to get anything...
E-government to digital democracy
CGE Vol.13 No.9 November 2007 Not long ago, an energetic web...
Le changement en marche : Refaçonner la chaîne canadienne d’approvisionnement en TI
« Toutes choses étant, par une puissance immortelle, de près ou de...
First Nations reconciliation: Building trust and understanding
Half a millennium since first contact between Aboriginal peoples and European...
Zero to hero: Changing municipal culture
In terms of performance measurement, incentives for success and penalties for...
Révolution collaborative à RNCan
Changer la culture des employés un outil à la fois Le...
Finding a path from civil servant to entrepreneur
Quote of the week “We manage our books really well and...
Tides of Change
"All things by immortal power, Near and Far, Hiddenly To each...
Finding efficiencies in change management
Quote of the week...
The rise of e-government: Current trends and future prospects
The Internet is a key channel for public service delivery. Recent...
Total Place tackles government silos
Quote of the week “What was clear when you visited some...
The Change Champion
CGE Vol.13 No.10 December 2007 When new policy collides with entrenched...
Improve the hiring process
Quote of the week “(P)ublic service should be a career of...
Generational differences?
CGE Vol.13 No.9 November 2007 Youth…still wasted on the young. It’s...
Thoughts on change from IPAC 2011
Quote of the week “Government can’t simply step into the void...
Labour crunch: Better ways to make use of human capital
CGE Vol.13 No.8 October 2007 When Pat Collins left Ottawa in...
A new breed of public servant
Quote of the week “…civil servants may be intractable points of...
Do we need an evaluator general?
CGE Vol.13 No.7 September 2007 By: Guy D’Aloisio, Mchel Laurendeau, V....
21st century government: A more targeted approach
Quote of the week “…thinking government is necessarily the solution to...
Rethinking the government value proposition
Quote of the week “If there is gravy at city hall,...
Survey says: Executives to assess their organizations
Quote of the week “The IPAC DM/CAO survey…provides insight into your...
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1007
|
__label__wiki
| 0.670602
| 0.670602
|
Carson & Colorado Railway
Home of Southern Pacific narrow gauge locomotive #18
Restoration Photo Gallery
Operations of #18
#18 at the Durango and Silverton Railroad in 2019
#18 in video action
County Restoration Assessment 2009
Historic Railroad
Minerals and Mining
Independence History
#18 in Owenyo, 1954. “Birney” Miller photo, Jeff Taylor collection.
The “Slim Princess”, engine #18, is a Baldwin (# 37395) 4-6-0 built in1911 for the Nevada California Oregon Railroad (NCO).
Originally #12, she worked the NCO from 1911 until 1926 when, along with engines #8 and 9, was transferred to the “Mina Branch” of the Southern Pacific. Then numbered 18, she worked from Mina, NV to Keeler, CA from 1926 until she headed the last narrow gauge train out of Mina on February 16, 1938. From then on until her ultimate retirement in October 1954 she worked the 70 miles from Laws to Keeler. After a ceremonial retirement on October 16, 1954 that coincided with the acquisition of the railroads new diesel, #1, the old #18 was vacated from the roster and set aside. Now how the town of Independence got her is an interesting story in itself.
Feb. 16, 1938. Last train from Mina. (M. H. Ferrell Coll.)
With the dieselization of the narrow gauge, some folks felt sad. Among them was Anna Kelley. Anna’s mothers parents, Charlie and Ann Recker, were railroading people, so when her friend Independence librarian Bessie Best gave her a gentle prod, “Anna, we have to have something left of the railroad..you go get us that engine”. Anna set herself to the task of securing for her town and posterity a locomotive as a reminder of a nostalgic era reaching back to 1880 when the white tents of railroad surveyors began to cluster in Owens Valley throughout its green (then!!) length.
Could she do it? Persuade the SP to given Independence an engine of its very own? Well, she certainly could try.
Her first move was to write a letter to Mr. Russel, president of Southern Pacific: “We would very much like to have a locomotive. You’ll just sell it to Disneyland anyway, and I promise you it will be well taken care of in Independence, because I will see to it.”
Anna never received an answer from Mr. Russell, but one fine day she was pumping gas at the O.K.Kelley Service Station, which she and her husband still operated, when Richard Torres, a dear friend, said to her; “Anna, can you keep a secret? You’re going to get your engine!” Richard, a section crew foreman over at Kearsarge, had just got orders from SP headquarters to go through all his track and pull the oldest rails and oldest ties: “You see, the rails and ties are dated. When they are put in the ground, there’s a special zinc nail that has the year on the head; that tells the foreman and crew how old the ties is. They weren’t pulling them for anybody else; they were pulling them for me.”
Anna’s engineering of that project, getting engine #18 into its now-familiar location in Independence’s Dehy Park, was the “most fun thing I ever did in my life”.
The engine was sitting at Owenyo when the order was given to turn it over to Anna. The Southern Pacific loaded it on a broad gauge flatcar and took it to the roundhouse in Bakersfield and gave it a real good cleaning and a paint job and then loaded her on another flat car and brought it to Lone Pine.
What now? Where to put the train? Anna went to see Sid Paratt of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which owned the land at Dehy Park: “I’ve got a narrow gauge locomotive on my hands but I don’t know where to put it.” They decided where in the new park the train should go; the railroad supplied a crew from over at Kearsarge station to lay the track. “I arranged to use the County’s low bed trailer and tractor to pull it. There was a winch with a lot of cable…I went to Jimmy Nick (Nikolaus) in Big Pine; he had a low bed like the county’s…so he loaned it to me.”
Everything fell into place; Anna had all the people, machinery and good will she needed.
“We did it all in one day. That track was already in the ground because Richard Torres and his crew had done that.
After the locomotive was in, Anna’s husband brought the tow truck and hooked the cable on and towed it “to the front where it belonged”.
And for the next 5 decades sat old #18 on its narrow gauge tracks, sometimes looking good and sometimes not so good, for all who passed on Hwy. 395 to see and admire.
Acquisition part of story from: The Slim Princess lives again!”Anna Kelley’s story” from THE ALBUM Times & Tales of Inyo-Mono Vol. IV, No.4 pp. 22-23
In 1996, Independence resident and railfan Myron Alexander noticed #18 wasn’t looking so good anymore. He approached the Eastern California Museum director and asked if he could clean it up and make it look good again, the answer was “sure, but we don’t have any money to spend”. Myron set out to start work on #18. One of the first things he wanted to do was to grease up the locomotive and so he took one of the big grease fittings off the engine and took it to the Lone Pine Napa store where owner Dave Mull asked “what did that come off of!” After learning the source of the grease fitting Dave not only tracked one down but he said I want to help fix up that locomotive. And so it went with Dave and Myron enlisting the help of their friends and slowly the old #18 began to looked worked on. By 1997, Randy Babcock had happened by the #18 and noticed a sign on the fence that stated “If you want to help see Dave at the Napa store”, and so began another chapter with the #18.
Work progressed slowly and sporadically over the next 4 years with no real clear plan. In late 2000, Myron passed on suddenly and it was decided enough work had occurred that #18 could be safely steamed up to honor him. On January 25th, 2001 the #18 was steamed up to about 50psi. and the whistle was blown.
Between 2001 and 2009 little to no work occurred on the #18. Focus was mainly on what to do with it and obtaining permission to restore it to operation. In 2009 a full comprehensive report was developed for the Inyo County Board of Supervisors which ultimately turned the entire project around and secured the permission to begin the restoration of #18 to operation. Between 2010 and 2016 the #18 restoration was in full swing.
Statscounter
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1010
|
__label__cc
| 0.561383
| 0.438617
|
Discover Economist Radio
Claim Ownership
Economist Radio
Author: The Economist
Subscribed: 216,084Played: 4,765,334
The Economist was founded in 1843 "to throw white light on the subjects within its range". For more from The Economist visit http://shop.economist.com/collections/audio
Can I get a witness? Impeachment
2020-01-2100:24:57 1
The rules are set, battle lines drawn and the outcome is all but assured. We ask why the Senate trial of President Donald Trump seems so sewn up. A decade after a devastating earthquake, Haiti is still a mess—and now a constitutional crisis is compounding the misery. And why gay women are more likely to divorce than gay men. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Tripoli crown: the battle for Libya
This weekend’s peace talks in Berlin were a good start, but the situation is still ripe for a longer, messier proxy war. More than a million people die each year on the world’s roads; solutions to the crisis are plain to see, if only governments would seize them. And how curators and conservators are bracing for climate change. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
The Economist asks: How to be a dictator
2020-01-1700:29:59 11
The 20th century has become known as the “age of dictatorship”, for the horrors perpetrated by Hitler, Stalin, Mao and other despots from Chile to Cambodia. Anne McElvoy asks Frank Dikötter, a historian and professor at the university of Hong Kong, how these men rose to power and why some survived while others were brought down. They debate the limits of authoritarian power today, including China’s ability to act in Hong Kong. And what makes a true dictator—or is there something a bit dictatorial in everyone? Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Address the problem: the global housing blunder
Badly run housing markets are linked to broader ills, from financial crises to the rise of populism. The first problem? The conviction that home ownership is an unambiguously good thing. While China clamps down on most religions, it encourages others; we meet the followers of a tenth-century sea goddess. And the decline of drinking a century after Prohibition began. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Checks and Balance: Trailer
US editor John Prideaux and his colleagues from across the US and around the world go beyond the headlines and the horserace to delve deeper into the race for the White House—and why it matters so much. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Editor’s Picks: January 16th 2020
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the consequences of the West's obsession with homeownership. (8:58) Vladimir Putin’s power grab. (14:08) And, Harry, Meghan and Marx—why Brand Sussex represents the biggest threat to the monarchy so far Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Set for life? Putin’s power-grab
After Russia’s president proposed vast constitutional change, the whole government resigned. It seems to be another convoluted power-grab by Vladimir Putin—and it seems likely to work. Our correspondent finds that the tired stereotypes European Union countries have about their neighbours are pervasive even at the heart of the European integration. And the surprising and nefarious world of sand-smuggling. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Babbage: Starlight, star bright
A giant star called Betelgeuse is behaving strangely. Could the dimming star be about to become a supernova? Also, a group of internet veterans are contesting the billion dollar sale of the “.org” domain registry. What’s their alternative? And, accidental stampedes can be deadly. How does a crowd turn into a crush? Kenneth Cukier hosts ____________________ Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer ____________________ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Going through a phase: US-China trade deal
Negotiators will sign a “phase one” pact today—but the trickiest issues remain unresolved, and plenty of tariffs will stay in place. Will the deal repair trading relations? As more young people head online, “cyberbullying” is on the rise, too. But why are some kids bullying themselves on social media? And why quirky Las Vegas weddings are on the wane. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Money Talks: Experiencing turbulence
Boeing has a new chief executive. What does he need to do to restore faith in the world’s biggest aerospace company? Also, why some countries are trying to ditch the dollar and challenge America’s dominance of the global financial cycle. And, how can the economics profession solve its race problem? Rachana Shanbhogue hosts. ____________________ Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
A Biden by their decision? Democrats debate
The race for the Democratic nomination looks much like it did a year ago—but previous contests prove that once voting starts, momentum can reshuffle the pack. Iran has been roiling with protests following the accidental downing of an airliner; what should Iranians and the wider world expect now? And we examine how Bogotá’s once-adored public-transport system went so wrong. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Tsai of the times: Taiwan’s defiant election
China has been getting more aggressive in its claims over the island, but voters have made it clear just how much they favour democracy. The relentless slipping of interest rates around the world isn’t recent: new research suggests it’s been going on since the Middle Ages. And why the language of scientific papers disfavours female authors. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
The Economist Asks: The Suleimani killing—masterstroke or madness?
As America announces new sanctions and Iran threatens further revenge attacks, Anne McElvoy interviews Ambassador Ryan Crocker about what the killing of Qassem Suleimani means. The former US chief diplomat to Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon explains why his reaction to the news was one of satisfaction and how the loss of its top general will reshape Tehran's influence in the region. They explore whether America can stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Or will the conflict become President Trump’s own endless war? Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Scorched-earth policies: Australia and climate change
Evacuations are expanding as fast as the flames, and worse may yet be to come. We visit the fiery extremes that climate change is making more likely. At a museum dedicated to disgust, our correspondent tries some repugnant stuff, learning that the reaction is about far more than food. And why Japan’s new, surname-first rule reveals a big shift in attitudes. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Editor’s Picks: January 9th 2020
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the fallout from the killing of Qassem Suleimani. (09:30) Can a new boss salvage the reputation of Boeing? (17:47) And, a right-royal shake-up Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Will you still feed me when I’m 62? Macron’s pension fight
He won a landslide victory campaigning on it, but like French presidents before him Emmanuel Macron is struggling to push through his grand pension reform; we ask why. The belief in guardian spirits in Myanmar is being cracked down on by increasingly intolerant monks. And the Canadian town of Asbestos considers a name-change. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Babbage: Fire fighting
Australia is battling catastrophic wildfires. Climate models predict extreme fire events are going to become more commonplace. What can countries do to prepare? And, a glimpse into the chip factory around which the modern world turns. Also, what is “open innovation”? Henry Chesbrough, professor at the Haas School of Business, at UC Berkeley talks to Kenneth Cukier. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Return fire: Iran’s missile attacks
Attacks on bases that house American troops seem a dramatic retaliation to the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani—yet both sides seem to be tuning their tactics toward de-escalation. After nearly a year without one, Spain has a government. But amid fragmented politics, it may not get much done. And how darts is moving from British-pub pastime to American prime time. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Money Talks: Full battle rattle
Oil and gold prices spiked after the killing of Qassem Suleimani, an Iranian general, by the United States. How might heightened tension in the Middle East affect these important commodity markets in the weeks ahead? And, at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting, Ben Bernanke reflected on how successfully the Fed has adapted to a world of ultra-low interest rates. Also, why consumer shame now means it pays to be ethical. Patrick Lane hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Two heads aren’t better than one: Venezuela
After chaotic scenes in the National Assembly, it seems the country’s legislature has two leaders. Has Juan Guaidó’s chance at regime change run out of steam? Allegations against Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement; as he stands trial in New York we examine how the movement is progressing. And unpicking the weird theories for Sudan’s nasty traffic. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Sara Peracca
reporting misses long term neg co2 capture with all plants eg grasses and role of soil. engineering fixes not as effective and much more costly. do more research.
Eastnaija.com
this is one of my favorite. i represent https://eastnaija.com/
"The building manager at your work has more impact on your health than your doctor."
Toso Mohammed Haruna
this... is singularity inducing. wow.
adrian woodbury
Well, I will no longer be listening to this podcast. I'm sure you do not care but when you make a list of the world top polluters that haven't agreed to cut back emissions and China & India aren't on that list.....well you guys are crazy. the world's top polluters and nothing is said about them. The US doesn't have to be in some dumb club with the EU to cut back emissions.
Oche Chula
very interesting part related to innovation, brainstorming and importance of having people having different background and ideas
Nov 8th
Gregory Roberts
It was interesting to hear José Manuel Barroso's point of view on Boris Johnson and BREXIT. He appears to be well-read and thoughtful in his remarks.
Oct 31st
Around 17:30, it cuts from the Klobuchar segment to the alcohol segment. Something went wrong with the editing.
Dmitrij Archipov
silly woman, last her sentence about how market works... should skip this episode
Louis Pazttor
Maduro dictator
The segment on gravitational waves was fascinating.
zeki kadiroğlu
Editor picks episodes are so boring due to style of telling. I felt as if listening fairy tale.
Mar Ko
who wants to hear about a US food?
after the pilot was accused for rioting, u kbow what happend in Cathay? they just let him do what he did as usual...at the same time rejected the applying for the sheet of rioting airline staffs from China airline admin department.i just emmm, what the H???? so should this be called rule of law? absurd! hope this company falling and go die. never a building in Shenzhen should possible be hit by an airplane...
i think the essence of this Cathay case is a warning. so, basically what the woman said is right. but from a common mainland Chinese perspective, like me living in Shenzhen, with a distance maybe 20km from the HK airport. its quiet make sense to seriously concern abt this case. just considering one pilot(OMG its pilot!) was among those radical protestors. damn Cathay. should godie earlier. Shenzhen airport is waiting for this with great pleasure.
Johanan John Grêat
This is really ground-breaking research. Could gut microbes have any connection to other mental conditions?
Laercio Ferracini
The situation is alarming
Andrew Yang has more "Buzz" than all the candidates mentioned here. Check Google trends (especially compare "Google Search" vs. "YouTube Search" volume). The media ("main stream" + Economist) is completely missing this.
Brian Stidman
im0mm9ozoomtup
Robin Gill
brilliantly interesting episode. great job to all involved
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1013
|
__label__cc
| 0.632407
| 0.367593
|
Filter Search Results:
Capital Spending (12)
(-) City Budget (76)
Pensions & Benefits (4)
Public Workforce (7)
State Budget (45)
(-) Op Ed (15)
Podcast Episode (58)
Special Feature (21)
Statement (17)
Video City Budget
Breakfast with First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan
First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan and CBC President Andrew Rein sat down for a fireside chat to discuss the important issues being addressed by the Administration.
Breaking Down the Proposed Changes to the City Charter
CBC President Andrew Rein explains the importance of voting "yes" on ballot question #4, which would allow for the creation of a “rainy day fund” and let the city save money during prosperous times.
Op Ed City Budget
Vote yes on a rainy day fund for New York City
When New Yorkers head to the polls to vote, they will find five important ballot proposals, but one in particular is worth supporting because it would make an important change to how the city manages its budget.
Video Housing
Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development
Deputy Mayor Been joined CBC to discuss City housing and economic development policy in a fireside chat with CBC President Andrew Rein.
Breakfast with NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer
At a fireside chat with CBC President Andrew Rein, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer discussed City fiscal policy, the need for rainy day reserves, and how to promote New York City’s competitiveness, among other topics.
The Rainy Day Fund New York Needs
Most New Yorkers are unaware they will have the opportunity this fall to vote to dramatically change their city government.
What de Blasio, City Council should do with $800 million
While de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson have both stressed the importance of preparing for an eventual economic downturn, the mayor's proposal falls short of what's needed.
Melanie Hartzog, NYC Budget Director
OMB Director Melanie Hartzog presented the New York City Executive Budget to CBC Trustees and to answered important questions.
Video Transportation
CBC Report on NYC Ferry and Subsidies
According to a CBC report, the number of NYC Ferry passengers for all of last year is less than the number of passengers who ride NYC subways in just one day. Mayor de Blasio defends the ferry service & says it’s a long-term investment.
Report Slams High Subsidy Cost for Running NYC Ferry Service
A new study by the Citizens Budget Commission finds that each trip costs taxpayers $10.73. That's more than 10 times the subsidy for a trip on the subway at $1.05.
The Mayor Called on NYC Agencies to Cut Their Budgets, But is the City Saving Enough?
CBC President Andrew Rein and IBO Director Ronnie Lowenstein joined Errol Louis on NY1 Inside City Hall to analyze the budget and explain if the city is saving enough for the next economic downturn.
CBC Releases Recommendations on How FDNY Should Allocate Its Resources
Citizens Budget Commission releases recommendations on how #FDNY should allocate its resources.
Op Ed Economic Development
The Smart Money on Amazon
As New Yorkers search for Black Friday deals, including on Amazon, we are also scrutinizing the deal offered to the retail giant to come to Long Island City.
Op Ed Housing
In Need of Partners
The City's committment to create and preserve affordable housing units and make critical repairs at NYCHA is unprecedented. But can this effort address affordability for all rent-burdened New Yorkers?
Video Taxes
The New York City Property Tax
NYC Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform is charged with recommending reforms to make the NYC property tax fairer, simpler, and more transparent. CBC, the Regional Plan Association, and NYU Wagner convened a panel to discuss the current property tax system and the reforms that should be pursued.
Marisa Lago, Director of the Dept. of City Planning
Marisa Lago, Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Comission, joined the CBC to discuss the U.S. Census, neighborhood revitalization, housing afforability, and resiliency and sustainability.
Op Ed Pensions & Benefits
Pension sweeteners a bitter prospect for New York City
The City Council adopted a budget for fiscal year 2019 that totals almost $90 billion. Almost $10 billion will be devoted to pensions for public employees, and the amount is projected to grow. And yet, for some, this is not enough.
Forcing budget discipline on big spender Bill
Last week, Mayor de Blasio released an executive budget detailing $90.8 billion in spending in fiscal year 2019.
Following the Money
Errol Louis analyzed Mayor de Blasio’s $89 billion budget with Maria Doulis of the Citizens Budget Commission and Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute
Brian Talks New York: Fair Fares And Other NYC Budget Debates
The City Council has presented a budget that includes reduced priced Metrocards for low-income New Yorkers and other ideas. Brian discusses this with Citizens Budget Commission president, Carol Kellerman and City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1019
|
__label__cc
| 0.640445
| 0.359555
|
Tag Archives: Healthcare Professionals
Severe Cases of C.diff. Infection (CDI)Study Suggests the Most Routinely Prescribed Antibiotic Is Not the Best Treatment
Over the past two decades there has been a sharp rise in the number and severity of infections caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. diff ) now the most common healthcare-acquired infection in the United States.
As published – to view the article in its entirety please click on the link below to be redirected:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-02/uou-rpa020117.php
But a new study suggests that the most routinely prescribed antibiotic is not the best treatment for severe cases. Scientists at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and University of Utah report that patients with a severe C. diff infection (CDI) were less likely to die when treated with the antibiotic vancomycin compared to the standard treatment of metronidazole.
The findings will be published online on Feb. 6, 2017 on the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine website.
C. diff does not cause illness outright. The bacterium produces two chemicals that are toxic to the human body. These toxins work in concert to irritate the cells of the Large intestinal lining producing the symptoms associated with the illness. Symptoms of CDI include watery diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain and tenderness. Severe cases are associated with inflammation of the colon.
Current guidelines primarily recommend two antibiotics metronidazole or vancomycin to treat CDI. While vancomycin was the original treatment, the medical community has favored metronidazole for the past few decades, because it is less expensive and will limit vancomycin resistance in other hospital-acquired infections. The guidelines are based on small clinical trials carried out about 30 years ago.
“For many years the two antibiotics were considered to be equivalent in their ability to cure C. diff and prevent recurrent disease,” says Stevens. “Our work and several other studies show that this isn’t always the case.” In the current issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, the research team looked at the effectiveness of the two drugs by comparing the risk of mortality after treatment with these two antibiotics.
The investigators conducted the largest study to date by examining the data from more than 10,000 patients treated for CDI through the US Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system from 2005 to 2012. A severe case of CDI was defined as a patient with an elevated white blood cell count or serum creatinine within four days of the CDI diagnosis. A mild to moderate case of CDI was defined as a patient with normal white blood cell counts and creatinine levels. About 35 percent of cases in this study were considered severe.
Patients with a severe case of CDI had lower mortality rates when treated with vancomycin compared to metronidazole (15.3 percent versus 19.8 percent). The scientists calculated that only 25 patients with severe CDI would need to be treated with vancomycin to prevent one death. “That is a powerful, positive outcome for our patient’s well-being,” explains Stevens. She cautions that the researchers still do not understand how the choice of antibiotic affects mortality rates.
“Although antibiotics are one of the greatest miracles of modern medicine, there are still tremendous gaps in our knowledge about when and how to use them to give our patients the best health outcomes,” explains Michael Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in internal medicine and an investigator at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.
“This research shows that if providers choose vancomycin over metronidazole to treat patients with severe CDI, it should result in a lower risk of death for those critically ill patients,” said Rubin. This study showed that less than 15 percent of CDI patients, including severe cases, received vancomycin.
The study results did not show a difference in the rate of the illness returning following either antibiotic treatment whether the initial illness was mild to moderate or severe. Nor did it show a difference for the rate of death following either antibiotic treatment for mild to moderate CDI cases.
Stevens cautions that the study was observational in nature and does not prove cause and effect of the drug. In addition, the study focused on patients that were primarily men; however, past studies show that the C. diff treatment outcomes for men and women were similar.
According to Stevens, future work should balance the targeted application of vancomycin treatment, especially for severe CDI cases, with economic considerations and the consequences of antibiotic resistance. “The optimal way to move forward is to do decision analysis that allows us to weigh the pros and cons of the various treatment strategies,” she says.
The research was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development.
In addition to Stevens and Rubin, co-authors include Richard Nelson, Karim Khader, Makoto Jones, Lindsay Croft and Matthew Samore (University of Utah and the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System), Elyse Schwab-Daugherty and Kevin A. Brown (Public Health Ontario and University of Toronto), Tom Greene (University of Utah), Melinda Neuhauser (VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services) and Peter Glassman and Matthew Bidwell Goetz (VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System).
This entry was posted in C diff Treatments, C. diff. for Healthcare Providers and tagged C. diff. treatments, Cdiff treatments, Clostridium difficile treatment study, Current antibiotics recommended to treat C.diff., Emergency Medicine and Clostridium difficile, Gastroenteroligist, Gastroenterology, Healthcare Professionals, Nursing, Vancomycin to treat Severe Clostridium difficile on February 25, 2017 by cdifffoundation.
ProNourish ™ Nutritional Drink Information For Healthcare Professionals — For Patients With Food Intolerance And Digestive Discomfort
*Please note – The
C Diff Foundation does not endorse any product and/or clinical study in progress. All website postings are strictly for informational purposes only. If you have questions, please contact the companies directly. Thank you.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS **
For Patients with Food Intolerance
ProNourish™ Nutritional Drink is a unique option for patients who suffer with digestive discomfort and are following an exclusion diet.
It was specifically formulated with the guidance of healthcare professionals to be compliant with a Low FODMAP Diet and is Low FODMAP Certified by Monash University. Monash University Low Fodmap Certified™
Benefits in every bottle:
Low in FODMAPs*
3 g of Fiber
15 g of High Quality Protein
25 Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Suitable for Lactose Intolerance**
NO Sugar Alcohols or Artificial Colors
NO Inulin
NO Fructooligosaccharides
ProNourish™ Nutritional Drink helps make following a Low FODMAP Diet easier by providing a balanced mini-meal or snack without the ingredients that might trigger symptoms of digestive discomfort. Its just one more way Nestlé Health Science strives to help nourish patients quality of life through the power of nutrition.
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ONLY: Order Free Samples!
For Your Patients
To get your FREE samples, use promo code PRON-13851-1016.
Find out more about ProNourish™ Drink at ProNourish.com
or visit LowFODMAPcentral.com
For information and handouts for your patients.
Stop by the ProNourish™ Drink booth during these upcoming events!
2016 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo™ (FNCE®): October 16–18
(booth #2951)
2016 ACG American College of Gastroenterology Meeting: October 16–18
*Formulated to be low in specific carbs (called FODMAPs) that can be difficult for some people to digest.
**Not for individuals with Galactosemia.
Monash University Low FODMAP Certified™ trademarks used under license by Nestlé.
A strict Low FODMAP Diet should only be commenced under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
This entry was posted in C. diff. and Crohn's & Colitis, C. diff. for Healthcare Providers, Nutrition and tagged C. diff nutrition, C. diff. and Nutrition, Digestive Health Nutrition, FODMAP Diet and Healthcare Professionals, Gastroenteroligist, Gastroenterology, Gluten Free Nutritional Drink, Guthealth, Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Providers and FODMAP Diet, Nestle Health, Nestle Health Science, ProNourish, Registered Dieticien on October 13, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
Learn More About The Signs and Symptoms Of Sepsis With The CDC; It’s A Race Against Time
Saving patients from sepsis is a race against time
CDC calls sepsis a medical emergency; encourages prompt action for prevention, early recognition
Sepsis is caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection and requires rapid intervention. It begins outside of the hospital for nearly 80 percent of patients. According to a new Vital Signs report released by CDC, about 7 in 10 patients with sepsis had used health care services recently or had chronic diseases that required frequent medical care. These represent opportunities for healthcare providers to prevent, recognize, and treat sepsis long before it can cause life-threatening illness or death.
“When sepsis occurs, it should be treated as a medical emergency,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Doctors and nurses can prevent sepsis and also the devastating effects of sepsis, and patients and families can watch for sepsis and ask, ‘could this be sepsis?’”
Certain people with an infection are more likely to get sepsis, including people age 65 years or older, infants less than 1 year old, people who have weakened immune systems, and people who have chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes). While much less common, even healthy children and adults can develop sepsis from an infection, especially when not recognized early. The signs and symptoms of sepsis include: shivering, fever, or feeling very cold; extreme pain or discomfort; clammy or sweaty skin; confusion or disorientation; shortness of breath and a high heart rate.
According to the Vital Signs report, infections of the lung, urinary tract, skin, and gut most often led to sepsis. In most cases, the germ that caused the infection leading to sepsis was not identified. When identified, the most common germs leading to sepsis were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and some types of Streptococcus.
Health care providers, patients and their family members can work as a team to prevent sepsis.
Health care providers play a critical role in protecting patients from infections that can lead to sepsis and recognizing sepsis early. Health care providers can:
· Prevent infections. Follow infection control requirements (such as handwashing) and ensure patients to get recommended vaccines (e.g., flu and pneumococcal).
· Educate patients and their families. Stress the need to prevent infections, manage chronic conditions, and, if an infection is not improving, promptly seek care. Don’t delay.
· Think sepsis. Know the signs and symptoms to identify and treat patients earlier.
· Act fast. If sepsis is suspected, order tests to help determine if an infection is present, where it is, and what caused it. Start antibiotics and other recommended medical care immediately.
· Reassess patient management. Check patient progress frequently. Reassess antibiotic therapy 24-48 hours or sooner to change therapy as needed. Determine whether the type of antibiotics, dose, and duration are correct.
CDC is working on five key areas related to sepsis:
· Increasing sepsis awareness by engaging clinical professional organizations and patient advocates.
· Aligning infection prevention, chronic disease management, and appropriate antibiotic use to promote early recognition of sepsis.
· Studying risk factors for sepsis that can guide focused prevention and early recognition.
· Developing tracking for sepsis to measure impact of successful interventions.
· Preventing infections that may lead to sepsis by promoting vaccination programs, chronic disease management, infection prevention, and appropriate antibiotic use.
To read the entire Vital Signs report visit: www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/sepsis.
For more information on sepsis and CDC’s work visit: www.cdc.gov/sepsis.
CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, stem from human error or deliberate attack, CDC is committed to respond to America’s most pressing health challenges.
This entry was posted in C. diff. and Sepsis, CDC Report Updates and tagged C Diff Foundation's Raising Cdiff Awareness Worldwide, CDC, CDC and Sepsis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Clostridium difficile, Emergency medicine, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare providers, MRSA, Nursing, Physicians, Pneumonia, Sepsis, Sepsis Awareness, UTI on August 23, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
C.diff Spores and More Discuss Current C.difficile Infection Objectives For Hospitals Within the United Kingdom With James McIlroy, Founder of EuroBiotix CIC
Listen To The JUNE 7, 2016 Podcast
To access the live broadcast and Podcast Library
C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network
please click on the logo above *
“C. diff. Spores and More,” Global Broadcasting Network – innovative and educational interactive healthcare talk radio program discusses
This Episode: “EuroBiotix CIC – Supporting Clinicians Within the UK Deliver Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) To Patients With Recurrent C.difficile Infection”
With Our Guest: James Mcllory
Listen to the PodCast available from the JUNE 7TH C.diff Spores and More episode as we discussed current C.difficile infection objectives for hospitals within the United Kingdom with James McIlroy, a medical student and founder of a not-for-profit stool bank based within the University of Aberdeen in Scotland
MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST:
James McIlroy is a senior medical student at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Previously, he earned his Bachelors in Medical Sciences with Honors in human Physiology at the University of Edinburgh. At the present time, James is undertaking a prestigious fellowship at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. During his time at medical school, James identified an unmet need for safe access to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) within the United Kingdom. He subsequently established a not-for-profit community interest company called EuroBiotix CIC, which seeks to support clinicians within the UK National Health Service provide FMT.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
This entry was posted in C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network, Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT), Raising C Diff Awareness Education and tagged C. diff. Scotland, C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network, C. diff. Treatment On The Horizon, Cdiff awareness, Cdiff in the UK, EuroBiotix CIC, Fecal Microbiota Transplant, FMT Physician Information, Gastroenteroligist, Healthcare Professionals, James Mcllory, Nursing on May 28, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
Clostridium difficile (C.diff.) Infection (CDI) Rates In the United States and Across the Globe Have Increased In the Last Decade, Along With Associated Morbidity and Mortality
Prepared for:
Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium generally associated through ingestion. Various strains of the bacteria may produce disease generating toxins
and TedA and TedB, as well as the lesser understood binary toxin.
Our use of the term indicates this review’s focus is the presence of clinical disease rather than asymptomatic carriage of C. difficile CDI symptoms can range from mild diarrhea to severe cases including pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon and death.
Estimated U.S. health care associated CDI incidence in 2011 was 95.3 per 100,000, or about
293,000 cases nationally. Incidence is higher among females, whites, and persons 65 years of
age or older. (1)
About one third to one half of health-care onset CDI cases begin in long term care,thus residents in these facilities are at high risk. Incidence rates may increase by four or five-fold during outbreaks.
Community associated CDI, where CDI occurs outside the institutional setting,
is also on the rise, though still generally lower than institution associated rates and may be in part due to increased surveillance. Estimated community associated CDI was 51.9 per 100,000, or 159,700 cases in 2011. (1)
Community-associated CDI complicates measuring the effectiveness of prevention within an institutional setting. 3 Additionally, the pathogenesis of CDI is complex and not
completely understood, and onset may occur as late as several months after hospitalization or antibiotic use
The estimated mortality rate for health -care associated CDI ranged from 2.4 to 8.9 deaths per
100,000 population in 2011.(1) For individuals ≥65 years of age, the mortality rate
was 55.1 deaths per 100,000; (1)
CDI was the 17th leading cause of death in this age group (4)
Hypervirulent C. difficile strains have emerged since 2000 . These affect a wider population
that includes children, pregnant women, and other healthy
adults, many of whom lack standard risk profiles such as previous hospitalization or antibiotic use.(5)
The hypervirulent strains account for 51 percent of CDI, compared to only 17 percent
of historical isolates. (6)
Time from symptom development to septic shock may be reduced in the hypervirulent strains, making quick diagnosis and proactive treatment regimens critical for positive outcomes.
To read more on TREATMENT, PREVENTION, KEY QUESTIONS ——
https://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/604/2208/c-difficile-update-report-160329.pdf
1Appendix J. References for Appendixes
1.Alcala L, Reigadas E, Marin M, et al.
Comparison of GenomEra C. difficile and Xpert
C. difficile as confirmatory tests in a multistep
algorithm for diagnosis of Clostridium difficile
infection.
J Clin Microbiol 2015 Jan;53(1):332
5. PMID: 25392360.
2.Barkin JA, Nandi N, Miller N, et al.
Super iority
of the DNA amplification assay for the
diagnosis of C. difficile infection: a clinical
comparison of fecal tests.
Dig Dis Sci 2012Oct;57(10):2592-
3.Bruins MJ, Verbeek E, Wallinga JA, et al.
Evaluation of three enzyme immunoassay
s and a loo mediated isothermal amplification test
for the laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium
difficile infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect
Dis 2012 Nov;31(11):3035 9. PMID:
4.Buchan BW, Mackey TL, Daly JA, et al.
Multicenter clinical evalu
ation of the portrait
toxigenic C. difficile assay for detection of
toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains in clinical
stool specimens. J Clin Microbiol 2012
Dec;50(12):3932-
5.Calderaro A, Buttrini M, Martinelli M, et al.
Comparative analysis of different methods to
detect Clostridium difficile infection. New
Microbiol 2013 Jan;36(1):57-
63. PMID:
6.Carroll KC, Buchan BW, Tan S, et al.
Multicenter evaluation of the Verigene
Clostridium difficile nucleic acid assay.
J ClinMicrobiol 2013 Dec;51(12):4120-
5. PMID:24088862
This entry was posted in C.diff. in the news, CDC Report Updates, Health & Wellness Information, U.S. Government Announcements and tagged Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, AHRQ, and Treatment of Clostridium difficile: Update, C. diff. Diagnosis, C. diff. Prevention, C. diff. treatments, C. difficile Diagnosis, C. difficile environmental safety, C. difficile prevention, C. difficile treatment, Clostridium difficile Update Report AHRQ, Early Diagnosis, Gastroenterology, Healthcare Communication, Healthcare Professionals, Nursing on April 19, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
“C. diff. Spores and More ™” C diff Radio Returns To Live Broadcasting Tuesday, January 19th
Welcome to Season 2
“C. diff. Spores and More ™”
Join us for live broadcasting on Tuesday January 19th, 2016 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time,
11 a.m. Mountain Time, 12 p.m. Central Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Programming for Tuesday, January 19th:
“C. difficile Infections; The What, Where and How.”
This episode of “C. diff. Spores and More” is focused on
What is it, What can be done to prevent acquiring it,
Where is it acquired, Where can clinicians and patients
learn more about this infection, How is it being prevented at home
and in the hospitals, How CDI’s are being treated, and How to learn more about the
prevention, treatments, and environmental safety products available
With our special guests:
Dr. Caterina Oneto,, MD
and Dr. Paul Feuerstadt, MD,
Both professors and physicians specializing in Gastroenterology with
a wealth of knowledge and experience treating patients
with a CDI and through ongoing scientific/medical research.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Click Image Above to Listen to Archived Shows
We are pleased to share “C. diff. Spores and More ™” with you because, as advocates
of C. diff., we know the importance of this cutting-edge new weekly radio show
and what it means for our Foundation’s community worldwide.
Hard Facts: Deaths and illnesses are much higher than reports have shown Nearly half a million Americans suffered from Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections in a single year according to a study released today, February 25, 2015, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Previous studies indicate that C. diff. has become the most common
microbial cause of Healthcare-Associated Infections found in U.S. hospitals
driving up costs to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs in acute
care facilities alone. Approximately two-thirds of C. diff. infections
were found to be associated with an inpatient stay in a health care facility,
only 24% of the total cases occurred in patients while they were hospitalized.
The study also revealed that almost as many cases occurred in nursing homes as
in hospitals and the remainder of individuals acquired the
Healthcare-Associated infection, C. diff., recently discharged from
a health care facility.
This new study finds that 1 out of every 5 patients with the
Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI), C. diff., experience
a recurrence of the infection and 1 out of every 9 patients over the
age of 65 diagnosed with a HAI – C. diff. infection died
within 30 days of being diagnosed. Older Americans are quite vulnerable
to this life-threatening diarrhea infection. The CDC study also found
that women and Caucasian individuals are at an increased risk of
acquiring a C. diff. infection.
The CDC Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH said, “C. difficile
infections cause immense suffering and death for thousands of Americans
each year.” “These infections can be prevented by improving antibiotic
prescribing and by improving infection control in the health care system.
CDC hopes to ramp up prevention of this deadly infection by supporting
State Antibiotic Resistance Prevention Programs in all 50 states.”
“This does not include the number of C. diff. infections taking place
and being treated in other countries.” “The C Diff Foundation supports hundreds
of communities by sharing the Foundation’s mission and
Raising C. diff. awareness to healthcare professionals,patients,
families, and communities working towards a shared goal ~ witnessing a
reduction of newly diagnosed C. diff. cases by 2020 .”
” The C Diff Foundation volunteer Advocates are truly appreciated and stand
with the Foundation members creating positive changes through
time and dedication in “Raising C. diff. awareness ™” worldwide.
“C. diff. Spores and More ™“ spotlights world
renowned topic experts, research scientists, healthcare professionals,
organization representatives, C. diff. survivors, board members,
and C Diff Foundation volunteer advocates – all working together to
create positive changes in the C. diff. community and more.
Through their interviews, the C Diff Foundation mission will
connect, educate, and empower our worldwide listeners.
Do you have Questions? Email them to the C Diff Foundation at
info@cdifffoundation.org or through the show page portal.
Questions will be addressed by the show’s Medical Correspondent, Dr. Fred Zar, MD, FACP,
Dr. Fred Zar is a Professor of Clinical Medicine,
Vice He ad for Education in the Department of Medicine, and Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency
at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over the last two decades he has
been a pioneer in the study of the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease
and the need to stratify patients by disease severity.
Programming for “C. diff. Spores and More ™” is made
possible through our official Corporate Sponsor; Clorox Healthcare™
Click on the Clorox Healthcare Logo to visit their website.
This entry was posted in C. diff. for Healthcare Providers, C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network, Raising C Diff Awareness Education and tagged Antibiotic research and development, C diff clinical studies, C diff Radio, C diff Spores, C difficile research and development, CDC Antibiotoc Resistance, Clorox Healthcare, Dr Caterina Oneto MD, Dr. Fred Zar, Dr. Paul Feuerstadt MD, Healthcare, Healthcare Education, Healthcare Professionals on January 12, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
Seal Shield LLC, A Healthcare Technology Company, Introduces SKY™ To Their Family Of UVC Sanitizers, Designed To Kill Bacteria and Viruses On Hard To Clean Consumer Electronics
Seal Shield LLC (Jacksonville, FL), today will demonstrate the SKY™ family of UV Sanitizers at the CES- Consumer Electronics Show, Sands Booth #73213.
The SKY™ UVC sanitizers use high intensity, 254 nanometer UVC light, at close proximity of less than 60 thousandths of an inch, to thoroughly disinfect a tablet or smart phone and achieve up to a 6 log reduction in pathogens such as MRSE, VRE, MDR-gram negative, Norovirus and C.diff..
The SKY™ is the world’s first UV Sanitizer to kill more than 99.95% of pathogens in less than 30 seconds. Designed for use in hospitals to protect patients and practitioners from dangerous cross contamination infections, the Sky is also the perfect solution for mobile retailers and IT / MIS professionals who service and support mobile devices of unknown or dubious origins.
Tablet computers and smart phones have been proven to harbor harmful bacteria and viruses. A study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology warns that “twenty to thirty percent of viruses can be readily transferred from a fingertip to a glass surface, like that on a touch screen.”
“Mobile device hygiene is imperative in today’s pathogen rich environments. SKY™ was designed to be easy to use, and it can safely disinfect virtually any mobile device in under 30 seconds,” states Seal Shield CEO, Brad Whitchurch.
The Seal Shield SKY™ is currently available in 2 models.
The SKY™ 6Xi features a horizontal orientation, ideal for desktop applications.
The SKY™ 7Xi features vertical orientation and can be wall mounted or placed on a mobile cart.
The SKY™ sanitizers are the latest additions to Seal Shield’s family of UV infection prevention devices which include the ElectroClave™ and MoonBean™ UV sanitizers.
Seal Shield is a world leader in infection control technology. Seal Shield designs, develops and manufactures medical grade, infection prevention technology for hospitals and the home including UV sanitizers, air purification systems, antimicrobial products, waterproof keyboards, mice and TV remote controls.
For more information please visit http://www.SealShield.com/
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-sanitizers-for-smart-phones-and-tablets-can-reduce-the-spread-of-super-bugs-in-under-30-seconds-300199923.html?tc=eml_cleartime&utm_source=NetSuite+Contacts&utm_campaign=f41fd750a2-SKY%2FCES16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e25719ba34-f41fd750a2-102891281
This entry was posted in Healthcare Technology, Infection Control and tagged C. diff. Infection Control, HAI Prevention, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Hospital Infection Control, Infection Control Technology, infection prevention, Infection Prevention Technology Homecare, Seal Shield, UV disinfecting, UVC Sanitizers on January 6, 2016 by cdifffoundation.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1020
|
__label__cc
| 0.728532
| 0.271468
|
Difference between revisions of "User:Z5061522"
(→Lab 2)
(9 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
[[User:Z5061522|Z5061522]] ([[User talk:Z5061522|talk]]) 15:07, 4 April 2017 (AEST)
15:09, 11 April 2017 (AEST)
[[User:Z5061522|Z5061522]] ([[User talk:Z5061522|talk]]) 15:09, 11 April 2017 (AEST)
[[User:Z5061522|Z5061522]] ([[User talk:Z5061522|talk]]) 15:01, 2 May 2017 (AEST)
[[User:Z5061522|Z5061522]] ([[User talk:Z5061522|talk]]) 16:19, 16 May 2017 (AEST)
==Individual Assessments==
====Part 1:====
'''Chemical:'''Toluene
'''Chemical:''' Toluene
'''Hazards:'''
Upon first glance, this project has the least amount of information present on its page when compared against the other projects. Observing the history page, frequent contributions have been made by team members however the sizes of the contributions are relatively small, contributing to the overall progress of the page. On a positive note, the subheadings on the page are very relevant to the topic which definitely suggests a good start. Most sections also have dot points under them thus implying that a draft of the section is slowly being constructed, which is also encouraging. The inclusion of a table and numerous images is commendable as it portrays a range of visual aids, which I believe is necessary to actively capture the audience’s attention. I would encourage the inclusion of a video to further captivate audiences and reinforce what is written in text as videos usually provide clearer and more colloquial explanations, which would be valuable for readers without a science background. The general readability and flow of the ‘disease and abnormalities’ section, which is the only section with paragraphs of information, is good. It is encouraging to see that the image has been integrated with, and referred to, in the text. Though, I would recommend figure captions as currently the section reads “As seen in figure 2…” however there is no indication of which image ‘figure 2’ is. The 4 references used thus far have been formatted correctly, but I advise the use of more references so that a broader range of information can be disclosed on the page. Overall, this project has made significantly less progress than the other projects although it is off to a good start. I would encourage team members to conduct more research and contribute larger amounts of information towards the project. A possible suggestion for further research would be to compare the role, structure and function of alpha cells across different organisms, such as humans and animals. Overall, a large amount of work is still required to be done before the project can be considered complete. When compared to the other projects I have peer-reviewed, I would say that this project is presently the least informative.
Excellent (9/10)
==Tutorial 1==
Welcome to Cell Biology 2017!
Lab 1 Assessment
Identify a chemical SDS and the risks and hazards of that chemical in text. Add a link to the original SDS
Select 4 reference papers papers related to your selected group project topic sub-section. Read the research papers and write a brief description of their findings and relevance to the selected topic sub-section. The reference along with your description should then be pasted on both your group discussion page and your own personal page.
Lab 3 Assessment - Endo/Exo worksheet questions.
Identify a cytoskeletal antibody.
Identify the species deriving the antibody.
Identify the working concentration for the antibody.
Identify a secondary antibody that could be used with this antibody.
Identify a paper that has used this antibody.
This assessment will be due by the next lab (Lab 5).
The following peer assessment exercise should be completed before next lab (Lab 8 - 2 May) as your individual assessment for this week (lab missed due to public holiday).
Your answer should be pasted in 2 places
onto each project discussion page (Note you should add anonymously to the discussion page)
your own individual student page for my assessment.
Each individual will provide a brief assessment of the other groups projects. This should take the form of a brief critical (balanced) assessment identifying both the positive (good) and negative (bad) aspects of the project page as it currently exists online.
You may if you choose, use the final project assessment criteria as a guide. Though you are also welcome to use your own criteria.
Group Assessment Criteria
The key points relating to the topic that your group allocated are clearly described.
The choice of content, headings and sub-headings, diagrams, tables, graphs show a good understanding of the topic area.
Content is correctly cited and referenced.
The wiki has an element of teaching at a peer level using the student's own innovative diagrams, tables or figures and/or using interesting examples or explanations.
Evidence of significant research relating to basic and applied sciences that goes beyond the formal teaching activities.
Relates the topic and content of the Wiki entry to learning aims of cell biology.
Clearly reflects on editing/feedback from group peers and articulates how the Wiki could be improved (or not) based on peer comments/feedback. Demonstrates an ability to review own work when criticised in an open edited wiki format. Reflects on what was learned from the process of editing a peer's wiki.
Evaluates own performance and that of group peers to give a rounded summary of this wiki process in terms of group effort and achievement.
The content of the wiki should demonstrate to the reader that your group has researched adequately on this topic and covered the key areas necessary to inform your peers in their learning.
Develops and edits the wiki entries in accordance with the above guidelines.
1 Practical Attendance
2 Individual Assessments
2.1 Lab 1
2.2.1 Part 1:
3 Tutorial 1
3.2 Student Image Template
3.3 Reference Styles:
4.1 Toluene
5.1 Task:
6 2017 Course Content
Practical Attendance
Z5061522 (talk) 16:05, 7 March 2017 (AEDT)
Z5061522 (talk) 15:36, 14 March 2017 (AEDT)
Z5061522 (talk) 15:07, 4 April 2017 (AEST)
Z5061522 (talk) 15:09, 11 April 2017 (AEST)
Z5061522 (talk) 15:01, 2 May 2017 (AEST)
Z5061522 (talk) 16:19, 16 May 2017 (AEST)
Diagram of a cationic charged gold nanoparticle, with silver intensification, on a cell membrane.
Fogarty SW, Patel II, Martin FL, Fullwood NJ (2014) Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of the Endothelial Cell Membrane. PLoS ONE 9(9): e106283. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106283
© 2014 Fogarty et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Chemical: Toluene
Hazards:
1. Flame (GHS02): Flammable
2. Exclamation Mark (GHS07): Acute Toxicity, Skin & Eye Irritant, Skin Sensitisation, Specific Target Organ Toxicity
3. Health Hazard (GHS08): Respiratory Sensitization, Germ Cell Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reproductive Toxicity, Specific Target Organ Toxicity, Aspiration Hazard
Hazard Statements: H225: Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
H315: Causes skin irritation
H336: May cause drowsiness or dizziness
H361d: Suspected of damaging the unborn child
H373: May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
Website Address/Link: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/244511?lang=en®ion=AU&cm_sp=Insite-_-prodRecCold_xviews-_-prodRecCold10-7
Article Title: Resveratrol and curcumin enhance pancreatic β-cell function by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity
Article Description: The key aim of this study is to determine the relationship between pancreatic β-cell function, resveratrol (RES) and curcumin (CUR), to examine whether or not RES and CUR enhances pancreatic β-cell function. RES and CUR are polyphenols, found predominately within fruits and turmeric, which have been previously reported to contain medicinal properties that are beneficial to diabetes mellitus patients. Previously published studies claim that the therapeutic properties of RES and CUR can be attributed to their anti-inflammatory effects and protection against β-cell dysfunction. This study thus seeks to examine such reported phenomenon by examining the mechanism/s of action of RES and CUR in β-cells. Results indicate that RES and CUR regulate insulin secretion under glucose-stimulated conditions, and increase intracellular levels of cAMP, which plays an important role in insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell health. The study also showcases that RES and CUR inhibit the activity of phosphodiesterases, which degrade cAMP. The polyphenols RES and CUR thus indeed enhance pancreatic β-cell function and have therapeutic benefits to diabetic patients.
Article Reference: <pubmed>25297556</pubmed>
Article Title: Ultrastructural Alterations of Pancreatic Beta Cells in Human Diabetes Mellitus
Article Description: The aim of this article is to investigate the correlation between pancreatic beta cells and diabetes mellitus, within humans. This is done by focusing on the ultrastructural alterations of beta cells in human diabetes. Throughout the study, beta cells have been retrieved from the pancreas of eight non-diabetic, five type 1 diabetic and eight type 2 diabetic organ donors, and analysed under morphometric electron microscopy. Results have indicated that lower quantities of beta cells are present in patients suffering type 1 and 2 diabetes, compared to non-diabetic patients. Additionally, insulin granules are more represented in non-diabetic patients than in type 2 diabetic patients, while type 1 diabetic patients show minimal changes. Pancreatic beta cells within diabetic patients have also showcased greater apoptosis than beta cells in non-diabetics. These results are expected to improve therapeutic measures for diabetes.
Article Title: Impairment of pancreatic β-cell function by chronic intermittent hypoxia
Article Description: The central purpose of this study is to demonstrate the link between chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) and pancreatic β-cell function. Via experimentation on rodents, the results of this study indicate that mitochondrial oxidative stress, which is produced by CIH, causes decreased pancreatic β-cell function, or increased pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. This is demonstrated by augmented basal insulin secretion, insulin resistance, defective proinsulin processing and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. This study thus contains direct evidence that CIH impacts β-cell function. As CIH is a hallmark of sleep apnoea, this study also indicates that CIH-impacted β-cell dysfunction could be a possible contributor to type 2 diabetes within sleep apnoea patients. It thus encourages possible future research in this area.
Article Title: Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B modulates pancreatic β-cell mass
Article Description: The goal of this study is to analyse the action/s of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), which is an endoplasmic reticulum bound phosphatase that has been previously documented to negatively regulate insulin signalling, in pancreatic islets. Through experimental procedures on rodents and morphometric analysis of their pancreatic cells, the results of this study indicate that mice with PTP1B exhibit increased β-cell area, higher β-cell proliferation and decreased β-cell apoptosis, compared to their wild-type counterparts. This study thus sheds light on the involvement of PTP1B in β-cell physiology, and encourages the potential of PTP1B as a therapeutical target for the treatment of β-cell failure, which is characteristic of type 2 diabetes.
Antibody: beta Actin Polyclonal Antibody
Host/Isotope: Rabbit / IgG
Working Concentration: 1mg/ml
Tested Application: Western Blot (WB) 1:5000-1:15,000
Secondary Antibody: Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Highly Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor Plus 555
Paper mentioning beta Actin Polyclonal Antibody: <pubmed>27001369</pubmed>
Graph showing the effect of Tm4 on phenotype expression
Mark Hill (talk) 20:51, 24 April 2017 (AEST) This lab assessment will be marked by the guest presenter and the mark added here when I have received.
Group 1: Delta Cells
Upon first glance, it is evident that this group has made a lot of consistent progress on the project, which is definitely commendable. A quick check of the history page further reveals that all three team members have been fulfilling their delegated tasks and contributing towards the project, which is also very great to see and a testament to this group’s cooperation and successful interaction. With regards to the contents of the page, indeed I agree with the listed subheadings and do believe that it is important to explain the ‘background’, ‘structure’, ‘function’, etc. of delta cells. However, I would recommend researching additional information regarding the ‘history’ of the delta cell – i.e., when it was first discovered and in which organism, what was it first named, who first named it and so on. The inclusion of this would allow audiences from a non-science background to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of the delta cell. I am glad to see comparisons between humans and animals in the ‘functions’ section of the project, as I do believe that there is a lot of insight to be gained by comparing delta cells across two organisms. I would definitely recommend a similar comparison in the ‘structure’ section so that audiences can be informed whether or not the morphology of the delta cell is congruent throughout different organisms. The inclusion of videos and images within the latter half of the project adds an interactive dimension to the project, which I personally believe is a good thing as it provides readers with a break from reading dense information. The text to visual-aid ratio throughout the first half of the project (‘background’ to ‘pathology’) however, is uneven and in favour of text so I would encourage more images or tables here – ideally a few anatomical pictures of the delta cell should be included in the ‘structure’ section. In regards to referencing, I believe this has been done correctly so well done. In comparison to all of the other groups, this group also has the highest amount of references, a sizeable 20, which is quite good at this stage and additionally an indication of broad research conducted for the topic. While the readability of the project is mostly well, some sentences are weak and require revision. I do believe that editing previously completed work and rephrasing certain fragments of information can add a level of sophistication to the project. For example, a sentence in the ‘background’ section currently reads: “However, more current studies have significantly shown a decrease in numbers of β cells and an increase in numbers of α cells.” I recommend revising this sentence to improve its coherency. Perhaps something along the lines: “Nonetheless, recent studies have revealed a substantial decrease in the quantity of beta cells present within pancreatic Islets of Langerhans alongside a sizeable increase in the number of alpha cells.” To further improve the sentence, one could disclose the specific percentage by which the cells increased or decreased rather than mentioning a general trend. Nevertheless, on a positive note, the general flow of the project, and the order in which information is presented, is great. I would like to congratulate this group on their good work so far and while there is a large amount of work still required to be done before the project can be considered complete, thus far this group has the most content on their page and therefore, by extension, is overall the most informative and highest-quality project of the three projects which I am peer-reviewing. Solid work so far.
Group 2: Ductal Cells
My initial observation of this group’s project is that it does not contain as much information as some of the other groups. Unfortunately, this is an indication of inconsistent contributions by team members, which can be confirmed by browsing through the history page of the project, which reveals a period of inactivity from April 11 – May 1 2017. Nevertheless, I am a supporter of the ‘quality over quantity’ mindset and do understand that it can be difficult to contribute to the project when other assessments are due. The quality of the information presented on the page thus far is good, however a bit too generalised in my personal opinion. While there is mention of ductal cells in the ‘structure’ section of the project, I believe that the pancreas is fixated upon more so than it should be. I would definitely recommend adding a lot more information about the structure of the ductal cells themselves with a strong focus on answering specific questions such as – what is the diameter of the ductal cells, which membrane-enclosed organelles do they have, are they only present in the pancreas, etc. I also believe it would be beneficial for the audience if a comparison was made between the ductal cells within humans and those within animals – do they have the same structure, function and location? Additionally, an anatomical image of ductal cells would be ideal alongside the anatomical image of the pancreas in the ‘structure’ section. I also believe that the following sentence in the introduction: “[The pancreas] makes a number of different enzymes, each of which is responsible for breaking down the different types of food into small particles suitable for absorption” is also too generalised. I would personally list which specific ‘enzymes’ are synthesised so that audiences from a non-science background are informed better and not disadvantaged when reading the project. I also recommend more research and information in the ‘functions’ section of the project, as it seems slightly brief at the moment. The inclusion of pictures or flow diagrams would be useful in this section as well as it would allow readers to follow a diagram alongside written text. On a positive note, it’s great to see that a ‘history’ section has been included. I personally believe that this is quite important for audiences to acquire an understanding of the background and origins of ductal cells. My only two recommendations regrading the ‘history’ section would be to relocate its position in the project, as I don’t think it fits well beneath ‘functions’. I would also encourage another method of formatting the key dates, perhaps a table, as the present dot points make the section appear rather informal and disorganised. Referencing has been done well in this project so great job there however I would definitely encourage using a wider range of resources from hereon as it is hard to find all necessary information within the 5 resources that have been used up until now. I did notice that there is a full reference, rather than hyperlink, following the first sentence in the ‘structure’ section. I assume that this is to remind the team members of the article that has been used for this section. If not, then I would advise removing it from there as a hyperlinked reference is all that is required. The overall coherency and readability of this project is good. Clearly, the project is still in its early stages however it is encouraging to see information or dot points in most sections. The work so far is commendable and no major errors have been made, so well done on that. From the three projects, which I have peer-reviewed, I would say that this project ranks second- highest in terms of both quality and content. Nevertheless, I would definitely encourage more frequent contributions to the project to ensure that it becomes more informative. Congratulations to the team members on their good work so far.
Group 4: Alpha Cells
Student Image Template
Reference Styles:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed or PubMed
Search Plasma Membrane
PMID: 28260084 NO LINK
PMID 28260084 LINK
<pubmed>28260084</pubmed>
Note - This image was originally uploaded as part of a student project and may contain inaccuracies in either description or acknowledgements. Please contact the site coordinator if the uploaded content does not meet the original copyright permission or requirements, for immediate removal.
Webpage: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/244511?lang=en®ion=AU&cm_sp=Insite-_-prodRecCold_xviews-_-prodRecCold10-7
Biological Hazards of Toluene:
1. Flammable
2. Acute Toxicity; Skin Irritant, Eye Irritant
3. Respiratory Sensitization, Germ Cell Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reproductive Toxicity
Antibody: Monoclonal Anti-Cytokeratin
Host: Produced in mice
Species Reactivity: Bovine, frog, human, rat, kangaroo rat, mouse
Reference: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/c2931?lang=en®ion=AU
Secondary Antibody: PE anti-mouse IgG1
Secondary Antibody Description: The RMG1-1 monoclonal antibody reacts with immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) in all tested mouse haplotype (Igh-a and b),
Reference: https://www.biolegend.com/en-us/products/pe-anti-mouse-igg1-6494
2017 Course Content
Lectures: Cell Biology Introduction | Cells Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes | Cell Membranes and Compartments | Cell Nucleus | Cell Export - Exocytosis | Cell Import - Endocytosis | Cytoskeleton Introduction | Cytoskeleton - Microfilaments | Cytoskeleton - Microtubules | Cytoskeleton - Intermediate Filaments | Cell Mitochondria | Cell Junctions | Extracellular Matrix 1 | Extracellular Matrix 2 | Cell Cycle | Cell Division | Cell Death 1 | Cell Death 2 | Signal 1 | Signal 2 | Stem Cells 1 | Stem Cells 2 | Development | 2017 Revision
2017 Laboratories: Introduction to Lab | Fixation and Staining |
2017 Projects: Group 1 - Delta | Group 2 - Duct | Group 3 - Beta | Group 4 - Alpha
Dr Mark Hill 2015, UNSW Cell Biology - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G
Retrieved from "https://cellbiology.med.unsw.edu.au/cellbiology/index.php?title=User:Z5061522&oldid=82515"
Student Image
Science-Undergraduate
2017ANAT3231
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1023
|
__label__cc
| 0.66259
| 0.33741
|
Rules & Disclosures
Future Diary – Anime Series Review
by Sanjo-chan · December 26, 2019
If you like what you see, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Thanks for stopping by!
This review was originally drafted in December 2012, but I do not recall if I actually published the review! This was around the time when I ran myself into a writer’s block, then other things happened that I had to take care of, until the rebrand under Centaku Media a few years later. As with most of the #ThrowbackThursday posts, these are the original posts that have been edited for typos, as well as combined from the first watch review of Future Diary. Enjoy!
Note: this post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our disclosure policy: https://centakumedia.com/rules/
Series Vitals
Director: Naoki Hosoda
Episodes: 26 + OVA
Studio: Asread
Studio – Notable Works:
Shuffle!
Ga-Rei Zero
I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job
Future Diary – Summary
Warning: contains spoilers! Read at your own risk!
A CEN.TAKU.ME review of Future Diary (Mirai Nikki) is a little overdue. It was a series watched as part of Scenic City Anime & More’s weekly viewing sessions from the Fall 2011 lineup. We had to watch it at some point, because it’s also a series highly recommended as a manga read. And, if you’re wanting more of a series that’s like Death Note, but with more depth, this let’s take a look at why you should check it out at all.
Future Diary – Initial Impressions
A student, Yukiteru, finds that his cell phone acts as a diary of the future: a “Future Diary”, where events written in it actually occur. Him and 11 others have the same diaries, which drags Yukiteru into a game of survival. The losers run into a DEAD END, while the winner is elected as a god.
Going back to when I watched–or rather read–Death Note for the first time, I was skeptical of how it would go. The first chapter got me hooked from beginning to end. This is how I felt about Future Diary. But with Future Diary, the pace is a little faster, because there are more characters than the previous series in question. And I have to admit that it made more sense.
The first episode matches the first chapter very well, but with some changes being set in place for the second episode. Having read only one chapter of the manga (yes, I need to change that), it would be fun to see what happens here and there. With Death Note, I read the manga from beginning to end, and the anime slowed it down for me. Watching the anime for Future Diary first, it’s a challenge of stomaching both changes from anime and manga changes. It’s for the better, of course. But there is one thing that sets Future Diary apart from Death Note at all: humor.
In the second episode, things get crazy when another user of the diary is revealed. I’ll only give you this–spoilers, obviously: a school is taken hostage; a girl announces her intentions as if this were a sporting event, and someone gets hurt. Who will it be? In the third episode, we find out more about Yukiteru’s new friend, Yuno, and the other diary keepers with their impending demise. I wish I could have read the manga first, but let’s see how this goes before I decide to finish reading.
Final Review of Future Diary
I gave my first impressions of Future Diary with certainty that it would be something like Death Note. Pardoning my comparisons–but thinking about it, you can’t talk about this series without mentioning another like it, where there are more series like Dragonball Z and Gundam with elements of fighting and mecha. The first few episodes were similar, but totally unique: the main character, Yukiteru Amano, learns that the diary he keeps on his phone does more than remind him of the day’s events, but rather tells him the future. In Death Note, there was a notebook lying on the ground with the words of said series on it. Yuki and Light both play the game of god, but one of them (Yuki) doesn’t want further participation in the game–unless he has to save a life.
In Future Diary, you have Yuno, a girl who is very, very clingy–but who is determined to go to great lengths to declare her love for Yuki, even though they just met under extreme circumstances. The same for Misa Amane in Death Note, but there are times when she could choose to back away. Yuno, like Yukiteru, had no choice but to tag along.
Future Diary gets to the point where the show deserves a TV-MA rating. Not because of the other crazy girl–Minene, another diary holder who actually plays an important role in the story–has a missing bloody eye so gruesome that it’s pixelated, but for scenes that borderline an HBO series–or a late evening prime-time cable series that includes such elements that would not be appropriate for an audience under the age of 17-ish–with brief nudity and innuendos–along with surprises that are too shocking to give away in this review.
Yukiteru Amano from Future Diary
Murmur from Future Diary
Aru Akise from Future Diary
When the 11 not-so-minor characters were introduced, I saw that this was going to be a very quick series, as there’s more to the manga to explain (keeping in mind that I have yet to read the manga). There are some who die, then there are some who keep coming back–characters that were thought designed to fail during their first appearance–but they really play an important part of Future Diary. There are characters who wished would go away. But you might want to wait until you wish for anything rash. The more you watch, the more you realize how important and how bad you feel for the character.
Yuno Gasai from Future Diary
The other diary holders are very diverse: a guy who’s a “Sentaicon” (if that’s such a term–or someone who is obsessed with shouting lines from a Sentai show), a cute little boy (or girl?) who doesn’t look like a diary holder, a cultist with a troubled past, and a strange, large headed woman who is in charge of an orphanage. While the important diary holders seem to know about the diary’s powers prior to Yukiteru’s introduction, the remaining diary holders are sucked into the game of God–even those close to Yukiteru.
Future Diary has somehow work its way into my library of shows that would feel right at home without doubt. Maybe not a series you need to stop what you’re doing to watch, but definitely a series to own and watch for any mood you’re in–even if you’re uncertain of the elements provided. There’s not much to complain about the animation: the character design is your typical modern Shounen-style art. Although, you may find yourself looking away when a character is plotting evil.
As far as story pacing is concerned, it would take–wait for it–the first chapter of the Death Note manga to win one over. With Future Diary, it took several episodes before I fully understood the story. While that’s the usual number of episodes it takes before even consider finishing it, it’s rare for me personally to enjoy a series as it reaches its conclusion. Of course, the experience would have been different for one who read the manga first.
Purchase The Future Diary Complete Series + OVA Classics on Blu-ray
Tags: #TBT2010s MediaAnimeFuture DiaryMirai NikkiReviewsStudio Asread
Sanjo-chan
Just another Otaku breaking the tradition of just an anime freak.
Next story Gundam 101: Anime Crash Course – 2020 Edition: 1979-1999
Previous story The Seoul Searching Chronicles: Dongdaemun & Lotte World
Dragon Ball Z: The Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans (1994) – OVA Review
Channel Surfing: Dr. Stone
#TBT: The Melancholy of…StarLeague?
Twitch Broadcast
Dragon Ball Super – Chapter 56: Guess Who’s Back? January 21, 2020
Pokémon: Twilight Wings – Episode 1: “Letter” January 19, 2020
The Love/Hate Relationship With Dissidia: Final Fantasy January 11, 2020
The Housework 3 Step Challenge – Dragon Ball Super Style January 1, 2020
Gundam 101: Anime Crash Course – 2020 Edition: Movies & OVAs December 31, 2019
Music Spotlight: L’arc~En~Ciel – Hurry Xmas December 30, 2019
Gundam 101: Anime Crash Course – 2020 Edition: 2000-2009 December 30, 2019
Anime & Manga / Entertainment
Channel Surfing: Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Channel Surfing: Flowering Heart
Channel Surfing: Summer 2019 Anime Lineup
For the Otaku
The Seoul Searching Chronicles: Dongdaemun & Lotte World
The Seoul Searching Chronicles: COEX Aquarium
The Seoul Searching Chronicles: N Seoul Tower
The Seoul Searching Chronicles: Starfield (COEX) Mall
Exclusive Series
The Seoul Searching Chronicles
Gundam 101: Anime Crash Course
Archives Select Month January 2020 December 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2017 December 2016 January 2016 December 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015
Enter your email address to subscribe to Centaku Media and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Donate via Ko-fi
If you really enjoy the content offered here on Centaku Media, you are free to donate to keep the creative juices flowing!
Rules and Disclosures
Subscribe to Centaku Media
Follow Centaku Media on Twitter
centakumedia
Reporting unique fan approaches within the community of Anime and Gaming interests since 2007. Owner: @centakuchan
Centaku Media © 2020. All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1024
|
__label__cc
| 0.625395
| 0.374605
|
CG FEWSTON
Where Books and Readers Come Together
About CG FEWSTON
My 22 Days & 22 Nights Fasting with only Water
Little Hometown, America (2020)
A Time to Forget in East Berlin, Vol II (2021)
A Time to Love in Tehran, Vol I (2015)
Vanity of Vanities (2011)
The Mystic’s Smile (2007)
The New America: A Collection (2007)
A Father’s Son (2005)
A Natural Miracle
A Way to Say Good-Bye
Home under the Sun
The Ferlite Watch
Special Artwork
Fiction Film Non-Fiction Pictures Videos
**Author Spotlight** Sherwood Berton Anderson [ 115th Post ] by CG FEWSTON
Like all writers from the moment they put pen to paper, Anderson desired to be a great writer; however, much of his life was spent as a middle-class businessman in Ohio and Virginia, later becoming the owner of Marion Publishing Company and the owner and editor of two newspapers.
by CG FEWSTON
A Brief Glimpse into the Life and Works of Sherwood Anderson
And even though he held a struggling career in writing that became overshadowed by the literary giants of the Lost Generation he inspired writers, both novelists and short story writers, who followed him such as Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Salinger, Steinbeck, and Thomas Wolfe.
Sherwood Anderson, American Novelist (1876-1941)
He would even assist Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner in publishing their first books.
Sherwood Anderson, American Novelist (1876-1941) with Elizabeth Prall (c. 1923, photo: Imogen Cunningham)
In 1925 Hemingway wrote to Sherwood Anderson (Selected Letters, 161-162):
“Sure, probably I was wrong about the Many Marriages… I will read it again some time when I can give it a better break. Reading anything as a serial is awfully hard on it. All criticism is shit anyway. Nobody knows anything about it except yourself. God knows people who are paid to have attitudes toward things, professional critics, make me sick; camp following eunochs of literature. They won’t even whore. They’re all virtuous and sterile. And how well meaning and high minded. But they’re all camp followers” (Phillips, Larry 138).
While in Chicago he became associated with the “Chicago Renaissance” during the early decades of the 20th century. Writers involved in the renaissance were Edgar Masters, Carl Sandburg, Ben Hecht, Theodore Dreiser, and Ernest Hemingway.
By 1920 Anderson had five books published, the one to propel him into stardom was Winesburg, Ohio, and it had established him as one of America’s top authors of the time, with much of his prose stemming from daily speech and thought to be highly naturalistic.
“If anything,” William L. Philips wrote, “Anderson was revolting from the mechanized, urbanized culture of the twentieth century” and that “his literary method was not essentially naturalistic, but lyrical and expressionistic” (376).
In the end, Anderson would be known for his works as an author, editor, essayist, playwright, and poet.
But it would be the small things, “between the material and spiritual worlds,” that would make the sum of his life, keeping him within the urbanized life of the South (Merrimen Web). His father, Irwin, was an alcoholic and his mother, Emma Smith, died when he was nineteen years old.
He never finished high school and hopped around from job to job, taking-on the nickname “Jobby.” He would enroll in the army to fight in the Spanish-American War from 1898-1899.
He eventually fathered three children and was married four times:
Cornelia Platt Lane (married 1904-1916)
Tennessee Mitchell (married 1916-1922)
Sherwood Anderson, American Novelist (1876-1941) with Elizabeth Prall (married 1923-1928)
Eleanor Gladys Copenhaver (married 1933-1941)
Anderson was once quoted as saying: “I am a lover and I have not found my thing to love.” He finally seemed to find happiness with his last wife.
In March, 1941, he died while traveling in Panama with an inflammation of the peritoneum, peritonitis. He is buried in Marion, Virginia and on his tombstone the inscription reads:
“Life not death is the greatest adventure.”
After his death his literary reputation dwindled until the 1970s when a resurgence in his work found a new interest with literary critics.
Sherwood’s greatest contribution to literature would be through his inspection of small town America, sex, marriage, and virtues.
He would write in the story “Seeds” that “the lives of people are like young trees in a forest. They are being choked by climbing vines. The vines are old thoughts and beliefs planted by dead men” and:
“There is a note that comes into the human voice by which you may know real weariness. It comes when one has been trying with all his heart and soul to think his way along some difficult road of thought. Of a sudden he finds himself unable to go on. Something within him stops. A tiny explosion takes place. He bursts into words and talks, perhaps foolishly. Little side currents of his nature he didn’t know were there run out and get themselves expressed. It is at such times that a man boasts, uses big words, makes a fool of himself in general” (from The Triumph of the Egg).
In Anderson’s short story “I Want to Know Why” the ideal between spiritual perfection and sexually debased actions comes to center stage. A fifteen-year-old boy runs away from home in order to witness a horse race in Saratoga. By the racetrack he spies two horses: Sunstreak and Middlestride.
Sunstreak is described thus:
“Sunstreak is like a girl you think about sometimes but never see” (Anderson in, Bausch 21).
“When you look at his head you want to kiss him” (Anderson in, Bausch 21).
“It makes you ache to see him. It hurts you.” (Anderson in, Bausch 21).
Middlestride is described thus:
Middlestride is long and looks awkward and is a gelding” (Anderson in, Bausch 21).
Sherwood Anderson on the steps of “Rosemont”
The boy is young like Middlestride but he “is on the verge of manhood and therefore ready for sexual initiation and identification with the stallion Sunstreak” (Ellis Web 4). Sunstreak wins the race as the boy predicts, thereby cementing the sexual side overtaking the innocence within the boy.
However, there can be some debate as to whether or not the sexuality is meant for male or female. At one point the boy looks in to the eyes of Sunstreak’s trainer, Jerry Tillford, and “something happened” to the boy and he states:
“I guess I loved the man as much as I did the horse because he knew what I knew” –and- “It was the first time I ever felt for a man like that” (Anderson in, Bausch 22).
A few things can be interpreted from these lines:
1) the boy was coming of age into sexuality and was drawn more to the man than the manifestation of the feminine found in the horse;
2) the boy was attracted to how a man can create perfection in something of the flesh.
In Anderson’s own life, he once was taken by another more experienced boy to peep in a girl’s window and watched her undress by the fire (Townsend in, Ellis Web).
When Anderson was a teen, he would go to a river and swim with a boy naked. One day another man intruded and the two boys had to hide beneath the bushes. They were naked and very close together, breathing and holding each other. Afterwards the boys dressed quickly and talked about having sex with women.
James Ellis states that:
“They thus had to make women bear the burden of physical sexuality and thereby maintain in the purely masculine relationship a communication that would not be sullied by sexuality. It was as though with men, Anderson hoped, man could maintain a spiritual relationship that he desired with his mother and with Woman in the abstract” (Web 1).
At the end of the story the boy follows a group of men to a brothel in the countryside. He peeps inside the window to find Jerry Tillford with a prostitute. The boy claims: “Jerry bragged in that bad woman house as I knew Sunstreak wouldn’t never have bragged” –and-
“Then, all of a sudden, I began to hate that man. I wanted to scream and rush into the room and kill him” –and- “I been thinking about it ever since. I can’t make it out…. Sometimes I’m so mad about it I want to fight someone. It gives me the fantods. What did he do it for? I want to know why” (Anderson in, Bausch 23).
Topics for Discussion:
What specifically did the boy want to know? What would be your answer to his question and statement: “What did he do it for? I want to know why.” What did the man do?
Was there a homosexual nature found in the story?
Why did the boy love the man?
What connection do the horses play in the story? Elaborate more on
Sunstreak and Middlestride.
Why did the boy hate Jerry Tillford for bragging?
What does Jerry Tillford represent?
Was there a loss of innocence in the story?
Is this another coming of age story or does Anderson take it beyond that definition?
How do you interpret the story?
Is Anderson a naturalist? Is he expressionistic?
How does the writing style match the age and mentality of the protagonist?
If you have other ideas, please feel free to comment.
Sherwood Anderson in Central Park, New York City (June, 1933)
Alliger, David. “Coming of Age in ‘I Want to Know Why’ Boy’s Hero Falls from Grace in Sherwood Anderson’s Short Story.” Classic American Fiction: Suite101.com. 20 Jan. 2009. Web. 26 June 2010.
[Link: http://classic-american-fiction.suite… ]
Bausch, Richard, and R.V. Cassill, eds. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, 7th edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. Print.
Ellis, James. “Sherwood Anderson’s fear of sexuality: horses, men, and homosexuality.” Bnet. Fall, 1993. Web. 26 June 2010.
[Link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi… ]
Merrimen, C.D. “Biography of Sherwood Anderson.” The Literature Network. 2006. Web. 26 June 2010.
[Link: http://www.online-literature.com/sher… ]
Phillips, Larry W., ed. Ernest Hemingway on Writing. New York: Scribner, 1984. Print.
Phillips, William L. American Literature; Nov. 51, Vol. 23 Issue 3. North Carolina: Duke University Press. Print.
http://www.sherwoodandersonfestival.com/
http://www.photoliaison.com/Imogen_Cu…
http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/i…
Anderson’s Timeline:
http://anderson.classicauthors.net/
Anderson’s Quotes:
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/sherwood…
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quote…
http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/ander…
http://www.bookrags.com/quotes/Sherwo…
Info: http://kirjasto.sci.fi/shanders.htm
Short Story: “I Want to Know Why”: http://www.classicreader.com/book/262…
Article: “Sherwood Anderson’s fear of sexuality: horses, men, and homosexuality” by James Ellis:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi…
Anderson’s Grave (Video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5H2X6…
Anderson’s Works:
Windy McPherson’s Son, (1916, novel)
Marching Men, (1917, novel)
Mid-American Chants (1918, collection of poetry)
Winesburg, Ohio, (1919, novel)
Poor White, (1920, novel)
Triumph of the Egg, (1921, short stories)
Many Marriages, (1923, novel)
Horses and Men, (1923, short stories)
A Story-Teller’s Story, (1924, semi-autobiographical novel)
Sherwood Anderson’s Memoirs, (1924, memoirs)
An Exhibition of Paintings By Alfred H. Maurer, (1924, non-fiction)
Dark Laughter, (1925, novel)
A Meeting South, (1925, novel)
Modern Writer, (1925, non-fiction)
Tar: A Midwest Childhood, (1926, semi-autobiographical novel)
Sherwood Anderson’s Notebook, (1926, memoirs)
Hello Towns, (1929, non-fiction)
Alice: The Lost Novel, (1929, novel)
Onto Being Published, (1930, non-fiction)
Beyond Desire, (1932, novel)
Death in the Woods, (1933, short stories)
Puzzled America, (1935, essays)
Kit Brandon, (1936, novel)
Dreiser: A Biography, (1936, non-fiction)
Winesburg and Others, (1937, play)
Home Town, (1940, novel)
San Francisco at Christmas, (1940, memoirs)
Posthumously:
Lives of Animals, (1966, novel)
Return to Winesburg, Ohio, (1967, essays)
The Memoirs of Sherwood Anderson, (1968, memoirs)
No Swank, (1970, novel)
Perhaps Women, (1970, novel)
The Buck Fever Papers, (1971, essays)
Ten Short Plays, (1972, plays)
Sherwood Anderson and Gertrude Stein: Correspondence and Personal Essays, (1972, essays)
Nearer the Grass Roots, (1976, novel)
The Writer at His Craft, (1978, non-fiction)
Paul Rosenfeld: Voyager in the Arts, (1978, nonfiction)
The Teller’s Tale, (1982, novel)
Selected Letters: 1916 – 1933, (1984, letters)
Writer’s Diary: 1936–1941, (1987, memoir)
Early Writings of Sherwood Anderson, (1989, short stories)
Love Letters to Eleanor Copenhaver Anderson, (1990, letters)
The Selected Short Stories of Sherwood Anderson, (1995, short stories)
Southern Odyssey: Selected Writings By Sherwood Anderson, (1998, short stories)
The American novelist CG FEWSTON has been a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome (Italy), a Visiting Fellow at Hong Kong’s CityU, & he’s a member of the Hemingway Society, Club Med, and the Royal Society of Literature. He’s also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) based in London.
He’s the author of several short stories and novels. His works include A Father’s Son (2005), The New America: A Collection (2007), The Mystic’s Smile ~ A Play in 3 Acts (2007), Vanity of Vanities (2011), A Time to Love in Tehran (2015), Little Hometown, America: A Look Back (2020); and forthcoming: Conquergood & the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being; A Time to Forget in East Berlin; and, The Endless Endeavor of Excellence.
He has a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership (honors), an M.A. in Literature (honors), and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Fiction. He was born in Texas in 1979.
You can follow the author on Facebook @ cg.fewston – where he has 400,000+ followers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TqzBag2-o
TagsA Meeting South • A Story-Teller's Story • advice on writing' • Alice: The Lost Novel • An Exhibition of Paintings By Alfred H. Maurer • Arts • authors • best book blogs • best book reviews • Beyond Desire • book blogs • book reviews • books • C.D. Merrimen • C.G. Fewston • C.G.F. • CG Fewston • CGF • classics • Cody Fewston • Cody G Fewston • Creative Writing • Dark Laughter • David Alliger • Death in the Woods • Dreiser: A Biography • Early Writings of Sherwood Anderson • English literature • Fewston • Fiction • Goodreads • great book blogs • great book reviews • Hello Towns • Henry David Thoreau • historical authors • Historical Fiction • historical novel • Home Town • Homer • Horses and Men • How to write better • Huckleberry Finn • James Ellis • Kit Brandon • larry w phillips • Lives of Animals • Love Letters to Eleanor Copenhaver Anderson • Many Marriages • Marching Men • Mark Twain • Matt Bondurant • Mid-American Chants • Modern Writer • Nearer the Grass Roots • No Swank • non-fiction • Ohio • On Writing • Online Writing • Onto Being Published • Paul Rosenfeld: Voyager in the Arts • Perhaps Women • Poetic Fiction • Poor White • Puzzled America • Return to Winesburg • Richard Bausch • San Francisco at Christmas • Selected Letters: 1916 – 1933 • Sherwood Anderson and Gertrude Stein: Correspondence and Personal Essays • Sherwood Anderson's Memoirs • Sherwood Anderson's Notebook • Southern Odyssey: Selected Writings By Sherwood Anderson • Stendhal • Tar: A Midwest Childhood • Ten Short Plays • The Buck Fever Papers • The Journal of Henry David Thoreau • The Memoirs of Sherwood Anderson • The Odyssey • The Red and the Black • The Selected Short Stories of Sherwood Anderson • The Teller's Tale • The Wettest County in the World • The Writer at His Craft • Thoreau • Triumph of the Egg • William L. Phillips • Windy McPherson's Son • Winesburg • Winesburg and Others • Writer's Diary: 1936–1941 • writers • Writers Resources • writing • Writing Advice
CG FEWSTON is an American novelist, a former visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome. He’s also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) based in London. He has a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership (honors), an M.A. in Literature (honors) from Stony Brook University, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University.
cgfewston.me/
15 comments on “**Author Spotlight** Sherwood Berton Anderson [ 115th Post ] by CG FEWSTON”
crampons foot
Ԍreetiոgs! Very uѕeful adνice within this poѕt!
It’s the littlе changes which will make the
bіggest changes. Thanks for sharing!
Vapor pen
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this
przegląDarkowe gry
I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles
or weblog posts in this sort of space . Exploring in Yahoo I at last
stumbled upon this web site. Studying this information So i am glad to exhibit that
I’ve a very just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed.
I most without a doubt will make sure to don?t disregard this website
and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
marcoqqkutschinski.skyrock.com
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly believe this web site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be back again to
Can enhance the looks and make you more stylish and trendier 2013
gucci boston 85th
on sale cheap
polyester shirts tri
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward
for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
buy cheap uggs uk
louis vuitton luggage outlet
nice articles
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to
After all I will be subscribing for your feed and I
am hoping you write again very soon!
louis vuitton damier ebene
http://social.xfire.com/blog/unsightlyepic5836/21052738
Right here is the right website for everyone who wishes to find out about this topic.
You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa).
You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject which has been written about
for years. Great stuff, just great!
Pingback: The American Novel and Its Tradition (1957) by Richard Chase - CG FEWSTON
Leave a Comment Below: Cancel reply
CG FEWSTON on facebook
Follow CG FEWSTON via Email
The Global Experience
CGFEWSTON.me provides readers from various cultures and backgrounds in over 45 countries free access to premium knowledge, theories, ideas, and books.
Next Book Review
Green Hills of Africa (1935) by HemingwayFebruary 20, 2020
Matthew Harffy ~ Author Interview
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) by Ernest Hemingway & the Ideal Self
Letters Over The Wall: Life in Communist East Germany (2015) by David F. Strack & the 30th Anniversary, 1989-2019
Total Words Published on CGFEWSTON.me
382459 words
Use the Best. Use Moleskine.
CG FEWSTON is “Brighten Cambridge”
How are Books Selected for Review ??
Books chosen for review on CGFEWSTON.me are selected by happenstance and at random.
No publisher, big or small, is allowed to send books for review or promote pre-selected books on this website at any time because CGFEWSTON.me maintains a year-round Closed Submission Policy.
Any books received directly from publishers or writers will be returned or destroyed upon arrival. Bribes in the form of free books, gifts, money and/or “quid pro quo” will not be tolerated.
CG FEWSTON desires that CGFEWSTON.me remain a free website for all readers and for bibliophiles (lovers of books) to come and find out more about a variety of stories and literature that they may not otherwise have access to.
Materials used on this site have been used for criticism, research and educational purposes while any and all persons and organizations continue to maintain their copyrights on any books, images, and/or quotes and all other materials used therein.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
Our Reader’s Mantra
“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
— Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), an American journalist, novelist and short-story writer
Our Company Motto
Bringing Literacy to the World one Book at a Time
Here at CGFEWSTON.me we encourage everyone to stay F.I.T. in mind and body… Fairness ~ Integrity ~ Truth
Our Company Quote
“I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man’s. I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.”
— William Blake (1757-1827)
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1027
|
__label__wiki
| 0.627535
| 0.627535
|
BAT launches more vaping products in Japan to take on Philip Morris
Sept 4 (Reuters) - British American Tobacco said it would launch two new tobacco heating products in Japan under its glo brand, as it seeks to close the gap with market leader Philip Morris International Inc in the country's fast-growing vaping industry.
The new products, glo pro and glo nano, come with new heating technologies and slimmer sizes and will be available in Japan from October, the company said, a month after it launched another product - glo sens - in Tokyo. The glo brand was introduced in Japan in 2016.
The introduction of these vaping devices, known as "heat-not-burn" products, is part of new Chief Executive Jack Bowles' plan to slim down the company's "new categories" business to just three brands, including glo.
Unlike combustible cigarettes, heat-not-burn products heat tobacco-filled sticks wrapped in paper to generate an aerosol that contains nicotine. They are different from e-cigarettes such as the popular Juul device, which vaporizes a nicotine-filled liquid.
Philip Morris leads the heat-not-burn (HNB) market with its iQOS product in Japan, which has emerged as a fertile test ground for vaping products since e-cigarettes using nicotine-laced liquid are not allowed under the country's pharmaceutical regulation.
According to analysts at Nomura, the HNB market nearly doubled in Japan in 2018 from the year earlier, with iQOS commanding a 71.8% share of the market, followed by BAT's glo products with 20.1%. Local player Japan Tobacco Inc's Ploom TECH comes third with 8.1%.
The urgency for BAT to strengthen its business in Japan comes on the heels of Philip Morris' announcement last week that it was in talks to merge with Altria, which has a stake in U.S. e-cigarette market leader Juul.
Analysts have said their proposed combination could create a company with the scale and resources to dominate the e-cigarette market. (Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1033
|
__label__wiki
| 0.618394
| 0.618394
|
Advising & Degree Planning
Honors & Scholarships
Research Experiences
Student Communities
Health Professions Office
Volunteering & Outreach
Degree Checklists
The Freshman Research Initiative provides hands-on science experience.
Faculty & Research Home
blank-line
Stengl-Wyer Endowment
Faculty Affairs Office
Research & Facilities Office
Teaching Portal
Current Job Listings
College of Natural Sciences is home to a number of nationally-recognized teachers and researchers.
Staff Committee
Staff Celebration Day
Business Services Office
Information Technology Office
Meet our award-winning staff.
Alumni & Friends Home
Alumni Relations Office
Read about members of our diverse and distinguished alumni community.
Facts & Rankings
Communications & Events
From the College of Natural Sciences
Film Tells Incredible Story of Alum Jim Allison
Marc G Airhart
How does a poor kid from tiny Alice, Texas grow up, go to a top research university, patiently pursue a new treatment for cancer that all the experts call crazy, and end up leading a revolution in cancer therapeutics that has already saved countless lives? Oh, and somehow manage to play harmonica with Willie Nelson and win a Nobel Prize too?
That's the glorious story of the hit documentary "Jim Allison: Breakthrough." The Washington Post named it one of the top 10 movies of 2019 and earlier this month, it hit the top 5 on Apple TV. The film is available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play and Vimeo.
"A feel-good movie about cancer?" writes Washington Post movie critic Ann Hornaday. "Against all odds, Bill Haney's documentary about Jim Allison — who last year received the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work using immunology to treat cancer — might be the most cheering film of the year."
Allison earned a B. S. in Microbiology (1969) and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (1973) from UT Austin. His Ph.D. advisor and current professor emeritus at UT Austin, Barrie Kitto also appears in the film. Want to learn more about Allison's life and work? Check out our podcast interview with Jim Allison.
The Dean's Scholars Student Association will be hosting a visit by Dr. Allison on the UT Austin campus this spring on Thursday, April 23 as part of their Distinguished Lecture Series.
alumni Biology molecular biology cancer
Improving Brain Imaging with Deep Learning
Marc Airhart is the Communications Coordinator for the College of Natural Sciences. A long time member of the National Association of Science Writers, he has written for national publications including Scientific American, Mercury, The Earth Scientist, Environmental Engineer & Scientist, and StarDate Magazine. He also spent 11 years as a writer and producer for the Earth & Sky radio series. Contact me
Read our publication, The Texas Scientist, a digest covering the people and groundbreaking discoveries that make the College of Natural Sciences one of the most amazing and significant places on Earth. Click here for a PDF version.
E-News »
The Joy of Bug-Microbe Partnerships
How Do Computers Learn? Sometimes by Driving Cars and Spinning Tunes
Additional News »
News by Category »
News by Topic »
News By Dept
Astronomy »
Computer Science »
Human Ecology »
Integrative Biology »
Marine Science »
Mathematics »
Molecular Biosciences »
Neuroscience »
Physics »
Statistics »
Christine Sinatra »
Marc Airhart »
Esther Robards-Forbes »
Vivian Abagiu »
Steve Franklin »
Departments & Schools
Molecular Biosciences
Human Development and Family Sciences
Nutritional Sciences
Advising Centers
Honors Office
Office for Undergraduate Research
Biology Instructional Office
Campus Map »
Student Inquiries: 512 471 4536
General Inquiries: 512 471 3285
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1034
|
__label__wiki
| 0.999961
| 0.999961
|
Till You Love Me (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Telescope (Made Popular By Hayden Panettiere) [Karaoke Version]
Temporary Home (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
Ten (Made Popular By Jewel) [Karaoke Version]
Ten Thousand Angels (Made Popular By Mindy McCready) [Karaoke Version]
Tennessee (Made Popular By The Wreckers) [Karaoke Version]
That Wasn't Me (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
That's How Love Moves (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
That's How You Know (When You're In Love) [Made Popular By Lari White] [Karaoke Version]
That's Me (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
That's My Baby (Made Popular By Lari White) [Karaoke Version]
That's What I Like About You (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
The Bed (Made Popular By Gretchen Wilson) [Karaoke Version]
The Fool (Made Popular By Lee Ann Womack) [Karaoke Version]
The Greatest Man I Never Knew (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
The Heart Never Forgets (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
The Light In Your Eyes (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
The Love He Left Behind (Made Popular By Chely Wright) [Karaoke Version]
The Love We Lost (Made Popular By Chely Wright) [Karaoke Version]
The Lucky One (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
The Moment I Knew (Made Popular By Taylor Swift) [Karaoke Version]
The More Boys I Meet (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
The Nightingale (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
The Right Kind Of Wrong (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
The Secret Of Life (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
The Song Remembers When (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
The Time Has Come (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
The Woman Before Me (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
The Woman In Me (Needs The Man In You) [Made Popular By Shania Twain] [Karaoke Version]
There Will Come A Day (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
These Arms Of Mine (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
They Asked About You (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Thinkin' About You (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
This One's For The Girls (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
This Time (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
This Woman Needs (Made Popular By SheDaisy) [Karaoke Version]
Three Days (Made Popular By k.d. lang) [Karaoke Version]
Till Love Comes Again (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
To Get To You (Made Popular By Lorrie Morgan) [Karaoke Version]
To Learn Her (Made Popular By Miranda Lambert ft. Tallulah) [Karaoke Version]
Today All Over Again (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Trail Of Broken Hearts (Made Popular By k.d. lang) [Karaoke Version]
Trainwreck Of Emotion (Made Popular By Lorrie Morgan) [Karaoke Version]
Trippin' On Us (Made Popular By Lindsey Ell) [Karaoke Version]
Trouble Is As Trouble Does (Made Popular By Striking Matches) [Karaoke Version]
Twisted (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
Unapologize (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
Unbreakable Heart (Made Popular By Jessica Andrews) [Karaoke Version]
Unchained Melody (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
Undeniable (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
Unhappily Married (Made Popular By Pistol Annies) [Karaoke Version]
Untold Stories (Made Popular By Kathy Mattea) [Karaoke Version]
Walk On (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Walk The Way The Wind Blows (Made Popular By Kathy Mattea) [Karaoke Version]
Walkaway Joe (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
Walking Away A Winner (Made Popular By Kathy Mattea) [Karaoke Version]
Wasted (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
Watch Me (Made Popular By Lorrie Morgan) [Karaoke Version]
We Danced Anyway (Made Popular By Deana Carter) [Karaoke Version]
We're So Good Together (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Weed Instead Of Roses (Made Popular By Ashley Monroe) [Karaoke Version]
What Am I Gonna Do About You (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
What Have I Done (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
What I Really Meant To Say (Made Popular By Cyndi Thomson) [Karaoke Version]
What If It All Goes Right (Made Popular By Melissa Lawson) [Karaoke Version]
What Made You Say That (Made Popular By Shania Twain) [Karaoke Version]
What Part Of No (Made Popular By Lorrie Morgan) [Karaoke Version]
What's In It For Me (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
Whatever You Say (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
Wheel Of The World (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
When Boy Meets Girl (Made Popular By Terri Clark) [Karaoke Version]
When I Think About Cheatin' (Made Popular By Gretchen Wilson) [Karaoke Version]
When The Lights Go Down (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
When You Kiss Me (Made Popular By Shania Twain) [Karaoke Version]
When You Say Nothing At All (Made Popular By Alison Krauss & Union Station) [Karaoke Version]
Where I Used To Have A Heart (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
Where Would You Be (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
Whiskey (Made Popular By Jana Kramer) [Karaoke Version]
Whiskey Lullabye (Made Popular By Alison Krauss & Brad Paisley) [Karaoke Version]
Whoever's In New England (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under (Made Popular By Shania Twain) [Karaoke Version]
Why Haven't I Heard From You (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Why Not Tonight (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Why They Call It Falling (Made Popular By Lee Ann Womack) [Karaoke Version]
Wild Angels (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
Wild At Heart (Made Popular By Lari White) [Karaoke Version]
Wild One (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
Wrong Again (Made Popular By Martina McBride) [Karaoke Version]
Wrong Night (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
Wrong Side Of Memphis (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
XXX's And OOO's (An American Girl) [Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood] [Karaoke Version]
You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter) [Made Popular By Ashley Monroe & Blake Shelton] [Karaoke Version]
You Can Sleep While I Drive (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
You Can't Lose Me (Made Popular By Faith Hill) [Karaoke Version]
You Done Me Wrong (And That Ain't Right) [Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood] [Karaoke Version]
You Go First (Do You Wanna Kiss) [Made Popular By Jessica Andrews] [Karaoke Version]
You Lie (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
You Light Up My Life (Made Popular By Leann Rimes) [Karaoke Version]
You Say You Will (Made Popular By Trisha Yearwood) [Karaoke Version]
You Sound Good To Me (Made Popular By Lucy Hale) [Karaoke Version]
You Win My Love (Made Popular By Shania Twain) [Karaoke Version]
You Won't Find This (Made Popular By Carrie Underwood) [Karaoke Version]
You're All That Matters To Me (Made Popular By Miss Willie Brown) [Karaoke Version]
You're Easy On The Eyes (Made Popular By Terri Clark) [Karaoke Version]
You're Just A Country Boy (Made Popular By Alison Krauss) [Karaoke Version]
You're The First Time I Thought About Leavin' (Made Popular By Reba McEntire) [Karaoke Version]
You've Got A Way (Made Popular By Shania Twain) [Karaoke Version]
You've Got To Talk To Me (Made Popular By Lee Ann Womack) [Karaoke Version]
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1035
|
__label__wiki
| 0.770101
| 0.770101
|
Married Christian Rock Singer in Legal Trouble for Hiring Hit Man To Kill His Wife – he also had drug addiction
Married Christian Rock Singer in Legal Trouble for Hiring Hit Man To Kill His Wife
★ (The Feb 2014 update is towards the end of this post) ★
Feb 2014: Not only did the guy hire a hit man to kill his wife, but according to Sky News,
She [his wife] also later learned he was having an affair
So much for the Christian fable that marriage makes a person immune from sexual temptation!
One source says he used to claim to be a Christian, but eleven months ago shared with his fans online that he is having doubts about the Christian faith.
Hey, me too! But I don’t go around hiring hit men to whack people.
One news page says he and his wife have three children together (adopted). So fatherhood, contrary to conservative Christian mythology, does not make a man a better person than a childless or childfree man.
So, here is another example of a married Christian guy, who is also a father, is being a no good rat. Often, conservative Christians assume or teach that un-married (Christian) adults are not as responsible and ethical as their married counterparts.
I am never-married, but, I’ve never been a drug addict, and I’ve never murdered anyone, nor have I ever hired a hit man to get someone bumped off. But supposedly by mere fact I am single, many Christians would assume I’m not as godly or kind-hearted as married people.
(Link): Metal Singer to Be Tried in Murder-for-Hire Case
(Link): Steroids Found in Christian Metal Singer Tim Lambesis’ Home: Detective
The singer of the Grammy-nominated Christian metal band “As I Lay Dying” was arrested on May 7 in Oceanside
San Diego officials investigating an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving Christian metal singer Tim Lambesis found dozens of vials of what appeared to be steroids and thousands of dollars in cash in the musician’s bedroom, a detective testified Monday.
Homicide investigators found a lock box in Lambesis’ Carlsbad home containing “a lot of different quantities” of male enhancement-type drugs, male libido-type drugs and estrogen blocking drugs, Det. John Buckley with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department testified.
There were approximately 30 to 40 vials along with different types of pill packages with more than $12,000 in cash, the detective said.
The steroids were found after the singer of the Grammy-nominated Christian metal band “As I Lay Dying” was arrested on charges of solicitation of another to commit murder and conspiracy to commit a crime on May 7.
Prosecutors allege that Lambesis approached a trainer from his gym on Apr. 23 and asked if the person knew anyone who could kill his wife, Meggan Lambesis of Del Mar.
“He wanted to know if maybe I could find someone to do it for him,” personal trainer Brett Kimball testified in court Monday.
(Link): As I Lay Dying’s Tim Lambesis to stand trial on ‘solicitation for murder’ charges
Metalcore frontman faces maximum nine years in prison after sting operation exposes ‘plot to kill ex-wife’
theguardian.com, Tuesday 17 September 2013 10.08 EDT
The frontman of Christian metalcore band As I Lay Dying will stand trial on the charge of trying to hire an assassin to kill his ex-wife. Timothy Lambesis allegedly told an undercover policeman he wanted Meggan Lambesis “gone”, agreeing to pay $20,000 (£12,500).
Timothy was arrested in May, following a meeting in a bookshop with a man calling himself “Red”. “Just to clarify, just so you know, I do want her dead,” Lambesis reportedly said. He is said to have then handed Red a manila envelope with Meggan’s name and photo, the security code for her flat, a description of her vehicle and three proposed dates for the slaying. He also included an initial $1,000 deposit.
Unfortunately for Lambesis, Red is better known as county sheriff’s officer Howard Bradley. The sting was arranged after authorities had been alerted to the musician’s alleged plot by a trainer at his gym, whom Lambesis had asked for help.
… Lambesis founded As I Lay Dying in 2000, fronting the band through all of its six albums. Their last three LPs reached the Billboard top 15, and the group played the UK’s Download festival in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012.
Prosecutors claim Lambesis provided the undercover agent with an envelope containing $1,000 cash for expenses, his wife’s address and gate codes, pictures of her and specific dates when he would have the children and thus, an alibi.
Deputy Howard Bradley described the meeting in which Lambesis handed him a manila envelope containing 10 $100 bills during a preliminary hearing Monday in San Diego Superior Court in Vista.
“He told me he wanted his wife gone,” Bradley testified.
He went on to explain how Lambesis immediately agreed to the $20,000 fee and said he had already withdrawn the money from his bank account.
Lambesis explained he wanted his wife dead because she was going to get up to 60-percent of his income and would not allow their children – ages 4, 8, and 10 – to go on tour with him, the deputy testified.
Court documents reveal Meggan Lambesis had filed for divorce in September 2012 to end the couple’s 8-year marriage.
In the divorce records obtained by the Associated Press, Meggan Lambesis claims the rocker had become “obsessed with bodybuilding” and was distracted with the children, even falling asleep once while watching them. She also claimed he has spent thousands of dollars on tattoos.
★ Update. Feb 26, 2104 ★
(Link): As I Lay Dying lead singer Tim Lambesis admits he tried to hire man to kill wife
BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014, 11:01 PM
The Grammy-nominated Christian band singer worried his wife would take much of his fortune when the two divorced. The 32-year-old asked a man at his California gym last April if he knew someone who could kill Meggan Lambesis.
(Link): Tim Lambesis: As I Lay Dying singer pleads guilty to attempting to hire a hitman to murder estranged wife
Tim Lambesis, the frontman of American Christian metal band As I Lay Dying, has pleaded guilty to the solicitation of murder by attempting to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife.
(Link): Metal Singer Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Estranged Wife
(Link): As I Lay Dying Frontman Pleads Guilty in Murder for Hire Plot
(Link): Tim Lambesis: Singer Admits Hiring ‘Hitman’
Tim Lambesis’ wife had filed for divorce claiming he had become emotionally distant, before he hired a hitman to kill her.
… Mrs Lambesis had filed for divorce, claiming he had become emotionally distant, was preoccupied with bodybuilding and touring and spent money irresponsibly. She also later learned he was having an affair.
(Link): Marriage Does Not Make People More Loving Mature Godly Ethical Caring or Responsible (One Stop Thread)
(Link): Pro Ball Player Convicted for Kid Diddling Three Kids Claims to be an Outstanding Christian (and he’s married with a kid of his own) – again, why should Christian single gals limit themselves to only marrying Christian men? The Whole “Being Yoked Equally” thing is irrelevant and unduly limiting for singles
(Link): Pastor charged in wife’s murder was headed to Europe to marry boyfriend, prosecutor says – Single Christian Ladies: Kick that Be Equally Yoked Teaching to the Curb! Also: Marriage and Parenthood do not make people more godly or mature or loving or ethical
Author christianpunditPosted on September 22, 2013 February 27, 2014 Categories christian, christian man single or married jailed arrested crime, christian married men who steal cheat lie sin drug addicts jailed arrested, christian men who are abusive or killers murder, christianity, domestic violence, marriage, married people are supposedly more godly or mature belief, single, singlehood, singleness, singles, spousal abuse, stereotypes, unmarried singles stereotype not as mature responsible or sexually pure as married people, you have to obtain perfection before God will allow you to marry fallacy
Previous Previous post: Christian Reality TV Show Star Talks About Waiting Until Marriage to Have Sex
Next Next post: Motherhood Turns Women Into Child-Killing, Dead Body Burning Criminals
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1043
|
__label__wiki
| 0.510317
| 0.510317
|
The Library of Congress > Chronicling America > Honolulu star-bulletin. > November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition
{ title: 'All Pages: Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-current, November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition', download_links: [ { link: 'https://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about Chronicling America - RSS Feed', }, ] }
All Pages: Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume], November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition
About Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-current
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Image 1
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page TWO, Image 2
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page THREE, Image 3
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page FOUR, Image 4
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page FIVE, Image 5
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page SIX, Image 6
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page SEVEN, Image 7
November 10, 1913, 3:30 Edition, Page EIGHT, Image 8
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1046
|
__label__cc
| 0.611225
| 0.388775
|
“i could watch him forever!” – Reddit comment
They call him, Chuck Roy. But you can call him, Bear!
Courtesy of Colorado PBS
Chuck is a professional stand-up comedian that tells funny jokes and stories. Plus, he’s got sweet Beyoncé moves!
He’s out to prove you can change the world by sharing a good laugh.
Chuck Roy is a happy-go-lucky Bear. His joyful, approach to comedy shows pairs well with a beer and a burger! Chuck’s crafted comedy makes him a frequent guest on Instagram’s Dear Comics at the Bar.
Chuck is someone you want to drink a beer with.
That’s why he’s a frequent guest on Instagram’s Dear Comics at the Bar.
He’s a happy-go-lucky Bear. His joyful, approach to comedy shows pairs well with a beer and a burger!
Instructor of Comedy at the prestigious Community College of Denver.
Chuck is seriously funny. His comedy writing videos help students convert their ideas into jokes.
The Bear transitioned from hosting movies at Red Rocks Amphitheater to teaching Comedy. A teacher nerd, Chuck is an active faculty member developing arts entrepreneurship and comedy arts courses.
For information about hiring Chuck to present a keynote address, workshop, lecture or seminar, please lick here.
Learn more about Chuck’s online courses and comedy workshops by visiting Comedy101.ChuckRoy.com.
Changing the world is all in a days work!
A few million people enjoyed Chuck’s cameo in Adore Delano’s Negative Nancy video.
Yes, a Bear can be big and scary on TV. But in real life, this Bear is just a good guy to catch at a comedy show.
“I’m from New Hampshire where the State Motto is, ‘Live Free or Die’. I chose move.” – Chuck Roy
Chuck got his start in Boston’s super-funny stand-up comedy scene. His comedy reveals influences from his peers including Dane Cook, Bill Burr and Patrice O’Neal. At the Boston Music Awards, Chuck earned distinction by filling in for Aerosmith.
“Chuck Roy almost steals the show” – TV Guide
During a brief stints in Los Angeles Chuck appeared popular TV Shows.
Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Late Friday (NBC)
Make Me Laugh (Comedy Central)
Premium Blend
Chuck’s gig warming up the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn helped perfect his ability to host a comedy show. The gig included an opportunity to introduce musical acts including The Dead, Snoop Dogg, Green Day and the Scorpions.
Film, TV Highlights
“Negative Nancy”, Adore Delano (YouTube)
Sounds on 29th (PBS)
Comedy101 “How to Write a Joke” (YouTube)
Ralphie May Presents
Louie Anderson Presents
Will & Grace (NBC)
3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC)
Last Comic Standing Semi-Finalist (NBC)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
The Price Is Right (CBS)
Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS)
Premium Blend (Comedy Central)
The Gnashing (Coming Soon!)
Stay connected and change the world with your laughter!
Sign up for Chuck’s free newsletter. Please enter you name and email address and join now!
You can change the world!!!
Join the #WeChangeTheWorld free newsletter.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1047
|
__label__wiki
| 0.95241
| 0.95241
|
'Avengers: Infinity War' Had a Fake Script Where Loki Survived
By Nicole Drum - November 8, 2018 05:24 pm EST
Keeping details of the Marvel Cinematic Universe secret is no easy thing, particularly when it came to Avengers: Infinity War. It's almost legendary at this point the lengths that Joe and Anthony Russo went to to prevent spoilers, and now it sounds like one of those lengths was a fake script with a very different fate for Loki.
As fans know, Loki is among the first to die in Infinity War, killed by Thanos at the very beginning of the film. However, in the new book The Art of Avengers: Infinity War, it's revealed that in one of the fake scripts for the film, Loki survived. It's something that executive producer Trinh Tran said required them to explain the situation to confused crew.
"We created a version of the script where Loki would get away in an escape pod at the beginning of the movie," the anecdote reads. "When we started shooting that particular sequence, we had crew members who were thoroughly confused. We had to let them know that those were fake versions of the script that they read."
The idea that there was a version of the script -- fake or otherwise -- in which Loki survived may come as a surprise to fans, but the idea of the fake script is by no means new. In particular, Vision actor Paul Bettany has been open about his experiences with fake Infinity War scripts, and the directors themselves confirmed early on that there were fake scripts, not to mention that no one had read the full real one.
"We can divulge nothing at this point. We worked really hard to protect the secrets of the movie because this is the end of 10 years of storytelling and I think a lot of people [have] emotionally invested quite a bit into the Marvel Universe so we want to make sure they have the best experience they can have when they go in to see the movie," Joe Russo shared with Kinowetter. "We wrote fake pages for the script, we distributed fake pages. None of the actors have actually read the entire script, the real script. Very few people actually know what's going to happen in the movie."
Of course, despite the reveal of the fake Loki survival script seeming like a lean towards the idea that Loki did in fact die in Infinity War, it also is likely to keep feeding a popular fan theory that the character is still alive. Fans have been pointing to a few small details of the scene such as which hand Loki uses for his weapon as proof that the real Loki is alive somewhere. If it turns out, and it's a big if, that Loki really did survive Infinity War, the idea of a fake Loki script gets even more interesting and just proves that Marvel takes protecting their plots perhaps even more seriously than we realized.
Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp are now available on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.
Mark Ruffalo Plays Which Avengers Are You Instagram Filter & Reveals Result
Avengers Star Robert Downey Jr. Downplays Iron Man Return
Robert Downey Jr. Shades Former SNL Cast Members
Robert Downey Jr.'s Mom Was Horrified When He Did Tropic Thunder
Joe Rogan Pitches Robert Downey Jr. on an Epic Iron Man Return
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1052
|
__label__wiki
| 0.790103
| 0.790103
|
Russia Hit Multiple Targets with Zapad-2017
Keir Giles
U.S.-Russia Insight
Summary: Despite the extraordinary level of Western media and analytical interest in September 2017’s Russian-Belarusian Zapad military exercise before it began, key lessons and implications from it have only become clear after it ended.
Managing the U.S.-Russia Standoff
Despite the extraordinary level of Western media and analytical interest in September 2017’s Russian-Belarusian Zapad military exercise before it began, key lessons and implications from it have only become clear after it ended. This discussion considers some of the longer-term issues highlighted by, or arising from, Zapad. It does not offer a blow-by-blow account of activities undertaken during the exercise, which has been adequately provided by other sources.1 Instead it aims to identify lessons and themes that will be important in advance of other scheduled major Russian exercises, including how best to assess and respond to them, as well as drawing broader conclusions for dealing with a Russia that perceives itself to be in confrontation with the West.
Hype and Hyperbole
Zapad is a routine, scheduled exercise that returns to Belarus every four years, alternating with Union Shield, another quadrennial Russian-Belarusian joint exercise that takes place only in Russia. It received greater attention this year than its previous iteration in 2013 primarily because of greater recognition of the challenge that Russia poses to European security, while the seizure of Crimea and offensive action against Ukraine are still current issues. In this respect, it resembled Zapad-2009, held when the armed conflict with Georgia was still fresh in Western minds and, just as now, fervid speculation swirled as to the identity of Russia’s next target.
Keir Giles is a senior consulting fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House. He is also a director of the Conflict Studies Research Center, a group of subject matter experts in Eurasian security.
Western media and analytical commentary on Zapad-2017 focused on the anticipated number of Russian military personnel taking part, speculated on whether Moscow was using the event as cover to launch a real attack against neighboring states, and promoted the notion that Moscow would leave some of the deployed forces in Belarus after the exercise’s conclusion. Previous Russian exercises on the scale of Zapad left troops in position for undertaking military operations immediately afterward—against Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014.2 As a result, in Poland, Lithuania, and especially Ukraine, some feared that this year’s Zapad could provide cover for preparing another Russian military adventure.3 Various theories were put forward for how Russia might exploit troop movements during Zapad to gain some kind of military advantage. At their most extravagant, they included the mounting of an actual military attack on Russia’s neighbors that are NATO members.4 However, the Georgian and Ukrainian precedents were each precipitated by a political crisis that, in Russian terms, posed an immediate security threat, and there was no such crisis ahead of Zapad along Russia’s northwestern periphery.
Confusion over reporting of the number of rail wagons that Russia would be using to transport its units to and from Belarus lent weight to the suggestion that its troops could remain there at Zapad’s conclusion,5 posing a new and enhanced threat to NATO members.6 But this too would have required essential preconditions that were absent, including the necessity of cooperation with and agreement from Belarus, which would not fit with the latter’s track record of resisting attempts at increasing the amount of Russian military infrastructure in the country.
Throughout the lengthy buildup to Zapad, Western media reporting and even official commentary succumbed to a spiral of alarm and speculation. Instead of raising awareness, some media outlets raised anxiety, overreacting and thus magnifying the intimidatory potential of the exercise.7 To have Europe alarmed at the prospect of new Russian military adventurism is an entirely comfortable position for Moscow; it is the desired result of its consistent rhetoric and regular dropping of hints at direct military action against its neighbors or competitors further afield. By remaining silent on the scope and scale of the exercise, Russia encouraged the Western media, including even normally sober and reliable sources,8 to do its work for it by circulating speculation and alarmist theories that became further and further divorced from the underlying facts.
The issue of how many Russian servicemembers were to be mobilized for Zapad became a particular subject for alarming assessments expressed confidently but with no visible evidence. According to one detailed assessment, the number of Russian troops involved reached approximately 48,000, of which around 23,000 were active in the areas officially reserved for the exercise.9 Similarly, U.S. analyst Michael Kofman estimates a total of 45,000, spread across a number of military districts.10 In addition, according to a briefing by Belarus on the penultimate day of the exercise, 10,175 personnel were involved on Belarusian territory, of which approximately 3,100 were Russian.11 However, figures in six digits were quoted in the West well before the exercise began, and 100,000 became the standard number quoted by senior NATO figures ahead of the start date, including by German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.12 This figure persisted despite the absence of any visible evidential basis for it even after the exercise was over and it was becoming apparent that it had been much smaller.
As a result, the size of Zapad-2017 may become one of the persistent myths that bedevil analysis. In the same way that it is commonly accepted, but not necessarily true, that Zapad-2009 ended with a simulated nuclear attack on Warsaw,13 so it may in the future be taken as fact in the West that Zapad-2017 “involved sending 100,000 troops to Belarus and the Baltic.”14 In addition, in December 2017 a report by the German tabloid Bild quoting unnamed sources that claimed to be linked with a Western intelligence service suggested Zapad-2017 had practiced an all-out invasion of northern Europe.15 Despite this scenario being noticeably at odds with the movements and behaviors observed during the exercise itself, it gained considerable attention within Europe and will therefore likely form a persistent part of Zapad apocrypha.16
Obsessive focus on the actual numbers risks obscuring more significant aspects of Zapad. Russia’s persistent misreporting of the number of troops involved in exercises is an established means of evading its Vienna Document transparency obligations and is hardly news.17 The exercise has only brought this consistent practice over recent years to the greater attention of a wider audience.18 In addition, assessing the number of troops involved in Zapad without the benefit of actually sitting on the exercise’s planning committee will always be compromised by the difficulty of determining which concurrent military activities over a huge area of Russia are actually given the Zapad brand name and which are not. It is tempting to call everything within the appropriate time frame part of Zapad, and hence to conclude that it is a huge undertaking. But the same approach applied to NATO would lead to the false conclusion that a large number of small and unrelated exercises actually formed part of a single coordinated whole.
What Zapad Is For
Zapad-2017 practiced countermeasures for two of Russia’s perceived greatest vulnerabilities: protection of its border regions and prevention of hostile actors exploiting fissures in Russian society or in the alliance with Belarus.
Viewed from the West, Zapad may well have represented Russia seeking “to prevent things the West has no intention of doing or the capability to accomplish.”19 In June 2017, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that the security situation on Russia’s western borders was deteriorating “because of the increased military activity of NATO countries in Eastern Europe. The North Atlantic alliance is building up its presence in the Baltic countries, improving the infrastructure of their sea ports, airfields and other military facilities.”20 The notion that NATO’s relatively modest defensive preparations could in some way pose a threat to Russia seems far-fetched when viewed from Brussels. But despite being deeply misguided, the idea that Western powers might have the eventual aim of triggering state collapse in Russia does not seem so unrealistic from Moscow.
Viewed through the Russian prism, there is a logic to seeing the United States, and its extended arm in the form of NATO, as an interventionist power that uses subversion and armed attack to achieve regime change—and in the process causes chaos and destabilization whether or not its initial objectives were achieved. To Russian minds, there is no other power that does this on the same level of scale and ambition, and it requires a leap of faith to believe that the consistently dire outcomes of interventions led or encouraged by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya were the product of a sequence of unfortunate accidents rather than of deliberate iterations of a master plan. For Russia, observing the pattern of Western activity, it is prudent to assume that interventions of this kind will continue and therefore to train to resist them. Thus Zapad showed how Russia would go to war to prevent a repeat in Belarus of the events in Ukraine in 2014. But it also reflected an even deeper concern. Russian media noted that the exercise practiced countering “NATO-supported subversive terrorists bent on regime change in Belarus and maybe in Russia.”21 In short, Zapad was “aimed at keeping the Russian army ready to react against the main fear of the Russian ruling class. That fear is the repetition of the fates of Milosevic, Hussein or Qaddafi.”22
A notable feature of the Zapad scenario was the speed with which operations against the adversary, initially described as “terrorists, illegal groups, and saboteurs,” developed from counterinsurgency into conventional high-intensity warfighting, complete with media references to destroying NATO forces. The inference was that the response to Ukraine-style social upheaval in Belarus or in Russia itself would not be to address the discontent that causes it but to resort rapidly to military solutions to shut down popular uprisings and prevent reinforcement from hypothetical foreign backers.
The underlying threat scenario was similar to that of Zapad-2013, but the response demonstrated was different. Compared to its predecessor, “Zapad 2017 was less an exercise of brutish intimidation.” Moving large numbers of ground forces to the right place for high-intensity conflict was less prominent in comparison with testing command, control, and communications; isolating the operational area; and resilience to counterattack. The exercise demonstrated planning for local and more widespread escalation, with strong emphasis on anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) to prevent enemy reinforcements reaching the conflict area, mobilization of forces as far from Belarus as the Arctic Circle, and testing of defense and resilience against air and missile attack across the whole of Russia.23 As anticipated, there was strong emphasis on electronic warfare, including practicing operating in degraded communications environments—in effect, Russia jamming its own side.24 This caused spillover effects far from the notional exercise zones. Disruption to civilian communications and navigation systems, including GPS, from Latvia to the far north of Norway,25 underscored Russia’s already demonstrated willingness to use electronic warfare tools to interfere with and suppress critically important services on a systematic basis.26
Defensive measures included “working to keep NATO out of Russian airspace . . . and deploying naval forces to deny access to Russian maritime approaches.” Overall, the exercise demonstrated Russia’s preparation to counter any deterrence by punishment on the part of a global force capable of carrying out an aerospace attack—in other words, NATO led by the United States. Zapad also showed attention to maintaining escalation dominance. Demonstrated Russian A2/AD capability might not be sufficient to prevent a determined NATO force from reaching its destination, but it could deter it from setting off in the first place if casualty-averse NATO leaders are sufficiently overawed by the reputation of Russia’s defensive systems. During the exercise, Russia successfully isolated the fictitious statelet of Veishnoria from external support. It also practiced rapid and determined escalation, which in a real crisis would be a powerful factor working against achieving a NATO consensus.
In addition, in order to draw conclusions on Russia’s preparations for conflict Zapad should be considered in the context of other Russian exercises and drills, both scheduled and unscheduled. According to one intensively researched Lithuanian study, the emphasis on defense and resilience across Russia results from Zapad being the defensive phase of a much longer sequence of exercises, other sections of which have practiced offensive action where Russia initiates conflict. While so far unsupported by other research, this assessment would be consistent with Russia appearing to practice for resisting full-scale counterattacks by the West, which is otherwise incongruous with the Zapad scenario.27
Besides practicing repelling threats, Zapad also served secondary and demonstrative objectives. Some of its activities conducted in Russia, with access provided to the Russian media, were in effect firepower demonstrations rather than meaningful exercise components. According to one observer, this was to convey two different messages to two distinct audiences.28 First, the use of equipment types not currently in service with the Russian armed forces constituted an arms show for potential buyers. Second, domestic audiences were shown what the vastly increased defense budget is being spent on; the subtext being that the standard of living of Russian citizens may still be depressed but in compensation the national military capability is much improved.
The Role of Belarus
Although analysis and media commentary described the country as a passive participant or even a victim of the exercise,29 Belarus organized Zapad jointly with Russia. The exercise, however, drew uncomfortable attention to the two countries’ widely divergent security priorities.
Belarus is in the difficult position of being officially an ally of Russia but not sharing the latter’s antagonism toward the West. The challenge for Minsk is thus to maintain stable relations with its increasingly bellicose partner while not antagonizing or alarming its other neighbors or jeopardizing its aspirations to neutrality.30 Nevertheless, Russia demonstrated both before and during Zapad, possibly deliberately, disregard for Belarus’s security concerns and desire for stable relations with NATO.31 This included taking steps considered by Belarus to be unfriendly or unhelpful, such as suggesting that the launch of an Iskander-M missile on September 18 was part of Zapad,32 or that the entire 1st Guards Tank Army was on the move toward Belarus at the outset of the exercise.33 NATO’s own missteps in handling Belarus, by contrast, are largely limited to the field of diplomacy and often seem to stem from inconsistency or confusion rather than malicious intent—such as the extraordinary inviting then uninviting of Belarus to the Strategic Military Partners conference in Bucharest in October 2016, or suggesting that Belarusian invitations to NATO to observe Zapad should be submitted through the NATO-Russia Council (of which Belarus is not a member).34
Surrounded by military buildups, Belarus shares NATO’s concern at the danger of inadvertent conflict in the region, and it is looking for ways to avoid inflaming the situation. One way of doing so was to site the exercise in ranges across the middle of the country, as opposed to in close proximity with the Polish, Lithuanian, or Ukrainian borders. This was to reduce the chances of misinterpretation or incidents if Russian troops and aircraft were to come close to NATO borders or to Ukraine, which was understandably concerned at the prospect of an increased Russian presence on its northern flank.
In addition, as part of a general trend of increasing military transparency,35 Belarus invited military observers and defense attachés from a large number of NATO and non-NATO countries as well as from international bodies like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Red Cross to observe portions of the exercise.36 It also conducted advance briefings for NATO and Western countries on how the exercise was to run, in parallel with the information being provided by Russia.37 Consequently, in contrast with Russia’s evasion of transparency obligations in order to avoid having to invite foreign observers to portions of the exercise held on its own territory, the opportunities for studying the proceedings in Belarus were better than ever before—in particular because of the latter’s emphasis on making the exercise open and transparent. In addition, major Western media were invited to cover Zapad by Belarus, but emphatically not by Russia. According to one assessment, it was this transparency that led to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Shoigu remaining in Russia rather than viewing the exercise with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.38 In addition, unsubstantiated anecdotes suggest that Russian senior officers participating in the exercise did not join their Belarusian colleagues in celebratory toasts at its end. If true, this would be a significant indicator of strained relations between two countries where vodka forms such a substantial part of shared military culture.
Nevertheless, Belarus’s attempts at openness were not sufficient to dispel suspicions that Zapad had been used as cover to redeploy Russian troops onto its territory. According to Belarus’s Ministry of Defense, the last of the Russian troops that took part in the exercise left the country on September 28.39 But, despite intensive observation by Western military analysts,40 a week later NATO was still officially uncertain whether they had gone.41
Not taking part in Zapad is not a realistic prospect for Belarus. The country’s interests in continuing stability require managing its relationship with Russia, including continuing to exercise with the Belarusian armed forces’ major training and education supplier, with which they have a substantial commonality of equipment. Although according to Belarusian sources the final number of Russian troops in Belarus for the exercise was even lower than anticipated, Russia provided a disproportionate amount of equipment; for example, 98 of the 138 main battle tanks used.42 Belarus provided logistical support and ground forces for the joint maneuvers; Russia brought the most modern and sophisticated weapons systems that it wanted to test. The exception to this pattern was in special operations forces, where the greater reliance on the caliber of troops than on equipment has traditionally led to a prominent role for Belarusian units and close cooperation with their Russian counterparts.43
Lessons and Implications
Messaging and Responses
As noted above, excited speculation about Zapad by Western media was highly effective in delivering and amplifying the deterrent message of the exercise. According to Kofman, while Zapad formed “part of a sustained political message to the United States and the [NATO] Alliance, seeking to establish coercive credibility should a crisis arise. . . . Western reactions proved an incoherent mix of prudent vigilance and ill informed alarmism, a visible area for future improvement.”
Such improvement could include greater clarity on the basis for predictions by senior NATO figures, as with the example of the speculation on the size of Zapad, in order to provide the media with a clearer understanding of their certainty or lack of it, and to avoid the post-Zapad situation of journalists and politicians blaming each other for alarmism. It could also include closer alignment between the public and private responses of Western countries. The practical steps taken by the armed forces of NATO members to prepare for Zapad, besides intensive study of the proceedings, were calm and restrained in comparison to official commentary. Although the United States made small temporary increases in the number of its troops and defensive assets in place in the Baltic states as a precaution, NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence formations were not placed on heightened readiness. The Estonian Defense Forces reportedly “advocated that Exercise ‘Zapad’ should be largely ignored, for fear of developing reactive responses to what is in effect choreographed external activity.”
The strategic communications handling of the exercise also points to significant lessons for Ukraine and even Belarus. While Ukraine had reasonable grounds for concern over the location and possible outcome of Zapad, Ukrainian commentary before, during, and after the exercise reinforced the perception of the country’s authorities as unreliable, alarmist, and almost as untroubled by considerations of plausibility as their Russian adversaries. Unsubstantiated claims—that Russia would mobilize 240,000 troops for Zapad, that the exercise tested the readiness of Belarusian units to operate under Russian command, and that Russia had moved a larger number of troops to Belarus than officially stated and then failed to withdraw the majority of them—served only to discredit their sources and make them less likely to be trusted in future. They also substantially alienated Belarus, for no evident benefit to Ukraine, and led to tense military-to-military discussions between the two countries through November 2017.
In the case of Belarus, intensive strategic communications efforts were not sufficient to prevent a general depiction of the exercise as “Russia is moving troops into Belarus.” Although some Western media recognized the country’s greater openness, they also noted its outmoded approach to engagement. In particular, during the pre-exercise period of growing alarm, when its efforts could have been most effective at calming speculation, Belarus appeared to think that official bilateral discussions and private protocol statements would be sufficient. It entirely neglected public outreach with the result that the Belarusian position was effectively invisible in Western media coverage. A direct appeal to journalists by Chief of the General Staff Oleg Belokonev at a briefing (not even a press conference) on the eve of the exercise was too little, too late. In effect, in its inability to get its message across to foreign media, Belarus found itself in a position similar to that of Russia during its armed conflict with Georgia in 2008. It follows that, in order to institute effective strategic communications, Belarus needs to overhaul its information operations just as Russia did after that experience.
Prospects for Arms Control
Speculation over the number of troops involved in this year’s Zapad and Russia’s evasion of commitments under the Vienna Document obscured a more important point—the Vienna Document is worthless without trust and intent to comply, both of which are demonstrably lacking in the case of Russia.44 While the exercise has sparked renewed interest in arms control in Europe, it has also highlighted the number of existing treaty regimes and international agreements that are on life support or already de facto null and void because Russia is ignoring them. Some of these are defunct, such as the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, and others have lost all relevance, such as the NATO-Russia Founding Act. In some cases, there are strong arguments for salvaging agreement if possible, such as with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. But in all cases it must be recognized that Russia has no interest in being constrained in its rearmament program while the global balance of power, despite all its military modernization to date, is still greatly in favor of the United States. Proposals for the restoration of arms control regimes tend to assume that Russia has a common interest with the rest of Europe in a stable military framework, governed by dependable rules based on defined shared interests, and underpinned by trust based on dialogue and verification. Russia’s behavior suggests there are no grounds for this assumption.
Avoiding Tunnel Vision
Zapad-2017 has reinforced an apparent Western fixation on the Baltic states as the most likely candidates for the next Russian military intervention. This ignores the fact that there is a wide range of regions where Moscow could perceive or present a security challenge, and that the West does not have a vote in where Russia may choose to act. Distracted by problems on the alliance’s southern flank, NATO’s Mediterranean members have difficulty enough expressing solidarity with their Baltic allies, and they might be hard-pushed to focus on areas, such as the High North, where the perception of threat to their own security is even slighter. As demonstrated by the intensified naval activity by Russia during Zapad, its challenge need not even be on land. Official Norwegian sources discounted reports that Russia practiced an attack on Svalbard during the exercise, but the archipelago has been highlighted as a potential flashpoint by Russia. This presents one example of where in Europe Russia could put forward a spurious claim to legitimacy of action under a fanciful misinterpretation of existing treaty arrangements. When looking for points where it can be subjected to pressure, NATO needs to consider the entirety of Russia’s western periphery and beyond, not only the Baltic states.
The Russian Way of War
The real value of Zapad-2017 lies in understanding how Russia is considering responding to perceptions of threat and vulnerability. Critically, this includes recognizing the vulnerability of its relationship with Belarus, which remains one of the many potential triggers for offensive action by Russia. If at any point swift and substantial political change in Minsk with a possible reorientation to the West appeared possible, this would undoubtedly be construed by Russia as just as immediate a security challenge as Ukraine in 2014, necessitating just as rapid and forceful a response.
In the event of more generalized conflict with Russia, the nature of the response practiced in Zapad should give further cause for concern to the West. The early stages of the exercise saw a demonstration of Russia’s habit of using heavy firepower in counterinsurgency. Doing so against small groups is a consistent Russian approach, and in war has been accompanied by what seems to Western eyes an arrant disregard for collateral damage or civilian casualties. This approach caused shock and revulsion when used in Syria in 2015–2016, but it has also been used against Russia’s own population, as when twenty years earlier, Russian forces, having surrounded a group of Chechen terrorists in a southern Russian village, used artillery to destroy the village together with its civilian inhabitants.
The fictitious scenario of Zapad, like the real campaigns in Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria, was a reminder that Russia has its own views on the law of armed conflict, on the value of civilian life, and on what constitutes proportionality overall. The Russian approach is sometimes explained as the end justifying the means, especially if the end is bringing the fighting to as swift a conclusion as possible. This means that in the event of a future conflict in Europe, the actions of Russia’s armed forces should not be expected to be any less repugnant to Western values than previous Russian or indeed Soviet practice.
1 Including, notably, the running commentary by Michael Kofman in his blog, Russia Military Analysis, accessed January 2, 2018, https://russianmilitaryanalysis.wordpress.com/.
2 Tomasz K. Kowalik and Dominik P. Jankowski, “Zapad 2017: NATO Should Be Keeping an Eye on Russia’s Training Exercises,” National Interest, May 7, 2017, http://nationalinterest.org/feature/zapad-2017-nato-should-be-keeping-eye-russias-training-20540.
3 “Combined Strategic Command-Staff Exercise (CSCSE) of Armed Forces of Belarus and Russia ‘Zapad-2017,’” hosted on Center for European Policy Analysis, accessed January 2, 2018, https://cepa.ecms.pl/files/?id_plik=4118.
4 Andrea Shalal, “U.S. General Says Allies Worry Russian War Game May Be ‘Trojan Horse,’” Reuters, July 20, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-nato-usa-idUSKBN1A52WO.
5 Siarhei Bohdan, “The West-2017 Belarus-Russian Military Exercise: Smaller Than Anticipated,” March 24, 2017, Belarus Digest, https://belarusdigest.com/story/the-west-2017-belarus-russian-military-exercise-smaller-than-anticipated/.
6 Jim Townsend, “Is the U.S. Ready for Russia’s Largest Military Exercises Since the Cold War?,” Foreign Policy, August 2, 2017, https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/02/is-the-u-s-ready-for-russias-largest-military-exercises-since-the-cold-war.
7 Guillaume Lasconjarias and Lukáš Dyčka, “Dealing With the Russian Bear: Improving NATO’s Response to Moscow’s Military Exercise Zapad 2017,” Istituto Affari Internazionali, October 12, 2017, http://www.iai.it/it/pubblicazioni/dealing-russian-bear-improving-natos-response-moscows-military-exercise-zapad-2017.
8 “Russia’s Biggest War Game in Europe Since the Cold War Alarms NATO,” Economist, August 10, 2017, https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21726075-some-fear-zapad-2017-could-be-cover-skullduggery-russias-biggest-war-game-europe.
9 Igor Sutyagin, “RDS Special: Formations and Units involved in ‘Zapad-2017’ Russian-Belarussian Strategic Exercises,” RUSI Defence Systems, October 6, 2017, https://rusi.org/publication/rusi-defence-systems/rds-special-formations-and-units-involved-%E2%80%98zapad-2017%E2%80%99-russian.
10 Michael Kofman, “Zapad 2017: Beyond the Hype, Important Lessons for the US and NATO,” European Leadership Network, October 27, 2017, https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/commentary/zapad-2017-beyond-the-hype-important-lessons-for-the-us-and-nato/.
11 Briefing by Major General Oleg Voynov, September 19, 2017.
12 Arj Singh, “Nato Chief Calls for Russia to Allow Next Week’s ‘War Games’ to Be Monitored,” Independent, September 11, 2017, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-nato-jens-stoltenberg-moscow-belarus-troops-britain-baltics-a7939546.html. See also “Senior NATO General Expresses Concerns Over ‘Transparency’ of Moscow’s Zapad Maneuvers,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 17, 2017, https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-general-russia-belarus-zapad-ukraine/28739923.html.
13 All Western analysis quoting this as fact can be traced back to a single news report, which did not in fact suggest that an attack on Poland had been simulated—this suggestion only came in the headline, which was added later. See Matthew Day, “Russia ‘Simulates’ Nuclear Attack on Poland,” Telegraph, November 1, 2009, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/6480227/Russia-simulates-nuclear-attack-on-Poland.html.
14 “A Funny Kind of Neutrality,” Economist, September 23, 2017.
15 Julian Röpcke, “Putin’s Zapad 2017 Simulated a War Against NATO,” Bild, December 19, 2017, http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/bild-international/zapad-2017-english-54233658.bild.html.
16 See also response by Michael Kofman, “What Actually Happened During Zapad 2017,” Russia Military Analysis, December 22, 2017, https://russianmilitaryanalysis.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/what-actually-happened-during-zapad-2017/.
17 On Russia’s misreporting, see: Robin Emmott, “NATO Says Russia Misled West Over Scale of Zapad War Games”, Reuters, October 26, 2017, https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-nato-russia/nato-says-russia-misled-west-over-scale-of-zapad-war-games-idUKKBN1CV2KD. On Vienna Document obligations, see: Associated Press, “US Army Europe Commander Says Russia War Games Broke Observer Rules,” Army Times, https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2017/10/02/us-army-europe-commander-says-russia-war-games-broke-observer-rules/.
18 For a telling comparison of Russian reporting of exercises within and outside the scope of the Vienna Document since 2008, see David Johnson, “ZAPAD 2017 and Euro-Atlantic security,” NATO Review, December 14, 2017, https://www.nato.int/docu/review/2017/Also-in-2017/zapad-2017-and-euro-atlantic-security-military-exercise-strategic-russia/EN/index.htm.
19 Michael Birnbaum and David Filipov, “Russia Held a Big Military Exercise This Week. Here’s Why the U.S. Is Paying Attention,” Washington Post, September 23, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-held-a-big-military-exercise-this-week-heres-why-the-us-is-paying-attention/2017/09/23/3a0d37ea-9a36-11e7-af6a-6555caaeb8dc_story.html.
20 “Military Buildup in West Russia Response to Nato Moves - Defence Minister,” Interfax, June 21, 2017.
21 Viktor Khudoleyev, “Не надо бояться «Запада»,” Krasnaya Zvezda, September 12, 2017, http://www.redstar.ru/index.php/syria/item/34420-ne-nado-boyatsya-zapada.
22 Pavel Luzin, “The Political logic of the Zapad Exercises,” European Leadership Network, September 15, 2017, https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/commentary/the-political-logic-of-the-zapad-exercises/.
23 Mathieu Boulegue and Carl Scott, speaking at Chatham House, September 21, 2017.
24 Aaron Mehta, “Interview: Col. Kaupo Rosin, Estonia’s Military Intelligence Chief,” DefenseNews, November 26, 2017, https://www.defensenews.com/interviews/2017/11/26/interview-col-kaupo-rosin-estonias-military-intelligence-chief/.
25 On the Latvia example, see: Gederts Gelzis and Robin Emmott, “Russia May Have Tested Cyber Warfare on Latvia, Western Officials Say,” Reuters, October 5, 2017, http://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1CA142; and on the Norway example, see: Knut-Sverre Horn, “Støy fra Russland slo ut GPS-signaler for norske fly,” NRK Finnmark, October 5, 2017, https://www.nrk.no/finnmark/stoy-fra-russland-slo-ut-gps-signaler-for-norske-fly-1.13720305.
26 “GPS Spoofing Patterns Discovered,” Maritime Executive, September 26, 2017, http://maritime-executive.com/article/gps-spoofing-patterns-discovered.
27 “Anatomy of Zapad-2017. Certain Features of Russian Military Planning,” forthcoming article in Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review 2018.
28 Air Commodore (Retired) Carl Scott, former British defense attaché in Moscow, speaking at Chatham House, September 21, 2017.
29 Siarhei Bohdan, “Belarus-Russian Military Exercises: The Story Still Not Over?,” Belarus Digest, October 3, 2017, https://belarusdigest.com/story/belarus-russian-military-exercises-the-story-still-not-over/.
30 Yauheni Preiherman, “Belarus Is the Real Victim of Russia’s Zapad War Games,” Moscow Times, September 20, 2017, https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/belarus-is-the-real-victim-of-russian-zapad-war-games-58997.
31 Artyom Shraibman, “Беларуси указали на потолок ее независимости,” TUT.BY, September 21, 2017, https://news.tut.by/economics/561251.html.
32 “Iskander-M Missile Hits Target in Kazakhstan at Zapad-2017 Drills,” TASS, September 18, 2017, http://tass.com/defense/966182.
33 “Минобороны Беларуси опровергло переброску российской танковой армии для участия в ‘Западе-2017’,” TUT.BY, September 14, 2017, https://news.tut.by/economics/560294.html.
34 In June 2016, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Denis Mercier invited Belarusian Chief of General Staff General Oleg Belokonev to the Strategic Military Partner Conference scheduled for October. Shortly before the conference, the invitation was revoked in a letter from a junior NATO adviser, citing an administrative error. Viewing this as an offensive snub, the Belarusian armed forces declined to participate in the conference.
35 Siarhei Bohdan, “Have Belarus’s Neighbours Convinced Its Military to Open Up?,” Belarus Digest, November 9, 2017, https://belarusdigest.com/story/have-belaruss-neighbours-convinced-its-military-to-open-up/.
36 “Terras: We Will Accept Belarus’ Invitation to Observe Zapad,” ERR, August 10, 2017, http://news.err.ee/612142/terras-we-will-accept-belarus-invitation-to-observe-zapad.
37 Ministry of Defense homepage, Republic of Belarus, accessed January 3, 2018, http://www.mil.by/en/news/65441/.
38 Aleksandr Alesin, “Недовольство Кремля. Вот почему Путин не приехал на белорусский полигон,” Naviny.by, September 26, 2017, http://naviny.by/article/20170926/1506426993-nedovolstvo-kremlya-vot-pochemu-putin-ne-priehal-na-belorusskiy-poligon.
39 “Минобороны: Последний эшелон с российскими военными и техникой покинул Беларусь,” TUT.BY, September 28, 2017, https://news.tut.by/economics/562416.html.
40 Brooks Tigner, “NATO Gleans Preliminary Lessons After Observing Russia’s ‘Zapad’ Manoeuvres,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, September 28, 2017, http://www.janes.com/article/74464/nato-gleans-preliminary-lessons-after-observing-russia-s-zapad-manoeuvres.
41 Rikard Jozwiak, “NATO Chief Says Alliance Assessing Whether All Russian Troops Left Belarus,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 5, 2017, https://www.rferl.org/amp/nato-russia-ukraine-belarus-zapad-exercises-stoltenberg/28775940.html.
43 Carl Scott, speaking at Chatham House, September 21, 2017. See also Siarhei Bohdan, “Minsk Silently Builds a New Army,” Belarus Digest, December 7, 2017, https://belarusdigest.com/story/minsk-silently-builds-a-new-army/.
44 Russia is proud of the way its National Defence Control Center now enables operational command to be implemented centrally. Since the Vienna Document chapter on observing military activities refers to formations engaged “in the same exercise activity conducted under a single operational command,” this should strictly speaking mean that all future Russian exercises would automatically be subject to transparency requirements.
stevemid
This was an excellent article, giving us a full debrief on Zapad, the lead up, Western hysteria, what Russia actually fears and what they tested with the exercise. All with only a very minimum amount of Russia bashing.
Carnegie.ru
Enter Mishustin: The New Russian Prime Minister’s Agenda
Anton Tabakh
Russia Prepares for New Tandemocracy
Tatiana Stanovaya
Did Putin Just Appoint Himself President for Life?
Dmitri Trenin, Alexander Baunov, Andrei Kolesnikov, Tatiana Stanovaya
More from Carnegie.ru >
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1059
|
__label__cc
| 0.695709
| 0.304291
|
Featured » Blog » Annika Jimenez on Disruptive Data Science at the Strata Conference
Annika Jimenez on Disruptive Data Science at the Strata Conference
October 29, 2013 Paul M. Davis
During a presentation this morning at the Strata Conference in New York City, Pivotal’s Annika Jimenez outlined Pivotal’s vision of data science as a disruptive force and discussed requirements for data science success. With Visa’s Ravi Devireddy, Jimenez presented a real-world case study on Pivotal’s work with the company to apply data science to its cyber security efforts.
To set the stage, Jimenez began with an explanation of Pivotal’s definition and vision of data science. She defined the process as “The use of statistical and machine learning techniques on big multi-structured data — in a distributed computing environment — to identify correlations and causal relationships, classify and predict events, identify patterns and anomalies, and infer probabilities, interest, and sentiment.” The key elements of this definition regard Big Data with varying degrees of “structure” being leveraged within a distributed computing environment for sophisticated analytic intent.
In Jimenez’s view, the goal of data science is not simply to create analytics dashboards, or even “cool visualizations, custom querying, decision enablement, or insights.” Though these are important elements, the end goal of data science — and where true ROI lies — is found in “driving automated, low latency actions in response to events of interest.”
An example of this in action can be found in the work Pivotal did showing that customer care call logs were useful in predicting potential to churn. In this case, the goal was to “enable systematic response to user-level likelihood to churn. If your call topic triggers an increase in likelihood to churn, let’s send an email, let’s offer a discount, let’s remove some charges —whatever, but let’s try to lower the likelihood to churn.”
Herein lies what Jimenez described as “the essence of data science — predictive modeling and supervised & unsupervised learning techniques using big data tools on a distributed computing stack.” From this process emerge models that respond to events of interest, such as those likely to trigger customer churn, that can be operationalized into automated actions.
Jimenez acknowledged that operationalizing such a process is a major undertaking and requires a significant shift in thinking and operations. “Doing this is not a cake-walk and it taxes a company’s legacy & status quo,” she said. “It’s disruptive. When companies were built to do something else entirely, getting to this requires a bit of a transformation.”
Using Yahoo’s personalized advertisement and content serving as an example of operationalized data science in action in a company without such legacy restrictions, Jimenez emphasized that these innovations are quickly transferring onto traditional enterprise operations. “Data will be the basis of competition,” she said. “If you don’t curate, enable data science, model operationalization, and app integration well…you will lose ground to the companies who are.”
Helping companies respond to this paradigmatic shift and operationalize their data science efforts is the core of Pivotal’s mission, Jimenez explained. With a portfolio of products spanning apps, data, and analytics, Pivotal aims to help enterprises modernize and accelerate each step of a valuable and increasingly essential business cycle:
1) Apps power businesses, and those apps generate data
2) Analytic insights from that data drive new app functionality, which in-turn drives new data
3) The faster you can move around that cycle, the faster you learn, innovate & pull away from the competition
Visa’s Ravi Devireddy joined Jimenez to provide a real-world example of this cycle in action, speaking of the challenges, opportunities, and ROI involved in the company’s engagement with Pivotal to operationalize data science as part of Visa’s cyber-security efforts.
To shift towards such capabilities, Jimenez explained, companies across sectors need to address legacy concerns in apps, data, and analytics. Pivotal’s “dream team” of data scientists and engineers boast domain-specific knowledge and skills that allows the company “to support modeling efforts across any sector,” she said, including energy, retail, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing, and communications.
Pivotal continues its presence at the Strata Conference in New York City tomorrow, Wednesday October 30th, with a Plenary Keynote at 9:05am by Josh Klahr on Designing a Data-Centric Organization.
From Measuring to Understanding
Starr Horne, a co-founder of Honeybadger.io, discusses some easy wins for collecting metrics and gives an o...
Improved Java Tooling for Cloud Foundry
Pivotal has released several new components that enable developers using Java, Groovy, and other JVM langua...
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1063
|
__label__wiki
| 0.620513
| 0.620513
|
Cornelius, NC 28031
PARC Office
Dawn to dusk for unlighted facilities | Dawn to 11 p.m. for lighted facilites
5 average based on 1 vote
BRP entrance sign
BRP Playground.250
BRP Aerial Ballfields
BRP Shelter 1
Band shell
Multi-Purpose Field
Multi-Purpose Synthetic Turf Field
Picnic Shelter (Reservable)
Walking/Running Track
Bailey Road Park encompasses over 66 acres located off Highway 115 at the corner of Bailey Road. The park provides a variety of recreational opportunities and site amenities including a brand new playground and three (3) picnic shelters.
View a map of Bailey Road Park.
View a Bailey Road Park Fitness Trail map.
Interested in reserving a field or shelter? Visit our Rental Information page.
Bailey Road Park Master Plan
The original Bailey Road Park Master Plan was adopted in 2000 and, since that time, several phases have been completed in accordance with the original vision. Since the population of Cornelius has grown and changed over time, along with its citizens' needs, wants, and interests, the Cornelius PARC Department is re-envisioning the plan for the next phases of Bailey Road Park. Public input for this new Master Plan will come from a public workshop and an online survey.
A new conceptual plan has been developed and will be presented. Recreation amenities planned for the next phase include conversion of the existing tennis courts to pickleball courts and construction of new tennis courts, restroom building, observation area, parking and a restaurant.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1065
|
__label__wiki
| 0.507675
| 0.507675
|
Events, Festivals, & Things To Do Across Connecticut
Town Ambassador Program
Ambassador FAQ
Experience the Best of Connecticut at this year’s Big E
by Timothy Stobierski
Written by Timothy Stobierski
If you’re looking for a fun day trip between now and October 2, look no further than The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
See the best Connecticut has to offer at the 2016 Big E
The CT Building at The Big E is modeled after the Old CT State House built by Charles Bulfinch in 1796. Photo by Meghan Welsh.
If you’re looking for a fun day trip between now and October 2, look no further than The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It may not be in Connecticut, but it’s an easy drive and there’s so much for you to do there that it makes the drive worthwhile, from food to livestock exhibits to rides and more. The Big E saw more than 1.34 million visitors in 2015, according to the CT Department of Agriculture, and is celebrating its 100th year this year.
Because there’s so much to do at the fair, there’s no way we could fit it all into a single article. Instead, we’re just going to focus on the Connecticut Building located along the Avenue of the States.
The Connecticut Building
The Avenue of the States is one of the biggest attractions for the fair and features a building for each of the states in New England. The Connecticut Building was built in 1938 and officially opened and dedicated the following year, at a cost of $85,000 dollars. It was modeled after the Old Connecticut State House built by Charles Bulfinch in 1796, and features a façade of brownstone, brick, and wooden columns.
CT’s sad representatives at the fair: PEZ, Lego, and Mohegan Sun.
The exhibits in the CT Building run the gamut, including information about local produce, craft beers, and wineries, though we don’t have a lot of the crafts and handmade items that the other state buildings proudly display. The largest displays go to Lego, PEZ, and Mohegan Sun—which, I’ll admit, is a little lackluster, and definitely not an accurate representation of our great state. There’s also a rather lame CT picture spot out back that you can stop at if you want to.
Some of the amazing food available at the CT Building.
The Connecticut Building’s saving grace is our amazing food. Among other items, we’ve got HUGE turkey legs and mac’n’cheese from Bear’s Smokehouse, gigantic baked potatoes from Smokehouse Grill (from Danny’s Little Taste of Texas in South Windsor), and pizza from Wooster Street Pizza. Sadly, I showed up to the fair without an appetite and missed the short lines at the beginning of the day; when I returned a little before 5pm, the line for the baked potato took almost 30 minutes to get through, but it was definitely worth the wait.
CT State Troopers
Kevin rides on The Convincer. He wasn’t smiling after his crash course in seatbelt use.
For some reason, there’s always a state trooper exhibit at the fair. I guess we’re known for our cops? Either way, if you’ve got a new driver or are just a glutton for punishment, check out The Convincer outside of the CT building, which shows you how painful a car crash can be at even a low speed (4mph).
Tickets cost $15, and they only accept cash at the admissions tent.
There are 7 ATMs located inside the fair grounds. Some exhibitors will accept debit/credit cards, but a lot are cash-only, so make sure you bring some with you.
Parking at the fairgrounds is a nightmare, so your best bet is to park at one of the surrounding businesses. These places charge between $10 and $20, so bring cash. If you get there early enough, you can park a relatively short walk from the fair.
Head to the fair early. We got there at 11am, as traffic was just starting to get a little hairy. Our friend, Dave, left an hour after us and was stuck in traffic for 2 hours trying to get in.
This is the final weekend of the 2016 Big E. Hours are 10am-11pm Saturday, and 11am-10pm Sunday. If you can’t make it, next year’s Big E will take place Sept. 15 – Oct. 1, 2017.
Chowda Pot: 5 Types of Clam Chowder You’ll Find In Connecticut
Family-Friendly Halloween Festival Returns to Southington Drive-In
Put Your Brain To The Test With These 13 Connecticut...
8 Unique Restaurants in CT To Take Your Date This...
50 Things to Do During a Snowstorm in Connecticut
12 Jolly Things to do in CT to Get in the Holiday...
All Aboard!: Santa’s Trolley Winter Wonderland
10 Places To Go Ice Skating in CT
Timothy Stobierski
Tim Stobierski is a Connecticut native and a freelance writer and editor who has worked with a number of publishers including Taunton, Abrams, and Yale University Press. He has written for Grow Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Hartford Courant, and many other publications. His first book of poetry, Chronicles of a Bee Whisperer was published in 2012 by River Otter Press. He is the founding editor of StudentDebtWarriors.com, a website focused on helping college students avoid and pay off their student loan debt.
To expand upon the parking tip, many people rent out parking on their lawns for $15-$30 as well.
See What’s Happening:
“Small Treasures” Exhibit At The Maritime Garage Gallery Maritime Garage Gallery 11 North Water Street, Norwalk CT 06854
04nov(nov 4)9:00 am24jan(jan 24)5:00 pm“Small Treasures” Exhibit At The Maritime Garage GalleryMaritime Garage Gallery
Works of art that are small in size, but big on creativity are on exhibit at the Maritime Garage Gallery. “Small Treasures” features works of art that are no larger
Works of art that are small in size, but big on creativity are on exhibit at the Maritime Garage Gallery. “Small Treasures” features works of art that are no larger than 12 by 12 inches. The exhibit runs from July 15 – October 4, 2019.
“Small Treasures” features artwork from 30 local and national artists, including Jennifer Moné Hill of Danbury, Sheri Schwarz, Hamden, Gregory Ziebell of Norwalk, Charles Hall, Windsor Locks, and Theresa Kasun of Shelton.
The Maritime Garage Gallery is part of the Parking Authority’s “Art in Parking Places” placemaking initiative, an effort to support art in parking spaces. It is free and open to the public from 9:00am -5:00pm, Monday through Friday. For more information, call 203- 831-9063, or visit www.norwalkpark.org/public-art.
November 4 (Monday) 9:00 am - January 24 (Friday) 5:00 pm
Maritime Garage Gallery
11 North Water Street, Norwalk CT 06854
Norwalk Parking Authority 11 North Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854
“Migrating Colors” Exhibit at the Maritime Garage Gallery Maritime Garage Gallery 11 North Water Street, Norwalk CT 06854
05nov(nov 5)9:00 am24jan(jan 24)5:00 pm“Migrating Colors” Exhibit at the Maritime Garage GalleryMaritime Garage GalleryMaritime Garage Gallery
The City of Norwalk Parking Authority’s Maritime Garage Gallery’s latest exhibit features art that brings a bit of spring to winter, through color. “Migrating Colors” features works inspired by color,
The City of Norwalk Parking Authority’s Maritime Garage Gallery’s latest exhibit features art that brings a bit of spring to winter, through color. “Migrating Colors” features works inspired by color, its effects, meaning, value, and playfulness, awakening viewers to color’s brilliant presence.
“Migrating Colors” exhibiting artists include Jay Petrow and Nancy Breakstone both from Westport, Kirstan Holtan from Stamford, Wilton resident Tara Kovach, Amy L Kaplan of Fairfield, Elizabeth Katz of Easton and Hamden resident Tim Nighswander.
November 5 (Tuesday) 9:00 am - January 24 (Friday) 5:00 pm
Billy Elliot the Musical Goodspeed Opera House 6 Main St, East Haddam, CT 06423
15nov(nov 15)2:00 pm26jan(jan 26)10:00 pmBilly Elliot the MusicalGoodspeed Opera House
Young Billy Elliot is pulled between his family’s coal-mining roots and his newly discovered passion to dance. Is his future boxing gloves or ballet shoes? In the hardscrabble world of
Young Billy Elliot is pulled between his family’s coal-mining roots and his newly discovered passion to dance. Is his future boxing gloves or ballet shoes? In the hardscrabble world of a changing England, reaching high becomes a leap of faith. Following your dream — and overcoming obstacles — has never been more electric than in the 10-time Tony winning Broadway phenomenon with songs by the legendary Elton John. Celebrate the idea of being yourself in the Goodspeed premiere of this powerful dance-filled story! Sept 13 – Nov 24
November 15 (Friday) 2:00 pm - January 26 (Sunday) 10:00 pm
6 Main St, East Haddam, CT 06423
Goodspeed Musicals(860) 873-8668 boxoffice@goodspeed.org 6 Main St, East Haddam, CT 06423
Santa's Back on Bank Street Post University Downtown 140 Bank Street
07jan(jan 7)12:00 pm22(jan 22)4:00 pmSanta's Back on Bank StreetPost University Brings Santa Back to Bank Street in New Holiday DisplayPost University Downtown
Post University will merge traditions of the past with technologies of the present to create an immersive, interactive holiday display in its Downtown location. Holiday festivities will involve local Waterbury
Post University will merge traditions of the past with technologies of the present to create an immersive, interactive holiday display in its Downtown location. Holiday festivities will involve local Waterbury businesses, including local theatrical nonprofit, Shakespearience, and cookies provided by Sweet Maria’s bakeshop, owned by Post University alumna Maria Sanchez. Post Downtown also will serve as a collection location for the Connecticut State Trooper “Stuff a Cruiser” Holiday Toy Drive.
The holiday experience is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. on the following days:
Saturday, December 7 – Sunday, December 8
Saturday, December 14 – Sunday, December 15
Free parking is available on event days at the Buckingham Garage/Waterbury Transportation Center located at 210 Bank Street.
7 (Tuesday) 12:00 pm - 22 (Wednesday) 4:00 pm
Post University Downtown
140 Bank Street
Nick on 15 of Connecticut’s Most Amazing Mountain Bike Trails
Art on 15 of Connecticut’s Most Amazing Mountain Bike Trails
Pete on Grab a Burger at Louis’ Lunch: Birthplace of the Burger
Norman on A Connecticut Hot Dog Trail? Your Guide to the Best Dogs in CT
Deborah Glantz Hanna on Where to Find Fresh Apple Cider in Connecticut
If you not a fan of the cold, these CT rock climbing gyms might help break the cold weather blues. https://t.co/3OVgjKKL90 about 1 year ago from HubSpot
It's time to start planning your skiing trips for this season. Here are 5 places to shred the slopes. ⛷️ https://t.co/kCyUIE58mu about 1 year ago from HubSpot
Need a beverage that matches the weather? Check out these awesome CT breweries! https://t.co/Bl8jftxdGq about 1 year ago from HubSpot
@ctweekender
Copyright © 2018. Content Powered by Pepperland Marketing - A Growth-Driven Inbound Marketing Agency in Cheshire, CT.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1069
|
__label__cc
| 0.703627
| 0.296373
|
Home News Top Stories On Autos: Midsize Buick offers Euro style, hatchback utility
On Autos: Midsize Buick offers Euro style, hatchback utility
Brady Holt
The 2018 Buick Regal Sportback is a European-designed midsize hatchback that blends style and functionality. (Photo by Brady Holt/The Current)
When it is designed right, a hatchback can combine all the style of a four-door sedan with a lot more cargo versatility. Whereas a sedan’s trunk is walled off from the passenger compartment, a hatchback lets you fold down the rear seat to create a big open area.
Subtly styled hatchbacks are popular in Europe, and Audi and BMW have found recent success with the genre even in the U.S. There are few downsides to an Audi A5 Sportback or BMW 430i Gran Coupe compared to an A4 or 330i sedan, and a significant functional advantage.
It is still hard to find such a vehicle south of $40,000, though. For 2018, Buick has launched one of the few examples: the all-new Regal Sportback, which was designed by Opel, General Motors’ former European division. Prices start at $25,915, just a few thousand dollars more than a mainstream Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
Although the Regal name is best known for old sofas on wheels, it has actually used an Opel sports sedan design for nearly a decade — providing livelier handling than the Buick badge would suggest. For 2018, Buick replaced the old Regal sedan with a new station wagon called the TourX and a five-door hatchback called the Sportback.
From the outside of the car, the tested Regal Sportback looks like an Audi A5 rival. Both cars have a subtle elegance, looking confidently premium rather than boisterously exuberant. With simple details and clean lines, the Regal is not going to get many stares, but it is pleasant to look at.
Slim headlights bookend a chrome-framed grille up front, and graceful taillights wrap around the rear. A gently rounded silhouette and lightly creased body stand apart from the aggressive designs that dominate many mainstream and luxury brands today. A small simulated trunk beyond the rear windshield preserves the approximate aesthetic of a sedan, but it lifts up along with the windshield to provide ample cargo access.
Buick quotes a crossover-rivaling 32 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 61 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. That seems unnaturally high, so do not expect miracles from the Regal Sportback. That said, there is clearly more room and more cargo flexibility than you would get in a sedan, and the TourX wagon does better still.
Like most of today’s luxury cars but few mainstream models, the Regal is offered with all-wheel drive. It is a $2,000 option on the upper-trim Preferred II and Essence models, and standard on the performance-oriented GS.
Despite these unique points, most of the Regal experience is more in line with a humble family sedan: competent and pleasant, but not dazzling.
A smooth, quiet ride and light steering make for an easygoing driving experience. The Regal does not offer the taut, buttoned-down feel of an Audi, though, and even today’s Honda Accord has a more upscale, fun-to-drive experience. Do not expect a floaty archaic barge, either — just a pleasant, ordinary midsize car.
The Regal’s standard engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250 horsepower. That is more than you would find on a base Accord, Camry or other midsize family sedan, more in line with their optional larger engines. Its fuel economy is competitive with most similarly powerful sedans, but if you did not need quite so much power, you might be disappointed: EPA ratings are 26 mpg on premium fuel with the standard front-wheel-drive layout, and 24 mpg with all-wheel-drive.
The GS performance model promises livelier handling as well as a 310-horsepower V6 engine, which is rated for 22 mpg on regular fuel. It is priced from $39,995.
The Sportback’s interior.
Like the driving experience, the standard Regal’s interior trimmings are nothing special. The controls are user-friendly, including on the standard infotainment system, and few individual details are objectionable.
But most of its plastic trim looks and feels like it belongs in a car that costs around $25,000 — even though prices can surpass $40,000 with all the options. And while Audi offers a pair of stunningly crisp customizable display screens, the Regal’s infotainment options are pretty much the same as you would find in a $20,000 Chevrolet.
Expect to spend several thousand dollars more for the Regal compared to a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. If the Regal’s hatchback versatility and European styling are not a huge draw for you, consider those models instead. You can also get the Regal’s mechanical twin, the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, which is available with the same engine and which even feels more European to drive — thanks to some extra life in the steering — than the Opel-sourced Regal.
Meanwhile, the Acura TLX offers a slightly posher, quieter experience than an ordinary family sedan, at a similar price point to a comparably equipped Regal. In fact, pricing site Truecar.com suggests you can haggle an especially large discount off the TLX’s sticker. But the Acura lacks the Regal’s hatchback body style as well.
Some other options: The all-new 2018 Kia Stinger is a rear-wheel-drive midsize hatchback that matches the Regal’s cargo versatility. It is designed to be sporty, and Kia accordingly made the Stinger look more aggressive inside and out; preferences will vary between the exuberant Kia and the restrained Buick. The Stinger has a higher base price than the Regal ($32,800), but the two cost about the same when you factor in the Kia’s additional standard equipment.
Lastly, if you do still prefer an all-out luxury feel and a hatchback body style, the A5 Sportback and 430i Gran Coupe can be worth the extra money. The Regal is a strong option if you’re looking for a classy, comfortable vehicle that doesn’t scream “luxury” or charge luxury prices.
Previous articleEvents calendar: Friday, March 23
Next articleD.C. fencers place at NCAA championships
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1073
|
__label__wiki
| 0.725191
| 0.725191
|
Home Lifestyle Entertainment Watch Hrithik’s transformation, earned back his six pack for ‘War’
Watch Hrithik’s transformation, earned back his six pack for ‘War’
After playing math whiz and IIT coach Anand Kumar in Super 30 earlier this year, Hrithik Roshan returned to the big screen in fine form as buff intelligence agent Kabir in Siddharth Anand’s War.
The actor’s swagger may seem effortless, but his transformation from your average Joe to Greek god was really worth praising.
Hrithik recently posted a video detailing the work that has gone into sculpting each of his muscles you see in the film, after letting go of his six pack and gaining weight for Super 30.
In the video, the actor revealed that the shooting schedule allowed him only a month to get back into shape for the action film, when realistically he needed at least six. “There was a very slim chance that we could pull this off. It was the hardest thing that I had to go through. The only person I had to blame was myself,” he says.
Another hurdle was his slip discs that he had suffered from the impact of his training sessions due to one leg being shorter than the other. The video documents Hrithik’s rigorous routine, from lifting weights to pull-ups and planks as well as dance practice sessions.
Fellow Bollywood actors complimented Hrithik’s hard work. “Sir bade hoke aap ke tarah banna hai ,wrote his awestruck War co-star Tiger Shroff. Varun Dhawan called his dedication incredible and Katrina agreed saying it was outstanding.
War stars Hrithik Roshan as Kabir, an Indian intelligence agent who goes rogue. His protege Khalid, played by Tiger Shroff, is sent to hunt him down. The film also features Vaani Kapoor and released in theatres on 2 October.
Previous article500 terrorists waiting at LoC camps in PoK to sneak into Kashmir: Northern Command chief
Next articleJ&K : Postpaid mobile services likely to resume from tomorrow, after 68 days blockade
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1079
|
__label__cc
| 0.63604
| 0.36396
|
Category: 52 new foods challenge
The 52 New Foods Challenge – Cucumbers
On August 2, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, antioxidants, cucumbers, encyclopedia of healing foods, fiber, in season in july, in season, in june, locavore, magnesium, melons, organic, seasonal eating, summer, summer squash, the encyclopedia of healing foods, Uncategorized, wintersquashLeave a comment
I have always loved cucumbers. I find their crunchy texture and mild and refreshing flavor irresistible. It always baffles me that there are people out there that don’t like them (ahem…you know who you are ;-). I’m a HUGE fan of pickles (I’ll thank my Essenmacher roots for that!) and I love cucumbers on salads (green salads, pasta salads, etc.). I’ve also had refreshing cucumber waters and cucumber cocktails. Je nnifer Tyler Lee also recommends Asian cucumber salad, minty cucumber salad, and cucumber tea sandwiches. All of which sound great!
Seventy percent of the US pickle crop is made into pickles.
Cucumbers are composed mostly of water, making them a very refreshing option during summer.
The flesh contains vitamins A and C and folic acid, while the skin is rich in fiber and contains the minerals silica, potassium, magnesium, and molybdenum. [My thoughts on peeling vegetables: peeling them is just extra work AND it takes away vital nutrients, so no thanks.]
Good source of vitamin K and B5, phosphorous, copper, and manganese.
Cucumbers belong to the same family as melons, summer squash, and winter squash.
Have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Are a good source of flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno, and whfoods.com.
The 52 New Foods Challenge – Basil
On July 26, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidants, basil, caprese, encyclopedia of healing foods, essential oils, holy basil, in season in july, Laci Smith, locavore, pesto, seasonal eating, summer, super foods, the encyclopedia of healing foods, tomatero, tomatero farm, tomatero organic farm, tomatoes, watermelonLeave a comment
While working at the Campbell Farmer’s Market, basil was always a top seller for Tomatero. Tomatoes, strawberries, and basil always brought folks to the booth. In fact, one of my coworkers would often wave some basil through the air to release the scent to help lure them in like Yogi Bear. I love basil. I like making traditional caprese salads, basil pesto, and my awesome sister-in-law Amy, makes a watermelon caprese salad (watermelon subs nicely for tomatoes for those avoiding nightshades). Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests trying a nut free pesto – using sunflower seeds or adding fresh peaches and basil to ice cream! YUMMMY! What’s your favorite use for basil?
Sweet basil is the variety that we typically eat, however Holy basil or tulsi is a variety that is coveted for its medicinal purposes and is native to India.
Excellent source of vitamins A, K, and C and maganese.
It is rich in antioxidants, especially carotenoids.
Basil’s essential oils are antifungal and antimicrobial and have been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi.
It is also an anti-inflammatory and can be used to support conditions where inflammation is a factor.
Basil should be stored with stems in a glass of water on the counter. Putting basil in the fridge turns it black.
There are more than 60 varieties of basil.
It belongs to the mint family.
Some of the major medicinal uses include: digestive support, a mild sedative, headache relief, kidney support, poor circulation, and intestinal spasms.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno, and Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet by Tonia Reinhard.
The 52 New Foods Challenge – Green Onions
On July 22, 2016 July 23, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, anticancer, antioxidants, eating on the wild side, green onions, immune health, in season in july, in season, in june, Laci Smith, locavore, onions, seasonal eating, spring, summer, super foodsLeave a comment
Green onions probably aren’t anything new for many of us, but they are an essential ingredient in all types of cuisine. I don’t mind onions raw, I lov e them cooked, and I ADORE them caramelized. I realize that not everyone feels this way about onions, especially children. Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests including them in omelets or even making savory green onion pancakes. I like the idea of using them to make savory pancakes, but choosing a grain free flour for the pancakes, rather than whole wheat flour. (You probably know my stance on wheat, but if not, check out this post.)
Onions are members of the allium family, like garlic and leeks.
Smaller onions have less water and a greater concentration of phytonutrients.
The sweeter the onion, the less phytonutrient activity.
The Western Yellow variety of onion has the most antioxidants
The papery skin layer of the onion has the most concentration of bionutrients. And while we don’t eat that part of the onion, it should be saved and added to homemade broth.
Onions are a rich source of the antioxidant quercetin. This phytonutrient is vital to support digestion and gut issues.
The antioxidant values in onions have been shown to prevent cancer
Onions have also been shown to fight against cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese.
Onions have been also been shown to support the respiratory system and fight coughs and congestion.
The sulfur in onions (and all alliums) is great for liver detoxification.
From: The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet by Tonia Reinhard, and Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson.
On July 21, 2016 July 22, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, alzheimer's disease, anticancer, antioxidants, asparagus, encyclopedia of healing foods, magnesium, organic, paleo, primal, super foods, the encyclopedia of healing foods, vitamin b6, wild salmonLeave a comment
Salmon is my most favorite fish. I’ve loved it since I was a kid. My uncle John would go out fishing and always bring home plenty of salmon to share. Often, he would smoke the salmon and this was my very favorite treat. It’s like I had arrived in healthy heaven. Today it is still my favorite, along with halibut.
Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests a sesame crusted salmon, which sounds delicious. She also suggests a recipe for crispy salmon chips (salmon skin) which intrigues me!
Always opt for wild salmon. Its nutrient values are far superior to that of farmed salmon. Wild salmon has 20% higher protein content and 20% lower fat content as compared to farmed salmon.
The chinook and sockeye varieties of salmon are fattier than ono, pink, and chum.
Salmon is a great source of potassium, selenium, niacin, phosphorus, thiamine, folate, riboflavin, and magnesium, and vitamins B5, B6, B12, C, and E.
Great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Wild salmon has a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats.
Cold-water fish, like salmon, have been shown to protect against heart disease, alzheimer’s disease, and many types of cancer.
Salmon is good for combatting inflammation.
It has also been shown to help prevent against depression.
It is a great protein source for detoxification of the liver. [aka Love your liver with salmon.]
On July 20, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, anticancer, antioxidants, apples, celery, encyclopedia of healing foods, gluten free, grain free, magnesium, raw nuts and seeds, seasonal eating, spring, sunflower butter, super foods, the encyclopedia of healing foodsLeave a comment
Sunflower butter or sunbutter is a great option for those that are allergic to nuts but can tolerate seeds. It has a great peanut-y flavor. As with all nuts and seeds, I recommend opting for organic because fat is where the toxins (herbicides) are stored. I also generally recommend raw nuts and seeds because roasting can damage the fragile fats and is often used to hide the rancidity of nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds have a season when they are fresh, just like all fruits and veggies. Choosing raw allows you to know that the nuts and seeds are still fresh. Although, raw and organic nut butters are CRAZY expensive (like $12-$25 for a fairly small jar). You can certainly make your own. Add the nuts or seeds to a food processor and turn it on. Once they become the right consistency, turn off and store in a jar (in the fridge to slow the oxidation process). Some people add salt, sugar, or oil to it. Feel free to experiment away!
Jennifer Tyler Lee, like many parents, was looking for a nut-free alternative for her children while at school. She suggests using it as you would peanut butter…ants on a log and apple slices dipped in sunbutter. She also suggests a no bake snack called Bitty Bites. I would obviously sub out the whole wheat flour for a grain-free option like cassava flour.
Good source of vitamins B1, B5, B6, and E, folate, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, and protein.
Sunflower seeds contain phytochemicals, especially phytosterols, which can help to lower blood cholesterol.
They are a great source of monounsaturated fats (24 grams per 1/3 cup serving).
Sunflower seeds also contain arginine an essential amino acid that is important during periods of growth.
Contain heart healthy compounds.
Have been shown to be anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiallergenic.
On July 15, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, bowel movements, fiber, in season in april, in season in march, locavore, magnesium, organic, rhubarb, seasonal eating, spring, strawberriesLeave a comment
My mom talks about growing up in Michigan and picking rhubarb from their backyard garden, sprinkling it with salt, and munching on it. I believe there was also a backyard swing involved in that story, although I could be merging two stories together. The first time that I tried rhubarb, the taste reminded me of picking sour grass with my grandma as a child. Like many people, I have also tried it in strawberry rhubarb pie. Jennifer Tyler Lee recommends a strawberry rhubarb crisp or rhubarb ice pops (YUM!). Additional ideas for use include in sweet fruit breads, rhubarb syrup, and rhubarb mojitos (!!!!!). I like sour things, so I imagine that I would like it chopped in a salad with other raw veggies. How do you use rhubarb?
The leaves of the plant are poisonous. The stalks are the edible part of the plant.
It can be used to help constipation.
It has been shown to have anticancer effects in lab studies.
It is rich in lycopene and can be supportive in preventing heart disease.
It has vitamins K and C and calcium, potassium, and manganese.
Good source of fiber.
It is an early spring plant – one of the first to grow, especially in colder regions.
Choose firm stalks when harvesting or purchasing.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Wikipedia, and The Pioneer Woman.
On July 13, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, antioxidants, cherries, eating on the wild side, encyclopedia of healing foods, fruits, in season in May, in season, in june, locavore, organic, seasonal eating, spring, summer, super foods, tart cherry, the encyclopedia of healing foodsLeave a comment
Well this post will be up just in time for cherry season to be over :(. Cherry season typically starts near the end of May and goes through late June/early July. But better late than never! Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests that folks dehydrate them, making “Sour Cherry Blasters” or make them into a cherry compote to accompany vanilla ice cream. Cherries are not one of my favorite fruits, but I will enjoy them raw. While I do think they are tasty, I just like other stone fruit better.
Sour (tart) cherry juice can be used to help improve sleep and has been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease and and diabetes.
Cherries are a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, copper, and manganese.
Both sour and sweet cherries have been shown to reduce inflammation.
Cherries have also been reported to reduce Gout attacks.
Sour cherries are lower in calories than sweet cherries.
They are a rich source of flavonoids, especially anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins.
Cherries were one of the first fruits to be brought to the “new world”.
One study found that runners that drank Montmorency cherry juice (one glass before the race and one glass during the race) were less sore afterwards because of the ability of the cherries to help with muscle recovery.
Fresh cherries are firm, shiny, and lack dents, pits, or bruises. They also have bright green stems. The fresher the cherry, the more nutrients!
Store cherries in the fridge and eat them quickly!
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murry, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno, Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet by Tonia Reinhard, and Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson.
On June 23, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, eating on the wild side, encyclopedia of healing foods, in season in May, in season, in june, locavore, plums, UncategorizedLeave a comment
I have very fond childhood memories of eating all the fruit growing up. My grandfather grew up on a farm in Lake Huron, MI. When the Essenmacher clan moved to California, he set up a bountiful backyard garden. Among the many things that he grew were plums. The plum tree was nestled next to my childhood swing set. I still love plums to this day and I’ll give my grandparents all the credit for my fruit addiction.
Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests that readers roast plums with pistachios or try making an Asian plum sauce. While I can easily eat about a half dozen fresh farmer’s market or backyard plums, I do like the idea of cooking the fruit. I’m particularly fond of grilled stone fruit served over some vanilla ice cream.
Wild varieties pack the most nutrients. Look for red, purple, black, or blue plums because they will have more phytonutrients, especially anthocyanins.
Plums should be ripened on the the tree and can be susceptible to chilling injury.
Plums are a good source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, K, fiber, potassium, and copper.
Plums and prunes (or dried plums as they are now being referred to in order to boost their popularity) are known for their laxative effects.
Their content of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids [phenols] has been documented to have antioxidant and anticancer properties.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Laura Pizzorno, Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet by Tonia Reinhard, and Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson.
On June 2, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, antioxidants, clean fifteen, dirty dozen, eating on the wild side, encyclopedia of healing foods, environmental working group, fiber, fruits, improve your health, in season in May, Laci Smith, locavore, seasonal eating, spring, strawberries, summer, super foods, tomatero organic farm, UncategorizedLeave a comment
The 52 New Foods Challenge Food of the Week: Strawberries
This is the most exciting of all the foods and it’s likely not new for most people. There is just something about strawberries that I just can’t get enough of. For me, berries also mean summer. Ahhhhhhh. I’m pretty much a snob about my berries though…I only eat fresh berries when they are in season and I only buy them from Tomatero Organic Farm in Watsonville, CA. I choose Tomatero for three reasons: 1) They are local and organic. Organic is a big deal with strawberries as they absorb many of the pesticides that are sprayed on them and they are consistently on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen. 2) They grow several varieties of strawberries, all of them great, but this season I have been loving the Sweet Anne. 3) Also, I used to slang berries for them at local farmer’s markets for four years. You know, the whole “know the farmer” idea. 4) They are the best!!!! (I know, I said three reasons 😉
Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests serving strawberry sauce on pancakes instead of syrup. I LOVE that idea. I also had sliced strawberries in a turkey sandwich with arugula (think: turkey and cranberry sauce) at an amazing place called Centrally Grown in Cambria, CA.
Wild berries and heirloom varieties have more nutritional value and more phytonutrients.
Strawberries do not continue to ripen after they have been harvested, so should be picked ripe. This also means that if your strawberry has traveled some distance to arrive to you, they are being picked when only three-quarters ripe.
Underripe strawberries are less nutritious than fully ripe berries. (Maybe we should all just grow our own, huh?)
Most supermarket berries are large, firm, white-fleshed, and hollow. This variety has been chosen because of their ability to travel well and last longer. There are many other varieties with other flavor profiles, softer textures, pink flesh, and juicy. I HIGHLY encourage you to go the farmers market and taste them all.
Jo Robinson, of Eating on the Wild Side, suggests that consumers up their standards for produce, especially for berries, so that the stores will have to supply higher quality produce (ripe, not moldy, flavorful, etc.).
Organic berries offer more of an anti-cancer effect than conventional berries.
The antioxidant activity of berries increases when left out at room temperature. The antioxidants contained in strawberries include: ellagic acid, anthocyanin, catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol.
They help to fight against inflammation, cancer, and heart disease.
Good source of vitamin C, folate, and manganese. They are also rich in vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno, Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson, and Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet by Tonia Reinhard.
The 52 New Foods Challenge – Blueberries
On May 19, 2016 By cleaneatingwithkatieIn 52 new food challenge jennifer tyler lee, 52 new foods challenge, antioxidants, blueberries, eating on the wild side, fruits, improve your health, in season in May, Laci Smith, locavore, seasonal eating, spring, super foods, Uncategorized2 Comments
This is probably the most exciting time of year for someone that LOVES fruit and that tries to eat by the seasons. Plus, I have two blueberry bushes and they are exploding with blueberries right now. Since I live in California, my blueberry bushes last year weren’t very prolific. The rain this season has been significantly better but we also started collecting the water from when we’re letting it warm up to take showers. Moral of the story: lots and lots of blueberries, which equals a super happy Katie.
Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests that blueberries are a gateway food for kids because they are willing to try blueberries and therefore step outside their food comfort zone. She has recipe for a Cinnamon-Blueberry Sauce that would be great on ice cream, pancakes or waffles, or CREPES!!!! Yum!
Blueberries have a shelf life of about two weeks – freeze whatever you can’t eat. Frozen berries are almost as nutritious as fresh berries. Ideally they are “flash frozen”.
Great source of vitamin C, K, manganese, and fiber.
Contain flavonoid antioxidants such as: anthocyanins, kaempferol, and stilbenes.
The antioxidant content of blueberries helps to counterbalance free radical damage and the inflammatory response.
High intake has been associated with lower risk of ovarian cancer, lung cancer risk in smokers, reduced anxiety, depression, and inflammation.
Risk of dementia decreased with an increased weekly consumption of blueberries and strawberries.
Aronia berries, a relative of modern blueberries, have nearly 5 times the antioxidant value of our most nutritious modern blueberry.
Blueberries are also known for their ability to lower blood pressure, reduce arterial plaque, and prevented obesity in rat studies.
Cooked blueberries are actually more nutritious than raw berries because the cooking process makes the antioxidants more bioavailable (easier for your body to use).
Dried blueberries are less nutritious than fresh berries.
From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet
by Tonia Reinhard, and Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health
by Jo Robinson.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1081
|
__label__cc
| 0.577872
| 0.422128
|
Creative Commons > Blog > Events > Open Education Global 2017: Principle, Strategy, and Commitment to Growth
Open Education Global 2017: Principle, Strategy, and Commitment to Growth
OEGlobal 17 provided a forum to celebrate and reflect on open education advancements over the past 10 years and consider new ways to broaden and deepen open education efforts going forward.
Paul Stacey
Last week the open education community convened in Cape Town South Africa for OEGlobal 17. Convening in Cape Town had historical significance as it commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Cape Town Open Education Declaration, which is a statement of principle, strategy, and commitment put forward in 2007 to help the open education movement grow. OEGlobal 17 provided a forum to celebrate and reflect on open education advancements over the past 10 years and consider new ways to broaden and deepen open education efforts going forward.
One of the best things about OEGlobal is the diversity of its international participants providing an incredible range of perspectives from open education initiatives around the world. I enjoyed hearing about open credentials and radical openness in the Czech Republic, Norway’s digital learning arena and sustainable large-scale model for Open Educational Resources (OER), and the pragmatism and insights from South Africa’s own Siyavula initiative. Europe, Asia, Latin America, the global south, North America, open education is truly a global movement.
Creative Commons was very active at OEGlobal 17. Ryan Merkley, Kelsey Wiens, Cable Green, Paul Stacey, Alek Tarkowski, and Delia Browne collectively demonstrated CC’s commitment to open education through a range of sessions including:
Third Mission of Universities, MOOCs and OERs – sharing knowledge toward development cooperation, social inclusion, dialogue with production sectors, collaboration with external subjects
Saudi Arabia’s National Open Education Strategy, Master Plan & Policy
Building a more open, collaborative Creative Commons global movement
Made With Creative Commons – Open Business Models
Creative Commons – Hack The Cred
UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal 4 + OER: Working Together to Mainstream Open Education
The Cape Town Open Education Declaration +10 Panel and Celebration
While the early days of open education were largely about OER, things have evolved a lot over the last 10 years. Now we’re talking about open educational practices, open pedagogy, open education policy, MOOC’s, entire OER degrees, and open education research. Despite this clear evolution, open education is still not considered mainstream. In the closing session a panel and the audience engaged in putting forward ideas for advancing the movement further – the new Cape Town Open Education Declaration +10 ideas will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. My own personal contribution was to suggest that the various open education movements, including OER, Open Access research publishing, open data, and open science are all currently operating as independent silos and may be more impactful if efforts were put into unifying them into a more synergistic whole.
In the near term, March 27-31, 2017 is Open Education Week and in September UNESCO will be hosting the 2nd World Open Educational Resources (OER) Congress in Slovenia, Ljubljana.
The vision of the 2007 Cape Town Open Education Declaration is alive and well. From the statement:
“We are on the cusp of a global revolution in teaching and learning. Educators worldwide are developing a vast pool of educational resources on the Internet, open and free for all to use. These educators are creating a world where each and every person on earth can access and contribute to the sum of all human knowledge. They are also planting the seeds of a new pedagogy where educators and learners create, shape and evolve knowledge together, deepening their skills and understanding as they go.” I’m proud that Creative Commons helps make this possible. Congrats to open educators everywhere.
Willem van Valkenburg licensed CC BY
Category:Events
Tags:global events, OER, open education
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1087
|
__label__cc
| 0.526902
| 0.473098
|
Croquet News
Colorado Comeback
Posted by DJ Goodwin on June 25, 2019 at 2:44pm
“Man, you guys are tougher than the N.F.L.”
—Bearded man in a 4x4 that stopped and watched a bit of the championship action from his truck.
COLORADO GOES TO TIEBREAKER TO CLAIM QUAD TITLE
The States Shield once again delivered drama on an epic scale as Colorado pulled off an improbable comeback from a 3-0 deficit to steal the Central Quad title from Missouri by a 6-5 score this past Sunday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The entire Central Quad event which started on Friday, June 21, with a practice day and ran through Sunday, June 23, shaped up to be a somewhat casual event as the home of the Tulsa Croquet Club at LaFortune Park offered four courts for convenient scheduling. In fact, the semifinal tests were concluded by noon on Saturday. With the forecast showing spots of rain, Colorado and Missouri worked to get in a few extra games to speed along the Sunday schedule. As it worked out, Missouri jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead. At that included a 7-6 win by Missouri’s #2, Stephen Jackson over Colorado #1 Ron Eccles.
PHOTO GALLERY | EVENT SCORES
The rains did come on Sunday morning and that threw off our set up crew which was already struggling with a missing clamp. The hard rains flooded the lower courts, but we adjusted and made the executive decision to move to the higher court area that had no standing water.
Still, as the court setup concluded, the rain continued to pour down ranging from steady to hard and the official start of 8:30 a.m. slipped by. Missouri Team Director Matt Smith conferred with Steve Berry from Colorado (presumably he drew the short straw to exit the dry car to join the crew under the light protection of the pavillion). At that time the Colorado players seemed to be considering a forfeit. Berry jumped back in the car and several minutes later the Colorado players began filtering out of the car and strapped on rain gear if available and dumped out umbrellas. Their enthusiasm was minimal and the story later slipped out that it was team director, Judy McKeon, that said, “Get out the car and go play.”
The two games that plowed through some of the hardest rain to start off the day featured John Steninger (CO #2) against Jackson (MO #2) and Eccles (CO #1) against Ron Millican (MO #3). Both games were battles and Millican almost picked up the fourth win for Missouri, but Eccles survived 7-6, while Steninger won the 2 v 2 against Jackson 7-5.
So now, the test was 3-2 and the concept of a forfeit was long forgotten. Matt Smith (MO #1) then took on #2 Steninger and that really put things asunder as Steninger emerged with a 7-4 victory to get the test to 3-3. In the meantime, Millican and Berry went into a hardcore wicket-by-wicket battle in the 3 v 3 game. It drew out so long that the 1 v matchup started and finished with Smith winning 7-3 to put Missouri up 4-3. Back in the Berry vs Millican matchup though, Berry came through for Colorado at the 13th hoop and tied the test at 4-4.
That left the 2 v 3 matchups to determine whether or not the test would go to the extra doubles tiebreaker. Jackson (MO #2) and Berry (CO #3) played a tight game while Millican looked to be playing solid against Steninger who was thus far undefeated in singles for the weekend. It was looking like Jackson might be playing for the test win for Missouri. Steninger settled in though and took a 7-5 win that put Jackson in a “win to stay alive” situation. The veteran delivered at the 13th hoop and the 5-5 tie put the if-need, extra doubles game into the mix.
States Shield regulations mandate a line-up change from the opening doubles match of the test for the tiebreaker. Colorado chose to go with Steninger and Berry and while Missouri matched up with Smith and Millican. As the decider rolled out, each hoop was fiercely contested, but they kept going Colorado’s way and took the first three hoops and then worked out to 4-1. The Missouri duo battled, but Colorado methodically finished off the game 7-1 to claim the Central Quad title and a berth in the States Shield Championship to be held on the same courts August 16-18.
Steninger with a 6-0 singles record and a 2-1 doubles record was clearly the MVP of the weekend and McKeon surely has a shot at team director of the year for basically pushing her team out onto the courts into the rain.
CO vs MO Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquet-network-states-shield-central-quad/colorado-vs-missouri
SEMIFINAL RECAP: COLORADO 6, OKLAHOMA 4
As a player/TD for Kansas, I did not see much of the Colorado vs Oklahoma test but I did get to see a bit of the final game. Essentially, the theme of this test is that John Steninger and Colorado’s #2 emerged as a force with a 3-0 record. Oklahoma on the other hand had strong peformances from Suzanne Spradling (#2) and Carl Archiniaco (#3) both went 2-1. In fact, Spradling took Steninger to the 13th hoop in her only loss and also pitched a shutout against Steve Berry. Archiniaco’s only loss was also a 7-6 heartbreaker against Steninger that sealed the win for Colorado.
CO vs OK Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquet-network-states-shield-central-quad/colorado-vs-oklahoma
SEMIFINAL RECAP: MISSOURI 7, KANSAS 3
For my Kansas team, we weren’t able to improve on previous win totals, but we felt like we made some overall progress. We had a good battle going in the opening doubles games, but Jackson made a jump hoop midway that got the momentum on Missouri’s side and they won the opener 7-5. Jackson then beat Kansas newcomer Greg Clouse 7-3 in the 2-2 matchup, while Justin Marcinak (KS #3) lost to Missouri #1 Matt Smith by the same score. I had to comeback in my game in the 1 vs 3 matchup over Ron Millican for 7-5 win, but Missouri already had a strong 3-1 win at the end of two rounds. As the Kansas #2 Clouse has strong game against Smith, but fell 7-5. Clouse did claim his first win in Shield play with a 7-4 win over Ron Millican in the final round.
MO vs KS Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquet-network-states-shield-central-quad/kansas-vs-missouri
PLATE ACTION
Oklahoma’s Doug Ledgett went 0-3 in the Shield main event, but reversed that trend in the plate event that was held Saturday afternoon. The event was for alternates and players on teams that had been eliminated in round one. After a 7-3 win in round one against Missouri alternate Wanda Jackson, he squared off against Oklahoma teammate Spradling in the semifinals and survived 7-6. I had been working the other side of the bracket and met Ledgett in the final, where we played during the hottest part of the day. It was a good battle, but Ledgett was stronger on hoop shots and took a 7-6 win to claim the plate.
Plate Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/states-shield-central-quad-plate/cn-states-shield-plate
Missouri is now 5-2 in tests since the start of Shield play in 2016. Colorado is 3-1, Oklahoma is 2-2 and Kansas is 0-5.
Team Colorado was generous enough to host a happy hour at their AIRbnb near the courts on the Friday evening to open the event.
Joe Steiner and the Tulsa Croquet Club provided all the equipment for the event and had the courts marked up for us in advance.
Suzanne Spradling acted as social director and coordinated the Saturday night team dinner and also made an important coffee run with Judy McKeon on Sunday morning as the temperature turned a bit chilly in the rain.
Doug Ledgett and Stephen Jackson acted as the official player referees at the event.
Matt Smith, Justin Marciniak and Doug Ledgett all worked hard on setup and teardown each day.
Tags: states shield, golf croquet
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1090
|
__label__wiki
| 0.547086
| 0.547086
|
Cruise News Weekly
Tag: Carnival Cruise Line
Follow us live from the new Carnival Dream
We’ll be reporting live from Carnival Cruise Lines’ new ship, Carnival Dream, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Nov. 12, 13, and 14, 2009). You can follow our updates here, on Twitter (twitter.com/cruiseguide) and on Facebook (facebook.com/cruisenews).
In addition to our coverage, the official naming ceremony featuring Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, the ship’s godmother, will be broadcast live on the Carnival’s Web site, carnival.com/dream beginning at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Live streaming video of the invitation-only event will include an exhilarating dance performance, a nearly six-foot-tall champagne bottle and some other unexpected surprises. The ceremony will be hosted by Carnival’s Senior Cruise Director John Heald while the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream is docked in New York City.
A live chat offering viewers an opportunity to ask questions about the Carnival Dream and comment on the festivities will take place during the webcast as, well.
The Carnival Web site also features exclusive photos and videos of the ship’s facilities and features. Interviews on the site include various shipboard personnel, as well as Carnival’s interior architect, Joe Farcus.
The 130,000-ton Carnival Dream ushers in a new era in “Fun Ship” cruising, offering a host of innovations. These include Carnival WaterWorks, an expansive aqua park featuring the longest water slide at sea; Ocean Plaza, a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue; more than 19,000 square feet of space dedicated to children and families; and a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, the largest in the line’s fleet.
The Carnival Dream debuted in Europe Sept. 21 and will operate a series of voyages from New York before repositioning to Port Canaveral, Fla., to begin year-round Caribbean service starting Dec. 3, 2009.
Author Matt RoseboomPosted on November 11, 2009 Categories CarnivalTags Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Dream, Facebook, Marcia Gay Harden, naming ceremony, New York City, TwitterLeave a comment on Follow us live from the new Carnival Dream
Videos from Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas
Silversea’s Silver Galapagos Sets Sail
Battle of the Bands to be Held by Carnival Cruise Lines
Carlo’s Bake Shop to be on the Norwegian Getaway
Royal Caribbean Adds a Second Ship to Sail from Tampa
Tyvek Hine on Cruise Guide: MSC Fantasia guests enjoy red carpet treatment
Dan on Disney Cruise Line greets NYC with world’s largest bumper sticker
Guno Hirschfeld on Allure of the Seas
Louai A. Salamah on Disney Cruise Line
Austin on Project Sunshine – Royal Caribbean’s next generation ship to launch in 2014
American Safari Cruises
In Port Today
Port Postcard
SeaDream Yacht
Silverseas Cruises
Cruise News Weekly Proudly powered by WordPress
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1091
|
__label__cc
| 0.73971
| 0.26029
|
Dynamics 365 Shows Microsoft's Bold Vision
The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Family of Apps
With the release of Dynamics 365, the New Microsoft, under the leadership of chief executive officer Satya Nadella, has revealed its bold vision to not only embrace but to lead new trends in business computing.
Dynamics 365 is a collection of cloud apps and services for business, allowing customers to mix and match the features they need from a lengthy catalog including sales, marketing, customer service, field service, project management, accounting, and more.
Dynamics 365 hits all of today's top computing trends. It is cloud-based (although customers may deploy on premises, unlike some of Microsoft's competitors). Dynamics 365 takes advantage of machine learning and artificial intelligence, weaving in elements of Cortana and other Microsoft AI work. Dynamics Connected Field Service weaves in the Internet of Things (IoT) to feed sensor data from devices which triggers service calls and dispatches trucks with technicians if necessary. Microsoft has embedded analytics and Big Data into Dynamics 365, further tightening the integration of the Microsoft analytics and visualization tool Power BI into Office 365 as well as Sales, Field Service and Marketing.
Mobile is also a key theme for Dynamics 365. The launch demo highlighted how integrating all these apps and making them available on mobile devices enables new ways for people to get work done on the run. The demo showed a sales person generating a sales quote from their mobile phone -- something unthinkable for most companies today.
Dynamics 365 upends software development tools as well. PowerApps provides connections to the Dynamics 365 Common Data Model not only for Microsoft products but for other cloud services such as Dropbox. Microsoft Flow and Azure Logic Apps are the workflow automation products to automate business processes which span multiple products.
PowerApps connects multiple Dynamics 365 apps
Microsoft has demolished the concept of software products, abandoning brands that it has built up for years such as Dynamics CRM and Dynamics AX, in favor of functional names for apps under the Dynamics brand including Marketing, Operations, Customer Service, Field Service, Project Service and Sales. The AppSource marketplace will offer solutions from third parties as well as information on Microsoft services partners. Instead of using unique product names such as SharePoint which allow web searches to easily find answers to technical questions, Microsoft's branding approach puts all its weight behind the Dynamics 365 brand itself so that customers will learn to search for "Dynamics 365 Marketing" or "Dynamics 365 Operations" in order to get relevant results. This change in branding is so disruptive that it requires extensive training for Microsoft's resellers and services partners, as well as Microsoft's customers.
The benefit of abandoning product silos will be freedom of choice for customers, and a "stickiness" of cloud services that will make Microsoft customers more and more committed as they take on more cloud services over time. Customers can start small with only Sales, for instance, and add Marketing or Customer Service later.
Dynamics 365 represents the fulfillment of Microsoft's xRM promise by broadening the software tools and standardizing the data model and workflow products to a far greater extent than before. The idea of xRM was to build line of business solutions on top of the Dynamics CRM platform instead of starting from scratch with custom development.
My company InfoStrat has devoted itself to building xRM solutions for public sector customers, so now we are enabled with a broader platform and apps that are more complete out of the box (or out of the cloud). Microsoft partner competencies have been reworked to focus almost exclusively on the cloud, so partners must work hard to achieve technical readiness on new products, technologies and sales approaches.
The boldness of Dynamics 365 will disrupt traditional software sales, and will force Microsoft's customers, marketers, sales force, resellers, and services partners to adapt to a new paradigm. If successful, Microsoft will have set a high bar for competitors who want to compete with a broad business software platform.
Be sure to watch this blog for more posts on the nuts and bolts of Dynamics 365:
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing: 6 Reasons Not to Panic
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/10/microsoft-dynamics-365-pricing-6.html
Understanding Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business and Dynamics 365 Enterprise Editions
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/10/understanding-microsoft-dynamics-365.html
Dynamics 365 and xRM: What Comes Next?
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/10/dynamics-365-and-xrm-what-comes-next.html
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/07/understand-microsoft-appsource-and.html
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Team Members Subscriptions
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/11/microsoft-dynamics-365-team-members.html
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Webinar Questions
http://blogs.infostrat.com/2016/11/microsoft-dynamics-365-webinar-questions.html
Understanding Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business and ...
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing: 6 Reasons Not to P...
Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Contract Management
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1092
|
__label__wiki
| 0.700474
| 0.700474
|
Refugees in northern Uganda now have ‘democracy’, but no authority
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
This article is part of our #LSEReturn series, exploring themes around Displacement and Return.
In the wake of a democratic election in northern Uganda’s Palabek Refugee camp, Charles Ogeno and Ryan O’Byrne interrogate what this new ‘refugee governance’ really means for those governed by it.
Refugees and elections
Refugee camps have a bad reputation. Their portrayal is often one-dimensional and dehumanising. They are rendered as depressing, squalid, and overflowing with both refuse and humanity’s most unwanted; places where people fleeing conflict, disaster, and death grow dependent on international aid and lose an ability to exercise choice.
Such portrayals are not only simplistic but wrong.
In July 2018, for example, around 60% of the nearly 10,000 eligible residents in northern Uganda’s Palabek Refugee Settlement engaged in the democratic election of their own representatives. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), something like this had never happened before: no Ugandan settlement has ever elected all their leaders by secret ballot on the same day and without violence.
But, has a new era of refugee governance emerged, as UNHCR and the OPM ask us to believe? Does the election actually change anything?
We suggest “no”, because although the election as an event was well run, the wider process was something of a deception, a ploy seemingly designed primarily for better service provision rather than the establishment or transference of refugee-based authority. We provide two examples of exactly why this is the case.
Two reasons the election changes nothing
We had a team of three independent observers present for the entire month-long election process. This team has been undertaking research within Palabek Refugee Settlement for nearly a year. As a team, we feel it is important to highlight that our general assessments about the election event are largely positive. There were electoral papers and ballot boxes, impartial polling officers and long queues of voters. Security was accounted for by an obvious police presence. It was well-run, well-organised, and looked and felt legitimate. It did well to ensure transparency and accountability.
Despite this, however, refugees and their newly-elected leaders tell us the election has changed nothing. And interestingly, the organisations involved have no interest in our feedback, even when freely offered.
Maybe such reticence towards external feedback is because claims the election empowered refugee-based authorities are superficial at best.
Power remains unequal:
The tiered arrangement of Palabek’s refugee leadership is said to mirror that of the Ugandan system. But there is one big difference: unlike leaders with Ugandan communities, refugee leaders are not given real authority. For instance, during a public meeting declaring election results on 1st August 2018, an Office of the Prime Minister Protection Officer warned the leadership: “We are here to work together, so if you have any problems, please send it to the partners [NGOs]. Do not take your own decision. You do not have the authority to do that”.
Unfortunately, many of the NGOs only have skeletal offices in the settlement while both the OPM and UNHCR are infamously difficult to access, often turning away even the refugees’ own leaders. The settlement also has only about a dozen police, a tiny number when compared to the needs of policing and maintaining security among a community of over 36,000 residents. Where exactly should the refugees go with their ‘problems’, then?
The common story given by existing authorities – that the election was a way of ‘empowering’ refugees – instead seems a low-cost, low-effort way to maintain order. This is especially so given existing authorities continually demonstrate not only an inability but a lack of desire in engaging in the settlement’s everyday governance. Indeed, refugees often note that NGO partners purposefully remove themselves from the daily concerns of most residents.
A staff marking the index finger of a voter. Credit: Ryan O’Byrne
Service provision wearing a democracy dress:
Despite reports to the contrary, refugees in Palabek have never had any real formal authority. Instead, on those occasions when leadership has had to resort to their own methods for overcoming problems like camp-wide sanitation, largescale theft, or even murder, their authority to do so was immediately questioned.
According to one recently elected leader, despite the election, nothing much has changed: “They still tell us one thing and do another”, he said. Other leaders echo this, maintaining the election changes neither their roles nor the way power actually functions.
In other words, the connection between the election and refugee-authored governance is really just a story residents are told to make it easier for existing authorities. And in this, the election is already quite successful. As the OPM told us afterwards, “the purpose of the election was to empower the refugees and to ease the operations of the partners. Now the refugees have been engaged with the way the settlement runs, it is easier to provide them with services”. This admission highlights both the main reason for the election and the primary functions of the newly elected leadership: to find issues needing attention and bring them to the relevant (and real) authorities. Those elected were designed, not as figures with direct authority or power, but rather as mediators and intermediaries.
Conclusion: The more things change, the more they stay the same
It is true that this was a significant moment in Ugandan and South Sudanese refugee history. Likewise, that the outcome of these elections mattered to many refugees is also not disputed. It is not particularly obvious, however, that 36,000 South Sudanese were ‘empowered’ (whatever that means): after all, neither UNHCR nor Uganda really want refugees governing themselves.
We, therefore, suggest that being designed more as an exercise in efficient camp management than self-governance, the elections had a more utilitarian basis than just ‘refugee empowerment’. In other words, although the election event demonstrated many ideals of democratic governance, the reasons underlying the wider process were more about service provision than authority transfer. Although the election may have helped such provision, these ‘benefits’ have come without the transfer of authority or power. More of the same, it seems, just more efficiently. Thus, although refugees now have elected representatives, they really remain only representatives. The elections have changed nothing about the settlement’s actual functioning.
Find out more about the Politics of Return and our Trajectories of Displacement research projects, which are based at the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa and funded by ESRC/AHRC.
Charles Ogeno holds an MSc in Development Management from LSE and is currently working on Public Authority and Resilience-based projects through CPAID and the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa.
Dr Ryan Joseph O’Byrne is a post-doctoral researcher at the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa.
Posted In: Conflict | Deconstructing Notions of Resilience | Displacement and Return | Featured | Society
Dear Ogeno and Ryan,
Congratulations on a useful blog post! Just to be clear: these elections were for Refugee Welfare Councils (RWCs)? I don’t see that anywhere in this text!
Pingback: Regional Focus: Africa – AnAttorney.com
Ryan Joseph O'Byrne says:
You are right, Bruno, these were RWC elections! Glaring omission, there, woops. Thanks for the spot!
Visa applications: emotional tax and privileged passports
African-initiated Pentecostal churches are on the rise in the UK – what role do they seek to play in wider society?
Are South Africans on the move?
The Dangerous African Marriage of Religion to Tradition
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1093
|
__label__wiki
| 0.81041
| 0.81041
|
Hsp90 is important for fecundity, longevity, and buffering of cryptic deleterious variation in wild fly populations
Bing Chen1,2,3 &
Andreas Wagner2,3,4
BMC Evolutionary Biology volume 12, Article number: 25 (2012) Cite this article
In the laboratory, the Drosophila melanogaster heat shock protein Hsp90 can buffer the phenotypic effects of genetic variation. Laboratory experiments either manipulate Hsp90 activity pharmacologically, or they induce mutations with strong effects in the gene Hsp83, the single-copy fly gene encoding Hsp90. It is unknown whether observations from such laboratory experiments are relevant in the wild.
We here study naturally occurring mutations in Hsp83, and their effects on fitness and phenotypic buffering in flies derived from wild populations. We examined more than 4500 flies from 42 Drosophila populations distributed world-wide for insertions or deletions of mobile DNA in or near the Hsp83 gene. The insertions we observed occur at low population frequencies, and reduce Hsp83 gene expression. In competition experiments, mutant flies performed much more poorly than wild-type flies. Mutant flies were also significantly less fecund and shorter-lived than wild-type flies, as well as less well buffered against cryptic deleterious variation, as we show through inbreeding experiments. Specifically, in Hsp83 mutant flies female fecundity dropped to much lower levels after inbreeding than in wild-type flies. At even slightly elevated temperatures, inbred mutant Hsp83 populations went extinct, whereas inbred wild-type populations persisted.
Our work shows that Hsp90, a regulator of the stress response and of signaling, helps buffer deleterious variation in fruit flies derived from wild population, and that its buffering role becomes even more important under heat stress.
How does genotypic variation affect phenotypic variation? And how might genes modulate the relationship between genotype and phenotype? These are central questions in evolutionary biology. In recent years, it has become clear that some genes play a special role in this relationship. These genes encode chaperones, proteins that assist other proteins in folding, and that can help refold misfolded proteins [1–3]. Protein misfolding can result from mutations in protein coding regions [3, 4]. It can also result from environmental changes, such as heat stress, which can lead to protein denaturation [5]. Because proteins are involved in forming and maintaining every phenotypic trait, misfolded proteins often have detrimental effects on phenotypes [2, 3]. Proteins that can mitigate these effects can render organisms more robust against genetic or environmental perturbations. Thus, chaperones are one of several ways in which phenotypes can become robust to genetic and environmental change [6]. Robustness to genetic and environmental change are often associated with one another [7–11], although exceptions may exist [12]. On evolutionary time scales, robustness to genetic change has an important consequence on the genetic constitution of a population: It allows mutations to accumulate that are not phenotypically visible, precisely because phenotypes are robust to such mutations. The resulting genetic variation is often also called cryptic variation [13, 14]. Such variation need not stay cryptic forever, however. It can become phenotypically visible in the presence of yet other mutations or after environmental change [7, 14–16]. The resulting phenotypic change can be detrimental, but also beneficial, leading to new evolutionary adaptations [8, 10, 15, 17]. The earliest hints that cryptic variation exists, and that it can be transformed into new phenotypes came from experiments by Waddington which induced new phenotypes through environmental change, and which demonstrated that the induced phenotypic changes can have a genetic basis [18]. In the recent past, many further studies have demonstrated the existence of cryptic variation, and its potential phenotypic consequences. These studies focused on a broad range of phenotypes, from molecular phenotypes to macroscopic traits of multicellular organisms [16, 19–22].
Because chaperones help confer robustness, their activity is also a prominent cause of cryptic variation [3, 8, 23]. An especially important chaperone is the heat shock protein Hsp90, which occurs in many organisms that range from microbes to humans [1, 20, 24, 25]. What makes Hsp90 unique is that its "client" proteins, proteins whose integrity it helps maintain, are extremely diverse, and that they are involved in cell communication and signaling processes [1, 5]. Such processes are especially important while a complex organism with many macroscopic traits develops from a single cell. In other words, Hsp90 affects development and thus macroscopic phenotypes. For example, impairing Hsp90 function through engineered mutations or pharmacological treatment-both in the laboratory-can increase phenotypic diversity in organisms as different as Drosophila, Arabidopsis, and zebrafish [7, 16, 26]. This phenotypic diversity is a reflection of genotypic diversity, that is, of variation that was cryptic before Hsp90 function was impaired [24].
With some exceptions [8, 15, 27], most experiments that studied Hsp90's effects on fitness and variation buffering focus on laboratory strains [24, 28–30]. In addition, they use strong gain-of-function or loss-of-function mutations with dramatic, often lethal phenotypic effects [31, 32]. Such mutations can usually not be maintained as homozygotes, and would rarely if ever be tolerated in a wild population [16, 32, 33]. Even disruption of Hsp90 expression through RNA interference may have large effects on phenotypes [15]. Other ways of manipulating Hsp90 activity include the use of pharmaceuticals known to interact with Hsp90, such as geldanamycin [7, 8, 16], which wild populations may also rarely encounter.
In contrast to such strong, artificial manipulations in the laboratory, one might expect to encounter mutations with milder effects in the wild, such as regulatory mutations that affect gene expression. In the fruit fly Drosophila, a specific class of such regulatory mutations are indeed well known to affect the expression of heat shock genes [34]. These mutations are insertions of a transposable element, the P-element, into the regulatory region of heat shock genes. Such mutations have been characterized for a variety of heat shock genes, including Hsp83, Hsp70, Hsp67Ba, Hsp27, Hsp26, Hsp23, Hsp22, and Hsrω [34, 35]. They affect gene expression, thermotolerance [35–37], development [35] and longevity [35]. The likely reason why P elements often insert into these genes' regulatory regions is their high expression level, which requires a de-condensed and nucleosome-free chromatin conformation near the gene [38, 39]. Such an "open" chromatin conformation makes a gene susceptible to insertion by transposable elements [34].
In the fruit fly Drosophila, where the role of Hsp90 in variation buffering was first discovered [16], Hsp90 is encoded by the single copy essential gene Hsp83. This gene is expressed at higher levels during normal development than some other heat shock proteins, including Hsp22, Hsp23, Hsp26, Hsp27, and Hsp70 [40, 41]. Hsp90 is expressed constitutively, and at higher levels than required for its function under normal conditions [5, 24]. Taken together, these observations make Hsp83 a good candidate for transposable element insertions in wild populations as well. The work we report below is the first to isolate such naturally occurring variants of Hsp83 and to characterize their effect on gene expression and fitness. Because Hsp83 has been associated with variation buffering, the question whether such mutants alter variation buffering is intriguing. We show that they indeed do.
Observations made with laboratory populations often do not apply to wild populations [42]. This holds especially when a population's evolutionary and genomic background matter, because wild populations have a history of inbreeding and selection that is different from laboratory populations [43]. For example, laboratory genetic mapping revealed a strong association between regulatory polymorphisms at the hairy locus and variation in sternopleural bristles. However, the same association does not exist in wild-caught flies [44]. A comparative study on 29 strains of D. melanogaster found that even central life history traits such as longevity can be highly strain-specific [45]. More generally, artificially selected phenotypes can only partly predict fitness components estimated in the field [46]. Thus, some observations derived from laboratory studies have dubious validity until confirmed also in the wild.
In this work, we first screened more than 4,500 flies from 42 world-wide Drosophila populations, and identified P-element insertions near the Hsp83 gene in three of these populations. We verified that these insertions indeed reduce Hsp83 gene expression. We then showed that flies with these mutations have lower competitive fitness, as well as lower fecundity and longevity. These effects occur in all three genetic backgrounds. We next used inbreeding experiments, which can increase homozygosity of deleterious alleles, to reveal cryptic deleterious mutations. These experiments showed that flies with reduced Hsp83 expression from all three populations can buffer deleterious variation much less well. Even mild environmental stress reduced the buffering so dramatically that populations went extinct. Experiments like these would have been impossible with strong laboratory mutations. The mild mutations we use allowed us to determine that wild-derived flies with even modest expression changes in the gene encoding Hsp90 show altered fitness and variation buffering that can be very strong on short evolutionary time scales.
Hsp83regulatory mutations exist in three out of 42 natural populations
In natural populations of D. melanogaster, the promoters of heat-shock genes are especially susceptible to the insertion of transposable elements. More than 96 percent of the transposable elements occurring in heat-shock promoters are P-element insertions. The promoter of Hsp83 is no exception [34, 35]. For example, rates of transposable element insertions in single-copy heat shock promoters are estimated to be 14.7 times higher than the average rate of transposable element insertions in promoter regions of non-heat shock genes [34]. They are up to two times higher than the rate at which other insertion/deletions occur in non-coding regions of the fly genome [47]. Therefore, transposon insertion is a prominent candidate source of mutations for Hsp83, and makes such insertions an ideal object to study natural variation in Hsp83. To discover naturally occurring mutations in the Hsp83 promoter, we screened 42 strains derived from natural populations of D. melanogaster collected around the world (see the sample information in Figure 1A and in additional file 1). We aimed at discovering insertion/deletion mutations through electrophoretically detected length polymorphisms in PCR products amplified from the Hsp83 gene and its flanking regions. The PCR method we employed for Hsp83 gene-specific small fragment amplification (see Materials and Methods) is proven to be highly sensitive in detecting any insertion/deletion mutation. After having screened about 4500 flies from all 42 populations, we did not find any insertion polymorphism in the Hsp83 coding region. However, we did find insertion polymorphisms in the promoter region. They occurred in three separate populations, one from Okayama, Japan, a second population from Tokyo, Japan, and a third population from the Ivory Coast, Africa (See additional file 1).
D. melanogaster sample locations, schematic gene structure of Hsp83 , and the P element insertion site. (A) Distribution of the natural fly populations collected around the world. Dots indicate the collection sites. The three red dots indicate the samples where a P element insertion into Hsp83 was found. The finnish population (F15 in additional file 1) is not shown. (B) Intron-exon organization of Hsp83 and the insertion of a P element into the proximal promoter of Hsp83. Below the Hsp83 gene structure an enlargement of the organization of cis-regulatory elements HSC1, HSC2 and HSC3 in the Hsp83 promoter region is shown. The 8-bp sequence (CTCTAGAA) flanking the P element is a direct repeat of the heat shock consensus elements created by the P-element insertion. The arrow above the P element shows the element's orientation. HSC, heat-shock consensus element (Xiao and Lis 1989). The structure is not drawn to scale.
Sequencing of the mutated gene region showed that the mutations were caused by insertion of non-autonomous P elements, i.e., the elements contain an internal deletion, and therefore cannot encode the functional transposase needed to mobilize the elements in genome. The P element insertions are identical in the three populations with respect to their insertion position, orientation and length as well as their flanking sequence (Figure 1B). The insertion is 1250 bp long and occurred 82 bp upstream of the transcription starting site of Hsp83. The inserted P-element disrupts the characterized regulatory sequences of Hsp83 [40, 48]. Specifically, it integrated into an array of three heat-shock consensus elements that regulate Hsp83 expression [40, 48]. Its integration moved one of these elements (HSC3 in Figure 1B) further away from the transcription start site, while at the same time creating an 8-bp (CTCTAGAA) direct repeat of the same element (Figure 1B). For further analysis, we established isogenic lines homozygous for the insertion mutation with individuals from each of the three populations where they occurred (Okayama, Tokyo, and Ivory Coast). We named their genotypes Hsp83P/P. We also established isogenic lines homozygous for the wild-type Hsp83 gene from the three populations, and named them Hsp83+/+. We note that the two Japanese populations and one African population had been collected in different years and maintained in different laboratories or stock centers (see Materials and Methods), thus making cross-contamination unlikely. Although the genotypes at the insertion site are identical, and may be derived from the same insertion event, the lines have different genetic backgrounds that result from the different geographic origin of their source populations.
P-element insertion mutations reduce Hsp83gene expression at both normal and elevated temperatures
Because the P-element integration disrupted this regulatory region, one would expect that this mutation affects Hsp83 gene expression. To validate this expectation, we performed real-time quantitative PCR to measure Hsp83 mRNA expression levels in third-instar larvae. We found that at normal temperatures (25°C) Hsp83 mRNA levels in mutants were reduced to 59.3 percent of the wild-type in the Okayama lines, to 68.0 percent of the wild-type in the Tokyo lines, and to 55.5 percent of the wild-type in the Ivory Coast lines (Figure 2). This reduction also extended to high temperatures. Specifically, flies cultured at 28°C for one generation decreased Hsp83 expression to 50.6 percent of the wild-type in the Okayama lines, to 62.7 percent of the wild-type in the Tokyo lines, and to 61.2 percent of the wild-type in the Ivory Coast lines. Cultivation at the higher temperature (28°C) generally decreased Hsp83 expression in both mutants and wild-type flies from the three populations (Figure 2).
Hsp83 gene expression level in larvae of three different D. melanogaster populations. Fly lines homozygous for the Hsp83 mutant (Hsp83P/P, red) and wild-type (Hsp83+/+, blue) strains were reared at two different temperatures (25°C and 28°C) for one generation before RNA was extracted. Flies with each genotype were isolated from three populations from Ivory Coast, Okayama, and Tokyo, respectively, as indicated. Note that Hsp83 expression in flies maintained at 28°C is downregulated compared with flies maintained at 25°C, which stands in contrast with Hsp83 expression in heat-shocked flies [40]. Hsp83 mRNA was purified from at least 20 early third-instar larvae, and quantified using real-time PCR. The expression of the housekeeping gene actin88F was used as an endogenous loading control. Expression levels of Hsp83 are measured relative to the expression of actin88F. Triplicate PCRs were performed for each mRNA sample.
These analyses were based on chromosomal alleles of Hsp83. It is possible that the observed changes in Hsp83 expression are not caused by these alleles, but by linked alleles at other loci that are in strong linkage disequilibrium with the Hsp83 alleles we study. To exclude this possibility, we isolated the wild-type and mutant Hsp83 promoter from the Okayama population and cloned them upstream of a luciferase gene. We then used the two resulting constructs to drive luciferase gene expression in transient transfection assays of two different Drosophila cell lines (S2R+ and Kc) [49] (See additional file 2A). In both cell lines, and both under normal temperatures and after heat shock at 37°C, the mutant promoter drove expression of the luciferase gene to a low level compared with the wild-type promoter. Specifically, the mutant promoter lowered luciferase gene expression between 11.9 percent (in non-heat shocked Kc cells) and 58.6 percent (in heat-shocked S2R+ cells; See additional file 2B). Taken together, these observations show that the P-element insertion mutants we study cause a reduced expression of the Hsp83 gene in three different genetic backgrounds. This reduction is caused by reduced activity of the mutant Hsp83 promoter, and not by indirect effects of alleles at loci linked to Hsp83.
Hsp83mutant alleles have low frequencies in natural populations
To estimate the frequencies of the two Hsp83 alleles (Hsp83+ and Hsp83P) in the three source populations (Okayama, Tokyo, and Ivory Coast), we genotyped from 30 to over 300 flies from these populations (see Materials and methods). We found no mutant homozygotes in two of the populations, and only 0.3 percent of mutant homozygotes (i.e., one out of 312 individuals) in flies from the Okayama population. Among the flies we examined 3.2 percent, 5.5 percent and 15.4 percent were heterozygous for the P-element insertion in the Okayama, Tokyo and Ivory Coast populations, respectively. Expressed in terms of mutant allele frequencies in the sample of flies we examined, this means that the mutant Hsp83 allele had a low frequency of 1.5 percent in Okayama flies, 3.8 percent in Tokyo flies, and 7.7 percent in Ivory Coast flies. Only the genotype frequencies in the Okayama population significantly departed from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (χ2 test, p = 0.037; See additional file 3).
We also attempted to identify nucleotide polymorphisms, but found only one polymorphism in a total of 3920 bp sequenced nucleotides, both upstream and downstream of the insertion site, in 23 flies of the Okayama population. These observations are consistent with previous work indicating that Hsp83 coding and regulatory regions show very little sequence polymorphisms [50].
The Hsp83 gene is located close to the breakpoint of the cosmopolitan inversion Inv(3L)P [51]. We wished to determine if any phenotypic effects of the Hsp83 mutation may have been indirect, caused by the inversion and its association (linkage disequilibrium) with the Hsp83 mutation. To this end, we scored the inversion Inv(3L)P polymorphisms in the two natural populations Okayama and Ivory Coast. We found no evidence of linkage disequilibrium with the Hsp83 alleles (Fisher's exact test, p > 0.05), and only rare inversion arrangements in flies with either Hsp83 genotype (See additional file 4). Thus, the phenotypic effects of Hsp83 mutations cannot be attributed to effects of the cosmopolitan inversion Inv(3L)P.
Hsp83transposon insertion mutants show lower fitness in competition assays
The low population frequency of heterozygotes for the Hsp83 mutant allele, and in particular the near absence of mutant homozygotes in flies derived from wild populations, suggest that carriers of the mutant allele have lower fitness. To validate this observation we let wild-type and homozygous mutant flies compete with each other in a co-culture competition assay at 25°C. We performed two variants of this assay. In the first, we seeded populations with 50 virgin wild-type flies, and another 50 homozygous virgin mutant flies. Thus, in this assay, the initial frequency of the mutant allele was 50 percent. We propagated individuals from these populations for five generations (including the parental generation). In every single assay population, the mutant (Hsp83P) allele frequency decreased over the course of the experiment (Figure 3). Specifically, the Hsp83P allele arrived at frequencies of 20, 30 and 7.5 percent after 5 generations in flies from the Okayama, Tokyo and the Ivory Coast populations, respectively. The three populations showed significant differences in the mutant allele frequency in co-culture (ANOVA: F2,12 = 41.242, p < 0.001), indicating that genetic background also has an influence on competition outcome.
Mutant flies have lower relative fitness in a co-culture competition assay. We determined the relative fitness of mutant and wild-type individuals through a co-culture competition test lasting five generations at 25°C. For this test, we had obtained flies isogenic and homozygous for Hsp83P/P and Hsp83+/+ from the Okayama, Tokyo, and Ivory Coast populations, as described in the main text. We seeded three co-cultures with an equal number of flies of the mutant and wild-type genotype in three parallel co-culture competition experiments started with individuals from the Okayama (filled diamonds), Tokyo (filled cycles), and Ivory Coast population (filled triangles). We seeded two further co-culture competition experiments with lower percentages of mutant flies (30 and 10 percent, open diamonds) from the Okayama population. Each seeding population comprised 100 flies. We genotyped fifty flies in each generation. Note the consistent decrease in allele frequencies in most lines as time progresses.
The second variant of the assay that we performed involved only individuals from the Okayama population. It started with different proportions of mutant individuals. Specifically, it involved two starting populations, each consisting of 100 flies, where 30 and 10 flies, respectively, were initially homozygous for the Hsp83P allele. In the first population Hsp83P allele frequencies decreased by 89.3 percent. In the second population they fluctuated around the initial 10 percent. Both populations had a low Hsp83P allele frequency of 3.2 percent at the end of this experiment.
In sum, our observations suggest that in populations where mutant flies constitute a substantial fraction of the population, they are competitively inferior to wild-type flies, and their population frequency declines over several generations. The number of individuals we used, as well as the consistent genotype frequency changes we observe in our replicate competition assays make genetic drift an unlikely sole cause of the changes we see.
Mutant flies are less fecund and live less long, but are no less thermotolerant than wild-type flies
We next asked which component of fitness may be responsible for the reduced fitness of Hsp83 mutants. We investigated three fitness components. The first is fecundity. The second is longevity. The third is resistance to environmental high-temperature stress, which we studied because Hsp90 is known to be involved in thermotolerance.
We first estimated female fecundity by counting all eclosing adults produced by females in isofemale lines obtained from the Okayama population (see Materials and methods). On average, wild-type females had significantly higher fecundity than mutant females (ANOVA: F1,28 = 20.841, p = 0.002). They produced three times more offspring than mutants, as shown in Figure 4A. The figure also indicates that different isofemale lines show significant differences in fecundity. A statistical test confirms this, and also demonstrates the non-negligible effect of genetic background on fecundity (Nested ANONVA: F8,20 = 3.166, p = 0.017, Figure 4A).
Wild-type flies are more fecund and live longer than mutant flies. (A) Female fecundity (eclosing adults per reproductive female) in Hsp83 mutant (Hsp83P/P) and wild-type (Hsp83+/+) isofemale lines. Each genotype is represented by five isofemale lines labeled one through five. Data for each isofemale line are derived from three replicate matings of five males and five females. Error bars above each column indicate one standard error of the mean derived from the three replicate matings. (B) Cumulative survival rate of male and females in Hsp83 mutant (Hsp83P/P) and wild-type (Hsp83+/+) isofemale lines. The horizontal axis shows the number of days after eclosion, the vertical axis the fraction of surviving individuals after a given number of days (i.e., the cumulative incidence of survival). Red and blue data were obtained from five isofemale lines of Hsp83P/Pmutants and Hsp83+/+ wild-type genotypes, respectively.
We next determined the longevity of mutant and wild-type genotypes. To this end, we cultured Hsp83P/Pand Hsp83+/+ lines in fresh medium at 25°C for the whole life of individuals in these lines (see Materials and methods), and counted the fraction of individuals that survived a given number of days after eclosion (Figure 4B). The mutant females had an average lifespan of 48.5 days, 14.9 percent shorter than the average life span of wild-type females at 56.9 days, a difference that was highly significant (Kruskal-Wallis Test: F1,387 = 5.194, p < 0.001). The mutant males showed a stronger reduction in average lifespan, with 43.2 days compared to 54.6 days in the wild-type. This difference of 20.9 percent is significant (Nested ANOVA: F1, 370 = 8.593, p = 0.019). Levene's test of error variances shows a significant difference in the variance of life span between wild-type and mutant lines in females (F9,377 = 4.086, p < 0.001), but not in males (F9,370 = 1.839, p = 0.060). This indicates that the Hsp83 mutation influences not only life span, but also its variability, at least for females. In sum, flies, especially males, are ageing faster when Hsp83 is mutated.
Lastly, we measured the basal thermal tolerance and inducible thermal tolerance of both the mutant (Hsp83P/P) and wild-type (Hsp83+/+) isofemale lines. We did not find any significant difference in basal or induced thermotolerance between the genotypes for either males or females. (p > 0.05; See additional file 5).
Inbreeding shows that wild-type Hsp83alleles buffer phenotypic expression of cryptic genetic variation better than mutant alleles
Inbreeding causes increased homozygosity at multiple genomic loci, and will thus expose phenotypic effects of recessive alleles to natural selection [52]. Such effects are usually deleterious. They are not apparent in outbreeding populations, where recessive alleles mostly exist in heterozygotes. In other words, outbreeding populations contain cryptic genetic variation-variation without phenotypic effects-at loci harboring recessive alleles. In inbreeding populations, this variation becomes phenotypically visible through its deleterious effects. One of the best-studied aspects of Hsp90 function in laboratory populations is the ability of Hsp90 to buffer the phenotypic effects of genetic variation [7, 8, 16, 22]. With these observations in mind, we asked whether the natural Hsp90 mutants we study here are impaired in their ability to buffer cryptic variation that can be revealed by inbreeding. Such an observation would provide evidence that Hsp90's buffering ability is not just restricted to laboratory populations.
To answer this question, we established 42 parallel inbred fly populations. Of these populations, 21 were homogenous for Hsp83 wild-type (Hsp83+/+), and 21 for Hsp83 mutant (Hsp83P/P) genotypes, respectively. More precisely, for each of the Okayama, Tokyo, Ivory Coast source populations, we established seven inbred populations with each of the two genotypes and propagated them at 25°C (see Materials and methods; Additional file 6). In each generation, we sampled 4 males and 4 females from each inbred population to create subsequent generations, and continued this process for 4 generations. As a measure of inbreeding depression-the deleterious effects of inbreeding on fitness-we estimated female fecundity by mating 4 virgin females and 4 males from each generation, and counted all offspring they produced within 30 days (See additional file 6). We now discuss results from each of the three lines in turn. First, in the inbred line from the Okayama population, wild-type females did not become significantly less fecund until generation 4 (t test: p = 0.051; Figure 5). In contrast, in the mutant line even one generation of inbreeding already caused a significant decrease in fecundity (p = 0.023), and by generation four fecundity had been reduced by 46.8 percent in the mutant. Second, in the inbred line from the Tokyo population (Figure 5), females did not become significantly less fecund in the wild-type after four generations (p > 0.05), indicating that the wild-type is well-buffered against short-term inbreeding. In contrast, females in the mutant population had become significantly less fecund after four generations (t test: p = 0.010; 23.2 percent reduction relative to the first generation). The Ivory Coast lines, finally, showed much lower initial fecundity than the other two inbred lines. Wild-type females showed no significant decrease in fecundity after four generations of inbreeding (p = 0.082), whereas mutants became significantly less fecund (p = 0.026, 30.7 percent reduction). In the four generations of inbreeding, the three populations showed significantly different fecundity within both the wild-type (F2,80 = 31.561, p < 0.001) and mutant genotypes (F2,73 = 12.880, p < 0.001). This indicates that effects of genetic background are important for our analysis and cannot be neglected. In sum, our analyses of inbred lines show that individuals with wild-type Hsp83 alleles buffer cryptic deleterious variation more effectively than mutant individuals. Hsp83 thus helps buffer cryptic deleterious variation in flies derived from wild populations.
Wild-type Hsp83 alleles can buffer cryptic deleterious variation caused by inbreeding. Each panel shows changes in female fecundity (vertical axes) over 3-4 generations (horizontal axes) of inbreeding in fly populations containing either Hsp83 mutant or wild-type alleles. Seven lines homogenous for Hsp83 wild-type (Hsp83+/+) and for Hsp83 mutant (Hsp83P/P), respectively, were isogenized from each of three populations Okayama, Tokyo, and the Ivory Coast. In each generation, four virgin females and four males of an isofemale line were crossed to reproduce the next generation. All offspring produced within 30 days were counted as a measurement of female fecundity. Error bars indicate one standard error of the mean for the 7 isofemale lines. Independent-sample t-tests were performed to calculate the significance of fecundity difference between generation one, on the one hand, and generations 2-4, on the other hand. Asterisks indicate significant differences in fecundity to generation one: at p < 0.05(*) and p < 0.01(**).
Hsp83is even more important for cryptic variation buffering under mild heat stress
The preceding experiments showed that mutant Hsp83 alleles buffer cryptic deleterious variation to a lesser extent than wild-type alleles. We next asked whether high temperatures further exacerbate this difference. The rationale for this question is that Hsp90 is involved in the heat stress response. When exposed to heat stress, free Hsp90 will be diverted from its interactions with signaling proteins to help renature excess misfolded and aggregated proteins [1, 24]. As a result, less Hsp90 protein may be available for signaling and buffering. To answer this question, we performed mild inbreeding at 28.0°C with the same methods for crossing of flies within inbred lines as used in the preceding experiments. The starting isofemale lines were also the same, except that we began to rear flies at 28.0°C when they eclosed (See Materials and methods; See additional file 6). In these experiments, wild-type flies from the Okayama and Tokyo populations retained high fecundity over three generations of inbreeding, while wild-type flies from the Ivory Coast populations significantly (p < 0.05) declined in fecundity after the first generation. All three populations persisted over three generations of inbreeding. In stark contrast to this persistence, lines with mutant Hsp83 alleles from the three populations went extinct after the first generation, because their fecundity had been reduced to almost zero (Fecundity loss significant at p < 0.001; Figure 6). This observation underscores that Hsp90 is important to buffer deleterious variation not only at normal temperatures, but even more so under thermal stress.
Mild heat stress impairs the buffering ability of mutant Hsp83 enough to cause population extinction. The horizontal axis shows time in generations after inbreeding lines had been established. The vertical axis shows the average number of offspring a female produces, i.e., female fecundity. Seven lines homozygous for wild-type Hsp83 (Hsp83+/+, blue) and for mutant Hsp83 (Hsp83P/P, red), respectively, were isogenized from each of the three geographic populations we studied here. From each isofemale line, four 3-day-old virgin females and four males were placed in a vial and allowed to mate to create the first generation. Subsequent generations were also produced from matings between four 3-day-old virgin females and four males. All offspring produced within 30 days were counted to estimate the fecundity per female. Error bars indicate one standard error of the mean among the 7 isofemale lines. Independent-sample t-tests were performed to ask whether fecundity differed between generation 1, on the one hand, and generation 2-3, on the other hand. Asterisks indicate significant differences at p < 0.05(*) and p < 0.001(***) obtained in these tests.
Outbreeding of a previously inbred population reduces homozygosity of deleterious recessive alleles. If our assertion that wild-type Hsp83 buffers deleterious variation is correct, then outbreeding should restore the fecundity lost during inbreeding, and especially in mutant lines where this loss is most severe (Figure 5 and 6). To ask whether this is the case, we used flies from the Ivory Coast population, where the fecundity loss had been especially severe at 28°C (Figure 6). We crossed flies derived from the different inbred isofemale lines with each other and examined their fecundity. In this way, we established populations that were outbred and contained either only Hsp83 mutant alleles, only wild-type alleles (See additional file 7A, "between-line" crosses), or a 1:1 mix of mutant and wild-type alleles (See additional file 7A, "between-genotype" crosses). The outbred populations show significant increases in fertility relative to their inbreeding controls (p < 0.05). Specifically, outbreeding of populations that contained only mutant alleles (Hsp83P/P× Hsp83P/Pin "between-line" crosses) increased fecundity from zero (after inbreeding at 28.0°C) to 12 individuals per female (Figure 6 and S4B). This change in fecundity was highly significant (p < 0.001), indicating that outbreeding rescued the fecundity loss during inbreeding at mild heat stress. Wild-type alleles of Hsp83 helped increase fecundity even further. Specifically, the fecundity of outbred populations with both allele types (Hsp83+/+ × Hsp83P/P; "between-genotype" cross in additional file 7B) was 167 percent higher than for populations with only the mutant alleles (Hsp83P/P× Hsp83P/P; p = 0.018). Outbreeding in populations with only wild-type alleles (Hsp83+/+ × Hsp83+/+) increased fecundity by an additional 70 percent, to a level that was significantly higher than in the mixed cross (Hsp83+/+ × Hsp83P/P; p = 0.013) (See additional file 7B). In sum, wild-type Hsp83 alleles are much more effective in restoring the fecundity that is lost after inbreeding.
We discovered naturally occurring mutants of the Hsp83 gene with P element insertions in the gene's proximal promoter region. These mutants occur in three out of 42 populations that we examined, and at modest allele frequencies, not exceeding 7.7 percent. The mutations down-regulate Hsp83 gene expression by 32 percent to 40 percent, depending on the population. They reduce competitive fitness, female fecundity, and longevity. We also found that Hsp83 (and possibly linked loci) strongly influences the expression of cryptic deleterious genetic variation in inbred populations. That is, flies that carry the mutant Hsp83 allele are much more poorly buffered against such variation than flies with the wild-type allele. We found that even mild thermal stress can completely break down the impaired buffering associated with mutant Hsp83. Specifically, inbred fly populations with mutant Hsp83 alleles go extinct at modestly elevated temperatures of 28°C.
To our knowledge, this work is the first to show that naturally occurring regulatory mutations of the Hsp83 gene-a key modulator of the stress response and cellular signaling-can affect reproductive success, reduce longevity, and reduce variation buffering in fruit flies derived from wild populations. A previous study on naturally occurring Hsp83 variants had identified a nonsynonymous deletion mutation in the Hsp83 coding region, and focused on the effects of this mutation on morphological traits, not on fitness components [27]. In addition, this study perturbed variation buffering only through thermal stress exposure, not through inbreeding, which is especially useful to reveal expression of recessive cryptic genetic variation. Our limited sequence polymorphism analysis found only one synonymous mutation in the Hsp83 coding region in the flies we studied, thus making it unlikely that the same deletion mutation stands behind our observations.
Our naturally occurring variants of Hsp83 have fairly mild effects compared to some of the drastic perturbations that earlier laboratory experiments used [7, 11, 16, 22, 26, 32, 33]. For example, the reduced expression of Hsp83 in our mutants did not significantly affect thermotolerance in outbred flies (See additional file 5). Working with these mutants has several benefits. First, it avoids pharmacological manipulation or structural modification of Hsp90, both of which may have unknown side effects, for example, by changing the protein's molecular interaction partners [1, 25]. Second, it avoids the use of mutations with drastic expression effects, such as engineered homozygous loss-of-function mutants [31, 32]. Such mutants can only be maintained as heterozygotes in the laboratory [16, 33]. A continuous inbreeding experiment like the one we performed to reveal deleterious cryptic variation would be difficult with such drastic mutations, partly because homozygote offspring would be lethal. In contrast, the mild variants we found enabled us to ask whether more Hsp83 means better buffering [53]. Finally, they allowed us to study flies derived from natural populations, and to examine whether laboratory findings on Hsp90 apply to such populations.
A potential disadvantage of working with natural populations and the mutants that they contain is that each mutant occurs in a different genetic background, and that this background can influence observations. For example, we found that the genetic background of each geographic population influenced the competitive ability and fecundity of the flies we studied. However, our key observations, for example that Hsp83 can buffer deleterious variation in inbreeding lines, and that Hsp83 mutants show reduced fitness, were consistent across all three genetic backgrounds.
P element insertions are widespread in the Drosophila genome, and they are especially abundant in heat-shock genes [34, 35]. In Japanese natural populations, for example, at least 6 distinct P element insertions exist in the heat shock gene Hsp26, and at least 5 distinct insertions exist in the heat-shock gene Hsp27 at high population frequency [35]. These observations stand in stark contrast to the low frequency of insertions into the Hsp83 gene. They suggest that the low frequency of P-element insertions we observe in Hsp83 are not a consequence of a recent insertion, but that it results from natural selection against mutant Hsp83. Our observation that these insertions are possibly associated with reduced competitive fitness, reduced fecundity, and shorter life span are fully consistent with this suggestion. The question then arises why we observe any individuals that carry P-element insertions in our study populations. One possible answer is that the insertion may be neutral or even beneficial when heterozygous or when at low population frequencies. Our observation that mutant allele frequencies did not decline in a competition assays seeded with only 10 percent of Hsp83P alleles are consistent with this possibility. Moreover, the fitness effect of Hsp83P may depend on the environment to which a population is adapted, as has been observed for P element insertions in other heat shock genes [35, 54]. In addition, some P-element insertions can help maintain tradeoffs between stress resistance and developmental homeostasis of flies living in a changing environment [34, 35, 37]. Unfortunately, our data does not allow us to answer which of these possibilities is responsible for the maintenance of P element insertions at modest frequencies in our study populations.
Our observation that mutations in Hsp83 affect fecundity is consistent with other reports that Hsp83 is involved in reproductive functions. Hsp83 plays a critical role in the process of both oogenesis [55] and spermatogenesis [56]. For example, Hsp83 RNA is a component of the posterior polar plasm [57], and Hsp90 protein is required for localization of maternal mRNA to the posterior pole, which is essential for development of germ cells in the Drosophila embryo [58]. Thus, Hsp83 is involved in the molecular pathways responsible for oogenesis and spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster.
Inbreeding increases the fraction of homozygous loci in a genome. Because many alleles are recessive and deleterious in the homozygous state [59], inbreeding will cause previously cryptic (heterozygous) deleterious variation to be expressed [52]. Such deleterious variation manifests itself as a reduction in one or more fitness components, such as fecundity. In our inbreeding experiments, we found that wild-type Hsp83 flies were better buffered against the deleterious effects of inbreeding than mutant flies. Specifically, wild-type Hsp83 flies from all three geographic populations showed no decline in fecundity after three generations of inbreeding, and only one population showed a small decline (by 14 percent) after four generations. In stark contrast, mutant lines from all three geographic populations showed a significant decline in fecundity of up to 47 percent after between two and four generations. Genetic polymorphisms are widespread in many populations [47, 59], but the incidence of cryptic variation is usually unknown for wild populations [14, 15]. Inbreeding can reveal such variation. Our experiments demonstrate that cryptic variation must be abundant in the populations we studied, because inbreeding reduced fecundity substantially. Moreover, the experiments show that expression of Hsp83 at wild type levels can buffer the damage caused by inbreeding.
The observation that a chaperone can buffer deleterious variation is not unprecedented. Over-expression of GroEL, a molecular chaperone of Escherichia coli, can help overcome the accumulation of deleterious mutations that occur in E. coli strains with high mutation rate [20]. In other words, a chaperone can buffer these organisms against deleterious mutations [17, 20]. Although the sources of deleterious variation-inbreeding and mutation accumulation-and the chaperones-Hsp90 and GroEL-differ in these two organisms, chaperones have the same qualitative effect in both cases. However, the E. coli strain in which these previous experiments were conducted is a laboratory strain. Observations made with this strain need not necessarily transfer to populations in the wild.
Three main observations lead us to think that the buffering capacity of Hsp90 is relevant for wild fly populations. First, the flies in which we identified the effects of the Hsp83 mutation all stem from wild populations. Second, although the buffering capacity of Hsp90 varies with genetic background, significant buffering did occur in all three populations. Third, the regulatory mutation in Hsp83 (and possibly linked loci) is mild in its effect on expression, but strong in its effects on fitness, i.e., on fecundity, longevity, and most importantly, buffering capacity. Mutations that affect these aspects of fitness are likely to be selected against in nature [59]. More specifically, because Drosophila has very large effective population size in the wild [43], fitness differences much smaller than we detected would be visible to natural selection [14, 59], and would lead to the eventual elimination of mutant alleles with low fitness.
In sum, our study shows that natural variants in the Hsp83 gene can affect the fitness of flies derived from natural populations, regardless of their genetic background and geographic origin. It also shows that Hsp83 is involved in the buffering of deleterious variation in these flies, and that this role becomes even more important under heat stress. And it demonstrates that Hsp90 plays an important role in the life of flies in the wild.
D. melanogasterstrains
The 42 populations of D. melanogaster we examined were established from wild-caught flies sampled in multiple locations around the world (see the sample information in Figure 1A and additional file 1). Population F1 is represented by 24 isofemale lines from flies collected in Okayama, Japan, in 2004 (reference numbers OKY1-24 in EHIME-Fly, the Drosophila stock center of Ehime university; http://kyotofly.kit.jp/cgi-bin/ehime/index.cgi). Population F2 is represented by 24 isofemale lines that were collected in Tokyo, Japan in 2003 (reference numbers OGSC1-24 in EHIME-Fly). Dr. Wenxia Zhang at Peking University, China provided individuals from populations F3-F6, which are derived from natural populations in China. Population F7 is represented by five isofemale lines from Cairns, Australia, and population F8 by 13 isofemale lines from Melbourne, Australia. Flies from the populations F7 and F8 were obtained from Dr. Ary A. Hoffmann at the University of Melbourne. Individuals from populations F10-11, F19 and F24-25 were obtained from the Tucson Drosophila Species Stock Center (reference number: 14021-0231.06, 14021-0231.04, 14021-0231.00, 14021-0231.20, 14021-0231.01; https://stockcenter.ucsd.edu). Individuals from the other 29 natural populations were obtained from Dr. Jean David in CNRS, France, and have been the subject of previous investigations [34, 60, 61]. All live flies for this study were reared on a medium of cornmeal, molasses, and agar at a temperature of 25°C, a humidity of 60 percent, and light period of 12D:12L in an environment-controllable incubator (Adaptis A1000 manufactured by CONVIRON, Canada; http://www.conviron.com).
Screening D. melanogaster populations for mutations in Hsp83
To identify insertion/deletion (indel) mutations in Hsp83 and its flanking regions, we first designed three primer pairs to amplify three overlapping regions covering Hsp83 and the 5' part of the gene CG14965 immediately upstream of Hsp83, as well as the entire gene CG14966 immediately downstream of Hsp83 (see additional file 8 and sequences in additional file 9 of the 3 primer pairs (i) CG14965-S1F and S1R, (ii) S2F and S2R, (iii) S3F and CG14966-S3R). With these primers we could detect indels through the polymorphisms they yield in the size of PCR amplification products. Because indel mutations preferentially occur in Hsp promoter regions [34], we also designed a primer pair to specifically amplify the intergenic region upstream of Hsp83. This pair consists of primer CG14965-S4F, which is complementary to DNA in the upstream gene CG14965, and S4R, which is complementary to part of the 5' region of Hsp83 (See additional file 8 and additional file 9). We sequenced amplicons obtained from this primer pair that were larger than expected from the wild-type sequence (1156 bp), in order to confirm the identity, structure, position, and orientation of insertions into the promoter. We also applied a PCR that can specifically detect P elements in the Hsp83 promoter region to flies from lines where previous PCR analysis had revealed insertions. For this PCR, we used the forward primer PIA8, which is specific to the flanking inverted repeats of P elements, and the primer S4R (See additional file 8 and additional file 9). We estimated allelic frequencies of P element insertions in Hsp83 via the above two amplification reactions, i.e, one for indel detection in the intergenic region, another for the P element-specific amplification. Overall, we screened approximately 100 D. melanogaster individuals from each of the 42 populations for Hsp83 indels, for a total of more than 4,500 screened flies. We purified genomic DNA from individual adult flies with the Puregene DNA purification system (Gentra Systems) according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Polymorphisms in Hsp83 nucleotides and the inversion Inv(3L)P
We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms in a 940 base pair (bp) long stretch upstream of the insertion site in 14 mutant flies from the Okayama population, and found only one point mutation in a single sequence. Primer pair PIA8 and CG14965-S1F was used for the amplification (See additional file 8 and additional file 9). In nine flies of the same population, we also examined nucleotide polymorphisms in a 2980 bp stretch downstream of the insertion site amplified with primer pair PIA8 and CG14966-S3R (See additional file 8 and additional file 9). This region covers the whole Hsp83 coding region and most of the downstream gene CG14966. This analysis found no polymorphisms.
To determine if the Hsp83 mutation was in linkage disequilibrium with the inversion Inv(3L)P, we genotyped the Hsp83 mutant and wild-type lines for the presence of the inversion following an established method [27]. Briefly, in this method each DNA sample is genotyped by two primer pairs, one yielding a 1350 bp fragment for the standard arrangement, and another pair yielding a 1075 bp fragment for the inversion. To exclude the possibility that polymorphisms in priming sites yield artifactual results, we also used another genotyping method [62] in which two different primer pairs detect the standard and inverted arrangements. We genotyped 25 flies in Okayama lines and 26 flies in Ivory Coast lines using both methods.
Construction of isogenized homozygous lines
Virgin females were collected from each of the three populations in which P element insertions existed in Hsp83 promoters. Individual females were paired with one male and allowed to mate in vials containing 7 ml of standard medium at 25°C. Adult offspring were removed after 5 days and genotyped as described above. Offspring of heterozygous parents were allowed to mate and reproduce further until pairs of lines homozygous for a P element insertion (Hsp83P/P) and for the wild-type Hsp83 promoter (Hsp83+/+) were established in the same generation. Individuals with the Hsp83P/Por Hsp83+/+ genotypes were then mated inter se to obtain large populations of more than 200 individuals. Pair-wise mating among individuals of the two genotypes was undertaken during the population maintenance, so that the mutant and corresponding wild-type lines used in the next experiments had the same history of inbreeding, and did not differ in average levels of genetic variation. These populations of isofemale lines were maintained for two generations before the experiments described below, in bottles at a constant temperature of 25°C, humidity of 60 percent, and light period of 12D:12L in an incubator. Homozygous lines of the two genotypes used for the measurement of fecundity, longevity, and thermal tolerance were all isogenized from the Okayama population (See additional file 10).
Quantitation of Hsp83gene expression by real-time PCR
Total RNA was purified from about 25 early 3rd instar larvae using an RNeasy Protect kit (Qiagen, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Equal amounts (1 ug) of RNA were used to synthesize first-strand cDNA with an Oligo(dT) primer using a reverse transcription kit (ABgene, Rochester, NY, USA). The housekeeping gene actin88F was used as an endogenous control to calibrate total mRNA levels. The mRNA level expressed by a specific gene was measured by real-time quantitative PCR on an Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR System with SYBR® Green I dye chemistry (ABgene, USA). Measurements were carried out in three technical replicates for each mRNA sample. The relative quantification of gene expression of Hsp83 and actin88F was calculated by the comparative cycle threshold method (ΔΔCT Method) according to ABI's guide (Applied Biosystems, USA). Primers used for quantitative PCR are listed in additional file 9.
Construction of luciferase reporter plasmids, transient transfection, and dual luciferase assay
DNA fragments containing Hsp83 wild-type and P-element insertion promoters were PCR-amplified from isofemale lines derived from the Okayama population (See additional file 1, population F1). These fragments were cloned into the promoter/enhancer-free pGL-3 basic vector (Promega), which contains a luciferase gene. To facilitate cloning, the PCR used primers (Kpn1F1, Bgl2R1; See additional file 9) designed to introduce restriction sites into the amplified fragments. The amplified region begins 714 bp upstream and ends 35 bp downstream of the transcription start site (See additional file 2A). The methods for construction of luciferase reporter plasmid were the same as in [35].
Two types of Drosophila cells, S2R+ and Kc cells [49], were transfected with pGL3-basic vector DNA with insert, or without insert for control experiments in 96-well plates. Both a firefly luciferase reporter gene construct (200 ng) and a pRL-SV40 Renilla luciferase construct (10 ng; for normalization) were co-transfected in each well. After transfection, cells were incubated at 25°C for 12 h, placed in a cell incubator at either 36.5°C (heat shock) or 25°C (control) for 5 min, transferred to a 25°C cell incubator for 30 min, and harvested by centrifugation. The luciferase activity was then measured using the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System (Promega, USA) according to the instruction manual. Four replicate cell lines were prepared and assayed for each treatment. The intensity of the firefly luciferase signal is reported here as the ratio of averaged firefly to Renilla luciferase luminescence.
Competition assay for relative fitness determination
Relative fitness of Hsp83 wild-type (Hsp83+/+) and P-element insertion lines (Hsp83P/P) was measured in a bottle with competing flies of both genotypes. To make sure that the relative competitive ability of the parental females in this experiment was due to genetic rather than environmentally induced effects, all parental flies were raised at the same sex ratio (1:1), population density (~150 flies per bottle), age, temperature (25°C) and humidity (60 percent). Two different types of competition assays were performed to measure relative fitness. The first used a population of competing flies with an initial 1:1 ratio of the two genotypes, i.e., with 50 Hsp83P/P and 50 Hsp83+/+virgin adults. For this assay, three parallel competition populations were established with flies derived from three different populations, one from Okayama (population F1 in additional file 1), one from Tokyo (population F2), and one from the Ivory Coast (population F3). The second assay used three populations of competing flies with different proportions of mutant and wild-type flies from the Okayama population. The three competition populations initially contained 10 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent homozygous P-insertion genotypes. Specifically, the first population was established by mixing 10 Hsp83P/P with 90 Hsp83+/+adults, the second population by mixing 30 Hsp83P/P with 70 Hsp83+/+adults, and the third by mixing 50 Hsp83P/P with 50 Hsp83+/+adults.
From each of these populations flies were transferred every two days to a new bottle to lay eggs. One hundred virgin offspring flies randomly taken from over 600 flies grown in bottles from three consecutive time points, each between three and seven days old, were mated to found the next generation. All populations were cultured for 5 consecutive generations. Adult offspring in each generation were frozen for genotyping after they laid eggs. Thirty to fifty flies of males and females were genotyped in each generation. Since no difference in the frequency of alleles that carry P-element insertions was observed between males and females, the allele frequency was calculated for a mix of both sexes. The change in frequency of P-element carrying alleles was used to estimate the relative fitness of individuals with such insertions.
Five isofemale lines homozygous for the insertion (Hsp83P/P) and five male lines homozygous for the wild-type (Hsp83+/+), all of them established from the Okayama population, were subjected to the following procedure. Five females were collected as virgins and placed, one day after eclosion, with five males in glass vials containing 7 ml of standard medium to which powdered yeast had been added. The ten flies were then transferred to a fresh vial every 48 hours until no eggs had been laid in two consecutive seeding vials. Adults eclosing from each vial were censused daily until eclosion ceased. All offspring from each mating were counted as a measurement of female fecundity. This procedure was carried out three times independently for each of the 10 lines. Fecundity measurements in inbreeding lines were performed as described below.
Five isofemale lines homozygous for Hsp83+/+ and five homozygous for Hsp83P/Pwere used for the longevity measurement. Forty flies of the same sex and same age from each of the ten lines were reared in glass vials containing 7 ml of standard medium, and transferred to new medium every two days. During this time, dead flies were counted and removed. This procedure (transfer, counting and removal of dead flies) was continued until all flies had died.
Thermal stress tolerance
To determine basal thermal tolerance, three-day-old adults were heat-shocked in a 40.3°C water bath for 30 minutes, and survival was checked after 24 hours' recovery at 25°C. To determine induced thermal tolerance, 3-day old adults were first pretreated at 29.0°C for 20 minutes, followed by a 40 minute treatment at 36.5°C to maximally induce Hsp83 expression [40], and a subsequent 30 minute heat-shock treatment at 40.3°C. For these treatments, samples of about 30 flies were placed in glass vials containing 7 ml of standard medium, and the vials were submerged in water baths at the temperatures described. Flies were tallied as survivors if, after 24 hours at 25°C, they responded to gentle brush prodding. The flies subjected to these treatments came from each of 13 to 20 Okayama isofemale lines, and included individuals of both sexes.
Continuous inbreeding and outbreeding
From each of the three natural populations from Okayama, Tokyo, and Ivory Coast (See additional file 1), seven isogenic lines (Iso-1 to Iso-7) homozygous for Hsp83 wild-type (Hsp83+/+) and for Hsp83 mutants (Hsp83P/P), respectively, were established in the standard isogenization method described above. Four 3-day-old virgin females and four 3-day-old males of an isofemale line were mated in a vial to generate the first generation. The 8 flies in the vial were transferred to a new vial with fresh food every other day. The transfer continued for 30 days or until no hatched larvae were visible in the vial. Adults eclosing from each vial were censused every other day until eclosion ceased. To generate the second generation, four females and four males collected on the sixth eclosing day within an isofemale line were sexed, separately reared for 3 days, and then mated in a vial to lay eggs. Using this protocol, the inbreeding experiments proceeded for 4 generations at 25(± 0.2)°C, and for 3 generations at 28.0(± 0.2)°C. At the higher temperature, the mutant lines ceased to reproduce in the second generation (See the experimental design in additional file 6). All offspring from each quadri-mating were counted to estimate female fecundity.
For the outbreeding experiment, virgin adult offspring of the two genotypes (Hsp83+/+ and Hsp83P/P) derived from the second generation of the above inbreeding experiment at 28°C were collected from all seven isofemale lines of the Ivory Coast population (Iso-1 to Iso-7). They were then outbred at 28°C according to the experimental design shown in additional file 7. Specifically, two different outbreeding regimes were applied. First, to investigate if relieving inbreeding can restore the fertility loss caused by P-element insertion into Hsp83 under stress, flies from two of the seven isofemale lines within each genotype were crossed. In total seven crosses were established from the seven inbred isofemale lines within each genotype. Second, in an attempt to rescue the Hsp83 down-regulation in mutant lines, flies of two lines from each of the two genotypes were crossed. Since Hsp90 is essential for both oogenesis and spermatogenesis [55, 56, 63, 64], between-genotype crosses were only performed between mutant females and wild-type males, but not reciprocally. Overall, seven between-genotype crosses were established from flies of the seven inbred isofemale lines. In each cross, four 3-day-old females and four 3-day-old males were mated in a vial. The eight flies in the vial were transferred to a new vial with fresh food every other day for a total of 30 days. Adults eclosing from each vial were censused every other day until eclosion ceased. Then female fecundity was measured by examining the number of offspring from each cross as described in previous sections.
For longevity, fecundity and thermal tolerance, the effects on the mean phenotype of genotype (Hsp83P/P and Hsp83+/+) and line within each genotype were tested using a nested one-way analysis of variance with genotype as a fixed factor, and the line nested within genotype as a random variant. Separate ANOVAs were performed for males and females. A Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test was performed instead when the variances are different between genotypes. Independent-sample t-tests were performed to examine whether fecundity differed significantly between the first generation on the one hand, and the second to fourth generation of inbreeding at 25°C and 28°C, on the other hand. Levene's test [65] was used to determine if a given number k of samples had equal variances.
Young JC, Moarefi I, Hartl FU: Hsp90: a specialized but essential protein-folding tool. J Cell Biol. 2001, 154: 267-274. 10.1083/jcb.200104079.
Hartl FU: Molecular chaperones in cellular protein folding. Nature. 1996, 381: 571-580. 10.1038/381571a0.
Walter S, Buchner J: Molecular chaperones-cellular machines for protein folding. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2002, 41: 1098-1113. 10.1002/1521-3773(20020402)41:7<1098::AID-ANIE1098>3.0.CO;2-9.
Peterson FC, Baden EM, Owen BA, Volkman BF, Ramirez-Alvarado M: A single mutation promotes amyloidogenicity through a highly promiscuous dimer interface. Structure. 2010, 18: 563-570. 10.1016/j.str.2010.02.012.
McClellan AJ, Xia Y, Deutschbauer AM, Davis RW, Gerstein M, Frydman J: Diverse cellular functions of the Hsp90 molecular chaperoneuncovered using systems approaches. Cell. 2007, 131: 121-135. 10.1016/j.cell.2007.07.036.
Wagner A: Robustness and evolvability in living systems. 2005, Princeton: Princeton University Press
Queitsch C, Sangster TA, Lindquist S: Hsp90 as a capacitor of phenotypic variation. Nature. 2002, 417: 618-624. 10.1038/nature749.
Jarosz DF, Lindquist S: Hsp90 and environmental stress transform the adaptive value of natural genetic variation. Science. 2010, 330 (6012): 1820-1824. 10.1126/science.1195487.
Hermisson J, Wagner GP: The Population Genetic Theory of Hidden Variation and Genetic Robustness. Genetics. 2004, 168: 2271-2284. 10.1534/genetics.104.029173.
Masel J, Siegal ML: Robustness: mechanisms and consequences. Trends Genet. 2009, 25 (9): 395-403. 10.1016/j.tig.2009.07.005.
Milton CC, Huynh B, Batterham P, Rutherford SL, AA H: Quantitative trait symmetry independent of Hsp90 buffering: Distinct modes of genetic canalization and developmental stability. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2003, 100 (23): 13396-13401. 10.1073/pnas.1835613100.
Freilich S, Anat K, Borenstein E, Gophna U, Sharan R, Ruppin E: Decoupling environment-dependent and independent genetic robustness across bacterial species. PLoS Comp Biol. 2010, 6: e1000690-10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000690.
McGuigan K, Sgrò CM: Evolutionary consequences of cryptic genetic variation. Trends Ecol Evol. 2009, 24 (6): 305-311. 10.1016/j.tree.2009.02.001.
Gibson G, Dworkin I: Uncovering cryptic genetic variation. Nat Rev Genet. 2004, 5: 681-690.
Sangster TA, Salathia N, Undurraga S, Milo R, Schellenberg K, Lindquist S, Queitsch C: HSP90 affects the expression of genetic variation and developmental stability in quantitative traits. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008, 105 (8): 2963-2968. 10.1073/pnas.0712200105.
Rutherford SL, Lindquist S: Hsp90 as a capacitor for morphological evolution. Nature. 1998, 396: 336-342. 10.1038/24550.
Maisnier-Patin S, Roth JR, Fredriksson A, Nyström T, Berg OG, Andersson DI: Genomic buffering mitigates the effects of deleterious mutations in bacteria. Nat Genet. 2005, 37: 1376-1379. 10.1038/ng1676.
Waddington CH: Genetic assimialtion of an acquired character. Evolution. 1953, 7 (2): 118-126. 10.2307/2405747.
Wagner GP: Evolutionary genetics: the nature of hidden genetic variation unveiled. Curr Biol. 2003, 13 (24): R958-R960. 10.1016/j.cub.2003.11.042.
Fares MA, Ruiz-González MX, Moya A, Elena SF, Barrio E: GroEL buffers against deleterious mutations. Nature. 2002, 417: 398-10.1038/417398a.
Hayden EJ, Ferrada E, Wagner A: Cryptic genetic variation promotes rapid evolutionary adaptation in an RNA enzyme. Nature. 2011, 474: 92-97. 10.1038/nature10083.
Sangster TA, Salathia N, Lee HN, Watanabe E, Schellenberg K, Morneau K, Wang H, Undurraga S, Queitsch C, Lindquist S: HSP90-buffered genetic variation is common in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008, 105 (8): 2969-2974. 10.1073/pnas.0712210105.
Bergman A, Siegal M: Evolutionary capacitance as a general feature of complex gene networks. Nature. 2003
Rutherford S, Hirate Y, Swalla BJ: The Hsp90 capacitor, developmental remodeling, and evolution: Therobustness of gene networks and the curious evolvability of metamorphosis. Critic Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2007, 42 (5): 355-372. 10.1080/10409230701597782.
Pearl LH, Prodromou C: Structure and mechanism of the Hsp90 molecular chaperone machinery. Ann Rev Biochem. 2006, 75 (1): 271-294. 10.1146/annurev.biochem.75.103004.142738.
Yeyati PL, Bancewicz RM, Maule J, van Heyningen V: Hsp90 selectively modulates phenotype in vertebrate development. PLoS Genet. 2007, 3 (3): e43-10.1371/journal.pgen.0030043.
Sgrò CM, Wegener B, Hoffmann AA: A naturally occurring variant of Hsp90 that is associated with decanalization. Proc R Soc B: Biol Sci. 2010, 277: 2049-2057. 10.1098/rspb.2010.0008.
Wagner GP, Chiu C-H, Hansen TF: Is Hsp90 a regulator of evolvability?. J Exp Zool (Mol Dev Evol). 1999, 285: 116-118. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-010X(19990815)285:2<116::AID-JEZ3>3.0.CO;2-P.
Meiklejohn CD, Hartl DL: A single mode of canalization. Trends Ecol Evol. 2002, 17 (10): 468-473. 10.1016/S0169-5347(02)02596-X.
Gibson G, Wagner G: Canalization in evolutionary genetics: a stabilizing theory?. Bioessays. 2000, 22: 372-380. 10.1002/(SICI)1521-1878(200004)22:4<372::AID-BIES7>3.0.CO;2-J.
van der Straten A, Rommel C, Dickson B, Hafen E: The heat shock protein 83 (Hsp83) is required for Raf-mediated signalling in Drosophila. The EMBO J. 1997, 16: 1961-1969. 10.1093/emboj/16.8.1961.
Cutforth T, Rubin GM: Mutations in hsp83 and c&37 impair signaling by the sevenless receptor tyrosine kinase in Drosophila. Cell. 1994, 77: 1027-1036. 10.1016/0092-8674(94)90442-1.
Milton CC, Batterham P, McKenzie JA, Hoffmann AA: Effect of E(sev) and Su(Raf) Hsp83 mutants and trans-heterozygotes on bristle Ttrait means and variation in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 2005, 171 (1): 119-130. 10.1534/genetics.104.038463.
Walser J-C, Chen B, Feder ME: Heat-shock promoters: targets for evolution by P transposable elements in Drosophila. PLoS Genet. 2006, 2 (10): e165-10.1371/journal.pgen.0020165.
Chen B, Walser JC, Rodgers TH, Sobota RS, Burke MK, Rose MR, Feder ME: Abundant, diverse, and consequential P elements segregate in promoters of small heat-shock genes in Drosophila populations. J Evol Biol. 2007, 20 (5): 2056-2066. 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01348.x.
Lerman DN, Feder ME: Naturally Occurring Transposable Elements Disrupt hsp70 Promoter Function in Drosophila melanogaster. 2005, 22: 776-783.
Chen B, Shilova V, Zatsepina O, Evgenev M, ME F: Location of P element insertions in the proximal promoter region of hsp70A is consequential for gene expression and correlated with fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster. Cell Stress & Chaperones. 2007, 13: 11-17.
Sabo P, Humbert R, Hawrylycz M, Wallace J, Dorschner M: Genome-wide identification of DNasel hypersensitive sites using active chromatin sequence libraries. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004, 101: 4537-4542. 10.1073/pnas.0400678101.
Farkas G, Leibovitch B, Elgin S: Chromatin organization and transcriptional control of gene expression in Drosophila. Gene. 2000, 253: 117-136. 10.1016/S0378-1119(00)00240-7.
Xiao H, Lis JT: Heat shock and developmental regulation of the Drosophila melanogaster hsp83 gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1989, 9 (4): 1746-1753.
Michaud S, Marin R, Tanguay RM: Regulation of heat shock gene induction and expression during Drosophila development. Cell Mol Life Sci. 1997, 53 (1): 104-113. 10.1007/PL00000572.
Rose MR, Mueller LD, Burke MK: Anecdotal, historical and critical commentaries on genetics: new experiments for an undivided genetics. Genetics. 2011, 188: 1-10. 10.1534/genetics.111.128900.
Pemberton JM: Wild pedigrees: the way forward. Proc R Soc B: Biol Sci. 2008, 275 (1635): 613-621. 10.1098/rspb.2007.1531.
Macdonald SJ, Long AD: A potential regulatory polymorphism upstream of hairy is not associated with bristle number variation in wild-caught Drosophila. Genetics. 2004, 167 (4): 2127-2131. 10.1534/genetics.104.026732.
Khazaeli AA, Van Voorhies W, Curtsinger JW: The relationship between life span and adult body size is highly strain-specific in Drosophila melanogaster. Exp Geront. 2005, 40 (5): 377-385. 10.1016/j.exger.2005.02.004.
Kristensen TN, Loeschcke V, Hoffmann AA: Can artificially selected phenotypes influence a component of field fitness? Thermal selection and fly performance under thermal extremes. Proc R Soc B: Biol Sci. 2007, 274 (1611): 771-778. 10.1098/rspb.2006.0247.
Ometto L, Stephan W, Lorenzo DD: Insertion/deletion and nucleotide polymorphism data reveal constraints in Drosophila melanogaster introns and intergenic regions. Genetics. 2004, 169 (3): 1521-1527. 10.1534/genetics.104.037689.
Xiao H, Lis J: Germline transformation used to define key features of heat-shock response elements. Science. 1988, 239: 1139-1142. 10.1126/science.3125608.
Sullivan W, Ashburner M, Hawley RS: Drosophila: A laboratory manual. Drosophila cell culture and transformation. Edited by: Cherbas L, Cherbas P. 2000, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 20: 2
Sgrò CM, Milton CC, Jensen LT, Frydenberg J, Loeschcke V, Batterham P, Hoffmann AA: Nucleotide diversity in the Hsp90 gene in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster from Australia. Insect Mol Biol. 2008, 17 (6): 685-697. 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2008.00843.x.
Wesley CS, WF E: Isolation and analysis of the breakpoint sequences of chromosome inversion In(3L)Payne in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Nati Acad Sci USA. 1994, 91: 3132-3136. 10.1073/pnas.91.8.3132.
Charlesworth D, Willis JH: The genetics of inbreeding depression. Nat Rev Genet. 2009, 10: 783-796. 10.1038/nrg2664.
Sangster TA, Lindquist S, Queitsch C: Under cover: causes, effects and implications of Hsp90-mediated genetic capacitance. Bioessay. 2004, 26: 348-362. 10.1002/bies.20020.
Michalak P, Minkov I, Helin A, Lerman D, Bettencourt B, Feder M, Korol A, Nevo E: Genetic evidence for adaptation-driven incipient speciation of Drosophilamelanogaster along a microclimatic contrast in "Evolution Canyon," Israel. Proc Nati Acad Sci USA. 2001, 98 (23): 13195-13200. 10.1073/pnas.231478298.
Pisa V, Cozzolino M, Gargiulo S, Ottone C, Piccioni F, Monti M, Gigliotti S, Talamo F, Graziani F, Pucci P, et al: The molecular chaperone Hsp83 is a component of the cap-binding complex and interacts with the translational repressor Cup during Drosophila oogenesis. Gene. 2009, 432 (1-2): 67-74. 10.1016/j.gene.2008.11.025.
Yue L, Karr TL, Nathan DF, Swift H: Genetic analysis of viable Hsp83 alleles reveals a critical role in Drosophila spermatogenesis. Genetics. 1999, 151: 1065-1079.
Ding D, Parkhurst SM, Halsell SR, Lipshitz HD: Dynamic Hsp83 RNA localization during Drosophila oogenesis and embryogenesis. Mol Cell Biol. 1993, 13 (6): 3773-3781.
Song Y, Fee L, Lee TH, Wharton RP: The molecular chaperone Hsp90 Is required for mRNA localization in Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Genetics. 2007, 176 (4): 2213-2222. 10.1534/genetics.107.071472.
Haag-Liautard C, Dorris M, Maside X, Macaskill S, Halligan DL, Charlesworth B, Keightley PD: Direct estimation of per nucleotide and genomic deleterious mutation rates in Drosophila. Nature. 2007, 445 (7123): 82-85. 10.1038/nature05388.
Rohmer C, David J, Moreteau B, Joly D: Heat induced male sterility in Drosophila melanogaster: Adaptive genetic variations among geographic populations and role of the Y chromosome. J Exp Biol. 2004, 207: 2735-2743. 10.1242/jeb.01087.
Ayrinhac A, Debat V, Gibert P, Kister AG, Legout H, al e: Cold adaptation in geographical populations of Drosophila melanogaster: Phenotypic plasticity is more important than genetic variability. Funct Ecol. 2004, 18: 700-706. 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00904.x.
Anderson AR, Hoffmann AA, McKechnie SW, Umina PA, Weeks AR: The latitudinal cline in the In(3R)Payne inversion polymorphism has shifted in the last 20 years in Australian Drosophila melanogaster populations. Mol Ecol. 2005, 14 (3): 851-858. 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02445.x.
Castrillon DH, Gonczy P, Alexander S, Rawson R, Eberhart CG, Viswanathan S, DiNardo S, Wasserman SA: Toward a molecular genetic analysis of spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster: characterization of male-sterile mutants generated by single P element mutagenesis. Genetics. 1993, 135 (2): 489-505.
Takemori N, Yamamoto M-T: Proteome mapping of the Drosophila melanogaster male reproductive system. Proteomics. 2009, 9: 2484-2493. 10.1002/pmic.200800795.
Levene H: Contributions to probability and statistics. 1960, Palo Alto: Stanford University Press
Acknowledgements and funding
We thank Jean David, Masayoshi Watada, Ary Hoffmann and Wenxia Zhang for providing fly strains, Rudolf Saegesser and Anina Pescatore for technical assistance, and Suzannah Rutherford for discussion. AW acknowledges support through Swiss National Science Foundation grants 315200-116814, 315200-119697, and 315230-129708, as well as through the YeastX project of SystemsX.ch, and the University Priority Research Program in Systems Biology at the University of Zurich.
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
& Andreas Wagner
The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge-Batiment Genopode, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
The Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501, USA
Search for Bing Chen in:
Search for Andreas Wagner in:
Correspondence to Andreas Wagner.
BC carried out the experiments. BC and AW conceived of and designed the study, performed the data analysis, and drafted the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Additional file 1: Table S1. The 42 natural populations of D. melanogasterscreened for Hsp83insertion/deletion mutations. Lines F1, F2, F7, and F8 were reared as isofemale lines. The remaining lines were mass-reared. (DOC 86 KB)
Additional file 2: Figure S1. P element insertion mutation in the Hsp83 proximal promoter reduces Hsp83 gene expression. (A) Hsp83 gene promoter-luciferase reporter constructs (see also Materials and methods). Promoters of the Hsp83 gene (both as wild-type and with P-element insertion) from the Okayama population were amplified, digested with Kpn1 and Bgl2, and ligated into the promoter region of the luciferase gene in the pGL3-basic vector as described in Materials and Methods. HSC, Heat-shock consensus element; TATA, TATA box. Constructs are not drawn to scale. (B) Hsp83 gene promoter activity, as measured by a luciferase assay (see also Materials and methods). Drosophila S2R+ cells and Kc cells were transiently transfected in separate experiments with luciferase constructs that contained the wild-type Hsp83 promoter, and the same promoter with an inserted P element. Transfectants were subject to control (i.e., non-heat-shock) or 37°C heat-shock treatments, as described in Materials and methods. The vertical axis shows the firefly luciferase signal, expressed as the ratio of firefly to Renilla luciferase luminescence measured from 4 replicate cell lines for each treatment. (PDF 341 KB)
Additional file 3: Table S2. Frequency of Hsp83P/Pand Hsp83P/+ alleles occurring in three populations. (DOC 39 KB)
Additional file 4: Table S3. No association between frequency of the inversion Inv(3L)Pand Hsp83alleles. (DOC 41 KB)
Additional file 5: Figure S2. Mutant flies are no less thermotolerant than wild-type flies. We determined thermal stress tolerance via adult mortality of males (upper panel) and females (lower panel) under heat-shock stress in mutant and wild-type lines. We determined basal thermal tolerance (labeled as 'Basal' in the figure) by heat-shocking 3-day old adults in a water bath at 40.3°C for 30 minutes, and counted survivors after a 24 hour recovery period at 25°C. We measured induced thermal tolerance (labeled as 'Induced') by pre-treating flies at 29.0°C for 20 minutes, followed by 40 minutes at 36.5°C for Hsp83 expression induction, before heat-shocking flies as above at 40.3°C for 30 minutes. We subjected about 30 flies of each genotype (Hsp83P/Pand Hsp83+/+) from each of 13 to 20 isofemale lines to this treatment. Error bars indicate one standard error of the mean. (PDF 273 KB)
Additional file 6: Figure S3. Experimental design for continuous inbreeding of flies at 25°C and 28°C. Flies from 7 isofemale lines for each genotype (wildtype Hsp83+/+ vs. mutant Hsp83P/P) were subject to the same inbreeding procedure in parallel. In each generation, four 3-day-old virgin females and four 3-day-old males of an isofemale line were mated in a vial to generate the next generation. The 8 flies in the vial were transferred to a new vial with fresh food every other day for a total of 30 days. Adults eclosing from each vial were censused every other day until eclosion ceased. At 25°C inbreeding continued for 4 generations. At 28°C inbreeding continued for 3 generations for wild-type flies, and for 2 generations of mutant flies, because the flies ceased to lay eggs in the second generation. Fly lines isogenized from each population were subject to the same inbreeding procedure. (PDF 553 KB)
Additional file 7: Figure S4. Outbreeding rescued the fertility loss caused by stress at 28°C in Hsp83 mutants. (A) Experimental design for outbreeding of flies at 28°C. Flies from 7 isofemale lines (iso-1 to iso-7) for each genotype (wildtype Hsp83+/+ vs. mutant Hsp83P/P) were collected from adults eclosed in the second generation of inbreeding at 28°C for the Ivory Coast population (see the inbreeding design in Materials and methods and additional file 6). Virgin females from one line and males from another line with the same genotype were mated to establish between-line crosses. In addition, virgin females from one mutant line and males from a wild-type line were mated to set up between-genotype crosses. In total, seven between-line crosses for each genotype and seven between-genotype crosses were established. In each cross, four 3-day-old females and four 3-day-old males were mated in a vial. The eight flies in the vial were transferred to a new vial with fresh food every other day for 30 days. Adults eclosing from each vial were censused every other day until eclosion ceased. × indicates crossing. (B) female fecundity from crosses between lines and crosses between genotypes. Independent-sample t-tests were performed to calculate significance of fecundity difference between two crosses. Asterisks (*) indicate significant differences at p < 0.05 in these tests. (PDF 2 MB)
Additional file 8: Figure S5. Position of primers located in the chromosome region containing the genes CG14965, Hsp83 , and CG14966. Filled areas correspond to genes (black bars) and to a P element (red triangle). The tapered ends of black bars indicate the direction in which a gene is transcribed. Primers are described in Materials and methods. The arrow near each primer indicates the primer's 5' > 3' direction. Primer sequences are shown in additional file 1. The sequence is drawn to scale. (PDF 251 KB)
Additional file 9: Table S4. Sequences of the primers used in Materials and Methods. (DOC 50 KB)
Additional file 10: Table S5. Fly populations and isofemale lines used for trait measurements. (DOC 44 KB)
Authors’ original file for figure 10
Chen, B., Wagner, A. Hsp90 is important for fecundity, longevity, and buffering of cryptic deleterious variation in wild fly populations. BMC Evol Biol 12, 25 (2012) doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-25
Received: 05 September 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-12-25
Hsp83 Gene
Female Fecundity
Element Insertion
Heat Shock Gene
Speciation and evolutionary genetics
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1099
|
__label__cc
| 0.588002
| 0.411998
|
Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog
Beer blogging since 2007, covering real ale, craft beer, pubs and British beer history.
The sensible Miss Orme and the life of the barmaid, 1892
In 1892, Eliza Orme undertook a painstaking investigation into the working lives of barmaids, producing a report which takes us back to the pubs of the past with incredible vividness.
Eliza Orme was an interesting woman. She was the first woman in England to get a degree in law, in 1888, as Dr Leslie Howsam, who has studied Orme’s life, explains here:
[She] was 39 years old and already unofficially ‘practicing’ law out of an office in London’s Chancery Lane where she and a colleague prepared the paperwork for property transactions, patent registrations, wills, settlements, and mortgages. ‘I “devilled” for about a dozen conveyancing counsel who kept me busily employed on drafts they wanted done in a hurry, and for twenty-five years I found it both an interesting and profitable employment’, Orme recalled in a 1901 interview. This support-level work was the only legal employment open to women, who were not permitted either to be called to the bar or join the Law Society. It was only a small part, however, of Eliza Orme’s reputation as a public figure.
An early feminist, Miss Orme was a firm believer in allowing women to work in whichever industries they chose and was a member of the Society for the Promotion of the Employment of Women.
Through this, she ended up as Senior Lady Assistant Commissioner to the Royal Commission on Labour, overseeing a small team of Lady Assistant Commissioners.
Eliza Orme c.1900.
After the Commission decided at a meeting in March 1892 to undertake research into the working lives of women, Orme dispatched her team around the country, from Bristol to the Western Isles, to investigate various industries such as textile mills, chocolate factories and stocking making.
Continue reading “The sensible Miss Orme and the life of the barmaid, 1892”
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 9th December 2019 Categories Beer history, pubsTags 19th century, books, edwardian, victorian, women3 Comments on The sensible Miss Orme and the life of the barmaid, 1892
Buy the Collected Wisdom of Pierre van Klomp
As you may know, for some years now we have been emitting occasional Tweets @brouwervanklomp. Now, we’ve taken the best of them, honed them and added exclusive new material to create Pierre van Klomp Says, “No.”
We guess it’s what you’d call a zine – a 24-page A5 mini-book which we designed ourselves and had properly printed on rather nice shiny paper.
It was inspired partly by the pop-art style of Marshall McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage but mostly by PVK’s own obtuse, melancholy wisdom.
In putting together, we also tried to provide a bit of a plot arc, from birth to death.
You can read a bit more about the background to all this here:
Writing each Tweet takes maybe 10 minutes – it’s hard to squeeze in something ‘profound’, a joke, and get the voice right all in 140 characters. We read them aloud to each other (doing a gruff old Belgian voice, obviously) several times to check they work before posting… You know how it is – the ones we’re proudest of and think are really hilarious get no attention at all, while the ones we knock off on the bus earn plaudits. ‘No clue who this guy is,’ one esteemed beer commentator wrote, ‘but I think I’m in love with him.’
The new zine was primarily conceived as a bonus for our Patreon subscribers but even giving each of them a copy means we have a few left to sell.
If you’d like a copy for your home, brewery or pub, it’s £3.00 including UK delivery. Email us via contact@boakandbailey.com to sort out payment and let us know where you’d like it posted.
Alternatively, drop us a line if you happen to be visiting the Drapers Arms in Bristol. If we’re not already there, we can always pop round with a copy.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 28th October 2019 Categories BelgiumTags books, PVK1 Comment on Buy the Collected Wisdom of Pierre van Klomp
Pubs in novels: The Vodi, John Braine, 1959
John Braine’s 1959 novel The Vodi is set in a fictional northern town where every other conversation takes place over a beer, or in a pub.
Of particular interest is the portrayal of a large, modern pub – a theme you might remember comes up in another social realist novel from the same year, Keith Waterhouse’s Billy Liar.
Braine’s treatment is succinct and direct:
[He] didn’t like the Lord Relton very much. It was a fake-Tudor road-house with a huge car park; even its name was rather phoney, an attempt to identify it with the village of Relton to which, geographically at least, it belonged. But, unlike the Frumenty, unlike even the Ten Dancers or the Blue Lion at Silbridge, the Lord Relton belonged nowhere; it would have been just as much at home in any other place in England. It even smelled liked nowhere; it had a smell he’d never encountered anywhere else, undoubtedly clean, and even antiseptic, but also disturbingly sensual, like the flesh of a woman who takes all the deodorants the advertisements recommend.
Pubs in general are presented as a kind of erotic playground, all flirtatious barmaids and “goers” – frustrated wives, lonely war widows and other women no better than they should be. It’s no wonder, then, that the (angry) young men in the book practically live there, talking endlessly about sexual adventures, ambitions and the relative attractions of the women they know.
The Three Tuns at Mirfield, ‘A Famous Yorkshire Roadhouse’. SOURCE: A Second Look at Mirfield.
As for older people, though, Braine also gives notes on the lads’ parents’ drinking habits. Here’s a bit about the protagonist’s family:
[Dick’s] father [preferred] the Liberal Club (one pint of mixed, one large Lamb’s navy rum, every evening at nine-twenty precisely, except Wednesday and Sunday) and his mother rarely touched alcohol at all, much less visited a pub.
(‘Mixed’ is a blend of mild-and-bitter.)
There’s also a surprising amount of drinking at home, given the idea sometimes conveyed in commentary that this is a new and disturbing phenomenon threatening pubs.
Dick and his father share bottles of Family Ale after they’ve done the weekly accounts for the shop, and Mr Coverack, Dick’s best friend Tom’s Dad, is an expert pourer of bottled Tetley’s Bitter:
He opened another bottle of beer and filled his glass with his usual competence; none frothed over and there was exactly the right amount of head on it to make it immediately drinkable. Tom had once commented to Dick with some bitterness on this trait of his father’s. “My Old Man,” he said, “can do any little thing you can mention, from mending a switch to pouring a glass of beer, like a professional. It’s the big things, the important things, he messes up.”
There is even a brief description of a specific beer – quite unusual in fiction generally. It’s in a passage set in a pub which is filling up with the evening crowd, developing a warm atmosphere and buzz:
The sun was setting now; the faces at the far side of the room glimmered palely, the faces nearest the fire were dramatically lit in red and black, the bitter in the tankard of the old man at the table next to Dick’s was changed from straw-yellow to near-amber sown with glittering specks of gold; when the girl, bringing in Tom’s round, switched on the light there was an element of annoyance in the glances directed for a split-second towards her; the transition from an atmosphere as cosy as a Victorian ballad had been too abrupt and the room seemed, during that transition, drab and mean.
Straw-yellow is interesting with the history of northern beer in mind but this passage is also a reminder of the importance of light in both the mood of a pub and the appearance of any given beer.
We won’t go through every pint, bottle and saloon bar in the book, but take our word for it, there are plenty – further evidence that acknowledging the pubs existence of pubs was a key factor in giving post-war British fiction its sense of startling realism.
For more on inter-war pubs, roadhouses and the post-war response to them, check out our book 20th Century Pub.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 16th September 2019 Categories 20th Century Pub, beer in fiction / tv, pubs, quotesTags 1950s, books, yorkshire
The snob quality of keg bitter and lager, 1966
It can be hard to get into the headspace of people in the past but here’s a nugget that reveals attitudes to different types of beer, and different measures, in the mid-1960s.
It’s a letter by H.C.G. Sloane to A Monthly Bulletin, a brewing trade publication, published in June 1966:
In this age of alleged democracy and an apparent tendency to throw convention to the winds, it is surprising to hear that two customers dining in an old hotel restaurant were refused “two pints of best bitter”. Pints of bitter were not served because they “lowered the tone” of the hotel.
So far, so familiar – as we covered in Brew Britannia, refusal to serve pints has become embedded as an indicator of an establishment that wishes to set itself apart from, and of course above, the bog standard boozer. Bristol has a couple of such places.
It seems that we must come to terms with the fact that, rather than becoming anachronisms, petty snobbery and the status symbol may yet extend and widen the possibilities of the absurd.
Well, it’s true that beer has got complicated with all those tribes and symbols and laws of etiquette.
Beer will, if this happens, probably be associated only with shabby taprooms, cloth caps, and newspaper-wrapped fish and chips. Already one is beginning to feel less plebeian when asking for “keg” rather than “bitter”; or a lager instead of a light ale. It sounds nicer, somehow, and more sophisticated.
This is something we keep coming back to – how did lager go from being, in 1966, the classy product you ordered when you felt a little fancy to, by the late 1980s, riot fuel?
And keg as the upmarket choice… That still rings true, sort of, though IPA or ‘craft lager’ are what people actually ask for.
The New Age bartender may look askance should one inadvertently demand a glass of mild instead of a beaker of bland.
No, the correct term is “dark ale”.
A “mixed” may in future be called a blend.
An ignorant saloon bar customer might even ostracised (or banned from using the premises) should he refer to his favourite tipple as brown ale – once the colour has changed to beige.
Wrong – instead, it’s almost extinct, and two rare survivors are ordered by brand name.
Overall, Sloane got it right – though never entirely as classless and simple as some romantics would have you believe, beer has become increasingly complex, stratified and laden with meaning.
But things have also been pretty well swirled about, too.
Is a dimple mug of Black Sheep Bitter posh, or plebeian? It depends where you drink it and whether it’s accompanying a packet of scratchings or a plate of gnocchi.
A peek behind the scenes: why are we suddenly looking at A Monthly Bulletin again? Because we had a really thorough tidy up of what we jokingly call The Arthur Millard Memorial Library – that is, our boxroom – and having got rid of a load of books and organised the rest, we’ve rediscovered lots of stuff that we forgot we had. It’s easy to dip into something before bed or in the morning before work and AMB in particular is especially dippable.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 31st July 2019 Categories 20th Century Pub, Beer history, Brew BritanniaTags 1960s, books, class, keg bitter, lager1 Comment on The snob quality of keg bitter and lager, 1966
From Suffolk to Burton in search of work, c.1880-1931
Interviewing farm-workers in East Anglia the folklorist and oral historian George Ewart Evans discovered what in publishing blurbs would be trumpeted as an ‘untold story’: the mass movement of men from Suffolk to Burton on Trent to work in the brewing industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
His book Where Beards Wag All is simultaneously a collection of essays highlighting specific narratives arising from oral history research and a defence of oral history as a discipline. Its message is that without oral history – without talking to working people, and mining their memories – we lose great chunks of history that weren’t recorded in official papers or covered in the news.
Having spent a chunk of the past few years researching and writing about pubs, we can’t agree enough. Pubs, being seen as prosaic and unsavoury, weren’t well recorded, and it is only through oral history that much sense of the habits of drinkers and publicans really emerges from the fog of the past.
The story of the Suffolk maltsters Evans uncovered is particularly fascinating and begins like this:
The search to collect evidence started after a chance remark made by a farm horseman while I was collecting information about his experiences on the Suffolk farms. I found that it was not the first occasion on which a remark made on the margin of another and totally different enquiry proved – when followed up – to be more fruitful than the subject I was investigating at the time… [The] horseman was giving an outline of his life on the farm: “I recollect,” he said, “that were the year I went to Burton. I went up for two seasons, missed a season, then went for another two – and then I got married.”
Evans continued to hear variations on this story until, he writes, “it became clear in my own mind that there had been a fairly widespread movement of young farm-workers who followed the barley they had grown in East Anglia to Burton on Trent where they worked as maltsters, helping to convert the malt to be used in the brewing of beer”.
This migration, Evans was able to work out, began at least as early as 1880 (possibly as far back as 1860) and continued until 1931 when unemployment in Burton triggered a backlash against imported labour.
What prompted this pattern of working to emerge was the seasonal nature of farm work. Once the corn and hay had been harvested, lots of fit, able young men found themselves unemployed. Some spent winter living off their families or charity; others joined the fishing fleet; but lots went to Burton, because just after the harvest happened to be exactly when broad-shouldered maltsters were most in demand.
Evans recounts his struggle to find documentary evidence and the eventual emergence of paperwork from Bass which recorded the names of Suffolk and Norfolk men on the payroll during 1904-05 and 1926-27. In 1904, the documents revealed, 169 men went to Burton from Suffolk, making up a little over half of the workforce during that malting season.
Then comes a heartbreaking detail: when Evans went to Burton in 1968 intending to interview Suffolk men who had settled there he found that Bass had just moved offices and in so doing, destroyed the labour books. Yet another archives-in-the-skip story to make researchers weep.
Had it not been for the efforts of industrial historian Colin Owen, who transcribed and summarised many of these records, nothing would survive. As it is, Evans was able to include Owen’s work as an appendix to his book. It takes the form of a list of workers from East Anglia in the 1890-91 season, with names, home villages and the railway stations from which they embarked, via Peterborough, to reach Burton. Edgar Spall, Obediah Mortlock, Arthur Panment, William Titshall, George Fenn, Charles Flatt… There are also lists of names for later seasons.
The old men Evans interviewed told him how the recruitment process worked:
At the end of August and the beginning of September the Burton brewers sent agents down to various centres in East Anglia to engage the young farm-workers. Bass and Company sent a circular letter to each malting worker who had been employed during the previous season – if he had proved satisfactory. The letter gave the date when the agent would be in a particular locality. The place was usually a public house – The Station Hotel, Ipswich, Framlingham Crown and so on.
“They used to sign us up at the Crown. The agent was a man called Johnny Clubs, a good owd bloke, and later a Mr Whitehart come down. You went into a room and he looked you up and down to see if you could do the work, see if you were well set up. Then he asked you the name of your last master so he could get a character. Then you signed the paper.”
One interviewee, Albert Love of Wortwell in Norfolk, describes men gathering at the local station ready to depart “like soldiers”. They were given one-way tickets and Evans includes a second-hand account of one worker making his way back to Suffolk from Burton on foot, pushing a child in a pram. It wasn’t a cushy life and it’s hard not to read into it echoes of modern slavery.
Hard work and free beer
As well as a chapter on the recruitment and migration, Evans also gives a detailed account of the work itself, from lugging 16-stone sacks of malt to hurling hot malt against screens to filter out “the muck”: “When you come out of there you was drunk from the dust of the malt – without having nawthen to drink!”
And, of course, there are the tales of free beer, including this from Will Gosling, a man born and brought up in Burton but whose father migrated there from Suffolk in the 1890s:
In all steel-works and in every job like that where men lose a lot of sweat it has to be replaced with five pints of something – whether it’s water, tea, milk or beer. They used to supply us with allowance beer. Five pints in my time; we used to have a pint at six o’clock, a pint at ten, another pint at midday and another two pints during the afternoon. Then if you had to come back after tea to turn the kiln you had another pint for that. In between times you was given two pints of beer called lack. They called it lack because it was lacking a lot of things. It was a very mild beer, but it was wet: it was moisture.
Living and working in Burton
Finally, there are two entire chapters on life in Burton for migrants from East Anglia. Evans interviewed William Denny (1882-1968), who worked four seasons in Burton around the turn of the century, and gave a brilliant account of the social lives of young workers:
After coming home from work and having some tea we’d go round the town, having a pint at one pub and then at another. There was The Wheatsheaf, Punch Bowl, Golden Ball and many more. We were a crowd together and we used to enjoy ourselves. We used to sing, and one thing we used to do up there was step dance on top of a barrel. In all the pubs up there you could get a free clay-pipe at that time – with the pub’s name on it. After my first season I recollect I brought ninety clay-pipes home with me.
Evans paints a picture of “Suffolk Jims” as hard-drinking, hard-working men living in lodgings, scrapping in pubs, and making themselves conspicuous in Burton by their unusual taste in clothing and peculiar accents. When they went home, it was often in a fancy new Burton suit, or wearing braided belts that were a speciality of Burton; and bearing fancy teapots as gifts for their mothers or landladies.
One specific branded beer also gets a brief mention in this context – the 1902 King’s Ale, bottles of which are amazingly still in circulation. This is Will Denny again:
It cost a lot o’money, about a shilling a pint as far as I can recollect. Some of the boys brought a gallon of the Royal Ale hoom with them. My mate did.
Although this story was forgotten when Evans wrote Where Beards Wag All, and was questioned at the time, it has since become an accepted part of the narrative of brewing in Burton, being referenced by multiple academic works on the subject.
And these days, even amateurs can find documentary evidence with a few clicks: if you have access to ancestry.co.uk, search the 1901 census for people born in Suffolk, living in Burton, with ‘maltster’ as a keyword, and you’ll see for yourself how real this was.
We bought our copy of Where Beards Wag All for £5 in a bookshop but used editions are available online for less. There’s also a Faber print-on-demand edition available at £20.
Main image: Suffolk maltsters in Burton, one of several old photographs reproduced in Evans’s book.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 7th July 2019 7th July 2019 Categories Beer historyTags books, featured, malting, Norfolk, Suffolk1 Comment on From Suffolk to Burton in search of work, c.1880-1931
J.B. Priestley in Bradford, on Sunday, in the rain
In his travelogue English Journey, published in 1934 but based on observations made in the autumn of 1933, the writer J.B. Priestley unknowingly foretells the fate of the public house.
We’ve been dipping in and out of this book, with H.V. Morton’s In Search of England as a companion piece, for about a year now. It lends itself to dipping, each chapter covering a different part of the country and complete as standalone essays.
In ‘To the West Riding’, Priestley lands in Bradford on Sunday evening as heavy drizzle falls, and is all but begged by locals not to go into the town centre: ‘“But there isn’t anything,” they almost screamed.’
He finds the warning accurate: there’s a Salvation Army band playing, a couple of cafés shutting up, and some shop window displays to look at, while young people ‘promenade’ – that is, walk up and down in the rain.
Ever since I can remember, elderly citizens have been protesting against this practice of promenading on Sunday nights. They have always been disgusted by the sight of young people monkey-parading in this fashion. It is, however, the same elderly citizens who have seen to it that nearly all doors leading out of the street shall be locked against these young people. They cannot listen to plays or music, cannot see films, cannot even sit in big pleasant rooms and look at one another; so they walk up and down the street… They have, of course, to get on with their mating, whatever elderly persons may think…
Priestley’s pub crawl is depressing. He finds the first one he visits very quiet with ‘five or six hobbledehoys drinking glasses of bitter’ and bothering the barmaid. ‘Nothing wrong with the place’, he writes, ‘except that it was dull and stupid.’
Pub #2 is busy with young men and ‘women of the town’:
This is not an attack on the place; I have not the least desire to see it closed… [but] cannot see why playgoing, listening to music, watching films, even dancing, should be considered so much worse – or at least more secular – than boozing with prostitutes.
The third pub is the liveliest, large and crowded, with some ‘little coloured lights in the lounge’.
That was all; nothing else, not even reasonable comfort; but it was enough, and every table, every seat was taken. Fifteen shillings’ worth of coloured lamps: this was gaiety, this was life; and so the place was selling beer, stout, port, as fast as it could serve them, to patrons of both sexes. I do not think any of these people – and they were mostly young, pairs of boys, pairs of girls; with here and there an older couple – could really be said to be really enjoying themselves; but at least they could look at one another, giggle a bit, talk when they found something to say, and admire the carnival splendour of the coloured electric lights.
Priestley’s conclusion is that it would be better for supposedly religious towns to permit the breaking of the Sabbath if it meant ‘a choice between monkey-parading and dubious pubs’.
It strikes us that what he has landed on, in analysing one Sunday night in one town, is a diagnosis of the whole problem with pubs: they were the default for many people not necessarily because they were lovely, but for lack of any alternative.
As houses got better and bigger, more people stayed at home. As opening hours relaxed and the range of businesses in towns broadened (coffee shops, snack bars), pubs ceased to be the only option.
Their monopoly came to an end.
For more on pubs, including prostitution, fighting, spitting and riots, do check out our book 20th Century Pub. For more on Bradford pubs in particular hunt down Paul Jenning’s The Public House in Bradford 1770-1970, published in 1995. Main image above adapted from one supplied by Bradford Libraries on Flickr.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 3rd July 2019 3rd July 2019 Categories 20th Century Pub, pubsTags 1930s, books, Bradford, yorkshire1 Comment on J.B. Priestley in Bradford, on Sunday, in the rain
Geoffrey Fletcher on Victorian Pubs, 1962
Geoffrey Fletcher (1923-2004) wrote and illustrated a lot of books – observations of the unglamorous end of London life, from pie shops to street markets.
His most famous book is The London Nobody Knows, published in 1962 and the basis of a cult documentary from 1969.
We’d previously only read it in libraries but finally got our own copy last weekend – a 1965 Penguin edition that cost £2.50.
Though most of Fletcher’s books mention pubs in passing – we quoted a couple in 20th Century Pub – it’s in chapter eight of The London Nobody Knows that he really sets out his manifesto:
One of the striking characteristics of London pubs is the way in which different pubs have an appeal to different kinds of patrons.
To underline his point he goes on to list various types of pub, from legal pubs to “homosexuals’ pubs… where queers meet queers”.
Like Betjeman, Osbert Lancaster, Roddy Gradidge and other contemporaries, Fletcher believed that Victorian pubs were the pinnacle of the form:
London pubs are rich in the trappings of the Victorian age, which knew exactly how a town pub should appear. A fine one is illustrated here – the King and Queen in the Harrow Road. This is nineteenth-century Baroque at its most florid. Grey marble columns riser from a mosaic floor, raised a step above the pavement. There is splendid ironwork – iron letters and wrought iron – over the door. The words ‘Saloon Bar’ have a bucolic abandon… The architects of the late Victorian pubs and music-halls knew exactly what the situation demanded – extravagance, exuberance, and plenty of decoration for its own sake.
The King and Queen, Harrow Road, as drawn by Geoffrey Fletcher.
Other pubs Fletcher mentions by name as good examples include the Lamb in Leadenhall market (still worth stopping to look at today), the Black Friar at Blackfriars, and the Crown on Cunningham Place, St John’s Wood/Maida Vale. The latter is still there, apparently with a nicely preserved interior, but as a gastropub/bistro called, for some reason, ‘Crocker’s Folly’. Fletcher also provides drawings of The Lamb and The Black Friar.
Beyond fixtures and fittings, Fletcher has views on pub culture, too:
Although… the East End is losing some of its strongly focal character, the old life of the pubs in those parts of London still persists. A weekend pub crawl in such places as Shoreditch, Stepney, and Hackney is the way to see it at first hand. Here the East End ‘ma’ continues to flourish, the large sized, perhaps even pneumatic specimen who was no stranger to Phil May and Albert Chevalier, joins in the chorus, supported at the bar by a buttoned horsehair seat and at the front by a large Guinness. Such period characters must disappear sometime – that is where the funeral parlour comes in; if so, however, they are at once replaced by replicas, presumably on a system known only to the East End.
That’s yet more evidence of the link between women and stout, by the way, which we’ll file away for future reference.
You can find copies of The London Nobody Knows knocking around in second-hand book shops or online, or there’s a fairly recent reprint and eBook edition from the History Press, with a foreword by Dan Cruikshank.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 28th May 2019 Categories 20th Century Pub, Beer history, london, pubsTags books, geoffrey fletcher3 Comments on Geoffrey Fletcher on Victorian Pubs, 1962
Osbert Lancaster on Pubs, 1938
Osbert Lancaster, 1908-1986, was an influential cartoonist and cultural commentator who specialised in explaining architecture to the layman.
His work isn’t all that easy to come by and, in fact, a collection of his work published in 1959, reprinted by the Readers’ Union in 1960, entitled Here, of All Places, is the first of his books we’ve ever actually come across for sale.
It’s fun stuff, each double-page spread including a pithy note on some facet of architectural history and a cartoon to bring it to life. For example, ‘By-Pass Variegated’ is his name for a particular type of semi-detached suburban house, while he summarises post-war American cityscapes, blighted by advertising, as ‘Coca-Colonial’.
The entry that grabbed our attention was, of course, ‘Public-House Classic’, which first appeared in his 1938 book Pillar to Post.
Osbert Lancaster’s drawing of a typical Victorian pub.
That’s a lovely image – we have a strong urge to tear it out and frame it, but don’t worry, we won’t – and the prose that goes with it is almost as good. Here’s how it opens:
In the earlier part of the nineteenth century it was assumed, and rightly, that a little healthy vulgarity and full-blooded ostentation were not out of place in the architecture and decoration of a public-house, and it was during this period that the tradition governing the appearance of the English pub was evolved. While the main body of the building conformed to the rules governing South Kensington Italianate, it was always enlivened by the addition of a number of decorative adjuncts which, though similar in general form, displayed an endless and fascinating variety of treatment.
He goes on to praise the engraved windows, giant lanterns and beautifully painted signs that characterised Victorian pubs at their best, and examples of which you can still (just about) see around in 2019.
The second half of the entry, however, is a lament for this style. First, he says, it was replaced in the late nineteenth century by a self-consciously cultured facade of elaborate brickwork and ‘encaustic tiling’; and then, in the twentieth century, by…
a poisonous refinement which found expression in olde worlde half-timbering and a general atmosphere of cottagey cheeriness. Fortunately a number of the old-fashioned pubs still survive in the less fashionable quarters, but the majority of them are doubtless doomed and will be shortly replaced by tasteful erections in By-Pass Elizabethan or Brewers’ Georgian styles.
In 1938, big improved pubs were still being built, though the war stopped that in its tracks. We wonder what he made of post-war pubs – plain, small, pointedly modern. He was certainly snarky about modernist architecture in general, calling it ‘Twentieth-Century Functional’:
[The] style which now emerged was one of the utmost austerity, relying for its effect on planning and proportion alone, and faithfully fulfilling the one condition to which every importance was attached, of ‘fitness for purpose.’ Admirable as were the results in the case of factories, airports, hospitals and other utilitarian buildings, when the same principle was applied to domestic architecture, the success was not always so marked.
And there’s an interesting point: pubs are, or ought to be, considered domestic, not utilitarian, vital as they are, right? Which is what all this talk of Proper Pubs is really getting at.
And odd postscript to Lancaster’s brief note on pub architecture is that thirty years later, he revisited the concept for the cover of a book, Pub, edited by Angus McGill and sponsored by the Brewers’ Society.
At first, we thought it was the same drawing but, no, it’s a different piece altogether, even if the same street trumpeter makes a cameo, standing under a familiar wrought-iron lantern.
You can buy secondhand copies of From Pillar to Post and Here, of All Places at quite reasonable prices online; and there’s a nice-looking reprint from Pimpernel Press.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 27th May 2019 Categories 20th Century Pub, pubsTags 1930s, books, illustration, osbert lancaster, victorian2 Comments on Osbert Lancaster on Pubs, 1938
Beer in ‘Victory’ magazine, September 1945
Victory was the magazine for armed services in India during World War II. We found a solitary tatty copy in a bargain bin in a bookshop – the September 1945 edition – and of course noticed references to beer throughout.
First, there are the adverts: one in the front for lager and one at the back for pale ale and stout. (Here’s Murree today; and here’s Mohan Meakin.)
Then there are illustrations for articles and stories which include beer when they don’t need to – the first accompanies a comic tall tale of the adventures of an RAF officer, and the second a soupy tale of a soldier falling in love remotely with a comrade’s sister.
Finally, though it has no illustration of note, there’s a fantastic piece called ‘The Man in the Corner on… Rationing’. The Man in the Corner is a hectoring bore who argues in favour of continuing rationing even after the war because he thinks it’s good for people, good for society, and inconveniences people he doesn’t like. The punchline is:
There’s only one thing I’m all against rationing – and that’s beer. It’s fair tired me out this war running from pub to pub – first it’s fetch your own glass, then it’s only half-a-pint served at any one time, then it’s regular customers only… there’s half-a-dozen kinds of what you might call rationing. And I hate the lot of them.
All of this ties into a theory we’ve had brewing for a while: that the reason beer and pubs suddenly became respectable topics to write about, and acceptable as hobbies, was because of the general breakdown of class distinctions brought about by the war. We’re going to explore that thought a little more in another blog post soon.
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 20th May 2019 Categories Beer historyTags 1940s, books, world war ii1 Comment on Beer in ‘Victory’ magazine, September 1945
A new book: Balmy Nectar
Balmy Nectar is a collection of all the longer pieces of writing we’ve produced for CAMRA, magazines such as Beer Advocate, and here on the blog.
It also includes a foreword by Tim Webb and a new piece pulling together into a coherent whole the best of the many ‘pub life’ observational posts we’ve been writing since 2015.
In total, it runs to about 80,000 words, a similar length to Brew Britannia and 20th Century Pub. Which is to say, it’s a proper chunky book, unlike Gambrinus Waltz which was only ever what they used to call a monograph.
And though collating and editing it all has been hard work, it’s also been really lovely to be reminded of how much good stuff we’ve turned out. We’re especially proud of the voices we put on record, from beer festival volunteers to publicity shy brewers.
If you want a copy, and of course you do, Balmy Nectar is available from the Amazon Kindle store now for £7, or $9.22 in the US.
It would be a handy thing to have loaded up when you go on your summer holidays, or just to have handy in the free app on your phone for dipping into if you find yourself waiting for a mate in the pub.
Amazon UK | Amazon US | Canada | Germany | Australia
A print-on-demand paperback version is also available for the traditionalists among you, priced at £11. (Confession: the main reason we went to all the trouble of compiling, correcting and updating this stuff is because we wanted one of these for our own shelf.)
And here’s what the collection includes, to save you a click or two: Foreword | Introduction | Beer geeks in history | Brew Britannia: the women | A pint of Old & Filthy | Only a northern brewer (David Pollard) | 1974: birth of the beer guide | The pub crawlers | 1975: birth of the beer festival | The Campaign for Unreal Ale | Craft before it was a thing (Williams Bros) | Michael Jackson | Belgophilia | Lager louts | Cornish swanky beer | The Quiet One (Peter Elvin) | Newquay Steam | Spingo | Bitter | Watney’s Red Barrel | Boddington’s | Doom Bar | Guinness in decline | Pale and hoppy | The mystery of Old Chimneys | Mixing beer | The pubs of Boggleton | German Bierkellers in Britain | Welcome to Adnamsland | The Good, the Bad and the Murky | Don’t Worry, be (mostly) happy | Pub Life
Author Boak & BaileyPosted on 7th May 2019 13th May 2019 Categories Blogging and writingTags balmy nectar, books, relentless1 Comment on A new book: Balmy Nectar
We’re Boak and Bailey
We’re geeks in general, but especially about beer and pubs. We write under the names Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey. We live in Bristol in the UK. We’ve been blogging about beer since 2007.
Email: contact@boakandbailey.com
Twitter: @boakandbailey
Facebook: /boakandbailey
NEW: Instagram: @boakandbailey
If you like what we do and want us to do more of it consider supporting us via Patreon.
Or if you’d rather make a one-off donation…
Our latest book is Balmy Nectar, a collection of the best of our writing from here on the blog and across various magazines since 2012. It’s available via Amazon worldwide.
Our book 20th Century Pub was released in 2017 and is an award-winning rattle through the development of the English pub from beerhouses to micropubs.
A new edition of Brew Britannia: the strange rebirth of British beer came out in July 2017, with corrections and a new format.
We reckon both books are pretty bloody good, but don’t take our word for it. Buy Brew Britannia at Amazon UK | Amazon US | Stanfords | or at your local bookshop. Order 20th Century Pub at Amazon UK | Blackwells.
Telling the story of the rise and fall of German lager beer in Victorian and Edwardian London, Gambrinus Waltz is available for Kindle at Amazon UK | Amazon US (It’s “excellent” says Martyn Cornell.)
GDPR stuff
Please confirm you're happy for us to email you once a month, and very occasionally in between if we've got big news.
Phil on A gap where the pubs should be
Fred on A gap where the pubs should be
James W on Smokey and the Bandit: Rauchbier in the UK
Andy M on Smokey and the Bandit: Rauchbier in the UK
John Clarke on Smokey and the Bandit: Rauchbier in the UK
Tweets by BoakandBailey
We try to keep this populated with links to active blogs that we generally enjoy reading. Last updated 26/11/2018.
Archives Select Month January 2020 (9) December 2019 (9) November 2019 (14) October 2019 (15) September 2019 (13) August 2019 (13) July 2019 (17) June 2019 (14) May 2019 (12) April 2019 (17) March 2019 (17) February 2019 (17) January 2019 (14) December 2018 (12) November 2018 (18) October 2018 (20) September 2018 (15) August 2018 (19) July 2018 (23) June 2018 (19) May 2018 (21) April 2018 (18) March 2018 (23) February 2018 (22) January 2018 (17) December 2017 (20) November 2017 (24) October 2017 (22) September 2017 (23) August 2017 (18) July 2017 (16) June 2017 (20) May 2017 (23) April 2017 (19) March 2017 (25) February 2017 (17) January 2017 (22) December 2016 (17) November 2016 (20) October 2016 (24) September 2016 (14) August 2016 (21) July 2016 (26) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (24) April 2016 (26) March 2016 (17) February 2016 (27) January 2016 (20) December 2015 (28) November 2015 (32) October 2015 (26) September 2015 (19) August 2015 (28) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (21) May 2015 (28) April 2015 (21) March 2015 (29) February 2015 (26) January 2015 (32) December 2014 (22) November 2014 (26) October 2014 (28) September 2014 (30) August 2014 (31) July 2014 (28) June 2014 (31) May 2014 (30) April 2014 (32) March 2014 (34) February 2014 (29) January 2014 (37) December 2013 (26) November 2013 (19) October 2013 (19) September 2013 (13) August 2013 (25) July 2013 (21) June 2013 (14) May 2013 (16) April 2013 (23) March 2013 (18) February 2013 (17) January 2013 (20) December 2012 (17) November 2012 (16) October 2012 (28) September 2012 (25) August 2012 (19) July 2012 (21) June 2012 (22) May 2012 (27) April 2012 (46) March 2012 (21) February 2012 (21) January 2012 (20) December 2011 (10) November 2011 (16) October 2011 (9) September 2011 (10) August 2011 (15) July 2011 (12) June 2011 (7) May 2011 (6) April 2011 (1) March 2011 (1) February 2011 (4) January 2011 (2) December 2010 (4) November 2010 (12) October 2010 (8) September 2010 (7) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (12) June 2010 (12) May 2010 (11) April 2010 (15) March 2010 (16) February 2010 (9) January 2010 (17) December 2009 (14) November 2009 (14) October 2009 (15) September 2009 (14) August 2009 (16) July 2009 (18) June 2009 (17) May 2009 (15) April 2009 (21) March 2009 (23) February 2009 (21) January 2009 (25) December 2008 (19) November 2008 (14) October 2008 (22) September 2008 (30) August 2008 (24) July 2008 (21) June 2008 (15) May 2008 (28) April 2008 (27) March 2008 (24) February 2008 (23) January 2008 (22) December 2007 (26) November 2007 (20) October 2007 (22) September 2007 (24) August 2007 (22) July 2007 (21) June 2007 (23) May 2007 (24) April 2007 (6)
Categories Select Category 20th Century Pub (63) beer and food (70) Snacks to beer (18) beer festivals (49) Beer history (563) beer in fiction / tv (57) beer reviews (395) Beer styles (150) Blogging and writing (309) featured (8) bottled beer (201) Brew Britannia (58) breweries (131) bristol (20) buying beer (48) Deberes de español (11) Buenos lugares para beber en… (1) La Ronda (7) notas de cata (1) pubs y bares (2) design (39) Environmental stuff (8) featuredposts (13) Generalisations about beer culture (261) homebrewing (82) recipes (13) interviews (8) london (302) marketing (136) News (353) Nice places to drink in… (10) opinion (299) photography (33) pubs (769) quotes (62) real ale (179) Regions (3) American beers (44) Belgium (87) czech republic (17) France (20) Franconia (27) Germany (118) Poland (12) Spain (29) Somerset (28) The Session (79) Uncategorized (95) videos (51)
Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog Cookie Policy Proudly powered by WordPress
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1100
|
__label__wiki
| 0.581783
| 0.581783
|
Jedi Council Forums
Jedi Council Forums > Fan Fiction > Fan Fiction and Writing Resource > Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond >
Welcome to the new boards! Details here!
Beyond - Legends Saga - Legends Ἀνάγκη – Necessity beyond Sway | Thrawn, OC, drama/tragedy, pre-ANH to TTT | Epic, e-book available
Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Chyntuck, Oct 6, 2014.
rebellion era
WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Game Host Who Loves Fanfics & RPGs VIP - Game Host
Findswoman - as always your reviews are umphy!!! That is a fascinating spin that Thrawn memorialized Uumana just to woo Ayesha /win points with her. That is definitely a plausible motive, although at the time he probably didn't know (probably didn't think either) that it would work, she was shutting him out so thoroughly. And the oxen stand at a mountain - a wonderful image and expression! It perfectly describes the entrenched factions of the Jedi in the NJO for too long and the stance of way too many governments in RL.
WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, Dec 21, 2015
AzureAngel2, Chyntuck, Kahara and 2 others like this.
Chyntuck Force Ghost
Thank you all for reading and reviewing! It's the day-before-Christmas-reply time!
Nyota's Heart said: ↑
Wonderfully fascinating stuff about the disappearances of non-Humans and the resulting dichotomies and conflicts between friends Dividing themselves along political lines.
This dovetails snugly and very well with Legendsverse of the fall of Coruscant - and I love the sense of urgency - we have to get out of here while it's still safe. Although I do understand why Ayesha's friends feel compelled to stay, regardless and take their chances.
Thank you! I got the the idea that they all choose to stay despite knowing what is coming from RL conversations with refugees. They tell me all these horrible stories of things they saw, and when I ask, "why didn't you leave earlier?", they reply as if it were obvious, "we didn't want to leave."
Findswoman said: ↑
Oops! RL has caused me to fall behind on commenting once again. Good to see this resuming a regular schedule, though. Please remind me: does part 3 have 30 chapters in all? 40? (You said once, but now I can't recall, and search is down.)
Thank you The number of chapters of part III is something of a painful subject -- when I started posting it with the first draft in hand, it was going to be 33 chapters, but I'm still editing it as I go along. Between tying up some loose ends and altering the breakdown a bit (I realised that I had some exceedingly long chapters that needed to be split in two) I think the total will more likely be around 45, so tentatively this story should be completed by late February/early March.
22: Part of me was thrilled to see good ol' Simon again, but another part of me was so sad to see him laid so low, in such a wretched state! He's certainly got a very valid point about Thrawn's treatment of him—Thrawn left him in the lurch in a BIG WAY at a very critical juncture and is approaching him now only as a tool to suit his needs. (Which seems very Thrawn-ish way of interacting with people, because heck, he's even taken that approach with his own lifemate.) He's even got somewhat of a valid point about Ayesha's association with Thrawn: how much thought has she really given to the difficult position this relationship of hers places her in, socially and politically? (That of course resurfaces in chapter 23, where Onion makes a similar point—and with that point coming at Ayesha from those two very different places, I hope she'll give it some serious further thought.)
The situation between Simon, Ayesha and Thrawn is very much an oxen on the mountain situation, as you said below for Onion. Simon is rejecting everything Imperial, so for him that's that, and he doesn't know that Thrawn himself has fallen victim to the Emperor's schemes at exactly the same time as him. On the other hand, Thrawn isn't the sort of person who is willing to release much information about himself, especially about his failures, so there's no way Simon could know anyway. As for Ayesha, she knows about both, and of course if she's going to give someone the benefit of the doubt it will be to Thrawn, because she's overcompensating for having been so nasty to him and blaming him for everything. In a way, it's still Palpatine getting to them -- the Sheevster created a situation to make communication impossible for all of them, and in their oxen mindset they're not even trying to break the spell.
divapilot 's point about the Cheunh inscription is very well taken: it shows that Thrawn's "proper burial" of Uumana was done more for Ayesha than for Uumana herself or for anyone else associated with her. And sure, in some ways respect shown for the dead really is ultimately more done for the living, but there is more than a hint of selfishness in this particular instance. I know this will probably sound fatalistic and pessimistic and just plain miserable, but part of me just can't help but think it was done with the main intent of wooing Ayesha back rather than for showing any real respect for the Kerevićs and all they've been through. But, alas, oh so in character for Thrawn... you've really nailed his character 100% here, and this episode cinches it.
There is of course a multitude of reasons Thrawn went to bury Uumana, some more noble and some a lot less -- but to me the main reason was that he did it for himself. I think I mentioned in an earlier reply that in burying Uumana, he was paying respect to his relationship with Ayesha, which he thought was over. But then of course he did set up the Centre's door to open only for Ayesha, so it goes a little bit that way too. Lastly, my idea of Thrawn is that he was never truly attached to any of Ayesha's friends. They mattered to him only insofar as they were her friends, not on a personal level.
I do understand better what you are saying about Soul Drain now: even though Ayesha wasn't a victim of it herself, she saw it happen enough times that it can't help but affect her. And at least one good thing coming out of this tense interaction with Simon is that Ayesha knows a little bit better about what's happening inside her mind, and what to do about it. I've noticed throughout the course of this story that there are so many things from her past that she doesn't want to talk about, that she doesn't want to confront, that she doesn't want anyone to know, etc.: the shutting-out of the negative memories of which Simon speaks seems to be part of a long-term pattern for her, and one that never seemed quite healthy. I am curious to see how she will end up confronting them when the critical moment comes, because I sense that it's not too far off. It seems like it could very much be one of those "darkest hour is just before dawn" situations.
Ayesha is stuck between a rock and a hard place with the memories she has been keeping aside for years. Letting them out threatens to destroy her every time she has an episode, shutting them out could destroy her too. There's no easy solution here
23: Again, one of the most interesting things to me about this chapter for me is that Onion is sending the same message to Thrawn and Ayesha that Simon did, or at least a similar message, though of course in a different and much more Onion-ish way. And, in the true spirit of the polar-opposite characterization those two characters have had from the start, their conversation on the subject leads only to the situation known in German as "die Ochsen stehen am Berge": "the oxen stand at the mountain"—namely, neither convinces the other, neither budge in their views, and no progress is made. I doubt that "it could be worse" is going to cut much ice for Onion.
The thing here is that Onion is overestimating Thrawn's ability to actually do something about the situation (there's more of that in the upcoming chapter) but of course this is also caused by Thrawn's infinite arrogance, that has led many people, including Ayesha, Onion and Simon to believe that he can pull off pretty much anything. The oxen on the mountain metaphor is very appropriate here, because neither is talking about what the other *can* actually do -- they're only talking about their *perception* of the other, and they haven't got past that yet.
And now I'm rather worried for him and Tashi and Rumpy and Ayesha's other non-Human friends, as well as concerned about Thrawn's nonchalance about the whole situation. Indeed, the fact that Ysanne is doing so little—or seems to be—is very worrying, because it no doubt means she has something up her sleeve (which we know she does from the disappearances of the non-Humans). I hope Thrawn's advice about self-isolation and not leaving the house and keeping low profiles will help; it's kind of nebulous advice, really, but it's a place to start.
The answer to all that is in chapter 24, so I'll just post and let you read it
Thanks again! Next chapter up straight away.
Chyntuck, Dec 23, 2015
AzureAngel2, Kahara and Findswoman like this.
Tags: AzureAngel2 Findswoman Gemma K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku Mando-Man Mira_Jade Raissa Baiard
Please let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the tag list.
And as usual, a big thanks to Nyota's Heart for beta-reading.
Warning: violence and gore in this chapter
Chapter 24: The plague
The first reports of a mysterious illness killing Gamorreans and Quarrens were scattered and incoherent, but it didn’t take Thrawn long to understand that they were a sign of things to come. Within weeks, his worst fears came true. The Underlevels became a cesspit of disease and death, and despite his best efforts to slice into Isard’s private records, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact source of the disease, or its nature, or a possible cure. The Director of Intelligence had set up a system of archives that was apparently entirely disconnected from the main grid for this particular project, and he was reduced to double and triple-checking what fragments of information his agents within the Palace could gather, and to listening to Delta Source all day long, in the hope of figuring out a clue that would enable him to counteract the Empire’s latest monstrosity.
The disease began to spread to other species, and he was only beginning to unravel Isard’s true intentions when he suffered another setback. Halber Prashat’s cover as one of the non-coms appointed to Isard’s office was blown. The young man was so horrified by the disaster he saw unfolding on Coruscant that he tried to connect his datapad to her private holocomm and download the information remotely, triggering all sorts of security alerts in the process. It took a fair bit of luck for him to escape after a wild speeder chase across the city, and Thrawn was convinced that Isard was using him as bait to unearth the rest of his network. But a team loyal to him was finally able to spirit the young sergeant off-planet, and a sharp increase in the transfer of ISB staff to Lusankya as detainees seemed to indicate that it had only been a close call – far too close for the Chiss Grand Admiral’s taste. After briefing all his agents, he returned home and told Ayesha and Rumpy that they were not to leave the building until Coruscant had fallen to the New Republic.
“They are already here,” he said when Ayesha went to protest. “They have their network of agents, as I have mine, and they successfully inserted some of their most... reputable people a few days ago. The end is nigh.”
“How do you know that?” Ayesha asked.
Thrawn shrugged. “What Ysanne Isard knows, I know – unless it has to do with the disease. She has allowed – almost facilitated – the arrival of Rogue Squadron on Coruscant. She intends to hand over to them a world that is dying.”
She sank into a meditative silence. “So we’re counting on Rogue Squadron to outwit her and take this planet before the non-Human population has been wiped out?”
“She actually intends for them to do exactly that. To take the planet while non-Humans are still dying, and to shoulder the cost of the extermination of the non-Human population.”
She clapped both hands on her mouth. “How can you be so calm?” she finally stammered. “Aren’t you going to do anything about it?”
Thrawn gave her a stern look and began speaking very coldly. “I could go charging into the Imperial Palace, which would most likely result in my quick and untimely death without contributing a solution to this problem. I could send one of my agents in the Palace to blow up Ysanne Isard’s research facility – which would be dangerous not only for himself but also for the rest of us, as none of my crew has any medical experience, or the knowledge of how to contain the virus strains that are undoubtedly stored there. I could also recruit a medical expert to infiltrate the Palace, which would take months.” Ayesha went to interrupt him, but he raised a hand to demand that she let him finish. “My other option is to warn the Rebellion. This could result in them attacking this world earlier than planned – which may, in turn, result in their defeat, or a bloody battle that would kill even more residents of Coruscant than this terrible disease. Or, who knows, a warning may cause them to pull back cynically and leave the fate of Coruscant in Isard’s hands. Lastly, I could summon my fleet from the Unknown Regions and seek to take the planet by myself, thus becoming a player in this civil war, and aggravating it across the Galaxy. I could cause untold death and suffering to billions of sentients. No, Ayoo’sha, I will do nothing – because there is nothing I can do that does not have far worse implications than the current situation.”
Ayesha was now on the verge of tears. “Is this how you always think? Calculating the odds instead of wondering what is right?”
Thrawn gave her a pained look. “Yes, Ayoo’sha, this is how I think. But I do believe that I am doing the right thing, in this case at least.” He paused to look at her. “Please have a word with Tashi again. Mabalsa is still spending more time than he should in the Underlevels. There have been no cases of contaminated Dugs so far, but it is bound to happen sooner or later. He must understand that he is not safe. None of us are.”
* * *
A few weeks into the epidemic, the word spread that bacta could cure the fatal illness that kept proliferating among Coruscant’s aliens. Despite the medical community’s repeated messages that only a full immersion in a carefully controlled hospital setting would be efficient, panicked citizens started hoarding the life-saving medicine in any shape or form – salve, ointment, injections and bandages. Its price climbed higher and higher, thus depriving of it the residents of the poorest areas of the Imperial capital who could only access treatment in resource-poor public hospitals and medical centres. The virus was constantly mutating and jumping from one species to another, and Tashi turned up one morning on Ayesha’s landing pad, asking if she could stay over.
“Onion won’t listen to me,” she explained as Ayesha made caf. “He goes out every day, meets people, and not in the safest areas. I don’t want to fall sick, you know? He told me this morning that no Dugs or Sullustans ever got this, that we must be immune. That’s when I decided to leave. I love him, I love him dearly, he’s my best friend, but I don’t want to take any chances. We’re staying in the same flat, we eat in the same dishes, we use the same ‘fresher. I find it incredibly selfish of him that he thinks he can take this risk for the both of us.”
Despite her deep concern for Onion, who had all but cut them off, Ayesha was overjoyed to have her friend at home to keep her company. She and Rumpy had been confined to the skyscraper for a whole week, and as much as she understood Thrawn’s reasons for imposing this on them, she was bored out of her wits. She helped Tashi settle down in the spare room and made space for her in the workshop. There was such tension and excitement in the air that they didn’t manage to produce much artistically, but they spent their days chatting and making projects for the future, and they discussed at length how they would keep in touch after Ayesha’s impending return to the Unknown Regions.
Tashi’s presence made things a little more complicated for Thrawn – he had decided, and Ayesha agreed, that the less she knew, the better, and they couldn’t discuss his activities in front of her – but he could see that Ayesha was infinitely happier with her friend around and he shifted his schedule to accommodate her needs. “This must be what they call pillow talk,” Ayesha noted as he finished whispering his appraisal of the day’s findings as they lay in bed one night.
He chuckled. “You have a bright future ahead of you as a spy, Ayoo’sha. Please report to the Grand Admiral as soon as the victim that you so successfully lured into a wily trap is gone.”
A few days into her stay, Tashi took off one morning to collect some of her belongings from the apartment she shared with Onion. “I won’t be long,” she said when Ayesha argued that it wasn’t safe to leave the flat. “I’ll just hop over there and come back. I want to fetch some old sketchbooks to show you an idea I had way back, just after you left. I think we could work on it together.” She refused categorically that Rukh escort her, and all Ayesha could do was to insist that she accept credits for an aircab instead of taking public transportation.
Ayesha returned to the works she had stored in the back of her workshop – she had been cataloguing them carefully in preparation for their departure to Nirauan, and although she didn’t know how soon that would be, she didn’t want to be caught unaware if they had to leave Coruscant hastily. She organised them by category and began wrapping them in protective material and packing them in crates. It was a tedious process, and she didn’t see the time pass until the sun lowered on the horizon and she realised that it was already late afternoon.
Tashi hadn’t come home.
She went to the comm desk and dialled her friend’s number, ready to berate her for not warning that she would be late. “No doubt she got into one of her endless arguments with Onion,” she muttered as she waited for the connection. “I hope she got the message across this time at least.”
Tashi’s comlink was apparently switched off.
This made her outright angry. The Sullustan could at least have dropped her a line, couldn’t she? She returned to the workshop and resumed her wrapping and packing with a vengeance.
Tashi’s comlink was still inoperative two hours later. She tried to call Onion, who wasn’t answering either, and once she expressed her worries to Rumpy she decided to take his advice and to contact Thrawn, who was at the Listening Post.
Forty-five minutes later, the turbolift doors slid open to allow him into their home. Concern was written all over his face. “This is not good,” he said, pondering his words as if seeking a way to break the news to her. “The aircab dropped Tashi off at 10:16. But her comm is not merely switched off. The HoloNet Communications Service records show that the line was deactivated altogether at 11:02 this morning.”
By now Ayesha was sick with worry. She tried again to contact Onion, to no avail, after which Thrawn sent Rukh to seek him in his usual haunts in the Underlevels, and, not knowing what else to do, she called Kal and Mira, who hadn’t heard from their friends either. They got into their speeder and came over from the Manarai Mountains as fast as Coruscant traffic allowed.
It was a sombre evening as they sat on the conversation circle, waiting for Tashi and Onion to give a sign of life or for Rukh to return. Rumpy was doing his best to keep Tam busy and cheerful, but the little boy clearly understood that the stakes were high and he sat quietly near his mother, holding her hand tightly without emitting a sound. Ayesha brought some drinks and snacks to the low table, but they remained untouched, save for the bottle of Cortyg brandy that had to be replaced less than an hour after she uncorked it. It was almost midnight when a distant rumble signalled that the turbolift was moving, and minutes later Rukh followed Onion into the apartment.
The Dug waddled straight to Thrawn and asked accusingly, “Where did they take her?”
Thrawn gazed at him carefully. Onion looked tired and worn out, and his jacket was even more threadbare and stained than usual, as if he hadn’t washed or changed in days. “I was hoping that you would be able to help us find Tashi, Mabalsa. Ayesha spent the best part of her afternoon trying to get in touch with the both of you. Did you see her at all today?”
Ayesha pulled out Onion’s favourite cushion and set it on the floor, and Tam came to sit at his side, taking his paw in his little hand. The Dug shook him off. “I don’t report to Ayesha, Capt’. Or to you, for that matter. Don’t get your pet alien to spy on me again, you got that?”
“Onion, Rukh has just been keeping an eye on you to make sure that you’re safe,” Ayesha interrupted. “He’s been doing that with all of us. He was just getting ready to intervene in case you fell victim to a kidnapping.”
Onion snorted. “Oh, really? How come he wasn’t keeping an eye on Tashi today then?”
Ayesha blushed. “That’s my fault. She insisted to go on her own, and I booked an aircab for her. I didn’t think she’d need a bodyguard just to go home and come back.”
“How convenient.” The words hung heavy in the air. “Tashi goes out unaccompanied on the day the Empire is taking Sullustans, and you expect me to believe that it’s a coincidence.” He shook his head. “How could you do that?”
Ayesha was lost for words. “Onion, you’re talking nonsense,” Kal snapped. “Ayesha would rather be kidnapped herself than let Tashi be taken.”
The Dug gave him a long, hard stare and pointed a finger at Thrawn. “He’s an Imperial,” he spat. “She lives with an Imperial. She shares the secrets of an Imperial. The Empire created a virus to kill aliens. You really think they’re not part of it?”
“You’re being paranoid now,” Mira countered. “I know that the Empire is bad, but there’s no evidence that they created anything, and Ayesha and Thrawn –”
Onion suddenly winced in pain. Ayesha took a step towards him. “Are you feeling alright?”
He pushed her back brutally. “I don’t need your help. I don’t want your help.”
There was a long silence as they all watched him settle on his cushion. He was visibly trying to find a position that reduced his discomfort. “The Empire took three dozen Sullustans today,” he said in a low, slightly slurry voice. “Twenty from the Alien Combine hideout in Invisec, and another fifteen or so from the upper levels. The disease hasn’t affected Sullustans yet, you see.” His voice began to rise as he continued speaking. “If a few days, we’ll start seeing Sullustans and other near-Humans falling sick and dying, like it happened after mass kidnappings of other species. They’re going to use Tashi as a lab rat. And all this will happen because our dear Capt’ and his girlfriend handed her over to them.”
“Stop saying that,” Mira interjected, but he continued speaking as if she weren’t there.
“She’ll develop a fever first, then she’ll start vomiting. Then she’ll start having black sores all over her body, and in the end she’ll disintegrate into a puddle of goo. Like all of us.” He paused. “All of us, that is, except you Humans. You’ll never be affected by this, because you think of yourselves as superior. At best, you don’t give a womp rat’s fart about us. At worst, you think you can exterminate us.” Tam was staring at him in incomprehension. His snout curved into an unpleasant smile. “Of course, you have access to bacta, as much bacta as you want, and you think it will cure you. You don’t care. But if this virus is going to kill me, it’ll kill you too.”
He broke out into a violent coughing fit and unclasped his collar as if to breathe better. Ayesha inhaled sharply at the sight of a black spot on his neck, and before he shoved her away she had managed to unbutton his jacket, revealing an emaciated torso crisscrossed with lines that interconnected more blisters to one another. They were oozing a slimy, dark pus. “Onion, you need to see a doctor,” she said as she picked herself up from the floor. “We have to go, now! You –”
“I can’t afford to see a doctor, cheeka,” the Dug barked harshly. “I can’t afford bacta, even in a hospital that can spare some for me.”
“We’ll pay for the bacta,” Ayesha said soothingly. “Or we’ll find some if the hospital doesn’t have any. Actually –” She interrupted herself and glanced at Thrawn, as if remembering something.
“Actually, you have a vat of bacta or two stashed somewhere,” Onion finished for her. “Can’t say I’m surprised. You’d want it for yourselves, just in case, wouldn’t you?” He gave her a look of pure loathing. “It’s too late for me anyway, but if someone is going to use that bacta I’ll make sure it’s not you.” And with surprising strength, he grabbed Tam’s arm and pulled the child closer.
“Onion, what are you doing?” Mira yelled.
It all happened too fast for anyone to understand it. The Dug held Tam in a brutal headlock while he scratched one of the sores on his chest. The child was screaming, Ayesha was begging incoherently and Onion let out a mad cackle of laughter as he raised a pus-stained finger towards Tam’s mouth. Rumpy roared angrily, and Kal was launching himself from the couch when the Dug’s entire body suddenly slackened. He lost his grip on Tam, who leapt on his father’s knees for protection, and they all saw the tip of Rukh’s assassin knife poking through Onion’s chest.
The hatred was gone from Onion’s expression as he stared at Ayesha, who was already crouching in front of him. “Cheeka... it hurts,” he whispered in Huttese. The last glimmer of life went out in his eyes when Rukh pulled out the blade, and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.
The silence that followed was broken only by Tam’s sniffles as his father held him tightly in his arms. A distraught Ayesha looked around. Mira was petrified in her seat, her lips frozen as she mouthed the word ‘why’, Rumpy was already bringing the med kit to disinfect Rukh’s hands, and Thrawn was staring at them impassively, the dull, sad glow of his eyes being the only sign that he had witnessed the scene. She finally turned to Rukh angrily. “Why did you have to kill him?”
“He tried to kill my son, Ayesha,” Kal said behind her with a cold edge to his voice she had never heard before.
She spun on her heel to give him a furious glare. “He was our friend. He was sick. He –”
Kal met her gaze unwaveringly and tightened his embrace around Tam. “He tried to kill my son.”
“Then Onion was right,” she said scathingly. “Some lives matter to us more than others.”
Mira sprang to her feet as if stung. Before Ayesha knew it, a fist had made contact with her chin. Rumpy let out a deafening roar as he pushed the two women apart. [Come to your senses, all of you,] he barked. [The sentient who was killed was not Mabalsa. Mabalsa would never have hurt the youngling. This sentient was what the Empire, this heinous plague and insanity made of him.] He pulled the tablecloth off the table to cover the corpse, and lifted Onion’s body in his arms, cradling him against his furry chest. His expression softened. [But the sentient who is now dead in front of us is Mabalsa, and we will pay him the respect he deserves.]
Notes: As of this chapter, we are in 7 ABY. The events described here take place during the first part of X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble, and the mysterious illness is of course the Krytos Virus.
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku, AzureAngel2 and Kahara like this.
Woot, late february/early March for the finish. Yay, that and all the TFA fics that are springing up, I am one happy, happy camper!
Whew, intense and shocking twisty there with Onion. Definitely something you would expect during an epidemic/pandemic. Worried about Tashi although there was no way Ayesha could've known she was going to get nabbed on the way home.
AzureAngel2, Kahara and Chyntuck like this.
divapilot Force Ghost
Wow - intense scene! There whole support network is fast disintegrating. What a horrible thing Isard has done. The genius of it - to hand over a planet that is so ravaged that fixing it will economically cripple the New Republic. But the careless misery and suffering that she inflicts is beyond comprehension.
Well, yeah, when that life is your child's. That doesn't mean Kal didn't care about Onion. But I bet any parent would feel the same way if his or her child were endangered.
divapilot, Dec 24, 2015
AzureAngel2, Kahara, Findswoman and 2 others like this.
Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I'm running late and I have a few fics to review still, so I'll let chapter 25 be the reply to your very kind comments.
Chapter 25: The fall of Coruscant
Ayesha was devastated by Onion’s death and Tashi’s abduction, and she spent the next few days in a state of dazed stupor while Thrawn took care of organising the cremation, all the while searching desperately for Tashi. It took several days to find an undertaker who did not ask too many questions and accepted to cremate a being who had died from the Krytos virus, as the disease had come to be known, and who, at the same time, did not demand an outrageous amount of credits – alien deaths had become a roaring business on Coruscant. What saddened Ayesha even more was that Kal and Mira refused categorically to come to the funeral, and that, for their own safety, Thrawn, Rumpy and Rukh could not accompany her to the ceremony. She had to stand alone outside the crematorium until Onion’s remains were reduced to ashes, and after she had dispersed them above the city-planet, she took public transportation to her friends’ flat near the Manarai mountains.
The encounter with Kal and Mira was difficult, and the fact that Tam insisted to sit at Ayesha’s side made it even more complicated, as there was a number of points that they were not willing to discuss in front of the child and therefore had to refer to in veiled terms. She waited until the little boy could be convinced to go and fetch a few toys from his bedroom and started speaking very fast.
“Onion was right, you know. The virus was engineered by Isard to kill aliens, only aliens. Don’t ask me how I know that,” she added hurriedly when Mira gave her a stunned look. “I know it, we – Thrawn – knows it. What Onion did was horrible, but Tam was never truly in danger and you don’t need to run to medical facilities and pay a ton of credits for bacta. He doesn’t need it, but there are other sentients who do. If you go looking for bacta now, Isard wins. It’s exactly what she wants – people panicking and not caring about each other anymore, grabbing whatever they can to feel safe.” She paused and listened for the patter of feet in the hallway, then continued. “Rukh could have knocked him out instead of killing him. We could have saved him, we could have proved to him that his life was still worth living, that he didn’t have to die that horrible death. We could have shown to him that, even in sickness and insanity, he was still a person. He died thinking that we didn’t care for him. We let him die alone.”
Tam returned before she could finish, and she spent the rest of her visit playing with him. “I have to go,” she said finally. “Thrawn doesn’t want me to stay out too long.” She pulled Mira into a hug and whispered, “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, Mira. I didn’t want Tam to be hurt or scared. I’m so sorry. But we can’t let Isard win. Every time we think that someone doesn’t deserve to live, she wins. The Empire wins.”
“Any news from Tashi?” Kal asked as she lifted Tam in her arms.
“Thrawn is still looking for her.” She set the child back on the floor, lowered her voice and added, “It’s been twelve days already. It takes three weeks for the virus to...”
Kal nodded his understanding when she didn’t finish the sentence. She seemed utterly distraught. “I’ll fly you home. I’d rather you don’t take the maglev. You never know.”
The skylanes were half deserted as they crossed the city. The whole of Coruscant seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation of an event it could not foresee. “Be careful,” Kal said as he dropped her on the landing pad. “I know that the Capt’ doesn’t really need it, but tell him to be careful too.”
She gave him a weak smile. “You too.”
The apartment was empty. She dug into the med kit for a sedative and drowned into the blissful forgetfulness of a dreamless sleep. Thrawn was waiting for her in the kitchen when she woke up a few hours later. The sun was now low on the horizon. “Anything?” she asked as soon as she saw him.
He sighed. “I have deduced by elimination that there are only three levels of the Palace where the research facility could be located. It is far too large an area for me to insert a rescue team for Tashi, but it does qualify as a breakthrough of sorts. I will return to the Listening Post tomorrow.” He pulled her to him and held her tightly, burying his face in her belly. “I am so sorry, Ayoo’sha,” she heard him whisper in Cheunh. “I am so sorry.”
They were interrupted by the sound of a heated argument in the hallway, and they rushed to the turbolift to see Rumpy struggling against Rukh. The Wookiee was sweating profusely, with droplets of transparent, salty liquid dripping from his water-shedding fur as if he had fallen into the ocean. “Ayesha clan Vos,” the Noghri mewled as soon as he saw her. “Your brother must see a doctor immediately. He has a fever.”
Ayesha started trembling all over. “No,” she whispered. “No, no, no!”
None of the nearby hospitals had any bacta to spare, all their tanks were occupied by ailing aliens, and Ayesha was wringing her hands in despair when Thrawn decided to throw all caution to the winds. “We will collect the Emperor’s vats of bacta from the Listening Post and take them to the Centre,” he said as they flew away after being turned back at a local medical centre. “We have bacta, we have a bacta tank and we have a doctor. Your brother will be fine, Ayoo’sha. This I promise you, and it is a promise I intend to keep.”
Ayesha was sitting at Rumpy’s side in the back of the speeder, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was moaning softly. She barely took in Thrawn’s words, focused as she was on keeping herself together, when a bright bolt of light pierced the evening twilight, followed by a deafening thunderclap that caused her to jolt in her seat. “What’s happening?” she asked. “What is this?”
Thrawn took in the scene as he slid the speeder out of the skylane to bring it to a halt. A massive cloud of steam had formed out of nowhere over the Senate district and coalesced into a storm unlike anything Coruscant had seen in decades. A dozen or so fighter craft were flying in the skies and there was a commotion caused by one of the city’s gigantic construction droids that had strayed out of its programmed path. “This,” he murmured, “is the New Republic taking Imperial Centre.” And without another word, he angled the speeder towards the Works and flew there in a straight line.
An ancient binary loadlifter loaded the two vats of bacta into the trunk, and they sped away again to the Centre. The upper levels were in full mayhem by now. The authorities had scrambled TIE fighters, a battle was unfolding overhead and the speeder’s console indicated that the planetary shields were down. Thrawn had to slow his pace in order to avoid the accidents that were multiplying as people fled for their lives, but there was no need this time to follow a convoluted itinerary to the Underlevels. Soon they were in the dark alleys where traffic was scarce. He pointed the vehicle’s nose downwards and dove into the depths of the city until they reached the small platform in front of the Centre’s door.
Ayesha leapt out of the speeder and palmed the release panel to deactivate the force field. She had barely taken a step inside when a cane hit her violently across the chest, causing her to fall over as air fled her lungs. “Who allowed you to come here?” a raspy voice asked in a growl that could have belonged to an animal.
A dishevelled Simon towered above her, his eyes blazing with anger. His hair was an unruly mop and his beard reached his collarbone – he had visibly not shaven in months. She scrambled to her feet. “Simon, we need the bacta tank,” she blurted. “Rumpy is sick, he –”
The doctor crossed his arms. “No.”
She gave him a baffled look. “No?”
“No. My deal with Eighty-Seven was to look at your brain. I did it. I don’t owe you anything else.”
She stared at him, dumbstruck. “Simon, we need a doctor,” she argued when she found her voice. “Not only us, a lot of people out there need a doctor. There’s this terrible disease –”
Fury bubbled up under her apparently calm demeanour. “I’m here to use the bacta tank, and I’m going to use it,” she said very coldly. “I’m going to use it for Rumpy, and I’m going to use it for other sentients too after Rumpy is okay, whether you like it or not. I suggest that you stay out of my way.”
The doctor took a step forward to stand between her and the door to the medical ward. “I said, go away.”
A punch to the face threw him off-balance and a kick to the legs threw him to the floor. “And I said, I’m going to use the bacta tank,” she snarled. She sent his walking stick waltzing to the other end of the platform and disappeared for a moment inside the Centre to return with a hoverstretcher and a floatpad. She helped Rumpy onto the gurney while Thrawn and Rukh offloaded the bacta vats, then she spun around to face Simon again. “Last time I saw you, you said Uumana would want you to be a doctor. Act like one.” She crinkled her nose to sniff the air and added, “Oh, and take a shower. Uumana wasn’t married to a tramp.”
Thrawn watched her steer Rumpy’s stretcher towards the bacta room and motioned for Rukh to take over the floatpad. He then turned to Simon and went to help him off the ground. The doctor pushed him away. “I don’t want your help.”
“No,” Thrawn said mildly. “You do not want it, but you need it, unless you intend to remain in a heap on the floor for the foreseeable future.”
He stood there until the doctor accepted his outstretched hand. He lifted him to his feet and guided him to the ‘fresher, then brought a plastoid chair from what had been the bedroom and placed it in the sanisteam cubicle. The bed was untouched, but ration bar wrappings littered the floor of Uumana’s shrine. “I will give you some privacy now,” he said in his even voice.
By the time Simon hobbled out of the ‘fresher, Thrawn was waiting for him with an old-fashioned razor in hand and a scuttle of lather on the bedside table. He gestured for him to sit and proceeded to shave him carefully, then led the way to the small kitchen and placed a steaming plate of food in front of him. The doctor ate without saying a word while Thrawn watched him from the other side of the table.
Simon finally pushed his plate away and looked up. “You expect me to say thanks now, don’t you?”
Thrawn shrugged imperceptibly. “No. I only expect you to listen to what I have to say.”
The doctor sat back in his chair and looked at him defiantly. Thrawn took it for acquiescence and rested his elbows on the table. “First of all, you should know that you are correct about me. I am a selfish man, and it is true that I did not come looking for you when you were arrested. In my defence, I will say that I did not have access then to the sources of information that I have now. But I am fully aware that it is a rather lame excuse. The truth is that my thoughts at the time were entirely focused on Ayesha, and it made me, yes, selfish. It is also true that I came looking for you only when I needed you. I did not concern myself with Dexter, because my information stated that he had already left Gesaril to join the Rebel Alliance.”
“Is that supposed to be an apology?”
“Not at all. I am merely stating a fact. If you will let me continue however, I will explain to you why your hostility towards Ayesha is misplaced.”
“Are you going to serve me some drivel about how the loss of your child affected her? And you? How you wallowed in your sorrow and forgot about those who ought to be your friends?”
Thrawn sighed. “When it comes to myself, no. There was, of course, a time when my life was easier. There was a time when concern for the well-being of a loved one was nothing to me, because I loved no one. And as much as I hate the unspeakable anguish I experience every time I think that I am losing Ayesha, I hate the idea that I might have spent my life without knowing her even more. She has brought out the best and the worst in me – and my selfishness when it comes to her is but one aspect of that. But I will not compare my pain to yours, because it is not pain. It is love.” He paused and stared at the doctor. “But I will tell you about her pain, and you will tell me if it is worthy of your consideration. You know about her childhood and the fact that she was born a slave. You know that, at the age of seven, she had to live on her own in the alleys just outside this facility, and you know that, in your own words, something dark and terrible happened to her on Kiffu. What you do not know is what happened to her after our last visit to you here, four years ago, when she was on her way to spend the remainder of her pregnancy with her family on Kashyyyk until I could arrange adequate medical care for her and our child.”
He paused again, as if to collect his thoughts. “She already told me that the Emperor killed your baby,” Simon said gruffly.
Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “Is that all she said?” The doctor nodded. “Well, you will allow me to elaborate. Mere days after our last visit here four years ago, on the morning of New Year Fete, the Royal Guards came for her as she was about to leave to the spaceport. The official pretext was that she would be held hostage to prevent the Wookiees from siding with the Rebellion. They took her to an undisclosed location where the Emperor himself subjected her to several days of mental torture through the Force, and, while she did not go into specifics, she did say that he made her relive her deepest fears, no doubt that dark and terrible thing that was done to her in her childhood. He weakened her mind so as to sift through her memories, which, I may add, is not unrelated to the fact that she has been losing control over her thoughts. Once he had found the piece of information he was looking for, and some other random items which were of some use to him – among which the existence of your Centre – he took a pike from one of his guards and stabbed her in the belly to kill her child. He projected every image of the baby’s death in her mind. My understanding is that he took his time, and that she had to experience it all in excruciating detail.”
Simon went to speak, but Thrawn raised a hand and continued. “There is more, and I am asking you to listen to me until the end. She did not receive medical care for her wound. Instead, the Emperor shipped her off to a space station run by one of my political enemies. There she was raped, repeatedly as I understand it, and once that beast became tired of her, he handed her over to a group of his thugs with orders to ferry her to my ship. She was raped again – gang-raped – and beaten to a pulp. By the time she arrived aboard the Admonitor, she was a human wreck. It is a testament to her generosity and strength of character that she could ultimately see past the seeds of suspicion that the Emperor planted in her mind against me, and that she could find it within herself to forgive me for putting her through that ordeal – because, in my immeasurable arrogance, I had thought that my preparations for her to leave Coruscant would protect not only her, but also those she loves. As you can see, I failed miserably on all counts. She was taken away, you were arrested, your wife was murdered, the ISB went after Ayesha’s Jedi uncle, and her adoptive father was killed when the Galaxy descended into chaos. And now, in this month alone, she lost one of her closest friends to the Empire, another one to a gruesome death, and her brother – the only family she has left – is suffering from the same illness that took her friends.”
There was a long silence. Thrawn finally stood up and placed Simon’s walking stick by the table. “That is all I have to say. I will leave it to you now to decide if she should be forgiven for being a little self-centred. Self-centred, as you are yourself right now. Perhaps you could understand that you are not alone, and that may even help you cope with your grief.”
He took a step towards the door. “Why do you serve the Empire?” Simon asked behind him.
Thrawn spun on his heel to look at him. “I do not serve the Empire anymore. I serve only the goals I have set for myself, and this is not something I can share with you. But I acknowledge that I served the Empire for far too long. By the time I understood what the Empire was, who the Emperor was, it was too late. I arrived in the Endor system and he was already dead.” His eyes flashed with molten lava. “You will never know how much I regret it. I genuinely wish that I could have killed him myself, although, all things considered... let us simply say that there was a form of poetic justice in the way he met his end.”
Simon stared at him for a moment. “What does she see in you?” Thrawn raised his hands, palms upwards, in a gesture of ignorance and surrender. “You don’t know, do you?” the doctor said bitterly. “Well, neither do I. I’m convinced that she doesn’t actually see you. You love her, sure. But you’re not a good man.”
There was another, heavy silence. “No,” the Chiss said. “I am not.”
Ayesha could see that Rumpy was declining fast, and she was struggling to keep calm as she finished reading the bacta tank’s user manual, trying to figure out the appropriate dosage for her brother, when a hand flipped a few switches on the console in front of her. She looked up to see that Simon was now adjusting the breathing mask on Rumpy’s face and motioning for Rukh to help him support the Wookiee’s hulking frame into the tank. He closed the door panel and activated a lever, and a faint gurgle broke the silence as the tubes began pumping bacta into the transparisteel cylinder.
Simon gave a quick look to the monitors, and, once he was confident everything was in place, he went to one of the cabinets lining the room and extracted a tube of salve. His eyes moved back to Ayesha as he began applying the balm on the dark bruise that was spreading on his cheekbone. She gave him an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry for hitting you,” she mumbled.
He waved a hand to dismiss her apology. “So am I, but we’ll have time for that later. Tell me what’s happening out there.”
Note: This chapter takes place concurrently with the second half of X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble.
Scene with Ayesha and Kal and Mira - she is so right about how to neutralize Isard's divisive tactics!
Bravo on the conquest details and about Rumpy! Major edge of seatness!
Scenes with Simon - Ayesha kicks butt and takes names with her insistence about getting Rumpy treatment, and others too. Not surprised at all!
Then Simon's talk with Thrawn - very candid and holding-nothing-back as to who is to blame for what.
I particularly love Thrawn's voice in this. He never skirts around or minimizes his role in things, which he could do if he were inclined. A person who can admit their flaws can more readily move on and learn from them.
Ayesha's large-heartedness and generosity of spirit - now that that in particular is what resonates with me in a Luke-style fashion where she is concerned. He also has that loving giving nature.
Her bold I'll tell you what I really think - that's Leia all over.
Rey - that particular piece comes from their rough childhoods. Rey as well has the capacity to find friendships and little joys.
Findswoman Force Ghost
All right, catching up yet again (it's getting embarrassing how often this is happening )...
24: I have to say, this one was hard to read (but I did appreciate the warning). The situation that Isard has set up on Coruscant is arguably worse than any wartime situation during the Imperial-Rebel conflict of the Saga. First there's thewhole insidiousness of saddling the New Republic with an absolutely gruesome public-health-crisis-cum-borderline-genocide: it seems very significant that this mysterious epidemic is the one thing Thrawn's not able to find out anything about during his (I guess one call them) intelligence excursions.
Then Tashi's mysterious disappearance, and especially her friends' reactions to it, leads to the second crux of the situation set up by Isard: the ruthless pitting of friends and loved ones against each other. We have seen that brewing in the chapters leading up to this and here it comes to what one might call the ultimate head. The fact that Tashi's disappearance seems so perfectly "convenient" to Onion is already significant, and it's probably just exactly the kind of result Isard might hope her tactics to have. But the real climax, of course, was the part I really found hard to read—Onion's (seeming) attempt on Tam's life, Rukh's (and Kal's) retaliation, and the fight that very nearly breaks out. I have a child who's close in age to Tam, and I really can't say how I would react if his life were threatened in that manner—but I have a feeling that here, too, this is just the kind of thing Isard would love to know her schemes are causing...
25: ...and given the situation, I'm almost not sure whether to be relieved to find out that the virus wouldn't have been fatal to Tam after all —which I hope makes sense (it doesn't mean I want Tam dead, just that I wish there was less uncertainty about everything). I'm glad to see that Ayesha is getting wise to the fact that division, discord, and disrespect for life is precisely what Isard aims to sow here. Though between the continued absence of Tashi and this horrifying development with Rumpy's fever (oh no oh no oh no!), methinks her resolve is going to be sorely tested.
And in this second tense scene with Simon it very much is. This, in a way, was hard to read too; the oxen are still standing at the mountain. Even now that Simon knows what really happened to Ayesha and her child, it's not clear that that's caused any progress to be made toward real reconciliation, at least not between the two of them. Which isn't a criticism of the story—quite the contrary, perfectly true to the character of both these men, and it goes to show how well you've nailed the characterization of both of them. (Simon's question about what Ayesha sees in Thrawn is, in some ways, a very valid one, and in many ways it's a central question of this entire work. Again, in a good way.)
But even if Thrawn and Simon's reconciliation still needs more time to become complete, it's encouraging to see Rumpy starting to get some treatment. My fingers and toes are crossed for him.
Findswoman, Dec 29, 2015
AzureAngel2, Nyota's Heart, Chyntuck and 1 other person like this.
Excellent update as always!
I'm so concerned about Rumpy. Ayesha just cannot take another loss at this point. Hopefully the bacta will heal him, especially now that Simon got the wake up call he desperately needed. This will actually work out for both of them; Simon will now have a reason to get up in the morning and do something more than simply grieve.
Now this:
Very interesting observation...
AzureAngel2, Nyota's Heart, Chyntuck and 2 others like this.
Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I'm postponing replies, because I'm ending 2015 with a bang and a busy day, but answers will be coming in 2016.
Oh, and happy new year!
Chapter 26: Observations
By the time Rumpy came out of the bacta tank three days later and Simon installed him in a private room to allow him to rest and complete his recovery, it was Rukh’s turn to have a fever. “I’m confident that you will be cured much faster,” the doctor said as he adjusted the breathing mask to the Noghri’s snout. “These seem to be only the very early symptoms. I don’t expect you to need more than a day in there, two at most.”
Rukh stood straight and proud, and he stepped on his own into the transparisteel cylinder, but Ayesha could see the fear in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Rukh,” she said reassuringly as she prepared to close the tank’s door panel. “We’ll take good care of you.”
“I worry for Overlord Thrawn,” the Noghri muffled mewl came through the mask. “It is my duty to be at his side while he conducts his investigations. I am failing in my assigned task.”
Ayesha smiled. “Thrawn will be fine. If Isard couldn’t find him in the year we spent here, I doubt the New Republic will just days after taking over – unless, of course, he wants to be found.”
Thrawn had left the Centre as soon as it became clear that Simon would look after Rumpy, claiming that he wanted to resume his search for Tashi, but Ayesha suspected – and Simon too, from the snide comments that escaped him every now and then – that his curiosity about the New Republic’s biggest victory so far had gotten the better of him, and that he was considerably frustrated by the fact that he hadn’t been able to witness the fall of Coruscant. He returned twenty-four hours later and began loading crates onto the floatpad. “This is the medical equipment I was able to salvage from the Listening Post so far,” he explained to Ayesha. “Please have Doctor Simon look through it and take what he needs. I will bring more tomorrow.”
“Any news from Tashi?” she asked.
“The New Republic have taken control of the Imperial Palace. Delta Source indicates that locating the research facility is their top priority; I am confident that they will find it soon. How is your brother?”
“He’s fine,” Simon interjected from the doorway. “He’s doing a lot better already. Bacta is the cure.”
Thrawn sighed. “Yes. Unfortunately, bacta is the cure.”
The doctor arched a disparaging eyebrow. “Unfortunately?”
“This is a war, Doctor Simon,” the Chiss replied harshly. “Where you see patients and medication, I see a war where the civilian population itself is the weapon, and bacta is the counter-weapon. Unfortunately, the New Republic have adopted your mindset. They took Coruscant less than a day ago, and they are already arguing among themselves about the best medical approach to this issue. The medical approach has never won a war. They are falling head-on into Ysanne Isard’s Krytos trap, and it will be their undoing.”
“What would you have them do?” Simon said heatedly. “Let the alien population die?”
Thrawn’s voice became glacial. “I would have them take radical measures to minimise the spread of the virus. I would have them cut off the water supply to the planet and sweep the non-Human neighbourhoods to quarantine the ill, while requisitioning all available supplies of bottled water and bacta and procuring more from every world they control. I would have them treat this as a military issue, not as a medical emergency. Millions will die from this disease. It is best they die without transmitting it to millions more.”
There was a silence. “I doubt the New Republic are strong enough a government to enforce this type of policy,” Simon finally said.
“They are not, but they are also not willing to be strong. Their wish to save every infected sentient stems from a generous sentiment. But it is a sentiment that some representatives to the Provisional Council are already exploiting as they vie for power. I hate to think of the consequences this will have in the current war, and in wars to come.”
There was another silence. “You think Isard contaminated the water supply?” Ayesha asked.
“I would be surprised if she did not.” He pointed at one of the crates he had brought. “This is bottled water. Humans, and apparently near-Humans such as you and I, are immune to this disease, and so far Rukh has shown no symptoms, but I would rather you drink this nevertheless. I will bring more on my next trip.”
He left again to return two days later, moments after Rukh had stepped into the bacta tank. “I have deleted all records of our existence from the Imperial databases,” he explained as he carried more crates. “As far as the New Republic is concerned, Ayesha Eskari was never born. I did keep a backdoor into the archives, should you wish to re-establish your file.”
Ayesha nodded and took the box of meat and spices that Thrawn had brought for Rumpy to prepare a meal for her brother. Simon stepped closer to Thrawn as soon as she disappeared into the kitchen. “I imagine that Captain or Commander or whatever-rank-you-hold Thrawn was never an Imperial officer either,” he said questioningly as they offloaded the fresh supplies.
Thrawn merely shrugged. “Indeed.” He gestured towards the crates. “These are mostly food and water, but I was able to find some more medical equipment for you. This here” – he patted the largest box – “is a transparisteel tube that Ayesha believes to be a Spaarti cloning cylinder. I would be grateful if you could confirm.”
Simon gave him a puzzled look. “Are you planning to clone anyone?”
“I am planning to find out if anyone else has been cloning sentients,” Thrawn answered. “Namely, if the Emperor has been cloning sentients – or himself.”
The doctor blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Perfectly serious. How is Rukh?”
“I believe he will be fine. I could not find details of his species in my database, but he was confident that he knew the correct dosage of bacta for beings of his kind.”
Thrawn nodded and pointed at another crate. “This is more bacta. I believe the total quantity will be sufficient to operate the tank and your smaller capsule at once.” He sighed. “Given the New Republic’s lack of efficiency at taking decisions, you will have to do what you can to cure those you can find, one patient at a time.”
In the days that followed, Rumpy and Rukh moved back to Ayesha’s apartment, but she stayed with Simon to help him identify, among the tramps and vagrants that populated the Underlevels, those sentients who had been contaminated by the Krytos virus but could be saved by the meagre facilities the Centre had to offer. “I lost two friends to this disease,” she argued when Thrawn protested that one of his agents could take her place alongside the doctor. “I lost Onion, and I lost Tashi. Yes, I know that I lost Tashi – if you haven’t found her after all this time, it means she’s dead. You said this is a war. I can fight it in my own little way while you look at the bigger holo and try to influence the future of the Galaxy.”
They soon settled into a routine where Simon remained in the Centre to monitor the two beings who, at any given time, were floating in the bacta tanks, while she explored the neighbouring alleys in search for more patients. Thrawn procured for her a standard comlink tuned to the official frequencies, and more often than not all she could do was to communicate coordinates to the Health and Hygiene Department’s hotline when she found an ailing alien who was dying or already dead, and whose decomposing remains were an incubator for the virus strains to fester and multiply. The fact of being surrounded by disease and death soon began to take its toll on her nerves, but what pushed her over the edge every time, and sent her running back to the Centre in tears, was those aliens who refused her help, or who outright accused her of seeking to take them in as lab rats, because she appeared to be Human. “I can’t really blame them,” she told Simon after one such occurrence. “I wouldn’t trust Humans either after what happened. But they don’t realise that it’s exactly what Isard wants. Those who can still hope to recover on their own will reject me, and by the time they’re desperate they’re too far along and we can’t help them anymore. And then they contaminate others.”
“You’re doing everything you possibly could, Ayesha,” the doctor said soothingly. “We don’t have the resources to help everyone, but we are managing to help at least a few of those society has forgotten. I know that it’s not much, but it’s already something.”
The news that Thrawn brought on his daily visits was hardly more reassuring. “The Provisional Council are bogged down in endless negotiations with Zaltin and Xucphra. The price of bacta has, predictably enough, reached the stratosphere, and the distribution problems they are facing are immense. If their plans for a more potent form of medicine do not come to fruition very, very soon, they will be bankrupt.” He sighed. “Or, I should rather say, they will not be able to hide their bankruptcy anymore. I truly hope that calmer heads will prevail before the situation descends into chaos.”
“Is there no way you could intervene to give them the information they need?” Simon asked.
Thrawn suppressed a snort. “I have little information they could use, but I also know when to keep my distance. The Provisional Council consists of three Humans and eight aliens, each of whom must serve the interests of his or her own constituency. I do not believe that adding a rogue Imperial officer to the mix would create a less explosive situation.” He sighed again. “Although I must say that ridding them of the Bothan representative would be doing a great service to the Galaxy. Between the role that his species played in obtaining the Death Star plans and the fact that he has positioned himself as a spokesbeing for all non-Humans – and this despite the fact that his species is immune to the virus so far – he is making a grab for power, milking his standing for all it is worth.”
“What about this big trial they have going?” Ayesha asked. “The HoloNet says this Tycho Celchu is a spy, that he’s responsible for the death of one of the pilots who flew in the Liberation of Coruscant.”
The faintest of smiles touched Thrawn’s lips. “It is an interesting operation. General Cracken deserves his reputation as someone who can manipulate public opinion to smoke out a spy, I will hand him that.”
A soft chime indicated that one of the recovering patients lying in the ward required assistance, and Ayesha left the little kitchen where they were sitting to attend to his needs. Simon turned to Thrawn as soon as she was gone. “You’re testing them, aren’t you? The New Republic. You’re testing them. That’s why you’re not intervening.”
Thrawn gave him a long stare. “Yes, I am. It is one of many reasons why I am not intervening.”
“Drop the ‘many’,” Simon said scathingly. “The real reason you’re here is to see their strengths and weaknesses, in order to take Coruscant back from them when you have the chance.”
The Chiss’s expression hardened. “The real reason I am here is to determine if I should ally myself with them in view of things to come. I know the future, Doctor. I know the threat it holds. I know that the Galaxy needs a strong, united government to face it, and from what I have seen so far, the New Republic is not that government. As a matter of fact, the New Republic is not a government at all. It is still only a rebellion.”
“The New Republic only had a few years of war to establish themselves,” Simon protested. “They will improve as time goes by, they will –”
Thrawn raised a hand to stop him. “Which is why I am not deliberately seeking to undermine them at this point. That is all I can say for now.” He stood up. “I must go. Is there anything I should bring tomorrow?”
“I need more bacta,” the doctor said gruffly. “I’ve been filtering and recycling what we have, but by tomorrow I’ll be able to use only one tank at a time, and in a few days none at all.”
“You might as well ask me to get you a Death Star for Transland Day.”
“I need it,” Simon pressed. “My patients need it.”
“So do the patients of the hospital I could steal it from,” Thrawn replied coldly. “Should I go ahead and steal it?”
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Thrawn finally sighed once more. “I will see what I can do. My agents tell me that Black Sun has been stockpiling bacta, I will hit one of their depots. Be warned however, it will take a few days.”
Simon nodded. “Ayesha will be grateful.”
Thrawn stared at him a moment longer. “How is she doing?”
“She’s tired. She’s working too much and she worries too much. She –”
“You do not understand,” the Chiss interrupted. “How is she doing?” He tapped a finger to his forehead.
Simon lowered his voice. “She’s not well. I found her hiding in a corner one morning, she said that she had nightmares. And she blanked out a couple of times.”
“Did you examine her again?”
It was Simon’s turn to sigh. “There was no time. Not that she’d let me.”
Thrawn sank into a meditative silence. “I will arrange for those of your patients who have already undergone bacta treatment to be transferred somewhere else,” he finally said. “It will give you the break you need to ascertain that her situation is not deteriorating. Is this acceptable to you?”
Simon nodded again. “And I’ll have a look at your cloning cylinder too. I haven’t been able to do that yet.”
Thrawn had barely taken a step towards the door when Simon spoke again. “I can feel that you’re up to more than what you’re telling me, and I don’t like it. Oh, and I still don’t like you either, you know.”
The Chiss spun around. His lips were twitching into a smile. “I know. If it is any consolation, I cannot say that I like myself very much either. But I will do what has to be done.”
Note: The events of this chapter take place concurrently with the events of X-Wing: The Krytos Trap. The Bothan representative on the Provisional Council is of course Borsk Fey'lya.
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku, divapilot and AzureAngel2 like this.
So happy Rumpy recovered and Rukh seems to have gotten only a slight exposure. Enjoyed all the discussions and helping out - you can really feel Simon getting a much-needed sense of purpose through all that. I especially was intrigued by the observations surrounding the "correct" and/or "best" way to handle the Krytos virus. And I am 100% behind Thrawn's remark about what to do with one member of the Provisionary Council
Did not miss the mention of Ayesha still having blackouts. At least they're not becoming more problematic, at least. Once the current crisis is dealt with, perhaps they can tackle that situation more overtly.
AzureAngel2 and Findswoman like this.
It indeed is a relief that Rumpy is better and that it didn't take him long to recover completely. Though I do hope that Ayesha's wrong about losing Tashi for good, and I wonder if at some point in the story, whether she's dead or alive, we will find out more about what happened to her.
Meanwhile, Simon and Thrawn's "discussion" continues, and once again I have to say Simon's got real cojones for calling out Thrawn for this whole business of "testing" the New Republic. Maybe Thrawn's right about the New Republic, maybe he's wrong, and undoubtedly they have their share of problems at this early stage of their existence. But whatever the case may be, I too am a bit troubled by the way he's so wrapped up in his strategic conjectures when there's this very pressing humanitarian (sentientarian?) issue going on at the same time. But who knows, maybe whatever plan he is cooking up (and I imagine he has one) will lead to some tangible results on both fronts.
In any case, Ayesha's "own little way" of fighting this war alongside Simon is absolutely having tangible results, and is a huge testament to her generous spirit—a spirit that never was totally quashed despite all she's been through. Of course, the continued blackouts are definitely a cause for concern. It's of course good that Thrawn can arrange things so Simon has the time to treat her more thoroughly and take a closer look at that mysterious cloning cylinder—but once again, Thrawn is making Simon prioritize his (Thrawn's) requests, and this time seems to be making Simon do so at the expense of his basic responsibilities as a medical man—healing everyone who needs it. It's all very "honey-do," in a way. Thrawn's idea of tapping into Black Sun's bacta stockpiles is definitely ambitious, and I am curious to see where that will go—I imagine we'll be reading more about that soon?
Findswoman, Jan 2, 2016
AzureAngel2, Chyntuck, leiamoody and 1 other person like this.
AzureAngel2 Force Ghost
Rumpy is better but I ask myself if Ayesha will continue to be played by the Force like an instrument. You succeed to give your stories the traces of a Greek drama here and there. I hope there is still enough happiness for our heroine left in the updates to come.
AzureAngel2, Jan 3, 2016
Chyntuck and Nyota's Heart like this.
Thrawn's militaristic solution to the plague makes sense for the population at large - the needs of the many > the needs of the few- but enforcing it is another matter. It would have to be draconian for it to work. How can you turn away a sick person who begs you for a cure you know you have? I can see the conflict here and there is no easy solution.
I'm glad Rumpy and Rukh are better. Ayesha needs the stability her brother offers her. Simon seems to have calmed down and found a purpose again. It's weird in a way - he calls Thrawn out for prioritizing Ayesha's health before everyone else's, but let's face it, had it not been for Thrawn's concern over Ayesha, Simon would not have gotten any of the materials or chances he got. He has the bacta to treat his patients not because of Thrawn's generous heart but because this crisis gives Ayesha a purpose and direction in her life.m
divapilot, Jan 3, 2016
All righty doo, between the constant power cuts at home these last few days and the fact that I messed up with the calendar and thought that 06 January was today instead of tomorrow, I'm running late AGAIN -- and I'm going to be The Fail for this first update of the year and not reply to your very kind reviews once more. Oh, and I'm posting one day late. Anyway... Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and I'll catch up on replies tomorrow, which actually is a public holiday, so I'll be at home.
Oh, one more thing: there's a little nugget that I added to this chapter, just for divapilot
Chapter 27: The tremor
Thrawn was able to procure some more bacta for Simon and Ayesha to continue their work – “it does not come from official sources,” was the only answer he gave when Ayesha asked if she really wanted to know where he’d found it – but the additional supply lasted only for two weeks, and thirty-eight days after the Liberation of Coruscant the Centre had to close its doors. Simon found Ayesha sitting sadly in the ward as they took a break from packing, and he came near her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“We did everything that could be done with what we had, li’l one,” he told her. “Thrawn doesn’t want to steal from the hospitals, and I wouldn’t want him to either. And he says that the New Republic are close to finding a better, more efficient cure too.”
“I know,” she mumbled. “I just keep wondering if I could have done more – for Onion, for Tashi.”
Mira had been able to use some of her grandmother’s connections to approach Captain Aril Nunb, a member of Rogue Squadron who had been among the Sullustans abducted and used as test subjects by Isard’s accomplice Evir Derricote. The pilot confirmed that Tashi had been with her in the secret medical facility in the Imperial Palace, and that, of all the Sullustans who were there, only two had survived, herself and a child she had taken under her wing. The news was not unexpected – Ayesha knew that after so much time Tashi could not be found, and she had told Thrawn as much – but it was a blow nevertheless. That evening, she and Simon performed Gyysharria for Tashi on Uumana’s coffin, then they sat in the kitchen to work their way through Ayesha’s supply of cortyg brandy. The patients they used to host in the ward had now moved to Kal and Mira’s old flat, where Onion and Tashi had been staying before the epidemic, and they only had two sedated Rodians floating in bacta to look after for the night. Simon filled two glasses and handed one to Ayesha.
“To the friends we lost,” she said.
Simon touched her glass with his and looked at her intently. “And to those we found again.”
Ayesha could remember little of the evening’s conversation when she woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache, but she knew that, if nothing else, the doctor was her friend again.
They finished packing in silence and waited for Thrawn to come. Ayesha thought for a moment that they would need two trips – Uumana’s coffin, the statue and the cloning tank were exceedingly bulky – but Thrawn somehow managed to load all three in the speeder, and they flew back to the Senate district.
It was obvious, from the appearance of the apartment, that Thrawn was planning to leave Coruscant soon, and once they installed Simon in the guest room and made caf, he asked the doctor if he had made up his mind on a destination.
“I was hoping you and Ayesha could help me choose one,” Simon said. “I would like a world that is peaceful now, but that will also stay peaceful for the years to come. Uumana suffered enough in her lifetime. I do not wish for her remains to be desecrated once more.”
Thrawn looked at Ayesha. “What do you suggest, Ayoo’sha? You know Doctor Simon’s tastes far better than I do. I will do what is necessary to ensure that the world you choose remains safe for the foreseeable future.”
Ayesha sank deep in meditation, only to be interrupted by a brief huff from Rumpy. “Yes, I’m sure Simon would love Kashyyyk,” she said. “But he wants a grave for Uumana, and he can’t have that there, he can’t reach the surface. I need to think of something else.”
She fiddled a little with her cup and stood up, saying that she would find inspiration in her workshop. Thrawn turned back to Simon as soon as she had left the atrium. “Were you able to examine her again, Doctor?” he murmured.
Simon nodded. “I was, but I have nothing new to say. There is this host of turbulent memories that she has stored in the back of her mind. She cannot eliminate them, she cannot process them and I cannot remove them. I am only a physician. If this situation truly stems from an encounter with a Dark Side Force user, as you seem to believe, there is nothing I can do. What you need is a Jedi, and, as far as I know, there is only one.”
Thrawn arched an ironic eyebrow. “If you are referring to Luke Skywalker, Ayesha meeting him would entail an untold number of... complications.”
“It’s her health and well-being we’re talking about here,” Simon said with a snort. “Surely your Imperial plots come second to that?”
“I was not thinking of Imperial plots, Doctor,” the Chiss retorted glacially. “There are other issues pertaining to Skywalker. I do not believe that Ayesha is ready to meet him just yet, and I deem it safe to assume that he may not be ready for what she has to say either.”
The two men were glaring laser bolts at each other when an angry voice suddenly said, “Will you two ever stop arguing about me?”
Ayesha was standing in the workshop doorway, holding a small, square object in her hand. “I hear you talking about me behind my back, you know. And I don’t like it.” She returned to her seat on the couch and added, “I’ll decide later if and when I want to meet Luke Skywalker, but for now, I think I found a planet for Simon.” She held up the object she was carrying, and Thrawn saw that it was the holo of Anakin and Padmé. “Naboo. It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful, it has large cities and quiet rural areas. The people were very nice when we went there, there are many different species, native and non-native, and” – she grinned – “the food was fantastic. And most importantly for Simon, it’s been at the centre of the Refugee Relief Movement since the Clone Wars – which means that there are also lots of sentients there who need the sort of help only you can give.” She pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear, “You can get an apartment with a view on the lake, like the one you had near the Western Sea here. You’ll love it, and Uumana would love it too.”
Simon took a datapad from the low table and looked up the details of the planet. “It also has several teaching hospitals and a university,” he said after a moment. “That sounds like the perfect place for me, Ayesha.” He looked at Thrawn. “I need one more thing from you, however. I was in Imperial custody for three years, but it seems no one noticed that, according to the civil registry, I have been dead for ten. I need to be alive again.”
The following day was dedicated to more packing. There was a lot Ayesha wanted to take back to Nirauan, and she finished wrapping the pieces of her art she would take along, and putting away those that would remain stored in her workshop until their next trip to Coruscant, whenever that would happen. Simon offered to help her sort through her books and archives, but she declined – “you know how it is with these things,” she said, “if I don’t do it myself I won’t know what I put in which box,” – and he sat on the couch again to follow Tycho Celchu’s trial. The proceedings were being broadcast live on the HoloNet, and Simon clearly found it fascinating.
“This Captain Celchu must be an extraordinary person,” he said when Ayesha and Thrawn joined him on the conversation circle late in the afternoon. “Everything about him screams that he is innocent, yet the evidence is irrefutable. I am amazed that he did not fall victim to an ‘accident’ yet. It is truly to the credit of the New Republic that they are doing what they can to protect him and give him a fair trial.”
A faint smile touched Thrawn’s lips. “As surprising as it may seem to you, Doctor, this is a mock trial – only not in the way you might think. I expect it to come to its conclusion very soon, although what General Cracken has precisely in mind I have no idea.” Ayesha and Simon both gave him a curious look. “The main charge against Captain Celchu is not only a crime he did not commit, it is an event that never happened – but I am not certain that Cracken himself knows this. I am most eager to find out how he intends to resolve this situation.”
Ayesha gave him a mock angry look. “Will you stop speaking in riddles?”
His smile widened. “That is all I will say for today, Ayoo’sha. I do not wish to spoil the final surprise of this public drama for you.”
The next morning, Rumpy left to go to Kal and Mira’s old apartment, which still operated as an inn of sorts, while Thrawn and Simon, escorted by Rukh, flew to the Listening Post to update the details of his identity documents. Ayesha stayed at home alone, and, after a quick comm call to Mira, who had taken the day off and agreed to come to visit in the afternoon, together with Tam, she copied the holo of Anakin and Padmé to a datacard, slipped it in her satchel and took a maglev to the Senate.
The Provisional Council had announced its intention to re-establish the Senate as soon as possible now that they were in control of the Galactic capital, but the Krytos crisis had taken most of their time and energy. For the time being, the building had merely been reopened for visits by the public. Ayesha went quietly through the security checks at the entrance – it was clear that the Coruscant constabulary was taking the threat of attacks by the Palpatine Counterinsurgency Front very seriously, and access to those public buildings where the New Republic had installed its base of operations, such as the former Imperial Palace, was all but impossible – and, after wandering a little through the stately halls, she found on the map the room she was looking for and boarded a turbolift.
The subcommittee room was exactly as it had been the first and only time she had seen it, dark and dusty, and the sign reading ‘Senator Gabrial Atanna of Esseles’ was untouched. The entire area was deserted, but she locked the door behind her anyway and stepped towards the back wall. The Emperor’s secret passageway opened in front of her, and she slipped into the tunnel.
The shuttle was not there, but she didn’t want to attract attention to herself by summoning it – Thrawn had been adamant that they should not reveal its existence to the new government until they left the planet, lest the Listening Post be found as well – so she settled for walking along the magnetic rails. It was a short distance, and soon she stood on the little platform where she and Thrawn had very nearly been found by Ysanne Isard on their first exploration of the tunnel complex. She climbed into the one-man lift cabin and found herself in a sumptuous foyer of the Imperial Palace. It took her only a moment to orient herself and understand that she was in the residential area, and she smiled – this would make the task she had assigned to herself easier.
But even the residential area of the Palace was impossibly huge, and she got lost more than once in her quest, until she found a wooden door with a tiny sign that read ‘Luke Skywalker’. She lay down on the floor briefly to verify if there was any light in the quarters, and, just to be sure, she pressed her finger to the old-fashioned chime while digging into her satchel for the datacard. She gave a start when, a few second later, the door unexpectedly swung on its hinges and a white-and-blue astromech beeped questioningly.
She stood there for a moment, staring at the little droid, hesitating to tell him the lie she had prepared in case she was found, but something clicked in the back of her mind, and she reached out to touch the top of its dome. “You’re Artoo,” she whispered.
The astromech beeped again something that was part confirmation, part question. “I have something for Luke,” she said, suddenly making up her mind. “I was doing to just leave it here, or slip it under the door, but I think it’s better if I leave it with you.” She pulled out the datacard and went to insert it into the droid’s slot.
An appendage emerged from the barrel-shaped torso and Artoo emitted a furious whistle as he zapped her with electricity, causing her to jump back. “Cut it out!” she exclaimed, rubbing her forearm. “I’m not going to harm you. I just want to leave a message for Luke about his father. About Anakin. You remember Anakin, right?”
The droid rolled back a little and let out a series of chirps while his eye flashed several times. Ayesha smiled. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand binary,” she said. “But it looks like you know what I’m talking about, so can you please let me in? I just want to record my message, and I’ll be gone.”
The dome rotated from left to right and from right to left, then Artoo extended a clawed arm, grabbed a piece of her tunic and pulled her inside. He led her to the desk and plugged into the data terminal. The words >> What do you know about Anakin?<< materialised on the monitor.
“I know everything,” she said with a sigh. “I shared his mind for a while.”
Artoo let out an incredulous whistle. >>Prove it.<<
She pondered the challenge for a moment. “You were there when he got married to Padmé,” she said finally. “It was on a terrace overlooking the lake in Padmé’s estate on Naboo. You were there, so was his protocol droid, and the only other person present was a holy man.”
>>Anything else?<<
“Padmé wore a white gown with a lace veil. And Anakin... Anakin had just had a mechanical hand fitted after he lost his arm in a duel. He didn’t like it, he thought the contact would be unpleasant for Padmé, but he didn’t say anything, and she didn’t say anything either. Later on, he chose to wear a glove so as to hide it.”
>>Where did the protocol droid come from?<<
“Anakin built him when he was a little boy. He salvaged the parts little by little from Watto’s shop, and then he left him with his mother when the Jedi took him to Coruscant. He took him back when he went looking for his mother ten years later.”
>>Who else was there when we found him in Watto’s shop?<<
“There was you, and the Jedi – Qui-Gon Jinn – and Padmé, who was posing as a handmaiden. Oh, and there was that funny character, Jar-Jar Binks. He got in trouble with one of the pit droids, Anakin had to tell him how to deactivate it.”
Artoo beeped approvingly and switched on his holoprojector. A three-dimensional scene materialised in front of them, showing a Gungan struggling against a frenzied pit droid. The voice of a child could be heard saying, “Hit the nose!” and as Jar-Jar’s fist made contact with what the droid had for a face, the mechanical menace fell to the ground. Ayesha laughed and Artoo let out something that sounded like a chuckle before returning to the terminal.
>>What is the message you want to leave for Master Luke?<<
“I want to tell him about his father. He knows how Anakin came back to the Light, but he should also know who he was before he was seduced by the Dark. He should know how much Anakin loved his mother, and how much he was looking forward to having a child.” She held out the datacard. “I also have a holo of his parents shortly after they got married, but that’s not really necessary anymore. You must have far more in your memory banks.”
The droid rotated his dome again, in the astromech equivalent of a nod. >>You can leave your message with me. I will give it to Master Luke when the time is right.<<
“I was going to leave it in his computer terminal.”
>>He is not ready to see it yet. I will show it to him when the time is right.<<
Ayesha looked at Artoo for a moment. “I guess you know him best,” she finally said. “All right, let’s do this.”
She sat on a chair while the droid settled in position and activated his camera, and she began to speak.
Thrawn and Simon were finishing lunch in the kitchen when Ayesha came home, but she answered their questions about where she had been with monosyllables and fetched a plate for herself. Simon stood up to make space for her, but Thrawn remained seated to keep her company while she ate. She seemed distracted, and as soon as Simon had left the kitchen Thrawn asked if she was feeling alright.
“I’m okay,” she said absently. “It’s just that... I spoke a lot about Anakin today. It was something I had to do, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “Who did you speak to?”
“Artoo. Anakin’s droid. Luke’s droid.”
There was a flash of anger in the Chiss’s red eyes. “What did you tell him?”
She shrugged. “Things that matter only to Luke. Who Anakin was as a little boy, how he became a Jedi, how –”
She interrupted herself mid-sentence and remained immobile, her fork half-way to her mouth. It took a fraction of a second for Thrawn to understand what was happening, and he shouted for Simon to return. The doctor had hardly made it back to the kitchen and was patting her cheeks when a slight tremor shook the walls, but neither man noticed – mild earthquakes were not unheard of on Coruscant, and they were too concerned with Ayesha to pay attention.
A minute passed, then two, then three. Ayesha was still as a statue, her eyes dim and glassy, her entire body in the exact position where she had been when she blanked out, Simon kneeling in front of her and Thrawn frozen on his stool with tears in his eyes. The doctor went to stand up and fetch his medical kit when a second, more potent tremor threw him off-balance.
The building began to shake violently as the distant roar of crashes and explosions rumbled by. Simon glanced out of the window when he was finally able to scramble to his feet, and what he saw caused him to gasp. “There is... there is something out there,” he stammered.
Thrawn leapt up to catch Ayesha before the earthquake threw her to the floor, but the scene unfolding on the horizon was so stunning that he very nearly let her go. The bow of a Super Star Destroyer was emerging from between the buildings at the foot of the Manarai Mountains, its turbolasers shooting continuously towards the skies. The green bolts splashed against the planetary shields until the invisible dome protecting Coruscant began to weaken, and the cloud of smoke, dust and debris the enormous ship generated in its wake spread over the city as more skyscrapers collapsed.
The Chiss let out a string of curses in Cheunh, and Simon looked at him to see that his cool, calculating expression was gone to be replaced by sheer awe. “Lusankya...” he finally muttered in Basic. “It is a ship.”
A massive explosion rattled the city again when the Star Destroyer jettisoned its repulsorlift cradle, annihilating what was left of the neighbourhood under which it had been buried, and a sudden scream of despair pierced the air. Both men looked at Ayesha, who had come to her senses and was pointing at the devastation that could be seen on the horizon. “Tam!” she shouted. “Kal! Mira! Tam!”
Note: The events of this chapter take place concurrently with the second half of X-Wing: The Krytos Trap. Simon's cane and his move to Naboo were titbits I retconned based on the future divapilot gave him in The God of Second Chances.
Chyntuck, Jan 5, 2016
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku and AzureAngel2 like this.
about Kal, Mira, and Tam! Whew! Great cliffie there! But Ayesha, Thrawn, and Simon left just in time!
Speaking of Simon, so happy he and Ayesha are friends again and woot on picking Naboo. That is a perfect spot to settle.
But the absolute highlight was the scene with R2! That is so, so part of my heart canon!
WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, Jan 5, 2016
AzureAngel2 and Chyntuck like this.
Wow, you've packed a lot into this chapter: the news of Tashi's death, the reconciliation with Simon, preparations for Simon's relocation, and the trip to Nirauan, the bizarre kangaroo-court trial of Tycho Celchu, and Ayesha's continued exploration of the shuttle corridor, culminating in the centerpiece of this chapter—her conversation with Artoo. Some very intriguing stuff there: I wonder what Artoo considers "the right time" for Luke to hear what Ayesha has to tell him? But this is Artoo, of course, so I trust him completely on that.
I like how, every time in this story our main characters finally manage to have a two-way conversation with someone speaking a language they don't know—Thrawn with Yakooboo speaking Shyriiwook, Ayesha with Artoo speaking Binary—it's been a major step forward for the story that uncovers (or has the potential to uncover) very interesting new information. Cool to see that pattern continuing here!
And of course now I'm looking forward to the future chapter where we'll find out just what Ayesha said to Luke. It would be very interesting to see them meet, and, as Simon hints, he may be the one to bring some peace to Ayesha's mind. Though I wonder why Thrawn is so angry about the fact that Ayesha talked to Artoo—does it disrupt some immaculately laid strategic plan of his? It also is most concerning that she seizes up right at that particular point in her narrative about Anakin, and that the Lusankya suddenly appears and starts taking out the city just at that same moment. My first guess was that her episode was triggered by whatever she was about to say about Anakin—but maybe it was a combination of the two? Or even just the appearance of the Lusankya that she somehow perceived before the others? At least it didn't last long.... but yes, Kal! Mira! Tam! Will they be all right? Oh my, what a heartrending cliffhanger—to think anything might have happened to that dear child! Don't keep us hanging for long, please!
AzureAngel2, Chyntuck and Nyota's Heart like this.
I sincerely hope Artoo proves a better timing for news to be told to Luke. Obi-Wan & Master Yoda made some grave mistakes in that particular case.
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku, Chyntuck and Nyota's Heart like this.
Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I am doing replies today, because this is getting completely out of control and I'm feeling double for failing to do so three chapters in a row.
Whew, intense and shocking twisty there with Onion. Definitely something you would expect during an epidemic/pandemic.
The story of the Krytos virus in the profic reminded me (intentionally or not) of some aspects of the early years of the HIV pandemic. People were throwing blame around for all sorts of things, who became ill, if they deserved it, how the virus had come about, etc. In Greece we still have a lot of conspiracy theorists who believe HIV was manufactured, and that leads to unbelievably violent arguments. I wanted to reflect some of that here.
divapilot said: ↑
But that's also part of Isard's plan, isn't it? She wants people to believe that they are at risk, and they can't know if they are or not. Ayesha sees it already, because she knows more than Kal and Mira. But they have no idea what she's talking about, and it's a typical oxen on the mountain situation, as Findswoman would say.
I have to say, this one was hard to read (but I did appreciate the warning). The situation that Isard has set up on Coruscant is arguably worse than any wartime situation during the Imperial-Rebel conflict of the Saga. First there's the whole insidiousness of saddling the New Republic with an absolutely gruesome public-health-crisis-cum-borderline-genocide: it seems very significant that this mysterious epidemic is the one thing Thrawn's not able to find out anything about during his (I guess one call them) intelligence excursions.
IMO the Krytos story arc is the most violent thing that was written in the entire EU, and not only because of the gruesomeness of the descriptions, which were pretty disturbing. It was also because Isard was depicted as having planned this very calmly, very carefully and with absolute secrecy -- very few people were in the know, there were no official records, and therefore (to return to the topic of this fic) there was no easy way to find out what she was up to. Thrawn thought he had access to pretty much everything when he found the Listening Post, but he realised that he had access only to what the Emperor had put there. For the rest, he had to piece it together from the tidbits he could find -- and that was too little, too late.
Scenes with Simon - Ayesha kicks butt and takes names with her insistence about getting Rumpy treatment, and others too.
Poor Simon never stood a chance. He spent all those months down there in that half-demented state, he didn't eat properly, he didn't sleep... All he had to keep himself going was his anger and sorrow, and she just proved to him, in a rather brutal way, that it's not enough.
I'd put a question mark on that last statement of yours. Does Thrawn really want to learn and change? My opinion is that he's already sold his soul to the devil, and will do what needs to be done as distasteful as it may be.
Thank you Simon may have been losing his marbles all alone in the Centre for all this time, but he also has a level of lucidity that other people around Ayesha don't. Kal, Mira and Tashi just see Thrawn as Ayesha's lifemate, Onion has gone so paranoid that he wouldn't even try to see Thrawn's side of the story, and Rumpy is still in life-debt mode, so he keeps his thoughts to himself. Simon sees Thrawn for what he is, and that entails seeing the bad as well as the good. Given what he's been through because of the Empire, he tends to be acutely aware of the bad.
And I am 100% behind Thrawn's remark about what to do with one member of the Provisionary Council
Oh, me too. Both Zahn and Stackpole did an amazing job at depicting Fey'lya as an absolutely obnoxious character, and as events proved later on he's definitely not the sort of Chief of State you want when the Vong come knocking on your door.
Well, the real difference between Thrawn and the heroes of the New Republic is that Thrawn is a pragmatist. He knows that there really isn't anything he can do, because as he told Ayesha a few chapters ago anything he does will come with its own set of problems. The New Republic (and in particular Rogue Squadron) tend to try to do things even if they're deemed impossible, or even if they have unforeseen consequences, and they pull it off -- until their luck runs out. Of course, the New Republic have the will of the Force (otherwise known as Ἀνάγκη) on their side, and Thrawn doesn't
In any case, Ayesha's "own little way" of fighting this war alongside Simon is absolutely having tangible results, and is a huge testament to her generous spirit—a spirit that never was totally quashed despite all she's been through. Of course, the continued blackouts are definitely a cause for concern. It's of course good that Thrawn can arrange things so Simon has the time to treat her more thoroughly and take a closer look at that mysterious cloning cylinder—but once again, Thrawn is making Simon prioritize his (Thrawn's) requests, and this time seems to be making Simon do so at the expense of his basic responsibilities as a medical man—healing everyone who needs it. It's all very "honey-do," in a way.
Thrawn is always getting two, or three, or four results from everything he does. He just milks situations for all they're worth, and that's why he often wins. Though he can't really be blamed for wanting something good for Ayesha -- but that cloning business is a different story.
Thrawn's idea of tapping into Black Sun's bacta stockpiles is definitely ambitious, and I am curious to see where that will go—I imagine we'll be reading more about that soon?
Not in this fic, but I've written parts of it at the time when this story had a gazillion subplots, so you'll probably see that bit of text popping up as an extra at some point
AzureAngel2 said: ↑
I ask myself if Ayesha will continue to be played by the Force like an instrument.
Well, it's Ἀνάγκη...
To implement a plan like Thrawn's you need to 1) be willing to have people die on your watch and under your responsibility, 2) have a very strong public administration system and security forces that won't shy away from being brutal if needed, 3) curtail democratic freedoms and rights to the point where they won't exist. Of course the New Republic don't want to be all that, and that Thrawn perceives it as a sign of weakness on their behalf says a lot about his understanding of politics.
I'm glad Rumpy and Rukh are better. Ayesha needs the stability her brother offers her. Simon seems to have calmed down and found a purpose again. It's weird in a way - he calls Thrawn out for prioritizing Ayesha's health before everyone else's, but let's face it, had it not been for Thrawn's concern over Ayesha, Simon would not have gotten any of the materials or chances he got. He has the bacta to treat his patients not because of Thrawn's generous heart but because this crisis gives Ayesha a purpose and direction in her life.
Yes, they both depend on each other now, and they're both aware of it -- which leads to them compromising and finding common ground. But that doesn't mean they have to like each other -- although deep down, Thrawn doesn't like or dislike Simon. He just sees him as Ayesha's friend, other than that he doesn't really care.
Hehe. You know me, I had to get Artoo somewhere in there
I wonder what Artoo considers "the right time" for Luke to hear what Ayesha has to tell him? But this is Artoo, of course, so I trust him completely on that.
The moment when Artoo will finally tell Luke about his family is in the far future (I think he shows him the wedding holo at some point in the Legacy series), so "the right time" isn't now for sure. The thing is that Artoo probably realises that Ayesha is doing this for herself as much as she's doing it for Luke -- because he's smart, you know
Thanks! I'm having a lot of fun with this aspect, and there's more of it coming in the very near future.
I wonder why Thrawn is so angry about the fact that Ayesha talked to Artoo—does it disrupt some immaculately laid strategic plan of his?
What do you think? It's Thrawn we're talking about here
It also is most concerning that she seizes up right at that particular point in her narrative about Anakin, and that the Lusankya suddenly appears and starts taking out the city just at that same moment. My first guess was that her episode was triggered by whatever she was about to say about Anakin—but maybe it was a combination of the two? Or even just the appearance of the Lusankya that she somehow perceived before the others? At least it didn't last long.... but yes, Kal! Mira! Tam! Will they be all right? Oh my, what a heartrending cliffhanger—to think anything might have happened to that dear child! Don't keep us hanging for long, please!
Okay, full disclosure here, I went for the Lusankya appearing at that specific moment just for dramatic effect but also because I wanted something to show that Ayesha's moments of blanking out don't really affect her mental processes -- for now, she disconnects and reconnects instantly, and she isn't confused or lost when she comes to her senses. She sees the neighbourhood that is being destroyed, and she connects the dots instantly.
And that was two weeks worth of replies I think I'm all caught up now. Thanks again to all of you, and the next chapter is coming up straight away.
Nyota's Heart and Findswoman like this.
Chapter 28: Flight
“I told you that you should take her to Skywalker,” Simon whispered.
“I proposed it to her, Doctor. She refused categorically.”
“She can’t accept or refuse now.”
Thrawn gave him a glacial look. “Doctor, we have arrived to the conclusion that her condition is due to repeated, unwanted intrusions into her mind. Do you really believe that anyone can help her if she is not willing to let them in?” He shook his head. “It is a mistake I made once already, with unforeseen consequences. I will not make it again.”
The doctor’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “You have a point. But something needs to be done, she’s been blanking out – wait.” He angled his chin towards Ayesha, whose eyes were reverting to normal. “She’s back.”
She let her gaze wander around the ship’s common area for a moment, and quickly returned it to the sketch pad she was holding. “Ayoo’sha, how are you feeling?”
She shrugged. “I’m okay.”
Simon came to sit at her side. “No, Ayesha, you’re not okay. You –”
“Fine, I’m not okay,” she snapped. “I want to wake up and realise that all this trip to Coruscant was a bad dream, that Uumana is here, Onion is here, that Tashi is here, that Kal and Mira and Tam are here. And I know that it wasn’t a dream, that they’re not coming back. So no, obviously, I’m not okay.”
“That wasn’t what I was referring to, Ayesha,” the doctor said. “You’ve been –”
“Losing it. Yes. I’m grieving for my friends, and there’s only so much grief I can process at a time. I thought you, of all people, would understand that.”
“I do understand it,” he answered soothingly. “But I don’t have a bunch of parasitic memories eating away at my –”
She looked at Thrawn. “How long until we reach Naboo?”
“Two more days, Ayoo’sha. Would you like to stay there and rest a little before we continue our trip?”
She shrugged and stood up. “Whatever you want. I’m going to help Rumpy.”
She took a few steps towards the back of the ship but Simon caught up with her. “Hey, don’t shut me out. You know it’s a stupid thing to do.”
She gave him a pained look and hugged him. “I don’t want to shut you out, Simon. But you’re seeing me as a patient. I don’t need a doctor right now, I need a friend.” And with that, she spun on her heel and left to join her brother.
Rumpy was in the cargo hold, trying to sort through the dozens of crates that had been piled up randomly and fastened to the walls and floor with security netting when they had made their escape from Coruscant. She had demanded that they leave the capital world as soon as possible after the Lusankya disaster – “this planet claimed too many of the people I love,” she said, “there’s nothing left for me here,” – and Thrawn, Rumpy and Rukh had packed as many as possible of their possessions to load in the ship. There were boxes with her art and tools, the furniture she had made for Thrawn’s study and his books, the paintings and holos that decorated their apartment, and even traveller’s chests with her formal wear – “I have no idea what I’ll do with that on Nirauan,” she said, but Thrawn insisted that they take them and she had given in. There were crates of material and equipment that he had recovered from the Listening Post before blowing up the facility, including the Spaarti cylinder, and he had also brought along the two potted Olbio trees and the ysalamiri they carried. She heard Thrawn and Simon sometimes discuss the cloning tank in hushed tones while they sat with her in the ship’s lounge, but she didn’t pay much attention, absorbed as she was in drawing on her little pad. Her sketches were as incomprehensible as ever, a random jumble of lines that didn’t satisfy her either, if the way she tore out pages and crumpled them was any indication, but it was obvious from her expression and the tears that regularly welled up in her eyes that she was trying to channel her sorrow into this activity.
Rumpy had set aside Simon’s belongings in the back of the speeder – it had been agreed that the doctor would keep the vehicle when they dropped him off on Naboo – and he was reorganising the rest of the cargo, opening boxes to verify their content, label them and sort them into neat stacks along the walls. The young Wookiee had been deeply attached to Tam since the little boy had come to Kashyyyk with his parents on holiday nearly six years earlier, and engaging in manual labour was a way for him to isolate himself and mourn. He acknowledged Ayesha’s presence with a nod when she walked in, and they worked together in silence for a while. But when he saw a droplet fall on the crate he was about to shift aside, he sat on the floor and took his sister on his lap, and they stayed there crying together until Thrawn came to tell them that dinner was ready.
They ended up deciding to spend a few days on Naboo to help Simon settle in. They found him an apartment and secured a burial plot for Uumana in the Theed cemetery, and Ayesha created a new stand for the Twi’lek Dancer as a tombstone, copying the epitaph that Thrawn had written on the coffin in Cheunh, Basic and Twi’leki. Thrawn expected that she would want to return to Padmé’s mausoleum and to the lakeside estate with the holosculpture, but she declined without further explanation, and they gathered around the table for a final meal together before resuming their trip to Nirauan the next morning.
It was a quiet evening – Thrawn, Rumpy and Rukh realised that Ayesha and Simon didn’t know when they’d see each other again, and they sought to give them space. The Noghri left early, claiming to have work to do on the ship, and Thrawn and Rumpy stood up to clear the table so as to give Ayesha and Simon an opportunity to talk with a modicum of privacy.
“Do you have an idea when you’ll be coming back?” the doctor asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ever come back, actually.”
Simon winked. “You’ll have to – when Thrawn finally decides to conquer the Galaxy.”
“Yeah, maybe,” she said with a weak smile. “I don’t know if that’ll happen though. He seems to want to focus on his work in the Unknown Regions for now.”
There was a silence. “Ayesha, can I ask you a question? A question as a friend, not a question as a doctor.” She nodded. “Why did you refuse to see Skywalker? Thrawn said he offered to take you to him.”
Thrawn came to stand behind her in the kitchen doorway to listen. “Because I feared another disaster might happen if I did,” she said with a sigh. “That morning – the morning when... when the Lusankya broke away, I had been to the Palace to see him. I spoke to his droid, I had things to tell him, private things that he needs to learn about some day.” She paused and looked up. “And because I was focused on seeing him, I arranged for Mira and Tam to come and visit with us in the afternoon instead. I knew that she had taken the whole day off and that she would be at home, but I told her to come in the afternoon.”
There was another silence as Simon and Thrawn pondered the implications of her answer. “Ayoo’sha, it was not your fault,” the Chiss said. “You could not have known what would happen. You could not even have known that Lusankya was a ship. ”
“You cannot and should not blame yourself,” Simon added forcefully. “A chain of events was in motion. You couldn’t have foreseen it at all.”
She gave him a sad smile. “It was the will of the Force, wasn’t it?” She suddenly banged her fist on the table. “Well, I’ve had enough of the Force. The Force has been messing around with my life, with my head and with the Galaxy for far too long. I don’t want to have anything to do with it anymore, I don’t want to ever hear about it again, and I don’t want to go near any Force users for the rest of my days. I want out, you know? I want out.” She burst into tears. “I can blame the Sith, or the Empire, or Isard, for all the horrible things that happened to me and to people around me. But in the end, it’s all the will of the Force, and there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s no escape.”
The Fortress of the Hand felt deserted when they arrived there. Nirauan was an awfully quiet world after the hustle and bustle of Coruscant, and Ayesha’s friends were all on missions aboard the three Star Destroyers that patrolled the Unknown Regions. Matt and Valeria were on an exploration mission on the Discipline, Soontir Fel was advising Captain Parck for his campaign against Nuso Esva on the Grey Wolf, and the Hand of Judgement were training stormtroopers on some remote world, while the Admonitor and the Troukree task force pacified the rest of the sector. Only Syal was on the base, and she was in the last month of her third pregnancy. Doctor Cottle had ordered complete bed rest and she kept mostly to herself.
Thrawn was immediately sucked back into the frenzy of military life. What had initially been intended as a short, fact-finding trip to Imperial Centre had stretched to more than one year, and Sergeant Prashat, who had returned to Nirauan after fleeing Coruscant a few months earlier, was waiting for him with a long list of items that demanded his immediate attention. There were a myriad issues to sort out, decisions about the reorganisation of the task forces that had been pending for months, and strategic debates to be held with his senior officers. It was clear that the Empire as they had known it no longer existed, split as it was between the various warlords who had carved up territory for themselves, and while the New Republic was slowly making progress against them the Galaxy was still in utter chaos. The base’s technicians had been able to boost the signal of the receiver device he had collected from the Listening Post, and the mysterious Delta Source was still feeding him information from the heart of the Palace. “This so-called New Republic is truly nothing but a Rebellion, even now,” he said scornfully one night when he came home and slipped into bed. “An alliance of such diverse species, with such different interests, was bound to fail. They are all jostling for power in their own way. The only difference between them and the Imperial warlords is that they are not setting up their own little army to grab it – although it seems that Rogue Squadron has now truly gone rogue, and are fighting against Isard on their own.”
“Then the New Republic will fail,” Ayesha replied indifferently.
“That would not be an acceptable outcome, Ayoo’sha. The Galaxy needs to be united in order to confront the Far Outsiders when they finally decide to make their move.”
She shrugged. “If the Far Outsiders are meant to invade the Galaxy, it will happen. If they’re not meant to, it won’t.”
He pulled back a little. “I never knew you for being such a fatalist, Ayoo’sha. Do I get some credit at least for trying to influence events, big or small?”
She huddled against him. “Of course you do.”
“Good,” he murmured, tightening his grip around her. “I would hate to think that your presence in this bed is solely due to the will of some obscure Force, and not to my irresistible charm.”
She let out a small chuckle, but such moments of joy were few and ephemeral, and she soon reverted to her despondent mood. She spent her days unpacking their belongings, but she was often distracted and clumsy, and more often than not the sight of an object that had ornamented their flat on Coruscant caused her to burst into tears. She regularly had mini-episodes where nightmares sent her hiding in the corner of the kitchen, and she was still blanking out at the oddest moments. An accident was bound to happen soon, and it inevitably happened when she froze in the middle of carrying a heavy piece of wood for the bookcase she was building in Thrawn’s study. The plank fell on her toes, and she came back to her senses to find a puddle of blood on the floor. Fortunately Rumpy was coming up to her quarters and found her in the corridor as she tried to hop her way to the medical wing, and he carried her to Doctor Cottle.
The doctor was his usual, grumpy self, and he kept grumbling as he examined her and announced that she would have to spend a few days in a bacta tank. “And then when you’re sedated I’ll have a look at your brain, young lady. The Grand Admiral told me a few things I didn’t like at all, and I want to see for myself what I can do about them.”
“There’s nothing you can do, Doctor,” she said with a tired sigh. “There’s nothing anyone can do.”
“Tsk. There’s always something that can be done, we just have to look for it.” She went to speak again, but he raised a hand to stop her. “No objections. Now be a good girl and get into that tank.” He adjusted the breathing mask to her face and added, “And next time you’re away for a year, don’t wait until you have an accident to come and visit me. It never hurts to say hi to the doctor, you don’t know when you might need him.”
Thrawn was there waiting for her to wake up when she came out of bacta immersion and the sedative wore off. She felt the narrow metal headband of the brain scanner on her brow when he reached to caress her hair. “Did Doctor Cottle find anything?” she asked once she was fully awake.
He sighed. “Nothing that Doctor Simon had not found before him. But he insists that you avoid any accident-prone activities when you are alone, and I must say that I agree with him.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. Will do, sir.”
He kept her company while she ate the dinner the medics brought for her, then observed Cottle who came by to remove the drips and tubes and switch off the monitors. “I’m going to keep Ayesha here tonight, just in case,” he said in his gruff manner. “You can come and pick her up tomorrow morning, Admiral. We’ll schedule some check-ups, and she can go home. Now she needs to rest.”
The footage captured by the holocamera in her cubicle showed that Ayesha slept peacefully until approximately four hundred hours, then began to thrash in her bed, as if in the grip of a violent nightmare. She could be seen sitting up abruptly and staring blankly ahead of her for a moment, then climbing down from her bed and taking off in the hallways, walking hurriedly and even sometimes running, as if looking for something. She stepped outside the medical wing at 04:20 precisely, and security recordings showed her wandering in the hallways for another twenty minutes or so. She then reached a shaft that led to the basements, an area of the fortress that Thrawn’s garrison had not used or even fully mapped yet. She stepped into the shaft and disappeared as the mobile ramp carried her away, and the trail went cold.
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku and Findswoman like this.
Oh, simply! Simply! Edge of seat permanently! But going back to the overall tone, whew! Not surprised that Ayesha is sounding beyond cynical and fed up with the whole Will of the Force thingy. You feel pushed around and shoved around by things you cannot predict, prevent, or control. Yeah, you sure want your power back, somehow. Some way.
Her art is, and will always be, the key to healing, but naturally with her emotions and mind in a jumble, nothing cogent comes out, but it really needs to.
Yay for Dr. Cottle! Grumpy curmudgeonly docs, all squishy underneath - despite the facade!
Chyntuck likes this.
Ayesha seems like a robot again. Driven by somebody else´s will. I keep wondering who is doing that to her when Anakin is redeemed & one with the Force.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Not surprised that Ayesha is sounding beyond cynical and fed up with the whole Will of the Force thingy. You feel pushed around and shoved around by things you cannot predict, prevent, or control. Yeah, you sure want your power back, somehow. Some way.
The only question is, is it even possible to get your power back? And, well, especially when all sorts of stuff has been planted in your mind...
Hehe. Yes, Doctor Cottle missed her. Not that he's ever going to admit it of course
Does that "someone" really have to be an individual?
Thanks again! Next chapter up straight away
Chyntuck, Jan 11, 2016
Findswoman likes this.
Content warning again for this chapter: nothing particularly graphic, but general unpleasantness.
Chapter 29: The swarm
She was shivering. It was cold and dark, the stone floor under her was jagged and damp and the water from the little stream was icy. She was so hungry that it made her feel faint, and she couldn’t stand up to look for food – not that she would know where to find any in the blackness of the cave. Sometimes something pointed and sharp nibbled gently at her skin, sometimes something small and round pressed against her head and warmth flooded her mind, but she was too weak to even reach out and touch the beings that surrounded her. She was simply thankful for their presence. They weren’t hostile to her, and she found comfort in the idea that, wherever she was, she wasn’t completely alone.
She couldn’t quite recall how she had arrived here. She remembered going to sleep in the medical wing after Thrawn left for the night, and then she had woken up in a corridor somewhere in the depths of the Fortress of the Hand. She thought she might have been there before, at the time when she had taken to exploring the basements while Thrawn was away fighting a war against Nuso Esva, but she couldn’t be sure – the dim light that came from the far end of the hallway wasn’t enough to ascertain her surroundings. She remembered walking towards the illuminated room in the hope of finding a turbolift that could take her back to Doctor Cottle, but what she discovered there caused her to recoil in fear. There was a creature floating in a transparisteel cylinder, so odd and deformed that the familiar sight of her pet ysalamiri on their Olbio trees wasn’t enough to reassure her, and she ran away. The patter of her bare feet on the stone floor disturbed a colony of leathery avians roosting in the craggy ceiling of the tunnel, and she ducked into a crack in the wall as they left their perches and took flight. Beyond that, the only thing she could remember with certainty was the darkness.
She might have been wandering in these galleries for hours, or days, or maybe just minutes. Images and feelings flashed through her mind as she sought to collect her thoughts: the sharp rock under her feet, the concern on Thrawn’s face, the intense pain of surgical tools on a charred body, the cloud of dust over the city, the sight of Onion grabbing Tam – and then the Dug’s eyes turned yellow and it was Paraseel Malki handing her an infant. She couldn’t tell if they were real. She vaguely recalled flying across a cave, but she knew that wasn’t possible – yet she also remembered being thirsty, as if she had taken a long, exhausting trek, and she knew that someone had brought her to the little river that flowed centimetres away from her head. Her entire body ached, and she wondered if she had taken a fall – but it was too difficult to think, and blissful oblivion claimed her once more.
She was awoken by the rustle of wings, and terror washed over her when she realised that the mysterious beings watching over her were gone. Her ear was pressed to the ground, and she heard the stomp of heavy steps coming closer. She began shaking in panic and sorrow – she knew that she was going to die, and she wished that she could push away the dark thoughts crowding her mind to remember the softness of Thrawn’s lips one last time – but the hands that lifted her were surprisingly gentle, and she found herself in a tender embrace. She opened her eyes briefly to see the flickering light of a glowrod, and chestnut fur and a warm blanket. There was a smile on her lips when she passed out again.
She wasn’t in the cave anymore when she came to. The red star of Nirauan was rising in the sky, bathing her in its light as she huddled against her brother’s chest while he rumbled softly a lullaby from their childhood and caressed her hair. She sat up in his lap to see that they were on a small stone platform that overlooked a ravine, at the end of which she could make out the walls of the Fortress and the five towers that reached for the sky like fingers, giving it its name. Her eyes wandered around a little and came to a stop on the hospital gown she had been wearing when Rumpy found her. It was spread out on a dead tree at the mouth of the tunnel that led into the mountain, as if hung out in the sun to dry.
[I washed your dress,] Rumpy grunted when he caught her staring. [It was very dirty, with dust and mud and blood.] He pulled the blanket in which he had wrapped her and brushed the tip of his paw on her shoulder. [Did a predator attack you?]
She looked down to see that there were dark bruises around a set of deep claw marks. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, I think they carried me.”
[Who?]
There was a silence as she looked around again, visibly struggling to find her bearings. “Do you have something to eat?”
He dug in his survival pack and extracted a sachet of nutritional paste. She tore off the corner eagerly. [Eat it slowly, Rryi-Bashhi. I know that you are starving, but you haven’t had any food for four days. Do not make yourself ill.]
She swallowed a mouthful nevertheless. “Four days?”
[A little more,] he corrected. [You left the med centre on Taungsday at dawn, and it is now Centaxday morning.]
“Is Thrawn very angry at me?” she mumbled.
[My Kker-Bashha is worried,] he replied forcefully. [As I was, until I found you. Unfortunately, I cannot contact him to inform him that you are safe. My comlink fell out of my satchel somewhere in the tunnels.]
“How did you find me?”
The Wookiee tightened his hug and inhaled her hair deeply. [I am a hunter, and you are my Rryi-Bashhi. I followed your trail.] He huffed. [Rukh will be upset. We split up in a cave where we lost your tracks, and he was convinced he was taking the right gallery. He will no doubt feel that the honour of the Noghri people is at stake.]
It made her smile. She finished sucking the paste out of the sachet and drank from the bottle he was proffering for her, then relaxed in his embrace. “Thanks for coming for me, Rumpy.”
He huffed again. [Of course I came.] He patted her head and asked cautiously, [Rryi-Bashhi, why did you leave?]
She sighed. “I don’t know.” The Wookiee gave her a dubious look. “One moment I was in my bed in Doctor Cottle’s lab, and the next I was in the basements.” She held out her wrist, showing the bacta patch the Wookiee had applied on her scar. “I think I had an episode, but I can’t remember. And then, I saw things... but I don’t think they were real.”
She was shivering again. [You need to rest now, Rryi-Bashhi,] Rumpy said firmly. [We cannot call for a transport, so we will have to walk back to the Fortress. I will carry you, but I need you to be able to climb over the most difficult passages. I did not find you to let you fall into a chasm.]
“Will we go back through the caves?” she asked fearfully.
He shook his head. [We will walk along this ravine. Now sleep.]
It was mid-afternoon by the time they got moving. Ayesha slipped her hospital gown back on, and Rumpy helped her climb down to the bottom of the gully before lifting her in his arms and beginning his trek. [I do not expect this to take more than a few hours,] he explained. [There do not seem to be too many hurdles here, far less than in the caves at any rate. We will be there before nightfall.]
The thorny bushes that covered the ground and the sides of the canyon were no obstacle to him, and Ayesha observed the landscape in-between dozing on and off as his long strides rocked her. She saw several flocks of avians roosting on the outcroppings that dotted the rocky walls, often near black spots that indicated more tunnel entrances. The leathery animals sometimes flew by them, as if to check them out, then seemingly decided that they weren’t a threat and left. “You know, I think this gorge is artificial,” she told him as they took a break to rest and eat another sachet of paste. “It almost looks as if it were gouged out by the same strike that broke the tower we can see from here. That must have been an incredibly powerful weapon, almost as powerful as the Death Star.”
Rumpy looked around carefully. [You may be right,] he said thoughtfully. [I see no traces of water on the ground. One would expect to find a riverbed here.] He stood up and lifted her in his arms again. [Hopefully this was the feat of some ancient, extinct civilisation and not a threat that is still lurking in the Unknown Regions.]
She chuckled. “I don’t think a civilisation with this kind of firepower would go unnoticed, even in the Unknown Regions, you know?”
They had covered about half the distance to the fortress when a murmur began to echo ahead of them in the ravine. “Maybe there’s a river after all,” Ayesha said. “I think there was a stream where you found me, did you see where it went?”
[No,] he said thoughtfully. [It could be feeding the lake that is near the Fortress through the cave system. My Kker-Bashha needs to have this area mapped properly, there are too many unknowns for a secure base here.]
She chuckled again. “Rumpy, we’re on a planet in the middle of nowhere. No one is coming to the Fortress, especially not through the caves.” She paused and added under her breath, “Unless they’re crazy like me.”
The Wookiee slowed down and rubbed his furry forehead against hers. [You are not crazy, Rryi-Bashhi. You are struggling with foreign thoughts in your mind. If you will allow me, after you are safely at home, I will travel to Kashyyyk again to try and find Quinlan Vos. He can help you.]
She sighed. “I don’t think that even Uncle Quin could help me now, Rumpy. It’s become part of me.”
[He can help you,] he repeated stubbornly. [And I will find him.]
The murmur became louder as he resumed his march, and it lulled Ayesha to sleep once more. “Do you think we’re close to that river now?” she whispered when she emerged. She saw that her brother’s beady eyes had narrowed, in the Wookiee equivalent of a frown. “What’s wrong?” she asked, suddenly alert. “What’s happening?”
Rumpy slowed his pace again. They were standing in a particularly narrow section of the ravine, and the walls rose almost vertically on either side. The sound of the water had now grown to a powerful roar and reverberated in the canyon. Then he stopped abruptly, turned around and started running. “What’s happening?” she asked again.
His voice was a far cry from his usual, serene rumble. [This is no river.]
He was sprinting back the way they had come now, examining the rocky walls for a foothold. Ayesha hung on for dear life as his frenzied steps shook her like a sack of chyntuck. A jolt raised her head just above his shoulder, and what she saw caused her to let out a shriek of terror.
A black wave was pouring out of one of the cave entrances, a wave of millions of tiny little black insects that filled the ravine like a single, living thing. It ebbed and flowed and rippled in the distance, and she could see it rising up the walls as it came to the narrower section they had just left. The thorny bushes and the dead tree branches that jutted from the crevices were swallowed in the flood and disappeared, and more of the beetle-like creatures kept falling out of the tunnel, raining on the rising tide and causing it to swell even further.
Rumpy was breathing heavily now, his heart was thumping in his chest and she knew that he couldn’t keep going at this speed for long – Wookiees were fast runners only in small bursts, but their massive frames seemed to have been designed by nature for long, slow, silent treks. She looked around frantically and pointed at a craggy slope ahead of them. “There.”
The Wookiee merely nodded and rushed to the point she had indicated to start pushing her up the cliff. The soft stone broke under her foot and sent him back in his arms. He lifted her again, higher this time, and she grabbed a handful of one of the shrubs, ignoring the thorns that were biting into her skin to pull herself up. Her brother followed her, catching a protruding rock above her head with one paw and hauling her with the other. The black wave was only metres away from them now, and they were climbing frantically to escape it – it had somewhat evened out in the wider passage, but there were insects only centimetres away from their feet.
Her hands caught the top of the wall. With a final shove, Rumpy pushed her over the edge and steadied his footing as he sought a better handhold. He was pulling himself over the top when the stone gave way and caused him to fall halfway down the cliff, releasing a rain of pebbles on the beetles below. She let out a cry of despair as she leaned over, trying to catch his paw, and she saw a column of the black creatures hastening towards him.
[Stay up there, Rryi-Bashhi,] he panted as he tried to lift himself up again. [Stay back.]
She stretched further down regardless. She could see that there were insects crawling in his fur already, and he let out a roar of pain. [Stay back, Rryi-Bashhi,] he said again. He looked up at her with an expression of deep serenity, as if he had made up his mind. The black column now covered his legs. [Listen to me, Rryi-Bashhi. It is a life-debt. You accepted it. Stay up there.]
And with that, he let go of the cliff wall and fell into the swarm.
Ayesha watched petrified as her brother disappeared under the tide. The din was deafening, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of tiny feet rustling and shuffling inside the ravine, and the stream of insects kept coming, flooding the gorge in a powerful current. She watched for what felt like hours and hours and hours, searching the flow desperately for a sign of Rumpy’s chestnut fur among the blackness and finding none. Nirauan’s sun had just sunk under the horizon when the end of the swarm finally passed below her, revealing the floor of the gully, which was now stripped of every shred of vegetation. All she could see were the shiny white bones and glimmering ryyk blades in the evening twilight.
Tears poured down her cheeks. She screamed and screamed and screamed her despair to the world, wringing her hands so furiously that she tore her gown, and then everything went black.
She had been staring into the night for hours when an oblique ray of light told her that it was morning. She dragged herself back to the edge of the ravine to check that it hadn’t all been an unspeakable nightmare.
It hadn’t.
A flock of the avians she had seen yesterday nesting on the cliffs were hopping from one stone to another, and some were pecking at Rumpy’s bones. She let out a hysterical cry and slid down the wall, oblivious to the jagged rocks and thorns tearing into her flesh, flapping her arms wildly to scare them away. The leathery creatures took flight, but they merely retreated to perch on higher ground and remained there, gazing at her as if waiting for her next move. She looked around frantically for a tree branch – something, anything – to chase them away, but there was nothing. The swarm had devoured everything in its wake, even the wroshyr wood handles of Rumpy’s ryyk blades. Her eyes kept returning to his bones, and, for lack of a better idea, she pulled her hospital gown over her head, spread it on the ground to collect his remains, and lay face down over it to protect it from the animals.
A pointed beak nibbled gently at her skin and a small, round shape pressed against her hair, flooding her mind with warmth. She looked up to see that one of the larger avians was standing in front of her, its forehead touching hers, its sad, black eyes focused on her face. It seemed to be expecting something from her, and it appeared to be – was it surprised? – that she didn’t respond. It let out a few chirps and cackles to summon the rest of its flock, and nodded towards the Fortress.
She didn’t know how to react. The avian gestured towards the Fortress again and tugged at a corner of the cloth in its beak, then came to nestle against her and nudged her up.
It was a dream, she thought, it had to be a dream. She would wake up any moment now, and she would be in her bed with Thrawn, and nothing of it would be true.
She staggered to her feet and picked up the bundle, hugging it tightly to her chest. She looked at the broken tower in the distance and she began to walk. It was a dream. She would get back to the Fortress, and she would be in her bed.
The avians were fluttering around her as she made her way down the ravine, stumbling on the boulders and tripping on the pebbles. It was a dream, Rumpy had walked this without any difficulty yesterday. It was only a dream.
The bundle fell out of her arms and spilled its contents on the ground. She started crying as she spread out the torn hospital gown again and started collecting her brother’s scattered remains. She was about to place the ryyk blades on top, point upwards to make sure they didn’t tear the cloth, when the avian landed at her side and dropped a tiny piece of bone into the package. A finger, perhaps a toe. She looked at him and whispered, “Are you sentient?”
The sad, black eyes stared at her again, and the beak tugged at the cloth. She tied it up more carefully this time to make sure that nothing would fall out, and at the avian’s suggestion she wrapped the sleeves around it to secure it together. She stood up once more and lifted it in her arms, and she went to resume her trek, but this time her new friend came to land on her shoulder and chirped something that definitely sounded like an order. Another avian came to land on her other shoulder, she felt sharp claws dig into her skin, and they lifted her off the ground.
She was flying, gliding in the air towards the highest tower, the bundle with Rumpy’s remains in her embrace. It was a dream. Her brother was waiting for her in the Fortress, Thrawn was waiting for her. They would laugh when she told them that she had been flying. It was all just that, a dream, a terrible dream.
Her carriers shifted towards the terrace and came to land smoothly in the middle of the rooftop gardens where she used to come for picnics with Daric. The large avian rubbed its head against hers once more, then led its flock out into the skies. She heard the shuffle of feet behind the flowery bushes, and she found herself in the presence of Soontir Fel. He was wearing the full worker’s outfit he favoured when coming to tend to the garden in the morning, and she was suddenly acutely aware that she was naked.
The Corellian pilot stared at her for a moment, utterly flabbergasted, then extracted a comlink from the breast pocket of his coveralls. “This is Fel,” he murmured. “Tell the Admiral that she is here.”
Note: The Qom Jha and the Qom Qae are two Force-sensitive species of avians native to Nirauan, as are the Fire Creepers. Both are borrowed from Vision of the Future, as is the room in the basement of the fortress where Thrawn has began experimenting with cloning himself.
K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku, AzureAngel2 and Findswoman like this.
!!!! Brilliant and poignant. Those icky insects! And now Rumpy is gone. I have no words - except it would be hard not to feel overwhelmed and crushed to smitherines by just one more loss.
WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, Jan 11, 2016
TheForce.net
Rules of the JC
Profanity & Disallowed Words List
Ins & Outs of Forum Hopping
If You Enounter A Problem
Mod Complaint Resolution Process
VIP Code of Conduct
Moderator Away Policy
Complete Color Listings
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2017 XenForo Ltd. | Media embeds by s9e | XenForo style by Pixel Exit
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1104
|
__label__wiki
| 0.503207
| 0.503207
|
← No one is immune from the economy; everyone should be invested
Pro-life kids in MAGA caps? Spray your righteous spittle! →
Once and maybe again
Posted on January 20, 2019 by David Blaska
Image | This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
22 Responses to Once and maybe again
Zoltar Speaks! says:
King has been rolling over in his grave since affirmative action was started and I fully “expect” him to walk out of his coffin and haunt the race baiting wackos for the enormity of absolute BS coming from their mouths.
@Zoltar Speaks!;
“King has been rolling over in his grave”
That he has!
When I was in 7th grade at JMM, we were allowed to miss class to watch his funeral, likely on a 19 inch/48.26 cm Sylvania B&W perched on a teacher’s desk, a little over 50 years ago.
My gym teacher/Football Coach (John “Johnnie O” Olson) said, while informing us of our option:
“You have the opportunity to watch Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral. If you do it just to get out of going to class, it would be an insult to a great American.”
He couldn’t have been more right!
Sorry to spoil your meme, boys, but the “start” of affirmative action predates MLK Jr’s death.
AnonyBob wrote, “Sorry to spoil your meme, boys, but the “start” of affirmative action predates MLK Jr’s death.”
You wrote that as if it makes some kind of difference when in fact it’s 100% irrelevant when affirmative action started.
You have no logic.
“King has been rolling over in his grave since affirmative action was started…”
He was alive when it started and, further, he supported it, contrary to current right wing revisionism. Your metaphor is flawed. You’re pretty exacting about the phrasing and language I use; just thought I’d return the favor.
AnonyBob wrote, “You’re pretty exacting about the phrasing and language I use; just thought I’d return the favor.”
Yes you’re correct and I don’t have any problem with you doing that.
How does this phrasing work for you…
King has been rolling over in his grave since affirmative action became a blatant reverse discrimination racist policy and I fully “expect” him to walk out of his coffin and haunt the race baiting wackos for the enormity of absolute BS coming from their mouths.
What you don’t seem to understand is that King was against ALL forms of race based discrimination and affirmative action literally became institutionalized race based discrimination – period! Institutionalized race based discrimination is exactly what King preached against. You making claims that King would be pro affirmative action since his death is shear lunacy.
Good job, Z, that makes more literal sense. Still a completely wrong-headed right wing revisionist view of King, though.
King: “A society that has done something special against the Negro for hundreds of years must now do something special for the Negro.”
“In 1965 the writer Alex Haley interviewed King for an interview that ran in Playboy Magazine. Haley asks him about an employment program to help “20,000,000 Negroes.” After expressing his approval for it, King estimates that such a program would cost $50 billion.
Haley then asks: “Do you feel it’s fair to request a multibillion-dollar program of preferential treatment for the Negro, or for any other minority group?”
King: “I do indeed. Can any fair-minded citizen deny that the Negro has been deprived? Few people reflect that for two centuries the Negro was enslaved, and robbed of any wages–potential accrued wealth which would have been the legacy of his descendants. All of America’s wealth today could not adequately compensate its Negroes for his centuries of exploitation and humiliation. It is an economic fact that a program such as I propose would certainly cost far less than any computation of two centuries of unpaid wages plus accumulated interest. In any case, I do not intend that this program of economic aid should apply only to the Negro; it should benefit the disadvantaged of all races.”
Sure sounds like an affirmative action enthusiast to me. And not just for “Negroes,” he wanted it for poor whites, too. Thus, the reactionary right’s view of him as a communist. But, people like Paine seem to think the commies run SWIB, too.
(Good Lord, so much cutting and pasting for me. Almost as bad as Gootch!)
AnonyBob wrote, “Still a completely wrong-headed right wing revisionist view of King, though.”
You’re welcome to your opinion even when you’re dead wrong. Do you actually think that King was a racist because that’s exactly what affirmative action was promoting using race as a choice criteria that trumps all others.
AnonyBob wrote, “Sure sounds like an affirmative action enthusiast to me.”
No AnonyBob that’s not what is sounds like, however, it does sound a wee bit little like he leans a little towards Socialism.
Personally I liked King a lot and just because he said some things in 1965 that you choose to twist into supporting pro modern day affirmative action doesn’t mean that King would trash his personal character and ethics to justify discrimination to the extent of what affirmative action has done, King was a far, Far, FAR better person than you are painting him.
This was Kings driving force, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”, that my dear AnonyBob is not a person that would support the skin-color race-based affirmative action as we know it.
Highfreakin’larious! @AnonyBob was SO rankled by @Zoltar Speaks! challenge that he just took the first click from his google search and went with it.
Not only that, but he references race hustling LIAR Alex Haley.
Don’t get no better than that, am I right?
John Marx says:
I look to a day when Presidents will be judged by the content of their character, not their potential judicial appointments.
old baldy says:
Exactly !!
John Marx,
Why stop at the Executive Branch. Apply your character principle to the Legislative Branch and unfathomably bloated bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy would shrink by at least 80% and Congress would undergo a similar purge.
But who would be the judge.
Who would be the judge? Voters. They won’t make the same mistake twice that they did with Trump. He’s been a big lesson for the country – take your vote seriously. But what’s your beef with public employees? Most are good people. Heck, Dave used to be one…
LOL— voters?
Ahh, you may want to think that one through again.
Pernicious bloated redundant bureaucracy filled with (good) people suckling the teat of mommy government.
@AnonyBob;
“They won’t make the same mistake twice that they did with Trump.”
The mistake of historically low Black and Hispanic unemployment?
Gosh, only a RACIST would believe something like that, am I right?
@AnonyBob has his own MAGA hat: Make America Grovel Again.
“Voters. They won’t make the same mistake twice that they did with Trump.”
Just a smatterin’ of President Trump’s pro-growth policies:
*Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth exceeded 3 percent over the last four quarters.
*Real GDP grew at annual rates of 3.4 percent in the third quarter of 2018 and 4.2 percent in the second quarter.
*More than 5 million jobs have been created since President Trump’s election and the unemployment rate remains below 4 percent.
*This is the eighth time this year that the unemployment rate has been below 4 percent.
*Prior to this year, the unemployment rate had fallen below 4 percent only five times since 1970.
*Unemployment rate for African Americans in May fell to 5.9 percent, the lowest rate on record.
*Asian and Hispanic-American unemployment rates have reached record lows this year.
@AnonyBob wants us to believe this is bad news.
@AnonyBob wants us to believe that any GOOD news is because of Hopey Changey.
@AnonyBob wants to Welcome Back Carter and 20-20; 20 % inflation and 20 % short term interest rates.
Don’t be like @AnonyBob!
King’s famous statement had universal appeal for most college students at the time of his death. However, within a few years, informal “quotas” or statistical associations were errantly used to define institutional wascism. The notion gained traction because the Troglodytes could not understand.
I was among the few members of the WSA who thought we could assuage “white guilt” by starting the MLKing, Jr. Scholarship Fund to provide funds for qualified blacks who needed financial assistance to attend Madison. At the time, perhaps a noble goal, but within a few years, “quotas” and numerical associations became the central theme. Racial imbalances = institutional wascism.
Of course, that was (and is) totally absurd. In the late 60’s/early 70’s, there simply were too few PhD minority candidates to meet the demand of institutions who needed to “prove” their anti-wascist sentiments. Within a year, the trend expanded to “gender discrimination.” Every college department was “seeking” qualified women applicants. Many who were not PoC or women, had no hope of employment since the a priori requirement was race/gender. Academic achievement, or intellectual promise had no value to those educrats who sought to prove “their institution” was not wascist or sexist.
Unfortunately, statistical association still REMAINS sufficient in the public mind to “prove” wasism or sexism. Notion to me goes a long way in explaining how a UW administrator could justify/dismiss shop-lifting as no crime at all.
Decades since MLK, Jr.’s death, pursuit of his ideal remains as distant as when he first announced it. The “race card” will remain as an eternal weapon against those who are racial minorities. Viva Robert Mugabe. Viva Che. Viva Papa Doc.
In 1967, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King spoke with NBC News’ Sander Vanocur about the “new phase” of the struggle for “genuine equality.”
Eleven months before his assassination — an insightful interview.
While the entire 27min. interview is interesting; listen at the 13:45 to 17:10min. mark for a clear, succinct explanation of historic systemic/institutional racism and why generally blacks struggle more than other minorities.
The origin of affirmative action according to Wikipedia:
“The term “affirmative action” was first used in the United States in “Executive Order No. 10925”,[9] signed by President John F. Kennedy on 6 March 1961, which included a provision that government contractors “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin”.[10] It was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246 which required government employers to take “affirmative action” to “hire without regard to race, religion and national origin”. This prevented employers from discriminating against members of disadvantaged groups. In 1967, gender was added to the anti-discrimination list.[11]
Affirmative action is intended to promote the opportunities of defined minority groups within a society to give them equal access to that of the majority population.[12]
It is often instituted for government and educational settings to ensure that certain designated “minority groups” within a society are able to participate in all provided opportunities including promotional, educational, and training opportunities.[13]
The stated justification for affirmative action by its proponents is that it helps to compensate for past discrimination, persecution or exploitation by the ruling class of a culture,[14] and to address existing discrimination.[15]”
Affirmative action has morphed into emphasizing quotas (because of white guilt) more than being about non-discrimination and is consequently incendiary to the society and insidious for the involved minorities.
Oh Batman, stop presenting facts they will only confuse people like AnonyBob because facts don’t fit progressives narratives. See above where AnonyBob implies that Martin Luther King would support the blatantly racist bastardized versions of affirmative action as we know it today. Martin Luther King was a man of integrity, a towering hero of equality and he would never support the racist policies that affirmative action has morphed into.
Modern day affirmative action is a cancer eating away at equality in our society. Of course progressives care nothing about equality.
Move over Rachel Dolezal, Shaun King, Elizabeth “Fauxchahontas-Lieawatha” Warren, et al.
At long last, a definitive Engame/Final Solution for guilt-inundated, self-loathing White Lefties!
Cornelius Gotchberg wrote, “At long last, a definitive Engame/Final Solution for guilt-inundated, self-loathing White Lefties!”
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s got to be a farce; otherwise those two are genuine imbeciles and that kind of stupid can never be fixed.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1110
|
__label__wiki
| 0.877533
| 0.877533
|
Pages Megamenu
Single Movies
Movie v1
Single Videos
Video v1
Landing v1
Single TV Show
Single Episodes
Episode v1
Movies Megamenu
2017Adventure, Comedy, Romance
Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family’s expectations, and his true feelings
Sign in to add this movie to a playlist.
Movies Genre
Anderson Fights His Way to Glory
Kevin Anderson is a South African professional tennis player who is ranked world No. 5 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals as of 28 January 2019.
Unstoppable Vihari Cruises with 151*
Hanuma Vihari is an Indian cricketer who plays for Andhra in Indian domestic cricket. A right-handed batsman and occasional right arm off break bowler, he was a member of the India Under-19 cricket team that won the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia. He made his Test debut for India in September 2018.
Spain vs Netherlands
Netherlands produced a sensational second-half performance to annihilate reigning champions Spain in a stunned Arena Fonte Nova.
Steyn Betters Kapil, Arsenal Lose
Arsenal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at BATE Borisov on a night forward Alexandre Lacazette will want to forget after being sent off late on, while Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Napoli all won away in Europa League last 32 first-leg ties on Thursday.
All-India Selection Committee Meet
Indian National Cricket Selectors is a committee of cricket administrators (usually ex-cricket players) whose responsibility is the selection of cricket team to represent India at various levels. The term for the selectors was increased from 1-year to 2 years in 2006[1] with a provision for an additional year based on performance. Technically, there are 2 groups of selector
HomeFootballSpain vs Netherlands
Kevin Anderson is a South African professional tennis player who is ranked world No. 5 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals as of 28 January 2019.
Final: Malaysia Masters
PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2019 15 - 20 January. DRAWS · 15 Jan ... ROUND 1, ROUND 2, QUARTER FINALS, SEMI FINALS, FINALS, WINNER. 1. Kento
Watched World Cup,
Fifa says “each game was a global televisual event in its own right.”
Top 10 Goals
player finished as the tournament top scorer (or joint top scorer). Players in bold are still active .
Chelsea inflicted the first Premier League defeat of the season upon Manchester City, with goals from N'Golo Kante and David Luiz earning a 2-0 win.
Germany failed to convert the chances against South Korea and was knocked out of FIFA World Cup 2018.
urguvay defeat egypt 1-0
Jose Gimenez scored in the 90th minute for Uruguay vs Egypt in the World Cup 2018 Group A match.
1 0n 1 "It is a Tough group"
Javier Zanetti spoke straight after the Champions League draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo. "It is a testing group, a difficult one," he begun. "I am convinced that the important thing will be to start well."
Croatia v England – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Mandzukic sends Croatia into first Final
Neymar vs Bolivia
Neymar again suffered a metatarsal injury — this time against ... on June 14 with a match against Bolivia at the Morumbi in São Paulo.
It was the final of the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA
Fans energy before events
It's the powerful emotional connection fans have with teams and players that explain
Be the first to comment “Spain vs Netherlands” Cancel reply
Mystrey
Underrated Comedies
Scary TV Series
Best 2018 Documentaries
Big TV Premieres
Suprise of the Year Shows
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1114
|
__label__wiki
| 0.527138
| 0.527138
|
» Events » Edinburgh events » Liquid Rooms
The Dualers tickets
Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh
The band head to the Scottish capital as part of their hotly anticipated Palm Trees and 80 Degrees Tour.
Re:Sell
This event has already happened!
This event occurred in October 2019. If you're looking for a upcoming event, try the links below:
View more events at Liquid Rooms »
View more events in Edinburgh »
Search for 'The Dualers' »
Reviews of this event
Click here to view all reviews or add your own »
The Dualers on Friday 18th October 2019
The Dualers are a 9-piece Jamaican Rhythm & Blues band from South-East London. They first hit the headlines when the single ‘Kiss on the Lips’ stormed in to the UK top 30 despite no industry or professional backing, the follow up single Truly Madly Deeply charted at number 23 & featured in Hollywood blockbuster Fools Gold. They progressed to playing alongside some of the finest names in Ska and Reggae including The Skatalites, Toots and The Maytals, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, UB40 and Madness. With a number of album releases, several top 40 chart singles, a record breaking 10 sell out shows at indigo at the 02 and an ever increasing large worldwide fan base behind them their success has continued. Now heralded as Britain’s finest Ska & Reggae band The Dualers continue to play to sell-out crowds all over the UK, Europe & Asia.
The Sun – “Once you start dancing to The Dualers it’s impossible to stop”
The Dualers group, The Dualers Palm Trees and 80 Degrees Tour group
Instant ticket delivery
Tickets via email or App
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1119
|
__label__cc
| 0.572571
| 0.427429
|
Daily Ratings & News for Mid Penn Bancorp
Complete the form below to receive the latest headlines and analysts' recommendations for Mid Penn Bancorp with our free daily email newsletter:
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Has $5.69 Million Stock Position in Smartsheet Inc (NYSE:SMAR)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Boosts Stock Holdings in Five9 Inc (NASDAQ:FIVN)
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA) is Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s 10th Largest Position
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Buys Shares of 179,337 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Has $7.33 Million Stake in StoneCo Ltd (NASDAQ:STNE)
T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) Shares Sold by Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Reduces Stake in New Oriental Education & Tech Grp (NYSE:EDU)
Lipe & Dalton Has $155,000 Stake in Black Knight Inc (NYSE:BKI)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Trims Stock Holdings in Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Buys 601,467 Shares of MakeMyTrip Limited (NASDAQ:MMYT)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Acquires 799,646 Shares of Yandex NV (NASDAQ:YNDX)
Research Analysts’ Weekly Ratings Changes for Meet Group (MEET)
GoPower (GPT) Price Hits $0.0004
Loopring Price Tops $0.0253 on Major Exchanges (LRC)
CanonChain Price Tops $0.0031 on Exchanges (CZR)
NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE:NGL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts
Blockstack Reaches 24 Hour Trading Volume of $221,187.00 (STX)
QuickX Protocol (QCX) Trading Down 29.8% This Week
Analysts Expect Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc (NYSE:SPB) Will Post Earnings of $0.35 Per Share
Mid Penn Bancorp (NASDAQ:MPB) Downgraded by Zacks Investment Research to Sell
Posted by Faye Duncan on Dec 5th, 2019 // Comments off
Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Mid Penn Bancorp (NASDAQ:MPB) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report released on Wednesday, Zacks.com reports.
According to Zacks, “MID PENN BANCORP, INC. is a one-bank holding company engaged in general banking business. “
Get Mid Penn Bancorp alerts:
Separately, ValuEngine raised Mid Penn Bancorp from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd.
Mid Penn Bancorp stock traded down $0.47 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $27.00. 72 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,153. The company has a market cap of $228.66 million, a P/E ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $26.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $25.24. Mid Penn Bancorp has a 52-week low of $21.51 and a 52-week high of $27.81.
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 6th were given a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 5th. Mid Penn Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.12%.
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Mid Penn Bancorp by 79.2% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 144,943 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,616,000 after acquiring an additional 64,058 shares during the last quarter. Context BH Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Mid Penn Bancorp by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Context BH Capital Management LP now owns 8,814 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $220,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Mid Penn Bancorp by 2,277.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,257 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 3,120 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Mid Penn Bancorp by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 56,041 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,398,000 after purchasing an additional 5,786 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Mid Penn Bancorp by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 9,016 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 18.87% of the company’s stock.
About Mid Penn Bancorp
Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Mid Penn Bank that provides commercial banking services to individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and corporations. The company offers various time and demand deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, clubs, money market deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, and IRAs.
Featured Story: What is the CAC 40 Index
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Mid Penn Bancorp (MPB)
Receive News & Ratings for Mid Penn Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mid Penn Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
NiSource (NYSE:NI) Price Target Lowered to $28.00 at UBS Group
Mixin Trading 2.1% Lower This Week (XIN)
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Has $5.69 Million Stock Position in Smartsheet Inc
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Boosts Stock Holdings in Five9 Inc
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF is Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s 10th Largest Position
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Buys Shares of 179,337 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Has $7.33 Million Stake in StoneCo Ltd
T-Mobile Us Inc Shares Sold by Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1124
|
__label__wiki
| 0.854543
| 0.854543
|
Dal suspends DSU’s liquor license
Bar services restored more than two weeks later
By Lane Harrison
November 2, 2019/No Comments
After 16 days, bar services are resuming at all Dalhousie campus bars. Dal announced the end of the dry period on Nov. 1.
On Oct. 16, Dalhousie University revoked the Dalhousie Student Union’s ability to serve alcohol in its Halifax campus bars. Once again, the Grawood and T-Room’s employees were ones to take the hit.
Tuesday Trivia Nights at the Grawood used to bring in a revenue of $500-600. In an open letter to the DSU, employee Maddie Stinson wrote that the Trivia Night revenue was $12 after the liquor license suspension. “Our bartenders have left shifts with as little as $1.25 in tips.”
University representatives, in a letter to the DSU, said the decision to suspend the liquor license was made after DSU’s stated intention to disregard the university’s alcohol policy.
DSU President Aisha Abawajy says she disagrees with that statement. “We’ve clearly never stated that we are, in any way, intending to disregard the university’s alcohol policy.” She also said the DSU had no knowledge of this decision being made, on the behalf of the university, prior to Dal’s letter.
The DSU’s Oct. 16 press release states:
“The DSU is complying with the University’s request to cease the service of alcohol on campus, despite the DSU making every effort to follow the University Alcohol Policy and procedures above and beyond what is outlined. (…) The DSU prioritizes student safety and continues to challenge the university to support students of legal drinking age to have access to safe places to consume alcohol if they so choose. The DSU strongly advises Dalhousie University to refrain from making the campus dry as it is unsafe for students.”
An Oct. 18 memo, sent to students by Ivan Joseph, Vice-Provost of Student Affairs and the Chair of the Dalhousie Alcohol Advisory Committee, expands upon the university’s decision. It says “the DSU issued a letter to the Board of Governors this week that it will no longer follow the University Alcohol Policy.”
Abawajy says the letter they are referring to is one the DSU sent to the Dalhousie Board of Governors on Oct. 15, in which they notified the university that they would no longer be involved in the “approval process for licensed events,” meaning licensing the service of alcohol during society events at the Grawood and T-Room. In previous years, this duty was held by the Liquor License Designate, traditionally the DSU’s general manager.
Earlier this summer, the DSU fired general manager Craig Kennedy and director of Licensed Operations Greg Wright. Prior to what the DSU called a “restructuring” of those two positions, Kennedy had been the university’s License Designate, as the alcohol policy states that the DSU’s general manager holds the position.
The DSU had, previously, not been involved in the licensing approval process. According to their letter, the new License Designate had been instructing DSU employees to work on approvals. This caused confusion between DSU staff and those applying for approvals.
On Oct. 15, the DSU sent a letter to Dal asking for a more consistent process on the approvals. Abawajy says this conversation has been lasting since the restructuring and their hope was to keep the designate within the DSU. “As soon as [the restructuring] happened, we were in conversations with the university. We let them know that our recommendation to the Alcohol Advisory Committee will be to have [the new designate] be our Director of Operations.”
Instead, the university appointed Janice Tate, the general manager of the University Club, the Dalhousie-run campus bar on Studley campus, as the new license designate.
“That was the first breach of the policy, the policy states that it is a DSU position,” says Abawajy.
The policy states that the License Designate for Halifax campuses is the General Manager of the DSU, it does not state that it is an exclusively DSU position.
During the week since the announcement, the DSU and Dalhousie administration have been pointing fingers at each other. In an effort to show transparency, the DSU has released all communication with the university.
At the October 23 DSU council meeting, Abawajy stated that after Ivan Joseph’s Oct. 18 memo, the DSU sent an email to discuss his statement. What they received, she says, was an automated email that he is out of office until Oct. 24.
Several people attended the DSU council meeting on Oct. 23. Photo by Alexandra Sweny
The Dalhousie Undergraduate Engineering Society (DUES) released a response to Dalhousie’s decision to suspend the liquor license. It said “we are not confident that the DSU took all the steps they could to avoid these closures.”
At the Wednesday DSU council meeting, Maddie Stinson read the employees’ open letter to council, shedding light on the treatment the Grawood’s staff has experienced under this year’s executive.
“Staff members have been asked for free drinks by the exec, to exempt the exec from cover charges, have been sworn at, and continually face issues of poor communication and exemptions of the truth.” (DSU council did not respond to these claims at the meeting.)
Students and staff, Stinson says, want to see the executive take responsibility for what they have put the Dalhousie community through. “When are you,” she said in an interview, “going to stop, take a look at all of the things you’ve done, and say: ‘maybe we could have done things differently.’”
During the meeting, Abawajy said that compensation for Grawood and T-Room employees will be discussed with Dalhousie. She also said she is sorry that they cannot provide students and employees with more information, due to Dalhousie’s lack of communication.
As for alcohol at the Grawood and T-Room — there was no timeline on solving the problem. “It’s definitely not going to get fixed this year,” says Stinson. “We might not serve alcohol for the rest of the year. We have no idea.”
On Nov. 1, however, Ivan Joseph sent an email to Dal students saying:
“The Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) has agreed to a number of important conditions prior to resuming bar services at its licensed venues, including a commitment to follow the University’s Alcohol Policy. The University has advised the DSU that bar services at its licensed establishments (the Grawood and T-Room) can resume effective today, November 1.”
Full bar services for special events are still not restored, but he expects to announce so in the following weeks.
“We again apologize for the disruption to campus bar service over the past two weeks. We are grateful to the DSU for having come to the table and helping us work through this with them,” says Joseph’s email. “Our highest priority and ongoing focus remains the safety and well-being of all members of our campus community.”
Editor’s note: this story was updated online after print publication in order to include Ivan Joseph’s Nov. 1 memo.
← Art and climate action collide
Local ABBA cover band rising in music scene →
Lane Harrison
Posted in Atlantic, Canada, Dalhousie, Halifax, News, Student Union
Tweets by @DalGazette
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1125
|
__label__cc
| 0.742001
| 0.257999
|
How giving leads to growth
PAUL TRYLKO, PRESIDENT & CEO, AMPLIFY CREDIT UNION
Giving back seems like the trendy thing to do these days. Consider the success of Tom’s or Warby Parker. However, giving back isn’t just a trendy thing to do. It the only way to grow a business according to our guest today, Paul Trylko, President & CEO of Amplify Credit Union.
Even though Amplify Credit Union is not-for-profit, their mission is still based around a triple bottom line: serving the community, the credit union members and employees. Amplify is a member-owned financial cooperative with more than 56,000 members and over $790 million in assets. They’ve been serving Austin since 1967, when they started as IBM Texas Employees Federal Credit Union.
Paul has been CEO of Amplify through rapid growth and expansion. He has been named CEO of the Year by the Austin Business Journal and the National Association of Credit Unions.
In this episode, Paul talks candidly about his experience as a CEO: literally from day one to succession planning.
Today’s Topics Include:
Why doing the right thing is the only way to do it
The joy of making a profit (and not for the reasons you typically think of)
What’s more difficult: Being a For You Leader or a Servant Leader?
Paul’s aha moment
How to face adversity
How Paul has shifted to putting plans in place for a leadership secession
The leadership secession process: how long does it take? What do you need to be thinking about?
Leaders biggest stumbling blocks
The process of growing as a leader
The role externalizing yourself plays in growing a business
Where Paul finds ideas and perspective for business growth
How you transfer from working “in the business” to “on the business”
How Paul and Kirk first started working together
How Paul copes with stressful times
Links and Resources:
Amplify Credit Union
Paul Trylko LinkedIn
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1126
|
__label__cc
| 0.704544
| 0.295456
|
All About Me: American Racism, American Narcissism, and the Conversation America Can’t Have
Boy @ The Window Pictures
Boy @ The Window Theme Music
Notes from a Boy @ The Window
Tag Archives: Respite
Midnight Train To Georgia
Posted by decollins1969 in 1, Boy @ The Window, culture, Eclectic, eclectic music, Jimme, Marriage, Mount Vernon New York, My Father, New York City, Pop Culture, race, Youth
"Midnight Train To Georgia" (1973), Amtrak, Burger King, Chevy Impala, Clover Donuts, Collins Family, Extended Family, Fucious Collins, Gladys Knights and The Pips, Harrison Georgia, Horses, Imogene Collins, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Mckinley Collins, Pigs, Respite, Rural Georgia, Sow, Steam Locomotive, Trip, Vacation, Whopper
Forty years ago this week, my father took me and my brother Darren on the biggest trip of our growing up years. Especially since I was just five and Darren was only seven. We went to see our extended Collins clan in Georgia, spread between Atlanta and Harrison, the latter a small town of ex-farms in the east central portion of the state. Macon is the nearest city, with Augusta about ninety minutes away.
It was paid for courtesy of my Mom, who likely did it to give herself a vacation from Jimme’s weekly drinking, days-on-end-abandonment, followed by verbal abuse and threats. And the occasional physical fight, as the month before, after a July 4th party Mom threw, my father came in late, became jealous, and went after her with a meat cutting knife, only to end up stabbed in the torso and leg. All with the Mount Vernon police coming over to 425 South Sixth, and, upon finding Jimme in the stairwell suffering from his wounds, began laughing hysterically (more on that at a later date). I’m sure that Mom needed a break from Darren and me as well.
We went down to the city via Metro-North, took the Shuttle (in all likelihood) to Penn Station, and then the Amtrak to Atlanta. I don’t remember much of the trip itself. It was an overnight affair, and Mom had bought us overnight tickets, enabling us to sleep on cots or small beds, I guess. I do remember us pulling out of Washington, DC and seeing the Capitol from a distance after crossing into Virginia.
Known as the 750, it was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1962, and operated through the 1980s (likely the train that scared me in 1975), August 15, 2015. (http://www.steamlocomotive.com/nc-ga/sa750.jpg).
Then, after seemingly endless forests and nothing to do but sleep or watch my father sleep, we pulled into Atlanta sometime the next morning. After getting off the Amtrak and watching it depart, an old smokestack steam pulled in, blowing its whistle as loud as anything I’d ever heard. I practically jumped out of my skin, prompting some White guy who worked on the tracks to tell me, “That’s okay, that’s just ol’ [?] blowin’ off steam.” I didn’t much like the White guy, either.
Our Uncle McKinley and one of our older cousins picked us up from the train station, drove us around West Atlanta, and then down to the family farm in Harrison. Along the way, we stopped at my cousin’s job at Burger King for Whoppers. Except they got me the Whopper Jr, which didn’t make me too happy. But then I got to ride in the front of my uncle’s ’73 green Chevy Impala, with all of its chrome and tan leather seats.
A nice, juicy sow, August 15, 2015. (http://www.platnershowpigs.com/OldSite/Sow8.jpg0.
We got there late in the afternoon, but mostly what I remember was the smell of the rural area. I’d never been to a farm before, much less one that was still somewhat in operation. The next couple of days were the most memorable part of the Georgia visit for me. The first morning on the farm, I woke up, washed up, and stumbling into the dining area and kitchen, which seemed so vast. Wood paneling, rich dark colors and the strong smell of Maxwell House coffee were what penetrated my five-year-old mind that morning. I remember sitting on my grandfather Fucious’ lap while he asked me a few questions. Then he gave me this syrupy yet somewhat crisp and doughy glazed donut to eat. My grandfather was eating one of his own, to go with his strong and sugarless cup of coffee. It wasn’t as good as the Clover Donuts donuts I’d eaten, but this first experience with Krispy Kreme was pretty good. Darren had a jelly donut, with the jelly all around the corners of his mouth.
They tried to take us horseback riding, my grandmother Imogene and my Aunts Christene and Charity. It worked fine for Darren, but for me, not so much. The whinnying of the horse scared me, and when they lifted me up to put me on the saddle, I started to cry. My grandmother hugged me, and told me that it would be okay. Then, they grabbed one of the sows and let me ride on her for what was probably ten minutes, taking a couple of pictures and laughing at the same time.
A beat-up version of the 1975 Chevy Impala my uncle McKinley bought in August 1975, August 15, 2015. (http://www.dvap.com).
A couple of nights later, I remember waking up in the middle of the night. There had been an accident involving my father, my cousin and my Uncle McKinley, and the green Impala was no more. Despite not wearing their seat belts, all three came out of the accident more or less unscathed. The next to last day of our time on the Collins family farm, my uncle drove up in a ’75 Chevy Impala, cream-colored and even more impressive.
It was a good trip, meeting my country-strange family, and the longest trip I’d go on until ’92, when I went to DC to visit a former high school classmate. it was also a welcome break from the constant fighting between Mom and Jimme.
My son, thankfully, has been going on trips since before his first birthday, although the flight he’ll take next week will be on his own, with his aunt meeting him at the destination gate.
Boy @ The Window: A Memoir
Places to Buy/Download Boy @ The Window
There's a few ways in which you can read excerpts of, borrow and/or purchase and download Boy @ The Window. There's the trade paperback edition of Boy @ The Window, available for purchase via Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Window-Donald-Earl-Collins/dp/0989256138/
There's also a Kindle edition on Amazon.com. The enhanced edition can be read only with Kindle Fire, an iPad or a full-color tablet. The links to the enhanced edition through Apple's iBookstore and the Barnes & Noble NOOK edition are below. The link to the Amazon Kindle version is also immediately below:
Boy @ The Window on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-The-Window-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00CD95FBU/
Boy @ The Window on Apple's iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/boy-the-window/id643768275?ls=1
Boy @ The Window on Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boy-the-window-donald-earl-collins/1115182183?ean=2940016741567
You can also add, read and review Boy @ The Window on Goodreads.com. Just click on the button below:
RT @TheGifKeeper: @mochamomma @decollins1969 I’m thrilled that a Black man owns a whole azz movie studio in the Black Mecca that is Atlanta… 2 hours ago
@mochamomma Like so many things, this is an and/both. Yes, more BM and BW should be able to do what TP's doing. But… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 hours ago
@mochamomma TP deserves every last flicker! 3 hours ago
@IBJIYONGI I know the feeling! 3 hours ago
@Erika_K_Wilson "The South will rise again!," roughly translated. Their inhumanity is endless. 3 hours ago
Kimchi and Collard Greens
Thinking Queerly: Schools, politics and culture
Website for My First Book and Blog
decollins1969 on Not Praying At The Civil Right…
Jones Kenneth on Not Praying At The Civil Right…
My Life, Culture & Education, Politics & Goofyness
616 616 East Lincoln Avenue A.B. Davis Middle School Abuse Academia Academy for Educational Development Afrocentricity American Narcissism Authenticity Bigotry Blackness Boy @ The Window Carnegie Mellon University Child Abuse Class of 1987 CMU Coping Strategies Crush #1 Crush #2 Death Disillusionment Diversity Domestic Violence Economic Inequality Education Family Friendship Friendships Graduate School Hebrew-Israelites High-Stakes Testing Higher Education History Homelessness Humanities Humanities Program Hypocrisy Institutional Racism Internalized Racism Jealousy Joe Trotter Joe William Trotter Jr. K-12 Education Love Manhood Maurice Eugene Washington Maurice Washington Misogyny Mother-Son Relationship Mount Vernon High School Mount Vernon New York Mount Vernon public schools Multiculturalism MVHS Narcissism NFL Pitt Pittsburgh Politics of Education Poverty President Barack Obama Race Racial Stereotypes Racism Relationships Self-Awareness Self-Discovery Self-Reflection Sexism Social Justice Teaching and Learning University of Pittsburgh Violence Whiteness Writing
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1133
|
__label__wiki
| 0.953137
| 0.953137
|
‘STAR WARS THE RISE OF SKYWALKER’ DINNER & A MOVIE WITH DJ SUSS ONE SPONSORED BY DEF JAM & HENNESSY
Why Aren’t There More Black Engineers in Silicon Valley?
Gross Pay: What Is It and How to Calculate It
Six Reasons to Start an Online MBA in 2020
Tips That Will Make You a Better Police Officer
How To Plan Your First Trip to India
EMPIRE’s “Studio Nights” Featuring Afro B Is The Talk Of New York Friday Night
Website Designing for Beginners: The Important Things to Know
Login | Create new account
Don Diva Parties
Home Features The REAL Murder, Inc.
The REAL Murder, Inc.
Free Smith
September 3, 2015 July 18, 2016
If you’ll remember back to the early 2000’s, Irv Gotti and Ja Rule were ruling the hip-hop charts through their record label, Murder Inc. Records. Before their storied beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit, Murder Inc. artists Ja Rule, Ashanti and Lloyd were among (if not, the) top acts in hip-hop and R&B. One could say their peak was the release of the compilation album Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc., which featured the Ja, Ashanti and the rest of the crew: Vita, Charli Baltimore, Black Child, Cadillac Tah and others. The music surely has its place in history, but the name, “Murder Inc.,” is even more legendary. It is borrowed by the almost mythical outfit that acted as muscle for the American Mafia in the 1920’s to the 1940’s. The national organization of hitmen didn’t go by any particular name, but the press dubbed them “Murder, Incorporated.”
For a little history, Murder, Inc. was formed shortly after La Cosa Nostra (the formal name given to the Italian organized crime syndicates meaning “this thing of ours”) came to be. Italian mobster Charles “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky–the Jewish gangster that would be the brains behind the Mob–made their way through the Castellammarese War. It was unheard of at the time for Italians and Jews to do business together in the underworld. This was the power struggle between Joe “The Boss” Masseria and Salvatore Marranzano for control of the the Mob. Marranzano won and named himself “capo di tutti capi” or “boss of all bosses.” Luciano and Lansky then arranged his murder and seized control. Instead of one boss overseeing everything, they rationed control to the Five Families of New York (Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese) and Al Capone’s successor as boss of Chicago. Lansky and iconic Jewish gangster and organized crime pioneer Benjamin “Bugsy” Sigel (had to factor into Beanie Sigel’s name) converted their enforcemet racket, the Bugs and Meyer Mob, into Murder, Inc..
The day-to-day operations of Murder, Inc. were overseen by notorious Jewish gangster Louis “Lepke” Buchalter and Gambino family boss Albert “The Mad Hatter” Anastasia (inspiration for Rick Ross’ The Albert Anastasia EP). Anastasia, “The High Executioner,” would receive murder contracts from around the country and send them to Buchalter–through associate of both, Jacob “Gurrah” Shapiro–who would dole out work to killers-in-wait. It was reported that in 1935, Murder, Inc. had 250 killers on the payroll nationwide and made an estimated $1 million per year ($17 million in today’s dollars). Most of the hitmen came were Jewish and Italian goons out of Brownsville, East New York and Ocean Hill in Brooklyn. Buchalter knew many of them from his days running a union busting gang with Tommy “Three-Fingered Brown” Lucchese. Murder, Inc. killers made an average of $1,000 to $5,000 per murder on top of a regular salary. Their families also received money and, if they were pinched, the Mob would provide the best legal representation money could buy. None of the killers were tied to La Cosa Nostra directly, however, and could not implicate the Mafia in their work.
The most famous Murder, Inc. killing was their assassination of revered crime boss Dutch Schultz. Schultz argued with other bosses–including Buchalter–over whether or not to kill New York district attorney Thomas Dewey. The other bosses agreed to have Schultz–who was for the murder of Dewey–killed. When Dewey went after Buchalter, “Lepke” had witnesses and suspected informants killed.
Murder, Inc. came to an end when Buchalter and other leaders were taken down by the law. Buchalter was charged, with others, for the murder of candy store owner Joe Rosen in 1936. He was convicted in 1941 and sentenced to death. Buchalter is the only big time Mafia boss to receive the death penalty.
As you can see, Irv Gotti’s name and company were heavily influenced by La Cosa Nostra. With a name like Murder Inc., the true gangsters will have to respect it, but you will also draw attention from the cops. That name rings bells.
I Like ThisUnlike 0 Please Login to Vote
Tags albert anastasiaashantiBonannobugsy siegelColombofive familiesgambinoGenovesehip hopirv gottiitalian gangstersItaliansja ruljewish gangstersjewsla cosa nostralepke buchalterluccheselucky lucianomafiameyer lanskymobmurder incmurder incorporatedraprecord labelthe commissionthe inc
The Most Lit Prison On The Planet!
‘RHOA’ Cynthia Bailey Allegedly Kicked Porsha In The Stomach!
Ryan K. Smith
Ryan K. Smith is digital content editor for Don Diva Magazine. Earning a bachelors degree from Penn State University (by way of Howard University), Ryan has pursued a career in journalism, published by Complex Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Philadelphia Weekly and The Chester Spirit Newspaper. He is also a self-published author. He sells the most awesome tee shirts on Earth at meweforus.spreadshirt.com.
The Inaugural “The Let Out Showcase” Is The Talk Of New York City
Different American Hood Accents & Dialects
Indianapolis’ Hottest Rapper, Marcoo5K, Arrested on Instagram Live While Blasting His Latest Banger “Facts”
DINNER & A MOVIE WITH DJ SUSS ONE: THE ADVANCED SCREENING OF STEPHEN KING’S ‘IT CHAPTER TWO’
Tired of office work? Freelance writing jobs provides possibilities to write from home.
Need a help from professional writer? Thesisrush.com has 100+ PhD Experts to choose from.
Stuggles with papers? Write my paper 123 covers every academic field for you.
Homeless Folks On Skid Row Gifted With Free “Fear God” Vans
Tiffany Chiles
WAYNE “SILK” PERRY – “DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR”
The Crack Era: Rise Fall and Redemption of Kevin Chiles (Reika)
Kevin Chiles Explains Alpo, Rich Porter & AZ, Early Crack Era, Snitch Vs Witness & More
Rare Interview With Alberto “Alpo” Martinez
Don Diva Magazine (headquarters)
603 W. 115th Street, Ste 313
Order Magazines
Follow Don Diva on Facebook and Twitter
Twitter/dondivamagazine
Facebook/dondivamagazine
Instagram/dondivamagazine
Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved. Powered by dondivamag.com | Terms & Conditions | Terms of use
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1135
|
__label__cc
| 0.66625
| 0.33375
|
Original Contributions
Clinical and Metabolic Characteristics of Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Coma
John E Gerich, M.D.,
Malcolm M Martin, M.D. and
Lillian Recant, M.D.
Department of Medicine, Georgetown Service, District of Columbia Hospital; Georgetown University, Department of Pediatrics; Veterans Administration Hospital Washington, D.C.
Requests for reprinfs should be addressed to: Dr. Lillian Recant, VA Hospital, 50 Irving St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20422.
Diabetes 1971 Apr; 20(4): 228-238. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.20.4.228
Clinical and metabolic data of twenty patients with hyperosmolar nonketotic coma (HNC) and ten patients in keto-acidosis (DA) are compared. HNC patients were older; fewer were previously known diabetics; more had multiple chronic diseases. Common precipitating factors in HNC included infection, dehydration and administration of diabeto-genic drugs. Blood glucose and urea nitrogen, plasma sodium, bicarbonate and osmolarity were significantly higher in HNC. Plasma potassium and chloride levels were similar in both groups. Patients with HNC had significantly lower plasma levels of free fatty acids, cortisol and growth hormone.
Plasma insulin levels in HNC were low and not significantly different from those observed in KA. Patients with HNC required more fluids and less insulin therapy. Mortality was 20 per cent in HNC, lower than that generally observed in this condition, but higher than that of KA, 0 per cent.
On the basis of the above findings, it is suggested that dehydration and hyperosmolarity may play significant roles in the etiology of HNC, and that therapy should, therefore, be directed at restoration of normal osmolarity and correction of water deficits with 0.45 per cent saline and moderate amounts of insulin.
Copyright © 1971 by the American Diabetes Association
April 1971, 20(4)
You are going to email the following Clinical and Metabolic Characteristics of Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Coma
John E Gerich, Malcolm M Martin, Lillian Recant
Diabetes Apr 1971, 20 (4) 228-238; DOI: 10.2337/diab.20.4.228
The Risk to Develop NIDDM Is Related to the Fatty Acid Composition of the Serum Cholesterol Esters
Importance of Substrate Changes in the Decrease of Hepatic Glucose Cycling During Insulin Infusion and Declining Glycemia in the Depancreatized Dog
Glomerular Structure in Nonproteinuric IDDM Patients With Various Levels of Albuminuria
Show more Original Contributions
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1138
|
__label__cc
| 0.586833
| 0.413167
|
songs (document genre) (8) + -
Clark, George Washington, 1812- (2) + -
Political campaigns--United States--History (8) + -
Presidential candidates--United States--History (8) + -
United States--Politics and government--History (8) + -
(-) ≠ Pennsylvania, Committee of Safety
(-) ≠ T.B. Harms & Co.
(-) ≠ Woodbury-Forsythe Diaries (Sandwich), 1876-1928
(-) ≠ biographies (documents)
(-) ≠ pictures (two-dimensional representations)
(-) = Presidents--United States--History
(-) ≠ Illinois during the Civil War, 1861-1865
(-) = Chandler
'Praise and Prayer' in 'The Liberty Minstrel'
'Christian Mother' in 'The Free Soil Minstrel'
'The Afric's Dream' in 'The Free Soil Minstrel'
Chandler, Clark, George Washington, 1812-
'Slave's Wrongs' in 'The Liberty Minstrel'
'The Bereaved Father' in 'The Free Soil Minstrel'
'Slave's Wrongs' in 'The Free Soil Minstrel'
'The Afric's Dream' in 'The Liberty Minstrel'
'The Bereaved Father' in 'The Liberty Minstrel'
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1142
|
__label__wiki
| 0.845622
| 0.845622
|
1,3-Propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-, C5-9 carboxylates
Mode of Action Analysis / Human Relevance Framework
Repeated dose toxicity: Oral NOAEL (rat, m/f): >= 1000 mg/kg bw/day (OECD 407, GLP, analogue approach)
Repeated dose toxicity: via oral route - systemic effects
no adverse effect observed
Quality of whole database:
The available information comprises adequate, reliable (Klimisch score 2, due to read across) studies from reference substances with similar structure and intrinsic properties. Read-across is justified based on common origin, common precursors and breakdown products of hydrolysis and consistent trends in environmental fate, ecotoxicological and toxicological profile (refer to endpoint discussion for further details). The selected studies are thus sufficient to fulfil the standard information requirements set out in Annex VIII, 8.6, in accordance with Annex XI, 1.5, of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.
Repeated dose toxicity: inhalation - systemic effects
Repeated dose toxicity: inhalation - local effects
Repeated dose toxicity: dermal - systemic effects
Repeated dose toxicity: dermal - local effects
Justification for grouping of substances and read-across
There are no data available for repeated dose toxicity of 1,3-Propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-, C5-9 carboxylates (CAS 85711-80-4). In order to fulfil the standard information requirements set out in Annex VIII, 8.6, in accordance with Annex XI, 1.5, of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, read-across from structurally related substances was conducted.
In accordance with Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, "information on intrinsic properties of substances may be generated by means other than tests, provided that the conditions set out in Annex XI are met.” In particular for human toxicity, information shall be generated whenever possible by means other than vertebrate animal tests, which includes the use of information from structurally related substances (grouping or read-across).
Having regard to the general rules for grouping of substances and read-across approach laid down in Annex XI, Item 1.5, of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 whereby substances may be predicted as similar provided that their physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties are likely to be similar or follow a regular pattern as a result of structural similarity, the substances Pentaerythritol tetraesters of n-decanoic, n-heptanoic, n-octanoic and n-valeric acids (CAS 68424-31-7), Fatty acids, C7-8, triesters with trimethylolpropane (CAS 189120-64-7) and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid mixed tetraesters with pentaerythritol and valeric acid (CAS 131459-39-7) are selected as source substances for hazard assessment.
Since no studies investigating the repeated dose toxicity of 1,3-Propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-, C5-9 carboxylates (CAS 85711-80-4) are available, in accordance to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 Annex XI, 1.5, read-across from the structurally related analogue substances Pentaerythritol tetraesters of n-decanoic, n-heptanoic, n-octanoic and n-valeric acids (CAS 68424-31-7), Fatty acids, C7-8, triesters with trimethylolpropane (CAS 189120-64-7) and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid mixed tetraesters with pentaerythritol and valeric acid (CAS 131459-39-7) was conducted.
A repeated dose toxicity study was conducted according similar to OECD Guideline 407 and GLP with 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid mixed tetraesters with PE and valeric acid, CAS 131459-39-7 (Jones, 1999). The test substance was administered to 5 animals per sex in arachis oil by gavage in concentrations of 15, 150 and 1000 mg/kg bw/day for 28 consecutive days.
No mortalities were observed. An incidence of increased salivation was detected around the time and up to five hours after dosing in high-dose animals from Day 14 onwards. Sporadic incidents of diuresis, red/brown staining of the ano-genital region and wet fur were also detected at this dose level.
No adverse effects on body weight development and dietary intake were detected. However, a slight increase in water consumption for animals of either sex treated with 1000 mg/kg bw/day was detected during the latest week of the study. With regard to organ weight, males treated with 1000 mg/kg bw/day showed a statistically significant increase in relative kidney weight whereas females from this treatment group showed increased in relative liver weights when compared with controls. No treatment-related adverse effects were detected among animals of either sex treated with 150 or 15 mg/kg bw/day. All males treated with 1000 mg/kg bw/day showed speckled kidneys at terminal kill whilst one female from this treatment group showed pallor of the liver with accentuated lobular pattern. No treatment-related macroscopic abnormalities were observed in the other groups.
The liver changes identified during the study are generally considered to be adaptive in nature whilst the kidney changes are consistent with well documented changes that are peculiar to the male rat in response to treatment with some hydrocarbons. Therefore, these effects are not considered as adverse and hence, a NOAEL ≥ 1000 mg/kg bw/day was defined for both sexes.
A 28 day study was conducted according to OECD Guideline 407 with Pentaerythritol tetraesters of n-decanoic, n-heptanoic, n-octanoic and n-valeric acids (CAS 68424-31-7) (Brammer, 1993). The test substance was administered in concentrations of 1000 ppm, 5000 ppm, 12500 ppm resembling 112, 562 and 1450 mg/kg bw/day for male and 119, 586 and 1613 mg/kg bw/day for female rats, respectively to 5 animals per sex and dose for 28 consecutive days.
There were no toxicologically significant effects on body weight, food consumption and clinical condition up to and including the highest dose level. Changes in some clinical chemistry and red cell-related parameters were observed in male rats at 12500 ppm but these were minor and considered not to be of toxicological significance. There were no clinical signs indicative of neurological changes in the brains of the 12500 ppm group. A minimal hepatocyte hypertrophy, present in males in the 12500 ppm group, is considered to be evidence of an adaptive response. Microscopic examination of the kidneys from male animals from all dose groups revealed an increase in hyaline droplet formation (the main constituent of which is alpha-2µ-globulin) and tubular basophilia; this phenomenon is widely accepted to be specific to the male rat and as such is considered to have no relevance to man. A NOAEL of 1450 and 1613 mg/kg/day could be identified for male and female rats, respectively.
A 28-day oral feeding toxicity study with Fatty acids, C7-8, triesters with trimethylolpropane (CAS 189120-64-7) was performed according to OECD Guideline 407 and under GLP conditions (Trimmer, 2000). Groups of 5 male and 5 female Cr:CD BR rats were exposed to the substance at 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg bw/day by gavage, 7 days/week for 28 days. Control animals (5 per sex and dose) received the concurrent vehicle, peanut oil. Observations and examinations of the animals included clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, haematology, clinical chemistry, organ weights, neurobehaviour, gross necropsy and histopathology. Female animals tolerated the daily oral administration of the test substance without any adverse effects (included mortality) up to the high dose of 1000 mg/kg bw/day. In male animals no adverse effects were observed for all investigated parameters except for histopathology. An increased amount of hyaline droplets (the main constituent of which is alpha-2µ-globulin) in the proximal cortical tubular epithelium was confirmed microscopically in the cytoplasm of the renal cortical tubular epithelial cells in male rats treated with 300 and 1000 mg/kg bw/day, respectively. As this phenomenon is widely accepted to be specific to the male rat and as such is considered to have no relevance to man, the 28-day oral NOAEL, for Fatty acids, C7-8, triesters with trimethylolpropane was found 1000 mg/kg bw/day for male and female rats
Conclusion for Repeated Dose Toxicity – Oral
Following a weight-of-evidence approach based on data available for structural analogue substances, the target substance 1,3-Propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-, C5-9 carboxylates (CAS 85711-80-4) is not considered as hazardous after repeated expsoures.
Justification for selection of repeated dose toxicity via oral route - systemic effects endpoint:
Hazard assessment is conducted by means of read-across from structural analogues. All available studies are adequate and reliable based on the identified similarities in structure and intrinsic properties between source and target substances and overall quality assessment (refer to the endpoint discussion for further details).
Based on read-across from structurally similar substances, the available data on repeated dose toxicity do not meet the classification criteria according to Regulation (EC) 1272/2008, and are therefore conclusive but not sufficient for classification.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1143
|
__label__cc
| 0.696646
| 0.303354
|
Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas
Sabine Adolph, Horst Hameister, Carl L. Schildkraut
Cytogenetic techniques revealed an altered early replication banding pattern on the distal part of chromosome 15 in some murine T-cell lymphomas. This pattern reverted back to normal replication in somatic cell hybrids that had become non-tumorigenic after fusion of leukemic cells with normal fibroblasts. The altered banding pattern was correlated with malignancy. To investigate the molecular basis of the aberrant pattern in more detail, centrifugal elutriation of cells containing bromodeoxyuridine labeled DNA was used to prepare newly replicated DNA from selected intervals of the S-phase from tumor cells, as well as from hybrid cells with the revertant phenotype. These different DNA fractions were probed for DNA sequences distributed over the distal half of chromosome 15. Only two out of ten chromosome 15 specific genes tested showed a clear change in replication timing between the two different cell lines tested. These two genes were the lymphocyte antigen-6, Ly-6, and the neighboring thyroglobulin gene, Tgn, which replicated at the beginning of S in the tumor cells and later in S in the non-tumorigenic hybrid cells.
Chromosoma
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15
Hybrid Cells
Ly Antigens
Cytogenetic Analysis
Adolph, S., Hameister, H., & Schildkraut, C. L. (1992). Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas. Chromosoma, 101(7), 388-398. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582833
Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas. / Adolph, Sabine; Hameister, Horst; Schildkraut, Carl L.
In: Chromosoma, Vol. 101, No. 7, 04.1992, p. 388-398.
Adolph, S, Hameister, H & Schildkraut, CL 1992, 'Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas', Chromosoma, vol. 101, no. 7, pp. 388-398. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582833
Adolph S, Hameister H, Schildkraut CL. Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas. Chromosoma. 1992 Apr;101(7):388-398. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582833
Adolph, Sabine ; Hameister, Horst ; Schildkraut, Carl L. / Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas. In: Chromosoma. 1992 ; Vol. 101, No. 7. pp. 388-398.
@article{6e60b87c8589429bab99136d23b8860f,
title = "Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas",
abstract = "Cytogenetic techniques revealed an altered early replication banding pattern on the distal part of chromosome 15 in some murine T-cell lymphomas. This pattern reverted back to normal replication in somatic cell hybrids that had become non-tumorigenic after fusion of leukemic cells with normal fibroblasts. The altered banding pattern was correlated with malignancy. To investigate the molecular basis of the aberrant pattern in more detail, centrifugal elutriation of cells containing bromodeoxyuridine labeled DNA was used to prepare newly replicated DNA from selected intervals of the S-phase from tumor cells, as well as from hybrid cells with the revertant phenotype. These different DNA fractions were probed for DNA sequences distributed over the distal half of chromosome 15. Only two out of ten chromosome 15 specific genes tested showed a clear change in replication timing between the two different cell lines tested. These two genes were the lymphocyte antigen-6, Ly-6, and the neighboring thyroglobulin gene, Tgn, which replicated at the beginning of S in the tumor cells and later in S in the non-tumorigenic hybrid cells.",
author = "Sabine Adolph and Horst Hameister and Schildkraut, {Carl L.}",
journal = "Chromosoma",
publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",
T1 - Molecular analysis of the aberrant replication banding pattern on chromosome 15 in murine T-cell lymphomas
AU - Adolph, Sabine
AU - Hameister, Horst
AU - Schildkraut, Carl L.
N2 - Cytogenetic techniques revealed an altered early replication banding pattern on the distal part of chromosome 15 in some murine T-cell lymphomas. This pattern reverted back to normal replication in somatic cell hybrids that had become non-tumorigenic after fusion of leukemic cells with normal fibroblasts. The altered banding pattern was correlated with malignancy. To investigate the molecular basis of the aberrant pattern in more detail, centrifugal elutriation of cells containing bromodeoxyuridine labeled DNA was used to prepare newly replicated DNA from selected intervals of the S-phase from tumor cells, as well as from hybrid cells with the revertant phenotype. These different DNA fractions were probed for DNA sequences distributed over the distal half of chromosome 15. Only two out of ten chromosome 15 specific genes tested showed a clear change in replication timing between the two different cell lines tested. These two genes were the lymphocyte antigen-6, Ly-6, and the neighboring thyroglobulin gene, Tgn, which replicated at the beginning of S in the tumor cells and later in S in the non-tumorigenic hybrid cells.
AB - Cytogenetic techniques revealed an altered early replication banding pattern on the distal part of chromosome 15 in some murine T-cell lymphomas. This pattern reverted back to normal replication in somatic cell hybrids that had become non-tumorigenic after fusion of leukemic cells with normal fibroblasts. The altered banding pattern was correlated with malignancy. To investigate the molecular basis of the aberrant pattern in more detail, centrifugal elutriation of cells containing bromodeoxyuridine labeled DNA was used to prepare newly replicated DNA from selected intervals of the S-phase from tumor cells, as well as from hybrid cells with the revertant phenotype. These different DNA fractions were probed for DNA sequences distributed over the distal half of chromosome 15. Only two out of ten chromosome 15 specific genes tested showed a clear change in replication timing between the two different cell lines tested. These two genes were the lymphocyte antigen-6, Ly-6, and the neighboring thyroglobulin gene, Tgn, which replicated at the beginning of S in the tumor cells and later in S in the non-tumorigenic hybrid cells.
JO - Chromosoma
JF - Chromosoma
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1152
|
__label__cc
| 0.612209
| 0.387791
|
Click Photo to See Event Page!
“Death Brings a Shadow”
Rosemary Simpson is the author of two previous historical novels, The Seven Hills of Paradise and Dreams and Shadows, and three previous Gilded Age Mysteries: What the Dead Leave Behind, Lies that Comfort and Betray, and Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. Educated in France and the United States, she now lives near Tucson, Arizona.
About "Death Brings a Shadow"
In spring 1889, investigators Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter set sail from New York Harbor on a private yacht bound for Bradford Island, where her friend Eleanor Dickson is to be wed. The Sea Islands along the Georgia coast serve as a winter playground for the likes of the Carnegies, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Dicksons. Despite her Yankee pedigree, Eleanor is marrying a Southern gentleman, Teddy Bennett, and Prudence is thrilled to be the maid of honor. But days before the wedding, the bride is nowhere to be found. A frantic search of the island turns up her drowned corpse in an alligator-infested swamp. Prudence is devastated, but as they prepare the body for burial, she and Geoffrey discover evidence of bruising that indicates Eleanor was held under—most dishonorably murdered. Determined to seek justice for her beloved friend, Prudence begins to investigate with Geoffrey’s help and is quickly led into a morass of voodoo spells and dark deeds from the days of slavery. As Prudence and Geoffrey pursue a killer, they soon discover that Eleanor will not be the last to die on Bradford Island . . .
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1154
|
__label__wiki
| 0.799047
| 0.799047
|
Empowering vulnerable Congolese refugees in Uganda through cash
Beneficiaries line up to receive their money at Kyaka II. PHOTO: DRC
Kayaka II refugee settlement has seen a doubling in its population over the course of only a little over six months. Many have arrived from DR Congo and often with nothing else than the clothes they had on when they fled. We assist the most vulnerable.
When Mukasine Deborah, a 67-year-old Congolese refugee in Kyaka II refugee settlement in Uganda, had received her cash, she raised her hands in the air and said: "Thank God! I can now buy my medicine."
"My medication is important. It makes me able to walk. I took the last I had last evening".
Still standing in line to recieve cash assistance was 22-year-old Nsekanabo Yaya, a mother of four. She was breastfeeding the youngest while counting the money she had just received from a teller inside a mobile bank truck from Post Bank Uganda limited, a local bank.
"I fled to Uganda from Congo with nothing" she said while adjusting the baby to make it comfortable: "We fled even without any extra clothes to wear."
Up until last year, Kyaka II in South western Uganda had a population of about 27,000 people. But when conflict once more broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2017, Kyaka’s population began to witness a dramatic rise.
"The influx continues with convoys of refugees arriving at least twice a week," said Adam Aswani, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC)’s area manager in Kyaka II.
DRC runs the reception centre in Kyaka II where refugees are offered a hot meal, screened and resettled on pieces of land offered by the Ugandan government.
A DRC staff in Kyaka II refugee settlement in Uganda checks the documents of a Congolese refugee during a cash distrubution. PHOTO: DRC
Mukasine Deborahand Nsekanabo Yayawere screened and both categorized as extremely vulnerable. That is why they found themselves in a line on a Thursday morning to receive 132,000 Uganda shilling each (about 34 USD) as the first tranche out of a total of 220,000 shilling (about 56 USD).
The money is from a six-months unconditional cash transfer project now in its fourth month of implementation by the DRC. The project is funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and its aim is to enhance the protection environment for new arrivals in Kyaka II.
"The money is given to the most vulnerable refugees. It is meant to fill existing gaps of their basic needs not currently covered," Guled Ismael Mohmoud, DRC’s Cash Project Manager in Kyaka, explained:
"Cash empowers its beneficiaries. It gives them dignity and flexibility and offers hope of settling easily."
15-year old Majoro Namayaga was also among the people who in the cash reception line. The teenager had fled the Congo for Uganda alone.
"I will use the money to buy some clothes and bake cakes to sell in the settlement," he said and explained that he dreamed of one day becoming a mason.
For Nsekanabo Yaya, the young mother, the money will be for buying food for her children and for investing in her small grocery business at the local market.
An impromptu market selling some of the basic needs of the vulnerable refugees emerged at the cash distribution centre. PHOTO: DRC
Before the beginning of implementation of the cash project, DRC carried out an assessment in Kyaka II resulting into a ‘‘minimum expenditure basket’’ - a document that outlines the regular basic needs of a refugee household in the settlement, and the cost of the needs. The assesment also concluded that the vibrant local economy in Kayaka II has the capacity to absorb the cash and is able to supply the goods needed by the beneficiaries of the cash programme.
In the first distribution, 1,875 beneficiaries received their money while the total target for the project is 3,000 households.
Kyaka II, which is located 18 kilometers off a major road linking the Ugandan capital Kampala to the western town of Fort Portal, has a vibrant local economy. Agriculture is a key means of livelihood for both the refugees and host communities.
But the doubling of Kyaka’s population, which has happened since the beginning of December 2017, has increased the pressure on available land for original refugee households putting their livelihood security at risk.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1159
|
__label__cc
| 0.687804
| 0.312196
|
Tag Archives: Author
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of ” #CoryBooker has dropped out of the #2020race for #president” – January 13, 2020 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published March 31, 2019 : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of ” #CoryBooker has dropped out of the #2020race for #president” – January 13, 2020 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published March 31, 2019 :
WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….
by Clairvoyants : Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova
Click here to read TABLE OF CONTENTS :
BUY the Ebook from our web store :
http://clairvoyantdimitrinkastaikova.weebly.com
Order your Ebook today, Pay with Western Union Online – 50 GBP and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery :
To Order Your Ebook with Western Union Online –
1. Login in https://www.westernunion.com/
2. Select “Cash at Agent Location ”
3. Send the exact price of the Ebook – 50 GBP to :
● Receiver Name : First Name – Stoyanka , Second Name – Staikova
●Country – Bulgaria ●City – Varna
4. You will receive by Western Union a confirmation email with the Tracking Number (MTCN);
After You make the payment via Western Union, send us an email to dimitrinka.staikova@hotmail.com with the information :
1. The Name of the Ebook You have ordered
SENDER NAME (First and Last name) and MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number – WESTERN Union’s payment tracking system).
After We receive Your payment details (SENDER NAME and MTCN) and the name of the Ordered Ebook – We will send You an email with the PDF file of the Ebook.
Cory Booker ( U.S.Senator from New Jersey and Presidential candidate for U.S. Election 2020 ) – Clairvoyant / Psychic predictions March 28 , 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna. http://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova
Photo – March 3 , 2019time – after the photo
…..December 2019 – the U.S. states are already separating to three – three democrats will remain in the campaign.
If Cory Booker doesn’t find the spirit – the spark that will raise his voters – he drops out.(MEDIA CONFIRMATION)
And this is tough for him.
Cory Booker has dropped out of the 2020 race for president – January 13, 2020
https://www.vox.com/2020/1/13/20887051/cory-booker-drops-out-of-2020-race-for-president
This entry was posted in banks, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Hillary Clinton, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Republicans, Russia, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Ukraine, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World predictions 2020 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, communications director, Cory Booker, D.C., Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, Governor of Washington, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, NBC News, New Jersey, Pete Buttigieg, political director, president of the United States, President Trump, presidential campaign, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, primaries, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican Party, Reuters, Senate Democrats, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tom Perez, Trump Tower, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, USA Today, Vermont, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne Messam, Winthrop University on January 14, 2020 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of ” #MarianneWilliamson Drops Out of #2020Race” – January 2020 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published March 31, 2019 : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of ” #MarianneWilliamson Drops Out of #2020Race” – January 2020 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published March 31, 2019 :
Marianne Williamson (Spiritual teacher, 2020 Presidential Candidate) – Clairvoyant / Psychic predictions March 28 , 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna. http://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova
Photo – March 14 , 2019time – after the photo ….Marianne Williamson’s health : March 14, 2019 – I see inflammation of the muscles, the spine – very intense. She has pain in the right ear, thyroid gland, heart. I see strong Colitis in the stomach and intestines. The pains in the muscles cover the right side close to the spine, legs (thighs and foots). The brain (on the back of the head at left) emits a strong energy. There will be treatment of pancreas and liver. She has money, but she doesn’t have visions for a presidential campaign. She will have a support from the party, but there will be no money (which is bad). She has a karma to be close to rich people, but to be repelled. In this Presidential Campaign 2020 she will enter only for image and popularity. There is no positive result….(MEDIA CONFIRMATION)
Marianne Williamson ends presidential bid, says campaign tried her faith – January 13, 2020
https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/marianne-williamson-ends-presidential-bid-says-campaign-tried-her-faith
This entry was posted in banks, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Hunter Biden, Israel, Joe Biden, kremlin, Religion, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Ukraine, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019, World predictions 2020 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, communications director, Cory Booker, D.C., Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic presidential nomination, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, Governor of Washington, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, NBC News, New Jersey, Pete Buttigieg, political director, president of the United States, President Trump, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, primaries, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican Party, Reuters, Senate Democrats, senior political adviser, spiritual beliefs, Spiritual teacher, spirituality, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tom Perez, top contenders, Trump Tower, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, USA Today, Vermont, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne Messam, Winthrop University on January 14, 2020 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of Forthcoming eruption of volcano Kilauea in Hawaii – seen through the eyes of Tulsi Gabbard and predicted by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova in her NEW BOOK : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR. WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ? CLAIRVOYANT/PSYCHIC PREDICTIONS : JEFFREY EPSTEIN, TRUMP, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BY DIMITRINKA STAIKOVA, STOYANKA STAIKOVA, IVELINA STAIKOVA PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2, 2019
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of Forthcoming eruption of volcano
Kilauea in Hawaii – seen through the eyes of Tulsi Gabbard and predicted by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova in her NEW BOOK : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR.
WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ?
CLAIRVOYANT/PSYCHIC PREDICTIONS : JEFFREY EPSTEIN, TRUMP, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
BY DIMITRINKA STAIKOVA, STOYANKA STAIKOVA, IVELINA STAIKOVA
Published September 2, 2019
Table of Contents : https://sites.google.com/site/clairvoyantpublishing/upcoming-seminars/newbook2020electioninusa-scandalsmilitarypolicytrumptradewarwhowillchooseputinforthenextpresidentofusaclairvoyantpsychicpredictionsjeffreyepsteintrumprepublicananddemocraticpresidentialcandidatesbydimitrinkastaikovastoyankastaikovaivelinastaikovapublishedseptember22019
https://clairvoyantdimitrinkastaikova.weebly.com
http://clairvoyant-dimitrinka-staikova.mystrikingly.com
Tulsi Gabbard (Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 24, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna Contact on email – dimitrinka.staikova@hotmail.com
http://clairvoyant-dimitrinka-staikova.mystrikingly.com
In Addition : Tulsi Gabbard (Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 24, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova Photo : August 23, 2019. Time of the Clairvoyant reading – after the photo.
Tulsi Gabbard has a problem with the upper part of her head, a disease in the breasts and the ovaries. I see her in a big stress that affects her health – she is calming itself with listening of music and sounds. She counts on the support of the militaries and the business connected with the private armies.
She sees a forthcoming eruption of volcano in Hawaii – the lava hasn’t reached the top yet, but there is smoke from the ground. (MEDIA CONFIRMATION)
It is upcoming for her to…….
A Tiny Leak Led to a Massive, Unexpected Collapse at Kilauea Volcano
Its caldera’s dramatic, surprisingly slow collapse could point to other risks worldwide
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-tiny-leak-led-to-a-massive-unexpected-collapse-at-kilauea-volcano/
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 presidential race, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 2020 United States presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy for America campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bardarbunga, Bernie Campaign, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto for America campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden President campaign, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Bill Weld, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Bullock 2020 campaign, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidacy, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Congress, congressional seat, congressman, Conservative Political Action Conference, Cory 2020 campaign, Cory Booker, D.C., de Blasio 2020 campaign, Delaney for President 2020, Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic leader, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, Democratic U.S. Representative, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, disaster, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, drones, Eastern Rift Zone, election day 2020, Electoral College, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Former vice president Joe Biden, Founder of Farallon Capital, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, geophysicist, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, GPS sensors, Gregg Lippmann, H.R. McMaster, Hawaii, healthcare, hedge fund manager, Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julian Castro campaign, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kilauea research, Kilauea Volcano, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, Lara Trump, lava, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, magma, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, NBC News, New Jersey, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, nominating convention, Ohio, Ohio Democrat, Pete 2020 campaign, Pete Buttigieg, political director, political network, President Donald Trump, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential nomination, presidential primaries, presidential primary elections and caucuses, primaries, Quinnipiac University, re-election, reelection campaign, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Republican Donald Trump, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, Rona McDaniel, Ryan's campaign, satellite-based radar, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the House of Representatives, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Midwest, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, thermal cameras, Tim Murtaugh, Tim Ryan, Tim Ryan campaign, Tom 2020 campaig, Tom Perez, Tom Steyer, Trump 2020, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi 2020 campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, USA Today, USGS’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, volcanologist, Washington, Wayne for America, Wayne Messam, Weld 2020 campaign, Winthrop University, Yang 2020 campaign, Youngstown on December 28, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of : “#Boeing Fires C.E.O. #DennisMuilenburg” – December 23, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova : “Year 2019 there is a forthcoming changes in the senior staff of the Boeing Company” – in her book published March 31, 2019 : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….
MEDIA CONFIRMATION of : “Boeing Fires C.E.O. Dennis Muilenburg” – December 23, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova :
“Year 2019 there is a forthcoming changes in the senior staff of the Boeing Company” – in her book published March 31, 2019 :
Table of Contents : https://sites.google.com/site/clairvoyantpublishing/upcoming-seminars/newebookandpaperbackbookwhowillwinuspresidentialelection2020republicansvsdemocratsclairvoyantpsychicpredictionsfortrumps2020presidentialcampaignberniesandersbetoorourkekirstengillibrandelizabethwarrenkamalaharriscorybookerjuliancastropart1byclairvoyantsdimitrinkastaikovastoyankastaikovaivelinastaikovapublishedmarch312019
Dennis Muilenburg (Boeing Company Chief Executive) – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions about the Boeing Company – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna.
Photo: March 19, 2019 . Time – after the photo.
……Dennis Muilenburg is pedantic, methodical and patient in his work.
Year 2019 there is a forthcoming changes in the senior staff of the Boeing Company.(MEDIA CONFIRMATION)
He has a soul of soldier, despite he likes on words to bet. Until the end of ……
Boeing Fires C.E.O. Dennis Muilenburg – December 23, 2019
3 Media Confirmations of Boeing May 2019 – new orders from NATO (“Boeing gets Contract for F-15 Eagle”), problems with contracts (“China threatens to reduce Boeing orders”) and new accidents with Boeing May 2019 (“Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing At Tennessee After A Potential Mechanical Issue”) – As predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her Ebook and Paperback book published March 31,2019 :WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….Part 1by Clairvoyants : Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova
This entry was posted in banks, Boeing, Brexit, California, China, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, earthquake, Election 2020, Israel, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, space, terrorism, The European Union, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #Finance, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 737 MAX, 737 MAX aircraft, 737 MAX jet, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, advocacy, aerospace, aircraft manufacturers, aircraft's grounding, airlines, airplane, airplane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders, airplanes, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, aviation community, aviation industry, avionics, Bank of England, banks, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Bilderberg group, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, billionaires, Boeing, Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia, Boeing 737 Max planes, Boeing Capital, Boeing CEO, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Co. Chief Executive Officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Boeing Defense, Boeing stock, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Brexit, business, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, CEO Darius Adamczyk, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, Clairvoyant, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Company, Confirmation, Conservative Political Action Conference, corporate headquarters, Cory Booker, Crisis, D.C., defense contractor, Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democrats and republicans, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, disaster, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Election 2020, election day 2020, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, Engineering, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident, exploratory committees, FEC filing, federal contracts, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, flight control, flight management system, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, Future Combat Systems, George Soros, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, Gregg Lippmann, GRU, H.R. McMaster, Health diagnosis, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Honeywell, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investigators, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, kremlin, Lara Trump, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Lion Air crash in Indonesia, Lion Air Flight 610 accident, Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, MCAS flight control, McDonnell Douglas, mechanical systems, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Midterm Elections 2018, migrant crisis, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, missiles, Missing people, money, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, NBC News, New Jersey, Operations & Technology, passengers, Peace, Pete Buttigieg, planemaker, Political contributions, political director, Politicians, President Barack Obama, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, primaries, Psychic, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, rockets, Rona McDaniel, rotorcraft, Russia, safety, satellites, Science, Science Applications International Corporation, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, software upgrade, Space & Security, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, supplier, Syria, Syria Strikes, terrorism, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tom Perez, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, Turkey, U.S. economy, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, Uncategorized, Us Elections 2016, USA Today, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, war, Washington, Wayne Messam, Winthrop University, World Predictions 2019, world predictions that came true on December 26, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Media Confirmation of : “#JoeSestak Drops Out Of #Democratic Race” – December 2, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughter’s Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – in their Book published September 2, 2019 : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR. WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ?
Media Confirmation of : “Joe Sestak Drops Out Of Democratic Race” – December 2, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughter’s Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – in their Book published September 2, 2019 :
2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR.
Table of Contents – https://clairvoyantdimitrinkastaikova.weebly.com/clairvoyantblog/new-book-2020-election-in-usa-scandals-military-policy-trump-trade-war-who-will-choose-putin-for-the-next-president-of-usa-clairvoyantpsychic-predictions-jeffrey-epstein-trump-republican-and-democratic-presidential-candidates-by-dimitrink
Price – 60,81 $
Order your Ebook today, Pay with Western Union Online – Price – 60,81 $and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery :
To Order Your Ebook with Western Union Online –
3. Send the exact price of the Ebook to :
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
BUY THE PAPERBACK BOOK FROM AMAZON – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1690178337
Only a small part of Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for :
Joe Sestak (Presidential Candidate for Election 2020) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
Contact on email – dimitrinka.staikova@hotmail.com
http://clairvoyant-dimitrinka.staikova.mystrikingly.com
http://clairvoyant-dimitrinka.staikova.webnode.com
Photo : August 23, 2019. Time of the Clairvoyant reading – after the photo.
…Joe Sestak is afraid to make decisive steps in a certain moments. He is taking the final decisions as he decides, he is influenced by itself and its own moods – he is very sensitive and sometimes romantic type of person. That will earn the voters, but not the desired sponsors. Behind him are staying Intelligence, a media. The funding for his campaign will not be enough…..
In Addition : Joe Sestak (Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
….August 2019 – only 1/3 of the money for his campaign are collected. I see a connection with the underground business.
Joe Sestak Ends Presidential Campaign – December 1, 2019
But his campaign began late and never got off the ground. He raised less than $500,000, and his polling average in the Democratic primary was 0 percent.
This entry was posted in California, China, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Israel, Joe Biden, kremlin, Oil and Gas, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, terrorism, Tom Steyer, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #economy, #entrepreneur, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, 2020 Democratic primary, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 presidential race, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 2020 United States presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy for America campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Campaign, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto for America campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden President campaign, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Bill Weld, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Bullock 2020 campaign, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidacy, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Congress, congressional seat, congressman, Conservative Political Action Conference, Cory 2020 campaign, Cory Booker, D.C., de Blasio 2020 campaign, Delaney for President 2020, Democracy reform, Democrat, Democratic, Democratic leader, Democratic Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, Democratic primary, Democratic U.S. Representative, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, election day 2020, Electoral College, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Former vice president Joe Biden, Founder of Farallon Capital, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, Gregg Lippmann, H.R. McMaster, healthcare, hedge fund manager, Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julian Castro campaign, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, Lara Trump, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, military officer, Minnesota, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, Navy admiral, NBC News, New Jersey, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, nominating convention, Ohio, Ohio Democrat, Pete 2020 campaign, Pete Buttigieg, political director, political network, President Donald Trump, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential nomination, presidential primaries, presidential primary elections and caucuses, primaries, Quinnipiac University, re-election, reelection campaign, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Republican Donald Trump, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, Rona McDaniel, Ryan's campaign, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the House of Representatives, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Midwest, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tim Ryan, Tim Ryan campaign, Tom 2020 campaig, Tom Perez, Tom Steyer, Trump 2020, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi 2020 campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, USA Today, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne for America, Wayne Messam, Weld 2020 campaign, Winthrop University, Yang 2020 campaign, Youngstown on December 4, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Media Confirmation of : Steve Bullock ends presidential campaign because not enough money for his campaign – December 2, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published September 2, 2019 : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR. WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ?
Media Confirmation of : Steve Bullock ends presidential campaign because not enough money for his campaign – December 2, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her book published September 2, 2019 :
Order your Ebook today, Pay with Western Union Online – Price – 60,81 $ and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery :
Steve Bullock (Governor of Montana, Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 23, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
Photo : August 21, 2019. Time of the Clairvoyant reading – after the photo.
…Steve Bullock is a man who doesn’t neglect the big retail business – the food chains, the energy business of the gas stations. Behind him will stay mainly the big Funds related with money and merging of corporations of a smaller business – including Real Estates and Constructions.
What he doesn’t own is money. It is written in his destiny to have money, but he will loose them with the same speed they came.(Media Confirmation 1)
Steve Bullock has charm , he is analytical in its convictions, but he will remain in the second line of politicians – candidates for president.(Media Confirmation 2 )
His weakness is a woman – there will be a dirt with a woman. His strength is when he opens his mouth and starts talking.
I don’t see the money to be enough for him and his campaign – Bullock 2020.(Media Confirmation)
Media Confirmation 1 – “Steve Bullock ends presidential campaign, will not run for Senate “- December 2, 2019
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/02/politics/steve-bullock-2020-campaign-ends/index.html
Bullock was able to raise $4.3 million to fund his campaign throughout 2019. But the governor ended up spending much of that and entered the fourth quarter of 2019 with $1.3 million cash on hand, a number that paled in comparison to larger, better funded campaigns.
Media Confirmation 2 -” Bullock Becomes 3rd Governor to Drop US Presidential Campaign” – December 2, 2019
https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/bullock-becomes-3rd-governor-drop-us-presidential-campaign
But he remained at the bottom of the polls and unfamiliar to many voters. His biggest national exposure appeared to come when he didn’t make the cut for the first debate, resulting in a slate of news stories and an appearance on “The Late Night with Stephen Colbert.”
This entry was posted in banks, California, China, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Israel, Joe Biden, kremlin, Oil and Gas, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, terrorism, Tom Steyer, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 presidential race, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 2020 United States presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy for America campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Campaign, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto for America campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden President campaign, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Bill Weld, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Bullock 2020 campaign, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidacy, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Congress, congressional seat, congressman, Conservative Political Action Conference, Cory 2020 campaign, Cory Booker, D.C., de Blasio 2020 campaign, Delaney for President 2020, Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic leader, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, Democratic U.S. Representative, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, election day 2020, Electoral College, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Former vice president Joe Biden, Founder of Farallon Capital, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, Gregg Lippmann, H.R. McMaster, healthcare, hedge fund manager, Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julian Castro campaign, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, Lara Trump, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, NBC News, New Jersey, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, nominating convention, Ohio, Ohio Democrat, Pete 2020 campaign, Pete Buttigieg, political director, political network, President Donald Trump, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential nomination, presidential primaries, presidential primary elections and caucuses, primaries, Quinnipiac University, re-election, reelection campaign, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Republican Donald Trump, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, Rona McDaniel, Ryan's campaign, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the House of Representatives, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Midwest, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tim Ryan, Tim Ryan campaign, Tom 2020 campaig, Tom Perez, Tom Steyer, Trump 2020, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi 2020 campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, USA Today, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne for America, Wayne Messam, Weld 2020 campaign, Winthrop University, Yang 2020 campaign, Youngstown on December 4, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Media Confirmation of : ‘ Beto O’Rourke QUITS 2020 race as his campaign runs out of cash’ – November 1, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova Ebook and Paperback book Published March 31, 2019: WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….
Media Confirmation of : ‘ Beto O’Rourke QUITS 2020 race as his campaign runs out of cash’ – November 1, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova Ebook and Paperback book Published March 31, 2019:
Buy the Ebook only from the Author –
https://sites.google.com/site/clairvoyantpublishing/
Order your Ebook today, Donate with PayPal – 50 GBP and You will receive the PDF file (30 pages) in the next 24 hours with Email delivery
Beto O’Rourke ( Campaign for Presidential election 2020 ) – May God keep him in this campaign ! – Clairvoyant / Psychic reading March 18 , 2019 – by Clairvoyant House ” Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova ” – from Europe , Bulgaria , Varna
photo : March 16 , 2019 Time: after the photo .
….Beto O’Rourke is not a lonely player – he doesn’t collect the profits from this campaign for his personal ego. He is expecting a development and decision in the last moment from his party , where at the end they will be three. He is seeing itself rather as a vice-president , because of the age of the first candidate – now.
He is not a player who gives up easily , only the money and financing can make him give up. (Media Confirmation)
‘ Beto O’Rourke QUITS 2020 race as his campaign runs out of cash after launching run on the front of Vanity Fair saying: ‘Man, I’m just born to be in it’ – and Donald Trump mocks: ‘I don’t think so! ‘ – November 1, 2019
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7640995/Beto-ORourke-drops-2020-race-saying-way-forward.html
But his campaign went down hill from there, including struggling with fundraising and dropping to 1 per cent in the polls.
He was not on track to make the November and December Democratic primary debates, which had tougher qualifications than the previous ones, in which he was on the stage every time.
O’Rourke also indicated his campaign was struggling to stay afloat financially. He only raised $4.5 million in the July, August and September.
Related Posts and Media Confirmations:
● Media Confirmation about “Inside the Trump Campaign’s Frenzied Search for Clinton’s Emails” April 18, the 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her New Ebook and Paperback book Published March 31, 2019 : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro…. Part 1
● Media Confirmation of Elizabeth Warren Pledged To Replace Betsy DeVos With A Former Public School Teacher If She Wins In 2020 (May 13, 2019) – as predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her New Ebook and Paperback book :WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….Part 1
● 3 Media Confirmations of Boeing May 2019 – new orders from NATO (“Boeing gets Contract for F-15 Eagle”), problems with contracts (“China threatens to reduce Boeing orders”) and new accidents with Boeing May 2019 (“Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing At Tennessee After A Potential Mechanical Issue”) – As predicted by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova in her Ebook and Paperback book published March 31,2019 :WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro….Part 1by Clairvoyants : Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova
● New Book : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro…. Part 1
This entry was posted in banks, Brexit, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Israel, Joe Biden, kremlin, Oil and Gas, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, space, terrorism, The European Union, Tom Steyer, Turkey, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, communications director, Cory Booker, D.C., Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic primary, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, Governor of Washington, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, NBC News, New Jersey, Pete Buttigieg, political director, president of the United States, President Trump, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, primaries, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican Party, Reuters, Senate Democrats, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tom Perez, Trump Tower, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, USA Today, Vermont, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne Messam, Winthrop University on November 3, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Media Confirmation of : Tim Ryan ends 2020 presidential campaign, He will run for reelection to the House of Representatives, His campaign was marked by slow fundraising and low poll numbers October 24, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova in her NEW BOOK PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR. WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ? CLAIRVOYANT/PSYCHIC PREDICTIONS : JEFFREY EPSTEIN, TRUMP, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BY DIMITRINKA STAIKOVA, STOYANKA STAIKOVA, IVELINA STAIKOVA
Media Confirmation of : Tim Ryan ends 2020 presidential campaign, He will run for reelection to the House of Representatives, His campaign was marked by slow fundraising and low poll numbers October 24, 2019 – as predicted by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova in her NEW BOOK PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 :
Order your Ebook today, Donate with PayPal – 50 GBP and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery :
Tim Ryan (Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna Contact on email – dimitrinka.staikova@hotmail.com
…….
In Addition :
Tim Ryan (Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
…..Tim Ryan will soon stop his presidential campaign, because of promised to him a very special work position – he will be a big boss in a business connected with energy and politics – I see him sitting in a big chair. (MEDIA CONFIRMATION 1).
…. His money are ending very fast, because of two big sponsors – two companies – each of them is separating to two parts.(MEDIA CONFIRMATION 2).
He will not have a contact with Russians. At the end – I see the breaking of contracts. One of his guards is a spy. I see Tim Ryan to watch a high building.
Media Confirmation of :
Tim Ryan ends 2020 presidential campaign – October 24, 2019
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/24/politics/tim-ryan-ends-campaign/index.html
(CNN) Rep. Tim Ryan dropped out of the 2020 presidential race on Thursday, ending a campaign that failed to gain any traction in a large field of better-financed and better-known Democrats.
In a video sent to his supporters, Ryan also announced that he will instead run for reelection to the House of Representatives. (MEDIA CONFIRMATION 1).
Democratic U.S. Representative Ryan of Ohio ends presidential bid – October 24, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-ryan/democratic-us-representative-ryan-of-ohio-ends-presidential-bid-idUSKBN1X326W
Ryan, whose campaign was marked by slow fundraising and low poll numbers, is the latest to withdraw his candidacy in a slowly thinning field of Democrats seeking the party’s nod to run against Republican Donald Trump. (MEDIA CONFIRMATION 2)
This entry was posted in banks, Boeing, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Hillary Clinton, Isis, Israel, Joe Biden, kremlin, Oil and Gas, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, space, terrorism, Tom Steyer, Turkey, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 presidential race, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 2020 United States presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy for America campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Campaign, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto for America campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden President campaign, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Bill Weld, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Bullock 2020 campaign, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidacy, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Congress, congressional seat, congressman, Conservative Political Action Conference, Cory 2020 campaign, Cory Booker, D.C., de Blasio 2020 campaign, Delaney for President 2020, Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic leader, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, Democratic U.S. Representative, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, election day 2020, Electoral College, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Former vice president Joe Biden, Founder of Farallon Capital, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, Gregg Lippmann, H.R. McMaster, healthcare, hedge fund manager, Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julian Castro campaign, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, Lara Trump, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, NBC News, New Jersey, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, nominating convention, Ohio, Ohio Democrat, Pete 2020 campaign, Pete Buttigieg, political director, political network, President Donald Trump, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential bid, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential nomination, presidential primaries, presidential primary elections and caucuses, primaries, Quinnipiac University, re-election, reelection campaign, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Republican Donald Trump, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, Rona McDaniel, Ryan's campaign, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the House of Representatives, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Midwest, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tim Ryan, Tim Ryan campaign, Tom 2020 campaig, Tom Perez, Tom Steyer, Trump 2020, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi 2020 campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, USA Today, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne for America, Wayne Messam, Weld 2020 campaign, Winthrop University, Yang 2020 campaign, Youngstown on October 25, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Media Confirmation about “October 2019 – the life of Bernie Sanders is threatened” and “Bernie Sanders’ health March 14, 2019 : The heart and both kidneys are ill” – as predicted and Published March 31, 2019 by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna In our Ebook and Paperback book : WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro…. Part 1
Media Confirmation about “October 2019 – the life of Bernie Sanders is threatened” and “Bernie Sanders’ health March 14, 2019 : The heart and both kidneys are ill” – as predicted and Published March 31, 2019
by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In our Ebook and Paperback book :
Bernie Sanders ( US Senator ) – Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign – Clairvoyant / Psychic reading March 15 , 2019 – by Clairvoyant House ” Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova ” from Europe , Bulgaria , Varna
….October 2019 – the life of Bernie Sanders is threatened – I see cars , he will be in front of video camera and ahead of brain stroke. It will take two months for his recovery , but the audience will not know that. There will be a team close to him , that will help him in this moment….
In addition : Clairvoyant reading to Bernie Sanders ( 2020 Election campaign ) – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova March 15 , 2019
…….Bernie Sanders’ health March 14, 2019 :
Ill eyes, sinus channels, the right part of the face, ill throat and thyroid gland, pain at the muscles of the hands and shoulders. The heart and both kidneys are ill, also the urinary tract and prostate. He has a strong pain at the pelvis, thighs and the left knee when he is moving.
On the back and the top of the head -he suffers from often headaches.(Media Confirmation 2).
There is a pain the right side of his back and the tailbone.
1.Did Bernie Sanders Have a Heart Attack? – OCT 02, 2019
The only other likely scenario, based on what his campaign has said so far, isn’t much better.
https://slate.com/technology/2019/10/bernie-sanders-heart-attack-diagnosis-stents-chest-pain.html
2. Bernie Sanders undergoes unexpected heart procedure, postpones campaign events for at least a few days – October 2, 2019
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) temporarily canceled 2020 presidential campaign events on Oct. 2 to undergo a heart procedure for a blockage in an artery. (Reuters)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/02/4bf1660a-e522-11e9-a331-2df12d56a80b_story.html
Media Confirmation 2 – In March, Sanders received seven stitches on his head after what a spokeswoman described as an injury from the edge of a glass shower door. The injury did not prevent him from appearing at scheduled campaign events.
Related Books in our eBookstore
Clairvoyant Publishing eBookstore – https://sites.google.com/site/clairvoyantpublishing
New Ebook and Paperback book :
NEW BOOK : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR.
Tory Leadership Race candidates, Election – UK and USA 2019 – 2020 , Facebook battle Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions : Mark Zuckerberg, Joe Biden, Boris Johnson , Jeremy Hunt,Sir Graham Brady -Committee 1922, Michael Gove…
Published : June 4, 2019
Click here to read Table of Contents:
Buy Ebook from the Author: https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova/
Order your Ebook today, Donate with PayPal – 50 GBP and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery
Buy the Paperback book from Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1072157780
This entry was posted in banks, Boeing, Brexit, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Isis, Joe Biden, kremlin, Libya, Oil and Gas, Republicans, Russia, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 presidential race, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, a senior Sanders adviser, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, angiogram, artery blockage, Author, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, cardiologist, caucuses, CBS News, chest pains, Chris Carr, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, communications director, Cory Booker, D.C., Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic campaign, Democratic candidates, Democratic debate, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nomination, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Democratic presidential contender, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, Governor of Washington, healthcare, heart procedure, Hillary Clinton, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, Jay Inslee, Jeff Weaver, Joe Biden, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, medical records, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, NBC News, New Jersey, Pete Buttigieg, political director, president of the United States, President Trump, presidential campaign, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, primaries, prognosis, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican Party, Reuters, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Senate Democrats, senior political adviser, septuagenarians, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, stent, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tom Perez, Trump Tower, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, USA Today, Vermont, Vice-president of the United States, Warren, Washington, Wayne Messam, Winthrop University on October 3, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : 2020 Election in USA and all candidates,Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Weld,Michael Bennett, Steve Bullock, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, the deal of Trump about Greenland,Amy Klobuchar, Wayne Messam, Tim Ryan, Joe Sestak, Andrew Yang 2020 Presidential Campaign, Tom Steyer ( 2020 Democrat for President ), Xi Jinpin (President of China) – Trade War Truce and Hong Kong,the Moon, Satellite image of failed Iranian rocket launch at the Imam Khomeini Space Center, Bernie Sanders ( US Senator ) , Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign , Beto O’Rourke ( Campaign for Presidential election 2020 ) ,Donald Trump (U.S. President and Candidate for U.S.Election 2020) , Elizabeth Warren ( U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and Democratic candidate for president in 2020 Elections ) , Julian Castro ( 2020 Presidential Candidate ) ,Joe Biden (2020 Candidate for U.S. President) ,Bill de Blasio ( Mayor of New York city and 2020 Candidate for U.S. President )
NEW BOOK : 2020 ELECTION IN USA – SCANDALS, MILITARY POLICY, TRUMP ,TRADE WAR WHO WILL CHOOSE PUTIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF USA ?
2019 © Copyright Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova
Order your Ebook today, Buy with PayPal – 50 GBP and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery :
We dedicate this book to Hillary Clinton – a warrior from Presidential Campaign – US Election 2016 – She won the battle, but lost the war !
With Respect !
In Summary – We tried to make this book as a Collection of Clairvoyant readings/Psychic predictions for the real Candidates for Presidential Election 2020. In Our Book You can find :
Who are the surprises on 2020 Election for Democrats and Republicans ?
The Internal Policy of USA during the Primary 2020 Election and in the Elections themselves ;
What will determine the decisive moment on 2020 Election (not Who)?
The Internal Policy which determines the course of the Election ;
Who is the Man of Vladimir Putin Candidate for President on the Presidential Election 2020 ? Behind which candidate is staying China – primary ?
The Democrats has a person to choose, although difficult, but they will make the right choice. The Republicans – do they also need to agree on what will lead their country ?
Is Donald Trump alive ? In what resembles the American and Russian military power ?
I leave to You to read the book, the Events that will happen and to survive , if possible healthy. We Sell the Future – Hottest News Predictions by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova ” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna.
2020 Election in USA – Scandals, Military Policy, Trump ,Trade War Who will choose Putin for the next President of USA ?
1. Jeffrey Epstein (Multimillionaire Financier) – His death, How his death will affect the Presidential Election 2020 in USA and Trump. Money, Business, War against the Jews. A revenge . Negotiation. War… – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 20, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Jeffrey Epstein (Multimillionaire Financier) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 19, 2019 – By Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
2. Bill Weld (Republican Presidential Candidate 2020 Election, former Governor of Massachusetts) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 20, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In addition : Bill Weld (Republican Presidential Candidate) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 20, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
3. Michael Bennett (Democratic Presidential Candidate 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 22, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
4. Steve Bullock (Governor of Montana, Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 23, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Steve Bullock (Governor of Montana, Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 23, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
5. John Delaney (Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 24, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : John Delaney (Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 24, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
6. Tulsi Gabbard (Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 24, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
7. Greenland (Photo of Google Earth) – What will happen with the deal of Trump about Greenland ? Where there is Gold, Metals for the Space Industry, Oil and Gas ? – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 25, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Greenland (Satellite photo of Google Earth) – Clairvoyant reading August 25, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
8. Amy Klobuchar (Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 26, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Amy Klobuchar (Democratic candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading August 26, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
In Addition : Amy Klobuchar (Democratic candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading August 26, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Ivelina Staikova
9. Wayne Messam (Mayor of Miramar – Florida, Presidential Candidate 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 26, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
10. Tim Ryan (Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Tim Ryan (Presidential Candidate for 2020 Election) – Clairvoyant reading August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
11. Joe Sestak (Presidential Candidate for Election 2020) – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 27, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
12. Andrew Yang 2020 Presidential Campaign – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 29, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
13. Tom Steyer ( 2020 Democrat for President ) – Clairvoyant reading / Psychic predictions August 29 , 2019 – by Clairvoyant House ” Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova ” from Europe , Bulgaria , Varna.
In Addition : Tom Steyer (2020 Democrat for President) – Clairvoyant reading August 29, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
14. Xi Jinpin (President of China) – Trade War Truce and Hong Kong – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions August 30, 2019 – by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition : Chinese president Xi Jinpin (the Trade War with USA and Hong Kong) – Clairvoyant reading August 30, 2019 by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
15. Which place is designated for the Human race on the Moon – Full Moon August 16, 2019 – Clairvoyant reading/Psychic predictions about the Light and the Dark side of the Moon. About Energy and Minerals – where exactly are they on the Moon? About the distribution of the Moon ; crashed alien spacecraft…..- by Clairvoyant House “Dimitrinka Staikova and daughters Stoyanka and Ivelina Staikova” – from Europe, Bulgaria, Varna
In Addition: The Moon at August 16 , 2019 ( Full Moon ) – Clairvoyant reading – by Clairvoyant Stoyanka Staikova
16. Satellite image of failed Iranian rocket launch at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Northern Iran – August 29, 2019 – Clairvoyant reading August 31, 2019 – by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova
And More Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions about
● Bernie Sanders ( US Senator ) – Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign
● Beto O’Rourke ( Campaign for Presidential election 2020 )
●Donald Trump (U.S. President and Candidate for U.S.Election 2020)
●Elizabeth Warren ( U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and Democratic candidate for president in 2020 Elections )
● Julian Castro ( 2020 Presidential Candidate )
● Joe Biden (2020 Candidate for U.S. President)
●Bill de Blasio ( Mayor of New York city and 2020 Candidate for U.S. President )
WHO WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020 ? Republicans vs Democrats – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions for : Trump’s 2020 Presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke , Kirsten Gillibrand , Elizabeth Warren ,Kamala Harris , Cory Booker, Julian Castro…. Part 1 by Clairvoyants : Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova Published March 31, 2019 Table of Contents
: Buy the Ebook only from the Author –https://sites.google.com/site/clairvoyantpublishing/
This entry was posted in banks, Boeing, Brexit, California, Democrats, dimitrinka staikova, Donald Trump, earthquake, Election 2020, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Huawei, Isis, Joe Biden, kremlin, Republicans, Russia, Science, Senator Elizabeth Warren, space, terrorism, Tom Steyer, Turkey, Uncategorized, US Election 2016, World Predictions 2019 and tagged "Keep America Great", #entrepreneur, #florida, #Trump, #trump2020, 2016 Election, 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Democratic National Convention, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential election, 2020 race, 2020 U.S. presidential election, 2020 United States presidential election, ABC News, activist, administrative operations director, advertising campaign, Amy for America campaign, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Author, Bernie Campaign, Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, Beto for America campaign, Beto O'Rourke, Biden President campaign, Bill de Blasio, Bill Stepien, Bill Weld, Boeing Company, Boeing Company Chief Executive, Brad Parscale, Bradley Crate, Bullock 2020 campaign, California, Campaign, campaign committee deputy executive director, campaign committee manager, campaign committees, campaign manager, campaign rally, campaign treasurer, campaigning, Candidates, caucuses, CBS News, Chris Carr, Christian Sewing, cnn, Cole Blocker, college tuition, Colorado, Commerzbank, communications director, Conservative Political Action Conference, Cory 2020 campaign, Cory Booker, D.C., de Blasio 2020 campaign, Delaney for President 2020, Democracy reform, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, Democratic nominee, Democratic party, Democratic Party primary, Dennis Muilenburg, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche executive, Deutsche trader, Deutsche’s Frankfurt headquarters, Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, donations, donor, election day 2020, Electoral College, electoral states, Elizabeth Warren, exploratory committees, FEC filing, Federal Election Commission, finance director Megan Powers, Founder of Farallon Capital, founder of Venture for America, Fox News, fundraiser, Fundraising, fundraising threshold, German companies, Giles-Parscale, Government Shutdown, Governor of Washington, Gregg Lippmann, H.R. McMaster, healthcare, hedge fund manager, Hillary Clinton, immigration, Independent candidate, Indiana, investors, Jay Inslee, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, John Pence, Julian Castro campaign, Julián Castro, Justin Clark, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Kayleigh McEnany, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kirsten Gillibrand 2020 presidential campaign, Lara Trump, lecturer, Libertarian candidate for President, Marc Lotter, Marianne Williamson, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mayor of Miramar, Mayor of South Bend, Michael Bennet, Michael Glassner, Mike Gravel, Mike Pence, Minnesota, money laundering, Monmouth University, national press secretary, National Public Radio, nationalist, NBC News, New Jersey, nominating convention, Pete 2020 campaign, Pete Buttigieg, political director, president of the United States, President Trump, President's campaign, presidential campaign, presidential candidates, presidential nominating ballot, presidential primaries, presidential primary elections and caucuses, primaries, Quinnipiac University, reelection campaign, Republican National Committee, Republican Party, Republican Party presidential primaries 2020, Republican primaries, Republicans, Reuters, Rona McDaniel, Senate Democrats, senior consultant, senior political adviser, Spiritual teacher, sponsors, Stacey Abrams, Steve Bullock, strategic communications director, Super PACs, superdelegates, Terry McAuliffe, The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The New York Times, the University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The White House, Tim Murtaugh, Tim Ryan, Tim Ryan campaign, Tom 2020 campaign, Tom Perez, Tom Steyer, Trump 2020, Trump Tower, Trump's presidency, Trump’s campaign, Tulsi 2020 campaign, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. economy, U.S. Representative, U.S. Representative from TX-16, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, U.S. Senator from Alaska, U.S. Senator from California, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, U.S. Senator from New York, U.S. Senator from Vermont, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, USA Today, Vermont, Vice President Pence, Vice-president of the United States, Washington, Wayne for America, Wayne Messam, Weld 2020 campaign, Winthrop University, Yang 2020 campaign on September 5, 2019 by Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova.
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1168
|
__label__wiki
| 0.512584
| 0.512584
|
debussycat
● classical music ● jazz music ● fine arts ●
Popular Classical Top 100
No. 96 is ‘Au fond du temple saint’. This hauntingly beautiful opera duet is sung by “Nadir” and “Zurga”, two pearl fishermen on the island of Ceylon. Their lifelong friendship was once threatened by their mutual love of a young priestess, but in this touching ode to their undying friendship they pledge to never let anything come between them again.
Au fond du temple saint
(“The Pearlfishers Duet”)
by Georges Bizet (25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875)
A veiled Leila, the object of both Nadir and Zurga’s affection, arrives on stage.
Purchase Au fond du temple saint – iTunes
Purchase Au fond du temple saint – Amazon
debussycat – Sydney classical music & jazz guide
July 22, 2012 June 22, 2019 Mrs. Beans Tagged Bizet, classical music, Leila, Nadir, Opera, Sydney classical music guide, The Pearlfishers, Zurga Leave a comment
Exclusive Interview with Elena Kats-Chernin
Advertised Concerts, Articles, Australian Musicians Spotlight - Free Classical Music, Classical Concerts, Events, Free Classical Music, Sydney Classical Music Guide
This week debussycat had the chance to speak with Elena Kats-Chernin about her upcoming concert with the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra (tonight and tomorrow night at the Strathfield Town Hall – for more info click here). A household name in Australia, Elena Kats-Chernin is one of our nation’s most celebrated modern musicians and leading composers whose output includes orchestral works, operas, chamber and solo pieces, as well as music for dance, film, and theatre. The Strathfield Symphony Orchestra commissioned Kats-Chernin to compose the Redmyre Suite in 2009 to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and it has been revised for these concerts.
You can view the programme here and book tickets here.
Kats-Chernin on composing
It goes without saying that the life of a composer is intensely creative and solitary in some respects. Kats-Chernin tells me she spends days composing millions of little notes and making constant changes to her work. Requiring only her piano, her manuscript paper, a pen and her mind, Kats-Chernin’s compositions are highly original and spontaneous, reflecting her unique idiom and personal history. Once upon a time, she might have cited Ravel and Bach as influences, however these days she draws inspiration from just about anything, whether ‘a conversation, a story or even something she has eaten’.
I have to ask Kats-Chernin what it is like to be a composer in Australia. Did she ever consider moving elsewhere? Her answer is a resounding “no” – Australia is and always has been the place for her. She laughs and tells me that composers are not fond of change. Constantly busy with new compositions, Kats-Chernin is glad to be surrounded by friends and family here in Sydney.
The story behind the Redmyre Suite
During our interview, Kats-Chernin reveals a little of her thinking behind the Redmyre Suite. I am intrigued to find out that the Redmyre Suite, named after Redmyre Street (being the street on which the orchestra meets for rehearsal every week) is inspired by the Orchestra itself. Kats-Chernin seeks to pay tribute to its members past and present, as well as the noble sacrifice of amateur artists who meet and practice in their free time, all for the love of music.
A preview of the Redmyre Suite
In short, the Suite is a celebratory piece inspired by community and place. Tonight I will be listening for Kats-Chernin’s characteristic rhythmic pulsation and distinctive melodic/harmonic language as well as the celebratory brass chords that she tells me will open the final movement. She also tells me to listen for the sound of ‘trains hurtling along the tracks’, reminding the audience of Strathfield’s famous train station – a significant and central landmark for community members both within and without Strathfield.
Finally, whilst Kats-Chernin’s inspiration these days is very much the fruit of her own ideas and personal experiences, there are a handful of references to Chopin and Bach in the Redmyre Suite. Whilst the references to Bach are more overt, you will have to listen more closely for motifs inspired by Chopin’s Etude No. 3 in the opening movement.
Why Rowing for Rivendell?
The proceeds of the concert will be used to buy a rowing machine for Rivendell, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Services at Thomas Walker Hospital, Concord. For Elena Kats-Chernin, the cause is one close to her heart as her middle son Alex suffers from schizophrenia.
Rowing for Rivendell will be a unique opportunity to witness one of Australia’s most famous musicians perform and hear the much anticipated revised Redmyre Suite. Book now to experience Kats-Chernin’s celebrated music and contribute to a cause that is close to her heart.
© Sabina Chitty 2011, debussycat Sydney classical music guide
June 24, 2011 June 25, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged Elena Kats-Chernin, Rowing for Rivendell, Strathfield Symphony Orchestra Leave a comment
We heart…
Sydney Classical Music Guide, Sydney Free Classical Music - Events News, We heart...
piano inspiration.
Source: stylemepretty.com
Source: misskleckley.wordpress.com
Source: flickr.com
Source: inlillyland.tumblr.com
Source: thecottagechick.com
Source: weheartit.com
Source: nadjaseale.com
debussycat – Sydney classical music guide
June 11, 2011 June 11, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged pianos, Steinway, Sydney classical music guide Leave a comment
Strathfield Symphony Orchestra – Rowing for Rivendell
Advertised Concerts, Classical Concerts, Events, Free Classical Music, Sydney Classical Music Guide
Great music for a great cause! Elena Kats-Chernin performs with the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra
Strathfield Symphony presents Elena Kats-Chernin as soloist and Geoffrey Gartner conducting sensational music on 24 & 25 June at Strathfield Town Hall at 7pm (note early start). Book now!
Programme “Preludes”– Elena will open the concert with some of her best known pieces for solo keyboard in an informal setting at 7pm while you enjoy a
complimentary drink
Kats-Chernin “Redmyre Suite”- commissioned by the Orchestra in 2009 and revised for these concerts
Kats-Chernin “Mater” – arranged for full orchestra for these performances
Dvorak – Symphony No 6 in D major
Join us for a wonderful evening including an auction of some unique signed posters and manucripts.
The proceeds will be used to buy a rowing machine for Rivendell, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Services at Thomas Walker Hospital, Concord.
CLICK FOR TICKETS
For sponsorships and donations (including entry by donation) please contact Bruce Lane brucelane@optusnet.com.au 0411 550 006
Would you like to be in the FIRST EIGHT? Join Elena and others as Principal Sponsors and meet Elena with refreshments at interval. Contact Bruce Lane for details.
June 8, 2011 June 15, 2011 Mrs. Beans Leave a comment
debussycat’s rating system for reviews!
Free Classical Music, Reviews, Sydney Classical Music Guide
debussycat has a new CAT rating system for concert reviews! Look out for it in our upcoming reviews…
‘FANTASTIC’
‘GREAT’
‘GOOD’
‘AVERAGE’ 1 CAT
‘POOR’
debussycat Sydney classical music guide
June 5, 2011 June 5, 2011 Mrs. Beans 1 Comment
Q&A with ChorusOz® soloist Warwick Fyfe
Articles, Australian Musicians Spotlight - Free Classical Music, Classical Concerts, Events, Free Classical Music, Philharmonic, Sydney Classical Music Guide
ChorusOz is an exciting opportunity for choristers from across Australia and abroad to come together in an annual choral weekend and bring to life one of the greatest works in choral repertoire. The results are always spectacular. Bass Warwick Fyfe is a soloist who will be performing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with this year’s ChorusOz on Sunday 12 June 6pm at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. To register to be a part of this year’s ChorusOZ click here. To book tickets click here.
Q&A with Warwick Fyfe
Q1) Have you performed this work before? If yes, which movements do you think the audience will enjoy the most? If no, what are your thoughts about doing this piece for the first time?
I have never performed this work though it has always loomed in my mind like a mighty, distant peak visible through the mists. Performing it for the first time will be an opportunity to immerse myself in a work which has daunted some great conductors as being almost too sublime to approach. I have had epiphanic, coup de foudre moments with great works when I’ve heard them, as a humble audience member, for the first time live, as distinct from on CD. Some works only reveal their treasures when one has abided with them for a good while. Be that as it may, having only ever listened to the Missa Solemnis on CD, I feel it is a work I’ve yet to experience properly.
Q2) What do you think about standing onstage with a chorus of 800 voices?
I expect it will be a mighty sound! I was in a similarly proportioned chorus in 1988 when I was involved in a Mahler 8 in Canberra.
Q3) From your perspective how does Beethoven stand in the context of full choral repertoire?
If he’d written nothing for concerted voices but the final movement of his 9th Symphony, it alone would have qualified him to be regarded as one of the Titans of choral writing. But then there’s the vastly proportioned testimony of the Missa Solemnis too. As a singer, I can see the justice of the criticism that his writing for voices is sometimes awkward, but the effect is sublime.
Q4) What are your impressions of the ChorusOz public choral training programme?
Based on the Mozart Requiem I was a soloist in a few years ago, I sense an enthusiasm from the participants so strong it bubbles over. Nothing could be more salutary for the health of society than such an intense engagement with high art.
June 2, 2011 June 2, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged ChorusOz, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Warwick Fyfe Leave a comment
Mathisha Panagoda – Australian Musician Spotlight
Articles, Australian Musicians Spotlight - Free Classical Music, Free Classical Music, Sydney Classical Music Guide
Born in Sydney, Mathisha Panagoda began learning the cello at the age of four.
This week, debussycat conducts a Q&A with Australian cellist Mathisha Panagoda. Mathisha is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Sydney Camerata, recipients of the 2010 Musica Viva Award for Chamber Music. He is the cellist of the Silvaner Ensemble, a winner of the 2011 YouTube Symphony Orchestra and blogs for ABC Limelight Magazine.
Born in Sydney, Mathisha Panagoda began learning the cello at the tender age of four. He completed a Bachelor of Music (Honours), studying under Danish cellist Georg Pederson at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and holds a Juris Doctor in law from the University of Sydney. Mathisha has performed as a member of the Melbourne, Queensland and Sydney Symphony Orchestras as well as the Australian Youth Orchestra. In 2009 he was the recipient of a Symphony Australia National Fellowship.
Mathisha has travelled the world with his cello. As principal cellist and a soloist of the SBS Radio & Television Youth Orchestra, he toured Europe, Russia and Hong Kong. As a member of the AYO, he has participated in two international tours to Europe and Asia performing at festivals including the BBC Proms (one of the world’s greatest classical music festivals). In Japan, Mathisha was selected as an academy member of the Pacific Music Festival and just last year he was invited to perform with the Aldeburgh Strings, a new international string orchestra based in the UK.
Q&A with Mathisha
What inspired you to form Sydney Camerata?
I was inspired to form Sydney Camerata to provide opportunities for musicians at a similar stage in their careers to me. In my final year of study at the Sydney Conservatorium, I was looking for more opportunities to gain practical experience- in particular in an ensemble inspired by groups such as the ACO where the style of working is a close nexus with chamber music. I was fortunate to have some friends who shared a similar desire and together we began to plan some concerts that have developed into our Sydney Camerata concert series.
What is the group dynamic like?
The group has a very unique dynamic for a number of reasons. All the musicians are highly trained and talented so they bring with them a refined set of skills. The musicians are all ‘young’ (generally between 20 and 30 years of age) and come with a fresh, modern day approach to classical music. Being young and talented, many of these musicians are on the cusp of professional careers. For many of them, playing with Sydney Camerata is an exciting opportunity to work independently of the confines of an institution or symphony orchestra. Everyone is there for the love of music, they work as professionals and have a lot of fun along the way. For this reason the dynamic of the group is one of great enthusiasm, energy and excitement.
How often do you practice?
We rehearse in intensive periods, not only because we find this the most effective and efficient method, but many of our musicians also fly from interstate to play with us. Usually musicians will be posted music a few weeks prior to rehearsals commencing so they can prepare their parts. We will generally begin rehearsals 4 or 5 days prior to a performance. The first day will usually be sectionals and rehearsals for principal players to discuss technicalities such as bowings and musical ideas. We will then spend a few days rehearsing daily to put the program together.
I’ve been enjoying your posts on Limelight Magazine. What kinds of things do you think your readers are most interested in?
The purpose of my blog is to follow my journey as a young musician in Australia. I think my readers like to hear about my personal experiences and thoughts in relation to music. Many are very interested to hear about the sorts of opportunities young people have in this country and I’m delighted to be able to share my experiences with them.
Probably Beethoven 9 or Brahms 4 but I also can’t go past Shostakovich and Dvorak Symphonies.
What’s your favourite type of classical music?
Very difficult question but I’m particularly into chamber music, string orchestra music and large symphonic music. More recently I’ve started exploring more contemporary composers such as Golijov and Vasks.
Favourite composer?
An impossible question but if I had to narrow it down it would probably be either Beethoven, Brahms or Tchaikovsky but there really are too many more to name!
What do you think makes classical music special?
What makes classical music special is its ability to transcend reality and transport the listener to another place. It’s often an intellectual exercise unique in that it involves three people- the composer, performer and listener. These three people can be from different parts of the world and have lived in different eras yet their synthesis creates something new every time.
The thing that I love most about classical music is that it’s an endless journey of discovery. I listen to a lot of other styles of music and while I will enjoy but be sick of a pop song in a matter of weeks, there is so much to discover in most pieces of classical music that they stay with you for life.
How do you think the digitalisation of media will affect classical music in the future?
The digitalisation of classical music will help it to reach new audiences and transcend formalities that have often turned people away from it. You no longer have to dress up and pay a lot of money to go to a concert hall to find yourself sitting in the back row. I watched the Berlin Philharmonic in my pyjamas in my bedroom via their Digital Concert Hall online last week. Still nothing beats a live performance for me, but the digital era has the potential to breathe much needed fresh air into classical music.
The Sydney Camerata
© Sabina Chitty – debussycat Sydney Classical Music Guide
May 24, 2011 May 25, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged Mathisha Panagoda, Sydney Camerata, Sydney classical music guide Leave a comment
Amadeus (1984) is available from Amazon.com. Click on image to purchase.
No. 97 is Mozart’s Requiem – Lacrimosa. Composed in Vienna in 1791, the Requiem has been featured on countless movie soundtracks. Lacrimosa is the 8th movement of the Requiem, and the most famous. Mozart died before finishing the Requiem at the young age of 35, and Franz Xaver Süssmayr completed and delivered the Requiem to Count Franz von Wasell. The Count had commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate his wife’s death (which, incidentally, fell on Valentine’s Day – how tragic!). Count Franz von Wassell commissioned the extensive work anonymously,and it is likely that he intended to put his own name on it. Perhaps he would be a household name had he succeeded, but Mozart’s unexpected death and a benefit concert for his widow put a spanner in the works. In the critically acclaimed 1984 film adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s highly fictionalised stage play Amadeus, it is suggested that it was not Franz von Wassell but Salieri (the famous Italian composer of the Habsburg Court) who anonymously commissioned Mozart’s Requiem. If you haven’t seen it yet, Amadeus really is a first class film which is sure to ignite your passion for Mozart as it did mine.
Requiem – Lacrimosa
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791)
Purchase Lacrimosa – iTunes
Purchase Lacrimosa – Amazon
© debussycat– Sydney classical music & jazz guide
May 17, 2011 June 22, 2019 Mrs. Beans Tagged Amadeus, classical music, Free Classical Music, Lacrimosa, Mozart, Peter Shaffer, Requiem, Sydney classical music guide Leave a comment
May 2011 – Events in Sydney
Events, Sydney Classical Music Guide, Sydney Free Classical Music - Events News
Baroque Opera: King Arthur – Purcell
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Early Music Ensemble
Neal Peres Da Costa conductor
Brendan Carmody director
Click for Information & Tickets
Haunting Handel
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
May 13, 14, 18, 20, 21
The Fellowship of the Ring: On Stage and Screen
Sydney Symphony
Peter Jackson’s epic film complete with music by Howard Shore
Ludwig Wicki conductor
Kaitlyn Lusk vocalist
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
Sydney Children’s Choir
May 6, 8
Mahler 10, Love and Death
HINDSON Concerto for two pianos world premiere
MAHLER Symphony No. 10 (completion Rudolf Barshai)
Ami Rogé piano
Pascal Rogé piano
Mahler 9: Another World
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 13 in C, K415
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor
Steven Osborne piano
Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra: Symphonic Spotlight
KERRY Symphony PREMIERE
GRAINGER In a Nutshell
BARTOK Concerto for Orchestra
Ben Northey conductor
Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra: Symphonic Spotlight – Tea & Symphony
Glittering Fröst
MOZART Eine kleine Nachtmusik
BRAHMS (arr Fröst) Hungarian Dances
HILLBORG Peacock Tales (Australian Premiere)
COPLAND Clarinet Concerto
RAVEL (arr. Tognetti) String Quartet
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Richard Tognetti Artistic Director and Lead Violin
Martin Frost Clarinet
Mike Majkowski and Decibel
New Music Network
Musica Barroca
Salut! Baroque
Musica Viva
Brentato String Quartet
Emerald Crossing
Selby & Friends
RACHMANINOV Piano Trio Elegiaque No.1 in G minor TNii/34
MOZART Piano Quartet No.1 in G minor, K.478
EDWARDS Emerald Crossing
SCHUMANN Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op.47
Jazz in the Café
Cocktail Hour Recitals
May 9 – 6:00pm
May 16 – 6:00pm
ARRIAGA Quartet No. 3 in E-flat Major (first movement only)
KEVIN MARCH Water Dreamers
MOZART Quartet in E-flat major, K428
Top of the Pops presented by Sydney Omega Ensemble
Kats-Chernin – Eliza’s Aria
Beethoven – Clarinet Trio
Schubert – Trout Quintet
Lang Lang in Recital
BEETHOVEN Sonata in C, Op.2 No.3
BEETHOVEN Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57
ALBENIZ Iberia, Book I
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7
It’s all about Rhythm!
Carl Orff Carmina Burana
George Gershwin Porgy and Bess (Symphonic Picture)
Leonard Bernstein West Side Story (Symphonic Dances)
The following ABC Classic FM (92.9 MHz) broadcasts are advertised on the ABC Classic FM website.
Sunday 8 May
METROPOLITAN OPERA – Capriccio – 7:05pm
Richard Strauss’ Capriccio was recoreded in New York last month with a cast including Renee Fleming, Sarah Connolly, Joseph Kaise and Russell Braun.
IN PERFORMANCE: Australian String Quartet – 8.00pm
At last year’s Bangalow Festival, the Australian String Quartet perform Andrew Schultz’s Clarinet Quintet along with Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor.
Tuesday 10 May
IN PERFORMANCE: Venice Baroque Orchestra – 8.00pm
Recorded in the Concertgebouw, Asmterdam, the Venice Baroque Orchestra features soprano Karina Gauvin, mezzo-soprano Kristina Hammarstrom and tenor Peter Gijsbertsen performing Vivaldi’s La Senna festeggiante.
Wednesday 11 May
AFTERNOON CONCERT: Suisse Romande Orchestra – 1.05pm
Arabella Steinbacher (violin) and Tobias Berndt (organ) feature in this performance including Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor and Faure’s Pelleas and Melisande, Op 80: Prelude.
Thursday 12 May
AFTERNOON CONCERT: Anna Grinberg & Liam Viney – 1.05pm
From last year’s Bangalow Festival we hear pianists Anna Grinberg and Liam Viney perform a program including Schumann’s Carnival Jest from Vienna and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No 4 and 5.
Friday 13 May
IN PERFORMANCE (LIVE): Ami and Pascal Roge – 8.00pm
Live from the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, the Sydney Symphony is joined by husband and wife pianists Ami and Pascal Roge to perform the world premiere of Matthew Hindson’s Concerto for two pianos and the Mahler realised Carpenter Symphony No 10 in F sharp.
Check out debussycat’s reviews
Check out debussycat’s articles
Check out debussycat’s top 100 popular free classical countdown
debussycat – Sydney classical music & jazz music guide
May 9, 2011 May 10, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged Classical Music Concerts, Free Classical Music, Free Classical Music Guide, Philharmonic, Sydney classical music guide, Sydney Opera Leave a comment
Dr Gina Ismene Chitty – Australian Musician Spotlight
Articles, Australian Musicians Spotlight - Free Classical Music, Sydney Classical Music Guide, Sydney Free Classical Music - Events News
Gina Ismene Chitty is an Australian pianist, composer and author. debussycat had the opportunity to interview her and discuss her latest book. Dr. Gina Ismene Chitty, primarily an Australian classical concert pianist and composer, has performed in the USA, West Germany, India, Australia and Sri Lanka. She was a winner of a Tchaikovsky Piano Competition held in Sri Lanka and was awarded a scholarship at the Moscow Conservatorium. However, a family diplomatic appointment took her to Washington D.C. where she graduated with a B. Mus majoring in piano performance from the George Washington University. She continued her postgraduate work at the American University and later at Sydney University. Gina was awarded a Ph.D at the Contemporary Music department at Macquarie University in Sydney in 2006. She has performed at various venues in Washington DC, with solo piano performances at Meridian House International, George Washington University and recorded performances on WGMS, Washington DC Radio Station. In Sydney she has had performances of her compositions, as well as major works by well-known composers. Gina has performed as a soloist playing the piano concerti of Beethoven, Liszt and Rachmaninoff.
Dr Gina Ismene Chitty: Australian pianist, composer & author.
Gina’s research for her Ph.d involved analysing Afro Lusitanian music genres in diasporic communities, with a focus on the Sri Lankan diaspora in Sydney, and their ambivalent attitudes toward the dance and music forms of the hybrid baila. Baila is a genre of popular dance music which originated among the Kaffir people (a group whose ethnicity comprises a blend of Portuguese, African and native Sinhalese). Gina outlines the engagement of diasporic communities with the music of their homeland in her book Public Postures, Private Positions. This book includes some of the findings of her doctoral research. The book was released in 2010 and focuses on an interesting sociological perspective, hitherto never addressed in academia. Sydney Sri Lankans are a diverse community, and Gina has a field day analysing and studying the often ambivalent and surprising attitudes of this group towards the baila genre. The more anglicised Sri Lankan migrants and the less anglicised migrants have contrasting and different attitudes and ideas about the baila, as do their offspring. Public Postures, Private Positions is an amusing and interesting engagement of diasporic communities with this particular strand of music of their homeland. Gina is presently writing a book The Transitional Motifs in the Late Piano Sonatas of Beethoven as well as a book about Sri Lanka where she addresses the very early years of her childhood, with anecdotes about the quaint community of academics in the University of Peradeniya where her father, Senator Doric De Souza and mother Violet de Souza (former head of the University library) were domiciled.
Public Postures, Private Positions is available from Amazon here and is a must have for sociologists and ethnomusicologists.
© debussycat Sydney free classical music guide 2011
<a href=”Follow”>http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2603512/debussycat?claim=gzx4zym8yms”>Follow my blog with bloglovin</a>
May 9, 2011 May 25, 2011 Mrs. Beans Tagged Australian Composer, Australian Musician, Australian Pianist, Baila, Doric de Souza, Dr Gina Ismene Chitty, Sri Lankan Author, Sri Lankan Composer, Sri Lankan Pianist Leave a comment
Australian Choirs
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir
Tasmanian Chorale
Australian Conservatoria of Music
Queensland Conservatorium – Griffith University
The University of Sydney – Conservatorium of Music
University of Tasmania – Conservatorium of Music
Australian Ensembles
Flinders Quartet
Sydney Camerata
Sydney Omega Ensemble
Australian Jazz Resources
Jazz Australia
Studio Bypass
The Jazz Discography
The Promethean – Adelaide
Australian Music Organisations
Australian Music Centre
Australian Opera Groups
Melbourne City Opera
Melbourne Opera
OperatuNiTy – Darwin
Rockdale Opera Company
State Opera South Australia
Victorian Opera
Australian Orchestras
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Australian Festival Orchestra
Brisbane Concert Orchestra
Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra
Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra
Brisbane Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra
International Music News
New York Times Music
Opera Now Magazine
Learn about Classical Music
The Essentials of Music
Melbourne Jazz Venues
The Paris Cat
Alex Ross – The Rest is Noise
Jessica Duchen's Classical Music Blog
Sequenza21
2MBS-FM
ABC Classic FM
Recital Dresses Online
Lovely Gowns
Sydney Jazz Venues
City Recital Hall – Sydney
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1176
|
__label__cc
| 0.645958
| 0.354042
|
Turnpike Digital
Bison Analytics Now Part of Intuit Apps For QuickBooks Desktop Marketplace
Press Release (ePRNews.com) - LEWISBURG, Pa. - Jan 17, 2017 - Bison Analytics, the only provider of complete end-to-end business intelligence for QuickBooks, is now part of the Apps for QuickBooks Desktop Marketplace. With this distinction, Bison joins a group of trusted, independent developers and industry experts who have integrated with QuickBooks to create software applications that solve specific business needs for QuickBooks Desktop customers.
Key to the company’s inclusion on the QuickBooks platform is the success of the Bison System™, which enables organizations to scale up on QuickBooks. As businesses grow, and their business intelligence needs become more sophisticated, the Bison System allows them to consolidate their data and create actionable financial dashboards and reports using their QuickBooks data.
“We’re excited to be included on the QuickBooks platform to deliver a best-in-class solution to emerging organizations,” said Bison Analytics CEO Kurt Steckel. “With the cloud-based Bison System, our clients now have fast and easy access to their customized QuickBooks analytics environment.”
Bison provides a full range of features necessary to implement analytics, not just a small piece of the solution. “What sets us apart are our 100% customizable dashboards, flexible data visualizations, and skilled pro services team to assist with the implementation and creation of unique reports. We are unrivaled in our ability to help clients make more strategic business decisions from end-to-end,” continued Steckel.
Founded in 2006, the Pennsylvania-based data analytics company provides solutions for emerging businesses to maximize the value of their financial data. Bison’s exclusive partnership with InetSoft for its Style Intelligence BI platform gives QuickBooks users a major competitive advantage through limitless data manipulation and visually compelling dashboards. In addition to the Bison System, Bison Pro Services provides clients with data extraction and consolidation support, as well as the development of custom dashboards. Bison clients cover a wide range of enterprises and geographic reach including Shintone USA in Georgia, a manufacturer of welded tractor parts using robotic technology; MRG, a Las Vegas, NV restaurant management group with 24 properties; and Best Fitness, an Albany, NY-based health, fitness and weight loss club with nine Northeast locations.
“With the Bison System, businesses do not need to choose between scaling operations and remaining on QuickBooks,” explains Steckel. “Now they have the best of both worlds. As they grow, they can avoid the pain and expense of moving to a bigger ERP system. Bison provides management the ability to focus on scalable growth right now.”
About Bison Analytics
Bison Analytics helps executives scale up on QuickBooks so they can drive growth. Founded in 2006, its flagship product the Bison System provides a 100% complete, end-to-end business intelligence environment specifically designed for QuickBooks. Offering consolidation and fully customizable reports, the Bison System delivers everything organizations need to implement analytics in their company quickly. Bison Pro Services offers responsive, US-based support from business intelligence experts. More information can be found at https://bisonanalytics.com/.
About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. creates business and financial management solutions that simplify the business of life for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services include QuickBooks® and TurboTax®, which make it easier to manage small businesses and tax preparation and filing. Founded in 1983, Intuit had revenue of $4.7 billion in its fiscal year 2016. The company has approximately 7,900 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Australia and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.
Source : Bison Analytics
Bison Analytics
CATEGORIES : Accounting Business Computers and Software Finance
Tags : Business Analytics Consolidate QuickBooks Financial Reporting Merge QuickBooks QuickBooks Analytics QuickBooks Dashboard QuickBooks Enterprise Reporting QuickBooks Report Writer QuickBooks Reporting Software as a Service
Amaze Credit Provides Legal and Foreigner Loans in Singapore
GearScoot is Providing a Platform for Finding the Best Online Deals
Best Digital Agency Offers Professional Reviews and Analysis of Digital Agencies
Meet the Company Raising Marijuana Professionalism
Sterling volatility ahead of election results
4K Picture Quality Goes a Long Way to Enhancing Your Gaming Pleasure
Accounting Habits for Freelancers to Practice in the New Year
Why Employee Engagement is Important for Your Business
How to Help Your Employees Hit Their KPIs
Wood Flooring Fitting Has Become a Skirting Fitting Expert
GigSmart Places Temporary Workers On-Site in Less Than an Hour
|
cc/2020-05/en_middle_0110.json.gz/line1178
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.